Post-ACL Surgery

Maverick's surgery went well yesterday. He stayed at the vet overnight and we went today to pick him up. When they brought him out to the waiting room, he was SO excited to see us. Trying to keep him calm was pretty hard. But we got him in the car and I think he fell right asleep knowing he wasn't at the vet's office anymore.

To make sure the healing process goes well, he has to stay in his kennel for 8 weeks. The only exceptions to that are when we take him outside to do his business, or if we are home and can supervise him, he can be out of his kennel if he is just laying on the floor. We got him a large dog pillow and ever since we brought him home 2.5 hours ago, he has been laying on it and hasn't really moved. He is really groggy from all the medicine, which is good, because resting is the best thing for him right now.

It is going to be a long 8 weeks trying to keep him from moving much at all, but it is definitely worth it! After the first 8 weeks, we'll do physical therapy with him here at home. That will last another 8 weeks before he can go back to full normal activity. We are glad everything went well and that we can now start the road to recovery. Here are some pictures of him after we got him home.

Bode (the top of the picture) was glad that his brother is home

Poor Maverick and his shaved leg

Maverick and his Dad

ACL Surgery!

Today is the big surgery day! No, I didn't get injured while running (knocking on wood that I don't). Our black lab, Maverick, is the one who has to have surgery. I dropped him off at the vet this morning on my way to work and the poor guy had no idea what was going to happen to him. He was just happy that he got to take a ride in Mom's car!

Maverick went on a pheasant hunting trip with his dad a little over a month ago. That is where he hurt his knee. After one vet trip, we watched him to see if it got better after 10 days (it didn't), then another vet trip and an exam, the conclusion was that he tore his ACL. One option was taking him to K-State to have the surgery, but with that being farther away and having to make several trips out there, we decided to have our vet do it. He is a great vet and highly recommended, plus it is more convenient and less traveling for us and Maverick.

I will try to be patient throughout this day until I get the call this afternoon saying everything went well. I'm not great at being patient about things like this, but I'll keep myself busy and thinking of other things as much as I can! Just wanted to include a picture of him hunting ducks on the river a year or two ago. He loves to hunt with his dad and only being 5 years old, it was very important for us to get him as good as new. That way him and his dad can have many more years of hunting together!


I will make sure to give an update once we are able to bring him home tomorrow.

Just Run

After taking 3 days off from running or working out over the Christmas holiday, I really needed to get moving! I was feeling anxious that I hadn’t exercised (another reason I think I am addicted to working out), so I was excited to get off work and head home. It wasn’t too terribly cold outside, so I decided I would bypass the treadmill and run outside. Plus, for the next 6 months, the days start to get longer. Every day we have more sunlight which makes me extremely happy!

My training program said I should run 3 miles. But, since I skipped my 4 mile Saturday run, I decided I needed to do 4 to make up for it. I knew the general route I would take (having my Garmin, I knew I could go anywhere I wanted to), so I started running. I had my long sleeved running shirt on underneath my t-shirt, my headband that covers my ears, and my gloves since my hands were frozen last run when I didn’t have them on. I usually run in my shorts. I don’t particularly like to run in long running pants. Well, I should have last night. For about the first mile and a half, I couldn’t feel my thighs! My pace was not very fast because I know that when you are numb, it’s hard to tell what your muscles need. I knew they’d warm up, so I took it slow at first and then they finally got warm. After that, I felt great!

Because I wasn’t worried about a fast pace when I was trying to warm my legs up, I decided that this run wouldn’t be about pace at all. I would just run. I would listen to what my body wanted and follow its lead. That is hard for me since pace is something I closely monitor. I also wasn’t too worried about mileage (just enough to know where to turn around to make it back home). As I was nearing the 2 mile mark, I thought I would go another half mile to make it 5 miles total since I was feeling so good. I was just enjoying the run and not worrying about time and pace.

I was almost to my house and about to finish up my 5 miles, when I decided I would go a little farther. The route where I walk my dogs is about a mile, so I thought I would do that. Tim McGraw’s song, “Live Like You Were Dying” came on my shuffle and that song has a special meaning for me. It makes me think of my husband’s father who I was never able to meet. He passed away when my husband was a freshman in college. It also makes me think of my brother and the train accident he was in over a year ago. I am very lucky to still have him here with me. Just this past weekend, he and I were looking at pictures from the wreck and talking about his experience and the thoughts that went through his mind when the train hit him. Listening to him talk about it made me even more thankful that I can sit down and have a conversation with him!

While listening to that song, I think I was smiling (if people would have seen me, they might have thought I was a little strange). I think it also made me speed up a little knowing that I was lucky to be able to run. I felt lucky that my brother can go and do things because of who was watching over him that day and keeping him safe. It also made me sad thinking of my husband’s father whose life was too short, and I didn’t even get a chance to meet him. I should not take for granted my ability to walk out my front door and run because not everyone can. Running is not something everyone likes to do, but we all should be thankful for being able to do what makes us happy, whatever that may be. For me, it’s running. Living life to the fullest and “live like you were dying” are great words to live by and I think that song came on at just the perfect time. It carried me another 1.2 miles to finish my 6.2 mile run (a 10K)!

Every once in a while it’s good to forget about time, pace, miles and training programs, and just get out there and run. I enjoyed the scenery, seeing the Christmas lights still up on people’s houses, the people out and about, the fresh air, the hills, my music and my thoughts. It was nice to “just run.”

Road ID: Safety First

I hope everyone had a very Merry (and safe) Christmas! While driving to my hometown amidst all the holiday traffic, I was hoping and praying that everyone would be safe during their holiday travels. And that made me think about doing a post about safety while running. I usually don't think too much about it because I do take the necessary measures:

- I run on the sidewalk whenever possible.
- If I have to run on the street, I run toward traffic like you're supposed to.
- If it is dark outside, I don't wear my ipod so that I can hear everything going on around me.

But the one thing I didn't do was carry any identification with me. Living in a small town similar to the one I grew up in, I feel very safe and comfortable. But, you can never be too careful. And my husband always asks many questions about my safety while running, and it just got me thinking. About the same time, I had gotten an email from Road ID. I had heard of Road ID many times with all the races I've done, but never checked out their website. After getting that email, I checked out their website and decided that I should get myself a Road ID for when I run outside. That way I wouldn't have to worry about losing my driver's license on a run.

After much looking around on their website, I chose the Shoe ID. I attached a picture of my shoes and you can see it attached to my left shoe. {As a side note, these Saucony's have the most miles on them and I am due for a new pair. Might use some Christmas money for some new running shoes!} My husband thought I should get the Wrist ID instead, because people might not check my shoe if I was hurt. But I also knew that the Wrist ID would be something I could easily forget to put on. With the Shoe ID, it is always attached to my shoes. I have a few pairs of running shoes, but they are attached to the ones I use for outside running, so it will always be with me! And it is reflective and you can never be too reflective while running!

If you don't run with any identification, or you'd rather not run with your driver's license, click here to check out Road ID's website. I am not getting anything for writing this post. This is just my own opinion on a product that I purchased. And it does make me feel safer while running! There are enough lines on the plate to put a multitude of info that someone might need. My Road ID has 5 lines of info for me. And there is room for a 6th line, so I used it to put a saying on it. I had "I RUN BECAUSE I CAN" put on the 6th line. That was just to remind myself every day that there are many people who can't physically get out and run and I am super lucky that I can!

Enjoy the rest of your holiday season and have a Happy New Year and be safe!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

I changed my blog design again. I was browsing through and found this red and blue one and thought it would be perfect. As basketball season is getting into full swing, I thought I should use my blog to show support for the Jayhawks! I also thought I'd share about the event I went to back in October. It was called Ladies Night Out with Bill Self and the proceeds went to breast cancer research. Not only was it a cause that is near and dear to me, but I got to meet Coach Bill Self, the assistant coaches and the players. It really was a great night and I think all the ladies who attended had an amazing time! It is definitely an event I will try my best to attend every year!

We also got a tour of Allen Fieldhouse and all the basketball facilities from Bill's office to the locker room. I could make this a really long post, but I thought I'd share a few pictures from the evening instead of talking too much about it. The pictures speak for themselves anyway.

Here I am with Baby Jay

National Championship Banners in the Fieldhouse

Me with Josh Selby - so glad he is eligible to play now!

I thought this one was great! This is Jeff Withey and you can see how tall he is. I'm not short by any means (5'9"), and his jersey is like a dress on me! And his wingspan is really long!

Me with Coach Self

It was a great event and they raised about $40,000 for breast cancer research, which is amazing! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Go KU!

Half Marathon Registration...Check!

I am registered for my first half marathon of 2011! I am very excited for this as it is in wonderful (and hilly) Lawrence, KS! This is the one I decided a while back that I was going to do, but the online registration just got up and running recently. The race is April 17, 2011 and along with the half marathon, there is a 10K, 5K and a 1K Fun Run.

The cool part is that all half marathon finishers get a finishers medal. I'm not fast enough to ever get a winner's medal, so a finishers medal is perfect for me! Finishing is a challenge in itself, right? All the way through high school, I got tons of medals from track, golf and gymnastics, so to be in my 30s and getting medals again makes me feel great! Silly, maybe, but medals have always given me pride in my accomplishments and this should be no different!

This race will be unpredictable for sure! The weather in itself is very unpredictable in Kansas. In April it could be hot or it could be cold! I ran the 5K at this race in 2009 and it was really cold and rainy. Not the most fun conditions to run in, but the race in itself was fun and well organized. I skipped out last year because of all I had going on with planning my wedding. I heard from people who participated last year that it was again very well organized and a lot of fun, so I can't wait to find out for myself this year! On the website, the race is described this way:

Prepare for an incredibly challenging tour throughout the beautiful city of Lawrence. A course that will take athletes through the University of Kansas as well as the rural lake views of beautiful Clinton Lake. This exciting Half Marathon will truly have a touch of everything! Just like the city of Lawrence!

Incredibly challenging are great words to describe it after I looked at the course map and elevation map on the website. And I should know that the hills on the KU campus are truly challenging. I spent many college years walking up those hills to my classes! If you'd like to join me at the race this year, check it out here!

Running Quotes

First off, let me start by saying that I'm glad I'm home for the evening. We had our first freezing rain of the winter, so I drove 30 mph on the interstate to get to my cozy house. Have I mentioned I hate the cold? And that I hate winter? I don't mind snow if I don't have to get out in it or I am skiing. Other than that, I prefer warm weather. Now, on to the post.

I have always been a sucker for quotes. That is probably why I love my new shirt so much! Give me a good motivational quote and it can truly be inspiring! As a runner, the same is true, and there are tons of great running quotes out there! I thought I would share some of my favorite ones with you.

• "There are clubs you can't belong to, neighborhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open."

• "In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

And that one for me is especially true. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't run to win races. I'm not a fast runner, but I enjoy running. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a race, whether it is a 5K or a marathon, and whether I finish first, in the middle of the pack, or last!

• "Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner

• "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John Bingham, running speaker and writer

• "Running long and hard is an ideal antidepressant, since it's hard to run and feel sorry for yourself at the same time. Also, there are those hours of clearheadedness that follow a long run." -Monte Davis

Running is a way for me to de-stress and I love the calmness that comes over me after I run.

• "What distinguishes those of us at the starting line from those of us on the couch is that we learn through running to take what the days gives us, what our body will allow us, and what our will can tolerate." -John Bingham, running writer and speaker

• "Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." -Edward Stanley

This doesn’t apply to only running but the fact that people who exercise are healthier than people who don’t. And I’m a much happier person if I work out consistently. I feel out of whack if I don’t.

• "If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." -John Bingham

• "I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought." -Arthur Blank

• "Running is a mental sport...and we're all insane!"

• "A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding."

I have said it before – participating in a long distance race will take you through every emotion possible and it will affect you in ways you never thought you could be affected! Especially the first one you finish! It's a feeling like no other!

• "You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face." -Gatorade

I love this one because I do sweat a lot and if I forget my towel, it’s hard for me to get through the run!

Do you have any others? What are your favorite quotes? I would love to hear them!!!

My New Favorite Shirt!

My hubby and I were at the Nike store and I saw this shirt that I instantly loved. Well, the smallest size was XL and it was huge! I had a salesperson go to the back and check to see if there was a smaller size. Just my luck, there wasn't. I did think to myself, "Could I shrink it enough?" I knew the answer was no. But never fear, I found it online and ordered it in the appropriate size. I wore it to the gym tonight for the first time and just had to share it with you!

My hubby gladly took the picture for me when I got home. I did question sharing the post-workout picture, but it's a running shirt for goodness sake! It just wouldn't be right if I had makeup on and my hair was fixed! It would defeat the purpose of the picture and the shirt, right?



I hope you enjoy my new favorite shirt. I liked it so much I got it in 2 colors!

Garmin Forerunner

I get bored fairly easy. And running is really no different. I love to run, but I love to change it up while doing so. I do run a lot on the treadmill, and I do so much better when there is something good on TV to watch. It keeps me distracted and focused on something other than just the running.

As much as I don’t mind running on a treadmill, running outside is my favorite (as long as the weather is favorable)! It can’t be much warmer than 80 degrees out or it’s just miserable. And for me, I’d rather run at the gym if it’s below 30 degrees. I’m not a cold weather person which is one of the reasons I really miss living in Dallas! And I also have to alternate between outside and at the gym because my knees do so much better if I don’t run on the concrete 100% of the time!

When I run outside, I don’t like to do the same route every time. Back when I first started seriously training, I would get in my car and drive around to find a good route and I would clock the miles on my speedometer. When I would get bored with it, I’d have to get in the car and map another route. Then I discovered google maps and mapmyrun.com and those definitely helped. I could figure out my route on the computer first, but knowing the exact route I was going to run before I started was not something I really liked. It took the fun out of just going out for a run.

I had some friends talk about the Garmin Forerunner and I put it off for a while because how could I really spend that kind of money when I am not a fast runner? I love to run, but I’m definitely not out there breaking any records! But, I do love gadgets and this one is really cool! After some thinking and researching, I decided I would go with the Garmin Forerunner 305. I found one online at a decent price, and I bought it. One of my best purchases ever! Even though it is a little bulky and takes a couple runs to get used to, I now feel naked running without it! I have had it for a year and a half and I love it as much as the day I bought it.



The thing I love most is I can walk out my front door and start running. Yes, I usually have a general route in mind, but if I decide that I’d like to run down a street I had not mapped out, it doesn't matter because I have my Garmin! Or what if I am feeling so great on my run that I decide I want to go an extra mile or 2? I have my Garmin, so I can! There are tons of features that I probably could use but don’t. The main things I use my Garmin for are the time, pace and distance. And they are all right there on the main screen. And don’t worry if it’s dark outside, just push a button and the screen lights up! I know a lot of people use the heart rate monitor and I’m sure I would get some great use out of it, but I haven’t tried it yet.

To me, pace is the most important thing while running. Being able to check it at any time during my run is a huge benefit with the Garmin! And it gets especially more important on the longer runs, or in races when tons of people are around. You can get caught up in keeping up with a certain person or passing a certain number of people, when really you should be focused on your pace and what is comfortable to you. The Garmin keeps me in check on things like that! If I’m running outside, I don’t leave home without it!

If you have a Garmin, what do you like or don't like about it? If you don't have a Garmin, I'd love to hear what you use and what works for you!

$150 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

I just love giveaways and especially during the Holidays! If you visit Amanda's blog, you can enter to win a $150 Visa Gift Card!

Go over to her blog post and read how you can enter! I can't get the link to work on here, so just copy and paste the below into a new browser and that will take you to her post.

http://runtothefinishgiveaways.blogspot.com/2010/12/150-visa-gift-card-how-to-be-10.html

Good luck!

What's in a name?

Deciding to jump into the blog world was a hard enough decision in itself. Although, now after a little over 2 weeks of blogging, I am very glad I did! After deciding that I would start a blog, my next question to myself was, “What in the world is the name going to be?” I could tell you that I pondered it for weeks, that I had many sleepless nights trying to decide, and that I researched the heck out of it. But that would be a lie. It took me a day to decide. And not a full day, but a day of thinking about it off and on and doing a little research here and there. I’m the type of person that when I decide to do something, I wanted it done 10 minutes ago. When I do get my mind set on something, it’s very difficult to change it. Not that I’m an impulse type of person, but after I have thought about something for what I feel is long enough, then that’s the end of it. Decision has been made, now let’s move on!

I knew that I wanted the title to have something about running in it. I had decided that running was going to be a main focus, but I also knew that it was not going to be all I blogged about. Running is so much more than...well, running. And I knew I wanted to share my running journey along with my journey of everyday life. I started with a list of 25 possible titles and then after some thinking, narrowed it down to 5. I put those into blogger to see if they were available. That cut out 3 titles for me so I was left with 2. I kept coming back to “Running Between the Lines”, so that was the winner!

After thinking about this title for a while, I kept thinking what it meant to me. The way I came up with it originally was thinking about the Start line and the Finish line in a race. “Between the Start and the Finish” just didn’t have the ring I wanted in a title, but “Running Between the Lines” worked. And for me, it meant the same thing, plus much more.

There are so many emotions that you go through in a race, especially in longer distances. There are butterflies when you’re standing on the start line. There is excitement when you hear that gun go off. You have so much adrenaline at the beginning of the race, then that adrenaline slowly runs out after running for so long. At about mile 19 you wonder, “Can I really finish this?” Then you are powered by nothing more than your heart! And finally when you are on the last stretch and all those people are cheering you on, you get a huge burst of adrenaline. You finish strong, and then the biggest rush of emotion comes over you after realizing that you just finished a 26.2 mile marathon. There are so many emotions between that start line and that finish line!

And is it not the same with life? Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There are times you feel on top of the world like you can accomplish anything. And there are times when all you want to do is sit down and quit. But you push through the hard times to more fully enjoy the good times. And hopefully when we come to our own life’s finish line, we can look back and be proud at what we accomplished. And at that time, at our own life’s finish line, we can rest. But until then, we keep going and just enjoy the race of life!

So I hope you enjoy my journey of “Running Between the Lines”.

Being thankful for what I have...

I had something happen last night that I can't get out of my mind, so I just have to write about it. I was driving home from the gym and I was turning a corner at a busy intersection. There was a homeless man standing on the corner holding a sign. I couldn't read the whole sign but the part I did see was "I am hungry." He had a Santa hat on and he was an older man. To be perfectly honest with you, I usually try not to look at the person, I try not to think about it and I drive on by. It always makes me sad when I see a homeless person, but you hear so many stories that all they want is money to buy alcohol or cigarettes and it starts to make you cold to the whole situation.

Well, I looked this man in his eyes and he looked right back at me. I can't explain it but when his eyes caught mine, this wave of sadness came over me and as I turned the corner, tears started rolling down my cheeks. I have no idea why I got so overwhelmed and sad, but there was something in his look that just hit me. It wasn't a look like he was mad I was driving on by. His eyes showed sadness, despair and kindness all at the same time. I don't know how, but those are the things I thought of when we caught each other's stare. I had a feeling that he was a very kind and compassionate man that was really down on his luck. Now, I could be totally wrong in what I felt, but I choose to think I felt those things for a reason.

After turning the corner and passing him, there was a McDonald's a couple blocks ahead, so without hesitation, I drove through the drive thru, wiped my cheeks of the tears, and ordered one of the biggest burgers they have, large fries and a bottle of water. The corner he was standing on is a busy one, so I had to turn and drive down the street a while and turn around so that I could drive right by him again. There weren't any cars behind me so it was a perfect time. I rolled down the passenger window and turned my inside light on so that he could see me and be comfortable that I was a nice person. He came to my window and as I was handing him the McDonald's bag and the bottle of water, I told him, "I don't have any cash, but I did go get you some food." He said, "Thank you so much, this will be perfect. God Bless You." And as the tears started coming again, I said, "You have a good night." And he said, "God Bless You." I turned the corner for the 2nd time that night and I cried all the way home.

I cried because the feeling after handing him that food was something I'd never felt before. I felt like the Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes in the movie. I was happy because he had appreciated the food. I was sad because I didn't know where he was going to sleep that night. I was sad because I didn't know where he would get his food the next day or the next day. I was sad because I take things for granted every day. I was thankful that I've never once in my life had to worry about where my meal was going to come from or if I would even have food. I was sad for the many people every day who don't know where their next meal is coming from or if they will even have one. I was thankful for my wonderful husband who knew just by hearing my voice when I walked in the door that something was wrong. I was thankful for him when he asked me if something was wrong and I said, "No," he still came up from the basement to make sure. And I'm thankful that when he saw I'd been crying, he just hugged me and let me cry some more as I was telling him the story.

I was taught an important lesson last night for a reason. I almost didn't go by that corner. I almost went the other way home, but something told me to take the longer way home and I did. So many of us take so many things for granted and I'm no different. I take it for granted that I will have food whenever I need it (or want it), that I have a home and heat to keep me warm, and that I have many wonderful people who care about me and would do anything for me. Especially during this holiday season, when the weather is colder, let's remember all the many blessings in our lives and try to pay it forward whenever we can. I'm not writing this post to share how much of a good person I am for buying that man's dinner (quite frankly, it made me sad that buying his dinner was all I could do for him last night). I'm writing it to remind all of us of the many people who are less fortunate than we are. Even though the price of his dinner was hardly anything to me, he probably appreciated it more than I will ever know. And it made me feel really good for doing something for someone else, even though I wished I could have done SO much more for him.

I hope my experience makes you thankful for what you have and makes you realize how lucky you are. And know that even small gestures of kindness, something you might not think is a big deal at all, can truly make someone else's day or life better. Random acts of kindness and paying it forward will not only help someone else, but it'll make you feel good as well.

Check out this giveaway!

My friend, Amy, is having a giveaway on her blog! And you won't want to miss the opportunity to win what she is giving away! Here is the link to her blog and it is the Dec. 3rd entry! Copy and paste the link into your browser to go to her blog.

http://lifefollowsfaith.blogspot.com/

New Blog Design!

I'm really new with all this blog stuff and although the basic templates that blogger has are fine, I just wanted something a little more "hip"! I found this awesome blog site from one of my friend's blogs. There are all kinds of free blog backgrounds and they are so cute! You can click on her button that is at the top left hand side of my blog. It is called Aqua Poppy Designs.

I was very excited and pleased with myself when I finally figured out how to get the background to work. I will be honest, I didn't figure it out on my own. I had to contact the blog owner, and she very graciously pointed me in the direction of "the directions!" But, with her help, I figured it out and I have a new blog design. I hope you like it. It was hard to choose as she has many great options!

And this last part has nothing to do with my new blog design, but I thought I would share that we found out today that our lab will have to have surgery. While pheasant hunting with my husband a few weeks ago, he fetched a bird and came running back on only 3 legs. He wouldn't put any weight on one of his back legs. After 1 vet trip, then monitoring him for almost 2 weeks to see if he would heal, and then another vet trip today, we found out that he did tear his ACL and will have to have surgery. We haven't scheduled his surgery date yet, but when I know more, I'll update you again. Poor doggy isn't going to like the 8 weeks of recovery that will require him to stay in his kennel! But, he'll get better and will have many years of hunting ahead of him!

2011 Goal!

I know what you’re thinking. There is still a month left in 2010 and why am I talking about 2011 goals? Don’t people wait until at least halfway into January to talk about goals for the New Year? Well, yes, they do. And I’m no different...usually. I’m not much of a New Year’s resolution type of person. I always think about setting some goals but hardly ever write them down. And guess what? If you don’t write down your goals, you very rarely meet them!

My #1 goal right now should be getting my Christmas shopping finished, but for some reason, I can’t quite get into the spirit. But today is Dec. 1st, so I’ll work on that Christmas spirit in my spare time! Now back to the issue at hand.

First off, I love the show Biggest Loser. I have watched almost every season and it is definitely a show that can get me to cry almost every time. I just love seeing the journey that the contestants go through to reach their weight loss goals. And to see the physical, mental and emotional transformation they make is just inspiring. I was watching the “Where are they now” episode last week and one of the former contestants mentioned that she had competed in 8 races that year (a combination of all different distances). That got me thinking.....

I am already registered for a 10K in January and a Marathon Relay in May (I’m running one of the 7 mile legs). Although I am not registered yet, I am training to run a half marathon in April. So that is 3 races already. I did a couple races in 2010, but my main focus was getting married and all that goes along with that. So I think 2011 might be the year of races for me! It might also make for some interesting blog posts on how the training and the races are going. So here is my goal and you all can help make sure I reach that goal:

Compete in 10 races in 2011 with a mixture of different distances.

I already have a 10K, a 7 miler and a half marathon in the works. I could throw in some 5K’s, some other 10K’s and just have a full race schedule! So, who’s with me? Do you want to set a goal of a specific number of races completed in 2011? We can keep each other motivated and accountable to reach our goals!

Note to self: I know while I have set this goal, I should probably go ahead and set some other goals for 2011, but 1 is good for now. I’ll have to think of some others to add to the list. Maybe I’ll do an actual New Year’s Resolutions post after I get through the Christmas season!