Don't Run Alone

I've started running the last few years. Actually, I run for about 6 months and then take the next 6 months off. It isn't intentional. Running is just hard and as spring turns into summer it gets so hot that I lose my motivation for it. Then we get into fall and winter. Why start again if it is just going to get to cold too venture outside?

This year has been different. In June I joined a women's running group and this kept me motivated. To add to that, I decided to sign up for a half marathon -- 13.1 miles. I played with the idea in the winter and spring -- rationalizing that it would give me something to seriously train for.

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Focus

As a kid, I remember a couple summers of tee ball and one fall of soccer. Other than that, the only running I did was the random game of tag. I was never athletic and I had never had any interest in running. So, I am not sure what possessed me in March 2009 to join a beginning running group called Catch the Wave. This 10 training group aims to get people off the couch and in shape for a 4.37 mile race.

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Find out here how I did on my second Lake Run on May 1!

I Lost 6 Minutes and 23 Seconds

Imagine a nice spring morning after a night of wind and rain. What do you do with a morning like that.? Over a 1000 people decided to run! I was one of the crazy 1000.

Looks a bit like a stampede!

I started off pretty strong. Seasoned runners (of which I am not) would probably say I started off too fast. This is probably true. I was bit floored when my time at the 1 mile marker was 13 minutes. I don't believe I had ever run a 13 minute mile before in my life!

But I had exerted myself and needed to take a bit of a walk break. The rest of the race I did a combination of walking and running. I am thrilled to report that the running minutes totally out numbered the walking minutes. I would estimate that I ran 85-90% of the 4.37 miles. My walk breaks were usually 1 minute catch my breath breaks.

I knew I couldn't keep up a 13 minute mile pace. Last year at the Lake Run (my first ever race) I averaged a 14:52 mile. Even with my walk breaks, I only dropped my pace to a 13:23 mile pace! That's a pace difference of 1:29! How cool is that?

Me with one of my Catch the Wave group members.

I'm a bit red in the face but none the worse for wear!

Cyndy at the finish!

Cyndy's excitement is really how I felt! I finished in 58 minutes and 37 seconds. I lost 6 minutes and 23 seconds from last year. I got faster and had a lot more endurance! I had two goals:

• Run more than I walked
• Beat my time from last year

I count today as a major success!

Marge and Jen
Two of the people who encouraged my running this year and last.

Race Day is Saturday!

Saturday is race day! It's the 29^th annual Lake Bloomington race. I'm running it for the second time. There is now way I could win. I think the person who won last year ran 4.37 miles in about 23 minutes! Still, I'm hoping to run most of it (I walked about half last year) and I would like to be faster than my 14 minute 53 second pace from last year.

If you don't have anything going on, come out and cheer me on! I would love it. The race starts about 9:00. It will take me at least an hour (or just a bit less?). For maps/directions you see www.lakerunclub.org

Amy

This spring I developed a condition that someone I know recently called "adult onset athlete." I had to chuckle when she said it. It fit perfectly. You see, I've never been athletic. But the end of February I got it in my head that I was going to learn to run. Me, who hates to sweat and could never run very far without getting a stitch in my side. Me, who always came in last in elementary school races.

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Finish Line

I must say I was a little nervous going into my first race since track and field day in the 6th grade. (We won't talk about how long ago that was!) The Lake Bloomington Race was 4.37 miles. I placed 495. There were over 1100 people running. (Don't get to excited about that number as some did the longer 12K race. I don't know how many ran the short.) My official time was 1 hour and 5 minutes. My unofficial time was 1 hour four minutes and 30 seconds. (The difference is that slower runners started at the back and I kept track of how long it actually took us to get to the starting line!) That's about a 14:46 minute mile. Not too shabby after only running 8 weeks, huh?

I look pretty enthused here, don't I? I did a combination of walking and running. Marge was one of the Catch the Wave group 10 leaders. She ran the last quarter mile or so with me. I sprinted towards the end. Several people commented on how good I looked finishing. If only they could have seen me at mile 3!

I'm sure there will be ample analogies in the future. Right now, I think I might take a nap. I actually just got back from the dog park with Hadley so she is up for a nap as well!

Bad Bloggy Friend

Yes, I know that it is important to keep up with the whole blog thing. And I have been missing it. My blog time has fallen victim to a few things:

• The cutest thing it has fallen victim to has 4 legs and the cutest, wagginest tail. Right now she is giving me a reprieve and is curled up on the floor at my feet. If I could only schedule that behavior. It is very much like having a toddler. But I am enjoying my Hadley.
• Having a puppy also mean puppy class. So, we are practicing. Hadley now throws "sit" and "down" my way whenever she thinks she deserves a treat.
  
• Running. I am running my first race since field day in elementary school. (Yes, that was a really long time ago. I didn't win then and don't anticipate winning now. But finishing would be good!) So, I've been trying to put time in running. The race is 4.37 miles (one sixth of a marathon as the folks that the running club like to point out).
  
• This makes an excellent prelude to my competitive spirit. Yes, I have one of those. At work, we are having an 8 week health challenge. Everyone in my office is in on it. We get points for every minute of exercise, for eating fruits, vegetables, and having dairy, for reading about a health topic, for making a healthy dish and sharing it, for any number of things. It might not be too bad except out of 37 teams we placed 6th the first week. So, I've set the sights on 1st. (Last week we were 2nd.) The only problem is that rank is determined by the average number of points per person on each team. The one person team currently out front has an advantage. But they are also missing the advantage of having everyone in their office eating smarter. Our monthly junk food/pot luck day was turned into "Healthy Food Day." For every healthy dish that was prepared and shared we got points! But the competitive spirit has kicked in. Why only exercise 60 minutes when 120 will get you double the points?
• Read immediately above if you cannot fathom why I'm tuckered.

But I hope to do better here soon.... If you think of it pray for me on Saturday at the race!

Shaking Off Fears

Fear is one of those things with two sides, like two sides of a coin. On one hand, there things that it is healthy to be afraid of like the hot stove. These fears keep us from getting hurt.

But then there are fears that keep us from achieving what God may want us to do. These are the fears that say, "You can't do that" or "What will everyone think if you mess up?" I am way too consumed by these kinds of fears. They often keep me from trying, striving.

As you may know, I've started running the last couple of months. It's a program called "Catch the Wave" put on by the local running club for beginning runners. I missed the first two weeks, so I was already behind when everyone was suppose to run 6 minutes the third week. I struggled to keep pace with the lowest group, Group 10.

The next week, they added a transitional group and called it Tiger. I must of spaced on the idea of it being a "transitional" group and was sticking with that group. Last week, our leader was out so another experienced runner led the run. I ran fairly far ahead with her and we circled back periodically for the other members of the Tiger group. She told me four times that I should move up to Group 10. My initial reaction was, "I can't." It was intimidating to think about. Last week the Tiger group ran 4 and a half minutes and walked 2 and repeated that pattern. The other groups were running 16 and walking 4 or 5 minutes in between the running intervals. How could I even think of jumping up that much?

And then there was the other consideration. I've enjoyed getting to know Katie and Chris in the Tiger group. I would be moving up to a group where I didn't really know anyone. I have a definite anxiety about being around people I don't know.

I decided to take the leap. Tonight, I ran with Group 10. The plan was 5 minutes walking, 20 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 20 minutes running, 5 minutes walking. My mind started going with the "I can't" statements before we started. But I decided to not look at my watch and just run.

Somehow, I ended up at the front with one of the leaders. It was a slow pace, but I needed that. I found myself acutely aware that people were running right behind me and if I slowed down I might get stepped on. Amazingly, I made it 17:30! I did a 7 minute walk and then tried the second 20. I actually made it about 12 out of the 20 during that stint.

My legs feel a bit like jello, but it is a happy, satisfied feeling.

How do we shake off fears?

1. Ask God if it is what He wants us to do. Is God concerned with my running? Maybe to a degree, though it isn't likely to impact things much. He is more concerned when I short change myself and, more importantly, Him.
2. Focus on the task at hand and not the fears. I just needed to run. I didn't need to worry about the time. My task was to put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving.
3. Focus on the God who gives strength and endurance. Things aren't always over with quickly. (It's amazing how long 20 minutes is!) In life, things can take years.
   

Elijah was a prophet who stood up to Ahab. But before things came to a head in 2 Kings, Elijah went through a drought/famine lasting several years. He was also pretty much on his own in terms of comrades. There were other prophets that God had saved, but none of them were near Elijah. Then God sends him to confront Ahab and Ahab's wife sends people out to kill Elijah. There were lots of scary situations. But God was with Elijah.

Maybe that is an over simplification of things. I need to figure out how to apply it all in the rest of life. But for today, I feel like I gave the fear of "I can't" a good swift kick.

A couple years ago, my friend Allison tried to teach me to run. She moved suddenly and the running stopped. I had a goal of running a mile straight. If I reached that goal, I told her girls I would take them for ice cream. I called her tonight to tell her they needed to do an ice cream run. That was a fun phone call -- even if it was a couple years in the coming.

Adult Onset Athlete

Last Wed as we were walking to the car after our Wed group run, another runner, Chris, used the term "Adult Onset Athlete." She said that it was original, that she had read it somewhere. I really liked the term! It describes exactly where I am at.

We really weren't encouraged much in sports growing up. We played a summer or two of Tee Ball and one fall of soccer. I liked Soccer, but my mom thought that we got too dirty, so that was nixed.

As an adult, I did take horseback riding lessons for several years. That did require my legs to be strengthened and a certain amount of stamina. But, I could only afford lessons once a week, so it wasn't the regular exercise it might have been.

Running is a new thing for me. I feel like I am making progress. Last Wed I ran fairly far ahead of the Tiger Group. Laurel was subbing for Peggy. She encouraged me to try moving up a group. So, I may try Group 10 on Wed.

The hard part is that I joined the Lake Run Club for two competing reasons. One was the exercise. I've always admired people who could run. The second reason was social. If I run in a different group I will be moving on without Katie and Chris.They are the people I've most connected with. But perhaps moving up will give me a chance to meet a couple more people.

Adult Onset Athlete. I've noticed some advantages to this. One is that I feel better. Running is somewhat painful at times because you push yourself. But there is a good feeling of accomplishment. Second is that I am tired. I know this might not sound like a great thing, but I have a history of difficulty sleeping. This has amazingly gone by the wayside in a dramatic way. Third, my clothes fit differently.

I need to be off to work. Have you considered becoming an adult onset athlete?

Cool Runnings

I'm horrible with movie trivia, but do remember a family friendly film put out years ago called Cool Runnings? It was about the first Jamaican bobsled team that went to the winter Olympics in Canada. They trained in the heat of Jamaica going down grassy hills. (It was funny and worth watching or sharing with your kids if they haven't seen it.)

Of course the appeal was partly the team doing a winter sport in a country that was so obviously hot. It was a paradox.

I feel a bit like I'm living a paradox with the running thing. I've always thought that I could never be a runner and I would really never be a runner in the cold. Even though it is technically spring, the weather in Illinois is cold. It was in the thirties yesterday and there was actually a very wet snow on the ground this morning.

But with an odd determination (perhaps like that of the first Jamaican bobsled team), three of us in the Tiger (transitional or really slow group) Catch the Wave running program ventured out into the weather yesterday. We bundled up and were warm after our five minute walk warm up and first interval of running 2 1/2 minutes and walking 1 1/2 minutes.

A necessity break took us into a downtown Normal establishment. Honestly, it felt like a sauna to us. My face was beat red and I was dripping sweat when I told Chris and Katie I was waiting outside.

To add to the scene, imagine huge drops of rain that pelted us as we headed back north on the trail.

After braving the cold and even the rain, we decided that maybe we really are runners. Only runners are crazy enough to go out in the elements, right?

We did a 3.15 mile trek. We estimated a 14-15 minute mile. Slow in the world of runners, but it made us feel like we accomplished something.

Wed. night when our group meets again for Catch the Wave, we are suppose to run 3 minutes and walk 1 minutes. It sounds challenging, but I think we were all feeling more confident after yesterday. I do need to get another run in sometime tomorrow....


Is there anything you ever thought you would never seriously attempt that you are working on or praying about working on?

Catch the Wave Run Fun?

Okay, so a couple weeks ago I joined the Lake Run Club in Bloomington-Normal, IL. They have a beginners class called "Catch the Wave." I joined 2 weeks late and quickly discovered that I was in group 10 (the slow group.) Last week, they added a "transitional group" for those of us who were unable to run for 6 minutes straight. Of course, by last week, everyone was up to running 8 minutes walking for a few and running 8 . . . .

I felt a bit let down to drop into the transitional group. Last week we walked 2 minutes and ran 2 minutes. I managed to stay towards the front of the group.

Tonight I can actually said I had fun while running. Yes, I know this is hard to believe. But I was able to run the two minutes and only do one minute of walking. Amazingly, I could do it and hold a conversation. All tallied up, I ran about 20 minutes and between warm up and the walk intervals, exercised an additional 20. Total exercise for the day was 40 minutes.

But the amazing part is that I actually enjoyed it. Three of us are getting together Saturday for a "run."

Add to that, I've been working out at Curves. They have a machine that measures body fat. While I won't tell you my weight or what my total body fat count is, I will say that when they measured it yesterday it had gone down by three pounds of fat.


And at work, my office is participating in a county wide health challenge. It lasts 8 weeks. We participate as a team and get points for various activities (exercise, eating fruits/vegetables, reading something about health, drinking water.) Monday I managed to earn 45 points. Tuesday I earned 42 points. Today, earned 52 points. It's actually kind of fun to do as a group.

I just never imagined thinking of a run (/walk)as fun.

TIGER

Realistic expectations are not really my strong suit. I am a perfectionist and I expect myself to do things -- if not perfect -- reasonably well the first time. Last Wed. I attended my first "Catch the Wave." I was trying to run a bit on my own, but it is a hard thing to start and everyone else had a two week jump on me. I was in the slow group -- 10. At first, I stayed towards the front of it, but I was struggling and dropped to the middle.

This week they decided to offer an additional group. It's a transitional group for those of us who cannot run 6-8 minutes without stopping. Tonight, we did 2 minute runs and 2 minute walks. The goal they've adjusted for us is to be able to run 5 and walk 2 by the time May 2 and the 5 K rolls around.

They've named us the Tiger group. I was a bit bummed that this is where I sorted out best, but at least I'm running. I'm thankful they didn't call us turtles. While I doubt I could out run a tiger, I'm pretty sure I could out run a turtle.

And then there is that old story of the tortise and the hare. The race is not always to the swift but to those who keep running (moving), right?

Running Your Heart Out -- Hope Chronicles 70

Last week I had the opportunity to watch a friend's boys -- Kolya and Austin. Kolya had a cross country meet. Since it was an invitational, everyone had to wait to the end to get awards.

This is a picture of Kolya running. He came in 19th out of 60 runners in his group. I think that is pretty amazing.

While Kolya ran a great race, another runner has gotten me thinking. It seemed that everyone had finished and the crowd was starting to mingle at where the awards were going to be given. I asked someone why they hadn't started. Even though it was a good 15 minutes later, it turned out that there was a boy who was still running. A boy who had run all season nowhere near the pack. A boy for whom only two or three people had stayed at the ending place to cheer on. A boy who ran his heart out.

Hebrews 12:1-3 says the following about the race we are running spiritually.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Carolyn Arends is a contemporary Christian singer. She sings about running the race and that great crowd of witnesses: "Sometimes I press on, sometimes I look back, sometimes I just lay in the road on my back. I've got to get up and I don't know how, I hear in the distance the roar of the crowd."

We all feel like giving up sometimes. What is amazing about this youth is that he didn't quit. He didn't quit as the pack pulled farther and farther ahead. He didn't quit when only a handful met him at the finish. He kept going and going --pushing himself. I don't know his faith, but oh, to be able to fix my eyes on Jesus, the end of the race, that I would run on and on and on even when no other runners are in sight.

That boy ran his heart out. May we have hope enough in the cross to run our hearts out until the end of the race.