Welcome to My Blog

Time to get serious!

1. I need to lose the last 30 pounds to get to my goal weight.

2. I need to grow as an Independent Close To My Heart Consultant.

3. I need to start writing - prolifically

You are cordially invited to join me as I share my successes and obstacles, my thoughts and feelings, and my love of card making, scrapbooking and other crafty things.

I welcome your opinions, advice and inspiration.

Come ON! Let's GO!!


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Born to Run

I just finished reading this book, which my fitness trainer, Alex Beeding, recommended. The book is about a hidden tribe, superathletes and ulramarathons, culminating in a race in which superathletes and the Tarahumari tribe ran an ultramarathon together. The book talks about barefoot running and how Nike created the Free Run Shoes and other shoes like it that help the body stay in alignment. It makes sense too... Our foot was designed with an arch...why do we try to support it with a shoe all the time? Do you see the St. Louis Arch being supported by anything? Nope. Because it doesn't need it. That is not how it was designed. The author, Christoper McDougall explores many different aspects of being an ultramarathoner athlete, what it takes to get in shape, how to avoid many injuries that runners often experience and nutrition.  To me the book was very inspirational and motivational.

The Bible talks a lot about running races - endurance and persistence - One might think, if God even wrote about running the race...maybe we were born to run?

2 Timothy 4:17 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (NKJV)

 Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1

 After reading this book it was easy to see how life can be like an ultramarathon. Right now - losing this weight and getting fit is my ultramarathon. It is taking a lot of endurance and persistence and faith...but slowly and steadily, keeping my eyes on the goal it's working!

Yesterday, I ran around the basketball court. I ran! That is huge. I never run! I think sometimes I might be allergic to running. It makes my lungs burn and my legs hurt. The only difference between other days and yesterday was I so badly wanted to keep going. By the time, I got back around the bball court to where my fitness trainer was standing, I wanted to keep going...but I didn't know if I could...so I stopped.

But I felt INVIGORATED!!!

Alex said I did a good job and deep down inside I was thinking... Yeah! It really was a good job and I really liked it and maybe I haven't been giving my all to my workouts...so get ready cuz I'm going all out now! I'm going to do this! And by December I will be under 200 pounds!!!!

I think...no, I know now...I have reached a turning point. That adrenaline has now been shot into every aspect of my life. I no longer want to be a human being...I want to be a human doing. I don't know what is in store for my future. Will I get a teaching job? Will I ever run a marathon or at least a 5K? I don't know! But I know, I no longer want to sit on the sidelines.

So onward to new challenges - just like life
Onward to sometimes feeling like giving up, and sometimes wanting to quit and sometimes wondering whats it all about - just like life
Onward to feeling tired and exhausted and full of pain - just like life


Onward to achieving success and victory - Just Like Life