"The struggle for justice is not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” -- @GaryHaugen 

I saw this quote and liked it.  Gary Haugen is the president and CEO of International Justice Mission, "a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression" (quote from their website).  I am learning more and more why people use so many marathon analogies.  I have never been so aware of how every aspect of my life affects my physical endurance until now.  What I eat, drink, how much I sleep, what I wear...all of this plays a role in how well I run.  Seeking justice is much harder than running, requiring more training and mindfulness.  I like that I've been able to kind of combine the two.

I finished my longest run yet today: 5.4 miles.  Matt and the girls dropped me off by the Gamble House (as seen in Back to the Future, where Doc Brown lived in 1955).  From there it was about half a mile down the the Rose Bowl--and by down I mean all downhill.  That's a great way to start a run.  It's like flying.  I ran around the bowl, then stopped and got a drink and used the bathroom.  Going back up the hill was much less fun.

I felt proud of this run, not because it was fast or anything (it wasn't, except the first mile which was mostly downhill), but because I really, really didn't want to do it and I did it anyway.  I figured that if I can keep the pace that I had today for 13.1 miles, I should be able to finish in less than 3 hours.  When I signed up for the race, I had to tell them how much time I thought I would need to complete the course. I think I said three and a half hours.  My new goal is 2.5 hours, which might be a little hard (okay, maybe impossible, I just did the math).  At least now I'm pretty sure I'll be able to complete the course without the pace car picking me up.

Stats:

Distance: 5.4 miles
Duration: 1:11 hour:min
Average Pace: 13:16 min/mile
Average Speed: 4.52 mph

Total miles: 89

Running for Freedom

As I was running tonight, I realized that it's been weeks since I've had to stop because of pain in my feet or shins.  I wore the compression stocking that doesn't fit as well, so I had to walk a few times when my leg started cramping.  This reminded me of how much less pain I've been experiencing.

I didn't crochet as I ran.  I let others be the L.A. crazy (like the bagpiper, the woman in black running in the street, and the woman pushing her dog in a stroller).  I'm nice like that.  I did run an extra half a mile.  And I walked two miles with the girls this afternoon running errands, which should count as at least seven miles with stroller resistance and seven year old resistance.

When I started this experiment in being athletic, I was mostly thinking of running those 13.1 miles (I won't leave off that tenth of a mile) as a means of raising money to help restore the lives of girls and women who have had so much taken from them.  I wanted to do this because for years I have heard stories of girls sold into slavery and have been able to do nothing about it.  Every once in a while I will see how wonderful and beautiful my daughters are and it will hit me how lucky I am, how lucky they are.  I think of the daughters who are sold, because their parents are tricked, desperate, or dead.  I run for my daughters, so they will learn to care, and for the daughters who have no one else to run for them.

Crocheting While Running, Not So Easy

Yesterday I decided to try a crochet run.  I thought by mixing something I enjoy with something I loathe, it might make a semi-enjoyable event.  I decided on crocheting instead of knitting because

1. I've been crocheting much longer so it's easier for me and
2. crochet hooks are blunt and would hurt less to fall upon.

I thought that making something with bulky yarn would be the easiest, but that presented a problem: how do I carry a huge skein of yarn?  Eleanor let me borrow one of her smaller bags, so I attached the yarn to my running belt thing (what holds my key and phone) and off I went.

Usually I run in the evenings, when it is already dark and much cooler.  I wasn't prepared for how warm it would be when I went yesterday.  Between sweating like crazy and trying to crochet, it was a very slow run/walk.  I was surprised at how self-conscience I was.  Generally I am more of an observer of L.A. crazy, yesterday I felt like a participant.  At least now all the other walkers, runners, bikers, skaters will have a story to tell of a very slow runner trying not to faint all the while crocheting.  At least I didn't fall on my face.  I'm not sure if I will try it again.  It did make the running more interesting.

As I was trying to crochet while running, I was wondering what I would do with what I crocheted.  I came up with the idea of giving it to the next person who sponsors me.  Just to make it fair and fun, anyone who donates to Oasis India this week will get a fun crocheted or knitted something, most likely not all crocheted while running.  It's a win-win-lose-win: girls in India are freed from brothels (win), you get something fun that I crocheted (win), I have to keep running (lose), but I get to crochet/knit (win).

Running Through Horse Dung

It's been awhile.  Christmas made running hard and blogging impossible.  But tonight I finished my first run of the year, after a little over a week off.  It was not as bad as I thought it would be.

Yesterday was the Rose Parade, which means the city is still coming back together.  I run around the Rose Bowl (on a nice track).  Tents are still up from float decorating.  Barricades are still hanging out on the side of the road.  And best of all: horse dung is still on the road/running track.  Or at least that's what I like to imagine it is.  It could have just been mud/grass clippings tracked out by trucks.  I didn't stop to smell it.

I did not want to go running.  Three of my neighbors are training for the same race.  Every time I see them out running (which is way too often), I feel guilty and defeated.  I'm reminded that I am not a runner.  I'm not doing this for fun, but to challenge myself in a new and different way and to hopefully raise some money for a cause I deeply believe in.

Today I found myself wondering if it were possible to crochet or knit while running, a quick google search proved it to be possible, at least by one British woman.  I think I'm going to have to try that.  It would definitely make running through horse dung more enjoyable.

Milestones

Last night Charlotte was racing.  She would pose and say, "ready, steady, GO!"  Then she would take off and run as fast and as far as she could until she hit a wall.

She told me, "I'm racing."
"Really?" I said, "Who are you racing?"
"I'm racing me!" she said, as she ran off.

I've been very discouraged on the running front.  Travel, holiday activities, and sickness have meant few runs in the last couple of weeks and the ones I did get in were painfully slow (with an emphasis on the painful).  Finally today I took some decongestants that make me feel shaky, but made my sinuses stop aching. And I ran.  Really ran.

Tonight, for the first time in my life, I ran a complete mile without stopping.  And I didn't die.  It's a Christmas miracle.  I'm doing it.  I'm racing myself and I'm winning.

Stats:

Distance: 3 miles

Duration: 34:24 min:sec (over 2 min less than my previous best)

Average Pace: 11:27 min/mile (over 30 seconds better)

Average Speed: 5.24 mph (previous high was 4.9mph)

Total Distance: 62 miles

I'm Not A Runner, but I am Running

There are a lot of things I am good at, such as:

• reading to children
• researching things
• using the dewey decimal system
• critical thinking
• explaining complex ideas to children
• imagining a scenario in which any rule should be broken 
• creating crafting activities for children
• negotiating with toddlers
• logistical planning

There are things that I am adequate at, such as:

• cooking
• sewing
• needle crafts
• music
• photography
• writing
• technology

And there are things I am bad at, such as:

• housekeeping
• poker faces
• spelling
• memorizing poetry (especially in Latin)
• drawing
• pop culture
• running

When I go running, it's like a constant bashing of my self-esteem.  I'm not good at it, I don't enjoy it and yet I keep going.  While my friends are running (as in without stopping) 5, 6, 7 mile runs, I have yet to run a full mile without a walking break.  The idea of propelling myself forward for 13.1 miles scares the bejeebies out of me.  It's really good for me to be doing something that challenges me, but I think for the sake of my sanity I need to mix in some more things that I'm good at.

I haven't gotten in as many runs lately due to travel and being sick.  Today's run was my first since Tuesday.  When I got to the Rose Bowl, I remembered that today is the second Sunday of the month, meaning it was the flea market.  Luckily I was getting there as it was ending, so parking wasn't an issue.  It did make the beginning of the run more interesting, as I was running past some of the vendors.   It was a slow "run," with my head still full of snot.  I'll spare you the stats, mostly because I don't want to look at them.  

And Then I Ask You For Money

There are a lot of reasons to run 13.1 miles.  I am lucky enough to have never encountered any of these,  until now.  What I've failed to mention up to this point is my friends and I are running for to raise money for a charity: Oasis India.  Oasis is an organization that works around the world to end modern day slavery.  Over 27 million people are enslaved worldwide, with most of them being women and children and many of those in sex work.  The average age of girls sold into slavery is 12 years old.  Oasis India works with local police to raid brothels where girls are enslaved.

So when my friends asked if I wanted to help them raise money to free girls from slavery, I finally saw a reason to run 13.1 miles.  I think I may suggest we do a bake sale next time.

Our team's goal is $5,000.  There are four of us on the team, which makes my personal goal $1,250.  I think I'll make it an even $1,310-- $100 per mile.  If our team meets the goal, we will have raised enough money to fund 10 brothel raids.  

 I'm excited about raising money for something I feel so strongly about.  If you are able and inclined, please give.  I installed a donation gaget on the right side of this page or you can donate by going here.

In other news, I really don't like running.  Especially with a cold.  I don't have the stats from my last three runs up, but they were slow.  I'm hoping to do a longer run/walk this weekend.  13 miles is still seeming impossible, especially with only 74 days to go (one of the fund raising sites has a ticker...it is stress inducing).