Feeling Great Doing Great

I have a lot to do and little time. PLUS, I have SOOOOO much on my mind. I have to get some of it out.

So, this weekend was the Warrior Dash as I’m sure you are aware from Facebook and Instagram. I really can’t hold onto pictures for the blog. I feel like I have to share asap! What a blast! I mean really, a stinkin blast. I made my sister come along with me at the last minute as my friend, Mary wasn’t able to make it (love you, Mary). It was cold and rainy, but I think my adrenaline was pumpin a bit too much to keep me geared up and ready to accomplish the course.

We made it up the hill to the starting line and could see across some of the course. Fire, climbing obstacles, barbed wire, crawling, and a lot of people. I was really ready to go through this course. T wanted to be all warrior diva like and take off sprinting. I had to remind her how long we had to go and how hilly the course was. It took quite a bit of convincing for her to follow my lead out there like I follow her lead in the gym. I won’t bore you with all the muddy details, but I will just say, do this once in your life. You NEED to. You will WANT to. You will LOVE it and hopefully you will come out of it with a huge sense of accomplishment and feeling like you can conquer whatever obstacles in your life you might be facing.

People have told me my entire life how strong they think I am. I’m not really sure if they meant mentally or physically or what, but I have to admit I never really believed them. Even after having a natural child birth I didn’t believe them. I just did the things that needed to be done. Wyatt gave me no choice when he came into this world and forced that out of me. I didn’t willingly go into a natural childbirth nor did I choose that route for the other two.

But, when I got off of that course I felt STRONG. Deep down in every fiber of my body STRONG. I had so much energy left it was amazing. I felt like these next 4 weeks ahead of me in this intense contest prep seemed doable without the doubts. It really put things in perspective for me. WARRIOR ON!!! I’m so recruiting everyone I can for next year. Don’t hide from me!

Once I got home I freaked the boys out with all the mud I was covered in and posed for a few pics. You should have seen Weston’s face when I walked in the door. None of them wanted to touch me. I hit the showers and back out the door for the track meet. It was great to take my boys to a track meet this year to support their daddy. They had a great day. So proud of what Dale does for those athletes.

Sunday I woke up for what was supposed to be 9 miles. I was scared. Even after feeling so strong the day before. I was going to go on parts of a new route where I’ve never ran before and I wasn’t sure how it was all going to add up to get me the mileage I needed. I live in a small town and I feel like I ran from one end of it to the other because I pretty much did and then some. The new part of the route was really hilly after coming off some big hills already and there was hardly a shoulder so that scared me. I probably won’t run it again.

Before the 1st mile I started getting a strange feeling in my knee. I hadn’t ever felt it before. It wasn’t really pain, but uncomfortable and I noticed I started limping. Then I told myself to knock it off because that was going to jack things up elsewhere. So I tried to run as normal as possible up and down the hills until it started to move down my leg in which I knew I was ok because it was moving. Apparently just something I needed to work out. I kept running and it eventually went away for good. Thank goodness.

Mile 3 was probably the hardest. It was up a huge hill. I started struggling a little but told myself that I was in new territory with a distance I’ve never gone before and to be gentle to myself, not self-destruct. It worked and I kept running my way through miles 3 and 4 on the new tough route singing Our God Is An Awesome God over and over again in my head.

At mile 2, my absolute favorite place because it is 100% nature – cows, a full river, green grass, chirping birds, squirrels, down a hill, blocked from any wind, and just beautiful. So peaceful and makes me feel so safe and secure. Almost like some other world. As I was headed there I was thinking about this passion of mine. I realized that God gives us every single tool to be our best selves. He gives us the tools, the wisdom, the strength, the endurance. He gives it all. It is our jobs to dig and find how to use them. I’m in such a great part of my life right now. I’m happy, full of joy, full of passion to help others get there too, full of wanting to give, and full of wanting to find how God really wants to use me. I feel like I’m doing what He made me for. Of course there is always room for improvement and the exciting thing is I don’t feel like He is going to be done with me anytime soon. I so want that for others – all of it. I want people to feel what I feel. The love, the energy, the joy, the drive, the security of knowing that falling down leads to getting up and weak moments lead to stronger self (I’m not on any drugs – promise)!

That's not the same muddy tank, fyi

At mile 5 I stopped for some Gu (gel that long distance runners use for fuel). I didn’t want to take it while running because I didn’t think I could choke it down. It’s pretty thick, but tastes ok. I took a few swigs of water and back at it and up another hill of course. I think that is where my app went wrong when I forgot to resume my run. I ran through the cemetery where so many of my husband’s family members are buried. It was quiet, alone, the weather and sunshine were perfection and then it hit me. I was overcome with emotion. I thought at one point I was going to hyperventilate. I just prayed. For those around me. For myself. It took a lot of breathing to get through that.

I headed back up town and up another big stinkin hill. This was probably my slowest point, so I’m glad I don’t have record of it. I really got deep with myself here. I prayed that I am actually doing what He wants me to do. Living the life He wants me to live or if I was going off of too much of my own agenda. I prayed that I’m using the gifts that He gave me the way He intended. And, if I’m not, to open my eyes to see the open doors and open my ears to hear His whispers and feel His direction. If I’m there, keep feeding me. Keeping fueling me to do my best especially at work to meet new challenges. I want to be an example of WHAT You can do to others. Let me do Your work wherever you plant my next steps.

I think He is opening these doors. I’m making connections with people I never really thought I’d make. I see 3 doors specifically that I think are cracked and I’m excited to see whether they are slammed open or gently closed. I’m letting myself live and that is a big thing. Fear used to hold me back in so many things.

Such a pretty boy!

I kept on through town with my own thoughts and slushing water bottle, which isn’t fair when you have been trying to increase your water intake and can hardly make it to the bathroom in time as is, let alone have zipper or button problems! I came back home to grab my full of life “Maggot” and we headed across the street to my favorite hill for me to stretch and for him to run and jump into the ponds with the biggest joyful look on his face. I was on top of the world. Heading back home to be surrounded by boys that asked me if I went for a run and if I had a good run is music to my ears. One of those freely flowing patience kind of days.  I just love when things work out that way. 

My run only ended up being 8.2 miles.  I miscalculated my mileage earlier.  I'm not taking anything away from that run though.  It was all it needed to be and I had the physical and mental power to go much further.  That half marathon the week after the show seems in my reach.  I feel amazing.  I would never have thought I would feel this good especially after running high mileage (for me) in a weekend with no running during the week.  Amazing to me.  My energy is through the roof.  I don't dream about laying on my couch doing nothing very often.  Until it is like 9pm then I want to do nothing but wind down for the night and hit the sack.  Right when I need to be doing that though.  I'm just beside myself with how well this training is going.  13.1 miles seems totally in my reach and walking on that stage nearly naked is starting to seem like something I'm ready for. 

Wow!  I can't believe I am to this point.  So much love to all of you for all of the support!  My sister and I have been talking about what I think is making me feel so good.  It has to be the diet.  It has to be the strength training and the good mix of running.  It has to be.  I'm just amazed!  I do all of this and still have energy to keep my house picked up and go nonstop with the boys (with some help some nights).  I've done this eating, training, sleeping, working, mothering, wifing HA!  I have not counted one single calorie.  I have not taken one single supplement other than my Spark drink before long runs, which really isn't a supplement, is it?  I have listened and trusted my trainer and I have eaten until I was full.  I haven't done any crazy dehydrating or severly calorie cutting or anything of the sort.  Clean eating, sweating, working hard, believing in myself and making it happen has been my recipe.

This works.  Sometimes faster for some than others, but totally works.  I wish I could just spread it over the world like butta peanut butta! 

I'm up way past the time I need to be.  Night all!