Voices of Defeat and Doubt..

I got up early today because I had to "Brew" my coffee. My Keurig went out on me a couple days ago. Next to my running shoes My Coffee is like another best friend. My coffee is one of those vices I depend on, that comfort me, awaken me and that I think of through out my day. I am glad that my running shoes are  not jealous because I am not sure if I had to pick between them who I would pick!

Today I was meeting "Katie" at Indian Springs. I look forward to having her to run with. I like having to be accountable to someone. I can cheat myself out of a hour run easy if given the right excuses. And the excuses are a dime a dozen the colder and more wet outside it gets.

Last week Katie ran her fastest 8 mile! I was so proud of her. But today she came already with a pocket full of rational. She was already pulling out reasons why she was gonna go slow.
I listened to all of them on our 8 mile run. She scattered different excuses every couple miles trying to feed me all her scraps of defeat.

I have enough of my own defeat that likes to crawl out of my head. This is why it is good to run with a partner. When we are alone it can be difficult to wrestle excuses and reasons why we are not going to meet our goals. But, when we have a partner we have strength. You have someone there that can defend you against yourself!

I believe in Katie. I have ran with her for several weeks now. I KNOW what she is capable of. Today I had to convince her what she was capable of.  Today I had to remind her of the goals. Today she had to dig deep, but the victory came when she pushed through and ran those voices down! Not every run is a easy run or a good run, sometimes the only GOOD in the run is that you FINISHED...And that is all the greatness ones needs! Katie did all that and more this morning.

Physical pain is only one component to running, The voices of defeat and doubt can disable our running faster than most aches and pains we will encounter throughout our running career.

What do these voices sound like? They sound like different things to different people. But here are a few Voices of Defeat and Doubt to be on the alert of:

1. It is so cold out, I will never warm up.
2. Its a holiday, I think I will take the day off..( yeah this one makes great sense..I am going to eat twice as many calories and not burn any..!!)
3. It's not worth it...I am not going to get any better. 
4. I am tired, I worked all day.

WHAT VOICES DO YOU HEAR. WHAT CHALLENGES YOU TO JUST STAY HOME? 

PSALMS 95: 2-3Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.   For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving..I would like to humbly give thanks. I have noticed a lot of thanks on Facebook and it appears almost braggadocios.  So how do I give thanks transparently and humbly?

I am thankful for all I have because I deserve nothing.

I am thankful for Gods Grace and Mercy on my family. I am so grateful for my families health.
I am thankful for a little more wisdom and the means to put it in action.
I am thankful for my family, for their acceptance of my quirks and goofy habits.  I am misunderstood by many but to my core little family they "Get Me" and Love me for me.

And to Finish it up. HOLIDAY DO'S AND DON'TS:
I found this great tips from a website.

You DON’T have to totally deprive yourself during the holidays but you DO have to have some willpower to say no!
DON’T try to convince yourself that you’re going to eat less after the holiday event therefore it’s ok to eat what you want during the event. You will not have as much motivation to diet once the event has passed.
DO eat less for the 3-5 days leading up to the event. When the event takes place, you’ll look and feel better than you originally expected and you will feel less guilty when you enjoy yourself at the celebration.
DO dress sexy. Wear something tight, do your hair up, put on your highest heels etc. This way you will feel less likely to indulge in a huge dinner.
DO position yourself as far away from the appetizer table as possible.
DON’T sit in front of the TV. What’s on TV this thanksgiving? An awesome football game. What’s in front of the TV? Most likely a table with snacks. If you really want to watch the game then do it standing up or follow the tips #here#
DO bring your own dish to the occasion. Nobody has to know that it’s healthy or low calorie but at least you’ll know how many calories it has and you will have something to snack on.
DO send people home with food if you are hosting a party.
DO sit at the table as far from the unhealthy food options as possible!

** Fun holiday fact..The average person will gain 4-8 Lbs, these guidelines will help.

1 Chronicles 16:34 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever" 

THE RUNDOWN:

Distance: 8:01

Pace: 8:51

Time: 1:11

Anita