AM~Erica is Journeying Into the New Year

So anyway...

The first blog post of a new year! TA-DA!

Like many, I took New Year's Eve to reflect on 2014. There were big things that happened, good & bad, that actually shaped a year I never would have expected.

Let's start with the craziest of all the things. Shall we?

A year ago, I was making fun of the typical resolution. If you remember, I even came up with the WORKOUT REGIMEN I thought I'd follow.
Go ahead. Read it! Why? Because, a year later, it's now hilarious! I mean, it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek to begin with, but I was still pretty serious about it at the same time. But check out one of the things I said doesn't fit with me...then giggle with me...

I mean, look at me now!! We can all get a good giggle together as I took up something I never, Never, NEVER imagined doing for fun. FOR FUN, people. Who they heck did I become?

Yep, I TOOK UP RUNNING. Even after I had pretty much made fun of those who are runners &/or work out in any form. It's amazing what can stir within you that changes you. All it took, for me, was seeing friends having fun with it! Not a scary trainer in your face or someone talking down to you because you aren't doing what they are doing. Those are major personality turnoffs!! Who would even want to socialize with anyone who is super fit & angry because of it? Ugh.

My year took a major turn the end of March 2014. Nothing I'd planned on or expected. But...here I am! And, I do it for the fun I can have with it. Isn't that what it should be about? Love what you do? It's hard work, yes, and choices around keeping it up are important...but if you're happy because of it, you haven't sacrificed anything! Well...maybe an awful attitude. I would hope anyway...

Plus, I HAD A KIDDO GRADUATE! How the heck did that happen?? I am not old enough to have a kid headed to college!! *SOBS*

The family went back to Colorado for vacation. We love Colorado. Not for recent legislation, either. It's purely for the sights, I think. And the adventures we can have there. It's pretty awesome. Running around the Dillon Lake Dam at sunrise over the mountains was totally worth it!! And? We spent Independence Day catching the Breckenridge parade, too. It was glorious! The fireworks over Lake Dillon, from our viewpoint, wasn't as awesome as hoped...but it still didn't fully diminish the overall vacay...
We love Colorado...

Shortly after that is WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY. Gosh that was hard. Still is. But we all try to keep up her memory in someway as often as we can. We still grieve her. She was so loved. And there are STILL SIGNS OF HER checking up on us. I love that.

I GOT TO SPEAK to a wonderful group of peers at the Missouri United Methodist Annual Conference pastor's spouse luncheon. God called on me to do this...and I had to really rely on God's guidance to get me thru it. But what a fantastic & supportive group. And what a fulfilling experience it was. I was probably more touched by the connections I made.

I was also blessed to be a part of God's plan to bring our friend, Rob, on board at church. After he lost his wife, just short of a year ago, I'm so glad we could be there to help him thru, be there during his grieving, cheering him on with his running (after I actually made fun of him before I started running),  and so glad he is closely working with us! What great ministry is being done at our church between my hubby & Rob!

It was also because of our co-shenanigator, Rob, that I have made so many connections in the world of running. I have found other runners to be able to cheer each other on with & to be inspired by to keep motivated. Crazy what a seemingly tiny decision can actually turn into...

It also got me reconnected with my lil-sister-from-another-mister, Beqi! It's been great being running buddies, either with or encouraging from afar, with her!!

Oh...and I've been able to incorporate tutus, into what I call "COSTUTUMES", for races. I have discovered that tutus contain superpowers, even!! Just another motivation to keep going!

I've gotten medals for running, too!! Sometimes a girl just really loves her bling!

It's also been discovered how many people I already knew were actually runners already. It gave another level of conversation...or a better connection. Awesome.

I was even given the title of "Runner" on TV! BOOM! Must be official!

Also...running has actually helped me meet & talk to some of the neighbors in the 'hood. Go figure!

We even got to see my brother-in-law get married to a wonderful gal!! So glad she's in our family & that they are happy. They both needed that!

Then I got to take part in something so special. I was blessed to be able to walk in the Kansas City Out of the Darkness memory walk. Whoa...that was actually life-changing. You can read about MY WALK EXPERIENCE, and I hope it helps to open eyes. MY OWN STRUGGLES made it difficult and beautiful to be a part of such an event. I also made some awesome connections & met amazing people thanks to my high school friend, Jenn. And because of that American Foundation for Suicide Prevention walk, I have made a move to become a field advocate for AFSP. This goes beyond my own advocacy, but also into the realm of guiding legislation to include suicide prevention that will hopefully lead to a world without suicide at all. It is something I have been quite passionate about once I stepped forward.

Oh...and who can forget the amazing story of our hometown KC Royals doing their thing & even getting to the World Series?? So good to witness that excitement & go thru so many emotions thru the whole thing. The Royals truly gave baseball a great season.

When HALLOWEEN ROLLED AROUND, we had a record number of trick-or-treaters! Believe it or not, in the year of "Frozen," we didn't have a single Elsa, Anna or Olaf show up to our door. Whether it happened or not, it was a glorious night!

We hosted all of Thanksgiving! Brunch with one side, and dinner with the other. We didn't have to go ANYWHERE! It was glorious...

Also, we changed a few things up at Christmastime. We had a forest of Christmas trees! One of the trees was MY GRANDMA'S MEMORY TREE. I also channeled my grandma making some cookies & candies for the season, too.

And, to top off the whole year, my hubby & I celebrated 20 years of knowing each other. We met 20 years ago...and it is even more apparent today that we were meant for each other! Even taking in A TOTALLY DUMB DATE NIGHT! Perfect time for a sequel to come out for the movie we saw on our first date.

It was quite a year!

~~~~~~~~~~

As I reflected on this at the close of the year, realizing what a different person I'd become, I was wondering about the new year. It's now 2015! A time we feel the need to push a restart button. Turn the calendar, turn a page on your whole new life. Right? Resolutions on how everything is gonna change at the snap of a finger, the stroke of midnight, and a numeral exchange on the year.

But...I wasn't looking for any big goal in the upcoming year. It was weird...

With a wedding, a killer vacation, a graduation-to-college-start, there was a lot set for last year. But we don't have any of the really big stuff coming in 2015...

Well...the family is finally-Finally-FINALLY GOING TO PLANET COMIC-CON (last year's plea), and I have a kiddo who will be starting their senior year, come fall. Other than that, I am just looking forward to continuing the run journey, continuing my advocacy, carrying on my grandmother's memory, loving my family, and just looking for some adventures & things to celebrate...LIKE I DO. I'm even a team captain for a racing team for The Color Run: Shine Tour in KC this March.

We started A NEW TRADITION last year, and was glad to be able to do it again this year. It even had me find SOME NEW RECIPES to try, too.

There were so many unexpected happenings in 2014... Yet no big event, per se, planned for the coming year. No graduations. No weddings. No moves. It makes me wonder what the continued journey into 2015. No big resolutions...just taking things as they come.

That's not so bad...

May you have a wonderful 2015. May it be what YOU make of it!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica

AM~Erica Hustles for Halloween

So anyway...

As we all should know by now, we are on countdown to my favorite holiday! Just one of the few reasons I love October. And since Halloween comes for me nearly everyday, it seems to be less of a big deal when I dress up more often in October!

I love costumes! Almost to a fault...but not really. At least I don't see it that way! (check out some of my previous costumes & cosTUTUmes HERE)

When October rolls around, I know I get start promoting our church's Trunk-or-Treat event on Sunday mornings in the front lobby. We set up an information table, and I want to draw attention, so I dress up! It's a new character every week!! This year has been no different!

Trunk-or-Treat Info Table, Week 1: Tim Burton inspired

Trunk-or-Treat Info Table, Week 2: Pop Art Comic

Trunk-or-Treat Info Table, Week 3: Carlola

Oh, I do like to have fun with it, if you couldn't already tell...

Now then, if you have been paying attention...or even playing along...you might know I would have to work in a run to this, too. Amm-i-rite?

Well, I'm not gonna lie to ya. As much as I love Halloween, planning, and getting it all thought out...this year has not been as great in lines of thinking. I've been way to slow getting my thoughts together. I like to have much of this holiday with at least a good idea or 2 in motion about 2 months ahead of time. It hasn't happened this year. Much like the Halloween run(s) being planned...

Several months ago, hubby & I decided we would do one or 2 Halloween runs. As October began to fill up our schedules, the more difficult it was to decide if a run would even be possible! The last one we did was the DeFeet Hunger 5k, HERE. It been a while. Even though I did the Out of the Darkness walk at the beginning of this month (HERE), it still didn't help the lack of decent training I could get in for this month.

Finally, last week, hubby & I decided we would take in the Halloween Hustle 5k & 10k (we decided on the 5k distance). The costumes we thought about doing were no longer feasible due to timing. I can't say what they are since we may use it in the future...but just know it was gonna be GOOD!! But still a no-go. So were trying to figure out what we could do for costumes we could run in for the Halloween Hustle. And the wheels were turning...

In the meantime, we went to get our race packets the day before the run. As we went in, we gave our names to the employee at table, we got our bibs & info for the race. We also took in 4 canned goods, each, to get into a drawing for a running store gift card. As the other employee (who is also the race coordinator) took our canned goods & got our names for the drawing, she looked at me and asked if I was the one who blogged on the Firecracker Flight. In fact, if you remember, I did do a blog post about our Firecracker Flight experience, at the end of June! (reminder of the post HERE) She couldn't remember how she got to it, but said she loved reading it since it was from the runner's point of view!
Whoa! That was so awesome! Weird for me...but totally killer amazing!

And, as I was blown away from that bit of info, we went on with our day...still wondering what we were going to wear to run in...

Sadly, it was hard for me to think. I was suffering from a bad migraine that I was trying so hard to keep at bay. Not. Good.

However, I had just gotten new running shoes! They were SO needed as I wore out my other running shoes big time! This was another layer to my yucky training this month. But I did get this fantastic pair of Saucony Kinvara 5's!!

There's a runners' adage that says: "The brighter the shoe, the faster the runner."
BOOM! Get your sunglasses, peeps!

Since these shoes are obviously yellow...I wanted a cosTUTUme to go with the shoes. After a few fleeting thoughts, I made a decision! All I needed was ears. Well, also, another tutu that went perfectly.

I decided to be Minnie!

Ears & tutu to go along with the long sleeves, top, leggings (not pictured here), and headband I already had

Had to get the perfect makeup, too! Even for running!

Now then...since I had a migraine yesterday, I could not partake in usual my night-before-race routine to help insure a PR. So my equation to a PR was thrown off. I would just have to focus on the morning ritual to at least help...

Once I was together, and so was hubby...we headed off, fairly early, to the race. Like...before the bright of early set in. Plus, there was fog. An awesome start for a Halloween run...but not so good trying to see the road since it was still before the bright of early. Remember?

We got parked, valuables locked up, bananas consumed, water taken in, bibs on, necessary electronics in hand...and we were off to where it was all to begin...

And as the sun was rising, more people were coming in. Not a whole lot in costume...but still several.

Pre-race selfie/ussie/runfie after the sun started waking up

Before things got started, there was a costume contest...
...as usual, I just want to be in a class to seem competitive whether I win or not:

Here I am standing with my running friend, Sandy (from the Firecracker Flight),
as we wait to be costume-judged...

OK, so there was some pretty good competition out there...and there was only one winner for each of 3 categories: kids, adults, group. I wasn't in the kid category, and it would be weird as a solo entry in a group...so I was grouped in with a large group of costumed adults...
...and the winner is...
...a guy who dressed as Paul Bunyon!
OK...he did look really good. But it's OK! I loved my little cosTUTUme!

Soon after that, we began to gather at the start line...

The national anthem was sung...the drawing for the running store gift card had a name announced (bummer...not me or the hubby), and we were OFF...!!

Hubby's start of the race...

My mo-cheese-mo start to the race! Cuz...photo-op! Duh!

Like I've said before, I'm not gonna lie...this course was difficult. Absolutely beautiful fall scenery, fog-infused sun rays thru trees...but there were some tough hills! Oh...and a surprise stretch of trail running...with hills! Yikes!
Did see a guy bite the dust on the trail portion. He was OK...but it was scary to see!

And as the race went on, right around mile 3 was recorded for posterity:

Hubby killing the course!

When you don't plan on a PR,  just cheese it hardcore for the camera...

And we came up to the finish line...

BUMMER!!! They missed my signature leap!!
And you know I did it...

After we both finished...and we got our pics with our finisher medals!

No, I did not PR, but I still felt pretty good about my run! I still finished in under 30 minutes!

Heck yeah! I still did pretty OK, I think! Still averaging under a 10-minute mile. That's crazy to me! And 7th in my division? And 33rd overall female; 76th overall?? I'll take it all!!

And you know what? I'm married to a stud! He finished 6th overall & earned 1st in his age division! Plus...he got a PR!! His day was HUGE!!! So proud of my Prince Charming!

Before the day was over, we did get a chance to have a couple of fun pics in there, too:

Yeah...we're cute. We know.

I also had the privilege of meeting a fellow Run JunkEe!! There's an online running group I'm part of that is so encouraging! And there's those of us who do post in there pics, questions, tips, encouragement, milestones, etc. And I remember a couple of recent posts from Melinda. And there she was standing in the parking lot! I went & see if she was a fellow JunkEe...and then introduced myself. She was doing the 10k & I tried to give her some pre-race encouragement.

I saw her again after the race...right after she crossed the line! I was so proud of her!!
Everyone...wave hi to Melinda!!

What a great morning for a run! Overall, I had a lot of fun. No...no PR, but after the crummy training I've had, I was happy to take in the 3.1 miles in a Halloween cosTUTUme!
Plus, I got to meet a fellow JunkEe...and totally root on my stud of a hubby!

Oh...and just in case...
The race coordinator from Bodies Health & Fitness may read this blog again.
If that's the case, everyone, wave hi to Jen!

Now...onto continuing to root on the Royals to World Series victory! And more race planning, too! Oh...and getting together my final Trunk-or-Treat promo costume, plus Halloween costumes...

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica