So this past week has been a bit discouraging in regards to my running. I pinched a nerve in my back at work the other day which made me not able to run at all. I was in a ton of pain and feeling very discouraged.
I am so grateful to have so many inspiring and motivating people in my life who helped support and encourage me this past week. I felt the prayers of others around me and the pain began to go away. I still have a bit of pain in my back but it is't to the point of not being able to do the one thing I love the most.
I woke up this morning put on my new hot pink shoes and went running. I knew I better not push myself too much as I want to have a solid recovery and also be prepared mentally and physically for my next half marathon on the 29th. I ran 2 miles which didn't feel like an accomplish but then I realized it was 2 miles I wasn't able to run before so I did succeed. It is hard sometimes to not compare ourselves to other people for me I tend to do it sometimes with appearance or even related to running. I have a dream of running a full marathon but I tend to doubt my abilities and think that will never happen.
Thanks to the idea from Josh Hansen I am going to begin to make a running journal..documenting the miles that I run, the mood I am in and maybe some randomness on the my journey that i will be sharing with you all on my blog.
I am getting excited for the 29th and am excited for the experience of running the Layton City Half for the 2nd time. It was the first half marathon that I ran after losing 30pounds and this race symbolizes a lot for me. I often run my races for other people but this race is going to be dedicated to ME..all 13.2 miles are for me...It might be an emotional race but I am ready for the adventure.
take care!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
the battle before me
There are often times in our lives that things don't always go as planned. We might face illness, have to deal with depression or might not win at some of life's races. This last week I had to deal with a event that I wasn't expecting. A dear friend-past boss of mine passed away after taking his own life. It was something that a lot of people were blind sided by. I had to remind myself to breathe at times as I was in such shock of the entire event. It was hard to come into work and see everyone so weighed down by the after events of it all but on a positive note it was amazing to see everyone come together and support and encourage each other. Despite the hard times that have followed because of this sad event it has made me ponder about a lot of things.
When I attended Southern Utah University I had the great experience of being the student director of the women's center. I became involved in the program after one of my best friends had to go through the horrible experience of being raped. During my time of service there...there were several suicides that had happened to college students as well as some adults in the area. I had several people come into my center for support and to release some of the pain they were experiencing. It was really hard to process it all and know how I could help other people deal with something that frankly I didn't quite understand. I had to rely on my own personal experiences and at times the only thing I could think to do was to pray and seek out the extra support and strength that I needed in the hard time before me.
Since graduating from SUU I made it a goal and ambition of mine to help other people. I have worked now at a treatment center for adolescents for the past 4 years and it is probably the best decision that i have made. It has been both challenging and rewarding but it has kept me on my feet for sure. It is hard to understand why someone would take their own life and frankly I will never fully understand but the sweet assurance that I have found by this experience is that he is in a much happier place where he can be with his wife again. I am no one to judge and will never judge him for his decision but it is sad and it has had a huge effect on me and other people and we will have to grieve together for we are all dumbfounded by the experience and through this hard experience we will have to come together for support as well as blessing of knowing that there is life beyond this life and answers will be given there but until then we can't blame ourselves and we can only let the experiences of this life weigh us down to a certain extent.
I am so grateful for so much but the biggest thing I am grateful for is the sweet assurance that I have a Savior who died for me and he went through all the pains and afflictions of every human being and only he can truly understand what every human being faces. When life gets too hard to stand we can kneel down on our knees and be given the sweet comfort that we need in this life to go on. I would be completely lost without the gospel and am so very grateful that I have it in my life. Yeah, this past week has been difficult but through every difficulty lies opportunity and that is what I have to remind myself all the time.
To all the people that are reading this: I love you and you are amazing and I will forever be grateful for your presence in my life. :)
When I attended Southern Utah University I had the great experience of being the student director of the women's center. I became involved in the program after one of my best friends had to go through the horrible experience of being raped. During my time of service there...there were several suicides that had happened to college students as well as some adults in the area. I had several people come into my center for support and to release some of the pain they were experiencing. It was really hard to process it all and know how I could help other people deal with something that frankly I didn't quite understand. I had to rely on my own personal experiences and at times the only thing I could think to do was to pray and seek out the extra support and strength that I needed in the hard time before me.
Since graduating from SUU I made it a goal and ambition of mine to help other people. I have worked now at a treatment center for adolescents for the past 4 years and it is probably the best decision that i have made. It has been both challenging and rewarding but it has kept me on my feet for sure. It is hard to understand why someone would take their own life and frankly I will never fully understand but the sweet assurance that I have found by this experience is that he is in a much happier place where he can be with his wife again. I am no one to judge and will never judge him for his decision but it is sad and it has had a huge effect on me and other people and we will have to grieve together for we are all dumbfounded by the experience and through this hard experience we will have to come together for support as well as blessing of knowing that there is life beyond this life and answers will be given there but until then we can't blame ourselves and we can only let the experiences of this life weigh us down to a certain extent.
I am so grateful for so much but the biggest thing I am grateful for is the sweet assurance that I have a Savior who died for me and he went through all the pains and afflictions of every human being and only he can truly understand what every human being faces. When life gets too hard to stand we can kneel down on our knees and be given the sweet comfort that we need in this life to go on. I would be completely lost without the gospel and am so very grateful that I have it in my life. Yeah, this past week has been difficult but through every difficulty lies opportunity and that is what I have to remind myself all the time.
To all the people that are reading this: I love you and you are amazing and I will forever be grateful for your presence in my life. :)
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
My Favorite Things
Although it is random I felt today's post should be about my favorite things. So here it goes....
1.Watermelon
2. Fresh Pineapple
3. Snickers
4. Strawberry milk(after a long hot run)
5. Bananas and PB
6. Frozen Yogurt
7. Cookies and Cream : Favorite Ice Cream
8. Cinnamon Jelly Beans
9. Swedish Fish
10. Nike Free Run Shoes
11. CEP compression socks
12. Bandanas
13. My awesome camera( loving capturing awesome moments in life)
14. Mexican Food( love me some Cafe Rio!)
15. Fruit Punch Gatorade( get tired of Lemon Lime from all the half marathons I do)
16. All my awesome medals from my half marathons
17. My Ipod( obsessed with music)
18. My Garmin watch
19. My bed after working all night!
20. All the awesome people in my life that make me laugh :)
1.Watermelon
2. Fresh Pineapple
3. Snickers
4. Strawberry milk(after a long hot run)
5. Bananas and PB
6. Frozen Yogurt
7. Cookies and Cream : Favorite Ice Cream
8. Cinnamon Jelly Beans
9. Swedish Fish
10. Nike Free Run Shoes
11. CEP compression socks
12. Bandanas
13. My awesome camera( loving capturing awesome moments in life)
14. Mexican Food( love me some Cafe Rio!)
15. Fruit Punch Gatorade( get tired of Lemon Lime from all the half marathons I do)
16. All my awesome medals from my half marathons
17. My Ipod( obsessed with music)
18. My Garmin watch
19. My bed after working all night!
20. All the awesome people in my life that make me laugh :)
Monday, August 20, 2012
Random Thoughts on Monday
I have been thinking a lot about this past year. Not just my weight loss journey but the people I have met and the experiences that I have been able to have. The main thing that I have learned is that I don't admire people just because of the weight that they have loss but the bigger picture of it all. They all have a strong sense of courage, dedication, patience and the heart to win which I admire more than anything.
I never thought that it would be possible to be able to run a half marathon and now I have ran 5! It is easy to get caught up in beating ourselves up when we don't achieve but it isn't worth it.
I always have doubted my abilities but I am so grateful for the people that have made me realize that I can achieve anything. You never know maybe this girl will run a full marathon one day!
There have been people in my past who have made me question my worth and I let those opinions define me but the greatest blessing was when I realized it is better to build ourselves up then put ourselves down.
When I weighed 40 pounds heavier I was hiding from my potential but when I lost the blanket that I had around me for so long it was the biggest relief I have ever felt.
I have so many heroes in my life especially this past year:
1. My Parents- they are amazing..from day one they have always pushed me to see my potential and made me always want to shoot for bigger and better things.
2. My sister Holly- always pushes me to reach for bigger and better things. Even before my weight loss journey she always made me feel beautiful.
3. My amazing friends: made me enjoy the simple things and always kept a smile on my face.
4. My running buddies: Angela- she is amazing she always reminds me that the most important thing is to finish what you get started and not get caught up in timing or how slow or fast you are.
Josh- what a rockstar! He has been a great motivation this past few months and I am glad that I have had the opportunity to meet him finally. He is a bit addicted to running but it has made me want to keep running. He is always so supportive too and always waits around for the slow runner that I am...I for sure don't run like a 18 year old :)
As there are so many more heroes in my life. the most important one is My Heavenly Father. In the good and bad times I have had the great blessing to know that I can always get down on my knees and ask for comfort when I need it as well as thanking him for the journey that I have been through and the blessings that I have been given this past year.
I guess if someone were to ask me one thing that I would want to pass on to other people through my experience this past year it would be this....life is too short to make excuses. We often get caught up in the pressures of life that we loose sight of who we are and the potential that we all have human beings. The most important thing to remember in a weight loss journey isn't the number on the scale...it is just a number the most important thing is who we become in the process. I have realized that through my running it isn't about how many times I finish a race it is the journey I go through to get to each finish line. Yeah it is awesome to get shirts and medals at the end of it all but for me it is the process. Yeah I am proud to say that I have lost 40 pounds but I am more proud of being able to say that I have ran over 60 miles in races and have trained more than that as well.
My next goal is to achieve a PR at the Layton City Half Marathon and I feel that it is reachable.I just have to remind myself to slow down and listen to my inner self.
Love ya all :)
I never thought that it would be possible to be able to run a half marathon and now I have ran 5! It is easy to get caught up in beating ourselves up when we don't achieve but it isn't worth it.
I always have doubted my abilities but I am so grateful for the people that have made me realize that I can achieve anything. You never know maybe this girl will run a full marathon one day!
There have been people in my past who have made me question my worth and I let those opinions define me but the greatest blessing was when I realized it is better to build ourselves up then put ourselves down.
When I weighed 40 pounds heavier I was hiding from my potential but when I lost the blanket that I had around me for so long it was the biggest relief I have ever felt.
I have so many heroes in my life especially this past year:
1. My Parents- they are amazing..from day one they have always pushed me to see my potential and made me always want to shoot for bigger and better things.
2. My sister Holly- always pushes me to reach for bigger and better things. Even before my weight loss journey she always made me feel beautiful.
3. My amazing friends: made me enjoy the simple things and always kept a smile on my face.
4. My running buddies: Angela- she is amazing she always reminds me that the most important thing is to finish what you get started and not get caught up in timing or how slow or fast you are.
Josh- what a rockstar! He has been a great motivation this past few months and I am glad that I have had the opportunity to meet him finally. He is a bit addicted to running but it has made me want to keep running. He is always so supportive too and always waits around for the slow runner that I am...I for sure don't run like a 18 year old :)
As there are so many more heroes in my life. the most important one is My Heavenly Father. In the good and bad times I have had the great blessing to know that I can always get down on my knees and ask for comfort when I need it as well as thanking him for the journey that I have been through and the blessings that I have been given this past year.
I guess if someone were to ask me one thing that I would want to pass on to other people through my experience this past year it would be this....life is too short to make excuses. We often get caught up in the pressures of life that we loose sight of who we are and the potential that we all have human beings. The most important thing to remember in a weight loss journey isn't the number on the scale...it is just a number the most important thing is who we become in the process. I have realized that through my running it isn't about how many times I finish a race it is the journey I go through to get to each finish line. Yeah it is awesome to get shirts and medals at the end of it all but for me it is the process. Yeah I am proud to say that I have lost 40 pounds but I am more proud of being able to say that I have ran over 60 miles in races and have trained more than that as well.
My next goal is to achieve a PR at the Layton City Half Marathon and I feel that it is reachable.I just have to remind myself to slow down and listen to my inner self.
Love ya all :)
Saturday, July 28, 2012
My Running Adventures
It has been a long time since I last posted so this might be a very random post of a lot of different adventures I have had. First, my last Half Marathon that I ran was the Farmington Days Half Marathon. It was a very difficult race for me as I had to work a grave shift the night before. I felt like my focus was off and I had a lot of negative self talk throughout the race. I did have a cool experience during the race. I was at mile 6 or 7 and I wasn't feeling motivated..I was at the point of wanting to give up and I just said a prayer in my heart that I needed some extra help. The next thing that I knew a girl that I had seen on the race came by me and told me...we will help each other...It was the motivation that I needed and was able to get a second wind and was able to finish. It was the longest that I had did in a half. It made my day to see not only Phat Josh at the finish line but my family rooting me along. I didn't really experience much pain from this race aside from my toe which is dealing with the fact that it will be losing a toenail soon! Since running this race I have made it a goal to improve my running. I will be running the Layton City Half Marathon for the second time this year. This race is very meaningful to me as it was my first Half I did last year when losing weight. I have made it a goal to improve my time by 20min...which would put me at a 2:34:00 time. I believe I can do it. I recently invested in a Garmin Forerunner watch which is probably the best investment in running I have made as it has helped me with my pace and has helped me to see the runner I truly am. If you were to ask me a year ago if I would ever be excited to run half marathons I probably would tell you are you kidding me? But now I can't stop thinking about running. It is a thrill and a drive that has changed my life. Running has been a saving grace in my life and has shown me my potential. There were times in my life that I didn't have the strongest confidence and now I have the confidence to say that, " I am a runner." I am so grateful for the people that I have met while running and the motivation and inspiration they are to me. To the people out there that don't believe they could ever achieve a goal...I will say this, The only thing holding you back is yourself...so stop making excuses and go after your dreams!
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Details on the Memorial Day Half Marathon
I loved this half marathon...there were so many experiences along the way that made the day all worth it. I started off the race feeling confident and strong...I ran the first 6 miles with confidence and didn't seem to be having any pain.. Around mile 6.0 I was able to see the winner of the race coming back...cause it was an out and back race and he told me " you got this girl...good job!" It gave me some extra motivation to keep going...I also was able to see an amazing person...Josh Hansen coming back in his denim and pink in honor of his mother which made me even more motivated to keep going. It was at about mile # 10 that I got a shocking pain in the back muscles and I wasn't sure if I was going to keep going but I called upon my Grandma E that passed away 7 years ago who used to call me "muscles" and I was able to push through the pain a bit. The last couple of miles I had to dig deep within myself to give my all as the pain continued to get worse...It was a great feeling to see my parents at the finish line.. I was glad to be done and glad that I was able to add another race to the races I have ran. It was even better to see Josh Hansen come over and congratulate me... He really has come to far in his journey and is a constant reminder of the will to keep moving forward in my own journey. It was a great experience all together and I will be eternally grateful for the reward of the day. I got a cool shirt, medal and was able to spend the day with a few of my heroes..I couldn't ask for anything better in the day.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Memorial Day Half
I am so excited to run another half marathon coming up this next monday.. Through all the training that I have endured I feel confident and ready to tackle the 13.1 miles. It is crazy to think of where I was a year ago and where I am today. I remember when running a mile was the hardest thing to endure and now I am running 13 miles with confidence. I am so grateful for my weight loss journey and all that it has done for me. I would have to say if I was asked what were the biggest things that I gained from losing weight they would be.
1. Confidence
2. Strong will
3. Happiness.
Some other things that I have seen change within myself is that I no longer have problems with my knees, I don't have shin splints, and I don't judge myself based on a number on the scale.
Running has become the cheapest form of therapy for me. After a long day at work or just a stressful day I can put on my running shoes and go out into nature and deal with it all.
I am so grateful for the people that always remind me of the importance of moving forward and not having fear. I have learned that everyday I am one step closer to my goals. I don't look back anymore..I only look forward. I hope that as my journey continues that I will be able to help other people see the importance of loving ourselves inside and out and that the only person holding you back is YOU!
I am excited for Monday...maybe I will get a Personal Record for myself!
I will give ya a full report of my adventures on Tuesday
Love ya all....
1. Confidence
2. Strong will
3. Happiness.
Some other things that I have seen change within myself is that I no longer have problems with my knees, I don't have shin splints, and I don't judge myself based on a number on the scale.
Running has become the cheapest form of therapy for me. After a long day at work or just a stressful day I can put on my running shoes and go out into nature and deal with it all.
I am so grateful for the people that always remind me of the importance of moving forward and not having fear. I have learned that everyday I am one step closer to my goals. I don't look back anymore..I only look forward. I hope that as my journey continues that I will be able to help other people see the importance of loving ourselves inside and out and that the only person holding you back is YOU!
I am excited for Monday...maybe I will get a Personal Record for myself!
I will give ya a full report of my adventures on Tuesday
Love ya all....
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