Eating on the RUN

Greek Salad

Because I work from home I also have the time to cook. A lot! On an average week I prepare 14 meals and sometimes more than that. We rarely eat out. Actually I enjoy the cooking part but I can't say the same for the clean up.

I am what my mother would  call "a good eater." I grew up on delicious, home cooked food in the tradition of Southern Cuisine and if I had to pick one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life it would be the food I grew up eating from Mother's southern kitchen.

Fortunately I don't have to choose and now as the "chef" of my kitchen, I like to try out new recipes and also tweak the old ones to make them healthier.

For week two of my Run With Endurance Group, our focus was on what we eat. The Bible tells us that our bodies are the "temples" of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are admonished to give due care to the bodies that house the Spirit of God. One of the best ways to care for our bodies is to eat nutritiously and an easy way to do that is to increase your fiber intake.

Physically ~ Specifically let's zero in on our fiber intake which should be about 25 grams/day for women and 35 grams for men. Fiber is the fibrous part of a plant food that your body does not digest. It acts as a broom to sweep our "temples" clean. It also helps us feel full and as we eat more fiber we will eat less "junk."

Easy Ways to Increase Your Fiber Intake 

 (I rounded the gram counts to the nearest whole number.)

1 serving cooked oatmeal - 4 grams
2 tsp. cinnamon - 2 grams
Lite multi-grain English muffin (Thomas brand) - 8 grams
1 cup of coffee - 2 grams

organic apple with skin - 4 grams
1 cup blueberries - 4 grams
1 medium orange - 3 grams
1 medium banana - 3 grams

1 cup avocado - 10 grams
1 cup baked sweet potato - 4 grams
1 cup corn - 4 grams

1 cup pinto beans or black beans - 15 grams
1 cup cooked turnip greens - 5 grams
1 cup cooked spinach - 4 grams

Spiritually ~ When Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested, He responded to the temptation of turning stones into bread with this, "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" Matt. 4:4.
In what way will you feed your spirit this week? As you nourish your body, so must you make wise decisions and cultivate healthy habits to nourish your spirit. 

One of the most powerful spiritual disciplines I practice is a routine plan to memorize two scriptural passages each month. I'll be sharing more about this on my faith blog found here.

I'll come back and link the post on scripture memorization when it's up.  

Am I Willing?

Run With Endurance ~ Tampa Bay chapter

I've just started a local chapter of Run With Endurance. RWE was founded by Casie Dussia and is an organization based on Hebrews 12:1: "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."

The RWE mission: To equip women to be who God created them to be by building endurance physically and spiritually to run their personal race.  

The local chapter that I am leading meets on Saturday mornings from 8:30 - 9:30 at a local park. We have women of various ages and stages in life. We are open to any woman in overall good health. We meet, have prayer and walk or run for 35 minutes. Following our work-out, we stretch and I lead our Bible study, which lasts about 20 minutes. 
Our first 9 week study is the ENDURANCE series. Last week our focus was creating an environment that is conducive to moving closer to our spiritual and physical goals. 

Our week one scripture: "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." Proverbs 27:17 NLT

I gave our group a point to ponder:
"What are you willing to do to move closer to your goals?"

So often we have a mental list of what we ought to do or of what someone else is doing. Rather than setting a goal that is beyond what you are willing to maintain, why not decide what it is that you are actually willing to do and just do that. It may only be one thing. But it may be the one thing that you can maintain and build upon. And that may be the very thing that leads you a step closer to personal success.

If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in learning more about Run With Endurance, email me at mdorsey@tampabay.rr.com and put RWE in the subject line. 

In the meantime, as you consider your own desire for personal growth, what are you willing to do to get there? 

Not the Knee!

Last week I again realized how much I depend on running. I've shared before how I feel running is a gift from God. The ability to move my body and reap the benefits of better emotional, physical and even spiritual health can only be the design of our Creator.

I've been so fortunate to remain injury free so that last week when the pain on the outside of my knee alerted me to an ITB issue, I actually cried! I had been sick with an upper respiratory virus for several days and was sidelined from running and most everything else that involved stepping outside my front door.

 Thanksgiving day I went for my first run since being sick and it was great! My breathing was a bit raspy but I was able to run 1.25 miles before needing to stop and was able to run 3.1 in total. But the next day the knee pain hit before I made it to the end of my street. I remembered that several weeks earlier I stepped on a twig while running. It was so small I didn't even see it in my path but it was enough to cause my foot to roll and my knee to turn inward. I felt some twinges that day but was able to continue training for a 1/2 marathon. 

I've had to drastically alter my training and will actually forgo the 1/2 marathon in January. I plan to pick another one in the early spring. In the meantime, I'm icing, stretching, taking more days off and using a foam roller in the hopes of quickly rehabbing my knee.

Do you have knee issues? Here's a quick guide from Runner's World online to help you diagnose what's going on.

Miles of Inspiration

You are invited!

Where:  To my new blog "Melanie Dorsey & A Faith That Endures"

When: Now

Why: I'd love to share my walk with Christ with you. Often while out for a run, I pray and meditate on Scripture. Many times this is where I draw inspiration for my writing.

How: Visit "Melanie Dorsey & A Faith That Endures" and if you're on facebook, you can join me there, too. You'll see a facebook like box in the sidebar.

The Color of Your Shorts

Saturdays are my long distance days as I train for a half marathon. According to my Smart Coach plan from Runner's World online, I was supposed to run nine miles today. I ran eight.

Eight miles of breezy blue skies dotted by puffy clouds. 

Eight miles of prayer, scripture, and scattered thoughts. 

Eight miles of boats in the bay, sandy beaches, and Saturday people.

I ran in new shoes and by mile five I could feel the blisters forming on my toes. I ran in a white visor that threatened to fly away as I topped the bridge. I ran in blue shorts that I thought were black when I left home. 

In life as in running:

Sometimes a little less is good enough.

Blisters are the badge of fore ward movement.

The wind blows harder the higher you climb.

And the color of your shorts doesn't really matter

I've linked this post to "Life As I See It."

Run, Pray, Breathe

We all have them.
Seasons of little to say.
Weeks when words are few.
Days when ideas jump but don't settle.

Running for Team Andrew

One discipline in my life that has remained constant is running.
The other discipline that has taken a beating has been prayer.
For what is the greatest obstacle to prayer?
Unanswered prayer. 
Oh I know the common response: "God answers every prayer with either a 'Yes,' a 'No' or a 'Wait.' "
Well, let me give you my honest reply to that one. It doesn't feel like a good enough answer when your child dies.


And so I began to run. Not away. But to. To God. 
And in the running, I found Him to be greater than an unanswered prayer. Greater than "No." Greater than "Wait."

When I run, He speaks to me. He inspires me. He runs with me. 
Last week I began training to run a 1/2 marathon in January - my second one. This takes time. And prayer takes time. 
I have come to believe that the effectiveness of short prayers hinge on the foundation of longer ones. Since we lost our son Andrew, I have been guilty of being a short prayer. But the Holy Spirit is convicting me to pray longer. 
As a runner I know the discipline of running parallels that of praying. And that is my inspiration for an eBook on combining running (or walking) with a prayer plan. The book is Run, Pray, Breathe and it's a powerful plan that 

• is always fresh
• improves your endurance
• you can do alone
• you can do with a friend
• works for a mile or longer
• helps you go the distance 

If you are a runner or if you prefer to walk your workout, this "power plan" has the potential to transform your life! I'll let you know how and when you can order it.   

See Mom Run ~ Lark!

Meet Lark! ~ Wife. Mom. Baker. Blogger. Fundraiser. RUNNER! Don't you love her name? It just seems like it should always be followed with an !

Lark

Melanie, Thank you for asking me to do this. While I was thinking over the questions, It made me really "see" just how far I have come. And that in it's self makes me say....Thank you! It is nice to look back and realize, I did this myself. ~ Lark

When and why did you start running?

A few years ago after  losing 100 lbs. I knew I needed to get moving in order to lose the last 50 lbs.  So I started by walking every day. Some day's it was only 1 mile I could get through. Eventually I worked up to walking 3 miles a day. Soon it became a habit that I looked forward to each day.

One day I was reading Prevention Magazine and saw an advertisement to join Team Prevention and Walk a 1/2 Marathon. I really didn't know if I would be able to do it or not. Seeing that they had a race in Las Vegas, NV, close to me, I signed up.

I started "training" for the 1/2 Marathon 6 months in advance.  It was the hardest thing I have ever wanted to do. I made the goal to just finish the race. I wasn't concerned about my time. Only that I finish. I signed up to Cross train with a personal trainer once a week. My trainer kept trying to push me to run a mile or two a week. I did it, but was not happy about it. Then 1 mile turned into two, then three, then four!  I remember the day I came home from my first "run" of 5 miles....drenched in sweat, with the biggest smile on my face.

 That was when I knew I was going to RUN the 1/2 Marathon!  

I set a goal to run the entire 13.1 Miles.  One month and four pairs of shoes later, the goal changed again. I registered to RUN the Las Vegas Rock -n- Roll Marathon! Yup, the FULL Marathon....26.2 Miles. 

I can’t tell you how many friends thought I had lost my mind. I mean I was still a "heavy" girl.  Even my own Personal Trainer hadn't run a FULL Marathon. Well anyone who really knows me, KNOWS once I put my mind to something I won’t give up! 

Joining Team Prevention was one of those things.  On Dec. 4th, 2009, I crossed the finish line—running! I ran 26.2 miles that day. I cannot tell you how accomplished I felt. And still feel.  What started out as a way of helping me lose weight, became a way for me to gain self respect.

How do you motivate yourself to go for a run? 

My motivation is looking at a picture of myself at my heaviest—and knowing it would only take one day to break a habit.  I am just not willing to chance it. And it always helps to have neighbors asking when & where my next race is.

How many times a week do you run?

When I am in "training" mode, I run 6 days a week.  Right now I am just coming back from a year of surgeries. So I am having to start from the beginning....it is tough. I take that as a  challenge and I will succeed.

Favorite Route?

I do have a 7 mile loop I run at least 3 times a week.  I am not sure if I would call it my favorite, because it is 3 miles of hills.  Hills are my hardest part of any race I do. I guess I think if I run them often  enough I will at some point "enjoy" them. Honestly I have to say I still hate those darn hills.

What do you think of when you run?

Ha, ha....not dying! No, really it depends on my mood. If I am tired, I make sure I take my Nike Sensor & ipod packed with some pumped up tunes. More days than not, I usually start off by making sure my breathing is set to a certain pace. Once it is, I repeat in my mind a Mantra I started on the very first run I ever did. Doing this seems to put me at peace.

What physical benefit do you enjoy most from running? There are a few. First would be my confidence. I don't sit back and let things go by. I make things happen! Secondly it would be seeing my body change and tone.  

It has taken me a while to realize that I am so much more than a number on the scale.

What are your running goals?

Before I knew I was going to have surgery every 3 months over the last 12 months, I had made a goal of finishing 11 running events in 2011.  I haven't changed that goal, just modified it a bit.  I am now including 5/10k's into that count. So far I have finished (1) 1/2 Marathon, (3)  5k's, and (1) 16 hr. Relay for Life.  My schedule for the rest of the year include: (3) more 5k's, Disneyland 1/2 Marathon, (1) 10k, 3-Day for the Cure-60 Miles, Las Vegas Marathon.

Update: Lark recently completed the Disney 1/2 marathon!

Do you mix it up and do anything else for fitness?

Yes! I cross train at least once a week. I like to choose from several things: Yoga, weight lifting, stair climber, elliptical, bike.
I have even thrown in jumping on the trampoline.

How has running helped you become a better wife & Mom?

I find that I have more focus, and want to give my best to my family. I hope I am setting an example to my daughter, by teaching her healthy eating habits plus letting her see how much I truly enjoy running. My husband is often telling me how he looks to me for the strength and inspiration to push him. I want to show my family I am strong!

What pushes you?

For the past few years I have found that I choose race events that make a difference. A BIG sponsor I support is any charity who is helping to find a CURE for cancer. ALL types of cancer. The Susan G. Komen foundation is one I hold close to my heart. I run for those who can not, along with the hope of one day running in celebration of finding a CURE.

Last year I was honored to participate in the Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Each volunteer will go 60 miles in 3 day's time. To be able to participate in the event, every person MUST fund raise $2300.00   ALL proceeds go directly to the Susan G. Komen foundation.  I aim to participate for the 2nd time this year.

One fund raising event I have planned is the Baking Up a Cure!
On line Virtual Bake Sale.  July 27th-29th
Please go bid on a Homemade Baked Goods, where ALL PROCEEDS GO DIRECTLY TO THE 3-DAY FOR THE CURE.
http://bakingupacure.blogspot.com/
 

One thing I want to share with others is that, only YOU can be the change you want to see in the World. Don't fall into thinking you don't have the "cookie cutter" body type. Or feel like you can't. Anything is possible if you want & believe it can be.

*Thank you for asking me to share a little bit about myself to you and your readers.
   Country Kisses,
   Lark