Walking Again

My friend Karen and I have started walking again. We took the month of May off and now are trying to walk three mornings a week. We meet at Wal-Mart and if it's hot like it was last week, we walk inside in the air conditioning. If it's cooler like it was this morning, we walk out in the parking lot. Today we walked around Wal-Mart's parking lot and then headed down past Kohl's and then went further on and walked around Menard's parking lot. It was a beautiful morning and I was grateful to be back getting some more exercise in my life.
I have also found that walking is kind of like therapy for me. While I'm not much of a morning person and really don't like to exercise, however, I like having a walking partner because Karen and I can share what's going on in our lives. Sometimes we talk about a movie we saw the night before on Netflix or about something at work. Sometimes we share what's going on in our families. We never seem to run out of things to talk about.
I do feel better when I walk. I feel better from getting the blood flowing through my body a little faster. I also think it helps me to feel better about myself when I get up and moving in the morning. I think it also helps me to have a better day at work. I am not sure why, but it feels like days that start with walking are days on which I have a better attitude and more energy. While today was a typical Monday with all of the craziness that is Habitat, I found myself feeling grateful for starting the day out walking. While I still sometimes grumble about it, I know it's good for me and I know that it helps prepare me for the day.
So, tonight, I'm grateful for the gift that is walking in my life. I'm grateful for my friend Karen who chooses to get out of bed and be my walking partner. I am grateful for cool mornings to walk.
I am also thankful that tomorrow morning is a non-walking day for me and I will get to sleep in. I cherish these mornings as well and the rest that I experience that helps me get through the day.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

First Day Back to Work

Today was my first day back at work after walking the half-marathon. It felt like a long day. The stack of stuff on my desk seems like it's a mile high. I am grateful to my co-workers for all of their encouragement along this journey. It was a real treat for me to show them my medal today.
My foot is still sore but I think it's getting better. I was really tired today but tried to keep moving. I came home and took a nap and now I'm not long from bed. Hopefully tomorrow I will have a bit more energy. I have my last writing class tomorrow night and want to be ready for that.
Well, I'm not long from bed. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Lessons Learned

I'm really tired and sore today but it's a good tired. I also know that I am sore because I accomplished a huge thing in my life. Yesterday I walked the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. I still can't believe it but I really did it.
As I've been reflecting on my experience, I have been thinking about the lessons that I learned throughout this entire process. So, I thought I would share with out some of the things that I learned.

Every Journey Begins with the First Step - This journey for me began last December. My sister Stacey sent out an email encouraging me to sign up to walk in the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. At first, I thought she was crazy. I think I just let the email sit in my inbox for a few weeks. However, I kept thinking about it. On the last day of the early bird registration fee, I decided to go ahead and do it. I had no idea really what I was doing but I decided this is something I wanted to do and really needed to do. It was going to be good for me. So, I took the first step and it forever changed the last four months of my life. Every important thing that I have done in my life began with a first step.

Pain Is a Part of Life - I have experienced new levels of pain in my training and in walking the marathon. My back hurt. My legs hurt. My head hurt. My knees hurt. My feet hurt. Today I'm nursing a blister on the bottom of my foot. The wet weather yesterday didn't help matters. However, what I learned is that you can push past the pain. It's still there. It reminds you of your humanness. However, it doesn't have to defeat you. I nearly had an anxiety attack on Saturday night thinking about the painful big blisters that were going to form on my feet. I also wondered if I was ever going to walk again after I stopped and tried to get out of my parents' truck after the ride home. I was so stiff and in a lot of pain. However, I rested and it is better. What I'm left with in spite of the pain is a huge sense of accomplishment. We all walk around with some kind of pain - emotional, physical, psychological. What we do with that pain makes all the difference in our journey of life and faith.

It's Better If You Don't Have to Make the Journey Alone - I thank God for my friend Karen's willingness to walk with me. Through our training, she held me accountable and helped me to stay motivated. When we were walking and we didn't know if we were going to make it, we lifted one another up. I don't know if I would have been able to do this on my own. The same is true in my life. I am an introvert and I need a lot of alone time to recharge my batteries; however, I cannot mistake my need for alone time as a license to be a social hermit. I need other people to encourage me, love me when I'm not very lovable, and laugh with me. While sometimes you need to walk alone to have time to reflect, having companions can really make a huge difference.

It's Vital to Have Encouragement Along the Way - One of the best things about walking in the Flying Pig Marathon are the different groups who encourage you along the way. There were high school cheerleaders, barber shop quartet groups, Gospel groups, rock bands, and even an Elvis impersonator. I think I most enjoyed the groups of people who just stood in a group and cheered for us and shouted words of encouragement. They told us that we could do it. They told us we were doing a good job. They clapped and whooped and hollered. Then at the end of the marathon, my parents, my nephew Cameron, and my sister Stacey were cheering us on to the finish line while they held up posters with our names on them. It was what I hope heaven will be like. I imagine all of the saints and those who have gone before me in the faith cheering me into the presence of God. Each cheer, each word of encouragement helped me to keep moving forward just as in all of life.

What You Wear Can Make a Huge Difference - I heard on the new last night that a man tried to run in the marathon completely nude. The reporter said that he ran the first mile before he was arrested. Thankfully for everyone involved, I didn't try this. However, I did get some new walking clothes. I got a new shirt that wouldn't soak up the water and keep me cool. I also got a new part of athletic pants. They were were also helpful at keeping me dry. I even got a new pair of special underwear for athletes. I didn't know there was such a thing but they seemed to make a difference. Life can be like this as well. If I would have worn my usual cotton T-shirt and sweat pants they would have been soaked and heavy I would not have been comfortable. My new sports outfit helped me to finish the race and keep me as comfortable as possible.

It's Okay to Take a Break and Rest - I took a vacation day today from work just to rest. I relaxed and rested. I knew that I would need time to recover. I've got a ton of work to do but I knew that I needed time to rest. While I sometimes feel guilty about taking time for myself, it's really important to do. In fact, when I don't take time to rest and relax, I get really grouchy and can't really give my best to the other parts of my life. God rested on the seventh day and gave us the Sabbath to rest and renew. In our 24/7 world, this is hard to remember. However, rest allows us to have the energy to work and produce and make a difference in the world.

Well, I'm sure there are many other lessons I learned; however, I'm not long from bed. I am still tired and it's going to be a long week of work.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

13.1 Miles

I did it! I finished the Flying Pig Half-Marathon in Cincinnati this morning. I can't believe it. I walked 13.1 miles! I don't think I've ever done that before.
I'm giving thanks to God even as I soak my feet. It was a good day and a major accomplishment in my life. More later.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Big Day Tomorrow

I ask for your prayers for me tomorrow. Tomorrow I am going to attempt to walk the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. We had a fun evening of carbo-loading this evening. Now, I just want to get a good night's sleep. I am going to do my best. This is the day I've been training for. I will most definitely need prayers and God's grace to make it.
Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Off to the Races

As the time gets closer to walking the half-marathon on Sunday, I am feeling really tired and stressed. I'm not sure what's going on with me. I want to be at my best. I want to give the marathon my best. I am taking tomorrow off and hopefully will have an opportunity to rest. However, I am going tomorrow morning with my brother-in-law Rob and his friend to an abandoned storage unit auction. Rob and I are thinking about bidding on a storage unit or two and then you get whatever is in the unit. They don't allow you to go through the stuff before the auction. They open the door and basically you have to bid on the stuff without really looking at it closely. I guess there is a reality show based on people who do this called storage wars. I am thinking about working with Rob to sell stuff on eBay and Craig's List. I'm not completely convinced of this but I am intrigued.
Later in the day my friend Karen, my sister Stacey, and my brother-in-law Rob are going downtown to pick up our marathon registration stuff. Supposedly we are going to get all kinds of free stuff from the marathon sponsors. I am looking forward to that.
Saturday my Mom is making a big pasta dinner for everyone. We plan to carbo-load before the marathon. I am really looking forward to that.
The weather is not looking good for the marathon. It is almost certain to rain. I am questioning if I really want to walk in the rain. Last year my sister Stacey walked in the rain and she got huge blisters on her feet and had to go to the doctor. I don't want to get blisters and I really don't like to be out in the rain. All of my co-workers were encouraging me today to go ahead. I don't really want to walk in the rain but I also don't want all of this training to be for nothing. So, I think I'm in no matter what. I am really glad I took a vacation day on Monday to recover.
I will keep you informed as the weekend progresses. I certainly welcome your prayers. I'm sure it's going to be interesting. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Rainy Day

It's been a rainy day here in the Cincinnati area. It's actually been a rainy week. It seems like the monsoon season has hit Cincinnati. The rain meant that my friend Karen and I walked at the mall this morning. We walked six miles which seemed easy after last week's twelve miles. The rain also meant that I have had terrible sinus problems all day. I am not long from bed because I am really not feeling well.
I went over to my sister Stacey's house this evening for dinner. My sister Shelly and nephew Michael are in town. Tomorrow we are getting together for Easter dinner.
That's all for now. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Much Needed Break

I'm taking a much needed break from work. I have today, tomorrow and Monday off work. I am grateful for some down time. I really hope to work on my writing. I also want to do some reading and maybe take in a movie. My sister Shelly and nephew Michael are headed to Cincinnati tomorrow. We will all be together for Easter dinner.
I am also in the home stretch in training for the half-marathon. I think we are supposed to walk six miles on Saturday and then just next Tuesday and Thursday and then we walk the marathon. I can't believe it's going to happen. I hope I survive.
I hope you are experiencing a blessed Holy Week. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Lots of Sleep

I wrote yesterday that I was pooped from all my walking. I must have been really, really pooped because I took a three hour nap in the afternoon and then slept about ten hours last night. I did wake up feeling rested but I'm still sore from walking.
I guess I needed all of that sleep to recover from the walking. I am grateful I took the day after the marathon off as a vacation day. I will definitely need it to recover.
I've got a short work week but two long days ahead of me. I have the last in our series of Partner Family classes tomorrow night in Clermont County, Ohio. On Wednesday I have my writing class. I still need to finish up my home work assignment for class. I guess I had better get busy doing it.
I'm taking Thursday as a vacation day and Friday is a holiday for our office. My sister Shelly and nephew Michael are coming up from Tennessee for the weekend. So, it's going to be a busy few days.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Twelve Miles

Well, my friend Karen and I planned to walk 13 miles today but we came up short. We were both pretty tired and had circled around back near her home. Karen suggested that we stop at twelve and I didn't argue with her.
I am sore and very tired. I took a three hour nap this afternoon. I wish we would have walked the full thirteen just so I know that I can do it but I am hoping that the adrenaline of the day of the marathon will push us on towards the finish line.
While I am grateful that I am doing this half-marathon, I am ready for this training period to be over. It seems to consume my life. Not that I have much of a life but on the days that we walk long distances, I am not good for much of anything. I am glad that I have a vacation on the day after walking the half marathon.
I have read about and heard others talk about the endorphin high they get from exercise. I must be made differently. I thought that doing all of this exercise in training for the half marathon would get me into better shape and help me to like to exercise more. However, the entire time we were walking today I kept thinking about getting back home and laying down. Evidently my body produces no endorphins and is immune to the benefits of exercise. I am as fat as ever and I feel terrible. I still think I am not up to full speed after being sick a few weeks ago.
I'm grateful that next weekend we only have to walk six miles. I'm also grateful we only have two more weeks until the half-marathon. I'm pooped.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Beautiful Day to Walk

My friend Karen and I decided to walk after work today. I was really kind of tired and just wanted to go home. I have been really pooped since I was sick. However, I am so glad that I took the time to walk today. We walked on the bike/walking path that we walked on several weeks ago. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the low 70's. Any hotter and I can't stand it but this was great. The path winds through woods, along fields, under roads, and over streams. It was wonderful.
Karen and I are hoping to walk thirteen miles over the weekend. We were supposed to walk that far last weekend but I was not ready after being sick. I hope I am feeling up to in this weekend. It's hard to believe that it's almost time to walk the half marathon. Time has really flown by. I am ever grateful that I decided to do this. It is going to be one of the great accomplishments of my life.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

An Evening with Cameron

I'm sitting for my nephew Cameron this evening. I thought we might be watching episodes of iCarly but instead he has a new game for his XBox called Kinect. It makes it so you can play more active games like the Wii games. However, you don't have to hold a controller in your hand. Somehow it shoots lasers or something at you and senses your movement. Then the avatar on the screen moves as you do. It's really something to see. Of course I felt a bit like I was being checked out in a grocery store scanner. The wildest thing is that it takes photos of you while you are playing the game and then flashes them up on the screen when the game is over. Usually it's a photo of you waving your hands or crouching down in some strange position. I was not very good at it. Cameron yelled at me the whole time and told me that I wasn't really trying very hard.
I was thankful that his friend Sam came over to the house and played with him for most of the evening. If had to play Kinect the whole time I would probably need to be hospitalized. However, I almost did have to be hospitalized when we went to McDonald's for dinner. I knew that's where Cameron and Sam would want to go. I should have realized that on a Saturday night the play area would be filled with screaming children and it was. I just sat there in a daze wondering how many bacteria I was picking up by just being in the room. I also wondered when the last time several of the children had washed their hands. They looked sticky and several of them were coughing.
All in all, it's been a good evening. Cameron is quieting down now since his friend Sam went home. He wants to try to stay up until his parents come home. We'll see how that goes. He does not want to seem to want to take a shower. I guess that's normal for a seven year old boy.
My friend Karen and I got back into our walking groove today. We only walked five miles but it was okay. I was worried about being tired and out of shape. I did fine. I think we will try to walk thirteen miles next Saturday.
I hope you are having a great weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Closing

We closed on a house today with a Habitat Partner Family in Northern Kentucky. It was a great day of celebration for this family who has been waiting for a long time. They have worked hard, finished all of their sweat equity hours, and were hoping to be in their house long ago. However, construction delays and the harsh winter weather we had this past season hindered completion of this house.
I've felt bad for this family. I wished I could have hurried the process along. I wished I could have waved a magic wand and caused their house to be finished. However, all I could do is wait along with them and hope for the weather to break and everything to get done.
I found great satisfaction as I watched them sign their closing documents. I knew I was witnessing and miracle and an answer to many prayers. I knew that God was up to something good in this moment. While the wait was not fun, it most certainly was worth it.
It's been a long week and I am really tired. I am still wiped out after being sick. I continue to produce tons of snot and I'm tired of blowing my nose. My friend Karen plan to walk tomorrow. I am hoping I will make it. It's been two weeks since I last walked.
Tomorrow evening I am going to sit for my nephew Cameron. His parents are going out for the evening. I'm not sure what Cameron has in store for me. It should be interesting.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Eleven Miles

My friend Karen and I walked eleven miles today. It was such a good feeling to accomplish this goal. We did pretty well on our pace. We were able to finish in a little over three hours. We were moving along at a pretty good pace. I continue to be amazed that I am actually doing this. This journey towards walking the half-marathon has been truly a miracle in my life. While I was really tired after today's walk, it was a good tired. It meant that I am on my way to completing the marathon.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Hunting Trolls

I had a nice dinner at my sister Stacey's house tonight. It started out just being my sister, her husband Rob and myself. My nephew Cameron was playing at a friend's house. About half way through dinner, Rob got a call from mother of Cameron's friend. She told Rob that Cameron wanted to come home for dinner because his mom had made corned beef and cabbage and his Uncle Kevin was at his house. Cameron asked his friend's mother to call because he and his friend were busy hunting trolls in the back yard.
So, Rob went to pick up Cameron and brought him back home. It was good to see him. He gets taller every time I see him. He also had a kind of Mohawk looking haircut which I had not seen before. Cameron ate with us and then began getting his bag packed because he was going back over to his friend's home to spend the night.
Cameron asked Stacey what kind of weapons he could use to hunt for trolls with his friend. Stacey suggested his cross bow or toy gun that both shoot marshmallows. Cameron rejected these ideas. He wanted to take a knife. Stacey then suggested he take one of his toy swords. Cameron also rejected this. I think he wanted to take a real knife from the kitchen.
I suggested that maybe trolls were allergic to petroleum products. I meant like oil. Stacey asked me if I was referring to Vaseline. I hadn't thought of that but it would probably be good. I then suggested smearing cucumber melon lotion on a troll might work. I thought that they might be repelled by the smell of cucumbers. Cameron also rejected my ideas.
Cameron then asked Rob and immediately Rob said that trolls have very thick skin and that Cameron would not be able to use a knife to kill them. I'm not sure where he got this information from but it sounded convincing to me. It also seemed to convince Cameron. Rob went on to say that the best way to kill a troll was with blunt force trauma. Again, I have no idea where he gets this stuff. So Rob suggested that Cameron take his mini wooden baseball bats with him. So, Cameron grabbed them from the closet and went off to his friend's house to hunt for trolls.
It really is amazing what you learn when you're with a seven year old.
My friend Karen and I walked nine miles. I misread the schedule and we are backing down on distance and I think next week we walk eleven miles. I brought Gatorade and some trail mix with me and this made a huge difference. We also ended up walking at the mall because it was pretty cold this morning.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Break in the Weather

I think that for only the second time since we have been training for walking the half-marathon, my friend Karen and I will be able to walk outside tomorrow morning. We are supposed to walk nine miles tomorrow. It seems like winter has lingered on here or when it's warmed up, it's been raining. So, we are hoping to get outside tomorrow morning and walk a different route. It will be a nice change of scenery from the mall we've been walking in the past three Saturdays.
I continue to experience more than just exercise as I walk. It's good for me to have a walking partner to hold me accountable. It is also been a very good discipline for me. I need to be more disciplined in my food intake. I have failed miserably in this area. I guess I need to work on one thing at a time.
Most of all, I do feel better. I seem to be sleeping better and have more energy. I know that I could drop some weight I would really feel better. I ask for your prayers for this. I don't seem to have the will power on my own. I definitely need to lean on God for this.
I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

Busy Day

Today was busy day for me. It started out very quiet at work. In fact, I was the only one in the office for about the first hour. There were only three of us in the office today. I went to Northern Kentucky for a meeting with a family in Newport, Kentucky. They got to choose their carpeting, siding, shingles, etc. On the drive back, I saw a lot of people drinking and wearing green for St. Patrick's Day at an Irish Pub in Newport. I then came back to the office and worked on preparing a report for our Family Services Committee to review. I am hoping to be able to get another family approved for our home ownership program in the next few weeks.
Tomorrow looks to be a busy day as well. I'm heading out of town on Monday and so I need to wrap up a bunch of stuff before I leave. I am really excited because next week I will be in Atlanta for the national Habitat for Humanity Conference. I've been to state conferences before but never the national conference. I am looking forward to attending the many workshops and learning from leaders from around the country.
I've also got a busy weekend ahead of me. I'm going with my family to a Christian concert tomorrow night. On Saturday, Karen and I plan to walk eleven miles. After that, I've got to do laundry and pack for the trip to Atlanta.
It's going to be a busy few days. Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Ten Miles

Today my friend Karen and I walked ten miles in preparation for walking the half-marathon. I must admit that this week really was hard for me. I am really tired. I resisted taking a nap though because I want to sleep through the night and not get even more messed up in my sleep pattern due to day light savings time.
While I do feel physically exhausted, I also feel grateful that I was able to walk ten miles. I honestly didn't know if I could do this. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment. I can only begin to imagine what it will feel like to complete the half-marathon.
I know that I am going to have to do something a bit different next week when we attempt to walk eleven miles. I was really wiped out at about nine miles and I could feel that my energy level and blood sugar level had dropped. I ate before we walked but it didn't help me get through the whole ten miles. The last mile was especially difficult for me. I think I am going to need to bring a sports drink or some kind of snack with me next Saturday.
I ask for your continued prayers as I go through this training period. I also ask for your prayers for better results with my weight loss. I continue to be stuck in this area. I have been gorging like a hog and I need to stop it and get control of my food intake.
Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my journey!

9.2

Saturdays are always the days that I walk the longest each week in my preparation for walking the half-marathon. Today was no exception. It has rained most of the day today and it was raining pretty hard this morning. So, my friend Karen and I decided to walk at the mall again. We walked 9.2 miles. We probably walked a little bit more because we had to walk out to our cars in the parking lot but Karen didn't record that distance on her pedometer.
When I think about it, I can't believe that I walked this far. While I was kind of sweaty when we were done, I didn't feel to bad. I actually felt energized. I think there might be something to this whole exercise thing. Who knew? (besides the doctors, fitness gurus, and every diet book I've ever read)
According to our training schedule we were only supposed to walk six miles after walking eight miles last week. However, Karen suggested that we increase each week until we get to thirteen miles which is how long the half-marathon is. So, I guess we are going to stick to that plan.
I am really thankful that I decided to walk this half-marathon. It is really teaching me some things about myself. I didn't know if I could really do it but I seem to be doing it. I still wish I would see better results in my weight loss. I don't seem to be disciplined in eating habits. I guess I'll have to focus on one thing at a time. I would still appreciate your prayers about this.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Creative Writing Class

I had another wonderful creative writing class tonight. There's only one more session and then it will be done. This has been a very different course than the first one. I have enjoyed immensely. There is one more class in this series. The next class focuses on how to get a book published. I am very interested in that class.
I am really glad that tomorrow is Friday. I have not been feeling well this week. I seem to not have much energy and have not been sleeping well. I think it's the changing weather wreaking havoc on my sinuses.
Saturday will be another big walking day. I am hoping the weather will cooperate and we will be able to walk outside. Beyond that, I don't have much planned. I'm guessing that Netflix is in my future though.
I hope you have a great Friday. I'm headed to bed. It's been a long day.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!