Big dreams: New jewelry and a mini race report...

I had dinner with a great friend a few weeks ago and half way through the meal I noticed she was wearing a very cool ring. It was chunky and silver and had words stamped into it. I actually can't remember what hers says, but I loved it and immediately asked her where she got it. When she told me that it was from a local artist friend of hers, I was quickly on my phone checking out the website and ordering one of my own.

Dream big. Love it!

Mano y Metal is the name of the company and I have to say, I love everything on the website. Warning: if you're on my Christmas list, there's a good chance your gift will come from here. I can think of a certain group of ladies in my life who could definitely use a "be badass" ring.

My ring arrived in the mail yesterday and it was just as great as I was hoping it would be. I knew as soon as I put it on, it would be a conversation piece at school and goodness was I right! After several attempts to read the ring upside down and several more attempts to tip their heads upside down to read the ring, I took it off for my kids to examine.

My teacher heart was happy as my struggling readers successfully decoded, dr-e-am b-i-g. Then, the moment I was hoping for came, and we had a fairly lengthy conversation about what it means to dream big.

I know, I know, it sounds corny. But take just a second and think about an adorable group of 5th grade students who really really struggle academically, socially, and emotionally. Think about this group of, as I affectionately call them, yahoos, talking about their big dreams.

"My big dream is to be a fire fighter!"

"My big dream is to make an ice cream sundae the size of this room!"

"My big dream is to drive a huge truck and honk the horn!"

If that doesn't bring a smile to your face and warm your heart a little, well, you might need to come meet my kids.

On the running side of big dreams, I had the honor and pleasure of running along side a wonderful friend of mine as she completed her first ultra marathon this past weekend. A big dream of hers, for sure.

The race was called the Paleozoic Denovian Fall Trail Race and was put on by the same wonderful people who put on the trail race my friends and I completed last spring. It was a crisp cool day and we couldn't have asked for better conditions. It was a two loop course for the ultra marathon. With special permission from the race director, a few of us were able to run the second of the two loops with our ultra marathon friend.

Love them!

I have developed a deep love for trail running and last Saturday was the perfect example of why. I always feel like I'm on some kind of adventure or hike and I definitely forget where I am and lose all sense of time. It is time to relax and let it all out and be with really amazing people. It's an escape in all senses of the word. 

My ultra marathon friend has been training hard for this race for months. Her mileage in training reached limits that most of us can't even fathom and she did it all with a calm sense of determination. The thing about this friend is that she is one of those women who truly does it all. She's probably shaking her head as she reads this, but it's true. Running an ultra marathon is impressive all on its own. Running an ultra marathon with two little kids and husband at home and a more than full time job? That is simply remarkable. I highly recommend her race report. You can read it here: http://runlikeamama.blogspot.com/2014/11/palezoic-50-finish-or-fossilize-race.html.

And so, tomorrow is Friday. After a crazy but wonderful week with my kids, I am dreaming big about my own big dreams of running races and potential big successes at school. I hope you are dreaming big as well. Happy (almost) Friday!

Running Besties!

Three or four mornings during the week and at least one morning over the weekend, I wake up at 4:30am or earlier to meet friends on the lakefront path. We run between 5 and 10 miles and have enough time to get home and ready in time for work (I can get ready for work in 17 minutes flat, I've timed it).

When people hear about my early morning running habit, they usually respond with, "wow, that's a lot of dedication!" or "I could never do that!" I recognize that it is a lot of dedication and probably does sound impressive, but when the topic of my early morning running comes up, I am usually thinking, you have no idea how awesome it is.

My early morning running is wonderful because of all the reasons a person might guess-- I feel really energized all day. My students know when I've run and usually comment that, "Ms. Rajanen did her runs today!" Yes, I giggle every time. My pants also continue to fit despite the absurd amount of gluten free donuts I consume on a daily basis, and I am very rarely ill. But all of these side effects would most likely happen with any type of exercise. What makes the early morning running extra special is a group of a group of people I often refer to as my running besties.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon this fine people. I was running with a CARA training group for a winter half marathon and the very nice man I was running next to mentioned that a group of his friends met in this parking lot at 5 am for 5 miles and I would be welcome to join. At the time, I was living two blocks from that parking lot and asked if I could be put on the email list. I didn't think much of it at the time, I simply wanted to run and the time and location seemed to fit my life.

What I discovered was a group of people I can't imagine my life without. I loved them immediately for their sense of humor, their wonderful stories, and our shared love for setting a goal and working hard to achieve it. As the time went on, relationships formed and meeting them at 5am in the parking lot went from something I did sometimes, to something I really, really love to do.

I believe there is something magical that happens when a group of people run together before the sun rises. There is a certain level of comfort as stories are shared, and challenges and joys are discussed. We know the names of one another's family members, friends, and a few even know the names of my students because of the countless stories that have been shared over the miles and miles we have run together. There is a level of trust, partly because it is so early the conversations go into a different part of your brain, but also because we are running besties and with that relationship comes a whole bucket of trust.

There is also a kind of unspoken code among early morning runners, at least there seems to be in mine. You are allowed to share anything and there is no judgement, at least not aloud. You can share that hilarious story from work that you probably shouldn't share at work. You can share your hopes and your fears and the thoughts deep inside your head and heart. It's as if the words leaves our mouths as we are pounding the pavement and head out into the wind where they are safe. Oh and if you ate a huge meal last night and it is, um, talking...it's no problem, nobody cares, they do it too.

I found myself thinking about how awesome my running friends, or running besties, are this past weekend as several of us drove south of the city to run around on the trails. Several of us will do it again this weekend as one of our friends runs her first ultra marathon (Go Tammy!). They are a gift, truly a gift, and I am thankful every day that they are in my life. So as crazy as 5am may sound to you, if someone invites you to run or walk or swim in the early morning or any time for that matter, consider it. It just might become something wonderful.

Running besties!