Honolulu Marathon Re-cap

I can't believe that a week ago I was STILL running in Hawaii :) It has been go, go, go since I got home on Monday night, including two 12+ hour days at work. I did pretty well with the sunscreen because I don't have any color for that bright yellow orb in the sky!

The run was great, but HARD! With absolutely no humidity during our training, and probably a high of 60 degrees on our long runs, the weather alone was a huge factor. I am proud to say though, I never though I couldn't or wouldn't finish. The thoughts of "why the H-E-double hockey sticks am I doing this" did cross my mind a few times. Here goes the re-cap....

Wake-up at 3 am (do people actually do this?) to be prepared for a 3:45 am meet time. Some yummy oatmeal and some G2 and I was ready to go. Met up with the team (in the dark) at the hotel for a few last minute tips from our coach Ellen, so chatter and a nice, loud GO TEAM! Then it was a hike walk to the START line. It was like being in a foreign country. There were 25,000 registered runners and 2/3 of them were from Japan. There were people of ALL ages...and a lot of young children. (Which I have a huge issue with a 4 year old running 26.2 miles!) At 5:00 am the fireworks went off over the Pacific Ocean and it was time to go! We ran through Downtown Honolulu, past the old palace and wrapped back around towards the start line. By the time we had clocked 1 mile, I was dripping in sweat! We needed a quick potty break (from the good hydrating we had done) so to the port-a-potties we went. Man, runners can be foul! Yep...you know what I mean. We hit the pots labeled "MEN" since there weren't any in sight and we needed to GO and didn't feel like waiting 15 minutes. Maybe that was the problem:) Perhaps the one labeled "WOMEN" smelled like roses, but I doubt it!

Back to the course we cruised passed our hotel and through Waikiki. The sun was starting to come up when we passed the Zoo, and started up Diamond Head. Along the way we met up with Coach Kevin, from Minnesota. Who couldn't love a coach in a coconut bra, grass skirt and a dinosaur hat!? He told us about the snow in Minnesota and how the dome had collapsed. Man, it sucks being in Hawaii! Soon the wheelchairs came roaring past us. Then we saw the Kenyans...yeah, they only had a mile left to run (we were 9 miles in). Although they looked amazing, they looked like they were HURTING.

Over Diamond Head we saw Erin and Coach Ellen. We were now running towards the highway out and back. (This was the part I feared!) Soon we ran into another TNT runner from Hawaii running her 1st marathon and a Coach. Chatter of energy was brought on and there were smarties given out. I love me some smarties....but passed, I can't eat just one! There were CRAZY costumes out there!

We were on the highway for quite awhile until we hit a loop. AKA the Costco loop. Our Inspiration Dinner speakers gave us the advice to remember our Costco cards for a clean bathroom, hot dogs and pizza along the way! At Mile 17 there were two men down. The ambulances were running like mad. I later heard that there were so many people needing assistance the ambulance would pick up one and still have 5 or 6 people in cots to come back to. Then it was back to the highway. Along the way we passed multiple Marines, in full gear. Talk about humbling!

Mile 22 brought us to the nice houses of Honolulu. They were BEAUTIFUL! We also saw the smarties coach....this time he was carrying a 25 pound bag of ice. Just to lighten the load we took a handful, mine went down my pants to ice my hip which was beginning to hurt like heck. All three of our feet were killing us. I was beginning to think that amputation would be a serious option. Mile 24 and we saw Coach Ellen again. Only 2 miles to go, we were going to finish this! All we had to do was get through Diamond Head, again.  Mile 25, Coach Kevin. We were HURTING.

We were walking, it hurt to run, but I knew we could finish STRONG. So I rallied K and T to run the rest of the way. We were pushing through pain and sweat.We could see the FINISH line, and we were about 30 seconds from the 7 hour (gun) mark. Turning to the girls I said "we don't want 7 hours on our finish photos...come on!" Those girls pulled it all out, and we finished with 6:59:54 on the gun time! Our "official" time was 6:33. (by Garmi....who doesn't count potty breaks ;) ) We left it ALL out on that course.

Kristy completed her first marathon and Tryna her 6th. I am so proud of these girls! It was so much fun to train with them, and then complete 26.2 miles of Hawaiian fun with them. The rest of my mentees finished also, and I am so proud of them. No one gave up. We were all heroes that day, finding a cure for cancer one mile at a time!

ALOHA!

Last night was our last track night as a team. It didn't hit me until I was walking down the stairs at Olde Town Pizza. We will most likely be the last Winter TNT season, so it was even more sad. Six months of hard work training, time given and new friends and on Sunday it will show.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Honolulu! The excitement is mounting. Due to my HIGH anxiety of flying, I may be hitting Gustavs (at the airport)  for a beer. Yes, at 6 am. We get to Hawaii at 11 am, and have almost two days to spend enjoying Honolulu. The race starts at 5 am on Sunday morning. I signed up for runner tracking on Facebook, so I can be followed on that.

My goals for Honolulu:
-To not get sunburned
-PR....I am hoping that I might get a little faster than my 1st marathon time
-Have fun!

Send-Off

One thing I love about Team in Training (ok, there ALOT of things I love about them!) is that we know how to throw a great send-off party. This is when we get ALL the details of our trip, our race jersey and our tickets for the Inspiration Dinner and Victory Party. Almost the entire team was there, and it was great to see everyone in "real" people clothes. (I stole this pic from Tryna....thanks girl!)

(These are our AMAZING coaches....Janeen, Kevin and Ellen. We are bummed that Janeen and Kevin won't be joining us in Honolulu, but I am sure they will be entertained by the texts, photos, videos and other great messages they will receive while we are on the trip. Ellen will be our "official" coach with TNT and Erin will be our staff. )

We heard how great (and tough) the course will be. How crappy scenic it will be to climb Diamond Head at mile 23, but hey...it is all downhill from there. The temperature will be a feels like I am in hell warm (roughly) 80 degrees. Other interesting facts about this race that there is about 80% Japanese "running" the marathon. This is because in Japan if you complete a marathon you get a decreased insurance rate. In Japan you need to qualify to run in a marathon, so they come to Honolulu. We were told not to be surprised to see people smoking while running, some having picnics in the middle of the course and some creative costumes.

The course has had sponges to "wipe down" with along the course, unless I am severely desperate I think I will pass. Apparently they reuse them. (Note to self: do not drink from the sponge!) I can only imagine where some of those sponges have been used. Ewww. I am hoping they will have runner tracking. (It makes it easier than texting through out the course.)

After all of the details and most people were leaving, our great hosts Kevin and his wife Becky showed off the fabulous bling collection. After seeing the medal for Ragnar, I am about 85% sure I am going to do it this year! Their medal collection is great, and inspiring!

Only 7 1/2 more days until I get on the plane. I am still not sure how I will deal with my anxiety through the flight (I HATE flying!). Kristy and Tryna promised they would make sure I get off the plane though. The excitement is building though, and I can't wait to hit the pavement with my teammates!

Conversations....

 The beginning of the run began with talk of sitting on the beach with one of these beauties! Mile 4 brought the talk of food, drinks and all things yummy! We have determined that the "suck" level of the run will be determined on how quickly we get to the food talk. The sooner it comes in, the crappier the run. We had a 20-22 miler on the docket for the day. It was COLD and misty outside, and the route was FULL of nasty hills! Once we hit that finish line, those cold, fruity drinks will start to be consumed!

 As the suck factor increased, Nip Guards came into play. Words that shouldn't be repeated were uttered. Terwilliger Blvd. is not fun, especially when you know that you still have to do a hill to Tryon Creek State Park.


Soon the topic of hot men arrived. This somehow allowed time to go quickly through the uphill battle going back over Terwilliger. Men in tight white shirts and blue jeans carried us further and inspired us beyond imaginable! Ahhhh, Tim.

 And then of course the People's Sexiest Man was on the topic. Which then lead to talking about Matthew and that Southern drawl. Of course we had to talk about what we would do if Matthew were our running coach, and would it be effective? Con census was no, it would be too much of a distraction! But it wouldn't hurt to have him help with form!

And just to add some laughs when we were getting too excited from the hot guy discussions we had to calm the conversation with thinking about Margaret Thatcher (on a cold day). We still had 4 miles to go. Ugh....this was when we needed to pull it all out. So we hit the Steel Bridge and the East Esplanade. I was pretty sure I was running through quicksand. Once we got back to the West side of the river I had to walk, the hills had taken all the energy I had. But I finished with 20.25 miles under my belt for the day. Now onto taper!!! YEAH!

Thankful

I am thankful for SO many things! This is my favorite season of the year....I love Thanksgiving. Not only are the colors outside beautiful (if even only for a few days!) but it is usually more calming than the hectic Christmas season. Thanksgiving has giving me MANY memories that continue to come around each family get together. Thanksgiving has always been a "fight free" day in the eyes of my mom. This "restriction" itself led to some interesting discussions, but never any fights....usually laughs were plentiful. So in the spirit of the season, here are a few things I am thankful for!


I am thankful for my LEGS! Yes, they are thunder thighs, but in a GOOD way. Strong, muscular and full of energy, just like thunder. By the years end these legs will have complete TWO full marathons and THREE half marathons as well as a variety of smaller races. These legs will have gone (hopefully) over 1000 miles.

I am thankful for THE SUPPORT OF MY HUSBAND. Without him, I wouldn't be able to train, fundraise and complete my races. Seeing him at the finish line of the Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon with tears in his eyes brought tears to mine. Hopefully he knows what his support has meant to me.

I am thankful for MUNCHKIN. Nothing pushes me further than her smile and admiration. 20 miles into the marathon and I got to run WITH her! Pride overflows when I hear her say that she wants to run "like mama." Having her see me finish a race brings me such happiness. Someday I can't wait to either finish with her or watch her finish.

I am thankful for MY PARENTS. Their continued support in so many ways reminds me of what being a family is about. Unconditional support and strength. Mom has been at all but one race this year, and it has meant so much to me. They are always willing to help out and watch CB when needed.

I am thankful for WONDERFUL FRIENDS AND FAMILY. They have supported my efforts with fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. They have given an outpouring of support both mental and emotional.

Hopefully there are many things you are thankful for this holiday season!

Going the Distance

18.53 miles....and NO rain! The morning started very dark (it is true, it is always darkest before the dawn) and pretty chilly. But not too far in I was ripping my long sleeve shirt off and tying it around my waist. I can't wait until I get my sleeves this week! We started the team run at Grant HS again, and got to run through beautiful NE Portland.

Our first loop took us down to the Rose City Golf Course and down to 82nd (and beyond). On the way back T, K and I hit up the golf course restroom. (Thank goodness for Bill who directed us to the rest room, where we could catch some tv and actually take a rest.) Then back up a very steep hill. Beautiful trees and some crisp air took us back up and something to talk about. There are some gorgeous houses and the trees were all turning. Unfortunately, there were also LOTS of wet leaf piles. I have a little fear of those piles....never know what is going to pop up out of them! Gummy bears waited for us at the aide station back at the HS (gotta love TNT gummy bears!!!)

The next loop took us up to Lloyd Center. Gotta love when you can smell some special "weeds" while you are running outside and about 100 feet from the doors and windows of the house. We also ran into lots of people blowing the leaves from their front yard (I wonder at this time, what is the point?) Note, I hate inhaling nasty smells while running (and yes, this includes food!) Owie was a word heard quite often! Once back to the aide station we only have 6 miles left! YEAH.

Then came the hard part of the run. Going up 33rd to Skidmore. YIKES. Pretty big hills, and Garmi wasn't turned back on. So we had to go with K.'s distance! The hill was killer, and I was getting wiped. It was about this time that T. started singing to us. We went through a few songs and even had a group sing. If anything we were going to be able to laugh about it! Back at Grant we made an executive decision to finish up the run around the track, we really didn't want to hit anymore hills. So around we went, and T rocked it by completing 2 more laps than K and I.

A busy week ahead, and a strong 15 miler this weekend! Only 33 days left until we run along the coast of Honolulu. And then pedicures and cold, fruity drinks! I love running :)

I'm Back

I never thought that taking a week and a half break from running would do me good. It was the BEST thing that I have ever done for my body. My body was so incredibly burnt out, and being stubborn doesn't help so I continued to push it and my body finally said "ENOUGH!!!" With a 5 miler set for today I was a little scared, but the moment my feet hit the track it felt soooo good! I NEEDED that break to get back my running mojo back.

We did a half mile warm-up, then hit Terwilliger Blvd. For those not in the Portland area, it means "Pill Hill" a steep hill that goes up, up, up and more up. (The best part is the down, down, down....) I ran a 10.2 min/mile of descent hill work. It felt great! My body felt great while running again. Another 5-6 miles tomorrow. Oh I am so happy to be back!

Disappointed

I knew I wouldn't PR today, but I never imagined the disappointment I would feel. Part of me is disappointed in myself, part is scared that I may repeat what happened. I started the Portland Run Like Hell, from the moment my feet hit the pavement I knew something was different. True, monsoon season came in overnight, but this was different. My body hurt, just not in an "I can push myself through this" pain. I was physically exhausted. It felt as though I couldn't get my feet to move and I was running through quicksand. For once it wasn't my head controlling the way I felt. At mile 3 I saw T and K at the aide station. Taking some gel and water I couldn't even get my body to run. I started walking to try and "reset" and even then my body kept telling me to stop.

E ran the 10k, and when I was getting to mile 5 I saw him run towards me. He gave me a hug and I sadly told him "I can't do it...I just can't do it." As the rain was hitting me in the eyes and beating down on me I walked to the sidewalk and off the course :( I hoped I never would not finish a race, but today I did. I just couldn't do it. Now my fears are that I will have this happen again, and during a big race, like Honolulu. I am tired, my body is just plain tired. This week will be a "resting" week. My coaches came up with a plan to keep me going, but at the same time give my body time to recover from last weekend and this week.

By the way, E did great in his 10k! I am so proud of him, and it was awesome to watch him cross the finish line!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Living in the PNW you would think I would be accustomed to running in the rain. I am, but I still don't like it! Tomorrow I am signed up to do Run Like Hell in Downtown Portland. The TEAM signed up, and as a mentor, I "get" to do it! The weather forecast doesn't look promising and either does the wind. 13.1 miles in the wind and rain do not sound fun right now.  E. decided to change from the half marathon to the 10k considering he hasn't run since the Disneyland Half. At least he will be waiting for me at the finish line!

Faith

"Courage to Start, Faith to Finish"

I saw this quote this weekend. It really hits home. Sometimes it has been difficulty to start the race, and I dig deep and realize I CAN do this. During the race when those pains hit, and the fatigue builds it takes the faith in myself to finish. Sometimes it is easier said (and thought) than done.

This weekend is the Run Like Hell race in Portland. I did it last year, and it was a 10k. This year I am doing the half. Looking for another Half PR....we will see. Terwilliger may be my downfall ;) But as long as I have faith, I know I can do it.

Girlfriend's Half Marathon Recap

What a great race! The support was amazing, and the finish celebration....can you say AMAZING?!?!?! The race started at 9 am, I got to the start at 8:59 am and the race was beginning the countdown. Hit the start line and was maintaining a 10 min/mile pace for the first 4 or so miles. So I was rocking it!

On the return from the out and back through Marine Park I saw an old high school friend, a former co-worker and a few other friends. My pace slowed to an 11 min/mile that I maintained the rest of the race. I have never seen so many men on the course, well in the male/female ratio. It was so great to see! My favorite signs along the course (except my munchkin's!) was a little boy that had a huge sign that said "GO ALL YOU HOTTIES!" The boy was no more than 6. (Interestingly enough, it didn't appear to be his handwriting ;) ) There was also an adorable little 3 year old holding a sign he did himself that had 3 drawn people. It brought tears to my eyes! I finished the race in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 8 seconds. A new PR!!!

After I finished, my dad was there and Munchkin didn't see me go by, and she wanted to run across the finish line with me. So I had to go back around the block, and "finish again". Of course I didn't get another necklace or water bottle. And the excitement she had going with me was well worth it!

I am not sure if I should tell you the FANTASTIC finish celebration, I don't want to compete with even more entrants for next years race. But I will! When you cross the finish line, we got necklaces....from a Vancouver FireFighter (sigh!!!) and a pink water bottle filled with ice-cold water! Then there were snacks. But wait...it got better! A furniture store let the race use their facility to have a chocolate and massage therapy. We got HUGE chunks of fudge and a 10 minute massage. It was delightful! Definitely a race I look forward to doing again.

Good News

The toe is feeling SOOOO much better! I soaked my left foot in HOT salt water, cleaned with hydrogen peroxide and then put some antibiotic ointment on it. No pain since my little fit the other night :) I am hoping to run the half marathon in 2:30. We will see. I will be on my own, so I need to make sure the iPod is charged tonight. It is barely 8 pm, and I am already ready to head to bed. Maybe a nice bath to relax the muscles.
Sending some blogging love to Tall Mom whose father passed away this morning. Keeping you in my prayers Mel, as well as your family. Although I have only met you once, you are an amazing person who inspires everyone that is lucky enough to meet you!

It hurts so bad....

One of my worst fears....I think I have an infection in my second toe :( BOO. Half my toenail is gone and there is a remnant causing an ingrown toenail. And in addition I have another blood blister under the other part of the nail. Worst problem, I have the Girlfriend's Half Marathon on Sunday. 13.1 miles with a toe that hurts like ^$&# is going to suck. So tonight I soaked it in warm water with epsom salt. Then put some antibiotic ointment on it. We will see how it feels tomorrow morning, if it looks worse I may be hitting up the doctor to just rip the rest off and make sure it isn't infected.

Streeeetch It Out

Never really tried yoga....so the article in the latest issue of Runner's World with some hamstring "stretches" caught my interest. My piriformis has been acting up (again!) and so I have been doing my physical therapy exercises again. (You would think I would do these all the time, since they really do help!) Hmmm....maybe these yoga moves would do some good too? Out of the 6 exercises held at 30 seconds each side....I did 3, for 15 seconds. Yeah...I am tight, sore and uncoordinated!

Inagural Eugene Race for the Cure

Living in the PNW I have gotten used to activities in the rain. Today was the Inaugural Eugene Race for the Cure. A few weeks ago mom, CB, Tanya and I signed up for the race. Little did we know what today would bring! Yesterday we scoured the mall for some matching pink long sleeved shirts to go under our t-shirts. Then it was to the hotel for a girl's night! We were hit the swimming pool only to be disappointed that the hot tub was closed for maintenance. BOO!

Tanya was a great, she read two books as CB fought the sleep. CB fell asleep, T and I decided to get some brew from the mini mart. YUM! I love Pyramid Apricot Ale. I am not a big drinker, so I have most of it left in the fridge now. We painted our nails, pink of course! And chatted about T's upcoming wedding. I am so excited because after trying to "scare" me with the idea of pink and orange dresses.....she asked me if I would be one of her bridesmaids! OF COURSE I would. T really is like a sister to me. She then reassured me that it won't be a pink or orange dress that I would be wearing.

Sunday morning we were awoken by a little munchkin ready  to race. We looked outside and sure enough, the sky was filled with liquid sunshine! After breakfast, some coffee and a mile trek to the race start (CB wanted to run to the start) it was RAINING! The course was not very well laid out (the runners crossed through the walkers at the start of the race to get to the finish). After we started CB wanted to go back to the car. So we gave her some piggy back rides and decided we were only going to the 1 mile walk.

So as we get closer to the finish line CB and I started running, and we were finishing with the runners. Needless to say, I was disappointed I didn't have the "fantastic finish" but it just wasn't in the cards. We were drenched...cotton is rotten! I did get my run in though after to get the car so munchkin wouldn't get much more wet.

6 days until the Girlfriend's Half Marathon! I can't wait :)

D is for....

Giving a shout out to my teammates T. and K. for being awesome running buddies today! We completely 15.45 miles (or 16.3 miles by K.'s watch) in 3 hours and 1 minute. We had our team run in my "neighborhood" or The Couv to those that know the area. It was beautiful most of the way, the course not the weather. The weather was PERFECT!! We ran along the Columbia River and through the Vancouver Barracks (as well as Downtown Vancouver).

Along the last 2 miles we hit the "lettered" streets and had to go to Z Street after being on C Street. So we began the "D is for...." through the alphabet. We got to J. The conversation was fun and K. did awesome! It was the farthest distance she has run, and she rocked it like a rockstar! I can't wait to run with these girls in Honolulu and enjoy a great big Mai Tai on the beach after the marathon.



Despite the ice bath, salt and ibuprofen I still feel like crap tonight. My body hurts and I am exhausted. Hoping to be better by tomorrow. I am thinking of a little yoga or pilates to loosening up the muscles.

Nervous

Tomorrow morning is going to be a little different for my team run. I am going to give a little "surprise" speech to a group, and I am NERVOUS!!! After the speech I get to do a 15 mile run. Yikers! It has been awhile since i have done this mileage. After the run I need to get over to CB's soccer game. Better pack up the torture devices (aka the "stick" and a tennis ball) to help the muscles while watching the game. Hmmm....maybe I can convince my mom to give me a back run during the game ;)

First Date

I discovered when I started running that my shoes were my new best friend. The idea of not having pain in my feet, legs and back never occurred to me until I slipped on those Saucony ProGrids....and it felt like my feet were given giant bear hugs. They have carried me across 3 finish lines. But like so many good relationships, things changed. The miles were added up and it was time to retire those wonderful and comfortable shoes. Unfortunately the new model were too different, awkward. So I bought the Asics Landreaths.

Tuesday my new shoes and I had a first date. They are different, and I am still not sure how I feel about them. We logged 3 miles due to time. Maybe had we had a little more time together I would be thinking these new shoes were a sure deal, but at the moment I am not yet sure.

To make matters worse, mommy guilt kicked in. CB had dance class. She normally has no idea when I am watching and when I am not watching. This time I decided I would drop her off, then go for a quick run while she was in class so I could spend time with her later. Of course as my luck would have it....about a block into my run she realized I wasn't there and had a meltdown. Her teacher was great, and when I got back CB was finally calmed down. I felt HORRIBLE!

This afternoon will be my second date, and I am hoping we get along a little better. Maybe I am just not a big fan of change? Or maybe these shoes just aren't for me. All I know is that I need to make sure that the shoes I wear feel like they are made for me!

WHY

I have done 8 miles before, but no 8 miles have EVER meant as much as my 8 miles yesterday. "Mission Day," the day to reflect on WHY we run. After a minor surgical procedure put me out of commission most of the week, I put on my trusty Sauconys and pushed through it. It started off pretty well. But when the hills hit my abdomen started to hurt. (Probably why the Dr. told me to take a week off, then start slow.....oops!) The first aid station was 3 miles in, and I was just starting to hit my "groove." Two more miles and we were back to the aid station. Thinking in my head...."I can do this, I have to do this." The downhills were throwing me off, and my skin was all itchy from some steri-strips on my abdomen. I was in the homestretch, and there they were.


Each season we have "honored teammates." In addition you can have your own personal heroes. There were about 15 signs along the sidewalk of Honored Teammates of the past season, as well as our current season. Two blocks of heroes that have gone through Cancer. Two blocks of WHY I ran 8 miles. I had to stop a few moments because I was crying. (I don't like crying in front of others). Connections with Team in Training that I had through Doernbecher.


And I also got my re-commitment paperwork! YIPPEE!!! For some reason it solidifies my trip to Honolulu in December to run my 2nd Marathon! Next week we have a 12 miler planned. And once again the snooze button will sound very appealing in the dark rainy morning, but once again I will be out there running for a cure, one mile at a time.

True Warrior

Yesterday I competed in the MOST difficult event I have ever done. Sure I have a marathon....but give me 26.2 miles over this anyday! E, two girls from work (D and M) and I all participated in the Warrior Dash. If you have never heard of this before, check out what it takes to be a true warrior here. Before we started the race we could see others come through that had completed. They were covered in mud.

The start line sent us off with flames as we ran down a muddy trail and crossed over a creek where we got wet feet and had to get up a hill without falling (accomplished!). Then after running up a hill that makes Terwilliger Blvd look like a speed bump we got to the first obstacle. The course was hilly, muddy and a lot of fun. This is what obstacles we had to go through:
-going over 5 logs in a really cold lake
-scaling straw bales 6 bales high (and wet)
-climbing up and over a wooden platform
-climbing over 6 rusty demolished cards
-climbing a rope ladder
-crawling over a rope net
-a dark tunnel that was 30 feet long
-tire maze
-repelling down a ravine (on my butt!)
-jumping over flames
-crawling under barb wire in mud

Before the race!

The finish line was sliding down a mud slide into a pool of mud. It was awesome! After a dip in the "lake" to clean off we hit the turkey legs....YUM!

Run Up....Run Down....Repeat

Track night....aka Hell Night! My first track night with this winter team and what are we doing, hill repeats. UGH! Terwilliger Blvd. is my enemy. We did 6 repeats, and after the half marathon my muscles did not want to do these. After 3 I was about to say no more....I was so tired. But I kept going, and going, and going. I did all six. And it was not fun.

Before track night started I ran into my old teammates Amy and Lisa. They are training for the Portland Marathon. The two of them looked great! Then Mentor (now Captain) Mike showed up! It is so good to see my old teammates. I miss them so much. The bond between the team is so strong.

This weekend is a 10 miler on Saturday. I know I can do it, the question is how fast? Stay tuned to find out.

Giveaway on Tall Mom

Check out the giveaway on Tall Mom on the Run..... here is the link: http://tallmomontherungiveaways.blogspot.com/

Disneyland in Pictures

Carbo loading the night before at Outback.....YUM! Pasta
 

At the start line!

 

Sporting my new Orange and Black Bondiband!!!

 

Running up Main Street in Disneyland

 

Heading into Anaheim Angels Stadium!

 

One word....AMAZING!

 

Mile 12....almost there!

 

Our own personal "chEARleader!"

 

The 3 "MOSScateers!"

 

Coast to Coast Challenge Accepted! And accomplished!

 

Congratulations E! First Half Marathon

PR (I think...)

Not "officially" but my time according to Garmi was about 2 minutes faster than my chip time. (I stop my timer when I stop at the bathroom). But my official time was 2 hours, 50 minutes and 44 seconds. E completed his FIRST half marathon. He "beat" me despite the fact that we had the exact same time. I am so proud of him since he had only run 6 miles last October and he regularly runs only 3 miles. For him to pound out 13.1 miles at my side was incredible!

Sorry Disneyland, but DisneyWorld has a hand over you when it comes to a half marathon. The start line was not nearly exciting as it was in DW for the Princess Half. I was proud to hear the man singing the National Anthem, he was a member of a CG unit that is similar to the one E used to belong to. He did an AMAZING job and brought tears to my eyes and chills to my spine. E and I were in Corral C and started around 6:15 am. The sun was just starting to come up.

We ran around the outside of California Adventure to start and then circled around to come into California Adventure. It was so pretty. The water fountains were glowing multi-colors. We ran through the park and over to DisneyLand. Coming into the main gate we ran down Main Street to Sleeping Beauty's castle. Sadly after about mile 5 the course got pretty boring taking us through the industrial area of Anaheim.
Mile 9 got a little exciting as we got to run INTO the Anaheim Angels stadium! We came in on the right field and ran along the dugouts to leave on left field. Talk about an AWESOME experience!!!

Mile 10-11.5 was difficult for E. (really? I have no idea why:) ) But he pulled through like a champ to finish the last mile STRONG. At Mile 13 I grabbed his hand and we crossed the finish line together! We even had a celebratory kiss right before we received our medals. Since I had done the Princess Half I also got the "Coast to Coast Challege" medal. WOW!!! Talk about bling!

My BF that was supposed to run with us, but got an injury called out our name from the sidelines. She was watching CB and her little men. P's husband had finished right behind us so were were able to meet up together. After some pictures we went back to the hotel to take a nap. 3 hours later we were back at California Adventure.

I loved running with E, and I am so proud of him. For someone who doesn't do long runs on a regular basis he did great! Can't wait for October to do it again!!!

To the Happiest Place on Earth!

4 days until the Disney Half Marathon in Anaheim! We leave tomorrow evening and when we get to LAX we will head down to San Diego for the night. Friday we will visit Sea World for the day. They offer free admission to military members and their families!That night we will head back to Anaheim and meet up with my bestie, Pam!

Saturday we get to pick up our bibs and swag! The Princess Half had some GREAT swag....so I am hoping this will be also. Pam was planning to run, but may have a stress fracture in her foot. I feel a tad guilty because she was training on a plan I had sent her :( Her husband will be running though, and she will be at the finish with E and my little princess and her two princes! E has never run a half, so maybe for once I can keep up with him :) I may not be fast....but I have endurance! After the Expo we will hit up Disneyland.

E and I will hit up 13.1 miles on Sunday morning and finish the day at Disneyland! This will be our first family vacation since CB was a baby. Hopefully E will survive the plane ride with CB :)

Are you Able....?

The other day I was listening to the radio, and although the program usually drives me crazy I listened anyway. Something about it intrigued me. And I thought I would share with you (and test it out!) It was a life coach talking about how people don't give themselves enough credit. One of the exercises she uses is to have someone list 50 personality attributes. The radio host had a hard time coming up with 3 before she said "pretty" and the life coach pointed out that was a physical attribute. So, I am going to see how I do, but I am only going to do 25.

1.determined
2.hardworking
3.loyal
4.persistent
5.hyperactive
6.loving
7.intelligent
8.dedicated
9.family oriented
10.attentive
11. (and yes....) inattentive
12.imaginative
13.creative
14.smart
15.neat
16.perfectionist
17.flexible
18.easy going
19. responsible
20. reliable
21.independent
22.bossy
23.goal oriented
24. diligent
25. thrifty

Can you do it? Are you able to come up with 25-50 words to describe yourself in a positive way?

Monday Madness

While on my 4-miler today I started thinking about what I had been experiencing on my runs. Mostly they were good things, but then I was almost run off the road. In my neighborhood the only place to run is on the road, rural roads. I am always careful by running against traffic, during the day and keep my iPod volume down. But sure enough, on every run I go on I experience the same thing....multiple times.

Is there a reason that vehicles need to speed UP when they see someone on the road? Or they don't move over to keep a safe distance? Today it happened at least 5 or 6 times. Thankfully most people are kind and slow down and move over, but it is those others that scare me. I see it happen when others are running on the road, or biking. It just re-itterates the fact that I need to constantly pay attention to my surroundings.

It then made me think about what others experience that makes them mad while they are running? So what irks your tater while running?

Letting it Out

It has been 3 weeks of training for my 2nd marathon. The past week has been an extremely emotional week. On Sunday and Monday I was able to run up Kelly Road. Sunday I did a little over 3 miles and averaged about a 10 1/2 minute mile. Which for me wasn't too bad, especially since I was running uphill. Monday was even better. Doing the same route and just adding an extra mile on I broke a 10 min/mile and finally hit 9 1/2! I was ecstatic!

I had planned to attend track night on Wednesday. I had to skip out though because I had two punch biopsies done at the dermatologist. One being on my right shin. (Feeling a little light headed the rest of the evening didn't help). So I spent the rest of the week "resting" my leg so the stitches wouldn't pull.

On Friday one of our labs, Hoss had a HUGE belly! He looked like he was pregnant. We decided to take him to the vet (half an hour before closing) and it began a roller coaster of emotions for the rest of the night. The vet initially thought he had either a liver or a spleenic mass that had ruptured and he was bleeding internally. Unfortunately they couldn't get him to calm down enough to get some fluid to determine what it was. Eric and I had to make the decision on whether to sedate him or getting a full ultrasound done in a few days. We chose to sedate. Initially the vet thought she saw a mass on his spleen. I was heartbroken. Since he was still sedated they decided to an xray to ensure that he would be a candidate for surgery. While they did that they also were able to a better ultrasound. They discovered that his heart was "a reverse D" and enlarged. The ultrasound showed that the heart wasn't contracting the way that it should. While he was sedated they were also able to drain off 3 liters of fluid from his abdomen. Both E and I were able to assist the vets in taking care of him. I got to hold the oxygen to his snout and E got to push on his abdomen to help the fluid out.

So a long story short, our dog has cardiomyopathy. It means his life will most likely be shorter than we ever hoped and/or expected. We started him on Lasix (a diuretic) and he has now peed a lot of the fluid that had collected in his abdomen. Tomorrow we should find out what canine cardiologist thinks is going on and what we will do from here.

I really wanted to bail on the team run on Saturday. Friday was a long night, and I was drained. But I pulled my butt out of bed early to go. I knew once I got there it would feel good to let some of that stress out. And I was right. 5 miles to let the emotional stress of skin biopsies and the fear of the life of my dog. 5 miles that I could relax. I felt relaxed and strong after I finished, something that is what I needed to get through this time.

Hoss....our "tubby" :)

Inspiration?

When I started running, I did it for myself. I didn't run to impress or make someone else happy. Little did I imagine that it would inspire anyone. In the past few weeks I have had about 5 or 6 people tell me that I inspired them to start running. I never imagined this.

Yesterday my cousin and his wife called to tell me that as of today they are quitting smoking and will start working out so that next June they can join me in Seattle running the Rock n Roll Marathon. They told me that I inspired them to do it. My cousin said he almost cried watching me cross the finish line. I am so excited for them!

It makes me feel even more proud to know that there are people out there that are beginning to try something that they never thought they could do before. I can't wait to cheer others on as they reach goals that they are starting to obtain. So if you have a goal, reach for it. "Shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you will still be among the stars!"

Leading the Pack

No, I didn't win a race. Yesterday was the first team run for the Winter Season with TNT. Due to the coaches all running a relay, it was Mentor lead. Since it was the first run, everyone was standing at the meeting spot looking at each other. I hit Garmi to start and hollered "well lets go!" So for the first mile I was the leader of the pack. I ran with five of my mentees to get better acquainted. It is amazing how not using my iPod lets me talk to people and how quickly the runs go!

This season is going to be different in so many ways. I am looking forward to running with some great people and PRing in Honolulu. Ahhhhh a tan in December!

Day 1....Succcess!

After a lack of running for two weeks, and continuing to eat the way I did a month ago it was time to face the music. I had put on about 10 pounds. Sure, people put on weight but I knew I was heading down a path I didn't want to return to. Today I put a stop to it. I know the way it works....calories consumed < calories expended = weight lost. I am not looking for a quick fix, they don't work. My problem comes with not spending the time to figure out what my body wants/needs and then something that fits into my schedule. So I am trying Herbalife for my breakfasts and occasionally lunches. A co-worker is a distributor, and I have been trying it on and off for a few weeks. The shakes have done an amazing job at giving me the nutritional needs I need and keeps me full.

So today was day 1 of hitting it hard for a jumpstart of ridding my body of sugar cravings. It is almost 10 pm and I can say that today was a success! Dinner was great! Shrimp (I had 23 grams of protein in 11 shrimp!), asparagus and salad. Logging everything I eat was helpful to see what my downfalls are (SUGAR) and it made me think twice about having those chocolate chips tonight. I did however do a little water overload. I didn't know it was possible, but I drank over 6 liters of water. Gotta watch that, don't want to overdo it...plus the bathroom trips really cramp my style!

Am I Crazy?

Well I already know the answer to that question! But today it has become "official". Next Saturday I begin training for my 2nd marathon! December 12th I will be running the Honolulu Marathon. I will also be running with Team in Training and will be a mentor. TNT has been such a positive influence in my life, and I am so glad that I can continue to work with this program. If you haven't checked it out, go to www.teamintraining.org for more information. It is not only a GREAT program for preparation for an endurance event, but the money it raises goes to a cause that effects way too many people.

Sunday, Sunday

Tomorrow is the 7th anniversary of the day I married my best friend! My parents took CB for the weekend so the two of us could have a little staycation. We spent the morning at Skamania Lodge in the Columbia Gorge. They have the most AMAZING Sunday Champagne Brunch.

After a superman like change, we went for a hike up Beacon Rock. It was described as a .9 mile out and back that was rated as easy to moderate. It was beautiful, and the views were breathtaking.

 

Before the hike

There were so many things to see as we got closer to the top. The trail was unbelievable, and we later found out that it was built by only two men, in 1916!

 

At the top! 360 degree view of the Columbia Gorge

 

 The view from the top was gorgeous. It makes me feel so lucky that we are able to live so close to such beauty! After a few pictures, we started down the trail. Going down seemed to take more time than going up. The both of us were hot and sweaty by the time we were done. 

 

At the end of the trail

Apparently the two of us still had some energy so we went to another park just a few miles down the road that we could see from our hike. There we went on another walk that went along the Columbia River. After we finished we figured we should probably get out of the sun since we were probably both going to get some burn. (Which I am as pink as my tank top now :( ) But just to see how high Beacon Rock was, here is the view from down the road.

Another great adventure! I can't wait to enjoy more hikes like this one. Happy 7th Anniversary sweetheart!

What a Feeling

Yesterday I enjoyed my first post-marathon run. I did 3 miles and felt amazingly strong! I took B-dog with me, and she started off strong (and fast) but got tired quickly. So I slowed down for her. It felt good to be out there, and I wished I could have gone a little faster (and a little longer).

On the way back to the house a group of girls were selling lemonade on the side of the road. They called to me to get some lemonade, but sadly I didn't have any money on me. Instead they offered me a free cup of lemonade and told me to enjoy my run. What sweet little girls! Next time they are out I will definitely give them some business!

On another note, I am going to do another season with Team in Training. This time it will be as a mentor. As of now I am going to do the Honolulu Marathon in December! I am just hoping I can get time off from work to enjoy a wonderful few days in Hawaii.

Just a Few Pics

What an amazing experience! And these are just a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend!