just sharing

Someone introduced me to this song a few nights ago.....I know I have heard it before just not quite like this...anyway I enjoyed this while stretching after my run this morning.

back in the game and with a game plan

Woke up this am and headed out for a quick 2 mile run. I did finish at a 12 min mile pace which is still better than when I first started back running. However....I am really nervous about this race we have coming up now. This run felt difficult, I couldnt even run the entire amount that my body is used to and when I got home I noticed some wheezing with deep breaths...asthma..oh no! I was plagued with side stitches throughout my run and really just didnt feel like my body was prepared for the mileage this morning. So with all that said....I am scared....I struggled with 2 miles today and I am supposed to run 7 this saturday....Lord help me! I hope I was just having a tough start up day. After all I did feel really great running the trails at Petit Jean a week ago.

Amy...time to ramp up prayers....for my body....we have God only to thank if I am able to pull this off!

A trail to run for 7-8-09

My mother and I awoke early and headed out for a hike with one of the Rangers to the waterfall overlook at Petit Jean park. It was of course gorgeous! We finished that hike thanked the Ranger for his time and decided to do the 2 mile hike down to the waterfall so we headed out. The first half of the trail is incredibly intense and technical and we both dreaded having to come back up it later. None the less we continued on.

We had almost made it to the falls when we saw a woman sitting on a log along the path we paused briefly to say hello and chat. She had stopped to rest and said she was too out of shape to be doing this.....She of course weighed in at probably between 300-400 pounds so my guess is she was totally right! We wished her luck and continued on to the falls.

We made it to the falls and even though there was not much water running due to the fact they havent had much rain lately..it was still gorgeous and captivating! I do not know or understand how a person could see something such as that and still deny there is a God! It was breathtaking! The sound of the water crashing down was mesmerizing and my mother decided it was a good time to lay down for a rest. As she laid down I ventured over to get as close to the water crashing down as possible. This of course meant crawling over some very treacherous rocks and I was thankful for my recent climbing experience and to God for making me so sure footed. I journeyed back to where my mother lay resting upon a rock like a lizard and crawled up and found myself also sprawled out like a lizard enjoying the peaceful sound of the falls.

We were preparing to leave the falls when the lady we had encountered earlier made it to the falls we told her to enjoy and wished her luck on her journey back and we headed out. And then it hit me....an insistent urge to be crazy and run the trail. I told my mom I would stop periodically and wait for her to catch up and I took off. I felt like I was running faster than ever and it felt good! I ran for quite a ways before I finally stopped and was amazed at my bodys endurance. Praise God for how wonderfully he has made me! I paused to chat with some folks who were journeying and suddenly heard the pitter patter of little feet approaching. I turned and what to my wandering eyes should appear but my Momma dearest breezing thru the trees! Thats right folks my Mother the one who said she would just walk....and there she was running down the trail towards me. You can only imagine the proud glow of her gleaming with sweat youngest daughter. She caught up caught her breath and we were off! She walked over a lot of the more technical stuff. I however am crazy and kept running. I found a certain joy in dancing with the ground to get my feet placed properly that was becoming more and more addicting with each step, so much in fact I could not stop for the technical stuff I trudged on until gasping for breath I was forced to stop in order to say hello to a passerby.

I eventually came to the end of that part of the trail I could go straight another mile to Blue Hole or I could go up the treacherous hike to finish the falls hike. I decided to wait for my mother to catch up before making a decision. As I stopped a huge family passed headed to Blue Hole we chatted for a bit and they commented about how that was one way to get in shape running trails. I told them how I was training for a half marathon trail run and this was my first time running trails. A man in the group gave me fist poundage and said you can do it! I found out soon after that he had ran 5 marathons! Before too long here came my Mom and I talked her into heading to Blue Hole and then finishing the end of the falls hike. Off we went to Blue Hole and I was running and feeling great and passing people like crazy! And my mother was not far behind me! We went for what seemed like forever but I was addicted I could not stop running it felt so good so natural so right! We finally came to an opening near the water so we took our shoes off and waded in to cool our legs and feet. It felt amazing!

We finally decided to head back to the finish the falls trail even though we never made it to Blue Hole. We later found out from the family we had passed that we barely missed it. In talking with the Ranger the next day he said the trail was more like a mile and a half or 2 miles instead of 1 mile. That was good to hear since we both felt as though we had gone farther than 1 mile. Oh well the run towards Blue Hole was my favorite and I look forward to going back and actually finishing it and seeing Blue Hole!

I am so blessed to have a healthy body, a crazy Mother to keep up with me, the chance to experience the beauties of Petit Jean and a crazy friend to talk me into doing dumb stuff like trail running that just happens to be so fun and addicting! Thank you God!

Running Pikes Peak with my Mom

I drug my mother out of bed this morning for a nice little 2 mile run before heading to arkansas. Grumbling and complaining she came walking out of the house. We came to the first big hill to run and she started laughing and calling it Pikes Peak. I told her to make sure she pops her ears on the way up and that I hoped she had brought her coat and pants to handle the snow at the top. We trudged on. She did manage to run all of the sections I normally run....just at a much slower pace. This ended up being a super easy run for me and sooo slow....crazy since we ran at a 14 min mile pace which is what I started at when I got back into running! The run none the less was enjoyed and now i must stretch and pack for Arkansas.

take some time off then run

So I havent ran in 3 days...which is a really long time for me now! This morning came and I didnt even want to get up and run....and I have the day off!!! I eventually drug myself out of bed telling myself I would feel better after running and besides I needed to do something to make up for all my poor eating and beverage choices over the weekend. I dont have any watermelon so it was just water pre run :( Then I couldnt find Daphnes leash....oh wait...pretty sure I left it in Lloyds Hummer and it is now in Sedalia. I grabbed a spare leash someone gave me but it is really short and barely long enough for Daphne to walk along side me. Off we went...short leash, no food, some body aches from the weekend, and dreading the run.

I walked my first leg as normal then began my first running leg which consists of running 3 parts. I was completely exhausted and out of breath after the first leg. I felt like I was dragging Daphne because of the leash....and then I thought...maybe I am running too fast? So I slowed my pace down and finished that leg. Seems I was running too fast! I finished my first mile and headed home for my 2nd mile. My second mile my body was not only exhausted but I couldnt catch my breath and my body was growling for food. So you see I found out how important my pre run watermelon is....even for a short 2 mile run!! I finished my run dripping in sweat the temp isnt bad but the humidity is! I finished this at an 11 and a half minute per mile pace so that is the best I have done so that is great! Now that it is done and over I am sooo glad I ran and I feel better about myself and proud even! Now I remember why I get out of bed and run!

Have a great day! Get up and do something healthy for yourself today you will not regret it!

Drugs can never replace the natural high of excercise people.....dont know why I was thinking that...just trying to be clever perhaps.

Just realized I cant really say that since I have never done drugs.....argh...nevermind....maybe someone who has done drugs and now excercises can state if that is true or not?

This belongs in an cartoon

This morning well didnt go as planned....instead of waking at 6 to do between 4-6 miles I woke up at 8. Then while getting ready I had a Tom & Jerry moment and dropped my cell phone on my left big toe that is injured....after a stream of expletives, hopping on one leg and some tears I hobbled to the kitchen for some watermelon and water and to put my shoes on. It hurt so bad I couldnt hardly even stand the feel of my shoes on my foot. I hobbled out the front door wondering why I was still going out I was in pain and running behind on packing for my climbing trip. Mile one the toe hurt....bad. Mile 2 it became less noticeable and by the beginning of mile 3 it was no worse than it is walking around the house. Overall it was good run even if it was only 3 miles. I did do them all at a 12 min pace though :) Hopefully will get in some trail runs this weekend while camping and climbing!

scared going out the door....happy coming in!

So I must say that last night I was at my sisters weeding her garden...wearing flip flops...Well as I was walking thru the garden I stubbed my left big toe on a rock and busted my toe open. So it hurts! With that said I was a tad bit scared going out the door this morning because I was worried it was going to hurt and probably even worse once I got running and would make my run a bad one.

Why do I ever worry? My toe did fine I hardly noticed it at all really! The weather was 61 but humid but that is sooo much better than last weeks weather! My run felt somewhat like I was pushing my body even though I felt I was going slow...but other than that it felt really good! Imagine my suprise when I got home and realized I had ran at an 11:30 pace per mile! YAY another step forward....now if we can just get that mileage up! planning to try 4 or 6 miles tomorrow since I wont get to run this weekend :( But at least I will be hiking and climbing it will be a good rest (or change of pace at least) for my body.

I am sipping on my coconut water (natures gatorade) which is not only tastier and healthier than gatorade but is also more nutrient rich! I should go stretch and get ready for work now...time is running out.