New Orleans Half Marathon

It has been a little over a month since I ran the Rock'n'Roll New Orleans Half Marathon. I feel like I should blog about it. So here it is ;)

We (Me, mom, Kelsey, Mrs. Patti, & Danielle) drove down to NOLA on January 31st. We left around noon and got to my aunt and uncle's house at 7. It was a very uneventful drive down there unlike the drive we had back, more on that later. When we got to Mandeville, we ate dinner and caught up with Aunt Tracey and Uncle Doug. Yummy Gumbo!! After dinner, we went to Party City and everyone got stuff to cheer me and Danielle on. When we got back to the house, we just chilled and went to bed.

On Saturday, we went to the expo at the Convention Center. The expo was kind of overwhelming at times. There were a lot of booths and a lot of people. After we got all of our race stuff and did a little shopping, we wen to explore the city. Mrs. Patti and Danielle had never been to New Orleans so it was fun showing them around. This same weekend last year, I was at the same place for the Super Bowl. You can read that blog here! After we were done exploring the city, we went back home and had dinner. We loaded up on carbs with Aunt Tracey's spaghetti. Shortly after dinner, I got all my race gear ready and went to bed. 4:00 wake up call the next morning... :(

AHHH SUNDAY! aka RACE DAY! We left Mandeville at 5:00 AM. (Race started at 7:00 AM). I thought it would be a chore to wake Kelsey up but surprising it wasn't. They dropped me and Danielle off a couple blocks away from the start line. We just followed the crowd. We made a stop at the portapottys(?) to use the bathroom first. Then we grabbed some water and made our way to the start line. We were in different corrals. Danielle was in 9 and I was in 16. I wished Danielle luck and headed to my corral. I HATE waiting, haha. Thoughts of things that could go wrong run through my mind. Side note :: The weather was horrible. It was drizzling and it was super foggy. One point during the race I could barely see in front of me. The humidity was PAINFUL. Let's not talk about my hair. ;) Okay, so the race starts and I am doing good. I see my little cheering section right after mile 1. There were so many potholes. Anyways, I ran the first 10 miles without stopping, then I hit a brick wall. The arch of my foot hurt so bad, now I know that it was my shoes. I finished and I PR'd so it was a good day. S/O to my best friend Danielle for finishing her first half marathon super fast with a constant 9 minute mile. You go girl. Here are some pictures from race day. 

After the race we had planned on going out to eat but those plans were changed due to the weather in Memphis. We had to get back ASAP. There was a pending ice storm about to hit Memphis. Let me just say, 7 hours in a car after running 13.1 is painful. We made it back to Arkansas. Mom and Mrs. Patti made it back to Tennessee. Danielle made it back to Mississippi. All safe and sound.

Next Half Marathon is in 38 days....better get running!

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

3 & 1/2 Years Later....

Imagine your life being the best it has ever been then one day it all just crashes down. 

Three and half years ago my life was just about perfect. I was a senior in high school. I had the best family and friends in the world. But in an instant my life & my family's life took a wrong turn.

It was right after Labor Day 2010 when I found out the news. I came home from school because I was not feeling well enough to go to softball workouts that day. My dad came to my room and few hours later and said "your brother has cancer." My immediate response was "Whaaaat..." My dad just left the room. I am a very emotional person so I started crying and pondering a million questions in my head. "Why would this happen to my brother?", "Will my family be able to handle this?". Etc. Etc.

My brother had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Testicular Cancer. The most aggressive type. He had surgery to remove the cancer. That went well and we were all very optimistic. A couple of weeks later, the doctor called and told my family something no family ever wants to hear. The cancer had spread to his lungs. Of course I broke down again, along with my whole family. How were me and my sister supposed to be having the time of my life knowing my brother was so sick?

Jay, Renee (his mom), James (our dad), Terri (my mom, Jay's step-mom) went to Indianapolis to the doctors. My brother had the same cancer as Lance Armstrong. Same hospital, same doctors. I knew he was going to be in good hands. This gave me a peace of mind. Jay is only my half-brother but I see him as a brother, not half. Now that we have that out of the way, back to the point. 

He started chemo,which took a horrible toll on his body. He had many blown veins during his treatments. It made him very very sick. My family spent Thanksgiving 2010 at the hospital while he received treatments. After Thanksgiving, my brother developed pneumonia and pleurisy. This caused my brother to be hospitalized. He got to go home a couple of day before Christmas. In January 2011, he finished his last chemo treatment.

In February 2011, he was told that he was CANCER FREE!!! Yay, one of the best birthday presents I could have asked for. 

While Jay had cancer, I wanted to do something special for him. I made orange and blue bracelets that said Isaiah 41:10 on one side and Jay Buynar on the other side. They were only $1 dollar. I sold so many, this made my heart happy knowing people were praying for my brother. I raised around $350 dollars to give to my brother to help with medical expenses. I know it wasn't much but I'm glad I got to do something for him.

Isaiah 41:10 ::  "So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." What a powerful verse. 

Today, he found out that he is 3 years cancer free! Thank you Jesus.

I will leave you with some pictures of my brother, sister, and me while he had cancer.

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Marvelous Monday!

Well most of you are thinking "Monday's are not marvelous". I am right there with you but this Monday is going to be great! It is the last Monday off from school for a long time so I am being lazy while I can. ;)

I am anxious about getting my Marley Lilly package in the mail soon! They had a Pinterest Giveaway and I won. I was so excited because I never win anything. So, I won a $50 gift card! I can't wait to sport my new tote and baseball cap! 

I have 12 days left until the New Orleans Half Marathon. (crap, that approached quickly!) HAHA it will be fun to spend the weekend with my aunt&uncle, Kelsey (my twin), & Danielle (my best friend). We will miss Paige (my other best friend) so much but she will be there in spirit! 

13 days until I turn 21. Nope, I don't want to grow up. *cue Never Grow Up by TSwift* 

I hope you are enjoying this Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Longest Break Ever

I have been on break from school since December 5th, 2013. OMG, that was almost a month and a half ago. I will start back to school on January 21st. I am definitely not complaining but I am ready to get back into the routine of things.

Let's catch up!!

Past

December 5th-9th :: I was inside for 5 days due to the epic ice storm that Jonesboro had. It was the worst ice storm I have seen in my lifetime. No one could drive anywhere unless you were skilled. Walking was even a challenge for me. (laugh all you want) ;). One of my cousins was super nice and came to pick me up from my dorm and take me to their house. I stayed there for a day or so. There is this super funny video about snow and ice. You can find it here! GOTTA GET THE BREAD AND MILK! haha funny but true.

December 7th :: I was supposed to run the St. Jude half marathon but it got cancelled. Sadly, I wasn't going to be able to make the drive anyway. St. Jude handle this so perfectly. I applaud them for that. Since the race got cancelled we got to transfer our registration to another race. I transferred mine to the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon, which happens to be the day before my 21st birthday. I am super excited and have been training so hard this. If you want more information about the Rock 'n' Roll series you can visit their website here!

December 25th :: I spent an awesome Christmas at my grandparents house in Wynne, Arkansas. My mom, dad, sister, aunt, and uncle were all there, along with my grandparents. It was great to see everyone and enjoy some laughs.

December 28th-29th :: My family went to Jackson, Mississippi to visit my MeMaw and brother. It had been a while since I had seen both of them so it was exciting to see them and catch up.

January 1st :: WOO HOO! NEW YEAR! hahah no. I was so sick on New Year's day and for 9 days after that. Bronchitis is no joke y'all. I had a fever, horrible cough, and body aches. Surprisingly, I did not have the flu (Thank you Jesus for that). But now I am good as new and back to my training.

Future

January 21st :: School starts!

January 31st :: NOLA bound!

February 2nd :: Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon!

February 3rd :: 21st birthday!

FEEDBACK :: What do you want me to blog about? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

Almost There!

Well, I failed at writing a blog every week until the end of the year. Boo. 

Countdown

Thanksgiving Break - 5 days

St. Jude Half Marathon - 20 days

Christmas Break - 18 days

Running

Speaking of Half Marathon, that is approaching quickly. I am up to around 10 miles right now. I will have my last long run next weekend. Have I mentioned how hard it is to run when you are a full time student, work a part-time job every day, and are involved at ASU? It is very difficult but i'm trying by hardest! 

If love reading my blog (I know you do), you should visit here. One of my very dear friends, Emily Slone, blogs about almost everything. It is a great read. Miss you girl.

I am still raising money for St. Jude. If you would like to donate please click on the link below. Any amount will help the kids at St. Jude. Thanks in advance for any donation you might make.

* Kristen's fundraising page *

School

Well, the semester is coming to a close. (Thank the Lord). It's not that this semester has been difficult, because it hasn't, but because I am just ready to chill and relax. I do not want to have to worry about school for a month or so. I know we have about 2 weeks left of school but my name is going to be on that Dean's List. ;) I have about 3 more semesters of school left then I will be DONE. I have to complete an internship so my projected graduation date will be August 2015. I cannot wait to start my Sports Marketing career. I dream about my future career all the time.

BTW, blogging is a perfect way to procrastinate :)

But I do have 2 group projects to work on today, so I should probably wrap this up.

Hope y'all have a great week & let me know whatcha think about my blog!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

I Need to Blog More

I realize that I have been slacking on my blogging game but bare with me! I am super busy and plan on taking some time to blog every week from now to the end of the year. For now I will just update you on a few things!

1. School is going well. I have awesome grades but I am ready for the semester to be over.
2. Work is great. I love my job and the kids I get to be with every day.
3. Social Life is fantastic. I have met so many wonderful people here at Arkansas State. These friendships will last a lifetime.
4. I love going to the ASU BCM. Great people and great ministry.
5. I am training for my half marathon. It's going......yeah going. ;)
6. I love this season just because of football and baseball.


Stay tuned for my blog next week titled :: Running the Race

Thanks for reading!

Kristen Leigh Buynar

WOO PIG SOOIE! GO CARDINALS! GUEAX SAINTS!

Milwaukee

It has taken me a while to write this special blog post because I have been super busy. But hey better late than never! I got the privilege of going to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to visit my cousin, Stephanie. I had the time of my life. I left on July 31st and returned on August 7th. I will tell you what we did day by day! Enjoy!

July 31st

I had a VERY early flight to Atlanta. My flight left Memphis at 6:00 AM. I landed in Atlanta at 8:15. I had a layover, so I had some time to find my next gate and get something to eat. I left Atlanta at 10:30 AM (Atlanta time) and arrived in Milwaukee at 11:33,(Milwaukee time). Confusing I know but it was about a 2 hour flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee. Let me just throw this out there, I hate flying SO much but I seemed to managed on the way there. Stephanie was there to pick me up at the airport. Okay, it was cold up north compared to Memphis. I felt like I needed a coat. We stopped on the way to get some lunch then Stephanie dropped me off at her apartment and she went back to work. I ate lunch and went straight to sleep. 4 hours to be exact. Stephanie got home at 5:30 and we went and got some dinner, came home, and went to bed. End Day 1.

August 1st

I woke up at 11:00. I ate some breakfast and basically just chilled the rest of the day. Not too much happened on this day, except relaxing :) End Day 2.

August 2nd

Ahhhhh Friday! Steph got off at 11:30 so we got to hang out more this day! We just hung around until it was time to go to the Milwaukee Brewers game! SO MUCH FUN. Plus, the stadium was super cool. Sadly, they lost but it was still fun. They gave away $10 dollar vouchers because their star player had just got suspended and I guess they wanted people to come to the game. We got to see Hank Aaron so that was pretty cool. End Day 3.

August 3rd

CHICAGO!!!!! I finally got to go to a big city. Me and Stephanie already planned a trip when me and Kelsey turn 30. All 3 of us are going to New York City. Get ready for Cousins Take New York. Anyways back to the point. It was about a 2 hour drive to Chicago from Milwaukee. We got up early and drove there. I was not prepared for how much walking we would be doing. Yes, I should of listened and took a tour bus like my grandma said. haha. There was a Music Festival going on while we there, so that made it even more crowded. We basically saw all of Chicago in one day. Here are a bunch of pictures describing our experience! If you would like to see all the pictures I took, then look on Facebook. We drove back and couldn't move the next because we were so sore!! End Day 4.

me with the Chicago skyline

American Girl Doll Store

Millennium Park

Me at Trump Tower

Steph at Trump Tower

I wish I could afford this

Wrigley Building

Me and Steph at The Bean

Trump Tower

The 'L'

ESPN Chicago

me and Steph at the bean

August 4th

We planned on going to the Wisconsin Sate Fair but after the soreness we were feeling we did not go. We ended up watching the NASCAR race and napping. That afternoon/night we went to Lake Michigan and had a picnic. We even took Cooper with us. It was chilly and yes, I was wearing a jacket because I'm lame. Then we came back and watched all of our shows!! End Day 5.

August 5th

Boo the weekend was over, for Stephanie at least. I didn't do much on this day except I cleaned Stephanie's living room and kitchen. When Stephanie got home from work, we went out and ate Mexican food. End Day 6.

August 6th

Well it was my last day in Wisconsin and I was kinda sad. I didn't want my vacation to end. I didn't want to go back to the real world. But I had to. I made the most of my last day and went to a new yogurt place that had just opened. I also walked to a local restaurant and had lunch. I wish Stephanie could of gone with me but she was at work. We went to Applebee's for dinner and it was delicious. When we got home we went straight to sleep because my flight back to Memphis was super early the next morning. End Day 7.

August 7th

My alarm was set for 2 AM. Yes, you read that right. My flight left Milwaukee at 5:10 AM. It was the cheapest flight so I felt like I could manage. I was the first one to go through security at the Milwaukee airport. Check that off the bucket list. hahah just kidding. This flight had really bad turbulence. I literally thought my death was near. The plane was rocking back and forth and shaking. I was basically holding on for dear life. Anyways, I arrived SAFELY in Atlanta, GA at 8:05 AM (Atlanta time). I had a 2 hour layover so I got a bite to eat and found my gate. My plane was supposed to leave at 10:10 AM (Atlanta time) but we did not end up leaving till after 11:00 AM. Out of nowhere came a storm and they shut all flights out of the Atlanta airport down. Great, just what I want to hear. We were literally on the runway for an hour before we left. I FINALLY arrived in Memphis, Tennessee at 11:30 AM (Memphis time). Dad and Kelsey picked me up from the airport and we went to have lunch with Mom. I was not feeling well, so when we got home I slept for a good 6 hours. My trip was over. End Day 8.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip. I had so much fun. Stayed tuned within the next few weeks for a blog named 3 years later. You don't want to miss it. 

Thanks for reading :)

Kristen Leigh Buynar