Day 6...

Hello, friends! :) :) Happy Saturday! :) Man, what a great day! Long run days are always just a little extra special. All day long you get to reflect on the super accomplishment of the morning. It's just like the cherry on top of the sundae. (Except that I don't like marachino cherries, so maybe it's more like the scoop of chopped pecans. Mmmmm.) :)

Today's funny from the run...Because I was covered up like a ninja due to the 17-degree temperature, I had THREE cars honk and wave real big at me thinking they knew me. haha! :) They'll probably go tell their friends, "Hey, I honked and waved at you while you were running, and you didn't wave back. What gives?" haha! :)

I tried a new system this morning before my run. I ate a bigger breakfast earlier, let it settle and THEN went on my run. Normally I eat something small and head out early in the morning. Today, I opted for the bigger meal so that I could let the temperature rise outside a little before I went out.

The results were actually really good performance-wise. I turned in a 7:32 average 14-miler. But, I really didn't like being out there so late. It was afternoon by the time I got back, and I just felt like I was missing out on the day. I am DEFINITELY a morning runner. There's just something special about getting up early and getting in a good run before the day even starts. No matter what happens the rest of the day, you've already got it under your belt. And, of course there are the other BILLION reasons why I love the morning runs. The peace, the prayer, the precious time of worship. It all goes so great with a beautiful dawn. :)

Spiritually, I read a devotion yesterday about thanking God continually and about how He actually inhabits the praises of His people. Can you imagine? God actually is manifested when we praise Him. That's SO awesome. And it's a great opportunity for us to connect with Him and experience His presence. Great reasons why Scripture tells us to praise Him continually. So, today, I really tried to focus on that during the tough points of the run. Did I always succeed? Nope. But there were some significant moments when the thanks did make a wonderful difference. And when I would remember to do it, I would always be drawn back to the presence of the Lord and remember just how amazing of a blessing it is to run. Gosh, He's good! I just love it! :) :)

Okay, I gotta jet. But I hope you all are having a great weekend! btw...GO CHIEFS!! :) :)

Ciao, friends!

-Jill