Kristy Maute

Shamrock Spotlight: Holly Kline

We are so excited to be bringing you the “Shamrock Spotlight Series” on our blogs! The Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 8k Races bring thousands of runners, of all ages, abilities and locations, to the Virginia Beach oceanfront every year! As J&A Racing Live Love Run Ambassadors, we decided we wanted to celebrate these races, J&A Racing, and our community by doing a series that highlights participants, both local and out of town, on their journey to this years’ races.

We were incredibly fortunate to get the response we did when asking for volunteers to be spotlighted, and are grateful for the opportunity to share their stories with you!

Kristy and Lesleyanne

SHAMROCK SPOTLIGHT: Holly Kline

Blog: Road Runner

Age on Race Day: 29 years old

Current City: Fort Myers, Florida

Training for the Shamrock Marathon

“I first started running in 2011. My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of 2011 and the next day I signed up for Race for the Cure. I ran it in October of 2011 without any training and having never been a runner before. Since then, my mom has been there to cheer me on every time I have done a new distance. She is now cancer free and is my inspiration for everything and since she lives in Virginia I decided to do my first marathon where she can cheer me on!”

Why you are running a Shamrock race in 2014? Shamrock was my first ever 8K in 2012. I had only been running for 5 months and decided to go for it after only doing two 5Ks. It was my first half marathon in 2013 and it will be my first full marathon this year!

When did you start running? October of 2011, Race for the Cure Tidewater, VA

How many races have you done and what’s your favorite? Sixteen 5Ks, two 8Ks, four 10Ks, one 10 miler and three half marathons. My favorite is the Wicked 10K. I love to look at all the costumes people run in!

Where do you prefer to run? I prefer to run in Virginia. It’s too humid here in Florida!!!

What’s the longest distance you’ve run? 15 mile training run last weekend for Shamrock!

What is the one thing you DON’T like about running? You take off a couple days and it feels like you have never run before!

Favorite post-run indulgence? my protein shake, Tropical Punch ULTRAGEN by First Endurance….honestly! Its sooooo good

Favorite running shoe? Asics Gel Noosa Tri series (I have the 6, 7, and 8…)

Favorite song to run to? Anything by Rise Against…perfect beat for running!

Favorite website to waste time on? Pinterest! I’m a pinaholic…Is there a twelve step program for that yet??

Favorite running moment? Finishing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon in 2013. My dad died two months before the race and he never saw me run. When I finished my mom told me that he finally got to see me cross the finish line.

If you could pick one celebrity to run with, who would it be? Will Ferrell…he would keep me laughing so hard I would probably miss the finish line!

Want to continue to follow Holly on her road to Shamrock 2014? You can follow her on Facebook facebook.com/hekline, Twitter twitter.com/waterbugva, Instagram http://instagram.com/crazyflrunner, and on her blog http://vatoflrunner.blogspot.com/

GOOD LUCK HOLLY!

If you are participating in one of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 8k Races this year and are interested in being spotlighted, please email breathofsunshineblog@gmail.com

Shamrock Spotlight: Colleen Dahlam

We were incredibly fortunate to get the response we did when asking for volunteers to be spotlighted, and are grateful for the opportunity to share their stories with you!

Kristy and Lesleyanne

SHAMROCK SPOTLIGHT: Colleen Dahlem

32 years old

Shamrock Race: Marathon

Blog: LiveFreeandRun

Current City: Silver Spring MD

Why you are running a Shamrock race in 2014? My husband ran it in 2011 and really enjoyed himself so I wanted in on the action! I’m looking forward to the fast and flat course with a great view dashing towards the finish!

When did you start running? I ran cross country in high school but stopped in college. After having my daughter, I starting walking and then running with the stroller.

How many races have you done and what’s your favorite? I’ve done more races than I can count! My favorite was Marine Corps Marathon!

Where do you prefer to run? In sight of water.

What’s the longest distance you’ve run? 26.2

What is the one thing you DON’T like about running? Running in icy conditions

Favorite post-run indulgence? a cold IPA

Favorite running shoe? Nike Lunarglide

Favorite song to run to? Lucky Strike Maroon 5

Favorite website to waste time on? Pinterest

Favorite running moment? Crossing the finish line of my first full marathon. I felt on top of the world! I never thought I’d be a marathoner, and all of a sudden I became part of a club!

If you could pick one celebrity to run with, who would it be? Will Ferrell

Want to continue to follow Colleen on her road to Shamrock 2014? You can follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/livefreeandrun, Twitter www.twitter.com/livefreeandrun and on Instagram, www.instagram.com/livefreeandrun

GOOD LUCK COLLEEN!

If you are participating in one of the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 8k Races this year and are interested in being spotlighted, please email breathofsunshineblog@gmail.com

Room to Breathe

Shedding.

Stripped.

Simplify.

I’ve tossed around all these words since 2014 started. The concept is exactly what I need. I need less of everything in my life right now. While the root of all these words is exactly what I need, I just don’t like the words. They haven’t been working for me.

Even if the words weren’t working for me, I needed to put action behind them. After all, they are just words. Simplifying the physical stuff around me is the easiest first step to take. The physical clutter has been weighing on me emotionally. It’s become a burden and a stresser.

Step 1 of this project to shed, to strip, to simplify was our garage. It’s collected nearly 4 years of junk. Sunday we got to work. As the garage floor emerged and the sunset, I said to my husband, “oh my god. I can breathe.” I instantly felt lighter, less stressed, and more joyful. A weight was lifted off of me.

And just like that, I found my word(s). I found exactly what I need for this next chapter in life.

I need room to breathe.

It’s that simple. I’ve been holding my breath since our world crumbled last January.

Tomorrow it will be a year since my aunt passed away. I reread the post that I wrote on that day. Rereading it shook me to my core. As I read it, I’ve realized I’ve been living in that moment, that sadness, that very fragile moment since last year. I’ve been holding my breath because an inhale or an exhale might disrupt the shell I’ve put around my heart. Deep inside I’ve put armour around my heart.

I don’t know if it was clearing out the clutter in our garage or taking a moment to refeel emotions of grief as I read my own blog post, but I feel like I’ve finally exhaled.

The sadness I feel is very real. I can’t ignore it. The grief our family has walked through in 2013 is tangible. But instead of welcoming the feelings, I’ve guard myself from them. I’ve protected myself. When my aunt died, I had to keep myself together because Christian’s dad was starting hospice care. When his dad died 13 days later, I had to keep myself together because my family needed me. I’ve been keeping myself together since those moments. I’ve cried, I’ve grieved, I’ve missed them deeply, but I’ve also guarded myself from life. The funny thing about that shield is it also keeps out the feelings of love and hope. It has protected my heart from feeling joy too. I’m ready to let that all go. I need to feel deeply again.

This next life chapter isn’t about shedding or striping or simplifying. It’s about finding room to breathe. It’s about inhaling and exhaling deeply. It’s about coming back to life. It’s about nurturing the roots that I worked so hard to establish. It’s about decluttering the physical and allowing space to exist around the emotional. The physical clutter has been suffocating, but not nearly as suffocating as holding my breath out of fear of feeling to deeply.

I don’t know what 2014 has in store for us, but I do know that I need to find my breath again. It’s time to find room to breathe.

Refreshing view from a Recovery Run today - exactly what I need(ed) — Refreshing view from a Recovery Run today – exactly what I need(ed)

Soup-er Sunday: Cheesy (Chicken) Vegetable Chowder

Have you noticed the trend yet? I like soup with Chicken. I like soup with vegetables. I like soup that is creamy. Maybe I’ll venture out of my comfort zone soon. The chicken vegetable soups are all starting to sound the same.

Today’s soup recipe was found on the blog Lulu the Baker.

Cheesy (Chicken) Vegetable Soup:

(You can find her original recipe here. I modified it to add chicken and to use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. I also added some seasoning.)

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and shredded

2 tbsp. butter

~~1/2 cup chopped onion~~ (forgot to buy onion!)

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 cup celery, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

Monterey Chicken Seasoning (to taste)

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add ~~onions~~, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Season to taste. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add chicken, milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

This soup was a huge hit in our house. Cole said it was soup-er. My husband said it was soup-perb. Chet even gave me a Mmmm when he tried it. It is a creamy vegetable chicken soup so of course I liked it.

If you are looking for slow cooker directions for the soup, directions are in the comments section on the original website.

You can find all my Soup-er Sunday recipes here.

Chet is Two

Today we celebrate two years of Chet!

Two favorite activities: playing outside and cooking

Two favorite shows: Mickey Mouse and Elmo

Two favorite foods: broccoli and noodles.

Two favorite toys: tools and Elmo

Two favorite sentences: Baby do it and love you.

Two favorite books: Go Dog Go and his pumpkin book.

Two methods for avoiding bedtime: begging for Go Dog Go and milk.

Two bedtime routines: books and hugs. “Cole’s turn. Alex’s turn. Papa’s turn. Mama’s turn.”

Two favorite places: the beach and anywhere outside.

Two new developments: boo-boos. “Baby kiss it. All better.” And summersaults.

Two favorite things to do with mama: snuggle and take showers.

Two favorite things to do with papa: bike rides and wrestle.

Two favorite things to do with Cole: destroy his room and dinosaurs.

It’s been two years of watching his wonderful personality develop. He is fiercely independent. He is stubborn. He is a force to be reckoned with. He is full of hugs and kisses. His belly laughs will always bring a smile to your face. He embraces life at his pace and in his own unique way. He may be a toddler now, but there are still nights he needs his mama to sleep. He is still my baby!

Happy birthday Chet Christian.