Destination

Weekly Mileage: 28
Next Race: Omaha Half Marathon

I believe you are only as old as you think.
I am strong.
I love the movie Tangled.
I am a little girl (if only at heart).

Growing up as an athlete, goals are second nature.  Running goals are no different.  There are millions of different kinds of goals.  Long-term, short-term, life-long, and race specific goals all have purpose in life.  Here are some examples of my goals:

Run all the Disney races, including the MARATHON!
   ~Disney has some great races that seem to appeal to women especially.  The Princess Half, and the Tinkerbell Half are two top picks for me, though the Tower of Terror 10 Mile is on my list because I want to get over my fear of heights and actually ride the ride while I'm there.  This goal is a lofty one for me.  I currently live no where near Florida and running in the great season of winter would be a significant challenge to train for a Marathon but I know it can be done.  Why?  Because I can do it!  That's Why!  (always dare to believe in yourself)

Break 21 min in a 5k
  ~I've done this only once in my entire high school and collegiate career, I hope to do it again as I get older and wiser about running.  This is a bit of a short term goal for me.  While my training has made my body more efficient over distances, I am losing speed.  If I am going to accomplish this goal, it will probably have to be in the next year. 

Run 4 Marathons in Hawaii!!
  ~Four reasons to go to Hawaii,  this should be everyone's goal!  This is an example of a life-long goal.  I cannot afford to go to Hawaii once a year for four years so I'll need to plan this one out a bit further in the future. 

"One day I won't be able to do this, today is not that day."
-Unknown

Thankful

Weekly Milage: 26
Next Race: Jingle Bell Run

I am tired.
I have been overeating.
I feel no need to eat.
I am thankful.

Thanksgiving this year was the best one I have had that I can remember.  I hope it was great for you.  Here are some running related thanks:

I'm thankful I can run.
I am thankful I can mentally and physcially outlast many runners on the road.
I am thankful for my competitive nature.  You will NOT beat me!
I am thankful that the races I run benefit great causes.
I am thankful my dad has gotten back into running.


Here's a fun little post off of runnersworld.com

Fresh

Weekly Mileage:  18
Upcoming Race:  Jingle Bell Run

I am a runner.
I am calm.
I am crabby.
I am running again.

As a seasoned runner, picking up running again after a short break is not as challenging as it can be for others.  After a two week break, I've lost some of the muscle memory but very little of the cardiovascular endurance.  Translation:  It wouldn't be hard for me to pound out 5+ miles in a shot but that would put me in perfect position to get injured.  Running injuries can be some of the most frustrating events, avoid them with all precautions.  Hopefully all injuries will be minor, treatable and short-lived this winter.

Running today helped me to pound out a lot of frustration I have faced in the last couple days.  Running is a great outlet for all kinds of emotions.  In the last three years I can remember laughing so hard I got a side stitch, crying to the point where I could not see, and so feisty I imagine myself punching people I will never meet.  Running is different for everyone, some people run to lose weight or to be fit, I run for so many reasons that those two reasons are just benefits.  My wish for any runner at any level is that they run long enough to reap the emotional benefits of running.

From this Heart of a Runner

"Some people run to see who is the fastest, I run to see who has the most guts." ~Steve Prefontane

Starting Line

Weekly Mileage: 0
Next Race: Unknown

I am a runner.
I am strong.
I am new to blogging.
I am not running right now.

Next week will mark the start of yet another "season" of running for me.  Running for nearly the last twelve years straight has made my body efficient and crisp, not running these last two weeks has made me twitchy and anxious.  Monday morning cannot come fast enough.

As I said before, I am new to blogging.  Privacy settings, layouts, posts, permalinks are completely foreign to me.  There will be some readers who will know who I am because I told them but in general I am going to attempt to keep anonymity.  I hope others (if anyone reads this) will think of me as the "every woman" runner.  Having said that, I hope readers will forgive any horrible grammar or spelling mistakes (I majored in Biology not English).

My goals for this blog are simple: one post a week, share my passion for running and Christianity, and hopefully inspire others through sharing my life adventures.

My rules: 1. No personal information  2. No pictures of me but I will post pictures from my adventures  3. Nicknames for friends  4.  Start each post similarly to how I started this one  5. End with an inspirational quote or verse

From this Heart of a Runner

"Adversity doesn't build character- it reveals it"  ~ John Wooden