The Heart of the Matter. A Different Training plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

But did we exercise the characters of our HEART?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. The Insurance Plan
 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Mathew 5:8
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My long run typically falls on Sundays. I like to do HALF the distance of a long run as my follow up run.
So today was my 8 miler.
I headed in the direction of Andys moms house with the wind beating the snot out of me. They have been out of town and I thought it would be fun to run over there and say HI!
Too bad they werent home!

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

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

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

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

Anita

  

The Long Run. How to get through it.

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

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

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

PreRUN
THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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

The RUN
16 MILES

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

Post RUN
RECOVERY

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

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

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

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


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

2 Timothy 1:7

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

Anita

DOG gone it!!

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

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

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

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

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

GAC Track with Alec

FUN RUNNING FACTS:

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

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

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

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

Anita

"What kind of a Aunt am I?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2 Timothy 1:4

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

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

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

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Rundown:

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

1 Hour Spin class: 23.2 miles

1 Mile Cool down 

Cold Plunge 12 minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brooks Glycerin 10

 

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

This to Remember when getting new shoes:

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

 "RUN HAPPY" Brooks

Anita 

Motivational Moday..See ya Super Bowl Sunday!

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

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

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

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

 6 Easy Ways to Start Back at it.

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

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

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

I got a NEW RECIPE from my friend "Paula" 

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

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

Ralph Martson

Now GO CLEAN OUT YOUR FRIDGE!!

Anita

Pros and Cons

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

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

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

My Answer TODAY was TREADMILL/GYM. 

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

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

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

CON's of Running Indoors:

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

PRO's for Running Outside in the Winter:

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

CON's for Running Outside in the Winter:

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

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

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

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

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

A little peice of me..

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

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

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

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

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