Back on the Run!!, from the West Coast!

So. Weather here is awesome. You guys should be jealous ;) and then in a couple of months when I'm figuring out how to run in the snow...SNOW! ahh. can you believe it? then I'll be jealous of you.

But anyways. I ran on this awesome trail behind my new apartment and I am a converted trail runner. The street just won't do it for me anymore...hehe. well maybe. but still it is awesome. My first couple of runs our here weren't the greatest. I some how picked up a nasty cold and sinus infection on my way out here and breathing has been a rare treat...this makes running hard. Not to mention that my "running across the country" plan didn't really work either. So over a week of no running and then breathing issues on top of it made for a interesting re-start. I'm getting better and the tissues are getting fewer. So run on I WILL! As soon as I get my act fully together (moving across the country is a big deal..pheww.) I will take some pictures of said awesome trail to share. And when you guys come to visit...HINT HINT...we will run on it together!

In the meantime...check out this youtube video. It's pretty awesome and pretty inspiring!

More Laughs

So..funny story about yesterday's run. I decided to borrow m's running shorts and after I put them on, she said casually..oh you can definitely wear those, but they have a little tear in the side, but ive safety pinned it, so you're okay. I was like oh okay and didn't even look at the tear. So we go on our way, and get to our running spot and I feel a sort of breeze opening my shorts... and I look down and the tear is a lot bigger than i had realized!! I was like "Melissa!!!" haha and we both were laughing so hard because it was a little windy and my shorts kept ballooning up on the side, even though they were pinned :) So, here is a picture of me with m's torn shorts- but they are still wearable so not throwing them away :) but, the white you see is the running shorts liner...not my undies! Just to clarify!!!!!! And here is a pic of m and me after our 3 mile run, twas a fun day :) love you girls!! xoxo,n

Carrying Us...

September 14, 2010 6:58pm.

 

I just walked in from my run- literally still have sweat dripping down my face and fingers all sticky and shaky from my adrenaline pumping, but I couldn't wait to sit down and start typing the picture the Lord was just showing me on my run. So, today's run- what I thought-a not too hard 2 miles began amazingly..I was so so ready to run tonight and couldn't wait to put on my new music (thank you Melissa Milroy) and let my feet hit the pavement. My adrenaline was going as my legs raced with the song "For Love of You" by Audrey Assad (my new favorite artist) I was smiling and was like this is going to be so good, my pace was even a little faster than normal. As I was running, the wind was coming so strong against me that at times it was making me sway as I ran..it was also literally pushing the ear buds out of my ears…as I kept running I was thinking "Oh Jesus Im so thankful that I have this wind against me now on the first mile because that means when I turn around it will be pushing me along on the second half mile… that's just how you work Lord…even though trials and struggles face us..if we hold on and persevere you will bless our road and carry us along after we have learned through the trials…." Ha I remember thinking thanking Jesus for this reminder. As I neared my turning mark I could not WAIT to turn around, it was such a harder first half of my run than I expected- even though I was pumped up on adrenaline and what Jesus was showing me. However when I turned around…something unexpected happened… there was NO WIND PUSHING ME. All of a sudden it was HOT and DRY  and the SUN was IN MY FACE. I was like… well.. Jesus.. how did this happen.. the wind was just going against me.. so now shouldn't it be pushing me along?? I felt like I was running through absolutely still air. I was like wow Jesus.. I thought the first half of my run was hard… needless to say at least I had WIND in my face to cool me off… to help me breathe. As I continued to literally pray outloud as I was running ( people probably thought I was nuts) because I was just zonked of all energy..the Lord began to show me some thing… how.. there are times when we are running along in life and we think that the struggle, trial, obstacle we are facing is SO bad, annoying, frustrating, and we are waiting for the blessing to come from persevering… however.. there may not be an IMMEDIATE blessing once we hit our turning spot, we may have to continue to HOPE and PRAY and RELY on JESUS. I realized that I should have been TAKING IN that air in my face… breathing in the air that I just assumed I would have on the way back… but oh how precious that trial and struggle is when we are facing it.. we need to take in every moment that we are faced with it because we have no idea what it is preparing us for… the very things we see as trials could be the very blessing the Lord is giving us… and when we reach that point of almost giving up… and then we reach our turn around point expecting a blessing… there may not always be one… as I looked back and wished I would have taken in that extra breath and enjoyed that wind in my face one last time…and just because we don't receive the blessing doesn't mean one is not waiting for us at the end of the race. Even though it was hard and I wanted to stop.. I kept thinking of the Lord and what He was teaching me through this run…I had "For Love of You" on repeat… and somehow He sustained my legs in the heat… and at the end of the run… I am not even joking I was almost blown over with the gust of wind that hit me when I stopped at my 2 mile mark. Not only was there wind but as my sprinting legs came to a halt the words from the song "Carry Me on Your Back" by Leeland. I wanted to fall to my knees because I realized another facet of His Love…I realized through the entire run He carried me on His back…He made my legs move, my lungs breath air in and out… and He is the One who is ALWAYS carrying us on His back even when the season is hot and dry and we feel we have no air to breathe, and even when we feel His presence yet are still facing many obstacles and He is still carrying us even when He doesn't move in the way we expect. He carries us and works and moves to make sure He gets the glory- so it ALL points to Him and not to ourselves. It is all about HIM. I feel I can keep talking about this short 19 minute run for forever because I keep realizing small things about the Lord, but I pray you are blessed and you only see Jesus. I just had to share because He is good. Love you… here is a link to the song "Carry Me on Your Back"…. Xoxo, Nicole

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mubEkCOIQDw

A Looonng While...

Hello my sweet princess friends!!! It has been so long since ive blogged and like an earlier post C wrote...I am finding myself to be so busy! On top of that, I am trying to fight off getting sick... so far in the past three weeks I have been sick twice :(. But, I am learning what it looks like to really rest and to not run until I am better. I think the onset of my sickness began after long days at work and an 8pm 3 mile run followed by a 5am 2mi run the next morning... haha 5mi within 12 hours i guess snapped the rubberband for me and I was out of running for almost 2 weeks! boo! I missed it. So, I have been trying to stick to the schedule as best I can, but I am trying to modify it too since I have missed a bit. But, tonight I ran 3 mi (on the treadmill though- cause of a storm :( ) But, I am excited for the race still. I can't even think about the 13 miles though when I am only running 3 right now! haha I guess it's kind of like our promises with the Lord... it takes time to build and prepare us... we won't reach the "destination" overnight, but we know that we WILL get there... we WILL be able to run 13 miles and finish the race... all to the glory of Him :) xoxo love you girls. -n

Traveling Runner

Hey girlies!

So. on a non-running note. My car is packed and I am....eek...almost ready to go. I cannot believe it. I plan on getting good runs in tomorrow and Saturday and then, drum roll please, the next time you here from me will likely be from another state...WHOA! This princess is going national. I will try to update you along my trip. Monday, Iowa with the Foxy, Wednesday, Colorado, and hopefully by Sunday--WASHINGTON. That being said. I may be away from the blogging world for a bit, until I get settled into my new little corner of the Pacific Northwest.

Keep up the awesome running girlies. Love you!

C.

p.s. I have totally lost track of total mileage...but it's getting up there I think?!

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.