Forget the Haters

There are very few things I like about Facebook anymore, but my daily "Huffington Post" articles is definitely one of them. It seems like every one has a unique and challenging thought or perspective on life. While some I don't personally agree with, there are definitely some I do... Like this one on running. http://thoughtcatalog.com/daniel-stevens/2014/08/why-i-hate-running/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange (Minus the explicative in the last paragraph). 

What really struck me about this article is when the man writing steps on a luggage scale at the airport. He realizes that if he had to pay for all the excess weight he carried in order to get his "luggage" on the plane, he couldn't afford it even if he sold everything he owned. I had never thought about excess weight in that way before but it's definitely an interesting way for the man to realize he wanted to make a change. 

At some point or another everyone on their fit journey comes to a place similar to this man's. While you may not have had such a dramatic realization, we each have a special point where we go back to mentally so we can remember why we even started diets and inflicting pain in the form of excercise on ourselves in the first place. It's important to remember it, so write it down (if you keep a fit or food journal, write it in the front so you can see the inspiration every day!) 

He goes on further to note that while on his first run, he received an onslaught of unwanted comments and sympathy from others in public. If you've ever excercised (namely, ran or have done other strenuous exercise) in public before you were in prime condition, you might be able to relate to how self conscious it can make you feel. It's hard enough to put those running shoes on and get out the door, then add on people making comments (to encourage or otherwise) meaning that you, in fact, are not actually invisible and that people really are watching you while you exercise. It makes it even harder! 

I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon this past May - my first ever race and first ever time running over 4 miles straight. I was anxious to go pick up my race packet at the Running Expo the day before the race, but put on my best athletic gear and headed in. As I walked past many of the booths a few guys stopped and made mention at how I had a "unique build for a runner" meaning I am not skinny and lean like your regular vision of a runner. One seemed like a genuine compliment but others were definitely filled with competitive sarcasm that I found to be really intimidating.

Of course I know that I don't look like a runner, I am 5'7" and have an athletic frame that was designed to hold muscle weight well above what my BMI tells me I should carry. Most days I am perfectly content with myself and my fitness level because I know I'm giving it my all during every daily workout, so I should have known better than to let stupid comments discourage me, but I did. My goal was to just finish the race and not be last - and I did! 

Something that fit people may not realize is that many people who work out and are in good shape can tend to come off as super arrogant about how far along they are and how they've risen up to what they consider to be "elite status." They can beat everyone at weight on their bars and numbers of reps and distance/elevation gains of runs. Yes, sometimes these people intimidate me, but ony because I allow them to. I let their need to feel important because they can beat me at certian areas of fitness to affect my view of myself and my fitness journey. Why?! I still don't know, but what I do know is that we shouldn't allow it to happen because each of our bodies are different and were made to be pushed in different ways. A basketball player probably isn't going to look like a prima ballerina, but if she wants to do ballet as an extracurricular, that should be okay! I am definitely preaching to the choir here and it's something I'm working on myself.

 If you are in the group of "elite fitness" athletes, I'm asking you on behalf of the "working my butt off but still not there yet" athletes to please not put down on us for not looking like you, not being able to go the same distance as you, or put up the same weight on the squat rack. I'm asking you to encourage us along our journies with a genuine heart because while fitness and athletics can be really competitive during a race or competition, everyone still has to train. (Cue "we all put our pants on the same way" cliche.) The beauty of fitness is that while it can unify people who love to exercise, it really comes down to individual performance. It's about how hard can I push MY body, and how can I beat MY best times and weights in order to become the best that I can be. 

Fitness junkies and dabblers unite! You can do whatever you put your mind to, ignore the haters and embrace positivity! Surround yourselves with a solid support system and you can get to where you want to be. Don't make excuses, don't let others get to you. I believe in you. 

My wonderful fiancé and I after I finished the race. It was a really emotional day because one of my personal fitness goals from the beginning of my journey was to run a half marathon. Josh has been so supportive of my goals and efforts to achieve them.

My family came out to support as well! They have been my motivators, encouragers, and my solid rock throughout my journey. It is so important to surround yourself with people who truly believe in you. It makes all the difference. :) 

Please Consider Helping the Beautiful Children of Northside

As many of you probably know, I have committed to two major things this spring, the first is running my first EVER half marathon which, on May 4th will be the longest distance I will have ever run to this point in my life. The second is raising money for the race in honor of a wonderful organization called Urban Impact. 

Urban Impact is so much more than your typical Non-Profit after school program. Here is a little bit more about their history and mission for Pittsburgh's Northside Community. 

"Urban Impact began as an outreach ministry of the Allegheny Center Alliance Church nearly two decades ago. Wanting to fully restore the lives of the people in the community, the church sought to have a bigger impact on its people. In 1995 Pastor Ed Glover formed Urban Impact as a separate entity in order to focus on practical aspects of community development while providing a spiritual base for the people of the North Side. In nearly two decades we have impacted thousands of children and youth from the North Side and over 50,000 young people nationally through Urban Impact’s various ministries and programs.

Our mission is to do our part in fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission on the North Side of Pittsburgh. By following His model of holistic ministry by investing in the lives of at-risk children, youth, and their families in order to develop mature, responsible followers of Christ." 

They offer performing arts classes, recreational sports in competitive Northside sports leagues, and after school homework help/tutoring in order to catch kids up to their grade level in school. I personally will be volunteering not only as a charity runner for their organization, but also will be helping coach a baseball team this spring in addition to participating as a tutor in the evenings . 

For years I have felt the tug on my heart to participate in missions work whether here in America or aroad in another country, but until now I haven't had such a clear picture of what that would look like for my life. Often my lack of faith for fundraising and asking people for money has stood in my way, and mostly it's been because I haven't found a cause that I one hundred percent felt called to participate in. Don't get me wrong, I do feel like there is a place for overseas missions work for certain people but never understood or felt right with the concept of doing a "mission-cation" in high school or college I guess because God has shown me the dire need our inner cities are in right here in America and right here in our beautiful city of Pittsburgh. 

With that being said, when the opportunity to run for Urban Impact presented itself while I was at dinner with a friend, I knew that was my calling to get involved. I have  volunteered through a church with Urban Impact before for their Christmas Dinner program and it truly was one of my most favorite moments in my spiritual journey. Asking for donations is a really hard thing for me to do, but I truly feel that The Lord has called me to fundraising this small amount as a way to not only help the children of northside, but also to stretch my faith as he shows me that raising money for missions can be done. 

My goal is $400 by March 31st, 2014, and while it seemed daunting at first, I know God is going to provide the funds as he sees fit for these beautiful children as he helps me physically become prepared for 13.1 miles of running- the most I've accomplished at one time to this point is about 6 miles, so 13.1 is a bit of a scary thought... but I know He wants me to do this, so please pray for spiritual AND physical strength in the upcoming weeks and that God would use this event in my life and in others to show how powerful he is.

All I ask is that you pray about possibly supporting the work of this organization by a small donation via my support page and also pray for continued faith as I train for the race. The money will go towards the organizations over all goal of $60k to help the troubled kids of Northside.  Overall, $400 is a small amount, but the work The Lord can do with this foundation is so much bigger, and I am so excited that I will get to be a part of it.  

Please join me in praying for this cause and that God's work would be done in northside. If you feel it in your heart to help support my run for charity please visit my fundraising page to submit your donation. Thank you so much in advance for your support and prayers!!

Link to my support page: 

https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1083687&supId=401845498

{Guest Post} Tips For Races in Colder Weather

Running in colder weather can affect your performance. Just like anything else when it comes to sports, you have to prepare your body for the change in order to overcome the issue and achieve your goals. In this case, we will discuss some strategies in persevering through the cold so you can finish your upcoming race in the desired timeframe that you want to. Just because it’s cold, doesn’t mean running season is over! So, here we go, let’s talk about some tips for cold-weather running:

1.       Acclimatization. This is a super fancy word that basically means if you train in the cold, you’ll be able to perform in the cold. By introducing your body to these temperatures a little at a time, you will be able to adapt and thus excel. The same concept applies to preparing for extreme heat. This repetitive exposure helps to improve blood flow and regulate it as needed. So, in order to achieve this, it’s simple: run outside whenever you can and as much as you can prior to your winter race.

2.       Wear Easy Layers. And by easy, I mean easy to carry because you are more than likely going to be peeling off those layers as you run your race. We all know how it works: you start out freezing, then as your blood starts pumping from your increased heart rate, you begin to get warmer (even if it is snowing out). To sum it all up, wear layers that you can wrap around your waist or tuck in a strap real quick. With this strategy, you can adjust along the way, so you don’t end up being too warm.

3.       Start with Your Hands and Head. We lose a lot of heat through these outlets. At the beginning of the race, make sure you have gloves and a hat to keep that heat in and keep the energy to help you get going. Of course, you can always take them off as you warm up once you are further into the race. Keeping your hands and head warm at the start can make all the difference in your performance.

4.       Warm-Up … Outside. Warming up before any form of physical activity is essential, we all know that. However, when you’re about to take it outside to run, especially before a race, try and do your warm-ups and stretching outside in the cold. This not only attributes to the acclimatization aspect, but also prevents any sweating to occur pre-workout that might make you even colder when you step outdoors to take off.  

5.       Listen to Your Body. That’s the bottom line. Some temperatures are not meant to battle with. If it’s too cold, then OK – take it inside. We only progress when we do the right thing, and sometimes that means knowing when to stop pushing through. So, maybe on that one day where it’s freezing, rainy and windy, you practice at the gym. Above all, your body knows what’s best for you, so take a listen!

This article was provided by Happy Can, an Atlanta portable restroom company. We are a proud provider of porta potties and portable sinks for some of the top Atlanta-area races.