A Frigid 1/2 Marathon.....

So this past Sunday I ventured out in 22 degree temperatures to run another 1/2 marathon. My heart wasn't at all in this one but it eventually got there. Something about race day excitement that pulls most people into it. Anyway, this whole adventure started when a friend of mine set out to make it her first marathon. You see they give a pretty cool medal. And when it is your first it is even better. This was my medal from last year.

I went to this race under trained and like I said not really wanting to do it and really really not wanting to do it after I saw the forecast. COLD, FRIGID COLD, like Alaska cold. In Oklahoma. But alas I had my own words thrown back at me "Suck it up buttercup". And off we went. It was a really uneventful race. They changed the course from what it was last year but it was still hilly!! I love hills though, I know I nuts, but really there is nothing like an accomplishment to see this big looming hill and know that you just ran up it.

These are the girls I started and finished with. I have ran along side these girls in the majority of my races for about 4 years now. The far one on the right, Becky, is a cancer survivor and I ran 18 races (number of Chemo weeks) for her last year ending with this race as a marathon. The girl 2nd from the left, Jessica, is her daughter and we ran all of those 18 races together. The girl on the far left, Christina, ran her first marathon back in April and we all ran with her but Becky, who unfortunately was sick due to a complication with her cancer.

I don't have a picture of Gena or Jaimie who both ran their first marathon there Sunday but they are the only reason I went ahead with the plan to go. I was originally supposed to run it as a marathon but the lack of time to train told me I shouldn't. But I was able to be there for them both at the end.

All in all it was a good race despite the cold weather. We pushed each other along and even today I don't feel as bad as I did. Of course the bling, bling didn't hurt either!!!

The 15th day of Opportunities

The month is half way through. I don't know if you are like me but it doesn't seem possible does it? 70 days until Christmas which means 77 days until the end of the year. Wow! Of course right now I'm excited that we only have about two weeks of marching band left. Now don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoying the time but it will be nice to have that slow down a little. I know she is thinking the same thing too.

I sit and reflect a little about how this 31 day challenge is going. Well, I'm about average I think. There are somethings that I've been working on and some that need some more work. But hey, aren't we always a work in progress?

Today I start in a support group with a wonderful group of women. Some I've known for many, many years and some not as long. The point of the group is not only weight loss but to support each other. It is more like an improvement group because not all women need to lose weight but may be they have other areas in their live that they need to improve on and just need that little bit of encouragement. I started the group, created a Facebook page and posted before pics. I've never posted before pics of myself. I've taken them but never shared them outside my hubby. I didn't like what I saw.

So here I go again. Back on the road to improve myself. I'm not new to this. I know what to do and what not to do. I do have will power when I want to and I am a stress eater when I want to be. I have struggles with my weight, my image for as long as I remember. I want to stop this back and forth, to and fro I do. I know the risks, I see it in my family. I'm a witness to their arthritis, there heart issues, their blood pressure issue, their medication. I know. Yet, I go through this almost every year. I try real hard, do real good for a while and then something happens and I walk away. I give in to temptation, I have excuses, I bend the rules. I find easy.

This journey is no different than any other journey. Everything takes work. Marriage, parenting, outside jobs, spiritual walk and even weight loss. I am and always have been a determined person. I'm not sure why I struggle so with my weight, my self image. It isn't something I want to pass along to my daughter, although I see her struggle as well. It isn't something I want to dwell about all the time. I want it to be natural. I want it to be self accepting.

I have this opportunity to lead a group of women that do not judge me for my flaws. They accept me, they encourage me. We support each other through various issues in our lives. We have each others back. Today I'm going to embrace a gift God has given me. For the next four months we will each work on our own area, rather it be weight loss or not. I have short term goals and long term goals. I also would like to go ahead and get my personal training certification. Something I've always wanted. Something I'm good at, like to do. I find joy in encouraging others and I know I'm pretty good at it. So I will try in December. And who knows what type of opportunity that will bring my way.

The Last Race of the Year

Over the course of the year, I have had the privilege of running 18 events for a dear friend, Becky. Last year she was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. I will remember the day her daughter, Jessica called me, my heart sunk like a lead balloon. And as the weeks began in her fight I knew I had to do something too. I came up with the idea of running one event for every week of chemo she would have to endure. Anything went from duathlons to 5K to triathlons to half marathons and we would end with a full marathon. Jessica and I set out on a mission to bring awareness to a deadly disease to do our part of the fighting of pacing her to the finish line. Last Sunday we laced up our shoes once again to hit the road for our last 26.5 miles.

I came into the race under trained because of my own struggles throughout the training season with my family but I had committed to doing this so I was hoping to pull on past races to be able to dig deep from strength the dwells in me and I was very thankful of having a great friend run beside me as well as having others cheer us on. I wasn't nervous all week but something was off, I was stressed or unbalanced, worried that I would be that last one in on the pickup truck as they pick up the road closure signs. And yet I wanted to finish in a time period. I want that good first marathon time. Ridiculous. I mean any marathon finish is a good time because you finished. Right? Jessica and I had put a lot of time in encouraging each other when we needed it. And I'm thankful I had someone by my side through the whole thing!

That morning we woke up in Tulsa and started making preparations. I was out of my "normal" race routine and preparation but I was going through the flow. We left to go down for a big group photo all the while I was trying to maintain a good attitude a free feeling laid back it is what it is attitude and I was doing pretty good until someone mentioned a time cut off. Ugh, there goes my mindset. It went down hill and I don't think I ever shook it. So here is a helpful hint: don't talk about cut offs minutes before a race start. You don't know how your words affect other people's mental game. I had none. Now I know I shouldn't have let it affect me but I think I was more worried than I thought, more stressed out than I thought and that was the final straw so to speak.

Anyway, the first half of the marathon went well. I even came across a bar/restaurant with my maiden name. It was like my family was with me along the way:

We walked a little around mile 8 because my knee started bothering me but we continued on and had a great half marathon time. I felt good, I felt powerful. We were having fun, cheering others as we passed them. I would have to say it might have been one of the most quiet runs we have ever been on together. I just didn't have communication in me......

Neither one of us have ran this before. We had heard it was hilly, and that was an understatement!!! Some where along here I started falling apart. Jessica did her best to encourage me but I felt like I was holding her back. I told myself just to make it to the center of the universe. I was having to take more walk breaks by this time. My legs just felt like lead. I was trying all my tricks. Eat more and drink more but I just couldn't shake my mood. Finally, we made it to the center!

From this point on it was all mental. My legs just continued to feel like lead. We walked more and I watched our good time disappear. And I felt that I was holding Jessica back. I even told her multiple times to go on if she wanted but she stuck with me. And I can't say how grateful I am for that! I was trying to tell her mentlly to tell me a story to keep my mind off of the race but I just didn't have the words. I had kept Jim informed of where we were at along the way. He tried to meet us towards the end but I told him just to go to the finish line. He said we are at the last hill. So as we turned onto 21st street Jessica and I kept that in mind as we climbed hill after hill. And then we finally saw them and our boys! It was the push I needed to finish, even if it was just done the hill and around the corner. Tears fell instantly, we had finally done it!

It was an experience I will never forget.And although we didn't finish under 6 hours we did finish in 6:12 which is so much better than I thought we did. Again I so grateful to have experienced with a great friend (and all my other peeps) for a great lady!