On the TODAY Show & come a marathon with me

Good morning and Happy Monday! It’s the first week of the New Year which means we turn those plans into actions. This is your time to shine. Don’t just talk about doing something; make it happen.

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Willie and I spent yesterday walking around NYC and enjoying the sights. It’s been a great way to start off the year and it has really made us think about things. This morning Willie and I are on the NBC Today Show in the 4th hour. Please take the time to watch and hear about our weight loss journey which has now turned into my running story.

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It’s a new year which means it’s time to make plans. Are you ready to run your first marathon this year? Or are you just looking to find some motivation to get fit in the new year? Come run the Chicago Marathon or New York City Marathon with me! I’ll be representing Team Healthy Kids and spreading the word about creating a stronger and healthier America through our schools.

This is a great organization to work with because the cause is so great and the people behind the scenes are passionate about what they do. A healthy America can take us so much further in the future and here is your chance to really make a difference.

Action for Healthy Kids educates children and adults on making the healthier choices in life. Money raised goes to ensuring a child has a healthy meal at school or that a gym class has the equipment needed to promote physical activity.

For 2016, Willie has committed to running another marathon which will be the Chicago Marathon. I plan on running both the Chicago Marathon and New York Marathon with Team Healthy kids. If I were to form a team to run the NYC Marathon with Action for Healthy Kids, would you want to run with us? They have guaranteed spots in the marathon with a fundraising commitment. If you’re interested in learning more, email TeamHealthyKids@ActionforHealthyKids.org. Or, check out this page to learn more: www.TeamHealthyKids.org

Don’t forget to check us out on the NBC Today Show this morning and think about improving your health and helping out a great cause by committing to run a marathon with us this year.

Race Recap: The Santa Hustle Galveston Half Marathon

Race Recap: The Santa Hustle Galveston Half Marathon

I’m kind of behind on my race recaps so I thought this Tuesday was the perfect day to catch up. I ran the Santa Hustle Galveston Half Marathon on December 20, 2015 in Galveston, TX. I ran it with my good friend Julie. We both decided to run the half marathon. This is a holiday themed race which is really nice. I was in the need of some holiday spirit and this was a nice jumpstart to it all. Packet pickup wasn’t anything special but it was easy. Everyone got a red zip up jacket instead of shirt for this…

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What I learned from 40 races in 2015

What I learned from 40 races in 2015

Here’s the breakdown:  7 5Ks, 1 10K, 3 other distances (10 milers and 25ks), 11 half marathons, 15 marathons and 3 ultra marathons (two 50ks and a 50 miler) That was my 2015.  I could be missing something but I’m going to go with this count.  Yesterday I ran my last race of 2015 which made me think about what I’ve learned. This is what I learned from 40 races this year. Running is my vessel to travel.  It gives me an excuse to hop on a plane or get in a car.  It combines two things that I love…

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Race Recap: Route 66 Marathon Weekend

Race Recap: Route 66 Marathon Weekend

What a wonderful weekend I had in Tulsa at the Route 66 Marathon weekend.  I didn’t know what to expect going to Oklahoma because I had never been.  All I knew was this was one of those bucket list races for someone trying to run the 50 states.  This was my last state to capture for the year but not my last marathon.  Read more about my quest in another post if you want to know more.  I am proud to say that I ran marathon #29 and captured state #15 on my journey. Willie and I took a road…

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Race Recap: The Pensacola Marathon

Race Recap: The Pensacola Marathon

The Pensacola Marathon was on November 8, 2015.  I decided to run this race on a whim because I had to cancel my trip to Las Vegas because I couldn’t miss work due to my mom’s impending surgery.  I needed to meet my state goal and it was completely last minute.  That is the reason I ended up running a half marathon the day before this race. I got in the car and drove to my best friend Mandie’s house so that we could venture to Florida together.  The drive wasn’t that long.  It was something like an hour and…

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Race Recap: Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon 2015

Race Recap: Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon 2015

I’m late on my race recaps, but this is what Tuesday is for.  On November 7, 2015 I ran the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon which will always be remembered at the Mosquito and Monsoon Festival 2015.  The minute we pulled into the parking lot the mosquitoes swarmed the car and I knew it was over at that point.  We even bug sprayed before we left the house because the bugs are always bad.  This year it was worse. It was so bad that we didn’t even want to take pictures before the race.  This is the only picture we…

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Race Recap: Rock n Roll St. Louis Half …

Race Recap: Rock n Roll St. Louis Half Marathon

The recap is late, but it’s still worthy of a read.  I ran the Rock n Roll St. Louis Half Marathon on October 18 and it was something special.  Last year when I ran this race, I set a half marathon PR.  That did not happen this year because I ran the Kansas City Marathon the day before.  This half was purely for fun. I was espeically excited because I got to see some of my favorite Team Chocolate Milk teammates.  I hadn’t seen them since last year so it was a nice treat.  And I finally got to meet…

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Race Recap: Kansas City Marathon

Race Recap: Kansas City Marathon

The one thing I will take away from this trip is Kansas City is a beautiful city. My expectations were low and I wasn’t expecting much out of this marathon after not meeting my expectations in Chicago. I orginally signed up for the Kansas City Marathon after finding out that Rock n Roll St. Louis would no longer be a marathon. In a panic, I went looking for another race because Missouri was an imporant part of the plan this year. Luckily, this race was the day before Rock n Roll St. Louis! Things happen for a reason and I…

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Chicago Marathon 2015: Did I #OwnChicago?

Chicago Marathon 2015: Did I #OwnChicago?

The Chicago Marathon was an amazing experience.  Saturday runners walked the streets filled with anxiousness and excitement.  It was infectious! I rolled into Chicago thinking this wasn’t a big deal.  It was just another race, another state to check off my list.  I wasn’t that amped up about the race, I was excited to meet the people of Team Healthy Kids! The Chicago Marathon was something deeper for me when I first arrived, but that’s a whole other blog post. Before actually arriving, I took the experience for granted.  I didn’t see it as a big deal, but it was.…

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Race Recap: Texas 10 Huntsville

Race Recap: Texas 10 Huntsville

Sunday I ran the Texas 10 Series race in Huntsville, TX. This was the first time I’ve ever run one of these events. Huntsville isn’t too far from our house so we were able to drive there early in the morning and make it back for the other things that needed to get done that day. It was an early morning because he had to wake up at 3am to make sure we left the house by 4am and arrived by 6am. I picked up my packet race morning. It is really nice to be able to do so. There…

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Chicago Marathon training update: can everyone run a …

Chicago Marathon training update: can everyone run a marathon?

Short answer is yes!  I think everyone can run a marathon if they want to run one.  I just think everyone should be prepared to run a marathon.  I made a little video about preparing to train for your first marathon (or any race).  Plus, I wanted to give you an update on my Chicago Marathon training. Marathon training has been pretty rough on me this time around. I let the summer heat frustrate me and hold me back. It’s been hard to get motivated to run when you know you’re going to be sweat your face off. The southeast…

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