1-29-2011 Texas Half Marathon

Texas Half Marathon - White Rock Lake Dallas, TX 1-29-2011
"The Zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this" (Isaiah 37:32) We get tired. Who gives strength? The Lord Almighty
Favorite part of race - The nap I am going to take in a few minutes! The icy hot patches! Oh and the meal at OutBack Steak house with family after the race Yummy Yummy Thank you God! Also Thankful John and Faith ran the 10K and everyone in the race was safe! God bless the many volunteers!
Had a sore throat and only 4 hours sleep - almost didn't go to race. Thankful for a supportive family who encouraged me and got me there. Thankful to friends and family who prayed me through it.
Temp - started in the 50ies ended in the 70ies beautiful clear sunny day
Port-O-Potties steps from where we parked - no lines :) on the race plenty of port-o-potties- One at the first mile! No line and I was thankful because I had to go again!!! :)
Traffic - I'm thankful for the traffic! We arrived at 6:00 a.m. which turned out to be a perfect time. The parking lots filled within minutes. Once started, I'm thankful for the fuel. I took two "Gu's" (for those of you who don't run marathons, they are these little slimy packets of energy. Some of them even taste... ok). Anyway, I took two... which lasted till I got to mile 4 or so... arrgggghhhh!!! What was I thinking. I'm already out, and still need one for every 30 min. or so after! The race gave half cups of m&m's at mile 8. Nice. After finally dragging my bootie across the finish line, they had bagels and bananas there. That was good... But I want MEAT! (Hence... Outback :)
Spectators/ sings/ bells and noise makers = few/no signs :(/no noise makers - I need!!! them :)
Hazards - TONS of bikers... yelling on your left on your right - by mile 11 I did not know my left from my right, 5 hills or so, a wooden bridge, a mile or so of rough road surface. Finish line UP HILL with no crowd to cheer you on.
Blessings - Lots of volunteers to work the water stations, wonderful ROTC students passed out medals, my husband and daughter came with me and ran the 10K
Water Stations - had plenty of water and Gatorade - spaced well until mile 6 then got sparse. Had to stop at water fountain twice but Praise God for the water fountains :)
Shirt - Blue with a large Texas on it - sweat wicking material **** four star see picture attached
Medal - Red Texas on a silver square with the date ****four star see picture attached
Crowd - I estimate 500 for the half marathon - nice calm non competitive start in my opinion
Friendly, encouraging group of runners and volunteers - over 1,000 signed up in both events

Favorite memories - talk to a guy the first 6 miles who is training to run the marathon in Greece. Sounds so fun!!! 12 min mile pace for the first 6 miles! That's good for me. Mile 7 almost gave up- thighs began to cramp/heart rate 217!/and ran out of water - Team in training mentor shared his water with me :) Called my husband and said I am about to give up - this is my first time in 7 half marathons and 3 full marathons to call and say I was giving up... I joked and said come get me and He said, "No! Later you will be mad if I do!" He was right of course and glad he didn't but just talking to him and knowing he was praying helped so much!!! Then met two teachers from Oklahoma and ran the next 5 with them. They were fun and funny and time passed quickly - Thank you Jesus... Last two miles saw a lady with GOD on her back and ALL things are possible with on the front of her shirt, she was struggling so I stopped and told her I had Victory in Jesus on my back and Ephesians 3:20-21 on my front and we could finish the race together :) she was encouraged and started to run again. She thanked me over and over - I told her it was God helping her not me :) Played my Christian Music on the Iphone out loud from mile 8 to 13.1 Tons of people said thanks for the inspiring music. My buddy from the first 6 miles found me at the end of the race! In my mind this was the childhood buddy I told you about in the last blog who had a very hard week and we were running together!!! I had no idea I had helped him but he told me several times thanks for helping him with those first 6 miles :) I told him it was God not me... As I ran I saw a lady who looked familiar and sure enough she found me at the end of the race and said she remembered running Kauai with me... what a small world we live in :) Her name is Cheryl and she said she has done the Cow Town Ultra 3!!! times and would look for me and help me finish that race next month... Thank you - Thank you - Jesus when you call us tooooo something you REALLY do bring us through it. To God be the GLORY Great things HE did!!!!
Would I race it again? Yep in a couple hours after this nap, God willing :)

IDEA for a new marathon concept... Race to the Restaurant!!!
So here is the concept:
Instead of T-shirts you get a FREE meal at one of 7 or so Restaurants along a running path... you know the string that always show up together on the freeways... OUTBACK, Chilies, Olive Garden, Fuddruckers, Chinese, and on and on... So you run 13 :) Hit the restaurant and have a nice meal and rest for an hour :) Then get back out there and run the second half!!! Good idea right??? After that meal and rest I know I could have run 13 more... ok so maybe I am delirious... I really would have needed a nap tooooo and what would the cut off time have to be extended toooo hum.... 8:00 to noon for the first half... 1:00 to 5:00 for the second half... anyone want to plan a race like this with me... I bet we would do wellll!!!! The restaurants would donate the food for free advertisement :) Hey now we can give the T-shirts toooo God bless and good night...
If this crazy little race review inspired you to sign up for Team in Training to raise money for cancer will you tell them Susan sent ya??? It helps with my fund raising goal that I have to make.
If this crazy little race review inspired you to sign up for a race will you consider donating $10.00 To the attached link... if ya just had fun reading it how about $5.00 --- Most of all have a blessed day :) God is good!

The Towel now wraps around me!
Jan 26, 2011 by Susan Middleton-Mathis
Today I am Praising God that the towel now wraps around me! Took TWO years to feel brave enough to take off my clothes in the gym shower and wrap the towel around me to get to the dressing room. I would shower in my swim suite and dry off with the suite still on and then wrap the towel around me - swim suite and all. It's a little thing but it means a lot. If YOU are in this place today... know that you are not alone - I was there and most of God is there... Is it doable yes... You can DO IT! Believe and Achieve!
Praising God for prayers that got me off the couch, into exercising and eating better just two short years ago when I found out I had a heart condition. Yep this is me at 240lbs. God is amazing! He in me has lost 90 lbs - God help me keep praying "Give me the desire to eat what you want me to Lord and to exercise in the way you want me to Lord" To God be the Glory - Great things HE did!!! He loves to help us all :) YAY GOD! He did it in me and He can do it in you!

Praising God I did NOT have to have breast reduction surgery
they DID reduce
God did it the natural way with diet and exercise
This is how it all started - A few years ago I was so frustrated.
My whole body hurt, my back, my feet, you name it - it hurt.
I was depressed and upset with myself!
I would try to exercise and eat right only to fall apart in hours or even minutes of waking up! I had gotten so large to walk, let alone run HURT! so I almost gave up... I laid on the closest floor and began to cry out to God!


I thought, ok, I am going to go ask for a breast reduction cause I just can't walk, let alone run with this weight on me and I am in pain all the time. (In high school I had lost weight by running so I knew it was possible the only other thing I remember that worked was aerobics class and I was just toooo big to enjoy jumping around in aerobics class or running and it was ALL I knew)


so off I went to my doctor! She said she would give me a referral for a breast reduction and thought that it was a good idea. I asked if I lost the weight would the breasts reduce themselves. She said she didn't believe so because the breast weight came on after childbirth. So, I agreed the breast reduction was the only thing to do.


She said she had to do an EKG, just as a precaution, before making the referral. To the SOCK of both of us it came back abnormal!!


The next thing I knew I was in a cardiologist office having an exam. He said I was in NO SHAPE to have a surgery of any kind and that I had a weak heart - cardiomyopathy.
In more despair than ever before I cried out to God again- what now God!?!
He had my full attention now!
I asked a friend how she lost her weight? "She said, "I pray every day, God give me the desire to eat what you want me to and the desire to exercise in the way you want me to!" I started doing that.

Back then I did not think we had money for a gym and if I am totally honest didn't feel WORTHY of a gym membership but knew I HAD to do something!!! So for the next month I took the FREE 7 day pass at four different gyms.


God let me find water aerobics and I felt LIGHT for the first time in years and years in the water. I ENJOYED the exercise. I was tired don't get me wrong. so tired I couldn't wait to get home for a nap but I looked forward to the classes. Each day I was HAPPY after I did water aerobics and slowly, slowly, noticed my body getting stronger and the weight came off - VERY SLOWLY but it came off!


and now I believed I HAD NO CHOICE but to eat right so started the heart healthy diet. My husband saw me sticking to the workouts and diet! One day he said we would make joining the gym work. So I joined Lifetime Fitness and for almost two years now I have been working out 4 to 7 days a week. All Praise to God on High!!!


Didn't have the breast reduction surgery but they DID reduce... God did it the natural way, with diet and exercise... Many days I wanted to give up - didn't see progress but it took years to put the weight on and would take years to get it off. To God be the glory for answering my prayers - not the way I expected Him too but HE DID answer. He will answer yours toooo :) "Comfort, yes comfort my people, says your God." Isaiah 40:1 Help us God find comfort in your word and not food or other things!

Honored Hero's Team in Training 70.3 Triathlon

Ethan Tate

On January 14, 2010, Ethan, 5 years old at the time, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. It was a complete shock for all who know him and his family! Prayers and support began pouring in immediately from friends, family, his teachers, his school, his church, and even from perfect strangers! These prayers have helped us to be reminded of how blessed we truly are that Ethan's prognosis is good, that he is in remission, and that God is here with us through each and every step of the way. Ethan has learned more in these past few months about doctors, hospitals, chemo, side effects, transfusions, and procedures than many adults will ever learn in a lifetime. But most importantly, he has learned that faith in God can get him through anything! He is the strongest, most courageous little man I have ever known! Although his life is anything but normal for a 6 year old, we are grateful for every phase of his treatment that he completes, for every hair on his head that is beginning to grow back, for every hour at school he feels like attending, for every donor who has made his blood & platelets transfusions possible, and for every mile that is conquered by Team in Training members who have made the research possible to find a cure for Ethan's condition.



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George Meza

Name - George Meza
Age - 55
Diagnosis - Follicular B Cell Lymphoma

I have been participating in TNT events since 2005. I have completed numerous Cycling Century rides, a half marathon, and I am currently training to participate in a TNT Half Ironman. I have held the positions of Participant, Mentor, Captain, and I am currently a TNT Cycling Coach. I was diagnosed in August of 2009 with Stage 4 Follicular B Cell Lymphoma (a treatable but not curable form of blood cancer). During 2009 I underwent intensive chemotherapy and during January 2010 I was re-staged as in Remission. Currently, I am undergoing maintenance chemotherapy, which will prolong the time before the illness returns.