Rachel's visit to Cali

Last weekend my sister Rachel came to visit me in Cali. It was bye week for football which meant we didn't have a Saturday night game therefore I didn't have to work at all that weekeend. Leah had come to visit me in August and Hannah had been here in June so it was Rachel's turn.

It was a short visit. She got here Friday afternoon and then had to leave early Monday morning, but it was a good visit and we had a lot of fun. Friday we just baked cookies and watched some Harry Potter before heading to bed early. Saturday morning we got up early to go to Disneyland. (Anyone that knows me knows that I ♥ Disneyland and absolutely insist on being there as soon as the park opens.) We had a lot of fun that day as the park wasn't crowded at all.

Since I was running the Santa Clarita Half Marathon the following morning, we didn't run around the park a whole lot and actually enjoyed time sitting and talking. Rachel also did a great job of making sure I completed my hydration goal that day of 2 waters and 2 gatorades. :)

Rachel was also a trooper to come to my race the following morning. She faithfully took pictures for Erin and I before and after our race. I set her up with a lawn chair and my DVD player for her to pass the time. She didn't complain once and I know I appreciated her being there.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Other than a quick trip up to COC, we stayed in the apt eating and watching movies.

It was a GREAT weekend and I really enjoyed having Rachel out. Thanks for coming, Rachel!!!

Santa Clarita Half Marathon

WE DID IT!!! 2 hrs 5 mins later, Erin & I completed our first half marathon. Actually, our official time was 2 hrs 7 mins, but there was a bathroom stop in there so our clocks said 2 hrs 5 mins. We were SOOO proud of ourselves! We actually ran 13.1 miles without walking and we kept a consistent sub-10 mile for all 13.1 miles.


I felt GREAT pretty much the whole time. My hips and knees starting hurting, but no muscle cramps or anything and nothing that made us have to slow down. There were over a thousand runners which was way cool. Along the way there were bands or djs set up playing music. This one guy we passed, though, around mile 11 was playing REALLY SLOW music. I'm thinking, DUDE, we're trying to run for hours on end and that's supposed to encourage us? Just makes me want to sleep! Oh well, the encouragement from people along the race trail as well as the bands was awesome!


The weather was perfect that day. That coupled with the fact that I actually did a really good job of hydrating myself and eating lots of carbs the day before really helped us to do well. It was overcast and cool the entire run which always makes it easier to go faster. Erin and I were just running along and before I knew it, we were at mile 8! I have to admit that the remaining 5 miles didn't seem to pass as fast as the first 8, but it was fun.




After the race they had fruit and bagels and water for us. I chowed down a little on the bananas and bagels. Who knew those food items could taste so amazing? And then of course we headed to Starbucks for our typical post-race stop. Who says an iced white mocha from Starbucks doesn't have all the nutrients this body needs after a long run? ;)


LA Marathon, here we come!!!

Road to a marathon...

I posted last spring that I'm going to run the LA Marathon in March of 09. Well, I'm not. I'm actually running it on Feb. 16th. They moved the date up. I already ran an 8K with my running partner this summer. We actually did really well. It was an all women's race with just under 1,000 women participating. Out of all of those women, we finished in the top 100. Not bad for our first time out.

Next week we take our next step to being ready for the LA Marathon. We're running in the Santa Clarita Half Marathon on Sunday, Nov 2nd. No great aspirations of winning anything, but we're excited nonetheless. Our goal is to run the entire 13.1 miles without walking. We ran 10.5 miles last Sat and did really well. Our legs weren't even that sore afterwards, so we feel pretty confident that we'll be fine.

Believe it or not, and ready or not, LA Marathon 2009 here I come!!!

Fall is for FOOTBALL!!!

Fall is here and it's my favorite time of year for a couple of reasons.

1. Cool weather is on the way. I love being able to open my windows at night and burrow under layers of covers.
2. Christmas is right around the corner which is by far my favoritist holiday. I actually love it more than my own birthday.
3. Fall is the perfect time to make and enjoy chili, fires, and hot coffee or tea while curling up with a good book.
4. Football season is here!!!

Anyone that knows me knows that I ♥ football! It's by far the most exciting sport to watch and I love being the football athletic trainer at COC. I love the excitement of the game as well as the pressure to get athletes back quickly. I love being able to push the athletes to be better as well as the thrill of being on the sidelines to witness a brutal hit or a perfect spiral pass for a touchdown. Could do without the smell of sweat filling my nostrils, particularly when I'm standing down wind, but I thrive on the anticipation and excitement of each game. This year, our team is projected to go far. Right now we're 4-0. I'm nervous with anticipation each moring as I get up to get ready for the game. I arrive hours before game time to ensure everything is perfectly prepared. I strive to reduce the anxiety for what are already highly stressed coaches. I pray just before each game that my athletes will be protected from all serious injuries and that I would have wisdom in dealing with each one, and then I endure the entire spectrum of emotions as I stand on the sidelines for 3 hours, watching and helping my team to what I always hope is a successful outcome.

ALL DONE!!!

I don't have a lot of time to catch the 2 people who read this page up on my life, (besides, I'm pretty sure they already know anyways) but I AM DONE WITH MY MASTER'S DEGREE!!! Can ya tell I'm excited? ;) I received final approval yesterday morning. Graduation is in a week and a half. Of course my cap and gown is atrocious, but I will wear it with pride knowing of all the hard work that has gone into my degree. Although I'm finally done with my master's degree, there is no slowing down in sight. Parents are coming for my graduation and I'm throwing myself a party, I'm throwing a shower for April the weekend after my graduation, COC classes cont until the end of May, my new training room should be ready at the first of June and I'll need to move everything over, my youngest sister Hannah is coming in June for 1 1/2 weeks, and then finally in July I'm going to Jamaica. Whew! Just typing all that makes me tired. It's fun stuff though so I'll try to do better at updating this blog page, mostly for the benefit of a certain friend who will remain nameless. :)

♥ ♥ ♥ My FAVORITE people ♥ ♥ ♥

My sisters are my heart and life.

They always make me smile!


I ♥ my sisters!!!

Who woulda thunk it?

I was driving to my usual morning stop (Starbucks) and just reflecting on where I'm at in life right now as well as looking ahead to new challenges. As I was getting my coffee, the barista asked if I taught at COC. Of course I do but it sounds strange to my ears when I say, "Yes, as a matter of fact I do." It's funny to me b/c my plans for my own life were so drastically different than where I am now. Instead of working full-time in a church in Texas, I'm working full-time as an athletic trainer at a junior college and I'm a teacher?! What?!?! Who would have thought of that craziness? Me, 26, and a junior college teacher? Definitely not me. But then as I reflect, I'm extremely thankful to the Lord for where He has me. I would not have chosen this path for myself, and yet at this moment I desire no other path.

In addition to my job and location, I'm also doing crazy things. Like planning trips. (Jamaica here I come!) And then this morning, I decided that I'm going to train to run the LA Marathon in March of 09. SOO excited! Never had any desire to run a marathon, but I think it could be a fun challenge, not to mention the sense of accomplishment that I'll feel after.

So I'm 26, living in So. Cal, teaching at a JC, going to Jamaica this summer, decided I'm gonna train for a marathon, and I'm almost done with my master's degree. Who woulda thunk it? Only God.