This morning I planned to meet a friend for an easy 8 mile run. For some reason Ashton chose this morning to sleep in so I was really crunched for time feeding him and heading out. If I wasn’t already planning on meeting her it would have been so easy to delay the run and/or not go as far. Gotta love accountability. Turns out we had a great run. About a half mile into the bike trail I heard some…
“Hills are your friends!” Boy, does this saying take me back… Back in the day… High School Cross Country- Fall 1996 This was one of our little team sayings back when I was on the high school cross country team. Whenever my teammates encountered a hill we just repeated this little mantra and plowed our way up the hill. Here I am, 16 years later thinking the same thing as I charge up a hill on a run. I decided…
It has just about been one week since my big race. Life is starting to get back to normal. The first two days back home were the hardest. I went from everything revolving around running (the Olympic trials, my marathon) back to reality. Reality involves a lot of laundry, dishes and of course, kiddos… Four to be exact! I love my babies but it is a BIG job. I bought this little plaque at the Houston Marathon Expo. I thought…
Everyone has their own opinion of pace teams. For some reason, I have spent most of my running years being a little intimidated/ annoyed by their mere presence. Seeing them usually meant I was about to be passed by a mass of people and I wasn’t able to keep up or hit a certain goal time. I have put together a few of my own Pace Team Tips. You may have some tips of your own so please feel free…
Let me begin by stating that I am not a dietitian or a running coach. When it comes to fueling during a marathon, I believe that every runner must figure out what works for them. This may come through trial and error or from advice from a book or another runner. Ultimately it comes down to what works for you. When I ran my first marathon in December of 1999 I did not think about fueling during the race at…
There is nothing easy about running a marathon. It is hard, hard work. As I sit here and type my race recount I am completely exhausted. My legs are unbelievably sore. I have two toenails I’m honestly afraid to look at and one blister on each foot. My body is aching but I have to say- it is ALL WORTH IT!! I am so completely thrilled and satisfied with how everything went yesterday. Thank you, God!! Pre-race:The day began at…
Today was an amazing day to be a runner. The Olympic trials for men and women were this morning and we were there for it all!! The athletes ran a 2.2 mile loop and then did one eight mile loop three times. We stood right by mile markers 2,10,18 and 26 (it was all at the same place). I got so many great pictures of all the top runners and we were so close to it all! Halfway through the…
We made it! The past 24 hours have been busy! We had Ashton’s 1 year birthday party last night and then it was time to switch gears and start race packing. This morning I finished all the packing (it takes a while packing up 6 people) and then this afternoon John, Ashton and I flew to Houston. The three big kids are with Nana and Papa. We are so thankful to live by them! The flight from Little Rock to…
Today is the day my baby turns 1. One year ago my world changed forever when I held my little man. Our family was complete. I knew he was our last baby and I fully planned to savor every “last” experience. From his first smile to rolling over. Then when he learned to sit up on his own and when he started to crawl. You are my sweet and precious boy. I love you Ashton! Happy…
It is officially 1 week into 2012 and for the moment… I AM CAUGHT UP ON ALL THE LAUNDRY!!! Yes, finally! We went on a week vacation and the laundry got a bit out of control. So I thought I would like to take the free five minutes or so I have and post some of my goals for this year. 2012 Goals Spiritually- Read the Bible. This was a huge blessing to my life in 2011 and I am…