Weekend Snapshots 7: Mother’s Day

This weekend came through fast and furious per the norm in our casa. It was of course Mother’s Day on Sunday, our whole weekend pretty much centered on the mommas. Without realizing it my hubs started my weekend off (almost) perfectly, joining me at the Pearland Pear Run. We were supposed to actually participate in the 5K run but due to unforeseen oversleeping we missed joining the run! We were there to cheer on the runners, Lety, my dad and my little brother. We also were able to get little bear signed up for the kid’s mile run, she cracks me up when she runs! She starts of full blast and gets totally bummed when she gets tired, at which point she insist on turning back – I explained to her it was the same distance either way so she had to keep going. Suddenly she catches her second wind and took off again finishing her little run.

“For those people who don’t like to run, they don’t know that you’re going to get tired and want to stop but then you get crazy and lots of energy – so they should just do it” ~ Little Bear

The rest of the day was spent shopping for Mother’s Day gifts, including my own! My hubs hinted to me earlier in the week about my gift, asking if there was anything I really wanted, like a new handbag.  I argued that I could probably get a new grill for the same cost and that is exactly what we did!! SCORE! Plus a new nail gun – DOUBLE SCORE!

Sunday was the Mother’s Day Madness 2016 :) Trust me we love our mommies, very very much! It just so happens that my hubs and I have mommies who love us very very much – which translates to a lovely art of juggling time and attention. We spent the first half of our day with my hubb’s mommy and the second part of our day with my mommy. Thanks to the crazy wait times at all the restaurants we took advantage and had a few mini photo-shots.

I was lucky and snagged a few minutes at the airport in between mommies, always a good day when we get to stop by and explore. Also, in a weekend where we are running from around, it was nice to sit with my loves and just take a breather! Most Sundays at the airport are quite and pilots will be doing “touch and go’s” we get to watch a few airplanes land and take off. By Sunday evening we all passed out on the couch we woke up sometime before midnight only so that we could all make our way to our beds and fall asleep again. Busy Busy but lots of memories made <3 o:p="">

Don’t forget to join the ladies at 3twentysix & TheReinvention of Jessica!! 

I miss the finish line!! But I am so proud of my dad and Lety for being so awesome!!

Shopping!! 

I hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day! I know we had a great one! 

Do something you love

Do something you love Y

This past couple of weeks I’ve experienced this very topic in the simplest ways. On the 5^th I joined my co-worker and friend Beverly, by running the BEENezy 5K. For the past few months I’ve seen Beverly be determined and fierce in her mission to lose weight and be healthy, she has lost almost 30 lbs and started walking/running. This was a great experience Just like it has been in so many past 5K’s but it really reminded me how much I love the simple things about running a 5K, not just running in my neighborhood but signing up for a fun run 5K!

The friendships you build – Beverly has always been my friend but of course running gives us more to talk about through our days and the experience is something we will always share . The butterflies in your tummy prior to the start line – I love the start line sometimes more than the finish line because once you cross over you leave everything behind and you depend on the training you’ve done to get to that point, it’s exhilarating! The other runners no matter your size or ability – Once you get near the end they are your friends and you can laugh at the struggle and you get to encourage each other to the finish. The moment when you’ve pushed past something you thought you couldn’t do, like run a whole mile without dying or finishing before you thought you would! In our run Beverly questioned how long we had been running and I instantly knew she was going to beat her regular time. All these things reminded me why I love running so much. It changes you and it changes your outlook on your ability to push yourself!

Friday I went back to MixFitz Studios for a #SweatParty and for what we used as a girls night out. I had so much fun but even better I was surrounded by women that love what they do! Their ability (lol my ability) to dance didn’t really matter, their size didn’t matter, all that mattered was to let loose and have a good time! At the end of the night I was exhausted and drenched in sweat, I spoke to Crystal for a few moments and we realized that our love for this crazy thing we do was very similar in many ways.

By the end of the night I was laughing and dancing with these women who are just having a good time and they are pushing you to keep going and let go! I was able to try stuff I would probably have tried- even with a few drink stirred up in me but you’re around other ladies doing the same thing who don’t care what you look like and anything goes!

Talking about some who does what he loves, my boss, ultra-runner, crazy runner aka Jim Abney and his son Dustin finished their 24 hour run to bring awareness to Childhood Cancer Saturday morning. Over the course of 24 hours other crazy runners joined them in the rain and overnight to help keep them going! In one of the purest ways Jim continues to show his love for running but even more so his love for children battling cancer by enduring the pains of long distance running because in the end his pain does not compare to the pain and suffering children go through when fighting cancer. Every time he laces up his goal is to honor these children and in the process he encourages others to do the same.

I am doing something I love Y, I’ve been inspired by other people that also do something they love Y and my hope is that you are encouraged and inspired to do something that you will fall in love Y with too.

The Aftermath

It’s been almost two weeks now since the Aramco half marathon, and I have had some time to think. I have been a little hard on myself about the finish at the Aramco, and I understand that some might think that just crossing the finish is a great accomplishment, I heard “I could never run 13.1 miles” or like my husband has said “13 miles means you get in a car and drive”. The truth is that I finished last year’s race about 10 minutes faster than I did this year. The more I thought about what happen the more upset I was about the whole ordeal.

Then last night I was getting after my son for not passing his Astronomy test, I was upset because he has the tendency of doing well in a class and getting so confident that he doesn’t study for the test or doesn’t use all his resources at hand...

That’s when it sank in, I was so sure that the half marathon would get done, I just ran the La Port Half only a month and a half before and somewhere along the way I stopped training as well as I should have. I was a little disappointed in myself to say the least, but it’s time to – let’s just say “Let it go”.

The whole year leading up to this race, although a not so great race for me, was a thing of beauty for all of us. The experiences that we shared throughout the year have been great. The experiences that we are going to face this year will be epic :)

 

All in all we ran, in the sun, under cloudy skies, in the middle of thunderstorms, in the heat, humidity and cold- we ran- tall, short, skinny, not so skinny, dark haired, red, single, moms, hardworking, wives, juggling home, kids and work – we ran – to keep our self’s sane, when we were stressed, overwhelmed, heartbroken, insecure, happy, sad, elated, mad and unsure – we still ran. We ran together while miles apart, in races at different paces, hundreds of miles logged, and while a hard run felt horrible on the bad days we felt stronger because of them, not just because of the run but because we were still doing something we never thought we could do. The strong we are physically makes us realize that we are stronger in everyday things that require no physical strength at all. We all have been empowered not only by our runs but by each other, I draw closer to my faith not just in me but in God and not only in running but in every other corner in my life. This year was awesome and the girls and I are beautiful, a different kind of beauty not measured by looks alone, or pounds gained or lost, not by pace or miles but by the inner determination to do what we do despite our circumstances and the ability to encourage and help each other lace up once again.

 

The aftermath of all of this? Is more. I have plans to do more with “Running in Faith” from monthly group runs to a 2^nd annual 5K. Ultimately I have long term goals, fitness, health and running. I am signing up for the Chevron Marathon next year and that means a different kind of training and clean(ish) eating – the struggle is real my friends because the comfort zone is real!! So the slate is cleaned off and it’s time to lace up and of course I hope you’ll catch a few miles with us :)  

ABB 5K Race Report

My very long over due race report... Part one. 

 

As always I have a hard time writing a race report when I have such mixed emotions about the out come of the race it self. So be it that I will be taking time to give credit where credit is due and praise where praise is due I have to be honest with you and with myself. 

 

The day before the Aramco half marathon, we all participated in the ABB 5K.  I was so glad that we all did it this year, we all got that wonderful satisfaction of bringing triple medals home at the end of the weekend and it gave us all a chance to warm up our race legs and as it turned out it gave us a boost of good vibes. 

 

Lety had (still is) been fighting an upper respiratory bug, that had her coughing up a storm and feeling very unsure of what was to happen with her very first ever 1/2 marathon- she ran the 5k just fine and just like it did for me last year, it gave her a better idea of what she should wear and how she would do the next day. Over all she left feeling much more confidant about the race the next day having tested out her lungs in the cold weather :)

 

Guada also felt like poop the days leading up to the race and actually switched from doing the full marathon to doing the half marathon because she felt so funky. I fought up to Guada in the last mile and could tell she was struggling, I stuck it out with her to the end and she made it but we all went home worried that day and lots of prayers were said for her in hopes that she would make it the next day.

 

Alma was our go go speed racer of course, about a mile into her race she thought she wasn't going fast enough until she found out she was booking a 7 something mile per minute!!! Needless to say she was happy with her run and was all smiles when the rest of us crossed the finish! 

 

Cindy Luu as normal knocked out her race easy peasy, I know ultimately her worries were not in the 5K but the the race that was to come. Cindy is my quiet one, although she was excited to cross the finish to "Gangnam Style" - LOL!

 

Clarissa was my favorite by far, she ran the fastest 5K yet! She was beaming when I finally caught up to her :) my bestie has come quite a long way since she started her journey and there is always that moment when your body shocks you and your given this awesome realization that you are capable of great things. 

Cindy Luu is missing form our picture!

My run was good, like I said before I was glad that all of us were together for this run. Last year Alma and I ran it and we were missing Cindy Luu. Unbeknownst to us Guada also ran it but we didn't know her very well at that time and she was there running solo. This time there was power in numbers and I said to her prior to starting "you won't run by your self again!" I meant this in so many ways, I mean I can't run every run with her, she is the crazy runner out of our group putting in a half marathon in every weekend leading up to this weekend since November!! But better yet she has us on her side now and hopefully we can join her more often and also we are here cheering her on and if she knows it or not she is now one of my Running in Faith girls! 

 

For the first time I didn't give this 5K too much thought, I got lost from the pack because I wanted to get rid of my hoodie and I moved away from everyone looking for Max (babysitter/cheerleader) so I could toss it over to him. By the time I got into the race I had lost the girls, for a moment I thought I found  Cindy Luu and right before I hugged a stranger I realized those were not Cindy's shoes!! So by mile 2 I was cruising along solo and then I spotted Guada, at first I thought if I try to catch up to her, I would burn myself out! I may have tried that once before, maybe ;) So I kept going at a good pace when suddenly I realized not only was I closer to Guada but she had started walking too. I knew then by the look on her face that she was in pain :( so I came up next to her and said "see you're not alone!" So we ran a while together and I could tell she was struggling because she would pick up her pace and slow down, pick up and slow down. I asked her if she wanted to walk, she said yes. When we slowed to a walk she said she didn't want to slow me down because she knew I like to keep up with my time, and I told her sometimes it's not about time... And it wasn't. She is one of the coolest people and she runs because she can she doesn't give it too much thought and she has such a great outlook on everything. She is right about me though, while Guada is as cool as a cucumber - I am normally having a mini panic attack about something running related. She realized we were close to the end and wanted to run again so we did and a little bit of "Gangnam Style" and I think the beginning of "Happy" and the whole thing was over. 

 

A group of girls that had just been out for a run :)

 

That night we went to church and thankfully Pastor Tim prayed for us and all the runners that would be heading out the next day. Lety and I went on a mission to have spaghetti for dinner and we all promised each other to go to bed early and get some rest...    

For starters...

Okay – if you are thinking about running/walking – here is my post for starters. Now the truth is that I could go on forever with tips on running but today I will try to keep it basic! I started walking/running in January 2013 (wow how time flies) Although I have done the “work out” thing time and time again over the past decade the attempt to run would be a first for me, that being said I couldn’t run to save my life, I figured I would start walking more so than running first. 

One of the first things I did before I even set foot outside was make a plan. I know myself and if there isn’t a plan or a goal I will set myself up to fail. I downloaded the couch25K app on my phone. This would be ultimate guide for the next 8 weeks. I don’t know exactly which app out of the many out there I used back then but the concept was the same: you start doing more walking than running and you gradually run a little more with each passing week until ultimately you are running for 30 mins straight. Trust me it can be done!

Then I looked for a 5K (three point one miles) that I could sign up for that was at least 8 weeks out and looked fun enough to fool me into participating! LOL – “Color Me Rad” was the golden ticket!

Houston Running Calendar is a great resource to finding 5Ks and fun runs.

Support! I then used this plan to trick others to join me! My husband and my family were great since day one but I decided to see if anyone would be willing to be crazy with me :)  Right off the back I recruited Alma and Chris to join me in my adventure, shortly after Cindy jumped on the bandwagon and then it was time to hit the payment.

Tip one: Shoes – I had an old pair of New Balance tennis shoes and I figured that’ll work. Nope. Right of the back I knew they were not going to get me down the street, they hurt my toes.  I went out and got a pair of Asics, the most colorful bright ones I could find – because hello! Color Me Rad, was about loud color!! Asics because I had a friend that swore that they were the best running shoe ever and again Hello! I was going to be a runner!!! You may not be able to go and buy a new pair of shoes right off, but if your shoes are old and worn they will more than likely hurt your feet. This is not a "no pain no gain" moment . If you can look for an inexpensive pair of running shoes to get you started.



My Running Kicks #Asics

Since then I’ve stayed true to Asics but I’ve had to do the research to find the right ones for my feet and dish out the extra $$ to get whats right for me but this comes later once you know that you like to run!

Tip two: Clothes when you first start it does not matter much, you wear whatever you have on hand but with time you learn real quick what works and what does not.  If it makes you feel more motivated to go out and buy yourself a “running outfit” (hello, did someone say shopping??!!) Here is a quick tip or two. There is a BIG difference between yoga pants and running pants!!  Wal-Mart is one of my go to places to get my running clothes – it does not have to cost an arm and a leg!

Again there is a lot more to cover when it comes to the clothes department but when starting out, there is no need to make it complicated.



Tip three: This is more of a preference than a tip, but once you get started you figure out if you need to or want to listen to music while you run, I learned real quick that I have to have something on (I also have to have the TV on if I’m home alone even though I’m not watching it). At first I needed something blasting and upbeat pumping me up to go go go! Now and days I still need something but I can just as easily get lost in my own thoughts. If you need the beats on you'll need an arm band and a set of headhones!  I have been through more than a few headphones, apparently I have weird ears and they tend to fall out of my ears all the time!!! I use YURDUDS that hook behind my ear now but I started off with old school cheapies for the longest... the options here are unlimited and can be coslty as well but in the begining keep it simple.
 

Tip four:  Sweat. Some of us sweat a lot and some of us sweat a little. I fall into the: I pour out sweat like crazy category! I can come back from a run and look like someone got me with the water hose, this is another time where what kind of clothes you wear comes into play because sweat can weigh you down think dri-wick shirts not cotton. For me the biggest part is the sweat that drips into my eyes and face. I run with a baseball cap. I’ve tried other things like running headbands but they also fall off (weird ears, weird shaped head too- go figure!) So tried and true for me a baseball cap and not a running cap just a good quality baseball cap does the trick.

Tip five: The grub. Food=Fuel. I don’t have to tell you that eating a hamburger an hour before you hit the road is not a good idea, but let me tell you eating a hamburger before you run is not a good idea!! I know but really a big heavy meal is no bueno. This whole subject changes a lot once you start talking races and longer running but basically, if I’m running in the morning a banana about 30 minutes before does the trick, in the afternoon I might have a light snack (trail mix) about 30min- to an hour before I go out. Running on an empty stomach is never a good idea. BUT here more than ever different strokes for different folks is so much the truth!! It will be trial and error so take it slow don’t go trying different things right before you hit the road, because you might be cutting your run short that day ;)

Tip six: H2O. Because of weight-loss reasons and my scare with pre-diabetes all I drink is water. I am a water nerd.  Stay hydrated - I am no doctor or nutritionist to tell you how much you should drink but you will feel the difference once you start running especially in Texas heat. Also you drink throughout your day, do not guzzle it before you go for a run, again you will be cutting your run short if you are not careful!!

That should be it. For now. Be smart and understand that not everything you read on the internet is true for you. Try something tweak it and try again. I've tried a dozen things to know and understand what I need to make it from 3miles to a 1/2 marathon and hopefull I'll learn an few more tricks and do's and don'ts to get me to a full marathon and beyond - but mostly I take it one step at a time.

Also to kick off "Running in Faith's" very own FaceBook page I set up a small give away! So head over and check on the "Give Away" tab to enter!! :)

YURBUDS

Let's Catch Up!

My last blog was almost three weeks ago now and I have been a busy little bee… my mind has been doing a lot of thinking as well. SO I am just going to say that -it’s time for my little ole’ blog to go through some growing pains once again, SO please stay tuned!!! I am planning a couple of big (little) things for my sole sisters and brothers out there!!

In the meantime here are a couple of pictures of the past few weekends!!

 Aralyz & Hailey ran thier very first 1 miler at the Big Love Fun Run on September 27th!! I know we were both super proud of the new generation of sole sisters we have on our hands!

Plus they both looked super cute :) 

It was a great run for the grown ups too!

On Oct. 4 we joined Karen from

We are the Carrascos in a Vision Walk!
 

It turned out to be a lot of fun and a true inspiration for me. Time and time again you will read or hear from me that I am running in support of Childhood Cancer awareness, much like the run for BIG LOVE, but getting the chance to bring awareness to another great cause was good stuff. Karen’s husband has Retinitis Pigmentosa (degenerative eye disease) and she organized a team “RP Avengers” to walk in support.  I was amazed to see so many different people that suffer from different types of eye disease having such a blast together  :)  

 

 

 

              I will walk by faith even when I cannot see.

                   2 Corinthians 5:7



Running in Faith - Race Report!!

I don’t know where to start when telling you about the Running in Faith 5K, it was an amazing event that was initially a “Virtual 5K” thinking most would want privacy in order to go out and complete their first 5K without the pressure of a real 5K– BUT then it became a real mini 5K! Turns out the support of family and friends and love were what we needed and wanted.

 

I started this month by changing my blog and refocusing on what had really made an impact on my life- Growing my Faith thru Running. The faith I have in my self, in others and in God. This weekend was truly a wonderful experience, I found faith in myself to put together an event like this one! Would you have told me a year ago that not only would I go on to run more than my first three miles but 13.1 miles and hundreds in between and turn around and host my very own 5K – I would have thought that to be a crazy idea. When I first told my husband about my crazy idea, I figured in the end I would at least make my family sign up and make them do it with me. God’s plan was a little bigger than that :)

 

In the end 33 people signed up to participate in the Running in Faith 5K – welcome to my mind being blown! Here enters the amazing people that you are. Scared or seasoned runners you came through and stepped outside of your comfort zone, many of you shared what I was up to by telling your friends and family, some of you by stepping out of your comfort zone and committing to  walking or running 3.1 miles. I heard from a few in the days leading up the 22^nd – you were scared, nervous and not sure you could do it. Well let me tell you! You not only did it – YOU ROCKED IT! You had faith in yourself that morning when you woke up and tied your laces and headed out – some of you reached out to encourage someone who really needed to be encouraged and that in itself takes faith in yourself to speak out and uplift. Thank you for being out right awesome J

 

Without further ado – I present to you – Running in Faith 5K 2014

 

Saturday morning – two groups got together – one in Memorial Park and one in Alvin. The group in Alvin was headed by my beautiful friend Abby {you will hear much more about her in due time} she had a group of 5 and she made sure they knew where they would begin and end their 5K – after she passed out the 5K cookies to the finishers and I could not be more proud of the awesome job they did out there! Thank you!!

 

Our group in Memorial Park grew over night and was out in full force! I tried to be a good host! I brought waters and snacks and bananas and of course my 5K cookies!! My son and my little brother were my little helpers, so they headed out early so they could move things to the finish and make sure everything was set up. I was also lucky that my son manned the camera and we have tons of memories for all to share! I could not have pulled this off without them – THANK YOU!

 

Jim wasn't able to join us Saturday morning at Memorial because he was VERY busy being an awesome Gampa!! Taking cool, to a whole other level (I thought this level was the level!!) a pretty awesome couple sent in their picture aaalllll the way from Mexico! A super special thank you for taking time out of your day to be a part of this special day!

 

 

 

Turtle Race Report

I would be such a liar if I started this blog in any other way but to tell you how excited I was for this run! It’s funny how a race can be exciting when it’s thousands of people deep and then equally exciting with only a few hundred people. Truth is this one had so much to be excited about :)

I participated in  the 1st Annual Turtle Fun Run/Walk last year, I was only about 3 weeks into the “Couch25K” program at the time so I  walked most of it. I never dreamt that a year later I would have completed a ½ Marathon and running 3 miles would come naturally?! I knew without a doubt that I would be participating again this year, not only because I work for the school district that puts on the 5K but because it will always be my very first 5K :)

Although we did not have quite as many co-workers come out like we did last year, we did have our faithful group of girls come out and represent!! What was even more awesome was the between Jim and I we had so much of our very own family there with us this year!! He has had such an impact on his boys that 3 generations of boys were out there running, his wife walked the 5K and his daughter-in-laws were the cheerleaders along with the newest baby princess! WOW! I felt just as blessed because we had our very own three generation group there too, my dad, me and my son –sweet! It didn’t end there- Lety, my little bro Vince, my soul sister Cindy and my best friend Clarissa participated too! How super awesome is that!

I could not have been more excited to have everyone together like that. BUT I am going to have to go all crazy on y’all because everyone had run a 5K before except for Clarissa it was her very first 5K! She has been following the “couch210K” for about 3 weeks so she set out to walk/run it and she rocked it! She had all of the same feelings I had a year ago, going into the 5K. She felt like she would be for sure the last one to cross the finish – I felt the same way before. She thought she might look silly – no way, there were plenty of silly looking people out there! (ahem Cindy!)  

In the end I could not have been more proud to see everyone out there!

The run was great- right before we got to the start line I promised Clari that once I finished I would go back and meet up with her to join her for the finish. I wasn’t going for a PR at this run (although I’ve been getting a little tiny bit faster than before) but I will say that for a second a few of us thought we were breaking records and the we realized that the course was short only clocking about 2.6 miles! BOO! I came across the finish grabbed a water and went back to find Clari. She wasn’t that far away :) we crossed the finish and I was so proud of her!! So was her hubby!! She celebrated - and then I was a kill-joy. Yes, I told her the course was cut short, but if she wanted to really do a 5K we could go back out and finish it. Thankfully she didn’t hate me - instead she gave me a “lets do it” and off we went again!

Ah! The first 5K of my 2nd year of running and I couldn’t have asked for more :) I don’t know what the rest of the year has in store but if this is just the beginning I can’t wait till the next one!

Celebrate with Me!!

Hello everyone!! It’s finally February!! Woo-hoo! I have been waiting for today for a couple of weeks now :) SO! do you see something different about the blog?? TA-DA!! I gave it a makeover!! Whadda think?!! Whadda think?!! hehehehehe! I’m so excited to make this change, I have known now for quite sometime that the name of the blog had to change, it no longer described me or my writings, so for months I’ve thought and pondered about what the change would be.

A few days before running the ½ marathon an idea starting forming, and the days after running it all came to me in a sudden thought. Running in Faith. That's what I have been doing all along. When I began running I found myself digging deeper into my faith, first in God - as in “Lord please help me make it to the end of this mile!!!” slowly it became easier to run and my prayer became more focused on others, family, friends and my running. I then realized friends and family sort of had faith in me. You have no idea how many times I wanted to give up and throw in the towel. On those days I would run into someone or have a family gathering and you would tell me how proud you were of me! I’d get a fist pump! or a “good luck on your race- you can do it!” even a “wow you look great!” It may sound cheesy but you said it not me :) Eventually I've found faith in myself too. I have been through a hard run feeling like I just got beat up from head to toe, not just physically but mentally too. I walk away knowing deep inside I can do this. I know I can, because I’ve come this far, because I’m blessed to be physically able to and because my support team is simply awesome. I also have faith in others. Lately someone will ask me how I did it, and do I think they can do it too.  Yes we are each very different but I have faith that anyone can make a change to set their world on fire too.

SO!! to set off this awesomeness I am going to have my first ever virtual 5K!! This 5K is for you, for anyone out there who has never done a 5K, for those of you who have been meaning to get back to walking or running, or have been meaning to start walking for your first time and of course for the runners that want to set a new PR or simply would love a 5K with no chip, no pressure and just pure relaxing fun! This can be a stroll you take or a meet up with friends for a long gossipy walk. If the thought of paying out for a 5K and not knowing how you would do is intimidating - then this 5K is for you! It’s free!

In February of last year, the weekend right before my birthday, I had been following the Couch25K app for about a month and a half and I decided to go out and run a 5K. With no one else there, no pressure of time and as self conscious as ever, I asked my family to go to Memorial Park in Houston and basically wait for me as I ran my first 5K distance ever. It was slow and grueling but I did it and it felt great!

You can sign up to do the “Running In Faith Virtual 5K” held on, the weekend before my birthday, February 22nd! You have all day to do it, at your own pace. I will make you a personalized bid, with your name and number and after you have completed it you simply take a picture of yourself with your bib (and time if you want)  and email it to me!! I am not so fancy as to have a shiny medal BUT I will be sending out a “Finishers Treat” to everyone who finishes and submits their picture :)

How do you sign up?? By clicking right here.

You can email me your “Finisher” picture at runninginfaith48@gmail.com.

I will be getting together on the 22nd at Memorial Park at 9am for anyone who would like to join me in completing the 5K as a group.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me or comment below!!

Big Love Cancer Care Fun Run! (((Race Day Report)))

This past Saturday was the “Big Love” fun run, This love was similar to the Chelsey 5k I ran earlier this year. B.I.G. Love was created in honor of Brook Alyson Phillips, as a mother I can not comprehend having a child go through and lose their battle with leukemia. I have a 16 year old and a 3 year old and I love them with all my heart, Christian my boy reminds me of Brooke the most because he has the ability now and ever since he was itty-bitty to love unconditionally and whole heartedly – just like Brooke expressed her love to everyone around her.  To run in honor of children with cancer and to help raise money for a cause like this makes these runs different than anything else, they give meaning and purpose to the hard runs and the longs runs, it gives meaning to what I try to do week in and week out. It makes the soreness and pain, pale in comparison to what anyone with cancer ever has to endure. It’s a little step of what anyone can do to bring light and attention to Childhood Cancer.

The Report: I will start by saying what I repeated a lot that day – I was hoping for clouds – maybe even a sprinkle or two? During the race there was none… only heat and sun.  Either way I was really hoping for a good run, the “Color or Dye” had no PR what so ever, so I was hoping to see something good come out of this race! Thankfully there was a breeze and I’m sure it was not as hot as it was two weeks ago. I got there early and picked up my packet and signed Hailey up for her first ever “Kids Dash” (eek!) – she got her first ever bib and tee-shirt!! I was very excited for her :)

Then I decided to go ahead and pick up Cindy’s packet too since she was still on her way and I had some time to kill.  By the way we both opted for a Medium size shirt, but they looked way too big, I’m sure they were just running large but in the end I decided to trade mine for a small and even though I’m not truly a small it still felt really good to make the exchange!! LOL!

Soon we located a few others that I knew were signed up for the race and then it was time to line up for the start, this was the first time I have ever been chipped for a race! So I was like “don’t forget to step on the mat, don’t forget to step on the mat!”. Cindy made a bee-line for the front of the line… I wasn’t too sure about that but I ended up following her, and of course I could feel myself starting to get the pre-race nerves!  I kept thinking maybe I should move on back, because I know I’m not a fast runner, but before I could make that call it was time to start running!

Mile one was good, of course you get wrapped up in the mix of all the people and I had to remind myself to slow down – I did not want to burn myself out! I was feeling good and I kept checking my pace to make sure it was just right, my goal was to keep it under a 12 min mile, mile one beeped in at 11:37! Then of course I started to worry about starting off too fast so I slowed it down some, by this time I was coming up on my old stomping grounds (the lake behind the PTC) I tried to tell myself that it would be a great second mile, but oh boy the heat and sun really started to get to me, I am pretty sure mile two beeped in at 12:12 or something like that.  Mile three started and I already knew I would have to try really hard to make my goal time, but then it started that small voice in my head that starts to tell me “you can’t do this” “give up” and then I start to look at the people in front of me and I realize that a lot of them are walking! So instead I started to remind myself that, that is what I train for to keep up my pace when others have thrown in the towel.  So I started to concentrate on my breathing and then I started to count my steps- breath in breath out – one… two… breath in breath out…one..two..three -Don’t walk. Then something really cool happened :) I looked up and saw someone, the same someone that was ahead of me at the Chealsy 5k in mile three, at that time I told myself to catch up to him and i never did and now there he was in front of me again. Suddenly I knew I could catch up this time and I could pass him! So I did. At that moment I knew this race was not over and I was not going to slow down! So I just kept up my pace and made my way to the finish, as soon as it was in sight I booked it! And just like that folks it was over! Chip time 37:17 average pace 11:57!! Whew!

Next on the list was for Hailey to participate in her “Kids Dash” the night before I made her a shirt that said “Sammy Supporter” in bling letters. We ate snow cones and watched the kids mile take off, then we made a quick run to potty and got ready for her run! She was so nervous you could see it all over her little face – but just like anyone else as soon as they yelled “GO” off she went no looking back! Crossing the finish they handed to her, her first medal! Hailey was over the moon!

 

Later Saturday night the girls came over to work on our outfits for next week’s 10K Monster Mash Run! Can’t wait to post pics from that race!! Ready or not! Oh my!

Did I tell you the race is on or what!!

Time Much?!

I know I have slacked off here, but I am going to fill you in the last couple of weeks today. Running has been a little challenging – well not the running itself but the timing of it all. Has anyone else found it hard to go from summer lounging to full blast back to school back to crazy? It’s like my days are longer but my daylight is shorter! I get home make dinner, go pick up Chris from practice and get back home eat dinner and its dark outside. Wait I still have to run! The Dreadmill Treadmill and I have become friends, it’s my friend when it’s too dark out and I need a run, when my day is over and I’m not finished yet and surprisingly it has helped with my speed workouts and my time has gotten better. I have also ventured into the dark and run circles around my block – boring yet it’s an outside run. Even my beloved morning run is started later because Mr. Sun isn’t awake as early! Once I made it out to my tried and true tack behind the Pearland Town Center, it was an cloudy rainy day and I had extra time to knock it out, it felt soooooo good to run out there again - I cannot wait for cooler temps!  If I could just get my run done before I got home and crazy hit the fan then I might feel a little bit less time crunched.

I also did a “Run or Dye” 5k on the 14^th – it was last minute and it was hot. I had fun though mostly before and after the race! Before the race I got to hang out with Hector as we waited and waited and waited to get started, we went out in the third wave and it was close to 9:30 by that time which equals to = HOT SUN. I normally wake up at 6am to get my Saturday run in just so I can be back home before Mr. Sun can make a full on appearance but at this Race Mr. Sun was out and shinning bright, the end of the course was just up and down a parking area for Reliant and I just felt like we were just out there in the heat… because of this my first mile felt good, my second felt great and my third felt like I was going to pass out! Oh well no PR for this race just felt good to do a 5k since the last race I did was back on July 4^th :)

This past week has been interesting to say the least, I started going to a girls only “gym” called FIT 4 HER by my house. It’s a little like curves but with a few extras, like the TRX system they train you on and spinning bikes as well as stationary bikes. The best part about this is the trainers that work with you and walk you through each workout every time you go. I know I was just complaining about having time and now I’ve added this to my routine – the truth is that along with my training to do a half-marathon I know I should be doing strength training and cross training too. I find it so hard to do this at home, I start off strong and fade out of it quickly, so this is what I am trying out. I have to be creative with my dinner prepping for quick dinners and it's right outside my subdivision less than 5 min away, if I’m lucky I can get my workout done and get Hailey – still making it home before 6pm. SO! I am giving it a shot – so far it was great and I was in pain like I have not felt in a long time! My legs and abs were sore and are barely recovering today :) So here is a couple of pictures of yours truly!

 

Tomorrow I have a 5k on the books followed by a 10K on October 6^th! So I have to get ready – no matter what - January 19^th will be here before I know it! In other words - the race is on!

Watermelon 5K Race Report!

July 4th race day report!! How exciting my first ever run outside of Houston, TX! After looking and looking for a 5k to run in Florida we decided on the Hunter Vision Watermelon 5K, there were lots of 5k's to choose from in the Orlando area and I am super happy we settled on this one. There were six of us who ran the 5k and one of the runners was Lety, when we first brought up the idea that we should run this race she didn't feel like she could run the three miles yet but as the date got closer Lety trained more and more and decided to go for it! I was really happy about her determination to do it! Actually in the first couple of days of being in Florida we all met the challenge of keeping up with our runs, being on the road all day or at the beach all day left us a little bit in super chillax mode, but Saturday night Lety set out on her run and came back after running her first 3 miles!!

So in the end, it was my dad, my little bro Vince, Lety, Christian, Jose and me, a pretty good team for being from out of town ;)

Before Picture!

The race started at 7am and we were about 35minutes from where the race started and we in order to be there early to pickup our packets we all woke up at 5:15am and zombied about got ready grabbed our pre-race snack and headed out. Let me tell you after being in Florida for seven days using the GPS on my phone to track our our every destination point was getting a little crazy. Thankfully the night before I looked up the address to our race on my iPad and had a pretty good idea of where we were headed, in the morning I type in the address to my phone and realized it was sending in a completely different direction!! I started to think that we could end up missing the race altogether! I opened up my email and looked up my race confirmation, I click on the address on the email and it sent me to the location I had looked up the night before! I was so relived when we got close to the park and I saw the traffic of runners trying to get to the race :) we quickly got the hint that it wasn't going to be easy to find a parking spot so we parked a block or two away and headed over to pick up our packets.

This race start location was at a park in Park Avenue, Winter Park Fl, which was really nice if I had to compare it to somewhere in Houston it probably would be a cross of Rice Village area and Heights area. All week long we were around touristy places this was a sobering change of scenery for us, it sorta made you feel like Orlando was normal after all.

Big Crowd

My bib number was 626 and Lety's number was 3742! It was a big race! Lots of runners dressed in red, white and blue, in all my vacation planning I didn't get a chance to put together a running outfit for the 4th of July... I will have to plan it out next time though. I finally think of my self as a runner and I feel like everyone is connected when we run a 5k somehow, I mean it doesn't matter if you have run a marathon before or if its your first official 5k, it doesn't matter if you've been running for years and years or if you have been learning the running ropes for the past few months when we are there ~ WE ~are runners and you mostly feel like everyone there understands what it means to be there and what it takes to be there...hard work and dedication. I took a couple of snap shots of how packed it was, the second picture is from our place in the starting line, lots and lots of people!! Once the start bell rang we still walked a good way before actually being able to try to run, in the first 6 blocks we had four turns before we got a good straight away and it was hard to break away from the congestion. I still wonder if my times would have been just a tiny bit better if it hadn't been for those first few blocks?? My time was good though I was happy with it, I had an average pace of 12:16 per mile, my last race I had an average pace of 12:30 per mile! With each race I've been happy with seeing a slight improvement :)

At the Start Line!

The rest of the race was great, I have only done four 5K's since I started so I don't have much to compare it too, but so far it's been the nicest trail yet! Parts of the trail were paved in brick and it was covered in trees and in Florida trees are normally covered in moss that drapes down...it was a beautiful running trail. There were people from the neighborhood cheering you on too and signs put up by Hunter Vision along the way one read "it's just as easy as putting one foot in front of the other" and one read "feeling blisters on your feet? 3D LASIK can't help you now!" They were cute and funny :) oh and they had the local college marching band playing near mile one and again close to mile three! It was encouraging and helped make the run feel like a true fun run.

All in all the best part of the race was having everyone there with me, we had four first time official 5K runners with us!! My hubby,my dad,Lety and my little bro all completed their first race - awesome!!! On the way back to our vacay "home" I looked over at Lety and asked her if she had liked it and she answered by nodding with a great big grin on her face! Woohoo!!

As a side note I also found my self thinking things through out my vacation that I never thought I would be thinking! Like how in a 7 hour drive the thought "I should be running right now..." Kept crossing my mind or when we were driving the coast and I saw someone out for a run "I wish I could be running right now..." Or when I saw a long stretch of sidewalk along the coast "that would make a great running trail" or "hum I wonder how many miles that trail is..." Also missing my runs made me feel antsy, like we needed to hurry up and get back so I could squeeze my run in at some point. Just like right now, we are driving back home and I keep thinking "today is a running day for me and I'm missing it..."