St. Jude Country Music Marathon Recap

Wow!!  It has been 2 days since I crossed my marathon finish line with my daughters.  What an incredible and amazing experience!  I am so excited to tell y'all all about it!

My husband, Christopher, two daughters, Aubrynn (11) and Addy (8) and myself loaded up and headed to Nashville, Tennessee a little before 9 AM.  My girls were really excited, mainly because they thought they were going to meet Keith Urban!  We stopped and ate Olive Garden in Tuscaloosa (War Eagle lol!) and arrived in Nashville around 4 o'clock Friday afternoon.  The exit we needed to take to get to the Expo which was at Music City Center was one HUGE traffic jam so we didn't get to the Expo until around 4:30.  I had been texting my friend Debi from Girls Run the 901, because she was going to be there working the Skirt Sorts Booth!  I met Debi at the St. Jude Half Marathon in December and was so excited to see her!  Hubby dropped off the girls and I and we headed into Music City Center!  Christopher met us inside after parking and we took a lot of pictures outside of the Expo and headed into pick up my bib number and shirt.  

We took a few more pictures and I did a little shopping before finding Debi!

 I found her!  She gave me great advice and said "Take it one mile at a time; you've got this!"  

Those words would become part of my mantra during my race the next day!

After seeing Debi, we headed to the hotel to check in and eat because our dinner reservations were at 6:30 PM at The Row.  It was only a block from our hotel so we walked to dinner!  It was really good!! I filled up on biscuits, sweet potato fries and a smoked turkey sandwich.  YUM!  We headed back to our room for showers and pajamas.  I read so many encouraging words on Facebook and Instagram and my sister posted this Bible verse on my timeline with the sweetest message.

 She wrote: "I have watched you train, fall, and get back up.  You have kept your eye on the goal, despite many setbacks!  I'm so in awe of your determination!  I pray you have the best race possible tomorrow.  Keep your eyes fixed upon the finish line and enjoy!  Love you!"  This brought tears to my eyes and really topped off my motivation tank!  All that day I kept picturing the finish line.  I was concerned about my knee since I did not make it past 17 miles in training, but I was eerily calm all day Friday and race morning believe it or not.  I slept surprisingly well Friday night (thank you Nyquil).

Next thing I know it is RACE morning!  The strange thing was, I woke up with a praise and worship song in my head.  I kept singing the same words over and over again, "All the earth is filled with Your glory, GLORY, we give You glory, GLORY."  I had no idea who sang that song and knew it wasn't already on my playlist.  My music on my playlist goes from Praise and Worship music to Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, John Legend, Enrique Iglesias (oh yeah), Britney Spears and so on.  I had to type in the lyrics of the song that was in my head and found out it was by Phil Wickham called "Glory" so I downloaded the song and put it on my playlist as I was getting dressed.  I also followed the instructions from a video that Gelcys from Runner Unleashed, and taped my left knee with KT Tape my husband had bought for me a long time ago.  I ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and banana.  I prayed and kissed my family goodbye before heading downstairs to walk to the starting line.  The weather was supposed to be rainy most of the morning, but wouldn't you know the rain had pushed on through during the night?  Another answered prayer!  I made my way to the starting line which was about a mile or so away.  It was a good warm up for my legs.  I was supposed to meet Debi and the Run 365 group at 5th and Broadway by 6:40.  I was right on time, but the closer I got to 5th avenue the more people there were!

 I sent Debi a message that I couldn't get through all the people and wished her luck.  She was running the half marathon.  She messaged me back "Have a wonderful race! One mile at a time. You got this."  I turned and made my way back to my corral which was number 26!  Coincidence??  I think not!  I thought that was a very good sign!

It was 7 o'clock and time to start!  We sang the National Anthem and the waves started moving through very slowly one by one.  I don't think our wave started until about 7:45, but I was calm and patient believe it or not.

 If anybody knows me, I am not calm or patient about anything, but that day I was.  I had what I hoped was a good feeling about my race.  It was our turn to start and I was with the 5 hour pacer group.  

After we crossed the starting line we were running down town and could see all the fun places like... bars...restaurants, and such.  I had my prayer miles memorized and started praying for my mile one person.  Aaaaaand we started running hills which never seemed to end... oh for about 13 miles! Whew.  I tried to stick with my 5 hour group, but only made it about 4 miles with them.  I knew I needed to slow down and run 12 minute miles which was my original plan.  I was also pretty hot, but it didn't really bother me because we had cloud cover.  I ran, I prayed for my people on my prayer list, and around mile 5, I was hungry and I had almost drank all of my half Gatorade half water that was in my 20 ounce bottle.  That bottle would be my very best friend as it turned out.  I ate an Apple Pie Larabar at mile 5 and stopped at a water station and dumped two cups of water in what was left of my Gatorade/water mixture.. Oh dear, that was a mistake.  First of all, I had not trained with the Apple Larabar. I always eat the Blueberry Muffin Larabars on my runs, but thought I would get tired of eating the same thing so I brought the Apple. You know what happened after I ate the Apple Larabar?  I felt sick.  My water bottle had hot water mixed with Gatorade, which also added to my EXTREME nausea.  I was so sick by mile 6 and stopped and used the porta potty (number one thankfully NOT number 2).  I stopped drinking the hot mixture in my bottle and took a piece of gum out of my pocket.  This helped my stomach settle.  I'm thinking I may have drank too much too quickly and the Larabar I had never tried before unsettled my stomach.  I eventually poured out the hot mixture in my bottle and ran with it empty, stopping to drink just water at the water stations.  I knew my husband and daughters were meeting my at the half way point with more Gatorade and fuel.  The first half of the race went by rather quickly.  The crowd support was simply amazing!  I high fived so many little kids, saw a man that appeared to be naked holding up a hot pink poster that said "if you don't finish I will drop this sign" or something like that, I saw a group standing by drinking coffee and asked a man if I could have some!  He kindly held his cup out to me.  I passed a group dancing in the streets and one guy wearing a jester's hat started dancing with the runners!  They were having so much fun.  It was a nice distraction!

So I made it 10 miles, feeling pretty good, taking it slowly, and I kept waiting for my knee to start hurting.  Making it 10 miles was a really big deal and I knew that the marathon runners would be splitting from the half marathon runners soon according to the map.  Sure enough after 11 miles, it was time to split, and oh my word at the half marathon group!  So many went to the right and so little went to the left.

 This was a happy moment for me.  I danced a lot during the split and felt like such a "big girl runner" if that makes any sense.  Volunteers were passing out GU, which I passed on and started eating my Blueberry Muffin Larabar.  It didn't hurt my stomach!  My husband had text me to say they were standing right before mile 14.  It seemed like it took me forever to reach them.  I could tell by the time I did reach my husband and girls that I was physically tired.  I had also noticed my knee was hurting.  It wasn't hurting like it had during training, but it was there.  My girls filled up my water bottle with cold Gatorade and water and Christopher gave me a mini Snickers bar.  Best THING EEEVVEER.  Hungry?  Why wait?  He gave me two more Larabars which I never opened.  I told them bye and started running again.  In the meantime, while I was refueling, the 5:30 pace group passed by.  OOOOOH boy.  Wow.  I didn't let it shake me, but I knew the marathon cut off was 6 hours.  I just needed to beat the 6 hour time limit!  I stopped at the porta potty one last time at mile 15.  I posted my picture at mile 16 on my Facebook page to give y'all an update and ask for prayer.

 Boy I was tired.  I walked and ran the rest of the race.  Probably walking more than running, but my knee was carrying me through!  I kept remembering what Debi had told me.  "One mile at a time."  My aunt had also told me "Take it one step at a time."  I kept reciting this over and over in my head.  I kept praying for each person I had assigned for that mile and the miles clicked by!  I was pretty excited to hit mile 18, then 19, then omg 20!!!!  

And then SQUISH. Um...what was that??  I felt something squish in my shoe and knew immediately I had a blister that popped.  It happened as soon as I made it to the 20 mile marker.  I stopped at the curb and sat down, (OOOOOOOUUUCH that hurt to sit down), pulled off my sock and shoe (why am I so dirty?? I had grass and dirt all over my legs), and sure enough, it was a blister on my baby toe on my left foot.  I yanked the skin off, put my sock and shoe back on, and kept going.  It caused very minimal pain and my bad knee was running LIKE.. A.. BOSS.  Starting at around mile 17, there was very little shade.  I started getting really hot.  I finished the drink my family had poured me and just kept refilling it with water at the aid stations.  It was hot water, but it was something and it helped.  We ended up running around a park during miles 21-24 and there was a pond.  It relaxed me to see water!  I felt calm and peaceful and prayed for my family.   Prayer miles 22-26 belonged to my husband and three children.  Just before we made it to mile 23, I met Bridget!  A super cute blonde from Oakland California.  She was running and walking and I was running and walking and kept catching up with her.  I was probably super annoying her, but she would turn and smile at me each time I would catch up with her.  We introduced ourselves and she asked where I was from and about my family.  She said this was her second marathon and if she pushed herself, she would get a PR.  I texted my husband at mile 23 and told him "OMG this hurts" and I read messages from Kristina (Live Laugh Love Run) and Gelcys (Runner Unleashed). I told them I was at mile 23.  Almost done!  I was thankful for the conversation with Bridget.  I was exhausted and it helped to talk to someone those last grueling miles of the race.  She kept saying "It is so HOT!  Don't you think it's hot?? And humid!"  I said "Yes, it is very humid."  We started running together at mile 25 and I made it to almost mile 26 before I had to walk again.  Bridget turned around and said "Come on!! We're almost finished!!!"  Talk about motivation!  I started running again and could see my husband smiling and waving!  I turned into Tennesse Titan Stadium and my girls squeezed through the fence to run the last tenth of a mile to the finish line!!

 We held hands and lifted our arms as we crossed the finish line!!  Oh what a moment to be able to share with them!!!!  I was finished!  I did it!!  By the grace of God I finished my first marathon!!  I got my medal and a bottle of water and sat down to wait for my husband.  My daughter took this picture of me with my glorious marathon medal!!  

Someone handed me a cold, wet, towel!  Oh thank you! We had to walk to meet my husband and had our picture taken.  

Christopher was so kind to give me a piggy back ride part of the way back to our truck.  

I was ready for a shower and food!! I had a wonderful celebration dinner that night at Ruth Chris.

I would like to dedicate this race to the patients of St. Jude Children's Hospital, and my I Run 4 buddy, Sophia.  I knew when I started running, that I wanted to run for others.  I want to run for those who can't.  This marathon will always be so special to me and I would like to thank my husband, my children, my family, and my friends who encouraged me, supported me, loved me, prayed for me and believed in me. First, I had to believe in myself and everything else fell into place.  God and His Son get all the glory for this accomplishment.  I could not have done it without Him.  He was with me every step of this journey and I know He has big plans for me.  God bless you all and thank you all for being here, following my journey as well!

Gulf Coast Half Marathon Recap

Hey!! It's time for a little recap of the Gulf Coast Half Marathon I ran on March 1 in Gulf Shores, Alabama!  I hit a BIG PR that day finishing with a time of 2:14:50!  I had run a half marathon the week before also in Gulf Shores at the Sea Turtle half with a PR of 2:18:19 so that's two weekends in a row to have a personal record.  That is highly unusual for this mother runner!

My oldest daughter had a soccer game in Hurley, Mississippi at one o'clock the Saturday before the race.  I had everything packed in the truck so my girls and I could leave straight for the beach after the game.  Packet pick up ended at Lulu's restaurant at 5 o'clock.  I stopped to get the girls something to eat  after the game and we headed for Gulf Shores.  My son stayed with my mother and my husband had to work so they were going to drive down late that night.  The girls and I made it to Lulu's just in time to pick up my packet and we had our picture made before heading to my mother-in-law's beach house where we would be staying.  

We made it to the beach house and the girls changed their clothes and we headed to Tacky Jack's to eat.  We stayed on Fort Morgan Road, which is about 20 minutes from the town of Gulf Shores.  There are a couple of small restaurants on this road with Tacky Jack's being one of them.

 I ate a shrimp po boy and french fries for my pre race dinner lol!  I usually eat whatever I want the night before a race.  I don't follow carb loading rules, but I did drink about 100 ounces of half Gatorade and half water.  This is the most I've ever drank the day before a race, but I did so well at Sea Turtle, I thought, why not drink a little extra and see what happens?  Since I have a heart valve problem called Mitral Valve Prolapse, my cardiologist told me to always drink half Gatorade and half water the day before a big race.  It will keep me hydrated the next day and keep my heart from getting out of rhythm.  He also said it would keep me from getting so tired.  I don't think I was drinking enough before some of my half marathons in the past.  Since I added more fluids the day before Sea Turtle and Gulf Coast, I could tell a difference dramatically.  I just did not get tired at either race like I usually do.  So the girls and I ate and went back to the beach house for showers and headed to bed around 9 or 9:30.  My husband and son got there around 1 AM.

I woke up at 5 AM on race day and ate my usual banana and peanut butter and jelly sandwich before heading back to Lulu's to start the race.  I wanted to run 2 extra miles to get in a 15 mile training run, but my stomach is always so upset right before a race, I just didn't have time to run the 2 extra miles. As it turned out, it was a good thing I skipped the 2 miles!  I saw my buddy Shana, whom I met in Memphis at the St. Jude Half Marathon in December and we saw each other at the Sea Turtle race.  I saw my friend Tammie that I had connected with via Facebook and my Sole Sister Katie page!  I also saw Katherine who has a Facebook page and I recently found out she lives right up the road from me!

Shana and I chatted until the gun went off.  I started the race pretty fast like I did at Sea Turtle.  I ran half a mile and it was time to go over the BRIDGE.  This is the bridge that you have to go over as you get closer to Gulf Shores beach.  I call it the Lulu's bridge.  I managed to run all the way up and not walk and hit the one mile mark on the bridge at 9:51.  I was like, okay, that's pretty fast for me and I figured I would settle down after heading down the bridge and back onto the road.  Well, I didn't really slow down for the next 3 miles.  This race was flat and I was feeling good.  I finished mile 2 at 10:14 and 3 and 4 at 10:18.  I remember thinking, "you better slow down or you'll be tired at the end," but then I thought what if I DON'T slow down??  Miles 5-7 flew by as we ran around Gulf State Park and it felt like we were running down hill!  I started worrying we would eventually have to turn around, but this was not an out and back course so I was very, very, thankful.  Miles 5-7 I finished in the 10:20 range and mile 8 was my slowest mile at 10:53 because I walked while I was eating my Blueberry Muffin Larabar (I don't use gels).  During mile 9, I remember feeling really good and started picking up my pace.  There was a lady who had been running in front of me off and on walking and running.  She would walk and I would pass her and then she would run and pass me.  This had been going on almost the whole entire race!  I passed her at mile 10 and dropped her and I was so happy to not see her running by me any more!  I'm sure the same thing has happened to y'all at a race!!  I finished mile 9 at 10:10 and mile 10 was 10:25.  I knew I was going to have a big PR after 10 miles!  I saw my sweet family at close to the 12th mile and I crossed the street and kissed all of them.  My girls had made signs that said "I love you, Momma."  After I saw my family, I really started to hustle.  I finished mile 12 at 10:12 and then it was time to go back over the Lulu's bridge.  It was so hard!  My legs were getting tired and they burned like crazy, but I did not walk!  In fact, I was passing people!  I am so thankful for all of the hill training I had done at the lake at this point!  I flew down the bridge with only a little over a half mile to go!  I made a few more turns back into Lulu's and I could see the clock! It was on 2 hours and 14 minutes with the seconds ticking by!  I started sprinting to the finish line and I could see my friend, Shana, cheering for me!!  My official time was 2:14:50, almost a 4 minute difference from my PR the week before!!  I could not believe it!  

I was so excited,  I burst into tears!  I could see my family waiting for me after I got my medal and water.  I finished mile 13 at 9:29 and the last .16 at 8:25 pace.

I cannot tell you in words how good I felt at that moment.  I'm so glad I have these pictures to see how I felt!  A picture is worth a thousand words.  All of the really hard moments in my running journey led to this accomplishment.  I had suffered knee injury after a really great time after my very first half marathon in November 2013.  I had to take off a month at the beginning of 2014 and basically lost every bit of fitness I had worked so hard to gain all year in 2013.  I learned I had melanoma skin cancer in February of last year, during the time I was out from running due to my knee injury.  I could not even run to help with the pain I was experiencing with this diagnosis.  I was so worried that this would end my life.  After that came back all clear (praise the Lord), I really tried to get my running back on track and what used to be easy, was now difficult.  An 11 minute mile was a struggle and I remember running my first 5k of the year in March last year and how hard it was.  It's been a long road back to get to the place I am today in my running journey.  My message to you is please do not give up!! You will have some really bad runs and some really bad races.  It would be easy to walk away, but don't take the easy road.  I was so exhausted after the St. Jude Half Marathon in December and dizzy that I had to go to the hospital to have a CT Scan of my head.  I'm not even kidding, I felt so bad that I thought there was something seriously wrong with me.  Do not judge yourself and what you are capable of off of one or two bad races.  The reason I have improved so much is because I just kept trying.  I may be a lot of things, but I am not a quitter.  I have pushed myself on every single run, especially after Mississippi Blues in Jackson.  I went from a runner who didn't care about time, to a runner who started setting goals.  I started caring again, therefore, I started working really hard.  I was also matched with my running buddy, Sophia, on February 7.  My running has also greatly improved because of her.  I feel like my miles have taken on a whole new meaning.  I have to work hard for her and for myself!  So keep getting out there and keep trying!  You will get better and better I can promise you that!  Glory to God Almighty and His Son for this sweet victory and precious moment!  

I will never forget this race and I am so thankful to my husband who supports me and is proud of me and for my children.  I work really hard for them and I could not do this without them.  I hope to set a good example for them!  Thank you for reading and following my journey.  God bless you all!

Double Bridge 15k race recap

It's almost been 2 weeks since the Double Bridge run!  This was my very first 15k and it was awesome. The race took place in Pensacola, Florida and my second time to race here!  My friend Pam and I drove down to Pensacola on Thursday, Feb. 5 to pick up our race packets.  We got a lot of free stuff including an extra long sleeved T-shirt! 

On race morning, Feb. 7, my alarm was set for 2:50 AM.  I don't think I have ever gotten up that early for anything!  4 of us were meeting at Pam's house at 3:30 so we could get down to Pensacola Beach to catch a bus to the starting line and had to be there by 6 AM.  Whew!  It was me, Pam, Katie M,, and my stepmother Beverly.  We made it there quickly and smoothly in time to hit up the restrooms and see a beautiful beach sunrise.  

The beach is my happy plane and where I feel most at peace.  We caught the bus and rode 9.3 long miles to the starting line.  By the time we got there and waited in line for the porta potty, it was time to start!  It was so crowded and hard to get into the corrals aaaaaand my music wouldn't work.  I have wireless headphones and I could not get my phone to sync with the headphones. Just when I was about to panic, they started to work and it was our turn to start.  But first, we take a selfie!

I had on a throw away jacket and shed it quickly.  The first couple of miles were through town, but some parts I could see the water to my right.

 I turned onto the first bridge after about 2.5 miles and it had a pretty steep incline.  I was super excited that I was able to run all the way up the bridge without any trouble.  It was a long 3 and a half miles on the bridge with the sun beating down on me, but I was thankful I wore short sleeves.  It warmed up really quick on that bridge.

My pace was pretty consistent in 10:40's and 10:30's and I was so excited to get off that bridge after mile 6 and get some water.  I did not run with my water bottle at this race to see how I would do and I did get thirsty.  I ran almost 2 miles on Gulf Breeze and it was back onto the second bridge.  Thankfully, there was one last water stop before the bridge and all I could see was this steep incline going up, up, up, just to get on the bridge.

 I was bound and determined not to walk so I ran all the way up the first incline and it curved to the right.  Then I realized, this bridge was a major incline.  I'm pretty sure we ran steadily uphill for almost a mile. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but it sure felt that way.  I checked my time and decided to try and finish in under an hour and forty minutes so once that bridge started going downhill, I started running faster!  This is the first race in a long time that I was able to really pick up my pace at the end and semi sprint to the finish line.

 I was thrilled my watch said my time was 1:39:15 and my official time was 1:39:09.  I had reached my goal!  I got a really nice finisher medal and met up with the other gals since they finished in front of me.  We ate muffins and took pictures and even took one on the beach!  

This was a great race and even though we had an early start, it was definitely worth running at the beach!  I hope we can do it again next year!

Take the leap yoga challenge!

When I think about yoga, the first thought that comes to mind is tricky. Yoga challenges me and makes me feel more flexible. 

That’s why I am SO pumped to participate in prAna’s Take The Leap 30 days of Yoga Challenge with Sweat Pink. I plan to Plank my way to a stronger and more flexible 2015! 

For me, the biggest challenge when it comes to yoga is balance. Taking the Leap with prAna and Sweat Pink is a great way for me to face/ conquer / achieve / find balance. 

My favorite place to yoga is my house  because it is so private lol. 

Here’s a photo of me in my very best side plank. 

I tag Liz from Bitching Runner and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin.

I want these fabulous bloggers to share their very best yoga pose photos, this fun madlib and of course, I challenge them to join me on this fun 30 day yoga journey

Come on y’all, Take the Leap with me!

Join prAna’s & Sweat Pink’s #TakeTheLeap 30 Days of Yoga Challenge and be eligible for a chance to win $500 worth of new prAna gear from their latest collection as well as gift an additional $500 worth of prAna gear to the person of their choice... because isn’t giving as important as receiving? They just launched their new Spring Collection so you best get on it!

If I win I would gift the $500 gift to my mother because she deserves it. 

Join the Take the Leap with prAna and Sweat Pink Facebook group / event which we’ll use for updates, sharing,and inspiration: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1525412337742204/

and event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/423377431152799

And join the challenge on Instagram, Twitter, and your blog using the hashtags:

#TakeTheLeap

#prana

#sweatpink

And of course, tag @prana @FitApproach

YOGA ON! 

Want to play? Just copy/paste the above and fill in the blanks where I have bolded & italicized and make it your own. Or use this link for the template!

Mississippi Blues Recap

Time for the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon recap!  This was a very fun race for me because I got to go on a girls' trip with 3 of my running friends to Jackson, Mississippi!  We left on Friday, January 9 at around 12:30 in the afternoon.  Pam was driving, Lauren, Katie M. and then me.  We arrived at our hotel at the Marriott around 3:30 or so, checked in, and brought our things to up to the room.  We left and starting walking to the expo.  We walked a few blocks in the wrong direction which was okay because I had no idea where we were going!  We turned around and started going the right way and could see starting and finish line signs.  We saw a big screen display in front of the Jackson Convention Complex that said "Mississippi Blues Marathon January 10, 2015."  We kept waiting for the sign to change so we could take a picture of it.  It was so funny all of us had our phones out ready to snap a picture, but it would not change back!  It finally did though!

We walked inside the complex, signed a waver and found our name and bib number on a very large board. We headed upstairs on an escalator to collect our packets.  We got our numbers, we got our vest....wait what?!  No T-shirt? Aw man!  I had seen a post from the Mississippi Blues page that had pictures of their T-shirts.  We all were asking about shirts and the volunteers said they were sold out. Gasp!  I didn't have anything to packed to wear home because I always wear my race shirt home.  I wasn't sure of what to do with the vest.  I bought a hat and some socks and then spent $37 on a shirt that said "Would you mess with a woman who runs 13.1 miles for fun?"  Oh dear.  That's not the type of shirts I like.  That was all I could find in my size. I think I bought a 13.1 stick on tattoo also...not real sure where that is LOL.   Needless to say, we were all a little disappointed when we left the expo, but we found someone to take our picture in front of the starting line sign!

We got back to the room a little after 5 and plans were to meet Liz Ferro in the lobby at 5:40 for dinner at the Parlor Market.  We had reservations there at 6.  Liz is the CEO and founder of Girls With Sole, a Non-Profit organization that provides free fitness and wellness programs to girls who are at-risk or have experienced abuse of any kind.  There was an article in this month's Runner's World Magazine about Liz and her work with Girls With Sole!  We were all so excited to meet her.  Lauren was our connection to Liz.  Lauren had raised money for Girls With Sole so she and Liz were Facebook friends meeting in person!  So we met Liz in the lobby and Lauren and introduced ourselves.  We headed out of the hotel in the cold, dark night in downtown Jackson.  We chatted on the way and arrived at Parlor Market in no time.  The restaurant was really nice.  It was dark with candlelight on the tables.  Our table was close to the bar and the kitchen.  We could see the chefs preparing the food and we were starving!  This particular restaurant served duck and quail which I am sure is wonderful, but the eve before a big race the majority of us usually ate pasta.  Our waiter said they had pasta with tomato alfredo and duck which sounded okay to me.  My friends asked if we could possibly have chicken in our pasta instead of duck and the waiter left to go check.  We asked Liz what she ate before race day and she told us a hamburger.  She said it was always something she could eat that she knew wouldn't make her sick.  So when the waiter returned and told us there was rabbit in the pasta, we all ordered a hamburger except for Lauren.  I think she had salmon.  We talked while we waited for our food and I really enjoyed hearing Liz's stories about her Ironman races and that she had been running for 25 years.  The Mississippi Blues Marathon would be her 40th marathon and she was running 50 states for Girls With Sole and Mississippi was number 26!  So amazing!  She had also written a book called "Finish Line Feeling" and had brought Lauren a copy.  I ordered it off of Amazon at the table.  I know, I know, but I love books!  Liz was so nice and funny, but she asked us questions too, like how did we all meet each other and how many kids did we have.  We laughed a lot, but we told her personal things that either had happened or things that were going on in our lives at this particular time.  She inspired me so much that night and I am so happy I got to meet her!  We got our hamburgers (they were HUGE) and a basket of fries.  We were starving and the burger was wonderful.  After we finished eating we talked a little more and I asked the waiter to take our picture.  We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

I didn't sleep much that night, but before I knew it was 5 AM and time to get ready for race day!! I was so excited!  We all got dressed and ate our prerace food.  We decided to wait as long as we could to head to the starting line since it was 20 degrees outside.  The four of us headed down the the lobby a little after 6:30 all bundled up in our tights, hats, gloves, and jackets.  There were so many runners waiting in the lobby!  We got someone to take our picture and we headed out into the cold, eating our gels (GU or goo).  We made it to the starting line around 6:50 so we only had to wait 10 minutes for the race to start.

 There were no corrals like in Memphis, but there were pacers holding up there signs.  We huddled together taking pictures and trying our best to keep warm.

 Next thing I knew we sang the National Anthem and it was time to run!  I had on a big thick sweatshirt jacket which I didn't really want to throw away, but I had cleaned out my closet recently and didn't leave myself any old jackets.  I shed my nice Nike jacket after the first mile.  It was still pretty cold though even after I had "warmed up" a mile.  I had gloves on, but since I was holding my water bottle, my right hand was freezing.  I would have to carry it in my left hand to give my right hand a break. I had on a headband to cover my ears and a hat, two shirts, running tights and compression socks.  I wasn't too cold and never got hot at all.  My water bottle eventually accumulated ice on it.  Now that's cold.  The first part of the race wasn't too bad, but there were hills from start to finish.  I need to run it again so I can count them!  I would slowly run up the hill and run at normal speed downhill.  I wanted to hold an 11 minute pace as long as I could, but that lasted only a little over 4 miles.  Pam and I would run together off and on and she would talk to me, but with these new headphones, I couldn't hear what she was saying!  There is a button you can press to turn the music down, but since I had gloves on, I couldn't turn it down.  I just smiled and nodded.  One time, I thought she said it was relaxing to run with me. Naw, she hadn't said that lol!  I think maybe one time she said I would be a good pacer (is that right Pam?).  After 4 miles, I had to start walking uphill.  I knew if I tried to be a hero and run up all of them, that I would be worn out at the end.  Pam and I stuck together and we walked up hill and ran downhill and ran the flat parts. We high fived a lot of people and kids and I tried my best to pant out "thank you" to the volunteers.  We made it to mile 7 before we knew it and we were running by Interstate 55.  

Miles 7-9 were the best part of the race because it seemed flat.. for a little longer to give us a break.  Mile 9 was one of my fastest miles at 10:58!  Then I start slowing down again because there were lots of hills from miles 10-12.  My music stopped at mile 11 and I didn't feel like getting my phone out of the pocket of my water bottle.  I took my headphones out and I had passed a couple of volunteers when I heard a lady shout from behind me "I s### my pants!"  I don't know if she was yelling that to a volunteer but I didn't look back.  I just started laughing hysterically and Pam turned around and said "huh?"  She had not heard her, but I couldn't stop laughing.  I'll be honest, I laughed a lot during this race.  I had to laugh because it was such a hard race, I mean, one hill after another!  We all knew it would be tough, but wow!  Pam and I really picked up our pace after mile 12 and finished the last 1.2 miles at 10:29 pace.  Yay!  We had made it and were so happy to be finished!  We headed to the food tent after getting our medals and metal wraps or whatever they're called.  I didn't get on at St. Jude and when I got one at the Blues it fell, so I didn't keep it.  Ah well, it didn't take long for me to start getting cold again.  We went to the food tent and I ate a piece of pizza and a banana. We had our picture taken with our new awesome bling and headed back to the hotel room.

 Katie M. had finished in 2 hours 5 minutes, Lauren had a PR of 2 hours 18 minutes and Pam and I had finished in 2 hours 30 minutes.  I was super happy about my time and had decided before this race that I would run it for fun and not overdo it.  Pam and Katie ran the First Light Half Marathon the next day for the back to back challenge!  How awesome is that?
I know I always say this, but this was one of my favorite half marathons.  I think all of my half marathons are my favorite!  Each one has been different and a new experience.  I learn something new at each race.  I am itching to sign up for another one soon because I feel like if I can run the Mississippi Blues, then I can run anywhere!  Having a girls' trip was super fun and I hope we get to do it again one day!

Highlights from my year 2014!

It is time to wrap up 2014!  I cannot believe this year is already over.  I have one goal for the year 2015 and that is to run a marathon!!  I need to take plenty of time to prepare and that will include getting back into strength training.  I plan on going back to the gym and using machines as soon as possible.  I will have to be at the top of my game to run for that far and for that long! I would like to run a couple more half marathons before it gets hot again, but my ultimate goal for 2015 is to run 26.2!

Here are some highlights of 2014!  I started the year on January 1, running my first 12k which is about 7.5 miles with one of my running friends, Katie.  

If I could go back and spank myself at this race, I would!  I was already injured and ran on a hurt knee from beginning to end.  I still finished in an hour and 20 minutes, but I should not have tried to run that far on a hurt knee.  My running pretty much went downhill from this point and my mitral valve prolapse symptoms started flaring up.  I had palpitations every day for a week after this race and chest pain.  I still tried running on my hurt knee, but eventually the pain became too much.  I went to an Orthopedic doctor at the end of January and he told me to take off from running for 3 weeks and to start walking at week 4, then run by week 5.  During this time I was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer on February 19.  That was the worst day of my life.  I thought that I could possible die from this and that was a scary place to be!  

This verse from Isaiah got me through my darkest days, especially while waiting to see a surgical oncologist.  I had surgery to remove inside the margins of where the melanoma was located on February 27 and found out March 11 that the melanoma had not spread!  I was going to be okay!  I am so thankful for praying family, friends, and a praying church that prayed over me during this difficult time.  I had been running and walking after my surgery and ran my first 5k of the year with my friend, Pam on March 15.

It was really hard and afterward, I felt like I had a hangover.  Running had become so hard for me!  Every run was a struggle.  I had a tough time running 11 minute miles and that was very frustrating for me.  My family and I went to Disney World for spring break the last week of March and I had almost decided to quit running.  

Thankfully, my sweet husband encouraged me to keep trying and told me not to quit.  We got home for our trip and I ran a local 5k the next day.  I had not run in 2 weeks and I placed first in my age group.  It was a really small race and everybody won something, but it gave me the confidence I needed to keep going.

As the weather continued to warm up, I ran a couple more 5k's in the spring.  We ran the color run as a family minus my sweet son.  My Addy finished her first 5k at the Color Me Rad on May 3.

I decided to train for my second half marathon which would be the Hotter than Hades Half Marathon on June 21.  I trained for this race for 2 months and getting those long training runs done was so hard in the heat.  We as runners can run in colder weather and not feel so tired, but running 10 or 11 miles in the heat will show you what you are really made of.  My husband and I traveled to Greenville, Mississippi on June 20.  He drove the half marathon route so I could see what to expect.  We ate the pasta dinner at St. Johns Episcopal Church and got up around 4 AM to make the 6:15 start time.  

The race went really smoothly for me and they had fun water stops at every mile.  It was hot from the beginning to the end.  I started pouring sweat only half a mile into the race and my husband met me at mile 6 to refill my water bottle.  Finishing this race was a huge accomplishment for me.  I felt like this was my comeback race!  I finished in 2 hours and 34 minutes and I was soooooo happy!  

My husband had Shipley donut holes waiting for me in the truck.  We even went fishing that afternoon. It was a wonderful trip!

Sometimes when you achieve great victory, that is when the devil starts to attack.  I had the worst panic/anxiety attack when we got home from the half on June 22.  It had been a long drive home with bad weather and the boat tire had a blow out.  I haven't really felt like myself since that happened.  I struggled to keep my emotions in check and we tried to go on one last vacation before school started back and my son got terribly sick.  We had to cut our trip to Destin Florida short so I didn't quite feel ready for the school year to begin.  All 3 kids were starting school at 3 different schools this year.  It has been a little overwhelming, but we are making it!
My husband and I bought bikes in July and we trained for our very first team duathlon!  Our time was 70 minutes and we placed 13th out of 23 teams!  

Christopher rode the 10 mile bike ride and I ran the 5k portion of the race in a little over 28 minutes!  I was so proud of him and for our ability to work together as a team!  I started a running streak on my birthday, August 12 and set a goal for a 5k PR.  I needed to beat 27:26 and almost had it at the Run Like a Diva 5k in Peachtree City, Georgia on September 6.

I finished in 27:43 in 72 degree heat and humidity.  I was so proud at how far I had come since March when I was running a 31 minute 5k.  I had one more chance for a 5k PR at the Dancing Martin 5k in Leakesville which is right up the road from us and where my daughters go to school.  I finished in 26:18, but the route only measured 3.01 miles.  

This is me and my pastor Bro. Cregg and we both placed in our age groups.  He was right behind me the whole race!  So I still say my 27:26 time from September 2013 still stands as my 5k PR.

I ran the Pink Pumpkin 5k for Breast Cancer awareness with my youngest daughter, Addy and she finished in 43 minutes smoking her previous color run time of 45:59.

Team Shepherd ran another 5k on November 1 in Leakesville and my oldest daughter finished in 39:50 and my husband and baby girl Addy finished in 41:01!  That was a fun morning for us!
In the meantime, I had been training for my 3rd half marathon, the Pensacola Half Marathon which was November 9.  I had asked my brother, Jamie if he would like to run it with me and he said yes!  I booked our hotel room and headed down to Florida the night before the race.  Had dinner with two of my running friends and their families and Jamie didn't get to the room until 3 AM!  We got up at 5 to head down to the starting line at 6 AM and we started the race at 6:30.  My brother and I started strong and we ran together almost 3 miles when Jamie had to make a "pit stop."  I showed him where the porta potty was and I ran up a hill and waited for him to come out.  Well, I never saw him come out!  I waited and waited then started to think maybe he had by me.  I ran and walked for about 2 miles not really knowing what to do!  I was so worried about him, but by mile 6, I was running a steady pace.  I didn't have any music so I was thankful for all of the bands, crowd support, and even Elvis.  I even got "power" from a little girl dressed up as Elsa from Frozen.  Before I knew it, I was finished with the race.  I saw the clock time was at 2 hours and 48 minutes and I was kind of in shock!  

My watch said 2 hours and 40 minutes!  I tried to smile for the finish line cameras, got my medal and made a U turn to go wait for my brother.  I thought he was behind me!  I got some water and plopped down in the grass to watch the other runners finish when my phone started ringing.  It was Pam, my sole sister, asking me where I was and that Jamie was by the Subway tent!  I was so excited and relieved.  He had finished in 2 hours and 37 minutes.  My official time was 2 hours 46 minutes and I did not care.  I was so happy to see him and he was happy too!  We took our picture with our medals and started walking back to the room, chatting the whole way.  I loved seeing him feel proud of himself with his accomplishment!  He had only done a couple of 5 mile runs before running his very first half marathon!  I will always look back at this race with wonderful memories and a very happy ending!

 My last race of the year was the St. Jude Half Marathon in Memphis on December 6.  We had formed a team and registered for this race in May.  There were 5 of us on the team, myself, Katy Roberts, Lauren Kropf, Tina Fritz, and Pam Pitts.  We were running in honor of Jaxon Schoenberger, a 6 year old little boy from Ocean Springs, Mississippi who had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in March.  The tumor, sadly, metastasized to his spine and Jaxon passed away on October 31 right before his 7th birthday.  I had met his parents at a wedding several years ago and got to meet Jaxon at our first fundraiser at Newks in June.  I will never forget him and actually got up this morning thinking about him.  My girls and I had our own fundraiser at our family restaurant, Rocky Creek Catfish Cottage, where we raised $545 in donations and the restaurant donated $1000 to St. Jude Children's Hospital.  All together our team raised $11,485 for the hospital. I will never forget this special race.  My husband was kind enough to bring me to Memphis and even though this was the hardest race for me physically and mentally, I ran my best half marathon time for the year at 2:27:06.

It's been a great year and I am now training for the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon coming up January 10!  I just ran my 10 mile long run on Friday and this week is taper week.  I plan on running and walking this race since I had a hard time recovering from St. Jude.  I have had a wonderful Christmas holiday with my family and looking forward to slowing down a bit this week.  Thank you for reading and happy new year to you all!!