Early Morning Walks

This week I'm slightly out of my element - my first summer off from teaching Extended School Year (ESY) has freed up my schedule and allowed me to do a number of things I haven't been able to do in ages. Namely - visit with my grandmother in South Carolina.  

For those who don't already know, my grandmother is currently fighting the good fight against my least favorite foe - cancer.  Factor in a few recent bouts with pneumonia and the usual accompaniments - BLAH. I spent many a summer with my grandparents and even my first semester of college living with them, so to say that we're close would be an understatement.

The sun just peeking out as we left.

My grandmother was still recovering from her second bout with pneumonia during our beach trip last month, so it has been wonderful to visit with her this past week and see her up and moving around more.  We've spent much of this week visiting, helping her clean house and just enjoying our time together.  

Attempting to hydrate pre-workout with nuun

Mom and Hollie leading the way!

With the high temperatures and humidity, we spend most of our time inside - it's easier on her lungs and my sweat glands. I'm not a pretty, pretty princess in this sticky, sticky heat.  That also translates into early morning workouts - 6:00 AM whereas at home, you'll find me out and about between the hours of 8 and 10 AM. 

3.5 miles complete! (6.3 with the day's shopping)

With 16 weeks left until the City of Oaks Marathon, I've begun my training - slowly working to build my running up from 3-mile average runs to the eventual 26.2. I'm still nervous and horrified beyond belief, but hopeful and focused on continually moving. I'm not as accustomed to this climate and my body has been fighting against me these last couple days. One of the hardest things I've learned in my running thus far - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. So - I've been focused on building mileage through long brisk walks joined by my mom and my grandparents' favorite blonde, Hollie. 

Tired as a dog - LITERALLY!

This morning's walk ended with a wonderful breeze during the last mile - with 77 degrees a reprieve from the 99+ temps during the day.  My goal tomorrow is to get in at least 2-3 miles at a comfortable pace without feeling dogged.  

Enjoying a post workout coffee - LOVE.

How do you train for races in non-familiar climates? Do you stick with an indoor regimen courtesy of a treadmill or face the weather head on?

Miles for Jamie - The Beginning of Marathon Dreams

Running is not for everyone. It’s not even for me most days. I often struggle to get myself out the door or on the treadmill for the start of a run. Don’t get me wrong - I love running. I love the silence that comes with focusing solely putting one foot in front of another and not about the million things I still have yet to deal with. I love how I feel the moment I finish a particularly hard run - a sense of accomplishment that doesn’t come with completing day-to-day errands or paperwork.  I love that it is a perfect combination of physical and mental exercise, constantly testing the limits I did not know I was capable of pushing. 

But - there are days I hate it, absolutely dread it.  Days I find myself dreading the early wake-up call or the miles ahead.  Days I don’t think I’m capable of even a few steps. Days I don’t know why I choose to do this. Then I remember - I run because I can. I run for those who can’t.  I run for my loves, our loves.  I run for a friend whose sudden passing reminded me that I had no real excuses anymore, that instead, I had choices.  I could choose to continue living my life the way I had done for almost 30 years - struggling with my own body image, dealing with the ups and downs of anxiety and depression, not helped by my struggle to maintain a healthy weight or lifestyle.

Cue early Spring...two years ago. I was browsing my Facebook NewsFeed and read a childhood friend’s status about a blog she was writing about making healthier lifestyle choices.  I’d come across my fair share of fitness articles, but to hear from the perspective of someone I personally knew allowed me to truly reflect upon my own lifestyle and changes I could incorporate into my own cooking and fitness regimen.  I enjoyed reading my friend’s blog posts and loved her drive but didn’t see the same potential in myself at first.  It may be cliche, but for me, a hard truth - we are our own worst critics.  I didn’t see myself possessing the motivation nor being capable of achieving or more importantly, maintaining a healthier lifestyle.  

No one had a smile or laugh like Jamie.

However, life has other ways of showing us things we didn’t dare think possible.  A short time later, I learned that my childhood friend, Jamie had been brutally attacked in her own home.  Within days, she would pass away and the world was a little darker without her light.  In the days and weeks that followed, I would see her photographs, read countless news reports and spend time remembering all our childhood adventures through summers spent together.  I wasn’t able to attend her memorial services but was able to see them online.  As I listened to others share their memories of Jamie, I not only saw the impact of one person but also realized how finite life truly is.  I knew something would have to change; the same excuses were no longer valid.  

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and mine started just the same.  I decided I would need a goal and with the support of my best friend, Veronica, we decided to venture into this new journey together. We slowly put one foot in front of another and began to learn how to run, running local 5Ks and eventually completing the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge this past February, almost two years later.  We are by no means elite runners, but we run.  We set out to accomplish what others often attribute as pure craziness.  Crazy is, as crazy does and the next logical (i.e. INSANE) step for me was a marathon, but not for a long while. I loved the Disney Princess Half-Marathon Weekend and want to attempt the Dopey Challenge at some point, but knew I would need to see if a marathon was something I was capable of, much less enjoyed.

Fast forward to April, almost two years after her passing, Jamie’s trial was underway and I found her presence in my life once again.  An article posted during the weeks of the trial referenced a quote from a friend and the City of Oaks Marathon & Half-Marathon.  This annual event occurs in Raleigh, North Carolina and it was a race that Jamie planned to complete but wouldn’t.  I knew that I wanted my first attempt at a marathon to be special and have personal meaning - I would need something to motivate me and push me through the hard miles and answer the question I always ask myself mid-race, “what was I thinking”.  The answer now would be easy - Jamie. Her smile and memories of acting out the Annie soundtrack in her living room for days on end throughout the summer (I’m sorry, Ms. Debra) and sharing a week together at marine biology camp in Myrtle Beach would be there with me.  

So - I took the plunge and registered. Come November 1st, I will be running in Raleigh, the city that Jamie so loved and in doing so, I will run for her.  Each step will be one that she should have taken and will be.  I am running in Jamie’s memory, but also for her future. In her honor, the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation has been established and in its short time has already begun to make a significant impact on members of her community as well as future leaders.  Jamie believed in the power of giving back to others and I am hoping to do the same.  It is my goal to raise money for the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation through my running the City of Oaks.  I am hoping to raise $1000 and hope that you and others will join me.  To learn more about Jamie and my efforts, you can view my Crowdrise fundraising page here.

To find out more about the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation, its values of love, humility and service as well as the impact they have made in two short years, read more here.


In addition to my training, I will be chronicling my journey through posts here as well as on Instagram.  Please join me as I run.  Find your WHY and push.  We all have something to run for. For me, it’s an intimidating 26.2 miles for Jamie.