This week was a little crazy, but it worked out okay in the end. I had to do 3 miles on my birthday, cross train the same day I had praise team practice at church, 3 miles on Thursday, and 5 miles today. With the help of my hubby (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday) & Kim (today), I was able to pull it off. Plus, I'm officially registered for the Disney Marathon. Now that I've plunked down $135 registration fee, I feel even more motivated to do it! :)
After a month of training, I feel great and am getting more excited & nervous about January. I just keep praying that God will protect me from injury & illness (although allergies this week have made my jalks a little difficult), provide the funds I want to raise for Matt & the kids, and that I'd see God's blessings throughout this process. I know it's going to get harder, and I just want to stay focused on what's important and work my tail off (figurative & literally--cheesy grin) to bring glory to God and to honor Kylee's memory.
Until next time...
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
And Now the Purpose of the Marathon...Drum Roll Please!
As of this week, my purpose for being crazy and doing a marathon has been finalized. I will be jalking to raise money for "Kylee's Kids". If you don't know the background story, here it is:
My cousin, Matt Boden, married an incredible woman named Kylee. She was a perfect fit into our family from the start, and it was like she was "always a Boden". Anyway, they had twins, Seth & Lydia, in 2004 a few months after we moved to Texas and when I was pregnant with James. She had another little gal, Sarai, a few years later, and then was pregnant with #4 at the start of this year. Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to meet little Caleb. On March 17th, 2010, she had been having contractions and back pains, and then a massive headache hit. She took a shower and intended to take a nap, but she passed out. Matt called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital. She had had three seizures, and they decided to deliver Caleb. He was born and doing all right, but Kylee wasn't. By the end of the day, she had lost all brain function and had gone home to be with the Lord. So now, Matt is a single father of four kids, ages 6 to 5 months.
Then, an amazing minister, Arron Chambers, decided to do something amazing. Here's what he wrote:
"In my grief I decided to try to do what I could to help Matt and the kids so I talked with Matt, prayed about it, and — with Matt’s permission — Kylee’s Kids was born.
Kylee’s Kids is a fundraising effort that I’ve established to raise money for a one-time gift to Matt and his kids. On November 7, 2010 I’m fulfilling a personal goal and dream by doing an Ironman Distance race in Las Vegas called the Silverman. I’m doing the race as a fundraiser for Matt and Kylee’s Kids. Between now and race day my goal is to raise $5,000 for Matt and his four kids. I am underwriting this fundraising effort and EVERY SINGLE penny that is collected in this campaign will go directly to Matt and Kylee’s kids.*"
I told Arron that I thought it was so incredible that he was going to do that and it made me want to do something big for Matt, too (this was within a month, I think, of her death).
Okay, so fast-forward to July & Windy's "kingdom card". So, the Disney marathon is my "big" thing to raise money for Matt. I haven't gotten a website set yet, but I will soon, with lots of help from my techno-savvy hubby. I am also planning to pay for my entrance fee & expenses for doing the race so that Matt can have all the money I raise go straight to taking care of the kids.
So, as one of my students loved to say, "It's on like Donkey-Kong!" I'm at the end of my third week of training, and I have a very clear goals in mind: (1) Finish the Disney Marathon, & (2) Raise $1,000 to give to Matt when I finish the race. Praying for blessings in giving (would love to raise more if possible), blessings on his family & mine during this training time, and for an injury-free & healthy 20-some-odd weeks until the big race!
My cousin, Matt Boden, married an incredible woman named Kylee. She was a perfect fit into our family from the start, and it was like she was "always a Boden". Anyway, they had twins, Seth & Lydia, in 2004 a few months after we moved to Texas and when I was pregnant with James. She had another little gal, Sarai, a few years later, and then was pregnant with #4 at the start of this year. Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to meet little Caleb. On March 17th, 2010, she had been having contractions and back pains, and then a massive headache hit. She took a shower and intended to take a nap, but she passed out. Matt called 911 and she was rushed to the hospital. She had had three seizures, and they decided to deliver Caleb. He was born and doing all right, but Kylee wasn't. By the end of the day, she had lost all brain function and had gone home to be with the Lord. So now, Matt is a single father of four kids, ages 6 to 5 months.
Then, an amazing minister, Arron Chambers, decided to do something amazing. Here's what he wrote:
"In my grief I decided to try to do what I could to help Matt and the kids so I talked with Matt, prayed about it, and — with Matt’s permission — Kylee’s Kids was born.
Kylee’s Kids is a fundraising effort that I’ve established to raise money for a one-time gift to Matt and his kids. On November 7, 2010 I’m fulfilling a personal goal and dream by doing an Ironman Distance race in Las Vegas called the Silverman. I’m doing the race as a fundraiser for Matt and Kylee’s Kids. Between now and race day my goal is to raise $5,000 for Matt and his four kids. I am underwriting this fundraising effort and EVERY SINGLE penny that is collected in this campaign will go directly to Matt and Kylee’s kids.*"
I told Arron that I thought it was so incredible that he was going to do that and it made me want to do something big for Matt, too (this was within a month, I think, of her death).
Okay, so fast-forward to July & Windy's "kingdom card". So, the Disney marathon is my "big" thing to raise money for Matt. I haven't gotten a website set yet, but I will soon, with lots of help from my techno-savvy hubby. I am also planning to pay for my entrance fee & expenses for doing the race so that Matt can have all the money I raise go straight to taking care of the kids.
So, as one of my students loved to say, "It's on like Donkey-Kong!" I'm at the end of my third week of training, and I have a very clear goals in mind: (1) Finish the Disney Marathon, & (2) Raise $1,000 to give to Matt when I finish the race. Praying for blessings in giving (would love to raise more if possible), blessings on his family & mine during this training time, and for an injury-free & healthy 20-some-odd weeks until the big race!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Lesson in Water & Work
I'm back to work full-time as of Monday, so training will be getting a whole lot more challenging. My options are to either get up at 4 am, go before I eat dinner, or wait 30 minutes after I eat dinner to exercise. So, I'm choosing to exercise before I eat so I'm not having to work out late at night. We'll see if it works or not.
On Monday, a terrific thunderstorm rolled through our area, and I was panicked that I wouldn't be able to get my miles in. Luckily, the weather cleared out, dropped the temperature a couple of degrees, increased the humidity, and I was able to keep on schedule. I did a 3-mile "jalk" around the neighborhood while my family ate the dinner I fixed for them. The first mile was good, except for the dog that decided I was an obvious threat to his territory. He barked & carried on, and even tried to follow me for about 50 ft. I'm just glad he didn't try anything foolish. The second mile was not-so-good when I realized that I hadn't had more than about 8 oz of water all day (had coffee during training meeting & iced tea at lunch). YIKES! I had a stitch in my side and some cramping in my tummy that I just had to suffer through for the rest of my training (which, by the way, I was chastising myself for not hydrating properly during the day). I eventually made it, and was able to enjoy the dinner I had cooked once the kids were down to sleep (Nathan kept begging off of my plate, so I had to stop eating & give a little attention to him).
Lesson learned: I'm drinking more water during the day so I don't have to suffer through another one of those miserable waterless training runs if at all possible.
Now, if you'll excuse me, "Fartlek" & I have a 20-minute date followed by a nice wheat pasta dinner!
Until next time...
On Monday, a terrific thunderstorm rolled through our area, and I was panicked that I wouldn't be able to get my miles in. Luckily, the weather cleared out, dropped the temperature a couple of degrees, increased the humidity, and I was able to keep on schedule. I did a 3-mile "jalk" around the neighborhood while my family ate the dinner I fixed for them. The first mile was good, except for the dog that decided I was an obvious threat to his territory. He barked & carried on, and even tried to follow me for about 50 ft. I'm just glad he didn't try anything foolish. The second mile was not-so-good when I realized that I hadn't had more than about 8 oz of water all day (had coffee during training meeting & iced tea at lunch). YIKES! I had a stitch in my side and some cramping in my tummy that I just had to suffer through for the rest of my training (which, by the way, I was chastising myself for not hydrating properly during the day). I eventually made it, and was able to enjoy the dinner I had cooked once the kids were down to sleep (Nathan kept begging off of my plate, so I had to stop eating & give a little attention to him).
Lesson learned: I'm drinking more water during the day so I don't have to suffer through another one of those miserable waterless training runs if at all possible.
Now, if you'll excuse me, "Fartlek" & I have a 20-minute date followed by a nice wheat pasta dinner!
Until next time...
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Week 2 of Training DONE!
So far, so good. I've survived two weeks of training, and I feel pretty good, aside from the "Fartlek" day. I completed three miles of jalking in roughly 40 minutes. And I say "roughly" because my stupid pedometer (with timer, step counter, etc.) broke this morning (reset button is MIA)--that's what I get for buying a cheap one. The next one I buy will be better, and probably a watch, instead of a hip clip (harder to check time & mileage when you're looking at a little box on your waist). The food changes have been beneficial, and I even have the family eating wheat bread & wheat pasta with minimal complaints (of course, just about ANY meal will come with at least one when little guys are involved). I'll be curious to see how next week goes, since I'll be back to work, getting ready for the school year, and trying to figure out when to fit my training sessions into my schedule.
Until next time...
Until next time...
Friday, August 13, 2010
"Jalking" in the Rain
I had the opportunity to get my 2 miles in first thing in the morning yesterday, due to a sick hubby (bad) and sleeping kids (good). When I opened the garage door to make my escape, I got a surprise--it was sprinkling! I have heard that training in the rain actually feels pretty good, so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I set the MP3 player to "random", hit play, and started warming up. The first song, I kid you not, was Chris Rice's "Smellin' Coffee," which made me smile, and every other song the little machine randomly played was just perfect for my mood or my "jalking" pace! In the cool rain I was able to complete my distance easier than I ever had before. Well, that and hating the "Fartlek" training the day before made an "easy" jalk so much more enjoyable! I got back to my house, and I felt great.
I'm hoping my 3-mile session tomorrow goes this well!
Until next time...
I'm hoping my 3-mile session tomorrow goes this well!
Until next time...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Fartlek VS. Mandessa
I actually had to look this up because I didn't know what the heck it was. On my training log it says:
"These are shorter sessions made up of jogging, walking and some fast running. They offer a nice change of pace to continuous running and they can help improve aspects of endurance such as VO2max and anaerobic threshold. You don't need to know what those terms mean, I've just added links if you're interested.
Here is the format for our Fartlek sessions...
"Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a form of conditioning which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.... Fartlek training was developed in 1937 by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér (1891–1983) and has been adopted by many physiologists since. It was designed for the downtrodden Swedish cross-country teams that had been thrashed throughout the 1920s by Paavo Nurmi and the Finns. Holmér's plan used a faster-than-race pace and concentrated on both speed and endurance training." ( so Holmer was the one who had the axe to grind...)
All I know is that it was the hardest day of training for me yet! Part of the problem was that I started off too fast and that it was already pretty hot outside by 10 am (curse you, stupid humidity & heat index!). I was trying to keep an eye on the boys, my timer, and not die all at the same time. Now, I can multitask fairly well, but holy cow, this kicked my big, old tail severely! The ONLY part I liked was that I was done in 20 minutes. The next time I do this, which is next week, I will wait until the hubby gets home and has the kids before I do it again.
On the good side, the new eating is going well. I'm down to drinking only one cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and not drinking any more caffeine for the rest of the day. I'm also really enjoying more fruit, veggies, and especially wheat pastas & breads. The boys even ate the pasta without a word of complaints, and I didn't tell them it was different... :) And while I was at school starting to get my classroom ready yesterday (and that is a HUGE job, in case you didn't know), someone said that whatever I had been up to over the summer it was making me look fantastic! I'll pay Lisa her dollar later... ;)
Well, it's off for more "cross-training" in the house, i.e. cleaning floors & bathrooms (doesn't that sound lovely--almost as bad as a Fartlek training).
Until next time...
"These are shorter sessions made up of jogging, walking and some fast running. They offer a nice change of pace to continuous running and they can help improve aspects of endurance such as VO2max and anaerobic threshold. You don't need to know what those terms mean, I've just added links if you're interested.
Here is the format for our Fartlek sessions...
- Warm Up with 5-10 minutes of light jogging
- Run for 4 minutes, jog slowly for 1 minute. This one cycle
- Repeat for the prescribed amount of time (see chart at bottom). A 20 minute session would consist of 4 cycles
- On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 is a very fast run, 1 is a leisurely stroll) aim for a level 7 to 8 on the runs
- Cool down for 5-10 minutes of light jogging"
"Fartlek, which means "speed play" in Swedish, is a form of conditioning which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with running, but can include almost any kind of exercise.... Fartlek training was developed in 1937 by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér (1891–1983) and has been adopted by many physiologists since. It was designed for the downtrodden Swedish cross-country teams that had been thrashed throughout the 1920s by Paavo Nurmi and the Finns. Holmér's plan used a faster-than-race pace and concentrated on both speed and endurance training." ( so Holmer was the one who had the axe to grind...)
All I know is that it was the hardest day of training for me yet! Part of the problem was that I started off too fast and that it was already pretty hot outside by 10 am (curse you, stupid humidity & heat index!). I was trying to keep an eye on the boys, my timer, and not die all at the same time. Now, I can multitask fairly well, but holy cow, this kicked my big, old tail severely! The ONLY part I liked was that I was done in 20 minutes. The next time I do this, which is next week, I will wait until the hubby gets home and has the kids before I do it again.
On the good side, the new eating is going well. I'm down to drinking only one cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and not drinking any more caffeine for the rest of the day. I'm also really enjoying more fruit, veggies, and especially wheat pastas & breads. The boys even ate the pasta without a word of complaints, and I didn't tell them it was different... :) And while I was at school starting to get my classroom ready yesterday (and that is a HUGE job, in case you didn't know), someone said that whatever I had been up to over the summer it was making me look fantastic! I'll pay Lisa her dollar later... ;)
Well, it's off for more "cross-training" in the house, i.e. cleaning floors & bathrooms (doesn't that sound lovely--almost as bad as a Fartlek training).
Until next time...
Monday, August 9, 2010
Week 2 of Training Begins!
I'm so glad that I have a network of terrific friends out here! Jenn came over with her three sweet kids, brought breakfast, and watched my boys so I could get my 3 miles in today. She even organized & cleaned up James' room for me. I think I'm going to have to petition for "sainthood" for her! :)
Three miles were tougher than 2, but that's expected. I discovered that I really need to get one of those belly pack things for snacks & water/Gatorade. I can't wait until the end to get a drink (I know, duh). I actually met someone who had an interesting T-shirt (print was upside down and said something like "If you can read this, turn me back over in my canoe) on and we started talking & "jalking" (jogging+walking) together. He's a grandpa with grandchildren around my kids' ages and it was his first time to "jalk" after a long hiatus. It made the last mile a little easier.
Until next time...
Three miles were tougher than 2, but that's expected. I discovered that I really need to get one of those belly pack things for snacks & water/Gatorade. I can't wait until the end to get a drink (I know, duh). I actually met someone who had an interesting T-shirt (print was upside down and said something like "If you can read this, turn me back over in my canoe) on and we started talking & "jalking" (jogging+walking) together. He's a grandpa with grandchildren around my kids' ages and it was his first time to "jalk" after a long hiatus. It made the last mile a little easier.
Until next time...
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Week 1 DONE!!
So far, I have survived the first week of training, even with doing "Music In Motion" Sports Camp every night this week! Reflections from training this week:
Until next time...
- Quality shoes make such a difference! I wore my old "Easy Spirit" shoes a few times this week for Camp, and those nights my feet were pretty sore from jumping up and down & doing choreography in 2-yr-old shoes.
- Running in 100+ heat index is stupid, stupid, stupid. I'm pretty sure I've already said it, but I'm never doing it again!
- I actually need to eat MORE. Such a change from watching every little thing and counting every calorie, feeling guilty about any indulgences.
- I need to eat HEALTHIER! There is more "healthy" food in my house now than ever before in my life. I think the family may be forced to eat better during my training (maybe this trend could continue after I've done my marathon?).
- Having music to listen to while jogging/walking makes it so much easier. I put almost 100 songs on Shawn's MP3 player and just hit random. I heard everything from Newsboys to the "Footloose" soundtrack this morning during my "long run" day.
- I had a huge smile on my face when I finished my 2 miles today. It felt awesome, and in just one week I noticed a difference between how easy it was to complete in comparison to the mile I did last Saturday. It also helped that I jogged & walked in intervals, but I left my watch at home, so I don't know how long I jogged versus walking.
- I'm enjoying the time I have to be just me, the MP3, and Brooks (shoes). So nice to give my brain a break and to not be "mommy/wife/etc." for a little bit.
- I never thought I'd ever say this, but I'm really enjoying this "running" (jog/walk). I should have picked this up a long time ago!
Until next time...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
A few lessons learned...
I completed 2 miles yesterday by jogging/walking in my friend Celina's neighborhood while she let my kids play at her house (and by "play" I mean James played Wii while Nathan was into EVERYTHING!). Along my little journey, I learned a few valuable lessons:
1) Completing miles at 3:30 pm in a Texas summer is stupid. Never setting foot outside to train in that heat ever again!
2) Need to take a serious look at my diet and make changes that will give me more energy.
3) Grape G2 Gatorade is WONDERFUL!
I also need to remind myself to do more "intervals" and not try to go as far as I can. I don't want to burn-out or get injured--I have too long of a way to go!
1) Completing miles at 3:30 pm in a Texas summer is stupid. Never setting foot outside to train in that heat ever again!
2) Need to take a serious look at my diet and make changes that will give me more energy.
3) Grape G2 Gatorade is WONDERFUL!
I also need to remind myself to do more "intervals" and not try to go as far as I can. I don't want to burn-out or get injured--I have too long of a way to go!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
My Training Schedule
Just in case you were wondering which schedule I picked (out of the bazillion online), here it is. Just click on the blog title, and it'll take you there. I liked this one best because it seems the most workable with my schedule and it encourages walking (which makes me feel better). I'm still using other websites for suggestions & ideas for training, but this one should get me there by January 10th, God willing (praying for a healthy, injury-free training)! :)
Week 1 of the Journey
Howdy! This is my first attempt ever at a blog, but I want to try to document my journey to completing the 2011 Disney marathon. Now, the first question that probably popped into your mind would be, "Why in the world would you do this?" And there's an interesting story behind it, which I shared in my Facebook page recently:
Whenever someone asked me if I ran, the response was swiftly followed by, "Yeah, sure, if there's something big, mean, and nasty chasing after me..." But, if you've been reading my wall lately, you know I've changed my mind.
I've been kicking around the idea of running a marathon since Andy Bock & I saw it back in 2002 when we happened to be "playing in the parks" on a whim. It was a rainy, nasty day, and all of these people were running among throngs of guests. But the best part was that all of those tourists took time out of their day to cheer on all of these people that didn't know them from Adam. Despite the disgusting weather, something inside of me went, "That would be so cool to do!" However, since I had an opinion of running, the little voice was quickly told to shut up. Every now and then the voice would pipe up, nostalgic memories of that rainy January day washing over me, only to be told to "stuff it" once again.
My hubby actually was a runner when James was a baby, and I thought he was nuts for spending more on a pair of shoes that I think I had ever spent on a single outfit in my life. But he always seemed happier when he came back, even if he was a sweaty mess... (love you, Honey) :)
So, seven years of marriage and two kids later, I'm getting into a "health kick" courtesy of the bathroom scale, a severe desire to lose the last pounds of baby-weight from Nathan, and our Wii Fit board. I've been working out 3-5 times a week for most of the summer (yeah, I took our week of vacation off because I'm a dope and left the Fit disc home), and even gone as far as to put the boys in various vehicles so I could jog around the neighborhood. And then came "the" wall post...
One of my roommates from FCC, Windy Cobourne, received a "kingdom card" at CIY that she bravely opened. It instructed her to run a marathon. As soon as I read it, I immediately thought of that cold, wet January eight years ago, and decided that this was it. It's not so much a big, booming voice from above commanding me, "Thou shalt run a marathon!" It's more of the voice of a best friend, who knows you inside and out, pulling you aside and saying gently, "You have dreamed about this for almost a decade. What a great opportunity to share an experience like this with a friend, even if she's 1,000 miles away. What are you waiting for? Go for it!"
So, I have bought my shoes, hijacked my hubby's MP3 player, and just finished loading it up with music for my running. I'm going to need to take my time and train carefully so I don't kill myself in the process. But, for the first time in a long time, I feel energized and excited about trying to tackle this goal. Any prayers, suggestions, and words of encouragement will always be welcome!
And that's pretty much it. I'm still finalizing my "mission" for the run, and as soon as I get one more green light, I'll share it.
Whenever someone asked me if I ran, the response was swiftly followed by, "Yeah, sure, if there's something big, mean, and nasty chasing after me..." But, if you've been reading my wall lately, you know I've changed my mind.
I've been kicking around the idea of running a marathon since Andy Bock & I saw it back in 2002 when we happened to be "playing in the parks" on a whim. It was a rainy, nasty day, and all of these people were running among throngs of guests. But the best part was that all of those tourists took time out of their day to cheer on all of these people that didn't know them from Adam. Despite the disgusting weather, something inside of me went, "That would be so cool to do!" However, since I had an opinion of running, the little voice was quickly told to shut up. Every now and then the voice would pipe up, nostalgic memories of that rainy January day washing over me, only to be told to "stuff it" once again.
My hubby actually was a runner when James was a baby, and I thought he was nuts for spending more on a pair of shoes that I think I had ever spent on a single outfit in my life. But he always seemed happier when he came back, even if he was a sweaty mess... (love you, Honey) :)
So, seven years of marriage and two kids later, I'm getting into a "health kick" courtesy of the bathroom scale, a severe desire to lose the last pounds of baby-weight from Nathan, and our Wii Fit board. I've been working out 3-5 times a week for most of the summer (yeah, I took our week of vacation off because I'm a dope and left the Fit disc home), and even gone as far as to put the boys in various vehicles so I could jog around the neighborhood. And then came "the" wall post...
One of my roommates from FCC, Windy Cobourne, received a "kingdom card" at CIY that she bravely opened. It instructed her to run a marathon. As soon as I read it, I immediately thought of that cold, wet January eight years ago, and decided that this was it. It's not so much a big, booming voice from above commanding me, "Thou shalt run a marathon!" It's more of the voice of a best friend, who knows you inside and out, pulling you aside and saying gently, "You have dreamed about this for almost a decade. What a great opportunity to share an experience like this with a friend, even if she's 1,000 miles away. What are you waiting for? Go for it!"
So, I have bought my shoes, hijacked my hubby's MP3 player, and just finished loading it up with music for my running. I'm going to need to take my time and train carefully so I don't kill myself in the process. But, for the first time in a long time, I feel energized and excited about trying to tackle this goal. Any prayers, suggestions, and words of encouragement will always be welcome!
And that's pretty much it. I'm still finalizing my "mission" for the run, and as soon as I get one more green light, I'll share it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)