With God nothing is impossible

The elves were busy baking cookies yesterday. We're having a much anticipated cookie decorating party today and there was lots to do to get ready for it. (Not really, but making cookies with 2 boys seems to bring on quite a mess!)

We also received an advent book from our church that has devotions, activities to make and things to do. The boys and I have been reading the book and found a recipe for Impossible Cookies. So, along with the sugar cookies we decided to make these, too. I have heard about these before, but I've never had the recipe or the chance to make them. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something fun and a good teaching moment for the kids.

It's such a lovely story that goes along with it...When Mary told the angel that she couldn't be the mother of Jesus. The angel answered, "Nothing is impossible with God." The same with the cookies. There's not much to them - egg whites, sugar, salt, vanilla and chocolate chips. My recipe also called for pecans, but I left those out. Put them in the oven then turn OFF the heat. What? Impossible! The recipes says "In the morning they'll be done. Sounds impossible? Wait and see!"

Well, it worked. Here are our wonderful Impossible cookies. But, here's the problem - "in the morning they'll be done." Unless you don't want your kids eating cookies for breakfast, I wouldn't do it this way. I had 2 kids ready for cookies this morning! Next time, I'll start earlier and have impossible cookies ready after dinner.

Recipe:

2 egg whites

2/3 C. sugar

a pinch of salt

1 t. vanilla

1 C. chopped pecans

1 C. chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the egg whites until they are frothy; then add the sugar a little at a time, beating until it's stiff. Fold in the remaining ingredients and drop by teaspoonful onto a brown-paper-lined cookie sheet. Put them in the oven and turn OFF the heat. Leave the cookies in the oven overnight and don't peek. Warning: IN THE MORNING THEY'LL BE DONE! Sounds impossible? Wait and see!

Nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37

Updates

Where have you been?

I know, I know. Worst blogger ever. One thing is certain, this blog does not write itself. Everyday I think, "oh, I should put that on the blog!" And for the last month (who's counting?!) it has not gone anywhere. Blogging has definitely taken a back-seat over other priorities.

So, here's the latest. Training for a marathon, doing the Insanity workouts, trying to be a good wife and mom, Christmas shopping, parties, etc....Is a full-time job. Fun, but busy. Who's not busy, right?

I also had a slight set-back over the last 4 weeks or so. My left foot was really starting to hurt and I pinpointed the problem to plantar fasciitis. I've had some experience with this in the past and I knew what I needed to do. Rest, ice, stretch, take some time off. Instead of doing what I should, I just kept running and tried to ignore it as much as possible.

I had originally signed up for the Dallas White Rock Marathon so that I could have another chance at a BQ before the Houston Marathon in January. However, I decided about a week before Dallas that I would use it as a "training run" because clearly I was in no shape to race it. It was also really rainy and cold, I was trying out a new, hand-held water bottle and as it turns out I had a wardrobe malfunction during the race as well. All the runners were soaked and the rain made my running skirt heavy. So heavy that it actually started to roll down at the waist. This was incredibly frustrating and increasingly annoying. From miles 13 to 17, I was pullling at that darn skirt about every 3 steps! UGH! I contemplated dropping out, but finally found a medic and had him wrap tape around my waist to make a belt. Ahh - relief. I felt like I had a spring in my step after that and then the plantar fasciitis kicked in. I finished my "training run" marathon in 4:15 and hobbled home.

Last week, was the Sugar Land 30K. The final race in the warm-up series leading up to Houston. I had another decision to make - race it or take it slow and easy. I was reading my Runner's World magazine and a key workout suggestion was to do 6 miles at 10 seconds faster than race pace, 10 minute recovery jog, then another 6 miles at 10 seconds faster than race pace. Great idea! That's what I'll do! A 13 mile workout crammed into an 18.6 mile race. I decided the best thing was to start out slow - a 5 mile warm-up. I did the next 6 miles fast (8:05 pace), took a 10 minute recovery jog, and attempted the next 6. And that's where I ran out of gas. My foot was cramping up again and I could not pick up the pace. I ran the last 6 at about 8:40 pace.

Over the next 4 days, I saw my opportunity of BQing limp out the door.

I was already implementing aggressive icing strategies - ice massage, ice baths, more and more ice. I wondered how close I was to frost bite. I went for a slow run on 12/15 and could hardly walk after I was done. More icing. More praying. After lots of ice and lots of prayer, a breakthrough happened Thursday night. I could feel earlier in the day that the tension was becoming smaller or more localized (if that makes sense). Even though I could hardly walk, I could tell it was changing somehow. Then (after a particular intense icing session) I was able to work out the kinks. Miraculous! It was a glorious feeling and almost instant relief. I have continued to ice and take it easy, lots of stretching and resting. But at least now, I'm able to walk again, dare I say RUN!

Through it all, I've continued with Insanity - sometimes only on one foot. The results are showing and I'm pleased with my progress. Only 2 weeks left of the 60 day challenge! Only 4 weeks until the Houston Marathon! Just a few days ago I was doubtful that I could even walk it, but now I have renewed hope that I will be able to race it.

So, here we go again. To all of my 5 blog readers: I know you didn't want to read about injuries and ice, how much it hurts or how worried I have been everyday. I also didn't want to be a big 'ol whiner! I'm on the road to recovery and the Christmas cards are in the mail!

The Winds of Change

I could hear the wind howling outside the window last night. It woke me up several times before my alarm went off at 4:40 to run this morning. It was a hard tempo run, but I did it. I call that a mental victory. At one point, the only thing that kept me going was knowing that when I turned around the wind would be at my back and pushing me home. Thank goodness for that!

Today is a Rest and Recovery day with the Insanity DVDs. That's also good because I'm sick. I have a runny nose, coughing and sore throat. Ugh! Besides those, I feel "OK." So, I went ahead and worked out. I'm on track with my eating, hydrating and working out and I'm going to the doctor this afternoon. Hopefully, help is on the way!

It seems like everyone I know has either a sick child or is battling something themselves. 'Tis the season. Take care of yourself, drink lots of water, take your vitamins!

Good-bye Complacency, Hello Insanity!

As I finished a 12 mile run on Saturday, I was thinking about my goals and how I am going to achieve them. I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon again. I want to get faster and improve my fitness level. I want to tone-up and shed a few pounds. Then, I started thinking about my time-line. The Houston Marathon is January 15th. I'll be starting to taper my runs at the beginning of January. Therefore, I have exactly 2 months or 60 days to shape-up. I need to concentrate on cross-training as well as running to achieve my goals. Insanity!

Last year, I enjoyed the benefits of a boot-camp fitness class. I loved it! I attained all the previously stated goals. However, the class took a lot of time away from my family (twice a week - 2.5 hours - in the evenings). Not an ideal situation for my hard-working husband or my two young boys. It was also very expensive. Insanity!

Then a friend recommended the Insanity workout DVDs. I bought it and used it leading up to the marathon last year. They are a really good workout. No equipment and all in about 40 minutes - 1 hour commitment. I can do that! I recommend them as well. I enjoyed the same benefits of the boot camp, but was able to do it on my own schedule and for a fraction of the cost. Thanks Shaun T! Insanity!

Day 1 is today. My goal is to follow the program faithfully. I will post a before and after picture at the end of 60 days. I was going to post a before picture now - but you know what a look like and the results will be best seen side-by-side at one time. Plus, I want my free "Insanity - I Earned It" t-shirt. Here goes! Who's with me?

Houston Half Marathon

I ran in the Houston Half Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 23. This is the first of three races in the Houston Marathon Warm Up Series. The next is the Texas Metric Marathon on Nov. 13, then the Sugar Land 30K on Dec. 11.

I really enjoy these races. They are all spaced about a month apart and are the perfect distances for training for the Houston Marathon on Jan. 15, 2012. It is a great way for beginners to get a large race experience with 2 of them including a drive into downtown Houston. It is also a good way for runners to get a feel for their fitness level, to try out different race strategies and just practice hydrating and re-fueling.

I traveled along with my girlfriends Nicole and Vickie and her husband, Mike. It is such a fun atmosphere heading to the race, laughing and talking about our goals for the day. It's Houston, so of course, it was hot and the mosquitoes at the start were fierce. I couldn't wait to get out of there and get running. I made a rookie mistake at this race last year and after I drank a whole mug-full of coffee was in the port-a-can when the gun went off. I knew better this year and was at the starting line in plenty of time and enjoyed the buzz of the crowd.

My good friend Michelle came out to cheer me on at mile 6 and 9. It was a boost to see her at mile 6 then I looked forward to seeing her again over the next 3 miles. I didn't finish as fast as I wanted to, but it was a good race, I felt strong and enjoyed it.

The post-race atmosphere is just as sweet. Lots of laughing and talking, loud music, beer (at 9am?) - I opted for the massage. I won't be running all three races of the warm up series this year. I have another meeting with the half marathon in San Antonio.

Excuses

We are creatures of habit. It's easy to get stuck into a rut and just do the same thing all the time. I stepped out of my box to start this blog, then I haven't logged anything in over a week. Sometimes it's hard to break a habit and it's equally as hard to start something new. That's my excuse for not posting anyway!

I am also totally addicted to this new website Pinterest. Insanely addicted. It's a virtual pin board that has really neat stuff from all over the web that other users have "pinned" to this site. You can request an invitation to become a member and start your own pin board.  That way you can pin stuff to the website and on your own pin board to reference later. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Very cool!

I love to craft and make different stuff , but there should be a disclaimer on some of these Pinterest crafts that they are "more difficult than they appear!" It is fun to look at all the different "pins". The categories are massive, but my favorites are Home Decor, DIY and Crafts, Fitness, Kids and Education.

Treadmill PR

After last week's mediocre and somewhat disappointing run, I needed a mental victory. Last year, I ran 10 miles on my treadmill. Today, I did 11!

It was too easy to drop the kids off and come back home. I was toying with the idea of doing a treadmill run anyway for a couple of reasons. First, I knew I would have plenty of water. My handy-dandy treadmill doesn't mind holding it for me either. Second, I could zone-out and not have to watch for cars or think about every step or turn I was going to make. Third, it would be cool to set a new record. Fourth (and the deciding factor), I had this week's episode of The Biggest Loser to watch!

It's fun to curl up on the couch and watch those guys and gals tough it out every week on that show. But, I always end up feeling a little bit lethargic and guilty afterwards. They worked out so hard and I just sat there - probably eating something, too. I was also dreaming about having one of the trainers coach me during a "Last Chance Workout!" Well, today I got just what I needed. Bob and Dolvett took turns yelling at me to "Move faster, Work harder, Go! Go! Go!"

I'm glad it's done. With a little good TV, I'd do it again, too!

Getting Started

The fall marathon season is upon us. I really love this time of year. I look forward to signing up for races, getting the confirmation email and planning a training schedule. I love studying my calendar - seeing the workouts planned and executing them. Perhaps its a feeling of satisfaction and completion that I'm looking for or the shocked look I get from non-runners.

I'm not doing anything extreme or extraordinary. In fact, plenty of runners run more than I do. Even the Biggest Loser contestants are running marathons! I just really enjoy doing it. And if there's anything a runner enjoys more than running, it's talking about it!

I remember a time when I didn't enjoy running. It was used as a punishment in other sports or whenever I gained weight during college and it just seemed too hard - that really was a punishment. But, with most things if you look for the positive and change your attitude, your heart and body will follow.

I started training for my first marathon in 2002. I had been married for almost 3 years and my husband had a lot of hobbies. Since we didn't have kids at the time, he was free to go and do all of his fun activities. I accompanied him on several occasions, but I didn't really have anything to call my own. I wanted a hobby! I had been thinking about starting to run for at least a year soon after 9/11. It has been well documented that after traumatic events such as wars, The Great Depression and 9/11 more people start pounding the pavement. I would consider myself one of those that was affected by this running boom. Running is stress-relieving and when faced with your own mortality there's nothing better to do than get in shape.

"To Run A Marathon" was also a goal that I wrote down in high school. Now at the time, I thought those goal-setting activities were pretty lame. I was 15 or 16 years old and I was expected to come up with some life-long goal? Give me a break. (I'm even rolling my eyes as I type.) So I thought as big as I could a wrote "to run a marathon". I probably didn't even know how far that was it just seemed unattainable at the time. I do remember I also wrote "to write a book." Does this count? I should have said blog and I would have been a visionary. I do believe in the goal-setting exercises now. Writing it down is the first step to making it happen.

In 2002, I joined a running group. Best advice ever - join a group! I have a place to meet people with the same interests and there is safety in numbers. By some magical force, the runs with the group seem easier and that's good because they're longer. Effort is distributed among everyone, so the work-load is shared.

The fall race season leaves me feeling nostalgic - it's nice to look back at where I started and how far I've come (literally!). That's why I started running, but there are a ton of other reasons why I keep running. I'll save those for another time. Life is a journey - enjoy it!

Just another run

Yesterday, I ran 5 miles at 11:30 am. Today, I ran 10.5 miles at 9:00 am. The bottom line is...I don't like it!

Warning! Complaints below!

I usually do my running at 5:00 am. In the pre-dawn hours when most are still asleep. Obviously, I have taken this for granted because when my husband travels I don't have this luxury. Hmm, that's funny, I just called running at 5 o'clock in the morning a luxury! But, it really does serve it's purpose. I learned a lesson many years ago that with young children getting it done early is paramount. There are a thousand excuses and interruptions that can prevent me from running later. Also, I'm a procrastinator and the longer I can put something off, the more likely it's not going to get done. I'm more tired in the evening (at least it feels that way). I'd rather roll out of bed, clothes and shoes on, brush my teeth and be running before I'm fully awake enough to realize what's going on.

It was really hot today and I underestimated the amount of water I would need for 12 miles. Twelve was the original plan, but I ditched the run early due to lack of water. I'm already feeling guilty that I didn't gut out the intended mileage.

I usually run with my girlfriends, but I was solo today. Apparently, everyone wanted to get their run done early, too. So, I was left to my own thoughts. I was thinking about a discussion we had in Bible study yesterday. What's your wildest dream? What the biggest thing you could ask God to accomplish through you? I was thinking about that today. My dreams at this point seem quite small.  A good wife and encouraging mom. A fit and healthy runner. Perhaps I need to dream bigger. What's your wildest dream?

I do know that we all need to ask ourselves this question. And really answer it! What a waste it would be to look back on your life and think that you didn't try or that you didn't do enough. Start today! Go for a run, go for a walk, hug your kids, kiss your spouse! Try something new. Become better, be better. I'll keep working on my answer.

My boys are growing up fast. Even they realize it. My 3 year old told me those exact words this morning. "Me little boy, me grow up fast." Their hugs and kisses are limited. Soon they won't want to sit in my lap. I read today that by the time boys are 7 they look beyond their mothers to adult males to learn what it is to be a man. Brady is 6 1/2, I am very thankful that he has strong men in his life to learn from, but I'm still going to smother him in kisses at least until he's 17.

WIN a Running Devotional: The Runner's Devotional

From Mile-Posts:

Last week I posted a review on The Runner's Devotional - if you did not catch it - I've included the post below. Tyndale House is offering one reader of Mile Posts a FREE copy of The Runner's Devotional.


Here's how to enter:
*You must be a follower of my blog to win. Contest ends on 10.2.2011.

Here's how to enter: [please leave a separate comment for each entry]

1. Tell me why you want to win!
2. Follow Tyndale House on twitter and tweet: I want to win the @tyndalehouse giveaway from @mileposts
3. Post this post on your blog or facebook
3. Follow Mile Posts on twitter @mileposts
4. Follow Mile Posts on facebook

**Contest ends on 10/2/11 - winner will be notified via blog post shortly thereafter and has 2 weeks to claim their prize before a back up winner is chosen. I will verify that you are a follower of my blog.


I had to have it.

All the posts on this blog somehow relate to running, more often than not a lot of those posts also relate to the spiritual side of my running.

I don't push my faith on anyone and have many friends in my life who are either another religion or do not believe in the existence of God. I used to shy away from even speaking about religion, but was really touched when studying the Bible last year. Why did I care about offending my readers by speaking about Christ, but I was not concerned with how Christ felt about me not speaking about Him?

So if I offend you when I talk about where my strength comes from, I am sorry. I truly am. My intention is never to harm. I won't however say I will stop, because I won't. If you want to know the whole truth about how my times keep getting faster, how I can train for marathons with 1 kid, 2 kids, or 3 kids then I have to include the part about my spiritual journey. My running is only half the story, my relationship with Christ the other half and without Him there would be no other half called running.

I was very excited when the opportunity arose to review The Runner's Devotional. Running and God? Yes please.


I have not read the whole devotional, but I feel that I can acurrately review it. I wanted to read the whole thing before I opened the cover, but once I started reading it, I wanted to treasure this little gem for a whole year.


If you have ever read or started to read a devotional, you probably know that if it does not grab you in the first couple of days, it was a waste of money. It should not feel like a chore to read. It should feel like something you enjoy reading. I enjoy this book.


The authors Dana Niesluchowski, and Dave Veerman have run marathons - they understand fitness. Dana is a mom to a young son. I feel like I can connect with them.


The book is broken up into 52 weeks, with a training log space after every week. You can read a whole week at once or you can read some each day according to their suggested way to divide it up. There are stories, there are Bible passages, there are sections on The Runner, The Race, The Result and *Think It Through* section, which is one of my favorites.


My copy is already strewn with highlighted sections, which means you know I love it.

If you are a Christian runner or runner who wants to learn more about Christ you will enjoy this devotional!

Questions? If you want to read an excerpt from the book you can do so on Amazon.com


Note: Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are my own.

 

New Beginnings

In January, I qualified for the Boston Marathon. Yea! After several months of hard running, speedwork, tempo runs and long runs, I was happy to see the realization of a goal obtained. I honestly didn't think it was possible for my body to do it. My fastest time up to that point was the Houston marathon in 2010 at 4:04. I was now attempting to knock 20 or 25 minutes off my personal best in order to qualify for my age group.

I needed to run this marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes. Now stranger things have happened, but that seemed quite speedy for the stay-at-home mom, recreational runner that I am. It was also quickly becoming more difficult due to high temperatures and humidity that the Houston marathon experienced on race day in 2011. Nevertheless, somehow I managed to finish in 3:44:08. Super, I did it! But, just barely...

The Boston marathon being what it is - the marathon that everyone wants to run, the best of the best - sold out the previous year in 8 hours. To make it fair (and more competitive) faster runners were given priority for the 2012 race. This announcement was made soon after I qualified so I knew my chances were slim to get a spot. Let's face it, a barely qualified by 1 minute!

I was notified yesterday that I did not obtain entry to the Boston marathon. I am sad and a little heartbroken. Do I understand why? Yes. Is it fair? Yes. Does it still stink? Yes. As it turns out the cut-off for my age group was 3:43:46. I missed it by 22 seconds. Which is a lot. Stand at the finish line and count how many people cross within 22 seconds. Ask the winner of the silver medal how many seconds he was away from the gold...More than 22 seconds, I'm sure.

So, I gave myself one day to be sad. It was a teaching moment for my kids. I told Brady (age 6) what had happened. "Mommy tried really hard, but I didn't get what I wanted." He comforted my the way only a child could and said, "Well you could just run around the house! I'll run with you and I hope I'm faster than you!" That's really why I run. To be a better person, a better mom and a good example for my kids.

It's not a big deal that I didn't get in. I don't know what I was looking forward to more, the marathon or the trip. Probably both. I didn't start running to run the Boston marathon, I'm not going to stop now. That's why I started with this post. New Beginnings. So I can look back and see how far I've come. Hopefully, getting faster and becoming better along the way.

Maybe one day, I'll be able to write about my Boston experience. There is speedwork to be done today anyway.