FRIDAY AFTERNOON WHEN BRANDON GOT OFF WORK WE HURRIED  OUT THE DOOR HEADED NORTH TO THE WADDELL & REED KANSAS CITY MARATHON . EARLIER IN THE DAY I HEARD THAT IT WAS SNOWING IN KANSAS AND BEGAN GETTING EXTREMELY NERVOUS ABOUT RACE DAY AND THE CLOTHING OPTIONS WE HAD PACKED. LAST MINUTE I THREW IN 2 THROW-AWAY LONG SLEEVE SHIRTS AND WE WERE OUT THE DOOR.

AFTER A LONG DRIVE IN THE RAIN & SNOW WE ARRIVED AT THE EXPO 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT SHUT DOWN SO WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO LOOK AROUND, BUT THE EXPO WAS IN A GREAT LOCATION WITH FREE PARKING. WE PICKED UP OUR PACKETS, BIBS, TECH SHIRTS, BBQ SAUCE, AND LOOKED AROUND FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES. WE DIDN'T STICK AROUND LONG BECAUSE WE WERE STARVING! 

WE JUMPED BACK ON 1-35 AND FOUND A PIZZA HUT JUST A FEW MILES AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE STAYING FOR THE NIGHT. WE ATE PIZZA, DRANK A BIG CUP OF WATER AND HEADED TO MY AUNTS HOUSE WHERE WE WERE STAYING THE NIGHT. WE LAID OUT ALL OF OUR RACE DAY CLOTHES AND FUEL AND HIT THE SACK AROUND 10:00 HOPING FOR A GREAT NIGHT SLEEP. 

OUR ALARM WAS SET FOR 4:00AM. THAT WOULD GIVE US PLENTY OF TIME TO GET AROUND, FEED GRAYSON, AND HEAD OUT THE DOOR AROUND 5:00AM. G-MAN HAD OTHER PLANS. HE WOKE UP AROUND 3;00AM AND STAYED AWAKE UNTIL 4;30AM OR SO. OUR SLEEP WAS CUT SHORT (OH THE JOY OF TRAVELING WITH A BABY!) AND B AND I WERE PRETTY TIRED. WE LACED UP OUR RUNNING SHOES AND WE WERE OUT THE DOOR A LITTLE EARLY, READY TO RUN.

WE GOT DOWNTOWN AND AFTER FINDING OUR EXIT WAS CLOSED AND NOT REALLY KNOWING WHERE WE WERE GOING WE FOLLOWED SOME OTHER CARS AND ENDED UP EXACTLY WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE. FREE PARKING JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE START/FINISH LINE. WE ARRIVED WITH OVER A  HOUR BEFORE RACE TIME AND IT WAS SO COLD OUTSIDE SO WE WAITED IN THE CAR FOR A BIT BEFORE WE MADE OUR WAY TO THE CROWN CENTER TO FIND THE RESTROOMS AND WAIT UNTIL RACE TIME. 

WHILE IN THE CROWN CENTER WE STUMBLED UPON THE PACE GROUPS AND THAT IS WHEN I MADE THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION OF THE DAY: I DECIDED TO JUMP IN WITH THE 2HOUR PACE GROUP. ABOUT 6;45AM WE WALKED OUT TO THE START LINE, I KISSED BRANDON GOODBYE AND SENT HIM ON AHEAD WITH THE 3;45 MARATHON PACE GROUP. MY NERVES WEREN'T TOO BAD. I WAS PRETTY RELAXED, AND MET SOME AWESOME RUNNERS. ONE GUY WAS RUNNING HIS FIRST 1/2 AND HIS GOAL WAS TO COME IN UNDER 2 HOURS, ANOTHER GIRL FROM TULSA WAS RUNNING WITH THE SAME GOAL. OUR PACE GROUP LEADERS GATHERED US AROUND AND TOLD US THE MANTRA: 2 HOURS 2 DAY WAS GOING TO CARRY US THROUGH, AND IT DID!

THE FIRST 6 MILES LITERALLY FLEW BY. THE BIGGEST HILL OF THE RACE, LIBERTY MEMORIAL HILL WAS AT MILE 3 AND IT WAS PRETTY BRUTAL. THERE WAS A TURN AROUND POINT AFTER THE BIG HILL AND I SAW BRANDON IN THE SEA OF RUNNERS AND IT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES. THE MILES JUST STARTED ROLLING BY. ONE HILL AT A TIME. MILE 8 IS WHEN THE RACE SPLIT, THE HALF MARATHONERS TURNED LEFT AND WE SENT THE MARATHONERS ON STRAIGHT. MILES 8-11 WERE PRETTY MENTALLY TOUGH FOR ME. MY LEGS WERE BEGINNING TO FEEL IT AND I WAS STARTING TO HUFF AND PUFF PRETTY HARD WHEN WE WOULD ENCOUNTER HILLS. APRIL, THE PACE GROUP LEADER SAVED THE DAY FOR ME. SHE WAS SO ENCOURAGING, HELPFUL, TOLD FUNNY STORIES ABOUT HER 9 MONTH OLD BABY BOY, SHE KNEW THE COURSE SO WELL, WARNED US ABOUT UPCOMING HILLS, REMINDED US TO BREATH, AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE REASONS I FINISHED THE RACE UNDER MY GOAL TIME. 

MILES 11-13.1 WERE ALL DOWN HILL OR FLAT AND IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO PUSH THROUGH AND FINISH STRONG. AT THIS POINT I WAS AN EMOTIONAL MESS AND EVERY TIME I SAW A BABY CHEERING IN THE CROWD TEARS WOULD FLOOD MY EYES KNOWING MY BABIES WILL ONE DAY STAND IN THE CROWD TO WATCH ME ACCOMPLISH BIGGER GOALS, AND THEN HOPEFULLY I WILL GET TO STAND IN THE CROWD TO WATCH THEM ONE DAY TOO. 

THE FINISH WAS GREAT. WE TURNED ONTO GRAND AND THE STREET WAS LINED WITH SPECTATORS CHEERING. I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE WITH A TIME OF 1 HOUR, 59 MINUTES, AND 18 SECONDS. JUST SECONDS BEFORE MY GOAL TIME OF 2 HOURS, AND A 6 MINUTE PERSONAL BEST TIME!

AFTER I FINISHED I HAD GRAND PLANS ON HEADING BACK TO MILE 22 TO CHEER ON BRANDON BEFORE HIS BIG FINISH, BUT I GOT TURNED AROUND AND COULDN'T FIND THE STREET I NEEDED TO HEAD DOWN, I GOT EXTREMELY COLD AND DECIDED TO STAY NEAR THE FINISH LINE AND WARM UP IN A NEAR BY BUILDING UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO SEE B COME ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. IT TOOK BRANDON 3HOURS 45MINUTES AND 4SECONDS TO FINISH HIS 5TH MARATHON AND I AM SO EXTREMELY PROUD OF HIM FOR PUSHING THROUGH AND HAVING A GREAT TIME DESPITE BIG HILLS AND TOUGH TRAINING. HE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST MEN I KNOW, AND I HOPE I GET TO SEE HIM CROSS FINISH LINES FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES! (STAY TUNED, MR. ARMSTRONG MIGHT WRITE A RACE RECAP OF HIS OWN LATER THIS WEEK!)

AFTER B FINISHED WE ENJOYED OUR FREE BBQ SANDWICH, STOPPED AT PANERA FOR SOMETHING WARM TO DRINK AND HEADED BACK TO OUR BABY. WHAT A SUCCESSFUL DAY WE HAD IN KC!

OVERALL THE RACE WAS GREAT. THE COURSE WAS BEAUTIFUL. THE HILLS WERE TOUGH. RUNNING THROUGH THE DISTRICTS OF KANSAS CITY WAS ENTERTAINING. THE CROWD WAS GREAT. EVERYTHING WAS WELL ORGANIZED AND WE WOULD RECOMMEND THIS RACE TO ANYONE! 

I WORE A CHAMPION ZIP UP TOP, AND CHAMPION PANTS FROM TARGET, A NIKE SLEEVE OVER THAT, AND MY UNDER ARMOR GLOVES I ENDED UP TAKING OFF AND CARRYING ON MY HANDHELD NATHAN WATER BOTTLE. I FUELED WITH THIS BAR, THESE ENERGY BEANS, AND NUUN. 

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BRANDON'S MOM FOR MAKING THE TRIP WITH US. FOR DRIVING WHEN WE WERE TIRED AND WATCHING GRAYSON WHILE WE RAN. ALSO, THANKS AUNT BARBARA FOR LETTING US STAY AT YOUR HOUSE AND FOR FEEDING US LUNCH AFTER THE RACE! THANKS TO MY MOMMA AND DAD FOR WATCHING MISS A, THE WILD ONE! LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT CHEERED US ON BACK HERE AT HOME! YOUR SUPPORT MEANS THE WORLD TO US! 

MY GOAL IN SEPTEMBER WAS TO RUN 162 MILES AND I ENDED UP RUNNING 137 MILES. 

I OBVIOUSLY DID NOT REACH MY MILEAGE GOAL FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER AND FOR GOOD REASON.  ON SEPTEMBER 17TH I HAD A HUGE CRICK IN MY NECK AND THAT SIDE LINED ME FOR A COUPLE DAYS. ALSO, I GAVE UP ONE OF MY LONG RUNS SO MY HANDSOME GROOM COULD GET HIS IN.

DESPITE NOT REACHING MY 1,000 MILE PROJECT GOAL, THIS MOUTH WAS AWESOME FOR ME. I FELT GREAT ON MY LONG RUNS AND EVEN RAN MY LONGEST MID-WEEK RUN OF MARATHON TRAINING {10 MILES} 5 ON THE TREADMILL AND 5 PUSHING GRAYSON IN THE STROLLER. THE MID-WEEK LONG RUNS ARE PROVING TO BE THE HARDEST TO GET IN, BUT WE ARE MAKING IT WORK!

MY SHORTEST RUN WAS 3 MILES AND MY LONGEST WAS 22. {WHICH I HAD TO SPLIT INTO 2 RUNS ON SATURDAY THE 28TH, I CALLED IT QUITS AT MILE 9 ON THAT SATURDAY DUE TO RAIN, BUT FINISHED IT OUT LATER THAT AFTERNOON}. I RAN IN TWO 5K'S THIS MONTH AND YOU CAN READ ABOUT THEM HERE & HERE. 

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

TOTAL FOR THE YEAR: 606.5 MILES

SO, I HAVE A LITTLE UNDER 400 MILES LEFT TO RUN THIS YEAR! 
THERE ARE ONLY 12 WEEKS LEFT IN 2013, 
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THESE 12 WEEKS? 
YOU CAN FIND ME POUNDING THE PAVEMENT.

SATURDAY MORNING I GOT THE BABIES UP EARLY TO HEAD TO THE SQUARE FOR OUR LOCAL 5K, LIKE WE HAVE FOR THE PAST 3 YEARS. 

THIS YEAR WAS SPECIAL THOUGH. THIS YEAR I RAN WITH MY MOMMA! MY DAD AND HER HAVE STARTED RUNNING AGAIN AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM OF BOTH OF THEM! 

THE CHEROKEE STRIP 5K IS NOT HUGE. 137 PEOPLE LACED UP THEIR SHOES TO POUND THE PAVEMENT AROUND OUR LITTLE TOWN. WE ARRIVED ON THE SQUARE, PICKED UP OUR BIB, OUR TIMING STRIP (THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY, WE USUALLY WEAR TIMING CHIPS. PERSONALLY I LOVE THE STRIPS AND HOW EASY AND CONVENIENT THEY ARE!), OUR T-SHIRT, AND WERE GREETED BY THE PERRY CROSS COUNTRY TEAM STRETCHING IT OUT.   

I LOVE SMALL HOME-TOWN RACES.  FOR AWHILE ON THE COURSE WE WERE FOLLOWING A FATHER AND HIS SON. LISTENING AND WATCHING THEM MADE ME SO EXCITED FOR THE DAY WHEN WE CAN ACTUALLY RUN WITH OUR BABIES INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM! WHAT A DAY IT WILL BE WHEN WE CAN CROSS A FINISH LINE AS A FAMILY!

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING TO RUN. I WORE A NIKE LONG SLEEVE THAT I GOT FOR MY BIRTHDAY THAT I HAVE BEEN DYING TO WEAR AND OLD NAVY RUNNING SHORTS. THE AIR WAS CRISP, BUT I QUICKLY GOT WARMED UP IN MY SLEEVE. THE COURSE HAS BEEN THE SAME BOTH TIMES I HAVE RAN, IT IS A GREAT ROUTE ON ROADS THAT I RUN ALMOST EVERY WEEK. THERE ARE A FEW HILLS THAT ARE LONG AND GRADUAL AND CAN DEFINITELY MAKE YOUR LEGS BURN IF YOU AREN'T PREPARED.

MY MOM DID GREAT, SHE GOT 3RD PLACE IN HER AGE GROUP AND LEARNED A FEW THINGS FROM HER TRAINING THAT SHE CAN WORK ON FOR THE NEXT RACE (WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THIS UP COMING SUNDAY IN EDMOND, CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US--ITS GONNA BE A REAL HOT TIME!) ALSO, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT: I HAVE TALKED HER INTO TRAINING FOR A HALF MARATHON WITH ME, HER STORY IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!! 

THANKS FOR RUNNING WITH ME MOMMA! YOU DID GREAT! 
ALSO, THANKS TO UNCLE J & AUNT SARAH FOR WATCHING MY BABIES AND BRINGING YOURS TO CHEER US ON! NOTHING IS BETTER MOTIVATION THAN KNOWING SWEET BABES ARE AT THE FINISH LINE WAITING FOR YOU! 

MY GOAL IN AUGUST WAS TO RUN 139 MILES AND I ENDED UP RUNNING 139.6 MILES. 
{BELIEVE ME, THAT .6 REALLY MATTERS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I AM BEHIND IN MY MILEAGE GOAL FOR THE YEAR.}

MARATHON TRAINING STARTED THIS MONTH SO MY MILEAGE STARTED PICKING UP NATURALLY BECAUSE OF LONG RUNS ON THE WEEKENDS. EACH MONTH I WILL TAKE A PICTURE OF MY FINAL MONTHLY RUNNING CALENDER AND YOU CAN FIND THE PICTURES HERE. THE PENCIL WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN AND THE PINK MARKER IS WHAT I ACTUALLY RAN. 

MY FIRST LONG DISTANCE MARATHON TRAINING RUN WAS 8 MILES AND IT WAS ON AUGUST 4TH. IT WAS A HOT AND HUMID MORNING AND I REMEMBER IT FEELING SO HARD. THE 8 MILES DRUG ON AND MADE FOR A ROUGH START TO MY TRAINING.

MY SHORTEST RUN WAS 2 MILES AND MY LONGEST WAS 15. {WHICH WAS RAN WITH MY SISTER-IN-LAW WHICH MADE FOR A GREAT RUN!}

THIS MONTH WAS RIGHT ON TRACK FOR MY TRAINING AND FOR MY 1,000 MILE PROJECT. 
I AM FEELING REALLY GREAT ABOUT THE MILES I PUT IN FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST. I AM GETTING IT DONE ONE MILE AT A TIME!

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

TOTAL FOR THE YEAR: 469.5 MILES

ALSO, I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER YOU GUYS! THERE IS AN AWESOME 5K HAPPENING NEXT WEEKEND, SEPTEMBER 15TH IN STILLWATER. IT IS CALLED THE CAMPUS TOUR 5K AND IT BEGINS AT THETA POND AT 8:00AM! IF YOU REGISTER BEFORE SEPTEMBER 13TH IT IS $35, BUT BECAUSE I HAVE SUCH AN AWESOME FRIEND, {SASHA} SHE IS GIVING $5 OFF TO ANYONE THAT USES THE DISCOUNT CODE: KNOCKEDUPRUNNER FROM NOW UNTIL NEXT WEDNESDAY! 
JUST HEAD OVER HERE AND SIGN UP TODAY!!

JANUARY FIRST OF 2013 CAME AROUND AND I NEEDED A GOAL.
A GOAL TO GET ME MOVING. 
A GOAL TO PUSH ME. 
A GOAL TO GET MY BODY BACK AFTER BUBBA GRAY ENTERED THIS WORLD. 

YOU SEE, ON JANUARY FIRST I WAS 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH GRAYSON. I WAS WORKING HARD ON MAINTAINING THE GOAL OF STAYING ACTIVE AND HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY. RUNNING WAS BECOMING... INTERESTING. I HAD LEFT THE OPEN ROAD BEHIND AND TOOK UP RESIDENCY ON OUR LOCAL YMCA TREADMILL. MY PACE HAD SLOWED TO 10.. NO, 11.. WHO AM I KIDDING... 12 MINUTE MILES ON A GOOD DAY. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO NEED SOME MAJOR MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING. I WAS STARTING TO GET SHIN SPLINTS EVERY TIME I STARTED TO JOG AND I WAS GETTING ANGRY WITH MY BODY FOR REBELLING AGAINST ME. 

SO I SET A GOAL.

MY GOAL IS TO RUN 1,000 MILES IN THE YEAR OF 2013. 

I KNEW IT WOULD BE A LITTLE INTERESTING THOUGH, BEING THE KNOCKED^UP RUNNER THAT I WAS AT THE TIME. MY DUE DATE WAS FEBRUARY 9TH, AND MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO RUN THROUGH JANUARY AND THEN TAKE THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY AND MARCH OFF, BUT AROUND JANUARY FIFTEENTH MY BODY WAS SCREAMING AT ME. MY SLOW DUCK WADDLE OF A JOG HAD TURNED INTO A WALK AND THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MONTH, SO I CALLED IT QUITS... FOR THE MOST PART.

LONG STORY SHORT, GRAYSON SCOTT DECIDED HE WOULD TAKE HIS SWEET LITTLE TIME AND HE CAME 11 LONG DAYS LATE ON FEBRUARY TWENTIETH AND THE COUNTDOWN TO LACING UP MY RUNNING SHOES BEGAN. I FOUND MYSELF AT IT ONCE AGAIN ON MARCH FOURTEENTH, MY FIRST RUN AS A MOTHER RUNNER OF 2. 

SO, THIS IS HOW THE YEAR HAS GONE:
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: ^YOU'LL HAVE TO COME BACK LATER THIS WEEK TO FIND OUT HOW I DID IN AUGUST!!^
TOTAL: 329.9

OBVIOUSLY AS YOU KNOW WE ARE OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND AS YOU CAN SEE I AM NOT HALF WAY THREW MY MILES, BUT EACH DAY, WEEK, AND MONTH I KEEP KNOCKING THOSE MILES OFF AND I KNOW MY GOAL WILL BE MET. THANKFULLY MARATHON TRAINING HAS BEGUN AND I AM RACKING UP THE MILES PRETTY EASILY THESE DAYS.

I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED EACH MONTH AS I TRY AND ACCOMPLISH THIS BIG GOAL I HAVE SET FOR MYSELF. i HOPE YOU WILL HANG AROUND AND SEE THE OUTCOME.