About Kristy

Welcome, my name is Kristy, but on here others know me by Runaway Bridal Planner. I'm going to introduce myself in the form of a bunch of random facts, mixed with my favorite quotes and my own photography from my travels to help you decide if you want to follow my blog!

My Blog and Life Mission Statement

I believe goals are meant to be made, worked on, and achieved,

and dreams are meant to be big, bigger and lived.

I truly believe with all my heart that absolutely anything is possible

if I want it bad enough. But may only be achieved if I am willing to put in

all the hard work necessary to get it! I also believe very little will naturally fall

into my lap if I don't take the initiative to do all it takes to earn it!  

I believe I have the ability to learn how to do anything I put my mind too, and 
failure is only a learning experience, so when I do succeed I appreciate it all the more
I also believe the sky is really only the limits I choose to make it.

I don't believe quitting is for losers because I understand goals may have to change.

However, I do believe quitting on things you are passionate about is a sure way

to miss out on a life of happiness.  Even if it takes the rest of your life working to achieve it.

I believe not everything you do should only be about yourself.

Being kind, charitable and showing awareness towards the needs of others 

will bring you far more happiness than the biggest dream you can imagine!

I am a runner and up until a work injury I received in January 2013 I had been working on a goal to run a full marathon in each of the 50 states & D.C. I am currently at 32 completed and I am really looking getting back into it and finishing the last 19, because frankly it's a fun goal, and I want it badly! (Fall of 2017 I became fully recovered and ran my first marathon post-injury, it was fab!!)

I am an event coordinator and decorator. I originally went to college for Interior Design and took a little time after to figure how the best way to use my skills and degree.  I employ some of the greatest decorating team members ever, we seriously do make an amazing team, we make our clients very happy and have such a fun time doing it! Even on the crazy insane wedding days!

Fall of 2016 I decided to go back and finish one of my life goals and finish my bachelor's degree, so I moved back to the University I originally attended, signed up for classes and quit my other jobs and put my company on semi-hold for a few years while I work on it to finish. FYI It's going well I've been pulling off straight A's every semester and will be graduating May 2018.

In 2018 I set out on a goal to hike 100 trails at 3+ miles per hike before the year ended. I love hiking and I had a fun time with it, I had my goal completed by early June. Then I took on a job working as a hiking guide, taking tourists out on the trails, well let's just say I kinda lost count by year end, but I do know I ended up with 250+ hikes in 2018 and over 1,000 miles of hiking alone. Thankfully, all injury free, even if I was extremely tired at times. But with a job like that, it never felt like work, that is for sure!

I've run 40 marathons. About 9 half marathon races.  I lost track years ago on how many 10k's and 5k's, but I do know the combined number is well over 100.  I seriously love all distances, even if my race of choice is 26.2.

I love to travel, and if it's a race-cation all the better. I also like to take my camera with me and snap away with it. Which is why I host a Travel Tuesday series on my blog and showcase a new place to visit, hike or see.  I've already showcased over 60+ destinations, if you want to check them out you can visit the Travel Tuesday page. Additionally, because I live in Utah and explore it constantly, I also have an Exploring Utah page for those interested.

In all the marathons and races I have done. I've never had a serious injury from running.
Sure, I have had injuries (like the work one) that kept me from running, but all were done while doing other things, because sometimes I forget I need to be careful at work or playing around! (It's true, I forget to think before I act, I'll be the first to admit I have my dumb moments.)

I attribute being a mostly injury-free runner to a couple of factors. First, I train old school the way my dad trained me.  I believe in putting the weekly training miles in 5-6 days a week and definitely understand the importance of all those long runs!

But mostly think it's because I haven't gotten into any of the newer training trends that have come out on the market for runners over the last 10+ years.  In my mind, since most marathon runners in the 70's-90's were pretty healthy and injury free, and it seems like newer runners trying all these "new" methods nowadays get injured all the time.  I figure the older ways are good enough for me and why change what works!

I am the (self-proclaimed) world's greatest aunt.  I am an awesome aunt to 11 even more awesome kids and when I am not working I am usually out playing with them. They help keep me young, and I can pass on my love for camping, hiking and running to them.

I ran my first race (1/2 mi.) when I was in the 2nd grade and I remember it in detail to this day. Because I was mad I came in 2nd and only, the 1st place got these cool Coke trophies. When I was upset about it, I remember my dad taught me a valuable lesson.  He was proud of my accomplishment but reminded me if I want to do better and I want the trophy's, I could get them but I needed to work harder at it.
He was right, and I thank him and my mom for passing down hard work ethics and goal-oriented determination that has helped me have the work philosophy and success in the life that I have had.

I am weird, if I run the entire way in a marathon and I am talking about the race to others I will say "I ran a marathon."  However, if I walked in the race at all (minus a few steps at water stations if it's forced because they are crowded. ) I will tell you is "I finished a marathon."  I have a story behind this, as to why I am weird this way but it would make everyone roll their eyes. FYI, believe it or not, my mind doesn't generally think this way when others tell me about their races, it's just a personal thing and frankly, it doesn't even really matter. Again, like I said above, I am odd sometimes... lots of times, LOL

I am a thrill seeker and I am a little fearless (yet still careful) when it comes to exciting things. These are a few of my crazier adventures; Skydiving, Shark Diving, Kayaking in a portion of the Bermuda Triangle, Para Sailing, Cliff Diving, Repelling, Rock Climbing, Caving, Canyoneering, Bungee Jumping. Mountain biking Moab Slickrock and Alaska Glacial landing near Denali.

Sometimes there is nothing better than the adrenaline you get trying something that scares you a little, or something that you know not everyone would be willing to do.

I tried an ice bath twice (the NYC Marathon and Little Rock Marathon), I didn't notice it did much for me other than reward my efforts with freezing cold misery.
So I don't do them anymore instead I have found a mile walk or very easy short run/hike the evening after a marathon helps the healing process and swelling even better or just as good.

I know several runners beg to differ, but I mean I just ran 26.2 and gave it my all, why on earth would I want to sit in a tub of cold water and ice cubes as a reward?  No thank you, I would rather reward myself with an ice-cold Pepsi and a juicy burger or fat slice of pizza and enjoy rather than freeze to death after my accomplishment.

Just a few of my medal bling pretties :)

I grew up in a family that hunted, but somewhere through the years, I found I enjoyed shooting them with my camera far more than a weapon and so did most of my family. Now I take my camera with me hiking in case I see something amazing and I have given up hunting (for now)!

I only display my marathon finisher medals, and first place finisher medals (even as few 1st's as there are.) The rest are in storage boxes or scrapbooks, however, I have also boxed up all first place medals and ribbons from my younger years.  There is just a point where too much is too much!

Additionally, I'd also rather NOT receive finishers medal in shorter races, I would much rather fun runs go back to how they used to with some fun creative swag I could actually use or a free race picture instead. I just don't think every single race finish regardless of the distance needs a finish medal given to everyone who tried. I mean what happened to just enjoying participating and knowing you accomplished what you did, why does every race need a medal??? (I am well aware I am in the minority on this, and that is definitely okay:)

In my perfect world, I would be camping at a different location every other week! Oh, and there would be a considerable amount of hiking and fishing thrown into that!
On a side note, I do attempt to get out hiking twice a week, and I am currently working on achieving a 100 hike challenge in 2018!

I love to read, I enjoy both classics and current books, I can often read a book and tell you if it is actually going to take off and be a popular best seller or not. I have a wide variety of tastes and I go through phases on what interests me, I enjoy escaping into reads and mixing it up often which is why I prefer to mainly read Fiction!

Different than many runners (unless you live out west) I HATE flat marathon courses, they are too boring.  I actually enjoy hills. ( I know you are either thinking, she's nuts or rock on!)

I also like race courses that take you back to places where you can go miles and miles without seeing anyone other than the other runners. Sometimes I find it's nice to allow your own thoughts to motivate you rather than cheer support and the ever annoying "you're almost there" shouts.

I am a people person and can be found talking to complete strangers at any given time. Because hello, people are fascinating interesting and crazies in both good and bad ways.

However, I am NOT a people pleaser or one who joins in with the crowd. (Unless you hire me for your wedding, and then it may only last until your wedding is over. LOL)

It's a fairly decent bet that if I am not okay with a conversation or something going on. I will be the one to stand alone against it and by the time I am finished, others will either agree with me or know there is no changing my mind!

The greatest running advice I have ever heard was given to me by my dad at just about every race I have run since I was 7.  If you are a runner and he has trained you or talked to you before or even if he comes in contact with you as he is dropping me off at a marathon starting line.  (Yes, I get the people person, talk to random stranger thing from him. ) He will share his famous yet excellent words of advice to win or have the best race possible. "Start out fast, pick it up in the middle and pour it on in the end." Quite great huh!

So now you know a little bit more about me and I can say if you like what you read above, then you will probably enjoy my blog because I bring in my different passions for life into the subjects I write about and share on here.

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Who is @runwybridlplanr and do I really want to know her? http://goo.gl/r9nlB4 #blogging #camping #running #hiking

If you didn't like what you just read, or can't relate, no worries.  That is the beauty of life and people, we all like and enjoy different things, and that is actually a great thing!  There are so many awesome different types of blogs out there, and I am sure if you search you will find some great ones!

Now that you know some Random things about me, you can decide if you want to click on my follow buttons and keep up with my journeys!
If you do want to follow my blog and journey, I'm thrilled to have you along for the ride!