A Fellow Runner Would Know

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One of my classes this semester is Creative Writing, and it kind of makes me feel like I am back in elementary and middle school! It's not as easy as I thought from the start, but I am enjoying it. When I was younger, I would whip out poems, stories, plays, and basically anything at any time whether for an assignment but more often for fun. Now it is harder for me (as for all kids since the school system has changed so much...that's for another discussion...) to make up things rather than base it off of real-world knowledge. We all need this, though. Over the semester I hope to be able to share some of my writing! I've already tweeted a couple haikus at Alexi Pappas, based on her "bravey" trend. Writing poems again has been more fun than I imagined.

This one is the ballad for my folder in class. Ballads have a specific rhyme scheme abcb stanzas, alternating between iambic tetrameter (4 stressed syllables) and iambic trimeter (3 stressed syllables). It also must tell a story with characters and setting. This made it a little tricky, but it's a fun challenge! For some reason, the first story that came to me was someone in the park, so I ran with it (no pun intended), and kept going on to make it funny--something personal and relateable to my running friends and community.

A Fellow Runner Would Know

I have this pain inside my gut.

A twist, a turn it does.

My thoughts, they run; my heart does race.

I start to get a buzz.

The trail keeps going on ahead;                                         

I’ve gone so far this way.

I could turn back, but it’s still long.

“I have to stop!” I say.

No one hears me except the trees.

It’s miserable to wait.

I look around and find a spot.

I step behind the gate.

Bladder empty, ready to go,

I feel much better now.

I turn around and hear a sound—

I was seen by a cow.

Throwback Thursday, July 3rd

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Sometimes, I post #ThrowbackThursday pictures on Instagram, so I thought, why not make a blog post where I can share more?

This one's for my buddies Chantal and Cherie who are in Colorado at Team Prep USA running camp.  We've been gone so much this summer, I haven't seen them in almost an entire month now.  They will get back the day after Katlyn and I leave for Furman, so it will be until our team camp over another week from now until we will see them!  It has been odd without them here all summer.  They are two of my other best friends, and we always have so much to talk about, but we have hardly been able to talk!  We have sent snapchats and occasional messages back and forth, but I know we will have boatloads to talk about when we get together again!

This was last year at our team camp at the very tip top of Mount LeConte!

This is zucchini bread that I made last summer from my neighbor's recipe (she also gave me the fresh zucchinis to use!).  I used this same recipe as a guide as I created my apple cinnamon bread recipe that I have been eating on the past week!

I just love hearing crazy stories of things I did as a little kid.  Today I found out that I once spilled chocolate milk everywhere, and somehow, it splattered even on the ceiling of my parents' room and is still there.

Another milk story Dad told me today:  Once when I was little, Mom was not at home, but Dad heard me laughing and giggling up a storm back in my room, so he came to find out why.  I had my sippie cup spinning around spraying milk all over my room.

This is in honor of the "redneck water slide," because we won't get to do it this year because the water is so low.  There isn't grass that goes into the lake.  Rocks, clay, and dirt would make for a bumpy ride.

That's me on the tube and my life-long friend Preston being his athletic self and jumping over me as I slid down.

This one is for my kittycat because she's cute.

Last summer, I made a tasty chicken stir fry dinner for Mom, Dad, and me that we enjoyed out on the back deck.  Sophie wanted to join, so she took my seat before I even got started.

 

I was going to end this with a picture or at least words about what I did last Thursday, but I really don't know what I did!  I think that was the most relaxed day I had last week, so we just stayed at home.

Enjoy the Stride

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I just love running! Summer really is my favorite time of year because I can run, cook, play outside, read, hang out, tan, swim, make social plans, and do all kinds of fun things!  I've really been excited about getting out there and running each day, too, and I am so proud of my teammates for getting out and working hard as well.

Yesterday, we had a voluntary two-a-day, and these two came with me:  a freshman and a sophomore.  Calista was hurt last season, and she is working really hard this summer to get back into it!  We did a 30 minute run on our own pace, and we met coming up a hill to the parking lot at the same time, and they were pushing it hard all the way up to the car!  I loved seeing that effort when they were already doing an extra run and didn't even have to go hard either!

Coach Farmer always gives us a "summer training guide" that we can use (which no one ever really does) to guide what we do while he can't talk to us, but we kinda used it this summer.  By this week, it said to begin two-a-days if you haven't already, so I suggested it to the girls.  We feel that Farmer has a tougher season in store for us soon, too!  This afternoon was super hot, humid, and sunny, so it was a good idea to run in this weather some before we go to camp.

I go online and look for things to buy all the time, because you can often find unique things at cheaper prices.

In my opinion, pictures are great, too.  And free.

Life is Good is one of my all time favorite brands, and I found these pictures to save and share!  I always try to be optimistic (notice try, not always succeed), like they say, "the power of optimism."

They say you're supposed to replace your running shoes at 500 miles, if not before, and mine are way over that mark!  Unfortunately, that usually happens to me.  After weeks and weeks of telling Dad that I really need new shoes, he finally ordered me some because I especially need new ones to have another pair when I head off to camp.  Since I am doing two camps back to back this summer, one of which leaves in just over 3 days, I need them now.  Mom kept freaking out because she was afraid they weren't going to arrive in time.

He showed me two pairs at decent prices, the same ones I had and the newer model, and I told him either was fine.  I didn't know which ones he ordered until they came in the mail yesterday.

 

Whatever you do today, I encourage you to get outside and enjoy God's creation!  Wherever you go, think optimistic, and "Enjoy the Stride!"

Why I am who I am

This song by MIKESCHAIR, All I Can Do, and this verse, 1 Corinthians 15:10, have become my favorites this cross country season.

I very often get asked questions like, "How do you run so much/so fast/like running!?"

I only can supply one answer.

 

There is no way I would be where I am and doing what I am doing if I didn't have the Lord.  My life has changed so much as I have grown closer to Him.  I see so many opportunities that He has blessed me with.  Lately I have just been overwhelmed with the grace I've been given.  I don't deserve this life at all.  I still sin and screw stuff up every day, yet He still loves and forgives me and gives me opportunities to serve.  I am filled with so much joy and motivation for life!

 

I am fast (in others' opinions), I love my life, I am joyful all because God has given it to me to be used to bring Him glory.

 

"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."  1 Corinthians 15:10

 

All I can do is thank You for this life I never deserve.  Wanna thank You for the grace I know I don't have to earn.  You love me, You love me, Your mercy is proof.  All I can do is say thank You.