The Journey is…Experience: the good, the bad & the ugly.

Many of you have asked about my latest race…the 2011 Vulcan 10k

YAY! I finished! Lovely day...lovely EXPERIENCE.

I haven’t felt inspired to write about it yet…but I’m sure I will.

This is what I jotted down on race day:

-Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. ~John Wooden

-Last year when I finished the Vulcan…I felt SATISFACTION.

-This year I was disappointed & said, “Well, that was a good experience.”

-“If you know you can do better, and you don’t.  You won’t be satisfied.” ~me

-“The good…the bad…and the ugly…”  That about sums up this race.

-I believe the very next day…I saw this video:  http://johnmaxwellteam.com/experience/

“The good, the bad & the ugly….”

The good….there are LOTS of good things I want to share with you.

The bad…I simply did not do my very best.  I did good…but not my best.  But I DID learn something.   SATISFACTION was a much better feeling than….EXPERIENCE.

I’m looking forward once again to training…next time(even though I said the same thing after Talladega)…I guarantee that I WILL PUT MY BEST EFFORT into training for the races ahead.

The ugly…there was NOTHING ugly about it.

I’m just glad to be able to say I was in the race & crossed the finish line!

More to come…

The Journey is….embracing the past, present & future.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

~I’m thankful for A Timely Reminder

A Reminder to:

Embrace & enjoy my past.

Embrace, enjoy & truly live my present.

Embrace & look forward to my future.

~I’m thankful for the older gentleman that I met at the park.

As we talked, he wistfuly reminisced of his running days &

his own 48 minute finishes at the Vulcan Run 10k, some 15 years ago…

I knew he loved that feeling as much as I do now.

…It blessed me to see a much greater love quickly transfer to his great-grandaughter as she returned from feeding the squirrels.

My brief encounter with him reminded me to:

Be thankful for every breath I have, the health of my youth, the opportunity to exercise on the days I’d rather not…

and

To look forward to the new experiences to come that will eventually replace the dreams I am currently living.

Thankfully,

Julia

The Journey is…Thankful Thursday!

THANKFUL THURSDAY!  Just a few things that make me want to say…”Thank you Lord, that was very nice of you to do that for me”.

WINDY DAYS. 

Those rare moments that I cherish.  Have you ever had them?  Where just for a moment you can go back in time & feel like a child.  Something about the wind this week, instead of the usual muggy, Alabama heat…

There were 3 distinct moments this week, where the cool, fall wind took me back to those days when life was all about playing with friends & having fun.  It was if I were right there, back in the culdesac on Tinker AFB….in the never ending OKLAHOMA WIND!  I just closed my eyes & soaked it in for a moment.  I LOVED IT!  Thanks God!

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The awareness of His presence in my life.  He leads, guides, comforts, strengthens….

“…And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter
(Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He
may remain with you forever…” – John 14:16

Thank you Holy Spirit!  I needed that!

RUNNING.

Someone mentioned how cold it would be to run the Vulcan since it is held the first weekend in November.  I started explaining how wonderful it was going to be….running with thousands of people in the cold brisk air…all with the same goal in mind.  I started getting really excited about it, just talking about it.  Then I realized…they weren’t feeling it.  Not even one bit.

I’m thankful that the Lord puts things inside of us for our own pleasure…be it baking, gardening, sports, music, etc.  That’s very nice of Him.  🙂

WONDERFUL PARENTS!

I will have to dedicate a whole blog just to them soon!  I love them!

….and I could go on & on & on……God is so good!  He IS the Lord of my life.  I am thankful!

The Journey is….FOCUS

SATISFACTION part 2

Time to get focused.  My Goals for the Vulcan Run 2011 ~ 6.2 miles  http://vulcanrun.com/

Goals:

-Loose 20 lbs by race day, Nov. 5, 2011.  I have lost 2 so far…only 18 to go.  The first thing I see when looking at this year’s race pictures will not be my “mom” stomach.  I have 12 weeks left…I will loose at least 1.5 lbs per week.

-Finish in under 1 hour.  (Last year’s time was 1:06:49  /  10.46 pace)  My pace will be under 10 minutes per mile.

-Beat my family (even Emily)  😉

Plan:

-Wise, healthy food choices.  Portion control.  Cut out the junk food….remembering that I love ME, more than the unhealthy food(or a camera)  Click here for an explanation about the camera:  The Journey is Inspiration

-Training:  http://www.halhigdon.com/10ktraining/10kinter.htm

– I don’t really care if I beat my family, but it is fun trying.

Last years race pictures (you have to have a Facebook account to view these pics):  SATISFACTION part 1 ~ The Vulcan Run 2010

The path to the Vulcan 2010 (my first 10k journal)

 

Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. ~John Wooden

‎Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’ -Peter Maher

The Journey is…running

The Lord puts dreams in your heart for a purpose…LIVE THEM!

Follow your dreams, not your feelings...

In the beginning…

Well actually the beginning started on the elementary school playground when I was too uncoordinated for any sports…except running!

My first taste of racing as an adult, was in 1993.  I participated in the Corporate Challenge in Tulsa, OK.

Then life got busy & I forgot about running until I was at a business meeting in Atlanta, GA…looking out of my hotel window I saw a marathon of some sort…and the dream was birthed.  I REALLY wanted to be down there with them in the freezing cold air, running through those downtown streets.  Year after year I would say I was going to run the Vulcan in Birmingham, but never followed through…this time was different.  The links below chronicle this year’s journey from the first grumpy step to the FINISH LINE(s)! :

(to view these entries you must have a Facebook account, just click on the links below)

 Journey to the Vulcan…my first 10K

Because He loves me too. (The reason why I am running the Vulcan)

SATISFACTION…The Vulcan Run, Nov 6, 2010

It’s even more fun with friends!

The Red Nose Run~Jan 8, 2011 5K(first run w/my daughter!)

Let’s run a Half ~ 13.1 miles!:

HOLD YOUR HEAD UP! Finding beauty in the journey…

Attitude Adjustment

It\’s Not Going to Be Pretty!…but I\’m not a quitter! Just leave the camera at home please…

\”I like pain.\” ~ What I learned on my last big run before Talladega.

\”The Run of Faith\” Talladega 21000 HALF MARATHON! April 4, 2011

THUMBS UP!!!

“….and I kept running, and running, and running…” ~Forrest Gump