First Run Post Hiatus

D-O-N-E. Done.  First Run after an extended vacation has been completed!  I knew that yesterday was the day the run would be completed so I spent some time first thing in the morning in prayer and reading the bible and mentally preparing myself.  I saw this idea from a running page awhile ago, and I thought I would try it out.  I took my running shoes and on the bottom of them wrote down a bunch of things that I was struggling with and trying to let go of.  It was hard to make out some of the words I wrote, but I didn't do it so I could read them again.  I did it so that I knew they were written down there, but they would be under my feet both literally and metaphorically speaking.

In addition to all of that, I recruited moral support and had planned my first run to be completed with a friend.  I met Kristal at her work during her lunch break so we could run together.  Now, anyone driving by us would argue that we did not run together, and that is true - sort of.  Kristal is faster than me so of course she pulled ahead of this slogger (that is slow jogger in running terms), but even though she was faster than me there was still something significant about looking up and seeing her ahead of me and that encouraged me to continue on.  To me, we ran together.

It was freezing cold.

There was snow on the ground.

When we started there were even flurries falling.  I had even mentioned that we might want to run inside, but Kristal refused.  She reminded me that we would be training for the Mini-Marathon in Indy in May during these next few months and that would mean time outside running in freezing cold weather.  We had to get used to it.  She was right.

I am glad she pushed me to run outside.  Once we got started it wasn't too bad.  I might even prefer running when it is cold compared to running in the extreme heat of summertime!  I had come prepared to run outside so I was dressed in layers.  My running outfit consisted of:

*leggings
*sweatpants
*running socks
*running shoes
*long-sleeved t-shirt
*hooded sweatshirt
*gloves
*hat that covered my ears
*iPod (because I struggle even worse when I don't run with music)

When we were finished, I was sweating, but I was not overheated.  I made sure to drink plenty of water all day long as well.

I went a little slower because of the weather conditions.  Some of you may not know this about me, but I have this intense fear of falling and getting my teeth knocked out.  It might have something to do with years and years of intensive orthodontic work to get my smile to what it is now, but nevertheless, I did not want to wipe out on the snow so I took it slow.  I was able to run approximately 2 miles with a 17 minute mile pace.  Not bad for the first run.

Yes, I lost speed, but I was still able to RUN (slog) the entire time.  There was NO walking!  That was an amazing feeling for me.  Last night I noticed that my right knee was sore and this morning my legs, mainly my quadriceps, are sore.  That soreness comes with the satisfaction that I got back out there and did it so I will bask in it and be thankful for it.

Have You Seen Allison?

Confession is good for the soul.  So, here goes. . .

I have been spiraling for months now.  Struggling with emotions and things I have no control over.  I have holed myself up and have let depression take over.  I have been consumed with thoughts and feelings and have not dealt with them in the way I should.

What started this?  Who honestly knows?

One thing I can say for sure is that grief is a very real thing.  People think that after a certain amount of time you should be past it and all better.  Well, it has been close to two years since my dad has passed away, and I can honestly say that year two is just as hard as year one was.  Thanksgiving and Christmas I were bad; Thanksgiving and Christmas II were super bad.  I think you also feel like as more time passes you can't really talk about it because people are over talking about it with you.  That they are just thinking get over it already.

Let me be clear about one thing - I have AMAZING friends!  And NOT a SINGLE ONE OF THEM has ever told me they do not want to talk about my grief with me.  In fact, if I bring it up, they do listen and are supportive.  This is just something that I, not wanting to be a burden to anyone, have internalized and believed.

That could just be an excuse.  I don't know.  In conjunction with these feelings of sadness, I have really struggled at work.  I have been put in situations this year that I have not been confronted with before.  As a teacher that is one thing I love about teaching - each year is different and challenging.  But being so sad and then being challenged at work has not been a good combination for me.

I would literally come home from work (later and later every day), make myself dinner, and be so worn out from my day that I would fall asleep on my couch.  Who had time for running?  I was just trying to get by.  This, of course, led to a vicious cycle.  I was too tired to work out.  Ironically, I knew that working out would help give me energy, but I could not make myself do it.

I didn't not run completely.  In fact, on Thanksgiving my dear friend Kristal and I started a new tradition of completing the Drumstick Dash.  It was freezing cold, and at the time I had not run for two weeks so I was worried about doing it.  Maybe it was because of the cold, maybe it was because I was really excited about getting home to the delicious meal, or maybe it was because I was running with a friend, but I ran the Drumstick Dash with my fastest mile time!  It was such a good feeling!  I was pretty proud of myself that day.

Another milestone for me was that I put up a Christmas tree this year.  Now, this may seem like it is not a big deal to some people, but to me, it was huge.  I have not put up a Christmas tree for two years.  Last year I wanted nothing to do with Christmas.  The year before my family was spending so much time in and out of the hospital and at the time Kristal was my roommate and darling Shalom was at that age where a tree with all sorts of ornaments was not a good combination so we didn't put one up.

My dad always loved Christmas.  He really wanted to make Christmas special for us and loved having a tree.  I decided this year I was going to put the tree up.  If only it had been that easy. . .the box containing the Christmas tree was brought in and returned to my garage numerous times before I decided to finally put it up.  Here is a picture of my tree this year:

My Christmas Tree 2013

Did putting up my tree make Christmas any easier?  No, but it was a start.

The desire to run has been in me even during these months I didn't do it.  I got teary-eyed when I opened one of my Christmas presents from three of my favorite students.  Here is a picture of my present proudly on display in my house:

Best. Christmas. Present. Ever.

It is a medal holder that has the bible verse Psalm 119:32 on it.  The one medal hanging on it is my Warrior Dash 2013 medal.  The bible verse says:

This verse just speaks to me and encourages me to continue to run because I have been set free.  Set free from all of this junk that I have been carrying.  The burden is the Lord's.  I need to continue to give it to Him and turning to Him instead of letting it weigh me down and make me weary.  Getting this present meant so much to me and has helped give me the strength to start training again.  

In addition to that beautiful gift, I logged into Facebook one day (which I even neglected Facebook during my time off of life. . .although, maybe that was not a bad thing.)  Run for God had posted my favorite verse that very day.  I have to share it with you now.

My path has not been straight.  In fact, I had done a U-turn towards the wrong way instead of pushing forward.  It may be difficult, but I am recommitting to trusting the Lord with all of my heart and not leaning on my own understanding.  

I have some pretty exciting things coming up.  Here is a sneak peek teaser of future blog posts: lacing up the shoes, New Year's Day 5K, Run for God II, and more!  

Running My First 5K!

Saturday, October 12th was the day! I ran, without stopping, my first 5K! I was terrified before it started because I once again allowed life to get in the way of my running.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to run the whole thing. I told myself that I was just going to try my best.

Our Run for God group ran our celebratory race at Arbuckle Acres in Brownsburg. The route was completely shaded and beautiful. At times it was even dangerous...with the falling walnuts and all.

We started the race and the faster runners pulled ahead pretty quickly. I soon found myself completely alone on the trail.  The first mile was definitely the hardest for me, but I seemed to fall into a rhythm after that. I told myself just to finish running the second mile and then I could decide if I was able to run the third mile. I finished the second mile and decided I was going for it!

The third mile was a mental battle. I went back and forth about running or walking. I even told myself that no one would even know if I walked it. But I would know, and I kept reminding myself that integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. 

Then the song "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North came on my iPod.  This song is not a great running song because it is slow paced.  However, the song means a great deal to me. I remember listening to the song when my dad went through his scary whipple surgery. I remember it bringing comfort to me during my darkest days after my father passed away.  I put it on repeat. The first time it played I was teary-eyed, but I let the words comfort me and strengthen me. I listened to the song until I crossed the finish line.

Crossing the finish line is a feeling I cannot describe. I never thought I would be able to do it, but now I know I am capable of a lot more than I thought I was. 

Who do I have to thank for this wonderful day? Well besides Jesus, I want to give a huge shout out to the awesome Run for God group that I was blessed to be a part of for the last twelve weeks. Here is a picture of these amazing, inspiring people!

This group of people was the best!  I loved hearing stories about how running while giving glory to God touched and changed lives!  I will treasure the friendships I made during the time with this group. 

It's Run at Work Day!

I logged into Facebook today and found out via Runner's World that today is It's Run at Work Day!  The amazing part?  I had actually ran at work today!  Today was our annual Dog Jog event which is a school fundraiser.  Every other year I have participated by walking around the track.  This year I decided to come out of the closet...I was going to announce to the school community that I, in fact, was a runner.  I was kind of nervous about this.  I mean, there were lots of people (adults and kids included) around.  People that I worry about what they think of me.  I know...crazy, right?  But true!  A friend of mine was there to catch a shot of me in my running glory. 

I did it.  I jogged the entire time.  I was pretty proud of myself and even though I was more than slightly self-conscious, I kept on going.  I was slow, but I still felt pretty good that I kept going. 

This friend that captured my running moment was a HUGE help to me today.  Every time I jogged past her, she was there cheering for me...yelling and encouraging me to keep going.  It made me smile and want to keep going even when I thought of quitting so many times. To my dear friend, you know who you are, and thank you so very much! 

And just to prove that today is It's Run at Work Day. 

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Color Me Rad

I started this journey in February of 2013.  I desperately needed to throw my life into something different.  I was suffocating in my grief of losing my father, and I was losing my mind.  You may remember a friend of mine posted on Facebook about joining her team for Color Me Rad, and that is when things clicked.  I was going to start running.  This was the 5K I was going to run.  That fateful day I joined her team started me on my journey of becoming a runner.  I have had many starts and stops, but overall, progress has been made, and I am still moving forward. 

How did it feel running my first 5K?  Well, I don't know yet.  I did something even better at this 5K.  I walked with friends.  Our before picture:

I even had the privilege of having my favorite three year old in the entire world walk with me in a very special way:

 

 

Yes, that is right.  My beautiful Little Girl rode on my shoulders for part of the 5K, and I had a blast doing it.  I kept thinking how I have lost more weight than Little Girl weighs.  Having her on my shoulders was not easy, but it was a great reminder of how I had been carrying extra weight, but that it is no longer on me. 

 

It took me back to when I started this journey.  I declared then that there was no deadline.  I even named my blog Not a Deadline to remind myself that there is no deadline.  It is a continuous journey.  During my journey I have had setbacks.  I have had roadblocks.  I even flat out took breaks for extended periods.  I have not, nor will I, quit.  Period.  

I don't have a great picture of my after, but here is the selfie I took after completing.  This seems like it will be a tradition for me at races. 

What is up next?  Electric Run on October 5th and our Run for God group 5K on October 12th.  November will start my training for the Mini-Marathon! 

Where Have You Been?

Great question!  Where have I been?  I dropped off the face of the blogging world for awhile.  There are no good reasons.  I became incredibly busy and lost focus.  School started in a whirlwind, and I have been drowning for weeks in work.  I hate to admit it, but I had even stopped running and watching what I ate for a few weeks somewhere in there.  I stopped making myself a priority.  I saw this, and it spoke to me about what I have been doing:

I love my job.  I truly believe it is of the highest calling, and I take it very seriously.  I work hard and always want to do what is best for the children I encounter on a daily basis.  As school started, though, I found myself spending at least 12 hours a day working on school things (including the weekends), and it became suffocating. 

Then it was time for the Warrior Dash, and I was so frustrated with myself for not being better prepared for it.  However, I did it, and it felt amazing to be able to do something like that.  I realized that day that I would not have been prepared no matter what (simply because I had NO idea what to expect).  Warrior Dash caused me to refocus.  I remembered why I started on this journey in the first place.  I started to realize that I needed to prioritize some things in my life. 

I found this quote, and I love it.  I am going to have to print it off and hang it up to remind me:

 

 

I need to have my priorities burning inside of me, and I need to commit to those wholeheartedly.  I can't forget about them or turn away from them.  I need to remember what is important to me and why it is important.  That way I will stop making excuses:

 

 

Do not get me wrong.  My job is very important to me, and it is a priority in my life.  I take it very seriously.  However, when I let it take over and consume me so wholeheartedly that I do not have time for other priorities, I get out of balance.  And the funny thing is?  I can tell it affects other areas, too.  If I don't work out, I have less energy and less focus...which means it takes me longer to do those school things I need to get done. 

 

I am recommitted to working out and making this journey a priority.  I may not blog daily, but I will try to blog more often than once a week.  This will help keep me accountable.  And when I am accountable, and when I make myself and this journey a priority, the other areas in my life benefit.  I am going to end this blog with this question: Why not me?



 

Warrior Dash

It has been over a month since my last post.  I will save all of the excuses for why I have taken a month off in another blog post, but it is time to update everyone on....Warrior Dash!  A HUGE shout out to Randi for asking about this blog post.  She no longer has to wait!

Warrior Dash was on August 17th.  I was a nervous wreck about it.  I knew I would not be ready for it physically.  The Wednesday before the dash (August 14th) I was talking to my friend Lori who was also doing the Dash (it was actually her idea to sign up for it), and I mentioned how I was not ready for it.  She immediately said that we were going to go to Crawfordsville for the event, we were going to have fun, and we already know that there will be some obstacles that we cannot do, but that is okay.  We were just going to do what we could.  That immediately made me feel better. 

Then Friday, August 16th hit - Warrior Dash Eve.  I had printed out the waiver form and was filling it out.  I started to get nervous again.  I was basically signing a form that said I could die tomorrow doing Warrior Dash, and they would not be liable.  Uh, okay...I didn't sign up for a suicide mission.  Then I started looking at the pictures of previous events, and I was getting even more nervous.  While looking at these pictures, I realized that everyone was incredibly fit and athletic.  Well, crazy girl that I am thought to myself wait a minute, can fat people even do the Warrior Dash?  I am not going to lie.  I googled it.  Yes, that is right.  You read that correctly.  I googled "Can Fat People Do Warrior Dash".  I found some articles or blogs that other people had written about Warrior Dash, and it calmed my nerves a little.  It turns out that other overweight people have completed Warrior Dash so I hopefully could also be one of them. 

Surprisingly, I slept pretty well that evening knowing that there was a good chance I was going to die the next day.  I woke up, got my gear ready, and headed to my friend's house. 

Warrior Dash Gear List:

extra pair of clothes
garbage bags
extra shoes
bottles of water (which turns out you cannot take in - I snuck them in, though...rebel!)
shorts that have drawstring to secure around waist
comfortable sports bra
towel
under shirt
extra t-shirt (I think I had four t-shirts total)
cute hair style (one where hair is secure, out of my face, but is not so high that it would get caught in the barbed wire obstacles)
halo
waiver
driver's license

I got to my friend's house and changed into my Warrior t-shirt.  We had Virgin Warrior t-shirts made (hence the halos).  Once all four of us were there, we loaded up in the car and headed to Crawfordsville.  The drive went much faster than I thought it would.  Before I knew it, we were parking in a field and making our way to the gates of the Warrior Dash. 

We went into the event and went to packet pick-up where I was given my official Warrior Dash t-shirt, my timing chip, my viking hat, and my bib number.  We found a table in front of the band that was playing and got ready by adding our timing chip to our shoes, putting our bib numbers on, tightening the laces on our running shoes, and I added duct tape to my running shoes to keep them secure.  We then checked our bags and walked around taking in the atmosphere.  There were different costumes everywhere you looked.  People were talking and laughing and having a great time.  We saw people that had just returned from their course, and we watched as one heat took off on the Dash. 

When I started this blog, I promised complete honesty.  Confession: I spent the first part of my time at WD checking out other people and seeing if I was the only fat person there and/or if I was the fattest person at the event.  Sick, right?  When I realized what I was doing it became a mental battle for me.  Why am I comparing myself to all of these people?  They were not in the place that I was six months ago.

We watched as people jumped over the fire.  We noticed that an official photographer was stationed by the fire so we decided then that we all needed to jump over the fire together and smile pretty for our official picture. 

Before we took off, we had a stranger take our before picture:

Before the Warrior Dash

We decided we were ready and lined up for our heat.  They counted us down and then these flames came shooting out of the start line.  I have to admit it, it was a pretty rock star way to start a race.  We started running, and we were off!  The first thing I noticed is that my running training did not prepare me at all for the off course trail running we were doing.  The second thing I noticed was that the course had an overabundance of sticks and twigs on it.  I deduced early that there was a volunteer somewhere out there whose sole job was to place sticks on the trail to make running more difficult. 

I am not sure if it was before we started or pretty soon after we started the dash that I was reminded of this verse in Philippians 4:13:

This verse was on repeat in my head the entire time. 

The first thing we came to was a water crossing.  We did cross lots of streams throughout the entire 3.2 mile course which caused lots of mud and slippery conditions.  I don't remember all of the obstacles (maybe because I have blocked them out of my mind) but the first one I remember coming to was a miniature mud pit with barbed wire over it.  We had to drop into it and then crawl through to get to the other side.  This one was not too bad - until I tried to get out of it.  I was slipping and sliding everywhere!  I was having a very difficult time with my traction, and that was very frustrating to me.  I had lots of different people helping me up when I did fall or holding my hand so I didn't fall. 

Another obstacle I remember coming to was a ravine that we had to literally sit on our butts and slide down and then scale the other side to get up.  There were lots of steep hills that we climbed up and slid down.  My quads were screaming! 

We came to some walls, and I climbed up the first wall and jumped down from it.  The next wall you climbed under which I was able to do.  There were other walls that I ended up walking around because they were slightly bigger, and I could not pull myself up.  I was a little discouraged about not being able to do that one better, but then I reminded myself that I did just pull myself over a wall, and I haven't ever really done that before. 

We came to some mud pits that you had to walk through and then climb up on a huge pile of mud and go back into a pit.  You repeated this two times.  I did the first walk through, but I was too self conscious to climb up (or try to climb up) the first mud hill so I got out and walked around the mud hills.  I was also worried about slipping and sliding too much.  The next obstacle was one where you went up and down beams of wood and pulled yourself over some walls with water falling down on you. If you fell off one of the beams, you landed in muddy water.  Again, I did not feel ready for this one so I went around it.  While I was waiting for my friends to complete this obstacle, I had one man try to place his muddy hands on me in a joking kind of way.  Not even ten minutes later, I had another stranger come up and give me a huge bear hug.  I guess these people didn't think I was muddy enough yet. 

There was another obstacle that was a 12 foot wall you climbed up with a rope and then scaled down the other side.  I knew I was not doing this one.  I have no upper body strength and the wall was really muddy.  I watched as people who were really physically fit get to the top and then fall down to the ground below.  Everyone that witnessed it felt those people's pain. 

I remember a steep gravel hill that we had to go up and then down.  I remember a rope that you had to walk across a ravine.  This particular obstacle was the one where I encountered one of the rudest people ever.  I was on the obstacle, and it was incredibly wobbly.  I didn't want to fall because I was going to land on hard ground, and it was going to hurt.  I was going slowly to be careful, but I was still moving forward.  I realized someone else was on the obstacle with me because the rope was moving a lot more, and the rope handles were moving in and out.  It was making it difficult for me to balance and get across.  I was almost to the end, and this man must have been super impatient because he jumped down off the obstacle, again almost causing me to fall, and ran around me.  I was in shock at his rudeness!  I made it across without falling despite this man, and I was super excited that I completed this obstacle. 

What we thought was the final obstacle was jumping over fire.  We completed the two jumps over the two different fires and made it past the official photographer.  We turned the corner thinking we were at the finish line when we saw it.  A pool of mud we had to crawl through.  We jumped right in and started making our way through this mud pit.  The barbed wire was lower to the pit than the previous one so we literally had to crawl through the mud.  I even saw some poor woman get her hair caught in the barbed wire but someone helped her get it out.  I was behind a friend of mine that could not reach the bottom of the mud pit with her hands and knees so she was literally swimming through the pool of mud.  I was right behind her at the beginning and didn't realize she had to swim and ended up with some mud on my face and in my mouth.  I realized what was going on and stayed back a little so she could get through and I wouldn't get anymore mud in my mouth or hair.  Getting to the end of the pool, someone helped me out.  However, I was so wet and muddy that I could not keep my footing.  I literally slipped and slid my way across the finish line. 

The most amazing feeling was crossing that finish line and having someone place that medal around my neck and tell me congratulations.  I did it.  I finished my first Warrior Dash. 

This is not my actual medal, but this is what it looks like!

After the Warrior Dash

When we finished, we waded into the lake to get some of the mud off.  Then we got our belongings from where they were checked, and we donated our used, muddy shoes and went to find the car.  I didn't realize how tired I was until we went in search of the car.  We couldn't find it!  We set off in different directions to find it, and finally, we found it.  This was a picture I took of myself when we got back to the car:

Muddy Selfie

We changed clothes right there in the middle of the field.  When you are covered in that much mud you kind of get over being self-conscious.  We then headed in search of food and recounted the last three hours of our life. 

It has now been nine days since Warrior Dash, and I can honestly say that I am looking forward to doing it again in 2014!  Besides the one impatient man I told you about earlier, everyone was AMAZING to be around.  Big strong men would stay at obstacles and would help people get up and get over.  People cheered for complete strangers.  People helped each other up when they fell and encouraged people to keep going.  It was truly a great thing to witness. 

I will prepare myself better for next year.  I will be at a healthier weight next year.  I will do more upper body strength training so I can complete more obstacles.  I will not wear duct tape on my shoes because I think that is one reason I was slipping and sliding so much.  I will sign up with my friends again and encourage anyone else who wants to do it to participate. 

Warrior Dash 2013 was exactly what I needed.  I am so thankful to my friend Lori for inviting me to do it with her.  This experience gave me a chance to reflect back on all of the changes I have been making these past six months.  It reminded me of where I have come from and how much stronger I am than what I used to be.  It also reset me and helped get me back on track.  Who would have thought I would have done something as crazy as the Warrior Dash?  Bring on WD 2014!

First Injury

I have my first running injury.  Yesterday I ran with a friend on our lunch break.  I realized that I did not bring socks when I went to change.  I had a choice to make - run without socks or run later by myself.  I decided to run with my friend and without my trusty socks.  It was okay for a little bit, but after a while, I felt it...a blister.  When I got done running and changed out of my tennis shoes, I confirmed what I already suspected.  I had a blister on my toe.  Ouch! Want to see it?

Okay, it is not the worst thing in the world, but it does hurt a little bit.  I am not going to let it get in my way.  I am still running with my running group tomorrow evening.  Running with someone makes it more enjoyable and the time passes quickly.  I love running with people!  I found this, and it perfectly describes how I feel about running with a partner:

I also very excited about group tomorrow night.  I was able to get someone from Runners Forum to come and talk to our group about running shoes (our running topic for the week).  I am excited to hear the expertise this person can bring to our group tomorrow night!  I will let you know how it goes! 

Mini-Marathon

Things just got real...I am officially registered for the 2014 500 Festival Mini-Marathon!  I will be RUNNING 13.1 miles on May 3, 2014!  I am so excited!!!!  This was the best birthday present ever!  My sister and brother-in-law bought it for me.  My brother-in-law is going to be running the Mini with me.  This means that I have some work to do.  My brother-in-law is in the army and a Fishers police officer so yeah, I have some work to do if I want to run with him.  I am going to have to find a training program and get started on it pretty quickly!  This gives me something to look forward to and to work towards.  Yippee!  Who wants to be in my cheering section? 

In other news, Warrior Dash is less than a month away.  I am not going to be ready for it, but I am still doing it.  I will do what I can, and maybe that will be something else I can work on for next year.  Halos have been ordered for the Warrior Dash, and we will be wearing t-shirts that say "Virgin Warrior" on it.  At least we will look cute before we start the race! 

I cannot believe this, but I will be back in school with students in less than two weeks!  I am looking forward to it because I desperately need the routine.  I think my eating will be better and will be working out in a more consistent manner.  It is amazing what a creature of habit / routine I am! 

I hope you are all doing well! 

Class Has Officially Started!

Last night was our first Run for God bible study class.  I was a nervous wreck.  I did the whole talk really fast because I was such a nervous wreck thing.  Leading up to the evening I kept having all of these negative thoughts like:

*What happens if a seasoned runner shows up, takes one look at me as the "leader", and bolts?

*What do I really know about running?

*How can I be a good leader for this group?

*What in the world was I thinking?!?!?!

*What happens when we do the training portion, and I cannot keep up (even though I have been running for months now)?

Why was I so anxious and nervous about it?  It did not add a single hour to my life by worrying.  And, I should have known that God has it all under control.  I am in awe of what He is able to accomplish.  I left Run for God last night more jazzed about running and ecstatic knowing that I was drawing closer to God.  He knew what he was doing. 

I was blown away by the people in my group.  We had different ages, different ability levels, both males and females, singles, and even married people coming to the class together!  When we did our training, yes, I was slower than a lot of the people in the group, but I quickly realized, it does not matter!  Already seeing the camaraderie developing in the group is humbling.  The best part?  I know that we will be adding people to our group next week!  We are going to keep expanding, and it is awesome because we all need each other. 

I am believing that lives will be touched and changed through this group.  I am believing that connections will be made.  I am believing that God will be glorified.  I cannot wait until next Thursday!

Run for God

It is time!  Run for God is starting at The Blended Church on Thursday, July 11th, starting at 6:30 p.m.  I am SO excited to be starting this bible study / training program.  I meant to check the sign up sheet at church before I left today, but I did not get back to the main building after teaching children's church.  I will have to go tomorrow to see how many people signed up. 

I am nervous about leading this study because I don't know who all signed up.  There could be some people who are way more proficient at running than I am.  They may took one look at me trying to lead this group and walk out!  Ha!  No, I don't think anyone would really do that. 

I am excited to be doing a bible study focusing on Jesus and running.  I think it will be a great study for me, and I am praying it is a blessing to all that are involved.  Why not praise God while doing something I love? 

I have not selected the 5K that our group will run together in October.  I thought I would talk to them to see if they had any ideas.  If any of you know of a 5K that is being held in October, feel free to let me know!  I thought I had one for the last Saturday in September, but unfortunately, it was an evening 5K, and it would conflict with our Saturday night service.  We cannot be having that!  I also want to find an affordable 5K.   

Our group will be training together so I will be doing those workouts, but I have several 5Ks coming before the 5K our Run for God group runs together so I am going to keep on my training program.  That means I will be running for 9 minutes and walking for 2 minutes four times for a total of 44 minutes when I work out.  I plan on doing this three times during the week.

I hope you have an awesome week!

Busy!

Well, by now, I have fallen off the blogging bandwagon.  I have also fallen off the eating well bandwagon.  I plan on climbing back on both of them, though.  I will be blogging more.  I will be eating better. 

The good news?  I have still been doing some running, though!  That is something I can be proud of.  I have been running for six minutes at a time with a two minute walking break in between. 

I am using a lot of excuses, and I know I have to stop using excuses.  I am working this summer part-time.  I am so thankful for this part-time job.  I have not done a great job of establishing a routine sine I began this job.  I am definitely a girl that loves her routines. 

One routine that I got out of is going to bed at a decent time.  I have been staying up later which means it is harder for me to get up in the morning.  It just has become this vicious cycle!  I am going to have to force myself to get back into my school routine, which means getting up early and going to bed by ten o'clock.  Doing that now will help me tremendously when I go back to school at the end of this month!  My summer is almost over.  Can you believe it? 

I saw this article on Runner's World (my new favorite website), and it really inspired me:

How Running Changed Me

My goal is to have my own before and after picture with a stunning new Allison, one that is fit and happy and healthy. 

The most humbling thing happened to me after I posted this article on my FB wall.  I got a comment from someone that I used to work with.  It was the highlight of my day, made me cry (of course!), and motivated me to keep trucking with my progress.  This is what she said:

Allison...I wanted you to know you have inspired me. I HATE RUNNING! So I set a goal to be able to run for 6 minutes by the end of July without stopping ( I could never do more than 2 minutes...yet I ZUMBA all the time!)...well, I am now running 2 miles in 23 minutes without stopping! Changed my goal to run a whole 5K before starting back to school!!!! You go girl!!!!

Isn't that awesome!  I am so proud of her!!!!!

I hope that you are all working to achieve your goals.  I know that I am going to be working on getting better at blogging more often and tracking what I eat / my caloric intake. 

Have an awesome weekend!

PurpleStride 2013

Another reason I have not been blogging as much is because we were in the final stages of and having our third annual PurpleStride.  PurpleStride was held on Saturday, June 22nd.  I posted a little bit about the event because that was the 5K that Kristal ran in, and I was so proud.  However, being a volunteer at the event had me busy leading up to the big day. 

PurpleStride is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's race to raise money to benefit our cause.  It is one way that I get to honor the memory of my hero - my dad.  Team Whisman was formed, and we raised about $500 (next year I am hoping to raise way more!) and had eight people join our team (again, hoping next year to have more recruits join our team).  Overall, though, Indianapolis had over 1,300 participants, 33 survivors, and raised almost $130,000!  That has been our best year ever, and it is truly humbling to be a part of that. 

Why didn't I run this 5k? Glad you asked. I couldn't. Since I was volunteering, and I am one of the core roles of the Indianapolis affiliate, I could not run in the race. I had to man my booth the entire Stride. I was able to do the family 1 mile walk so we did that one while Kristal ran the 5K.

Here are some pictures from the day of the event:

Lori, Kristi, Me, Jared, Kim

Leslee and I honoring the memories of our wonderful fathers!

Our tributes to Pops on the Memory Wall

Walking the family friendly 1 mile

Washington, D.C.

One reason I took a break from blogging is because I went to Washington, D.C. with advocates from all across the country to participate in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's Annual Advocacy Day.  Our mission this year was simple: to tell Congress NOT to cut cancer research.  We had worked for five years previously to get a bill passed that would make pancreatic cancer research a priority.  We finally achieved that last year with the passing of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act (formerly known as the Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act).  We were so excited that this bill became a law, but we realize more work has to be done to find a cure for this disease and double the survival rate of pancreatic cancer patients.  We cannot accomplish these goals without federal funding.  So, that is what I was doing.  I was able to meet with elected officials from the state of Indiana and share my dad's story with them and why cancer research is so important to me.  I always feel so empowered after the trip to D.C. - like I am really making a difference in this battle against pancreatic cancer. 

I left for D.C. on a Sunday and returned home to Indy that following Tuesday.  It is literally a whirlwind of a trip!  I had a meeting Sunday, training all day Monday, and was on Capitol Hill all day Tuesday.  I was one busy girl!  But I was still committed to running, and that is important for you to know.  I was so careful in my packing because I wanted to make sure I could get my running shoes in my carry on luggage.  You can imagine how upset I was when I got to D.C. and realized that I had to pay $15 a day to use the hotel gym.  Are you kidding me?!??!?!!  Who pays money to use the gym at the hotel?  Not this girl! 

My friend that I traveled with and I both wanted to do some sightseeing while we were on our short trip so after my meeting on Sunday we took the metro and headed out to see the monuments.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the monuments:

We even walked over to the White House.  We could not get very close so I zoomed in as much as I could on my camera so it looks like I was hanging out on the front lawn of the White House.  It was cool to see it because I did not get to see it the last two years I was in D.C.  Here is one of my zoomed in pictures:

How close I wanted to be...

How close I actually was.

On Monday, after our day long training, we took off again to see Arlington Cemetery.  Again, a place I was not able to see the last two visits.  It closed at 7:00 p.m. so we had to hurry quickly through our visit.  I was able to take some pictures of that as well, and I was able to at least look up where my Grandpa Shake was buried (although we did not make it over to the section he is in).  Here are some of those pictures:

We walked all over the Capitol on Tuesday.  We were on the Representative side, the Senate side, and back to the Representative Side.  We walked between six different buildings during our meetings.  Part of me wishes I had taken a pedometer so that I could see how many steps we took during our trip to D.C.  We walked so much, and I was so exhausted, that I was only a little itty bitty disappointed that I was unable to run. 

New Shoes

I got my very first pair of professionally fitted running shoes!  My mom took me to The Runner's Forum in Avon, Indiana.  I was looking for the right running shoe, and she was looking for walking shoes.  We each had one employee assisting us.  The first thing I had to do was take my flip flops off, put socks on, roll my pants' legs up and walk down the runway.  (They literally have a section of the store with different flooring that they call the runway.  I love it!)  While I walked, the employee watched how my feet were striking the ground.  He then asked me to do a light jog up and down the runway (which is good because we all know that I am not a fast runner at this point in my journey) to see how my feet were striking the ground while running.  The helpful employee then went to the back to find me some shoes.

Now keep in mind, I already generally wear an 11 shoe so I was worried that I would have to get a 12.  I had been doing my research on running shoes and found out that many runners will buy shoes a size larger because of swelling or to avoid blisters.  The store did not have larger sizes in stock, but it turned out that I didn't need them anyway.  The employee (I wish I had gotten his name now) was so nice and told me that the first time I ran in the shoes, if they felt too snug, to bring them back and he would order me the larger size.

I tried on three different pairs of shoes and finally found the ones that had the support I needed while still feeling very natural.  The employee also talked to me about running socks.  He asked if I always ran in cotton socks, and I told him I did.  He suggested I try a pair of running socks, and honestly, I thought he was just trying to sell me some expensive pair of socks.  I went ahead and got a pair.  He did tell me that since my birthday is coming up that I would also be getting an e-mail with a coupon for a free pair of socks.  Well, I love FREE!

Before I left the store, I asked the man about how often I needed to replace my running shoes.  I specifically asked about mileage.  He said to listen to my body, especially my knees, and if they begin hurting it is probably time to get new shoes.  He said that most pairs of running shoes last for approximately six months.  He also told me that I would get an e-mail from The Runner's Forum in six months to remind me that my shoes may need replaced and a $10 off coupon for my next pair.  Sweet!

I had a chance to test run my shoes and socks the next morning, and they felt amazing!  I could really tell a difference after running.  I guess those running socks are a good investment and not just a reason to drop $10 on a pair of overly priced socks.  I may actually have to go and buy some more!

Want to see my new shoes?

My New Shoes

And I love the box that my shoes came in so I had to take a picture of that to share with you.

Run Happy!

So Stinkin' Proud

Hello!  Long time, no post.  I will explain more later, but right now I just want to brag on my friend Kristal.  I could not be prouder of her right now!  Saturday was PurpleStride, and she ran the entire 5K!  We have been running together, and I am not sure if I am ready to run a 5K, but she did it!  She did it all by herself, and she did it in the heat and humidity that comes with June in Indy.  Unfortunately, I do not have photographic proof of her huge accomplishment because she swore to me that I would not take any pictures of her, but I was at the event, and I know she ran it.  Congratulations, Kristal, on running your first 5K!  You are an inspiration to me to keep running! 

Number 14

RUNNERS WORLD SELECTED MY ENTRY!  CHECK OUT #14!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Dad, for Being My Running Inspiration

THIS IS SERIOUSLY THE BIGGEST HONOR!!!!!  I AM BEYOND WORDS THRILLED!!!!!

Playground Fun

Today I was hanging out with the world's cutest three year old / trainer, and she wanted to go to the park.  The park she was referring to was the neighborhood playground.  It is pretty close to my house, probably less than .5 mile away, so we got our shoes on and started walking.  Shalom wanted to take the car, but I told her it was close enough to walk, and she was excited about that.  We took off walking to the park.  When we got there, it was deserted which was perfect for both us.  Shalom started off on the swings where I got to push her higher and higher.  When she was done with that, she played on the playground equipment.  I watched her play for awhile, and the whole time she was playing, I was thinking to myself, why am I not playing with her on that equipment?  The answer was simple: I was scared.  Scared I couldn't play on it.  Scared I wouldn't fit on the equipment.  Just plain scared. 

I finally got fed up with being scared and decided to jump in and have some fun, too.  I climbed up on the different pieces of equipment and slid down the slide.  I practiced climbing up and down and the whole time chalked it up to training for the Warrior Dash.  It just amazes me how something so simple as playing on a playground has been so hard for me.  I mean, this weight of mine has just held me back from living.  No longer.  Yes, I am overweight.  Yes, I am ashamed of it, but I am working on it!  I am trying every day to be a better, healthier version of myself.  So, I am getting out there.  I may make a fool of myself, but I don't care.  I am just so sick of being held back by this weight bondage. 

I woke up early this morning and went to Kristal's house to do a workout DVD.  This one was a strength training one for abs.  After Kristal gets off work tonight, we are planning on running.  2 workouts + playing on the playground = pretty sweet day!

The only thing that could have made this day better:

Multitasking

This morning I went on my run.  I will not be able to run tonight since I am leading the GriefShare bible study.  Since I cannot run tonight I had to run on my own.  I am one of those people that has to get up and workout first thing or I will find a billion other things to do instead.  Unless, of course, I have firm plans to workout with someone at a different time in the day. 

So, I rolled out of bed, changed into my workout clothes, laced up my running shoes and took off.  Well, kind of.  I really struggled with whether to run inside or outside today.  It is summer, the weather is beautiful (maybe a little humid), and the sun is shining.  It should have been a no brainer.  I am not sure if I am feeling self conscious or what, but it was a struggle.  I decided to get outside because I will be kicking myself when it is winter and icy out, and I cannot run outside. 

I started running and was using my phone as my timer.  My mom called me about halfway through my workout, and I needed to talk to her anyway so I decided to answer while running.  Plus, at this point in my training, I should be running slow enough that I can carry on a conversation with someone, so why not have that conversation on the phone?  I answered and my mom and I talked.  I decided to try something and I ran the entire time I was on the phone with my mom.  I did not walk at all while talking to her.  When I got off the phone, I panicked a little bit because my timer I had been using previously to the phone call had disappeared.  I did some quick math, and I figured that my running / workout time was done.  Then, I began thinking...wait, a minute, how long was I the phone with my mom?  I checked my call log, and I had talked to her for 12 minutes, 55 seconds.  Do you know what the means?  I ran continuously for 12 minutes and 55 seconds!!!!!!! Wow!  Maybe I should plan on calling people a little more while running to distract me. 

Yesterday, I got up in the morning and worked out to another Jillian Michaels' DVD.  This one is called Shape Up Backside.  This is what it looks like:

After that, I went swimming with Kristal and Shalom.  We swam for about two hours.  I did some laps in the pool and I ran in the water.  I love swimming (not the whole self-conscious thing that comes along with getting in a swimsuit) and being in a pool and feeling so graceful.  I counted my time in the pool as my running yesterday. 

Today I am not planning on doing any sort of weight training to give my muscles a break.  Tomorrow I will be doing the front side video and Friday I will be doing the backside video.  In addition to those videos, I will be doing my running training as well.  Need to burn those calories and get in better shape for The Warrior Dash! 

Runner's World

On Facebook, Runner's World posted this:

Sunday is Father's Day! To celebrate, tell us in 50 words or less: How has your dad inspired your running? Post your response and a photo of your dad on our wall. We'll pick our favorites to include in a slideshow on runnersworld.com! | Please remember, sharing your response gives us permission to use your content on our website. Thank you!

Honestly, I have been avoiding all things Father's Day for obvious reasons, but for some reason this post caught my attention.  I decided to share my mini-story on their page, and who knows, maybe it will end up in the slideshow.  Here is my mini-story (it is REALLY hard to write in 50 words or less...my post, for the record, was exactly 50 words):

Nothing has broken me more than watching my beloved dad die of pancreatic cancer. Depressed, my doctor gave me medication to cope. When that didn't help I turned to running. With each step I take, I grow stronger physically and emotionally. Running has helped me heal while honoring my dad.

Dad and Me!

Run Your Butt Off

I have started reading my next book on running.  It is called Run Your Butt Off.  I am a couple of chapters into it already, and I really like it.  It talks about the same principles of starting running slowly.  Here is what the book looks like:

This  book also talks about creating a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.  I have decided to use My Fitness Pal since it is free!  Today was my first day of tracking the calories.  Granted, I am only half way through the day, but it has not been so bad. 

I have an 8:00 appointment for running tonight that I plan on keeping.  In addition to that, I have to start training for the Warrior Dash so I decided to do Jillian Michaels' workout DVD Shape Up Front. 

This DVD incorporates strength training with cardio so I thought it would be a good place to start.  I did that this afternoon, and I had sweat dripping off my face.  Oh my word.  This DVD is tough, but when I did it several years ago, I remember that it does work.  I am hoping this will help me build strength so I can be a kick butt Warrior in August! 

I have to go to a meeting at church now.  You know what this means...the Run for God bible study will be starting soon!  Yippee!  Have a great day!