I RAN A FREAKIN' HALF MARATHON!

Wow...i can't really believe I did it. yesterday morning Beth, Alli, Jessica and I ran in the Traverse City Bayshore Half Marathon. I finished with a time of 2:11:02, just 30 seconds behind Beth and Alli. I am slightly sore today (actually, my legs and back KILL), but it doesn't matter...I finished!

People ask my why I run and why I LIKE to run and usually I don't know how to answer them. I respond with " I don't know...I just do." Yesterday, while we were running along the edge of the grand traverse bay, around mile 9, I realized why I like to run. When I run, I feel connected with God. Even though

I was with people, and even running with Beth and Alli, I felt so connected with God. He created me, and He allows me to run. He created the beautiful creation that I was surrounded and amazed by. He gave me the ability to move, breathe, and feel pain. It was a great time to feel this connection because it was aroun the ninth mile that I started to hurt.



I also like to run because I like the feelings that are associated with the activity. I love being drenched with sweat on a warm summer day, knowing that I just successfully completed another run. I love feeling my muscles work, how my legs propell my body forward. I love feeling totally exhausted and yet feeling like I could run forever; being exhausted past the point of pain or even feeling in my legs and yet continuing on with the race. I enjoy the steady rhythym of my breathing once i find my pace. I love feeling like I am in control...I can stop or go, speed up or slow down, run three miles or ten miles.


This marathon was quite the experience. It was perfect weather and I was running with my friends. The scenery and the spectators were anything but a letdown. We ran at a solid consistant pace and even got medals at the end. It only encouraged me to run more! I ended the race with 6 blisters and a little chafing on my back, but thats okay...I RACED 13.1 MILES!!!

Psalm 119 verse 32 says "I RUN in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart FREE." This is how I felt while I was away this weekend. FREE. Like I didn't have a care in the world. That is why I run.

Just to let everyone know, I am running in the Detroit 5k race for the cure in June, the 10 mile CRIM in August and the Grand Rapids Half Marathon in September. I am not done running.

I am blessed.

I was thinking today about a lot of different stuff and I came to the conclusion that I am very blessed. This is not a new conclusion, but rather one that came and "hit me" at a good time. My life is VERY busy and while I was riding my bike home from work this afternoon, I became absorbed in the world of my own thoughts. they went a little like this:



I have a solid job that allows me to learn and have fun. I have a family to go home to everynight that loves me UNCONDITIONALLY. I have amazing friends who love me and support me. I am able to move my body freely. I am currently pain free! I have oppertunities that I have not even dreamed of yet. I am a dreamer. I can be spontanious and so things on impulse. i have the ability and opportunity to ride my bike to and from work. I am able to convey emotion. I can play a three hour game of wiffle ball on a Tuesday night if I want to. I know a God, my God, who loves me more than I can even fathom loving him. I can make my dreams come true. I can get an education if I want to. I can stay up all night. I AM FREE! I can creat things. I can destroy things. I live in a country where opportunity is in abundence. I have food to eat, a place to live and clothes to wear. I can change peoples lives. Other people can change my life. I can RUN until my lungs are ready to explode. I can read. I can sit on my computer at 10:30 at night and post my thoughts on the internet for everybody to read. If I dont like something, I can change it. I can clean my room, or I can have it a mess. I can listen to music. I can love. I can lay in my yard at night and look up at the sky. I can breath. I can think for myself. I can be amazed. I AM ALIVE!


There is so much that I have that others do not. I am truly blessed. What are some of your blessings?

p.s. No picture tonight...just thoughts.
p.s.s- this is a song I heard at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids and it only seems appropriate for this post:
"I have been blessed – now I want to be a blessing
I have been loved – now I want to bring love
I’ve been invited – I want to share the invitation
I have been changed – to bring change, to bring change " -"Changed" by Aaron Nyquist

Adventures in Mosquito Slaying - chapter 1

The following is the ongoing story of a college students view of her not so typical summer job at the Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission. It will be updated periodically throughout the mosquito slaying season to tell the world about the adventures of the biology lab technicians. While it is not always the most desirable job (what job is?), it proves to be interesting to say the least.

Chapter 1- "All in the first three days"

"Instead of coming in at 8 on Monday, we are asking all employees to come in at 7 am, can you do that?" WHAT?? 7 am? I am not even awake at 7 am on days that I have 8 am classes. "Yes, I will be there at 7" I replied. What was I getting myself into?!

The first day started out slowly, doing the basic 'lets get acquainted to the job' type info, but it quickly turned exciting when Bill, the head biologist said we were going to do a little field work. "First, you will need THESE" Bill said, holding up a pair of hip waders..."and they only come in men's sizes." YES!!! After searching for nearly a half hour, the four of us (biology technicians) climbed into the back of a Tahoe,with Bill driving, wearing hip waders that were up to 4 sizes too big and headed off into the unknown. We arrived at our destination after taking a slight detour into the east side of Saginaw. As we got out of the car, Bill explained how we were going to be dipping for mosquito larvae. Excited because of this new skill, we all got to work dipping and collecting samples. "UH ...Bill?" Vanessa said, "Where are you?" I looked up and realized that there was smoke around us that was so thick I couldn't see my hand in front of my face! We were at Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge, and they were in the process of doing a controlled burn! "Okay girls...follow my voice back to the truck and cover your mouth and nose" Bill yelled. we followed him and got the heck out of there, leaving our specimens behind. We drove back to base and called it a day because Bill didn't know what else to do with us. Team -1, Bill -0.

DAY 2-

"Ha!! we wont have to do anything today because of the rain. And, its too cold outside. they probably will send the day crew home" said Vanessa, the only returning technician this year. Well, she was only half right. they did send the day crew home, but since they were gone and flooded woodlots still needed to be checked, the lab techs had to do it. Bill walked in -"Vanessa and Katie, here are your maps. take truck 18. Liz and Beth, here you go. Take truck 4. and you all might want to grab some waders and rain gear on the way out...its a wet one out there. And be back here by noon." WHAT!!! I had NO idea what was going on at all. We had to drive the trucks? I don't know how!! Thankfully Vanessa did!

It turned out that we were going to go to flooded woodlots around Saginaw township and collect samples like we tried to do the day before. This way, we would get our first specimens to study. We braved the wind and the rain, soaked and freezing from head to toe, all morning. Oh the things we do for mosquito's. On our first site we found nothing, but at the second site, we found the scene of a horrible car accident...a three car pileup with twisted metal and tires all over, and even dead bodies buried under the mess. Or at least that was the story we made up about the site. What we REALLY found was 13 tires (three car pileup), crushed tin cans (twisted metal), and animal holes (obviously the places where the bodies were buried!). It was enough to entertain us for the rest of the morning and even spook us a little bit. We preceded through the morning, making up stories about all the different woodlots we visited. When we got back, we reported the second site to Bill, and he actually believed us for a second!! Team-2, Bill-0

The third day was slightly less eventful than the first two, but only because I was all alone all day. I had the wonderful opportunity to drive around the county and check woodlots in peoples yards. After getting the truck stuck twice, getting lost in Fremont township and being chased by dogs, I am exhausted. Oh yeah...and my walkie talkie was dead when I left base.

These first three days were just a tast of what the crew will be experiencing all summer!!

Megan left this morning. She took a full time job in New Orleans for the summer. This means for sure that I HAVE TO go down there again! I hate saying good bye to my best friend. I hope this is not a regular occurance.

Here we are together: Megan, me, Liz, and Tracy at the college retreat.