Adventures in Running

I love being inspired by others, especially when it comes to running and runners.

I'm not talking about being inspired to run a little longer one day because your daughter keeps trying to pull your running shorts up a little higher on your waist because "your bum is showing" but what she thinks is part of your "bum" actually happens to be back fat. I'm talking about the inspiration that comes from people doing amazing things, having the courage to live their dreams. Especially when living their passion helps others live their dreams, meet their goals or just do something they never thought was possible.

I don't know if you remember me talking about my cousin (in-law) last year when he placed in his age group at the Utah Valley Half Marathon, but he is an amazing runner. Whenever we see each other, we talk running of course. A while ago, he mentioned that one of his running partners was moving to Guatemala to set up a running adventure there. I didn't think much about it until I received an email a while ago from a guy named Greg introducing himself and the Mayan Running Adventure.

Sure enough, it happened to be my cousin's friend. And Greg is out there, living his dream. I mean seriously. How could something that involves running as your job not be pretty great?

Greg Jensen is the founder and owner of Mayan Running Adventure. He has been running for over 20 years and decided to share his passion with others, which meant quitting his nine to five corporate job, selling his home and belongings, and moving to Guatemala with his wife Lucy and their four boys. They now live in Panajachel, Guatemala, nestled on the edge of majestic Lake Atitlan.

Here is what Greg says about his Mayan Running Adventure:

Mayan Running Adventure is a week-long, all-inclusive trail running adventure tour based at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Runners who want to run trails, breathe fresh air and enjoy year-round, spring-like temperatures will love Mayan Running Adventure. Participants run breathtaking trails all week, and we take care of the rest. Along the trail, runners will experience breathtaking scenery and explore the colorful Mayan culture. We include all transportation in Guatemala, deluxe hotels, healthy and delicious meals, a professional massage, kayaking on Lake Atitlan, a forest canopy zip line tour, travel insurance and a book about Lake Atitlan when they sign up. We provide the best on their trip; we do not “rough it.”

Mayan Running Adventure is currently filling spots in the spring 2012 season and is offering a $250 discount off the regular price of $1995. When you register, just let them know you heard about it from Candice at I Have Run to get the discount.

For more information or to register, go to www.mayanrunningadventure.com. You can also email MayanRunningAdventure@gmail.com or call 209-FUN-RUNS or 209-386-7867.

Carpet Burn On My Butt (and a giveaway)

After two lame, pathetic, lackluster weeks of running, I woke up excited to run yesterday. And today, I wore my running clothes all morning in anticipation of my nap time run today. Even in spite of sore glutes and tired quads from getting in some P90X Core Synergistics last night, I couldn't wait to get moving on Millie. I am a planner. Today I had a plan to get my run in while my girls slept, and my day was organized accordingly. I am also a creature of habit. The first thing I do when I roll out of bed every single day is make my bed and my girls' beds. If I do something else first, it throws off the entire morning. I am a creature of habit when it comes to my running routines as well. There are a few things that differ depending on whether I am running on Millie or outside, whether my girls are asleep or not, and whether or not they are joining me in the jogger. Yet, no matter when, where, how far or with whom I run, some things are always the same. My hair goes into a pony

I wasn't sure going in...

Yep, I'm checking in. Why? Because I did something completely out of my comfort zone that I wanted to share with you. Last week I went to a place near Salt Lake called Dexa Body, where I got a DEXA Scan. For those unfamiliar with what that is, I asked Google to help us out: "Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ( DXA , previously DEXA ) is a means of measuring bone mineral density (BMD). Two X-ray beams, with different energy levels , are aimed at the patient's bones . When soft tissue absorption is subtracted out, the bone mineral density (BMD) can be determined from the absorption of each beam by bone. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology." Since that is pretty medical sounding, here's my take. A DEXA Scan is a tool to measure your total body composition. It specifically breaks down the regional composition of your lean and fat tissue. It gives a fat distribution

Social Media: Some good, a lot of bad, and way too much ugly

There are a lot of good things that come from social media. We can connect with people we have lost touch with. We can unite as a group (runners!!) with a comment interest. We can promote a good cause. Sadly though, what social media does best is makes us feel bad about ourselves and makes us feel negatively towards others. This isn't just my opinion, although I can unquestionably support the truth behind this based on my own experience. I have spent way too much time feeling bad about myself as a result of comparing myself to others based on their Instagram or Facebook versions of themselves. And there are several people I have started feeling negatively about or have become completely annoyed with because of their IG and FB posts. It isn't just me though. There are actual studies that can back me up on the negative impact social media can have. I have read dozens of articles reviewing many different studies that show the overwhelmingly negative (vs. positive) effec

I Have Run

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