A lot of Running around and not alot of Run.

I knew in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep it was gonna be one of THOSE Mondays.
AND IT WAS.
My brain was on overload. My car pool partner had to cancel and I had to get some fire in my pants to get the kids to school on time.
8am HA5K committee meeting.
9:45 Gym..try to get a few miles in to loosen up from yesterdays long run.
Cold plunge equally as important.
11:30 Rush to the Grocery store. The fridge and cupboards look barren. We were down to celery, Quinoa, expired buttermilk and a few other things that would make you go hungry.
I had been looking forward to my 12:15 massage all week.
I hurried so fast to get to my massage I forgot 2 bags in my cart! I quickly hurried back into the store hoping that someone returned my Sushi and organic canned tomatoes.
YUP! I considered using the restroom at "Kroger" but I was cutting it to close to my appointment.
About to pee my pants I ran to my car with my bags and drove 3 stores down to "LaVida" for my massage.
12:15...Even though my watch said I was on time..The receptionist said I had missed my appointment.
I felt my heart sink. I had jumped through hoops to get to my massage and I KNEW it was at 12:15. I know I am a bit of an AIRHEAD. But I totally remembered this. Upon conversation and the verge of adult tears they figured out I was not the first one who's appointment was messed up. It was their fault but it did not fix the fact I was going back home sore, disappointed and I still having to pee!

I had a couple errands that I was able to do so I did those and had to be back to the school for another MEETING at 2.

I still had to make dinner, running club and dinner with my girlfriends all in 3 hours.
Dinner-CHECK
Running club- Rained out..only the sun decided to come out when I CONFIRMED I was not going to make it! This was just my luck!
And dinner with "Lisa" and "Jenny" I remembered ALL day till I was making Andy salad and my phone goes off "WHERE ARE YOU?"
"AHH" I yelled out loud. How did I forget going out my girlfriends? I remembered 2 hours ago.
MONDAY!!!!
My head was spinning and there was nothing inside it to spin.

It was one of THOSE days. I was exhausted mentally and physically.
Do\o you ever feel like you are just on overload?  Like one more thing might send you into the crazy house. For a minute when that MTA passed me in FLINT I thought that might me the straw that broke the camels back.
All I could think of was Ariel. I could feel my chest getting heavy. My breathing was conscious to me. "Stay strong Nita,"  "Push back the tears." I felt my eyes well up with thoughts of what Ariel must have seen. All these visions flooded my mind. "Stay Strong NITA." "Stay Strong, Stay Strong, push back the tears."

RUNDOWN:
5 Easy miles.

Tomorrow is a New Day!
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CONTEST!! YOU HAVE 5 DAYS LEFT!
Contest 

How was your Monday?
Anita

20 miler..CONTEST!!

"The Real Purpose of Running isn't to Win a Race: It's to test the limits of the Human Heart."

Running 20 miles is not for the weak at heart and running 20 miles SOLO can break you. Mentally you have to dig in deep.

You have to fight the elements, the emotions and the the essence of every square inch of your body.

I  left a Facebook post seeking someone to maybe jump on board to run a leg with me but I didn't get any takers solo I Go!

MUDD RUN

"Be Strong , and let your HEART take COURAGE...." Psalms 31:24

 Running that first mile I started to prepare myself MENTALLY.

As I ran down the road I started out in prayer. I thanked God for the incredible weather and asked God for strength mentally to conquer the next 3 hours of running. I thought of those who have been training for spring marathons and have had difficult long runs. I drew from their challenges and accomplishments.  

"Come What May, I want to RUN." 2 Samuel 18:23

Run run and more running! My first 7 miles were hilly and muddy. I broke my run into "runs". This helps me mentally prepare. I had mud dripping down the back of my legs and squishing between my toes. Nothing mattered but the RUN. The weather was amazing, there wasn't snow or sleet blasting my face. I could move my cheeks and my eyelashes weren't frozen.

"Let us RUN with Perseverance the Race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

After running 10 miles I added 1 minute walk breaks every 11 minutes. This allowed me to maintain a 8:35 pace. This also enabled my mind to stay strong. I look forward mentally to that walk break where I can calmly take a sip of my chia water and eat a chomp. However as I was coming unto mile 11 I realized my water was not going to last the next 9 miles. In order for my run to be successful I needed to stay hydrated and the warm weather was depleting me faster than I had planned. 

I ran to MOM and DADS! The elevation where they live almost a mile of hills. Although I dreaded the path but I maintained my pace out of excitement to see their smiles, encouragement and get fresh water.

"I do not RUN like a man Running Aimlessly." 1 Corinthians 9:26

After leaving MOM and DADS I had a new spirit. I was only there a couple minutes,enough time to pee, grab some M&M's, laugh a minute and get my water and go. Mom filled my water bottle for me and laughed at my contents. "What is that in your water?" Mom is the biggest BACK WASHER you have ever seen. She has floaties in her pop bottles that look like a full meal and she was grossed out by MY Chia water?!

Seeing their face refreshed me and helped me prepare for the last 6 miles. I believe you finish STRONG. 

I ran concentrating on my pace, on my posture and on my performance. 

20 MILES done! I finished in a tank top, capris and some really muddy shoes. I smiled with an immense amount of gratitude. So Thankful. The dreaded 20 Miler DONE...Now 2 more 22 milers! 

CONTEST!!!!!!! 

ProCompression Has sent me a pair of their COMPRESSION SOCKS! AND they want to send me another pair FOR YOU!!! These are retailed at 50$!

Here is how YOU can win a PAIR.

1. You have to be a follower on my blog. 
2. Make a guess on the TIME you think I will finish Pot O Gold Sunday, March 17th. Who Ever comes Closest WINS!! Simple. I run this race every year if you want to see how I did last year here is the Recap.
3. I will Post my Time and The WINNER. I will follow up with the winner but I will need their address and shoe size.

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 20.01
Pace: 8:39
Time: 2:53

Anita~

Double Time

"If you Feel Great during a Run, go farther than you planned. If something hurts do not force yourself to keep running." Pete Pfitzinger

Today is double time run. I look forward to both runs. 

RUN 1: "Danielle" 

Such a tough run. The flags were blowing with intensity and this was our first clue it was going to be tough.

It was not soon after we headed down Silver Lake road that we realized that the fresh snow was covering a layer of ice. And it wasn't far after that "Danielle" took the spill. 

I felt like I was in a game of FROGGER. We were dodging ice, cars and puddles of slush. And to think my biggest concern on this run was my bowl of chili I for dinner the night before!

There is never a dull moment in Fenton. This run we didn't jump fences, we didn't pick up pit bulls but  we turned our run into 9 because I was running my mouth more than my legs and miss navigated! 

RUN 2: Husky Road Runners

4 Runners came out tonight. It was a great night for a run. We run a 10-12 minute mile. I had the group run the 5K that the school is doing in June. I ended up doing almost 4 miles running back and forth checking on different runners. It is the most exhilarating feeling encouraging and motivating people to their goals. I can give High fives and "Great job" all day long. As the two faster runners were coming to their last 400meter I say "How do you feel?" and when they said "Good" without hesitation I replied 

"Then run this last leg in hard!"  Always try to finish Strong. 

RUNDOWN:
Run 1: Distance: 9.01 Pace:9:15

Run 2: Distance: 3.86 Pace:9:08

5 Ways to HIDE Spinach!!

1. Meatloaf...Alecs favorite!! 
2. Marinara (Spaghetti, rigatoni)
3. Quiche, omlette
4. Hamburgers
5. Smoothies

Benifits of Spinach:

•  One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and maintains low blood sugar.
•  High Antioxidents, The vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. 
•  It is also rich in OMEGA -3 Fatty Acids

I am ON the BUS!! The Baumans Bus for Boston! I got one of the LAST spots! Now I am getting Nervous. At Baumans I saw something I want..My Wish LIST.....

Saucony..Isnt she Pretty?! 

 "You don’t need a title to be a leader" 
Anita

Austin Mile TIME!!

Austin wanted me to take him to the gym after school so I decided to stay home and get things done around the house.
The problem is when I am alone with myself to long I think way to much. I had horrible anxiety today. This is not like me. I am not used to my heart pounding, my skin prickly, shaky and the overwhelming feeling of wanting to explode.

I opened my bible and prayed. I read 1Samuel and in the chapter I am studying the words "RUN" stuck out to me. Running was not what I needed to calm my spirit. I needed God.

I wish I could tell you that everything was "hunky dorry" after spending time with Him. But I still felt a tug...
There are many days I am fighting all of Hell not to throw in the towel. I try so hard to be strong and courageous but I struggle terribly losing Ariel. There are days I just do not want to move forward. As  Easter approaches I am feeling my emotions scattered. The smallest thing feels so raw.

As the boys and I entered the Athletic Club I put my things in a locker and headed to the Dreadmill.

Dear Issue, Frustration, Circumstance,
YOU Do NOT OWN ME. You will Not Conquer me. You can mock me, you can try to break me, you can even make fun of me..But You will NOT Own me. Today I USED YOU to FUEL ME.  Today I gained strength from the Adversity that you brought me. Today I use You to Remind ME to Seek GOD for Comfort, For Strength, For Wisdom, For PEACE.
Today I Felt YOU and I clenched my fists, I dug my heels in and turned my legs over like a Beast. I Felt Empowered by you. I Felt FUELED by You. You Do NOT OWN ME. I Reminded myself that GOD is my Father, I Honor HIM..Everything I do is For HIM...NOT YOU. When I fall..He picks me up, He Never Leaves me..He Loves me all the Time..Thank You for a great RUN today!
I HAVE PEACE.

RUNDOWN:
Distance: 5.5 Miles
REPEATS: 4x1 mile repeats @a .05 incline with 200m walk @a 1.5 incline.
Mile1: 7:30
Mile2: 7:18
Mile3: 7:08
Mile4: 6:50
400m cool down

I took Austin to the track to see how he would do running the mile....He did Awesome, without any running this winter he ran the mile at 6:27! He was pretty red faced and sweating like a stuck pig but he was even proud of his time.

If you subscribe to my blog there are some fun Contests coming!! I am getting ready to share another one!!

As I end my day I am so thankful for Gods healing hand on me. I am Thankful for the strength He has given me. I am Thankful for HIS words that encourage me. I am Thankful for Andy and the encouragement and wisdom he has given me. I Am thankful for a Godly Husband.

GRATEFUL...in so many ways.

2 Chronicles 16:9a
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (NKJV)
Anita

When Running is NOT an Option

I know that I am not going to win everyone over.  It would be great to think everyone was a "Fan". But the reality is there is always going to be a group of critics.
And some of our critics will APPEAR to be Fans...Hmm.

We think things like:
"The harder I try the worse it gets."
"I can not win for losing."
"Just when I thought things were going good..."

I am reminded that running really helps me compartmentalize my thoughts, burdens, heartaches and confusions.
But sometimes running is just not an option.
Sometimes you can not Run Away..
Sometimes you can not Run Down your thoughts..
And Sometimes you can not even OUT Run Your thoughts...

BREATHE

DON'T TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY

1. NOTHING OTHERS DO IS BECAUSE OF YOU!
2. WHAT OTHERS SAY AND DO IS A PROJECTION OF THEIR OWN REALITY, THEIR OWN DREAM.
3. WHEN YOU ARE IMMUNE TO THE OPINIONS AND ACTIONS OF OTHERS YOU WON'T BE THE VICTIM OF NEEDLESS SUFFERING.
   The Four Agreements

I may not have been able to run tonight but it made me more excited to run tomorrow.
I really had to deal with my thoughts, hurts and hang-ups today. I am disappointed with myself and others. But the only one I can Control...is ME.

Looking forward to tomorrow.
Anita

Monday RUNDAY!

I got a new car a few weeks ago and I already had to put it in the shop. The ABS light would'nt come off my new Saturn Outlook.  My Monday was looking like I would be sitting in a dealership waiting.

Thinking my day was going to be overtaken be 10 cups of coffee in Styrofoam cups and Judge Joe Brown I hit the gym first.
EASY was the word.

I got my Runners World Magazine and headed to the bike. "EASY girl" I reminded my inner beast. It didn't take much convincing as I pedaled my way to 5 miles.
"Paula" caught my eye as she filled her water bottle up at the drinking fountain. She came over and told me she was going to run 6 miles.
I perked right up. "Really? Cause I have to run 3, I will join you."

By the time I met up with  her she had already completed a lap. Running alongside "Paula" was so nice. We ran at a conversational pace only my 3 miles turned to 4 and then I had to back out.
Cold Plunge 10 minutes

This was the first of 3!
Number 2: Hit the gym AGAIN after being persuaded by Austin after school.
Stretched, Abs, and rolled my IT band.

Number 3: Husky Road Runners. 4 Awesome miles at a sub 8 minute pace. Great night for a run.

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."
Newt Gringrich

Pooping out..Nite

Anita

  

Playing Make Believe to the Finish

"You have a choice.You can Throw in the Towel, or You can Use it to Wipe the SWEAT off Your Face!"

Duplicating last weeks indoor track run at "The Mothership" was NOT an option. The thought of running around a track over 70 times again made me cringe. 

It was a Suck It Up Buttercup kind of day.

It was another 18 miler. 

I was motivated my a client that came in on Saturday. "Jenn" is not just a all year long runner she is also a coach, mentor and encourager. 

She sat in my chair for the first time with a contagious smile and a voice of excitement. She had led her running club that morning outside. OUTSIDE.....

Suck it up Buttercup. Get your gear and get your butt out there. It was cold and windy and the sun was being overtaken quickly by clouds. 

I thought of a couple tips to help me prepare for my Long Run Outside:

1. Attitude is EVERYTHING! Get Motivate. Find a partner to help encourage you. Take the time to enjoy being alone with yourself.
2. Dress For Success! If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Check the weather and do not forget checking the wind chill. Layer up: Your “Base Layer” should fit snugly and be moisture wicking. A “Mid Layer” should insulate and keep body heat from escaping and the “Outer Layer” should be wind-resistant and/or waterproof in case of rain or snow.
3. Fluids and Fuel! Even though it is cold out try not to forget to drink fluids and fuel your body properly. On long runs don't forget to take a gel or your nutrition every 45 minutes.

 I had my run motivated by preparing to have running partners at different legs of my run. The first 5 1/2 miles I ran solo. The second 6 miles "Jeff" met me and we did a 11 minute run with a 1 minute walk. As we came back into the school parking lot we noticed the beginner walking club coming in. It was so fun giving all the runners high fives and words of encouragement.
But I had 6 more miles to go and I couldn't feel my chin and my words were starting to slur from the cold.
I was off to meet "Heidi" for my last leg. As I got closer to her house I got the text...The one that said she was not going to be able to make it.
Internal motivation needed to present itself real fast.

I quickly positioned each of my running partners around me. I was leading them like Forrest Gump. "Danielle", "Heidi", "Andy", "Katie" and  "Sarah". I sought God for strength and endurance. I thought of those who have conquered great victories like "Molina" and those who have had long runs similar to mine like "Michelle B".  I even pretended that Mom, Dad and "Ariel" were waiting for me at my finish line.

My legs began turning over. I looked at my watch and I had 4 miles to go and I was running a 8:10 pace. Where was this coming from. 

I felt great

.

THE RUNDOWN

Time: 2:39

Pace:8:49

Distance: 18:02

I ran the same pace with hills, wind and cold as I ran last week...Grateful.

One of the biggest encouragers is my online running  journal, Dailymile.

I am always encouraged and inspired by other runners. This site is like Facebook for athletes. the site logs your runs and goals. 

For the group I coach I encouraged them to log their runs. It is great to log and keep track of your training but it is also fun to be encouraged, motivated and have a forum available to help answers questions. 

"Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing." 

1 Thess 5:11

WHO HAVE YOU ENCOURAGED LATELY? 

Anita