Will Run For Kingcake

   Well folks! I have completed my 2nd race and my first 10K of the new year! For the second year in a row I ran the Mardi Gras Mambo 10k.  I have to say: I LOVED IT!! I had a blast! I was nervous going into the race because it had been almost an entire year since I had ran 6.2 miles continuously. I was worried it would take me longer than my friends who opted to run the 15k which was an extra 3 miles and that my legs would lock up due to the longer distance. I am happy to report that according to the official time keepers of the Mardi Gras Mambo I finished the race with a time of 1:11:52 AND my legs didn't lock up. I was super stoked about this! According to my Nike app I finished in: 1:10:13. However, my runner friends and I had a long discussion regarding our apps and how the race coordinators measure the miles. We found that all of our apps were slightly off compared to the actual race course. For example, my Nike app yesterday told me I ran a total of 6.44 miles when the race was a 6.2 race technically. I would love to go off my Nike app because it helps me when I am training but also because it obviously makes me look like a bad mama jamma running my 10K yesterday. After much debate I have decided to go with the official chip time from the race and look into re-calibrating my Nike app so that it is more accurate.



My recap and thoughts:
I was very fortunate this year to run with a great group of ladies! I ran with my favorite running partner K.J of course but also our good friend Rebecca and her really good friend Kitty! Along for the ride up there and back were Kitty's daughter and her daughter's best friend. The two girls were great! They were so kind to watch all of our stuff and were there to encourage us before and after the race. They were super sweet and made sure that we got food and drink after the race as well. This year, thanks to Rebecca and Kitty, we decided to dress up for the occasion. Rebecca made us amazing headbands and we all wore shirts, custom made, that read, "Will Run For Kingcake" Kitty and Rebecca took it one step further and made adorable tutu's to wear. For those of you who know me, know how much I love to be matchy matchy so naturally I was totally down for having matching shirts and headbands!! We actually got a lot of compliments on our outfits. I also loved the fact that we were unified as a group. It was so great to ride up to the race with us all talking, laughing and encouraging one another. It was even better to watch each of my friends cross the finish line.

Before the Race 

My 3 friends ran the 15K portion of the race. I was there to see all of them cross the finish line and I was so proud of their accomplishments but more importantly the fact that they didn't really let their time be a factor or an issue. Some were hoping to do better than they had done but ultimately, as discussed on the way home, we were all grateful for the blessing to be able to run and to run well. As I was waiting for my friend to cross the finish line I was able to watch tons of other people cross that finish line, some of them for the first time. It was so great to see the relieve and the excitement on their faces as they finished the race. One of my other really good friends ran her first 10K that day and I was really fortunate to not only see her cross the finish line but be there to snap pictures of her and be there to congratulate her. When you really break it down, running isn't about who is fastest. A good friend once told me that running is a community, a group of people who in the end are there to support you and congratulate you on your accomplishments! This is exactly what I witnessed yesterday while I was both running and standing at the finish line.


                                                                       The Headband          

The Front

The Back                                                            

The spectators at the race were AMAZING! There was so many people standing throughout the route yelling and shouting encouragements. There was one patron who actually had his little sound system set up outside of his house playing some jamming music to help boost our energy. At one point in the race, a fellow racer tripped and looked as though she had sprained her ankle. It was great thing to see so many other runners stop to help her out and notify the police so that she could get the proper care. It's things like that, that give me hope in humanity in a world that sometimes is full of mean and hateful people.

All in all the Mardi Gras Mambo did not disappoint. There were some things that could have been done a little better such as the water stations being better positioned with colder water and the venue not running out of food after the race but those are minor things compared to the scheme of it all. I want to say thank you to my little group of running buddies who, throughout my running hiatus and now, have always been there and encouraged me to do my very best. They have been very encouraging. My friends and family members who aren't runners have also been really great. They encourage me to do my best but also to take care of my body.

The Finish Line 

As I complete each run whether it be a training session or a race, I realize more and more how blessed I am and how much the Lord has a hand in my life. I love running and I am so grateful that I am able to do it again. I am incredibly grateful for all my friends and family members who continue to encourage me in not only my running but also as I continue to earn my college degree!

I look forward to my next 10K which takes place in March. I will be running a local race for St. Patty's day with my BF and running partner K.J.  Stayed tuned for another blog update and of course pictures with K.J and I wearing matching shirts and headbands. :) I know it's sickening..

JUST KEEP RUNNING!! 

The route

"I really regret that run"- Said No. One. Ever

I have a bit of catching up to do since my last post. I started my student teaching and life got a little bit crazy. Not to mention the crazy weather we have had in the south. I clearly have not been a huge fan of it. We had 4 snow days total in this wonderful state. We aren't equipped to deal with the ice/sleet so what else is a state to do but shut down?
Anywhoo.. I digress. Back to my running:

I have been trying to run at least 2-3x's a week. Somedays my runs are awesome and sometimes I can't wait to be done running. The weather has put a damper on my running goals because it's too cold or too icy. I managed to make some runs in between and after the "snow" days which I am grateful for. Let me share a few of my thoughts from my last few runs...

January 21 & 25:
(21) I ran around the indoor track at SELU because it was just too cold for me to run outside. I was not a huge fan of this run because I really don't like running around in circles on the track. I ran a whopping 2.01 miles but I ran. I don't regret the run. I felt good after the run even if it was a slow pace. I went running and to me that's all that matters. The run on the 25 was awesome though! It was after our first "snow" day of the year. My running friend K.J and I decided to venture out into the icy tundra that was our town. K.J let me lead the way and I decided it was time to go on a little adventure so that we weren't just running around campus like we normally do. I have learned my way around the areas/outskirts of the places near the college and felt comfortable going a different way. I am really glad we did. By running a different route we only had to make the SELU loop once and managed to run 4.2 miles! It was a lot of fun even if it was cold. There was one point where I thought, "hey let's cross over this little wooden bridge that connects the park back to SELU" Well, I clearly didn't think there would be ice on it but I was definitely wrong. haha We had to stop running at that point and walk very slowly and carefully over the bridge.  Our pace was really great this day. I managed to run an 11'37" minute miles which I am proud of. Slowly but surely I am getting better! It took us about 48 minutes to run. I definitely didn't regret this race and it was just what I needed for the days to come. Enjoy this lovely picture. (I have decided I am going to be the girl who doesn't match her running clothes) Thanks to my running partner K.J for following me on our running adventure!

I <3 to run!

February 3 & 8:
These two runs haven't been my best time but I still enjoyed them. On the 3rd I managed to run 3.53 miles and the weather was actually fairly warm. It was in the 60's and I loved it!! I managed to run this in 43 mins. My average minute per mile was 12'18". This definitely hasn't been my slowest minute per mile but it hasn't been my fastest either. Even though this was slower than I have been running I still felt better after running. I am trying to be grateful for even the "bad" runs. I don't regret that run :) My run today was as equally as slow but longer. I ran 4.25 miles at a 12 min/mile pace. It took me a total of 51:02 miles.  I ran a few stairs while I was running today. It probably wasn't the wisest idea because my calves were in a bit more pain than normal but it was a nice workout. I decided to run a different route today as well. I feel like it will be easier for me to run longer if I have different scenery to look at. It worked today. I ran longer because I simply wasn't just running around main campus. I hope to be able to look up, different & safe, routes depending on how many miles I plan on running that day.

What I have learned (thus far anyway)
No runner is the same. I was told by a good friend that I should train a little easier than I would a race. I have been trying to consider this as I run but sometimes I just like to take off running. However, it leads me to run slower and slower as I get further along in my run. It's a trial and error thing and I am determine to keep it up till I find what works best for me. That's what I recommend anybody to do. No runner is the same which means what works for me may not work for you. Even though every run doesn't turn out the way I envisioned I am still grateful that I am able to run and live an area where I can run. I may run at a slower pace than some and I may not love that particular run but I never regret the runs!

Next Race:
My next race is coming up this Saturday. A few of my running peeps and I are participating in the annual Mardi Gras Mambo and of course we are planning on wearing matching shirts. I mean I wouldn't be me if I didn't try to match in some form or fashion right? Don't worry there will be pictures! Wish us luck!!!

(On a totally different note I am going to begin P90X3 and I am considering blogging a little about that and showing my progress via pictures. I have completed the original P90X twice and the results were pretty awesome. Any thoughts on blogging and sharing my progress through pics?)

Why She Sings

So my really good friend and former teaching partner Becca has a pretty great blog. She has been blogging for months now. She mainly posts about shopping on a budget and how to remix the clothes you already have. Trust me folks she is really great at it! She actually came over tonight to re-make my closet for me. Tonight alone she made 43 outfits out of clothes I have had in my closet for years. She actually has picked out every teacher outfit, except for one, I have worn thus far for student teaching. You can check out her blog here (whyshesings.blogspot.com). Make sure to check out her post about how society is ruining our self image. This particular post is probably my favorite one she has posted!

Make sure to keep checking her blog to see the great outfits she put together for me. Until then here is a picture of my first week of student teaching that Becca put together for me!  THANKS BECCA!!!