40-B4-40: So, I Run

**40-B4-40 is my 8-month journey in bidding adieu to my youth and embracing

the next chapter (a.k.a. decade). Thanks for joining me!**

 

 

 

I did it again...another 5K!

 

Last year I shared with you my story of cancer and the journey to my 5K celebration. Knowing I had completed not one, but two, 5Ks in the last year I was anxious to run the Cherish Kids race again. This year we made it a family affair; Hubby ran the 5K with me, and the kids did the Kids K (about 1/2 mile). I was so proud of them! Training for a year sure paid off (as opposed to the 2-month training I did last year). I felt much better this time around, and I came in almost 2 minutes under my time from last year!

 

Little Miss and Little Man with their medals from the Kids K!

 

Before you get too impressed with me...let me explain something: I run, yes, but I am not a runner. I've completed three 5Ks, and I run 4-6 miles a week on my treadmill, but I would not say I'm a runner. I know people who are runners. They love it, and they live for it. My sister is a runner; after a few days without running she literally gets "the shakes."

 

That is not me. I do not run because I love it...a lot of times I don't even particularly like it. As a matter of fact, I have to sort of "psyche" myself into it before I do it. So then, why do I run? 

 

The Top 10 Reasons I Run 

 10.  I like how I feel after I run.

9. It keeps my "bad" leg loose and flexible.

8. I know it's good for me.

7. I can eat more chocolate.

6. I have more energy when I run consistently.

5. I am setting a good example for my children.

4. I tend to eat healthier when I run routinely (with the exception of #7).

3. I can burn the most calories/get the best cardio for the least amount of time invested.

2. My clothes fit better (probably something to do with #4 and #3 together!)

 

And the #1 reason I run is...

As I come upon my 4th decade of life (next month...YIKES!), I WILL NOT GO DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!!!

 

And so....I RUN. :)

 

What good-for-you habit are you working to cultivate? Leave me a comment and let me know. I'd love to cheer you on!

 

 

 

A Birthday Dr. Suess Story

As if on cue, Little Miss brought home this Dr. Suess book from the school library last Friday...which happened to be my birthday. Not just any birthday, mind you. But my last birthday of this decade. (I will not reveal which decade for those of you who think I may be younger than I am; I'm told a lady never tells her true age.)

I consider myself a Dr. Suess fan and would say I'm rather knowledgeable on his works. However, I had never seen this book or even heard anything about it.

As with most books library books that find their way into our home, we had to sit down immediately and read this new find. I don't know if I've ever laughed so much at a children's book before. From the subtitle one can gather that this wasn't written primarily for a juvenile audience. This is an ode to aging and the ails that come with it. It was so fitting that I read it on my last-year-of-this-decade birthday. I was thoroughly entertained, and honestly needed the humor to lift my spirits a little.

I was not the only one entertained by this book, however. In true Dr. Suess fashion, the colorful artwork, zany contraptions and situations in which the silly characters found themselves had my kids glued to every page as well. In fact, Little Miss chose it to read again before bed the other night. This time Hubby had the pleasure of reading. I think he laughed more than I did. :)

If you find yourself with more creaks and groans than you did a few short years ago, or if you've undergone major health issues recently (and have your own staff of doctors to prove it), give this a read. It may not cure your aches and pains, but it might just make them more bearable.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22)

I Did It: My First 5K!!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was going to be running a 5K in celebration of my health journey this last year. Well, today was that day!

I must admit, I was pretty nervous. I am not what you'd call athletic. I never have been. I workout regularly...in the privacy of my own home, but rarely do I attempt anything that requires any amount of athletic skill or coordination in front of others. It's one thing to run 3.1 miles on my treadmill in the comfort of my own basement. It's quite another to do it on the back country roads of southwest Missouri with 1,000 of my closest friends.

That's why I was so glad to have my running buddy, Sheila. I'm not typically one who likes to run with someone else (and neither is Sheila), but she offered to run with me and I accepted. After all, she's kind of the one who inspired me...another stay-at-home mom with little athletic background, Sheila has begun running 5Ks, 10Ks, and even half-marathons. I figured if she can do it with three kids, I can do it with two! So I did. (Thanks, Sheila!)

Me and my running buddy, Sheila.

Getting ready to run

Originally my goal was to finish, but secretly I wanted to finish in 45 minutes. I set out to do a 3 min/2 min jog/walk interval for the whole race. (That's what I'd been doing in my training.) I started strong. I must admit there's something amazing about trekking down the road with hundreds of other people with the same goal in sight. It was especially inspiring to me to do a run at my church where so many knew my story and were cheering me on. It felt great every time I heard someone say, "Way to go, Nancy. You're doing great!"

The course was down-and-back, and there was a huge, long hill leading up to the turn-around. That did me in...Ms. Trained-on-my-Treadmill-Instead-of-Actual-Hills. I was pretty wiped out on the way back, and ended up walking more than I would have liked. My leg held up OK, but I could definitely tell a difference the last mile. The "bad" leg felt like it was twice as heavy as the other one.

I beat my best training time by a whole minute, so I was pretty happy with that. Hubby keeps reminding me that a year ago I was hobbling around on crutches with my leg completely wrapped from toe to thigh. Today I finished a 5K in 44 minutes and 16 seconds. I'd say I did alright! :)

Surgery to 5K

Last year at this time, Little Miss was getting ready to head off to Kindergarten, and I was getting ready to have a 6-inch tumor removed from my leg. We had no idea what to expect on both counts. Little Miss did great. She took to school like a fish to water and was a little lost the first few days of summer without her friends, teacher, books, and art class. (Don't worry, she adapted to the lazy days of summer quite nicely!) My journey was a little more involved. If you don't know it, you can read the full story here.

Before the possibility of surgery last year, I had considered doing a 5K. Our church does a 5K Run/Walk as a fundraiser for our adoption and foster care program, Cherish Kids. I have several friends who have been blessed through the adoption/foster care process and a dear friend who is on the leadership team, so the cause is near and dear to my heart. However, I am not what you would call an athlete, so the thought of a 5K was a bit intimidating. Alas, it ended up being the week of my surgery, so it didn't happen.

After my surgery and physical therapy was finished, I knew I wanted to remain active. I quickly learned that the more I move my leg, the better it feels and the less likely it is to stiffen up on me (or give out on me as it's been known to do on occasion!). So at the first of the year, I set a goal: to do the Cherish Kids 5K River Run/Walk.. I am happy (and a little scared to death) to announce that in 12 days I will do my first 5K--exactly 1 year after my surgery.

My original goal was to run the entire distance. However, common sense (and my Hubby) have prevailed, and my goal is now (1) to finish, and to (2) do a jog/walk combo for the entire distance. I've had a very loose training regimen so far, but I have managed to do the entire 3.1 miles once on my treadmill and have consistently been doing 2-2.5 miles on the treadmill about 3 times a week.

I'm still not convinced this was the best idea...a 5K in August in Missouri! At least the temps have cooled off a bit lately. I pray they stay that way for a couple more weeks. I'll keep you posted as the day gets closer. And if I manage to make it the whole 3 miles without passing out, I might even post a pic or two!