Biking for good!

Taking my sister, Allison, for a ride

There is something special and freeing about riding a bike.  I love the feeling of racing down a hill with the wind blowing through my hair or exploring new trails and roads.  When I was a kid I loved riding my bike around the neighborhood.  And I remember how proud I was when I was old enough to ride my bike to some stores less than 2 miles from our house.  I would ride to the grocery store to play my favorite video game,  Galaga, and then stop by Paper Chase, the local stationary store, to buy new stickers or Steve's Sundry to buy a magazine.  And because of my bike I was free to do it without having to ask my mom for a ride.

Even as an adult I have experienced the freedom that comes with riding a bike.  When I moved to Thailand one of my first priorities was to buy a bicycle from Carrefour (a European owned Wal-Mart type store).  And I can still remember how I felt riding my new bike around the city the evening I bought it - I was so free and happy.  I even learned how to strap printers and chairs to the back of my bike when needed.

Getting around Chiang Mai by bike 

There is something special about riding a bike.  And now I am going to be a part of a couple of events that allow me to help others by doing something that I enjoy so much!

On the weekend of April 30 and May 1st, I will be riding 153 miles along a route from Dr Pepper Park in Frisco to Sundance Square in Fort Worth with an overnight stay at the Texas Motor Speedway for the MS 150.   I will be participating in this ride with my friend Sandy Hennip, whose brother in law was just diagnosed with MS.  The money raised will go to the National MS Society to fund research, advocate for change, and help people with MS and their families lead powerful lives.

Then a little over a week after that, on May 8th, I will travel to Beaumont, Texas for Bike Out Hunger.  We will embark on the 9th of May for a five day and approximately 365 mile ride up the state of Texas to Texarkana.  The money raised will go to the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger to support people and organizations who are meeting hunger needs and sharing the hope of Christ at home and around the world.

So, in the course of 2 weeks I will be riding my bike over 500 miles to raise money and awareness for two great organizations that are helping to bring freedom to those who need it dearly!


If you would like to sponsor me for either of these rides, you can go to the following pages:
Click here for MS 150 and then click on the donate to Jennifer button that is just above the thermometer  
Click here for Bike Out Hunger and then click on the Sponsor Me button on the right side of the page  
  

Tri Cowtown

I volunteered for the Tri Cowtown Sprint Triathlon at Benbrook Lake.  Since I have benefitted from the help of many volunteers over the years in various events that I have participated in, I figured it was time to give back.  So, I, and 3 SMU students who were required to volunteer as part of their beginning triathlon class and a couple who had just trained for a marathon and wanted to volunteer to see what a triathlon is all about were the volunteers for the bike course.  As with many volunteering opportunities, it was a matter of standing around until the woman in charge who had all the info but was also responsible for a billion other things could get us started.  We waited patiently until we were asked to follow her and load a truck up with direction signs and orange traffic cones.  I was surprised by the frantic activity of so many folks running around trying to ensure that everything was in place for the race.  And then it hit me.  I've never noticed this before because I've never been around when they were setting the course up.  As a participant, I just had to arrive and get my stuff set up in the transition area and wait for the start of the race.  Little did I know there were many other people running around to ensure that I would have a good race.  Now, I was one of those other people.

My peaceful pretty lake view 

We placed the signs and cones in critical spots to direct participants how to remain on the course.  And then the next round of waiting began.  There was a gate that usually remained locked to keep people from the day use area of the lake separated from the overnight camping use area of the lake.  The gate was opened so that bikes could go through for the race.  So, I was asked to remain there before and through the race to ensure that no one drove through from one part of the lake to the other.  I began manning the gate around 7:30 - the race started at 8 with the first biker projected to come through the gate at 8:30.  So I had some quiet time with a pretty lake view.  Its too bad I was freezing cold.  But fortunately I had my iphone and was able to pull up some music and even read Philippians while I waited.

As I sat and watched the bikers pass I had two interesting thoughts.  First of all I was amazed by the connection that could be established within the few seconds that it took a rider to pass me.  As each person passed I shouted words of encouragement such as "way to go" or "your looking good".  And I got several smiles, thumbs up, and thank you's.  One guy even joked when he came back past me, "Do I still look good?"  The second thing that was interesting was the diversity of equipment and type of triathletes that were out there.  I saw everything from guys on bikes that looked like the Tour de France with fancy jerseys and clip in pedals to a guy on a mountain bike wearing a t-shirt and board shorts and tennis shoes.  Each athlete had their own goals for the race - some just to finish and some to improve their time.  For some this will be the only triathlon they do and for others this is training for a longer race.

I was also surprised by how many people I saw that I know.  A girl from my church was participating in the race.  And a friend from my book club was part of a relay team.  Then there was a friend from work who was not in the race, but was riding his bike on the same road to cheer a friend on.  All in all it was a great day. I really like the camaraderie and excitement of an event like this and think I will be calling myself a triathlete (which means participating and volunteering) for quite some time.    

Fruits and Veggies

I haven't been perfect, but I've certainly been more motivated to workout since I set the goal of a half ironman and hiking to Macchu Picchu.  With all the workouts, I have found that I am even more tired than normal.  The problem is that I eat horribly.  I'm not really a fruit and vegetable kind of gal.  I think they look beautiful in the store.  But too often I buy them with good intentions just to find them rotting a week later because I forgot to eat them. And yet the food I buy that could last for decades because of the additives and preservatives is gone within a week.  Today I went to Sprouts Farmer's Market - a new grocery store near me that sells organic and healthy food and local produce.  Just walking into the store made me feel twenty times healthier.  I wonder if making regular visits to Sprouts will cause healthy eating habits to take over my not so healthy ones?

If I am going to continue to train and get to the best shape of my life, I’ve got to give my body the nutrition it needs.  So for the next couple weeks, I'm going to focus on getting more fruits and vegetables in my diet.  The food pyramid suggests 3-5 servings of vegetables and 2-4 servings of fruit a day.  However since there are days that I have had 0 fruit and 0 vegetable servings for the day I think I will start with a goal of 3 fruit or vegetable servings each day and work my way up from there.

Lat week, I had an interesting conversation with my cousin Anna (she has run a half marathon and completed a triathlon).  She was asking me for advice on putting more fruits and veggies in her diet.  Really Anna, do you think I’m the one to offer advice in this area? Shockingly I had several suggestions for her:

• make fruit smoothies for breakfast
• cut up vegetables (like sweet potatoes, onions, squash) and bake them with rosemary or other spices
• carrots or broccoli with hummus for a snack
• raw snap peas for a snack
• make a soup (8 can soup is one of my favs)

So, now I need to take my own advice!  Do you have any other suggestions for me?

Run the Race

On February 12th I participated in the Texas Motor Speedway Duathlon along with my friend Sandy.  The duathlon was a 2 mile run (2 laps on the practice track at the speedway) followed by a 16 mile bike ride (3 laps on the roads surrounding the speedway) and concluding with another 2 mile run on the practice track.  It was a great venue for a race and just being there made me want to go faster. 

My first run went well.  I was not as prepared as I would have liked to have been.  The ice storm and having family in town gave me excuses to skip a few workouts.  But I went out and gave it my all and finished the run in 22 minutes and in 4th place out of the 6 people in my age category.  I was happy with that.  Then I entered the transition stage and got on my bike.  I wanted to keep pushing it and was looking forward to picking up the pace even more on the bike portion. 

I started fast and was inspired as I got to ride through the tunnel exiting the speedway.  But then I ran into a strong head wind.  And my energy drained.  I struggled through the bike portion.  As I was plugging along one rider passed me and encouraged me to dig deep.  A phrase I continued to motivate myself with through the remainder of the race.  Fortunately for me we were riding in a circle around the speedway so, for half of the loop that fierce head wind was at my back.  But then I came around and it was in my face again.  On my second lap I began to wonder why I was doing this and if I really wanted to finish.  Which lead me to thinking about the goals I have set.  This race is the first in a line of physically strenuous activities I have set for myself to get into the best shape of my life when I turn 40.  I began to think about the need to focus.  I set the goal to do this duathlon, but then I was distracted by other things in life and lost focus on the finish.  I realized that if I want to achieve the goals I have set, it will take daily focus.  I need to fix my eyes on the goal and not let other things come in the way.  It reminded me of Hebrews 12: 1-3 and the fact that Jesus focussed on the end and was therefore able to endure the suffering because of the joy that He knew was to come.  In the same way, I need to have that undivided attention to Him and to the goals I have set.  I survived the bike portion of the duathlon, but had dropped to 6th place in my age group and division.  I was exhausted and still had to run 2 miles.  I put my bike up and headed back to the track. 

While we were running there were race cars driving around the race track (the actual race track; not the practice track we were on).  That was fun and distracted me from the pain and exhaustion for a couple minutes.  A fellow duathlete passed me saying "they should offer us a ride".  I smiled.  The run was difficult and I was slower than my previous 2 miles, but I did it!  I finished the race!

After the race, two different women came up to me and mentioned that I was their inspiration to keep going and to go faster.  The first woman told me that she was running behind me on the final run and just kept looking at my pink shirt and tried to keep up.  The other woman, also named Jen, was someone that I was near for most of the race.  Her family was there cheering for her and when we passed her family at the same time I benefitted from the "Go Jen"s her family shouted.  I couldn't believe it.  I was struggling through the race myself and had no idea that in that state I could be an encouragement to anyone.  But apparently I was.  This was all a good reminder to me that we do not have to be absoutely perfect to be inspiring to others.  In fact, we just need to be obedient and honest and do our best. 

I think one of my favorite things about triathlons and other athletic events is the camaraderie of the participants.  This race was no different.  I benefitted from the comments of other participants and was able to encourage a few others along as well.  Having completed this duathlon I am even more motivated to press on for the other goals I have set!

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

                                                      -Hebrews 12:1-3 from The Message

Virtual Exercise

 It’s been a very unusual week in Fort Worth.  Late Monday night we received sleet followed by snow.  We’ve had ice and snow in North Texas before.  Typically the temperature warms up later in the same day and it melts away without much of a disturbance.  This time, however, the temperatures remained below freezing for the majority of the week.  And although there were sand trucks working like crazy to prove that DFW was worthy of the Super Bowl, many roads remained covered with a sheet of ice.  As a result, schools and many businesses were closed for most of the week.

With ice covering the roads and temperatures below freezing, I couldn’t get out to run or ride my bike.  And the YMCA was closed.  So I had to resort to the Wii Zumba game my sister gave me for Christmas.  I did two twenty minute workouts and worked up a sweat and some extremely sore calves (note: I can still feel the soreness 5 days later).  The following day I decided to try Wii yoga.  It was so fun that I continued on with some other workouts and games that worked on my balance and core.  There are running and cycling games on the menu.  While they provide some sort of aerobic exercise, they are really nothing like running and cycling.  I even decided to go to the driving range and hit some golf balls.  At the completion of the bucket of balls I was given to hit the Wii pronounced me a “professional”.  I’ve never felt like much of a professional when I have hit balls at a “real” driving range.

  

Finally on Saturday the sun came out, the ice and snow began to melt, and the Y was open.  Although it was a gorgeous day and I would have loved to run outside, I decided to play it safe and go to the Y and avoid the possibility of hitting a random ice spot and breaking my tailbone. 

I had no idea what was in store for me at the Y.  The treadmill was different from ones I had been on previously.  It took me several minutes just to figure out how to start it and increase the speed.  Then I noticed there was a connector for my iPod.  So, I plugged in my iPod and began to run.  I watched others around me and found out that I could use the touch screen attached to my treadmill to pick a TV station and watch it on my individual treadmill.  ESPN was available.  I don’t have cable at home and have to invite myself to friends’ houses or go to sports bars when I want to watch Mizzou games that are on ESPN.  Now, I can go to the Y and workout during the games!  Then a woman stepped on to the treadmill next to me, pushed a few buttons, and suddenly her screen looked like she was running through downtown Chicago.  I tried to find the button she pushed.  She noticed and offered to tell me how to do it.  She explained that you had to choose the option before starting.  She continued to tell me that you can run through Chicago, LA, the Sierra Nevadas and Rocky Mountain National Park.  As if that wasn’t enough the screen would add trivia facts about the places you were running and included the sounds of rivers, birds, and background music if you had your headphones plugged in.  Upon completion of my workout I stayed to hike ten minutes through the Sierra Nevadas.  I was able to walk up and view two waterfalls along with many gorgeous views!  Working out at the gym has never been so fun!  I am certainly more motivated to go to the gym and run through each of these courses.  Then my new friend running next to me shared that the Elliptical machines had the same sort of system with a whole different set of places to go.  I can’t get back to the Y soon enough!

I’m a traditionalist.  I prefer to exercise outside in natural settings.  I remember reading an article in Runners World a couple years ago about all the machines that they have at the gym that simulate the outdoors.  I thought, why not just workout outdoors.  And while I still prefer to workout outdoors, I realize there is a place for the gym and I appreciate all the advances in digital technology that make it more fun to run and bike in a gym!   

Rough Start

I had hoped that starting this blog would give me extra motivation for at least a week or two.  And in some ways it did.  But this past week has been extrememly busy and I have had work or other activities 4 of the 5 week night evenings.  Somehow, beginning the blog just didn't give me enough motivation to get out of my warm bed before sunrise.  I signed up to train with a training group, Trident Sports Fort Worth, and my coach emailed the following training plan:

Mon Weights
Tues swim 45 min. Run 30 min
Wed bike 60 min or spin class
Thur swim 45 min run 45 min
Fri bike 60 min
Sat swim 1 hour. Brick bike 1 hour. Run 15 min
Sun bike 1:30

So far this week I have run 30 min and biked for 40 minutes.  Oops.  Rough start.  But its a beautiful day in Fort Worth and I'm off for a bike ride and run!  And hopefully next week will be better.

 

 

 

Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm turning 39. And that means 40 is just around the corner.

I can't help but be grateful for a pretty amazing 39 years. But still, approaching 40 I realize there are some things I haven't done yet and I always thought I would. Still to be fair, there are also a lot of things I have done and experienced that I never expected I would.

Dreams Realized

• taught and coached in an inner city high school
• earned SCUBA Certification (and have been fortunate to dive in some amazing and beuatiful places places - Koh Phi Phi, Thailand; Palau Perhentian, Malaysia; Cozumel, Mexico)
• skydiving
• pledged Kappa Alpha Theta
• ran 3 marathons (Twin Cities, San Diego Rock N Roll, and Fort Worth Cowtown)
• lived in South East Asia for two years working with the Church
• skiied a double diamond slope (I fell alot - but I made it down!)
• read through the Bible in a year
• enthusiastically cheered on my favorite teams at special sporting events
• Mizzou at the Big 12 Basketball Tournaments in KC and Dallas and the football team at Cotton Bowl. Not to mention many games in Columbia and even a few in Lawrence
• Texas rangers in a World Series, and the KC Royals in regular season games

Unexpected Dreams Realized

• worked with refugees and refugee minors - some of the most amazing people from all over the world. A refugee is someone who has had to flee their country because their lives are in danger because of persecution. There are way too many refugees whose lives have been turned upside down and find themselves living in refugee camps around the world. A small percentage of refugees get the opportunity to resettle in the US and other countries. I have had the privilege to work with some of these amazing folks as they begin a new life in Fort Worth, TX. If you want to know more about what I do, check out this video
• bought a house
• played in the TN high school state champonship soccer game
• rode in a hot air balloon
• attended Mizzou - My years at Mizzou were amazing and it was there that the foundations were laid for who I am now. But I never wanted to go there. I had intentions of going to a small private school. Fortunately my dad (a Mizzou alum and a banker who I'm sure was considering the price difference too) didn't give up on the idea of me attending MU and took me on a campus visit when I was visiting him for Christmas. During the tour he took me to a part of campus that resembled a private school campus to me and I decided it couldn't be all bad and just might be worth more consideration. I'm so glad it all worked out the way it did.
• spent a summer studying at Oxford and travelling to Scotland and Whales
• proud owner of a sweet dog, Judson. I don't dislike pets. But I certainly wasn't looking for one. Many who visited my house would say someting about how great my back yard is for a dog. And I would always respond with something about how much time and money they take and I'm just not ready for that commitment right now. But then I noticed two cute puppies at work. I and several coworkers took a break to go check them out. And one of my coworkers took them to the vet and to find homes for them. How could I not take one? And Judson has turned out to be a great pet!
• became a licensed foster parent. Another thing I never would have expected. But through working with refugee minors, I've learned about the foster care system. I was challenged when I heard someone talk about true biblical hospitality as welcoming strangers into your home. Having bought a house and having extra room and having a history of helping youth (teaching, coaching, working with church youth group) it seemed that foster care was the direction God was leading. I haven't had any kids placed yet, but am ready when the time is right.
• hiked to the highest point in Texas. Inspired by an article in Texas Monthly magazine I and two friends, Janel and Rebecca, headed to the Big Bend area for a vacation that included Big Bend, Marfa, the Fort Davis Observatory, and Guadalupe National Park. Rebecca has documented the trip wonderfully on her blog. Guadalupe wasn't on our original itinerary and I had never heard of it. But Rebecca's Aunt had, and she said we had to go there. So, we did. And we climbed the mountain. It was amazing. It was also a realization to me of how out of shape I was but how much I loved hiking. That was the beginning of the idea to do something physically challenging for my 40th birthday.

Dreams Yet Realized

• travel to all the continents - I'm well on my way but still lack South America and Antarctica. Hopefully I will check off South America when I hike to Macchu Picchu in Peru. Then only Antartica will remain.
• to be married
• become an astronaut - that was an early dream. And I started college as a mechanical and aerospace engineer in search of that dream. But my path lead another way. I think this one will remain unaccomplished - but there's always the hope of space tourism.
• travel to all the states - I still need to visit Alaska, Conneticut, Delaware, Hawaii (I did touch down once in an airplane but since I didn't get out of the airport I'm not going to count it), Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
• compete in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
• participate in the The Texas Independence Relay

This is in no way a complete list. And there is no way to put into words all the moments of friendship and grace I have experienced throughout my life. But it is a good quick summary of some of the defineable highlights. And it reminds me that I have had a good life. I want to continue to enjoy my life and be able to do the things God has called me to do - I need to be healthy and in good shape to do it. So, out of gratitude for the gifts God has given me and out of a desire to continue to live well, I'm going to focus for a year on developing habits that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.