Enduring

A way to say goodbye

2012-08-09T07:54:00.001-05:00

Remember that one time when I used to blog?
In fact, remember that one time when I use to run?

Obviously neither have been happening much lately.
I’m finishing up my summer classes, so I’ve been consuming books and writing papers.
And that whole running thing? The last time I ran was Sunday for 11 miles, and the last mile I practically walk/jogged, and even that was painful.

So this post isn’t a happy post. In more ways then one.
In fact, I’ve been doing a LOT of thinking lately, and talking with Music Man, and more thinking and I’m honestly not sure about the marathon anymore.

Last week, I struggled on my long run. Really struggled.
The first four miles I did myself, and the whole entire time my mind was consumed with negative thoughts about not being about to finish the race. My leg was hurting and all I could think about was the pain and hurting myself to the point of never running again. Then I picked up my run with a friend and by the time we hit mile 6 together (10 for me), my leg just stopped working. I dropped my pace tremendously and I don’t know, my leg hurt in places it had never hurt before. My IT band felt like it was pulling away from my hip. I had a sharp pain in my upper hamstring every time I took a step, and my inner thigh was just stiff.
So I hobbled the last mile home, sat in an ice bath, foam rolled and iced on and off all day, and by the time I got in bed, I could barely roll over because my leg was in so much pain and stiff.

I’m better now… just a small tingle in my hammie, but I also haven’t run for four days. I’m going to attempt a small run tomorrow, but if there’s any pain, then I’m done.
I’ll finish the marathon… I’ll at least run over the finish line, but I have a feeling it’s going to be more of a vacation weekend for Music Man and I, and I’ll be walk/jogging 26.2 miles.

I’m just not ready for it.
And in all truth, I may never be. 13.1 is a good distance. I enjoy it. I can do it.
But until I get my head back into the game, and this leg pain free, there is no way I can finish 26.2 by running the whole race.

It’s time to be smart. It’s time to step back.
It’s time to stop.

Bad news bears #1.

Now it’s time for #2.

I’m just going to come out and say it or I won’t.

I think it’s also time I let Enduring go dark.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy writing about running…. and I know that my writing, and my honesty, and my goofiness has inspired some of you.
But it’s not my passion.
At least not right now.
*see above*
I’ve lost something for running, and I think part of that is because I’m trying to write about it as it happens.
One of the best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever got from my CNF professor about trying to write nonfiction is that I need time away from it to make sense of it.

Sometimes I feel like I just word vomit without coherently piecing together an essay.
And I feel like my stream of consciousness/ Gonzo Journalistic style is eating into my brain cells.

I’m getting back into school and I’m trying to write academically again. I’m trying to find my scholarly voice. I’m also trying to find my protagonist’s voice for my novel… and I can’t do any of that because my blogging voice has consumed me.
It’s taken over my writing style, and it’s taken over my grammatical style.
And I also feel like I’m trying too hard to be the other runners I read about instead of being the me runner. Which is why I’m probably not a runner right now.

I’m not quitting writing though. It’s in my blood. I mean… I do have other projects I’m working on. I just need to focus on those.
I mean, I have tried for a good five years to blog about my life in different ways, and I’ve had probably three or four blogs in that time period, and none of them have been the right fit.
I’ve experimented, but I haven’t found my niche—the right thing for me to blog about anyway.

And this year I’ve finally figured out my passions: literature, kids, teaching.
And that’s what I want to chase. That’s me. That’s what I need to be writing about. I’m ready to be a scholar.
Maybe someday I’ll come back to Enduring. Maybe I’ll be one of those Moms Who Run bloggers. I don’t know.
Right now,I’m ready to run just to run. Not to write about it.

So thank you for reading. Thank you for running along with me.
Keep running friends. Seek Peace and Choose Joy.

Most of all, keep enduring.
Even if I’m not running now… I will be one day. I will finish that race.

-Cait

Motivation Monday: Moments…and what happens when running won’t be in my near future

2012-07-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

I have to remember this.

I have to remember this.

Running is simply blah for me.

Motivation is not happening for me.

And training for this marathon simply just sucks.

I have no idea what happened last week, but I completely feel off the bandwagon of the Abs Challenge. <<
My 27 mileage week turned into a 14 mile week.
And my IT Band practically ripped away from my femur.

So, needless to say, this past weekend include 0 miles of running / biking /anything workout related.

I prepped for five weeks to ease myself into this training plan, but I’m afraid it’s still too much running for my body.
I’m afraid my IT band issue is going to severely flair up with 5 days of running and the addition of miles.

But I really want to run this marathon.

I’m struggling.

I’m almost burnt out on running. I’m almost burnt out on blogging.
And I just don’t know how to get back to those daily runs that make me enjoy life.

All I can think to do right now is ice, ice, ice, stretch, foam roll, ice, icy hot, and cut two of my running days a week for biking.

But… that little tiny pitter patter of running excitement is gone.

Have any of you ever struggled with this during training? Am I over training? Am I burnt out? Will I ever get it back?

I honestly think that my body is just simply tired from the last five years of running. Between pushing myself too much to not pushing myself at all—from ups and downs and highs and lows and crazy training cycles—to the stress of life and so much change—I think I’m just tired.

Which is probably why, if I make it through this marathon—which right now all time goals are out the window, I just want to finish—I’m going to take some time off.
And by time off, I mean severe time off.

A whole year.

I know. That sounds terrible. And frightening for me considering running helps me get through so much. But I don’t know how to get back to it the way I love it without stepping away for awhile.

I’m not going to go all sedentary and quite on you. I’ve still got my bike, which I really need to build a better relationship with, and the pool, and weight lifting—I’m going to hit this hardcore since my new dream is to become an Olympic Weightlifter.

But for now, I’m taking running one day, one step at a time. Like I said, I really want to conquer this marathon. If only to finish.
Forget the hardcore training, and the hills, and the tempo runs.
Maybe forget a sub-4 finish.

It’s about finding the moments that make me see how beautiful my life really is.

Passing the Baton: Seriously though…anyone ever really struggled with marathon training? What about IT band issues? How do you keep the pain at bay? How do you make it go away forever?!? Is that even possible?
_______________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Find Strong.

Wimpy Wednesday: Time to suck it up

2012-07-25T09:20:00.001-05:00

My 6 miles of hills had a slight interruption this morning, and only resulted in about 1.5 miles.

That was after my alarm went off at 5 am, and I laid around for another 30 minutes.

Needless to say, I’ll be sucking it up this afternoon and hitting the treadmills at the gym so I can finish some hill work.
It’s supposed to be 103 by the time I’m out of class, so inside training it is.

This shall be short because I’m momentarily pausing from working on homework and some of my own writing.

I’m not sure what came over me yesterday, but this happened

That is indeed the start of my novel.

I’ve been letting my brain turn over ideas for weeks now, and yesterday, I just sat down and started typing.
Just one more thing I’ve got to suck it up too. I’ve started. Now I’ve got to finish.

Other than that, we’ve been doing the normal thing around here this week.
Training.
Drinking lots of coffee (my new favorite concoction: milk, coffee, caramel syrup, cocoa powder

Sleeping (he’s so weird)

Devouring books.
Anticipating the Olympics.
And prepping for Music Man to come home

Those are my famous Snickerdoodles. His other love.

Turns out he’s headed home tonight. His leaders were able to squeeze in his last evaluations this morning, and he’ll be catching a flight out late afternoon.
We’ve got a busy weekend ahead of us full of friends, family, sadness, and joy.
And hopefully some running.

Passing the baton: Anything on your plate this Wednesday? Or are you prepping for a busy weekend like me? Looking forward to the Olympics? Favorite sport/athlete? How’s your training going for whatever it is you’re training for?

Sometimes I don’t know how to move forward….

2012-07-23T21:40:00.001-05:00

but I do.

As you could probably tell if you visited my blog today, I didn’t have any motivation up for Monday.
Nor did I do a weekend update.

Don’t worry, I didn’t sit around in the dark the last three days and do nothing.
On the contrary, I was non-stop busy. Too busy for pictures, even.

I spent my weekend volunteering to help some dear friends in my life.

I directed my first 5k to help raise awareness and money for orphans.
I cooked vats of Japanese curry and served many to help my sweet sister raise money for her mission trip to Japan in less than a month.

I ran 12 miles this weekend.
I fell in to deep and much soul-needed conversation.
I met some *hopefully* new friends.

And just this evening, I got to deal with my first Army life crisis.

I received some sad news that there has been a death on Music Man’s side of the family, and it just so happens that he is training in the field this week.

Which means no contact.

These are the times when it’s hard. When I get stressed because I don’t know who to call, or how to relay messages, or if I should burden him with the news right away for fear of him being pulled from the school. Or if it’s really better to wait.
I don’t know what the protocol is for this type of thing as I realize we don’t have a binder of emergency information or a phone tree.
I realize that it’s hard to be an army wife when you don’t have a support system like you do in an army community.

After numerous phone calls, tears, and advice, I tried going through the Red Cross in hopes that they could reach him.

Praise the Lord that Music Man came out of the field tonight and responded to my voice mail before the message was sent, so after all of the time spent on the phone with the Red Cross and not enough information anyway, I was able to cancel the message.

But it’s times like these when, after the initial moment of shock or sadness or fleeting anxiety, I breathe and I’m not sure how to step forward.
Usually, I go and run.
To clear my head.
To pray.
To just step away from the issue at hand.

But my legs are still heavy from this weekend, and I do indeed need this rest day.

But to rest seems impossible.

This is the first person close to Music Man that he has lost, whereas I have already had the pain of losing several people I love over the years.
My heart hurts for him.
My heart aches for my younger sister-in-law who just lost her father well before he should have gone. I want to hold her and tell her it will be alright. Even if it may not be.
My heart yearns to start living in the moment as it always does when death happens so shockingly.
Fleetingly, I even think about how we should start having kids because I want our families to experience the joy of a newborn before anything happens again.
Because I know that this won’t be the first death of a loved one in our life.
This won’t be the first family crisis we have to deal with all too soon.

My mind feels numb. As if I am stuck in peanut butter, unable to even breathe or think about tomorrow.

And then suddenly, I think of our initial plans for this coming weekend: the celebration of 50 years of a beautiful marriage.
Of joy.
Of love.

And how even though there is sadness, there is a sliver of light flickering in the distance, calling us to keep moving.

And I realize that hurt comes, and it rears it’s ugly head at the most unthinkable and unimaginable times.
But joy comes in the morning.

For no matter how ugly, and how unfathomable the hurt seems to be, when we lift our feet and begin to move forward, Grace will be there to carry us.

Thought for a Thursday: Gratitude and How Math Makes it Even Better

2012-07-19T09:44:00.001-05:00

Oh, isn’t that the truth.

The last week has been another week of could-have-been-loneliness considering Music Man is off on another two week Army stint.

But besides class keeping me busy in the afternoons, it’s the things in my life that I’m thankful for that has gotten me through each day.

Like my best friend, Math Nerd, who made an out-of-the-way pit stop to visit me on her way to hometown shenanigans.
She’s a teacher in TN, so her summers are usually full of summer school, church youth trips, and time with her family. Of which she is spending for the next couple of weeks.
It’s been seven months since we’ve seen each other, and that’s the hard part of being so far away from friends.

I don’t get to see them every week like I’d love too.

I mean, I did live with this gal while I was in college, so now it’s like I don’t know what going on in her life half the time.

But I’m thankful for a fun time together last week right after Music Man left.

Friends are what get you through the hard times in life.
And the ones that are there for you when you decide to inflict pain upon yourself

Math Nerd’s father passed away last December and thanks to Pinterest, and a tattooing friend, I’m pretty sure she now has the coolest tattoo ever.
Yup. Totally his handwriting.
He was my dad away-from-home while I was at college, so the last time we saw each other wasn’t the easiest circumstances, but this time, we just got to relax and be lame together.

Goober JJ has also been a little bit more loveable with Music Man gone.

So, this might have been a night when he heard loud noises outside and got scared so he had to come and curl up in the corner of my bedroom, but still.
He has been sleeping on my floor every night.
It’s like he knows I need another heartbeat in the room to sleep well.

I’m also thankful for the goofy moments I get to hold onto.
Sure, 9 pm hit last night and I couldn’t remember for the life of me if I’d fed JJ supper, sometimes my memory is like that, but I can hold onto some things pretty well.
Like how a couple of days before Music Man left we went wish-listing (aka what we would buy when we strike it rich) for a new bed and pretty much just took afternoon naps on some amazingly comfortable beds.

This is usually what take 1-49 look like when I take photos of the two of us.

As an army wife, I’ve learned a few things over the last couple of years from experiences and friends.
It’s so easy to sit around and mope. To feel sorry for myself. To be lame (which I still am half the time). To forget.

But everyday there are so many good things to remember. To hold on to. To try. To be thankful for.

And even if I wasn’t an army wife or used to the military way of things, even if you aren’t, I still think that thought holds true.

If we count our the things we are thankful for, no matter how simple, or goofy, or ridiculous they seem, they are all important and beautiful.

They seem to multiply into life blessings, and I find myself reveling in the fact that my life is full of goodness.

Who knew math could ever make my life better?

Passing the Baton: What sort of little, simple, goofy things are you thankful for this week?
______________________
Choose Joy.

Featured Fitblogger!

2012-07-18T08:32:00.001-05:00

Today marks some exciting news in my blog world.

Enduring is the featured blog over at Fitblogger today!

I wanted to share my full post here. I think maybe I wrote too much for their site!

Anyway, make sure to check out Fitblogger (not just for me of course) but because it’s an awesome directory of fit bloggers, and there are so many talented and inspirational athletes out there!

When I think about running, I don’t think about negative splits, 7:30 minute miles, a closet full of fancy gadgets, 80 mileage weeks, sponsorship, or the perfect running body.

I choose my own joy in running, and I think about finishing.

And in a nutshell, that’s my story and that’s what Enduring is all about.

I have had a passion for running since I was a kid, and my running story isn’t a fancy one.
I ran track in high school, and then when I got to college, I hit the 5k trainer on a treadmill one evening, and the rest is history.
I’m not a fast runner, and in fact, running is actually hard for me.

But running simply keeps me sane, it helps me breathe, and it makes me who I am.
Enduring is a collection of my thoughts about life and running.
You won’t find a whole lot of tips and tricks because I’m not a certified anything, though I’m slowly integrating them (like how to hydrate in this crazy drought) and working on that whole certification thing.
And every once in a while I do talk about products I believe in.

But mostly, Enduring is a place where my my soles teach my soul.
Running is my metaphor, really.
If I can run 26.2, or train up and cross the finish line of a triathlon, or conquer my hardest hill workout ever, then I know that nothing in life is going to be impossible for me.
As I’ve spent the last five years building myself up to be a runner, I’ve discovered there are a lot of things to learn out on the road. More than just how to have the perfect form, or what shoes to wear for my feet, or what race is the best to run. I’ve learned that running takes more mental strength than physical strength; running isn’t something I always do for myself; and no matter what the circumstance, running heals.

My life is crazy, hectic, stressful, wonderful, blessed, and goofy, just like my running.
But I love it. Even if I’m enduring through some sort of hardship because that reminds me I’m still alive. And being alive is a joy.

I often talk about how running helps me just deal with being an army wife .

And my Mondays start like everyone else’s Mondays do, so I try to add in a little motivation . Because motivation is something that never lacks in running.
But one of my favorite days of the week to run is Thursday because those are the runs that lead me to gratitude .

Running helps me get that life is all about enduring.
Maybe someday I’ll have a Garmin watch, or I’ll cross the barrier of a 7:30 min/mile.
Maybe I’ll even run 100 marathons.
Or maybe I won’t ever do any of those things. But I do know one thing I will always do, no matter the amount of hills on my route.
I will always finish.

My hope is to inspire you in your journey of enduring and running and triathlon-ing and whatever else you're doing.
To help you throw off the things that hinder you, and encourage you to run with perseverance the race marked out for you.
Because really, life is a race. So why not discipline.

Hello. My name is Big Booty Jooty: Tales and Tips for Running Safety

2012-07-17T08:01:00.001-05:00

Or at least that’s what the car full of creeps called me one morning last week on my run.
I’m still not sure if I should feel offended or flattered, since having a big posterior is something we Runner’s should have.
Big as in full of muscle, big, of course.

Mostly, I think I just feel creepily violated.

Then today, I was out running at my favorite park (close to my home) and felt as if I was being followed in the woods the whole time.
I’m pretty sure it was just the herd of deer running around, but at 5:30 am, it’s still a creepy feeling.

This brings me to my Runner’s Safety List.
A few tips I’ve learned over the years to stay safe while running.

First and foremost, always run with your cell phone.

I don’t care if you don’t have pockets, or an arm band. Even if you have to carry it, TAKE IT WITH YOU. If you have kids and you run with kids, make sure you have your cell phone. Even if you’re running with a buddy, take your cell phone. And most importantly, if you’re by yourself, take it with you. I had a couple of runs during college where all of a sudden I had a major allergy attack, (hives, eyes swelling up, couldn’t breathe very well, and both times I didn’t have my cell phone with me so I had to run all the way back home before I could get ahold of my friends. Luckily, I wasn’t too far away at the time, but I still learned my lesson. Plus, if you are being harassed by someone from afar, if you hold your cell phone up like you are taking a picture or video taping they might just back off.

Get a Road ID<<

I should really learn to listen to my own preaching because I don’t have an actual road ID, but I do still run with information. The Road ID comes in different forms (bracelet, slim bracelet, shoe tag, ankle id, shoe patch, dog tag, etc) and it carries your info and emergency information should anything happen to you while running. Now, I’m allergic to penicillin, and I have one of those red cross tags with my info on it, but I think it still has my maiden name so I really need to update. A Road ID could save your life though, and they are very affordable.

Run against traffic.

This is really a standard “runner’s rule” but I’m usually amazed at how many runner’s don’t follow it. If you are a road runner, you want to run against traffic that way you can see cars coming at you instead of them sneaking up behind you. Face it. there are a lot of bad drivers out there and if they aren’t paying attention to you running, at least you’re paying attention to them and if you’re running at them, then you’re more likely able to run off the side of the road out of the way than if they come up behind you.

If you run in the dark morning or at night, try not to run alone. Also wear reflective gear

I usually wait until the sun has come up a little bit before I head out in the morning (5:30ish) and yes, lately I’ve been running by myself. But, I’m working on finding some new running buddies. It’s great to be able to go out by yourself and run in solitude, and sometimes running by ourselves is the only option we have, but should you have a friend or spouse who likes to run, if you want to head out early in the morning or late at night, try to take them with you (especially the ladies). And if you’re out before/after the sun, wear reflective gear. I tend to run on the road, so my neon yellow shirts are my best friends. Plus, I commandeered my husband’s PT belt since it’s reflective.

If by chance you are yelled at (…my day last week), followed, etc, DO NOT acknowledge or talk to them.

Even if you want to flip them off or yell that you’ll remember their license plate number long after they forget the sight of your butt. Just ignore them. I’ve done this since the beginning. When I was in college, I used to run a lot around town, and let’s just say my college town was full of classy people. Ahem. Anyway, I would get honked at a lot, or acknowledged by the classy gentlemen, and I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to acknowledge them back with some smart aleck remark or a nice gesture. But, Wonder Woman taught me to never talk too or acknowledge strangers, and it’s one thing I’ve taken to heart. Dorothy over at Mile Posts has a really scary but good story about this type of situation and some tips she learned form that day<<.

If you find yourself being followed, don’t run into your house.

Last week on my run as the car full of “gentlemen” howled at me, I ran up a driveway to get off the road and on the sidewalk and they yelled that that “wasn’t my driveway.” It could have been (it wasn’t), but I wasn’t going to let them know that. Just keep running down the block, or cut through some neighbor’s yards to get to the next block over, or if you’re close to one, duck into a gas station. I think this is one of those things I also picked up from working in a bank. They always told us that if we found ourselves being followed home from work, don’t go home. Go to a store, or a public place. Essentially, you don’t want to let the creep(s) know where you live. Plus, I have this ridiculously vivid imagination, and so if I picture myself being followed, I suddenly see myself leaping over bushes, hurdling fences, and getting s sudden burst of lightening speed so I’m able to duck around houses and outrun them. Hey. Adrenaline does crazy thing to your body in the moment.

Vary your route(s) a little bit.

RB and I used to run the same 4 mile look three days a week. Now that I’m by myself, I have about four different routes I like, and so I’ve been switching off every day or so. One route for my easy run; one route for my hills; one route for my long run, etc

And if you’re going on a long run, don’t go by yourself.

I’ve also switched up my training days so I can do my long run on Sundays and run it with the running club so I’m not by myself; however, if I do feel like a long, solitude-filled run, I might have Music Man either bike with me, or drive me to a spot, drop me off, then follow behind me in the car as I run back to town. Long runs, no matter how decent of shape you are in, can deplete you, and if you’re 8 miles from home and suddenly can run any further, you’re stuck. If you’re with other people, they can at least wait with you until a ride comes so you aren’t alone. (Because you know you took your cell phone with you so you can call someone!)

If you’re a music listener, don’t turn the jams up so loud you can’t hear outside you. Let the music be background to everything going on around you.

I haven’t been a music runner for a couple of years now, but I’m thinking about trying it again or maybe podcasts since the majority of this marathon training will be by myself. But, the idea it to still know what’s going on around me. if you turn your ear buds up so loud you can’t hear outside, you might not hear a car if it swerves on the road and comes up behind you, or if another runner or cyclist wants to pass you, or if someone has been following you. Music is fine to run too, just don’t keep it too loud.

Lastly, carry pepper spray with you.

Now, you don’t need a big, honking can of it, but one of those little keychain cans will work. There have been too many disappearances of runner’s (especially women runner’s) lately, and something like pepper spray could at least by you time or maybe even save your life. It’s just one of those protective precautions to always think about.

Passing the Baton: These are just some of the things I’ve learned/picked up on over the last couple of years running. But what do you guys think? Do you have any other safety suggestions while running? Any scary stories where you had to implement these things?

Weekend happenings: In which Harry Potter takes over, and I pretty much doing nothing else but run

2012-07-16T09:14:00.001-05:00

Friday night I did what any Army Wife does when her husband leaves… hung out with a bunch of friends.
My friends just happen to be my 15 year old youth girls from church, BUT, they are great company nonetheless.

A couple of months ago when youth group was still in session for the school year, we started a Harry Potter marathon because it turns out they are all a bunch of HP nerds like me.
We only made it through the first 3 movies before they crashed (seriously, it was them and not me), so we continued the Potter-a-thonFriday.

I prepped like crazy

And my Mini Me brought lemon drops (Dumbledore’s favorite) and had even spent the day baking Hagrid’s Rock Cakes!

We had plenty of sweet treats for the night, but of course I had to end it perfectly with some homemade (nonalcoholic) Butterbeer

Aka: glorified cream soda

And yes, I was full-on nerd and dressed for the occasion

Luna Lovegood is my second favorite female character after Hermione. Actually, they are probably a tie.

I also have to tell you that I was girly for the first time in who knows how long.

I don’t think I’ve painted my nails since high school… mainly because 1. I have the terrible habit of chewing my fingernails, and 2. running makes my toes look funny.
But, the girls convinced me and Aqua Fantasy is a pretty color.

This gal wasn’t sure she’d make it it all night, but luckily the girls crashed around 11:30. We only made it through The Half Blood Prince so I foresee one more Potter-a-thon in our future.

My Saturday involved the usual grocery shopping and lameness of my life.
I coached my C25k group, finished a couple of novels for my class, and then I think I vegged out to Netflix. I’ve decided this free trial month is all our household is allowed to have.
It’s consuming my rest days.

I did, however, travel all over town for groceries trying to save money and get the best deals.
This budget is working: I got my groceries for the week for under $75 dollars.
And I even stocked up on some new training fuel.

Ok… so the twizzlers and jelly beans were left over from from Friday, but I like to eat a couple of licorice wands or a handful of jelly beans before my short runs. They give me a little boost of energy, and don’t mess with my system too much.
When I trained for my last half, I trained with Gu’s and Sport Beans. They beans weren’t too bad but the Gu’s really killed me. I love the taste of them, but my digestive system doesn’t.
So, I want to try something a little more natural for my long runs considering I’ve got a a lot of them coming up.
Hence, the apple banana applesauce packets and the strawberry fruit strips.
I ate a banana before my long run yesterday, and then had a packet of the applesauce after mile 6 yesterday, and it gave me energy for the rest of my 9 mile run.
The box of four is slightly expensive, but it actually budgets out to less than the price of four packs of Gu.
And it’s all natural so I’m hoping it will be a little better on my system. I also have a couple of healthy-fuel-cookie recipes that I want to try, but since I’m going to be logging a bunch of miles over the next few months, my fuel intake is going to be a priority. Out with the fake, in with the real.
And maybe a few jellybeans.

I was up and at ‘em early Sunday morning. Turns out my Running Buddy was in town this weekend so we decided to head out on a long run together.
We met at 5:30 to put in 6 miles before the running club met at 6:30, then we finished 3 miles with them.
It was supposed to be a nice long, slow run but… the two of us push each other so we ended up with a tempo run at about an 8:40 pace.

Afterwards, my hammie was a little sore so I improvised

No, that’s not my lumpy, cellulite butt.
I’s a bag of frozen spinach shoved down my compression shorts.

Genius and classy. I know.

I had about 40 minutes to get ready since I was singing at church and had to be there early, so I worked up a contraption that let me ice AND get ready at the same time.

After church, my afternoon was waaaaay open. A nice way to relax after a good run.

Turns out the Ironman Kona World Championships was being re-aired on NBC so I FINALLY got to watch it.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but Chrissie Wellington is one of my favorite female athletes.

Not only is she 4 for 4 for the Kona Championships, but she has raced the Ironman distance 13 times and never been beaten. Her autobiography, A Life Without Limits,<< was just released this Spring and I’m dying to read it. It’s on my Christmas Wish list, too.

One reason I love watching the triathlon event on TV is because the reporters don’t just feature the pro-triathletes, but the age groupers and their inspirational stories.

Like that of 77 year old Harriet Anderson who finished her 20th Kona<<and won her age group

Three years ago when she raced Kona she crashed her bike at mile 80, broke her clavicle, and still finished the race<<.

She is the racer I hope to become someday<<.
I seriously dream to be that 75 year old woman racing Kona.

I think that’s why I love endurance sports so much. I mean, yes, you have your pro athletes who are AMAZING and their bodies are so powerful, but then there are also those everyday, average Joe athletes who finish the same exact race.
The show featured a 26 year old teacher from my neck of the woods raising money for kids, a double amputee raising awareness for veterans, three men in their 70’s and 80’s, and a woman fighting cancer—all who finished the race.

I was tearing up all over the place.
After that my day was a blur. I sort of napped on and off on the couch til the greyhound woke up up.
We went out for a walk, I grilled some dinner, started a movie, but then headed to bed.

Pretty much more lameness.

That’s my life. Running. Reading. Writing. Netflix. (It has GOT to go.)

Can’t get much better than that.

Passing the Baton: What was your weekend full of? Inspiration? Fun? Rest? Goofiness? Are you a Harry Potter nut like me? Favorite book/character? Any suggestions for more training fuel that won’t upset my system?
___________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy.

Motivating Monday: Those little whispers

2012-07-16T07:15:00.001-05:00

Today marks the beginning of my official marathon training plan.
No, I won’t be running.

Today is, actually, a rest day.

And I couldn’t be more thankful.

I’d be lying to you if I said I was super excited to start this plan.
That I can’t wait for the race and wish it was tomorrow.

In all actuality, I’m terrified.

26.2 miles is forever.
It’s the distance between the town I grew up in and the town we drove to to get groceries.
I always fell asleep on that car ride, and now I have to RUN that distance?

Then there’s the fact that my long run this next weekend is 9 miles, and it’s my last single digit long run for, oh, 4 months.

I think I’m schedule to run slightly over a half marathon in a few weeks.
I’ve never run farther than 13.1 miles in life.
I run that distance as a race. Once in while.
Now I’m using it to train?

What. Was. I. Thinking.

Or at least that’s the kind of thoughts running through my head this morning.

I mean, I love running. I really do.
And I love that I’m coaching other women to run.
Heck, I’m plotting ways to get Music Man to start running with me when he gets home and to like it.

Yet, 26.2 miles frightens me.
16 weeks of training for that distance scares me.
The fact that I’ll be running probably around 500 miles in the next 16 weeks terrifies me.

But today, I’m starting.
I’m moving forward.

Because all those fears. All those phrases repeating themselves over and over and over in my mind.
Those are just lies.

Sure, I couldn’t go out tomorrow and run 26.2 miles.
But from everything I’ve read, and every marathoner I’ve talked too… I’m learning that if I follow the plan, I will finish.

And I’ve never not finished something I’ve started.

Today, I’m starting and I’m banishing those lies.

So check back with me in 4 months.
Or follow along on my journey.

Because even if I have to crawl across the finish line because my legs have given out on me, I will finish.
I have no doubt about that.

Passing the Baton: What whispers are you facing this week? Any fears you need to conquer?
________________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Find Strong.

I seriously thought about blogging hardcore today….

2012-07-15T18:19:00.001-05:00

and then I fell asleep.

I know.

I’ve been excited about my weekend update post all weekend.

Mainly because it involved this

Yes. That’s from my Harry Potter-A-Thon Friday night.

But… I suppose I’ll get to that tomorrow.
And the million and one instagrams I have to share with you.

I’m sort of wiped tonight.

I finished my final day of pre-marathon training with a 9 miler that wasn’t really the Long Slow Miles it was supposed to be.
More like a tempo run finished in 1:17

I blame it on the fact that my running buddy was in town the weekend so we got to head out on the road together.

Joy!

Tomorrow starts OFFICIAL marathon training, and I’m starting off my favorite way.

A rest day.

It’s legit too.

I was thinking about pushing each week back a day so I could do my long runs on Saturdays, especially since that’s race day, but since RB is gone, I have no idea how I’m going to tackle 16+ miles alone, and the running club here in my town (LARC) has been meeting on Sunday mornings to run. I’m bound to be able to find someone to run with.
Plus, I find there’s just something about running long on a Sunday before church. Even though Sundays are rest days in my life… I feel like I earn them twice as much if I put in the miles in the morning.
And there have been many Sundays in my life when I’ve been out of town or unable to go to church, and my long runs sort of turned into my church on those days.
I guess it’s just something that’s stuck with me.

Alas. My hamstring is a little sore from today so I’m off to ice.
And my brain is sort of fried too from devouring books this weekend for my last summer class.
It’s starts tomorrow, and yes I read ahead.

You would too if you were discussing 12 books in 16 days.
Good thing it’s Young Adult Lit.

Cannot. Wait.

Enjoy your Sunday evening all!
Eat healthy but veg with your family.
It’s a good night to do it.
___________________________
Choose Joy.

Fit Links Friday (via Saturday….)

2012-07-14T13:08:00.001-05:00

Ok. Yesterday was kind of busy. It involved some serious cycling, celebrating JJ’s birthday<<, prepping a featured post for next week, a trip to the vet, house cleaning, and then a Harry Potter-A-Thon (more on that later.)
It wasn’t until I turned in late last night that I forgot to post some fit links for you! And, I’d actually be reading this week.
Without further adieu….

1. Admit it. You’ve been working your abs hardcore like me. Oh… you haven’t? Well, no need to worry on that front. Susan over at Strong Like Susan<< has you covered. I joined her 30 day ab challenge via Run to the Finish<<, and it is kicking my butt! But now that I’m hitting the halfway mark, I’m noticing a difference. That Spartan six pack hasn’t popped out yet, but I’m sitting up straighter, my belly has flattened a tid bit, and most importantly, my core feels stronger while I run. I’m positive that after the 30 days, I’m going to be incorporating her moves into my workout routine. If you’re looking for something a little different than everyday crunches, and you want somebody to train you (for free!) definitely check out her YouTube channel<<. Not only does she have the 30 day ab challenge, but a whole bunch more videos to hit the other important parts of your body, and she’s full of tips and tricks!
Plus, she’ll seriously kick your butt with her workouts.

2. Last week I gave you some of my suggestions for how to hydrate<< but the place of all places about running things, Runner’s World, has a collection of videos about hydration and how to handle the heat we’ve been having. The first one is short but interesting, and has 3 important tips on how to beat the heat<<. There’s also one with some hydration tips, as well as one about hot weather running. Both feature Bart Yasso, and he knows his stuff.

3. Because I know my venture in the world of the marathon has cause you to jump out of your seat, hit the road training, and sign up for YOUR first marathon, here’s 10 tips for all us marathon beginners:

Since that might be a little small for all you mere mortals without perfect eyesight like me, the 10 tips for marathon beginners can also be found on the Runner’s World For Beginner’s Only blog<<
It’s actually a really good post for any beginner runner, so keep those tips close at hand. (Or foot.) Har, Har, Har

4. Because I don’t own enough books already, Hungry Runner Girl has inspired me to build up my running book collection<<. She posted Friday about an awesome book list she found over at Runner’s World and it’s got me wanting to run to the bookstore<<. I’ve read two on the list, and most of the rest are actually on my ongoing Christmas list. I feel like Music Man and Wonder Woman think I have enough running books already because I give them this list every year and it never dwindles. Though… I did get four last year that weren’t on my list until right before Christmas. Perhaps that’s my problem….
Here’s a preview:

AND… should anyone want to get me this

I will not oppose you.
Email me and I’ll send you the shipping address

5. Last but never least, the Olympics are only 13 days away! I have got to get started on my Opening Night Ceremony party planning. Aka… all the unhealthiest food Music Man and I can eat while sitting sedentary in front of the boob tube.
Classy.
But really, this past week Fourth Place Medal (no idea what that is) ranked all 32 summer Olympic sports from easiest to hardest<<. Any guesses what the hardest is? Can I just say that I didn’t even know it was an Olympic sport? Yes I know it’s a sport… but I had no idea it was part of the games. And as a disclaimer, diving, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming, trampoline, didn’t make the rankings because they are “judged activities.” Hmmm.
However, I definitely agree with number 2, but… after competing in a few shorter distances, I’d have ranked it #1.

Alright everyone, I’m off to finish a million and one other tasks today all while taking a chill pill prepping for a long run tomorrow.

Enjoy your Saturday everyone!
Happy Running!
_______________
Seek Peace.

Somebody’s turning 9 today….

2012-07-13T11:13:00.001-05:00

And that somebody would be my fur kid

He’s pretty much got the life today, just lounging around, enjoying the AC.

And his new squeaky sock monkey.

He’s got a thing for them.

I even got a toothy grim out of him today.

And, I was going to go all Frosty Paws on him and let him enjoy some doggie ice cream, but the store was out this week.
I doubt he’ll know the difference if I pick some up this weekend.

Happy Birthday JJ.
You make me smile.
__________________
Choose Joy.

Thought for a Thursday: Gratitude and what I take for granted

2012-07-12T15:37:00.001-05:00

Lately, I’ve been wondering about this rascal.

For a good minute last week, I thought I had poisoned him. But, the bag of food we had for him wasn’t part of the recall.
Then, last night I had the creepiest dream about him having a stroke, and being all off balance and wobbly. Probably because I saw a three legged dog yesterday.

And then this morning as I walked in the door from my morning run, my best friend proceeded to tell me she awoke to the sound of my dog barfing.

Eureka, I’ve discovered the cause of the secret spots.

So… we have a vet appointment tomorrow to see what’s up with the guy.

Yup. HIs barf was definitely part of my morning, as was the fact that I got to haul our our overloaded garbage.
My least favorite chore ever that Music Man somehow manages to weasel out of every time he leaves.

But as I was carrying the stinky bag full of barf infused napkins across the parking lot, I started thinking.
Even though I don’t normally handle this chore, I was thankful for the chance.

Because it reminded me of how someone in my life will take care of something I hate to do, just to help out or make me feel better.
And that even though JJ is a dog, he’s still a beating heart to care for and one prepping me for a whole lot more caring down the road.

It got me thinking about gratitude and my 25th year, and how I’m on this search to banish anxiety and find happiness.
But then I though, what if I don’t accomplish every single thing on my list?
Will I not be joyful? Will I be disappointed? Will I not have mastered the act of happiness?

No.

Because no matter much I try to find happiness, I think happiness is already here.

It’s in the small things.

It’s in the daily things.

It’s in the fact that Music Man always takes out the garbage, or takes JJ outside before bed just so I don’t have too.

It’s in the fact that even though I had a horrible-beautiful run this morning, I was able to get up and move.

It’s in the fact that even though JJ might be sick and is a little mopey because Music Man is gone, he is able to feel and love.
And tomorrow is his birthday.

I’m not going to give up my quest and just forget about the 25th year, because those really are things I want to do for me. And in fact, I’m making progress on them and they truly are helping me to let go of my anxiety.

And I know some of you might read my blog and think, “she complains a lot” because I talk about missing my husband while he’s gone, or I talk about how hard running really is for me.

But this is a blog about my life.
A blog about enduring through my life.

And so that means I’m going to talk about the hard stuff I face, and yeah, I’m probably going to complain about it some, and then write about it all metaphorically because that’s what I do.

But it’s a little thing that makes me happy.

Words.
Sharing with you, even if I don’t know who you are.

Because my hope is that in sharing my little things—especially in gratitude—is that I’m able to help you find yours.

"Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy."
~Stephen King, On Writing

Thought for your Thursday: How are you getting happy today? This week? What’s something little in your life that if you thought about it right now would make you smile?
____________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy

A ‘just deal’ Run

2012-07-12T10:37:00.001-05:00

My morning started like this.

Actually, let me back up, because this morning actually started with last night.

This is what happened to my living room

And it spilled over onto my bed, and the dining room table, and pretty much anywhere else there was free room.

It’s often what happens the evening before Music Man Leaves.
He’s got a million things to put together and pack up.

I’m used to it by now.
However, the late nights and early mornings… that’s something I’ll never get used too.
This morning started with a bedtime of about 11:45 pm by the time everything was all said and done.

I was definitely tired, pimply faced, and full of dark circles.
Lovely. Glad I documented it.

Then, the alarm went off about 3:30 am since Music Man had to drive a bit to catch his 6am flight.
He’s off to two weeks of Army leadership school, and even though we just did close to four weeks apart, and even though I’m used to all of this, I feel this will be the hardest separation this summer.
We probably won’t get to talk much, if at all this time.
That’s often the hardest part for me.

So, when my 5:30 am alarm went off, I turned it off and rolled back over really just wanting to stay in bed all day.
It’s how I feel when he leaves.

But, I’m stronger than that.

I only slept for about another hour and then dragged myself out of bed. Almost literally.
Then I pulled on the jog bra and sneakers,and headed out for a watchless run.

It’s my typical Just Deal run.

This is Music Man’s third training trip this summer, he had two last summer, and before that, he had multiple trips or weekends in the field when he was active duty, not to mention a deployment.
I’m used to it.
But running , among many other things, helps me through it.

I’m not typically a mopey person, but I can be. Oh boy, can I be.
But I don’t like to be. I’d rather be joyful, encouraging, positive, and hopeful.
Yet like the first few steps of a run, the first day of him gone is always the hardest.
I seriously, well, maybe if I had a tv in the bedroom, could stay in our bed all day. I could toss and turn, nap on and off, watch some dopey soap operas or talk shows, spend hours on Netflix, maybe read a book, but mainly just stay sedentary and throw a giant pity party for myself.

I could.
But I never do.

Instead, I get out of bed, and often times head out on some scheduled training run that I never finish.
My Just Deal runs are my best-worst runs ever.
I never hit the mileage I’m supposed to be training for that day.
I never wear a watch.
I just take my jelly legs and run.

After a night of being woken up early, falling in and out of sleep, and crazy dreams (like the one last night where JJ had a stroke and had weird yellow goop coming out of his eyes) I know my morning run is going to be no good.
Today I was supposed to do 5 easy miles.

I ran 2.5.
It was terrible.
It was beautiful.

When I started I didn’t think I was going to be able to run. My legs hated me. My heart hurt.
But I kept pacing, and after about 3/4 a mile, my legs warmed up. I probably ran at my typical pace, but I don’t know because I didn’t time it.
Instead, I focused on the beauty of the park, and the fact that I ran by a deer 3 feet away from me that didn’t move at all.

And I prayed.
I prayed for safe travel. For encouragement. For strength. For time to grow independently. For Music Man to know how proud of him I am.
I offered up thanksgiving for the life we have and the life we’re being called too. Even if it means being apart.

But mostly, I prayed for endurance.
That we could make it through the next two weeks stronger—in God, in love, in ourselves, and in each other.

And after that horrible-wonderful 2.5 miles, I felt good.
Like I always do.
Because these runs, they take the things I’ve been handed at this one very moment—the things that are hindering me from moving forward—and they teach me not grow weary and lose heart.

They teach me to endure. To persevere.
To just deal.

Passing the Baton: Have you had any runs lately that have taught you something? Do you have something reoccurring in your life in which you find yourself running to deal with it? Have you ever run to get rid of pain before? Do you run for joy? What does a watchless run teach you?
_____________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Find Strong. Live Faith. Breath Hope.

Weekend recap: It’s all fun and games, kids until the FroYo happens. Then it’s serious.

2012-07-09T17:10:00.001-05:00

Friday…I consider it my weekend now since
1. I do nothing all week and

2. This fall I won’t have classes on Friday’s so I’ll probably still be a bum.

Anyway, this past Friday was a special day for Music Man and I, and our friend, The Most Interesting Man in the World’s, Birthday.

So after a haircut,

and job interview, we headed off to good ‘ole St. Louis.

Our plan was to hit the City Museum<<, and then dinner, but I wanted to stop here first

Coffee and Wine? What could be better? I’ll never know because the boys wouldn’t let me stop.
Although, it’s probably a good thing we didn’t stop, because I don’t know if I could’ve handled this if I was full of caffeine and alcohol.

That’s just the outside.
The Museum totes this is the place “where the imagination runs wild.”

It’s housed in a 600,000 square foot building that was at one point empty and maybe scheduled to be demolished (I don’t know the full history.)
But I do know it’s the visionary of internationally acclaimed artist, Bob Cassilly—a classically trained sculptor and entrepreneur.
The City Museum is exactly what it is: a museum built entirely from stuff from the city. It’s a gigantic piece of industrial-instillation art that you can play in.

Yes. Play in. And on. And over. And under.

The outside, definitely a piece of art or maybe a scene from LOST, is a giant maze of wires and rebar that you can climb in and around it. We hit it last because we waited for the heat to die down some, but the boys sure had fun.
I enjoyed myself too, but for someone who is terrified of heights, and semi-terrified of small spaces, I managed.

I let them do the climbing outside though

Would you believe me if I told you the rebar arch was at least seven stories off the ground?

Someone obviously didn’t care.
I, on the other hand, would have been trapped for eternity and screaming like a baby.
So I took the pictures

The inside was just as neat.
One part is sea themed and as Music Man claims, you have to crawl up the “whale anus” to play
(That would be the coil section)

And another area is rainforest themed, where you get to crawl and climb in petrified wood and cages.

At one point, I even slid out of this

Don’t ask me how.

The boys really had way too much fun

And yes ladies, The Most Interesting Man in the World is single

Pause from sarcasm. I’m telling you. He would seriously be a catch.
Awesome guy.

After all, If you can’t be normal, join ‘em.

I did find some future home decorations, so the day was productive.

We slid down a 10-story slide. No. Big. Deal.

And Music Man survived the Ball Pit Of Death

After that we called it a day. We were hot, and sweaty, and tired of pushing little kids out of the way.
We hit of the gift shop, and I found some protection

Especially for all my

Despite the 90 million degree weather, the boys decided we had to eat outside on the rooftop of the Hilton

Too bad none of us were Cardinals fans.

I dealt with it though for some delicious pizza,

and the best part of all.
I finally got to jump on the FroYo wagon

And trust me, I ate all 9.05 ounces of this goodness

Then I ran it off

It was a great way to celebrate Friday, and a nice day vacation.
Looks like our summer is turning out to be full of those.

Passing the Baton: Any craziness to your weekend? Have you ever been to the City Museum, or somewhere like it? If so…where? We want to go! Are you a FroYo Freak like me? Favorite combination? (I threw in the blueberries to make it look healthy.)
Favorite place?
_________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy.

Weekend recap part deux: In which we paint our bedroom poop brown, and I master two culinary creations

2012-07-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

When we moved back to the Midwest 16 months ago and discovered the one apartment complex that allowed pets, we also discovered we could paint.
Since we planned on being here for quite a while (Music Man is pretty much going to be in school forever and renting seemed like the smart idea) painting seemed perfect because let’s face it, while walls make me think too much of dorm life or prison life.
I’ve only experienced the former, not the latter.

We wanted to make our cozy space a little bit more homey so we planned to paint in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. We bought all the paint, tape, and plastic we’d need, then started in on the living room.
Then Music Man left for some Army trip, and I was bored, and finished the living room and kitchen.

You won’t notice my imperfect edging or paint spattered ceilings in these pics. Trust me, I’m not the artist.
Nonetheless, it’s been about a year and the bedroom never got painted.
Until yesterday that is. Music Man was in a mood and wanted to paint, so I pretty much let him.

I found a comfy spot to take pictures

And I also spent time trying to figure out how JJ could help.
Turns out he’s pretty useful.

Once the paint dried, it wasn’t really poop brown anymore, but more of a Hershey look.
I think I can handle it.

We’re hoping to invest in a new, and much more comfortable bed in the next few months (goodbye sleepless nights) so the fun part is going to be finding some new bedding to go with the room.
Good thing brown is a pretty neutral color.

On our adventure Friday<<, we unknowingly tried a new kind of pizza: Sauceless or White Pizza.
The boys were set on eating at a rooftop extravaganza, even though it was 90 million degrees outside, but the yogurt paradise on the first floor made up for it afterwards.
Anyway, we decided to order a pizza to share because, really, who can turn down pizza?
Plus the waitress had passed out table with one right before we ordered and the smell was overwhelmingly delicious.

It was so good, I only remembered to take a picture after we’d eaten half of it.
The menu didn’t say anything about it being a sauceless pizza so when it arrived, we were surprised.
In a good way.
Let’s just say Music Man and I found our new favorite kind of pizza.
So, come Saturday morning when this conversation took place,

the ideal opportunity showed itself to try out our new favorite. Plus, if it takes me all year, I am bound and determined to master thin crust pizza<<.
So, I rounded up a few ingredients

and came up with this beauty

Don’t let the thicker edge fool you. This baby was thin and crispy. And definitely full of cheesy goodness.
Instead of tomato sauce, there’s a little drizzle of olive oil on the crust, then the cheese-spice mixture (fresh mozz, parm, ricotta, & feta)
Heaven. Must be missing angels…If you’ve never had white pizza before, you must. Especially if you’re a self proclaimed pizzaholic like me.
That was Saturday’s meal, with a little Mr. Popper’s Penguins for some fun.
I’ve now decided I want a little herd of penguins for pets, by the way.
Christmas is less than six months away, Wonder Woman.
Sunday’s food was all about the South.
During the last six months of Music Man’s Army contract, he was a Chaplain’s assistant for Chaplain Hulk (seriously… he was a stand in for the old Hulk TV show)
That job was one of the things over the last couple of year’s that has planted the seed for us possibly going back active duty Army, and into Chaplaincy/ministry.
Anyway, Chaplain Hulk is not only a wonderful guy (and he has a beautiful family) but he is this amazing cook.
And he just happened to make us a delicious gumbo before we left Texas that Music Man fell in love with.
So, it’s one of those things on my list to cook for the year<<
Since I was on a roll already with the pizza,I decided to turn this weekend into a 25 eats-a-thon
Between chopping veggies, and meats, and making the rue,gumbo turned out to be a fun, afternoon affair. Plus it did get me out of painting.

I also creatively discovered how to successfully chop onions without crying while simultaneously finding a good use for my goggles since they haven’t seen water in a month.

I call it Chaplain Hulk’s “for your man” gumbo.

It was actually super easy to make, and Music Man was thoroughly impressed I know how to spice things up.
I definitely discovered some new favorite recipes for this household.
Heaven help me we don’t have picky kids.
I’ve got to start thinking up creative ways for them to eat EVERYTHING so I’ve got a an arsenal built whenever that day comes.
Sunday evening wrapped up with a little Ocean’s Thirteen, and some more creative thinking on how not to get high while sleeping in a freshly painted room.
It’s a good thing these temps

dropped to the 80’s yesterday. It was like spring all over again!
In case you were wondering, we opened our windows overnight (60’s) and didn’t get high.
We’re pretty normal today.
Since normal is so relative in my life.
Passing the Baton: How was your weekend? Anything fun? Restful? Finish any projects you’d been meaning to do for a year, like us? Any good recipes to share? Should I patent my onion goggles?
__________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy.

Motivating Monday: Recovery isn’t a stopping point. Just a pause.

2012-07-09T11:25:00.001-05:00

I seriously didn’t mean for my lack of running the last half of the week to contribute to my lack of blogging.
But, there really wasn’t much going on in my world.

Just lots of sparklers and the best sugar cookies ever<<

The story is: I woke up Wednesday morning ready to relax and enjoy my cardio off day, except that I also woke up with a pain on the outer, lower side of my right knee.
Now, knee pain is completely new to me. I mean, I’ve had pain just about everywhere else except my knee in my 5 years of running.
So, I figured it was a good thing I had an off day.
I foam rolled some because I’ve slacked and my IT band has tightened up a little, and then I iced hoping for a better day Thursday when I was scheduled to do 5 miles.

I woke up Thursday still achy.
So I took another day off.
Repeating the recovery process.

Friday was 3 miles, but my knee was still sore and Music Man had some fun planned, so he told me to take it easy that morning and skip my run.
I didn’t even hesitate.

Then Saturday-long run day-rolls around. I was tired from the day before, but I had thought I could manage a run.
No. Such. Thing.
That 8 miles? Didn’t happen. My leg, though better, was still a bit achy and I really didn’t want to push anything.

So I skipped 16 miles of running last week.

Which is a lot if you’re training for a marathon.

I’ll admit. I was tired. I was cranky. And I was really bummed about not running.
But in my “process of recovery” learning, I was trying to understand that if I ran on the pain, I could not be running for awhile.

Skipping three days of workouts is better for the long run than missing weeks or months of running.

Wouldn’t you know that others agree?

Stop running for at LEAST two days if you feel persistent pain after running. If you feel pain after a run (deciding whether it is soreness or pain is up to you) then take at least 2 days off and if the pain isn’t gone then take another two days off.

(Hungry Runner Girl<< has a great post from last week about injury prevention<< and it’s a combination of her tricks and tips from Kara Goucher’s “Running for Women” <<)

I guess skipping out on a run or two due to pain isn’t a bad thing.
At least not for my body. Maybe for my mind.
And Music Man since he’s the one dealing with my crankiness.

But, I realized that recovering for a few days isn’t a stopping point for me.
So I had a little pain last week.
Did I cancel my marathon plans?

No.

1. Because it’s not some crazy, serious, life threating/leg debilitating injury

2. I am learning how to recover well

3. I am learning what pause means

Listening to my body as I run and taking time to recover is all part of enduring.

Yes, I would love to be able to run 6 out of 7 days a week, but my body isn’t built for that. At least, maybe not yet.
As I’ve said, running comes hard for me. It’s something I have to push myself to do.
But it’s also something I have to teach myself to back off from sometimes.

C’est la vie

The good Lord knows my life has been and will continue to be full of obstacles, just like my running journey.

That’s why I persevere.

And during or after each obstacle, I try to give myself some rest.
To step away from the issue. To find time to pray and meditate.
Often times I run.

But sometimes, I just have to forget about my finances for awhile. Or completely stop thinking about where our future will take us in four years, two years, next year.

All the while knowing that obstacle, that pain, is not a stopping point.
I haven’t given up.
I won’t give up.
I’ll keep running.

I simply—pause.

Passing the Baton: Do you find it hard to pause your training for a few days? To stop moving and just relax, ice, recover, and heal? What about in life? How do you get away from the issues that might be dragging your mind and spirit down?
______________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Life Faith.

Weekend Ramblings? That’s right. I’m back.

2012-07-08T19:25:00.001-05:00

I’m going to confess to you that my lack of posting over the past three days is directly related to my lack of running.

Yes, I said it.

Lack. Of. Running.

I woke up Wednesday (my off day) to a weird pain below my outer, right knee, so I decided to take a couple of days off from running just to be cautious.

I guess I didn’t realize that would cause me to take a few days off from blogging as well.

However, I’ve been up to lots of things this weekend, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Things like getting back on my bike, tackling some interior decorating, cooking up a storm, and road tripping.

But that’s all for tomorrow.

So go enjoy what’s left of your weekend. I’m digging into some Creole food and leaving you with my new portrait.

Happy Running, friends!

________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy.

Let Freedom Ring…

2012-07-04T08:15:00.001-05:00

Happy 4th of July everyone!!

Thank you to all those who have made today what it is.
Love you Music Man.
I’m proud to be your wife.
And I’m definitely proud of you.

Now, go run some Firecracker 5k’s, sit by the pool, grill out, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the fireworks!

Hydration: The basics

2012-07-03T16:16:00.001-05:00

I’m thirsty.

Let’s talk hydration today.

Friday I linked to a post from Runner’s World about hydration<<. I keep going back to that article because it has some really good info.
I mean, we all know that hydration is super important for exercise, especially in the heat we’ve been having, but here’s

WHY WE SHOULD HYDRATE:

If you’re not adequately hydrated, your blood volume drops, which means your heart has to work harder to power your muscles and keep you cool. When that happens, your running performance suffers. (Casa)

One of my favorite go-to nutrition books is Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan. To explain just how important hydration is, Ryan starts off with it in the first chapter “Daily Hydration Essentials: Drinking it in.”

She flat out tells us that water is one of the most essential nutrients for the endurance athlete (5). I mean, I get that considering 2/3 of our body weight is water.
As an endurance athlete, one of the most important things we need to do is to stay on top of our daily fluid intake, and we should try to prevent even mild levels of dehydration (5).

Something else she mentions is that water plays an integral role in the optimal functioning of [our bodies] both during training and during rest and recovery. It cools the body, provides structure to body parts, protecting important tissues (such as brain and spinal cord) and lubricates our joints (6).

We’ve been experiencing some hot days around these parts
And in this crazy heat wave, water is extremely important to help regulate our body temperature.

Despite the 45 minutes of thunder/lightening/cool, mighty breeze last night, we still haven’t had any rain.
I’ve been running early to avoid the heat and humidity, but let me tell you, I’m still thirsty.

And shame on me, I think I’ve been experiencing some dehydration headaches the last couple of days.
This is not the runner I am training to be.

HOW WE SHOULD HYDRATE
often becomes the next question.

I’ve stocked my fridge with these

I perused the good ole interwebs to see what the common thought was on sparkling water for runners, and I pretty much got that it wasn’t a completely bad thing for hydration.
Now, I’ve tried sparkling water in the past for my own hydration issues, and I like it.
The sad thing is I always forget it exists.

From what I understand, sparkling/carbonated water isn’t bad for you, if you read the ingredient lists.
The WalMart special is pretty ok

0 sugars, 0 caffeine, 0 calories, 0 sodium, 0% juice. But, it does list aspartame in the ingredient list. Eh.

Some sparkling waters have fake flavors, or sugars pumped into them, so if you’re trying to stay the healthy route, just read the label.
And in my experience, I’m not drinking this while I run.
The carbonation in sparkling water is different than the carbonation in soda because it’s essentially just CO2 added to water to make it fizzy. It doesn’t include all the sugars and chemicals that sodas do.
But, carbonation does mess with your oxygen intake, so I don’t recommend drinking this before or while running. I don’t even drink it right after running.
I’m trying it more with meals, and in between to help hydrate me during the day.

And this gal<< loves it<< and even suggests sparkling water if you’re trying to drink more water or stop drinking soda.

Music Man has been trying to convince me for awhile that we need this machine, anyway.

Mainly because I’ve banned soda from our house. I quit drinking it 5 years ago when I started running, and I’m determined to convince him of it’s evil tendencies as well.
His argument is that’s is really just flavored water.
I’m not convinced when it’s called this

However, I did find these on the shelves when I was doing some in-depth research on the machine last weekend

I guess there are some new flavorings to add to the water that aren’t soda/tea/etc., but fruit-flavor enhancers.
And all of the flavors are supposed to be natural.
AKA what I’ve been drinking anyway.

Obviously water is the number one choice for hydration because we need to replenish what we lose, especially if we’re out training in this heat. But, water doesn’t have to be boring.

This sparkling bottle got emptied yesterday, and now it’s just tap water with lemon juice squirted in.
Suggestion courtesy of The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik

Here are a few of my favorite ways to flavor up my water:

Cucumber water – slice up a cucumber and add the slices to a pitcher of water in the fridge. It’s actually really delicious and refreshing, especially after a hot, evening run
Lime water – wedge a few limes, squirt the juice in a pitcher, then drop the wedges in to soak (I’m more a lime flavor gal than lemon)
Apple water – pour a glass of plain, sparkling water (like Perrier) and add just a splash of apple juice. Not enough that it’s too sugary sweet or more juice than water, but just enough to take away the blandness. You can even do this with plain tap water.
And yes—TAP water is perfectly fine to drink. In fact, tap water often has more minerals your body needs than bottled water. So, unless you have some crazy, contaminated pond water, drink from the tap. Your body thanks you.
Gatorade powder – I can add electrolytes to replenish after a run, and even consume a small amount during the day to build mine back up. By using the powder, I can measure the flavor myself.

This product is HUGE in the world of runners/endurance athlete, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to try it yet. It’s not offered anywhere in my area, and I just can’t quite shell out the $24.99 for a four tube pack. My grocery budget says no.
It’s on my list to someday try though.

Nuun not only has 11 electrolyte enhanced flavors, but 4 all day flavors that don’t have any added electrolytes, and 4 natural flavors enhanced with a lower electrolyte count and vitamins.
Just an easy way to flavor up your water and help balance your electrolyte intake after a hard workout or to keep you hydrated all day.

So, now we know why and how, but what about how much?

Well, that actually depends on you. Sports Nutrition suggests that male endurance athletes actually need an average of 16 cups daily, and women need 12 cups daily.(7) Slightly higher than the eight 8-oz cups of fluid a day we normally think about.
However, depending on daily fluid loss, the amount of fluid intake can vary significantly.
You basically want to judge your intake by your own sweat rate and loss for the day.
Not to be gross, but you can also judge by urine. If it’s completely clear or lemonade colored, you are drinking too much, but if it is dark or apple-juice colored (or there’s a small volume of output) you definitely need to drink more. You want an in between color (11).

JUST REMEMBER

Don’t judge your hydration by thirst alone. If you are thirsty, then your body has already sensed a decrease in the level of fluids or an increase in sodium concentration (7).
An important tip with hydration is to simply develop regular drinking habits, such as drinking a glass of water right after you get out of bed, drinking a certain amount every hour, drink a glass before bed, etc.
Water can only be half of your daily fluid intake. You can also get hydration benefits from things such as juices (not ones with a ton of sugar though), dairy milk, soy milk, soup, sports nutrition supplements, and even fruits and veggies.
Be sure to limit caffeinated beverages. I drink about 1 cup of coffee in the morning, so I’m still getting fluid but limiting caffeine.
Carry a reusable water bottle with you at all times, and try to drink around 8 oz every hour.

For me, hydration is a constant struggle. I don’t like water very much (I know, I’m weird) so I’m constantly trying to find ways to make it better and keep it healthy. As I’m training for a marathon, my mileage is going way up, and in this heat, I’m seating monsoons. So fluid intake is extremely important not only for my health and my body, but for my running performance. I can always tell when I’m low on fluids because my legs just feel heavy. And I’m tired of running with heavy legs.

Tune in next week for hydrating before, during, and after workouts.

Passing the Baton: How is your hydration? Do you constantly drink water all day, or do you slack off like me? What are some of your flavor tips or favorite ways to spice up water? Any products you like?

Motivating Monday: Abs Challenge and Marathon Prep

2012-07-02T12:11:00.001-05:00

It’s day 2 of Run to the Finish’s<< abs challenge, and I’m pushing through.

But I won’t lie. I definitely wanted to give up yesterday.

Day 1<< was really hard, especially for my weak core. I was only able to do 2 of the 4 rounds (which I don’t feel too bad because Amanda from RTTF said she started off slowly when she tried that challenge last month) but I did just run 7 miles before I attempted the workout, too.
And by the time evening rolled around, my body was tired from a week of building miles.

But today, I told myself I would push through.
And I did 2 rounds in a row this morning of Day 2’s workout<< before I felt like my core had died.
But, I did two rounds, which means I still have two more to do before bed tonight and I WILL.
I’m feeling good today, not only am I building strength in my abs… but I’m building confidence in them, believing I can tackle the workout.

Right now, I’m “pre-training” for the marathon. I have this week and next week before my official training starts and I start to move past my high mileage of 25 miles a week.
Am I nervous? Scared my back/hammie/IT band won’t be able to take it?

Yes.

But I’m building my core, nurturing my IT band, trying to incorporate cross training, conquering yoga, and trying to eat clean all to help me as I increase my mileage.

Basically,

And I think I’m going to adopt this mantra for my marathon.

I’m moving into unknown territory.
I’m going to start running more days a week than I have been the past couple of years. I’m going to start running longer training distances that I’ve ever done.
I’m going to *hopefully* be pushing my pace for some runs and sharing runs with a group of runners.

All to push myself. All to fall in love with running.

All to endure 26.2

Those goals and those miles encourage me to become stronger.
I have to try to become stronger. I have to want to become stronger. I have to become stronger.
In body. In mind. In spirit.

Let’s face it. Isn’t that the definition of enduring?

Some definitions say “lasting” “durable” “patient suffering” “to hold out against” “to suffer without yielding”

but one of my favorites it this:

en·dure
verb (used without object)
to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition, as of worth, merit or greatness (dictionary.com)

And I’m not saying when I go from this world that I want some great recognition of my name.
I’m saying that in my own life, I want to endure.
I want to know that what I’ve done physically/fitness wise has made me stronger. I want my fitness to have worth in my life. To have made me a healthy being. To have given me lasting strength of mind because I’ve finished 26.2, or 70.3, or whatever.

I want my endurance to teach me that I can run past anything because I have finished.

So this week, I’m physically busy getting stronger with the hope that mentally and emotionally and spiritually I’m doing the same.

Passing the Baton: What about you? Can you say you’re busy getting stronger in some area of your life? How does running/fitness metaphorically speak for you?
__________________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Find Strong.

Glorious, glorious news and how God smacked me in the face

2012-07-01T19:30:00.001-05:00

As a warning, this post won’t be featuring many pictures.
But it will include a lot of good news

So…I’ve been hinting a bit this weekend about news—both bad and good.
I think I’ve had enough time to take it all in, so I’m giving you a story.

Our protagonist is a young woman, middle 20’s, slightly unsure of her career future, but strongly trying to focus on God’s plans for her.
She has taken about two years off of school because after entering a master’s program, she realized it wasn’t the right place for her.
In this past two years, she has prayed, and discussed, and meditated on what she is meant to do for a career: something that she has always struggled with. Namely because she has always wanted to be everything at the same time, but secondly, because she not only wants a career that she is passionate about, but one that makes her happy and allows her to help people.

Her first dream is to be a published writer. A blogger… yes, but some sort of paycheck would be nice.
Becoming a writer fulfills her wish to be everything all at once because her imagination can take her anywhere and she can become anyone.

The passion and joy is also fulfilled… but there has always been something still tugging at her.
And she does love literature. Immensely.

So, after two years of prayerful consideration, and even in this economy, she quits her full time job to go back to school because she’s finally decided to quit running from the direction God has been telling her (mostly through people in her life that she refused to listen too.)

Our protagonist has decided to become a teacher (or school librarian. She isn’t 100% sure yet but getting the right certification to get to either place.)
She has a heart for middle school and high school students. She hopes she can instill passion in them and a love of literature.
And she hopes she can change lives.

But after taking her first round of classes, and realizing the financial aspect of the next year and a half, she worries.
She has become a doubting Thomas.

And then, in the midst of a solid week of questioning whether or not this truly is the right path for her, her test scores come back.
To become a teacher, she must take a series of standardized tests, one of which tests her academic proficiency and determines whether or not she can move ahead to her next curriculum classes tentatively scheduled for the fall.
She had taken the test in March, and needs to register for her classes very soon, and so, when she receives the email on Friday evening that holds her fall plans, she breathes and opens it.

Language Arts – passed
Mathematics – passed
Writing – passes
Reading Comprehension – not passed

And she looses her breath and wonders again if this is right for her. Wonders again if she is smart enough to continue on because she has failed the one thing she has an education in and hopes to teach.
There is no time to retake the test before the fall registration window which now means she must add an extra semester onto her schooling and take on more debt to pay for it.
She feels this is impossible.

And so, her husband takes her bowling that evening to forget about the test, and suggests that perhaps 18 hours would have been too much for the fall anyway.
She does not need to take on that which will stress her to no end.
She shrugs it off, wonders what happened during the test, and has trouble understanding His timing.

And then, Saturday arrives with a letter she had never been expecting.

At the same time she was testing for her academic proficiency, she was submitting applications for scholarships.
One of which offered several awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 based on financial need and an essay.

Saturday was the day she found out she had received a scholarship for far more than she ever expected.

Saturday was the day God revealed to her that she was indeed following His path and doing what she was meant to be doing.

Saturday was the day she was showered with a blessing that was enough to cover her entire two years of school, including that extra semester she now had to take.

Saturday was the day she realized doubt was a silly and flippant thing.

Saturday was the day that the idea of enduring smacked her once again.

Because no matter how much she doubted or how much she worried or how much she question, God told her he was bigger.

End scene

I really, honestly, have no other words to say about this moment, except that it brings me back to the spring I graduated high school.
I remember standing in my kitchen answering a phone call that would change my life—the college I had initially declined was calling to tell me they were awarded me a full ride scholarship for my academics.
I never thought I’d make it to college in the first place because of finances (oh my gosh…I’ve been worrying about this crap since I was 17? WHAT is wrong with me?) but God told me that day that I shouldn’t have to worry.

But did I listen? No.
Did that whole amazing, grace filled experience change me? No because I am a silly human. Here I am praying for His will and trying to follow Him, but was I trusting? No.

So he smacks me in the face again.

And this time, I am on my knees praising Him letting go of this stupid, stupid financial worry.
He truly is the great provider.
All He asks is that I trust and keep enduring.
To Him be the glory and power forever.

Someday, when I’ve had time to think, this will be part of my memoir.

Weekend Roundup-lots of running, I’m a cheap date, stupid goodbyes, and my abs suck

2012-07-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

My entire weekend has been filled with this

I have what you call an “in-house doctor” Since I’m officially marathon training, I am nursing my IT band like it’s a baby. Minus the whole breast feeding thing.
Thankfully, I’m able to coerce Music Man into using The Stick of Death on me since it’s kind of an awkward angle. I just promise him millions of minutes of shoulder massages.

Minutes redeemed= 0

I’m stealthy like that.

However, we did sneak in some fun dates this weekend.

Friday night was a night of much needed fun.

I got some bad news (see next post) right before Music man came home, and he’d been working hard this week, so we headed out with a buddy for some bowling

I’d like to brag that after three games, I beat Music Man 2 outta 3
And he still smiled afterwards.

However, I won’t mention that our buddy won all three games by about 50 points every time.
So I’m not a pro-bowler.
But, once cosmic bowling started, I had the moves like Jagger.

Saturday surprised me with some great news (again, see next post) and it was a good morning of running.

I’ve been meeting with some of the ladies of my couch to 5k group on Saturday mornings for the third run.
I’m not an “official” coach or anything, but I’ve put together a fun group prepping some ladies for their first 5k, and can I say that I love coaching this? It’s definitely spurring me on to someday become a RRCA certified coach.
And hopefully, when I’m teaching, I want to coach cross country/track as well.
While I waited for the ladies, I tried out the new bike on the fitness trail we have at my park.
Don’t mind my crooked smile.
It’s my trademark.
Thank you braces.

This is where I run. I know. Be jealous.

Then, I had to go deal with some more sad news for the week.

My Running Buddy moved.
I saw how it really was though. She gets me to sign up for my first marathon with all this talk about training together, then her hubs gets a new job and they move right before our training officially starts.
It’s ok though. I got this.
Plus she’s only about 2.5 hours away so we hope to do a few training runs before the big race.

I chilled out the rest of the day since it was my “off day” and Music Man worked.
I’m glad somebody around here does something.
JJ’s just a lump. I’ve been working on him for weeks now. Nothing.

So, I finished Downton Abbey<< season 2 and now I’m lost.

I suppose I’ll have to stalk the website and watch every video clip they have.
Six months people! I have to wait six months!

Thanks to the good news though…(I’ll finish being cryptic soon) we celebrated.

Can I just say we’re the masters of cheap date night?
$12.99 worth of awesomeness and carb loading.

However, even though I recommend This is War because it’s hilarious, I will say right now I was not happy with the ending. I so thought she was going with the other guy.
Or maybe that was just me wanting to go with the other guy.

Just kidding Music Man. I like your tats better.

Sunday morning started beautifully.
I headed out with the running club for a good 6 mile run, then finished 1 more mile on my own for my long run this week

I’m getting the hang of this whole take-pictures-while-I’m-running-cause-I’m-a-stud thing.

Then.. oh goodness.. I started the Abs Challenge day 1<<

Yeah. I finished round 1 of 4 before I collapsed.
Could’ve been my weak core.
I’m blaming it on the 7 miler in 80 degree humidity.

Don’t worry though, I’m not caving.

I’m resting a bit and come this evening, I’ll be knocking out rounds 2-3-4.
This challenge got nothin’ on me.

Got a meeting about a 5k and then it’s off to obtain some glorious groceries.

Passing the Baton: How’s your weekend been? Anything fun? Exciting? What was your run like—perfect, tough, or hot-n-humid? Did you attempt Abs day 1 and fail like me? Any good cheap date ideas?
_____________
Seek peace. Choose Joy.

Oh my abs… where are you? 30 days and you’ll appear.

2012-06-30T17:30:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is July 1st

I’m finding it hard to believe that 2012 is half over.

One of my fitness bucket list goals for this year (I’ll post that list sometime. Probably tomorrow.) is to create a strong core. Sure, a 6 pack and flat abs would be nice… but I want a strong core.
My core is what holds me up when I run.
And since I’ll be running 26.2 in four months, I’m going to need some strength.

Plus, let’s face it. I’ve been telling myself for WEEKS to get going on my core work.
But I slack.
I love working my abs. I hate working my abs.
It’s a bittersweet relationship.

Hate often wins.

So, what better way to start the second half of this year than with another challenge? (Don’t worry… I’m still going strong on my own 25th year challenge.)
One that will definitely do me some good.

For July, Run to the Finish is hosting a 30 Day Abs Challenge<<

And I signed up for it.

The challenge is based on the Strong Like Susan 30 Day Challenge<< which I had never heard of until I signed up, but now I am extremely excited about it.
Amanda (from Run to the Finish) says that this challenge is super great because you can take it and do it anywhere (just need the internet).
Susan (the coach—meet her here<<) has a YouTube channel<< and all 30 days will be posted there.

Head over to RTTF<< to sign up, follow her Facebook page<< for tips and daily check-ins, and tweet #abchallenge to connect

Here’s what I’m working with people, no airbrushed Spartan 6-pack here.

Come July 31st, they’ll be calling me as an ab stand-in.

Passing the Baton: Have you done any challenges this year? Fitness or otherwise? Where do you stand with your core/abs? Always wanted that 6-pack? Love-hate relationship? Want to tackle this with me?

____________

Mail Call. And no, my grandmother is not a mail-order bride.

2012-06-30T16:37:00.001-05:00

I thought about doing a weekend update so far…but I think my Sunday may hold some more excitement, so I can’t spill all the beans today.

Until then… here’s a little teaser.

Envelope 1

These are my grandparents… 50 years ago on their wedding day.

How beautiful is this?!?!
One of my deepest heart wishes is to celebrate 50 years with Music Man.
If he doesn’t keel over first, I think we’ll make it. I’m stubborn.

Honestly though, my heart is giddy about this beautiful invitation. The end of July marks 50 years for my grandparents, and my mother and her siblings are putting on the ritz for them!
There might even be some pimp my buggy rides going on.

Some days it’s hard to think about what we’ll be doing next week, or where we’ll be next year, let alone the life Music Man and I will have in 50 years. But that’s such the fun of marriage.
Every day proves to be an adventure, but when we walk side-by-side with God at our center, those days seem endless.

My grandparents are such an inspiration to me (as are my own parents married 28 years this year!) and I know that this day will truly be such a celebration: of them, of love, of their life, and of their legacy.

You can bet I’ll be posting about it come the end of next month.

Envelope 2

Um… I think I may actually give this one a separate post.
I’ve got some ‘splaining to do

Passing the Baton: Am I the only weird one who gets super excited every time I unlock my mailbox? (I think this habit started in college…) Do you enjoy or dread the mail? Anything exciting this week? What magazine should I start subscribing too?
____________
Seek Peace. Choose Joy. Live Faith.