To my lovely readers: I am back with a new blog entry in record time. Flying to the East Coast a few times in the last few weeks defiantly allowed me more time to blog. 5+hours on a plane is plenty of time to read, write, and watch a movie. As always, thank you for reading.
This week I have been thinking about the importance of all the little things I need to do to improve my running. I often get lost in the day to day of life and forget to do the little things. Three key events reminded me that I need to take care of myself. First, last week at the church the sermon was on rest. I had just returned from a few days in Tahoe and felt extremely rested. The sermon reminded me that rest is a biblical concept and something we all need. Secondly, I was reminded that I need to sleep more. If I want to be an elite athlete I have to think like one, and elite runners get their sleep. Thirdly, I was able to contrast the difference between feeling rested in Tahoe and feeling exhausted at home the following week.
Basically, if I want to run better, taking care of myself will play a role in my training. Many times I think of these things as just taking up time in my day and fail to recognize the importance of the little things, but these little things turn into something big when all done together.
I have picked out a few ways I plan to take care of myself….
1. Sleep
I plan to sleep more. Starting with last night, I started keeping a sleep log. Included in my sleep log is the number of hours I have slept, how I felt, and reasons for not getting enough sleep if I fall below my 8-½ hour mark.
My sleep has been up and down the past few months. Sometimes I sleep 6-7 hours and then head out for a workout thinking that my lack sleep will not affect my performance. At times I am able to churn through the workout just fine, but my lack of sleep eventually catches up to me. On my recovery run on Wednesday of last week, I was so tired I could barely function. Wednesday was a recovery day so I could run slowly, but my lack of sleep made this run so much more painful. My legs felt fine, but my body was tired. Luckily, one of my friends and sweet Impala teammates joined me and helped me forget that my body just wanted to sleep. I used to be great about going to sleep early, and I plan to start going back to my early bedtimes. So, if I call any of you when I should be asleep, please remind me to go to sleep.
2. Shoes
I have to be diligent about changing my shoes. I must shamefully admit that my last pair of shoes had about 1,500 miles on them. This cannot happen if I want to run well. After 500 miles, my shoes need to be retired to my rainy day shoes and my rainy day shoes need to hit the recycling bend.
3. Stretching, Massage, and Ploys
I tend to be one of those people who likes to stretch at awkward times. I am that woman stretching in the airport, on the curb as I wait for the bus, or in other public places. A few months ago I read in a magazine that stretching in public places is one of the most embarrassing things runners do. To all those I embarrass, please accept my apologizes in advance. I do promise not to stretch at any formal occasions. All jokes aside, stretching is so important and so easy.
I have found that the combo of a baseball, foam roller, and stick (yes, that’s the name of the tool) makes for a great combination of tools.
I have also started doing ploys and I am hoping the strength will help me. The other day I was doing my ploys in golden gate park and the group of middle school tourists making fun of me was not the highlight of my day, but I endured on anyway. ☺
4. Eating healthy food
In Tahoe, one of the women who was up there cooked very yummy food every night. I felt so much better eating freshly prepared food, eating more fruits and vegetables, and cutting down on some of the quick food options I pick up from time to time. I do tend to eat fairly healthy but many times I do not have time to cook and have to pick up something on the go. Nothing beats a home cooked meal.
5. Spending time with God
As a Christian I need to keep my focus on God. I often enjoy some quality time with God when I am on a run by myself. Looking at God’s beautiful creation often reminds me of the power of God. Spending time reading my Bible is also an important aspect of my spiritual life. I know that I cannot earn God’s favor, for I am saved by grace, but if I want to live a life that is glorifying to God, I need to constantly be reminded of God’s character and will for my life. This past week I have been reading Ryan Hall’s book entitled Running with Joy. This book has been a huge reminder to me that I need to find my identity in Christ and not in my performance. I highly recommend this book. Even if you are not Christian, I think you will enjoy this book.
For my readers who are not runners, I hope you too will realize the importance of taking care of yourself in whatever you do. I know some of you overwork or over do it another sport. I also know that many of you are much better at taking care of yourself than me. I know it can take awhile to change my habits, and I do not expect to change overnight. However, I can start making changes each and every day. I know that I have felt so much better during the seasons of my life when I do take care of myself. Little changes of little things, add up to big things. I always appreciate advice on how others accomplish these little things, so bring on your comments.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
God called me to run
I have not blogged in awhile. This summer was quite busy. In the past I have posted many of my race reports on here but today I turn to another topic. As I spend so much time training for my races many times I examine God’s calling for my life. I once read a book that discussed how to find God’s calling for your life. This book did not really help, but after reading the book I realized that finding God calling can be quite simple. God gives us talents/skills and gives us things that we enjoy doing. We should use these skills that we enjoy to glorify God while remembering these talents are from God. We can work at these talents that God gave us, but God gave us the natural skill.
I feel like God called me to run. This is one of my callings in life. I feel alive when I run and I feel like a day without running is missing something. I enjoy running and feel as if I have some natural talent, which I am trying to refine. I am thankful for this talent; yet, at times I get frustrated with my performance in races. I know that talent has to be refined through hard work done in a strategic manner but even with hard work many times races do not go as planned. At times I want to thank God when things go well, but I forget to be thankful when they do not. As I strive to live out this calling, I need to remind myself that emotion is part of all humans.
Expressing emotions is not sinful. Jesus was fully man and fully God. During his time living as a man on earth he express a variety of emotions from sadness to happiness. Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly life, Jesus was sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane and said the following in Mark 14:34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Holy Bible, NIV). Jesus knew he would die a physically painful death on the cross. He never lost hope in God’s overall plan for the world, but as a human he expressed sorrow. I need to use Jesus as my example. At times things may not go my way and I may have a vast array of emotions, but I strive to remain hopeful in God’s overall plan for my life and the world. When things do go well, I also need to remember all I have comes from the Lord.
As I express my emotions, I hope to be thankful and remember that the Bible says all things from God are good. Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his loves endures forever” (Holy Bible, NIV). I take great comfort in knowing that all things from the Lord are good and that once I put my hope in the Lord, nothing can separate me from the Lord.
Lastly, many times I feel a sense of selfishness while I pursue my running. Spending so much time running can seem like such a selfish use of time when people are going to bed hungry in places right near in the Bay Area. I wrestle with this issue. However, I am reminded that my calling to run is equal to other callings in life. Using my counseling skills to help people, working in marketing, and running are all equal callings by God. I find great joy in living out all the callings that God placed on my life. What has God called you to do?
Today I sit here in Tahoe looking at God’s beautiful creation and I am thankful God called me to run. As I train hard for the next couple of years, I am hoping to run many PR’s while also remembering that all I have comes from the Lord. Look for race reports to come in the future.
I feel like God called me to run. This is one of my callings in life. I feel alive when I run and I feel like a day without running is missing something. I enjoy running and feel as if I have some natural talent, which I am trying to refine. I am thankful for this talent; yet, at times I get frustrated with my performance in races. I know that talent has to be refined through hard work done in a strategic manner but even with hard work many times races do not go as planned. At times I want to thank God when things go well, but I forget to be thankful when they do not. As I strive to live out this calling, I need to remind myself that emotion is part of all humans.
Expressing emotions is not sinful. Jesus was fully man and fully God. During his time living as a man on earth he express a variety of emotions from sadness to happiness. Toward the end of Jesus’ earthly life, Jesus was sitting in the Garden of Gethsemane and said the following in Mark 14:34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Holy Bible, NIV). Jesus knew he would die a physically painful death on the cross. He never lost hope in God’s overall plan for the world, but as a human he expressed sorrow. I need to use Jesus as my example. At times things may not go my way and I may have a vast array of emotions, but I strive to remain hopeful in God’s overall plan for my life and the world. When things do go well, I also need to remember all I have comes from the Lord.
As I express my emotions, I hope to be thankful and remember that the Bible says all things from God are good. Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his loves endures forever” (Holy Bible, NIV). I take great comfort in knowing that all things from the Lord are good and that once I put my hope in the Lord, nothing can separate me from the Lord.
Lastly, many times I feel a sense of selfishness while I pursue my running. Spending so much time running can seem like such a selfish use of time when people are going to bed hungry in places right near in the Bay Area. I wrestle with this issue. However, I am reminded that my calling to run is equal to other callings in life. Using my counseling skills to help people, working in marketing, and running are all equal callings by God. I find great joy in living out all the callings that God placed on my life. What has God called you to do?
Today I sit here in Tahoe looking at God’s beautiful creation and I am thankful God called me to run. As I train hard for the next couple of years, I am hoping to run many PR’s while also remembering that all I have comes from the Lord. Look for race reports to come in the future.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Marin Memorial Day 10K
This is from a race in May, but am just getting a chance to post this blog entry.
On Memorial Day, I ran the Marin Memorial Day 10K. I had not been feeling great in the week prior to the race and had not run a 10K in about 4 years, so I was hesitant to run the race. Also, I did not know if I was prepared to run a race in CA. I felt semi-settled, but was still very new to San Francisco. I decided to run the race the night before but was open to bailing if I felt bad that morning.
When I got to race, I felt like everyone had a team except for me. (I have since joined a wonderful track club.) I warmed up solo and headed for the start line with time to do strides before the race. I tried to ease my way near the front of the start, and tried to squeeze in between the teams. I knew the race would go out fast so I wanted to be near the front, but not in the front. After the gun went off, I could not move for a few seconds because there were so many people, but soon, I was off, and my first race in CA has started.
I tried not to go out too fast, I knew it would be easy to get caught up in a pace that was too fast for my fitness level. I hit the first mile in 5:40ish. I was happy with that pace. I do not remember my 2 mile split. My third mile split was 17:35 ish. I do not remember the rest of my split, but I do not remember my form breaking down with two miles to go. I also feel apart mentally. I started to think that the other runners were faster, and at that point I feel apart mentally and physically. Many times I start thinking about how much others have accomplished in the running world and lose focus on running my own race.
I am not sure what my splits were for the last two miles but I know they were significantly slower than my other miles. I finished in 36:35, which put me at an average mile pace of 5:53/mile. I felt like the race went okay, but not great, however I guess it went as well as could be expected since I feeling poorly the week prior. A big part of my running is mental and this is an area I need to work on along wit my fitness. I was glad to have completed my first CA race. Hopefully I will have many more CA races to come.
On Memorial Day, I ran the Marin Memorial Day 10K. I had not been feeling great in the week prior to the race and had not run a 10K in about 4 years, so I was hesitant to run the race. Also, I did not know if I was prepared to run a race in CA. I felt semi-settled, but was still very new to San Francisco. I decided to run the race the night before but was open to bailing if I felt bad that morning.
When I got to race, I felt like everyone had a team except for me. (I have since joined a wonderful track club.) I warmed up solo and headed for the start line with time to do strides before the race. I tried to ease my way near the front of the start, and tried to squeeze in between the teams. I knew the race would go out fast so I wanted to be near the front, but not in the front. After the gun went off, I could not move for a few seconds because there were so many people, but soon, I was off, and my first race in CA has started.
I tried not to go out too fast, I knew it would be easy to get caught up in a pace that was too fast for my fitness level. I hit the first mile in 5:40ish. I was happy with that pace. I do not remember my 2 mile split. My third mile split was 17:35 ish. I do not remember the rest of my split, but I do not remember my form breaking down with two miles to go. I also feel apart mentally. I started to think that the other runners were faster, and at that point I feel apart mentally and physically. Many times I start thinking about how much others have accomplished in the running world and lose focus on running my own race.
I am not sure what my splits were for the last two miles but I know they were significantly slower than my other miles. I finished in 36:35, which put me at an average mile pace of 5:53/mile. I felt like the race went okay, but not great, however I guess it went as well as could be expected since I feeling poorly the week prior. A big part of my running is mental and this is an area I need to work on along wit my fitness. I was glad to have completed my first CA race. Hopefully I will have many more CA races to come.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Counseling is an Unattainable Service for the Large Majority of the US
Warning: I am about to step onto my soapbox.
Many of you know that the price of mental health services is a topic near and dear to my heart. Counseling is not affordable for a large portion of the people in the United States. I am not advocating that the government take over the health care system, but I am advocating that the mental health professionals aim to make at least some of their time affordable. As someone who is not yet licensed and is green in the profession, I am sure many more seasoned counselors have thoughts on this issue.
However, even in my short time in this profession, I have seen how people fall through the cracks. If people are materially poor then the government will pay for the person’s mental health services. If people have good insurance and a billable diagnosis, then the client can just pay for his or her co-pay, but what about the rest of the population? What about marriage counseling where neither person has a billable diagnosis? What about grad students? What about the working class? What about middle class people with children and every day bills? The list could go on, but you can understand the people who fall through the cracks. We have so many people trained in the mental health profession, yet; still so many people consider mental health services out of reach.
I do believe that mental health professionals should be able to make a living and I know that this is a working profession and not a volunteer job. Mental health professionals have bills just as the rest of the world does, however, we end up with these skills to help people, yet, and so many cannot use our skills because of money. This is a huge problem.
At the end of the day, I am advocating for a mix of clients. If all mental health professionals took just a few clients at a very low fee ($20-$40/hr), this would make a huge dent in the problem. Are mental professionals all so busy and strapped for cash that taking on one or two clients at a reduced fee would break the bank? Doubtful. We cannot save the world, but we can use our helping profession to help people who need help.
Many of you know that the price of mental health services is a topic near and dear to my heart. Counseling is not affordable for a large portion of the people in the United States. I am not advocating that the government take over the health care system, but I am advocating that the mental health professionals aim to make at least some of their time affordable. As someone who is not yet licensed and is green in the profession, I am sure many more seasoned counselors have thoughts on this issue.
However, even in my short time in this profession, I have seen how people fall through the cracks. If people are materially poor then the government will pay for the person’s mental health services. If people have good insurance and a billable diagnosis, then the client can just pay for his or her co-pay, but what about the rest of the population? What about marriage counseling where neither person has a billable diagnosis? What about grad students? What about the working class? What about middle class people with children and every day bills? The list could go on, but you can understand the people who fall through the cracks. We have so many people trained in the mental health profession, yet; still so many people consider mental health services out of reach.
I do believe that mental health professionals should be able to make a living and I know that this is a working profession and not a volunteer job. Mental health professionals have bills just as the rest of the world does, however, we end up with these skills to help people, yet, and so many cannot use our skills because of money. This is a huge problem.
At the end of the day, I am advocating for a mix of clients. If all mental health professionals took just a few clients at a very low fee ($20-$40/hr), this would make a huge dent in the problem. Are mental professionals all so busy and strapped for cash that taking on one or two clients at a reduced fee would break the bank? Doubtful. We cannot save the world, but we can use our helping profession to help people who need help.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Reflecting on our time in Durham
Yesterday we officially said goodbye to Durham. I said goodbye to many before I made the drive to San Francisco a few weeks prior, but at that point, I knew I would still be back one more time for graduation. My first goodbye was tearful. My second was not as emotional but I felt the weight of leaving Durham. Saying goodbye the first time and the second time was hard. Durham was good to us.
We had wonderful friends in Durham—friends that we will keep for life. Many of our friends were from Fuqua, students and partners. So many of the partners provided a listening ear many times and were just overall loyal friends.
We will also miss our church friends. Most of our church friends were in our bible study that met weekly. These friends helped me feel more connected to community in such a big church. They also provided me an immense amount of help with my move and never complained while they helped. They seemed joyful to be able to help.
Another group I will miss is my running friends. I found a running group about 6 months before I moved. I feel like I have known them for more than 6 months though. These friends kept me company on long runs, pushed me during my hard workouts, and provided encouragement for my running. The group was a great fit for me. Finding a running group that is a great fit can be challenging so I am always happy when I find such a group. This is another group that was especially hard to leave. Thank you Bull City Track Club. They reminded me of my Dallas running group I enjoyed so much.
Lastly, I loved getting to know my school friends that lived in the area and the folks at my second internship site, Blacknall Presbyterian Church.
We will miss Durham greatly. We are excited about our new life in San Francisco. As we get settled into SF, I am reminded what it is like to start over with finding a new community of friends. I am sure we will find a community of friends here, and am thankful that so many Fuqua folks are headed our way to start that community.
Thank you to all of our friends in Durham for a great two years. We miss you so much, come visit. Go Duke!
We had wonderful friends in Durham—friends that we will keep for life. Many of our friends were from Fuqua, students and partners. So many of the partners provided a listening ear many times and were just overall loyal friends.
We will also miss our church friends. Most of our church friends were in our bible study that met weekly. These friends helped me feel more connected to community in such a big church. They also provided me an immense amount of help with my move and never complained while they helped. They seemed joyful to be able to help.
Another group I will miss is my running friends. I found a running group about 6 months before I moved. I feel like I have known them for more than 6 months though. These friends kept me company on long runs, pushed me during my hard workouts, and provided encouragement for my running. The group was a great fit for me. Finding a running group that is a great fit can be challenging so I am always happy when I find such a group. This is another group that was especially hard to leave. Thank you Bull City Track Club. They reminded me of my Dallas running group I enjoyed so much.
Lastly, I loved getting to know my school friends that lived in the area and the folks at my second internship site, Blacknall Presbyterian Church.
We will miss Durham greatly. We are excited about our new life in San Francisco. As we get settled into SF, I am reminded what it is like to start over with finding a new community of friends. I am sure we will find a community of friends here, and am thankful that so many Fuqua folks are headed our way to start that community.
Thank you to all of our friends in Durham for a great two years. We miss you so much, come visit. Go Duke!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Third Time's the Charm: UNC meet 3,000m
I titled my race report "third time's the charm" because I registered for two other races for today that did not happen. (What are the statistical chances of that happening?) I signed up for the 5,000m in the Highpoint meet and the 5,000m in the UNC meet. I only planned to run one of them, and earlier in the week had decided on the Highpoint meet and paid for that one. However, I received a call from Highpoint mid week letting me know that the meet would be moved to Sunday night since rain was expected on Saturday. I was not happy that the race was moved to a completely different day. I had other plans on Sunday night and would not be able to race then. I then figured I would just run the 5,000m at the UNC meet, however, when I checked the revised schedule for the UNC meet, I noticed that the 5,000m had been removed from the schedule. I then learned that I was the only person signed up for the race so it was taken off the schedule. UNC offered I could switch to the 3,000m. I was nervous about switching to the 3,000m because I have not run a 3,000m in a little over 10 years and was concerned that I would not have the speed for that race. I do not consider myself a 3,000m runner. However, at the end of the day, I figured the 3,000m was my best option for a track race.
Race day: My race was scheduled for 8p. I decided to go up to UNC about 2p to find the track and paid my entry fee. I am directionally challenged and had trouble finding the track. When I did find it, I could not find parking, and it was pouring down rain. I finally found a spot to park and went to track only to find out they were on a weather delay. I asked the women who I checked in with for information on the delay but she did not have any information. I went back home. I came back a few hours later, the rain has stopped, and the meet was back in action. They skipped the break in the meet and my race started just a few minutes after 8p.
When I checked in for my race I was not on the list for the 3,000m so they added me on to bottom and gave me hip number 14. However, when I got to the starting line the man lining us up did have me on his list either so he decided that I could not be 14, and I had to be the last person, 18. I changed my hip numbers and went to the last lane. The man lining us up was not pleased that I was not on his sheet and I felt bad that I was causing his so much frustration.
Furthermore, since the meet was running behind, the meet officials decided to combine the men's and women's 3,000m. This means we had about 30 people starting at the same time. We were informed that the men would start on the waterfall start and we would start a little behind them. We probably started about 2 meters behind the men which is where we were told to start.
The meet officials finally got us lined up and the gun went off. I came through the first lap in about 76 seconds and the 800m at 2:43. I had no idea what I should be running since I am not used to the 3,000m, but I was excited that before I knew it we only had a mile to go. I wish I had looked at my mile split, but just did not think about it since this was such a fast race. I actually did not look at any of my splits for the laps after the second lap. I ran in the lead pack for the race. It was a tight pack and I just tried to maintain my position and not trip over someone feet. I finished 4th. My official time was 10:07 for the 3,000m. (I clocked myself at 10:05 so I guess I started my watch 2 seconds late.)I did not really have a time in mind that I wanted to run. It would have been fun to break 10 mins., but overall I am happy and I had fun running the race. I still do not consider myself a 3,000m runner though. The winning time was 10:04.
I ran two track meets and really enjoyed both. I'm bummed my mini track season is over. I had so much fun being back on the track.
Race day: My race was scheduled for 8p. I decided to go up to UNC about 2p to find the track and paid my entry fee. I am directionally challenged and had trouble finding the track. When I did find it, I could not find parking, and it was pouring down rain. I finally found a spot to park and went to track only to find out they were on a weather delay. I asked the women who I checked in with for information on the delay but she did not have any information. I went back home. I came back a few hours later, the rain has stopped, and the meet was back in action. They skipped the break in the meet and my race started just a few minutes after 8p.
When I checked in for my race I was not on the list for the 3,000m so they added me on to bottom and gave me hip number 14. However, when I got to the starting line the man lining us up did have me on his list either so he decided that I could not be 14, and I had to be the last person, 18. I changed my hip numbers and went to the last lane. The man lining us up was not pleased that I was not on his sheet and I felt bad that I was causing his so much frustration.
Furthermore, since the meet was running behind, the meet officials decided to combine the men's and women's 3,000m. This means we had about 30 people starting at the same time. We were informed that the men would start on the waterfall start and we would start a little behind them. We probably started about 2 meters behind the men which is where we were told to start.
The meet officials finally got us lined up and the gun went off. I came through the first lap in about 76 seconds and the 800m at 2:43. I had no idea what I should be running since I am not used to the 3,000m, but I was excited that before I knew it we only had a mile to go. I wish I had looked at my mile split, but just did not think about it since this was such a fast race. I actually did not look at any of my splits for the laps after the second lap. I ran in the lead pack for the race. It was a tight pack and I just tried to maintain my position and not trip over someone feet. I finished 4th. My official time was 10:07 for the 3,000m. (I clocked myself at 10:05 so I guess I started my watch 2 seconds late.)I did not really have a time in mind that I wanted to run. It would have been fun to break 10 mins., but overall I am happy and I had fun running the race. I still do not consider myself a 3,000m runner though. The winning time was 10:04.
I ran two track meets and really enjoyed both. I'm bummed my mini track season is over. I had so much fun being back on the track.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Emotionally Tied to My Jeans
For all the women reading this post, you know how difficult it is to find the perfect fitting jeans. It seems so unfair that men can walk into a store and come out with a pair of jeans a few minutes later. I’ve always had a hard time finding jeans because I’m not cut like the “average” person. (I realize that average is a relative term.) My Mom has always said I’m shaped like a box, making it a little better by saying I’m a cute box. Jonathan seems to be in agreement about my box shape. All this to say, in the past, I have spent hours in the store trying on jeans. Sometimes I still walked of the store not completely satisfied with my purchase.
In college I found a style of Gap jeans that I felt like fit well, and I kept buying this same style of jeans. I’ve gotten rid of most of these Gap jeans because they are quite tattered and do not fit that well. I’m not sure that they ever fit that well, they were probably always a little too baggy but I went through a phase where I did not want to wear anything too tight. I have one pair of these jeans left. As I have been getting rid of old clothes in preparation for our move, I just cannot seem to part with these jeans. I remember how hard it was to find these jeans and that I actually felt comfortable in them. As silly as it may seem, for now, I think I’ll hang on to these jeans. They remind me of so many memories and they do make for a comfortable pair of jeans to lay around in on a lazy day.
In college I found a style of Gap jeans that I felt like fit well, and I kept buying this same style of jeans. I’ve gotten rid of most of these Gap jeans because they are quite tattered and do not fit that well. I’m not sure that they ever fit that well, they were probably always a little too baggy but I went through a phase where I did not want to wear anything too tight. I have one pair of these jeans left. As I have been getting rid of old clothes in preparation for our move, I just cannot seem to part with these jeans. I remember how hard it was to find these jeans and that I actually felt comfortable in them. As silly as it may seem, for now, I think I’ll hang on to these jeans. They remind me of so many memories and they do make for a comfortable pair of jeans to lay around in on a lazy day.
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