3 Things Thursday: New

these are KICKIN'!

1. I got new running kicks!! I was wearing Asics and needed something lighter.  I felt like a Clydesdale when I ran.  So I took a trip to Fleet Feet and they put me in a Nike Lunar Eclipse.  I have never, ever run in a Nike shoe but I LOVE them!!  Much lighter than my Asics.

2. A new school year starts Monday. A bittersweet end to the summer.  I always feel like I our summer is crammed with activities. Trying to get as much quality time in with the boys before they go back to school...and once again I feel like it is never enough time... Summer break is NEVER long enough.  I miss my boys when they go back to school.

they grow so fast! this was 09'

3.I signed up today for a 5k! I haven't run a 5k all year. Not sure how that is possible.  I have run an 8k, 10k, and a couple half marathons but somehow have not run a 5k.  So the Brook Hill 5k is this Saturday and I'm really looking forward to see if I can score a PR.  Right now my PR is 24:10 and I would love to get a sub 24:00.  Will update you on Monday!

Do you have a race this weekend?

Grace and peace,

3 Things and a giveaway winner!!

First off, I want to thank all of you (all 12 entries...what the heck) who entered the giveaway for the awesome Auria earphones!  And the winner is:

Rene' from the amherst shuffle

 Congratulations Rene'!!

Email me your mailing address and I will have them sent out asap! You are going to L.O.V.E. them!!

Thanks again to Auria for allowing me to try out their awesome product!

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3 Things

"Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours."
- Les Brown

1.The Rock n Roll Savannah marathon is 15 weeks away. This is full marathon #2 for me. I'm feeling pretty good about my training so far....It's only been 2 weeks. But still.   We have a group of about 20 running. Half of the group that is running came out of the Fleet Feet No Boundaries class I help coach.  I could not be more proud.  When No Boundaries ended, they formed their own little running group and are training for the half together! That is what it is all about folks!! Spreading the love! The love of running. Encouraging each other. Building each other up. And helping others reach their goals.

2. Ultra Fuel: 

How do you carb up before a long run?  I have been experimenting with my pre long run nutrition and I think I found a little gem.....Ultra Fuel by Twin Labs is a powder that you mix in with 16ounces of water and take one to two days before a scheduled long run. For me, cowing down on pastas and breads, and whatever else I can shove into my mouth...just wasn't working.  I would feel heavy and lethargic half way through my long runs.  I tried this the day before my long run last Saturday along with my normal diet and felt better on my long run than I ever have! Seriously, twin labs isn't paying me to say this(though they could in the form of product...hint hint twin labs) ;)  I didn't feel heavy and even when I finished I felt I could keep going and I didn't fall into that post long run haze.

This is what Twin Labs says about Ultra Fuel:

The superior carbohydrate profile contains an advanced blend of 100 grams of high quality carbohydrates in the form of glucose polymers (the ultimate complex carb), plus important carbohydrate and energy metabolizers. Clinical studies show that a balanced ratio of complex and simple carbohydrates, like those found in Ultra Fuel, provides energy and enhances recovery, enabling participants to perform longer and produce greater output.

Now, I got the fruit punch flavor and I will admit I wanted to vomit....it literally tastes like crap.  However, I will eat anything....and I mean anything if I know it's going to benefit me.  I always wanted to do that Fear Factor show where they eat crazy bugs for a million dollars....I could totally do that!  Anyway, maybe next time I'll try the orange flavor but I have a feeling it won't be much different.

I was a little concerned about the calories, it's 400 calories per serving 4 scoops= 1 serving, but I figured it still beats shoveling spaghetti or lasagna into my mouth in the name of "carbo loading".

If you haven't tried it, I recommend it!

3. My kids say some of the craziest things!!  A couple days ago I had a conversation with my 3 year old that went like this:

Maddox: mom do pigs have boobs?

me: yah, I guess they do....mommy pigs have boobs. 

long pause .....

Maddox: momma do you have pig boobs?

WHAT!?

Me: ummm well, I  don't think so, I mean I didn't used to....

Seriously!?

this is probably an accurate description of what I looked like when the boys were little

My life would be so boring with out my boys!

I have something very special to share with you next time.  I will be running for a charity that is very near and dear to my heart....I'll share the details with you soon!

Thanks for stopping by today!!! Leave a comment and let me know what your thoughts are!

Happy Thursday!!

Grace and peace,

Love it , love it , love it!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

I love Valentine's Day...even though it's not an "official" holiday.  It's a good excuse to tell all the special people in my life how much I love them.

A little Valentine's breakfast for my little loves...

Friday night J and I went to the Valentine Ball for our church.  It was a semi-formal with a banquet meal and a 3-piece jazz band and dancing...unfortunately 20mins into the evening our babysitter called to say LP had thrown up all over...ick....

So we left, but not before getting a couple pics...proof that I wear more than running clothes and jeans.

J promised to take me out this weekend so I can wear that dress again...totally gave me a J-Lo booty!!!

♥♥♥♥♥ I love♥♥♥♥♥

J and the kids...

early morning summertime runs 

the smell of clean sheets

Al Green

the last mile of a long run

Philippians 4:13

the smell of a baby

In running news....

I have been asked to be on a 4 person relay team for the Delano 12hr run in March.  Talk about pressure.  Like it's not bad enough when I'm running solo, now I have 3 teammates that are counting on me.  I'm excited to be running with this team though.  One of the guys, Jon, holds the record for the fastest mile in the 40-44yr AG in Alabama.  It was something like 4 mins....totally obscene!  So I have been stepping up my speed work.  I really can't even begin to compete on his level, but I want to be able to run consistent 8:00-8:15min miles.

The Fleet Feet No Boundaries 5k program starts in March and I'm going to be coaching again.  It is such an inspiration to see people go through this program and make life changes.

Planning on an 8 miler this evening.  The weather has been perfect lately.  65 degrees today!
Goal for the week: 40 miles 

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Hope you all have a day filled with love, chocolate, and the ones you love!


Grace and peace,

Do runners really age?

August has been my biggest mileage month since I started running over 2 yrs ago.  I topped it out with 106.5 miles.  I am amazed at my body....let me rephrase that...I am amazed at how well my body has held up.

     Last night, I had a conversation with a runners in the Fleet Feet No Boundaries running program I help coach.  She is in her late 50's and she asked me at what age she should stop running....It was the oddest question...she said she was worried that at a certain point running might become more difficult in her age or even harmful to her body.  She said she has noticed that she is running slower lately and thought it must be a sign of her body aging.  I had to think about it for a while. 
I have been at many starting lines shoulder to shoulder with men and women well into their 70's, 80's, and even 90's!  My thoughts have always been "that is going to be me someday."  I have never given thought to the fact that it is inevitable that I will eventually "slow" down.  There will come a day when my body will fight speed.  That does not mean that I can no longer run, it means that I will have to redefine what running is to me.

I told her that if she wanted to run than she needed to continue running. She is healthy and able bodied.  If she has a heart to run than age should not dictate to her whether or not she is a runner. 
I found these essays by a man named Dr. George Sheehan they are worth reading. He wrote for Runner's World and his essays are very inspirational to all runners.
 

"The race, however slow my times, remains an ever-changing learning experience. Whenever I race, I learn something new about myself and those who race with me. I will never be 32 years-old again, but it no longer matters, because I've learned that winning doesn't matter, it's running that counts. And when I push to the limit, I am a boy again-an untried youth listening to the wisdom of my body."

~Dr.George Sheehan 

I am thankful for my body that God created.  I am thankful for the ability I have; God's ability in me.

Grace and peace,

 

Turf Toe....What??

I know you have been awaiting the results from my appt with the podiatrist.  The official diagnosis was that I have "Turf Toe". 

So, what is "turf toe"? 

Turf toe is a condition of pain at the base of the big toe, located at the ball of the foot. The condition is usually caused from either jamming the toe, or pushing off repeatedly when running or jumping. The most common complaint is pain at the base of the toe, but you may also have symptoms of stiffness and swelling.  My symptoms were pain in the ball of my foot and burning sensation in my big toe.

What is the treatment?

Treatment of turf toe consists of controlling the inflammation of the joint capsule. The most important aspect of treatment is to rest the sore toe to allow the inflammation to subside and the joint capsule to heal. In addition to resting the toe, inflammation can be controlled by icing the area, and elevating the foot, and anti-inflammatory meds.
Athletes diagnosed with turf toe should avoid their sport at least three weeks (not going to happen)to allow the joint capsule to heal. Without doing so, the injury can progress, and can lead to an even longer recuperation. It is not uncommon for athletes to try to come back too soon, or to try to play through the injury. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a more chronic injury, and ultimately a longer recovery.

Ok, so my Dr. offered to give me a steroid shot in the ball of my foot. Um, NO Thank you... so he wrote me a prescription for oral steroids and told me to take it easy.  Really?  Take it easy?  I have a Half Marathon that is begging to be run sub-2hrs in exactly 11 days.  I promised I would take it easy after April 24th, and I will. Relatively. 

Anyone else ever have "Turf Toe"?  I would like to know what kind of recovery time I'm looking at.
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
I finally got new shoes!  I went over to Fleet Feet on Friday.  I've been wearing Mizuno's for the last 6 months and really like them, so I decided to stay with Mizuno.  After measuring my feet the guy suggested I go up a half size to a 9.5.  I've never had any problems with my size 9's, but I figured he knew better than me, so I agreed. 
I ended up getting the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 6

I tried them out yesterday for the first time and was a little disappointed.  I think I need to go back down to a size 9.  After my run I had blisters on both big toes.  I've NEVER had blisters on my toes before or any pain on my toenails.  I'm thinking that my toes have too much room to move around.  I ran a total of 11 miles in them yesterday and tried another 6.25 miles this morning.  Tomorrow I will be making another trip to Fleet Feet. Thankfully Fleet Feet will exchange your running shoes even after you run in them.
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Last, week because of allergies and congestion I only ran a total of 12 miles and I totally wussed out of the 5k on Sunday......I also consumed the rest of the Easter candy.  On a positive note, there is no more candy in the house.LOL!

Hope you are all having a great week!  

If you're new to my blog, welcome! If you're not new, thanks for stopping by!  I love reading your comments and feedback!
Grace and peace,

"I Can" in an "I Can't" world

"A Can-Do mentality seeks to achieve the end goal in any way possible. A Can't-Do Mentality looks for excuses and smokescreens to block any movement forward because, well, change can be unsettling."

-Some guy named Nick;)

Monday night was the kick-off meeting for the No Boundaries running program at Fleet Feet.  I was so excited because I really feel that this is an awesome program for beginning runners.  I wish I would have known about it when I started running. 

9 of my friends signed up for the program.  My prayer for them has been that God will ignite in them the same love and passion for running that He ignited in me.  Just signing up was a huge step for many of them and I didn't realize until the meeting how intimidated some of them are by the thought of running a 5k or even 1 mile.
What I was really unprepared for was the amount of grumbling and complaining I heard from the participants. It really frustrated me.  One of my friends made a comment that she was suckered into it. She tried to pass it off as a joke, but her face and body language could not hide the fear she was feeling.
Suckered into it?! I actually question myself for a moment. Did I push my friends too hard to participate?  Maybe I want this for them more than they want this for themselves? Trying to be as pleasant as possible I told them that their attitude would determine whether or not they were a success in this program or a failure.

I have always been a "go-getter", so sometimes it's hard for me to understand and empathize with an "I can't" attitude.  There are people on a waiting list for this program who want to make a lifestyle change.  They are ready to play an active role in their life and here are people who have that opportunity and they are grumbling because they might have to get up early one Saturday morning for a training run!

I believe that these people will succeed but they may need a lot more encouragement and prodding than I had initially thought.  They may never love running, but by gosh, they will have the tools they need when I get done with them to succeed at it if they want to.

All week I have really been thinking a lot about how our attitude and words affect our lives.
Your attitude and your words are going to make a HUGE impact on whether you succeed or whether you fail.  Your words are so powerful. The Bible even says "Words kill; words give life; they are either poison or fruit-you choose" Proverbs 18:21
You can kill a dream or a goal with your negative words or you can give life to those dreams and goals with your positive words.

I have always been athletic, so when I started running it was daunting, but I had a confidence that I could do it.  Sometimes I might be a little over confident and try to take on more than I can chew.  My God tells me that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."Phil 4:13, I take that literally.  Even when I feel like I might be drowning in my circumstances I choose to speak words of life.  I believe that our words frame our lives.  I want the frame of my life to be positive. We have all been around people who are negative all the time. What do their words say? "I can't do it, it's too hard, nothing will ever change." They focus on what they can't do, on all the bad things that are happening around them. And nothing ever changes.



Our first training run is this Monday night.  I am going to be armed with a positive attitude and full of encouraging words and compassion for all of the new runners.  Each one of these people had a specific reason why they signed up; whether it was weight loss, to be more active, to look better in a pair of jeans, or to be more social.  I want to help them focus on that so that they can be successful in meeting their goal. I want to help transform their thinking from "I can't" to "I can"!""!


Have you ever had an "I can't" moment?  How did you turn it into an "I can" victory?


If you're new to my blog, welcome! If you're not new, thanks for stopping by!  I love reading your comments and feedback!

Grace and peace,

 

3 Things Thursday

Ok, this is kind of on the fly because it is the end of the month and I am SWAMPED at work...

1. Tomorrow night is my first coaches meeting for the Fleet Feet- No Boundaries running group.  I am helping coach with some pretty amazing runners.  I can't wait to spend the evening picking their brains!!

2. A few weeks ago I saw the podiatrist to get fit for inserts for my running shoes.  I seriously overpronate when I run and it was causing me problems. You can read about it HERE.
They called today to say that I could come pick them up tomorrow. I'm interested to see how they feel on my long run Saturday. 

3. If you read my blog last week, I bought a brand new Running Skirt on Ebay for $11.00! I got it in the mail yesterday and it is a perfect fit!! I can't wait for it to warm up again so I can try it out!
I have the "On Your Mark" 5k next Saturday and I was hoping to wear it for that. I am praying for sunshine and warm temps!  The 5k will also be the first race my friend Angie has ever run. I'm so excited for her!

I'm out until next Monday! Hubby is working all weekend and I doubt I will have time to pee much less post.... So, I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed, weekend, full of love and lots of sunshine!!

If your new to my blog, welcome! If your not new, thanks for stopping by!
I love reading your comments and feedback!

Ecclesiastes 4:10

If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! 

* Today I'm thankful for my friends and all of you who offer inspiration and encouragement!

Grace and peace, 

 

I Remember...

Registration for the Fleet Feet, No Boundaries Running program closed today.
I handed out forms to all my friends, neighbors, and all the people that I have been begging to come running with me but always declined.  I expected maybe two to commit.  Last night, I had 9 people turn in their registration!! There are 50 spots available and the other 8 coaches recruited the other 41.  I am so proud!  Some of my friends that registered I had all but given up on as far as running was concerned.  Some of them have never done any type of physical exercise and some have just been too intimidated to run on their own.
My friend's hubby even asked me "am I going to be the biggest one out there?"

That question made me think about how intimidated I had felt before I started running. 
I remember all the fears and insecurities I had.  Running just seemed  so much bigger than me.
I also remember my first runner's high and the euphoric feeling of my body in unity. 
I remember my first 5k and feeling of accomplishment.
I remember the pride I felt when I took first place in age group and how I thought I would never be there.
I am excited to be able to experience this with my friends.  I am excited to share in their joy and their journey.
More than anything I am honored to introduce them to my good friend...running.

What do you remember about your first run?


Grace and peace,

This scripture helped me overcome my fears:
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear but one of power,love, and self-discipline."
2 Timothy 1:7

No Boundaries

 I was asked last week if I would help coach a beginners running program sponsored by Fleet Feet called No Boundaries.  It is a program designed to get people from the couch to 5k ready in 10weeks.

My initial reaction was total shock and disbelief. I wondered if maybe they had mistaken me for someone else. Sometimes I feel like I'm a beginner myself!  Once the initial shock wore off I was so honored that they would think of me.  I met Traci and her husband last August at a midnight 5k  and I have seen them at several races since then.  I had no idea I had made any kind of impression on them.  It feels good to have someone notice your hard work and dedication and want you to share it with others! I told them I would think and pray about it and get back to them.  I talked it over with hubby and he thought it was a fantastic idea and agreed to watch the kids on the nights he is home.  So I told them YES!

I started thinking about my goals for 2010 and I believe that God is revealing His plan to me little by little.  I know that part of my purpose is to encourage and lift up others in health and fitness, more and more lately I have had the opportunities to do that.

I'm super excited and nervous. I have already signed up 4 friends that I have been begging to run with me!  What an excellent journey I am on! I am very thankful for this opportunity and I am thankful to have the chance to see others change their life through running!!

My favorite quote:
"Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.." ~Les Brown 

 Grace and peace,