I am no Olympian, But I will run with all my heart to Honor God

Running with all you have been given~



 Long run today. I always have anxiety about long runs. Today was going to be high of 84 degrees so a little anxiety was displayed in the temperature of my run. Hydration is very important on long HOT runs. But the problem is carrying the hydration belt is so cumbersome. I have issues with things tight on my waist. And the water belt holding 2 water bottles is tight, on my waist and heavy.

I left about 9:30am this morning with a bottle of ice water in my hand and 3 chomps in my pocket.
The first 7 miles I was running on cloud 9.  My legs felt light and airy. The heat of the day was still in the shadows of tree covering and there was nothing but a friendly invitation from the path of endurance. It felt like God himself was leading my legs. Everything just opened up.
By mile 7 everything slowly started to close! My pace had actually increased along with the heat thus making me start to decline physically. I so badly wanted to keep my pace under 8 minute miles. I reached for my chomps and discovered I had somewhere lost one. I only had 2 chomps and about  8oz of water left. This was going to be interesting how I was going to ration this little bit of water and electrolytes.
About mile 11 I looked at my Garmin was disappointed to see I had miscalculated my turn around and I had to add an extra half a mile to make up. It's the "Horses to the Barn Theory"- When I do a "there and back" route on my way "back" it is like closing the gap..seeing the barn. All I can think of is getting home. Only home is another half a mile. At that point my body is shut off, my mind is closed down and I am grasping for just a little bit more.
I finished my 13 miler. My face looked like a bright red tomato. My skin was tanned and dripping in sweat. But my heart was thankful.
When I came inside from running I took a minute and went on Facebook. I watched a video of RYAN HALL someone had posted from a few years back. I had tears washing the sweat off my face after only a few minutes of listening to his Olympic testimony. I am not RYAN HALL. But I am Anita Harless. I may not be trying out for trials or breaking records but God has done something special in me. Just as HE has each one of you. You may not even know it but there is something He has equipped you to do. I don't know why he believes in me the way He does. So many times I struggle to believe in myself. I can list my failures faster than I can list my achievements. He has held me back at times and He has healed me and made me into the runner HE wants me to be. I am every run in AWE of this ability He has given me. No it doesn't save lives or cure cancer, it doesn't even pay bills or feed homeless. But It can honor God. I give HIM the Glory. He is my ultimate Coach. He believes in me, He supplies me with strength and endurance. He benches me with injuries when he desires but he lifts me up and carries me to the finish line every time.


http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=CE22JNNU

RUNDOWN
http://www.dailymile.com/training/list

 
Anita

Running through allergies.

Saturday at work I could feel it coming on. Every hour that passed the sneezing multiplied. I was having a hard time not sneezing all over my clients and an even harder time not peeing my pants all over myself.

By the time I got home I saw Andy running down the road and knew my evening plans were as gone as my clear sinuses were. I also realized my plans of shopping at the local art fair couldn't stand up to Andys plans of watching the big Michigan- Notre Dame game.
So I resigned to bed. By the time Andy came in from his run I was drooling with a soar throat, out cold on the bed. My head was pounding, my nose was stuffy, I couldn't stop sneezing and I was still bummed knowing that driving into Rochester for the fair wasn't going to happen.

Andy had a boys night. When he came home from running he brought me some herbal tea. I really  had my heart set on this Blueberry herb tea from STASH. He couldn't find it but brought me home some Raspberry Hibiscus Herb tea. When the tea reacted with the boiling water the air was filled with a sweet berry smell. The smell alone was soothing and with each warm sip you could feel the calming effects taking place.

To ensure a good night sleep I took 2 capfuls of NYQUIL.
By the time I got up I felt like a bear who was still not ready to come out of hibernation. I had a mountain of KLEENEX balls on the nightstand and my head was pounding. Andy politely asked if I was going to church but he already knew the answer.

I knew if I just got up I would feel better. Andy had called to see if I wanted to meet them for breakfast. I didn't even want to answer the phone I thought, but I answered, "No thanks". After hanging up I dragged myself out of bed and thought a hot bath might help. And from that point little by little I was getting more functional.

Andy brought me home some hot tea from Tim Hortons. It was perfect. But what was even more perfect was Andy saying,'Hunny You know I love you to take you to Rochester Arts and Apples, get ready, lets go." That's when I suddenly felt ALL better!

THE RUNDOWN:

It was a beautiful day. After the art show I quickly ran upstairs and threw on some running clothes. My time was limited. I had a whole chicken in the crock pot because mom and dad were coming over for dinner at 5:30. It was already 4:20. My headache wasn't to much of a nuisance but running out of time was a bit annoying. 

 Tough run, ran out of time so I was trying to get a little more intense in a lot less time! The heat was an additional element to the intensity of my run.

I ran a few Farteks, And even walked for a few seconds. I was all over the board. But overall ran hard. 

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 31 minutes

Pace: 7:40

DINNER & DESSERT!

Chicken and onions in crock pot seasoned with Italian seasoning.

Baked Potatoes

Baked baby carrots with brown sugar

Salad

Cottage cheese

Dessert:

OH yeah...Apple Pie!! 

And I did make an Angel food cake. Lighter. Non fat and still yummy, I did have the apple pie though!!

Running YOUR own course.

Commitment. Participation. Dedication.

Running your own course. Sometimes we have a difficult time running our own course. It seems like it is easier for most of us to run someone else's course. We are quick to answer the phone and help someone with their heartache and pain yet we have wounds that have gone unattended. We run all over town participating in others lives and drama yet we are absent where our own personal duties need us most. We commit to helping everyone but we struggle committing to ourselves and running our own course. 

Why have we gotten so good at committting to others yet do not commit to ourselves. What are we afraid of? How come we go to bed exhausted for others needs yet we do not think ours are as important. 

"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction."

— George Horace Lorimer

I listen to people not commit to themselves and their goals. When we make our goals we BELIEVE we can do them. So where do we fall short? COMMITMENT.

Challenge yourself to Follow Through. Make yourself worth it. You can still be available for others but finding balance is important. 

Consider my running. I take a bit of slack for the amount of running I do. I have had  people throw digs at me here and there. saying things like  " Soo, who watches the boys when you run?"  Or, "It must be nice..." But the reality is there are 168 hours in a week. 63 hours dedicated to sleeping, leaving 105 hours in the week. I run on an average of 4-5 hours a week....YUP! That leaves over 150 for others!!

No Excuses. Commit to yourself. Run your own course Then you can be a cheerleader for those who are having a difficult time running their course~

Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them day after day."— Arthur Gordon

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/112910115

RUNDOWN

DISTANCE: 10:06

PACE: 7:56

TIME: 1:19:47

CHALLENGES: It was difficult to predict the weather. They were calling for rain but thankfully I just got a lot of drizzle. Felt sluggish between mile 2 and 4 but then the muscles were warming up. Belford Hill was killer trying to maintain my pace for a quarter of a mile,climbing 963 feet and the 3 miles of rollers connected to it..

WEATHER: 63 degrees overcast with rain and drizzle all day.

Anita

Quick thoughts on the run~

Pain can be endured and defeated only if it is embraced. Denied or feared, it grows.

DEAN KOONTZ, Velocity

The weather said afternoon showers. It was barely 10am and I was already hitting a wall without hardly doing anything.

About 10$ for a pair of arm sleeves. Great for fickle weather!

I decided I had better "hit it and get it". So from almost falling asleep reading my devotional to quickly throwing on my clothes and shoes you would have thought I had just chugged one of those 5 hour energy drinks!
Because the weather was not secured I put on a tank top with my arm sleeves. The sleeves were a great idea because there was a breeze that was quite chilly. Yet it was not cold enough to wear the extra clothing. I could always pull the sleeves down or even take them off and carry them with out the sleeves being to cumbersome.

From the moment I turned my Ipod on great music exploded in my ears. This was the first sign it was going to be a great run. I have always been triggered by music. It often has the power to set my mood. Or prevent me from getting in "a mood."

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain"

BoB Marley 

My body felt good. My mind felt clear. My thoughts drifted to Andy. How hard he runs through his affliction and injury prone body. It was my inspiration today. I wanted to have no fear of pain. To know that victory and success does come with an amount of pain that at the moment feels discouraging but is soon forgotten when you achieve your goal. Then that pain is racked up like a trophy. Pain is like the rung of a ladder when it comes to running, in order to get to the top you are going to have to endure a bit of pain.
But today there was no agony. There were even hills yet the pain never came. There was mild amount of discomfort here and there but nothing out of the usual. 
It was a good day where running is defined.

Today's Diet
BREAKFAST
Coffee
WW English muffin with peanut butter spread
Banana
LUNCH
1/2 turkey sandwich with Swiss, lettuce and Mayo w/olive oil
1/2 cup Low fat Cottage Cheese
Apple
DINNER
Tuna steaks with Black bean salsa
Baked Carrots
Wild rice
Fresh Cantaloupe
DESSERT
  Blueberry Pie with LF ice cream ( I have to throw that pie away and get it out of the HOUSE!)

RUNDOWN

DISTANCE:7:35

PACE:7:48

TIME: 57:22

FASTEST MILE:7:37:16

SLOWEST MILE:8:05:60

Anita

Amish Country~

Paw Paw, Andy, Alec and Austin

Just home from Shipshewana Indiana. AKA, Amish country. The simple life.

I was surprised to hear mom and dad wanted to go away for the holiday weekend with us. Our little Harless unit are the type of families they make sitcoms out of. Individually our personalities are so extreme and blended together we are a something you can stand back and watch with popcorn, no problem. I don't know that mom and dad thought that decision  all the way through. They would soon be hijacked to not only staying the weekend with us driving together but also sleeping in the same hotel room. (Their request)!

Austin and I..No matter what I love that boy!

I really enjoy going away with mom and dad but I always feel bad because my oldest son, as cute as he is, can be quite a handful. Austin is going through the "punk", "I am cooler than you", "You don't know nothing" stage.  Because I have a few character defects myself, ones that are not compatible with Austins, we are quite the show. I try to not let him ruffle my feathers but he plucks them. I try to let things roll off my back but he throws things at my back, I even try to let him not get the best of me, but he brings out the worst. How can a 12 year old out smart a 37 year old...One never knows.

We arrived right before a pretty intense storm. We roll into The Farmstead Hotel and check in at our  room. We were running late so we quickly left to go get dinner and go shopping. The clouds coming in looked pretty fierce. Most of the shopping was going to have to wait until Monday because everything closed about 5pm.
We put our name in at the Bluegate Restaurant, home of the famous peanut butter spread. Peanut butter, marshmallow cream,  Karo syrup and just a perfect spread of Yum!

Now as we had sat down to eat the storm was upon us with vengeance. You could see the lightning through the cracks of the windows and the lights kept coming in and out. Alec quit eating and was in tears. Austin barely missed a bite and Alec looked like he was going to loose his dinner. Then the power goes out all together. Alec was on his dads lap with tears erupting from his eyes. The neighboring customers all had sympathetic looks and were whispering many "Awes". Alec, through his tear stained cheeks just kept saying "Daddy, can we go.". It was enough to break your heart. Those long eye lashes saturated with tears and his little body visibly shaking. The lights were off for about 5 minutes and as soon as the generators got them back up we had the credit card waiting.

By the time we got outside the storm had relaxed a bit but the lightning was in hysterics. It looked to be about all the light the town had left. The Hotel was without power and it seemed there were people in more trouble than we were as we listened to the fire trucks continuously pass.
Without power meant a few things, No phone charger, No air, no lighting,and a big one, NO SNORING machine for dad!! Or better yet for us!! This could actually be a really long night.

The Breathing Machine..Snore preventative!!

Dad and Mom

The Harless Family

Since there was not much to do, we resigned to the fact we might as well go to bed. Mom and I were told that dad could always sleep in the lobby if his breathing got bad and he could keep the old man with the oxygen machine company! Mom thought if dad got bad she would just kick him out to the couch, right outside our room! Poor dad was going to get the beating of his life from mom.Every time he snores she would punch him. I actually felt really bad for him. But God spared his life from being beaten to death and turned the lights on about 3 am.

Yup..Thats POO..When running watch where your going!!

We really had a great time. Such a simple life the Amish have. Andy and I got to get a couple good runs in. There are a lot of hills in that area of Indiana. You hardly notice the hills because the canvas surrounding you is so majestic. On our run after the storm Andy and I saw a lot of trees down and yard contents out of place. But we also saw farms on rolling hills with horses and farm animals grazing in the fields. We enjoyed the clapping of hooves passing you, attached to Amish buggies, filled with families coming home from church. It was so serene. To watch the little kids in their overalls and dresses stop their play to smile and wave at you as you passed was such a gentle reminder of love and happiness.

As the weekend came to a close I left there with a couple thoughts about myself.
There are a few things I am going to work harder on, being more gentle with my boys. I answer to fast and to abrupt. I want to try and be more patient with them. I know that I need to be slow to respond.

"Ye know this , my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" James 1:19

AMISH RUN:

SUNDAY:

Distance-7:11

Time-1:02:18

Pace-8:45

First two miles alone last 5 ran with Andy~

MONDAY:

Distance-5miles

Time-42

Pace-8:10

Ran alone. Went out early before everyone woke. Beautiful crisp morning.

Anita

Conquer...

 "GO FORTH A CONQUEROR AND WIN GREAT VICTORIES"

Sometimes you are just not feeling it.
That was me this morning. I was feeling everything else that I had to do but I was not feeling like running at all. I decided to post pone my morning run and hope that I might "Feel" it in the afternoon or maybe even the evening, maybe, hopefully...this was the plan
I had that burnt out feeling. Just tired. I felt like running the vacuum or cleaning toilets sounded better than lacing up and running. Isn't that pathetic. That's how I felt, Pathetic. Lazy. When cleaning toilets after 3 guys seem like more fun than running you know you are Pathetic!

I made my coffee, and it was a perfect cup of bliss. The coffee set the mood for the following series of events in my day.
I want to share my reading today in Exodus. I just want to share how God had empowered Moses and Aaron  to go and speak to Pharaoh.

But the part that stands out to me Is GOD empowering Moses and Aaron in their old age to be leaders. To Stand UP against the Strongest Power IN the WORLD at that time!

Can you just imagine??

To tell them to speak Power and Authority.

There are areas in my life that are so large and frightening. There are areas that I am afraid to conquer because they can seem so hopeless or too challenging.

The pressures of life, feelings of discouragement, guilt, and making goals, or meeting challenges make me feel like a slave to these and other Pharaohs in my life.

Similar to the people of Israel.

But GOD gives us POWER AND AUTHORITY through HIM to speak those things out of existence. Like Moses and Aaron.

The Bible says we “ are MORE than CONQUERORS through HIM that loved us first.” Romans 8:37

Now I sent this to my reading partner Kelli. I left the house to run errands and almost heard the exact same thing from a speaker on the radio. Same verses and all! Two times in 3 hours. 

Going over this a few times did not make me want to run any more throughout the day. Yes, I felt more confident in who I am and what I am capable of but it didn't give me the passion or zeal to race out the door to run.

The only thing I could think of was: I HAVE to run. Like washing toilets. Some things may not "Feel" good but they have to get done. 

And two, I Need Andy. I was quickly coming up with a million reasons to feed my pathetic-ness. I knew if I could convince Andy to go run I would have companionship and accountablity. Like Moses had Aaron. I needed a partner where I felt insufficient. "two is better than one..." I needed a partner to support me in my weakness. 

The clock was ticking, the heat was piping but as soon as I saw him I knew together he would help me Conquer the Pharaoh of apathy or even laziness.

Here's to conquering myself, my mind, my voices!!!

RUNDOWN:

TOTAL MILES: 5.4

FASTEST: 8:15

OVERALL TIME: 48.47

"Only things the dreamers make live on.They are the eternal conquerors."

Anita