Lots of updates!

Goodness gracious, I have been so lazy about updating lately!! I have had a crazy few weeks with finishing up my first semester of nursing school, going home for a few days to visit family, and working 4 jobs since my return! I have been incredibly busy but I have still managed to stay somewhat on track with my training. Scott left last week and since he has been gone I've been SO discouraged. I got spoiled by having someone to run with all the time, and now I'm so unsure of how to approach being alone. Thankfully I only have about another two weeks of being alone, but they will be tough ones! I called Scott last week almost in tears with how discouraged I was, and I came so close to throwing the towel in on training.

Basically I was supposed to be running 6 miles for my long runs for the past three weeks, but it was SO hard and this week was actually the first week that I made it to the 6 miles. I'm still going to move forward to a 7 mile run next week, but I've learned a new strategy for planning my routes. I cry almost every time I have to stop because of a difficult hill, so I have decided to use what I know from driving around town and my previous runs to construct routes that minimize uphill running and maximize flat and downhill areas. This is fairly simple for the most part, as I just need to reverse the direction that I typically run in when I encounter the huge hills. There are some areas that I have forever sworn off for running due to the fact that they have huge hills going in both directions. It may seem like I'm taking the easy way out, but after two weeks of stopping in the middle of runs and walking home in tears, I just need to be smart to get myself through this half marathon. In Wilmington the land will be completely flat, so I want to train in an environment similar to that. Why stress myself out unnecessarily?

In any case, I am almost halfway there in distance, and I am definitely halfway there in my training time... less than 3 months until my race! I am still so thankful for God putting so many wonderful and uplifting people in my life for this process. Most of my friends from home will be running in this race so I think that it's going to be incredibly encouraging. Also, one of my good friends who has been training in Wilmington will be back here in just a few weeks when classes start, so we have agreed to be running buddies.

I have been so lazy in my quiet times lately and have not spent a lot of time with God, but I know that He is still working in me and that I will make it through this half marathon because of His mighty power and grace. I am still in disbelief that I couldn't even run a mile back in April and here I am a few months later running 6. Faith can take you a long way in life, and it has definitely taken me farther than I ever could have imagined. Never doubt yourself, and certainly never doubt the power of our God. He is mighty and awesome in everything that He does, and He can carry you through the most seemingly impossible tasks.

As Paul often says in the New Testament,

grace and peace.

13 weeks to go... and without a DOUBT in my mind.. I WILL see you at the finish! No turning back at this point :) I'm committed with my whole heart, body, and mind.