Just Wearin My Brand New Shoes. . .

I didn't want to, but I had to.  I had to get some new shoes.  On Monday, I ran what I hoped to be my fastest one mile.  


I failed miserably.


Miserably.


I mean, I didn't even break a 10-minute mile.  And to top it all off, when I got back, my knee was in such pain that I wondered what on earth I was thinking of doing. 


So I researched and apparently, you shouldn't use a shoe for more than 300 miles?  Who knew?  Well, I'm sure my runner friends knew.  Anyhow, although I know I have not logged that many miles in that particular shoe, I have been using those shoes on leg day at the gym.


I retired them this week and got these:





I am not a big fan of gimmicks, and I am sure there are better shoes on the market with much bigger price tags.  They guy at Dick's Sporting Goods tried to sell them to me.  But I tried these on, walked around, and I like them.  


And yes, I got that color.


And I will definitely be seen on the road.  With those and this outfit:





Yeah, I know it's bright. 


I've also put up a motivational  board in my bathroom:



The top right has a line up of my before to present day pictures, which I still am not confident enough to post on a blog, but one day, I will.


My Bible verse this week comes from Hebrews, and it reminds me that I still have to keep pushing, even though it seems like a daunting task:


"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."  Hebrews 12:11-13


No discipline seems pleasant at the time.  The Lord disciplines me daily.  He makes me wait for answer to prayers.  He tells me no to things I really, really want.  And he shows me daily that my desires and His will are often at odds.  And you know what, His will blows my desire out of the water.  


My running is my discipline on myself.  When I get up at 5:30am, even when I could sleep another 30 minutes, I am telling my feeble arms and weak knees that even through this discipline, this frail body that I have been gifted will be in better shape when I am finished with it.  When I have molded it and shaped it, it will work not perfectly in the way that I wish it to, but it will more or less do as I need it to.


God does that with all of us.  He molds us, pushes us, disciplines us, and though we are still not perfect in the end, He uses us to do His will daily.  We have to get up early, strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees, and head out the door.  In perfect weather, freezing weather, pouring rain, 100+ degree heat, through mud puddles that destroy our new shiny shoes, and facing a head wind that might knock us over.  Just like my body trusts my mind to know how far to push it, God knows how far to push us.  All we have to do is listen and go through the training.


I am so thankful for each day I can get up and run.  I am thankful for every pound that I lift, yes, for every injury I feel, and for sore muscles the next morning.  

iPod Playlist: Christian Music for Running

To be honest, I probably have spent the most amount of time finding music for running.  The biggest challenge?  Finding music that does not have copious amounts of cursing it it!  I've posted one of my playlists on Facebook, and of course it has changed dramatically.


So, what do I listen to when running?  I have three playlists and this one is my favorite:

1. Jesus Freak--DC Talk
2. One World--tobyMac
3. Changed forever--tobyMac
4. Suitcases--Dara Maclean
5. Hold Me--Jamie Grace
6. Awake and Alive--Skillet
7. Shackles--Mary Mary
8. No Plan B--Manafast
9. Supernatural--Manafast
10. Every Time You Run--Manafast
11. Hero--Skillet
12. It's Not Me It's You--Skillet
13. Should've When You Could've--Skillet
14. Forgiven--Skillet
15. I'm for You--tobyMac
16. Show Stopper--tobyMac
17. Hands and Feet--Audio Adrenaline
18. Make a Move--Royal Tailor
19. Control--Royal Tailor
20. Run to Love--Royal Tailor
21. Love Come to Life--Big Daddy Weave
22. Free--Dara Maclean
23. You Lead--Jamie Grace
24. While I'm Waiting--John Waller
25. My Own Worst Enemy--Casting Crowns
26. Move--Mercy Me
27. Do Everything--Stephen Curtis Chapman
28. Stronger--Mandisa
29. Love the Lord--Lincoln Brewster
30. Courageous--Casting Crowns
31. You are My King (Amazing Love)--Newsboys
32. After all (Holy)--David Crowder Band
33. Let Me Feel You Shine--David Crowder Band
34. Jesus Saves--Jeremy Camp

I hit shuffle for my playlist.  I am sure when I run my next race, I'll select from this playlist 2 hours worth of music to play.


In other news, I hit my longest run at 4 miles today.  I need to start looking at shoes, though.  


And I tried my first smoothie today:

• blueberries

• banana

• skim milk

• peanut butter

• plain yogurt

Loved it!

It may be time for a new blender.

I know last night I was freaking out about the upcoming half marathon, but here is my comfort today:


For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

So you know what?  The strength to get through this is going to be from above.  If he wants me to do it, I will do it.  And I know he wants me to take care of my body so I can do His service.  So I can let go, and let Him take care of the rest.

120 Days? Oh! No!

I have been determined that I will run the Myrtle Beach mini marathon this year.  That's 13.2 miles.  The farthest I have ever run?  According to Nike+, it's 3.64 miles on April 24, 2012.  Oh, No!  What am I thinking? 

Yesterday I downloaded the Runner's World Smart Coach iPhone Application.  I would start it next week, because it's a 16 week program.

One might ask, why on earth, at the age of 38, I would decide to run a half marathon.  The reason begins with my mother, who went to be with the Lord on May 29, 2002.  By the time Mama was diagnosed, she had Stage 4 esophageal cancer.

Cancer is a killer.  Although there are no definitive causes of this particular cancer, there is a higher risk in individuals who are overweight, have acid reflux disease, or use tobacco.

Okay, so on count three, I'm innocent.  On counts one and two.  Guilty as charged.  When my kind family practitioner informed me that I was damaging my esophagus, I looked at my children.  I knew I had lost my mother way, way too early.  So in addition to taking the medicine prescribed by my doctor, I determined I was going to lose the weight.  This was in 2007.

The weight and this picture were my wake up call:

Walt Disney World Jan, 2007

I bought into Nutrisystem.  I lost 40 pounds.

I was exercising, doing awesome.  The acid reflux was gone.  In 2008, I had made it to this point.

Walt Disney World, October 2008

And then it happened.  Walking through the house, I fell.  I broke my tailbone.  Not being able to do my chosen way of exercise, the exercise bike, I started slowly putting the weight back on.

Until I was here:

Walt Disney World, December 2009

My home, Easter 2010

I had put every pound back on.  And then some.  I stayed in denial until the fall of 2010.

I was back at the doctor.  And this time, it was plantar fasciitis.  It was October.  I was back where I was in 2007.  And I was sick with myself.

It was at that time I started lifting weights, with the help of my husband and his fellow gym rat buddies.  I knew that staying on my feet by running at the time would be too difficult on my poor sad feet.

I lost 30 pounds.  Then I decided to try to run.  I entered my first 5K.

Other than pictures that are now part of my encouragement wall, the next picture I allowed to be taken of me was in March 2011 at my first 5K:

McLeod Sports Medicine 5K; Florence, SC, March 2011

Time of completion:  39 minutes, 46 seconds.  Not great, but for someone who was barely moving the year before, it was an awesome feeling.

I was doing better, but still no where near I wanted to be.  At the same 5K this year, my time was 37 minutes, 17 seconds.  I placed 8th in my division, and recorded my personal best.  I'm still slow.  But I've not stopped!  Today I look better, feel better, and know that I will be ready in 120 days.

And my ultimate goal?  246 days away.  Walt Disney World.  The Princess half marathon.

Today I look like this, but I know by February, I'll be confident enough to post a bikini picture:

Walt Disney World, June 2012