The Marathon that is Life.

I had a HUGE "uh-oh" moment this weekend.  On Saturday, I ran the Soaring Wings Half Marathon in Conway.  I did this in preparation for my upcoming double marathon I am running ( read about that here) I have been training religiously, like running almost everyday, and I follow a strict regime on what to run and when to run it.  I have been using this app called... Nike Running.  I have loved it, in fact I have told most everybody that it is the best app to run with.  Well, it was until during my race this weekend on Mile 10.. my app told me "congrats you just finished your first half marathon" First, false - this is my second.  And Second, No!!!  I am only on mile 10!!!

As I began to contemplate what was exactly going on, I began to realize that my app was not calibrated correctly and my training had been misleading!  I thought I had run 12 miles last week in RECORD time... but I hadn't.  Actually - I was slower than I thought.  I finished the race in 2:28 which is almost 20 minutes faster than my first half marathon.  I am training for that Double Race on New Years and so I have about 8 weeks to get faster and better and stronger.  It was just disappointing - so frustrating, in fact, that I almost ripped my iPhone off my arm and threw it into the ravine.  I didn't - But I was close.

The best part of the race is the new resolution I made with myself.  When I run a race, I will get a new outfit :) So this was my Under Armour exclusive outfit! Complete with matching pants and top and a very comfortable neon yellow/green sweatshirt!  It was so comfortable to run in!  The weather this weekend was perfect running weather, especially for the outfit I picked out - but I can't imagine what the weather will be like on New Years!  Hopefully, it will be mild.  Here's for hoping!

Wanted to let you know what else I did with my weekend:  

I babysat these adorable little cousins of mine!  Yes, they are apart of the Gosser Mafia!  

See I am telling you - you do not want to mess with us :)

drumrolll pleaseeeeeeee

I also got my extensions back!  What do y'all think of the "new look"?  I got them from Robin at Harrington and Co. in Conway!  She is amazing!  And they look so real!  I am getting use to the length, but Love LOVE LOVE the new look! Hope you do too!

And then finally - as I look back on the past 6 months.... I love playing the Piano!  Miss Arkansas wasn't the highlight of my summer, it is this picture.  I think it captures everything that I wanted to accomplish this year - I wanted to

HAVE FUN WHILE PERFORMING THE PIANO IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE.  

And I did just that!

Ouachita Baptist University Blog About

I missed last week's Blog About concerning favorite memory at Ouachita so I'll catch up on that soon!  But today's question is Who is your favorite Professor or Faculty Member?

So here it is:

Favorite Professor:  

Rebecca Jones is head over the Speech Communication department, however, being a Business Major i didn't ever have her in class.  But she has been by far the most encouraging professor in my career at Ouachita.  I got to know Rebecca when I was working in the Development Office.  At that point I was a Music Education major and not really enjoying it.  So Rebecca got me involved planning events at Ouachita.  Wow.  Little did I know that that encouragement and push that Rebecca gave me would lead to my passion, a winning business plan, and a master's degree in events.  She also wrote one of the nicest and most thorough letters of recommendations that I could have ever received for my entrance into Graduate School at Baylor University.  My sister is in her Speech class right now at Ouachita and says that she absolutely loves her sweet and kind spirit and how fun she makes her classes.

Rebecca is an inspiration because in the past 2 years she has gone from just working in the Development Office to Head over the entire Speech Communications Department.  She is a testament to what hardwork, perserverance, and a sweet attitude will get you.  Her heart for the Lord and her genuine care for others puts her at the top of my Favorite Professors List.  

It is hard to say that there is just one favorite professor - so among Rebecca in my top ranked professors are:

Dean McKinney - he is always there with his door open and an open ear.  He has great ideas and his passion for success in Business is contagious!

Dr. Brune - if you know anything about me you know that I competed in the Business Plan Competition  my senior year of College.  It is because of this man.  Dr. Brune pushed me through tears, frustration, and mental blocks to create one of the top business plans in the state.  He is passionate about finance and a great professor.

Dr. Rice - He was my advisor and was always open to listening to everything from sports, to boys, to I hate my classes and I am going to fail out of college.  Always with a positive word - Dr. Rice is among the best and Ouachita is lucky to still have him on staff after his term as Dean ended.  His stories in class are hilarious - and he knows when to tell them by the looks on our faces (stats can be quite boring sometimes)

Dr. Hal Bass - Everyone can attest that Dr Bass is a great professor.  His knowledge about current events, law, and politics in incredible.  He always addresses you by name and always asks about your day.  His Contemp World class was in the top 5 classes I took at Ouachita.  

There are so many people at Ouachita that have made an impact in my life.  But these are some of the top favorites... They definitely have one of the top staffed universities in the state and country!!  

Be Charmed!

Abby