Words for your Wednesday..

 

Happy Wednesday!

This reminds me that I am who God says I am. 

  I am a winner.  I am a finisher.  I am Strong. Victorious. Beautiful.

 I can do all things. I am a leader. Courageous. 

I have been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ.

I am who God says I am.

Who are you?

Grace and peace,

Marathon PR and 2 winners......

First things first!!

The two winners of my Runner's Giveaway.....

The First Place Package goes to:

Jen@RunforAnna

The Second Place Package goes to:

Suz and Allen@CowsandLasersandEverythinginbetween

Congratulations ladies! Send me your contact information in an email to mommysfitfortheking@yahoo.com and I will get your swag to you!!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who supported me and the Fetal Hope Foundation. I have been touched and inspired by your generosity, selflessness, and encouragement!

I was able to raise $595.00 for the Fetal Hope Foundation. A little over half of my $1000.00 goal.  I am going to continue towards my goal and try to reach it by the end of the year.

Speaking of goals........

Saturday I took to the streets of beautiful Savannah Georgia for marathon #2......

If you remember, I set out with a 

Plan A: BQ with 3:34:00    

and a 

Plan B PR with 3:45

well turns out there was a Plan C......4:00:11  who knew!? NOT THIS GIRL!

It is a 14 minute PR and today I am happy with it....Saturday I was horribly disappointed.  I was spot on for a BQ until around mile 18.......and then.....

I will go into all of the gruesome details later this week in my full race report.

Savannah Expo with my 3 travel companions! And no...that is NOT Brett Favre...

Congratulations to Tonia@RacingwithBabes   and Molly@I'maSleeperBaker   

and everyone else who dashed the streets this past weekend on a great run in NYC!! 

Grace and Peace,

On The Road Again

I am currently on the road to Savannah, Georgia for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon!
I am riding down with my friends and fleet feet racers L & D , and my new friend M(who is also running her 2nd marathon!)
All posts this weekend will be from my phone,  so they will be short updates.
Shin Update
Saw the ortho again on Tuesday ..he ordered a bone scan for Monday.(after my race) he said he knew I would run regardless of what the scan showed..he's right.
It's still painful when I run, but my goal is to run through it.

Marathon Goal PLAN A- 3:34:00 BQ

PLAN B-  3:45:00 still a spectacular PR

PLAN C- there is no plan C. Those are the only two options in my mind.

My giveaway has ended.  The winners will be announced when I get back from Savannah.
Thank you to everyone who supported me and my efforts to raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation! I am truly touched and encouraged by your generosity.

The giveaway has ended, however, you can still donate to The Fetal Hope Foundation and help me get closer to my fundraising goal!

I will keep you posted as this exciting marathon weekend unfolds!

GRACE AND PEACE,
April

Happy Marathon Week!!

We had a fantastic fall weekend!! 

Sebastian's Football team won the County championship, we celebrated Jayden's 18th Birthday(wait...how old am I? GEEZ!!)...and we had a blast at a pumpkin carving party!!

Perfect family weekend!

Today is the Fall Festival here at church.  We usually see around 5000+ people on our campus.  We have free rides, food, candy, and just a great time watching the kids! Needless to say, today WILL NOT be a rest day for me.

Tomorrow I go see the ortho....ran 13miles yesterday and it did not feel good.

6 days until the marathon....still believing it will be good!!!

Will post more tomorrow! 

Today is the last day to enter my GIVEAWAY!!!!! Please go check it out!!!!

Grace and peace,

Just Run.

 

LOVE THIS!

I Get Knocked Down...but I Get Up Again...

You're Never Gonna Keep Me Down.....
My mantra the last few weeks.  
Last week, I actually followed the Dr's orders and rested. Well except for the 3 times I went to bootcamp....and the soccer game I played in on Saturday(parents vs. kids) so much fun!

the kids won..of course...4-8..

these were some FAST kids!!

....but other than that...I rested.

Monday I ran a quick 4 miles to test out my leg and it felt a little better. The swelling has gone down a little and the pain is not as sharp. I'm trusting in God's healing power and hopeful that this will not affect my race on Nov 5th.  I'm so hopeful that this will be a complete NON-ISSUE, that I registered for 2 more marathons!

Rocket City in Huntsville, AL-12/10/11

and 

Rock 'n Roll New Orleans!!
03/04/12

I think I'm hooked!!!

10 days until I run Savannah Georgia....people keep asking if I'm ready.  My answer...I guess.  When I signed up for this race I was prepared to do two things. Run and raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation.

I will be ready to run on November 5th.  And so far I have raised an amazing $595.00! Not quite my goal of $1000.00, but there is still time left.  If you haven't donated yet, please do.  I have a great giveaway/raffle HERE with awesome prizes for runners.  It only takes a minimum donation of $5 to enter!!  Please help support this amazing foundation.

Fetal syndromes affect 800,000 pregnancies per year in the US alone. This is four times the amount of cases per year as breast cancer.
We lose more than 200 babies a day to fetal distresses and syndromes.
With your donation, we can make a difference in bringing hope and changing lives.

Hope you are all having an amazing week!  What are you currently training for?

Grace and peace,

 

16 days and counting...

16 Days till I run Savannah Georgia with a goal to BQ.
 I finished my last long run before Savannah on Saturday.  A beautiful, yet painful 23 miles. Wrapping last weeks mileage up at 55.3 miles.  I was solo for this run, again.  And really didn't mind this time.  I took a route I have never taken before that took me out into some wide open country spaces.  It was early in the morning and was by far one of the most beautiful runs I have been on.  Not sure why I have never taken that route.  I tend to stay within the neighborhoods surrounding me, but the country roads are just as easily accessible.

The painful part is what has been disturbing me for the last week.
If you remember, about 4 weeks ago I ran a Warrior Dash.  In that race I took a spill and busted my shin open falling off a car in the "car graveyard".   Even after the gash healed up, the pain and swelling has never gone away. I figured it was probably just a really deep bruise and have continued to ice it after every run.  It is always sore until about mile 2 into a run, I figured it was something I could just run through and it really hasn't slowed me down.......until Saturday.
At about mile 8 it started to hurt. Not a cramping muscle kind of hurt, but a sharp pain with every strain kind of hurt.  Now I know you are probably thinking that this would have been a good time to stop running....but I didn't.  I thought that too.  Any reasonable person would cut the long run short and go get it checked out. 
Clearly I AM NOT A REASONABLE person.  I had my mind made up that I was not stopping. I was going to finish my last long run no matter how painful it was and just suck it up.  My pace dropped from averaging 8:30 per mile to averaging around 9:30-9:45....
I finished and almost as soon as I stopped my muscles in my shin seized up and made it impossible to bear any weight at all on my left leg.  I spent the rest of the day with my leg elevated, compression socks on, and a bag of ice.

By Monday I was able to walk but with pain.  So I went to the Dr.  I realized that explaining to a person who doesn't run...and maybe even to some runners, why I didn't just stop...makes me sound crazy/neurotic/nutso....

The Dr. took some x-rays and I have a bone chip, which they really don't do anything for. But he thinks that some of the muscle was also torn from the bone. Which, is what a shin splint is....and because I haven't rested it at all it has just gotten increasingly worse. Doc told me to rest for a full week, so I agreed to rest for 48hours.  I will go back tomorrow and he will see about getting an MRI just to rule out a stress fracture.
I am so frustrated.  I haven't run in three days.  I feel like I am so close to a BQ and I may have sabotaged myself because of my neurosis!  I have pictured in my mind how tomorrow's Dr appointment will go....the Dr. will tell me that everything is fine and to keep running and that resting 3 days was plenty. Though the pain in my shin is telling me a different story.  I'm hoping that they do an MRI so we can rule out a stress fracture and I can continue to run and not worry about a bigger injury.
Rock 'n Roll Savannah is 16 days away......I am praying for a fast recovery and fast legs.....

Eat, Sleep, Over-train?

Less than 4 weeks from the day that I'm supposed to run the marathon that will qualify me for the Boston Marathon I am having the most horrible training runs I have ever experienced.  Having one bad training run is to be expected every now and then....but 3 in a row?
Here is what I have come up with to explain why:

Diet? Could be, I have eaten pretty clean the last 6 months and then this past month with J working so much it has been a struggle to prepare my meals ahead. Which means I'm not eating enough and when I do, it's not the best food choices. I'm running an average of 30-40 miles a week + fitness bootcamp 3x a week...I NEED to consume enough calories to fuel my body.

Sleep? I have been dealing with some issues lately that have been weighing heavily on my mind and heart.  I have always been a great sleeper. Never tossed and turned, but the last few weeks sleep has NOT been my friend. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you."~1 Peter 5:7
I know this verse well and just need to apply it right? Sometimes easier said than done...but then I wouldn't need faith if everything was easy.

Overtraining? This is the option I like the least! Is it possible..YES.  Will I cut back on my training only 4 weeks out? NO.  Smart? I'm not sure...I've never been this close to my goal of a BQ....This week my total mileage should be 60 miles by Sunday......my concern= cutting back now could cost me in the end.

My plan in action:
Last night I took the time to plan my meals and snacks for the week.  Then, I went to bed.  WAY earlier than normal.  I left the laundry piled up, the dirty dishes in the sink, and went to bed when the kids did at 8:30pm. Because I am Type-A with a dash of OCD you have to know that I NEVER have dirty dishes in my sink....EVER.  But I woke up this morning and the funniest thing happened.....the world was still spinning!!! It didn't stop just because I went to bed early and left the house a mess.....
I realize that the pressure I feel to "keep up" is all self inflicted...no one is putting that pressure on me...except ME.
So, my goal for the next 4 weeks is to ease the pressure to "keep up" a little...get more sleep and eat better.....

as far as "over-training"....would love to hear your thoughts on that...

*Please don't forget to check out my Giveaway/Raffle HERE..you could win some awesome running swag!!


Grace and peace,

Who wants a Road ID??

In case you haven't been by my blog recently, I am having a giveaway/raffle to raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation.
For a minimum donation of $5.00 you can be entered to win some really great prizes from Running Chics, NUUN, Allied Medal Displays, Balancing Act Clothing, Iron Girl...and today, I am adding one more prize to the package!

 Road ID

If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just an active person, Road ID is for you. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will. It's not just a piece of gear - it's peace of mind. 

 The winner will have their choice of either

the Wrist ID Sport:

OR

the Wrist ID Slim:

So how do you enter?

All you have to do is make a minimum donation of $5 to the Fetal Hope Foundation

  Go HERE

or click on the link on my blog sidebar to find our how...

Thank you for all of your support!

Grace and peace,

Oh the paces you'll go...

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own.  And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

~Dr. Seuss

First of all...if you haven't already, please check out my "runners" giveaway HERE 

Saturday I ran the Rebuilding Together 5k.  It's a flat, fast, course. Last year I set a PR with a 24:10.  This year I expected another PR...and I did.  I ran a 23:55..avg pace 7:41.  So why was I disappointed?  This year my training is twice what it was last year. I could have and should have(according to my training) run it in under 23mins.  So why didn't I?  A few factors.
I am not that great at internally gauging my pace.  I started out pretty fast and felt good...so I slowed down.  I was afraid if I went out too fast I wouldn't have anything left at the end.  I was wrong. Too much self doubt!
I finished and felt like I still had a good bit left. I have decided to run another 5k in two weeks. The Liz Hurley Ribbon Run 5k.  This time I have a friend, a Fleet Feet Racer, who offered to pace me to a PR. My goal is a sub 23.

Last night my training schedule called for 6miles w/6 strides.  

Mile 1:  8:12

Mile 2: 7:51

Mile 3: 8:20

Mile 4: 8:10

Mile 5: 8:12

Mile 6: 7:56

Most of my training for this marathon has been solo.  There have been times where I feel like I'm just not pushing myself hard enough.  Or that I was too ambitious thinking I could ever qualify for Boston. Last night, before my run I considered calling it a rest day.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I was tired..the kids have all been sick....it was cold outside.  I had come up with every excuse I could think of to NOT run.  In fact, by 5pm I was already in my pajamas and ready to have an "I can't do this" pity party.
And then....
I got mad.  I got mad at myself for letting doubt creep in.  For letting a "feeling" get the best of me. I got mad enough that I put my running shoes on and hit the pavement.
I had to remind myself that my goal to BQ is not just a "feeling". I won't always "feel" like running or stretching or eating right. But every time I choose to push through...every good choice I make gets me one step closer to my goal and makes me that much stronger.


God reminded me during my run last night:
This is also how faith works. Faith is NOT a feeling. I don't always "feel" God around me.  I can't always see Him moving and working in my life. But I KNOW that God is here always working and moving on my behalf.  There are times when I "feel" like I have come against a wall or that the devil is testing me; those are the times when I KNOW that if I push through...if I don't let my feelings and circumstances dictated to me what to do..the blessings are always on the other side...and I will always come out stronger.

You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

~Dr. Seuss 

Grace and Peace,

Please check out my giveaway HERE

Running for Fetal Hope Raffle/Giveaway

On Nov. 5th, 2011, I will be running the Rock 'n Roll Marathon in Savannah, GA., with a goal of running a race that will not only qualify me for Boston but will more importantly help raise funds and awareness for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome(TTTS) and Twin Reverse Arterial Perfusion(TRAP) through the Fetal Hope Foundation. This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. In 2003 my twin pregnancy was diagnosed with TTTS and later with an even more rare condition TRAP. You can read the full story HERE. I will be running this race in memory of my son Eugene and in honor of my son Sebastian, who because of an early diagnosis and treatment is a healthy 7 years old!

My fundraising goal is $1000.00 by November 5th.
I have currently raised $350.00.
$650.00 to meet my goal!!

So here is where it could get fun for you!  I am having a running raffle to benefit the Fetal Hope Foundation. Through the generous donations of several companies I have put together two amazing prize packages that you could possibly win!!

Here is the First place prize package:

 Road ID

If you are a runner, cyclist, triathlete or just an active person, Road ID is for you. In the event of an accident, if you can't speak for yourself, your Road ID will. It's not just a piece of gear - it's peace of mind.

 The winner will have their choice of either

the Wrist ID Sport:

OR

the Wrist ID Slim:

Balancing Act Clothing has offered one of their "Tink" inspired wings shirts.
Balancing Act clothing is unique clothing geared toward runners.  Each shirt is screen printed by hand in Alissa's home, and made with LOVE!!

Whether you're running a race or just running around town, you should feel comfortable. And there's no reason you shouldn't look good, too! We're Running Chics… just like you. And we know that fashion and performance can go hand-in-hand.

 

Running Chics-Bella Long Sleeve Burnout(S)

Running Chics- Messenger Bag

Running Chics- StretchFlex ALO Headband

Running Chics- Cotton Tote

Allied Medal Displays generously offered up two medal displays towards my fundraising efforts.  So both winners will be able to choose their own personal Medal Display!!! 

Any Medal Display you want!

  Allied Medal Displays are the ORIGINAL and BEST medal hangers on the market.  Their quality and customer service are absolutely top notch.  From custom displays to one of the prefabricated designs, you can not go wrong.  All displays come with a mounting kit, installation instructions, a packing slip, and instructions for returning or exchanging products. The mounting kit includes #4x1” stainless steel screws, #4x1/4” plastic nylon wall spacers, and #4x15/16” drywall anchors.

And last but certainly not least in this prize package is one pair of Iron Girl Sunglasses.

The winner of this package will have their choice of one of these two pair:

 IRON GIRL- Fitted B Sunglasses

OR

 

 IRON GIRL- Fitted D Sunglasses

Second Place Prize Package: 

Allied Medal Displays generously offered up two medal displays towards my fundraising efforts.  So both winners will be able to choose their own personal Medal Display!!! 

Any Medal Display you want!

  Allied Medal Displays are the ORIGINAL and BEST medal hangers on the market.  Their quality and customer service are absolutely top notch.  From custom displays to one of the prefabricated designs, you can not go wrong.  All displays come with a mounting kit, installation instructions, a packing slip, and instructions for returning or exchanging products. The mounting kit includes #4x1” stainless steel screws, #4x1/4” plastic nylon wall spacers, and #4x15/16” drywall anchors.

Nuun New Flavor Mixed Fruit 4-Pack: The kid in us has been begging for these flavors for years. Uncomplicated, classic, delicious flavors without the sugars that always made us crash a few minutes later. These retro favorites will keep you hydrated on the road for hours, but make sure you stay close enough to hear mom yell for dinner!  

1 tube each of Grape, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, and Tropical.

So, do you want to win? First thing you have to do is go buy a virtual raffle ticket.. sound hard? It's not....

*note* you do not have to be a blogger to enter, just email me at mommysfitfortheking@yahoo.com letting me know you donated 

1) Mandatory entry:
Make a tax deductible donation to the Fetal Hope Foundation on my donation page HERE
http://www.runningguru.com/RunWithMe.asp?mID=2075
Leave me a comment letting me know you donated.

$5 = one entry
$10= 2 entries
$15 = 3 entries
$20 = 4 entries

 and so on....so, every $5.00 = 1 entry 

*if you have already donated, leave me a comment letting me know!

2) BONUS ENTRIES! 
Share this giveaway! Twitter, facebook, your blog, dailymile, etc etc.  Every time you share, leave a new comment and you will get an extra entry.

This will end November 1st at Midnight, winners will be drawn by random.org and notified by email and on the blog.

Remember, this is for a good cause! With your donation, we can make a difference in bringing hope and changing lives.

Thank you so much for your support!!! 

**all items were graciously donated by their respective companies. If you have a product you would be interested in donating for future fundraising raffles or reviews, please contact me, mommysfitfortheking@yahoo.com

Grace and peace,

Quick Update

Quick update:

Thank you for all the prayers for my friends and their family. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their precious daughter.


I have had several things going on lately.
First, last Saturday I completed my second Warrior Dash.  My friend Angie and I rocked it 80's style. 

My goal was to finish top 3 in AG....well, it didn't happen but I did finish 15th in my AG out of 1045! I am still happy with that!  I think I could have finished better but I fell and busted my shin open in the second obstacle.  Thank God for legwarmers, I pulled them up to cover the wound and try to stop the bleeding. 

I look like I was crying and I probably was because my shin hurt like CRAZY!

Post Race after a rinse off....Maddox had a great time too!;)

I'm going to do the Warrior Dash one more time to attempt a top 3 placement and then I think I'm going to try the Tough Mudder.:)

Marathon training is going well.  I actually purchased a new training plan a few weeks ago because I didn't feel like the one I was using was going to take me where I need to be to BQ in November.  I ordered it off of Runner's World though Training Peaks.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I get an email every day straight to my phone reminding me what I need to do that day.  I'm growing more and more confident that a BQ is within my reach.  I know it is only because of God's ability in me that I am able to run at all.

Bonus! I won a SnorgTee from Running Diva Mom  and it came last week.....

how cute is that!?

Tomorrow is the day.  I have been promising you an amazing raffle/giveaway for weeks and it is finally ready!
Come back tomorrow to see all the goodies!!!

Hope your day is full of laughter and blessings!!!!

Grace and peace,

Prayers please.

This week has been trying to say the least.

Monday I started the preparations to go out of town for the Warrior Dash, this Saturday.  Going away even for one night with 4 kids take a huge amount of planning and preparing.
Our plan was to leave tonight for Manchester Tn, where we would camp out with some friends until the Dash on Saturday.

Tuesday, our plans changed. I got a phone call Tuesday afternoon from a very close family friend letting me know that they had lost their 9 month old baby girl, Ivey, due to a tragic accident.  I can not even begin to put into words how heavy my heart is for my friends. This is the second child they have lost. When something like this happens everything else is so unimportant.  There are no words.... I can not begin to imagine what they are going through.
Tonight is the visitation and the funeral is tomorrow. 
I have a giveaway and some other posts prepared but will not post again until next week.

Please say a prayer for this family.
My prayer is that they will cry out to God. That God would surround them with comfort and peace.  That God would bring restoration and healing in a supernatural way.

Maddox & Ivey

Sebastian & Ivey

Ivey Madelyn

Grace and peace,

3 Things and an Ultra Fuel Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered the Ultra Fuel Giveaway!

The winner is Jen@ Run for Anna!

Congrats Jen! You are going to love this stuff!!

Jen, if you would, send me your mailing address to mommysfitfortheking@yahoo.com

•••
Three Things

1. Running in New Orleans
I spent 4 days in New Orleans last week for work....I have never had a desire to go to New Orleans before this.

New Orleans is now in my top 3 favorite cities! I had an amazing time and fell in love with it's historic charm!  I'm a big city girl anyway, I love the sounds and smells of a big city.  The history, music, food, and people were amazing!

The Cathedral was my absolute favorite sight to see.

These are my "bosses" and my spiritual mother and father...two of the most amazing people you will ever meet!

We stayed at the Hotel Provincial which was the first Confederate Hospital. If you go to New Orleans and want to stay in the French Quarter, I highly recommend this hotel.
The hotel didn't have a fitness room, and so I was a little concerned about getting some mileage in.  I wasn't  afraid to run by myself on the streets of NOLA but J had told me not to.
The first night there, I saw a lot of runners out on the streets. So I figured I "technically" would not be running by myself if there were other runners out too......right?
I woke up early the first morning around 5am and headed out. I ran three blocks down to Jackson square, where there were several groups of homeless people.  I made my way past Cafe Du Monde( which is open 24hrs) and seriously considered scraping my run for beignet and a coffee. Behind the Cafe is a walk way that leads to the River Walk, a half mile walk way on the Mississippi.  I decided to do several out and backs on the walk way. And when I got there I was happy to see several other runners already out.
I felt safe the entire time and got to watch the most beautiful sunrise over the Mississippi river.
Maybe it was a false sense of security...though I do believe that I am under God's protection...because I learned while I was on the River Walk that a few hours earlier the police had pulled a dead body from the river!!!  I still wasn't afraid...however, I did think it was wise to hold off on the solo running the rest of the time there.;)

2. We are back to the boots. If you remember, Maddox(3) wore rubber boots everyday for 5 months straight.  We were finally able to coax him into some sandals right before going to the beach. 

Then last night.....

Total meltdown .....all because I asked him to put his sandals on for church....

3. I am putting together an awesome giveaway/raffle to raise money for the Fetal Hope Foundation.

It should be ready by sometime next week, I have some awsome prizes from companies like:

Nuun

  BornFit

Allied Metal Displays

Running Chics

So make sure to check back next week!

Hope you have been blessed in every way this week!

Grace and peace,