Some Much Needed Horse Medicine

Those who follow me on Facebook know that my son and I are doing the Couch to 5K challenge.  We've just completed Week 3 Day 3 and we're halfway there!  I'm not much of a runner, but I did my share while I served in the US Marines, where I was diagnosed with Exercise Induced Asthma.  Basically I only suffer from asthmatic symptoms when they are triggered by vigorous or prolonged exercise or physical exertion.  So now, your probably wondering, why then I would but myself through this...

Well, I love a challenge...

Ever since I heard of a C25K, I wanted to try it, but made the usual excuses...I'm too much overweight, too old and I suffer from asthma to ever run again.  But a few weeks ago I read a friend's blog who was doing it and I was inspired to give it a try.  I wasn't even sure I'd make it through my first day...let alone halfway through.

Has it been easy...heck no!

I have to take my inhaler 10 mins before the run, cos' when I don't,  by 10 mins into the run my chest is so tight I feel like an elephant is sitting on it...not to mention it triggers a sense of panic since I'm claustrophobic, which I'm sure it's due to my asthma.  It gets really scary, being claustrophobic, when your air ways narrow and you can't get in enough air.  That happened my first day (cos' I didn't think to use my inhaler prior to the run) and again this past weekend when I forgot it, we were out of town at a Fiber Festival and I insisted we keep to our schedule.  Trust me I've learned my lesson now...though I still get the coughing and wheezing afterwards, taking the inhaler before hand elevates the tightness in my chest during the run.

Early morning Sunrise after my run

This week was rough...the jogging repetitions were much longer and it took more out of me to complete them.  Being overweight makes for a lot of stress on your knees and ankles...so they start to ache and trust me I want to quit and just drop.  Oh did I forget to mention I live in the country so there's short up and down hills we have to run...which makes it all that more challenging.  This past Monday's session was very interesting though, offering a wonderful gift...

I received some much needed Horse Medicine...

I've been very tuned in to nature and the subtle signs, messages, and guidance that are offered to me.  As I was heading up a hill I felt exhausted and wasn't sure if I could complete the full jogging repetition, when I looked up and saw a horse running up to the fence line.  He stopped looked at me and waited til I met up with him then he walked along with me while I jogged.  On my way back I had yet another jogging repetition right by his field and once again he came running to the fence line waited till I met up with him and again turned to walk along with me.  I felt his strength, his warrior spirit, and so I took it all in and pushed through til the end.  Once home I had to look up Horse Medicine...this is what I found...

Horse is your warrior spirit - the brave fighter who brings you safety in your journeys, both physical and metaphysical. Horse's medicine includes power, stamina, endurance, faithfulness, freedom to run free, control of the environment, awareness of power achieved with true cooperation, interspecies communication, expanding one's own potential abilities, friendship and cooperation, travel, astral travel, guardian of travelers, warns of possible danger, guide to overcoming obstacles. The power and strength of the horse spirit is able to take its rider to new spiritual territory.  It reminds us of our inner power and gives us courage to move forward.

I've always loved horses, did my share of riding them both bareback and saddled.  I've always had a dream to someday own one of my own...so it doesn't surprise me how much their medicine resonates with me.  So, horse has become my running totem, reminding me of my warrior spirit, giving me the endurance I need to complete this, as well as inner power and courage to keep moving forward.  Despite the fact that I'm still dealing with my dental saga.  At least the pain is intermittent and it's not spiked during a run as of yet.  But it will be setting me back a week at least; I'm scheduled for another root canal.  I know last time I wasn't allowed any physical excursions until it healed.  Yoga was even difficult to do during the healing time.  But I'm still gonna move forward and pick up where we left off, so we can complete our C25K venture.

In fact, Ty and I decided since we are going to do this we may as well end it with a bang...

Our plan is to register for the Mercy Regional Medical Center 2012 Journey of Hope 5K, to benefit the Breast Cancer Center fund, which provides free Mammograms to the women who can't afford it.  It seems perfect that that's the only 5K I could find to participate in, in our area from now til the end of the year.  

What challenges have you taken on lately, despite the obstacles in your way?