Kelly

My journey into running…

April 19, 2011 By kelly

I have recently taking up running. I should say right off the bat that prior to late February of this year, I have never really been a runner. I made feeble attempts at Couch to 5K in the past, but I never stayed with it then. I had literally never run a mile straight. Actually, I can’t recall a time when I ever ran any distance at all. Running just wasn’t my thing. I used to tease and say “I’m not running if nothing is chasing me.” I meant it. I had no interest in running. Oh, I knew it was fantastic exercise, but I was just sure it wasn’t for me. After all, my lungs didn’t like to cooperate with running and I could always work out in other ways, right? The excuses were plentiful and mostly legit.

I can’t say exactly what inspired me because, frankly, I don’t know WHY, but I told Mickey in late February that if he found a 5k for me in April that I would train and run it. He took me at my word and found a local 5k for me. The date? April 2nd. When I first told him I’d run an April race, I was thinking late April, naturally. But, no…he found one the very first Saturday of the month. I knew I had to make good on my word, so I got to work.

I knew I wanted to go use the “Couch to 5k” training program, but I wanted it to be more interactive. So, I purchased the Interval Run app for my iPhone. This app has a few training programs, C25K being one of them. Mickey has an arm band for iPhone, so I was able to wear my iPhone and play the app at the same time. This is an excellent app, in my opinion. I could play my own music playlist in the background and run the app over it. The app would break in and tell me when to walk/run at each interval. That way I didn’t have to keep up with time on a watch – I could just focus on running. The app also keeps a record of runs. I highly recommend it!

When I first started training, it was HARD. As in, running for one minute straight was extremely difficult. I dreaded when I would have to run two minutes straight and then MORE. I didn’t look forward to the early training runs at all, but I kept plugging away at them. My friend Curi ran with me for my second training run and I know she had to think that I was a total wimp, but, to her credit, she pushed me and didn’t let me stop. Due to crazy schedules, I wasn’t able to run with her again for a couple of weeks and in that time she could definitely see marked improvement with my running. By that point, I was up to five minutes in a row. FIVE minutes. Woah. Okay, that seems silly now, but back then it seemed pretty incredible. When I was able to break five minutes, I somehow knew I could go all the way with the training.

At this point, I’m due for a confessional. I dropped the C25k program about mid-way through. It’s a great program and I was doing well on it. However, I just felt ready to push for more. I got on the treadmill at the Y one day and ran a nice easy mile and a half. It wasn’t fast nor strenuous, but I did it! I was so proud! I knew then that I could start pushing for more distance. So, I did. Curi and I went out to the Chattahoochee River one Friday for me to attempt two miles. This was a first for me because I had only run the mile and a half on the treadmill earlier in the week and I surely had not run any distance outside. But, we went and I was determined. Guess what?! I did it!! Curi was so encouraging along the way and I made it!! This was just over three weeks before my first 5k, so it really bolstered my confidence that I’d be able to tackle the whole 5k prior to race day. WOO HOO!! (Note: It’s not advisable to rush training. This blog is the abridged version of my training story. I took it easy and made sure I could do this without stress. C25K is an excellent program and I can’t recommend it highly enough. This is my own opinion, not paid for it.)

I won’t candy-coat anything, I still didn’t enjoy running while in the process, but I was all about the “runner’s high”/energy burst afterward. For that matter, I’m still mostly that way. I don’t exactly love pounding the pavement, but I am all about the accomplishment and energy. I can definitely tell that my fitness level has increased a great deal already. I am just amazed.

Back to my training story. Mickey and I went back out to the river two Fridays before the race. I wanted to push for three miles. Well, more accurately, he thought I could push for three and I decided to go for it. It was not at all easy, admittedly, but I made it! I did three miles for the very first time on Friday, March 18th!! It wasn’t quite the 3.1 mile 5k distance, but I was darn close and I was SUPER happy with my progress!! I was also completely amazed at how far I had come in a few short weeks. Running a minute straight had been a challenge when I started and with training I was able to finally put three miles under my shoes. Amazing!! Mickey and I decided to run the race course the week prior to my first 5k. So, on Friday, March 25th, we set out to run the course. We had driven it and I knew it was hilly, so I was a little bit intimidated. I am all about pacing myself and Mickey is gracious enough to pace with me, so we set out on the course on Friday morning and I ran the whole thing! My time just over 42 minutes. Not speedy, but I wasn’t going for speed – I was going for completion. SUCCESS!!!

I have heard people talk about having “bad runs” and I felt very fortunate in my early training that I hadn’t had a really bad run yet. Hard ones, sure, but no BAD ones. That changed the Wednesday just before race. I set out to run a 2.5 mile loop near our house and I just bombed. I wound up walking quite a bit of it. It was just bad. I couldn’t get into the run physically nor mentally. Ugh. So, my first bad run was officially under me at that point.

Saturday, April 2nd was race day. Mickey and I were running it together and my friend Melody had signed up too. My first race. Several friends had told me that the adrenaline on race day is pretty amazing and that it would carry me. All I can say is — YES, they were correct. Lining up at the start line was pretty exciting. I knew I had to reign myself in and not just take off based on surging adrenaline, so that’s what I did. Mickey stayed with me and we ran a nice smooth pace the whole race. Melody was ahead of us, but we could see her the whole time. My official time was just over 39 minutes. I had shaved off THREE minutes from my time the week prior. WOW!!! I knew then that I was hooked. I had accomplished my two race goals – run the whole time and don’t finish last. I had literally gone from the couch to a 5k in a few short weeks. Amazing!!

Mickey and I have a goal now to run one 5k per month. We have been scouring Run Georgia‘s website to find races in our general area. There are great ones happening all over Georgia, and especially the metro area, so it’s easy to find ones to run together. We weren’t planning to run another 5k in April, but some of our Sunday School friends invited us to join them at a race last weekend and we did that one too. The course was nice and flat, beside the river, and I turned in a time of 36:53 officially. My time was better than my previous best. Sweet!! Now we are looking for other races to run each month. Exciting!

Mickey entered us into the lottery to try to get Peachtree Road Race numbers and WE GOT IN! Both of us!! So, now I am officially training for a 10k. The Peachtree is a famous Atlanta 10k that takes place every July 4th. I used to say people were crazy to get out and run in that Georgia heat, but it looks like I’m joining their ranks now. No one ever said I wasn’t crazy, did they?! I’m looking forward to that huge race. I know already that I won’t be racing for time, but more for the experience.

My journey into running has been a success story. I’m not exaggerating when I say I never thought I’d be a runner. I never really had any interest in it, honestly. Mickey has been a runner for years and years, but I never thought I would be too. I’m still not at the point where I “love” it, but I’m enjoying it more all the time. I’m also incredibly proud of my accomplishments. I am just in awe at how God created this body to respond in strength. When things get tough during a run, I remember Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” AND Hebrews 12:1 – “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” These really inspire me and push me to keep going. It also helps to have great music in my ear.

If you’ve ever thought about running, but didn’t think you could do it, I encourage you to try. The first few weeks are tough, I’ll admit that, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up. Give the Couch to 5k program a shot. Try the Interval Run app if you want something a little more interactive. If I can do this, anyone can. I’m convinced.

Blessings,

Kelly

Filed Under: Daily Life, Health & Fitness, Kelly

No More Mini-Van Mama…

March 16, 2010 By kelly

It’s a new era in our house. Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say that it’s a revived old era. Either way, I am no longer a “mini van mama.” We traded in our 2003 Ford Windstar mini van yesterday and came home with a “sangria red” Ford Explorer. This is not the greatest photo, but is one I snapped with my phone just this morning:

Isn’t she pretty? I have never had a red vehicle prior to this one. I should admit that when we were initially starting to look, I didn’t think I wanted a red one. Figures that it’s the one I wound up with, right? But, actually, I’m loving it. It’s a nice red. It’s not blaring, but is nice and fun. And, hey, you can definitely pick it out in a parking lot.

Our poor old van was getting on up in years and miles and since we do a lot of traveling, we knew it was time to take the plunge and trade it in. I have to admit, it was somewhat bittersweet. We got our van a couple of months before Mariana was born. Prior to that, I had been driving what was my dream vehicle at the time – a taupe colored Jeep Grand Cherokee. Man, I loved that Jeep. I had always wanted one and we found a honey of a deal on a used one when we moved back from Alabama. But, with an almost three year old and a baby on the way, a mini van made more sense at that time. So, when the Jeep started to have issue after issue, we knew it was time to trade. We found our van at CarMax and made the trade. I will say with all honesty that going from the Jeep to the Windstar was a great move for us. The ease of getting the girls in and out of the van was incredible. Having two auto sliding doors? LOVED it! Everything about the van fit just right for having two little ones. And, for right at four years I was a mini van mama even though I never imagined that I would be one.

Of late, the van had started to show signs of her age. We knew that we were approaching the “now or almost never” stage for trading because we wanted to make sure that at least some value was preserved in the van. So, we’ve been watching rebates/cash incentives and finally contacted our favorite “Ford guy” late last week. He called yesterday to say that he had an Explorer for us, so we took our sweet old van in for a trade. Like I said, it was bittersweet. That was our first family-of-four vehicle. We brought Mariana home in that van. It was time for it to go, but the memories were sweet. We went and picked up our new truck yesterday and we all love it. The girls think it’s great. It’s so nice to drive also. I love that it’s roomy, but it doesn’t feel like I’m driving a tank. I’m so happy and feel so blessed to have this new vehicle and can’t wait to make many fun memories along the miles.

~Kelly

Filed Under: Daily Life, Family, Kelly

Essential Oils

March 15, 2010 By kelly

Several months ago I discovered Young Living Essential Oils. My friend Christi had been telling me about them for years, literally, and I finally tried the oils last fall. I am blown away at how wonderful oils are and how great they have been for our family. Let me tell you more…

Ever since Mariana was an infant, whenever she would also get terrible coughing spells. Her first pediatrician insisted that she had asthma as an infant. I had never dealt with this with Macey, so I went along with the antibiotics, breathing treatments, allergy meds, etc. You wouldn’t believe the amount of meds she had Mariana on at once as a baby. A red flag went up quickly for me at that point. So, we changed pediatricians and the new ped confirmed what I long suspected – Mariana was prone to sinus infections which caused post-nasal drip and contributed to the constant coughing. She also had recurrent ear infections that absolutely plagued her, so we had ear tubes put in her ears. The ear tubes helped tremendously. The first set went in when she was 19M old. She didn’t get another ear infection for about a year and when one tube came out, the infections resumed. At that point, the ENT wanted to also take a look at her adenoids because she continued to be plagued by sinus infections and snored also. Turned out that her adenoids were huge and he felt they were contributing to the problem. So, last March (2009) Mariana had her adenoids removed. At the same time, the ENT replaced the ear tube that had come out and cleaned up the remaining tube. That procedure helped her and she didn’t cough or have any colds, infections, etc. for months. When fall came and a new set of allergens popped up, she had a flare. At first, I was disheartened and worried that we were back on track for antibiotics, etc. This was NOT something we wanted for Mariana, of course. I took her to a chiropractor that I had met in Bible study over the summer. Dr. Jamie adjusted her and recommended putting RC essential oil on her feet for the coughing. I’m not going to pretend like I wasn’t somewhat skeptical, but I was more than willing to try it because it was all-natural and worth a shot. So, we took home a sample bottle of RC and used it on Mariana’s feet at bedtime that evening. I kid you not, Mariana didn’t cough once the whole evening! She got a full night of rest! The oils helped her tremendously. At that point, I started to see just how amazing essential oils really are! I went from being skeptical to very optimistic about oils at that point.

Mariana continues to be the subject of my oils testimonial because in the fall she sustained injuries to her face which required stitches. I contacted my friend Christi who has a lot of knowledge about oils and she recommended that I get helichrysum to help with the scarring. She also recommended Super Salve from Nutritech because it is WONDERFUL and made using essential oils also. I used Super Salve until the wounds started to heal nicely and then we started putting helichrysum on the wounds. I have to say that both the Super Salve and the helichrysum worked WONDERS!! Mariana’s wounds are now light scars and it has been about four months since she was injured. We have been using the helichrysum daily and we are amazed at how wonderfully she has healed! It’s been incredible and we are SO grateful for her healing!! (As a side note, Super Salve is great to have on hand because it’s a great healing agent! Way better than things like neo-sporin and such.)

I could go on and on about essential oils. We have purchased a home diffuser and use it daily. I have used peppermint oil in the diffuser when I have had a bad headache. I’ve used Purification to help with allergens too. And, for Mariana’s coughing I’ve used melaleuca (great for sinuses!!) and the RC I mentioned previously. These oils really help and work beautifully and naturally! I know that some may be skeptics and I can relate because I was there too. But, I can vouch that they are incredibly helpful. God’s products work best, that’s all I can say.

I have become a Young Living distributor now, so if anyone is interested in purchasing any oils, I’d be happy to help you with that. I am still learning, so I rely on Christi (my dear friend who has been using oils for year) and I also sign onto Oils-Testimonials for recommendations and guidance. The thing I value the most about the oils is that they are natural and Young Living oils are all therapeutic grade oils. The more I learn, the more I appreciate oils and what God has given us in them!

God bless,
Kelly

Filed Under: Essential Oils, Family, Health, Home, Kelly

Countdown to Spring…

March 2, 2010 By kelly

18 more days. I can do this. 18 more days until spring. Two and a half weeks. COME ON, SPRING!!

I am not normally so “weather fixated”, but it’s been a cold winter by Georgia standards and this Southern girl is more than ready for some good ole sunshine. Today it’s cold (again) and we have rain and snow mixed. Mickey is bummed because our forecast originally called for up to 4″ of snow, but now we are maybe going to get a dusting or possibly an inch of snow. That’s nothing as far as he is concerned. As far as I am concerned, it’s more than enough. Brrrr. I just may hibernate today. It sounds so appealing, actually. I woke up at 1am and was awake for at least two and a half hours last night, so I’m tired and crawling back in bed to hibernate this cold day away sounds pretty good right about now. I won’t do that, but I just may sneak in a nap sometime today.

In other news, it’s “spring” picture day at Macey’s school. Oh, the irony of this crazy weather. Spring pictures in long sleeves – go figure. She looks adorable, I must admit.

I have to give a shout-out to Southern Savers because after hearing Jenny speak the other night, I’ve been back on the coupon wagon. I saved a LOT at Publix yesterday, so I am geeked up on coupon love again. Woo hoo!!

Off to do something productive around here. I think.

Happy Tuesday,
Kelly

Filed Under: Daily Life, Family, Kelly, Kids

Welcome, March!!

March 1, 2010 By kelly

It’s March. That seems surreal to me in some ways. I mean, how can it be MARCH 2010 already?! Wasn’t it just Christmas? Woah. I feel like this year is speeding by pretty quickly, but I’m actually very happy that March is here. March means that our coldest month, February, is done. March means Spring is on the way. In 19 short days, Spring will be here officially. I hope Spring ushers itself in with warmth and staying power. LOL! It’s been a pretty cold winter by Georgia standards and I’m ready for some nice warm days. I want to feel the sun on my face. I’m ready to look around and see the world in bloom. Dare I say that I’m even looking forward to everything here turning that funky yellow-green once it’s all coated with pollen?! Bring it on. I’m ready for Spring. I continue to be in denial that it’s winter, so in 19 days I can break free of my denial and celebrate SPRING at long last!!

Filed Under: Kelly

It’s that time of year again…

February 23, 2010 By kelly

It’s Lenten season and that, of course, means a sacrifice of some sort. For the second year, I have given up Facebook and other “social” internet sites. I decided not to give up email or blogs. Trust me, Facebook alone is a sacrifice. I even went so far as to delete the Facebook and TweetDeck (Twitter) apps from my iPhone during Lent. I am known to mindlessly grab my phone and sign onto those sites which is embarrassing to admit, but true nonetheless. So, it will be very good for me to have this break from those things that are known to distract me in my daily life. Hopefully I’ll get around to blogging more often as well.

Kelly

Filed Under: Kelly

Zoom-Zoom-ZUMBA!!

January 21, 2010 By kelly

Have any of y’all taken a Zumba class? I have heard about it for awhile and finally got up my nerve to take a class at the Y last fall. I loved it! It’s an intense workout, but it’s so much fun!! I haven’t been in a couple of months, but I’m planning to go back this morning. It’s a rainy day here today, so I wish I could say that I’m excited and ready to go to Zumba, but I’d really like to just curl up in bed with a book. However, I know I need this workout, so I’ll dig up the motivation and go to Zumba. I think.

If you haven’t heard of Zumba, it’s a workout that blends aerobics and dance, basically. It’s mostly Latin dance inspired. Constant motion is the key. I was hesitant to try it initially. I love to dance, but I’m not exactly the most coordinated person in the world. (My most embarrassing workout story is from the 90s. I was taking step aerobics and could NOT get coordinated enough to step, swing my arms, etc. all in the right timing. The step instructor literally got ON my step with me and I still couldn’t quite get it quickly. Yikes!) Several friends encouraged me to just TRY Zumba and assured me I’d like it. The key, I was told, is to just keep moving. Even if you’re not doing what the rest of the class is doing at the time, just MOVE. So, I did it. I’m not going to say I got all the moves right, but I did it. And, I really enjoyed it! Zumba really gets the blood pumping and is a great calorie burner. What’s not to like about that? I enjoy the Thursday morning class at the Y, so I really need to get in gear and get going this morning so I can get there and get my dance on!

Happy Thursday!

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Kelly

Yikes!

January 19, 2010 By kelly

I have been such a blog slacker again. No excuses. Yes, life is busy. Yes, the whole holiday season (Thanksgiving through New Years) was super busy. Yes, I’m on the GO a lot. Still, I would like to be better about attending to my blog. I need to find a way to make it a daily priority. Any suggestions?

As usual, things are frequently clicking at a fast pace around here, but we are all doing well in our family. Here’s a mini update:

Macey is really enjoying first grade. She is doing so well and absolutely loves school. She’s having a great time taking tap/jazz once a week at a local dance school as well. And, just recently she started taking gymnastics at the Y and that’s a great thrill for her. She turned six and a half on New Year’s Day and is very proud of that “and a half”, thank you very much.

Mariana continues to think that preschool is the best thing EVER. She goes three mornings per week and always looks forward to school. She had been taking dance at the same studio as Macey, but we recently decided to let her stay after preschool one day per week to take dance there. She stays another day for a princess party. Both of her extended day activities are BIG deals to Miss Mariana. She is having a blast!

Mickey is working for himself full time now and his business is really doing well. We are so thankful for the opportunity for him to finally work from home. God has really shown us that this is the right move and the business is truly blessed. He gets “Husband of the Year” because he planned an awesome surprise for me as part of my Christmas. He is taking me to NYC for a weekend in February. I am SO excited! Giddy, actually! We are going to see “Wicked” on Broadway while we are there and I just cannot wait. Yay!!

I am doing exceptionally well these days. I had been slacking on more than just blogging and had not been in a regular work-out routine over the holidays. Well, that is no more. I’m going back to the Y to work-out a few times a week and I love it! I’m still busy with various things, but couldn’t be happier.

Hope everyone has a blessed Tuesday!!

Filed Under: Daily Life, Family, Health & Fitness, Kelly, Kids, Marriage

Two Weeks ’til Christmas

December 11, 2009 By kelly

I cannot believe that Christmas is two weeks away. 14 days. Well, less now considering that today is almost done. Wow. This year has positively flown by, hasn’t it? Doesn’t seem like last Christmas was that long ago and another one is almost here.

I do love this time of year though. I love decorating our house and yard for Christmas. I love receiving cards and letters in the mail. I also must confess I love receiving packages in the mail because I do so much of my shopping online. I love baking Christmas goodies and sharing with family and friends. I really love the spirit of giving and helping others. And, of course, I truly love sharing the joy of the season which is the celebration of the birth of our savior, Jesus. Our preschool hosts an annual “Happy Birthday, Jesus” party and that was held this week. We went as a family and had a ball. Mariana was excited that they even had cake for Jesus. I love it!! It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the busyness of this time of year. There is always something to do, something to buy, something to ship, etc. But, I encourage each of us (myself included) to make a special effort to remember each day what this Advent season is really all about. We celebrate the birth of the One that came to save the world from our sins. It’s not always easy to remember the greatness of this Gift, but I am reminding myself to do just this.

Hope you all have a blessed Advent!

Filed Under: Kelly

Blog Revitalization Time…

November 9, 2009 By kelly

Good morning!!

If anyone is still checking on my blog once in awhile – THANK YOU! I am back. I am going to make a real effort to update this blog daily. Even if it’s “wordless” like posting a picture, or sharing a quick story or even posting some Scripture – I am going to do my best to post daily.

I’m actually very motivated to do this for a few reasons. One is that I’ve missed blogging. I find that my days get filled up and busy, but if I can make time to do mundane things, I can make time to blog. So, I’m going to do that. I’ve also had a few people ask me when I’m going to update, so…here I am.

Until Thanksgiving, I’m going to challenge myself each day to write blog entries about the things for which I am grateful. The order will be completely random since I have quite a few days to write and at this point my thoughts are not organized. However, I know I have more blessings to count than I could ever finish blogging about, so I know I can come up with a few weeks’ worth.

I’m back and I’m bloggin’. Who’s with me?!

Happy Monday,
Kelly

Filed Under: Daily Life, Kelly

My journey into running…

No More Mini-Van Mama…

Essential Oils

Countdown to Spring…

Welcome, March!!

It’s that time of year again…

Zoom-Zoom-ZUMBA!!

Yikes!

Two Weeks ’til Christmas

Blog Revitalization Time…

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