March 27, 2010

We were honored to have Steve McGehee back with us this Saturday!  You have been missed, Steve, and any Saturday we can get you, we will take you!

The running and walking contingents were made up of Steve, Mike Carscadden, Tim and Beth (and Paul and Jack) - and Ruth and me (respectively).  I think Mike and Steve broke off from the Frilingos so that Mike could put Steve through the proper 'welcome back' paces!  A little hard for Tim and Beth and jogging strollers and small boys to keep up, but they managed 4 miles (I think I heard) in any event.  At Starbucks, we were joined by Lisa Lowman - good to catch up with her and everyone!

Tim and Beth survived the ING Half, which is doubly impressive since Beth was sick - and had side cramps for at least 6 miles.  We still look forward to hearing from the rest of the ING'ers when they make it back to Morning run...!

In a land far far away...

Ann Stuart, our new friend Liza and I took our own Morning Run on the Women's Retreat at Montara Farm in north Georgia last weekend. We woke up Saturday to a beautiful, only slightly chilly morning and headed out. None of us were familiar with the area and all of us were wary of grouchy country dogs, so we stuck close to home, but that didn't keep us from enjoying each other's company, the beautiful day, and the chance to stretch our legs and lungs.
Some highlights of our run included:

• the long gravel driveway, which the ever-sunny Ann Stuart favorably compared to a foot massage;
• Liza "the dog whisperer" Purcell's spirited conversations with the aforementioned growly beasts-- dang, she's tough;
• a tree full of chickens and roosters

We missed y'all but we enjoyed each other and Montara!
Sorry there are no pictures. We were too busy running and gabbing.

Beth Frilingos: ING Half, March 21st, 2010

Tim and I ran the ING Half Marathon together this morning. He promised to run with WITH me and he did. He was by my side the whole time, except once, for a bathroom break. And due to my slower pace, we were very fortunate to finish at the exact same time as the top marathon finisher from Ethiopia (his first Peachtree and first time to Atlanta). It was very cool. It was inspiring. And it's why I not only love running, but I love to do the races.

I used to not love races. It was always about the competition, the speed, who was first, who was last (me). I'm not competitive and I'm not particularly fast. I just wanted to run, because while it hurts a lot much of the time, there are times when it feels really good.

During the race, I kept catching words, on signs, on the backs of runners' shirts, out of the mouths of spectators, and even once, I passed a glove on the ground. On the top of the glove, it read "Run fast". There were a few Bible verse signs that were about perseverance and "doing all things through Christ who strengthens me". Those signs did help to make me feel stronger, to make me feel like I could keep going when it began to hurt. But, a lot of the cheering, and a lot of the signs, were about running fast.

I don't think this is a bad thing. Running fast can be really fun. And hearing adults or especially children cheering you on, saying "run faster, run faster" can boost your spirit and keep you going. But, is being fast the goal?

It made me think of Paul. He loves all things "fast". The world of racing cars has turned him on even more, to fast cars as well as fast people. While I was running, I could hear him saying to me "Mommy, you were so FAST". And I thought, you're right Paul, there were times when I was fast. But then, there were also times where I was not and being fast was not my goal. My goal was to keep going. "Don't stop", I'd tell myself. You can finish. You can do it. Just think, if you finish, think about how much further you went, even after it stopped feeling good and began to hurt.

Endurance. I want to find ways to teach my boys about endurance. To value that endurance within themselves, more than the speed. Speed is fun, but endurance is the prize to be won.

And showing up and participating. You were there. You saw the mass of people flowing throughout downtown Atlanta, weaving in and out of neighborhoods. There were probably some today who didn't finish for whatever reason. But, they came and they ran, and they endured to the best of their ability.

It is a gift to be able to run. I am thankful that my legs to still work and I can do this. If not this, something else, but I am grateful for this.

I am happy with today's race. Not because I was fast and not even because I finished (though that is a great feeling), but because I ran. Congratulations runners! You did it. You all did.

March 20th, 2010

It's a very short story this morning.  There was Ruth and there was Eileen.  Ruth and Eileen went downtown on their walk to see all the marathon preparations.  They came across a HVAC system on a crane being lifted to the top of a building on Peachtree.  They walked around the aquarium, saw men bringing in port-o-potties, saw men erecting tents - and then they sat outside at Starbucks.  Spring must be coming.

I will be thinking of the half and whole marathoners tomorrow.  GOOD LUCK!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

March 13th, 2010

Better than the fact that there was no rain this morning was having so many people at Morning Run!

Representing the running division were Tim Long, Tim and Beth Frilingos (with Paul and Jack) and Paul McKibben.  Two Pauls and two Tims.  Ann Stuart and I did a walk/jog combo which was pretty impressive given that Ann Staurt's back is acting up.  Lastly, representing the Starbucking division were Noelle and Linden and Vic and Lucinda (Noelle and Linden having done a mini-jog on their own).  If I had taken my camera instead of forgetting it on the table by the door you would see Linden with her two bottom teeth, Lucinda with her silky hair, Jack walking and Paul looking more and more like a movie star every time he steals Tim Long's sunglasses.

As it is the week before the ING Marathon and Half-Marathon - GOOD LUCK to all who are running!  I know Paul McKibben is doing the half, Laura Scholz is doing (her first) whole marathon.  Are there more from Morning Run who are running??  In any case, I will be somewhere along the route cheering. 

Eileen

GOOD LUCK to Tim and Beth Frilingos in the half-marathon as well!  Sorry for the omission!!

Running with Paul

I posted a message on All Saints' Parents with Young Children blog and I thought it might fit here as well. I haven't been running much with the group on Saturday mornings, though Paul, Jack, and I still meet up with Beth and the rest of the gang for coffee at Starbucks. I still am running a lot and it still is a sacred time to me. This story happened this past Saturday:

I hope everyone got to spend a little time outside this week. Paul and I did something we have not done in a while. On Saturday I strapped him into the red jogger and ran him 6.5 miles through the neighborhood. As we headed towards are house I picked the pace up a little. Paul recognized this and cheered me on, yelling, "We're gonna win, Daddy, we're gonna win" At some imaginary finish line his encouragement turned to congratulations and he yelled, "We won, Daddy, we won."

I'll admit that 75% of the time I am usually telling Paul what not to do, what not to touch, what not to say, or what not to shove his little brother into. On Saturday, at the end of a tiring run, Paul knew just the right thing to say, not only to make sure we all got home, but to give his ol' Dad a chance to win at least one race. Even if we were the only ones who knew we were racing.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I look forward to seeing everybody on Saturday.

-Timothy Frilingos

March 6th, 2010

At the crack of dawn (as Steve McGehee would say) this morning, we had beautiful weather and Tim and Laura Long, Beth Frilingos and Ruth.  Laura left to do a 20 mile training run, Tim Long and Beth ran and Ruth and I walked.

Somewhere along Ponce Ruth and I ran into an Inman Park neighbor of mine, Cooper, who walked with us for a while.  No money was found - although I did forget to report the 2 cents that Ann Stuart found last week.  As for the runners, I think they said they did 4.5 miles through the park and back.

At Starbucks, Tim Frilingos, Paul and Jack joined us.  Paul is a budding photographer, as you will see from these photos.  I did take some of these, but most of the credit goes to Paul.  I do not feel like I have the authority to edit his work, so I present it here in all its glory.

Good to see everyone.

PS  If any of you want to write or send in photos - or both, please go ahead and post it/them to the web!