2011. a synopsis in photos and bullet points.

• Dad came home to ATL
• Car paid off
• Credit Cards paid off
• Turned 26 (went to Helen to "shoot the Hooch" with my roommate Jessica)
• Took part in Sarah's wedding
• Travel to Seattle, Oklahoma (2x), Orlando, Portland, Chicago, Florence (SC), Muncie (IN), Louisville, Denver (also Colorado Springs & Fort Collins), Richmond (VA),  & NYC
• Met Trent through my dear friends, the Norman's.  Emails, phone calls, texts, skype conversations, g-chats, hand written letters, and a few treasured visits.  What a man. So thankful for Him.  #James1:16and17
• Christmas- Dad helped pick out and set up my tree/Trent helped me take it down.
• I'm more aware than ever that my understanding of the gospel is opposed by the enemy of souls (John 10:10, 1Peter 5:8)
• took 9 of 12 months of 2011 to read Knowing God by TI Packer.  Whoa.  What a great book.  One of those I could read over and over again in my lifetime.
• I had a list of goals for 2011...of which only half came to completion.  Namely the financial ones (God is soooooo good.  Also, let me just take the time right now to record that a few years ago as  I was waking up to the seriousness of my debt, I told God that I would pay it off and then, I would be open to wherever/whatever He had for me.  The very morning in June that I made my last card payment, Trent had emailed me.)
• Spent my summer Mondays with my sister Cameron, who is growing up so quickly
• Attended probably about 10 different Braves games.
• 1:04 in the Peachtree and 2:20 in the Publix GA half marathon (FKA the ING half marathon)

And now, ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure...

Sarah's wedding rehearsal

Abby's "Peanut" and I doing the scrunchy face

Braves game!

26 years old. 'Bout to 'shoot the hooch'

Beautiful sky over Midown!

Disney World!

Crater Lake Nat'l Park with Maura

Jonathan and Leslee got hitched!

a bullet'd update post.

Ok, I'm home sick after a fantastic thanksgiving trip to Oklahoma to see my family.  It's not debilitating illness, but enough to keep me home from work (pretty sure it's contagious), and I'm thankful to spend a day at home on the couch recovering...and for those windows of time when I get to breathe through my nose....like right now.  ahhhhhh.  Here we go with an update- bullet style.

• Denver was good.  I've come to call Trent's friends, Jonny and Shannon, my own.  Their community exhibits a refreshing amount of candor, and we consistently asked one another, "How's your heart doing?" We were quick to pray for one another and offer words of encouragement.  Coming home from Denver was difficult, as the next time when Trent and I would see one another next was unknown at the time.   
• Going to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving was not something I had anticipated.  When I expressed the possibility to Mallory, her excitement made it impossible for me to refuse.  So, I was able to find a flight.  
• On this note, I think I should share how thankful that I switched over my finances a few months ago to a credit card, which allows me to earn travel points.  If you had told me that I'd be doing this last year, I would have slapped you.  Shortly after Trent and I started dating, I considered it for a couple of weeks...and now looking back, I can say that I'm SO glad that I did!  I'm almost to a free flight, and it's much easier than using cash to keep track of spending (mint.com).
• I do feel like I should put a disclaimer at this point.  Credit cards can be very dangerous.  I'm being vigilant over my spending, and making sure that I pay my balance each month.  The last place I want to go is back into consumer debt, especially after getting out of it earlier this year.
• I've also taken a trip with Joel to Richmond, VA to hang out with Jonathan and Leslee, who got married in September.  I really liked Richmond for the following three reasons-
• Joel, Jonathan, and I ran races on Saturday morning.  I ran the 8k and J&J the half marathon.  The awesome part was how gloriously flat the course was...and the giant downhill at the end.  
• The architecture of the buildings and homes.  Richmond is so charming.
• Jonathan and Leslee were GENIUSES in choosing an apartment right across the street from the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.  It's free. I went there 3 times in 4 days.  There was so much more in the museum that I didn't get to see.  I just love art museums.    
• I feel like so much else has happened in the past month which I've skipped over...which I'm ok with right now.  I will share with you one thing which I feel that the Lord has said to me over and over recently- "I want all of you."  
• I had a particularly hard weekend a few weeks ago, and consequently spent the majority of a Sunday afternoon pouring over old journals, trying to find some kind of anecdote to help myself feel better.  Looking back now, I see that I was looking for something other than the Lord.  
• Matthew 11:28-30 has taken on whole new meaning these past few weeks.   All that He asks is that we simply Come.

running chronicles // Peachtree RR 2011

Atlanta's famed Peachtree Road Race took place this past Monday morning in historic fashion.  Up until this year the cap was set at 55,000 runners.  In 2011, it was set at 60,000.  It is the largest 10k in the world.  This was my second year running in it.  While it was almost unbearably hot, I really enjoyed it.  It's like a big 6.2 mile party!  I trained for a couple of months in prepartion for the race, and learned a few things in the process. 

1. I can run in the morning!  I used to despise morning runs. I've learned this time around that I CAN and actually enjoy running in the mornings.  While it can be considerably more humid, the temps are much more merciful!

2. It is wise and good to plan my long run routes with a pit stop somewhere in the middle (e.g. gas station where I can buy some kind of sports bev.)

3.  If you've been a runner for any period of time, you might have heard others raving about those technical socks that "are SO worth the thirteen fourteen bucks!"  It is true that on any run longer than 5 miles, it's very easy to get blisters (sweaty feet + cotton + friction = painful blisters).  I find it absurd to spend that amount of dollars on socks, so I've learned a very cost-effective solution to this.  Layer your socks!   On my long runs I've been wearing a thin pair of socks underneath my normal running [non-technical] socks.  Works like a dream!

4. An Ipod shuffle taken on a long slow run (7+ miles) is priceless -thanks to my sibs for that one!.

I ran the Peachtree this year in 1:04:25.  While it wasn't under an hour like I had hoped, I was satisfied, as it was a tie for my 10k PR (my time included about a 1 min potty break, so really I ran it in about 1h3m!).  I am confident that I can break that glass ceiling this fall.

One last thing.  I think I learned about runner Ryan Hall through Runner's World.  He's ridiculously fast (ran the Boston Marathon in 2:04 this year, fastest ever by an American) and He's a Christ follower, which he is very vocal about (see here and here).  He's definitely an inspiration to me as a Christian who happens to be a runner.  I saw on twitter last week that he would be competing in the Peachtree (also the USA Men's 10k championship) and I prayed that I would meet him.  Low and behold, he was at the Expo for the Race (#claustrophobia #swag) and I got to meet him!!  I was totally starstruck!!

xoxo,

running chronicles // body image

In the effort to post more often, and in addition to my 52 posts in 52 weeks, I'm also going to start posting a feature called the 'running chronicles.'  It will be every other friday starting this week.  I'll try to focus on a different aspect of running with every post.  

Honest to goodness, I still feel like a novice at running, even though I've been running 3-4x weekly for over 2 years now.  There is still so much yet to learn.  I thought I'd kick this series off with a little post on body image.

A little while back my friend April was telling me about this girl (a friend of a friend who she met at a party or dinner or something) who was ranting and raving about why girls like running so much.  This girl insisted that girls run so they can become/stay skinny.  After further reflection on this thought (it didn't take much), my response to that would be "Duh!"    I will not deny that one of the reasons that I run is to feel good about my appearance.   I also run because it (usually) makes me feel like a million bucks!  It seems counterintuitive, but it seems that the more energy you expend running/working out, the more energy you have in general!

Now, I don't think I'll ever fit into a size 4.  I've been a size 8/10 since high school and it's taken awhile, but I'm fine with it now. 

Sometimes, when it seems that I'm surrounded by a sea of size zeros, twos, and fours (especially when they're eating chili cheese nachos and I'm snacking on some carrots), it's easy to feel bad about myself.  I think one of the battles that many women face is that which leads us to compare ourselves to one another, sizing ourselves up, and then obsessing over our own shortcomings ("My hair is too flat/oily/curly/poofy/etc"  "My stomach is too poochy"  "My eyes are too squinty" etc.).  I'll be the first to admit that sometimes in the car, when I'm wearing shorts, I'll look down at my legs and be unhappy with what I see...or sometimes I'll be sitting dpwn and feel the pooch of my belly (the 'bagel' as I like to call it) or my love handles protruding from their rightful places.

When you get down to the nitty gritty, the truth is that these thoughts provide a slippery slope to self centeredness and pride (the kind that causes us to look down on others when they don't measure up to our arbitrary standards).   I read an article in Women's Health earlier this spring about "Health Snobbery."  I am definitely a guilty party when it comes to making judgements about others' choices about their diet or exercise.  

It's truly a gift when you can wake up and feel good about how you look without worrying about comparing yourself to others, when you're truly comfortable in your own skin.  These are people that are encouraging to be around, who are able to forget themselves for more than just a moment at a time. They can give and receive compliments with much grace.  I can't say that I've fully gotten to this place yet, but I think by God's grace, I've traveled a long way in the right direction. 

Running is one of the things that I have come to love and I choose to see it as a gift (most days).  I have way more energy.  I have fewer cravings for unhealthy food. (note: I said fewer).  I generally feel better.   I have found it very helpful to make my diet full of heathful foods so that I fill up on those things rather than the foods that are bad for me.   For example, this morning for breakfast, I ate greek yogurt with granola and rasberries.  It was delicious, and rather than lamenting the number of calories or grams of fat, I know that the choice will help give me energy for my run later today. 

Finally, in the battle for a healthy body image, I will say that it's essential to remember what scripture says.  One of my favorite passages is Psalm 139.  The writer is David, and  part of his prayer is:

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body,
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it." (Psalm 139:13-14, emphasis mine)

Here are some more places to go:
Psalm 23:1; 45:11; 90:14;  Proverbs 31:30; Romans 12:1-2 (any other suggestions?)


There is SO much more that can be said about these things.  Books and magazines tackle this very subject.    What are your thoughts?

2 bullet points.

• The high temperature today was 90 degrees in Atlanta.  The training schedule said half mile repeats at increased pace.  I prepared for this by drinking water like it was my job all day long and by praying that I wouldn't die of heat stroke.    On my way home through the va highlands/druid hills, I saw dozens of people out running.  Either these people are dumb ("oh, it's 90 degrees, where are my running shoes?") or they are dedicated.  I'd like to think that fall into the latter category.

                                                                                  

• Question- I got the skirt above for a steal at an after-Christmas sale at  J Crew.  However, I've only found one top to pair it with- a long sleeve button up white shirt with some embellishment on the front.  Any ideas on how to transition this to the summer?  The lighting is poor in the picture, but the colors on it are black and tan. 

owned.

  Edit: Thanks to Jesus for breath in my lungs and strength/endurance in my muscles.  Although my time wasn't exactly what I'd hoped for, I am very satisfied with it.  I feel it was the most sustained effort in a race I've ever given.  I hit a "wall" in mile 12, but, thanks be to God for mental stamina gained through training and preparation.  I pushed through the exaustion and finished the race- and I sprinted the last 100 yards.  Also, Thanks to dear friends and family who came out to cheer me on.  Thanks to Publix and all race volunteers for making the event amazing.   I think I'll be doing this race for years to come. 

georgia half marathon: round 2

So, tomorrow morning at approximately 7am I will begin a 13.1 mile long journey.  I've been training since just after Christmas.   My goal is to finish in under 2h15m.   After every half marathon I've done (3), I've told myself "no more of these," and yet, here we are again.  There's something about that magic number of miles.  I guess I just can't stay away.  I'm rested up, hydrated, and carb-loaded.  My ibuprofen bottle, bandaids, number, banana, and shoes are all set out for my early departure.  

This morning I went to my church's women's brunch/bible study.  My friends prayed over me and the race tomorrow.   However, in light of some of the other needs brought to the table for prayer (death, surgery, miscarriage being among them), my plight seems so trivial. This caused me remember 2 things: a) be grateful for the thoughts, prayers, and support extended by friends and family and b) to return to the question of what role does running play in my life...especially if I am to be seeking after God's kingdom (Matt 6:33).  

Last Sunday morning I ran in a 10k. I had 2 dear friends come out to cheer for me.  It's such a huge encouragement to have people out there cheering.  Tomorrow morning I have 3 or 4 friends coming out to cheer me on.   I am so excited by this!

While I am not sure about the role that running is to have in my life, I do know it has brought me to a deeper love of this city.  Also,  with running comes a level of fitness which requires me to be aware of the things I eat.  I feel this is an amazing way to care for my "temple" (Paul refers to his body as the Temple of the Holy Spirit -1Corinthians 6:19-20).   There are some shortfalls which I have discovered along the way, like my own insecurities about my body and self condemnation over "sub par" times.   These are shortcomings which lead me to Jesus, who loves me and the "bagel" around my belly button (read: my dad says that 6 pack abs are not in Oliver DNA) and He loves me if I finish in 2h15m or 2h45m.

exciting stops up ahead...

March 6- I'll be going to Georgia Tech's last basketball game EVER at Alexander Memorial Colessium (i.e. thriller dome...although I'm not sure how thrilling this team really is)

March 13- Sham Rock'nRoll 10k Peachtree qualifier with Jonathan!

March 20- Georgia Half Marathon! Sub 2:15 or bust!  (ok, can anyone tell me what 'or bust' really means or where it came from?)

March 28- My DAD starts driving HOME to Atlanta from Seattle!!
(I found out he was moving back 2 weeks ago today when I was babysitting.  The younger of the two boys, Joey, was telling me something when my phone rang.   I looked and saw that it was my dad, I tried my best to politely hush Joey so I could answer the phone- as I was expecting the news- but failed, and the call went to voicemail.  The voicemail went something like "I want you to be the first person that I tell that I just officially accepted a position in Atlanta!")

April 2- One of my best friends, Sarah, is getting married!  I'll be traveling to Tulsa for this.    After she gets married, she'll live in 'Lou-uh-vuhl,' which is only a 5 hour drive from Atlanta!  A 5 hour drive feels like nothing after spending so many hours in a car on my roadtrip last year.

April 8- Braves home opening game!

And in May, I'll be paying off my car! Praise Jesus!  I've been thinking about 'good things' lately.  I've been trying to remember that  God is the author of all good things.  This essay by CS Lewis illustrates this beautifully.   For example, yesterday on my run, I made an effort to recognize the good things. One of the most prominent to my status quo was the weather.  It's been beautiful outside lately and the temperature held at about 65 degrees for the entirety of my run.  

Also, thanks be to God!  I am finally moving forward with training at work!  I've been waiting almost 2 years for this and I'm so thankful that it's finally here.  This is coming after a minor scare involving a possible move to a regional lab in Augusta or Cleveland, GA.  The threat dissolved this week, thankfully.

I don't talk a lot about work on here, mostly because I don't feel at liberty to give too many details due to the nature of what I do.  I greatly enjoy my job and I enjoy my coworkers.  I've found in the past 2 1/2 years as a working woman that personally, I don't find a lot of identity in my job.  It's just what I do 40 hours a week.  It does not define me.  However, I understand that a LOT of people feel differently about what they do...that their whole identity is wrapped up in their profession.  I'll hold back on being critical of that particular way of thinking because I realize that the place where I naturally draw definition and stability is mostly in my relationships - with my roommates, my family, my friends, my coworkers.

   However, the truth is that I am in Christ, a new creation (2Cor.five:17).  That is the only place where I should draw my identity.

That is all.

runningrunningrunning

In the past week, I have learned that even in nasty weather, I'm going to have to run outside if I'm going to train well for the Georgia half marathon.  Last wednesday, the only day that it wasn't raining last week, I chickened out because of wind.

I read an article on runner's world about running when the mercury drops.  One tip was that even if it's ridiculous weather (cold and/or rainy), make yourself go outside for at least 5 minutes, and if it's terrible, you can turn around and go back inside.    I've been blessed to have amazing sunny 50+ degree sunday afternoons for long runs.   I hope and pray that this trend continues...and also for sunny 50+ degrees on race day.  That'd be fantastic. 

Another note is that during this training, I'm learning to push myself again.  My time goal for this half marathon (13.1 miles) is 2h15m.  My last time was 2h21m.    If I can run at just over a 10min/mile pace, I'm confident that this can happen.  However, my long runs so far have been hovering around 10:30min/mile pace, so I've got some work to do.  I rememeber 2 years ago when I first started running 4x/week to stay in shape, a 4 mile run was a huge feat for me.  These days, not so much.  I feel like I hit a plateau for a while.  Now, running 13.1 miles at a 10 minute pace will be a huge feat. 

I'm toying with the idea of a marathon later this year.  I plugged my data into the runner's world training plan maker extraordinaire (that last part was mine), and it told me that if I train from now until november, with proper speedwork and tempo workouts, I can run a marathon (that's 26.2 miles, people) at an 8:50 min/mile pace.    Seriously?  Now, it is a computer it does not know my body like I do, but I'm convinced that even 9 min/mile for a half marathon would be my max level.  Maybe I shouldn't place limits on myself like that.    

I was hugely encouraged last week when I started reading through Ryan Hall's website.  He's the current US half marathon champion, and more importantly, a believer in Jesus.  I've yet to figure out how to use my running time to focus on Jesus.  If I start praying when I am running, I am inevitably distracted by that huge hill coming up or my pace, you name it.   Any fellow runners out there who have suggestions?

"Bueno by any other name would taste as bueno."

So if you're from the south-midwest, you're probably familiar with Taco Bueno.  How could you go wrong with a name like that?  Yesterday on the way home, we stopped at what was probably the last Taco Bueno we would see.

On Sunday, I ran the OKC Memorial half marathon!  It was a good race.  The best part was the fans (i.e. my family!), followed by the flat course.  OKC was bursting with pride, as the Thunder (NBA team) had just won the past 2 playoff games against the Lakers! 

Unfortunately, both my ankles were unhappy with me before the race, and running 13.1 miles did not exactly suit their fancy.  I've been hobbling around since Sunday, hoping that a 3-week running hiatus will do my body some good!

It was oh-so-good to see and spend time with my family.  On that note, my sister Mallory will be coming to hang out in Atl for almost 2 whole weeks starting May 6! 

:::// EDIT \\\:::
food for thought-

a) theology based on country music.  what would that look like?

b) 'So you also should counsider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.'  (Romans 6:11)   What does 'alive to God' mean?    I'm pretty sure Mr. Merriam and Mr. Webster offer a solid definition of the word alive, but Paul choses to include 'to God' at the end of that.  What does that look like in real life?

i'm bad...

Ok, so remember this? I give you permission to kick me in the shin next time you see me (be gentle, please! bear in mind the subject of the accountability)

Some of my most ardent readers (ha) may recall that I wrote a few weeks ago about taking a wee little trip out to oklahoma at the end of april. I decided last week to go ahead and sign myself up for the dern OKC half marathon. Yes...I know. I had put my foot down. No more half marathons. But seriously, guys. The ING was so fun. It made the training all worth it.

So, April 22nd, after work, I'll be on the road again with Miss Jen (an OK native herself and an OSU cowboy!). It will be epic! It will be soooo good to the faces of my family members!

Easter was yesterday. It was a good morning. Last week I took some extra time to dive into Charles Spurgeon's passion week sermon series (so good!)- here's a little quotey quote.
"...I felt the burden of my sin...but the moment I saw there was nothing whatever for me to do, that Jesus did it long long ago, that all my sins were put on His back and that He suffered as I ought to have suffered, why then my heart had peace with God, peace by beleiving, peace through the precious blood...There is no motive for holiness so great as that which streams from the veins of Jesus." -Spurgeon in "The Precious Blood of Jesus"

It was a beautiful weekend to be outside. Also, the weekend brought with it some anxiousness, about which I was reminded over and over to leave it at the feet of Jesus.

With that in mind, here's another little quote from Spurgeon:
"Be thou perfectly content to leave the result of thy prayer in His hands, Who knows what to give and how to give and when to give and what to withhold. So pleading, earnestly, importunately, yet mingling with it humility and resignation, thou shalt yet prevail." -Spurgeon in "Gethsemene"

peace out.