My First 13.1

It began a year ago.  I came upon a friend's Facebook post that she had just finished the 2012 William's Route 66 Half Marathon.  When she announced that she signed up for next year's Half, it was only $40, and who wanted to run it with her, I thought about it for a second and immediately signed up too.  From that moment on my journey began. 

I began running 2 years ago and up until now had never ran more than 4 miles.  I was a little hesitant but remembered hearing from another friend that if I could run a 5K distance I could train to run a Half.  She had also told me about a local running group that met in the summer to train for the Louisiana marathon in January.  I contacted them, was assured that I could train with them and be ready for my Half in November, and signed up.  Training began in August so I had about 4 months to get ready.

On November 22, 2013 my husband, two boys, and I packed our bags and drove the 6 hours from Bossier City, LA to Tulsa, OK for the 2013 William's Route 66 Marathon.  This was my first race that the entire family would get to experience, and I was excited that everyone wanted to be apart of my experience.

It was a cold, rainy evening when we finally left town.  We arrived in Tulsa around 2 a.m., and it was freezing cold!  Good thing I packed everything from shorts to tights and jackets.  No need to wonder what I was going to wear anymore because it was 32 degrees and not expected to get any warmer that weekend.

                                                          

I woke up Saturday morning to the most amazing view from the 9th floor of our hotel.  The first thing I noticed was a running trail next to the hotel. I wanted to run that trail so bad, but since we got in late I had slept late, and now it was time to get ready to meet up with my friend who I hadn't seen in 10 years.  The rain had stopped and the forecast called for cold, cloudy, and windy for the next 2 days.

We spent that day picking up our race packets, walking around the expo exhibit, and then driving the course so I would know what to expect.  She told me that the course had changed and there were lots of hills.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear.  With plans for her to come by and pick me up at 6:30 a.m., I arrived back at the hotel that evening, laid out all of my racing gear, set my alarm for 4:30 a.m., and we all went to bed early.

At 4:15 a.m. my 13 year old son, who always sleeps late, wakes me up.  I look at my clock and tell him I still have 15 more minutes and why is he up?   After hitting my alarm clock a couple of times and my son telling me to get up, I decide it's finally time to get up around 4:45.  Normally I have this time to myself as I get ready, but I was actually glad he was awake.  We talked as I got dressed and ate my half sandwich with peanut butter, half of a banana, drank my coffee, and water. I think he really helped to calm my nerves.

My husband began waking up around 6:00.  I spent a few minutes going over some details of where they would be standing and how to get around street closures.  At 6:30 my friend arrived at the hotel and we were off.

The race began and ended in downtown Tulsa.  Her timing was perfect as we were able to get downtown before all of the street closures.  We found a parking spot in between the start and finish line.  Since we arrived in plenty of time before the race started we did a quick warm up jog to the Fleet Feet Sports store that was nearby.  It was 22 degrees with a 12 degree windchill.  We joined the hundreds of other runners trying to keep warm before the race.  No one had expected it to be this cold, and I kept hearing how this was unusual.  I assured my friend that I did not bring the cold weather with me.  The store took a group photo of all of us then we headed out into the cold.  We headed to a nearby hotel to find a restroom, checked our bags in, and headed to the start line.

Once we got to the start line we had to separate.  She was in corral A and I was in C.  I knew we wouldn't be running together and was ok with that.  We wished each other good luck, and I told her I would see her at the finish line.  I heard the national anthem being sung as I headed to my corral.  I quickly walked up to my wave group as it ended and found a spot in the middle of the group.  As I waited for my wave to begin running I chatted with a woman next to me while trying to keep my feet moving.  It was so cold I could not feel my toes.  Our wave was finally given the go. We quickly moved up, the horn went off, and away we went as I pressed my start button on my Garmin watch.  There was plenty of entertainment to be seen amongst us runners.  You never know what you will see in a race.

 We headed down Main Street, turned the corner, and immediately had to run downhill.  Thank goodness I was prepared since my friend and I had drove the course the day before.  She warned me to not go out too fast because this is just the first mile and there will be more hills.  Yes, I listened!  I got down to the bottom of the hill and was greeted with the first band.  I was all smiles.  Just as soon as I came down that hill it was time to head up the next one.  Yes, this is still mile 1!  I turned the corner at mile 1 and the first thing I saw were clothes everywhere.  People were shedding shirts, pants, gloves, and even trash bags.  Not me! I was not shedding anything, and I still couldn't feel my toes!

As we ran past mile 2 the course led us through Cascia Hall Preparatory School.  I could have stopped right here and gazed at this building for awhile.  The architecture was absolutely beautiful.  This is one of the great things about running.  You get to see things you never knew existed.

Around mile 3 I could finally start to feel my toes again. We ran past mile 4 and 5, which had more hills, then I pulled out my first GU energy gel.  At the 10K point, I began looking for my family.  I was surprised at how many spectators had came out to support us all along the course, especially in such freezing temperatures.  I don't know if they realize how much their cheers and support means to the runners, but it was amazing!  Every time I passed a spectator cheering us on I would thank them.  At the half way point I spotted my family.  They were holding their signs for me and saying your half way there.  I laughed as I passed Caleb and his sign, "Just Keep Swimming!"

I ran through mile 7 and as I reached mile 8 I heard my son calling my name.  I looked over and saw my husband driving and following me along Peoria Ave.  I smiled and waved back at my family as they drove on ahead.  They drove as far down as they could until we had to turn after mile 8.  I looked over one more time and saw my son waving his "Just Keep Swimming" sign.  I laughed, gave him a thumbs up, and kept on going.

We turned on to Riverside Dr. and at mile 9 I pulled out another GU.  Thankfully, this was a flat stretch of three miles along the Arkansas River.  At mile 10 I heard someone shout, "That was a 10 mile warm-up, now just a 5K left!"  At this point I was starting to slow down.  I started to feel a little annoying pain on the outside of my left knee.  I had been doing my run 3 min/ walk 2 min pace, but now began to do a little longer walk break than 2 min.  I made my way through mile 11 and then turned onto Southwest Blvd to mile 12 and passed under a bridge with a Route 66 sign.

At mile 12, I was ready to get to the finish line.  With only a 1/2 mile or so to go I was barely shuffling along.  I looked up and saw the one thing I did not want to see, another hill.  Ugh! This one I had to walk up as my knee was hurting again.  About that time I saw my friend, who had already finished, run up next to me encouraging me on. We made it up the hill and I took off running again.  A little ways down I thought my right calf was going to cramp up on me so I slowed down.  It didn't.  I turned the last corner and spotted the finish line.  I ran through the finish line, with hands in the air, and a big smile on  my face.  I had just finished my first half marathon!  I finished in 3 hours, 20 seconds.

I walked through the row of volunteers handing out race blankets and medals.  Once I got my medal, I spotted the photographers taking pictures.  I put down my things and posed for my finishing picture.  At this point I could feel every muscle in my legs.  It hurt to even bend down to pick up my water.  I walked through a tent where more volunteers were serving small cups of spaghetti with a roll and handing out water and Gatorade.  As I walked on through the tent grabbing my food and drinks, I  saw my friend.  We made our way to the bag check area congratulating each other.  If it wasn't so cold I would have loved to walk around some.  I pulled out my cell phone and called my husband.  He said they were back at the hotel so I asked my friend if she could drop me back off at the hotel.  Wearing our medals, we began our walk to the car.  After running 13.1 miles, walking to the car was not fun.  She told me that walking was what I needed to do and that it would help me.

After making plans to meet back up for dinner, I went back to the hotel to clean up and pack for the trip back home.  We met back up one last time to visit, take pictures, and eat.  We even made plans to do another one again someday together.

 A big THANK YOU goes out to my long time best friend, Amy, for making this journey a reality and an experience I will never forget.

My First Stridebox Review

I received my first subscription for Stridebox in the mail this month and was so excited that of course I had to blog about it!  First, let me introduce Stridebox to you.  For those of you not interested I'll understand, but if you are a runner like me you may find this blog helpful and informative.  Stridebox is a monthly subscription box for runners that delivers an assortment of running accessories, gear, and nutritional products to you for only $15 a month.

The picture below shows all the goodies that came in my box this month.  I have decided to write about each product as I try it and give a little review of what I thought about it.

Jelly Belly Sport Beans

I decided to try the sport beans first because it was a running day for me. The quick energy label very much appealed to me at that moment.  I had just arrived home from work, and my energy was depleted.  I had to get in a run and was resting a few minutes trying to find the motivation to get started.  I thought this would be a great time to try something from The Box.  The jelly bean had sort of a vitamin taste at first, but it is a jelly bean and you can taste the sugar too.  This needs to be eaten with water because it is sweet and makes you thirsty.  It gave me the energy I needed though to get up and start running.  I finished my run and noticed that it did not get my stomach upset during or after my run.  I have not tried any other energy chews yet so, I will be interested to see how they compare with other products.


Klitch Footwear Clip

The Klitch is a footwear clip that allows you to hang your running shoes to the outside of your bag.  It took me a few minutes to figure out how to attach my shoes to the clip, but once I got them attached on my bag I really loved this accessory.  This will come in handy on the days when I head to the gym but can't go home to change clothes first.  I love how you can just clip your shoes without having to carry them or put them in the bag with clothes.  It's convenient and easy to use.  I will be interested to see how long the Klitch holds up, but I hope it lasts for awhile.  On a side note, I really need to get me a new bag.


Perfect Fit Raw Organic Brown Rice Protein Powder

I decided to try the Perfect Fit protein powder for breakfast.  I have never tried a protein powder, but looking at the package it had everything I would want.  It's raw, organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, and only 70 calories per serving.  They sent the vanilla flavor and I decided to mix it in with my smoothie.  I did not like this at all.  I could not taste the delicious, fruity taste at all.  Just a powdery, chalky, earthy taste.  I noticed on the package that it is sweetened with organic stevia.  I had never heard of stevia so I googled it.  I found out it is an all-natural sweetener unlike other artificial sweeteners.  I also read where it can leave an after taste in your mouth.  Perhaps this is another reason I did not like this product.  It did leave a horrible after taste in my mouth as well as the smell.  There was a recipe card that came with it so I learned that you do not have to use this in shakes or smoothies.  There is a pancake recipe using this, and I'm sure you can use this for other recipes as well.  I don't think I would try this again though.  I just did not care for it at all.

Bottle Bright

I love this product!  I tried this on my water bottle, and it removed all stains and odors in just 15 minutes.  It had a fresh, clean smell without any soap or chlorine taste or smell.  To use this product I filled the bottle with warm water and allowed the tablet to dissolve for about 5 minutes.  I then stirred it up, left it sitting for 10 minutes, and rinsed.  This was so easy to use!  I think this will be a great cleaning product to use on my water bottles and travel mugs.

Vi Fuel Endurance Gel

Be careful!  I opened the package and when I started squeezing the gel out it got everywhere.  I have never tried a gel before so I wasn't sure what to expect with this.  I really liked the peach cobbler flavor.  The package said to take it 15 min. before a run and then every 30-45 min. after that.  I tested this product out before a 3 mile run and since I only had this sample I ate it before my run with water.  Aside from being very thirsty during this run around mile 2 I did not have any side effects from it.  On a 3 mile run I don't normally take water with me and I'm not sure if it was the gel or just the running that made me so thirsty.  When I finished my run I noticed it did not leave me feeling sick or anything, and it did keep my energy up well after my run.  It had a sweet taste but not overly sweet or sugary.  I would definitely try this again as I increase my miles and run longer.  I also read that there is a chocolate flavor.  I would definitely try that one too.

 Just Keep Running Sticker

I spent a few days trying to figure out where to put the sticker.  It ended up on the freezer.  What better place than on the freezer I keep for posting anything related to running that I'm interested in at the time.  Now it will be a constant reminder for me to Just Keep Running.


Just Great Stuff Organic Bar                          

This is a chewy organic bar made from berries, dates, and cashews.  Ar first I thought it would taste like a granola bar.  It was actually more chewy with berries, dates, and cashews blended together.  I was expecting more of a sweet taste but to me it had more of a bitter taste sort of.  I thought it was ok, but I think I would prefer a banana over this type of recovery bar.


Bonk Breaker Bites

Bonk bites are energy and protein bars.  The peanut butter and jelly flavor is what I sampled.  It tasted like a peanut butter granola bar only fresh and moist, not dry.  If I had to choose between this or a peanut butter cookie, I would choose the bonk bites. 

Blister Protectors

 
This is a great band-aid.  I was wondering if I was going to get the chance to try this out before the month was over and I did.  I used it on the bottom of my right foot when I noticed a sore rubbing against my flip flop.  This band-aid has lasted 2 days without coming off.  It has lasted through walking around at work, bare foot, in flip flops, running, and in the shower.  It's transparent and blends right in with my skin so that you hardly even notice it.  I almost forgot about it until I remembered I probably needed to check on it.  The band-aid came off easy without it pulling the skin at all.  I will definitely look for these to buy.

Honey Stinger Energy Chews

This product I saved for last for my first summer 5K run.  I new I would need some energy to help me with this one.  The race was an evening run, hot, and humid.  I ate a few before the run and really liked it.  It tasted like a gummy bear with a hint of honey.  They are easy to chew, don't stick to your teeth or hands, no stomach upset, and you don't need to drink water with them.  Loved them and would highly recommend this product.

My Organic Health Kick!

I seem to be on a bit of an organic health kick lately.  Now that running is part of my regular exercise, I have found myself becoming more self conscious about the food I am buying.  I have to give credit to some of my Facebook friends who continue to motivate me with their choices as well as some healthy blogs I've read, and a wake up call video informing me of what really goes into the food I'm buying out there.  I also no longer drink diet sodas or use artificial sweeteners.  At first it was hard and I definitely missed them, but my body is already thanking me.

As I continue to hunt for organic grown food I was pleasantly surprised when I started noticing the supermarket I frequent carry their own brand of organic food known as Wild Harvest organic products.  Yes, I did my research on this product and found that it is indeed a true organic product with the USDA-Organic label found on it, and it is affordable.

The term "organic" can be vague and a little misleading, but after doing my own research into it, I fully support organic farming and buying real food from real farmers.  So much in fact that I'm even excited to begin my own backyard "farming" this spring.  Stay tuned for some blogs on how that turns out. :) I can't wait for the farmer's market to start back up in my area.  I promise I will be there every Saturday morning!

A New Year

It's New Year's Eve, a time that always has me reflecting on the year we are closing.  2012 has come to an end, and it's time to say good-bye.  Here are some of the highlights the year brought me.

I began 2012 in fabulous Las Vegas ending a holiday running streak challenge of running at least a mile a day that began on Thanksgiving day.  I'm so thankful to have been able to keep up my newly discovered passion and continue running.

Next came the addition of 2 new family members, Comet and Roxy.  They are not quite friends, as you can tell by the I know you're behind me and I don't like it sign that Comet's ears are sending out, but they have learned to tolerate each other.  And, when Roxy is not chewing on a shoe she has found or sneaking off with a sock, they are quite amusing and fun to have around.

In May, my husband and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.  Twenty years ago Chris and I were married at St. John's Cathedral.  It was a perfect spring day and the start of our life journey together.  It's hard to believe we now have a 17 and 12 year old son.  Time goes by too quickly!

The Firecracker 5K was one of five 5K races I participated in this year.  I have officially raced in every season now. 

In September, I celebrated a major milestone with one of my grandmothers.  My Mamaw Dottie's 100th birthday!  From six wars, to the introduction of plumbing and automobiles, to the first man on the moon, this woman has seen and experienced some amazing things in her 100 years.  Reaching this age is a rare thing, and I am so blessed and thankful to still have her around.

Last but not least, the year ended with a wedding celebration with my sister and her husband Mike at the beach.  I'm so happy for her and  glad I was able to be with them on their special day.  They are perfect for each other.  I know they will have many years of happiness together.


As I say hello to 2013 my New Year's Resolution is to simply do what makes me happy, and that is to run more and enjoy life.  The last picture seems to sum it up quite nicely. 

Teaching: A Calling From God

"Teachers have class"; "The best teachers teach from the heart"; "If you can read this thank a teacher."

Having been a teacher for twenty years, these are some of the sayings I've run across that relate to teaching.  All of these are nice, but I think the greatest saying I've found comes from a book of inspirational quotes for teachers and the Bible, John 3:2.  It refers to Jesus and says, "Thou art a teacher come from God." 

When I read this scripture, it reminds me of why I'm an educator.  It gives me encouragement on those days when I feel nothing is going right, no one else cares, or it is just not worth it!  Jesus had twelve students (disciples) and it did not go perfectly for Him.  His students just did not get it at times.  He taught in parables, gave them lessons, guided practice, and evaluations, but still He always had to reteach a lesson because some did not get it the first time.

Teaching is not just a profession but a calling from God.  "You are a teacher come from God."  May this saying be forever in my heart as I strive to become the teacher He has called me to be.

A Teacher's Reflection In Time Of Tragedy

I have not stopped thinking about the tragedy that struck our country Friday all weekend and what I will do in my classroom now. I take my teaching job very seriously. There is no oath or secret handshake that teachers take to say they dedicate their classrooms to the children that step into them. We do what we do because we love it. I hope I never find myself in the situation that the teachers in Newtown, CT did, but if I did I would do the same as they did and protect the children I serve. So as I step into my classroom tomorrow I will do what I do best, educate the children that walk through my door with love and compassion. I will greet them with a smile and a hug. I will remember that even though I cannot prevent tragedy from happening, I can put my trust in God that he can give me peace and keep me strong.

New School Year

It's a new school year, and thanks to Pinterest and the teacher share ideas page on Facebook I'm finally getting into my back to school mode.  All of the ideas I have seen are easy to adapt to any theme.  Last year I decided to go with the leopard print theme in my class.  I'm having so much fun adding new ideas to my classroom this year.  Here's a peek into my classroom.


1.   Small group table area.

 2,   Class Rules and Conduct Clip Chart

3.   School PBIS Rules (PRIDE)

4.   Homework BINGO

5.   All About Me board

6.   Teacher small group table.  (Love the touch light idea for a no disturbing signal when working with a group.)

7.   Word Wall and Reading Center

8.   New classroom clock (that somehow keeps disappearing and reappearing in my classroom.)

9.   Birthday corner

10.   Crazy straw birthday treats