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Maybe an Old Dog Can Learn New Tricks: Why I’m Running My First 5K at 50

For years, I watched my kids running 5Ks and thought, “I need to train to be ready next year to run.” But, then, I never did.

Until now.

Since I found out I had Hashimoto’s and changed my diet, started taking key vitamins and minerals, I’ve seen a huge difference in my health and energy levels.

I don’t think I’d be able to train for a 5K if I hadn’t gotten healthier.

I’m using the Couch to 5K app to train for my first race.

Here’s what I learned:

There will be obstacles: expect them.

Forgetting your shoes. A morning that goes backwards leaving you no time for a workout. You can’t get the app to work. You lose your keys. The college gym you work out in closes for Spring Break.

There’s always something.

The lesson here is that you have to push through in spite of the obstacles. Expect them. You might have to make some tweaks for better success in the future, but don’t give up.

Accept less than perfect effort.

We live in a less than perfect world. When you get four and half hours of sleep and you haven’t eaten breakfast, your workout is not going to go well.

Do the best you can and move on.

Celebrate effort, not results.

What you can control is the effort you put in, not what you achieve.

So, reward your faithfulness.

Reward your disciplines.

Reward your perseverence in the face of obstacles.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t hit every goal.

It doesn’t matter if you aren’t seeing the results you want to see.

Keep at it anyway. Don’t get discouraged and quit.

The results will come. Stick with it.

Remember every project has a messy middle.

Commit yourself irrevokably in the beginning, so it tides you over when you can’t see the end.

It helps to let people know what you’re doing, so you can get some support.

I’m glad I signed up for the 5K at the beginning of my training. I might have talked myself out of it in the middle.

You have to know your why. Your motivation is what keeps you going.

There’s nothing like the feeling AFTER a good workout.

I did my first 3 mile workout this week. It took me 47 minutes. That’s pretty slow. But, I’m happy that I can make it that far.

I’m glad I trained.

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The Biggest Danger in Having a Great Morning Routine

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I do 7 things every morning that make a huge difference in my life.

I take selenium. I drink hot lemon juice sweetened with stevia.* I sort the mail for 2 minutes.

I write 500 words, I work on my blog for 15 minutes, I have devotions and I facebook my husband.

These habits have made a HUGE difference in my life, health and happiness. It’s been a long road of tweaking the habits and there’s more I can add, but these are the ones that help me now.

Because my morning routines are so helpful, they set the stage for the greatest danger.

I realized it when a line from Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling** devotional flattened me:

Don’t make an idol of routine.

Here’s my problem. These routines are so helpful. They make such a difference in my life. I don’t want to mess them up or skip a day.

But, life happens.

There are demands on my time, energy and focus. Even at 7 am. Even at 5:30 or earlier.

So, how do I react?

It’s so tempting to get frustrated, to throw my whole day out of whack because my routines got interrupted.

I’ve gotten pretty good at plans B through G, but sometimes, I can’t pull that off, either.

And I have to let go and remember:

Don’t make an idol of routine.

*The selenium and lemon juice helps me deal with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

**More about Jesus Calling here.

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Flexing the Courage Muscles

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Gutless. Spineless. Chicken-livered.

That’s me.

But, every once and while I surprise myself and do something courageous. Usually I have to gear myself up for it.

A couple of weeks ago I sat in the car for about 10 minutes trying to psych myself up for a difficult conversation. Writing a script in my head and practicing it helped. I’ve done this with my kids before phone conversation that they’re dreading. I give them a script and have them practice it on me. So, this time, I parented myself. And it worked. I pulled it off and it went well.

Introverts do better with a script.

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When I first read The Introvert Advantage, I was excited to come across the term “phone phobia”. There was a name for it. And others had it. That very realization helped me deal with it better.

Brené Brown talks a lot about courage. It’s an essential ingredient for vulnerability. Vulnerability, in turn, is an essential ingredient for whole-hearted living. So, flexing those courage muscles is a good thing. And, amazingly, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

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What about you? Flexed those courage muscles lately?

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Food is Culture

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When Pete and I went to Mexico three years ago with our ministry team, we were inhaling tamales, atole, tacos arabes– eating everytime we turned a corner. One of the main purposes of the trip was to learn the culture, but we were doing so much eating that my husband coined the phrase “food is culture”.

When we were in Peru earlier this month, we got to try Ceviche for the first time. Ceviche is raw fish marinated in lemon juice till it “cooks”. It sounds strange, but actually tastes good. It’s often served with Yucca, which is very much like a potato in taste and texture.

Another culinary first for us in Peru. I can’t remember what these were called, but picture ground meat wrapped in mashed potatoes and deep fried. Yum. Also, deep fried donut thingies. Yep that’s technical.

On our way back from Peru, we spent a couple of days in Mexico, and were able to experience some more “culture”.

Tacos Arabes are made from meat cooked on an upright spit and then shaved off.

On the table.

And ready to eat.

That is the pinkest tamale I’ve ever seen in my life. It was also one of the best–sweet with a great flavor.

I’m fascinated thinking about what it takes to build a culture: tradition, ritual, expectations, norms, celebration, punishment. We are born into a culture and we adopt it or reject it, surrounded by others adopting and rejecting.

But, then, we reach a point when we become the culture shapers. We lay foundations and sculpt a family culture. We shape the culture of our churches, schools and organizations. We decide, “This is how we do it here. We will establish our traditions, rituals, expectations, norms, celebrations and punishments.”

And food is interwoven into it all. Some traditional foods are associated with celebration. In our church we eat tamales on Easter Sunday morning.

In our family, we have a few favorite recipes for special occasions. I’d like to be more intentional about preserving and passing on those recipes, those traditions, those memories. Because, essentially, we’re passing on culture. We are the culture shapers.

What culinary traditions do you have that shape your family culture?

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