Amazing

I've always heard that exercise will help you be in a better mood. Something about chemicals in the brain...It's totally true! I feel so great, and i'm not starving myself either!
I can tell that i'm building muscle, and i'll be honest, the scale says it too! (That means I'm a pound or two up, so my muscles are growing.) I'm still happy with my numbers because i'm starting to see some results. Ryan took this picture for me one evening last week after I ran at night. I felt great, finished my 2 miles in 18:04...wish there was more light so you could see the sparkle in my sweet little eyes...

My inhaler is helping a bit, but I'm pretty sure that my issues with my breathing are in my throat/airway. I plan to address those issues before the month is up. I have great days, good days and not so good days of running/lifting/cycling/walking. It's amazing how much the humidity affects me and my ability to push through and finish my workout. Most days are good but every once in awhile, my throat and chest are just too heavy to safely finish. So I slow down and rest for that day.
I heard something a few days ago that I never thought i'd hear. I came home from working out and running and Ryan was getting dressed to go do the same. He said, "I've gotta keep up with you."
He may never know how much that meant to me, but truly, I've been trying to keep up with him for 8 years now. He totally validated my efforts, acknowledged my hard work and was even motivated by my committment. If that doesn't make a girl feel good, I don't know what does!
I took out the calendar last week to try to work out my 12 week plan to get ready for the big race and I realized that I start that 12 week plan in 7 days! Crazy. I plan to work hard this week on my 2 mile and my 2.5 mile so that i'm ready to start my first long run that Saturday. 3 miles is the shortest long-run I have for the next 12 weeks. Am I really ready to do this?
My head sure is and my legs and arms really are...let's see if my throat will follow suit.

Quarter-Mile

Today is day 5. Ryan and I took the kids to the track. My goal today was to see how quickly I could complete one mile. I was going for speed. I ran a quarter mile before Ryan stopped me. I sounded like a seal, wheezing for dear life. I called my doctor because even before today, i've been noticing that my lungs just won't let me go as fast or as far as I feel i'm capebable of. Asthma? My own fear stopping me and using my breathing as an excuse? Is this in my head?
Nope. Went to my doctor this afternoon and he gave me the breathing test. "Obstructive Breathing Disease" was my official diagnosis. Sounds scary but it just means that something is causing my airway to swell, so I can't breathe well. My doctor thinks that asthma is causing my airway to swell.
I got an inhaler today and tried it. My chest has felt heavy all day so I thought i'd go ahead and see how it worked...or didn't.


It worked! I'm not sure how it will work tomorrow morning when I run, but for now, I'm breathing deeply and un-obstructed-ly! I'm thankful for modern medicine. I'm also thankful that it's not all in my head. I fully intend to get up in the morning and see what these lungs can do.
After all, October will be here before I know it!

Beauty or the Beast?

It's day #2 in my getting ready for the big run. I started my morning with a few Psalms from chapter 119. This is the verse that stuck with me: "Turn my eyes from looking at vanity, and revive me in Your ways." Ps. 119:37
I'd be lying if I said I weren't looking forward to looking better, seeing muscles develop and fat go away. I'm reminded today that that is simply a byproduct. I'm doing this run because I want to challenge myself, I want to train with Ryan and I want to do something really rad with my brother and my sister-in-law. I'm thankful for the reminder to stay focused on God's ways, not my own.
I'm still in the process of making a good healthy platform to then push myself into running long-distance. Yesterday I did a bit of interval training. I did some sprinting and then speed walking inbetween. Today I used the weightroom here at our complex and tried to take advantage of the air conditioning. It was 85 degrees in the weightroom, but I figure that's better than the 100 degrees it is outside. I also have to take advantage of the kids sleeping and Ryan being home.
I ran a mile on the treadmill and then did a few lunges. I stress a FEW because they're wicked. And it's my first time, so i'll build up to more than 5-10 at a time! I did some arms and then ran another half mile. I spent a good time stretching, Ryan says, "Long muscles are strong muscles." I have a volleyball game tonight too, so I figure I shouldn't go overboard or I won't want to do anything tomorrow.
Seems like a simple workout, but i'm just getting started.The time will come when my posts are longer and harder and stronger workouts. I'm thrilled to have had the motivation today to go on my own and get a workout in. And to keep me focused on God's ways and not my own vain desire to look better, I snapped this picture. Ain't I a beauty? Maybe a Beast?! Ha!

The Expendables

Ryan and I had movie night together last night. It's fairly normal for us to crash after a long day and watch a movie together. We watched, The Expendables, alot of exploding and heads getting blown off. Good, clean, happy date night.
During the movie, my brother Stephen called. He was proposing the idea of Ryan and I running a race with him and his wife, Joy in October. Sure, I think. October is a few months away, yet. I'm thinking a 5 or 10K. Doeable. I couldn't have been more wrong. They want us to run the Capital2Coast run with them. The race starts in Austin, TX and finishes at the coast in Corpus Christi. 223 miles. A team of 12 runners will each take different legs of the race in 5-9 mile intervals. In total, I will probably be resonsible for about 18-20 of those miles.
Ryan was in immediately, and I jumped onto the bandwagon of his confidence in me. Joy is about 2 months out of delivering a baby, Stephen is starting fresh like me, and Ryan will need to get his long distance hat on. We're all going to have a road of hard work ahead of us to make this happen.
My goal is to complete my portion. I have no high hopes to be the fastest on the team, or even the most in shape. I'm certainly no Sylvester Stallone or Jett Li. I do, however, have a goal to finish well. I'd like to feel completely spent after my legs of the race. I'd like my focus to be that God gave me a strong body that can be pushed to limits i've never reached to before. I'd like to memorize some scripture between now and then so that while I'm running, I'll have words to think and meditate on. They will guide me, the Lord will strengthen me.
And so, i've made a few committments. Some to the rest of my team, some to my husband, some to myself and some to my Lord. I am confident that He will teach me and sustain me. He is so good and I am thankful for a time to grow.