Just Read it Anyway

So no matter what you been through
no matter what you into
no matter what you see when you look outside your window
brown grass or green grass
picket fence or barbed wire
Never ever put them down
you just lift your arms higher
raise em till’ your arms tired
Let em’ know you’re there
That you struggling and survivin’ that you gonna persevere
Yeah, ain’t no body leavin, no body goin’ home
even if they turn the lights out the show is goin’ on

So I went on a run. I know I've talked about it before, but blah blah blah. (insert some cliche about doing my best thinking while running.)
Every run has something to overcome but my entire running story, even my story of the past couple years is a story of victory. Its a story of blessings, overcoming obstacles, changing, and deciding, loving, and believing.


First let me talk about this particular run's obstacles. 
1) I ate a good amount of pretzel m&ms, (which are so so good) before my run and I fought several regurgitations of it along the way.
2) The run was after midnight.
This has several problems in itself. 

• I took my phone, per my mom's request, which is a hassle.
• I also had to promise to stay close. This is a problem because I was planning on five miles, which on foot, how close can that be if an emergency was to arrive? But I did stay in the neighborhood sort of.
• Also, after midnight, every tree becomes a person and every person out after midnight, naturally, is a rapist ready for a taste of my salty skin. Every car driving past has a gun, ready for a drive-by. And every light is a search party out to find me for stealing Gregory Lazarowitz's highlighter in the second grade. It makes the run interesting I guess, feeling like an outlaw/victim. I like to think on these runs that I could hold my own should someone attack, but you never know

3) I hit road construction outside of my neighborhood where the only places to not run in the middle of the street were deep dark grass (presumably full of snakes), and deep dark tractor ruts just ready to twist my ankles. I did sort of feel cool running on this not quite road. The term trail blazer came to mind. I could very possibly be the first person to run on this new surface, paving the way for others to come.

Anyway, most of these obstacles were easy to overcome and I cracked myself up a couple of times with my thoughts of poisonous snakes, and debating whether or not pretzel m&m puke would be good enough to eat again the second time. (I'm probably a lot funnier to myself than I am to you people.)

Then I see my running shadow up against a privacy fence. 

She has my profile, my ponytail, my nose, the outline of my flappy shorts, but none of my weaknesses. I can't see her scars, her shortcomings, I can't see any proof on her of the days she didn't run. She just runs. That's all I see of her. 

The shadow reminds me how well I've gotten to know my body. I know its limits, and I can push beyond them. She keeps going. Because I make her. 

From this, I've learned I have the same control over my mind. I won't let my mind decide where my limits are. I am not afraid to approach tasks that make me uncomfortable or anxious, stressed out or panic-y because I get to decide if it has that effect on me, and what I do with those feelings.

As a future medical professional, I'd like to tell you to run. Run without an ipod. Just go run however far you can. If you know what you're doing, you can find exactly what your body wants on a run. Did you know that running increases your cell turnover rates almost everywhere in your body? For second hand smoke recipients, this means that your lungs can clean themselves of toxins virtually overnight. This also means healthier skin, hair, and nails. If you find that you have salty crystals on your skin after the sweat dries, YOU NEED MORE WATER. If you crave chocolate, you can eat chocolate for some instant gratification but what your body really wants is protein and iron. 

Look at the facts. Two and a half years ago I was a sickly 16 year old. I wasn't overweight but I felt blah. I didn't eat right. Then I ran. I ran through heartaches and joys. I ran with a team and now I run alone or with Zach mostly. I HAVE to eat better now, (my running stomach won't allow grease.) I lift weights. I can do a chin up. I can leg press 400+ lbs. My legs are sinew. I'm in the best shape of my life and I feel GOOD. 

Finally.

the doctor's doctor

It's summer. Which doesn't really mean anything for those of us who work year round at growing, learning, and working on things that are important to us. In some ways, I feel very exhausted about this summer, but its a good exhausted. The kind where I'll never be able to be bored. I'll have running, projects to work on, money to be made, people to see, and all of that means new experiences to have. Nothing super eventful or life changing has happened. So far but I do have one story to tell.

Things I've Been Loving On

with Zach

also with Zach

Ok here's the story.

 Today I broke ground on a project in the backyard. I'm doing my parent's patio. I'll let you know how it goes. Tonight I just took out some concrete chunks, and started to take some more dirt out. I'll have to pile in some gravel and then start bricking or putting in paving stones. This actually isn't really a story, I just wanted to let ya'll know how things work around here. 

Think of the greatest living expert of any subject. Say, like a world renowned surgeon. Now, who does that surgeon go to when HE himself needs surgery? I, personally, want the surgeon's surgeon to operate on me.

Now, when you common folk need your walls replaced, tiles laid, or say like a patio done, you call people like my dad. A contractor with a good reputation. But, what you should be asking is, "WHO IS THE CONTRACTOR'S CONTRACTOR?"

The answer is me. I am the person that the contractor goes to when he needs the job done right. Unfortunately you people cannot afford me and I wouldn't do it anyway. The end.