I found an old email....and boy let's talk MoTiVaTiOn! Special Thanks to Kai, Foster and Sophia...my shoe models!

You stick your right foot in.... you stick your right foot out...you do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around....and that is what it's all about!! Memories of "old school" play....in P.E!

Unfortunately as you age....it's not that easy to stay slim and trim with the occasional "Pokey" dance we did as children in elementary school. No there is much more discipline... routine... aches... pains.... creaks... tantrums ... excuses.... that go into exercising EVERYday...and for me...I need to work out everyday b/c if I don't I will take my one day off and then it becomes two days ...three days... four days..do you get my drift?

What I lack at times is MOTIVATION.....and lack of motivation is downright stifling to me...I get in an "unhappy" cycle and I will be the first one to say to the kids, "Mommy is grumpy because she needs to exercise!"...and they roll with it...we have been trying to teach the kids that exercise is one of the best tool to implement in life...among other things!(I do have a point to this post...stay with me *wink*)

I have a close and GREAT friend M. Krejci who lives in Texas who did her first Iron Man in 2005...and Kent-O and I followed the times during her whole race via the Internet...and I was TRULY inspired in what she accomplished! I was SO inspired that I decided to train for and run the Naha marathon in Okinawa...on December 5th 2005. The pros totally outweighed the cons and I laced up my shoes and I was bound and determined to run this race. (I also loved the fact that I would be also trying to run off the EXTRA baby weight that I was graciously hanging on to *smile*). Training for the 26.2 mile beast was at times grueling...but at times so refreshing...I found that I LOVE running in the rain...I found myself feeling accomplished....becoming EVEN closer to GOD...having intimate conversations and feeling on top of the world...sorting all my priorities in life...and ALMOST solving all my problems ....*ha*...ALMOST! Accomplishing what I set out to do was AMAZING... I truly felt so much stronger physically...mentally and most important spiritually! As I was... inspired...so was my Kent-O...he was inspired to train and complete his first (mini) triathlon the spring of 2006..and he has been tearing it up ever since...(Kent and his Okinawan tribe keep busy doing all sorts of things...you name it they play it!)

Motivation is a domino effect...it only takes one person to inspire one other person to inspire one other...I found an email I wrote about my 18 miler...and I'll post it....it just gets my blood pumping when I read it...and on a whim...it MIGHT motivate me to train and run the Okinawan marathon in 2009...but ya never know! *smile*

An old email of my 18 miler....and lil' Soph in mama's BIG shoes...cause she is gonna be a runner ya know!

Greetings Friends and Family!

Most of you know that I am training for the 2005 Naha Marathon which will take place on December 4th @ 9:00 a.m! Yes....God willing... I will be running 26.2 miles. My #1 goal is to finish...and my #2 goal is to finish before night fall...*ha*...within 6 hours would be GREAT!

I have been training with about 7 other women...mostly teachers and a couple of Air Force nurses jumped in on the training midway through. So I believe that makes us 8 women strong. I've completed 3 months of training and we have 4 more weeks left before the BIG day!

We run 4 times a week...and out of those 4 runs there is a long run we usually do on a Saturday morning...or sometimes early Sunday morning depending on our hectic schedules. We have been building up our endurance each week. Pushing the envelope a bit every long run.

So....on November 5th..we set out to conquer 18 miles! Our longest run yet...here is a 'LITTLE' recap of our running adventure...

My morning started at 4:01 when the alarm went off....buzzing in Kent's ear...I told him to hurry up and push snooze...I needed my seven minutes of sleepy sanity to build my enthusiasm to spring out of bed....to join the 5 other insane women (one of our runner's is taking the long run off b/c of an injury and one gal was alerted and is on TDY) who plan to take the 18 mile trot with me! I jumped in the shower to wake up...put on my running uniform on with precision...it's pretty ritualistic...shorts first..shirt..socks..shoes..watch...you get my drift....make my carb filled breakfast which consists of toast, peanut butter, and banana...tossed a couple of motrin down...and chased it with a swig of orange juice for the extra energy I would need later. I grabbed my camelpak fanny pouch filled with water...and packed two power bar gel's...grabbed some yen for my water purchase along our route...and stuffed two pieces of trident in my bra... Everything seemed to be in place.

We were meeting at the back gate of Torii Army base and running our 18 mile route, one way. Then driving back as a group to the place where we started. So in order for us to make that happen we were meeting at 5:00 to drop the van at the end of the run and then returning to meet the rest of the girls to start the run at 5:30. But time was not on our side. It took longer than 30 minutes to do all this driving. We didn't get back to the starting point to run until a little past 6:00ish. When we turned the corner we saw one of the girls already running...but she stopped and said she was confused why no one was around...so she waited and decided to run the 16 mile route they had done before. So she waited for us....but as we all know girls...we had to all take a potty break...so our run didn't start until 6:15. And another one of our runner's couldn't wait for us any longer she had family commitments and knew it would take well over 3 hours to finish...so she ran on her own....So everyone is in a hurry...and a frenzy....so finally our run commences...and we all start our run in a pack. (I hope I haven't put you to sleep yet!)

We break up about a mile into our run the faster runner's break ahead...and me and the other gal's stay together....just busy chit chatting...catching up...telling stories of the past week....and then the oddest thing happened....I was running along....and *BAM*...I was face down in the pavement...and this is only on mile number 2! I jumped up so fast....and didn't miss a beat...I start talking like nothing happened...scared to look at my body...just in case I see peeling flesh or gravel...but my running buddies...asked if I was alright and I grudgingly did a body check....but to my surprise I only had a scratched up palm...a few flecks of gravel ground into the wound....my right knee was scraped up and dinged...and right arm a little scratched...I had tripped over some splotchy cement on the road...If you could picture someone diving in a volleyball game...that is how I fell...pretty graceful..I suppose...but anyway on we go....we proceeded down the road...me chuckling to myself...thinking how silly I must have looked going down...and grateful I could still run...the only thing REALLY bruised was my ego...okay...only 16 miles to go...

We continued and one of the girls has a muscle spasm in her right shoulder area...and it is causing her major grief...so she is contemplating on just running to the light house which is about 7 mile's...but won't decide until later...so she slows..and tells me to keep going......I reluctantly pick up my pace....since I didn't run the 16 mile route last weekend with them she was giving me directions on where to go (I had ran another 16 mile route). These were her words...'When you get to the T in the road...if you turn left you go to the light house....but turn right...then when you get to highway 6 take a left....until you come to highway 58...take another left....and go straight to Nago....and you'll see your van'...It all looks so different when you are running in the light of day... I drove it earlier in the pre-dawn dark and busy talking...and I wasn't paying attention...so I needed the extra direction....so I happily turned right at the T...not seeing the faster girls...getting the sinking feeling I was falling behind.

So since I had the key to the van...I ultimately had to finish the run...the other girls were counting on me finishing so I could drive everyone back...so I locked myself into this deal...it was solid. I gaze up into the first hill...hoping it there wouldn't be many more of these to tread on...took a deep breath...and told myself I only had 11 more miles to go....not so daunting if you break it up like that...I feel good.... my knee's are feeling good...I always feel like my water is my security blanket...as long as my water pouch is full then I'm confident. I'm really enjoying the view...the weather is partly cloudy so the weather is on my side...I pound away......I hear people talking in there house's...windows must be open....I hear children warming up for there baseball game...I smell breakfast brewing....I see farmers carrying their hatchets and pushing their carts....I pound on....I get to a highway and I assume it's 6 and I turn left...seeing kids in baseball uniforms.....a pelaton of bikers wooshing by....I run by the sea wall...watching the water ripple from playful birds...soaking up all the nature...as I pound on....I smell the sea life...and I notice the area is sleepy..not busy with people just yet...just an occasional car drifting by....I admire all the art that has been painted on the sea wall...I start to wonder if I am going the right way...starting to doubt my keen sense of direction...*smile*....while I ponder if I am going the right way...I open my first power gel and I consume....hmmm....well I might as well keep going...I run into 3 more hills...wondering if those will be the last one's I see on my trip...but now sensing that I'll see a few more before this is over....a-ha! I see the confirmation I needed..a sign...highway 6...okay...I am going the right way....but man...highway 6 is pretty long....I pass a log cabin and it tickles me to see a log cabin in the middle of Okinawa...I pound on....I come across a homeless man...he smiles and is imitating me running...I smile and pick up my pace...the little dude is friendly....and he resumes his path....I come to a church which is gated and someone must be getting married...they are setting up the flowers and they are beautiful against the pristine white church....I see the words MalibuHills cut into a hill out of grass....and a sign that looks like the big Hollywood sign in L.A....but smaller.....weird I suppose....then I look up and I see the Rennasaince Hotel a land mark...okay 5 or 6ish more miles to go...I turn left on to highway 58.....

Traffic is picking up.....fatigue is setting in...I'm actually getting bored...cardio wise...I feel GREAT....body is feeling okay....but I think of all the things I could be doing....but I try to find things to think about...I feel the sun creeping out from behind the clouds...and I'm not thrilled...wondering how hot it will be on Marathon day.....just keep going...just keep going....GREAT another hill... I love hills... I say...I love hills...repeat...I love hills...*pant*pant*...I scope out the vending machines so I can load up on water....I haven't seen a convenience store yet...I'm wondering how far ahead the girls are getting while I stop....I fill my water up....I tuck my money away...and I amble off into a creaky run...warming every thing back up...then around the bend...wouldn't you know it...a Family Mart...if only I waited I could of bought a HUGE water instead of a small water...oh well...I'm not stopping again...I open my second and last gel pack and consumed the vanilla tasting contents...onward...onward, I say!

I see little shops full of pottery...blown glass vases...shops full of beadwork....small mom and pop shops....pounding away...I see some Americans up ahead...they are slathering sun block on...about 5 of them...I run by...saying hello...not getting a response...probably didn't hear me...hmmph...since they didn't say hello..and I am tired of all the hills and I am staring one down...I decide...I will walk this hill...my body celebrates in the momentary victory of me deciding to walk...I haven't walked on a run since the 2nd week of training when I ran 6 miles...but considering all the hills...and the not so jolly sun block slathering Americans...I decided to treat myself on a 4 minute walk of the hill....almost noticing...that my walk is somewhat similar to my run.....*ha*.....nah...I dare not say I run as slow as I walk....I'm thinking that the girls in front of me are gonna just have to wait a few extra minutes while I cheat up this hill....and to tell you the truth...if I had only known that this was the LAST freaking hill...I wouldn't have indulged! Oh well.....so I off I pound...pounding away...pound.....pound..pound...and more pounding...and I look up....I crane my head...I raise on my tip toes...and I see my van....I quicken my pace just a smudge....and I look again...feeling giddy and emotional...feeling happy as hell...!! As I was celebrating in the glory of almost being done....the second most oddest thing happened......

One of the faster runner's ran up behind me and said, 'Hey, Tritia!' and scared the bah-jeezus out of me! I jumped and screamed at the same time! Amazed! I asked her if she came running back to find me and I passed her...but she said, 'Nope!'....Remember way back at the T where I turned right.....well the faster runners turned left to run to the lighthouse and flipped a 'U' turn and ran up the road that I took the right at (have I lost you all?)...so they were behind me the whole time...I thought I was behind the whole time...and if I would of known I was ahead...I wouldn't of walked up that damn last hill! They gave me big kudos for running the whole route basically all by myself.....which made me feel GREAT....so my 18 miler ended up being a smidge below...but with the extra hill's that were thrown in...I believe I finished my MARATHON that day!

I finished my run in 3 hours 57 minutes and 53 seconds!

Bliss...Pure Heavenly Bliss...isn't it a WoNdErFuL feeling to accomplish something you set out to do?

Thank you all for the support you have given me on my journey to becoming a MARATHON-er!

Thanks for taking time out to read my thoughts!
Love,
Trit

written Fall of 2005

M.K. and MeEeE

It only takes one to inspire...and the dominoes start a' fallin'..(and fall as they may.....;-p)

MiMi the seamstress...is such a boutique artist!

(front)

Mimi made these for lil' Soph for her birthday...so classic and trendy!

Mimi is an Artist with the sewing machine...I have so many quilts that she has put her time and her soul into...Thanks MiMi...you're magical! ;-p

(back)

the detail she put into these pants are amazing...she added some old handkerchiefs to the pockets she bought at a church rummage sale. A VERY vintage touch!

She brilliantly made this wall hanging for our entrance....this is the first BEAUTIFUL thing we see before we see the rest of our messy abode.
A close up....we love it...and we get many compliments!

Gracias, MiMi!