Another Race On The Sand

I run another 5K on the sand this evening.  This week I’ve been running 10 minutes and walking 2, but I’m going to make it my goal to run 11 and walk 2 during the race.  I’m constantly tweaking my strategy and pushing myself.  When I decided to run 11 and walk 2 a little voice inside said, “Why not just try to run the whole thing?”  Ummmm…I didn’t have an answer for that.  Running is as much mental and spiritual as it is physical, if not more so.  My body can do this.  It has many times before.  Maybe my training schedule is a little slow and I could run the full distance again now, not several weeks or months from now after I work my way up by adding a minute each week.  We’ll see. 

I'm drinking a smoothie today of banana, cottage cheese (protein), strawberries, milk, water, and ginger.  I'll eat a bowl of steel-cut oats two hours before race time. 

I’d love to see y’all at the start/finish line or along the course at Pier 60 at Clearwater Beach this evening.  The race starts at 7.  It’s free to watch, but you’ll have to pay for parking.  I’ll let you know tomorrow how things went. 

Oh, and if you want to run, just show up tonight, pay $10 ($15 if you want a shirt), and do it!  :-)   

No Salty Food

Last evening I was headed to a book discussion/dinner that I’m a part of.  It’s held at a restaurant where the food is okay but the last few times has just been too salty for my taste.  I was thinking of where else I could eat and that I’ve not been eating many veggies lately.  I’ve been eating too many processed meats, bread (not from grain I ground myself), and crackers.  I needed some real food!  There’s a restaurant across the street from the one I was headed to that has a very good salad so I thought about going there.  I knew the one place wouldn’t want me bringing in food from somewhere else (restaurants frown on that J), so I would have to eat at the salad place and possibly get to my meeting late.  While all this was going through my head, I found myself moving over into the lane I’d need to be in to go to the salad restaurant.  Okay then!  Salad it is! 

Mmmmmmmm!!!  I’m glad I made that decision!  Those veggies tasted so good and were just what my body needed.  And I couldn’t eat the whole thing!  I ended up having to get a take-out box for about 1/3 of my salad!  How cool is that?!

I was a little late to my meeting, but it was okay. 

I’m very happy with my decision - much happier than I’d be if I had just taken the easier road and eaten the salty food. 

Thoughts

It’s hot here in Florida, but technically it’s still springtime.  Not even summer yet.  It doesn’t matter what the calendar says, though, the heat says it’s summertime. 

We run the air conditioner pretty much all the time now.  About a week ago we had to start running it at night.  It struck me the other day that God hasn’t changed the climate in Florida or anywhere.  It’s always been hot here in the summer.  He did give someone the brains and talent to invent air conditioning, though, so now we have a way of being comfortable inside even when it’s hot and humid outside.  He didn’t take the heat away, He just gave us an escape from it.  He doesn’t always take our cravings away, either.  He just gives us an escape from them.  Himself.  When I desire God more than I desire whatever I crave at the moment, He gives me an escape from it. 

The next beach run is Friday night June 22.  I’m going to do it!  At the last one I ran 7 minutes and walked 2.  This week I’m up to running 9 minutes and walking 2, so next week will be running 10 minutes and walking 2.  That means my time should be a lot better than 44:52. 

I found out about a midnight run on July 3.  The 5K starts at 11:25 p.m. and there’s a full moon that night.  Sounds fun!  I’m going to do that one too.  http://www.kiwanismidnightrun.com/

I just made a connection.  All my life I’ve had oily skin and oily hair.  In the last couple years both have started to get drier.  Now that could be just due to age, or it could be due to the fact that I’m not eating fast food several times a week (or day).  Or it could be a combination of both.  Regardless, it showed me how far-reaching what and how much I eat is.  It doesn’t affect just my stomach and waistline. 

Running In The Rain

5:00 a.m. – Wake up and eat a few bites of homemade mac & cheese (carbs) and get a good, long drink of water in preparation for running. 

6:00 a.m. -  Get out of bed, get dressed, and get another good, long drink of water in preparation for running. 

It was actually cool as I ran this morning.  Ahhhhhhh!!!  I love fall!  Especially in June!  I noticed dark clouds and thought it would probably rain later.  I decided to do my 7:2 pattern, run 7 minutes and walk 2.  Sometime during that first 2-minute walk it started to rain so I took my heart rate monitor watch (thanks, Doug and Tori) off and wrapped it and my phone in the washcloth I was carrying to wipe my face.  The rain stopped after less than a minute, though, so I took them back out.  I kept up my 7:2 pattern until I was almost at my house, 1.2 miles, when it started to pour!  I ran into the house and left all the electronics there.  Since I wasn’t taking my phone, I made sure my daughter knew my route and told her if I wasn’t back in an hour to send a search party! 

There’s a puddle right in front of my house. 

It’s the one my daughter plays in.  I skipped it when I went into the house but backtracked a little coming out and ran through it!  Did you know it’s much more fun to run through a puddle than just to walk through one?  Although walking through one is fun too.  I started my 7:2 pattern but very soon into it my knee started hurting.  I walked for a few steps and then said to myself, “This is ridiculous!  I can run!”  I ran a few steps and said to myself, “Stop it!  DON’T HURT YOUR KNEE PERMANENTLY!”  Sigh.  So I walked through puddles.  After about 4 minutes I tried running again and was able to do it for a while.  Run, walk, run, walk, walk, walk, walk.  At least I can walk.  And run some. 

Oh, and I passed this rose bush as I was walking.  Raindrops on roses are not one of my favorite things, but I couldn’t help singing the song! 

Sunsets at Pier 60 5K

Earlier this week I said in a blog post that I wanted to do a 5K run last night on Clearwater Beach on the sand.  Yesterday was a very busy and draining day.  When I got home about 4:00 after being gone since 8, I was tired and said I’d just skip it.  Then I saw that a friend liked the link I put on Facebook to my blog post.  Oh great.  Now I’m sort of being held accountable.  I asked if my mom and dad wanted to go and they said they would so they, my daughter, and I headed to Clearwater Beach (I was getting excited!) where I registered.  I had been thinking that I wouldn’t bother paying the extra $5 to get a T-shirt because I haven’t worn the shirts I got for the other two races I’ve done.  Why bother this time?  When I got there, though, I decided it was about pride (the good kind), not just a piece of clothing so I got a shirt.  Just an XL, not a 2X or 3X like I would’ve had to get a couple years ago!  A few minutes later when I showed it to my family my daughter said, “That looks like it’ll be too big on you.”  J  I love that girl!  It’s a tech shirt that wicks sweat away from my body to keep me cooler, not just a regular T-shirt.  I didn’t wear it because I didn’t want to get it sweaty right off the bat.  Besides, it’s a very bright yellowish orange and that’s not my favorite color. 

Anyway, I warmed up, sent some texts to a few people letting them know I was running a race again, and then headed to the start line.  The race started under Pier 60 and went 1-1/2 miles north before turning around and heading back.  We ran on the packed sand close to the water, not the loose sand farther up the beach.   

As I stood at the starting line for a couple minutes the excitement started building.  I saw someone from the www.fitnessinfusiononline boot camp I used to attend but haven’t been able to because of a knee injury in January and we encouraged each other.  The race started and I told myself, “You’re running a race!  You’re running a race!  You’re running a race!”  I could tell I was running a little faster than usual, but that’s because I was so happy to just be running with other people in an official race.  My plan at home lately had been to run for about 6 minutes then walk for about 2 or 3 before running again.  This time I decided to run for 7 and walk for 2.  When the initial excitement wore off I decided to look at my watch to see how far I had come and how long I had to run before I could walk.  It had only been 50 seconds.  WHAT??? 

♫“Keep running, and I will knock down that wall.  ♫Keep running, and I am not gonna fall!  It’s plain to see my God is very big, so keep running, I will be knocking down that wall.”♫  (That’s the little song I sing to myself with apologies to Veggie Tales.  It’s from Josh and the Big Wall.)   

Then the discouraging voice in my head started.  As people started passing me the voice said, “You’re running alone.  There’s no one running with you to encourage you.  You're alone.  There are only 3 people even here with you.  You’re alone.  You’re alone.  Just like in life.  You’re alone.”  I told the voice to shut up.  Really. 

Have I run 7 minutes yet?  Nope.  Keep running. 

Finally I did hit the 7-minute mark and walked for 2.  Then I ran for 7 more minutes.  At 12:12 into the race the first runner heading back toward the finish line passed me.  At 13:30 the first woman heading back toward the finish line passed me. 

Keep running. 

I began to look ahead and set goals for myself.  I would run to that house before I checked my watch to see how far I had to go.  Or that sign.  Or that group of people. 

I noticed that no one was passing me from behind anymore.  They already had.  At least there were some other people walking; I wasn’t the only one.  That helped a little bit. 

Keep running.  Run for 7 minutes then walk for 2.  Run for 7 minutes then walk for 2.  I reached the 1-1/2-mile point, the turnaround, and the water station.  I don’t normally drink anything while running, but I wasn’t used to running this much, so I figured I’d get a cup and see how I felt.  I took one drink.  That was enough.  Half way done!  Woohoo! 

I love to run in the rain as long as there’s no thunder or lightning. 

Early yesterday morning it was raining hard and I would’ve loved to run except I hadn’t planned to because of my busy day and because I had just gotten out of the shower.  As I headed back toward the finish line, though, I felt a drop on my lip.  Was it raining?  Then another.  And another.  Just a very light sprinkle for a minute or so, but it was God saying, “I know you like to run in the rain, so here’s a little bit for you.  J” 

I kept doing my 7 then 2 regimen.  At one point I looked up and saw the pier.  The finish line! 

It was then that I realized I’d been looking down at the sand a lot.  In running, just like in life, it can get discouraging when you look down.  You need to look up to see where you’re going and around to enjoy the scenery or you just might quit. 

I realized on the last 2-minute walk that if I kept up the 7 then 2 plan I might very well be walking across the finish line.  That just wouldn’t do!  So I ended up running 9 minutes at the end.  I crossed the finish line at 44:52, slower than my other two races but I walked 8 minutes of this one, I’ve been recovering from a knee injury, and I’ve only been running at all again for a couple weeks.  I was happy to just be able to do it, period! 

Back To Running

Wow, I haven't posted in 3 weeks.  In that time I've been able to really increase my running distance.  Thank You, God!  On the other hand, I've scaled back on my running in that I'm not doing it five days a week like I was before the mysterious injury in January.  I'm still doing a 3.4-mile route and walking part of the way, but the walking portions are getting shorter and the running portions are getting longer.  Yesterday I ran 6 to 6-1/2 minutes at a time and walked for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes, a ratio of roughly 3:1.  I've started running on grass when I can to lessen the impact on my ankles and knees.  I haven't been concerned with speed or how I look, just with getting back to running the whole distance.  Yesterday, though, as I ran past a bus stop on 49th Street near the end of my route an older gentleman started clapping for me!  He told me to keep it up but not overdo it.  That was encouraging! 

I walked or ran a total of 12,126 steps yesterday!  That's 5.7 miles!  My latest pattern is to run every other day and so far it's working.  On the days when I don't run I get nowhere near my goal of 10,000 steps, but that's okay.  I'm still moving more than I used to, and on those days I concentrate on working my arms and abs. 

There's a 5K race this Friday evening on Clearwater Beach that I might do.  It's run in the sand, which is something I've done only once.  I know I may have to walk part of the way, but that's okay.  It'll feel good just to do an organized race again.  We'll see.

http://www.clearwaterbeachrun.com/

Two Days In A Row of 10,000+ Steps!

Two days in a row I’ve walked more than 10,000 steps!  Having this pedometer is fun, except when it gets reset without me knowing, like if I take a nap and forget to take it off or when apparently holding my niece resets it. 

I had to go to the bank sometime today so instead of walking/running around my neighborhood on my usual route and then trying to coordinate schedules to borrow my mom’s car to go to the bank, I decided to just walk/run to the bank.  It’s a little bit farther than my usual distance, but that’s okay.  J  I set out just after 6:30 a.m. but could’ve gone a few minutes earlier.  I was a little self-conscious about running next to traffic because I’m kind of starting over and am not too concerned with form right now, just with getting back to running the whole distance.  I overcame that self-consciousness and just did it.  No one pulled over to tell me I wasn’t running properly or to ask why I had slowed to a walk, so it was okay! 

I ended up doing a total of 4.6 miles in 52 minutes, running some and walking some.  My knee made me walk just a couple times.  The rest of the times I walked it was because my mind was slowing me down.  I had to go back to setting goals for myself like, “Keep running until you get to the next cross street; then you can walk.”  I did that many times.  One time I did it and when I got to the cross street I knew I needed to keep running.  There was no physical reason to stop. 

It was so rewarding to put a practical purpose to my exercise! 

In other news, a blogger I follow posted this question on Facebook:

Why do we struggle with food?

She had been talking about this with her counselor and is planning to do a blog post on it, but wanted her readers’ input.  I read a dozen or so responses and almost all of them talked about overeating or unhealthful eating being learned behavior [blame your parents] or lack of self-control.  They were so hopeless!  I had to answer with the hope God has given me in overcoming the sin of overeating.  Here’s my response:

“For me, it's plain and simple indulgence.  I like the taste of food.  I wasn't trusting God to give me what I need when I need it; I was getting it for myself...and lots of it.  Sometimes when working late at night I knew I needed to sleep but I couldn't; I had to keep working.  So I ate food for energy to stay awake.  A bowl of white rice with butter wasn't the best choice, though.  Now that I've learned self-control by denying myself what my body doesn't need, life is so much better.  I still like food, and I still have a little chocolate most days.  Food isn't what consumes me anymore, though.  It's fuel for my body.  Period.  If I can make it taste good AND be healthful, so much the better.  If I have to just eat and move on with my day, no big deal.  Food is no big deal anymore.  It's no big deal!!!  If my current size 16 body had said that to my old size 26 body, it wouldn't have believed it, but it's true!  I love this freedom!”

One person wrote after me that she wished she could just learn to put Jesus in place of food so she wouldn’t have these problems.  I clicked through to her blog and left a comment inviting her to view my blog or email me.  I hope she contacts me so I can share with her what Jesus has done for me!