Road Tripping

Today, I’m leaving for a whirlwind of a road trip with a few of my fellow American Cancer Society friends. We are travelling to Dallas, Texas for the American Cancer Society’s National Leadership Summit.  I’m excited to join my fellow peers as we represent  the Mid South Division and ACS’s presence in Louisiana!

It’s a whirlwind of a trip because the Summit begins this afternoon and ends on Saturday afternoon - we are driving back that night. (That’s 12 hours round trip in 2 days!) I’ve already warned my friends – I’m not a good navigator on road trips because I have a tendency to fall asleep! My pillow and blanket are coming along with me, too!

In 2012, I attended ACS’s Mid South Summit in Nashville and had an incredible time! We stayed at the Opryland Hotel and I LOVED it! Last night, I realized that I never blogged about that experience, which was amazing…did I mention that already…so I found a few photos to share!

This theme was all about dreaming BIG, thinking outside of the box, and being inspired with new and fresh ideas for our area Relay events.

The two day event was full of inspiring stories, survivors and caregivers shared their thoughts, we played games, and there was plenty of excitement to go around!

Speaking of survivor stories, this precious little girl lost her eyesight to cancer. She spoke about the light inside of her that continued to burn bright, despite the darkness that surrounded her. In one of the most touching moments of my life, we joined her as she sang “This Little Light of Mine”. It. Was. Amazing.

Our area was invited to this Summit because we had one of the top 5 Relays in the state of Louisiana! BAM.

The inspiration worked because I left Summit with dreams of starting up a Bark for Life event in my area – and we’ve held two so far!

The Opryland Hotel was incredible. I could’ve walked around for days and still not taken it all in!

The hotel was full of greenery, waterfalls, archways, gazebos, shops…even a little river with a boat ride!

Yes, a boat ride! INSIDE the hotel!

I would love to revisit the Opryland Hotel at Christmastime – I’ve heard it’s incredible!

Are you a road trip sleeper? Do you like to travel?

Upcoming Races, More Bling!

Yesterday, I registered for two upcoming races – a local 10K and a Half Marathon.

I’m really excited about the Cowboy Gallop 10K because our area hasn’t held a 10K in several years (2009 to be exact). 



Registered runners for this 10K will receive long sleeved shirts…what! Love it! Also, this 10K finishes at the 50 yard line of our local college’s football stadium. My entire family and I (including my husband) received our degrees at this college, so this race holds a special place in my heart. :)
My running buddy Heather and I are both registered and excited to run! Can’t wait!

The Half Marathon that I registered for is the Louisiana Half Marathon in Baton Rouge, LA.



I ran this race in 2013 with my friend Kelli (and it was the weekend after Goofy at that)!



I absolutely loved everything about this race – the Expo was super cute and we were pleasantly surprised, the course was gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and my knee never bothered me at all (I was dealing with IT Band stuff at the time).



My sister-in-law (Kayla) and I will be running this race in 2015!

An added perk for 2015 is a partnership between the Louisiana Marathon and Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans. For running both races (two weekends in a row) and in addition to each races respective medals, runners will receive the Louisiana Double Down Medal! That’s two races, three medals!




Aren’t they beautiful? I love the Fleur de Lis!


Source

Registration is available for both races, so you still have a shot at earning this beautiful additional medal. Don’t hesitate, sign up today – prices for the Louisiana Marathon/Half will increase in October!

• Louisiana Marathon/The Half – January 18, 2015
• Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon/Half – January 25, 2015

Have you/are you planning on running any special Rock ‘n’ Roll partnership races for an extra medal? I want to hear about your experience!