i fight to run

It's Friday. Tomorrow morning I will wake up at the ungodly hour of 5:30am, don my running gear, stuff some fruit snacks in my back pocket and head the Hillsboro Stadium to join thousands of other crazy people on a scenic 13.1 mile run through the rolling hills of Helvetia.

This will by my first half marathon. I don't consider myself a runner but somehow I have survived the last 11 weeks of training for tomorrow's race. A few weeks ago while visiting my local Trader Joe's one of the employees who I often chat with stopped me and said "I saw you running the other day. You must be a runner" Before I knew what I was saying I responded, "Yes, I am a runner". What was I thinking! I'm not a runner! Can I take it back? Did I just tell a lie? Did anyone else hear me say that?

Most of the time I'm in denial about being a runner. I think this is the case because I compare myself to all the other "real" runners out there. My husband, who will also run his first half tomorrow has discovered a somewhat natural talent for the sport and is likely to run the race with a 7:00 minute pace. I on the other hand may cross the finish line walking, perhaps even crawling.

I fight to run.

Why do I run? Lot's of reasons. It sets me free. It releases stress from by body. I run because I have a body. I like the way running makes my body feel. Why may I never run again after I cross the finish line tomorrow? Lot's of reasons.... I'm not gonna lie. Even though I love to run, it has also been really hard on my body, mostly my knees. The one thing that I would do different text time around is more strength training and core training.

But for real, I do like to run and I am just a little excited for the race tomorrow and even got a little giddy when I picked up my running packet yesterday with these sweet Nike running shirts for tomorrows race!

Last night I ran the last run of my training schedule and it felt good, even though my poor knees where actually in a lot of pain when I was done. Training is half the race really. Even though I haven't done the actual race yet, I'm proud of myself that I've come this far.



after my run last night

Pray I'm not nervous and that I can sleep really well tonight, that I have endurance during the race and that my legs will be strong for the long run and hills tomorrow.

"let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" heb 12.1b

Green Drink

Do you know that feeling when you've worked really hard at something and when you're finished you just feel so good? Like you were made to work that hard? I always get that feeling after a long run, or even after cleaning my house, scrubbing the floods, dusting the tables, and making everything pretty again. There is just some kind of raw wholesome feeling from working hard and living how God intended you to live.

Recently, Ryan and I have really been into green drinks. They are raw and wholesome too. "God's candy" is what my aunt used to say about bananas. It's true! Who can go wrong with fruit that's so sweet? My friend Allie over here, just made this drink with so many fun fruits and vegetables that I can't wait to try it out.

Today I made our green drink with a banana, kiwi, pear, kale, spinach, ginger, blue agave and lemon juice. You can really experiment with all sorts of fruits and vegetables that you have on hand.



Green Drink
(makes apx. 16 liquid ounces)

One banana
One kiwi
1/2 pear
3-4 cups fresh spinach
1-2 cups fresh kale
1-2 tablespoons blue agave
a few dashes of ground ginger
1/4 lemonade
water as needed to thin it out

I start by adding my pear, kiwi and banana in the blender and pulse until liquefied. Then in batches I add my kale and spinach until liquefied along with the lemonade, ginger and blue agave.
I make my juice in a blender and I always end up adding some water to help thin it out. If you are using a juicer you won't need to do this.





Yum! Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

My favorite part of every day are the times that I get to spend with my best friend, my husband Ryan. Just thinking about these times makes me smile (like right now). I look forward to these times so much. Just the two of us, sitting in our chairs in the wee hours of the morning reading our Bibles and sipping coffee (which by the way, Ryan makes for us each and every morning - he has the biggest servants heart!). Yes, these are the times that I look forward to.

Last night was one of those times. I had just gotten home from a run. Ryan got home just before me and started getting our dinner ready. Fajitas was on the menu for the evening. Ryan actually found this recipe a couple months ago and we have pulled it out a few times since because well, it's good, and colorful, and so tasty, and truth by told... Ryan makes this meal with me!!!!

To be honest, Ryan helps me with a lot of our meals. I am so blessed. I relished the moment last night as Ryan stood peering into the spice cabinet, searching for that perfect spice to add to our meal, with one hand resting gently on my back as I stirred the onions that were caramelizing on the stove. I love that shoulder-to-shoulder companionship shared between a husband and a wife as they go through life together, sharing all things, supporting each other, and having one mission as a couple. This type of living cultivates a healthy marriage and I'm so thankful to be walking through this with Ryan!

So, back to the Fajitas, which by the way you should definitely try. Like I said, Ryan found this recipe but has adapted it so much that I'm not really even sure it's anything like the original. I keep asking him to tell me what he puts in the chicken mixture, but I think it's kind of a secret. We have a lot of fun making this meal together and we hope that you enjoy it too!

Chicken Fajitas
(adapted from food network: Nigella Lawson)

Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade
2 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and cut into thin slices
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, or regular oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2-3 tablespoons of salsa
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons lime juice

Vegateble Mixture
2 tablespoons peanut oil or regular olive oil (we just used regular olive oil)
1 onion, peeled, halved and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into strips
kosher salt
soft flour tortillas

Optional Accompaniments:
Shredded Cheese
Avacado or guacamole
Lettuce
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
Combine all the merinade ingredites into a bowl along with the cooked chicken strips and give it a good shake. (Or, you can cook your chicken with all these ingredicants, either way is fine)Let the chicken sit on the counter soaking up all those good flavors while you start the onions and bells peppers.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium high. Once the oil is warm, throw in your onion slices and let them start to carmalize. Season with kosher salt. Once the onions are part way done, toss in all the bell peppers and let them cook. Sometimes I add a little water to the mixture, just a tablespoon or two while it simmers.
Once the onions and the bell peppers have cooked, add the chicken mixture and let everything heat through for another few mintures.
Serve with warm tortillas and desired accompaniments.