Girls on the Run!

During the spring of 2014 I volunteered as a coach for the Montevallo Boys and Girls Club Girls in the Run team. GOTR is a non-profit whose mission statement is to " inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running." Our team was made up of 12 girls in 4th and 5th grades. We met twice a week for a character education lesson and activities. The culminating event for the program is a 5K where teams from all over the Birmingham area come together to celebrate and run. 

Our team met on Mondays and Wednesdays. I just went to the Wednesday meeting every week. The meetings generally went well, but some weeks I felt like I wasn't getting anything right! Some of the girls were not into the idea of running at all and just wanted to walk. Things changed somewhat after our practice 5K. The kids from the Boys and Girls Club came to cheer, as well as members from a nearby church and the University of Montevallo has 3 members of their girls cross-country team come help us. Once our team felt the energy and support from everyone that day they really rose to the occasion! After that the next few weeks went a little more smoothly during our lessons and most of the girls chose to run when it was time. 

All of the weeks of preparation led up to the GOTR 5K. I was so nervous about how the girls would do and if they would have fun, but my doubts quickly faded when I met with our team that morning! They were so excited to run! Every girl that runs is paired with an adult that accompanies them throughout the race. For some girls that is a parent or family member, for others it is a member of the community. I ran with one of our girls and we had a blast! We ran and walked through the course and just chatted about life. I learned so much about my running buddy and what a neat kid she is! My favorite quotes from her that day were "This is funner than I thought it would be" and "It's like we are royalty or something! (in response to the police stopping traffic)" When we finished we waited and cheered at the finish line for all of the girls and running buddies. Smiles were contagious! I think I grinned like a little kid all morning as I watched the girls have fun!

Was being a coach hard work? yes! Was it sometimes frustrating? yes! But was it all worth it and would I do it again? A thousand times over YES! 

July 4th Peavine

What better way to start July 4th than a 8.2 mile race where the first 3.5 miles are up hill? I can't think of one, so for the second year I joined 500+ runners on the trek. The weather was amazing! 64 degrees at the start which is unheard of for the south. Last year I was still of the mindset that time mattered in a race. This year I know that the experience can be just as important. I made a conscious effort as the race began to just enjoy the run and I did. On a hill walk break I met Hilary. We had a nice quick chat and continued to cheer each other on throughout the race. I stopped at the overlook and took pictures for two ladies. Last year I didn't even stop to enjoy the view from the top of the hill because it would waste time! After the overlook stop is the last big climb to the top. The volunteers are great to motivate and encourage runners to finish the second half of the race. After my pitstop for Gatorade I headed back down the hill. I love running downhill! I can really open my stride and cruise. I was enjoying my run when I caught up with a little girl who was walking alone. I stopped and walked and asked her if I could run with her. She said yes and we ran for about 10 min and had a really nice visit. I was so impressed that a 9 yr old was willing to tackle that course! I continued on my way and reached the trail portion of the race. The last 1.2 miles is a single track trail. I am a road runner and not a fan of trails, but this year was much better. I tried my best to enjoy rather than focus on how much I dislike trail running! When the trail is over so is the race! Once again BTC volunteers put on a fabulous race, from pre race instructions, to water stops, to post race party. BTC knows how to "run" a race! 

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Statue to Statue 15K

April 19 and Statue to Statue is here again! It is billed as the South's toughest 15K, but it is also one of the nicest races around (just ignore the hills!). Since I ran the Knoxville Marathon on March 30 and the Bridge Street Half on Apri 13 I set off to just enjoy this run. The race runs from Vulcan to the Liberty park. Runners park their cars at Liberty Park, then they are bussed to Vulcan. The race starts at the foot of Vulcan, and takes off through some of the most beautiful nighborhoods in Birmingham. The race winds down Country Club Road and Mountain Brook providing beautiful scenery with well manicured lawns and amazing homes. My first goal as the race started was to find a bathroom stop! As usual I had not allowed enough time for the bathroom line at Vulcan and the race started before I could make a potty stop! Luckily around mile 2 there was a home with construction going on and I borrowed their porta-potty. Thank you homeowner for remodeling! The course is known for its hills but the most impressive one is Stone River Road around mile 6-7. It is neverending! I am usually a 10-10:30 pace for this race and the majority of people around me walk this hill. The faster crowd probably runs it, but I don't know how! After "THE HILL" the race has a few climbs on the way to Mountain Brook High School, but after that it is downhill to the finish. Seriously the last mile or more is downhill and I love it! The post race party is excellent with plenty of food and drinks (including the adult kind!). I was afraid of this race last year because of its hilly course but it is now one of my favorites! The really nice thing is hills don't scare me now. One of my mantras on others courses when faced with a hill now is, "Hill?, that's not a hill!" My time this year was 1:36:22 and I finished 13 out of 29 in my age group, not bad since I set out to just enjoy!

Bridge Street Half Marathon and ENERGYbits

Ok, yes we are crazy. My husband and I ran a half marathon 2 weeks after our first marathon! It was the first year for the Bridge Street Half Marathon, so it was only $40 and it was in Huntsville where my sister lives. I love getting to go see her and the race was cheap! I couldn't pass it up :) We went up late in the day Saturday and went to dinner with my sister and her husband at their favorite local place. It was weird to go to bed so early at my sister's house because she and I usually stay up late talking when I visit, but I knew I needed rest! I had been sent a sample of ENERGYbits to try so I took them before we left the house the next morning. They are small tablets that are supposed to deliver natural energy without the use of caffeine or harmful chemicals. I'm not one to try new things the morning of a race but since the Knoxville Marathon was only 2 weeks ago I figured I needed all the help I could get! The recommended "serving" is 30 tablets of ENERGYbits. It seemed strange to swallow 30 little tablets, but chewing them is not recommended. Down the hatch they went and we were out the door and headed to the race.  Our friend Chris drove up the morning of the race so we met up with him at the start line. I was so happy my sister had told me where to find the restrooms at the mall! I didn't have to wait in the porta-potty line :) The race was relatively small which was smart since it was their first year. The course had some rolling hills, but for the most part it was flat. The biggest problem was the heat! It was so hot! I got a mental boost when my personal cheering section showed up at 2 different points of the race! My sister, her husband and my little girl cheering for me was great motivation! I even stopped for a quick hug from my little girl both times :) My favorite portion of the race ran through a double helix. Behind the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology there is a park that is a mile long double helix. It was a neat feature of the course. I took water or powerade at every stop and had about 1/2 a GU around mile 6. I don't think I needed the GU with my ENERGYbits on board though (plus GU in the heat was difficult to swallow)! The farther I got in the race I started to see runners struggling in the heat. I saw one couple seated on the side of the road. The lady was struggling and her friend had stayed with her. I also heard rescue trucks at least twice. I found out later that several runners had needed medical help because of the heat. I have to say with my ENERGYbits and hydration I felt fine at the end of the race! I finished in 2:13 which is typical for me (I am usually sub 2:15). I was surprised with my time because I had not pushed myself and I had run 26.2 just 2 weeks before. Was it the ENERGYbits? I definitely think they helped! I will be incorporating ENERGYbits into my long runs from now on. I finished 34th out of 118 in my age group, pretty respectable for 2 weeks post-marathon I think! We had some snacks after the race including my favorite post race drink CHOCOLATE MILK! We went back to my sister's house, got cleaned up and packed, then went to Moe's Barbecue for lunch and headed home. All in all it was a nice race with cool swag (cups and koozies) and an awesome shirt and huge medal. We will be back next year!

Knoxville Marathon

We did it! My husband and I finished our first marathon and it was awesome! Early in the year we decided that this would be the year we would run a full. Once we decided I started reading reviews of marathons and really "shopping" for one we would enjoy. The Knoxville Marathon had great reviews, it is a smaller race with live music on course and tremendous volunteer and spectator support. Knoxville is only about 4 hrs from us so it was a perfect choice. My runner friends were excited for me until they looked at the elevation map, then they started to ask me if I was sure I wanted to run my first full there! It was a very hilly course, but so it the area we are from. Anyone who has run our local races would be fine in Knoxville. We decided to stay at the host hotel which was a perfect choice. The expo was in the hotel and the start line was right out the front door. When we arrived Saturday we got settled in our room then headed to pick up packets. It was amazing to finally step up to a "marathon" table and pick up t-shirts and bibs, a little scary but awesome at the same time. We shopped around for a bit finding 26.2 stickers and another race t-shirt. We debated going to a nearby restaurant but the hotel restaurant menu looked good so we stayed there. We had a nice dinner and met up with my parents who drove up to cheer us on. After dinner we went back to the room to get all our stuff organized for the next day! Luckily we both slept well and the next morning it was awesome just to walk out the front door to the start. We dropped our little girl by my parent's room and went to join the crowd at the start. The weather was perfect in the upper 30s, low 40s for the start and the temps stayed below 50 all morning. Mike and I intended to run together but he is always a speed demon at the start. He gets frustrated in the pack, so he waved bye and was gone. I cruised along enjoying the scenery and made a conscience effort to keep the 4:30 pacer in my sight. The start of the race took us along the Tennessee River which was lovely. The Sequoya Hills neighborhood was amazing! The signage was hysterical throughout the neighborhood and the route closed with a "What does the fox say" skit. It wasn't long before the famous HILL was upon us. I had caught Mike and we knew the hill was coming. Is was difficult but I ran the entire thing. Anyone who has run Birmingham's Statue to Statue 15K wouldn't look twice at this hill :) I lost Mike again and just cruised toward the 1/2 way point. I was so excited to see my parents and little girl near the 13 mile marker! I got a quick hug, took a picture and got a gatorade before setting out on the final half of the race. The second half of the course is more industrial and a little lonely at times, but there are several neighborhoods that came out to cheer us on. The race also has music acts all along the course in the same way a much larger race series does. I caught my husband again around mile 23 in the Island Home neighborhood. He was struggling due to some knee issues that he suffers from. We ran together for a short while then the 4:45 pacer passed us. I was determined to not lose her! I said good-bye to Mike and ran with the pacer for a few miles. I lost her at a water stop, but I knew I was going to finish well within the time I wanted (sub 5 was my first goal, but I really wanted sub 4:45) The finish was tough! The last 1/2 mile is uphill before entering Neyland Stadium for the finish. I caught the 4:45 pacer as I was walking up the hill (yes, walking in the last mile!). She encouraged me to get going and finish strong, so I did! 4:39 seemed very respectable for my 1st marathon.The medal was awesome and receiving a finisher's hat was also nice. Mike finished just a few minutes after me and then we went in search of food and my family. My dad and little girl met us at the bottom of the stadium steps and showed us where to meet them after we got food.  The post race food was adequate with pizza, trail mix, fruit, protein bars, etc. The post race party is dry, so if you want a celebratory beer you will need to head to a local restaurant or have one on ice waiting in your hotel room :) We met up with my family and walked back to the hotel (about 1/2 mile). I don't think I have ever walked so slow in my life! My parents packed up and headed home, and we went to the pool for a while. After swimming we walked to dinner and had fabulous burgers at a nearby restaurant. All in all a terrific first marathon experience. I was really sore for about 3 days then slowly worked my way back to running. We ran the Bridge Street half marathon in Huntsville 2 weeks later! 

Tour de Brewers 4

I needed 13 miles last Saturday but I wanted to go to a local 10k. I started my morning with 10.75 miles at a local park with a running friend then headed out to the 10k, the 4th Tour de Brewers. Make no mistake this is a fun run, not a race. Runners include everyone from runners who don't drink, to college students all in for a party. The run starts at Tin Roof and from there goes to three local breweries covering about a 10k in the process. The $20 fee covers 3 beer tastings and a tech t-shirt as well as a donation to the Dannon Project. We have run 3 of the 4 times the run has been held only missing Sept 2013 when we were at Disney. As the run starts the crowd of runners is split, half head to Avondale while the other half go to Good People in and attempt not to overwhelm any location at once. The runners do meet up at Cahaba but by then the pack is well spread out. Our friend Chris joined Mike and me and we took the dogs. It is a great run for my lab Max because he gets rest stops! Millie could run for miles and miles, Max not so much! We just ran and talked about everything from work to beer to our next races. Chris committed to registering for a 2015 Disney race! It will be so much fun to go to Disney with his family too. Tour de Brewers 5 is already on our calendar for this fall!

1st 20 mile run done!

The Knoxville Marathon is 30 days away! My husband and I did 18 miles 2 weeks ago which involved a good bit if walking after mile 15 and his knee gave him problems. Our long run route starts at Orr Park and then we run different 5-8 mile routes from there with the park being home base for water and GU rest breaks. Mike really enjoys the Parks Trail so we set out on that route first. The trail is mainly crushed gravel, but there are short stretches that are primitive trail. There is also a water fountain for a quick water break at College Lake. After a break for GU and Gatorade at the car our next loop took us into a nearby neighborhood that I run frequently. I was glad to be back on the roads, but the route has several good hills! Our final route took us down Main Street, and around our local college campus. We finished with one last mile around Orr Park. We averaged 10:30 pace for most of the run and I only walked on the primitive trail. Mike's knee was good too. The weather was fabulous around 60 and breezy. All in all we felt like the run was a success! We took a short walk and stretched before going to pick up ME who spent the afternoon at my parent's house. Mike took kid duty so I could get the horses fed and go to the grocery store (note to self, shop for groceries BEFORE 20 mile run!). We finished the night as a family watching The Little Mermaid on ABC Family. This morning we are both feeling sore, but nothing hurts! I'm sore across my shoulders which seems strange, guess I was tense yesterday. Now to get up and get this week started! Another 40 miles to fit in around everything else, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

The race that wasn't

Well Mother Nature did not allow for the Gulf Coast Half this morning. While we are disappointed, we have enjoyed the family time. We had a good time at LuLu's yesterday, enjoyed a walk on the beach, a nice dinner followed by a night swim for Mary Elizabeth. The rain seems to be slacking up, so Mike and I are going to try and get a run in before we head north. Quality family time over the race time is okay this time :)

Training during "snow days"

This week has been crazy! We were out of school for 3 days during a winter storm warning. The storm never happened for us, but it was cold and rainy! On the first 2 days I took Mary Elizabeth to my school and she colored and watched a movie in my room while I ran the halls. I got 2 miles the first day and 5 on the second. Today the sun came out but ME has been hit with a stomach bug and I needed 8 miles! With no other options I headed to our quarter mile gravel driveway. I ran all 8 miles and stopped every 2 to check on my girl. There is no stopping my marathon training! 18 miles this Saturday will be my longest run to date.

Adam's Heart Run

Great way to start the BTC 2014 races series with a 5k PR of more than a minute! I finished first in my age group with a 27:06.

WDW Half 2014

Wow, what a weekend! This was our first experience with a rundisney race and it was awesome! Disney knows how to organize large groups of people and that was especially evident in all they did for the runners this past week. The trip is about 8 hours which is a long drive, but money wise it made more sense for us to drive rather than fly. Our crew of me, my husband our daughter and Allyson our babysitter left Thursday night after work and drove to Tallahassee, then headed to Orlando Fri morning. We arrived about 2:30 Friday and headed straight to the expo. The amount of organization and volunteer support was immediately evident. We quickly found our numbers and shirts, then we shopped a little :) We each got "I Did It" shirts and I found a new Brooks run happy shirt and got a deal on 4 pairs of my favorite balega socks! After we were done we went to check in at Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed there in September and loved it and once again it was the perfect choice for us. After getting settled in we went to Downtown Disney by ferry for dinner at Portobello. I had my traditional pre-race meal of pasta and Mike had salmon, veggies and potatoes. Once we were back in the room I laid out our race outfits along with everything we would need the next morning. I wore a new pink shirt with a Minnie silhouette and Mike had a Mr. Incredible shirt. Setting an alarm for 2:30 am seemed crazy, but I was really worried about lines as we waited for shuttles the next morning so I wanted to leave the room by 3:30. Luckily we were in bed by 9 and I was asleep before 10. I actually slept pretty well which is unusual for me the night before a race!


2:30 is early no matter how excited you are! We got up and quietly got ready so we wouldn't disturb Allyson and Mary Elizabeth. However we were really still excited! We made it to the shuttle with plenty of time and we were on our way! When I heard it was a 20 min walk to the start I didn't really believe it, but no joke, it was easily 20 min! We dropped our gear bag and made a porta-potty stop (who there were a lot!). We then began the trek to the corrals. Neither of us is very patient in a large crowd, so we went "off-road" part of the way and passed the crowds. After another porta-potty stop we headed to corral H. Mike was assigned to E, but we decided to run together and just have fun! Two important lessons for next year will be to take food to the start and take another porta-potty break right before the 1st corral releases. Once again the organization of this race was amazing!! The corrals were sent off in regular intervals with all of the hoopla of the first :) When it was our turn I was so excited! It is a strange feeling to wait so many months on a race, then when you arrive at the start the feeling is almost overwhelming. Mike and I settled into an easy pace and found a good spot to run. The first few miles were uneventful but it quickly became evident that the humidity was stifling and that another potty break was needed! We stopped at the second porta-potty area and had our first water break. After we set of again I also had some GU because my stomache was growling, my protein bar was long gone! We stopped for our first photo op at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. I think at this point we both decided this race was for the experience, not for time. There is a moment when you realize that you are approaching the Magic Kingdom and the realization is amazing! I wanted to run faster and slower at the same time! Seeing Tomorrowland off to the right and cruisong into the park and down Main Street was MAGICAL!! We stopped for photos on Main Street, then again behind the castle and again for a photo in front. As we headed out of the Magic Kingdom we stopped again to take a picture of Cinderella and Prince Charming. I am somewhat of a Stitch fan so I decided the only time I was willing to stand in a line would be for Stitch and it wasn't long before we saw him!! That photo op was our first time to really stop and stand in a character line, but it was worth it! The next character line was for Pirates of the Caribean. Mike wanted to stop there and I was happy to oblige. As we neared the last portion of the race I knew there were some hils/inclines coming but nothing was as bad as I had expected. After the BTC Statue to Statue 15K, no hill compares! Nearing the end of the race as we approached Epcot the crowd support was AMAZING! The support from spectators and volunteers throughout the course cannot be matched by any race series in my opinion. As we neared the finish line I could see Mickey and wanted a photo, but Mike was in the zone. Our finish was somewhat discombobulated, but we got our photo :) At the Savannah Rock and Roll I got a terrible headache almost immediately and once again it hit me. As we got food and drinks I concentrated on hydrating and getting nourishment. ME and Allyson were supposed to meet us at the finish but Allyson woke up sick with a fever and so we headed to the room to check on her and pick up ME before heading to the parks. It was an amazing race experience and I cannot wait to conquer Dopey in 2015!

Another post to come about our days in the parks!

WDW Marathon Weekend

We had a great time at the WDW Half! Disney knows how to organize races. Race recap to come soon!

Christmas break

One of the reasons I love my job is because I get to spend time over the holidays with my family! ME is going to be 6 this month and I think this was the best Christmas yet. She is so cute when she comes in the den to see what Santa left. She doesn't run like a crazy child, she calmly walks in and checks out her stocking before she even looks at the big presents. She also really enjoyed "playing Santa" this year. She loved reading tags and distributing presents. She also remembered to thank family members for gifts :) We enjoyed a nice trip to Callaway Gardens Fantasy in Lights the weekend before Thanksgiving to kick off the season, followed by family at our house for Thanksgiving and then a week of Christmas by the time we saw everyone! I am looking forward to a great 2014!

Welcome 2014

I have been thinking so hard trying to decide what my 2014 running goals will be! I know I want to run a marathon, but which one? I also want to run a sub 2:00 1/2 marathon. My most recent 1/2 was 2:11:28. I am consistent at 10 minute miles, the question is can I get to 9 minute miles. Maybe I should set a 10K goal first? Then try for sub 2 hr half marathon in early 2015? Thoughts?

2014 Goals-
1. Maintain my blog
2. Run a marathon
3. Log 1200 miles with BTC again
4. Organize a training and fundraising plan for Dopey 2015
5. Run a sub 56 minute 10K (or sub 2 hr half marathon)

Weekly chase- new week!

Well as 2013 came to an end I fell off the blogging wagon! Here is my last draft that I never published. The first goal of 2014 is to maintain my blog!


Over all it was a good week, topped off by Auburn winning the SEC championship, WAR EAGLE! It is the home stretch to Christmas, the hubby's birthday, WDW marathon weekend and ME's birthday, not to mention exam week is next week for my students! WHEW! It's a busy month to come but it is filled with some of my favorite things (not exam week though) :)

New goals- 
Goal 1- Continue to run 25 miles each week, try for a 7 mile run. Success!
Goal 2- Get my exams and study guides ready for next week. Success!
Goal 3- GRADE THOSE SHORT STORIES!! Success!
Goal 4- Get a handle on the laundry at home, it is out of control.
Close to success ;)
Last week's progress-
Goal 1- Figure out how to get my afternoon runs in with the rainy weather we have this week, yuck :( I also need a 7 or 8 mile run, WDW weekend will be here soon! I am shooting for 25 miles this week.
Update- I managed to get 25.25 miles in, yay! I had two 6+ mile runs, but didn't get in anything longer. I am lucky that I teach and can start a run about 3:30, but I still have to pick ME up by 5 and get home and get horses fed and homework done. I need a free Saturday morning to get a longer run in! 

Goal 2- Type the minutes from my last Garden Club meeting. Somehow I am the secretary and have really not done a good job! The next meeting is this weekend, so I NEED to get the minutes done!
Update- Minutes done and sent to members!

Goal 3- Grade my creative writing classes short stories, that I have had for way too long!
Update- Well, these are still in my school bag. I'm going to carry this goal over to this week. Grades are due soon, and there are more papers coming, so this goal will be done this week!!