2015 RACES #IRUN4RAIN

I did twelve races in 2015. I didn't do one every single month but did more than one on some months. Every race I did donated at least part of the proceeds for charities, schools, the sick and other good causes. I dedicated all my workouts and races to Rain Chang, a precious 3-year-old that I was matched with by the I RUN 4 organization. It is an amazing group. Here is a video about our group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4NYL777Nwk

Rain works so very hard in therapy and she dedicates her sessions to me, too! 

Rain in one of her aqua therapy sessions. She loves the water and does great in it! She is a girl after my heart because I love to swim! 

January was the Hot Chocolate 5K in Atlanta. What fun! I went with my daughters and a group of young women that I adore! So glad they let this old girl go with them! 

February was the Heart Hustle 5K at the boy's school, Futral Road Elementary. Manny and JJ got medals for running the 1 mile fun run. TJ got 1st place in his age group in the 5K. 

March was the Jogging for Jude race which was amazing! I ran the 5K. Jude is a precious boy with Down's Syndrome. The race was to raise money and awareness of this very worthy cause. We were greeted at the top of the Bank of America building by a group of children with DS cheering us on! After the race, Tyler Buckles and his Waffle House crew cooked the best waffles ever for us! TJ medaled. Jude is the cutie pie in the stroller! 

You can see from my stickers that I ran for Jude and for Rain in this race.

I also ran a virtual buddy race in March. These races have cool medals for the runner and their buddy so I sent Rain her medal. They are really neat and I try to do a couple of them a year. Each run benefits IR4 Project Giveback, which 65 percent of proceeds are given back to IR4 buddies and their families. 

April was the Color Run with the girls, many of the grandkids and friends. Kennedy ran this race! It's always lots of fun and we got finisher medals! I was able to get one for Rain, too!  

I ran another virtual IR4 Buddy Race in May The race was Be Amazo from Hero to Halo and it was in honor of all the buddies and runners who have earned their wings and halos. When I look at the posts on the I Run 4 Michael group, it breaks my heart at how many sick buddies there are and all their loved ones who care for them 24/7.I can imagine the struggles they go through on a daily basis. Many times, I read that a buddy has gone to be with Jesus. Sometimes there are runners who have passed on, also.  IR4;s buddy ambassador Andrew passed away in June of 2014. He always said, "Be Amazo" so that is where the name of the race came from. I had to run this one for Andrew and all those who are no longer with us. 

This is Andrew and his mom who pushed him in many races!

In June, I completed my first ever Sprint TRIATHLON. It was at Callaway Gardents and I did it with Jennifer, Denise, Lamar and TJ. Training for it required me to first of all get a bicycle. This took a lot of courage for me to get on a bike again. I wrecked on my last bike and brought only the seat back with me, LOL!! I got my bike from the Trek store where a nice young man helped me find the perfect one for me-a hybrid step-through with gears. Denise and I also did lap swimming training in a private pool to prepare for the swim portion of the triathlon. I trained enough to where I was able to really enjoy the race! The swim was first, followed by the bike ride and ended with the running portion. All went perfectly except for my bike chain falling off twice. LOVED this race and plan on doing it again in 2016! FUN, FUN, 
FUN!

I ran another race in June at my daughter and her families' church - Oak Hill Family Fun Run. Proceeds went to a local ministry, the Christian Women's Center that gives homes for battered and abused women and their children and provides jobs for them as well. Most of the family ran this race and it was lots of fun. As a matter of fact, they all won medals, even Kennedy!

My July race was once again the Peach Fuzz. Denise and I ran our own version of the Peachtree Road Race in Concord. This is our second annual Peach Fuzz Race, LOL! We ran it last year because most of running friends and family run the Peachtree on July 4th so we decided to run our own! I only ran a 5K.

Super Hero Run for Silas was my August race. This race was for a little boy named Silas with a heart condition. Casting Crowns played at this race and they were AWESOME! The girls, TJ and some friends ran that one. TJ got a medal for second place. I was so very proud of him because he slowed down to encourage the boy in third place to finish! He's a winner in more ways than one! 

I ran two races in October. The first one was the Jack-O-Lantern Jog that Denise's school does every year and is one of my favorites. The entire family ran except for Donnie, LOL! Lamar and Carter ran but were not in the picture.  Medals were won but I'm not sure who all won them!

My last race of the year was the Colors of Cancer Run for Cancer Warriors. This race was very near and dear to my heart because of all those we have lost to cancer and to those who battle cancer. I ran for a very special little boy who recently lost his fight with cancer, Anthony Carpenter. I was privileged to run on Team Anthony the Super. I met some wonder people on the team. Anthony's family remains in my thoughts and prayers. 

So that was my year! These are the the reasons I walk, run, swim, bike! Many times I don't want to put forth the effort or my arthritis is flaring or I am feeling 62 years old or I am just plain out lazy! But when I think about Rain and all the sick children and those who are having a rough time of it, I get up and just do it! I could do more and I plan to do more in 2016. I am part of running group in Pike County called Pike County, GA Moms RUN this Town (MRTT). Some of our group have joined the Gold Challenge: 1000 miles in 2016 or 100 Days of Miles in 2016. I am doing the 100 Days of Miles. Also in 2016, I plan to run a race every month and to do at least one triathlon.

Hope to have two of these medals this time next year...one for me and one for Rain!  #IRUN4RAIN

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Races - 2014

I still just love running races!! I did 15 races in 2014! Some were awesome and some were painful! Some were walked, some were run and one was practically crawled! So here they are!

January

Hot Chocolate 5K in Atlanta was my first race of 2014. This was a blast because a big group of us spent the night in Atlanta and went out to dinner. I had my appendix out just a few weeks before this race so I walked it. Jennie Huddleston walked with me and we had a great time enjoying the sites!

February

Heart Hustle 5K was a school race at my my grandsons' school. JJ was my running buddy during this race and it was lots of fun. Denise and the boys all did this race!

Run the Reagan in Snellville was my first 10K of the year...second one ever! I went to this one with Jennifer and my cousin Jen Scott. We spent the night and had a great time! It was extremely cold and there was snow in the parking lots! 

March

Pirate's Run 5K was a at Maggie's school. Tammie Curtis was at this race. I made a wrong turn when running this race! I won 2nd place in my age group. The medals were so cool because the students made them! 

Cherry Blossom 10K in Macon was a nice country run. I did this one with Denise Burrell and we had so much fun! Our finishers snack was pink iced Krispy Kreme donuts! 

April

Color Run was the first race that all my grandchildren participated in. Kennedy was very cold and sleepy, as you can see. There was no way any of us could stay together...the kids ran off wide open so their moms had to try to keep up with them. Renee Stephens, the boys' other grandmother, and I were trying to keep up with JJ. I had to stop and wait in a very long line at the bathroom so I was way behind everyone else.....waaaayyy behind! I was so excited when I saw Jennie Huddleston and her friend! I finished the race with them and we had so much fun!!! 

Biggest Loser RunWalk race at Six Flags in Atlanta was the bomb diggety! Jennifer took me to this race. I was supposed to run the 10K but I down graded to a 5K due to all the hills and my knee was acting up. We got to run with some previous Biggest Loser contestants and another big celebrity (in our eyes) Denise Burrell! I love, love, love the Biggest Loser TV show! It inspires me to workout and lose weight. I binge watch all the old episodes. I watch at least one every day! 

May

Hope Glows 5K in Griffin was so much fun! Denise and I did this one together. Lori Harrison also did this one. As you can see in the picture, we are all three wearing knee braces! 

June

Michael's Marathon was the first race that I ran for my little running buddy Rain Chang. My daughter Jennifer has found an organization called I Run 4 that matches special needs children and adults with runners. She has been running for Erica for quite some time. I really wanted a running buddy, too. I stayed on the waiting list for 8 months! Finally, I got matched with Rain! I just love her and her sweet mom Jenny! Every race since then has been dedicated to Rain as well as my regular walks, runs and workouts. The I Run 4 group has virtual races. You chose the distance and the time and you receive 2 medals...one for you and one for your buddy. Rain is wearing the first medal from our first race together! I chose to run a 5K for this race. I think about and pray for Rain and her family when I walk/run. I thank God for the  privilege or running for her! 

July

Peach Fuzz Road Race 5K was for a race that I just made up for all of us who didn't get to do the Peachtree Road Race! Jessica Rowell, Denise and her boys and Jennifer's kids (except for KeeKee) all ran this race with me in Concord. It was a ton of fun on this hot Georgia day in July! I am counting this as one of my 2014 races!! For sure!

Declaration of Run-Dependence 5K was another virtual I RUN 4 race. I just ran this one around where I live in Hollonville. Rain also has one of these medals.

I did not run any races during August and September. It was crazy hot and I was very busy at school.

October

Michelob Ultra Half-Marathon and Lifetime 5K in Cumming was AWESOME! Jennifer took me on this one, too. We went out to dinner and spent the night. Jennifer and Denise ran the half....Denise's first one! Heather and I ran the 5K. I was very excited because I won 2nd place in my age group! 

Jack-O-Lantern Jog 5K is the race that my daughter Denise's school does each year. This was my third year doing it and it is one of my favorites! As you can see, the grand kids ran this one, too! Some of our sweet friends also ran this fun race! 

November

Erica's Walk for a Cure was a race that Jennifer had in Concord to raise money for a cure for the disease that her running buddy Erica has. Erica has a walk every year, actually, and Jennifer wanted to support her by having one here. It was a cold and blustery day. I used this race as my I Scream, You Scream virtual 5K. I sent medals to both Erica and Rain.

Rock n Roll Half Marathon Relay in Savannah was the race that I looked forward to for months! We took all the husbands and kids down for a weekend of fun! Except I didn't have much fun. The day we traveled down, my stomach started hurting so bad. I stayed up all night with it and debated about even going. Denise encouraged me to go and wound up dragging me most of the 7 miles of my leg of the race! It turned out to be gastritis but it kept me from running, eating and having a good time. I am forever grateful to Denise for encouraging me to do this race. I've had an endoscopy done since the race and the Aleve that I had taken while training for this race had destroyed my stomach lining. It took all of November and December to get back to normal. I decided to stick to running 5Ks for a while. The long runs cause me pain which causes me to take pain relievers. In 2015, I plan to walk/run as many 5Ks as I have time and money to do!