Back pains

For the past couple of weeks I have been telling myself that "it" didn't hurt. After long runs, I would come home, pop a few tylenol, and get on with my day. But "it" has continued to creep up on me ever so slowly and quietly.

Lower back pain.....

After the 19 mile run this weekend the pain was uncomfortable, but bareable. My back was tense but not in extreme pain. But after my 6.5 mile run yesterday, the pain was spreading from my lower back down my right leg. I couldn't get comfortable, I couldn't sit down, I couldn't stand up, I just had to remain in a perpetual bent over position.

I am hoping it is my shoes since I am maxing out at 300 miles and need new ones VERY badly. If not, I am working to strengthen my lower back and praying that the pain does not conflict with my training.

An Early Fall?

Is summer really over? For the past week the weather has been anything but usual for August in DC. It has been gorgeous, not a drop of humidity. Today, it was actually rainy, cold, and chilling. I walked outside and thought I saw the color of the leaves change. Shocking!

So what else is one to do on such a day but sit inside and watch the latest Barefoot Contessa? Her show had me dreaming of hearty autumn dishes...chicken stew, roasted vegetables, and tasty breads.

Anna and I actually got our long run in today, despite the downpours...19 miles. The rain was coming down so hard we weren't even thinking about the fact that we were running. Instead we had to focus on playing the windshield wipers for our eyes so that we could see where we were running. That, and we were hoping that our i-shuffles weren't getting ruined.

I like these slow, thoughtful, purposeful days....

No Vacation Is Long Enough

It seems as though just as we begin to plan a vacation, it is over. Two weeks ago I was busy packing and preparing for a vacation with friends to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Today, I am back at work daydreaming about next year.

There are many highs and lows that come with taking a vacation. The excitement, anticipation, and thrill of looking forward to getting away. The goodbyes, long car rides, and empty refrigerators of coming home.

But last week, the highs of time spent with friends far outweighed the lows. Smiles on friends faces, the enjoyment of seeing how we all have grown over the past seven years, the laughter, the sapping up of every minute of the day to spend with each other, and as as always...the arguments, challenging one another, the tears, and forgiveness. With these friends I have learned how to love others, despite what I think are their faults. I have been tested in my opinions, and I have been encouraged in my beliefs. What I most appreciate is everyone's uniqueness (we are a muddled group made up of singers, actresses, small business owners, teachers, lawyers, financial advisors, construction workers, political gurus, and Air Force pilots), their genuine love, and their ability to relax on the beach with a boogie board in one hand and a good book in the other.

"When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a certain point, then we turn back to the elementary panic-stricken prayers of those people who do not even know God. We come to our wits’ end, showing that we don’t have even the slightest amount of confidence in Him or in His sovereign control of the world. To us He seems to be asleep, and we can see nothing but giant, breaking waves on the sea ahead of us." Oswald Chambers

For the past several days all I have seen are huge "breaking waves on the sea" in the form of Tropical Storm Irene. God knocked me to my knees this morning with this quote from Oswald Chambers. Oh me of little faith. Why do I think that I can actually control the weather, taking on the likeness of God? Why do I think that I have control as to how others react to the possibility of a hurricane ruining their beach vacation?

"There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.

We have been talking quite a lot about sanctification, but what will be the result in our lives? It will be expressed in our lives as a peaceful resting in God, which means a total oneness with Him. And this oneness will make us not only blameless in His sight, but also a profound joy to Him. " Oswald Chambers

Our vacation is in God's hands. May he bless our travel. May we find rest in Him through conversation and by enjoying his creation. May we find joy in eachother, in our words to one another, and in the experience of surviving a possible hurricane together.

In Preparation

I have spent this week preparing for our vacation next week. Laundry, cleaning, vacuuming, last minute shopping and details. I love the week before vacation...the excitement and anxiousness is palpable. I am dreaming of sun-filled soft beaches, reading on the deck in the morning, running by the water's edge in the evenings, quiet times as the sun is coming up, time with friends, and relaxation.

Calorie Burning Extravaganza

When it was time to leave Tunnicliffs Tavern last night after a wonderful meal, Tim and I could barely move our legs. We tried, but they wouldn't move. In fact, they actually screamed at us, "Don't move!" So we just sat, and sat, and sat some more.

This weekend, in an effort to tone our bodies for our beach vacation that is approaching quickly, we hopped on our bikes for a three hour, 40 mile bike ride down to Mount Vernon on Saturday. The trails took us along the Potomac, through Alexandria, and by the most spectacular views, gardens, and beach front houses. It was a great ride but towards the end we knew that we would be feeling it the next day. We could barely sit on our bike seats...we were very sore!

On Sunday morning I woke up when the streets of DC were still quiet and went on a 17 mile run. The first few miles were very hard. My legs were still upset with me for the bike ride the day before. But as they eased into stride my body felt great. I was starting to feel confident about the marathon that is approaching quickly as well (only a little over two months away). I must admit I am unsure if I can do it...if I can actually run across the finish line. The other day it hit me what a daunting task this was actually going to be. I soon found out from my training tips that this questioning is normal.

"The left side of our brain tries to hold us back. Inside the left hemisphere at the top of your head is the center of logic. The left brain solves math problems, organizes and nit-picks, and conducts the structured cognitive activities during your workday. One of the primary missions of the left brain is to steer you in the direction of pleasure and away from discomfort. Any form of stress or perceived stress will stimulate this negative center of logic to produce a stream of messages to "slow down!" or "quit!" or to question your sanity: "Why are you doing this?" Because we rely upon the left side for logical guidance, we listen to these messages. If we're weak or tired, we're very likely to give in to the messages and compromise our goal. Certainly we must always monitor the real dangers which could produce health problems (heat buildup, traffic, overfatigue) and take action when there is due cause. Most of the time, however, our left brain overreacts in warning us long before we are in real danger."

That same day, Tim hit the gym and ran more than he has ever run before. Needless to say our bodies were both very tired by Sunday evening. However, as we sat at Tunnicliffs, slowly putting the calories we lost back into our bodies, we felt great...tired, but healthy and great!

The recent posts over at Becca and Bella got me thinking about my favorite summer food. Beyond a doubt I would have to say the tomato. (This is quite obvious by what I have made for dinner this week.) My parents grow amazing tomatoes. They are always juicy and full of flavor. We used to have tons of them, they would line our counter, window sills, and be piled inside our refrigerator. They were so delicious that we only ate them with a dollup of mayonaise.

This year my parents decided to grow cherry tomatoes as well, and gave Tim and me some in a bag. I caught Tim eating them out of the bag one day...just popping cherry tomato after cherry tomato into his mouth exclaiming, "these are the best tomatoes I have ever had." Must be the PA soil.

As I have grown I have altered my mom's dish a little, adding salt and pepper to the mayonaise to bring out the flavor. I also make tomato, basil, and mozzerella at least two times a week. It is a nice change to a boring old lettuce salad. Put the above ingredients (tomato, basil, and mozzerella) on top of a pesto laden pizza crust and you have a great dinner. Also, tomatoes are wonderful tossed with some cucumbers and red wine vinegar. The options are endless.

Hydrangeas