Don't Believe Me; Just Watch

Today, I watched a movie that made me ugly cry. I knew I'd tear up, but I had no clue it would hit home with me on so many levels. I watched Brittany Runs A Marathon.  I am going to try not to ruin it for you.  If you haven't seen it you need to. It's got bad language,  but so do I sometimes  :)

Spoiler alert: Brittany runs the marathon. ..

I cried with her through her journey to get there. Through her struggle to make a life change and the resistance she met along the way. I knew how she felt going from the one who looked at the runners like they were insane to being the insane runner. 

I knew exactly how she felt as the 'fat funny friend'. I am the one who has been one of the guys because I was not shaped right. I am not a size 2. Heck, I'm not even a 12. I felt her pain on a soul deep level.  I have been skinny and I was absolutely treated differently than when I put my weight back on. The reality of that sucks. The good news is, true friends dont care. The good ones love you no matter what . But! That is a rant for another day. 

I have experienced her stress of others not taking my running seriously.  Her heartbreak at set backs. Her need to prove to the world that I ,and I alone ,am able to do this. The feeling of swallowing your pride and allowing others to help, in case you dont have all the answers. 

I cried like a child in time out when she ran New York. I cheered every mile they showed. I cried at her support system showing up and screaming her to the end. I cried when they showed her foot going over that finish line. I cried knowing this wasn't just a fun movie, this Brittany person is real. She runs. 

I want to, and I will, check 26.2 off my list. I want it checked in New York. I want it checked in Chicago. I want it checked in Boston.  Spoiler alert #2: I will cry then too.

I am overweight, but that does NOT count me out. I am not on a weightloss journey.  I am on an "Amanda is a runner" journey. 

Tomorrow I plan to run 3 miles. In February I will run 9.3. In April I plan to run 13.1. By this time next year, I plan to be well on my way to 26.2. 

Goal: 2021 NYC is mine. 

"It's not about winning. It's about finishing" - Brittany Runs A Marathon 

Just Keep Running...walking.....moving

OK. #1 sorry it has been so long since my last entry.  #2 I will do better.  
Why the long gap?? Well, I have been putting off typing the next couple of sentences.  Ready? 

I DID NOT FINISH MY HALF MARATHON IN OCTOBER AND I DIDN'T EVEN GO TO THE ONE 3 WEEKS LATER IN NOVEMBER . I ONLY FINISHED 10 OF THE 13.1 MILES. 

There I  said it. In my defense, I had been sick for about 3 weeks and had completed 0 training.  I just wanted to complete the distance and set a bar.  I couldn't even do that.  My feet were blistered. I was dead last. I couldn't go anymore. I rode in a cop car from mile 10 to mile 13.1, got in my mom's car, and went home.  I have been mad at myself since 10/12/19. 

I am now training and working my way to that 13.1 ( eventually 26.2). I have my first official, trained for, half marathon in April.  I completed a 4 mile run on 11/26/19. I averaged 15 min/mile and finished in 1:05:00.  I completed the Turkey Trot ( 5K ) on Thanksgiving.  I averaged 14:37 min/mile and finished in 45:57. 

I have found a TRULY  amazing running coach! Maria has been extremely helpful and encouraging! She met me where I was and has been/is helping me be a better me.  I am currently training for The Hot Chocolate 15K, in Charlotte, on 2/22/20. 
My mom has taken me to ALL my races over the last year. She has kept my kiddo while I train and while I race.  Recently she has started doing some of my races with me. She has cheered me on since I started this journey. She even refrained from laughing out loud when I announced I wanted to run Boston. 
My Hubby has been behind me since I decided to give this running thing a try. He has always made sure if I wanted to work out I can. He has helped me out in the gym and has even logged a few miles with me. 
I am LOVING that my cousin, Katy, has joined me on my running journey. She is faster than me but never once has she made me feel like she is better than me.  She has encouraged me, checked on me, and held me accountable. She talks to me about her struggles and asks for my advice. She helps me through my struggles and helps me find solutions . Even though we are in different states she is always there to cheer me on ( via text and/or in person) at the start. She is one of the first to check in and cheer for me when I cross the finish.  She has reminded me of one of the main things I love about running, the runners.  
(Those are just a few of my cheerleaders :) There are a few more who will come up later )

Katherine Switzer summed it up when she said, " “If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.”  
From the people in the front of the pack with the elite bibs, to the people in the back who know they will be some of the last to cross.  From the people who are running their first race to the ones who have been doing it for years.  There is a feeling of family, a feeling of " we are in this together until we all cross!"  5K, 10K, 15K, 13.1, 26.2; the farther you are going the more encouragement you get! 


I am done being mad at me for not completing 13.1 in October. I was not defeated, I completed 10 Miles that day. Will I ever forget that feeling? Hell no.  I just have to keep remembering that even professionals have to drop out of races sometimes. 
I wish I was jumping on here to say I was already down to my 12:00/mile pace that I am aiming for.  I wish I was setting up my next goal for 10:00/mile, however, that is not this post.  That one will come a little later ;)  

“IF YOU’RE like me, you appreciate how running improves your life. You like how you feel while you’re running and after a run. You like being healthier and more in control of your destiny. You like the camaraderie and the time alone. You like being outside enjoying nature. You like pushing yourself and the satisfaction that comes from working toward a goal. You like how clear-cut it is, how you get out of it what you put into it. You like that you get to do it on your terms, as casually or seriously as you want. You simply like telling yourself, “I’m a runner.”
― Meb Keflezighi, Meb For Mortals: Harness the Training Methods of a Champion Marathoner to Achieve Peak Running Performance



Happy Running!!! 

Benchmark.

When you say something is a benchmark, what do you think of? The first thing that comes to my head is a benchmark case or trial. That would be a case that sets a standard or establishes how something will be handled in the future.  A benchmark test would be one that shows the teacher where you are when the class starts. It sets that bar and you build from there. 

What about a benchmark race? Logically,  it would simply be a race that sets the bar to build off of; a starting point so you can see improvements. That is exactly what it is, and should not be something my head struggles with.  Alas...here we are, strugglin'. 

I have a race in 2 weeks. My first ever half marathon!! No matter what happens, it will be a PR because I have NEVER gone that distance. So, by definition,  it is a benchmark race.  I am having such a hard time accepting that for what it is. Why?? I will tell you. :) 

In my head my running benchmark was a year ago. When I took that 1st step and a faster pace. When I took 35 minutes to make it a mile around the block. When I did more walking/jogging than anything.  I had full intentions, in my head, of never needing to benchmark anything in running again.  I see myself as constantly building on that first step 365+ days ago. 

Now, I know some of you are ahead of me, but just hold on. I know what you want to say... 

Fast forward to 3 months ago. I live in the south. 3 months ago was June/July. What happens in the south during that time???? 

It gets hot? Was that your answer?? You are close.  It gets more than hot. I am fairly certain the sun moves closer to us and pokes at us with a giant stick and sees how close to catching on fire we can get.

I dont do a lot of outdoor running in the summer. I try but the need to breathe kicks in and I end up cross training indoors.  I knew this race was coming and I did what I could with the intention of hitting distances in August and September.  Well.... never plan for last minute training. I have been sick for almost a month. I have gone from cold to chest cold to flu like virus to severe sinus infection in about 30 days.  I am finally on the mend. I can move without panting and needing my inhaler. I still have a cough but it's better. I still cant get out and run. 

I tell you all that to say this. I am not going to blow this race out of the water. I am not going into this with the training I need to shave time off of miles or try and beat my last 5k record.  Those were my intentions.  That was my plan. I was going to continue to build off of my benchmark first steps in sept 2018. 

Now I have to rethink. I have to circle back and rewire my mindset. This being a benchmark half is not a setback, or a bad thing.  I feel like it is, but I know it's not. I keep telling myself , no matter what this 13.1 is a PR.  But I partly dont feel like it will be. I was supposed to be set to power through this and shatter my own expectations,  not get sick and accept the defeat of walking most of it. 

This race is a benchmark, by definition,  it is. It's my 1st half. It has no choice but to be a bar set to build from.  Why is this so difficult to wrap my head around? Why is putting one foot in front of the other such a mental game?? 

I dont know if anyone else has mental battles like I do, but I hope I'm not alone. My anxiety makes it worse I'm sure. I realized a couple weeks ago that this sickness had taken my out of "my race against me".  I have struggled ever since. I say the right stuff out loud bit6in my mind I am kicking myself for missed opportunities several months ago that would have helped now. I have 2 choices. Accept it and be defeated.  Accept it and move on.  

I am writing this down. I am blogging this right now. I will not be defeated.  Yes. I am going to end up walking a good bit on October 12. But I AM going to finish it.  Yes, I am aware that I may not see my record 13.28 mile time. But I WONT SEE that benchmark 35 minute mile time. Yes, this race will be a half marathon PR. Yes, this will be an easier one to beat during my next half.  Yes, this is a benchmark race. No it does not mean I have to start over from 365 days ago. I AM STILL BUILDING ON THAT BENCHMARK FIRST STEP CAUSE 365 DAYS AGO I COULDNT GO 13.1 MILES. 

I am so glad I read Meb Keflezighi's book "26 Marathons ". If you haven't,  I HIGHLY recommend you do. I have fallen back in his philosophy so much as I approach this half. He talks about what it means to Run To Win. Which does not mean finishing 1st.  That will be me on 10/12/19. Running to win. Getting the most out of me and my run that I can and being proud of those things. Learning and building so that I can win something new in the next race.  Thank you Meb!!!

October 2019 to Oct 2020 Races

Ok I have created this blog post to track my running progress over then next year. I am going to work with a running coach to get some tips and tricks to improve. My goal this year is a half marathon every month. With other stuff here and there. If you have a good race please let me know!!!!

 I will be working over the next 12 months to:

1. Improve pace (currently at 14 minutes 30 seconds per mile )

2. Set my PR for 13.1 on Oct 12 and improve on it!

3. Improve endurance 

4. Prepare for a marathon in November  2020. 

5. HAVE FUN!!

( below are my upcoming/completed races. I will update as I add and complete more.)

OCTOBER 12, 2019

FAMOUSLY HOT PINK HALF

COLUMBIA, SC

TIME:               PACE:                

NOVEMBER 16, 2019

RUN HARD LEXINGTON HALF

LEXINGTON,  SC

TIME:             PACE:

November 24, 2019

Turkey Trot 5k

Sumter, SC

TIME:    PACE:  

February 20, 2020

Hot Chocolate 15k

Charlotte,  NC

Time:  Pace:

April 4, 2020

Cooper River Bridge Run 10k

Time:   Pace:  

 

APRIL 18,2020

CHARLOTTE RACEFEST HALF

CHARLOTTE,  NC

TIME:  PACE:

I am so mad right now... but I will pull through...

Ok so..... I have posted and posted about tomorrow. 9/20/19. Tunnel to Tower 5k. SUPER EXCITED!  I have been looking forward to this race for a year. 

Today I went to the doctor... I have a flu like virus that is messing with my asthma. They gave me a strong breathing treatment and a new inhaler today.  ( look at the nebulizer I got to use!! I WANT IT!!!!!)

This is all cause the weather is changing. So now, for medical reasons.... I am missing my race tomorrow. I could cry. 

So! Since I want to throw a tantrum I am going to blog a list of things I want to do, no matter how silly they may seem:

1. I want to go to Alcatraz.  During the day and at night. 

2. I want to run Boston.  And I am. I seriously may need a running coach though.

3. I want to go to the UK. ( Ireland, Scotland,  etc...) 

4. I want to go to Alaska.

5. I want to go to Maine.

6. I want to hold a sloth. 

7. I want to be certified to sign in court for the Deaf and hearing impaired. 

8. I want to volunteer at my son's school a few days a week. 

9. I want a basset hound, a German Shepherd, and a mutt.  Separately. That would be a weird combo...

10. I want to be a stay at home mom.

11. I want another baby. Either natural or adoption.  

12. I want to be able to quilt and sew stuff to make money while I stay home with my children and 5 dogs...

13. I want to be a nurse. An L and D nurse. Specifically.  

14. I want to run a race in another country.

15. I want to go back to Costa Rica.

16. I want to be a pro blogger

17. I want to live in Senaca, SC or somewhere up there so I can visit my lake regularly. 

18. I want to kayak.  A lot!

19. I want a degree from Clemson and/or UT Knoxville. 

20. I want to be in a broadway play

 Or at least get the chance to play the lead female role in Phantom of the Opera. 

21. I want to write a book and have it be successful. 

22. I want to sing my Great Grandmother's music for people and not have a panic attack from nerves

23. I want to meet Zak Bagans, the lead investigator for Ghost Adventures.  He could fall for me at the very least he could be my BFF and take me ghost hunting. He just needs to meet me. 

24. I want to tone up and look impressive to me. (Mainly....find my abs..) 

25. I want to make cute cookies with that royal icing decoration and not end up as a "pinterest fail"

There. 25 things I want to do in no specific order, and no matter how far fetched.  I still want tondonmy race tomorrow,  but I can't.  I risk making myself worse and not being ready for my first half on 10/12. 

Perk to the list... I and going to elaborate on each one. So now you know the topics for my next 25 posts. Stay tuned. I will post one a week at least. Yay!! 

P.S. who knows a good, inexpensive,  running coach... no seriously.  Comment it to me! 

9/11. I remember.

Patriotism: love and pride for one's country.  A word associated with July 4th, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Remembrance days for the wars we have fought in this country, and what always seems to show through when we face tragedy as a nation.  This is no different today. Today is 9/11. A day that was burned into our memories and our hearts in 2001. 

I remember where I was on that day. I was in 10th grade at Sumter High School. I was in Band. We were playing and Mr. Jones had to stop us because an announcement came on. Our Principal, Mr. Dingle, was talking about how we would not be closing school. We were safe at SHS. The event taking place was a tragedy and that they would continue to monitor the situation.  I had no clue what they were talking about.  I had no idea that a plane had crashed into The World Trade Center.  I had no idea that we were minutes away from another plane taking out the other tower.  I had no concept of the dangers that were unfolding in DC as a plane was making it's way to The Pentagon. 
We went back to playing our music and eventually the bell rang to send us to our next class.  I had public speaking with Dr. Cook. The TV was on and it wasn't until I sat down that I realized what the announcement was about. I remember staring at the screen in horror. The buildings were crumbling. People were screaming in the background as news reporters tried to explain the chaos. The image of those planes and those buildings played on repeat ALL day, in every classroom. It continued on every channel after I got home. It played on every channel for as long as I can remember.  Even to this day, at least once a year, we revisit those news stories. We review the pictures and the memories that people share. We Remember. We promised on 9/11/01 to remember and here we sit in 2019, 18 years later, keeping that promise. 

In 20 days I will be running a 5K in Columbia, SC. It is a race that I wanted to do even before I discovered my love of running.  I was supposed to run it as my first race last year, but hurricane Florence had other plans.  I will run it this year as my final 5K in my 1st year of running.  I will be running The Tunnel to Towers 5K. As explained on their web page : www.tunnel2towers.org

"The Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Series was created to honor the heroic life and death of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter (FDNY) who lost his life on September 11, 2001 after strapping on his gear and running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers. Honor all of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 and support our first responders and military who make extraordinary sacrifices in the line of duty!"

I encourage you to go to their web page and see what all they do for our first responders.  

This race will consist of 3.1 miles of patriotism. Fire fighters will run it in full gear. Military will run it as squads. Police will run it in uniform. Flags will fly. ( and fair warning ... I will probably cry) This race doesn't come with a finisher medal. It doesn't need to.  I did purchase a medal from a virtual race. It is for a race called " End of Watch" It is in honor of law enforcement who have lost their lives.  It will serve as my medal for this 5k on the 20th. 

I do not ever post political stuff on my pages. I try very hard not to be involved with all the crazy left wing/right wing arguments.  Today, I will say this. I don't care if you are left or right. I don't care if you are a member of the republican party, the democratic party, the green party, or the birthday party. I don't care if you are white, black, purple, green, multicolored, or don't identify with a race at all. No matter what side of what fence you choose to stand on. TODAY remember the sacrifices made to allow you to choose your side of the fence. Today and everyday remember, like we promised to do. Today, be American. Show patriotism because thousands of innocent people died when AMERICA was attacked. Not when the lefts were attacked. Not when the rights were attacked. Not when the martians were attacked. AMERICA. Us. WE THE PEOPLE. 

God Bless. 

One step closer!!!

Today it popped up on my Instagram feed that in 48 hours , registration will open for the 2020 Boston Marathon.  God, what I wouldnt give to be signing up.. But no worries. Today I moved 1 step closer to Boston. I made a promise ,to my cousin and myslef, to run the Charlotte Marathon in November 2020. 

WHAT!!??! yeah, I did. And I am. On 9/20/19 I will run my 5k for month 12 in my first year as a runner. My next goal is 13.1 a month for 12 months.  I have my first on Oct 12. My second in early November.  I have got to start looking for more. Yeah, there are other races (Hot Chocolate 15K in January.  Cooper River Bridge 10K in April. Etc...) but I will find a half every month, even if its virtual.  

Ahh! I am excited for next November! 1 step closer to Boston. 1 step closer to my blue and yellow dream!! 

I also made another pillow this week. Sewing and running. My loves!! 

Hurricane obsession = forget to blog for a week.

As I sit here..at 1115pm...waiting for sleepiness to hit... I find that my inner meteorologist is trying to escape. I have been following and tracking and obsessing over Hurricane Dorian. I am floored by its size and its power and I am scared for everyone in his path. 

We are supposed to feel the effects Thursday.  We will feel tropical storm winds and rain. South Carolina coast will be feeling a hurricane.  If I read correctly this thing is wider than our state. It is huge and powerful.  My heart hurts for the Bahamas, especially for the island of Abaco. It is destroyed. I want so badly to pack up and go help those people restore their lives.  I wish I had the time and money to take supplies and just gives hugs. I don't even know what I would say to them. There is nothing I could say to make it better.  Nothing to change what was done. Nothing to put things back how they were or bring home those that were lost. I could gives hugs. I could give food. I could give supplies. For now, I give prayers. ( and I encourage anyone who can help, to help!) They are heavy one my mind and on my heart. This link:

https://www.facebook.com/crisisresponse/?crisis_id=579754285889574 

Is to a Facebook page and it is full of missing faces, people needing help, ways to help, people offering help, pictures, videos, and more.  Yes it's sad but I encourage you to go and look, pray, and help in other ways if you can. 

 I cant help but to think back to September 1989 when Hurricane Hugo came and showed us what he was made of.  I remember that night vividly, and I was 4.  

I was asleep. To be honest, I dont even remember knowing a storm was coming. I was scared awake by a whistling noise outside my window. I left my room and went up front where I found my parents. Mom was on the couch, I told her I heard a noise and it scared me. I knew immediately that something was wrong because she didn't send me back to bed. She told me to come sit with her. I remember the radio. I remember the wind ( oh God the wind). I remember looking out the kitchen window and watching our shed lift up off the ground and roll over the fence into our neighbors pool. At this point we had no power. We had flashlights and candles.  I couldn't stay at the window long, daddy said something could break the glass if it blew into it. We moved a mattress into the hall. We shut all the doors in the hall. The 3 of us lay together on that mattress, in the hall, under a white blanket,listening to wind and rain. At one point it thundered,  I am sure it did the whole time but I only remember this one. It was loud, it shook the house. The lightning was bright and it was like they happened at the exact same time. My dog, Lb, was having none of it. He jumped over the gate in the kitchen, over a lit candle, hit the mattress and had no intentions of moving. No one made him move. The 4 of us stayed right there. 

At some point I fell asleep because the next morning I was alone in the hall and mom and dad were in bed. ( I was mad they left me in the hall.)

No power. No water. Couldn't go outside because of power lines on the ground. No school. No work.  No phones. My playhouse was destroyed..We got in the car and went to go find grandparents. We couldn't get down Mimi and Papa's road because of a huge tree. We turned around to go another way and passed them. They were coming to check on us. We stopped on the side of the road with them. When we got to their house a tree had fallen on their car. My playhouse was destroyed.  But otherwise I dont remember much damage. 

We went to my other grandparent's house. They had a tree fall and put a hole in the roof. Oh, yeah...my playhouse was destroyed.. 

Their lake house had a tree fall and poke several holes in the roof. 

I remember trips to the laundromat.  Filling up trashcans of water at a lake to dump in the bathtubs ( gotta have water to flush the toilet) 

I remember the shirts they sold afterwards  and the cans of water. 

Such vivid memories, like it was yesterday.  It scared me, and it is the reason hurricanes scare me today. I dont want to go through that again, and I came out of it with my family and my home in tact. 

I cannot imagine what 4 year olds in the Bahamas are thinking or dealing with right now. I cant imagine what adults are thinking and dealing with. 

I want to go help. I want to go comfort people. All I can do right now is pray and continue to monitor their situation through news/social media. I will continue to monitor this storm as it makes it's way towards our coast. I will continue to obsess over it and all it has done. 

This is going to be another long hurricane season...

KINDERGARTEN....wth?!

We are 1 week in to this school year. 1 week into our first go round with public school. 1 week into kindergarten.  I drop my BABY off in the mornings and he says bye and walks himself inside.  He will be 6 in March.. when the heck did this happen??!! I am floored by how much he has grown. He is really smart, and I am not just saying that because he is mine. The way he thinks about things and problem solves is amazing.  

He is going to the school I went to for kindergarten through 5th grade. It is so neat to be able to go back into that school and see how its changed. It is even better to see how it has not changed. It smells the same. It has been updated, but overall it looks the same.  I can look at doors or halls and immediately be taken back to when I walked those halls. I can show you where my science projects were in the hall. I can show you where I sat in the cafeteria for assemblies.  I can remember where I had to stand when I was a safety patrol.  I can tell you where I was on stage with choir when I first learned to sing "50 Nifty United States" (I can still sing it today) I have been to fall festivals there. Book fairs. Secret Santa shop. The school store. Tornado drills. Earthquake drills.

So much more. I cannot wait to do it all again with Zak. I hope being a Mustang means as much to him as it did to me.  

He has only had 1 complaint so far. The school day is to long. Lol 5 year old me would agree 100%!

(Now... there are those who will read this and say, "well, it's time to have another one right?" 

The answer is no. If it were the time, right now, I'd be pregnant... and I'm not. )

A blue and yellow dream

Ok, this is going to be one of those "got to write it down so I stop obsessing in my head" posts. I am going to start out by being blunt. I am fat. I have weight on my body that needs to go away. I have struggled with it my whole life but it got worse in my late 20s. Oddly enough ,I gained the bulk of my weight when they put me on a medicine for depression in college. ( Please, ask me if that helped my depression...) 

There, I said it. Now that we have addressed that elephant in the room I will get to the point of this post. Those of you who have read my other posts ( if you haven't then you should),  or know me personally, know that a year ago I laced up my shoes and set out to run. 

My first goal was exactly that. Run. Run a mile without dying. It took time, but I can now . I've improved my time, over the last 11 months, from 30+ minutes per mile, with no running to 14.30 minutes per mile ,with minimal walking. 

I moved on to goal 2. Complete a 5k in under an hour. I accomplished that November 2018. I ran the Turkey Trot, here in Sumter, for Thanksgiving.  My cousin Katy stayed with me. We finished in 50 minutes.  ( no I didnt run the whole thing. I run/walk. In the words of our Lord, "Judge not.") 

Goal 3 was bigger. I wanted to run at least a 5k every month for a year. Some have been virtual, some have been a 10k. There is even a 15K in there. Some months I have completed more than one race but I have 11 medals right now. I get number 12 in September.  I will have done it. Right now, my 5k PR (personal record) is 42:18. I hope to beat that in September.  

Goal 4 is in place. October 2019 I will run my 1st HALF MARATHON!! (That is 13.1 miles)  I have my 2ed scheduled for November.  Goal 4 is to run a half marathon a month, for a year. 

I have another goal. A long term goal, but hopefully a "sooner rather than later" goal.

**DRUMROLL**

I WILL RUN THE BOSTON MARATHON 

 26.2 iconic and historic miles. I will hear the scream tunnel. I will defeat heartbreak hill. I will make that famous last turn and I will cross the finish line. 

I will wear that finisher medal with more pride than I can imagine. 

I may be fat, but you know what guys and gals???? That doesn't matter. Running doesn't care what size you are. I may still be overweight on that amazing day but I dont care. I do not have to be a size 0 to fit into that medal. 

Will I be smaller? Sure. Will I be healthier? Inevitably.  Will I be "at goal"? Heck yeah! Because my goal is Boston. Not a number on a scale. 

There is hard work ahead. There is training to do and qualifications to be met. I want to BQ ( Boston Qualify). That has to be done on a certified marathon course.  This year's time for women my age is an average pace of 8:30 or less to qualify. There are charities that will sponsor me at a slower time, so I can still run it without a BQ, but I want to qualify! I have to apply and be accepted once I BQ. 

Intimidating right??? Yeah, but I dont care. I am Boston bound. I am determined.  I will succeed!!

Ask and ye shall receive...a stuffed cat

So over the weekend I found some cat fabric at Walmart. My child is OBSESSED with cats. The first thing he wanted was a sleep mask.            ( what??... a sleep mask...what 5 year old wants a sleep mask) 

So... I made a sleep mask. Why? Because I am Mom, watch me sew. 

Next he wanted a cat toy.  Ok.. considering I haven't been working with fabric to long I was not sure. What do we do when we are unsure??? We turn to Pinterest,  duh! 

I found a pattern for a cat, doll, toy, thing. Seemed easy enough. Again, I am mom...watch me sew..

STEP 1:  print your pattern. 

problem 1: no printer. 

I sat down with a crayon and construction paper and drew the best uneven pattern anyone has ever seen!! ( it's not horrible...just not measured AT ALL)

So, Pattern made. Fabric cut. Sweet!! 

STEP 2: pin it all on place

problem 2: how the holy hellfire am I going to attach all this so i can stuff it.....

I came up with the brilliant plan to pin it all down and sew all around the edge so it was all together. Go me! 

This worked awesome except when I turned it right side out I could stick my finger through its arm pit..

I then went back in and had to sew the arm pits and ear pits in place

 ......blindly. cause I was NOT flipping that darn thing back inside out ...

Now let me pause here to state my sewing machine is at my mom's.  So I did ALL of this by hand. With an embroidery needle and thick thread... 

*note the purple arm pit and ear pit sewing.

STEP 3: create the face. 

problem 3: this is me. Free handing a cat's face with a needle and the same type thread I would use to cross stitch...

I gave him button eyes. ( no way was I embroidering on eyes that would give my child nightmares). I figured, how hard can his nose and whiskers be. You'd think not so bad... Hahahaha I love you guys and your faith in me.

(Side note I am well aware that his eyes are 2 different sizes. At this point I had a theme going. )

STEP 4: sew, stuff and attach tail.

problem 4: sew, stuff and attach tail

Never in my life has a tail been attached but look like it could fall off at any moment. I stabbed myself. Got blood on it. I had to stop, unstuff, and wash the blood off the tail. Jesus, take the tail... my next cat may not have one. 

This picture is pre blood offering. 

STEP 5: STUFF THE CAT.

problem 5: I left his 2 bottom legs and crotch open cause " I'm so smart I will make this easier to sew". 

Stuff ears - CHECK.

Stuff arms- CHECK

Stuff body- CHECK

Stuff legs-.....crap

Now I had to push the stuffing down so I could sew up his leg. Reposition the stuffing and sew his other leg. Stuff extra up his ... well stuff extra. Push that down. Pinch it shut and sew it closed. Then shake the dang thing all around so the fluff would shift back down. 

I started this "easy" project at about 430PM.

6 FREAKING HOURS LATER!!  I finished the cat. His legs are 2 different shapes. His arms are different sizes. His ears are wacky. His tail has a blood stain and I think he is fantastic.  

Zak named him Jasper cat. #worthit

This picture will also let you see his sleep mask. 

What did my child say to me??? Oh thanks Mom. Now you can make me cat gloves.

I am mom, see me sew...

(Anybody ever made cat gloves???)

#run

Running. I was the person who said " If you see me run then you need to run because something is chasing me." I HATED running in P.E... I "hustled " badly in marching band no matter how much Mr. Jones yelled.
September of 2018 I really looked at a picture of myself at Zak's birthday party.  I was embarrassed to say that was me.  I had chins and rolls and was in a size 20/22. ( dont tell anyone... that is still embarrassing) I decided I wanted to do something.  So I downloaded an app called Couch to 5K. I set out to run. I don't know why, but that is what I wanted to do.  I wanted to run and I wanted to get medals for finishing.
Run 1 day 1 gave me 30 min. I went .92 in that 30 minutes ...
That means it would have taken me closer to 35 or 40 minutes to make it a mile. I remember how hard it was to jog for 30 seconds at a time. Most of those times I didnt make it the full 30 seconds. I was exhausted and sweaty when I got back. My head hurt, my body hurt... it was terrible, but I kept going. I wasnt worried about weight or looks. I simply wanted to do it. I wanted to run a mile. I will spare you all the progressive details. Those are for another post. Today I run a 14.30 minute mile.  My record for a 5k is 43.50 minutes.  My 10k record is 1:33:44. My 15k record is 2:26:42.  My first half marathon is set for 10/12/19.
My records were made to be broken. They were all set over the last 11 months so the girl who ran 9.41 miles in January and finished in 2:26:42 is not the same girl who is writing this today. I will not be the same when I go back to Charlotte in February of 2020 to run that 15k again.

My goal was to run and get a finisher medal for 12 months. 1 year. That year is up next month. When I cross the finish line of the Tunnel to Tower 5k in Columbia,SC, I will have achieved that goal. More on that later.
I am not a size 20/22 anymore.  I am a 16/18. I am not horribly far from 14/16. My son thinks I am a champion who has won every race I've signed up for, I have a medal after all.
When you run you compete against the person your were yesterday.  So, he is right. I win. I am the champion (*enter queen song here) .
I will keep running.  I will lace up my Brooks Ghost 12 shoes. I will set my garmin forerunner 235. I will break more personal records. I will get faster. I will run Boston one day. 
And I WILL figure out the best way to carry the most water during a race.  (Seriously,  I thirst to death in between water stations...) #H2O

I am not a dog groomer..nope, definitely not!

Ok. Well, I can mark "dog groomer" off of the list. I will not be making a career out of that any time soon. My poor dog...

I am the proud mama of a cocker spaniel named Jasper. ( named this because he has curly hair like the vampire in Twilight.  Don't judge me!) He is 10 years old and he is not a good client when he goes to get a haircut.  He HATES his feet being touched. I admit, I had let the fur get to long. My bad, that's on me... but I get really tired of paying  $100 for them to tell me he is exhausting and I need to touch his feet more.  Yes, he gets a hair cut...but seriously $100??! He weighs all of 25lbs and I dont like people touching my feet either.

Tonight, I cut his fur. I stepped up and set out to give him a simple buzz cut, quick and easy. Here is what I learned:
1. He is exhausting
2. He hates having his feet touched and someone should really touch his feet more to get him used to it.

For the most part I accomplished what I set out to do. He is trimmed. I have a grocery bag FULL of fur. He has GOT to feel better..cooler...lighter! I mean come on, he even dozed off while I was working on his chest.
Y'all....he looks like one of those furry legged chickens.  (Seriously, they are real. Go Google it. You wont be disappointed.  )

Bless... my poor baby.

The required intro post

Hello All! 

The obvious first: I am Amanda. This is my blog. 

I have been wanting to do this for awhile, but I have had an impossible time trying to figure out what to write about. I dont have one thing that I do all the time. I dont have one thing I can teach everyone about. I do a little bit of a lot of stuff. I hope you enjoy my stories and please feel free to tell me yours. Below is a small list of things you may see me discuss. Thanks for reading and sharing!!!

1. I am a wife and  I am a mom to a 5 year old boy named Zak

2. I am a runner.

3. I dabble in MANY crafts...painting, sewing, quilting, jewelry making, scrapbooking,  card making, crocheting, and many other Pinterest inspired things.

4. I want to kayak. Flat water..none of those crazy Rapids that require a helmet. 

5. I work in the court system. That provides blog topics all on its own.

6. I am an AMAZING over thinker. That should entertain everyone with an interest in psychology