MARATHON RACE REPORT

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

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

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"

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

"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

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?

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