10k Race Day!

You'll probably remember that 5 weeks ago I checked one of my New Years Resolutions off my list and ran my first 5k, and this past weekend I doubled that distance running my first 10k!

I probably wouldn't have ever pushed myself to run more than a 5k if it wasn't for my brother, who sent us all an email asking if we were interested in a 10k.  I never ever ever thought this was something I would, or COULD do, so having completed this feels pretty dang good.

Leading up to the race the farthest I had ran was 5 miles, but after I would complete 5 miles, I felt pretty good.  I didn't feel like I was going to die, and I felt like maybe I could go a little farther, so even though I had never ran 6.6 miles, it felt attainable.

Saturday was a PERFECT November day in Kansas, well... minus the 40-50mph winds, but I did mention we are in Kansas didn't I?

One of the biggest differences between this race and our Color Run was the way they got us hyped up to start.  At the Color Run, there was LOUD music pumping, a DJ, a countdown, and so much excitement.  This race we lined up and barely heard a horn, indicating it was time to go.  Way different, but I suppose that's to be expected with a smaller scale race.  A little disappointing, none the less!

We took off and right away I realized I was going to have a hard time keeping up with my brother.  If you want to know one of the differences between a man and womans body, this is it!  He's been training for 5 weeks and his first race was a 10k.  I've been training for... 24? weeks and his endurance amazed me.  I kept up fairly well until mile 3... my Dad needed to take a break to stretch his leg (he had an injury) and mentally I started shutting down.  I told Chad to go on at his faster pace without me, and about 15 seconds later I started kicking myself and started up again.  He wasn't far ahead of me but with earbuds in, he couldn't hear me calling out to him and we lost him for the rest of the race... which hear me out, was totally ok. I was so happy for him that he had the endurance and strength to stay at his faster pace and didn't want to slow him down.

Dad caught up with me at 3.5 miles and we finally hit the turnaround point.  This is where the race got SIGNIFICANTLY easier for me.  I am a huge visual person, and running on a new trail with no idea where the turnaround point was made it really hard for me.  Once we were able to turn around and head back and I could identify the different landmarks telling myself I only had "x" farther to go, I did so much better mentally.


The run back, however, sucked.  It seriously sucked.  We knew we were in trouble when the first 1.5 miles of the trail were ALL downhill, meaning they would be uphill on our finish.  Just as expected, it was not easy, but we pushed through.  We did walk a few times, but my Dad and I are the perfect running partners... he pushed me when I wanted to walk more, and I pushed him to run when he wanted to walk more.


You know how you have good running days and you have bad ones?  This was a horrible one for me.  I kept beating myself up throughout the race trying to figure out what was different or why I was "out of it" that day... the verdict is still out, but most likely it was just in my head.  I had pretty much told myself before the race that it would be a miracle if I could even finish, and I think that's what did it for me.  It's all in the head, people.

A couple of times throughout the run my Dad would sense me shutting down and say something to encourage me.  You guys, he is amazing.  He made me cry 3x on the trail with the things he was saying...
"I am SO proud of you!! You're doing this!!!"
"C'mon Darlin'...we can do this... we ARE doing this!!!"
"CAN YOU BELIEVE WE'RE RUNNING A 10K!!??"
"If someone would have told me 5 years ago that my daughter Megan was going to run a 10k, I would have bet my LIFE SAVINGS that she wouldn't... and look at you now!!"  (haha)

By this point, Chad had already crossed the finish line (6 minutes ahead of us...woo!)

And finally it was our turn... we saw it... the beloved finish line.  Dad said "ok - let's SPRINT!" and we did...

Tears tears tears of joy as I finished... a mix of emotions:: SO stinkin' glad it was over, SO happy, SO proud, SO thankful, and did I mention I was glad it was over?!

I wanted so badly for this race to be over while I was running it, but of course now that it's over we're already looking for our next one.

And that's why they call it runners high.  Good stuff.  :)

He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

Living Room updates.

Our Living Room is the #1 thing I wish I could change about our home, because it's tiny.  I mean, tiny.

I love to entertain, host friends/small group, and envision my entire family hanging out there... and while some of that does happen regardless, it makes for some tight space.  Nothing like bonding with the person next to you practically sitting in your lap.

Anyway, here it is in all it's small glory!

This chair was a Christmas gift to myself... from my hubby... you know how that goes :)

And yes, the rug needs flattened out, I know.  If you have any suggestions on how to make that happen (I've tried heavy books), I'm all ears. 

Won this in a blog giveaway... love love love! 

This wall was updated with new frames and our family picture on a canvas.  And of course, now looking at a picture I can see a few things crooked.  Oh well. 

(see the old version of this wall here) 

 I was looking for a new smaller side table and Craigslist came through for me once again... it was pretty dinged up but with some elbow grease and a can of spray paint she's as good as new.  

 This rug was found all crumpled up in the corner of Target... I had no idea what it looked like OR how big it was and knew it would need work to get the wrinkles out, but I couldn't pass up the $35 price tag, especially when the original price was closer to $200.

I do love how much natural light floods this room.  Even on overcast days, I don't need the lamps on... for that, I am thankful!  Bright rooms keep me happy.

It's definitely nothing fancy, but I really wanted this to be a space where people can come in, kick their shoes off, and just stay a while.  Hopefully that continues to happen.  :) 

Tidbits.

- I don't know who invented Daylight Savings Time, but I am 110% against it this year.  Not only does it jack with the boys' schedules, but I feel like it has put me out of whack as well.  Not to mention it makes running impossible, unless I want to run in the dark, which I won't.  Which means running on the treadmill.  Which I hate.  AND it's pitch dark at 5:15 when Tyler gets home.  Ugh.

- Whoops, sorry to start on a negative note.  Who is excited for the Election results tonight?!  This girl!  I feel so honored, so thankful, so privileged to have a voice and the freedom to vote.  I am so confident that our God is BIGGER than any candidate, and has complete control no matter the results.  I'm just ready for all the political garbage to be over!

- Tyler and I went on an unexpected date Friday night.  Sushi and to a coffee shop to play a board game.  Seriously my IDEAL date.  Coffee, games, and the man I love.  So perfect.

- Seriously, sometimes my OCD side just cannot handle the way kids play with toys.  Why can't we just sit and play with ONE toy at a time, and instead we have to dump ALLLL of them out.  And some days I really just want to throw away every single toy we have.
But then there's this crazy side of me:: I love to clean up our playroom.  Putting all of the toys in a basket, sorting them, and putting them where they belong makes me happy.  Until it needs done again 10 minutes later.

- I still haven't quite wrapped my head around having a 2 year old.  My littlest child is 2.  It feels weird to not have anyone younger than 2 in our house.  This probably makes no sense to anyone else but me, but I just haven't quite wrapped my mind around it yet.  Did I tell you we ate at T-Rex the night of Cohen's birthday party and my boys were freaked out the entire time?  We just went there a few months ago and they both LOVED it, and then we go on Cohen's birthday and they are scared.  Of course it works out that way!

- Lots of exciting things happening in my role at church lately and I'm so excited about what God has laid on my heart.  Nothing I can share yet... but I will soon.  :)

- The last 5 weekends have been spent shooting weddings, so to say I am excited for a break this weekend is an understatement!  (Leah, I have no idea how you did it all.summer.long!)  My parents are coming to town, and my Dad, brother, and I are running a 10k!  I am ready for it to be over so I can stop worrying about not being able to run it.  :)

- Did you enter my giveaway yet?  $50 off your Christmas cards?  Do it!

- I am "on call" the next couple weeks for an upcoming birth (for photography), and I am so excited!  I'm a little freaked out it will happen in the middle of the night and I won't hear my phone ring, but I've been cranking my phone up to full volume so I'm fairly certain it won't be a problem.  I should probably be more worried about waking up my entire household when my ringer does go off.

- I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS!!!!  I wish I could set up my Christmas tree tomorrow.

Ok, this is a totally random and ridiculous post, obviously there's not much going on in our neck of the woods.  I should go start dinner... doesn't it feel like that's all we do?

Cook, clean...pick up the toyroom... repeat.

Tiny Prints GIVEAWAY!!

I am over the moon excited about the giveaway for y'all today!!

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is getting cards in the mail... nothing better than getting an update from so many people from different seasons of our lives.  I especially love any photo card, it is so fun seeing the different pictures and designs.  I hope this is one tradition that never dies, no matter how popular social media gets, you know?

I am so thrilled to check out Tiny Prints Christmas Cards for 2012.  I went a little crazy looking through all of the adorable designs, and I'm in love with the Premium DoubleThick Matte Paper that they use.  Only the best for this company!

Snuggle up with some cocoa and let's start looking through some of my favorites, shall we?

Not to sound like a broken record, but I was only on the 2nd page and already picked all these favorites... I might be in trouble trying to decide which to choose.  Stinkin' cute stuff!

If you're loving these cards as much as I am, you're in for a treat today!

First off, stop by their Special Offers page to find a few different coupon codes!

And second, Tiny Prints is giving away a $50 credit towards your order, to one lucky reader! I'm so excited that one of you will get your hands on these cards for such a great deal. (expires 12/14/12 - no extensions! Also does not include shipping & cannot be combined with any other promos.) 

To enter, make sure you're a follower of my blog (on the right --> "Join this Site"), and leave me a comment telling me your favorite Christmas tradition.

For an extra entry, you can post on Facebook OR blog about the giveaway.  Leave me a second comment saying you did so. 

Giveaway ends Nov 14, 2012 at 12pm.

Eeeck!  Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Tiny Prints.  All opinions are 100% my own.  

I was compensated with some amazing cards in exchange for writing this post.

Goal complete!

This should have been posted last week, but I needed to get some "after" shots first.  :)

Last Wednesday, I weighed in and saw the beautiful number that I've been reaching for since May.

33 pounds down!  And finally at my goal weight.

It's been a long 6 months and seriously guys, I am proud of myself.  I didn't give up when I desperately wanted to sign up for all the weight loss programs... I followed the simple math of counting calories and exercising... and pushed through.

So here we go!

May 2012 (before)

October 2012 (AFTER!)

You can see that I'm definitely not a size 0, and never ever will be.  I still have room for improvement, but remember this post?  I am NOT that person anymore!  I have energy, I feel happy and confident, and I have learned portion control and how to eat healthier, without starving myself or feeling like I'm "missing out" on good food.

And where do I go from here?  Honestly, I'd still like to lose more.  I don't want to set unrealistic or ridiculous goals, but I'd like to keep working hard and always have something to be working towards so that I don't lose my motivation.... so that the drive that I have does not disappear.  I'd like to continue to really tone up, and lose my baby belly once and for all.  My stomach = still SO flabby.  My dream someday is to feel confident in a bathing suit, and I'm still SO far from that.  :)

Lastly, I really want to thank you guys.  A few of you have been my BIGGEST FANS and support through this, and so many of you have sent me messages or texts, left me comments, encouraged me on facebook or instagram, and even in person... and those kinds of things really kept me going.  So, thank you.  There's honestly NO way I could have done it without my husband, and without my parents.  My three biggest supporters.

This is not a "look at me! I'm so great! Watch me brag!" post.  I hope this will motivate SOMEONE, ANYONE to realize that if you're unhappy with how you look or how you feel, you CAN make a change.  You CAN do this.

Exercise is not fun, and eating correctly is not easy, but the end result?  So worth it.

The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Psalm 28:7