Slow start, but doing more miles

Well, it looks like I have had a slow start to the year.  I was sick at the end of 2013 so I didn't run a lot before I went to MS Blues and ran the half there.  It was a struggle of a run too.  I got back at and did great the week after, but this week have slowed down.  I think the cold coming back in has gotten to me.  I ran 5 miles on Monday, but haven't ran since.  I will be running the Team Loco Half Marathon this week, plus adding five miles.  Not sure I am really ready for 18 miles, but I have a game plan and figure since I haven't ran much it shouldn't be too much of an increase.  We will see.  I will be running 3/4 of a mile and walking 1/4.  So my plan is that by walking 25% of every mile I should have enough rest time to keep my muscles from fatiguing to quickly.  Again, we will see. 

I feel like God has a plan for me in my running and with all that I will be doing this year for Him.  I praise Him tonight for His blessings and answered prayers as I have gotten good reports.  I set here tonight and realize that I have a lot of races coming up.  This hit me when I realized that I must take my medals down from my light fixture over the table so that they don't pull it down.  My husband stated "Yes, if you plan to bring home 14 more."  I thought about it and realize that a few of my races won't have medals, but then one of them will have two (I am running a half and relay at the same time) and then I have some shorter races and virtual races that will have medals.  Therefore, I will possibly bring home more than 14.  The next race is Saturday, plus 5 more miles.  My next virtual race isn't until March and is for my running buddy, Sophia.  I have two medals already that I need to get sent to her soon.  I am very excited about all the races coming up.  Some distance, some fun, some muddy.  I have a plan.

I have a plan.  It's not my plan though and I really don't know the plan fully yet.  Just that I need to be running.  I feel like 2015 is my year for my first marathon, but am now being led to this year at the end of the year.  There is a marathon an hour away that is on my grandmother's birthday.  She is precious to me and took me and my brother in as her own to raise us.  She left her life here to live with our Savior over ten years ago.  I think about her often and feel like I couldn't think of a better time to run my first marathon than on her birthday.  I will be running for two people that day...in memory of my grandmother and in honor of Sweet Sophia Rose.  She has some amazing things coming her way this year.  I can feel it.

"If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail." unknown
" For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I thank God that He has a plan and is revealing it to me.  So thankful he is using me to glorify Him and help others.  I am scared of the unknown, but know that He is in control and so there is nothing to fear. 

Here is a picture from my latest half.  The medal was the best yet!  I was blessed to have my friend Heather at my side.  She is on the 14 races in 14.  It was her idea actually and I am glad to have taken the challenge.

MIA

Been a little missing in action recently.  It's sad too because I know God had laid a blog post on my heart, but I didn't get on here to post it.  Now I am left with a blank slate and no remembrance of what He wanted to write about. I had a fast holiday break with a week of me not feeling well at all. Couldn't even keep water or 7up down and no food or anything for three days of that week.  It's taking me some time to recover from that. 

I ended 2013 with 658.5 miles.  184.8 miles was ran since October 15 when I got matched to Sweet Sophia.  That's about 20% of my year was spent running for Sophia and about 28% of my miles were for her.  I like that, especially since I was sick for part of that time and I still got a good percentage of overall miles for her. 

I think it's very important in life to set goals for yourself.  Not resolutions as people never stick to those.  They need to be goals.  Goals are something that can be adjusted as you go.  Goals are focused on behaviors not outcomes.  Goals help a person to stay focused.  Resolutions commonly are short term things that we don't stick to.  I think for a different is that resolutions were always something I would say I wanted to do and I did, but I never looked at them as part of my lifestyle.  Goals are something I see as my lifestyle and they help propel me forward down the path I am headed.  So, I have set goals for this year of 2014. 

1. Walk/run 750-1,000 miles for Sophia.  I would love to make it 1448ish miles, as that is the distance between me and her.  But I know that is more than double what I did this past year so it wouldn't be a realistic one.  That's a biggie with goals....they need to be realistic.
2. Run 10-14 half marathons. (This is aside from the 5ks, 10ks, trails and obstacles races I have on my calendar). A secondary part of this goal is that four of those half marathons will be within a 21 day period in November.  And really I am thinking any of the 10+ mile races count.  Anything above a 10K (6.2 miles).
3. Run a 25k (15.5 miles). 
4. Strength train two-three a week (this means actually picking up weights and lifting them, not calling my yoga good enough).
5. Eat clean 90% of the time. (Taking the 100 days of real food pledges).
6. Always be involved in a bible study that I will spend time on daily. I had started one and didn't even finish the first week of it so I will begin with that one. It's on the fruits of the Spirit and is by Beth Moore.
7. Keep balance by having months where I run no races unless they are with my family. I will have months where I will not run races as to have plenty of free weekends to do things other than run. This will most likely be in the warmer months as I love to float too and don't want to take away from that. Gotta keep balance in my life.
8. Will have some challenge that I give myself each month. January is ab challenge month. I will decide each one as I go based on what I am struggling with and need to focus on.

I am a week in basically.  Mileage is low for this week from where I need to be.  It's been cold and I am still been trying to get back to feeling good after being sick at the end of the year.  I definitely planned on picking up on that, but now am resting a bruised heel from the trail run I did this past weekend.  Trail running is my thing I have decided though.  I love it.  The views are incredible.  I have been online scouting trail races in the area.  I have not picked up a weight at all, but am sticking with the ab challenge this month.  So far I have hit all my workouts.  Clean eating has been another story, but things take time.

Things take time.  That's a lesson I have been learning.  Running is not something that came natural to me.  I have to work at it.  There is another distinction between goals and resolutions.  If these were resolutions, then I would have already broken or given up on most of them.  But they are goals.  That means I don't quit when I don't do something one day that I said I would.  I keep working at it.  Things get easier, but it takes time.  These are things I want to be doing by the end of the year.  So if it takes me until then to get consistent with my eating and bible study and strength training then it does. The goal is to meet it within the next 12 months.  It won't magically happen today.  But if I keep at it, it will happen by the end of this year God has blessed me with so far.

The Purposeful Runner.  I have a purpose  I am still trying to discover fully what God is doing with me as a purposeful runner, but I know He has a plan.