My Heart took me running but I forgot to grab my brains!

 "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham

I decided today would be a good day to get my long run out of the way. Sundays or Mondays are typically when I like to tackle my distance but Monday my kids are off school and home with me. 
I tried to guilt Andy into running part of my 14 mile run with me. I even sent a text to my long lost running partner Heidi. She has a new job and her schedule is a bit hectic these days.
It was 10:30 and I was desperately seeking someone to share on ANY part of next 2 hours pounding the pavement.
My phone alerted me I had a TEXT... It was Heidi..."PLEASE Please, join me, even for 2 miles." I thought. She responded with a "YES"!  Heidi wasn't available until 4:30 but could do 4 or 5 miles with me. I was tickled pink!! I was so grateful that I could hardly wait to lug my body out in 29 degree weather for over 2 hours of monotonous running!

I spent 25 minutes stretching and rolling my IT-BAND. And was surprised my leg wasn't as painful rolling as it had been for the past 3 weeks. This is a good sign.

All dressed, I grabbed my Juice Plus Chews, 2 pieces of gum, water with CHIA seeds, and headed out the door.

Now I am not the sharpest tool in the shed. I have never claimed to be but this was the 3rd time I miscalculated  my run in 5 weeks. SIMPLE MATH.
Thank God today my legs worked better than my brains!!!
 I left my Chia H2O at home to do a 6 mile loop where I grab my Chia H2O and carry it to Heidi's.  I would drop it off at her house and together continue on. Drop her off after 6 miles, grab H20 and run home.
6mile loop
6miles with Heidi
2 miles home
14 miles

CAN You figure out what I didn't add in?????????????????????????????????????????????
If you answered the miles to Heidi's house- could you please share some brains with me??!!
I just turned 14 miles into 16 and couldn't believe I was still standing when I got home. Not only standing but feeling pretty good. Maybe not "pretty good" just not "pretty bad"!

ICE*Motrin* Elevate*

"Marathon running is a terrible experience: monotonous, heavy, and exhausting."
Veikko Karvonen, 1954 European and Boston Marathon Champ

When I have to run that long I battle with so many demons. It is not easy. I do it because it is part of the training, part of the package. But I am not gonna lie..It SUCKS. It is cold, windy, I am layered and uncomfortable. I worry about my body, blisters, and my sugar not dropping.
Today I had Hope. I didn't even notice the temps, my feet, the wind or the miles or minutes. I couldn't think about anything but seeing "Heidi".  She always has this incredible smile. She was there for me when I needed her. What a incredible feeling. She was such a blessing to me. Heidi just helped her sister with her long run on Friday, doing 10 miles with her! And Now she was helping me!
Do you know how good it feels when you are all alone, when you have to do something you are dreading and someone says..I will do it with you, You are not going to have to do this alone. ANYTHING...I would have taken Anything...2 miles...30 minutes...It was such an encouragement to me.
Everything hurts more when there is no one there to support you. It feels like it will never end. The obstacles seem more difficult and defeat appears clearer then accomplishment.
But today...There was Help..Encouragement..Support... Faith and Ambition..
Today I was not only able to finish...But finish Farther...Stronger and Sorer! LOL

Proverbs 20:6 “Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?” (NLT)

Can I encourage you to be someones Silver lining? Be their  Glimmer of Hope..Maybe you can't go the full distance...But any little bit, I promise could be someone else's Blue Sky.
Not just in running..In Life. It may be a little uncomfortable for you, It may even interrupt your agenda..But it will Make Someones Else's Journey a little Better, a little Easier and  a little Happier.

BTW..I am laying here in bed..My toosh is soo sore, my legs feel like rubber and I am exhausted. I took a hot bath and thought it was the magic remedy...But all that pain is slowly surfacing.....It is going to be a long night!!
Thankful For My RUNNING Partners to the fullest. Each one have been there for me. I wouldn't be where I am at without them the last year. Soo blessed for those Angels God has given me...
All My Love  TO Heidi, Katie and Danielle.

CHECK IN TOMORROW TO LEARN A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MY CHIA!!

Anita

Blood and Blisters in my New Brooks.

We finished our run at Indian springs this morning feeling accomplished. The rain held off leaving the trail in the woods misty and dewy. The fog put a mysterious veil over the foliage.

LOOK at the TOE!!The BLEEDING Toe.not the overlapping WEIRD looking TOE!

 Poor ugly Feet!

When we finished I looked down and saw a tinge of pink on my left shoe in the toe area. The pink was almost transparent but it left a question mark floating in my head. I got home and not to my surprise my second toe nail was bleeding..GRRR
I have these 90$ shoes that are giving me blisters and making my toes bleed..This has never happened to me. UGH! There is no way I can take them back, they have 21 miles of outside running and tainted with blood on the toe.  There is no way I can run out and buy another pair. It is actually Andys turn, he needs a new pair, then it is Austins turn, he is going to need shoes for Cross Country!!
So I am not sure what I am going to do. I was hoping they would stretch out..Of course. You buy new shoes and hope they will do so much..Make you RUN faster, Make you RUN harder, Make you RUN longer...Oh the Pressure ON NEW Shoes!
I will let you know if there is any toenail left on Sunday for my Long run!...Those should be some fun pictures!

I made some new recipes this week.

Yogurt parfait: 

1/4 cup low fat Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Fresh Strawberries/Blueberries
1 Tablespoon Protein Powder Vanilla (I use JUICE PLUS COMPLETE)
Almonds
MIX YOGURT, COTTAGE CHEESE, AND PROTEIN POWDER TOGETHER, AND LAYER WITH FRUIT, AND TOP WITH NUTS!
Nutritional Analysis: 260 calories, 6g fat, 307 mg sodium, 11g carbohydrates, 4g fiber,  38g protein

My OPINION: WAY to early to eat in the morning...The dairy almost did me in. I couldn't finish last bite, it was wanting to come up- not go down! Better to have for a Post Run Treat.

Whole Wheat Double Berry Muffins:

2 cups W W Flour
1 egg
1/2 cup applesause
2 tablespoon Canola oil
1/2 cup blueberries and strawberries chopped
1 tablespoon suger, I used Brown
1/4 cup milk or to consistency.

Mix egg, then sugar then rest of ingredients put in greased muffin pans.  I sprinkled mine with sugar.
Bake 350 for -15 minutes. or until toothpick comes out clean.

These were Wonderful..Went down real well...Especially warm with a skim of Real Butter!

Fun Runner Jokes!

  A blonde goes out for a run
A blonde goes out for a run. She comes to a river and cannot see a bridge anywhere nearby. She spots another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoohoo doll!" she shouts, "How can I get to the other side?" The second blonde looks up the river then down the river then shouts back, "You're already on the other side!"

What are you running this weekend? Are all you New Year Resolutioners still sticking to your game???
What are we training FOR???

 
Anita 

From Pixie Dust To Peanut Butter!!

  “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” — Allan K. Chalmers

Left Knee..Acknowledged. ( Acknowledged = it is letting me know it is there. It is not silent but it is not deadly)
IT Band..Pesty =  It is just being annoying...Creeps me out because it wants so bad for me to make ONE wrong MOVE and then BAM! It is going to bear its UGLY FACE and torture me mentally and physically.

SOOO What are you doing about that ANITA?????????????/
I am rolling Before I RUN.
I am rolling After I RUN.
I am stretching. I am Icing. I am Praying. I am asking for Prayers. I am cutting back on tough runs.

And I bought New shoes.

I didn't get to wear them till Monday because I bought the wrong size and had to return them.

I did my long run  in them, 13 miles on Monday. They felt a bit tight in the toe, but I will keep a eye on that.

 Baumans Running store, They are close convenient and have a great variety of running supplies. They gentleman that was working is also very helpful. He is a running coach so it is great to have his knowledge and expertise.....Even if he is a "NIKE GUY"!!

Today Andy challenged me to this TM work out he found on Active.
http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Treadmill-Training-With-Dave-Scott.htm

I printed it and took it to the Gym. 

 This was a tough Work out. There were a couple factors that made it challenging.
1. My stupid Dreadmill kept shutting off. I eventually just traded her in for a new one.
2. The first SET was the most difficult for me. The hills were challenging. But I knew Andy did it and that motivated me to try.
3. By the 4th rep of the first set I thought I was going to UP CHUCK!..
4. It is challenging to: A) Do the work out all the way through..But B) YOU put in your pace. So you can manipulate your work out a bit. Being wise to punch in the right numbers to challenge yourself BUT also careful not injure YOURSELF!
 Please Try this Dread Mill workout and tell me what you think of it!! I am for sure going to have to do it again. It takes around 45 minutes. Next time with the hubby.

Favorite Foods!

PB J with Homemade Raspberry Jam on WW

MY favorite is Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flax Seed!
"Contains 320 mg ALA Omega-3 per serving, or 25% of the Daily Value for ALA (1.3 g)"


NEW product for me though is MaraNatha Organic No Stir Peanut Butter.
I think it is a second Favorite now!! It is easy to purchase because you can get it at almost any large grocery store. It is not exclusive to only one store and the fact that it's Organic is also a bonus.

It has been a rough couple days. I really needed today's RUN.

I Needed to BUILD A BRIDGE and GET OVER IT!!

I wanted to sweat out my frustration, Run Down my expectations and do something bigger than Nothing. I wanted to seek my own victory and not wait for someone to give me happiness or fulfillment. While it is great to have people love, support, uplift, and encourage you..You can't expect others to fulfill you.. they are a gift not a promise. You have to always Count on God fulfill you. You have to do the work. I have to manage MY emotions, I have to Control My Happiness, I had To achieve My GOOD DAY. Running and challenging myself is a direct route to TRIUMPH and GRATITUDE.
I knew this workout was going to be challenging. But every set I accomplished I was closer to the Prize. Peace. Contentment. Success. Gratitude. I Knew what I had to do. It is Challenging to make ourselves Happy. It is not a fairytale world. No one is going to sprinkle Pixie Dust on you and tell you "SMILE Life is GRAND" Life IS GRAND..But you may just have to work at it.

Do you struggle keeping a brimming smile on? What do you do about it? Are you working harder at being a sour puss than you are at being grateful and joyful?

Ecclesiastes 3:12
"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live."

Anita

When there is no Road to Run on

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

The weekend was good. No major outbursts from Austin, which makes the whole house so much more peaceful!

Austin Snowboarding. 

Friday after working all day we just chilled out. And Saturday after working I came home and took the boys sledding. I love sledding.I like getting all bundled up and playing with them. When we came home, we had dinner and watched a movie. It was a late night. 

Alec, heading up for another run down the Hill!

But then Sunday rolled around..Yeah today. Even though I went to bed late I still got up early. So after church I was dragging. And after lunch I was completely pooped out, it all hit me.

I still had to do a long run. 

Because of the pain in my knee and IT-Band inflamed I have scaled back. Today I was not going to up my miles. I was going to keep them the same as last weeks, 13. But today I was tired...a nap sounded really inviting...

Shouldn't have taken that nap. I woke up unmotivated and tight on time. My 13 miler now transformed into 6! It was sunny out so I thought I would at least run outside. I was pretty excited to try out my new shoes anyway. My excitement also transformed...into disappoint! After layering and lacing up I discovered my back heel did not want to stay in my new BROOKS. Upon further investigation I discovered I was in a size to big.

In Asaics I wear a 8 1/2

In Brooks I wear 7 1/2 

I got confused and brought home BROOKS in a 8 1/2! (I came into the store in my Asaics)

Quickly trying to recover my disappointment, I switched into my oldies(Asaics) and headed out.

I am not going to lie...I just wasn't feeling it. NO Part of it. Today's run was as much of a chore as washing the toilets after 3 guys!

And to make matters worse there was no Road to Run on! I was uneasy as the cars passed so close. I ran into the snow a few times but because of the miles on my shoes I almost slipped from no tread. Traffic was quite busy on my route and I found myself praying. But I wasn't even thinking about me. I was Thinking about "Jill" who's husband had a massive stroke last week and "Rose" who just had a tumor removed from her spinal cord that was causing her to loose her ability to walk. Both of these ladies are my clients. Both I care for deeply. God is so good though, as I forgot to pray for my path he directed my steps and made my path clear and safe. My heart was wanting to go for a run, My heart was wanting to do more than my mind wanted to do. My heart was heavy for these ladies..But God took over and cleared my path. There were exceptionally more cars moving all the way over into the other lane. People were so polite and conscientious of me running on their road. 

Sometimes we run out of road. We do not have anywhere to go. We feel defenseless and defeated. The path just isn't clear and precise. Sometimes we are even confused to what direction we have to go in. Life is filled with so many variables and yet nothing makes sense. But I promise you when you trust in God, when you trust in someone BIGGER than yourself, He will clear your paths, He will direct your steps, He will give your direction. When our focus is on HIM. God will show up every time and be the Compass of your Life.

Psalm 48:14
For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.

Anita

The Hardest thing ever.

Austin and me~

What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
Think about it? Did it require Physical Pain? Emotional Pain? Financial Pain? Was it a Circumstance that you had to go through? Was is a Ailment you had to recover from?

I think about this frequently. Growing up and coping with an alcoholic mother was very difficult. There were times that I thought that another day  in that life was going to bury me. There were times when I wished it did.

Giving birth to my over 8 lbs of pure Joy was difficult. I refused to get an epidural, enduring the pain and pushing that little Hercules out was definitely a feet in itself.
But even that was not the hardest thing ever. I wouldn't even rank it in the top 5.

Now, running the Chicago Marathon to qualify for Boston is really tied for 1st. 90 degrees of pure sun for 26.2 miles was like running in HELL. I peed my pants multiple times. I was on the cusp of a heat stroke, I was battling cold sweats and shivers in blazing heat. I had Pacers screaming at me and passing me water as I would try to shake off the fear and panic my body was alerting me to. I was delirious and confused at the last 5 miles. I wanted so bad to just fall over. I thought I was going to literally DIE.
But that was not even the hardest thing I have ever done...

I have pushed out a 8 lb baby..pretty easy, Ran through hell, grew up in Dysfunction Junction and had to bury my mother at 18 and STILL nothing comes close to a raising preteen, pubescent, overstimulated, hormonal teenager..He is 13 this summer!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians  13:4-8b
I was speaking in our Addiction group on Tuesday about Love and not letting our loved ones push our button, "LOVE IS PATIENT..." I gave a scenario that had occurred regarding my 12 year old and his temper tantrum. My son is not addicted to drugs or alcohol but he was a temper. Suddenly the group hugged me with words of encouragement. I needed that so bad.

A picture is worth a 1000 WORDS!!

I wake up in the morning wanting to be the best mom I can be and when I go to bed at night I feel like the biggest failure that has walked the earth. I think our first born children should have a return policy. Or there should be a "REDO" on them. I want so hard to do the right thing. But after I do what I think is the right thing I feel like it is all wrong. I can perform the exact same way one day then the next I find the whole strategy has completely flipped dipped and tripped over itself. I look at the brilliant, beautiful boy one day who has the whole world in the palm of his hands, then the next his HALO is so tilted it is hanging on by a thread...if at all. I wasn't warned or prepared.

It is so hard. I can run 26.2 miles sweating and peeing my pants and it seems like a cake walk compared to this!
Today was a good day. One day at a time. We both had a good day in our roles. I am not sure what tomorrow holds. I want to be Patient, Loving kind..
I want to be more than I am. Thank God for new days, second chances..For Both Of Us!!

What is Your Hardest thing you have ever done?
Are you raising teens? Do you find challenges raising Your children? I would love to know I am not alone, is there others that can offer their advice, encouragement?

Anita~

"Hey Moron, You are not gonna get far without me,".....

Last YEAR.Clint Verrans PT..

Hey Nita, Remember me?, I am your Left Knee. You remember me, you put me under the knife twice. You have pretty little scars to remind you of the abuse you gave me. We have been through a lot together. I love the places we have gone but I don't like the abuse you have put me through lately. Sometimes I think you have forgotten  all about me when you go putting all these miles on at once with out warning me.
I am sorry for the last couple days, But I had to get your attention. I have to remind you that I am still attached and if you continue to put me through hell I am going to remind YOU and take YOU along for the RIDE. And if that does not get your attention then I am going to go next door, To RIGHT KNEE and we are going to put the smack down on you. As a matter of fact I already have a call into Right Knee as we speak. And I am just warning you he has something up his sleeve. I will give you a hint...IT BAND!!!

Anti Gravity DREADMILL. Got my miles in with out pounding on IT BAND

YUP..That's right Nita. I think you have forgotten who you are messing with. There is only so much we are going to take and we are going to come back swinging. Do I need to remind you of last year when  you were training for Boston??? Yeah, shall we go down memory lane?? I had to buddy up with Right Knee then. We sure had you fooled though..DUMMY. You were so dumb you were running on the treadmill barefoot thinking it was your KNEE. Ha Ha, you looked like such a  MORON!! You thought you could be a barefoot runner. Give the girl a little knee pain and a Barefoot running book and she thinks she can cure herself with a pair of Vibram 5 fingers!! DUMMY!! You quickly  found yourself in Physical Therapy with your IT band a hot mess then you got the message we were sending last year.

You think You can just increase your miles and speed without preparing us? Without warning us? You are stubborn. We don't want to take you down again but you are Running a fine line with us.

Listen, I noticed you cut back today. I appreciate it. You stretched and rolled and rolled some more. I know it was hard for you to only run 2 miles and do it on the TM when it was sunny out. That means a lot to me and didn't go unnoticed. I know your Goal is to run this marathon in May. I am still a little bitter over your decision to do this. But as long as you take care of me, as long as you do not take me for granted, as long as you train smart and not with your heart rather with your head I will do my best to help you achieve your goal.
Just one more thing. You need to kick up the prayers. You have been slacking in that department. I NEED God to give me strength, courage and stamina. I can not do this alone. If you want to achieve great things you have to seek God. You have to remember to go to him. I need him. I can not perform with out him. I want to see great things with you Anita. I REALLY Do. But I can NOT do this on my OWN.

"My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." Psalms 121:2

 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Yours truley, Left KNEE! 

******************

 Side Note Ramblings: Loyalty Vs Integrity

My deep thoughts. There were some circumstances that got me thinking this week. I think it is important to be LOYAL. There is not a lot of LOYALTY left anymore. I can respect Loyalty. But I noticed that sometimes people can be so loyal, to a person, and idea, a profession, etc that they LOOSE their Integrity for their Loyalty. People want so bad to have this loyalty that they loose their self. They will lie, exaggerate, hide, enable to stay loyal. I am not sure I want this loyalty. I need to be loyal to myself BEFORE anybody or anything else. Then I need to be Confident in Who I am. If I am honest, and true I can still be loyal..right? 

It bums me out to see people compromise their character for something other than themselves.  We all have an audience....And everyone is watching. I respect loyalty...But it gets totally disguised if you do not have any integrity...

 What are your thoughts here??? Have you witnessed this?? At Work? With family/Friends? 

ANITA

Running up Hill and Foods you should Avoid!

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are." Bernice Johnson Reagon

The weather in Michigan has been unseasonably warm. Michigan runners who are training for spring marathons have been very blessed with weekend temperatures in the 40's and sun.

My "long run" usually falls on Sunday. Superbowl Sunday was my Super Sunny Long Run.
Having the sun blasting at me was a good invitation to accept.
Not only were the clouds pretty absent from the sky but so were the voices in my head. So with no partner and not much to think about I was going to have to cling to the clear skies as my partner.
It was pretty smooth sailing till I got to about mile 9. I turned onto Falk road which is a dirt road. The road appeared innocent enough till about a quarter of a mile down. I was up to my soles in mud. I was bob and weaving around pot holes and sloppy mud pits. There was no way to avoid the slop. I was at the beginning stages of tiredness and boredom had already set in when I saw "it"... The Hill. "Ugh" I thought. I could feel the dirt in my shoes and now I had to climb this. About then just the right song came on and I looked UP and looked the hill Right in the eyes never looking down or back, Facing it -I conquered it.

As I was closing in on the top I thought to myself, isn't this LIFE. Each day we are presented with  challenges. Do we hunker down in Fear? Do we turn away and never conquer it? Do we give up never reaching the TOP?? I had already ran almost 10 miles. I was tired, muddy, lonely and had to PEE!
But no matter the Emotion, the Circumstance or the Distraction I DID NOT quit. I reached the top and kept on going all the way to 13 miles.
Please think of this your next time you are faced with a challenge. Recognize how you handle it. Go at it looking it straight on, keeping your head high, and do not quit! You may be surprised at what you can do, and what God has equipped you to do.

My knee is hurting today. I have been taking Motrin the last couple days. I went to the gym to do some core work and cross train a bit. I did 2 easy miles on the TM and came home. Only when Andy came home he wanted to go for a 6 mile walk/run/. Stupid me couldn't say NO. Now I am paying the price.

Foods To Never Eat! And their substitutions.
1. Steer Clear of FRIED FOODS. - High in Calories and Fat
BROILED IS BETTER..EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL.
2.There is nothing right in WHITE BREAD! Contains refined white flour and is converted by your body into sugar.
WHOLE GRAINS AND SPROUTED GRAIN BREAD.
3. Creamy Salad dressing- high in saturated fats and calories
VINAIGRETTE'S..OFTEN USED WITH OLIVE OIL.
4. White Rice isn't nice! -REFINED!!"Fiber and vitamins have been removed and the glycemic load will quickly prime your body for storing fat." According to Dr. Sartorius
BROWN RICE- Brown rice has three times the amount of fiber, more B vitamins as well as Selenium, and manganese , won't sky rocket your blood, and will keep you feeling fuller for longer due to the whole grain and high fiber.
5. Canned Soup- Very high in sodium
LOW SODIUM SOUPS.

What are you training for?? How do you overcome running when you hit "Your Wall"?
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers for my knee.
What are some food that you avoid?
For those who are training, KEEP IT UP!!

Anita