Chin up, Chin up!

I've had several rough drafts composed in my head how this post was supposed to begin and how it would conclude.  Sadly, I don't feel they apply.  I know this blog's purpose is to build people up, however, I feel like today I am the person who needs the support.

Today marks one week away from my half marathon.  The half marathon I am running in honor of my dad.  It also happens to be his birthday next Saturday, and he had always ran one of the races in this event.  I have been looking forward to this race all summer.  It has been driving me to get up and run in the mornings and on Saturdays leave my kids for a few hours just to put in the miles.  This was more than just a half marathon to me it was a way to honor my dad and the legacy he left.

Wednesday while I was out on a run I rolled my ankle on some uneven pavement.  I thought I was fine but as the day progressed my ankle began to tighten and feel worse.  I've been taking it easy in hopes it will heal soon.  My spirits are down though.  I've been questioning why me? Why now? I've done everything to avoid injury and now a week before the race I'm injured.

I asked myself what would my dad do at a time like this?  Well, he would probably take some ibuprofen, ice and rest.  I remembered a  time in my dad's life when he and his wife signed up for a bunch of races one summer and they were excited to accomplish them.  He ended up crashing on his mountain bike and broke his elbow.  So running was out of the question. I saw him walking to work just to get some exercise in. That year he walked his half marathon he signed up for and I think he did it in a pretty good time for walking.  The next week he walked a 10K and he even placed! So i've decided this is where I will find my strength.  Mind over matter, right?  I will heal if I believe I can.  I can run this half with strength and determination if I think I can.  I will run next weekend.  I may need to walk some, I may not.  I'm going to stop feeling sorry for myself and think positive.  Oh ya, and maybe you could, cross your fingers, pray for me, and send some of your positive energy my way!  Thanks. :)

Josie

Example speaks loud!!

So I haven't fallen off the earth. Just went into hibernation. To be honest being pregnant has been a lot harder on my physically and mentally than I ever could have imagined.  However, this week I had a thought and it keeps running in my head that I needed to post it so I guess I am back.

On Wednesday afternoon my cute little almost 3 year old came up to me with my garmin(GPS running watch) and my headphones and said, " mom, I'm gonna go on my run now. Ok?" Then she headed to the door and was going outside. I quickly followed her cause she is 3 and really shouldn't be out in the streets by herself, even though I am pretty sure she is tuff enought to handle herself. This little girl was determined to go on a run. I had to stop her from going to far. I had to talk her into just running 100 meter repeats up and down the street. At one point she told me she needed to go run 3 miles and was dead serious. She even got her 4 year old cousin to join her in the running game. We had water breaks and she went back outside. I sent Kevin a text and told him we had an olympic marathoner in our midsts. I tried to talk her into using the treadmill and she said no. (ahh a girl after her mothers own heart)

 

She is cute isn't she. Love her even when she is making me pull my hair out.

 

Since that afternoon this thought has been running through my mind. Example speaks louder than words any day of the week. I know that thought isn't new to anyone reading this but how is your example?  Watching her do this and realizing that she is doing this because I do made me think of other examples I am setting for my children. Some are good and some are bad. It made me realize I need to quit sitting in this lower gear I have found myself in for the last few months and I need to shift gears. I need to make up for the mistakes I have made and set a better example in all the things I do and say around my children.

 

How's your example? Is it time to shift gears and make up for that low gear you've been sitting in?

 

Wish you all a good day.

Keep shifting.

Corrine

New goal starts today!!

I woke up this morning at 3:30am starving. I tried to ignore it but it was making me nausous. So, I had to get up and eat at 4am. Let me tell you that was weird. On the plus side when I got up later today I wasn't nausous and I was able to go for a run. That always makes for a good day!

So today starts a 30 day challenge for me. My diet is terrible. Lets just admit it right here and right now. Well, unless you are think junior mints and cookies fit somewhere in a major food category on the food guide pyramid. I haven't found them there yet. I decided that right now why I am pregnant would be a great time to try and change my eating habits. It will be good for me and my baby. I don't plan on going cold turkey I just plan on making small changes slowly. Step one is as follows:

       So, in an attempt to get more fruits and veggies into my body I am taking the challenge that run to the finish has put out there. One green smoothie a day. The picture looks terribel but I am told that it really is good. What do I have to lose by at least trying it out. I have tried one smoothie with spinach in it and honestly I didn't know the spinach was even in there. So here is the smoothie I am trying today.

I know its not green but it does have spinach in it. I got it off of our best bites.   Looks yummy and even though its not green I am still getting fruits and veggies with it. If you follow along I am going to try and share the smoothies I am drinking this month. Try one I dare you.

Kate's power smoothie

1 cup orange juice (the good stuff not concentrate)
3 tbsp oat groats
3/4 cup fat free vanilla greek yogurt ( I think I have plain in the frigde)
3 cups cup baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cup frozen bluberries (thank you to the person who lived her before me for planting those bushes)
1 1/2 cup crushed ice

Blend.  You may have to soak the goats in orange juice for a while to soften them up.



I will try it today and let you know how it goes.

Keep shifting gears/
Corrine

Shifting into a way different gear!!

So, if you haven't noticed I have. I haven't posted anything for over a week now. Some may wonder why and some of you may not have even noticed.Well, there is good reason I haven't posted. Since March 29th my life has been crazy, and the last two weeks I received even more unexpected news.  My life has changed in the last two weeks and has made me re-think all my goals that I have set for myself this year. I have wanted to post about it and talk about it but wasn't sure how and if I really wanted to post this news to the public.
 However, in two days I am suppose to be running the Newport Marathon. I have told everyone about it and I have been working really hard to get there even with life's bumps that have been thrown my way. Now, I have to tell everyone I am not running Newport. This will be my second Did Not Finish (DNF) for this year and I am not sure how I feel about that. However, on the plus side I did find out that I can't run the Newport Marathon because I am 8 weeks pregnant. Yep, this baby is a miracle. Some how in all this mess of two months Heavenly Father thought this would be the  best time to bless me with a baby.

Now I know there is this unwritten rule that you don't tell anyone this news until you are out of your first trimester. I know some people live hard and fast by this rule and that's okay. The problem with that for me is that in two days people are going to start asking me about my race and I either have to bold face lie to them or just tell them the good news. Now, I know there are still risks and this baby could still miscarry If that happens I know there are people out there that would support me and help me like they have over the past two months.I have always thought it was funny that the first 12 weeks can be the hardest. THese 12 twelve weeks can make a woman incredibly sick, but we as women try so hard to cover this up. "What you just saw me throw up behind that bush? Must have been something I ate. Oh crap I gotta throw up again!" Come on wouldn't it just be better to admit you are pregnant and sick. If others new this wouldn't it make it a lot easier for them to help you?

 Now, I am not a stranger to losing a baby early on. When I was pregnant the last time, which was 8 years ago, I had an ectopic pregnancy. Not only did I lose a baby but I had to have surgery and this added to my infertility. At that time only my family and one close friend new. My family didn't live close by and my sweet friend did support me but I was lonely. I hadn't told anyone so no one knew and not only did I have to recover physically but emotionally too and nobody knew so nobody was there to help.
    So, yep this baby to me is a miracle and no matter what happens as long as I keep faith in my Heavenly Fathers plan I will be just fine. His plan has never failed me yet. If I am thrown another bump in the road in the next few weeks I know He and others will be there to help lift me up. I know that you will shift to a higher gear to help me. Lets be postive and just say I am going to be just fine. I still will need your help. I have been thinking of new goals to set for myself and I will need your help to achieve them. In January I will have a new baby and I know  I will need help then to give me support to handle all the joys and hard work a new baby brings. Plus I will so need your help to lose the baby weight that I am so scared is coming. (I swear you can already tell I am pregnant. Totally scary.)

So, right now I am totally shifting into a different and higher gear. I still plan on covering some ground so I hope you will find ways in your life to shift gears and cover ground with me over the next 9 months. 

Keep shifting.

Corrine

Because of my history I have already been to the doctor. We saw our little bean and saw a strong heart beat.

Ogden 1/2 Recap

Check one goal off the list! Ogden 1/2 accomplished!

I had so much fun running this race and it was such a beautiful run.  I am already planning to run next year.

Friday I was getting ready and I was wondering how to pack.  The forecast for the morning was low 40's but that was for the  city of Ogden not up in the mountains.  Trying to figure everything out I got frustrated and really wished I could talk to my dad and ask him what he was going to bring.  I had my moment and realized it was time I learned to do this on my own.  So, I overpacked!

We met up with my BFF from High school at the Expo she has a cabin in Ogden Canyon that we were going to stay at with her and her family.  Turned out to be a great experience.  She was able to drive us over the the start line and we were able to stay in bed a few more minutes.  It was a cold 32 degrees when we showed up that morning but we decided to drop our warm shirts at the start line rather than run with them for 5 miles.  It was a good choice because the first mile of the run was a gradual hill and by the time we got to the top we were nice and warm.  The rest of the run was a gradual decent from out of the mountains into the valley.

During my training runs at about mile 8 I was always spent and ready to be done.  During the race mile 8 came and I thought wow I feel pretty good!  Mile 10 came around and I still felt pretty good.  I couldn't believe it I was going to finish this race strong! And then mile 11 came (que evil music) and then my legs felt like lead.  We had been running with or next to these three ladies we deemed the purple shirt sisters.  They were walk running and would yell out 30 seconds, now run!  We pulled way ahead of them at one point and then at mile 10 we stopped to stretch a little bit and they ran ahead of us.  I wasn't able to catch them, but I think my step mom could have.  She knew I wasn't running like before and she stayed with me.  She said to me when I was having a hard time running, "this is when you run for your dad and you hope he is the wind at your back."  I sort of got a little teary eyed and kept pushing.

We finished the race in the time we had planned, pretty much the exact time we thought we would finish! Even though we didn't take a Garmin or worry about our time the whole race AND with a potty break and stopping to stretch.  We felt good about our efforts.  Hooray for a downhill race! :)  We really did have a great time.

I'm ready to run hard this summer and improve my times and distances.   This race was empowering for me, and I feel more confident than ever.

Keep shifting!
Josie

Spotlight of the week!!

Michelle on the right, Jen in the middle and their new running partner on the left.

So I am excitied today to do another spotlight. A friend, Michelle, sent me an email to tell me about her friend and running partner. However, Michelle doesn't know this but today is going to be a double spotlight.  You see I am going to tell on Michelle for the kindness she has shown me. Michelle and I have been talking in emails and facebook. She is the one who got me to run Newport. Running this spring in preparation for this marathon has been a saving grace for me. It felt so good everyday to have a goal and go running. It has also been nice talking with Michelle about training. Also, the week my Dad died I was in Poky and contacted Michelle. We went on a run together. Now as a runner I did everything you are not suppose to do before a long run. I had to get all new clothes. (forgot mine at home) Had to borrow Michelle's shoes. (which she loaned me for the whole week) I hadn't eaten or slept very well all week. We went for 14 miles. I totally and completely DIED. I have never been so sick on a run before, but Michelle was so patient and so kind. That run was something I needed to do even though I felt like crap and it was so nice to have someone who was so patient and understanding there with me. Thanks Michelle for shifting gears that day and helping me out. You are going to rock this marathon. (did I mention this is her first marathon and I really think she is going to kick butt)

 Now, on to our second spotlight. I love the things Michelle had to say about Jen. It is exactly what I am talking about when I say shift to a higher gear to help someone else out. I know my first spotlight Mike is doing something huge and amazing but you don't have run across the state of Idaho to shift to a higher gear. I want to celebrate all the things people are doing on a daily basis no matter how big or small they may seem. However, Go Mike. Lets keep checking on him and give him our support on his facebook page or his blog. https://www.facebook.com/#!/MikesExtraMile

So Michelle told me all about her new friend and running partner Jen. She says that she met Jen on the soccer fields where their sons played together and they decided to start running together. Running sealed the deal. Here are Michelle's words on Jen

  From the beginning of this whole marathon training experience, she has been so positive and encouraging towards me.  If it wouldn't have been for her, I doubt I would have started training for this.  She has honestly made this whole process so much FUN!  She just randomly does nice things for me, like picking me up an extra gel when she's buying some for herself, etc.  The other day, she showed up with this cute, bright yellow basket full of flowers and colorful treats and a big drink.  She had a cute note taped to the front with a picture of a big sun that said "Sending you a LITTLE BOX OF SUNSHINE to brighten your day as you always brighten mine".  It was so sweet and it did make my day!  Even though her marathon is 1 week behind mine, she's been willing to follow my "training plan", even though she'll technically be a week off.  She's just thoughtful like that.  OH, and how could I forget she took us out and bought us a big breakfast after a 16 mi run on my bday!  She volunteered her husband to work on me a couple times when my hip was giving me grief. We ran a  22 miler a couple weeks ago  and it was actually enjoyable because of the great company.

 A couple more things, cause I can't say enough about her... the other day she just randomly gives me a running shirt because she thought I would like it.  But, one of the coolest things, in my opinion, is something she recently said to me. On one of our 20 milers as I was running up the Century hill right at the end of our run, she was right behind me and she yells out "Michelle, you're a natural marathoner".  I don't no why, but that simple, encouraging comment meant so much to me, and gave me so much confidence.  It pops into my head any time now that I get tired or discouraged on a run.     I could go on and on, but she has just turned into an awesome friend and all because of running.

Wow, how do I sign up to be Jen's running partner?  Thanks Jen for shifting to a higher gear in small ways. Look at the huge impact you have made on someone just because you took the time to do and say small things.  You are totally awesome.


See how great if feels to shift to a higher gear. Let's celebrate others who are doing these great things in life. I know that you know these people. Infact you might even be that person. I want to hear it all. Share your stories with me at mailto:shifttoahighergear@gmail.com  I would love to spotlight you and your friends or anyone it doesn't even have to do with running. 
  Keep shifting gears.
Corrine. Lots more to come so keep reading.

If you like this story please share it with others anyway you can.
Plus leave me a comment I like sharing but like hearing from you too.

What a month and a half it's been

Not sure why but today for some reason I am really missing my Daddy. Got some great stuff happening that I would love to tell him about but I guess he already knows.
Keep coming back this week. I am back from vacation and I have a great spotlight to share this week and preparation for newport in two weeks.

Trying to make fruit loops

Man alive. Today I find myself in Utah and I just finished a horrible run. I am trying not to get discouraged but after running this morning it makes the goals I have set seem like huge, huge, mountains. Now, I know there are many obstacles I have had to deal with and I am trying to keep that in my view. Let me share with you just a few from the last few days.
      I have been in the car for three days straight for longer than an hour or two at a time.
      I have not been in my own bed.
      My kids have not slept at all/ In fact my nine year old was up all night last night because he knew that big foot was in our bedroom.(thanks Dad for letting him watch that show yesterday)
      I am totally and completely dehydrated. You know when you hit mile two of your run and you would do anything for a drink you have not been drinking enough.
      Had to attend a funeral for my grandma. (the funeral in its self wasn't bad. Glad I could celebrate my grandma's life)
     I live at 400 feet elevation and today find myself somewhere around 4000 feet elevation.
    Its hot today. Not complaining about the sun just not use to it being hot at 9 am.
So add all of these up and you get a crappy run today.I know I need to cut myself some slack but when you have a marathon looming three weeks from now you kinda start questioning yourself on days like today.

Oh well, I am going to make fruit loops out of all this and I am going to Disney Land today. (yep another day in the car but it ends in the happiest place on earth)

Keep shifting gears.
corrine
ps. good luck to all those that are running the Ogden half this weekend. Wish you the best.

So, today I am so stinking excitied to start off our shift to a higher gear spotlight!!! I don't think you understand how excitied I am to be doing this and to start celebrating the good things people in this world are doing. I have already recieved some more tips on good people that I am going to be spotlighting in the weeks to come. So, please keep emailing me at shifttoahighergear@gmail.com

Ok, so lets get this going.  I first have to tell you that I believe in the power of prayer. I believe we can get answers to our prayers. I have had many instances that I could site about this but today I want to tell you that I found this man because of prayer. I have never personally met this man or his sister that I have been corresponding with. I have just been praying for help with this spotlight and wondering where I should go to find these people. A thought was given to me to go to facebook and look at one of my friends "likes" page. She honestly had hundreds of "likes" but this mans page stood out to me among the others. This man is doing something big!  Something for his mother and for his family and for children that have cancer and their families. I would like to introduce you to Mike.

I have talked with Mike through email and also his sister. She is handling the behind the scene actions so she has answered the questions about Mike.

1.Who is Mike?
      Mike is an ultrarunner and an amazing guy.  He used to not always run, but really kicked it into gear after he had cancer.  He has competed in and done very well in several 50 and 100 mile races (I'd have to get a list from him because I lost track).  He lives in Idaho and works as an apprentice electrician.


2. What is it that he is doing?
    Mike is running across the state of Idaho.  He will start in Fruitland at the Idaho/Oregon border and will run 50 miles per day until he reaches the Idaho/Wyoming border - for a total of between 400-450 miles.  Our dad will follow him (or go ahead) with his truck and camp trailer hooked to the back.  Might sound kinda hokey, but what else does a person do?  Our dad will be his main crew, first aid person, etc.  He will most likely start about 6 or 7 every morning and finish around dinner time and will alternate between running and walking.  There will be a mixture between uphills and downhills. 
    We are trying to figure out a way to make it so his progress can be tracked on the blog after he gets going.  We haven't quite figured that out yet. So,, keep looking.


3. Why is Mike doing this?
    He is doing this for a variety of reasons - not all of which we have talked about on the blog/facebook page.  One of which is that this year would have been our parent's 50th anniversary, but our mom passed away almost 2 years ago.  Their anniversary is June 8th (the day Mike is starting the run).  He thought this would be a great tribute to her.
    Another reason is that he is a crazy ultrarunner and wanted to see what he could do physically.
    Most importantly, he wanted to see what he could do to help someone else out.  I learned about The Tenley Foundation from my friend, who is the founder, and told Mike about it.  We thought it would be a great cause to help out (and we thought our Mom would approve).  You can find more information about them from our blog www.mikesextramile.blogspot.com or www.idahofighters.blogspot.com. 
 Or "like" Mike on facebook here

4. How can people help you and this foundation?
    People can help the foundation by clicking the "donate" link on our blog.
    People can help Mike out by following him on the facebook page and by sharing it with their friends.  The more people we get the word out to, the better.

I love what Mike is doing. I think that this is great opportunity for all of us to shift to a higher gear and support Mike out as well as these kids and their families. There is that old saying that many hands make light work. So it is here. If we all just did a small bit here a lot could happen and a lot of good could come out of small acts. Imagine if we all shared this story how many people would it reach? Now, imagine if all those people could donate just one dollar to this foundation? So, I am asking you to share this blog post on your facebook wall (the share button is at the top left of this page). I want you to "like" Mike on his facebook page. I would also like you to check out the two blogs listed up above and give Mike some encouragement. If you can please consider donating to this great cause. If you check out the idaho fighters blog you can see some of the kids and read their stories and see who Mike and you and I can help.  Just like Mike's sister said the more the word can be spread the better. It is our turn to shift to a higher gear and spread the word.

Thank you Mike for allowing me to spotlight you on my blog today. I love what you are doing and hope we all can shift into a higher gear and help in some way.

Today is the day to shift up.
Sincerely ,
Corrine

P.S. if you would like to nominate someone for this spotlight please email me at shifttoahighergear@gmail.com  The acts of love can be big or small I want to hear them all.

Fruit Loops!!

Well when life throws you for a loop its best just to turn it into fruit loops. Yep, then at least you can enjoy something sweet and yummy instead of worrying about the loop in life you have been thrown. So, life threw me another loop. I am suppose to be running the hippie chick half marathon this weekend. I was actually looking forward to it. I wanted to see how well I could do and gauge my marathon off of this half ,but that is not going to happen. I will be trading in my 13.1 mile run for a 12 hour car ride to Idaho. My sweet little 93 year old grandma passed away this last weekend. Yes, it is very sad. I love my grandma. She was one tuff lady, but it was her time and she was ready to go home to her Heavenly Father and all her family who has already gone before her. The good news is that I get to see my family mom, Aunt, Uncle, cousing, siblings. Seeing family is always a great thing.
    Since I won't be racing this weekend I changed up my workouts for the week. Last night I went on a 25 mile bike ride and found this quite road that is one long hill. I have got to be adding a lot more hills to my riding for the triple bypass. Climbing this road was tuff but it felt good. I woke up this AM tired and really didn't want to get out of bed, but I knew I had to. So, I ran on tired legs this morning. I didn't run fast and in fact I didn't even care what my pace was I knew that I just had to run. To me this is good training for a marathon. You have to learn to run when you are physically and mentally tired. In a marathon you have to learn to push threw the tired feelings and keep placing one foot in front of the other until you are finished. Life is like this a lot of times too. We may have to slow down but we have to keep putting one foot in front of the other even when we are tired and just want to quit. I tell you my grandmother was a great example of this. The stories of her sweet life are such and example to me of how you have to keep going and life will get better. My grandmother grew up on the border of Driggs Idaho and Alta Wyoming.  Grandma became really good with riding horses. In fact she was so good that the people of the town hired her to ride their horses in the races that they held on main street in Driggs. One such race my grandmother came to the turn around point and her horse fell. My grandmother quickly got that horse back up on its feet and she still won the race. Right on grandma!!

Grandma started out on horses very young.

So, like I said when life throws you for a loop make fruit loops out of it and keep placing one foot in front of the other and you will come out on top.

Keep shifting gears.
Corrine
P.S. My in box should be full of good things people have done for my spotlight. Lets here it no matter how small you think it may seem. I want to here it. shifttoahighergear@gmail.com

shift to a higher gear

shift to a higher gear

Lets take each other by the hand and help each other out and celebrate the good in life.

    I told you in one of my previous posts that I have been thinking about these five words a lot, "shift to a higher gear."  I kept having the feeling that something good could come out of this tragedy by using those five words. I have an idea and I want to share it with you today and I want you to help me with it.  I don't want this blog to be just about me and the things that I am doing. I want it to be about you and others around you and how we can help and inspire each other to shift to a higher gear.
     The week after my Dad's death we all sat around and stories were told of my Dad. There were three stories I was told that I would like to share briefly with you.  One time a young man was in the sports store that my Dad worked at. This young man wanted to buy a bike as a gift for his wife. My Dad helped him select just the right one. Well, when they got up to the cash register to pay the young man was short a little bit on money. My Dad grabbed his wallet and pulled out the money that this young man needed so that he could purchase this bike.
   The second story involves the sports store as well. There was another young man who had some physical and mental handicaps. This young man's form of transportation was his bike. If he had a flat he would stop by the sport store and ask for some help. One time when my Dad was helping this young man he noticed that the seat on his bike was in really bad shape and that it was probably not very comfortable to even sit on. My Dad happened to know where this young man worked so one day my Dad and his wife went there with a wrapped gift. Yep, my Dad had bought this young man a new seat for his bike.
   The third story came from and old family friend. He told me that he credits my Dad for saving his life from type II diabetes. He said that many years ago my Dad introduce him to cycling and help this man get into shape by taking him out on rides.  This man is still riding his bike and still credits my Dad for helping him and saving his life.

 Now, my point in sharing these stories is not to boast about my Dad. I know that we all know and have witnessed many other people stepping up and doing things like this for other people. In fact you may have been that person,or you may have been the recipient of these kinds deeds.  There are a lot of good people in this world doing a lot of good things. I want to celebrate those people and share what they are doing no matter how small or big the act may be. I also want to share the stories of others who have set goals for themselves and are shifting gears so that they can meet those goals. (i.e- the 70 year old woman who decided she wanted to learn how to swim, the person who decided that they wanted to learn to play the piano, the person who tried out for something even when they were scared, etc)
I already have a few people in mind but I want to hear from you. Tell me about your goals and the good things that you see happening in your world. I will spotlight this person here on the blog and send them a shift to a higher gear award. It always feels good to be noticed for the good things we are doing. So, please help this small blog try and do big things.

You can share your stories with me at  shifttoahighergear@gmail.com
My email box should be flooded with stories of the good that is happening in this world.
Stay tuned this week and be ready for my first spotlight. This man is doing something great and he needs our support.

Keeping shifting gears.
Corrine

Goal number 2

This is me (Corrine) running the 2006 Newport Marathon. I was around mile 15 still smiling. Little did I know three miles late a giant brick wall was heading my way.

      My dad taught me how to farmer blow, or snot rocket whatever you want to call it. I know, totally gross. However, this little trick has come in handy on many runs and many bike rides. I remember my Dad saying, "there is nothing worse that using a Kleenex on a sweaty face."  My Dad also taught me some other tricks to use while running. Like when you are running up hill. He taught me to keep my cadence the same but shorten my stride. He told me that when I get a side ache I should hold it and breath out every time the opposite foot from my ache hit the ground.  (it totally works). My Dad taught me how to run. I love running. Running has taught me so many things about myself.
Running has taught me:
      to have confidence in myself
      that I can do hard things
      that I can do things by myself
      that if I set a goal and really work I can achieve it.
      that the body can do amazing things.
      that determination and hard work pay off.
      that if I fail to meet a goal and I hit that proverbial wall it's okay.
      that peace in the morning before the sun comes up is amazing.
      that I am strong.

  My Mom one time in college convinced me to run a 5K in town. I was way nervous and didn't want to do it, but she persisted. My Mom paid my entry fee and I showed up for race day. You know what happened? I won. I was the first female finisher overall. (now lets be honest the field wasn't very deep for this particular race) I had no idea that I had won until they announced it over the PA system. I had won a new pair of running shoes. I think this might have been when the racing side of my running started.  I have not won any race since that day and I don't think I have placed in the top three in any category since then but that's okay. I love races. There is such an energy and enthusiasm. You should go watch a race any race sometime and stand at the finish line. I promise it will excite you.

My dads strong face.

The shoes I won by submitting my Dads photo above.

  My Dad ran the Boston marathon. Something I have wanted to do. To be honest I wanted to be able to call him after I ran a quailfiing time to tell him. So, guess I will just have to tell you instead. ( He will know I'm pretty sure.)

My goal number 2: Is to run a Boston Qualifing time on September 1st 2012.  AAAHHH.
This is the Pocatello, Iddaho marathon and its on my Dad's birthday. He ran some distance of this race every year. In fact he ran a 3:05 one year in a cotton T-shirt.  Holy Crap thats fast.

This is so totally scary to put out there, but this blog is all about shifting to a higher gear. Now for your part. Lace up your shoes and start running or walking (yes my dad even walked this race last year do to injury) so you can join me at the distance of your choice on Sept. 1st.  Tell me about your goal and I will help you get there and you can help me.

P.S. any one willing to do this I will make a temporary tattoo of my logo that you can wear race day so we can run as a team. We will know each other and can help each other out along the way.

Healing

It's probably about time you heard from me (Josie). They say it's healing to write.  So I write.  Although the words don't come easy. We (my sister and I) write to make sense of our life and release the hurt inside.  I recently read a book called, Sunset, and the author had the same feelings I did.

He said, "How do you say good-bye to part of yourself? I haven't learned this yet.  The finality is too overwhelming.  Could it be that this is an unconscious witness that we don't need to say it because there is no such finality?"  I believe so.  It's hard for me to say good-bye.  I once heard that grieving allows us to heal, remembering with love.  I think that's our purpose in Shifting to a higher gear.  Remembering our dad with love, and letting ourselves heal at the same time by pushing ourselves to become better.

Last November my dad, his wife, and I signed up to run the Ogden Half marathon.  My step mom and I have been running together this winter and getting ready for the race.  The race is only three weeks away.  There was no question in my mind that I should still run the race.   There is no question in my mind that my dad will be with me every step of that race too.

So I will run the Ogden 1/2 in his honor.  It's more than just a race to me.  It's another way for me to remember my dad with love.

I will run with more purpose now.  I will push myself to be better, to shift to the higher gear and become a better person because of this experience.  I recently read a quote on another blog of a classmate whose son is battling cancer it reads: "Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up.  They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be." Samuel Johnson

Keep Shifting...
Josie

Mean well Mondays!!

Yummy. How can you resist?

     
     Oh Oh Oh Oreos they have the right stuff! (oh come on all you New Kid on the Block fans you know the tune.)  Yep I love those darn cookies. I had a week moment over the weekend. I went to the store to get things to make a salad to take to a BBQ and wouldn't you know it Oreo's were on sale. If you bought a gallon of milk they were even cheaper. Hey, I needed milk why not grab the Oreo's too. The kids will love them and I will just have two after dinner.
YA, RIGHT. Who am I kidding. Those darn cookies that get stuck in your teeth and have that smooth white creamy stuffing who really can resist?  Apparently not me.
Well guess what, I have a half marathon in two weeks and a full Marathon in four weeks. I am pretty sure that Oreos are not high on the list of training foods.( but dang it they tasted so good) What is a girl to do. I guess I gotta make some changes.
         Mean well Mondays are going to be the day of the week where I set a small goal to work on some of my weaknesses. Yep, I have plenty of those to keep mean well Mondays rolling for a long time. So, for the first mean well Monday I am going to admit to you all that my diet is terrible. I try really hard to eat right but I am a snacker, and I have an enormous sweet tooth. I swear to you that I am not lying. If it has chocolate or resembles a cookie I am pretty sure I am going to eat it. This week I am going to try and make sure that at least one serving of fruit enters my body before sweets do. I am off to a good start I had a banana this morning. (where are those Oreos?)  This goal might seem pretty small and easy for a lot of you out there but for me its a great small goal to work on this week. 


New recipe I tried today:
From Clean eating Magazine

1 cup greek plain greek yogurt
1 banana
2tbsp Natural butter
1 tsp honey

Mix all of the above for a filling breakfast.


I will be honest it wasn't may usual breakfast choice but it was tasty and I did get my fruit in. 
So, now if I can get some fruit at lunch we will be off to a good Monday.

Keep on Shifting those gears higher and higher.

Corrine

Pushing Above myself

       
     
  Lets talk about shifting to a higher gear in bicycle terms. On your bike you have gears. When riding your bike you need to find that gear that you can spin in comfortablely but still get somewhere.  When you are in a lower gear there is less resistance on the pedals. This is a great gear to use when you are climbing and trying to get up some hill. However, when you are on the flat part of your ride if you stay in that lower gear your legs start spinning to fast and you don't cover ground very quickly.  However, if you shift to a higher gear you move farther for each spin on your pedals. The resistance is more and this might seem harder to you but if you keep spinning in those higher gears you will soon cover more ground with less resistance because your body will adapted and grow stronger.
     I think in life a lot of times we find ourselves stuck in the lower gear. Spinning our wheels literally and figuratively and not covering much ground. This gear is easy. Not a lot of resistance is place on us so it doesn't hurt and we don't have to push very hard but we keep moving.  On the other hand if we would just shift to a higher gear, maybe just one gear higher than we have been at we will start to cover more ground. It's going to be hard and you will have to work to get use to this new gear. Your mind and body will slowly grow and develop and this higher gear won't seem so hard anymore. At this point you could turn around and see the ground you have covered and the progress you have made. Then it will be time to try again and shift to an even higher gear.
     I told you in my last post I was going to shift to a higher gear that might sound crazy and it is. It will be really hard for me to accomplish but I know with hard work and dedication I can do it.

This is my Dad and last year he and his wife went to Colorado and did a 120 mile bike ride over three mountain passes in one day.  They had so much fun they signed up to do it again this July 14th. I had a crazy idea and talked with my dad's wife and my husband (cause I am going to need his help) and asked them both about me riding for my dad this July.  AAAAH!! Now I consider myself a runner who bikes on the side. Not a biker that is going to ride 120 miles in one day starting at and elevation of 8000 and climbing to 10,000 or 11,000 feet.  To train for this as well as the other races I have already planned for myself is really going to require me to shift to a higher gear. I have learned one thing that anyone is capable of anything if  they put in the time and effort in to doing it. I know I can do this but I know that I will need lots of help and gentle persuassion and motivation.

      Will you please stick with me for the next few months and be my cheering squad and help me shift to a higher gear and maybe just maybe I can help you in the process as well.

Shift on everyone. Find that higher gear in whatever area of your life and hit that shift button.

Shifting to a higher gear.
Corrine

Shift to A Higher Gear

The First of many posts.

      

 Many of you readers know me and my sister personally. Some of you may be new and I hope you are and I hope you will come back.  Recently my sister and I lost our Dad.  Many of you have been so nice and sent me messages of love and support and have inquired about how I am doing. I haven't had time to answer everyone individually so I hope today with this post you will see how I am doing.  ( I promise I am still working on getting back to each and everyone of you.)

         My sister said, "you remember as a kid when you would tell the other kids that your Dad was the biggest, fastest, and best Dad on the block?  We would have been right."  My Dad was a competitor. He loved sports and they were a big part of his life. So, in turn growing up they became a part of my life and my siblings lives as well. If you would like to see all the things my Dad did in picture form my sister made a beautiful photo slide show that you can watch. Let me warn you the first two songs are totally my Dad the last song is a tear jerker. I have to turn it down or I fall apart during that song. I love my Dad and I will miss him everyday.

            I have to tell you that these last few weeks have been really. really. really. hard. I think about my Dad a lot. I think about what I should have done with him and what I never got to do with him. I think about all the things I should have said to him. Etc, etc. All of these thoughts felt like brick after brick after brick placed on my shoulders. The physical pain of grief is very real. I have never felt it like this before ever. I realized one day that I had to make a choice. This grief that I was emotionally and physically feeling could keep me down and it could rule my life if I chose to let it. On the hand I could use this experience and make changes for the better and rise above the grief. As I thought about my choices that day I thought about a story my older brother shared with us at my Dad's funeral.

        When my older brother was in high school (it may have been earlier than this but my memory isn't that great) he started cycling with my Dad. My Dad was dang fast on the bike and on running. I think we have all wanted to beat my Dad and my older brother was proud to say that he actually had beat my Dad on the run portion of a biathlon that they were both competing in. He was so stoked. He jumped on his bike and took off for the bike portion of the race. Well, a little while later who should come zooming by?  Yep, Dad. As he passed my brother he yelled out, "shift to a higher gear!"

        Shift to a higher gear..... I have had many thoughts about these five words since that day. I knew that day that I was facing my choices what I had to do. My Dad would not want me to get lost in my grief. No way. My Dad was always my biggest fan and always cheered me on to do more. In fact in high school my Dad wrote me a letter for my high school English class and he said, "She (referring to me)  is the one in our family with the most competitive spirit of all our children. This young women is a winner and does not like to be second. She is not the kind of person that will set unrealistic goals however, but will work hard to achieve the task that she has set before herself. You sometimes have to use some gentle persuasion to get her to excel." Ahh, thanks Dad.

         So, I know what I have to do. I have to shift to a higher gear. This has so many meanings and there are so many ways to do this. In fact my mind has been flooded with thoughts about shifting to a higher gear that it's crazy. I have even had an intense thought that I am suppose to share these thoughts.  I thought it was crazy to want to share these thoughts. I talked with my husband and my sister about it and they both said go for it.So, hence the blog.  I have made a list of the things I want to do to accomplish this task and I will share them with you. I promise that I have one on this list that is totally crazy. I will need a lot of "gentle persuasion" to accomplish this task.  So, I hope you will come back and that you will share this blog with others so that we can all " shift to a higher gear," together.

Dream big and shift to a higher gear.

Corrine

Excuse me while I chew myself out!!

So this post today is really just for me. You are welcome to read it but I really need to chew myself out. I am really lacking in motivation and am need of a butt kicking.  Feel free to help me out by leaving a comment.

Corrine, what the heck are you doing? Do you remember that you signed up to run 26.2 miles?  Yes that is a freaking long way. You signed up you paid the money and you are going to run this whole race. Don't you remember the last 26.2 miles that you ran? You felt like total crap. Do you really want to feel this way again?

Come on I know that waking up before 5:30 is hard but it is possible. There are hundreds of other people that do it daily. For Pete's sake your husband gets up at 4:30am (that's right 4:30) to get his run in before he goes to work. What the heck is your excuse?  Get the freak up and out of bed you lazy bones. You know that if you put it off life is going to get in the way. You know like today when you woke up to snow and you had four kids that were staying home from school. I think I am going to just start kicking your butt from now on.. Seriously girl how tough are you?

And while we are at it can you please just put the cookies down?  Ya I know that you really like them and they are pretty dang awesome. (you should know you made them) However, you don't need to eat all of them in the same day. Remember you have to carry that butt you are developing 26.2 miles.

Ok, ok, I will give you some credit you have been getting all your running workouts in and for this I do applaud you. I was really proud of you for waking up early last Saturday so you could run 14 miles in the dark by yourself. This just shows you that you can do hard things. Now pick it up or the sweep up wagon is going to be picking you up along the race course.

One more thing. You are a good runner so shoot for the stars and make you goals happen.

 You pinned this for a reason now get up and put in the work girl. You only have two months go and get it.

Like Dorothy says " Find your strong"

Sincerely yourself.

Week one down. How did it go?

Well I know that all of you (like 5 of you) that read this blog are just dying to know how my first week of no sugar went. I have to say I am really proud of myself. This past week I had the never ending cold. I swear everyday I woke up I thouht I am going to feel better today and by 9am I could definetly tell I was not going to feel better today. This happend everyday. Today is the first day that I can actually say I feel better. I also had aunt flow stop by for the week. Every month that she stops by I tell you chocolate is all I can think about. However, I managed to fight the sugar cravings all week. I was so proud of myself. Now thank you thank you for your applause, but let me tell you I did make a mistake. You see Saturday afternoon the sugar craving was HUGE!!!! I fought it off with little cutie oranges and whiney text messages to my sister. I thought I had it made until the kids asked for something sweet. As I was grabbing them a cookie out of habit I took a bite. OH CRAP!! Here I thought I had messed up my whole two weeks. I ate the cookie. It was weird though. It didn't taste as good as I wanted it to and I was fine with just having one. Sunday I did let myself have a break and I had desseret with the family.

Now some might look at this and think she failed. She didn't make it two whole weeks. At first I have to admit I did feel that way. I thought how weak am I that I can't go without this for two whole weeks. Then on Sunday (the best day of the week I think) I started to change my thinking. We women are so dang hard on ourselves. We tend to only see the negative things that we do and negate the good things we do. We are so dang critical of ourselves. I had dessert Sunday night and I was proud of myself. You see never have I gone a whole week being as sugar free as I could be. I made it through the week even when I felt like total crap. I even got all mty running workouts in. I ran 10 miles Saturday morning. I easily could have just said I don't feel good I am going to start over next week, but no I stuck to it. I did it. I decided that in reality it is more realistic to try my hardest to eat healthy most of the time like Monday -Friday and try to keep my sugar as low as possible. I should try harder to fill myself with whole natural good foods. Then when the weekend comes it will be okay to allow myself a treat. It all goes back to that thing moderation.

This last week in my mind was a success. I made it and I proved to myself that I can go without sugar and a treat everyday. So, my new goal for this week is to plan my meals in advance, eat as little sugar through the week as I can, and allow myself a treat and not feel guilty at all.

 We women can be hard on ourselves Because of this I wanted to share this video with you.  Some of you may already have seen it or heard it. I love it and I think it is something we can all use a reminder of.  I give you the challenge this week to lighten up on yourself and give yourself some credit. You deserve it. Remeber who you are and that you have great potential.

Yesterday was day one sugar free!!

So I started yesterday with my no sugar free for two weeks. Now let me be clear I am allowing natural occuring sugars like those found in fruit and veggies. For the next two weeks I am trying to avoid refined sugar and added sugar that they put in all types of food. I am hoping by going sugar free for two weeks I can prove to myself that I don't need that "treat" and that I can learn to teach myself that one small treat a day is enough or maybe choose to not even have  "treat".  I am hoping to teach myself how to lower the amount of sugar I take in on a daily basis.

So, I have to say day one wasn't that bad. There are already things that I can see that will benefit me from taking on this challenge.
1. The first thing I had to tackle was breakfast. I don't like milk very much so I have been having chocolate milk in the morning. Most days this is my drink after working out. (I have read many things about how chocolate milk is good after a workout) I guess you could say in a way this has become my morning cup of coffee even though I don't drink coffee. It was weird at first not making it and I did miss it but after eating a breakfast burrito (sugar free foods only used) I felt full and ready for the day. 

 2. I can see already how doing this challenge is going to force me to pay attention to what I am eating. You see sugar is in everything and yesterday it forced me to think about what I was eating.  I did eat less yesterday than I do most days. To be honest it cut out a lot of the snacking and grazing that I normally do during the day.

3. I have to say the hardest part about the day was after dinner. After I was finished eating I was full and felt good but I love to put the kids to bed and have a little treat all to myself. It's like the end to the day. Eating my sweet treat with out interruption or without having to share it. (I know how selfish am I?) I thought about how I was feeling and I wasn't hungry so I didn't need to eat anything. Instead of grabbing food I grabbed some water and guess what I survived. ( holy crap I survived one whole day with out a treat.)  I fought off those cravings even while my husband ate a bowl of ice cream right next to me. I was so proud of myself when I went to sleep last night. Here goes to day two!!

Keep running. Corrine

The first step is acknowledgement!! Join this challenge with me.

Okay, this post is not going to be easy for me because I am going to be sharing a weakness with you and you know in this crazy world it is hard to share our weaknesses. Everyone wants to look like they have it all together and that they are doing well but we all know that everyone has a weakness they are dealing with or ignoring. Now, some of you may read this post and think that I am being silly and you will roll your eyes at me and not believe me but I am telling you right now what I am sharing is the truth.

Alright here it is. I am totally and completely addicted to sugar.  There I have said it. I feel better already. (this is where some of you may roll your eyes and laugh) Let me explain a little bit. I have been reading about sugar and diet recently. I like this blog here. She posted a link in her blog post about being addicted to sugar and it really opened my eyes. You see in my religious beliefs we have been given what we call the word of wisdom. This talks about all things in moderation and also to stay away from things that can be addicting. Now, I am not saying sugar is something that everyone should stay away from but for me I feel that I am not keeping the word of wisdom because my sugar in take is not in moderation and I truly believe I am addicted. (again some may roll their eyes.) I crave sugar every single day and you know what I always let myself cave to those cravings. Some of you may say it's okay to have a little treat it won't kill you, or some might say well isn't that why you run so much so that you can have the sugar?  Well I run because it makes me feel good and to behonesst I think it has saved me from gaining more weight than I have. If I had more control over my diet than yes having a small treat would be totally okay and not a problem. However, I don't stop with just a small treat. As an example (this is scary for me to share) I bought two boxes of girl scout cookies. Who do you think ate those two boxes of cookies in a short amount of time? Let me give you a hint. My husband has celieac disease so wheat is out for him and my kids didn't even know that I had bougth them. Hmmmm, wonder who could have done that?  I love to bake but I have had to slow down because if I make cookies I eat them like popcorn, not joking.
 I feel like I am putting a lot of time and effort in to my running and exercise that I am totally undoing by the end of the day because of my diet. I try hard to eat right but I have to tell you I am terrible at it.
I have set some big goals for myself this year for my running which I plan to share with you at another time. I really believe for me to reach my goals one of the things I have to do is control my diet better and I believe this starts with the sugar addiction.

So, the blog that I stated earlier here did a two week no sugar challenge. I didn't do it with her. To be totally honest I was a tad scared that I couldn't do it and that I would fail so I didn't even try. Over the last few weeks I have been following her on facebook and listening to her and others talk about the challenge and it made me do some soul searching and reading. Honestly do some looking into sugar and your body it will amaze you. I have decided that this Sunday the 3rd of March I am going to start my own two week challenge of no sugar. This means I will have to do a lot of label reading because sugar is in everything and I will have to plan my meals for the day better so that I am prepared for the day instead of just grabbing anything at all to eat.I will also have to be making an exit plan so that when the two weeks are over I don't just fall back into my old habits. This will also mean that I need a support system and so I am extending this challenge to you and anyone else you think might want to join us. If sugar is not a problem for you than maybe you can work on something else. I think I will post everyday about how I am doing and what I am doing and you could leave comments about how things are going for you.

Okay I shared with you now its your turn to share with me.  What is your weakness that you have and are you willing to work on it for two weeks starting Sunday? 

Just keep running. Corrine

A True Inspiration

A friend posted this on Facebook today and I had to share.  What a great example of what a runner is.  We all have days when just finishing a run is hard.  There are days when our bodies don't want to cooperate, or our legs feel like lead and don't want to move very fast.  I'm sure he feels that just about every time he runs, but he says, as I've heard many other runners say, he's in his own perfect world when he is running.

 I loved that the other runners came back to support him and ran with him.  It reminded me when I ran my first 1/2 my sister (after completing her 1/2) came back and ran the last mile with me.  I love that other runners are so supportive of each other.

I'm going to remember this story when I feel down about my body or if I'm feeling bad about how long it took me to run the distance I was going.  I'm grateful for a strong, capable body and I can do whatever my mind sets out to do.

Keep running! Josie

come check out my craziness

I made a post about running on my family blog check it out if you like.

I worry too much!

I joined a gym.  I haven't been in a gym for a very LONG time.  I was a little nervous to go to any aerobics classes at first.  So I stuck to the treadmill and a few spinning classes.  I justified I'm a runner, I probably should stick to what I know and keep running on the treadmill and go to a few spinning classes for some X-training.  My sister in law talked me into going to a circuit class.  She told me to get read for a butt kickin'.  I took a deep breath and went to class.  When I walked into the class I had forgotten about all the mirrors in the aerobics room! YIKES! When I run I feel confident in what my body is capable of and I forget that I may be a little overweight.  So the uncomfortable feeling set in and I started tugging at my shirt.  To my sister in law, the mirrors are motivation.  I have a hard time seeing anything good in floor to ceiling, wall to wall mirrors.  The class was fun.  Not too much has changed in the aerobic class world.  They still do great, or is grape? vine and the instructor yells last one and really means two more.  My body was sore, she really did kick my trash, but it was also fun. After that class I felt confident that I could go to another class, and it kicked my trash too.  I do love spinning and can already see my endurance building in that class.  The gym has been great for me despite the intimidation.  I feel like it is adding fun back into my workouts.  I worry about doing my workouts the right way, and that I am training correctly for my next run, and even though my "coach" tells me to stop worrying and just run I still worry.  I just want to be better and stronger, and I worry it's not happening as fast as I would like.  

My half marathon is mere 16 weeks away! Driving in the car the other day I was actually getting excited about my future long runs.  I was thinking of all the new places I could run and explore and how awesome it feels when I am finished.  Yet, I worry.  I worry that I'm not doing enough to train, or too much with all the aerobic classes.  I worry my body isn't going to hold up and I'll get injured.

I have another worry, and my sister is going to go ballistic on me, but I worry about diet.  I worry that I'm eating too much, too little, not the right combinations, not at the right time, too many carbs, not enough protein, blah, blah, blah!  I have some weight to loose and although exercise is fun for me and I enjoy running diet is always on my mind.  There is so much information about diet out on the internet alone, and everyone has a different opinion it is simply mind boggling to me.  

I had to put the brakes on and find some clarity.  I can only do so much at a time.  My small brain can't handle it all.  I am putting my scale in the closet for the rest of the week. I considered a month, but I think I would go through withdrawls.  I'm not weighing myself for a whole week! I promise.

I found this quote the other day on Pinterest and thought it applied to me so I hung it on my wall and I see it every day.

If anyone asks me about diet, exercise, or running, I'm trying my hardest.  

Keep running! :) Josie