PSA: Beauty shouldn't cause you to pay a price

One of the many lessons that I've learned the hard way: Tanning beds and sunburns are evil & can very much cause skin cancer.

In a recent article from Women's Health magazine called,  Tanning Beds Will Now Carry FDS Warning Labels, writer, Dennis Thompson says, "Tanning beds and sunlamps emit UV rays that have been linked to skin cancer, burns, premature skin aging and eye damage, the FDA said."

THAT IS SCARY!

Being tan has always been appealing in our society, the tanner the better.  For some reason I've always thought being tanner means I magically look/feel better.  Coming from someone that is the "mole child" and has had 3, pre-cancerous moles removed, that statement is a lie & my scars continuously remind me.

We must also remember that God values our inward beauty.  I've found two verses that point out this important lesson to us!

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

I've learned my lesson the hard way and so has my mom and dad, who both have had surgeries for cancerious skin spots.  Luckily, neither have been life-threatening.  I can only try to work my way backwards in the fight against UV rays and skin cancer. 

Since I am an athlete, I do get extra rays (and tanlines), but this doesn't mean I shouldn't protect myself.  From the time that I get out of bed I start with face lotion that have SPF 35-50 in it.  My goal is to re-apply when needed.  I've become much more of a stickler with sunburn and I get upset at Eric when he comes home with a burnt nose or even if I get burnt.

I will be honest in saying that the sun and Vitamin D make me happy.  After a long, cold winter who wouldn't want to be out in those rays.  But let's join together and be smart.  Hold your friends and family members accountable.  Prevent. Prevent. Prevent.

Please visit: The Skin Cancer Foundation for more stories, tips, and ways to get involved.

Since May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to provide some tips they provided on their website to prevent skin cancer.

• Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM.
• Do not burn.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
• See your physician every year for a professional skin exam.

You are what you eat

I won't go into this subject too far, as I know there are many opinions/books/etc. written on diets/fads/and other recommendations.

Just like my earlier post said: EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.

Things that I believe about eating:

• Metabolism changes with age.
• You can't eat like your male counterpart, even though I can.
• You can't expect to be able to digest diary or gluten your whole life, bodies change.
• Healthy eating habits are good to ingrain young, the earlier the better.
• The less-processed the food, the better. EAT FRESH.
• Healthy food DOES taste good and you CAN find easy/cheap recipes. 
• Visit: Budget Meals: Feed 4 for $10 by Cooking Light
• For example: Making your own pizza costs less than $7!
• For example: Making your own hummus costs less than $2! 
  

As my age changes, so does my body.  This year has been full of transitions (new job, marriage, moving, injury, etc.).  Along with life transitions, my body is transitioning.  I can't deny the inevitable: child-preparation.  I've been trying so hard to get back to the fitness I had in 2013, that I forget about what my body needs and the changes it's going through.  One of those things that I've forgotten about is iron and how badly I need it.

Unfortunately, I was recently diagnosed with low-iron and low ferritin.  "The level of ferritin has a tremendous impact on the absorption of iron from the diet", as stated in an article by Runner's World called, Ironing Out the Details.  I have been iron deficient before and I knew that something what going on with my body.  I am frustrated that I waited so long to get tested, but I've learned that it will be more important in the future to take iron for maintenance.  Besides the recommendation of a supplement to get my levels back to normal, another tip would be to adjust my diet and learn how iron is absorbed with food.

In, Fueling the Runner: Pumping Iron, Jackie Dikos, R.D. confirms that, "there are two forms of dietary iron, heme iron and non-heme iron.  Heme iron is commonly found in animal sources and is more readily absorbed. Non-heme iron is primarily found in plant sources and is not absorbed quite as easily.  Iron supplements are typically a source of non-heme iron.  Various components of the food we eat can also influence how well we absorb and use iron."

I am not fully a vegetarian because I love meat, but Eric and I don't eat a lot of red meat.  BUT, Dikos says, "Peptides in meat such as chicken, beef, fish, and pork enhance iron absorption."  We can continue eating other sources to enhance absorption.  We've always paired our meals with a vegetable and I am exited to say that we are starting our first CSA (crop share) on Tuesday with Village Acres Farm.  Having a significant supply of fresh veggies and herbs will enhance what we can pair together and they provide recipes for those of us who haven't cooked with veggies outside our comfort-zone.

I'm sure you'll be hearing about my CSA-cooking updates and also how my iron levels have changed after eating differently & taking a supplement.

After all, you are what you eat!

The vicious cycle of being stubborn

My motto: Never back down.  Never give up.  No matter what it takes.  Well...that doesn't always work in my favor, or anyone's favor for that matter.  Especially when circumstances don't turn out a certain way.

Life example: Dating men that "sounded/looked" good. Filling that loneliness with people instead of waiting patiently for God to put the right one in my life and filling that void with Him. 

The cycle: After many vicious, pathetic, empty encounters & many fights with Mom & Dad about how these guys weren't "right" for me, I gave my dating life to Christ and all the chasing that I did.  It took me 27 years, but I did it.  I was free from "being good enough" and acting/dressing certain ways to get the attention of men.  Not worth it, point and case.  Men don't fill our empty hearts, Christ does and I had to hit rock bottom to realize that.  Many of you will.

Ending the cycle: A great man, planted in my life at the PERFECT time.  Not my timing & not anyone else's timing.  I don't think I would've been ready at any other point in my life for Eric.  Just when you least expect it.  Never doubt the profound and intricate abilities of our God and His promises.  Even if that means fighting through the world's thoughts on what's normal and right.  I kept thinking that the next guy was "the one" due to certain factors and that I was getting older so I should settle down soon.  Now I know, never settle.

Action plan: Make a list of all the characteristics that you want in a future partner and pray over it.  Eric was everything on my list and MORE! 

Running example: Being set up to become an elite athlete and run incredibly fast in a Division I Track and Field program.

The cycle: Countless years of injury, including double-tarsal tunnel release surgery, stress fractures, mono (2x) and tendonitis, I realized I was not the "favored" athlete on the team.  Somehow, I lost my love for running and my spirit in college.  I kept pressing and fighting to come up short.  My stubbornness turned into being injury-prone and written off.

Ending the cycle: God has taught me many lessons and in a previous blog I noted that it is a gift to be able to run, but it shouldn't run my life (no pun intended).  I've come to terms that having an injury in my past can make my story not only relate-able, but teachable to other athletes.  Every set-back was a learning experience.  It's about making the right choices in the future.  

Action plan: Continuously learning from other women athletes and being realistic in my goals.  When I'm having fun and running with grace, I know I will set PR's.  One company that exemplifies that camaraderie is Oiselle.  In a bloggers article: Kara's Big Moves she states:

Their mission is simple and straightforward: help empower female runners of all abilities, encourage healthy habits (the female running world is littered with disordered eating), run hard, run clean, and be a superfan of the brand and each other.

If you scroll down, you will read their manifesto...so bold!

PR's:

800: 2:09 (2005)
1500: 4:37 (2013)
Mile: 4:57 (2013)
5K: 17:55 (2013)
Sprint Triathlon: 1:18 (2010)

The Comparison Card

We all do it, don't we?  Men and women alike.  We compare.  Unfortunately, I think our society and Hollywood have something to do with it, but can we help ourselves?

I would say that self-confidence is something that I learned early by playing sports and working hard.  But even when I was confident on the playing field I was lacking confidence in school, especially by being tall, thin and having big feet.  Boys didn't like my build and I purposely slouched to not seem as tall.  Even after positive reassurance from my family, I still couldn't shake the bullying that I went through in middle school.  Even when I was a stand-out athlete in high school, I had issues getting teased, even when hanging out with the "popular" girls. 

I would say that sports was my outlet to be good at something, but even then I would be comparing myself to other "better" runners and how much faster they were.  This cycle continued on through college, which is where body image issues came out.  You had to be "thinner" and "toned" to be good.  I would like to think that there is this unspoken culture in running that many of us are aware of with body image.  Elite runner & blogger, Lauren Fleshman went against the grain when writing her blog called, Keeping it Real.  This blog pointed out that magazines and photos alike are unrealistic.  Her confidence and character show how real, even elite athletes can be, and that self-confidence is important.

On another angle, I'd like to think that a confident heart is the core of self-confidence.  For me, a confident heart means a strong faith, reliant on God and accepting the things I cannot change.  I think that is why I tattooed Serenity on my shoulder.  It is important for me to be able to accept the things I cannot change and have the right perspective in a world that focusses on the outward appearance.   Because guess what...God loves me NO MATTER WHAT!

 “When I choose to dwell in the assurance of Whose I am and who I am in Him, I have a confident heart.”
― Renee Swope, A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God's Promises 

 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:35–36

How easy it is to get sucked into the comparison card and to focus on what others have and what you don't.  But why would God make us all the same and with all the same gifts.  That would be silly.  So I will say after years of comparing, I've thrown that card out the window.  God chooses me for a purpose and I can be confident in His promises.  Embrace your differences, even through adversity that you may face.  Instead of, I want to be her, I want to have what she has, why not be the best YOU possible? 

Being confident and intelligent is way more "sexy" than anything you can find on the outward appearance.  Ashton Kutcher, during his Teen Choice Awards acceptance speech, reminds us that the outward appearance is not what gets you places in life.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
― Renee Swope, A Confident Heart  

Swimming to the surface

Let's be honest.  Swimming is great cross training and provides a non-impactful way of getting a work out in on a daily basis.  But who am I kidding, I'm not a swimmer.  I was raised around a pool, but playing mermaids and horsing around was the extent of my swimming.  To be able to swim endless laps without gasping for air, is a gift!  When I do practice and incorporate swimming into my routine, I'd have to admit that I do go from horrible to decent, to a point where I'm not scared of the swim section of a triathlon.  I used to tell myself, "just get through it", just survive.  What lies ahead is where your strength is and I can finish strong.

Too many times do I look at life events this way.  Just get through it, why is God testing me, what is the purpose of this trial.  So many doubts and chatter have threatened to drown me.  Fears and failures have sunk me to the bottom.  But what if those moments were to make me more faithful, more knowledgeable?  

As I am reading, Crash the Chatterbox, by Steven Furtick, I am realizing that the negative chatter can drown us all.  He says, "Instead of trying to avoid your what-ifs, you can dive headfirst into them.  Because you know what you're going to find every time: the faithfulness of God."

Countering these negative thoughts can always be applied to running & training.  If I could have a dollar for the times that I walked and/or gave up because of negative thoughts, I would be a millionaire!  I think it's ok to have an "off" day, but it shouldn't run your life and/or your training.  I believe that stress, anxiety, and negativity can change how your body functions.  I will openly admit through experience that dealing with anxiety can paralyze how your body performs.  You don't have to be a head-case forever.

I had the pleasure of being a Graduate Assistant to Cindra S. Kamphoff, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sport and Performance Psychology at Minnesota State University.  In, Train Your Brain To Run Your Best, she says that: 

In sport, fatigue is highly subjective. The brain processes physical cues (chemical and electrical signals from the muscles) and environmental information (how we expect to feel) and concludes, Hey, we're done here. But years of research shows that the mind can override the body—that fatigue, more often than not, is a product of perception rather than true physiological depletion. "Fatigue is simply a sign that you need to put your mind on something positive." 

The subject in the article uses mental training to overcome being a head-case.  She stated: 

 I quickly came to love mental training. All the positivity—or at least the lack of negativity—proved seductive and I hungered for it. I started using form cues on every run. Awareness built. One morning while ruminating on all I'd rather do than run, I pictured the golden mountains I'd see on the trail. By the time I was out the door, I felt like running.

The lesson of today is this: just keep swimming.  No matter what, we WILL have a bad day/a bad race.  But if we use proper training, in our minds and in our faith, we will be prepared for the negative chatter that we all experience.  Even if we experience fear and pain Steven Furtick says, God will...

• protect me
• restore my joy
• give me peace that passes understanding
• put me back together
• open my eyes to new opportunities
• catch me
• hear my cry
• cover me
• draw me close

Out with the old, in with the new

Today is a new day, sigh, breathe.  I'm starting to figure out that life has seasons, and those seasons can be good, bad, fruitful, or nagging.  It's time to prepare myself for all seasons and be strong enough to get through them.  I haven't posted for awhile because I've gone through many seasons and many transitions.  

I've always thought that running was my gift.  But through a nagging, year-long injury I've come to terms that it is a gift to be able to run. It wasn't till after reading an interview with Meb's wife, that I found myself re-thinking why I run.   

My mom, being the sweet and thoughtful person, said to me, "It is a gift to be able to run, but running is not your gifts . .your character, your heart, your heart for students to guide them, your love for God, your kindness to others...just a few!"

I am now re-defining my purpose in life, not by my accomplishments and my running, but by kindness and how I can help others.  I want to use running as a tool, but not as something I worship.  The amount of time that I've wasted complaining and self-pitying could have been spent helping someone else in need.  It could have been spent encouraging a friend or my sister.  No more "woe is me" time.  It's time to rise-up and be strong.  Every day is a battle, but having other sisters (both by blood and by friendship) for encouragement can provide stability and strength.  

Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NIV)
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. 

I am constantly gaining wisdom and momentum off of other women and their battles.  I want to point out a local runner, Chanelle Price that almost gave up, but re-defined her life/purpose in running.  

Until next time,

Megan Marshall