Still Running On!

Hey everybody!  This is Sharon...the long lost run blogger! :p  It's been forever...I haven't really been on here since early this year, when I stopped blogging altogether.  But you know, I thought it's about time I get on here and give our faithful followers an update!

We're full-time on the road right now  ("we" being my parents and my three younger siblings) and that means we get all kinds of adventurous places to run!  From tracks to neighborhoods...and less-pleasant places.  Hmm... but these past few days it's been amazing to run!  Mom, Jason (8), Lydia (12) and I went on a great run this morning at a place called Daley Ranch here in Southern California!  It has a rough dirt trail winding up and down these ginormous hills...it's really cool!  AND really rough!!  I panted to Mom, "When did I ever think I was in shape?!"  Lol!  I wasn't giving my running my best until I suddenly remembered something - it was my first run being 17 (my b-day was Saturday the 26th)!  So that lit a fire under me - I was going to make it a REAL run!!  So I poured on the coals and RAN!  It was great!  I'm very blessed to have my little brother Jason and my awesome almost-teen sister Lydia to run with me!  They're so awesome!  Plus my mom, of course, who outruns us all (it's so wild to have a mom who weighs less than me and runs 3 miles...AND is 47 years old [don't tell her I said that!] and still looks like she's 30!  It's awesome!!!)  We ended up by pushing it out and flying down this hill and finishing up by a beautiful creekbed.  What a great way to start a day!

Thought I often feel like more like this elephant - pounding sluggishly along - than a gazelle, running is a great way to build up speed and stamina!

I'm due to write an essay for school (I'm in my senior year) and I've decided to write about running!  There are so many great reasons to run!!  I'll post some of my thoughts on that later on...for now I've got to go drive our vehicle behind the bus because we're pulling out!
Wonder where we'll run tomorrow?  :)

Wherever it is, it'll be great...just because we're running.  That's for sure.  :)


Keep running on!!!!!

Ready to Run?

ANNOUNCING....(drumroll, please)

The Family Fun and Fitness 5K!  

This fall, we've scheduled it for October 15, 2011.  Everyone who's anyone is invited to participate, right in your own neighborhood.  Our desire is to get families to start doing some sort of exercise together, with the goal of walking/running a 5K together.

Our family did this last year, in May, and I had purchased exercise shirts for all.  It was a great way to motivate young people to get out and try to get fit.

This year, we're doing it again!  Some will walk, while most will run, and some will do both, but we'll all have some fun.

Why don't you join us?

Googling "how to train for my first 5K" will get you started.  Put your comments here to let us know you will be participating, and we'll all moan, groan, and laugh together!

A Thought About Running in Skirts

I recently read something that got me thinking about modesty in running.  Here's the quote:

In a recent article of Runner's World, a man spoke about how he dealt with heckling.  He said,  "I definitely notice a relationship between the length of my running shorts and the chance of getting heckled."  Speaking of his likelihood of being heckled while wearing "track shorts" (I'm not sure what they are, but they sound short)


I think this should give us a good picture of the safety that we find when we dress modestly.


Keep Running....For His Glory!


Lisa

A Three-Mile Mark!

 

Did you hear the "Wahoo!" over here in Michigan?? I jogged for THREE MILES today!!

I had done it once before, on my 46^th birthday, but I hadn't run three miles since. I wasn't sure I could do it. But I've been experimenting with long, slow runs, rather than short fast ones, and then increasing my time every week.

Today, as I neared the end of my thirty-five minutes (I know – it's terribly slow, but that's the pace I go), I was at two and three-fourths miles. I simply couldn't let the three-mile mark stay out of reach, so I just kept going! It was only one more lap anyway, but I did it!!

And yes, I am one and a half years older.

It feels sooooo good to be able to do that, especially at my age.

Thank You, Lord, for the strength to jog three miles today! J

A Great Idea: FitDeck cards!

I've still been running about two miles three times a week, but I've been playing around with other additional bodyweight exercises. I enjoy a routine, but I also like changing some things every once in awhile. Also, on my days when I don't run, I try to take the kids outside and play an active game with them.

Lately, we've been playing a variation of the game, Capture the Flag. Since we don't have flags in our motorhome (and our girls have a huge proliferation of stuffed animals), we decided to play Capture the Horse, using two very cute stuffed horses. It's great fun for the whole family, and gets everyone out and running.

I found something else, however, that I'm going to try: FitDeck cards. I remember hearing about these, but I have no idea where. It takes exercise and card games to a whole new level as you pull a card from the deck and do the exercise described. There are many different kinds of FitDeck cards, but I'm going to order FitDeck Junior, and then enjoy some extra exercise with the kids.

I'll let you know how it goes when we try them!

I thank the Lord for good health, & for the ability to run! Ran 2 miles today on a 1/3 mile trail in a beautiful park. I even saw a baby squirrel!

Where On Earth Are The Raub Runners?!

Yep, we've been busy.  So busy, in fact, that this blog has kind of slipped the Runners' minds, including mine until recently!  But I am determined to at least let you know what we're up to, and to say the most important thing:  We keep running on!  Whether it's at a nice park or down a dirt road, on a treadmill or on a 1/4 mile track, we've still been running as much as possible.

Mom (AKA Lisa) and I (Sharon) hit the road again about a month and a half ago with Lydia (11), Johanna (9) and Jason (6) and, of course, Dad!  The year's Eagles Wings Military Ministry trip has been going well so far, and the Lord is providing in so many ways.  It is admittedly difficult to find a nice place to run when you're on the road though, so sometimes we're stuck on a dirt road being chased by dogs, while other times, like now, we're at a nice church with a gym (treadmill included) and a weight room and we can really work out!  The latter makes running enjoyable, while other times...not so much! :)  We just tell ourselves we have to do it, no matter what, and it feels great when we're done!  Regular, vigorous exercise is so important to the health of your body and mind!

Jonathan moved from Texas to South Carolina, where he is with Stephen (two years his junior).  With a full time job, getting ready for college and a lot of work at the church he's at, he doesn't always have time for a morning run!  He fits one in whenever he can, however, and knowing Jonathan, he won't let his running go for long! :)

How have you been?  What is your best exercise type?  I'd love to hear what you've been doing for ultimate fitness!  Whether a 5k run or a walk around the neighborhood, every step counts!