Category Archives: learning to love

Back from Vacation!

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Just came back from the best vacation ever! Tyler’s family is much more relaxed on vacation than my family was, so it was an adjustment… and I had to FORCE myself to slow down! We didn’t even have Internet.  Even though it was more relaxed than what my family does, we still did a lot of stuff, and kayaking was one of them! We went twice last week, and I got stuck a couple times because the water was so low- AND I almost died getting stuck over a water fall with rocks jutting out at the bottom! Don’t worry; we only had class 1 rapids on the first two miles, and the rest was pretty calm. :)

Since we were nestled in the mountains in the middle of nowhere, there were plenty of hills to train on. Not that I’m actually training for anything right now, but I can pretend. :)   I was seriously sore every day that I ran. I did a couple four-mile runs, but on those mountain trails, it felt like twice that! It was so awesome to run on such gorgeous trails.Williamsburg Run for the Dream

I did terrible on not eating sugar during our trip, and I’m going to have to pay for it for a couple days. So back to the strict diet from here on in! :) How are your summer fitness goals coming along? What do you find the hardest to maintain during the warmer months?

My New Pink Shorts!

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Oh my goodness, this week has FLOWN by! I’ve realized, besides being the worlds worst blogger (haven’t posted in a week), I’m also the worst runner in the world. Haven’t laced up my super sweet running shoes in also a week. If I was biking or rollerblading or engaging in other physical activity, it wouldn’t be so bad. But I was literally sitting on my butt. All day. And all evening.

This isn’t a good idea with our next race a mere 15 (well, technically 16) days away!

So, we are heading to Williamsburg this weekend to scope out the trail (well, like 2 miles of it) and enjoy ourselves instead of running a 12 mile run like Hal Higdon advises! ;) I’m excited about the hot tub, walking around the quaint city of Williamsburg and eating unhealthy food.

 

Yesterday, my husband texted me during the day… telling me he had a surprise for me :) Of course, being the inner 5-year-old that I am, I was ecstatic! I LOVE surprises! I came home and he whipped out a CUTEST coral pink running shorts from lululemon you ever did see! I included the link for your enjoyment. It’ll probably be active for about 4 days because they sell out of everything so quick.

Naturally, this was all it took to get me out of my FUNK and out running during the gorgeous weather and on the boardwalk :) I did a quick little 4 miles to get back in the groove and sat at Starbucks with my husband on Facebook for an hour on his awesome iPad. Yes! I LOVE break week!

What do you log onto Facebook with? Your phone? Laptop? iPad? I usually log on with my phone, hence the short messages and likes I do… and occasionally (like yesterday) on a machine with a keyboard so I can actually write a novel that people are hoping I’ll send as a message!

Are you guys experiencing the same schizophrenic weather we’ve been having?! It’s seriously muggy and GROSS in the morning, gorgeous in the afternoon, and rains all evening. And then the next day it’s FREEZING. Repeat. Then back up to 85F… (which is not awesome to run in) hahah

Being Intentional

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It’s so easy, for example, to go on vacation and throw your entire diet (of healthy eating) and training schedule out the window, only to have to start back up from square one when you get back (Thank you Christmas break!).

Spring break is coming up for some people (does that mean anything anymore that I’m not in grade 7?) and Easter (the 3rd best chocolate holiday in the WORLD), which is desperately trying to sabatoge my training schedule like Christmas. In case you need a kick in the butt, try out the ever eipc Biggest Loser Trainers Bob’s Vacation Workout.

IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! WE ONLY HAVE EXACTLY 52 DAYS to get in the BEST shape we’ve ever been in and race on the hilly track for 13.1 miles! 

We’ve using Hal Higdons 1/2 marathon training Schedule: Novice 2 as our coach and the most amazing weather =) I’m enjoying this training plan because we just ran a 1/2 marathon last week, and it’s giving us a bit of a break, allowing us time to work back up to 13 miles. I’m working this running thing in-between my work schedule, school, and being around for my husband. It’s a lot, but thankfully he’s running with me =)

It’s about being intentional about your goals. Whether on vacation, or just getting caught up in life, be intentional about getting where you want to be. Dreams without deadlines and plans of actions are just… dreams.

I’m probably going to fall slightly short of my 60 miles/March goal, but I’m proud of all the progress I’ve made AND for setting a new PR: Running 13.1 miles!! I’m still so proud of myself!

Ps. if you are at all enjoying my posts, please leave a little love (aka: comment on my BLOG people! I know your reading it!!)

Like Minded Friends

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 ”Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate. Hang out with friends who are like-minded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of a friend for your friends.”

- Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer; most noted for his novels Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

The world is full of people that tear you down, but one thing that I’ve learned in the past year is to invest in the relationships that build me up. Sometimes I feel guilty because this means that I’m not taking the time for people that I feel like I should be investing into, but then I remember the way they’ve torn me down and tried to “ belittle [my] ambitions”.

And this makes me sad. I want to share the joys of my present life with those who’ve shared my life with my in the past,  but that’s just not possible. I want to share my successes and growth, but that’s simply not in the cards right now.

And I’m sure I’m not the only one. It’s time to cleanse our lives from negative people. These are the only things I’m allowing in my life:

“Finally, brothers, 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 New International Version).

So today I choose to focus on the truth of who I am. Someone who is strong and determined. Someone who is choosing positive people in my life, and surrounding myself with purity, things that are lovely, and excellence.

I do this because I want to be strong, healthy and happy.

SHAMROCK RACE!

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I woke up Sunday morning after about 2.5 hrs of sleep because there were gun shots(yes, gun shots) outside our apartment all night. I almost didn’t run in the race because I woke up feeling miserable, but Tyler was so encoraging and supportive, and helped me decide to run! (thanks hunny!)

My goal was to run the first six miles, and then run/walk the rest of the miles because my training had gone so poorly.

Parking for any Boardwalk race is a mess, and yesterday was no exception. The irony of parking in a bank parking lot in the handicap space while running a half marathon kept me smiling until the start! For the first couple miles, Tyler and I were smiling at each other in sheer happiness of being able to run this race.

Because, exactly one year ago, after the Shamrock race (we were running 8k’s back then) he took me to Fort Story and proposed. It was so precious and one of the happiest days of my life!

Back to the race. It was so glorious to run by Fort Story and remember our proposal exactly one year ago… and we actually ran RIGHT by the Lighthouse (on mile 8) that we visted the day he proposed!  The terrain was wonderful, we consistantly run on the boardwalk, so we were used to the route. While we were on base, running by the lighthouse, there was this mommy with two little kids in her stroller that allowed her kids to get out and RUN along side her! This was the most adorable site ever, and I was laughing for the remainder of the mile :) I was truly inspired to keep running. And I did keep running! At each mile marker, I decided to run that mile, and walk the rest. Until I got to mile 11, and then decided I was going to run the WHOLE thing! I’m so glad I did, and I’m so proud of myself!

I set my all time Personal Record yesterday. Not because I did great time, but because this was the FIRST TIME I’D EVER RUN 13.1 MILES! Setting my next PR is going to be easy since I really took it slow and ran it at 11:21 minute miles (according to my tracker), and 11:49 according to the race timer. They are different because I turned off my tracker during our washroom break… because I wanted to know our exact running time.

Seriously, I’ve never been prouder of myself in my whole life. I never thought I’d be able to run STRAIGHT for 13.1 miles, and I DID! I crossed the finish line, strong and feeling good. I’ve never been happier to stop running!

Thinspiration

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For all those avid pinterest-ers and bloggers out there, thinspiration is a huge internet trend. As someone who struggled with an extremely unhealthy view of food and exercise, this is maddening. For all those who have no clue what I’m talking about, it’s basically surfing through pictures of women who are starving themselves or working out until their bodies are literally skin and bones. These women are emaciated with visibly protruding bones. If you can’t count the ribs and see the hip bones protruding, they aren’t ‘thin’ enough. This alarming trend promotes looking at thin celebrities through visual in order to be inspired to continue to lose weight.  
“These sites are very, very dangerous,” said Lynn S. Grefe, MA, president and chief executive officer of the National Eating Disorders Association. “Eating disorders are biologically based psychiatric illnesses, and these sites promote being sick and staying sick … bottom line, they delay treatment.”

Girls, these women are killing themselves. They are not beautiful; they are haunted by self-hatred… because they are unable to accept themselves for who they are.
This blog isn’t to inspire people to be ‘thin’, but to be healthy. If your healthy weight is 150lbs, then be comfortable with that. Don’t worry about losing weight, be concerned about eating balanced meals. Don’t throw your energy into counting calories, throw your energy into a 30 minute walk or run. Love your body, and take care of it. And please, friends, don’t look to pictures of emaciated women to motive you to work out. Loving ourselves should be enough to inspire us to take care of our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

March Runs

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I did it. I ran 42 miles in the month of February- which was exilerating! I certainly pushed myself hard, starting with a .73m run at the beginning of the month while trying to break in my shoes, and making it up to 7m on the 23rd. Following Hal Higdons running plan for this race has been a complete failure, BUT I’m going to post up his calender plan in prep for my May 1/2 marathon to make THAT race as painless as possible!

I’ve only got a couple more weeks of “winter running” left… (it was 80F yesterday for my run), and then I’m buying myself the cutest pink shorts from LuluLemon (Run Tracker Short). I’d buy them today if they would only bother to carry them so I could BUY them – I mean, c’mon! I’m in love with the style and the color and it’s a NEED to run in them for my first 1/2 marathon. I’m kinda getting worried they won’t carry them in time for my race =( Well, since it’s March, it’s time to go over my March Goals.

  • Run 60 miles (total) this month
  • Finish the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon
  • Go rock climbing (maybe for my birthday!?)
  • Eat Breakfast EVERYDAY
  • Smile and Laugh every day!
  • Take the time to make good healthy meals, three times per week
  • Stop. Take time to journal. I feel so much more balanced when I journal.

It’s not just about running, it’s about balancing a healthy lifestyle. It’s not about losing wieght, it’s about being comfortable in the skin you are in. If we are maintaining a healthy lifestyle, our body weight will settle in a place that’s healthy for us!

It’s still a Mile

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Basically, I run slow. Tyler (my super athlete husband) can run circles around me, despite how much more I run than him. And for awhile it really bothered me. I would put myself down in hopes that someone would tell me the phrase I so depserately wanted to hear “it doesn’t matter”, “at least you’re running and we’re proud of you”.
But what if I didn’t run to be the best, but ran to do my best?
The problem is, I’m an extremely competitive person and I want to be the first one to finish the line… But I need to be happy with competing against myself. And be proud of crossing the finish line.

I’m learning to run farther, maybe not faster. I’m learning to become comfortable with my pace, and love myself despite how slow I am. If my prime running speed is a 10 min mile, I’m going to love that 10 minute mile. Every minute of it. And when someone brags talks about their 7 min mile, I’m going to congratulate them… not compare myself. I’m proud of my milage… I’M PROUD OF ME.

So seriously people, I’m learning to love the sport, embrace how I feel at mile four (wanna give up, wanna give up, wanna give up) and PUSH through it. I might never win a marathon (or run a marathon) but I’m going to love every mile that I do run, because I’m doing this for ME. My body, my health, and freedom. I refuse to compare myself and become injured as a result.

BE PROUD OF YOURSELF… you owe yourself that much!

PS. my hubs is super proud of me and hugs my super gross body after just about every run and tells me how amazing I am. I’m so grateful for him :)

Happy Monday!

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I recently found this mantra on facebook, and fell in love with it. I’m often accused of overdressing. I LOVE pink… clothes, nail polish, shoes, scarves, shirts, and note books.

Obviously laughing is much more fun than running, and it burns a heck of a lot of calories!

Kissing makes me the happiest girl in the world, and I beleive it’s the best medicine for our marriage :)

A pretty girl turns BEAUTIFUL when she laughes, so I’m going to try laugh at everything… jokes, myself…

And this isn’t on the list, but I believe you can get whatever you want with a heck-of-a-lot of work, and I’m not afraid to step up to the plate and go get it! I’m determined to be strong when everything seems to be going wrong, and see the good in it. God’s in control and he won’t let anything happen to us outside of his plan.

Hope this makes you smile like it did to me, and make your day a little better!

New-found love for Y O G A

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Let’s face it. I’m married, working almost full-time, taking full-time classes, while training for a half marathon. The Shamrock 1/2 Marathon is a mere 10 & 1/2 weeks away, and I’ve slacked off during my entire Christmas break. Well, that’s not entirely true… I spent at least an hour and half (combining my three, 3m runs) on the treadmill, which is almost as painful for me as pouding my head against the wall for the same given time period. Plus another outdoor run for also 3 miles.

See, I’ve got my work cut out for me! I better be hitting the gym hard- which is what I’m aiming to do. It’s too cold (and dark) for me to run outside after work, so my outdoor runs are going to be on the weekend.

And on the treadmill during the week.

While I’m training hard for this 1/2 Marathon, I’m also incorporating Yoga into my workouts. I’ve been a closet yoga-er for about 2 months now, and it’s been wonderful in relaxing my muscles, stretching my hips, and dealing with overall pain I feel in my joints and muscle from running.

I found a little quote on Yoga in the Magazine Runners World, January Edition:

“More than just stretching, yoga gives you whole-body strength, especially in the hips, core, and upper body,” says Sage Rountree, Ph.D., a yoga instructor, USA Triathlon-certified coach, and author of The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga. “Yoga’s mental training is ideal for runners because it teaches you to be present and breathe fully even in the face of intensity.”

Now just to clarify, the classes I’m attending are at LuluLemon store (free!), and we get a different instructor every week… and they haven’t incorporated the ‘spiritual’ part of yoga… which I’ve really appreciated. I wouldn’t still be going if they did. It’s a community event, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know women in my community, strength training and stretching out my hips.