Please forgive the quiet. I have required much more quiet lately due to the whirlwind in our lives. We closed on our new home this week, that will be much quieter (outside of town) and much louder (the children will be able to yell without waking our renters in the other side of the duplex). Hence, I have needed phone quiet, both are on the fritz anyway, and computer quiet. And lots of running quiet. I have decided, with the encouragment of my husband coach, that I will not pursue a full marathon this fall. Instead, I am going to work on getting my half-marathon time under 1:40. At that time, I will be in good position to BQ someday at 3:30 (or 3:40 if I wait till I'm 35!). With moving and other family goals, I will be needed in other areas and running must flex with the times. I must admit that I am apprehensive about changing my much loved 5 mile loops around our home. I do not like country dogs. And I especially dispise getting lost in the middle of nowhere. However, the trade-off is alluring. Open roads, clean air, and hills. Lots and lots of hills. Sweet running goodness.
So how is your summer running/fitness goal progressing? Any one looking for a great half-marathon training plan? Columbus is October 16th.......I'd love to have company!
Because I'm a better mother when I run...And I'm a better runner now that I'm a mother!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Miracles and Half-Marathon Race Recap
Aahhh, Mother's Day. Finally, I decided to spend it how I actually wanted to this year. I bought myself a new racing watch with my husband's encouragement and ran a half-marathon yesterday. The Capital City Half-Marathon in Columbus was extremely well-done race with an excellent course, tons of bands and fans, cool finishing medal, and much needed extra porta-potties. The course was rolling with a slightly hilly, head windy finishing 2 miles up High Street and then down to the finish by the Arena. I was so blessed to ride up with my running friend Teresa Thompson who is a veteran half-marathoner and full time nursing student. She started running when her children were almost grown and has flown by me in her # of half's under her belt. I cannot say enough how amazing it is to have a running friend who prayers and plays worship music on the way to the race. What a way to start a race!!!
I finally raced how I wanted and applied what I had learned from the full marathon in the Fall. I bought the watch with splits. I learned how to use the watch with splits - no easy task. Then, I remember to push the button, mostly, and look at the watch! It kept me from going out too fast at the beginning. The first mile flew past at around a 7 min/mile. Then, I finally settled in to just under an 8 min/mile for most of it so that I finished at my goal of 1 hour and 43 minutes for 13.1 miles (7:55 avg min/mile). That put me at 23rd in my age group.
The amazing part of the race is that my IT band did not hurt at all. In fact, it felt strong throughout. I had strained it on a 15 mile run 3 weeks ago so badly that I couldn't walk up and down the stairs. My loving husband prayed and the pain disappeared. I do not pretend to know all that God does or how, but I do know that immediately after Kurt prayed, the pain was gone. It has not come back. Being the sinful, skeptic that I tend toward, I worried about pushing it in a race. Kurt prayed again. I prayed to overcome my unbelief. Then, I had no choice but to test it. I ran and reached my goal pain free. There is a God in Heaven can be my only logical conclusion!
Misc. Funny / Serious Notes on racing so that I do not forget: Prepare the night before, do not worry about sleep, trust God for each step, remember to push the button for splits, shea butter, almond oil, and coconut oil for anti-chaffing, worship music on the way, run only one mile at a time, tell yourself these miles are short and someone did not measure right! Enjoy every step -I remember clearly the beautiful songs of birds crisp in the middle of the city. Even when I do not think I have the faith to keep going, I must choose to run anyway.
Anyone have Spring/ Summer running goals to share?
I finally raced how I wanted and applied what I had learned from the full marathon in the Fall. I bought the watch with splits. I learned how to use the watch with splits - no easy task. Then, I remember to push the button, mostly, and look at the watch! It kept me from going out too fast at the beginning. The first mile flew past at around a 7 min/mile. Then, I finally settled in to just under an 8 min/mile for most of it so that I finished at my goal of 1 hour and 43 minutes for 13.1 miles (7:55 avg min/mile). That put me at 23rd in my age group.
The amazing part of the race is that my IT band did not hurt at all. In fact, it felt strong throughout. I had strained it on a 15 mile run 3 weeks ago so badly that I couldn't walk up and down the stairs. My loving husband prayed and the pain disappeared. I do not pretend to know all that God does or how, but I do know that immediately after Kurt prayed, the pain was gone. It has not come back. Being the sinful, skeptic that I tend toward, I worried about pushing it in a race. Kurt prayed again. I prayed to overcome my unbelief. Then, I had no choice but to test it. I ran and reached my goal pain free. There is a God in Heaven can be my only logical conclusion!
Misc. Funny / Serious Notes on racing so that I do not forget: Prepare the night before, do not worry about sleep, trust God for each step, remember to push the button for splits, shea butter, almond oil, and coconut oil for anti-chaffing, worship music on the way, run only one mile at a time, tell yourself these miles are short and someone did not measure right! Enjoy every step -I remember clearly the beautiful songs of birds crisp in the middle of the city. Even when I do not think I have the faith to keep going, I must choose to run anyway.
Anyone have Spring/ Summer running goals to share?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
My Long Road to Simplicity
I come from a long, long line of frugal women. My grandmothers both made incredible homes, loving through many difficult days, one in Africa, and one in America. I have learned from their example, and yet I am still learning their secrets. They used what they had on had in creative ways. I have had to learn to get rid of enough stuff to even see what I had to work with. Now, I have gotten rid of 75 huge bags countless large pieces of furniture and tons of stress from our 1225 sq foot duplex last year. As of this year, I have gotten rid of approximately 10 more bags and three huge pieces of furniture. We haven’t lacked anything and I have a new vision for being a minimalist on “stuff” and a maximist (my new word) on people and children. I literally have tons more room in my home for people to come since they don’t have to trip their way to the living room. Well, most days that is true but not always with my super-mess makers.
How have you overcome the challenges of your household space? I always need more ideas!! Here are a few that have worked for our kitchen.
I got rid of enough clothing that I moved my clothes to an under the bed storage tote and moved my antique dresser from my Grandmother Jane downstairs to the kitchen. I know that a dresser in the kitchen is a little unconventional but I am so pleased with it. I use it and enjoy the memory of my grandmother all day! We keep homeschool books and supplies in it since we do most of our schooling in the kitchen.
I do have an antique cupboard that is the reason we bought this almost-condemned duplex to restore 8 years ago. This was the one redeeming feature. Floor to ceiling, it is not huge but tall. I got rid of tons of dishes and un-needed appliances that I have been given through the years. Instead, I use it now to store food. Let's get our priorities straight - food versus stuff. I think I'll choose food, don't you? As a family of runners, we eat for survival and that means we need a lot of food storage space. I even have food stashed in the living room under an end table. I enjoy www.foodstoragemadeeasy.com for creative ideas as an added resource for you.
This is my cupboard with stainless steel dishes on the bottom for the kids to set the table. Even my 22 month old little runner enjoys running back and forth to the table setting out the plates. No worries about breakage. I purchased mine from www.lifewithoutplastic.com. These have been well worth the investment.
I have found that having a few, extremely few, quality items is freeing. I feel less stressed and overwhelmed than I did a year ago when I started this journey. And I have more time for enjoying running with the small people I love the most!
Please share your kitchen strategies...do you run in the kitchen? Treadmill placement in small houses? I am always in need of major arranging inspiration! One of my last rooms to conquer has been the kitchen. The kitchen is truly the heart of our home. Since we have severe food allergies, we cook everything from scratch. I also use the kitchen to run in with the treadmill since it has reinforced flooring. It is amazing how many purposes one can accomplish in a small space. My kitchen is approximately 14X11 in dimension. Lest you think that I am kidding when I say I have 3 feet of counter space, I am including photo proof. So be encouraged to contentment in the space where God has placed you. Several wonderful women through Above Rubies magazine and their yahoo group have encouraged me in their creative arrangements of their households. I highly recommend checking out the resources and encouragment offered through Above Rubies.
I come from a long, long line of frugal women. My grandmothers both made incredible homes, loving through many difficult days, one in Africa, and one in America. I have learned from their example, and yet I am still learning their secrets. They used what they had on had in creative ways. I have had to learn to get rid of enough stuff to even see what I had to work with. Now, I have gotten rid of 75 huge bags countless large pieces of furniture and tons of stress from our 1225 sq foot duplex last year. As of this year, I have gotten rid of approximately 10 more bags and three huge pieces of furniture. We haven’t lacked anything and I have a new vision for being a minimalist on “stuff” and a maximist (my new word) on people and children. I literally have tons more room in my home for people to come since they don’t have to trip their way to the living room. Well, most days that is true but not always with my super-mess makers.
Running a household (as it is with the sport of running) is a tremendous physical undertaking. With both kinds of running, the most important key is not the “perfect situation” but the “perfect perspective” of contentment. Every day running for sport is a good day; it is a privilege. Every day running a household is privilege and joy, regardless of challenges.
How have you overcome the challenges of your household space? I always need more ideas!! Here are a few that have worked for our kitchen.
I have found that having a few, extremely few, quality items is freeing. I feel less stressed and overwhelmed than I did a year ago when I started this journey. And I have more time for enjoying running with the small people I love the most!
Please share your kitchen strategies...do you run in the kitchen? Treadmill placement in small houses? I am always in need of major arranging inspiration! One of my last rooms to conquer has been the kitchen. The kitchen is truly the heart of our home. Since we have severe food allergies, we cook everything from scratch. I also use the kitchen to run in with the treadmill since it has reinforced flooring. It is amazing how many purposes one can accomplish in a small space. My kitchen is approximately 14X11 in dimension. Lest you think that I am kidding when I say I have 3 feet of counter space, I am including photo proof. So be encouraged to contentment in the space where God has placed you. Several wonderful women through Above Rubies magazine and their yahoo group have encouraged me in their creative arrangements of their households. I highly recommend checking out the resources and encouragment offered through Above Rubies.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wheat-free bread Recipe Stash!
Are you overwhelmed with the information on diets? It can be confusing and we are not into fad diets. However, we have dealt with serious health issues that caused my break from blogging. My 4 year old son has a severe intolerance to wheat and rye (not gluten). We have all found that we feel better when we rotate our grains and have a wide variety of fruits and veggies in our diet. It just makes sense to have a variety of nutrients. Hence buying in bulk and from local farmers keeps our food budget from being our entire budget. Here are my favorite conventional wheat-free recipes:
Wheat-Free Bread
3 lg eggs
1 2/3 water
3 Tbl oil (olive)
1 3/4 c Spelt flour
1 /1/2 c barley flour
1/2 c flax
3 tbl honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp arrowroot
2 1/4 tsp yeast
Set on regular wheat bread setting (mine is for 2:55 mins) and light crust - makes a lovely cakey type of bread that is delicious! If using a conventional oven I recommend combining ingredients, let rise, punch down, and bake for approximately 1 hr on 350. Experiment, each oven if different and even the weather changes in our area have impacted how my breads turn out!
Pancakes
4 c flour (spelt/barley/oat/ other)
2 tbl honey (mostly we do NOT do this as we go sugar free but if you are still transitioning you can....)
5 1/2 homemade baking powder or aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 c kefir at room temp (if store bought you can do half water half kefir - it's expensive!)
1 c coconut milk
2/3 c water
4 large eggs or 1/2 ground flax seed
1/2 c melted coconut oil or whipping cream
Mix all ingredients and cook on caste iron griddle with coconut oil. Incredible!!!
What are some of your favorite recipes? Have you tried wheat-free or other alternatives to eating the same three ingredients all the time? What are your adventures in food?
PS for those in Lancaster, Full House Consignment sale is this week at the Fairgrounds! www.fullhousesale.com
Wheat-Free Bread
3 lg eggs
1 2/3 water
3 Tbl oil (olive)
1 3/4 c Spelt flour
1 /1/2 c barley flour
1/2 c flax
3 tbl honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp arrowroot
2 1/4 tsp yeast
Set on regular wheat bread setting (mine is for 2:55 mins) and light crust - makes a lovely cakey type of bread that is delicious! If using a conventional oven I recommend combining ingredients, let rise, punch down, and bake for approximately 1 hr on 350. Experiment, each oven if different and even the weather changes in our area have impacted how my breads turn out!
Pancakes
4 c flour (spelt/barley/oat/ other)
2 tbl honey (mostly we do NOT do this as we go sugar free but if you are still transitioning you can....)
5 1/2 homemade baking powder or aluminum free baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 c kefir at room temp (if store bought you can do half water half kefir - it's expensive!)
1 c coconut milk
2/3 c water
4 large eggs or 1/2 ground flax seed
1/2 c melted coconut oil or whipping cream
Mix all ingredients and cook on caste iron griddle with coconut oil. Incredible!!!
What are some of your favorite recipes? Have you tried wheat-free or other alternatives to eating the same three ingredients all the time? What are your adventures in food?
PS for those in Lancaster, Full House Consignment sale is this week at the Fairgrounds! www.fullhousesale.com
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Bulk Food Cross Training
Yes, the sprint of life has continued with sickness and taxes (which are now sent) and bulk food purchasing. I'm so thankful that I was able to get to Jo-Ads in McConnesville for bulk grain purchases. In addition to my friend Jessica and my three children, we piled 475 lbs of grains into my trusty van and swerved through the foothills of Ohio home. Then, we piled all the grains to where they needed to go and that, I must confess to you, is all I did on Thursday for cross training. I then ate myself silly on the first wheat-free bread that actually tasted good. I did not get on the scale this morning. I run a short 14 miles tomorrow...hopefully.
For Jessica and those of you who ever want to purchase in bulk and join my cross-training here are the following measurements for storage:
50lbs of rolled oats - fits 3 5-gallon buckets and 3 quart jars
25 lbs of millet - fits 1 5 gallon buckets
25 lbs of spelt berries - fits 2 5 gallong buckets
50 lbs of rice - approx 2 5 gallon buckets
25 lbs of buckwheat fit 1 5 gallon bucket
25 lbs of barely fit 1 5 gallon bucket
Blessings!!
For Jessica and those of you who ever want to purchase in bulk and join my cross-training here are the following measurements for storage:
50lbs of rolled oats - fits 3 5-gallon buckets and 3 quart jars
25 lbs of millet - fits 1 5 gallon buckets
25 lbs of spelt berries - fits 2 5 gallong buckets
50 lbs of rice - approx 2 5 gallon buckets
25 lbs of buckwheat fit 1 5 gallon bucket
25 lbs of barely fit 1 5 gallon bucket
Blessings!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Taking a Break
No, I'm not taking a break from running, just from blogging. I'm still training for a half-marathon in May, but I'm also trying to keep the little runners healthy. Then, Kurt has come down with a nasty cough and illness. Plus, I am finally writing a book. Throw in trying to do our taxes somewhat early this year and house hunting, and I've got a recipe for disaster. So rather than run myself into the ground, literally, I'm trying to be balanced - ha!- and take a break from some thing. If you need me, please email me, but understand the possible extra 6 month delay in replies.
Friday, February 25, 2011
What I did Wrong in the Marathon
Please learn from my mistakes. Hind sight is always 20/20 and as I train for my upcoming half-marathon in May I am remembering and learning from my mistakes from Columbus 2010. These apply to any race distance, not only a marathon. Distance just makes the mistakes more painful!
 |
| Running up High Street |
Mistake 1. The correct watch - I should have
had a watch that saved my splits. I would've realized quickly I was going too fast. Cheap Walmart watch must go!
 |
| Me and teething toddler |
So here's the summary of things I've learned:
- New Watch -with split times ran too fast b/c I didn't know and couldn't figure how fast I was actually going!
- Stay with the Pace Group.
- Drive the course! What was I thinking? I should've driven the course, then I would've know that miles 15-25 were completely uphill...and lonely, empty, disgusting miles. Can you tell I despise them? I am already planning my revenge!
- Run past 20 miles, again and again and again.
- Take more the six weeks to train, especially while nursing a toddler.
What lessons have you learned from racing or life that have helped you along your journey?
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