21 Days and 2 Half Marathons: Part 1

Yes you read that right....TWO half marathons. Normally I wait a week or so before doing my recap, to let it all soak in. Well by the time a week had passed I was in full swing preparing for another half (more on that in Part 2) and sort of forgot I never finished my recap!!

The night before Wounded Warrior we went to an early dinner with a few friends and then headed home to get ready to wake up at 3:45am so we could get to Irving in time. As I was gathering all my stuff and getting ready to go to bed, I realized my ipod had officially died.

So there we were at 10:30pm (when I should have been asleep) running around trying to get my music on another random ipod we had. It was only fitting that itunes was being a pill and we didn't have my playlist anymore. How the heck I was going to run with no music? Seriously, I forgot my ipod one time and made it 2 miles before I couldn't take it anymore! How could I make it 13.1 miles if I couldn't make it 2? And what about my perfectly selected playlist?  I was a panicked mess. But after about an hour I made peace with the fact that at least I had a working ipod and that it had some sort of decent music on it. We had to get some sleep because our wake up time was creeping up on us.

The next morning I woke up feeling really good. I ate my normal race morning breakfast of a bagel with peanut butter and we headed out the door to AJ's house. All the way to Irving we watch the rain clouds and followed on facebook as people talked about the storms. I was just praying that some how they would pass us. Unfortunately that didn't happen....

So we waited and waited to see if they would still have the race or call it. Finally nearly an hour later we had a new start time, but new issues had set in. Both Kipper and I were starving and feared if we didn't get something in our stomachs we couldn't make it just on gu gels. So with not much time to spear we went to the hotel across the street to find some bananas, coffee for Kipper and bathrooms for AJ and I. But we did run into our sweet friend Melissa is the lobby, so that was a plus! :) 

There was mass confusion as to the start times of the Half and 10K, so we barely made it across the start line before the 10K headed out. Did I mention it was pouring down rain still??  And they had to re-route us up a muddy hill to go around part of the course that had rapid, moving water flooding it!!

I ran the first hour or so in the pouring rain, but my times were actually quite impressive. At several moments I kept telling myself I needed to slow down because I was going to run out of steam, but somehow I just keep going strong. 

As the sun came out the humidity started to set in, but it wasn't too terribly bad and lots of the trail was shaded. Actually most the second hour was pretty uneventful....until around mile 6.5 and the snake! Yep, you heard me right, there was a huge snake stretched out across the path. (I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate snakes!) It was a blessing I saw it far enough out so I didn't step on it. Eek thinking about it still gives me the creeps! 

After that incident we were back to smooth sailing until around mile 10.5 when we hit nearly a half mile of ankle high water. Apparently while we were on the trail it flooded!! All I could think about was that snake and hoping he didn't have any friends in this water!

My time up until this point was awesome! Even with 3 bathroom stops I was on target to beat my Cowtown time by at least 15 minutes. Having to walk through this water, then up and down a muddy hill, really slowed me down. The last 3 miles were tough. My shoes were soaked and every step I took, I could feel my feet rubbing. 

That 15 minute headway quickly dwindled down and I felt like I was going to be doing good to match my Cowtown time.  After what felt like at least a 4 or 5 mile stretch (it was more like 2.5) I finally spotted AJ and she helped run me across the finish line. Missing a PR by 2 minutes, but to my credit with the re-routes on the course the route was almost 14 miles so I was totally ok with my time. 

Then we waited for Kipper. I honestly started to panic a little that he hadn't finished yet. For most of the race he was ahead of me, but I knew he was struggling and hadn't gone into the race with the clear mental state that he really needed. (you can read about his experience here, here, and here) After what seemed like for ages he rounded the corner and I was able to run him in. The last mile was incredibly tough for him, but he didn't give up and that is what truly matters! 

I can't believe how much stronger I felt post race compared to Cowtown. A year ago I would have saw the rain and just gone back to bed, but not only did I not go back to bed, I got out there and RAN in it!!  I wish I could truly put into words how this journey has changed me. I am not the same person I was a year and a half ago, heck I am not the same person I was 6 months ago. 

And what I did next just solidified that statement. I might actually be slightly crazier. AJ and I signed up for another half marathon and only had 20 days to prepare!! Stay tuned for Part 2!!

When Average Becomes Awesome

As much as I love social media, it has some down falls.  You watch all your friends post photos/status updates/etc you begin to feel pressure that your life isn't exciting enough. All of a sudden you start to think that every weekend needs to be EPIC or you have to be involved in a million things so that you appear more interesting. (My dear friend, Jordan, wrote a fabulous post on her blog "When life gives you lemons" about this that you should all read!)

I am someone who has had too many irons in the fire since age 5 and sadly, I have fallen victim to this mind set a few times more than I care to admit. It wasn't until right before my 30th birthday that I really started to analyze things and decide enough was enough. (you can read more about it here) I was tired of being busy for the sake of being busy all the time. Over the last 2 years or so I have started cutting back on my commitments and learning to play things a little more by ear. And you know what? It has been amazing!!! 

Sure sometimes we get to the weekend and realize we don't have plans - awesome Kipper and I will have an impromptu date night or (gasp) even just stay home watch a TV together! It. Is. Awesome! Or sometimes it leaves you open to spur of the moment plans that are far better than anything you could have planned out in advance. 

Enter last weekend.

In a rare turn of events, I had to work both Saturday evening and all day Sunday so I hadn't planned on doing anything else all weekend. Then Friday, T asked if I wanted to do a 5K up by her house with her. I didn't have any plans and needed to get a run in, so why not! 

It was humid and gross, there was a slight delay for a man who may or may not have had a heart attack during the 1K, but it was awesome!!  Not only did I have a PR, I got to spend time with one of my best friends. 

Afterwards we went to Denny's to eat where we spent the time talking and laughing. Even when we tried to leave, we ended up standing around in the parking lot talking more. This of course led to us having a "post run tailgate...at Denny's" in the back of T's car.  An average Saturday morning that was just plain awesome!

Of course when you combine this with a wonderful evening on Lake Granbury with my Hood County Jamboree Volunteers (that felt like a family get together in Alabama rather than work) and then National Cancer Survivors Day on Sunday (how could you not love watching a second line parade of cancer survivors?) it made for a pretty awesome weekend!

Now don't get me wrong, I still overcommit, and sometimes work is a little crazier than I would like. But until you break the cycle of always expecting awesome, you will never see just how amazing your average, everyday life can really be! 

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!!