Life Post-Marathon and 2014 Goals

It's been 4 weeks since my dream of running a marathon came true. This is what has been happening since. 

Posing in the Starting Line with my FBF peeps

 I recovered well from the marathon. I took 3 days off and ran 2 miles that week. The week after I slowly added runs as well as cross training to my schedule. I also did not worry about my food intake during recovery. The week after that, I went on the Daniel Fast. My husband and I picked up the habit of fasting every beginning of the year for spiritual reasons. It's not a way to twist God's arm and convince Him to do something for us, but it is a way for our family to be in tune with the goodness of God toward us. Yesterday was my last day on the fast and I feel fantastic. I noticed that thank God I am  closer to my pre-marathon weight. 

Who takes a diaper bag to the gym? This mother. 

That's right, I gained weight last month. I decreased my training and increased my carb intake two weeks before the marathon. I felt rested but was heavier at the start line. I do not fast to lose weight but somehow it always happens. My challenge is to keep the same level of nutrition high so that I can continue to pursue my goal of a normal BMI. I'm really close but not there yet. I also want to get fitter and faster, so I am already working on training and bumping up my nutritional intake (I'm taking about real food here) with that in mind.

Here's another thing I've been doing post marathon: singing. 

My husband and I singing together. A treat!

 Zeke and I often lead worship at church but we rarely sing Jazz together. It was a real treat to sing with him. You can watch the whole concert here. I also had the honor of leading worship at my church. I was honored to do that and I was so glad that God was present. 

Last but not least, I am enjoying doing lots of family activities with these amazing people.

Everyone is looking at the camera. Yay!

I'm not as sore or tired because I am back at my minimum running base. It's been cool to run around with our kids without being super sore. I am slowly building up my running base so I know more soreness awaits me in the future.
Here are my health goals:
• Rebuild my running base in order to be always ready to run a half marathon (which means my long runs need to be at least 10 miles);
• Sign up for at least one marathon this year. I have my eye on 2 marathons but I'm not sure if it will happen. I am praying about it and counting the cost. Yes, there is a high cost associat;d with running marathons outside of my hometown. If it's God's will we will run them if not, we'll be training for Houston as planned;
• Arrive at a normal BMI;
• Break my PR for both a half marathon and a marathon;
• Inspire and motivate people who want to run.

I think these goals should keep me busy for a while! I want to encourage you to start pursuing your goals and dreams. There are 45 weeks until the end of 2014, which is plenty of time to reach your goals. Small steps count friends. Have an amazing week!