138,336...1,943,040

My official time was 5:12:57. 

Showing off my first marathon medal. 

I put one foot in front of the other 138,336 times on Sunday. I can't help but be a little emotional about it.

• I don't know what made me sign up in December for this race. But I did it. 
• I don't know what kept me from making excuses every time I didn't want to run. But I ran.
• I don't know how many days I wished I would have never signed up for it because I didn't know if I could do it. But I did it.
• I don't know how many times people said I can't believe you're doing this. You don't have to. But I did it. 
• I don't know what caused me to get sick multiple times during training. But I pushed through.
• I don't know how many times I saw people pass me and think why even try. But I put one foot in front of the other. 

There are hundreds of reasons I could think of why I didn't want to do it, but I can also think of a hundred reasons why I wanted to do it.

• I want to do something hard. 
• I want to do something others can only dream of doing. 
• I want to feel alive. 
• I want to feel like an athlete for one of the only times in my life. 
• I want to prove to others you can do anything you set your mind to. 
• I want to be proud of walking in my first 5K two years ago to running a full marathon.  
• I want to prove to myself that I can do anything. 
• I want to put all my trust in Him because there were times I wasn't sure how I'd do it. 
• I want to beat my genetics. 
• I want to be my best self ever to have a baby. 
• I want to love doing something for life. 

And a hundred other reasons why I did it. I finished. I ran my own race.

I wasn't fast. I was disappointed in my time. Hundreds of people were ahead of me. But I have to remember I put one in front of the other, not just 138,336 times but 1,943,040 times throughout the training of 20 weeks to get to hold up that finisher's medal with pride.

I teared up running into Memorial Stadium. I just couldn't believe I was done. Done with the race I never thought would actually happen.

As far as the actual marathon, I'll get into that in another post this week, but I wanted to capture my thoughts just a few days after the race so I can look back on how I felt.

Belief barrier...

I have been truly blessed this month of April with a lot of things. I already live an incredibly blessed life, but this month has been off the charts. 

First, my Mary Kay team has grown by 1,484% (yes, you read that right!) and it's only the 15th of the month! That is a HUGE belief thing I have worked on this year. I know if I want to be a work-from-home mom and still have a great income, I have to work hard in the coming year to become a Director. I have personally added five new team members in a three week span. I know because of the hard work I have done and continue to do, God will bless my team and I with finishing Director in Qualification and our FREE Mary Kay car by July 1st. I'll keep you updated on all the other things Mary Kay as they progress for our Firecracker team in the coming months. 

Second, I was dreading my long run, like most weeks, this weekend. Yet, Saturday was so incredibly busy and blissful with my MK business that I knew it would be a good day to run. And it was! Temps were in the low 60s, overcast, a bit windy, but I'll take that. I was supposed to run 18 miles, but I felt great and pushed through to 20 miles. Now it's just a down hill slide into the actual marathon on May 5th! I never thought almost two years ago to the day that I raced for the first time a 5K and had to walk, that I'd be finishing a marathon!!!

You bet I was listening to Eric Church on my final half mile!!

Finally, look at this little lady! My niece, Hadley, came with her mom to spend some time with us while the boys were turkey hunting in Nebraska. Although they didn't have the best of time up there, we had a blast hanging out each day. She is such the little miracle baby, and I am in total awe of how good God is to bring this beautiful, smart, bubbly little girl into our lives. 

She lights up my world when she smiles like that! So cute!

A little Brew to Brew recap...

Yesterday, I ran the Brew to Brew race with a few fellow Saturday Morning Runners from the St. Joe area. There were three teams from our SMR group and ours by far was the most eclectic I think. We had young and older, guys and gals, all different abilities.

The race starts at Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City and ends at Free State Brewery in Lawrence. It is a 44.4-mile relay race. Our team consisted of Mike, Matt, Christi, Rebecca, Jennifer and me. Here is a little recap of our race day:

Our "Hamm it Up til You Schlitz" B2B relay team.

6:00 am--Pickup in St. Joe
6:15 am--Pick me up in Dearborn
7 am--Arrive at Boulevard, bathroom break, shot gun a few beers (the guys did this!), divide leg assignments
7:35 am--Decide we probably should head over to the starting line for Mike to kick our team off
7:40 am--Mike starts our team off and runs legs 1 and 2
8:00 am--Drive to what we thought was the first stop
8:20 am--Realize we completely missed the end of leg one/start of leg 2 and realize we're at the end of leg 2! Mike had to run 9 miles with no water!! So sorry!
9:00 am--I start leg 3. Ran 8 miles at an 11-minute mile pace. Burned 900 calories! *Wasn't my best race day, but I was there to have fun, and not mess up my stomach any more than it already is by trying too push myself
10 am--Arrive at the start of leg 4 where Jennifer ran with me the short 2.3 miles
10:20 am--Jennifer kicks off leg 5, pushes through to leg 7
11:30 am--Mike and Matt kick off leg 6. It is the most hilly of all the legs. Poor guys. We drove the Durango and kept cussing it ourselves, and we didn't even have to run it. We pick up Mike after leg 6. Matt continues on to leg 7 where he has to ride a boat over the river to then run to Linwood
12:15 pm--Travel to Linwood. Fun little town with the "Linwood Cafe" where they offer air conditioning. Ha!! It was a window unit
12:30 pm--Christi and her mom kick off the dusty legs 8 and 9. They have to run 8 miles on nothing but a country, gravel road. I don't mind it so much as that is what I have to do at home, but some runners are totally not prepared for that kind of hilly terrain
1:45 pm--Drop Jennifer off at the end of leg 9/start of leg 10 and pick up a runner. We weren't allowed to pick up our two runners. Bummer!
2 pm--Drive into Lawrence and find parking, head over to the Liberty Hall for lunch
2:30 pm--Wait for the girls at the finish line. Finally eat lunch and drink one beer

The girls of the team at the Linwood pit stop.

I am being a little anticlimactic about the whole event in my description, but I liken this race to a Missouri float trip! If you've ever been on one you know how different every "party" can be from young people totally drunk off their ass to old timers just pushing through for the best time. It was a lot of fun. We spent more time trying to figure out where we needed to be and taking pit stops for bathroom breaks. All in all, the best part was finishing as a team of people who have never ran together before and the people watching. Oh my!

Actually come to think of it, the best part, honestly, was seeing my second cousin, Megan, after not seeing each other for five years! She sends me a text asking if I was at the same table as her. Who would have thought?!?!? Of all places! So glad I go to to see her and catch up, no matter how brief it was.

My long lost cousin, Megan, and I at the finishers meal! 

*~* What has been one of your favorite races? What made it fun?*~*

Well, there you have it...

I promise not all of my posts will be about running, but I thought this was an interesting article from a magazine I love reading, Women's Running.

Women's Running

I think I have been guilty of every single one of these pitfalls of trying to lose weight while running.

The article lists these as pitfalls, yet gives some good advice to make changes (check out the article for advice).

1. You run long. (marathon training is great for losing weight) Well, there you have it. I have lost a few pounds, to be honest, but I truly think that's by really watching calories and what I eat, not the running.

2. You skip your post run snack. Guilty as charged. I don't have time for that 95% of the time. I usually have to sneak a run in during lunch or after work before another meeting or MK event. I guess I do eat lunch/dinner after but it's usually an hour or so after the run, not cool for trying to lose weight.

3. You never take days off. So I may actually do this, in fact, I probably take too much time off, eh, I can't do everything right. Go figure.

4. You've been running a long time. I guess in relative terms, I have not been a runner for long. I started two years ago, and I've read you don't hit your peak for seven years. I did lose a bit of weight when I started, but I've been stuck for about a year and a half.

5. You never lift weights. I try my best, but I don't have a full set of weights at my house, and I'm too cheap to go to a gym, pay for it, for only two days per week. Priorities, I know, maybe this summer I'll change my mind.


*~*Any secrets you've uncovered about weight loss while running? Or weight loss in general?*~*

No grit...No pearl

Just like everyone else out there in the world, I am tired of this nasty winter stuff. Well, sort of. I LOVE running in the winter because I do not have to worry so much about the sweat, can't take off any more clothes, dying heat, etc., yet I can't really run when there is white stuff covering the ground in many inches. That was the case last weekend. Boo!

I was scheduled for a 16-mile long run. Thankfully I started this marathon training LONG ago in November and have taken a few breaks here and there with the weather, sickness, etc. It's coming up on crunch time where I do not have a lot of "wiggle room" to make up runs. YIKES! I honestly don't feel strong enough to run a marathon, but I'll somehow finish it on May 5th.

Hopefully from here on out, it'll be warmer, like normal temps...50s and 60s. That would be fantastic for the last month of training so I can honestly just move on from this experience.

I know, I know...it's all about the journey, etc., and I get it. I should also be thankful for what I can do, and I am. I know you have to put the work in, and I have not. You get stronger, you become more confident, all that. I just am not there, to be completely honest. My body hurts, I lack the motivation, my feet are in extreme pain while I run the long runs. I pray about it a lot. I know I do not HAVE to do it, but I want to, to do something a lot of people have not done. Being completely truthful, I want this to say I've done something a lot of others have not.

I am sort of in a new season in my life that I have other thoughts running through my brain and not on training (more on that later). I want to get through this, say I've completed 26.2, and focus more on strength training, losing body fat, and running 13.1 miles. I LOVE those so much more. I will be thankful for what I have done during these last few months, to proudly have that 26.2 sticker on my car, a shiny medal showing that I went through a lot, dream that again someday I'll do this race again.

If you think about it in the next month, say a little prayer for me to have the strength not only physically but mostly mentally to push through, to run with little to no pain, remember that I have a gift to do this while others do not.

The not-so-glamorous side of running...

I got a little inspiration from another runner/blogger today as I read Shut Up and Run's 10 things that are not so fun about running. Check it out here. Pretty funny, yet true, stuff!

From my own personal experiences I would agree with most of them, including:

1. The not cheap part. I totally agree with this! When you figure even running a 5K is about $25-40 a crack, that can add up quickly. What I've learned as I've up'ed my mileage is to not waste money on smaller races. That is not to discredit smaller races by any means. I ran 11 of them in 2011 to keep me going. But I've learned I have to run at least 3 miles most days so paying for a 5K is kind of silly for me now. I also don't look to do any big, commercial races anytime soon like the Rock 'N' Roll series or Disney that are $100+ for a half or full marathon. That's a lot of bank for a race!

Not to mention the extras you need to buy like moisture-wicking clothes (not cheap!), good shoes (not cheap!), and all other things you think you need like compression socks, chews, gels, a hat, sunglasses, compression shorts, winter clothes, summer clothes, and it could go on!

But I still keep truckin' along and have learned to run with a few basic things and try to go without others.

2. There's always another goal. I felt like once I did a 5K, I'd be legit. Well that just fueled my fire to do more races. Then I jumped into the half-crazy group of doing half marathons. Now I'm doing the fully-crazy marathon training. There's always a better time you can go for, more distance, more hills, etc. so it's always challenging. Yet, that's the fun part right?

3. Dogs. Ugh, can I just say I HATE dogs that chase me. Really, I just wouldn't mind taking a gun and shooting them. Wrong of me yes, but when they come across the road just to try to bite me, I think that is absurd on the owner's part. I've gotten pepper spray, tried to be nice, all that stuff, but I still avoid a part of our road two houses down just because of a stupid, vicious dog.

4. Friends who think you've gone crazy. Yes, most of my friends think I am obsessed with running, and don't really get it. I am also by no means a great runner so it's not like I am going for a Boston qualifying time either. I just do what I can to stay healthy, and I like to run. I do avoid a lot of foods, don't drink alcohol other than once or twice a year, and sometimes forgo activities just to fit in a run. Running, however, has helped me feel better about myself, gain confidence that I can push my body to do something BIG, and create a healthy lifestyle for the long-term.

Those Bucket List Items...

to 

I don't really have an actual, written bucket list. Just things in my head I'd like to do in my lifetime.

One of those recent items is completing a full marathon. To begin the story, let me paint the picture for you when I was younger. 

I was THE slowest kid in our class when we first had to complete the 1-mile run in elementary school. I have no idea what my time was, but I remember vividly being the slowest. I don't mean to be incredibly mean, but I was by no means an overweight child; I was average. So it stung a little when I wasn't even as fast as those who weighed a lot more than me.

I went out for every sport in middle school just because that's what you do in a small town. I played volleyball, basketball, and ran/threw in track. I, again, was not very fast or good, but I slowly improved. We still had to do that presidential fitness test I loathed every year. By the end of 8th grade, I was usually about the 4th or 5th girl to finish in the 1-mile run. I placed the same in the 1-mile run in track meets too.

In high school, I didn't run my freshman year in track. I decided to go out for track in my sophomore and junior years. I tried running, but quickly realized I am by no means a "sprint" runner, but I also wasn't fast enough to really be competitive in the long distances. I threw javelin, discus and did long jump instead. We still had to "run" some during practice, but nothing too intense. I also knew I needed to stay healthy since I wasn't really in sports sophomore, junior and seniors years other than cheerleading and swimming. I took the weightlifting class. It was awesome to see myself improve in strength. Though I would question the approach of our teachers. It was always to lift more. Now that I know a few more things about weight training, I know that is not always the smart approach to fitness. I digress...we ran for 15 minutes every other day and then did core work, then weights. Great workout for an hour and a half, really! We still had our fitness tests. You had to run 2 miles in 15 minutes. I did that several times so I was proud of that. I came a long way since being the slowest girl in my class.

In college, I didn't really do much exercise during school. I walked, of course, everywhere so that was a lot of my workout. During the summers, I ran, rode my bike and walked a lot, too. The summer of my sophomore year I got serious about losing weight and making better choices. I ran almost every day and lost 45 lbs.

The story of today. My exercise habits have ebbed and flowed from the age of 19-24. There are months where I really get into it, and long periods I do nothing. When I became engaged, I knew I wanted to look my best so I began running. My sister-in-law coaxed me into the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. It was hard....seriously. Looking back, I laugh at how easy the out and back, flat, 3-mile course is, but it was hard my first time. I didn't follow the training plan like I should have. It was also 16 degrees that day.

A lot has changed in 2 years (it'll be 2 years ago I ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving). I have since completed 20 or so 5Ks, two 10Ks, and two half marathons. I know to remain healthy and be the healthiest I can be before pregnancy, I have to run. I don't really enjoy it until I see the results or the feeling of completing the long run I have never done before or beating a time. But, I know it's good for me. So what's the next goal? Complete the 2013 OKC full marathon! Not sure what I'm really getting myself into, but I look back and think if you would have asked me two years ago if I ever thought of running 13.1 miles, I would have said, you're crazy. Now I am just fully crazy instead of half crazy, so cheers to 25 weeks of training!

More to come later on training and why the OKC race.

*~*What is on your bucket list? Have you done something you never thought you'd do? Please share in the comments!*~*

Another one bites the dust...

I finished another half marathon this past Sunday with the help of my sorority sister, Danielle. You may recall this post where I announced I was running another half. I'm glad Danielle pushed me to do another. Now that I have two under my belt, I hope to run two a year as a challenge to stay in good shape.

Now onto to the race...

I was nervous it was going to rain the entire time since Saturday was a soppy, wet mess here in Missouri and pretty much the entire drive to Wichita. I honestly probably would not have ran on Sunday if it were raining. I know, I know...I put all that work into training for months, yet the thought of ruining my feet and getting sick were not exactly pushing me to really want to run 13 miles in the rain.

We picked up our packets, did the prerace meal (DELICIOUS! thanks to Danielle's mad cooking skills), and visited some amazing boutique shops! We even saw another Theta sister, Mandy, at Frou Frou. I was so surprised to see her since I haven't for such a long time and she just got home from studying in London and Madagascar!

Danielle and I captured all smiles during the race!

It was gorgeous though for race day. Cooler weather, thankfully. We had our ritual pancakes and eggs for breakfast and my green tea for energy. I wore my Team Beef jersey for a little shout out. They gave us awesome cowbells. We lined up for the race, and we were off. Danielle's mom and mother-in-law were at almost every two miles cheering us on. So sweet of them!

We passed some great landmarks in Wichita, including the food bank, cool restaurants, hospital, old homes, and lots and lots of fans/dogs cheering us on.

It was a great race, and one I would definitely recommend to anyone who is new to distance running. It was flat and fast. We finished in 2:24, which is 2:30 minutes faster than my first half time. I am proud of that. Decreasing your time by that much on any lengthy race is hard to do. I hope I can keep improving my time and move on to more challenging courses in the future.

Cheers to us for another one down!

Our finish line pic with our awesome medals!

Here I Go Again...

Dun Dun Dun...que music, please....

Just kidding! I did commit a couple of weeks ago to my friend and old college roommate, Danielle, to run the Prairie Fire Half Marathon in Wichita in October. So we've been swapping ideas and tips on how to train in this ungodly heat. I officially start training on July 1st since I have a couple of weeks of vacation that I am not sure how much running I'll get in since I'll be in Hades Dallas and Inferno  Florida in July.

I am like a little girl on Christmas waiting for my new present for my feet since it is payday today, and I desperately need a new pair of running shoes. I got these:

Photo courtesy of: Asics.com
These new pups are rated as Editor's Choice from the Summer 2012 Runner's World Shoe Review Guide.

~~Are you all doing anything to stay in shape during this extreme heat? If so, what are you doing?~~

Oh, What to Say...

So it's been 10 days since my last post and I'm feeling guilty about it. I'll share a few photos from the past couple of weeks so I won't feel so guilty anymore.

You can bet that when you go to a Mary Kay event, you'll feel
like a million dollars when you leave. I am so thankful for
this opportunity to be around positive women. I earned the Queen
of Star Consultants last night as an Emerald Star. 

A quick shot while on the Might Mo' while setting bait
for catfish a couple weeks ago. You know it's summer
in Missouri and you have a bit of country in your blood
when you are anxious about getting the largest catfish. 

Miss Tillie enjoying our new carpet one lazy afternoon. 

Brandi, me, and Christi all taking a photo after the
Wathena UMC 5K in June. It was a great run where I PR'ed with 31 minutes.

Happy National Running Day!

I got my run on early this morning with a 5K on our road. It was a beautiful morning with little humidity. I hope you all get to enjoy some time outdoors today and join in the celebration of National Running Day!

I've also added a little widget for tracking my miles so I am more accountable to someone other than me. I plan to run 3-4 days a week still, maintain my 10K stamina and start the 90-day Les Mills Pump workouts. Wish me luck!

The Big Race...

On May 18th, Todd and I traveled to Joplin, Mo., to pick up my race packet along with my brother's for what was the biggest race I had ever done. I signed up on January 19th for the Joplin Memorial Half Marathon after some coaxing from my sister-in-law and best friend who also was doing her first half marathon on April 14th.

I never really expected to finish...I thought I would become injured like last time...I expected to walk a lot, but here's how it went:

8:30 pm--picked up race packet and race jersey
9 pm--ate an entire meal from Olive Garden, which I have never done, carb loading you know...hee!
11:30 pm--fell asleep reading Fifty Shades of Grey (oh my, I'm blushing!)
4:30 am--up and at 'em to get ready, use the bathroom, eat some breakfast
5:30 am--meet my brother who did not sleep at all the night before as he was at an Eric Church concert in Topeka. Thank goodness his girlfriend, Deidra, was with him to keep him awake on the drive down.

Deidra and Brandon at the start line

Me and my brother at the start line

6:15 am--Remember those we are running for...161 people who passed away because of the May 2011 tornado and those thousands of people, including my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, who were first responders in the aftermath of the tornado.

161 balloons let go in honor of those lost in the May 22, 2011, tornado. 

6:30 am--It's GO TIME BABY!!!

I spotted the 2:25 pace leader and thought I can try to keep up with that. They were two fantastic leaders who were very nice and pepped everyone up. We ran downtown and on the route of the tornado damage. I was fighting back tears from mile 1-4 while looking at all of this:

Right around 26th street where most everything was wiped away. 

St. John's Regional Medical Center where Christina worked/s and was destroyed by the tornado.

Around mile 4 we entered into McClelland Park and had climbed two hills at that point but I was still sticking with the pace group. I got through mile 6 and spotted Todd on the side of the highway cheering me on, and that was a huge relief and happy point to keep me going. By mile 7, I stopped to grab some water and take my gel and lost the pace group leader and was deeply disappointed in myself. Yet, I knew I couldn't walk or stop so I ran on. I LOVED the news crew who gave out cold towels soaked in water at mile 7. That was my saving grace as it was starting to get hot.

At mile 9, I thought I got this...then heard the ambulance behind me from someone on the race course being hauled off, and thought whoa, this is intense. I walked a teensy bit through the water stations so I didn't drown myself in water and choke.

At mile 10, I thought wow, I never thought I'd see double digits, never thought I would say only 3.1 miles left!

Starting with mile 12, I was overcome with such joy and relief I only had 11 more minutes to go. The Walgreens employees were the last to give us water at mile 12 and I needed it. By mile 12.5, Eric Church came strumming on my iPod and sang "Springsteen". I repeated that four times I think. I needed that music. I charged through the last half mile with a full-on kick. I passed by a man in full military fatigues and cried when I saw him knowing what my brother meant to me and everyone in our military. I was in a sprint through the finish line and finished in 2:26. I averaged an 11:09 mile throughout the race.

I got my medal, walked through the corral for runners to grab water and fruit and saw my brother and Todd. They were so proud of me, and I was so proud of me.

I never thought I'd run the whole thing, but I did. I never thought I'd do good, but I had a great time. I thought I was in the last part of the runners, but I wasn't. I worked hard at something, and it felt so good to finally do something a lot of people cannot say they have done. It felt good to finally feel like I am an athlete, which I never felt in high school. It felt good to not feel like I failed, but instead did good and felt great. There also was a lot of prayer involved. I prayed so hard to feel great, to be strong, to not feel the pain in my body, to watch over everyone who was running, to remember and honor those who lost their lives, to be thankful for what I have, to be full of gratitude always and so much more.

Now my brother wants me to do another in June...now if only I can convince my body to stop hurting when I run, I'd be all for it. I am proud that I got right back into running four days after my race. I know this is a new found peace for me. Just me, some good tunes and good fashioned hard work to get to a finish line. :)

The professional finish line pic.

Christina, me, and Brandon sporting our medals after the race. 

Can't forget the beef! I wore my Team Beef jersey and proudly posed
in front of the KKOW cow. 

I am finished...part 1

I totally have been slacking on the one post per week thing. Arghh, I hate that, but I often feel like I have nothing to write nor do I remember to take pictures of anything we do. This past week was one of those weeks you just have to survive as you know it will be better next week. I had our last Junior League board meeting (thanks for the glass of wine!), four papers to write to finish school, last minute event prep for our fundraiser event I was in charge of at work, the event, and finally my graduation.

I was cruising pretty well through Wednesday finishing some 16 hour days and then I felt like s**t hit the fan on Thursday. I found out a winery backed out, we got the wrong order for our chocolate, a million small details needed to be done, etc., etc., etc. But thankfully, our summer intern, Kayla, started on Monday and helped do a lot of the little things. Thursday night came and I finished two papers that night (bam!) and got a few hours of sleep. Friday went exceptionally well and we had plenty of time for set up, things went as planned, and the event could not have been more successful albeit a few more guests would have been nice. Saturday was my graduation from Park University with my master's in public affairs with a nonprofit and community services concentration. The icing on the cake that day was seeing my name spelled wrong in the program and having the wrong degree listed. Oh well, I made sure to call on Monday to verify my diploma would be right. That would have been embarrassing. I'm glad my family could come and it was great having a little downtime on Saturday. On Sunday, we celebrated with all the moms in our families, and I ran 10 miles for my last long-run before the big race on Saturday (hence the part 1 in the title). It hurt, and I jammed up my foot pretty good. I hate to admit that my body is probably finally telling me enough is enough with these high mile runs. I hate that as I want to be one of those who can just bust out 8-10 miles every other day or so and think nothing of it. Maybe someday...until then here are a few pictures from the last week.

Receiving my hood from Dean Stocks and Dr. Stuteville for my master's degree from Park University.

Willie, Tillie and I checking out my grad gift from Todd. Todd got a kayak too so we'll have
some fun on the river this summer!

Friends and donors enjoying wine from the Windy Wine Co., at the
Expressions of Good Taste wine and chocolate event
I planned for work. 

Running swag...

I had a jump in my step this morning after waking up earlier than usual and feeling much better than I did after a horrendous day yesterday. Let's just say the only good things from yesterday were dinner was delicious thanks to Todd, I enjoyed the hell out of two cupcakes at work and I didn't feel as sore as I thought I would from running nine miles on Sunday.

Yep, that said nine miles! Getting there, slowly. I have three more weeks until the big race in Joplin, and I really want to feel as prepared as possible. I have been reading a few of running blogs like this one and this one. Skinny Runner is a bonafide badass who runs an insane amount of miles every week and Mama Laughlin is the funniest chick ever who is a mother of two, runner, and I see a lot of what my life will be like in a few years in her posts.

With reading their blogs I have fallen for the cool things they use and wear for running. So I've bought a couple of things they suggest like these:

I bought these bad boys today. I so can't WAIT to see what I look like in compression shorts, but
there is some good research and testimony for how they help with hip fatigue, which I get badly.
Courtesy of: http://aspaerispivotshorts.com/aspaeris-products.shtml

I bought two of these a few weeks ago and tried one for the first time on my 9-miler.
I cramped for the first time ever about 20 minutes after taking one, so I'm not sure about these yet.
I'm going to give it one more shot, no pun intended! :)

My new love! Holy comfort, these Pro Compression socks make my legs
feel like a million bucks. I ran with these on two runs and my legs
felt great during and after.
Photo courtesy of:  http://www.procompression.com/

I picked a few of these up while picking up race packets for
Rock the Parkway a few weeks ago for $5. They are regularly $8. They are
fun headbands that keep your hair out of the way.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.shelbystidham.com/knee-braces-yogurt-bondi-bands-oh-my/

And the final product I tried is the Click espresso protein drink. I got the package
yesterday in the mail with the samples, which are buy one get one free right now! I tried the Vanilla Latte this morning, and oh my, totally delicious and energy boosting. Check it out if you want the best of both
coffee (and I'm not a coffee drinker but need some caffeine) and protein in one!

There you have it! I hope to try a few other things as I get more into running, but my husband and bank account may put the limit on all the cool swag things out there.

Any of you have gear you really like using while running?

It's Go Time, Baby...

Bobbie Jo, a friend's sister, Bobbie Jo's friend, and myself at the Happy Camper Scamper
5K which was a trail run throughout MWSU campus.

Laura and I at the Rock the Parkway 5K. I ran a PR for this one! Thanks for pushing me Laura.

Alas, I guess I can finally let the dogs off the hook they aren't meant to be runners! Ha!

You can tell it's full on running mode for runners once it hits April 1. I've been thankful to keep it up throughout the winter thanks to the weather. I have to be honest the last two weeks have not been fantastic about my "training" schedule. I only have gotten in two to three runs a week. Yikes, considering my half is in four weeks TODAY! I'll get there though. This weekend is nine miles, and I HAVE TO DO IT! No excuses.

I have been obsessing lately though over running blogs and running gear and all sorts of things running. I think is this the time I can finally say, "I'm a runner". Maybe after my half that will feel more comfortable. But what makes you a "runner"? Is it just putting in the miles, week after week, month after month, like I have done for a year now or is it some distance you have to achieve in a race?

Either way, I am excited to see where this "running year" takes me and have three races already down. I ran the 10K in Manhattan on St. Patty's Day (race recap), a 5K in St. Joe in pouring down rain on April 7th and the Rock the Parkway 5K on April 14th.

One thing is for certain, I am getting stronger in my distances and running 3 miles does not scare me any more at all. Even running 6 miles doesn't scare me any more. We'll see how I feel after 13.1 in May! It's Go Time Baby!

Picking up where we left off...

I was going 100 miles an hour this week with lots of things going on. First, it has been absolutely gorgeous this spring for weather. I have loved being able to run in great weather. I'm not sure if I am ready for all the sweating though as the temperatures get warmer!

Wednesday was the test of all tests in my life this far with my comprehensive exam for my Master's degree. It was a 4-hour test in Kansas City, and it was one I was really nervous about. It is either pass or fail. You can complete all of the coursework with a 4.0, but if you do not pass this and the oral defense, you do not pass the program! I won't find out for another two weeks if I passed or not, but there is nothing more I can do.

On Thursday, I had the honor of having lots of ladies join us for our monthly MK girls night out in St. Joe. It was a lot of fun, and I got a couple of bookings and a new team member from the fun evening!

Friday, I had my last task force meeting before our annual campaign at work starts on Monday. I am praying all goes at it should, and we raise a good amount of money and get as close to our goal as we can. I then left work to head out West to Manhattan. I met up with Ronny and Kelsey Pope, Craig and Patricia Betzold and Kelsey's sister, Emily, for dinner at Olive Garden. You know we ate there because we had to load up on carbs! :) I love how we all can pick up right where we left off in conversation. We all have not been together since Ronny and Kelsey's wedding in September 2009, but it was so wonderful being together and talking about everything. Makes my heart so happy to have such great friends and husbands who are equally as fun to be with (you picked some good ones gals!) Kelsey, Pat, Emily and I then toured the Theta house since we had all not been back since last spring and had missed the renovations that happened over the last year. They have a pop machine in the kitchen!! No more 15 cent pops from the pop machine! We all loved being back at the house. It smelled the same, and looked cozy just as we had remembered it.

I apologize I can never get the pictures to save as they should! Regardless, how cool is this at the Theta house?!

Kels and I by room 11 where we first lived together! The room even has a MK consultant/Theta (which is where I started my business right in room 11!!!)

We all stayed out at the Pope ranch north of Manhattan for the evening, and it was really nice of Ronny's parents to host us for the night.

I didn't realize the race had been pushed back to 10:45 am on Saturday, so in a way I was bummed as I would not be able to stay around Manhattan as long after the race, but we also got to sleep in a bit longer, which I think we all needed from traveling. We even ate breakfast (I say that because I normally do not eat anything before a race as it makes me sick to my stomach). We headed into Aggieville and got ready to go for the 10K race.

Here are some highlights from the race:

Here are the girls before the race started.

• We started out all together.
• At mile 1.5, Pat had sped ahead of us,
• By mile 3, I had to scale my pace back from Ronny and Kelsey so I had to run alone,
• By mile 4, my foot cramped hard core and I thought I was going to have to take my shoes off but I didn't and I found a nice guy to pace with the rest of the race,
• At mile 5, we entered Aggieville where a bunch of people were cheering us on, but we still had 1.2 miles left (what a bad joke!),
• At mile 6, I really felt I almost had to walk the last .2 but that would have been crazy,
• At mile 6.2, I finished ahead of my goal of 1:15. I actually finished in 1:09:32! That is an 11:13 pace, which is what I have averaged on most long runs so far this spring.

Ronny, Kelsey, Pat and I at the finish line!

And what St. Patty's Day Race/K-State game day would be complete
without a green beer at Rusty's?!

 It was a great race day! It was a bit windy, which proved to be hard on the way back, but we all finished and were in good spirits after we were done. I completed half of one my goals with this race, too! I cannot wait until the next race we all decide to do together.  Maybe one in Nebraska this time?

Weekend fun...

I have to laugh and be thankful when Todd so sadly says, "Wow, you have had every other Monday off it seems like since the first of the year." He has every Monday off (lucky!) but I am thankful for being a quasi federal agency that follows federal holidays so I do get a few days off the first part of the year. Sometimes it is a bust since it may be snowing or just too cold to enjoy a day off, but this year has been pretty fantastic with the weather.

Friday was our all-staff day at work complete with a luncheon, talent show and trivia contest devoted to the 50s. Pretty fun! I dressed in Todd's letter jacket from high school, and I couldn't help but be just a bit proud of it. I realize high school athletics don't really mean much, but he had quite a bit of stuff on that jacket for being a part of a team that was amazing at football. He was a smarty too (even though he would kill me to tell you that!). **I do want to say I know high school means EVERYTHING when you are in high school, and there are some who are talented athletes but the majority of us are not, but that is not to discredit the hard work we all put in during practice and such.) I was by far not the most dressed up, but it was a fun experience. I then had to come back to a late afternoon task force meeting to keep planning our two upcoming events this spring for work.

Saturday was a pretty relaxed day. I got my 3-miler in for a run. It was not pretty, but I did it. I thought after my Thursday best-run-ever, this weekend would be a fantastic running weekend. Not. so. much. 

I took Todd's parents to the airport for their mini vacay to Florida to visit Regina's parents.I thoroughly cleaned out/washed my car which was on my 101 list. I then made some Weight Watchers enchiladas for dinner and Spanish rice. I'm on this new kick of trying to lose a bit more weight since it doesn't seem this running/cross-training 5 days a week is doing anything at all. Obviously, there has to be a bit of control with your diet, and I try my hardest, but I tend to be bad about those work functions! I eat what they give me, and don't think much about it. Bad. Bad. Bad. I also need to watch what I eat more on the weekends too. So thank you Pinterest for lots of Weight Watchers recipes!

I started on my taxes this weekend too. Blehhhhhhh...why do I do this to myself!? I LOVE my Mary Kay business do not get me wrong, but I loathe this time of year. I should farm it out to an accountant, but I like to be in control of the money I get back, and thankfully every year it has been a handsome little sum.

On Sunday, I participated in the 2 Trendy Bridal Expo, and had the opportunity to do makeup for some of the bridal/prom models. It was great exposure for my business. I met 100+ brides, and am very excited to see where this new avenue my take my business in the coming months! I was thankful for a quick, but very meaningful visit with friends, Jodie and Lee and their kiddos. It was a tiring day, and I got a migraine that night, but as I told Todd, "it's not worth living life if you're on the couch so I might as well be busy!"

And finally, Monday was my rest day. Sort of. Remember I said this wasn't a good running weekend? I tried to do 4 miles as I was supposed to do on Sunday but couldn't because of the bridal expo. It was 38 degrees and holy wind at 8:30 am on Monday. I am glad I got the run in when I did though because it rained the rest of the day, and I would have totally cussed myself if I had to do it in that cold, rainy nasty stuff. I didn't realize how windy it was until I had to turn back around and head home with 2.2 miles to go. I did do better than almost all of my times per mile in 2011, but I should have been doing what I have been doing lately with about a 10:30 mile, but I did not. I know I can do this running thing, but my mind seriously gets the best of me, and I had to walk a few times. I HATE THAT, seriously! I just beat myself up over, and think why after a year of running do I still have to freakin' walk!?!?! It's really my mind telling me absurd things of why I can't do it. I'm going to try harder this week. I'll let you know how it goes, and say a little, small prayer if you don't mind for better clarity and strength to believe in myself.

Todd and I then went to Liberty for a mini date day. We don't get to do that too often, and I should have been in a better mood, but that run just spoiled my day. I enjoyed my time at Roger's with him while he looked for fishing stuff, and I spoiled myself with some new running gear (ha, the irony in that right?!) with the discount on Under Armour. If you haven't check out Roger's Sporting Goods in Liberty, you should if you're close. I like Cabela's, but their prices are pretty steep and you're just paying for the "experience" so that is why we go to Roger's a lot. We also like to support local businesses as much as possible. Finally, we made it to lunch at Dish Pizza. I have been wanting to go to one of the "I've never been there" restaurants for a while, and this was the perfect time to try something new. A-freaking-mazing pizza! It takes a while so be prepared to wait, but it was well worth it. Probably not on the diet plan, but I did only have two slices...I saved an extra slice for Todd.


Just look at that pizza!!!! Yumm-o! (And I wonder why I have issues with weight?!) It's a deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. A place to try if you haven't!

That concludes my weekend....we did get quite a bit of tv-watching in and a bit of homework. I also can check off a few things from my 101 list. Hope you all had a great Presidents' Day weekend too!