EVERYONE HAS THEIR DEFINING MOMENTS. MOMENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE THAT DETERMINE WHO THEY ARE, WHO THEY STAND FOR, AND WHAT THEY BELIEVE. FOR ME THERE ARE SEVERAL MOMENTS IN MY LIFE THAT STAND OUT AS DEFINING MOMENTS. HERE ARE A FEW.
#1 WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD I ASKED JESUS INTO MY HEART. FLAT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF MY LIFE. THOUGH I HAVE SINNED THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I ALWAYS KNOW THAT I AM SAVED BY HIS GRACE, ALWAYS FORGIVEN. 
#2 ON JUNE 5TH 2009 ON A BEACH IN DESTIN FLORIDA BRANDON PUT A RING ON MY LEFT HAND AND WE SAID 
"I DO". THAT DAY I BECAME HIS WIFE FOREVER AND ALWAYS: THROUGH SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH.
#3 2&1/2 YEARS AGO A NEWBORN BABY GIRL WAS LAID ON MY CHEST AND I BECAME A MOTHER. I WILL FOREVER HOLD THAT TITLE IN MY BABIES EYES. 

I THINK THERE ARE SMALLER DEFINING MOMENTS AS WELL. DAILY CHOICES YOU MAKE THAT DEFINE WHO WE ARE, AND TODAY I HAD ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS. 

I WAS SUPPOSED TO RUN 26.2 MILES TODAY IN DALLAS AT THE  METRO PCS DALLAS MARATHON. I WAS SUPPOSED TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE WITH A NEW PR, RECEIVE A MEDAL, AND FINISHERS SHIRT,  AND EXPERIENCE THE HIGH I ONLY GET FROM CROSSING A FINISH LINE.  I HAD PLAYED THIS DAY OVER IN MY HEAD HUNDREDS OF TIMES WHILE OUT TRAINING, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. NO RACE, NO MEDAL, NO FINISH LINE. THE RACE WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF THE SNOW/ICE STORM THAT HIT TEXAS & OKLAHOMA LATE THIS WEEK.

INSTEAD THIS MORNING I WOKE UP WITH MY FAMILY IN THE COMFORT OF OUR WARM HOME. ENJOYED HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES MADE BY THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND MY LITTLE GIRL. 

THEN IT HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO GO ON A RUN. 

A DEFINING MOMENT. 
TODAY I LACED MY SHOES UP AS A RUNNER. I SET OUT FOR 4 SNOWY MILES. IT WAS WINDY, COLD, AND EVERYTHING WAS COVERED IN SNOW. IT WAS PEACEFUL, BEAUTIFUL AND EMOTIONAL. IT WASN'T THE 26.2 MILES I HAD IMAGINED FOR SO MANY MONTHS. IT WASN'T THE RUN I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN TRAINING FOR, BUT AS I WAS OUT RUNNING: BREATHING THE COLD AIR IN, WATCHING EVERY STEP CAREFULLY, AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT TODAY SHOULD HAVE BEEN I REALIZED SOMETHING.  

TODAY'S RUN WAS EXACTLY WHAT I HAD BEEN TRAINING FOR ALL ALONG. EXACTLY THE RUN I NEEDED TO CONTINUE ON THIS JOURNEY. 
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IT MEANS THE WORLD! 
XOXO
 
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I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE THAT NOVEMBER IS OVER AND WE ARE ALREADY INTO THE MONTH OF DECEMBER. IT BLOWS MY MIND THAT SUNDAY IS THE BIG DAY: MARATHON DAY!

2013 IS WRAPPING UP SO VERY QUICKLY, BUT I STILL HAVE QUITE A FEW MILES TO LOG BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.  NOVEMBER WAS A GREAT MONTH OF TRAINING. I LOGGED 141.3 MILES THIS MONTH. IT FELT GREAT TO GET OUT THERE EVERY WEEKEND AND WORK HARD ON MY LONG RUNS AND THE MID WEEK RUNS SHORTENED SO THEY WEREN'T AS HARD TO FIT INTO OUR BUSY WORLD. 

MY LONGEST RUN WAS NOVEMBER 16TH, I RAN 21 MILES AND IT WAS BRUTAL. THE DISTANCE DIDN'T FEEL BAD, BUT THE WEATHER GAVE ME A RUN FOR MY MONEY. THE WIND WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE THE WHOLE MORNING, BUT I GOT TO FINISH THE RUN WITH BRANDON & THE YMCA RUNNING GROUP WHICH GOT ME THROUGH THE TOUGH MILES.  ONE OF THE BEST RUNS OF MY TRAINING CAME ON NOVEMBER 23RD. IT WAS A SIX MILE RUN ON A VERY VERY COLD MORNING. EVERYTHING JUST FELT RIGHT AND I RAN IT UNDER A 9 MINUTE PACE (WHICH IS PRETTY FAST FOR A SLOW LADY LIKE MYSELF!) NOVEMBER WAS AWESOME AND FULL OF GREAT RUNS, BUT I CAME IN A LITTLE SHORT ON MY MILES FOR THE MONTH WHICH MEANS I JUST HAVE TO WORK HARDER IN DECEMBER THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED. 

HERE IS MY TOTAL MILEAGE:
JANUARY: 25.45 MILES
FEBRUARY: 0
MARCH: 15.2 MILES
APRIL: 50.2 MILES
MAY: 69.1 MILES
JUNE: 86.55 MILES
JULY: 83.4 MILES
AUGUST: 139.6 MILES
SEPTEMBER: 137 MILES
OCTOBER: 143.45 MILES
NOVEMBER: 141.3 MILES

TOTAL FOR THE YEAR:  891.25 

I HAVE 109  MILES LEFT TO RUN THIS YEAR.
26.2 OF THOSE MILES WILL BE CHECKED OFF THE LIST AFTER SUNDAY! 
THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF THE YEAR ARE GOING TO BE SPENT HITTING THE PAVEMENT AND CONTINUING THE HARD WORK I HAVE PUT IN TO REACH THE GOAL I SET FOR MYSELF. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY END OF THE YEAR GOALS YOU ARE WORKING ON? I'D LOVE TO HEAR!