She Runs By Faith

Leo is on his way home today! Little man was SO excite to see his dad. Since Leo left two weeks ago, E is basically a new baby; one that loves to talk to blankets with patterns on them, sit in his bumbo seat, and wants to sleep on his momma at night (woops…). Now that he’s home, I can head out for training runs way early in the morning again and not worry about the heat! Leo and E can enjoy their mornings together and Leo can actually sleep, now that he’s done with the army til next month. Marathon Training Week 1 E and I put in a few medium distance runs, did what we could but didn’t stick to the training plan completely. My main concern was to get the long run in at the end of the week. As far as official “marathon training”, this week has been hit-and-miss. I love that summer is finally here! But, the heat and humidity make it difficult to run with a baby in the jogger. 80°F and humidity may be considered “cool weather” for some areas, but it’s WAY hot for me! I don’t mind swea...

Six more days until Leo returns from his army annual training! Two weeks isn't that long, but E and I miss him very much. We've been holding down the fort pretty well so far; mowing the lawn, watering the garden, cleaning the house a tiny bit, and hanging out with friends. I ended up running another 5k on Saturday, despite my earlier post where I stated that I "hate them". I still do hate them, but I must keep running them for some reason.It may be the excitement of racing that drew me to this one. Maybe not racing against other runners, but racing against your own personal record.  It was also the cause that this 5k was raising funds for. A young lady in town planned this 5k to raise funds for Love146 , an organization whose mission is to end child trafficking and exploitation. God put this cause on her heart and she followed His lead. The 5k ended up being a great success and they easily passed the fundraising goal she had set! Most 5k's seem to be for a ...

I just finished a draft of my training plan for the Blue Ox Marathon in October! This plan is just a loose guide to follow because I’m really not sure how it’s going to go being a new mom, breastfeeding, and occasionally training with the jogging stroller! Some women told me that you can’t run marathons while breastfeeding because it ruins your supply, but that’s just another old wives’ tale. Maybe it’s true for some, but definitely not everyone. E’s nurse said if your body is used to strenuous exercise, it won’t affect your milk supply. Just stay hydrated! There is a great article about this topic in the “This Runner’s Trials” blog called “The Breastfeeding Runner” . The mileage each week doesn't need to be exact and I've left Wednesdays open as "optional" run days. I LOVE running 6 days a week, but it's not so easy to do that anymore! Key workouts will be run in the early morning before E and Leo wake up. By the end of the day, I feel like my body loses all...

I hate 5k's because they are fast! It had been four years since the last time I ran a 5k and now I remember why. In a marathon, I kick for the last stretch of the race, but the entire 5k race is a "kick". Clearly someone needs to do a little more speed training... :s My cousin and I started the race together and E was my trusty jogging stroller partner, so I can't say it wasn't a fun time! The weather today was be-a-utiful and it was a great day for a run. We didn't stick around for results, but E and I finished in ~24:23 (7:51/mile) according to my Garmin. I've never raced with a jogging stroller (or a baby) before, so I didn't really have a goal time in mind. E slept for the whole run and it was wonderful. Today's 5k was fun, but there is something completely lovable about the marathon distance. Maybe it's the fact that you have 3+ hours to think about life, eat random energy sources, and possibly suffer from G.I. distress. Though, I wi...

This survey is from olivetorun.com , an awesome new blog that I ran across this week. Feel free to fill it out yourself and repost with a link back to olivetorun.com! #1. Would you rather bike 100 miles or run 100 miles? Definitely run 100 miles. Ultra marathons are SO intriguing! It’s on my bucket list to run one of these someday. They have some crazy hard 100-mile trail runs on the North Shore! And I’m definitely not the world’s best biker… #2. Wear TOO many clothes and then have to carry them because it’s too hot or wear TOO little clothes and endure a little coldness? Wear too little and endure the cold. I can’t stand overheating on a run; your body warms itself up just fine! Now if I underdress on a run colder than -10°F, then I’ll change my answer. #3. Would you rather run without your GPS or without your Music? Run without music. I don’t usually run with my iPod anyways, unless I need a little extra motivation to get out the door. #4. Would you...

Well, it's been a rough week of Leo and I being sick. We're both on the recovery right now and I'm feeling pretty good today. Thank God E didn't catch anything from us these time! Work is feeling more routine again, but I do miss my little man and have pictures of him and Leo at my desk to fill the void a little. Each morning and after work, I try to enjoy each moment that I get with Leo and E. Time goes way too fast and our little man is now sucking on his hand and smiling like a pro! I can't believe he is 3 MONTHS OLD already. On the running front, I've been trying out my new shoes this week that I got for a Mother's Day/birthday/anniversary gift and I'm loving them! They are called the " Innov-8 Bare-X Lite 150 " and I'm trying them really on a whim. I've always wanted to try some more minimalist-style shoes, so here was my chance. My brother told me about Leftlanesports.com and I found them for $65.00 (including shipping), so ...

First of all, Happy National Running Day! My Top 5 Reasons for Running Spend time in prayer and reflection with God. To make me a better wife and mom; it gives me more patience and energy! I love the training and competition. Have fun and enjoy the simple act of running. Stay in shape, stay healthy, and relieve stress. Why do you run?! Running has been quite a journey. I’ve been running my whole life, not-knowingly, playing in the pasture as a kid and during “conditioning” sessions for tennis and hockey. In 2009, I entered my first 5k on a whim because it was in my hometown and my brother was running it. 3.1 miles sounded absolutely insane to me, but I had to try! After a few more 5k’s, a 10k, and one 8-mile relay leg, I thought it was time to run a marathon. It seems strange and I still wonder why, but God put it on my heart to run a marathon one day. That same evening that I was contemplating registration, a friend from college called and said he was looking for ...

This was my first week back at work. It went well, but I definitely missed my little man! I’m feeling really tired, trying to get my brain into computer-work-mode, then mommy-work-mode when I get home. E has been up a few times at night still, which is frustrating, but then again, I’m so happy for every second with him. Thank God for coffee! That's all I can say. I was a bridesmaid in a good friend's wedding this weekend and Leo, E, and I are all tired and getting sick. Man, bridesmaid dresses are not always breastfeeding-friendly! E's evening cluster feed definitely made the evening hectic, though it was so fun to have him there to meet my old college friends. While at work, I listen to a sport and nutrition podcast from Ben Greenfield Fitness and studies show that cognitive performance is boosted by working out in the morning and eating breakfast before going to work. (or not working out and fasting for the morning) Looks like I will be implementing one of these tact...