VOTE!!

Cute and paste this to your address bar: http://bit.ly/hQisAt


So here's the dealio - I'm in a competition sponsored by Athleta (some of the most amazing women's sports apparel on the market)and you can help me win. By clicking on the link above, you will be redirected to the vote website for me. All you have to do is simply leave a comment and then it will count as a vote. The winner gets to meet with Athleta stylists and give commentaries or something like that. The only thing I really have a hard time looking for in this world is a modest (albeit, appealing/womanly)two piece bathing suit that a mother of 3 would want to dare. I look for support, fit, wearability, sportability and the appeal - Athleta has been the only place that has come close. Second problem though is that I'm kindof small and now have had to begun shopping in the juniors department (I know - there's no sympathy here, but have you seen their clothes?) so the fit is a super huge deal to me.

I've been bombarding my FB friends daily with "have you voted for me yet" comments, links to the site, and even bribery when needed! I'm sure they are getting tired of it as well, but they are all being very good sports and haven't been yelling at me for it (yet).
I know, I know, this is a shameless plug but can you blame me? You know you'd do the same thing!

So what else is going on in the Jackson lives? Same thing - different day. Chris and I will begin training in June for our marathon in November. Yes, I know - we are crazy. I think you lose brain cells as you age (my kids swear I'm in a midlife crisis). But we've decided that we are going to participate in the San Antonio Rock and ROll Marathon in November, which is fitting since that was our first half. For the next few weeks, we'll be enjoying spring training - which is basically, enjoying your runs - not worrying about pace, tempo, stride, time. Just running because it's fun (again, yes, we know we are crazy).

The kids are the best as usual and are surviving TAKS week (ergh) and just being themselves. They are pretty amazing, we have no real complaints. Better go check on the voting. Did I ask if you had voted?

Supporting our Soldier

There is nothing more important to a soldier than them knowing that they are being supported by the people back home. So we set out this weekend to send our nephew, the marine, a care package and hope that he gets it in time for Easter. In our package, is some candy, whey protein (which he specifically requested), baby wipes, chapstick, animal crackers, nutella, homemade peanut butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies, and of course, letters and pictures from home.

it seems so silly to write letters to our marine about our simple life back home – after all, his daily life is about conquering bad guys, keeping his fellow marines safe, and making sure he makes it back to his quarters in one piece at the end of his assignment. After all, I go to work in tennis shoes and running gear, he goes to work carrying a big gun. And I mean a BIG gun! He breaks down doors and looks for bad guys, eats MREs, and sleeps in sand pits. And I worry about the upcoming training retreat which involves sleeping in a tent (don’t get me wrong – not worried about the tent part).

But I will continue to send him letters filled with the insignificant details of our days here, and maybe at least he will be able to find a few minutes to get his mind off of 120 degree weather and shamaals. And maybe he’ll share the cookies with his buddies and they’ll all get a good laugh at our latest run pictures that I’ve enclosed (or the family ski trip one). But mostly, I hope that when he receives his package, that he knows that we think of him day and night and pray for a quick end to a war we don’t understand anymore, and a swift return home.

A super cool thing that his GF shared with me is motomail. If you have email and your soldier’s land address, you can send them an online letter (no, not an email) and they’ll usually get it within 24 hours. So cool! If you have a soldier you’ll have to find it – just go to https://www.motomail.us, and follow the easy online instructions - you can even attach pictures (which, of course, I did).

If you don’t have a soldier serving somewhere, but want to show support, another great way is to send them coffee. Now, of course, I adore coffee so I think this is the greatest gift you can send. Just simply go to http://www.greenbeanscoffee.com/coj/ and order a cup of Joe ($2 – cheaper then starbux) and send a quick personal note. I have decided that every time I buy coffee (anywhere – starbux, McDonalds, gas stations, etc), I will put $2 aside to buy a cup for Joe as well.

There are a lot more ways to support our troops – you can simply google for ideas and find yourself overwhelmed, but it is one of the most important things we do during our simplistic days stateside that we can do. Continue praying for our nephew and all the other amazing men and women who are serving!

Statesman Cap10K, Austin

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I ran the Statesman Cap10K in Austin. A race of 24,000 participants, from wheelchair racers & elite runners to timed runners & “just for funners”. They only allow 10,000 timed runners and we were two of them. There were many costumed runners as well – a few Gumby’s, some crayons, lots of tutus (even men) and my favorite, Super Mario and who ever his sidekick is.

Chris says that something funny happens when I race. Frankly, I am simply racing against myself – I’m not thinking that I’m going to set new world records or beat an elite runner but I am out to beat myself. He calls it “race face”. First, to understand “race face”, let me take you back through some earlier events.

We headed to Austin Saturday afternoon to hit the health expo & packet pick up. I have to say that the health expo was a big disappointment. I was expecting the same quality and quantity of the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon & Half expo – but my fantastic hubby did buy me some amazing fog proof pink running glasses so it was successful – and we got our race packets.

We were supposed to go to dinner with Team Beef at Macaroni Grill but as we sat in the parking lot preparing to go in, we decided we should just stay in Austin for the night as it would be easier to get to the race, more sleep, etc. So we rushed home (an hour drive one way) to pack, get our race gear and head back. Little did we know, that just about every hotel within 20 miles of the race would be sold out. After a lot of phone calls, we finally secured a place, checked in and went to dinner by ourselves at the Olive Garden.

Olive Garden has become a pre-race night tradition with us. We split some pasta and steak, a class of wine, the all you can eat amazing salad and I literally gorge on breadsticks. After all, I eat no bread during the year unless it is race day or the night before so who cares that I ate a couple of baskets by myself!

Apparently “race face” begins the night before the race, shortly after the dinner. I get into a quiet zone where I lay out all my clothes, review the course several dozen times, re-read several running articles on performance and become very quiet and very still. I lay out breakfast, and visualize the course (over and over). Yes, I know – all this for a 10K? Yes, all this for a 10K. Race morning, however, brings major “race face”. I’m quiet, barely audible, and completely focused on the tasks at hand – crossing the finish line with the best possible PR I can achieve.

The races are about me. No one else. It bothers me that there are 24,000 other people on the course in fact – all jostling for a position when all I want is to the run in the crack between the road and curb. I want to shout, “get out of my crack” but feel that may be a little inappropriate and even borderline rude. So I weave in and out of the crowd, focusing simply on keeping up with my “rabbit” of a husband. I know that if he wasn’t rabbiting for me, he’d probably be finishing a good 15 minutes ahead of me, but he likes to cross the finish line with me, not before me.

I keep my focus on his shoes, constantly lagging behind and constantly weaving and bobbing – especially when the runners in front decide to stop and walk. My biggest fear is not that I won’t finish, but that I will run over a walker while trying to keep the pace I trained so hard to maintain. I find that I really enjoy a 10K distance; in fact, this may be m favorite distance to run. After all, I consistently run 6 miles 3 days a week, with the other 3 days being anywhere from 4 – 9 miles runs. So whether I finish or not, is never a question with this distance, but more about how fast I can get there.

There were several highlights of the Cap10K and I know that these highlights will make us come back next year (with better hotel planning next year): Team Beef was at mile 3 (letting me know, I was half way there and through the hardest part of the course), and a surprise cheerleader at 5.5 miles reminded me to enjoy the moment and appreciate the crowd of runners.

We began running for Team Beef in January – we run 2 races and volunteer at 1 throughout the year to fulfill our obligation to them, and in turn we wear their amazing Team Beef running shirts. It is great fun to realize that other people are as insane about running and nutrition as you are and there is a great sense of camaraderie within the team. Comprised of all strangers who may not live anywhere near each, probably don’t ever train together; all comes together for a meal and a race. And they cheer you on! It makes me want to run harder and faster.

Then the surprise cheerleader at the 5.5-mile mark, a student who comes to one of our many conference church camps, is curbside. Remember how I like to run the “curb crack” – this puts my ear at her mouth level – allowing me to hear (despite my loud ipod music) “GOOOOOOOOOO BECKY JACKSON”. I turn abruptly to see her beautiful smiling face and realize how cool that was!

I look ahead and my husband is running backwards (show off), waiting for me to sprint to catch up to him. We run the last .25-mile holding hands and cross the finish line together. .58:08. But we are not winded, and I feel as if I could go again. We head off to the post race parties, eating steak burritos (another luxury I will not see until another race day), guzzling chocolate milk (another race day only love) and talk about the crowd of people, the costumes, what we liked, where we lagged and how much faster I should have gone! Next time, I will.

Running Feeds my Soul

Running feeds my Soul - it is because I am able to hear Him so clearly when I run. No matter what is on my playlist, I can hear Him talking to me. No matter how hard the run is, I know He will carry me through it. Just the way He does in my daily life. Running involves discipline and I think our faith does as well. Running requires me to be disciplined about my food as well - keeping my body the temple of God requires me to eat clean and keep it healthy. I have found that eatting clean is the best thing for my body, my weight and self confidence.

I follow most of what typical clean eatting is all about - a lot of raw veggies, certain fruits (blueberries & strawberries mostly, with the occassional apple and clementine), lean meats (venison is a fave, followed by tilipia and chicken breast). I love it. It is easy to remember what is good and healthy for my body and what is not. I avoid sugar, and anything white (no potatoes, no pasta, no breads). I love whole grain, dark breads, sweet potatoes about once a month, pasta only the night before a long run and pop chips when I'm having a craving. I know it sounds very strict, but it is super easy for me. I take all my food with me to camp as they serve food I'd never eat, and now that McDonalds has oatmeal, I can even stop in there on a long road trip!

One day I'll ist my favorite foods! You'd be suprprised at how much I eat in a day! I have several running goals set for this year. I wanted to do the livestrong half marathon but I have camp and have decided that I'll do the Capital 10K in Austin as it is the first run of the year that I won't have camp! I'll also tackle the infamous Warrior Dash in April and have recently been asked to participate in the Beach to Bay in honor of the marines in our family that are being deployed! So excited about that one.

Running keeps me focused and helps me connect with God when life is getting too loud to hear Him anywhere else. It has given me self confidence I have never had, and has helped me realize the importance of my body as a temple to Him. I have finally learned that I don't have to hate my body but instead can admire it for the accomplishments that it has achieved, for the things that it helps me accomplish. Running feeds my soul, and my spirit. What feeds yours?

MidWinter Season

In May 2010, I was hired as the youth events coordinator for the SWTC (Southwest Texas United Methodist Conference). It is a blessing - I truly love what I do and truly love the people that I work with. It's been a great journey getting here and I couldn't be more pleased with where God has me at. What a gift to be allowed to chase God's desire in your job as well as in your daily life!

This is MidWinter Season - we have 6 weekend retreats that start in January and end in February - all back to back. It's an amazing season - we will have approximately 1200+ students come through our camps and many will make first time commitments, some will make renewals, and some will answer a call to ministry. The camps belong to God and we desperately seek to bring Him honor and glory in all that we do through the course of the weekend. From the time we start preparing, we begin praying and seeking discernment. He has handed us amazing teams of adults who volunteer and share a love for Him and for youth. 3 of our camps are at Mt Wesley in Kerrville and 2 are at Echo Valley at the HEB Foundation camps in Leakey, Texas. 1 is a mission focused weekend and we are in San Antonio where we focus on serving the Blessed (a word we use for the homeless and less fortunate). We are truly blessed when we serve.

This past weekend we served in San Antonio, as it was our Midwinter Mission. We must have handed out 100 sack lunches, and over 300 coats and blankets. We ate cold breakfast and a dinner equalivent to what would have been served in a soup kitchen. We had amazing worship with the Mark Swayze Band and Ryan Barnett delivered the Word to us. It was a weekend of learning as well. We learned that just the simple act of the human touch could change a person's life. We learned that we can live with less. We learned that how people look is not necessarily reflective of what is in their soul and spirit. We learned that when we sit and eat side by side with the Blessed, that they will share their lives with you and allow you, in turn, to share God with them. We learned that they are talented, creative and resilient. We learned that they are broken and are needing love and respect. We learned that our students are able to fall in love with the ones that He loves and that they don't think twice about giving away their most beloved items to someone who has nothing. But we knew all that - because this is the same way they behave when we "play with the homeless" during our summer camp - where they live among the homeless for almost a whole week.

I'm home now, for four days. For the next four days, I'll prep and pray for the upcoming weekend retreat, run as many miles as I can during the week and will even prepare to desperately miss my family while I'm at camp. I'll probably even sub a few days at the high school so I can see the local students and share laughter and stories with them. And if I tire, I know that He will re-energize me as He always does. I know that He carries me through the MidWinter season, keeping my mind and heart open to everything He shows me. I work for an amazing God.

Another Blessing

I don't think I've posted pics of our grand daughter and wanted to share with the world, the cutest baby I know. She isn't a baby exactly, she's over 2 now and looks just like her mother. She lives 9 hours away and we don't get to see her often enough - due to the travel, economy and our own crazy, personal schedules. We always say we will do better, but it seems that time often flies before and before we know it, another 9 months has passed before we get to see her! Wish she lived closer.

Living a Blessed Life

is a rare feeling that so many don't get to experience. I am blessed because I truly feel that way. Most days at least. At the end of the day, I look back at the days events: was I a good parent, did I lose patience with the kids when I shouldn't have? Was I a good wife? Did I support my hsuband in the best way that I could that day? I count my blessings and I know that I am truly blessed and have so much to be grateful. I am glad that I can say that. In this economy, it isn't often that people can say that but even though we are living on a tighter budget than ever before, we are together, in our house and haven't lost our cars. I am truly blessed because my family, while not perfect, is general pretty great! I am truly blessed because I get to work for God.