I recently came accross this group right here in my hometown and I am very excited to be their newest member. For months I've been searching and praying for a way to tie my faith in with my running, and I'm convinced this is a way God has answered that prayer. The following is the FCA Endurance Creed, and I think its perfect!

I am a Christian first and last.
I am created in the likeness of
God Almighty to bring Him glory.
I am a member of Team Jesus Christ.
I wear the colors of the cross

I am a Competitor now and forever.
I am made to strive, to strain,
to stretch and to succeed
in the arena of competition.
I am a Christian Competitor
and as such, I face my challenger
with the face of Christ.

I do not trust in myself.
I do not boast in my abilities
or believe in my own strength.
I rely solely on the power of God.
I compete for the pleasure of
my Heavenly Father, the honor of Christ
and the reputation of the Holy Spirit.





My attitude on and off
the field is above reproach-
my conduct beyond criticism.
Whether I am preparing,
practicing or playing;
I submit to God’s authority
and those He has put over me.
I respect my coaches, officials,
teammates and competitors
out of respect for the Lord.


My body is the temple of Jesus Christ.
I protect it from within and without.
Nothing enters my body that
does not honor the Living God.
My sweat is an offering to my Master.
My soreness is a sacrifice to my Savior.


I give my all – all of the time.
I do not give up. I do not give in.
I do not give out. I am the Lord’s warrior –
a competitor by conviction
and a disciple of determination.
I am confident beyond reason
because my confidence lies in Christ.
The results of my efforts
must result in His glory.


LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN.
LET THE GLORY BE GOD’S.

the 'g' is silent

Are you familiar with the tiny itty bitty insect who's nearly invisible body can pimple one's skin with itchy annoying bumps approximately 10 times its size? They are called gnats. The 'g' is silent. It doesn't matter how you pronounce the little buggers name, they rival a misquito anyday, their bites 10x's as itchy and longer lasting.

Maybe you've heard of them, but you've never experienced them 8 miles into a hot humid run, where they gang up en masse, a wall of insects you won't likely see until its too late and burst through (wiki tells me these masses are called "ghosts" and are formed by the males in large "mating swarms"). Now there are dozens glued with persperation to your face, and you are being stared down by passerby's as you spit and flail your arms about.

But you dare not stop running.

Oh no.

You wipe the sweaty back of your hand accross your equally sweaty forehead, it feels like grit but you know better, you now rub the sweaty, gritty back of your hand on your shorts, and attempt at steadying your pace. You finally get your focus back and settle back into your cadence and whack! Another wall.

Fool.

Should have learned the first time to keep your mouth shut.

More spitting and flailing and wiping and struggling. By now you've been pricked by the blood-thirsty carnivores and are peppered by its bites. You begin the phantom paranoia that they are everywhere and after you like a giant swarm of bees. All notions of your pleasant run have vanished and only one promising thought lingers.

A strong finish.

With all your energy expended on spitting and flailing and wiping and struggling and the occassional burst of grunting frustration, you attempt to sprint to the heavenly oasis that is your finish, but those last few miles have supernaturally morphed into slow motion. You swear that last one was more like three.... and a half.

Finally, you stumble to the car, throw yourself in, and lock the door- just incase. laughing maniacally from the inside of your sanctuary, you can't see them, but you know they are there. and you have won this battle, but the war will wage on.

gnats.

No, never heard of them?? Oh, well, just so you know, the 'g' is silent. :}

Keeping It In The Family

My daughters love that I run. They get that its 'my thing' and they are so supportive. They cheer me on at races, ran a few of their own (and placed), and have even been known to slip a little "mommy, do you need to run?" when they see me get stressed out. They also plead with me to take them on my runs, and a few times I have.
My middle child, however, has decided that this business of running isn't just "mama's thing" but her "thing" too. Jordan was the first to run a kiddie run (Shamrock Run '08) and at 5 years old, you couldn't convince her she hadn't won the race, despite the fact that everyone else ALSO got medals. Her second "career race" a month later at the Sand Gnats Trot found her in 2nd place (to be fair, it was a very small kiddie race). In fact, I think her interest sparked way before that when she went to preschool and as I was picking her up one day while they were playing outside, I called out to her, and instead of cutting straight accross the playground to me, Jordan decided to sprint the perimeter and I watched in amazement as her little legs kicked faster than I thought was possible. I told her as much and like any small child, she ate up the affirmation and beamed with pride. The races that have followed have just cemented her love for running.
In truth, she's got a quirky stride, and although she's about as petite as they come (she's our very own Gidget), she's 90% legs. But as I've always said, what she lacks in size, she makes up for in heart and character.
Take today for example. Today we were checking out Jordan Hasay online. Like my Jordan, Hasay is petite, bright blonde, and determined. She was voted athlete of the year by Sports Illustrated and holds several junior titles in the 1500m. My Jordan was entranced. Before long she'd disappeared and reappeared in front of me with her running gear on. How could I resist? "Ok, lets go." I knew what she wanted, grabbed my stop watch, and headed out the front door. Jordan took her mark at the very end of the street, I yelled "go" and the girl was off to sprint the length of the road and back (total about .3 miles). Then big sis had changed and was out for her turn. McKenzie's only 18 mos older than Jordan, but with a more average build, and quite the overachiever. Jordan's used to it however, and when Kenz beat her time, Jordan was up for another shot at it. Her second round brought her in a full 6 seconds faster than her first, still behind her sis, but here's the kicker- before the halfway point Jordan lost her shoe. She didn't stop though! The girl kept going and sprinted the full way back with only one shoe on!!! I'm still laughing just thinking about it!
So, Jordan has found her first athletic hero (don't worry, I did make a point to mention that Hasay was also valedvictorian of her high school class!), and I'm guessing it won't be long before I have to start sharing my Runner's World subscription. :)

Unexpected Answer to Prayer

Perhaps you aren't the "praying type."

Perhaps you didn't know you can have a relationship with God.

Perhaps you do and you did, but its hard to wrap your head around the fact that He cares about all the details of your life, even the ones that you think fall short of "worthy of God's time."

I struggle sometimes with that last one. Sure I pray over and for the small stuff, but I tend to forget God in the dailiness of life once in awhile.

More than once, He has reminded me He indeed cares and in fact delights in me.

This morning was one of those times.

The past few weeks I've had some dull knee pain, some hints of shin spints both growing more and more prevalent with every run. Glance at my training log and you'll see the culprit. Its time for new shoes. 400+ miles in my Mizunos and they are ready. My last pair I wore to threads to the point when I brought them into Fleet Feet to trade up, the salesman (whom I know) insisted I never put the old ones on again "not another step in those!"

New shoes. I drool at the thought. I've worked hard in my running, building up consistency. I'm 3 weeks into training for my first half marathon, and 5 mos. from my first full, both registered. I'm on a roll. A talk with the hubs and he confirms what I feared. "$100 shoes are not in the budget right now." We are scrambling to save for a trip to Maine for my SIL's wedding, me and my three daughters are all in it so its not exactly a trip we put off.
Last night we sat talking, "I can't take one more run in them, I can't risk an injury if I push too far, and not be able to run for who knows how long." I tell him as I knead the outside of my throbbing knee. "I don't know what to tell you Jes." "I know, I know, I just have to drop the running." just saying it outloud I feel the slightest threat of tears. That night I lay in bed praying. See, I'm not fast, or strong, by anyones standards, but running is no less a passion. And for months now, I've felt like I should be using this passion to glorify God, even though it completely escapes me how to do this. A 8mm pace doesn't quite have the same impact as say Ryan Hall's. But the pull towards this is unmistakeable. I can completely relate to Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire when he says, "When I run I feel His pleasure." Still, like everything else, I must leave it up to God. "If You really want this for me, then You'll have to provide the way, cuz I have no clue what to do next. And if you don't want this for me, then I'll just have to be ok with that too."

Then there was evening, and then there was morning, the next day. LOL. I get up, and check my email, and RIGHT THERE on the top is a message from pebaxpowered.com "Congratulations, you are the winner of a pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 12 running shoes." HA! Cool, right? Some sweepstakes I haphazardly entered in months ago and promptly forgot about. I think I clicked on some ad here on RW. Please know I am not exaggerating when I tell you I have NEVER won a stinkin' thing in my entire 27 years. I don't even know why I enter.

:) Now, some might call it all coincidence, and I sincerely hope you don't take this as any sort of negative way when I say "but I know better." Answers from God aren't always that obvious, nor do they seem to come that fast most of the time, nor are they always answered the way I want, but its happened often enough to squelch any doubt. And even those NOT answered how I'd like, are ALWAYS proved to be for the best.

Rough Week 6/21/09

The pic above is the rails to trails along the river headed to Tybee beach, taken last sunday.

It seems as though my weeks are patterned, for every awesome, solid 7 days i have of running, follows 7 lame snarky days. such was the past two weeks. this one, being the first official week of training for my upcoming 1/2 marathon debut in september, meant that each day NOT running, and each MISERABLE day of finally getting out there, left twice as many bruises.

It didn't start out too bad, Tuesday's 4 miles, taken late-ish at night, went down to be my fastest non-racing time to date. i enjoyed the break from the sun, and felt like a caged bird set free to soar on wings like eagles! then fear took over, and this bird dropped like a rock. tempo run set for thursday (wed. was a non-run day) and promptly ignored. i can't even remember what my excuse was. all i know is that in truth, i'm just chicken when it comes to pushing my comfort zone and inviting pain to come in and visit for awhile. sigh. its a fear i'm determined to conquer........... some other time. no, really, i'll just keep picking myself off the ground, dust off, and try again until something snaps and it finally sticks.

so, putting off thursday's workout rippled into putting off friday's workout (unless a few laps and some lazy drifting at the pool counts as cross-training) and suddenly it was saturday and i had a whopping 4 miles logged for the week!!!! so, sat. was scheduled to be another day off before my sunday long run, but i headed out 11am or so for some quick miles to comfort my bruised ego. at this time, it happened to be 103 degrees with the heat index, the air was thick, and my stubborn pride kept me from even thinking to take some water. 4 miles later i was sprawled on my tile floor trying to keep from passing out. the day was spent recovering.

so the big sunday long run was set for today. the plan was to get there at 6am but a late night at a friend's house resulted in a few too many snooze smashes, and i stumbled out of the house a half an hour late, trekked the 30 minutes to the Rails to Trails, having packed EVERYTHING i could possible need (SOOOO glad I remembered a towel this time!) even remembered to freeze some water bottles for the fuel belt and toss them into the cooler with my sigg bottle. of course, i wound up chickening out on that too (i always feel weird w/ the fuel belt- like admitting i'm weak and can't handle it, even thought the truth is, i'm weak and i can't handle it, as was proved today- its also why i've NEVER taken water or anything on a long run, not Gu or any sugaraids) i set out and the first 3 miles aren't too bad. i was bummed to have to stop a few times and do some fancy footwork to get through parts of the path that had completely erroded. Its so good that there's not too much traffic- cuz even the idea of a single fiddler crab running accross my foot had me mimicking some african tribal dances while crossing logs and planks.

But i got to my first turn around and let myself catch my breath, take in the local shrine that i get SUCH a kick out of take off again just as the 'squitos caught whiff of me (insert more african tribal dancing)i headed back..... the last three miles tho- staring into the rising, beastly sun was agony. I can honestly say, to the best of my memory, I have NEVER sweated so much in my LIFE! It was just pouring down my face and arms in giant drops leaving puddle trails behind me, the salt seeping into my eyes stinging them so all i could do was squint, as I staggered back to my starting point.

Once there, I ripped open the car door and barbarically lunged for my fuel belt water bottles from the cooler- which were in an ironic twist- still frozen, guzzled down the contents of my sigg bottle, and debated finishing up the remaining four. sigh. a glance at my phone told me i could probably swing it, then high-tail it back home to get ready to go to church (started volunteering in the elementary area again- so i had to be there early) or i could leave now and NOT be late for once. even now i hang my head in shame because even though i know i chose the better option, I have NEVER cut a run short like that.

Well, the twist to the story is that for every 7 days of lame snarky running (or lack of), sits another 7 awesome solid ones on the horizon. The good news is that because my run wasn't as taxing on my body, muscle-wise, as usual, I will have no problem, muscle-wise, in heading out for a few make-up miles tomorrow, which is another scheduled day off.

Thinking of all the junk I packed along this morning, for humor's sake, here's a recap. Heading out the door, I felt as though i was packed for a weekend, not just a few hours of running...
*first and foremost, the mighty Mizunos
*second, and in my opinion, nearly as important, the iPod
*uniform- the obligatory singlet and tempo shorts (i collect nike tempo shorts like most women collect shoes, lol)
*Nike+ sensors, armband
*hat and sunblock (yeah, right, like that helped!)
*fuel belt and frozen bricks of water bottles, packed in cooler
*towel for wipe down and to protect the leather
*water bottle
*gu or energy bars if your smart (mine stayed safe in the pantry at home)
*camera just incase (i wish mine was more portable, but it pretty much stays in the car, too)
*money for post-run sugary drink (after downing all the water- i prefer nesquick) on the way home (coupled with dozens of staring eyes no doubt wondering if i'm about to keel over at any moment)
*and the berry, which serves no real purpose sense i don't take that on the run either, but it did serve to deliver the time today, so not completely void of use, and then, could have potentially served to call an ambulance should the sun turn up its heat even a half degree more!
Quite an armload!

Happy Feet 6/9/09

my feet aren't "happy" they are cramped up in my shoes and kinda numb as if i'd been pounding them over and over again on a hard surface.

my legs aren't "happy" they are sore, worn, and give notion to the idea of buckling out from under me at any given moment as i cool down.

my glutius is quite the opposite of "happy" as sunday's 10 miles still haunts it even though we've done this same run countless times, it never fails to be "shocked" each and everytime, as if it didn't see it coming (given its bodily position, i suppose it might not have-always the last to know).

my mind. my heart. my spirit. they are, in contrast..... O SO HAPPY! I LOVE RUNNING :) :) :)

Summer Sorrows 6/2/09

if you were to peruse my training mile you would see a sincere yet inconsistent attempt towards 30 miles a week. for many of you thats nothing, but its been this magic number for me for months. each time i get close, i get derailed. mostly by the ever-lurking "bursitis," sometimes by illness or that week-long monsoon we had last month, but now summer in savannah is in full swing. whether i run at 3pm or 3am, i'm destined for a sweat-soaked humidity-drenched experience. pushing my 4 year old in the jogging stroller adds to it, she's not so eager for our outings anymore either.

so, even though my first half marathon is on the horizon (sept. 6th), i am letting go of my magic number in lieu of being able to keep a consistant base. today, nursing a pulled muscle in my glutius, i got off the bench and set out, determined to only go 3-ish miles, my shortest run in about 2 months, and IT FELT GREAT! it was over so quickly, and my mood was much more delightful than it has been in too long while on a run. since when did i start believing one needs to put in atleast 5-6 miles a day to qualify for a real workout anyways?! ach, even typing that, a little voice in my head is arguing, "yeah, but...."

tomorrow i'm taking it a step further. i've started praying on my runs for my neighborhood, for the people i pass, the houses, the school, etc. Lily and I are baking cookies and bagging them with a little note for each one, and tomorrow we will pass them out to those we see while on our run, in hopes to bless their day and let them know they are being prayed for. This means running and stopping. I cringe at the thought. My stubborn thinking has always said "if you have to stop for any reason, whether to walk or whatever, the run is ruined." i know, i have issues.

Running W/ A New Playlist 5/2/09

God's been putting it on my heart for awhile now that I need to adjust my passion for running. While I do believe my love for it is a sweet gift from Him, its easy to get lost in the personal victories and obsessed with the sport itself. well, it is for me, anyways. being that i am one of those EASILY convicted souls- i've wrestled with this for nearly as long as i have been running, which is for three years or so.
lately God seems to be ahem-ing my choice of music more and more often. my races, for instance, have been almost comical the way i will organize my playlist, and my iPod will work perfectly before and after the run, but there's always a glitch that keeps me from listening to those songs during the race. One race instead of the list i had planned to run to, i got "stuck" with slooowwww worship music the whole time. Another race, my iPod just quite altogether for the duration of the run, forcing me to race w/o any music- and let me tell you- listening to my own struggling breathing does nothing to push me faster). Ironically, each time this happens I have ended up with a new PR (personal record- best time)!
when it comes to running, i tend to favor the hardcore, angry rock that has a super fast tempo- songs i would never listen to if i were just riding along in the car. today i cut the strings to that and downloaded a new running playlist- searching out the best upbeat powersongs in the contemporary christian genre. (i.e. LOTS of stellar kart!) i'm still tweaking it a little but the result was a great guilt-free run (despite the 94% humidity) spent in prayer, praise, and lost thoughts in a healthier mindset. i DO want to use my hobby to glorify God and pray that He'll bless this time and run alongside with me :)

Race For The Cure Recap 4/20/09

let me begin with a recap of this weekends race- two words: awe some!

I had been saying all week "This is going to be a good one, I can feel it." And I was spot on! It was the inaugural race for the Susan G. Komen in our town and everything from the expo at Savannah's newest fancy schmancy art museum to the 3000+ people who participated (that is SUCH a huge deal for a first year race where I am at) to Paula Deen and her sons kicking the race off, to the parade of survivors that had me sobbing like a baby, to the GORGEOUS route that wound through new areas of downtown i hadn't run before (gotta say again, i LOVE my city- its so gorgeous and just a sight to drink it all in)..... and,

a PR!!! i shaved nearly 2 minutes off of my previous 5k record! i am so psyched about that i cannot even tell you! i seem to be having a good year as i make big strides and improve my times every single race and honestly, without feeling like i'm trying any harder. it makes me really wonder what i could do....

what is beginning to be a pretty hysterical common occurance for my races, my iPod went on the fritz, just for the race, this time not even working, so I ripped the earphones out, and held onto them the whole run. Listening to peoples labored breathing really doesn't help push me, I have to say.

also, this is the first race i had to start my sprint w/o seeing the finish line and therefore i think i pushed harder for longer. i ran in honour of a running mom-buddy who is in chemo for breast cancer right now, whenever i felt like slowing, i thought of how hard she is fighting for her life and couldn't justify letting myself slack.

My New Running Partner In Training 4/15/09

this pup was a long time coming, but all the talk lately about loyal running buddies got me to step up and do something about it. now- i'm stuck on a name and would LOVE some advice!

Some in consideration:

Tucker, Tugger, Oliver (Ollie), McGyver and Shiloh.... I'm open to others tho...

oh, he's a male shepherd mix rescued from Animal Control currently about 6-7 weeks old

Update: I decided to go with Tugger Prefontaine :)

My Top 10 Running Sites

Here's a list of sites I recommend:

1. Active - for finding/registering for races- lots of great articles, too!
2. Runner's World - so much more than a great magazine! Lots of great tools, calculators and a great online community!
3. Map My Run - find out how far you've run or explore new routes in your town! When i tell myself "I need to find a new 6 mile loop." I turn here.
4. Are you a mom who runs? This is Cafe Mom's Running group. LOVE these girls!!! If you're looking for support, this is the place!
5. A New Running Mom's Social Network! My friend Anna started this up- its a great way for mom's who love to connect!
6. McMillan Running Calculator -I just found this tool and it ROCKS! plug in a recent time and it gives you equivelant times for anything from speedwork to what you're marathon time could be like!
7. FitDay A thorough all encompassing food/activity log. This tool maps it all out. There's a lot of online training logs out there but nothing breaks it down and offers as much as this one.
8. RunStoppable - another training log tool- the most unique aspect of this one is that it logs the miles on your sneakers! Takes the guess work out of whether its time to buy a new pair!
9. Nike Plus Station I love seeing my runs, pace breakdowns, joining challenges with runners from spain! and seeing myself hit my monthly goals! I love my nike+!!!!!
10. RoadRunner Sports - Great place to go for all your gear needs :) I recommend the VIP program- free shipping and you can earn free shoes!

Happy Clicking!

Azalea Run 10k Recap 4/4

Its Saturday afternoon. I stayed up late last night watching "Spirit of the
Marathon." What a great documentary! I cried like a baby at the end! I cringed at some of the runner's setbacks, I cheered for Deena, and my eyes bugged out at the air footage of the 40,000+ runners at the start of the Chicago Marathon, 2005!

Anyways, late night coupled with 5:45 morning and subsequent 6.2 mile race- I should be passed out right now! I layed down to relax, but my mind is still racing- and at a faster pace than I was this morning- for sure!

I have to say, after picking up my packet yesterday, my excitement was kind of deflated. It became clear that this was going to be a small race. The t-shirt was a disappointment, definitely, and so I was ready to set the bar low for the whole event. The fact that this was my first official 10k, that this would be the time I sent of to Disney when I register for the marathon, and knowing it wasn't anything I couldn't handle, kept me in the game.

We arrived at 7:30, I LOVE downtown Savannah. I love the historic buildings, beautiful parks, and the urbanicity of it all. This is my town, I'm proud of it, but the truth is I live in a whole nother planet called the suburbs. Its night and day- so any chance I get to mingle around this part of savannah I'm all for it!

This morning was MUCH chillier than I anticipated. I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt because its April and the weatherman said today would hit 80. I was pleasantly surprised as we walked from the car to the park and joined the rest of the crowd. There were several tents, music, and quite a jovial atmosphere. I actually recognized several people from previous races, including my DEAR old tennis instructor whom I just get a kick out of seeing her at every race. Saw my old Algebra prof, the staff from or local running store, etc.

No timing chip. Bummer. Like I said this was a small race so it makes sense but still, I like the officiality of microchipped time. I'm estimating it was about 10 seconds between the start and my running under the arch.

The run itself was beautiful. As is my routine, I relished and drank in the site before me, a road full of runners bobbing their heads and pumping their arms. I love being a part of it. Before the race I had convinced myself just to relax and aim for under an hour. I argued in my head that I should be able to do much better than that, but my distaste for pushing myself won out and so I let the bar sit low.

My time at mile 2 was 19:45. It was in line with the hour goal I set, but I wasn't pleased. I tried to pick up my pace, but knew I still had plenty of race left. The halfway is when I started really thinking I need to stop being a sissy and get used to some pain. Fleeting thought. When I hit 4 mile mark they called out a 35:23 time and for some reason I was impressed by this. I didn't really do the math in my head, but it was under 40 so I felt inspired. 2 miles left so I picked up my pace.

For the majority of the race I trailed behind a girl in purple shorts who aggrivated me the way she'd run, then stop and walk every two minutes for 20 seconds or so, then pick up and run again. I couldn't catch her for the life of me! How is it that my pace is so slow that people can walk and still stay ahead?! Well, I plugged on and sometime during mile four past purple shorts and didn't see her again. After that there was nobody to pass, everyone was THAT far ahead of me. I was starting to believe that I was going to come in last place (or second to last, rather).

I finished in at what the clock said was 54:44 which if my math is right, is about an 8:57 pace. Not bad, not great. I'll take it though. The comment was made about me as I passed the chute, "Look at her, she's not even sweating, she looks like she can go out and run it again, I wish I looked that good finishing." First off, uhh... yeah, there's quite a bit of sweatage going on, and I know my face is redder than an overripe tomato. I know she meant it as a compliment, and I thanked her, but in actuality, it was another reminder of how I fail to really drive hard and max out my potential.

Post race- tons of food! Yummy smoothies, the usual bananas, powerade, granola bars, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, and pizza! Ha! Tons of doorprizes too- they picked every number but mine, but that's ok, I was very impressed by all the loot given away. Didn't stay for the awards cuz of the "I'm so over this-get me outta here" whining from the kids, and passed on the pizza (at 9am!) but we stopped at a local diner, sat outside (its beautiful today) and had us some french toast and chocolate chip pancakes!

Nothing profound to add, looking forward to the innaugural Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure 5k in two weeks. Running for Kari!!! I have a feeling that will be an awesome race! In the meantime, 10 miler tomorrow will put me back on my normal schedule and I am determined to kick it up and get speedwork in! I smell another PR!

4/3/09 Runner's World needs to put out a warning label:

"Do not read before bed!"

2 days. 4+ inches of rain. Zero running. I was poised to sit and blog a sad tale of the girl who's training log developed awful blank splotches and was distracted when my eyes settled on the day's mail. I walked over, thumbed through until Kara Goucher's shiney running pose stared back at me. Yesssssssssss! I didn't get the chance to pour over it right then, as my maternal responsibilities took priority, but after the chittlin's were tucked into bed, everything cleaned up, and realization that Grey's was a rerun, i grabbed RW and got to business.

Fast forward an hour or so and its all I can do not to lace up and head out, thunderous rain and all! Wow! Seriously, so many people from the mag, and my running bloggers inspire me everyday! The odds beaten, the injuries overcome, the passions found. The dedication to training, the sacrifices made, the battles won. Now I'm just an average girl who happens to get her kicks from this sport, but I can't help but be amazed at sharing the road with so many heroes. People who didn't let car accidents or handicaps hold them back from not just participating in local races, but rocking marathons!

How in heavens could i even think about bailing from a run then? Letting little bumps in the road hold me back? A little discomfort, a bit of bad weather. Consider me put in my place :) I just wanted to thank everyone who gets out there and gets it done- cuz it drives me to do the same!

And I had the sweetest most wonderful dream of qualifying for Boston last night, lol. I did NOT want to wake up! Seeing that dream into reality is going to take a LOT of work and quite a bit of time, but where things stand right now, the only thing that would hold me back is myself.

So, sun's out, did an easy 4 this morning, picked up my packet for the 10k tomorrow (trophy for ugliest race shirt goes to...), and when I get back from that, I can finally register for Disney! Good luck to everyone this weekend!

Oh, and the two days of endless rain wasn't a complete loss, I finally got my kitchen painted :)

Dear JS, I'm just not that into you...

Before you say anything, I need to get this out. The past few months have been great. We've gotten to spend a lot of time together, i looked forward to our daily jaunts, and my daughter too, she loves you, but I would be lying to us both if I continued to pretend that we were meant to be together long term. You see, I've got plans, goals, dreams, and while you have supported those as best you could.... well..... in all honesty you're holding me back. Seriously, you're kind of high maintenance. Constantly pulling me one direction or another, your weight alone is a major issue, and don't even get me started about the way you start convulsions you throw the minute I try to speed up. I'm just looking for.... more. Hey now, cheer up. There's someone out there that's right for you, someone who needs just what you have to offer (and hopefully nothing more, cough) and I'm not just going to forget about you, you're welcome to stick around till you find someone else, maybe a Craigslist want ad?- we can be friends. we're just going in two different directions.

Ok, fine. There IS someone else. Younger, better looking, and smooth. (insert dreamy smile). The relationship just works easier, it flows better. I feel more free to really discover what I'm made of.

Well.... I've known for awhile now. We were on a break, long distance relationships don't really work well with me. That's when I found you, you caught me at a very vulnerable time. I'm going up north in a few weeks to be reunited, then we're both coming back here. You can understand, can't you???

---- The life and early retirement of my "stand in" jogging stroller----

longest run to date - 3/29

I scheduled my long run for yesterday, 10 miles. I took Saturday off to prepare myself for it, planned my route (a rails to trails by the beach), talked it up to friends for accountability. but made a common amateur mistake- thinking i can stay out late friday and saturday night and then run at dawn sunday morning. Didn't - happen. Then, of course, there was no way to fit it in during the day - laundry, cleaning up, playing with the kids and running errands- i got home sunday night in time to wolf down dinner (steak and potatoes- not what i had planned) send the kids off to bed, throw a gatorade into the fridge to get cold, and at 8pm- head out.

I'm still stuck on the fact that I put a drink in the fridge right before I ran out the door- and was gone long enough for it to get cold. Anyways, naturally the sun had set, the weather was PERFECT (60 with a great breeze), and the dark was actually a bonus, maybe cuz I didn't have as many distractions. I spent the first mile coaching myself to take it easy and not worry about pace, miles 2 and 3 were ins and outs of the main roads, shopping centers, etc. Then miles 4 & 5 took me down a back road- holy cow! - I had run this road MANY times and its beautiful, but never at night- it didn't even cross my mind that there were NO streetlights or ANY lights at all! Pitch black! It was all I could do to stay on the road, thankfully was a straightway, but my mind was not the best running buddy, I was imagining gators (the road is alongside a marsh), snakes (i've seen snakes during the day, small ones), and wait - what about jaguars??? I was leaping over shadows like a crazy woman. I kept glances down at my legs praying for some approaching headlights to reflect off of them.

My plan was to run that loop twice, but after that I decided no way, and wound through a neighboring subdivision, under the abundant streetlight and along the sidewalk. I kept a comfortable pace and ended my run feeling much better (physically) than my 8 1/2 mile long run last week, although my pace this week was slightly slower. In spite of the drama of the first half of the run - it was a great time. Sunday runs tend to set the mood for the rest of the week and if they wind up hurting too much or just being bad, I tend to get cranky.

I'm not a fan of gatorade, but I was thankful it was cold!

Random Thoughts 3/26

* No matter how far I run that day, I'm never more impressed than I am 5 minutes into it that "Hey, I am actually doing it."

* I'm pretty sure granny smiths and peanut butter is the best pre-run snack ever :)

* I have the greatest four year old who happily jumps into the jogger every day eager to coast around with mama. And is angelic the whole time.

* Sometimes the most difficult thing for a runner to do is to slow down.

* I used to wrestle everyday with getting out the door to run, now I struggle on my scheduled rest days, not feeling like a colossal bum.

* I've logged nearly 200 miles on my Mizuno's so far, they have served me well.

* Awhile back I landed on the Disney Marathon to be my first full, now its time to commit and register and I'm nervous. The race isn't till January, too early for pre-race jitters, huh?

*like a child learning to ride a bike, i'm getting bold- taking off the training wheels ("i wonder if i could get used to running w/o my iPod), cautious attempts to "pop-a-wheelie" (speedwork), pushing boundaries "mom, can i ride to jenny's house" (PR's, new distances). Soon I will be cruisin' the neighborhood like I own it, the hum of baseball cards in my spokes, showing off ( bring on Disney!! )

I Think I'm Turning A Corner... 3/17

in my running. They call it being "bitten by the bug." I've often wondered, does it sting? Will it swell? Is it like the pestering sand gnats in Savannah that you can barely see with the naked eye but evoke more rageful tendencies than an angry drunk on st. patricks day after his dog died, wife left him, he was laid off at work, and someone spilled his beer? Or is it more like a misquito bite, promptly smacked, itches for a few minutes, but moments later forgotten?

Recently I've come to recognize the subtle crossing over from curious wannabe onlooker to delirious victim. I'm not even quite sure when it happened, or what exactly the culprit was, but I can attest to the undeniable symptoms. Consider this your warning label:

You might be bitten by the running bug if:
you experience feverish hullucinations of competing in every race from boston to berlin before heaven calls you home
you're labeled as "the runner" amongst your social circles (i.e. myspace, facebook, twitter, and in rarer incidences: real life)
you're daily meals are planned out according to the time, distance, and intensity of your runs, you own more "tech gear" than any other clothing, your idea of the perfect date includes hill sprints and a chilled bottle of gatorade
important life milestones such as career goals, your wedding, when to start trying for a baby, etc. are altered to fit around your race schedule.
your friends begin to avoid you for fear of your droning on and on about the article you read in Runner's World or what your most recent splits were. You, however, barely notice, because you've sought solice amongst kindred spirits and have taken to blogging about running whenever you're not out actually doing it

seriously, though, that really has nothing to do with it. sometimes the obsessive compulsions listed above that come with being an "enthusiastic" runner are nothing more than hypochondriatic symptoms that come within the infected community.

for me, when i stopped having to argumentatively convince myself to lace up and head out for a run, and instead have found it to be a natural daily occurance that doesn't require any coersing whatsoever, i realized i had indeed become "one of them."

"Fear" - new to my running vocab 3/13

So I was a good little runner and kinda sorta followed the non-docs orders and rested for a week-ish. Ok, 5 days, but I think he only said a week, knowing there was no way I'd go full term on that one. He knew I wouldn't last that long. I knew I wouldn't last that long. What I didn't know, was that there'd be a new evil little roadblock I'd have to confront before hitting the pavement once again- fear.

I was taken aback by the sudden assault of self-doubt and an overawareness of the fragile state of my feeble body. (As I type the chilling words of a precious shall-remain-nameless family member echo through my mind "Your not 21 anymore.") Ok, my body is not what you might qualify as "feeble" and my "injury" is not what you would think of when you read the quotation-marked word "injury" but an almost-week on the bench can do all kinds of damage to the psyche. Suddenly I'm spiraling down the dark roads of "what if it'll never be healed" and "what if you do more damage" and "what if you can never run further or faster than your current penguin-pace." I *almost* dreaded going back out of sheer terror that my running career had ended before the smoke had even cleared from the starting gun.

Only one way to conquer your fears, Jes. So I ran.
Slow at first, nearly holding my breath (figuratively speaking, have you ever tried holding your breath while running- doesn't work)in anticipation of the pain, but as one mizuno chased the other, the dark clouds broke and soon there was nothing but southern sunshine beating down on my perspired face. Ahhh, its good to be home.

Fear annulled.

I'll Be Sitting This Week 3/8

I don't believe in luck.
What I would rather call myself is a hapless victim of circumstance.
It keeps me humble.

Being as such, I finally get to the point in my running where miles are genuinely getting logged, I no longer have to force myself out the door, and I'm happily quickening my pace, when I involuntarily succomb to injury- naturally.

Sprinting so fiercely the ground beneath me is nothing more than a blur so there was no way I could foresee the obscure object in my blazing path causing my ankle to rotate in a tragic twist of fate- ehhh... no.

Effortlessly weaving through elite runners as I forged my way toward the lead, my only competition spies me from the corner of their eye and crudely and abhoringly sabotages my race and my leg with the ruthless vengence of a canadian ice hockey player- sending me hurdling to the ground- well.... not exactly.

See, as a "victim-of-circumstance" character, its never so glamorous. In fact, I can't even pin this one on the viscious snarling beastly yapper that's chased me at my heels through my neighborhood twice now. No my war-wound "benching" bares the name "bursitis."

Bur-what?! Bursitis. It sounds like the name of some kind of hideous unsightly blister or infection doesn't it? I googled my symptoms, searched high and low to find the culprit, nothing to be found. But a fortunate (I didn't say lucky) last minute time slot at a free physical therapist clinic at my local running store set up for an accurate diagnosis in less than 2 minutes from my walking through the door.

Turns out its a lack of adequate lubrication for the joint around my hip. (Those are the words of the PT after giving me the real diagnosis and- seeing my blank stare- changed tactics speaking slower and in my native language). Happens from overuse of the muscles, occurs deep between the overlaps of the hip abductors, IT band, and whatever else is in that general anatomical locale.

The RX called for thrice daily icings, a slue of poorly photocopied stretches to mimic, and........ dun, dun, DUN- no running for atleast a week!
The blank stare was promptly replaced with sudden panic that sent the PT into quick recovery mode as he stumbled "Its only a week, you'll be good as new, it shouldn't interfere too much...."

Awwwwwwwwwwwww, mannnnnnnnnnn.
So this is what happens when you stop jumping off the bandwagon, you get shoved off of it onto your butt by something so lame-sounding as "bursitis?" Boo.

Savannah Shamrock Run 5k 3/6/09

This was an awesome race! My third year doing the Shamrock Run, it holds a very dear place in my heart for several reasons.
1) Its a beautiful race! My favorite. It's held on a Friday night (vs. Saturday or Sunday morning) in downtown Savannah, Georgia. The course weaves in and out of this gorgeous sect of the city at a time of year where things are turning green, people are out and about, and the azaleas are bloomin'. Along the run, which is delightfully lined with many an encouraging townfolke and touriste, we hit several key savannah hotspots, beginning at the race start in City Market, crossing Broughton twice, around Forsyth Park and the numerous historical squares. We pass trolley cars and horse drawn carriages and the ever-present Friday night wedding in Forsyth. It just all adds to make a fantastic running experience.
2)The Shamrock Run marks my re-introduction to the racing world. It was the first race I entered in my adult life back in 2007. I had run cross country (haha- NOT competitively I might add) in high school, but since then had let it take a back burner while having babies and whatnot. At the encouragement of some dear friends, I entered the race and just had a blast- propelling me back into the running community!
3) Its a PR kind of race. I seem to make personal records each time I run. My first Shamrock, I came in a very sad 42 minutes. I am pretty sure that there were racers who had walked the entire 3.1 miles and still came in before me. Still, it was my first race- the bar was set- albeit low. The next year I hadn't trained much, but managed to shave a full 8 minutes off my previous Shamrock time! That's an enormous accomplishment I was very proud of! I enjoyed the race and was content with my 34 minute results. This year I had hoped, but truly did not expect, to continue and slice ANOTHER 8 minutes off the previous year's race result- and when I approached the finish arch and saw that I had indeed come in under 26 minutes (25:55) I cannot tell you the elation and shock I felt. If you could see the race results photos (that I am far too cheap to pay actual money for) you would see picture after picture of my jaw dropped stunned look crossing the finish!
All of this makes for one heck of a good time! The Shamrock Run seems to be getting too big for its City Market start, but it remains a great race. I doubt I'll ever shave off another 8 minutes off that last time, but I look forward to next year already!

A Year Later

Life is full of unmet goals. But for the notoriously hopeful and enormously stubborn, such as I, that sad truth doesn't hold me back EVER in giving it another go. So much has happened in a years time that I don't dare to even recap the chaotic tangling and subsequent detangling of it all.
One thing holds fast, I am still running. And I'm still inconsistent about it, but as I said earlier, I refuse to give up. Currently my goal is not too lofty- as I believe it was before. My aspirations are still to run a marathon, to continue to PR, and numerous other markers I'd like to hit, but today, right now, I aim only to build consistency. To get out there and log the miles- the right way. Not overtraining, not running myself into a nasty injury or prove that I am superhuman. Just to run. So far this year, I seem to have logged in roughly 60 miles. I'd like to see a thousand this year. That leaves room for several illnesses, bad weather, and even a month long "fallen-off-the-wagon" here and there.
Its funny how, as much as I love this sport, it still takes a great harnessing of supernatural willpower to get me out the door and pounding asphault each and everytime. Every single run is a tiny victory for this ameatur. In three weeks I will run the Shamrock Run. This is an anniversary run for me, my third time in this race. In 2006 it was the first race I'd finished since highschool. That is a victory for me! Two weeks ago I ran at Tybee again. PR'd again. Ran my longest race to date (even though I've registered for longer races and managed to talk myself out of them, conveniently) which was 5 miles. I loved every minute of it too! As much of a self-induced butt whopping it is to get out there and run- I still love it and hope I'll continue as long as I'm able. Even if i never finish the marathon!