sort of like my 'morning page'

So Dennis and I set out to do a training run on Terrapin Mountain on Saturday. It was one of the more depressing moments of my recent past. Our directions said to run half a mile till our first turn. I didn't even make it a quarter of a mile before I needed to stop. I'm breathing hard now just thinking about that run! It was ridiculous. We didn't end up finding exactly where we should have turned so we never really turned at all. We went straight up this mountain. Literally, straight up. I don't think I have a good sense of reality in my head, when it said it was a mountain half marathon... I didn't picture a mountain. I think my mind likes happy thoughts so knowing me, I probably pictured a few rolling hills with beautiful meadows full of lovely flowers and the beautiful spring sun shining down on me. Talk about a reality kick in the rear. My bum hurts :)

Here's a total U-Turn inside this post.

I've been thinking lately... does it ever happen to anyone else when they really want to do something that is "God-related" you get SO easily sidetracked? I keep having that happen to me. One example would be Saturday morning. I woke up an hour before I had set my alarm and had an hour before I had to start making Heidi her birthday pancakes. I grabbed my Bible and a book and set up the stairs to bask in the sunshine and learn to better pray. I took a quick look at the mail pile and saw a bill for our Internet. I am in charge of that one each month so I opened it to find it was nearly double what it should be AND it said the payment was late last month. I was so flustered and decided that I needed to call them right that moment to get everything figured out because I wouldn't have time later. So I spent like a half hour on the phone with them, and then called my mom and by that point I had to make pancakes or I would be late. I started making breakfast and it just sort of hit me that none of the things I had done were bad, it was a productive morning... but they were distractions from what I had set out to do. I know I do need to set apart time for prayer and Bible reading and work really hard to be sure there are no distractions, and I can do that...but why are distractions so easy? It's strange. I have no doubt that the devil plays a part in that. He rejoices to see us put other things before time with the LORD. I just need to keep in mind that the LAST thing I want is to give the devil reason for rejoicing.

who would run on a mountain, anyway?

Time till Terrapin Mountain Half Marathon... 23 days.

WOW

What was I thinking? Actually I am feeling okay about it, right now. I remember how badly I wanted to die during my last half marathon though. This one is a ton harder considering the elevation changes and hills involved. I guess that's what you get for running on a mountain?

I printed off a "personal trainer" program that I made on Runners World. When I printed it off, I had 4 weeks to train. That's not a long time for someone who hasn't been running much. So far, so good. I still think that I will hurt, but I am praying that my training will pay off a little! One thing I am trying to focus on a little more this this around is my eating habits. Compared to some people, I eat great. Compared to others, not so great. There are so many rules and suggestions for runners when it comes to eating. I want food to give me energy, not take it away. I don't want to be sick to my stomach after every run. I also want food that will not sit and rot inside of me. It is such a nasty thought. The problem is finding things to eat, that I can eat ALL day long. On days after I train, I seriously could eat all day. I don't think I can feel full. Hunger is such a distracting feeling for me too, it is so hard to get work done or think straight when I am hungry. I think tomorrow I will make 5 sandwiches - 2 to eat at lunch and another one each hour.

I've been reading through this great book that my amazing friend, Jenny Meier, gave me for Christmas. It's a book put out by Runners World, specifically for women runners. There is a food section in there that I am working my way through. It has all this advice on protein, fiber, iron, grains, water... I don't fully understand it all yet, but I am trying!

Well hopefully I will continue to be able to kick up my training routine through March 27th. I do need to mention how thankful I am for my healthy body that allows me to do this. So far no injuries to report! Oh, that reminds me... I was at the Y last night and had to run 2 miles. So I hopped on the treadmill and it guided me through choosing a program. I chose a pretty hilly one because I was only doing 2 miles. The last question is asked me was the speed I wanted to start at. I don't remember a treadmill ever asking me that before (I also don't think I've ever set up a program on one before seeing how I've only used one maybe 3 times). I thought about my average speed and bumped the treadmill speed up to 10. Obviously I was hungry and not thinking clearly. Not long after pressing the "START" button did I realize that I had set the treadmill to 10 miles per hour! Who the heck would ever run that fast is what I want to know. I think I was thinking in my head that a good, slow pace for me is 10 minute miles. I sacrificed a small amount of my pride in that moment, but thankfully I thought fast enough to move my feet off to the side rails to slow it down. Of course that was in the front of a full gym.