This…That…and The Other: The ABC’s of ME!!!

Do you know me?  Do you think you know me?  Do you WANT to know me??

If you answered yes to any of these questions…you are SO IN LUCK!  Heck…even if you said no…I’m going to do it anyway…I’m a rebel like that!!

Let’s play a little game I like to call “The ABC’s of ME!!”

A.  Attached or single?:  I’m as attached as one can be!  And I have been for some time now…I’ve been married to my VERY cute hubby Sean since August 1, 2009 (we have been together since 2006).  Check out what cuties we were on our special day…

B.  Best Friend?:  I have two friends that I would consider my “BEST” friends…these two girls have been with me for awhile…one since high school…and they are always there for me…even when we go months without getting a chance to talk.  I know that no matter what, we can pick right back up where we left off and no one gets their feelings hurt that it’s been so long.  We just UNDERSTAND! 🙂  I have a handful of other really great friends also…I’m very blessed to have these women in my life.

C.  Cake or Pie?:  I’ve just HAVE to go with pie on this one!!!  There is nothing better to me than a “fresh from the oven and still warm” Peach Pie…and if life wasn’t so mean to have made me allergic to dairy…I would smother said Peach Pie with a huge mound of the best vanilla bean ice cream that a girl could find 🙂

D:  Day of Choice?:  I’m going out on a limb here and saying that I truly do not have a favorite day…I will say though that Monday’s are my LEAST favorite…I always have a case of the Mondays EVERY Monday…blah…

E.  Essential Item?:  Hands down…a hair tie.  I have SUPER long hair and inevitably, it starts driving me crazy by hanging in my face…or if it is the winter…being completely taken over by static.  I always end up with my hair in a braid…a bun…or a pony tail by at least noon each day.  For running…I would say my RoadID ankle bracelet.  You can never be TOO safe!  Want one of your own?  Check them out by clicking on the picture below.  They are running all kinds of sales right now…you don’t want to miss out!

Use coupon code BGJ9R6V6 for $1.00 off 🙂

F.  Favorite Color?:  I have two and I’m not afraid to say it!  I LOVE purple and hot pink!  And black of course if we are talking about the color of clothes. Or neon orange/pink/yellow if we are talking about running accessories/clothes…okay…so maybe I have more than two…LOL

G.  Gummy bears or worms?:  I totally prefer the gummy bears…I know the taste the exact same as the worms but I just love those little bears.

H.  Hometown?:  I grew up in a small town called DeSoto, Missouri (I actually lived about 15 minutes outside of the city but you wouldn’t have heard of it if I told you).  I currently live in St. Peters, Missouri which is near St. Louis.

I.  Indulgences?:  I’m going to say a massage…I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get a massage every other day if I could!  Between running….working out…hunching over my computer at work…I constantly hurt…mostly my back and neck…and a standing massage appoint sounds heavenly.  Hopefully I win the lottery soon so I can do that. (Note to self…start actually playing the lottery)

J.  January or July?: July July July!  I can’t say it enough!  I love the heat of summer and despise the cold of winter.  I’m constantly cold, especially now that it’s heading towards winter.

K.  Kids?:  I have two of those little rugrats!  I was lucky enough to get one of each so I called it quits after that.  My daughter just turned twelve…homones much?? And my son is 8. They are my life and I love them to the ends of the earth.

L.  Life isn’t complete without…?: a large cup of coffee in the morning and the ability to run!  I love both!!

   

M.  Marriage date?:  August 1, 2009

N.  Number of siblings?:  I have two sisters and one brother….I do not live close to any of them unfortunately and I miss them immensely.  My brother and one sister both live out-of-state and my other sister still lives in our hometown.

O.  Oranges or apples?:  Can I pick both?!  Of course I can!  I love me some Cuties and also Gala apples!  They are both my faves and I would choose…you can’t make me!!

P.  Phobias?:  I actually have quite of few but to name a few…coulrophobia (a fear of clowns)….acrophobia (fear of heights)….glassophobia (fear of public speaking)…claustrophobia (fear of tight spaces).

Q.  Quotes?:  Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. -Jon Acuff

R.  Reasons to smile?:  My ability to run for my awesome and super cute IR4 buddy Riley!  I love being a part of this awesome family of people….Not sure what IR4 is?  Come check it out…especially if you love running…and also if you are the parent of a special needs child/adult.  There is so much love in this group…you just have to come see what we are about!  Click here!  Also…meet my buddy Riley!  Together we are taking the world by storm raising awareness for Down Syndrome!!

S.  Season of choice?: Summer…then Spring/Fall follow a close second…with Winter not even being on the list…I would like to just forget about the whole winter situation….

T.  Tag 5 people:  Tag!  Your it!!  Pick one or two of these and let me know what you would pick below in the comments 🙂  I would love to get to know YOU!

U. Unknown fact about me?:  Some may not even realize this and quite possibly not even believe it but….I have SEVERE SOCIAL ANXIETY…and it sucks!  If you have it also…you know what I’m getting at…If you don’t have it….be thankful!!

V.  Vegetable(s)?: Yes please!  I love me some vegetable….asparagus..carrots…sweet potatoes…corn…I’m not too picky..there are only a handful that I just refuse to eat…Peas are one of those…peas..blah!

W.  Worst habit?:  Let’s just say that I have a few bad habits…but the worst by far…is the fact that I bite my nails…not just nibble either…like full on bite them until they hurt.  I do not remember a time when I DIDN’T bite my nails…I don’t even realize I’m doing it most of the time.  I do it mostly when I’m worried or stressed about something…if I’m upset…if I’m thinking…

X.  Xray or Ultrasound?:  Neither because that usually means there is something wrong with you and I’m not needing any of that…No more babies for me either so I better NOT have to have an ultrasound 🙂

Y.  Your favorite food?:  Seafood!  Especially lobster & salmon!  Those two are my absolute favorites!!!

Z.  Zodiac sign?:  Taurus baby!!  Cinco de Mayo baby right here!  Some of the traits that I resemble are reliable, warmhearted, loving, persistent, determined, and security loving. Of course those are the good ones…I guess if I’m truthful, I should throw out the not so good traits like being jealous, self-indulgent, and stubborn.

So there you have it…I would love to learn some new things about all of you…so pick one of two of these great questions and comment below!

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with 🙂

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One of my fellow blogger friends loved my post so much that she decided to do her own!!  Come check out Kim’s post at Sublime Reflection….It’s awesome!!!

It’s getting MO’ Crazy up in here!

…and I mean way MO’ crazy than normal!!  I’m about to get SUPER busy promoting AND training for a race that is very near and dear to my heart!!  I love this race for many reason such as:

**It’s FLAT…or mostly flat…I mean..there is that ONE hill 🙂

(This is a USATF Certified Course and can be used as a qualifier for other races such as Boston, New York, etc.)

**It’s CLOSE…like roll out of bed at 7:00 for a 7:30 race start 🙂

**It’s got that home town race feel complete with scenery that is AMAZING!!!

**It is a race with a sense of humor 

(the idea for the name came from a SNL skit featuring Will Ferrell)

and the number 1 reason I love this race….

**It was where I participated in my FIRST ever half-marathon last year (2013)

Yes!!  I’m talking about the MO’Cowbell

This year I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the illustrious ambassadors(my code to use at registration is JWMCB14) for the MO’Cowbell here in St. Charles, Missouri!  I am beyond proud and so ready to spread the word about this awesome race that no one in this world should miss out on.

This year, the MO Cowbell will take place on Sunday, October 5th, 2014 at 7:30 a.m (5K begins at 8:00 a.m).  

Be there or be square!!  

The best part about this race date is that we have a race for all skill levels:  Marathon, Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay and 5K!  And of course, walkers are always welcome.  Another plus is that the start and finish will both be in Frontier Park in Historic St. Charles (here are some directions to get there).  This makes it easy for everyone to meet back up with their loved ones after the race to celebrate your accomplishments 🙂

 

After the race, you will get to go enjoy yourself at the Post-Race Party of refreshments including chocolate milk, bananas, chips, beer and more!  There will also be food trucks for spectators and live music by the Rough Ryders from 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

In addition to the race, there will also be a Health and Fitness ExMO’ on Friday (10/3) and Saturday (10/4) where you can pick up your race packet (there is NO race day packet pickup) and also check out some awesome vendors! (Do you want to be a vendor?…go here)  You do not want to miss this!  There will be lots of merchandise to buy as well as lots of freebies and a wealth of information.  I bought a really cool “Suck It Up” BondiBand at last years ExMO’ for super cheap (see below in picture).  There are already a bunch of vendors signed up for this year…check it out here!

So of my goodies from the 2013 MO’Cowbell – my 1st ever Half-marathon!

And my AMAZING race bling!!!

This race is seriously a hidden gem!  The price of the race is nothing compared to what you get back from the race!  However, prices do go up again on September 1st so make sure you get over there and sign up soon!!  When you register, don’t forget to use my special ambassador code for your chance to win your very own MO’Cowbell blanket!!!!  

My code is JWMCB14

Your registration includes:

• Race bib with Chronotrack timing chip
• Long-sleeve tech-shirt
• Race-themed cowbell
• Top quality finisher’s medal when crossing the finish line
• Cowbell car sticker
• Runner’s bag
• Virtual goody bag
• Baggage check
• Course entertainment
• Medical stations & massage therapy
• Water, sports drink & gels along the course
• Post-race food, beer & chocolate milk
• Entertainment in Runners’ Village 
• spirited neighborhood crowds and volunteers cheering with cowbells

Needless to say, I had the best time at this race and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!  Check out my finish line pics….right before and right after the finish line!!  

 

So seriously…put on those shoes…go sign up & train and then come join me this year as I take on the Half-Marathon! My plan this year is to kick this race’s butt and scoop up a PR!

 I will be there running for Riley and Down Syndrome Awareness!!! #IR4

 

2 PR’s (Personal Records) in 2 Weeks!!

I started the month of March with two Half-marathons on the books…one week after another…for some, this may be no big feat but for me (a.k.a. the girl who hid inside from the cold nasty Missouri weather all winter but also refused to run on the treadmill) this  was HUGE!!  Up until the beginning of March, I had only ran a handful of 5K’s on the old dreadmill in the basement.  All that training I had planned for my two March races went to the wayside.  I stressed about it for a bit (okay…a few weeks but that’s normal for me) and then finally decided to just take it as it came.  I decided that I had no goal in mind for either race except to just finish.  I have only ran one other Half-marathon (you can read about it here and here) and I got hurt so I wasn’t looking to push myself too much.  I really did not want to injure myself right before all the great weather arrives.

I ran my second ever Half-Marathon on March 15th and I rocked it!  I ran in the Irish Upon a Star Virtual Half-Marathon hosted by the IR4 community.  They are an amazing group by the way!  If you want to learn more about our great little family, check out this post about my IR4 buddy Riley!  She is an amazing little sweetheart!  See for yourself 🙂

For this run, I decided to join my running pal Stephanie for part of her scheduled 18-miler that she was running that same day.  Win-Win for both of us!! It was nice to have someone to keep each other company…although we both had to finish our runs separately since I wasn’t going as far.  It was a great route that was mostly flat.  Our run went pretty easy and before I knew it, I was setting a PR! I smashed this run with a 2:32:01 and I was ecstatic!!!!  Check out Riley & I’s medals!!

 

I also happened upon ONE of the 250 cakes that are part of the STL250 celebration!  If you aren’t sure what that is exactly….?  Well here is the dirt on it!  2014 is a big year for St. Louis!  It’s the 250th birthday!!  Read about these amazing birthday cakes here!

Fast forward another week and I found myself getting ready for my long-awaited and much-anticipated Relay & Run for 21 Half-marathon!  I have been looking forward to this race since I signed up!   I could not wait to run in honor of my IR4 buddy Riley!  My only goal on this race was to make her proud 🙂

 

 

This race was a little different from any that I’ve run because it as a point to point race that took us from Downtown Clayton to Westport Plaza!  Wanna see what that actually looks like on a map?!  It looks like a huge distance to go…LOL.

It took us through some amazing neighborhoods and we able to enjoy the views and scenery as well as the rolling hills which we loved to hate 🙂  Although we have had a few nice days here and there lately, the day of the race was windy and cold to say the least.  Thankfully, we were able to hang out in a little coffee shop at the starting line to keep warm.  We were also able to snap this “before” picture of us getting ready to rock this race.

 

I ran the Relay & Run for 21 with two amazing women (both named Stephanie…plus read one Stephanie’s account of our race on her blog here) who told me before we left for the race that this day was all about me getting a PR.  I knew that the course was hilly…very hilly!!  I was not thinking that a PR was anywhere in my future that day!  However, they pushed me to the very end and I thank them tremendously because….I crushed that race with a 2:25:24 (elapsed time).  I can tell you how that felt…I truly felt at times that I wanted to give up…that I couldn’t do it…the hills were killer…I thought of Riley many times during this challenging race and I know that her bright smile got me up many of those hills that I encountered.

After running these last two races (#2 & #3 Half-Marathon), I’ve come to the conclusion that, like most, I’m addicted to the Half-Marathon!!  I can’t wait for the next one which will hopefully be during my birthday weekend!!!!  Of course, that means I need to start training for that….NOW!!!  Yikes!  It will be here before ya know it!