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How to Qualify for Boston Marathon without Formal Training
Y’all, I did what I wasn’t sure was possible–I QUALIFIED for the Boston Marathon!!! I have been running marathons for the past 14 years, with a big break while having babies, and dreamed about qualifying for Boston since I was a little girl, but never knew if it was physically possible to do so. Growing up, I watched my dad run numerous races, I have memories of standing on the sidelines and cheering for him and nights of “carbo loading” before a marathon. My family always beamed whenever we said that my dad ran Boston, it was a sense of accomplishment and an achievement that very few runners can achieve.…
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Rock and Roll Nashville Half Marathon Weekend Review
We just got back from finishing the Rock and Roll Nashville Half Marathon. It was Drew’s first half marathon and I made a personal record finishing in 1:42!! It was a great weekend and I am so proud of both Drew and my accomplishments, even if he says he “has zero desire to ever run a marathon!” ha! We left Atlanta around 12:30 and arrived in Nashville about 5 hours later on Friday afternoon. A big weather system was moving in, so we quickly went to the Expo to pick up our packets for the race. Rock and Roll race expos are HUGE and filled with running attire, accessories and…
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Holding Child Back in Kindergarten: Reflections After a Year
It is hard to believe that it is already 2023, am I right?! The past couple of years have been a roller coaster ride in terms of education and what the correct decision is for our boys. Two years ago, it was brought to our attention by our 4 year old’s teacher that he may benefit from enrolling in a Young-Fives program instead of going ahead to kindergarten. Reid is our first born and while we initially had no intention of holding him back from kindergarten, we took his teachers opinion seriously and after lots of discussion and prayer, we ultimately decided to hold him back and enroll him in…
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How to Run a Sub 4 Hour Marathon
I am thrilled to say that I achieved my goal of running a sub-4 hour marathon!! Y’all this was my first marathon in 10 years, first since being married, first since having children and first running in my thirties–yet, I was able to achieve a goal that I never did in my 20’s before having children!! Was it super easy? No. Was it pretty? No. Am I ready to run another marathon? No. But do I feel accomplished and proud? Hell yes! The feeling of showing my boys that with a lot of hard work and dedication, you can finish and achieve your goal is priceless! Seeing my boys at…
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BEST organizers for kids playroom
What is the best way to organize a kids playroom? What storage solutions actually work for playrooms? Well, I am here to tell you that it is an evolving space and changes/shifts are necessary as your children age. While our playroom has transformed over the years, probably every 6 months it changes in a big way, there are a few tried and true items that are BEST for playrooms IMO. First up, the cubes! I had cubes when I was in college, post grad life and early marriage. Cubes are a great and very inexpensive way to create storage solutions. This applies to playrooms too! When my boys were younger,…
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What Happens Going Gluten and Dairy Free for 3 Months
A few months ago, I got my first physical with a primary care doctor in years (I get my annual from my ob/gyn every year). After speaking with my PC, she started talking about my gut health and what I thought was just normal llfe, turned out to be a gut issue. To be TMI, I had stomach issues (TMI: diarrhea multiple times a week, gas, bloat and cramp like pain weekly, if not daily). She advised me to do an elimination diet starting with gluten to see if that would ease my symptoms…admittedly, I was not thrilled and did not want to become one of “those people” who have…
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Marathon Training in Your Twenties and Thirties: Big Differences
Hard to believe that marathon training is at the half way mark. Admittedly, it has been more challenging in someway and simpler in other ways. For reference, I ran 4 marathons over the course of 3 years when I was in my early to mid twenties. Running back then was a way to destress during law school/college and allowed me time to escape for a bit of time. Running was a family affair and I completed my first few marathons with my dad and sister. It was a way to connect with them and develop an inexpensive hobby. Marathon training in my twenties taught me how much I love to…
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Big Changes From 3 Year Old to 4 Year Old
Time passes so quickly when you have multiple children, especially with the younger ones! It seems like it was only a year ago that I had a baby and now I have a full grown little boy!! Every birthday is bittersweet. I am grateful for another healthy and happy year with my children, but it is so sad seeing how quickly they grow up and knowing that they aren’t going to stay little for much longer. I truly love these days (collectively ;)) and treasure all the time I get to spend with them when they are young. Walker turned 4 this week and it truly feels like he grew…
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St. Regis Deer Valley: Amazing 5 Day Trip to Park City
Drew and I just got back from an adults only trip to Deer Valley, Utah. Even though it is the “off season,” early September is where it is at for traveling out west. The crowds are less, the weather is still warm, the views are breathtaking and the prices are right. I am pretty sure it will be on our list of times to go out west from now on! Drew won a trip with his company as “President’s Pick” for his hard work this past year and we added on an additional day to enjoy ourselves. His company went above and beyond to spoil us and gave us fun…
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A Mother’s Prayer for First Child Starting Kindergarten
Tomorrow, my oldest starts kindergarten. It is hard to believe how quickly time passes by and how we have already reached this spot where he is going to be off to the “real world.” I am sure I will feel the same way when he enters middle school, high school and college. I have been truly blessed to stay at home with him throughout his life. I have been there for every bump, bruise, scratch, laugh, cry, silly story and everything in between. Following advice of others, we started preschool a couple days a week for a couple hours when he was 2. He went a little more each year…
