Anything for a story!

Anything for a story...Yes, that's my motto. Hey anyone who dresses up like a dog every Sunday morning has to be a little crazy! Spot the dog, pictured below, thank you!

So how did I come up with this motto? Well think about it, If everything always goes right, would anyone ever have any good stories. My sister (pictured above as the cow) and I live by this. Mainly because if we can screw it up, we will...... so here are the funny, and not so funny, moments of my running.

So here is where it all began...well sort of. This is the 2004 Disney Marathon. Yes I am about 40lbs heavier in the pictures......


















The 2nd picture, is Me, Ron, and Bree after we finished. Proud of the hardware! The 1st, is a picture of me around mile 23 with my hero...THE EVIL QUEEN! Isn't she awesome! However, all this joy was shadowed by sadness. Matt and I had to get right on a plane and go back home to Charlotte. Matt's father was dying.

Now move ahead to January 2006. Matt and I complete the Goofy Challenge. This is 13.1 miles on Saturday and 26.2 miles on Sunday. That is 39.3 miles. Bree and Ron also did this fun trek with us!

October 2006 I completed my 1st trail marathon. I got to know Ricky because Ron talked him into running with me. Bless his heart.....I learned how to crawl through mud and over logs. It was cold and poured down the rain for most of the race. In the picture below, I am running to the finish line yelling, "am I the winner"?

January 2007 finds us back at the Disney Marathon. Some way, we talked Matt's brother Curt into running it with us. Notice we are in shorts....it is 0400 and already HOT! I finished with a PR of 4:12 in 88 degree weather.
Me, Curt and Matt are in the first picture. The 2nd is me at mile 25!










After the very HOT Disney marathon, and intense training by myself I was feeling a bit burned out. So what better fun than running with a sister. I trained her for her 1st half marathon and we ran it together in April 2007. Charlotte Racefest.

Here we are at the finish showing some grand hardware! Little did she know, she had only trained to 8 miles. I saw no point to tell her this until AFTER the half marathon.

A race is not complete without a port-a-jon picture.

At mile 7 Hope decided to get in touch with her inner chi!

2007 held many new adventures for me. I placed for the first time in my age group in a race. 3rd place on May 19th, 2007. It may have been because 2 guys were dissing my running skirt and I had to take them to town and show them how a girl runs! (Yes, I beat them!) never underestimate a runner.....respect the skirt! Here I am with my nifty major award!

2007 also was the first century ride for me! September 2007 to be exact in Myrtle Beach. Below is the crew in our group before we start.

And I couldn't disappoint.....another port-a-jon picture. I thought it was funny b/c they had "men" written on them...and I used them anyway! OOOOOH, yeah, I went there.

Here we fast forward to December 2007. Charlotte, Thunder Road Marathon. This was lucky #7 for me. And I have my lucky "Charlotte Hornets" sweats on. Below is the crew who ran this rather warm marathon.

Here I am at the finish. It had been a hard long road. I had acid reflux and swore I would NEVER do another marathon. Jeff and Colleen got me to the end.

Move on to March 2008. MAP Tri!

Nothing like dropping your pants and allowing someone to write your age on your leg. I hope I shaved!

Here is Bree, me, and Jeff! We all did the tri!

Like my helmet? It didn't come off until mile 3 of the run portion of the tri. Just in case you are wondering, that is not supposed to happen. But once again, I have a good story!

May 2008 brought me and Hope (my sis) together for another half.

We are at the finish line.....but it is time to start. That should have been the 1st clue that this was going to be a wacky race.

I get stuck in the mud....but it is ok. We are lost anyway!

And Hope seems to be handling it well. She must not have brought enough nutrition...so eat a sign....hey wait, what did that sign say? Goats?

Now on to Charlotte, Thunder Road Marathon 2008.... Why do I continue to run this marathon?

My goal was to break 4 hours. I am at mile 16 acting like I am shooting myself in the head. Do you think I met my goal?
Not today Zurg. I ran a 4:05. A PR by 6 minutes, but no goal met.

Then I went to Myrtle Beach 8 weeks later....and ran a 3:51. Goal met!

Me coming across the finish line at Myrtle Beach, Feb. 14th, 2009 in the pouring down rain!

So now on to try and qualify for Boston.....This would take speedwork over the summer.

I think the spring/summer speed work at the JCSU track has gotten the best of coach Ron.

April 2009 I competed in the Skyline 5k. I finally broke 24 minutes....and my truck.

So on to December 2009 to test out my speedy skills on the marathon. Yes, Thunder Road. This was marathon #10 and the goal was to Boston Qualify.....or at least break 4 hours.

I did neither......Got sick on the course and ended up with a 4:05....again!

But that is OK...I still have Myrtle Beach Feb. 2010.....................

But that was never to happen. A grand snow storm came and in great southern fashion, everything shut down. So the marathon was canceled. We ran anyway.......16 miles to be exact.

Here is the whole crew who came to run.......

So with no BQ or Myrtle beach marathon, I decide to run a half with friends....

March 2010, brings the Corporate Cup 1/2 marathon. Leigh, Ross, Me, Bree, Matt are the crew who run it!

Matt finishes and finds a nice soft sidewalk to lay down on.

So that is the adventures up to this point.....

What have I lost? About 40lbs, any pride I ever had, the ability to take myself seriously.

What have I gained? Many new friends, great pictures, and awesome stories that I will tell to anyone who is unlucky enough to start listening.

I had someone say that I make running look fun. This is because it is fun. The wonderful adventures that await the 20 mile run or the race.....the pushing your body.....to bragging rights....all this is fun!

And what is next?

Not sure about this. I am signed up for Myrtle Beach again....Hey, they gave us a 50% discount!

May do Disney Marathon (if I can fork out the $135 entry fee) with Matt.......

But not sure of what else.....but hey, anything for a story!