three things thursday.

thursday thurday {sing in the tune of the song monday monday}

1. in case you didn't know. nick saban's statue was unveiled this past weekend at the spring a day game.  he is now standing outside our stadium for eternity along side other great coaches.  I wish I could have been in Tuscaloosa this past weekend, A-Day always was a fun day. and just to throw some numbers out [not to brag about alabama's greatness or anything....] but alabama had 93,310 in attendance while our sister down the road only had 53,209.  ROLL TIDE!  ...i also heard that timmy tebow got a statue and my shrek looking nemesis cam newton is getting a statue too.  boo hiss. Evidently also the '10 team captains put their hands in cement outside of Denny Chimes.  Oh I love all of Alabama's traditions and can't wait to force my kids to go there.

2. ok seriously. is donald trump really going to run for president? is the republican committee really going to let him do this?!  i am really unsure what kind of value he can add to the united states. i mean no offense to the republican party (hey, i voted for mccain) but don't you all harp on obama all the time for his "lack of experience"?!  what kind of experience does trump have? he bankrupted his business (twice, right ... maybe even 3 times?), how is he supposed to pull us out of our current economic state and debt when he can't handle his own company's finances.  and good grief if the reality tv loving people vote for him we are all doomed... what is next snookie for president?   political rant. done and done. (how many followers did i lose!?)
3.  my wedding is a little over a year away, but i am slashing my to-do list left and right.  this past weekend i firmed up our minister.  and i am really excited about it. my friend since i was little (like 3 or 4 years old little) is a minister in tennessee and he agreed to be the one to marry kyle and me.  i think it is such a small, personal touch.  now i just hope he leaves the embarrassing stories in tennessee. now onto premarital counseling where we are hoping we're not told to reevaluate our relationship.  if you're not following our wedding blog, you should - HERE - i am trying to keep it as up to date as possible but not let out too many secrets.


....and a few extras.  Mitzi's fundraising boot camp.  This weekend. Piedmont Park by the 10th street entrance. 10:45 AM. Be there. Bring water and get ready to sweat.  It really is a great work out and it is all for a good cause. 

Boot Camp #1

Mitzi's first boot camp for a cure was a complete success this morning!! YaY!  And, I define "complete success" by... it was a killer work out.

A little bit about what we did:  We all met at Piedmont Park and ran to various parts of the park for different work outs.  We ran to the "active oval" where we ran the oval in 4 parts -- sprinting or running from "station" to "station" ... we did lots of core work (flutter kicks, planks, sit ups, etc...) ... ran to another part of the park for push ups (55 to be exact) ... and then ran to another part for more arm work and then we were finished.

It was an AWESOME work out.  I think you should join us next time if you're in Atlanta.  *I may or may not be there since I need to get my car looked at, but I will for sure be there in 2 weeks*

Next boot camp - this Saturday.  $10.  10:45 AM.  Piedmont Park, 10th Street Entrance.  The $10 is 100% tax deductible.  You can RSVP HERE!

$10.00 Boot Camp for a Cure.

More shameless plugging but with a fitness flair.

So, as you know Mitzi is in the running for Women of the year with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  One of her good friends is a boot camp instuctor here in Atlanta and she volunteered her services to teach a boot camp class each Saturday for the next 4 weeks.

Here is all the info on the bootcamps classes and if you want to register you can RSVP here

WHO: You! You! You! (and me)
WHAT: $10 Boot Camp  (you can donate more each week if you'd like. cash only.)
WHERE: Piedmont Park  -- We will meet at the Charles Allen entrance of Piedmont Park off 10th Street. Once in that entrance there is a stone wall to your right and a park flag right next to that wall. This area overlooks the main field in front of the Park Tavern. We will meet there at the stone wall. Your instructors will have on black.
WHEN: Saturday April 9, 16, 23, and 30th at 10:45 AM --  We will meet rain or shine, unless it's dangerous weather.
WHAT TO BRING: Please bring water and maybe a towel for the ride home.




If you can't do bootcamp (or don't want to) ... think about donating to her campaign and to the cause!  You can donate HERE .... but I really hope to see you out there sweating with me.  Remember Atlanta.... it is about that time when the cute sundresses come out and when your friends want you to hang by the pool.

three things thursday.

i thought yesterday was thursday. news flash to me: it wasn't. don't you just hate when you're a day ahead of yourself and you then realize you're one day farther away from the weekend. oi.

1.  Have you heard of this "trash the dress" thing.  I think it is insane.  insane I tell you.  It is when you get married and then trash your dress after the dust has settled.  My good friend and co-worker suggested we do this after my wedding and the thought horrifies me.  And no, I am not exaggerating.  But I LOVE my dress. It is so ivory and pretty and wonderful and the bustle is great and fun and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I chose it.  I want to wear it while watching TV once I actually am able to take it home (seriously, it probably shouldn't be housed in my house or I may just slip it on from time to time) and then I want to wear it just because after the wedding is over.  It is just so so so pretty and amazing and I love it.  Why oh why would you ever trash your wedding dress?!
2.  Atlanta has a SERIOUS jay walking problem.  And I went to college and in college kids are dumb and do stupid things, but they still seem to find the cross walk.  I don't know, but every day I am baffled by the amount of people who just cross the road where ever rather than walking 20 feet to a cross walk.  And 7 times of out 10 they're diagonally walking in the direction of a cross walk, so they could have used one. I really do think that these people have a death wish, because when they're strolling across peachtree during rush hour trying to get to the mcdonalds I just can't help but think... you're trying to get killed!!  The CRAZY thing is, I work with a girl whose friend was jaywalking.  The friend got hit by a car (no worries, she is fine), but get this THE FRIEND, WHO WAS JAYWALKING was ticketed and had to pay her own hospital bill and to get the dent out of the car that hit her.  So BAM, there you go, you mr. or mrs. jaywalker won't get a penny of my cash money if i accidentally hit you.  which i hope i don't because that would scar me for life. but please, find a yellow cross walk. stat.
3. I am still "shamelessly" plugging my friend Mitzi for Georgia's Woman of the year campaign benefiting LLS.  If you want to donate and support her, that would be fabulous and appreciated.  All donations are 100% tax deductible and the proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each dollar donated = one vote and who ever has the most "votes" wins. And, Mitzi is really competitive so she has to win. You can donate by clicking HERE ... if you're in Georgia I have 2 things for you. 1) if you want a killer work out, one of Mitzi's girls is organizing Saturday morning boot camps for the last 4-5 weeks of the fundraising.  $10 for a butt kicking and the money goes straight to her campaign **more details to come and I WILL be there each Saturday!** and 2) want a fun night on the town - you can go to the Grand Finale party at the Loews Hotel in Midtown on Saturday, June 4, 2011 6:00 PM.  Tickets are $125 and be sure to credit Mitzi!! Think about it....

*shameless plug*

I started running because of luekemia.  My good friend from high school had been diagnosed  5 months earlier with CML and I wanted to do something in her honor.  So I linked up with Atlanta's Team in Training chapter and ran my 1st half marathon.  Leukemia linked me up with one someone who I not only aspire to be like, but respect and love to be around.  In the team meeting the night before the race Mitzi Jiles sat next to me and asked who I was at what I did.  With having a mission to find a cure and both working in the staffing industry as a link we hung out the rest of the night and into race morning.

Fast forward 2 years... Mitzi was nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman of the year here in Georgia and she accepted the challenge!  Mitzi herself is a cancer survivor, when she was 25 years old she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Just after being diagnosed, someone from LLS was at Mitzi's beside comforting her and talking to her about this disease and what they could do to help her fight and beat it. Originally, Mitzi was 2 weeks away from dying, but this May Mitzi will celebrate 10 years in remission!!!! No doubt, she is already a winner. The disease that almost took her life has changed her life and now she is on a mission to find a cure. While in remission Mitzi has raised over $20,000 for LLS through their Team In Training program, and now with our help she is going to double, even triple that amount as she vies for the Woman of the Year crown.

Mitzi was charged with the task to form a support team to help her reach her goal and when she came to me and asked if I would help it was a no brainer... We have 10 weeks to raise as much money as possible as a team.  Each dollar donated = 1 vote and whoever has the most "votes" (aka dollars raised) is named the LLS Woman & Man of the Year. 

If you live in Atlanta.... you are invited to buy seats to the amazing black tie event at the Loews Hotel in Midtown!  Tickets are $125 per ticket and include food, drinks, dancing, a silent and live auction, and the crowning of the Woman of the Year!  It really does sound like a fun event!!

We're raising money not only to honor Mitzi, but for all the others who have fought or are fighting leukemia or lymphoma.  Every four minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer and every ten minutes someone looses their life.  Every dollar counts, whether is it $1 or $5 .... or more if you can afford it ... each dollar helps and goes towards the mission the help find a cure for blood cancers.  We are fundraising starting today, March 23rd and have till June 4th to raise as much money as possible.  So if you have some spare change and want to help with such an awesome event we are so grateful and thankful.

If you'd like to donate.  Please go HERE and remember every dollar counts!!

Friday Favorite - Words To Sweat By

A lot of blogs lately have been talking about these cute little towels created by Words to Sweat By for their in the gym workouts. They are created to make you giggle, motivate you, or motivate you while you're giggling. After trying and trying to win one in a blog giveaway and never doing so, I decided to pull the trigger, spend $8.00, and buy one. Afterall, I have been needing a towel for spin class since my dog has shredded all the little towels and no I am not brining a big towel to the gym like a fool. I know, I know... how can a towel be a favorite thing... but if you have ever done spin class you know how key a towel can be and what I like most about these towels are that they are cute, funny, and motivating (the price tag isn't too bad either). Not only are these towels great for spin class, but they're perfect for sessions on the elliptical & treadmill - not only to wipe your brow but to also cover up the timer so you aren't tempted to keep looking down. I love how the towels are actually soft (100% cotton), hold up well in the wash, and are shipped insanely fast. *after some investigative research I learned that all the towels are prewashed to ensure they do not shrink and I am guessing that is why they're already soft.* They also are great conversation starters but what I love most is that they're just unique and fun.

I of course bought the pink one that talks about cupcakes because I love pink and well am obsessed with anything cupcake and honestly, I have been quite happy. Sure, any towel would work fine... but why not have a fun, funky towel to make you WANT to go to the gym?!

Also! One of my fellow Team in Training people (who I have never met but her and I motivate each other via social media) is hosting a fundraiser with Words to Sweat By. SO! If you're interested in purchasing one of these snazzy towels, a portion of the profits will go towards Courtney's fundraising efforts to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Between May 15 and June 15 30% of each towel & 25% of each keychain will be donated back to her. All you have to do is enter the code "runcourtrun"

big peach 5k race.ARPRIL is gone

I decided at the last minute (on 4.24) that I wanted to run the Big Peach 5k. My reasoning: I could ride the Marta to the start – run 3.1 and then run myself home. I have been needing to get in the miles in preparation for Marine Corp and with Big Peach being about 3 or so miles from my apartment, I said WHY NOT! Plus. it benefited the Leukemia & Lymphoma society and if a race is attached to that organization 9 times out of 10 I am in. I did not know anything about the race so I checked out the course map and realized that it was roads that I run every now and then while taking breaks from work so other than the hill heading up Roxboro I thought it should be a fairly easy race… then this past Monday I ran the course backwards and realized it may be a little bit harder than I initially thought so I kinda went into the race siked out which is never a good thing. Then for the past 3 or so days I have been all out of sorts, body rejecting food, crazy tired, achy legs even though all I do is climb stairs and look for my lost car in the parking garage ….. On top of all that, Erin and I went out for a much needed happy hour/dinner so after margaritas and tacos I was not quite sure if I was even going to make it to the starting line & I thought that even if I skipped it my race entry went to an amazing cause. Before going to bed I checked the weather and there was like a 30% chance of thunderstorms (with lightening) from 6am – 11 am (prime racing hours) so I turned on “Lovely Bones”, set my alarm, and said lets play this by ear…. and if I do not run I WILL get 6 miles in this weekend at some point – whether is was pavement or treadmill.

SO. Race Day: I flaked out and stayed in bed and slept some much needed zzz’s. I took the dog on 2 long walks to make up for it and Sunday I had this great big plan to hit LA Fitness and knock out 6 miles on the treadmill and call it a day. Well, the treadmills decided to be difficult and 2.42 miles later I was calling it a day. Long story short it is common knowledge that I would rather hit the pavement than step onto a treadmill. But with this heat (84 degrees feels like 95) and the humidity, I had to take it inside. Well I was flying high, I got into a groove on the dreadmill, was rocking and rolling and them bam I read “belt stopping” at .83 miles. WTF?! So I started it back up again… same thing but at .26 miles the belt stopped. So, I moved 1 machine over and could not get back in the groove. I was hot, sweaty, annoyed, and then BAM at 1.33 miles – belt stops. I decided to call it quits and just head home. THAT IS WHY I LIKE RUNNING OUTSIDE THERE IS NOTHING TO STOP ME .83 miles in or .26 or 1.33

April is OVER! Thank God. Where in the world is 2010 going?! April was a fairly unproductive month for me in regards to running, work has been so busy and I fear with my new role it is only going to be busier so it will be a true test of learning to balance life.  I even titled this entry “big peach 5k race.march is over” to start with and started this paragraph saying “march is over” – that is how fried my brain is and has been.  I need a vacation. I ran 26.47 miles which is much less than my 50 some last month and my 50+ goal for the month. Why do I always seem to have low miles the month after a BIG race. I did not hit my 50 mile mark, but for me to get as high as I did, I am surprised. I did a 5k (and PR’d). I got a rocking free sample of Body Glide (remember, you can win a free stick). The pollen was (and still is) outrageous and makes it really hard to breathe. For the most part I slaved in the office, spent a lot of quality time with my dog and kyle, and just tried to enjoy life.

Here is hoping April is full of miles and I am really stoked about a friendship that was so unlikely but is becoming awesome with one of my fellow Nike Team in Training Gals. We’re talking about treking to Nashville together in September to run The Women’s Half as training for Marine Corp for me and her first full at the Nike Women’s Marathon! I love friendships that come out of no where!!!

Don’t forget about my FREE Bodyglide giveaway.

This Month.

This month has started off on a bad work out and running foot. Somehow work has once again overtaken my life. Maybe it is because I realized how much (...err how little I billed) last year (...staffing sure was a hard industry to sell in last year) and want to do so so so much better or maybe it is because we were still getting situated in our new office space maybe it is because it has been cold and rainy. Excuses aside, I slacked. I didn't make running and working out in my top 5 priorities and I was content sitting at home watching Season 1 of Dexter with my friend who is a boy. So I want to do better. 2010 is the year of getting serious about this running thing and putting in the time and effort that training for a race deserves. So I will do better.

This month I have set myself some goals. And they are:
1. I want to run 48.94 miles total this month. That will make it my highest miles month in the history of Barbie running. Wahoo. How did I get such a random number you ask? Well, last month I ran 44.49 miles and if I follow the 10% rule that means I have to do 48.94. It makes sense in my mind.
2. I want to PR at the Charles Harris 10k in a few weeks. My last 10k time was 1:21:21 - I want to run this one in 1:10 or less. If you're in Atlanta and available on 2.27.10 - run it. *I just realized that is my 3 year anniversary - what a way to start the morning* ... this run benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma society - a cause that is so close to my heart. So if you're in town I invite you to run with me!!
3. Spin class once per week and swimming once per week. Pilates on Sunday no matter how tired I am. Still working on incorporating cross training into my weekly routine.

Honestly, I think people that get out there everyday and just run no matter what is going on in their life have total dedication and are amazing. People who find that hour plus per day to make it happen are an inspiration to people like me. ...If only one day I am one of those people. Patience young grasshopper. That is all. And I have to start making dinner. I hope everyone has an awesome February of logging the miles and having fun!