There's No Way It's May!

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I'm getting closer to current times-only one month back!

Once May got here, I haven't been able to keep it straight.  Time is flying, I say yet again.  I had mixed feelings about the end of the school year coming so fast.  On one hand, it couldn't come fast enough.  I was exhausted, stressed, and so ready for a break.  On the other hand, I wanted more time, because I didn't feel ready for my AP tests and needed more time to study!

 

The first weekend of the month was our conference championships.  It was a great day!  The weather was beautiful, and the track at South Doyle was really nice.  I woke up that day lacking motivation, but God sent me a verse that lifted me up.
"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him."  Philippians 2:13
That was awesome knowing that even though I may not always feel like it, if it's what I am supposed to do, God will give me everything I need to get it done. 

I had been choosing "focus" verses to keep on my mind as I raced this season, and it really helped me keep a better mindset. 
First for this day was 1 Peter 4:11, "...do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Christ Jesus."
The second was 2 Corinthians 5:9, "So we make it our goal to please Him..."
I decided that my total focus while I was racing that day was going to be on using what I have been given to please God.  I just wanted to enjoy it.
The 4x800 was just a fun race, becuase we obviously would win it with our B-team, which is why I even ran it.  The 1600 wasn't my best, but it was 10 seconds faster than the last one I ran!  I was excited to feel motivated to push myself again.  I had to just let go of comparing myself to the other runners in the race and focus on doing my best.  I felt much better.

The 3200, my main race, was another good one--I had fun!  I even broke my conference recrd from last year by a second.
During a longer race like the 3200, you have a little time to think.  To keep my mind positive, I pray, think of verses, and sing songs in my head.  Three songs stood out while I checked off those 8 laps
"It's my joy to honor You, in all I do, to honor You"
"Lord, I need You, O I need You, every hour I need You.  My one defense, my righteousness, O God how I need You"  (This one is one that comes to mind during speed workouts when I'm worn out!)
A newer MercyMe song that makes me want to dance: "God, I'm running for Your heart, I'm running for Your heart until I am a soul on fire!"
This kept me pushing through the finish line!

 

This is the picture that came up that morning to get me going, but that wasn't all!  God works in ways where you know it can only be Him.  I went on Twitter and there was the same verse!

I was so excited for how I felt a change in my motivation, that I kept my number from the race and decorated it with those verses.

Every May for the past several years, I go to Regency for the Mother's Day banquet and eat with my grandmother!  I love going up there and eating with them.  They enjoy company and seeing young people so much!  Since my grandmother moved rooms, she doesn't get to see her old friends except when I come to eat with her, so that makes it even better.  We all get together around the same table, same people, and have a great time.  They don't always think the food is good, but I love it!  People tell me I should just live there.  Food, bed early, wii, yoga, I have to pee a lot, self serve soft serve all day, I get cold easy, I wear contacts or glasses...the list goes on.
These are the wonderful women of the back table!

And here is the great Granannie herself!

Mom and I are both hardheaded, so that leads to arguments a lot.  We have so much fun, though, because we also share a sarcastic sense of humor!  We get under each others' skin a lot, but she sacrifices so much for me, I can't thank her enough.

This will give you a little insight into how we work in the Jones house.  While many moms were out for fancy dinners on Mother's Day we spent about $8 total on a pizza, eaten on stirofoam plates, in our living room, wearing whatever clothes we happened to have on.  We don't have to have fancy to be happy.  In fact, 99% of the time, we are much happier without the fancy!

For all those who were enrolled in AP US History (a worldwide tested class) and Chemistry (a statewide tested class), we were not happy.  We had to take both those tests back to back.  But the school thought we would be okay because they brought us pizza...yeah that made it soo much better...Luckily, as soon as we finished the EOC, we could go home!

May is graduation time, so people were having parties and sending mail left and right!  Abby has been one of my best friends since we met as her dad (red shirt) was my elementary and travel basketball coach and her brother Noah was my first real boyfriend.  They treat me like family, and I love them to death!  Abby is responsible for many of my best memories through those years.  We were so goofy!

She, along with two other girls, had a little celebration at one of the family's property that does all kinds of fancy things.  They had it decorated so nice!

That same day had another celebration:  Aunt Debi and Uncle Chum were in town!  He's always finding something to give me a hard time about, and as you can see, here he is making fun of my huge taco salad.  He's such a goober.

El Sazon has become the restaurant where we go for any family get-together.  We all love it, and they are so fast!

 

This beautiful picture came from a post by Pastor Dean!  I didn't see it until the next day, but it was the morning of our region meet.  Rainbows are reminders from God that everything will work out His way, and He sure does!

Joy is my word, and God is my joy.
This was an awesome day.  The 1600 was a crazy race.  I hadn't been in the tops of that race for more than 2 laps this season, but this day was my kind of weather.  It was the hottest day we had all year!  I stuck with the pack and held on to a qualifying spot until the last about 80 meters.  I don't have much of a kick, but I was going as fast as those little legs would go!  I missed qualifying for state by just 1 place, but my time was my best for the season.  I wanted to go so bad, but it just wasn't meant to be.  I was okay with it because I gave it everything I had, so that was God's plan.  My race was just good enough to leave me satisfied, ending my 1600 season on a great note.

The 3200 was a great one again!  I enjoyed it...again!  I was so happy to be back into things.  My time was the exact same as my win from conference the week before.  While we were waiting near the tent for them to take us over to the start, I saw a girl wearing one of the race shirts, but it was a tank top.  I asked her about it because I had never seen anything but tshirts.  I do not need more tshirts.  My drawers runneth over.  This got me more excited!  If they were still there making shirts after my race, I was going to get one!  Luckily I won, so Mom was also more willing to pay for it.  I loved feeling free and flying while I went through that race.  It was a long, hot, tough day, but at the end of days like that, all I can do is praise the Lord!  It was also great hearing my mom's positive cheers from her secluded spot each time I passed by the 300 mark.  After the finish, I said a few words after walking out the gate, then pointed to the tshirt truck and said, "They have tank tops, and I want one!"  Mom laughed and was all for it!  I didn't have much breath, but I got out the words that I needed to get that point across.  We went over there to choose a design, and we found the perfect one.  You can't see it in this picture, but below the "Running His Race" it has Hebrews 12:1-2, which was my focus verse this whole season. 

Again with the late nights...We didn't have much time to grab dinner and dessert before they both closed, but luckily, Salsarita's (MY FAVORITE) and Marble Slab were in the same shopping center.  I am not a fast eater, so scarfing down that burrito bowl was not easy.  It still tasted just as good.

Back to back 3200m Region I champ
The new uniforms were a nice touch.

Track kinda copied the idea of carrying something around the week before state, so we got monkeys!  Danny is a cool dude, and he matched my monkey and me one day, so we had some fun posing for a picture.

He may drive me nuts sometimes, but Calvin can be nice, too.  And you know I'm not going to turn down fresh pineapple!

Chemistry was an entertaining class this semester!

And school was over!  Praise the Lord we survived!

May 10th-Sectionals Surprise

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Saturday, May 10th, 2014

aka the best day of racing thus far in my life

Going into these races, I was not expected to win.  I didn't even expect myself to win either.  In both my events, I was ranked 2nd behind a senior from Hardin Valley, Emma Mashburn, who will be going to run at Furman in the fall.  I have known her as one of my biggest running competitors since I started high school cross country, and now track as well.  Although she is a great cross country runner, I think she does better on the track, where her speed can beat out many others on the shorter and flatter races.  I thought I may have a chance, at least to push her some, especially since you never know what God has planned!  I also beat her in all the cross country races I have been in against her for the past 2 years.  However, I am at a disadvantage big time for experience on the track, but that is why there is a first time for everything!

 

I was also super excited that this section I meet was at Science Hill like the last time I had  my best races, and the weather was pretty hot and sunny, which is where I tend to have an advantage.

If you race, you know what nerves can do to your stomach.  Closer to race time, I could feel that I was more nervous than I thought!  I always get more nervous about the 1600, because it is so much more intense than anything I've been used to.  The shorter the race, the smaller the margin for error.  I've also always been used to running long distances, so it has been a challenge getting myself ready to race short ones!  I'm getting the hang of it, though.  I knew I was going to have to start fast to get a good spot and stay fast to keep myself in position to have a chance.  A PR is always a good goal, but I don't usually care about time as long as I'm in the place I want to be.  My main goal is to just run as hard as I can through the finish.  I don't want to start out too fast, but I also couldn't let myself get started too slow and have too much ground to cover in the second half.  Track has a lot more strategy than you realize until you have to do it.  Another reason I am a fan of long distance-more time to think about what you're doing.
From the time the gun went off, it was us two in the lead.  I stayed right behind her, then decided after we broke in around the first curve on the back straight, I would step in front.  I stayed there for a little while, but she passed me back.  At the 300 mark of the 3rd lap, my favorite spot to make my move, I accelerated in front and kicked it in from there.  You have no idea how scary it is to be leading a race at that point.  You can't see them, but they can see you, and all you can think is, "Oh my gosh, she's right behind me; I gotta go.  I can't let her catch me.  Oh gosh, I gotta go fast; Jesus help me!"  That last lap is always where I just push all I have into that finish line, especially in the last 100 meters, because I do not want to get beat that close to the end. 
I surprised everyone, including myself.  I was not supposed to win that race, but then, I had also never had anyone to push me like that.  God gave me good feeling legs this day!  I broke my PR by 10 seconds, finishing in 5:04, also breaking the school 1600 record by 4 seconds and improving my place for state by many places.
One down, one to go.

It had rained all morning, clearing up to be beautiful for the 1600 and other afternoon races, but by the time I did warm up #2, it clouded up, then began to rain again before the 3200.  I hate rain.  By the time I was about half way through my cool down it stopped, though.  We started out this one almost the same, Emma and I in front, but I took the lead from the break and kept it, since I had a little more confidence that I could take her today, especially feeling so good.  I kept that lead through the whole race, stretching it out a few steps each lap (as I knew because I could hear my friend's dad yelling for me each lap).  That last lap again, I gave it all I had, blazing my way to a huge PR of 10:50.  That was 14 seconds off my old best time, and moved me into first in the state, a time that still stands for the 2014 season.  This was the most worn out I'd been at the end of a race before.  I was speechless, but for two reasons:  one, I shocked myself and everyone at the meet; two, I was completely out of breath!  People along the sides were telling me how good I did, but I could barely spit out a thank you!  They said that was okay, just breathe!  Dad also told me afterwards that that was the most spent he'd seen me at the finish.  That's good, though; I need to make myself run harder.
I felt overwhelmed at the end of it all to see what I am able to do.  As this is my first track season, this gave me confidence and excitement moving forward into future seasons.  It was a day for tears of joy!  I am beginning to see more opportunities to be able to share God's love through what I love to do!

After the race, I changed shoes and met up with one of my best racing friends I have made through track this season, Macy Carrier from Tennessee High, who is also a senior going to ETSU next fall.  She is the one in maroon that you can see from behind my shoulder with the #3.  She placed third in the 3200, qualifying for her first state meet, so I was very excited for her!  We had cooled down together several times this season and had lots of fun, so we headed out one more time!  She had to leave a little shorter to go back to her school's athletic banquet, so I ended up cooling down some more with Emma and another HV girl.  It's funny to me how in running sports, your competition is often your best friends, too.

I am very thankful to the Tennessee High coaches for being so kind and encouraging to me as well, and even helping me get some college attention!  They are always there cheering for me and taking pictures for me, even though I'm huge competition.

This may give you a laugh; it definitely made me and others at the meet laugh.
On the jumbotron screen, they had listed for each race, so many letters of the runners' first names then so many letters of the school they are from in the order that they are in the race at any given time.  During the 1600, I kept looking up there when I would be facing that direction, and I got really confused.  I saw a name in front that was Makenzi Morris.  "Who is that?"  I couldn't figure out why a Makenzi Morris was up there and I did not know who this was with almost the same name as me.  Then there was a Chantal Morris.  "Whoa!  There's another Chantal!  And she has a sister named Makenzi!  After the race I have to go tell Chantal that there's another Chantal!"  (One of my teammates is named Chantal).  Then after the race, I was sitting in the stands and realized, oh, that was Chantal and me.  My first name was too many letters and Morristown West was too many letters.  It was Makenzie from Morristown and Chantal from Morristown.  I felt really dumb, but everyone thought it was hilarious!