Running on Prayers...

NO ONE. I had No one to do any leg of my 22 mile long run today.
22 miles for any runner is tough when you are alone. There is so much going on in that little brain of mine.
I just resigned to the fact I was going to be running for over 3 hours ALONE.
PRE- RUN PREP.
I rolled my ITBAND very good.
I stretched.
I was hydrated.
I prayed and had quiet time with God.
I ate a good breakfast.(Banana, coffee, W/W english muffin with Peanut butter and jelly)
Took my Juice plus.
On THE ROAD.
Just one mile at a time. The weather was so beautiful I knew this was the day to conquer The Long Run.
Getting to and through the first few miles was easy. I let the elements drive me. I was running on GRATITUDE. I was so thankful for the the sun, a healthy body, the cloudless sky, the smell of lilacs, the greenery encompassing me that I was able to let that lead me for the first 7 miles.

I reminded myself as I was running the parallel of Running and Life. This is what was motivating me through my next segment of about 7-10 more miles. Running is like life. There are Easy runs, Hard runs and there are Long runs.
Easy Run:Some days we get up and do what has to be done with little to no effort at all. At the end of the day we feel accomplished and content.
Hard Run: These are the days when we have obstacles, challenges and difficulties. These are the days we have to make choices that are going to hurt. Hard runs make us question our self and our purpose. There is usually pain involved. It hurts. Life hurts. People hurt one another. This world will eat you up and spit you out..you have to FIGHT back. The more you persevere the stronger you get.These runs make you feel like a warrior, a conqueror.
Long Run: Steady and Consistent. There is such a lack of consistency anymore. This is the Integrity Run. This run HAS to get done to accomplish the goal  properly. This run is composed of portions of the other two runs. Just when you are running smooth you see your challenges, a hill, wind, rain, physical pain whatever the challenge is, it will arise you can count on it. The Long run is the run we dread. This is accomplished best with support and encouragement. Life lacks consistency, integrity, and stamina. We book too many easy runs in and play it safe never challenging ourselves or growing. We were not designed to be complacent and mediocre. You can't just postpone obstacles or deny that they are there! You have to OVERCOME them.  This run makes you feel more confident and hopeful.

At this point I was somewhere around mile19. My last phase consisted of 3 miles. I had been good at drinking my CHIA water and taking a GU Chomp every couple miles past mile 11. I had gotten very comfortable on the back roads. The tree covering was refreshing and left me not so vulnerable to the sun. Even though I did get sun burnt. I was counting down every time I heard the "mile alert' of my Garmin. 3 more miles=27 more minutes=8 more songs=2 more roads....I THINK I Can..I can. I can..
I thought of the quote I had made on my shirt. "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION"
I felt pretty good. I could even smile and run. But this is the stage that I get really confused when I run. Where everything begins to poop out including my mind and my brain. I loose rational thinking. I had misjudged my turn around loop towards home and so quickly I attached to anxiety and fear. As soon as you let these emotions in you are on a direct route to discouragment. I say out loud "Anita, CALM DOWN, shh, Just calm down." At that exact moment Miley CYRUS sings through my earbuds "The Last time I Freaked out.....Feel like I couldnt breath.." Now comes..You guessed it right..The CRAZY LAUGH!
HA HA..Calm down Nita..Breath..You are almost there.
And with that I not only finished but because I screwed up my route...I finished with another mile..23 MILES!!!!
This is the farthest I have EVER ran on a training RUN.
IT was PRAYER. I was running on PRAYER. I not only had Andy praying but also Heidi praying for me. I actually felt guilty at the last few miles because it was here that I realized I should have asked others to pray for me. I know not everyone runs and to ask them to pray for my run- I think they might think it is a ridiculous prayer-so i don't ask. I was a bit ashamed of myself. But I will say for those 2 that did pray it was received. I had a great long run. Their prayer was probably better than even a partner today!

Little sheep..or lambs.Not real sure! But so cute

Beautiful scenery for a bathroom...!

I did stop 2 times on my run: I usually will see a DOG in a front yard but today I saw a Lamb!! It was sad because all the babies were behind a fence and this one was wanting in but was outside of it.

Also the dirt road run was beautiful. I got a little turned around and took a wrong road which made things a bit longer BUT it was beautiful and I found a pretty place to pee in between all the foliage!! lol!! I felt like a camper!

Bringing it together...I am tired and sore. But not as bad as usual. I got a text tonight from "Keena". It was so sweet. She just text to tell me she was thinking about me and praying for me. She didn't even know I needed prayer!! God is So Good. She made my day by telling me that. Next time you are thinking about someone or praying for someone that pops into your heart, Let them know. You will be surprised what an encouragement it is to someone else. Everyone likes to know that you are THINKING OF THEM.
"Hey just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you...Have a great day."
"I said a prayer for you today."
"You were on my heart and in my mind...love ya."..
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5 FUN FACTS ABOUT MARATHONS!!

• 2010-OVER A HALF A MILLION AMERICAN RAN A MARATHON!
•  A 140-pound woman running 10-minute miles will burn about 2,777 calories during a marathon!
•  Paula Radcliffe, 37, holds the world record for fastest marathon, 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 25 seconds!
•  Before a minimum age requirement of 18 was set for North American races, 8-year-old Wesley Paul set the record for youngest marathoner in the United States when he finished the New York City Marathon in 1977 in three hours, 37 seconds!
• At 100 years old, Fauja Singh became the oldest person — and the first centenarian — to finish a marathon when he crossed the finish line at the 2011 Toronto Marathon. His final time: eight hours, 11 minutes, and 5.9 seconds.

BTW..Official results came in from BHBH..I actually got 4th place by 20 seconds..I feel guilty that they gave me the medal. Bummer....:(

ANITA