Leaning into the Turn...the name of this blog. So much of our time is spent leaning into the twists and turns that cancer has brought us, I neglect to publicly acknowledge the fact that Albert has been there for me every step of the way when dealing with my limitations due to my health. BUT please don't get me wrong, I appreciate ALL that he STILL does for me every day. I would say that we rely on each other more now than we ever have before.
Especially today, I want to thank Bert for supporting a crazy idea that I had about a year ago.
My New Year's Resolution for 2019 was to complete a 5K every month. Although he MAY have thought I must be losing it, he never once let it show. He supported me, got me some gear to get started and believed that I could do it.
And being who I am, I made things difficult. I put all kinds of conditions on my "qualifying" races! First they had to be in my home town, I had to be able to walk , not run , and lastly, the charity that I ran for would need to mean something to me.
Well, life happened and I wouldn't meet my goal unless I lightened up on some of those requirements. For example, I didn't get to do the 5K I signed up for in August (I did two in November to make up for it), they weren't all in my home town because in those hot summer months, it's slim pickins, and sometimes I didn't really consider the charity because I just needed to sign up for something that fit into our schedule.
This morning, with Albert as my biggest fan for EVERY RACE, I completed my 12th 5K of 2019!! He took all the great (and some not so great) pictures of my before and after, of family and friends who joined us, and some interesting things along the way.
Technically, I feel like I met my goal.
But in thinking about next year's goal, I was really thinking about why I made this resolution in the first place. I was thinking it would help me get into better shape. One of my doctors told me that the best way I could help Albert was to make sure I was taking care of my own health first. So the 12 5Ks were an attempt at "fitness". In reality, I walked less than I did the year before, I got fatter, and felt like a fraud because I only proved that I could complete my resolution. I didn't feel like I met my goal to improve my overall health.
What I didn't expect were the GREAT things that came from sharing my resolution with my friends and family. I got to share many of the races with friends and family that wanted to be a part of my success. I received the entry fee to many of my races as gifts, and that went along with another love of mine, giving gifts of experiences and not more things that create clutter and chaos. I got to meet new people and walk in parks/areas that were new to me. I learned that I'm still 'athletic' even if it looks different for me now. I also learned that there are some great tools out there for tracking times and distances. AND I learned that I needed to really look at what my resolution would be for 2020.
2020 will combine two goals that my two primary doctors gave me years ago. My RA doctor said I need to walk 10 minutes EVERY DAY, no matter what. Not fast, not far, just 5 minutes in one direction and then turn around and do it again. BUT, I tried that, and felt like a failure because if I didn't do it ONE day I would give up on myself. For some reason, the easier it seems, the harder it is for me to actually do. My diabetes doctor said I need to walk 30 minutes three times a week. That's kinda what I was doing in 2018, before the grand idea above. I thought I would keep walking multiple times a week, plus the 5Ks, but it didn't work out that way.
I have decided that in 2020, I will walk for a minimum of 20 minutes, 20 times a month!
This gives me room for bad days, bad weather, and when life chooses to send us through another turn.
I know that Albert will still be there supporting me, he might even walk some of those minutes with me. He will still believe in me and go along with my crazy ideas. And I thank God for him every single day!
Since you read all this way...let me show you some of the great pics he took along the way!
January-it was soooo cold! This was a trail run! It took me 1hr and 6mins and I fell twice due to the very slick mud!
February- Cade joined me for the 5K while Albert and Kasey cheered us on!
March-I actually placed 2nd in my age/gender category! AND got a silver medal! LOL
April-was one of those powdered color runs...it was messy.
May-was unexpected! We met up with friends, Shirley, Brianna, and Oreo!
June-was a blast!! Kasey and our niece Martina joined me AND midway through the race we hopped on a tube and floated the river and went through a chute!
July-was Jake's first 5K since high school, and of course, he got 1st place in his age/gender group!
August-I had to miss the race, but Jake ran AND won 1st place in his age/gender group!
September-Rob and Jake both joined in the fun! You can probably guess that Jake won 1st in his age/gender category!! (He gets that from me!)
October- Fiddy joined Jake and I for a night time glow run! Yes, Jake won first AGAIN in his age/gender group! Albert and Jenny cheered us on!!
November- had two races. At the beginning of the month we joined Lora's team and Jake's winning never gets old!
At the end of the month we did a very hilly and difficult run and Jake's first place win earned him a TURKEY!
December- was my last race of the year! And my BEST TIME!! 44 minutes, 43 seconds!! YES, those are my Christmas pajamas!
Stay tuned for more updates on Albert and how his 2019 progressed!! (in between my races of course!)
-Becca
