11 commandments of wildly successful person.

I don't know, guys, I am with Craig, I am on empty post:) I am still fighting that cold and after 2 days of cross-training tried to run this morning (it was finally NOT raining!). The whole first mile I spent coughing and bending and practicing my spitting techniques, before the chest resumed to its prescribed activity of breathing air in and out. But we had a great chat with Gail, just great, totally worth suffering. That said, a group of us is planning on Sunday Gorge run to exchange thoughts on Bighorn race. Apparently, I am one of handful locals who finished it? It's like now I possess the knowledge to share? Does it mean the race is coming just around the corner? Yikes, I completely forgot about it! May be I should start thinking seriously and stop focusing on other aspects of life, or, I don't know, like school in the fall, few minutes of books reading, figuring out what to do with Stephen this summer, telling Alex he is worthy even if he can't find a freakin' job in this market and keeps slipping back to old habits, renovating my place, trying to produce some work, and some personal excitement too...On the good front, despite many fall-backs for my kid, he (Alex) painted a bathroom yesterday and today is working on my bedroom, by himself (I did help him with bathroom, but we shall see what he does today! almost scared, but decided to give him a fare chance). We do talk a lot, not that it changes much, but does make feel like he cares and respects and may be even loves me. He is just still very much stupid and bored...Stephen spent good time at the shore with his dad and Max (Monika's son) and has only a week left of school, before we are embarking on a trip to Hot Spring resort with Monika and Max (yet again), where the boys will build fortresses, and the girls, well, will sit in hot springs naked:) Sound like a perfect taper to me! Taper...that's a dirty word, because it means I have a race coming! Grr, lets get to planning? Nah, the taper will be spent planning on yoga studio opening in the future, that's my girl's dream, and she needs some help and encouragement (help is something I might not be that good at as I never had a business but that other part - as much as you wish!). So, anyway, summer rolled in unexpectedly (tell that to Portland weather!) and it filled to capacity of no time for air. Every weekend is something for the next like 4 months non-stop. What fun!

But to keep you entertained, here is a passage from one of the latest books I came across (see name of the post). Actually, they came from the book for women, but I don't think it matters.

1. One size does not fit all - create your own definition of success.
2. Take responsibility for your career.
3. Change your thinking, change your life.
4. When the odds are against you, defy the odds.
5. Fantasize your future but create your game plan.
6. Get ready, get set - RISK.
7. When somebody says "you can't", say "watch me!"
8. Become financially savvy
9. See mistakes as road signs, not road blocks.
10. Enjoy your work and your life.
11. Give back to keep the cycle of success going.

Hey, I like it! As usual, when the running gets tough, the thinking about other stuff than running comes to mind. Been at a beginning of a change is a scary, yet exhilarating place to be. It is actually more exciting than anything else. I've spent so many years saying for whatever is that I am not happy about that I need a "better time frame" to do changes, that I finally realized there is never a "better time frame", ever.

In reality, I don't even want to talk about it, rather do it. In reality, I don't want to talk about anything right now but one thing and I don't want to talk about it either. So you'll have to wait till I do the Gorge run and come up with some inspirational endorphin-driven story on that, since I can't simply write facts without emotions:)

I do want to add one thing my friend Lisa S-B forwarded to me.
I am preparing to run a staggering 302 miles and biking 508 more to raise money for AIDS Orphans Rising - an incredible charity that saves so many lives. I did something similar in 2006 and succeeded in raising $294,000. The website is lisas810, visit it and if you feel compelled, donate a little.

I WILL be thinking of my dear friends Rick, Bobby, Meghan, Carilyn, Chris and Darla and Mark running Kettle Moraine 100 this weekend, and Catra, Andy and Xy running San Diego 100, standing right here, at the tip of the Devil's trail:) Go, kick butts!