I have found that I prefer running in the mornings. I also love it when it is about 39 to 43 degrees. That is like perfect conditions for me. I don't have to bundle up and as I run I get plenty warm - not too hot or too cold! And I really enjoy running in winter better than in summer..if you knew how cold natured I am all of that sounds crazy coming from me! Running changes us. Our metabolism speeds up and we have to eat differently so maintain proper energy levels. I know there are differing schools of thought out there on the pasta meal the night before a big run; but I have found that it does work well for me. If I don't charge up I run out of steam real fast. It's not as much what I eat for breakfast I think, but what I eat the day before that charges or drains my strength for the run. This is true for our inner man as well. It's not so much my 10 or 15 minute morning devotion that gives me the strength to run today's race, although it does help. It's th...

I know I should be packing boxes and moving them over to the new apartment. But I only have two hours to work with when the aid is here with my son. So what will I do? Run first! I must admit this is a very busy week with moving and all and it's been difficult to figure out how to balance it all out. I can pack other times but I can only run for this little two hour slot. I will run and then do errands! My first half marathon is only a little over a month away. I know I am not under too much pressure since I consider it training for the big one in September...but I put a lot of pressure on myself to do the best I can...it's only fair. I pretty much only have three days to work with this week so I will call this an easy week and hit it hard once again next week. My goal for this week is to just log some miles and keep my muscles up. Then next week I want to run over the 10 mile mark. I really feel like planning is the key to success. I have to plan for lots of things. One...

I have so much to do this week and it's going to be difficult to get it all in. I am moving! Yeah! But that means exploring new routes too. I have to play a lot on runner's world maps to figure out new routes for next week. Today I sign my lease. See, I am a cargiver too so I only have 2 hours M-F to get my run in. That's why I am doing the half instead of the full marathon. I can't train in the one 3 hour spot I have on Fridays. Anyway - I realized with moving and packing this week that I pretty much can rearrange my whole life around my run! I use the two hours for running and then whatever time is left I do my errands! lol! I saw my nephew's finisher medal for the Austin half that he and his dad did a few weeks back. And that fuels the fire even more! I will try to run three days of 6 miles this week to get close to my 20 mile a week mark. Then next week I'll be back on with a 10 miler. But I am shooting for a full 13 by next week! I can't believe I...

When I first starting running I thought you just put your shoes on and started running and that was all there was to it. It was all physical in my thinking at the time. I soon learned how to plan my own successes by scheduling my training although I did not call it training then. When a fellow runner talked me into signing up for my first race I was so nervous. But as I trained for it I realized that to be mentally confident going to that first 5K I would have to run at least as long as 3.1 miles before   the race. That way I could keep telling myself you've already run this before. And that is how I started learning about the mental part of running. Earlier this month when I did my first 10K I had to do that distance before the race so that I could talk myself through it. Yesterday I found myself doing the same thing on my second trip through my 10 mile route. I found it a lot easier and of course much of that is the physical conditioning. But mentally I knew as I was runni...

It really is easy to get distracted. Maybe it's just how overwhelmingly huge my goals seem from where I am living right now! I was so excited to sign up for the Chicago half that I forgot it requires a lot more training as they implement time constraints. I will have to improve my time at least just a little! And that was great the other day...but now I have to get out and run another 10-miler! I took two days off because of a slight muscle strain. So that makes it easy for me to want to scale back a little. However, I have to build at least 3 more miles and the OKC half marathon is only a month away! The last week has to be tapered off so that you are running on fresh legs. (not that my legs could ever be really fresh !) And now the blister healed...but I have an ingrown toenail.. perhaps I should scale back for this week....and... Do you see where I am going with this? There is always a reason to drop off training, to scale back or to lighten up. But it takes discipline to...

Yeah, I know it's crazy but it actually helped me mentally! Now I can look at the OKC half marathon as simply part of training for "the big one"! It totally changed my mental attitude about training. The OKC half is May 1; that's the one I am training for now. I've felt like I was under a lot of pressure but then last night when my friend and I signed up for Chicago the OKC half just became another part of the whole and it all fell into perspective! It's so funny how breaking things up into smaller pieces can help us sort through and win mentally. I wonder if there's a way to do that with nearly everything? Maybe some of the lack of progress that we see in ourselves spiritually is because we make little pieces the whole sometimes. (yeah, I know I am still on that one!) You know - we take one verse out of the Bible and make it our entire doctrine or theology and it was just one thought. But of course we always pick only the comfortable ones. For instanc...

Ever been there? I am in a time crunch right now. I just realized that the half marathon is a little over a month away. I need to run the distance at least once for my own mental health! It's part of my strategy. That way race day I can tell myself It's okay - you've done this before! But now I am crunched... I am still sore from my 10 mile which means I am afraid I'm gonna hurt myself if I push on; but equally afraid I won't get my long run in this week and then I'll never be able to work up to the needed distance! ugh! Then I have the 5K next week - which takes a totally different mind set...then only 4 weeks to race day and usually you are supposed to be tapering off just before the race! ...it's crunch time!! So how do I battle on? I sign up for the Chicago half marathon!! That means this half is only part of my training for the big one! lol! I can then see it all as one big race season rather then simply training for the half. It makes it easier to...

Today is a short run day. The only thing that is sore from my 10 miler is my thighs. But since they are a little bit sore still I will just be doing a let's loosen up   run today. I hate days like this. I want to work on speed work for the 5K next week. But I have to stay on track for the half marathon as it is my goal. It's funny to me that I can dread the easy days more than the more difficult days. It's like there doesn't seem to be a challenge. Just run 2 or 3 miles easy to log the miles and loosen it all up. However, even though it seems trite it is still a small goal on the way to the big one! If I overdo it today I may get off course for the rest of the week and not be able to stay on track for the larger goal - the half marathon. Sometimes doing the easy things takes more discipline than the harder things. But it's all part of the process. Taking time to read and apply ourselves to Bible study seems like one of the easy things to me. But as we disciplin...

Actually, I wasn't as sore as I thought I might be after a 10 miler. Honestly, I can say I am not looking forward to a repeat this week. That's funny to me. I was elated when I finally drug myself across the end of the trail mark. But it was more work than fun!  I think this week I'll put something really different on my ipod to listen to and maybe that will distract me! Plus it should be easier now that I finally did it! I never dreamed how much running would require of my mind. I really thought about it as a body activity only! But it has required a lot more than physical stamina. I have to talk to myself a lot when reaching for new goals. I am wired kinda funny. When I am presented with something new or challenging I have a way of talking myself through it. I always think of the best case scenario. Then I contemplate what would be the absolute worst case scenario. Then mentally I can deal with whatever comes of the situation because generally it falls in between th...

I did it! I made my first 10 miler... and I'm still breathing. Oh it wasn't a pretty run; and it certainly wasn't very fast, but it is done! Yeah, me! I so wanted to give up along the way. I think everything I have was hurting by the time I got to mile 7. I was looking for short cuts, but encouraged myself to stay on the charted course for the entore distance. But I did have tons of crazy thoughts along the way... Whose idea was this? Are you trying to prove something? I don't think I'm built for long distance running ugh! my feet hurt all the way up to my head when I get to Boyd street, i could cut straight up and be home faster... there goes the hip i wonder if i can bathe in ibuprofen how does your thumb hurt when you're running And the list went on and on... But then I got just past mile 7. Well, I just did 8 miles last week so I knew I could get that far. When I plotted my route to make sure it was indeed 10 miles I noted several distance spots....

My sister and her son were at the first 5K I ever ran. My nephew kind of caught the bug from me and said he wanted to run the next one. So we found one in the area and the next month they came down and we ran our first race together. Last November we ran our 4th race together and both placed in our age divisions. He posts on my facebook wall that his school is hosting a 5K for a fundraiser and he wanted to know if I would like to run it with him. I was elated! I am always game for a race! As I started making mental arrangements around that date I realized I am not prepared to run a 5K because I've been training for the half marathon. Today I will run my first ever 10 miles (hopefully!) and the distance isn't the problem. I haven't been working on speed at all. I've been working on endurance and distance to get ready for the half.When I was training only for the 5K I added distance mostly for endurance and worked on speed in between. I got a little nervous at the tho...

We all started running for different reasons. I really started because I wanted an inexpensive way to stay in shape. But I soon found out that it worked well when I needed to run away from the pain of my situation. It was (and still is) a great way to get all the tension released out of my body! Seriously, I had no idea how much it would help when dealing with the stresses of everyday life of caregiving. But lately I think it's changed and I am more running to something rather than away. After deciding to go for the half something in me changed. I had already figured I was really a runner since I'd completed several races and arranged my free time around running! And yes I hang out my running clothes hoping they will be suitable for one more day of running! And I am elated to get a T shirt and a number along with a bagel for just about 20 bucks! So I must be a runner already! lol! Training for a bigger race has changed my whole perspective on why I run. I am no longer ru...

Emotional eating used to never be in my vocabulary. But during the stress of the last 2.5 years I have found it a terrible habit. I keep healthy stuff in the house so I am not always overeating on junk foods, but I munch a lot of the time and have to bring it under control. It's not today's meals that effect today's run...it's what we ate yesterday. If I did not eat enough of the right foods yesterday, I won't have the fuel for the run today! That is a profound truth in many areas of our lives. Our habits today will dictate our tomorrows. This is why we must become disciplined even when it seems unproductive. I have to keep my mind on positive thoughts and those which encourage active living and proper care of this body. Spiritually, what I eat today will effect tomorrow's journey as well. If I have not cultivated daily devotions, or Bible study into my life then when the storms of life come (and trust me - they will!) - I won't have anything to pull u...

You just can't run hard every single day. There's too much chance of injury if you push it with all you have every single day. I have a minimum I want to achieve each day, daily goals. Then I try to do the very best I can that day, but I know I cannot run full out every single day. (especially at my age! lol!) So each day as I concentrate my effort on various areas I do what I can to the best of my ability that day. Some days I will work on speed, some days I concentrate on distance and of course there are days that I just try to log some miles! Presently my training is working on distance. I am also trying to slowly raise my base speed, but my  main focus is on building distance. I think this is a life skill we can all work on. I run each day the best I can for that day and I should also live each day the best I can. We never know what a day will bring but it's up to us to stay on course and handle it the very best we know how. Our Christian lives are no different. E...

This is one of those days that I really don't want to get out and run. I know - I love running but today I don't want to. It's been a long weekend with very little sleep. My whole body is hurting and aching - I guess it's the cold weather. Oh I will run though! I have a goal in mind and it is only getting closer and cannot be changed to accommodate my weakness! May 1 is coming whether or not I am ready.So I will run - towards my goal. That is my running motivation for the day. I plan on doing an easy loosen me up type of run today. I have to preserve my knee for the 10 miler I am planning later in the week. Plus I want to run at least 4 days and I do not like disappointing myself! I also didn't run over the weekend and I don't like to go more than 2 days in between runs. I'll run! I am so glad that God did not give up on us before He reached His goal. Jesus came and completed the work the Father gave Him to do. I am sure He faced exhaustion, dealt wi...

You know me by now, I gotta set those weekly goals! Last week I accomplished running 4 days (working toward 5 a week), an 8 mile run, and just over 18 for the week. That's not too bad for an old lady I think! This week I want to hit a 10 mile run, run 4 days and get over that 20 miles for the week mark. That will keep me on track with my half-marathon training...and it will just feel good if I accomplish it! Sometimes it is more difficult to set spritual goals. Not so much setting them, but maybe measuring them. I can pray "longer" but is that always "better" or does longer accomplish "more" spirtually? I can read my Bible more, but whose to say that I get more out of it? Perhaps it is better for me to read one small passage and meditate on it until it becomes a part of me...so how do we set these hard to measure goals? Maybe David gives us a hint in Psalm 57:7. The old KJV says My heart is fixed, O Lord, my heart is fixed. There is a determinat...

It was supposed to be a run to simply loosen up a little bit. Since I ran my 8 miles the day before I figured I would just run a couple of miles to work out the stiffness. That's what I told myself when I headed out anyway. But it all changed at the end of the first mile. I was feeling good and turned right instead of turning around! I made sure to stay on a route where I could easily turn around to head back on any of the cross streets should me knee begin to complain. But it didn't, and I kept going. It was a slow just-because-I'm-enjoying-it run! I ended up going about 4 miles by the time I got back to the apartment. My knee did fine until I was about a block out! It was actually perfect because I did as much as I could without damaging anything. sometimes we don't know how much we can do until we push a little bit. My trouble in the past was when motivated by fear or anger I would push too hard and hurt myself. But I am learning from running that I want to do al...

I finally crossed the 8 mile mark yesterday!! It had been very elusive and it seemed like I would never get there! No I just have to get to 10 miles, but I should do that next week I hope. I didn't do it pain free though as my knee started acting up after 6.5 miles. I had to walk some of it and I hate (really HATE) that!! But better to walk and meet the goal than to fall short. And even with walking I had at least a decent "slow" time. My 2.5 hours for the half I think is a realistic goal at this time. There's nothing like reaching a goal. It's celebratory even when it is only a smaller goal on the way to the bigger one! There's nothing like reaching a goal to spur you on to the next one. It's like getting an energy going somewhere down inside. A confidence seems to rise - like I am very eager now to reach the 10 mile goal. I have never run more than 8 miles in my life so I cannot wait until my long run next week..it will be a new accomplishment for me...

Today my goal is to run 8 miles. I am really slow and I only have two hours to do it in. The aid sits with my son and that is as long as she is here for so I have to be back before she is supposed to leave. I know it should be okay time wise. I ran 6 miles in a little over an hour so I should be able to safely tack on a couple more miles and make it just fine. I planned my route with a couple of shortcuts though. I specifically chose to leave one way so I could come in the other. Because coming in from the south I can jog back up this way on any of the roads and cut it short should time or strength run short. Yeah, i set my goal for the day but I also allowed for the just in cases. How many times do we do that in life? Sometimes it might be wisdom - setting us up for success. Other times it lends itself to failure. Specifically if we are obeying what we feel God has told us. Those are the times we set up plenty of short cuts - plenty of outs "just in case." Today my praye...

I finally decided not to run, and I have lots of reasons (excuses)! My body is crying out for a break. I have been pushing it rather hard of late. My joints are all yelling at me and my back and muscles are telling me all about the over use. Joints scream about the weather changes and the cold... so I gave myself today off. But only with the stipulation that I will run 8 miles on Friday. It's gnawing at me that I'm not running today. I can't hardly stand it but I cannot afford an injury at this stage of the game. I can feel my muscles getting stronger. I can't explain it real well but my legs feel great! (they are still ugly - but they feel strong!) I'm liking what running is doing to my body. And so it is in our spiritual life. We should be able to tell that we are stronger than we used to be. The little things that used to trip us up should no longer be a problem. Isn't it silly to think that I would run and never see the progress in my body? Yet we expect...

This morning is one of those mornings when I ask myself why I run. I am sore - mostly due to running a little harder than I should have yesterday (but hey - it felt good!). And partly due to some new exercises I wanted to start to strengthen my core. I look out the window and it's raining lightly. It's one of those mornings that I have to drag myself outside. But I know that once I get my shoes on and get out the door I will be invigorated once again. Right now my head is playing all these games with me I have all these thoughts: it's raining I didn't sleep last night is my heart gonna be okay i am so sore maybe I need to rest And the list goes on! But today is one of those days where we learn what we are really made of. I may seem whiney right now but once I put on my shoes and run just so I can log a couple of miles. I'll get to the first mile and be ready to go for two or three more. (Runners are funny like that) I think this is applicable in life as we...

That's the agenda for today. I rested totally yesterday and now it's time to get back to work. I am pretty sore though so today will be a short, easy run. I'll probably try to log around 3 miles. That still sounds funny to me. When I started I remember working so hard to get that first mile, then the second. Now I run a 5K distance on my easy, short days! It really helps me mentally when I can look back at where I have been. I still have a ways to go to get to my half and then of course on to the full marathon later this year. But today I reflect on how far I've come. I think this is also a good life principle. Today I will train my mind to think on the things God has done in my life. Rather than looking at my situation which can seem overwhelming I will think about the things He has brought me through. I will not think of all that may lay ahead of me. I'll make my meditations dwell on all He has done for me. And I will pray that the words of my mouth and the me...

Yeah me! I finished my first 10K. I came in far less than my goal! (slow compared to everyone else but this was my first race of this length)...I was doing well even though going slow. But as I passed the 8K marker and knew I was almost there I started thinking back to when I first started running less than two years ago. It was so difficult to finish that first mile! Then the second mile was done. Slowly I got ready for my first 5K  - I would have never dreamed I would ever even try a 10K much less think about training for the half marathon! I thought about the last couple of years of training and I was happy with myself. It may be one of the only times I just was content. I knew I had worked hard to get to this race and I was just happy because the end was in sight! Sometimes we need to take a few minutes and just enjoy our successes. Some people do not think that this is a good practice. But there are times when it is just okay to celebrate your successes. And today was mine...

There are so many different things that runners need to work on. It will all depend on what type of running you desire to do. If you are only doing short distances endurance training and speed training looks very different than if you are preparing for a marathon. Speed training sessions will depend on the type of running you do as well. For me, I don't do a lot of speed training right now. Mine isn't broken up into short sprints or fartleks. What I am doing is working on increasing my base speed. I want my slowest speed to improve so that over the long run I will get a better time and have more endurance. I'm thinking that life is more like marathon training. Yeah, those little situations that pop up here and there that do need to be dealt with; those are like a 5K - here and then a blast and they are gone. But then there are the "big" things we have to deal with in life. They don't go away in a day, a week, months and sometimes even years. Those are life...

It seems like such a waste. But then this is someone who cannot figure out for the life of me why God made our bodies need to sleep one third of the time! Do you know how much we could get done if we didn't have to sleep? For crying out loud, I'm training for a half-marathon here! But no; the 10 K is Saturday and I already have over 12 of my 15ish miles in for the week so I need to rest so I do well on race day. I know it is essential for recovery and healing, but I just got going here! My legs are feeling good under me and I feel like I have reached a new runner's high...and then nothing. Maybe God wanted us to know how important recovery is. If I could I guess I would work all the time ( or run all the time). But the down time is supposed to be refreshing. Resting can rejuvenate our whole being if we use it correctly. God promised there would be rest for His people. He said it would always be there. I am trying to use these two days off as a resting place. Clearing ...

That's right - it snuck right up on me like that! My head is filled with crazy questions like did you know 10k is over 6 miles?...and it's a RACE!   I also hear my head reminding me over and over how old my body is - as if my joints were not speaking loudly enough! lol! Yeah, I have a little anticipation of this race. I am not sure why though. I have prepared. I have run a little more than that distance twice in the last few weeks so I know I can do the distance. I am thinking it is something new. Aren't we always afraid of the unknown? The good thing is that I have already committed to it and paid the fees - there's no turning back now. I wonder if the butterflies will get bigger as I get close to the half-marathon I've already signed up for! sheesh! I have to look at this race like David must have looked at Goliath. (well - not exactly   like that - but you get the analogy) He had fought before but he hadn't fought a giant before. He had killed a bear and...

Since my 10K is scheduled for Saturday and I did a pretty good run yesterday I need to do a couple of easy days to just log some miles. Then I'll take two days off before the race and hopefully my legs will be good to go! I use my run to clear my mind and get my thinking going in the right direction for the day. But today I just had a lot more to carry with me on the run. I realized how slow I was running and it was all because my heart was heavy and my mind was full. Life can tend to be the same way. We go through it a lot slower when we are weighted down internally. A lot of days I have to make the conscious effort of lightening my mental load. The day is much more productive when I have my emotions and mind under control. However, this is easier said than done! But this morning I had to retrain my mind to find His peace. Too bad "peace be still" doesn't work in this instance. However, I can remind myself that the psalmist said to "Be still and know He is...