13.1 and done!

Wow! We did it! I can't believe I am saying those words!! I am so excited to be able to say that I finished a half marathon! It was by far the toughest thing I have ever done! It was such a blessing to be able to do it with my brother and Caitlin. I am so proud of the both of them! God is mighty! I could not have done it without my God that is for sure! I can not tell you what it felt like crossing that finish line! I did it and I now have bragging rights! I finished the toughest half marathon in Texas! Those hills were insane! I mean insane! Frankie said during the run "We should have driven these first to get mentally prepared!" I think I would have chickened out had we driven them first! I did hills a week before the event but wow! They were tough! I am so proud of my brother for finishing. Since his injury this was his first event, and I know he was hurting, but he did it for me! He didn't leave me in the dust either, he stayed with me the entire way! Caitlin left us for a few miles but we all got back together about the last mile and we crossed the finish line together! I cried like a baby when I was done! David and the boys were there sporting my super fab shirts! I cried when I saw them, of course I did, I'm a bit of a cryer! Caden was with us the last few yards too! Our sister Veronica was also there at the finish line waiting for us and Caitlin's mom and grandma came down as well. 
Our official chip times are: Valerie: 3 hours 42 minutes and 00 seconds Frankie: 3 hours 41 minutes and 58 seconds Caitlin: 3 hours 41 minutes and 58 seconds Ok so I finished 2 seconds slower! lol
But we finished!!! Our Goal was to finish in the 4 hour time they gave us, and we did! Maybe next year I can break 3 hours and 30 minutes?! If I ever do it again. I won't at this weight. I want to lose at least 50 pounds before I try something that challenging again! 

Before the 13.1

Caitlin and I, We are ready!

My brother and me!

Lots of people! 

Who knew there are so many people that enjoy this!

Or are just crazy like me and think; 

I think I'll go out and run a half marathon today!

I think they made us wait until daylight!

The home stretch, 

Veronica and Caden waiting on us right before the finish line!

Crossing the finish line!

I told you I cried!

#TRUTH!

Showing off our finishers medals

 and my brother is wearing the shirts we got for finishing!

Happy Happy Happy!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this guy right here!

My bib and medal! 

We got medals! Isn't it purdy?!!

Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. 1 Samuel 12:16

Tomorrow is the big day!

Yesterday I had a great Zumba Sentao class! Ben (my instructor) is really working it with the core and legs and arms! It felt great and I love to give it my all! I'm a little sore in the abs today which to me means progress! I am going to do some light stretches tonight, take a warm shower and call it a early night I hope because Tomorrow is the big day! The Bearathon half marathon is tomorrow, Saturday, March 23,2013! I am nervous because it has the reputation of being the toughest half in Texas! But my only goal is to finish! I am ready to do it, or as ready as I am going to be and so is Frankie and Caitlin. I do know that I could have done far more training, but with all the sickness that has been going on with the boys and myself this year, I am happy to have gotten what I have done. I do want to step up my weight loss, it seems stagnant at the moment. I will plan on that this next week. I want to average a 4-5 pound loss a month at the least. I am looking forward to riding my bike more to help with that, I want to keep doing some running and of course Zumba. I need to get some weight training in there also. I'm going to have to get some help in that department! But first I want to tackle this half marathon tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  Hebrews 12:1 

Keeping moving

Both yesterday and today Caitlin and I did exercised for at least 20 minutes. I worked Monday, but after work she convinced me into going for a walk. We walked in my neighborhood for 1.41 miles in 26m59s. I pushed Graysen in the stroller and he smiled the entire time. The sad part about our walk yesterday was that my iPhone was in the stroller and we hit a curb and it fell out shattering the front glass. So I took it to the iPhone Doctor today and got it fixed. It was shattered bad! Today we went out to the Cotton Belt trail and walked with some friends. It was Caitlin, me, Caden, Graysen, my friend Brittany and her two kiddos. Brittany was only able to be with us for 30 minutes and Caitlin, me and the boys were going to do the whole 5 mile trail. We only did 1.58 miles though because Caden took off on his bike. Thankfully Caitlin stopped him before he got to the road as it is a semi busy street that the trail crosses. It's hard to be a mom sometimes. He told me "but I like going fast mom!" He also said, "but I stopped at the stop sign!" and let's not forget when his cute little voice said "Mom, do you forgive me?" I wanted to be angry at him, and I was for a minute, but I also wanted to hug his neck because he was ok and didn't bike into traffic. But I was so scared, as well as Caitlin. Thankfully she is nearly a hundred pounds less than me and can run faster than me! The Bearathon is this Saturday!! Ahhh! I don't feel ready, but I am ready to tackle it and to accomplish this goal I set out for myself! Then onto continuing to work on losing weight and to train for the 3 day 60 mile walk! Go here to help support me in my fundraising goal! Any amount helps!! Thanks!!

This was Graysen after our walk Monday night!

This was today before Caden took off without us! 

Motivation!! I will get there! 

Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of age. Matthew 28:20

To be lazy or not?!

Today being my Sunday off I so wanted to be lazy and stay home and watch Wreck it Ralph with my Caden Bug, that is his current favorite movie. But being lazy won't get me ready for a half marathon, my 60 mile walk, nor will it get some of these pounds off me! So since the hubs had plans to mow and do yard work, which he won't let me help with (I have no idea why!) I talked Caden into going with me for a work out. We went to my sisters and picked up my nieces and went to a local paved trail and did 3.25 miles. We walked and jogged and Caden rode his bike. We planned on doing about 5 miles, but Caden was tired. The only thing that kept him going was us bribing him with the park that was at one end of the trail. Sadly, we didn't make it to that end because going down a hill back to the car (to head toward the other end of the trail with the park) him and Bailee took a tumble. Bailee got an abrasion to her knee and Caden got one on his arm up by his elbow with a huge goose egg. He cried, Bailee didn't which he made a cute little point of telling us, but it was nothing a few kisses and some ice cream couldn't cure. The 3.25 miles took us 1h00m43s. I plan to weigh in next Saturday before the run so we will see if I am losing any more weight. I need to zone in on my eating as well. This week I am also going to try and concentrate on drinking tons of water to hydrate for the half marathon this weekend! Hope you all have a blessed week!  

This is Kinlee, Caden, and Bailee before the fall.

This is his owah after the fall. 

O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me.

Psalms 30:2 NKJV 

Work out catch up

This week we were all starting to feel better! Thank God for health! Graysen didn't start feeling better until Thursday, but we are all now on the mend and back to our normal activities. This Monday I went to Zumba Sentao and it felt great. Ben really works on the core and legs! I worked Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday I made it to Zumba a little late, but I got a good 40 minute workout in tho! Friday I did a 20 minute workout at home. It was crazy cause I used my stop watch and only counted the actual time I was working out. It took me an hour to get a 20 minute work out in. Mainly cause a friend was texting me and my boys were home. Caden helped me do some work out moves, he even did some along with me. I was planking and he decided to get on my back. I did a 30 second plank with him on my back. That was tough for me, but I pushed through and got the 30 seconds! Friday evening I went for a short jog while Caden biked. I did 1.35 miles in 21m. Caden told me "Mama go slowly!" I told him, "Trust me buddy, this is slow!" We had a good time! I worked Friday overnight from midnight to 8 training for relief nursing supervisor and got off work at 8:30. The free fit camp is Saturday mornings 8-9 during the Titan Challenge. I got there and changed in time to do 20 minutes of fit camp. I was so tired so i decided not to stay for Zumba. Two of the ladies from the gym who are in a running club and who are also doing the Bearathon were going jogging after fit camp and asked if I wanted to join. Well I knew I needed to go since it has been a while since I ran and I need to continue to train for next weeks Bearathon. They were planning on doing a 5 mile jog through the hills of Woodway. They do there runs in intervals where they walk 1 minute and jog 1m15s and repeat. I'm sure I slowed them down a bit but I joined them and thought I kept up pretty well! We did 5.23 miles in 1h21m28s that is better than I did when I jogged 5.19 miles straight January 20th when I did that in 1h21m42s. So I was pretty proud especially with ALL the hills we had! There were a ton! 

Today's jog: 

This was the biggest hill and I don't think this picture

does it justice cause it was STEEP!!!

This was Caden on our jog yesterday!  Love him to pieces!
Let brotherly love continue. Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:1-2

3 day, 60 Miles! Say What?!?

So, I recently decided to fulfill a long time goal of doing the Susan G. Komen 3 day. It is a 60 mile walk in 3 days. Sounds crazy right?! But I am so excited to do this! I have always been very passionate about the fight against breast cancer and cancer in general. Please help me in this journey as I raise money to participate in this event! Go here to read more about my story and to donate to my cause! Any amount helps and no amount is too small!
Thanks in advance! In Him, I can do all things through Christ which strengths me. Philippians 4:13

2's company!!

I am so excited to announce that Caitlin and my brother have registered for the Bearathon! I am so excited for this next journey! It is 2 weeks away! I was hoping to have gotten at least 2 runs in this week but Tuesday night I couldn't really sleep at all as I had the worst chills of my life! I woke up Wednesday with a fever of 102 and had to go to work. I popped some Ibuprofen and off to work I went. I couldn't handle it though as I felt so miserable. I got coverage from my friend Danita and although my boss told me it would still be an occurrence even though I got coverage for my shift, I went home to bed. The in laws continued to watch the boys until the hubs got home and I slept for 2 days straight. Besides waking up to go to the doctor on Wednesday. The Doc told me that she thought I had the flu but since I tested positive for strep that it didn't matter because they don't do anything for the flu. I have still been running fever and am going to see how I feel in the morning before going back to work. Caden started running fever and had an earache and a sore throat on Friday so off to the doctor we went. He was positive for strep and I believe by the drainage from his ear that his ear drum has ruptured because he has also no longer been complaining of the earache. Poor guy just can't catch a break. And to top it off, Graysen started running fever tonight also. Please pray they get well soon! 
In totally unrelated news, I weighed in this morning at 221.6! Nearly down 25 pounds since September! I know it is going slowly, but I am happy with an average of 5 pounds a month. After all, in a years time 5 pounds a month is 60 pounds. I would love to lose that by the end of the year! Wish me luck!  Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. 
Psalm 37:5

It's OFFICIAL!

Tonight after Zumba Sentao I came home and made it official! I have officially registered for the Bearathon half marathon!! I am a little out of practice with running but I am still taking this challenge head on and am going to do my best to finish the race in the 4 hours they allow. I'm waiting to see if my brother or Caitlin sign up as well. We shall see. I need to get a few runs in in the next few weeks before the race! I am also working on some exciting new things for my fitness future, but I will tell you all that in another post! My journey to 13.1 is so close I can taste it! Even with all the pain in my foot, I will do it! Wish me luck!

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Whatever you do, do well. Ecclesiastes 9:10

Finally home!

Late Saturday afternoon the Doc came back in and released Caden to go home! It was a struggle! A long 5 days 4 nights in the hospital with our little man! Praise God he is better! David and I are very thankful to everyone for all the prayers and support and are totally blessed by it! Thank you!! 

Our silly guy was trying to air up a balloon with the blood pressure machine!

Home at last and tucked in bed!

When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.  Romans 12:13 NLT

Under the weather

I haven't posted in a while but I am still here. I have not ran in a while unfortunately but I am still doing the half marathon! I have done Zumba the past 2 weeks alone. I need to really get after it, but sadly my oldest boy is sick and we are spending our second night in the hospital. He has rotavirus and was severely dehydrated from the N/V/D. Hopefully if his labs normalize by tomorrow we can go home. Please pray for his little body to heal!