Turkey, Cookies, and Coffee

I don't know about you, but for me, the holidays bring much joy, much food, and a lack of will to get my lazy rear outside to run. Like most of you I suppose, I have skipped running a couple of days over the last few weeks. It seems almost like an inconvenience to put on my running gear to go outside in cold, rain, wind, and/or snow while there are warm cookies and hot chocolate awaiting me inside the house. As I reluctantly suit up to go out, I begin to remember what those cookies are going to do to my lazy rear. So I head out, usually slowly at first, then warm up and once again enjoy my run. I also enjoy the fact that I can eat one extra cookie. People laugh when runners say "I like to run because I like to eat." At this time of year, however, it is really true. Well, I have still managed to get in my long runs, as well as a good 5K on Thanksgiving. On that note, I am off to take my dehydrated self out for a four miler. I hope that you are enjoying time with friends and family and an extra cookie here and there.

Reminder: Rudolph Red Nose 5K in Nashville tomorrow 6:30 PM. WOC Running Group will take a picture at 6:00 PM at the starting line.

Prayer Request for the Day: My mom. She is recuperating from foot surgery.

Song for the Day: The Wexford Carol Yo-Yo Ma, Allison Krauss, and Natalie McMaster

Luke 2 :9-11 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
(My favorite Christmas passage!)

When the Saints...

16 miles. One really good play list. I ran pretty strong. It took 2:23 to finish. Just under 9 minute miles. But that is not the focus of today's blog. Some people talk about having a really moving religious experience. I have had a few of those. If you are lucky, you have to. Well, maybe not. I don't think it is luck. At the end of my run, a pretty powerful song began to play. As I ran down the street towards my home, the most powerful part of the song echoed in my ears. Here are the words...

i see the long quiet walk along the underground railroad

i see the slave awakening to the value of her soul

i see the young missionary and the angry spear

i see his family returning with no trace of fear

i see the long hard shadows of calcutta nights

i see the sister standing by the dying man’s side

i see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor

i see the man with a passion come kicking down that door

i see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road

i see the world on his shoulders and my easy load


I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. My throat felt like it was closing. I could barely breathe. Yet, I ran even faster. My legs were moving with no effort of my own. Seriously, I had finished almost 16 miles. It really wasn't my effort at that point. Something overwhelmed me. I know it was God. As I headed inside, I could hardly even explain to Clay why I was crying. Then, I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, on my knees. How blessed am I to spend a morning running for His glory. When I have nothing left, He carries me. I can feel it. And my faith is strengthened. Selah.

Prayer Request for the Day: For all those with a heavy burden they feel they cannot carry.

Song of the Day: When the Saints - Sara Groves (the song playing at the end of my run)

Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah.

Rain, Wind, and Mud

6 more miles. A new friend. Some rain, wind, and lots of leaves in puddles. It was a good morning. I had the opportunity to run with Ron, Gordon, and Roger. Some of the group went to Cedar Hall today to run the 5K to benefit the cross country team there. I hope that everyone who did the race did well... and stayed relatively clean (I had a picture in my head of mud-covered WOC runners). It has been a pretty good day. Praise God. If you get a chance to listen to the song today, really listen to the words. It really puts life in context. It reminds how thankful I should be that I can run in the rain, the wind, and the mud. Thanks Dad.

Prayer Request for the Day: the people who sleep under the bridge at the Greenway

Song of the Day: When the Saints - Sara Groves

Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is secure; he will have no fear;
in the end he will see his desire on his adversaries.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn [dignity] will be lifted high in honor.
- Psalm 112: 4-5, 7-9

"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty."
- Mother Teresa

Swords and Shields

Hello All! Well, It has been a few days since my last post... babies tend to take a lot of energy! So, here is the skinny... Saturday, Dan and Josh pulled me for 4 miles and I finished the whole 6 a bit behind them. I knew I was in for it when Dan looked at me at the .5 mile marker and said, "You know that we are going at about a 7 minute pace, right?" Well, I didn't finish that fast, but the first 3 miles were 22:20 and over all a 46:20 effort. A little faster than last time:) Ran with Amber on Sunday for about 45 minutes (Go girl!), then Monday did a 15-15.5 mile run. Today, a recovery 4 miler. Enough about the statistics. I am getting so encouraged. After a pretty hard last week, I feel like the efforts towards this February marathon are paying off. Just can't let the devil get in my head... He likes to tell me that I can't do it. To bad I've got God's armor to tell him to stay at home (Ephesians 6). I think that is the moral of the day. Never let Satan tell you that you aren't good enough or that you'll never succeed. With God's help, you can achieve even the impossible. I hope that you go out today and bask in the glory of the Lord.

Prayer Request for the Day: For all those who are cold and tired with nowhere to go. May they find a warm place to rest.

Ephesians 6

Song of the Day: Hallelujah Anyhow - Joe Pace (Thank you Dwayne!)

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the Rudolph Red Nose Run on December 5 in Nashville at 6:30 PM. Check out the www.nashvillestriders.com under the race calendar for more details.

Rest

Dear Friends... today is a great day!! I hope you do feel God's pleasure (again, check out the movie "Chariots of Fire" if that doesn't make sense to you). For the first time in over six months, Clay and I got a whole night of sleep. Yes folks, our baby slept through the night. Those of you who have children probably understand how monumental this is. And to top it all off, today is my day of rest from running. Clay, Canton, Carter and I went out to do speed work yesterday and even though it was only about four and a half miles of work, my body is feeling a little beat up today. Praise God for rest. I think that you have to go through harder times (like not sleeping for months on end and completing hard workouts) so that you can realize just how wonderful things like sleep are. As a society, we don't sleep enough. It can definitely affect our performance daily, be it work, family, or running. My prayer for all of you this weekend is for rest. May you be blessed with the gift of renewal.

Well, it is really early and I think I am going to go rest on the couch with a cup of coffee, Clay, and Carter while we wait for Canton to wake up.

Prayer Request for the Day: For all our nation's leaders.

Song of the Day: Sleeping In - Nevertheless

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Hydration...

Well, I really found out the importance of water yesterday. Clay and I set out for a 7 mile run. It was another hard day, taking roughly 70 min. As we ran, I was going over the possible causes in my head. We ran at about 1:00 PM. It was about 4 miles in that I realized that all I had to drink was two and a half cups of coffee and a few sips of Vitamin Water. Yikes! No wonder my body wouldn't respond. I am hoping that I have learned my lesson. I checked out a few websites dealing with the amount of water/liquid you need on a daily basis. I know we've all heard the old adage, "Eight ounces eight times a day..." and I wanted to know if that was accurate and how much extra I should be drinking.

From www.mayoclinic.com -

"Lack of water can lead to dehydration, a condition that occurs when you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can drain your energy and make you tired."

Bottom line:

Men need 3 liters of water a day not including exercise. Women need 2.2 liters. The more exercise, the more you need. Don't wait till you are thirsty during the day to drink water. Also, they suggest sports drinks for longer bouts of exercise (like running!) And yes, if you are peeing clear then you are getting enough fluids!

Well, here we go again. I hope I have had enough water today... this is a speed day (yeah ladders!). I'll let you know. I hope that you get enough water to quench your thirst but that your hunger for God is unending!
-Erin

Prayer Request for the Day: Please continue to pray for my friend Linda and her family.

John 4:12-14 Are you greater than out father Jacod, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds? Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Song of the Day: "Washed by the Water" -Needtobreathe (thanks Dad!)

Strength

Praise God. Clay and I set out on a 4 mile run today. We decided to do two hilly 2-mile loops. We timed the first and it came out to 16:30. Disappointing. I felt bad. My legs and lungs felt so weak. At the end of the run we took the Carter (our dog) home and set out again. Before we started out, I told Clay that I wasn't sure I really wanted to train for this marathon because I didn't think I could really do it and run fast. About 1/3 mile into the second loop, I realized that I never asked God for help today. From that point on in my run, my mantra was "Jesus bless this run". I ran hard and just let it go to God. When we finished the loop, I asked Clay for the time. 15:13. Praise God. That is the fastest I have ever run that loop. Never discount what God can do in all aspects of your life. And never forget to thank Him.

Song of the Day: Psalm 91 - Sonic Flood

Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.

Prayer request for the day: My friend Linda lost her son shortly after birth this week. Grant has gone home to our Father. Pray for her and her family.

6 miles to Cracker Barrel

Hello Friends! Well, the WOC Group had 17 members today (2 that rode in style in the jogging strollers, and 2 of the canine variety!). The group ran from 4 to 6 miles, with one member going a bit further. I ran with Matt, who basically pulled me along for the six miles. We finished in roughly 47 minutes. A bit slow for him, a bit fast for me. He really helped me today! After the run, we headed to Cracker Barrel to eat all of the calories we had just burned. I had a giant stack of pancakes which were devoured in a matter of minutes. I've got a 10 miler tomorrow... hope I can go a bit quicker than the last one. Right now the baby is sleeping and I think I am going to work on the biscotti I started last night and watch a little TV. Maybe a movie. Halloween is over, so that means it's time to watch "Elf"! I hope that whatever you have done today, ran, walked, or rested, that it has brought you joy.

Happy Running!

Prayer Request for the Day: My mom is having foot surgery soon. She won't be able to run for a while. Prayers for her are much appreciated.

Song of the Day: "Oh Holy Night" -Josh Groban (Like I said... Christmas season has begun!)

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God; and I will be exalted among the nations, and I will be exalted in the Earth.

Welcome!

This blog is for all of you runners and those who will become runners. I hope to be able to share some of my experiences while encouraging all of you out there. Funny, I am starting this blog on a Friday, my resting day... Well, this week has gone pretty well. Since Sunday, I have clocked 14 miles, 4 miles, 6 miles, and another 4 miles. I plan on running 6 more tomorrow at pace (hopefully 8-8:30's) and 10 miles on Sunday. Also, for any beginners out there, some people from WOC will be meeting for a 30 min run/walk.

Sidenote: You will understand the title of this blog if you watch "Chariots of Fire".

Well, got to go for now. Much to do today.

Song of the Day: "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath

Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe. -- Saint Augustine