My Day in Pictures...

Coming home from work to a lil Note from my Niece.

Jeremiah 30:17
"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD.

My alarm clock woke me up disguised as a nagging, pounding, irritating  headache. My body was sabotaged by a heaving cough. I was nervously waiting for Andy to kick my butt out of bed. Each time I went into a coughing spell it felt so good that I thought it was the LAST one.  But soon it was accompanied by more hacking and barking.

When I made my Dr.s appt Monday I could not get in till today at 9:55. I NEEDED to see the Dr...for more than one reason.

This is HUGE! I have gained 5 lbs! This is something I really struggle with. I know what weight for me is HEALTHY, this is a big victory to see this number. I could gain weight easier...But the Challenge is to NOT to do it eating Poorly..Rather to eat properly W/O high fat, processed or simple carbs.

1. Fear!!

• I was now at the scared stage. Concerned that I may have waited to long. I had Pneumonia a few years back and ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung...IN AUGUST! This put a HUGE Wall up for my running.  And was mostly caused from avoiding the DRs. 
• Also my RUNNING/TRAINING depend son my recovery...DID I wait too long??????????????????

2. My Thyroid

• I needed to get my blood checked and prescription refilled. I have been off my meds the last couple months. I get fatigued & my blood sugars mess up, both these effect my training...and my health.

I arrived at the Drs and after getting all my vitals, Weight, Temp, Blood Pressure (112/70) I waited to see the DR. Dr Abraham suggested a steroid shot to "expedite" things. And we decided to draw blood for thyroid. I am not sure how that is going to turn out because my sugar dropped when I was in waiting room.
I got my pokes delivered by a FIRST TIMER!! She did pretty good..She got 1 out of 2 anyway!! The Nurse had to get my blood draw because First Timer Totally missed my vein and I have PIPES!
BUT here is the funny. I left for the DRS feeling like a wet noodle and by the time I got back to work and headed home at 4:30 the girls were all making fun of me. I was jumping off the walls. "That shot of steroid makes you feel like a CRACK Head" I told the girls, then I realized what it sounded like and told them "Not that I know what Crack does..I am just saying!"  "Katie", who I work with reminded me "even though you FEEL good, you still need to go home and relax." UGh...

FISH TACOS W/ Black Bean and Avocado Slaw : No Leftovers from Dinner tonight!!

Flonase, synthroid, and 10 day horse pill antibiotic

Feeling the LOVE from My Darling NIECE ARIEL!! She is the Best!!! The Lemon Ice is MY FAVORITE...And SO is ARIEL!!!

No running tonight...Praying for double digits tomorrow.

Top Of Prayer list:

Our family. Our Children

My health..my heart

Andys healing of his foot and Achilles 

Unspoken.for the healing of hearts, I can Not change others, only God can...

"Matt" to get a steady income for his family

The Robinson Family, loss of their child
There are many other prayers said...If you have a hard time sleeping I am sure you can find rest in praying..

Anita

Breaking the Rules.

"If its in your CHEST it is Best to Rest." 

Popping a squat after my run!

Just a little ditty I use to remind myself when you are not supposed to run. I am going on 2 weeks of different symptoms related to sinuses. I feel like the perfect candidate for a NyQuil commercial. 

It is in the LUNGS now. I know running outside is on the naughty list..but I was already so behind. 

Andy made it worse by telling me he was going to go to Indian Springs for his long run. "What!" I thought without me?? 

Andy was going to do his long run today, 9 miles and do a 11 and 1. 11 minutes run, 1 minute walk. "Hmm" I thought, I could do that. I was  scheduled to do 22 today. But I partnered up with him this afternoon  and did his 9 with him..

I am not feeling worse..but I am not feeling better. My throat hurts, my ears are popping, and yes..I do have a cough and a runny..UGH... 

I am praying this cold doesn't get worse.  It is really hard when it comes to running to practice what you preach. 

"Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't really hold a lot of weight!

Well the NyQuil is calling my name, staring at me on my bed stand. Sweet sweet dreams.  Nothing profound tonight.

Think of me when you are saying your prayers tonight!

We took Alec and a friend of his to the park to ride bikes.

Anita

Running into a New Season

Eccl 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

I wanted to up my miles this week.

Tuesday after work I decided I would run 3 miles. This is a big task for me because I never run on Tuesdays. 

I decided to take it nice and slow, it seemed like it was taking forever, yet I couldn't even get my legs to turn over at the pace they were doing. What was going on??? 

By the time I got home with Sheba (Took her running with me) I felt like I had been beat up and left to die. 

Wednesday was going to be a special day. Andy said he would take me to the track and do speed work. But as Wednesday progressed I again felt like someone had worked me over. The wind was blowing cold air with a vengeance. My throat was hurting, I had a headache and I was suffering from a bad case of whining!  I cancelled our date to the track..No running for me. 

This was NOT the way I planned my week for running. I was feeling like a big King Baby pouting. Not only was I not going to be able to "up" my miles, now I was actually going to be DOWN my miles. 

I had to just give it to God. Get over it. I know being sick is the season I am in. It is allergy season for me. It gets me every year....several times.

 Eccl 1:9 "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;  there is nothing new under the sun" 

It is nothing new..NEITHER are disappointments. This was a different season...this is one I can enter into often.

Being disappointed is not new. Actually it is a well tread road I travel often. I am learning to give it to God. Let it Go and just make the best of what I have.  Disappointments when not managed and kept under check can lead to a multitude of emotions that will place your butt right on the old PITY POT!

Yeah, I am disappointed but I am not discouraged.

I am disappointed by I am  not distressed.

I am disappointed but I am not disabled.

That's part of life. It is not a new emotion, and it will resurface again..Disappointments won't break me. The only thing that is the End of the World is the End of the World! 

Some seasons last long, some season even feel new,  some seasons are short but when we just accept each day as it comes we will be able to transitions into our seasons easier. 

I was talking to a sweet friend of mine, "Celeste". This was a break through for her. It was time for her to move into a new season.  We discovered tonight that when we move into a new season we have some clean-up from the previous season. We have some left over debris to remove to better prepare us and make the best of where we are going. Maybe You have a little clean up to do???


As I close I am relating this to my day of running today. I was still under the weather. I medicated myself up and met the girls at Indian Springs for our weekly 8 miles. They carried me through my season of Allergies. I couldn't have done it without the encouragement and support of Katie and Danielle. I was really miserable.


If you are going through a hard season, God places people around you for help and support. Embrace them to help carry you through this hard time. 


Try to remember every season is temporary. Be Patient. Trust God and his Plan for you.

"Rather than praying for a change in Circumstance Pray for a Change in Character."

And Last...Nothing is new Under the Sun..It may feel like no one knows what your going through, you may not even know..But you are not alone...


Anita

Marathon Madness: Just the Basics Questions Answered.

 Not everyone is a runner. Not everyone even have passions anymore. I was speaking to a childhood friend of mine this week and she was in a slumber. She just wanted to have a passion. She wanted something to call her own. something to get excited about that was hers. She wanted something that set her apart, gave her personal zest and excitement.
That is running. As runners we are a unique bunch. We are passionate and deep. We all have a story, a disappointment and a dream. We have seen our hell and touched the clouds to heaven.  Most of us don't run for winning because every race finished is a victory. We run for OURSELVES. Yes, we have medals and bibs, we have the tee shirt and the photo. But we have something else, we have routine, passion, perseverance and a unique support group. We come in all shapes and sizes, we have different goals and gifts..but when it all comes down to it we all lace up the same.

This is my own thoughts, these are my ideas and suggestions unless otherwise state. I am sharing this from MY personal experience.
Here are a few questions that "Jessica" wanted to know about training for a marathon:

  What should I know for training?

 I personally would recommend running a marathon with at least 1 year of running experience. This time frame sets up our body into motion. It transitions both your body and your mind into warrior mode. Allowing it to adapt safely. Running that distance puts a lot of stress on your body, so moving into it slower is better.
Running a marathon is a RACE. I would get some Racing Experience. Have fun. Set goals: sign up a 5K, then a 10K, then a HALF Marathon....all this leading to the Mac Daddy...The Marathon. Baby steps. Mini accomplishments.

 What are your favorite shoes, gear, etc?

Everyone has different favorites, but here are mine!!

• Shoes: Brooks/Asaics
• Shorts: Brooks
• I love running socks, Asaics, Brooks
• I run with my GARMIN..watch, keeps pace, alerts, heart rate, distance ,GPS &much more!
• Running Magazines, http://www.runnersworld.com/, Running Times ect....
• My favorite running Hat: LUCY Hat 
• Nutrition for LONG RUNS: CHOMPS, CHIA SEEDS, Juice Plus gummies
• FOAM ROLLER!!  "Trigger Point"

 Do you run with music?

Yes..I LOVE listening to music. I have used music as a way to escape since childhood. I would play old cassettes of Prince Purple Rain, David Bowie or homemade cassettes from the local radio stations all day and night long. I would fall asleep with the headphones pierced into my ears to drown out the alcoholic chaos that was going on in the other rooms.  

Music stirs me, drives me and has the power to set a mood with in me. 

BUT....

Most of your larger races do not encourage Ipods, or music. People do not hear if there is an emergency vehicle coming or hear if they should take a certain "Turn". It is a distraction for many runners. 

When training it is always good to run "Quiet". It gives you the opportunity to LISTEN. Listen to your breathing and footwork and SELF. I usually like to drown my "SELF" out...but it is a mental thing. You have to have your HEAD in the GAME. A strong mind is not exercised if it is ignored. 

What are some good foods?

NUTRITION

3 Keys to Healthy diet: Balance, Moderation and Variety. 

It really is SIMPLE. Eat the daily recommendations for all food categories AND mixing it up is Variety! 

Moderation is not EXCESS. Remember you are what you eat! If you want a body that is going to perform for you than you have to fuel it properly! Also when you eat right you will find that mentally you are more focused and sensible. Eating right is so important. FAST FOOD is a NO NO. It is processed, high in saturated fats and usually not even natural.

Do you eat before or after a run (or both)?

 If you eat to soon before running you will most likely get a side stitch or cramps. You can run through these but it is going to make your run uncomfortable.

At least 30 minutes before. I like a Banana, WW bagel, Oatmeal or a power bar. 

Hydration is equally as important. A couple of hours before your run try and drink 2 glasses of h2O. 

After running you may not feel like eating but wait...OH YOU WILL!!! I like to have a protein shake. This aids in my recovery and is a healthy way to recover your tiny muscle tears. 

 When do your long runs do you have your phone on you?

NO!...Unless Ipod is dead. I ran with it last week and it was beeping and dinging notifications the whole time at me..So distracting!

 Did u wear one for marathon?

I don't even run with a phone for a marathon. I see many people with phones. They are nice to have to take pictures of the run and the race activities. They are also good to have for finding family members at the end of the race where it tends to get congested with spectators, participants and volunteers. Most races have a drop off site now for your personal items and setting up meeting times and places after a race is most convenient.

Amphipod makes both of these items!Holds keys,chomps ect..

Andy just recently bought me a couple new running items.

Holds 20oz H20. Easier than the water belt...Long run this weekend...

 Knee joint pills?

ICE ICE ICE! I ice 20 minutes after my run. Motrin, helps inflammation.  My brother Bobby reminded me a few months ago how important it is to ice. After 2 knee surgeries (not from running) I want my knees to take care of me as long as I can, so I try and take care of them. I did take glucosamine for a while also, Joint Juice is very popular.


"Psalms 18:33 "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer."
Sometimes we have these runs, but God also gives us brains with that body. Be good to the body he gave you. Take care of it, manage it properly and notice what it does to you in return.  ~

If you have any more questions please let me know, I love to help and encourage others to run. 

What suggestions do you have for these questions????

Anita

Trying to keep up with my RUNNING NOSE!

TOP 5 responses to "What to do when your mind is working Against YOU?" 

I loved the responses that I got. I got quite a few but thought I would post my top 6. I gotta say that these replies really came in handy today on my 20 miler. I think I used EVERYONE at some point or another. The one that came in handy the most was:

Ben B. Shut it off! The more a person internalizes thoughts the worse time they'll have. Instead focus on the scenery, objects in the distance that can serve as "mini-accomplishments....

Jill Privalsky i tell myself that this is it.. this is the event i have been training for. i tell myself that although it's tough, i have the capability to push through... i try to think about when i cross that finish line.. how i want no regrets. i want to know that i didn't let my guard down once during the whole race.. i remind myself that it's not the time that matters, but rather the effort i put in!!!

Lou Thrash Break miles down into small chunks and mentally get a goal for that part. Also get someone to be at certain mile markers looking for you. Gives you something to look forward to. For really tough miles have a runner friend come meet and pace you for a while

• Scott C. Stop thinking. I get some mindless tune going and zone out. 

   Fritz I like distraction. When I feel my thoughts turning negative, I start counting my footsteps. I concentrate on timing them to my breathing. Three steps per breath, one breath per second, 180 steps per minute. If that doesn't work, I usually think about food. That post run smoothie has helped me finish so many times...

   Greg S. Listen to podcasts like Dirt Dawg's Running Diatribe and Chris Russell"s RunRunLive 2.0!

  Shut it off! The more a person internalizes thoughts the worse time they'll have. Instead focus on the scenery, objects in the distance that can serve as "mini-accomploishments," and listening to breathing and cadence!

  Ben B. Shut it off! The more a person internalizes thoughts the worse time they'll have. Instead focus on the scenery, objects in the distance that can serve as "mini-accomploishments," and listening to breathing and cadence!
  

  

  
  
  It was a great day to have to run 20 miles if ever I saw one. But it did not lessen the punch it only made it more tolerable. The best conditions for a long grueling 20 miler!
   Not only did Andy decide to run a few miles with me but so did my nephew Brian.
   It was pretty cool though because my nephew Brian decide to run with me too!
  So I took off at 1pm with Andy to pick up Brian at 2:15 at moms house. Brian shows up looking all buff in his MARINES tee shirt. He decided to run Andy back home with me, about 3 1/2 miles back.
  
  So I had company for a total of 8 miles.  That meant 12 ALONE. It was a Snot and Go kinda run.
  I had the water belt around my waist. HORRIBLE, uncomfortable, tight, then loose then wobbly. I could not adjust it properly, the water kept jostling all over till it rearranged the water belt. I must have adjusted it 20 times by the time I had gotten 2 miles from dropping them off.
  I found the long grass and took it off. I did 4 miles then came back grabbed a small water bottle and took off for another 3.
  By the time I got back I switched water bottles putting the empty  one back in the holster and carrying the larger one filled with water and CHIA. This was going to be my last stop. I had six miles to go so I put the belt back on without the weight of the water and headed off.
  ALLERGY season means Alot of Snot. My nose kept running and I had nothing to wipe it with. I tried to do what Andy does, holding one nostril them blowing out the other. Not VERY Girly. But because of my lack of experience in blowing snot I got alot more in my mouth. NASTY. Not only gross tasting my own snot but then my ears got clogged and started popping. But with in minutes my nose would start running all over again. I continued to try the snot blowing thing...when there were not cars and with a upper lip full of goo I then just said the heck with it and pulled the inside of my shirt across my lip wiping it dry.. What a snotty mess! As gross as this was it worked. After running 16 miles having a shirt full of nostril juice was the last thing on my mind. I had dirt stuck in my sweat and my hands were gritty with sweat and dust from the back roads, my feet were starting to hurt and I wanted to make sure I was still running at "conversational pace"...A little liquid goo..No biggie.
  Conversational Pace...on long runs you should have no difficulty chatting..or blowing snot..lol
  So OUT LOUD I tested myself:
  "Anita can you talk to yourself?" I sang out loud*
  "Anita can you laugh at yourself?"
  "Anita can you sing to yourself?"
  "That's right sing, sing out loud. sing sing sing"  And I did. I was still in the game..I waSNOT to bad!
  
  Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem.
  Ronald Reagan, President of the United States; 1985
  

  

  Stud Muffin....HIM Not ME!

  
  ANITA
  
  

   

  
  

  
  

   

  
  

  
  

Marathon Madness. Part two..MIND GAMES!!

"Anybody can do just about anything with himself that he really wants to and makes his mind to do. We are capable of greater than we realize." Norman Vincent Peale

There is so much MIND work that goes with running a marathon. A dear friend Jessica posted this comment on the last Blog.

  "I am SO weak mentally so that's probably my biggest motivator - and my biggest hurdle in running a marathon! I want to build mental stamina but I am terrified my mind will be weak on the "big day". What do you do when your mind is working against you?"

The Mind is no matter to reckon with. The mind is capable of so many things. It is the very vessel that can break strong men and make Grasshoppers perform like Giants.

BUT...The key is to learn how to CONTROL your MIND and not LET your MIND Control YOU!!!

Before I was a runner EVERYTHING controlled my mind.I was swayed to every wind of emotion. I let negative and hurtful things rent space in my head. I would try so hard to disable my emotions but they ruled me and were constantly on autopilot.

I let people and my demons own me, control me and break me. I have always been that person that doesn't want anyone to "Not like her." Well that is a fairy tale world now isn't it. I have that personality where people are just not all going to like me. I have family members that do not like me..why would I be surprised that random people would not like me. I would try so hard to change thier minds. But what I found was the more I tried the more I lost my sense of Identity. 

I CAN NOT control how others feel about me, but I can CONTROL my mind and how I respond and react to it. 

Having a STRONG mind means YOU hold YOURSELF accountable. You have to be YOUR biggest cheerleader and #1 fan. YOU have to Believe in YOURSELF. You have to fully RELY on GOD and not MAN. YOU trust in GOD and have Peace with everything else. Everyday you be the best you can be, you try the hardest you can AND you let go of YOUR expectations of others and live solely by yours.

It is Physically Pain VS Mental STRENGTH. 

Austin running cross country...Right before he PUKED!! He ran down his mind, ignored the pain and pressed for the PRIZE!!

When our bodies experience physical pain our minds want to explode with psychotic emotions. We question not only ourselves but our agenda.

BREATH.FOCUS. Realign your thinking.

When you release your mind from bondage of self doubt, discouragement and  distress you free your body to take you places you never dreamed. Places God himself saw you accomplishing before YOU KNEW you could!

"Thoughts are not a necessity; most of the time they are just distractions that obstruct your inner vision."

"Pain is Temporary Quitting is forever." 

MANTRA, VERSES, QUOTES...Memorize them and armor yourself with them use them as fuel and armor against the voices that want to disable and discourage you. 

You are going to have tough runs. You are going to have tough races. 

When you take the time to LISTEN to yourself...do not advertise the voices in your head...people may commit YOU! 

"No negative thoughts cross my mind on race day. When I look into their eyes, I know I'm going to beat them."
Danny Harris

What advice would You give for mental strength to Jessica?? Where do you struggle? How do you stay strong in the midst of a training run or a marathon?? 

1 Tim 1:7 "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 

Anita

Marathon Madness. Part one...Why I chose the Marathon...

 

"We are different, in essence, from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." Emil Zatopek, winner of four Olympic gold medals

As many of you know, I am training for a marathon. This will be my 3rd marathon. 

• Chicago Marathon-10-10-10. 3:40:02 Ran for for Leukemia Lymphoma and qualified for Boston.
• Boston Marathon 4-18-2011. 3:39:44

The marathon is NOT my favorite race. I like the Half Marathon. 

The Marathon makes you feel like a Stallion. Powerful, strong and tough! It is the Race of all races, the Grandfather of distance. The "arrival" as a runner. This is ALL ONLY my perception!! And I am not working with a full deck..Just saying. There is no where this is written as truth.

The Marathon has been around since 490 BC. The Modern Athens Marathon commemorates the run of the soldier "Pheidippides" from a battlefield town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens where upon arrival of his message he was delivering collapsed and DIED!
The Message simply said "NIKI" which means VICTORY...."NIKI" is also know to many as NIKE!!

The apostle Paul gives many illustrations about "Running the Race" He talks about it often because the people in Greece could relate to the familiar games.

•  "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it" (1 Corinthians 9:24, ESV).
•  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."(Hebrews 12:1-2)

MARATHON HUMOR

The Marathon is ALWAYS 26.2 mile. I loved when I got done running or am training and someone always asks:
"So Nita, how far is a marathon?"  or "So, did you Win?"
Or one of my favorites "Is the Chicago Marathon as long as the Boston Marathon?"
I ACTUALLY even had someone ask "So how far is a Half?!
Many of you training for a marathon have heard these, ALL of these and can say "Yup, I have even heard these a few times!"

WHY RUN THE MADNESS of THE MARATHON:

 Frank Shorter, 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist:

 "You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming."

I ask myself this many times. I Love pushing my body to its limits. I love running. I love the warmth of the sunshine against my bare skin in the summer, the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. I love the breeze refreshing me, the birds soaring through the sky, and the serenity of quietness. I love the peace I absorb in the elements of earth. The greenery, the smell of lilacs, pine trees, horses in the pasture...I have a sense of smallness, humility, and powerlessness in Gods Beauty. I Love FEELING GOD all around me. A Oneness. I feel his presence as I run blocking out the chaos of the Children, the hurts of yesterday and today, the disappointments, disputes, and the overall DRAMA of LIFE and the people in it.

Bill Rodgers, winner of 4 Boston and four NYC marathons. "The marathon can humble you."

I push myself to the limits of the marathon for the same reason only more emotional. I do it because I believe God uses me in my weakness. "When I am weak He is Strong." I desperately seek his strength, his stamina, His endurance in my running...And that is where it collides with my life also. I break myself soo down that only GOD himself can carry me. Running to the level of pain and endurance of a marathon reminds me to humbly SEEK God. In order for me to ask him for Anything I have to come with a clean heart...It is here...HE searches me, It is HERE I purge, I release, I repent and Ask HIM to do a work in me.
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Soo Here is YOUR CHANCE:
ARE YOUR THINKING ABOUT RUNNING A MARATHON?
GIVE ME YOUR QUESTIONS...
For those WHO HAVE RAN AND DO RUN THE Marathon...Why DO YOU RUN it???
What Compels YOU to put your Body their such Stress and discipline???

Tomorrow I will answer some questions and give some Tips and Ideas for those considering Tackling the Madness of the Marathon!

"I've learned that finishing a marathon isn't just an athletic achievement. It's a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible." John Hanc

Anita