Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10k

Over Thanksgiving Courtney and I had the chance to run together in our own Turkey Trot 10k. It was the first time we had actually seen each other in person since we started the FIT671 challenge, so being able to run 6 miles together was an amazing feeling. The run was extremely difficult because it was the day after Thanksgiving and our bodies were probably recovering from the food coma. Although, we both did a really good job with eating responsibly on Thanksgiving. I still think I ate way more than normal, and it just made me feel lazy and lethargic. Courtney and I started the run at her house and we ran all the way to our old high school track. We made several laps around the track and then we headed back towards Courtney's house, while hitting a few side neighborhoods on the way. I'll admit, we did have to take a couple walking breaks, but I am proud that we finished 6 miles! Here are a few pics that we took during the run….

Courtney had these AMAZING FIT671 t-shirts made for us with our logo. 

I took this as we were getting to the track. 

6 miles! 1 hour and 11 minutes. 

We finished!! :) 

-Emilie

Top 6 Reasons Why Running is the BEST.

I love running! I've recently challenged myself and upped my mileage from 3 miles to 6 miles. During my run today I started thinking of a few of my favorite things about running. Here's my list!

6. Feeling like a Champion, Gladiator, Superhero, etc... You get the picture. The feeling you get after finishing a long run is AMAZING. I literally feel like I could go to war and fight for my life. It's a great feeling. The runner's high is REAL and it's legit.

5. Saying hello to fellow runners/walkers during a run. This really pushes me through a run. I LOVE passing people and sharing a little kindness. I have a secret dream of one day starting a conversation with a fellow runner and then finishing the run together. Silly... but I still think it would be awesome.

4. Wearing LSU or LA Tech gear during a run in the UT bubble. This REALLY gets people saying hello! I even got a a honk, a couple waves, & a few LSU comments during my run today!

3. Enjoying nature.I love being outside & running. (I'm not really a fan of running on a treadmill) My favorite place to run is a running track on the edge of a lake in TN... I love it. It's a beautiful place to run.

2. Clearing my mind. Running relieves stress and helps me sort out all of the crazy thoughts going through my head. I also love to talk to God during my runs. Sometimes it's hard to remind myself to pray during a run, but when I do it makes the run 100% better. 

1. During a run something always causes me to smile and really look back on how far I've come. It's a great feeling and I love to savor that moment. Nothing beats a during the run smile... it pushes me so far!

So my reasons are kind of silly and not at all technical... but they all really do make a difference in a run for me!

What are your favorite things about running?

-Court

5k Fever!

It has been WAY too long since FIT671 has posted on here... so we have a lot of catching up to do! So here we go!

My favorite way to get fit is to run. I started running earlier this year as part of my new years resolution to run a 5k. I accomplished that goal and now I've successfully ran 5 5k's. I love the camaraderie of a race day. It's such a great feeling to wake up and go to a 5k and run those 3.1 miles with people cheering you on. It's such a feeling of accomplishment! When I moved to Tennessee I knew I HAD to run a TN 5k. I also knew it was going to be much more of a challenge, because... well, Louisiana is NOT hilly... AT ALL. So running in Tennessee has taken some getting use to... but it is very rewarding.

On October 22nd, my Aunt Becky, cousin Rodney, and I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for The Cure in Knoxville. We woke up early, stretched (not nearly enough), tried to warm up (barely did after 2 miles in), saw some sweet friends, ran our hearts out, enjoyed the music during the race, crossed the finish line, hugged our cheerleaders (Grammy, Paw-Paw, & Granny), & headed to IHOP for our post-race breakfast. And all for a great cause.

My grandmother, Virginia Darbonne, passed away when I was in 4th grade. She battled breast cancer for about 12 years of her life. I ran this race with her memory heavy on my heart. Every time those hills made me second guess myself, feel insecure, and unsure about finishing, I thought of her battle and the grueling pain she went through. I kept running. I miss her, but I know that she was smiling down on me.

After the race I was on cloud 9. Literally. I finished the race in 29 minutes and 4 seconds. I was extremely proud of that time! Here are some of our pic's of the amazing day. 

Before the race! It was early but we were excited! 

We saw our sweet friend Rachel and baby Grant before the race started! 

Right after finishing the race... Our cheerleaders: Granny, Paw-Paw, & Grammy. 

Me with the best grandparents in the world.

Running buddies! We trained hard!! Aunt Becky & I after the race... finish line behind us!

Aunt Becky, Rodney, & I with Grammy & Paw-Paw. Did I mention that they stayed in TN a few extra days just to see us race?!? How awesome!

Runners after the race! We were proud!

After the Race for the Cure 5k, I knew I had to run another. I wanted to improve my time. So I signed up for the Roane County Schools Run for your Health 5k. I was really excited about running this 5k because I actually run this route all the time. I felt very sure that I would be able to cut down some of my time. Wrong. It was freezing cold on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. I took off and immediately knew it was going to be a run that I had to work hard at every single step. Just putting one foot in front of the other was the goal for the race. I finished in 30 minutes and 4 seconds. My worst time EVER. The craziest thing about it all was that I actually got 3rd place in my division. CRAZY. I was shocked... but I am pretty proud of that medal. haha Here's a pic of me after the race. (Notice the LSU hat... this was the day LSU beat Alabama!! Geaux Tigers!)

Now on to bigger and better things. I am going home in about 10 days to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. Emilie will also be in DeRidder, so we have decided that we are going to run together while we are home. How far you ask? a 5k?... No, we have decided to run the "FIT671 Turkey Trot 10k" Did you catch the end of that? 10k! I'm so pumped up and cannot wait to run WITH Emilie!!! We've been working so hard these past few months and we FINALLY get to run TOGETHER!! We are going to run and push each other all 6 miles. I am so excited!!!

We'd love to hear how you plan on staying FIT over the holidays and if you are planning to run any races?

Stay FIT!

-Court