A good use of $12?

What do you think? It's a horrible picture of me by the way.

I hit up the beauty school after work today and got a $12 haircut. I think she did a good job. I didn't want much taken off so I could still put it when I run (whenever it is that I can actually run again) but she did a good job layering AND straightening it with just a brush and blow dryer.

A good use of 12 bucks? You be the judge!

TWLOHA Day 2009

Friday was "To Write Love on Her Arms" Day. TWLOHA is a great organization that works to bring help and hope to teens and adults who are dealing with issues of depression, self-injury, and suicide. By writing love on our arm, we show that we support those who are facing these issues and want them to know that there is a way out.

To learn more about depression, self-injury, suicide, and TWLOHA visit:

> http://www.twloha.org

A light at the end of this tunnel...

A few weeks ago I came back to Pflugerville and got to go to my church. I was feeling really weak and tired and we sang this song that gave me hope:

Tunnel by Third Day

I won't pretend to know what you're thinking
I can't begin to know what you're going through
I won't deny the pain that you're feeling
But I'm gonna try and give a little hope to you

Just remember what I've told you
There's so much you're living for

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
There's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shinin' bright at the end of this tunnel
For you, for you
So keep holdin' on

You've got your disappointments and sorrows
You ought to share the weight of that load with me
Then you will find that the light of tomorrow
Brings a new life for your eyes to see

So remember what I've told you
There's so much you're living for

So, after I heard that I started thinking - I really can make it through this...I'm going to feel better one day and this will all be behind me.

Well, I think that I'm finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I made it through two days of work this week and though I was very tired and sore at the end of the day, I made it. Yesterday, I even had enough energy to clean up a little and make a great dinner.

So, there is a light at the end of all this sickness and I think I'm getting closer to it. I just gotta keep pushing on. I'm so excited to get to go back to Youth Group tomorrow night. I've missed getting to hang out with the kids at church the most through all this.

I appreciate all the cards and prayers and love that everyone has shown me through this and I'm going to keep pushing on until I get out into the beautiful day light that God created.

OH! And here is a picture of the amazing dinner I made last night in case you were wondering:


> Chef Salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, green onions, bell peppers (green, yellow, and orange), mushrooms, cheese, and Olive Garden dressing
> Pita Bread
> Milk

Yummm-o!

How He Loves

by David Crowder Band -- LOVE IT!



He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yes my veins move and NO!!! I'm allergic to tape!

So I've pretty much become a pro at lab work at the doctor's office. I've been to the doctor 4 times in the last 3 weeks and have had blood and urine tests more times than I care to count.

I have become a pro at peeing in a cup (well actually I suck at it - I got it all over the place today!) and I've learned that it's best to tell the lady in the lab early on that my vein is going to move once she goes to stick the needle in and that I am allergic to adhesive and need Coban instead of tape.

The good news is that almost all my blood counts are back to normal except for one but it's coming down. My liver counts were all really bad from the mono so I'm going back on Wednesday for MORE blood work to see where we go next.

The bonus here -- I've lost 6 lbs in 3 weeks while eating lots of chips, cake, and ice cream!

I love GLEE!

Is anyone else addicted?



This is my favorite song they have done and I loved the mash-ups!

Alive Again (+Race report)

I know you probably all thought that I was dead, lying in the street in the middle of the half marathon course all this time.

WELL, let me tell you where I've been (it's long but I think it's a pretty good story)...about a week before the half marathon I started feeling super tired and stayed home almost every evening (not like me at all). The race was on a Sunday and the Friday before I was really worn out. I had a meeting in San Antonio Saturday morning so I got up and drove there and on the way home I had the worst headache of my LIFE.

I got some severe cold/allergy medicine and then went to pick up my packet. I went home and laid in bed for the rest of the day and the headache would not go away. At about 8pm I realized that I had to carbo-load for the race even though I would have much rather stayed in bed. So I went to Mangia, where my friend Demetric works, and picked at this dinner (which was really good - wish I could have enjoyed it more)
I went home and got everything laid out for the race since I had to be there at 6:30 and am so bad at finding all my running stuff when I'm in a hurry.

A bunch of friends from work and church wrote notes on my shirt for the race (upside down so I could read them while I was going):
The back of my shirt had Philippians 4:13:
I have to tell you that a ton of people stopped me during the race to tell me how much they liked that scripture, that it was true, and I could do this, cars passing by honked when they read it, and mostly it's what kept me going when I wanted to give up so many times because I felt like crap (more on that later)

So everything was laid out and I went to bed with a throbbing headache.
I woke up a few times during the night to take more advil and really I wasn't excited/nervous at all about the race because I was feeling so sick. But, I woke up that morning got dressed and headed out:
I waited forever for the start (which was late) and half the time that I was waiting I was trying to convince myself not to throw up. I knew that it wasn't a good sign that I was more worried about being sick than the race.

We started and in most races that I've been in there is a large group of walkers and I start somewhere at the front of them and feel good that I always have people behind me. Well there was me and this couple one couple and there in front of me and we were the back. Soon the 10k-ers were passing then the 5k-ers.

The 5K people broke off and I headed toward the first aid station. The pacer guy was a little ahead of me but at times was close by. At about 2 miles I got to an aid station and had some Poweraid and was headed up a huge bridge crossing over Mopac (freeway). At that point I was about to throw up. I told myself that I wouldn't stop unless I actually did throw up but I didn't so I keep going but I was behind my pace I needed to keep up.

I knew that the 3rd mile was really hilly and I was prepared mentally for that but it turned out that it was much more than mile 3 with the big hills. At the point where the 10-Kers turned off (about 3 or 4 miles) a Police Officer told me that I was significantly behind the pace and that I was going to have to be on my own if I wanted to continue. I said okay trying not to cry. I couldn't give up. I'd trained so long and there were so many people expecting me to do this. So I kept going. I followed the cones in the street through a super hilly neighborhood until about mile 6 when the cones stopped. I had no clue where I was, no map, no cell phone, and now no cones.

I was going through my options in my mind - go ask someone at one of the houses if I could use their phone - but who would I call - I didn't know anyone's number. I knew I was heading back toward Mopac so I just kept going - what else could I do?

Also, at about mile 6 the rains started. Heavy, freezing cold rains. I was okay until I went through a puddle and my shoes got soaked through. Then I was cold. At about 7 miles I saw that couple that was walking huddled under a carport on someone's house calling someone to come pick them up. Sadly, my thought was - atleast I beat them. I didn't give up yet.

Every now and then I would see an empty aid station and was able to find a cup to fill from the large water containers. That was a blessing. I also followed empty sports gel packets on the ground kind of feeling like Hansel and Gretel.

At mile 8 I turned the corner and saw an aid station with PEOPLE at it! I was so relieved. They were cleaning up but they gave me water and gel and one of the guys there was one of the race directors. I told him I didn't want to give up and I understood that I was way behind the pace I needed to finish in time for the event. He give me directions and went over them a few times to make sure I got all the turns. He was very nice. He said that he would have people check in on me along the way.

I could do this. I had a second wind. Or so I thought. I headed down past an area where I knew a Methodist Church was and tried to get my barings of where I was. I was so turned around. Around that point my iPod got to wet and the Nike Plus attachment quit working so I have no record at all of the miles. I headed back under Mopac and into some neighborhoods.

The hills were not really letting up and I was so dead. I passed by a house that belongs to one of my friend Kevin's friends and thought so hard about knocking on their door and giving up but I was really disoriented and wasn't for sure if it was the right house.

I was soaked through and freezing. Every few drive ways I would have to stop to bend in half and get a good deep breath. It was horrible. I had trained and done 11 miles and it was hard but nothing like this at all. I thought it must be the hills and the rain dragging me down.

I followed the directions I was given and saw the sign for 10 miles. Whew. Just a 5K to go. The spurts of energy and hope were replaced within minutes by thoughts of wishing someone would magically appear to drive me the rest of the way. My mind (since I didn't have music to listen to) went between I can do this and I don't want to fail and I can't do this.

I saw an aid station at around 11 miles and got water and powerade. When I was leaving I saw the race direction and he asked if I was okay. I said yes - it's just two miles I can do this and he told me that was the last aid station. Immediately I was thirsty thinking about not getting anymore water but I was okay.

A lady pulled up next to me and asked if I needed a ride back. I told her no I was okay I could do it. As she pulled off I thought that if anyone else asks I should say yes but I'm sure if they had I would have said no.

I kept going and the rain was getting harder and colder. I went through more neighborhoods stopping to get a good breath and doubling over very frequently at this point. I saw a big clock on a building and it said 11 am (I had no clue what time it was since my iPod had died) The cut off time was 4 hours and I should have been done by 11 but I had 2 miles to go. I had told my friends that I would finish between 10:30 and 11 and I was so concerned about them sitting in the rain waiting. I told myself I would finish before noon.

A lady stopped her car next to me in one of the neighborhoods and rolled down her window and said, "You must really want this to be out here in this weather. You can do it." It was the little nods of encouragement and knowing that so many people had supported me all along that kept me from giving up.

The 11 mile sign was the last that I saw so I had no clue when I had finished the next miles. I just kept going - making the turns I was suppose to make - hoping I remembered them all.

Luckily, the guy was wrong and there was one more aid station at probably 12.5 miles. I was SO happy to see that water container. I kept going up a hill and the rain started up again. I had never been so cold in my life.

I started thinking - Maybe Leah (my friend who was coming to watch) will think she missed me and come along the race route just in case and she'll pick me up. I've gone far enough. I'm done. But no Leah so I kept going. My mind kept going over that scenario and then out of nowhere - there was Leah and her mom! They asked if I wanted a ride the rest of the way and I wanted to say yes more than anything in the world. I asked how far it was and she said a mile. I said A MILE?!?! And she said no no less than that, you are really close. So I kept going and they turned around to meet me at the finish.

I made a wrong turn to get back into the shopping center that housed the start/finish line but the milage was probably close to the same. I went down an alley and Leah and her mom came running behind me with bright pink signs. I was beyond dead.

The event was over - everything was almost torn down and I walked over to the guy at the finish line to give him my chip from my shoe. I felt like a complete failure for not finishing anywhere near in time or in the time I had trained. BUT the guy, and the guy I had seen on the course, and a few others came over giving me high fives and congratulating me. They gave me my time (4:42 - I had trained to finish in about an hour under that). I was just happy to have finished and to have completed my goal.

They said they would mail me my finishers medal. I really didn't expect to get one since I hadn't finished in the required 4 hours. Leah and her mom were so nice and went with me to change into dry clothes and bought me a soda and grilled cheese and cookies for lunch. After the race I was fine but I started fading fast.

I was dog sitting for a friend so I knew I had better go straight to his place to feed her before I went home or I would never want to leave again. I went to his house. Changed into some completely dry clothes and didn't end up moving for the rest of the day. I was like an ice cube. It took over four hours before my body warmed up and I stayed under a down comforter for the rest of the day.

It's hard to see but here I am not moving from the bed:
I only got up to use the restroom and by time I would get back to bed my teeth were chattering and I was exhausted. I didn't even have the energy to go downstairs to get water until about 7pm. I drove home at 11:30 that night exhausted and not having eaten since the grilled cheese. I got McDonalds and went to bed.

I went into work at 9am on Monday but couldn't concentrate. I was completely exhausted. I thought from the race but I just couldn't handle being at work so I went home at lunch. That evening I felt horrible. I had a temperature of 102.2 and thought I had the flu. I decided I'd go to the doctor first thing in the morning and lived on popsicles for the rest of the night.

I woke up went to the doctor and it turns out that I had:

MONO and PNUEMONIA

It explained so much! The headache, the constant nausea throughout the race, the exhaustion, the breathing problems - all of it.

I've been at my parents for the last 2 and a half weeks recovering and am finally turning the corner. I was having itchy hands and I just really liked the name of this product:

CORTAID (haha)


Here I am all monoed out. My skin, eyes, and tounge all turned yellow because of the way the mono affected my liver (really bad):I've been going back into Austin every Friday for Doctor's Appointments, Blood work, abdomenal ultrasounds and all that fun stuff.

I definitely will try a half marathon again when I don't have mono slowing me down!

T-Minus 4 Days

until the Half Marathon...AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

This is the song that got me pumped up for my 6 miles last Sunday:



I'm feeling such much stronger, can run for longer stretches than when I started, and have lost about 13 pounds. I think no matter what happens on Sunday I've been successful. I'll be a better blogger now that life is calming down and will be sure to get some pictures for you soon!

My new theme song...

I did the All Access 5k in Virginia Beach last weekend while I was visiting my nephew and my new niece (and their parents!) I took 3 minutes of my personal best for the 5k and am down to just over 47 minutes. I was right at 15 minute/miles which is what I need for the half-marathon (only like 17 days away! AHHH!)

My sister played this song for me on the way home from the race. I love it! Hopefully I'll be Tyrone and Uniqua on race day!



[Pablo:]
I'm out in front
I've got the speed
I love it when I'm in the lead
I gotta go, go, go, go, go
I gotta go
Because you can't go fast if you go too slow
So go, go, go, go, go

[Tyrone and Uniqua:]
We're not in front
We're close behind
But we'll catch up, just give us time
We gotta go, go, go, go, go
We gotta go
Because you can't go fast if you go too slow
So go, go, go, go, go

[Austin:]
I'm in the back
I'm in the rear
I don't give up, I never fear
I gotta go, go, go, go, go
I gotta go
Because you can't go fast if you go too slow
So go, go, go, go, go

[Uniqua:]
I'm out in front
I've got the speed
I love it when I'm in the lead
I gotta go, go, go, go, go
I gotta go
Because you can't go fast if you go too slow
So go, go, go, go, go

SO SORRY!!!

I am so sorry for being such a horrible blogger! I'll definitely try to get better. I have been SO busy with training, work, church stuff, and getting ready to go see my new niece! I leave Friday for Virginia and will stay through Monday night. I'm SO excited!

As for training - I'm still too slow but I made it through 11 miles yesterday. I'm doing a 5k in Virginia on Sunday with my cousin and hoping to cut some time off my 5k PR.

We sang this at church yesterday and it has been stuck in my head ever since:



Enjoy!