Resolutions for 2013

I am SO excited for a new year!! I have enjoyed 2012, but I am looking forward to a fresh, new start. Perhaps b/c I have slowed down in my running & exercise routine, I'm hoping that a new year will get me going again. I am starting up the workout group at church again, we start January 10th 7-8 PM :) (always gotta put a plug out there), that always helps me get into a routine. I am signing up for my first race in 2013! I am signing up for the Chicago Get Lucky race, which is a 21K, basically a half-marathon. I ran my first ever half-marathon January 2012 & it was such an awful experience (for me, the race was fine, *I* was not) that I promised myself never to run another race in January again. SO I think March would be the best month to start racing again. February might be OK too, but I haven't found a race in Chicago in February...so March will have to do :) Anyways....2013...My resolutions are as follows:
1. Run my first full marathon (probably in the fall)
2. Continue workout group at church
3. Continue running outside with running group
4. Take a yoga class
5. Make more of our dinners/eat healthier
6. Make a recipe off of Pinterest at least once a week.
7. My DREAM, which who knows if it will happen....to go on a yoga retreat

That's probably it for 2013. I can't wait to get it started!! I hope you join me in the New Year...hoping to have some exciting adventures & get more healthy & fit as the months go by.

I love my body

With 2012 coming to a close & a new year looming ahead, I am beginning to hear talk of new year resolutions. Of course, the popular one is usually to lose weight or begin eating healthy. I too, am hoping to continue to work out & eat right on 2013. My goal for next year, is to be healthier in a year than I am now.

With that in mind, I am working on changing the way I think about myself. Normally I can rattle off all of the reasons I don't like my body, or the specific trouble areas, or what I would like to change, however, today I am going to talk about the reasons I love and appreciate these different areas of my body. The hardest thing for me to say is that I love my tummy. BUT, it is true. I love & appreciate the fact that it housed & nourished my twins, and then again my son. I am thankful for my legs & feet b/c they get me where I need them to go. They can take me far & they can take me fast. I am thankful for my arms b/c they can carry my children, they can lift, push & pull things. I am thankful to have an able, working body & I am done hating it & being ashamed of it.

I have been thinking about this post for a few days & have come to realize that it is far too natural & easy for me to go the negative route in regards to my body. However, I think the better option is to appreciate & love it for what it can do for me. I mean, one doesn't generally, take care of the things that they hate or are ashamed of. Your first thought towards something you hate or are ashamed of, is to hide it or nor take care o fit. Rather, you will nourish & nurture what you love, so I am going to take a more positive approach in the coming year. I will choose to take care of my body b/c it is something that I love & appreciate. I will exercise more regularly in 2013, to run a full marathon & to eat better, more whole & less refined foods. One of my goals is to cook more at home so we don't have to go out to eat (and BONUS, save more $$!) & so that we'll eat healthier foods.

I am looking forward to making those changes in the coming year ahead & to hopefully have a healthier & happier 2013 :)

So my previous post was all to say that I have only begun to consider myself a runner. Prior to 2012, I would run races, but I would only train for that race. It wasn't until this year that I kept up the training, even when I wasn't necessarily preparing for a race (although it is more difficult to find the motivation). To be honest, I did take the summer (mostly) off, I ran a few 5Ks & would run on the treadmill occasionally  but my running group didn't really get together as often & I didn't get my long runs in. I am also slacking a little b/c of the holidays & the crap sleep I've been getting lately, but I am hoping that the new year will bring new resolve around these parts :)

2012 is also the year that I began to see running/working out as worship to our Creator, Yahweh. I began to realize that our bodies were created to worship our God through movement. That's not to say that our only form of worship if moving our bodies through running, yoga, or weights, or that ALL working out is worship, but I did form a mind/body connection. I think that God is pleased to see us using our bodies to their full potential. That it is good to push our limits, to strengthen our muscles & to be fit. That we can better serve Him, in whatever capacity we do, if our bodies are healthy & strong to do the work that He would have us do.

I also began to see how working out/working our bodies really does correlate well to our spiritual life. I began a work out group at church, so I would do a small devotional on different topics each week. It was cool to continually be looking for that correlation between our walk with God & different aspects of working out, such as core/run/walking/breathe/water, etc etc.

2012

Sometimes I get frustrated with the things I didn't accomplish this year. I am still not happy with my weight or my midsection. I haven't been eating clean, etc etc. However, I AM proud of the things I DID accomplish in 2012.
The Polar Dash- I ran my first half marathon in Jan of 2012. It was 25 degrees outside & snowing. Needless to say, it was AWFUL!!! I ran/walked the last 3 miles & cried when I finished it. I hated the whole process LOL ( NO pics from this terrible race)
Spring Half Marathon- This was my 2nd half marathon this year. I wanted to finish it in 2 hours 30 min. I ended up finishing at 2 hours 08 minutes!! I was THRILLED with my time!! It was an awesome run & I have great memories of it.

North Shore Half Marathon- I signed up for this race to try to run it within 2 weeks of the spring one, but I think I missed out on that by a few days. Anyways, this one was HARD. It was 90 degrees outside & so bad that they ended up closing down the last 3 miles of the race (AFTER I finished the whole thing! LOL). I ran it in 2 hours 11 minutes. Not the time I was aiming for, but I was proud of myself for finishing the thing in the heat that we had.

The Hot Chocolate 15K- I ran this as a fun run. I love this race & have done it for 3 years. The chocolate at the end is DEEEE-LISH!! Anyways, my goal for this race was to run it under 1 hour 30 min, but I ended up finishing in EXACTLY 1 hour 30 min LOL Not quite the time I wanted, but I was still proud of myself.

Turkey Trot 10K- the night before this race, I told my husband that my best time would be to run it at a 9 min 30 sec pace. I was THRILLED when I checked my time on the official website b/c my pace was 9 min 15 sec!! That is the fastest I have ever run a race. ( No Pic for this race either, I ran it alone)

I have already signed up for a half marathon in June 2013. I am planning on running one in March & one in April, in KY! I am so excited about travelling to run!! I can't wait to get started in 2013 & to see what else I can accomplish :)

Grace

Today I was supposed to go running. I brought all of my gear (minus my water bottles, DUH!) to my IL's, along with my children, thinking I would run while they napped. WRONG! I ended up shopping for the girls' Christmas outfits instead. I figured, No biggie, I would do a Jillian DVD after the kids went to bed. WRONG again, I drank a glass of wine & took a bath. UGH. I am not happy with myself. Anyone else, I would advise to "give grace to yourself", however, I am not so easy on myself. I beat myself up too much. I expect too much of myself without giving myself enough grace. I want to be perfect & to practice what I preach. I am continually evaluating myself, to see if what I am promoting, is how I am living. I am often found lacking & I am not happy.

This confession will hopefully reach other people though. I would tell anyone else that tomorrow is a new day. Start off tomorrow on a new foot. Keep your goals in mind & pick up where you left off. I am not that easy on myself. I have no grace for my mistakes. So I am here to remind myself, to love myself. To give myself grace. To pick up tomorrow, where I have left off today. Tomorrow I will do a DVD (since Nick is out of town & I can't go running). Tomorrow I will make wise choices. Tomorrow will be a new day full of mercy & grace, the same as today.

I often beat myself up for areas of failure in my life, including where I am struggling spiritually. I don't think this is what God has in mind for me. I think that He would offer mercy to me, instead of beating my over the head with my failures. He would pull me aside & allow me to be sad that I missed the mark, to SHOW me where I messed up, but He would not keep me there. He would not threaten or punish me for the failures of today, He would be gentle with me & tell me to be gentle with myself. To love myself & to begin again tomorrow, a new day,with new mercies.

Thank you Lord for not being a harsh Master. For not rubbing my nose in my failure, but instead for allowing me to see my mistakes, but to give me grace. Please Lord, help me to give myself grace. To allow myself to fail, and then pick myself up again to start fresh in the morning. Thank you that you love me, that you give me Grace & Mercy.

Introduction

Hello there, readers! I created this blog to share my journey as a mom, runner & hopefully, a health coach. I am 32 years old, a mom of 3 & have been married for 10 years. The Lord, Jesus Christ, is my Savior & I am trying to live holistically, so that my health & my faith go hand in hand. I hope to share my running stories, goals & aspirations on this blog, as well as any changes I make in my life to get more healthy & fit. I would love to become part of a community on here that has the same goals & desires. I am by no means the standard for anyone to be measured against, as I feel that I am just getting started. I hope to inspire, encourage & walk along side of other women who are mothers, wives, care givers, etc.