The Akron Marathon Race Recap!

This weekend we (myself, Savannah, my mom, and dad) packed up and headed to Akron, OH for the Akron Marathon!  There was a lot of excitement around this race - not only was it my 3rd marathon in 11 months but it would be my family's first time experiencing a race and watching me run!  There was so much excitement and anticipation from the beginning... plus, we were going to have perfect "Ohio Fall weather"... you know, that beautiful bright blue sky, mid-60's, a slight wind, and full on sunshine...

My training had gone well, no injuries and I felt confident in my miles logged and ready to take on this race!  I studied the elevation chart, looked at the route, and felt confident that if I could take on the Flying Pig here in Cincinnati, Akron would be a piece of cake... boy was I wrong ;)

My dad drove us to Akron- it was a great car ride filled with laughter, talking about the race, and sharing stories! 

 Savannah was a GREAT little traveler!  She was very excited about going to her first race, cheering me on, and watching me run a race!

Once we got into Akron, we went straight to the Expo to pick up my race packet.  The expo was super organized and so nice!

After the Expo we checked into our hotel and went to dinner!  Chad and I drove a portion of the race route around 8:30 pm.  We got organized for race morning and were excited to finish another race.

I tried to fall asleep early but it was difficult... I was nervous, anxious, excited and in a new place to sleep.  It was Savannah's first time in a hotel and she was beyond excited about being there (it's the little things, right?!)

My alarm went off at 4am... I ate my whole wheat bagel, soynut butter, and 2 bananas then went back to bed for 45 minutes.  I then woke up at 5:15am and got ready to run!

It was already 55 degrees and the high was going to be 70!  I was so excited... absolutely perfect weather conditions!  The Akron Marathon is called "The Blue Line" so the entire route had a blue line to follow... it was so cool!

As we started the race, my body felt so strong!  It was a beautiful run and I had a seriously awesome playlist!  I knew I was going enjoy these 26.2 miles!  I started preparing my mind for the long run... The route was hilly but by mile 10, I was pacing GREAT and knew I "had this"!

What I wasn't prepared for was the bike trail we turned onto at mile 11 that was a mixture of gravel and sand with an occasional few feet of concrete and a few wooden bridges.  I have never ran on anything like that so it completely messed with my head - by mile 12 I was mentally beat up.

I pulled off the course and stood at the medic tent.  I looked at my watch and saw my pace slowly creeping away from my desired pace.  I was frustrated, disappointed, and ready to cry.  I still had close to 5 miles on the bike trail left... how was I going to get through this?

And right there at mile marker 12, for the first time in my running life, I thought about quitting...

I then remembered my family was there, I prayed and ask the Lord to match my stride, and kept moving.  At this point my goal went from a certain time to just finishing the race.

As I finished the bike trail route, I was so happy to see pavement.  My ankles were achey from trying to stay stable on the rocky route, my calves were burning, and my quads were shot... and then I saw it, "Heart Rate Hill"... this is what the Akron Marathon is known for.  A steady incline for several miles that just doesn't give you a break.  A constant climb.  No breaks.  And my heart sunk.  I was not prepared for this kind of a hill, this far into the race, after running on gravel and sand.

At that point, I honestly didn't think I was going to complete the marathon.  How would I survive this kind of hill after running on that trail?

I continued to pray, quote scripture, and ask the Lord to give me supernatural strength to make it through this hill.  He pulled me up that hill and landed me in the sweetest little neighborhood.  Here there were families, children, music, signs, and so much encouragement.  It was such a blessing!

At mile 21 I was almost an HOUR behind my pace so I called my mom... I said; "I'm ok but this route is really hard and I'm really behind!"  My mom told me to keep pushing and my dad was somewhere along the way.

That's all I needed to hear.  My dad was waiting for me.

My dad and I have a very special relationship.  We have one of those relationships where we don't really have to say anything- we can look at each other and understand.

So let me give you a little mental picture of where I was at -

At this point my body was completely fighting me.  My pace had gone from 9:24/mile to 10:47/mile.  I was exhausted, my mind was saying STOP, my body was yelling STOP but there was a piece of me that just wouldn't give up.  I was on the verge of tears.  I had absolutely nothing left.  I was drenched in sweat, my legs were on fire, my ankles were yelling at me, and my knees were not wanting to work.

And all of the sudden the spectators cleared, no one was around me... Right before the 23 mile marker, I looked ahead and saw my dad, by a tree, blowing me kisses and waving.  He was overflowing with joy, beaming with pride and excitement.

I immediately started crying... I yelled to him; "Dad!!! Please run with me!" and he jumped right in.  I looked at him and said; "I don't think I'm going to make it, I don't think I have 3 more miles in me."

He put his arm on my back and started pouring encouragement over me;

"Don't talk, Hillary.  Save your energy.  We are less than 3 miles away from the finish line.  Mom and Savannah are at the 26 mile marker waiting for you.  I am so proud of you.  You are doing great."

As we climbed the last hill and turned the corner, there it was MILE 26!!!

My dad moved behind and to the side so I could see mom and Savannah...

Savannah started yelling "MOMMY!" and some of the spectators started yelling; "Go Savannah's mommy, you're almost there!"

It was the fuel I needed...

They say a picture is worth a thousands words but when I see this picture my mom snapped of my dad and I hitting mile 26, I'm speechless.

My mom captured my dad pushing and supporting my weak body to the finish line.  It's 3 miles I will never forget.  My dad, even at age 30, was there for me.  He was there to comfort, encourage, push, inspire, support, and get me across that finish line.  That memory and bond is forever stamped in my heart.

Due to security, my dad wasn't allowed to cross the finish line with me, so we parted ways at mile 26 and I finished the last .2 miles in the stadium.  That fire pushed me across the finish line with a time of 4 hours, 44 minutes, and 59 seconds.  A hard earned victory.

I found Chad after crossing the finish line and we celebrated our victory!  He is a great friend, a great athlete, and I feel blessed to have him as a running buddy.  He has pushed me to hit paces and goals I never thought I could.

I admitted I totally underestimated Akron but was happy we did the race!

Savannah was there, waiting to celebrate and see my medal!  She was so proud and didn't even care about my finishing time.  She celebrated, hugged, and kissed me for running my race!

I am so thankful my parents were there for me!  I honestly can say, I don't know if I would have finished if they weren't there to pray over me, encourage me, and support me.

Dad's got the "marathon itch" and is ready to start training for his first marathon!  We have a few races on the schedule to run together and I would love to run a full race with him!  I know he will be awesome!

Thank you to everyone who prayed, encouraged, sent texts and love my way.  I am so thankful the Lord has given me this opportunity to serve Him in my running, that He matches my stride, gives me strength in my weakness, and pushes me across that finish line.  He deserves all the honor and glory and praise... He is faithful, His righteous right hand holds me, and because of His faithfulness I know I can do ALL THINGS through Christ because He is my strength!

Another one bites the dust...

My 2nd Challenge Group just wrapped up yesterday with GREAT success!  I know you hear (aka read) a lot about these Challenge Groups I do with Shakeology & Beachbody products but I seriously LOVE THEM!  I honestly get so much joy from each group as they each bring different people, from different backgrounds, with different personalities.  Pouring into these individuals, encouraging them, and supporting them as they take a BIG step to change their health and lives is such a blessing!

The "July Challenge Group" that just wrapped up had KILLER results.  I am so proud of these challengers!  I will say, one of the things I absolutely enjoyed about this group was their humor and personalities - I would laugh so hard at some of the things they posted.

These Challengers were not boring by any means, they made setting healthy goals fun!  Bad habits were exchanged for good ones, goals were set and reached, and the importance of eating clean, working out, and learning to love your body was achieved... and that's in 30 days!

And to think... I get paid to do this?!

It is such a joy helping others discover (and rediscover) just how STRONG, BEAUTIFUL, and POWERFUL they really are!

For the July Challenge Group everyone drank their Shakeology Shake but did their own exercise program.  Some did Ballroom dancing, tap, running, Jillian Michael's DVD's, Hip-Hop Abs, T25, the gym, free weights... it was such a great mix-up and everyone had success!

Here are what two Challengers had to say about their 30 day Challenge...

"I can confidently say that I successfully achieved the goals I set for myself during this challenge.  I really wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of all of you. Thanks for all of the positive energy, the encouragement, and motivation. I learn so much about the importance of balance and moderation in workouts and more importantly nutrition. I lost 5 pounds and 7.75 inches overall. I feel great about the progress and I am excited to continue practicing what I have learned during this challenge. Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement!"  ~Challenger 3, Group 2

"9.6 lbs and lighter and 10 total inches smaller. I'm eating better, moving more and feeling better than I have in years. I've changed some bad habits and have a whole new outlook on how to make food work for me. Thanks for all of your help and support. I couldn't have stuck with this without you guys."  ~Challenger 4, Group 2 

One of the Challengers has joined me for my August "Back to School" Challenge Group... I love when Challengers ask if they can continue on into the next month!  We all need accountability, we all need encouragement, and we all need support.  We also need others to CELEBRATE with us when we pass up that donut, go 30 days without soda, and start seeing hard work pay off!

With the July group wrapped up, I have wrapped up my 90 days using Shakeology, running, and Hip-Hop Abs.  I am so excited to say I've maintained a very healthy and goal weight for the last 6 months along with building muscle, toning, and strengthening muscles I've never had.  Since starting Shakeology, I have lost a total of a little over 6 inches all over.  My currents goals are to continue strengthening and toning my core & arms.  I absolutely LOVE drinking my Shake everyday.  It gets me through sugar cravings, afternoon slumps, and gives me energy.

In each Challenge group, I'm not only pushing my Challengers but I am pushing myself to hit new goals and change bad habits, too!  I love the accountability, encouragement, and celebration that goes on in these groups!  It makes working out, eating clean, and hitting goals so much easier with the support system!

My August "Back to School" Challenge Group started this past Monday.  We are ALL drinking Shakeology and using the T25 workout program.  This is the first "Focus" Group I've done and I'm really excited to be able to connect with each of the Challengers since we're all doing the same program.  I can honestly say 3 days into the program I have NEVER worked out this hard before.  It may only be 25 minutes but it is intense!

My first workout with T25 I left a puddle of sweat on the ground.  It was crazy.  Sweat pouring down my legs, dripping off my arms, face, and stomach... I mean it looked like I had just ran 15 miles!

I'm pretty excited about this group and how it's going to push me in a way running doesn't.  

Speaking of running... We are less than 50 days away from the Akron Marathon!  I've really hit a wall with my running, which is why T25 is a good change up for me.  I've not experienced this "running block" before so as I log my miles, I'm just asking that the Lord speak to my heart and use that time to honor and glorify Him. 

Saturday, while running 16 miles, I just had to stop at mile 10 and walk... it was such a defeating feeling.  I couldn't get through that mental block.  It took everything in me to push myself to keep running and finish the distance.  I finished the miles and sucked it up as a bad run.  I'm very excited to see what T25 does for my core strength and running. 

Are you ready to make that commitment to get healthy but need a good, solid support system?!  Well, 
I'd love for you to join my September Challenge Group!  

September's Challenge Group is starting to fill up, so if you're interested in being part of this group, message me ASAP to get more details and sign up! 

Congratulations July Challenge Group... I'm so proud of every single one of you!!!  Keep up your hard work and continue setting and hitting those health and fitness goals!

It's AUGUST!

We just returned from Cumberland where we had a wonderful 3 days with our boating family :)  Savannah is a "Boating Girl" at heart - at 4.5 years old she has NO FEAR and absolutely LOVES tubing, going fast, jumping wakes, and diving off any part of the boat she is allowed to dive off of.  

We are beyond blessed to have The Biser family share their family vacation with us, feed us wonderful meals, and teach us how to tube, wake board, wake surf, and just enjoy life at the lake!

Thanks to high demand, the introductory offer on the T25 Challenge Pack has now been extended through August 31st! 

I'm going to be honest... I'm a bit nervous about taking on T25, it's going to be the hardest program I've ever done but I'm really looking forward to taking the challenge.

My August Challenge Group is called the "Back to School" challenge and will be starting Monday, August 12th.  If you're interested in joining, message me or email me and I'll get you signed up!

This group will be different from my past groups because for the FIRST time we will ALL be doing the T25 program!  So when we do our daily posts and check-ins, everyone will be sharing how they're doing with the program.  This makes me excited :)

If you're not "into" Challenge Groups and just want something to do on your own time to try out check out these promotions for August -

Let's talk about something else that's EXCITING...

My July Group is in their last few days and one of the challengers has already lost a little over 6 lbs. AND a total of 8.25 inches from her body!  This is through eating clean, working out, and drinking Shakeology!  No starvation, no nasty drinks, not in the gym for 3 hours... just working hard on making good choices and breaking bad, unhealthy habits.
"I am thrilled and looking forward to kicking butt and taking names in these last 2 weeks. Now excuse me but I have to go and pull out my old smaller sized clothes." ~Challenger, group 2

It's really amazing what these "challenge groups" do for people.  It's a place to encourage, uplift, and CELEBRATE!  I just love to see the hard work pay off and for Challengers to have that "ah-ha" moment where they finally connect eating healthy+working out = results!  Nope, no magic pill just hard work and dedication to being healthy from the inside out.

And really, there's nothing more empowering then realizing how strong you really are, being able to look in the mirror and love yourself, all of yourself.

That's a wrap - Challenge Group #1!

My first Challenge Group has officially wrapped up!  Talk about an amazing first group... these challengers were absolutely AWESOME!  They committed to getting healthy, set some pretty awesome goals, and crushed the 30 day Challenge!

I am so proud of them... passing up donuts, soda, cake, and other processed junk!  Each of the Challengers not only lost weight but INCHES, too!  They have started a life change from the inside out - trading in their bad habits for good ones and are seeing the benefits of hard work, eating healthy, and pushing hard in the gym!

"So what has shakeology done for me? It has totally changed up my routine. I have it for breakfast every single day. I really love just being able to blend it up and sip on it as I make my drive to work...  I am really starting to see changes in my body that I have not seen before. I’m excited to see how much more progress I will make as I continue my journey." 

~Challenger, group #1

My second Challenge Group started this past Monday and it's a completely different group of Challengers.  I think that's what makes Coaching so much fun.  All different people, different background, different weaknesses, different lifestyles, but they all share one common goal and that's that they want to get healthy and do it the right way.

I'm so encouraged by these groups...which is another reason I love being a Coach!  It's accountability for me but more importantly, I get to help others!

I'm still a work in progress but I have to say, I absolutely LOVE Hip hop abs!  I cannot lie, I'm a sucker for Shaun T and his dance moves!  I'm committed to doing the 30 days of Hip-Hop Abs again for my July Challenge Group on top of my running now that I know all of the "moves" and what to expect from the program.

My goals are to maintain my current weight, continue my running program, add in Hip-Hop Abs, and focus on strengthening my core, arms, and shoulders.

I was so excited that the entire month I've maintained my weight, pushed my runs, and gave it my all with the DVD program.

Here are my personal 60 day results with Shakeology from Before drinking Shakeology (May 2013) to The Challenge Group I participated in (June 2013-30 days) to current/my first month as a Coach (July 2013-60 days)

Are you interested in what Shakeology can do for you?

I'm accepting Challengers for my AUGUST Challenge Group 

 and would LOVE for you to join me!

3 marathons in 11 months... why not?!

Chad and I logged our 12 miles early Saturday morning.  As we soaked in the perfect running weather - sunny, mid 60's, nice breeze, and bright blue sky with big white fluffy clouds - we talked about the Akron Marathon, our goals, and how we're going to achieve them in these next few months.

Here we are, 74 days away from the Akron Marathon!  It's exciting to think 19 months ago I couldn't run a mile and in the last 19 months I've ran a 5k, 10k, half marathon, 2 full marathons, and a Sprint Triathlon.  And within 11 months, I'll have ran 3 marathons.  It's exciting to set goals, meet them, and push my body - I really am strong ;)

Why Akron you ask?!  Well, Chad suggested Akron because he said they're known for KILLER give aways to finishers... and boy was he right!  This year, they're giving away Brooks Running Jackets! AWESOME!  I'm totally in ;)

I am all about FREE stuff but the main reason I wanted to run Akron is because Race day is on a Saturday, September 28th!  My family hasn't been able to come see a race, in fact NONE of the races I've ran in, because they've all been on Sundays.

With all of us in Ministry, it's pretty difficult to take Sundays off.  So I am BEYOND excited that my mom & dad along with Savannah will be coming to Akron to cheer me on!  It will be their first time attending a race, let alone a marathon.  Boy are they in for an exciting morning :)

• I can definitely tell my core is getting stronger.  I'm pretty sure I can thank Shaun T and Hip-Hop Abs for that transformation - no lie.  
• I'm still drinking my Shakeology and LOVING it :)  The vanilla and vegan strawberry are my favorite!
• My pace for 12-13.1 miles is consistent- around a 9:30/9:45 minute pace.  I'd love to see if I can keep that all the way through and finish the marathon around 4 hours and 15 minutes.
• My lungs feel nice and strong.  
• Cycling and swimming these last few months has allowed my body to rest from running but built strength in other muscles

So... here's to another awesome summer of early mornings, crazy humidity, insane distances, and training with Chad!  

I heart Challenge Groups!

My First Challenge Group is wrapping up, we are in our last week together and these challengers have absolutely killed it!  I am so proud of each of them for hitting goals, not gaining weight over family vacations, and staying strong against those junk food cravings!  This July they sure did claim FREEDOM over those cravings!  They make me proud!

It's a bitter-sweet thing wrapping up this first group!  I honestly couldn't have asked for a better FIRST group!  They not only checked-in and did what I was asking of them but they went above and beyond. They encouraged each other, supported each other, and gave each other advice!  A group of women who didn't know each other, came together (with different life-styles, goals, and struggles) and became a team encouraging and supporting each other immediately.

Within our first group we had a Challenger who ended up with a back injury and was unable to work out for close to 2 weeks.  In this time she shared her struggles with wanting to work out but not being able to.  Immediately the challengers came around her and encouraged her to listen to her doctor, focus on her food choices, and do what she could for exercise... walk!

Another Challenger had a family emergency and immediately support from each of the Challengers began pouring in.  It wasn't about her health but it was so great to see the outpour of encouragement from all the Challengers begin to flow!

The community of the Challenge groups is really what I love!  Sometimes in our battle, struggle, fight to get healthy and make healthy choices we feel alone but these Challenge Groups are great because it helps you see that majority of women are struggling with the exact same thing!   Bloating, sugar cravings, emotional eating, overwhelmed at work, overwhelmed at home, busy mom, busy wife, and on the go!  No matter if you're married, have kids, working, or at home we all tend to struggle with the same things when it comes to our eating habits.  The groups are a great way to find not just a community of women who are going through the same thing but who will help you overcome and encourage you to make better choices AND rejoice with you when you do overcome those temptations!

One of my favorite posts was a Challenger who sent me a picture of donuts with this response:

"I wanted to post this to keep me accountable :) I had to bring these into summer school....and I only needed 7 of the 12 for my students....ugh! Hate when there are leftovers of something you like :( anyways after passing them out to the kids I immediately took them to another classroom and gave them away. I knew if they sat in my room long enough I would cave and eat one! So proud moment for me...I bought a dozen donuts this morning for my students and did not eat one! Thanks coach for listening to me brag, although something that sounds so simple shouldn't be this hard...but it is!"

You may think that's silly but IT IS SO TRUE!  We create these habits that hurt our health and when you finally BREAK one of those habits, when you begin holding yourself accountable there is not just an excitement but a JOY that you overcame!  It's the little changes that give us BIG results in the end!

This isn't about getting skinny and starvation it's about getting healthy from the INSIDE OUT!  The main thing I tell people asking about Shakeology and Beachbody products is this- It's not a magic shake, it doesn't make you thin... you have to work hard and change your habits!  This is just a tool that will help you reach those goals but it also includes eating clean and working out!

My goal as your coach is to encourage you to eat clean, teach you how to overcome temptations, create healthy habits, encourage you to push hard during your workouts, and set goals you never thought possible and begin reaching them!

I have been doing Hip-Hop Abs with Shaun T for the last 3 weeks and have really enjoyed the program!  It's a lot different from what I'm use to but I'm really enjoying adding in the DVD's with my running routine.

The whole reason I decided to start Shakeology was because I had lost weight but still was feeling kind of "soft" in my stomach and arms.  I wanted to tone up.  I've seen such great results with Shakeology and the Beachbody products.  It's been a lot of hard work these last 18.5 months but I absolutely LOVE pushing my body and seeing how strong I am!

I started Shakeology a few weeks after Easter -

60 days...

Shakeology + Running + Hip-Hop Abs

One Year Comparison 

My next Challenge Group is getting prepared to start next Monday, July 15th!  I am so excited for them and looking forward to seeing how they're challenged and encouraged to make healthy changes in their own lives!

Here are a few statements from my first group of Challengers about their experience with Shakeology-

"Months ago when I originally heard of shakeology I was a little skeptical. I thought it was just another diet fad and was completely not interested. After all, I have been a self proclaimed health guru for years and I know healthy ways to eat, train, and lose weight. Running is my passion and marathon mornings are like my Christmas. Over years of training for countless races and marathons I knew how I needed to eat. The problem though, was practicing the eating habits I knew I should apply.

In October we had beautiful baby Sophia. Balancing being a first time mom with all of the demands that come with it, working out, and eating heathy, was quite frankly over whelming. I had never had to factor in the care of another person into my workout and eating routines. The baby weight came over within weeks, but my body was still just a shadow of what it was pre baby. Honestly I felt flabby and unhealthy for the first time in my adult life. I needed something to help me refocus and get back on track.

When I saw that Hillary was going to be a Shakeology coach, I felt The Lord was giving me a solution to my frustrations.

Shakeology has helped me be more planful about what I eat and more aware as to what I am putting in my body.

The first week I lost one inch around my waist. Week two I lost four pounds and two inches from my waist. This did come with hard work. I have been doing 45 mins to a hour of cardio a day as well as weight training. The shake did not do it for me. It just gave me the motivation to start again.

I have the shake for breakfast and besides being delicious, it helps me feel like I am starting my day off healthy."  ~Jen

" I first heard of Shakeology before I got pregnant and always wondered what is was like and how it would impact my life. Now after having my first child and trying to get back into shape and go a little further with my exercise I decided it was time to change things up a bit and check Shakeology out. Once Hillary completed her 30 day challenge I had told her that I would be interested in joining her first challenge group. Now that we are 3 weeks into our challenge I am loving Shakeology. The flavors are great and so easy to make new recipes with. I personally love starting my day with it because I don't have to worry about what I will eat first thing in the morning. It's my brainless activity for the day. By day 5, I truly began noticing increased energy, curbed cravings for sweets and less bloating. Now that I have drank it consistently for 3 weeks I've noticed that drinking pop doesn't taste so good anymore. Paired with some form of exercise and eating clean I am beginning to see great results with weight loss and inches lost! I hope you give it a try because if you are not satisfied you can always get your money back! Enjoy!"  ~Erin

"What has shakeology done for me in 16 days: energized my body, cleaned out toxins, regulated my bowels, suppressed my appetite (including my desire for sweets!), kept me healthy from getting the stomach bug that the rest of my family got, promoted healthy eating even in times of stress and exhaustion, and encouraged me to be a better me. And with all that comes losing 5 pounds and a couple inches in just 2 weeks! As a busy mom who doesn't always have a lot of spare time, my shakes have been a great go-to meal or snack." ~Mandi

Tri-umphant Triathlon Recap!

This morning I took on my FIRST Sprint Triathlon!  I've been training for the last 5 weeks and thought it would be a great way to change up my training.  As much as I love running, I've wanted to throw in some new things.

I recently added Shakeology & Hip-Hop Abs into my training routine along with cycling and swimming!  I've had a great time training for this race.  I honestly didn't really know how to train for it since I don't have a pool in my back yard and I'm not a fan of running on a treadmill, biking on a stationary bike, and swimming inside.  So, I just kind of winged it.  Running & cycling outside and throwing in swimming in the lap lanes at the pool we go to randomly.

I'm not necessarily an amazing swimmer but I can keep my head above the water. haha.

Talk about an exciting race!  I was surrounded by awesome local athletes, first timers like myself, veterans, marathoners, ultra runners, and so many more!  Everyone was encouraging and helping each other... I know I've said this before but the Running and Cycling community is beyond amazing, I am thankful to be part of it!

I had absolutely NO CLUE what to expect, this was my first Triathlon race.  BJ and Chad did their best to prepare me for it but until you've actually done one, hearing someone say; "It's SO easy, you're going to do great!" isn't that comforting because it's still unknown.

I've been training for a little over a month.  Cycling, swimming, and then doing a cycling/running combo several days a week.  I knew I was capable to swimming the 400 yards but I had not clue what my time was!  I think that was the most stressful part for me.  I didn't want to hold anyone back but didn't want to be that girl everyone passed.

Last night I had a great early dinner and got to bed by 10:30pm.  My alarm went off, bright and early, at 4:45am.  I got up and drank some black coffee and allowed my body to slowly wake up.

Breakfast:  2 pieces of Ezekiel Bread with tbsp soynut butter, black coffee, water

As I was eating, I sat listening to worship music and prayed the Lord would be with me as I took on this new adventure and race.  That he would calm my nerves and bring peace to me.

I double and triple checked my bag to make sure I had everything...
goggles
socks
running shoes

The race started at 7:30am but I got to there early because I wanted to make sure I had everything together.  I found a great spot in the transition area and loaded up.  There were a few women around me who all started conversation, sharing their stories, and encouraging each other.

I couldn't have asked for better weather! It was overcast, cool, and a little breezy.  JUST perfect!

BJ put some air in my tires before I went into the pool area and got ready for the first leg of the race- the swim.

7:30 am is when the women started swimming.  Everyone started lining up according to their swimming pace.  Unfortunately, I had no clue how fast I could swim 400 yards but I knew it was my weakest out of the three so I went towards the back.  It was there I met a nice mom of 4, who had ran 8 marathons - including Boston, and was such an encouragement!  She made me go in front of her and cheered me on as I started my first sprint Triathlon!

BJ and Chad were able to make it into the swimming area to cheer me on (and for BJ to take some great and embarrassing pictures of me).  BJ also was able to catch me before I took off and give me some words of encouragement.  My chip didn't start until I hit the water and by the time I hopped in, it was close to 8 am.

I started with freestyle but realized I was using a lot more of my leg strength than I wanted to.  After 1 lane of swimming freestyle I went straight into breaststroke.

I knew I'd rely a lot more on my arms if I stayed in breaststroke.  Talk about congested... I got stuck behind a few people and had to go around them.  At a few points I had to stand up and run in the water past a section of people.  Once I hit that last lap, I got excited - the part I was most worried about was finished.

I transitioned out of the pool and went straight for my bike.  I had a small towel that I wiped my feet off with, they were covered in grass and I was obviously drenched.  There really is nothing WORSE then riding & running with chunks of grass and wet socks.  I took a GU at this transition and knew I'd have time to relax on the bike.  I didn't force the transition with the bike, I took my time and made sure I had everything.

The Bike Route was 2 laps- With the race being in Mason, it was great knowing where I was at and what elevations to expect. The course wasn't bad at all, it was familiar and nice and had two hills that definitely challenged me!!

My friend, Rachel, was also participating in the Tri.  She is an EXCELLENT swimmer so she was way ahead of me in the swimming line so she was on her 2nd lap when I started my first.  It was so nice to catch up with her and get a moment of conversation.  As I headed into my first lap, I passed Chad on his run and yelled out to him!

As I went into my 2nd lap on the ride, I was alone.  Where was everyone?!  I couldn't figure out if I was pacing well or behind.  I chose not to keep pace mainly because I didn't want to be too hard or disappointed if I wasn't where I wanted to be.  I just wanted to have fun.  Because I had started later into the swim, I just wasn't sure where I was at in the race.

I pulled into the transition area, put my bike back and drank some water.  It was in this time I walked for a bit.  That feeling after cycling for so long and going straight into can be discouraging, trying to find pace can get exhausting but I wanted to make sure I gave my body time to adjust.

As I began running I looked up to see Chad and BJ, right there cheering me on.  One of the guys handing out water said; "nice pace!" and I wasn't quite sure how to take that but I took it as encouragement that I was moving in the right direction.

The start of the 5k

Coming into the last mile, there BJ, Kim, and Eliza were cheering me on and yelling for me to push home!  I was so close, the finish line was right there!  I was able to pick up my pace and pass a few runners.

And push hard to make it to the finish line.

01:30:09 Finish Time

Overall place of women: 47 out of 101
Age group place: 9 out of 19

 400 yard swim: 11:26 minutes
12 mile bike: 48:03 minutes
 5k run: 27:21 minutes

Kim snapped one last victory shot of me after the race!  Thanks to Chad and BJ for training with me, Kim for letting me use all of her cycling gear, BJ for make-shifting a road bike for me, and for coming to cheer me on and support me in my first taste of a triathlon.

A Triathlon is DEFINITELY something I never thought I would ever do... But 18 months ago I couldn't even run a mile.  It was such a wonderful feeling taking on this challenge and pushing my body further than what I thought it could go.  The Lord is so awesome, He fills me with such JOY on my runs.  It is a pretty awesome feeling to set goals that seem so unattainable, bust your butt in training, and crush those goals with all your hard work!

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."

~Psalm 73:26