Overcoming Obstacles and Exceeding!

So, the USMC Mud Run was yesterday and I am proud to say my team and I completed all of the obstacles and the full race! It was amazing! We began the trek to the Leatherneck (the name of the course in Sandy Run, SC) about an hour before we were to sign in with directions in hand. As we are almost to the exit, we see signs saying the exit is closed. Really? Surely it is just for Mud Run participants open. Oh no, it is fully closed. So we are re-routed to the net exit 4 miles south. We get to that exit and see that they have loped us around to the "back" of the line....approximately a 2 to 3 hour traffic standstill. We, at that point, had exactly 40 minutes to check-in. Well, the navigation skills of Ricky did us good and he found us a short-cut through a dirt road....very bumpy I might add, but amazingly quick! It got us within 1.2 miles of the entrance to the Mud Run. Well, after 20 minutes and 0.2 miles of progress, we decided we needed to get out of the car and make it to the starting line for our start time. We had 20 minutes until our start time and were supposed to sign-in an hour early. So, we pulled off to the side, parked and headed to the entrance. We managed to have a bathroom break, check-in, and start all on time, and maybe early!

    So, we began. Katie, Lindsey, Ricky, and I began the run. We got to the first obstacle...3 5 foot walls to "jump" over. We learned this course was all about team work. First obstacle down, on to the second. Sliding down a pole that is parallel to the ground. We were being yelled at by Marine men at this time...Katie and I didn't like it. Third obstacle, a rope swing....forget any skin in between your legs from then on out. We hit our first mud pit and we could forget hearing (mud all in the ear canal) or any clean part of your body from that part on! But we were so pumped and continued on. I would have to say the walls that were at least 20 feet high were the scariest, and for some reason they decided to have them right after a mud pit. Ricky and Lindsey were pros and completed the entire mud pit....Katie and I got stuck and completed it in shallower mud, yet still covered! We finished all 32 obstacles and got to the finish line approximately 2 hours after start time! We were so pumped!

    After we finished the race, we made sure to get our t-shirts and had a random guy take our picture for us.

 Then Katie, Ricky, and Lindsey went to the back of the fire truck to get sprayed. The line for the "showers" got short, so I lined up. After 2 showers for all of us, we were all clean enough to walk our mile back to the car. So, we walked back as our "cool down" and got in the car to drive back to the Leathernack to finish cleaning up and changing clothes.

We, then, had to wait on Lindsey's roommates to finish the race. In the meantime, I saw some people from work who had just finished.

We left the Mud Run around 7:30 and headed to Five Guy's for a celebration dinner! I know, against the diet but I had only eaten breakfast and was STARVING! Then, conveniently next door was Cold Stone....no worries I got the smallest size and had strawberries...that's diet right? Then, we dropped Katie and Ricky off at their house and Lindsey and her roommate Caroline headed back to my house. We took the longest showers of our lives because we were still so muddy and then collapsed!

     Overall, an amazing day! I am so glad I stuck to it and did it! We grew closer as friends and family! Ricky was definitely the MVP because we could not have gotten up the 15 foot over unders without his lifting and strategic planning! I am ready for next year's! Our time was 2:09:13 and were in 2728 place overall and 1188 in our category. Which, I have to say that is pretty good overall and for the first time not knowing what we got ourselves in to! Now, on to the next adventure!!!!

The End is Coming.....

So it is T- minus 5 days until the USMC Mudrun and new details are coming out about it daily. They now have pictures and video of all the course. It is crazy to see what we got ourselves in to! I am really pumped about it, but super scared too! It doesn't help that I have an injured foot and have been advised not to do any physical activity for awhile....more than a week, I am told, because it won't heal that fast. I, being the stubborn person I am, have decided I will take care of the foot after Saturday and just pray I don't injure it more Saturday!
   I have been preparing this week by my hardcore training of the Biggest Loser. It has kicked my butt on challenging and I was sore like crazy today! Hopefully it will help put the final touches on my upper body strength (it is weak).
   Really excited about the weekend though and hope to report greatness after Saturday! Just pray I don't have a disconnected foot! Ciao!

What Did We Get Ourselves Into????

This is the question that Lindsey asked me Wednesday night, and I asked myself again, when we watched the Mud Run video and read the new course information and saw pictures. Pretty much, we are going to die. I am no longer worried about the running part....heavens that looks like it will be the easiest portion! I am scared about the under/over logs without letting your feet touch the ground, the arm walk that you can't let your feet touch the ground, and climbing over the wood walls that are 15 feet tall! I have NO upper body strength and this isn't looking good! It is either going to be a humorous disaster or a broken bone or 10! We will previal, though! And, I was sent the waver we have to sign. Let me quote a part of it...

I recognize and acknowledge that running or walking in a road race and particularly in this mud race activity is a potentially

hazardous activity. I represent that I am medically able and properly trained and am physically and mentally able to participate in this race.

I will have to say I don't know if I can agree with all of that! And it goes into all of these injuries and probable problems....ah!

Anyway, I will keep you posted on that one! Today was our first weigh-in for the weight loss challenge. So far, I am down 10 pounds and going strong on the diet. I told the "2 week diet" commenter that he could no longer say that because I am longer than two weeks and still following through! I just hope it sticks and the pounds keep dropping!

Other than that, nothing really exciting is going on. I am finally staying in Columbia for a weekend with nothing planned! It is quite nice! Peace out until next time!

An Awakening

So, this past weekend my family and some close family friends went up to Lake Keowee near Clemson for a getaway. It was beautiful there and the perfect weather! It was, also, the first time my "Mud Run" team was together before the race...and pretty much the only time! Katie had Lindsey and I scheduled to do a 5 mile run Friday morning. I came into it with high hopes of finishing it with no problem.....Lindsey was greatful that I hadn't run more than 3 miles in a LONG time! My high hopes hit the ground about 2.5 miles into it when I remembered I forgot my inhalor and therefore couldn't breathe. It was a disappointing time and I struggled the rest of the run, wishing I had done better. So, I decided to try to convince someone else to do my portion of the Mud Run for me.....I know, I know....slacker. But, the coaxing someone else part didn't work...so I am still in and trying to get in shape to do this race in less than two weeks! The rest of the weekend was spectacular, and although I didn't stay strictly on my diet....I didn't gain any weight back, which was a good plus!

  After the run, we returned back to the lake house to enjoy jumping off the dock roof and relaxation....it was grand!

 We went to the Clemson vs PC game on Saturday and had a great time with friends and a surprise visit from extended family.

Sunday was church day and a cookout for all Lindsey's friends. It was great! And Monday was spent relaxing and enjoying breezy weather with a book in the hammock overlooking the water. You couldn't get a better relaxation weekend! It was hard to return to work!

   The first "weigh-in" comes this Friday for our work competition. From what I hear, I am competing against 33 people and it is going to be fierce! I will keep you posted! Ciao until next time!

Back Trekking.....

So, I have decided to FINALLY document my trip across the US. Figured since I missed blogging about it like I wanted to while on it, I can go back and tell you all about it. And include some of my favorite pics. So, hopefully this won't bore you! I figured I might as well write it down while I remember it, so that I can remember it later in life! So here goes....

     I decided to go on a trip around the US last summer, I have never been to the "middle" of the US. We have always flown from East to West coast. So, I wanted to embark on this adventure and see all the "sights" of the "middle." I began planning and figuring out the best way to go around August, with my ETD being January/February. Well, after leaving my job a little sooner than planned, the trip got pushed up to November. And what a perfect time to go! So, I pitched the idea to some friends, all who had to work, and to Mom and Dad, who had to work too. Mom, then, goes full force trying to convince me not to drive, by myself, because it is dangerous. Dad decides that I just need a gun and a full vehicle service and I am good to go. So, it is a plan. I move all my stuff from Mobile to my parent's house in Georgia and pack up everything I need for a 2 + week trek across the US.

     I left Dalton, GA on a Friday morning with my first stop being St. Louis, Missouri. Handy GPS in hand and 2 atlases, I begin. I put in my handy dandy GPS St. Louis, MI. And we begin. Drove through Chattanooga and Nashville, very uneventful, very pretty. I follow what handy dandy GPS tells me to do, though I remember the atlas telling me different. Handy Dandy GPS has to be right, right? So, after driving about 3 hours, I am totally second guessing my handy dandy GPS. This is after I am about an hour from Louisville, KY. I am not supposed to be near Louisville, KY. So, I pull off onto an exit, pull out my accurate atlas and check. Yep, going the wrong way. Zoom out on GPS....since when is St. Louis beside Lake Eerie? Yea, MI is not Missouri, it is Michigan.....Note to self, learn the 2 letter states symbols. After calling Mom to tell her about this, she begs, once again, for me to please come home and just fly out to LA. No ma'am....I am on a mission! So, thankfully I pulled off on the exit that goes straight to St. Louis, MO! Just added a few hours onto the trip, but that is ok! More states to see! Drove through Indiana, saw the sign for Terre Haute and almost cried....never do I want to return close to there! Drove through Illinois and almost veered to go to Chicago, but kept on track for St. Louis.

     About 3 hours out of St. Louis, I remembered one of my best friends from college was from there. So, I gave her a call to see what all I needed to do while in St. Louis. Smartest decision of my day! She not only told me everywhere to see/eat/etc., she hooked me up with the awesomest tour guides in the world! Her cousins. And, her parents let me stay at their house that night. Oh, tangent, my one part of the trip was that I wasn't planning any of it, just driving until I got somewhere, then stopping and getting a hotel room. So, to have a free place to stay the first night was great! Back, to the trip. So, I get to St. Louis and meet up with Courtney's cousins to start the tour. I saw all of downtown, the Arch, the Union Square, amazing churches, the World's Fair grounds and everything that it encompasses, the largest AMOCO sign in the world, and then it was time to EAT!

St. Louis pizza was the first on the menu from Emo's. AMAZING! is all I can say! They have a special cheese in St. Louis that makes the pizza. That was along with the toasted ravioli and salads we had (omg, I am craving it now!). So, I became a total glutton. (Oh, another side note, I also decided that I would not eat anything on this trip I could get back home). So, after eating the deliciousness of that meal, we decided that I couldn't leave St. Louis without a trip to the famous Ted Drew's custard on Rte 66. I got the apple pie custard. It was, again, AMAZING! And the coolest part of this trip was that Ted Drew was actually there that night and I got my picture with him! People who have lived in St. Louis 50 years hadn't even met him. I am there one night, and cabam! It was rather exciting. So, after that, we did some more touring and I headed to the parental's house for some sleep.

   This is probably long enough for now....so I will post Day 2 and on later on....

Game - Cocks -----Get Me Out!!!

So, today has been a pretty amazing day. It began with presenting a project that I have been working on to everyone loving it (which I was so happy about and relieved!). Then, I was invited to attend my first SEC game ever.....how could I pass that up??? My mom told me to go, so I was all for it. Though, I had worn an orange shirt to work today to show how I wasn't a Gamecock fan.....ironic? So, my wonderful Momma came to visit me at work and bring me a more "neutral" colored shirt. And, she got to meet everyone I work with, which was a hit! I have the funniest, awesomest mom. She had everyone laughing, which is hard to do! So, the day proceeded wonderfully. As I was leaving work, I was totally pumped for my first true football game! So, one of the top guys at the plant stopped as I was walking (with my work shoes in hand and old shirt and purse) and decided to talk to me about the game. As I am talking to him, I am searching for car keys. I can't find them anywhere, great, just what I need. Well, we finish the conversation and he drives off and I continue to walk to the car, hoping I "locked" them in the car. Still can't find them anywhere. So, I get to the car and switch hands of "stuff" and find my keys, hung around my finger.....showing to the top guy....I only wonder how crazy he thinks I am....or true blonde! So, on to the game!
     So, no traffic on the way in, unfortunately missed the tailgating due to work, but made it in time to go into the stadium. Since I was going with Pepsi people, we got pretty nice seats in the club section! It was great! So, we find our seats and go on a search for food. Get to the concession stand and what do I see.....all Coke products! Well, great! The #1 rule I have to follow in my job - "No Coke Products when with Pepsi People." So, decision made, no drink for me. So, we sit down (because no one got drinks) and eat our food. Did I mention we were sweating like banchies because of how hot it was outside????? Anyway, game starts and it is a pretty good game at first. I didn't mind so much the screaming of Game - Cocks across the stadium or even Cocky the Game Cock. That was first quarter. And I would like to say I only made one mistake in cheering really loud for Southern Mississippi! By halftime, I was dying of thirst....so we went searching for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to drink that wasn't Coke product. Thankfully (we walked only halfway around the stadium) we found lemonade! Thank heavens! And headed back to the seats.
    By third quarter USC was beating Southern Miss miserably and I couldn't handle the cawing when the Gamecocks did a good play, so we left. It was a pretty good experience for the first SEC game....though it would have been far better off watching UGA or Clemson :)
    Overall, the day went well and I didn't break the diet too badly at the game....and I walked forever to the stadium and back and climbed stairs, so that counts as training right? Well, it is way too late and my morning starts way too early tomorrow....peace until next time!

The Start to Another New Adventure

So, I have wanted to start a blog for awhile now, but just was too insecure about it. I figure, with all my travels I have had a lot to post about, and now that they are dying down....I start a blog. Makes sense, huh?
Well, today starts another new adventure in my life. We are having a weight loss challenge at work for the next FOUR MONTHS! It ends December 31st, which, as you can see, takes us through EVERY great eating holiday! Oh, this is going to be a tough one! And it doesn't help that on my first day of dieting, I am starving. Well, I figured if I blog about this adventure, that I might stick to it a little longer. I am a little more motivated....because we all know that I am always up for a good competition and sometimes get too competitive in these things.....and because a patient of mine asked me, "What two week diet are you on this time?" I found offense and want to prove him wrong! So, today we start that adventure.
Also, I am preparing for a Mud Run...the United States Marine Corp Mud Run to be exact. It may sound fun to most of you....but, it is going to kill me. Look it up, www.usmcmudrun.org, and you can see. Pure torture that I am subjecting myself to. It is that competitive nature again...Ever since moving to Columbia, I have become a "new person." I would venture out to say I have become a runner....and NEVER did I expect me to EVER have this title! For those of you who don't know, I ran a 10k in March after training 3 weeks and decided that since I finished it running, that running was for me and I invested in some awesome running shoes. They made me invested in running. So, back to the preparing. I figure preparing for this run, along with the weight loss competition, I should be back in tip-top shape in no time! We pray....We found out today that we have a start time of 3:02 in the afternoon. GREAT HEAT time for Columbia! Guess I need to start running in the middle of the day, instead of trying to "wait" for the "cool" night! Also, in the training suggestions it states to "train like you are running the race." Which means I should duct tape my clothes and spray myself down with a waterhose before I run. Plus lots of pull-ups and push-ups. Needless to say, I didn't know what I was getting myself in to when I signed up. So, I will keep you posted on this too!
Hopefully, I will get to blog often and keep you posted on the status of these two adventures, along with whatever other adventures come my way!