Your friend, JJ, starring in: "Pick Me for Ragnar!"

I don't typically enter those contests on the interwebs - you know, the giveaways on Facebook for liking and sharing photos and pages, and the blog giveaways for leaving a comment... I guess I feel I have had more than my fair share of good luck in life and all, so power to the people that do enter and "may the odds be ever in your favor!!!" (Imagine accent of Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games here...)

Much my surprise, though, I recently entered such a contest. Dimity and Sarah from Another Mother Runner (who I consider my running friends, though they don't know me yet...) were looking for 2 wannabe first-time marathoners. I didn't think I would ever want to run a marathon when I started running 9 months ago (never say never...You can read more about my running journey and my recent Half Marathon experience on my blog post "Why I Run"...)

Alas, the competition was crazy good, and I was not chosen as a winner, though it was hard to feel too terribly sorry for myself since the two ladies that were chosen are remarkably fabulous. I am so excited to follow their journey to Philly and their first 26.2...

But I still really wanted to run with D&S. I listen to their podcast on iTunes (Get episodes here...) and since I'm fairly stubborn and stuff... I decided to enter an equally cool contest to run with the BAMR Ragnar Relay team in San Francisco this fall.  September of 2014 (the time of the Ragnar Relay) is not only my runniversary, it's also just after my one year Cancerversary.  I was declared cancer free late last summer and officially in remission!  I want to celebrate that in a BIG way - I know that running as a BAMR at Ragnar would be a wicked cool way to celebrate...

I am worthy. But now I have to convince Dimity & Sarah that I am worthy. How am I going to do that???

As a trial attorney in my non-running hours, I make every effort to prove my case, beyond a reasonable doubt. To introduce evidence in a trial, attorneys can't just "say" this is the evidence, they have to call witnesses to testify. I thought perhaps those who know me would "testify" in the case of "JJ vs. AMR Ragnar Contest"... If you are reading this, consider yourself under oath and answer the following question:

"Why should JJ be chosen as a member of the Another Mother Runner Relay team?"

I am calling on you, best-running-friends and mother runners and father runners, family members, facebook friends, twitter followers, my Momfia and Moms RUN This Town peeps... and anyone and everyone who happens to believe in me.

If you are reading this, please leave a comment here*** and TESTIFY on my behalf as to why Dimity and Sarah NEED me on their Ragnar Relay team. (Please leave your first name and how you know me in the comment.) The contest ends on 4/28, so please share this blog link at will on social media... Running, and the friendships made therefrom, has changed my life. I hope to be an inspiration to others like my runner friends (including Dimity and Sarah) have been to me. I am crossing my fingers and holding my breath. Thank you!!!!

***Apparently Blogger comments left via mobile phone vanish into the black hole of the internet.  Thank you to those of you whole love me enough to type a comment on your phone - but note that it will likely not show up here - thus, if possible, please leave a comment from a computer or use the desktop site...and verify that you can see your comment when the page refreshes.  It wasn't supposed to be this complicated!***

Hump Day Hilarity

What a weird week, y'all! I'm still recovering from my half marathon a week and a half ago. You may know I fell the week before and really pulled something in my left thigh/quad/groin... No fun. Been seeing my chiropractor and broke down to go to the doctor today. Muscle relaxers and anti inflammatories - crossing fingers. 

So, lots of people have asked me lately how much weight I have lost. I started running in September. Here's a little before and after:

It actually looks like I have lost a lot looking at it like this (I am being way super brave about this with my nasty white belly hanging out...). I was surprised because I didn't think I looked different and..... Drumroll please.....

I have lost a grand total of 2 pounds!

Amazing, right? Only 2 pounds but man I feel different. 

Ok, so moving along, check out my cute friends. I started a running club called Moms RUN This Town and somehow we are up to 160ish members. Wow. Some of us got together for a run on Saturday. Love this crowd. 

Cole's pinewood derby car won best in show! 

Here is a close up of his car and his sister's (girls get to race our pinewood derby, too!)

Here are all the cars:

Today I had lunch with my kids at school. There is no bad day that cannot be made better by lunch at elementary school. Just sayin':

Love my kiddos - my Irish Twins:

And to celebrate hump day:

Think about my friend Melissa (and me and my friends and her family) because we have lost Melissa's mom - a true fighter and crusader against Cancer. I will be traveling to celebrate her life well lived with my sweet friend and her family. <3

We will miss you, Linda.