She Runs By Faith

Disclaimer: I received a free entry to the Hot Chocolate 15k Minneapolis as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! Travel Day: Friday, April 14 My family and I left on Friday morning for 5.5 hour drive to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The kids travelled well and, upon arriving to the city, we stopped by the Como Zoo for some fun. Our biggest accomplishment by far was surviving the downtown traffic at 5 pm. We arrived at the Westin Hotel , found parking and were ready to call it a night (after eating at Five Guys' Burgers and swimming, of course). The Westin was on the recommended list of hotels for the Hot Chocolate because of its close proximity to the race course - only a 1.5 mile walk. Upside: Close to the race. Downside: No continental breakfast. Thankfully I took advantage of the Hot Chocolate 15k/5k packet mailing option for $15 to avoid battling the downtow...

If you are reading this post, chances are that I survived the Hot Chocolate 15k and will tell you all about it next week. This week we've got some other exciting business to cover!  While I'm all about the Cadbury Cream Eggs that come with the season, today is an extra special day to remember and celebrate the true hope and joy we have in Jesus. I hope you and your loved ones are having a blessed Easter! And with Easter being late this year,  Marathon Monday  follows just on the horizon. I have been looking forward to sharing this Runner Spotlight interview with you from a runner competing in the Boston Marathon tomorrow ! Meet Amanda.  She's a follower of Jesus, wife, RN and crazy fast runner of all distances - even two ultras. I have been so inspired by Amanda's commitment to glorifying God in all she does and her ability to balance life with training while hitting some really fast paces in the process. Amanda has a bunch of running experienc...

Hot Chocolate 15k taper week has arrived! This will be my first 15k race and my first race for BibRave. The race packet showed up on my doorstep last week. How cool is that!? Considering we are driving 5 hours to the race and there is no packet pick up on race day, the packet mailing option saved us some hassle. I used to consider it "bad luck" to wear a race shirt/jacket/etc before actually completing the race but I have been wearing my Hot Chocolate sweater. I had to make sure it fit... And then I just couldn't take it off. My goal is to run this race at an easy effort around 9:00 to 10:00/mile pace. Walk through aid stations, visit with other runners, encourage someone who is struggling, just take it all in. Mentally, I've broken the race into 3 x 3-mile intervals. Per the Hot Chocolate 15k website, the sweet stations will include marshmallows, chocolate chips, and M&Ms to enjoy along the way! YUM. Talk about motivation! View Image Source ...

Disclaimer: I received Brilliant Reflective strips  to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! As the warmer months are approaching, the sun is rising a little bit earlier each day - praise the Lord! The mornings of complete darkness had me feeling like a nocturnal creature. Waking up to run in the dark morning hours isn't the most appealing choice (versus staying cozy in bed) but watching the sunrise and listening to the birds sing makes me glad that I did get up and running. I am an early bird runner at heart. I can't promise it happens like that every day but I do enjoy running in the early AM. Getting outside before the kids are awake and the day has officially begun works best for my family. The town feels so quiet and peaceful. It feels like I have the whole place to myself! (There really aren't many runners around here. Maybe 3.) The on...

Disclaimer: I received SmellWell odor-eliminating pouches  to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews! "You look like a runner." Doesn't that feel like a compliment? I mean, who doesn't want to look like a runner! After watching a couple of my marathons last year, my husband swears that runners have a certain "look" to them. Being that runners come in all shapes and sizes, I haven't been able to pinpoint that common denominator just yet. Maybe it's the tights-wearing in the cool weather, fancy GPS watches or bright neon gear in the summer months that gives us away? Now say someone approaches you and says: "You smell like a runner." That probably wouldn't make you smile, right? I know I would probably slink away to the nearest shower. My Shoes + Lots of Miles ≠ Smells Like Roses Runners do cover a lot...

For me it's been the latter. Hardly running. There are times to push and times to cut back. Now is a time to cut back but I feel really good about it. I'm running enough to maintain fitness to cover the miles of the Hot Chocolate 15k coming up in April but I'm not pushing my body's limits either. Honestly, I'm exhausted and all I want to do is eat beef tacos. Running the Hot Chocolate 15k is still the plan though I'm going to run at a more enjoyable pace rather than race pace. Take in the sights, visit with fellow runners. Besides, I'm guaranteed a PR since this is my first 15k ever, right! ;) That's enough beating around the bush. What it comes down to is that I'm really excited to share some news with you all but I'm not quite ready yet. Soon enough! Until then, just enjoy some beef tacos for me. With crushed Doritos is a bonus. Hot Chocolate 15k Training Week 4: 03/13-03/19 MONDAY:  3.17 mi, 00:30 @ 09:27 pace. Due to m...

The first 18 months of our second child's life are still a blur in my mind. As I was warned, our second bundle of joy was much different than his older brother. Our first was a "by the book" baby and quite easy going. Our second is quite the opposite. His struggles started with constipation and sensitive skin rashes and then ear infection after ear infection. While I adore all the cuddles from our sweet babies, my little W was very much attached to my hip for a looong time. We have many special memories together in those early months but we also had quite the challenges as well. I know, I know. Enjoy every second because the years are short but some days feel extra long. Like suffocatingly long. And the nights were even longer. Everything our sweet second-born did was high-intensity. All babies are born needy but some are definitely more intense and less content than others. Dr. Sears' High Needs Baby articles cover the topic much better than I can...