Keep it Simple Thursday

Indian Springs!

 “Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not”

I looked forward to my run with "Danielle". It had been 2 weeks since we had ran together.
I crawled out of bed at 6:20am to meet Andy downstairs. I was dragging butt and thinking that second swig of NYQUIL was probably not a good idea last night.
Prying my eyes open I stumbled downstairs..Coffee..Coffee..Coffee...

I wish that was the perfect remedy but the hot elixer was not working so I prayed.
And from that moment I have not stopped!

It was a busy busy day! And it started out with me turning my car around to get my Yak Trax.
These are spikes that go over your shoes to run in snow. "Danielle" sent me a text that she was bringing hers and even though I was on my way to Indian Springs I turned around to get mine.

Keeping it Simple:

• Today was the first time I had ever wore my Yak Trax and it was a great day to use them. It made our run safe and attainable. 
• "Danielle" bought me a Timex Ironman watch. I needed a watch for the track to record my splits and she bought it in Purple...Ariels favorite color!
• Met mom at her moms house and helped clean. I felt guilty for not visiting her more. 
• Came home to clean my house and in the process I flooded my bathroom. I drew a bath and got so into dusting I completely forgot about the water running! The bathroom floor looks really good though!
• Had my kickoff run with the running club. I coach the intermediate runners and had 4 people show up. We ran in the dark. It was a great run. "Amber" attended our group but signed up with the beginners group and she did amazing!
• Dinner...Salmon patty, celery and cottage cheese.
• DESSERT....Buttermilk pie...YUM!...This is why I ate that boring dinner, so I could have dessert!

RUNDOWN:
Run 1: Indian Springs,  8.01m Time:1:15/ 09:22 pace
Run 2 Husky RR, 3.12m Time:36 /11:30 pace

Stay tuned I have another contest coming!!!  Very cool prize!!!

Anita

Don't Forget your own Victories!

Why do we forget where we come from? Why do we forget our victories we have achieved?

We forget all the hard work we have put into our own Personal Best. Many of us have reached goals, climbed mountains and even moved our own mountains and yet...we get distracted by the achievements of others.

We secretly peek out of the corner of our eyes looking at other peoples training and accomplishments when we just finished with OUR greatest victories!

Suddenly we are minimizing our triumphs and letting others trump all our hard work and achievements.

1 Samuel 18:8 "Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

As I read this I saw that Saul lost his FOCUS. He forgot the greatness that he had brought forth at one time. 

Saul  had "thousands" but because he focused on Davids victories he lost sight of the person God created him to be. 

God did not make me to be Kara Goucher or Paula Ratcliff.  

God did not even create me to be "Ken K" or "Michelle B". Both of these runners have awesome accolades and are incredible runners. God wants me to notice them through encouragement and edification but not jealousy and envy.

1 Samuel 18:9 "And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David."

Because the people made more of David's single victory than all of Saul's, the king went into a rage and became jealous of David.
Saul looked at Davids Victories and forgot about his own.
Isn't that what we do. We have a PR or we run a distance we have never ran and we  hear about "So and So" doing something great and find our self deflating our own Triumph.

We have a great day and then hear about someones elses day and quickly lose that "Loving Feeling".

• Enjoy Your Victory. 
• Don't get Distracted.
• Use other peoples' Victories as Encouragement not Discouragement.

The RUNDOWN:
Distance: 7 miles
First 5 miles I did a PROGRESSIVE RUN:  (A run that each mile get progressively faster.)
I started out at a 8:30 pace on the TM and my last mile I averaged a 7:18 mile. I had the incline set at 1%.
The last 2 miles I ran the track and did sprints along the straight way and slowed down around the curves.

I encourage you to let other peoples Victories, Achievements and Blessings be just that Theirs!
Enjoy Your Accomplishments. You have worked hard for them.

Anita

Motivational Monday

Greatful...Grateful is the correct spelling but I think it should be GREATFUL..Because I have a great amount that fulfills me.
When you find things to be Thankful for it will pull you out of a pit. It will realign your vision. It will put a new spirit in you. It will humble you.
Sometimes it is so much work and other days it is natural.

10 things I am GREATFUL for:

1. Moms Blueberry Pie..so good warmed with vanilla ice cream over it
2. The Beautiful Full moon this evening. God Created that...WOW...Humbled
3. Opportunity to run in our Running club tonight. It was so awesome. The night was perfect.
4. For mom and dad. Ran into them in the grocery store. Mom said "Dad noticed your car in the parking lot." Dad: "Nita's here, we will find her in the healthy stuff." And thats where they found me! 
5. Andy had an extra Ipod..Broke ANOTHER one today! It just got REALLY hot when it was being charged and never turned on again..
6. The whole family liked dinner tonight and it was SUPER easy: Pulled Pork sandwiches, cottage cheese, Baked beans and Kettle Salt and pepper chips.
7. Boys were quiet for me to rest for 30 minutes before my 2nd run. 
8. I got to hear my sweet nieces voice, "Sarah" called me this afternoon.
9. 25 kids that were in my house along with 5 incredible leaders trying to grow them closer to Christ. 
10. The toenail that came off tonight reminding me that I am on schedule with my training!

What Are You Grateful For??


Anita

A head full of Numbers.

"There are no short cuts to any place worth going."

— Beverly Sills

I had planned all week running outside and that plan was thrown out the window with more snow today! I was on my way to church and angry at Mother Nature. I was angry at the snow for ruining a already difficult run.
What was I going to do? 18 Miles...where was I going to run?

I am not a numbers girl. Math was never my thing. Andy is a numbers guy. He is always there helping me with my splits, my pace, my miles and all the numbers in between.

I headed to the club. I considered changing my long run to tomorrow when the weather would be better but I just could not prolong it. I just wanted to get it out of the way.
The hardest part about running a long run is getting your shoes laced up and just doing it! That is not saying that running it is easy...Cause let me say it is not EASY..But it gets in your head first before you ever start.
I was going to try and do the whole 18 on the track.  That is where the numbers began.
As I approached the track it was 1:05pm I should be done by 3:45 if it all goes as planned.

4 times around equals 1 mile plus a little bit farther because it was not a perfect 400 meter track.
There were mile markers to help me but they only went to 10 miles. I would have to figure the rest out on my own. 
72 times around the track.plus a extra 2 laps..74 laps to make my 18 miles.
If I averaged a sub 9 minute pace I should be done about 2hours and 40 minutes.
I was starting at 1:05pm..I should be running till 3:45..

I had my GPS turned off on my Garmin so I could do my splits. I didn't even make it to mile 4 and I hit the split button to soon getting caught up in the excitement of the other runners. Now my brain was on overload trying to recalculate my splits and mile.

The track was full of runners and walkers who had no idea that they were all my running partners this afternoon. I was secretly running with them or running behind them. Todays runners were running a bit faster than me. I didn't mind lagging behind them but I really had to discipline my body and mind to run my own pace. I wanted to cheer them on and say things to them like "Great Pace", "Keep it up" and "Solid RUN" but I kept silent.

I got to 10 miles and then had to flip numbers around because that's where the track markers ended. . I had 8 more miles..about 69 more minutes. 48 more laps. I think I can..I think I can...

And again I stumbled over my numbers. I somehow lost track between the laps and my time not matching the track clock, I knew I did something wrong but I couldn't stop to figure it out. When I finally finished all my running partners had been "Long" gone and I just felt like something was not right.
I try not to cheat my running. I am not an exaggerator or someone who stretches the truth with my running.
I was concerned I had only ran 17 miles so to be safe I hit the treadmill for 1 more long excruciating mile. My legs felt like rubber. My shoes didn't want to come off the belt. I was digging deep adding this mile in. I put the TM on "Track View" so I could see myself going around again. I felt like I was going nowhere. It was the slowest mile even at a 8:34 pace I was crawling.

After a 12 minute cold plunge and a hot shower I started to feel human again. I checked out my Garmin and started looking at my splits, time and where I messed up.

This is what I came up with:
RUNDOWN:
Time: 2h 41m
Pace: 8:49
Miles: 18. 49

Running and Life Collide... Lessons I learned today

1. No Excuses...Make it happen
2. The biggest battle is in your head.
3. Run Your own Pace
4. Obstacles are always going to invite themselves: be ready for a BACK UP Plan NOT a BACK OUT Plan!
5. If you Cheat you are Cheating yourself!

• Congrats To "MOLINA" she ran her 1st half marathon, The Princess Half Marathon and 5K!!
• Thanks to MOM for my homade chocolate chip cookies and Blueberry pie. It made my run worth it. So yummy. Mom makes THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

"Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in. It's a state of mind-you could call it character in action."

— Vince Lombardi

 

ANITA~

And the Winners are...

In between clients I wrote the names of those that did their ABC's of running on little pieces of paper. I then put them in a cup and gave cup to "Abigail" asking her to draw 2....
MICHELLE R
DANIELLE
Those are the name "Abigail" pulled.

MY Favorite letters were:
Michelle R: U-UNDERWARE...Underware Michelle R.??????!!!!
Amber: P-Prayer...Love this!
Michelle B: L-"Lose Yourself"...This was my training song for my first Marathon...L-Love it!
Danielle: U-"UP Up Up"...I laughed till I almost cried reading this. This was what we said to each other each time we were running UP another hill at Kensington 2 weeks ago!

Thanks for playing along with me..I had so much fun reading your answers.
If you could email me your addresses that would be great. I will get the gift cards out right away.

Anita

Husky Roadrunners

Even though I was not running at Indian Springs I still have the number 8 in my head. I headed to the gym determined to do what had to be done. To be honest most of the time I love running but sometimes it is a chore. Today it was a chore. At 6:30am I knew I was digging deep when I was out of coffee.
I quickly told myself  "You do what You HAVE TO DO Anita." It was not an option. RUN. Do not entertain any other thought. Just RUN. No excuses. RUN.

When I got to the gym I signed up for the INCLINE Class. Before the class I did abs and upper body. The Incline class was pretty cool only it didn't run a full hour. I could barely get a mile in and I would accidentally hit the pause button and shut down my TM. UGH. I was getting so irritated with myself and the TM because it would not start back up and everyone was in a rhythm but me! The instructor gave me her TM and once my legs followed her instructions the sweat started to pour! Unfortunately the class only gave me 5.5 miles so I hit track to top off my 8 miler.

Tim Hortons was the direction my car headed as I pulled out of the gym. Coffee..oh sweet nectar from the gods!

Next Thursday is the launch day for our running club. Husky Roadrunners! I am coaching the Intermediate group which is 10-12 minute miles. Anyone can join, for 40$ you get a club running shirt, coaching, a group run once a week and your registration to HA5K!
I am really looking forward to the group. I have about 5 people in my group, it is actually the smallest of the 4 groups!

Hmm..I think I should throw a training tip out there...
TREADMILL Training:
A lot of my running buddies are die hard outdoor runners. I have Michigan running friends who have not ran outside for 2 years and this year that all changed.

• Adjust the incline on TM to 1 to 2 percent at your regular pace
• Or adjust the speed by 10-15 seconds to make up the lack of wind resistance you might get while running outside. 
• Adjust your speed as you feel fatigued on the TM. Often times runners get injured because they let the belt move them and do not change their speed when they are tired. This adds stress to your joints and if you are prone to plantar fasciitis TM running can enhance that condition.
• If you have to hold on then you should slow down! 

LAST DAY FOR CONTEST!!!  What's your ABC's of Running? Share your ABC's and get a chance to win a gift card to Starbucks!! I am picking 2 winners!!

Anita

STRENGTH

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 10miles
Pace: 7:54
Time: 1:19


Even though I look like a Smurf I have always thought of myself as a Super Hero.
I have never looked at myself as weak, inadequate, incapable or wimpy.
Now I have entertained them for dinner a few times but I have never let them stay too long.

I have always thought of myself as STRONG, COURAGEOUS,TENACIOUS and MIGHTY.
To look at me though..Yeah, I look like a TWERP! 

I have used the adversity I grew up in,the challenges that have been placed before me and the multitude of mistakes I have made to grow and build from.

I have used Mantra all my life thinking:
"What doesn't kill you only makes you STRONGER."
"Never Never, Never Quit."
"Failure is NOT an Option"
"God is my Strength."
"God never gives you more than you can handle...Therefore God Knows YOU can get through this."

AND YET....
The last 2 days I feel so weak and defenseless. It has been 4 months since the loss of Ariel. I feel like I am falling apart the last 2 days. I know I will be fine. But I feel like I am just dying inside.

I have always gotten what I want. I have tried to be obedient to God, I seek him every part of the day and night, I pray, I try to be a good person, I try to give, forgive, love, and all the things he asks of me. I am far from perfect but God has usually supplied me with most of my dreams and more.

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto to me and seek me and I will show you great and mighty things with thou knowest not." I have adopted this verse and God really has done this for me." 

I feel like a spoiled brat. I am kicking and screaming and nothing I can do will ever bring Ariel back. Nothing, nothing nothing,
I am not strong enough to fight for her.
I can not run fast enough to catch her.
I can not pray any harder, plead anymore or be any more obedient.
I feel like a failure.

Around and around the track I went. 6 miles, 7 miles my legs were on autopilot. I tried to run hard to feel the physical pain and not the heart ache. I wanted to wipe the sweat off my brow not the tears down my cheeks.
I could feel my stomach unfold.."No God, please. No more tears, not right now, please God."

I tried to teach Ariel STRENGTH. If you could see our messages back and forth. I always told her to "Stay Strong."
"Believe in YOURSELF and what God has placed in you."
"We are More than Conquerors."
She would come to me with problem after problem.
"Aunt Nita, how do I......?  Aunt Nita, How did YOU...."
I would share my stories, from growing up in Dysfunction Junction to my marriage and all the chaos 16 years can birth and everything in between. She always wanted to know about the Obstacles, the Challenges, the Heartache and How I got Through.
What would she think of me now?  I was drained. I felt so weak.
I miss our talks so much. I miss having her inquiring. She showed me how God carried me through everything.

I am not sure what unleashed my heart the last couple days....
My other niece "Sarah" called about how she colored her own hair, that could have been it. I was the only one that EVER touched Ariels hair. She trusted NO one!
I had to go to Hurley 2 days in a row..this brought back terrible terrible memories. I don't know how Andy does it working there.
I picked up my necklace from the jewelers for Ariels hair...that probably didnt help..all this in the same 2 days...
And like the cherry on top the song Blessing by Laura Story.
I have not recovered real well.


Dear Lord, Hear my cries, Comfort this brokenheart. When I am confused and searching remind me that you will give me peace in my storm.  When my heart wanders off please Lord reign me in. Set me under your arms, Wipe my tears, Comfort me and Forgive me for my selfish thoughts.
And Thank You Lord..Thank you so much for every perfect moment I had with her.

When I am weak He is Strong.

The ABC's of RUNNING!

 I thought I would have some fun and list My ABC"s.

A. Anita
B. Boston Marathon
C . CRIM Festival of Races
D. "Danielle" 
E. Endurance
F. Fartleks
G. Garmin
H. Hansons
I. Indian Springs
J. Juice Plus
K. Knees
L. Long Run
M. Meb Keflezighi
N. Nike
O. Oatmeal
P. Playlist
Q. Quotes
R. Ryan Hall
S. Stretching
T. Tempo 
U. Under Armor
V. Vomit
W. Wicking
X. X Country
Y. Yogurt
Z. Zeal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monday Madness ...Seriously!
My Stupid thyroid pummeled me with a tired day. I woke up at 6 am no problem however by 11:30 I hit my wall! I tried to fight it but eventually I gave in about 12. I am sure yesterdays run was part of the equation. I laid down for a quick power nap that resulted in full on drool!
Austin woke me up and it took everything in me to pull it together. I get so angry when I get that tired. I made the boys some lunch and we headed up to GAC.
I really enjoy being with the boys even when they fight and argue.

I had a great run at the Mothership.
400 meter repeats.
1 mile warm up, light run
3 miles: 400m Repeats..I didn't have a watch to track my repeats so I ran till I wanted to PUKE, whatever that pace was!
Run Jog Run with another mile cool down.
I hit the Cold plunge for 10 minutes and in my miserable state I got a text from "Amber" a friend of mine who is joining a running club I am helping with.
"Amber" purchased her first pair of RUNNING SHOES and was so excited..I  jumped on her magic carpet and road that in to finish my cold plunge!

"Ambers" New Shoes!! Brooks!! 

Everything seemed to be recovering till I got a call from Andy who had a flat tire up in Flint and I had to go get him as dinner was ready to come out.
Poor Andy.

On the Bright side it is only MONDAY!! We have the rest of the week to recover! 


I have a little Game for you! I would love to see your ABC's of Running! If you are currently following my blog AND reply with your ABC's of running I will put the responses in a drawing and give out 2 5$ GIFT Cards to Starbucks! I will do the drawing SUNDAY the 24th. And drop the cards in the mail first thing NEXT Monday!!

Anita

Hurt hurts no matter how you Cut IT!

The weather may have said sunny and 21 but it was more like PARTLY sunny and with the WIND CHILL: 13 degrees!

Every mile was so difficult today. At mile 7 I was doing pretty good staying on pace but the icy wind had me really fighting back some mental demons.
I didn't bring any water with me and I brought some chomps but my hands were so cold I couldn't get to them. Every movement was effort, conscious effort.

When I get this cold my brains shut off. I can hardly think. Any thinking that is done at this point of a long run is usually coming from my body pleading with me to STOP.  Any other thoughts coming in or going out are usually drowned out by extreme duress.

I had asked a friend of mine if he would pick up the last leg of my run with me. . "Jeff" said he would but as I left to run I had not heard from him to confirm. I left him a message telling him where I would meet him and was really hoping to see him. "Jeff" is  quite a bit older but  has ran with Andy and I quite a few times so I feel comfortable running with him. BUT I am not one who runs with guys/men. I am pretty conservative.....


HURT Hurts... 

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

During my run I was comparing this miserable long run to other runs that I have done that hurt just as equally yet different.
Today's 16 mile run hurt. I wanted to give up as I came up yet another wind blasted hill. Then I thought of those who may have ran different distances yet  felt the same pain or have had a difficult work out and felt pain also.
My pain doesn't weigh more because I ran more miles...It is just as relevant to them.

It was a reminder that even in LIFE we can be quick to judge other people hardships based on OUR Experience or our Pain.

Hurt and Pain are very powerful. They are twins that go everywhere together. In our hurts and pains we can become isolated and convince ourselves "Nobody knows how I feel."  And as TRUE as that MIGHT be the other question is "Do YOU know HOW others FEEL?"
Pain and hurt can make us self centered and judgmental.

While I was running I reminded myself of the challenges that others have had. I let that INSPIRE me while I ran. I really wanted to wobble in my own miserable state. I wanted to remind myself how cold and tired and beat up I was but I knew that that would only make my JOURNEY worse.

I knew my tank was empty and I needed some help getting me the finish. As I came up on the place I was supposed to meet "Jeff"  I looked up and he was running towards me!  I was so grateful because I was running on fumes. 


No matter your distance, your pace or your work out...CONGRATS! You accomplished it. Some of you had some hurdles to jump through to even get to your work out today, great job staying focused and not giving up.
Some of you may have been beat up today during your run or work out..but you still did it and did the best you could..Great JOB!
Some of you may have hurts and pains on a different scale. Stay focused..The only way o get through is to get through...

The RUNDOWN:
Distance: 16:42
Pace: 8:46
Time: 2:24

"Angie" at my work brought in this CHIA Pudding. It was really good!  It has the consistency and texture of tapioca pudding.

CHIA Pudding

1. 2  cups almond milk 
2. 1/2 cup Coconut milk
3. 3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
4. 1/2 cup chia seeds (3 ounces)
5. 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest or Cinnamon  

In a 1-quart jar, combine the almond milk with the agave nectar. Close the jar and shake to combine. Add the Chia seeds and lemon zest to the jar, then close and shake well. Refrigerate until very thick and pudding-like, at least 4 hours or overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally. Serve the pudding in bowls.
 

NOTES: I used Honey instead of Agave Nectar and Cinnamon rather than Lemon Zest and I put a dash of vanilla

Anita~

Grateful.

Valentines Day. I didn't think anything about it when I was packing my running bag this morning. The only thing I thought about was how much fun my run was going to be with "Danielle".

  "Hills are speedwork in disguise."
-Frank Shorter

Today we were changing our location to Kensington Metro Park.
Kensington is a 8 mile loop that will put hair on your chest. This route will make you talk less and breathe more. I LOVE IT...but only with a partner!

It was absolutely beautiful as we were rounding the lake. The lake was frozen with spots of land peaking through the ice. The trail was close to the water. With the frozen lake to our left and a steep hill on our right we felt like we were in a Fairytale. The trail wound back and forth with snow dancing around us, the scenery looked majestic.

"Danielle" and I did our fair share of huffing and puffing but neither one of us were complaining.
You couldn't help but see God's beauty. Even in these harsh conditions it was still all HIS design and it was perfect.

Everything aligned wonderfully our run.
I was grateful for the cold crisp air.
I was grateful for the icy snowflakes that drenched my clothing.
I was grateful for the hills that stumbled over themselves, engaging me to push PASS my limits.
I was even Grateful for the sound of my breath as it heaved from my lungs reminding me I was still moving!

But what I was most grateful for was "Danielle".  As we were running along the curve of the lake I saw a guy ice fishing and commented to her. "Danielle, that guy is crazy to be out there fishing." "Danielle" responded "He is probably thinking the same thing about us!"

I take great pleasure in other people VICTORIES. I love playing the cheerleader! And today was one of those days.
Our course was more difficult than our normal Indian Springs route and "Danielle" ran her best since her hamstring tear back in June!

THE RUNDOWN
Time: 1:08
Pace: 8:39
Distance: 8:01

"You can never run a hill too hard; you will collapse before hurting it."
-Adam Born 

I ate better today. Started my morning off with Grandmas Oatmeal and continued eating fruits and vegetables all day.
For dinner we had herb crusted salmon with a spinach and shrimp sauce and all the sides.
It was our Valentines dinner.
And at my place setting rested 2 gifts!!

Andy Got me a BIB Folio for all my BIBS!! SOO COOL!!

One from the Boys and 1 from Andy.
It was the sweetest Valentines.  I not only enjoyed getting gifts but it was equally as fun getting independent hugs from the boys when they found their cards and goodies.

Today was a good day.
I have a lot to be grateful for.

Happy Valentines Day. Even if you did not have a Valentines..Did you take time to Love yourself?
Did you treat yourself to something special? I have a client who says we should learn how to "Romance Ourselves.":  I like that!

Anita

Productivety

I have been very productive today..But it is all catching up with me now!

I had debated on whether or not to go to the gym because the forecast was looking pretty good today.
But I had a neighbor that needed my help in the afternoon so I opted to head up to GAC.

Last week I was in the "Hurt Locker" for several days. I really did not want to be sore for any other reason than running so I also opted out of Spin class also. 

I like to do a tough run every other week. This week I was on.
REPEATS.
I hit the track for a easy 2 miles. It felt so good around the track..I felt so good. I had a bit of dread knowing what was ahead for me but knew it was what HAD to be done.

2 weeks ago when I did repeats I was quite a bit slower but I did more of them. Not as effective.

Today after my warm up I punched in the numbers 9.0 on the treadmill and felt my legs start to turn over. 
My arms moved swift back and forth. I could see my hands as they took turns rising and falling.
6x800m repeats@ a 6:40 pace.
I couldn't wait for my walk break after the first 400 meters. I would just crank the music up louder in my ears and  purposely plant my feet with confidence that come Hell of high water I was going to finish!
Other than my nose running as fast as my legs everything went really good. Blowing a SNOT ROCKET is not proper etiquette so I had a handful of tissues I kept wiping my nose with. I felt so good that I topped my distance off to 7 miles back around the track as a cool down.

I got so much accomplished today..but because I was so busy I forgot to eat. Not a good day in the nutrition department.
However,  I made it to Kohl's, Starbucks, Sam's, 2 hours of basement organizing, picked up kids, hit Michael's, Target, mopped floors on hands and knees, vacuumed, made dinner, Valentines cupcakes for Alec AND enjoyed the ending of my night catching Sundays episode of Waking Dead!!
Why can't every day be this PRODUCTIVE???

I also spoke to some of my favorite people, Sarah, Becca, my brother and mom~
GRATEFUL. Thank you God for a Incredible Day. 

"If you spend to much time thinking about a thing you will never get it done." Bruce Lee

Anita

The Heart of the Matter. A Different Training plan

In order for us to get Heart healthy benefits we have always been told to get our HEART rate up.

My resting HEART rate is in the low 50's.  So that means my heart has to beat 50 times less a minute or about 23 million less times a year. I think that my  HEART thanks me for not making it work so hard! 

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. For a strong HEART Exercise. 

But what about really exercising your HEART? 
Not physicially at all. 
Statistics say 100% of all  runners have died or are eventually going to die! 

But how does all that exercise effect your character...How do you exercise your HEART on a different level?

We are all going to die. Some of us will have lived long lives focusing on our health. We will read all the proper magazines on nutrition, we will check labels, count calories and we will hit the gym or the pavement.

But did we exercise the characters of our HEART?

Here are 10 verses to help prevent Hardening of the HEART!

1. Going to your great Physician for an EXAM
"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my HEART." Psalms  26:2

2. Allow God to Strengthen your HEART..Not yourself.
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalms 27:14

3. DETOX your HEART
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalms 51:10

4. Let HIM Train you.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all way acknowledge him and he will Direct your paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6

5. Focus on your Own Training!!
"A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones." Proverbs 14:10

6. Knowledge is Power
"The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness." Proverbs 15:14

7. Staying Humble
"He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat." Proverbs 28:25

8. Be Safe: Guard your HEART
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23

9.  What to clean your HEART out with:
"..Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Phil 4:8

10. The Insurance Plan
 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Mathew 5:8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My long run typically falls on Sundays. I like to do HALF the distance of a long run as my follow up run.
So today was my 8 miler.
I headed in the direction of Andys moms house with the wind beating the snot out of me. They have been out of town and I thought it would be fun to run over there and say HI!
Too bad they werent home!

I am still in the hurt locker from that "easy leg workout" I did LAST week! My quads have been burning with every step. Just a simple walk and my quads are screaming at me.
They seriously Hate ME.

My run was more like an obstacle course than anything today. I was dodging cars, ice patches, snow banks and water puddles.

The RUNDOWN:
Distance: 8
Pace: 8:17
Time: 1:08

How is YOUR exercise PLAN going? 
Do you have a plan for your Spiritual health? 
How is Your Heart Condition?

Anita

  

The Long Run. How to get through it.

It does not matter what your long run is..It is LONG to you.
Maybe your long run was 5 miles or maybe your long run was 20 miles. But it is yours to run.

My LONG Run was 16 miles today.
That is over 2 hours of running.
This run cause me anxiety.

So I thought I would take you through how I got through a LONG RUN.

PreRUN
THE NIGHT BEFORE.

• Drink water. I do not do well at drinking water. So I was conscious at gulping down the clear liquid.
• Eat well. Eat what you crave. (Not fried, processed or simple carbs) I craved red meat. This is something that I rarely eat. We had dinner at Applebees and I indulged on a 7 oz Sirloin steak, mashed potatoes and vegtable.
• Rest. That means sacrificing my late night for a early bedtime. I was in bed at 9 pm on a Saturday night! Sounds pretty boring. But it is a sacrifice that gets you through. I got 10 hours of sleep..not perfect sleep..But great sleep for me!
• Sturdy Breakfast. Whole Wheat pancakes, 2 slices of bacon and juice. 
• Pray for strength and stamina

The RUN
16 MILES

• Chia water during the run. Check out the benifits Chia on If the Shoe Fits .
• Juice Plus chewables (my chomps-only they are REAL FOOD)
• "Anita's Run" Playlist jammin tunes on my Ipod
• 12 miles on Dreamill @ 8:34 pace
• 4 Miles on Track @ 7:59 pace
• Pray some more

Post RUN
RECOVERY

• Stretch and roll Itband
• Cold Plunge 10 minutes...Water was colder today..I was more miserable than normal!
• Water..More water..Craving water. 
• Chocolate milk!
• Protein Smoothie (Frozen fruit, Banana, Tart Cherry Juice, Coconut milk, Yogurt, Juice Plus Protein Powder, Flax Seed, Wheat germ.)
• Turkey sandwich on a Everything bagel and Homemade chicken and dumplings. ( I have a poor appetite after my long run..Tomorrow I will eat the entire fridge!)
• Thank God.

Today's run was fueled by a great sermon on FEAR!
It was teaching us to NOT be engulfed by the SPIRIT of FEAR rather be DRIVEN by the SPIRIT of FAITH!

I listened to the story of "Caleb" and how he had "Another Spirit" inside of him. That at 80 years old he says "As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me."
Moses sent him 40 YEARS PRIOR!

NO Fear. I want that SPIRIT.
I will fight my Insecurities. I will fight my Inadequacies. I will fight Myself.
I will fight my Weaknesses, I will fight my Distractions and all that stands up against me.
And YOU  should try and do the same. You will be amazed at the blessings that come from a this SPIRIT!


"We do not have the SPIRIT of FEAR but the SPIRIT of POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND."

2 Timothy 1:7

Are you afraid of the LONG RUN??
Where do your fears lie??

Anita

DOG gone it!!

"Danielle" and I both had a full schedule today. We changed the the location but that was it!
Fenton was our stomping grounds this morning.

My biggest fear when I am running is having a dog chase me. I am scared to death of dogs.
Almost 3 miles into our run a pit bull comes out of no where towards us. "Danielle" looks nervous but actually composes herself really well. Me...I am crapping my pants.
As I am waiting for the dog to rip my face off, he jumps up on us to play. He is beautiful right down to the RED polished nails someone treated HIM to!
This dog is running and jumping all over us. We go to a house that has a sign that states they have dogs. This must be the house the dog belongs to we say as we ring the bell.
This cute young gal comes to the door with a dog in between her legs. We asked if this dog belongs to her only to find out he has been hanging around a couple days. She was afraid to call Animal Control because he was a really friendly dog. But she couldn't help us anymore than that.

"Danielle" and I both had things to do today. As cute as this dog was, we were reluctant to run, afraid that he might bite us when we started to move. But we had no choice, we had to get going.
That dog never left us!
He ran down the streets, into sub divisions, came when we called him and followed us across main roads! He must have ran almost 4 miles with us.
We didn't  know what to do. We ran back to where we found him originally but had no luck finding his owner. We even waved down a Police truck but he kept going.
Afraid for the well being of the dog we went out of our way and ran extra distance right to the door step of the Fenton Police.
As we opened the door he bolted and welcomed himself right into the station!
The police officer was a little startled but when he saw the dog was friendly he let him stay.

Not sure what happened to him. He was well cared for and awfully cute. He made a great running dog. Kinda sad that he had no tags on. I wish I could have kept him.

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 8.6
Time:1:18
Pace: 9:04
I took the boys and a friend to GAC. They swam and shot hoops. Me I did weights and chilled. I walked a mile on the track and played ping pong with Alec....NO SWEAT or Accelerated Heartbeat!.

GAC Track with Alec

FUN RUNNING FACTS:

1. Over 1 billion pairs of  running shoes are sold every year globally.
2. You burn over 100 calories every mile you run at a 10min/ mile pace!
3. 3 animals that run faster than humans are the rabbit, a cat and a kangaroo!
4. Human feet can produce a PINT of sweat per day.
5. The fastest human foot speed on record is 27.79 mph, seen during a 100 meter sprint by Usain Bolt.
6. There are upwards of 75 million runners in the USA.
7. When we run the human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet.
8. Running burns about 50% more calories than walking
9. Ar regular points during running both out feet are OFF the ground!
10. It takes 200 muscles to take a step.

SHOUT OUT to "Molina". She ran her longest run she has ever ran. 10 miles today!!!

“Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”

Who's else has had a big accomplishment? Please share, I get so encouraged by other peoples victories!

Anita

"What kind of a Aunt am I?"

My life is set up into stages..Or as God says "Seasons"

There was the season as a child that I bounced around a lot. This season lasted until I was about 12 years old. I had been in several different schools with even more addresses.

My mom had a boyfriend whom I hated. I know that seem harsh but so was life at that age. "Tom Lambert". He has been dead now over 20 years. He was a terrible alcoholic and placed memories in my mind that I struggle with even as an adult.
When my mom and him broke up (I am sure I had something to do with this) another chapter of my life unfolded.
Middle school and high school.
This chapter lasted till my mother passed away December 8th, I had just graduated.

The rebellious and broken stage of life turned its pages without hesitation.
This chapter lasted for many years. These were my years "In Egypt". I was in bondage to SELF and self destruction. I did terrible things and I was a terrible person.
But there was another chapter that was drawing near.
The "Kristin, Glenn, Brittany, and Ariel" chapter. These were my nieces, nephew and younger cousin.
I loved having them around me. We would shop, play games like Skip Bo, Scattagories, and B.S.
We would  scrapbook, dance around the house and just hang out chatting. I miss this chapter. I would do anything for those kids. I would go to the moon and back for each of them. And many times I did.

When Ariel passed away a few weeks ago they went in and took most everything out of the house. But they left a few boxes of what looked like junk. And really most of it was. But there was one box...The Golden nugget.
I went to the house to visit Ariels sorority sisters and in the closet were these forgotten about boxes. I sat there on the floor looking through them. There was one box filled with mostly junk but it had 3 bibles in it.
I was sick. There was not one bible from me. My first thought was "What kind of an Aunt was I that I never bought her a bible?" I prayed over that girl, I took her to church, I took her to church camp, I was her youth leader but I never bought her a bible?" It made me sick.
It ate and ate at me.
I took the stuff over to dad, I gave him some cards that were in the boxes and together we cried. She had kept EVERY card I had sent her, every note I wrote her and even little scraps of paper that simply said "I love you, have a good day."
As we cried dad got up and walked to his bedroom. He came out holding a bible. "Anita, I found this and I wanted to make sure that you got this so I saved it for you."
It was the Bible I bought her.
You see I bought her many many things but to me the gift of teaching her to have a relationship with Christ was the best present I could give her. That is what I always wanted was for her to follow HIM. For her to Trust HIM. For her to Beleive in HIM and for one day to be with HIM. (just not this soon).

As I opened her bible I wept. It was not like the other bibles in that box. It was broken, the pages were torn and bent. The words were highlighted and underlined. Though out the chapters were notes written in her perfect penmanship. It was used. The binding was tattered and there were papers with lessons written on them tucked in between the pages.

Today I sat down in my closet. Sitting on my knees I gently looked through her belongings that I have been avoiding. It wasn't but seconds for the tears to flood my eyes. As I touched each article of clothing it was like touching her only she was not there. I could even hear myself "Oh Ariel, That is so pretty, where did you get that?". But she was not there.
There sat her bible. I haven't stopped crying since I opened it. So many of my favorite verses she had underlined.
But here is one that she had underlined that touched home for me tonight:

2 Timothy 1:4

 " Recalling your tears, I long to see you, So that I may be filled with joy..."

I have joy. But not my Ariel Joy. That is a very very special place that only she can fill.

I have not figured out what to name this chapter that I am in and I am not even trying to define it. I am just resting on God to provide the way. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rundown:

Distance: 6 miles total: 5 miles at at 7:47

1 Hour Spin class: 23.2 miles

1 Mile Cool down 

Cold Plunge 12 minutes.

Everyday I am sore. But I know I have to take care of myself to recover. There is not much time to recover physically at this point of training so nutrition and rest are everything.  

I woke up with a stupid kink in my neck and that tripped me up. I feel like "Lurch" everytime I have to turn my head. 

Today I almost backed out of Spin class but quickly reminded myself "No Pain, No Gain." 

Even after 5 minutes in Spin I was looking for the exit sign. I was already smelly and sweaty. My nose was running and I thought I was going to have to be carried out on a stretcher. 

The clock seemed like it wasn't moving and my legs were pretty ticked off at me for running 5 miles prior. 

I have NO idea how I made it out of there AND walked to the track! I remember thinking as I was on my second lap." Feel the pain, feel the exhausting and remember it, embrace it and receive it to add to your training."

Maybe I was able to run that last lap as a glutten for punishment or maybe I was able to run that last lap because I knew I was going to get a new pair of shoes as soon as I left GAC! 

Brooks Glycerin 10

 

UPDATE!! I saw "Melissa" this week. She is still nursing her knee from her EPIC 8 miler several weeks ago BUT...She is back running again. She too purchased new shoes and it was suggested that it may have been her old shoes that was causing her knee pain. "Melissa" was in the WRONG shoes! This is another reason why it is so important to get fitted properly for shoes! 

This to Remember when getting new shoes:

1. Get fitted after your work out or later in the day :Your feet swell and you do not want to end up in shoes to small for your feet.
2. Bring in your old shoes so they can see your tread.
3. Ask for Last Years MODEL! This little tip can save you about 20$! Most of the time the change is very minimal. 
4. Look for coupons!! Most running shoes are averaging about $110! Some Mizunos are at $200!

 "RUN HAPPY" Brooks

Anita 

Motivational Moday..See ya Super Bowl Sunday!

Did you eat too many chicken wings during Super Bowl Sunday?
How about Chips and dip? Pizza? Soda?
Did you turn Super Bowl Sunday into Super Bowel Monday? UGH..Right!?

A lot of people begin the New Year off with all these great resolutions. A lot of us set goals of races, goals of working out, hitting the gym and getting healthier.
But by the time the Super Bowl comes around most of us fall off the wagon. Never to return.

Suck it UP Buttercup.
It is time to get back on TRACK...figuratively ..and literally!

I too enjoyed a couple wings. Andy Surprised me and the boys and made his own. And they were awesome.

 6 Easy Ways to Start Back at it.

1. Clean out the Fridge! Get rid of the processed, high fat, left overs you keep drawing yourself back too. That means the left over DIPS TOO!
2. Clean out the Cupboards! Grieve and Get over it. Bye Bye cookies and chips. 
3. Back to the gym. Don't be another STATISTIC! 
4. Go buy yourself something to inspire you to want to work out..new socks, shoes, Magazine...
5. Call your work out/running partner and plan a date. They probably need a little motivation too!
6. Restock the Fridge and Cupboards.

__________________________________________________________________________________
We make smoothies everyday. My boys love the ones with milk, chocolate, bananas and peanut butter in them.
I do too, however the fruit ones are more my thing.
The Magic Bullet is ON SALE this week at MACYS! Regularly $79.99 it is on sale for $49.99! This is a great deal. AND if you donate and get a pin to get you  ANOTHER 20% off!
Smoothies are great for when you are on the go. It takes me about 5 minutes to make one and they can act as a meal replacement. I was at a meeting today and "Melissa" had a funky looking drink in a cup. I asked her what it was. She said it was her meal replacement..or recovery Super Bowl drink!

These are some of the ingredients I put  in my smoothies: I also like Spinach, Flax seed, Frozen Yogurt, Bananas, Kiwi, Kale, Almond milk, Rice Milk, and Chocolate!

I got a NEW RECIPE from my friend "Paula" 

1/4 cup cooked sweet potato
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop protein powder
1/4-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Ice in blender!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The RUNDOWN:
Distance: 7 miles
Mile 1: warm up. Slow and steady
4 miles @ a 7:15 pace.
2 miles cool down with fartleks and slower pace.
Ran the Track.
I was kinda a Butthead today. After huffing and puffing through my 4 mile stint I brought my pace down and walked the track once around. As I was finishing that lap a pretty big guy ran past me. Motivated by this guy who was looking over his shoulder I took my walk to a run...right behind him.
I stayed back about 10 feet and didn't pass him. About every 800 meters he would turn his head wondering what I was doing. I was pacing off of him. My body wanted to continue to WALK. But I chose to stay on his heels to motivate myself to take myself beyond my comfortable place.
I even encouraged him to go to the next level. I felt him push his pace up several time which was a real challenge for me to keep up but I did!

"There are plenty of difficult obstacles in your path: don't allow yourself to become one of them."

Ralph Martson

Now GO CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE!!

Anita

Pros and Cons

  "There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude.  It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance."  ~Joseph Addison

Winter in Michigan this year is great for skiing not so much for running.
For me I prefer training for fall marathons over Spring.
I have a harder time running in sleet, snow and frigid temperatures than heat and rain.

I got a message this morning from "Molina" who is training for the Princess Half Marathon AND 5K:
"Question- where do you even DO a long run in weather like this? I am scared to run on snow/ice and the gym track is 1/10th mile which means 100 laps. Ouch! I'm annoyed!"

My Answer TODAY was TREADMILL/GYM. 

Last week I actually broke my run up. I did 2/3 of my run on the treadmill and then when that got totally boring I quickly headed to the track to finish the 13 miler. Running more than 8 miles alone on the track is sooo cumbersome. I get confused going around and around and lose track of my counting. I have to invest in a new watch that logs splits.
However most of us runners are die hard element runners too.

So here are my PRO's on Running Indoors In the Winter:

• Less layers..More aerodynamic! 
• Can maintain speed drills, repeats and tempo training runs with precision.
• You do not have to be weighed down by a hydration belt (Water fits well on TM)
• You can watch a movie, flip through a magazine and run
• You can place your chomps, gum and whatever you like to run with on TM.
• You have plenty of running partners if you are on a TM at a gym..They might not know it though!

CON's of Running Indoors:

• It is more difficult to have your running partner with you
• Some TM's at the gym have a time limit
• Like "Molina" you could  end up going around a indoor track about 100 TIMES!

PRO's for Running Outside in the Winter:

• There is nothing like fresh air
• You can pick your route and run where you want
• Running outside trains your body better with elevations changes, weather changes, and road conditions differing.

CON's for Running Outside in the Winter:

• The elements can cause injury: ice, sleet, and snow
• Decrease visibility 
• Risk of Hypothermia, if not dressed appropriately

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 15 miles
Pace: 8:24
Time : 2:06
I stayed on the TM for this run. The boys went with me. They went swimming and played ball. 
My TREADMILL:
I love the TV attached to the TM. 
I used the holders for my chomps, lip gloss, New Runners World magazine,tissue and water. This was very convenient for a long run to not have to carry these on my run.
I considered running part of this run on the track but I got sucked into a marathon of Walking Dead on AMC. 
My family are counting down to next Sunday when the new season begins. 
I wanted to do the cold plunge on my knees and take a shower but Austin came over and did not look well. Sympathetic for his anxiousness to get home I grabbed my bag and bolted.

I am beat up. My body is feeling today's run. I am sore and tired. But not the tired you can sleep. I have had a hard time sleeping the past few nights. This morning I was up at 6am.  All I could think about was Ariel. Everything went back to her. After church I decided to try and take a nap before my run but only fell asleep for about 15 minutes. I woke up to Austin snoring and more thoughts of Ariel.

I am Grateful though. I am Grateful for strong legs and a strong heart. I am Grateful for a heart that God fuels. I am thankful for the strength GOD has supplied me with. The Strength that gets me through physically, mentally and emotionally. I am Grateful for every thought, every drop of sweat, every step planted forward. I am Grateful. 
I am Grateful for 15 minute naps sadness and hurting knees after a 15 mile run.
I am Grateful. Are you?
What Are YOU Grateful for today??
 Please take a minute, think about it and share it with me. 

If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily.  ~Gerald Good
Anita

A little peice of me..

As many of you know I am not a fan of Fridays.
Fridays dredge up to many hurts from losing my Ariel.
I go to work much like I did that day 16 weeks ago. But it is just not the same. I smile, I can even carry on normal conversations but they still suck.

Today I got a message much like that one 16 weeks ago. Only today it was different.
My sisters dad died.
My sister has a big heart. I feel so very bad for her.

I grew up with my brother and my sister but all 3 of us have different dads.
I never thought much of it because they were always my BROTHER and SISTER : PERIOD.
There were no halves or step they were my own and all I knew.
We took care of each other. We protected each other. We were all we knew and that was just the way it was.

I don't really remember ever meeting Gina's dad. But he is her DAD.
I hurt for her.
You never really get used to death. At 39 years old I have dealt with death on so many many levels.
I lost both parents by the time I was 18.I lost uncles and aunts.
Grandpas and my amazing Grandma who lived to 99.
And My dear Ariel who died just 16 weeks ago at only 21 years old.
Death stings. It bites.
I hate the damage it leaves.

Please keep my sister in your prayers. She has such a terrible time with death. I am really concerned for her. She could really use some extra prayers.
Thank you~
Anita