"...instead of screaming, I ran."

“I had to do something to shake up my life and get back some sense of control and trust in the world and along the way fill the hollow space. I needed to rebel against these negative forces, to scream so loud and for so long that the anger living inside me would evacuate forever. But instead of screaming, I ran.”  

 - Gail Kislevitz, First Marathons

Yesterday morning a friend sent this quote to me and said it reminder her of me and how I’ve talked about how running came into my life at the perfect time. It’s not that I think God wanted my marriage to end but I do think God knows how to line your life up perfectly and give you exactly what you need.

• January 2011 I wasn’t a runner, I was overweight, and out of shape and a shell of the strong girl I once was. 
• January 2012 I had started running just a couple months before, at nearly the end of my 85lb weight loss. I started finding strength - mental and physical - that I forgot existed within. I started remembering what happiness really felt like. 
• January 2013 my world came crashing down… but the prior years had prepared me to withstand. I had gained mental strength from running and found an outlet for all that haunted me – the pain, the anger, the confusion – I ran it out. I had built my support system with a base of long-time friends and a few key new friends whose friendships were perfectly timed.

Do you need to shake up your life? Do you need to rebel against the negative forces? Go for a run. Take a cross fit class. Join the gym. Fitness is an amazing outlet for life. It saved me.

One of my favorite places to run. This route clears my mind. 

Yoga...and Muscle Mix!

So I've continued with yoga and taken a few more classes... included a killer one Monday morning (after running intervals)! It was the most intense class yet. I was already sweating from intervals and that continued through the entire class. My running buddy Patty took the class with me (her first) and later heard we had the hardest instructor... which is fine, I love the challenge!

Then we ended up taking Muscle Mix on Wednesday morning and it was awesome. My abs are STILL sore. My quads killed me. I can't wait to do it all again! For some reason being sore always makes me feel like I REALLY did something.

Tomorrow's plan is a long run, then yoga and then home to shower quick & get ready to meet my friend to head to Roanoke... we're going to an awesome country music concert! I'm hoping I can make it all happen.

Mini-Mudder

A few weeks ago, a friend's husband tweeted me to ask if I wanted to join his team for a Mini-Mudder (co-ed teams needed 3 guys & 3 girls). I immediately said yes without asking another question... crazy? Yeah, maybe. Even crazier, I put it on my calendar & then kind-of forgot about it. I didn't look at the details, think about what to wear or anything else. Then Friday, I finally read the race info....

Words like "wall climb", "log carry" & "sand pit" SCARED ME. I'll be honest, I momentarily thought about bailing. Then I decided to just do what I originally did and forget about it. I'd go, compete and do my best. Hopefully, not be a complete embarassment!

Saturday morning I realized I had no idea what I should wear... OOPS! I went with a pair of shorts and our team captain provided shorts. Looking back I should have worn capri workout pants - they would have protected my (now very scratched) knees!

After meeting my team members (I only knew 2 prior to Saturday) we had a long wait for the start... in the brutal August sun. Maybe I should have packed my sunscreen!

When we finally got to start, I was so excited. Maybe a little too excited, as I started that log carry out a little too fast. Luckily, I slowed myself down about 2/3rds of the way around the track, realizing I still had 3 miles and a lot of obstacles to go.

We had a great team & AWESOME fans (who drove golf carts beside us cheering us on!). We went from the log carry, to the sand pit, to running a few hills, then on to the awesome slip & slide (my favorite part), then the mud crawl (where the rocks in the mud killed me!), then we were on to running through the creek, carrying cinder blocks, the push up challenge and finally the wall climb (my worst enemy!).

It was one HECK of a workout! And we got SECOND place!! I am bruised and sore... and I love every bit of it! I'm hoping it isn't my last mini-mudder!

TEAM AWESOME!

#Fail

I ended yesterday's post with my plan for today. I failed. #Fail. #Fail. #Fail.

I jinxed myself telling the world (internet) my plans for today.

After a great night of sleep, I couldn't drag myself out of bed. Finally out of bed & dressed for my run, I just had zero energy. I couldn't drag myself out of the house to run. I was am endlessly hungry. Just an absolute #fail today.

So at this point my only workout for today is moving a dresser for my bestest (into her nursery!). My mom and I hauled it up some stairs, so score for a little workout today. I'm hoping to jump on the treadmill this evening and get a few miles in so today isn't a total fail. I'm sad that 10 miles didn't happen this week, it's discouraging but I'm trying to not let it get in my head (too much...).

Suite at the Four Seasons? Why Yes, thank you.

On Sunday I leave for Philadelphia (3rd time in the last 6 months) for the event I've been planning since December. When we visited the first time (back in December) to visit locations and restaurants we discovered the best option was... The Four Seasons.

Four Seasons

Yeah, call me a country girl, but I've planned a lot of events and none of them have ever been at the Four Seasons... or anything close to it. So I tried to hide my excitement and not look like a 5 year old being told they are getting a pony when our CEO & I agreed it was the best option.

I'm not sure I succeeded at hiding my happiness because our CEO gave me one of the suite upgrades included with our package. He said it wasn't important to him because he doesn't care where he stays since he travels so much but when would I have the chance to stay at a suite at the Four Seasons? Good point. I mean staying at the Four Seasons was nice enough - but getting upgraded to a suite... thank you, thank you VERY much. Sadly, Andy cannot make the trip with me (boo!) since his work schedule got changed so it'll be just me in the big 'ole suite but I'm sure I'll enjoy it anyways!!

I'm excited (and nervous) for the event, but I'm crossing my fingers everything goes well! And that I'll somehow get a couple long runs in because I'm starting a running competition with a friend next week (more on that later) and I don't want to start the first week off poorly!

I Wanna… be a Roller Derby Girl

This weekend Andy & I made the short 2 hour drive to Andy’s best friend’s house in Richmond. I have two Aunt’s in Richmond and since the shopping is much, much better there than in the Valley, I’ve made that drive hundreds of times. This time we were not going for the shopping (although I did squeeze some in), we went to see John’s girlfriend Jess in her Roller Derby bout… yep, that’s right, she’s a Roller Derby Girl. And I’m insanely jealous because she’s awesome.

On the way to Richmond

Babe stopped at Starbucks for me!

I’ve never been to a Roller Derby “bout” (yes, that’s what their games are called). I did watch the movie about the roller derby girl (the title I cannot remember), I think on our flight to Mexico, but somehow I missed the real rules of the sport. Thankfully we caught the last 20 minutes of the bout before Jess’ team bc we were completely lost! I would explain how it works, but you can just do what I did and Google it (thank God for iphones).

This girl is amazing!

I had made posters like a nerd super-fan. And we got insanely into the bout. We were jumping up, cheering, screaming for the jammer and cringing when we thought she wouldn’t call off the jam before the other jammer scored. We were tracking the scoreboard and freaking out when the other team closed in on the 20 point lead – no worries tho, Jess’ team won. This sport is awesome.

Roller Derby Girls!

I’ve insisted to babe ever since leaving the bout that I want to be a Roller Derby Girl. I can’t think of a better way to exercise AND get my aggression out! AND they get really awesome nick names… what more could you want? Babe would say “no broken bones”…