Vegas - Week 4 Training - Water in the Desert

This week's training included:

Monday - Mile time trial (+ 1 mile warmup and another to cool down)

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 5 miles hills

Thursday - 4 miles easy

Friday - rest

Saturday - 10 miles LSD

Sunday - 4 miles easy

Total: 26 miles

The big victory of the week was the mile time trial.  Slower than I'd hoped (though to be expected after months of NO fast running), but at least I ran without pain.  Yay.  :)

After successfully covering 13.1 last weekend, a fast mile without pain was my green light to sign up for Vegas.  

Both with running and beyond, God has been on a big water kick lately.  There's no need to belabor the importance of hydration in the heat of summer, but this goes beyond that.  Last week at church, a woman talked about the water flowing from Jesus' side being a River of Life (with allusions to the river in the Garden and the river described as flowing from His throne in Revelation), and Pastor Alan preached on this verse:

Then someone I had never met shared this verse with me:

As I've been planning the Vegas trip, I've found myself drawn to the Bellagio--home of the magnificent fountains and O, Cirque's water show.  (While reading about the music, lights, and color in motion in God's throne room, it occurred to me that the description sounded a lot like Cirque Du Soleil!) 

As the puzzle pieces came together, something clicked: God is calling me to seek Him and His living water in the desert.  (Sin City, no less!) 

Such an awesome invitation, but I was still struggling with the committing the finances to book the hotel room.  The Bellagio isn't cheap...and the rates are even higher during race weekend.  I wondered if it was the right call or if I was being indulgent and irresponsible, knowing that I could do the trip for less if I stayed somewhere else. 

God answered the question loud and clear on Wednesday.  I woke up to an email from the Bellagio in my inbox and then listened to a podcast on "The Cost of Worship" on my run.  It referenced the woman with the alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume (worth a year's wages), with which she anointed Jesus.  Everyone stood around and judged her, saying in effect, "That's not good stewardship!"  Jesus defended her and told them to back off.  And God whispered to me in that moment: Sacrifice before stewardship.  That is worship. 

So that night, I booked a room at the Bellagio...one with a fountain view.  :)

The water theme continued on my last run of the week.  Toward the end of the run, I came upon some deep puddles, the kind I would normally go around.  God highlighted this as a micro-fear--fear of wet feet and getting dirty from the splash.  Dry feet are important for distance running because wet feet are more prone to blister, but this was the last quarter mile of my run, so there was no cause for concern.  I felt challenged to go through the puddles instead of around, so I did.  The cool water felt refreshing as it filled my shoes and cleaned them at the same time, illustrating the benefits of facing head-on that which is usually avoided.  Something tells me this is only the first in a series of victories as God continues to liberate me from fear on every level!

Vegas - Week 3 Training - Today, Someday, & Montage Moments

This week, I rearranged a few days, freeing up Sunday as a day of complete rest from work and running (i.e., a precious PJ day and a welcome break from rushing out the door to beat the Texas heat).  The schedule ended up looking like this:

Monday - 5 miles easy

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 5 miles hills

Thursday- 5 miles easy

Friday - 3 miles easy

Saturday - 12 miles LSD (13.1 with walk breaks every mile)

Sunday - rest

Total: 30 miles

This week included running with God in its truest form--praying on the run, with or without music. I actually felt energized after my hill workout, which I did considerably faster than last week, despite more climbing. Clearly, a miracle. 

As I talked to God on my next easy run, I came to see the parallels between running, my personal life and professional life, and my spiritual life. In each case, I have something I am focused on right now, as well as a vision for the future. The things I'm doing today are preparing me for what will be 5-10 years from now and beyond. Yet, the things I am doing now have inherent value, regardless of what the future holds. 

Perhaps the most concrete example is with running. I'm training for the marathon in Las Vegas in November...which I would enjoy even if I never made it to Boston. But I sense my training for Vegas also serves to further prepare me for Boston someday. 

Likewise, I hope to someday finish writing the books and launch the businesses currently in my head, but the business I have today is important and meaningful. I hope to marry someday, yet my current relationship has value either way.  

Most importantly, I embrace Kingdom living now and delight in my relationship with God, such that even if this whole afterlife thing turned out to be a hoax or some kind of big misunderstanding, my spiritual investment in this life would not at all be wasted. 

It's exciting to dream and think about the future. Yet I'm glad to know that each day can be celebrated as meaningful in itself, while also paving the way to my ultimate destiny. 

On the long run, God shared His perspective. I was listening to a CD of spoken blessing, and one of the instrumental tracks came on--one of those scores that carries the feeling of something epic. As the music was building, I was running strong and free, feeling fully alive, gliding down a hill with ease, the sun rising over my shoulder. It was like something out of a movie--part of a montage where after a few minutes of hard work, the character emerges strong and/or beautiful for their date with destiny (a la the Rocky training scenes or the Barbara Streisand makeover in The Mirror Has Two Faces). In God'd view, my whole life on earth is like a montage--just a few moments in the greatest love story of all time. (Spoiler alert: We live happily ever after!)

Vegas Week 2 Training - Silver Linings

I'm happy to report that even with the increase in mileage, my leg is performing better now than it was a couple of weeks ago.  Planning to give it one more week, but it looks like we're gonna be good to go for Vegas.  Here's what Week 2 training looked like:

Monday - 5 miles easy

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - 5 miles hills

Thursday - 4 miles easy 

Friday - rest 

Saturday- 9 miles LSD

Sunday - 5 miles easy

Total Miles: 28

 

I missed the cloud cover this week but found some silver linings to the clouds that weren't in the sky.  On Saturday's long run, the sun, temperatures, and my heart rate climbed together.  I was at least able to appreciate that I was struggling more with my cardio than with leg pain, and I expect my heart will be fine for the November race (which, being a night run, actually gets progressively cooler).  

 

On Sunday, I was missing the One who rides upon the clouds (because there weren't any) and wishing for shade, thinking of that verse from Song of Solomon:

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men.  I delight to sit in his shade...

Song of Solomon 2:3, NIV

Just at that moment, there was a stretch where my boyfriend was between me and the sun, blocking it for me!  I delighted to run in his shade!  

Looking forward to cooler temperatures but grateful for how God is blessing me in the meantime and feeling optimistic about moving forward!

Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas - Week One Training...I Think

Trying something radically new, I've held off on signing up for my next marathon, hoping to be 100% healthy before I commit. Sounds like a no-brainer, but surprisingly, it's not. My chiropractor thinks I'm still months away from complete recovery for my left leg but that running is preferable to the de-conditioning that would likely occur if I stopped. So he's cleared me to train for another marathon, and it looks like it's going to be Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas on November 15. 

I've been wanting to follow a structured training plan and selected the 16-week Intermediate Plan from Runner's World because it's the shortest (giving me maximum recovery time post-Utah) and doesn't have any speed work for the first two months. Although I just finished running a marathon in spite of this injury, I thought I would see how the first 3 weeks go (including 9-12-mile long runs) before plunking down any cash.

The RW plan is pretty straightforward. I'm swapping a few of the days around to keep my usual rest days and long runs on Saturdays, but in a way that avoids hard runs on back-to-back days. Here's the schedule for Week 1:

Monday - 4 miles easy

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday- 4 miles hills

Thursday - 4 miles easy 

Friday - rest 

Saturday- 9 miles LSD

Sunday - 4 miles easy

Total Miles: 25

The highlight of the week was definitely the long run on Saturday. It was my longest since Utah Valley and also my best. I alternated running a mile and walking a minute, and I felt great. My leg was 90-95%, and my cardio felt really strong. I was helped by the cloud cover and thought about the verses that talk about God riding on the clouds (Psalm 68) and being in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91).
 

There's another verse that talks about God riding on the clouds: 

“There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides across the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty.” (Deuteronomy 33:26 NIV)

I'm not sure of the correct pronunciation of "Jeshurun," but when I say it, it sounds a lot like, "Just you run." :) 

I was hopeful after the great run yesterday, but there was discomfort on today's recovery run, so I took it .25 at time. Run the (quarter) mile you're in. 

I thought about the verse that says:

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;”

(Psalm 24:1 NIV)

If everything and everyone belongs to God, that includes my leg. I prayed to Adonai, the LORD, the owner of everything, who is responsible for keeping my leg in perfect working order and trusted that He WILL heal it because He loves me and desires to do so. He wants me to be able to run with Him and for Him. I do not know exactly when or how this will happen but trust that His timing is perfect and that His purposes will be fulfilled. (Delayed healing from "the acorn that changed my life" served far greater purpose than immediate healing would have.) That said, I hope it's sooner than later! 

Are We There Yet?

When I was training for my first marathon a couple years ago, time trials suggested I was in sub-4 territory. Even when I had a setback during the race, I was optimistic and figured I could qualify for Boston with just a little more training...

Nearly 2 years later, I've run three more marathons--all considerably slower than the first. I've battled injuries that cost me weeks or months at a time and virtually eliminated speed work. Just to keep running has been a victory. At this point, I'd be thrilled simply to PR, and a BQ seems a long way off. 

I hope it doesn't take 40 years, but my road to Boston is starting to resemble that of the children of Israel as they marched from Egypt to Canaan. 

The shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, and if you map it, it's only a few hundred miles. Some ultramarathoners could knock that out in a few days, and I've read even for the nation of Israel, the trip should have only taken a couple weeks...yet God had other plans. 

In my own journey, I see God's purposes in taking the long route--how's He's developing my relationship with Him and my character. Patience. Perseverance. Humility. Faith. Things of greater eternal value than a medal and things that will make it that much sweeter when I finally have that elusive unicorn around my neck. 

Thankfully, I'm coming to accept the process enough to find the humor in it. :)

Team RWB Firecracker Virtual Race

Did my first virtual race for Team Red White & Blue--4 miles on the 4th of July--celebrating our freedom by honoring those who make it possible.

Ran this one with my boyfriend Dan on the trails at the Mineola Nature Preserve (the parts that weren't under water!). Enjoyed a nice leisurely run on a beautiful trail. Coming off Utah Valley and working through lingering injuries, I opted for an easy run/walk (4/1) rather than "racing," but I had been so chatty at my first 4-mile race, I still managed a race PR! ;)

Eagles up! 

Utah Valley Marathon - Race Recap

I signed up for Utah Valley intrigued by the idea of a downhill race with amazing scenery, and the beauty of the course made me understand what this means:

It bears a striking resemblance to the verse on the back of the shirt I wore for the race. 

When I got to town, the rental car place was all out of subcompacts, so they gave me this as a substitute. 

Couldn't help but ask: If this were a dream, what would it mean? :)

I had to ask the same question again when I came across a bunch of these on my last shakeout run. 

I drove the course twice before the race. I wanted to familiarize myself with the route and take a few pics ahead of time. The views were absolutely breathtaking! 

I enjoyed the week in Provo, limiting my activity and input, simply letting myself breathe. I came a week early to enjoy a retreat in the mountains as I let myself adjust to the altitude, which turned out to be virtually a non-factor.  But I had no way of knowing that going into the race and no idea what to expect from a course so different than anything I'd trained on in Dallas. 

Add battling a hamstring issue for over three months (i.e., no speed work), and I was setting the bar low. My plan was to walk every 7th minute (good Biblical proportion!) and see what happened. 

With the injury, this whole training cycle was different. I think I've finally learned how to run a marathon without it running my life. :)  I felt well-prepared to run a solid race but went in without expecting it to be the race of my life. Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall gave a talk at the expo, and I was struck by something he passed down from a coach of his:

You won't PR every race, but you can improve your average. 

On race day, my alarm was set for 2:30 AM (not a typo). I was on a bus to the start line around 3:30. We arrived a little after 4:00 and waited for the 6:00 start. Thankfully, they provided fire pits to keep us warm up there. While waiting for the race to begin, I chatted with a 70-year-old woman running her first marathon. Love that!

I recently read "The Power of God's Names" by Tony Evans, a recapitulation of something I came to treasure from listening to John Paul Jackson. For this race, I chose a different name to meditate on for each mile. I am eternally grateful to my mother, who prayed them with me (and sent encouraging scriptures and texts) throughout the race. She found a verse for each one, which she graciously agreed to share. Email me at info@runningwithGod.com if interested. :)

Mile 1 - Adonai - The LORD. Ruler. Master. The Owner of everything and the One who is responsible for me and my race. 

Mild knee pain bothered me from the start, as, curiously, it had all week. It hadn't been a concern until then.  But I pushed it out of mind as I enjoyed this view from the start line.  

Mile 2 - Elohim - Creator. The One who created everything out of nothing. The One who spoke the world into being. Nothing is too hard for Him. Intelligent design is evident everywhere, including in how He made my body.  He is worthy of worship.

Got to enjoy some of His incredible creatures as we ran past these horse farms. 

Mile 3 - El Elyon - Most High God. There is no one greater, higher, or more powerful. The supreme God.  The Deliverer of all that exists.

Mile 4 - El Emunah - Faithful. God is faithful to me. He is dependable, always keeps His promises, and loves me always and without fail. 

Mile 5 - El Hay - Living. God is ALIVE. He is the source of all life. Jesus conquered death. The grave could not hold the One who is Life. His Spirit lives in me. He gives me life and empowers me to run. 

Mile 6 - El Nose - Forgiving. God is gracious to forgive me for everything. He's forgiven every bad thing I've ever done...and every bad thing I ever will do. It does not change His love for me, and He does not hold these against me. He demonstrated His love for me by dying so that I could be forgiven. I am clean. 

Mile 7 - El Shaddai - The Lord God Almighty. He is all powerful. Holy, holy, holy is The Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. 

Mile 8 - El Simchath Gili - My Exceeding Joy. God IS my joy. I delight in Him, in the joy of His presence. His joy is my strength. He gives me the joy of seeing beauty like this as I crest a hill. 

I'm having a great race and am on track for a big PR if I can just keep doing what I'm doing--not even working hard. 

Mile 9 - Elohim Ozer Li - My Helper. 

As I was meditating on God being my help, something happened. The knee pain that had faded to nothing by mile 6 came back with a vengeance, and I felt like someone hit my knee with a sledgehammer. I prayed and texted mom. Help was on the way. 

Mile 10 - Jehovah-Ahavah - Love. God IS love. It is not within His nature to withhold any good thing. 

As I hobbled along, barely able to walk, much less run, a girl came alongside me to render aid. She took time out of her race to offer me Advil and a few words of encouragement. As she took off again, I shouted, "God bless you to make up the time!" To which she replied, "Oh, don't worry about it. This is my 54th marathon. I don't care about time anymore!"  :)

Mile 11 - Jehovah-Checed - Merciful. God who is kind, loving, compassionate, and courteous. Offering relief and not what our sins deserve. God who is tender and gentle. 

I continued to pray for God to have mercy on me and relieve the pain in my aching knee and empower me to run. I knew slowing down had cost me the PR, but I still wanted to finish on my own two feet. 

Mile 12 - Jehovah El Emeth - Truth. Jesus IS the Truth. 

I prayed for right thinking and better, deeper understanding of Him, His ways, myself, and even correct thoughts about the race. 

Mile 13 - Jehovah-Goelekh - Redeemer. He is the One who reclaims what was lost and turns bad to good. 

Knee pain subsided, and gratefully, I was able to resume running my best. 

Mile 14 - Jehovah-Jireh - Provider. God provides EVERYTHING I need out of His glorious riches. His grace is sufficient. I lack nothing that I need. He provides abundantly. 

After all, He had already provided Advil and the strength to keep going! 

Mile 15 - Jehovah-Kabod - Glory. God whose glory shines radiantly. Whose glory is weighty. Whose glory filled the temple and was so thick nobody could take it! 

Mile 16 - Jehovah Kadesh - Holy & Jehovah-Mekaddesh - Sanctification. God who is pure. Perfect. Completely and totally good. Who is making me like Him. He is my righteousness (Jehovah-Tsidkenu). Enduring through training and racing is part of the process of sanctification. 

I passed Bridal Veil Falls, one of the best spots I found in Utah. The name drew me into thinking about the intimacy and bliss of being the bride of Christ. 

Mile 17 - Jehovah-Machsi - Refuge. God is my refuge and shelter. He hides me under His wing, in His shadow. I cling to Him as my safe place, especially when I face difficulties. 

After the knee thing made trying to PR a non-issue, I had given myself permission to walk the uphills, which I learned after the race was far more than I guessed by looking at the elevation profile or even being on the course. (Many of the hills went up and around curves, so it was deceptive because you didn't see the whole hill at once.) I had been so focused on the net 1700 ft drop that I didn't realize that was the net of a 2700 ft downhill and 1000 ft of climbing! But I really enjoyed the downhills. I kept telling myself, "Let the course do the work." Gravity was my friend. :)

Mile 18 - Jehovah-El Olam - Eternal.  The God who is forever. The self-creating One. Who is outside of time. Who was before time was. The Alpha and Omega. I will spend eternity with Him! 

Two-thirds of the way through the race and the knee incident behind me, I couldn't believe I felt so good that deep in the race! It was amazing! 

Mile 19 - Jehovah-Ori (Owr) - Light. The light that was there before He spoke light into being. There is no darkness in Him. He is radiant, glowing. His light shines on and through me. 

Running through the canyon. Almost done with the 20-mile "warmup" before the final 10K through town. 

Mile 20 - Jehovah-Rapha - Healing. His very nature is healing. By Jesus' stripes I am healed. He was disfigured beyond recognition to purchase healing for me. Soothing. Comforting. Restoring to function according to original design. 

I thanked Him for the healing to make it this far and prayed for continued healing for all the parts that have given me trouble. That my body would function according to His design and for His glory. 

Mile 21 - Jehovah-Sali - Rock. Solid. Dependable. As solid as the rocks and mountains that surrounded me. You'd have better luck moving mountains than God. I can always count on Him. 

Mile 22 - Jehovah-Shalom - Peace. Peace that destroys chaos. Calm. He is the One who calms the storms and by His very presence gives us peace that passes understanding in the midst of them.

The temperature, which had been 46 at the start of the race, was now over 70. Three or four times, I stopped at aid stations long enough to fill the water bottle I had on my belt because a sip every couple of miles wasn't cutting it. 

In addition, my calves were cramping. I knew downhill would take its toll on my quads, so I had been intentional about strengthening them. However, I failed to anticipate the cumulative effect on my calves of keeping my toes up, and I suspect all that dorsiflexion caught up with me. I allowed myself to walk more, but some of the transitions were beyond tough because of the cramping.

Mile 23 - Jehovah-Rohi - Shepherd & Jehovah-Roi - the One who sees.

I prayed the 23rd Psalm for this mile, line by line. It was fantastic, especially as it was getting harder to continue.  

At this point, I kept doing math...how fast do I have to go to keep it under 5 hours? It was kind of like when I was in school and got as many A's as I could in the beginning of the semester, hoping I could go into the final knowing that even if I failed, I'd still pass the class. I was glad I'd had a strong first half. I knew I still needed to run some down the stretch (because I was walking a little funny and not as fast as normal!), but I knew I could make it even if I walked most of the way. 

One of my race goals was to encourage someone every mile, and as I saw others also struggling, I reminded them we still had a shot at being under 5.  This was a total newsflash to one fella, who picked it up with new life in his legs when he realized that!

Mile 24 - Jehovah-Shamah - The Lord is there. He is Emmanuel. God with me. 

My first thought when I started cramping was that perhaps I'd made a mistake in not drinking the sports drink, relying solely on my Electrolyte Fuel System (EFS) gel for electrolytes. So I started drinking Powerade...and grabbed an Otter Pop when one was handed to me. (The corollary to "nothing new on race day" is "unless you feel like you're about to die and you think it might help.") It was cool and refreshing, a real God-send! 

Mile 25 - Jehovah-Tsaba - Warrior. God who fights for me and puts His no-quit warrior Spirit in me! 

Just. Keep. Going.

Don't give up...Pain is weakness leaving the body...Pain is temporary.  Pride is forever...

Mile 26 - Jehovah-Uzzi - Strength. God is my strength. His strength is infinite.

As I approached mile 26, "A Spoonful of Sugar" came on my playlist--quite fitting with the Pain You Enjoy theme--and I sang along (out loud!) as I approached the finish line! 

Mile 26.2 - Jehovah-Nissi - Banner. God is my victory, and His banner over me is love! 

In scripture, the name Jehovah-Nissi is used during the battle that Joshua fought while Moses was on the mountain, raising his hands. When he got tired, he needed help holding them up. 

Likewise, shortly after crossing the finish line, I collapsed into the arms of 2 Red Cross volunteers and needed help standing up. Both legs seized up and gave out on me at the same time. They helped me to the medical tent (again!), where they Saran wrapped ice to my knees. 

One of the best things about this race is that thanks to better fueling, I was more in my right mind than after any previous marathon (though those who heard me singing Mary Poppins might have questioned that!). My friend Heather met me with flowers and was an angel to go get my drop bag (with massage stick!) while one of the volunteers fetched me some chocolate milk. 

After a brief recovery, I was able to enjoy the post-race festivities, including the best creamsicle of my life and a quick massage.

The next stop was Sonic with Heather and her family.  I downed a delicious double cheeseburger without thinking twice! Yum!

It was a great race, even though it was tough down the stretch.  I didn't PR, but I DID improve my average.  The pain faded (after a couple days of walking like a zombie because my quads--which were fine on race day--were killing me after!), but the memories and rewards remain.  :)