Only HALF Crazy... Part 1- Training

Blood, Sweat and Tears... LOTS of them

Spring 2016 

Disclaimer: I have a TERRIBLE memory and wanted to write down my thought process for this Half Marathon training and how I felt physically, mentally and emotionally as I prepared to run 13.1 miles. This is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. 

In March 2016 I ran my very 1st Half Marathon. I am not a runner, like at all, but my husband is and in 2015 after he did "26 point freakin' 2" miles at his full marathon, I decided I could become a runner too. Within weeks, we had purchased a treadmill to use indoors as I quickly learned that I do not like running in the cold (or hot/humid) temperatures. My body would happily take running indoors in 68* temps instead of the balmy 45-55* we were facing in winter 2015. I later found out this was a true blessing as June and July showed it's ugly head with 90* temps and 100% humidity at 6:00AM. The treadmill was a MAJOR investment and it has paid for itself and then some. 

I began running on the treadmill daily in April 2015 and began my running routine. I had signed up for the Diva Run 5K with my sister in late April and this gave me a tool to train with and an event to train for. I had never ran in a race and my sister had ran in many. I used a program called "Couch to 5K" which was an 8 week program to get me from the couch to my race. By the time race day came in late April I was ready to go. I easily finished my first 5K and race on the coast in Galveston and for the first time felt the "runner's high". I came home from that trip and told Chris "I could be a runner. I think I might race again". I could tell he was immediately excited as I was now sharing a passion of his. During the month of April 2015 I ran 33.05 miles total. 

From that point on I decided I would continue to run and race and I continued my training daily on my treadmill at 5:00AM. Towards the end of May as I was adding up my monthly miles on the treadmill I noticed I was able to run  nearly 48 miles just in one month. I starting talking with Chris and he said "I bet you could run 50 in June. And I think you could run the Half Marathon in March". Challenge ACCEPTED (Y'all KNOW I am competitive)! I knew right then and there I was going to run a Half Marathon. I never back down from a dare or a challenge. During the Month of May 2015 I ran 47.54 miles total.  

So during the month of June I ran over 51 miles, despite being on a cruise ship for 7 days. I continued this with the same amount of miles in July and August. As the 2015-2016 school year approached I slowed it down a little bit but was still training for what would now be The Woodlands Half Marathon in March 2016. 

June- 51.08 miles 

July- 55.88 miles 

August- 43.79 (my 1st 10+ mile run... on the treadmill of course, it was 100*+) 

September- 38.97

Chris and I signed up for the Houston Half 10K in October to run together but unfortunately, it got cancelled due to weather. This turned out to be a blessing because at the time Chris was still suffering from a knee injury that had happened in the fall. I still ran my 10K in the neighborhood that morning but I was still yearning for that RACE DAY feeling. 

October- 29.48 miles 

November- 28.12 miles 

(our 4 day cruise #TriumphantThanksgiving put a kink in my training... but it was worth it)

I continued running daily 1-1.5 miles and longer 3-4 miles on the weekends. I found a training plan that I thought I could stick with and I was officially training for my Half Marathon by December 12th. 

My Training Plan

I stuck with this the best I could. The long runs on the weekend were usually FIRM but the weekday light runs were not as consistent. 

Week 1- December 13-19, 2015- 7.5 total miles 

This was the last week of school before the Christmas Break and I was already physically and mentally exhausted so I just continued with my daily 1 mile run. I also ran 4.5 miles leading up to the 1st week of the training plan so I did not run on the weekend like I normally would. 

Week 2- December 20-26, 2015- 5.67 total miles

We were officially on Christmas break during this week so I ran more daily than I would have during school simply because I had time to do so and for this reason I did not follow the training plan exactly. 

Happy Christmas Eve... I got my 1.57 miles in! 

Now it is time to EAT! 

Total miles for December 2015- 30.15!

Week 3- December 27, 2015- January 2, 2016- 13.36 total miles

This too was another week of vacation and I was pushing full force to train as much as I could before we got back to the daily grind. Most of these runs were on my treadmill as it was still too cold to run outside. 

2016 started with a BANG... 5 miles! 

Week 4- January 3- January 9, 2016- 13.12 total miles

The week going back to school killed me and I skipped one day in the training plan. I do not think it hurt my training too much. 

January 6th- 4 miles on treadmill

I got up at 4:45AM only to find out it was raining so I ran 4 miles at 4:30PM after work... WOW, it was hard! I will need to hydrate more if I am going to continue to run after school. 

January 9th- 6.1 miles 

My 1st "official" outdoor/ weekend long run of my training. This was HARD... It is all mental for me but this just about killed me. Thinking that I have to DOUBLE this in just 7 short weeks has me really worried. 

Week 5- January 10- January 18, 2016-19.2 total miles

I pushed my longer (7 mile) run to Monday as it was MLK day and a holiday from school so I would have extra time to recover. This meant my Week 6 weekday runs were lighter too.

January 18th- 7.05 miles
This run was not that bad while I was doing it but I was REALLY sore and tired afterwards. 
I ate lots of carbs and protein the night before and I think that rally helped during the run!

Week 6- January 19-23, 2016- 12.0 total miles
My weekday runs were lighter as I would have 2 long runs within 5 days of each other.

January 23rd- 8.10 miles 
I did this on my treadmill as the temps were in the low 30's in the morning.
It was a struggle but I did it! I was VERY dehydrated after this run and felt TERRIBLE for the next 36-48 hours! I did not drink enough water!

Week 7- January 24-30, 2016- 15.33 miles

 January 25th- 4.03 miles 
This seemed hard at first but got better as I continued to run. I really pushed hard to try and beat a 12:00/ mile pace but averaged 12:08 per mile. For a MONDAY, I was VERY pleased!

January 26th- 1.1 miles 
Did this on my treadmill in the morning. Went well... should have done MORE! 

January 28th- 1.06 miles 
This was supposed to be a 3-4 mile jog but we had a personal/ family emergency and I had to tend to that situation instead of do my long jog. I am now wondering if the smaller jogs leading up to a longer run is better FOR ME. We will see how Week 8/ 10 mile jog goes. 

 January 30th- 9.14 miles 
This run was INCREDIBLE. I was able to RUN the ENTIRE time... like no lie! I stopped 2 times for water/ Gatorade and Gu but the rest was jogging. AND I  was able to complete this run with an under 12:00/ mile pace! This was the run I needed and hope I can do it again in 5 weeks! I ate LOTS of carbs (lasagna and Blue Bell Ice Cream) the night before, got lots of rest and tried out a new "endurance" pill from my friend Jacqueline. 

Total Miles for January 2016- 63.63!!!

Week 8- February 1-7, 2016- 16.58 miles
This week I was supposed to run 5/3/5 on the weekdays and I knew I would not be able to do that but I had no idea how much of a struggle this week would be. I ended up having a week full of stomach troubles and was in pain and nauseous every day.

February 1, 2016- 2.04 miles
This run was BRUTAL as I had a throbbing pain in my lower right leg (cankle really) and it hurt with EVERY step, run or walk. I was planning on doing 4 miles but I just couldn't. It was 78* and humid plus I only had a banana and cashews for lunch. This was a wake-up call that LONG afternoon jogs just may not be possible. I am hoping the heating pad, ice and rest will heal it until Wednesday where I need to run AT LEAST 3 miles. I also learned through this run that I need NEW running shoes! Hello Fleet Feet!

February 3, 2016- 3.0 miles 
The pain in my leg was better but my stomach was in knots so I just did 3.0 miles and they were awful. Don't let the forced smile fool you!

February 4, 2016- 1.5 miles 
I was still not feeling well so I just did 1.5 again to try to help relieve my stomach issues but I was still miserable all day. 

February 6, 2016- 10.04 miles 
I felt like I could throw-up at any point but I knew I HAD to run these 10 so I just did them on my treadmill. They were not easy but I was able to pound them out. Unfortunately, I was still ill afterwards and the rest of my weekend was spoiled because of it BUT... I did it! 

Week 9- February 8-13, 2016- 10.5 miles
Monday, February 8, 2016- 1.5 miles 
I went to the doctor on this day and was FINALLY feeling better and on the recovery track. I was hoping my next few runs would be back to normal. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2016- 1.5 miles 
I was still in pain from the stomach issues and didn't sleep well so shortened this run too. In hindsight I wish I would have just done the full 3 miles I was supposed to. I played a LOT of mental games with myself as I progressed in this training! For next time (IF there is a next time) I will just DO IT! 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016- 1.5 miles
I was leaving for my annual TMEA trip on this day and still was not feeling well and was nauseous all night so I took it easy since I had a 5 hour car trip on this day. 

Saturday, February 13, 2016- 6 miles 
The whole business trip I was sick with stomach problems and did not sleep very well (4 hours or less a night) so I decided to forego the 11 miles that was in the training plan and just do 6 on my treadmill. In the long run I think it was a good idea as I began to start feeling better the next few days. Maybe I was just pushing myself too much!

Week 10- February 14-20, 2016- 18.02
Monday-Thursday, February 15 to 18th- 1.5 miles daily (6 miles total) 
I was still not feeling well and woke up almost every morning with nausea and indigestion. Plus I was still not sleeping well so I decided to forego the longer runs and just make it simple all week. I did still get my miles in so I felt good about it.

Yeah... I was exhausted!

Saturday, February 20, 2016- 12.02 miles 
I was feeling somewhat better but not 100% but woke up at 4:30AM so I just got out there and ran the 12 miles I was supposed to. It was LONG and hard and there was a LOT of walking but I conquered it! I did it in under 3 hours total with small stops for bathroom and water so I felt confident that I would beat the sub 3:30 time I wanted on the Half Marathon in 2 weeks.

Week 11- February 21- 27, 2016- 9.5
Monday- Wednesday, February 22-24, 2016- 1.5 miles daily (4.5 miles total) 
I was feeling MUCH better but the shorter jogs daily really worked for me so I continued this and threw the training plan out the window.

Saturday, February 27, 2016- 5 miles
I did this on my treadmill as it was below 40* on Saturday morning and I just wanted to get it done and not wait for warmer temps. It was somewhat of a struggle but I was happy with the run and my last LONG run before the Half Marathon.

RACE WEEK
Week 12- February 28-March 5, 2016- 18.39
Monday- Tuesday, February 29-March 1st- 1.5 miles daily (3.0 miles total) 
This system worked out greatly the past 2 weeks so "If it ain't broke don't fix it".

Wednesday, March 2nd- 1.5 miles 
This was my last "early morning" run before the Half Marathon and as exhausted as I was... It was good to know I NEVER HAD to get up early and run again (unless I wanted to, of course)!

Total Miles for February 2016- 57.60.!!!


Pre-Race Day
I took Friday, March 4 off from school so I could rest and relax the day before the race and NOT have to be on my feet all day. I attended the Health Expo at the Marriott Convention Center and it was awesome. I was able to get lots of questions answered and get some great goodies. It was finally beginning to feel REAL... Which meant I was getting more and more nervous. I picked up my BIB and my race day packet and I was ready for RACE DAY.

I went for a drive before the Expo so I could get a better look at the course.
I was able to see the traffic signs informing residents of closures. 

Here is my MAGIC number and OF COURSE my Nickname... which is EVER SO FITTING! 

Today... That is ME! I feel special!

I listened to the Race Director's talk about the 2016 Full and Half Marathon courses. I loved being able to have him describe each turn. I enjoyed this 30 minute talk.


I had ran 154.38 miles in the 12 week training plan alone and well over 430 miles from (June 2015 to Race Day) in preparation for this race and it is time to get out there and show myself what I am made of! No matter how I felt at the time and the MASSIVE amount of butterflies in my stomach... I HAD to get out there and run those 13.1 miles! I CAN DO it!

Race Day came and I was more nervous than ever but knew no matter what I had to push on and persevere. I was ready to tackle these 13.1 miles... CHECK OUT PART 2 of ONLY HALF CRAZY . 

A HUGE shout out to my husband Chris who was so supportive and stood by me from the very beginning. Also to my parents who came down from Tyler to help cheer me on and were part of the BEST spectator sections PERHAPS ever! Plus my in-laws took the kids in on Friday night so we could get some much needed rest and not have to wake them up so early to get to the race. Without all of these MAJOR supporters I would not have been able to even participate in the Half Marathon let alone FINISH!

It was an amazing day and I am grateful to my Lord and Savior for allowing me the opportunity to run in this life changing event! 

God is good... All the time! 

Moving Forward... Part 2- The Healing Process

Let the Healing Begin... But now we wait

February 2016 

The entire month of February I had felt not 100% and sometimes just down right SICK! I went to the doctor a total of 3 times within the month and found out that the nasal spray, Afrin, I was using and addicted to had caused me to develop some severe stomach pains and I had now developed a case of acid reflux, amoungst other health issues and side effects that come with using this medicine continuously over the course of 18+ months. The Clinic doctor gave me a steroid shot and prescribed some medications for these issues and took some blood samples. I was still thinking "It is just a bug" or "I am just nervous and anxious about _____(1/2 marathon in March). This will pass". The doctor assured me that this was not a "bug" but something else and perhaps something MAJOR. 

On Friday, February 19th I went to the Clinic to have them take my blood and despite drinking over 70 oz of water right before I went in, the nurse was still not able to find a vein and take my blood. She even had the PA come in and try and he could not take it either. This was the second day of them poking me trying to get my blood with no luck and I was running out of patience. They sent me down to Conroe to go to a Labcorp since they "poke 100's of people a day" as the nurse said. I hurried down to Conroe, on my planning time mind you, to get this whole thing over with. I was already feeling better than the previous 2 weeks but just wanted closure. Of course, the very 1st poke the technician was able to find a vein and get the blood samples they needed. 

The rest of that weekend and even the following week I felt much better and close to 100%. In fact, I even ran the furthest I have ever ran at 12+ miles. I was still not sleeping very well at all with only 5-6.5 hours a night but I was able to eat more foods and I was drinking 100-150 oz of water per day, which is well over my recommended amount. On Friday, February 26th I went back into the clinic to get the lab results. I had looked at them the night before and nothing popped out as bad and nothing was flagged RED in the computer system. When I got to the clinic the nurse took my blood pressure and pulse and it was all perfect. I expected to just shake the PA's hand and leave this whole mess behind me.  Little did I know what was coming! 

As I arrived that morning the PA went over all of my results and pointed out an additional test he ordered for H. pylori gut bacteria. I had never heard of this but he said it is a spiral bacteria one can get from traveling to a 3rd world country or from eating local/ uncleaned fruits and vegetables or even from a local restaurant. This bacteria forms in your stomach and causes the acid to sit in the stomach and can cause 1) peptic acid disease 2) stomach ulcers 3) tissue movement and even 4) esophagus or stomach CANCER. Of course the PA gave me all of this information as a broad diagnoses but imagine my surprise as I thought this was a "closure" visit and not a whole new ballgame. 

He explained the H. pylori more and let me know that the H. Pylori M that tests if I have that bacteria NOW came back as negative but the H. pylori A/G that test for past exposure was "HIGH". This means that I was exposed to this bacteria at some point in the past 3-5 years. He also explained that patients can test high or positive for H. pylori for up to 18 months after they have been exposed and this bacteria can live in your stomach for YEARS without any symptoms being exposed. 

He referred me to a GI specialist and said this specialist might want to do a Endoscopy procedure, biopsy or even a colonoscopy (At 33 years of age... AHHHH?!). I left the clinic with mixed emotions. I was scared, nervous, sad, emotional and confused. At first I thought about just shrugging it off since this PA is a true "QUACK" by definition but after talking to my daddy I decided that I should schedule the GI appointment. As my daddy said "Even a QUACK gets one right sometimes". 

I came back to my campus and asked my campus nurse her thoughts. She had suffered ulcers in the past and had an experienced opinion so I trusted what she had to say. Despite feeling better the past week she advised me to make the appointment. I called and the earliest appointment this GI doctor's office offered was March 23rd so now... the waiting part. This is always the HARDEST part and where I struggle the most. In the meantime I am going to monitor any pains or issues and I am going to really strive to stick with an acid reflux diet (no citrus, few tomatoes, no spicy) as best I can. Of course, I do have stress factors like a 13.1 mile run/ Half Marathon and crazy school issues thrown in there before then. Plus Chris and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary on  a 7 day Caribbean cruise as well (No stress... maybe this will be my FULL healing) the week before the appointment. 

I am very anxiously awaiting this appointment as I literally have no idea what to expect and what will be the outcome. But I am confident that no matter the outcome God will help me along the way. 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind". I do not know what this specialist will do or recommend but I know God will not give me anything I cannot handle without also giving me the strength to do so. 

Please remember to keep me in your prayers as this March 23rd date approaches. I am very nervous and anxious about the whole ordeal. Once again, I am reminded of an old hymn which encourages us to lay all of our care on Him: 

I cast all my care upon You 

I lay all of my burdens, down at Your feet

And anytime, I don't know what to do 

I will cast all my cares upon You

Thank You Jesus for yet another opportunity to trust you. 

God is good... All the time!

Hello, My Name is Kellie Davis and I am an "AFRIN-aholic"

Yes... I am was addicted to Nasal Spray

Part 1: The Backstory

February 2016

Yes... I am addicted to Nasal Spray and trying to get off this addiction. I have been tired, weak and sick for the better part of 2-3 weeks and finally went to the doctor, for a second time, and while explaining my symptoms and etc. said I was addicted to Afrin and almost immediately, the doctor said that this issue could be what is causing all of my pain and discomfort right now. So... The next 2 weeks will be HARD but I have to overcome this... for my health!

Disclaimer: 

Plexus

I was continuing my Plexus regimen of Plexus Slim, BioCleanse and ProBio5. In fact, I tried NOT taking these Plexus products for a few days and desperately needed them so I went back to taking them. They have been cleared by my doctor as well as the clinic doctor as safe and I have been taking them for well over 2 years. I will continue to take them during this journey! 

So here is the backstory:

In November 2014 I had a major head cold and sinus infection, as usual for that time of year in Houston. I went to the district well clinic and the doctor informed me of my condition and gave me a steroid shot. Within a few days I felt better but I was still having some nasal congestion. I called the doctor and he advised a nasal spray such as Afrin. I DID read the package and it said "do not use for more than 3 days". Well, long story-short... I have been using ever since (15-16 months). At first I used 3-4 times a day and then in the fall of 2015 I tried to quit, knowing this could not be healthy. It was then that I learned that it is very easy to get addicted to Afrin; however, I did now know at this time what the medicine in Afrin would do to someone's "insides". I went 2 days without my Afrin and I just could not take it anymore... I was crazy congested and I could not breath through my nose at night which was aggravating and did not allow me to sleep. I gave in and began to use again but this time just in the morning and evening. I felt good about reducing my quantity of times used. Later in December 2015, I tried to quit again by combining the Afrin with simple saline spray and hoping I could just wean myself off of it but no luck. It was at this point I realized the TRUE MENTAL addiction. I would jokingly tell people I was addicted and never really thought much about it, knowing I NEEDED to quit and SOON.

In December 2015 I began a training program to run a Half Marathon in March 2016. Due to this major life event (for me at least), I just didn't want to have to deal with the 5-7 day "addiction-breaking process". Right after my Half Marathon, Chris and I will be going on a 10-year Anniversary cruise on a new cruise line so once again, my habit will have to get broken AFTER that! Or at least I thought.

I had trained for about 7 weeks and endured long, hard and early morning runs. In fact, on January 30th I ran 9 miles WITHOUT stopping. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I think I would EVER be able to do that. I usually have to stop and walk for a short period of time on practically ALL my runs. I was feeling AMAZING! Then it hit me like a ton of BRICKS!

February 1st

I tried to run 4 miles after school and I just didn't have it in me. I was only able to finish 2 before I literally got sick with pain both in my legs and stomach area.

February 2nd

The next day I had some stomach cramps and was nauseated all day. I wondered what could be wrong but figured it was a stomach bug of some sorts since they were going around. I did not sleep very well this night but again just assumed I had a stomach bug.

February 3rd-7th

These days were much of the same with lots of nausea and stomach pains. I was physically weak and very tired. Most of these nights I was only getting 5-6 hours of sleep and I would wake up in the middle of the night anxious and somewhat scared or worried. Of what? I do not know. On February 6th I did run 10 miles on my treadmill and that took a HARD toll on my already worn out body. This was part of my long run training and I debated about not doing it but I knew the following week I had an out-of-town conference and fitting my long jogs, if not all of my jogs, into my schedule would be difficult so I just pounded it out. The day after my 10 miles I was really weak and tired. The beginning signs of dehydration were showing up but I just didn't feel like drinking water or eating at all.

February 8th

I decided since I was going out of town I would go to our FREE district health clinic and try to get something to kill this "bug" as I thought it was. The doctor asked me several questions and listened to lots of body parts and even did a urine sample test. But everything was negative  (even the pregnancy test... I know you are all thinking that and I was too but NO SURPRISE for us) and after poking around at my colon he told me I was constipated. My descending colon was impacted and blocked. He told me to take a suppository for 3 days and I should be fine. I kinda thought this was a crazy diagnosis but took it for what it was worth and that evening began the remedy process. The suppository didn't work so I took just regular laxative pills and they seemed to help.

February 9th-12th

These days were much of the same as I still didn't feel 100% and was losing a LOT of sleep over this condition diagnosed as constipation. While I was at my conference I would feel fine 1 day and then "crummy" the next. A friend of mine thought maybe it was indigestion as I was beginning to feel less nauseated and more bloated. Plus I was feeling like there was something heavy in my throat or upper stomach. We made a quick trip to a drug-store and got some Alka-Seltzer and I DID feel better. I was not taking laxative pills anymore but I was taking Citrucel as prescribed by my doctor to help with the lower GI tract problem. 

February 13th

I woke up early this morning with extreme nausea and had several moments of dry heaving just trying to "throw-up" so I could feel better (That is the general rule, right?) but I didn't have any luck. I was supposed to run 11 miles in my training plan on this day but I spent most of the morning just laying around VERY weak. I tried to drink water but was just nauseated at that too. Around 1PM I felt better so I decided to run 6 miles on my treadmill as the training program was on the forefront of my mind and had me worried and anxious throughout this whole process.

February 14th-15th

I felt back to normal, maybe not 100% but definitely at least 85% and not as weak, I was able to eat REAL food on these days and again felt like I was on the mend.

February 16th

I woke up again with extreme nausea and was incredibly dizzy. In fact, I tried to jog on my treadmill and was dizzy the whole time. I only did 1 mile instead of the 3 I was supposed to do. The drive to work was literally scary as I was REALLY dizzy. Luckily, by the Grace of God, I made it to my school fine. I felt like I could throw-up all morning and was VERY dizzy. I went to our school nurse around 10AM to have her check my blood pressure and it was a near perfect 123/82. Despite trying to eat lunch I was still dizzy at 2PM so I went back to the nurse to have her check my blood pressure again and it was 130/82, so higher than normal (for me) but still healthy. I explained my symptoms to her and she said it was more than likely stress and acid re-flux but suggested if it did not get better to go back to the clinic and have them draw blood. She kept asking me about prescriptions and medicines I was taking. I do not take meds except for Plexus and birth control. Then one of my near and dear teacher friends overheard and stepped in and said "Kellie, aren't you going to tell her?" At first I didn't know what she was talking about because I didn't really think that Afrin was "medicine", but I told the nurse and she almost immediately said these issue could be related. She advised me to go back to the clinic and have blood drawn for a complete look and to tell the doctor I was addicted to nasal spray. 

February 17th

I felt great all day and not dizzy or nauseous. I was still really tired because I was still not sleeping well or for normal amounts but I did feel fine all day. I came home from school and jogged a mile and still felt fine. I was still really tired from the near 2 weeks of little sleep but I, again, felt like I was on the road to recovery. 

February 18th 

I woke up early once again and felt very anxious but not as nauseous. However, the drive to school and me trying to eat a regular protein full breakfast made me feel bad. I ended up throwing up at school and decided to go ahead and go back to the clinic to get this figured out once and for all. The constipation diagnosis was not healing and I am tired of being sick and tired. I got to the clinic and went through the same steps as before but I added the info of being addicted to Afrin Nasal Spray. The doctor said that could be contributing to my current issues and explained that prolong use of the medicine in Afrin can cause all kinds of stomach issues including chronic constipation, ulcers and so much more. This would then lead my food to settle else where since my descending colon was impacted which is why I was having acid problems the past few days. He reiterated how bad the medicine in Afrin (Oxymetazoline) really is. He said it was one of the most powerful drugs on the market and never should be OTC and has a very high addicting factor to it. That all seemed to be true in my case as I was going on 2.5 weeks of weak and weariness. He gave me a steroid shot and a proactive plan to get my lower GI tract back in tact and get the acid re-flux more under control. 

The rest of that day at school I was very emotional as I realized that the next 2 weeks would be VERY hard and I only have 2 weeks until my Half Marathon and these 2 weeks especially I need to be 100% as I prepare for this MAJOR and physical life event. 

As tired as I was at the end of the day I tried to hold my head high and be strong and know that God will get me through this. He never said it would be easy but He will see me through. I spent that evening researching scriptures and singing songs of praise. I am going to get over this addiction and I am going to run my Half Marathon! I will be stronger at the end of this journey! Stay tuned for the "rest of the story". 

Thank you Lord, for opening my eyes and as the Great Physician I give my life and my health to You. 

God is good... All the time!