From Ice Cream to Marathon

Looking back and looking ahead

2018-01-06T13:42:00.001-05:00

And just like that, 2017 is gone!
I only ran 7 half marathons, which isn’t many for me. My big thing for the year was hiking the Grand Canyon. The plan was to hike rim to rim to rim, but I passed out at mile 17, so we didn’t get to finish. But that was definitely the highlight of my year! The highlight being that I miraculously lived.

In January my father-in-law passed away, so it’s been a year of learning to live a new normal without him.

I had liposuction, and then liposuction revision 6 months later.

My precious niece finished her chemo and is cancer free as of this summer and forever!

I turned 40. Gulp.

I got a new position at the bank where I work, which I love. It’s so nice to love my job!

I celebrated my 11th wedding anniversary.

I had some impossible times as a wife and stepparent, that I thought were going to do me in and be the end of me.

But through it all, God has never left me alone. I couldn’t have survived without Him.

I still love running more than anything, but I definitely didn’t run as much as I have previous years. I didn’t keep track of my miles, but I know they were nowhere near 1000, which is always my goal.

Starting tomorrow I will be meeting with a personal trainer once a week for an hour. We’re going to do strength training, and I told him my goal is to lose 30 pounds and be in excellent shape. So he’s going to help me!

I also want to become a faster runner. My times are pretty much the same as they were 5 years ago when I started running. That is not good! I know losing weight and really focusing on speed work will help.

I already have 8 races planned so far for this year, including a local 5K race that I’m helping to put on.

I would really like to do some different races this year. It seems like I always do the same ones over and over again, but this year I want to do new ones, and definitely more travel.

Cheers to an amazing 2018!!

Indy Women’s Half Marathon, #30

2017-10-11T22:36:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago I ran my 30th half marathon. This was my 3rd (or was it 4th?) time running the Indy Womens half, and it is one I plan on doing every year!

Like last year, Margie and I got a hotel, did some walking downtown, then went to eat at Weber's. Btw, she has lost 30 lbs since the last time I saw her, by doing the Keto diet. She’s amazing!!

This was my first race since having my liposuction revision, so I hadn’t done much running the month prior to the race. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, I was trying to mentally prepare myself for walking the whole thing.

Although I hadn’t done any running, I was still walking at least 3-5 miles almost every day.

I was able to run almost the whole thing, walking through the water stops and a couple other times. But I had no pain at all, and finished in 2:43. Definitely not my fastest, but it was better than I was expecting!

I was a little excited to see my precious runner mama near the finish line.

I ran the Indy Half marathon at Fort Ben 2 weeks later. It was my first time running that one, and I loved it.

It was a beautiful course, just an excellent race through Fort Harrison state park.

This course was really hilly, and it was a pretty hot day too. I struggled through this one, but loved every minute of it. I crossed the finish line in 2:47.

Although I haven’t had many sub 2:30 races, I know I’ll get back there someday. For now I’m just enjoying the journey as I keep pushing myself to get better.

Highlights from my summer

2017-08-20T17:42:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday was a very special day. We celebrated my niece's last chemo treatment!

It's been one year since Kristin was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She had a successful surgery, and many chemo treatments and so much more over the year.

But now it's all over. Her hair can grow back and she can go back to being a normal kid. (Well, she's almost 15 now!)

She has a great prognosis, and will live to be a little old lady.

I know I haven't been here much lately, but I've still been running and going to the gym.

I'm loosely following a half marathon training plan. My next race is the Indy Women's half on Sep 30th.

My Twinnie and I recently went to Ohio for the weekend. We found a beautiful park to run/walk in.

I ran a 5k with some friends one night, had a great time. There is nothing better than running with friends then relaxing and listening to a good band. I just love it.

On Sep 1st I'm having a liposuction revision. I had lipo 7 months ago, and have never been happy with how my stomach and hips turned out. So I'm going to go through it all again.

Thankfully, I only have to pay the anesthesiologist fee, the doctor doesn't charge anything for revision.

That recovery was one of the hardest things I've been through. I wasn't able to run without pain for at least four months.

But I'm going to push through it, I have 5 half marathons already scheduled for this fall, and I'm not going to be canceling any of them! My doctor did say since he's only redoing two areas instead of all four, recovery won't be as bad.
This time I'll be staying with one of my sisters, so Jeremy doesn't have to deal with me again!

My sweet niece wanted to go hiking with me, so we went to a park that also had a waterfall, which she had never seen before. We hiked 4.5 miles. I was sooo proud of her. She ran a 5K with me one time, but that was the furthest distance she's ever been.

She was a great little hiking buddy and didn't complain one time!

And that is just a very few highlights of my summer.

Have a fabulous Monday, my friends!

Sea to Shining Sea virtual race sign up!

2017-07-30T18:59:00.001-04:00

My friend Kristy, from Runaway Bridal Planner, (and also my Grand Canyon hiking buddy) is hosting this virtual race in September. I hope you all will join us!

Do you love to hike? Or love to trail run? Maybe this next challenge is right up your alley.

What is a Virtual Race?

Runners, walkers, and hikers sign up for a distance they want to conquer. Come race week, participants pick the course of their choice, any day that fits their schedule, at go at it any pace. Efforts and completion of Virtual Races are rewarded similar to a regular road race, a race t-shirt and beautiful unique finishers medallion are sent to you to show off accomplishments and add to your race bling collections.

Design the Perfect Course for YOU.

Yes, you can do the Virtual Race in the comfort of your home or gym on a treadmill or on a track, around your neighborhood or wherever fits your schedule. But many don't realize you can also take your virtual race to the trails, hike your way to your goal distance too.

Maybe you love a mountain hike with breathtaking views, or a relaxing walk across a beach? Possibly your dream course is fast and flat or all downhill. Or past waterfalls, caves or a National Park? Are city streets more your style or a quiet country road? What course would you choose as your dream course? With a virtual race, you don't have to keep searching for that race, you can make it happen!

Spots are filling up quickly.

The Run Sea to Shining Sea Virtual Races are filling up fast and prices go up on August 1st. If you register today, you can use discount code FUNRUN and save 15% off the registration price. HINT: If you are willing to share you signed up on Facebook during registration you can save an additional 10% on top of the promo code discount. Don't wait, secure your spot today!!

Love unique finishers medallions?

Run Sea to shining Sea created a unique medallion all participants will earn. Here is a preview of the design (Note: the actual medal will be a nice quality heavier nickel metal about 3 inches wide with a navy blue splash of color.)

Still Wondering Why you should Participate?

* Use it as a training run for a fall race you are gearing towards.

* To motivate you to stay active or to become active.

* As an excuse to get a group of friends together for some healthy competition.

* Compete against yourself.

* Compete in your own way with no restrictions, run during the time of day and day of the week that works best for your schedule.

* It supports American small businesses, medal creation, and t-shirt screen printing all done by American based companies. In addition, the event project itself is for a college thesis project so you'll be helping a runner get her Recreational Management degree!

* Earn a new medallion to add to your race accomplishment displays.

Want to give it a try? You can REGISTER HERE today before registration prices increase.

Where would your dream race course be? Or what type of course would be your perfect to run?

Grand Canyon Adventure- Kristy's side of the story

2017-07-03T07:26:00.001-04:00

As you know, Kristy, from Runaway Bridal Planner, and I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon. She posts about it here.

I laughed and cried as I read it. Again, it makes me so thankful to be alive, seeing how close I was to death.

She has lots of good tips to help in knowing what to do if you're ever with someone in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

So grab a drink, and read about our great adventure, from Kristy's point of view!

Hiking in Zion National Park

2017-06-16T07:12:00.000-04:00

After my exciting, near death experience in the Grand Canyon, I really had to think about if I wanted to continue on with our plans to do some hiking in Zion 2 days later.

Honestly, I was scared. And because I was scared, I knew I had to do it. I knew if I let the fear take over, it would cripple me. I did have thoughts going through my head that I just need to quit running and hiking, and just stay inside where it's safe.
I knew the only way to shut up those voices was to just do it. So that's what we did.

I had to convince Kristy that I would be ok. We took it very slow, lots of water breaks, and she wouldn't let me carry anything, not even my own water. She's so stubborn. ;)

The views were unbelievable! So stunning.

We hiked a total of 5 miles, on a few trails.

The first one was Emerald Pools. We went down to the lower level, and then walked up to the 2nd level, then I wanted to go on up to the 3rd level as well. The views were worth it! (I didn't get many pictures, unfortunately)

Rocks we had to climb to get to the 3rd level

Our hike went great. I was disappointed we couldn't go on any 'difficult' hikes, but I knew I had to be smart about it. I was not going to take any chances.

This was a tunnel right through the mountain

After our hike Kristy took me to a restaurant that she's been to many times, Wildcat Willie's. It was sooo good!

We had a great hike, and I'm so glad we still went.

I've been home now for a little over a week, and haven't done any running yet. But that will change tomorrow; I'm going for a run!

Again, I'm a little nervous. (The dr said I'm more susceptible to heat exhaustion again now that this has happened.) But I'll keep my water with me and be very careful. This will not stop me from doing what I love!

Grand Canyon adventure and an unexpected helicopter ride

2017-06-11T17:19:00.000-04:00

My rim to rim to rim adventure didn't go quite as expected… but let's start at the beginning.

6 months ago Kristy posted about how hiking R2R2R was on her bucket list, and did anyone want to join her. Since I am always up for an adventure, especially if it includes something outdoors, and it's not easy, I said I DO!!
So we trained and prepared for 6 months to be able to do this. (I was out for a couple months due to surgery, but trained every chance I got after I recovered) We were so excited about this!

We got to the Grand Canyon on Thursday afternoon. We checked into our campground and got our tent set up.

After that we set out to see the Grand Canyon.
It was even more stunning than I had imagined. It is so, so vast. Everywhere you look, there's more of it. It truly is breathtaking.

After walking around for a while, we ate dinner at the lodge. Spectacular views!

We then went back to our campground, built a fire, roasted marshmallows and starburst. (Have you ever roasted a starburst? You must try it!! The outside gets a little crispy, the inside gets gooey and it literally burst in your mouth. This is a Kristy specialty.)

We went to bed early, 4 AM would be here before we knew it.
I got so cold that night. I was wearing a T-shirt, a sweatshirt, sweatpants, hat, gloves and handwarmers. And I was still shivering most of the night! I believe the temps were in the upper 40's. I did think about how in just a few hours I would be in 100 degree temps though!

About 2 miles into our hike one of the straps on my backpack broke. My foot just slipped a little bit and when I reached out to catch myself, it pulled on the strap and it broke. We tied it together with my bandana, but it was never quite the same after that.
The rest of the hike the majority of the weight was on my right shoulder.

The first 13 miles were mostly downhill. It hadn't got unbearably hot, I was feeling really good. The only thing really bothering me was my pack. Kristy ended up taking one of my water bladders, so I wouldn't have so much weight. Which meant my pack was now around 15 lbs and hers was close to 40. She's a beast! And such a sweet friend. That really helped me out a lot.

We reached Phantom Ranch campground after 13 miles and took a little break.
Kristy had looked this place up online and saw that they had lemonade in the little store there. I cannot tell you how much we were looking forward to that lemonade! And it did not disappoint. Best lemonade I've ever had. It tasted so good!

I knew once we left Phantom Ranch it would get more difficult. We had 13 or so miles left and they were straight up to the south rim, it was also now the hottest part of the day.

I had no doubt I could do it though. Physically I felt fine, my legs weren't even sore, but I was tired. Mentally I was in a good place. I was positive, I kept telling myself I can do this, and things like that.

It was brutal, the heat was insane (105), no shade whatsoever. I felt like I was taking a few steps and then stopping to rest. I was feeling so bad for Kristy, knowing I was holding her back. But I knew I was giving it my all.
It really was the hardest thing I've ever done. It felt like I was walking through hell. A beautiful hell. Ha!

I remember thinking I wish I could sit down by this rock and rest. But I knew if I did I would die there because I would never get back up. So that was not an option. I just kept saying I can do this, I've trained for it, I've got this!
And that is the last thing I remember.

The next thing I knew, I was struggling to open my eyes, and I was laying on the ground.
I KNEW I was dreaming. I just knew it!
When I opened my eyes there were two ladies with me. One was sitting right beside me, and the other one was standing over me fanning me with a shirt. I kept asking them if they were angels, they just smiled.

Kristy filled me in on all the details and said how she noticed right away something wasn't right with me. I was stumbling and couldn't answer any of her questions (we had just been chatting normally). She sat me down and I was telling her to just leave me, just let me go, just let me go. Then I told her to just put me in my house.

She did whatever she could to keep me awake.

But then I slumped over, and my face and lips went white. She said my skin was drying out quickly.

Right then 2 women hikers just happened to be walking towards us. Kristy knew she had to get me to shade, and there was some just a little ways up. Somehow they managed to stand me up and push me up the hill into the shade.
She begged the two women to please stay with me while she went to get help. She had taken some EMT training in college, and one thing they did was learn how to help people with heat exhaustion. I could not have been hiking with a better person, no doubt about that.
So she told them what to do, while she ran 2 miles back to the emergency phone.

When I woke up I kept telling myself to wake up from this dream, it was the craziest feeling I've ever had. I just knew this was a dream that I would wake up from.

The girl sitting next to me kept me talking, and from going back to sleep.

I knew my name, I knew where I lived, I even knew I was in Arizona. But I could not for the life of me remember WHY I was there. She told me I was hiking, and I said but why? (Her reply "I know, right? Why would anyone do this! Ha!!)

I knew I was with a friend, but I couldn't even remember her name. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't remember those things. I would try to talk and couldn't even get the whole sentence out, because my brain couldn't get the words to my mouth. My brain was total mush.

I kept asking her if I was paralyzed, because I told her I had to run again! I was also so worried that my brain wouldn't return to normal. She assured me I was not paralyzed and that I would be fine.

I remember being so mad that I passed out. I only had 7 miles to go! I was so mad at myself.

I could tell the two girls helping me were foreign, so I asked the one sitting beside me where she was from. She told me she was from India. Well, that got me crying. I told her I was once going to adopt a baby girl from India.

Oh, I was such a mess! It was funny the things I could remember, but then the things that I should remember, I wasn't able to.

I remember seeing a group of hikers coming up to us. One of them was an ER nurse, and she actually had an IV with her! What a miracle! That absolutely saved my life.

Meanwhile, Kristy had reached the phone in 28 minutes (which was another miracle, it took her an hour and a half to get back to me. No doubt God helped her get there quick), told the Ranger exactly where I was so they could get help to me.

Betsy, the park ranger was 1 mile away from me. She also had an IV with her which I needed as well.

She was so sweet and comforting too. She later told me she wished she had recorded me on her phone, because I was so funny. I can only imagine! I know I was so out of it. She asked me some questions, some I knew, some I didn't. I totally butchered my last name as I was trying to spell it for her.
A couple of them asked me if I wanted to try to stand, which I did. (I still wanted to finish my hike!)
I was very wobbly, my shoes felt like they were stuck in mud. I could not get them to move. So I sat back down for a little while longer.

Around that time Kristy came back. I overheard someone ask her name, and when she said it then I remembered. She said I was just holding onto her hand and I kept telling her I remember you, I remember you. I was so happy.

A few minutes later the helicopter arrived and they helped me walk to it. I have always wanted to ride in a helicopter, especially over the Grand Canyon! Although that's not exactly how I thought it would happen.
I really wish I had my phone with me at that point so I could've taken pictures. Words can't describe the beauty that I saw. Of course I was also looking through new eyes, thankful that I was alive.

After we landed I was taken by ambulance to the Grand Canyon clinic. I was there for about an hour getting fluids.
I was talking to my doctor there about running (I know, hard to imagine), and found out that she is an elite marathoner, who has won many races, including New York several times! She went to the Olympics, and came in eighth place. (My brain was functioning pretty good at this point)

I asked her what her average marathon time is and she said 2:40. Amazing!!! Meeting her was definitely a highlight of this whole experience.

When I got into the helicopter, Kristy was able to finish the hike to the south rim. She ended up with 30 miles that day, on raw feet, covered in blisters. She had gotten them wet as she was running for help for me, which is why they got so bad.

Betsy let me stay in her apartment for the night, which was so incredibly sweet of her. Then Kristy got there on Saturday after hiking 7 more miles, and we stayed that night there too.

Sunday we (miraculously) were able to get seats on the shuttle for the 5 hour ride back to the North rim, to her car.

I feel like there are so many details I'm leaving out, but I know this is long enough already.
So many miracles happened that Friday afternoon.

The biggest being that I was in stage 3 heat exhaustion, with stage 4 being death, and I was moments away.

I found out that my nutrition and hydration were good. I was only slightly dehydrated because in the last 2 miles I quit drinking much water. It was solely due to the heat, and my body couldn't take it.

I know if Kristy hadn't done everything she did for me, I have no doubt, I would not be here right now. She absolutely saved my life.

I am so thankful to the two Indian girls who helped me, the hiking ER nurse who gave me an IV, for Betsy the park ranger, and every other person who played a part in my rescue.

I am most thankful to God, who knew everything that was going to happen and He put every single person in place at the perfect time to help me.

I just feel overwhelmed with gratitude.

Facing death, knowing you were minutes away, and surviving; it changes you.

Tomorrow I'll write about our hike in Zion National on Monday. Yes, I hiked again.

Grand Canyon, here I come!

2017-05-30T06:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been over two months since I have blogged!
My laptop decided to be stupid and will no longer let me upload pictures here from my Dropbox, and I can't figure out how else to do it. And who really wants to read a blog with no pictures?
I can't use blogger from my iPad or iPhone, so trying to blog at all is extremely difficult. Any smart computer people out there want to help me? :)

I've ran 2 half marathons since I've been gone. I ran the Flying Pig half marathon in Cincinnati. That was my first race after having to cancel three others because I was recovering from liposuction. It felt so good to be back! I had a great race, and loved every minute of it. Even the hills.
Then on Sunday I ran the Noblesville half marathon in Indiana. That one didn't turn out as well as I was hoping. It was a flat course, pretty nice weather, although a little on the hot side. But I ended up running that one slower than the flying pig. I still can't figure out what happened there, but I'm just moving on!

I know I mentioned before about my upcoming R2R2R (rim to rim to rim) Grand Canyon adventure. Well, after six months of planning and training, it will be here tomorrow!
I'm a little nervous, but super excited. There's always the question of did I really train enough, am I prepared for this? But I do believe I am. I am 100% confident going into this.

I will be meeting my friend Kristy in Utah, and then Thursday we will head to the Grand Canyon. We will camp out there on the North rim for the night. Then bright and early Friday morning (actually DARK and early, 4am) we will begin our 30ish mile hike down into the canyon, 12-15 hours.
We will stay at the South Rim all day Saturday, maybe just go on some small hikes. Then Sunday morning we will begin our 24 mile hike up out of the canyon.
Going both ways will be difficult. Going down the canyon is hard on the knees. But for me, coming back up is where I will really see what I'm made of! I have read that coming back up is equivalent to climbing Mount McKinley. The temps in the canyon will be in the 100's. (But no humidity)

On Monday, if our legs are still functioning, we plan on hiking in Zion National park with Clarinda.
It's going to be intense and a crazy adventure, and I cannot wait!!

I hope to get my computer fixed soon, because I know I will have loads of pictures when I get back!

Washington DC Adventures Day 2

2017-03-19T16:42:00.002-04:00

Last week was so busy, I had no time to recap our 2nd day in DC.

Friday was such a crazy day, we were hoping Saturday would be calm, drama free, and no more attempted robberies...and it was perfect!

We slept in, went to a nice breakfast and watched some runners from the RnR DC run by. It did make me really sad for a moment that I wasn't out there running. But then I remembered how COLD it was, so I was glad to be inside nice and warm.

Here's some pics from our day:

WWII Memorial

Trolley Tour

The only museum we had time for was the Holocaust Museum. We didn't make it through all 4 floors, we only got through 3 before they closed.
It was so shocking and horrifying, very sad and somber. So humbling. Several moments where I felt nauseated. I've watched all the movies, but seeing this in person made it much more real.

The remembrance room (a very small section of it)

This is the first thing you see as you begin the tour. From the other

side of the room you could hear a video playing with some of their screams. Speechless.

Seeing their shoes just took your breath away

This was so incredibly sad, and just makes you SO furious that this could've ever happened. Absolutely heartbreaking.

Friday night we had dinner at the POV rooftop. Beautiful restaurant with gorgeous views. It was enclosed in plastic for the winter, but still pretty chilly.

We could see the White House from where we were sitting

I eat steak maybe once a year, so I don't have much to

compare it to; but this was the best steak I've ever had!

Charity took this pic of me right before we got swarmed by security. How gorgeous is this lobby at the W!

We had an absolutely amazing time. I do wish we could've stayed another day or two, there was SO much more we wanted to see!

And this was how our trip ended. A man snoring in the seat behind us on our flight home. How can you not take a picture of that?

P.S. Any pics that look professional are because Charity took them, and she's a professional! Other pics were done with my IPhone.

My crazy first day in Washington DC

2017-03-12T20:26:00.001-04:00

What a crazy, adventurous weekend I had!
I had been planning on going to D.C. for the rock n roll half, but decided not to do it because I haven't been able to run yet since my liposuction.

But Charity had already been planning on coming with me, so we had already bought plane tickets, and still wanted to go and just make a fun girls weekend of it. And boy, did we!

To start with, I'm not a frequent flyer, so the takeoff and landing always makes me nervous. Our plane was small, and it was windy. So it was pretty turbulent. Poor Charity, I left an indention in her hand from her ring since I was squeezing her so hard. She loves me.

After arriving, we decided to ride the metro to our hotel.
A few minutes after we got on, a man with only one arm bursts through the door that goes between the trains, slams it shut, and starts yelling. He says he just got out of jail after 4 years, and he needs money. He doesn't want to have to hurt anyone or have to steal, but he needs money.
Of course I immediately turned on the sound recording on my phone, just in case.
I swear, I never prayed so hard in my life!! By this time he had gone to the back of the train and I heard him tell someone thank you.
Thankfully, our stop was about 30 seconds after all that craziness and we got off of there as fast as we could!!

It's funny because I was just telling Charity how unsafe a metro seems. There's no security or anything. There's no way for anyone to run away or escape, you're just stuck! Of course guns aren't allowed, so no one can even protect themselves. And then crazy guy gets on and starts robbing people.
We said no more metro for us, only Uber from now on!

Our first ever Uber ride. I wasn't as nervous as I look

Friday night we went to POV Rooftop. The views were pretty amazing. Yes, it was about 30 degrees, but they had plastic all around the balcony. It didn't block out all the wind and cold though, but there were some heaters around too. It was still pretty cold, and I wouldn't go back in the winter.
The food was good, and it was a great experience.

White House in the distance

Crab Cake

NY Strip Steak

Buffalo Cauliflower (amazing!!)

After eating, we went down to the lobby of the W hotel and Charity (who is a professional photographer) starts taking some pictures of me.
We immediately got swarmed by security! Apparently you can only take pictures with your phone, you cant use an actual camera. We'd never heard of such a thing! Guess it has something to do with being next door to the White House, who knows.

In our rush to get out of there, we left our $25 desserts from POV there in the lobby. That hurt!

We Uber'd (is that a word?) back to our hotel and around 1 we headed to bed. I went into the bathroom, and almost stepped on a HUGE roach. I am not joking, it was like triple the size of a regular one. Charity thinks I'm dying, so she rushes in there and it disappears.
She calms me down (haha!) and then she goes in there, and whaddya know, there it is again. And this time it follows her out into the hallway.
She goes into the kitchenette, and sees one crawling out of the sink!
That was it- I AM OUT. I call the front desk, and they are very apologetic and bring us a key for a different room, a few doors down. First thing we see in the new room- a mouse trap. Gahhh!!!

So we had quite a night. At one point we were almost asleep when Charity screams and jumps out of bed and starts ripping her clothes off, because she felt something crawling on her. We later realized it was just her necklace.
We could not stop laughing.

Needless to say, we had a very eventful, adventurous first night in DC!
Saturday we went sightseeing...more on that later.

My first running attempt

2017-02-20T18:00:00.001-05:00

I sure enjoyed my long weekend. Sorry for those of you who didn't get one!

A couple of my friends wanted to check out a new tea room nearby, The Sword and the Scone. Honestly, I had to ask what is a tea room? I am not a tea drinker, but give me coffee any day, all day.
But I'm always open to trying new things, and I'm so glad we went. It was the cutest little place. So many different teas to choose from, and they bring you all you want. We probably had about 10 different teapots on our table!

Delicious chicken salad croissant

The owner made all the chandeliers herself. They were so cute.

The thing that bonded the 3 of us together years ago was we were all desperate for a baby, but none of us could get pregnant. Walking through that impossible time in my life with them saved my life.
One of the girls now has 2 precious adopted babies!
It's so great getting together on occasion and still being able to understand and encourage eachother.

Then I got my hair done. I seem to be getting blonder each time...and that does not hurt my feelings.

I was really looking forward to yesterday though. Temps in the 70's and sunny! A perfect day for running. And since I haven't ran in 2 weeks, it was going to be perfect.
I quickly realized I was not ready to run yet though. I ran about 3 steps and had to go back to walking. I can only describe the feeling as the skin being ripped off my body in the areas I had lipo on. It felt like an intense burning. I walked 3 miles, and every time I would try to run, same thing.

I was so disappointed! I thought for sure I'd be able to run by now.
Another runner who had lipo over a month ago told me she still can't run. I know it's different for everyone though.
I will keep on walking (which doesn't feel great, but is doable), keep adding on the miles, and hopefully be running again soon. But I will be smart about it too, I'm not going to hurt myself.

Have a great week, my friends!

5 things Friday and my first post op appt

2017-02-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! I hope you guys had a great week!

Here's a few things from mine:

1. Look at this baby! This is Hank. He is my precious nephew. I mean have you ever?? He lives close by, but I sure don't get to see him often enough. He is one classy kid.

2. I don't remember if I told you guys that I got eyelash extensions a couple months ago. At the time, I was in love with them.

They are high maintenance though, I had to get them filled in every 2 weeks, which just seemed way too often. I needed to take them off for my surgery, and when I did- I was shocked at what was left of my poor natural lashes. It was awful. What few I actually had left, were short and stubbly. I mostly have bald patches. Thankfully eyelashes grow back.
No more eyelash extensions for me!

3. Since Jeremy's Dad passed away, he quit his job of 10 years at Sprint, to take over his Dad's business at Primerica Financial Services. This has been a dream of his for many years, although he always dreamed of working with his Dad.
Last night he officially became an RVP with the company, taking his Dad's place. So they had a big meeting and the whole family celebrated. It was really special.

My sweet stepsons :)
(My first big outing since my lipo, other than work)

4. Wednesday I had my first post op visit with my Dr. Since my surgery I've lost 3.5 lbs., which really impressed him. He said most people stay the same or gain. I told him I'm serious about losing the rest of this weight!
He said I was still very swollen and he and the nurse couldn't believe how badly I was bruised. She said "he sure did a number on you, didn't he?" I said I'm glad he did!
He showed me a picture of the 4 liters of fat he removed. It was so gross! (That's like 2, 2 liters of coke!) He's very happy with my progress and wants to see me again before my half marathon in 3 weeks. (3 WEEKS!! Yes, I'm freaking out)

5. I get a 3 day weekend, the temps are going to be in the 70's, AND I'm going to attempt to run for the first time!

Movies and a hospital visit

2017-02-14T07:07:00.001-05:00

My weekend went a little different than I expected, but it ended up great, which is all that matters!

Charity and I went to see a movie Friday night.

My sweet niece and I went to see "The space between us" on Saturday. It was a movie filled weekend.

My mom's sister passed away this weekend. I never met her. She lived in a group home in Texas. She had the mental capacity of a 2 year old.
My mom was the oldest of 7, so she grew up taking care of her, and Melinda adored her big sister. She told me that Melinda loved to run, and one thing that aggravated her more than anything was that she couldn't run anymore because she was in really poor health.
I love to think about her running now, totally whole in her mind and body.

Can I just say, how gorgeous is my mom?!

Going through pictures and memories

It has now been 10 days since my lipo, and I'm doing great. I had a little scare yesterday when several people, including my Dr, were concerned that I may have a blood clot. I had all the signs and symptoms of having a blood clot in my foot. I had been having trouble breathing for several days, so we thought it was possible it went to my lung. How scary does that sound!!

Jeremy took me to the ER and they got me in super fast. We were there for about 4 hours, while they ran every test possible.

While we were waiting on the results, I noticed my breathing became normal.
They came in with my results, and every test was perfect! No blood clots, no fluid around my lungs, no heart failure, nothing! I was so so happy and relieved, of course. They attributed everything to post surgery swelling. I know even though this surgery was a 'vain' thing, I still know God was taking care of me.
Btw, I have created a private IG of my lipo journey. It is katlipojourney. It's not pretty though, just so you know.

Here's my declaration for the rest of the year: no more death, no more hospitals, no more scary moments. That's not too much to ask, right??

Liposuction Recovery Day 5

2017-02-08T20:39:00.001-05:00

Today is day 5 since my liposuction, and it has been the best day so far.

As I mentioned before, I wasn't only dealing with soreness, but a couple incisions were very painful. But as of this morning I can tell they are healing, and hardly hurt at all.

I went back to work yesterday and just wanted to cry all day! It was very rough. Up until then I'd only been reclining, laying down, or standing. So sitting straight up in a chair all day hurt. And I even got a brand new huge bruise on my upper stomach from my compression garment because of that.

Trying to smile through the pain

Today was a great day. Still very sore, and I move like an injured, old lady, but that's ok!
I've been walking every day around the house, usually just a mile or two. When I got out of work today it was pouring rain, and I didn't have an umbrella. So, I tried to run to the car. I very quickly realized I can't run yet!!

I also got my best sleep last night. I have to sleep on my back, which is almost impossible for me, but I must be getting used to it, because it's getting easier.

My poor body looks like it was put in a washing machine spin cycle. So many bruises, some small, some huge, all different colors. Cuts, holes, marks- it is such a mess!! Of course I take tons of pictures, but I know most people don't wanna see all that!

I have not regretted doing this for one second. I know it was the best decision for me!

If you guys have any questions at all, feel free to ask.

Liposuction recovery day 1

2017-02-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

Its been a little over 24 hours since I had liposuction (Writing this Saturday). I'm feeling better than I thought I would.
Everything went great, no problems at all. My Dr removed 9 lbs of fat!
In my consultation he had told me I had a lot in my stomach, so probably most of it was there. My stomach has always been my trouble spot, I've never been able to get rid of it, no matter how hard I tried!
He also lipo'd my flanks (back fat), inner/outer thighs, and my hips.

My morning started at 6 a.m. We had to be there at 7:30. I had no problem waking up, I was so excited! No makeup or contacts...eeek!

I talked to the nurse, Dr, and anesthesiologist for a little bit, laid down on the table, and I was gone!
Next thing I know, I was in a wheelchair trying to open my eyes to see my nurse and Jeremy.
Jeremy said the first thing I said was "I'm so happy!" Haha!
I was shaking real bad, I remember asking if the chair was vibrating. Not sure why I was shaking, maybe I was just cold.

They loaded me in the car and we headed home. I thought I would be real sleepy, but I wasn't. I took a short nap after awhile, but I felt really good.

I get to wear this thing for the next month! 24/7 for 2 weeks, then 12 hours a day for 2 weeks.

The blood is because the incisions in my thighs are bleeding quite a bit. One more than the other. If I stand for more than a couple minutes, it starts pouring out blood, even though it has a couple pieces of thick gauze pads on it. Which then causes me to almost pass out. It's a little scary! I wonder how can so much blood come out of this tiny hole! Jeremy said our bathroom looks like a crime scene after changing the dressings. I did text my Dr about it and he said it's normal. He said it's not only blood but also fluids. It should stop soon. All the other insicions are no longer bleeding.

My gf Charity, dropped off some goodies for me. She knows me well!

But, I gave them away. I am going to be very careful about not gaining weight back, and to keep losing the rest. (About 20 lbs) The good thing is, he removed the fat cells, so fat can never go back to the same areas. But it can go to other areas and cause you to look very dis-proportioned. I do not want that!

Jeremy fixed me some delicious chicken noodle soup. It was perfect.

Then I had a crazy craving for blueberry yogurt. And I still do. I would rather have blueberry yogurt than anything else, even ice cream! I know, it's shocking. So one of my sweet sisters went to the store and bought me some. Oh happy day.
Other than that, I've only been eating saltine crackers. I can't take pain meds on an empty stomach.

I do have a massive bruise and swelling on both legs. But when I take this garment off, I can already see such a big difference! He said I won't see the final result for 3 to 6 months, because there's a lot of swelling and it takes a while for your body to settle into its new shape. But I can already tell a difference, especially in my stomach.

I walk around inside the house as often as I can, pretty much until my leg starts bleeding. I'm craving some kind of activity! I know that will help with the soreness as well.

I'm not supposed to go back to work until Tuesday. Now I'm wishing I had taken the whole week off. Not because I'm in any pain, but to go from sitting to standing is very hard! My stomach is real sore and feels very heavy. But once I'm walking around, I feel fine, it's just that changing of positions.

I have to give a shout out to Jeremy. He has been so wonderful and taken such excellent care of me. He has supported me in this from the very beginning. There's no way I could've done this without him!

I truly am so happy! I'm so so glad I had liposuction. I haven't regretted it for a moment!

Hurry up, Friday!

2017-01-31T07:27:00.001-05:00

Why am I rushing Friday? Well...I've gone back and forth the past month on whether I should talk about this here, but have decided to go for it.

On Friday I will be having liposuction! It 's something I've been wanting to do for awhile, but wasn't making enough money with my home daycare to save anything. But since starting my new job, I've been able to.

I am so excited. I've felt like I work so hard, I eat healthy most of the time, I'm in the gym 4-5 days a week- but my stomach refuses to go away, and my hips refuse to get any smaller!

So I'm having lipo on my stomach, flanks (back fat), inner and outer thighs, and hips. I've done lots of research on this, I wanted to be very well informed and make sure this is what I wanted to do. And it is!

As for my recovery, I'll have the surgery on Friday and then go back to work next Tuesday. Since I sit down all day, my Dr says I should be fine. (He's the same amazing Dr I went to 12 years ago)
I can start walking as soon as I feel like it, probably after a few days. But I shouldn't start running again for a couple weeks.

The only thing I'm worried about... my next half marathon is in 5.5 weeks! The R'n'R DC half marathon. I will not be able to train for it much at all. I try to always stay half marathon ready physically, but after a surgery like this, and not being able to do any long runs, I'm not sure how it will go. If I have to do a lot of walking during it, I will. I know it will be an amazing experienceeither way.
And then March 1 I'll start training like a crazy person for my R2R2R hike in the Grand Canyon! So, here's to a super fast and easy recovery!

If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask!

A movie and trying to move on

2017-01-21T20:49:00.002-05:00

I know a lot of people had unseasonably warm weather this weekend, including us. It was awesome. Now if it would just stay this way the rest of the winter, I would be happy.

Jeremy and I went to see Patriots Day. It was so good. It was suspenseful and dramatic. It definitely pulled on the heartstrings. Go see it!!

He seemed to think it was naptime...

After watching the movie I went for my first run of the week. Yes, of the week.
It was more of a walk/run. I really just needed to get active out in the fresh air.

I'm having a really hard time dealing with my Father in law's death. It hit me much harder than I thought it would.
We had his funeral last week, and it went really well. Over 300 people came, not counting the visitation. He was a very loved and respected man.

The family was able to put letters or any other items in the casket with him. It was another heart wrenching moment. My 11 year old nephew read a letter he wrote to his Pepaw out loud to us before he put it in. I just can't describe the pain in my heart seeing and hearing that.

I put in a medal I received after my hardest marathon. I felt like I fought for every mile, and getting that medal at the finish line was an incredible reward. It reminded me of what a fighter he was, and always has been. And now he has his reward too, in heaven.

You can see Muhammed Ali's grave from my Father in law's. 2 fighters.

Everyone has been amazing during this time. We've had meals brought to us, food given, cards, messages, etc.
I'm trying to stay strong, and not get to a depressed place. That sounds weird to even say, but it's true. Today I will start running again, which I know will be a huge help. This will be my first full week back at work, which will be great, because my coworkers are the best in the world. I have the most amazing counselor, whom I plan on seeing again soon. My husband is beyond incredible and is such a strength to me, as I try to be for him.
More than anything, God will get me through this. The joy of the Lord is my strength!

And because I don't want to end negatively, I'll share a picture of when I recently got to take out my favorite 5 year old. She's the girl I nannied since she was 6 weeks old. She makes me feel how I imagine it must feel to be a mom. I adore her to pieces.

Saying goodbye to my sweet Father in law

2017-01-16T08:20:00.000-05:00

I mentioned how we didn't have a good Christmas. Here's why:

A few days before Christmas my Father in law was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was 71 years old.
He was the epitome of health. He was the healthiest person I know. He was in the gym 4-5 days a week, very active, always ate healthy, etc. The dr's said he had the body of a 40 year old.

Last Spring he noticed he was getting out of breath a lot, for no reason at all. He attributed that to his age.

Right before Christmas he had blood work done and that's when they discovered the AML. It most likely had started in the Spring. They told him if he hadn't come in when he did, he would only have lived a few more weeks. Absolutely shocking to all of us.

They immediately admitted him and started a week of 24/7 chemo. After those 7 days they said the chemo had not worked, and in further testing discovered his form of cancer was extremely rare and resistant to treatment.
They were going to try some clinical trials and see if they could at least stop the growth of the leukemia, so maybe he could have 6 more months with us, instead of weeks.

But Wednesday morning he became unresponsive and went into a coma. Tests showed he had massive bleeding on his brain. He wouldn't wake up again.

They removed him from the ventilator Wednesday night, and said he would be gone quickly. Well, Steve is very stubborn, and he always does things his way! He didn't pass away until Friday morning. His heart was so healthy, it just kept on beating.

He was in palliative care the last couple days, and as hard as it was for us, we cherished every moment.

His family was surrounding him every moment. There wasn't a second that someone wasn't talking to him, touching him in some way. Jeremy and his 2 sisters all sing, so there was constant singing going on. Those last couple days were so special. So unreal. How could this super healthy man be in this position, when just a few weeks ago he seemed to be in perfect health?
He told everyone he was going to live to be 120, and no one doubted him for a second.

Can you believe he was 70 here??

He was such a wonderful father in law. He truly treated me like a daughter. He would buy me things for no reason other than he thought I would like it. We would go on dates. We went to see Michael Buble, the Sister Act musical, etc. He would buy me outlandish clothes because he thought they would look good on me! He loved exercise as much as I do, so he would always tell me about his workouts, and wanted to hear about my running.

He loved extravagantly, and was loved extravagantly. He was a charmer, and everyone who met him just fell in love with him. Even the short time he was in the hospital, his nurses adored him and all came to see him when he was in palliative, just heartbroken.

Above all these things, he loved Jesus more than anything. I know he is so happy right now in His presence. He loved attention and loved to sing (a gift he passed on to his children), I can just imagine God having him sing in front of a huge audience in heaven.

I will always cherish every phone call, every text, every conversation, every moment we had together in the 12 years I knew him.

I've never gone through loss like this before, so it's all a new experience for me. As well as for Jeremy and my boys. He was a wonderful pepaw to his 6 grandchildren. He spoiled them to the fullest. In October he took my Matthew to Chicago for a few days to celebrate his high school graduation. He adored my boys. I can't put into words how hard it is to watch them just weep over him. It tears my heart apart.

The next few days will seem impossible to get through for all of us. Heck, the next few weeks and years will feel that way. But we have the hope we will see him again.

If I could've picked out who I wanted as a Father in law, I would've chosen Steve over a million times.

My wedding day with my new mother and father in law.

2016, a great year of running

2017-01-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

Well, I am a couple weeks late in posting my 2016 review, but I have a good excuse.
My domain expired the end of December, and I didn't renew it in time.
Long story, including where I totally freaked out, thinking everything I've written the past 5 years was gone.
I posted about it on facebook, and found out that one of my friend's husband works with computers, and he offered to help me get it back. (It wasn't as simple as just renewing it) It worked, and everything is back in it's right place. Lesson learned, don't let your domain name expire!!

2016 included 9 half marathons, 1 marathon and 835 miles run.

This medal hanger was a Christmas gift from my boss, that he made! (He was my secret santa)

I was able to run five 100 miles months. At the beginning of the year, I didn't even think that was possible. I never realized before how true that saying is; everything is impossible until you try it.

I had an injury free year!! I am so thankful for that. I plan on 2017 being the same way.

My only marathon was in May. It was so bad that I decided I'm done with marathons. Although at the time I wanted to do another one!
Of course now I'm thinking maybe I should get redemption for that. So, we'll see what this year brings...

2016 was quite a year personally too. From finding out about my niece's brain tumor, and then spending 6 weeks in Chicago with her as she underwent radiation and chemo, and then the awesome news that she is cancer free!! Then spending 2 1/2 weeks in Honduras, coming home and starting a new job that I love. It was a crazy year!

Unfortunately it did get worse, which I'll talk about later. We did not have a good Christmas, but NYE was fun. Some friends of ours from Indy came down for the weekend, so it was fun hanging out with them.

Here's to 2017! I don't have any specific goals. Well, I would like to reach 1000 miles this year, so there's that.
I have lots of out of town races planned, and I know I've already mentioned my R2R2R (rim to rim to rim) hike of the Grand Canyon in June.
Lots of good things coming up!

Life lately and a cancelled race

2016-12-19T06:50:00.000-05:00

Long time no see!

I am 2 months into my new job (time flies!), and this week I'll be getting new hours. No more Saturday's, and no more 10 hour days. I'll now be working 'normal people' hours, and I am so happy.
I still love my job. I work in a bank call center, and for some reason they have my cubicle in the boys section. Ha!
But I have been very thankful for that. They are great guys, they are funny, love to pick on me, and they keep me entertained for sure. All of my coworkers are just amazing. I have never worked with better people. When you talk to some crazy, rude people on the phone, who have no business even owning a checking account, having great coworkers to take your mind off them is a lifesaver.

This girl, my precious niece, is doing amazing! She had an MRI last week, and there is NO evidence of tumor recurrence in Kristin's body. God is so good.
Her chemo will be done in the Spring and we plan on going back to Chicago to visit the friends we made at the Ronald McDonald House.

I've signed up for quite a few races next year. I'm going to be doing lots of traveling! I decided next year I don't want to repeat many races, I want to do new ones. I do have 3 repeats, but the rest will be races I've never done.

I've also been reading this book lately. It's hard to put down!

Why am I reading such a morbid book?
Because my friend Kristy and I are planning a trip to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim!
It's going to be very intense and tough, which makes me even more excited. We'll do it in 2 days, around 25 miles each day.
The book is really not morbid, it's just good info on things for hikers to be aware of.
More to come!

Yesterday I was supposed to run my last half of the year, the Indy Santa Hustle. But they cancelled it because temps were supposed to be 0. I was really glad they cancelled it, that way I didn't feel as guilty about not showing up. :)
Cold weather and Ido not get along. I joined Planet Fitness, so have been doing all of my running indoors lately.

Since I didn't get to wear my Christmas shirt and bondi band to the race, I wore it to the gym instead.
Isn't the shirt adorable?? I got it here.

Until next time!

Anyone want to hike Grand Canyon with us?
Are you ready for Christmas?

Indy Monumental Half Recap

2016-11-07T06:34:00.000-05:00

Saturday I ran my 26th half marathon, my last half of the year, the Indy Monumental half.
(There were 2 other half's I wanted to run this year, but my new job is making me work Saturday's for the rest of the year...boooo.)

Jeremy and I drove to Indy Friday night. I met up with my friend Kim, who had so sweetly picked up my packet for me.
Everything is different now that I have a job, I can't just go places anytime I want. But I'm not complaining, now I'll have money for more races! :)

When I got back to our hotel I was looking through my packet and pulled out my tshirt. Now, race shirts never fit me. 9 times out of 10, they're too small. I pulled this one out, and was expecting to see an XL, hoping it would fit me like a L. But it was TINY! I looked at the tag, and it was an XS! So, that was disappointing.

Saturday morning we were able to walk to the race start from our hotel. I love staying at hotels where you can just walk to the start line, save yourself all the stress of finding parking.

It was a little chilly, around 37 degrees. I knew it would feel great once the race started though.

If you remember, when I ran the Urban Bourbon half 2 weeks ago, I said I AM going to run a sub 2:30 at the Indy Monumental. I did a 2:31 there, on a hilly course, and since the Monumental course is flat, I knew I could do it.

Of course that was on my mind every single mile. And every mile I would look at my Garmin, and for the first 5 miles, my pace was around 10:40. I was so surprised! I don't run 10 anything!!
When I do runs on my own, they're always around a 11:45-12 min. pace.

But I had a goal, and I was going to do whatever I had to, to get there. And I felt great! I thought there's no way I'm running this fast, because I feel so good.

It was probably around mile 10 when I started to slow down, and I started to walk a little bit. But my pace never got over 11:30.

It was also around that time I started realizing that I was going to crush my goal. Then I started thinking maybe it was possible to get a PR...

Jeremy caught me coming into the finish

After an excellent run, tons of crowd support, awesome volunteer's, perfect weather, I see the finish line.
I finish in 2:25!!!

I was thinking that was a PR, but once I got home yesterday and was looking back at my previous times, I found out that a PR would've been 2:24. (I did not mean to mislead anyone by saying otherwise)

I was SO happy! I have not ran a half under 2:30 in 2 years!!
I really think it's these 100 mile months I've been doing, and just sheer determination.

Jeremy and I celebrated by getting a Giordano's pizza, and going to a beautiful park to relax for awhile.

What an awesome race this was! My next one isn't until April 22, but I'm sure I'll find some before then.
I have to give a shout out to my friend Elizabeth, who ran who first marathon this weekend in Indy, and she did awesome!!

Urban Bourbon Half Recap

2016-10-23T15:26:00.000-04:00

Saturday I ran my 25th half marathon, the Urban Bourbon Half. This was my 3rd year running this race, and I will continue to do it. It is awesome!

After work on Friday I met up with Margie, and we went to packet pickup. Of course we get free bourbon at the pickup too!

We then went to a friend of Margie's house for the night. Her name is Jennifer, and Margie hadn't met her in person before, but they had become online friends through a FB running group. Jennifer offered to let us stay the night with her, since she's only 10 minutes from the starting line.
She told us she was fixing spaghetti for us, but when we got there, she had totally outdone herself! She had made 2 different pasta's, chicken, meatballs, garlic bread, salad! We all carb loaded so good!

After a fun night of talking, laughing and getting to know eachother, we headed to bed.

*Side note- aren't runners awesome? It's ok if we start out as strangers, our love of running unites us, and we become fast friends. This is the best community ever.

We woke up at 6 am, ate breakfast and did all the other things we do before a race. Then Margie and I went on to the race while Jennifer went to pick up a friend of hers, and met us there.
It was COLD. I don't remember the exact temperature, but it was in the low 40's.

The race got started at 8:30. There is only one thing I don't like about this race, and that is the starting corrals. Everyone is jam packed into the corrals, it's impossible to get even close to your pacer, and all of us who can't get in, have to stand around on the sidewalk, outside of the corrals, waiting for the race to start so we can get in. Not sure why that is, or if it's possible to fix that problem. But other than that, I love this race!

This was a pretty hilly course, but nothing like Iron Horse last weekend.

Around mile 2-3 I finally started to warm up. After that, the cooler temps felt perfect.
I felt great the whole 13.1 miles. I walked some of the hills, then others I just put my head down and kept running.
My half last weekend was 2:36. I'm always trying to beat my previous time, so I was hoping since I was running by myself this time, just maybe I could do a little better.

I had one hard moment during the race. At mile 11, there was a little girl holding a sign that said "Run, Mommy, Run".
Seeing that hit me hard. I kept repeating to myself "don't cry, Katie, don't cry". Crying and running don't mix well for me! But I couldn't help myself.
I just kept giving myself a pep talk, and it didn't take too long to get happy again. I'm thankful no one was around me at that moment.

As I get to the finish line, I see the clock says 2:33. Wow! I was not expecting that!
It wasn't until a little later when Margie checked the results online that she saw my official time was 2:31!! I'm sure I caused her to go a little deaf, because I was so excited.

Here's what that means to me. If I can do a hilly course in 2:31. I can probably do a flat course in a sub 2:30. The Indy Monumental half is in 2 weeks, and I'm gonna get it. Yes I am.

Jennifer's friend ran her first half marathon, and did great, even though she was sick. I got to wait for Margie at the finish line, and cheer her in.
We then went to the after party where they had pizza, chili, more bourbon and beer. See, I'm telling you, this race is awesome!!

After the race Margie and I were craving Mexican food. (We didn't eat anything at the afterparty, I can never eat right after a race)

Yes, we wore our medals into the restaurant

The perfect ending to a wonderful race!

Iron Horse half, my new job and a new number

2016-10-19T06:38:00.000-04:00

Saturday I ran my 24th half marathon, the Iron Horse half. I had heard about this race for years, so was very excited to finally get to do it!

I met my friend Amy for packet pickup on Friday, and then lunch together. I met Amy through my blog several years ago. In the beginning, I thought she would probably just be a "hi, how are you, goodbye" type of friend. But I was wrong. She has turned into such a great friend, and has stuck with me through the years.
This was her first time running this race too. And she just had baby #5, 8 months ago!

We met up again Saturday morning before the race, so we could run together. We both run about the same pace, so knew we could push eachother.

It was a gorgeous morning. Nice and cool, although it would warm up soon.

The course was just beautiful. Horse farms everywhere. Lots and lots of hills! I feel like I do better on hills then I used to though, so they weren't too bad.
We decided we wanted to come in under 2:40. I was hopeful we could do it, but with the hills, I wasn't too sure.
But we powered through. At times when I wanted to walk, she would say "let's just run to that tree", and I would do the same for her.
I thought the weather was perfect. It was a little warm, but there were nice breezes.

At mile 13, we turn a corner and see the finish line. As we get closer, I see the clock says 2:35. I'm yelling "we're gonna make it!!" We were so excited.

Our finish time was 2:36. Mission accomplished!

Monday I started my new banking job. I know it's only been a few days, but I can already tell I'm going to love it. I'll have 3 weeks of training before starting to work in the call center.
Already during this training I've been so glad that I have banking experience (I worked for 5 years in a bank years ago). So much of this has come back easily to me, and I've thought wow, if I didn't already know this stuff, I would be LOST!

Again, I know it's only been a few days, but it feels like I'm rediscovering who I am. Having a home daycare for the past 10 years, I guess I kind of got lost, like my brain turned to mush or something.
So now, being back in the field, I feel like the part of me that I didn't even know existed anymore, is coming back. And I kinda like her! ;)

Yesterday was my birthday, my 2nd day on the job, and my boss bought key lime pies for us (he knew that was my favorite pie), and I got a very sweet card from all the call center employees. I was just blown away, these people don't even know me! I was very impressed.

In a way, it's hard for me to think about being 39 now. The one thing I've wanted more than anything in this life (to be a mom), most likely won't ever happen. But I'm going to focus on the great things that are happening and getting ready to happen. I don't know what this year holds for me, but I am determined to make the last year in my 30's the best year ever!

5 Things Friday

2016-10-13T10:39:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday!

Here's some things from my week...

1. I had heard a lot about LeTote, so decided to try it out. I was not impressed at all, and won't continue my subscription. These are the things I picked out for my first tote.

Cute, right? Well, everything was at least one or two sizes too small. The scarf looked well worn, and the adorable Jessica Simpson pineapple purse, was dirty! For the outrageous cost, no thank you.
I've subscribed to Gwynnie Bee for over a year, and will just stick with that!

2. My 9 year old niece, Maia (Kristin's little sister), knows me so well! This was something she wrote one day for school. (She was supposed to use the word 'hope' in a sentence.)

"I hope we get Blue Bell (ice cream) back cause Aunt Cake loves it."
How adorable is that!! I love that she calls me Aunt Cake.

3. I got asked this question for the 100th time. I love it!

People have been telling me that for at least 10 years. Funny thing, no one has ever told my twinnie that!

4. Tomorrow night Jeremy and I are going to see Lindsey Stirling. I am so excited. We love her!!

5. Sunday I'm running my 24th half marathon! I've never done the Iron Horse, but I've heard great things about it. Among other things, it's very hilly.
Today I'm meeting my friend Amy, at packet pick up, then we're getting lunch, and get to run together on Sunday!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Hikes and Runs lately

2016-10-12T08:28:00.000-04:00

This is my last week of 'freedom', before my job starts next Monday. I have not been taking one minute for granted.

I found some new places to hike. I love hiking almost as much as I do running.
A friend of mine told me about Cove Springs, in Frankfort. Beautiful trails, as well as a couple waterfalls. I had a great time, being alone (literally) in the woods, just enjoying the beauty and the sounds of nature.

Trail running or hiking is so different than road running, obviously. I can't get lost in my music, my podcast, or even my thoughts, like I can when I run on the road. You have to always watch where your next step will be, you have to be much more aware of your surroundings. In my case, I get lost so easily, it's ridiculous! So I'm always paying attention to the trail, making sure I don't miss a turn. (Which I always end up doing anyway)
This sounds cheesy, but when I'm on the trails, I feel like I'm using 100% of my senses. And it's incredible.
There are days that it's nice to zone out and run, not needing to think about anything. But then there are other days when you just need to be fully aware, you need to be completely in the moment, and not miss a thing. I am so thankful to experience both.

My oldest sister, Molly, hiked 5 miles with me at Creasey Mahan Preserve on Monday. Personally, I thought the trails were pretty boring. A lot of it was overgrown, the few trail signs they had, were pretty confusing. And we even had a map! It promised several waterfalls and hidden springs, and there were none. I don't think I'd go back there again. But we had an awesome time! I just adore all of my sisters.

Btw, Molly recently started her own blog, Color me veggie. She's a vegan, and she posts some amazing recipes, and other inspirational things. I am sooo impressed with her willpower. She's really amazing. She's going to do a guest post for me soon!

The park that I always do my long runs in, recently opened a new section. It's a 19 mile paved path, that now connects to the Louisville Loop, which is a 100 mile trail connecting a bunch of parks and neighborhoods. I am SO excited about it. It's so pretty, it's flat, and I just love it!

I'm still working on 100 miles for the month, up to 30 so far!