Half Marathon

Yesterday, I had the privilege of finishing a race I had never run - a half marathon. In the first 2 miles, we gained 500 ft. in elevation. It was brutal and exhilarating! We knew we had trained hard and were prepared to run 13.1 miles, but we had never run this course before. Nothing but experience could have truly given us a realistic look at what was ahead. When we got to the top and started our decent, we got a blast of headwind. The entire 1/4 mile downhill we were running into a VERY strong wind. We weren't expecting that! We were hoping for a nice recovery to continue our race. The spiritual implications are strong, aren't they? We can prepare, we can be ready but until we truly have life experiences that stretch us, we do not know how strong & mighty our God is. Even when we are expecting to coast for a while, God can step in and give us a new challenge in the midst of our rest.

We made up time and were set for a great finish. I hit the wall at 11.5 miles. I was running with a dear friend who has run many long races before. She had been letting me set the pace between mile 10 - 12 then she was taking over to finish strong. I panicked! I couldn't fathom not being in control. I knew there was no way I could run faster, I was barely keeping it emotionally together as it was. She saw that all I needed was for her to be next to me. We were silent and I picked up the pace. She took over in the last mile and she didn't up our speed. We continued to run in silence. It was the most encouraging aspect of the race. God has given us words to communicate with each other every day but God uses the presence of friends in our life to comfort when all we need is to know we are not alone.

As we rounded the corner and saw the finish, we were renewed. Hearing our names as we came to the line was fulfilling. We crossed and knew it was all over for the day. Our goal was accomplished. But more than finishing a half marathon yesterday, I found God speaking I Corinthians 9:24-26a to me this morning:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore, run in such a way, as not without aim;

Sugar Free

10 days ago, I embarked on a challenge that was similar to a challenge I gave myself in college - No sugar. I was 22 and had reached my all time highest weight. Feeling sluggish and tired came along with working part time, going to school full time as well as being a part of campus life. I drank my sugar loaded coffee in the morning, took my 20 minute power nap after lunch, ate horribly, stayed up way too late and then came up with this great idea - Cut Out Sugar! Right! That was my problem. Not the inconsistent bed time, early mornings, stress, lack of free time, or no weekly exercise other than walking to & fro on campus.

I decided to take sugar out of my diet. Don't get me wrong, I was on the right train of thought, but this particular choice probably tops the "most uneducated decision I have ever made" list. I thought as I had been taught in my youth, calories in versus calories out. If I cut down on my calories, no matter what the food, I should lose pounds. Also, my misconception was, "If I am not putting a doughnut in my mouth, I am not eating sugar." Well, needless to say, there was no weight loss in the near future of that plan. I substituted. Out came the "sweets" and in came the carbs and fat. Out with the morning danish, in came bagels with peanut butter. Out came hot chocolate, in came orange juice. Very little fresh fruits & veggies made the cut but "sugar free" cookies were the norm. I didn't count calories but I thought I was sacrificing for the sake of my health. After 2 short weeks of craving and cheating and being grumpy, I quit.

Fast forward past more than a decade, 3 precious pregnancies and a lot more education on physical fitness and nutrition. This time around, my sugar-free adventure has been a blessing. The rules are simple - the American Heart Association recommends 24 g or less of added sugar per day. That includes corn syrup, table sugar, evap. cane juice (found in MANY organic yummies), etc. If the food label has sugar and there is no fruit in the ingredients list, it gets added to my daily. The one exception to is that on my long runs, I have been eating "goo" which is pure sugar. There is no way around it, our bodies need quick energy to sustain endurance. This is the easiest and quickest way to avoid injury or calling for an ambulance during training.

I have managed to stay on a daily caloric intake of 1800 or less as well. For someone of my height training for a half marathon, those calories are proving to be just right. I am not trying to lose weight, merely researching the state of my body, mind and spirit in the midst of sugar depravity. The first week was, as I always like to say, a cake walk. No biggie. I have been very honest with my exercise and food log. Eating when I am hungry, eating before a run. Not so great on NOT eating before bed. Today was a struggle for the first time. I SO wanted a chocolate chip cookie! I resisted, grabbed my 100% organic apples applesauce. It helped but wasn't the same. I am happy to say that I truly do feel like I have more energy. I haven't given up my morning coffee (with a tsp. of organic sugar and half&half) but I have given up my afternoon cup of Jo with a cookie. It's the little victories. Here's to more days like last week and fewer days of struggle like today.

Pressing On

I'd been lost. I hadn't been writing here or anywhere really. I made excuses. I listened to the negative voices inside my head. I was not following a dream claiming that I didn't have a dream to follow. This past fall I decided that I needed a goal that would inspire me and connect my physical & spiritual in a way that I hadn't in a long time - I was going to run a half marathon. It was the hardest physical challenge I could think for myself. I didn't want to do it alone but I couldn't find anyone to run with that was at my level. I prayed and researched races and training plans and then it all went on the back burner as fall turned into winter.

Fast forward 5 months and God had transformed a dreamless, tired woman to a goal-setting, sugar-free runner ready to finish my first half-marathon in 10 days.

I have so much to share about how God is moving in Colorado.

As I come back to writing on this blog, I am so encouraged that the title of this blog is Pressing On... God has given me a dream - to focus on the prize He has set before me - the prize of a new dream.

Downcast Spirit Lifted

How easy it is to have hurt feelings sometimes. Tonight, I am finding myself very hurt. I think in the moment, she was angry with me and meant to hurt me a little. But if she knew how her words made me feel right now, would she have ever written them down? Maybe, in her defense, they weren't written the way that I read them. I doubt it. Does she hate me? No, I know that's not true. Is she angry? Yes, I know that's true. In her eyes, I let her down. I should have followed through on a task. But, really, in my defense, I didn't have the same time line that she did. We weren't on the same page. Her priorities were not my own. They never have been. 

Words are powerful. They can build up. They can tear down even faster. As I sit here, wondering if I should just let it go or if I should talk to her, I can't help but feel a little saddened that this is how my day could end. Hurt, bitter, angry, defensive. 

But it won't. It's God's time to work in my heart. I have been praying for her - one who has no future hope, one whose worth lies in the fleeting things of this life. I am sorry that I let her down. But more than that, I am saddened that what I didn't do put her in such a horrible mood that all she could think to do was to lash out in angry words. 

My day will end in compassion, love, kindness and humility. My day will end with a lesson reminding me of how powerful words can be and a warning to use them carefully and wisely. 

Ecclesiastes 12:10 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him.