Richmond Half 2014

This past Saturday I ran in my favorite race, The Richmond Half Marathon. I love this race for so many reasons, and my third time (including the full from 2011) was just as great as before. So here you have it: Richmond 2014 race recap!

That morning it was cold. It was 28 degrees when we started and about 38 when we finished. I had my throw away hat, gloves, hoodie so I was set. I didn't want a repeat of last year where I almost missed the start and couldn't find parking so I had Clarke drop me off by 6. It was dark out but the start was busy and I was excited. Most of my teammates where staying at the Marriott so a bunch of us hung out in our head coach's room until 6:45. We headed to the lobby for a team photo, then it was off to the start and y'all I couldn't contain myself. Someone asked if it was my first half because I was so excited. I said "no, I just love this race, lol." 

The first 2 miles I was definitely warming up. Once we hit Boulevard I threw off my hat and hoodie and was finally feeling like I got my stride down. I ran the first 10k with Debra, my pace group's coach, and it worked out well because we paced each other and I really like starting the race with someone. Once we got to Bryan Park and hit the 10k timer I knew I was on track for my goal time. My family was in the park cheering me on and I loved seeing them. Just that 2 seconds of them cheering for you makes such a difference and it gave me the boost I needed to get through the last hill of the race. 

Once you leave the park it's through the Pope Arch and into the neighborhood of Bellevue. So many people cheering! Mile 11 two of my closest friends were cheering me on and I kept looking for them. I kept telling myself "just keep this pace, and you'll do it, just keep this pace." I was running about a 10 minute mile then, although when I looked back at my Garmin it said mile 11 was a 9 minute mile. At mile 12 I checked my time, 2hrs 5 minutes. If I could keep running a 10 minute mile then I could do a 2:15 half. 

When I started training back in August I hoped to break 2:20. It seemed almost too far fetched though, but as training went on and I got stronger and gained more confidence I knew I could do it. My pace from Tuesday night speed work and the Yasso 800s made me think maybe I could even do a 2:15 half. 

The last half mile of this race I gave it my all. I was heaving like never before and the down hill finish I kept thinking "just don't fall." I crossed the finish line and looked at my Garmin:

I did it! I've never been one to really care about my time, but it felt so good to do it. This was my first race where I really pushed myself, where I really dug deep those last few miles and pushed through. 

I met up with other teammates after and we snapped some photos. Then I needed pizza. I've decided pizza is my favorite post race food, so I headed to get my free slice. 

 Chloe was not into taking pictures at first. Even though I was exhausted I couldn't wait to give her a hug. Seriously my family is the best for taking such good care of her while I run. 

Met up with Rachel and Emily afterwards. I said on Instagram how I'm thankful for these girls, they got me addicted to running years ago. Ran with me when I could barely run one mile, told me I could be a distance runner and kept me going. Love this picture of us. 

Tonight we had our team celebration to end training. Our head coach talked about being proud of our training, and I really am. I'm proud of those early Saturday runs, and those 2 loops around Salem Lake in the cold rain and running all the way up Brookstown. I'm just as proud for making it through training as I am of my PR. I've said it before but training with Fleet Feet on the hills here has made me such a stronger runner. I'm thankful for the friends I've made and the running community here in Winston. 

So there's my race recap for Richmond. Another great race in my hometown! 

Im still here

It's been awhile since I've updated here, so thought I would check in with a little life update. 

Half training has officially started as of last Saturday:

A year ago when I started training with Fleet Feet I didn't know a soul. I was terrified of the hilly terrain, more mileage and the unknown. My goal was just to get through the training program. This year I feel confident. I actually have friends and I'm excited. I think it's the first time since I started running that I have a strong base to start adding mileage to.  Oh, I guess I should add I'm training for Richmond again! 

Chloe is growing like a weed:

I remember when her feet used to dangle from this high chair. Now they reach. It hit me how tall she has gotten, seems like everyday she is bigger.

Playroom got curtains:

I know my last post was about the playroom, but my mother in law made curtains. Fabric is from Hobby Lobby and we put them up last weekend. I'm so in love, the pictures don't do it justice, I couldn't get the lighting right. But they look great!

And to end I'll add some pictures of Chloe, because every post is better with her smiling face!

Hope y'all are enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Can't believe August is already half over!

Hello 2013!

Last night we celebrated 2012 by going over to a friend's house for dinner and to ring in the new year. It was definitely low key, which is what we really wanted. I took some cute pictures, all of Chloe of course!

My sweet little girl before leaving. Had to do a little photo shoot of her in her party dress!!

One of me and her, she looks like a little doll sometimes!

We spent the evening with longtime friends. Chloe was definitely the center of attention, everyone got a chance to hold her. I also must say it was sweet because my friend's seven year old daughter was there having a sleepover with a friend, got a glimpse into my future. They were really cute too. 

First new year's eve as a family of three. 

After the ball dropped we totally went home, I fed Chloe and we all went to sleep! It was a really fun evening though. The older I get the more I realize I don't need to go out and make such a huge deal about new year's eve. It's just an excuse for a fun night with friends!

I saw this questionnaire about 2012 on another blog and thought it was cute so I'm including it.

1. What are you most thankful for?
My little girl, my health, modern medicine that allowed me to have a healthy baby and allow me to continue to have children after complications. Jesus, my husband, family and friends. 

2. What were the highlights of 2012 for you?

Being pregnant, our trip out west, my daughter being born!

3. What are you hoping for in 2013?

Quality time with my daughter, husband, family and friends, more time running, a bunch of firsts for Chloe, joining a mommy group, hopefully some fun trips and Chloe sleeping through the night!

4. What were some of your favorites of 2012? (clothes, movies, songs, TV shows )

I loved my cotton sundresses during pregnancy and vanilla ice cream cones from McDonald's. I loved cute scarves and necklaces.  I loved when we got rid of cable and joined Netflix. I loved watching Parenthood, Lost, Friday Night Lights, Hot in Cleveland, 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. Of course I still loved Glee. I loved my new iPhone, instagram and twitter.

5. Who was God to you in 2012? (and if He was nothing to you - please be honest. You don't need to give Sunday school answers. I want to be able to pray that He will be something to you this year!)

God became the person I could rely on for anything. The person I trusted most during pregnancy and especially while I was in the hospital having Chloe. He was my comforter and gave me the strength to heal from a hard labor and delivery. 

respect the distance

When I started marathon training every new distance was a huge deal. Even just one more mile called for a celebration. Then somewhere along the way the shorter distances started to not be a big deal, especially if they were under 12 miles. Ya know, a little 8 mile run in the middle of the week, no big deal. I started to crave distance.

After the marathon I knew my body needed a break. I still ran, but def. not at the same distances I was before. But I still thought a 10k was no big deal, until the Turkey Trot. That's when I started to really understand what GBA means when she says "respect the distance". I ran way too much in the days before this race, didn't carb up, and it wasn't a good race for me.

The more I run the more I learn about respecting the distance. At the marathon expo I signed up for The Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in D.C. I thought the 13.1 distance race would be enough to keep me motivated to run but would be a nice break as well. I also thought I needed a time goal as well.

So as I train for this race and The Monument Avenue 10k with PRs in mind I understand even more about respecting the distance. For example I ran 3.1 miles in 29 minutes 17 seconds the other day, which is a great time for me. Honest confession: I was sore the next day! What? After only 3 miles? I ran fast for me, and even though it was only 3 miles my body still needed to ajust.

I am learning about respecting the distance. From a 5k to marathon, each distance has it's own challenges. The shorter the distance the faster I want to go. At a longer distance I can get into my grove of what's comfortable to me and just go. (I hope someday I can start to shave minutes off my marathon time, but for my first that is where I was.)

I am learning that a fast 3 miles can feel like a slow 10 afterwards. Who knew? Mostly I am happy that my training hasn't stopped post marathon. I'm so excited about this half in D.C. and the Monument Avenue 10k, both races where I will be respecting the distance from now on.  

my first marathon!!!!

well, today i ran a marathon. it seemed surreal. amazing. hard. beautiful. painful. did i say amazing? yeah it was freakin awesome!

the day started off really good. clarke was so great to wake up with me at 4:30 and drive me down to his office downtown. i ate breakfast, got on facebook (of course) and waited till it was time to walk down to the suntrust building. then i met up with my team, took lots of pics and enjoyed the beautiful morning. we all walked down to the finish line, i kept saying "i can't believe it's here!"

when the race started i wanted to run 100 miles an hour, i felt awesome. coach mark took a video of us running the first couple miles (can't wait to see that!) it was awesome, the perfect start. coach elise paced me the first five to make sure i didn't start out too fast and before i knew it we were at mile 5 on grove avenue with all the mtt coaches cheering us on.

i remember hitting the first 10k and felt great. off to river road shopping center for party zone #1 and to see my mom and clarke cheering me on. then across the hugenot bridge to riverside drive. this was so beautiful! the james river was right there and it was just peaceful. i met up with garrett, a teammate, and we ran together. although looking back i probably ran too fast right here. down forest hill avenue and i was at the half way mark still feeling pretty good.

i finally made it to the lee bridge. about half way across i felt a tap on my shoulder, it was susan my good friend who i've run lots of training runs with. i was so happy to see her. and that junk food stop at mile 16 after the bridge. but i must say, the lee bridge wasn't that bad. neways, i stuffed my face with gummy bears and finally saw my mom, clarke and his whole family cheering me on. really needed that.

me and susan ran up main street and around mile 18 is where i remember it getting tough. we turned onto broad and my good friend emily cheered me on. at this point i really needed any kind of encouragement! i remember when i saw monuement avenue, for some reason this was the point i knew i would finish this marathon. i don't know why it was here. but i remember me and susan saw everyone from the half and 8k with their medals and we said "we want one, lets go get it!"

then there was the hill up the boulevard. that dreaded hill i've run up. every. single. saturday morning. once i got up it was through the pope arch and mile 20. miles 18-22 were hard. but the last 4 were tough. really tough. somewhere around 22 or 23 i met up with coach elise and she ran with us for a bit. somewhere around 23 or 24 i found coach mark. honestly i was so happy to see him because my legs were really hurting at this point and he is always so encouraging. i saw my friend emily who ran the half, she cheered for me and ran with me some. i remember asking her about her race because i didn't want to talk about the pain! ha!

somewhere along the way coach chelle started to run with me. she started counting the people i was passing as we hit mile 25. i ended up passing 13 people at the end. pretty awesome. well i really needed to blow my nose, so i asked coach chelle if she had a tissue, and she didn't. but being the amazing coach she is she let me blow my nose on her jacket! that's real love!

we finally turned off of grace and then finally cary. the finish line was in sight. i was heaving so hard, not because i was out of breath but because i was so emotional. 5.5 months of hard core training, so much dedication had gone into this moment, and it was finally here. right before the finish line i saw my dad. he surprised me and came from baltimore to see me finish. it was great.

when i crossed the finish line it was surreal. like nothing i have ever experienced in my life. it's hard to describe, but it's something beyond a runner's high. it's just simply amazing. they called out my name which was neat and when they put that huge medal around my neck i started to cry. i just couldn't help it.

my official time was 5:28:22, although i really didn't care. i achieved my goal. to finish. although my legs hurt, and they still do, i felt awesome. and i still do because this is something i will always remember. my first marathon. simply nothing else like it.

(check back soon for pics, i'm just too tired to post right now. and for capitalization!)

The Journey

"The journey is the reward." Taoist Saying

They say the journey is the best part, and I couldn't agree more. I can honestly say the journey towards my first marathon has been something I will cherish forever.

July 16, 2011

I have pushed myself to do things I never thought possible.

I ran my first half marathon, during a hurricane.

I met some pretty amazing people.

September 17, 2011

I have learned to rely on God's strength in a whole new way. Philippians 4:13 is def. my running mantra. "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

I am sooo ready for Saturday!!!!:)

20 miles

I recently feel like this blog has become my online running journal. But I guess that is to be expected when you train for your first marathon. Neways, here's my recap on my first 20 miler!

The run started out great, had my wonderful teammates and it was a beautiful morning. Around mile 4.5 on Grove avenue I stepped weird on some uneven sidewalk kinda twisting my right foot. Ugh, this was already my bad foot, I don't know why but on the 16 mile run it was the foot that was killing me. It also made me have a small ache in my very lower back. I think this was from when I picked up a student on Thursday afternoon and it made my back hurt in the exact same spot. For some reason that weird twist made these 2 pains come back, and at mile 4.5ish. At first the pain wasn't too bad, and there was no way I was going to stop so I just kept running. I ran into my good friend and her 2 dogs which was fun. After this we headed to the nickel bridge. I just love this area of town, so beautiful even though the hills were tough. We ran around Forest Hills, and this is where the pain in my lower back and right foot were starting to really hurt. We were at mile 14ish and I knew the Lee bridge was coming. Now I've heard so many stories and basically nightmares about this bridge. It's long, extremely windy and well just tough. All I can say is I made it. The skyline of Richmond was breathtaking, the water below was lovely, but it was tough. It was so windy and I thought it would never end. We ran up Main street where we saw our coach. I told her I needed a pep talk, anything would do. My right foot and lower back were killing me, but I didn't say anything. I just kept going. I was craving pretzels, the last 3 or 4 sags had ran out and I really just needed some salt. We made it to the Boulevard and ran up that huge hill at mile 19. Running past the stadium was mentally hard, but this run was suppose to stimulate actual raceday, and on raceday I'll have to run past the stadium as well. Good to know I can do it. By this point I was in so much pain, really just my lower back and right foot. Somehow I made it through. I wish I could say it felt as good as my 18 miler, but I honestly felt stronger on that run. I ran into that stadium, and ahhh, it was amazing. My first 20 miler.

One reason why I just love the marathon training team is because of my silver team. We know how to have fun. We had a huge party afterwards with lots of food and drinks. They even had a trash can set up with cold water and lots of ice for those who wanted to do their ice bath there. I went in and couldn't help but think, why am I doing this? My coach is giving me advil and I'm drinking a mimosa, ha! But I felt soooo much better afterwards. It was great to celebrate with my teammates, for many of us it was our first 20 miler.

I still can't believe I ran for 4 hours without stopping. Really? Who would have thought this girl who has only been running for a year would be running a marathon in just 3 weeks. I honestly have loved my time training for the marathon. But now it's time to taper!!

dear training.......

My head coach posted this quote onto our facebook group recently and I just loved it.

From Running to YOU:
 You might hate me. You might think I'm totally unreasonable. You might even curse me under your breath, when you think I'm not listening (I'm listening). But what you need to hear is this - I BELIEVE IN YOU. I believe what is great is ahead of you. And even though you might not thank me, that's okay. I'm not it for the glory. I'm in it for you.
I AM TRAINING

 

 

Isn't it true? Sometimes I wonder what did I get myself into? But I always come back to being happy with my choice to train for a marathon. Why? Because it's been an amazing journey. The tough runs have made the good ones even better. The times when I push myself to keep going have made the finish even sweeter. Every time I look back and see how far I've come I am amazed. Every. Time.

 

 

I recently saw this quote in the gym where I teach gymnastics after school. "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go." ~William Feather
I had to write it down because it reminded me so much of my training. My team started with 90 runners. Last week my coach announced that only 50 were left, and I think it's even less than that because some people we haven't seen in weeks. So that's at least half of my team is gone. That is why I love that quote, because I have hanged on after others have given up.

Training has taught me that I am capable. I am tough. It has taught me to stick with something, even when it's hard. It parallels real life as well. It has built character in me that transcends running alone. Training for a marathon is hard work. But it's SO worth it, at least in my opinion. And I haven't even run the marathon yet. So training, thank you for all you have already done for me.

Runner's High

I feel like for the past 2 months I've been on a runner's high. Tackling miles in hurricanes, heat and humidity. Even though I've had tough runs they have been great overall. I feel like the adrenaline from one run has made me so excited for the next, and I could never get enough.

Well that all ended Saturday morning with the 16 miler. To start it was 100% humidity and drizzling rain. I don't know why but this was the worse run ever. Of my entire life. Not that I've been running for that long (it'll be 1 year in about a month!) But this run was not only tough but hard, brutal actually.

I don't know how to explain it but I feel like other runners can relate. Sometimes it just doesn't feel good, I don't know why. We ran through University of Richmond after about 6 miles, the hills were intense (although the hills on Riverside Drive are intense too, but those didn't seem as bad.) I remember thinking I don't remember U of R having this many hills when I attended. Around mile 10 we passed the house where 3 of my very close friends live, I seriously thought about knocking on their door and asking for a ride home. Somehow we ended up in Carytown, I really couldn't tell ya how that happened. All I know is I looked up and said out loud "Oh we are in Carytown!" and my fellow teammates, including a coach all laughed, because I seemed so out of it. By this point my right foot was killing me. It had been for the last half of this run. Somehow we made it to Lombardy, then Monument and back to the stadium.

I have been icing my right foot, and pray that it's nothing serious, although it feels fine now. I think I am just paranoid. But to get back to the title of this post, runner's high. It feels great when you're on it, and when you're not you long for it. Although I know lots of people who have quit training for the marathon because they have lost it. So where does that leave me?

If I was a quitter I would have taken a ride back to the stadium, but I just couldn't. So I'm not going to let this bad run get me down. It's the same way in life, sometimes things don't work out or become harder than what you expected. If you really care about it then you can't quit. That's where I am now. I want to run this marathon. So part of that is going through the hard runs to get there. And honestly, this run will make the others that much sweeter. It'll make the marathon even better on November 12th. So here's to chasing the runner's high!

Training Check In

google images via monica on pinterest

I feel like I go through cycles when it comes to training for the marathon. There was that first week of training when everything was so new and exciting. There was that first hard month of training when I had to accept that a really good friend of mine who was suppose to be running this with me couldn't (she was injured) and I would be doing this without her. My body seemed sore all the time that first month. There was the high of reaching new distances, and then the really big high of the half marathon.

 

 

And now here we are, a little over 2 months before the big race day. And I don't know where I am in that cycle. There's the part of me that can't wait for November 12 to get here. I was in the Lululemon store with my sister-in-law and we were drooling over the things in this store. Oh my gosh, I wanted to buy everything. I decided I am going to treat myself to a new running skirt for the marathon. I can't wait to rock it out as I run my 26.2!

 

 

There is the part of me that has realized we only have 4 more big runs before November 12. Only 4. That freaks me out a bit, because the marathon was always something far away, something one day I would do, now with only 4 more big runs left it seems so near.

 

 

I can't believe how far I have come. I remember each time I ran a new distance. I couldn't believe I did it. I have absolutely loved the marathon training team. It has become apart of my life. I look for my emails each week, write in my log what I've done, and I never thought I would say this but I have kinds gotten used to waking up so early on Saturdays. What? Who I am? What will I do when it's all over?

 

 

So I guess I'm in the part of my training where I appreciate everything. I wanna enjoy the next few months of training, November 12 will be here before I know it!

The Patrick Henry Hurricane Half 2011

Yes, we coined that phrase "hurricane half". Ha!

So I knew it was going to rain the morning of the race. A lot. As long as they didn’t cancel the race I had planned on going. I’ve been looking forward to this race for some time now and I felt really prepared. I was so excited. Our weekly emails from the head assistant coach and my team’s head coach were both about the rain in the half. Both talked about not being able to control the weather, so accept it and don’t let it ruin your race. I decided that was exactly what I was going to do. There are just some things you can’t control, and you can choose whether they will keep you from enjoying something or not. I wasn’t going to let it affect me.

 

 

I woke up at 4am ready. I did my regular pre-run routine and I was out the door a little before 5. When I arrived up in Ashland it was so dark and they were still setting up. I was told to get there early, but I got there maybe too early. My stomach had butterflies in it, I was nervous but excited. I finally found some other Silver team members and we chatted some before the race started. Some of us joked about the white van. In this half you had to finish in less than 3 hours. If you didn’t reach the half way point and the 10 mile mark by certain times the white van would pick you up and bring you back to the start/finish area. How embarrassing, especially since I had people coming to see me finish. My only goal for this race was to finish. And not be picked up by that van.

 

 

About 5 minutes before the race began it started to drizzle. Okay, we knew it was going to rain so here it is. It’s okay. The race started and I tried not to go too fast. That was the one piece of advice that everyone had given me. Don’t start out too fast. I ran with my team for about one mile then some of them went ahead of me, but I still had my regular running buddies. At the 2 mile water station I met G. I was pretty sure it was her so I just decided to say hi. That was really fun since we’ve exchanged emails and have read each other’s blog for some time now. It was so nice to finally meet her!! Then I was off again.

 

 

I loved the part of the race where it loops around. People who are in front of you are in the left lane and we were in the right. We cheered for other team members and others we knew; it was cool running past them. Around mile 5 I realized I was soaking wet. Every part of me was wet, including the worse part, my shoes. Although at this point it really didn’t bother me. We were out in the country, in the middle of nowhere. We talked about how if it wasn’t raining we would be complaining about the heat. That is the one universal complaint I have heard about this race. It’s hot and there is no shade. I noticed the lack of shade part, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t hot at all, temperature wise I was perfect. The cool rain felt great, and so refreshing. We finally hit the half way mark at 1:20. I remember thinking good we have 20 minutes to spare. I started eating my fruit chews for fuel which definitely helped.

 

 

It was around mile 8 I remember my shoes starting to bother me. The wetness part didn’t bother me, although I could hear them squishing every single step. It was the extra weight that the water added to each shoe including my socks. It felt like each shoe weighed 5 pounds. I just tried not to think about it. Before I knew it I was at mile 10, which was the last spot I had to arrive before a certain time for that van to not pick me up. That’s when I really knew I would make it. I always believed I would, but there was apart of me that kinda worried about not keeping pace and being picked up by that van. I remember thinking about my husband and family who had woken up early to come see me finish. I had to cross that finish line. I had to make it.  

 

 

When I ran past the water station at mile 10 I knew I was golden, but I also knew that hill was coming. The one at mile 11 that everyone talked about. I remember a course marshal telling us it was coming up too. And as soon as I saw the sign for mile 11 I saw the hill. And it looked big. The first part of that hill was steep, then it was a more gradual incline. Although the gradual incline didn’t feel bad at all after going up the steep part of it. When I finally made it to the top of that hill I kinda got emotional. I knew I was so close and it felt so real. Everyone kept saying your almost there, your at the flat part, the easy part. I admit, part of me really wanted to cry, for good reasons, for being proud of myself. I remember around 12.5 I started picking up the pace and passing people. That adrenaline kicked in and I felt great. I could hear the band; I knew the finish line was near. I saw my head coach who was a course marshal and she cheered for me. Another coach was standing on the side lines and she cheered for me too. I turned the corner and saw the glorious finish line. I looked for my family on the side and they cheered for me. I ran so hard across that finish line and it felt sooo good.

 

 

I was completely soaked after the race; it rained the entire time except for maybe 20 minutes. It was as if I had just gotten out of the shower with all my clothes on. But I felt great. My time was 2:42 which meant I had a 12:25 average pace. That’s about what I had been running in my training runs so I felt good about it. But I really didn’t care about the time. My goal was to finish and I did. I was proud for not letting the rain stop me. Not letting something that I couldn’t control stop me from doing something I wanted to do, and enjoying it. I will always have such fond memories of this race. It was not only my first official half, but I did it during a hurricane, which is probably a once in a lifetime event.

 

 

I took an ice bath when I got home, my first one ever. I felt sooo much better after. And right now I feel great. Well my body is a little sore, but I feel like the high from the race makes it not matter. I love running in races, and this makes me soooo excited for the marathon in November. While it’s great to have a fun race to share and experience my ultimate goal is the marathon. But, I feel I am on track to where I need to be to reach that goal in the fall and that feels great too. J

A Calling

It's time for me to stop trying to figure everything out. Stop trying to figure out what's next. God will show me when it's time. All I know is right now I'm so ready to be back at Echo Lake. I can't wait to see my students, I want to catch up with co-workers. I've missed them so much. I am blessed to have a job that I enjoy. In honor of the new school year starting so soon I wanted to share something. Back in February I wrote a post about special ed. Honestly I've been too scared to actually post it, because it makes it seem so much more real. But, I feel the need to get it out, so here it is:

I know I have been called to the teaching profession. It's something I have been passionate about for a little over three years now. I can look back and see how God has woven pieces of my life together and led me where I currently am today.

And once again I feel God tugging at my heart, telling me that I am on the right path. But I also hear Him telling me to keep moving forward, don't become comfortable, complacent and don't stop. And honestly I think that is where I was. I love my job and I love my students. When my coaching job didn't work out it reminded me how much I wanted to be a teacher. I think it's good that I enjoy my job, but I also think I was starting to forget that this is not my forever job. (If that makes sense, I know right now I am suppose to be an aide, but I also desire more right now.)

And that brings me to the point of this post. I'm praying about becoming a special education teacher.

When I took my current job as an aide I had no idea how much I would love it. And God has opened my eyes to a whole new world I knew nothing about. I had no idea there were such sweet children out there with such severe disabilities. (If you want to call it a disability, I honestly believe God has created everyone perfectly, sometimes I hate that term, disability, but I digress.)

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do.  God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act."  -Proverbs 24:12. I love this scripture. And it's so true. Because "For those to whom much is given, much is required." -Luke 12:48. God has blessed me so much. He's given me so much more than what I need, so many resources, that I know He is calling me to use.

I also love this scripture. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." -Matthew 16:24. Because let's face it, being a teacher is hard. And I have seen how hard special ed teachers work. I know there are sacrifices I would have to make. Going back to school again. But even if I became one, it's a lot and I know there are a lot of easier careers I could choose.

I love this quote. "Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that really don't matter." -Tim Kizziar. Wow. It really makes me think, think about what is important. And how so many times the fear of failure keeps us from really going after our dreams. Because if I'm honest, I'm scared. Scared of failure. Scared of stepping out and trying something new.

God has been speaking to me, and I'm listening. Am I going to apply to art teaching positions this spring? (Where I am actually endorsed to teach.) Yes, I am. I'm going to apply to lots of things. And I'm praying God will open the doors that need to be opened, close the doors that need to be closed. I pray He leads me where He wants me.

Sunday Night Recap

This past weekend has been great. There was a date night with my hubby, a great training run, a "preppy" brunch and putt putt, dancing, pool time with friends and lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Friends out for our preppy brunch to celebrate Em's birthday.

I wanted to write some sort of update about my job search, but I'm at a lose for words. This past week has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, and despite my moods I am sure that God is at work in my life right now.

I had the best 5 mile run ever on Saturday morning. It was the easiest 5 miles I've ever ran, and it felt great. I am so happy to finally be seeing results from all my training. Maybe this job search is the same way? I am doing all this work now, and eventually will see the fruits from it all. I know I will.

Tuesday I am off to the beach with the girls!! I am so excited.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!! :)

why i run

My marathon training team head coach sent us out an email this week, asking us to really think about why we run, and hold onto it, because that is what's going to get you to the marathon.

So why do I run? And why did I decide to run a marathon?

I started running about 8 months ago, as a way to stay healthy. I needed some way of staying active, and I had friends who ran, so I thought why not? Then it became a social thing, I knew every Monday I could hear about my friend's dating lives, we could catch up and just have fun together. Then my friend talked me into training for a 10k race, then a different friend talked me into the marathon.

But somewhere along the way I realized that running has given me back a part of my life that had been missing for some time. I loved doing sports in high school. Swim team, gymnastics, cheering and running. I ran cross country and track and field. In all of these sports, you are competing against yourself, and by doing this you improve yourself. If you fall off the beam or swim a little slower you have no one to blame but yourself. But if you nail your landing and perform your routine perfectly you know it was all the hard work you put in, not just an inferior opponent. Running is the same way. A coach said your biggest obstacle in getting to the marathon is yourself, and it's so true.

I also love setting goals for myself. When I started training for a 10k, I honestly doubted myself. I remember thinking, I'm not going to make it to 6 miles by April. Then in early February I ran my first 10k. I was so proud of myself, the feeling of accomplishment on that day made me realize that I could do this and I was hooked.

Running is not always fun, it's not always pleasurable. But the finish always is. Whether it's just after a training run on a hot day, or like today, when I reached a new distance, 7 miles, that feeling of getting closer to your goal, or having just reached your goal, words can't describe it.

So, I run for the challenge. I run to reach a new goal. I run because I want to do something extraordinary. I run because something inside me loves it.

Job Search Updates and Thoughts

Okay, I've been meaning to write a post about the never ending job search so here goes............bullet style:

~I have no clue what I'll be doing next fall. People always ask me and I really don't know. I hate this.

~I have applied to several art teaching positions, got one interview, and still no offers. At first I was upset about this, but I'm starting to be okay with it.

~God has told me that I'm going to be a teacher. No he didn't speak to me in a big loud voice from heaven, but over the past 3.5 years he has made it clear that teaching is one of my callings in life. Because of this I'm praising him for a job as a teacher already.

~I am clinging to this verse: "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

~I used to fear wasted time. I feared that every year I wasn't a teacher I was wasting time that I could have been using being an actual teacher. But, I believe God uses every experience to help us become who he wants us to be and this past year is a great example of that.

~I get frustrated sometimes when I think about all the hard work I've put in to get my teaching license in the first place. My first student teaching placement was awful, yet I persevered and finished the program and still I'm not officially using it.

~Sometimes I don't care that I'm not officially using my license. I enjoy being an aide and I love working with special needs children. I am learning so much, and if I'm an aide again next year I will enjoy learning even more.

~I know God has called me to teaching, but sometimes I wonder if it's teaching art? If I love special ed so much maybe God has a future for me as a special ed teacher? There have been several days when I feel he is calling me to this.

~I am reminded of my favorite quote from my pastor "God would rather hurt your feelings than hurt your future." Right now my feelings are kinda hurt from all the rejection that is apart of job searching. But I know God has a specific job out there for me, and if it takes a lot of rejection to get there then so be it. Echoing what I said earlier, if God has called me to teach special ed then I won't be getting an art teaching position this fall. I'm okay with that because I want God's will for my future.

~So although I don't have any concrete answers about where my job search is going I know God is guiding me. He will show me where I need to be. In the mean time I am trusting, well trying to trust, most of the time trusting him.

The Silver Bullets

Today was my first day of marathon training! It was awesome!

As I posted earlier, I'm on the silver team, we're the silver bullets. My coaches are so nice, in fact everyone is really nice.

I had to post this picture, here I am finishing my first training run. I met these two girls today, and we ran together this morning.  We decided to pose for our picture.

I am so pumped right now (so I decided to document, when I need a little pick me up later in the season!) It's so exciting, I'm loving this running community and the motivation and inspiration that comes from it.

Where I Am

I haven't posted much about my thoughts on here lately, what's going on in my head, and I'm feeling the need to get it out, so here I go.............

I sit and wonder where will I be next fall? I hate job searching. I long for a job where I feel a peace about being there long term. I really enjoy my current job, but it's not something I can see me doing long term. I could never be pregnant in this job, and while right now that's not something that matters, eventually it will. Special ed interests me, I enjoy it, and feel I connect well with the kids. Where was I going with that thought? I don't know? Back to the job search......

This morning I got an email from a friend's mom about some postings for art teacher jobs at Henrico County. I was shocked because I had just checked their website a couple days ago, and had seen nothing. (I admit, I check that site way too often.)So I go to check it out, I couldn't believe it........the same school I was suppose to coach at earlier this year. The one I posted about here. So I spent the entire day today playing the what if game? What if things had worked out for me to coach there, I would have developed a relationship with the administration and others in the school. They would know me, and know that I'm a hard worker. I would be a shoe in for this position..........

And while I know God is in control of everything, I can't help but wonder why? Right now I am having a hard time making sense of it all. I've applied for a job at a small christian school as well. I love the idea of being able to tell my students that Jesus loves them. Maybe that's why.....

It seems just a few weeks ago (before the last two hard weeks at school) I was so excited about special ed. Here I come back to that again. I honestly felt like God was tugging at my heart, leading me in that direction. And now I don't know..............

I don't know what to think? Where to go? I do know God is in control. He knows somehow all the pieces will fit together perfectly. And somehow I'm trusting him. I'm trusting he will lead me where I need to be. Whether that's somewhere in special ed or somewhere teaching art.

And if your still reading this, thanks. If you want to pray for me, I would really appreciate it. I am praying that God would guide me. Guide me where I need to be. Help me to understand his plan.

Planting our Azaleas!

I posted at the beginning of the year about some things I wanted to accomplish this year. One of them was working on the yard. So, this past week we finally planted some azalea bushes out in front of our house.

The bushes all ready to go. I can't wait for them to get a little bigger.

Me hard at work! I love how they look. I still need to take a picture of the whole house with them, but we still have to mulch. I just hope they don't die...I've never had good luck with plants in the past.

The Monument Avenue 10k

This past Saturday was the Monument Avenue 10k here in Richmond. If you are a regular follower, or know me in "real life", then you know that running this has been a personal goal of mine for awhile now. Back in November I started running (for the first time since high school) and in December I posted  about it.

Me and Emily being silly before the race. We used to be on swim team together when we were in elementary school and now we run together every Monday. I wouldn't have started running if it wasn't for this girl!

Here's an action shot! I look so into it, lol.

(photo credit)

I have found that I really do enjoy running. I enjoy setting goals for myself. And since I have accomplished my first running goal, I am setting a new one for myself. On November 12 I want to run the Richmond Marathon. I had already decided to train for the Half Marathon, and my good friend Rachel talked me into just doing the whole thing. I am really excited about joining a training team (since I have no clue what I am doing) and I am ready to push myself.

So here's to a lot more running in my future!

Another Running Milestone

On Saturday I was still upset about not being able  to coach, and felt like I needed to run. I also wanted to try this out:

I already have Nike shoes, and really wanted a way to be able to track my distance, calories, pace and time. I was really pleased with my new Nike Plus. I love how it talks to you while you run.

So while I was running on Saturday I finally hit 5 miles! I couldn't believe I ran that far without stopping. It felt so great. I only have one more mile to go before the 10k, and I have 2 months left to train.

When I first started running, I couldn't even make it for a mile. The 3 mile mark was a big victory for me as well. After three months of running I can say that I finally enjoy it. I think.