Day 4: Find the positives

Our alarm at 3:45am was soon followed by a thunderstorm. I was a little relieved at first thinking I could get more sleep, but then I quickly remembered what happens in the Midwest after rain/thunderstorms: crazy humidity. Therefore, we went through our normal routine and headed to the starting point for the day at normal time (5:30am) hoping the storms would pass. Along the way we picked up my dad who drove from Indianapolis late last night!!

Today was dedicated to all of my middle and high school cross country and track teammates (and classmates) as well as all of the running and sports coaches I’ve had in my life. I learned many life lessons from all of you especially my Pops!!! He was with me at every cross country and track meet coaching, cheering, and reminding me to relax my shoulders. Well he’s here today to keep coaching and running with me. Love you Toddo!

We all face daily challenges and whether you live with MS or not most likely you don’t even know what those daily challenges are going to be. Your plans may not go exactly how you wanted, maybe something unexpected happens, maybe your dinner gets burned (I’ve never done that ;), and when you live with MS some days just lifting a leg to get out of bed can be a challenge. But no matter what  daily challenges you may face, there is ALWAYS at least 1 positive thing that you can find. Today was one of those days that brought forth some mental and physical challenges, which made find the little positive things even more important.

Some of my challenges today:

1. It was raining for the first 8 miles and my socks and shoes got all wet

2. I have some gnarly blisters that turned to calluses and wet socks don’t help that

3. I started on busier roads today with a small shoulder so there was a lot more dodging cars, stopping to let cars pass, getting sprayed with all the water after semis went by, and not too many cornfields to pee in.

4. My legs were feeling pretty sore.

However, if I would have dwelled on these challenges all day there is no way in hell that I would have made it the whole 26 miles. So here are the positives that I got me through the run:

1. It was raining which meant that there were lots of puddles to jump in and that is one of my absolutely favorite things to do (besides run in the rain)

2. My dad was able to run/bike with me. Because of logistics of moving the RV to a new campground he had to drive along and meet up with me but it was the best feeling when I saw him riding or running towards me. Thanks Pops!!

3. I have never had blisters like this before so my feet are getting tougher and if that is the only pain I have, well I can deal with it.

4. While I love the sunshine, but when I’m running in Farmland Ohio, I love the clouds even more. Today was an absolutely incredible running day which gave me the strength to push through!

5. Dad always collected cans on our walk/runs growing up so today he collected a whole bunch and is going to turn them in and donate the money to the run. Thanks, Dad for teaching me the importance of taking care of the earth we live on!

6. When Sloan and Anne came to run on Monday we all ran in animal hats. Of course my had to be orange so I chose the Tiger. I texted Sloan because this tiger needed a name. He  saved the day during yesterday’s intense run so I have worn him every day since. Naturally he came up with the name JT the Tiger after our good friend James who was the most incredible person. Anyone who met James instantly had a smile on their face and became a better person. James lost is fight with Leukemia and is not one of the most incredible angels watching over us. JT, you are with me every step of the way and I couldn’t be more honored to be your friend.

7. Hitting the 100 mile mark. I actually made it to 104 miles, which means I am in the double digits my friends!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!

8.Getting all of the texts, emails, posts from all of you. Words can’t really explain how you all are on this run with me. I know I’m not in this alone and that means more than you know!

Just remember when you are faced with a daily challenge, there has got to be something positive that can come from it.

Time for some sleep…Never would I dream that I would think getting up at 4 am is sleeping in!!!

 

It’s all in the mindset

Phew…month one of training has been completed and oh boy what a month it was. This by far was one of the most challenging months that I have had physically, mentally, and emotionally.

So here are my top 10 take aways from my first month of training for my segment of MS Run the US.

10. Sierra, our dog, is a fabulous running partner who is always up for the challenge of a long run in the dark. She’s always ready to protect!!

9. Stretching and Strengthening is HUGE. Because of all of my running in the past and not taking the time to stretch, I have been in extreme pain in my piriformis (because of weak glute/ core muscles) for the past several months. This has made sitting, standing, sleeping, walking and running very painful. Therefore, I decided it was time to check myself in to physical therapy. After learning different stretches and strengtheners, I was able to graduate within 2 months!!! Thank you Select Physical Therapy for your guidance and knowledge.

8. The strength of my legs and arms is extremely important, but one lesson I have learned this month is the importance of the strength of my core muscles because they affect every movement I make. By incorporating core exercises after every run, I can feel my core getting stronger every day!! Along with my legs and arms.

7.  Stress Management is key to good health. As I have started running again, I figured out where I carry all of my stress and tension…in my neck and shoulders. I have also figured out that I need to find a way to manage my stress because I can’t always rely on running. I have incorporated weekly yoga and incorporating daily personal development to start which is helping.

6. Being a strong runner doesn’t happen over night like I want it to. The Olympics really helped set this straight in my mind. It takes a great amount of hard work, dedication, discipline, and determination to get where I want to go.

5.  I’m not weak, I’m putting strength back into my body.

4.  I truly love how running is a time of reflection and deep thinking for me. It is when I have some of my deepest thoughts and most amazing ideas. Now I just need to start running with a recorder :).

3.Nutrition is HUGE. It doesn’t matter what I do physically if I bomb it with my eating. Thank goodness for Herbalife!!

2. I have the most amazing, supportive, open minded husband who I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without. I am very grateful to have him as a teammate on this amazing journey.

1. Not only is running truly a mindset, but so is life. It can be so easy to let the negative thoughts race through my mind. But what’s even more amazing is when those negative thoughts are kicked out and completely reversed by encouraging, motivating, positive thoughts that will do nothing but make me a better runner and all around person.

I’m so excited to see where this amazing journey takes me, and I can already tell it’s going to be amazing.

Here are a few photos from month one.

As I was teaching shapes to my first graders, we came across this template. Of course I had them all complete it!!

Pre-run with my furry child, Sierra. She could hardly stand still for the picture. 🙂

A little post run pose from one of our late night runs.

My reflection from month one to push me into the upcoming months.

Bring it on Month 2…

Hearing diagnosis words…

It was the second Saturday in May of 2003, the day before my 19th birthday. I had just finished my final exam of my Freshman year in college after getting little to no sleep the night before because of the excruciating pain in my neck. My feet were tingly, I couldn’t see very well, and I was extremely dizzy, but it was move out day from the 6th floor of my dorm room. The elevators were broken, there were tornadoes going through the area so my parents weren’t able to make it up there, and I had a whole lot of stuff to cram into my Jeep Cherokee, Jerry!

After a couple falls, lots of help from gracious strangers, and one packed JerBear, I made the 1 hour journey home to spend my first summer working my first “real” job and being a big bad sophomore in college. Little did I know that I would hear four powerful words that would change my life, attitude, and outlook for the rest of my life.

It is still that second Saturday in May when my parents, and one of my 2 younger sisters suggested that we should all go to church and then celebrate the completion of my first year of college. There is a really special nature path at my childhood church, that my dad suggested we walk down before going inside. As we were walking, he stopped with tears coming down his face and then I look at my mom and sister and they are both crying. I had no idea until my dad was the one that shared some of the hardest words he has ever had to as a father, ” Sara, you have multiple sclerosis.” Well, now I am crying because I have no idea what this means for my future and all I want to know is 1. Am I going to die? and 2. Can I have children? It all was so new to my parents but thank goodness they know me because they knew the answers to both of those questions: “No you’re not going to die,” and “Yes you can have children, in fact pregnancy can be great for women with MS.” After talking further, my mom told me that they had known for a whole week before telling me because they didn’t want to ruin my finals week. The craziest part of my mom knowing was that we went to a concert together that week and that is one of the rare symptoms made its debut (blister in the back of the throat). She didn’t say a word. I can’t even imagine the feelings that were going through her as my mother. After hearing some answers, shedding lots of tears, and sharing a little bit of laughter, I was relieved. I at least had an answer and could figure out the next step I needed to take.

The next day (my 19th birthday), I started an intense IV of steroids that I was lucky to be able to do at home with my immediate family and extended family by my side. Much to my surprise, my amazing high school friends came together and planned a surprise birthday party to celebrate and to console and encourage me in whatever the next step will entail. I will forever be grateful for that party. It gave me hope that things are going to be okay.

Let’s just say, I do not remember 1 minute about the next 2 weeks of my life. I slept for 2 whole weeks because my body needed some TLC which required nothing but sleep and steroids.

Needless to say, my first summer as a college student was one that I will never forget and one that changed my life.

MS Run the Us Journey

In November 2013, I was able to attend the National MS Leadership Conference in Denver because of some of the amazing women from our local chapter, Great Carolinas Chapter for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As a result of this incredible opportunity, I was able to make connections and friendships with people from around the country who are doing amazing things to help find a cure for MS. It was during this incredibly inspiring, tearful, and hopeful event that I met Ashley Kumlien and Aaron Schneider. Ashley and Aaron shared inspirational stories about their wonderful nonprofit called MS Run the US. To be honest, all I remember is seeing at first was that running was involved so I knew that I wanted to be a part of it. What really sealed the deal for me though was when Ashley shared her story to the entire group about her cross-country run and how it helped her to spread awareness and raise $500,000 for her mother who is also living with MS.

I knew I had to be a part of this inspiring and impactful event because not only do I love running, but I’m also currently facing the daily challenges of living with MS and I do everything in my power so that everyone else who is living with MS can someday say “I had MS” instead.

On December 1, 2013 I received my acceptance invitation and knew I was about to embark on an incredible, life-changing journey.

I will be joining 15 other people to run a 3,000 mile relay run across America. Starting on April 13th in Los Angeles, CA and ending on August 17 in New York, NY, each runner will run an average 170 miles over 6 consecutive days during their assigned segment– collectively running 3,000 miles in 4 months.

Not only will we each runner be training to run 170 miles, we will also be raising more than $10,000 each for MS research, disability awareness, and MS Run the US organization.

In order to accomplish this, I will need your support either financially or by word of mouth. Any amount– big or small– can make a tremendous impact to this cause to find a cure for MS. Spreading awareness about MS Run the US and sharing my link with others can have just as much of an impact on finding a cure.

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/fitphillips/msruntheus2014relay