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.

The Phoenix Experience

I have been very blessed to start my own business called The Phoenix Experience. I do personal training and group exercise instruction. It's a wonderful little studio where I get to hang out with my family, friends and new people I meet to help them become healthier and more fit.

I've been teaching since I was 12 years old when my Great Uncle thought it would be great for me to teach a class back in the day. Ever since, I dreamed of owning my own place. Praise God, I now do. I'm sure my Great Uncle Bear…actually I could guarantee that he knew I'd be doing something like this.

I owe my training and experiences to instructors at the Cushing Youth Center, YMCA world, many Tulsa gyms, videos, games, books, certifications. Without others giving me ideas and working them out for me, I couldn't be the instructor or trainer that I am today. God has definitely blessed me with skills in this field. I pray I get to keep doing.

If you know anyone near the Sand Springs area, please let them know about me. I opened the studio on October 13, 2010. It's been a fun ride thus far…hopefully it will be a long one. Visit web.me.com/c2mist8 to learn more about my studio.

Thanksgiving's New Adventure

Thanksgiving is usually spent driving from one house to the next in order to spend as much time with family as possible, plus cramming in tons of food. Well, since our year has taken a huge detour in life…we will be taking a new adventure for Thanksgiving 2010.

Instead of a home cooked meal, we will be stuffing our faces at the Dixie Stampede in Branson, MO using no utensils…only our hands as the pilgrims did in the day when they first met the native americans of this blessed land we call home. Yes, they may have had their own made up utensils, but I will use the best ones ever created…yes…my two hands! I actually am super pumped about this adventure, but it does not stop there…..

Oh we have two day passes to…drum roll please…SILVER DOLLAR CITY. My hubby has never been…I know…shocker…he has gone through almost 30 years of life without experiencing such a grande place. I can't wait to ride the rides, take crazy pictures and enjoy the food and entertainment. It's been too long since I last was there….actually...it's been way toooooooo long. I know it's been more than a decade since I've been there.

So here's to praying and hoping that even through this crazy year…we can have some much needed fun times to get us through the holiday season. May each of you have an amazing adventure yourself no matter what you end up doing…just make sure you count your blessings!

Mother Road 2010

2010 has been a very bumpy ride this year. Lilian Grace earned her wings on August 5, 2010 and I've been hitting the busy schedule right and left. This blog is going to share new adventures and random things I want to talk about again. I love sharing life, so be prepared for many crazy adventures.

Last weekend I was blessed to pace one of my dear running buddies, Roman. I tried to crew afterwards until 7:20 a.m. I kept falling asleep though. The Mother Road 100 miler is exactly what it's name says….MOTHER ROAD.

Watching Roman conquer his goal of finishing a 100 miler was totally awesome. I got to be with him for 9 miles of the stretch, then the hours of not sleeping and doing 2 hours of Zumba earlier that day took a toll on me. I ran 10:30 pm to about 1:45 am. Then I got with his awesome crew Candice and Susan…which they are complete rockstars. I've never been more impressed with two people taking care of us like they did. I only lasted until 7:20 am. They went from Saturday before 9:00 a.m to after 6:00 p.m. Sunday. Yes, they deserve buckles themselves. I'd be blessed to have them as my crew when I run my 103 miles.

I am so impressed with my running buddies who ran and crewed. It's a phenomenal world. I am inspired by my peeps to have that much dedication. I definitely want to do a 100 miler someday in honor and memory of my daughter. Trail Zombie is going to coach me. Now I just have to get my butt in gear and be a regular runner again.

100 miles is not going to be easy by any means. Kathy Hoover and TZ have ran numerous ones…wow…to be like them would be an incredible accomplishment. I still am in awe by last weekends performances. I hope I can get it done at some point. Now to be that dedicated, I must eat, sleep, drink water and run every week and build from nothing.

Since 2007, I've ran a handful of 5k's, a 15k, 3 Marathons (1 in the US and 2 Internationally); and a 50k. I have missed many races this last year and can't wait to get my legs back in the running world. It will not be easy with my schedule, but I have a plan.

I want to encourage all of you to find something that feels unreachable and start making plans to build up to whatever it is! Mine is running 103 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!! Praying for the dedication and follow through.

To all my running buddies…I love you very much. You are some of the greatest inspirations I know!

PS The pic of me is in the wee hours of the night at the Mother Road in my car waiting for Roman to stop!

Lilian Grace Whitten is Here!

I will give more details later about Lily and our adventure. For now, I want you to know our precious little miracle is HERE! She's 2 months premature, but she's a fighter. We are so blessed to have people who care about us. I am glad to know she's alive and kicking some butt. She was born on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 8:44 a.m. I will give the rest at a later time. Keep praying for us!