Running Grandma

Eugene Marathon

2011-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

I finished is all I can say. This was not the race I hoped it would be. I was doing great in my training and even though I had just run the Salt Lake City Marathon 15 days before, I felt strong to finish this. Best laid plans...

I was excited about this race because if I finished, I would become an official Marathon Maniac. I also was going to be able to share a room with runner chicks Melissa and Andleeb so I knew I was going to have fun. I arrived in Eugene about 2 pm and was able to check into our room early. Then I went downstairs to the expo since we were staying in the host hotel. I got my packet and then got my "not so great" race shirt. I was disappointed, but I really wasn't there for the shirt anyway. It's just too bad that Eugene couldn't have picked a better shirt to represent them. I won't wear mine, that's for sure.

Such a lovely shirt, NOT!

Melissa and Andleeb arrived later and they got situated in the room and then picked up their stuff at the expo. They also did a bit of shopping there, but I'm the one who spent all the money. lol I bought a magnet for my car and a really cute running skirt.

That evening we went to dinner with Nancy, Emily and her hubby and another runner. It was a great evening! Only Andleeb and I were running the marathon, the rest of the group was running the half. We got back to our hotel and finally got to bed around 10, I think. :) Alarms were set to go off at 5 so we needed an early night.

Of course, I woke up before my alarm went off, as usual, so I just got up and got ready early. We had our breakfasts and then went downstairs to catch the shuttle at 6:15. It seemed like everyone was waiting until then to get the shuttle, so we had to wait for a second one to get there. We were supposed to meet more chicks for a photo at 6:40 by the baggage drop off so we were pushing it for time.

The shuttle dropped us off a bit from the baggage claim so it was a walk to there. We met up with some of the chicks, Aleta, Jodi, Anna, and Amy and got a photo with them before high tailing it to drop our bags. Melissa was in Corral A and Andleeb and I were B, but we all three just went into corral A about halfway down. They weren't checking corral numbers and we wanted to stay together. For some reason, the start was delayed by 10 minutes so we got to stand in the cold longer. What fun! It was about 39 degrees but was supposed to warm up to over 60 by noon. I used my space blanket from WDW to keep warm until the start and then just tossed it.

Me, Melissa & Andleeb, bottom middle of photo. You can see my back tattoo! :)

We all started running together but then each went our own pace after a very short time. I started very fast, which was kind of necessary since everyone else was going fast too and I didn't want to get trampled. I managed to keep running without a walk break for 2 miles so my pace for mile 1 was 9:48 and mile 2 was 9:25, really too fast. :) I did really well until about mile 6 when my foot started hurting for no reason. I felt it "pop", but the pain didn't get any worse so I just thought it had cracked like it does sometimes. Still, I had a lot of pain so I ended up speed walking the rest of the marathon. I was SO disappointed, because I really wanted to get a PR in this race. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my foot since I'd had great training and no pain ever. I managed to keep on persevering and finished the race, but it was hard. Still, from the pictures, you'd never know I was in pain. haha!

I crossed the finish line in 5:49:02, not even close to what I wanted, but still my 3rd best time AND it was done speed walking. Also, I had just run Salt Lake City Marathon 15 days before. I was an official Marathon Maniac!

I had to drive home to Salem and then went to volunteer at a homeless shelter that night. The next morning I went grocery shopping, but came home early because of exhaustion and pain. Finally on Tuesday, since my foot was still horribly swollen, I went to the podiatrist and found out I had broken it. :( :( :( No running for me for 2 months. How depressing! The fracture was a sudden, unexplained one, but the doctor thinks it's probably because I took Fosamax, which has been know to cause this. So bummed! Oh well, it's back to cross training for a while.

My race "Souvenir"

This was a wonderful course and would have been a great marathon to actually RUN, but it was not to be for me this year. I can see why everyone says you NEED to run Eugene. Maybe someday I can go back and run it like it was meant to be.

I think the photographer was tired, this photo is off center and part of me is cut off. :(

In the meantime, I'm going to try to keep my fitness level up as much as possible. I ordered a bike trainer for my bicycle so I can at least do SOME cardio while I wait for my foot to heal. I can also still do my strength, core and stretching routine so that's a plus.

I know that prayers kept me going through the race. My favorite scripture kept going through my head: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" ~~Philippians 4:13 God is SO good.

SO happy, I'm finished!

Salt Lake City Marathon

2011-04-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that I did MUCH better at this race than last year. As a matter of fact, I PR'd this, running 15:06 faster than my best time (CIM 2009) and 34:31 faster than last year's Salt Lake City Marathon!

I arrived in Salt Lake City on April 7, intending on vacationing with my daughter in law and granddaughters in Kanab, Utah for a few days, coming back to Salt Lake City on the Wednesday before the marathon. However, my daughter in law's mother, who was also going on the trip with us, fell and broke her knee cap and had to have surgery. That nixed our plans and we ended up staying in Salt Lake City. Because of that, I was able to run for 8 days before the marathon in the higher elevation. This helped to acclimate me much better.

I knew I was in better shape physically, but was a bit concerned about the elevation difference since I live and train in about 500 feet and the marathon starts at 4900 and goes down to 4200. My son and his wife live at about 5200 feet so I was able to train in a bit higher elevation than the marathon was.

My son was nice enough to get up and take me to the trax station in downtown Salt Lake City at the very early hour of 5:30am. He lives about 45 minutes from the start so we needed to leave early. I was able to get on the trax train that got us to the start at 6:50am, for a 7:00 marathon. It was perfect timing.

The weather was great, 50 degrees and partly cloudy. We had a few brief periods of rain, but not much. The sun came out at the end for a beautiful finish.

The course starts downhill so my first few miles were faster than I would normally run, but there was no way I was going to walk downhill. lol Last year, I ended up speed walking from mile 11 on, so once I reached that point, I knew I'd be ok. I knew I was ahead of schedule, but didn't realize how much faster I was until closer to the end of the marathon.

Because of my fast start, I ended up speed walking from mile 22-25, then running the last mile. This is a good course, with a net downhill, but from mile 24-25 it is a gradual uphill which can be a killer. I didn't even try to run it, but just speed walked it. I remember keeping up with a man who was "running" and he commented on the fact that I was just as fast as he was, but I was "walking". haha! I DO speed walk pretty fast.

It was such a great feeling to finish strong, running! Unfortunately, my daughter in law and granddaughters missed the finish because they hadn't arrived yet; that's how early I was.

I came away from this race feeling SO much better about my running. I am encouraged that I CAN do this running thing without injury. I know my VFFs have made a big difference in me being injury free.

My next race is May1, the Eugene Marathon. I will become an official Marathon Maniac when I finish this race. I'm excited!

WDW Marathon - I'm Goofy!!

2011-01-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Just me and a few friends running this race. lol I'm happy to say I am definitely Goofy now! I was able to complete the marathon in 5:53:57, AFTER running the half the day before. I am SO happy that I was able to do this without injury and with just a little bit of soreness in my legs.

This was another awesome race, just as the day before was. I stayed at my hotel after the half marathon and just chilled for the rest of the day. I really wanted to go to one of the parks, but was a good girl and stayed put. I knew I'd regret it if I didn't do that.

The night before the race, a fellow DM/Twitter friend, Albert, contacted me about meeting up and riding to the start together. We were both staying at the same hotel so it was easy to do. I had realized that I really didn't need to be the first one on the bus OR at the start line so we left about 3:20 AM. He wasn't in the race retreat so we parted at the start area. It was nice to meet him. He was also running the Goofy Challenge. I had planned to meet some other friends before the race, but a communication problem led me to miss them. I waited for about 10 minutes and then headed to the start line at 5:15 AM. Note: Disney says you need to be in your corral at 5, but it's not enforced. I got to my corral (G) at about 5:20 and managed to squeeze my way to the rope again. I just didn't want to try to weave my way through people at the start.

I love the way Disney sets off fireworks before each corral start, not just at the beginning. It made me feel a part of the race even though my corral was second to last. I started off at a 2 min run/walk just like the day before, but took it a little easier. I walked quite a bit of the middle portion of the race because I wanted to make sure I finished strong, running. At about mile 20, I began my run/walk again and was able to finish running!

We got to run through all 4 parks for the marathon and it was great! The only downside to this marathon is the section of parkway we have to run for a large portion of the race. It can be a bit boring, but Disney is good about adding lots of entertainment along the way. I made sure I ran through the park sections no matter how I felt. lol Vanity, you know.

I love that there is a choir just before the finish line. They were singing a great chorus, "God is Good, All the Time" and it was very motivating.

ASI photography is all along the course taking pictures and video and they did a great job of getting lots of shots of me. I'm impressed for sure.

I was able to finish this race and still walk after. hahaha! I had SOME soreness in my legs, but really not much at all considering I had run 39.3 miles in two days. After my first marathon, I couldn't even walk. I've improved!!

The day after the marathon, I was able to meet up with my DM/Twitter friends, @Maddyhubba, @CrazyRunner, @Runs4Coffee, @jmsenger, and @EvaTEsq, at EPCOT for #DATW. I had a blast and best of all, I could walk. Unfortunately, I lost my RoadID wrist band along the way. Good thing I have another one at home. Can't leave home without one. :)

I have already decided I am running this again next year. It should be interesting since I am also running a marathon each month for the 3 months preceeding it. No worries, it's all for fun.

WDW Half Marathon

2011-01-21T08:22:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a great race! I had no idea what fun I would have running this. I admit I entered the race with some trepidation, not knowing what was going to happen, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Since I was running the marathon the next day, I knew I needed to take it easy on this race, but it was difficult to do because of the crowding in some areas. I kept getting ran into so I ended up going faster than I had planned. Still, I felt great at the finish, not sore or tired. I had wanted to run this at about 3 hrs, but finished in 2:46:48.

I arrived in Orlando on Thursday evening and didn't make it to the expo until Friday morning. I got there when it first opened, and the lines were long, but moving quickly. I was able to get in and out of there, with a bit of shopping, in less than an hour. Disney does a good job of organizing.

The night before the race, I went to bed at 7:30, knowing I had to get up at 1:30 to catch the shuttle to the start line before 3:00. Unfortunately, I only slept for 2 hours and then woke up and couldn't go back to sleep until about midnight. I was still on Pacific time. The race info said you needed to be in your corral at 5 or you wouldn't be able to race. I found out that really wasn't true at all, but who knew? I was the first one on the shuttle and made it to the start at just a little after 3:15 AM. I had purchased the race retreat package and was SO glad I did since it was pretty cold. The tent was climate controlled, there were chairs, tables and a padded area for stretching, food, and a private bag check. We had a brunch after. I will definitely purchase this again.

I had met up with a couple of ladies from my hotel so we headed over to the start line at 4:30 since we were told it would take 20 minutes to get there. It was VERY crowded and DID take about that long to get to the start. I was one of the first ones in my corral (D) so I ended up starting the race at the rope.

I started out at a 2 min run/2 min walk and did that for the majority of the race. The race is said to be flat, but there are a lot of on-ramps which are uphill and have an extreme camber on them. I walked those and ran the decline portions. It was SO much fun running through Magic Kingdom and through the castle. I usually run alone or I'm at the end of race (I'm slow), and didn't realize how motivated I stayed, just because of the support of other runners and spectators. The cast members in Disney were also there to cheer us on. It was fantastic.

I managed to finish this race running strong, got to high five Mickey at the end, and left feeling great and ready for the race the next day. I DID spend the remainder of the day in the hotel and didn't give in and go to one of the parks.

I'll say it again, it was a fantastic race! I'm doing it again next year.

Remembering Mel

2010-08-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

I just attended a memorial service for a dear friend, Mel Titchener. I've known Mel for about 24 years, since my daughter was 5 years old. Mel and his wife Norma have been a wonderful influence in my life over the years. I am SO glad to have known Mel and will miss him SO much, but I know he is with the Lord now and I would never ask him to come back.

During his memorial service, the pastor mentioned something that really stuck with me. When Mel was told that he had a terminal disease, he didn't change the way he lived. He didn't have to because he was already living as the Lord would want him to. He didn't have to go make amends with anyone, apologizing for things he'd said or done, give more to his family or community or do more for God. He was already doing all that so he just kept on doing what God called him to do. What an inspiration!

We all need to be like that, living our lives to the fullest doing what we are called to do. I don't want to have to scramble at the end of my life, trying to make up for things I didn't do or trying to fix things I DID do that were wrong. I want to just keep on doing what I'm doing, knowing that the best is yet to come.

I love 1 Timothy 1:12: "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,".

That's what I want from my life, for the Lord to judge me faithful.

Another great scripture is 1 Timothy 6:12: "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

I know Mel did this and his confession WAS good. Thank you, Mel for being such a great example for me to follow.

The following was on the program for his memorial:

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free.
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call,
I turned to Him and left it all.

My Bad!

2010-07-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've been such a slacker and haven't posted to my blog for 4.5 months! I very rarely get down (depressed, or whatever), but I really felt myself slipping toward that a lot of times since my last marathon. I really wanted a better time and was tired of being almost the last person to finish a race. See, poor me, poor me! :( Good grief, talk about being self absorbed, where is my mind?

I've run races since then with good results, I'm just not sure what is going on in my mind, but I have determined to get over it and knock it off. :)

On May 16, I ran the Inaugural Tualatin River 10 miler, put on by a good Twitter, Facebook, DailyMile friend, Christine (Solorunner). I did very well on that one, 11:06 pace.

On May 31, I did the Up the Lazy River Master's Run 10k and did even better, 10:49 pace; there's a very nice (NOT) hill in that one.

June 5, the following Saturday, I ran another hilly race, the Santiam Hospital 8k. My time wasn't as good, 11:01 pace, but still in the ballpark. I had no idea there were so many hills. I'm not sure I want to run this one again. Chicken, I know.

June 21, I ran the inaugural Salem Summer Solstice 6.21k, held at 6:21pm (see a theme here?). I did really well, 10:33 pace, but of course, I wanted better. Some hills in that one too. I'm beginning to think I'd better work on hills! :)

June 25, the following Saturday, I ran the WVRR Summer Solstice 10k, with a pace of 11:00. It was HOT that day, the race is held in the evening, which made it worse. Still, I PR'd for that particular race.

See, there's no reason for me to be down on myself. However, I DID make a big mistake and run the next race when I probably shouldn't have. THAT ended me having to take 3 weeks off running with a strained Achilles tendon in my left foot. I might as well do something to that one since I just recovered from PF in my right foot. It was the Stayton Old Time Runs 10k on July 4th. I didn't do so well on that one because I had to walk a lot of it, 11:56 pace. :(

Now, you'd think THAT would have depressed me, but for some reason, it didn't, go figure!

I am now on the eve of starting back running. Tomorrow's the day, the doctor has said I can run 3 miles Mon & Wed & then 5 on Saturday! If all goes well, I will sign up for Homer's Classic 8k on August 7. I've always wanted to run it so I'm hoping I can this year.

I've come to realize that so much of running is mental and I can really sabotage myself by the wrong thinking. When I have the right attitude, everything goes well.

I have been too self absorbed and need to focus on others, not myself. When I do that, I feel SO much better and know I am doing what God wants me to do. I know He has guided me in this healthier, active lifestyle for a reason. My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and I need to treat it as such. God has been SO good to me to help me in my journey. I need to quit focusing on the fact that I am one of the last people to finish, and just realize that I DID finish, and that's what matters. I need to think on this verse from Hebrews 12:1

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"

and verse 2 goes on to see what we need to keep our focus on:

"looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

When I do that, I am a winner in God's eyes and that is all that really matters.

Now, I know I'm a crazy person, so you shouldn't be too surprised to learn that I have decided to run the following 2 adventure marathons in 2012: The Great Wall Marathon in May, 2012; and the Solar Eclipse Marathon in November, 2012. Why don't you join me? It will be a once in a lifetime adventure. :)

Gee, I don't write for 4.5 months, and then I write a book. Sorry about that. I pray you have a great day!

Salt Lake City Marathon

2010-04-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

This was my 4th marathon in 11 months; just a little too much, I think. :) I was hoping for a much better time, but it was not to be.

I arrived in Salt Lake City on Thursday night and spent Friday afternoon walking to the mall and shopping with my granddaughter. We probably walked at least 2 miles. I'm not sure this was a good thing the day before my marathon, but...

Saturday morning, I got up at 4:30 (SO hard to do) and at 5:30 my daughter in law took me to the Arena trax station to ride to the start line. I arrived about 6:10 AM which gave me plenty of time to use the porta potties, etc. The weather was too warm, already 53 at 6 am, clear and sunny.

I was putting my gear bag in the truck when I noticed a dailymile friend, Drew (aka Utah C). The odds of us running into each other were huge considering the thousands of people at the start line. It was nice to meet him and his wife. He was shooting for a 4:30 marathon and ran it in 4:33. Congratulations, Drew!

We went to the starting line just before 7. It wasn't organized at all, everyone just lined up wherever they could. We ended up about halfway in the crowd, too close to the start for me. The crowd was so dense it took 3 minutes to cross the starting line. The first part of the course is downhill so I ran for 7 minutes before walking my 1 min. It was hard to negotiate through all the people. The half marathoners started with us so that made for a crowd of well over 6000 people.

I did pretty well for the first 9 miles, but I started feeling the altitude and knew I was in trouble. I realized that when I ran here last month, I had run where there were stop lights so I was getting breaks fairly often. Not so during the marathon, of course.

Thankfully, neither my ankle nor my hip bothered me, but my toes and the soles of my forefoot started hurting pretty bad. The two toes from the end of my left foot always hurt really bad when I run long, not sure why. It's probably a nerve issue, because they stop hurting as soon as I quit running.

At mile 11 or so, I pretty much had to stop my running and just speed walked. I reached the halfway point at 2 hrs 40 minutes, but knew I wouldn't PR this race. I was SO disappointed and for the first time in a marathon, I wanted to quit. However, I knew that I wouldn't; I just don't give up easily. LOL

The course was a good one, with plenty of spectators. I was amazed at how much support from the community there is for this marathon. People were out sitting on the sidewalks cheering us on. Some even had snacks & drinks. At about mile 20 or so there was even a group that was handing out shots of booze. :) I passed on that. I figured I needed all my faculties to finish the race.

The only drawback to this race is from about mile 24.5 or so we start up State street, which is an uphill climb for about a mile, the last part being a stiffer climb. The last part of the race is slightly downhill, but I was SO tired from the State Street climb that I just walked it. I tried to run a few times, but my right calf went into a horrible cramp. I've never had that happen in a run, never.

When I approached the finish line, my daughter in law, Val and granddaughter, Alexis were there to cheer me on. They hopped the barrier and Val grabbed my hand hand and helped me run across the finish line. She kept telling everyone my age and the fact that this was my 4th marathon. It was great, everyone was clapping and cheering me on. What a wonderful encouragement! I've only had family at one other marathon so this was great.

I'm not sure if I'll do this marathon again, simply because of the elevation, but since my son and his family live here, you never know. I am really burned out right now and am not scheduled for another marathon until January. I definitely need a break from such intense training.

It took me 2:40 to finish the first half and 3:10 to finish the second half. My official time was 5:50:17; 13 out of 17 in AG, 1050 out of 1112 total finishers.

Cascade Half Marathon

2010-01-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

I ran (well, actually race-walked) my first half marathon last Sunday, January 17, the Cascade Half Marathon in Turner, Oregon. I have been suffering from Plantar Fasciitis in my right foot and probably shouldn't have run this race, but I'd already signed up and I tend to be a bit stubborn. (OK, a LOT stubborn!) My foot seemed to be getting better so I thought I'd at least try to run it and walk if I had to.

I got there early and changed my start time to 8:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM because there was no way I could complete this in less than 2.5 hours. During the California International Marathon, I had reached the half mark in 2:37 so it would have been doable to finish in under 2.5 hours under normal circumstances.

It was raining slightly at the start, but not too bad, no wind to speak of. We started and I suddenly realized that I hadn't changed my Garmin to "running" instead of "biking" so I lost some time changing it. Then I accidentally hit the "lap" button so I could only see the pace for the current lap and could not see my total miles or time. Since I never use that function, I had no idea how to change it back. Oh well! :)

I managed to keep running for about a mile, then I realized that I would never make the full 13.1 miles running. I wasn't too upset, since I pretty much figured that would happen. My first mile was at 12:45 pace, which was pretty good, but the next ones weren't so great. In the middle, I actually slowed to almost 17:00 min pace! The wind DID pick up quite a bit here, so I'll use that as an excuse. haha!

Once the 9:00 people started to pass me, I found myself picking up my pace quite a bit unconsciously. I went from almost 17:00 pace to 14 & then 13. It's amazing what a bit of competition does. :) My last .1 mile was at 11:04 pace. I was just trying to get it done.

It's really sad when you get passed by a 69 yr old runner carrying her cane. I kid you not! I DID manage to pass her about 550 meters from the finish line, but she had slowed to a fast walk and was using her cane. Talk about humiliating! hahaha! I'm SO impressed by her, what an inspiration! I hope I am still running at that age, 13 yrs from now.

I finished in 3:15:58; 14:36 pace, really not too bad for walking.

I'm still sore from this race, but after my PT visit this morning, my foot is a lot better. No, I didn't tell her I did this race, she would have killed me for sure. I'm not telling her I'm running the MLK 5k this Saturday either, but by then I'll probably be done seeing her so it won't matter.

This race is a great one and is almost complete flat, seriously. I would like to run it again, but not next year since I'm signed up for the WDW Goofy Challenge on January 8 & 9. No way can I run a half a week later.

California International Marathon

2009-12-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Yippee! I did it, I finally ran a marathon and enjoyed it. I also was able to actually exceed (by 1 minute) my goal time of 5:30; 5:28:52 - a PR for me. I'm SO excited!

I usually do a run/walk ratio of 1/1 for my marathons, but decided to try and run all the downhill sections of this one. Because of that, I started out a little fast, but not too much. The first mile was 10:41; but then I leveled out and kept the rest within my range.

This marathon is advertised as a pretty easy one and I believe it is. Not to say it isn't challenging in some areas, because there ARE a few hills that can get you down, if you don't prepare for them. Fortunately, where I run is rolling hills so I didn't really have too mamy problems with this race.

It was nice having so much support along the course. My last (and only) 2 marathons had pretty much no support, which I'm fine with, but I really enjoyed having people support me along the way.

I noticed a blister forming on my fourth toe of my right foot at about mile 8. I should have worn a pair of toe only socks in addition to my 2 pair, but I forgot to pack them. The blister broke at about mile 20, a new, weird & painful experience for me. :) I've never had a bloody sock before. LOL Still, it actually quit hurting after a while and I did fine.

I was concerned about my breathing since I have had a cold for about a week, and I did have some issues with coughing after mile 20, but overall, I was fine. The problem I had started about mile 19 with my legs just feeling like they were giving out. This made it harder for me to run so I did a lot of speed walking then. Disappointing, but I still met my goal!

I kept close to the 5:30 pacer and actually was ahead of her for the last part of the race. I was overjoyed when I realized I would meet my goal pace.

I was able to finish the last .1 of the race running, so I finished strong and I'm sure the photo at the finish was better than if I walked it. I loved the announcer at the finish - he was great, even commented on my pink Newtons. :) I especially liked it when he said I was 56, but looked 29. I think I'm in love. hahaha!

This was a great race and one that I actually enjoyed running. I'm really glad I picked this marathon. Next marathon - Salt Lake City Marathon, April 17, 2010!

When I run long runs, my hands swell extremely. Anyone else have this problem?

Here are before & after pics:

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!

2009-11-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

I've had a few people ask me about the stretches that I do daily so I thought I'd give you a recap of what I do. The stretching exercises I do are very simple and basic and only take me about 15 minutes out of my day. I never stretch before a run or bike ride, but always after. On the days I don't run or ride I still stretch, but I wait until my bath to do so. That's because I want my muscles to be warmed up before I stretch them.

I begin with sitting with my legs together in front of me and bending over and touching my head to my knees. (Trust me - this took lots of weeks before I could go down this far) I hold it for a count of 8 and I do eight of them.

Groin or inner leg stretch: Seated, put the soles of your feet together. With your elbows on the inside of your knees, gradually lean forward and gently press your knees toward the ground, holding for 8 seconds, 8 reps.

Next, I do piriformis stretches:

Sit with one leg straight out in front. Hold onto the ankle of your other leg and pull it directly towards your chest.

I also do this piriformis stretching exercise:

To stretch the piriformis muscle, start by laying on your back with both knees bent. Cross your right leg over the left, placing your right ankle on your left knee.

Next, reach down and grab your left thigh with both hands, and pull back towards your chest. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip.

Hold the stretch for 5-10 seconds, and repeat 5-10 times (I hold for 8 seconds, repeat 8 times)

I do a simple calf stretch, sitting with my legs straight out in front of me, and no, this is not me. LOL I gently pull on my toes to stretch my calves, holding for 8 seconds, 8 repeats.

There's also this one:

Sit with both legs straight. Loop a rope around the ball of one foot and grasp each end of the rope. Flex your foot back toward your ankle, toes toward your knee.

Hamstring stretch: Lie on floor with legs straight out in front of you. Use a rope like the calf stretch, wrapping it around one foot the same way, then lift that leg straight up as far as you can in front of you, keeping the other leg flat on the ground. Hold for 8 seconds, 8 reps. Do the same for the other leg.

Gluteal muscle stretch: Sit with legs straight out in front of you, bend one leg and cross that foot over your other legs and put it next to the outside of that knee. Wrap your arm around the bent knee and twist your body toward that knee, gently pulling that knee toward your chest. Hold for 8 seconds, 8 reps; repeat for other leg.

IT Band stretch: 3 sets, holding for 30 seconds each time.

Place the leg you want to stretch behind the other one.

Keep the foot on the floor and push your hips out to the other side.
Hold for 30 seconds
Never bounce when stretching, always ease into it gently and try to relax.

Quad stretch: 3 sets, holding for 30 seconds each one, make sure you keep your balance by holding on to a steady object with the other hand.

Exercises for the foot and ankle:

THE MONOPOLY GAME:
Put 10 small objects on the floor--like marbles or Monopoly pieces--and place a small cup nearby. Using your toes, pick up the pieces one at a time and put them in the cup. I do 3 sets of ten for each foot. I use marbles.

THE DRUNK FLAMINGO:
Standing on stable ground, balance on one foot with your eyes open. Once you can do that for one minute, try it with your eyes closed. I do this at the gym on a balance pad. I can't manage it with my eyes closed though.

Back exercises: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat to the floor. Cup your hands just under your knees. Using your arms for support, gently pull your knees to your chest. Hold for 20 seconds, then lower your legs to the floor. Repeat 3 times.

I know it seems like a lot, but it really doesn't take much time and is well worth the effort. I have never been able to touch my toes; couldn't even reach halfway down. Now I can put my hands flat on the floor.

Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon - A Unique Experience

2009-10-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

Another marathon completed, not as I wanted, but still COMPLETED! I am learning as a runner, that things don't always go according to plan, and I have to be flexible. I knew going into this marathon that it would be iffy that I would even be able to do it, much less finish it, but I WAS hoping I could at least run most of it. It was not to be, sadly. However, I DID finish it, even though I had to walk most of the distance.

The Bizz Johnson Trail is a lovely place to be, no matter what you're doing. Running a marathon on it seemed like such a great idea. I knew that the altitude might be a problem, but was hoping to overcome that by getting to Susanville a few days early to acclimate. I arrived on Thursday afternoon about 4:45 pm, after a 7.5 hour drive from Salem. Friday I picked up my bib # at the Historic Train Depot and then spent the rest of the day just relaxing at the motel. The Bizz Johnson Trail is an old railroad bed that runs through The Lassen National Forest from Westwood to Susanville, California.

Saturday morning I volunteered at an aid station for the 1/2 marathon. I had never done any volunteering at a race so it was a new experience for me. The volunteer coordinator, Marissa, was wonderful, as were Brian and Wendell, who are race directors for Pacific Coastal Trail Runs. Everything was explained very well and then I was asked to drive my car to the location, not a problem, but so much for my clean car. lol It's very dusty up there! Howard (my volunteer friend) and I had a great time providing drinks & snacks to the runners as they came through. We were located at mile 4 of the half marathon; at what would be mile 17 of the marathon. It was nice to see at least part of the course ahead of time. Here's some pictures of that area:

When we were done, we went to the finish area to see if they needed any help there. It was nice to get a look at where I would be finishing the marathon (I PLANNED to finish!).

That night, a twitter friend, Michelle and her husband Glenn arrived. They are from the Portland, Oregon area and had just run the Portland Marathon the week before. They were going to run this one also! It was great seeing them again; I had met them at the Newport Marathon. Here we are the night of the marathon, after dinner.

The marathon was the next day and we were leaving the train depot at 8:00 AM on buses, the marathon started at 9:00 AM, a little later than I'm used to. We were bused to Westwood for the start; some of us remained on the buses (which, by the way, were charter buses - so great!) to keep warm because the temperature at the start was 29*. I love running in the cold, but we knew that the temps were gong to reach at least 66 by the end of the day so I dressed accordingly. - shorts and a sports bra top. I also wore gloves & arm warmers. The gloves & arm warmers came off before the first hour was up. It warmed up fast. At the end it was 70* - that's an increase of 41 degrees!

Notice my Newton running shoes. This would be the farthest I had ever gone in them. They are great! I also wore my Zensah calf sleeves. They help so much!

This was a small race - only 445 registered, but about 9o didn't show up so we started with about 360 or so. We did a quick out & back of McCoy Road to make the race a complete 26.2. (The Bizz Johnson Trail is about 25 miles long.) I was feeling pretty good, kept my pace at about 12:30 for the first mile, 13:00 for the second & third, hoping I could take it easy for the first 7 miles since they were slightly uphill. Mile 4 was at 13:30, and then about mile 4.5 my Garmin started beeping that my heart rate was too high. That meant it had to be over 200, since that was what I set it for. I was also experiencing heart PVCs (I get them all the time - non-life threatening) so I knew I wasn't going to be able to run anymore, at least not during the uphill part. I began speed walking, but still couldn't get my heart rate down. I started feeling really depressed, because I had wanted to finish in about 5.5 hours. No way was that going to happen now!

I kept toughing it out, speed walking and finally started to feel better about mile 10. I attempted to run a few more times, but realized that the altitude was just too much for me. I normally run at 500' and we were over a mile high - started at 5300', went up to 5619' and then slowly came back down to 4200'. So much for getting there early to acclimate. :) I also needed to remember that I had suffered a concussion just 3 weeks ago, so my body was still in recovery mode.

Once I accepted that I would be walking the majority of the marathon, I began to enjoy it more. I knew I would finish it and just hoped to do that before dark. hahaha! I kept getting passed by everyone so I wasn't sure if anybody was behind me, but I didn't really care.

At mile 14 I starting having a silent migraine, which is painless, but affects my vision. I just kept on walking and it went away at about mile 14.5. Yes, I'm probably crazy, but I am MORE stubborn! :)

The aid stations are placed 2 miles apart, which is really nice if you're running mostly alone, because it gives you someone to talk to once in a while. All the volunteers were great and so friendly and encouraging.

At about mile 20 or so, I caught up with Amber, a 28 year old who was running her first marathon. We ended up passing & catching up to each other for a couple of miles and then just stayed together for the last few. I was glad for the company even though we didn't talk a whole lot - we just wanted to put one foot in front of the other AND to be able to breathe also. :) I'm glad she was there because for some reason, the volunteers at the aid stations at miles 22 & 24 decided to leave early. They left the supplies, but didn't stick around. I'm not sure why, but it was weird.

Amber & I kept encouraging each other - "I know the mile marker is just around the corner." and "We ARE going to finish - look, there's mile 26, .2 to go!" At approximately mile 26.1, there is a detour off the main trail to the finish at an area called Hobo Camp. We had a small uphill section & then it was downhill for the last 500 feet or so. I let Amber go ahead of me - her small son & husband were there to cheer her on. I was one second behind her. I remember smiling as I crossed the finish line. I had done it, completed my second marathon. I didn't care how I did it, I had done it! My time was 6:45:12. No wonder I was so tired, that's a LONG time to be speed walking, with no breaks. Whew!

I remember telling Marissa at the end that maybe someday I would actually "RUN" a marathon. LOL.

I will never get tired of the feeling of accomplishment on completing a race, especially a marathon. I makes all the pain worthwhile. I know I've done something that few people ever do, and something I thought I could NEVER do. It is SO true about runners getting a high after running! I love it!

Yes, I will do another marathon - I'm registered for CIM on December 6. Who knows - I may actually get to run most of it. Whatever happens, I WILL finish!

Oh, and by the way, I WASN'T the last to finish - there were 8 people behind me. The last to finish completed it in 8:16:40

This is a wonderful marathon, but I don't think I will run it again. The altitude, coupled with the long drive down, just makes it too difficult. However, I've learned to never say "never". :)

This is a picture of Mt. Shasta taken on the way home Monday. I felt like I could reach out and touch the mountain. It's SO lovely!

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!

2009-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened - my first bike crash; and not just a piddly little fall, oh no, I have to do everything in a big way!

Saturday, I needed to ride 27 miles to offset my lack of running 9 miles (3x run miles=bike miles). I got up at 5:30, prepared to go out about 6:30, but it was still dark so I waiting until 6:55. I was wearing my running shorts, bra top & tank top, but when I went outside it had started pouring down rain and the wind was blowing. So I went back inside, took off the tank and put on my waterproof rain jacket.

I was intending on running my usual North-South route which takes me North for half the distance and then back South on the same road. Since the wind was from the South, I just couldn't handle running against it again, so I decided to take a different route and kind of made it up as I went. It would take me into the small town of Aumsville, about 5 miles away, & then I would figure out which way to go. As I look back, I realize I should have gone against the wind. LOL

I crossed the overpass over Hwy 22 and began my descent into Aumsville on 1st St. I remember a truck with a trailer pulling out of a street ahead of me, I noticed the shoulder ended and I started riding on the road. I saw Gordon Lane on my left and thought of my brother in law, Gordon.

Then, I woke up on the ground with a gentleman asking me if I wanted him to call 911. Pretty befuddled, I mumbled something about getting back on my bike to finish my ride. Yeah, right! He said I had a bad cut above my eye that would need stitches so I nodded to call 911. Then I started thinking about how much it would cost. So typical of me. :)

This man was SO kind, he got my son's cell number from me and called him; then he made sure the road was blocked from cars, put his coat over my legs & later under my head. What a Good Samaritan he was.

I remember my helmet strap was choking me so I unclipped it but kept the helmet on. Thank God for helmets! Everyone needs to wear one when riding a bike, EVERYONE!!! I also remember unhooking my bottle carrier from around my waist & pulling it from behind my back. It was killing my back!

I suddenly became VERY nauseated and knew then that the ambulance was a good idea since I most assuredly had a head injury. My neck was hurting too and my upper back ribs, plus my hand (all on the right side of my body). Nothing else was hurting and I could move my legs, feet & toes fine. I remember having dry heaves, but thankfully did not throw up. I'm so glad - did not want to lay on the ground beside that. hahaha!

I was in and out of consciousness but do remember the first responders and the ambulance crew. They were great, but kept asking me questions!! I didn't want to answer anything, too nauseated and my head hurt! LEAVE ME ALONE! Well, that obviously wasn't going to happen so I began to tell them to check my Road ID on my shoe. They were not familiar with it and still kept asking questions. They asked me if I was taking medication and I said, "Yes, Lots. Check my Road ID" then they asked if I was allergic to medications and I said, "Yes. Lots. Check my Road ID". A pattern was developing! For the life of me, I couldn't remember anything except I'm allergic to Codeine & Nortriptyline, but I couldn't even say that. They finally gave up. Smart move on their part. hahahaha!

The paramedic gave me anti-nausea medicine which helped some, but I was still in a groggy state when I reached the hospital. It's nice to go to the ER in an ambulance, half conscious, because there's no line, no waiting. LOL

I told the nurse about the Road ID & he removed it and check online and VOILA! there was all my information. He was very impressed and said he had been telling his runner wife to get one, but she kept putting it off. He said she's getting one now for sure!

I got more nausea medication and then Dilaudid for the pain. It worked, but it made me super sick so I got more nausea medication, a different kind, which finally worked. I had a CT scan of head and X-rays of chest & hand. No broken bones, just bruised and a concussion, plus 10 stitches above my right eye. Got to go home!

Here's the progression of the shiner

I have to say how great my son was. He went and got my bike, helmet, etc and then came to the hospital and stayed with me the whole time. He called everyone for me and took care of me at home. He even had to wake me up during the night. This was his first time doing anything like this and he showed such concern, but wasn't mushy. He's just like me, joking when it's appropriate and serious when necessary. I'm proud of him.

I have absolutely no recollection of the accident. I faintly remember hitting the ground, but nothing before. The next thing I remember is waking up and being asked if I needed an ambulance.

We thought the man there had seen the accident, but he was at a diner and as he pulled out of the parking lot, he saw the crowd and me on the ground, drove there and blocked the road so no cars would run over me. He then stayed, called my son & 911 and didn't leave until I was taken away. It's so nice that people still care. He even called my son today to see how I was doing! This is a perfect stranger.

I believe God sends people like that. All Christ Followers have the opportunity to respond in that way, just like Jesus would do. How many of us actually do it? AND to call back and check up on me! A true Good Samaritan just like in the bible.

I thank God for sending him. I also thank God for protecting me. I had no covering on my legs at all. If it hadn't been raining, I would have had nothing on my arms either. I fell in such a way as to land on the upper right side of my body, on the hardest part - my head. :) At least that's what I've been told - I have a hard head! NO injuries to my lower extremities at all. It would have been a mess if I'd slid on the pavement on my bare legs. I also had gloves on which protected my right hand. God is good.

I hope I never remember the accident so I won't be afraid to ride again. As far as I can tell, I must have slid in the rain as I crossed the RR tracks. They are at a 45 degree angle to the road there and would have been a hazard.

Always remember to check out your route before hand or at least go slow in the areas you're not sure of. I was going at least 14 mph so fell pretty hard. Just the Thursday before I remember thinking that I could get hurt really bad if I fell off my bike. No kidding!!!

I am still really sore and have a wonderful black eye & the other one is getting nice color too. I overdid it today and am now paying the price. I'll stay in bed for sure tomorrow!

God bless you all and have a wonderful day.

Gina

His Strength is Perfect

2009-08-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

On my 40 mile bike ride Wednesday, I was NOT wanting to ride, at all. I had ridden the previous two days and was really tired. I forced myself out the door and on to my bike. I really wanted to quit at 2 miles, but kept telling myself, just a few more miles...

When I realized that I was actually going to complete the entire 40 miles (at about 20 miles in) I began to have a portion of a song go through my head, "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone; He'll carry us when we can't carry on; Raised in his power, the weak become strong; His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect." I realized that I had made it this far because of the strength of Christ. I had been praying the scripture, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13) and He HAD given me strength!

So often I feel like I can't make it, that I have reached the end of my rope, but I've found if I call on Christ, He is always there to help me, to give me the strength to make it. I was able to ride 62.2 miles on my bike today and I again had that song going through my head. I decided to try to find the entire lyrics and to my surprise, that scripture was part of the song!

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength
But sometimes I wonder what he can do through me;
No great success to show, no glory on my own
Yet in my weakness he is there to let me know . .

We can only know
The power that he holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes;
His strength in us begins
Where ours comes to an end
He hears our humble cry and proves again .

Wow! That is SO true. When we decide to let go and let Him take control, then He can begin to work miracles. Yes, we must do our part, most definitely! But when we've reached the end of our strength, then He is always going to be there to support us. How awesome is that?

I know that I could not have finished the 40 miles or the 62 miles without His strength; nor could I have run my marathon or finished any of my runs without His presence and strength. He expects us to work to the best of our ability, but to be aware that we DO have limitations when we are on our own. However, with Him beside us, we have NO limitations to what we can do. I love that!

Thank you, Jesus, for your strength! Thank you for always being there to help me when I need you!

God bless you today and everyday.

Gina

"Half Century" Bike Ride!

2009-08-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Note to self: "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER (did I say never?) map a bike route that includes going South from Silverton on Cascade Hwy!" One (and only one) good thing about it is that I got a good hill workout out of it. Every time I think I have ridden lots of hills, I find another route that has more of them. ACK! I couldn't just turn around and go back - it was the wrong direction and I would have had to ride 60 miles today instead of 50. Oh well, live and learn. LOL!!

I am amazed that I was able to ride so far, more so since the last 20 miles were basically hills, long & steep hills. Did I say "long"? They were SO long. At mile 31.2 I started a hill and finished it at mile 33.4 with an elevation gain of 227'; then again at mile 36 started another long one that ended at mile 38.8 with a gain of 400'. This went on for the rest of the ride until I reached within a mile of my house.

Here's a shot of what I thought was the top of the first LONG hill! It just keeps on going...

But the view from the top is worth it!

The weather report said it was supposed to be 54 and cloudy so I stupidly believed it and wore tights & a long sleeved shirt. It was sunny the whole time and of course I overheated. I removed my shirt, but was stuck wearing the tights. It was a busy road so I didn't want to ride au naturale. :)

I also ran out of water at mile 37, something I never do either. I wasn't thirsty for the rest of the ride, but really needed to eat my other gel, but not without water, so my energy level fell way off.

So the last 20 miles were the ride from hell, :) but I survived! My average speed wasn't too bad - 13.9; actually that is pretty good, only .3 mph difference from my 40 miler!

Wow, I can't believe I rode 50 miles! I am definitely feeling tired, hungry too. I burned 2201 calories so I guess I can eat pizza for lunch!

Have a great day! I'm going to. :)

New Bicycle!

2009-07-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Since I'm on a temporary leave from running due to an injury to my thigh muscle, I thought I'd begin biking in earnest. I biked a bit last year when I had a stress fracture, but quit when I joined a gym and started pool running & using the stationary bike there. I had been using my daughter's old bike, which is a boy's bike and has off road tires. So I thought I'd look for a new one. What a hard job!

I just thought I'd go to Walmart and get one there, but looked and realized I had NO idea what kind of bike to buy. So I decided to go to a bike shop and looked online to find one in my city of Salem, Oregon. I found one downtown and went to look. Well, that was a brief look since they were all WAY out of my price range. Hey, I just want a bike that will last with me using it 3 times a week for cross training. I don't need a racing bike or a mountain bike or a $1,000 bike, ok? I talked briefly to the sales guy & then left, disappointed.

From there I went to Sports Authority and talked to the sales person there. He was very helpful and showed me a hybrid (women's) bike that was on clearance for $280. It was even pink! He suggested I look at another bike store also downtown to see if they had a better selection so I put off getting the bike that day. I should have just bought it then because after looking at the other store (AND circling the block & parking a block away, walking there on crutches!) I found they didn't have any bikes even close to that price or that kind. So it was back to Sports Authority where I got the same sales guy and purchased the bike. He was able to get it into my PT cruiser so I took it home that day. Here's a picture:

Here is a picture of the one I was using before:

Now, here they are side by side:

I realized after I bought this bike that my daughter's bike wasn't even a full size one, plus the tires needed air! Shows how much I know about bikes. lol

I went for my first ride today and made it 20.42 miles! I DO like the bike and am SO glad I got it. My leg did pretty well as long as I was pedaling hard, but if I tried to pedal downhill with no pressure it hurt. My route has lots of hills, one being a 14% grade uphill so my quads got a good workout & will probably be sore tomorrow, but it's ok. I'm just so glad to be outside exercising again.

I can't wait until I can run again, but will continue to bike 3 times a week for cross training. I am finding I love it. And YES, I do have a helmet - wouldn't run without one. Now I need to buy a kickstand (it doesn't have one???) and a lock so no one steals it from my front porch. I'm all set!

I've found it is important to be prepared for whatever you do, but you HAVE to have the right equipment or you can't maximize your experience!

And NO, don't expect any duathlons or triathlons from me. I'm happy just running races. Biking is for fun & cross training and as for swimming - not my sport! :)

Have a blessed day!

Gina

What? Injured AGAIN?

2009-07-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

You've got to be kidding? Another summer injured? Whats up with that? lol I guess I should listen more to my body and quit running when I am having pain. DUH! I have injured a muscle in my upper thigh and will have to be off road running for a few weeks. All is not lost, though. I can still do my marathon in October. All I have to do now is start pool running & biking next week so I'm still on track. I am so thankful I didn't do something really stupid and end up being out for much longer.

I wanted to run the Salem Run for the Arts 5k so bad that I just ignored the signs of a possible injury and ran anyway. I actually didn't do too bad either - 37:21, but couldn't put weight on my leg right after the race; not a good sign.

I've GOT to stop pushing myself so hard and really listen to my body. I've also purchased a pair of Newton running shoes that should help with my foot strike. Read about Newtons here. I am bummed that I can't try them out for a few weeks. I ran in them for the race and they felt good on my feet, but my leg hurt so bad I couldn't focus on how they performed otherwise.

This means I can't do Homer's Classic 8k race in August, but should still be able to do the 5k in Corvallis at the end of that month. That's an easy way to start back into road running. I will just run it for fun.

This reminds me to always stay alert for signs of injury and STOP running before it occurs. It's just like in real life - we need to stop ourselves BEFORE we do something stupid. Then we won't have to try to fix it.

1 Timothy 4:16
"Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

It's easier to prevent something that to repair the damage after it's done. Make sure you stay close to God and His word and follow His teaching. Then you will not regret what you should have done.

Have a blessed day!

Gina

Stayton Old-Time Runs 10K

2009-07-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

What a HOT day to run! I knew it was a gamble when I signed up for this 10k on the 4th of July, but was hoping it would be a cooler day. It didn't happen! This past week has had our area in a heat wave, with temps the last few days in the 90s. I really debated about running in the hotter temperatures, but decided to buck up and just do it!

I've never run this race before, so I wasn't sure of the course; if there was shade, etc. Turns out there wasn't! At least not much, maybe a spot here & there, but nothing to brag about. So, no shade, no breeze, just lots of hot sun. The temp at the start was probably only 65, but at the finish, closer to 75, but with the sun beating off the asphalt, it seemed A LOT hotter.

I appreciated the two water stations, at miles 2 & 4 and just soaked myself with the wonderful ice water, but it didn't last long. :( Still, I ran the best I could and finished not last, but the second from the last! I managed to sprint to the finish line though, just to look good in the picture, of course. :)

My time was approximately 1 hr 16 minutes, with a pace of 12:10. It is interesting to notice how my 10k times get slower as the temperatures get hotter. My best time was in April, with the temperature at 42*, 1 hr 10 minutes; a pace of about 11:18.

The Jeff Galloway run/walk/run plan says you should slow your time by 30 seconds per mile for each 5 degree temp increase over 60, so I guess I'm still doing great work. It's just hard to see my time slow down.

I'm still very pleased with my results today. It was a fun, well organized race and I will probably do it again next year. I placed 2nd in my age group again, but there were only 2 of us! The proceeds from this race benefit HOPE for the Kidney Foundation - it was a great way to have fun & support a good cause.

Next race is Salem Walk or Run for the Arts 5K on July 18. I've got 2 weeks to rest up. :) It starts at 7:45 AM so I hope to be done before the heat hits.

Have a wonderful day and God bless you.

Gina

Zensah Contest

2009-06-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know of a great contest a twitter friend of mine is having. Go to her blog and read about how you can win a $75.00 gift pack from Zensah Compression Clothing .

I want to win so I can get stuff to match my pink leg sleeves.

I wear these when I'm running and/or when I'm recovering from a run. They are awesome and help speed recovery to the muscles in my calf & shin.

I think I would look awesome in the pink running skirt

& arm sleeves too don't you?

I could be a giant Pepto-Bismol tablet or maybe a Necco candy! lol

If you are a runner I would recommend these products for you to try. They are awesome!

Zensah is also on twitter if you want to follow them - @Zensah

Have an awesome day, everyone!

Keen on runnin'.

Gina

Amping up the Training!

2009-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to do some REAL interval training to get my speed up to what I want it to be for my next marathon. I decided to use the Yasso 800s method http://tinyurl.com/qrlbu. I started today by doing 5 of these intervals in 5:30, since that is what my goal marathon time is. It was really hard to run for that long without stopping since I am used to the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk/Run program - http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/marathon.html - but I persevered and did 5 of them. I will do as the website suggests and add 1 more each week. I would like to get my time to 5:15 so I will shoot toward that goal also.

I am pleased that I was able to stay on pace for these 5 interval workouts, even though I felt like I was dying. :) I walked a minute between each one and that worked out really well for me. I finished with approximately a half mile cool down.

My weekly workouts are as follows:

Sunday - Rest
Monday-Long Run
Tuesday-Strength Training
Wednesday - Easy 3 mile run (or 30-60 min)
Thursday - Strength Training
Friday - Interval Yasso 800s
Saturday - Strength Training

Next week my long run is 12 miles; the only difference in my training next week is that I have a 10k race on Saturday so that will be in place of my interval training. I will rest also on Wednesday and run my easy run on Thursday, with strength training on Friday.

I have scheduled two races a month through September and then my marathons October 11, and December 6. I haven't scheduled any races in November, except maybe for a 5k on Thanksgiving.

I am SO excited that I am able to do this training. It is the pits during the summer months because of the heat, but I will persevere through it. Jeff Galloway suggests slowing your pace by 30 seconds per mile for every 5 degree temperature increase above 60 degrees so I will work toward doing that. I want to run in the heat to get used to it.

I will keep running and reciting my mantra, "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength"~~Philippians 4:13. I KNOW I can do all things through Christ and I intend to do just that.

God be with you and bless you all today and every day.

Gina

Still Running!!!

2009-06-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

I am FINALLY posting on my blog! Don't have a heart attack! I've been lazy.

The 2 weeks after my marathon I didn't run at all. The first week I was on crutches so I didn't even go to the gym. I had company for 4 days and then did an estate sale for my mom the other 3 days. Busy, busy, busy! When I finally went back to the gym, I had planned to do pool running until my ankle was better. That lasted one day! I can't believe last summer I was able to do 4 hours of pool running. I barely managed 30 minutes and was bored out of my mind. LOL

I started back running on June 15, just a week ago. I ran 2.69 miles on Monday and 3.22 miles on Wednesday. Then I decided to run the WVRR Summer Solstice Fun Run 10k on Friday. Since I was supposed to run 8 miles that day, I ran 2 miles in the morning and then ran the 10k at 7PM that night.

The race was held at Minto Brown Park in South Salem. It's a beautiful place to run, with paved and unpaved trails. Unfortunately, there are a lot of cottonwood trees and the air was full of the blooms! Not good for allergies, but didn't really bother me. The problem I had was with the temperature. Not that it was hot, only 63 degrees, but I can't handle any temp above 55 when I'm running. I know, wimpy! I get extremely hot when I run and get physically ill if I overheat. It was nice that the park is well shaded and running along the Willamette River there was a wonderful, brisk breeze. That helped a lot.

There were supposed to be 2 water stations for the 10K, but just before the race started, we were informed that the 3 mile one would not be available! Not good since I didn't bring any water at all. Last year it wasn't needed! Not that I drink much, but I pour it over my head to cool off. Oh well, live and learn!

I didn't finish last, but pretty close. The official results aren't up on the website yet, but my unofficial Garmin time was 1:13:22, which beat my last year's time by 11 minutes! I placed 3rd in my age/gender category, but there were only 3 of us! :) Still, I DID come out and run; the other 55 year old women did not.

I JUST RECEIVED A 2ND PLACE RIBBON IN THE MAIL FROM THIS RACE! THEY MADE AN ERROR AND I CAME IN 2ND, NOT THIRD! YIPPEE!

Today I ran 10 miles (picture above show where I run - beautiful, huh?), which was a little much since I ran 8 on Friday, but my marathon training called for that and I need to stick with the plan, ya know! It was warm and sunny so I struggled but still finished with a time of 1:58:59; 11:59 pace. I do better in the winter, but it was still a good time AND I'm supposed to run it slower 'cause it was my long run. That means I ran it too fast - oops!

I am now sitting in my bed and resting for the remainder of the day! Monday is my long run day AND the day I try to take off from any kind of work (around the house or anywhere else). Of course, I still have to cook dinner, but I make that really easy. Tonight, it's pizza from WinCo! Easy!!

I want to say how much I appreciate the encouragement I get from runner friends on Twitter (and Facebook). Without them, it would be very difficult for me to continue running. They are the best! I met a couple of them at the Newport Marathon and plan on meeting a lot more in December when I run the California International Marathon in Sacramento. I can't wait!

My next race is a 10k in Stayton on July 4th. I pray it's not too warm or I'll be walking it. lol

I am thankful to God also for His help every time I run. I know I am doing what He wants - keeping healthy and taking care of the body He gave me. We need to be good stewards of all He gives us.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, ²⁰ for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

I believe that exercising and running, plus eating right to keep my body healthy is what God has in mind for us. Too many people call themselves followers of Christ, but destroy their body with the wrong foods and no exercise. I want God to be pleased with what I have done here on earth, not only in furthering His kingdom, but taking care of the "temple" that He has entrusted me with.

Have a fantastic day today and God bless you.

I promise to post more often, really I do!

Gina

MARATHON RACE REPORT

2009-05-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I DID IT! I finished my first marathon. I can't believe that, at age 55, I completed a marathon for the first time. It was not the best time, nor was it what I had anticipated, but I crossed the finish line and I wasn't the last one. :) There were 80 people behind me. Now, I know that's not a lot, considering there were around 800 running, BUT I FINISHED!!!

I started out very strong and didn't push myself at all, using the Galloway run/walk/run program. For the first mile, I ran 2 minutes and walked 1 minute, since a lot of it was downhill. After that I switched to run 1 minute, walk 1 minute like I had planned. I did very well until mile 10, when my ankle begin hurting EXTREMELY badly. So badly that I realized that I could not run anymore, but would have to walk. Talk about disappointing! I still had 16.2 miles to go! I had hoped to finish in 5:30, but forget that!

I began speedwalking and re-set my goal time to around 6 hrs. The pain kept getting worse and worse. I kept stopping to adjust the compression bandage I was wearing, but realized at about mile 23 that I had better not stop anymore or I wouldn't be able to start again. I was darned if I was going to not finish this race! I would crawl if I had to. :)

My daughter met me at about the 25.9 mile mark (she was worried I was dead on the side of the road.) and walked with me until mile 26.1, then sprinted ahead to get my finish pics. Two friends of mine, Matt & Sharon, continued on with me to almost the finish line. I wanted to run the last bit, but one try was enough to stop that idea. I finished in 6:02:37, which was right on what I had hoped for since I was walking. I almost broke into tears when I reached the finish line. I just couldn't believe that I made it.

My average pace for the first 10 miles was right at 12:00, perfect for a finish like I had planned; but the last 16.2 miles had an average pace of around 14:30, which gave me an average pace of around 13:40; pretty good for walking so much. It WAS a PR since it was my first!!!!

I was excited to meet @solorunner & @meechelle, my twitter friends, along with some of their friends. They ran great!

My mantra when I'm running long runs is always from scripture: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength"~~Philippians 4:13. Today, I really needed that scripture AND His strength. I said that over and over again, along with a few "Please help me, God" phrases (ok, maybe a LOT of them. :) God is so faithful and I believe He helped me to persevere through to the end.

Philippians 3:14 - "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - I pray that I will persevere in my walk with Christ also and strive toward the goal He has for me.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who encouraged me and supported me through the training for this marathon. I SO appreciated your belief in me that I could do this.

Now, on to the next one - October 11, 2009 - The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon in Susanville, California. Let the training begin! (After I heal, of course)

Have an awesome day and God bless you all.

Gina

Be Flexible

2009-05-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I need to be more flexible in my workouts! I seem to think that if I don't follow the schedule EXACTLY as it is written then the world will come to an end and my marathon training will be all messed up.

I had a 23 - 26 mile run planned for today, 4 weeks from my marathon; then taper for the last 4 weeks; this is what the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run plan calls for. However, I have been having pain in my buttocks & down my right leg and have been struggling with my running. Thanks to @TrainEveryDay, I found a link explaining what the problem is - Piriformis Syndrome - http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/piriformis-syndrome.php . So it's not another stress fracture, thank God.

I was hoping I could just run through the pain today, but realized after just a few miles that it was stupid to try to do that and jeopardize my marathon; so I turned around and came home, feeling defeated. I had started at marathon pace so my 3.88 miles was only at 11:36, which is very slow for that distance, but very good if I was running the entire 26 miles. So that part was good. :)

I decided to quit beating myself up and realized that I have already run 2 - 18+ milers, 1 - 20 miler, 1 - 21 miler, 1 - 22 miler, and 1 - 24 miler. I guess I CAN run a marathon. :) I will see how my leg feels next week and try for a 20 mile run on Monday, but I know it isn't completely necessary. It's more necessary that I let my leg get completely better for the marathon. I need to be more flexible.

I guess I need to be more flexible in other aspects of my life also. That's something I have been working on for the past few years and I know I'm getting better, but I can always improve. I'm not saying that I should compromise my values or Christian beliefs, but I need to realize that I am not always right (duh!) and be open to what others AND especially God have to say. I have to understand that if something doesn't go my way, it's not the end of the world and will probably be better. It's not "my way or no way". :) God's way is ALWAYS better. I just need to let Him rule in my life. He is forever looking out for me and will lead me in the right direction; all I have to do is follow Him.

Psalm 31:3
For you are my rock and my fortress;and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;

John 12:26
If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

God bless you and be with you today.

Gina

Perseverance Pays Off

2009-04-22T12:08:00.001-07:00

Boy, am I behind on my blog posts! It's been 1 day short of a month since posted. Oops, sorry! :)

Since my last post, I have run 90.1 miles with 3 long runs of 10.1, 14.1 & 18.4, the last being just 2 days ago.

I am training for my first marathon in Newport on May 30. I've been doing pretty well, with a few speed bumps along the way. When I started running in November of 2006, I was 53 years old and a definite non-athlete! I have always been a staunch supporter of non-exercise, trying not to use the "e" word at all, and definitely not doing it.

A friend of mine, Greg Johnson, inspired me to begin exercising at the beginning of 2005 and I had purchased exercise equipment, plus an elliptical to do just that. I had been very faithful to exercise. Somehow, I got inspired (by Greg) to begin running. I did a lot of the wrong things, ended up with an injury to my knees and had to stop for a while, but picked it back up in the spring of 2007. Then I got a stress fracture in my right tibia in May and had to stop AGAIN! I picked up running again after I healed, but just on a VERY small scale, never running over 2 miles at a time AND I was VERY slow.

Again, thanks to Greg, I entered my first race, the MLK Stride Toward Freedom 5K in Salem, Oregon on Jan 19, 2008. I hadn't run for 2 months because of health issues but still managed to finish with a time of 41:26, pace of 13:21 (VERY slow, but I finished!). That got me encouraged and with the begging of another friend, I decided (not very wisely) to sign up for a marathon in the fall and begin training for it. I had no idea what I was doing, but plodded on. After numerous aches & pains, I was fitted with prescription orthotics in the summer of 2008, but I had already suffered a stress fracture to my right femur, so the marathon was out. :( I had already completed 2 other races - a 5K & a 10K, both ran in the heat of the summer with not so good times.

So, it was back to recovery. This time I did a lot of pool running, joined a gym and began training correctly. Once I healed, I registered for the Newport Marathon and also the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon in October (the one I had to cancel on last year).

So far I have been doing very well. I lost 27 lbs last fall and my times have improved dramatically! I ran the MLK 5K race again this year with a time of 32:28; pace 10:29! I am wisely using the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run program and have increased my mileage to a long run of 24 miles, with a maximum weekly mileage of 32.46.

Now, I just have to not over-train and get injured before the marathon. Only 5 1/2 more weeks to go! I know that I CAN do this and I am so pleased that I have persevered and come this far. I know I haven't done it on my own, but have had the support of friends and the great help of God.

I remember thinking just 2 years ago that Greg had to be crazy to run 26 miles - that seemed like an impossible task back then, but is now reachable. I want to say thanks to him for his encouragement during all my training. He has been the best!

I also am thankful to all my "twitter" and "facebook" friends who have supported me. Having that outlet has kept me on track. I don't dare goof up and skip a run, they will all know. :)

Thanks to everyone!

James 1:25
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Perseverance will be rewarded! God says so in His word. We have to act on what we hear and DO it and then we will be blessed. I could have just listened to Greg explain how running had changed his life, read all the training manuals on running and even bought books and joined a gym, but if I didn't do something about it, I would still be a couch potato, hating the "e" word. :)

It's the same in our walk with Christ. We can ask Him into our lives, but if we just sit around and do nothing else, what good are we? God wants to work in us, but He can't do it alone - we HAVE to do our part. With us partnering with God, great things can be accomplished.

I know God is always there for me and will pick me up when I fall, but for me to expect Him to do all the work is foolish. He may give me a vision or a dream that He wants done, but if I just wait for Him to act, it will never see the light of day. I HAVE to get up off my behind and get to work too.

I am going to continue to persevere in my running, but most importantly am going to persevere in my walk with God. I want to do everything in my power to help him establish His Kingdom on this earth - I want it to begin with me. How about you?

God bless you and be with you today.

Gina

"Best Laid Plans"

2009-03-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

I had my long run (26 miles) all planned out today. It was going to be VERY windy, so I decided to get up at 4:00 AM so I could eat and then run at 6:00, to try to beat most of the wind. I went to bed at 9:00 PM, but of course, couldn't go to sleep. I tossed & turned all night - great start. I was up at 4 & checked the wind - already at 10 mph - wonderful! I was able to get out the door to run at 5:56 - a good start.

I am using the Jeff Galloway run/walk program and decided to stick to the plan of running 2 minutes & walking 1 minute. I was able to continue this plan up until mile 12, and then went to run 1 min/walk 1 min because of the winds (yes, they picked up to about 15-20 mph). Usually, I start out way too fast and then crash the last 2 miles.

I made a big mistake - I was trying to run in a direction away from the wind so I went North - that unfortunately is downhill (and I mean VERY downhill). The first hill I went down was about a -12% grade and it kept going for almost a mile, winding around curves. My shins & knee weren't used to this type of downhill running, so I ended up tweeking my knee and getting shin splints - stupid move on my part. Anyway, after running for 17 miles, I ended up speed walking the last 4 miles and only ended with 21 miles. I didn't want to injure myself this close to my marathon, which is May 30, so I decided to call it quits after 21 miles.

I was actually surprised that I averaged a 11:57 pace overall, since I walked the last 4 miles, but the run-2/walk-1 method DOES work on increasing speed - my first 17 miles were a lot faster than I usually run.

It was a disappointing run and now I will have to rest my leg the rest of the week, but I learned my lesson - "the best laid plans" I have may not necessarily work.

I'm finding this to be true in my life also. Whenever I think I have great "plans" for something and forget to ask God's advice, I usually end up failing. The scriptures are clear on this matter:

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

You notice, God doesn't say I know the plans YOU have for yourself; He knows the plans HE has for you. His plans are always the best; mine are not.

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in the mind of a man,but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.

I want plans that will stand, don't you?

Proverbs 16:9
The heart of man plans his way,but the LORD establishes his steps.

I like this scripture; we are not robots doing what God tells us. We CAN establish plans as long as we allow God to establish our steps to make those plans succeed. How much better than me trying to do it myself. Thank you, Lord!

Proverbs 16:3
Commit your work to the LORD,and your plans will be established.

So all I need to do is commit all I do to the Lord and He will work miracles. This is hard for me to do since I sometimes think I know best - that is SO funny - there's no way I know more than God. :)

Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name,for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

I'm definitely going to let God be in control, even in my running. I need to remember that He DOES know best and will not let me down. I'm going to let God plan my days. :) How about you?

Have a great and glorious day today. May God be with you and bless you.

Gina

Surrender

2009-03-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

"The freedom of Christ is worth the surrender of absolutely anything. Relief, not remorse, awaits the repentant.

Father, Your Word says that a person who lacks self-control is like a city whose walls are broken down (Proverbs 24:28).

Sometimes I feel like there is so much rubble, I can't rebuild the wall (Nehemiah 4:10). But Your Word claims that You are the Repairer of Broken Walls, and the Restorer of Streets with Dwellings (Isaiah 58:12). Please introduce Yourself to me by these wonderful names and rebuild the rubble in my life.

I confess to You that I am overwhelmed by the task ahead, but I am thankful that You have authority over all things. Heaven is Your throne; earth is Your footstool (Matthew 5:35). Therefore, anything over my head is under Your feet!"

~~Praying God's Word Day by Day by Beth Moore; March 6 prayer.

This is my prayer for myself today. God, you always are faithful to show me what I need; to tell me what I need to hear. Please help me to continue to trust you and depend on you to help rebuild the mess I've made out of my life. Thank you that you always forgive and bring me back into your loving arms. What would I do without YOU?

What would any of us do without HIM?

God be with you and bless you today.

Gina

Blessed to be a Blessing

2009-02-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

Matthew 25:14-30

14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

A different look at this parable –

Using the money God gives you for yourself – that’s like putting it in the ground. It is not gaining anything.

Using it to help others – giving to the poor, homeless, etc. is like earning interest in God’s kingdom.

What He has given to us is not ours – it is to be used to benefit the kingdom of God. That will multiply it immensely. We don’t “deserve” to spend money on ourselves. We deserve death for our sins – Jesus has given us life – let’s give that gift of life to others and not keep it for ourselves.

This not only applies to our finances, but our time as well. How can we say we don't have "time" to help others - in the homeless shelter, jails, prisons & where it is needed? Do we think our time is our own also? We need to make sure we share everything we have with those less fortunate and that includes our time as well as our finances. God did not put us on this earth to be "successful" in an earthly sense, but to be "successful" in His Kingdom here on earth. Everything we have has been given to us by Him, we haven't "earned" it and we certainly don't "deserve" it. God gives us things to see how we will use them, either selfishly for ourselves or unselfishly to help others. What do you do with what God has given you?

God said to Moses in Genesis 12:2

"And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing."

We are blessed so we can be a blessing to others, that's the ONLY reason.

We do not want to be like the goats mentioned in Matthew 25:31-46. We need to do unto others as we would to Jesus.

I pray that I will give back to others what God has given me, that I won't think I am worthy enough to keep anything for myself. I want Jesus to say to me, "Well done, good & faithful servant.". Don't you?

God be with you and bless you today.

Gina

Does Life REALLY Suck?

2009-02-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

What an interesting 2 weeks I've had. Not really good ones either. I wanted to title this post "Life Sucks" but that isn't very uplifting, is it? Nevertheless, that is how I have been feeling. There were times when I just wanted God to take me home, but He, of course, just ignored that request. Where is my joy? What happened to my optimism, my hope? Well, let's see...

I have been focusing on myself mostly - that's not a good thing.
I have been "sort of" praying to God, but not really with a repentant heart and spirit.
I have "read" my bible, but not really "listened" to what God is saying to me.
I have not kept my eyes on Jesus, that's for sure.
I have desired things that are NOT what God would want for me, and then have been upset when I haven't gotten them. - GO FIGURE!
I have pretty much given up on ever being happy or joyful and have decided that I will just have to "bear" this.

So now what? Do I continue to live like this or should I try to change? Right now, I don't really know, but I DO know this:

Deuteronomy 31:8
"It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

So, God is with me even during times like this. That's encouraging to know, but also somewhat embarrassing! So I have been trying to do this on my own, when HE has been there all along, wanting to help. Oops - that was stupid of me, wasn't it?

Ok, what else?

Jeremiah 29:12
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you."

Ah - He has PROMISED to hear us when we pray. That's cool!

Romans 8:26
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."

So I need to remember to pray in the Spirit also.

What about reading the bible? I read it every day.

Jeremiah 15:16
"Your words were found, and I ate them,and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name,O LORD, God of hosts."

Lord, help me to be like Jeremiah so that Your words will become a joy to me. Help me to really listen to what You are saying and not imagine what I want You to say. Help me to keep vigilant so I don't desire things that I cannot or should not have. Help me to LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN to You!!

Matthew 26:41
"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Oh yeah, the flesh is SO weak. I pray that God will give me strength.

Psalm 32:11
"Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!"

Psalm 51:12
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit."

Oh, I wish I could experience that joy again! It would be so wonderful! I know, Lord that You want this for me. I WILL feel it again, I know. You have promised and You are faithful. Thank you, Lord.

Deuteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,"

So I guess life really doesn't suck, unless I choose to let it. I think not, don't you?

God be with you and bless you today.

Gina

Trust in God ONLY

2009-01-19T16:46:00.001-08:00

Will I ever learn to trust God completely? Every time I think I am, something comes my way that throws me for a loop. I fall back into despair. I feel like David when he wrote in Psalm 13:1-2

"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2) How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?"

I know HE hasn't forgotten me, but I somehow have forgotten Him and what He can do for me. I have trusted in myself yet again; I have trusted in others yet again; when will I learn? Sometimes I don't think I ever will. I am in sunk in despair right now. Please, Lord, answer me. I want to be able to say, like David (Psalm 13:5-6):

"But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6) I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me."

Right now I don't think I can. Lord, please help me.

"I have set the LORD always before me;because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken." ~~Psalm 16:8

Yes, Lord help me to always set you before me so that I will not be shaken. Help me to trust in you ALWAYS, never in man, never in myself. You are the only one who will never let me down; Lord, please help me to remember that.

"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man." ~~Psalm 118:8

"Put not your trust in princes,in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation." ~~Psalm 146:3

Thank you Lord for helping me to trust in You. You are so awesome!!

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD." ~~Jeremiah 17:7

May God be with you and bless you today.

Gina

God is for Us!!

2009-01-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

Romans 8:28-3 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30) And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

I love verse 31 - it is SO true. We don't have to worry about who is against us or who is out to get us; GOD IS FOR US!! This is such an encouragement to me when I am facing any type of adversity. I just need to remember that no one or no thing can get to me unless he/she/it goes through GOD first. That means that He knows that I can handle it, WITH HIS HELP. He wants only the best for me and will not allow anything to get to me that isn't going to make me a better person. He will not allow any temptation to come my way without providing a way out.

1 Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

I just need to be so close to Him that I can see the way out and take it. I always thought the scripture about God not allowing anything to come our way that we couldn't handle meant that nothing would come my way that I couldn't handle on my own. I think this means that nothing will come my way that I can't handle WITH GOD'S HELP. Of course I can't handle it on my own. I can't handle ANYTHING on my own - I always need God's help.

I pray that I will be able to ALWAYS remember this and depend on God to help me through every part of my life. I don't want to get so cocky and arrogant that I think I can do it on my own. That's when I fall.

God be with you and bless you today.

Gina

How Awesome is our God!!

2009-01-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

Exodus 15:11
"Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness,awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?

There is no one who is more awesome than our GOD!! I want to praise Him every second of every day. How can He love someone like me? How could He have lowered Himself to come here to earth to die for ME? Such love, such unconditional love!

Thank you, Lord; thank you, thank you!!

I pray you have a fantastic day today. May God be with you and bless you.

Gina

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD!

2009-01-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Psalm 138

1 I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;

2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.

3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.

4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,

5 and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.

6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.

8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

I want to give the Lord thanks in all circumstances, with my WHOLE heart. It is so encouraging to see that ON THE DAY I CALL, He will answer me. I may not think I hear Him, but He ALWAYS answers, ALWAYS.

He gives me strength when I have none; during times of trouble, He preserves my life; even when I want to curl up and die, He won't let me. He is always showing me the beauty of life and the reason for living.

He will protect me against my enemies and will deliver me out of their hands - but He goes further than that and allows me to be able to forgive them and love them with His love. Now, THAT is something that seems impossible, but not with God!

The best part is that He will FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FOR ME. When I think I am worthless and have nothing to contribute, He shows me that He has a purpose for me. He planned me from the beginning of time and has great things planned for me.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13) You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

If I call on Him and seek Him with all my heart, I will find Him and He will HEAR me. How awesome is that? That GOD will hear ME? WOW!!

I know that HE will not FORSAKE THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. He never will, He is faithful!!

Thank you, Lord!!

God bless you and be with you today.

Gina

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO AS WITH YOUR HEART UNTO GOD

2009-01-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

"As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things 6) Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed,whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." ~~Ecclesiastes 1:5-65-6

"1) Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2) So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth; they have received their reward in full. 3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4) so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5) And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6) But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

16) When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17) But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18) so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19) Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

~~Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21

Whatever you do, do with all your heart as unto God. Don’t judge how much you do on what you think will come of it but let God take whatever you have and use it as He will. Only He knows what is coming in the future. If you do things only because of what the outcome will be and NOT in obedience to God, then your works are nothing. If you do things for the earthly reward, then you will not receive one in heaven.

Do what God commands without question. All we can do is sow our seed and let God worry about what it will become.

God bless you and be with you today.

Gina

2008-12-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

Psalm 139

1O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.

23Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!

It's so wonderful that God is always there for us, but we have to remember that, because of this, we can never hide from Him. Whatever we THINK, He knows, whatever we DO, He knows, whatever we SPEAK, He hears, even if we think we are alone.

I have so many times forgotten this and thought I could hide things from God. How I have been deceived! What in the world was I thinking? I am so grateful that God knows all these things about me and still loves me and will forgive me if I repent. I am reminded of what David said when he sinned with Bathsheba:

"Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight," ~~Psalm 51:4

I want to be like David and always acknowledge my sin and repent so I can receive God's complete forgiveness.

"7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.'

~~Psalm 51:7-12

Thank you, Lord for your unconditional love and forgiveness. Help me to keep on the right path and keep my eyes on Jesus.