Warrior Princess Trail Run

I'm getting even more excited than I've been to see the Warrior Princess Trail Run finally coming together through the planning stages to reality. Here is the info you need to know. Hope you all can participate on Monday, April 25, 2011. This would have been Lilian Grace's 1st Birthday!

1^st Annual

Warrior Princess Trail Run

Monday April 25, 2011

6:00 pm – 10.3 mile Trail/Road Race

(5.5 miles of trail and rest on paved road, plus 3 aid stations)

6:30 pm – 1.03 mile Fun Run/Walk

Keystone State Park Mountain Bike & Hike Trail (Sand Springs)

Race Day reg. and packet pick-up 5:00 – 5:50 p.m.

The Warrior Princess Trail Run proceeds will benefit babies diagnosed with T18 & T13 chromosomal disease and their families by providing assistance, support and resources as needed. The race is in memory of Michael and Chrissy Whitten’s daughter, who was diagnosed with T18 sixteen days into her life.

Lilian Grace Whitten, Warrior Princess, soared above and beyond what was expected of her life. Her first breath was supposed to be her last. She lived 103 glorious days on this earth before earning her wings. God gave us the reason why she was here through the following scripture: “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through FAITH. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the LOVE of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the FULLNESS OF GOD.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/liliangracewhitten/journal for more

of our story!

Awards: Prizes to the Overall Top Three Male and Female (No duplication of awards.) Custom Finisher Medals for all runners. Best Dressed Warrior Prince and Princess Contest.

Entry Fee: $35 by March 15, 2011 (shirt guaranteed)

$40 after March 15, 2011

Registration: Make checks payable to: Warrior Princess Foundation, 25 E. Broadway, Sand Springs, OK 74063

For more information, contact the race director Chrissy Whitten at warriorprincessfoundation@hotmail.com

You can request a registration form via e-mail or go online to register at

https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=4490

Get Your Race On

I decided to be a doer today and register for two of my favorite trail run I've ran before. It's been way too long since I've ran any race….my was when I was 8 weeks pregnant with Lilian Grace. We ran the Greece Marathon in November 2009. Yes, that is way to long for this runner girl to stay away from the racing world.

What races have I signed up for you ask? Well the lovely TATUR's Six Hour Snake Run and Lake McMurtry Trail Run. I just hope my lovely ankle will not get in my way of finishing these races out. As anyone with an injury should do, I am not expecting to pr in any race I do for at least another 6 months. I do expect to be able to at least run the races without a lot of pain.

The TATUR's Six Hour Race is perfect for my first race back. Why you ask? Well, there's no set distance for me. I just run for six hours and end up whatever mile at the end. It's perfect for me. The race takes place on Turkey Mountain in Tulsa, OK…love this place. It will be nice to be back with my running buddies working towards finishing my goal to actually participate in a race. Getting back on that saddle has been a rough road, but I will start out slow…pace slow…and finish strong with a slow mindset to get me through the six hours of running. I can't wait to see what happens…hopefully no injuries, especially since I am not getting my competitive juices flowing for the time being.

My goal is to just run when I can and keep moving when I can't until the time is up. It's be a fun adventure to see what my ankle and body can do during this time. Perhaps, the ankle is really good for me. We shall see! Bring on Saturday, March 19, 2011!

For more info: http://www.tatur.org/SixHourTaturRun.html

The TATUR's Lake McMurtry Race is another favorite race of mine. It takes place at Lake McMurtry Park West Side in Stillwater, OK. There are three distance options for this race: 15k, 25k or 50k. I am playing it safe by doing the 25k. This race isn't until Saturday, April 2, yet I still want to make sure my ankle doesn't get in my way. I need to be healthy for Lilian Grace's Warrior Princess Trail Run on Monday, April 25, 2011….so I need to be careful.

My goal for this race is to survive the terrain. I love this trail, but you never know what it's going to look like….especially after this crazy weather we've been having here in Oklahoma. I'm just pumped to be a part of my buddy, TZ's two races. Yep, he's the race director for both of these. He's also blessing us with designing the Warrior Princess Trail Run….I can't wait. He does an excellent job putting on races.

For more info: http://www.tatur.org/LMTR.html

There's so many great things about TZ, but an exceptional one is the fact that he's going to help train me for 103 miler race in memory of my daughter, Lilian Grace. If I hadn't hurt my ankle, we'd be training right now…life took a different turn, but I am not giving up…and neither is he! :) Pray that my body, mind and soul works with me through getting back on the racing "horse" so I can get to my ultimate dream of completing that 103 miles. I will keep you posted throughout this process.

Cheers to registering for my two races…and the completion of them. Running buddies…you know who you are…I have missed you with great lengths…I can't wait to run with you again.

Never Fight A Rock

Yes, never get in a fight with a rock. This will only cause you great pain. I should have posted back when the incident occurred, but I got sidetracked. The day was Saturday, January 8, 2011. I was finally getting to rejoin my Runnersworld peeps for my next marathon when the infamous moment took place.

What started the problem was the fact I was trying to fit an 8 mile run in less than 1 1/2 hours. I needed to be at work to teach classes by 10:00 a.m. My smarter choice should have been to run with Sandra for 5 miles, instead of trying to do 8 miles with Ed. My second smarter choice should have been to stop at the water stop before proceeding with such a fast pace. :)

Ten minute miles wasnot what I should have been running. I had been training by myself the weeks before, yet I was in shape ready to do such a fast pace. Another smarter choice would have been to look ahead of me to make sure there were no objects in my path. Smart me…decided that looking at and talking to Stephanie, who I hadn't seen in awhile, was going to work at such a fast pace.

As we approached Lewis street to cross, I did a dance on top of a rock. We went to battle…and sadly I lost! I fought a fight though as you will see…that dang rock got grinded into the street! I really was not wanting to go down, but that is where I eventually ended up. Here is the picture of my component and the remains of our fight/dance!

I could feel the twisting and cracking of my right ankle…I was thinking…this is not gonna turn out good…I bet I broke it…and maybe worse…sprain it…which hurts worse than being broke…or so I've been told. I just stayed down and smiled. I thought to myself…a year ago, I was pregnant…told that I was going to have emergency surgery almost to the day…and that perhaps my daughter and me may not make it…that I'd lose one of my ovaries and fallopian tube…hmmm…

I just laughed…because I was really hoping to start this year off differently…and a broken bone was definitely better than surgery. Well….as always…my running buddies were there for me. I had many stop to check on me. I told them that I'd be fine. Stacy volunteered to run back and get her car to pick me up…what a blessing she was, because I couldn't have made it.

I remember sitting on that corner and just cracking up. One of the other runners had handed me the rock I got in a fight with…I just looked at it…smiling as I have lately…and laughed even harder. I thought…that dang devil has it out for me…he just can't seem to leave me alone…perhaps, I'm doing something right then for him to go through all this trouble. What's great about the next pic is the beam of light. I'd like to think that is my daughter saying hello and smiling at her crazy mommy.

I did make it back to my car and went to teach classes at my studio…though I had to really get creative on teaching that day! Leave it to me to be very stubborn and creative at the same time. My ankle decided to keep swelling…soooooo I decided to be very obedient in icing and resting. Thanks to Sandra for bringing me that awesome ice pack! Here's a pic an hour or so after the incident…I tried to teach Pilates, which made it really start swelling.

Well God has been so good to me…He even got me to go to the doctor the following Monday. I was afraid that I'd broken it, so I went just in case…plus the fact that my ankle kept swelling up bigger than a softball…and bruising was all down both sides of my ankle…foot…and up my leg...that will scare you all the way to the doctors office. Come to find out, it was a sprain. Dang thing…it really does hurt.

Now that it's been almost a month since the incident…I can say that I wore the crazy brace for almost 2 1/2 weeks…and have babied it through most of the weeks. I have a couple more weeks before I can actually attempt to really run on it. I have tried working out on it, but it keeps swelling a little. I am trying to be patient, but it's not easy.

I will say this…I don't ever want to get in another fight with a rock again…too much damage! Here's the rest of the pictures for you to enjoy!

Only a little mark on the hand, but the shoe went through a little more!

This picture shows my ankle getting bigger, but not quite the size it fully got. I sadly do not have a picture of that. I think the pain set in by that time.

These are pics after 3 1/2 weeks…so much better..and almost all the bruising was gone.

REMEMBER TO NEVER FIGHT A ROCK….it only ends badly. My hopes to run the OKC Marathon has been crushed once again. It seems that I never get to do that one…so I will settle for running the Warrior Princess Trail Run on Monday, April 25, 2011 in memory of my daughter Lilian Grace. I will be posting more about it in future posts. I hope that TZ (Trail Zombie aka Ken Childress) and I can start training after that for my next marathon, which hopefully will lead to my 103 miles I'd like to run in honor and memory of my daughter….praying and hoping that dream can become reality! Thanks for reading.