Just a Reminder...

...Don't forget to either watch or set your DVR's for The Today Show this coming Monday - I will be in the 10am hour (EST)!!! I will hopefully be able to post a clip at some point, especially for my international viewers, but those of you in the US/Canada can watch it on your own TV's! COOOOOOOOOL! Wish me luck...

Updates!

With the marathon, my trip to Nashville and Auntie's passing, I was unable to update everyone on the multitude of things going on - via photos of course. So, here goes:

October - Halloween!

Ella's 1st outfit - a surgeon, hand sewn by mommy!

#2 - A pumpkin - outfit provided by grandma!

Love the hat!


November - Marathon!

First, some of the professional photos taken during the race:










Now, some of the professional photos of ME!


Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Gun Show.





This was at mile 21. I know this because I am holding the phone NBC gave me to call them when I got to mile 21.



Finished!!!!


Again!


Still finished!


Ahhhhh. SWEET MEDAL.

Ella also thought it was a sweet medal.

EXCLUSIVE - The NBC video taken of me intra-race that was never aired! The man interviewing me is David Willey, the Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World Magazine!


Country Music Awards - Nashville, TN

I have been asked about 5,000+ times the question that I am sure you are thinking right now - 1) How the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? 2) WHY the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? I didn't know you liked country music? Well, to make a long story short, I am not a huge country music fan at all. I am, however, a big fan of the Biggest Loser. The correlation? One of the contestants from last season's Biggest Loser, Dan Evans, has recently put out a country album. His record label did a contest, where you send in your motivational story in under 300 words, and Dan would choose the one he thought was best. The winner would get an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville for the CMA awards. That winner was me! So my buddy Brian Krebs and I went down to Nashville for 2 fun-filled days of beer and honkey-tonkin'. We met up with Jenn and Becki from vet school, which was SO awesome. Dan met up with us the night before the awards, and we went out to a famous honkey-tonk bar called Tootsies, where we drank a ton and stumbled home around 2ish. The next day was the awards show, where we hung out with Dan at a pre-show party, during the show, and at the post-show VIP party. We didn't get back til 4am, and Dan the man crashed out on our couch. We all went for breakfast the next morning, Dan then took off and we waited to fly home. That is a MAJOR shortening of the story, but I think in a lot of ways, what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville. Or has that phrase been taken by someplace else....? :)

The view from our hotel room. Note the Tennessee Titans stadium to the left.

The Somet Center - home of the Nashville Predator NHL team...and the CMA awards.

Chillin with some Honkey-Tonk Heroes.

Jenn, me and Becki

Starting the night off right with Dan.

Tootsies!

At rehearsals the morning of the show.

Sweet, right?

3 pimps at the pre-show party.

Dan and his mom Jackie, also from the Biggest Loser!

Dan during the show.

Brad Paisley and Keith Urban

Brad Paisley and my dreamgir...er...um...Carrie Underwood.

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman

Billy Ray and Miley

Kid Rock!

My other dreamgi....ummmmmmmmm....Taylor Swift.

They brought and actual CMA award into the audience just for us to play with. Yes, I know, it looks like Krebs is holding my hand. Well, maybe he was, but he is simply NOT my type.

Hootie!! Well, Darius Rucker minus the Blowfish.

Keith Urban

Carrie again, accepting an award.

Kenny Chesney and the Wailers

Reese Witherspoon

The Eagles

Crowd shot

Oh sweet lord......SHANIA!

Kenny Chesney accepting his awa......SHANIAAAAAAA

Dan and Jackie at the afterparty

After-party....the dessert table was DIVINE.

Us, drunk, hanging with some college folk, also drunk.

Protesting Coleen's Explusion from the Biggest Loser 10k AKA Long Beach 10k Turkey Trot

As previously mentioned, the Biggest Loser is my favorite show. Yes, I take it all very seriously and personally, seeing as I have been through the weight-loss journey myself. Anyway, I became friends with one of this season's contestants, Coleeen Skeabeck, via MySpace. She wrote me such a lovely email and paid me such a touching compliment by telling me that I inspire her, that I instantly became her biggest fan. She was constantly rooting me on leading up to the marathon, and was my biggest cheerleader. She is just a wonderful girl. Anyway, she got kicked off the show this past week, and it seemed to be in quite an unsavory manner (in my opinion). I therefore told her that I was going to run this 10k race in her honor, and in protest of her being eliminated. So, she promptly fed-ex'd me 2 authentic Biggest Loser t-shirts to wear during the race!!! I ran with her right behind my shoulder yelling "GO GO GO!" (she wasn't ACTUALLY there, but I know she would be cheering me on if she were), and I set a new personal best time of 52:01, despite the frigid conditions. Jim Germanakos (from Biggest Loser 2 seasons ago) is my good buddy now, and he met up with me for the run as well. Had a great time!

Me and Jim pre-race. TEAM COLEEN!

Flexin'

Me being PISSED for Coleen!!!