Oh, and I'm Famous!

Ok. Not really, but my new friends (Terry and Meredith Sullivan) that I mentioned meeting at the Frostbite 1/2 marathon thought my journey from fat to fit worthy of a Spotlight on their website! Truly humbled!

Check it out at http://www.liverightnowonline.com/!

Many props to Terry and Meredith for what they are doing to get Mississippi moving and (hopefully!) out of last place in all the health categories!

3 Random Things

This weekend, I enjoyed an amazing girls' weekend with three girlfriends from college. We met in Memphis (they all live in Arkansas) and spent Friday and most of Saturday laughing, shopping, and well, eating. I was SCARED to get on the scale this morning - even following a 5.5-mile run. But, somehow, despite the gluttony, I managed to lose weight. Apparently, laughter is great exercise!! So, I am now 1.4 pounds from a significant milestone in this journey from fat to fit...the 150s. I haven't seen 150-something in probably 10 years! Stay tuned, friends! I'm motivated and the Tagalongs are gone; this could be the week!

A non-scale victory this weekend: Spent WAY more than I wanted to (or should have) on a new pair of jeans, but the fact that they were a size 31, seemed to make it ok in some crazy way. According to the Big Star Jeans sizing chart, this is a 9/10. WHAT? While that might not seem "small" to some, I bought a pair of pants two weeks after Eli was born that were an 18W. I'll take a 12 or 10 ANY day, my friends! 

And finally, I love running on Sunday mornings! I've always reserved Sunday as a "day of rest" in my training. Partly because it's biblical and partly because Sundays are somewhat hectic at our house because of Jeff's schedule and responsibilities at the church. But, because I didn't get my run in yesterday, I got up early and ran this morning. WOW! No traffic. Perfect weather. Amazing playlist to get my heart ready for worship this morning. Pretty sure I'm going to be working some Sunday runs into the schedule a little more often.

So, there you have it. A few random events/thoughts/milestones from my weekend. 

Oh, and if you're ever in Memphis and can get to a Huey's, EAT THERE! It was the best burger I've ever eaten and the onion rings are as big as your head. Calories don't count during girls' weekend, right?

Busy-ness is not a friend to running

This week has been nuts and next week is not looking much better! I know I am entirely too busy when I don't have time to get a run in, or at the end of the day, I don't have a run left in me. Last week, I think my total mileage was less than 15 miles and this week, I'm at 9.5 miles with only two days left. Ugh!

This is what happens to my running when there is no race on the horizon, thus I continue to preach the importance of having something to work toward to keep you accountable. If you want to start running, but don't think you "have time" - signing up for a race forces you to MAKE time. No one wants to shell out the cash for a race and be a no show or not be able to do your best!

So, next week, I will be committing to a race in March. I'm pretty sure my next 1/2 will be in April in Nashville, but I will also be seeking out something before then. I'm open to suggestions if there's a 10K nearby.

Happy weekend!

10 Reasons I Run

A few nights ago on Twitter, people were posting reasons they run (#whywerun); there were some really great comments. It made me start thinking about the reasons I run. I'm quickly approaching my one-year anniversary of lacing up the sneaks and the reasons have definitely changed from my initial motivation. So, here are...

The Top 10 Reasons I Continue to Run:

10.  It's a great excuse to buy great looking work-out gear.

9. I like the look of surprise on people's face when I say, "I'm a runner."

8. It's an age thing. As I get older, I need to "feel" younger and running certainly makes me feel better about aging (most days, anyway!).

7. I can eat (almost) whatever I want without gaining weight.

6. I FINALLY like the way my legs look in shorts.

5. I think race t-shirts are cool.

4. I want my boys to remember me as an active/healthy mom who could keep up with them. I love the look on Riley's face when I "race" him around our circle on his bicycle.

3. I love all the technology (my Garmin 405, Nike+, Twitter chats, Daily Mile, etc...)!

2. I'm too cheap to join the gym. I'd rather spend the money for a gym membership on new clothes!

1. It's pretty much the only time I have to myself during the day. As a working mom and wife of a youth minister, my days are filled with people. Running provides my serenity time and the further I run, the longer I have to myself. I see a marathon in my future, folks. :-)

So, what about YOU? Why do you run? Or if you don't run (yet), why do you want to?

Surprise!

Not long after Saturday's post-race blog post, I received a text from one of my sweet girls working the race for the JR Miss Committee telling me I won a medal! WHAT??

I won first place for my age division (31-40). Now that's just pretty darn cool. Certain this will be the only time that ever happens for me - a "benefit" of smaller races, perhaps?

But check out my sweet hardware!

Redefining "WINNING"

I ran a 5K this morning. Not a big 5K with thousands of runners, music and streets lined with supporters; but a small, local 5K to benefit an adorable little boy in our community with Sanfilippo syndrome, a genetic error of metabolism. Quinn is 5 with a life expectancy of 10 - 20 years...but no one's told him that! He was cheering on the runners and having a great time (You can visit his Caring Bridge page to see his full story)! As the mom of two healthy boys, my heart breaks for Quinn's parents. I simply cannot fathom what they are going through as they work to help find a cure to heal their sweet boy.

I've seen several people since finishing the race, and I'm still proudly wearing my "I Ran for Quinn" sticker. The first thing they asked was, "Did you win?" Which has me thinking...

How do I answer that? I ran a pretty hilly course and set a new PR for 5K (27:39). That's a WIN!! I ran alongside a super sweet 7th grader who was running his first 5K. We chatted throughout and had a great visit! Although he said several times he could barely keep going, he did...and so did I. WIN! The race was organized by the Winston County JR Miss Committee, and I have several beautiful girls who make my life better that will be competing for the title in a few weeks. Despite the overwhelming desire to sleep in because my boys are at their grandparents - I showed up and supported them in their efforts to help this sweet little boy. WIN!!

So, did I cross the finish line first? No. Will I ever cross the finish line first in a race? Probably not. But did I "win" today? Absolutely!!

So, today, I'm redefining "winning" and declaring:

I WON THE RACE!

**Quinn's color is purple and today I use it proudly in this post!

Was that a compliment?

Weird conversation today. I'm not really sure how to take the comment, so I thought I'd share and see what you all thought.

Ran into a friend I see about every two months or so. She's seen me recently and went on (and on!) about my weight loss. Here was the conversation today:

Her: Hey! You are getting so thin! You better watch out!

Me: Oh, thanks. I really haven't lost much lately - just maintaining and focusing on being a stronger, faster runner.

Her: Well, you lose much more weight and you won't be pretty anymore.

Me: (blank stare) Ok...well, it was great to see you!

What happened to, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all?" Or was that nice? I walked away baffled...and I still am.

Thoughts?

Top 10 at 35

So, today is my birthday - my 35th birthday, but who's counting at this point, right? I decided to do a Top 10 things I would like to tell a younger me. Here goes:

10.  Ordering pizza and eating Waffle House at 2 a.m. will eventually catch up with you. Go to bed and study during "normal" hours, college girl.

9.  The tan you're rocking is great, but in a few years, you'll be wishing you had all that money you spent on the "unlimited" tanning packages back and instead, had spent it on sunscreen.

8.  "I'm-pregnant-so-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want" for nine months (times two!) is not going to work out like you are hoping. Put down the doughnut holes and go for a walk.

7.  One day, you will appreciate being carded. Enjoy it while it lasts, sister!

6.  Not eating vegetables because your mom wants you to is NOT a sign of rebellion. You're just being stupid. Eat up and your body will thank you for it.

5.  Putting off exercise for a few hours is oftentimes ok. Putting off exercise for 15 years is not. Get up and get moving.

4.  All those boys you think are "the one" and that you're trying so hard to impress are not and you're wasting a lot of time and energy. Boys are gross - at any age.

3.  Your parents are right about most things. You should stop being such a jerk to them and actually listen to their advice. It might save you some heartache, stubborn.

2.  The t-shirt you got for signing up for a credit card will be one of the most expensive "free gifts" you've ever received. Walk on by the cute boy at the table and laugh at his sign because it says "Free Gift" - and that's redundant.

1.  Most of the things that you are stressing about right now, you won't even be able to remember in 15 years. Chill out.

There you have it! Happy 35th birthday to me - and 65th to my dad! He says I'm the most expensive present he's ever gotten. I like to say - I'm his gift that just keeps on giving!

More Water, Less Dr. Pepper Wrap-up

The more-water-less-Dr. Pepper challenge officially ended yesterday. I would love to report it was a smashing success and my plan to "ween" myself from Dr. Pepper was well on its way. Unfortunately, I got a little off-track after the Frostbite 1/2 marathon.

There were only a couple of days when I drank a Dr. Pepper after my 2 p.m. "curfew," but my water intake declined drastically - in fact, there were some days I doubt I even drank 20 ounces of water. I really can't explain it and I'm frustrated with myself for going backwards; I was doing so well. In fact, going into that weekend, there were several days I only had one Dr. Pepper. And then in my I-just-ran-a-half-marathon-so-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want phase, I got off track. Ugh.

Tomorrow is a new day and February is a new month. I will do this...

My Running Playlist

The battle over the radio in our car or the television remote in our home is oftentimes just not worth it, so one of my favorite parts of running is having TOTAL CONTROL over the music!

When I first began running, I downloaded all this really hip, fast-paced music. Appropriately titled "Running Tunes" on my iPhone, I was confident that the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Bieber (did I really just admit that?), Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga were going to rock me through the miles. I used this prize playlist for about two weeks and then accidentally selected a different list one day as I set out for my run.

It just happened to be my "Praise & Worship" list. I thought, "Oh, man! This run is going to be rough with all this slow music." Uh...BEST RUN EVER! The music took my mind off the discomfort my body was experiencing and refocused it on my heart (And as most runners will tell you, you run with your heart!).

AMAZING! I haven't run with another playlist since. I occasionally add new tunes, mix them up and choose new "power songs," but this certainly works for me.

Here are the first 25 songs from my current running playlist:
1. Leaving Eden - Brandon Heath
2. What Have You Got To Lose - Third Day
3. Light Up The Sky - The Afters
4. King of Glory - Third Day
5. Come Home - Luminate
6. Lift Up Your Face - Third Day
7. Hands and Feet - Audio Adrenaline
8. Blink - Revive
9. Show Me Your Glory - Third Day
10. Beautiful - MercyMe
11. Undone - FFH
12. Gone - Third Day
13. You Are More - Tenth Avenue North
14. The One - Brandon Heath
15. Forgiven - Sanctus Real
16. Sound Of Your Voice - Third Day
17. Your Love, Oh Lord - Third Day
18. Yearn - Shane & Shane
19. My Help Comes From The Lord - The Museum
20. Children of God - Third Day
21. Your Love - Brandon Heath
22. Trust in Jesus - Third Day
23. Ocean Floor - Audio Adrenaline
24. Our God - Chris Tomlin
25. I'll Be Your Miracle - Third Day

I know it's not "traditional" running music from the perspective of most runners, but I am in my "happy place" when I run with this playlist and that makes for a "happy pace."

So, now I'm curious - what works for YOU? What are YOUR favorite running tunes?