March 2012

Its the last week of March. I am not going to reach my 100 miles for this month either. Which says to me "Leigh you need to make some changes" As I look back on my calendar I have noticed that all my miles are on the weekends with very few if any miles during the week.

Started out the month with a 5K here in my hometown. Sporting my new skirt from running skirts which was a hit!! With every race a constant reminder that I need to train more consistently. 

The next weekend the first Grand Prix Race for the Anniston Runners Club. I know that there is no way I can win the Grand Prix b/c I am just not fast enough. Yet I go anyway b/c I have missed all of my running friends. The 5K is called Mardi Gras so I made sure I wore Purple, yellow and green even Mardi Gras beads. Just wanting to get in theme. :-) I won a door prize. YEA!! Hey if I can't be fast at least I can win a door prize. A nike live strong bag and insulated water bottle. 

It was so good to see all of my friends and be running on a regular basis. Which is something I really haven't done in a long time. Partly because I was burnt out and partly because I let other things take priority over what I wanted. I convinced myself that some people were more important than what I wanted. Next thing I knew I had given up running, bible study and gained 30lbs. WOW and didn't even see it happening. Now I am running more regular , back in bible study and have lost 19 of the 30lbs I had gained. Finding myself again. So as crazy as it seems I got to thinking to myself that I couldn't believe I wasn't out running a half marathon for the month of March. (what in the world...this doesn't sound like anything I would be saying) yet I was missing not having a race. I found one in Germantown not far from my family and decided it was perfect. I signed up on Thursday before the race and let my Dad & Sister know I was coming for a Mini Visit. I got up that Saturday & drove to Memphis the Saturday before the race. We went to the expo which was where they were having the RRCA National Convention. Won a Race entry to the Gateway Outerbanks Marathon....ooops was I supposed to be a part of the convention? Thanks for letting me win anyway Alabama Rep had my back and mailed me my entry. So Now what?.....Im gonna run a Marathon in November. Finished the Germantown Half  (6th one this year) 6 is my record for number of halfs in a year.....Got a PR about died from the heat...well it felt like it during the last mile I started getting a heat rash. Overall Fun Day. I will write more about the race later.

Today is the 26th and Ive only run 50 of my 100 miles for the month so I will once again be behind on miles and will need to do a lot of catching up in the months ahead. :-) Running the Rumpshaker 5K on Saturday then going to the park for a Virtual 5K the same day ending the month with a bang and two 5ks for Charity. Sounds Good To me!!

New Office

After 13 years of driving 2.7 miles to work I have just been informed that I now will be driving 37 miles to work. So needless to say I left work that day and went out and bought a hybrid. I had no idea that Honda even made a Hybrid but I'm now the owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid. 40 - 45 miles per gallon.
I will enjoy change & the opportunity to listen to podcast on my way to work that has been one of my favorite parts. My new car will hook right up to my iPod . I love that!!
I'm going green so that's cool even if the car is plain.

February 2012 Review

January started off well above my expectations. 104 miles logged. WHAT?!! Last year I didn't hit 100 miles until April.
 I am a member of the Anniston Runners Club. We have two mini clubs within our running club. One is the mile a day club where you log 365 miles in a calendar year. 366 this year for leap year. Thats usually the group I am in. 
The other club is the 1200 mile club where you average 100 miles a month. Which is only approx. 3.33 a day or 25 miles a week. Which when you put it like that isn't really that many miles. Its just a matter of getting out there and putting one foot in front of the other. When I turned in 104 for January. Jim put me in the 1200 mile club.....Great now what have I gotten myself into. It was a challenge and I chose to accept it.
Due to injury, job change after 13 years and a few other bumps in the road I only managed 75 miles for February. Now I have 25 miles to make up. 

February was Mercedes Half Marathon. One of my favorite and special this year b/c I had 7 friends finish their first Half Marathon. We trained and they made it to the finish. I was so proud of them. It was freezing 20 degree weather yet they got out there and accomplished the goal they set out to accomplish. 

Then two days later was the Virtual Half Marathon for Kids. My first Virtual Half. It was fun we got our race shirt and bibb in the mail then I took off work & went to the park to put in my miles. There was a trail of balloons so it was like a decorated race course. The balloons I found out lead to a note where a girl was getting asked to prom. So sweet!! We logged our miles that night after the run/walk and received our bling in the mail. Pretty Neat!! 

Last but certainly not least the Princess Half Marathon!! The yearly Girls trip to Disney where we can wear our tiara and be a princess. My 4th Princess. Next year is the 5th year Anniversary and I get to be a "perfect princess" Im looking forward to it.  

Princess Half Marathon Weekend Ahead!

Princess Half Marathon Weekend!!! This will be my 4th Princess Half Marathon. I have run this race every year since the inaugural event. So thats what we call "A Perfect Princess" Looking forward to Medal #4. Flying out tomorrow to meet all my Running Princesses!! Short weekend But I am sure it will be packed full of Disney Fun!! I can't wait!!

First Year Inaugural Princess 2009

Second Year Princess 2010

3rd Year Princess 2011

Guilty Pleasure

I run so I can eat my favorite "Fritos Scoops"

Marathon Maniacs! 26.2

If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon." - Emil Zatopek

October this past year my friend Kim told me about the Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics. Don't know how I had never heard of them. She had a friend trying to qualify. I asked "what do you need to do to qualify?" well come to find out. I actually qualified for a Half Fanatic in 2009. So I sent in my information and became a Half Fanatic. Im number #1445


Since becoming a Half Fanatic I have met so many new friends who are runners and fellow Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs. Some of which belong to both clubs. So now..........I WANT TO BE A MARATHON MANIAC!!!
Did I just say that? Did I just put that in writing for all the world to see?? OMG!! Yes I did!!

Step One: I researched the criteria for the Marathon Maniacs and found that all I need to do is finish 3 Marathons in 90 days.

Step Two: find the races. Since I had planed on running the Disney World Full for 2013 because it will be the 20th Anniversary for the race. Already committed to the Goofy Challenge. (step one to all my friends thinking I am crazy)  

2013 Goofy Challenge
2013 Marathon Weekend - January 10-13, 2013

So ...December is the St Jude Marathon in Memphis TN. I have always wanted to run that race. I would love to support St Jude and Memphis is my hometown so I would have the family support. 



Then February "26.2 with Donna" this is a Marathon to raise money for to fight Breast Cancer. It is also has Jeff Galloway run/walk pace groups which I think is awesome.

February 17, 2013

So... I know what I need to do and now have my three races to get it done. 

Next step is to train train train train train. 

I told my son what I wanted to do but told him I was afraid. His response to me was.."I don't know what kind of God you serve but with the God I serve I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." And he is so correct!!

I have only completed one Full 26.2 Marathon in my lifetime and it took me 7 hours and 16 min. A whole entire workday. Which is something the fast runners can't even comprehend running for that long.  Funny I get tired driving 26.2 miles and don't know how in the world I continued run/walking for 7 hours and 16 min b/c I can hardly believe it myself. It was alot of prayer that got me to that finish line. And the thought in my head that I had bought that 26.2 sticker and I was going to finish no matter what. (pure stubbornness)

 Im pretty sure I could have trained more. Not to mention it was pouring down rain the entire race so I was soaking wet with no ipod or anyone to talk to and I was bored and ready for the race to be over. Got to work on the mental part. I did a lot of praying that day. Hopefully the next one I will have music, podcast , people to talk to and no soaking wet feet. I plan to train better and be ready. I just worry about being slow. I have arthritis in my hip, I have scoliosis which is a crooked spine so with my back not straight it throws everything else off being misaligned .  I may be slow but Im a finisher. I hope that by losing weight and training more I will do much better the next time around. :-)

My feet shriveled up and full of blisters for being wet for 7 hours!
3 of my toenails turned black.

2012 Mercedes Half Marathon

Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham AL 

5 Years of Mercedes!!! 

First time Finishers!

My Son & I. His 2nd Half and My First!

 This was my very first Half Marathon EVER!! 2007 after watching several of my friends complete a half marathon and several strangers. I thought to myself...."I can do that!!" "Look at that girl....she has a medal and I don't have one.....I want a medal" "I want to run a half marathon"  So Feb 2008 I signed up and became a Half Marathon Finisher. 

 We ran a little walked a little and made it 13.1 when prior to this day I had never gone farther than 6 miles. 






2009 I signed up to run it again. I didn't want to miss out. 

2nd Mercedes and 2nd Half Marathon

My son Austin and Me!
My son beat me by an hour and 45 min

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2010 Year #3 Valentines Day!!!


Each year I have brought at least one friend with me to conquer their first Half Marathon. To achieve something they never dreamed of or thought possible. Mercedes is always a week or two before Disney's Princess Half Marathon so I don't run Mercedes for time b/c I don't want to risk an injury before Girls Princess Weekend at Disney. So Mercedes to me is for sticking with my friends who are first timers and getting them to the finish line!! 


2011 Year #4 

This guy was a real UPS driver who actually ran the full 26.2 with his package.  How about that? Pretty Cool. He finished the full in the time I finished the Half. LOL

2012  #5 Mercedes Half for Me!!

Maury never had gone over 4 miles before this day!!
31.1 Finisher!!!

Scotty, Nicole, Joyce & Cindy.
Just a few first time13.1 finishers!!
So Proud of Them!!

My 4th Half in 36 days!!

Now I have moved from
 One Moon Neptune

 Level to Three Moon Saturn Level 

of the Half Fanatics!!! YEA!!!

Half Fanatic #1445