Ten Moments on 10.10.10

In the spirit of 10.10.10 and from what my mom wrote a few days ago - I will stick with the number 10 as well.

Here are the ten moments during the marathon that stuck out to me the most:

1. 3:30 A.M.
Up and Ready to go. I was so ready to get this thing over with. I trained well and dedicated the last four months of my life to this day. I was hoping for a great performance for once...

2. Weather
It was warm already at 5:00 AM and I was starting to get a bit worried. But, I prayed and put all those evil thoughts away and told myself I got this. Whatever it takes, I am crossing that finish line.

3. Start Line
Nothing is like the start line at the marathon. If you never have ran in a race before, it is an incredible feeling. Your adrenaline starts pumping through your body. Music is blaring. People all around you are pumped. It is great, even if it does take 20 minutes to finally cross the start line...

4. Mile 11
Ugh. And here it comes. I started feeling pretty rough at this point already. But, I knew I had to keep going. But, I was just so discouraged already. All this work and this is what happens? I have bad luck with marathons. At that point, Joseph jumped in and stuck with me...

5. Pukes
My body can't handle the heat. Ever since I was a little girl, the way my body deals with overheating is vomiting. How attractive, huh? So, there is nothing I can do when it comes to heat. And at about mile 17, it started and continued all way to the finish. I must have been a great sight to see. And honestly, there was nothing I could do.

6. Joseph
One of the sweetest things on Sunday was the fact that Joseph ran and walked with me from mile 11/12 to about mile 25. Seriously, he did. And if he wasn't there, I am not sure I would have finished. I am so blessed to have a husband like him. He is my number one supporter and encourager.

7. Pride
When I realized I couldn't keep any fluids or substances in my body, I debated between pride and humility. Do I keep running, get a somewhat decent time, and possibly end up in the emergency room because of my pride? Or do I take it easy, walk most of it and just suck it up that I might finish in the high 5 hour mark? With much tears and much pain, I choose the humble path. Walking most of the last 7-8 miles. And what a challenge mentally and physically that was for me.

8. Phone Call
My mom called me at about mile 23. I was a disaster at that point. I kept throwing up, Joseph was still at my side and all I could think about was quitting and that I failed. Mentally- I wasn't in it anymore. But, when my mom called right after she finished and asked how I was - she was so proud that I didn't quit. And even though I wasn't running anymore and I was so ashamed of my time, she told me she was praying and to keep going. I cried through the whole phone conversation...

9. Nike+ Powersong Zone
At about mile 24 they have a Nike+ Powersong Zone. As I was walking through, chewing on ice chips because that was the only thing I was keeping down (my mom said it was getting me ready for labor) :) the guy giving the announcements at that point said, "It doesn't matter if you are running, walking or crawling - you are going to finish." With more tears, I agreed and marched on.

10. Finish Line
All I wanted to do was sit and drink a large cherry coke. That was my carrot. The finish line never looked so good. And while I was sooo discouraged with the weather and my performance, I hobbled my way across that finish line. I finished. Finally. And with more tears down my check, I got my medal and anxiously waited for my cherry coke at Cheesecake later that day...

It was rough, I can't lie. And these past few days have been hard on me. Hearing stories of how well people did and then there was me, who did awful. But, I know one thing - that through all of this the Lord got me through and I know He is teaching me something. Maybe about my pride? Maybe about my priorities? Not sure - but He will make it clear. And while this wasn't the performance I hoped for at 3:30 A.M. on Sunday, I finished.

So, I am taking a break from training - for awhile. I'll run here and there but my focus will be elsewhere for the next few years. Praying that I will be content and willing to go in whatever direction the Lord chooses...

L---O---N---G

blog neglect again.

i have been busy, promise.

how do i summarize august and september marathon training in one word? long.

long1    /lɔŋ, lɒŋ/ Show Spelled
[lawng, long]
, noun, adverb
–adjective

1. having considerable duration in time: a long conversation; a long while.
2. extending, lasting, or totaling a number of specified units: eight miles long; eight hours long.
3. requiring a considerable time to relate, read, etc.: a long story.
4. extending relatively far

august and september are the months were training increases beyond the "semi-decent distance" line. we are talking like 20, 21, 22, 23, etc. however, i have to say, we had quite the cool september, which made training MUCH easier. but, these runs were L---O---N---G.

if you asked me four weeks ago how training was going i would have said, "i am ready for it to just be done." training is a lot of wear and tear on your body. plus, every monday i would be a walking zombie. that type of milage just kills me.

however, i am beyond grateful that the Lord has blessed me with the ability to push myself that extra step. because let me tell you, i am NOT a natural runner. however, i have been taught to persevere and press through ... in life ... with my relationship with Christ... and even running. crazy how they all intertwine and teach you that.

so, the marathon is in less than a week. feeling excited, exhausted and quite frankly, ready for this to be done. it has been a L---O---N---G four months.

to all my chicago marathon runners- here we go. weather predictions look excellent and well, what's better than running a marathon on 10.10.10. so cool.

106 franke

home/hoʊm/ Show Spelled [hohm]
–noun
1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. any place of residence or refuge: a heavenly home.

this is a LONG awaiting blog post. yeah, i know. sorry. however, i can't even explain enough how BLESSED joseph and i are in our new home. we have been here for about four months now and this place is perfect. i am looking forward to many, many years in this home.

as joseph and i spend everyday under the roof of 106 franke we will always keep this our verse for our home and family: "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - joshua 24:15

may that be our prayer year after year.

many of you have awaited pictures of our first home so here we go: a picture tour of our home. (more on facebook)

livingroom

Office/One day a Nursery (no, we aren't pregnant)

This is where you would stay: Guest room. I love yellow and gray. Perfect colors together. This is the start. I need to paint the walls and add more "flair" but I'll wait till I...
A. Have more time and B. it is cold outside.

This is our room. Want to paint the walls a light blue/gray color. Add some art above the bed.

Favorite Room in the house: The Kitchen.

Joseph's Favorite Part of the House: Basement (his so called "man cave")

Our amazing tv and wonderful fireplace.

hope you enjoyed taking a tour of the snare residence. again - check out the rest of the photos on fb.

this post is looong over due. sorry. love. ds.

It Came and Went . . . July 2010

Ah! I can't believe it is August already, sorry this is late. August has been insane!! What the heck? Summer is flying by... And I am SOOO OKAY with it. I can't handle this heat.

So, month two of Marathon training is complete. I am actually increasing my training this year but I have been having all sorts of issues. First off, I am allergic to something and it is driving me crazy because I have no idea what it is. Everyday I get these horrible stomach cramps so I need to set up a doctor's appointment, I am just procrastinating...shocker.

Second, my shoulders are killing again. These long runs ruin my body, but it doesn't help that when I get exhausted or have issues (i.e. stomach issues) and then I tend to strain my running form which in the end, affects my shoulders.

Third, this summer has been freakishly hot. Grr. I wouldn't mind it if my body could handle the sun + temps over 75 degrees. But, it just shuts down. Literally. Dear Fall, I am ready for you. Love, An avid supporter of 50-70 degree temps.

Other than my issues, I am literally rolling out of bed every morning to run. My most "memorable" run this summer was a few weeks ago. Before leaving for Lake Placid I had to run 14 miles because I didn't know what it would look like if I waited to run in NY so I just ran my long run on that Friday . . . before work. Yikes - that was an early morning. My alarm went off at 3:30 A.M. - but not only did I hear my alarm but was also awaken by bright flashes and loud bangs. Great, I am running in a thunderstorm.

I waited until about 4:15 to start, and decided it wasn't stopping so I was runnin' in the rain. At about mile 3, it seemed to let up. But, I was wrong, at about mile 4 a monsoon came and I ran in pouring rain for literally 6 miles. Thank you rain storm for giving me beautiful blisters all over my feet. However, I would take that over humidity and heat any day. Crazy, yes, I know.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the rest of my August runs - only getting up to 16/17miles. It is September that I fear, 18, 19, 20, 22. Yikes! Least it starts to cool down, right?

10.10.10 - I am anxiously awaiting your arrival. Mostly, for you to be over. :)

If Shoes Could Talk

If you don't know me, I love to run. I would consider it as one of my hobbies. Strange, yes, but a good hobby/interest to say the least.

As most of you know, I am currently training for my third Chicago Marathon and any training is a lot of wear and tear on your body . . . and your shoes.

I recently just bought a new pair of Newton's (which I LOVE). But, I am going to miss my old pair. They were there for me on my worst days, my best, those ridiculously early mornings, helped me finish my least favorite hot/humid runs, treked through snow, mud, rain, sunshine . . . and many, many miles. I definitely had them way too long, but they were good to me.

I wonder what they would say if they could talk. The stories they would share about our runs together, the days my body had an easier time finishing a 13 mile run or the days my feet refused to put them on because I was too tired/lazy to get out of my warm bed on those below freezing, snowy mornings. I wonder if they would share how awful I am - or how they wish I was faster so I didn't kill the crap out of them because I am slow . . . not sure. Or what they would say they saw along the way - the places they have been: Lakefront, Cary, PA, Florida... But no matter what, good or bad, they are my best friends on my runs.

It is hard for me to get rid of running shoes. I have a few of my past pairs. This sounds strange but I am a bit sentimental when it comes to running. By no means am I a natural runner, I am slower than a frickin' tortoise, but no matter how fast/slow I run, how good/bad my run was, my shoes were there and those memories and the journey we had together are quite special. I am weird.

While I think about my running shoes and the places I go, I also think about my walk with the Lord and the places I go with Him. The good and bad days. The rainy and sunny days. I often question if my "talk" goes hand-in-hand with my "walk." I tell people I run and train, and oh boy, do I. But, I feel sometimes my "spiritual running shoes" with the Lord are often left in the closet. I wonder what stories they would share, neglect? Loss of Joy? The good days? My tears? Hurt and Pain?

This summer has been a challenging one and a dry one to be honest with you . . . Time for a new start . . .

My old newtons are on the left (clearly) and my loud, ridiculously colored new shoes on the right:



I am excited to start my new journey with my new shoes. They had their first run in Lake Placid, NY. Pretty cool place to start breaking them in if you ask me.

And I am excited to start a new refreshed journey with the Lord as well. I am taking off neglect/hurt/pain and putting on joy and trust.

Excited to see where these shoes take me over the next few months . . . and most importantly, where the Lord takes me.

Here Comes the Bride

About a week ago, I put together a bridal shower for my younger sister, Candace. She is getting married on August 28th so as her older sister and Matron of Honor, I tried to make this day as special for her as possible. And party planning is my forte. I love every aspect of it. Check it out:

Candace's color scheme includes browns, yellows and greens so I used that as my inspiration.

The invitations to the shower:

I found yellow paper lanterns and went from there:



Then I found these boxes at Ikea for about 5 bucks each and planted grass seed. That failed miserably so Joseph bought me sod and that worked. Hooray!



I also got these glass bowls from Ikea for about three bucks each and bought out Walmart's lemons and limes in one day. I wonder what the Cashier thought about that.


Table Setting:





These are little cards where placed in a cut tree branch. My wonderful husband cut some tree branches down for me and cut them in 1 inch increments and then cut a slit in them. Wah-lah:



Here is a view of the whole set up:



The beautiful bride, Mother of the Bride and Maid of Honors Aka The Plantz Girls:



It was a great turn out and Candace was showered with many gifts, lots of love, and many prayers.

BIG NEWS!

Well, after much encouragement from close family and friends, I am excited to announce that I am starting my own business. Ah! Exciting. More information to come on this as time unravels.

Lake Placid Ironman

And I thought running a marathon was tough . . .

This past weekend, Joseph, Billy and I drove over 15 hours to get to Lake Placid, NY to watch my brother-in-law Ben complete his first Ironman. One word: incredible.

Ben is a stud. He finished in 10 hours and 51 minutes. And if you don't know what an Ironman entails, well, let me tell ya:

2.4 mile Swim
112 mile Bike
26.2 mile Run

I can barely do 1/3 of that. Ben you are amazing.

This was quite a "spur-of-the-moment" trip for the three of us. I didn't even think about going until about two weeks ago when we decided to make this work to go support Ben. Family first! And I am so glad we did, but it wasn't easy . . .

We left on Friday afternoon only to hit 2 1/2 hours of traffic out of Chicago. Rough start to the trip. Made our way through the boring state of Indiana and into Ohio where Billy drove through a monsoon of a storm. You are a champ, Billy.

Joseph took over somewhere in Ohio and drove all the way to some place in New York - about six hours later. Thanks for staying awake, when I wasn't. ;) This is where we decided to stop at Niagara Falls. Incredible at 3:00 A.M.- no one was there but us and the amazing sound of the falls. God is great!

My turn to drive . . . 3:30 A.M. We were off to Lake Placid (pit stop at Starbucks @ 5:00 A.M. - had to) only to get onto a twisty-turny highway that eventually led us into Lake Placid at about 9:00-10:00 A.M with a million people running, walking or biking on the roads. Had some good laughs in the car with my driving and us on no sleep. ;) But, finally, we got there. And boy, was that place amazing. Thank you mom and dad Snare for getting this place . . .



Once we got there, we settled in and then went into the main part of town so Ben could drop off his stuff for the race. And then walked around the shops, and got another Starbucks to get me rollin' for the day.

From there we went Bobsledding - check out the pics:





Really neat to go down the same course they did 20 years ago for the 1980 Winter Olympics. We got the best time of the day - Gold Medal for us:





Next Morning: Sunday --- day of the race. Here we go . . .

Swimming: Let me tell ya, if I was in that chaotic mess, I would drown. Check it out:



And of course, Ben did amazing, coming out of the swim in about 57 minutes. Really?!

Bike: We went to an area to see Ben on his second loop of the Bike where Billy dressed up in his "Tour de France" outfit and it was quite a hit, he even got Ben to smile . . .



Running: I know how rough Running can be, but I can't image running a MARATHON after swimming and biking! I can barely finish a marathon by itself. Ben = Rockstar.

Side Note:

This is Jocelyn. She is an upcoming pro and stayed in the house with us. She is great and was always smiling. The best part - she has those Starbucks Frappuccino drinks in her camel pack. No joke. How awesome is that. I would vomit if I drank that on my run:



This is Ryan from the Bachelorette, Trista's husband. Lindsay and I got a kick out of seeing him and Trista:



End: 10 hours and 51 minutes later, Ben crossed the finish line. Amazing. Glad I got this shot. You came out of no where . . .



Ben, we are super proud of you. This is quite the achievement that not many people can say they have accomplished. You are probably one of the most determined, dedicated individuals that I know. Your desire to achieve these types of goals have not only encouraged me to push myself but others as well. You truly deserve this and you should be extremely proud of yourself. Amazing to see how God has given you the ability and talents to accomplish an Ironman. You just finished an IRONMAN, now go brag. . . eat a lot. . . and get some rest! . . . . I am a proud Sister.

The crew:



Love this:



Proud Mama and her artistic skills:




** Pictures from Ben and Karen Snare. Check out Ben's FB page for more pics.