Girls On The Run

I am pumped to share with you an organization I just discovered called Girls on the Run.

I am planning to sign up for their spring 5K which will happen in Nashville on Saturday, May 6th. I am very excited to have a race to look forward to and motivate me! I am also considering signing up to be a Running Buddy where they will pair you up with a girl in the program who you will pace and encourage as they complete the race.

The 5K is a celebration for the young girls in the program who have been participating in lessons that encourage positive emotional, social, mental and physical development. They integrate physical activity in their lessons, complete services projects together, and have fun learning to have confidence in who they are and all of the things they are capable of doing.

Want to join me?? You can register HERE.

Here are some pics from my walk (with a tiny bit of running) today with Cody:

I didn't realize we were both making our serious face in the first pic. He's a pro.

Also, I have some good news along with a prayer request. Thanks to an online support group, someone shared a similar issue with dealing with endometriosis and feeling nauseous everyday. She suggested that I try Dramamine. I was worried that it would make me sleepy, but I've been taking it every morning for almost a week and it completely stops the nausea without causing drowsiness! Hallelujah!! I finally feel like I can function again, which is essential because my business is exploding! I have some exciting opportunities happening right now including a part time job with Lipscomb University, hiring new therapists, and adding new clients. Autism Therapy and Training is moving along!

Prayers would be so welcome as I hope my body continues to hold up with all of the excitement happening with my job. Specifically, if you would pray for me next Thursday, I have a doctor's appointment to check out a few things with my stomach and gallbladder to see if we can discover what is causing the nausea. They are doing an outpatient procedure. I am torn between hoping they find something so we will know what is going on and really hoping they don't find anything if it is something serious or will cause more problems. 

No matter what happens, I am reminded that I am only a jar of clay. It will always and only be God's power working through me to accomplish anything in this life. 

2 Corinthians 4:7-9
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; 
perplexed, but not in despair; 
persecuted, but not abandoned; 
struck down, but not destroyed.

Don't forget to sign up for the 5K with me!! :) 

Limping In Freedom

At the start line

Last week we took a trip to visit my family in South Georgia. Luke and Ryan participated in the Honey Bee Stinger 100K Gravel Grinder in Hahira, GA.

This was a small, unsupported bike ride on mostly unpaved roads. Here is the link to their Facebook page.


I served as the support crew for my guys and drove all around the beautiful countryside. I also took advantage by going for a run through a park and then doing a little shopping at some cute shops in the small downtown.

Country Roads

I think he's done!

My job as the support crew was to drive around and meet them at a few stops to make sure they had plenty of water and food, and to give moral support. This was especially important at mile 40 when Ryan threatened to throw his bike in a ditch!

They stuck with it for all 67 miles. I brought a good book to read while I waited for them. 

Ready to go again.

It was beautiful countryside.

Red Dirt Roads and Pine Trees

 

Home stretch

Going for a run while I wait

Hahira is a small town north of Valdosta in South GA. They have a Honey Bee Festival every fall with art, food, and a 5K race. Here is a link to their festival page.









As far as my running routine goes, I am making progress but it is still slow. I'm attempting to run a mile a few times a week. I'm not increasing mileage or speed as quickly as I would like. There is a long road ahead of me in running, in my job, and in life. This morning, however, I was very encouraged by the sermon at The Bridge church. Chad Rowland spoke from Genesis 32 about Jacob wrestling with God and the injury he encountered when God touched and basically dislocated Jacob's hip.

Two of his main points spoke so clearly to me: 
Sometimes the sign of God's favor is a scar.
and
It is better to limp in freedom than run in fear.

I have scars that I have perceived as holding me back. I have physical scars from my surgeries and emotional scars from life experiences. Right now we are struggling in our foster care journey. It has been a battle where we have clearly seen God fighting for us, but we won't escape without scars. It makes sense to be fearful of physical and emotional scars. We often run in fear because we believe the things God has called us to are too much. It's too hard. We don't have the time, the energy, the strength. We might get hurt.

However, if my scars are a sign that I have wrestled with God, that I've held on until he's given me a blessing, I absolutely want that. We can wrestle with God by walking in obedience with Him, experiencing the scars that may come with it, and having peace in the freedom offered by remaining in his grasp.

One BIG change though many SMALL steps

I have plenty of goals aimed at becoming healthier:

• I want to eat better and exercise more.
• I want to cut out highly processed foods and eat only "real" food.
• I want to run a marathon.
• I want to become stronger and more flexible.
• I don't want to feel like I'm going to die when I do certain workout videos.
• I want to be able to do even one push-up.
• I want to run a mile in 7 minutes. 

That's a pretty long list, so where do I start? 

Poster at Results Physiotherapy

I propose a new way of thinking about making a BIG change stick. Break that BIG change up into many SMALL changes and conquer each step, one at a time. 

One BIG change through many SMALL steps. 

What does that look like?  For my goal of cutting out highly processed foods, it meant choosing one action to take. Just one.  

It is overwhelming at the starting line of a new routine. It's tempting to try to do it all at once. Just throw all the "bad" food away and only eat the "good" food. This is easier said than done. I had a hard time figuring out what in the world I was going to eat! 

To begin, I simply bought more fruits and vegetables. I didn't worry about the processed food I was already eating, but bought, cooked, and ate lots of veggies. The main way this was achieved was by joining a local CSA. Luke and I picked up a box a organic produce from a local farm each week. Often it contained vegetables I had never eaten or even heard of including all different kinds of squash like acorn, delicata and butternut, and lots of different greens like swiss chard, bok choy, and kale. Here's a link to the CSA in case you live in Middle Tennessee and want to join.

Eating lots of veggies is a good start, but I was still eating a lot of food that is highly processed. That meant I needed to take one more small step.

I began taking one food out of my cabinet and either stopped buying it completely, or found a replacement that was less processed. For example, I stopped buying cream of chicken soup and learned to make it from scratch. It's also cheaper. 

I didn't add the next step until I felt comfortable with the last one and little by little I've changed my diet to eat less highly processed foods and more simple, real food. Lisa Leake's blog at 100 days of real food was very helpful in defining real food and why I should eat it.


Adding one small step at a time applies to my goals for exercise as well. I created a segment on Strava called the "Kimbrough Mile" to keep track of how fast I can run a mile. At this point I'm running as much as I can, but 1/2 mile has been my starting place and I'm adding a little bit more each day.

Strava run through the hood

Especially after surgery the concept of one small step at a time has been important for me. My body needs me to take it easy and my desire to do more can cause me to push myself a little farther than I should. I have been feeling a TON better after my surgery. The biggest improvement has been a huge decrease in pain. Unfortunately, the nausea continues. Most days I wake up and feel incredibly nauseous. I don't usually throw up, only when it is very bad. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to throw up any moment and I stick close to home, other times I know I won't throw up, but I just feel queasy. I'm still going for a run and if I have to stop and throw up, so be it.

Luke actually took a picture of this pit stop on a run at the Greenway!

Luke and I also went on a bike ride together, which was a blast despite the fact that I ended up in a lot of pain. I think being hunched over irritated my abdomen, so I may have to take it easy on the bike riding. After our ride we headed over to Dunbar Cave and tried out our new trail running shoes. Running through the woods just might be my favorite thing ever. I think Cody loves it too, which made me wonder, has Cody developed a personality more like Luke and I the longer he has lived with us? All three of us are happy running (or biking: Luke) around outside and then crashing on the couch with a blanket and some yummy food. Luke says it's just that he and I have a personality like a dog. I think I'm ok with that! ;) 

Dunbar Cave trail run with Cody

Time for a nap!

What is one SMALL step you could begin to take each day towards a goal you have? Maybe you could begin to do a plank every day. Give yourself permission to only add that one thing. That's it. Eventually, it will become part of your routine and you can add something else. It might take a little longer to get started, but you will be less likely to give up after a couple of months because you're overwhelmed. That kind of change will last because you've created a lifestyle. Let me know in the comments what your first small step will be. 

Tips to Embrace the Cold

This is what we look like in the heat!

I get over heated very easily. If it is over 80 degrees outside I'm done. If I try to run I won't get very far before I'm gasping for breath and feel like I'm going to die. My face turns beet red and if I push myself it will quickly become heat exhaustion. I've learned to tell the difference between pushing through a tough workout and pushing through when I'm over heated.

Makes sense that I enjoy running in the cold. I feel like I can run faster and more easily because I'm not worried about the heat. However, running in cold weather poses some challenges and apparently, from a quick google search, it can be dangerous if you have asthma or another lung condition because cold air irritates your lungs.

Since running outside is much more fun than a boring treadmill or laps around an indoor track, here are three essential cold weather running tips:


1-Walk to Warm up-Take it slow and easy to let your body warm up and adjust to the temperature. Walk for a minute or two before you run and at the end of your run to cool back down. I'm a fan of walking to help pace yourself and to build up distance more quickly. So, I always walk to warm up, run as far as I can, walk to catch my breath, then run more. I've always found that I feel like I'm about to die and then after I walk a bit I feel like I can run even further/easier. Walking also is a great way to train your feet to withstand the miles before you may be able to run as far as you would like.

Bottom layer when it is below freezing

2-Wear layers-A bottom layer that will keep moisture away from your body and top layer that does the same, keeping wind and water out. I usually wear yoga pants and short sleeves with a jacket, but if it is really cold I will wear tights and long sleeves as a bottom layer and a fleece as a top layer (or a water repellent outer layer if needed). Most importantly, cover your ears with a headband or hat and keep your fingers warm with gloves. You may even want to cover your mouth and nose with a scarf or balaclava. I've found that my feet and hands will warm up as I run, but my ears and nose stay cold if they aren't properly covered. Layers allow you to remove or add back on clothes as needed as you warm up or feel cold.


3-drink Water often-Even though it is cold, you will still sweat and need to stay hydrated when you run. Drink often before, during, and after your workout. If I'm only going 1-3 miles, I will leave water at home and drink before and after, but if I run more than that, I like to stop every 2-3 miles and drink some water. You should also fuel up before you run by eating food that is easy to digest with carbs and protein (banana, toast, muffins, peanut butter, nuts, crackers). According to Ilana Katz, a fitness dietitian I met at a bicycle expo in Atlanta, if you run on an empty stomach you will end up burning muscle instead of fat (wouldn't that be a waste?). Give your body plenty of fuel to burn. Eat the same types of foods post workout to replenish your energy stores.

Ears covered, collar popped, gloves on, I'm toasty!

I'm a fan of braving the cold, but I don't try to run in the ice or snow (that's what cross country skiing is for). It's also not very fun to run in the rain, although it can be refreshing from time to time. So, below is a great option if the weather just begs you to stay indoors. These are workouts you can do in the warmth and comfort of your own home. This video is one of my favorites. It is nine minutes, standing the whole time, and is a great cardio and abdominal workout.

Fitness Blender is a husband and wife team who have FREE workout videos at their website and on YouTube. They do a great job explaining proper form. My favorite videos are of Kelly, with Daniel explaining the form and keeping track of the time for you. His voice is calm and encouraging and it makes it all feel very simple and easy. Check out their website here.

Would you rather workout in the summer or the winter? Ironically, the winter so far in Tennessee has felt more like spring with a little bit of fall. Today it was snowing and the temperature was still above freezing! Perhaps it will truly be winter soon. I'll be ready to get out and run no matter the temp! Now that you have my cold weather tips, hopefully you'll embrace the chilly weather. Bundle up and give it a try!

Keep that Youthful Spirit

I was listening to a song by Band of Horses in my car this week and when it was over I had a moment of sadness (that the song was over), then I hesitated for a moment before I pushed the back button and started the song over again. It's one of my favorite songs, I was alone in the car, so why not play it over again? and again, and again?

Here is the song for you to enjoy as many times as you would like:

When I was younger I used to play a song over and over again until I had it memorized. My poor parents! This week had me thinking that there are several things I used to do that made me happy that I don't really do anymore. Maybe it is because I am older and wiser. For instance, I used to be fearless. I didn't worry about what I ate or drank (more chocolate cake and cherry coke please!), I listened to whatever I wanted, watched scary movies, and walked around cities like Atlanta or New York by myself without a care in the world.

Top of the hill

It's hard to tell from the picture but this was one of the hills at my elementary school that we would ride our bikes down, trying to avoid the trees to get to the big field at the bottom. I landed in the bushes a few times. The telephone pole helps show the steepness. 

When I was 10 or 11 I would regularly put my bike at the top of the tallest, steepest hill I could find in our neighborhood and then sail down it as fast as I could. Sometimes I would crash and sometimes I wouldn't. I went home with bumps and bruises and perhaps a little more caution? Today, I will squeak the breaks all the way down a hill. I don't want to go too fast! Some of that caution I've learned is a good thing, but I think there are several things I need to revive from my childhood to make my life a little more fun, silly, and fulfilling.

 Here are some of the things I thought of:

• Writing down my hopes and dreams on a regular basis. I kept a journal from the age of 8 through college but stopped writing after I got married. 
• Singing and Dancing. All the time, every chance I could get. 

Doing the locomotion at one of our "dessert theater" productions for the neighbors

• Spending hours upon hours with my friends. It helped that we were in school all day together, but then we wanted to spend as much time together as possible after school. I remember walking my friend Ruth home and then she would walk me halfway back to my house. 
• Praying uninhibited. This is one where I think I've matured in my prayer life in a lot of ways because I'm more intentional, I don't just ask for what I want all the time, and I've grown to have a closer relationship with God. However, when I was younger I would just pray about whatever, whenever, and I never worried what I said or how I said it. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
• Getting bored. Ok, I don't think I've ever been bored in my life, but when I was younger I had time on my hands to just sit and contemplate the meaning of life, or the color of my walls, or the color of my crush's eyes. ;)
• Laughing as much as possible. My friends and I were always laughing and being silly. We would quote something funny and laugh hysterically. My friend Sarah was the best at this. She had a quote for every situation. Actually, I don't think it mattered if it fit the situation, we would still laugh. Here is my favorite Sarah quote that I still use today: Sarah was at a restaurant (Shoney's maybe?) and was coming out of the bathroom as a woman was entering and ran into her. The woman said, "Uh oh, Cooz me baby!" It's really better when it's said with some attitude. It'll make me laugh even though I wasn't even there when it happened! That also just shows that Sarah is a good story teller. 

The girls I went to Elementary School with

I'm sure the girls I went to school with will be very happy to see the pictures I've chosen to share of them! ;) It just portrays the silliness and fun we had together.

The girls I went to High School with

So, in the effort to share more fun and silliness here are two videos that will bring out your youthful spirit. The first one is from FemFusion Fitness and is about 8 minutes long. It is a great stretch to make you feel good and put a smile on your face.

 The next one combines my love of yoga and Harry Potter. This is a great one to get kids interested in yoga, but also is just a fun way to bring some magic into your day! She has several videos with other themes (Star Wars, Frozen, etc.)

Finally, Meet Meddy Teddy! With the intention to teach kids about yoga and mindfulness, this adorable bear will bend and stretch into every yoga pose imaginable. You know you want one!

From MeddyTeddy.com

Exercise should be fun. It shouldn't be boring, stressful, or something you have to drag yourself out of bed to do. It should push you and challenge you, but it should also motivate you, relieve stress, and have you feeling renewed and refreshed! I'm going to refuse to let exercise be a chore, but allow myself to enjoy it, have fun, and let go of my inhibitions.

Can we do that in life as well? Let go of anything that is holding you back and make time for what really matters! What's on your list of things that will help you revive that youthful spirit?

Get to Stompin'

This post has a theme song! Click here for some background music. Then you'll want to add this song to your workout playlist and thank me later.

I wouldn't call myself someone who is obsessed with shoes, but after reading this post you may not believe me. I don't understand buying shoes that you will never wear, but I do own a pair of shoes that are still in the box and have been waiting for over a year to be worn.

Brooks Launch

These are the shoes I will train for my marathon in. The Brooks Launch 3 are a lightweight running shoe. I buy my shoes a half size larger than I normally wear to give my toes plenty of space and prevent blisters or my toenails hitting the end of my shoe. I love lightweight running shoes. It feels like you have nothing on your feet. I don't want to drag a heavy shoe up a hill with me.

The Runner's Hub in Clarksville, TN

Support local and you can be awesome too!

I purchase most of my running shoes at The Runners Hub, a local running store here in Clarksville, TN. While you are there you can get a gait analysis (free if you buy shoes or $15). You will run for a minute on a treadmill while they video your feet. Then they will check to see if you turn your feet out or in when you run (underpronation or overpronation) and can tell you if you need more supportive shoes. Having the correct support can prevent injuries like knee and hip pain or tendinitis. Here is a breakdown of pronation from Runner's World if you would like to learn more.

The Runner's Hub also hosts a group run every Thursday and has info on running events in the local area. Check out their website for more information.

"I need two pair!" I bought a pair of trail running shoes during The Runner's Hub after Christmas sale. I was feeling a little snobby about wearing my road running shoes out on the trails, especially one day when it was muddy. Of course I bought a pair of Brooks because they are amazing.

Brooks Caldera Trail-Running Shoes

These shoes are specifically built for trail running due to the knobby outsole that provides more traction than a road running shoe. They are also pretty lightweight and have extremely comfortable cushioning. Apparently you can also secure gaiters to your shoes with an integrated gaiter tab. I don't own gaiters, but if I take these out in the snow I might have to get some and try them out.

Hope you enjoyed listening to Nelly. His song always makes me smile and I really thought it was crazy until I saw a documentary on Netflix called Sneakerheadz. Wait, I still think it's crazy, but the documentary was interesting. Here is the trailer:

          

Blessings through Infertility

Percy Warner Park

What are you passionate about? The photo to the left encapsulates several of my passions: my awesome husband, exploring new places, being outside in nature, running and hiking.

Over the past few years, I've felt my passion for running, traveling, singing, doing my job, and living life to the fullest slipping away.

My mom died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2013. I questioned God's kindness and became very depressed. I believed in God and believed that he loved me enough to save my soul, but I didn't think God could possibly be interested in the details of my life. Those details might be a huge deal to me, but God had infinitely larger and more important things to concern himself with. Who am I that he would look upon my life? Why should he interfere or care? He is God. He is all knowing. He is all powerful, and He owes me nothing.

My beautiful mom with my brothers and I

I've never felt a strong desire to have children. I thought maybe God left the mom gene out of me. Luke and I have said many times that God may not want us to have children. There are all kinds of things God may have in store for us that would be easier to do without kids. Three years ago I spent quite a bit of time in prayer and searching about whether God wanted us to have kids. We felt God leading in two ways: 1) he wanted us to do foster care. 2) he wanted us to try to have children. So, in our own wisdom (ha!) Luke and I decided it really made the most sense to try to have our own children first, and then we would do foster care at some point in the future. Two years later it was pretty clear we weren't going to have biological children and fortunately we came to our senses and became obedient in becoming foster parents.

I struggled with God to make sense of why he would lead me in the direction of trying to have children and then break my heart when it didn't happen. I felt a very clear word from him that he wanted us to conceive. Did I make a mistake in hearing from him? Why would I go from not even having that desire, to crying every month when it didn't happen? I couldn't make sense of it. Was he just mean?

Through the disappointment of my circumstances God has been teaching me that he is in charge and I'm not always going to understand why specific things happen or the timing of certain events. Lauren Daigle sings this idea beautifully in her song, Trust in You. God sees the bigger picture and there is a reason he doesn't move every mountain out of our way. God has asked me to die to myself and I am challenged by the first words of the song, "Letting go of every single dream, I lay each one down at your feet." Click here to listen. This was an important lesson to learn, and this song reminded me to trust in God.
But it wasn't the whole picture.

God didn't just want me to trust him because He is God, he also wanted me to know that he loves me. I mean, really loves and cares for me. He has completely baffled me. He took me on a journey through trying to have children and taught me that he cares very much about the details of my life. He cares about my health, my body, my dreams, my thoughts. I'm immediately humbled to think that I even doubted.

Riley and Olive enjoy the ocean

After my surgery in August, I was in Pawley's Island listening to the waves crash. I was happy to be recovering from surgery (especially at the beach) but I was still in pain and wrestling with God. When I went off birth control pills a desire to get pregnant began to grow in me. I just assumed it would happen immediately. I began making plans. Looking back those plans make me feel like an idiot and are another reminder to give up control. Not because I am forced to turn over control to God, but because he is worth trusting with my entire life, every single detail.

If God had not sparked in me that desire of getting pregnant, I would have stayed on birth control pills and had endometriosis building up inside me without even feeling it. It would have caused much more harm over time and I wouldn't have known it was there. It took going off the pills and then feeling all the pain that came with it, to find out there was something really wrong. Feeling that pain led me to get the help I needed, and for that, I am so thankful.

I now see how absolutely loving God is to care enough about my physical body, to lead me down this road so I could get help. It actually amazes me. God has strange ways, but he is so loving towards us. It is so shameful that we doubt him and think he is mean or doesn't care. Hopefully this will stick with me and I won't easily forget, that in those moments when I have no idea what he is doing, he is loving me and I can trust him.

Why does God care that I love to run? Why does he care about my job? Why does he care about me singing? Zephaniah 3:17 speaks of God's love towards us. A mighty warrior who takes great delight in us. He cares about these things because he loves us. 

Zephaniah 3:17