Happy Marathon Week!!

We had a fantastic fall weekend!! 

Sebastian's Football team won the County championship, we celebrated Jayden's 18th Birthday(wait...how old am I? GEEZ!!)...and we had a blast at a pumpkin carving party!!

Perfect family weekend!

Today is the Fall Festival here at church.  We usually see around 5000+ people on our campus.  We have free rides, food, candy, and just a great time watching the kids! Needless to say, today WILL NOT be a rest day for me.

Tomorrow I go see the ortho....ran 13miles yesterday and it did not feel good.

6 days until the marathon....still believing it will be good!!!

Will post more tomorrow! 

Today is the last day to enter my GIVEAWAY!!!!! Please go check it out!!!!

Grace and peace,

Just Run.

 

LOVE THIS!

I Get Knocked Down...but I Get Up Again...

You're Never Gonna Keep Me Down.....
My mantra the last few weeks.  
Last week, I actually followed the Dr's orders and rested. Well except for the 3 times I went to bootcamp....and the soccer game I played in on Saturday(parents vs. kids) so much fun!

the kids won..of course...4-8..

these were some FAST kids!!

....but other than that...I rested.

Monday I ran a quick 4 miles to test out my leg and it felt a little better. The swelling has gone down a little and the pain is not as sharp. I'm trusting in God's healing power and hopeful that this will not affect my race on Nov 5th.  I'm so hopeful that this will be a complete NON-ISSUE, that I registered for 2 more marathons!

Rocket City in Huntsville, AL-12/10/11

and 

Rock 'n Roll New Orleans!!
03/04/12

I think I'm hooked!!!

10 days until I run Savannah Georgia....people keep asking if I'm ready.  My answer...I guess.  When I signed up for this race I was prepared to do two things. Run and raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation.

I will be ready to run on November 5th.  And so far I have raised an amazing $595.00! Not quite my goal of $1000.00, but there is still time left.  If you haven't donated yet, please do.  I have a great giveaway/raffle HERE with awesome prizes for runners.  It only takes a minimum donation of $5 to enter!!  Please help support this amazing foundation.

Fetal syndromes affect 800,000 pregnancies per year in the US alone. This is four times the amount of cases per year as breast cancer.
We lose more than 200 babies a day to fetal distresses and syndromes.
With your donation, we can make a difference in bringing hope and changing lives.

Hope you are all having an amazing week!  What are you currently training for?

Grace and peace,

 

16 days and counting...

16 Days till I run Savannah Georgia with a goal to BQ.
 I finished my last long run before Savannah on Saturday.  A beautiful, yet painful 23 miles. Wrapping last weeks mileage up at 55.3 miles.  I was solo for this run, again.  And really didn't mind this time.  I took a route I have never taken before that took me out into some wide open country spaces.  It was early in the morning and was by far one of the most beautiful runs I have been on.  Not sure why I have never taken that route.  I tend to stay within the neighborhoods surrounding me, but the country roads are just as easily accessible.

The painful part is what has been disturbing me for the last week.
If you remember, about 4 weeks ago I ran a Warrior Dash.  In that race I took a spill and busted my shin open falling off a car in the "car graveyard".   Even after the gash healed up, the pain and swelling has never gone away. I figured it was probably just a really deep bruise and have continued to ice it after every run.  It is always sore until about mile 2 into a run, I figured it was something I could just run through and it really hasn't slowed me down.......until Saturday.
At about mile 8 it started to hurt. Not a cramping muscle kind of hurt, but a sharp pain with every strain kind of hurt.  Now I know you are probably thinking that this would have been a good time to stop running....but I didn't.  I thought that too.  Any reasonable person would cut the long run short and go get it checked out. 
Clearly I AM NOT A REASONABLE person.  I had my mind made up that I was not stopping. I was going to finish my last long run no matter how painful it was and just suck it up.  My pace dropped from averaging 8:30 per mile to averaging around 9:30-9:45....
I finished and almost as soon as I stopped my muscles in my shin seized up and made it impossible to bear any weight at all on my left leg.  I spent the rest of the day with my leg elevated, compression socks on, and a bag of ice.

By Monday I was able to walk but with pain.  So I went to the Dr.  I realized that explaining to a person who doesn't run...and maybe even to some runners, why I didn't just stop...makes me sound crazy/neurotic/nutso....

The Dr. took some x-rays and I have a bone chip, which they really don't do anything for. But he thinks that some of the muscle was also torn from the bone. Which, is what a shin splint is....and because I haven't rested it at all it has just gotten increasingly worse. Doc told me to rest for a full week, so I agreed to rest for 48hours.  I will go back tomorrow and he will see about getting an MRI just to rule out a stress fracture.
I am so frustrated.  I haven't run in three days.  I feel like I am so close to a BQ and I may have sabotaged myself because of my neurosis!  I have pictured in my mind how tomorrow's Dr appointment will go....the Dr. will tell me that everything is fine and to keep running and that resting 3 days was plenty. Though the pain in my shin is telling me a different story.  I'm hoping that they do an MRI so we can rule out a stress fracture and I can continue to run and not worry about a bigger injury.
Rock 'n Roll Savannah is 16 days away......I am praying for a fast recovery and fast legs.....

Eat, Sleep, Over-train?

Less than 4 weeks from the day that I'm supposed to run the marathon that will qualify me for the Boston Marathon I am having the most horrible training runs I have ever experienced.  Having one bad training run is to be expected every now and then....but 3 in a row?
Here is what I have come up with to explain why:

Diet? Could be, I have eaten pretty clean the last 6 months and then this past month with J working so much it has been a struggle to prepare my meals ahead. Which means I'm not eating enough and when I do, it's not the best food choices. I'm running an average of 30-40 miles a week + fitness bootcamp 3x a week...I NEED to consume enough calories to fuel my body.

Sleep? I have been dealing with some issues lately that have been weighing heavily on my mind and heart.  I have always been a great sleeper. Never tossed and turned, but the last few weeks sleep has NOT been my friend. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."~1 Peter 5:7
I know this verse well and just need to apply it right? Sometimes easier said than done...but then I wouldn't need faith if everything was easy.

Overtraining? This is the option I like the least! Is it possible..YES.  Will I cut back on my training only 4 weeks out? NO.  Smart? I'm not sure...I've never been this close to my goal of a BQ....This week my total mileage should be 60 miles by Sunday......my concern= cutting back now could cost me in the end.

My plan in action:
Last night I took the time to plan my meals and snacks for the week.  Then, I went to bed.  WAY earlier than normal.  I left the laundry piled up, the dirty dishes in the sink, and went to bed when the kids did at 8:30pm. Because I am Type-A with a dash of OCD you have to know that I NEVER have dirty dishes in my sink....EVER.  But I woke up this morning and the funniest thing happened.....the world was still spinning!!! It didn't stop just because I went to bed early and left the house a mess.....
I realize that the pressure I feel to "keep up" is all self inflicted...no one is putting that pressure on me...except ME.
So, my goal for the next 4 weeks is to ease the pressure to "keep up" a little...get more sleep and eat better.....

as far as "over-training"....would love to hear your thoughts on that...

*Please don't forget to check out my Giveaway/Raffle HERE..you could win some awesome running swag!!


Grace and peace,

Who wants a Road ID??

In case you haven't been by my blog recently, I am having a giveaway/raffle to raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation.
For a minimum donation of $5.00 you can be entered to win some really great prizes from Running Chics, NUUN, Allied Medal Displays, Balancing Act Clothing, Iron Girl...and today, I am adding one more prize to the package!

 Road ID

If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just an active person, Road ID is for you. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will. It's not just a piece of gear - it's peace of mind. 

 The winner will have their choice of either

the Wrist ID Sport:

OR

the Wrist ID Slim:

So how do you enter?

All you have to do is make a minimum donation of $5 to the Fetal Hope Foundation

  Go HERE

or click on the link on my blog sidebar to find our how...

Thank you for all of your support!

Grace and peace,

Oh the paces you'll go...

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

~Dr. Seuss

First of all...if you haven't already, please check out my "runners" giveaway HERE 

Saturday I ran the Rebuilding Together 5k.  It's a flat, fast, course. Last year I set a PR with a 24:10.  This year I expected another PR...and I did.  I ran a 23:55..avg pace 7:41.  So why was I disappointed?  This year my training is twice what it was last year. I could have and should have(according to my training) run it in under 23mins.  So why didn't I?  A few factors.
I am not that great at internally gauging my pace.  I started out pretty fast and felt good...so I slowed down.  I was afraid if I went out too fast I wouldn't have anything left at the end.  I was wrong. Too much self doubt!
I finished and felt like I still had a good bit left. I have decided to run another 5k in two weeks. The Liz Hurley Ribbon Run 5k.  This time I have a friend, a Fleet Feet Racer, who offered to pace me to a PR. My goal is a sub 23.

Last night my training schedule called for 6miles w/6 strides.  

Mile 1:  8:12

Mile 2: 7:51

Mile 3: 8:20

Mile 4: 8:10

Mile 5: 8:12

Mile 6: 7:56

Most of my training for this marathon has been solo.  There have been times where I feel like I'm just not pushing myself hard enough.  Or that I was too ambitious thinking I could ever qualify for Boston. Last night, before my run I considered calling it a rest day.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I was tired..the kids have all been sick....it was cold outside.  I had come up with every excuse I could think of to NOT run.  In fact, by 5pm I was already in my pajamas and ready to have an "I can't do this" pity party.
And then....
I got mad.  I got mad at myself for letting doubt creep in.  For letting a "feeling" get the best of me. I got mad enough that I put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.
I had to remind myself that my goal to BQ is not just a "feeling". I won't always "feel" like running or stretching or eating right. But every time I choose to push through...every good choice I make gets me one step closer to my goal and makes me that much stronger.


God reminded me during my run last night:
This is also how faith works. Faith is NOT a feeling. I don't always "feel" God around me.  I can't always see Him moving and working in my life. But I KNOW that God is here always working and moving on my behalf.  There are times when I "feel" like I have come against a wall or that the devil is testing me; those are the times when I KNOW that if I push through...if I don't let my feelings and circumstances dictated to me what to do..the blessings are always on the other side...and I will always come out stronger.

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

~Dr. Seuss 

Grace and Peace,

Please check out my giveaway HERE