Mercedes-Benz Marathon 2013

I had so much fun with my large group of crazy friends!  In our group of friends, there was 1 half-marathoner and 3 relay teams that consisted of 5-person teams that completed the 26.2 mile marathon.  

It was cold!  Like 25 degrees when we got out of the car!  brrrrrrr.  We found our bus that took us to each of our relay starting point.  Thankfully the bus had heaters!  After what felt like a pretty LONG ride, the bus pulled up to a Piggly Wiggly.  We unloaded.  After standing around for a little bit...the manager came to unlock the door.  Splendid!  Bathrooms and a heated store while we waited on our teammates to get to us. We watched the clock and thought about our friends at the start line, how excited and pumped it must've been.  I was the 3rd person in my relay team.  I did 6 miles.  Miles 9-15 of the marathon.  

Jennifer & I waiting on our teammates so we could take off.

I began my run energized and excited.  By mile 9, which is where I started, the crowd was pretty thin and I had plenty of room.  It was so strange, because I was passing people.  I have never passed anyone!  Not in a real race, or training with others.  I'm the slow girl...or at least in my head I am.  Granted, most of the people that I was passing had already ran 9 miles, because we joined in with the half and other individual full-marathoners.  But none-the-less, it put a pep in a step and a boost of confidence!  On my Map My Run app, I have it set to where the woman talks to me every 5 minutes, telling me my total time, distance and pace.  My 1st 2 miles I held a 9:?? pace, I was shocked and excited, I didn't want to give that up. I've never ran a 9:anything.  Heck, I'm usually an 11 minute/mile girl!  I was pushing myself, rocking to my music, feeling inspired by the other hard workers next to me.  Around my 4th mile, my woman said my pace was 10:05, 'NO!!!'  At that point, I PUSHED HARDER, refusing any more water brakes for the last 2 miles.  I have the ability to run, my breathing was right...so I worked my legs.  Telling myself 'Faster, faster...keep going!'  Running is nothing but a mind game.  The last song with my ear plugs in before I met up with my teammate was "Girl on Fire" by Rhianna  Alicia Keys.  I raced to my teammate, passed off the ankle time-keeper-thingy.  My world was spinning for a few minutes.  I looked at the official app with our time....it said 09:55!!!!  I did it.  Again, I know for some that isn't fast, but I'm usually 10:30-11 minute/mile.  

I'm so very proud of each one of my friends!  Everyone pushed themselves and did a great job!  It was SO MUCH fun doing this together as a big group!

Guys finished 1st...The Runnin Fools.  Total time 3 hours 56 minutes.  Average pace 9:02minutes/mile!

Next across the finish line was the Pink Spankies.  Total time 4 hours 19 minutes.  Average pace 9:54minutes/mile!

Last, but not least the Breathless Bandits.   Total time 4 hours 30 minutes.  Average pace 10:19 minutes/mile!

Breathless Bandits

Kristin, another friend that I meet up with at the end.  She did her very 1st half-marathon and ROCKED it!  Finishing in 2 hours 10 minutes, keeping a 9:58 pace.  GREAT JOB girl, I'm SO proud!

After Jim & Nicks fed us, we still stopped for some hot donuts.

Would I do it again??????  You bet, as long as all my friends do it too!  It was fun as a huge group.  I was never alone.  We were always checking on each others team and cheering on another on.  Fun day for sure!

Update:  These are the OFFICIAL TIMES...

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Running buddies

I've been running regularly, but not frequently.  The past 4 weekends, I've ran 5.5-6 miles.  There have been some 3 milers & home-workouts during the week.  I did a couple of weekend runs with Kristin that I really enjoyed.  Her running spot is pretty flat {that's always a bonus}.  Her blog about her running journey is pretty inspiring!  My other running buddies are a group of friends that I'm doing the Mercedes Marathon with today. We usually run VERY close to where I live and a really pretty place, but has a few tough hills! We have this ongoing 11-person group Facebook messaging.  That keeps me laughing throughout my day.

Today will be by-far the most crowded run I've ever participated in.  We are doing a 5-person relay to complete the (26.2-mile) marathon. Our team is the "Breathless Bandits".  I'm the 3rd runner & will run 6 miles.  Our friends consist of 3 relay teams, "The Pink Spankies" and the guys are "The Tightie Whities".  I have a couple of friends running the half. I'm actually very excited about the day and think I'll have lots of fun with the large group of my friends.

Another upcoming run is The Dirty Girl Run.  It's in 3 weeks.  It's my 1st "dirty" run.  I've played in the mud plenty back in our 4-wheel riding days, but it's been a while. It's a 5K Run and obstacle course.  It isn't a timed event.  You just do it with your friends.  I think it'll be a blast.  I just hope it isn't freezing that morning.  You know early March in the south is nothing but a roll of dice.  Remember the blizzard of '93? Yep, that was early March too!

Anyway, I'm loving my fitness friends.  They are fun & silly...but encourage me to go running, when I really don't feel like it and I end up having fun with them.

I'm happy with my weight.  Everyone knows that saying that is like saying 'I'm rich'.  You never really think you will be where you want to be.  Now, I didn't say that I'm completely happy with the way I look, I've got A LOT of toning to do, but if the scales stay the same I'm ok with that.  I have curves and to be honest, I don't want to lose all of those curves.  Skin & bones are not sexy!  Plus, I love carbs WAY too much to be skin & bones!

Wish us all luck!  Today will be COLD, crowded, tiring...but full of fun!

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Invaded

Forgive me for my absence.  It hasn't been because I've wanted to be gone.

So much has happened in the few weeks that I've written.  Some that I'll share, some that I'll keep private.  Just know there is some pretty amazing/crazy/unbelievable things happening in my world right now.  For now, I'll share the crappy, scary, unnecessary event that's happened to us.

We were robbed.  It was pretty scary.  It was very scary.  I've never been a scared person...even when we lived out in the country in a thin little trailer...even in the past when Jacob has worked out of town.  I had been at work all day.  Jacob had been at work and was at the gym.  I had picked up the girls.  It was 6:15pm-already dark.  I stopped to get the mail, notice that the house was dark 'was the power out?  The weather wasn't bad.'  I pull up, press the garage door opener.  Nothing.  Hummm, that's strange.  I walk around back to open unlock the back door, using my phone to light my way because it was so dark.  When I approach the door, all I see is the glittering of the shattered glass on the deck.  I glanced at the door, it wasn't a little baseball might've went through....it was a OH NO! WE'VE BEEN ROBBED, ARE THEY STILL INSIDE?!?!?!?  My heart stopped, then started again, going 200 beats/minute.  I raced back to my car, backed up as fast as I could out of my driveway.  My hands shook as I tried to call & text Jacob to get home ASAP.  He didn't answer immediately.  In this moment, I felt like I was living a nightmare.  Running for my life with my innocent babies in the back seat.  I raced to my brother-in-law's house, who happens to now be our neighbor.  He's on my short list of people who I trust with all my heart, knowing he would do anything for us. There I called 911.  He got his gun & a flashlight.  My sis-in-law got the babies and stayed at her house.  Bobo (BIL)  discovered that the power box was ripped off the house- to kill the alarm system.  He checked out the house, it was all clear.  For the 1st time in those short terrifying moments, I was able to relax.  Then I was MAD.  So mad that someone had invaded our home.  Took our things that WE PAID FOR, WHILE WE WERE AT WORK!  Jacob arrived at this time.  The police shortly after.  We searched the house.  Some things were gone, but it could've been much worse.  The most sentimental things were some of Jacob's guns that was passed down from some special people in this life.  The were gone.  We learned that there had been a string of robberies in the area and it was related to selling the things for drugs.  Pathetic.  Frustrating.  Some of our friends and family came to check on us.  Others called.  We boarded up the door, cleaned up the glass.  That night I was scared to sleep, but I doubted that they would be back.  They didn't want us, they wanted our stuff...to buy drugs.  That night I slept about 2 hours, checked on the girls 6 times, left really early for work, rode the neighborhood to search for anything suspicious...nothing.  Since then, I've been dealing with the insurance, replacing our things.  I must brag on the police and investigators.  They know who did it and we even have some of our guns back.  We are so very thankful that this wasn't filed in a filling cabinet and forgotten about.  These people are being pursued and will hopefully be punished for all they've done, not only to us, but to others as well.



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