First, 2011 was a great year for me off the track because I not only joined a life –long union with my best friend but the love of my life on July 2 but I grew so much as a person mentally and spiritually. I know planning a wedding in the middle of the track season was not only a crazy stressful time but I would not change a thing!  I had the opportunity to have most of the people in my life come and share in my special day and I everything was as beautiful as I’d imagined.  Although, there were some voids that just could not be filled as the first two rows had 4 empty chairs representing my Mother, Father, Grandmother and Grandfather, but I know they were there with me as they are everyday so that gave me a little more comfort;-) I would like to thank our family and friends for making our day so special!!

~~~

For the not so great things on the track, we’ll just say you live and you learn and I have lived to see another day!!!

One of my best friends Keya sends me inspirational quotes and scriptures daily and this one I felt was fitting for my statement above:

 “For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again…”
(Proverbs 24:16, NIV)

“Life is full of things that try to push us down. We all face disappointments and setbacks. It’s easy to get discouraged or lose your enthusiasm or even be tempted to just settle where you are. But if we’re going to see God’s best, we have to have a “bounce back” mentality. That means when you get knocked down, you don’t stay down. You get back up again. You have to know that every time adversity comes against you, it’s a setup for a comeback!

Remember, as a believer in Jesus, the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of you. There is no challenge too difficult, no obstacle too high, no sickness, no disappointment, no person, nothing that can keep you from your God-given destiny. If you stay in faith, then God will turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone, and you’ll move forward in strength, full of faith and victory!”

Ok so Onward and Upward to 2012!!!!!

This year has started off great and I am looking forward to competing next week in Birmingham, AL in the 60m and 200m races. This will be my first race of the 2012 season and I am really looking forward to the competition and seeing the results of the work I have put in. Training has been going great as I have progressed and pushed myself to things that I once thought were impossible. Having a great coach (Julian my hubby) and support system is invaluable especially when you live with him 24/7. It makes it a little bit difficult to slack off so I have to be focused on what I have made my goal constantly.  Now if you know me personally, you know for me that is both a blessing and a curse…lol…

I do look forward to updating more often and posting my results (good or bad) but I’m optimistic that they will be good;-) I know there are a lot of people and family that support me so I do want to keep you updated on my progress and what’s going on so I PROMISE to blog!!!  Also, updated pics coming soon!!!

Love

Alie~

God has ordained seasons and cycles in our lives. Sometimes, when our dreams aren’t coming to pass on our timetable, we can be tempted to get frustrated. But we have to be careful not to allow our attitude to keep us from moving forward.

The above quote really stuck with me because as a person it is easy to get frustrated when things aren’t going exactly as planned or how you expect. But that is why we must stay faithful and patient no matter what is going on at that very moment.

It’s 2011 there is a lot happening this year and I am so ready to embrace everything God has in store for me!!! I have started my Indoor season and so far I am pretty excited about how things are going because I have learned a lot and I know there are good things to come. Although, I’ve only competed twice, I have been using every opportunity to improve mentally and physically. A few weekends ago I competed at the University of Kentucky and this was not the best performance but I feel like I had the chance to get the race jitters out and it just prepared me for the next on. This past weekend I had the chance to travel back to the Midwest and compete at the college I graduated from (Carthage College) and I really had a blast! Not only did I get to see so many people I love and miss but I had the chance to run in an environment that I absolutely Love. There was also one record that didn’t have my name on it and now its mine;-) So that made the trip even better! I also had the chance to visit family and eat food that I have been craving since moving to Atlanta. Anytime I get the chance to go back home I must make time for food!

Overall I am pretty excited about this year and I am working really hard to accomplish a few goals I have set for myself and as of now I am on the right track. I am always striving to be better on and off the track and I use every opportunity to accomplish that goal.

Videos and Pictures will be updated soon!!!

Alie~

No matter what may be happening in the world around you, you can always find something to thank God for. Gratitude is a powerful force that opens the door to God’s blessing. Having constant gratitude proves your faith in God because not only do you thank Him for what He has done in the past, you thank Him for what He will do in the future. It’s that kind of faith that pleases God. Constant gratitude also shows humility because when we are thankful, we magnify God instead of magnifying our problems. It gives us proper perspective and opens the door for God’s grace, favor and supernatural empowerment.

So what are you grateful for today? Are you grateful for the sun that shines and brings a new day? Are you thankful for the gift of eternal life? As you choose an attitude of constant gratitude, you’ll experience His mercy and loving kindness in greater ways. You’ll be filled with His peace and joy and pave the way to move forward into the abundant life He has prepared for you!

I thought this scripture and passage is very fitting coming off the Thanksgiving Holiday because we often forget that we are very blessed but in different ways individually. I often think about the things I wish I had or want (not all material) but I often lose sight of the blessings right in front of me. Like my health, my amazing other half, my family, wonderful friends and a warm place to lay my head at night. So for that I really have nothing to complain about;-) I am just thankful for what’s to come!!

Training and competition Journals coming soon…..

~Alie

Okay well to start I am proud to announce the newest addition to our family, my precious baby nephew Nigel Major!!!!! Pics coming soon…I recently went to Santa Monica to visit him and two of my lovely sisters. I had the most amazing time hanging out and just spending quality time with my family and that is one of the things that make me happy. I love spending time with the people I love and when I don’t get the chance to see them often it just kills me. You never know how much you miss them until you see them and then have to leave knowing you won’t see them for a while;-(

Although this trip was primarily for pleasure, I still have a job to do and that is train so that I can accomplish all that I am shooting for this year on the track!!! So, I had to have a few days of training/testing and I am very pleased on how my body is responding to my fall training program. I do test every several weeks to see how I am adapting to training and where my areas of improvement should. During my time in CA, I had the opportunity to train and test with one of my friends Nick and I was pleasantly surprised at the shape I am in at this point in the season. I had a PR (personal record) in every one of my test!!! 30m (4.16) and power clean (210lbs) so I feel very confident going in to the rest of my pre-season training just making sure I stay healthy.

So I will leave on this note:
” Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you…”
(2 Timothy 1:6, NKJ).
Today’s Word:
Do you need some freshness in your life today? You may simply need to stir up what God has placed on the inside of you. Stir up those gifts, stir up those dreams, stir up those talents inside. Start stretching yourself. You were created to be a dreamer and to pursue the desires God has placed in your heart.

-Alie

I have officially started my 2011 preseason training!!! I really had a good time relaxing and not really being on the track for a few weeks but now back to business!!!
I started training about 4 weeks ago and actually it has not been as bad as I would have thought. Last week I did some test to see where I am in my progression and to tell you the truth, I am pretty much ahead of where I was at this point last year. Not to mention that last year was a pretty decent year for me. So with more training and extra work I will be well on my way of reaching my goals.

Also, just watching and looking at races and results from the season has given me so much motivation to work that much harder to get where I need to be this upcoming season! I am super excited to see what the outcome of my hard work will take me this year.

Things have been very hectic for me considering my job currently and pretty much my responsibilities have increased (I didn’t know this was possible with what I already do) but, it is what it is for the time being. The best part is that I am able to help youth and inspire teens to achieve things beyond what they have ever thought of. This is what keeps me going back there everyday;-) Also with my schedule it has been very hard to get an ideal training situation (i.e. coach/training group, ect..) But I trust that God knows what he is doing and he knows what my needs are and he will always provide…So, with that situation I am not really worried because I know it will work out;-)

“In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation”
(Psalm 5:3, NIV).

Until next time……
~A

I have had somewhat of a roller-coaster Outdoor season to say the least, but I would not trade any of it because I am not much wiser and stronger!!! So…….To recap the 2010 outdoor season……….

My season started off a little slower that I had hoped and planned but we all know things happen for a reason and everyone will have their destined time. I ran in a few meets and I completely stunk up the track;-( I mean I had not ran time like those for a very long time. Not that I am at the top of my game right now, but those performances were really poor. I am not the one to make excuses or put blame on anyone but myself when it comes to my performances but I did have a lot going on in my personal life and training was pretty tough! My father was ill and passed away a few weeks later. This had a huge impact on me because for those of you who know me well, know that I have already lost my mother and grandmother at a very young age. So loosing the only biological parent you have left was pretty tough. So I thought by continuing to travel and compete in-between the funeral and visiting family I would be able to cope better….well, nope didn’t happen just made things worse. BUT God is Good and he will never put more on you than you can handle so here I am still happy and strong as ever!!!

So in the later part of my season things started getting much better and my performances were better than ever. I ran PR’s in the 100 and 200m dashes and I even had the opportunity to go and run overseas.

I ran in Finland at the Espoo Games running one of my season best in the 100m and taking 2nd place overall. This was such a great experience and I really loved the people there who were in charge of the athletes, they were great!! Results of the Espoo Challenge can be found here: http://live.time4results.com/yu/2010/espoo/
I also had the chance to compete in the Cork City Sports Games in Ireland and the experience there was a little different. It was a little cold and rainy with lots of wind. I actually performed well under these conditions, running into a 5.5 headwind and defeating a great field of athletes for a 2nd place victory in both the 100 and 200. You can check out results here… http://www.corkcitysports.ie/2010_Results.pdf

Due to my professional obligations (work) I had to cut my trip short and return home to go to work;-( I really hoped to have a longer season but I think this will just set me up well for the next year!!!
Now, I am relaxing (working out a couple times a week) and taking it easy for a few weeks then back to business baby!!!

~Alie

The past few weeks have been very interesting at work as well as in personal life. To add to all of the chaotic nature of my life I couldn’t resist adopting a beautiful baby boy (well puppy)….. He is such a cutie and I really didn’t want to realize how much of a responsibility he was at the time because I was so in love with him when I first saw him. And I have been wanting a puppy for a long time. Well, here I am 3weeks into motherhood and it has been an adventure!!!! Whew….Just to get past the potty training stage and the crying in the morning I will be OK!!!! Not to mention I am a crabby morning person;-{ but he is all worth it!!!

Well training has been going great and I am feeling myself get closer to 100% everyday;-) I have a great Dr and Thearpist that have been working hard to keep my body happy…Thanks guys!!! Oh and umm…when I say training has been going great that’s another way of saying it has been kicking my Butt…. BUT… I have handled it very well to say the least.  I am really looking forward to this season as I feel better prepared than I ever have in the past. I know God has greater levels of His favor and blessing in store for my future…So I’m ready!!!

Just a little inspiration……

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”
(Ephesians 2:4-7, NKJ))

“Dare to dream big! Dare to keep a God-sized vision in front of you! Dare to take hold of every spiritual blessing He has in store for you!”

-Joel Osteen

I just wanted give a HUGE THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has supported me in everything I do…I don’t think I would have gotten through this weekend if not for all the words of encouragement, emails, phone calls, everything!!!! It really means a lot to me to have so many people who love and care about me and my passion in life. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

I would also like to thank my wonderful Fiance Julian for everything you do in helping me reach my goals in life. I know its not easy trying to coach me and be my sparring partner all at the same time. I couldn’t do it without you…I appreciate you and love you lots!!!!

This past weekend I was in Albuquerque, NM and it was a bitter sweet trip. I know I said I would update it then but things were really busy. I was really excited to be back at this event as it has been a huge motivator for me in the past few years. I love the competitiveness that this meet brings out of everyone including myself. I don’t think I would have performed as well under the circumstances if not for the talent in the field. On the downside my body has not cooperated with me the past few months and this weekend things got worse. Man some things have a way of having really good timing but I am pleased with the outcome and I now know how to move forward and prepare myself for the upcoming Outdoor season.

Saturday Day One-The Women’s 60m was cancelled due to the number of individuals competing, so we did not compete in the Semi-final and Final until Sunday.

Sunday Day Two-Warming up for the semi-final I felt pretty decent but not quite 100% and after I ran the semi I was at about 40% and found out I have a pinched nerve in my back. I had 3 hours until my Final and I spent 2 hours with the medical and training staff and they did all they could to get me ready to compete in the final. Well…..I did compete in the final because I did not go all that way to just sit this one out… I figured I could give it all I had since I will have the next week off to just stretch and heal up;-) So I ended up running (7.38) just 0.02 seconds off of my PR and ended up in 6th place overall. So overall I am not too disappointed with this weekend or season.

 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

As an athlete at this level and especially in my personal situation I have to always evaluate the pro’s and con’s of every situation I am faced with. In this case I am fully confident that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life. In life we are often faced with disappointments or adversity but it is how you move forward and learn from those things to make you a better person…And you have to trust that what you are doing is within Gods purpose for you!!!

Make sure to go to the Media page to see the video..

♥Alie

Training has been great but we’ve had to be a little creative given the sporadic weather here in Atlanta. I have not been on a real track in about 3weeks;-( It has been raining, freezing and snowing…yea snowing!!! Not to mention that there are NO indoor tracks here in Georgia. BUT…..again GOD always works things out and I have had the opportunity to partner with a great gym (Midtown Athletic Club) with a running track!!!! Not an actual ‘track’ but I am able to get all of my short sprint workouts done without any problems. Given this blessing I have not had to actually take any days off training due to inclement weather.

So I am recovering from a slight hamstring injury but I am really looking forward to this years Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, NM in 2 weeks!!!!!  This year is going to be a great year and I know that there are great things in store so stay tuned!!! I will try to keep updates while in NM each day.

This scripture really speaks to my heart and how I sometimes look at life. No matter what we are going through God is able to exceed our expectations and give us our hearts desires.  Thats why when things may not always go the way we planned we still have to have faith that it will work in our favor.

This past weekend I competed at the University of Kentucky and it was a great trip, I had the chance to see a lot of snow!! Something that I have gotten used to NOT seeing!!! I ran in the 60m dash prelim and final (7.38 both races). The track was great but I did not have much competition to push me.  Although I did not exceed what I expected I am still thankful that I can walk away from this race smarter and better prepared for my next opportunity to step on the track. I am considerably running very well for where I am in my training program and I will take it because there is only room for improvement!!!! I am looking forward to a great two weeks of training until my next race Feb 13, location TBD…..

~A