Taking back the trail

So  I know I missed a post from my first long run on a road, and then Mondays run before I even get to today's.

Saturday was a 12 mile run and my first long run on a paved trail. I ran straight from my house to the Silver Comet and brought one goo thing to take half way. It went well and I ran faster then I thought I'd be able to, hitting an average of 8:30 minute per mile.  The weather has been great so that mixed with actually taking a supplement really helped my time.

 yes that is a Vulcan salute 

 my time was really better but I did a cool-down which killed the pace per mile on the bottom, I've still not loaded my data off the Garmin so this is all I've got. I want to put it on a new laptop but doubt that I should spend the money on it, so until I decide to this will have to do.

It was so nice to see so many runners and people on the trails Saturday morning!  Women running in pairs as well as some running alone like myself, as well as men and families.  We cannot let fear control us and scare us away from doing what we love.

Together we can take back the trails.

Monday Tina and I ran at the gym, so nothing very exciting except we got to watch Bones, I've never ran to a show before really so it was interesting.

Today I decided to run the advanced run of 8 instead of the 5 I usually do, mainly cause Saturday I won't be able to do my long run since I'm running the Savage race with a friend that is coming up from Florida.  Again the weather was amazing and Oreo even ran the whole thing with me.  I think that doing the same route (he's a bit scared of cars and cyclists) we always ran in the neighborhood was getting to him so I risked it and took him on the trail which really helped power him.

I will admit that I miss my runs with the Lord...I hate that the idea of trying to run again without music and just my thoughts and prayers to God. The idea of being quiet before Him as nature surrounds me sounds great but impossible for me. I guess at least I still have the desire to be with Him intimately. I just have to find a way we can.

I think training for my marathon, knowing I have certain distances and speeds I need to reach is making it harder, but after I've achieved this I want to return to these calmer runs. The runs I did just for fun, just to being with my heavenly Father.

On a side note we had to reschedule our Prophecy group to Thursday this week in place of Tuesday so cannot wait for that!

Lastly, the group workout I had mentioned in a few posts didn't workout. Which does show me that I think God has me going in a different direction, but at least allowed me to meet two wonderful people along the way. Now I have the rest of this year to save and think about becoming a substitute Ride instructor for Gold's, if they still need one by then.

It's all gone to the dogs...

So today I did another 5 miles with Oreo, and although I felt exhausted before I even started and I worried about my knees handling it, we had a very good run. With the breeze and slightly cooler temperature it felt awesome. And he did great!

For the first time in what feels like forever (although really less then a year) he ran over 3.5 miles and didn't drag me.

The first 3 miles he ran at an average 9 minute mile pace, and the last 2.5 at less then 9:30 minute miles.  I am so very proud of him!

Last night I took r30 (the short & sweet bike class at Gold's Gym) and then did back and arms again before heading home.

I'm really considering getting my certification with ride so I  can be a substitute instructor...I really do enjoy the class.  But that is a long ways away from now.

I have some time to decide, and see how group workout does, but I really do think I may try to get certified next year once my marathon is overwith. What attracted me to Strong was the christian background it had, but they've kinda watered it down to attract more people...but then to me, it makes it no different then all the other "group" workouts out there, and we have a few in the area already...so I'm just not sure.

In the meantime, aside from my obstacle races, I have a half  I might do with a friend for Thanksgiving in place of my Gobblejog 10k/5k I usually do and maybe a couple 5ks with another friend, so things are coming along!

In our prophesy group we have been having an in-depth study of the day of the Lord and are about to discuss the various views on the rapture, or great catching away, which should be interesting!

rollin' with my homies and the prophecy group

So today was a cross training day, so I took r30 at Gold's gym, a 30 minute bike class at the gym and then hit a back & arms workout before heading home.  Some of the instructors have talked to me about getting certified to teach ride and becoming a substitute instructor...I didn't realize I was good enough for that. Being a white girl I fit the stereotype of having no rhythm...really I can dance the running man and the macarena.  After discussing with two instructors I respect and looking into it, I cannot afford the training currently and with my marathon training schedule and Team Strong starting I don't want to add it to my schedule, plus it's too expensive to get certified. I'm hoping at the start of next year I might be able to though.

(old picture from my birthday but hey it's what I had)

On Tuesdays I've started attending a Prophecy small group, my mother and her friend host, Sharron and Sharon. I kinda think of it as the Prophecy group by Sharron², two Sharon's for the price of one. Every Tuesday we discuss current events relating to the bible and end times prophecy. My mother has done so much research in this and shared with Sharon, and I've read a bunch she's recommended so it's been very interesting and people I've not even thought originally would be interested have really taken to it so it's been really great.

It brings to mind Acts and the early rain when the church was in the houses, and now the latter rain should be the same.  I don't seem to really feel God and the Lord in church the way I used to, while I go, it seems more about the church as a government then it really does a relationship with the Lord God Almighty.  And with so much going on nowadays that is an obvious sign of the times, it's nice to get together with other believers and discuss what God has been putting on our hearts, encouraging each other, praying, and just the fellowship.  It gives me hope in a world that has so little in it.

Marathon blogging

Hello and sorry it's been awhile. I've thought of posting many times but never did manage to get on here. So today, the same day I start my marathon, my goal is to blog it's progress daily, or at least after the runs.

My plan has me running Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, with a long run on Saturdays.  I plan to try and do strength training on the other days with 1-2 day(s) off.

So here's the tentative schedule:

Monday - run / abs / stretch

Tuesday - r30? / back, chest, arms

Wednesday - run / abs / stretch

Thursday - run / workout

Friday - off / back, chest, arms

Saturday - long run / stretch

Sunday - off / back, chest, arms

I'm not sure if I want my full day off before or after the long run, and also as distance increases whether I should cut and have 2 days off or not but we shall find out!

Today was day 1 and I had to run 6 miles. Wanted to outside but threat of bad weather scared me into the gym instead.

Not my best time but I was going for just a more fun run being my first day. After using Pinterest I found this abs workout which really got me!

 

I only did 3 sets but I'm hoping by the end I'll be up to the 5 sets. 

Anyhoo, here we go!

Planting Seeds

The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises.

Leo Buscaglia

So I'm supposed to be teaching classes with the Georgia Team workout, so when I get the chance to take a class at my gym, with an instructor I really enjoy that pushes me, I've been watching them, observing to hopefully figure out what about them draws me to work harder, how they make me so much more driven then I am alone.

First was an instructor in Gold's gym's ride class every Saturday morning, 8:15 am.  I'm not one that can ride a bike indoors without being in a decent class. While she's not quite as exuberant as some, as the class goes on she opens up more. Somewhere within the ride get so motivated to keep going, to push myself and I realize its cause as she teaches she is pushing herself as well as everyone else. When she yells at you to keep going, she's really yelling at herself and there is something so motivating about that!  Her drive to give it all she has moves me to do likewise!

The Second Instructor teaches not only ride, but also core and power at least. His sense of  humor as well as attitude and awareness of the class. He uses humor to lighten your mood, and pays attention to all the class, not only to make sure they are doing it correctly, but just so they know they were noticed. No one wants to be in a class where their presence is not acknowledged.  He also does a great job of pushing everyone as he pushes himself.

Passion is an amazing thing, people can see it, can feel it. They know if it's real or if you are just putting on a show. You have to care about what you are doing or people wont care. Every class you teach, you are planting seeds in everyone's life and tending to those seeds.

I have an interesting history with not only food, but fitness and the gym.  At one point I became obsessed with running, and once I ran 10.5 miles, I then had to every time I ran or I would be a failure to myself. This of course is not healthy seeing as I ended up running 10.5 miles 5 days a week. You can only keep that up for so long until it does something to your body, and mind. Especially when your dietary intake is not sufficient enough for that level of exercise. Shortly afterwards I met with someone (now a close friend) and had to basically stop all cardio until I got my weight up...I over ran myself yet again. Then, when able, could only do 10 minutes of cardio a day.

Taking a break ended up being the best thing, not only for me physically and mentally, but for my relationship with running, I had made it a chore, something I was obligated to do and it lost its joy.

I've not regained my love for running along with a better awareness for how far to push myself.  While I am planning on running a marathon this year, I space out my runs and do them at paces and distances that fit. Yesterday for instance, after much fighting with myself I cut my run short since I was not feeling the best that morning and didn't want the 95° temperature to make me worse.  Doing that although reluctantly, made my run so much more enjoyable then if I had tortured myself for the full run I had intended.

Must remember:
I can always run a long run another day...and I am not a horrible person for only running a 5k instead.

(plus Oreo would've not made it for a longer run lol) 

I bring this all up because unknowingly I may have planted seeds in a friends life, I now watch doing the same I did.  Over exercising, under-eating...getting injured from the abuse they're trying to push though and call it 'healthy'. How do you help someone who is doing what you yourself did just a few years ago, heck maybe sooner...I've given advice when they started having a few pains and inquired of me, but I don't feel I'm in a position to just tell them what they are doing to themselves...they wouldn't listen. I never did.

So I stand back, watch and pray...I hope they learn the lesson I did...and hopefully not too late.  I don't know if I am partly to blame or not but it just goes to show you, you never know who might be watching, absorbing your actions, unconsciously or consciously.

Make sure the seeds you plant are fruitful and not weeds

Fun Friday

Update time!

Best Body Bootcampin' is going well! This week I thought mentally would be hard ended up being a nice mixup!  It helped me realize that less traditional cardio on cardio machines isn't the end of the world and wont make me huge... 

I meant that too...the support of the group is awesome and mixed with a leader who feels already like a sister--and she is, a sister in Christ (and fellow Georgian). I guess I'm just not used to it really, but honestly I'm going to hate it when the 8 weeks are over! Luckily there will be another to follow I can sign up for :)

I had to take a rain check for my Thursday's cardio + core day to go to my Dr. Goldberg appointment, which under the circumstances of me screwing up and eating allergy foods went well. No new foods for over the holidays but they are still proud of the progress I've made thus far.

After all that I think that I may follow fellow blogger Tina's "A Little Fun" blog post  and do the

Last Chance Survey

Last food you ate…

Some blueberry coconut yogurt, along with a grapefruit and a spoon-topped with homemade pistachio-butter

Last beverage you drank…

Water, my favorite :) Other then that I had some hot peppermint tea yesterday at the doctors and then with Chelsi last night at Starbucks

Last workout…

As previously mentioned I had to move Thursday's workout to Sunday so I last did Wednesday's workout, consisting of Isometric Hold Sets and Cardioblasts with some cardio added...quite a good workout might-I-add!

Last thing you pinned…

The Tamale Shepherd’s Pie that Tina mentioned in her blog. It sounded so good I couldn't help myself lol

Last text message you sent…

To my sister Elena seeing if I could get her to window shop walk with my mother so she'll get some exercise!

Last blog you visited…

If you couldn't guess Tina's then you're special :)

Last tweet you sent…

besides to birds, I don't  tweet

Last place you visited…

other then work?  Starbucks with Chelsi for our weekly date :)

Last time you did ab work…

Wednesday, last time I did a focus on abs would be Tuesday. Today I will be doing some after work though!

Last show you watched…

I don't really watch tv much, especially shows so I can't honeslty recall the last one I watched, I think a Science channel show on Saturn...but last thing I watched would be the movie Hatchi (which yes, made me cry)

 

Last thing you baked…

Salmon, or probably broiled, sweet potato fries would be baked...which technically my mom did, not me, but I can't recall the last thing I baked...probably the potato skins...I like to spray with oil and season and bake them into healthy fries!

Last thing you instagrammed…

 My little Leiba's new sweater!

isn't she cute!

Last item on your to-do list today…

              Workout!