Too little food!

I am back home from judging in Miami and working to get back on track. Three days of judging with very little downtime and traveling to get back seems to get me off track. Scrounging for the right foods to eat and getting in my normal daily exercise seemed to fall away. This week I have worked to get me food back on track and get back in the gym. The weather has been rainy and cold so running has been zilch. I continue to pay attention to what I eat and how much. Overeating usually can be the problem for me, but not getting enough calories can be a problem too. Eating too little can cause just as much damage as over eating. Believe it or not!

Wodapolooza

Getting excited about heading to Miami, Florida to be a judge at the Wodapolooza Fitness Festival. Not only will I see some awesome athletes, but this year I will get to be a part of judging the competition. It’s kind of like a pre-cursor to the games… athletes have to qualify. Feels like a sneak peek into what the World Games may hold for 2016. What makes it even better is that I know several athletes that made it past the qualifying and will be competing this year.

Looking for something new?

Listening to the rain this morning, reading my devotional, checking out the  post on Facebook from the folks at my gym made me thankful to be a part of something in this big old world. Around 2010, I started Crossfit, hesitantly. One of my running buddies convinced me to come give it a try. The gym was offering a free trial week so I said what the heck let’s do it. By the third day I was hooked. I “drank the Kool-aid,” as they say and have never looked back. After five years, I have no regrets and I still love it. Crossfit is for everyone, regardless of what you have heard or any images you may have seen or conjured up in your head. Don’t lose out on a great health benefit, physical and mental, due to some crazy comment or image you may have heard or seen. It’s wrong.

Christmas Eve Morning… from my journal

I woke up early this morning as usual, hard to break habits, and was reading in the book of John about Jesus feeding the five thousand. Just two days later unbelief began to set in among his followers even though they had seen this miracle and many the days before. When Jesus began to speak of things they did not understand or that went against what they wanted to hear they began to doubt and walked away. I find myself struggling sometimes in the middle of all the craziness of the world, but I know faith is the true test… believing when the intellect doubts. Being too smart for Jesus seems to be the snare for so many in today’s world. Looking back over 2015, I realize more than ever how much Jesus loves me because it has been one tough year, one that will go down in the books for me. I can truly see how much God has had his hand in my situations time and time again. I took just a moment to thank him…. for “unto us a savior is born!” Today we begin our family traditions for Christmas and evidence of God’s mercy and grace will be present in each of us this year. God really is good… I got up to go get a fresh cup of coffee and picked up a piece of mail that I had forgotten to open last night. As I opened it, I realized it was the results of some testing from my doctor. For the last three years I have had to go every six months for tests. Every time the blood work and other tests have come back irregular and I had to continue on…”watching it” to see if it changed… it hasn’t for three years… always irregularities that have to be watched. But this time it was “normal and all clear.” My doctor wrote a little note on my results….
“sometimes it just takes time…. Merry Christmas… see you in a year for a regular appointment!” Sometimes you just have to trust God even when things seem “unfix able.” Doubt and unbelief have consumed me at times through those three years even though I have seen the miracles time and time again, thank God he saw me through. I don’t know what lies ahead for 2016, but I know that either way God will see me through it:) Merry Christmas and remember we celebrate the hope that Jesus gives us this season… be confident in knowing that whatever the situation, Jesus has the final say and even if it doesn’t turn out the way we want in the time we want it… his way is the best way and his timing is perfect!

It’s that time again…

2016 is fast upon me and already I am planning on things I can do differently. Just like everyone else, I have set resolutions and then by mid January I am wondering why it’s so hard to do. Over the years I have gotten better at resolving to make changes and actually following through with them. Setting goals only to be disappointed in yourself is awful. I have learned a few things about setting goals to find success. The kind of goals I set have been critical for me to make real life changes that have made a difference.

Bear Man on the Appalachian Trail!

 

It was late Friday night around 10:00 pm when we arrived at Fontana Dam Shelter in North Carolina to settle in for the night. After leaving work and driving five hours, I was exhausted and just wanted to climb in my sleeping bag, go to sleep and rest before our hike in the morning. Quietly we slipped in among the snoring hikers and already crowded shelter. There was room for two more so we did our best to set up our sleeping bags by  headlamps and not disturb the exhausted sleeping hikers. Finally, I was settled into my sleeping bag snug as a bug in a rug and I waited for sleep to come. As I lay looking out into the night, the cool brisk air of 28 degree winds whipped in and out of the shelter while the full moon glistened across the lake. I pushed down deeper into my bag, listening  to the leaves tumbling about and the lull of  hikers breathing gradually putting me into a deep sleep.

Trail Half Marathon

Yesterday my sister and I ran our first trail half marathon,the Helen Half Marathon, that I posted about a couple of weeks ago to stay on track after my full marathon in October. As you can see from the picture, it was gorgeous.  We had a blast and the scenery doesn’t get any better. I have done over 25 half marathons on the road, but this was my first on trail. I was always scared to try one, but my sister convinced me to give it a try. Glad I did now,  but yes it is different from a road run most definitely and it had its challenges.

According to God’s Purpose

As I sit here this Thanksgiving morning eagerly awaiting the arrival of my family, I am reminded of just how much I have to be thankful for this year. This year has been a tough year… two deaths in the family, the death of a dear friend who lost her battle with cancer, my mom’s battle with cancer and my divorce. I am not one to put my personal business out for everyone to analyze or criticize, but today I recognize and thank God for the struggles. All of these external circumstances that often make life tough are just that… external, but it is the internal that matters the most that is sometimes forgotten during the struggle. These circumstances have been tough to say the least, but I am reminded of God’s word,”And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Backpacking Adventure

My first trip on the Appalachian Trail like anything else new was a learning experience, but one I enjoyed and will do again. I have to say I thought I had it together and was prepared. My bag was packed. I had read everything I knew to read… packed my backpack with only the essentials. I am pretty in shape so I felt up for the challenge. Then the unexpected happens and you realize there are some things you can’t prepare for really and maybe what you read is not enough. In the end, I realize I didn’t have a clue, but I made it through.

Appalachian Trail… giving it a whirl!

 I have always wanted to hike the Appalachian trail, but figured I would never get the chance… but as fate would have it, I am about to get a chance at a piece of it! I am actually off the whole week of Thanksgiving and the opportunity popped up so I took it. I  will hike for three to four days on my first go at it and still be back in time to hang out with my family for Thanksgiving. The great news is I am with folks that know what they are doing so I get to tag along and learn all the ins and outs of backpacking. I am actually pretty dang excited!