That Pink Girl

Random Facts Friday

2012-01-27T20:54:00.000-06:00

I was kindly tagged by two other bloggers in the “11 Things” post that is going around. So here are my 21 random facts. (duplicate questions make me short of 22)

Questions from Kandi Land

1. What is the last thing you took a picture of? The rubber snake I left on a coworker’s desk. Yes, I'm THAT girl in the office.

2. If you eat eggs, what is your favorite way to make them? I have a very fragile relationship with eggs. I feel so guilty because I think about the sad little life those hens led. Don’t be fooled by “free range” and “cage free” that doesn’t mean they necessarily had a good life. So I eat eggs rarely. But when I do, they should be scrambled with lots of roasted green chiles and salsa.

3. What is your favorite board game? Not really a board game fan. I get too ansty.

4. Do you prefer dogs, cats, or some other pet? Sigh. I have 3 cats, yes 3. I KNOW. But I hate it when people say, “Oh, you’re a cat person” with obvious disdain. I’d love to have a dog, but I can’t pay proper attention to 4 animals.

6. Cake or pie? I would leave either of those on the table. Meh.

7. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be? NYC, Upper West Side. Or the Texas Hill Country. The later would be much better for training. Plus, you know, Texas.

Source: flickr.com via That on Pinterest

8. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be? Alaska to see polar bears. There are tours in Churchill where you can ride out on a tundra buggy and see them roaming around, doing what polar bears do.

Source: japaneseflowergarden.tumblr.com via That on Pinterest

9. What is your favorite color? P-I-N-K

10. How many siblings do you have? 1 much younger sister

11. If you were invited to a wedding reception but not the ceremony, would you be offended? Not at all! I totally understand budgets and I don’t think that is rude at all.

Questions from Running in High Heels Backwards

1. What are you wearing right now? Skinny Jeans (yea for casual Friday) a white tee, charcoal gray cardigan and tall brown boots. Oh, and a scarf. I have zero style. The scarf helps me pose.

2. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you move? See above.

3. Who is your celeb crush? Right now I’m crushing on James Roday from Psych. He’s cute, he’s funny and he’s from Texas. All very good things.

4. What is a beauty product you couldn’t live without? (i.e. mascara or chapstick) Lotion. I have very dry skin. I use philosophy Hope in a Jar on my face, Girl’s Night by VS for my hands and feet and whatever doesn’t have a scent everywhere else.

5. Do you think you are high maintenance or low maintenance? Why? High maintenance disguised as low maintenance. It’s the crazy curly hobo hair. Takes forever to tame it.

6. Would you rather have to run a marathon and a half marathon on consecutive days or be stuck on “It’s a Small World” for 5 hours? Easy questions. I would rather do just about anything than listen to that song even once.

7. What is your hands down, all-time favorite movie? Elf. Elf, Elf, Elf. I keep it on my phone and even when I’m the most down, I can watch just one scene and it will make me smile.

Source: clawsondesigns.com via That on Pinterest

8. If you were on Death Row, what would be your last meal? Grilled cheese on Texas Toast with tomatoes and avocado, a side of home fries from Kerbey Lane and a Dr. Pepper over ice in a plastic cup.

9. What is your guilty pleasure? My electric blanket. I keep my house really cool. Like 55. So snuggling up at night under that warm blanket…it’s a great way to end the day. But boy does it make it hard to get out of the biscuit in the morning!

10. Do you wash your hair everyday? I work out so much that if I didn’t, I’d have stinky head and my hobo hair would be worse than usual.

11. Do you prefer to text or talk on the phone? Text. I just checked, the last time my phone rang was 7 days ago.

I tag...whoever wants to play along.

Houston Marathon Race Recap

2012-01-22T21:19:00.000-06:00

Well, marathon #9 is in the books.

I started the day confident, feeling healthy and strong. I ended the day feeling beat up.
It was not pretty.

Saturday after the time trials, we headed to a cute little place in Rice Village, Hungry's, for brunch. Mmm. Natalie is the BEST pre-marathon travel companion EVER. Because she was totally cool with laying around all afternoon watching HGTV and napping. The best part of the afternoon was when there was a knock on the door and these beautiful flowers were delivered!

Such a sweet and thoughtful gift from my girl Lauren! I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, I have the BEST, most supportive friends EVER! Truth.

Sweet Natalie spectated me (and all the others) so I put together a "spectating kit" for her. Under the assumption that it would be cold on race day. Because that is what the forecast was calling for. Up until Friday night. Yeah, she def didn't need hand warmers or a hat for the mid 60's it ended up being! Oh well. I appreciated her being out there in any weather conditions!

Let me just say that Houston puts on a great race. From soup to nuts they do an amazing job. Kudos to the Houston Marathon team. Y'all do great work! Even though there weren't time based corrals, I started within 10 minutes of the gun - not too shabby for a race this size. Pace wise, I started off strong. I had no problem maintaining around a 9:13 pace and at mile 8 I asked myself, " Can you maintain this pace for 18 more miles?" My answer was a definite "yes!"

Well, I was wrong. The wheels fell off around mile 18. I was rested, I was healthy, I was carb loaded and mentally I was in it. But lately, my legs have felt heavy. I've been able to keep my pace, but it has felt much harder than it should. I've been putting way too much effort into maintaining what should be a fairly easy pace for me.

Maybe it's racing 3 marathons in 11 weeks. You think? I had a great first half, an iffy middles miles and then finally my body just said, "Nuh uh. We ain't doing this today" and shut down. I knew I was done when I saw my pace creep up past 10 min mile and that felt haaaard. Not good.

I finished with a smile on my face. Entirely disappointed in my time - at least 20 minutes slower that I had hoped for and 20 minutes slower than I know I'm capable of running. (but still 6 minutes under my original time goal so let's not get carried away) Disappointed, but not surprised. I didn't blog about this upcoming race because I honestly didn't know if I had it in me.

But you know what? A marathon is a marathon. I managed a 20 minute course PR and that's something. I recognize why I was so much slower than I wanted to be and it's not because of lack of effort. It is what it is. Each race is a learning experience and with this one I took away an important lesson.

Post race, my back was hurting so I sat in line (thank you Houston for providing chairs in the line!) for a free massage. There I met Dree who, turns out, will be racing with me again in April and Bing. We soon discovered it was Bing's first marathon and I was so excited for him that I almost hugged him! He was still clearly in shock but Dree and I managed to make a very big deal out of him, pointing and hurrahing appropriately. You only run your first marathon once!

This year the hotel was not able to be as accommodating for late check out so I gobbled up some nutrition and checked out before the race had even ended. (which made getting out of downtown an adventure!)

Waiting for valet to pull my car around I met a 70 year old man who BQ'd that day. What an incredible accomplishment! Several runners stood outside the hotel, all wearing our medals (something I NEVER do...don't know why I was feeling so nostalgic just an hour after the race) sharing a sense of camaraderie. Marathoners each of us. Love that kinship!

At the end of the day, whether you ran a 6 hour marathon, BQ'd or came in somewhere in-between, you still ran the race and that's what counts.

And hey, even on your worse race day, we all came out better than Phidippides, right?

Back in the Saddle Again

2012-01-21T20:42:00.000-06:00

Quite literally.
So I took some time off after the Houston Marathon. Like off off. I spent a lot of time on the sofa and working on neglected house projects. By Saturday I felt ready to sweat again!
Yesterday it was 75. This morning I woke up and it was in the 30's and windy. Perrrfect weather for a bike ride, right? Well, yes, if you have some new cool weather gear to try out! So I donned my new wool socks. Yep, I'm a dork and bought tall running socks so my delicate little ankles won't become frostbitten. Good thing Sugoi thought to label them L and R for me. I struggle with that dilemma daily! The extra thick toes along with my new shoe covers were sure to keep my tootsies toasty.

It is totally obvious that I'm a runner posing as a cyclist. Head to toe running gear, I certainly don't look the part. Oh wells.

Erin and I are both training for the Shiner GASP in May. No time like the present to start getting in some time in the saddle.

We got in about 7 miles when tragedy struck. Unfortunately, falling is a part of cycling. It happens to everybody. You're lucky if you don't get hurt too badly. You're unlucky is your bike is damaged in the fall. Sadly, her bike didn't survive the topple unscathed. This makes my stomach hurt to see. Yes, those are snapped handle bars. So glad that SHE was okay!

The ironic thing is we were JUST talking about how her handle bars are too wide for her and she is considering new ones. She handled it so well. When I fall, I just lie in the street like a dead squirrel, tears rolling down my furry little squirrel face. She hopped right up and started making arrangements to get her bike home. She is a TROOPER!

I managed to get lost not once but TWICE trying to find my way back to her apt. I'm not familiar with that area and the busy traffic was unnerving. It is official, I prefer to ride in the country.

For lunch, I made what was quite possibly the best sandwich ever. As a vegetarian, unless I'm having peanut butter (which is often) making a sam is an event; look at all those ingredients!

Once my food settled I hit the pool in my new rainbow goggles. They match my suit! Miss Zippy has a keen eye and recognized them immediately as Speedo Vanquishers.

The dude at the tri shop assured me they would make me swim faster. I need all the help I can get! They really are more comfortable than my others. Sadly, I still have "meth face" when I get out of the pool. Guess there's no cute for goggle eyes.

I still haven't made any decisions about Cowtown. Taking time off to do NOTHING was so beneficial though. Both physically and mentally. If you're feeling overwhelmed and burned out, take a break! Training is no joke and sometimes a little down time is just what you need. The fitness you'll lose over a few days is nothing compared to how broken down your body can get with overtraining.

Have you ever taken a total break to clear your head and rest your body?

Snowflake Pants & the Big Picture

2012-01-19T12:35:00.000-06:00

Scene: TPG is lying face down on the floor, clad in a rainbow throw up swimsuit, cheerleading sweatshirt, red fleece snowflake pants and for some reason, cycling shoes. In the house. Clearly, she is losing her mind. Picks up phone to text friend.

TPG (typing):”Waaaaaaah. I had a crummy marathon! I only beat my original goal time by 6 minutes. Waaaah. I’m not faaaast as I wanna be. I’m afraid of sharks! What if I can’t finish another 50K in a few weeks. I mean I know I can PR but a PR is meaningless if you KNOW you can do it. Waaaah.”

Friend’s response: “Are you wearing cycling shoes in the house? Get up off the floor, get on the sofa and get some REST woman. No one wearing snowflake pants is in any position to make good decisions.”

TPG: “Sniff. Okay. I’m still afraid of sharks.”

Annnnd scene.

So I might have had a little breakdown after Houston. Little bit. Not in a whiney baby kind of way but more of a “oh my cries WHAT have I gotten myself into?” kind of way. I’m tired y’all. I have totally overextended myself race wise. Not in number of races, but in distance. Running that far that often is NBD for my legs. Racing that distance, is. And in five weeks I have a 50K to race. And six weeks after that another marathon . I KNOW. It’s not the distance of those, it’s the time. I have a few other races that I’m training for and I’m conflicted on how to train properly for each one. At the same time.

Oh yes, I fully realize that I did this to myself.

I just don’t want to end this marathon season on a sour note. I want to go into the spring season feeling confident. And right now I just don’t. Waaaah. So I have some decisions to make, keeping the Big Picture in mind.

Should I run the 50K as planned, focusing on the endurance training that will provide?

Should I downgrade to the full marathon and try for a PR on a hilly course? (Doubtful my legs are pretty pissed at me)

Should I downgrade to the HALF and go gorillaz gunning for a major PR? Side note, WHY can’t I run a half marathon in less than 2 hours? I can run a full marathon in just over 4 but a half…not my distance.

Should I l close the blinds, loosen the strings on my snowflake pants and camp out on the couch with a fat cat for the next two months? Maybe this.

Or maybe, like she suggested, I should lie on the sofa for a week, eat, hydrate and rest. THEN make my decision. So far, THAT plan is working quite well. Thank goodness for friends who are the voice of reason.

Olympic Time Trials - Houston

2012-01-16T21:05:00.001-06:00

Yeah, I know.
I haven't posted much lately. Sit down, I make up for it in photos in this one post. Promise!
last Thursday I headed down to Houston. I decided to treat this as a mini-vacay and booked a weekend at the Magnolia, my favorite Houston hotel. It's beautiful and best of all, only blocks from all the action. It is totally worth the extra to not have to worry about driving to the start line in an unfamiliar city. You know you're set up for a great weekend when it involves track pants, peanut butter, chocolate milk and a ginormous bathtub. You better believe within minutes of checking in I was soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath, eating a peanut butter and honey sam, watching "Pawn Stars" on Netflix on my iPad. I really know how to live it up.

Friday I slept in some and then headed to the race sight. Oh yes, the Olympic Time Trials. I snagged a coveted volunteer spot and a tee shirt that read "Race Crew" to prove it. My job involved standing around, wearing a huge yellow vest and answering questions. And gawking over all the elites as they milled around like they are regular people or something. It was so exciting to see all the action as the rest of the Race Crew worked hard to get ready for the time trials the next day. And I had a front row seat!

My yellow vest read, "Got Questions? Ask me!" I spotted a woman who looked vaguely familiar and she said, "Can I ask you a question?" Answering, "Of course!" She hesitantly asked, "Are you That Pink Girl?" It was Tina from Gotta Run Now! How fun to run into another blogger! Tina, it was great to meet you and I was so excited to read the that you had such a GREAT race!

One of the perks of volunteering, besides the snazzy yellow vest of course, was that we got to eat lunch in the Nike VIP tent. With the elites. Ball so hard, that's me. I even got to see Ryan Hall eating lunch! (no, I didn't bother him...) The food was incredible and the other volunteers and I were just in awe. We took lots and lots of photos and I was so thankful I didn't have to be embarrassed demanding, "take my picture!"

No kidding, since the food was for the elites, it was delicious and healthy. I didn't expect to eat so well!

After my shift was over I darted into the Expo and picked up what has to be the world's largest race bib. The timing chip is IN the bib. Which is cool; one less thing to keep up with. Unless you're like me and you prefer to fold your bib up itty bitty like and pin it to your shorts. Sadly, this monster had to go smack dab on my tummy. Sigh. Love that they allowed for personalization but "girl" somehow didn't make it on my bib, ha!

I managed to sneak in a quick nap and another soak before my sweet friend Natalie arrived. She graciously agreed to drive in from Boerne to spend the weekend with me! We took in the Olympic Ceremony on Friday night, followed that up with some Chipotle and and evening of catching up. It was so good to see her!

Saturday we got up bright and early to secure a spot downtown to spectate the Olympic Time Trials. There was NO WAY I was going to miss seeing my beloved Kara Goucher race!

We got a great spot in the sun (it was chilly) and before we knew it, here came the police cars, the pace truck and well in the lead, Ryan Hall! Look at that kick! I saw him race the half last year but it was just as amazing to see him again. What an athlete. I'll spare you the video. Mostly you can just hear me yelling like a crazy lady.

There goes Meb, Abdi and some other fast dudes. Anyone know, is that Josh Cox in the black?

Next up, the ladies! My dream come true to see Kara, Shalane, Deena Kastor and Jen Rhines - all at once! Look at little Desiree Davila!

We eventually moved a little closer.

And then closer still...right before the finish line.

I was having such a great time! To see these incredible athletes run was such a privilege. Now, don't get me wrong. I adored seeing my favorites. But seeing the other "regular people" runners was pretty amazing too. Most of them pretty much knew they wouldn't gain one of the three coveted spots on the Olympic Team, but the fact that they qualified to even try...wow. We talked to a group of high school girls and their moms from outside of Lansing. They were there to cheer on their track coach. They got choked up telling us how supportive he was of the girls and what an incredible coach he is. I love that they came all the way from Michigan to holler for him! One of the woman running had on a bright pink Lululemon ruffled running skirt, I cheered for her yelling, "Go PINK!" The night before we met one of the ladies who was staying in our hotel. You can be sure we hollered real loudly for her!

Here you can see Ryan, Abdi and Meb. Side story, Meb and I ran NYC '09 together, the year he won. He also had a hip injury so because of these two similarities, we are pretty much twins, no?

And here is Meb winning the Olympic Time trials in a record 2:09:08. I'll let you think for a moment on just how dang FAST that is! 26.2 miles in just over 2 hours. Oh mah guah. And in Sketchers no less. Shame on you Nike.

Here come the ladies again. They ran loops so we got to see them several times!

And Shalane bringing it home to win the women's race in 2:25:38. She's something else.

Not far behind her was my girl Kara at 2:26:06. I missed Desiree - she was too fast for my iPhone to recover between Shalane and Kara!

Oh, it was a great morning! I yelled myself hoarse for every runner out there. I'm so proud of everyone that ran. It was touching to see the tears, even on the men's faces, as they crossed that finish line. Running a marathon is a huge accomplishment in itself, but running for a chance to represent the USA in the Olympics...an experience of a lifetime. I'm so glad I was there and so glad I got to share it with a sweet friend!

Well, It's Here

2012-01-06T08:43:00.009-06:00

2012

It’s been here nearly a week now and I am, uncharacteristically, late to the game.

I had every intention to post a 2011 in review, I did. Recap of the year in races perhaps. Started a “letter to 2011 me” several times. But in all honesty, 2011 punched me in the ~~nuts~~ face. Repeatedly. I really have no desire to wax nostalgic for 2011. In total I had about 3.75 hours of good times in 2011 but the rest of it can just disappear into hazy oblivion as far as I’m concerned.

Ahem.

Like last year, I rang in the New Year with a run. This time a solid 13 miles comfortably below my marathon pace. I enjoy night running this time of year, the lights are so beautiful. I wish we decorated our homes with light displays for every holiday! Arriving home, I half expected some great weight to be lifted, that magically all the ugliness from 2011 would be gone, poof, just like that, simply because the calendar turned.

And in many ways, it was. Waking up entirely too early on January 1, I headed to Allen to volunteer for the second race of the New Year’s Double. What a great way to start the year, cheering on your friends and seeing so many accomplish their goals on this New Day, New Year! Robert and I handed out shirts and challenger plates so we got to see firsthand, fresh off the course, the excited faces of the runners.

If you’ve never volunteered at a race, resolve to remedy that in 2012. It is a very rewarding experience. Plus, we owe it to the racing community to pay back just a bit of what we receive, no?

The 5K and half marathoners all in, I wandered over to my many frunners to cheer on Greg (aka Ultra Ninja) as he finished his second marathon in 24 hours. We toasted the new year thanks to Heidi and Brian. We hugged, high fived, joked and soaked up the warm sun of this brisk morning.

Surrounded by friends. That’s how I started my year.

Thanks for the pic Mama C!

Surrounded by friends. That’s my hope for you in 2012.

To Love Someone is to See the Face of God

2011-12-26T18:42:00.001-06:00

~Victor Hugo~

Recently, my sweet friend Shabby Princess invited me to spend a glorious evening at the Winspear Opera House, joining her to see "Les Miserables." Of course, I jumped at the chance to spend some time with one of my favorite Dallas girls! Now, when SP takes you out on the town, she does it up big! We had VIP passes which meant yummy food and drink pre-show. Yes, that is a Nutella and strawberry crepe. I mean, it's a French story, how can you not have crepes?

The production was amazing. I've never seen "Les Miserables" and it's by far her favorite. I think I enjoyed watching her enjoy the show almost as much I enjoyed the play! The theme of compassion and forgiveness really spoke to me. I asked her if she's read the book and she said yes, she has started it many times. I'm intrigued now. Maybe I should add this to my goals for 2012 - read Victor Hugo.

Well, as if seeing and hearing the magnificence that is Les Miz, wasn't incredible enough, SP got us backstage passes. We got to tour the Winspear! Oh, it was a sight to see. I wish I could remember all of the details. I did learn that it has the largest orchestra pit in all of North America - can expand to accommodate a 298 piece orchestra! Wow. Just wow.

We enjoyed poking around at all the props, everything so meticulously laid out.

The Winspear actually has much more room backstage than a normal theater. It is designed to accommodate TWO operas at once, that way they can run more shows. I also learned that the Winspear started with a very generous $43M gift from the Windspear family. And that to date they have received 134 gifts of over $1M each towards the completing of the opera house. Dallas theater has some enthusiastic support!

I had such a wonderful time. Thank you SP for sharing the evening with me and showing much such a great time. I always love hanging out with you, but thank you for sharing such a special day with me. You are an incredibly loving person and I know she would be so proud of you!

And for those that I left hanging, I went with the sparkle shoes! Every girls needs a little glitter in her life, right?

White Christmas

2011-12-24T20:52:00.000-06:00

We don't get many of those here.
Maybe one that I can ever remember. And that's certainly not the expectation, a white Christmas. It's more often in the 60's here at Christmastime than snowy. But that's okay, it's Texas. Santa still makes his way through the clear skies and into the homes of little Texans all over the state.
But this year, this year they were predicting a chance of snow for today. Now, it is my personal belief that they just throw that in there to give us a tiny bit of hope.
I woke up this morning to clear skies, albeit a little gray with the absence of sunshine. I bundled up and headed North to Arbor Hills to run some trails with my trail runner cru.
We wove in and out of thickets of trees, up and down the hills, hopped over creeks trickling with what little rain we have had in recent weeks. We talked and laughed and just enjoyed ourselves. I haven't been running much lately - still coughing up a storm. So it was nice to take it easy and enjoy some trails and new scenery.
Towards the end of our second loop, Greg looked up and exclaimed, "Hey, there's Team K!" How he was able to recognize them from so far away, I don't know. But in fact, up under the pavilion stood Eric and Michelle, waving at us.
We eventually met up with them - they knew we were out there and stopped by on the way home from the gym, hoping to run into us. Success! And as we stood there, it began to snow. Real, honest to goodness snowflakes. On Christmas Eve! We stood in amazement and delight.

A Texas version of a white Christmas. And to think, everyone who slept in today missed it. We were all grateful to have witnessed the Great Snowfall of Dec '11!

Thanks for the photo Fiona!

My wish is that you experience a Christmas miracle of your own. Blessings to you and yours.
Merry Christmas!

Never Say Never

2011-12-15T07:16:00.010-06:00

Absolutes.

I try not to live by too many absolutes.

Flexibility is key to getting along in life. Keep an open mind and you never know what you'll learn. Especially when it comes to running. Never swear you'll NEVER run a marathon. Before you know it, you'll be running ultras. Promise there is no way you'll ever try to BQ and eventually you'll find yourself trying to decide if you should wait for the next age group and the extra 5 minutes that comes with it, or go for it now.

However, there are a few things I know for certain when it comes to my running. I know I'll never wear a running skirt. No judgement, y'all look precious in your running skirts; they just aren't for me. I am confident I'll never race in a tutu. Again, they look really cute, but I can't imagine racing with all that extra fabric. Oh the chaffing possibilities.
And I'll never race in a costume. Again, extra fabric. If I looked like Lolo, I'd run in what she runs in. I need all the help I can get, a costume weighing me down isn't going to do me any favors.
Check out this guy from the NYC marathon in 2009. Really though? I could never do that!

Yep, make declarative statements like those and the next thing you know...

Well if that doesn't look like a costume then I don't know what does. Each year the local run store that I coach for hosts a Christmas Light Run. We traipse through the neighborhood, oohing and ahhing over the light displays, then enjoy some music, fellowship and hot chocolate back at the store. This year was no exception. Except, this year, they asked us to wear costumes. And it gets worse.

Oh yes I did. Apparently, I have no shame. There were some great costumes! A tree.

Alan sported a sweater that was quite snug. And, according to him, quite uncomfortable to run in!

Here I am with Dan, aka The Grinch. Running in a beard is HOT. I don't know how Santa does it! I kept getting white fur in my mouth. Ew. It's worth pointing out that this was my first run since WR and of course, it was raining! But my beard stayed intact and my buttons didn't run so I'd call it a success.

Everyone seemed to have a great time. It's always fun to get together with the local running community and have some fun. I think my runners enjoyed seeing me make a fool of myself, so that's always a bonus.

Now, I'm still not sure that I've violated my edict, as I haven't raced in a costume. But watch out world, this Pink Girl may be sporting a tutu in her next marathon.

Heaven help us if that is so...

Have you ever run in a costume? If so, what?

Hardware

2011-12-14T08:02:00.001-06:00

Recently, someone tweeted the question, "How many race medals do you have?"
I thought about it, mentally calculated my races and replied, "25+"

And it got me to thinking, I wonder how many medals YOU have? And which ones mean the most to you?

Runners come in all sizes, shapes and ages. And we all run for different reasons. So here are a few medal stories, some frunners, some fellow bloggers but each and every one, a runner.

Sare Bear, my running bestie, was the first to send photos of her hard earned medals.

I was with her the day she earned her favorite. Watching her cross that finish line in January was incredible! She selected her medal from the 2011 Houston Marathon. "This one means the most to me because even though it was one of the worst races I've ever run, I proved to myself that I could be a mom and a full marathoner." (yes, SB has two of the cutest kiddos on the planet!) Training for a marathon is no joke - it's like having a part time job that doesn't pay very well! I'm always in awe of how moms of little ones manage to devote time to training and STILL be a rockstar mother! My hat is off to motha runnas.

Rachel was next to reply to my call for medal pics! This is one spunky lady and I fully expect to see that neck full of medal grow in the next year - she's on fire these days!

She says, "It's hard to pick a favorite, as they all mean something special to me. But if I had to pick something, I would pick the Savannah race. It was the first race that I really poured my heart and soul into and I finally started loving to run. I trained like i should have and finally considered myself a runner when it was all said and done. It was my first girls weekend trip and I ran it with some awesome friends!"

Mama C has a neck full of medals and her son can verify, they are all very heavy!

She says her favorites are: Dallas White Rock Marathon 2004 - her first full marathon, Marine Corps 2005, her 2nd full and special because of her family history in the Marine Corps, and finally NYCM 2010. "Because I waited 4 years for it and trained for it like I had no other. It was a dream come true to run New York."

Lauren has earned no less than 22 medals!

"Out of the 22 medals, my favorite 2 are my second Hyannis marathon medal (2010) and my first Cape Relay medal (2010).

I ran Hyannis as a full twice. The second year I raced "smarter," although I am still just a slow long distance runner. I can run close to a 2 hour half, but get slower and slower in the second 13.1. Even so, I was proud of finishing, especially since it snowed for a majority of the race.

I was really proud of the Cape Relay medal because it was my first experience in a relay and as a captain. We came in 45th out of 200 teams, and I was proud that we followed the rules (other teams didn't stay in the same order from leg to leg, etc) and that we finished strong. Although we finished 7th out of 217 teams this past year, I am still more psyched about that first year's experience!"

Who doesn't love a Canadian? One of my favorites is Leigh! Here she is with her medals.

"My favourite medal is a tie between my Centaur Subaru half marathon medal and my medal for my sprint triathlon. Both of the medals represent different yet important things about my experience and my life. The Centaur Subaru half marathon medal means a lot to me because it was my first half marathon. I only started seriously running and training in the last year. Before that, I was casually running in an effort to lose weight for my upcoming wedding. At that time, I could barely run 3k without stopping or feeling like I was going to die. My half marathon medal showed me that if I put my mind to something and train for it, I can do anything. That half marathon was such a great experience for me and I came under 2 hours. which blew me away! My medal for my sprint triathlon means a lot to me because it represents that even though a race may be hard, I am tougher and can overcome anything. I will admit that I was not trained enough for the triathlon, but I went into the race telling myself just have a good time and finish! During the swim, the water was colder than I expected and I totally panicked. I just remember telling myself to make it to the next buoy and not to drown! Once I was out of the water, I was beat down mentally during the bike and the run, but I still finished and that's all that matters to me."

My friend Robert recently ran his very first marathon!

"I earned my two medals in the past two months — at the DRC Half-Marathon in November and the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon on Dec. 4. While I am certain I will earn more in the coming months and years, I am uncertain I will cherish any of them more than the one I earned at White Rock.

I became a serious runner about 8 months ago when I signed up to run the Rock. I took training seriously; I stuck to an absurd training schedule (9-mile runs at 4:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays) ate well, drank fewer adult beverages, learned to listen to my body and take care of it (brrrr, ice baths), etc. My hard work and dedication were rewarded with nasty, cold, wet weather on race day. My hands and arms were practically frozen by mile 12. My legs started cramping at mile 16 (had to stretch at every aid station for the remaining miles). My iPod ran out of juice at mile 20 (yep, right before those Dolly Partons).

But as bad as all of that sounds, it really was a beautiful day. Strangers — complete strangers — yelled words of encouragement as they stood shivering along the cold, wet course. Fellow marathon runners kept me from going insane by chatting with me during my final, 6, music-less miles. And the highlight: seeing and hearing my sister as she cheered for me at mile 9 and then later at the finish line. She pumped me up, and the crowd at the finish line took me to another level, which was captured in asweet finish line photo."

Next up is blogger Clair. I haven't met Clair, yet, but let me tell you, this is a woman with a huge heart and amazing strength!

"I'm a race walker. I'm never going to win an age group award or stand on a podium, so I'm pretty happy with every piece of race bling I bring home. But the medal that means the most is this year's Bay to Breakers medal. It's a commemorative medal of the 100th running of the race, which is as much San Francisco street party as it is serious road race. It's a blast, and I've raced it with friends the last several years. When I registered for it last year, I was hoping to break my course record before joining friends for a beer at the finish line party. Then I was sidelined with an injury. I was recovering, and still had a shot at a good race, when my mom died. Her death was sudden, completely unexpected, and absolutely devastating. I figured I would sell my bib to a friend. I'd lost my desire to be on the course. And the last thing I wanted to be part of was an all day, city-wide party. But when I work up early on race morning, still jet-lagged from my flight home from my mom's house the night before, the sun was kind of shining. And I figured I'd have friends to hang out with if I went to the race start, which was better than being alone. And if I was going to have to figure out how to get by without my mom around, putting one foot in front of the other seemed like a really good start."

Michelle also just ran her first marathon. But this girl isn't lacking for the hardware! In this collection she has earned medals for 29 half marathons, 1 25K, 1 20 miler, 1 relay, and 1 full marathon! She says that it's too hard to pick a favorite, "every single one of them has a story!"

Sweet Lucy has quite the collection of medals herself. She recently ran her 2nd marathon securing a shiny new PR! I asked her to pick the most meaningful and she replied, "They are all special! 3 of them have been in the rain, one was with a busted knee the day before, but I guess the most special was Wine and Dine with my sisters:-)"

Derek takes hardcore to the next level. In the last 28 days he has completed 2 marathons, a 50K and a 50 mile race. Just reading his Daily Mile report each week makes me tired!

He picked two meaningful medals/awards. First is the "USAT/SMW Regional Duathlon Championships and I was the overall winner on the short course." Also, Rocky Raccoon 50 mile finish. " It was my first trail race I ever did and finished the 50 miles with a smile on my face! :-)" Now, THAT'S an accomplishment!

My friend A* who because of her job, wishes to remain anonymous. Her story had me in tears.

"I've realized that running has practically saved me from some of the most miserable times I've been through.

The first medal is from a 30K I did in Sugarland, Texas on December 11, 2005. I was training for my 4th marathon- Houston. At the time I had been in a pretty unhealthy relationship for about 3 years. I just didn't know it. . He was an alcoholic. I remember him promising he would come and cheer for me at this race. I woke him up the morning of and he was still drunk from the night before. I drove us to the race. He said he was going to sit in the car for a few minutes because it was so cold. I ran the race, but I never saw him on the course. When I got back to my car, he was still asleep. I remember sitting on the curb crying. I realized right then that I had to do something (unfortunately it took me awhile). I realized that I deserved more and that it was up to me to get it. So I keep this medal and look at it often to just remind myself that I deserve all the happiness in the world, and that it's up to me to make sure I don't settle for anything less. (BTW: We broke up a year after).

The second medal is from a half marathon I ran in Austin in 2007. I had just broken up with boy from story # 1 and I was feeling pretty helpless. He had moved out- my house felt so empty. I just felt so ALONE. Alone is a scary place. I remember going with some girlfriends to Austin who weren't runners. We all went out the night before, but I had to get up at 4 am to go to the race. I took a cab downtown, and ran. But my friends met me along the way- at miles 5, 9, and then at the end. They made posters. They made me feel wanted and not so alone. I just remember this race and the time of my life as being a "starting over" point for me. I remember feeling happy and loved and not so alone. So I keep it to remind myself that no matter what happens, I'm never really alone."

Thank you to everyone who draped their medals around their necks and shared such personal stories with me. So many of us are running for so much more than a medal. For so much more than to say "I ran that race." Those medals represent handwork, commitment and most of all, belief in ourselves.

What was your most meaningful race?

My Favorite Color is Glitter

2011-12-13T20:52:00.000-06:00

That title has nothing much to do with this post. Except that it is as random as is this post.
Monday was supposed to be the Return To Training. I have a marathon to run in Houston next month and I have some pretty loft goals. I gave myself a week of complete rest and gluttony after White Rock. The plan for Sunday was bike ride, yoga then hit the pool.
What really happened was bike ride, nap, wake up feeling like a cold had bit me in the Double Donkey.
Ouch.
Fortunately, I had scheduled to be off a few days this week and I spent those days either sleeping or in a half comatose state while I watched many, many Christmas movies. So here, for your entertainment (yawn) is a recap of the past few days in pictures.
On Friday I shopped for shoes for my dressy date with Shabby Princess. Note, before then I did not own a pair of heels, dressy or not. All of my shoes are practical and flat. Here are just a few of the options I tried on. Wanna know which ones I got? Well, you'll just have to wait for my date!

Discovered what has to be one of the world's largest poinsettias. Everything indeed is bigger in Texas.

My boyfriend, aka, the mail man, brought me a few items to pass the time. Worked out well as my 3 days prone required hours of viewing and reading distractions. Yep, there is nothing like reading about swimming when you're sick. But I'm set to be a slippery swimmer now!

Saturday night I partied with Jules and Creeshy. I actually walked the 2 miles to Julie's house (in a mini skirt and boots no less) so that I could enjoy the Christmas lights in our neighborhood. I just love that the same houses do the same light display year after year. I'm not one for change; I like consistency!

To fight this cold I'm taking much Mucinex and using the Netti pot twice daily. And, I've really tried to stay on top on my water. Usually, I can be found with my pink Camelbak in my paw. But lately I've favored this adorable little guy! Gotta love a $1.99 Target find.

So the other day I polled Twitter to see where y'all keep your thermostat set in the winter. I got responses from 58-72. Boy, some of y'all really like to keep the house warm! Me? I see no point in wasting the energy to heat an entire house when I take up so little space. So I prefer to just bundle up and cozy up to a warm cat. But the biscuit sure is chilly at night! So I went out on a hunt for an affordable electric blanket. Not to sleep with it on, just to heat up the bed before sliding in. I drug it to the couch to keep me toasty during my Christmas movie marathon. My cat is pretty much in heaven. We managed 14 hours Sunday night and 2 naps. Monday night I *only* slept 11 hours and took just one nap. Granted it was 3 hours long, but only one! This blanket has already paid for itself in sleep!

The weather has been gray and chilly. I mean, if you have to be stuck in the house tethered to the sofa, might as well be dreary weather, right?

Tomorrow it's back to work and hopefully back to feeling normal. I'm ready to get this marathon training plan back on the road.

What do you like to do to pass the time when you're feeling puny?

Double Donkey and a Dog

2011-12-11T19:42:00.000-06:00

Double Donkey.

Everyone on Twitter was totes jelly of our Double Donkey adventures. So we put together a tweet up for what was sure to be a great time. It was also sure to be cold! Checking the weather when I arrived at the high school it wasn't even yet 40. Laugh all you want, most of us don't have appropriate cooler weather cycling gear. We're all just a bunch of runners posing as cyclists anyway!

So I pulled on my running tights over my shorts and layered up. We were determined to have fun, even if the ride started off with some mechanical difficulties. Fortunately, Heidi's husband was there to save the day each and every time!

We hadn't gone far when we spotted what we came for; the wild life! The donkeys were apparently in warmer quarters but the llamas, alpacas and DOGS ran out to greet us. Notice in this photo, all the girls are fawning over the animals and Robert stands there, probably thinking, "Haven't y'all ever seen a dog before? Silly girls." But do you see how BIG those dogs are that I'm lovin' on? Those dogs have got to weigh more than me - and they are nearly as tall as me! (of course Mama C pointed out that's not that tall, ha!)

Thx for the photo Mama C!

Of course, my old friend the alpaca came to to give me some kisses. Merry Christmas to me!

And I'm pretty sure this "ferocious guard dog" wanted me to take him home. Oh, they were so incredibly cute and sweet! Notice I have my cheapo Target gloves OVER my cycling gloves. So thankful I remembered to pack those!

Somehow, we managed to tear ourselves away from the cuteness and continue on with our ride. This Double Donkey adventure was fraught with mechanical difficulties. Not one, not two but THREE different flat tires and one chain issue. Thank goodness for Heidi's husband who acted as team mechanic! Lots of stops on this ride.

Of course, all that stopping meant plenty of time for pictures! Here I am with Gretchen...who I am furiously working on convincing to race with me in April. We had a good time coming up with training plans...talks of 60 mile rides were thrown around. Love this kind of talk!

Oh, and I think I managed to talk just about everyone in to signing up for Hotter N Hell for next year. Maybe not everyone is interested in the 100 miler, but there are shorter distances and what a fun group camp out that will be!

We finally made it back in one piece. It was so much fun to ride with some new people - I had a great time! What a difference 60 degrees makes though. Greg had some sweet shoe covers and now that is high on my list of must haves. My toes were frozen for a few hours after the ride! That and knee warmers. My tights kept my legs from completely freezing, but some toasty knee warmers would be even better because it's only going to get cooler. Yes, I know, I'm Wimpy McWimperson when it comes to cycling in cooler temps. Hey, I'm new. Forgive me for not wanting to freeze!

Photo thanks to Mama C!

Since we were out that way, we decided to try In and Out to refuel. I had yet to take part in the In and Out craze since the stores arrived in Dallas a few months ago. You know what? It was okay. I don't think I'd crave it, but it was a fairly decent meal for pretty cheap. And now I know how to order. I ordered grilled cheese and they put some nasty dressing with pickle chunks on my sam. Eeeewwww.

I always crave a good coke post long ride. Mmm. All that sugary goodness really hits the spot. Even when it is cold! French fries just sweeten the deal. Being crazy crowded like In and Out always is, we had to sit outside. And no, it hadn't really warmed up any. Yes, we froze. Here are Greg and Gretch post meal on the patio. Love these two!

And finally, Gretchen used her smarts to figure out a way to stay warm!

It was a fun day of cycling, animals and friends! Felt so good to be back on my bike after a few weeks off. (you know, since the great fall) I hope we can find a group to get together most weekends. I'm going to need all the time I can get on my bike - and so are YOU Gretchen! ;o)

What is your favorite post ride/post run meal?

Digging Deep

2011-12-07T17:51:00.000-06:00

Sunday morning I woke up, as did many White Rock runners, to chilly weather and pouring rain. My first thought was to turn my alarm off, roll over and go back to bed. The fat, warm cat nestled in the crook of my arm echoed that notion. But not that day; it was marathon day!

I went about the business of getting ready for my long run, making my way to Fair Park in the pitch black of the stormy morn. Bag checked, weaving in and out of garbage bag clad athletes and scanning the crowd for familiar faces, I was soon enveloped in hugs. Meeting frunners, old and new, I began to get excited about the day before me.

Photo courtesy of Mama C!

How lucky am I that I get to run a marathon? Pretty darn lucky. The clouds and the moisture didn't dampen my spirits. Standing in my corral with Sare Bear, my running bestie, I confided that perhaps I would race this course after all. Maybe.

The gun went off and so did we. Wishing each other luck, we were soon parted, each running our own race. The cloud cover made it difficult for the satellites to find me; I felt pretty confident I wasn't running the 4:35 mile my Garmin displayed. So I pulled my sleeve over my Garmin and decided to run without regard to the numbers. Quickly soaked, so much so that pools of water gathered in the elbows of my jacket - I kept having to straighten out my arms to let the accumulated water run out of my sleeves! I ran the whole race on feel, not once glancing at my Garmin after mile .5.

Despite the weather conditions, I was fortunate not to struggle mentally or physically throughout this race. Yes, it felt like I was running a marathon. But, A wise man once said, "Being angry at the discomfort wouldn't make it go away." Before the race ever started, I purposed to enjoy my run and not mind the wet feet, cold hands and pelting rain. And you know what? For me, it worked. I don't remember being cold or uncomfortable. I just remember running my race and observing others run theirs.

It helps to have such an awesome cheer team meet you at several spots along the course!

That's right, instead of dwelling on what I couldn't control, I focused on those around me. I thought about all of those running their first marathon. Thought of those running to honor a friend or family member. Thought of those running to prove something to themselves.

And I saw people smiling. Grimacing. High fiving. Hugging. Cheering. Me? When I see someone walking, or struggling, I'll grasp a shoulder and offer a word of encouragement before moving on. Not once have I grasped a shoulder that they didn't smile and pick up the pace, at least a little. Maybe they don't want to get chicked. Or maybe, just maybe, the whole marathon experience is there to reinforce what we already know. Be kind to one another. We're all in this together. It might be the only kind word they hear that day. I should know.

Before you could say "soaked to the bone" , the race was over and I finally looked at my Garmin. 4:11. No PR but a decent time for a "nekkid" marathon. Post race, and out of the chute, 3 different runners came up to me at different times. Each laid a hand on my shoulder and thanked me for inspiring them, "I just focused on you. That's exactly what I needed to hear." I had never spoken to these runners, only run in front of them for miles and miles.

You see, early that morning, I made the decision not to run in my calf sleeves. Instead, I chose to decorate my bare gams with a message I hoped would be helpful.

Dig deep. When it gets tough, and it surely will, dig deep. You'll find the strength you need if only you dig deep.

Because in some ways, every day is Marathon Day. Full of highs and lows, and at times, seemingly insurmountable struggles. So dig deep.

And when someone tells you, "You can do this", believe them.

You had it in you all along.

"There is something you must always remember. You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Christopher Robin

I Got Chills, They're Multiplyin'

2011-12-02T20:47:00.001-06:00

Hypothermia
doesn't really hold much appeal for me. Yet I insist on running in frigid temps wearing shorts and a tank top. MCM it was 36 at the start, I look like I'm ready for June. BUT that's once I'm running. You get moving, the sun starts shining and your core temperature shoots up pretty quickly. I do not want to overdress for a race. Living in Texas, I have a fear of overheating.

And I'm not being dramatic - I ran a race in February and it was near 80!

It's not supposed to be hot on Sunday though. Right now looks like cold and rainy. I have some water repellent fabric spray for my shoes. Hopefully that will keep my feet dryish for a few hours. My body will just have to get wet. My tips for running in the rain include wear a hat, Body Glide just about everything and try to have a good attitude about it. Cause grumblin' aint gonna make it dry up.

Plus, we are in a devastating drought. I refuse to complain about the rain; we need it so badly.

But the cold? There is no call to be cold pre-race. That's what throw away clothes are for! Of course you don't want to shuck your pricey running gear...so I head to the thrift store for some bargains I don't mind parting with. And what is more fun on a Friday night than the thrift store? Exactly. I get a kick out of ours because it's in an old skating rink. The hardwood floors and side rails are still up!

Sadly, there didn't seem much to chose from. Only one sweatshirt to be found in the entire women's section. And this one simply would not do. Even as a throw away this is absolutely not going on my body.

I did manage to find a band uniform complete with a pleated skirt! Maybe not the best choice for warmth though.

Then, just as I was about to lose hope, in the men's section I found thrift store gold. A cheerleading sweatshirt. I snatched it up quickly, even though it was full price, $2.99. Totes worth it. A pair of fluffy fleece snowflake pajama bottoms and I was set.

I PR'd at MCM wearing my VA thrift store find of a cheerleading jacket, so maybe that's my thing.

Now I just need to decide which cheer sweatshirt to wear. I won't be able to keep my NCA cheer shirt because I'll have no one to hand it too. Sandra kindly held onto my SYA cheer jacket for me. It has sentimental value but since it zips, it will be a whole lot easier to rip off while I'm running. Hmm. These are some tough decisions I'm faced with making. Either way, I'm good to go and all for $6! Plus, the discarded clothing is donated to local shelters so everybody wins.

Later I headed out for grocery shopping. Yes, life with me really is that exciting. I figure tomorrow I'll want to rest and Sunday, well, I'm likely to be a little tired and you know, hungry? There probably ought to be food in the house. Two grocery stores and quel nightmare, both out of my bread and both out of chocolate milk. Noooooo!

Tomorrow I'll brave the expo. Making it bearable is the fact that I'm meeting up with frunners for lunch and then the Expo. Y'all know I'm not an expo fan. Ugh. Too. Many. People. After that, I plan to install myself on the sofa and watch, what else, more Veronica Mars. I'm a little bit in love with Kristin Bell!

Do me a solid and head on over to Anna's blog. She's running her very first marathon tomorrow in Memphis and I know she's gonna tear it up!!!

Hills Get You Boobs?

2011-11-29T07:52:00.002-06:00

Actually, yes.
In Dallas anyway.

It never fails. When I declare to my group (no matter what group it is, friends or runners I coach) that we are running hills, I always get the same response. As in, "unnnhhh, do we really have to do this?" My answer, as always, is "Yes, hills make you powerful!"

There are two types of hill workouts I like to incorporate into my training. Recently, I introduced my group to these, on separate days and weeks, of course.
Now, you must understand that we live in a very flat part of the state. The gorgeous Texas Hill Country does not reach up this far North. So you really have to seek out hilly neighborhoods for hill work. They may not be as plentiful or as steep as your hills but they'll do!

First off are rolling hills. All this means is that you incorporate a neighborhood with gently rolling hills into your tempo or long run. My favorite hood for this is less rolling and more "oh mah guah, does it EVER flatten out?" but I love it. Funny, I can usually only convince friends to run this neighborhood with me once. Hmm. I'll even take the same streets over and over to get some good hill time in. Up and down. Keeping my shoulders back, my head up and my arms pumping hard.

I am also particularly fond of Hill Repeats. Ah, repeats. Hill repeats will make a man out of you. Er, or wo-man as the case may be. (no boobs yet though) I start at the bottom and sprint my way up, focusing on form and speed. For beginners, I'll have them run up for one minute then jog back down. Repeat. 6 x 1 min to start. Next workout 8 x 1 min, working their way up to 10 x 1 min.
Me? I usually do 12 x 2 min. Run up for 2 min, jog back down. I try to reach the same point on the hill each time. Believe me, if you honestly go all out on your first time up, it's quite difficult to keep that pace! But no sandbagging on your first run just to make the others doable!
Hills make your stronger. Period. They'll improve your cardiovascular fitness as well as work those leg muscles in a whole new way. They'll give you confidence and, ahem, a better booty. What? Where do you think those hills muscles come from? (still no boobs!)

I've neglected my hill work a bit since MCM and I'm sure I'll regret it this weekend at White Rock. You see, about mile 21 you roll up into a hilly neighborhood. (which is really just mean) Two large hills, back to back, affectionately called the Dolly Partons. Get it? BOOBS! We're klassy with a k here in Dallas. The bright spot about approaching these hills, when you are so exhausted you'd pay good money for a ride on a Lil Rascal Scooter, are the Dolly Partons at the aid station. See? Hills get you boobs! Lots of 'em!

These men dress in blond wigs, dresses and um, well, boobs. They dance, they sing, the encourage - they are a HOOT and a HALF! I love to see the Dollies! They bring smiles to so many racers at a time when smiles are hard to come by.

Imagine my delight to learn, that one of my new "frunners" is married to a Dolly! That's right, Erik is a Dolly! He's sitting out this year to run his sweet wife Michelle in as she completes her very first marathon!

You can be sure that come race day, around mile 21, I'll be pumping my arms, holding my head up high and looking for all those blond heads and big boobs, a signal that the Dolly Partons have arrived!

*and a special thanks to sweet Shabby Princess who met me last night for rolling hills! She's not even training for anything and agreed to fight rush hour traffic to come run some chilly, hilly miles with me! What a great frunner!

What is your favorite hill workout? Do tell!

Listen to This

2011-11-22T11:39:00.000-06:00

So, when I was in DC last month Katie declared “We Found Love” the theme song of the weekend. Fortch, I already had that on my MCM playlist. Duh. Great minds think alike. Somewhere I have an incredible video of us car dancing to that song…

I was searching for the Rihanna video to “We Found Love” and came across the Cimorelli sisters. And proceeded to watch ALL of their videos for hours. They.are.amazing. No, really. I just love little Dani; she's entirely too adorable! Listen here to their version of Pink’s Perfect.

These aren’t professionally done videos, just filmed at home in their living room. They girls all have gorgeous voices and the arrangements are spot on. So incredible! It makes me want to have SIX little girls so I can make them singe in a group, ha! Visit their website too to hear ALL of their covers. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

That Which Does Not Kill Us...

2011-11-21T08:17:00.002-06:00

Might just maim us a little bit.

Little bit.

I have a bucket list of races I'd like to do. Two lists actually. One realistic and another, well, let's just say it's reaching a bit. The kill you/maim you race. Like Comrades. I'd love to run Comrades but who are we kidding? There are a few races on this list that I dare not even say out loud, not even to myself because they are so far fetched and crazy. Kind of like me.

I do have some super duper races planned for 2012. Naw, I'm not spilling the beans on those just yet. But it's because of those top secret super d-duper races that my latest scathingly brilliant plan will just have to wait until 2013. Let's just say my March and April are already quite full. So 2013 it is.

Oh yes, I'm already planning on 2013. First off, check out this elevation chart.

The race is in the dessert so, natch, I'll be running on sand the entire time. Nice. Oh, and you are required to carry a 35 pound rucksack. For the entire marathon. Yes, it's a marathon. There's a shorter 14.2 mile course, but why bother?

And did I mention the name includes "death march?"

That's right folks it's the Bataan Memorial Death March. Held each Spring in New Mexico. If you aren't familiar, during WWII, tens of thousands of allied POWs were forced to march through the Philippine jungles. Thousands died horrible deaths. Those that survived were forever changed. I'd love to have the opportunity to make this trek to remember and honor those that made that fateful walk in 1942. I'd love to have the opportunity to do so while there are still survivors left.

I'm currently trying to convince my buddy Al to do this. I managed to talk him into MCM so it's looking good. Plus, he's still active duty so it's not like he isn't in shape for it. Derek could probably be convinced. (and probably take home a medal - he's a bad @ss for sure - ran a 50 miler this weekend just one week after running a sub 4 marathon in Ft Worth!)

I'm not sure how to train for a sandy, dessert race during the winter months of this flat, non dessert terrain I call home, but I've got all of 2012 to figure that out.

What crazy race plans dance around in your head? Which race scares you so much you just have to do it!?!?

As Seen on My Run

2011-11-20T14:17:00.001-06:00

Saturday morning I had great plans to wake up early and bust out 20 miles. Apparently, my body had other plans. I vaguely remember waking up to my alarm, seeing Perry cat move from the foot of the bed, snuggle up on my shoulder as if to say, "Please don't get up yet." When your cat talks, you have to listen. Listen I did, waking up nearly two hours later. Sometimes, a Pink Girl just needs her sleep. Groggily, I gathered my gear, my long run necessities. Yes, that's Reindeer Corn. Christmas Candy Corn, aka, fuel.

Looking a little cloudy out. In fact it was utterly gross yesterday. Warm, humid and windy. At least it was overcast so the sun wasn't beating down too. This is what I get for sleeping in!

My first task was to run to the post office to mail a package to my sweet niece. I always feel a little like Dean Karnazes when I literally run my errands. Pretty much the only time I feel like Karno. Bless her little heart, she's having oral surgery to remove some teeth on Monday. Of course she needs glitter nail polish and decals, right? Best aunt ever right here.

Pink roses are my very favorite and I was lucky enough to come across these beauties. I love my neighborhood.

I read once that joggers bounce up and down at intersections, runners just stand there looking pissed. Well, yeah, especially if you are at this intersection. The light is forever long and if you notice, the crosswalk is diagonal. Urgh. Now, I've heard that some people, never me, some people, if it's early enough, just shoot across like a normal cross walk. But if you sleep this late, and don't want to get run over (and I don't) you stand there forevs and wait for your 5 second opportunity to make it through the longest crosswalk ever. Talk about speed work!

Eventually I was rewarded with some time at the creek where I played trail runner for a bit.

I know we don't have a gorgeous fall like many of y 'all, but I'll take what I can get, even if that means crawling down into a creek to get it. Too bad there was so much trash. :o(

White Rock has a couple big (by our standards) hills, known as the Dolly Partons. (get it?) So I sought out the hilliest neighborhoods I could find. They don't call this part of Texas the Plains Region for nothing; it's f-l-a-t here. But if you look, you can find a few. It doesn't look that menacing in this photo but this is my hill repeat hill of choice. And it kicks my booty every time. 10 mailboxes. It's 10 mailboxes until it flattens out. I count those 10 mailboxes every time you can be sure! I ran up and down this hill 4 times yesterday.

On my way back home I was rewarded with this sight, ducks! Those are ducks! They had a little kiddy pool and a dogloo filled with hay. And like dogs, they came waddling up to the fence eager to quack at me. So cute!

I was glad to get home and out of the humidity. You can be sure my hair was HUGE yesterday! As with every long run, I immediately reached for the chocolate milk. Then I spread a towel out on the carpet and proceeded to get my stretch on while catching up with the Saturday Twitter madness that is the reporting of races and long runs/rides. Love it!

Honest to blog? I did not enjoy most of this run. It was disgusting outside. I hadn't run long since MCM and I felt every bit of my laziness. And out of the blue, around mile 13, I had an anxiety attack. I haven't dealt with those in months and it quite literally knocked me on my tail. I sat on the side of the road, trying to get my breathing under control just wishing I had someone to call and come get me. I just wanted to be home. But there is no one to call and I needed to get those miles in. This marathon won't run itself. And let's face it, the weather could be just like this on race day. In fact, chances are better that it will be than it won't. And I could have a panic attack on the race course. Truth. So after a few minutes, I picked myself up and slowly started moving again.

And as I ran by the park on my way home, I witnessed a father helping his grown son out of the van. In his motorized wheelchair. And I was so ashamed for having a bad attitude about the weather and my run.

I am incredibly blessed. I have two healthy legs, two healthy lungs, a strong heart and the only thing stopping me is me. Just the reality check that I needed! I waved good morning and picked up my pace.

Thankful for every miserable step!

Random Friday Facts

2011-11-18T07:40:00.000-06:00

1. I cannot stand to listen to the theme song of television shows. I just can't. Mute.

2. I cannot get enough of the Slatkin candle Creamy Pumpkin. It just smells homey. My house needs all the help it can get feeling homey.

3. I can't spell restaurant. Ever. Often I cannot even get close enough for spell check to suggest something.

4. I have enormous hands. Also? Tiny wrists that make my man hands look that much more gigantic.

See? Man hands.

5. I am incredibly sarcastic and my sense of humor is often quite acerbic. But when I write (like here) it just sounds mean so I tone it down. You're welcome.

6. I'm a little obsessed with Honey Badger. I like his attitude.

7. I love Twitter on Saturday mornings when everyone is posting about their long run/ride/race. I just feel happy for y'all. And lazy.

8. I drink tea every morning. Not because I like it but because it is supposed to be good for me. When in DC I found a Trader Joe's and stocked up on the Candy Cane green tea. There's a narwhal on the package so you know it's good. "G'bye Buddy, hope you find your dad!"

my view from my office

9. I do not like a cluttered refrigerator, inside or out. No magnets. However, recently I purchased a magnet for my fridge because it reminds me of a great weekend. Who am I?

10. I have cats. I love them dearly, but would never frame photos of them. Framed dog photos? Super cute. Cats? Crazy cat lady. Totes unfair, totes true.

What is your random Friday fact?

Making My Own Rainbow

2011-11-14T20:42:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, you just have to look for the rainbow.
Sometimes, you just need to make your own.

I was digging through some old craft box tonight and found a Make it Bake it kit left over from a project I did with my niece years ago.

Smiling, I remembered how much I enjoyed these as a kid. Then I thought, "Why not?"

So I set about the business of making it, then baking it. While listening to Israel.

Nothing like the fumes of melting plastic filling your kitchen. Ah, an 80's childhood.

And just like when I was young, it didn't turn out perfect. But what in life does?

Embrace the little imperfections and when skies are gray, make your own rainbow!

Weekend Update

2011-11-13T19:40:00.000-06:00

I am one tuckered Pink Girl.

Friday evening I raced a Veterans Day 11K on 11/11/11. Results won't be available until next week but rest assured, I was counting the women in front of me! I felt good about my effort even though I wasn't really sure how to pace for that distance. I've only ever run one 10K and that was 3 or 4 years ago. Ended up sub 8 average and I'm pleased. Before the race started they had all veterans running come up and be individually recognized. That was pretty cool!

I promptly came home and set about the business of relaxing. Compression is so attractive, isn't it? The fuzzy pink socks help with recovery, trust me on this. "I, I, I work out...I'm sexy and I know it."

Saturday morning I headed out by the lake to ride with a new training group. Can I just say that riding in cooler weather requires entirely too much stuff? We were running afterwards so I had that much more junk to cart around. They had us riding intervals, focusing on cadence. In my easiest gear, I've never spun so quickly and moved so slowly in my life. I'm not sure if I'll pony up the bucks for the coaching. Yes, it is very valuable and yes, I have a lot to learn. But it's super pricey and while the coaches were all great, not sure if this is "my thing." The creepy know-it-all guy didn't help either. I attract the socially awkward creepy guys. Have my entire life. Could not shake him the entire morning. Ugh. Bless his heart, he was trying to be nice, but honestly...

I followed up my ride with lunch and a nice long nap with these guys. We are a strong napping team indeed. Later? Hot yoga!

Saturday evening I managed to finally shower and get dressed in people clothes. Coach Swimmifer was having a BBQ to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer research. My friend Hot Latina (her choice) pretended like she was stealing money from the jar. But really it just looks like she is altruistically giving. With a sneer!

Sunday I ate, for the third day in a row, my hearty breakfast of peanut butter and banana on toast. On my snowman plate! I don't care that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet. This little guy makes me smile.

I needed a hearty breakfast because after a long cycling hiatus, I was meeting Drum for 30 miles out at the airport. You know what airports don't have? Buildings. Or trees. Nothing to block the insane wind. Oh mah guah it was windy. My poor little bike was all over the road. At one point I thought we were going to be blow plum off the overpass! We saw quite a few other man cyclists and she made the point that it pays to weigh 200 when it's this windy!

And then it happened. I've been warned that it is coming. It's not if, it's when. Today was when. I was pedaling my little legs off going up a pretty steep hill, the wind was basically punching me in the face and I could barely keep my bike upright I was going so slow. And then, suddenly, I was no longer upright. Yep, I fell. In total slow motion. I could not get unclipped fast enough and bam, I hit the curb. Drum was at the top of the hill already (because she is a beast on the bike) so she didn't see it happen. Fortunately, neither me nor more importantly, Helen was hurt badly. I have some scrapes and bruises on my elbow and my shoulder is a little sore. Mostly I'm just humiliated!

Mike, my mechanic, always warns me to fall to the left so I don't do any damage to the derailleur. (first things first, right?) Sorry Mike, I of course fell on the right. Notice the copious grease on my leg from falling on the chain side. Nice. Notice also my man calves. Thank you cycling.

I didn't let the grass, grease or stench stop me from checking out the new tri shop, appropriate titled Tri Shop. (clever, huh?) It's a very nice facility, but they didn't have the one thing I went for. Ride glide. He looked at me like I was crazy and offered up Body Glide. Not the same thing dude. Fortch, my local bike shop had just what I wanted. Everyone deserves a happy hoo ha, right?

Another power nap, some more hot yoga and then an afternoon of Perry Mason and Reindeer Corn and I'm one tired girl. Oh yes, Reindeer Corn. It's like candy corn for Christmas! So excited that I'll have fuel for WRM!

I'm tired, but it was worth it. Aren't weekends for cramming in as many workouts as you can?

What was your favorite workout this weekend? Even with the wind and the falling, mine was my ride today. Love being back on my bike!

Friday Faves

2011-11-11T11:11:00.002-06:00

First off, to all the veterans out there, thank you. Thank you for volunteering to do what you do.

Secondly, I'm excited to introduce this Friday Fave, Vanessa from Gourmet Runner! She's hilarious - I always get a kick out of reading her blog. You will too. Promise. Annnnd, Vanessa will be running her very first marathon this weekend! So stop by and spread the blog love!

Side note, does anyone know why Blogger isn't loading the bottom of my photos? It has been doing this for a while now...

Blog Name: Gourmet Runner

Where are you from? Well this could be a while...I was born in South Africa, then moved to Hawaii and Germany with my family. I went to University in Pennsylvania, spent a few months living in England, and then finished off my college career in New Jersey before moving to Hong Kong for 4 years. Now I call Georgia home!

When/why/how did you start blogging? I started blogging in March of this year. I'm not afraid to admit...I have a little girl crush on Hungry Runner Girl (Janae) and read her blog all the time. I thought it would be fun to start my own!

What is one of your all time favorite songs? One that each time it comes on, you stop and turn it up. Gosh, I have a ton of these. For the last year or so it has been "King of Anything" by Sarah Bareilles. Too catchy!

Now, confession, look in iTunes, which song has the most plays? This is awkward. "Forget You" by Ce-Lo Green. Except, the unedited version. (Sorry, mom!)

Do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? I love to read! Lately I have been devouring books on running, but my all time favorite authors are Thomas Hardy, John Grisham and Betty Smith.

What was your favorite book as a child? I loved Roald Dahl growing up. Anything by him was divine, but Matilda was an all time favorite!

If you had a signature scent, what scent would that be? Does sugar have a scent? Probably something very sweet, maybe vanilla.

When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you notice about them? Their confidence! I am pretty shy when meeting new people, so I am always impressed at confident people.

Do you have any tattoos? Is there a story behind it? No way! I am deathly afraid of needles, so no matter how cool they look I would never get one.

Do you have a mantra, verse or quote that inspires you? My running mantras change all the time. A phrase or just a single word might come to me on a run, and that carries me through.

For you athletes - what is your ultimate goal race/achievement? My first marathon is this November, so right now my goal is to finish that! I love long distance running though, so I would love to run a trail ultramarathon eventually.

What is your dream vacation? Bora Bora! Hubby and I joke about this all the time. I promised him a trip there one day on my dime, so I better start saving!

What advice would you give to bloggers just starting out? I would say to really be yourself. Don't try to imitate other bloggers, but write about what comes naturally to you. And use pictures, who doesn't love pictures?

You can read about her weight loss journey here.

I'm so excited for you to run your first marathon Vanessa; I know that you are going to ROCK THIS RACE! (and totally beat Oprah, you've got this!) Good luck and have a great race!

You don't always have to be a bad@$$

2011-11-10T22:04:00.000-06:00

Wise words from my friend Cherry.

Thank you girl, I needed that.

Months ago, I signed up for a trail 50K for this weekend. And as I raced MCM, I thought to myself, "I do not want to do this again in two weeks." I raced hard. And I plan to race White Rock hard next month. So after much consideration, I've decided that running a 50K between the two would be labeled Bad Idea. Yet I still felt all this pressure to run this race since I signed up for it and paid for it.

Enter Cherry's sage advice.

So instead, tomorrow evening I am going to race an 11K on 11/11/11. And by race, I mean I might even just run an 11 min mile. Or something.

And on Saturday, I won't be out at the lake gingerly stepping over rocks and roots for 6 hours, I'll be sleeping in a bit and then heading out with a training group for a long bike ride followed by an hour long run. I've been trying out different cycling groups and I'm eager to see what they have to offer and if they are a good fit for my beginner cycling skills. (re: can I keep up?)

Sunday, I'll meet up with a friend for a 30 mile ride. I'm sure there will be some yoga in there somewhere and a few trips to the pool as well. I'm really looking forward to getting back on my bike. (I haven't been able to ride outside since The Great Sprain because I couldn't put weight on my wrist, nor steer with that brace on) It's not exactly the 22 mile run that I should be doing three weeks out from a marathon, but the entire weekend sounds like a lot of fun to me!

And isn't that why we do this anyway? To have fun?

Okay, and maybe to be a little bad@$$ too. There's always that.

This photo has nothing to do with anything. I snapped this in DC, crossing the street illegally to get it, and it just makes me laugh. BTW, that is a DUDE carrying that itty bitty dog around in his backpack!

Made My Monday

2011-11-07T09:21:00.001-06:00

I love photo texts.

No really, it's absurd how happy they make me. I'm a silly girl at heart, no one doubts this. So I randomly text photos to my friends and they in kind, text me. Sometimes it's a project they are working on, an item they are considering, or just something they think I'd find hilarious.

And I almost always do.

Like, when I had a dream about shopping for chocolate marshmallows, I OC tweeted about it, wondering if such a thing even existed and about an hour later, I get this from Willis.

Apparently, they do exist. I don't eat marshmallows, but you know, it's good to know. Put that info in your back pocket.

Recently I got a random photo text and I laughed and laughed. Then, per ush, tweeted about it. (because heaven forbid should I have a thought that goes untweeted....) "Photo texts make me ridiculously happy. I have the sense of humor of a 5 yo."

And the deluge began.

My phone started blowing up with texts! Do I have the craziest friends, or what? Not that you'll find them as funny as I did, but here they are, in order of appearance.

Katie was the first with puppies!

Someone was stopped at a train.

A project - fun!

Sandra's cat helping her clean the bathroom.

Someone knows my heart...

Natalie was running up Cardiac Hill.

Not exactly a photo, but a picture and sweet sentiment.

Teacher setting up the classroom...

And finally, new mom Chelsea sent me a pic of baby Elijah. Looks like a milk coma to me!

Made my Monday.

How 'bout you? What made your Monday?

Marathon Recovery

2011-11-06T21:39:00.000-06:00

First off, mad props to everyone who ran NYC today! Especially my friend Martina. Today is her 49th birthday; she ran NYC with an impressive 3:49! Way to go girl!

When I ran my first marathon I was almost more scared of the recovery than the race itself. I'd seen things like this.

But it really wasn't all that bad. Okay, I was walking a little slowly and stairs, ugh stairs. But I've learned a thing or two about recovering from a distance race so Imma share what works for me, with you! Hope you can take a tidbit or two.

TPG's Marathon Recovery Tips

1. Get some protein and some sugar in your belly fast. You won't feel like eating or drinking but you need something in your system. We all know that I swear by chocolate milk. It has the perfect ratio of fat/protein/carbohydrates and is supposed to aid in muscle repair. Plus, it's tasty! There are a lot of other recovery drinks out there but it doesn't get much more natural than milk. Find out what your tummy likes post long run.

2. Keep moving. It's okay to sit on the curb for a minute to catch your breath. I do that too if I've raced hard, but quickly get up and walk around. You don't want those tired muscles to seize up. Resist the urge to take a nap when you get back to your hotel. A slow as you might move, walk around. I promise you, this will help. Some runners like to go for a short 2 or 3 mile slow run the next day. Listen to your body.

3. Take an ice bath. Okay, true, I don't usually take ice baths anymore. I would have this last race if I had had time or resources. It's like icing your entire lower body for 20 minutes. (no longer!) This will really help keep the swelling down. If you can't take an ice bath, try to sit in a tub of just cool water.

4. Foam roll or The stick. The Stick is probably best if you are travelling. That foam roller will take up nearly an entire suitcase! I wouldn't do this immediately after your race but later that night and def the next day. This will help get blood flowing and speed up muscle repair. I talk a lot about repair. Working your muscles that hard creates lot of tiny little tears in your muscles. You need to get the blood flowing to mend those tears!

5. Compression. Ooooh, I love me some compression. I've worn my compression sleeves for a few marathon and let me tell you, it's the fastest way to look like a total dork. BUT, I think they make a difference. I wear them post race too. They feel all snuggly and supportive. Plus, they keep the blood moving in your legs. I have both Zensah and CEP. I like them both - find what works for you. My arms warmers are Asics and I wore them just to keep warm - it was chilly in a tank and 35 degrees!

6. EAT. I have no appetitete after a race. Usually not for days. But I make myself eat. A lot. After MCM I had nearly an entire Chipotle burrito. I rarely have Chipotle and when I do, I get a bowl and have half. But I downed all 1,000 calories or so of my veggie burrito!

7. Drink. Hydrate like it's your job. You need to replenish that water you sweated out on the course. Keep a bottle of water in your paw at all times. (you hear me say this a lot...I'm a big fan of hydration)

8. Sleep. You just ran 26.2 miles. I don't have to tell you, that's FAR. Make sure you get a good night's sleep for a few days after the race. Purpose to go to bed early. Again, sleep aides muscle repair. (and it feels good to be a little lazy after months of training, right?)

9. Get a massage. Hal says it's best to wait until Day 3 to get a massage for optimal results. I got a massage on Monday after my Sunday marathon because that's just how it worked out. But I usually would wait until Tuesday. Your muscles are going to be sore right after the race. Not in a duh, I just ran a marathon way, but sore to the touch. Your arms too! (this surprised me) So waiting a couple of days will make your massage a little more enjoyable and effective.

10. Take an Epsom salt bath. I swear by Epsom salts. Years ago I read that Meb takes them before an after a long run so I figured, if it's good for Meb, it's good for TPG. Dr. Teal makes eucalyptus and lavendar scented salts and they are the bestest. I did buy Epsom salts in DC and took a salt bath the night before and each day after the race. I swear by it.

I'm usually walking normally by the next morning and feeling 100% myself by Tuesday. It gets easier every time you run that distance but I was worried that racing it hard would make my recovery longer. But I stayed true to my routine and didn't hurt a day longer than usual.

Here's hoping for an easy recovery for your marathon!

And bonus tip: take the stairs BACKWARDS. It's much easier going down that way, trust me!

What's Next?

2011-11-03T10:47:00.002-05:00

Welp, I'm signed up for a trail 50K for Nov 12. And I'm on the fence. Why?

1. There's a duathlon the next day that I'd really like to "du." It's probably the last road duathlon of the season. I know I can't run 31+ miles then race a du the very next day.
2. Plus, I JUST raced a marathon, hard. Not sure if running that high mileage so soon afterwards is smart idea for my recovery.
3. Because, I have another marathon (road race) two weeks after that. While I was originally not planning on racing it...I'm a little high off MCM and would love to try and replicate that.
4. However, When I was at mile 22 of MCM I thought to myself, "I have NO interest in doing this again in two weeks!"
5. But, I won't be racing a trail run, I'll probably run a 12 min mile or slower. And it would be fun to hang out with everyone and complete another 50K.
6. But, it would also be fun to be on my bike again...the duathlon is a sprint so I feel my legs would be ready to race such a short distance.
7. So...I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

Sigh.

What's next for you?

Marine Corps Marathon - Earned, Never Given

2011-11-01T22:34:00.002-05:00

Well, I beat Oprah. Whew.

It was a long and incredible weekend but I'll start with the race since that is what most of you are here for. (even though many of y'all followed my splits on Twitter and knew before I did how my race went!)

Now, some of you can write an amazing race recap. Y'all take photos, tweet updates and give a mile by mile replay of what you were thinking and feeling.

Not me. I was running this race with this on my mind, run smart, run hard, PR the sh!t out of this race. Don't hold anything back. I didn't have time for photos, tweets or even coherent thoughts really. I've never raced this hard in my life.

I got a hotel in the District pretty close to Georgetown so I wouldn't have a long drive followed by a long Metro ride or, gasp, long walk. This close proximity to the start also afforded me the opportunity to set my alarm for later. Precious sleep = a well rested runner. As typical for me, I was plagued by nightmares about missing the race so I didn't really sleep that well after all. Also, my roommate, um, snored. Loudly.

If you name it, it will happen. Truth.

Catching the Metro and heading the the start line, I was very thankful for the throw away clothing purchased at a thrift store the day before. (in the SNOW!) The temps were brisk even for this hot blooded Texan.

Spotting this dude near my corral, I boldly walked up and asked, "Excuse me, Satan, may I get a picture with you?" Bless his forked little heart, my companion isn't familiar with iPhone technology and he had to wait for a few minutes while she figured it all out. (side note, non-bloggers DO NOT understand or appreciate the need to take endless photos so I have very few)

WWII planes flew over, skydivers dove and the Star Spangled Banner was sung. Why does it seem like I'm usually one of the only ones singing audibly? This is America people, SING!

It only took us about 5 minutes to cross the start line from our corral. Def the most organized corrals I've ever experienced in a race this size. (with over 20,000 runners, MCM is one of the top 5 largest US marathons and top 10 worldwide)

I reigned it in the first three miles trying to stay just under 10 minutes. It never really thinned out but everyone around me had lined up wisely and we were running the same pace so there wasn't much weaving to do. Thankfully.

Intent on running the tangents as closely as I could and for my wonky hip's sake, staying off the camber of the roadway, I focused only on what was right in front of me. I saw NONE of the monuments or memorials that we ran by. I was vaguely aware of running down Museum row. I think I might have eaten some candy corn at that point. Yes, I fueled with candy corn. Surprised? My Tweeps shouldn't be!

My memories of the race include saying, "Great job" each time I passed a wheeled chair participant (how they power up those hills is beyond me) I recall coming up on a Marine missing his left arm and running on a prosthetic left leg. I told him thank you and "you look so strong." I witnessed a guide leading a blind runner, both sporting US Army jerseys. I offered up some encouragement and received a "Thank you ma'am." Man, oh man.

For all I knew, I could have been in almost any city on Earth. I just kept glancing at my pace, hovering just over a 9 minute mile and gauging if I could maintain that speed. I felt that I could.

Mile 19 brought some struggle. And the Bridge. Beat the Bridge. That bridge beat me down hard. My legs felt heavy and I grew weary. I've never run that far at that pace. I knew that I'd see Katie at mile 22 and I knew she was following my splits. I didn't want to slow down too much and let her down. She was expecting a text at mile 20 and I just kept telling myself to give more.

Photo courtesy of Morgan

I look way happier than I was in this photo. Mostly I was just relieved to see my girls. Also, it looks like I'm running the wrong way. Nope. Just getting close to a turn around.

Somewhere between mile 22 and oblivion, I spotted Morgan's shiny silver disco pants. What a sight for sore eyes! My girls! As promised, Katie jumped in and immediately started talking. Exhausted, I muttered, "I'm really struggling; I'm on empty." She talked, sang, clapped, encouraged spectators to cheer, pointed over my head and demanded, "AMY. This is AMY. Cheer for her!" And they did! I kept my eyes on the ground about 10 feet in front of me and concentrated on the sound of her voice. I had nothing left and 2 miles to go. She never let up.

She told me, that she and Morgan picked out about 25 husbands for me, all shirtless Marines, all some of the first finishers. I chuckled at that. She chirped that I beat "the hell out of Oprah."

And then she said, "You've been through so much shit this year. But not today. You deserve this girl. Go GET IT." And with that, she patted me on the head, peeled away and disappeared.

For a moment I wondered if I imagined her. The finish line finally in sight, I gathered all the energy I had left and lumbered up the steep hill that led me home. It wasn't the sprint I had imagined; I had nothing left to give. I stopped my Garmin but afraid to look, I wobbled over to a curb and collapsed. Head in hands, regulating my breathing I thought about what had just happened.

I had run a marathon. #7. No matter your pace, you gotta respect the distance. 26.2 miles is a long way. I've come a lot further than that this year, but 26.2 marks my journey. The shone shone warmly down, a welcome glow in the chilly October air. I could feel my phone blowing up with texts. Twitter was auto updating my splits and my finish time. Not once had I glanced at my time, just my pace. Y'all knew and still, I didn't.

I knew I had slowed down those last few difficult miles. Had I made my goal of 4:30? Dare I hope for 4:15? My phone continued to buzz with excitement. Taking a deep breath, I looked.

4:05:59. A 29 minute PR.

Smiling, I looked up and was greeted by the Iwo Jima memorial. I've never seen it in person and had no idea how immense it was. The original photo, and now the memorial, gave hope to a nation. It was and is a symbol of courage, a reminder that we can still soar; that we can accomplish anything.

For me, and for many, the marathon is also a symbol of hope and courage. Proof that we can soar if only we try hard enough.

We all ran the same course that day, but like life, we are driven to run for different reasons. Some run to prove that they can, others to prove that they STILL can. Some of us aren't sure yet exactly what it is we have to prove, or to whom, yet we continue to feel that burning desire, that drive to keep going.

And I promise you, no matter what your challenge, you too can still soar.

Real Heroes Don't Wear Capes

2011-10-29T17:16:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow morning I'll wake up dark and early and head out to attempt marathon #7. I chose the Marine Corps Marathon for a few reasons. Kate and Ally (tee hee) both ran it last year and only had great things to say. I was in D.C. around the same time last October and the weather was amazing. Plus, there's the whole "my oldest and dearest friend lives in the D.C. area" aspect...oh yes, and KATIE!

But it's more than that. Our service men and women hold a very special place in my heart. I've got a lot of friends still on Active Duty - all of them have spent time in either Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm thankful that every one of them have returned from each deployment safe and sound.

And I'm thankful for their sacrifice and their service.

I wanted to do something to honor the brave men and women who have given up so much, just to insure my freedoms, and yours too.

I have a special allegiance to the U.S.Army, however, currently, there isn't an Army Marathon in D.C. So, MCM it was! I expect this will be an emotional journey. Starting near the Pentagon, long since repaired from the attacks September 11, 2001, those visions will surely be on my mind. The hundreds of Marines along the course will keep my purpose at the forefront of my mind. I anticipate some somber reflection as I run past the monuments honoring those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

When I began training, I knew I wanted my running to benefit a greater cause. I did a lot of research and contacted my active duty buddies to get their opinions. Then, I made a commitment to diligently log my miles and donate $1 for each mile run during training to the Wounded Warrior Project. They provide so many resources to service men and women who have been injured in the line of duty. You can read about their great work here.

Many of you helped me collect new children's books for the USO project, United Through Reading. And I thank you so much for your support. Together, we collected dozens and dozens of new children's books! (they are still coming in - look for a post soon!) I so enjoyed pouring over each of the books contributed and imagining the soldier, sailor, airman or marine that would select that particular title.

So tomorrow, as I tackle those 26.2 miles, if it gets hard, and it surely will, I'll ask myself, "Can I give more?" And the answer undoubtedly will be, "Yes." I'm running for those who always go the extra mile.

Because real heroes don't wear capes; they wear dog tags.

Friday Fave

2011-10-28T08:46:00.003-05:00

I'm not even sure when I started reading her blog. It was years and years ago. Living in Dallas too, she made the move from blog buddy to IRL friend and I'm so thankful for that! This girl has great style, is a ball of energy and so much fun to be around! Introducing The Shabby Princess, Ally!

Blog Name: The Shabby Princess

Where are you from?: Central Coast of California, but, I got to Texas as soon I could!
When/why/how did you start blogging?: Started blogging in early 2008 after a several month stint staying with my family, it was a way for my Texas friends to stay up to date.
What is one of your all time favorite songs?: Hmmm... There are a lot. I love music. I love 80s music. But, the songs that are the most meaningful are the songs that remind me of my mom, hmm--It's Five O'Clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.
Now, confession, look in iTunes, which song has the most plays?: "Take Me Out to The Dancehall" by Pat Green.
Do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?: Love to read! I'm currently loving anything written by Kristin Hannah, but, my all time favorite is The Great Gatsby.
What was your favorite book as a child?: I can't remember the name of it, but, it was a book all about teddy bears! I've looked for a copy for years, but, I haven't found it yet. Boo!
If you had a signature scent, what scent would that be?: In my mind, the beach!
Confession, in your office, how do co-workers refer to you?:I don't have anything, they usually just call me by my name--although, there was the constant asking of "so, how many miles did you do this morning?!"
When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you notice about them?: How they react to my loud craziness! I can be a lot to handle at first, haha.
Do you have any tattoos? Is there a story behind it?: I have two--a fairy on my hip and a flower on my back. I KNOW. I was 18, I'm not saying I was smart.
Do you have a mantra, verse or quote that inspires you?: "Just keep swimming"--even though I do not swim, ha!
For you athletes - what is your ultimate goal race/achievement?: One day, I really, really want to run Comrades, that's my dream. (girl, let's go, I'm totally IN!)
What is your dream vacation?: Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Easiest question!
What advice would you give to bloggers just starting out?: Have fun with it! Blog for you, write from your voice.

Ally, I have so much fun every time I'm with you and I'm looking forward to hanging out with you in D.C. when we take MCM by storm! Whether it's lunch at Smashburger, shopping at Ulta or running into you at races, I pink sparkle heart you!

Don't Listen to This

2011-10-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Listen to this instead.
Okay, so you lost the one you love. He left you, you got dumped. Whatevs. And you want to wallow. I feel ya.

The following songs irritate me every sinkin' time I heard them on the radio. They are dumb and they just plain make girls look bad. Look crazy. Ugh. Don't listen to this!

Top 3 Crazy Girl Songs:
1. Someone Like You - Adele. Girl has a phenomenal voice, yes. But this song. Ugh, this song. She's a stalker! Get OVER it woman! You cannot go around following him and just randomly showing up. He's married, you said so yourself. "Why are you so shy?" Um, because he's freaked out that you just showed up after all this time. Move on or at least move away. Creepy McCreeperson.
2. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood. I cannot condone destruction of property. I mean yes, he's probably going to wince when he comes out to find that you've "dug your keys into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive" but mostly he's going to be glad he left you after all. Even if he did cheat. You aren't teaching him a lesson about fidelity. You are confirming that you are a freakshow and he's safer without you. Plus, girl, you could serve some jail time for that. He's a cheater, he's def not worth it! Slow your roll.
3. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift. No baby, just no. You sound desperate. And girl, he's with someone else. Just because "She wears short shorts (dont' hate) you wear t-shirts, She's Cheer Captain and you're on the bleachers" does not mean that you can spy on him from your bedroom window. Stop it now. Find someone else that likes the way you dress and admires the fact that you have minimal school spirit. He's out there.

Instead, wallow like a guy. Guys don't get all weird and stalkerish. They do it right. They just get mad. I'm pretty sure there is a well placed f-bomb in each of these songs.

Now, Listen to This!
1. I Will Survive - Cake. He don't need you. Just get to steppin'. You left, he's moved on. At first he was afraid, he was petrified. But now, now he's stronger and don't wanna hear from you no mo. (this might be directed at Adele...)
2. Gives you Hell - All American Rejects. True, this was written about a former manager, not a girl, but it still works. He isn't skulking about town spying on her. He's living his life, happy and hoping, just a little, that she's miserable without him. All without stalking.
3. F** You - Cee Lo Green. Resist the urge to buy the edited version. Go whole hog. Cee Lo is sad, he even cries in this song, but he gathers the gumption to tell the man who took his woman exactly how he feels about him. Without scratching up his Ferrari. Well done Cee Lo, well done.

See the difference? Now, I've been accused of being more like a dude emotionally on more than one occasion. But there is no call for crazy behavior. If you want to sing at the top of your lungs, stop the graveley, throat scratching "someone like yooooouuuuu" and crank up some angry, bad words.

Empower yourself, don't embarrass yourself.

Rando Thoughts from my Taper Brain

2011-10-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

So apparently some people actually have lives other than training.

I am not one of those people.

I know that taper is for me to rest my body. The hay is in the barn. I've paid the man. The miles are run. But guah. What to DO with all this time?

Saturday night we had a hunormous hail storm hit at 1:45 am. Of course I was up, natch. Me and sleep, still not good friends. Always one to love watching it storm, I peered out the backdoor to take a look. The backyard was covered in ice in a matter of minutes and the leaves from my trees were pulverized into a fine mulch. A fantastic lightning storm accompanied the hail, keep in mind this photo was taken around 2 am!

Erin mentioned to me that Kroger sold caramel apple flavored candy corn. Knowing that Michelle is a fellow candy corn fiend, I decided to pick up a bag for her before our run at the lake Sunday. Now, I don't normally shop at Kroger or any other larger grocery store. The store I frequent is small and filled mostly with fresh cheeses, meats, breads and produce. The "hardlines" section is very small and consists mostly of organic fare. So being in a huge grocery store was like a wonderland of junk food for me. Quickly finding the candy corn, I went up and down a few other aisles, curious to see what else the shelves held. Mostly crap. Including bacon flavored popcorn. For reals.

Our admin made my week by surprising me with new markers! Dry erase in a wide selection of fun colors (two purples!) and, gasp, my favorite, Mr. Sketch scented markers! She splurged and got me the bonus pack of the bigger markers. I was so excited to sniff all the new to me scents including Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy. What can I say, I'm really easy to impress!

Collin surprised me with a teeny white pumpkin for fall. So cute, right? And yes, it's sitting on my work Bible. No, that's not sacrilegious. God made pumpkins. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think I might have killed my group last night. We were supposed to run 25 minutes easy but I took them on a new (to them) route and we ended up being out for 38 minutes. Longer than many of them have ever run. They all hung in there but they all looked mighty tired when we finished. Oops, sorry y'all. We ran about an 11 min mile and that was a great taper pace for me while pushing them. Win win!

Tonight I ran errands like crazy getting ready to go out of town. Like a boss, I ate my Panera mac n cheese while heading to pick up some books a friend's book club donated. What? You don't eat mac n cheese while driving? I'm just super skilled like that.

My hip is tight this week but not hurting. In the past when my hip has been tight before a race, I've PR'd so let's hope that rings true again. I signed up for auto tweeting my splits so we'll see how that works. If you follow me on Twitter and don't see any updates for a while on Sunday, assume it's not working, not that I dropped out, k? Okay, well, maybe shoot me a text to be sure.

The shuffle is on charge, laundry is churning away, I'm drinking my weight in water each day...preparations are almost done. I have the small matter of deciding what to wear and what to eat Saturday night but other than that...

I'm ready to head to D.C. Read to see my girls, ready to experience some fall weather and ready to run this race. I'm feeling good but who knows what race day will hold? That's part of the excitement though, the anticipation of the crowds, putting my training to the test and looking forward to crossing that finish line and proving to myself, once again, that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Just try and stop me.

Pumpkin Patch Days

2011-10-23T21:35:00.002-05:00

One of the things I love about my town is the sense of community and of tradition. Example: each year, one fall afternoon, they shut down a major road for the high school homecoming parade. Everyone comes out to watch the floats, cheer the football team, hear the marching band and ooh and ah over the fantastic homecoming mums!

And every autumn, the church down the road turns their lawn into a pumpkin patch. Church members volunteer to work the patch and the money raised is used to fund mission trips for the youth throughout the year. Neat, huh?

I've always meant to stop and in the eight years I've lived here, it just never happened. But I get a little thrill every October when I see that the pumpkins have arrived.
Lately, I'm purposing to do things that I enjoy. So, I resolved to visit the pumpkin patch at the church. A beautiful, warm sunny day, I wandered among the remaining pumpkins, taking my time to select just the right one.

There were families with children, on the same quest as I. Photos were taken, smiling young faces among the gourds.

One young couple propped an infant on a hay bale, clearly excited about this new tradition. I smiled in spite of myself.

Families.

Kelly recently posted about a trip her young family made to their local pumpkin patch. She wrote how she dreamed for years of this day, snapping pictures of her children in the fall harvest. And she closed her post with the following words,"Keep hope. Your pumpkin patch days are coming. And they will be worth the wait."

This really spoke to me. My life has changed so much in the past year. I'm not where I thought I'd be. I'm not where I hoped I'd be. And I'm not even sure anymore where I want to be.

I'm starting from scratch at a point in my life where I should be in the growing phase, not a building phase. But this is where I am. For someone who has always been a planner, it's difficult to see my plans destroyed, left only with broken pieces to reassemble somehow into a new plan.

My life upheaval isn't a punishment from God. I don't think that at all. But I do firmly believe that He can use any situation to teach us, to grow us. And I'm trying hard to learn the lessons He has for me. And I'm trying to be patient while He reveals His plan for me. It's hard, waiting on the Lord. But I know His plans are far better than even I, with my vast imagination, could put together.

I don't know what my future holds. I doubt I have days of little faces among the pumpkins. That's an opportunity passed. I may not ever again have days to share my life with someone. There are people who never even have one someone. What makes me think I might get two? That's just reality and a possibility I accept.

But I have Pumpkin Patch Days ahead of some sort. I'm sure of it. So I'll do my best to be patient. And do my best to keep my heart open for whatever He has in store for me. Because I know that indeed, it will be worth the wait.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

The Day I BQ'd

2011-10-20T22:28:00.001-05:00

By Yasso.
Ha! Had ya there for a minute, huh? No worries, a BQ is not in my near future.

I am still deeply in my Corn Candy Funk. I'm blaming corn candy. Which really isn't fair. It might be all the war movies I'm watching. To get fired up for MCM I've been watching war movies every night. Since I can't actually ride my bike, Monday night I rode the trainer for 2 hours while watching "Letters from Iwo Jima." Sunday it was "Flags of Our Fathers." Tuesday, "We Were Soldiers." Last night, "Saving Private Ryan."

I love a good war movie. Always have. But they can be a little heavy. Keep in mind, I'm the same girl who had dry eyes during "The Notebook." The one who yawned at "Titanic" and couldn't wait for Jack to finally just let go and get it over with. I mean, they had only known each other for a few days. Puhleeze, like they were really in love?

But plunk me down in front of a war movie? I started to sniff when the horse died, bawled when they shot the dog and totally LOST IT when the Japanese soldiers stood as he read Sam's mother's letter. Just imagine, me pedaling away, tears flowing, my sniffling barely audible over the whirring of the trainer. This is what my life has come to. Please notice, my cat thinks the bike is his own personal giant cat toy.

Tuesday, I ran with my group and then was supposed to hit the track for Yassos. (800's) But there was a football game going on. And no parking spaces. So I just gave up and went home and watched a war movie. So Wednesday, which is usually yoga night, but I still can't put weight on my wrist, I headed BACK to the track to get in my Yassos. Annnd another football game. Texas. This time I managed to find a spot to park so I set out to do my Yassos in the neighborhood using the route Sare Bare and I mapped out last time I Yasso'd.
My goal this time was 4:15 Yassos. But really, secretly, I hoped to run them in 3:58. I know, secret from whom? I play these games. My first Yasso was 3:39. Ooops! Fluke, right? Well check out my 6 Yassos: 3:39, 3:37, 3:32, 3:35, 3:37, 3:38. Um, yeah. 4:15 my bony pink butt. If Yassos are supposed to be an accurate prediction of your marathon time, I BQ'd all but one of them, ha!

I only ran 23 miles this week. Taper makes me nervous. 23 miles? Eek.

I have no idea what to expect from this race. I trained for a 4:30 marathon but I just don't know. We'll find out in just over a week!

Side note: I can't wait to see this girl and this girl next week in DC. And of course this girl (that I can see anytime in Dallas but will still be fun to hang with in DC with everyone else because she is awesome!)

Do you Yasso? Do you feel it was an accurate prediction of your marathon time?

Listen to This

2011-10-18T08:08:00.001-05:00

We all think we have just fabulous taste in music. And we all do. To our own ears at least! Leigh joked that she always gave her hubs a hard time for listening to Three 6 Mafia, but after I posted about my love for “Shake My” she thinks she’ll give it a listen. Hoodrats for life!

No lie, when I get in your car, I’m going to make suppositions based on what your iPod is tuned to. Note, I am always the DJ when a passenger; I like to know what moves ya. So, put away the Barry Manilow unless you are going to OWN it. No shame.

I for one, am not afraid to profess my love for Neil Diamond. Nobody messes with Neil while I’m around.

Some of the best stuff, I’ve found through recommendations of friends. And no, I’m not counting Pandora as a friend, but yes, I’ve discovered more than one gem that way. Anna is basically my music twin. She’s always good for a rec. (Anna, you enjoying your new tunes?) Charlie turned me on to Guster a few years ago. (are you listening to Guster? You should be!)

Lately, I’ve been feeling nostalgic. Back inna day I followed a local Dallas band, the Old 97’s. Described as alternative country, I've adored them since the beginning. We all know about my obsession, and my arrangement with the Potbelly guitarist, regarding “Question.” Why don’t you go ahead and just download it right now? Best $1.29 you’ll spend all week. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

You back? Good, right? You’re very welcome.

After much deliberation:
Top Three Old 97’s Tunes

1. Question – duh, we covered this one already. Brilliant. Rando fact, I've never been asked "that" question. True story.

2. Valentine – Upbeat tempo, sad song. You’re tapping your feet, singing along and then all of the sudden you realize, whoa, this is gut wrenching! “Cried, I cried, til I couldn’t carry on. It’s a lonely, lonely feeling when your Valentine was wrong.”

3. Love is What You Are – “Love is what you are, not what you do. I know what you are and I love you.” Tragic or hopeful? You decide.

And that my fair readers, is what you should be listening to this week.

Tell me, what should I be listening to?

Deep in the Heart of Texas

2011-10-17T22:00:00.001-05:00

Where'd she go?
Oh, nowhere. Instead of a gradual taper, my fall last week forced me into a screeching halt. I was rendered incapacitated with fever and illness for a few days. And too weak to get in any quality miles. My janky arm confined to a brace, yoga and cycling are off the schedule.
So what better way to recover than to head to one of my favorites places, Austin, TX for a long weekend! Our fair state capitol holds many fond memories and a very special place in my heart. The 3 hour drive goes by so quickly - it's like my car just knows where it wants to be. And every time I'm there I think, "Now, why don't I live here?"
I spent a day in downtown Austin visiting just a few of my favorite old haunts a a few new spaces too.

Austin IS the Live Music Capitol of the World. The world people.

Tacow

About 85, it was the perfect day for hanging your head out the window!

The 15th anniversary of the Livestrong Foundation, Lance and friends were hosting a huge party and expo at his shop.

If you've never been to Austin, what are you waiting for? The weather is perfect year round, the hills are GREAT to run/ride and everyone is just so friendly. There is a campaign to, "Keep Austin Weird" and believe me, the entire city is working hard on that particular goal. I wouldn't have it any other way. Austin just has an energy that makes me feel at home. I love this place!
Later, I went see my friend Nat who recently moved to Boerne, about a half hour outside of San Antonio. She is an amazing host! And her house, right on the river, is just as beautiful as it could possibly be!

That porch! We were sure to spend time rocking in the cool night air.

I love a fireplace of Texas stone. Simply gorgeous!

They live right on the Guadalupe River. (pronounced Gwa-day-loop around here)

I would never tire of this view.

We took an early morning walk through the hills.

And headed down 1/2 mile trail which turns out, isn't even a quarter mile. Oh, well.

It was so nice to spend time with a dear friend just relaxing and catching up. Natalie has been a great friend to me. She's been there for me this past year in ways even she will never know. I'm blessed by her friendship and thankful to have her in my life! Aw, her sweet puppies remembered me. There isn't much more restorative than time in the country and precious puppy hugs. Love me some sweet redbone coonhound lovin'!

Saturday we drove back up to Austin for some Longhorn football. Who doesn't love some Fall football? We were playing OSU so there was lots of orange to be seen. But let's face it, OSU is an ordinary ole orange not the pretty burnt orange of Texas! Nat wore her Baylor tee as her alma mater was playing a&m. I'll refrain from making any a&m statements but let's just say anyone in orange was rooting for Baylor.

All that burnt orange makes me feel all warm and snuggly.

At halftime, the band played a tribute to the Beatles. Which, is basically the Longhorn Band's way of saying, "We love you TPG and we sure are glad you're here."

We ate nachos, drank coke and really just enjoyed ourselves. It was a really good game, even though we lost. There was plenty of excitement and we were in the game for most of it. I love the atmosphere of college football. (and high school too for that matter) High fiving your neighbors, singing fight songs at the top of your lungs, cheering across the stadium (the stadium that holds more people that even Jerry Jones' Cowboy Wonderland, ahem) and throwing up those horns! \m/ Hook 'em!

We met up with our friends LIndsay and Drew (not pictured) after the game. Friends & football. A perfect Fall day!

I was sad to leave Nat and sad to leave Austin. As I drove across Texas, listening to country music on the radio, I got a little homesick for the city I love so much. The Hill Country will always be a part of me. Maybe visiting isn't enough anymore. Because as I watched the Tower grow smaller in my rearview mirror I once again thought, "Now why don't I live here?"

Texas Tough

2011-10-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

The irony is not lost on me that just Friday I posted about how to survive your first 20 miler. And then I myself, the author, had such an entirely tough time surviving my 20 miler yesterday. More on that later.

Yesterday started off good enough. I ran a 5K with my group. For most of them it was their very first 5K! I was honored to get to share that experience with them and they all did an incredible job!

We were done with the race and festivities around 9:30. I got home closer to 10. I just didn't feel up to heading out for 20 mile right then so I cleaned house, napped. You know, piddled around the house. I guess I headed out around 3 or so. Man it was hot yesterday. I'm really hoping for cooler temps at MCM but if it isn't, you can't say I didn't train in the heat!

Calendar wise it is indeed Fall and the neighborhood decor reflects that even if the weather does not. I decided to do a little "As seen on my run" photo montage. Spotted this friendly looking scarecrow driving some sort of sleigh.

Things were rocking along just fine. Determined to hit my goal pace of 10:18, I kept having to remind myself to slow down. Well, I slowed down for sure. Because one moment I'm bringing sexy back with JT an the next I'm sprawled out on the pavement.

I fell. Hard.

Stunned, I sat up taking inventory of my injuries. Bloody hands. Torn shirt and shorts. Brand new pink iPod shuffle scratched. (I can assure you there were some choice words uttered about that) Believe it or not, a cyclist saw it all happen and he actually turned around and came to check on me. Some of them are human! I was embarrassed that he had seen my spill.

The blood didn't bother me, when you make contact with pavement that's going to happen. I was grateful I didn't hit my head in any way. I kind of like my teeth where they are and my orbital unshattered. Peeling back my shorts revealed that my bony hip had taken a beating. It was bloody and fast turning black and blue. Of course I'd have to fall on the hip that is already wonky!

I stood up and walked around for a bit trying to determine if I was actually hurt or just scraped up. The cyclist offered to "call my mom and dad." The reality is, there is no one to call. I've been hurt so much worse this year. A little tumble and some bruising can't keep me down. Every time life has thrown a curve ball at me (and several time bonked me right in the face!) I kept going. No sense stopping now! I was 8 miles from home and might was well finish my run. So that's just what I did.

Bleeding like an ax murderer the entire way. My hip and knee bothered me a little and I even, gasp, walked up a few hills. But I finished. I'm Texas Tough.
Arriving home I set about the business of cleaning the debris from my wound. Never a fun chore. I might have spewed forth a few unladylike terms. Knowing two things, that I was out of date on my tetanus shot and that I had plans to swim at the lake in the morning, I set out to find an urgent care facility that could give me a tetanus vaccine.
I really know how to spend a wild Saturday night y'all!

I totally look like death warmed over. I headed straight to Care Now before they closed. No make up, no dinner and after running 20 mile I was beyond starving. Just keeping it real folks.
They asked about my pain, examined my arm and hip. I turned down both xrays and pain medication. Pain medication, really? I told them my pain was a 1 on a scale of 10. Or a "Hurts a little" on the Wong-Baker scale.

I got my shot and the nurse cleaned and dressed my wound. The doctor looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if swimming in the lake was the worst idea ever. So no lake swimming until this heals completely. Although I'm okay for the pool once it closes over. When I asked about my bike ride for today, she wanted to know for how long. I replied around 3 hours and she said fine to that but I think both she and the nurse thought I was a little insane. I must say, saying these things out loud to non athletes, it does sound kind of weird. "So yeah, I was out running and I fell." "How far?" "20 miles." "And you didn't stop after you fell?" "No, I had to get my 20 miles in!"

I got a pretty pink dressing and was instructed to keep it covered for a few days. Once she cleaned it up, it actually looked a lot worse then when I initially fell. I took a pretty big hunk out of my hand. Oh well, just glad it was only my hand and nothing was broken. Alls well that ends well!
Until. Until about an hour later. You know those sheets they send home with an Rx or a shot? The one detailing all the possible side effects? Well, yeah. I had a bad reaction to the vaccine. I ran fever, had a horrible headache an was nauseated all night long. It was a long night. I'm feeling weak and miserable today. All from a shot!
So I'm missing my ride with Velo because I can barely make it around the house. (never did get a chance to refuel after my 20 miler) I knew I'd get dropped with that group as it was - I'm certainly in no shape today to try to keep up! I'm a little sad about missing my swim too. But, it is what it is.
Here I've been so worried about falling on my bike and I take a big tumble just running. Klutzy girl. Now I'm really concerned about falling on my bike. At least I won't have to worry about a tetanus shot when it happens!
In a little while I'll put myself together and head out in search of some food. Gotta get my nutrition in if I'm going to remain Texas Tough!

Have you ever fallen while running?

Your First 20 Miler - How to Not Die

2011-10-07T19:15:00.003-05:00

Catchy title, huh?

The Twitterverse, specifically concentrated in the NW Arkansas area, was, ahem, a twitter concerning an upcoming 20 miler. The first.

Been there.

I remember my first 20 miler. Bahama Mama, the one I ~~tricked into~~ encouraged to run NYC with me crossed that threshold the same day. My first marathon training plan called for something like five 20 + mile runs. It's no wonder I ended up injured and only able to run one of those. Everyone has their own opinion but I'm with Hal, there is no reason to run more than one 20 miler for your first marathon. Remember, your goal is to cross that finish line with a smile on your face. 20 can be rough on a runner, both physically and mentally. No need to visit that mileage multiples times.

20 miles. It's far. Heck, it starts with a TWO and ends in an enty! I totally get it. But there is no reason to freak out. You've got this.

TPG's Tips on Surviving Your 1st 20 Miler

Hydrate like it's your job. Y'all have all heard me say this before. The time to start hydrating for a long run is days before. You should have a water bottle in your paw at all times. Bottoms up!
Run with a friend. Even if they aren't training for a marathon too, try to get a few friends to split up with miles with you. I often ~~bribe~~ ask my friends to meet me at different times during the morning to break up the run. Someone will meet me early for 5 miles, another for 10 and so on. I may make a lot of loops, but it feels less overwhelming that way. Plus, I get to see even more of my cru!
Have a plan. Don't just head out running. Have a route mapped out, preferably one that is familiar. This isn't the time to add in a lot of hills or unfamiliar busy streets to negotiate. I used to write down my routes, turn by turn so that I wouldn't get lost. Make two 10 mile loops if you need to do so.
Don't change a thing. This is not the time to try new shoes, clothes or nutrition. If you normally have pizza the night before a long run, do that. If you usually have a bagel for breakfast, do that too. Training is all about finding what works but let's keep the tinkering to shorter runs. You won't want any surprises at mile 18.
Make sure someone knows where you are. Once upon a time, I might actually be missed if I didn't show back up at home. So I'd leave a copy of my route, with my estimated time to return. Ex: Mile 10 7:30 ish, mile 15 8:30 and so on. Even if you are with friends, it's a good idea for someone to know where you are headed.
Watch your pace. This is not the time to push your pace. Keep it slow. You are building endurance, not speed. Walk if you need to. It's all about time on your feet for your first 20.
Trust your training. This is a BIG DEAL! You are running TWENTY MILES. In a ROW! Nothing says marathon training like a 20 mile run. You've trained hard and your lungs and your legs know what to do. They are totally prepared for this. You can do this. So much of running your first marathon is mental. Don't let the mileage overwhelm you. Trust your training. Can of corn baby, can of corn.
Recover. Okay, you just put your body though a lot. Some people take ice baths. Me, I'm meh about them. I've done them, I've not done them. Foam roll. Stretch. Wear your compression socks. Just try not to take a nap. 'Cause if you do, you're not going to be able to climb out of bed. Something akin to rigor mortis sets in. Trust me on this. Go to be early, but resist the urge to take a nap!
Tell people. Once you're done, share the news of your survival! Post it on Facebook and Daily Mile. Shout from the rooftops, "I ran 20 miles today! In a ROW!" It's a big accomplishment and your friends, runners and non-runners alike, will be excited for you! Even the most seasoned athletes, even ultrarunner extraordinaire Scott Jurek, (with whom I'm a little bit in love) surely remembers his first 20 miler. Mad props to you for doing it!
Celebrate! Pat yourself on the back! We all know that I have a Nike Tempo addiction. I went out that afternoon and bought a new pair to commemorate the occasion. Get some new socks, a new pair of kicks leading up to the race, something. You just rocked 20 miles!!!

Now go RUN!

(and then blog about it!)

Randomness from Pinterest

2011-10-06T22:16:00.000-05:00

Tempo run tonight.
It went very well except for my pace. Gotta get control of my pace. I was about 45 seconds per mile under where I should have been. Gah. I guess there are much worse problems to have, right?!?!
So Pinterest is still a HUGE time suck for me. It's basically like the Internet is new all over again. Sad commentary on my life these days.
But it keeps me amused. Maybe it will make you smile too!

This week was just silliness. Next week I'll go back to inspiring. Are you pinning? Let's be Pin Friends!

Yassos? Yes please!

2011-10-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

The day started off perfect.
And only got better from there.

I started with day with a 45 hour ride around the lake. Yes, I'm an idiot and put 45 hours instead of 45 minutes into daily mile. I got a lot of comments on that workout!

Oh, that I could start every day like this!

Came home to mail. I LOVE mail! It's even better when it's from an old friend who is stationed in Oahu!

We'd been emailing back and forth after he and his wife invited me to come stay with them to run the Honolulu marathon in December. Okay, the idea of running a marathon in Hawaii is VERY tempting and when your friends say, "Hey stay with us!" well, that really sweetens the deal. However, I have a marathon the weekend before here in Dallas and frankly, I'll be just about out of PTO at that point. Major Sads. But he hasn't given up!

Because he mailed me a magazine detailing all kinds of endurance races - complete with entry forms! They assured me that the offer stands, I just need to pick a race. 2012 here I come...
Tuesday nights I run with my group then get in my speed work. I've started alternating every other week, hill repeats and Yassos. This week was Yassos. So, I tweeted, "How many Yassos should I do tonight? I'm 26 days out from my marathon. @BartYasso would know!" And lo and behold, look what came across my Twitter feed???

Derek sharing that HE TOO is allergic to sharks (different conversation) and a message...FROM BART YASSO! I almost fell off the sofa! Bart Yasso wants me to do 10 Yassos so 10 Yassos I shall run! This seriously made my day. Bart Yasso. We're like BFFs now, right? I can say that I've been personally trained by the best!

So, I wrangled my running bestie, Sare Bear, to keep me company at the track and away we went. Except, it's football season and there is always a game going on at the stadium. No track for us. So, we mapped out 800m in the neighborhood and I set out to run my Yassos up and down the streets. Not the most ideal set up, but it works.

What is a Yasso, you ask? Good question. This article says it best. Basically, you run multiple 800m (two laps, half a mile) in the same time you want to run your marathon. Wanna run a 4 hour marathon? Run 4 minute 800s. I've been running my Yassos at 4:30 because that is my marathon goal. Lately though, I've started to re-evaluate that and wonder if I'm sandbagging. So tonight, I decided to shoot for 4:15 Yassos.

Only problem, no track. It's harder to gauge your pace if you don't have references. I check my watch at 200m, 400m and 600m to make sure I'm spot on. Here, I was just running the neighborhood. And I'd given my Garmin to Sare Bear because she wasn't doing speed work. So basically, I had no cues, not clue of my pace; I was running (nearly) naked. I did have my watch to keep track of my total time. I just ran on feel to see what I could do. Keep in mind that consistency is key. Here are my stats:
1 - 4:11 Okay, close to my goal of 4:15
2 - 3:57 Whoops.
3 - 3:56
4 - 3:50
5 - 3:54
6 - 3:54 (how's THAT for consistency)
7 - 3:49 (oops, I was thinking about the race I just signed up for)
8 - 3:39 (I saw Sare Bear and sprinted to catch her)
9 - 3:56
10 - 3:45 (just ready to be done!)

Inconsistent much? Not a single one at my goal pace of 4:15. What does this tell me? I've been sandbagging. Also, I still had plenty left in my tank by the 10th Yasso so I probably could have gone out faster on the others. Does this mean I'll run a faster marathon? I hope. We'll see. If I get to pick a finishing time, I pick 3:39 - that wil BQ me, ha! Nah, I still hope to finish under 4:30. We'll see what the day brings.

Have you run Yassos to prepare for a marathon? How accurate was it for you?

Whatever Suits You

2011-10-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

I want a new pool suit.

Not a cute swim suit. Not a lie by the pool, take a nap, get a tan suit. Not a travel to Hawaii suit.

A boring ol' pool suit. Whomp whomp.
Some people, when shopping for a training suit, would go practical. They'd look for a dark color in a conservative cut. Some people would shop for suit like this.

I am not some people. I am That Pink Girl.

I like glitter and fun colors.

Now, let's be clear, I don't need a new suit, I want a new suit. I'm just ready for another option. Dolfin isn't kidding around; their suits are well made. My Rainbow Throwup suit is even reversible if I wanted to swim in just lime green. You know, if the rainbow, glitter train wrek was a little too much one morning.

Ladies, you can snag this on clearance at Swim Outlet, hurry before they sell out!

Gentlemen, don't be discouraged, they have obnoxious suits for y'all too! In fact, Steve did an entire post on his Dolfin Jammers. Clearly this man has taste!

So, like most Saturday nights, I was ~~glued to the computer~~ casually checking out Twitter and noticed that Erin or maybe it was Drum was looking for a new suit. I suggested Swimoutlet, my go to for suits. And Erin came up with this gem. Of course, I knew immediately that I must have it.

Pure awesomeness, right?

They have others that are pretty cool, like this one.

And this one is pretty fun too. (I'm the oblvious pink fish, not the shark, clearly)

But I'm pretty much set on this beauty.

Lauren has forbidden me to purchase this suit. She won't say why, she just shakes her head and says firmly, "No ma'am." I have no idea why; it is a perfectly lovely suit. Plus, she doesn't swim with me. It's not like she's going to have to be seen with me in public!

There is a method to my madness. Hear me out. A. Getting my tail into that cold water so early in the morning is never pleasant. I don't look forward to a swim like I do a run. So I find that a little humor helps entice me and 2. The bright colors will make me hard to miss. I mean whoever said, "Hey, where's that girl in the non-descript black suit?" But they might say, "I haven't seen that idiot in the rainbow throwup glitter get up in a few minutes. Maybe we should see if she drowned!" See? Genius on both accounts.

Haven't decided if I'll take the plunge (ba dum dum) and splurge for the Wonder Woman suit. Still considering...

What about you? Do you like a more traditional pool suit or do you go for the crazy fun designs?

I GOT KISSED!!!

2011-10-02T20:33:00.000-05:00

Cycling is paying off.

I took up cycling for cross training. I can't run all the time and while I enjoy yoga, I wanted something to approximate the intensity of running. Also, it's a good way to meet new people and make new friends. Turns out, I quite enjoy it. Love it actually. But I usually ride alone or with RBM, which is the same as riding alone since no one talks. So anytime someone offers to ride with me, I jump at the opportunity. What better way to spend a weekend afternoon than cycling with friends? And it's not a billion degrees out anymore, so bonus! Yes, a billion. That's exactly how hot it got this Summer.

Erin is new to cycling too and when she heard about all the fun on our last Donkey Ride, she was eager to join us. So Gretchen, Erin and I saddled up and headed out.

A little windy, but the temps were just perfect. We headed out with the promise of donkey sightings. (side note, it is not lost on me that we find the ordinary donkey much more fascinating than the CAMEL) Lacking blog material I promised the ladies that I'd be taking a lot of photos, determined to make Donkey Ride Part Deux into a blog post.
So when I spotted a herd of cows napping, we pulled over to take some pics. We all know that when the cows lie down, it's going to rain. Please let this be true! But lo and behold, what did we spot across the road from the slumbering cattle? Donkey! Double Donkeys!

Itn't he cute?

They came RUNNING towards us. Full speed! Braying all the way. These Double Donkeys were so excited to see us! Naturally, we were just as excited to see them.

Erin getting some Donkey love.

Gretchen being sweet to the Dad donkey.

Here's my pink glove lovin' on the baby donkey.

In the next pasture over there were two alpacas. They were eager to get in on the lovin' too! We were a little apprehensive about biting. They had some pretty big alpaca teeth!

No need to be concerned. They were sweeties too!

Gretchen and friend.

Look at that face!

Comin' in for a kiss! I got smooched by an alpaca, I did!

She's smiling! Just precious.

Quite a few cyclists passed us while we were fawning over the livestock. A few even asked if we were okay. Perhaps the snotty cyclists are limited to Dallas County?

The cows were utterly unimpressed with us.

This sign makes me laugh every time. So I snagged a pic.

An over the shoulder shot of Erin.

And of course, a panda shot for Raquelita!

We had a great ride and I got a smooch from an alpaca. Cycling is def paying off!

I'm on the hunt for a group to ride with or a training group. I need some cycling instruction and mentoring. We got passed by RBM a few times and man, it was like getting passed by a semi! They were movin' faaaaast. Over the next few weeks I'm going to try riding with a few different groups and we'll see what fits. (and who will have me) I'm a very solid middle of the pack runner. I'd like to NOT be a slow cyclist! I'm most comfortable around 18-20 if I'm cruising (and it's relatively flat) but once I get into the 20+ I start huffing and puffing if I keep that pace too long. I need to remedy that! I only really know one serious cyclist (Gretchen!) in the area so of course I asked her. And of course I went up to the bike shop to ask around there. We'll see what I find.

Do you ride with an official group? How did you get connected?

random friday facts

2011-09-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

1. I do not own a pair of heels. All of my shoes are flats. Every single pair.

2. Sitting in a chair, only to find that it is still warm from the previous occupant just ookes me out.

3. When I’m driving and see people running, I smile and think, “Good for you!” and wish I was running.

4. I actually like to do laundry. There is something so comforting about the sound of a churning washing machine. Good thing since my washing machine is in my kitchen and I can hear it all over the house.

5. Guilty that I have them in the first place, I reuse plastic baggies. As I type this I am icing my knee with one that once contained dark chocolate covered walnuts.

6. I don't read Runner's World magazine. I feel like this somehow makes me less legit.

7. I broke my left wrist when I was 14 and to this day, it is weaker than my right. This is most evident during the yoga pose of Locust. It is insanely difficult for me.

8. Maybe it's the child of the 80's in me, but someday I'd like a reason to wear a sequined dress.

9. I really wish the outside of my house was better kept. I just don’t even know where to begin. I run by houses with great curb appeal and wonder how they do it. No one wants to be the shabby house! Guess I better get in the yard this weekend.

10. This quarter’s fitness challenge at work is a Plank Challenge. 5:08. I love beating all the guys. <3

11. This year I am going to learn to bake bread. It’s going to happen.

12. I love surprises. But it's really hard to surprise me because I'm so predictable. If any one thing is out of place in my routine, I'm suspect.

13. Getting a new set of scented markers for work just absolutely makes my day.

14. I'm a little bit in love with Kristen Bell. She's so spunky and cute!

15. I’ve been in marathon training for well over a year. I honestly don’t know what I’d do with my time if I wasn’t training for a marathon or further. I guess I’ll find out in April, huh?

Tell me something random about you!