Marvelous May Ultimate Coffee Date

It’s the first Saturday of the month and for the second time, I’m participating in The Ultimate Coffee Date.  It’s a group of bloggers who share the love and spend a little time getting to know each other.  Last month I didn’t quite get what to do, but this time, I think I’ve figured it out.  So, grab a cup of coffee, a soda, beer, or cider and let’s chat!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you…..

It’s my birthday month!  My birthday falls on Memorial Day this year, and national Tap Dance Day every year.  I’m hoping for some Incredible Hulk cupcakes, though I haven’t dropped the hint to any of my friends yet.

Speaking of The Incredible Hulk.  I just finished watching all the Marvel Avenger related movies.  I “discovered” them in February, and have worked my way through them.  I haven’t read the comics, so each character, plot twist, and nuance is all new to me.  I love the Hulk!  (Randomly punching Thor and letting Loki know he was a “Puny God”, were two of my favorite moments.)  I like how complex Black Widow is, and let’s face it, I’m a fan of a shirtless Thor.  Though I’m not a huge fan of really long fight scenes, I love these movies and can’t wait to see the new Avengers movie soon.

On the topic of movies.  I still haven’t seen Cinderella yet.  I’m a huge Disney fan, so this is a pretty big deal for me.  I’ve heard nothing but great things about the movie, and I really hope I get a chance to see it in the theaters.

One more thing about the movies.  Movie popcorn is my favorite food on the face of the earth!  Swimming in butter and accompanied with a fountain Coke.  I always get a large so that I can get the free refill at the end of the movie and have a snack for the next few days!

If we were having coffee, I would tell you….

On Tuesday I signed up for my second marathon.  I’ll be running the 2016 Walt Disney World Marathon, but not just the marathon.  I’ll be running 39.3 miles in the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge.  I’m so excited.  So far I’m signed up for the Wine and Dine Half and the Goofy.  I’m hoping to also make it into the Glass Slipper Challenge for the Princess Half weekend.

So far this year, I’ve run over 480 miles.  This is an amazing accomplishment for me.  I had to take a few days off in April because I was under the weather, but I didn’t let it derail me completely.  When I started to feel better, I got back out there and made up those miles.

I also got a new pair of running shoes this month.  What a treat!  I stuck with the Nike Air Pegasus Zoom 31, but this time I got the hot pink pair, not the white pair.  If I could, I would get them in every color.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you…

I just changed the name of my blog from Running Through the Muddle to Running the Extra Smile.  I’ve evolved from a reluctant runner to one who fully embraces the gifts that come from the challenges.  I wanted a name that reflected the positive influence running has had on my life.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you…

I’m looking forward to seeing what this month has to offer.  I’m opening my heart to new opportunities and I’m excited to see what the universe has in store.

Have a Magnificent May!

Check out the other blogs participating in the Ultimate Coffee Date

http://got2run4me.com/2015/05/02/marvelous-may-ultimate-coffee-date/

 

Running On Anger

The other day one of my friends tagged me in a picture of a shirt that read, “I run because punching people is frowned upon.”  I giggled a little because there is definitely truth in that statement.  The Hulk is my favorite avenger.  Really, “Puny god” is a great line, and he just randomly punches Thor.  (Maybe it was the hair.)  Then I got to really thinking about the line, “I’m always angry.”

Living in a constant state of anger must be terrible.  Like it or not, anger is a negative emotion that can only lead to more negativity.  I pride myself on the fact that I am a happy and positive person, but I can turn on “Amy Smash” a lot quicker now than ever before. Some guy cuts me off after I’ve been waiting to turn at the light for 5 minutes, or the person in front of me is going ten miles slower than the speed limit in the fast lane because he’s texting, and I’m yelling at strangers alone in my car.  It doesn’t do anything to those people, but it instantly brings down my day.

No matter how justified I feel, my anger ends up hurting me more than anyone else.  I can run it out all I want, but if I want to live a better life, I need to recognize that fighting negativity by getting angry is letting outside forces dictate the way I live.

I will not let anger win.  I’ll stop randomly acting like Donald Duck.  (We laugh at him because we see how silly it looks to get so angry over little things.)  Instead, I’ll let things roll off of me like water off a duck’s back.  So the next time I get tagged in a running shirt photo, It will say, “I run for joy!”