5 Years of Running - All About the "Bling"

As much as I would LOVE to be a daily blogger my life is so hectic that by the time I actually sit down. Im too tired to write.  Its Jan 2012 and Im all fired up about running again. Im so excited and can't believe I ever stopped. I've missed my running friends , the runs & all the hoopla that goes along with them, the training run/walks with my friends and of course the real reason I would EVER go 13.1 or 26.2 miles is "The Bling"
The first time I went to watch a Marathon/Half Marathon I watched those people cross that finish line and receive their medal. Some of them were older, weighed more, probably in worse shape than I was but guess what?? They were getting a medal and I was not. ( THis was my first case of "bling envy" which I have not changed the name to "Bling Envyitus" )
I did my first 5K. The Red Nose Run for Ronald McDonald House. January of 2007. My friend B, Mary Ann, Vickie, and Aunt Teri were all their for that very fist Run.

First 5K
Red Nose Run

 Feb. 2008 was My very Fist Half Marathon. The Mercedes Marathon (the old course)  I was sooooo excited when I finished. I carried that medal around in my purse for at least a week maybe longer. My boyfriend at the time ran with me. He had never ran a road race in his life! But he did own two Mercedes and he liked the medal and loved me enough to not let me go this journey alone. I had never ran/walked more than 6 miles ever prior to this. He set his watch for the run and I set my watch for the walk. I have since run that race every year. It was my first so of course it will always be dear to my heart.

My Mercedes Half Marathon Bling

My son ran it too. It was his second half. 

I admit I could hardly walk for 3 months afterwards b/c it was hilly and I wasn't as trained as I should have been but hey....I was a half marathoner!!! Whoo Hoo!!

I healed and trained and 2009 went out and got me some more "Half Marathon Bling" It was the year of the Rock N Roll Series because for every one you run after the first one you get an extra medal. Well Thats all I needed to hear. I went places I had never been. Traveled places I had always wanted to go but was waiting for someone to take me. One day I just decided I didn't need anyone to take me that if I wanted to go and tour and live my life I should just go ahead and do it and not wait on my Prince Charming to come and take me to all the places I had wanted to go but had never been. 

2009 Half Marathons!!!

2010 The Year of the MARATHON!!! Needless to say as you can see below that after the marathon there were no other bling.....I was burnt out. Feb, March, April and May . Four Halfs and A Full in 77 days. I chose the Flying Pig Marathon b/c it was right before my 40th Birthday and the Shirt for the Race said " I 'll Run A Marathon When Pigs Fly" well that about says it all b/c I was the most least likely person to run anywhere. What motivated me the most was the 26.2 sticker I bought at the expo. I knew I was going to finish b/c I had to put that sticker on my car. Ha Ha It was a very proud moment.

2010 Four Halfs and One Full

I have never actually ran the entire 13.1 but oh how I wish I could. I run a little. walk a little, take photos a little, make new friends, enjoy the scenery. Its not about the finish time but the Finish Line. A mile is a mile if its a 5 min mile or a 16 min mile. Its still a mile and Im doing the same 13.1 miles the fast people do and Im getting the same finisher medal that they get. 

2011 Bling

2012 has started off great Im going to leave first thing in the morning to DisneyLand for my first visit. Im so excited. Tinkerbell Half Marathon!!! My Third Half this Month!! Whoop Whoop!!!

Praying my injury doesn't keep me from the medal!!

Faith Trust and Pixie Dust and most of all Prayer!!

Well my hand is hurting from typing and I must get up in a few short hours so off to bed for me.

I will finish the "bling stories" later. Good Night!!

Dreams & Goals!!

"We write our dreams and goals down, we dramatically increase our odds of realization. If we share them with others, they become potent and alive."


Kristin Armstrong, Full Cup, Mile Markers blog, Runner's World.com


I'm a total fan of Kristin Armstrong!!


My goal is to complete the 2013 Goofy Challenge!! Writing it down!!!

2013 Marathon Weekend - January 10-13, 2013

Imagine a weekend of runs where every mile is filled with Disney fun at the 2013 Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna on January 10-13, 2013. Join us for a weekend of races that are magical as they are memorable, from Disney's Health & Fitness Expo to running through all four Theme Parks in the Marathon. Complete with medals of Mickey Mouse and his friends, you'd be, well, goofy to miss it!

Saturday In January

Brrrrr Its so cold out!! I am totally NOT a fan of winter!! So since Im being positive in 2012 I will say....I love fleece and flannel pajama pants, I love blankets of all kinds, I love coffee because it makes me feel warm and happy!!!

Last night I went to the new coffee shop/ Christian Bookstore/ Worship Center that just opened up in town. My son organized and led a youth worship night last night and I went to support him. He has a praise & worship band, he got a speaker, made a facebook page and invited all kinds of people. I am so proud of the young man he has become. I know God has big plans for him!!

This morning I got up and went back to The Brook Besor. My church is doing a 21 days of Prayer and Fasting. I am fasting from TV. The Olympic Marathon trials were on today and I asked Austin if he would tape it for me and he told me that he thought that defeated the purpose of the TV fast. Oh well...I will live. I got the whole play by play on facebook. (prob a sign next year I will have to fast FB too)
Anyway every morning at 6:00am on weekdays and 9am on Saturday they will have a live feed of the prayer and worship for that morning. This morning The Brook Besor showed the live feed on the big screen at the worship center so Austin, Nicole and I went b/c it was closer than driving to Birmingham. I decided during the 30 min prayer time to write out my prayer and list my request by name. Wow...who knew I could fill up 7 pages in just 30 min.

Then came home to work on a birthday project surprise for a friend of mine. Cleaned a "little" meaning I hung up all the clothes laying on the Elliptical Machine. Organized my photos in my computer, cleaned out email from an old account I NEVER use. I think I only had 700 in my inbox and 600 in my spam folder. Too lazy to fix me something to eat and too distracted to take a nap. I ate a pice of string cheese and not my stomach is growling.

Reading on FB all the inspirational post of all my friends who got out and put their miles in while I sat on the couch in pajamas , blanket and computer. :-) Sometimes we just need a quiet relaxing day at home. Well its about time for me to go and get ready for the Runners Club Banquet. I haven't been in like 3 years so It will be good to see all of my old friends. I have missed them and that part of my life. Somehow I lost track of the things I enjoyed by putting others before myself. I know as important as that is we shouldn't lose sight of who we are in the process. Im spending 2012 looking back on my life remembering the things that made me happy and forgetting the things that didn't. Im working on myself this year. Becoming the best me that I can be. Funny as I type this I just got a tweet that said "YOLO - you only live once" Just another reminder to get out and live life!!!

Signed up for the Running Club at the banquet. We had a blast. Nothing like an awards banquet to get you fired up for the new year of running!

You didnt get here by accident!!

Today we had a "kick off the year" meeting today at work.

I came away with it with a lot to think about and wished now that I had taken notes.

One of the things that I felt really rang true & was thought provoking was..."You are exactly where you are because of the choices you have made and the way you treat people. Leave the legacy that you want to leave. Be kind & compassionate!! "

That kind of reminds me of my favorite sayings "NOTHING 'just' happens ...YOU make your own choices!"

People amaze me sometimes wondering "how did I get here" well the answer is simple ... one step at a time. Every day we make choices good and bad. None of them are without consequences! People mess up and make mistakes! Take responsibility for your own actions.

As Christians we are called to forgive others when they mess up.

"And even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times and says, I repent [I am sorry], you must forgive him (give up resentment and consider the offense as recalled and annulled)." (Luke 17:4 AMP)

"But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses." (Matthew 6:15 AMP).

It's so easy to hold on to anger when we are hurting. Anger is easier than the pain. The closer the person is to you the deeper the wound feels. Fine line between love and hate.

Christ has called us to Love! He commands us!

"This is what I command you: that you love one another. "(John 15:17 AMP)

"Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]." (1 Peter 4:8 AMP)


So think about your choices when you are making them because things you think are innocent could turn out not so innocent. Also if what you are doing is having to be kept a secret from those you love the most you probably shouldn't be doing it. And know that God sees it all.

Number one reason people don't reach their potential is "FEAR" live at peace with everyone and fear will leave you!

So Love one another!!! Be kind and honest and compassionate!!

Changing the world starts with the man in the mirror !!

Live, Laugh and Love!!

Psalm 147:3 - " He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."


Today is a sad day for me. 16 years ago today I lost my husband to a car accident. January 11, 1996


I was a housewife / college student with two children. My daughter just turned 3 the month before and my son was 21 months old. We didn't have any life insurance. So my first thought as I was in panic and shock from the news was "What am I going to do? I have two children, no job, no life insurance, and I was still in school." We lived in Georgia at the time and I had no idea about funeral homes or what to do when someone dies. It was my last quarter of college so my only choice was to finish. I graduated in April of that year with a degree in Psychology. Any of the jobs that I was wanting to do required me to be on call which was impossible for someone with two small children. In June of that year I moved back to my home town where my mother lived. She has since moved to the Gulf Coast. I can honestly say that without my faith in God I would never have made it. He has always taken care of me and provided for me in ways that I will be forever grateful. 


I can't help wonder how life would have been had that not happened. Having to go to family events at school functions or church sitting alone with my kids when all the other kids are sitting with a mom and dad.  I have had to watch my children grow up without a father and I think that is one of the things that hurts the most. When my daughter was little she would say she wished she had a Dad who could pick her up from school. My son didn't have a father to coach his little league teams or teach him how to do all the things little boys need their father for. I've watched them grow up missing out on so many things that so many families take for granted. I have done my best to be both a mother and a father to both of them and give them everything I possibly could without spoiling them. To try to teach them how to do things for themselves in case something were to happen to me because I am all they have. I am thankful that they have a heavenly father who loves them and has taken care of all of us. 


It has been 16 years and I have never remarried. Not because Im against it but because I haven't found the one who is the one Im destined to grow old with.  I loved my husband and we had a good marriage. It was not without our share of problems like anyone else but we were committed to overcome them and work them out I don't believe in divorce. I don't judge others for choosing divorce because I have not walked in their shoes. I just hope that is something that I never have to go through. I believe that God is a healer and a restorer. I also believe there is nothing that God can not do. I remember when I got married the preacher told me that if we said to each other "If this doesn't work out we can just get a divorce" well we have just taken our first step towards it.   I don't want to accept anything less than Gods plan for my life. I have had several long term relationships since then and they have all helped me grow as a person. They have all contributed to the person I have become now. I admit there was a time when I believed I had found the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with just to have my heart broken because I put my faith in another person instead of the God who made them. I have learned many life lessons these past 16 years. Some from my own mistakes and some from the mistakes that others have made and Im sill learning every day.

2012 Im focusing on making me a better me so that I am able to be their for the people in my life who need me. I live in a small town where just about everyone is related. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Parents, Grandparents and we are related to no one but each other. The closest relative over two hours away. So my friends have become my family they laugh with me, cry with me and help me through each day. I hope that I am able to be as much of a blessing to them as they have been to me. 


So I end this in saying "Live, Laugh and Love" because you never know when those you hold dear will be taken from you. Enjoy each precious moment you have and live each day as if it were your last because it very well could be. The older I get every day more and more people are diagnosed with cancer, having heart attacks, aneurysms, car accidents, suicides. Life is so short .....Live each day on Purpose!! Do something to let the people who are important to you know you care and appreciate them you just might not get another chance. 

Forgive Others, Love Your Neighbor, Praise the Lord for each and every blessing!!!

Disney Marathon Weekend 2012

So Much for Posting on the Blog everyday!! Life gets in the way sometimes. Had a great fun event filled weekend. Thursday Night arrived at Disney World....My Happy Place. Diane picked up our packets for us. YEA!! Diane!! My shirt was too big. Yea for losing weight boo my shirt looks awful on me.


Friday hopped on a bus at 4:30am  ET  Ran/Walked in the Three Caballeros Fiesta 5K with two other caballeros Dellaine and Diane. Went back to the room to change and off to the Expo to see if I can exchange my shirt. YES!!! The sweet girl exchanged my Large for a Medium. YIPPEE!!! Then I bought a goofy training 2013 shirt. No going back now.

We didn't have time to go to the rest of the expo b/c we had to hop a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for our Mystery Tour. Found out it was an Ultra exclusive V.I.P. behind the scenes tour of all four parks in 8 hours. WOW!!!It was amazing!! A fun and tiring day. There was a group of 10 of us. We all had a blast.  We were first in line to every ride. We got to pass every one in line including the fast pass people. No wait ....Now that is the way to do Disney!! We didn't take time to eat so I grabbed a snack and survived from 4am until 7:30pm on two bananas, a power bar, a bowl of fruit, a sprite and a water. The day before a Half Marathon. Im sure they would have let me go get something to eat but I didn't want to cause the group to have to wait on me. But by the end of the day I was feeling nauseous and tired. We logged 12.40 miles on Friday!!


Saturday the Half Marathon. I was in total panic attack mode. I knew I had to keep a 16 min mile pace including stops. I had planned on wearing the event shirt but it was hot and itchy. Plan B was to wear a cute Donald Shirt over the black shirt I wore during the 5K. Lucky it was cold during the 5K and I didn't sweat. Well the tour ran long and no time to find a shirt. So my only other option was to wear the Goofy Training Shirt I bought to "Train" in. But technically I am in Goofy Training b/c Im gonna have to train all year. Next the knee socks I brought were white with navy polka dots. So cute with the event shirt that I wasn't wearing. They didn't match the Goofy training shirt so I couldn't wear them. I know craziness. The knee socks are like compression socks and when I tell you they make my legs feel so good and not hurt during a race wearing the socks. But matching was more important. Yes I know its crazy talk. So Im wearing the shirt from the 5k the day before under the "Training" shirt that was supposed to be for training, no knee socks b/c they don't match. No Hammer Gel b/c I wanted choc or vanilla and Im out. I was going to get some at the Expo but never made it. And it was my time of the month on top of all of that so that meant for sure at least one bathroom stop during the race. I woke up with a head ache prob due to not enough water the day before (I only had two bottles) and no caffeine.
Charged my ipod and accidentally left it on the bed. Nothing was going my way but I vowed to be positive in 2012 and thats what Im going to be. I knew I needed to finish in under 3:30 to qualify for coast to coast challenge. I was just going to have to resist character photos and run in the areas where there wasn't so much congestion of people. I did take a few pics...I had to. Dellaine gave me a gu pack and I headed off to my corral D.  The race started as I waved at my friend Rudy at the start line. Never finding Katrina who in my same corral.  By zig zaging around people I added distance to my garmin so my watch would beep for a mile before the mile sign on the course. By mile 10 my calf started hurting when I would run so I was having to walk. Well my normal walk pace is 16.30 and I needed to be under 16. I forced myself to run a little even though it hurt. The pain went from my calf around my knee and into my thigh. I stopped at the next medic tent. Took some ibuprofen and rubbed my leg down with biofreeze and prayed. My watch said 3:15  when it got to 13.1 but at the finished I was actually 3:20 and Ill take it. My fingers were so swollen. I qualified for coast to coast challenge.

Went and rested my leg then got ready for the day. Didn't get to meet up with my friends from the cruise b/c we ran out of time. We went and met the Watkins for Katie's Birthday. Rode Cinderella's Carousel at Magic Kingdom which I haven't ridden since I was like 10. We went in a few stores then off to Down Town Disney. Katie wanted to eat at Fulton's Crab shack. It was yummy and my first visit there! Got back to the room and we had logged 21 miles for the day. WOW no wonder my leg hurts.

Sunday slept in and flew home instead of a direct hour and a half flight we flew two hours to Baltimore Washington (a new state on my list) then two hours to Alabama.  So Disney Tired!! As we waiting on the Magical express to pick us up everyone is coming back from the marathon with Goofy and Mickey medals. I felt so insignificant with "just" a half marathon medal. I had total "bling envy-itus" of all the marathoners and goofy challengers. I said I would run the Goofy Challenge 2013, bought the training shirt, wore it during the half marathon and had my photo taken in it and to seal the deal caught a case of "bling envyitus" So 2013 Goofy Here I Come!!!

Exhausted!!

Space Mountain!! I rode it and didn't throw up!!
Got up at 4:30am after 4 hours of sleep. Did a 5k. Toured all over all four parks of Disney. Hardly ate because no time. Met a lot of new people who are really nice and fun. thankful for new friends and old ones. Thankful I survived riding Space Mountain without major nausea ! Too tired tonight to write anymore !

It was a GREAT day!!!

Sleepy!! Its been a LONG Day!!!