It has been a couple of weeks since I posted again. Time is truly flying by! I finished out the month of June at 30min a day. On Friday July 1st I decided to do a cross training day and I went for a very long walk in my neighborhood. Usually when I am exercising my prayer of choice is the rosary. However today I really just praised God my entire walk. I was so struck by the beauty of nature, and the majesty we have all around us. I have always loved nature, the sights the sounds and the smells. I love listening to the wind in the trees, it is one of the most relaxing sounds to me. I love to hear the birds singing. I find such peace and comfort when I am able to enjoy the beauty surrounding me. So as I was walking today, I pondered if we can have such beauty around us here on earth, how beautiful it must be in heaven! I just kept thanking God over and over for the many blessings in my life, and the beauty that I can enjoy here on this earth. I have noticed that when I have a grateful heart, my joy seems to grow. I ended my walk feeling completely relaxed and joyous! Now that is a way to start your day!
Sat. and Sun July 2nd and 3rd
I did not get a run in either day. We headed out on vacation to the Black hills in SD. It is about a 9 hour drive from Fergus Falls. We of course made several stops on the way, you don't have much choice with four children. So Saturday was taken up with the travel and getting settled at the cabin. Sunday we went to Sylvan lake, took the kids swimming, did needles highway, and Keystone. It was a full days event, and I did not get a chance to sneak a run in.
Mon July 4th.
I did get a run in today. We just decided to hang out at the cabin today and enjoy the beauty around us. It made it much easier for me to sneak away and get my run in. I decided to still stay at 30 min this week because I did not get all my days in last week, and it seemed like it was a hard jump for me to make. The cabin I refer to is Steve's Grandparents/parents cabin. We are so lucky to have such a great place to take our family to. One of the things enjoy most is no distractions. No TV, no cell phone reception. It is also rustic. We use an outhouse, and do not have running water. The kids actually think it is kinda cool to have to go to an outhouse. My son Sam went to the bathroom more than he ever does at home! Anyway, the cabin is about 11/2 miles past a town called NEMO. So for my run, I figured I would run to Nemo and back. I had prepared myself mentally that it was going to be much harder for me to run here due to the elevation change. So I started on my run, and much to my surprise, I felt great! I was booking it. I get to the edge of Nemo in record time, and then I turn around to go back to the cabin. Now I realize why it was so easy, and why I was going so fast! It was all downhill. Now it wasn't obvious to me, it was a gradual decline, but going back the gradual incline sucked! I didn't feel quite so strong on the way back to the cabin. OUCH! I did make it however, and had overall a good run.
Tues July 5th
We are heading home today, so I knew I needed to get my run in before we left the cabin. So I got up and went for my run. I was more aware of the hill, so I took it much easier on the way down, so I wasn't so tired running back today. As I am praying and running today, I notice the great peace I have in my heart today. I often feel this way when I visit the cabin. The beauty of all the trees and only the sound of nature to fill my ears. The smell of pine and the sound of the creek flowing next to the road. It is just perfect. My run was more difficult for me today, I didn't run as far I did yesterday. I ran the full 30 minutes though, and am completely satisfied with that. Being able to run for 30 min is a huge victory for me! I am very happy today, which is probably a good thing, because I have 9 hours ahead of me in a car with four kids......Lord help me!
Wed, July 6th I took the day off.
Thursday July 7th
I could not get out of bed this morning, so I met a couple friends at the track after work today. One of the reasons I like to run in the morning is because I don't like to run in the heat. It was a cooker today! I think close to 90 degrees. I wasn't too sure how my run was going to go, but I was happy to have a couple of friends with me. I start out and man was it hard! I told myself to suck it up and to just deal with the heat. I have 30 minutes I have to get in, and the heat won't stop me. So I started my prayers and off I went. The first lap we all ran together, and then we kinda broke off at each of our own paces. Towards the end of my run, one of my friends joined me, and was a great encouragement to me. I have talked about how I like to finish my runs strong, so I tell Jean that the last one hundred meters, I am going to sprint it in. So I took off, and about 50 meters left I had nothing left, and Jean started cheering me on, telling me how I could do it. It was exactly what I needed. I was able to finish strong thanks to her support. Thanks Jean!
Friday July 8th.
I did a cross training day today. A Friend gave me the Jillian Micheal's 30 day shred video, and I really enjoyed it. It is a lot of good strengthening and calisthenic type stuff, which I should be doing in conjunction with my running anyway. So I am going to try and do both each day.....run and the 30 day shred. We will see what happens.
Sat. July 9th
I did not get out for a run this morning. Since returning from vacation, mid week, I was in desperate need to do a grocery shop, so that is the first thing I did today. I did however get out at about 2pm for a run. It's another really hot day, so am a little nervous about running. Thursday after my run, I got a little sick, just nausea and a little light headedness, I was sure it was that I was overheated. So I made sure I was well hydrated and off I went. I ran really slow today, the heat just sucks the life out of me! I did get my 30 minutes in though, and then I got home and did my 30 day shred as well. It was a good day.
Sunday July 10th.
I got up early this morning to go for my run. I have had enough heat training the last couple days! My run went really well this morning. I felt good, even though I have quite a bit of muscle stiffness in places from doing the 30 day shred. I said my prayers and got home, and did the 30 day shred again. I am really enjoying this, hopefully I can keep it up.
Monday July 11th.
I decided to bump my time up to 35 minutes today. My shins were a little sore starting out today, but nothing I couldn't handle. I start in with my prayers and I found myself in a good rhythm. I was having trouble really concentrating on my rosary this morning, so I just lifted up any aches and pains I was having and asked that it be used as a prayer to save on baby from abortion. One mother from the agony and heartbreak of abortion, and for one abortionist to have one less innocent persons blood on their hands. I found myself pleading in prayer on behalf of the baby, mother, and abortionist. I am not sure how to explain what I was feeling. I just know that after a while I wasn't aware of my pace or any aches and pains I had in my body. My mind was totally consumed in prayer. My heart was breaking for the mothers that have chosen abortion, and the agony they must face. My eyes were filling with tears as I thought of all the innocent blood shed over lies and confusion. I can honestly say I have never been so consumed by a prayer before. I have felt prayer, and have been moved by prayer, but this prayer consumed me. It was really powerful, and I don't think that I am explaining it very well. As I am finishing my run, I realize I have ran much further than I ever had before. I've recently started mapping my runs...... it is a great website that allows me to map out what I ran, and tells me how far I went, and what pace I ran. I ran about 34 min when I reached my driveway. I had gone 3.37 miles, which works out to be a 10:13 mile pace, which is really good for me. I was excited about my progress. This was day five, with tired legs, I ran the farthest, and the longest I have run so far, and I did it at a faster pace than I normally run. I think I need to get lost in prayer more often!
Tuesday July 12th
I took today off from my running. When I went bed last night I had stared coming down with a head cold. I did not sleep well last night at all. I awoke this morning feeling like I have an ice pick stuck in my head! Today is also my wonderful husbands birthday. I have already gotten him his present, but still try to make his day a little more special than a normal day. I know I Thank God everyday for the gift of Steve. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. I'm not going to ramble on about how he is the most perfect man in the world, because he is not.....none of us are. I am going to tell you that he is a man of principle, and integrity and honesty, and he tries very hard to always follow the will of God in his life. He loves his kids and his wife, the best he can each and every day. He is my best friend, and he loves me enough to never give me lip service. He always helps me to grow and strive and reach my full potential. He also tries very hard to push himself to reach his full potential. I am so proud of him, and love him with all of my heart. So today I thank God again, for bringing Steve into my life. We met when we were 15 and 16. We have grown up together. We have at this point of our lives, been a part of each others lives longer than we lived at home with our families.....amazing! Thank You Jesus for the gift of Steve.
Wed, July 13th
I was not able to pull myself out of be this am. This head cold is kicking my butt! I did however make myself go out and attempt to run after work today. Today I realized that running with a head cold is a great punishment. I was in agony! I couldn't breathe well, I felt like someone was chasing me and hitting me over the head every few seconds with a baseball bat, it was awful. I only made it about twenty minutes, and I had to stop. So hopefully I'll get feeling better, cause I really want to get back on track!
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