I Am Only Half Crazy

I decided to start a new blog. I posted a few older running stories (below), starting with the one that changed it all... my marathon story. Since I ran a marathon I have dedicated my running to God. I have led a Bible study called, Run for God, and will be speaking soon to a group of ladies at my church about my marathon experience, how God made it all about Him, and some lessons I learned. But in this post I wanted to share with you how it all started... this crazy running business. (Or shall I say, half crazy running business?)


In June 2011 my son was 10 months old, my daughter was 3, and I decided to go to a boot camp class upon invitation of my neighbor. She was a runner, I thought she was crazy. She thought I would love this boot camp class... at 5:30am!! I actually thought, "Why not?" My husband heard us discussing a 5:30am workout and he laughed, "Ha!" I am not a morning person, so he thought there was no way I would be able to pull this off. But I told him I really wanted to go. So, I went.  Little did I know that this decision would change my life. My neighbor's simple invitation... CHANGED MY LIFE! Amazing to think how one moment in time, and one simple "yes," or "no," can change the course of one's life.

I remember it was a Thursday morning. When I got there I found out it was "Thigh Thursday." Needless to say, after an hour long workout that morning, I couldn't walk the next day. I woke up Friday morning and my legs were so sore I could barely get out of bed. Just sitting down on the toilet was painful!! My kids sat on my lap and I cried out in pain! You would think I would never go back after that... but I did. I didn't go Friday, but I showed up Monday morning. After a few days of going I knew I was hooked. The instructor called me and asked if I wanted to sign up, told me the cost, my husband said it was too much, I called the instructor, he gave me another price, I told my husband, he said it was still too much... but for some reason this boot camp instructor lowered his price one more time and said, "I can tell you want to do this. So how about this..." Husband said yes, finally. I said, "YES!" and I went back to the torture chamber... eh hum, I mean boot camp.

If you live in Orange, California... or close by, you should check this place out. Tell Mark I sent you. It's called Hit the Mark Fitness. Mark changed my life. My neighbor invited me there, I met Mark, and Mark changed my life!

My brother, Paul, was battling stage 4 metastasized melanoma cancer at this time. And July 29, 2011 he passed away. My boot camp instructor, Mark, ended up challenging me to do this 5k with his boot camp classes. It wasn't until October (I forget when he invited me, but it was after Paul passed away). I thought my running neighbor was crazy (remember) and I ran a mile during boot camp as a "timed mile" and I about died every time! My fastest mile was around 10 minutes. I thought, "I can barely survive one mile, how could I do 3?" But Mark convinced me that I was capable. So I decided to do it. I started running around my neighborhood with my son in the stroller around his nap time, so he would sleep, and while my daughter was in preschool. And eventually, I worked my way up to 3 miles. I remember my goal was to run this 3.1 miles in 30 minutes.

In October 15, 2011 I ran the local Chapman 5k with my boot camp group, and I ran it in 29:41 minutes! Just under that 30 minute goal! I was ecstatic! I did it! The next time I saw Mark at boot camp I said, "So what's next, a 10k?" I was ready for the next challenge. Mark said, "No. You're ready for a half marathon." I was like... wait a minute. You just convinced me to do 3.1 miles, now you want me to do how many miles? 13.1?!! I asked him how long he thought that would take me. He said, 2 hours and 30 minutes. Needless to say, this took some months of convincing. I just couldn't even fathom being on my feet, running, for over 2 hours!!! Really? But he was convinced that I could, solely based on my fitness level from doing boot camp 4 to 5 days a week.

Eventually, I did it. I signed up for my first half marathon. It ended up being the local OC 1/2 Marathon in May 2012. During my training I thought for sure I would never run a half again. I was feeling pains in my hips, my knees, my feet, my calves... it was traveling all around. I asked my running neighbor if that would go away. She assured me my legs would get use to running. And Mark showed me a lot of stretches that helped. One time he even tortured me on a table with something called a tiger's tail. He rolled that across my calves and I was in so much pain I was crying. I told him that was more painful than giving birth to my two children, which was done all natural without any epidural!!

I ran the race in May, and I finished in 2:27:30... 2 1/2 minutes under what Mark said I could do it in! When I got to the end I was ready to sign up for another! That little cartoon (at the top) was me! My legs felt great, I had no pain, I could even walk the next day! And I definitely was feeling that runner's high, because I couldn't stop smiling. When I found out that race was a part of a 3 half marathon challenge I signed up for the next two. And yes... I finished those as well. One was in October 2012, a year after I started running, and the next was in February 2013.

Sad news though. Right before my 3rd half marathon, my brother's wife, Ruth, also passed away. It was December, a few days before Christmas. 17 months after Paul, she died from melanoma cancer that had traveled to her brain! She was given three months to live before she passed away. She barely made it two. Once she passed away I decided to stop envying those full marathon runners I saw at the end of every race, and stop saying, "Never." and "I can't do that." I decided to do a full, and to dedicate it to Paul and Ruth and raise money for melanoma cancer research. Which is what I did. If you scroll down to the first blog entry on here, you will read about that journey to my first full marathon. It may be my last, but I have learned... "Never say never!" And in that journey my life changed once again. Now I run for God... not just for Paul and Ruth and melanoma research.

So far I have run 7 half marathons. 5 organized races, and twice as a birthday run. And once I have run a full marathon. And that's why I call my blog, "I am only half crazy." Because I usually run halves, and although I did run a full... even I felt crazy for doing it! As they say, "A half marathon is half the length and twice the fun of a full!" So true! If you think I am crazy, I can find plenty more people that are crazier than I am, in the running department! I have met some amazing "crazy" people! Hahaha

Hope you enjoy my blog!! Thanks for reading my stories!

9/13/14 Divine Running Appointment

But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2Cor10:17-18

This blog entry is all about God, it's not about me. It's about how God used me. I am a vessel. I am not intending any of this to be boasting, but pray that my words only point your eyes towards Him, the one who orchestrated all these events in His infinite and glorious wisdom. I can only share a glimpse of His glory, God is far more amazing than even my words can say.


Earlier this week I received an email that said a story I submitted to the Run for God people has been chosen for their new devotional book, volume one. The story I submitted was about my marathon, which I shared a part of on my blog  26.2 Done!!!!! It's about not putting God in a box, not limiting what He is able to do in your life. As you can see the banner above, it will be available to purchase in November. I am not getting paid for this, but I am getting 10 free books! Yayyy! I can't wait to read it and share with others. I have been praying about the books, and who I should give them to. I can't wait to figure that all out. I am sure God has a plan.

Today I woke up at 6am for my regular Saturday morning run with my faith based running group, "RunningFriends4Life." I had just purchased a shirt from one of our members who is a graphic artist. She designed the group's logo and made me a shirt that says, "Run for God" on the back.

I wore that shirt this morning. When I got to our meet up spot there was a new lady there. Later she told me she saw the back of my shirt and said to herself, "Now that's a lady who gets me." Little did I know this new gal and I had a divine appointment this fine Saturday morning. (I Googled the phrase "Divine appointment" and found this definition: A divine appointment is a meeting with another person that has been specifically and unmistakably ordered by God. And that is what this was.)

Interesting side note: My brother is in town from the East Coast. He was thinking of joining me on this run. But he said last night that he wasn't really feeling that he would be ready to go this morning. He also would have only been able to hang with me for at most 3 miles, and our group generally runs about 6 miles every weekend... sometimes more. I was willing to just do 3 with him and go home. Or run home from the park and let him leave early. But, he didn't go. And I think this turned out to be a part of God's plan. Perhaps what happened next would never have even taken place.

Back to the story... This new gal, Dolly, asked what everyone's pace was. She was worried she was too slow. I said I run around a 10min pace on average, sometimes faster, but I didn't mind running with her if she was slower. She said she was a similar pace. The rest of the group is a tad faster, but I told her we are really good about not leaving anyone behind and that everyone waits for the last person to finish before leaving. And if someone is in the back alone, another person will go out and run with them to the end. Its a really supportive group. So, we headed off down the trail and as we chatted I decided to share with her that I was a Run for God Bible study leader and that I had this story that got accepted into a devotional. I told her it was about my marathon and trusting God. She said, "Tell me about what happened with your marathon." So, I started to share my story (partly told in my blog entitled (Music, Meditation, and Messages) and as I went along she was stunned. She said, "That's what is going on with me right now!" She is training for a marathon and she has been facing injuries. Hip problems, a foot issue, and a back problem. She was getting mixed messages, as I was, about whether to run the marathon or not. She said that her runs are really a time for her to spend with God and she wants to do her first marathon, with the goal of just finishing. She said it's about finishing what she started, and about her time with God. I absolutely understood where she was coming from. As she spoke I got goose bumps on my arms and my hairs were on end.

She didn't want the group to know she was training for a full, since she hadn't been running and wasn't even sure she would be doing it, and she was getting over injury etc. She also wasn't sure about sharing her reasons for running, such as spending time drawing closer to God and relying on Him for her strength and provision etc. But after I shared with her my story she felt relieved, and felt a sense that this was why she met with our group to run that day. We both agreed that this was God's plan.

I believe there is a Devil, and I believe that his will is to interfere with anything that brings God glory. My marathon became less about me and my fundraising efforts, and more... no ALL, about God. Through this experience of sacrificing myself and my desires for God's will and plan I have seen God use this simple act, such as running, and turn it into a divine act. My runs have been used to encourage, witness, and inspire others for Christ. They have also deepened my own walk with Christ. Those are things that the Devil is not happy with. I believe that often times these ailments (sore back, knee problems, hip problems, foot aches) are ways for Satan to try and thwart our plans, and derail us. But God is bigger and stronger than our enemy. And if we truly desire to seek after God and His ultimate will for our lives, then we can and will overcome the plans of the Evil One and see God use even the simplest things for His glory.

I'm not saying running a marathon is a "simple thing," but I told her that it is a lie that we all hear (as runners) that we must run the entire marathon distance. If her goal is simply to finish it, as was my goal, then she does not need to feel bad at all about stopping and walking once in a while. It is possible to walk an entire marathon. Many walkers have learned to "power walk" at a 15 min/mi pace. If you run at all, you are already ahead of the game. Every time you run you are ahead of the road closure cut off. If you have to walk, walk as fast as you can to keep a good pace. And when you feel you can run again, run. It's that simple. And you can finish your marathon.

She felt encouraged. I shared my PR half marathon pace was 10min/ mi before I ran the marathon. She said that is exactly her PR time! I shared about the electrolyte problem during my marathon and shared with her a good game plan on how to be prepared with food, water, and electrolytes during the race. I felt happy to share what I learned to make her race more successful. If I weren't out of town on the day of the race she is doing I would be very inclined to go to the race that day and be there on the sidelines to cheer her on at mile 16 or 18 or something like that. (As well as my other running friends that will be doing the half and the full.) But, if that were the Lord's will I am sure He would have made a way. But that weekend I will be with my daughter on an American Heritage Girls camping trip, which I decided is more important that running another race or standing on the sidelines to cheer on my running buddies.

I prayed with Dolly before she left. And thus ends the story of my divine appointment. I think this would be a good story to add to the speech/ testimony I will be giving to a ladies group at my church in November. Which I think is very cool that it happened to be booked for the month that the Run for God devotional comes out. If we give over what we love to God, to be used for His purposes, then look what could happen! He could use YOU as a vessel, to share His love and purpose with another person. AMEN! Praise God! To God be the glory!

(Thank you for being so amazing, Lord. And for choosing me as your vessel, I am honored and blessed.)

P.S. I will be giving Dolly one of the 10 books. I am certain she is one of the people that this book has been intended for. :)

6/21/14 Fastest Run of My Life!!

On June 21st, I ran my first real timed 10k. I ran a 10k in May with my SIL, but I didn't run it for time. I ran it with my son in a stroller and alongside my SIL who was having some knee issues. I told her I wasn't going to go ahead at all. We finished together, and it was fun to do that with my son as well. But this time, I ran with all I had and was shocked by how fast I finished!

My usual pace for a 10k (6.2 miles) is about 10 min per mile. And that's on a good day. I was hoping to finish this race in an hour or under. I had successfully practiced once at a 9:50 min per mile pace, so that is the best I had hoped for race day.

Before this particular race I had been leading a Bible Study called "Run for God." We met for a Bible Study and then we met to train for a 5k, and some for their first 10k. Much of the time I ran with them I was at a slower pace, because we would do intervals and stop to walk. But I enjoyed encouraging women to finish their first 5ks and 10ks. And I enjoyed sharing with them my personal journey of drawing closer to God through my time running and training for races.

Anyways, on race day my expectations were set and I headed out on my own. I wasn't running with anyone this time. It was my race to complete, and my time with God. I turned on my MP3 player, started out with some prayer, and just went as fast as my body wanted to go. I didn't turn on any GPS device, I didn't want to know how fast or slow I was going. I just wanted to do my best. Since this was my first timed 10k I knew that any finish time would be a PR for me anyways. I spent most of the race enjoying my music and worshiping God.

In this race you did the 5k loop twice. There was this long road with an incline that went for miles. Doing that portion the first time felt okay, but the second time was a challenge. But I managed to pass a few people that I had been behind the whole time the second time I went up this hill. The good part was, after you turned the corner a couple times you went DOWN the other way back to the start line. I guess it was during these down hill sections that I picked up some speed... I just can't figure it any other way!

On the final stretch to the finish line I thought a lot about the final finish line, death. (I know, sounds kind of morbid. But it was good!) I thought about the day I would see my Mom and my brother Paul again. I thought about all the saints in Heaven waiting there to cheer me on as I crossed that final line. I thought about how I yearned for that day to come, and yet how it was my time to stay here on earth and be used by God. He's not done with me yet, and I will remain here until He says its my time to come home to Him. And as I ran to the finish line the song, "Victor's Crown" was playing.  Appropriate, I thought.

When I got my official time I was floored!! I ran this race at an 8:31 min per mile pace!!! I placed 3rd in my age group! Granted there were only 14 women in my age group, but still! I have never placed or won a medal before! I thought that was very cool! My fastest pace is doing one mile in barely under 8 min. But that's about it for that speed. My fastest 5k is around 9:30 min per mile. So, is this what happens when you give your running to God? Thank you Lord for this extra little bonus blessing! It would have been more than enough to just have my class graduate and be proud of themselves!

I wore my "Run for God" shirt that day, and there were about 15 other women there wearing their's from my Bible Study. I can only hope that others were somehow impacted by our group and seeing our shirts. There was one man who approached me because he wanted to know how to start a "Run for God" group at his church. So, I guess there will be a sort of "paying it forward" type of impact from that day. Praise God!

5/10/14 A Meaningful 5k, and a Difficult 1/2 Marathon

I ran a 5k this past Saturday called iCureMelanoma. I joined a team with a friend. Her friend, Laura, is a melanoma cancer and a breast cancer survivor! She is in the pink shirt on the right. I told her the story of Paul and Ruth and that I would be wearing my shirt with their picture on it during the run. I was willing to pose for group shots in her shirt and show solidarity for the team, but I wanted to run for Paul and Ruth. She was more than understanding, she offered me the opportunity to release the team dove in memory of my brother Paul and his wife, my sister-in-love, Ruth! As soon as she offered I started crying. I couldn't even talk in response. I was overwhelmed by her love and generosity to me, a stranger. She had just met me!! But we were bonded by this common thread, melanoma cancer. A hideous and aggressive cancer. Before the dove release ceremony she said she wanted this other gal to join us and name her Dad as well., which of course I had no problem with. Laura came up too and named her cousin that passed away, I named my brother and Ruth, and the other gal named her Dad and then I released the dove. It was a beautiful and peaceful moment. I was in tears all leading up to that moment, but at that time I didn't even shed one tear. Strangely amazing.

The 5k was even more meaningful to me than running the LA Marathon in Paul and Ruth's memory and raising over $1450 for the Melanoma Research Foundation. I find that amazing. All that hard work and toil and suffering, and this little 5k event was making more of an impact on me! I think it was seeing all the teams walking around in their matching shirts, to honor a loved one they lost, or to support a loved one that was battling melanoma cancer. At one point all the survivors got on the stage for a photo, one lady barely had any of her nose left! But there she was, alive! Fighting this horrible cancer and winning! The young man that won 2nd place in the competitive 5k was a melanoma survivor too! It was wonderful seeing him standing there, strong, vibrant and alive. He had caught the melanoma early enough and was there living a full and healthy life, encouraging others to get their skin checked regularly. Early detection is KEY with this cancer. We need to be diligent in checking our skin every six months and report anything suspicious to our doctors. Like my brother use to say, "When in doubt, cut it out!" If its suspicious just get rid of it! Don't wait! Once its in your lymph-nodes and gets to your internal organs it is like liquid death! In Ruth's case she never got a melanoma removed from her skin. It just showed up in her brain! And less than three months later she was gone... just like that!

Here is a picture of Paul and Ruth. They were both fair skinned with reddish brown hair, he had light eyes. She had lots of freckles. Those things are all factors in increasing one's risk for melanoma. But it can happen to anyone, of any color. I remember him bugging her to get some spots checked out. She seemed to not want to bother with it. I don't think she ever got any skin check ups. Unfortunately. She had the sweetest spirit about her. He was all spit and vinegar, but had the soul of a poet. They balanced each other out well. She wouldn't take any guff from him AT ALL. Which he needed. Someone to put him in his place, but love the dickens out of him anyways.  

I decided last minute to run a 1/2 marathon the day after I ran the 5k. It was the same one that was my first 1/2 and many friends of mine were running it. Actually one of my friends I run with all the time, and PR'd with at another 1/2 back in October last year, was running it. So I decided to try to run with him and repeat that experience! Well, it didn't quite work out that way. I had been sick the week before and was on antibiotics and taking essential oils and vitamins to try and kill it off before the weekend. Even though I had been doing all his long runs with him my body did not want to cooperate with me and keep up with him this time. The one in October felt effortless. This one I was struggling to keep the pace with him. I just wanted to stop. It was only mile 3 and I kept asking him if he was going to stop and walk to take his Gu. But he said, next water stop. Then that came and went and he was still running. I asked again, "Are you going to stop and Gu?" He said he would at mile 4 and then slow his pace a bit too, we were heading up a hill and he wanted to get that behind him. (A "Gu" is a energy supplement runners often use during long runs.) I told him I wasn't feeling that great and I may lose him. He said he would try to do half of the race together before we separate. But as that hill climbed and he pressed ahead I felt him slipping away. I just couldn't do it. I felt a need to stop and hydrate. I had worn my water back pack and had put my electrolyte tablets in it, since it was over 80* out that day. So, I let him go and stopped to drink.

As I pressed on I listened to my body, when it said "Stop and drink!" I did. I felt the Lord was there guiding me again, as He had done during my marathon. I decided to listen up and do what I needed to do to survive this race. I was feeling like Forest Gump, that moment in the movie where he stops running in the middle of the desert, turns around and says, "I'm going home. I am done." But I thought, "No, I need to keep going." I thought about the inspirational posts from a group of runners in the #MegsMiles Support group. Many times runners have moments where they don't want to lace up and get out the door, or they have overcome weight challenges, or they have pushed themselves and surpassed a goal. Those inspirational posts on Facebook reminded me to keep moving, to not give up.

At one point I heard a lady behind me say she was thirsty, I had a bottle of water in my pack that I was carrying for my friend. I told her she could have it. I explained my friend was ahead of me, and that I had packed it for him. She laughed and said she had some Jolly Ranchers on her if I wanted one. Her boyfriend was with her and we all joked a bit back and forth about passing out in the heat, and if I passed out I said to go ahead and grab the water and some electrolyte tablets and keep running. She said she would pop a Jolly Rancher in my mouth and keep going. Hahaha. They said they had seen me in front of them for most of the race. I had seen them a couple times too, they stood out with these cute little mini Cinco de Mayo hats on their heads. I told them about the picture I pinned on the back of my backpack, (the one that is above). I told them about Paul's perseverance through the pain and how that kept me going when I had to dig deep and get through a tough run (like that day). I also ended up sharing the verse I had above their picture. Romans 5: 3-4 says, "...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Well, the man ended up using my water bottle after all. We stuck together until mile 10 and I told them I was going to stop, walk for a minute, and take my Gu. They said, "See you later!" But I never caught up with them after that. Mile 10 brought another grueling incline with it, and more walking. But I pushed through the heat, the tiredness, and the desire to give up. I made it to the end. I finished in 2:32:26, my previous PR was 2:11:23. But that's okay. I was alive, I was doing something many people would never think of being able to do in their lifetime, and I made some friends along the journey and shared my story and my faith. Overall, another successful run.

3/9/14 26.2 Done!

Sunday March 9, 2014 I ran my first full marathon, the iconic LA Marathon. I ran it in memory of my brother Paul and his wife Ruth, who both passed away from Melanoma Cancer, and raised money for Melanoma Cancer Research. I passed my goal by 31%! I finished the race in just under 6 hours, 5:59:15, which was the longest I wanted it to take. Meaning, on a good day I could probably have done it in 5 hours, I was expecting more realistically to finish in 5 1/2 hrs, but I also knew that if there were any snags along the way it could easily take me 6 hours to finish. And there were snags. There were many pros, and a few cons. But the overall experience was a good one.

The first con was that we had to change our clocks ahead one hour, which makes going to bed early and getting enough sleep a difficult task. The pro to the clocks being ahead one hour is that it actually started a little earlier in the morning, and we got an extra hour in cooler weather. But the sun did eventually come and out and was baking us at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. And the whole season we trained the weather was in the 50s to 60s. So, this made it difficult to be on top of your game.

I got maybe 3 hours of deep sleep, the rest of the night I tossed and turned until 3am (which felt like 2am). My running friend and I slept at my best friend's house and her husband got up early to drive us to the start. We left around 4 am (near LAX) and arrived around 5am. It actually wasn't that bad of a wait time getting into the parking lot and the facilities at Dodger's Stadium were nice. We had clean bathrooms, the stadium seating was warmer than waiting outside by the start line. And they played the course map on the jumbo tron, which I liked quite a bit. It showed little pop ups of the iconic sites along the route as well as the elevation at each mile.

I met up with a couple other running friends, they did the run/ walk interval 20 mile training with me, after I sent off my other friend to her coral with wishes of good luck. (She runs faster than me and she had assigned placement because she had ran a marathon before and they put you in "seeded" corrals according to expected pace.) So I met up with these other ladies and their friends. We all started together and I decided to stay with two of them and do 6 min run/ 1 min walk intervals together. They did such a good job of helping me through my first 20 that I wanted to stick with them for moral support. Its a bit more fun to run with people, even if we didn't stay with each other the whole time it was nice to have company for as long as we could hang together. We all agreed that if anyone had to stop due to any issues we wouldn't hold the others back if they felt strong enough to charge ahead.

Mile after mile passed and one gal kept saying, "Mile (fill in blank) already?" We were taking it easy, we knew the heat was going to be a killer and we didn't want to push ourselves too hard and have nothing to give in the end. Mile 7 I had to take my first potty break, but it was a good time to stretch, turn on my music, and check text messages/ text my husband. I thought he would like to know I was okay.

The second MAJOR con was that there was absolutely NO Gatorade left for people at a slower pace, like myself. They ran out of Gatorade and at every stop I searched for some and didn't find any. I lost my two running friends at mile 12, when I bee lined across the street to an area that looked like they had Gatorade set out. But when I got there it was still just water. Water is good for hydration, but you lose electrolytes when you sweat, and in the grueling heat we were sweating even more than usual. We did thank the Lord for some cloud coverage and a cool breeze that we were able to enjoy until mile 10. But by this point I knew I was going to need something very soon, or start paying the price.

My friends had brought powder packets and a water bottle and they were pouring those into the bottle and having the volunteers fill them up when they went through the water stations. Then they would take a couple cups of water and drink those and pour one on their head. I had decided not to carry a water bottle because I thought I was being paranoid and would start to be annoyed by carrying it around for the whole race. When I ran half marathons I never needed to carry water, I found the stations located at each mile were sufficient to supply my hydration needs. But those gals were smart, I should have done what they did. But I'm a newbie to this marathon business, I didn't know any better. Anyways... as I said, I lost track of them at mile 12 searching for some Gatorade and although I scanned around for them for a bit I decided to just keep moving forward when I couldn't spot them. I figured either they passed me and I would catch up or they were behind me and they might be able to find me again.

As I resigned the the possibility that the rest of the race was going to be just me and my iShuffle a song came on, my theme song! "Oceans!" At this point I just smiled and said, "Okay God, you promised to help me get through this. I don't have any Gatorade and I don't know how long my legs are going to hold up, but I know you will help me." One of the verses I had read, when I had to take a break from running to heal my knee, said "Do not fear, I will help you." That's in Isaiah 41:13. Then I started to thank the Lord for all my supporters that donated money for Melanoma Research, and then I remembered my friend's specific prayer request, she had asked me to pray for her during my time with the Lord while I was running the marathon. I gladly said yes, she is always praying for me! God bless her precious heart. At that moment her song started to play on my iShuffle. Every time "Speak Life" by Toby Mac played on the radio I would think of her and pray for her. I just thought, Wow... God is so good. What good timing! I didn't play every song on my iShuffle that day, you see. I had skipped a few songs that were too slow or didn't have the beat I wanted at the moment. I had over 5 hours of music on my play list and I hadn't started playing it until mile 7, so I had quite a bit of songs that I knew I wouldn't even hear... so skipping a few here and there was no big deal. So the timing was all a God thing, people. He so often uses music to speak to me, it always blows me away when He does that.

By mile 14 one of the ladies caught up with me during my walk break. She ran up to me and said, "You aren't suppose to be walking right now!" haha... I said, "According to my watch it is!" jokingly. (I was going off her watch's pacing earlier, and when I lost her I started the interval sequence on my watch, which was out of sync.) I was able to sync up my watch with hers (she was all impressed that I knew how to do that, since I was borrowing this watch from another running buddy... lol). And she then told me if I could hang in there until mile 15 or so that she had some friends on the sidelines waiting for her and they had water bottles and stuff to put in the water. When we found them they hurried to provide me with everything I needed! They gave me nuun tablets, put a whole bunch in a ziploc baggie for me, and poured some zipp fizz into my water to give me some nourishment. Then plopped a orange in my hand as I ran off to catch up with my friend who said she was going to start up again. With a water bottle under my arm pit, peeling the meat out of the orange, and chucking the peal to the side, and trying to figure out a spot to shove my treasured new nunn tablets I started running. It was kind of funny. But I was blessed. The Lord provided.

My whole body was starting to cramp up as we passed mile 17. My toes were curling under, like I had a charlie horse in both feet, and a band across my waist, from the left side to my right, was cramping. And I had side stitches. By calves were also starting to feel tight and I knew that "the wall" was coming my way. I kept breaking the tablets and plopping them into my treasured new water bottle, and had it refilled at every station, but it was taking a while for the electrolytes and nutrients to kick in. I almost felt sick to my stomach from having so much pumped into me at this point, but I was desperate to refuel my body before it just failed on me and refused to move.

I told my friend at mile 19, during our walk break, that I wouldn't be able to run at the next interval start time. I told her I was going to head for the bathrooms and let her know she was free to finish her race without me. I was going to be okay. She was still doing well, going strong and steady. So she went on ahead. I took a moment to check in with my husband again. Had a good chuckle over a auto-correct message that looked like this: "Just passed mile 19 everything is cramping up the rent out of gero some eggs finally gave me something so hopefully that'll help." I know the "gero some eggs" was suppose to be Gatorade, the rest I have no idea. LOL. I texted JD after I read what I had sent. "That was supposed to say Gatorade... lol" He texted back, "We are laughing. Almost done. We are excited to see you cross."  It made for a good laugh in a very tough moment. I warned him I was just walking at that point, and I would try to pick it back up when I could.

I just chugged and chugged those Nuun tablets. Mile after mile, take a water cup, drink it, drink another one, pour a cup on my head, refill water bottle with the Nuun tablet inside. Repeat. Every pretzel and orange and banana offered by those AWESOME strangers and marathon supporters on the sidelines I took. I ate, I drank, and then.... I peed. And I peed. And I peed.... you get the gist. LOL. I literally had to stop at every porto-potty every mile. It was annoying, but it meant I was getting re-hydrated.

The farthest I had gone was 20 miles in practice. And when I passed mile 21 I just got this rush of energy back. I felt amazing. Adrenaline, endorphins, runners high... it all happened. I started to pickup up my feet and run. I turned up the volume on my iShuffle and worshipped God and offered my legs up to Him. I knew they were His, they were no longer mine. He was going to get me to that finish line. He provided me all the nutrients, electrolytes, and encouragement I needed to get my engine revving again. Every high five from a stranger on the sideline, every perfectly placed bite of food, it was all God's provision.

I checked my fancy borrowed Garmin watch (hee) and checked out my new running pace. 10 min per mile! It stayed somewhere between there and 10:30 the whole time. I would still stop at every stinking porto-potty at every mile, LOL, but when I started running again I was doing my best. I was flying... soaring! (Just like that verse in Isaiah, "They will soar on wings of eagles") I felt amazing! I passed mile 25 and I couldn't wait to turn that corner onto Ocean Blvd and text JD that I was almost to the finish line.

As I turned onto Oceans Blvd I had a tough time getting a message through using my voice activated mode, so I had to stop running for a second. I found a shady spot under a tree and texted two words. "Oceann" "npw" and kept going. I scanned the side lines, as I got closer, for the familiar faces of my friends and my husband. Soon enough there they were. They started cheering loudly, I started pumping my fist in the air, and then the people around them saw me and they started cheering loudly for me! It was amazing! I saw my husband's proud smiling face, as he held up his phone to film my first time ever finishing a full marathon. It was priceless. I looked ahead and saw the finish line and I dug even deeper and ran as hard as I could until I crossed it. Finished just under 6 hours, perfect. It was just perfect.

The part where my husband tried to find me at the "family reunion area" was the final con. It was difficult for him to navigate around road closures and figure out where I was. But it was over. And he was there. And I was triumphant. God provided, I felt amazing. It was a good day. Praise God!

2/27/14 10 More Days!!!!

I only have 10 days until the LA Marathon! I have lost my desire to go to the gym, but am trying to stay motivated. I'm tired and burned out from all these long months of training. I decided to sit down and write out all the days left on a list. I planned out my rest days first, then I planned my work outs and then realized I only have 5 days of work outs left. So, I can suck it up and go.

I ran 8.4 miles on Tuesday night. I tested out my knee with a 10:30min pace for 4.5 miles. Then I took it easy and walk/ jogged for the rest of the time. I wanted to see how my knee felt after a run. Well, that night the spot on my right knee did hurt a bit more. And the next day at work I felt it, I usually don't feel anything walking around on it during the day.

When I really evaluate things though its not all that bad. My knee pain on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most pain I've ever been in) the pain is a 1. After the run it was around 3.5. The following day it was a 2.5, and by the end of the day it was a 1 again. So, really... is it all that bad? I was kind of freaking out that it hurt more yesterday, I was hoping it wouldn't hurt any worse. I was imagining the difference in 26.2 miles and 8.4 miles and how that would equate to even more pain in my knee. But at this point there is nothing more I can do about it. I have to continue to trust God. In fact, right after my run the Hillsong United song, "Oceans," came on the radio. Its been my theme song as I train and try my best to rest my knee while continuing my training. I know that all I can do is train the best I know how to, in this circumstance, and that God can get me through to the finish line.

Oh, in other news I reached my fundraising goal for Melanoma Cancer Research! I am currently at 103%!! I am so happy I was able to reach it and surpass it. I have some really great friends who were able to donate generously to my cause. Its been an emotional journey raising money in honor of my brother and his wife. Especially remembering my brother. When I compare my "pain" to the pain he endured during the last decade of his life I really can't complain. If he felt what I feel he would be like, "I'm feeling great!" But that's the difference between Paul and me. Even when we were kids it took a lot for my parents to get through to him. He seemed to get spanked regularly and always got yelling matches with them when he was angry. He was very strong willed. But for me, all I had to do is observe what was going on with him and I tried to obey my parents and never receive a spanking. I probably only received a handful in my lifetime with them. I was always devastated or embarrassed when they had to spank me. I hated to screw up so bad that they felt a spanking was in order. I also never raised my voice to my parents, and to this day I hate being in conflict. God doesn't have to do much to get me to listen to Him. He gives me a little tiny ache in my knee and I halt and say, "What does this mean? What do I need to do?" I am the epitome of the word "cautious." Paul on the other hand, not so much. LOL

This Saturday I am going to cut off my hair and give 10" to locks of love. I've been growing it since the end of 2011, shortly after Paul passed away... when my husband quit his job to be home with me and the kids. For some reason this idea of cutting my hair has made me very emotional. When Paul started taking Bikram Yoga classes he stopped cutting his hair. So his hair was down to the middle of his back. Mine is probably just a bit longer right now. I think he would tell me to suck it up, that cutting my hair isn't that big of a deal. I can hear him saying, "It's just hair." One of the main reasons I am cutting it is so people can read the back of my shirt I made to wear during my marathon. It has Paul and Ruth's picture on the back and says I am running for Melanoma Research. So I still want to do it. I am kind of over my hair being so long and always getting in my way. I just wish it would stop making me cry just thinking about cutting it and thinking about Paul! But maybe it will be a cathartic moment, and I will feel better afterwards.

2/18/14 Biking for Training?

I am currently at 85% of my fundraising goal for Melanoma Research Foundation! My goal is to raise $40 for every mile of my 26.2 trek through L.A. I have less then 4 miles to cover at this point! So exciting. And now I have less than 18 days left of training to do.

Saturday I rode a bike 33 miles for training. Since I have been avoiding any more long miles in hopes that my right knee won't get worse. I don't have much pain. And I walk normally on it throughout my day. Sometimes I feel like I'm being overly paranoid or cautious, but then I run a little on the treadmill and I feel that same spot aching a bit more. I would get an MRI or a bone scan, but I feel like its pointless. The doctor said even if it is a stress fracture it may not even show up since its probably very small right now. I will have to rest it if I have one, and I am already resting my knee. And the doctor said I can still run the marathon, but afterwards it could be worse. I think I will wait until after the L.A. marathon to check it out. I will then need to know how bad it is and if walking for exercise is not allowed, or even biking or the elliptical. I have been doing mostly elliptical cardio at the gym for my run training, and then the bike I used this past weekend to simulate a long run. I will probably do that again this weekend. I was suppose to run 22 miles this last weekend and then run 12 miles this weekend. I just think if I do all that mileage I won't be able to run/ walk the marathon at all afterwards. I would rather spend my last run doing the real deal. And then just rest it for a couple months.

I think I will keep running once my knee feels back to normal. But I won't be doing any marathons anytime again in the near future. I think a few 5ks this year and a half marathon next year sounds like a good plan. I even would like to start training for triathlons eventually. But I have to figure out how to fit all the training needed into my schedule, as well as getting the equipment I need for biking and finding a way to swim, since I don't belong to a gym with a pool. (Minor details.) I borrowed my neighbor's bike this past weekend. And my friend that I rode with suggested finding a used road bike on Craig's list. We'll see. I have this marathon to get through first, and some recovery time afterwards for my knee... then I will start thinking about more marathons, or half marathons, or triathlons.

That's all the training news I have for today.