She Runs By Faith

For this week's Tuesdays on the Run , the topic is "Favorite Race Distance". Even though I've been on a little streak of running half marathons this year, I still claim the full marathon to be my favorite distance and the half marathon is a close second. My appreciation for half marathons has grown because: Training works really well for this season of life with a little one in the house. Half's are HARD. Running 13.1 miles isn't that challenging, but it's all about pace. Some runners race a half marathon at my speedwork pace!  The long runs don't need to be that long. The longest I ran this time was just over 13 miles. Post-race recovery is much quicker than the full. Three days after the race, I feel great... minus a nasty cold. The half medals are just as pretty as the full medals :) The full marathon has a special place in my heart because that's where I started off as a new distance runner. I hope to run another 26.2 in 2015 but ...

It's taper week for this Saturday's half marathon! That means I'm A.) Attempting to rest (whatever that means with a toddler at home) and B.) Baking a lot. This morning's run was a "dress rehearsal" for race day; basically, just wear whatever you plan on wearing on race day and make sure everything works. By "works" I mean, no chafing, rubbing, or blistering issues. I haven't met a single person who enjoys chafing and blisters! Vaseline is a runner's best friend. Here we are, my "dress rehearsal", minus the construction worker's vest and hand light (it was 5:30 a.m.). I suppose the dark running gear won't be necessary on race day as the race starts at 8:00 a.m. Running in the daylight will be quite a treat! E and I are heading to the race expo on Friday and then getting some power groceries - I'm looking forward to both! Love race expos... and groceries. Leo has duties this weekend and won't be able to wat...

This morning the Parable of the Sower took on a new meaning to me, especially in relation to thorns and weeds. Luke 8:1-15 has very important truths to share about our priorities in this life and what we are allowing to consume us. “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life . And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling...

I've got a countdown going... only 10 days until race day! This morning was another dark, early morning run. I am definitely the only person in this little town who runs around in a reflective vest (aside from construction workers). I don't earn any points for fashion, but the last thing I want to do is get hit by a car! Reflective vest, GPS watch, and headlamp. Check, check, check. (P.S. I wrap the headlamp around my hand instead of trying to run with it on my head.) 6-mile tempo run for today - 9:12 (warm-up), 7:30, 7:25, 7:42, 7:34, 7:52 (cool-down). I dropped into the 6-minute miles here and there, but wasn't able to maintain it. Guess I should have eaten my Wheaties pre-run! Clear skies this morning! Aside from earlier morning runs due to sugar beet pre-pile starting, training for this half has been really fun. The longest run I have had was 13.18 miles and it has been much easier to fit training in before everyone wakes up! It feels good to have a run...

This weekend, little E and I went camping at the Itasca State Park with my family. We had an absolute blast despite the weather being a bit chilly and the fact that Leo couldn't join us. The farm is busy with harvest so both Leo and Uncle Wayne stayed home to work (while we went to play... that doesn't sound fair!). There are too many pictures that I could share from this weekend so here are "just" a few things (and people) that I am thankful for! My 8 Thankful Things First of all, it was my dad's birthday this week and I was excited to give him his birthday present >>> Pumpkin and carrot cake muffins that I later smothered in buttercream frosting: Sibling time. I had so much fun being with my brothers and my sister-in-law this weekend. E loves those uncles and his auntie! On Saturday, we headed out on a family run-bike-roll. My parents were biking, the guys were long-boarding, and the girls ran (with E in the stroller). 5 miles out-...

Well, I'm back to report that the homemade energy gel trial was a success! Monday morning's workout was 4 x 1600 meter intervals at 7:00~7:30/mile for a total of 6.5 miles. About 15 minutes before heading out the door, I took in 1/4 cup of energy gel. Before most weekly training runs, I don't eat anything but I was antsy to try this recipe out (and I was extra hungry yesterday morning)! Overall, the taste was great and the energy gel didn't bother my stomach at all. Whew... GI distress is the worst, especially during speed workouts. I look forward to using this in the upcoming half marathon! Speaking of my upcoming half, I just switched from the Blue Ox Half Marathon to the Wild Hog Marathon which is coming up on September 27th. This race is closer, we won't need to have hotel reservations, and my best friend is going to watch little man! Win, win, win. Here is my energy gel recipe if you are looking to try it yourself: Homemade Mocha Energy Gel 8 ...

This past weekend has been full of good things >> Food and Fellowship. E helped me bake round #2 of our energy bars that I mentioned in the last post . He was much happier while helping than he was 5 minutes prior having a meltdown on the floor. Hand the boy a measuring cup and all is well in the world! Craisin Date Energy Bars: After this weekend's long run, I found that these bars work great for me pre-run but not so well during the run. Chewing and running at the same time just don't work for me... or my stomach. Gel texture has worked in the past so I will share my experimental energy gel recipe below :) Carrot Cake Cookies: I made a batch of these cookies plus butter cream frosting for girls' night on Friday. This was my first time baking carrot cake anything and they were delicious! The recipe was super quick and easy, too. E, Leo and Uncle Wayne approved of them. Girls' nights need to happen more often. It's been way too long since ...