USAF MARATHON 2009...dedicated to my grandma!

The time has come to run another race....my fave run..the Air Force Marathon on 19 Sept 09!

I can not tell you how very excited I am. However I am very nervous. I even went to my local

Fleet Feet Sports in Columbia for moral support (LOL) but only my fellow marathon runners

will know what I am feeling. I sorta have the nervousness you get when you are about to take a big test. I am not doing this race to place. Lord no. Just to run it for the love I have of running.

But this time I am running it in honor of my beautiful grandmother Marion who passed away of lung cancer when I was deployed this past February. She was always there for me. When she died the only thing that got me through was running. I feel like running this marathon is a perfect way to honor her and my love for her.

This race would not be possible without the support of my family and the great leadership I have at my base. My superiors let me take extra time everyday and come in late so I could train at my favorite running trail....

But in all honesty, I am just ready for it to be here already! I am excited! I love the base it is held at--Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. It is beautiful.

I will put up a full race report next weekend! I will try to update through the weekend as I am driving up on Thursday (almost 10 hrs!) and then heading home next Sunday.

My lagging motivation has been kicked to the curb!

Haven't blogged in a while. I guess life has kept me busy. LOL....

But i wanted to come by and tell you all about 3 amazing workout dvd's I bought over the weekend, they are all by Jillian Michaels..

1. 30 day Shred - Consists of 3 levels. I did level one on Tuesday. Very good and intense. I was sweating like crazy. I wasnt too sore yesterday either. I can not wait to do it again. 

2. Burn Fat, Boost Metabolism - This one is amazing! A whole body workout! I did it today for the first time. She KICKED my butie! i was exhausted afterward, the whole time i was cursing her out. But loving it at the same time. It was about an hour total. 

3. No more trouble zones -  I have not done this one yet! But i will by the weekend and update everyone! I am sure its as good as the other two. 

If you need to make a change in your workout, i HIGHLY recommend her dvd's! I bought them at Target for $15 each. They were well worth it. If you want to see small part of it go to the following link to check them out: 

www.collagevideo.com

Sometimes life throws you lemons.....

Last July i was sent to CST (combat skills training) in Wisconsin for a month then straight over to Balad, Iraq from there. It was a last minute tasking as I only had two weeks to get my gear, pack up and leave to CST. It was not a fun thing! It was very painful to leave my husband and two sons. Especially the baby who was only 11 months old at the time. But i had no choice. There were sooo many ups and downs. Being in that type of environment does make you appreciate and value the lives we have in the US. Some of you may be rolling your eyes....Yes the US is in rough economic times.....but we can go out and do as we please! We dont live in filth, walk a mile to a shower only to walk back to your CHU and be dirty again with the wind and sand blowing. Or walk around the corner to use a porta potty cos the regular bathrooms are too far or that maybe all their is.  Maybe its good that we are going through this recession, so people become more appreciative of the life they have instead of complaining of what we dont have. I know i use to be like that. I know that the 7 months i lived in Iraq were very eye-opening and inspiring. Instead of looking at the glass half empty i am thankful it is half FULL! 

Case in point.......in February of this year (a month before i was due home) my husband found out he was deploying to Afghanistan and would be leaving BEFORE  i returned home. Of course i am pissed at the AF.....but seriously we have to be thankful. Since this recession has started millions of people are being laid off their jobs....my husband and I have had the opportunity to travel and work in another country and make a good chunk of money for our future. I do miss him like crazy. I am hurt that the AF didn't at least let him stay long enough to see me come in. But i was able to take leave last week and go see him in New Jersey before he deployed. It was a good visit.  

We as a country have to come together to find the flowers among the weeds. Everyday is a struggle for me to find the good things, but it could be worse. I could be back in Iraq, wearing PT gear or ABU's, eating DFAC food, working everyday with no days off, praying every night that a mortar won't hit my CHU tonight so i can make it home alive. 

So when i get lemons, i need to make lemonade!!!!