A+ For Effort?

12 days. Only 12, short days until I will be at the start line of the Wounded Warrior Half Marathon. 

(cue panicked breathing and general crazy thoughts)  

While I do feel more relaxed compared to Cowtown, I know this race will be very different. It will be HOT! It will be a course I don't know like the back of my hand. I won't have my friends and family along the course and at the finish line. And did I mention it is going to be HOT???

After having to take 5 days off from training to recover from a head and chest cold, I was antsy to get back to training after work today.  So you can imagine my disappointment when I walked out of my office to see  how gloomy the skies where looking.

Already feeling like I haven't trained as much for this race as I did for Cowtown and just having to miss 2 training runs, I decided missing today's run was not an option. I was determined to have a great run...operation "Out Run the Rain"  was in full effect.

Epic Fail.  One song into my run, the rain came pouring down in what felt like bucket loads.

At first I thought, I will just keep running. I mean, I loved playing in the rain as a little girl so maybe it would just make the run more fun. Yeah...it does NOT make the run more fun. When rain is pouring down on you and you feel 25 pounds heavier because your clothes and shoes are soaked...it is time to call it a day. When people start pulling over, asking you if you need a ride somewhere because its raining (it is? I didn't notice)...it is time to call it a day.  (Seriously though, thank you to the 2 people who offered to drive me home. Very sweet, even if I totally started thinking you both might be a murderer or a rapist. Don't feel bad, everyone who passes me while running is under suspicion. It just a fact.) 

Hey, at least I tried. That has to be worth something, right?!?!?!?!? All joking aside, I am proud of myself for sticking to my guns and going. A year ago I would have looked at the sky and decided to watch a movie with the pups instead.  And that change alone is for sure worth an A+!   

Allie Facts: Blogging Edition

Since I am currently working on 2 different posts (neither of which I want to finish tonight) and I haven't done an Allie Facts post in a while I decided it was the perfect thing to prolong my procrastination of finishing other posts. :) So sit back and enjoy the latest edition of Allie Facts...Blogging Edition!

- In a few months I will have had my blog for 2 years. 

- When I started my blog it was going to be for me share different crafty projects that I was working on, but within the first year it was clear it would be more than that.

-  I secretly wish I could be a full time blogger like The Bloggess or Kevin and Amanda.

- Yes, I fully realize these blogs are polar opposites of each other. It sort of reflects what goes on in my head everyday! :)

- I spend at least 50% of every run "blog planning" which is also known as "don't think about how much this sucks right now!"

- It is safe to say 95% of that material never makes it to my blog...because I forget what I came up with before I actually write it.

- Come to think of it, running has really cut into both my crafting and blogging time.

- It has taken me a while, but I have finally made peace with the fact that I am a super busy person and I am never going to stick to a regular blogging schedule.


- When I write I blog I pretend like it for my "readers" but really I write for myself. If you are offended my blog isn't all about you, sorry. But please keep reading! Seriously....keep reading.

-  I have more unpublished blog posts than I do published.

- What can I say...blogging is WAY cheaper than therapy. And even though no one actually sees them it seems more public than writing in a journal.

- One day I might be brave enough to post some of them, but I am pretty sure they are much too deep for a blog that talks about "conquering the world with rhinestones."

Allie And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad 10K

A few weeks ago AJ and I were talking about how we felt like we had taken a big step backwards in our running since Cowtown and we needed to get signed up for a 10K in order to motivate ourselves to stay on track. Within a few hours we were signed up for the Stockyards Easter Run 10K and got T to sign up for the 5K.

The morning came and I was excited, but a little nervous and rightfully so since my training since Cowtown had been nearly nonexistent. I was ready to push myself and have a good race, oh and push myself I did! The "good" race part, not so much. 

I timed out when to eat breakfast around the start time. So when 8:30am rolled around I was ready to go. 15 minutes later we are still standing around when they came over the loud speaker to say a train had broken down, blocking the route and they were working to get it moved!! 

50 minutes after we were supposed to start we were finally on our way!

The 6 miles that followed were brutal....using a nasty port-a-potty and throwing up were just a sampling of the fun!  I will save you from every detail  of how terrible it was, but I learned a lot about how to prepare/handle race situations better as well as about myself.

Basically this run was what do you get when you go from running 15-22 miles a week to four weeks of less than 5 miles a week, your nutrition is totally off, you haven't been sleeping well, your stomach is upset, the weather is in that post rain sticky phase and oh yea....there is a 50 minute train delay!

The craziest part of it all was that despite all the things that went wrong, I still set a PR for my official 10K runs! Granted this was only my second sanctioned 10K but who cares...a PR is a PR. And on a day like today, I'll take it anyway I can get it! :) 

Wild About You!

Disclaimer: March has been crazy busy so I am a little behind on blogging so prepare for blog overload the next few days! 

On March 13, 2013 Kipper and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! While most people go to romantic dinners or a romantic getaway to celebrate their anniversaries, not us. Since our anniversary was on a Wednesday we decided we would just celebrate over the weekend. You should see the crazy looks people give you when you tell them you are just going to the gym to run when they ask you what you are going for you anniversary night! lol. And that look didn't go away when you told them you were celebrating on Saturday with a trip to Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Valley State Park. (I am really not sure why any of this surprises people...when have we ever done things the normal way?) What better way to celebrate how "wildly" in love we are?? :)

Of course Mr. Martin had to go and plan a surprise night out on Friday with dinner at Grace and then to see Oz The Great and Powerful in 3D!  (Major princess points for him!)  Because I had been at camp all day and we didn't want to be rushed we decided to hold off on eating at Grace and just have dinner at the Movie Tavern. It was magical! Even at 31 years old the wonder of all things Oz captivates my heart as much as it did when I was a little girl. The perfect night to kick off our weekend!

The next morning we headed to Glen Rose for our day of fun!

Starting with Fossil Rim!  I hadn't been here since I was a little girl and I was super excited. I also had a very specific goal that we would have a giraffe stick its head in the sun roof...or a window.  With our $8 bag of feed in hand we were off to meet some animals! And of course I kept tracking of the random things that came out of our mouths thought out the day! :)



What I had thought about was the fact it was the tail end of Spring Break and it seemed we weren't the only ones with this fabulous idea! There was actually traffic jams and at one point we sat for over 30 minutes barely moving. At first I was a little frustrated about that but we did get to see some stuff we would have other wise missed if we wouldn't have been forced to stop.

At one point we watch an entire herd of Circle Butt Deer (I can't remember what they are really called and they had a big white circle on their butts) come out of the woods into the field and cross the road right in front of us to another field. This process took like 20 minutes, during which time I kept talking to them and after the finally crossed, I gleefully announced that "I'm a deer whisperer!" Kipper just thinks I am crazy...I think he is just jealous!

A little later on we came up to another little traffic jam that was being caused by small group of animals. I was so worried that they would be full and leave before we got to them. Kipper reassured me I would get to see them because on of the was, and I quote, "Is like a homeless guy, just going car to car", end quote. This little guy knew how to work the system!

We stopped for lunch at the half way point cafe which is on top of a hill and has a gorgeous view. Because the park was so busy it took twice as long to reach the half way point as we expected...needless to say we were hungry and ready to stretch our legs!

After lunch we headed back down the hill to see the second half of the park. As you remember I came to the park with the specific goal of a giraffe sticking its head in the car. Well that didn't happen, but this little guy came to see us!!

If you have never been to Fossil Rim, you need to go! We had the best time looking for animals, feeding them and just visiting with each other. I can't wait to go back on a day that isn't so crowded!!

Since it took us twice as long to go through the park, we decided we would save Dinosaur Valley State Park for another trip when we could spend more time there. Instead we headed into Downtown Glen Rose to check out the historic square. The highlight was Pie Peddlers!  You know I am a sucker for a good cupcake,  but I am not a big pie person...Kipper is really the pie lover in our family. After a trip to the Pie Peddlers, pie moved up on my desert scale! :)

Since we had planned to spend the afternoon hiking (hey, I even packed snacks in my backpack!!) I was a little bummed we decided to change our plans. But on our way out of town we passed the coolest little road side park and we had to stop - Big Rocks Park! Seriously this place was SCREAMING my name!!

While this might surprise some people, I LOVE climbing on rocks. Not to be confused with rock climbing (that I don't like very much) just climbing around on big rocks!

These rocks have some HUGE gaps in between them that made me a little nervous. Kipper and I kept watching some teenagers making the leaps like it was nothing. And then there was the little kids doing it barefoot, without a care in the world. I was wearing my running shoes and I had been sliding on the rocks quite a bit so trying to make some of those jumps terrified me even more than they normally would. Seriously, we are talking cracked skulls and broken bones if you didn't make it kind of jumps. That put a halt on my adventurous side pretty fast and you would figure it would have done the same for Mr. Martin. Wrong!

All of sudden my overly protective husband (with a bum knee to boot) decides he too can make the jumps as easily as all the teenagers and kids we have been watching! I am pretty sure I almost threw up at least 6 times as I prayed he didn't fall...and thankfully he didn't!

As much as he scared me, I loved watching the pure joy on his face each time he made it to a new rock. I would have never imagined us being able to do something like this together (and both of us enjoying it) 2 - 2 1/2 years ago!  I honestly couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate our 9th anniversary together! Here is to another great year with my best friend and soul mate! I love you Mr. Martin! 

To The Finish Line And Back

It is hard to believe that it has almost been 2 weeks since I crossed the finish line at Cowtown. I am sort of shocked I didn't come home that night and blog about it right then and there, but I needed a few days for it to soak in. And at that point I was knee deep is Spring Show Hell Week.

So here we are. I am not even sure I can even put into words how incredible that day was, but it was incredible. Was I the fastest person? Heck no! Was I even close? That's a negative ghost writer! But I didn't care. I fought through my nerves and the games my mind tried to play on me. And I won!!

Much of the experience is sort of a blur, but there are 4 moments that are so vivid in my memory that I will never forget and I have been waiting to share them!

1. It had been only been a few minutes since we crossed the start line and turned onto Lancaster. As I crossed over University I could see the sea of people in front of me and all of a sudden I began to tear up a bit because it all became real - I was actually running a half marathon!
2. Right before mile 9 my mind started to play games with me. For about 1/2 a miles I started to believe I couldn't do it and I was ready to give up. Then stapled to a phone pole was a bright hot pink sign that said "You've Got This!" All I could think about was Lala and how she never gave up, even when all odds where against her. Some may call that sign a mere coincidence, I call it a sign from my guardian angel. 
3. I really wanted to finish side by side with Kipper but once we were about 12.5 into it, I was spent and just couldn't keep up. I put on my favorite Chris Tomlin song, Our God is Greater, and said a little prayer that he carry me to the finish line. Then right before the last turn I see AJ standing on the corner cheering us on. I was dying and asked for her water. As I took a drink she started running along side me, cheering me on. Once the finish line was in sight I told her, "Don't cross the finish line again, they will disqualify your time."  Without missing a beat she replied, "I don't care, let's finish this thing!" I couldn't have ever finished without that encouragement. 
4. Kipper crossed the finish line just 30 seconds before me and I couldn't help but smile with pride watching him. But the moment I will never forget it how it felt as I crossed the finish line and was able to run right into his arms. As I crossed the finish line the water works turned on. I can't begin to describe how amazing that moment was! Thank goodness T was there and caught it all on her camera!! 

None of this would have been possible without the support of my family and friends! You all have no idea the impact your support had one me, from training, to what felt like a million phone calls/texts/fb messages the day before, right up to being there on the big day. Taking the challenge with a team of 5 sure helped too because I knew I wasn't alone out there! Knowing I was going to see Momma and Ms. G in the Stockyards got me through the first 6 miles and knowing that my amazing friends would be at the finish sure made climbing the hill into downtown a lot easier.  But the biggest thing I can say about the entire experience is: "If you want to strengthen your relationship and faith in God - start training for a half marathon!" 

To end, I have to once again thank Kipper for inspiring me to ever lace up my running shoes in the first place. Hard to believe a year ago we couldn't run a 1/2 mile and now we are half marathon finishers! I love you to the finish line and back Mr. Martin! Here is to many more racing adventures together!! 

13.1 Because I'm Only Half Crazy!

After 8 hard weeks of training and if I am going to be really honest, stressing out (a lot) the day is finally hear. In 12 hours I will be standing at the start line  of my very first half marathon.  When I say it out loud it still shocks me. Me. Allie Martin. Running a half marathon. Who would have EVER predicted that?!?!?!?

I wish I could put into words the emotions that have played out over the last week.  From tears of complete fear to tears of an overwhelming pride in myself.  I know tomorrow will be a flood of emotions and keeping those emotions in line for 13.1 miles will be my biggest mental challenge.

In order to help myself stay focused and not let my emotions get the best of me, I have made myself a few promises:

1. Remember my original goal - finish upright
2. Take it 1 mile at a time
3. Not stress about my time. No matter what my time is, it will be my PR
4. Trust my training

If I can do those things it will be a great day. And quite possibly one of my biggest accomplishments ever.  Seriously, I have done some really awesome things in my life that I am very proud of. But 95% of those things I took on because the basics of whatever it was came somewhat natural to me. That is not the case with running. There is nothing natural about me being athletic! It has forced me to push myself in ways I didn't know I could. And tomorrow morning, when I cross that finish line, I will have proved to myself just how strong I really am. 

Before I attempt to sleep tonight, I want to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to my family and friends who have support me in this journey. All of your texts, emails, facebook messages, calls and hugs have meant the world to me. And our "Pre-Race Pasta Party" on Friday night was just what I needed!!!

And then there are those who have gone the extra mile. 

• Kipper for inspiring me to take this journey.
• Angela for always being there to answer whatever crazy questions Kipper and I come up with, as well as always knowing what to say to put my mind at ease when answering said crazy questions.
• Mel for putting up with my emotional roller coaster at work (I am pretty sure until this week she still thought I was joking about doing this!)
• Watts waking up to drive all of us tomorrow morning at 5:45am so we don't have mess with the nightmare that is Cowtown parking.
• Momma and Ms. G (and maybe Aunt Vickie) meeting all of us around mile 7 with bananas and PB sandwiches.
• Watts, J Crab and T coming to the finish line to cheer us into the home stretch and celebrate the peak of this journey (with mimosas to boot!!) 
• And of course I can't forget the rest of the "Fab 5" AJ, Merb, Kipper and Jenn. Taking this journey with you all is something I will never forget! 

Go figure I am freaking cry as I write this. (Hey, I told you it was a crazy flood of emotions this week!!) But they are good tears. Tears of pride. Tears of thankfulness. Tears of joy. I am blessed beyond measure and those blessing will help carry me tomorrow. 

Again, thank you for your love, prayers and support. Now let's do this thing!!!!! This girl is ready for some wine and cupcakes!!! :) 

The Best Valentine's Day Gift EVER!!

Last Sunday, I told you all about the $20 Valentine's Day Challenge that Kipper and I were doing in lieu of buying gifts this year. I am so happy we decided to do this, because I can't tell you how much I LOVED it! We have had some pretty awesome Valentine's Days, but this year takes the cake in the gifting department! 

As a refresher, here were the only rules:

• Each person will create a handmade gift and card
• We can only spend $20 total so that means only $10 each for supplies
• Supplies in the craft room or garage are fair game

For my gift I decided to create a little glimpse into my heart! I wanted to do something to tell Kipper all the reasons I love him, but I decided to narrow it down to 147 (1 for every month we have been together) reasons! I loved making it, but I really loved watching Kipper read each and everyone one! And yes, I stayed under my budget spending only $6.00!

Here is the final product:

Now for Kipper's gift to me!!!  I can't tell you how much I LOVED my gift! And I loved how excited Kipper was to give it to me...he couldn't wait till Valentine's Day so I got it a little early! :) 

Thanks to our new found love of Big Bang Theory, Kipper has rekindled his love with comic books. So it was only fitting that my gift was a comic book!! He did a page for each year we have been together, highlighting events from that year and even came in it's own comic book sleeve to protect it!  And Kipper wins in the budget category spending $.10!

Here are the highlights of my very own comic book: 

Some of you my laugh at hearing how this was one of my favorite gifts that Kipper has ever given me, but it is the truth. All the thought and heart he put into this gift challenge filled me with more joy than anything he could have bought at a store. Now don't get me wrong...designer shoes and handbags go a long way in my book, but you get what I mean!

While we originally came up with this idea because money was a little tight and we didn't really "need" anything. But after doing this, even if money wasn't a factor in the equation, I would suggest this doing something like this to any of my friends!  Aside from just the gift giving aspect, it was an awesome way to connect with each other in a new way.

I would like to challenge each of you to come up with some similar "challenge" with your spouse or significant other.  You can wait till a major holiday or heck, set a timeline and do it just because!  If you both truly commit to it, you won't be sorry in the outcome! :)