Sunday...here we come baby!

I can't believe we only have a couple of days! This is it! We have trained for months and months and the time has come. I can honestly say that I am ready for it...I can only pep myself up for this weekend. I am just so proud to say that we have raised over $3,600 for The Bell Center. That is over $1,000 goal they have given us! You still have time to help us raise money.

For the record, I am not a morning person!

You might be asking why would I make my title this...well that is where training for the Mercedes comes in! Since Nick and I are running for Isabelle, that means we have group runs 3 days a week!!! Tuesday mornings just happened to be our SUNRISE run (at 5:30 AM!!!)...anyone who knows me, knows NOT to talk to me for the first hour of me waking up...at least until I get some Diet Coke in my system. Well, I am working on turning over a new leaf! We ran 5 miles this morning, but I am not going to lie...as soon as I got home...I went BACK TO SLEEP! Today was a very exciting day for me because I was able to set up our fundraising website for The Bell Center. As many of you might know by now, we are running in honor of our little friend, Isabelle! She is my inspiration on why I run at 5:30!!! Our target goal from The Bell Center was $2,620 but I stepped it up a notch...and made our goal $5,000! All of the money goes directly to this wonderful nonprofit organization. I will be keeping you updates as we progress with training and of course just keep you updated with my crazy life. Please visit http://firstgiving.org/ellenmiles to donate and learn more about The Bell Center. Also, if you want to keep updated with Miss Isabelle, feel free to visit her mom's blog
I look forward to keeping you updated...on a side note...as I am still a relatively new wife and I just had to show you a picture of my very first homemade chicken potpie picture...it came out wonderful...very easy recipe if you are interested, let me know!

What a great weekend!

Wow...I couldn't have wished for a better weekend for my vacation days! It was beautiful weather, had Michelle, baby Gates, and Chrissy come in town!!! Friday night, let's just say we all (plus Whit) went and ate A LOT of cheese dip...but who can really resist cheese dip from La Paz??? Yesterday was our first group run!!! Chrissy even got up and decided to hit the roads of B'ham with Nick and myself...wow, was I EXCITED to see Nick finish 6 miles!!! This was his VERY FIRST time to run SIX MILES!!!! It was a fulfilled day, with having celebratory drinks at On Tap with the group, and then went to Momma G's to get some sandwiches and ENJOY A SATURDAY OFF!!!! I'm not going to lie, I was exhausted all day yesterday so I was just lazy for the rest of the afternoon and evening. This morning, when I woke up...I told Nick we had to go to The Original Pancake House for breakfast. I'm not going to lie, this was probably my first Sunday off...I can't even remember when the last time was! Anyway, we had a busy day ahead of us. Today was going to be our first day to meet Isabelle with her mom and grandmom!!! In case you missed it, Nick and I are running in honor of Isabelle for The Bell Center in the Mercedes Marathon on Valentine's Day. I will keep you posted once I get our website up and going to learn more!!! I bought a couple of Elmo books yesterday, because I did know that Elmo is one of her favorites!!! Isabelle is 2 years old with Larsen's Syndrome. She is wearing a halo around her head (we're hoping to get it off next month). She had such an amazing spirit and was all about seeing what Cody was up to! Cody loved giving Isabelle lots of kisses! We can't wait to raise money for The Bell Center...just look at her...how can you resist her precious face!!!

Nick ran 5 miles with me today!

This is huge! Nick leaped from 3.5 to 5 today (we did walk a little...not just because he needed it...but I did too!). Anyway, I feel much better about him running 6 miles on Saturday (and me too), but it will be our first time with the group together! We have decided to become Partners in Training (PIT), so that means we have to raise $100 per mile for each of us (total $200) so we can sponsor a child at The Bell Center!!!

This is how the Mercedes Marathon started...it is an amazing story!

A Marathon of Love

It’s really a love story. The Mercedes Marathon, a test of endurance and determination, a goal that drives ordinary people to train for months, is really just a love story.A Marathon For Love

It’s a love story between a boy named Matt and his daddy named Paul.

Matt was born with Down syndrome thirteen years ago. But not only did he have Down syndrome, he also had the heart defect that often accompanies the diagnosis. A sick little boy, Matt required open heart surgery, and the whole idea frightened his parents, Paul and Cinna Sotherland.

Cinna vividly remembers being at UAB with Matt and Paul just before Matt was to have his open heart surgery. The family was standing at one of the big windows at the end of the hallway that looked out over the streets of downtown. Runners, competing in the Vulcan Marathon, were racing by, and Paul – who ran a little, just for exercise – looked down at his tiny son and made one promise. “You pull through this, Matt, and next year, Daddy will run a marathon for you,” Paul pledged.

Tough little Matt kept his end of the bargain, and Daddy began training. Together they tackled the challenges ahead: Matt’s challenges that come as a part of the Down syndrome diagnosis, and Paul’s determination to run 26.2 miles in honor of the son he so loves. During his training, Paul looked for guidance and motivation, and even good running shoes, from Valerie McLean, the owner of a Homewood running equipment shop. Paul did run the Vulcan Marathon the next year, and then kept on running, completing nineteen marathons and half marathons too numerous to count. But it was really Valerie who took the inspiration from Paul and Matt.

She helped organize a half-marathon to benefit The Early Intervention Program (now The Bell Center), the place where Cinna and Paul brought Matt to receive critical therapies, and over the next five years, the Freeze Your Half Off Half Marathon grew into a first-class event. Valerie knew it was time to take the event to a greater level, and in 2002 transformed the Freeze Your Half Off into the Mercedes Marathon and Half Marathon. Proceeds from the event are given annually to just two charities that provide services to children, one of which is The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs.

In 2003, The Bell Center organized its first Partners in Training (PIT) group which provided experienced coaching for runners and walkers who agreed to raise funds for The Bell Center. In its first year, PIT included 45 runners and walkers who raised more than $80,000 for The Bell Center. In 2004 and then again in 2005, more than 120 participants raised more than $200,000 for the Center, important funding which has allowed the program to add more staff to serve more children who come to the Center in need of critical early intervention therapies.

All of that is important, but it really is just a love story. Just watch. Each year, Paul runs – for Matt – and each year, they’re together at the finish line.