Soaking up the Sun

I grabbed my sunglasses on my way out of the door today!  It's amazing how the sun can make you feel whole inside.  I find myself lifting my chin up to get the full effect of the sun on my face.  I guess you'd say I'm "Soaking up the sun".  Even if I have sunscreen on, it still feels amazing!  I felt really light on my feet today, I'm thinking it's partly due to what I ate this morning! I ate 3 egg whites on a whole wheat bagel thin with laughing cow cheese and a yogurt, for lunch I had left over Country Captain Chicken which has a lot of protein, veggies and complex carbs.  I can tell that what I put in my body has a huge effect on how I perform.  I played with some sprints today, when I got the urge; which was about 3 different times during my 4 miler.  Wenzyl was appreciative, and her excitement rang true and was quickly shot down as my pace slowed which forced me to pull back on her leash.  I took a different route today, to switch things up a bit.  New scenery is always a good distraction. 

Running in town has made me feel the need to have an Ipod bud in one ear, in hopes to drown out the noise of the city, and "one ear" to ensure safety; today I left my Ipod at home and made it a point to just clear my head.  I did this on back roads when there was no traffic, I'm desperate for the trail to open up.  It's so refreshing to just have quiet, to think about things, to take in experiences and digest life.  One experience that I needed to digest; was being a nurse for the delivery of a baby for the first time!  It was exciting, however I feel like I haven't had time to think about what I went through.  Running is good for this.  It's amazing how many ideas, thoughts, motivations, and inspirations I get when running!  I believe it's Gods way of talking to me... and I listen.  

I took this picture at our cabin in Canada.  God shows his presence in so many ways, after I took this picture, I caught a fish! 

Frozen Eyelashes

I just got back from a cold 3.5 miler with Wenzyl.  It was nice, however I'm ready to run without a face mask on.  It's so constricting and at times I feel like a "thief" running through town.  People just kind of look at you like you're insane, especially if you have a mask on.  My eyelashes were frozen shut when I hit 2 miles, I would squeeze my eyelids tight in hopes to melt the accumulation, but this didn't work out too well.   I'm loving the endorphins though and I know Wenzyl is too. 

 It's pretty obvious when we get home and literally jumps for joy.  She runs around like a crazy women, which I can relate too being I do the same.  It's nice to have a running partner that's always available and willing to hit the pavement with you.  I don't know how I ran so many years by myself?  I guess I didn't know what I was missing!  I'm gearing up for warmer temps. 

 My goal this week is to increase my water intake and focus on stretching more.  I'll be honest I'm awful at stretching, hopefully Yoga will help with that. 

Happy Running!!!

19 degrees



My baby girl and I

 Today was a cold run.  I was intending on running around the lake a few times, but with the winds I decided to take a different route through town.  At least I would have the buildings and houses blocking the wind a bit.  I made my way down to the trail head, just to see what the snow cover was like.  Unfortunately, an abundance of warm days is in need in order to expose the pavement below.  The bank had a temperature reading of 19 degrees, it was chilly.  I broke out the face mask again, and wore long johns under my running pants.  

Wenzyl enjoyed the run.  She heals for the most part, and will sometimes end up smelling something of interest only to pull my arms out of my sockets, (it feels like that anyway).  I hope that one day I won't have to use a leash in town, but knowing me... I would be too scared.  That's what I love about the trail, she can just run and be free.  She sticks close by and isn't "tied" down by a leash.

I think it's so interesting, in the past two weeks I've been running around the same time every day.  It's almost as if Wenzyl knows when that time comes.  I usually make my way upstairs, get into my running gear, and during this time, she's right at my feet.  Her tail is wagging, and she's watching my every move.  I guess it makes me excited to know that I'm not the only one that's excited to head out for a run.  We both need it and enjoy it.  I know there will be days that will be hard for me to get out the door.  Which is were Wenzyl comes in, she's my motivator! 

I started feeling my appetite kick in this weekend.  This happens every year, and I have a hard time controlling myself.  So this year, I'm making a conscious effort to NOT eat everything in site.  Granted, I eat healthy things, but I eat way too much of it. Nutrient rich and portion control!  I can do this!  





Wenzyl and I heading out for a run



Spring into Spring

I'm glad I took advantage of the nice weather we had in the Northland this past week, as it is officially gone.  I went out for a run with Wenzyl this afternoon and piled on the layers, along with a face mask.  I'm not a fan of breathing through my "Buff" but my lungs thank me.  I'll never forget the day that I ran outside when it was really cold; with no face mask, the pain was excruciating. I learned my lesson needless to say. 

 I feel winter is God's way of telling us that things can get really hard, everything around you may seem as if it's dead, but then he blesses us with spring, and everything comes back to life.  There are always brighter days ahead!  He shows us that with the seasons.

Even though spring has seemed to freeze up on us again, I do have to admit having pavement available is nice.  There was a light dusting of snow over the sidewalks, some parts that were "darker" then others that I found out to be ice.  So I stuck to the roadway, jumping back up on the sidewalk when oncoming traffic would interrupt. Today I meditated about spring.  I enjoyed the smells of laundry softener and snowmobiles.  I'm excited for new blooms and chirping birds.  Ever since I started running I've learned to love spring and the mess it brings with it. The delicate growth that takes place is one that I get to be a part of.  Blades of grass that pop up early, the buds that appear before your eyes, and then all of a sudden you find yourself encompassed in green.  I look forward to those days, but I also have learned to enjoy the cold.  There's something crisp and fresh about cold air.  Even when I'm breathing it in through a mask, there's still something invigorating about seeing your breath when you run.  I guess it's like seeing your own blood when you get a paper cut.  Being alive, what a wonderful gift we've been given! 

    

Running for Friends for Animal Welfare

In 2008 Tara and I decided to "Run with Reason" and organize a team to raise money for Friends for Animal Welfare, a non-profit organization in our community.   We basically mad our way around our community and asked local businesses for donations and support.  Dustin and Lindsay Lundt organized a silent auction at Beaner's in Duluth, which also raised a lot of money.  I'm not sure of the actual number, but we raised around $1300 total! 

Each year, I run for a reason.  In 2008 I decided to raise funds for an organization that I believed in.  In the years since, babies have been born and nursing school has taken over.  My hope is to raise money for yet another organization in the near future.  It was such a good feeling handing over the check for that much money to an organization that is so deserving.   There appreciation was priceless.

Tara, Myself, and Molly, Gary Bjorkland Half Marathon 2008
I wouldn't have been able to finish this race if Molly wasn't by my side.  I injured my knee on the 2nd mile in, 11.1 miles later I crossed.  She stuck by me the whole way!

If anyone out there is interested in organizing a team with me in the near future or has any ideas/requests.  Please let me know!

Good Times

Often times when running long distances you forget most of your journey.  It's bizarre, all of a sudden you've ran 18 miles and you wonder what the heck just happened.  During this time if you're fortunate enough to have a partner by your side, you experience what I like to call "Giggling Hysteria"!  I've had the awesome opportunity to run with some amazing people, two of which stick out and are dear to my heart.  Miss Tara Hallie and Miss Carey Reiten.  We've experienced so many laughs and moments of "giggling hysteria" that I often wonder to myself how we managed to keep from peeing our pants? 

Being able to talk while running I feel is a blessing.  This is something that I wasn't able to do when I first started.  I remember my sister in law Kristie, chatting away during my first runs back in the day, and I thinking, "How can you be talking, at a moment such as this... are you insane"?  Now I can't imagine not talking while running with a partner.  This is how I got to know Tara and Carey, and I would not change those moments for anything.  I love these two women, they inspire me, pray for me, and have helped me to accomplish so many things in life.  If it weren't for them, I know I wouldn't be running today. 


Carey and I, Gary Bjorkland Half Marathon 2009

Tara and I, Gary Bjorkland Half Marathon 2008





 The stories, the laughs, the tears, the blisters, the sweat, the sunburns, the snakes, the water bottles, the energy beans, the miles upon miles, hoping,the trees, the hail, swimming, ice cream with peanut butter and oreos, access shakes, chiropractor appointments, planning, runner poops, thanking God for toilet paper, water belts, knee pain, giving up, crossing the finish line, new shoes, dirty shoes, praying, spaghetti,venting, growing, giggling, hot tubs, losing toe nails, creepy trail guy, race packets, cliff bars, the future, bananas, sunglasses, buffs, Garmin, Wenzyl coming into contact with a beaver, muggy days, cold mornings, wickers, and last but not least, making friendships that will last forever. 



Grandma's Marathon 2010




Thank you Carey and Tara for the wonderful memories.  I can't wait to hit the pavement with you soon! 



Tara, Grandma's Marathon 2010

Carey, Grandma's Marathon 2010



I'm not a "runner"

Over the years, I've realized that there are some people that were born to run.  There bodies are made for it.  Wesly Ngetich (God rest his soul) is a perfect example of this.  He ran the full marathon in less time it took me to run the half.  With this, I have to say that running isn't about how fast your are, for me it's not anyway.  I have come to terms with my "slow and steady" pace as I like to call it.  I'm comfortable with how I am, and I don't compare myself to other runners.  I feel that if you do this, you're just putting unnecessary stress on yourself.  Just run to run; because you can. 

Wenzyl and I

Today the temperature was 48 degrees upon heading out for a run. I wore a wicker, fleece, and running pants. No long-johns or a face mask, which is a nice change of pace! My black lab Wenzyl is my running partner, and we pumped out 5 miles today! She amazes me, and keeps me going. I'll be honest, it was hard for me to get out the door this afternoon, which is strange with the nice weather.  I was feeling a little tired after clinical, but Wenzyl motivates me to get out the door, and every time it's worth it.

My shoes were soaked by the time I got home, along with Wenzyl. She knows to stay in the basement or on the front entry rug until she's dry. (What a good dog). My body felt great today, my lungs enjoyed breathing in air that was actually warm. I'm excited to run on the trail, once the snow melts. Running in town, is distracting to me. I feel like I need to always pay attention to traffic and what's going on around me. Once the trail clears, it will be me, the woods and God. I can't wait!