No Selfies, Please!

Mark:

Woohoo! We ran 8 miles today. We were supposed to run tomorrow, but we have some other commitments and ran the long run today. Honestly, I'm amazed that I ran 8 miles without stopping; except when I dropped my water bottle and had to stop, bend over, and pick it up at mile 6. That hurt a little bit. Next week, we get to run 10 miles for our long run. Double digits. That will definitely be a new hurdle to climb over.

As a pastor, I can't help but see spiritual metaphors with just about anything I do. I say that to mention an article I read yesterday. The article talked about how they were going to make rule changes to the Tour de France because last year people would stand in the road and take selfies. The photo would have the cyclists speeding towards them in the background. Sounds cool. But it wasn't cool when a biker collided with a spectator and both were injured. Then, the article described a marathon race in Hong Kong. Several runners, at different points in the race, decided to stop in the middle of the race to take a selfie with runners in the background. Again, that sounds cool at first glance, but several of the runners finished bruised and bloodied because they ran into the individuals who stopped to take the selfies. You are not thinking in a race that someone will just stop on a dime, whip out a phone, and start a photo session.

So, what's the point? It's true that we want our pics to have an amazing background. Kind of like our family photos at the beach this summer. We wanted the sunset with the ocean behind us. Here is the problem.  Often, we are so wrapped up in what's behind us that it prevents us from living today and moving forward. For some, this might be a mistake or something we wish we could do over. I know I have moments I regret, and wish I could have a second chance to get a "do over." Our past weighs us down and hinders us from moving forward. So, we just stop and don't go anywhere. Stuck in the past.

For others, we allow wonderful moments to keep us from moving forward. For example, how many people do you know, or maybe you are one of these people, that their greatest moments in life were from high school? Don't get me wrong. I have some wonderful memories from high school, but as I draw closer to 40, I realize that I have spent more time out of school than in school. So, we allow those great moments to keep us from creating new ones. Maybe we should turn the camera around and start looking at what's in front and not what is behind us? This reminds me of Philippians 3:13-14, "Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus."

Shannon:

I think the next post, I will be typing first...I've got nothing compared to what my hubby just posted. Thanks Dear.

This week our long run came a day early. I am leaving this evening to take our oldest, Caleb, to a baseball showcase at Ole Miss for the weekend, so I needed to get my 8 miles in today. Mark decided to go with me...you know, him being my mighty protector and all. He wasn't too thrilled about me running 8 miles before daylight by myself...I married a good one for sure ;-) I am so thrilled to share that before we left the house at 5:25 this morning, he said to me, "I am so glad we are doing this. I am really enjoying running!" I'm excited/relieved for that statement for two reasons: First of all, if you remember, one of my goals in this marathon training was for Mark to come to enjoy running like I do. We don't have many activities outside of our kids' sports that we do together, so I'm glad to have an enjoyment of running that we can share. Second, I started feeling a bit guilty this week for having tricked talked him into running a marathon. Why? Well, Sunday we started a small group study by Andy Stanley called "iMarriage." This week one of the topics we talked about was different expectations we place on our spouse...I didn't want him training out of obligation to me. I wanted him to train and run for his own enjoyment. And maybe to hear him say that I was right, running is fun!

Broken Toe

Mark...

I'm sure Shannon will take some time to explain this, but she broke her toe last week...or badly bruised it. It seems like one of us is always struggling or getting hurt with something during our training. I pulled a muscle last Friday. I had one of those days when I felt really good, and I was running faster than what I had been running. I had to jump up over a curb because a car was coming, and I pulled a muscle down the center of my calf. Thankfully, some ice made it feel much better. At least my injuries are running related. She is just clumsy, but I will let her tell you about it...haha.

We were able to run 6.2 miles again this past Saturday. Shannon even ran with a broken toe. She is one tough cookie. I think I would have wimped out and taken a few days off. She is the type of woman who will do something you say she can't just to prove you wrong. I tell people all the time that she is more competitive than I am. Of course, they think I am just being funny because I am ultra competitive. It really is no joke. She is so competitive that when you tell her she can't do something, she will do it just because you said she couldn't.

Shannon...

Yes, I'm pretty sure I broke my toe after our short run on Friday...if it isn't broken, it's severely bruised. This is the problem with being clumsy AND having ginormous feet (I wear a size 10 shoe, but am only 5' 3"). I lost my balance in my bedroom and somehow the edge of the bedrail caught my little toe and didn't think it needed to hit the floor with the rest of my foot. OUCH! It hurt. It swelled up and bruised pretty quick. For those of you who love to see the nasty details, I took pictures for you.

Even with a possible broken toe, I still ran our 6.2 mile long run Saturday morning. (For the record, I am competitive, but not NEARLY competitive as my husband!) Many of you are probably thinking, "WHY? It's early in your training, take a week off, let the toe heal, you will be FINE!" As true as that may be, I wanted to run. My injured toe is on my right foot...I run on the inside of my right foot, so really, my toe didn't really hurt when running. I just had to be careful running up hills since I have a tendency to sprint up on my toes, and I had to be careful transitioning from road to curb. It did slow me down by a full minute per mile compared to last week's 6.2 mile run, but I got it in and am happy I did. No regrets.

For me, getting as many miles and long runs in as possible before our big race day is important, but the main reason I wanted to run is because I have very few runs where I get to run the entire distance with my good friend and training partner, Angela. Angela is running St. Jude with me, but she is only doing the half marathon. We will have to part ways at mile 12 on race day :-( . Angela trained with me for the half marathon I ran back in April. She and I have a similar pace and have grown as distance runners together. We were reminiscing about how far we have come in our ability to run while getting that long run in on Saturday. Back in February, at the beginning of our half marathon training, neither one of us had much stamina or endurance. We averaged a 13.5 minute mile, struggled to run any further than a mile before we had to walk or stop and stretch. We also could not carry on a conversation while running. When we got to the point where we could push through the pain and run a majority of our runs without stopping, we were perfectly content running side-by-side and listening to our music with no talking. This past Saturday, we ran pretty much all 6.2 miles, talked almost the whole way, and it was so enjoyable! I can't even tell you what we talked about, but for this momma who isn't around adults too often; it was just what I needed. I run better with her than without. She is definitely the iron that sharpens me :-) ...and not just when it comes to running. I am excited to know that as my long runs get longer than Angela's, my good friend Julie will get to join my for our long runs. I'm just hoping I can keep up with her. She has run a marathon before, so I know running with her will push me to a new level!

I promised you pics of my lovely toe...you're welcome ;-)

And here is a picture of me and my sweet friend Angela, after we finished the RussVegas Half Marathon in Russellville, AR. We finished at about an 11:30 pace. Definitely an improvement from the 13:30 pace we started our training with!

One more thing...I have to brag on us...it rained for a good part of our long run on Saturday. The thunder that started rumbling helped our last mile to be our fastest. Now we know that we can run in the rain and we won't melt ;-)

Back on Track

Mark:

It is amazing what a few days of rest and recovery can do for the body. I was able to run pain free last Wednesday night for a couple of miles. I cannot believe I am writing that I had fun running. It was like an animal that had been caged, and I was let loose to run. I ran my fastest mile since I started training. I tried to slow down, but I couldn't. Then came our long run for the week on Saturday. I was nervous and excited because we were going to run 6.2 miles (that's a 10K). I am glad to say that I was able to run without any pain in my shins. I followed some advice I had read about running. I am learning all sorts of stuff I never knew about running. When you run, you are supposed to land mid-foot and not land on your heel first. It's like jumping off a high wall. You would not want to land on your heel but on the balls of your feet. You want to run like a ninja. That means you are to run quietly and not by slamming your heel into the ground. It is unbelievable that something as simple as that can make such a huge difference. Hopefully, I am back on track and won't have any further issues.

Shannon:

I am happy to say that I am back on track as well! Not only am I feeling better, but I have had some of the best runs and personal running times since "resting" from my half marathon in April. Running in the humidity is still no joke, but I am excited to know that my running times will be getting even better as the weather cools off and the humidity goes away. Did I mention how genius it was for me to pick a marathon to run in December?

This week started a whole new set of challenges...the beginning of the school year! I know I can run 3 miles, fix lunches, shower, get kids up and moving, and pick up my crew for carpool all before 7:45...the true test to my training will begin when our "short" runs increase to 5-8 miles. The one thing that will probably keep me going is knowing that my a sweet dog, Sooie, will be more than willing to cuddle and nap with me when I get home from taking a van-load of boys to school.

So...I have a few "goals" I am hoping to accomplish through this marathon journey. Not only do I have a goal for Mark and I to raise the funds that we have committed to for St. Jude, but personal goals...big goals...huge goals...as if running a marathon isn't huge enough, right?

1. Run a marathon (DUH!)...I said I wouldn't put a time goal on this, that finishing was accomplishment enough, but I am (don't tell my husband I admitted this) a competitive person. Competitive with others and even more so with myself. I'm not going to tell you what my time goal is. I have it written down, and I MIGHT share it with you when the marathon is over...that is, if that goal is reached. Because I'm definitely not going to admit if I failed to reach it.  lol!

2. To get my husband to love running. He's not there yet, but I think he will arrive there before all is said and done. It may not be the day we have to run 20 miles...he might be calling me names in his head for talking him into training for such a monstrosity...but I know he will grow to love it. I think it's helpful that we are using an app where he can compare his current run to past runs...he's a bit competitive, too.

3. To get into tip-top shape. If any of you look at my Facebook posts, you know that I have been losing weight over this past year and I have used AdvoCare products and programs to help me achieve this. Well, I am pretty sure I have reached my maintenance weight. As exciting as that is for me, I still have fitness goals I am striving for...running faster miles, I would love to be able to do pull-ups (I have zero upper body strength), and I would love to have a six pack! Maybe trying out for American Ninja Warrior will be on my list for accomplishments in 2016...

 I know, lofty goals, aren't they?

My Downfall

Mark:

Well, last week marked the beginning my downfall. I was excited to run. Wow! Did I just say that? I was excited because we went to get some new shoes that are designed for running. I will spare you all the details, but I couldn't wait to wake up and try out my new digs. Have you ever had a moment you were really looking forward to, and then when you got there you were disappointed? I ran about a mile, and my shins starting killing me. I am not a quitter, but when you can't even walk because your shins hurt so bad, that means your body is trying to tell you something. Mine was screaming, "STOP!" So, I took the shoes back, and they gave me another pair. Oh, the person at the store told me if I continued in the original pair it would have caused a stress fracture. That's never good to hear. I was excited again to run, but I was also a little timid because I did not want to experience that pain again. The run went great early in the week, but as the week progressed the pain came back. Last Friday and Saturday I tried to run, but the pain was so intense I could only go for about a mile. Let me remind you that a marathon is 26.2 miles. How am I supposed to run 26.2 when I can't even go one mile right now?

So, I did the intelligent thing and started researching on the internet because everything on the internet is true...haha. I discovered, much to my disappointment, that I was developing shin splints. I learned that I broke the rule of the three too's...too much, too soon, too fast. I think I broke all three of those. I have been icing my shins and calves every night this week. Let me just say that icing your shins is kinda weird. I also read that stretching as much as possible is good to do. Tomorrow marks a new day. I am going to try to run a couple of miles and see how I feel. Keep your fingers crossed, and let's hope that I can get back on track.

Shannon:

I guess you could say I had a bit of a downfall as well. I am the more "experienced" runner between the two of us...however, I started getting sick about the middle of our first week of training. Being the diligent runner I am, determined to check off every box of our coaching app (I might be just a little OCD about stuff like that), I continued to run while sick. I noticed my miles getting slower as opposed to faster. I was also noticing my stamina wasn't what it had been. I know I can run 13.1 miles without stopping...I've done it before, and that wasn't too long ago. So to say I was getting frustrated is just a bit of an understatement. As much as I didn't want to, I took a break starting last Wednesday. Slept in a little, hydrated myself well, and started taking an antihistamine...because running with fluid in your ears apparently causes serious balance issues. I was also in Dallas for the weekend at an AdvoCare conference (because you know, we are totally fueled by AdvoCare and powered by Spark in our house ;-) ) and didn't want to even attempt running in the fabulous Dallas heat. We are talking 85 degrees and 1000% humidity at 5 am! I am back on track now. I can finally take a full breath and push it out to get me through the "burn" I typically feel all through mile 3. I ran 4 miles yesterday and I'm getting ready to run 4 miles this evening, gearing up for our 6.2 long run on Saturday.

Although we have had a bit of a "Downfall" in our training, I am still proud of where we are. We may not be logging every mile on our training app, but we are still making PROGRESS :-)

Week One in the Books

[Mark...]
Week one is done! Shannon and I ran 21 miles this week. That is more in one week than I have run in total my whole life. That means we only have 579 more to go. We may be smiling in the picture after our 7 mile run, but I assure you we weren't that happy. I was happy to be finished and happy to be done running for the week, but my body hurt all over. I keep wondering why people do this running thing for "fun." I just keep reminding myself that I am running for a purpose. Any pain or discomfort I experience cannot compare to the emotional pain parents endure as they watch their children battle against cancer. I just keep thinking to put one leg in front of the other. Week 2 begins tomorrow. Only 18 more weeks to go!

Smile! 7 mile long run is done!!

...how we really felt...

[Shannon...]
Week One: In a word...HOT! In two words...HOT and HUMID! Thankfully, Mark and I are able to get our runs in before the sun is up in all it's hot, blazing glory. Running in the summer here in Arkansas is no joke! I can't even imagine trying to run any later than 7 am right now...it just wouldn't be happening. Getting up at 5 or 5:15 am is a pretty big accomplishment for these two people who love their sleep...getting up at 5 or 5:15 to run, is an even bigger accomplishment (because we all know how much Mark LOVES to run).

With this being our first week of really running this summer, it took me a couple of days to figure out my best strategy. By strategy, I mean what fluids to take with me, which fluids to have waiting for me at the end of the run, how to carry the fluids I run with, etc. I run with this belt around my waist called a "Flip Belt." Best running accessory ever! It's basically this circular pocket made of dry fit material that can carry my phone, keys, Rehydrate Gel, and I can fit a 10 ounce water bottle at the small of my back so I can easily get a drink while I run. It's not bulky, or cumbersome, and it doesn't shift or rub. It's so awesome, my husband wanted one, too :) Learning the hard way that I don't run well in the heat, I am so glad I figured out early how to optimize it's use...because driving around town dropping water bottles and Rehydrate in strategic spots just isn't going to happen before 5 am. Tomorrow begins week two...we will be running a total of 24 miles and I can hardly wait!

Day 1

Somehow I let my wife talk me into running a marathon. What was I thinking? Who wants to run 26.2 miles for the fun of it? I don't. That's when Shannon gave me the idea to run in memory of Carter Dang. Carter is the son of Hao, who was one of my best friends in high school. I cannot imagine the pain of losing one of your children; especially at a young age to cancer. So, when Shannon suggested I run in his memory, I couldn't say no to that. I don't like to run, nor am I looking forward to running 600 miles in the next 4 months. Oh, that's no typo. 600 miles in 4 months. That's when I'm hit with the reality that no parent wants to endure watching their child struggle with cancer. That's a sobering thought. So, the picture is the before and after photo of our first day of training. We got up at 5:15 and ran 6 miles this morning. Obviously, we are smiling more in the first photo...haha. Just think, only 594 more miles to go!

My husband is the best! Not only did he agree to run a marathon with me, but he agreed to run one that required us to start training during the hottest, most humid time of the year. What were we thinking?!?! Neither one of us is a morning person, but when you live in Arkansas, and you don't want to die of dehydration and heat stroke, you suck it up and get moving before the sun comes up...even though at 5:45 am, it still feels like you're breathing under water...and in case you're wondering, that's hard. I am comforted to know that all of this crazy training will be worth it. Why? Because we are running for a greater purpose than just to push ourselves physically and mentally and to mark something off my Bucket List (it was never even on Mark's Bucket List radar). We realize that God has blessed us with four (for the most part) healthy children. I know what a strain unexpected medical bills cause on our family budget. I can't imagine facing medical expenses that require cancer treatments, let alone watching my child struggle through those treatments. My good friend Hope Griffin's daughter, Katie, was a patient at St. Jude. Katie was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma when she was 6 months old. She is now a healthy, happy 8 year old. I know St. Jude was a huge blessing to Katie and her family. Not only did she receive the best care possible, but her parents were able to focus on her and getting her better. St. Jude covered all their traveling expenses and they never received a bill for her treatment. I am so excited to be running this race in Miss Katie's honor. It makes those early morning hot and humid runs totally worth it. Plus, I know that the further into our training we get and the long run mileage increases, the heat and humidity will be much less and will make our training runs more enjoyable...even if those long runs are reaching into the 20+ mile range.

Please consider donating to our cause. We have agreed to raise a specific amount of money that will go directly to St. Jude. These funds will allow St. Jude to continue providing services to families, like the Griffin's, without charging them a dime.