Perspective

So last Wednesday was a pretty rough day but I kept trying to flip the script and remind myself that in order to have the battles I had things in my life to battle. Then I went to church that night and guess what the night was about??? You guessed it Perspective! So I really have been working on my perspective this week.

This weekend I was able to get all 16 weekend training miles in and my body didn't even hate me when I was done but it didn't start out so great. 

Saturday I planned on getting up before the sun in hopes of beating the Texas heat but I fell asleep Friday night and didn't set my alarm plus I had to stop by the church, so I was finally free to start walking at 9:15. I decided to walk around a very small city lake thinking it would be boring but at least there would be shade. So I finally get there and start walking only to find out that my ipod wasn't working. My first thought was UGH!!! I am going home, but I didn't and what do you know my perspective on the day was changed. At the end of my first lap a friend I haven't seen in almost a year caught up to me and we walked another lap together.  She left as she had already done a few laps so here I was back to boring little 1/2 mile laps. Wrong again I was entertained by 100's of ducks of all kinds being feed by lots of giggling kiddos.  One little boy that was about 6 was feeding a duck when the duck decided he needed more so he starting coming closer to the boy when the boy pointed his finger and yelled NO...Totally I said NO. He just kept repeating it louder and louder until the duck backed off. It really was priceless. Several laps later this VSOM (very sweet old man) who was just enjoying the day stopped me to ask me how many times I was going to walk around the lake, I just giggled and told him my plan was 20 times for a total of 10 miles. I explained what I was training for and was blessed by him for what I was doing. I ended up flip flopping the days and did 6 miles Saturday and 10 Sunday but my perspective was so changed I decided to go back on Sunday for my 10 miles. 

                                                   These two ducks are doing hand stands

                                           This is how you beat the Tx heat hide in the water.

So all in all I have to say that I have been successful in changing my perspective on things. As the miles get longer in the coming weeks instead of thinking about how hot it is outside I will be focusing on the joys and beauty all around us. I will be thinking about the ladies and men that would gladly trade spot with us. Who knows I may just leave the ipod at home.

Standing Firm, 

Tanya

I will NOT be defeated!!!!!!!!

Like most newbies I started the 3day eager and so overly excited, for me it wasn't just a walk it was my way of taking a stand and fighting back so that no one has to hear the words "you have cancer" again. I know medically speaking the type of cancer you have makes all the difference. The treatments are different the effects are different the outcomes can be very different but emotionally as a human being in that exact moment when the Dr says those words it is all the same for ever life changing. So although I am four years clear of the "easy" Thyroid cancer I knew I still had to make a difference.

While training and fund-raising I have battled the same ups and downs that most have. An event not going so well, a friend not being as excited as I am, sore feet, scrapped knees from a sidewalk jumping up and biting you, the sunburns from forgetting the sunblock, but the one that has almost defeated me was the ankle surgeries. When I started out in February my family all worried about my ankle. For those that don't know I was in a major car wreck three years ago and had to have my ankle rebuilt fourteen rods and two plates. Up to a few months ago I had had no problems with the ankle but then one day after a five mile training walk it happened.....the screws started moving causing problems, surgery would fix it. Wrong, that only led to more problems and another surgery. Several weeks went by and I thought all was good but NO... the ankle had other plans and a couple of more trips back to the Dr. 

Then this week at church we had an event we call Wake Week, it is prayer and fasting, and to be quite honest there was very little praying about the ankle. But don't you know that we serve an amazing God and when we put others needs first and listen to the desire of God's heart he is gracious and takes care of the desires of our heart.   

After not doing any real training for about a month (don't get me wrong there have been a few walks in there) and in the last two weeks I couldn't even get a tennis shoe on my foot without major swelling! Friday I said self it is time to get back on the horse with only a little over 80 days to go or you have to give into defeat and walk away. You still have fund-raising to do which has been a little slow since I have been so bummed with the ankle. I have never been one to give up very easy so after a long talk with God Saturday morning I got up and walked 8 miles with little to know problem. 

Everyone has said this walk is about so much more than 60 miles it is life changing and that everyone deserves a lifetime. They are so right I just never knew how right they were. I think I understand a little bit better the idea of fighting for what you believe in. I think I understand maybe just a tiny bit the struggle so many of us have to sit still sometimes. I think I understand how to listen to my body a little bit better. So now that I know I won't be defeated I am off to pick up my daughter and go walk 6 more miles today.

Standing Firm, 

Tanya