Fortune Teller: Running from Ebola Zombies

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."

 

 

3 weeks out from the Detroit Marathon. My longest run has been a 18 miler. I am 2 weeks behind in training .

I truly believe I can do this, regardless of being behind. I had to play catch up with wisdom and patience. Two more things I am not good at!

 

I don't live behind stained glass. I try to be real and transparent with life and my training.

Truth is I am scared.
Today, on my 10 miler with Danielle I went into a small panic going up another hill. I could feel my heart triple time beating like a crack head. I wondered how my body was going to push through 26.2 miles in less than 3 weeks.

I wondered a lot in my dying moment.

I look over at Danielle and she is hardly breathing. I am staring at her out of the corner of my eye trying to stick close to her. "This woman amazes me, is she smiling too?"

Good grief, my face was all contorted, my breathing was erratic and I thought I was going to barf at any moment.

And I swear she was smiling!

 

I am going to run a 20 miler next Monday. This will be my one and only 20 miler. I have never ran a marathon without doing at least 2- 20 milers and 1-22 miler.

 

It will honestly be a miracle. Well, my marathons have always been a miracle. God is my strength in all of them.

 

At this point I have NO time for any mistakes. Everything has to be very intentional and precise.

• My diet
• My stretching, rolling, and icing
• My runs and workouts.
• My recovery

 

Diet: Most people think they should carb load a couple days before the marathon. In fact, you should start a week out. I personally try to maintain more carbs throughout my training for the marathon because I loose weight when I get into high miles. If you have seen me, I look like I need to be admitted for a eating disorder at the peak of my training. I am fortunate. I have had some partners that have Gi issues and cannot eat anything for hours before a run. I on the other hand, can grab a piece of bacon and head out the door. Oatmeal before my run isn't so pretty though!

Stretching, Rolling Icing: Don't think you are so invincible that you can remove these from your training. Get into the habit NOW, and prevent injury. I pick my son up from Cross Country and you always see the kids icing and stretching...

My Runs My Workouts: With like 16 days to go, this is the part of my training that I have to be very intentional. Not a whole lot of fun in this training, being injured is not much fun overall though!

My Recovery: Rest. Put your feet up, take days off. This is the first week in MONTHS that I have actually added up my miles! They are pathetic.
Monday: 18
Wednesday: 5
Thursday: 10
Total: 33
The average days trained for a marathon is 4/5 days. My days are as measly as my miles.
BUT I AM RUNNING! I am greatful for every slow, measly, poodunk mile I have put in!

5 people that Inspire ME:

1. Michelle B.- I have watched her training and have witnessed so much progress.
2. Aunt Lo- As she Battles with cancer she hasn't quit. It is so hard when you have no control over your body. When your body attacks you. I am proud of her overcoming her fears and being such a champion.
3. Jeff B. Old buddy, old pal Jeffrey, I call and check on him ever so often. He is a great encourager and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to running.
4. Danielle- She came off a terrible hamstring injury over a year ago. She never quit. She gets up at the butt crack of dawn, sometimes doing 2 work outs. My Running partner is a rockstar!
5. Sarah F.- Speak of injured, Sarah has gone against all the odds, headaches, shin splints, knee problems and all she wants to do is RUN RUN RUN. A girl after my own heart! 

 So Here is my Final thought:
You are what you think you are. I am seeing myself a champion. I am seeing Victory in this. I am also seeing ALOT of pain is going to take place for me to finish my marathon. That's OK. There is always a price to pay for greatness.
It is like I am my own fortune teller.
"Anita, I see a lot of pain in your face. I see sweat, or is that tears dripping down your cheeks? I see you running..And still running...Wow..You are still running and crying and ANITA I think you just peed your pants. I cant figure out what you are running from..Is it Ebola Zombies...I am looking deeply..You are still RUNNING, Good God woman!"

 Anita

 

 

The Good the Bad an the Ugly: Repeat

My first thoughts when I woke up besides "Coffee" was about Aunt Lo.
Today, Aunt Lo would be surrounded with her sister and her husband as she underwent her 3rd round of chemotherapy for Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

I had planned on running 5 miles easy today. 5 miles when training for a marathon is nothing special.
However, to me, these 5 miles were beyond special. I was again dedicating my miles to Aunt Lois.

I decided to kick it up a notch. I have been taking it very easy, to not wake a sleeping demon with my injury.
As I thought about Aunt Lois and this being her 3rd round of Chemo, I thought about REPEATS.
This next round for her is like a REPEAT.
Begrudgingly, she has to get back out there to get better.

I headed to the track at the gym directly after drop off for my boys.  My plan scared me. I thought, I want to get as close emotionally as I can to Aunt Lois. I had a lot of fears dancing around my head. I had enough Faith to trump those Fears and keep me moving forward in my plan. But the fear was in the shadow lands.

1 Mile WARM UP: Easy does it. As I gently ran around the track, I began to pray. I needed God to keep me Strong and Focused. During my warm up, I studied my plan and the purpose behind it. I took this mile to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to subject my body through. I prayed more.
 I prayed for Aunt Lois. I saw her doing her warm up, as she drove to the clinic. Oh, how her mind must have been really talking to her.

3 Miles of REPEATS apx: (The track at the gym is a little short) Without pacing myself.  1 lap slow, 1 lap fast: repeat for 16 laps.

1 Lap Slow: Easy up. That first lap you feel pretty good. You feel confident in your plan. You actually believe what you have posted in your mind. I could breath, My body felt good. My mind was stable. "I got this!"
2nd Lap Fast: This first lap even felt good. Yes, my heart was pounding out of my chest, I was moving. I felt so good even as I was racing around the track. The words that I spoke to myself  were still loud and clear, "You got this"

6 REPEATS went pretty good. My body, my mind and my mantra held fast. .

The 9th repeat, my voices were getting drowned out. The chatter in my head was getting gurgley.
This was a recovery lap. I want to walk. I wanted to quit. I wanted to slow down and crawl. I wanted to everything but get back up again and go fast.
Aunt Lois: Was this how she felt? Did she want to just stay put, not fight, not hurt?
Did she question the purpose of all this?
Was she fearful she was not going to be able to go another round? Even though she knew that in order to get better she had to push through the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

It was time to grit it out again. The slow repeat was over. I had to pick it up. I had to pick it up for HER. I didn't want to. I was feeling weak. My legs were tired. My mind was confused on my purpose. I was so scared. Was there an easier process to get the same results? I looked forward. "God, I NEED you now." I NEED you to give me everything I do not have." I could feel fear of failure pumping through my veins.
I questioned how weak I was.

I welcomed my breather. My repeat was done. I was so thankful for another round completed.  I had less than a mile to go. I could see myself at the end. Catching my breath, I tried to reign in my thoughts. I tried to get control back. 2 more hard laps. I can do 2 more hard laps. RIGHT?

I saw the clock in front of me. My skin was beat red. Sweat was trickling in my temples. I reminded myself to check my posture. Remember to breath. Pick up your legs. Look forward. I was checking through my mind trying to think of all the things that will help me to finish strong. At this point, Just Finish.

That last fast repeat I entered into DREAD. I saw the line across the track.  I thought  "What if this is all for nothing?" Maybe I should just slow down. "God, give me strength." This foreign sound came out of my mouth. "Get control Anita"
"Aunt Lois, this is for you." I thought. I wanted to feel her pain. I wanted to be next her. What thoughts rented space in her head?
Did she feel Dread? Confusion? Fear? Did the Chatter drown out Gods promises for her? Could she hear God? Could she feel God?
It was EVERYTHING to Finish Now.
I knew That God was waiting for me at the finish.

Even though I finished my repeats I had to run a cool down.

4 1/2 Laps to Cool Down; I took this time as my Quiet Space. This was my time to recover both mentally and physically. This was my time I could reflect and KEEP going. It wasn't time to quit just yet. It was my time to take and Thank God for how far he carried me.
It was at this time that I had the thought "You are always in training" There is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. But you do not have time to quit.

God gives us the opportunity to catch our breath before he sends us back out in the battlefield.
Right before we want to quit, he does something so miraculous. However, most of us never get that far!
We forget the plan. We loose our focus. We listen to the lies in our heads. We conform to mediocrity.
There is Not Enough time to lolly gag through LIFE.
You Have to GRIT it out. Fight the Fight. Give your All. And TRUST God in the Process. He is the Greatest Coach.

5 Miles Completed:
15 Minutes in the Cold Plunge
Rolled and stretched before and after my run
Ate Well : You are what you eat.

Aunt Lois made it through her treatment today. It lasts all day.
I am so proud of her.
Thank you to Rachel D and Terri W. for the Prayers and the Dedicated Miles.

Anita

No Unnatural Sweetner.

What makes a Good DAY?

• The Sun was out.
• The warm air was lovely.
• I had my quiet time with the Lord.
• I had a partner to run my 18 miler with.
• The route we ran was magnificent.
• I had my day balanced very well.
• Everything fell into place without any injury.

This makes a girl Smile at the end of the day. It could also be the honey tickling my throat from my tea, but I am pretty sure it is a smile of gratitude.

Today, was one of those days that could go REALLY bad at any time. Except that today only got better with each hour.

I will share simple moments of greatness that continued to fill me.

"Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

Isaiah 40:31

 

This is one of my FAVORITE verses. I LOVE looking at the birds in the sky. I have almost been hit a couple times watching the birds and not paying attention to where I am running.

This verse has been instrumental in my training this time around. I have had to be very patient with my body. As I have been waiting for the Lord to heal my body, I have been noticing how much stronger I am getting. It is slow but it has also been very noticeable. It has not been only my body that has healing, I have also noticed God doing a work in other areas of my life.
As Lacy and I made the turn onto Belford Rd, I showed her the empty trees where I usually see the eagles perched on the dead branches.
I was disappointed I could not share their majestic beauty with her. This is a route that I know like the back of my hand. I love sharing its secret beauty with others.
We came up on a patch of dead trees. We both gasped at the branches filled with Eagles! It was not just a couple, there were about 5. The were amazing. I could have stared forever.

I was trying to get the STOP sign in the PIC! Great 18 with Lacy!

I thought of that verse at mile 15 when I was beginning to get tired. They will RUN and not Grow Weary.
Well, I was weary after my 18 miler. But I finished it. I finished it well. We walked every mile and it gave me new strength. Even with walk breaks we finished with an average pace of 9:37. 
I was "Flying High"!

"NATIONAL COFFEE DAY!"
I made it home in time to get a shower, grab lunch and get a Coffee at Time Hortons.

"BEA Blessed"
Andy has a co-worker that has adopted our family as one her own. Bea is one of Andy's co-workers. She is beautiful, African American and makes me laugh, cry and not want her to leave. She has as much energy as I do, plus a little more. When Bea laughs she is contagious. You are not just giggling, you are gut wrenching, tears crying and peeing your pants laughing.
This woman loves my Andy, She loves all of us. She is forever sending me gifts and flowers. She is like another mother to me.

"Drop BY"
While Bea and I were raising the roof with our conversation the door bell rang. I love company. It was Aunt Lois, Maw Maw Smith and my sister in law Deb. We had a short but sweet visit. We all sat around the table eating coffee cake and laughing yet some more.

"Laughter Really is medicine to the soul"
I had a lot of laughter today. Lacy has a beautiful smile. Bea makes me hurt we laugh so hard. Our conversation is sweet and Godly. I feel like God is laughing right next to us as we discuss the amazing miracles He has performed in our life.
As I looked at my family mingling together with genuine laughter it made me so comfortable. It all was so real and comfortable. True laughter with No Unnatural Sweetner!
My niece Becca called and we laughed through the drama's of life.

Laughter is so sweet.

A Little about Post Run Recovery:
 We often do not feel like eating after a long run. Even a hard run can make you feel nauseous. Try not to gorge on carbs.  But carbohydrate rich calories are a smart idea for muscle and calorie recovery.  If your not feeling well try a sports drink to replenish your body until your feeling well again.
Recovery days are instrumental in getting stronger and faster. Your body will give you as much as it can, you can push it harder on difficult training days if you have time to recover and adapt to the strenuous training. Remember to eat and hydrate properly to heal faster and better.



Stadiums are for spectators.  We runners have nature and that is much better.
--Juha Vaatainen

Anita~



Fighting to Win or Just Fighting

In this world we are beat up. I know I sure am. Yesterday, was my mothers birthday. She would be 75 today. It has been 22 years since she passed. I miss her. Emotionally challenged.

I sat with about 7 girls this evening at small group. Trying to teach them to "Go and be Disciples" They are all so engaged in the study. I try to encourage them to be honest with me, that there is nothing they can say that I probably have not thought or felt myself.
We talked about the reasons that we struggle with sharing Jesus Christ. We talked about the obstacles that they face in their lives,

1. Fear
2. Insecurity
3. Bullied
4. Peer Pressure
5. Family
6. Alone

I shared with them those are the very same things that us adults struggle with too. It is crazy that it doesn't matter if you are 15 or 40 we all have similar battles.

Even in church this morning, I was begging God to take away an emotional battle that I was struggling with. It was like God used our pastor to speak directly into me. But it wasn't just me. 2 people down, I could hear Aunt Lois sniffling as our pastor urged us to Fight the Battle. It reminded Aunt Lois in her broken body, that has been hijacked by cancer, to Fight with everything she had. Uncle Rod sat next to me as we talked about every moment and every hour we didn't have time to do anything but FIGHT.
I had to remember that my battles are not with people, they are with myself. I have this debilitating need for people to love me. To fit in. To be accepted.
What a JOKE!
The battle isn't trying to get those people to like me anymore. It isn't trying to get them to accept me. It isn't anything more than me knowing the battle is with myself.

It isn't any of my business what others think about me!

What an arrogant thought to think everyone's going to like you.

I thought about all the fear that I have. The insecurity that beats me up trying to fit in. We are all struggling with emotional or mental battles. And like Aunt Lo some of us are battle physical battles that affect us in All the arenas.

I fought those nasty mental demons. I let go of broken relationships. I found so much healing being encircled with those who seek me to love them. I love loving on people.

Whatever battle you are in, Fight harder. Dig it in with everything you have. But whatever you do, don't quit.

Ask yourself what are you battling?
Is it relationships?
It is family?
Is it your past or your future?
Are you battling with fear or forgiveness?

Then ask yourself, "Have you been fighting the fight with everything you have and Seeking God for everything you do not have?
Have you REALLY been fighting to Win or just fighting??

Anita

5 For 5..Tips, Reminders & Tidbits for the Newbie

I am seeing a lot of new runners on Facebook. I LOVE it too.

Here are some simple thoughts for the Newbie:

5 Basics for Running:

1. New shoes (Cheaper than Physical Therapy)
2. Start off Slow..Humble Beginnings
3. Start off with Time not Miles
4. Find a friend to run with.
5. Make a Goal

5 Physical Reminders for Running:

1. Things are going to hurt. Your body is all kinds of confused!
2. Remember to BREATH!
3. You are not going to DIE even though you feel like it!
4. When your lungs are burning you are NOT in Hell!
5. KISS: Keep it simple stupid (could do without the word Stupid)

5 Things to Help you RUN:

1. Running Partner or Club
2. Mantra
3. A Great Playlist
4. A Running Watch
5. A Running journal or log

5 Power Foods for Running:

1. Banana
2. Smoothies
3. Oatmeal
4. Yogurt and fruit
5. Peanut butter on English muffin.

These are just the basics. You will find these anywhere online or in a running book, they are not rocket science.

A whole lot of "SUCK".
As I ran this morning with Danielle, our traditional 8 miler was going so smooth. I reminded Danielle it was time to taste a healthy portion of "SUCK"! Sorry the word may offend. But that was my word. I needed to feel SUCKY. I needed to run through Sucky. At mile 5 Danielle asked how I was doing. I responded "UGH, I am doing good except I can see that stupid hill at mile 7"!  It was haunting me. I then added "I gotta feel it, I gotta push through the feeling of SUCK!" 
That hill came soon enough. "Danielle, I need you to push me to the end."
I am so grateful for a good running partner. I was huffing and puffing and at one point could feel the fluids coming up but she stayed one foot ahead of me coaxing me all the way through.
It hurt so good. I was out of breath but so excited to see how well we did. We were a few seconds faster than last week. It is like my body didn't want to jump start and now is slowing turning over.  Just seconds faster feels like an epic victory.
Thanking God for every second!

“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”

 

I made these muffins this evening for Clean Eating magazine. The turned out great, Not too sweet. They were very moist and light.

 

What Tip do you like the best? If there a Tip I forgot that you were looking for?
Anita

Brooks Transcend Review

The girls were running 8 miles. With the sun shining I really wanted to run the full 8 miles with them. You have to let logic trump emotion.
With me running back to back, I knew that I needed to run short and easy to better enjoy my 8 miles with Danielle tomorrow.
Running Intentional.
Most of the time us runners have a plan but follow a lot of our runs up with "I felt pretty good..." or "I just wasn't feeling it today."
In order for me to continue to heal and stay healthy EVERY run has to be intentional. I can't go by feeling "Good". Feeling Good can be my demise.
I would love to get out there and run on the track. I miss that feeling of rubber legs. I always feel so accomplished dry heaving in the bushes. And all the controversy about Motrin...Well I wish I was sore enough to use it!

Every Run is a Blessing. We ran a 4 mile loop, dropping me back off at the school parking lot. It was a bit slower than my normal slow but it was 4 miles! It was fun being with the gals on such a beautiful day doing my favorite thing.

New SHOES REVIEW: Brooks Transcend
I have been running in Mizuno Sayonara for the last year and a half. I love the light weight shoe that leaves me blisterless.  I just wish the shoes didn't fall apart so easy. The fabric breaks down very fast.
I believed my injury required a different shoe. A shoe with more cushion. I have a small pronation that I think needs to be addressed as well.
Without me telling the shoe guy about my pronation he saw it himself.
The Transcend is the most expensive pair of shoes I have ever bought. I will buy my work shoes off the clearance rack at DSW but didn't think twice about my 170$ running shoes.
Until I got in the car. Then I thought, "Andy is going to KILL me!"

I ran 16 miles on them 3 days after I bought them. I was concerned I was going to get blisters. One of the reasons we get blisters is from poor socks. I had tried the shoe out on the first day and could feel a blister on my outer toe. I had a thicker sock on with a heavy seam. Knowing this I wore my compression socks for my long run with great results.
The shoe is a little heavier. I found that I had a lighter feel with a sturdier shoe. The cushion in the shoe was great for the back roads that we ran on. I normally feel the stones and pebbles. I didn't notice any of the loose gravel on my run. The Transcend is more shoe for sure, only it didn't feel bulky or heavy. I was aware of the mechanics for my pronating on a comfortable level. It actually gave me a little more security when making turns or hitting sudden elevation or potholes.
So far I have over 24 miles in them and I am HAPPY.."Run Happy"


Finishing this up with a little Running and Life: Remembering that Strong Emotion has Potential to trump Logic.

Being injured produces some STRONG EMOTIONS. Feelings that can persuade a training run into the hurt locker.
Life can produce emotions double time. When we let our emotions steer our ship we are going to SINK.
Get Your feeling in CHECK!
Don't let your feelings become your reality.
Life presents a lot of reasons to behave badly. Quit making your Reasons an Excuse for your Actions or Inaction.
Andy and I got into a good debate today. He said that Perception is 90% Reality. I disagreed until I realized he was right on it being YOUR reality. The way you perceive things is different than the way I perceive things. There are many factors that go into how we individually perceive things.
This is why the bible says "The heart if deceptive above all things..." Jeremiah 17:9.

When your emotions are in check you are more capable of a healthier perception with circumstances and situations.

Austin ran 19:25 at his XC meet today. Proud mama.

What do you think about Andy's idea on Perception??

Anita

Hopeful. Detroit FreePress Marathon

The Detroit Free Press Marathon is less than 4 weeks away. Those who are training for the marathon just finished their 20 miler over the weekend. They will begin their taper in the next couple weeks allowing their body to recover from the last 16 weeks of strenuous training.

As for me, I was shouting off the roof tops today at my 16 miler! I am a few weeks behind my training for the marathon. Even though I have a lot I could be complaining about, I was so excited today that my body was strong enough to pull out not only 16 miles, but 16 miles at a 9:22 pace! That pace included walk breaks every mile
.
I was just shocked that God is healing me one mile at a time. It is like every run is a miracle. For that matter every mile is a miracle.

In the twelfth hour, Jama responded to a cry out for a running partner today.  We met at the school where I would navigate her through the outskirts of Holly. We hit all the back roads of Holly.
Jama had to keep reminding me to slow down. My body and my mouth were moving at hyper speed!
The more Jama and I gabbed, the less I was paying attention to our pace. As each mile approached, we took a 30 second to 1 minute walk break. It was at this time we drank and checked out pace.
The walk breaks were wonderful. I was able to stretch out my legs, grab a breath and get motivated again.
The scenery and wild life was beautiful. The leaves are changing, leaving the outline of the fields colorful.
We did have one dog get closer than I like. I was ready to turn around and go back. Jama just looked at the dog and kept saying "Good girl, good doggy!"
Me.. I had my eye on all the rocks and was trying to figure out if I could scale the barb wire fence without too much injury!

In a nutshell, I am behind in my training.
But I am still grinning at my epic 16 miler today. Glory Be Gods.
Sorry you can not convince me I am not the Apple of His EYE!

As I lay here in bed finishing this post, I feel no pain. Well, other than my hip that I hit on the wall this evening.  WHERE the Heck did the wall come from??
 It seriously came out and HIT me like a 2 by 4.  I broke the vessels in my hip as I collapsed to the floor like a big baby. I squirmed and slithered trying to control the words that wanted to spew from my mouth.

Back on Track..Feeling Victorious and Hopeful.

Less than 4 weeks....

Anita