Two big accomplishments for one AMAZING family!

our big accomplishments!!!

ac·com·plish·ment

   /əˈkɒmplɪʃmənt/ Show Spelled[uh-kom-plish-muhnt] Show IPA noun

1.an act or instance of carrying into effect; fulfillment: the accomplishment of our desires.

 

2.something done admirably or creditably: Space exploration is a major accomplishment of science.

 

3.anything accomplished; deed; achievement: a career measured in a series of small accomplishments.

 

4.Often, accomplishments. 

 

a .a grace, skill, or knowledge expected in polite society.

b .any acquired ability or knowledge.  

 

Connor was awarded the Student of the Month Award for the month of October!
OUTSTANDING STUDENT!

Don and I are so proud of our little boy. As a parent this is one of the biggest things you can want for your child. To know that he is above the standards in his classroom is just amazing and a wonderful accomplishment for our son. Our letter from the principal stated that Connor gives formal recognition for demonstrating considerate behavior, respect for others, and good manners in dealing with teachers, staff members and other pupils. Connor was announced over the loud speaker and will be featured in an article in the Gloucester County Times for all the amazing students at his school. We are so proud of you and love you so much. Keep continuing to make us PROUD!

 

Accomplishment #2

Mommy is a Marathoner!

First off before I begin my boast all about how amazing, exciting, and wonderful my day was let me start by thanking the person who made this all possible. I have to read you all the letter I wrote Don the morning before I left for my race. 

Dear Don,

Thank you for all your support throughout these last 4 months of my training. I know it hasn't been easy but knowing you were there to encourage me for every long run I did means the world to me. I thank you  for having the patientce to bear with me these last couple days with the stress that I felt from being nervous and I can't wait to see you and the kids at the race. I'm sure it will be a very exciting and emotional day and I am forever thankful for all of your support. Here's to 26.2 miles and my amazing husband and kids. 

I love you all and I am ready to Rock the Philadelphia Marathon!

Love,

Kelly 

 

 

 

Redefine Possible: Philadelphia Marathon 2012

The title of this years marathon couldn't be more fitting for my first marathon experience because I did indeed Redefine Possible!

Freedom Sculpture by Zenos Frudakis (Located: 16th & Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA) -
SEE IT, BELIEVE IT, BE IT!

My Marathon  Experience

by Kelly McMahon

As I started my marathon training everything was going smooth until mile 18 when I was experimenting with energy gels. I found out the hard way that my body cannot consume high amounts of  energy gels with caffeine in them as it sends me into full blown panic attacks and makes my heart race .I got done an 18 mile run that was ran on a hot and humid day with Selena and two of my girlfriends from Swedesboro, at mile 15 I realized that when I went to reach for my fourth water bottle it was empty and I was getting nervous that I wasn't going to be able to finish with out more water. I used a few drops from Selena's water bottle at mile 17 and then refilled my bottles off of a house that had water sprinklers on in the middle of the day(a sign from God that I was going to actually finish this run). I got home, did my normal ice bath and after about 35 minutes my heart started racing, I couldn't breath right and I couldn't swallow food or drink any water. I immediately called my husband who is a Physician and said do I need to call 911 and he said "no, you have a history of panic attacks and I can tell by your voice and your reactions that is all that is going on, He said try to relax and take deep breaths and you will be fine. It took a little while for the caffeine to leave my body and for me to stop shaking.   I decided immediately to go to the doctors to get a physical and an EKG. I left the doctors with a clean bill of health and decided to change everything in my body to a non-caffeine diet. I started to take some medicine to help me cope with the constant panic attacks that kept reoccurring that were causing me to not be able to function normally. I wasn't able to think straight, remember things that I should be remembering to do, or finish one thing before jumping into another thing because my mind was going all over the place. After a few days, my anxiety began to take a back seat and I was sleeping better, eating better, and most of all being a better wife and mother. I wasn't worried anymore that doing the marathon was not good for my body or that I would be the person that didn't come out of the race alive. I began to change my high expectations, believe in my doctors orders that my body was healthy and I was cleared to run as far as I wanted and most of all I began to realize that just finishing the marathon was enough of an accomplishment and something that I have had on my bucket list for more than a few years. I decided to go back out running at a slower pace and just kept thinking that I knew all my hard work and training would pay off in the end.  It was amazing that only a few days off caffeine and I didn't even miss it at all. I got a few packages of new running gels from my friend, Laura, who gave me some samples to try without caffeine and they worked great. I continued my runs feeling great and had an awesome 19 mile run. I finished my run in just about 3 hours and felt fantastic. I continued my routine of doing ice baths after any long run over 14 miles and was still feeling incredible and saying to myself that I can't believe I am actually able to run for three hours straight. Three days after my 19 miler I had another set back with an excruciating pain in my gluetus muscle and my left hip. Everything I read online said it was a common runners injury and I treated myself by rolling on a tennis ball for three weeks, stretching like a mad man and taking 11 days off running. After my almost two week break I started back to running and realized that my goal of finishing the marathon in 4 hours would probably not happen and I constantly worried if I could even finish it at all, but I stayed positive and my last two weeks of training went great with only a minor ache in my butt when I was sitting. A magic wand would have been ideal, but I just decided I would rest, rest, rest and be happy to be completing a marathon and go with the fact that slow and steady wins the race mentality! So race weekend arrives and I think I was more nervous to run the marathon than to walk down the isle on my wedding day. I have never felt that type of feeling that just totally consumed me for two entire days. I felt so nervous I had trouble eating, sleeping or doing just about anything. I was just trying to stay busy and be positive that after Sunday this would all be over and I would go back to a normal life and that I would never ever do this again! I would have more time for my husband and my kids, my house would be cleaner, laundry wouldn't be piling up, dinners would be more than just chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, I could go back to couponing instead of constantly buying running gear(4 pairs of new shorts, 2 new sports bras, millions of running socks including compression socks) and my days wouldn't be consumed with when I was going to get a chance to get out the door to run or when would be the best time to go for a run so that my husband wouldn't start to get mad at me or think that I wasn't putting him and the kids first. I did realize that my life was beginning to be over taken by my legs and my running sneakers(i bought three pairs of new sneakers in four months) but I was definitely confident that the feeling of emotions and the accomplishment I was going to make would be all worth it. I wasn't giving up and I was going to come out of this a marathoner and on top of the world!
I followed a Hal-Higdon Novice 2 training plan and was enjoying my two weeks of tapering with an easy 8, 2, 3 and 2 miler on Saturday, the day before the marathon.  Training for a marathon takes both mental and physical preparation to actually  be able to complete the Marathon and keep going. I was beginning to lose my mind over the last month of training and I had to mentally prepare myself for the time of my life when I needed my mind the most. I kept thinking in my head when I see it, I will believe it and that is exactly what happened. I woke up marathon morning very early having only been able to sleep for about 5 hours. Adrenaline was getting the best of me and I just wanted to get up put on my gear and get running. It was one of the best days for running! The temperature according to the marathon website stated that it was a t-shirt and shorts kind of day for racing. It said to dress as if the temperature was at least 20 degrees higher than the thermometer states, so I dressed for running in 70 degree weather and wore my compression socks. It was a little chilly at first but by mile 7 I was running in my t-shirt and shorts just like I was told(I did keep my gloves on because my hands were a little cold). I was on cloud nine and running my first marathon with two of my closest friends. One of my friends raised $7,000 for the Multiple Myeloma foundation in honor of her mother who passed in September after she lost her battle of three years of fighting. We knew from the start that we were in this together and if her Mom could fight for three years than one day of fighting towards the finish line was just a moment in our lives. Mile for Mile we took every stride step by step and within two hours we were half way there. One of the best feelings of the race was seeing the crowd and having your name on your bib meant everyone could look at you and even if they didn't know you they were cheering you on to keep going. Going along and feeling strong I rounded a corner and to my left were a group of amazing women from the MHWTC. I put my arms up and have never felt more power, love and most of all more adrenaline. I was smiling ear to ear and even had tears in my eyes. I was on my way to completing my first marathon and had amazing friends and family on the sidelines to cheer me on to victory. For this was my race and I was going to WIN! I reached 15 miles and began to see the runners on the other side finishing the race and started thinking, "wow, I still have more than 10 miles to go." I started to break it down into segments, I can do broad street so really only 10 more miles, I can do a 10K so really only 6 more miles to go and then I saw my cheering fans again at mile 20 and I was still smiling and the happiest person on the Earth. I continued to take my gels and never missed a Gatorade or water stop and I even took a cup of beer and a brownie. Music was playing, fans were cheering and this was my time to shine. On my way back around the cones I passed the tri club for what I knew would be my final cheering section until I saw my family at mile 26 and I got this overwhelming sense of adrenaline and started to run even faster. I went from a 10+ minute mile to a 9:40 minute mile and the last six miles was by far the most amazing experience in my life. I only listened to one song on my ipod the entire race and then thought to myself what am I doing, this experience is just too amazing to listen to my music. I want to hear the crowd and I want to hear the music and drums along the side of the road. I am now at mile 23 and I just took my last energy gel and thought I can do this, it's only a 5K left! I am going to finish this marathon not only standing but running faster than I ever thought I could in the final leg of the race i approached mile 26 and smiled really big with my arms up high because I am a CHAMPION and I looked to my left and there was my husband and my three kids holding up signs and screaming run Mommy, run Mommy! I couldn't wait to give them all big hugs and kisses because I have just accomplished one of my life long dreams. If you have ever thought that you want to run a marathon or if it has ever been on your bucket list, I can tell you it was an incredible experience and I can't wait to do it AGAIN! I know during my training I told everyone that I could never do this again and I remember running with Jayne a few times while the kids were in school and Selena and I would do nothing but complain and Jayne said "I don't think I will ever want to run a marathon, I don't think you either have said anything positive about this whole experience." Well, Jayne I know I said those words to you and I complained an awful lot about how tired I was and how painful some of our runs were but I never imagined the actual marathon would change my mind and I can't wait to run it next year to get a new PR! Thank you to everyone(Selena, Tracey, Gwen, Theresa on my 6am mid week runs, Amanda and Jayne) who took each stride with me during my training and for everyone that told me I was going to do awesome. You all helped me reach one of the most rewarding moments in my life.
 Love,
  Kelly

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work."
Colin Powell

 

I just finished the Philadelphia Marathon and completed 26.2 miles in the city of Brotherly Love!

4hours 25 mins!

I definitely had one of the most amazing moments in my life. I would say it is up there in the top three. One being my wedding day, Two being having each of my three children and Three being crossing that finish line and calling myself a marathoner!

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	04:28:40
Chip Time	04:25:34
Overall Place	7316 / 11556
Division Place	418 / 790
Pace	0:10:07
Rank Gender	2726
Split10K	01:03:3
Splithalf	02:13:2
Split30K	03:09:3

All my hard work and dedication definitely paid off! I completed

running my first marathon with a Smile Across The Finish.

 

 

Distance MAR Clock Time 04:28:40 Chip Time 04:25:34 Overall Place 7316 / 11556 Division Place 418 / 790 Pace 0:10:07 Rank Gender 2726 Split10K 01:03:3 Splithalf 02:13:2 Split30K 03:09:3    All my hard work and dedication definitely paid off!  I completed  running my first marathon with a Smile Across The Finish. About these ads