One little, two little, three little...

So about 2 weeks after my race I tried to run again... it was so slow going and still is.  At first I thought, I must be injured and not realize it.  I think I had a slightly brused heal... but now I have a new theory... my body already knew I was pregnant.

So what does pregnancy look like for me?

So about 2 days before my missed cycle I started feeling nauseous.  A few days later I realized I no longer like Chocolate or sweets in general and do like fish and meat more then I did before.    

I eat every 30 mins and never feel full.   At dinner it has taken me almost 3 hours to eat one PB&J.  Feeling hungry is good, since that means I don't feel nauseous at the moment (but I have to eat a bite or two or it will turn to nausea).

Often when I ride in a car we have to pull over to let my nausea calm down.  It's getting better with the aid of Ginger.

The thought of driving for more then 30 mins almost makes me cry (it's will if I ever think I'll have to actually do it).  

I try to talk about anything remotely confrontational, I cry.  Once I've cried in the last 10 mins anything can make me cry (even helpful things).  I think I cry about once a day for some reason or another.

I go to bed before 9pm, sleep 10 hours, and can still take a hour+ nap the next day.  Then sometimes still feel tired...

Baby Sprague #3 coming in February.  

One little, two little, three little Spragues.  (for now that's where the song stops)

Half Marathon Race

So this is a long post, but I think it's worth the time to read.  Hopefully my narration is good.  

Since January I've been training for a race.  Just to get to race day I had to be commited, persevere and learn to endure.  When it comes to actual race day you have nothing left to do but try to follow your plans and finish the race.  I planned to start the race reserved, so that I wouldn't burn out halfway through the race.  I hoped to find my running partner who I had run half my long runs alongside.  I was prepared as I could be...

Race day:

I found my running partner before the race and even saw Candace Nordine (bonus!) before the race.  I told my running partner about how Candace ran most her runs alone and then was able to talk about why she was running.  

My running partner and I paced ourselves and for the first 6 miles we ran side by side.  We were right on target pace (given the less then ideal heat).  It was only mid 60s to low 70s, but it felt hot! The sun was bright.  I managed to spot Ben and Naomi at the two prearranged veiwing spots.  The first 5.5 miles were done, now for the uphill.  I told my running partner, this is a race, run your race and leave me behind if I'm slowing you down.  She eventually did and I kept her in sight most of the hill, but my breathing got too labored and I had to slow down.  I coached myself and knew the down hill is where I make up time.  I still had hope of finishing on target.  I kept telling myself "this is what you've worked/trained for, give it your all".  I pushed through the pain.

My all, I gave...  I was going slower then when I practiced the hill during my 10 and 12 mile runs.  But I still encouraged myself: just finish and give it your all.  The weather was to warm and humid to make for a great race.  I was getting discouraged, but it would soon be all down hill.  I remembered training on the route and that I really did do better after the hill.  


Suddenly when it was all downhill ahead... (between mile 10 and 11) my airway closed up.  I was in disbelief and shocked.  I hadn't felt this since running in high school for PE.  All this training and not one  asthma attack and now race day I have an asthma attack.  My airway felt as small as a pencil, I sounded as if I couldn't breath...  Slow deep breaths...  It was so strange.  I stayed calm pulled over (so to speak) and used my inhaler, 3 puffs (should have done one then waited to do more).  Then I walked for a while to test if it was working.  I had read that you wouldn't have another attack for 2 hours after your airway had closed... so after 5-10 mins of walking I thought I could run again.  I was misinformed.  Attack 2.  This time 2 puffs and I decided I'd probably have to walk the rest of the race or quit.  


I really wanted to just quit and blame asthma since my goal time wasn't attainable through walking.  Then I started thinking about the nearly 3 mile walk to the finish, how much longer it would take, and how I planned to make up time during the downhill.  I was discouraged and thinking negative unhelpful thoughts.  I then saw one of our trainers who was cheering (he'd finished) and he looked suprised at me walking.  My airway was a little constricted so I just said "asthma" and he said "do what you can".  Then I let my thoughs get worse... Attack 3.  2 more puffs.  I then realized that if I was to finish the race I could not let my thoughts bring on extra depression induced asthma attacks.  


It was then that I saw this as a trial/test.  Could I humble myself and walk to the finish when I had trained and was fully prepared for the race?  I had just listened to this song and needed to listen again...

Shall I take from your hand your blessing 

      yet not welcome any pain.

Shall I thank you for days of sunshine 

     yet grumble in days of rain (or hot/humid weather).

Shall I love you in times of plenty 

     and leave you in days of drought.

Shall I trust when I reap a harvest

     but when winter winds blow then doubt...

...Are you good only when I prosper?

And true only when I'm filled?

Are you King only when I'm carefree?

And God only when I'm well?

     You good when I'm poor and needy.

     You are true when I'm parched and dry.

     You still reign deepest valley.

     You're still God in the darkest night.

I prayed for the next while, God let me be satisfied.  Quite my restless heart.  I played the song (As long as you are Glorified) 2 or 3 more times and accepted a new goal.  Humbly finish the race by walking if I could.  My new thoughts were:

God chose this, for me.  God chose for my training and preparation to be answered with an asthma attack.  He chose this for me, what am I going to do?  Quit?  Grumble? Be angry? Or accept it and humbly finish my race with endurance? He knew that this is how it would go.  

I could not be more satisfied with the results of the race.  I failed to run the whole race, but I finished and learned to trust and accept God's plan for me.  I may have failed the race in my terms, but I eventually (through listening to scripture based worship) passed God's test for me.  I could not have done it on my own strength, I had to fight the rest of the time to control my thoughts.  

Instead of pride in my accomplishment, I see God's work in me.
Instead of panic, I trust God. 
Instead of turning to myself, I learned to rely and trust God to help me finish, and he did.
I also did not have the typical post race gloom, I'm still excited about what God did.  


Who knew I was really training for a test?  (I know that answer- God knew)

Proverbs 19:21  Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails

Post Race:

After the race I had a headache, was dizzy, felt nauseous, and sore.  Most from overuse of my inhaler. I also got a cold the next day and I had trouble sleeping (also caused slight over dose); however, my muscles weren't to sore and I had peace and closure from my training.  I was so excited to be done with my training and to have learned through my trial.  It's unexpected that I'm happy about not making my goal, but I am.

I even got to see myself right after the finish by watching a clip of Women's Full winner (time 1:39 of the clip) I walk past on left side of screen.

At that point in my running

So I'm at the point in my training where I ask myself... 'self, why did you sign up for this?'

I've had allergy/cold symptoms for a week and a half and I think it's the main cause of my lack of enthusiasm.  Also the development of a blister on my toe has caused some reservations.

I think I am back on the good side of the hill (of dislike), I expect to enjoy my exercise this week.

I just can't look too far ahead.  8.4 miles felt like undoable, yet I did... and the soreness should be gone tomorrow.  If I start thinking about 10 and 11 miles I really have a tough time...  That is nearing 2 hours of running which seems too long.  Alright choosing to not think about that until it comes.

Now if I can figure out how to banish this blister.  It doesn't really bother me, but it's not pretty and it's almost flip-flop season.  Also I am not convinced that it won't start hurting and start irritating me during runs.  Any advice?  It is on the tip of my second toe.

Now to choose thankfulness.  I am so thankful that I have to ability to run such long distances.  God has blessed me with health.  This is only the second cold (or allergy) battle I've had.  I haven't been throwing up sick and I can still run (just a little slower and easier then I would in normal health).  

I've committed to this, I will finish it if I can.

Runner's love and God's love

I'll start by quoting another runner:


"Running, to me, has always been an intricate juggle of pleasure and pain. I like a side order of suffering with my beauty or I just don't feel right; splendor without effort seems like cheating and diminishes my enjoyment (a concept that nonrunners, I've noted, don't often grasp)." -Michael Finkel


I find it so true.  I enjoy the pain that comes with training for races and just pushing myself physically.  Something about the soreness after a hard workout is so satisfying.  I've always been this way.  I enjoy a little pain in my accomplishments.  I enjoy disciplining my body.  Something about discipline is attractive to me (rightly so).  Being disciplined in eating or studies or other areas that require self-control are commonly admired, why not running?  

The Bible calls a Christian walk a race.  A race, I've learned, takes a lot of training and envolves pain and accomplishment.  Without the effort of pushing yourself to the threshold of pain you aren't sure you gave it everything you had.  The Christian walk is the same.  You must prepare for the race (or races).  Trials will come, but after them if you've trained there is accomplishment even if there was pain.  God uses trials to grow us and mature us just like training and races season runners and make them stronger and better.  I was sore for days after my last 10k race, but I knew I pushed myself safely to the edge of my ability which gave me pleasure in that pain.  When I discipline myself with household chores and scripture study, sometimes it's hard but in the end I am better for it.  

I don't want to sound like I enjoy running always, just the past saturday, I started a run (not enjoying it) and finished wishing I hadn't run.  Most of the time at the end of a run I'm glad, but this time I was numb from cold and didn't really have much enjoyment.  Those runs are rare.  

Just like in other areas of life, sometimes I just don't want to do it (like laundry, reading, dishes, etc).  It takes endurance, perseverance and discipline to finish well.  

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 1:12 

Christ endured the Cross for us, let's press on and run our race.  

My next physical race will be the Flying Pig half-marathon, until then I press on.

Czech Republic Overview.

Ben and I just got back from a trip to the Czech Republic to encourage some friends that are there.

I don't know where to start when talking about this trip.

There is so much that we took in, I imagine it will take a while to process it all.

Not only did we get to see pretty much every site there was to see, but we also got to spend an enormous amount of time with our friends and their kids.  We lived with them for 10 days.  We very much enjoyed it.





General facts:

-We flew into Vienna and got to spend our 5 year anniversary in the city.
-Then we traveled to Brno, CZ which is where we spent most of our time.
-The first day we went out with the Dostals on our own I got injured.
A week and a half later my black eye is almost gone, and I'll only have a small scar on my forehead.
-We attended both churches they attend.
-We met almost all their regular contacts and had meals with several Czech families.
-We didn't get lost and didn't get stuck on any trams (some of them did break)
-We saw the busyness of their lives (even on their school break)
-I was shown love by having Abram ask to sit by me and hold my hand at most chances.
-I learned how difficult it is to communicate.
-We spent a day and a half in Prague.
-Learned how to grocery shop, go to the pharmacy, ask where a public restroom was, pay to use a restroom.
-We walked (almost) everywhere, even if we had to carry kids or groceries.
-Learned you can't hide your nationality when kids are with you.
-Paid for dozens of tram and bus tickets and never showed them to anyone.
-We hiked, ran, walked, played soccer, built forts, climbed stairs (often), walked,played some game with hockey sticks and a ball, carried kids, walked and climbed on cool playgrounds.  Lot's of walking.

Overall we had a lot of fun, learned a lot about living in the Czech Republic and a lot about the Dostal family.

It was a good trip for us, it has given us insight and encouragement; hopefully we were able to encourage the Dostals also.