So I follow CSLewisDaily on Twitter and I was just reading through his quotes. I think that he must have had just such a soft heart toward God. The way he thinks and the things he says seems to me the way that God would want to be perceived. I want to cry reading some of it, because of how true and convicting his thoughts are. Here are just a few that I couldn't resist sharing:
"It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to."
"Continue seeking God with seriousness. Unless He wanted you, you would not be wanting Him"
"I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God, it changes me."
"God, in the end, gives people what they most want, including freedom from himself. What could be more fair?"
"Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms."
"It's a poor thing to come to Him as a last resort. If God were proud He would hardly have us on such terms: but He isn't."
"The virtue of courage is a prerequisite for the practice of all other virtues otherwise one is virtuous only when virtue has no cost."
"Forgive us as we Forgive-We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse Gods mercy for ourselves."
I could go on and on and on and on......I really believe this man had a gift for clarity about God and his character. I'm ashamed that another person has taken the time to experience and put into words the character that I know to be true of God. I need to start experiencing this for myself and stop reading about how other people were so blessed by the presence of God.
There. is. a. hunger.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Post-vacay blues
Being back from Vacation has been amazing and frustrating. I'm finding it hard to get motivated to do.....anything! I set my alarm for before 9 every day and the last few days I haven't gotten out of bed before like 10:30. This afternoon I got to watch the Weston children so their mama could go get her eyes checked. Put the (PRECIOUS) baby down for a nap and played Mario Kart and Rock Band for 2 hours with the boys. Ballin. I have missed babysitting a lot since I've been married. I guess people think newlyweds all of the sudden hate children. Not true!
After babysitting I WAS able to motivate myself to pick up and clean our whole apartment. Feels good to get some stuff done. Had to throw away my two plants that I've had since soph. year of college. That was pretty awful. I didn't think I would get so upset about that, but those plants have been with me through all kinds of incredible times in my life. I just couldn't get them nursed back to health. Its like the ending of an era. Little sad. Moving on! Tonight was church league softball. Our teams did well (1-1), but there are 2 or 57 things I am better at. I can imagine that me playing any kind of sport (besides running) would be hard to watch - but MOST of all, church league softball. Whoo-wee.
People are wanting lots of Cupcakey Cakes these days! Business is looking good. And I've got some CUTE ideas for the orders I have coming up. Butterfly baby shower, and hot pink, lime green and black bachelorette party! Should be fun. If you or your friends need cupcakes for any occasion - LET ME KNOW! I'd love to create a custom dessert for you. Comment on this blog post, or find Grace Hearn on facebook and message me!
Tonight while I was running I decided some things. 1. No pop for a week. Just to try it and see if it makes as big of a difference as everyone says it does. I'm gonna do my best to replace all the pop I drink with like twice the amount of water. We'll see how it goes! 2. I need to be running more regularly. Or doing SOME kind of very regular exercise. I need to get into that pattern again. I am still trying to be really careful with my right index toenail which keeps acting like it wants to fall off like the one on my other foot did. Super annoying - can't let that hold me back though. 3. Need to start eating a lot cleaner. I have been taking advantage of the summer season and getting seasonal fruits and vegis. Can't wait to visit the Farmer's Market this weekend and get some awesome produce - and EAT BETTER. 4. Need to stop being down on myself. Been struggling with that quite a bit lately, and some times the trick to snapping out of that is to just STOP it. Refuse to go there, and do stuff to make it better. This is going to be a great summer.
Grace
After babysitting I WAS able to motivate myself to pick up and clean our whole apartment. Feels good to get some stuff done. Had to throw away my two plants that I've had since soph. year of college. That was pretty awful. I didn't think I would get so upset about that, but those plants have been with me through all kinds of incredible times in my life. I just couldn't get them nursed back to health. Its like the ending of an era. Little sad. Moving on! Tonight was church league softball. Our teams did well (1-1), but there are 2 or 57 things I am better at. I can imagine that me playing any kind of sport (besides running) would be hard to watch - but MOST of all, church league softball. Whoo-wee.
People are wanting lots of Cupcakey Cakes these days! Business is looking good. And I've got some CUTE ideas for the orders I have coming up. Butterfly baby shower, and hot pink, lime green and black bachelorette party! Should be fun. If you or your friends need cupcakes for any occasion - LET ME KNOW! I'd love to create a custom dessert for you. Comment on this blog post, or find Grace Hearn on facebook and message me!
Tonight while I was running I decided some things. 1. No pop for a week. Just to try it and see if it makes as big of a difference as everyone says it does. I'm gonna do my best to replace all the pop I drink with like twice the amount of water. We'll see how it goes! 2. I need to be running more regularly. Or doing SOME kind of very regular exercise. I need to get into that pattern again. I am still trying to be really careful with my right index toenail which keeps acting like it wants to fall off like the one on my other foot did. Super annoying - can't let that hold me back though. 3. Need to start eating a lot cleaner. I have been taking advantage of the summer season and getting seasonal fruits and vegis. Can't wait to visit the Farmer's Market this weekend and get some awesome produce - and EAT BETTER. 4. Need to stop being down on myself. Been struggling with that quite a bit lately, and some times the trick to snapping out of that is to just STOP it. Refuse to go there, and do stuff to make it better. This is going to be a great summer.
Grace
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The last 3 days of our trip to Colorado!
Day 6: Happy Anniversary to US!!!!!!!!!! Its been a wonderful year. And this was our day to celebrate. For starters we got up Nathan made us wonderful breakfast burritos for breakfast. Then we went to worship with Church in the Wildwood in Green Mountain Falls. It is very different from our church, but kind of a nice change. After church we went back to the house to change and get some fishing and a nice leisurely afternoon. I was done with fishing after about an hour, so I went back to the house to watch a movie and Nathan finished up fishing. THEN, we took showers and got all fancy to go out to dinner for our big day! Red Lobster is our special place. So we went to the one in Colorado Springs and it was LOVELY. Afterwords, we came home and made s'mores and watched LOST. It was a wonderfully special, relaxing, and nice day. I love being married to Nathan and we've had a GREAT year!
Day 7: This is our Lake day! Before going to the lake, we went in to Colorado Springs and ate breakfast at King's Chef - another of our diner stops. They are famous for their huge breakfasts and Nathan has beaten their challenge before. Sad to say, this time, since it was early in the morning, he only finished half of the big breakfast. But we LOVE this place and their food (I got the french toast, and it was SO SO good). Next, we made about an hour trip to 11 Mile State Park and rented a boat for 4 hours. We thought we were going to be able to get some swimming in (something that we miss when we're in Colorado because it is not as summery there), BUT swimming is not allowed at 11 Mile. Dang it. Nathan was fully prepared for fishing though and he caught a good sized lake Trout - his first lake Trout ever! The lake was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen - so clear accompanied with some stunning scenery. We brought snacks and Dr. Pepper, so I was, of course, completely happy to soak in the scenery, read my 3rd book of the trip, and snack a little.(pictures to come in a future, "pictures only" blog post). It was just a lovely and relaxing last day in Colorado. Lots and lots of fun and good memories made. When we got home that night we went through the house like a white tornado. Washed all the linens, towels, and all our clothing so we could pack CLEAN things. Cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen, and packed up our car. Nathan went to bed early because we had a long day of driving ahead of us, and I stayed up and finished cleaning the house and packing our clean clothes while I watched, "Eat Pray Love," (I wasn't impressed, not a fan of the whole, "leave your husband for absolutely no reason and then go off and act like a 15 year old with no consequences.....)
Day 8: We got up at about 4:30 and left our home away from home around 5:30. We stopped and got McDonalds breakfast before hitting the road. Instead of heading straight home, this day we were excited to head to Kansas City to watch 2 international Soccer matches! I slept for quite awhile on the way to KC, and when I wasn't sleeping I read and talked to my man. I absolutely love road trips. I just LOVE them. We ate some dinner, our first Chipotle experience (we're Qdoba people) and were not pleased. Its just not as good. That was in Lawrence, Kansas. After we ate dinner we headed to KC to the KC Sporting Livestrong Complex to watch some soccer! The complex opened just 5 DAYS before the game and it was unreal! So much fun, and definintely one of my favorite things that we did on our trip. The games were over around 10:30 and around 11 we were rolling out to head for Owasso, OK! With about a 4 hour trip ahead of us, I tried to stay awake so that Nathan would stay alert for the drive. I ended up failing at that, but Nathan was fine of course. We ended up getting home as planned right before 3 AM. We unloaded and officially CRASHED.
This was a phenominal trip and such a wonderful way to celebrate our first year as a married couple. Hope you have enjoyed hearing about our adventures. Its back to normal life for awhile now. Our next adventure isn't too far off. Our first "just us" camping trip next weekend to Roaring River in Missouri. It will feel like a drive across town compared to our 14 hours in the car on the way back from CO. Thanks for reading!
Grace
Day 7: This is our Lake day! Before going to the lake, we went in to Colorado Springs and ate breakfast at King's Chef - another of our diner stops. They are famous for their huge breakfasts and Nathan has beaten their challenge before. Sad to say, this time, since it was early in the morning, he only finished half of the big breakfast. But we LOVE this place and their food (I got the french toast, and it was SO SO good). Next, we made about an hour trip to 11 Mile State Park and rented a boat for 4 hours. We thought we were going to be able to get some swimming in (something that we miss when we're in Colorado because it is not as summery there), BUT swimming is not allowed at 11 Mile. Dang it. Nathan was fully prepared for fishing though and he caught a good sized lake Trout - his first lake Trout ever! The lake was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen - so clear accompanied with some stunning scenery. We brought snacks and Dr. Pepper, so I was, of course, completely happy to soak in the scenery, read my 3rd book of the trip, and snack a little.(pictures to come in a future, "pictures only" blog post). It was just a lovely and relaxing last day in Colorado. Lots and lots of fun and good memories made. When we got home that night we went through the house like a white tornado. Washed all the linens, towels, and all our clothing so we could pack CLEAN things. Cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen, and packed up our car. Nathan went to bed early because we had a long day of driving ahead of us, and I stayed up and finished cleaning the house and packing our clean clothes while I watched, "Eat Pray Love," (I wasn't impressed, not a fan of the whole, "leave your husband for absolutely no reason and then go off and act like a 15 year old with no consequences.....)
Day 8: We got up at about 4:30 and left our home away from home around 5:30. We stopped and got McDonalds breakfast before hitting the road. Instead of heading straight home, this day we were excited to head to Kansas City to watch 2 international Soccer matches! I slept for quite awhile on the way to KC, and when I wasn't sleeping I read and talked to my man. I absolutely love road trips. I just LOVE them. We ate some dinner, our first Chipotle experience (we're Qdoba people) and were not pleased. Its just not as good. That was in Lawrence, Kansas. After we ate dinner we headed to KC to the KC Sporting Livestrong Complex to watch some soccer! The complex opened just 5 DAYS before the game and it was unreal! So much fun, and definintely one of my favorite things that we did on our trip. The games were over around 10:30 and around 11 we were rolling out to head for Owasso, OK! With about a 4 hour trip ahead of us, I tried to stay awake so that Nathan would stay alert for the drive. I ended up failing at that, but Nathan was fine of course. We ended up getting home as planned right before 3 AM. We unloaded and officially CRASHED.
This was a phenominal trip and such a wonderful way to celebrate our first year as a married couple. Hope you have enjoyed hearing about our adventures. Its back to normal life for awhile now. Our next adventure isn't too far off. Our first "just us" camping trip next weekend to Roaring River in Missouri. It will feel like a drive across town compared to our 14 hours in the car on the way back from CO. Thanks for reading!
Grace
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Days 3, 4, 5 of Colo!
Colorado has been AWESOME!!! Last full day tomorrow....Here is a recap of the last 3 days!
Day 3: This was Denver day! We had an absolute blast in Denver. Its about an hour and 20 minutes away from where we are staying. We started our day there eating lunch at Jack -n- Grill. They are famous for the 7lb. Burrito which I have a picture of. No, we did not order it. It is probably enough food for about 5 or 6 people. The things that we did get were super delicious though. Goooooood eats. Next we went to a national park called Red Rocks. They have an amazing amphitheater that seats almost 10,000 people. Loads of way famous people have done concerts there and the scenery of the Red Rock formations and mountain views just blew us away. Very very cool. After Red Rocks, we went to see movies. The reason I say movies? Well we couldn't settle on one so I went to see Bridesmaids and Nathan went to see the new X-men. Haha, it was fun. Bridesmaids is hilarious. For dinner we went to Denver's Cherry Cricket. It was amazing too. I ordered a martini (bad idea) and it was so expensive that I felt terrible not finishing it, so I choked it down. I am not a drinker. : ) So that was basically it. After dinner we listened to some live music and then we went home. Lovely day.
Day 4: This day we didn't really have much planned so it was just kind of a chill day. We did go into Manitou Springs to do some shopping. I got a hot pink feather in my hair. Its pretty awesome. Nathan also went to this legit fly shop and got some fishing supplies. When we got home, Nathan went fishing and I spent the afternoon reading and watching Million Dollar Match Maker, and House Hunters. Pretty decent day.
Day 5: Probably my favorite day so far! We started the day off by going to Garden of the Gods and going mountain biking! It was exhilerating and so much FUN! Lots of insane hills (of course, we expected this) and some amazing downhill stretches. It was incredible - probably the fastest I've ever gone on a bike. Garden of the Gods has pretty stinkin awesome bike lanes, so going down hills was awesome because we were going so fast down hills that we were going the same speed as cars. Ah! We got some water and refreshments at the Trading Post at GOTG, then..................we headed out to Pikes Peak Highway! This might have been my favorite thing of our time in Colo this year. Its hard to describe how amazing driving that highway was. We rode the Cog Railroad train last year and it was cool, but THIS was so much better (and much cheaper). Lots of awesome sights to be seen and amazing views from the top. On the way down it started SNOWING! Like real snow, on June 11th! Crazy. And Awesome. We both went fishing when we got back to Green Mountain Falls and I caught my first ever Colorado trout (or any fish period). For dinner we went to this really awesome pizza place in Manitou Springs. Favorite day. Ah, I miss it already!
Look forward to THE anniversary post. Thats next! We love Colorado. But I, I won't speak for Nathan, miss home, family and friends too. Guess I'm a home-body. Stay tuned for the wrap-up edition of the Colo posts! Next time I post it will probably be from home!
Grace
Day 3: This was Denver day! We had an absolute blast in Denver. Its about an hour and 20 minutes away from where we are staying. We started our day there eating lunch at Jack -n- Grill. They are famous for the 7lb. Burrito which I have a picture of. No, we did not order it. It is probably enough food for about 5 or 6 people. The things that we did get were super delicious though. Goooooood eats. Next we went to a national park called Red Rocks. They have an amazing amphitheater that seats almost 10,000 people. Loads of way famous people have done concerts there and the scenery of the Red Rock formations and mountain views just blew us away. Very very cool. After Red Rocks, we went to see movies. The reason I say movies? Well we couldn't settle on one so I went to see Bridesmaids and Nathan went to see the new X-men. Haha, it was fun. Bridesmaids is hilarious. For dinner we went to Denver's Cherry Cricket. It was amazing too. I ordered a martini (bad idea) and it was so expensive that I felt terrible not finishing it, so I choked it down. I am not a drinker. : ) So that was basically it. After dinner we listened to some live music and then we went home. Lovely day.
Day 4: This day we didn't really have much planned so it was just kind of a chill day. We did go into Manitou Springs to do some shopping. I got a hot pink feather in my hair. Its pretty awesome. Nathan also went to this legit fly shop and got some fishing supplies. When we got home, Nathan went fishing and I spent the afternoon reading and watching Million Dollar Match Maker, and House Hunters. Pretty decent day.
Day 5: Probably my favorite day so far! We started the day off by going to Garden of the Gods and going mountain biking! It was exhilerating and so much FUN! Lots of insane hills (of course, we expected this) and some amazing downhill stretches. It was incredible - probably the fastest I've ever gone on a bike. Garden of the Gods has pretty stinkin awesome bike lanes, so going down hills was awesome because we were going so fast down hills that we were going the same speed as cars. Ah! We got some water and refreshments at the Trading Post at GOTG, then..................we headed out to Pikes Peak Highway! This might have been my favorite thing of our time in Colo this year. Its hard to describe how amazing driving that highway was. We rode the Cog Railroad train last year and it was cool, but THIS was so much better (and much cheaper). Lots of awesome sights to be seen and amazing views from the top. On the way down it started SNOWING! Like real snow, on June 11th! Crazy. And Awesome. We both went fishing when we got back to Green Mountain Falls and I caught my first ever Colorado trout (or any fish period). For dinner we went to this really awesome pizza place in Manitou Springs. Favorite day. Ah, I miss it already!
Look forward to THE anniversary post. Thats next! We love Colorado. But I, I won't speak for Nathan, miss home, family and friends too. Guess I'm a home-body. Stay tuned for the wrap-up edition of the Colo posts! Next time I post it will probably be from home!
Grace
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Colorado - the first 2 days!
Sometimes I feel like there is too much going on to construct a blog post that will do it all justice. Well...here's to doing my best...
As I'm writing this post I'm sitting in beautiful Green Mountain Falls, Colorado!
Day 1: We spent the day yesterday making the drive from Owasso, Oklahoma to here - right outside Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs in picturesque GMF. It was a lovely drive, with lots of beautiful farmland for scenery and conversation for entertainment. We made the journey with relatively no mishaps. Stopped in Wichita to eat at Brint's Diver - BEST REUBEN I HAVE EVER HAD. Holy canoli. En route we also saw some amazing wildlife. Antelope - yes - indigenous to Colorado. And a FOX with something for lunch in his/her mouth. Pretty neat. So we made it to Colorado - and we couldn't be more excited about our vacation and all the awesome stuff we have planned!
Day 2: We got up this morning and headed for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! This zoo is literally nestled into the side of a mountain in Colorado Springs. One of the neatest places (not just zoos) I've ever been. There was a skyride (a ski lift) that took us all the way up the side of the mountain and on the way up you could see a ton of the exhibits and animals from the air! So awesome! The zoo itself was so neat - it is famous for it's giraffe feeding exhibit. I'll upload pictures of all of this when we get home. The whole time we've been here (yesterday and today) we've seen deer just roaming around in the middle of the day like they own the place. We stopped at a stop sign on the way back from the zoo and saw a young buck just casually walking along the side of the road...his girlfriend (or possibly chick on the side) was right behind him. Neat! We ate lunch in Woodland Park at a wings place. It was really good. This afternoon we hopped on our bikes and rode down the mountain to explore the town. Nathan wanted to get some trout fishing in. I also got a chance to go for a run and let me tell you the air up here is THIN! GMF is at 7,800 FT elevation. The greatest thing is that there is virtually no humidity and its a lot cooler here - hardly broke a sweat, still struggling for air though! While Nathan finished fishing I finished the book I started reading on the drive up. I LOVE TO READ - I have missed it. I took a long and restful nap, then made dinner for us. We had s'mores too. It was a wonderful day. Can't wait for tomorrow - we're headed to Denver!
P.S. Whilst we were eating our s'mores we heard the unmistakable sound of a BEAR roaring outside the kitchen window!!!! We went to look but never actually saw the bear. Dang. Maybe tomorrow. Colorado is such a fun and exciting place! Love seeing all the wildlife that we normally see/experience back in good ole OK!
I'll try to blog again soon. Thanks for reading - lots of awesome pictures to come!
G
As I'm writing this post I'm sitting in beautiful Green Mountain Falls, Colorado!
Day 1: We spent the day yesterday making the drive from Owasso, Oklahoma to here - right outside Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs in picturesque GMF. It was a lovely drive, with lots of beautiful farmland for scenery and conversation for entertainment. We made the journey with relatively no mishaps. Stopped in Wichita to eat at Brint's Diver - BEST REUBEN I HAVE EVER HAD. Holy canoli. En route we also saw some amazing wildlife. Antelope - yes - indigenous to Colorado. And a FOX with something for lunch in his/her mouth. Pretty neat. So we made it to Colorado - and we couldn't be more excited about our vacation and all the awesome stuff we have planned!
Day 2: We got up this morning and headed for Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! This zoo is literally nestled into the side of a mountain in Colorado Springs. One of the neatest places (not just zoos) I've ever been. There was a skyride (a ski lift) that took us all the way up the side of the mountain and on the way up you could see a ton of the exhibits and animals from the air! So awesome! The zoo itself was so neat - it is famous for it's giraffe feeding exhibit. I'll upload pictures of all of this when we get home. The whole time we've been here (yesterday and today) we've seen deer just roaming around in the middle of the day like they own the place. We stopped at a stop sign on the way back from the zoo and saw a young buck just casually walking along the side of the road...his girlfriend (or possibly chick on the side) was right behind him. Neat! We ate lunch in Woodland Park at a wings place. It was really good. This afternoon we hopped on our bikes and rode down the mountain to explore the town. Nathan wanted to get some trout fishing in. I also got a chance to go for a run and let me tell you the air up here is THIN! GMF is at 7,800 FT elevation. The greatest thing is that there is virtually no humidity and its a lot cooler here - hardly broke a sweat, still struggling for air though! While Nathan finished fishing I finished the book I started reading on the drive up. I LOVE TO READ - I have missed it. I took a long and restful nap, then made dinner for us. We had s'mores too. It was a wonderful day. Can't wait for tomorrow - we're headed to Denver!
P.S. Whilst we were eating our s'mores we heard the unmistakable sound of a BEAR roaring outside the kitchen window!!!! We went to look but never actually saw the bear. Dang. Maybe tomorrow. Colorado is such a fun and exciting place! Love seeing all the wildlife that we normally see/experience back in good ole OK!
I'll try to blog again soon. Thanks for reading - lots of awesome pictures to come!
G
Monday, May 30, 2011
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Summer is HERE! Finally!
Lots going on lately. Nathan and I both got to watch our youngest siblings graduate from high school in the last couple of weeks. A new season of life for both of our families - that'll take some getting used to, but it'll be fun! The Joplin/Oklahoma tornadoes happened. Such heartbreaking incidents serve to remind us that the world is a terribly broken place in need of redemption. School is out for St. Mary's now and I am getting used to being a stay at home wife for the summer (so completely wonderful). The last week of school felt forever long....I hope the summer feels that way too. Nathan and I (and some of our siblings) played our first indoor soccer game Sunday night - it was so much fun and I actually played a pretty good game! Thats gonna be great fun. Unfortunately the we also got robbed Sunday night. Nathan's driver's side window got bashed in at Soccer City and my purse was stolen. Pretty frustrating/costly/sad/unfair experiece. The biggest inconvenience of that deal is that my car keys were in my purse so I am un-mobile until we can procure a new key for my car ($$$). My camera was also in the purse, and it was a very nice camera ($$$). I'm getting hot just thinking about it.....
Whats in the near future? Well this coming Monday Nathan and I, along with some of our siblings are playing our first church league softball game! We're "The Peppers" because we're sponsored by Dr. Pepper. I'm so stinkin excited about this! The very next day we leave for Colorado early in the morning. I am SO SO SO excited. We'll have to borrow a camera to get some snazzy pics while we're there and I'll definitely write a whole blog about it - might even post some highlights a few days. We have great and exciting plans for our time there. Can't wait to get away for a little while.
The rest of this week will go into preparation for that and getting our apartment put back together after that crazy last couple of weeks of school. Hopefully now I'll be able to blog more than 3 times a month.
I'm looking forward to lots of things (as previously mentioned), but some of the small things are: running recreationally (took all of last week off, easing back into it this week), reading recreationally (I am currently reading 4 books: The Necklace, Necessary Arrangements, Born to Run, and of course Hal Higdon's Marathon the Ultimate Training Guide (as always)), having time to do housework the way it should be done (yes, I actually enjoy housework when I have time to do it), LAYING OUT BY THE POOL/SWIMMING! (possibly one of my very favorite things in the world to do), riding my bike and doing other workouts that aren't running (I also enjoy these things immensely - good for the soul), and just some good old fashioned R&R.
A Nikon commercial just came on TV and I whimpered a little because I was hurting from the lost of my precious camera. Nathan looked at me, gave me a hug, kissed my chest (not my boob, my actual chest, haha) and said, "I'm sorry about your camera baby, I can tell your heart is hurting..."
I love that boy. He knows me well. It is hurting.
Here's to summer - Cheers, friends! Thanks for reading!
Grace Hearn
Lots going on lately. Nathan and I both got to watch our youngest siblings graduate from high school in the last couple of weeks. A new season of life for both of our families - that'll take some getting used to, but it'll be fun! The Joplin/Oklahoma tornadoes happened. Such heartbreaking incidents serve to remind us that the world is a terribly broken place in need of redemption. School is out for St. Mary's now and I am getting used to being a stay at home wife for the summer (so completely wonderful). The last week of school felt forever long....I hope the summer feels that way too. Nathan and I (and some of our siblings) played our first indoor soccer game Sunday night - it was so much fun and I actually played a pretty good game! Thats gonna be great fun. Unfortunately the we also got robbed Sunday night. Nathan's driver's side window got bashed in at Soccer City and my purse was stolen. Pretty frustrating/costly/sad/unfair experiece. The biggest inconvenience of that deal is that my car keys were in my purse so I am un-mobile until we can procure a new key for my car ($$$). My camera was also in the purse, and it was a very nice camera ($$$). I'm getting hot just thinking about it.....
Whats in the near future? Well this coming Monday Nathan and I, along with some of our siblings are playing our first church league softball game! We're "The Peppers" because we're sponsored by Dr. Pepper. I'm so stinkin excited about this! The very next day we leave for Colorado early in the morning. I am SO SO SO excited. We'll have to borrow a camera to get some snazzy pics while we're there and I'll definitely write a whole blog about it - might even post some highlights a few days. We have great and exciting plans for our time there. Can't wait to get away for a little while.
The rest of this week will go into preparation for that and getting our apartment put back together after that crazy last couple of weeks of school. Hopefully now I'll be able to blog more than 3 times a month.
I'm looking forward to lots of things (as previously mentioned), but some of the small things are: running recreationally (took all of last week off, easing back into it this week), reading recreationally (I am currently reading 4 books: The Necklace, Necessary Arrangements, Born to Run, and of course Hal Higdon's Marathon the Ultimate Training Guide (as always)), having time to do housework the way it should be done (yes, I actually enjoy housework when I have time to do it), LAYING OUT BY THE POOL/SWIMMING! (possibly one of my very favorite things in the world to do), riding my bike and doing other workouts that aren't running (I also enjoy these things immensely - good for the soul), and just some good old fashioned R&R.
A Nikon commercial just came on TV and I whimpered a little because I was hurting from the lost of my precious camera. Nathan looked at me, gave me a hug, kissed my chest (not my boob, my actual chest, haha) and said, "I'm sorry about your camera baby, I can tell your heart is hurting..."
I love that boy. He knows me well. It is hurting.
Here's to summer - Cheers, friends! Thanks for reading!
Grace Hearn
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Half Marathon: DONE!
Yesterday I officially became a half marathon finisher! 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 4 seconds. It was absolutely incredible.
Two years ago, in January of 2009, I challenged myself to do something that I thought was an impossibility for me. So I trained for, and ran my very first 5K on May 8, 2009 - didn't walk a step - first big goal completed. Since then I have run 13 5Ks. Two years later I'm still challenging myself to do the impossible - and the next step (and a very optimistic one at that) was the Half Marathon. Here is my run-down of the whole experience, start to finish...
First of all, I started training for this race 5 months ago. My first training run for this race was actually January 7th of this year, so its been a long journey. There were definitely times during training that I seriously doubted my body's ability to run this far. More times than not I felt incapable. The cool thing is, with every milestone I passed (5 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles...) I ran farther than I ever had, and my body was able to do more than I ever thought possible. That is, quite possibly, my favorite thing about this experience and running in general.
The hardest thing about the half marathon, for me, was the training - not the actual race! There were definitey days that I felt like giving up - for sure. Getting out there 4 days a week was a challenge. I went into the training knowing it would be difficult and tried not to be a baby about soreness, long mileage, early mornings and injuries. These things are all inevitable for the distance runner. Coming to grips with that made all the difference. One of the things that I kept telling myself on particularly hard days was, "No one ever told me this would be easy. If it were, everyone would do it." That took away my reason to complain about pretty much everything. The great things in life usually take lots of work and sweat and preparation - but they also bring the most gratification, reward, and accomplishment.
One of the things I noticed about training for distance is that what I wore to run was very important. Comfort, for me, is key while I'm running. My outfit of choice for most training days and for the actual race, was a baggy cotton t-shirt, and fitted spandex running shorts (they come to just below my knee), socks made from synthetic fabric, and my Brooks running shoes. I tried several ensembles, but I ran into some of the following problems: Most tank tops rubbed under my arms and left painful chaffing. Also, loose fitting running shorts ride up and cause rubbing between my legs - they're alright for short runs, but not for long distance. Cotton socks don't allow your feet to breathe on long runs and almost always cause blisters. I did purchase a running skirt which is AWESOME, but I got it late in the process and felt like I hadn't trained enough in it to wear it for the race.
For the first time since I started running in January of 2009, I started running without music. I tried it for a few days and found that I run more efficiently and with more concentration without it. I got through the first couple of runs by praying, thinking about the big race and concentrating on my form. I also don't like to carry anything with me on my runs, so not bringing music allowed me to be completely free when I'm running. May not be for everyone, but it has made a huge diference for me.
As far as supplements go, I used GU (for glucose replenishment on runs longer than 5 miles). Its also important to drink LOTS of water - not just during runs - but during your every day life. I did not do as well as I should have with drinking water. This probably contributed to unnecessary soreness and fatigue during runs.
Over the course of training I sustained few injuries and only 1 major period of illness. During the Snow Storm of 2011 I came down with a terrible case of the flu as well as severe sinus infection - at the same time. This took me away from training for about 10 days. If it hadn't been so far away from the actual race date, this sickness could have prevented me from racing. It was absolutely horrible. The only injury I sustained that affected my running was the loss of my index toenail on my left foot. This was a result of cotton socks and the blisters they gave me. This blister just happened to be under my entire toenail - and the toenail had no chance. This was kind of traumatic, but I think I only miss one training due to this, and that was because of the pain in the beginning of the toe-falling-off process.
One thing that I was so very blessed to have for the journey was some AMAZING running buddies - Liz Reed, and Lindsay Bippus. There girls started with me in January and we trained together the whole time - all the way up to last Thursday when we ran out last training run together. I was usually able to run one race with them during the week (the others I ran by myself) and a lot of the times we ran our long runs together on the weekends. We ran the actual race together as well - from start to finish. I am so glad to have these amazing friends to share this experience and the memories with!
The actual race day was like a dream for me. Just a culmination of all that hard work. In the days leading up to the race (the taper time - where you drastically decrease mileage to give your body a chance to rebuild and get into optimal running shape) I still doubted whether or not I could TRULY finish the race without walking a large portion of it. Well, I am thrilled to report to you that we only walked through water stations and limited that time to about 30 seconds each time. Our walking distance for the whole thing was probably less than a 10th of a mile. We ran that whole thing. I'm not sure I can really express the feeling I got when I crossed that finish line - knowing that I had finished, VERY strong, and under our estimated time (which was 2:30:00).
The thing that we most concentrated on during the race was keeping a steady pace that we knew we would be able to sustain for the whole 13.1 miles - which means going much slower than you feel you need to at the beginning. At the end of the race - especially in the last 2 miles - I had to constantly keep telling myself to put one foot in front of the other, and just keep running. Thats all you have to do. (But trust me, its much harder than it sounds)
Every new goal I set for running ends up being one of the most rewarding and character building experiences of my life - and this one was no exception. Throughout this training season, I set 2 new personal records for my 5K. Before this season my 5K PR was 32:04. My current personal best for the 5K is now 29:24. Never ever thought I'd get under 30 minutes! My beautiful family is always there at the finish line to give me a huge hug and take my picture, no matter how sweaty I am, no matter how long the race. I treasure that.
What's next? Still thinking and planning, but right now it looks like the Full Marathon this November. Right now this seems impossible, but thats kind of what I love about it. I will definitely keep you posted on what I decide when I have a more definite plan.
Thanks for sticking in here for this long read. I hope it inspires you to do things you think are impossibilities for you. I have proven myself wrong so very many times through this process.
Commit to doing something you think you can't. It'll change your entire life.
Grace K. Hearn - Half Marathon Finisher!!!!!!! WOW!
Two years ago, in January of 2009, I challenged myself to do something that I thought was an impossibility for me. So I trained for, and ran my very first 5K on May 8, 2009 - didn't walk a step - first big goal completed. Since then I have run 13 5Ks. Two years later I'm still challenging myself to do the impossible - and the next step (and a very optimistic one at that) was the Half Marathon. Here is my run-down of the whole experience, start to finish...
First of all, I started training for this race 5 months ago. My first training run for this race was actually January 7th of this year, so its been a long journey. There were definitely times during training that I seriously doubted my body's ability to run this far. More times than not I felt incapable. The cool thing is, with every milestone I passed (5 miles, 8 miles, 10 miles...) I ran farther than I ever had, and my body was able to do more than I ever thought possible. That is, quite possibly, my favorite thing about this experience and running in general.
The hardest thing about the half marathon, for me, was the training - not the actual race! There were definitey days that I felt like giving up - for sure. Getting out there 4 days a week was a challenge. I went into the training knowing it would be difficult and tried not to be a baby about soreness, long mileage, early mornings and injuries. These things are all inevitable for the distance runner. Coming to grips with that made all the difference. One of the things that I kept telling myself on particularly hard days was, "No one ever told me this would be easy. If it were, everyone would do it." That took away my reason to complain about pretty much everything. The great things in life usually take lots of work and sweat and preparation - but they also bring the most gratification, reward, and accomplishment.
One of the things I noticed about training for distance is that what I wore to run was very important. Comfort, for me, is key while I'm running. My outfit of choice for most training days and for the actual race, was a baggy cotton t-shirt, and fitted spandex running shorts (they come to just below my knee), socks made from synthetic fabric, and my Brooks running shoes. I tried several ensembles, but I ran into some of the following problems: Most tank tops rubbed under my arms and left painful chaffing. Also, loose fitting running shorts ride up and cause rubbing between my legs - they're alright for short runs, but not for long distance. Cotton socks don't allow your feet to breathe on long runs and almost always cause blisters. I did purchase a running skirt which is AWESOME, but I got it late in the process and felt like I hadn't trained enough in it to wear it for the race.
For the first time since I started running in January of 2009, I started running without music. I tried it for a few days and found that I run more efficiently and with more concentration without it. I got through the first couple of runs by praying, thinking about the big race and concentrating on my form. I also don't like to carry anything with me on my runs, so not bringing music allowed me to be completely free when I'm running. May not be for everyone, but it has made a huge diference for me.
As far as supplements go, I used GU (for glucose replenishment on runs longer than 5 miles). Its also important to drink LOTS of water - not just during runs - but during your every day life. I did not do as well as I should have with drinking water. This probably contributed to unnecessary soreness and fatigue during runs.
Over the course of training I sustained few injuries and only 1 major period of illness. During the Snow Storm of 2011 I came down with a terrible case of the flu as well as severe sinus infection - at the same time. This took me away from training for about 10 days. If it hadn't been so far away from the actual race date, this sickness could have prevented me from racing. It was absolutely horrible. The only injury I sustained that affected my running was the loss of my index toenail on my left foot. This was a result of cotton socks and the blisters they gave me. This blister just happened to be under my entire toenail - and the toenail had no chance. This was kind of traumatic, but I think I only miss one training due to this, and that was because of the pain in the beginning of the toe-falling-off process.
One thing that I was so very blessed to have for the journey was some AMAZING running buddies - Liz Reed, and Lindsay Bippus. There girls started with me in January and we trained together the whole time - all the way up to last Thursday when we ran out last training run together. I was usually able to run one race with them during the week (the others I ran by myself) and a lot of the times we ran our long runs together on the weekends. We ran the actual race together as well - from start to finish. I am so glad to have these amazing friends to share this experience and the memories with!
The actual race day was like a dream for me. Just a culmination of all that hard work. In the days leading up to the race (the taper time - where you drastically decrease mileage to give your body a chance to rebuild and get into optimal running shape) I still doubted whether or not I could TRULY finish the race without walking a large portion of it. Well, I am thrilled to report to you that we only walked through water stations and limited that time to about 30 seconds each time. Our walking distance for the whole thing was probably less than a 10th of a mile. We ran that whole thing. I'm not sure I can really express the feeling I got when I crossed that finish line - knowing that I had finished, VERY strong, and under our estimated time (which was 2:30:00).
The thing that we most concentrated on during the race was keeping a steady pace that we knew we would be able to sustain for the whole 13.1 miles - which means going much slower than you feel you need to at the beginning. At the end of the race - especially in the last 2 miles - I had to constantly keep telling myself to put one foot in front of the other, and just keep running. Thats all you have to do. (But trust me, its much harder than it sounds)
Every new goal I set for running ends up being one of the most rewarding and character building experiences of my life - and this one was no exception. Throughout this training season, I set 2 new personal records for my 5K. Before this season my 5K PR was 32:04. My current personal best for the 5K is now 29:24. Never ever thought I'd get under 30 minutes! My beautiful family is always there at the finish line to give me a huge hug and take my picture, no matter how sweaty I am, no matter how long the race. I treasure that.
What's next? Still thinking and planning, but right now it looks like the Full Marathon this November. Right now this seems impossible, but thats kind of what I love about it. I will definitely keep you posted on what I decide when I have a more definite plan.
Thanks for sticking in here for this long read. I hope it inspires you to do things you think are impossibilities for you. I have proven myself wrong so very many times through this process.
Commit to doing something you think you can't. It'll change your entire life.
Grace K. Hearn - Half Marathon Finisher!!!!!!! WOW!
Lindsay Bippus, Liz Reed, and Grace Hearn before the race - running buddies for the long haul!
I DID IT! This was taken right after I finished.
My fan club!
Best running buddies around....
I earned that sticker, baby!
Done, and done.
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