Not my glory

Holy moly you guys , today my feet carried me 19 miles. It's been SO long since I could say that and I am not positive if it's ever felt so good.
This post will be short with iphoneography as it's coming from my phone - let's be real it's beyond bedtime and I have zero plans of standing up for the remainder of the evening so siting on the computer is just... no.
Today I hit snooze. It was a long week ( I think I've said that nearly every week since having three children ) but it was and a migraine last night left me unsure about my run. So I hit snooze twice which is so unlike me. Finally I fell out of bed and half asleep in a quiet home found myself dressed and out the door in the midday sun - jk it was 4:45 but sure looked like at least 11. By mile 6 I checked my watch and my pace was slow. To hit the qualifying time I need my pace to be faster than 8:15 minute miles and I was around 8:45. I hit this point  when turning around at Pioneer Park where I gave it all to God. If I'm meant to be doing this this year than carry me but if you have different plans for me I'm totally ok with simply giving my best shot at this race . Mile 7 was 8:30, mile 9 about 8:20 , by mile 16 I was cruising close to a 7:30 pace and my legs felt more free than ever . Mile 19 led straight into my backyard hitting an average of 8:08 pace , allll by HIS strength not my own. I have no idea what God's plans are for me in this race but after today I am confident that it is for something GOOD because my legs did not carry me through those 19 miles . I always joke that Jesus controls the shuffle on iTunes but when Rend Collective is blasting me through the final minutes you know it's just too good to be true . The glory is SO not mine but his alone ...
Nothing is impossible
Every chain is breakable
With You, we are victorious
You are stronger than our hearts
You are greater than the dark
With You, we are victorious
I legitamtely sob every time I hear this on a run. Yes TEARS are my spiritual gift incase you were wondering .
Click here to listen !

19 miles 8:08 pace
I've made it a point to cool my legs off after each long run and it's seriously helped recovery. Some people have fancy ice tubs , I personally like my tiny baby pool and personal servants squirting my legs like tiny jets. 
Today was simply a beautiful summer day in Fairbanks that we totally have to savor here . We couldn't say no to a family bike ride to downtown shortly after even if it meant a 6 mile round trip , thankfully the tiny ones can only pedal so fast.The husband brought along his little drone camera too which I'm borderline jealous about... how fun would this be to use with the big girl camera for family sessions ?! 

Speaking of sessions I'm super excited to have two fun photo sessions this week before we leave for an epic Alaskan motorhome adventure . I can not WAIT to fill some memory cards ( and film) up with this beautiful state . We will be heading all the way to Homer and staying several places along with way with my Alaska cousins and their kiddos . It's going to be incredible so stay tuned for a million and a half photos from it!
Up next is mile 20 which will be  along the coast in Homer Alaska ( somebody pinch me ) but as always I so appreciate your prayers and encouragement along this journey .
Thanks for reading my babble and have a joyful summer week friends 💜 if you have any prayer requests or just want to chat always feel free to message me I would love to hear from you!
Love, B.

Mile 16

Ok friends , I've done the blog thing twice  before ... and I know it's so 2010 of me.. but I think I've finally got all of my ideas together here and am shamelessly ready to start writing again !

Photography  has been the main point of Believe Studio up until this year . I've felt like it's time to really make it an outlet for myself to share stories of faith / motherhood/ endurance / family / etc through my photography and words like it was always intended to be . So here I am . First running post is a GO!

At the end of 2016 I set a goal for myself knowing we were approaching a rare " stable " year as far as the Army goes. No moves , no deployments , no babies 🙀 which meant it was finally time to BQ.

Seven years ago I could not run a mile. One of my closest friends dared me to train for a half marathon and I laughed at her . I had never in my life ran a 5k , the mile we ran for college cheerleading twice a year was about my limit.  However, being 23 and needing a new fitness routine I gave it a shot. We chugged along that course so proud of ourselves for conquering something huge ... a 2:35 half marathon . Looking back it's kind of hilarious because we had no clue what we were doing but had a blast stopping to take pictures and slowly walking up the dreaded hills of North Carolina . But we did it! 9 months later I gave birth to my first son ( how's that for timing ?) In the 7 years since that first race I've dropped over 4 minutes off my miles , ran countless halfs/5ks/10ks , finished 4 marathons under 4 hours each , oh ya and grew and raised 3 tiny humans. This is not a bragging list but proof that the human body and mind is truly capable of anything , especially with strength and grace from God .

Back to the BQ. Qualifying to run the Boston Marathon is something pretty attainable for seasoned runners with experience and a foundation in endurance sports . For an untrained Mama that just barely got her first Garmin watch ( I know I know ) it takes some serious work and dedication . I have worked my butt off running 5-6 days a week even through winter in Alaska  , through frostbitten toes, through awful treadmill workouts ,  through the rollercoaster of parenting 3 kiddos frequently alone. Over these 7 years, and more so over this year,  running has transformed from a fitness routine to the much needed anti anxiety pill with nothing but positive side effects .

Today was a turning point for training I had been anxiously anticipating. The training plan had worked up to 15 miles which I had done once or twice post baby but never a foot more ! Hitting 16 miles meant this training was really getting started , I hadn't ran 16 miles since the Tucson marathon 8 weeks pregnant 1.5 years ago 😳

This morning I tip toed out of my silent house before 5 - which is basically daytime in Fairbanks right now - and prayerfully set out .

Along the path I couldn't help but think of all my mother runner friends that are making huge goals this summer to start their running journey . I thought about the inspiring women I've met and have been blessed to run alongside and prayed that they all would find the sacred peace and quiet in motherhood that running has brought me. If they can push themselves to start I can surly push myself to my next level too. 16 miles at 8:15 pace. 16 is my hurdle because when you get to 17 it's basically 20 and training never goes past 20 until race day. Running is all mental incase you couldn't tell... or is it Runners are all mental I always forget 🤣

 When we choose persistent FAITH OVER FEAR of failure  God meets us at our weakness and makes us strong . This morning was beautiful and a steady two hours of peace after a challenging week as a Mama. Without even checking my pace much I finished those 16 miles with ease 20 seconds per mile faster than my goal . God is good friends and his love for us shines in all we do if we just let him.

Two months to go until the Anchorage Runfest Marathon on August 20th where I WILL qualify for the Boston Marathon. Expect some training updates here and on my instagram as well because it's all downhill ( or a I guess uphill? ) from here.
Thanks for reading along and sharing this journey with me, I'd love to hear what your current goals are and pray for you in any trials you're facing .

- B