Tuesday, March 26, 2013




Every single day is to be celebrated, life is a journey, not a destination.Yet  Monday morning is greeted with yearning for Friday afternoon. However, Saturday and Sunday are only 2/7 of our life, and we overlook 5/7 of life's daily joys! Jesus tells us to do everything as if we are doing it for Him, every day. We are sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Find the magic in every single day, Jesus loves you, that alone is enough to be joy-filled.





Monday, March 25, 2013

Holy Week

Lord Jesus Christ,
take me along that holy way
you once took to your death,
Take my mind, my memory,
above all my reluctant heart,
and let me see what once you did
for love of me and all the world.



We adore You O Lord Jesus Christ, and bless You.
Because by Your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

No truer words. I have no idea what the future holds for me and running, but I know for sure that God holds my future in His perfect plans.




Meanwhile, in honor of our new Pope Francis, I have been contemplating my favorite prayer.


 Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Happy Feet

8 weeks (and 28 days after the return date) later, I decided the Brooks Ravenna's were just not the shoe for me, they just didn't feel right. So back to the running shoe store for me. After trying on various shoes of similar support, I decided on the Saucony Guide 6.

When reading reviews on the Guide 6, the biggest complaint I saw (really the only complnt) regarded the obnoxious color selection. Not sure what it says about me, but I am THRILLED with my new neon pink shoes.
Cautiously optimistic....

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Time Marches On....

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ...A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecclesiastes 3

So much has happened since my last blog. I suppose I felt compelled to draw inward for the past several months. Scripture tells us that there will be times that we will laugh, cry, reach out, draw in, embrace, let go, break down, build up.

Last August I experienced the bittersweet joy only a parent can understand of bringing my oldest two children to college. Within a few weeks life settled back to our 'new' normal with just four of us at home. I love to visit my college kids, and love their trips home. Setting the table for all six of us is such a simple pleasure, and an immeasurable blessing. Mostly, I love seeing my college kids happy, thriving, and emerging as smart and competent adults. It is an equal joy to see my third born 17 year old daughter flourish and mature as the "new" oldest, and son number four, at 10 years of age, continues to keep me young. And, I even see the bright future that awaits my husband and I as our children grow. It really is all good!

On the running front, by August I was extremely frustrated with persistent IT band pain in my right knee. Then, along came pain my my left knee. I finally went to a well known orthopedic/sports medicine group. I was terrified waiting for the x-ray results. Praise the Lord, my knees were given a clean bill of health. However, that didn't change the fact that I had runner's knee combined with IT band issues. So off the physical therapy I went!

During three months of PT to address muscle imbalances in my quads, glutes and hips  I was benched from running. Thanks to my stationary bike, I was able to maintain a decent amount of cardio fitness. Daily strength and core exercises, stretching, icing and doses of patience have finally led to a resolution. I had no idea runner's knee and ITBS can take up to a year to heal! It has been a two steps forward, one step back process, at times I wondered if I would ever run again. One thing I knew, I would never give up.

I am now a devout cross trainer incorporating my bike, strength and core training plus yoga stretching. My foam roller is my best friend, but I really love "The Stick" for digging deep in my quads and calves, working those nasty knots and tightness out.

I've also changed shoes, after it was determined the Brooks Adrenalines I've run in for over a year are now too supportive for my gait. I'm trying to adjust to Brooks Ravennas, but I'm not convinced they are the right shoe. Anyone reading this: no matter how sure you are that your shoes are correct for your gait, if you start having pain, consider having your gait re-analyzed. Over the last year I have gone from being a moderate pronator, to mild on one side, and stable on the other side. I honestly didn't know something like pronation can change.

I am very gradually increasing my distance, running 3 days a week and spin/cycling 2 days, with continued dedication to my core and strength work. If the Lord is willing, I should be back to marathon training in mid-June, with plans of running a half marathon in August, and a full marathon in October, quite possibly with Team in Training (that's another story!). Though I have a lot of miles to add back to get to my previous level of training, thanks to the strength/core and cross training I have done faithfully for over 5 months, I feel like a stronger runner now than I did at the peak of my marathon training.

God has surely shown me that every step I take really does come from Him. His will be done.