tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13305246414881021322024-03-13T03:33:08.580-07:00KEIRA HENNINGER: Race Directing..Nutrition Coach..Ultra Running..being a mom!keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-34563304293905487842016-03-18T15:27:00.003-07:002016-03-21T21:04:46.478-07:00My Journey through Adrenal Fatigue <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpN8_n58yzM/VuxQarmtUbI/AAAAAAAABrc/K8tsT_ZusZUoXdPvBxd8WSsWUKBJJIgtQ/s1600/10448223_10100256198373533_4214733963954877046_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kpN8_n58yzM/VuxQarmtUbI/AAAAAAAABrc/K8tsT_ZusZUoXdPvBxd8WSsWUKBJJIgtQ/s400/10448223_10100256198373533_4214733963954877046_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A painful vision of me (green tank top) at mile 59 of the Angeles Crest 100 2014 while my bestie laughs at my misery (I love you Sarah!!) </td></tr>
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If you have found your way to my blog you have either googled adrenal fatigue in some capacity or you are a trail runner like myself, and are curious about the title of my post. For the most part I have only mentioned a number of times through social media about my health situation the last 2.5 years, and kind of kept private about the whole thing. People ask. People talk. I chose to just not really publicly sound the blare horns about it. Why? Well first off if you know me then you know what a genuinely positive person I am. I have a gigantic passion for life, living, running, and all that goes with it. I love everything about my life, and my adrenal fatigue (although sucked), I knew was a first world problem. I strongly believe affirmations that the more we speak of something the more we manifest it. I have a darn strong faith, and I honestly knew eventually I would get better. I believed it 100%, and just focused on that. So there you have it. There is my cleaned up sparkly version of what it has been like to battle adrenal fatigue, and why I have never written about it before in such lengths. I love my life, and knew I would get better someday. Then this last few weeks things started to change for me. I was approached by one of my sponsor's to write about it, and it's been eating at me that I owe more of my story to the running community. I see more and more people affected by this daily, but I also see massive amounts of people mis diagnosing themselves, and giving this illness to themselves when really they shouldn't be. Its very serious, and will effect every aspect of your life. So here goes the long winded and very detailed version of how it all started, how I knew what it was, all the treatments I tried, and what finally really worked for me. Yes folks you can get better. So brew a pot of coffee and pretend like you have nothing better to do but read about my life. I hope it helps someone out there looking for answers!<br />
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The first thing I would like to point out is if you are not a competitive or elite athlete your healing time will be much faster than someone trying to race and win ultra's or some sort of competitive sport. So if that is not your goal, but you feel you have adrenal fatigue that should give you huge hope. The average person can get past this, and heal within 6 months(in my opinion) if they seek the correct treatment. I will dig into that process later. </div>
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A brief, but necessary history of me. Sorry, but its important in all of this. I promise I won't go as far back as fourth grade and being bullied on the playground. So in 2008- 2010 I was charging after it in the sport of ultra running. Really starting to find my competitive legs. Had a great year in 2010, and continued to do so in 2011 (minus a couple normal running injuries). I followed up those years in 2012 with a super great racing year, and had an ok year in 2013. It was during 2013 things started to get a little off for me. It started with my very first race of the year at San Diego 50 mile, and continued at Old Goats 50 Mile in March of 2013. What I noticed the most was I just didn't have the energy I had once before at races. It was like every mile seemed like two. Early on I was getting passed by people I normally would be a bit ahead of at a race. Things were drastically harder then they ever had been before. My finishing times were much slower than what I should have been doing, and it was taking me weeks to recover from anything. So in late April of 2013 I pulled out of any further races I had planned, and just took about 6 weeks off. I went to the gym allot, biked a few days a week, and rested. I just thought I needed a small break from running. In July of 2013 I jumped into Cuyamaca three peaks 50k after taking quite some time off, and had a super fun day. My time sucked, but it was fun. I thought I was ok, and all was better. I continued to train at high mileage, and decided to do the Chimera 100 that Fall. Leading up to that race I never felt 100%. Ever. My long runs were always a shit show, and a struggle to get through. But being the super hero that I was (insert sarcasm) I continued to train. I raced and finished Chimera 100 Nov 2013. Still to this day I have no idea how I finished that race. Every step was a mental and physical struggle. Meaning this: what should have been enjoyable and life changing was miserable and beyond hard. I remember at one point during the race laying down on the side of the trail and just closing my eyes. My pacer rubbing my back and reminding me we only had 20 more miles. Crying like a baby as I got up and hobbled on. I could go on and on about that day, but I won't. It was hard. Period. After that race I think I slept for two weeks straight. Things were never the same for me. I pushed myself so far over the edge, and now it was to late. 2014 I DNF'd from like three races. The exhaustion was beyond anything I can describe. I am not kidding. Racing was not an option. Trust me I tried, and failed miserably every time. So then began my ever so fun world of really figuring out what was wrong with me. Things were not right. Had not been right for sometime. I had to make sure I was ok. </div>
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It started with the basic western medical doctor's. Hey I am the first person to try any herb you give me, and have even been known to let a bunch of leaches suck on my legs (ok thats a lie...truth is that was at HURT100 and I didn't mean for that to happen at all). I was concerned though about my actual health so I went to my family doctor, and asked for every test in the book. I got my blood cell count checked, anemia, and even got tested for lime disease. Had a mammogram. You name it I was checked for anything that can be tested in accordance with western medicine. That last sentence you read is VERY important. Not once did anything ever come up about adrenal fatigue or adrenal burnout. I got the clear hat I was in great health. Well lucky me! This was all in my head, I just needed some time off from running again, and I would be back to normal again in no time. Took about 6 more weeks off, and then did what I always did. I ran, and felt like crap. Again, and again. This time though I spent many days in bed after long runs. If I wet for a run that day you better believe I was working from my bed and not my desk anymore. My bed actually became my desk. For almost all of 2014. </div>
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I was fine though. Nothing was wrong with me. It was all in my head.... </div>
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In 2014 I also started having other changes within my health. I would get very dizzy when ever I got up quickly from doing anything. It would happen while running to. This became more often than not, and was not fun. A few times(ok like every time) when I leaned down to tie my shoe while on the trails I almost passed out coming back up from dizziness. I also became VERY sensitive to the cold. To be perfectly honest almost intolerant to any cold. Other people would say it was nice out and I would be in my down jacket. I was having to carry jackets with me anywhere I went in case any place had the AC on. Going to the movies became like getting bundled up for a snow day. It was obvious something wasn't right. My calves were always sore. Really sore. On every run. Incredibly tight. This went on for 18+ months. This was also the same for my lower back. I had never had any sort of these issues before, and my lower back would just ache and ache. My hair became very brittle and dry. Just breaking off, and falling out constantly. The thing I noticed the most was my mood swings and severe sadness. I have never had anxiety or depression issues in my life of any kind, but I definitely saw a change with all of these things. Somedays I would just cry and cry. I would be so sad. I had no reason to be, but I just would. I remember this being most prevalent in 2014 and early 2015. I was easily angered, and would get frustrated at the smallest things. I honestly started to loose my joy for life. Everyone was putting me out, getting on my nerves, and just invading my space. This got really bad. I noticed a very large difference in my capacity to handle any sort of stress or life stuff. I just didn't have the space or tolerance for anything. I NEVER ever used to be like this, but I was so damn tired that it just became my whole focus. </div>
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I was fine though. Nothing was wrong with me. It was all in my head.... </div>
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Dying to find out what was wrong with me I started to google around the internet, and came across an article on adrenal burnout. From there I read a number of different articles, and continued to research. Then in June of 2014 I was at Western States 100 with my fiance' Jesse and I had a chat with Aliza Lapierre. She told me in the past she had a long battle with adrenal fatigue, and it sounded like that was what I was going through. I decided that day that adrenal fatigue was what was going on with me, and to do everything I could to get better! I was on a mission to get healthy. </div>
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So I saw many acupuncturists, herbalist, irridologists, and every non western adrenal healing doctor in Southern California. I took more herbs and adrenal supplements know to man. Had blood test after blood test done, scaled back my running to half I used to do, and ate very clean. Nutrition will come up later, but I need to point out that through all of this I was incredibly healthy. My diet was gluten free, soy free, dairy free, preservative free, and just down right healthy compared to most people I knew. I LOVE to cook, and made all food from scratch. I don't drink coffee or any hard liquor, and for the most part made very clean and healthy food choices. </div>
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One thing that stayed constant was every naturopath and my irridologist telling me I was over loaded with sugar. My blood work even came back with very high blood glucose levels. Like as if I was slurping down 10 soda's a day. I rolled my eyes and thought this is nonsense. I am so healthy. I don't eat sugar. I never eat sweets. This was complete noise. Since apparently I am a doctor I can make these assumptions and ignored everything they were telling me. On with sucking down gels on every run, enjoying my occasional (ok on lots of occasions) red wine, and naturally sweeting everything with raw agave. </div>
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In early 2015 I toed the line of the HURT100. I was actually pretty rested for the race considering I just couldn't train much due to my exhaustion. I went there with one goal, and that was to finish. I had a fire lit under me that I had not had in years. I was determined. I knew I could power hike 85% of the entire race, and finish in the cut off's. So that's exactly what I did. It was great. I hiked almost the entire HURT100, and finished. It's one of the toughest 100 milers in the United States, and I finished!! I didn't care it took me like two days to do it. I have never been so happy in my life! Then I got home. </div>
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In 2015 after HURT100 I did not race at all. As a matter of fact that was the last race I completed to date. All of my symptoms got more severe, and that was that. I didn't even try to race after mid June of 2015. I took a few months off, did a cleanse under the super vision of a great irridologist, and spent the Summer trying to get better. After my cleanse (not the best thing you can do if you have adrenal fatigue BTW) I worked my way back to regaining strength, and slowly started back running. By September 2015 I have to say I was feeling allot better. I had completely cut out all red wine, all caffeine of any kind, and was determined to get back to my old self. Man you gotta give me props! It had been almost 2 years since I had been me. I still had hope. I never gave up. I wasn't by any means feeling great, but I was feeling better. Many of the symptoms I had before had gone away, and my energy was a little better. I was taking all kinds of herbs for adrenal fatigue, and eating cleaner than I ever had. Of course I was going to feel a little better. I had put a 100 band aids over my wound. They helped, but I was not healing completely. </div>
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This is where that whole part about being a competitive athlete comes in. I really mean this. If I had been a normal person who maybe exercised once a week, and just lived an awesome, but average life I would have felt better, and thought I was 100% healthy. If you take all kinds of adrenal supplements and herbs, and really take care of yourself and body through nutrition and omit caffeine and alcohol for sometime you will get much better. Not fully better, but all of this is vital to healing, and it will help!! If you want to toe the line of a competitive sport of some kind, and podium...well then you are out of luck. In order to do that (especially ultra running) you need to be at your best. 100% in great health. Not a single band aid in the world can do that for you. </div>
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Important side note. I am not someone, nor have I ever been to just settle. I will go to the means of the earth to find a solution, and come out on top. Lets put it this way. Six years ago I was co-race directing the Leona Divide race, and was hoping to be able to take it over some day. I now not only own that race, but made it into one of the largest races on the West Coast. I also have created(from the ground up) 7 other races which are all some of the larger trail races on the west coast, started a huge year round coaching program/ trail running team called the Dirt Diva's and dude's, own and operate nation wide women's nutrition and running camps, and am in the process of creating more events. I just want you to get an idea of the kind of person I am so that you know how many things I tried in the process of getting healthy. </div>
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So here I sit. March of 2016. After I failed to finish the HURT100 this year, and literally could not cover 2 miles an hour after mile 20 I knew I wasn't better. I dropped at mile 30, went home, and made some very drastic changes in my life. Very drastic. No its not the leech therapy thing. I swear. So here goes. Many of you will have your opinions on this. You will have your thoughts. Totally fine by me. I understand, but for me it has worked so I am writing about what has worked for me, and what I will continue to do as I heal from this. </div>
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I also wanted to state that stress is a HUGE cause of adrenal fatigue and burn out. We all have stress, but its how you handle it that matters. I had massive amounts of big stress hit me in late 2012, and all of 2013. I was terrible at dealing with it all. Stuff that I won't go into detail here because its personal, but it had a huge impact on my health. I of course got through it all, and came out like a little rose...but it really affected my health and could indeed be at the root cause of all of this. This year I have really focused on how to properly handle stress, and I am also learning to appreciate life more. Life is a gift. You could be gone tomorrow. Don't sweat the small stuff. If you are stressed out and pissed off all the time put yourself in check. Do you have two working hands, arms, legs, eyes and ears? Well then you have allot more than most people. Do you have a job? That's more than most people. Count your blessings, and remind yourself daily that what ever the problem is it can be handled. It will all be ok. No one is dying. You will get through it. </div>
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I also really focused on connecting back to my higher power. For you this might be Buddha, Allah, God, or Woody Allen for all I know. I don't care. Just make sure you are staying focused on the fact that we all have some sort of higher power that is watching over us, and its perfectly ok to pray and ask for strength, guidance, and support. For me personally I have a very strong faith, and I prayed like crazy. My faith is a huge part of my life, and it helped me tremendously get through all of this. My fiance' also has a very strong faith. This is key. Find someone to share this with. If you aren't on the same page as your partner then eventually you will start changing those pages without one another. </div>
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I also had to omit a few people form my life that were toxic and drama chasers. This was a vital change for me. You don't need to announce it to the world that you are giving yourself distance from certain people, but you must do it. Just start to be a little to busy for them, unfollow them on FB(they will never know), and just slowly but surely pull away from them. The draining, complaining, and emotionally bearing people will start to weigh on your stress levels. It takes allot of energy to hear about and deal with other people's crap. Put yourself first! Love yourself more than anyone else, and only surround yourself with positive and great people. You need every ounce of energy to get healthy. This step is very important. </div>
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<b>Next I had a hair analysis done by DR. Alex Tuggle. The whole process was pretty fast. I emailed him, sent the sample, waited a few weeks, and he was able to tell me the exact state of my adrenal glands. Do not waste your time and money with a saliva test! Hair test is much more accurate and easier. He specializes in adrenal fatigue, copper toxicity, and many other ailments. He is a bad ass superman doctor that will get you better! He is affordable, and is an angel sent down from heaven. Here is his website, and email address: </b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.goldenwellnesscenter.com/">www.goldenwellnesscenter.com</a> </b></div>
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<b>Email: alex@goldenwellnesscenter.com </b></div>
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Next thing I did was I removed my copper IUD. This is very personal for me, but if it helps another woman I will write about it. I am drastically better since taking this out. Dr.Alex told me to due to the high amount of copper it releases, and a fun little thing called copper toxicity it needed to be removed. If you have one in get it out ASAP, and then work on removing the copper from your body. It takes a few months, but its 100% reversible. Don't go online to any forums and read about crazy women saying crazy things. Just take it out, and reach out to doctor Alex. He will help you. Excessive amounts of copper in the body can cause adrenal fatigue. Pure and simple facts. Plus if you plan on having children in the future you don't want one of these in you as it can dump copper in your body, and be harmful to unborn babies even after its removed. I had no idea about any of this, and was happy to take it out. </div>
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I also did not race or try to race for a long time. I had to stop for like 11 months. This was very hard for me. </div>
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I also read this incredibly amazing book by Jen Sincereo called 'You are a Badass". One of the best books I have ever read. Buy it. Read it. Then read it again. I am reading it for the third time right now. </div>
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On Jan 20th I changed my diet drastically thank's to my Patagonia team mate and dear friend Jeff Browning's advice. I went from being mostly no animal products to eating a fat adapted diet. Its to long of a story here to explain all the details of how it came about, but below is an exact list of what foods are in my diet. The largest thing I had to COMPLETELY take out of my diet was ALL sugar. Yep. All sugar except from fruit. Here is the craziest thing of all. I started this new lifestyle/diet in January. A bit down the road I started working with Dr.Alex and he requested I stay eating exactly like I was. So the changes I had made were correct, and would help me get better! That's where I like to thank my higher power.... but that's just me. The dots connect now. I see it all. </div>
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Ok so here is what I eat.... </div>
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Meats and animal products I eat: </div>
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Organic Buffalo (ground, steaks, tri tip)</div>
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Organic wild caught fish </div>
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Organic free range soy free eggs and egg whites </div>
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I have not been able to eat organic turkey yet, but working up to it.. </div>
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Veggies: </div>
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I have never eaten more veggies in my life. Ginormous amounts with every meal. I make huge salads every night with home made dressing, and tons of veggies. </div>
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Fats: </div>
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Avocado everyday, lots of coconut oil, red pam oil, organic ghee, pumpkin seeds and oil, olive oil, macadamia nut oil, and sunflower seed butter and oil </div>
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Fruits: </div>
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I eat a couple oranges a day, and lots of berries. All fruits are great! I use frozen berries with a little coconut cream, and make ice cream every night in my food processor. </div>
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Carbs: </div>
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I eat 3/4 of a cup of quinoa a day or a yam or sweet potato a day. Just depends. </div>
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*This was very hard for me. My diet in the past was almost all carbs, but I had to get better so I made the leap. As of right now I feel great, and do not even miss all the carbs I used to eat. This took me about 6 weeks to get used to. </div>
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*I go through lots of coconut milk, coconut cream, raw almond milk, and use stevia to sweeten stuff. </div>
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Flours I use: </div>
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Coconut, Cassava Root, and a little quinoa flour. I sparingly use almond meal and hazelnut meal, but I do use them. I make amazing home made tortillas with coconut flour, cassava root flour, & coconut oil.</div>
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Vibrant Health - Maximum Vibrance :<br />
I started taking an this amazing product everyday. I do two scoops a day. in my shaker cup. I love it. Its a super food green powder, taste delicious, and has helped me with my energy a ton.<br />
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Shakeology- Green Berry flavor: </div>
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I started doing two scoops in a shaker cup everyday of Shakeology last month. This has helped me a ton. I love this stuff. Thanks Heather Hettinger for helping me find this product. I am hooked!! </div>
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During long running: </div>
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Vespa (love this stuff), Plantain chips, Carbo Pro(after two hours I go through about a scoop every hour), Simple Square bars on long runs, and salt pills if I am going longer than 5 hours. If I am going longer than 4-5 hours I will maaaaaybe take a gel. This took weeks to adjust to, but I feel great now! </div>
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I have buried myself the last 50 days in every cookbook and blog recipe I could find, and have found a whole new way off life. Jesse immediately jumped on the same diet and its awesome. It took about 6 weeks, but I slowly started to feel better. Then everyday I just got better and better! I am back to feeling full of energy, buzzing around and doing things all day long like I used to! No more sadness, or anything, and best of all I have been running long again! I know I still have a long way to go, but I can honestly say I am about 90% better. I am hoping to do the San Diego 100 this year. At this point I feel great, and am very excited about it. </div>
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One of my favorite bloggers for recipes is this: </div>
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<a href="http://www.primallyinspired.com/category/real-food-recipes-blog/">http://www.primallyinspired.com/category/real-food-recipes-blog/</a></div>
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So for now that is where I am at. Everything I have been through, and going through to get better. The lesson in all of this? Appreciate your health. Love your accomplishments. Someday it could all vanish. I have spent more days crying and praying in the last three years then taking breaths, but today I can say I am on the other side of this mound. I had forgotten what it felt like to be me! It feels so great to be back. Healthy. Full of life. I missed her so much. Keep in mind you will get better. The body can heal itself. This isn't permanent. It just takes time. </div>
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The best part? In less than 6 weeks I will be Mrs.Jesse Haynes... and I cannot wait for that! You never know what life will give you. As for now I am happy to take what it has given me, and get back to racing this year! </div>
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Have a blessed and amazing weekend my friends! Now that I am feeling so much better I will try to keep up on my blog every once in a while. To be honest I forgot I even had one. Ha! Nice to be out of my tired cave. </div>
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keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-23766901379614849242015-01-12T10:53:00.001-08:002015-01-12T10:53:28.758-08:00Unlikely athlete proves it’s never too late - GrindTV.com<a href="http://www.grindtv.com/lifestyle/culture/post/keira-henninger/#.VLQYHzPFt6A.blogger">Unlikely athlete proves it’s never too late - GrindTV.com</a>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-67087577533883594022014-05-05T14:31:00.002-07:002014-05-05T14:31:50.439-07:00Say What? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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I get asked often “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">How do you deal with the negative people? Many people don't even realize that more than anything my job consists of dealing with harsh and irrational people. Complaints, anger, and severe negativity are things I see far to often. To be honest they are brutal. I have even gotten emails from people who cannot believe I make money off my events. Yes folks we should all work for free. Try wrapping your head around that concept. My job is incredibly physical, and very stressful. I don't make all that much money, and I work my ass off. Apparently I should do this for no money at all. </em></div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b4b59; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">So how do I stay so positive, and deal with it all? </em>My answer is simple, “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I don’t let it bother me to begin with.</em>” It wasn’t always this simple, and took me some time before overcoming this natural urgency to protect myself and attack back.</div>
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I know it’s not easy, if it was easy, there wouldn’t be difficult or negative people to begin with. For its because of all of them that I value my life so much. I have everything they want, and the better I do the more they hate me. Unfortunately for them my haters are my motivators. They make me only wanna succeed more. To keep rising and flying above them, and soar high above it all. </div>
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Here is how I deal with the negative people...(aka the haters)~ </h2>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1. Hurting Ourselves</strong></h3>
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One of my favorite sayings is “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Holding a grudge against someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die</em>.” The only person we hurt is ourselves. When we react to negativity, we are disturbing our inner space and mentally creating pain within ourselves.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2. It’s Not About You, It’s About Them</strong></h3>
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I’ve learned that when people initiate negativity, it is a reflection of their inner state expressed externally and you just happen to be in front of that expression. It’s not personal, so why do we take it personally? In short: Because our ego likes problems and conflict. People are often so bored and unhappy with their own lives that they want to take others down with them.</div>
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There have been many times when a random person has sent me a mean or nasty email, and it has taken everything out of me to not respond. To suck it up, and hit delete. Oh how I have thought of positing there messages, tagging them in it, and behaving just like they do, but then I sit in the gutter at there level. </div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3. Battle of the Ego</strong></h3>
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When we respond impulsively, it is a natural and honest response. However, is it the smart thing to do? What can be resolved by doing so? The answer: <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nothing</em>. It does however feed our ego’s need for conflict.</div>
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Have you noticed that when we <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fight</em> back, it feels really satisfying in our heads? But it doesn’t feel very good in our soul? Our stomach becomes tight, and we start having violent thoughts?</div>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b4b59; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;">
When we do respond irrationally, it turns the conversation from a one-sided negative expression into a battle of two egos. It becomes an unnecessary and unproductive battle for <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Who is Right</em>?</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4. Anger Feeds Anger. Negativity Feeds Negativity.</strong></h3>
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Rarely can any good come out of reacting against someone who is in a negative state. It will only trigger anger and an additional reactive response from that person. If we do respond impulsively, we’ll have invested energy in the defending of ourselves and we’ll feel more psychologically compelled to defend ourselves going forward.</div>
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Have you noticed that the angrier our thoughts become, the angrier we become? It’s a negative downward spiral.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5. Waste of Energy</strong></h3>
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b4b59; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Where attention goes, energy flows</em>. What we focus on tends to expand itself. Since we can only focus on one thing at a time, energy spent on negativity is energy that could have been spent on our personal wellbeing.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6. Negativity Spreads</strong></h3>
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I’ve found that once I allow negativity in one area of my life, it starts to subtly bleed into other areas as well. When we are in a negative state or holding a grudge against someone, we don’t feel very good. We carry that energy with us as we go about our day. When we don’t feel very good, we lose sight of clarity and may react unconsciously to matters in other areas of our lives, unnecessarily.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7. Freedom of Speech</strong></h3>
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People are as entitled to their opinions as you are. Allow them to express how they feel and let it be. Remember that it’s all relative and a matter of perspective. What we consider positive can be perceived by another as negative. When we react, it becomes <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">me-versus-you, who is right?</em></div>
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Some people may have a less than eloquent way of expressing themselves – it may even be offensive, but they are still entitled to do so. They have the right to express their own opinions and we have the right and will power to choose our responses. <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We can choose peace or we can choose conflict</em>.</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b4b59; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3b4b59; font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px;">Here are some tips for dealing with a difficult person or negative message:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">
1. Forgive </span></h3>
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What would the Dali Lama do if he was in the situation? He would most likely forgive. Remember that at our very core, we are good, but our judgment becomes clouded and we may say hurtful things. Ask yourself, “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is it about this situation or person that I can seek to understand and forgive?</em>”</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
2. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Wait it Out</strong></h3>
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Sometimes I feel compelled to instantly send an email defending myself. I’ve learned that emotionally charged emails never get us the result we want; they only <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">add oil to the fire</em>. What is helpful is inserting time to allow ourselves to cool off. You can write the emotionally charged email to the person, just don’t send it off. Wait until you’ve cooled off before responding, if you choose to respond at all.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Does it really matter if I am right?</strong>“</h3>
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Sometimes we respond with the intention of defending the side we took a position on. If you find yourself arguing for the sake of being right, ask “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Does it matter if I am right?</em>” If yes, then ask “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Why do I need to be right? What will I gain?</em>”</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
4. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Don’t Respond</strong></h3>
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Many times when a person initiates a negative message or difficult attitude, they are trying to trigger a response from you. When we react, we are actually giving them what they want. Let’s stop the cycle of negative snowballing and sell them short on what they’re looking for; don’t bother responding.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
5. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stop Talking About It</strong></h3>
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When you have a problem or a conflict in your life, don’t you find that people just love talking about it? We end up repeating the story to anyone who’ll listen. We express how much we hate the situation or person. What we fail to recognize in these moments is that the more we talk about something, the more of that thing we'll notice.</div>
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Example, the more we talk about how much we dislike a person, the more hate we will feel towards them and the more we’ll notice things about them that we dislike. Stop giving it energy, stop thinking about it, and stop talking about it. Do your best to not repeat the story to others.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
6. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Be In Their Shoes</strong></h3>
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As cliché as this may sound, we tend to forget that we become blind-sided in the situation. Try putting yourself in their position and consider how you may have hurt their feelings. This understanding will give you a new perspective on becoming rational again, and may help you develop compassion for the other person.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
7. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Look for the Lessons</strong></h3>
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No situation is ever lost if we can take away from it some lessons that will help us grow and become a better person. Regardless of how negative a scenario may appear, there is always a hidden gift in the form of a lesson. Find the lesson(s).</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
8. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Choose to Eliminate Negative People In Your Life</strong></h3>
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<b>Negative people can be a source of energy drain. And deeply unhappy people will want to bring you down emotionally, so that they are not down there alone. Be aware of this. Unless you have a lot of time on your hands and do not mind the energy drain, I recommend that you cut them off from your life.</b></div>
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<b>Cut them out by avoiding interactions with them as much as possible. Remember that you have the choice to commit to being surrounded by people who have the qualities you admire: optimistic, positive, peaceful and encouraging people. As Kathy Sierra said, “Be <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">around</em> the change you want to see in the world.”</b></div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
9. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Become the Observer</strong></h3>
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When we practice becoming the observer of our feelings, our thoughts and the situation, we separate ourselves away from the emotions. Instead of identifying with the emotions and letting them consume us, we observe them with clarity and detachment. When you find yourself identifying with emotions and thoughts, bring your focus on your breathe.</div>
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<ins style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-table; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><ins id="aswift_2_anchor" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="undefined" hspace="0" id="aswift_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_2" scrolling="no" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" vspace="0" width="undefined"></iframe></ins></ins></div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
10. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Go for a Run</strong></h3>
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… or a swim, or some other workout. Physical exercise can help to release the negative and excess energy in us. Use exercise as a tool to clear your mind and release built up negative energy.</div>
<h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #465660; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 22px; vertical-align: baseline;">
11. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Worst Case Scenario</strong></h3>
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Ask yourself two questions,</div>
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<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">“<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I do not respond, what is the worst thing that can result from it?</em>“</li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 11px; vertical-align: baseline;">“<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If I do respond, what is the worst thing that can result from it?</em>“</li>
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Answering these questions often adds perspectives to the situation, and you’ll realize that nothing good will come out of reacting. Your energy will be wasted, and your inner space disturbed.</div>
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12. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Avoid Heated Discussions</strong></h3>
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When we’re emotionally charged, we are so much in our heads that we argue out of an impulse to be right, to defend ourselves, for the sake of our egos. Rationality and resolution can rarely arise out of these discussions. If a discussion is necessary, wait until everyone has cooled off before diving into one.</div>
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13. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most Important</strong></h3>
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List out things in your life most important to you. Then ask yourself, “<em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Will a reaction to this person contribute to the things that matter most to me?</em>”</div>
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14. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pour Honey</strong></h3>
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This doesn’t always work, but sometimes catches people off guard when they’re trying to “Pour Poison” on you. Compliment the other person for something they did well, tell them you’ve learned something new through interacting with them, and maybe offer to become friends. Remember to be genuine. You might have to dig deep to find something that you appreciate about this person.</div>
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15. <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 21px; font-weight: bold !important; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Express It</strong></h3>
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Take out some scrap paper and dump all the random and negative thoughts out of you by writing freely without editing. Continue to do so until you have nothing else to say. Now, roll the paper up into a ball, close your eyes and visualize that all the negative energy is now inside that paper ball. Toss the paper ball in the trash. Let it go!</div>
</span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-50451158206720524162014-03-05T18:36:00.002-08:002014-03-05T18:36:23.627-08:00Beets! <img alt="Organic Chiogga beets" class="aligncenter wp-post-image" height="326" src="http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/files/2012/05/Beets_Chiogga.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #424242; display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="460" /><br />
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6 Health Benefits of Eating Beets...... </h1>
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If you’re not a beet lover, read on, and you soon will be. If you are an avid beet lover, this post isn’t for you (but read on anyway for validation of your beet love)! You already know that beets are an extremely nutritious food choice that just happens to be tasty and delicious – you can eat the greens too! You already know that beets are an insane source of vitamins and minerals. But did you know that beets are the second largest source of sugar, after sugar cane?</div>
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1. Beets are nature’s Viagra</h2>
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Seriously. One of the first known uses of beets was by the ancient Romans, who used them medicinally as an aphrodisiac. And that’s not just urban legend – science backs it up. Beets contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.</div>
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2. Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals</h2>
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Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; folic acid. These are but a few of the many nutrients, vitamins and minerals that can be found in beets and beet greens. Beets are particularly beneficial to women whom are pregnant, as the vitamin B and iron are very beneficial to new growth cells during pregnancy and replenishing iron in the woman’s body.</div>
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3. Beets cleanse the body</h2>
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They are a wonderful tonic for the liver, works as a purifier for the blood, and can prevent various forms of cancer. Nuff said, right? Tastes good and prevents cancer? Sign me up!</div>
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<a href="http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/2012/05/10/6-health-benefits-of-eating-beets/red-beets-market-basket_490/" rel="attachment wp-att-7000" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #6c953c; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Organic red beets at the farmers market" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7000" height="327" src="http://www.fullcircle.com/goodfoodlife/files/2012/05/Red-Beets-market-basket_490.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-width: initial; display: block; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="490" /></a></div>
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4. Beets help your mental health</h2>
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Beets contain betaine, the same substance that is used in certain treatments of depression. It also contains trytophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate. Beets can also lower your blood pressure. So if you’re already steamed about not eating beets, you can get a two-fer by diving into them right away.</div>
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5. Beets are used as a stomach acid tester</h2>
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How in the world does that work? Glad you asked. If you are eating a lot of beets or beet juice, and your pee turns pink, guess what? You have low stomach acid. Pee still clear? Ratchet it up and get juicing (use the greens too)! Nutritionists use beets and beet juice to test stomach acid levels, so stay ahead of the curve by adding beets to your diet now.</div>
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6. Beets are a high source of energy</h2>
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At the same time they are low in calories and high in sugar (although the sugar is released into your system gradually, as opposed to chocolate). Very few foods found in the natural world are as beneficial as beets in this regard.</div>
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Beets are a wonderful addition to any dietary need. With their high volume of nutrients, delicious taste, and multitude of uses, anyone can jump right into beets without missing a beat.</div>
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Bet you didn’t know:</h2>
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Beets were served in space when the astronauts of Apollo 18 met up with their brethren in Soyuz 19. They served borscht.</div>
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To-do:</h2>
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If you are juicing, but haven’t gotten to veggies yet, give beets a try. Use a small amount at first to supplement your already yummy fruit smoothies. Work your way up to more as you see fit.</div>
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keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-75283917545005776292014-02-26T10:47:00.000-08:002014-02-26T10:47:35.155-08:00A Story of Life <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjasksp6xA/Uw1bp2-5w8I/AAAAAAAABW0/YiQ6AEwIV8Q/s1600/images-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjasksp6xA/Uw1bp2-5w8I/AAAAAAAABW0/YiQ6AEwIV8Q/s1600/images-2.jpeg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only I could have bottled my thoughts.... </td></tr>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"I believe we are not defined by our past. I believe we are prepared by our past" ~JO</span></i></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This morning I decided to get up early, and go down to the beach and watch the sunset. I also wanted to take a good long walk. This Sunday I am running the entire length of the Backbone trail (yes all 68 miles), and so this week I have been resting. I am a big fan of resting, recovering, tapering, and so on. Anyways I had allot on my mind. This morning on Face book I posted a little note about perspective, and that life is all about how you look at it. If you magnify your problems or problem then it will only become larger. Following my post I received a heartfelt note from a woman who said she loved my post, but how could I possibly understand what its like to struggle, and that my life is so amazing that how would I understand what its like to try and stay positive when life is really hard. She went on to share her story with me, and all her problems, and it touched my heart. It also made me realize that I needed to share my story. My real story. Many have heard it, but many haven't. I am not in anyway ashamed of my past as it has shaped me into the strong and diligent woman I am today. I have a relentless spirit and drive to succeed, and never once do I have doubt in my success. I have a massively strong belief system that we are exactly what we put into life, and if you want something you need to go out in the world, and work your ass off for it. I also have a gigantic passion for living, and always look at the positive side of things. Life is short, and I choose to only live it in a good space. With all that being said I should be the last person on earth to have this kind of perspective. According to statistics I should be living on the streets, and addicted to drugs. Ya well I am not. I am here thriving, and I have a story. Here is my story. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was born in San Diego, Ca to my Parents Pamela Brereton and William Shepard. I was second in the line up of three kids. My older sister Kendra, and brother Sean. Early on life was very ruff for us as we were poor, and my dad was a dead beat alcoholic who couldn't hold a job down if his life depended on it. My mother was incredibly insecure, and somewhat bipolar. By the time I was three my dad had left us with my mom. A single woman with three small children, and not a dollar to her name. Early memories of my childhood are of my dad stalking my mom, harassing us, and showing up very intoxicated at strange hours of the night. The memories are very vague, and I have buried them deep. Eventually he stopped coming around, and my unstable mom did the best she could to take care of us. We got food from the pantry at the catholic church, and luckily she did have an education so she had a part time job as a pre-school teacher. My mom also had many boyfriends when we were young, and we had very little security or balance in those early years. Eventually my Aunt Chris would get custody of my brother as my mother was simply not capable of taking care of all three of us alone. A few times Social Services had been called by the neighbors, and finally when I was seven we moved in with my grandparents. It gave my mom the opportunity to get her life back on track, and go back to school to get her teaching credential. Sometime during those early years at a bar she met my step dad Bill Kane. He actually owned the bar. She might have met him before we moved in with my grandparents. I don't really recall. All I know is for the two years we lived with my grandparents he would come around. Fast forward to when I was 8, and my mom and Bill got married. My mom got a teaching position in Temecula, Ca and we moved down there with my step dad. My brother never moved back in with us. I honestly have no idea why. Chris was an excellent provider to Sean, and loved him with all her heart. I assume it was because that was just Sean's destiny. We would see him on holidays and occasions, and I loved him with all my heart. He was my most favorite little person in the world. Whenever he would visit, and then leave I would cry myself to sleep at night. I never understood why he couldn't just stay with us. I now know allot of it had to do with my step dad, and not wanting the responsibility of another child. He never liked any of us, and as a matter of fact told me daily he hated me so this only makes sense. It would be a decision my mom would take to her grave, and spend her whole life regretting. I always promised myself if I ever became a mom I would never abandon or harm my children, and because of her decisions to do so with my brother I believe it shaped me into the loving and devoted mother I am today. Thank you Mom. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My step dad was brutally mean. My sister and I referred to him as the monster. I actually can honestly not recall a single time ever from the time I was 8 yrs old until he died when I was 20 that he was ever nice to me. Growing up he was incredibly hostile. He would drink hard liquor every night until he passed out, and continued this awesomeness all throughout the weekends. I remember being 9 years old, and he would pound on our bedroom doors every Saturday morning at 7am to wake us up. Saturday's were spent doing chores and yard work. He would make us pull weeds until our hands bled, and whatever else he could conjure up to torture us. My mother never batted an eye, and let him treat us so awful. I grew up not knowing anything different. My house was a horrific hostile place to be. You always did what you told, and spent most of your time doing things that most kids would never have to do. If we weren't scrubbing toilets or mowing lawns then we were raking leaves, and doing laundry. It just never ended. He would constantly call us fat, useless, and anything else he could think of. He told me time and time again for 10+ years I would never amount to anything. Funny but after a couple years I started saying under my breath, "To spite you I will make something of myself"... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of my escapes was going exploring out in the nearby open space preserve near our house. I grew up in Temecula so at the time it was literally an entire area of open space. It was so easy to find trails anywhere, and I would get all my chores done, pack up my backpack, and off I would go exploring with the neighborhood boys. In the end it was a blessing that my step dad was such a monster. It caused me to want to escape, and created my deep desire to play outside all day. This led me directly to Ultra Running. Go figure. I most certainly have made something of myself through that. I can easily connect the dots now. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both my sister and I had to get jobs at 14. I started working at a pizza place, and by the time I was 15 I was working easily 25-30 hours a week. I don't even know if that's legal these days! I loved my job. I loved going to work so much. I would always request more hours just so I could be out of the house more. I hated being home, and my job was another escape. It was so fun! I worked at Stadium Pizza all the way until I graduated high school. I learned so much from this job. By the time I was 17 I was working 30-35 hours a week, and thrived there. Thank god I had that desire to get out of my house. It ended up again being a blessing. I learned how to be responsible, work hard for all I have, and be on time and accountable for myself. I literally cannot put into words how much I learned from my job at Stadium Pizza. Thank you Roger for hiring that young girl. She needed that job more than you will ever know. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also ran cross country. I was never the best on the team, but I loved it, and it also kept me busy and away from home. My parents never came to a single meet or anything. Honestly I don't even think my mom knew I was alive when I was in high school. I pretty much just lived in that house to have a roof over my head. I worked, took myself to and from school, and completely took care of myself without any real help from her or my step dad. I was thankful for having a place to sleep, but otherwise they didn't really care what I was doing and where I was going. I managed, and just did my best to survive. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I left home at 18, and my mom didn't really bat an eye. She just didn't care about anything but herself, and unfortunately at this time had started taking prescription pain pills, and I really wanted nothing to do with her. I moved down to the beach with my best friend Julie, and Julie let me sleep on the couch of her one bedroom apartment her parents had rented her. We lived a block from the beach, and I was close enough to my college that it worked. I worked as a waitress six nights a week, went to school full time, and did my thing. During that year I met a young 19 year old boy who I fell madly in love with. Within a year I was pregnant. Looking back now it just goes with the territory. I had never been raised with any real values or direction so it was somewhat inevitable this would happen. We did the best we could and chose to keep the baby, and at 19 years old I gave birth to my baby boy- Tyler. His dad and I have remained the best of friends, but within a year broke up. We were young, dumb, and had no business having a baby. Luckily Tyler's dad came from an incredibly supportive family who I will always be in debt to. They helped me more over those early years than my own parents had ever my entire life. I was able to finish school, and they were and still are incredible grandparents. Thank you Norm and Sarah Henninger. You are two of the most amazing people I know, and my son is so blessed to have you as grandparents. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Truth be told though I was 21, had a two year old little boy, and was a single mom. I was a waitress, and going to college full time, but man was it hard. I had no family myself as no chance in hell my mom would help me in anyway, and I simply did whatever I had to do to survive. I struggled, worked all kinds of jobs, and knew an education was my ticket out. Tyler's Dad was a huge factor in Tyler's life, and thankfully we always have shared custody. I was able to have his help when ever it was needed, and eventually I got my degree. I would not wish those years on my worst enemy. Man is being a single mama of a little one hard. I cannot imagine how women do it with more than one. Its just hard. Anyway you slice it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When my son was five I met a man who literally swept me off my feet. I mean literally he came riding in on a white horse, picked me up off my feet, and put me in a brand new car, and a beautiful home. I fell madly in love with him, but for all the wrong reasons. He was all the security I had desperately wanted my ENTIRE life. He loved me, took care of me and Tyler, and gave me a life I didn't even know existed. Within a year we were married, and I was living an amazing life. He was always super wonderful to my son, and I was able to always be around while Tyler growing up. As years passed that broken little girl started to disappear. I was developing into a strong confident woman, and it was greatly affecting our relationship. Then when my son was around 7 I started to run marathons, and decided to train for my first Ultra. It took over my entire life, and for almost 9 years my ex husband and I lived completely separate lives. By 2009 I was desperate to leave. He didn't run at all, and we shared nothing together. At times I felt like I was in prison. He was controlling, and very old fashion. I would cry myself to sleep night after night until one day I decided I wanted to leave. He reminded me constantly I would never make it w/out him, and could never make it on my own. That only fueled me. It brought me back to my childhood years, and I was driven more than ever to survive on my own. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In early 2010 my mother passed away from kidney and liver failure due to many years of pain pill abuse. It was such a weird time for me. I honestly don't event remember really crying. I just was so numb to her for so many years, and she had not been a part of my life really in anyway for the prior 10 years. When she passed away my sister and I found out that she left her entire teachers pension to us. For the first time in my life I had so much gratitude towards my mom. I remember sitting down on my bathroom floor, and having a conversation with her in my head. I forgave her for everything, and made a promise to her that I would take the money, and make something spectacular out of my life. From that point forward I NEVER looked back. Within a few months I had left my ex husband, and worked diligently to create my entire company. I built race after race, advertised, and spent hours and hours building what I have. I never spent a penny on a new car, clothes, or some lavish vacation. I just dumped dollar after dollar into my businesses. Thank god I learned at a young age how valuable and rare money is. If you want something you must work your ass off for it. I turned this great gift into my destiny, and a thriving race directing business. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I believe God brings the right people at the right times into our lives. During all of this I met a man who was a movie producer. We became the best of friends. He was my rock, and had incredible connections in LA. When I couldn't get the permits for the trail race I wanted to create in Griffith Park it was <b><i>HE</i></b> who made the right connections happen that turned my entire destiny around. Today I own four trail races in Griffith Park- all of which I started from the ground up with the money my mom left me. He is still a dear friend of mine. Thank you AK. I see now, and the dots connect. Its all perspective. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The wheels still turn, and my story is not over yet. Three years ago I met the LOVE of my life; Jesse Haynes. Here is what is the craziest of all. If I would have never stepped away front the unhappy marriage I was in I would have never met Jesse. My marriage was easy, comfortable, and I was incredibly well taken care of. I had everything a woman could ask for, and more. What I didn't have was true love. True passion. True friendship. Today I have those all. Jesse and I run together, train together, and honestly do everything together. We are each other's rocks, and best friends. I look at how unhappy so many people are, and I thank god everyday he brought me my Jesse. My muppet. My love. Some of the best memories of my life had been made with him the last three years of my life. We are planning to spend the rest of our lives together, and I am over the moon in love with this man. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Guess what else? That little boy that was born out of wedlock to a young teenage mother? He leaves this July-a few weeks after he graduates high school for the Air Force Academy. In the end he really is what saved me. The second I had him I held him, and whispered in his ear I will be the best mommy you could ever ask for. He gave me a reason to live, and never stop moving forward. I always loved being a mom, and never had any other perspective. He was the angel God had sent my way to shape my whole path. The dots all connect now, and I refuse to have any other perspective. Its all how you look at life. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Every morning put your shoulders back. Hold your head up high. Remind yourself you are not weak. You are not defeated. You are strong. You are equipped, anointed, and well able. The right perspective can move mountains no matter where you have come from. Your past does not define you. It prepares you for your destiny. </i></b></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-10536714427852808492014-01-15T15:57:00.004-08:002014-01-15T16:14:13.107-08:00Sean O'Brien 2014! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLGetR0VSFY/UtcTM8M4PYI/AAAAAAAABTw/Ps9vCYVigE4/s1600/SOB+logo+option3-2014date.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dLGetR0VSFY/UtcTM8M4PYI/AAAAAAAABTw/Ps9vCYVigE4/s1600/SOB+logo+option3-2014date.jpg" height="366" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sob5050.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">sob5050.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is a reality of life that men are competitive, and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That's why they are there-to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules-but to win.</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">~Vince Lambardi </span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I wake up every day fully aware of how blessed and lucky I truly am. I set out many years ago with the full intent to give Southern California a name for itself in the sport of Ultra Running. I had a plan, and full intentions to get it the recognition it so deserved. To be perfectly honest in 2008 I actually wrote down on a piece of small white paper this: do everything in your power to make Southern California one of the faces for the sport. In 2006 when I first started in the sport it was almost as if So-Cal didn't exist in the arena of competitive Ultra Running. Remember these were the pre dawn days of irunfar, instagram, Facebook, twitter, and popular Ultra running blog sites. They simply didn't exist for the most part. As the tides started to turn, and the sport boomed overnight it was inevitable that little by little more and more races were popping up all over the place. I knew So-Cal was desperately in need of a stellar top notch -well organized & competitive race. The bottom line is we were missing that. I was determined to set the standard here, and raise some eyebrows. I had zero issues with ruffling feathers, and sticking my neck out at any cost. Why did all the best races have to be at Muir Beach, Oregon, or Sacramento? I simply refused to drink the kool aid, and had tunnel vision for success. When Glenda asked me to take over Leona Divide in 2009 I didn't hesitate for a minute. I knew what I wanted, how I wanted to do it, and had incredible passion to follow through with my plan. I worked tirelessly the first year I took over Leona Divide to make it the best race anyone had ever seen in the area. With that came a call in late 2010 from <a href="http://www.montrail.com/">Montrail</a> asking if I would like to bring Leona Divide into the 2011 <a href="http://blog.montrail.com/events/ultra-cup/">Montrail Ultra Cup.</a> Without a second of hesitation I said YES!! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>In my humble opinion the<a href="http://blog.montrail.com/events/ultra-cup/"> Montrail Ultra Cup</a> embodies everything our sport is about. It collectively brings some of the best athletes in the sport to one specific arena, and makes it possible for them to all compete. A day where anyone who can physically run is allowed to register, show up, and see if they have what it takes to make it to the big show (Western States 100 Mile). Not a single qualifying race must be met to enter these <a href="http://blog.montrail.com/events/ultra-cup/">Montrail Ultra Cup</a> races. All you need are your dirty trails shoes, and the ability and drive to compete with the best in the sport. What other sport can you do that? Seriously think about that. Not everyone can afford to travel around the world or get across the United States to make a name for themselves in this sport. What the cup races do is give these talented athletes an opportunity without any discrimination to compete with the best in the sport. It gives every single runner an equal opportunity to show up trained, and ready to earn a spot into our sports version of the Boston Marathon. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Ultra running is a highly competitive sport, but its full of good and genuine people. People who work full time, manage kids, training, and everything else life throws our way. They tend to be honest, down to earth, and kind. A bit different than other sports. For the most part its a very close circle of many extended family members. These cup races also give us all an opportunity to catch up, and see each other when for the most part during the year we just don't get to. Its a sport where most faces are familiar, and runners rely on these events to catch up with old friends, and enjoy the day. Where else in any other sport at any specific event would you be able to collectively have 30-40 of the sports top athletes hanging out with the average everyday athletes. Its so freaking awesome that <a href="http://www.montrail.com/">Montrail/Mountain Hard Wear</a> makes this happen. The top athletes flock to these events to be able to compete against runners at their level, and everyone else loves to see them do this. Its one of the best ways I have ever seen demonstrated on keeping a sport together, and why I love the <a href="http://ultracup.montrail.com/overview.aspx">MUC</a> so much. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I am honored and privileged to have another one of my races brought into the <a href="http://MUC./">MUC.</a> I was over the moon excited when it was announced that <a href="http://sob5050.com/">Sean O'Brien 50 Mile </a>would be part of the <a href="http://blog.montrail.com/events/ultra-cup/">Montrail Ultra Cup</a>. Why? Because this race was born to be a competitive race. The course is gnarly, and tough. It will kick the pants out of the sports top runners, and make them work for those top three spots. Its genuinely what separates the runners from the elites, and gives them a fantastic stage to do so. I have worked tirelessly to create this race from the ground up in a mountain range that is next to impossible to get permits- all in the love of keeping Southern California in its top place in the sport. I have worked very hard to get it where it deserves to be, and that is exactly where I plan for it to stay. We have incredible talent coming out of So-Cal, and have for a few years. At times we have been overlooked, but I simply refuse to let that happen. </b></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thank you </b><a href="http://www.montrail.com/"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Montrail / Mountain Hard Wear</span></b></a><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> for believing in me from the very beginning. For giving this single mom from Capistrano Beach a chance. Thank you for having the faith in me to produce kick ass events that will match your incredible products and backing. You rock!!! </b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Now who's ready to race? BOOM! See ya in less than three weeks! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-65157682707424124172014-01-02T06:53:00.001-08:002014-01-02T06:56:07.976-08:00New Year=New you!! <br />
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Make 2014 the year to get healthy!</h2>
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New year=New you!</h2>
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Nutrition Plans and Coaching That Works!</h2>
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<strong style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700;">My name is <a data-id="l-6879436794" href="http://www.keirahenninger.com/" o-href="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.keirahenninger.com%2F" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1c6e98; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;" track-href="https://www.smore.com/app/reporting/out/a45n?u=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.keirahenninger.com%252F&t=Keira%20Henninger&w=w-8456607883&i=&l=l-6879436794">Keira Henninger</a>. I am an accomplished and competitive Ultra Runner, and Race Director. I am also a Nutrition Coach. I specialize in day to day-week to week meal plans with the focus on cleaning up the diet, and helping you become the best you can be. I give you all the recipes, tools, and necessities you need to succeed to become a leaner, stronger, healthier, and better you. My program is affordable, and it works. No expensive drawn out consultations or wasted money. Just simple and effective help. Whether your goals are to loose weight, become healthier, or learn the ropes of race day and event nutrition I am here to help you get to that finish line. Let me help you. Let me guide you. Let me teach you how to eat to be at optimum health for the life you deserve to live.</strong><br />
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Its Never to Late to Start. Together lets change your life. Email: leonaracedirector@gmail.com</h2>
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keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-79329086612394578932013-12-19T07:58:00.001-08:002013-12-19T07:58:23.679-08:00Thank You Christmas <br />
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I love Christmas – the decorations, the tree, the gifts, the baking, the special meals, the surprises for people, the Carole's – I love it all. It’s truly my favorite time of the year. I even love the cold weather. Besides the trails I would say my kitchen is my second home. I love to cook and bake, and make things from scratch. It warms my heart, is a huge passion of mine, and one of the ways I show my love to those around me. </div>
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I have friends that don’t really like Christmas all that much. I mean, sure they like it because we are celebrating Christ’s birth, but they don’t like all the other things that I so love. It got me thinking about why I love everything about the Christmas season, and really think its important to point this stuff out. I am incredibly spiritual. I don't wear it on my sleeve, but God has a huge place in our home. Putting that aside though Christmas to me is allot more than just that. After all everyday is a gift to be celebrated, and I wanted to share these thoughts with all of you during this blessed season. </div>
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I know it has its roots in my growing up years. Every year as a family we would go shopping together for the Christmas tree. We always wanted to find the perfect one, and we came close! We had a beautiful tree every year. We’d come home and and decorate it for hours. Of course my mom always had special baked/cooked treats to eat while we did that. Then on another day, my mom, sister, and I would put up outside lights or decorations. We had a two story house, and we got ladders out so we could decorate both levels. It wasn’t anything fancy, but those bright, colored lights were so beautiful to me because I had helped put them up. I treasure the memories of us doing these things together every Christmas. Any other time of the year we just didn't really spend anytime together. There was so much turmoil and toxic icky stuff going on in the house because of my step dad that Christmas was really the only time of year things were peaceful. Thank you Christmas :)</div>
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Every year my Mom said he couldn’t afford any gifts, and every year she would take my sister and I Christmas shopping. She had been tucking money away, and we always got lots of great new clothes. The three of us would always go out to lunch after, and it truly was a very special day for us. My mom was not the best mom to say the least so this day always stays in my mind as really special. Due to the holiday we were able to spend this day together, and create memories that will last forever. My mom has since passed(2009) from multiple causes all related to years of abuse with alcohol and prescription pills. I am so happy I have these good memories of her. Thank you Christmas. :)</div>
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My Step dad was a product of his generation – one that had a hard time showing emotion and expressing feelings, and was incredibly mean. I think Christmas is when I really saw my Stepdad’s heart and came to know who he was inside. I treasured that! It literally was the only time of year he was nice to me. I am not sure why, but Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I never remember him even raising his voice. Strange, but true. If it wasn't for the holiday season I would have never been given that gift. Thank you Christmas. :)</div>
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Close to Christmas we usually had a family dinner where we would go to my Grandma's. ……and sometimes others who lived further away would come in. I often joke and say my family talked a lot but didn’t say much. We talked about everything, but rarely was it “heart” stuff. Except at Christmas……and then it seemed that people opened up more and shared their hearts. This was another treasure for me. I have so many fond memories of hanging out with my Uncle David and his kids (we never saw them otherwise). After Christmas dinner he would tell us really cool ghost stories, and we would all hang around the fire and eat my Grandma;s homemade chocolate raspberry bunt cake. God that woman could make a bunt cake. Thank you Christmas :)</div>
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My mom never had a lot, but she shared everything she had – all the time, but especially at Christmas. She cooked and baked up a storm! She was such a great cook(thank you Mom). My friends loved to come to my house and sample it all! My family wasn’t poor, but we didn’t have a lot of extra either. My mother gave out of her gifts and talents because she had such a generous spirit. She was an incredibly giving woman, and would make these amazing over the top Christmas Eve dinners. We would all sit down together as a family, and no one would yell or fight. It was great, and I treasure that memory so much. She would go all out and decorate our entire house for the holiday. It was always so beautiful, and has inspired me every year to do the same. I love to decorate my house for the Holiday. Its important as it continues on the values and traditions I learned as a child. Thank you Christmas. :)</div>
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As parents, we want to establish family traditions and make memories that our children can take with them all their lives. I have those special memories tucked away in my heart……..and they help make Christmas so very special to me. I love it! I have made a hard effort to do that with my son, and in our house Christmas is extremely special and important. Why? Because everyday is a gift, and the days we make memories are the best gifts. The holiday season is about making memories. It forces you to meet up with friends at parties you wouldn't normally attend, see relatives you never talk to at all, and connect with people that otherwise are absent in our lives. This is key. If it wasn't for the holidays when would we ever make an effort to see Aunt Julie or actually sit down at a dinner table with our parents. One day each one of us will be gone. That is just the facts. Stop for a minute and think about that. As time passes and passes what we have that no one can ever take away are memories. How lucky we are that we have a holiday that forces us to create those memories. As silly as it sounds its wonderful. Its a time of year to meet with a friend for coffee that maybe you have not seen in a while, send a box of great gifts to your nieces and nephews (so fun to give!) and overall its just a wonderful time of year to celebrate life....because in the end everyday is a gift, and Christmas is a wonderful way to celebrate life and make memories that will last a lifetime. So eat that extra cookie, go out for a fun run these next few days with friends, and maybe show up with a little gift. Rejoice in the holiday, and say thank you Christmas!! Of course I will leave this post from one of the best scenes in my favorite movies of all time...and YES we will watch this on Christmas Eve in our house. Its a tradition along with homemade pecan pie and truffles..... Thank you to the movie Elf! You always make me laugh so hard and fill life with joy! <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000799/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Santa</a></i>: I've been to New York thousands of times.<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Buddy</a></i>: Really?<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000799/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Santa</a></i>: Mm-hmm.<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Buddy</a></i>: What's it like?<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000799/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Santa</a></i>: Well, there are some things you should know. First off, you see gum on the street, leave it there. It isn't free candy.<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002071/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Buddy</a></i>: Oh.<br /><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000799/" style="color: #136cb2; text-decoration: none;">Santa</a></i>: Second, there are, like, thirty Ray's Pizzas. They all claim to be the original. But the real one's on 11th. And if you see a sign that says "Peep Show", that doesn't mean that they're letting you look at the new toys before Christmas. </span><br />
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O come, O come Emmanuel….”God with us.” Matt. 1:23</div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-29890349991295406922013-12-12T07:27:00.000-08:002013-12-12T07:27:24.456-08:00Believe in yourself ~ <br />
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<em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">“Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.”<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />―Gordon B. Hinckley</em></div>
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I am sure many people were thinking this post would be a race recap from Chimera 100 Mile. Its not. I raced, I won(YIPPIE!!), it was hard, and I came in sixth overall. The course was a few miles longer than previous years, and to date was the toughest hundred I have ever done. It was incredibly well organized, and if you like 20++ hours of self punishment then sign up for this hundred. In my opinion it was significantly harder than the Angeles Crest 100 mile. Seriously. Thank god for my kick ass Patagonia gear. It was freezing temps at night, and overall the cold was never an issue. I was prepared, well trained, and got through it. Enough said. This race is the real deal. Tough as Heck. One and done for me! With that being said I felt like I needed to get something up that was a little more inspiring than just another race recap. Looking forward to a new year, and felt like this post was a great way to end 2013. I love my life so much. I love my job, my man, my son, and all the awesome components that make up my awesome life. I hope I can spread the inspiration, and add a little encouragement to you life through my blog. Have an amazing Holiday my friends, and don't forget to celebrate life!!! </div>
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<b>Life is short. I am very good at ignoring what should be ignored. You will never see me getting caught up in other people's crap. My life is to filled and busy to worry about what issues other people have going on. What you gossip about, have issues with, or are negatively stuck on does not and will not effect my incredible great life. I CHOOSE THAT. Period. Now hopefully this will inspire you all to do the same.....</b></div>
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The president and co-founder of an amazing local charity in our area is a 38-year-old musician and tattoo artist who’s covered from head to toe with tattoos and piercings, and has long brown dreadlocks that dangle below his waistline. He’s been running the charity since he was 20 and has helped hundreds of people get back on their feet, including a woman I know personally who is now a successful entrepreneur.</div>
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I just had a short, inspiring conversation with this unlikely hero yesterday, and now I’m sitting here thinking about the dozens of happy, successful people I know like him who ignore stereotypes, negativity, and naysayers, and go against the grain to make a difference by doing things their own way… the right way.</div>
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And following in their footsteps isn’t hard either; you just have to start ignoring…</div>
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1. Other people’s judgments.</h3>
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It’s OK to listen to others, but not at the full expense of your own intuition. Throughout your life there will be many times when the world gets real quiet and the only thing left is the beat of your own heart. So you’d better learn the sound of it, otherwise you’ll never understand what it’s telling you.</div>
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When you spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s perception of you, or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget who you truly are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in your heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be someone else to impress and inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by the real YOU. Honestly, what <span id="more-697" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>does life matter if you lose yourself along the way? Even your mentors should teach you HOW to think, not WHAT to think. So if someone – anyone – is belittling your truth, it might be time to turn the other way.</div>
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2. Old troubles from the past.</h3>
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<b><u>You can’t change what has already happened, so choose to look ahead instead of behind you. Don’t stress. Do your best. Forget the rest. Your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you. Life is a beautiful circle. You’re strong because you know your weaknesses. You’re wise because you’ve been foolish. You can laugh now because you’ve known sadness.</u></b></div>
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It’s crazy how you always end up where you’re meant to be – how even the most tragic and stressful situations eventually teach you important lessons that you never dreamed you were going to learn. Remember, oftentimes when things are falling apart, they are actually falling into place. Just because you’re not where you want to be today doesn’t mean you won’t be there someday. Everything is going to be come together – maybe not today, but eventually. </div>
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3. Each day’s little frustrations.</h3>
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A bad day is just a bad day. It comes and it goes. Choose not to make it anything more. You will find that it’s necessary to let some things go simply for the reason that they’re heavy on your heart and soul. Go ahead and let go of them. Don’t clamp shackles to your own ankles. It’s incredibly easy to enjoy more of your life right now, no matter what the situation. It’s just a matter of dropping of the layers of nonsense that are weighing you down.</div>
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Behind every beautiful day, there has been some kind of struggle. You fall, you rise, you make mistakes, you live, you learn. You’re human, not perfect. You’ve been hurt, but you’re alive. Think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive today – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to chase the things you love. Sometimes there is sadness in your journey, but there is also lots of beauty. You must keep putting one foot in front of the other even when it hurts, for you will never know what is waiting for you just around the bend.</div>
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Follow this daily to-do list and you’ll be just fine:</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Think positively.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Eat healthy.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Exercise today.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Worry less.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Work hard.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Laugh often.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;">Sleep well.</li>
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Repeat…</div>
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4. The necessary pain of hard work and growth.</h3>
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There are two types of pain in life: pain that hurts you, and pain that changes you. But when you learn from it, they are one and the same. If you want something, you must endure the pain of working for it. It’s that simple. If you’re not where you want to be right now, take the time to visualize yourself in the place you want to be and take the first step in that direction. You may not be able to change your destination in a day, but you can change your direction right now. </div>
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Remember, strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you couldn’t. Tough situations build strong, successful people. No matter how much it hurts now, you have to hold your head up, grit your teeth, and keep going. In the end, consistent action speaks for itself. So focus diligently, work hard in silence, and let your success be your noise.</div>
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5. Insignificant busywork.</h3>
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In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals. Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals. Stop over-committing and trying to do too much at once. Start saying “no” more often. If you never say “no,” you will take on too much and all you will achieve is stress and frustration.</div>
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As Bruce Lee once said, “It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” Many of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important. Don’t be one of them. It’s not what we claim are our priorities, but how we spend our time each day that reveals the truth. Let your daily actions reflect your highest priorities. </div>
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6. Impatient thoughts.</h3>
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Patience is not about waiting; it’s the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in. It’s the willingness to stay focused, confidently staking one small step at a time, knowing that the way you move a mountain is by moving one stone at a time. Every stone you move, no matter how small, is progress.</div>
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Whether you are working on improving your health, learning a new skill, or getting a business venture off the ground, you can’t expect instant gratification. Instead, you must dedicate yourself to the best of your ability and understand that real change takes time. Sometimes it may be hard to see your progress. Sometimes it will be frustrating when the results you seek don’t appear as quickly as you had hoped. Still, you are advancing. Hang in there. You may be moving things along slowly, but you are still moving a mountain.</div>
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7. The things that can’t be controlled.</h3>
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Never force anything. Do your best, then let it be. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Don’t hold yourself down with things you can’t control. Stop talking about the problem and start thinking about the solution. Forget what could go wrong for a sec and think of what is already right. </div>
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Remember, change happens for a reason. Roll with it. It won’t be ideal or easy at first, but it will be worth it in the end. When times are good and everything is comfortably in order, it’s easy to become complacent and forget how skillful and resourceful you are capable of being. Unanticipated troubles are necessary evils that push you forward, because they eventually end, but the lessons and growth you gain from them last a lifetime.</div>
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8. Unfounded fears.</h3>
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Life is about overcoming fear and taking risks. If you don’t take risks, you won’t know what you’re capable of. If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything. Truth be told, nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to expand your comfort zone so you can experience things and understand more… so that you may fear less in the long run.</div>
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The reality, of course, is we all get afraid sometimes. It’s not about not being afraid, but what you do when you feel that way. When you feel doubt, or fear, or anxiety, or frustration, know that you can let it go just as surely as you can pull your hand away from a flame. Keep your mind focused on the goodness, on the possibilities and on your most treasured goals. What begins in your mind ends up in your life. Think continually of the way you would like to be, let these thoughts drive your actions, and your reality will reliably catch up with your thinking. </div>
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9. The most important on this list.... </h3>
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<b>Believe in yourself through tough times. Believe in your capacity to succeed. Believe that your relationships are worth the effort. Believe that people make mistakes on their way to greatness. Believe that people can be foolish and intelligent, selfish and generous, and stressed and happy all at once. Believe that very few people hurt others on purpose. Believe that there are many roads to what’s right. Believe in your intuition, especially when you have to choose between two good paths. Believe that the answers are out there waiting. Believe that life will surprise you again and again. Believe that the journey is the destination. Believe that it’s all worth your while.</b></div>
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<b>Or as Roald Dahl once said, “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”</b></div>
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Thank you to the internet(Andy) for the inspiration from this post. :)</div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-77396496800393104352013-11-12T14:38:00.001-08:002013-11-12T14:38:35.531-08:00A note to my 17 year old son <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As the days roll by, and I get closer and closer to the date my son will leave for the Air Force I diligently try to teach him life lessons. I want him to go out into the world with purpose, direction, motivation, but above all a deep desire to succeed. The last thing in the world I want is for him to be roaming around in his thirties with no real direction on where his life is going. I want him to live with true purpose. With passion. Often times I sing in my head that Rod Stewart song, "I wish that what I knew now I knew then when I was younger...." its actually been stuck in my head for the last 15 years! Imagine if all we knew now we new when we were 18! Oh my goodness. So I am going to make an effort this last 6 months while my baby is still here to write him notes on my blog. Just randomly when I think of advice he needs. For now I will start with the things I wish I knew most when I was 18, and hopefully he will get something from it as will all of you. Never hurts to share inspirational stuff we read. Love you Tyler!! Thank you to the internet for the inspiration from this post, and Rod Stewart of course :)</span><br />
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<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Commit yourself to making lots of mistakes.</strong> – Mistakes teach you important lessons. The biggest mistake you can make is doing nothing because you’re too scared to make a mistake. So don’t hesitate – don’t doubt yourself. In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win. Remember, if you never act, you will never know for sure, and you will be left standing in the same spot forever.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Find hard work you love doing.</strong> – If I could offer my 18-year-old self some real career advice, I’d tell myself not to base my career choice on other people’s ideas, goals and recommendations. I’d tell myself not to pick a major because it’s popular, or statistically creates graduates who make the most money. I’d tell myself that the right career choice is based on one key point: Finding hard work you love doing. As long as you remain true to yourself, and follow your own interests and values, you can find success through passion. Perhaps more importantly, you won’t wake up several years later working in a career field you despise, wondering “How the heck am I going to do this for the next 30 years?” So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop. You’re on to something big. Because hard work ain’t hard when you concentrate on your passions.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Invest time, energy and money in yourself every day.</strong> – When you invest in yourself, you can never lose, and over time you will change the trajectory of your life. You are simply the product of what you know. The more time, energy and money you spend acquiring pertinent knowledge, the more control you have over your life.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Explore new ideas and opportunities often.</strong> – Your natural human fears of failure and embarrassment will sometimes stop you from trying new things. But you must rise above these fears, for your life’s story is simply the culmination many small, unique experiences. And the more unique experiences you have, the more interesting your story gets. So seek as many new life experiences as possible and be sure to share them with the people you care about. Not doing so is not living.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">When sharpening your career skills, focus more on less.</strong> – Think in terms of Karate: A black belt seems far more impressive than a brown belt. But does a brown belt really seem any more impressive than a red belt? Probably not to most people. Remember that society elevates experts high onto a pedestal. Hard work matters, but not if it’s scattered in diverse directions. So narrow your focus on learning fewer career related skills and master them all.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">People are not mind readers. Tell them what you’re thinking.</strong>– People will never know how you feel unless you tell them. Your boss? Yeah, he doesn’t know you’re hoping for a promotion because you haven’t told him yet. That cute girl you haven’t talked to because you’re too shy? Yeah, you guessed it; she hasn’t given you the time of day simply because you haven’t given her the time of day either. In life, you have to communicate with others. And often, you have to open your vocal cords and speak the first words. You have to tell people what you’re thinking. It’s as simple as that. Be honest, upfront, and direct. Stay clear of people that cannot do the same. </li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Make swift decisions and take immediate action.</strong> – Either you’re going to take action and seize new opportunities, or someone else will first. You can’t change anything or make any sort of progress by sitting back and thinking about it. Remember, there’s a huge difference between knowing how to do something and actually doing it. Knowledge is basically useless without action.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Accept and embrace change.</strong> – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. That’s the one thing you can count on. So embrace change, and realize that change happens for a reason. It won’t always be easy or obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.</strong> – For the most part, what other people think and say about you does not matter. When I was 18, I let the opinions of my high school and early college peers influence my decisions. And, at times, they steered me away from ideas and goals I strongly believed in. I realize now, years later, that this was a foolish way to live, especially when I consider that nearly all of these people whose opinions I cared so much about are no longer a part of my life. Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression (job interview, first date, etc.), don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way. What they think and say about you isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Always be honest with yourself and others.</strong> – Living a life of honesty creates peace of mind, and peace of mind is priceless. Period.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Talk to lots of people in college and early on in your career.</strong> – Bosses. Colleagues. Professors. Classmates. Social club members. Other students outside of your major or social circle. Teaching assistants. Career advisors. College deans. Friends of friends. Everyone! Why? Professional networking. When employers look to fill a position, the first thing they do is ask the people they know and trust if they know someone who would do well in the position. If you start building your professional network early, you’ll be set. Over time, you’ll continue talking to new people you meet through your current network and your network’s reach and the associated opportunities will continue to snowball for the duration of your career.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Sit alone in silence for at least ten minutes every day.</strong> – Use this time to think, plan, reflect, and dream. Creative and productive thinking flourish in solitude and silence. with quiet you can hear your own thoughts, you can reach deep within yourself, and you can focus on mapping out the next logical, productive step in your life.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Ask lots of questions.</strong> – The greatest ‘adventure’ is the ability to inquire, to ask questions. Sometimes in the process of inquiry, the search is more significant than the answers. Answers come from other people, from the universe of knowledge and history, and from the intuition and deep wisdom inside yourself. These answers will never surface if you never ask the right questions. Thus, the simple act of asking the right questions is the answer.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Exploit the resources you do have access to.</strong> – The average person is usually astonished when they see a physically handicap person show intense signs of emotional happiness. How could someone in such a restricted physical state be so happy? The answer rests in how they use the resources they do have. Stevie Wonder couldn’t see, so he exploited his sense of hearing into a passion for music, and he now has 25 Grammy Awards to prove it.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><b><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Live below your means.</span> – Live a comfortable life, not a wasteful one. Do not spend to impress others. Do not live life trying to fool yourself into thinking wealth is measured in material objects. Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you. Always live well below your means.</b></li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Be respectful of others and make them feel good.</strong> – In life and business, it’s not so much what you say that counts, it’ how you make people feel. So respect your elders, minors, and everyone in between. There are no boundaries or classes that define a group of people that deserve to be respected. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your cousin Jonah. Supporting, guiding, and making contributions to other people is one of life’s greatest rewards. In order to get, you have to give.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Excel at what you do.</strong> – There’s no point in doing something if you aren’t going to do it right. Excel at your work and excel at your hobbies. Develop a reputation for yourself, a reputation for consistent excellence.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Be who you were born to be.</strong> – You must follow your heart, and be who you were born to be. Some of us were born to be musicians – to communicate intricate thoughts and rousing feelings with the strings of a guitar. Some of us were born to be poets – to touch people’s hearts with exquisite prose. Some of us were born to be entrepreneurs – to create growth and opportunity where others saw rubbish. And still, some of us were born to be or do whatever it is, specifically, that moves you. Regardless of what you decide to do in your lifetime, you better feel it in every fiber of your being. You better be born to do it! Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.</li>
<li style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px;"><b>Stay clear of the drama. -</b> This is something your mama learned at a very young age. I had to adapt to my rough childhood, and be very tuff at times when most little girls would have buckled. This has benefitted me more than I could ever put into words. It has taught me to not get caught up in other people's crap, and also to quickly recognize when people have a lot of ickiness in there lives. I can move on quickly from bad situations, and not let it effect my future in anyway. If a person you know is continually at bad means with other people they need to be loved at arms length. Do not take on other peoples dramas or let them suck you into there own dilemmas. Smile, be nice, and cut them out of your life. Only keep the good ones in that close inner circle. This will keep you out of future messes I promise. </li>
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<b>But above all, laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can’t change. Don't let other people decide your happiness. Life is short, yet amazing. Enjoy the ride.</b></div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-6536109804265132142013-11-06T13:11:00.001-08:002013-11-06T13:11:26.930-08:00Over the Peak and Through the Pines: 2013 Angeles Crest 100 Film<a href="http://www.dominicgrossman.com/2013/11/2013-angeles-crest-100-film.html?spref=bl">Over the Peak and Through the Pines: 2013 Angeles Crest 100 Film</a>: On the day before the 2013 Angeles Crest 100, I was getting ready to head to my hotel when RD Ken Hamada approached me and asked me to give ...keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-10673723389470457252013-10-15T18:04:00.001-07:002013-10-15T18:06:01.997-07:00Happy Happy Girl!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running on my new Sean O'Brien 50M course </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Idyllwild<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Since my drop @ Kodiak due to that nasty cold I had things have been really awesome for me. Its almost hard to put into words, but I most certainly will do my best. I got better, and then not to long after spent the entire day a few weeks back with one of my best friends on the planet Jimmy Dean Freeman. We actually ran the entire 50k course for my new race(in placement of Ray Miller) the "Sean O'Brien 5050"... below is a link to the new race so you can check out all we have going on. I am so super pumped about this race. Like crazy bat shit off the walls excited. I like that I make shit happen. I don't sit back and wait for life to pass me by. I simply get shit done, and change people's lives in the process. Ok I am done sounding arrogant. I am very far from that actually. Just having a moment; my sincere apologies. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://sob5050.com/">Link: http://sob5050.com</a> </b></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I also got to finally chat with USFS about the new Leona Divide course, and I am super excited to announce that the new trails and sections of the PCT that I want to use we actually will be able to come 2014 race time. This will be an easier course, but I actually think its pretty darn cool that runners will get to run on a brand new course. Hey who does not love new trails! Jesse and I will be out there for the entire weekend in mid December to run, map, and garmin the new 50 mile course with our friend Karl (Karl is also the same friend that created all the courses for Leona Valley Trail Races). Yippie! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>OK so tackled the courses being burned by fires. How about we DON'T have anymore fires on my race courses pretty please Mother Nature. I am sure many RD's here in Southern Ca can share my pain. Please, please no more icky fires this season. :-)</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So then a little while back I started running every morning with my dear friend Michelle Barton. She is most definitely my soul sista of the trails. We have shared endless amounts of hours and years playing together on the trails, and we have been having so much fun!! Its funny but we both said to each other, "why have we not been running together all this time??".... I love Michelle with all my heart. She truly is one of the people that will always have a special place in my heart. We will always be friends. The best part about running with her is that she pushes me, and I need that. I tend to run and log lots and lots of miles. I get lazy, run slow, and it does not help my performance. Its good to change it up, and get good turn over. A 12 mile sunrise trail run with Michelle is like a big dose of crack before I am even awake! I show up half asleep, and we just blast off. We also never stop chatting the entire time. We just laugh, and laugh, and I do my best to stay with her. It is so much fun, and we have gotten into this great routine. I truly am so blessed for her awesome friendship. Friends can come and go, but the true ones..the best ones stay for ever. I love you Michelle!!! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>All this running and having fun has set a deep deep desire in me for adventure. That has been a huge change for me lately. All I wanna do now is fun adventures. I honestly have zero desire to race anymore. I wanna just go for super long adventures on the weekends, and see where my feet can take me! I am sure that will change, and I am still planning on doing Chimera 100 in the next couple weeks. Jesse and I did Cactus to Cloud this past weekend, and that was insane!! We had intended to do the 8,000 meter challenge (which means to summit the three highest Southern Ca peaks in one day), but it had snowed, and the conditions were not the best for doing so. Below is a pretty funny video of me sliding down the Marion Mountain Trail though. OMG so fun!! Some pictures of us doing the Cactus to Clouds route are below also. We were not able to do the 37 mile round trip run as it was getting late, and we had been on our feet for hours already trying to Summit Mt.San Jacinto from Marion Mtn first. Not so smart! Gonna try the C2C2C again maybe the weekend of Nov 2nd...it has over 8,000 feet of vertical in 10 miles right off the bat so I am excited, but scared! Bring it! </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b> Video Link:<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202289961477387&l=3350055887259731806"> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202289961477387&l=3350055887259731806</a></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So in a nutshell life has been really super awesome. I know I say this time and time again but for the most part it's because I get to spend my life with the most amazing man on this planet. He is my best friend, my partner in crime, and my true soul mate. I cannot imagine one single minute of my life without this man. He is loyal, kind, honest, and has so much integrity. He also happens to be pretty damn gorgeous! I am so blessed for him. He truly makes my life so complete. I cannot even imagine if I would have stayed where I was many years ago. I am so glad I have learned to live my life not out of fear but truly out of confidence. One of the best lessons I have learned in life is you never regret the shots you take, but you always regret those shots you didn't take. I feel so lucky that I took the risks that needed to be taken in order to find true happiness. Anyone can pretend and convince themselves they are happy. That everything is great, and all is well with the person they have settled for. Life gets busy, and we shove emotions down. Remember this very important thing though. Eventually all those emotions and unhappiness you felt deep down inside from the very beginning will find there way to the surface again. It might take a few+ years, and you can keep on keeping on, but sooner the later it will hit you again. Sadly enough there you will be exactly where you were 10 years before, but older and more unhappy. Just how life rolls...and it always keeps rolling on. </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>On,On,On my friends...and never stops! Do whatever it takes to find your happiness. You can do anything you set your mind to. You can change your life. Pain is temporary, but regret is forever. Stop watching life pass you by.... !! </b></span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-59105076543754335332013-09-23T16:30:00.001-07:002013-09-23T16:30:55.062-07:00Kodiak 11 Mile Race <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="bqQuoteLink" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/harveyfier461689.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view quote">It's a wonderful world. You can't go backwards. You're always moving forward. It's the wonderful part about life. And that's terrific.</a></span><br /><span class="bodybold" style="font-weight: bold;">~ <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/harvey_fierstein.html" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 153) !important; text-decoration: none;" title="view author">Harvey Fierstein</a></span> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This weekend I attempted to finish the Kodiak 100 mile race. Unfortunately my son had been sick last week, and by Thursday evening I was not feeling to hot. I figured I could just fight it off, and still run the race. By Friday morning I was pretty damn sick. I pumped all kinds of remedies and vitamins all day Friday, but by the 6pm Friday night start time I was riddled with a fever, and feeling pretty bad. I still toed the line, and hoped for the best. By mile 11 I knew it was not gonna be a race I could finish. I left the mile 11 aid station torn with what to do. My love Jesse gave me a kiss, and told me to be smart. I also was very lucky to have my dear friends Chris and Sharon Rodarte there helping with crew. I got about three miles out from the aid station, and stopped in my tracks. I was shivering in the night cold, and turned back to the aid station. It felt like it took me for ever to get back down the trail, but eventually I made it. I was so happy to still see my crew there, and quickly got myself in the warm car. 17 miles was enough for me that night, and I knew I had made the right decision. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have spent the last few days working on getting healthy, and I can say as for today I am finally feeling a bit better. Lots and lots of rest was the best medicine. I most certainly had not intended Chimera 100 mile to be my key race this season, but it looks like it has turned out to be just that. I also am going to add Twin peaks 50 mile into the mix this next month as I am all trained, and ready to run something! I am chomping at the bits now to do something with all this training! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">As far as the Kodiak Race itself I honestly didn't get to see enough of the race course and organization to give an honest opinion or recap. I can save the 17 miles I saw were very well marked, loved the pre race meeting and organization, and the course was gorgeous from what I saw. Unfortunately it got pitch dark just an hour 20 mins after I started. I definitely would not prefer a night time start. Running a 100 miles is hard enough! Not sure why Race Directors feel the need to make it harder. I prefer a normal 6am start time, but thats just me. So in awe of everyone who finished that race! Amazing. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Looking forward to the next few months, and some great racing. I am itching to do something with all these miles I have logged! :)</span></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-22319433741991915052013-09-17T07:24:00.000-07:002013-09-17T07:24:03.600-07:00Making it all work <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpG_nOxXR38/UjhW9lFAe-I/AAAAAAAABMQ/pJZs2GKQtw8/s1600/photo-24.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jpG_nOxXR38/UjhW9lFAe-I/AAAAAAAABMQ/pJZs2GKQtw8/s400/photo-24.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Steamboat Springs Colorado!<br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The best way to predict the future is to create it for yourself.</span></b></span></td></tr>
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Its funny how time flies, and things change. Priorities, needs, and so on. They all change. Writing blog posts used to seem so important to me. I honestly looked at it like it was all part of my business, and getting the details up of what is going on in my personal life for people to read seemed so important to me. I now know its not. It does not mean that I don't love to inspire, and encourage, but in general a blog post is not something that matters to me anymore. My life has changed in the last year, and shifted a bit in some different directions, and I believe its all for the best. I believe we should always trust the path. Life will lead you where you are supposed to go weather we want it to or not. I also believe things will work out for the best if along that path you make good financial decisions, stay true to your heart, never settle for anything but what you want, and live a frugal and humble life. Things get icky and out of our control when we live above all those means or live someone else's idea of what life is supposed to be. To me it can be as simple as that. I also believe having a strong faith helps to :)<br />
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Jesse and I have a very strong base in our relationship that is something that holds us together like glue. We have an honor code to each other to never live above our means. We simply don't spend money we don't have. I am writing about this as I can think of about 40 people off hand that I know of that need to read this, and hear my advice. Stop spending money you don't have. Stop buying crap you don't need. Stop going places you cannot afford to go to. Stop eating out every meal, and stop flushing money down the toilet. I hear time and time again people stressed about money, broke, and just trying to make ends meet month to month. In the last three months Jesse and I have traveled all over the West coast, taken handfuls of vacations, and never once did we use a credit cards or go somewhere we didn't have the money for. Stop for a minute and look at your checking account. Could you write a 1,000$ check if you had a life emergency? Seems like a random amount to pull up, but still ask yourself that. The rule of thumb should be about a 500$ base always sitting in your account. If something were to happen you should be prepared.<br />
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I believe people have lost the value in real relationships. Jesse and I rarely go out. Yes we always have people over, and definitely entertain. But that is the key. We do not need to pay someone else (re-a restaurant ) to entertain us. I also refuse to pay 15$ for a glass of wine when I can buy that same entire bottle for 15$ at Trader Joe's. Heres an idea, and I promise it will change your life. Have date nights at home. Cook yummy food, hang out with your kids, and make your dining room table a night out. I would guess we save about 700-800$ a month by not going out. Yes you read that correctly. Sit down and give this some thought. Now tally all your receipts form every meal you eat out. Even w/out fancy dinners I would guarantee its around 700$. Total I spend in groceries every month to feed my entire family, and entertain friends a few nights a month is 650$, and I am feeding a teenage boy! Imagine if tacked onto that was an additional 800$. Thats two car payments folks. Better said is that is money that could go straight into your savings. I promise it can be just as fun at home, and you will gain value in your relationships. Kids tend to hang out at the table longer, and chat. Its just the facts, and will change things dramatically in your household. Heres the bigger eye opener. Anywhere you go to eat I guarantee the sodium levels are ten times more than your body should consume in an entire week. Sodium=BAD. Cook at home. Eat healthy foods. Save lots of money.<br />
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Second stop shopping. I have not been in a mall or bought a single new item of clothing in a solid two years. Guess what? I am perfectly ok. I have more clothes in my closet than I know what to do with. They key is keeping things organized, and sorted. If you have crap piled onto crap, and not a fluid clean organized system you will never see all the things you have. The average american woman spends 500$ a month on new clothes. Thats medical and car insurance payments. Imagine if you were not doing that every month. Take the time to go through your closet, and get rid of stuff you don't need, and organize your life. Sort it by day wear, night wear, and dress up or office casual stuff. Learn to buy one or two new pieces a year to mix in with all the hundreds of pieces you already have, and this will save you over 5,000$ a year. Put it away into something that 20 years from now you can live off of. I promise when you are 60 you will want to travel more than you do now. Don't live your life so when you get older you are still stressed about money. Stop buying crap you don't need. It's only clothes. It just does not matter. I promise.<br />
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Buy a vehicle you can afford. If you are making less than 40,000 a year you cannot afford a car that is more than 25,000$. Yep you read that correctly. You are driving around a car so other people will think you have more money than you do, but in reality you are struggling every month to pay for that brand new car. Buy a simple, small, affordable car, and then pay it off in two-three years. Take very good care of it. Change the oil regularly, and then keep driving it until you turn the engine. Then its time to buy a new car. If you do not even have the credit to buy a car then that means your car should be a nice small used 4-5,000$ little beater until you get your finances in order.<br />
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If you cannot pay cash for it you cannot afford it. Stop using credit cards. Stop. The average american household carries 40,000$ in debt. Oh.My.God. Stop spending money. Its actually not even money. Its a plastic card, and that 50$ dinner is actually 65$ because of interest. Cut them up. Pay them off. No matter how long it takes. If you cannot pay cash for it you cannot afford it, and you don't need it. We all have a little debt. That is perfectly ok, but if your debt exceeds 7,000$ you need to get yourself in check. Spend a couple hundred bucks, and see a money planner or financial planner, and have them help you get yourself out of debt. It might take 10 years, but who cares. Get it done now. When your 50 you will thank me.<br />
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For every 100$ you spend save 5$. Every single time you spend 100$ take 5$ and put it in an envelope. Every six months put that money in a savings account. Every couple years have your financial planner invest it the right way for you. 30 years from now you will thank me. Simple, and easy. Plan for your future. If you are 35 and you have not started saving for the future you should probably start.<br />
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Last, but not least stop buying all those expensive grooming products. The best anti aging hydration syrum on earth? Raw coconut oil. I use it on my face every night. On my elbows, knees, and so on. Next in line would be Jojoba Oil. Both are very cheap, you only need small amounts, and it will last for ever. Get rid of your 100$ bottle of moisturizer. Its all lies and marketing. Hair products. Stop buying expensive brands. A good conditioner is key, but otherwise a shampoo is all the same. Buy a inexpensive shampoo from Trader Joe's, and spend the extra money on a good conditioner. Conditioners last for ever,a nd if you add a small tiny amount of jojoba oil to the routine it will last even longer, and your hair will be super healthy.<br />
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Live within your means. Plan a bit for your future. Life is a gift. Stop stressing about money, and stop spending money you do not have.keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-32484521940421026032013-08-11T08:55:00.002-07:002013-08-11T08:55:35.882-07:00Cacoa aka Cocoa~ The Human Superfood!! <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-size: 14px; line-height: 26px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“The doctor of the future will no longer treat the human frame with drugs, but rather will cure and prevent disease with nutrition.” ~Thomas Edison</span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px;">Did you know that raw cacao benefits human longevity and health without negative side effects?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/varresa/3589161941/" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;" title="A raw cacao pod broken open and spilling it's beans!"><img align="left" alt="cacao beans, raw cacao, health benefits of chocolate, raw cacao benefits, cacao pod" height="239" src="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/images/raw-cacao-beans.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 12px; margin-top: 8px; position: relative;" width="360" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">Unlike processed dark chocolate, antioxidants are preserved in raw cacao. Benefits from keeping organic chocolate unheated include; much higher levels of the famous chocolate antioxidants (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">oligomeric</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">procynanidins</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">resveratrol</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> and the</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">polyphenols</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">catechin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> and</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">epicatechin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">) as well as the preservation of vitamin C,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">phenethylamine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> (PEA, the feel good neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of love!), Omega 6 fatty acids (which when heated become rancid and cause inflammation),</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">tryptophan</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> (a commonly deficient amino acid in those who consume a diet of mostly cooked food) and serotonin. The cool facts about chocolate in this article reveal how this fun and amazing </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">superfood is actually healthy for you!</span><br />
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It turns out that all the bad things commonly attributed to non-raw chocolate bars, such as cavities, weight gain and diabetes, are actually caused by the dairy, sugar and others fillers <i>added to the dark chocolate</i>. Health benefits of chocolate when it is in the form of raw cacao beans, butter, nibs and/or the powder include; weight <i>loss</i> (because of its high chromium and coumarin content), prevention of cavities (theobromine actually kills<i>streptococci mutans</i> one of the strains of bacteria that cause tooth decay) and regulation of blood sugar which is beneficial for diabetes (chromium can naturally regulate blood sugar). Also raw cacao benefits the heart and the entire cardiovascular system as a whole.</div>
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Cacao is the highest whole food source of magnesium, which also happens to be the most deficient mineral in the diet of modern cultures. Magnesium relaxes muscles, improves peristalsis in the bowels and relaxes the heart and cardiovascular system. The dark chocolate antioxidants have been clinically proven to literally dissolve plaque built up in the arteries which helps in reversing heart disease and causes naturally lower blood pressure. Also, various other vitamins and minerals in raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular system. <a href="http://jrox.therawfoodworld.com/jrox.php?id=%201170&jxURL=http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=index%26cPath=100148_100215_100335" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">You can find organic cacao butter, cacao powder, cacao nibs, cacao beans <i>and</i> cacao paste at a great price, by clicking this link</a>.</div>
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TRADITIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC PROPERTIES:</h2>
<img align="right" alt="dark chocolate antioxidants, health benefits of dark chocolate, raw cacao benefits, cool facts about chocolate, facts about chocolate" height="300" src="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/images/health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate-antioxidants.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; color: #660000; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 0pt; margin-top: 8px;" width="389" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">~Yang </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Jing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Qi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Shen</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">, Blood</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="color: #660000;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">~Cooling, in excess heating</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="color: #660000;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">~Sweet, Astringent, Bitter</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="color: #660000;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">~Heart, Kidneys, Spleen</span></span><br />
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<b>The antioxidant</b> content of raw cacao benefits the cardiovascular and general whole body health. In processed dark chocolate, antioxidants such as<i>epichatehins, chatechins, resveratrol and procyanidins</i> can be present, but are in much lower levels than in unheated raw chocolate nibs as an example. Out of all the whole foods that contain antioxidants, raw chocolate is the highest in the world. It dwarfs the popular foods and beverages commonly touted as being antioxidant rich foods such as red wine, green tea and blueberries by a factor of 10x or more! There are certain herbs and spices, such as the chaga mushroom and cinnamon, which have higher levels of antioxidants in them but generally you won't be consuming enough volume of them to get as much antioxidant value from them as you would from a normal dose of raw cacao. Benefits from consuming antioxidants come when a range of different types of foods high in them are in your diet, since different coloured foods have different antioxidant compounds which target different parts of the body. <b>The phytochemical</b>analysis of cacao beans reveal that raw chocolate is perhaps the most chemically complex food on Earth. There are compounds yet to be discovered in this most amazing of live superfoods. Phytochemicals usually degrade in the cooking process, so the raw forms of them should be abundant in every diet for longevity.</div>
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~Anandamide (the only food that contains this neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of "bliss")<br />
~ N-linoleoylethanolamine (prevents the re-uptake of anandamide)<br />
~Phenethylamine (PEA, a neurotransmitter known as the "love molecule")<br />
~Seratonin (a neurotransmitter that acts as a "stress defense shield" by making you feel good)<br />
~Dopamine (a neurotransmitter that boosts motivation and pleasure)<br />
~MAO Inhibitors (prevents the re-uptake of serotonin and dopamine)<br />
~Coumarin (has appetite suppressant, blood thinner and anti-tumor properties)<br />
~Theobromine (controversial but actually quite beneficial for humans, see last section)<br />
~Asparaginase (an enzyme that has anti-leukemia properties)<br />
~Ergosterol (a precursor to vitamin D)<br />
~Sitosterol (decreases LDL cholesterol)</div>
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<b>The nutrient</b> density of raw cacao benefits every function of the body. One of the many cool facts about chocolate is that it is the highest source of magnesium and chromium of any food! Magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the average human. All of the compounds found in raw cacao benefits longevity in humans.</div>
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~Vitamin A<br />
~Vitamin B (1, 2, 3, 5 and 6)<br />
~Vitamin C<br />
~Vitamin E<br />
~Magnesium<br />
~Copper<br />
~Calcium<br />
~Manganese<br />
~Zinc<br />
~Sulphur<br />
~Iron<br />
~Chromium<br />
~Phosphorus<br />
~Omega 6 Fatty Acids<br />
~Saturated Fats<br />
~Amino Acids<br />
~Carbohydrates<br />
~Soluble Fiber (which is the type people need more of)<br />
~Enzymes (including catalase, lipase and amylase)<br />
~Other Beneficial Phytonutrients (such as the antioxidants already mentioned in this article)</div>
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THERE ARE A PLETHORA OF SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE AND <i>NONE</i> THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PROVE ANY NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT (UNLESS THE CHOCOLATE HAS ADDITIVES LIKE DAIRY OR SUGAR).</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">Dr. Gabriel </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Cousens</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">theobromine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> content! It even raises insulin sensitivity! One of the other cool facts about chocolate that he discovered was that it's not toxic to the liver (many people are falsely claiming the contrary), except when combined in large amounts with sweeteners high in fructose such as agave. This is basically the only well known clinical study done specifically on how </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i style="color: #660000;">raw</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> cacao benefits human health. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/50034763@N00/64493757/" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;" title="A fresh succulent magenta cacao bean :)"><img align="left" alt="raw cacao benefits, cacao beans, cool facts about chocolate, dark chocolate antioxidants, facts about chocolate" height="270" src="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/images/raw-cacao-benefits.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 12px; margin-top: 8px; position: relative;" width="360" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="color: #660000;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br style="color: #660000;" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">It has been shown that raw cacao benefits a wide range of cardiovascular issues. The dark chocolate antioxidants and abundant amounts of magnesium and other</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">phytochemicals</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> can balance blood pressure, lower high cholesterol, scrub away arterial plaque and promote general health by reversing heart disease. (Raw) chocolate bars are known as a great remedy for many menstruation issues women can get. It is also confirmed as an aphrodisiac for both genders. What more do you want from one of the worlds top live </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">superfoods</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">? For more information about this amazing </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">superfood</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">, check out the book </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://jrox.therawfoodworld.com/jrox.php?id=%201170&jxURL=http://www.therawfoodworld.com/index.php?main_page=product_info%26cPath=0%26products_id=720" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">"Naked Chocolate" by David Wolfe and Shazzie</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> which is packed full of information and amazing recipes!</span></span><br />
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The famous "Dutch study", which was done on regular processed chocolate, followed over 200 Dutch men over the course of twenty years and found that those who ate the most milk and dark chocolate had lower rates <i>of all major diseases</i> compared to those who ate little to no chocolate. The health benefits of chocolate were really emphasized in this study by the fact that <b>there was no upper limit to how much chocolate could be consumed by these men</b>. What they literally discovered was that the <i>more</i> chocolate you eat, the more your potential for human longevity increases! The chocolate being eaten in this study was processed milk chocolate mostly, so just imagine the difference that would come from eating raw cacao beans, nibs or other raw cacao products instead!</div>
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In a Harvard study on the Kuna indian tribe off the coast of Panama, there was a unique chance to examine the health benefits of dark chocolate in a controlled way. Close to the region where the Kuna tribe lived there were other tribes of identical genetic heritage, very similar diet and identical lifestyle habits. The only difference was that the Kuna tribe lived in an area where cacao trees grew abundantly. They would consume up to 5 cups of a bitter dark chocolate drink on a daily basis (although they weren't aware of how raw cacao benefits your health even more than the cooked version). This resulted in them having lower rates of all major diseases as well as a longer average life expectancy. This study lead by Dr. Hollenberg spurred more research on the health benefits of chocolate, as well as the unique dark chocolate antioxidants that were abundant in these cacao drinks the Kuna tribe enjoyed so much.</div>
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The world's oldest human being to have ever lived (that was officially documented) was Jeanne Louise Calment of France. She lived to be 122 and many say that one of her secrets to longevity was her consumption of 2.5 pounds of bitter dark chocolate <i>a week</i>. The third "official" oldest person ever to have lived was Sarah Knauss, who also regularly enjoyed the health benefits of chocolate, although not in as large quantities as Jeanne! On top of that, Chanel, perhaps the world's oldest dog to have ever lived (she lived to be 21, 147 in dog years), ate chocolate on a regular basis. She even once devoured an entire bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! This is very odd since chocolate is commonly touted as being toxic to dogs, even in small quantities... Imagine how long these people and animals could have lived if they had been aware of how raw cacao benefits your health more than the processed version.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/megananne/2046171984/" style="color: #336699; text-decoration: none;" title="An abundance of raw cacao nibs..."><img alt="chocolate nibs, raw cacao benefits, raw chocolate, cool facts about chocolate, health benefits of chocolate" border="0" height="225" src="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/images/raw-chocolate-nibs.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" width="300" /></a></div>
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DESPITE THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE FOR THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE, THEIR ARE STILL MANY GRUMPY AND PRUDISH PEOPLE OUT THERE "COCOA-BASHING".</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">These people </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i style="color: #660000;">never</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> have any evidence to support their </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i style="color: #660000;">opinions</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">. This is simply because there are no scientific studies that show any detriments to consuming chocolate! Raw cacao benefits all people who consume it unless their constitution is imbalanced. There is anecdotal cases of people having bad reactions to it. This is what these anti-chocolate campaigners go on and on about, yet little do they know that people can have bad reactions to any food depending on their own unique constitution. The amount that they take and/or whether the raw chocolate (or cooked chocolate) product is contaminated in some way will affect different people in different ways. Much in the same way people can have negative reactions to the Chinese herbs ginseng or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">astragalus</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> if they are imbalanced, a strong </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Jing</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> foundation must be developed first to support the very </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Shen</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">building qualities of raw cacao beans and other raw chocolate products. The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">theobromine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">content of raw chocolate nibs and all other chocolate products is the chemical commonly vilified as being toxic. However no death or liver injury from </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">theobromine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> poisoning in healthy </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i style="color: #660000;">humans</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> has </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><i style="color: #660000;">ever</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> occurred! Over 20 pounds of pure raw chocolate would need to be consumed all at once to reach toxic levels of this </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">phytochemical</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">. The alkaloid</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">theobromine</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> is a cardiovascular stimulant that has little to no affect on the nervous system. It dilates blood vessels which naturally lowers blood pressure (taking strain off the heart) and increases nutrient uptake during digestion (when combined with</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/adaptogenic-herbs.html" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;">adaptogenic herbs</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> and other </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/live-superfoods.html" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;">live superfoods</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">, raw cacao benefits and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">potentiates</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> these other </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">phytochemicals</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">).</span></span><br />
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Theobromine also kills <i>streptococci mutans</i>, one of the main types of bacteria responsible for tooth decay and improves asthmatic type conditions by opening up the lungs. Of course anyone with liver damage should avoid chocolate products because of their high copper content and not so much because of their theobromine content. Stimulants in an of themselves are not a problem, as all foods contain various depressing or stimulating factors within them. Caffeine which is actually more harmful than theobromine is either very low or absent in chocolate (depending on the variety of cacao beans used to make the product). Virtually all plant foods contain different alkaloids which are toxic when isolated from the plant and taken in large doses. This does not mean that the plants that contain them need to be blamed in any way. When a persons body begins accumulating too much of a certain alkaloid, a natural aversion to that food begins to develop until the metabolism of the body has removed that compound.</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dielis/3865853872/" style="color: #660000; text-decoration: none;" title="Raw cacao pods growing off the trunk of a tree."><img align="right" alt="cacao pods, raw cacao benefits, benefits of raw cacao, cool facts about chocolate" height="320" src="http://www.secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/images/benefits-of-raw-cacao-pods.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0pt; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0pt; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0pt; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0pt; border-width: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 12px; margin-right: 0pt; margin-top: 8px; position: relative;" width="241" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">The many raw cacao benefits are also called into question when people learn about its oxalic acid content. Oxalic acids can accumulate in the body blocking calcium absorption, causing kidney stones and other forms of calcification. It should be noted that many other common foods can contain up to 10x the amount of oxalic acid as chocolate. When you compare how much chocolate people eat at once (a few grams at most) to the amount of spinach (which is high in</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">oxalates</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;">) that can be eaten, it becomes absurd to be afraid of this factor that's present in cacao beans. One of the cool facts about chocolate in it's unheated state is that the oxalic acid is harmless since only cooked oxalic acid combines with calcium to form </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">oxalates</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: #660000;"> that can accumulate in the body!</span></span><br />
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Finally, many people are afraid of becoming addicted to this superfood. Despite all the raw cacao benefits in this article showing that this is perhaps the best thing to be "addicted" too, people still attack the health benefits of chocolate. You can become addicted to any type of food especially if it tastes good and makes you feel good! With the exception of physically addictive substances (like heroine or cigarettes), addiction is an entirely mental condition and needs to be addressed by temporarily abstaining from the food or thing that you're addicted too and then addressing the underlying emotional issues causing the attachment to that food or activity. Vilifying and claiming the activity is toxic is not addressing the issue and will lead a person with an addictive personality to some other food or activity to take its place. The health benefits of chocolate are outstanding and any addiction to it is the fault of the individual and not the chemicals within the cacao beans themselves.<br />
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<a href="https://www.smore.com/3dnb-keira-henninger-nutrition-plans">Change your food, change your diet, change your life. I would love to help you! https://www.smore.com/3dnb-keira-henninger-nutrition-plans</a><br />
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**SOURCE: LIFE ABUNDANTLY </div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-32220453967859447192013-07-21T08:37:00.001-07:002013-07-21T08:37:32.827-07:00Never Give Up: Western States 100<a href="http://jessehaynes.blogspot.com/2013/07/western-states-100.html?spref=bl">Never Give Up: Western States 100</a>: I arrived into Squaw Valley Resort for the 40th running of Western States 100 mile endurance run the Wednesday before the race began. My min...keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-52474193619137390932013-06-17T08:27:00.002-07:002013-06-17T08:32:34.896-07:00Healthy Sauces and Recipes and a Big Dash of Life Mixed In <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving Mt.Baldy.....</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and My Love up high in the Sierra's<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I believe in life sometimes you have to take a few steps back, and recharge your engine. In my case my engine needed massive recharging to say the least. I think I must have had a sort of mental break down so to say, and needed to just check out. I am incredibly driven, and in many cases can have tunnel vision. All I see is the goal, and I will move mountains if I have to to arrive. I forget about how much I could be driving myself into the ground, and that not one single human can take on a million things at once. Owning so many small businesses can be overwhelming at times to say the least. For me though I thrive off of the drive to succeed no matter what the cost is. I literally visualize the goal, and will stop at nothing to move forward, and achieve what I have visualized. Of course this can be great for the most part. It can also be not so great, and it caused me to drive myself into the ground this last year. The last six weeks have been incredibly amazing for my mental state. I refocused my energy into just having fun. I decided not to sign up for any Summer 100 Milers, and made a commitment to myself that I would just run when I felt like it. I would enjoy time spent with my friends on the trails, and I was focused on playing outside. I love to be out on the trails! I love to run on trails in the wilderness, and I also love to hike. I did both of these things many times over the last six weeks, and never once did I push myself out of my comfort zone. I just kept all my runs at a very mellow pace. I spent allot of time just going out on my own, and running on local trails here in Laguna Beach, and just enjoying alone time. I think many of those days helped me the most. I am so blessed to live where I live, and have the awesome trails I have right out my door. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I also took a trip up to Idylliwld/San Jacinto for a few days with Jesse, Chandra, and Kevin... but spending 5 days up in Cedar Grove-Kings Canyon National park did the trick. A huge group of us spent the entire Memorial Day weekend camping up high in the Sierra's, and got in some great high mileage running. It was exactly what this girl needed. Myself and Chandra headed up a few days before everyone else, and it was so fun to camp, run, hike, and just check out. I actually put in roughly 70 miles in five days. Not to shabby! I love to be outside. I love to be in the mountains, and it definitely helped me a ton to get back mentally in a good place. From this point I just kept up the running, and have been doing all kinds of fun runs! I spent one entire week running with Molly in El Morro and Laguna Coast. One week we ran four days together, and it was great! Then I went with Chandra and ran some miles on the Ray Miller course. It was hard to see the aftermath of the fire, but I was surprised to see the trails are all in excellent condition. Wow!! Looks like Ray Miller 5050 will be going strong for 2014! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then I went to Baldy a couple times by myself, and also with Chandra...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I kept it up with another fantastic run in the Saddleback Mountains with my dear friends Jonathan Toker. He owns <a href="http://www.saltstick.com/">SaltStick</a> which is a fantastic electrolyte and salt replacement product made for endurance athletes. I highly recommend it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /><br />I even got to do a run with Corra and Faye!! It was the first time Faye had taken the jogger on a trail, and we had so much fun! Corra is the most wonderful little baby on the planet, and she loves the off road ride in her stroller! I also spent one of my weekends crewing my friend Jeff Browning at San Diego 100 mile, and Jesse paced him. He won! We were so excited. He is such an awesome guy, and it was great to be part of his day. The 100 degree high temps made it a rough day for everyone. Either way it was a superb weekend spent with lots of friends! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Then this past weekend Jesse and I went exploring, and found some amazing trails in Forest Falls, Ca. We explored for hours, and found a way to Summit Gregornio a much better way then I have ever seen. It literally was one of the best days I have ever had out on the trails. We were on an adventure, had no idea where or when we would get up to the top, and just had a blast! Going up the way we did via the Vivian Creek Trail was shorter than the usual route so that meant much steeper. Parts of this trail were incredibly steep, and a bit scary. We loved it, and I cannot wait to go back this week sometime and show my son the trails and cool little town of Forest Falls! I have a huge adventurous spirit, and its usually how we find these great trails, and places to explore. We are always doing something crazy and adventurous on the weekends! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have also spent quite a few hours on my bike, and it never ceases to amaze me how much fun I have cycling down the coast to Oceanside and back. Its a beautiful ride, and I will go through Pendleton, and back home for a solid 50 mile ride. Its fairly flat, but the perfect ride for me. I am looking forward to doing that today here in just a bit! I have been doing it twice a week lately, and its been great. I also started CrossFit...yes you read that correctly. I love it. Like obsessed love it. Its been a nice change of pace, and kicking my ass! Wow is it hard. Especially after a 4 hour ride. Its been a great addition to my work outs one or two days a week. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">OK so then the big news came that Tyler was accepted into the United States Air Force. He had his heart set on the Navy, and was actually hoping to work towards becoming a Navy Seal. Life simply had different plans, and when he scored a near perfect score of the ASVAB he was contacted by the Air Force. We have since signed all the paperwork necessary for him to go into the Air Force program once he graduates, and tomorrow he will take his basic physical in Los Angeles. This will be a very long day for him. I am so proud of my son, and honored to be his Mama. So proud!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So I bet you are wondering when this darn blog is going to have anything to do with cooking, recipes, and so on an so forth. Well as many of you know my other biggest passion in life besides running is cooking. I am obsessed with healthy cooking. I have been for years. I love to cook things from scratch using only the healthiest and most pure ingredients. I believe with all my heart health should never be sacrificed in order for something to taste good, and with that passion I have built another small business in <a href="http://www.keirahenninger.com/">personal nutrition coaching</a>. I believe the biggest problem that people face is most nutritionist's, and everyone else on the planet tend to give people half the tools to succeed. They tell them all they need to do to succeed, but forget the most important part. The actual recipes. For me this is easy, and something I am fantastic at! I will spend hours tooling around with fresh ingredients, and drumming up more healthy and yummy recipes for my clients to use. I specialize in day to day-week to week meal plans, and yes this includes grocery lists and actual recipes. People simply will not be successful if you do not teach them how to be. Give them the tools, but also teach them how to work with the tools you have given them. I am blessed that I love to cook so much, and I have decided from this week forward on my blog I will post a "Recipe of the Week" which will be a new post and include a recipe that I am working on. I am incredibly passionate about the things I stand for and what I am all about. I am passionate about natural health, being fit, getting outside, eating well, and solving problems. In a way this is kind of my own personal mission statement. So below I will end this very long post with my "Recipe Of the Week"....lemme know if you like it! I cater all my recipes using ingredients from a Framers Market, and also Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is affordable. Go to a local farm or farmer's market for your produce, and then buy all your other groceries at a Trader Joe's. You will literally save hundreds of dollars every month. I promise. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roasted Red Pepper Sauce </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon of raw organic coconut oil (natures pure fat burner!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 large onion chopped </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8 cloves of garlic chopped </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 jar of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's (I roasted my own on my grill, but lord you do not need to as this takes extra time. The already prepared and jarred roasted red peppers work great!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup of canned light organic coconut milk from Trader Joe's (please do not buy the soy brand coconut milk. Buy the real stuff in the can!) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup of low sodium organic veggie broth (I make my own, and have it on hand, but no this is not necessary)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Big bushel of fresh chopped basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary (trader joe's has great fresh herbs in small packages)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dash of organic sea salt and fresh cayenne pepper </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prepare: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat oil in large pan, and add onion. Heat on medium for 4 mins, and add garlic. Sautee for 2 more mins, and transfer to a food processor or Vitamix. Chop the roasted red peppers into small pieces, and add to the onion mixture. Add all the herbs, slat, pepper, and blend all together until finely pureed. Add this mixture back to the skillet.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat on medium for 2-3 mins, and then add broth, and stir. Follow with coconut milk, and a dash more of pepper. Simmer for 15 mins on low, and its done! This sauce is crazy good on Quinoa. Just cook quinoa per directions on package, and add steamed zucchini and asparagus. If you can have cheese add just a dash of organic grated cheese of some kind, and its quite yummy! I do not eat cheese, but my boys say it pretty yummy! I also will serve this sauce over organic pasta (you can use gluten free quinoa pasta or 100% whole wheat). Jesse and Tyler love it with zucchini and so do I! This sauce can literally be used on anything, and is a great tomato sauce substitute to change things up. I am always looking for ways to change things up, and keep it interesting!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So thats it for now....I am off for another amazing week of adventures, and life stuff! I am sure I will see many of you out on the trails. If you ever need my helps in the nutrition department don't be afraid to come calling! I have so many clients right now, and I am loving it! I just love to help you all!! On, On, On with life my friends....now to get on my bike!</span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-55692511857804114382013-05-06T17:06:00.001-07:002013-05-08T08:42:05.948-07:00Burned Out <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by <a href="http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm" style="color: #3c5cae; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">excessive and prolonged stress</a>. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place. Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give. Most of us have days when we feel bored, overloaded, or unappreciated; when the dozen balls we keep in the air aren’t noticed, let alone rewarded; when dragging ourselves out of bed requires the determination of Hercules. If you feel like this most of the time, however, you may be flirting with burnout.</b></span></div>
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I am sure most people were expecting a post about Leona Divide or my Miwok race recap. That is not what this is. It has taken me awhile to digest the last few days. To be perfectly honest I have been struggling since September of 2012. I think at times I am so happy, and love my life so much that I write off sheer exhaustion and burnout like its not happening. I guess in many ways I just kept ignoring and ignoring it. Racing with poor results, and pushing through when all I have wanted to do the last year is take a break from the sport. If you were to ask Jesse how many times I have sad that in the last year he would probably say 12-15. I have stated to him many times over the last eight months that I want to take a few months off, and just take a step back from it all. Unfortunately the very next thing I do is sign up for a race. Its like a never ending cycle that I have committed to finally fix, and put a stop to. </div>
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I am incredibly healthy. I am by no means trying to sound like an ass, but honestly I am one of the most healthy friggin people I know. I do not eat processed foods really at all. I am obsessed with words Like Kale, Raw Cocoa, Raw Coconut Oil, Mung beans, and Avocados. I cook everything from scratch, and digest every seed and green powder you can buy at Whole Foods. I honestly up until last month had not been six in 5+ years. I; so i thought, was the in the purest form a health nut. This past April I got incredibly sick. Like in bed for almost two weeks sick. This was just after racing Old Goats 50 mile, and then in the first few stages of this sickness I went to Oregon for a week long Patagonia trip. I got back, stayed very sick for another entire two weeks all the while working my ass off to put on the inaugural Griffith Park Trail Marathon. Two weeks later I put on the Leona Divide. This by numbers mind you is one of the larger Ultra's in the country. Prior to all of this in February I put on the Ray Miller 50 mile 50k, and yep this one is a large race too with 350 runners. Through all of this I had been training allot. Like massive amounts of miles, and mind you I mark all my own race courses myself. My job is incredibly exhausting and physical to say the least. Are you tired yet? I finished this all up with going up to Miwok 100k this weekend. When we went to check in on race morning and they announced it was only going to be a 60k not a 100k due to high fire dangers I was actually happy. It was 4am and they said to come back at 8am. I didn't even care. I was perfectly ok with that. </div>
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I had found out the day before that my beautiful Ray Miller course that I had worked on for years creating had been thoroughly burned by the Camarillo fire. Mentally after hours of crying I rallied, and boarded a place to San Francisco. My heart was a mess, and ached terribly. </div>
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My gut told me not to go. Why did i then? Because i had committed to share a very expensive house with other friends, and was worried about the obligation. Myself, my mental state, and sheer exhaustion were put to side for 350$ dollars. My lord where were my priorities? Clearly not with myself, and what was in the best interest of me. I made it through the shortened course and took my time enjoying the day the best I could and even ate Popsicle's at aid stations! You would not believe it! Very yummy Popsicle's, and what an amazing course! It really was so beautiful. I am glad I took it all in, and spent the day chatting with so many friends.<br />
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The interesting thing is that this was one of many races this last 1o months where things just didn't feel right. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a222a; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I have now had 4 or 5 races like this in the past year. Races in which I thought I was in pretty good shape and then when I tried to run fast (i.e. race) I felt slow and weak. It's not a fun place to be. No one ever wants to be in a position where they feel like they can't run anywhere near as fast as they could 12 months previous. More and more I have begun to feel this in my training also. I seem to have plenty of energy and endurance, but my muscles just seem to be weak, slow, and slow to recover.</span></div>
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OK so moving on from Miwok I have made the decision to work on fully getting my Mojo back. I have pulled out of Bighorn 100, and I simply am not going to start running or racing again until I feel like doing so. It might only end up being a few weeks, and that's perfectly OK with me. I am tuning off of face book for awhile, and making a commitment to only check my email once in the early am, and then again at night just once. I guess in a way I am checking out. I am going to go camping in Yosemite, Three Rivers, Oregon, Idyllwild, and spend every weekend hiking until I feel like running again. I am going to volunteer allot at tons of upcoming events so I can give back, and see all my amazing friends. I am also gonna go up to Mt.Baldy at least twice a week. I am going to yoga allot, and cleaning up my nutrition a bit. With all the races I have put on in the last few months, and traveling my health has for the first time in 10 years fallen to the side. I simply will not let this happen. I pride myself on looking and feeling amazing, and nothing is gonna get in the way of that. Period. </div>
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So luckily for me I am my own boss. I have worked tirelessly the last eight months so I can now check out a bit and work on this whole Burn out ordeal. As for now I have no desire to toe the line competitively at any race, and have not really since last July. Not good, and have to fix this. You only live once, and I refuse to live my life not exactly the way I want it. </div>
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As for Ray Miller myself and my awesome team will have an alternate course. We will figure out an amazing "B" option for a few years, and when the time is right and nature is ready we will bring back the original Ray Miller 50 mile 50k course. For now my heart aches everyday for those beloved trails. My heart aches for my dear friend Howard who serves on the Santa Monica Mountains council, and spends most of his free time on those trails. The Camarillo fire is a tragedy to say the least, but I do see a small light shining through(Thank you Jimmy Dean). Hope is all I have ever had. As a little girl it was all I had to survive so I am most certainly not going to give up now. Always hope for the best. That's just the only way I know how to survive. Life is so awesome, and we are so lucky to be here. I refuse to not be living it the way I wanna live it. </div>
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On, On, On my friends. LIfe no matter what will always go on, and we must never loose hope!! Time to get some rest for me..... </div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-60619926107048214582013-04-02T17:26:00.002-07:002013-04-02T17:43:12.438-07:00 Mini Old Goats recap.... <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My WOLF<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've learned that you can't invest your whole life into pleasing a person who is not yourself, and you can't sacrifice so much that you compromise doing what you love. When two people are happily traveling their own journey and just happen to be moving in the same direction-maybe thats love. Struggling and anxiously working to make a relationship work is perhaps not love at all, but wasted effort. Like running with your arms flailing and waving around. Useless. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">On March 23rd I raced Old Goats 50 Mile. It was my fourth time running this race, and I finally have to say I think it was my last. I love this race, and I sincerely love the race director Steve Harvey. Its an incredibly well organized event with ample amounts of love invested into it. You can see it in every race Steve does, and I simply cannot say good enough stuff about this awesome man, and his great events. I myself have had just about enough punishment from the Old Goats course, and I gladly look forward to volunteering next year. Jesse and I both raced Old Goats this year(see pic above of him on course) and he crushed it. He came in second behind his fellow wolf <a href="http://ultrarunnerrn.blogspot.com/">Chris Price</a>, and <a href="http://ultrarunnerrn.blogspot.com/">Chris</a> also crushed it. Like absolutely demolished it. He broke his own course record by I believe 7 or 8 minutes(not sure of exact time), and he probably could have ran faster. I do know he was racing smart, and wanted to save some for the second half. I am 100% sure he can run a sub 7 on this course. He is a beast!! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I had a kind of decent day, and managed to finish within a few hours of the boys. I believe I ended up 14th overall?, and first female. Not my best day out on the trails by any means, and my slowest time ever on that course by allot- minus the first year of the race when it was two miles longer. To be perfectly honest I was a bit of a disaster the entire day, and was pretty darn glad when it was all over! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had some mishaps on race morning that were totally unnecessary and could have easily been avoided. In a nutshell I needed up with none of my usual Carbo-Pro for the first 24 miles, no gels from miles 11-24, and going off course for a few miles. It honestly just seemed like it was one of those days. What could go wrong went wrong, and I did my best to stay positive, and not let it break me. My bonus mileage added 35 minutes to my regular split time of the first 21 miles on that course!! I was just a mess by the time I arrived into the Blue Jay aid station... mile 21 for everyone else..mile 23? for me. The pics below explained the state I was in mentally on the course and at the finish. I have no idea why I was actually walking into the Trabuco aid station. Geesh! Run Keira its a race! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">At the finish with Steve Harvey, and a million clips in my hair? Don't ask. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Just strolling along?? Ugh!<br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The race did turn around for me though at mile 30 when I finally caught and passed Maggie. She was having GI issues, and told me she would wait at the next aid station at the top to make sure she was ok to go on. I was worried as she recently had kidney issues at Brazil 135, and I love Maggie with all my heart. Maggie is so tuff. I admire Maggie so much. I gave her a quick hug, and kept powering up Holy Jim. I was able to pass seven men on this climb, and it really did bring life back into my step. I made it to the top of Trabuco, and was so happy to see Deborah Acosta!! I love Deb, and she gave me some kind words, and then pushed me to get outta her aid station. Giddy up!! I powered my inner Kate Freeman, and told myself if I wanted off this course I was gonna have to work for, and run! So thats exactly what I did. I ran decently fast down Main Divide, and eventually I caught up with Peter Cross at some point, and we chatted away for miles. He is a stronger runner than me, and was running almost everything at this point. I was so impressed. We laughed how all we could keep down was Coca Cola, and were chugging it at every aid station along to the finish. Funny cause I honestly have not had soda in almost six years. It saved my ass that day!! I humbly have to say something. I hardly ever stop at aid stations. Its in and out in a flash. This was not the case last weekend. I spent 15 mins at aid stations in the last 22 miles of this course drinking soda, and doing god knows what. I was just not myself, and a total disaster.<br /><br />I was so excited to cross the finish line!! What a gnarly, rugged, and tough course this is. It really is the toughest 50 mile course I have ever done. Its just relentless, and for the first time I realized what its like to survive that course when you are having a bad day. Man what a difference from my previous years on the course. I was thrilled when Steve gave me a copy of Vanessa's new book "The Summit Seeker" for my award. I have read this book twice since I got it, and highly recommend it! Its amazing! I also got an awesome travelers coffee mug(thank you Steve), and a bunch of other cool swag. You rock Steve!!<br /><br />I am so proud of Jesse for having such a great day on that course. He is so amazing, and I know he was really stoked to get in such an awesome day out there. I cannot imagine my life without him, and having someone to share all this with! We celebrated Saturday night by going out to dinner with Dad and Mom (Jesse's parents) and then Sunday we even managed to get up and go for a little run/hike in Griffith Park. Awesome!<br /><br />I leave tomorrow to go to Oregon for the week for a team trip with Patagonia. Very excited. So excited. I cannot even wait!! It will be hard to be apart from Jesse for the week, but both him and Tyler can manage without me. I am a little worried what they will eat, but thank god for Chipotle! Yes I proudly cook everything for them, and have no problem admitting that. Next to running I LOVE to cook, and spoil my man like the king he is! ;o)</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As soon as I get back it will be my next event(and brand new!) the <a href="http://griffithparktrailmarathon.com/">Griffith Park Trail Marathon</a>. This event sold out as fast as we got the website up, and I cannot what for Saturday April 13th to arrive!! Giddy up!<br /><br />I raced in my <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/womens-fore-runner-evo?p=79003-0-497">Patagonia Women's Fore Runner Evo's</a>, and I love them. They are the perfect shoe for my feet. Not to much of a shoe, somewhat minimal, but plenty of support and cushion for gnarly trails. They are now my go to shoe of choice whenever I hit the trails. LOVE them!!!<br /><br />On,on,on with life my friends, and have an awesome week! </span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-63437004406731510512013-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:002013-03-18T13:37:23.380-07:00Removing Negative Labels <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>It is simply impossible to achieve anything without belief in oneself. You must truly put aside all doubt, and really visualize what you want, where you will be, and picture yourself doing that. Its sometimes can be a bit easier said than done, but for the most part if you can do this for 85% of your life then you are on the right path. Life is incredibly hard at times. So much so that I too doubt myself many times over. What I have learned to do though is hit the delete button quickly following any of those negative thoughts. I also through the years have learned to not accept what anyone else says about me. Not everyone is going to agree with me or like me. I am perfectly ok with that. Its not to say that at times it does not bother me, but in order to find your best self, and your true extraordinary person inside you must not ever listen to what others tell you that you can or can't do. No one is n charge of your destiny or life but you. Period. If you think you are ordinary then an ordinary life you will lead. I only accept that I am extraordinary, and its that kind of life I now have. Do not ever sell yourself short. Do not ever let anyone take away your value. People can call you all kinds of different things, but you are not what people call you. You are only what YOU answer to. Answer only to people who see your greatness, and speak greatness about you. </b><br />
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<b>I recently had someone tell me my downhill running skills were ranked at a 7 out of 10. Funny because I believe that one of my greatest skills is fast technical downhill running. It sat in my mind for a few weeks, and for whatever reason I just could not shake it. The more I focused on it the more it almost started to seep into my brain. I then did a training run in the mountains last weekend with some of the fast boys, and at my casual downhill running pace hung tight with Dom as we blasted for eight solid miles on the trails. He would pick up, and I would push. He would push, and I pushed harder. I love Dom so much because he is crazy fast, and the whole time just chatted away with me, and kept me company. The key thing here is this. I was halfway into a long mountain training run. My legs were tired, but I was able to do what I do best. Crush the downhills. We finished the run, and when we got in the car I mentioned to Jesse how one of our friends had scored me on my downhill running skills, and it had been really getting to me. He looked at me and was shocked I let this person get to me. We laughed about the comment, and then moved on with our day. That night I simply decided to delete that comment in my mind. I literally visualized myself hitting a small button that read the word "Delete", and then picture it over and over again. After about 10 minutes the thought was gone from my mind. I woke up the next day with the intent to do my 12 mile speed workout run on some steep trails. I decided I would push harder than I ever had ran downhill, and as I did it I once again visualized the delete button getting rid of that thought. I had the best run of my life, and on a pretty tuff and technical trail I was hitting 6:05's and 6:10's all downhill. I refuse ever again to accept anything anyone says about me that does not fit into my life. This technique of hitting the delete button is something I plan on practicing in my life whenever needed. It works, and I am glad I read about it. I will only answer to people who have nice things to say. Simple as that. </b><br />
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<b>This entire month as a whole has been very interesting on the emotional front for me. I have learned three very important things this month, and in the last few weekends on my training runs I have only fallen more in love with Jesse. Our relationship has grown stronger than ever before in the last two months, and life never seems to fall short of reminding me how glad I am that it has turned out the way it has. </b><br />
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<b>1. </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #330000;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don't even notice it.</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'bookman old style', 'palatino linotype', 'book antiqua', palatino, 'trebuchet ms', helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, 'avante garde', 'century gothic', 'comic sans ms', times, 'times new roman', serif;"> </span></span><b>Karma will never escape you. You can run and run, but you cannot escape it. We all mess up in life. We all make mistakes. What is key is you must take responsibility for the actions, face what you have done, and simply apologize where necessary. Being a coward will never do you any good. Plus it kind of makes you look like an idiot. Always take a hold of your actions, and own them. Face what is hard to face, and make right with people you have wronged. Your life will never be right if you don't do so. You will always be in dodge of your past, and living in that place. Who wants to live in the past? Let it go, and own it, and watch your life change. </b><br />
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<b>2. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Honesty and communication in a relationship is its key foundation. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This was key for me to learn. It does not mean in my past relationships I was going around lying about everything, but I just did not understand the importance of being 100% honest 100% of the time when it comes to matters of the heart. Jesse and I communicate about everything. He tends to be a more private person so I don't want to go to into detail about our personal stuff, but lets just say we always talk about things. We never hide anything from each other, and we most certainly never lie about where we are going, who we are with, and what makes us happy. We truly love each other, and have a healthy relationship(a first for me!) so that means we are both in this together. We enjoy the same activities, and we do whatever it takes to make each other happy. If one of us is not getting what we need from the other we talk about it. We discuss. We always communicate, and we NEVER hide anything from each other. I cannot imagine being in a relationship where I had to do so. Unfortunately I had been years back, and it just sucked. No sugar coating at all. I was so unhappy, and it wasn't until I got out of that relationship, and into the right one that I could see that. Its hard at times because I spent nine years of my life I will never get back in that position, but I can only bless the past, and move forward for a better future. Sometimes we settle out of fear, and eventually our lives just pass by. </span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Count your blessings, and the do a "recount". </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I have found this quote key to repeat as a daily mantra in my life. I try to always remind myself of all the blessings I have, and then I just write them down, and say them out loud. I recount all that is great in my life, and try very hard to realize how lucky I really am. I do have incredible luck. Jesse points it out all the time. Like crazy good luck. I also have a million blessings to be thankful for everyday. Sometimes my list will be so long I run out of room on my paper. No matter how stressed I am or who bad things can get I always count my blessings that I have two working legs. I have two working arms. I have a working vehicle. I have great leadership skills. These are kind of the basic stuff. It gets really exciting when I start counting the big stuff. A beautiful gorgeous successful man that is madly in love with me. My running abilities. An awesome son who is healthy and smart. The more I dig the more I can come up with, and by the end of this practice I am beaming with excitement over my blessings. It helps keep me on track, and also stay motivated. The more happy you are with your life the more motivated you will be to go after your goals and dreams. Its just how it is. </span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I am very excited for Old Goats 50 mile this weekend. I will make no race predictions. My talent will speak for itself this weekend, and I look forward to giving 100% of all my heart and soul on that mountain on Saturday. I cannot wait. A supported long run in the mountains all day with good competition. Who wouldn't want that? I do have my eyes set on a few boys that I intend to bury. Other than that we will see how it goes. Lets not forget anything can happen. Its 50 miles in the mountains in higher temps on incredibly technical trails with almost 14,000 feet of climbing. Who knows what the day will hold. My lord I could end up barely making the cut offs. In the end I hope to just finish, and after count my blessings that I am able to participate in such a tuff sport. Really that's all that matters right? </span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On,On,On my friends. Have an amazing weekend out on the trails!!! </span></b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></b>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-25509223084078927712013-02-20T15:37:00.004-08:002013-02-20T15:46:40.052-08:00A repost of life's most important stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The picture above is from Mt.Baldy. I tend to be a bit scared of running in icy snow, and part of me feels dead and empty since not visiting my favorite playground in almost five months. I will wait for the snow to melt before I venture up into the high country, but oh how I miss her....Jesse keeps trying to talk me into going up with him, but I am just a little to afraid. Deep aching heart I have right now...ugh..</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>I did not race Bandit on Sunday. I have had a bit of the flew which started up Saturday, and I was just not up for it on Sunday. Just a 50k so oh well. It would have been really fun to see everyone, but lots more races in the future so no biggie. Rest is key right now. Feeling much better today! Yippie! I had an amazing little run this morning on some new trails I have found near our house. I actually have now found almost 25 miles of new trails I had no idea existed. San Clemente is insanely rad. Such fun and fast trails. Lots of single track too! Great fun! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Ok so the real intent of this blog post was to repost something I put up back in 2011. Someone had brought it to my attention recently that it really helped them with some stuff they had going on so I wanted to get it back up. Always happy to inspire, and help anyone who needs it. Here goes...</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Life is a gift, and you are only here once. Do not ever loose site of that. No matter what you are thinking or feeling it will move forward regardless of weather or not you want it to. It's best to live it the way you want to, and with no regrets. It is most certainly ok to make mistakes. It is most certainly ok to be afraid of making life changing decisions. Just remember to learn from mistakes, and not continually make them. To learn from regret, and do whatever it takes to get your life in the right place. Do not sacrifice your own happiness to stay comfortable or please someone else. Tomorrow you will be 70-then 95. Blink...it will be here before you know it. Will you truly be able to look back and say you have spent it with the right person? You share the same passions, and friends? You love your job? You have given everything you could to those you love. My life has changed tremendously in the last year, and I believe it's vital for me to send a message to women(and men) that life is exactly what you make of it, and no matter how bad it seems there is always a way out of your problems. I wanted to pull together some thoughts I have read in different places, and pass them along to all of you. It's never to late to make a change. Never.</b></span><br /><br />~~<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<ol style="color: black; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 40px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There comes a point in life when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up. It’s realizing you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If a person wants to be a part of your life they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down – which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You don’t fail by falling down. You fail by never getting back up. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Everyone basically wants the same things. They<span id="more-389" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></span>want validation, love, happiness, fulfillment and hopes for a better future. The way they pursue these desires is where things branch off, but the fundamentals are the same. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The more things you own, the more your things own you. Less truly gives you more freedom. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While you’re busy looking for the perfect person, you’ll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy. It’s about being exactly who you are and then finding someone who appreciates that, and shares that with you.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Making a thousand friends is not a miracle. A miracle is making one friend who will stand by your side when thousands are against you.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Someone will always be better looking. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be more charismatic. But they will never be you.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Making progress involves risk. Period. You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Every morning you are faced with two choices: You can aimlessly stumble through the day not knowing what’s going to happen and simply react to events at a moment’s notice, or you can go through the day directing your own life and making your own decisions and destiny. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Everyone makes mistakes. If you can’t forgive others, don’t expect others to forgive you. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is ok. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We sometimes do things that are permanently damaging just because we are temporarily upset. A lot of heartache can be avoided if you learn to control your emotions.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Someone else doesn’t have to be wrong for you to be right. There are many roads to what’s right. Remember to: sometimes it's just easier to have peace that be right. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect. Nobody has it easy. You never know what people are going through. Every one of us has issues. So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else. Everybody is fighting their own unique war.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A smile doesn’t always mean a person is happy. Sometimes it simply means they are strong enough to face their problems.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The happiest people I know keep an open mind to new ideas and ventures, use their leisure time as a means of mental development, and love good music, good books, good pictures, good company and good conversation. </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can’t take things too personally. Rarely do people do things because of you. They do things because of them.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Feelings change, people change, and time keeps rolling. You can hold on to past mistakes or you can create your own happiness. True happiness comes from within. Don’t make the mistake of waiting on someone or something to come along and make you happy.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s much harder to change the length of your life than it is to change the depth of it.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. <em style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Read </em></span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Share your life with someone who truly shares in your life. "Those that play together stay together". </span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Everything is a life lesson. Everyone you meet, everything you encounter, etc. They’re all part of the learning experience we call ‘life.’ Never forget to acknowledge the lesson, especially when things don’t go your way. If you don’t get a job that you wanted or a relationship doesn’t work, it only means something better is out there waiting. And the lesson you just learned is the first step towards it.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 3px; text-indent: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Regardless of how filthy your past has been, your future is still spotless. Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life.</span></li>
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keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-60448588296780440562013-02-08T07:43:00.002-08:002013-02-08T07:52:14.284-08:00Getting everything out of Life <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhcmsjlLU3A/URJjq7v6-PI/AAAAAAAAA-8/4jw2rpdH7TI/s1600/321412_10200503258014590_1078824111_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rhcmsjlLU3A/URJjq7v6-PI/AAAAAAAAA-8/4jw2rpdH7TI/s400/321412_10200503258014590_1078824111_n-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My adopted parents the Wickland's, and my future husband</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><b>“Don’t just accept whatever comes your way in life. You were born to win; you </b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>were born for greatness; you were created to be a champion in life.”</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>The morning after Ray Miller I wrestled around in our tent, and was awake before sunrise. I had rented out the entire La Jolla Group campsite for the start and finish line of the race, and also so we could set up Friday, and have a place to store all our stuff. The group camp could easily fit 400 people. Its really awesome, and will be the staging area for Ray Miller every year. I kept tossing and turning, and finally I got up to witness the sunrise. I threw on some warm clothes, and climbed outta our tent. To my surprise it was warm outside. Much warmer than Friday morning when me, Jack, and Chandra marked the course. </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>I could hear the waves crashing hard down below me, and across PCH. I quickly grabbed a chair, and sat down in View of the ocean, and took a deep breath. So deep that it almost hurt my lungs. I closed my eyes, and decided that I would take in this moment. I worked to really capture it, and just tried to stay where I was at for a bit. I could hear the waves crashing, and crashing. Man it was such an awesome sound. The breeze was a little chilly, and blew over my ears to chill them. I kept my eyes closed, and thought about the huge success of the event. I remember hearing a bird make some noise, and it was close. He chirped away as the ocean roared, and I opened my eyes. The orange sky lit up the campground, and it was so beautiful. Another day had gone, and a new one was here. For some reason I thought about the moment in time when I was over at Wick's house having dinner in December 2010. He had mapped out the perfect 50 mile/50k course, and said if you can someway make this happen it would be the perfect course. It was in the back country, and I really wasn't familiar with that area. Sure I had ran out there a few times, but to be an RD you have to have an exact knowledge of the area. At that moment in time we looked over his maps he had drawn up, and he committed to help me learn the area, trails, and teach me everything there could possibly be to learn about the course. Howard committed also to help. We spent countless days, hours, weeks running in those mountains with our friends, and eventually it started to come together. It took a long time to get the permission to even move forward with the event from Park Services, but eventually in Feb 2012 Ray Miller happened. </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>The sun was getting much warmer, and I decided to peel off my jacket. I thought about how much fun me, Jack, and Chandra had marking the course on Thursday and Friday. I love my friends so much. I honestly cannot even comprehend why I am so blessed with such wonderful and amazing friends in my life. We spent the Thursday and Friday before the race hiking, and marking the course. What a blast we had!! I am so lucky to have two legs, two arms, and a conditioned body to be able to be on my feet all day, and mark my own courses. It took us 9 hours on Friday to mark! Fun, but exhausting. Below are some fun pics of us out on the course. We are silly! </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Jesse signaled to me that we needed to start loading up, and get rolling out of the campsite. Its funny, but I think I could have sat in the sunshine all day. I told him I would be right there, and then took another deep long breath. Some people never even get to see the ocean their entire lives. I wanted to take in this moment. I thought allot about the enormous success of the event, and how awesome it was to have so many of my friends there from all ends of the sport. So many great friends came down from Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. What a crowd we had! Jesse and I have a blast at my ultra's. I love my job so much, and never dreamed I would be where I am at. Yes I pinch myself everyday. </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>This week has been about resting, resting, and more resting after Ray Miller. I have been sleeping about 10 hours a night. Karl has me doing some shorter faster miles, but I mostly have been tidying up all the stuff after Ray Miller, and now focusing on Griffith Park Trail marathon. The non-ultra races are much easier for me to organize and put on. Funny enough the runners are not near as needy! Ha! Looking forward to my next event. I also am racing next weekend, but its simply going to be a nice supported training run. I am no wear near as fast as Margaret on the short stuff, and I don't care to be. I know my goals this year are my hundreds. I look forward to a good old fashion ass whooping next weekend, but my hope is that she can really push me to roll out a 50k PR. I guarantee she will beat 99% of the field including men, so if I can keep her as a carrot I should be able to run pretty fast. Maybe finish within 15mins after her? We will see. She is friggin fast as heck. My only concern is that the RD has said this course is tougher and longer than the old course so I am uncertain how to gage previous times. I have ran a sub 5 hour @ Calico 50k, but that was in 2008, and I am a little bit faster now. Also Calico is not so easy. I am guessing it might compare to the toughness of Bandit. I will just have to see, and all I can do is try my best, and have a super fun day! I am just blessed, and happy to be healthy and able to run!! Plus Prizzle Sauce will be there so I am very excited about that!! </b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Almost positive I will not be running Old Goats. Boo Hoo! I really want to...but my goal for the month of March is to be training for Miwok 100k. That's the first "A" race of the season. I am getting so excited for so much coming up!!! I cannot wait to volunteer at the Back Bone Race, PCT 50 Mile(Jesse is racing it!!), and then SD 100(love you Scotty)! I am crazy excited about Jesse running Western States, and honestly we have our entire 2013 planned out until Chimera 100 in November. Life does not suck!! Its so awesome. Below is my 2013 race calendar. I am super excited! In between it all Jesse will be racing a ton, and in some capacity we will be at pretty much every race in Southern California this season. Love our </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>world. Love my friends. Love it all so much! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>Feb~ Bandit 50k</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>March~ Old Goats ? </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>May~ Miwok 100k</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>June~ Bighorn 100 </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>August~ Angels Staircase 40 mile~ Washington and Oregon vacation!!!! </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>On, on, on with life my friends!! Off to go run... </b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><b><br /></b></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-32318161860785537302013-01-29T08:03:00.001-08:002013-01-29T08:03:08.689-08:002013 begins! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></em></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b></b></em></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~ Plato</b></em></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Its amazing how much you can learn about a person when you spend hours out on the trails with them. Its like you instantly form a bond and friendship. I love that! I believe its probably why Jesse and I have such a strong love for each other . We have spent half our lives outside playing together. Trail running, Hiking, Cycling, Snowshoeing, snowboarding. You name it; we do it. It most certainly helps the relationship; not hurts it. We also spend a ton of time doing other things together as he is my best friend on the whole planet....but its nice to share the same passions for all the fun stuff we love to do. In the first 6-8 months of our relationship we really spent time becoming friends, and spent countless hours running on trails. I believe 110% this is why our bond is so strong today. Our focus was always forming the foundation first, and spending all that time together outside over the course of those months really helped mold that. I know him better than anyone I have ever known in my life, and that includes family. He is my soul mate. I cannot imagine my life without him in it. </b></em></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cqsuAEg1oiE/UQfk-GiJxOI/AAAAAAAAA9M/62J5vvJ9tRc/s1600/533785_10200467660280996_1184612127_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cqsuAEg1oiE/UQfk-GiJxOI/AAAAAAAAA9M/62J5vvJ9tRc/s320/533785_10200467660280996_1184612127_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goofballs on the BackBone Trail!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>The last couple weeks have been a bit interesting. In early December I signed up for the San Diego 50 mile which was last weekend, Saturday Jan 17th. I really wanted to run a faster, flat race to start off the year simply to get a good supported training run in. I had a kind of decent day, but went out to hard, and kind of blew up pretty bad the last 12 miles(doh!!). It was not my best day by any means, but I did enjoy it, and for the most part felt great until I slugged through the last section. The last ten miles are pretty much flat on this really pretty single track that runs near a dairy, through a park, and as far as you can see is this flat windy trail. Mentally it was just not my gig, and I shuffled, and walk/ran the last five miles. I was hoping to break eight hours, but just missed it by four minutes! Darn! Oh well. The race was very well organized, and the course was marked great. It only has about 6,000 feet of gain, and no where on the course are there big downhills to run to get fast miles. The back end near the turn around from Miles 23-26 has the bulk of the climbing, but its still not much. This is for sure a speedsters course. Tracy Domino won for the women, and she tore it up. She had a great day, and ran a 7:49. She looked great the whole day, and I really like Tracy. She is a local girl who I have known for a few years, and runs with all the awesome bad rats down in San Diego. I was super happy to see her out there crushing it. She is incredibly talented, kind, and really awesome. I came in behind her in 8:04, and then Andee was right behind me for third woman. We all made it into top 7 overall, and showed the boys a thing or two! I would highly recommend this race. It was great fun. Not my type of course or terrain by any means, but it pushed me into the 2013 racing season early, and I like that. Paul Jesse and his crew do a fantastic job! It was also so awesome to have my Jesse crew me all day. Thanks baby!! </b></em></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 20 at San Diego 50</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>My "A" races this year will be my 100's, and everything else will be training for those. I am signed up for Bighorn 100, Mongollan 100, and I plan on running Chimera 100. I was going to put in the lottery for Wasatch 100 with my fellow Patagonia teammate Denisse, but after discussing with Jesse decided not to for valid reasons. I was registered for Wasatch last September, and even got in the lottery, but just could not recover fast enough from AC100 to make it to the race. It will definitely be on my calendar for 2014 if we don't decide to get pregnant by then. Who knows? Just to far ahead to decide that. I am also running Bandit 50k in two weeks, then Old Goats 50 mile, and Miwok 100k. Old Goats might be the only race I decide not to run, and volunteer at. I will have to wait and see what <a href="http://karlmeltzer.com/coaching-services/">Karl</a> thinks is best for me. For now he says if I do it will have to be an easy race as the focus is Miwok. We'll see! I am pretty sure I cannot mentally go into Old Goats, and not all out race. Especially with the women's line up. If I show up to race it will be to race so probably not gonna happen as I need to direct that focus on whats important which is Miwok, and then Bighorn, and the other 100's. Blah, blah! Babbling.... </b></em></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>So I kind of had a really big month with something super amazing happen! I was asked to be a part of the <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/home">Patagonia Ultra Running Team</a>. This is just so awesome, and I am so honored. The team is such a small family, and they welcomed me with such love, and open arms. I am blessed. I am lucky. I am happy. I love <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/home">Patagonia</a>(who doesn't!??), and so far I have been wearing and testing out all kinds of awesome apparel. All incredibly great stuff!! Wow! Its a great partnership on all ends, and it will be so awesome to be able to have <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/home">Patagonia</a> be a part of all my races , and events. They are a huge part of <a href="http://raymiller5050.com/">Ray Miller 50mile/50k</a>, and the <a href="http://www.patagonia.com/us/home">Patagonia</a> race day shirts turned out beautifully!! So excited! </b></em></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>After Ray Miller my next event is the brand new one in my line up! I am so excited to announce the <a href="http://griffithparktrailmarathon.com/">Griffith Park Trail Marathon</a>. First of its kind, and its going to be epic! Race date is Saturday April 13th, 2013. I am thrilled to be making this happen, and once again someone needs to pinch me. Then after that will be<a href="http://leonadivide5050.com/"> Leona Divide 50 mile/50k</a>. TIME FLIES! Especially when you are having so much fun. To much fun! </b></em></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>Ok I am off to go hike for two hours, and then load the van for Ray Miller. Never a quiet moment!! On, On, On with life my friends! Happy Trail Running! Below is a shout out to my Wolf Pack. Miss you boys. Hooooooowl.... </b></em></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 27px;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><br /></b></em></span></span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-51026850939066985252012-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:002013-01-02T07:58:39.179-08:00Blink Blink....<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">“Until I met you," she said, "I never realized how precious each day could be. When I was working, each day was over before I knew it, and then a week just flew by, and then a whole year...What have I been doing all this time? Why didn't I meet you before? If I had to choose a whole year in the past, or a day with you-I'd choose a day with you...”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">―</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6426382.Sh_ichi_Yoshida" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Shūichi Yoshida</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;"><i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/9724573" style="color: #666600; text-decoration: none;">Villain</a></i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">I am always fascinated by how fast life just zips by. It always comes closer to my attention when I finally find a quiet moment to spend sometime on my blog, and get a new post up. How could it already be almost New Years Eve? Where did Christmas go...where did the last year go? Each week just flies by. Each month just zips past. I look back at the last three months of my life and they have been incredibly busy. I had the <a href="http://griffithparktrailruns.com/">Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon </a>on Nov 17th, and then the <a href="http://GriffithParkTrail10k.com/">Griffith Park Trail 10k</a> on Nov 18th. Both were sold out races, and huge successes. Following that I ran and played on the trails quite a bit, and took a huge backseat to racing myself. I did the Red Rock Trail Marathon on Thanksgiving weekend, and Jesse and I had a blast camping up in Santa Barbara that weekend! Then in December was another one of my events called <a href="http://paramountranchtrailruns.com/">Paramount Ranch Trail Half Marathon and Trail 10k</a>. Both of these races sold out, and were just a ton of fun! I literally blinked, and my entire back end of 2012 just came and went. I feel so blessed and lucky that I have Jesse to spend my life with, and I honestly cannot remember what life was like before he was in it. He is my best friend, and I am the luckiest girl on the planet! As fast as it zips by I feel like as long as I share it with him I am happy to be moving along. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">After Paramount I took a huge backseat to all things other then running. I knew I really wanted to focus on getting back into race shape, and start 2013 off right. Last year was not that way, and I really had a rough start to my 2012 racing season. So....the last four weeks have been spent doing nothing but playing on the trails for hours on end, and I am really looking forward to racing in three weeks at the San Diego 50 mile. I hope to have a great race, and just enjoy the heck outta the day! Below is a mash up of a million pictures from the last few weeks. I just love my life, and I am happy to spread that joy with all of you! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">I cannot wait for the next few days!! Today I spent four hours playing on the trails with Pam and Tommy, and tomorrow we are headed up to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl!! Jesse's entire family is in town from Wisconsin, and its gonna be the biggest celebration ever! New Years day I am really looking forward to the ARC annual run, and cannot wait to run the actual parade route. It will be a super fun week filled with lots of good times spent with friends and family. Somehow I will find the time to try and fit in a good 2012 race recap of my year on this blog...just not sure when I will be able to find the time! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px;">Happy Trail Running my friends, and Happy New Year!! On, On, On.... See many of you at <a href="http://RAYMILLER5050.COM/">Ray Miller 50 mile/50k</a> in February! </span>keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1330524641488102132.post-37441166420250088502012-10-14T17:09:00.002-07:002012-10-14T17:09:21.454-07:00Soaring To Your Best <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Be Selective as to what you give your attention to. The mark of a true champion is to know which battles to fight. I guarantee most battles should be ignored~</span></b><br />
~J.O.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">One of the ways you can see yourself go to a higher level is by learning to choose your battles and refusing to fight battles that don't matter. In life you simply do not have to fight every battle. You don't have to respond to every critic. You don't have to be offended because of what someone said. You're not a crow; you're an eagle. You can rise above it. You can soar at new heights. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">The mark of a true champion is knowing which battles to fight. Bottom line: Choose to be an eagle. Choose to rise above it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"> Be selective as to what you give your attention to. Don't get caught up in battles that don't matter. If you will get good at knowing what to ignore and not get distracted by things that don't matter then it will only help you accomplish all of your dreams. </span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Have you ever thought about how much energy it takes to be bitter or hold a grudge? We only have a certain amount of energy for each day. If we use it for the wrong purpose, if we focus on the negative or dwell on whoever hurt us, then we're not going to have the energy we need for the right purposes. We're not going to be able to make the best decisions or be as creative as we need to be. We're not only doing ourselves a disservice, but we're doing our family and friends a disservice, too.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">As much as you may want to, you can't control what other people say or do; you can only control yourself. If you focus on the actions of others and allow them to constantly upset you, then you are </span><u>handing your peace over to them and giving away your power.</u> Jesse and I have this rule that we never go to bed mad at each other. The reason many people don't have joy or enthusiasm in their lives is because they go to bed every night with anger and unforgiveness weighing them down. When you go to bed with a cluttered mind and focused on the negative, you wake up with the same negative emotions; not to mention, you probably won't sleep very well. </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Remember, if you want to love your life and live it to the fullest, don't let the sun go down on your anger. If you don't have a solution to the issue, agree to disagree and focus on the importance of the relationship. Keep peace in your heart, and don't give away your power! Last, but not least you must always learn to forgive. No matter what one has done to you it will only keep hurting you if you keep holding on to the past.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #505870;"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: normal;">Peace is not possible without forgiveness. Martin Luther King once said, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” The only way children can learn the habit of forgiveness is by seeing us, their parents, forgive others and forgive ourselves. </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;"><b>The freedom to be at peace in our own skins - that’s what forgiveness allows. We relinquish this freedom when we hold onto anger and resentment. Enormous amounts of energy are wasted when we hold back our love, hold onto hate, and harbor acrimonious feelings. The only remedy is letting go, and being willing to forgive. </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;"><b>Life is short. It happens in the blink of an eye. Stop spending it worried about what others think or say, and only focus on the greater good for yourself. Forgive those that have hurt you, and also learn to forgive yourself for your own mistakes. It will only get better form here! </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>On,On,On with life my friends! </b></span></div>
keirahenningerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04322461249649785068noreply@blogger.com0