Tri for a Cure 2011

What else can you do on a beautiful, sunny, warm summer day but...

Swim,

Bike,

Run, 

Finish,

Cure!

Ok, I know, it's been almost two months since the tri.  I'm finally to the point of being able to blog it.  There was some mental processing that I needed to work through, not to mention life is busy.  Let me tell you that the whole weekend was just INCREDIBLE!  I cried...alot.  Not only for the cancer survivors, but also for those who are still fighting the fight and their families.  I am just so thankful to have been able to participate and help raise money for this organization.  Thank you to each person and family that donated!

I'm still amazed that God gave me the desire to do this crazy thing called a triathlon.  The night before the race, I prayed earnestly that He would use the experience for His purposes.  I know that He answered that in sending several dear ladies my way to encourage.  Who knows what else He will do with it?

Racing with all women was incredibly inspiring.  There was a wide range of abilities and ages, but everyone was working their hardest.  I loved, loved, loved training with and sharing this experience with Laurie!  Of course, without her suggestion, I wouldn't have even THOUGHT of doing this race!

Although, I am competitive by nature and was incredibly pleased with my time, the bigger thrill and excitement was finishing that race.  Many months of preparation went into what boiled down to one hour and 46 minutes.  Talk about a lesson in perseverance!  I couldn't help but cry at the finish line!

I'm already looking toward the next race...stay tuned!
















Very special thanks go to my husband and children who sacrificed so I could train and race.  I wouldn't have been able to go very far without your love, support and encouragement to work towards this goal.
I also have to shout out to Mom, Sharon, Joanne, Crystal, the "Rob" family and Lisa...thank you all for your support and encouragement!

Why Run?

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've blogged.  I've been busy, doing things like taking care of my family and homeschooling my children!  Oh yeah, and running and swimming too!  Up until this week, I've just been consistently getting the workout in 6 days each week.  That is changing.  It's time to step up the intensity to prepare for two races in July.  I'd love to have cheerleaders, so ask for details the next time we talk :)

I've been bit hard by the running bug.  I've already had a passing thought of someday doing a half-marathon.  WHAT?!?!  One step at a time, this year will be a 10K.  One that I just today heard is a "grueling" course.  It's a good thing hill work is in the plan.

I wanted to share this blog post, We run, that I read today.  Some of the reasons he gives for running are not my personal reasons.  Why am I running?  For my mental and physical health.  For my husband.  For my children.  Because I am starting to think of myself as a runner, just a little.  Because God is teaching me about life through the discipline of running.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20


For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.  Hebrews 12:11-13

So Excited!!!!!

I'm so excited to have received notification that I'm able to register for the Tri for a Cure!!

For those who don't know, I tried to register for this triathlon this past Thursday, but was not able to get through.  "Service Unavailable" were horrible, horrible words to see on the computer screen.  At least it seemed that way at the time!  But all things happen for a reason, and I was able to accept that I would not be competing in this year's Tri.  Immediately, I started researching like a fiend, trying to find another tri in the area.  The "plan" was to form a team with my sil (who got in to the tri on Thursday!) and a friend, and we'd all compete together.  That brought a huge relief, in that I wasn't going to be spending all spring and half the summer consumed by training!  And it sounded like fun.

So, today, after my workout, I did a quick check of my email.  Lo and behold, there was an email saying a waitlist spot had opened up!   My heart went flutter, flutter in excitement!  Since I had already been thinking about another tri with friends, I called up Sharon and suggested we do the tri together!   She's all for it, WOO-HOO!!

I'm still flying with excitement :)

Feel free to leave a comment on the blog.  I've unplugged from facebook for a time, so I won't see any comments there.

September 11, 2010

An Incredible day!  Mount Jefferson.  Panoramic views of the White Mountains.  Fresh air.  Exercise.  Beautiful blue sky.      Friends.  Humility.

Just a sample of what we climbed!

Crazy stuff! 

The Caps...a tough climb!

What a view!

We made it to the top! 

The group :)

The descent was just as tough as the ascent.

Humility...notice I'm not wearing my pack!

A cool, gnarly, old tree

Appropriately, I heard this song on the way home...
Impossible by the Newsboys.  This is my theme song for the journey I've been on.

33:30

Yup, that's how long it took me to run my first EVER 5K!  I'm pretty darn proud of that time!  The race was definitely a blessing from God.  First of all, I ran with three great encouragers.  Steve and Joanne helped to set the pace, while Sharon and I ran fairly easily several steps behind. Second, the weather couldn't have been more perfect.  The sun was shining, but the air was dry and cool.  Every now and then we'd get a bit of a breeze.  Third, my left shin and heel did not hurt.  At. all.  For the whole race!  Fourth, my family was waiting at the finish line with hugs and kisses.  What better reward is there?  Last, but certainly not least, I achieved all the goals I had set for myself.  That was the victory.

The only picture of this whole adventure is one I just took of my number.  I know, I know, I should have gotten a group photo or something, but my mind was totally on the race, not on getting a photo for this blog!  (Sorry Lisa T.!)

Sometimes, I get a little melancholy after reaching a goal I have been working towards.  I have that feeling of "now what?!"  Well, I am going to keep on keeping on.  This is by no means the finish line.  It's really the beginning of a new life!  One where I'm living life abundantly!  Therefore, my continuing goals are to honor God in all that I do for it is Him that I am serving.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

I'm looking forward to the next adventure...

Run, Forrest, Run

So, I've been running.  I once said, "I will NEVER run!"  Hmmm, I should really learn not to say the word "never"!

Well, you may wonder, what have I learned through disciplining myself to run?  First, I re-learned that I am a goal oriented person.  I started the "couch to 5K" program which gets you ready to run 5K, or 3.1 miles, in 9 weeks.  When I first started the program, I signed up for my first ever race!  My goal is to be able to run the entire route without walking, and not to be the last to cross the finish line!  I'll keep you posted on how the race shakes down, it's happening September 6th.  I won't be doing it alone, there will be three other friends running as well.  There's safety in numbers, right?  Anyhow, to get back to the goal oriented part, I realized that without that race goal, I would have quit running when it got hard.  Instead, I knew I had to keep running and pushing myself or I wouldn't be finishing that race!

In realizing that I like to work towards a goal, I have taken that aspect and applied it to homeschooling and life at home.  I'm working on a set of goals for each girl for the year.  That way we know what we are working towards.  Makes perfect sense, right?  Why didn't I think of it before?  I am also working on setting goals for myself in terms of what I'd like to accomplish through the year.  I very easily get side-tracked and distracted, somewhat like a certain daughter of mine, so I'm hoping to help keep myself on track a bit better.

Another thing I've learned is that I still don't like running :)  But, I do like the energy and the strength I have.  SO, I'll keep running for the exercise, perhaps I'll bump the mileage down to 2 miles, 3-4 times a week.  I really want to enjoy exercise so that it will become part of what I do/how I live, and less of an activity I want to check off my list.  I also want exercise to be something we enjoy as a family.  This fall, one of my goals is to take two family hikes.  Once the weather cools a bit, hiking will be very fun and rewarding.

Why am I'm working so hard to exercise and eat healthfully?
To have the strength and stamina to serve God where He wants me.
To be a positive role model for my daughters.
To be one of THOSE people who "lost xx pounds ten years ago and have kept it off"!  And to be an encouragement to others who are where I was 11 months ago.

I'm looking forward to celebrating, on 10/10/10, the one year anniversary of my journey to a healthier life!  I would love to hear YOUR story if you are willing to share.