Disappointing Training but a Great Race

The Marines really know how to put on a race. Last year, I was the only one who ran. This year my husband ran the 5K. I began training at the end of June. This has been a very hot summer. I was quite affected by the heat. In spite of the heat, things were going well until the middle of August. That was when I started teaching preschool. The obligatory beginning of the school year cold put me out for a week end (first long run missed). At the end of August we took a whirl wind trip to DC to the Glenn Beck Rally (second long run missed). I was still running fairly well during the weeks. Then....I got a new job teaching HS science and things started sliding. I was busier and it was easier not to run in the very hot afternoon. I am a traveling teacher, which means I don't have a classroom and move around. I got blisters on my heels from a pair of shoes I wore and my ankle swelled up with a horrible infection. That put me out for over a week and knocked me out of my last big run. I did get an 11 miler in one week before the race, but nothing before or after. Needless to say, I was one discouraged old lady.

The week before the race was incredibly busy but I was able to eat early and rest well on Friday night. I got up at 3:30, nervous, but very well rested. I woke the family up at 5 and we left about 6. We arrived there at 6:20 with plenty of time to make all my visits to the port o lets. I took a lap around the stadium and passed a guy doing the same thing in the opposite direction. I asked him where we were supposed to go in and he told me. He had a definite African accent. I was wearing my head band that says "In my dreams, I am Kenyan". I thought it was cool that I may have met one. We lined up and of course, I had to make another trip to the johns. I guess I was adequately hydrated. The Navy band played the national anthem and the crowd was silent. That is the coolest thing. I set my ipod, the cannon blasted (it didn't scare me this year) and off we went. It was very crowded for the 1st mile until we split from the 5Kers. My first mile was 10 minutes, great time. The beginning of mile 2 and 3 were bridges, our Florida hills. I was clipping along. I had a few nagging pains that started early, but I still ran steady. At 4.5 miles a police car was coming with sirens on....it was the leader. Unbelievably, it was the Kenyan I saw warming up before the race. He finished in 1:12, half the time I did.

During the race I was touched by people wearing names and pictures of Marines they were honoring in this race. By mile 8 I was drooping, but this was the most touching. My inspirational song came on my ipod and coming the other direction was an older man with a Marine shirt on, walking the race with crutches. I was so moved that I cried. At that point my mantra was, if he can run this race, I can quit whining and finish. Which I did, in 2:22:37. I ran the whole way and really felt good. My family was cheering me on at the end. I even turned it up a notch. I am sore beyond belief (due to my poor training), but I feel very successful.

After the race, we came home and showered and went to the funeral of a friend who lost her battle with cancer. Funerals are sad, but I am so grateful that we don't sorrow as those without hope. She shared the gospel with whomever she came into contact with. Her family is sorrowful, but are comforted by the fact that she ran her race well and is resting inside the gates of Glory. I pray that I keep my goals in perspective and not only run these earthly races well, but with Paul, press toward the mark of the high calling.

God Bless Dios te Bendiga

Summer is nearing an end

Summer has always been a time for relaxing, enjoyment and growth. When the kids were small, it seemed that they would grow inches in just a few months. That isn't the case anymore, although Krista has grown since the spring. This summer, actually the whole year, has flown by. I can't seem to make it stop. Briana and Andrea are in college. Joanna is dual enrolled. So as the new school year starts, Krista is the last one left for me to teach.

Joanna still needs to get her drivers license. I do hope I survive that. And as I have seen with the others, when they get their license, they begin moving more to independence. I can't believe my Jo is already there.

That leaves me with my not so little anymore baby. We have big plans, she and I.....maybe I should rephrase that, I have big plans for her, I just hope she will follow. Shortly, she will move on to independence too

Her dad and I are changing our roles. We are becoming the support staff.

I am sad, but proud of my girls. They are moving into responsible adulthood with grace. They are facing challenges well. Most importantly, they have a heart for God. This is what I am most proud of. The choice to love God with all their heart is the one for which I am most proud.

As the nest empties, I will have to find new things to occupy my time. But until then, I think I will have my hands full with Krista.

Andrea's Graduation Video

This is the video we played at Andrea's graduation. Some of our friends have not seen it. So here it is.

Ahhh, What a Summer

I can hardly believe it is August. Well, the thermometer is making sure we are all aware that the dog days have arrived. Still, it is hard to believe how quickly this year has flown. Our summer has been very busy.

Krista spent 5 weeks working on her tennis at Flagler. Her confidence level has risen. She made friends and improved her skills. She has grown several inches. She has decided to learn how to play the guitar. Consequently, I had to learn to string a guitar. I already string tennis racquets, but I found there is a difference. We still haven't gotten the smallest string on as I broke 2 putting them on.

Joanna went to Michigan to help with an Arab festival there. It was a lot of hard work but she had an enjoyable time. She started her first college classes. This has been a little adjustment for her. Her goal is to have her AA when she graduates HS. We will see.

Andrea signed her tennis scholarship with FSCJ. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone for her. She also received bright futures, so her college will be more than paid for.

Briana is finishing up her AA and Business degree. She has traveled to the midwest to see some of her friends from WOL Argentina. Ahead for her is looking for a college to attend next year.

Jimmy is still teaching in Spanish. He is running also, with a goal to run the Marine Corps freedom 5K while I run the Half Marathon. Running has been tough this summer with the heat.

Home improvements have been abundant this summer. Insulation and many plumbing repairs were made in attempt to lower our JEA bill. I hope to see improvements.

This summer has been a time of growth for all of us and we look forward to what the Fall will bring.

Lessons learned

It has been a while since I have blogged. I had a hankering, so here it is:

I have been consistently running for a year and a half. I have a few races under my belt, the longest being a Half Marathon. I ran the Marine Corp Half last October in 1:21:17. This has been a somewhat difficult process for me. There have been mental and physical battles. There have been lessons learned and some ignored. I hope you enjoy reading as I share some of them with you.

Let's begin with the scoffers. They are everywhere in our lives, with respect to running, mine were in my family. During our Beginning of the Year Family Gathering, I stated that I would run the River Run. My husband actually laughed. Granted, I had started AND quit running a few times during the years we have been married, but laugh. For some reason, I was determined this time. I found a training plan and completed the full 9.1 miles in 1:41. I was still running when I hit Heartbreak Hill. That was the beginning of my journey that has required persistence, patience, endurance...well the list could go on and on. Let's just say I silenced at least one scoffer in my life, in fact this scoffer has joined me in my running journey.

Some of the greatest battles I have fought have been mental. It hasn't been easy to determine what was mental or physical. My mind is weak. My body is stronger than I think. Being nearly 50, my old body does have it's limitations. I have learned to push it just a little farther. This brings to mind a spiritual analogy: Our flesh will tell us that we can't, God assures us that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can. In fact God takes pleasure in doing great things with the most unlikely people. Still, great things are not done for God without proper nutrition we receive from God's Word. Likewise great things are not accomplished on the running trail without proper nutrition. I have learned that hydration, nutrition and sleep are very important.

The next battle is kin to the aforementioned. I have learned to listen to my body. There are times when I have not slept well and shouldn't go the distance. Running long distances has taught me to pace myself. I won't last the long haul sprinting. Remember the tortoise and the hare? Spiritually, our journey requires pacing and listening to the Holy Spirit. Just like physical cues can keep me from injury, the Spirits cues will also keep us from pain.

Currently, I am again training for the Marine Corp Half. Summer in Florida is not a great time to train, in fact, it can be downright miserable. All you can do is your best and hope that when the temperature cools (if in fact it does) you will run well. In the midst of this difficult time, I have to remind myself to enjoy the journey. Of course the results are most enjoyable. Running itself can be fun. I tend to be somewhat clinical in my approach. I like to see quantitative data. Some of my most enjoyable runs have been those when I just took off with the ipod and ran and ran. When I returned to the structured runs, the enjoyment was still there. I heard something recently that relates to this. Don't always look toward the goal, enjoy the climb. This is a great life lesson. We tend to look to better times, i.e. when we finish school, when the kids get out of diapers, etc., that we don't enjoy the present time. Investing in the lives of my daughters has been one of the long runs for me. That is coming to an end and leaves a little more time for running. It wasn't always easy to stop and enjoy it when times were crazy.

Will I still have the crappy runs? Will I fall on my face spiritually? Yes and more than likely. i have learned to get up and move on to the next run. I love accomplishing what most women my age won't even tackle. I love learning from even the worst runs. They teach me that I am not invincible. In my flesh, I can't do everything. I need the Holy Spirit to truly succeed.

Briana

4 am tomorrow morning will mark the 21st anniversary of a very blessed event in my life. We were the only ones on Blanding Blvd as we made our way to Orange Park Medical Center. 16 hours and a C-Section later we had our first daughter. We brought her home in a Christmas stocking. She was one of only 3 presents under our sparse little tree that year. It has been a blessing to watch her grow up to serve the Lord. She has a precious smile and a sweet spirit. We are so thankful that God blessed our lives with our "Sweet Baby" Briana.

I ran two Half Marathons (HM) in the month of October. I began training in July which, in Florida, is not a fun thing. The heat was unbearable. I plugged along with the hopes that it would be cooler in October and much easier. October arrived, but the cooler weather did not. I finished the race under my goal of 2:30. My time was 2:28:30. I am very proud of this accomplishment.

My second HM came as quite a surprise. We had a trip to Virginia planned to visit Liberty University. It was alumni weekend. We purchased an alumni package which included a 5K race. It was 2 weeks after the HM, but I didn't think that would be a problem. I received a call from the school asking if I still wanted to run the race and which one did I want to run, the 5K or the HM. This was Monday after my first HM, so I said I would run the HM. I was still on a high. I was feeling no pain not really tired, so this on should be no problem right?

To begin with, it was COLD. The high was predicted as only th low 50s. When I got there, I found out it was a trail race. The drive up the mountain should have clued me in. I asked the guys there if they thought I would be okay and showed them my shoes AND told them I was from Florida. They still said I would be okay. I still didn't know what I was getting in to. There were only about 80 people running the race. We all lined up and proceeded down a very narrow trail. I suddenly had a pinching sensation on my legs, then my arms and my face. There were huge black flies biting me. Fortunately there were ladies around my that got them off me. My hand was quite swollen at the end of the race.

Right off the bat we went up 2 very steep inclines, I was almost on all fours. I looked at the elevation chart from the race, during the first 2 miles the climb was 400 feet. That is much taller than any bridge(our mountains) in town. We crossed little bridges, the first was made of branches, a few of which were missing, it was precarious at best. I even crossed a 5 inch wide culvert. Sounds like disaster for a clutz like me. It had rained and the leaves were wet. There were places where I couldn't tell where the trail was, it looked just like the rest of the woods. I was concerned about getting lost, but was told that was no problem. Just follow the pink ribbons. Oviously, they didn't know who they were talking too. At one point in time, I stood in the middle of the woods looking for the pink ribbon. I got off trail twice. One time I looked down the hill to my left and saw a kid walking and a pink tape, fortunately I got back on course fairly easily. We were going down so steeply at times I would slip and fall. I took a pretty good tumble with about 2 miles to go. I was so tired, I guess I wasn't lifting my feet very high and there were rocks, roots, trees everywhere. We had to climb over several huge fallen trees, that was hard at the end. I got of trail again with about a 1/2 mile to go, there was a guy behind me that had done the 5K and was hanging out to cheer the racers on, helped me find my way. I had actually realized I was off trail and was heading back and he saw me. I was able to run around the lake to the finish line.

I was alone in the woods for most of the time. This was very difficult for me. No mile markers and only 3 water stations. There were times I was yelling at myself for getting into something as stupid as this. I was 70 out of 75 finishers. There were only 3 in my age catagory and the other ladies finished ahead of me. My time was 3:21:03. Almost a full hour longer than my first. This was a task more difficult than childbirth, but I have survived both.