Breaking The Law

Okay, so I am not actually breaking the law.  I am stirring up the 11 Things About You posts though.  I am such a rebellious girl.  LOL!!  I was given the opportunity by two awesome bloggers to post 11 things about me.  Many thanks go out to XLMIC and Larissa for giving me an opportunity to do this again.  So for this go round at it again I am going to post 11 things about me and then answer all of these two ladies questions, however I am running out of folks to pass the love on to as most have already done it.  So if you want to be tagged let me know and I will get you.  This go round I will not be passing on the love though.

So 11 things about me:

1. I am very glad people do not have a hidden camera in my car because I am a notorious car singer and on many occasion dancer.  Now I do not full on dance, but I do wiggle or do a one armed robot.  I love music and it does get the best of me sometimes.
2. The last song I sang in the van was The Backstreet Boy's "Larger Than Life".   I am not ashamed.  It is a fun song to do the one armed robot to, although I am sure people think there is something wrong with me when they see it.
3. I was a die hard New Kids On The Block fan when I was around 14.  Joey was my boy!!!  Going back to #2 I would like to one day see NKOTBSB in concert.  I am willing to release the inner giddy girl for that and make a fool of myself.
4. I love hot tea.  Early Grey is my favorite.
5. My favorite color is green.
6. I am addicted to peace signs.  I love anything that has a colorful peace sign on it.
7. When I was in my 20's I participated in two mosh pits.  I loved wearing my steel-toed army boots and there is something about going in a pit full of guys and taking them down that made my inner She-ra feel awesome.  LOL!!  None of these pits were the hardcore kind though.  I think in that case I may have ended up in the hospital.
8. I dislike math.  I can handle basic math and medical math or statistics, but calculus or geometry I do not like.
9. I was never a true athlete in high school.  I played baseball and did cheerleading for a bit, but I shunned all the other stuff.  When I started running it was never to be competitive.
10. One of my biggest life long dreams is to be a Pediatric Oncologist, but I refuse to put my family through med school.  So the Family Nurse Practitioner route is the one I felt I was guided to at this point in my life and I am excited.
11. I am Christian and Buddhist.  I love the Buddhist faith and utilize a lot of the teachings in my daily life.  The idea that we must stand and be where our feet are......in the present or that we are all one being and therefore must learn to embrace one another and accept.  There are many Buddhist teachings I love.  In all honesty I love to learn about many religions and push myself to stay away from judgements.  I like to keep my mind open and understanding.  It is a big world.

Now for XLMIC's Questions:

1. What is your comfort food?  Hmmmmm.......pizza.  If I am feeling a bit bummed I turn to cheese pizza.  
2. Do you exercise better when you are angry or happy?  It depends on the moment or day.  I will admit I do run faster when I am angry because my mind is more focused on working through my thoughts and less on time, so when I look down I am running way faster than normal.  
3. Have you ever done anything to the point of puking? What?  LOL!!  The first thing that came to mind was drinking too much tequila in the college days.  That is why I no longer drink it.  
4. Any embarrassing nicknames in your past?  Not so much embarrassing.  I have one good friend that calls me George, as in Curious George, because I do have a curious mind.
5. Guilty movie pleasure?  The Twilight Series.
6. Do you like or dislike these tagging games?  I like them because I enjoy learning a bit more about some of the bloggers out there I follow and some I am new to.
7. Why do you run?  Do you have a couple hours?  LOL!!  In a nutshell I can sum it up by saying to make a difference and for my sanity.  I run to raise money for children with cancer and to help find a cure.  I also run to keep my mind level.  I juggle a lot and running is my quiet time to think and just be.
8. If you could go anywhere tomorrow without any worries where would you go? London, England hands down!!  I love it there!!  I love England.  I have been obsessed since I was a kid.
9. With whom?  My whole family.
10. How long? I would live there.

Now for Larissa's Questions:

1. How long have you been running and what made you start?  I started running in my late-teens thanks to an amazing counsellor I saw.  I was raped at the age of 16 and running was my therapy.
2. What is the farthest place that you have travelled to?  London, England.
3. Favorite race that you have run?  Disney Princess 1/2.  I love the Disney races.  My husband and I plan on taking on the Goofy Challenge next year and making a vacation out of it.
4. Favorite thing to do on a rainy day?  Snuggle with my kids and watch a movie.  Or if I am alone I like to read a book or go out for a run.  I love to run in the rain.
5. If you could meet anyone dead or alive who would it be?  Jane Austen, Florence Nightingale, or John William Waterhouse
6. Do you have any pets?  What are they?  We have our dog Leigh who is 13 years and our cat Chelsea who is 2 years.  Love them.
7. Craziest thing you have ever done.  LOL!!  I plead the 5th.  Too many to list.
8. Biggest fear and why?  I have a fear of swimming.  I do not mind water, but have to plug my nose when I go under because it never fails that water gets up my nose.  Then I choke and feel miserable.  Someday I will be a better swimmer though.
9. If you won the lotto would you still keep your current job?  If not what would you do?  I would keep my job.  I love being a Registered Nurse and feel I was meant to be in this career path.  Right now I am working on becoming a Family Nurse Practitioner and would stick in that job too.  Then I would save some cash and when my kids were out of the house would go back to school to become a Pediatric Oncologist.  I love my career!!  
10. What was your #1 New Years Resolution? None.  I do not make them.  I just have goals I set through the year and get them done.
11. One bad habit you want to break. I chew on the side of my lip a lot due to nerves.  I would love to break that habit.

11 Things..............

The discussion of mentors in my previous post leads up to my second post today as one of my other mentors in the running world tagged me.  If you have never checked out Racing With Babes please do!!  Tonia is one of my running mom mentors.  I have not had the pleasure of meeting her personally yet, but it is on my bucket list.  I have a large amount of fellow running moms I would love to meet and feel there is a need to put together a Bucket List 1/2 marathon where we all can come together and hang out face to face.  There are times when I am out running and getting tuckered out and I think back to Tonia running two FULL marathons in matter of a week, one being NYC.  You see you need to check out her blog because she is that Honeybadger Bada**.  Yep, I think to myself she is an inspiration and I can keep pushing through the run.  So here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people.

So 11 things about me:

1.  I do not like raw onions.  Literally, it is a texture thing I think.  I will tell people at restaurants that I am allergic so they will not put them in my food.  LOL!!

2.  I moved from my birthplace of Canada to North Carolina in 2000.  I am an RN and I wanted to experience the American healthcare system............that is part of it at least.  The other part is that I was a HUGE Dawson's Creek fan (meaning I love Joshua Jackson) and so it seemed only appropriate to take my party girl ways to Wilmington and meet him sometime.

3.  To go along with # 2 I did finally meet the man (Joshua Jackson) himself.  He was a player, but he was young like me.  I also had the pleasure of meeting Katie Holmes because I happened to take care of one of her close crew members.  In fact I joked with Katie that I would take care of her if she ever had a baby, of course I took that back years later when I saw whose baby she was having.  LOL!!

4.  I do not like Tom Cruise.  Do not get me wrong. I love the Mission Impossible movies.  I am a huge action/spy movie fan, so those movies get me every time.  I do not like Tom though.  

SEE I DO NOT LIKE TOM!!  LOL!!

5.  I am a huge Sci Fi, Action, Spy, Comic Book geek!!  Anything in those categories fills my inner need.  My recent love has been Sherlock on the BBC.  I grew-up watching Star Trek, Star Wars, and Sherlock.  My sister was a comic book lover, so I also grew-up LOVING X-Men, The Avengers, and Wonder Woman.  I still believe that someday I will have a glass airplane to fly in and I will have bullet proof metal wrist bands and a serious golden lasso.  Just sayin'!!

6.  I was born and raised until the age of 11 in the town of the Bieber himself, Justin that is.  I still love Stratford and love to go home to visit.  It is a town modeled after Stratford-on-the-Avon in England.  It is a beautiful little town with an amazing Shakespearean Festival where many famous people have acted.  That is why I grew-up loving Shakespeare.

7.  I am obsessed with England.  Last year I had my dream trip when I got to go to London on an anniversary trip with my husband.  We also got to visit Stonehenge and see the beautiful town of Bath, where Jane Austen wrote some of her novels.  I am a HUGE Jane Austen fan!!  If I could move to London tomorrow I would in a heartbeat.

8.  I have two tattoos, I want one more, and have my nose pierced.  I love my tattoos as each speaks of a moment in my life.  First, is Ludwig the little alien smiley face on my ankle.  I got him back in my rave/love for Mulder and Sculley days.  Then the one on my right shoulder are the chinese symbols for honesty and happiness.  I got that in my 20's as a reminder to myself of what is important in life.  

9.  I have a hard time going to sleep.  My brain has always been the type that is constantly thinking.  At night it always has issues shutting off.  I am jealous of my husband's ability to just pass out.

10.  I am growing my hair out right now to donate.  I am going to donate it to Locks of Love for children with cancer.  It is naturally curly and right now I occasionally get headaches putting it up because it is a bit heavy too.  I love it though!!  I even love the white hairs that are coming in quickly.  I am not allowed to color it right now.

11.  My favorite artist is John William Waterhouse and when I went to London I got to see his work up close and personal.  I cried.  I love art!!  Seeing it face to face is breath taking.

Racing With Babes questions for me:

1. Birthdays. Love them or hate them. Why?

I love birthdays!!  In fact I get very excited when birthdays come around.  I feel every year anyone gets to celebrate is one to enjoy fully!!  I even ran a birthday run on my dad's birthday this year in December.  He may not be here anymore, but I still feel a birthday is a birthday.  So I ran a little run in his honor.
2. Get your purse/gym bag: What are the first five things you pull out?

My "purse/gym bag" is my book bag right now.  Being a student it is my life line.  So I pulled out a nursing research textbook, a bottle of water, a UNCG towel, a few pens, and a pack of gum.
3. What is the one meal you can make better than anyone else?

My family says I make the best Baked Ziti in the world.  
4. You get one wish. No restrictions. What is it?

To have a world free of cancer.  Cancer sucks!!
5. Cake or Pie?

I am going to say cake.  I am not a big sweets person, but if you give me a coconut or german chocolate cake we may talk business.
6. What's your secret talent?

My talent is starting IV's.  I love to start them and it is something I am good at.  Boring, right?  LOL!!
7. Early bird or night owl?

Sadly, I used to be a night owl and still am to some degree.  However, I am becoming more of an early morning girl.
8. Biggest pet peeve?

Mean people, does that count?  LOL!!  I mean, hey, we all have bad days.  However, there is no need to let it out on others.  You can always find a smile somewhere.
9. What's your favorite weird food combination? (i.e. ice cream and pickles)

I love french fries and mayo.  I have not ate it in a long while, but it has always been a favorite of mine.
10. Which would you choose? No social media for a year or no working out for a month? Why?

No social media!!  Hands down.  I could get rid of it and survive via letters or phone, but I would not feel good without exercise.  So I would need my exercise.
11. What are you sending me for my birthday?

I am going to get in my mini van and drive to your home with a Lululemon gift card and the Star Wars movies.  You are going to take me to that darn cupcake shop you always talk about and we are going to eat, shop, and then watch Star Wars and Indiana Jones.......all of them!!!  

My questions for the lucky ones I choose for this.  Enjoy!!:

1.  Did you have a childhood nickname?  What was it?

2.  What is the weirdest thing you have ever done while driving?

3.  Do you have any strange phobias? What are they?

4.  If you could travel to anyplace right now without worrying about finances or how long you are gone, where would you go? Why?

5.  What was the last movie you saw in the theater?  

6.  What song always makes you happy when you hear it?  Why?

7.  If you had to move to another state right now, where would you move and why?

8.  Salty or sweet?  What is your favorite?

9.  Do you have any pets?  What are they are?

10.  Snow or rain?  Pick your poison.

11.  Name someone you would love to meet right now, who is currently living?  Why would you like to meet them?

Tag You are It:

Caroline @ Canadian Runner In Exile

Kim@ Just Trying Is For Little Girls

Heather@ 365 Days of Awesome

Melody@ Will Run For Margaritas  =  she will buy me one after MCM!!  LOL!!

Gina@ Slow Is The New Fast = she is an inspiring runner and loves Wonder Woman.....enough said!!  LOL!!

Tanya@ I Hate The Treadmill = I agree with this statement by the way!!

Amanda@ Too Tall Fritz

Andrea@ Bluegrass Tri Chick = I love the main picture on this blog.  Everyone in their orange caps ready to take on the swim.

Almine@On The Go With Almine = my Oregon Gemini twin

Marcia@mom.wife.fitness.LIFE = a new blog I am following and fellow Tough Chik

Erika@This Spartan Will = another fellow Tough Chik

Mentors

So today I went out on my 11 mile run.  It is so funny.  I remember when I started back to running over 2 years ago I thought I would never run 11 miles straight.  The smile on my face and large amounts of pixie dust have gotten me to this spot.  Now when I run the longer miles I embrace each step because I remember where I started and how lucky I am to be where I am now.  This mind set is one I intend to keep when I am training for the Marine Corp Marathon throughout the summer.  Yep, you heard right!!  It is official.  My husband and I are running the MCM on October 28th.  This will be my first full marathon in many years.  We have signed up through Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.  We are guaranteed entry and our fee is paid as a member of Team Lemon. In return we each have to raise $1500.  This we will be doing over the summer via many lemonade stands, which my amazing group of teen supporters (my Team Lemon) will be helping to run.  I love those kids!!  I will gladly step out there and be a mentor to them any day.  Speaking of mentors, they really are important.  I have a good amount of people I consider mentors in different aspects of my life.  I have mom mentors, professor/nurse mentors, and running mentors.  They are important because I learn a ton from them.  I never want to get to the spot in my life where I think I know everything.  I always want my mind to be open and willing to learn from others.  Today on my 11 miler I stopped and chatted with one of my biggest running mentors.  His name is Bucky and he lives in my neck of the woods.  He is out running all of the time, but what makes him special is he is 75 years young.  Not only that Bucky ran Boston in 2003 at the young age of 66, has ran 22 marathons, 212 races, and is running on St. Patty's Day in a 10k with his 47-year-old daughter.  When I see him out there running I remember one of the biggest reasons that I run, so that when I am 75 I can still be out there smiling and running like Bucky.  Out there making a difference and living each moment.  Whenever I see him out there running he is smiling and embracing each step, isn't that what it is all about?

Tune Tuesday

So I thought it would be neat to try and discuss music every Tuesday.  I am a HUGE music fan.  In fact if you give me music I will dance and it does not matter where I am.  I have no fear of dancing!!!  I have no fear of looking a little off the wall!!  Pretty humorous for a shy girl to be this way, eh?  Music has somehow always brought out the "not-so-shy" girl in me though.  There is only one rule...............No Country Music!!  Now I have broken this rule twice in my life.  The first time is the reason this became a rule.  It was in my college days, ie. the days of the wild Jolene, and I had drank a little too much before heading to the local country bar with my friends.  I think the music in the country bar made me angry, yep I blame it on the music, and lets just say I got kicked out for being a bit rowdy.  Again.......no country music for me.  The second time I went into a country bar was last year for a good friend's birthday celebration.  This time I behaved myself and did not get rowdy.  Instead I joyfully rode the bull many times.  Talk about a serious challenge.  Have you ever rode one of those bulls?  Lets just say it may look easy, but it is not easy at all!!!  It became my personal challenge to take that bull down and I could not.  Have no fear though..................someday that bull will be mine.

So you may be asking,  "Well just what kind of tunes bring out the nice Jolene?".  LOL!!  The answer is quite simple my dear Watson.  Anything, but country.  No really.......my main loves are electronic and alternative.  I used to be a bit of a rave girl, so I tend to love any music that has that electronic feel.  I love a lot of drums and keyboards.  This may also be because I have a sister that is ten years older than me, so I grew-up listening to 80's tunes that consisted of a lot of keyboards.  One of my favorites to run to is Deadmau5.  They are Canadian and their music always gets me running fast.  Recently I was introduced to a band called The Postal Service and one of their tunes called "Such Great Heights".  It is one of my new "love to run to songs".  So I thought that for Tune Tuesday I would introduce you to it, if you have not heard it.  Perhaps it may become a new running song for you.  Enjoy!!!

Funny Fact Friday

So today I was excited to get my I Am Brand Tee in the mail.  I will post a picture next week of it.  It is a fun and funky little shirt to wear out running and states "Everyday I'm Hustlin'".  That alone grabbed my attention because if there is anything I love to wear while running it is something with a bit of humor or something that is fun!!  Since running is partly mental game I find if I wear something that gives me a little smile or is bright colored and fun, well then if I get tired along the way of a long run I look down at my tee and am able to smile.  That is why I love the "Run Like You Are Being Chased" tee I just got from Tough Chik too because it is one of those tees that just makes me smile.  A picture of it is posted in my previous blog post, although in the picture I tried to get the kids to chase me and they would not.  Usually that is who is chasing me, but I think for the photo op they wished to be innocent.

So fun fact Friday.....hmmmmm.......I think this fun fact has to go along with the next tee I will be purchasing from I Am Brand.  It is a purple tee that simply states quarky and I have always been a tad quarky.  So today the fun fact about me has to do with that aspect of my personality.  I am and always have been a bit socially awkward when I am around people I do not know well or large groups.  I will admit to being a bit of an introvert in those scenarios, which is why running is great because at races I do not have to talk much in that large group of people.  Instead I run along and cheer others on along the way.  I am completely not competitive and never have been.  I just love being out there and doing my best.  It is like a challenge for me to fight against the mental game of running.  So in my 20's I had this drop dead gorgeous personal trainer.  Think of a mix between Chris Hemsworth and Ian Somerhalder.  I was a big flirt back then.  Yet this guy had me nervous and that was rare for me back then.  I wanted to ask him out and tell him I liked him.  So I had it planned out.  I went through all of the words I would say in my head. This is where quarky and socially awkward me comes into play.  I thought about it too much!!  I went up to him at one of our training sessions and told him I wanted to talk privately with him.  So we sat down in his little office.  My palms were sweaty and nerves were on high alert...................that is when it happened.  I blurted out "I find you intellectually stimulating!!".  Okay, hello that was not the "I really like you and would love to go out to eat with you" that I had planned. He just stared at me for a few minutes and finally said "Well, okay then.".  Lets just say after that moment in time I switched to the female trainer and never had the nerve to chat with "hot" trainer again.  He was the first guy to knock my 20-year-old self off her usual ability to flirt well.  LOL!!  He brought out the socially awkward side of me!!

So I figure the Quarky tee would definitely suit me and I am proud of that aspect of myself.  Now I will even tell people when they first meet me "Hey, listen I am a bit socially awkward and shy so bear with me.  I will be fine once I get to know you.".  Quarky Jo that is me!!

Thursday Talk

Well, I am finally able to get back here and chat a little.  Todays post is going to be based on a couple articles I read this week that really got me to thinking.  One was a beautiful article I read on the things running taught or gave back to a person and the other is a wonderful blog post written by Adam Goucher that he wrote about Kara's ticket to London.

Running is truly a blessing to me.  It has saved me many times.  Through struggles with depression to my journey with high blood pressure and being overweight.  In fact it is one of the reasons I finally went back to school after being a diploma registered nurse for many years.  Now, yes, I do also give a ton of credit to my husband for helping me to stay on two feet and believe in myself as well.  However, running also helped me build my inner confidence.  In fact yesterday I was having a discussion with a friend about the confidence I now have.  I used to be so afraid to stand up for myself or be proud of who I was and now I stand tall.  I owe this confidence to many factors, one being the fact I am approaching 40 and things are coming into perspective more, but the big confidence builder has been my running.  So what has running given to me:

1. It gave me better health.  After losing over 70 pounds I feel better.  I still have my lovely genetic gift of high blood pressure, but I feel so much healthier.  In fact this past weekend I ate some of my daughter's birthday cake and pizza from her party........and let me tell you I am still recovering from it.  After eating healthy for quite a long while and exercising, that increase in sugar and intake was too much for me.  I felt like I had the flu, achy and tired.

2. It increased my confidence and belief in myself.  I truly believe running is one of the things that finally pushed me all the way into going back to school.  I realized that if I could finish a 1/2 marathon after having two children and not running in a long while, I could most certainly take on going back to school. I often think about my journey while I am out on the road running.  It is stressful juggling as much as I do, but running gives me the time I need to think about things and relax.

3. Running helped to give my shy soul a voice.  I had wanted to give back to a cancer cause after my father passed.  I wanted to be out there helping others with cancer and I knew I had to give back to my inspirations, the children with cancer.  I am not a millionaire though.  So I knew I could utilize my running to raise money.  Instead of asking people for money to help children with cancer I decided to put myself out there and run for it.  I feel like that way I am doing something to earn each dollar I raise.  I want those who donate to know I am truly out there fighting for this cause by pounding the pavement.  Each mile I train or race is another dollar to help a child out there fighting.  Running gave me a voice to help fight back against cancer.

That being said Adam Goucher brought up a wonderful point about running and I believe this goes for many sports.  Runners are a family!!  That is what I love about running.  I may never run a 6:30/mile or win a race, but that does not matter to me.  I will be out there cheering on those who do reach those goals though.  What matters to me is being out there and helping children fight.  I would love to be alive when the news announces they have found a cure for cancer, but if I am not I can at least say at the end of my life that I fought to help bring change.  Each runner has a different purpose for their running, yet we are all one big family.  When we are all toeing the start line we are like family.  We understand each other.  We understand that passion to get out there and run, even if the reason we do it is different.  I love the running community.  I have met so many amazing people.  Right now, I am meeting many on Team Tough Chik.  The running community is one in which I feel like I belong.  I never feel like an outcast for being the shy/quiet girl or being the mom who lives her life to the beat of her own drum.  I feel accepted.  I see people out there cheering on the fast runners and I see people out there encouraging the slower ones.  That is what runners do.  We cheer each other on for being out there!!  We are all runners and it is a family I am proud to be a member of.

Tough Day

So today started out like every day.  It did not end like every day though.  I was sad to read this afternoon that Sherry Arnold, the runner and mother who went missing this week while out on a run, was found dead.  Of course that really gets me to thinking.  That could be any of us!!  So today I wish to only place this short entry and send my condolences out to the family and friends of Sherry.  My prayers go out to all of you during this difficult time.  This is my moment of silence for today in honor of a fellow running mom.

They Are Getting Married

So I will admit I had a little Sixteen Candles moment last night.  Do not get me wrong, I knew the time was coming.  Even so, it does not totally prepare you for the ACTUAL moment it is announced.  My mother called me last night to let me know she is.............wait for it..................rhymes with carried.............you got it she is getting married.  So I had known it was going to happen.  It had been discussed between her boyfriend and her at the end of last year.  I just did not know when it would happen.  Well, it is going to happen on February 11th and I will not be able to make it there.  So I will admit that did make me sad.  With me being in school and my work schedule there is no way I could get off on that short of notice, plus my mom would want us all there and Bella is in school at that time too.  The reason it is happening so quickly is that her boyfriend rents a condo and the owner has decided he would like to sell it, so following my mom and her boyfriend's Christian beliefs they would like to be married before living together.  

Now let me just say I had a whirl of mixed emotions when she first announced the whole marriage thing on the phone to me last night.  I was happy for her.  I was sad.  I felt empty.  My father has been gone now for a bit over 4 years, but I still miss him a ton.  I know my mom's boyfriend, Ivan, will never expect to replace my dad and that is a good thing.  Yet, there is part of me that really sunk last night.  It was like the official "Your dad is REALLY gone" moment.  Do not get me wrong I know he has been gone, but last night was like the closing curtain.  I have always felt like his spirit has been beside me and it suddenly felt like it was gone.  Does that sound silly?  I know he is still there, but I guess a part of me hurt a little hearing this news.  For the longest part of my life I was used to seeing my mom and dad together, now I have to get used to my mom with someone else.  I know I will get used to this, but I guess every emotion I had been holding back over all of this just flooded in when the news was actually in my face.  Wow!!  That feels good to get off of my chest.

I am honestly happy for my mother though.  She is happy and she is an adult, just like me.  So it is her happiness that is really the most important thing in all of this.  As long as she is not marrying Oily Bo-Hunk I am a happy daughter!!

Am I A Tough Chik

Hmmmmm.......this question went through my head for a little bit after I saw Tonia from Racing With Babes post that Tough Chik was starting a team that anyone could join.  I pondered over whether I was tough enough to join such a team.  I mean we are talking women who have done full Ironman races, hardcore marathon moms, and much more.  So it got me to thinking about what makes me tough.  If you had asked me in my 20's whether I was tough I probably would have said.........not really.  I would have said I was a party girl and not a tough girl, even though I could run for miles just for fun.  I was never a track star though in high school or a sportsy girl.  Running was always my therapy and I never took it any farther than that.  Now I look at my almost 37-year-old self and say "You know what?! I am tough!!".

I am a rape survivor.  I have battled depression and won, even though it attempted to take me down many times.  I have made it through a pregnancy, with my daughter, where I had severe preeclampsia.  I went back to running over 2 years ago and have not turned back.  I juggle a full schedule and at times it may give me stress highlights, but I take it on with a smile.  I have dreams and I am no longer afraid to face them head on.  So, yes, I finally believe in myself and believe I am tough.  I may not have taken on a full Ironman, and the chances of that happening may be slim since I swim like a floppy fish, but I do feel strong!!

So I decided to join Team Tough Chik because I want to learn.  There are some incredible and strong women on the team and they are women I can learn a lot from.  When I run my first post-children marathon this fall I know these women are going to be there offering advice and encouragement.  The one thing I have learned in my years on this earth is that learning never stops.  So I look forward to having this team by my side and helping me become an even stronger woman.

I have already met some incredible women through the team.  Almine is like my Oregon twin.  She was born one year and 3 days after me, so we are both hardcore Gemini's.  It shows too!!  She has a love for rock and ice climbing, just as I did in my college days.  In fact my gear is up in our attic and I always tell my husband I am going to go back to it, to which he says "you are insane".  LOL!!  Almine also happens to be a bada** punk rock/funky fashion girl like myself.  When I read she wanted to start here own gear line with clothes that have skulls and stuff on them I instantly fell in love with her.  The other thing I think is super cool about Almine is she is an acupuncturist and a fitness trainer.  She has spunk!!

Then I met Trinity, who is a fellow mom like myself, who is actually moving to Charlotte, NC soon.  So she will not be too far away from where I live.  I friended her on good old FB and when I was checking out her page I saw something that instantly made me love her.  She is running a full marathon in May and she is running it for pediatric cancer.  It is her first full marathon, so definitely check out here blog/send encouragement/and donate to her fundraiser.  I would love to get Heather, her, and me together for a full marathon that we could all run together to fundraise for pediatric cancer.  Three moms running together to raise awareness and make a difference, that would be an awesome run!!  New goal added to the bucket list!!  Speaking of Heather, make sure to check out her recent blog post on her page where she talks about pediatric cancer, her Gabby, and her upcoming fundraiser.

These are just a couple of the awesome women I have met through Team Tough Chik and I can not wait to meet more.  I am glad I took the leap and joined.  Happy Monday everyone!!  Hope the miles are fun!!

Virtual Lemonade Stand To Fight Childhood Cancer | Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Virtual Lemonade Stand To Fight Childhood Cancer | Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer

Check out this virtual lemonade stand I am hosting until March when I run the 1/2 marathon around Charlotte Motor Speedway. As you know each race I run I do so for ALSF and this will be my inaugural race in the cape that was painted by pediatric oncology patients at UNC hospital. There are prizes involved with this one too!! Check it out and donate today!!

Card Exchange

Because I secretly want to be a reindeer.  LOL!!

So thanks to the most awesome Kim at (Just) Trying Is For Little Girls I had the most incredible Christmas.  I found out about a card exchange Kim does with fellow blogging moms across the country and even moms in different countries.  It is an open invitation event and all that you have to do is tell her you want in.  So I did just that.  I love getting cards in the mail and love "meeting" other blogging/running moms/women like myself.  In fact it has led to a lengthy bucket list addition of the many running blogging moms/women I would love to now meet personally.  Yep, it's my goal to meet them and run/have coffee/chat with them.  Which is one reason making a Hood To Coast team is on my bucket list too.

So I was going to post a picture of each of the wonderful cards I received, but when I went to get them today I realized my sweet hubby packed them up in the attic with all of our Christmas stuff and who knows what box they are in.  LOL!!  So instead I took a picture with a sign that says "Thank you", although it appears backwards in the picture I am still giving myself 100% for effort.  I was lucky enough to be a part of Team Dasher for the card exchange.  I was completely ecstatic when I saw that the first person on my list was Kim herself.  I love reading Kim's blog because she always spins a bit of humor into the mix.  She also has older children and looks like she is 25.  I am thinking that this is a good sign of what running can do for you!!!  Then of course the recent thing about Kim that made me feel she is a kindred spirit is the fact she said she is not a swimmer.  I also am not blessed with swimming skills, which is why when people ask me about doing triathlons I usually say "Ummmm, no.......".   Now a duathlon I would do because I love to bike, but I am afraid I am not a graceful swimmer.  Perhaps, someday I will take it on.  So definitely check out Kim's blog and join in on the card fun next year.

The second blogger on my list was Darlene from Delmar, NY.  Her blog My First 5k and More is full of wonderful stories.  She is currently coping with an injury and could use lots of love and support sent her way.  So definitely check her blog out and send her a virtual hug.  I love her blog because as she states "she is a lady in her 50's looking for the fountain of youth".  Running definitely makes you feel younger!!  Go Darlene!!

The third blogger on the list was Melissa from Crestwood, KY.  Now I have to admit I have read many a bada** mother runners blog, but Melissa is right up there.  She really does run with a double jogging stroller!!  I ran with a single one when Tjaden was little and that was tough work, so Melissa wins my utter respect for running with a double one.  Not only that, but she is Boston bound this year.  Yep, she is that bada**!!  Read about her journeys with running on her blog.  You will want to head out and run right away after you do read it!!

Next up is Jen from Gardiner, ME.  I have always wanted to visit Maine!!  You can find Jen at Running With The Girls.  She has a fantastic running blog which is about, well, running with her girls. Only in this case her girls are her group of close running friends.  She definitely makes running look like a lot of fun, but that is because running ROCKS!!!

Lastly, on my list of card exchangers is Heather from Irvine, CA.  I instantly knew I would love Heather's blog for one big reason.........the title is 365 Days Of Awesome.  The other reason Heather won my heart is not only is she a mom and a runner, but she has a child with leukemia.  Well, as you all know I run for the children out there battling cancer and so Heather's blog instantly became a new favorite.  Definitely check her blog out and read about her many journeys.  It is definitely worth it.

I have two words to say to all my fellow card exchange folks and they are on the picture below.  Yes, in the picture it came out backwards.................but it definitely is a huge THANKS!!

Yep, I am saying thanks backwards!!

Break Is Done

This morning I took both my kiddos back to school after a lovely two week break.  It is a rather sad morning for me.  For two weeks I had no school work to stress about, avoided writing lengthy emails, and took a little blog break.  It was all much needed, so that I could enjoy time snuggling and hanging out with two of my favorite people...........my kiddos.  This blog obviously shows you how busy my life is and how stressful it can be.  So this break was wonderful!!  I did, however, focus on a little work.  I had to get all of my stuff ready for my Master's applications.  My first one just got handed in yesterday.  It is nerve-racking wondering whether you will get into the top school you want.  I am self admittedly an overachiever.  If I do not get into the school I most have my eye on it will be pretty disheartening, but I will continue smiling.

So 2011 has come and gone.  WOW!!  Where did it go?!  That is all that I could keep thinking as the new year approached.  Life has been so busy it seems like 2011 was on a NASCAR track going as fast as it could.  I ended up getting 1471 miles under my belt in 2011.  So I am upping the anti for 2012 and going for 1650!!  I am also placing the goal of doing even more weight training and really focusing on a healthy diet, which is something I have been doing for 3 months now.  I feel ten times better!!  I am not a new years resolution person.  I think it is better to set small goals for yourself throughout the year.  So here are my goals for 2012 and each is something I will work on throughout the entire year, it is all about baby steps:

1.  Raise over $3000 for my upcoming fundraiser/half marathon that I am running for ALSF.  I just opened up my fundraiser on the 1st and this time it is a virtual lemonade stand, so I am hoping it will catch people's eyes as much as a real lemonade stand does.

2. Get a sub-2 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is where I am running my half marathon along with my husband in March.  I am feeling good about this goal working out as long as I can avoid injury.  My husband is awesome to run with.  His ex-military attitude pushes me right through any negative thoughts that creep up along the way.

3. Graduate from the BSN program at UNCG with a 3.8 overall GPA and a 4.0 for the last semester.  Big goals I know, but I like to push myself to the full potential I know I have inside.  I graduate in May.

4.  Do not stress if you do not get into your top choice for the Master's program.  I am going to take each step with a smile.  I know the FNP route is competitive and I will be going up against nurses that have barely even been graduated from nursing school that long and are younger than me.  So their brains are still very fresh, but I am hoping my experience and grades will make me stand out.

5.  Run a full marathon in the fall.  I have my fingers crossed for the NYC lottery, but am not going to stress if it does not happen this year.  Instead, I will just talk my hubby into running the MCM with me since that is considered an ALSF run and I could do big fundraising for it and do my first official Team Lemon run, instead of running each race for ALSF on my own like I have been.  It would be neat to meet other Team Lemon folks.

6.  My goal in total fundraising for ALSF for 2012 is high.  I want to raise in total for 2012 over $6000 for them.  I know this is a big chunk, but I feel it is worth giving my best shot.  I will be fundraising for the 1/2, over the summer when I promote lemonade days since I am a Stand Ambassador here in NC, and for my full marathon come fall.

7.  This goal is utterly important to me and that is to give myself a break every once and awhile.  I will admit there are not a lot of moments where I focus on myself and give myself a little TLC.  My friends and family have encouraged me to do that a bit more this year and I am going to.  Whether it be just going to get a pedicure, which I RARELY do, or going to get myself a nice piece of clothing at Lululemon or Free People.  I am going to do occasional nice things for me.

8. Hang out with my friends!!  I am busy, but I really miss them.  I have some good friends here.  So in 2012 I am going to make sure to see them a bit more.

9.  SMILE!!!

10.  Enjoy every moment this summer with my family, especially my little man because he will be starting kindergarten in the fall.:(

11. Get this hair grown out for donation in the fall.  It is getting longer, but I still have a bit to go.  Right now I am pulling a Kerrie (Mom Vs. Marathon) move and putting braids on each side of my head while I run.  I have always loved reading Kerrie's blog and seeing her braids.  She always looks like a teenager and I love it!!  So when I first was able to do the braids I literally thought to myself "This rocks!!".  If you have not checked out Kerrie's blog please do.  It is great and her newest post had a picture of my man Will Ferrell from my favorite movie Old School.  Yep, even my text tone for when people text me is Will Ferrell saying "We're going streaking".  This text tone gets a lot of odd looks while in the middle of Target by the way.

That is about it in a nutshell.  I would love to fit in more races too.  I am planning on fitting in the Ramblin' Rose 1/2 Marathon in Durham again this fall if I can, depends on the full marathon schedule.  I also have a dream of joining the fellow bloggers out there at Hood to Coast for 2012.  That would be awesome!!  There are so many amazing bloggers out there I would love to meet and what a better way than to run as a team with them.  The groups that ran it last year looked like they had a blast and their pictures made it look like they were the type of people I would love to hang out with.  So I have my eye on that as well.  Other than that I am going to pick some 5k's and some summer runs, not sure which ones yet.  Just leaving it open since my schedule often determines what I can and can not do.

I would like to wish all of my blog followers a wonderful new year!!  May all of your goals be reached this year.  You are all my inspiration and even though I may not know each of you personally I consider you friends.  Thanks for joining me on my journeys and offering wonderful advice.  It has helped me more often than I can say.

My son makes wearing a headlamp look stylish!!