cha cha cha changes

hola amigas!

yes, slacking in the blocking department.  I totally am with carli on this--on my 'break' from school, I was at home and funny enough, my break seemed like more work than school...(almost) anyway its been a crazy couple of weeks with so much, but I am finally back, first week back at school is done, and I am figuring out my schedule and everything so I am happy to get back into the swing of it.  I tried a couple of days...but they were so few that I almost am not counting them. AND somehow a month or so ago I signed up for a 5k THIS sunday, and I have barely run for 3 weeks! idk what is going to happen, but we will see. 

miss you both! <3

e

Busy?

So I'm not really sure how this happened, but after a summer with no plans and nothing to do, all of a sudden, I'm busy. I don't even know what to make of that word anymore.  Maybe all this stuff to do has something to do with the fact that I am moving ALL THE WAY across the country in approximately two weeks...EEK!  So all that being said the running has been a little crazy.  I'm doing the best I can, but I've had to move a few days around.  And the blogging is sparse...it probably will be for a couple weeks until I get to Washington, ahhhhh...scary.
I know we're all winding up to get a whole lot busier, keep up the hard work. Princesses! Love you! 

*running on*
C.

WHAT!!!

I just signed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhh! i just texted you guys, but i am so SO nervous/excited/every emotion you can think of!! 

I keep looking at the email--is this real life?!! 

and I picked Belle :) whoa, i am REALLY doing this. 

breathe. 

Speed

What a week it has been! There were a couple days this week where I just felt tooo tired to run! But, M and I pushed through. I had my good days and not so great days of running, but its been fun! M and I have been timing ourselves on our runs...and today since it was 2 miles we decided to try and beat our times from the 2 miles last week. Our goal was to shoot for cutting off at least a minute off of our time. Our 2 mile times were averaging 22 min.s from last week.. we at least wanted to get to 21..and 20 was pushing it... however today M and I just had this excitement and energy and we started off really strong and on our way back went back and forth with encouraging one another..really pushing ourselves and we were so excited to finish the 2 miles in 19.38! This may not be an awesome time for a pro runner, but we were so excited...and knew it was only by the grace of the Lord we did that- or finished at all!

 

We both have some questions... M and I both are seeming to have sore/tight lower backs (like around our spine) and our necks have been really tight... has this happened to you all at all?

 

And, what princesses did you all put when you registered? Just curious :)

 

I love you all!!

 

Total: 18.75 miles

 

xoxo, n :)

Women's Running Magazine

Check this out chickies...it's so cool!

March 2009

Sara Hall

Mammoth Lakes, CA SPORTS: Track and Field AGE: 25 JOB: Professional Athlete Click photo to enlarge

RUNNING WITH PURPOSE

My goal is to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2012 and to win an outdoor national track title. I feel like right now I am perfectly suited for the 3,000-meter distance, which unfortunately is no longer an outdoor track event. There is a 3,000-meter steeplechase, which I may try this year, presuming I can pick up hurdling! However, I think my future is definitely in the 5,000. (I’d also like to run a marathon.)

My challenge is to stay balanced. Our sport can be all consuming. You can let it become your entire identity. It’s a dangerous thing, because success is often unpredictable. I find when I overemphasize running, I become less happy than when I make serving others, loving family and following my faith priorities in my life as well. My husband (2008 Olympic marathon runner Ryan Hall) and I do a lot of running together. Often, we have some of our best conversations and times connecting on runs. His amazing courage and confidence inspires me.

One of my passions is working with World Vision (worldvision.org), a child-centered organization that helps to empower impoverished communities. My participation has been through Team World Vision, a program that raises money for projects in Africa. Athletes dedicate a race - no matter what type or distance - and recruit sponsors to pledge donations. Recently, Ryan and I went to Zambia to see the results of the money raised by Team World Vision at the Chicago Marathon last year - it was exciting to see that drilling had begun to provide clean drinking water.

Barefooted and a little incident

Hey Princesses!
So this morning sweet sweet N. Called to make sure I got up early this morning (thank you!) And it's a good thing she did because I have NO time to get it in later. Morning is wonderful! I am terrible at getting out of bed in the morning, but when I do, I love it.
I ran out on the golf course again and the whole 2nd half of the run, I took off my shoes and ran in the cool dewy grass completely barefoot! Yummy is the only way to describe it. It's invigorating!! There was even this sweet old man mowing the golf course singing at the top of his lungs. There's no way this could be a bad day, how can you not smile at that?

Now for the little mishap. I was on cloud nine floating down the fairway listening to the muted silence and the lovely man's off key singing and was not paying one bit of attention to where I was going...I ran right into a little water run off ditch and rolled my ankle. I scraped up the palms of my hands and sat on the ground for a minute, got back up and felt ok so I kept running. I'm a little sore now. My knee and ankle are a little swollen, but hopefully its nothing a bag of ice and some ibuprophen can't fix! Haha. What a morning!!

**running on**

C.
total miles run: 16.75

setback?

hola el princesses! 

Sorry I haven't updated--in the midst of finals!! 

So I know you know about my leg, I'm still not 100% whats going on, for stress fractures you need an MRI, but all trainers think it is shin splints.  The only way to recover from that is rest. But i don't WANNA rest!! 

I have been crosstraining this week on the eliptical just to stay active. I go further than the plan on the elipitcal because it isn't the same thing as running.  I'm not exactly sure what to do yet--thoughts have been maybe investing in a different shoe, doing something like run 3 days crosstrain 2...i'm not exactly sure yet. 

and sign ups for the race-- what did you guys put for your times? I think I'm going to sign up this weekend :) 

xoxoem

Half Way Point

For me, a run is all about the half way turn-around point.  If I make it there strong and am still mentally in the game, no worries about the finish.  It may be hard, but it will be strong.  The halfway point says it all.  Some days, its a fight to get to the half way point and it continues to be a fight all. the. way. home.   Generally it's one or the other.  Today, It was sort of in between.  Weird!  That extra quarter mile we added today wasn't so bad.  It made me feel strong.  Set a goal and reach it, it makes you feel great!  I made it to my halfway point strong, but it was a fight to the end.  But I made it!!! Way to go week 2!!!

...I think the struggle was because I didn't heed the warning from N. and M....and the junk food strikes again.  eww.  I have all new motivation to eat well.  I usually do pretty well, but today was not one of them and I felt it.

**running on**

C.

total miles run: 12.25

!!Girls, tomorrow, all together we will have run more than a half marathon!!  Way to go.  

yay week 2!

This morning I woke up with a tummy ache, but didn't want that to stop me so i pushed through and with God's grace finished the 2.25 miles. so excited for another week! praying for you girls, love you!

 

total: 2.25

xoxo, N. :)

 

P.S. another picture of the sunrise morning, sorry I just can't help myself! and here is another picture of M and me after our run. i think im going to try and document with a picture the first day of running for each week. :)

Finished Week 1!

Im so excited and even more pumped about this race now having finished the first week. Im noticing how precious this journey is- with all the ups and downs and times of learning- and even how much that relates to our faith. But I get excited and encouraged knowing that we are all working toward one goal- challenging ourselves and encouraging one another along the way! The end result will most certainly be priceless, however these moments and sharing them with you all is just as special.  

 

On a side note: Im realizing how hot it can be even at 8 or 9 in the morning! so this morning when my alarm went off at 6:30, I tried to get up quickly so we wouldn't have to run in the blazing sun again. Our run thankfully went super well and when we finished and stopped to stretch we were greeted by a few jelly fish... as I leaned over the seawall to stretch my calves and watch the sun come up and reflect off the bay, i saw a dolphin roll through the water. I was like, wow Lord, You are awesome and such a Beautiful Creator and Sustainer. I think im learning a lot while here at home, more than I thought I would. M and I are looking at some more 5K's to run, we found one along with another half marathon in November, we're thinking we may do the 5k. http://womenshalfmarathon.com/stpetersburg/ But, C and  E I love you and am hugging you right now!! YAY week 1 is done!!

 

Total: 10 miles

 

xoxo, N.

 

The picture is from one of the mornings earlier this week of the sun coming up :)

 

5k's

I signed up for another one...at the end of this month. It will still be hot, but my goal is to just do better. 

It is crazy to me that I just signed up for one, not thinking about if I could or how I could...I know I can.

and YAY! email works.

Total: 6 (I haven't gone yet today)

em