Category: Body Work

Prepped and Ready

Four and a half months. Two pairs of running shoes. 350 miles. Many gallons of water.  17 degrees to 75 degrees. 75 hours. Countless bananas, protein shakes, Powerade Zeros and electrolyte blocks. Two ice baths. One training partner. Three other running partners (and encouragers!). Two great books. One training plan. Two supportive kids. One supportive husband. And countless well-wishers.

Training is complete. I ran my last two miles Wednesday afternoon. It’s all over but the race. Sunday I will complete the cycle. 26.2 miles. And a sticker will be placed on my van to celebrate that.

I have my list of things to pack all typed up and ready.

I have a map for the hubby and kids to know which Metrolink stations they can ride to in order to cheer me on at various points in the race.

I have all the information I need for packet pick-up, hotel stay, etc., printed out and ready to go.

I am (trying) to watch carefully what I eat this week.

I am drinking lots of fluids this week.

I am (trying) to get good sleep every night.

I have my race morning plan in my head.

I am doing everything I know to do to be ready for race day.

I have done everything that I can do to be prepared for the race.

Now, I get to do it. And I am excited. I am not nervous. I am not fearful. I know that I have done the necessary training, both physically AND mentally to be ready. I have no doubt that I will cross that finish line. It will be hard, but it will be fun. I am looking forward to seeing more of St. Louis on foot. I am looking forward to a few hours with my race partner. I am looking forward to the people all around me running for the same goal. I am looking forward to celebrating with my family at the finish line. I am not looking forward to another ice bath, but I am looking forward to feeling good after the race thanks to another ice bath.

And I am looking forward to what that Lord will be teaching me throughout the next few days. He has taught me much about the power of perseverance, the power of my mind, the power of friendships, and the power of consistent training over the last few months, and I am sure race day will hold even more truths that come from Him.

If you think of me over the next few days, particularly on Sunday, your prayers would be greatly appreciated. I will be glad to report on Monday that I have completed my goal of finishing a full marathon in 2012!

What is the Lord teaching you these days? Are you prepped and ready to hear from Him anytime, anywhere?

Some Days are Better Than Others

I have been talking and thinking about my mind quite a bit lately, and you’ve been reading some of my thoughts about how we have the ability to choose what we focus on. Today, I need to be reminded of some of those ideas about how I am able to rise above and change my outlook, so I re-read one of my favorite posts by Kristin Armstrong from her book, Mile Markers. (She blogs here: http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/) And since I am not really flowing with words today, I thought I would just share hers with you.

Anti-Venom

I started yesterday off on the wrong foot.

My alarm didn’t go off, somehow I switched the am and pm on my phone so we got up 12 minutes late and our mornings are timed to precision, the kids were arguing non-stop, Luke wouldn’t eat his granola because Isabelle coughed somewhere in the vicinity and it was deemed contaminated, Isabelle ripped out her ponytails twice because she said I made them uneven, my coffee got cold while I was packing lunches and when I reheated it in the microwave it burnt my tongue rendering the remainder of my day tasteless, Isabelle decided now was a good time to change the rabbit cage, Grace was taking a stand against oral hygiene despite her dragon breath, and Charlie (our Cavalier King Charles puppy) lifted his leg and peed on the corner of the kitchen island.

We made it to school with seconds to spare and I hate rushing my mornings and parting in a scramble, especially the mornings before the kids have a Daddy weekend.  I called the vet and made an appointment for the leg-lifter to get snipped.  I took big dog Mercy for a run, hoping that some hills and her steady company would restore my equilibrium, but I walked back into my house under the same cloud.  I tried to write but my desk was too littered with bills and mail to welcome creative thought, so I wasted the rest of my morning idea-less, excavating stacks of paper.

And then, out of nowhere, it hit me.  The only way I was going to snap out of my sour was with a serious intervention.  With sudden clarity, I knew that if I did not flood my poisonous mood with the anti-venom, my day and I were going down.  For those of you who watch less Animal Planet than I do or who did not win the science fair in high school (I really did), let me explain that anti-venom is created when a tiny bit of venom is introduced into a subject, creating an immune response that generates antibodies that fight the venom.  These antibodies can be harvested and used on behalf of others.  In my particular moody case, the anti-venom would consist of the antibodies of kindness,specifically the unspoken kind.  What I mean is, the thoughts or gestures we think about but don’t make time to say or do.  I got quiet with my grumpy self and thought about the previous few days, combing my existence for the things that struck me but were quickly dismissed.  I wrote them down.  I started to feel a wee bit better.  Then I took action.

1.  I called the groomer who had taken care of our old dog Boone the day before.  Boone is impossible to groom.  He’s over 12, and many moons ago he once fell off our deck in France so he’s a bit off, somewhat contorted and stiff, almost palsied.  I told her that when I drove Boone over the previous day, I was close to tears noticing his old age and overall bad state.  But after her tenderness and magic, he looked so much better, even had a newfound bit of spunk that I attributed to his fresh-do.  I told her that I understood how difficult and time-consuming it must be to work with him, but that I really appreciated her effort and I thought he looked beautiful.  She was quiet for a minute before she told me I made her week.

2. I have a dear friend Dawn who can’t stand being cold.  A mother of a cold front is blowing outside my office window as I type, and we all knew it was coming.  So yesterday I finished the scarf I had been knitting for her since before Christmas and dropped it on her doorstep with a note telling her to stay warm and I love her.

3. My coach and friend, Cassie, hates to be sick (we all hate it but she HATES it with narrowed eyes and spite) and has a nasty sinus infection.  I thought about this on Wednesday, the way that she summons her energy for her clients and friends, even when she ends up with none left to spare for herself.  I left her a message to tell her how much that meant to me.  She left word later on my voice mail that I had saved her day.

4. I wrote a note to the librarian who hosted Luke’s scout den earlier this week for our monthly meeting.  She gave us a tour of her library, making books and reference materials totally interesting to a group of ten year old boys.  She finished with a scavenger hunt, which was a giant hit as you can imagine.  She has a tremendous gift in her way with children, the kind of gift that makes you stop what you’re doing and pay attention.  She has probably heard this countless times, but I wanted her to hear it from me, in pen, on my stationary.  I mailed that.

And before I realized it had taken place, my day, my mood, my sense of humor, perspective, and appreciation had all been restored.  I am not sharing this in an,”Aw, Look How Sweet I Am” kind of way.  I’m sharing this in a, “Holy Crap Was I Sour” kind of way.  I wonder how often we make a swift mental note of something or someone meaningful and it slides into oblivion because we are in such a blasted hurry all the time.

I want to encourage you, no I flat out dare you, to try this infusion of light the next time your mood goes dark.  It was the fastest road I have ever taken to getting back on track, so from one runner to another, I share the route with you.

So, what kind of anti-venom do you need to infuse into your life today?

Just Asking

Saturday was my birthday and the plan was to do our longest training run in Forest Park that morning. But due to some circumstances beyond our control, we had to push our run off a day. That meant that we would leave a little later in the day on Sunday, after both Crystal and I had attended the first worship hour at our respective churches.

I woke up on Sunday joyful and excited about our run. Yes, about a 20-mile run. Joyful. I knew that we were ready and was looking forward to different scenery surrounding us during our run in St. Louis.

But something changed part-way through the worship service. I started to get apprehensive, scared, and anxious. By the end of the service, I was literally shaking and almost in tears I was so panicked. I didn’t know what was happening. And when Pastor Doug reminded the congregation that Prayer Band members were at the front and available for prayer, it was as if he was talking to me, and I turned to Mike and asked him to come with me to ask for prayer.

As we got to the front, all the Prayer Band members were busy, so I asked someone else who happened to be standing there to pray with Mike and I. Even as I tried to explain the anxiety and panic I was feeling, I was nearly overwhelmed with those feelings. Through the prayer, I could feel myself coming back to center, but not fully. As we worked our way out the door, I saw a number of people who knew my plan for the afternoon and who encouraged me and whom I asked to be praying for us as well.

By the time I got home, readied myself and all my supplies, and got in the car with Crystal, I could tell that my anxiety was dwindling, but it wasn’t until that first step on the trail that it melted away completely. From that point on, not once did I question my ability to finish the 20 miles. Not once did I even consider quitting. Even when my breathing was labored (there was pollen everywhere!), and my legs got tired, I knew we were going to finish. And finish we did.

But I know that we did it all with a covering of prayer. Prayers that were lifted for us because we asked.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes, just an ask. Reaching out for prayer when we know we can’t make it on our own. I am so thankful for those who prayed for and with us yesterday and for the way that the Lord answered their prayers. And then, when I got home last night I got a message from a high school friend who was doing some asking of her own. And I am privileged to be able to lift her situation up in prayer in the same way others did for me yesterday.

Do you need prayer today? Just ask! Leave me a message and I will be glad to pray with and for you, or grab a friend and ask them to pray.

Win, Lose, or Draw? or Why We Ended our No Sugar Family Challenge One Week Early

Back in January, I let you all in on our Family Challenge of going from January 5 to March 24 without sugar or sweets in our house or in our mouths.

This past Saturday, March 17, we ended our challenge one week early.

Why? After all, there was only one week to go, and surely, if we had made it that far we could make it one more week, right?

Well, first of all let me say, my family did a WONDERFUL job of making good choices over the last couple of months. My kids said no to things that they wanted very badly including candy, cupcakes, and ice cream. They ate natural peanut butter (that they weren’t big fans of). They went without cereal for breakfast. They drank water at restaurants. And with the exception of a couple of innocent mistakes (marketing people are so sneaky – they put 100% natural on a drink and to a kid that sounds like it shouldn’t have sugar in it – grr!) and our purposeful break when Anne and I went to Chicago, I would deem the challenge as successful.

Until one day last week when my kids were “hungry” and decided that they needed to have a snack of brown sugar. Yes, I did say brown sugar. No,  I don’t know why. While most of the other sweets in the house were either pitched or hidden, there were other options like chocolate chips and sugar-free candy that they could have chosen.

We had a nice long conversation about it and what it comes down to is they had a moment of weakness. Just like we all do at times.

But as Mike and I reflected on it the next couple of days, it seemed to us that where it had started out as a Family Challenge, at some point it had begun to feel like punishment to our kids. Their hearts weren’t in it for the challenge anymore and they were seeing it as mom and dad not letting them have sugar (because mom and dad are mean!). And this is NOT the message that we wanted to be giving.

This challenge was about learning that we don’t need sugar and sweets to survive and we can have self-control and say no. This challenge was about doing something together as a family that was good for us. And when we realized that it wasn’t a positive thing anymore, we decided to end it. (And it didn’t hurt that my favorite holiday was a week before our original end date.)

So I made the kids cupcakes and we told them on Saturday morning that the sugar fast was over.

You would have thought we told them that we won the lottery. They were so excited. And since then they have wanted to eat every sugary substance in sight. They whined when I wouldn’t buy them sugary cereal, but instead bought Cheerios, Rice Chex, and Rice Krispies. They whined when I wouldn’t buy them donuts at the grocery store. They whined when I wouldn’t buy them a KitKat. They whined when I wouldn’t let them eat a cupcake for breakfast.

Yep. I guess that means that life is back to normal at the Ennen house. Mom trying to help the family make good choices and them whining about it. 🙂

What do you think? Should we have ended the challenge early? Why or why not?

Where Do We Start When We Need to Stop Perpetuating Bad Choices?

(Warning – this post may appear to be simply a rant, but it is in fact my heart crying out for our children. Please read it that way.)

I have spent a significant amount of time as an adult re-educating myself about food and exercise. I have spent countless months trying to re-program my body to not want to eat sweets. I have worked very hard to come to a point where I enjoy exercise and can’t imagine going without it for more than a couple of days. I continue to spend money on food that costs more because it is healthier and can’t believe how much cheaper it would be if I ate badly. And I am really trying to teach my children these things so that they don’t face the same trials I have faced when it comes to food and exercise.

And because this is something I am passionate about, I have some major questions about food and activity choices that are going on at homes and schools around our country.

  • Why do we give food-based rewards?
  • Why do schools show movies during recess (or even worse P.E., which, after all does stand for PHYSICAL EDUCATION) – Is 30 degrees going to kill them? Is water on the playground going to hurt them?
  • Chocolate milk, really?
  • Sweet snacks during testing? How about offering some REAL food – fruits, veggies, etc.
  • Why do we need to bring candy, cookies, and cupcakes to school for every occasion (birthdays, Valentine’s Day, etc.)?
  • Can’t we have a party without ice cream or pizza or sweets of some kind? Or a party that lets them play outside on the playground instead of watching a movie inside?
  • And I suppose at least if they are going to play video games, Just Dance is an active one, and I applaud that as a better reward than ice cream and candy, but video games in school?

I am afraid that we are raising up yet another generation of obese, lazy people who don’t know how to eat right, exercise or even how to approach food. Food is not a reward, it is a necessity for our bodies to function. Bad food in, bad body function. Good food in, good body function, good brain function, etc. We need to be educating our children both at home and in our schools so they have a healthy view of health – which includes a healthy view of food, exercise, and life choices.

My kids and I continually talk about the fact that I am not withholding food from them and that it is not punishment to be sugar-free for 3 months, instead it is a learning experience whereby we can find out that we don’t need it. And if they learn these things as children, my hope is that they never have to blog about their weight-loss journey because they never have the need to go on that journey. I don’t want them to be obsessed with the scale like I can be at times. I want them to live long, healthy, happy lives. I want them to eat healthily and exercise because it will help ward off heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and so many other diseases that can be caused by our bad food, exercise and health choices, but I want them to do it because they want to and they enjoy it, not because they have to.

But I can only do so much when my kids are being bombarded with messages at school that go contrary to what I am telling them and showing them at home.

But what do I do about it? Where do I even begin to change a flawed system full of people who have different ideals than me? How do we spread the word that education is about more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. More than about doing well on tests. More than about simply finishing an assignment and getting a piece of candy for doing it.

Education should be whole. When kids are learning about the body and how it works, shouldn’t they be learning about nutrition and being offered nutritious foods? When kids are learning how to play a game in P.E., shouldn’t they be learning that it isn’t just about the game but about staying active? Shouldn’t kids be learning that there is satisfaction that comes from completing something that you are supposed to do, and not be bribed with candy to do something they needed to do anyway?

I have way more questions than answers about this subject, but this is where my mind has been lately and I am not sure where to go with it.

I am sure you all have opinions as well. What do you think? Where do you fall? What would you do?

Let’s talk about it. Leave me your comments and questions in the comments section of this blog. Maybe we can come up with some answers.

Rewiring

Lately I have been bombarded with the idea of changing the way I think.

Three different books, as well as some Scripture, have been pounding this idea to me over and over.

The marathon training book I have been reading each week (The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer) is constantly talking about how the psychological game is just as important, if not more so, than the physiological one. It has given me ideas about how to approach tough runs, long runs, distractions, and so much more by changing my perspective and the way that I think about it. And it works. On Wednesday this week I had a terrible run. I felt sluggish, slow, and didn’t feel like I could finish, but I made the decision that my body was able to do it and I wasn’t quitting until it was done. And guess what? I finished.

The book I am reading with my friend, Tina, (The Me I Want to Be) has also been talking about our mind and how we need to change how we think if we want to change ourselves. My favorite line is this, “You cannot get rid of the skunk odor without getting rid of the skunk.” He goes on to talk about how we need to monitor our thoughts so that we can reset them to a better frequency, or in another example he uses, setting the thermostat to create a target climate. “It is a constant process, but the goal is for the system to create a life-giving climate.” We don’t choose to stop thinking negative thoughts, but rather we choose to “set our minds on those thoughts that equip us for life.” Our thought life has enormous power over us, and we can choose how that power is used.

Then, in the book I am reading just for fun (Mile Markers) I ran across this quote last night:

So, now you can see why rewiring the mind is on my mind these days. I guess I need to keep working on that.

What ways do you need to rewire your mind?

Still Learning

Today is March 1 – the beginning of my birthday month. I will be 38 in 24 days. That means in two years I will be 40. Yikes! How did that happen? Where did the time go? I mean, I knew that I entered grown-up land a number of years ago, but as a kid, 40 seemed sooooooo old. And here I am, sooooooo close to it.

You know what else I didn’t realize? That at the age of 37 11/12, I would be learning as much, if not more, about life and about myself as I was as a child, teenager and 20-something.

  • Who knew that I would learn in my 30’s that I could push my body to new limits and run 7 half-marathons?
  • Who knew that I would be able to push past even that to train for a full marathon – and feel good about it?
  • Who knew that in my late 30’s I would add a new piece to my identity – runner?
  • Who knew that I could change my whole view of food and exercise and subsequently lose 50 pounds and go down 3-4 clothing sizes in less than a year?
  • Who knew that God would call me to vocational ministry in my 30’s?
  • Who knew that He would grow a desire in me to read more and more non-fiction books (since I have always been a fiction kind of gal) that would teach me so much about Him, and life, and myself?
  • Who knew that He would also grow a desire in me to meet with various people – one on one and in groups – to spur one another on to more learning (and more questions which prompt more learning) on a regular basis?

I could go on an on about the ways that I am learning from God, from books, from friends. I could go on and on about what I am learning about who God is, about who I am in Christ, about running, about ministry, about friendship, about weight loss, about health, about God’s love and provision and grace. (And I haven’t even touched what I learn about marriage and parenting on a regular basis!)

We often think we finish school and we stop learning. But that is really our choice. We can stop learning. Or we can continue to learn. We can open up our eyes to everyday things that teach us. We can read. We can ask questions. We can search things out.

I don’t know about you, but I really like knowing that I don’t know it all – even about myself – and there is more to learn. Bring it on!

What are you learning these days?

Sweet Little Lies

This morning I am thinking about the little lies we tell ourselves.

Here is the context.

When I run, there are some days when it is easier than others. Some days I push harder than others. Some days just plain stink. But it doesn’t matter which of these is true for me to lie to myself. I may tell myself that if I could just get to the stop sign, then I could walk, knowing full well that when I get to the stop sign I won’t let myself walk. And there are a couple of hills that kick my butt every time, but instead of them being my nemesis, I convince myself that they are my friend and we are just running along together. I’m still struggling at the top of the hill, so it hasn’t changed anything at all except my ability to push myself through that tough spot. Probably the best one that I tell myself is when I am in bed –  that when I get up and go for a run, it will be easy. But it’s never easy to start. And yet, these things I tell myself, that some other part of my brain totally knows aren’t true, work. They help me push through the tough stuff, they convince me to keep going. It blows my mind that it actually works.

Sometimes I tell myself lies in other areas, too. Even though my stomach is growling and I want to eat everything in sight, I tell myself I am not hungry and can wait for lunch. 🙂

As a fun Thursday post, I am curious what lies you tell yourself throughout the day, just to get through. Yes, there are some lies we tell ourselves that aren’t good and may actually be detrimental to ourselves, but those aren’t the ones I am concerned about today.

What sweet little lies do you tell yourself?

(And yes, I am totally singing “Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies. Tell me lies, tell me, tell me lies” in my head thanks to the title of this post. So if you are singing it now and need to hear the whole song, here it is.)

We Need One Another

I am reading a book (surprise, surprise!) called Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong, and I love it. I keep finding little gems in it that translate into many areas of my life, not just running. Last night it was this one:

We Need Each Other

I love it and it is so true! We do need each other. We don’t live in isolation and we shouldn’t. Each of us brings something different to the table and because of that we can help one another to do things that we couldn’t do on our own. This is true for our faith, raising children, running, the stuff of everyday life and so much more. Each of us brings different perspectives to life. We bring different personalities, different thought processes, different strengths, different weaknesses. We need each other to help talk and think through issues of life and faith. We need each other to open doors to us that we might not open ourselves. We need community.

This is why I run with friends. This is why I meet every Sunday with a small group. This is why I meet with a close friend to study a book weekly. This is why I meet twice a month with another friend for lunch. This is why I meet with a Virtual Community Group monthly.

We need each other. We can’t do it on our own. So, today, spend some time being thankful for the community around you and maybe even specifically thank those who you count on most. And if you don’t have community, I encourage you to find it. Ask your church about joining a small group. Reach out to someone you have been wanting to get to know and ask them to lunch. Find a family that you can plan a monthly play date with.

What does your community look like?

Training

Yesterday, I reached the half-way point in training for a marathon – week 9 of 18 is complete. What that really means is I ran 16 miles. Sixteen of the 26.2 to come on April 15. Only 4 more 1-mile increases in the long runs – up to 20. And you know what is significant about that? I felt GREAT! I have done 7 half-marathons (13.1 miles) and I felt better after 16 miles yesterday than I have after most of the half-marathons I have done. And I can only attribute it to two things:

  1. God’s grace.
  2. Training.

I have been running consistently for quite some time, but to a higher level of consistency over the past year and a half. I have been pushing up from regular runs of 3 miles to regular runs of 5 miles. I have been pushing my speed on those shorter runs. I have been following a set training schedule as consistently as possible for the last nine weeks, lifting two days a week, running two shorter, one mid-size, and one long run each week. I have been eating carefully and healthily. I have been reading books about marathon training to get ideas that will help. I have made this training a priority in my life. And I have found that it is working! I am running farther at faster paces. I am feeling good after my runs. I am enjoying the process, even on tough days. I am finding that when it gets hard and I push through, I am not only becoming a better runner, but my character is growing as well.

And this has gotten me thinking about training ourselves in other areas of our lives. Is making time for the Lord hard for you? Set yourself a training schedule and stick to it. Do you want a stronger marriage? Make a plan for how you can get there and then follow-through. Is family time lacking in your house? Re-orient your schedule and write your family in.

One of the things that really helps for me is to actually schedule time for all of these things. I know that I will be working out every weekday morning at 5 or 5:30 (depending on distance) and I have friends that I meet who hold me accountable to that. I schedule every evening before bed to spend time doing my devotions, praying and writing in my journal. Every Tuesday night at our house is scheduled as Family Game Night (the evening may vary year-to-year, but we make this a priority in our house.) Mike and I have a standing “date” to go away for our anniversary and make an effort to have regular times together throughout the year as well.

By verbalizing our priorities and scheduling our time, we are in essence training ourselves to get better and to grow in certain areas. And training works! You do get better. You do improve. That doesn’t mean there won’t be setbacks, but when there are, you get back up and get going again.

What areas do you need training in?