It's Race Day, Race Day, Gotta Run Fast on Race Day..

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A little "run down" of what goes down on a home race day. 

I sleep in a little more...and run less. 

I also get my dinner ready to warm up as soon as I get home since it will be so late. 

 

This is what I had for lunch-toaster waffle with blackberry jam, blueberries, and strawberries. I have coffee at school every day, too.

Ya know, just some more evidence of my gift...

I tried a new protein bar and loved it!  It was the Picky Bars Smooth Caffinator.

I love to participate in contests and projects, so I did this one for Camelbak's #LivingColorful and to remind my team to hydrate!

Another new thing I tried before this race was the same brand of drink mix that I've been using when it's been more humid and I sweat more, but the kind with caffeine! I don't know if I even drank enough to make a difference, but it tasted good.

Before our first home meet, things are busy. We do team and individual pictures as well as take pictures with every single banner from each sponsor to send them a thank you. 

We start warming up about an hour before race time, make final bathroom breaks, and change shoes before heading to the line around 15 minutes before where we do strides, team prayer, and our cheer. At this meet Coach Burroughs sang the national anthem and our area FCA leader led us all in a prayer. Coach Farmer is the starter!  (Should we trust him with a gun?)

Our 5k course:  

I'd say it would compare to any of the toughest high school courses you would find anywhere. If you know anything about course record times, my old record was 19:40 (However I've lowered it to 18:38). It's tough, hilly, rocky, and rooty, but I love the challenge. We tell our new girls that if they can race our home course, they can make it anywhere. 

Flat, open start, a loop through/around some trees, the mile loop, a little flat area past the campground, cross the road and onto Old Wagon where there are little spectators but big hills. The two mile mark is at the top of a long, gradual hill about halfway through. After another half mile comes the toughest hills, a short and steep one and a long and steep one. But this is my favorite part!  It's up that hill and you're on the downhill stretch--literally!  You go down the big hill and it flattens out!  From there you run to the 3 mile marker, round the corner, and to the finish!

We are also lucky not only to have the park to practice and host races, but to have an official timing system, too!  We also have some pretty great music, and having a great race makes me want to dance; dance is what I did (just a little after I caught my breath and legs). 

Farmer likes to do his races a little different order than most, where the boys race first. His logic is that they run faster so they'll all finish sooner so the girls can start sooner. (This helps even more at our second home meet because middle school races two 2-mile races after us, followed by an elementary 1-mile race that I get the joy of leading!  It really hurts me trying to run after a race, even after a cool down, but that's just what happens! Racing hard is brutal on a body!  However, I get a big head start and just show them where to go. By the end when they pass me I just tell them where to go.)

That was the race from more of an outsider's perspective, so here it is from a runner.  I won't give too much detail, because running and racing is just something that you can't understand unless you actually do it.

Before races, I am never sure how things will go.  Like James 4:14 says, "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow..."  I always make time to read some scriptures and pray before every race to give me some peace and focus for what I am about to do.  Before this race, I read Psalm 37.  A couple verses from there that stood out were the first words:  "Do not fret..." because I was a little nervous for this first race.  Verse 4 is also one of my all-time favorites:  "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

 

  I also wrote 1 Peter 4:11 on my lower leg to remind me that I have to do this with His strength because I literally have none.  Especially with anemia, I have no energy except that that God fills me with.  Then because it is all from Him, it is all for Him.  The result is to use His strength to proclaim that strength.

  This is my calling.  Each race is an opportunity to use my gifts.  Whether I win or lose, feel good or miserable, if I have done my best, the result is God's plan.  I am to use every step to shine for Him.  Win, I praise Him.  Lose, I praise Him.  Racing is not easy.  Start lines are the scariest part.  Hearing that gun go off and the stampede of runners taking off in that first speed out is a bit intimidating!  There are so many bodies all heading for the same place as the trail narrows; I am always relieved when this part is over. 

 

Throughout races, I pray, sing bits of songs, and remember Bible verses.  Some particular to this race were from the Psalms passage, verse 24, "though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand," and the Bible Gateway verse of the day from the day before from Psalm 119:165, "Great peace have they who love Your law, and nothing can make them stumble."  Though I did stumble a few times, literally, I did not fall!  And though I have my fears and failures, God never lets me fall.

The song that was in my head was "Lord I Need You" 

Races seem to fly by so fast!  The great ones especially.  This night was one of those.  When I have a run where I feel so free and flying and joyful, it is truly a gift from God.  I was so excited and thankful crossing that finish line, feeling better than I had since last season, relieved to have my first race this season done, I was filled with joy to the point of tears!

I have become so attached to my teammates!  They truly are my best friends. These two have been with me running since 6th grade, and Katlyn has been with me since kindergarten. Now we're seniors. We are so much more mature and have been through so much, but we are so thankful to have each other through the struggles. Each struggle is unique, but we can all relate. We are so pumped to be here in this season.
On Monday, we didn't all 3 plan to dress up, but since we did, I wanted to get a pretty picture of us.  Then we decided that we needed one just like it in our uniforms before the race and our first-team shirts after the race.  Again, there through it all!

Not to brag, just honestly what happens, I can't name a Panther Creek race where we didn't get a perfect score.

Farmer always picks out different colored first and second team all-meet shirts to give out to the top and second seven finishers. The individual winner gets a nice embroidered polo (one year was sweatshirts), and the top teams get plaques. 

After awards and pictures, it's time to head up the hill to the parking lot and back home!

It's late. No shower before dinner these nights.  I threw my leftover bows in the microwave and whipped up some dessert, finally cleaning up around 9:30. Now I still had to unpack and repack for school, do some work, and shower before bed. I love my sleep but race nights are just one of those times I am up late!

It may seem like a long day, but it flies by. 

I love it. 

There really is nothing like cross country season. 

Camp Your Face Off 2014

This weekend is one of my favorites of the whole year!  I get to race one of my favorite races, Bristol Cross, on Saturday morning, then I get to come back to Morristown and camp my face off!  I get to spend the whole weekend outside and doing two of the things I love most:  running and learning about God.

Because of the race, I miss Friday night and Saturday daytime, but I get there in the evening.

The food here is cooked big boy style.

Saturday night we had chicken and steak on the jumbo griddle with all the trimmings, including sauteed peppers and onions from the griddle!  The parents here at CYFO work so hard nonstop all weekend.

Our church is so fortunate to have this beautiful bit of land on the lake at Harrell Park.

From the notes I looked over from my friend who was there for the messages I didn't get to listen to, I found a couple really neat points:
"Religion says, 'I obey, therefore I am accepted.' The gospel says, 'I've been accepted, therefore I will gladly obey.'"
There is a big difference in the heart of true believers and followers of Christ and those who do not possess the deep, heartfelt relationship with Him.  It is an attitude, a lifestyle.
However, if anyone is stuck in a rut, where serving the Lord feels like a chore, bother, or interruption, there is always room for change of heart!  "We are not just temporarily fixed, but eternally transformed."  When Christ takes over your heart and fills you with His desire and love, our blemishes are not only washed away for the day, but life is changed forever!

Dinner time!  I always enjoy spending time with my fellow youth group members.  We are SO different, yet can relate to each other on so many levels.  At this table, we have girls from different schools, family styles, and interests and personalities.  We go through each day with totally different schedules and obligations, yet when we come together, we share and fellowship like no other!  I love hearing about what my friends do and their lives.  They are so interesting!
 If we all did the same things, where would the adventure be?

When it is time for worship, we all head inside the big building where the stage and chairs are set up for the message and music.
Each year Jay Hardwick from North Rock Hill Church in South Carolina comes as the guest speaker for the first two days.  He is a great speaker, very honest and dedicated to the truth of the gospel!

This night he spoke about disciples on mission for Jesus.  The scripture passage used was Acts 8:26-40 about Philip and the Ethiopian.  It is so simple what he did.  God told Philip, "See that man in the wagon?  Go to him and tell him about Me," (paraphrased verse 29) and that's just what he did.  The Bible even says, "Then Philip ran up to the chariot..." (verse 30)
This is a summed-up version of the Christian calling every day!  God says go and we are supposed to go do whatever he wants us to do every day!  Christians are missionaries, ALL Christians.  God's goal for us is to go preach to the lost people of this world, which is not limited to third world countries.  Right here, wherever that may be for you, is the mission field as well.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, says "...therefore, go make disciples of all nations..." and Acts 1:8 says, "...you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem (like our hometown), Judea (like our state), Samaria (like our country), and to the ends of the earth."

A great Christian teacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter."

Next Jay divided this call for us into 3 sections:
1.  God sends us.
2.  God sends us to people (random and day-to-day people we see)
3.  God sends us to people to show them the gospel.
It all starts with us!  Romans 10:13-15 lays out how the lost hear about Christ.  If it doesn't start with us, if we the Christians don't preach, no one will hear!  >>>>>  "How can they preach if they are not sent?..." (verse 15) Point 1
"How, then can they call on the One they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (verse 14) Point 2
"For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (verse 13) Point 3
Therefore, if we don't preach, they won't know, then they can't call upon the Lord if they do not know Him.

Later that night, we had an ice cream bar with tons of flavors and candy toppings!

      
Good morning!  Cassie and I were halfway ready, but Jenna back there was up super late both nights, as she is an intern and has to go to "meetings" and organize stuff all the time, especially late at night.  This weekend wore her out!

This is Kristen, whom I love!  She is a sweetheart, always hugging me when she sees me.

Breakfast is big boy style, too, of course.  This morning they whipped up pancakes and bacon on the big griddle, and laid out all the left over breakfast and snack foods, so we had a huge buffet!

This is Joy Rogers, one of our most involved youth moms (of Erin and Jenna).  She was here this weekend cooking and working hard, and Sunday was her birthday!

This is one of the youth adults' children, Gretchen.  My mom works with her mom, and her dad used to be my middle school assistant principle.  They are one of the sweetest families, and they're funny, too.  Gretchen and her older sister Claire are two gorgeous little girls with even more gorgeous hearts, even at such a young age.  It cracked me up to see her trying to eat this apple that was almost as big as her head.

Tessa is one hip chick.  She has a lot of awesome photography, art, dance, and more!  She even leads classes and takes big trips (her last one was to Oregon) to work on her stuff!  Her instagram shows a lot of her activities.  She also has a blog that you could check out or follow, too!

I was so glad to get to spend such a long time in quiet time study this morning, as we had a long down time.  I reviewed my notes and went into the quiet time notes they gave us for the mornings.  This leaves with such a great feeling!

One passage that was in Saturday's quiet time was something that I found is part of what I want my life to be:  "Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." John 3:21

The last session that we do is always cool!  All the leaders get an opportunity to share what has been laid on their hearts.  These people are so dedicated and care about us, they honestly share their hearts and teach us so much.  This share session was filled with things that directly fit my life!  There are no coincidences in God's plan.  It is all planned!

Kristen, same girl from above, was ready to go this morning!  She jumped right up wanting to share first.  Her words were exactly what was in my heart.  She talked about how she is often selfish, but doesn't want to waste her time worrying about her schedule and all the work she has to do, and me, me, me.  This was exactly my same problems!  I have really struggled with time, schedule, and all that I have to do...and it has been a battle and still is!  I was so thankful to hear this from her, too.  She tied this in with James 1:22-25.  "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says." (verse 22)

Lindsay, our youth pastor's wife, was also on point.  Her phrase was "paultry baubles" that we become so easily distracted with.  I am one easily distracted human!  A passage that I use to encourage my mind away from these worldly distractions is 1 John 2:15-17, and that is what she read as well.  "Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him...The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."  In all the happenings of life, I have to remember what will last and what will not.  

Camp Your Face Off is always finished off with the Amazing Race.  They split up everyone onto several teams (we had around 7 this year I think), and give us a paper of the name of the stations, tell us the rules and some instructions, give us a few minutes to get the game plan, then off we go!  All the stations must be completed and signed off on by the leader there, and  one member has to wear a diaper that will contain something from each station.  This included baby food, Pepsi, tape balls, eggs, pumpkin innards, and more.  Yummy right?  It is intense!  My team was pretty loaded, but we still didn't win.  We did awesome in my opinion, though!

Here are some action shots from the Amazing Race.

This retreat is such a blessing to my year.  It had stressed me out having so much homework all fall, but I had a little poison oak mishap that put me out of running as much during the week, so I got to catch up on a lot, allowing me to go to CYFO with little worries!  Even serious pain and fear is a blessing, not just sometimes, but ALL times, even when we can't see where the light could be.  It is there.  We just have to look for it, and it will come.

Best Run with the Best Friend

It has been years and years, but I can now safely say that I have a best friend.

This is Katlyn Haas!

She has been one of my good friends since we met in kindergarten, but during the past year, we have gotten really close.  She has been a training partner for my running and spiritual life!  Everywhere she goes, she will light up the room.  I respect and admire her attitude about life and how everything seems to just flow for her.  God has blessed her with the ability to go with the flow and be healthy and beautiful!  Over the past year, her running has improved tremendously!  I am very proud of her.  She is really goofy, and can always keep the team laughing even in not-so-fun circumstances.  She is always here for me and the other girls to talk to and pray for.  I know she is always willing to hear when I am stressed out, and we can talk through what God is doing in our lives with no awkwardness.  She is such a blessing in my life!

This morning, I got to cross another thing off of my summer bucket list:  a run to the Creek Café!  I was really excited to get to do a new breakfast run.  I do them with myself to breakfast at my house every day when I get home from practice, but there is just a special excitement that comes with doing it with a friend!  We left my house a little before 9:30 and headed toward Jefferson City.  On the way, we chatted up a storm!  Literally:  it rained for about 1 minute, but that's all.  We had so much fun and felt fantastic!  This was her longest run this summer, and it was really encouraging to both of us to get such a great run under our belts.  It went by so quickly, too, it did not seem like a distance run at all!  Once we got there, we ordered some food, prayed for the beautiful (kinda) day and our families, then ate and talked while we waited on my mom to come pick us up.  I am so thankful for this day!  We had a blast!  This is one of the reasons that I love summer!

"Not I, But the Grace of God.."

A few weeks ago, I got a message from my coach saying that our top 5 girls need to be at the Knox News Sentinel between such and such times on that Wednesday for pictures.  "Makenzie needs to be there at 5:45 and wear her shoes and uniform for runner of the year photos."  Well I was totally confused.  This whole thing went right over my head.

  First off, I thought it was that day (Monday), and I could not figure out why I was the only one who needed shoes and a uniform and a specific time either.  So here I was, at home by myself, calling to no avail my parents that would not answer.  I was freaking out because I thought that we had to leave for Knoxville in the next few minutes, but no one was going to be home to leave.  So a few minutes later I went back and very carefully re-read the message from Coach Farmer.  Oh.  "Thank goodness; it's Wednesday, not today," I thought.  "OH MY! WHAT? OH MAN! OH MAN!" was about all the words that would come out.  Yeah, that said runner of the year.  I finally realized that I had been chosen for the PrepXtra Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year by the Knoxville News Sentinel, the main East Tennessee newspaper.

 

I remember being younger, just really getting into running, my dad would show me these guys and girls selected for this, and I would think, "Whoa, that would be the coolest thing!  These people are awesome!"  I never would have thought it would be me.  That's kinda why it took me so long to figure out what was going on when Farmer just flat-out told me.  I have always admired runners who receive awards like this and many others.

 

I knew this season was a blessing; more things happened than I would have ever imagined possible.  Winning a state championship by a very wide margin, for example.

 

God set all these things into action for one purpose, His purpose.  I always pray a lot for God to take my life and use me in whatever ways He sees fit for His glory.  He has presented so many opportunities for our team to be in situations for others to see Him working through us.  "Nothing is impossible with God."  (Luke 1:37)  We worked so hard all season with the goal of a championship on our mind, pushing us forward from race to race.  More importantly than everything, we had faith in God that He would prepare us for whatever we may be challenged with.  Yes, there were painful days, sickness and soreness, defeats in races, and competition within the team.  All of that made us stronger.  I believe that God brought the girls, families, and coaches of our team together to encourage each other to be bold in sharing what we are here for.  We have been given talents by God and for God.  We must "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for [us] in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

I cannot find words to say how blessed I am to have this opportunity to share with so many others how God gives so much strength, rewards the faithful, and is just flat-out good and loving.

It's not me; it's Him at work.

 

Like I had said earlier in the season, one of my all-time favorite Bible verses of this season is

1 Corinthians 15:10, "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.  No, I worked hard...yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

That's why I titled this post with part of that verse.  It just means so much to me and is a daily reminder of why God's word tells us to be humble.  "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."  1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  I am not my own.  Another way to  put the verse above (Luke 1:37)--without God, I can do nothing.  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."  John 15:5

There is a piece of the article on my school system's Facebook page, and the whole thing is in the Knox News Sentinel.

My coach, Raymond Farmer, was also one of the two selected for Coach of the Year.

 

(The other 4 girls from our team were on the PrepXtra first team.  They got an individual picture taken and placed in the sports section with around 10 other girls from the area.  That Wednesday, I did the same photo and went to the pro photographer for the pictured-above shoot.)

2013 TSSAA Cross Country State Champions

Ever since Coach Farmer has been taking teams to the state meet, he has given each member of the team a stuffed animal that he or she has to personalize and carry everywhere!  This is my second year getting to be a part of this, and this year I was given a fox I named Foster.  He is wearing a Build-a-Bear Halloween costume!  If we leave our animals anywhere, no matter where we are, we must do push ups.  20 for the first offense, and it doubles each time after that.  I got up to 80 pushups on the day of the meet!  I left him in my room when I went down to breakfast.  However, Farmer let me (along with 3 others who forgot) do our pushups on the bus after we ate lunch.

This had been our goal since last season.  Last year we had some sickness and other things happen and we placed third, but we were determined to get that title this year.  We all had a great feeling going into and were ready to give it our all.  We had one senior on this team who has put in so much effort over the years.  We wanted to give it all for her, too.  And of course, I had always been saying that I felt God had great plans for us this season.  This season has had the best opportunities to witness that I have experienced.  My parents tell me many times, too, how people see and respect our actions so much.  I feel unexplainably blessed to be a part of this team and everything we've been through.  They are my best friends and sisters in Christ.  There is also no way that we could've made it without our amazing coach and supporting parents either.  We even had girls and parents from past teams drive all the way to Nashville to watch us!

We had to get in a goofy picture, too!  Even Farmer made a face. 

 

These shirts we got made for the weekend were designed by Haylea.  It's like the Covergirl saying, but Easy, Speedy, Beautiful, Runner Girl with the Runner Girl symbol on it!

People joked that the trophy weighs as much as I do.

When the final scores came out and we had blown everyone away, we all celebrated!  Coach Farmer was with us and we went off to a quiet spot to talk and pray.  We are so blessed to have a coach that prays with us.  There were tears, but they were tears of joy!

 

Jumping for Joy!

After leaving Percy Warner Park, Coach Farmer gave us a little more time at the mall!  (We had gotten just a short time to look around the previous night after dinner at an interesting Italinan resaurant called Buca di Beppo.  Build-a-Bear came out with the brand new Christmas items just the night before, so Chantal, Cherie, and I went to get some to celebrate!  Mine is kind of hidden, but I got a Merry Mint Pup with pj's and and little moose!

I rode home with my parents, so we stayed and shopped a while longer.  Then I wanted some post-race dessert!  Froyo is my favorite, but at the beach I discovered Cold Stone Creamery aka the best ice cream ever.  I don't know what they do that makes it so unique, but you MUST try it.  This day I got cheesecake, Oreo creme filling, cake batter, and marshmallow.  Talkin bout heaven in a cup...the texture is just unreal!

 

What an amazing way to start the long weekend

True Team

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  Ephesians 3:16-19

This is what I love about my team.  We focus on putting Christ at the center, even when others oppose that.  We know that it makes an impact in the world when people see young athletes putting their faith before their performance.  This picture was taken last Saturday as we got ready to pray around the entire team for safety of our trip to camp in the mountains of Gatlinburg.  The main purpose of this camp is, yes running, but growing as a team.  We spent literally all hours of the days and nights together.  Each morning and some days more often, we did Bible studies together.  We discussed during activities how we want to incorporate Christ into our team.  Finding a group of girls like this is one of the biggest blessings I have ever received.  It is so important to have a close group that you can work together with to learn and encourage others with.  I ask that anyone who reads this, please pray for our team this season, as many people here believe that God is already working to do mighty things this year!  Please pray that we stay focused on His purposes and joyful through all the victories and defeats we may face, and that we show His love through all and to all.