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!!!

1 of 14

Today marked my first race of the new year and I have to say, I picked an excellent race to start off my year of 14 races!! My running partner K.J actually told me about this race and I am sooo glad that she did. It is part of the Louisiana Marathon series but it was a 5K that was mainly sponsored by The Advocate, the local newspaper in Baton Rouge. Before I tell you about how great the race was let me back track to the day before when we (K.J and I) went to pick up our racing packets!

The Drive

Normally I wouldn't blog about the drive to or from a race but this drive was exceptionally painful mainly because I have road rage and traffic was horrible. Our 45 minute drive to B.R turned into a two hour drive because a lovely semi truck somehow managed to veer off the interstate and crash into a tree. Now normally this would cause a slight back up but this particular semi was apparently carrying paint of some sort which resulted in the haz mat team being called in. When we finally passed the sight of the crash there were at least 4 cop cars, and 5 other vehicles which we assumed were the haz mat vehicles but who knows. (I am not sure of the condition of the driver of the semi but I truly hope he is ok because the truck looked awful) Luckily I have Netflix on my phone and I was able to introduce K.J to the oh so cheesy Disney Channel original movie, Teen Beach Movie. She watched about 30-40 minutes of it before we were able to inch our way out of traffic and to the expo. It made for an interesting drive there for sure. K.J. and I always have some fun adventures when it comes to Expo trips.

The Expo

I am not sure how many of you are familiar with racing Expos so let me give you the skinny on them. Running Expos are generally where you pick up your race packet with your bib, shirt, and any extras they might throw in your bag. In addition they usually have tons of booths that represent the many different races going on in and around the area (probably my favorite part of the expo) and they have booths where people are trying to sell you running merchandise from headbands to shoes and everything in between.  I hate to say it but K.J and I have yet to attend an expo where we didn't find something we loved and bought. For example, this trip I bought two headbands, one for the summer races/looks and one for the winter races (like today's). We also each bought a car decal for our cars. Luckily, K.J. and I are bargain shoppers and we didn't spend over $13 combined! It was pretty great! This particular expo got us both pretty fired up about some upcoming races that we plan to do together. Before the expo we had I believe 6 races on our list so far and now we have 9 or 10. (She has done and is doing more races than I have committed to thus far.) One particular race we really want to do is a 1/2 marathon relay race in MS. We are both pretty stoked about this one and we really hope we can pull it off.  I'll keep ya'll updated.  I wasn't incredibly excited for my race the next day but after going to the expo and being around all the other runners, not to mention how excited K.J. was for me to be running again, my excitement level increased drastically as we drove home to prepare for our upcoming race! Long story short, if you ever get the chance to go to a running Expo before a race, I highly recommend it :)  

The Preparation

K.J and I made a pact to get everything ready the night before so that we would be ready to go as soon as we all woke up. I met them at their place at 6am! I took a picture of the main essentials I knew I would need for this race. 

Advocate 5k

I actually wore a red long sleeve shirt over my race shirt because it was 38 degrees when the race began at 8am! The polka dot fabric you see is the fancy new headband I bought at the expo, I used it to cover my bright yellow headband used for the warmth factor, also bought at the expo. I needed extra protection. I am a baby when it comes to the cold weather! It's hard to tell but those are power energy gummies! A MUST have for any race I do. I usually take 2 for a 5K. They give me extra energy when my body thinks it can't possibly run any further :) I also NEVER run a race without my arm band, iPhone (not pictured) and my head phones. I was fortunate enough to be able to run with a  new arm band that fit my iPhone better than my previous one! Not to mention it matches my headphones and we all know I love to match!! I also decided to wear my sparkly leggings under my sofie shorts because like I mentioned before it was freaking cold! Last but not least no race is complete without my bib!! (I save all of these bibs on my cool display that my cousin B made for me!) After my preparation I went to sleep like an old lady at 8:30pm. It was the best night sleep I have had in a very long time though :) 

The Race

The Advocate 5k was incredible!!! We (K.J, Joshy and I) all got up and began our drive at 6:15am! We left a little early in case there was ANOTHER back up due to the same accident the day before. Luckily for us the haz mat team wasn't out that early but there was definitely a back up for everyone going towards BR later that morning. Anywho I digress... We arrived at the race 55 mins early but we found free parking!! You know it's the little things that count. K.J.'s husband was our lovely driver so that we could rest before and after the race. When we got to where the actual race was I began getting a little nervous because it was cold, I was worried my legs would lock up, I really want to do the race in under 40 mins etc. The thoughts just starting racing through my mind. Luckily K.J. is an excellent friend, running partner, and motivator. She just kept saying how excited she was for me to be racing with her again and how great I was going to do etc. We also met up with another fellow runner that was running her first race back after having a baby in November. It was nice to have somebody in the same boat as far as not being able to run a lot prior to the race. We gathered in the choral to begin the race. The race began and I just started running. I was doing really well too. The music was good and the air was energized! I actually kept a steady pace throughout the entire race. We even had to go up a hill (overpass) and back down and back up and back down. I took the hill slowly, walked briskly once at the top and then allowed myself to run/coast down the hill each time. I picked up my pace the last 1/2 mile once I could see the finish line. I wanted to throw up once I started running faster but I managed not to :)  It felt so freaking great to cross the finish line!! I did it in under 40 mins too. My official time according to my print out was 34:25! I was so stoked that I did it under 40 mins. Everyone also received a finisher medal after crossing the finish line! It's not about the medals but it is a nice motivator :)  This race is exactly what I needed to keep my spirits high as I continue to work my way back into running!   I highly highly recommend this race for any beginner or seasoned runner!

My Splits

A little collage from the race today! 

Post Race

On the drive home there was another back up due to an accident but luckily Josh got off and was able to avoid the very long wait. The interstate was literally at a stand still. No cars were moving :/ Semi-trucks really like to wreck on I-12! While driving home I was able to reflect on my year thus far and my recent race. While my year believe it or not has not gone like I thought it would, it still has been a great start to 2014!! I felt so great about this race. I wasn't incredibly exhausted afterwards or discouraged. I actually rode the stationary bike for about 5 miles once I got home to work my hip flexors a little so they wouldn't hurt tomorrow. In addition to that I made sure to do a good amount of stretching to avoid the pain the following day. Not to mention my adorable 2 year old niece thought my medal was so cool. She had me run down the hallway towards her so that she could place the medal around my neck and said, "Congratulations Nanny! You won!" (We did this several times.)  haha I love that little girl so much! 

Life is good folks! Count your blessings no matter how big or small! And just keep running!!! 

Tulle Crazy

I have a little niece on the way! As a result I have been going a little crazy making outfits for the soon to be adorable baby K to arrive!!! My sister and her hubby have decided to decorate K's room in Princess Peach from Super Mario Brothers. I am pretty excited to see the room once it is all decorated. 

Being the awesome sister/auntie I am, I volunteered to make her coming home outfit. I obviously thought the only outfit for her to come home in would be a Princess Peach outfit. After I volunteered to make said outfit I realized uh duh Leesa! You don't know the first thing about making a Princess Peach outfit! Luckily I live in the day and age of wonderful fantastic pinterest! I spent probably 30 minutes looking at different pinterest ideas and finally pinpointed one I thought would be fairly easy to replicate. Below is the picture I found on pinterest and the varying stages before it's completion. 

The necessary equipment! 

Stage 1

                               

Stage 2

Stage 3

The Inspiration found on Pinterest!

My final product! 

 (Sorry for the random display of pictures. I don't really know how to place pictures on my blog very well. I will get better! )

In addition to this beautiful Princess Peach outfit I decided to surprise my brother in law with a little Batman outfit. My brother in law loves Batman. It is his favorite superhero! I bought a batman onsie from Walmart and I decided to make a little tutu to go with the onsie. I had to girl up the boy onsie! 

 I am really hoping he likes it! 

NA Na Na Na Na BATBABY!!!! 

There will be more baby craftiness to come I can assure you! However, that is all I have for now! Thanks for stopping by :)

"Let It Go"

NOTE: I have decided to use this blog as a way for me to journal my running experiences and more so my thoughts after each "training" session and race. I know a ton of people don't read my blog but for those who do, I want to be open and honest about the struggles and joys running can bring on a daily basis. WARNING: Long Post Ahead

Today began my official day of training for the races I hope to be able to participate in for the year 2014. Some of my fellow runner friends decided to do 14 races in the year 2014. At first I was hesitant but now I am completely on board! I very excited to be able to run again without any severe pain in my legs during my run or severe pains after my run. I think my body really just needed a rest from the strain that I had been putting it through over the past year.

Today I ran 3.05 miles to prepare myself for the race that is coming on Saturday which is a 5k (3.1 miles). In preparation for my run today I decided to make a running playlist to help keep me motivated. On a later post I will share that playlist with you for any of those who are looking for some new music to listen to during your runs. One of the songs on my current running playing list oddly enough is from the movie Frozen. (Side note: If you haven't seen the movie it really is a must see. It's been a long time since I have been impressed with a Disney movie and this one impressed me).  It is entitled "Let It Go" and is sung by the oh so talented Idnia Menzel. While I was running, certain lyrics struck a chord with me and I would like to share those lyrics and thoughts with all of you. For those who know the song I am referring to, the lyrics, "The cold never bothered me anyway" are clearly NOT the lyrics that struck a chord with me. HAHA! Anybody who has been around me for more than 30 minutes knows I am forever and always cold regardless of the temperature inside or outside the house. However, I digress..

(Necessary back story/information)
I suffer with a little problem called anxiety. I have no health insurance and no way to get on anxiety medication. Not to mention I would really like to control my anxiety through other means. Not that I am knocking anyone who is currently on anxiety medication because I know several people who have been immensely helped with the use of anxiety medication.  I am simply relaying my thoughts for me as an individual person. One way I deal with my anxiety is through running. You can imagine how disappointed I was when I decided I needed to take a break from running and how my anxiety levels fluctuated a great deal during that time period.  Over the past month or so I have been suffering with a lot of anxiety. On occasion I can pinpoint the cause of my anxiety in which case I generally deal with the situation at hand. However, sometimes the situation that is causing my anxiety I don't necessarily have control over. That has been the case over the last month. Not to mention I am both elated and terrified that this is my last semester of my college career and in 123 days I will have to make very grown up decisions and try to figure out where my life is headed yet again. Life is stressful but honestly life is also so very wonderful even with anxiety :)

Ok so now that I have told the world that I have anxiety let me get back on track with today's "training" session. Due to the stress/anxiety I have been feeling lately, I went to the gym (it was raining) and ran the track upstairs as fast and as hard as I could. Running literally relieves all the tension that is built up inside my chest due to my anxiety. During one of my fast sprints "Let It Go" came on and as I said previously, a few of the lyrics just spoke to me. These are those lyrics and why they spoke to me:



A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside.
Couldn't keep it in, Heaven knows I tried.
Don't let them in, don't let them see.
Be the good girl you always had to be.
Conceal don't feel, don't let them know.
Well, now they know!

( I used to pretend I didn't have anxiety and I would just bottle it up inside and be miserable. I also thought for the longest time that I was one of the only people who had an issue with anxiety. So that made me feel isolated and clearly I'm amazing which makes me a Queen right? ;)  I have now learned that it's ok to have anxiety and that a lot more people have it than are willing to let on. Not to mention I just told the world, aka the 3 people that read this blog, about my anxiety) 


It's funny how some distance,
makes everything seem small.
And the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do,
to test the limits and break through.
No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I'm free!

(This is how I feel when I run. My anxiety goes away completely and stays away for a while after each run. During my run the limits are endless and I feel like I can do anything even if I am barely running. Some people refer to this as a "runner's high" In that brief moment of time when I am running all is right in the world and I am free!! )

Let it go, let it go.
And I'll rise like the break of dawn.
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand, in the light of day.

(Running is the one place where I can let my anxiety go and it gives me the energy and desire to keep running until it is all gone. When I run I feel like I don't have to pretend to be able to keep everything all bottled up inside. Running is my outlet for my stress/anxiety)

Those are some of the lyrics and the song in and of itself is amazing not to mention the movie. What is more amazing is the fact that I lead an incredibly blessed life. I have made some mistakes, I have dealt with repercussions from others' mistakes and yet through it all I have been blessed! I consider running one of those many blessings I have been given by my Heavenly Father. He knows me and He knows that I need a way to deal with my anxiety levels. He has not only given me amazing family and friends but He has also given me the ability to be able to run and to run well (once I am back in shape again.) I didn't really understand how running was truly a blessing until I could no longer do it. Perhaps that was a lesson I needed to learn. I needed to be humbled and realize that running may not always be there so I need to enjoy it while I have it and not to be so hard on myself when runs don't go as I would have liked them to.

That is exactly what happened today when I ran. Here are my stats from my "training session" today. It shows a treadmill but I ran on the indoor track not the treadmill. You will notice that it took me 45 minutes to run 3.05 miles at an average pace of almost 15 minutes per mile. 

This is NOT the norm for me. It was actually very discouraging to me because I have a race coming up. However, my good friend/running partner K.J reminded me of a motivational picture I sent her just last night because she experienced a similar run on Saturday. I highly recommend sharing your stats with fellow runners, who aren't competitive, because they generally have had similar stats and feelings and will usually have some words of encouragement for you. I am very grateful to my friend K.J and R.C for their constant encouragement. Especially when I decided to begin running again. Here is the quote that was shared amongst fellow runners:

 Life is great even when it's bad! 

For those who are seasoned runners or runners who are just beginning my wish for all of you is to remember: "EVERY RUN IS A BLESSING" 

After my run :)

Reunited And It Feels So Good

Today I was reunited with my running partner!! KJ and I braved the 45 degree weather this morning and decided to attempt a run. This was my first time running further than a measly mile. KJ came to run with me just in case my legs locked up again. I am glad to report that we were successful in our run.  After we were done running our lungs were burning because of the cold weather and the lovely wind chill creating by non other than the wind itself ;). It was 80 degrees yesterday so I am not really sure why it had to be 47 degrees this morning. However, I think if it would have been warmer I would have kept running and I really should be building up my endurance slowly. Next week I am going to push it and do 3-4 miles. I want to be ready for my first race of 2014 which is now January 18th instead of January 4th. Slow and steady wins the race!..

KJ and I decided to have a mini photo shoot before our run! 

Crafting a little..

I am excited to report that I am officially on Christmas break!!! Which means it's crafting time!! I will have a lot of time on my hands this break and will be doing my best to keep myself busy to make the time fly. I plan on making some craft shirts for the Barker kids, making stockings, and re-learning how to crochet. Let's hope I can do it all!

Here are a few crafts I have made while waiting for Christmas break to roll around.

These blubber gloves were made for mine and Becca's science unit during the semester. We taught the kids about adaptation. This particular day was all about insulation. The Blubber Gloves are made with Lard (smells DISGUSTING) , and ziploc bags taped together with duct tape. They kids put their bare hands in ice cold water and saw how long they could keep it in. Then all the kids placed their hand inside the blubber glove and then back in the ice cold water. This was a fun interactive ways for the kids to understand how blubber aka insulation works for animals. It was a pretty cool experiment and one of my favorites to teach!! 

 I made these two beautiful ladies matching aprons again this year! These aprons are for year round use. I have decided that I want to make them matching aprons for every holiday throughout the year. We really like to be matchy matchy in this house! In fact we are all matching for our Christmas program on Sunday. My sister and her hubby are coming into town and they are matching with us too. I am pretty stoked about the whole thing. Don't worry I will be posting an awesome pit cute of the glorious matching Sunday!

Running Update for 2013 ( warning it's long)

I have done 5 races this year before I had to give up running for the rest of the year. In Feb I was able to take the place of someone else at the last minute and participate in Mardi Gras Mambo 10K in Baton Rouge, LA. The Mardi Gras Mambo was by far the hardest race I have run thus far. It was a beast to run against the wind while running up the levee hill. It was so rewarding to finish though! I had a blast!

The next race was in the town of Hammond,LA. I participated in the Rotary's yearly Shamrock Run which I started calling the Hamrock Run out of habit! This race wasn't as exciting but still it felt good to just be out there running! The food afterwards was delicious! They had jambalaya, Raising Canes, and VooDoo Barbeque! I ate VooDoo. It was YUMMY!!!! I was scheduled to run a 5K in Baton Rouge again at LSU but I got sick and couldn't run :(

Next came the annual Crescent City Classic. Now for those who "follow" my blog this race may sound familiar. This was the very first race of my running goal that began last year. My goal this year was to beat my time last year, 1:13:32 which I did but just barely. It counts in my book though. I finished this year's race in 1:11:17. I was very fortunate to ride to New Orleans with some pretty great girls and we all finished within 5 minutes of each other. This year they gave out finisher medals too because it was the 35th Anniversary of when the Crescent City Classic began. As a result there were a ton of people at the race and it was really hot. We were all pretty exhausted after the race but we still had a good time.

Before the race (SELFIES)

KJ and I waiting to start

My few right before I finished.

Our Crew After We FINISHED!

Fat Boy 5K was a team run race! I went with my BF KJ, her husband, brother in law and their family friend. It was a new race for us that we had never heard of. We decided to do it because at the end of the race you got a chocolate donut medallion. Who wouldn't want a chocolate donut medallion after a little run? The answer is nobody so we all signed up. The cool thing about this race was that if you had a team of at least 5 people you could compete for a team trophy which is what we decided to do. This run took place in May. We called ourselves Team Panda so naturally the other teams were terrified by us ;) Thankfully the boys ran pretty quickly so KJ and I could bring up the rear without really worrying about our time. We were pleased to hear the folks announce Team Panda as 1st place in the 5 team division and 4th place overall! It was a fun race and it turned out to be a beautiful day in New Orleans! We also got these really cool mugs for winning!

Holding our "trophy"

KJ and Me before the race began. yes we are matching!

Team Panda All The Way!

My final run of the year was the GLEAUX Run race in Baton Rouge. It was a 5k race around downtown Baton Rouge. We ran down and around the capitol etc. I wasn't impressed with this race at all because the people in charge of it were rude and the cops were even worse. Not to mention according our individual Nike apps the race wasn't actually a full 5k race. It was super annoying to our group of people who ran it. However, the concept was cool. The object was for you to wear things that would glow in the dark while you ran. Well it was a summer race at the beginning of July and it didn't start to get dark enough to see our attire until after the entire race was over. Poor planning on their part but it was fun to get together with our little running group and just run for fun! This unfortunately was the last run I would run this year. :(

KJ and me 

My "normal" super hero pose :)

Jesica and Ashley afterwards...

My celebratory dinner! PANDA EXPRESSS

Before and After (some of the running gang)

I began training in August to run my first half marathon in October. I was stoked and so excited to finally be able to run a half marathon which is something I wanted to do since I ran the Crescent City Classic last year. Well in between training for the run, doing a workout program called Tap Out and trying to juggle school my poor little body decided to shut down. Every time I ran my legs would begin to cramp up and literally stop working. I would have to sit down or hobby until the feeling would come back in there. After consulting with my cousin, who is an athletic trainer, and my running friends I decided it was best to put running on hold. This meant not being able to compete in the half marathon in October. This to say the least was really upsetting for me and I had a hard time dealing with not being able to run anymore. Running was my way of relieving stress and letting go of everything that has/was bothering me. After some great encouragement from my awesome friends I was able to come to terms with it and just began doing lighter exercises so that my body would still stay in decent shape but not be so overworked that it shut down again.

Fast forward to last Monday when I decided since the school semester was basically over I would try running again. I decided to start off with just running 1 mile near the house so in case something happened Wendy would be able to come rescue me. I am pleased to report that I was able to run a full mile without any problems and I did it 11:32. Which to some people isn't an accomplishment but for me, because I hadn't run since August, was a great accomplishment to me. I plan to continue to work my way up to at least 5K status again and then we will see if perhaps after graduation I can finally run my half marathon. I already have a race scheduled for January 4th! It is a 5k so let's cross our fingers that my body can handle it!

PHEW! That was the longest post known to man. Thanks for sticking through it.. (if you did)

Craftiness at it's finest (4 months late)

I really stink at this whole blogging thing. I knew school would keep me busy but never realized exactly how busy. Luckily my body decided I had been working too hard and decided to get sick and stop working temporally which gave me time to lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. Or update this blog briefly with my random crafts in the year 2012 that I have yet to blog about. All of these crafts were made with the help of the ultimate crafter Brandie herself. 

My t-shirt Quilt

This, my 6x6 t-shirt quilt, was by far the greatest accomplishment of the year 2012 craft wise. I was determined to finish it before the end of 2012. I believe I finished like December 30th. Not a minute too soon. I LOVE IT! I sleep with it every single night. I love looking at the different t-shirts and remembering the good times and memories from each of them. Brandie helped me find the back fabric and how much batting to put in between and she graciously sewed the ribbon around it for me. It was a long process to make it but I am so glad that I did make it. One day after I graduate college I am going to make one for my little brother Jasson per his request when he saw mine. 

 This is what my living room looked like for several hours while I was cutting out the material. I used a 3-ring binder cover as my template for the size of my square.

 This was the layout before I sewed it together. 

 These two pics are the final product! Like I said it was quite the process and not the cheapest thing I have done but I am so glad I did it! I LOVE IT! Thanks to Brandie for helping me make it! 

My other random 2012 crafts

The rest of these pictures are just a few of the crafts I was able to make in between my Fall 2012 semester and my Spring 2012 semester. Again I must give credit where credit is due! The ultimate crafter helped me with all of these crafts. Enjoy :)

This was my old short sleeve wonder woman t-shirt 

that I made into a dress for Ms. Anna Claire!

 She loves it of course!!!

WONDER WOMAN!!!

Wendy loves to be matchy matchy so I decided to surprise her and Anna Claire with matching Christmas aprons. Anna loves to help her momma in the kitchen and Wendy loves that she loves to help. 

 Adorable no?

 They are making Santa's cookies here. 

That's chocolate dripping from AC's mouth :)

I saw on pinterest where you could make old t-shirts into workout shirts so I decided to do that with two of my old shirts that I didn't put on my t-shirt quilt. I gave one to my little cousin (the LSU) and kept the other one for myself. 

I will be donning the yes please shirt for the Crescent City Classic next weekend! I am very excited to beat my time of last year! Stay tuned for the update on my races in the Spring of 2013. I have done 2 so far. :)

I mustache you a question: Do you like this pillow case? 

I made this lovely pillowcase for my dear friend Becca as a Christmas gift! She moved to Utah in January and I miss her terribly. This pillow case for some reason was so hard for me to figure out! I actually made this and the exercise shirts by myself which was probably why it was so difficult but I enjoyed making it! There is nothing like working hard and seeing the final product! Definitely a sense of pride when you are done! I hope Becca is enjoying her mustache pillow case in Utah! 

WHEW!!!

I think that is all the pictures I have to share! I made three plastic grocery bag holders but for some reason I don't have a picture of any of them. Go figure! Oh well! They turned out cute. I have one more of those to make so perhaps when I finally get around to doing it I will have a picture of it to share with you. Thanks for making it through this very long post! 

Don't forget to:

GET YOUR CRAFT ON!