Practice Inspiring Yourself

This is somewhat off topic - but an important recent experience I really want to share. And that is, I recently ran my first 5k - the Freihoffer's Run for Women in Albany a few weeks back. After, as friends asked me how it was, I realized, perhaps one of the most significant outcomes of training for and completing that run, was that I inspired my self!

I love people who inspire me - they are the kinds of folks I want in my life - friends who ask me the right questions at the right time, or help me to be kinder, or more gentle with myself and others, or pursue my dreams. And, as a teacher - I love to help inspire others.

I think I can say though, I am accustomed to looking to others to somehow inspire me. Finishing that run - running the last stretch down the Madison Ave hill and under the State Museum overhang, then crossing that finish line - I felt like a true winner. And, I was, myself and all 4,000+ other women who ran it.

Besides crossing that finish line intact, the next best outcome of the run was how my decision to run it and train for it - inspired me. I realize now it's because I took the time to set a goal, train for it, and then complete it. It's been a while since I've done training of any kind, and so on race day, as I turned the corner at the end of mile #2, I was feeling burnt out and exhausted. But then, something kicked in - and I told myself, I can do this. I've been running and training since March.

So a few days ago when a good friend asked me how the run was, I told her, most important was that I inspired myself. I've wanted to run the Freihoffers Run since I first moved to Albany in 2003. A few weeks ago - I did it! My goal was to run the entire way, no stopping or walking, and to finish it. And, I did! Now I'm looking to run another 5k in the fall - and focus on improving my time.

So, I ask others - do you have a goal or a dream - something you've wanted to accomplish but haven't? Have you been looking to or waiting for others to somehow inspire you to complete it? What can you do now to begin that goal - to accomplish or complete something this year which will Inspire Yourself?

Whatever it is - Just Begin - Just Do It - because I can promise when you cross that finish line, the most important person you will have pleased - is yourself!

It's Planting Time!

'Tis the season to be planting your garden. Like many, the past few weeks I've been cleaning up my garden beds, adding compost from my compost pile to the beds, and building up the soil using a technique called sheet mulching.

Sheet mulching is a standard permaculture technique used for growing vegetables. Rather than digging down and turning over the soil, in essence, disturbing the natural layers of soil and various organic matter and critters (think worms, and other detritus-loving invertebrates), instead, sheet mulching builds up the soil, creating additional layers.

For my existing beds, this meant a narrow layer of leaf litter, covered with single sheets of newspaper wetted-down to act as a weed barrier, then several inches of compost. Once I plant into this, I'll then cover the beds with a layer of straw. The straw helps hold in moisture.

Above is a photo of the weed-barrier step in sheet mulching, from my friends house in Maine last summer.

Sheet mulching is also an ideal technique to use when you want to convert lawn to garden. Here's a link that outlines the sheet mulch method for converting lawn to garden. They use cardboard, which is essential when trying to cut out the grass and other weeds. For existing raised beds, newspaper will suffice.

And for those interested, I also often try to follow (loosely), the Farmer's Almanace Lunar Planting Calendar. See my earlier post from last summer that discusses the technique of gardening by the moon in more detail. Here's the current lunar planting calendar for the northeast.

Happy Gardening!