Back to the land of the living

Well, I feel a whole lot better! Praise the Lord! Yesterday was Laura's birthday. We went and got her some running shoe's that she has been needing desperately. We played all day. Then we went to eat in Sardis MS at this wonderful place called TriBecca Allie. It's a pizza cafe, and I highly recommend it.

This morning I actually got to ride my bike. I love it. It was great. We rode to the church and went to the rummage sale. Then we came home!

This afternoon we are going to my great aunt's 100th birthday. Wow, it's going to be so much fun!

Diet is a 4 letter word

Well, I know that it has been a long time since I have posted on my blog. However, I just wanted to update you all on what is going on in my life. As you can see by this post I have taken on a new lifestyle. I don't like to use the word DIET because that word has such an evil connotation. To make a D*$% work you have to come at it with the idea that you are changing your life. Last week I joined WeightWatchers on line. My wife is going to the meetings, but I am helping her while just doing it online. My starting weight was 211 pounds. I couldn't believe that I had gained that much weight over the past few months. I run all the time and exercise. However my food choices were not the best. This past Monday I weighed again, and I had lost 4.2 pounds. I was amazed. That was right at 1% of my body weight. 0.98 to be exact! WOW!

This week has been a little derailed. Tuesday night I was awaked by a major pain in my lower left back where my kidney is. The pain was so intense that I could not get comfortable. I tried to get through it without waking my wife up, but it was no use. At 1245 we were on our way to the ER. After many many many hours in the ER, and an IV, pain meds, and nausea meds, I got sick and felt better, and they told me that I had a major UTI. They could not explain it. But because of the pain, I think and I will still stand by this I had a Kidney Stone that passed. I named him Ralph because that is what he made me do. Now I am off running and exercising for the past two days so that my body can recover.

Have a blessed day.
Brandon

Feeling good

Today is day 4 after my second marathon! I'm feeling much better today! Legs aren't cramping but feet hurt still. That comes with running for 5 hours straight!

Life is funny. I love to run, and no matter how much I try to suppress my desire to run, it's still there. God gave me this desire, and he gives me the power to keep pushing on!

Thank you Lord for all that you do!

A new decision

Today I made a sperm of the moment decision. I saw on the Mercedes Marathon Facebook site that the Bell Center in Birmingham needed runners to run for the kids! So, I called and yes it's going to cost a few dollars more, but you know what, it's for the kids! I live kids, and especially those who cannot help themselves! If you want to help, let me know!

It has been a day!

Today I am feeling much better from my Marathon this past weekend. My legs are getting better by the minute, and that is a great thing. This afternoon I went and started my dental implant stuff. I thought that this would be a bad thing, but it is not too bad. They pulled the tooth out completely with no problems, and then just had to open the hole up a little bit but put the implant holder in. Wow, what was I so afraid of?

Well, now it's time to get to bed so that I can go to work in the morning!

I love my life!

Mississippi Blues Marathon!

My alarm went off at 5:30 am, and I thought, "Man, I do not want to get out of this bed, but then I didn't drive 4 hours to just sleep in a hotel room." So, I began to stretch a little in the bed to get my legs a ready. Then at 5:45 am, my mother got up and started getting ready to go and take me to the starting line. I got up and began to get my gear on. I also started eating on a couple of Cliff Builder bars so that I would have something in my stomach to burn on this run. Before I knew it, the rest of my family was in my room getting me ready for my run psyching me up. We walked out of the room and hotel at 6:15 am and piled into the car and drove up High St. to find a parking place that was only about 3 blocks from the starting line. I was getting so excited yet I was so nervous with this being my first marathon. We walked up and it was foggy, and the temp was in the 50s. This did not bode well because it had no where to go but up. We stood around talking and taking pictures, and the time came for us to get in line with our pace groups. I lined up with the 3:45 pace group (wishful thinking)! Then after a prayer, a pep-talk, and the national anthem, it was time to start. 7 am on the dot! Off we went. Down State St. Up one hill down the hill, up the hill and down the hill, up the hill down the hill, up a mountain (not really) down a hill (can I just say HILLS SUCK)! At mile 3 the half marathoner's broke away from us and we headed off into the neighborhood's. It was great, there were people out there cheering us on. They didn't care if we weren't elite runners, they were cheering us on, and that meant a lot. But still there were hills! We wound around and ran down Frontage Road by I-55 under the interstate and back up the other side of I-55, and then back into the neighborhoods. At the Half Marathon point we were out by a beautiful lake that I thought would be a great place to stop and take a swim cause the temp was climbing. From here we headed back to the other side of town. Under I-55 we went and back into the neighborhood we went, but when we came out on the other side, we were back on my favorite road State St. and up and down the hills we went! At Mile 18 we turned off of State St. and into the neighborhood right next to us, but not too long. Because we quickly turned right and headed towards our last few miles and the downtown area. However at Mile 22 that's where things took a turn for the worse! I had been getting increasingly more dehydrated because of the heat, and my legs were beginning to cramp before mile 22, but at mile 22 I couldn't take it any more. So, I had to walk. I hated this, but I did it. I walked from 22 to 24. Then I met up with a pacer and first timer who were running 4 walking 1. This pace helped me recover and get to mile 25 where I decided that this was the last mile, it was time to leave it all out there. So, that's what I did. I began to run. As I got closer to the finish line, about a quarter of a mile out my fiancée met me and began to run me in. I had made it. I crossed the finish line for my first marathon. It took me 5:30 to make it around to the finish line, but I made it. WOW what a wonderful thing it was. Now I'm recovering, and my legs are feeling better. I can't wait for my next one next month! Keep running!

Hello

Okay I'm here in my bed in the hotel in Jackson Mississippi. A little more than 8.5 hours! Wahoo!