The sun is shining and the trees and temperature are both telling me it is spring. It appears we've skipped winter here in Western Washington. I thought it would be the perfect day for a run. I threw on some shorts, grabbed my sunglasses, filled my amphipod with some water and headed out the door. My run started okay. I had an easy six mile recovery run scheduled and was ready to enjoy it. I opted to run through town so I could get a good hill workout in. My pace was slow but that was okay. I kept reminding myself it wasn't supposed to be fast, hence the term "easy run". At 2 miles I realized I had to use the restroom. At 2.5 miles I realized my stomach was not feeling tip top in shape. Ugh! That's okay, I told myself. I'd just stop by my house for a quick potty break and head back out the door again.
I never made it back out the door. I realized it just wasn't going to happen today. And you know what, that's okay. My training plan, much as I sometimes think, isn't really cognitive and aware. It has no idea I didn't do the scheduled mileage. Likewise, it doesn't care. Still, I threw in a short note about tummy troubles. I spent some time stretching, took a nice hot shower (something I typically don't have time for before I have to pick up my kids from school), blow dryed my hair (something else I rarely have time for) and put on some clean clothes. I felt good! It was nice to realize I can feel good about myself even if I find I need to back off here and there. Yeah, my tummy still feels "iffy" but I know it is a hormonal thing and it will pass. I'm also feeling a bit of hormonal induced fatigue. My body seems to be telling me to rest. I will respect my body and heed its wise advice. After all, it deserves my respect. I've pushed it and demanded so much lately. It deserves a day of rest. Even more so since I'll be pushing it again this weekend in a 10K race. I will not feel bad about myself and view today as a failure. Rather, I will call today a taper in advance of my race this weekend. It's all in how you look at it and I'm looking at it with the same enthusiasm most of the rest of this frozen country will feel when they too see the signs of spring outside their windows.
A blog about running and how it drives me forward to a healthier and happier life as well as to a closer relationship with Christ - Life Himself. Hopefully, it will make you think, laugh and inspire you all in one!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
How I became a Runner
I thought I'd take a moment to explain how a die-hard running hater wound up on a journey to a marathon. And I mean a real marathon. Not the type you see advertised on television, "All Day Saturday! Catch up on your favorite show! It's an all day marathon!" I mean a marathon consisting of running 26.2 miles.
I was sitting in our family room with my infant son. It was the wee hours of the morning and I had finally given up the hope that he would go back to sleep. I signaled my surrender by turning on the television and was met with an ever present infomercial. Seeing as there wasn't much else on and I was too sleepy to expend the energy pushing the channel button on my remote control, I watched. It was full of a lot of happy people talking about the benefits of pilates. I had a bunch of baby weight still sitting on my bones and heard my once skinny pre-baby self-image tell me to listen up. At first my sleep deprived body resisted. "I'm too tired for any workout," it protested.
"Nonsense!" was the response. "Look at what they are doing". So I looked. And lo and behold what I saw was every tired new mother's dream. They...were...lying...down! Now this was a workout I could get into. The sleepy fog lifted as excitement began to pulse through my veins. "I can get skinny lying down in my pajamas!" I picked up the phone, dialed the number, spoke to the representative, and ordered my miracle weight loss workout.
It was a couple weeks later when my pilates dvd's arrived in the mail. The next day I excitedly put one in the player, sat my son on the floor in his bouncy seat, and laid down beside him (and yes, I was in my jammies). I was ready! It's a sad moment when giddy optimism and self-delusion are crushed. Okay, I wasn't crushed but I did have a rude awakening. The first rude truth was that this wasn't an easy workout. The second rude truth was that pregnancy had taken my ab muscles and demolished them. They appeared to have been squished, stretched and pulled like play-dough in the hands of a two year old. I had a long way to go. Still, I reasoned, I was lying down, in my pajamas. If I made excuses not to do this exercise then how did I ever expect to do a workout that actually required putting on shoes? I stuck with it. And you know what? It got easier. I lost weight. I lost inches. Not enough to become "skinny me" again but enough that when I looked in the mirror I could at least recognize her face once more. I was content for the time being.
Eventually,I began walking. The kids loved getting outside and so did I as long as the weather was nice but what to do in the rain and cold? I convinced my husband a treadmill would be a great investment. I had every intention of using it simply for walking but at some point there was a switch in my brain that got flipped. I can't recall exactly when it happened or even why but one day I upped the speed and found myself running. That day a runner was born. Eventually, I found myself longing to run when I had my son in his stroller at the trail. But it was one of those big and bulky strollers and not conducive to running. Once more, I approached my husband about another investment in my health - a jogging stroller. I do believe at this point he was checking under our bed for the pod the body snatcher left behind when it took over his wife's body. How many times had he heard me utter, "Running is stupid. Why would anyone want to run?" My husband enjoyed running and this change in his wife was interesting if not even a little inspiring so he gave me the go ahead. I trained for my first 5K with that jogging stroller. I used it while training for my first half-marathon. That stroller was proof that I had discovered the answer to my own original question, "Why would anyone want to run?"
Anyone, or in this case me, had discovered the joy that comes from shedding my pajamas, putting on my running gear, lacing up my shoes and pushing my legs and lungs beyond what I had ever thought possible. I could go beyond my self-inflicted boundaries. It didn't matter if I was running on the roads or running through life I could do whatever I put my mind to. Road blocks and life blocks can be moved, run around, jumped over or avoided all together by taking a new path.
I recently read a devotion that made the point, “If you try to pull back each time you reach what seems like your limit, you’ll never know how much you can trust God – or how much He can trust you.” In the beginning of my running life, it hurt to run longer than just a minute or two. I had to push beyond what was comfortable, what I thought was my limit. Eventually, I got to five minutes, 10 minutes, 2 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles and so on and so forth. Eventually, the progressions got easier simply because I was becoming more confident in my ability to push forward. Because of that confidence I found myself able to entertain the idea of the marathon, something I never would have imagined doing pre-pilates, pre-baby, pre-marriage or even post first half marathon, for that matter. The same thing goes for trusting God. The more I allow Him to push me beyond my comfort zone, past my self-inflicted boundaries and all the road blocks I myself put in my path, the easier it will be to go the distance with Him and reach heights I now can’t even begin to fathom. It’s an exciting thought!
When I see photos of my pre-pilates self I realize I found my new path. I am no longer that woman who wishes she was in shape. I am in shape. I am that mom who runs marathons. One day, I hope to be the grandma who runs marathons. I am a runner! And oh yeah, thanks to a continuation of pilates, I have a pretty strong core to boot!
In the same way, I want to look back on my life and say I am no longer that woman who wishes she was stronger in her faith. Rather, isn’t it greater to say, I am a woman who anxiously reaches for all God offers me? I am strong and confident. I am a child of God and I am running the race of my life. And oh yeah, because I continue to read my bible, pray, worship, and attend church, I have a pretty strong core to boot!
I was sitting in our family room with my infant son. It was the wee hours of the morning and I had finally given up the hope that he would go back to sleep. I signaled my surrender by turning on the television and was met with an ever present infomercial. Seeing as there wasn't much else on and I was too sleepy to expend the energy pushing the channel button on my remote control, I watched. It was full of a lot of happy people talking about the benefits of pilates. I had a bunch of baby weight still sitting on my bones and heard my once skinny pre-baby self-image tell me to listen up. At first my sleep deprived body resisted. "I'm too tired for any workout," it protested.
"Nonsense!" was the response. "Look at what they are doing". So I looked. And lo and behold what I saw was every tired new mother's dream. They...were...lying...down! Now this was a workout I could get into. The sleepy fog lifted as excitement began to pulse through my veins. "I can get skinny lying down in my pajamas!" I picked up the phone, dialed the number, spoke to the representative, and ordered my miracle weight loss workout.
It was a couple weeks later when my pilates dvd's arrived in the mail. The next day I excitedly put one in the player, sat my son on the floor in his bouncy seat, and laid down beside him (and yes, I was in my jammies). I was ready! It's a sad moment when giddy optimism and self-delusion are crushed. Okay, I wasn't crushed but I did have a rude awakening. The first rude truth was that this wasn't an easy workout. The second rude truth was that pregnancy had taken my ab muscles and demolished them. They appeared to have been squished, stretched and pulled like play-dough in the hands of a two year old. I had a long way to go. Still, I reasoned, I was lying down, in my pajamas. If I made excuses not to do this exercise then how did I ever expect to do a workout that actually required putting on shoes? I stuck with it. And you know what? It got easier. I lost weight. I lost inches. Not enough to become "skinny me" again but enough that when I looked in the mirror I could at least recognize her face once more. I was content for the time being.
Eventually,I began walking. The kids loved getting outside and so did I as long as the weather was nice but what to do in the rain and cold? I convinced my husband a treadmill would be a great investment. I had every intention of using it simply for walking but at some point there was a switch in my brain that got flipped. I can't recall exactly when it happened or even why but one day I upped the speed and found myself running. That day a runner was born. Eventually, I found myself longing to run when I had my son in his stroller at the trail. But it was one of those big and bulky strollers and not conducive to running. Once more, I approached my husband about another investment in my health - a jogging stroller. I do believe at this point he was checking under our bed for the pod the body snatcher left behind when it took over his wife's body. How many times had he heard me utter, "Running is stupid. Why would anyone want to run?" My husband enjoyed running and this change in his wife was interesting if not even a little inspiring so he gave me the go ahead. I trained for my first 5K with that jogging stroller. I used it while training for my first half-marathon. That stroller was proof that I had discovered the answer to my own original question, "Why would anyone want to run?"
Anyone, or in this case me, had discovered the joy that comes from shedding my pajamas, putting on my running gear, lacing up my shoes and pushing my legs and lungs beyond what I had ever thought possible. I could go beyond my self-inflicted boundaries. It didn't matter if I was running on the roads or running through life I could do whatever I put my mind to. Road blocks and life blocks can be moved, run around, jumped over or avoided all together by taking a new path.
I recently read a devotion that made the point, “If you try to pull back each time you reach what seems like your limit, you’ll never know how much you can trust God – or how much He can trust you.” In the beginning of my running life, it hurt to run longer than just a minute or two. I had to push beyond what was comfortable, what I thought was my limit. Eventually, I got to five minutes, 10 minutes, 2 miles, 4 miles, 5 miles and so on and so forth. Eventually, the progressions got easier simply because I was becoming more confident in my ability to push forward. Because of that confidence I found myself able to entertain the idea of the marathon, something I never would have imagined doing pre-pilates, pre-baby, pre-marriage or even post first half marathon, for that matter. The same thing goes for trusting God. The more I allow Him to push me beyond my comfort zone, past my self-inflicted boundaries and all the road blocks I myself put in my path, the easier it will be to go the distance with Him and reach heights I now can’t even begin to fathom. It’s an exciting thought!
When I see photos of my pre-pilates self I realize I found my new path. I am no longer that woman who wishes she was in shape. I am in shape. I am that mom who runs marathons. One day, I hope to be the grandma who runs marathons. I am a runner! And oh yeah, thanks to a continuation of pilates, I have a pretty strong core to boot!
In the same way, I want to look back on my life and say I am no longer that woman who wishes she was stronger in her faith. Rather, isn’t it greater to say, I am a woman who anxiously reaches for all God offers me? I am strong and confident. I am a child of God and I am running the race of my life. And oh yeah, because I continue to read my bible, pray, worship, and attend church, I have a pretty strong core to boot!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Brrr ... That's Cold!
Upon finishing my first 16 mile run I felt pretty good. In a desire to keep that good feeling I opted for an ice bath when I returned home. Yes, I know, the term "ice bath" doesn't typically coincide with feeling good. However, after lots of long miles on legs that are unfamiliar with those miles, it can feel blissfully numbing as it keeps them from swelling and becoming painful. Besides, if I'm crazy enough to run 16 miles it's not too difficult to figure I just might be crazy enough to plunge my lower half into a bath full of cold water. There are those who actually add bags of ice to their water. I'm not one of those. I'm happy with cold water straight out of the faucet. On that note, I walked in our bathroom, turned the thermostat up to 75 degrees (I'm not crazy enough to do this in a cold bathroom), put on a warm sweatshirt, grabbed a book for distraction and took the plunge. It was only the first few minutes that were uncomfortable. Those first minutes were filled with uncontrollable shivering as my body tried to shake a little common sense into my obviously overheated brain. I could practically hear it screaming at me, "What are you doing, you crazy woman?" But then it's as if my muscles figured out the cold water didn’t feel so bad and in fact helped their fatigue. Suddenly, they relaxed. The shivering stopped and I could hear them utter a simple, "Ahhh..." My hands were now able to steady the book in front of me and I proceeded to read while the cold water did its work. I actually had to force myself to stop reading when my time was up. I finished my ice-bath with a warm wash of my hair using the handheld. It felt so good! The warm water over my head totally hid the fact that I was still sitting in bitterly cold water.
My relationship with God is often like an ice bath. There are times where I spend too much time doing something that injures my spirit. Maybe it was letting a temptation get the best of me. Perhaps it was following God’s leading and simply reaching a point where I needed rest. Whatever the cause of my wounded spirit, God recognizes when His healing hand is required. In those moments He takes me aside and offers me a hard and somewhat painful but ultimately healing “ice bath”.
When spurred by sin, the initial plunge of His healing can result in painful memories and truths being brought to attention. I am stripped of all pretenses and find myself shivering as I am forced to recognize the cold of my own heart. Only then can I feel the warmth of His love as His forgiveness washes over me.
Sometimes the reason for a godly ice bath is simple rejuvenation of my spirit. Stopping to rest is not always easy. It may require setting aside my pride and admitting I am weak on my own. What a cold and hard truth for my independent nature to accept. But this is no surprise to God. As my father he knows I am but a simple child in need of a nap. He knows where my strength resides and understands what my physical body needs in order to run again.
Yes, the ice bath hurts initially but without its healing capability I could quite possibly find myself injured, side-lined and unable to continue training for my marathon. Therefore, I will continue to take those baths even when I feel pretty decent after a long run. Nothing hurts? Great! I'm in the bath for preventative measures. May it be so in my relationship with God. Everything going well? Nothing painful? No major sins swelling up? Great! I still need to go to God and ask him to show me my heart through His eyes as a preventative measure. By regularly seeking His counsel and healing I can avoid the major downfalls that would injure and side-line me. I don't want to finish this race called life by crawling. I want to finish it upright and sprinting into the arms of my King.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing in your body and strength for your bones. "
Proverbs 3: 5-8
My relationship with God is often like an ice bath. There are times where I spend too much time doing something that injures my spirit. Maybe it was letting a temptation get the best of me. Perhaps it was following God’s leading and simply reaching a point where I needed rest. Whatever the cause of my wounded spirit, God recognizes when His healing hand is required. In those moments He takes me aside and offers me a hard and somewhat painful but ultimately healing “ice bath”.
When spurred by sin, the initial plunge of His healing can result in painful memories and truths being brought to attention. I am stripped of all pretenses and find myself shivering as I am forced to recognize the cold of my own heart. Only then can I feel the warmth of His love as His forgiveness washes over me.
Sometimes the reason for a godly ice bath is simple rejuvenation of my spirit. Stopping to rest is not always easy. It may require setting aside my pride and admitting I am weak on my own. What a cold and hard truth for my independent nature to accept. But this is no surprise to God. As my father he knows I am but a simple child in need of a nap. He knows where my strength resides and understands what my physical body needs in order to run again.
Yes, the ice bath hurts initially but without its healing capability I could quite possibly find myself injured, side-lined and unable to continue training for my marathon. Therefore, I will continue to take those baths even when I feel pretty decent after a long run. Nothing hurts? Great! I'm in the bath for preventative measures. May it be so in my relationship with God. Everything going well? Nothing painful? No major sins swelling up? Great! I still need to go to God and ask him to show me my heart through His eyes as a preventative measure. By regularly seeking His counsel and healing I can avoid the major downfalls that would injure and side-line me. I don't want to finish this race called life by crawling. I want to finish it upright and sprinting into the arms of my King.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing in your body and strength for your bones. "
Proverbs 3: 5-8
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)