Half Twisted

What an amazing year of running! There was ups and downs. There were challenges and setbacks but I did not give up. My official races included 2-5ks, 1-10k, 1-12k, 1-15k, 4-Half Marathons, and an obstacle race. Each race presented it's own challenges and successes. Below is a snapshot of the how the year was broken down: No training but this year started off with a bang. My family and I ran the Springhill Mania. Two of the girls ran the 5k and my husband and I ran the half marathon. Always a great time when we are all out there moving at our pace and celebrating our personal wins together. A family that runs together! #Family There is a fun, flat race that happens every February in Tallahassee. It is the Flash 12k. 7.5 miles done and it felt good because I was not out on the course alone. My husband and two of my daughters were right there with me. #RepeatOffender As you see from my January and February mileage, I did not do a lot running. It as time to get on the bal

"I'm done!" Those were my thoughts multiple times during this weekend's half marathon. As I got further into the race, I told myself, I'm done! I am done with Zooma. I am done with long distance running. I am done with running race in temperatures above 70 degrees. I am DONE! At the start of the race, one of the first things I noticed was that the pacer's shirt read. Run Walk Run. I asked the pacer if that meant she would be doing intervals. Her response, " Yes, 2 minutes of running with 30 sec breaks at a 8:40 pace. " I was immediately intimidated but I figured I would give it a shot. I did not typically run intervals but these ladies had a tried and true method to get me to my goal time. So I tried it out. I was outside of my comfort zone but that is where growth starts, right?! I was running strong all the way through mile 9. Based on my mile time splits, I was inspired and moving right along the course. I was even smiling as I passed mile 5

Every mile is a mile in the right direction. My two miles tonight may not seem like much to you, but to me.....it signifies forward progress. You see, last night, I was looking at my planner and realized that I did not set a running goal for June. You know what that means? It means that I have not been running. Smh. As I looked at my Nike Run Club app, I was shocked to see that I had one run logged on June 4 and no other run logged until June 16. Wow! It was almost two full weeks. Yikes!! That's exactly what happens when we fail to plan. It's true! When you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So I encourage you to set your plan today. Although it's late in the month, it's not too late to set a plan for the remainder of the month. That's the beauty of goals. They can be created or altered at any given time. The other beauty about goals is that they are personal. My husband continues to run at least one mile per day. Although that it not my goal, I can stil

On this past Saturday I had a chance to do my first Saturday endurance run with Black Girls Run Jacksonville. It was such as great experience. No woman was left alone and there were so many paces and levels of walkers and runners. The Ambassadors had so much energy that it was contagious. I had not run more than 40 minutes in a little over a month so I was nervous but it felt so good to be out there....with a group. I completed my 60-minute run and met my goal of 6 miles. Once the run was over, I was pumped. When I got home, I started looking at my Nike Run App and realized that I was only halfway to my goal of running 62.13 miles this month. Ut oh. I did some calculations and decided that I could meet my goal if I ran 3 miles per day for the next ten days. What's 30 minutes? It's nothing. We waste 30 minutes scrolling through Facebook.  The least I could do is to commit 30 minutes per day to ME.  (How much time to yo commit to yourself daily?) So the journey began.

I love the start of a new month. It means that it is an opportunity for me to start over. It is a chance for me to set new goals. It is chance for me to reshape my plans. For May 2018, my running goal is 100k (yeah....that is 62.13 miles....I don't know the last time I ran that many miles in one month, so.....) Over the past few weeks, I have been thinking: "Why do I run?" ; "What is my goal?" ; "What is my motivation?" These questions are very personal and will differ for everyone. For me.... I run because it keeps me mentally sound. Most importantly, my runs are times that I commit to listening to sermons and uplifting music. I spend that time getting lost in my connection to my heavenly father.  My current goal is to complete the three (3), YES THREE, half marathons that I am registered for later this year. You see, I make plans well in advance because they give me something to shoot for and forces me to eliminate excuses. My motiv

            I'm back!!!   Silence doesn't mean nothing is happening!! I have not been posting my running journey but YES, I have been moving. I must admit though that I have not been moving at my BEST. During the month of March, my husband challenged me to "do" a mile per day. I ran or walked 30 out of 31 days. That was quite an accomplishment for me. A week later, I ran a 10k. Not just any 10k. It was a 10k with lots of hills. And baby, I was not ready. Not only had I not ran more than 4 miles in the preceding 45 days, but I also ran mostly flat surfaces. During the race I decided that I was ready to get back to my running. I want to run the distance. I want to run my normal speed....and to get faster. Having an opportunity to spend time alone with my thoughts earlier today reminded me that the I am in the only thing that stands in my way of taking life in full force. Life is what we make it. While I take control of my life, I challenge you to also