Category Archives: Moving Forward
What are the best Goggles?
This blog has taken a turn and probably this year I will be spending a lot of time on my athletic activities. Hope I don’t lose some of you. Anyway who knew that there were different types of goggles for different types of swims. Okay so some people knew but not me. In my new Swimmer magazine there is a goggle review article. Apparently some come off when you dive or do a fast flip turn (not issues for me) or when you’re swimming a fast race. Good grief. My goal is to get goggles that don’t fill with water or sit too close to my large eyeballs. You don’t want to think about them once you start to swim. The beauties listed below Speedo F3 Elite lists for $75.00! Everything has its price.
Gratitude Is In the Eye of the Beholder
I call my Sunday walk my gratitude walk. I am so glad that I am able to do it. Today I lost count of my laps picked a number and continued. Ran into a friend and then I was truly off. I was aiming for my usual 3 miles.
Not bad for the 62 year old!!
February Challenge – Cupids Chase 5K
It’s done. Signed up for the Cupid Chase 5K in New Jersey on February 8, 2014. This 5K supports people with disabilities and is fundraiser. Donations can be made in my name (Karen Hilliard Johnson) at the Community Options, Inc website. All gifts are welcomed. If you’re local come cheer on participants or join in. The website says runners, joggers, walkers and those with wheels are welcomed! This is my next goal for the year. I’m praying for moderate weather but will do it short of bitter cold!
Stamina is Earned Daily
For a variety of reasons and a long story I was out of the pool more than I was in over the last eight months. Now I am by no means an elite swimmer. My stroke isn’t pretty and could use some tweaking but in June I was swimming a half mile every outing in my local pool. Now I am struggling to do fifty yards. I will get it back but my point is that you lose conditioning very rapidly. Training must be consistent. Not necessarily grueling or painful but consistent. The first meeting of TriWomen will be next week and then my mind will really be focused on being ready for the triathlon season. I was unable to do the Irongirl sprint Triathlon this past September but I am signing up again. I am actually thinking about signing up for more than one. I know that I will have to follow a strict training regiment to regain and keep the necessary stamina.
This Year Is About Duty To Self
I don’t mean to ignore those that depend on me like my Mom and remaining Uncle in Georgia and Aunt in New York. I just mean that I have to prioritize my time and goals this year. My husband and our sons are grown-ups with their own agenda’s. I have to focus on mine. Henry Ford said “If you think you can or you can’t you are right either way”
I think I have tremendous reasoning capabilities. Generally though I can find more reasons why I can’t and not can. I have to change that thought process so that I can do things this year. I want to sign up for this 5K for next month. I may have mentioned it. Well I spend time every day saying suppose it’s really cold. I walk slowly and may take too long. I wonder if anyone else in my crew will do it. On and on. Wow! The power of negative thinking. Got to turn that around. This morning my friend Roz and three of her friends went to the park. The two ladies ran and the two men walked. It was 5 degrees! So what was I saying? Oh yeah “If you think you can or you can’t you are right either way”
I am still here!!
2013 was an interesting year. It was about focus and change and patience. Things I had to learn. It ended well but it was a tough year in general. Anyway it’s 2014 and who knows. I did my first 5K New Years Day. Don’t get excited can’t run but I can walk. A group of my swim friends and some runners I know and some runners who are swimmers (confused yet) did the January 1, 2014 Hangover Run in Westfield, New Jersey. Three of us walked. I had never done an official race so when I saw all of those people I decided to let them run and walk past me. We were the last three to complete the race. Lol. Did it in 58 minutes. I was happy. Now I have a best to beat. We had a cheering squad by the time we reached the finish line. And a plan was hatched!!!
I intend to do some type of athletic event every month this year. Well that’s my plan. I am going to sign up for a 5K in February but I must admit if it’s too cold I will not do it. We’ll see. I signed up for a practice triathlon that takes place at Montclair State College (indoors) in April and I am signing up for the Irongirl Triathlon in September. I will let you know as I fill in the blanks.
Happy New Year, it’s about the mind, body and spirit this year.
T
that’s me back row second from the right. 62 and going strong!!!
Sometimes my mind goes in too many directions
I’ve learned that we should try to live day by day. That doesn’t mean don’t plan it simply means savor each day and let the next day take care of itself. Having said that my very active mind is revisiting ideas that I have had in the past and I can’t seem to shut it up. I am again entertaining the idea of returning to school. It’s such a bizarre idea that I can’t believe it. Frankly, I’m not sure that I can handle the rigor of higher education. On the other hand I am intrigued by the idea of continuing my education. So we’ll see what happens. I don’t want to rule anything out. Who knows what can happen. I am open to the possibility.
So Long Summer
Ordinarily I am sad when summer ends but this year for me personally, I’m not sorry to see it go. Perhaps one day I will go into detail but let’s just say that I was not able to do what I set out to. I didn’t compete in my scheduled Triathlon and will have to wait until next year to do it. So no crying over split summers. I officially began training for the 2014 season. Not sweating the small stuff as they say.
Call for help. It’s out there
Lee Thompson Young former Disney star apparently committed suicide early today. I didn’t know him as the “Famous Jett Jackson” but had watched him on Rizzoli and Isles” for several seasons now. He didn’t look the same to me this season but certainly I didn’t see trouble in his eyes. This scares me because more and more young people see death as the solution to their problems.
I can’t begin to understand how they feel because I don’t feel that way. I know that there are people out there willing to help if they are reached out for. All we can do is keep in touch and pray that the person facing these issues looks for help.
Zimmerman Verdict — What I Expected
In households of color in America young men are taught the basics of survival in the event that they have a run in with police and/or others that may perceive them as a threat. I am not talking about how to survive when engaged in criminal activity, I am talking about surviving the walk home from school or basketball or the movies. I began explaining this lesson to my son when he was about twelve years old. “If you get stopped, don’t talk back, do what they say and call me when you can. We’ll sort out what happened once you are safely back home”. He knew the drill and eventually had to put it into practice. Fortunately he got home and it only happened one time. He was fortunate. Trayvon Martin wasn’t.
I believe that it has made my son a good policeman. He can’t help but remember how he was treated. Perhaps we should have all kids followed and profiled so that they know how it feels. We have to do better America. This issue has once again divided our population along racial lines. Everyone is very sensitive and we never know what will happen after one of these events. What I do know is that without some serious action I will be having the same talk I had with my son with Trent my three-year old grandson. I hope not but I still know what to say.
First Steps the Hardest 