Be a Quitter in 2021!

 

I had an awesome devotion this morning in my Run for God Devotions book and wanted to share a few things. All our lives we are told not to quit. You know that saying.. "winners never quit and quitters never win".... Well today my devotion was "Be a Quitter!" I had to look at it a couple of times to make sure I read it right. :>) Anyway, here are a few highlights and thoughts for 2021....

1. Quit being negative. Stop telling people how slow you run. Stop telling people you're not a real runner. Stop worrying about what other people think of your time. You run ... therefore, you rock! Be positive.
2. Quit thinking you can control everything!
3. Quit comparing yourself to others. Remember that what you see in others is their highlight reel. (this is one of my favs). You don't see what they don't want you to see. That person may be struggling as much or more than you, but they don't let you see that. Be content with what God has given you. You're one of a kind!
4. Quit being comfortable. This is another one of my favs.... Get outside of your boundaries. Try something new... Don't be scared of speed work. Give it a shot. You have little to lose and an awful lot to gain by getting uncomfortable sometimes.

Often people say the mountain is too hard to climb. but let me tell you that the view from top is amazing! And I'm not talking about literally climbing.... sometimes that mountain is yourself.... overcoming the worry, the stress, etc.   Once you do that view is amazing because you see yourself as God sees you!  

So as you set goals for 2021 be a quitter. :>) Let's jump into 2021 with a positive attitude. Start the year off on 1-1-21 with a short run or walk. It's a great way to kick off the year!  Typically there is a race in my hometown that I always do on New Years day, but due to COVID the race will not take place.  However, I will be running that morning!  Got to start the year off right! 😍

Psalm 119: 73-74 "Your hands have made me and fashioned me: Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments. Those who fear you will be glad when they see me, Because I have hoped in Your Word."

Trust that God has a plan, and he has you on track to fulfill his purpose for your life. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Recap of 2020 miles for me:

Bike   -  957.1 (only one official bike ride for the year..... most of the other miles were done on my Peloton.  So thankful for Peloton! They have inspired so many in the world during COVID.. just take a look at their stock!)

Run    -  961.5 (I wanted to hit 1,000 or more this year... but a few things sidelined me a couple weeks from running... I'm just happy I continued to train during COVID and didn't sit on my butt)

Swim   -   45.4 (the pool was closed for several months when COVID hit, so I'm happy with getting in some miles for the year.)

Total Miles in 2020 =  1,964

D

Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon - 12-13-20

 

Marathon #18 or if I count the 3 50Ks (ultra marathons), it was marathon #21 for me this past weekend.  I think I swore last year after the full that I would not do it again.  😅  I do LOVE the half, but the full to me is BORING.  Yes, you see the pretty sand and ocean, but there isn't any crowds cheering you.  Your aren't running through any neighborhoods and with COVID, there was just no real cheer support so that makes 26.2 miles in a headwind the whole time not so much fun to me!  I had only signed up for the full so I could do it with a friend of mine and cheer her on in hopes of helping her complete a marathon with a new PR.  Well, things didn't work out for her to do the marathon.  She backed down to the half.   And I can't blame it all on Krista 😀, due to the St. Jude marathon being canceled, I had said I would just run the coast as my virtual 26.2 miles for St. Jude kids.   And by then I had already told a group of ladies I train with in the PPRF (Peer Pressure Running Friends) group and convinced them to sign up.  Michelle got signed up, but the others waited a tad late and when they went to register the full was closed.  They were not taking any more runners for the full so they had to end up all doing the half.  😐  That's what I should have done, but I told Michelle I would run with her.  She doesn't mind running alone, but she likes to have friends to run with when doing a marathon. 😀  So we did it together.  

With my current spine issues I'm having, I knew I could only finish the distance by doing my jog/walk intervals.  Michelle was good with that so that was our plan.  We did stay right on course with that fairly good until around mile 18.   By then my nerve pain was so bad that I honestly wanted to cry at different times.  But y'all know me.  I don't quit.  I keep going.  So we changed the intervals and starting running the shorter one and walking the longer one and then we walked pretty much the last 2 miles.  I was so over it by then.  Not to mention I had to stop 4 times to go to the bathroom!!!  Nothing was working in my favor on Sunday.  I felt like I was running slow as molasses when we did run.  😢  It was just not a good day for me.  We finished in 6:03 FINALLY>   My watch said my moving time was like 5:41 so I lost 22 minutes with all the stops I made. 😔  The only thing positive was at around mile 20, Michelle ran in the gas station (the course is a straight shot down highway 90 from Pass Christian to Biloxi) while I stretched and she got us peanut butter cups!  Oh my gosh they were fabulous!!! 💓  I believe that gave me enough energy to finish those last miles!  THANK YOU MICHELLE!! 😍 and let me just tell you about the other girls... they had finished their half and they all came back at different spots and greeted us!  Frist it was Jessica and Misty around mile 22, then Anna showed up around mile 24, and then around mile 26 there was Felicia waiting on us!  They could have all showered and went on home, but they choose to come check on us and cheer us.  That's what I LOVE about my running buddies!  As Feleica says.... "Y'all are my people" 💓  We also had others that were not at the race checking on us.   Candy facetimed us.  Penny and Be texted us.   The PPRF group is just an amazing group of women that truly are there to support and cheer each other! 💕  I feel so blessed to be apart of that group! 🙏💞  I also had 2 of my good friends, Frank & Krista checking on me and praying for me during the race.  💖  I don't know what I'd do without them either! 

Here are some pics from our weekend:

At the hotel before the start... 

At the start line doing our social distancing.... check out JOE behind us! So glad we ran into him! AND he told us that we were going to be running straight into the wind the whole time and I hate to admit it... but dang he was so right! 😏  I also ran into three other friends at the start and wish I had grab a pic with them!  Brittany was doing her first full marathon and her mom was there to cheer her.  I was so happy to see them!  Robin was there doing the full for the 5th time.  She's from the coast and such an inspiration to me!  

the wind was a tad chilly ... notice the red noses... 

The sand snowman

Michelle with the sand snowman

This is new on the coast .. I want to go see the new Aquarium one day!

Felicia and Anna sent us their pic when they finished the half.

Jessica and Misty sent us their pic when they finished the half.

This SIGN!! AMEN!!

Oh  yeah.. Our stop!!

Finally we are on the ramp heading in!!! 

Feleica captured our pic!  Thank you Felicia! 

We grabbed a pic with her before we turned the corner and went on in to the finish line. 

I didn't see Krista until the night after the race.  We had dinner together to celebrate.  She ended up staying with one of her friends at a different hotel.  So proud of her for finishing the half!  

So glad that's done!!!  I did end up with 5 marathons in 2020 believe it or not!  I had 3 before Covid, 1 virtual in April after Covid shut everything down and then this one makes 5.   My goal was to have 2 more, but they were canceled.  I don't know what 2021 holds for me now that I've got a better understanding of what's going on with my back.  I had a new MRI done the end of November and the doctor called me on Thursday before the marathon to tell me that I have a "significant bulge" at T11-T12 and she wants me to see a surgeon.  I have an appointment with him on January 5.   So now it's a waiting game till then.  I'm honestly so over hurting.  I've complained about this one pain that I've had for over a year now and they finally decided to do a MRI to see what was wrong!  I'm so aggravated and just plain SAD!!  All this time when my races were canceled, I could have had something done if that is what needs to happen to fix this issue and due to my history with my neck and lower back they kept telling me my pain was coming from those areas and those areas were not bad enough for surgery.  Just a shot and PT.  But now that they've done a MRI on my mid back the thoracic part and found this bulge, we now believe all my problems might have been coming from this section. GRRRRRRRRRRRR  I know God has a plan and I must just hold tight and believe.  It will all work out for his good not mine.  💜 

So far for 2020:

 904.2 bike miles

947.2 run miles

42.7 swim miles

1894.1 total exercise miles

I'm not going to make the 1,000 run miles I had hoped to get to this year.  I'm taking off the next two weeks from running.  I will swim a couple of times and maybe a bike or two.  Got to do one since my classmate, Ronald, wants to ride a peloton class with me. I told him to give me a few days to recover from the marathon.  He's still going to kick my butt... 😂 But that will be ok.  😀

May you all have a Merry Christmas! and be safe from COVID! 🙏  God bless you all!