stumbling blocks

this was the first message i read this morning when i opened my facebook page:

i was happy to know that my runner friend, Allyn, was able to do her much delayed long run, being a busy mother of four teen and tween-age boys, and attending to her tutees (she tutors) but was sad to hear about her fall.

recently, a runner from our running club had a nasty fall and gashed her brow that she needed stitches.. but still i saw her back on the road with the group.. i told Allyn, i hope it won’t stop her from running.

i run the same route most of my road runs, so i have memorized the pavements, the curbs, where to turn, what to avoid, i know where the bumps are, etc… but the unexpected can still happen. much more if my run will take place in a more unfamiliar area, i run more carefully and at the same time keeping up the pace plus minding where to land my foot next and looking ahead to the direction i am going, so it is kind of multitasking… but how is it that there are times, despite knowing the right thing to do, still things such as these happen? of course who would be happy to stumble and fall, right? no one.

much is the same with my daily spiritual journey. daily, i pray, i meditate on God’s words, so, i would think i am doing fine in the eyes of the Lord, but, one day, a sneer, an uninvited thought, a slip of the tongue ruins my attempt to live a life pleasing to God. these are my stumbling blocks… they cause me to fall and not only hurt myself but also the other party whom i did not really intend to hurt, it was all because of my carelessness and pride perhaps…

so how do i get rid of these stumbling blocks? i can’t. they will be there, whether i like it or not. if there are bumps on the road, uneven pavements, i have to watch out carefully, avoid those or be careless and allow myself to trip and fall. if ever i have fallen, there’s nothing else to do but get up, learn from it, and continue on, keeping in mind next time, this is where i failed.   so, i know i will run home not hurting myself or anyone else, and that is what pleases God the most.

what are the stumbling blocks in your life? how do you deal with them?  open your heart to God and tell Him these are what make you stumble, ask Him to help you rid of them and He will!

M.

Runner’s High…

Psalm 28:7 
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. 
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

whew!! i did it! i finished my second half marathon here in Vancouver via the BMO Vancouver International Marathon.  though i was not able to beat my last year’s time, it was okay. i am happy i didn’t feel pain at all, thank God for that, just got tired too early. i think i was overconfident and not to mention the heat, i guess i have gotten used to running late afternoons and cooler weather..

anyway, just looking at the brighter side of everything, i am glad i conquered 13.1 miles, everyone was cheerful and most important thing of all, we all went home whole and happy and got together with our loved ones.. also, since Dersky was working and he’ll be done by 10 a.m. i didn’t expect him to be there by the time i crossed the finish line!!! i was soooo happy to see him.. i have here my photos with captions and let them tell you what i experienced along the race course.

i’ve mentioned that i got tired too soon. actually i never left the 2:15 pace bunny, since i was trying to beat this finish time.. but being the impatient being that i am, i thought, “she’s a bit too slow for me”, so i went ahead and used up all my energy, until such time that i couldn’t find her anymore, hmmm bad move.  i wasn‘t sure if she was ahead of me or not because i have been pausing every so often to take photos he he.. , and next thing i knew i was trailing the 2:20 pace bunny… hmm, good enough i told myself.. but… really didn’t know what happened, just took my time and finished the race… at 2:38 official time, chip time 2:31… 

special thanks to my cousin Ate Nita, and her sweet daughter, Jacqui, for accommodating me last night, their place is nearer the train station.. thanks Ate Nita..

enjoy! (please hover over the photos to be clearer)

pay attention!

i had a dream, i was lost in the woods and didnt know the way out.. there were no signs of any trodden paths, just tall trees, grasses all over, some dead, some green. i also didnt know exactly why i was there and where i was headed to. it was like i was in a middle of a chaotic silence..

then i stopped walking and looked closely. i noticed there was a way out after all, i was just not paying attention.. a hidden path covered by fallen leaves and the dead grass..

i did not make that up, it was really a dream i had after i watched the movie “The Fugitive” where Harrison Ford, the fugitive, was running away from Tommy Lee Jones, a U.S. Marshal. Ford spent the night in the woods under a blanket of fallen leaves.. and perhaps, my dream was triggered by the book i was reading before i went to sleep, “Crossroads” (by WM Paul Young). in it, the main character collapses due to vertigo and woke up seeing himself lost in the woods with crossroads that he didn’t know which way to go…

thinking about it, i feel that my dream is trying to tell me something important. how do i deal with my trials and difficulties, do i panic or get lost or do i choose to face them with a calm heart and mind? it is better to stop and think and pay attention and fully trust God to take over, rather than begin worrying and not being able to think clearly.

i remember the bible verse read last week in church, “Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me” ~John 14:1. the reader further shared that in the dictionary, “LET” means to allow or to permit. this simply tells me to NOT LET my heart be troubled, lest i will allow trouble to overwhelm me and drown me out.

how about you, when trouble comes, do you worry a lot or stay calm?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

M.

taper time…

today is saturday, 1:30 p.m., a week to go til race day.

it is taper week. i am glad i was able to follow my 12 week train plan though not exactly to a tee. last saturday, Blynn and i were ready for our last long run before the main event. sad to say, 3 kms into the run she was in pain and still is. i told her to stay off the ground since i heard her complain of thigh pain (or hamstrings? don’t exactly know). but you know sometimes we get to be stubborn when it comes to doing what we enjoy doing. i am still hoping she would recover and see her finish her marathon with only one week to rest.

so, i did my long run last Monday, 18kms which is short of a kilometer per the plan i am following. but it’s okay. as long as i can run without a hitch, i am good to go. what adds to my excitement was that the organizers withheld the presentation of medal designs and tech shirts they will be giving away until this past week only.. here they are: 

  

at this point, i pray that nothing unfortunate will happen on race day. we were assured of tighter security measures. but still, we pray for peace and safety of all runners here or everywhere.. my husband instructed me to run in the middle and not by the side of the road.. good thinking, i say, but i told him, Dear, if it’s my time, so be it. but of course, i want to cross the finish line first.. and still, praying that violence and hatred and indifference will evaporate in this world.. it is going crazy that we have forgotten why we are here in the first place. 

Peace to you all and thank You, Lord Jesus.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33

M.

so you want to start running?

first of all, i am not a running expert to be giving advice, but maybe sharing what i have learned will help, the most basic things a runner wannabee needs to know, based on my 5 year love affair with running.

yesterday, i ran 8 kms. with a friend whom i want to consider my couch to 5k candidate.. i was surprised to get a call from him and invited me for a road run.. it was going to be his very first road run, and since i know that he has been working out at the gym regularly and running the treadmill, perhaps he can do the distance, which he did, albeit almost walked on the way back..(he is a bit on the heavy side)

we agreed to meet at the park nearby early afternoon and set off right away to my regular 10km route. but, i noticed he was not properly attired for running.. this is not to criticize my friend, but i am using it as an example to share some whys and whats if you want to start running seriously.. although i know my friend may not be inclined to be one..

1. first, never wear cotton shirt. i know you would think cotton will be comfortable.. yes, especially when sleeping, for me i.e. but never when you are sweating. you see, cotton absorbs wetness we all know that, and doesn’t this irritate you? with new discoveries in fabrics that repel perspiration from the skin, it made running a “no-sweat” kind of thing… check out any sports goods store, you’ll be able to find good ones..

2. headphones are okay, but not when you need to keep adjusting them. yesterday i noticed his headphones slipping down his sweaty head quite a few times.. so, use something like the earbuds or sports earphones that you can hook around your ears.. and make sure you don’t use the kinds that shut off the noise around you especially the traffic, or other pedestrians because it is not safe not to hear what’s going on especially on the road. 

3. hydration is best!! i think it is bodily instinct that if we all feel exhausted, especially under the heat, we ask for water… what more if we are running. it is not “uncool” to carry water when running, for me, i.e. even if i will just do 5km run, i use a small hydration bottle that fits in my running belt bag which my dear friend and running coach gave me. then for longer runs, i have a 2 bottle hydration belt.. since i rarely run long distances, what i have for now is good for me. my dude friend brought his camelbak water backpack.. hmmmm, how much water to carry depends on how far you will be running or how long your work out will be. to avoid inconveniences, like bringing too much or too little, plan ahead and hydrate yourself properly…

4. my friend was wearing a very loose surf shorts or something like it.. this is a no no for running most especially long distance runs, like more than an hour of running or maybe 10kms. or more. wearing loose garments causes chafing and this is really nasty. in fact, even wearing my sports undergarment which i think is snug enough still caused me blisters and eventually left marks on my skin. i have many other chafing experiences but now, thanks to anti-blister sticks you can get from running stores. wear a more tight fitting but comfortable shorts, or capri pants for ladies, and you’ll go a long way.

5. lastly, and not the least important, invest in a really good pair of running shoes. my dude friend was wearing basketball shoes to run.. i always say this to my friends who think they want to begin running.. well, i’ve experienced the same surprise finding out that not any shoes with rubber soles are good for running.. yes, you would wonder why is it that going to the sports goods store you will see an array of rubber shoes with different styles, shapes, types, etc.. each one of those is made especially for a particular sport and just so you know, there are high arched feet, flat feet, pronated, over pronated, etc etc.. . better yet, i suggest for you to go to a running goods store. sometimes sales people from department stores cannot give good advice about what shoes for what type of feet. you don’t really need to be so particular for now until you get serious about it, for as long as you know there is good cushioning, good support, and it’s for running, then that’s the one for you! remember what happens to your feet affects the whole body, believe it or not.

so there, i have too much to say for too few tips… but we all learn by trial and error, hopefully not a serious error… but what i have shared are just the basics.. i still have lots to learn.. for now,, just go do it, running is a fun sport and learn more about it as you go. run happy!

M.

condemnable!

Monday morning, i got up early at 6:30 to catch the online live streaming of the BOSTON MARATHON happening on April 15th, but it seemed that the live coverage was blocked in British Columbia or probably i just missed finding the correct link for it so i went to turn the tv set on to see what’s been happening.. so far, it was still peaceful, the gunstart had already been fired, runners were off to run the anticipated race of their lives…

when my husband was home by noontime, he saw the headlines in the online news that said “Boston Marathon explosion” and he asked me what was it all about.. busy in my kitchen, i shrugged and told him, oh, perhaps they had a “BURSTING” of excitement because of the occasion… he said, “no, there WAS an explosion”

WHAAT??? I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT!!! it WAS a bomb explosion!! it was terrible and horrifying.

i put myself in that situation, one feeling elated over crossing the finish line, and everything that came with it, from the preparation, the excitement, the discussion among friends where to meet, where to celebrate, the image of my loved one smiling as he waited for me at the finish line, the looking forward to just having plain fun time, not thinking about any cares in the world just for one glorious, sunny day… and BOOM! it all changed… it was a sad day after all…

my prayers are for all, all innocent lives hurt by this condemnable thing, for families of those who lost their lives, for those merely watching, including myself, who in one way or another, have been hurt emotionally by this incident…. and to whoever thought of doing this heinous thing, you may not know this, but, God is just, He will pay back trouble to those who create trouble (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Peace unto the world.

M.

all psyched up!!

yes, that’s how i feel for my upcoming 2nd half marathon event, the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 05, barely 23 days left!!! i am super excited to run the course, beautiful Vancouver sceneries and all the music and entertainment they promised to have on that day… 

here`s a nice short video post by RunVancouver on youtube:

Last year, i had a month before the race day when i finally decided to register for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, there was only 4 weeks of training but still gave me good finish time, not bad for a first time half marathon runner.

now, there is ample time to prepare myself because i signed up since December (few minutes before they upped the registration fees), that means 4 months of training as compared with the 4 weeks i had last year. my weekly 2 short runs and one long run training plan became a bit easy (ahem) for me, that i feel i am all ready and anxious for the day to come.. woot woot!!! hehe..

reached my targeted pace of 6 mins per km yesterday

well, there’s one reason i have to make good my run this time. you see, i will be traveling for a vacation to see my family back home and have delayed my flight because of this event, missing my beloved niece’s university graduation last April 02 (guilty)… i have thought of this as my motivation to really give my all so that everything will make sense.

i dedicated my long run last Saturday to two of my friends, one was Blynn, who was celebrating her birthday, for being my only running buddy here in B.C., and the other to my high school batchmate, who will be undergoing chemotherapy after having surgery last March, hoping and praying for her complete healing.

and how does my running relate to these? sometime in the past, my mother used to tease me that i quit so easily, in fact, i was diagnosed to have the affliction called “quit-itis” (sounds like hepa-titis). running to reach my goal gave me confidence and thinking about some of my friends, who have their own struggles, kept me motivated to just go, as running is much easier than what they may be going through.. running may just give me physical pain, while they could have deeper kinds of pain.

so, now i feel everything is complete, from my motivation and training, i am physically, mentally, spiritually, ready to run and finish my race… and the Lord runs with me..

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.“ -Ephesians 3:20-23

M.