When the Chains fall off....Let the season begin!

This past weekend I completed the first half-marathon of the season.  The trio of running amigos went to Nashville to run in the Women’s Running Series. 

 

I must admit, I was a little nervous.  Although I have been slowly coming out of the running struggles that had plagued my running and mind for the past few months, my last long run went well but the post run was disastrous!   My stomach cramped up, I felt weak, I was nauseous… I just couldn’t figure out what was going on.  I believe now;  I was dehydrated. 

All week the excitement grew!!  This race was the kick-off to five half-marathons before the end of the year!  I knew I had run all summer, I knew I had trained on hills, I knew I could do the distance BUT…could I really?  My goal was simple…FINISH!  I didn’t even want to look up my PR, I didn’t want the pressure or allow that to enter my mind!

Our crew was pulling out of Tally on Thursday as soon as we completed our day at work.  As we left, you could begin to feel a change in the air.  It made me more energetic as I realized the fall was coming, humidity was leaving, and that could only have a positive effect on my running!

We stopped in Birmingham on Thursday night and made a trip to Wal-mart.  I mean can you really travel and not stop at a Wal-mart!!??  With ESSENTIALS purchased we crashed for the night and decided we would sleep in and make the final three hour journey to Nashville the next morning.  We were up and on the road by 8!  Seriously, who considers traveling by 8 as sleeping in!!  I have been working out and running at 5:30 AM too long now!!  This needs to be addressed! J

Each mile that draws you closer to Nashville also increases the intense smell of BBQ! This trip we stayed at the host hotel, The Renaissance.  It was perfectly situated for our weekend and the view we had was spectacular!  The expo was pretty good and we grabbed a couple more “essentials” before headed out to check out the sites and crashing early for the race!

The alarm went off early!  I love traveling with the trio of running amigos!  We have our routine…it includes not talking much in the morning!!!  We met up with a group of MRTT ladies from several states!  They were so nice and it was encouraging to have other faces to look for during the race!! 

As the buzzer went off, the nerves begin to fall away as each foot hit the pavement.  Soon, I was in the groove and checking out the sites of Nashville.  I was so grateful for the training that I did in Tally!  We trained by running hills, doing TRX and Tabata Bootcamp.  Each of those strengthened my legs to conquer the very hilly Nashville route! 

 

As I ran, it was a great time to reflect and chat with God!  I felt good.  I realized that just like my walk with Christ, as I began to get rid of the chains that held me back, my walk with Christ felt better, I could see things clearer, I was stronger.  The chains were just a reminder of what happens when my focus is not properly on Him. 

In my running, as I ran and each step felt great, I realized that running in cooler temperatures and no humidity made all the difference.  I had to train with “chains” but as those were removed, I could see the strength that was gained during the trying times!  It was freeing, it was exciting, it made the run seem so much lighter!!

As I crossed the finished line and realized that I had achieved more than just finishing that I had set a PR, it was a smile that could not easily be erased!  Oh and did I mention the medal was HUGE and a BOOT!!! 

My favorite post run activity was the “Freshen Up” Tent!  It had deodorant, body spray, baby wipes, chapstick (individual ones), and other items to make you not feel so sweaty and smelly!!!  This was proof that this series is dedicated to women!  This tent should be mandatory at ALL races!  I mean really, men smell too…a little apple spray could go a long way!!

The weekend ended with a fun busy day looking at sites and seeing Reba McIntyre’s “FANCY” red dress and being hit on by drunk people on the strip!  Hey, hit Nashville if you need to feel fancy and hot! J  The drive home was fully caffeinated thanks to Starbucks! (sidenote: I know that Starbucks and I are going to have to break-up again soon….they are slowly taking me back in their grasp and it is not good…but that was not discussed during this trip home!!)  A tin rooster, Les Mis soundtrack, and plenty of laughs brought us home and searching for what our next trip will be!

If you have not ever heard of the Women’s Running Series, check it out!  It is fantastic!  We are headed to St. Pete in November to stay at the Vinoy and grab another HUGE medal!!  Come join us!  Each step will make you realize that there is nothing better than being healthy, being active and being bold!! 

Live loud, Live loving Him!

Holy Cow - Catch up time! 26.2 miles done...okay in 2 half marathons! :)

Wow!!  So much to catch up on!  Do you ever have those times when you think you will get to that “tomorrow” and then two weeks have passed?  That is always a sign for me that the work busy season is upon us!  I do love to be busy but it is totally getting in the way of my fun activities!!

Well I have TWO half marathons to report on!  So let me get to business!!

Rock N Roll – St. Pete

The Good:

·         ORGANIZED!!  I realize they have been around a long time but they did a great job of keeping you informed and ready for race day!

·         Expo – It was ON the Rays baseball field!  I just thought that was really cool!!!

·         Drop-off Location – This was the first time I had someone drop us off at a race.  I was afraid we would be walking (in the dark) for quite a bit.  Quite the opposite.  We were dropped off, rounded the corner and there was the start line!

·         Beautiful course!!  This was a flat course and went through so much of the beauty that is in the area! 

·         Food – okay, the ending had everything!  Gatorade, water, frozen strawberries, bananas, granola bars…I just thought that was a nice touch!  Other than my daughter ate ALL my strawberries! J

·         Family!  It was fun to have my husband, daughter and in-laws at the race!  I saw them about mile 9 and then at the finish!  It honestly brought tears to my eyes!  It is nice to see them cheer and hear my daughter say, “That’s my Mommy!!”

The Bad:

·         I had to really search on this one!  The parking for the Expo.  To park right at the stadium, you had to pay $15.  I thought that was a bit much!  So we drove a couple blocks down and parked for free! 

*  Not race related!  I for some reason broke out in hives on the trip down!  Nothing a little Benedryl couldn't fix but it had my nerves on edge!!!

The Ugly:

·         I completed this race in 2:04!!!  So this was a PR for me and puts me well on my goal of being sub 2 by the end of the year.  It was a cool start but by the end of the race, I was quite the hot mess…in a good way!

·         I love expos but they always suck me in!  This time I found Zipfizz Energy Drink. (http://www.zipfizz.com/) I loved it!  I haven’t had any type of energy drink or sports beans since I started the Whole 30.  I am not going to use it on a regular basis but it has a B12 boost in it and it tastes great!  Another Expo…my poor hubby knows there will be a loss of money from his pocket!!  But I NEED this stuff, right?

Donna Half – Jacksonville

The Good:

·         This race was for a personal FUN record!  So the fact that I had two of my best buds with me was the best part of the whole weekend! 

·         The cause!  ALL of the money goes to help find a cure for breast cancer!  It doesn’t get any better than that!

·         The neighborhood area!  The Ponte Vedra area is beautiful and the neighborhood really supports the race!  It is fun to have people cheer you along!  YES!  This means I actually noticed the area I was running in!  This has to make so many people happy!!! :)

The Bad:

·         It is not the races fault BUT it was COLD…and WINDY!!!  Did I mention this is mostly along the water?  So the chill was brutal! 

·         The parking!  Okay, this had to come out!  We left our hotel at 5:30 AM.  We sat on the road for the parking lot for at least an hour.  We did not pull into the lot until 7:15.  Luckily they postponed the start to 8 AM because of the situation.  It is my understanding this is the first time they allowed for people to park at the start line.  I like the idea, just need to work on how to get 9k people in there!

·         Bus transportation back to the start line.  They had us walk a good distance to board the bus back to the start line.  Not really an issue, except that hotel bus drop offs were right as you excited the celebration location.  I will not pout or complain on this anymore! 

The Ugly:

·         The race was not bad!  Until the last two miles!  It was the A1A bridge and it was quite the incline!  This race all for fun for me but man that would have been BRUTAL if I had been pushing for a time! 

·         I didn’t get to make the expo! L However, my dear friends got us signed up for another race in November in the beautiful St. Pete (http://womenshalf.competitor.com/stpetersburg) and have us on seriously contemplating  the Space Coast run in December! (http://www.spacecoastmarathon.com/) The medals for the Space Coast race are so cool!  See, even when I don’t attend the expo I can find a way to spend money!

Let me add in one other race!  I ran a local 5k for the Young Actors Theatre.  It was a blast.  My best running buddy could not be there but her son wanted to run his FIRST 5k!  So I said I would be happy to run with him!  I thought for sure he would bolt out and then pucker out and I would "encourage" him to the end!  YEAH, he SMOKED me!!!  I am so proud of him!!!  He is a really good runner!  It was quite hilly and he killed it!!!  I have got to get some rest because I will beat him next time! :)

The races were great fun!  I have a break for a bit from the 13.1's….I am not sure I am happy about that but work crazy time has arrived! 

Can’t wait to share some fun news in the next post!  I do love when I do things on a whim and God seems to pour out some blessings!!!

See you later!

Run for God Kickoff!

Run for God

January 10 – Day 1

Tonight is the night!!!!  I am very excited about what God has already done with this Bible Study!  We have ….get ready for this…74 people signed up to come tonight!  I am beyond amazed at God’s mighty blessings on this!  We had to move the meeting location to the sanctuary of the church to hold the group!

The thought for the week is: ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE!  Everyone is an athlete.  But some of us are training and some of us are not.

I truly believe that God has been challenging me for some time to stretch farther in my walk for Him.  It is Him saying, “Allison, you can do anything through me.  You just choose not to.  Go ahead; Accept the challenge and the hardness that comes with it and let me show you great and mighty things!”  So I look forward to this journey and many more that will come my way! 

How about you, Will you accept the challenge?  I am not sure what that looks like in your life but I just know that with Christ, it is absolutely doable!

Whole 30 Challenge

 January 10 – Day 7-10

The challenge is actually working out quite well for me!  I know that I have only completed a week and half but there are already results. 

Bads:

1.      I am still a bit nervous about going out to eat or getting off of my planned and prepared foods.  I am in control when I cook and prepare my meals!

2.      THE DREAMS!  I thought this was a joke when I read about them in the book.  Who dreams about food.  Well, it is not!  I have had two!  The first one, I was locked in my office eating as much chocolate as I could shovel in.  Imagine Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory scene!  The other one, I don’t remember as clearly but you wake up feeling guilty and upset.  It is amazing the psychological effect food has on us!!

3.      I might be a little moody around 3 PM!  This is when I usually have a regular sugar/cookie/chocolate break each day.  This has been the hardest habit to break.  I have not cheated but I drink a lot of water at 3…and maybe just avoid me for about an hour! J

Goods:

1.      I do have more energy.  There still are days that I am dragging but overall I am feeling great.

2.      Cooking – Y’all, I thought this would kill me.  Actually, it is the time I most enjoy!  Sometimes the food is edible but not fantastic but overall it has been a really fun thing!

3.      Clothing – well I am already feeling results in the clothing department.  As processed foods have been eliminated, it has done just what the book said.  I am not bloated anymore.  I am seeing changes.  I hate I didn’t take before pictures!  But girls, you know that we realize when those pants fit better!  I haven’t tried on my “really-skinny” skirt yet.  You know the one that I could fit into one time for about 20 minutes but it has become the outfit that will wear again. I will keep you posted when I go to THAT hanger in the closet!  My husband will shutter!   

4.      Okay so this is embarrassing… I will be as simple as I can.  I have always struggled with bathroom issues.  ALWAYS!  For the first time, that is not an issue.  I now understand what it means to be regular! J

5.       When I started, it was a countdown.  How many more days until I can enjoy a starbucks or have ice cream.  My mind has changed on this issue.  I realize there will be times when those items will be eaten BUT I really want to incorporate this in my everyday living.  I don’t NEED that stuff.  Not to mention; the results I have seen, it was holding me back from who I wanted to be!

Success One: I am super stoked as I am not known for being a picky eater but I had never tried spaghetti squash.  I have never been one to eat winter squashes.  But this week, I put the entire spaghetti squash in the crockpot on my way to work.  It cooked all day.  I got home, cut it in half, removed the seeds and then used a fork to remove it.  You use the fork as if you were pulling a pork roast apart to make pulled pork.  It really does resemble spaghetti.  I put a little olive oil, salt and pepper and I had a dish.  It doesn’t really have any flavor.  So I look forward to using that with various sauces.  Overall, it was a success and I look forward to trying other new foods!!!

Success Two: This week I really wanted to do something different in my workout.  So I went to a spin class.  How many of you have done a spin class?  Well it is not my favorite workout.  It is hardcore and it is a GREAT workout.  But let’s be honest, after a workout, sitting is not exactly the most pleasant experience.  It is my understanding this passes, we will see!  I had also hoped to join a Hot Core class.  I am completely bummed that I had to miss that class.  The day got away from me!  But I plan to make it next week! 

13 in 2013

I have another half marathon next week in Amelia Island.  I need to get in one last long run this weekend.  I found that the big running club here, Gulfwinds Track Club,  is having a 15/30k race on Saturday!  This is perfect!  I can log another race onto my goal of 13 in 2013 while meeting my need for a long run!  WHOOHOO!! 

On a final note, I love when God sends you a bonus in the week!  This week I got a FB message from a friend I knew when I lived in Gainesville.  She totally encouraged me and rocked my world.  She has some big goals and plans for this year and Satan is really trying to defeat her by destroying her confidence!  It was great to see how I had encouraged her through various FB posts.  I praised God for the lift that I needed today and committed to praying for her and checking in to see how she does!  God is good, all the time!

Have an awesome day!!  I can’t wait to report how the Bible Study goes tonight!!!!

Allison

Prayer, Performance and Power

Prayer
Well the weekend began on a rather sad note for our church family.  Our Youth Pastor, Tom Burke, has been fighting a very long battle with cancer.  His earthly battle ended early Saturday morning and he now has a completely healed and strong body in Heaven. 

Also, a sweet friend from high school would be saying goodbye to her husband for a year as he was being deployed overseas.  My heart just broke for her and her three sweet children.  I am always so amazed at Military Families!!

With the Burke family, The Akers and so many of our sweet youth and their families on my mind, it was a perfect day to begin the #13in2013 challenge. 

Performance -13 in 2013
One of my goals this year was to complete 13 races in 2013; they were to consist of 10k, 15k or half marathons.  Our Moms Run This Town group had signed up to run in the "Winter Runnerland" Virtual Half Marathon on January 5.  Our organizer, Tammy Poucher, did an awesome job setting up and executing the run!!  (We had running bibs and a photographer at the end!!!)

I was a bit nervous as this would be my first race on the #whole30.  First, it was COLD (37 degrees...okay that is cold for Florida!!). More so,  I would not be able to do my normal race day morning eating routine!  But no complaining, just success!!!

Success One: Egg scramble and a banana to get some energy in the body!  I also had a banana and other fruit ready for the completion of the race! 

The race went awesome! We were on the St. Marks trail which is a nice flat course.  It is a beautiful scenic route, perfect for a morning of prayer for so many in need!  I completed the half in 2:05.  I actually felt pretty great!  Around mile 9, I was missing my sport beans.  However, more for an activity to do while running, then the need for energy.  I actually believe this #whole30 thing can be complete life-changer for me!

First race for 2013 is in the books! Next race is January 19 in Amelia Island!  I cannot wait for the Ritz, the run and the brunch following!!  BRING IT ON!!

Power
Well I knew the day would come, I am far too social to live in a cocoon for long!  I received an invite to go to a friend's house for a cookout.  OH NO!  I don't want to look like a freak but am I ready for this?  I went in with a strong will and determined attitude!  Praise God!  It was a success!  I will not say it was easy, there were scalloped potatoes, garlic bread and a cake that looked amazing!  I DID IT!!!!!  WOOT, that was not a hard core workout but that was very #fistbump worthy!!

Closing out the weekend was awesome, I was able to watch a sweet girl (one of my sweet friend's daughter) be baptized!  There is nothing more precious than seeing a child accept Christ!  Just gives me chills!  Then, Shannon (badassfitness.com) met several of us at EarthFare to point out foods to strengthen us and those that could detour us from our healthy living goals!  It was awesome!  My favorite part of the night, my entire family in the kitchen preparing food for the week!  We laughed, we cooked, we bonded!  I LOVE that #whole30 has challenged me and now I am reaping so many more blessings than just healthy eating!

Prayer
I will end as i started.  Thursday begins our "Run for God" Bible Study (www.runforgod.com).  We have 63 people signed up!!  God is soo good!  Praying for a great class that draws each of us closer to God as we seek Him and seek a healthier lifestyle!

Please join me in praying for the Burke family and the Fellowship Baptist church family.  Tom's funeral will be Wednesday. 

Have a strong week!  I had a sweet friend send me a text this morning with such an awesome quote that I must end with it:

"It is senseless to be physically fit and have a broken spirit.  You can't cover up a shattered self esteem.  Face your self and get healthy from the inside out."