running with gratitude {25K}

On Saturday I completed my first 25K race.

If you live in Grand Rapids, you know that the Fifth Third River Bank Run is a much anticipated event each spring. It is the largest 25K road race {25K = 15.5 miles} in the country, and this year was the event's 35th anniversary. It's a common goal for local runners to want to run this race which happens on the second Saturday of May each year.

I'm not sure when I was first bitten by the 25K bug because {please believe me when I say this} this is one of the LAST things I thought I would ever want to do.

I think it must have happened last November as I was finishing up the training for my first 15K. At the time, 9.3 miles seemed to be at the very top of my running capacity...until I completed my last long run and realized I probably did have it in me to go a little further. We had an awesome race in Chicago a couple of weeks later and as we finished, I knew there was probably more mileage in store for me down the road.

January rolled around and it was time to get down to business. I followed the training schedule the best I could, making sure to hit the long runs on the weekend and filling the week with shorter runs and cross training like swimming and spinning. {Cross training became my BFF. I think it helped prevent both boredom and injury.}

When it was all said and done, I completed 17 weeks of training, 85 workouts in all. I logged almost 300 miles in runs and countless laps in the pool along with a handful of other workouts to round out my weeks. Week in and week out, I took it one step at a time. I had an amazingly mild Michigan winter and spring to train, and I was fortunate enought to stay relatively injury free.

Race week arrived and I was nervous. I wondered if my training would be enough. Would it rain? (River Bank tradition says it always rains on race day.) What should I wear? How should I fuel up? What pace should I start out at? Could I conquer the hilly terrain of the second half of the course? 

Luckily, I didn't need to worry. It didn't rain. My attire and fueling plan worked great. I hit my target pace and came in under my goal time. The hills were no problem. And yes, my training, all 17 weeks of it, was enough. And don't go spreading this around, but I daresay I even enjoyed myself.

I spent the first six miles or so perfectly comfortable, running along the Grand River with a cheerful, green canopy of trees overhead and a pair of friends nearby. Around the six mile mark we hit the turnaround to start heading back downtown and the road was lined with spectators for the next mile or so. Shortly after that, I was happy to see the halfway point sign and as I hit mile eight, the first half of the race was securely behind me. Around that point, I lost my friends and knew I was probably on my own for the rest of the race. 

And then the hills began. If you mention the River Bank course to a previous River Bank runner, they will inevitably mention the hills. I have plenty of hill runs under my belt, however, so I was hoping I was well prepared. They were still slightly daunting because I knew I needed to keep up my current pace to reach my goal time (I was around 1:14 at the halfway point and I wanted to finish in under 2:30).

The key to hills, I've decided is make them spiritual. This section of the course, roughly miles 8-12, was definitely the toughest, and I found myself charging up each hill as something to be conquered. I ran for those who can't run. I thought of all my hours of training. I stayed positive and in the moment. I ran with gratitude.

Around mile 12, I spotted Matt and Dylan and my father-in-law who rode down on bikes. By then I was back in the city and they were able to ride down the sidewalk next to me which was a huge boost. Around mile 13, I spied Theresa, Bethany & Katie P. cheering from the curb, and from then on I knew I was almost there. As I started to wind my way through the downtown streets, I heard shouts of encouragement from Tiece, my sweet SIL K3, and my neighbor girls.

I used my last surge of energy to cross the finish line just under 2:30 - 2:29:44 to be exact. Truth be told, it was a near perfect race for me and I crossed the finish line knowing I had run it to the best of my [current] ability. I felt good the entire run, I soaked up the experience, and I pushed myself to leave it all out on the course.

I am so grateful for these beautiful words from my friend and Holy Yoga instructor Jami. Last week via Facebook, she said to me: "enJOY every second... stay present... worship... breathe... pray... run with gratitude." I took those words to heart and they were on my mind my entire run.

It took me a long time to realize that running really is a community sport. There are so many people I want to thank for helping me along the way.

I am thankful for my workout girls for getting me started on this journey towards better health 75 weeks ago.

I am thankful for the countless veteran runners who patiently answered my questions along the way.

I am thankful for each and every Facebook friend who ever liked or commented on a running post on my wall (chalk one up for social media).

I am thankful for my husband who supported me along the way and for kids who are proud of their mommy.

I am thankful to God for giving me the ability to run in the very first place.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am beyond grateful.

There are so many things I will remember about this day - the sights and the sounds, the spectators and the friends, the fun parts and the hard parts, the hills and the valleys. Most of all, I will remember this: feeling grateful.

Will I ever do it again? A friend said that's kind of like asking a woman in the hospital who is holding a freshly delivered newborn when she's having another one. The blood, tears, and sweat may still be too fresh to give an honest answer. But like a mother looking back, give me some time and I will likely only remember the good stuff - the tremendous sense of accomplishment, the euphoria, the joy. 

My short answer: Ask me again later.

on finding time

I've been running. And running. And running cross training. A lot.

I'm training for my first ever 25K (for the non-locals: there is a race downtown Grand Rapids called the River Bank Run and it's kind of a big deal around here.) I'm not following the training schedule to a T, but I try to hit the long runs each weekend and then do four other workouts during the week, sometimes those are shorter runs and sometimes they are cross training type things like swimming or spinning.

The long runs take me anywhere from an hour and a half to two and half hours. Weekly workouts take 45 minutes to an hour. The bottom line is that right now I am devoting a lot of time to running and exercise.

I keep having the same question come up over and over. Women walk up to me and ask me how I fit it all in...and by that, they mean how do you find time?

To the ones who are holding babies in their arms as they ask, I start with, "Well, first you all need to be sleeping through the night..." So I guess that's the first thing. Make sure you are realistic about your situation. When trying to find time to exercise (or to do anything else that is a priority to you), you need to be honest about what's realistic for you. Set your goals too high and you will fail and then be disappointed and then feel bad about yourself. We all have enough problems without going out of our way to set ourselves up for failure.

When I started exercising consistently, my youngest was a year old, and I had two children in school part-time. A year and a half later, I have a two and a half year old and 2-3 days/week when both of the big kids are in school. I also have a great support system - a husband who encourages me to get out there (and I try to do the same for him), a mom who is happy to have a little extra grandchild time during the week, and great friends who are always willing to swap kids or meet up for workouts. Basically, I'm in a good place.

If you're not in a place like this, that's OK, you're just going to have to adjust your expectations and set a goal that is realistic for you, right now, right here. I remember being in the pregnant/newborn/toddler foggy place and I can tell you that it won't always be like this. Enjoy the great parts of this phase of life and then later on you can enjoy the stuff you see moms of older kids doing. But please, don't wish this time away.

Here's the next thing I will tell you (assuming you are in a position where you can make some things work): Plan your exercise time out ahead of time. I'm terrible at meal planning (i.e. my latest Facebook status update), but I'm really good at exercise planning.

I sit down at the beginning of the week with my planner and schedule in my five workouts. I check with my friends - we often have group workouts we want to do, I check with my hubby about his plans, and then I treat those workouts like any other obligation on my calendar. Less thinking, more doing. Skipping out isn't an option.

Maybe you look at your calendar and you're not seeing a lot of blank spaces (that's the catch 22 of having older kids...they also tend to have more activities and commitments outside the home). Here's some advice people don't like to hear: Be willing to make some sacrifices. Prior to The Great Workout Challenge of 2010, I rarely worked out because I needed the perfect storm of conditions to come together: ideal time of day + perfect weather + super fun workout = It Never Happened.

My long run usually happens on Sunday afternoon when the rest of my family is relaxing and napping. No Sunday nap for me. Two of my workouts usually happen in the early am hours during the week. Sometimes they involve an ice cold swimming pool; sometimes we watch the sun rise over the hills as we huff and puff up them. Sometimes I arrange childcare and pay babysitters so I can exercise. Strange, but true.

I don't watch much TV, coffee dates have been replaced by workout dates, I often need to go to bed earlier, and I've really, really had to give up the hair-looking-good thing (no matter how hard you try, some days require multiple showers...and I'm not willing to blow dry my hair more than once a day so my hair pays the price). 

Small sacrifices aren't so bad, as long as you are OK with why you are making them, which leads me to the next thing. Find your motivation. Are you trying to lose baby weight? Set a healthy example for your kids? Keep your heart healthy? Reclaim some "me" time? Build your self-confidence?

If you remember why you're doing what you're doing in the first place, you won't mind giving up some things. Your inner motivation is also what's going to keep you going when the going gets tough. It didn't take me long to fall in love with exercising (running, in particular), so now it almost feels like it's a part of me. I feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I don't question the small sacrifices because the end result is worth the price.

Lastly, in regards to finding time, I offer two little words: Start small. 72 weeks ago, the four of us girls jumped in feet first, throwing caution to the wind and started integrating five workouts into each week, cold turkey. Looking back, this was a little bananas. It worked for us - I believe the four of us combine to form a unique synergy of personalities and talents - but I realize this won't work for everyone.

Maybe you start by finding one hour a week when you can do something you love whether it's exercising or blogging or crafting and then go from there. Once you've got that down, look for two hours and so on.

Bottom line: you can do it. (Sleep-deprived mothers of newborns excluded...you don't need to do anything but to go lie down). Do what it takes to create time for the things you love. You are worth it. Living an intentional life is worth it. The time is out there, I promise, but it's up to you to find it.

{Holy} Retreat-ing

Last weekend I spent two days on the shores of Lake Michigan on a Holy Yoga retreat.

Um hmmm. I know.

I discovered Holy Yoga about a year ago because a woman at our church started offering a (free!) class once a week. We were just getting into our workout challenge and figured it would be a nice way to add some variety and community into our exercise routine. We wound up with a little more than we bargained for.

Holy Yoga is basically a Christian form of yoga. In a nutshell, it includes a lot of the beautiful parts of traditional yoga without any of the new age-ish elements...I like to call it "Jesus Yoga" (for more on what Holy Yoga is about, go here). I love the connection that Holy Yoga makes between what's going on in my physical self and what's going on in my spiritual self.

I received an email from the Holy Yoga instructor about a month ago about a retreat in March, and I instantly had this sense like this is something I would really like to do. I hadn't been practicing yoga lately because our weekly schedule and pace of life doesn't currently allow for it, but I jumped on board quickly and said yes. For the next couple of weeks I wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into.

In the end, it ended up being a really sacred, restorative, beautiful weekend. There were no expectations, nothing was forced, everything flowed together seamlessly. (Kind of like a really great yoga practice. Crazy.) I met some amazing women who left a deep impression on me. We ate, conversed, laughed, listened, sat still, and spent a lot of quality time on our mats.

I think I will always look back on this weekend as a marker...a milestone...an in between place on my way to some place else.

{My Retreat Reflections}

AKA [Almost] Everything I needed to know about life I learned on a Holy Yoga retreat.

1. Slow down.
2. When God nudges you, listen.
3. We all carry a story.
4. Women are beautiful, beautiful creatures.
5. A friendship isn't really cemented until you've shared a pull-out couch.
6. Deep, sometimes silent, soul-shaking laughter is where it's at.
7. We must root down to rise up.
8. Yes is more fun than no.
9. Gluten-free communion crackers are really, really crunchy, i.e. LOUD (Plan your crunching wisely!)
10. God wants your heart above your head.
11. We can learn from each other when we take the time to listen.
12. Yes, you can make an amazing cake out of black beans (of all things!)
13. Two are better than one.
14. Don't forget to breathe.

And lastly, this poem was shared on the retreat and it spoke deeply to my heart. I hope it speaks to yours as well.

Life is Calling 

A small investment in one step 

Produces rich results 

Beyond what you can dream 

So shelve the hideaways 

The high performance 

The hardeners 

The penetrating grey 

And take on a whole new beautiful 

Turn ordinary works into 

An extraordinary existence 

Everything you need to turn 

Slate blue into summer straw 

Is here 

Welcome to safety - and adventure 

On a path that suits your 

Specific needs 

In a way you can’t imagine 

Life is calling 

To one step 

No preparation 

Just a leap of Faith 

So be transformed by the falling 

Start as who you think you are 

And find joyous, dancing water. 

-Kelly Moore

fitness goals {year two}

In the spirit of keeping things fresh, it's time to make some Year Two fitness goals. $20 in a jar got me through Year One, but I'm going to need some extra motivation to make it through another 52 weeks.

Year One brought us these new adventures: yoga, lap swimming, cross country skiing, a pair of 5K's, a 10K, track workouts, water aerobics, road biking, paddle boarding, hill runs, an outside-the-box mud run, and a 15K.

Year Two promises to be about continuing the adventure: pushing, strengthening, growing and refining what we learned in Year 1, as well as looking for new (crazy?) ways to stay fit and have fun.

Year Two Fitness Goals:

• Try five new forms of exercise (including a spin class, a suspension class, indoor rock climbing...plus two others).
• Swim 24 consecutive laps in Lake HHS (I'm up to about 12 right now but there is a lot of pausing and gasping for air between laps).
• Master that darn flip turn. Not because I need to know how to do it, but because I want to say I can do it. And to prove that you can teach an old dog new tricks.
• Run with our church's running group.
• Attend a running clinic.
• Improve my 5K and 10K times.
• Run a race longer than a 15K. I know, right?? This is crazy talk, but I really believe this is within my reach - I'm going to start looking for a nice half marathon for 2012 (and girls, you know this means you're committed too!)
• Complete a sprint tri.
• Share the love - encourage other moms to get (and keep) moving.

52 weeks later...

We did it!

It's the one year anniversary of the workout journey that started with four friends, $80 and a jar.

I'm happy to report that the money and the jar are gathering dust in a bottom drawer in my kitchen and that we are all still standing.

[Fine print: well, technically, B is taking a brief hiatus until the arrival of Baby Girl O. But she did make it through week 30 of her pregnancy and she will be rejoining us right after her six-week postpartum check-up, right B??]

Our story started one cold, dark, snowy December night when we said yes to something that sounded crazy at the time: work out five times a week, 15 minutes minimum for as long as it takes...for what, we weren't sure. All we knew was that our money, pride and extra mommy pounds were on the line.

52 weeks later, we ended up with way more than we bargained for.

Yes, we are more fit and we're better runners, swimmers, and yogis. We're stronger, we breath easier and our pants fit better. We've met some goals, crossed some finish lines, and made some memories.

More importantly, we've learned some lessons that reach way beyond the realm of the workout world. Life lessons learned:

Yes is more fun than no. I'm a logical sort of gal and if something doesn't make tons of sense to me, I will probably say no. 5:30am swimming, you say? No, thank you. Errr, I mean, OK. Laughing hysterically with your best friends before the sun rises and then flying high on swim endorphins for the rest of the day?? Yes, please. Case in point: yes is more fun than no. The next time the word 'no' is on the tip of your tongue, try saying 'yes' instead. (Unless someone is asking you to jump off a cliff or bake four dozen cookies for a bake sale. In those instances, you should still say 'no.')

We were created to live in community. Stop trying to do things on your own. Seriously. Stop it. It's exhausting and not near as much fun. In a group, you can push each other, cheer for each other, lean on each other, celebrate together. Gather up some sisters, neighbors, MOPSers, same-church-section-sitters or random strangers and start living life. Together.

You is kind. You is smart. You is important. OK, maybe I learned that one from reading The Help, but it applies here too. It's easy in MommyLand to get caught up with everyone else's needs - which is admirable - and in the process we forget about ourselves - which is not so cool. This past year, I have realized that MeMyself&I have actual goals and dreams, and I have done things just for me. Revolutionary. It might sound selfish, but I would argue that taking care of yourself will in turn make you a better wife, mother, friend, worker, etc.

Be the change. I know it's cliche, but it's true. You can complain about being bored, unhappy or unhealthy. Or you can get up and do something about it. Which option will you pick? Do you want to run a 5K? You're going to have to get off the couch. Do you want to start your own business, make some new friends, or find a way to serve in your community? Make a plan, set a goal, and for goodness sake, just start.

Choose grace. Some days you're feeling it and you can run the extra mile. Some days you're not. Mama said there'd be days like this and (all together now) it's O...K... When you can't quite get it all together, extend yourself grace. And when you have extra love, energy, encouragement to spare, extend grace to others. Stop beating yourself up, stop judging others. Tomorrow is a new day. I promise.

* * * * *

One of my favorite pins reads: A year from now, you will wish you had started today.

It's one year later {260 workouts each, for those of you keeping track at home} and I am so, so glad we started.

Year Two and the journey continues...

{Previous Posts}

The post that started it all

Eight week update

Holy Exercise

Morale Boost

5K

Six month update

10K

Paddleboarding

Mud Run

15K

one sweet race

The Hot Chocolate 15K is billed as America's Sweetest Race.

I first heard about it from my friend EB while we chatted at the park one fine September morning. I went home and immediately told my go-to running gals about the race and we all verbally signed on.

And then reality set in.

9.3 miles??

And then fear crept in.

What if we can't do it? What if we fail?

KMac and I quietly tried to back out, hoping T would forget about it.

Two and a half weeks before the race, the inevitable happened: she held us to our verbal agreement.

[Actually she said she was running it with or without us and in that moment we knew we had to go...there was no way we were letting her run that race by herself!]

So we filled out our registrations and booked our hotel. We fit a couple of long runs into our workout schedules. And then we packed our bags and we were off.

And the race was sweet, indeed.

Sweetness is...

giggling your way through an I-forgot-my-iPod-in-Hudsonville crisis

scrambling out of bed at a very early hour, lacing up your running shoes and knowing there is nothing else you would rather be doing at that very moment.

enjoying the beauty of a big city on a sunny, crisp fall morning while Needtobreath blares in your ear buds

running side by side with two of your dearest friends on God's green earth

feeling like a real runner as you navigate through aid stations and suck down Hammer Gels

channeling the support you received ahead of time from your family and friends as the run begins to get hard (my bro-in-law's words became my mantra around mile 5: "Kill it, sis.")

passing the 5K marker and realizing that a distance that seemed hard 8 months ago felt like a warm-up

seeing the 10K marker and knowing that you are running faster than your last 10K race time...with 3.1 miles still to go

facing a hill head-on at mile 9 and not slowing down, because you know you've got this, you've trained for this

finishing strong - and finding out that your last 5K split was the fastest of the three

enjoying a well-deserved runners high while basking in your achievement {1:25:33}

knocking #6 off of your Year 32 list

and, of course, sweetness is...

being handed chocolate bars, fondue and hot chocolate just past the finish line for your efforts.

Dirty Thirty's

We were just starting our second lap

(the course was a 1.5 mile loop)

and we were having fun

but we were also starting to feel tired and out of breath.

We were carrying extra pounds of mud weight on our bodies.

There was mud squishing between our toes inside our socks.

And our shoes had narrowly survived

a couple of near-mud-death experiences.

One of us

(I think it was Theresa)

said what the rest of us were thinking:

I could use a little extra motivation right now

as we entered a long, deep, muddy pit.

Just then we looked up

and there was a woman who had to be in her sixties

(I'm a bad estimator of age but I remember white hair)

slogging through in front of us, one foot in front of the other.

And that's when we knew:

#1 we could do this.

#2 we want to be the kind of woman

who signs up for mud runs in her golden years.

Year 32? How about Year 62.

The best is yet to come.

the adventure continues...

Thanks to Groupon

...and girlfriends

another adventure 

(and workout) 

is in the books.

{Week 34 & going strong}