SUNRISE

Workout - 40 minutes eliptical
Motivation level- average

Today we went to the gym again for our eliptical workout. My body was more tired today. I had been up and down all night because of sick children. I must admit that when the alarm went off, I was tempted to call Laurie and cancel, but the word DISCIPLINE popped into my mind. I need to be disciplined that means keeping my scheduled workouts with my faithful partner if at all possible. So I got up and we headed out. I was half way through my workout, feeling sluggish, and I felt a sudden warmth. Out the window I could see the sun rising over the mountains. It was amazing. The first thing that came to my mind was that God was telling me, "I have given you the strength and ability to achieve this, you must just embrace it, you CAN run the race and find your path, I am showing you the way." I felt a increase in energy and a happiness in being at the gym come over me.

It is wonderful when God gives you that little boost that you need!!!!

Laurie and I will be doing our first event for 2007. The Resolution run on
January 1. What a great way to start the New Year!!!!!

MOTIVATION/DICIPLINE

POUNDS GAINED OVER HOLIDAY - 2
TODAYS WORKOUT- 40 MINUTES ELIPTICAL
NEW SUGAR CHALLENGE- STARTS JANUARY 1

TODAY AFTER A WEEK OF RELAZATION AND NO TRIPS TO THE GYM OR TRACK, WE VENTURED BACK INTO THE LAND OF FITNESS, KNOWN AS THE GYM. WAITING FOR ME WAS THE ELYPTICAL MACHINE. WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDS, BUT I HAD IGNORED HIM FOR OVER A WEEK NOW, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO RECONNNECT. THE ANSWER IS PAINFULLY YES. I DID MY 40 MINUTES AND WAS WISHING I HAD NOT TAKEN THE WEEK OFF!!!

AS I WAS WORKING OUT I BEGAN THINKING ABOUT THE NEW YEAR APPROACHING. WHAT WOULD MY GOALS BE, WHAT CAN I ACCOMPLISH?? I NEED TO CONTINUE TO LEARN TO BE DISCIPLINED, I NEED TO FIND THOSE THINGS THAT CAN MOTIVATE ME. SO I BEGAN TO PUT UP THE RIMINDERS. THE PICTURE OF THE GIRL RUNNING-A PICTURE OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BECOME-MY BIBLE QUOTE THAT INSPIRES ME HEBREWS 12-THE ONE WORD THAT REMINDS ME OF THE STRUGGLE I HAVE WITH MY CHARACTER -DICIPLINE-I NEED THESE REMINDERS DAILY, AND WILL CONTINUE TO ADD WHAT INSPIRES.

NEW PATHS

Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world; but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
—Romans 12:2 NCV

I am on a journey of change, and the one way to do that is by experience new things and meeting new people. Today I was looking for a new goal for me and Laurie. We are wanting to do a running event in March or April to keep us geared up for the 1/2 marathon we are going to run in June. I found a Duothon in a town close to us. This would mean running to legs of the race and biking one. We run just over 5 miles combined and bike 14 miles. It sounds like an awesome challenge, but also a little scary since I have never done a Duothon. When I told my husband about it, he even said he would start training as well and do it with me. So maybe, that is a sign from God to push away my fears of something new, and take that step forward into new territory. Only time will tell if this will part of my journey's path.

RUN

WELL WE ARE BACK AT IT, AND ADDING RUNNING INTO THE MIX! WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE TRACK AT OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL IS LIGHTED AND AVAILABLE FOR USE NICE AND EARLY IN THE MORNING, SO THERE WE WERE THIS MORNING GETTING READY TO RUN. WE COMPLETED OUR FIRST LAP WALKING TO WARM UP AND THEN STOPPED TO STRETCH, AND ON TO THE TRACK COMES THIS MAN ASKING "DO YOU HAVE A TRACK PASS?, I AM THE MAN IN CHARGE AND YOU NEED A PASS!" AT FIRST I THOUGHT HE WAS TOTALLY SERIOUS, BUT THIS NICE MAN WAS JUST WELCOMING US TO THE EARLY MORNING TRACK GROUP. HE WAS AN OLDER MAN AND TOLD US HE HAD BEEN COMING HERE EARLY IN THE MORNING FOREVER, AND THAT HE WAS GLAD TO SEE US YOUNG LADIES HERE WORKING OUT TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES. I PERSONALLY LIKED THE "YOUNG" PART. HE TOLD US THAT FIVE YEARS AGO HE USED TO RUN 5 MILES 5 TIMES A WEEK, BUT THAT ON THIS VERY TRACK 5 YEARS AGO HE HAD A HEART ATTACK, AND THANK GOODNESS SOMEONE ELSE WAS AT THE TRACK AND WAS ABLE TO GET HIM HELP. HE STRESSED HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO START WHILE YOU ARE YOUNG. HE GAVES US THE HIGHLIGHT OF WHO THE OTHER WALKERS WERE WE WOULD PROBABLY SEE EVERY MORNING WE CAME AND WISHED US WELL AND WAS OFF FOR HIS WALK. HE MADE US FEEL VERY WELCOME AND JUST REAFFIRMED THAT WE WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND ON TRACK! WHAT A NICE DAY TO START RUNNING!! NOW WE ARE STARTING SLOW MIND YOU. WE WALK 3/4 OF THE LAP AND RUN A 1/4. OUR GOAL IS TO BE UP TO A LAP WITHIN 4 WEEKS AND HOPE IT JUST GETS EASIER FROM THERE. MY BODY IS DEFINATELY TELLING ME, "GIRLFRIEND YOU HAVE GOT TO LET GO OF THOSE EXTRA POUNDS!!" AND MY RESPONSE IS THEY ARE ON THERE WAY OUT!!!!

THE BIG DAY-NOVEMBER 26

NOVEMBER 26, 2006, WILL GO DOWN IN MY HISTORY BOOK. ONE OF MANY FIRSTS IN MY LIFE TIME. I, THE FAT GIRL, HAVE COMPLETED MY FIRST 1/2 MARATHON.

THE EXPERIENCE WAS MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EXPECTED. LAURIE AND I DECIDED TO STAY IN SEATTLE SATURDAY NIGHT, PICK UP OUR NUMBERS, AND CHECK OUT THE FITNESS EXPO. WE STAYED AT THE WESTIN, CHECKED IN, DROPPED OUR STUFF IN OUR ROOM AND WENT AND CHECKED OUT THE EXPO. AFTER THE EXPO WE DECIDED TO WALK DOWN AND FIND THE STARTING LINE FOR THE RACE SO WE WOULD KNOW WHERE WE WERE STARTING AND FINISHING.

WE FOUND A GREAT BISTRO TO HAVE DINNER IN AND HEAD BACK TO OUR ROOM TO CHECK OUT ALL THE GOODIES WE GOT AT THE EXPO. IN OUR GOODIE PACKET WAS A ARM BAND YOU COULD FILL OUR TO WEAR AT THE RACE DEDICATING EACH MILE TO SOMEONE OR SOMETHING SPECIAL TO YOU, THAT GAVE YOU PURPOSE FOR DOING THIS EVENT. SO LAURIE AND I SET OUT MAKING OUR LISTS AND SHARING THOSE SPECIAL SOMEONES OR SOMETHINGS.

IT HAS BEEN SO NICE TO HAVE A GOOD FRIEND LIKE LAURIE TO SHARE THIS EXPERIENCE WITH. WIHTOUT HER NONE OF THIS IS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. SHE HAS BEEN MY MOTIVATOR, SUPPORTER, AND FRIEND AND I AM GLAD WE ARE DOING THIS TOGETHER AND ARE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. I LOOK FORWARD TO US BOTH EXPERIENCING LOTS OF FIRSTS TOGETHER ALONG OUR JOURNEY TO GOOD HEALTH.

WE THAN PLANNED OUR STRATEGY FOR THE RACE THE NEXT DAY AND THEN CRAWLED INTO THE WONDERFUL WESTIN BEDS. I MUST ADMIT THE BEDS AT THIS HOTEL WERE SO NICE. DOWN COMFORTERS, LOTS OF PILLOWS, I JUST CUDDLED IN AND WAS ASLEEP AS SOON AS MY HEAD HIT THE PILLOW.

4 A.M.-UGH!! THE ALARM CLOCK WENT OFF. WE GOT UP PLENTY EARLY FOR OUR 7:45 START. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE WERE WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE ON TIME. WHEN WE GOT TO THE STADIUM IT BEGAN TO SNOW. IT WAS AN AMAZING SIGHT, BUT NOT ONE A FIRST TIME MARATHON WALKER WANTS TO SEE, BUT THE SNOW DID TURN TO RAIN AND WE WERE PREPARED FOR RAIN. EVENTUALLY THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO ARRIVE. IT IS AMAZING THERE WERE PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. WE HEADED TO THE STARTING LINE AND AWAITED OUR START TIME, OH AND OF COURSE HIT THE POTTY LINE, TO GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY;-), AND THAN IT WAS ARE TURN. WE GOT RIGHT UP AT THE START OF THE PACK. I DIDN'T CARE WHETHER LOTS OF PEOPLE WOULD BE PASSING US BECAUSE WE WERE NOT THE FASTEST. I WANTED TO BE AT THE BEGINNING FOR THIS EXPERIENCE, AND WE WERE OFF. I FELT WE HAD A GOOD PACE, WE HAD A GOAL OF 4 HOURS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST. FIRST MILE WAS FOR JESSICA MY DAUGHTER. I WANT TO BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR HER, I WANT HER TO HAVE GOOD SELF ESTEEM AND KNOW IT IS WHO YOU ARE NOT WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE THAT MATTERS, BUT ALSO THAT HEALTH IS IMPORTANT. SECOND MILE FOR JAMES, I WANT TO BE ALIVE TO SEE HIM GRADUATE, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RUN AND KEEP UP WITH HIM AS HE GROWS, (DURING THIS MILE I KNEW GOD WAS WITH ME AS I PASSED BY 'JAMES STREET'). MILE THREE FOR MY OLDEST JACOB, I WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT HE CAN BE WHATEVER HE WANTS TO BE, AND IF A PERSON PUTS THEIR MIND TO THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. MILE FOUR, FOR MY HUSBAND JIM, THANKFUL FOR HIS SUPPORT IN MY ENDEVOR AND FOR HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. MILE 5 FOR MY FRIEND LAURIE, FOR HER TO HAVE STRENGTH AND THANKS FOR STICKING BY ME AND NEVER GIVING UP, FOR A CONTINUED GROWING FRIENDSHIP, AND FOR THE BLESSING SHE IS TO ME. MILE 6 FOR GOOD HEALTH, THE REASON I AM DOING THIS. MILE 7 FOR MY GRANDKIDS, WHICH I HOPE TO HAVE SOME DAY, AND WANT TO BE HERE TO PLAY WITH. MILE 8 TO BE ABLE TO FIT IN SKINNY JEANS;-) MILE 9 FOR MOM, FOR HER TO BE WELL. MILE 10 FOR MY DAD, THAT HE CAN FIND HIS WAY TO GOOD HEALTH. MILE 11 FOR GOD, WITHOUT HIM NONE OF THIS IS POSSIBLE. MILE 12 AND 13 WERE FOR ME. I DID THIS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THE LAST TWO MILES I WOULD BE FOCUSING ON ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER, AND I WAS, AND I MADE IT.

AS WE ENTERED THE STADIUM, AND I SAW THE FINISH LINE, I WAS AMAZED AT HOW FAST THAT 4 HOURS SEEMED TO GO. LAURIE AND I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE TOGETHER, AND THERE WAS OUR FAMILIES WAITING FOR US. IT WAS SO SPECIAL FOR THEM TO HAVE COME FOR THIS, IT WAS THE ICING ON THE CAKE. WE WERE ALSO BLESSED WITH A VISIT FROM TWO OF OUR FRIENDS FROM CHURCH WHO SURPRISED US AND SHOWED UP AT THE RACE. THEY MISSED US AT THE FINISH BUT FOUND US AND GAVE HUGS AND CONGRADS ALL AROUND. AGAIN JUST MORE ICING ON THE CAKE.

IN THE END IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. I HAD MADE IT. I WAS WET AND COLD, BUT I HAD MADE IT. I DO HAVE TO ADMIT THOUGH THAT AFTER THE RACE I HEADED HOME WITH MY FAMILY, WE HAD DISCUSSED GOING OUT FOR LUNCH TO CELEBRATE, AND I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE, BUT MY BODY HAD SOMETHING ELSE IN MIND, A NAP. SO WE HEADED HOME, I WARMED UP, AND CRAWLED INTO BED TO DREAM OF THE NEXT ADVENTURE ME AND LAURIE WOULD INBARK UPON!