Endurance Isn't Only Physical

Cookies,Music and Kindness

2012-02-08T05:00:00.000-06:00

I've been a little down on the blogging world lately. If you don't set boundaries it can take over your life. I got frustrated recently and just wanted to live in REAL LIFE not in the online world. I've been focusing more on being present in the moment instead of "oh wait, everybody look this way, I need a picture for my blog". And I must say I'm much HAPPIER this way.

But last night something happened that reminded me off the amazingness of this blogging community. If you ditch all the hype of product pushing and scrambling to make a name for yourself, the core of blogging remains an amazing pairing of writing from the heart and making lasting connections with like minded people.

Backstory: Recently I was lamenting on twitter the lack of Girl Scouts in my area. In previous years I couldn't walk out of a grocery store without tripping over them and then emptying my pockets. But, this year those little girls were strangely absent. Well, taking pity of my plea for cookies, Luis offered up HIS Girl Scouts. After yet another weekend with no cookie sightings I took Luis up on his offer and ordered 8 boxes of cookies....FROM CALIFORNIA.

While I've never met Luis in real life, I made a connection with him a couple of years ago. He may not know it, but he has been a constant source of inspiration for me. If you aren't familiar with him, check out his before and after pics HERE. He has lost an amazing amount of weight and has turned into a kick ass runner. Beyond his accomplishments, most of all I've always been amazed by his kindness and this week was no different.

Instead of just a box of cookies, I was surprised with this package:

Personalized drawings from his daughters, a long sleeve San Fran Marathon shirt, an AMAAAAAZING running CD (which I'll be using in my next race),and various other goodies. It was a lovely surprise.

So thank you Luis, for your package, your kindness and your friendship. And thank you for reminding me there IS goodness to be found in blogging. :)

Have YOU made friends through blogging?

Go ahead, admit how many boxes of Girl Scout cookies you've bought this year :)

And if you don't want to admit how many, then what's your favorite flavor?

My running partner....

2012-02-06T11:01:00.003-06:00

My running partner this morning doesn't believe you need a bunch of fancy gear to go for a run.Some warm (non-wicking) jammies and a pair of Nike Free's will do.

(ignore the bedhead,he also doesn't believe in brushing his hair before a run)

Happy Monday!

3M half marathon race recap

2012-02-01T05:45:00.000-06:00

(alternately titled: “Beer is Good” or “The best race ever!”)

Reasons why it should have sucked:

I’ve been injured since October.
Since then I’ve ran *maybe* 20 total miles.
My longest run since October was 6 miles.
I’m currently “not allowed” to run per my PT.*

Reasons it didn’t suck:

Mainly, I had the best running buddy ever, Lesley. We had registered back in June, with hopes of a sub 2. Well, in the mean time I got hurt and she signed up for a 50 miler less than a week after 3M. Excellent reasons for us to take it easy.
The second reason it didn’t suck was the beer running. Any day that I can combine my love of running with my love of beer is a good day.
Oh, and I was RUNNING (ok,parts of that definitely wasn’t a run,more of an amble)

Pre Race:

Lesley spent the night with me Saturday night. After the most efficient packet-pickup experience of my life (great job 3m!) and a mini-blogger meet up, we checked out our loot. 3M has been voted in Runners World as “Best Swag” and I guess if I were into office supplies then I would agree.

We decided for a low key evening of pizza,beer and chick flicks. We went to bed fairly early (10ish?) because of the early race start time. Like with any other night before a race, I couldn’t sleep. I finally gave up and got out of bed at 4:15am. The rest of the house got up at 5am. I had toast with honey and coffee for breakfast and then I started working on getting my race hydration together. Yep, we filled our handhelds with Shiner beer.

It was cold! I had been begging Mother Nature for a cold race day (thinking it would keep my knee from swelling) and I was so happy to have that request fulfilled. It was probably around 37 when Charles dropped us off at start. Brrrrrrr…..

We matched! We wore a Super Star skirt from RunningSkirts.com and a half zip from Athleta. I was super thankful for those capri’s and the lined shirt, this Texas girl isn’t used to the cold!

We got to the start area about 30 minutes prior to the race and immediately jumped in a porta-potty line and waited. And waited. And waited. In fact, the only real complaint for this race (other than the hideous shirts) is that it didn’t have enough porta-potties at the start. As we waited, THE RACE STARTED WITHOUT US. Obviously we knew it was going to start, but since we didn’t have a time goal and were just there for fun we decided it would be more fun to run with emptied organs.

About 10 minutes after the official start, Lesley and I started our own race.

3M is known as a fast race with a net elevation loss, it has a few gentle hills in the beginning ~~and one stupid one at the finish~~ but other than its flat or slightly downhill. The course doesn’t even pretend to show you a scenic tour of Austin, its really just laid out to be fast.

So we ambled along, chatting. Sure I hurt ~~a lot~~ some. Yes it was hard at times, but overall it was AMAZING.

Beer: So for the first few miles the beer in our handhelds seemed like a silly idea. I mean, it was EARLY and guess what happens to beer as you run-yeah it gets all fizzy. Periodically to keep our bottles from exploding we would release some air or suck down some foam.

At mile 7 though, we were LOVING the beer. It was just ok before, but at mile 7 it was our best friend. So tasty and just what we needed, man I love Shiner. We soon ran out and took to asking for beer from the spectators. Hello, its Austin, where was the beer people?!?! We were offered mimosa’s and bloody mary’s, but decided mixing drinks like that would be tempting disaster.

I think the most fun was had between 7-13.1. We weren’t stressing a time, we were enjoying our beer, and just generally having fun.

Sundays race was my SLOWEST half marathon ever, but it was easily my most enjoyable. The whole race was just about having fun with a friend, and basking in the joy found in the simple act of ~~ambling~~ running. It’s ok to pick FUN over SPEED.

*I don’t recommend running while injured. In case you haven’t noticed, I am NOT a doctor nor do I play one on TV. I was super cautious and took it easy,what works for me might not work for you..Carry on.

I don't wanna brag, but....

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001-06:00

1. Lesley from Racing It Off is coming to visit me tomorrow. Its ok to be jealous. I don't want to divulge all of our secrets, but the visit will involve beer. And running.

2. I have the cutest kid EVER.
3. I have done 100% of the laundry in this house. Yeah, thats totally a blog worthy accomplishment.

Now its YOUR turn to brag

We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.

2012-01-25T10:02:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I ate well, worked out for an hour, drank plenty of water and pretty much felt like a Freaking Healthy Living Rock Star. Yeah, I was feeling cocky. You see, with months off from running due to an(other) injury, and the holidays and a myriad of other excuses I had slacked off and pretty much got squishy.

But the last few weeks I’ve been eating better and working out more. And I’ve been feeling great! Crazy how much better you feel in health and attitude when you take care of your body.

But there is life outside of eating well and working out and yesterday was a tough day on a different level. Sometimes outside influences creep in.

So after that stellar day, after eating dinner, after being completely satisfied food wise I did something without thought to my action: I ate a late night bowl of sugary cereal.

Ok, not hugely shocking, its just a bowl of cereal after all, but I was upset with what I had done. I ate a giant bowl of cereal when I wasn’t hungry. I ate junk I’ve been trying to refrain from. And I did it without even realizing what I was doing.

As I sat there last night berating myself for struggling I realized something; its ok to struggle if you’re learning. If you had asked me yesterday morning if I was a stress eater I would have told you “No”. I honestly didn’t think I was one. But last night taught me otherwise.

I can’t change my actions last night, but I can learn from them. And as long as I’m learning then I’m making progress.

We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome.

R. C. Allen

Trails,Trials,Chickens and Veggies

2012-01-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

So much to get caught up on, I figured I’d do a quick run-down in one post.

Chickens:

Last weekend along with spectating the Olympic Trials Marathon, we spent time visiting my grandparents. Dash had a great time checking out their chickens and learning about all the veggies they grow. They sent us home with fresh eggs, kale, peppers, cilantro and an assortment of other veggies.

Trials:

Speaking of the Olympic Trials, I only posted pictures from the first half. We had a great time, and even ran into my friend Steph (who ran a HUGE PR the next day).

Veggies:

I’ve been working as the Program Manager for the H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program. We have taken a group of 15 “beginners” and paired them up with local running mentors. We’ve provided them with training plans, gear, group runs, and the support they need to get to race day. H-E-B has been an amazing sponsor, and in an effort to improve our groups overall health H-E-B gave us a store tour, lead by their regional dietitian. It was great seeing a grocery trip through the eyes of a dietitian.

Trails:

Our group runs have been split between Town Lake Trail and Brushy Creek Trail. If you’re interested in training for ZOOMA Texas you can find all the info at ZOOMArun.com. This past weekend I ran 6 miles with the group, while pushing Dash. And yes, he wore his jammies. I pulled him out of bed at 6:30am and tucked him in the stroller half asleep. Afterwards, he stretched out with the group.

2012-01-20T07:56:00.000-06:00

Olympic Trials Marathon: Houston in pics part 1

2012-01-18T05:00:00.000-06:00

2012-01-16T09:28:00.003-06:00

Awakened to the news my great-aunt has passed away. Its a sobering reminder of how fragile life is. Take the time to hug your loved ones, tell them you love them.

I quit.

2012-01-09T12:43:00.006-06:00

I've been avoiding this. I've danced around it, posted sporadically, mentally distanced myself from this blog, and done just about everything I could keep from writing this post.

And then today, I realized I was doing myself a disservice by NOT writing it. So here it is:

I started blogging to share my story. So I shared, and I was uplifted each time someone reached out to me, telling me my story offered hope. But as much as I wanted to help others, I also started this blog for me. It kept me motivated and accountable. I was able to reflect on my life through the lense of a written post.

But somewhere along the way I wasn't blogging for me or for you anymore. I was blogging to BLOG. I had insane page views, companies throwing free gear at me, and people wanting to advertise on my blog. And sure, I enjoy free stuff as much as the next person, but the giveaways and obligations became too frequent and too much.

I wanted to write for ME, not sell products for someone else. While my reviews were always honest, I felt like I was losing integrity. I don't want to blog for BUSINESS. I don't want to make money by shoving stuff down your throat. And I don't want to be obligated to write if I don't feel like it.

So I stepped away.

This past year was hard on a personal level, and I simply didn't want to make it harder by playing the blogging game. So I started turning down products, ignored any email requesting ad space, and just generally stepped away from my blog. There has been a trickle of posts coming out, and a few that meant a lot to me, but overall the heart was gone out of this blog. I stopped thinking about writing, and started thinking about deleting this blog all together.

I got caught up in others expectations of how my blog SHOULD grow, and in turn just about killed it.

I am in no way knocking those of you that want to be, or are professional bloggers, its just simply not who I am at this point in my life. Why is it that everyone feels such a rush to turn their blog into more than just a place to write? When did blogging become a competition for popularity and a race to make money?

Honestly, the more I tried to force myself to BE a blogger, the more I became disgusted with blogging as a whole. There are so many things going on out there right now that make me sick, sites dedicated to ripping apart other bloggers, groups pressuring you to join,making you feel like you're somehow not as good as them because you're not interested in selling yourself. When did it become ok to look down on someone because they simply want to write and not profit from it?

What's right for you isn't right for me, and the opposite is true.

I've officially quit the blogging game, and am letting go of any pressure from outside sources, but I will continue to WRITE here. I look forward to being able to write for the sheer joy of writing. To be able to reflect and learn from life's lessons through the power of the written word. And most of all, I look forward to getting back to being me.

Welcome back Tricia.

I will never leave a fallen comrade

2012-01-06T08:28:00.011-06:00

My husband is the best running buddy I could ask for.

He is my sherpa. Its true, if you look at any longer distance races we've ran together, HE is the one wearing a fuel/hydration belt and I am traveling light. He'll carry enough water for me, and he'll hold my honey stingers. The only thing he has drawn the line at is tampons. Once, on a trail run, my hat became so drenched that I decided I couldn't run another step with it, so he ran with a bright pink hat looped in his fuel belt. That pink hat could be seen bouncing along behind him for miles.

Yes, I'm spoiled.

(and yes when I run alone I manage just fine. Ok...I miss my sherpa when I'm alone, but I manage)

Sure its nice not to have to haul a bunch of gear, but what really makes him the best running buddy is that he'll never leave me behind. This was most poignantly shown during Rock n Roll San Antonio 2010. It was our first full marathon. I went into that race injured but stupidly decided I'd cross that finish line no matter the consequence.

In the first few miles of the race, I was hurting. I encouraged him to run his own race, but he stayed by my side. When my knee gave out under me at mile ten, he was there to catch me. When I forced on and mentally started blocking out the world, desperate to ignore the pain, he was there to prompt me to fuel and hydrate. And when I finally lost touch briefly with reality, he steered me out of oncoming traffic.

I don't remember a lot of the end of the race. I have pictures such as this to remind me, I was hurting and he was by my side.

He stayed beside me for 5 hours and 20 minutes, a full hour longer than we ever dreamed we'd be out there. I was barely suffling along at points, but he didn't leave me. He had trained for a 4:15. It was apparent early on that I wouldn't make that goal, but he never left me to chase it himself. We crossed that finish line together.

Some of you may be saying, he stayed because I'm his wife. Partly that is true. But I believe he'd do that for any of his "Battle Buddies". Because that day, that's what that race had become, a battle of body and will, relentless to finish. And my husband lives the Solidiers Creed

He will never leave a fallen comrade.

A good husband, soldier and just plain amazing person, I'm lucky to call him my running buddy. I nominated Charles for "The Best Running Buddy In Texas" contest. I wanted to show how much I appreciate what he does for me as a running buddy. If you can spare a moment, you can vote for him just by clicking "vote" next to our picture HERE.

alive but not kicking

2012-01-04T11:10:00.003-06:00

Just a quick note to assure you I'm alive. The past week has been rough on me and Dash. We both got strep and just as we started feeling better, we were hit hard with a rapid onset stomach bug. Right now I'm weak and dehydrated,but hope to return online soon.

Forget what the bloggers say, its your slate, write on it when YOU want

2011-12-29T09:55:00.010-06:00

I'm going to buck the healthy living bloggers trend, I'm going to go against the grain. This week I've read countless blogs talking about how terrible New Years resolutions are because they always fail, how TODAY is the day to start living healthy, not New Years.

I agree that IDEALLY it would be best to start NOW, not on a day that just so happens to be the first one of a new year. After all, January 1st isn't some magic day, its the same as any other day, right?

Yes AND No.

Why do we celebrate New Years?

The month of January was named Janus, the god of beginnings and endings. This particular god has two heads, one looks forward and the other looks back. This symbolizes a break from the old and the new.

We have thousands of years of history telling us January is the month for new beginnings. Furthermore, our ancestors believed whatever you did on the first day of the new year (like eating healthy, spending time with family) would be what you did for the rest of the year. Our course they also believed in polygamy, so I wouldn't suggest following their customs completely.

While they may not have had all the answers, they did realize that a clean slate or fresh start can help us grow. Does it have to be January 1st? Nope. CAN it be January 1st? Yes, with the right mindset.

To reach our goals we need specific steps how to achieve those goals, and we also need a start date for them. So pick January 1st to start with a clean slate. Use the next few days to write down your goal and then outline the steps you plan on taking to reach it.

On New Years Day put that plan into action. Don't let bloggers or Dr. Oz (is he still around?) convince you that you're going to fail simply because its a New Years resolution.

YOU hold the power to succeed. With a goal, steps to accomplish it, and the will power to do it, you WILL succeed.

Happy New Year!

F You!, Merry Christmas, And get me outta here!

2011-12-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

Sooooo....in uploading pictures from Christmas I ran across this gem. Dash visiting Santa with two of his cousins:

Cousin #1: unintentionally (I hope!) flicking off the camera

Santa: rolling his eyes

Dash: cheesing it up

Cousin #2: refusing to get any closer to Santa and is planning her escape

H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program Kickoff

2011-12-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

Our H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program kickoff was held on December 15th at BettySport in Austin. I was super excited about the kick off, and finally getting to meet all the ladies. I started out by introducing the program, afterwards our mentors shared their personal running stories and the beginners told the group why they had joined the program.

It was a great evening filled with 3 of my favorite things that start with "S": Shopping, Socializing, and Shoe fitting. There was even a massage therapist on hand from Austin BodyWorker and since the evening was terrible weather which equated to horrible commutes for most, the massages were a welcome treat.

For those of you not familiar with the program, H-E-B and ZOOMA pair beginner runners up with running mentors and then provide them training plans, gear, inspiration and the tools they need to cross the finish line. I am both the Program Manager and a Mentor to two beginners.

Listening to everyone's stories provided inspiration and hope, not only for the beginners but for the mentors as well. We look forward to following and supporting our beginners all the way to the finish line.

Special thanks to H-E-B for sponsoring the program, BettySport for hosting and supporting our ladies, and Austin Bodyworker for providing massages.

Girls are smarter than boys

2011-12-21T09:57:00.005-06:00

This was passed on to me ~~and 50 billion other run bloggers~~ from the folks at MP3 Running.It's an interesting infographic on male vs female runners.
Running Music for a better running experience!

Which of these surprised you the most?

Where I’ve been, in a nutshell that explains nothing

2011-12-19T05:00:00.001-06:00

I don't even know how to explain where I've been for the last few weeks, or if it's even worth going into the whole story. Since it involves other people (like ones who aren't used to all their business being on the internet) I'll just start by saying I was in Virginia for 19 days, working on a house. We drove out there with little notice, although we knew the day would come eventually.

A 24 hour drive with a toddler probably sounds like hell, but I've been blessed with a great traveler. He pretty much kicked back, enjoying some snacks and the open road.

It really is a convoluted story which involves more family drama than is worth mentioning, but what it boils down to (with the Army’s lack of planning partly to blame) is we dropped everything (work! Rock n Roll Las Vegas Race! Our life!) to completely rip out and renovate a house with our ~~bare~~ gloved hands.

For almost 3 weeks we worked 18-20 hours a day. All three of us shared a queen air mattress that refused to hold air. We had no propane for heat or hot water. And there were zero appliances. We took the ~~very~~ occasional FREEZING cold shower (hello Virginia in December is cold!) and cooked over a camp fire. It was miserable and wonderful at the same time.

I’m not at liberty to share before/after pics of the house with the entire world (I know, I’m very mysterious) but if you’re especially interested in that kind of thing I can show you via email.

The entire trip was an emotionally charged situation that had nothing to do with renovating a crumbling house, but instead centered around crumbling family relations.

It was easily the most mentally and physically exhausted I’ve ever been, and I doubt I’ll ever take a hot shower for granted again. Despite (or maybe BECAUSE of) the uncomfortable circumstances Charles, Dash and I united even more as a family. Dash looked at the entire thing as a big adventure, and eventually we realized he had the right mindset. With the right attitude even manual labor can be a family activity.

The house is completely repaired, now we hope to work on the relationships. And man am I happy to be home.

The best running advice I've heard all year

2011-12-09T05:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Dash noticed there was some snow up on the nearby mountains.

He said: "Lets run to the mountains"

I responded: "We can't, they're like 10 miles away."

He replied: "What, you can't run 10 miles?! I can!"

Me: "Well I can, but my knee hurts"

And then he showed he is wise beyond his years:

"Don't worry about your knee, don't worry about your pain, just pick your feet up."

*I shared the condensed version of this on twitter yesterday, but it's stuck with me so I wanted to share it here too"

S is for Spaceship

2011-12-07T10:55:00.007-06:00

3....

2....

1....

BLAST OFF!!!

Mentors Wanted:

2011-12-06T10:19:00.002-06:00

We're still looking for a few mentors for the H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program. Our beginners are super excited - now we need to finalize our roster of motivators! No prior coaching experience is required - just a passion for running and a willingness to help others find their stride! Email info@zoomarun.com for info.

Rock n Roll Las Vegas Meetup Reminder

2011-12-02T12:25:00.005-06:00

The event is 8pm,Saturday the 3rd at The Mandalay Bay. They have graciously offered us use of their EyeCandy Sound Lounge which is located in the middle of their main casino. Marathon Bars will be bringing goodies for those attending.

OnlineShoes.com 12 Days of Giving Contest

2011-11-30T16:00:00.004-06:00

I have a dirty little secret I've been keeping from you, I am OBSESSED with shoes. I don't need the latest and greatest electronics, I'm super low maintenance on hair and make up but I have a hard time resisting a boot sale. So I'm super excited to be able to offer you a sneek peak at an event OnlineShoes.com will be launching TOMORROW. It is called the "12 Days of Giving Contest".

The prizes are awesome, and all you have to do is answer a different holiday related question on their blog each day. I've answered a few of the questions below, and did a little shopping on their site.

Day 1: 12/1 They want to hear about your first holiday memory. Kicking the contest off is a prize from Dr.Marten. I've been a fan of theirs for years and own several pairs from HIGH SCHOOL that are still in great shape. Those things simply don't wear out. And check out how cute these are:

Day 2: 12/2 What is your favorite holiday movie? The North Face is sponsoring this day with some amazing gear.

Day 3: 12/5 Best Holiday Gift Ever? I'm entering this day for sure, great prize from Soleus.

Day 4: 12/6 Favorite Holiday Memory: I think each year is getting better and more memorable for me. As Dash gets older, and gets more and more into the Christmas spirit I enjoy the holidays even more. This days prize is from Rockport.

Day 5: 12/7 Favorite Winter Activity: My favorite would be Christmas light runs. This was a tradition we started two years ago, we load Dash up in the jogging stroller, then pick different neighborhoods (with sidewalks) to run in, taking in the Christmas lights along the way. Day fives prize is from Tecnica Shoes, and since I'm currently lusting over the boots below, I'm definitely entering this day.

Day 6: 12/8 Tell them your worst holiday gift to be entered to win a prize from Sanita.

Day 7: 12/9 Whats your favorite holiday gift to give? Answer to win a prize from Sorel.

Day 8: 12/12 What always gets you in the holiday spirit? Christmas music and decorations always get me in the spirit. That answer (on their blog) would enter me to win some comfy slippers from Geisswein.

Day 9: 12/13 What's your favorite holiday treat? Mine would be these tiny sugar press cookies my grandmother makes. Prizes for ladies from Jessica Simpson Shoes and Sperry Top-Sider for men. I do believe I need these Jessica Simpson pumps:

Day 10: 12/14 Favorite Holiday Song: Ok, I'm fully aware this is ridiculous, but I really like the Hipopotamus song. Totally cheesy, but reminds me of Christmas as a child. Columbia is offering up day tens prize.

Day 11: 12/15 How do you decorate for the holidays? We are big fans of decorating, and Dash loves Christmas so each year they go up earlier and earlier. This year our tree and outside lights were up the Monday BEFORE Thanksgiving. Today is sponsored by Tsubo.

Day 12: 12/16 What is your favorite holiday tradition? Sherpani is providing the amazing gear for today. This messenger bag is calling my name:

I know that’s a lot of information, but what it boils down to is twelve chances to win amazing prizes. CLICK HERE for full details.

disclaimer:images do not necessarily represent prizes, they are simply some of the things on my personal wish list

"Go buy your family dinner"

2011-11-23T05:00:00.001-06:00

Years back we had hit a few bumps in the road. We had lost money on some investments, and took a huge loss on a house when the real estate market bottomed out and we had to move cross country unexpectedly. Things were really tight, but we were getting by. We had learned to live lean and make sacrifices.

That year my family was coming to visit us for Thanksgiving. Probably having an inkling of our situation, they offered to send grocery cards out for the meal shopping, but out of pride I declined. I didn't want them to realize how hard things really were for us at that time.

But the reality was, there wasn't extra money to provide a huge meal for a large group of people.

A week or so before they were set to arrive, Dash and I went to a local waterside park. Charles was working that day, but soon came strolling up in uniform to join us during his lunch break. We had packed a picnic of sandwiches which we enjoyed while watching the boats come and go. The boys then went to play on the playground.

I sat on the bench watching them play, worrying over the week to come. I was wracking my brain of things I could sell on Craigslist to make a little extra money, trying to figure out how to cut corners further. And at some point a prayer was sent up.

It was a beautiful fall day in South Florida. The air was cool and for once the humidity was low. Despite being a weekday, the park was full of people enjoying the outdoors. The benches facing the water were full of boat watchers, and people were strolling up and down the water's edge. I had noticed a gentlemen watching us from a nearby bench, but figured based on his age he probably had grandchildren and was amused by Dash's antics.

Soon it was time for Charles to go back to work, and I needed to get Dash home to scrub the sand out of his hair and put him down for a nap. As I gathered our things I saw the man approach Charles.

Curious, I drifted closer.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a wad of money and said "Here, take this. Go buy your family dinner."

He put the money in Charles' hand and turned to walk off. Charles was so surprised he stood still for a second, and then started after the guy. The man then stopped, turned around and walked back to Charles.

He once again reached into his pocket and said "You know what, take this too. Thank you for your service. God Bless You and your family" and put more money in Charles' hand.

Of course Charles is protesting at this point, "Thank you sir, that's not necessary" and such, but the man gruffly shook his head and walked off, not willing to take no for an answer.

He left the park and Charles and I scooped up Dash and walked slowly back to our vehicles. We stood in the parking lot, each lost in our own thoughts. There were tears in each of our eyes when they finally met.

I climbed into my truck and sat there and cried. I cried at the kindness of a stranger, I cried out of relief that a worry was lifted, and I cried at the reminder of the power of prayer.

You can call it a random act of kindness, or the answer to a prayer, but as I sit here and remember that day I am reminded of how much I have to be thankful for. We are blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Heads up and Guest Post

2011-11-21T17:26:00.007-06:00

Just a quick heads up on a stellar holiday deal. Only $20 for a 4 pack of Click HERE to start shopping!

Today you can find me guest posting HERE,over at Run To The Finish. Thanks for the invite Amanda.

Pursuing a passion: HEB ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program

2011-11-18T05:00:00.002-06:00

Lately I've needed a kick in the pants, one that pushes me to pursue my passions.

I was an Austin Ambassador for ZOOMA Women's Race Series this year. I loved my time in the position as it gave me an outlet to share my love of running with local women. I helped lead weekly training runs, encouraged women in their efforts and then got to share in their joy when they crossed that finish line. It was an amazing experience.

Recently ZOOMA reached out to me with another amazing opportunity. They have asked me to be the Program Manager for their new H-E-B ZOOMA Texas Girlfriends Program.

This is a program for beginners, or those who may have "fallen off the wagon" and are looking for motivation and inspiration to complete a 5K or half marathon. The ladies in the program will be paired up with local mentors for accountability and support, will be provided training plans, access to group runs, free race entry into ZOOMA Texas 5K or half marathon on March 31st, as well as ZOOMA gear. Of course, the biggest perk of all will be crossing that finish line on race day.

ZOOMA is passionate about empowering women through health and fitness, and this H-E-B sponsored program is a way to connect and support women just starting out on their healthy living journey. You can find out more about the program HERE.

I'm excited to be a part of a program that combines my passions of running and helping others reach their goals.

What are you passionate about?

How did you get started running?

Rock n Roll San Antonio 2011 part 2

2011-11-17T05:00:00.002-06:00

you can read part one HERE.

I went to bed Saturday night super optimistic and slept surprisingly well for race eve. We woke up at 6am, I peeked out the window and saw thousands of people already in their corrals. I was once again happy I booked my hotel 6 months from the start so I could stay at the start line. Extra sleep is always nice.

I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a Marathon Bar. I got dressed in a RunningSkirts.com capri skirt, figuring the compression capri's would give my knee some much needed support. I filled my handheld up with tropical nuun and the pouch with candy corn,my fuel of choice for this race.

We then strolled outside to check out the VIP area. It was indoors, had seating, VIP gear check, and a full breakfast spread. We had a great time chatting with some of the VIP's and avoiding the humidity.I got a few comments on the super sweet bib Rock 'n' Roll had printed up with my Twitter handle.

We headed outside and of course I realized I needed to go to the potty, but not just any potty. I got to "Pee Like A Rockstar" in the Brooks VIP Porta Potties (running a RnR race?I'd check out that link)
(source)

Gu chew while you wait? Running water? Spare tampons if you need them? Yep,they had it all.

Soon enough it was time for the elites to start. The announcers were reminding everyone that it would be hot, that this was "not a day to PR". At the time it made me giggle...since that's not exactly a way to pump runners up on race morning, but I understood where they were coming from. They went on to remind runners to hydrate and pay attention to their bodies.

We were supposed to be in corral 10, but the corrals were already moving forward so we squeezed in right and then realized we were in corral 9. I'm standing shoulder to shoulder with someone, in a sea of tens of thousands of runners when the guy taps Charles on the shoulder.I look up and it was my DOCTOR, the one who gave me steroid shots some weeks before. So crazy to end up next to someone you know. He asked how the knee was...I brushed the question off...we made small talk and soon we were starting.

I'm going to be bluntly honest here. My knee was hurting from the word 'go'. I knew going into this race, in light of the recent injury, that I may not finish. I had made a promise to myself to respect my body. This was no longer a goal race for me, I just wanted to enjoy myself. If the pain got to where I no longer had joy in running, or I felt like I'd injure myself further, then I would stop.

That moment came pretty quickly. We pushed out a couple 9min miles, and with each step I was wincing. I tried speeding up and slowing down, the pain was consistent. It was taking extreme focus to overcome my bodies natural desire to stop the pain. And suddenly I realized I didn't want to do it. I simply wasn't willing to push myself to finish, knowing that I may jeopardize a future of running. I knew,even that early on, that the best thing to do was step off course.There was no joy in those miles. I let Charles know what I planned to do, he offered to join me, but I sent him on.

I ran over to a nearby curb, and watched him run until I could no longer see him. And then I started the walk back. I'll be honest, it sucked. I wasn't familiar with the city enough to take an alternate route, so I walked on the sidewalk along the course. While I knew I made the right decision, walking the opposite direction from the way the runners were going made me feel like crap. It was like the walk of shame.

I hobbled my way to the finish line area and sat down, took my bib off and put my head in my hands. I sat there and thought about my decision. Did I do the right thing? Could I have pushed through? SHOULD I have pushed through? I have zero doubts that I could have pushed through...but I believe I made the right choice not to.

Soon the elites were coming in and I got caught up in cheering. I was super excited to see Shalane Flanagan win the womens half.
I started seeing tons of people I knew come in, including fellow ZOOMA Ambassador Jennifer, who won 1st in her AG. That lady is crazy fast! I also got to cheer on Kim from my Nuun Platuun team. I just got caught up in cheering and watching for Charles. He came in at just under 2 hours and I rushed off to greet him.
Rock n Roll has designated family meeting areas, organized by the first letter of your last name. This made it super easy to find him in the crazy amount of people. He had scooped up some water and food and had even been given a wet towel at the finish. It was definitely warming up, so he was super thankful for the towel.

Our VIP bands granted us access to a finish line area too, with rumors of champagne, but we had to rush to our hotel to make check out.

This weekend was my first time to DNF. It wasn't ideal, but despite that I had a fabulous weekend in San Antonio. I'm looking forward to Rock n Roll Las Vegas,whether I walk it or run it.

(sidenote:I had a knee MRI yesterday.Results pending)

Rock n Roll San Antonio 2011

2011-11-15T05:00:00.001-06:00

I had a GREAT time in San Antonio this weekend. We made the drive down around lunch time Saturday. This was my second year doing Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio and once again the expo didn't disappoint. There was a slight snafu at packet pickup, my bib was missing. I stopped by the resolutions desk and was quickly handed over my bib. Because I had originally registered for a full but now planned to run the half I needed to move up to a speedier corral. There was virtually no wait for corral change and it was super easy.

We then went to pick up our shirt. I LOVE that the race now had a 'womens cut' shirt option and the silver design this year is great.

After picking up our swag it was time to do some expo shopping.My first stop was the RunningSkirts.com booth where I picked up the Super Star Capri Skirt (along with a couple other items) for my "A" race in January.

Then I tracked down the nuun booth. I was SO happy to see Caitlin and Kim, two fellow Hood to Coast Nuun Platuuners. Of course I was sporting my Nuun HTC Blogger shirt.
We then made a quick stop at the Marathon Bars booth. They had been kind enough to send me some bars our earlier in the week so it was nice to meet the faces behind the emails.
High in protein,vitamins and yumminess, I ate one of these bars race morning. They made a great travel option.

As we went to leave, I spotted Marshall Ulrich. A few months ago I reviewed his book, Running on Empty, so we walked over to say hi.When Charles saw him he said "I know that guy." I said "Um yeah, he's a famous ultramarathoner and author". Charles insisted he knew him outside of that. Sure enough,when Marshall looked up he said "Hey man, nice to see you again" to Charles. Neither can remember where, but they both agreed they had met previously. Strange.
We left shortly after that and went to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio.I can't say enough good things about this hotel. The staff went above and beyond to welcome and accommodate us. Their facility is gorgeous and well maintained. The hotel was sold out with the marathon and yet we never once felt they were harried or unprepared. If we ever run San Antonio again, or happen to be in the city we will definitely stay here again. Bonus:its stationed at the start so you can sleep in.

After dropping our bags we headed to the River Walk. For those of you unfamiliar with San Antonio, that is exactly what it sounds like. A river running through the town with walkways,shops,restaurant and historic features on both sides. There is always a festive feeling in the air on the River Walk, we checked out some sights and sat down at a waterside restaurant for a snack. Soon my knee was aching from climbing all the stairs, foreshadowing of the day to come.

We headed back to the hotel, Charles took a quick nap and I twitter stalked the hashtag #RNRSA to see what everyone was up to. :) Often when we go to races we plan large blogger meetups, but this weekend we wanted some alone time. Figuring I'd be stressing the race we decided to take in a movie. We went to Alamo Drafthouse which is a theater/drafthouse/restaurant. You can eat and drink while you watch a movie. Its a great concept and was a nice way to pass the evening. And yes, I believe in pre-race beer(s), Blue Moon to go along with my artichoke pizza.Yum!

After the movie, we went back to the hotel, pinned our bibs on and fell fast asleep.

To be continued.....

Active Bands Giveaway Winner

2011-11-14T12:48:00.004-06:00

The winner is:

Heather at Mommy are you going for a run?

Congrats! Please shoot me an email: enduranceisntonlyphysical@gmail.com

I won't know it sucks unless I try

2011-11-11T20:03:00.003-06:00

It's two days before Rock n Roll San Antonio and I can't honestly say whats going to happen come race day. You all know that I injured my knee 4 weeks ago. I've done time off, steroid injections, ice, ART,wishing on a star and just about anything else I can think of.

Two aborted runs this week convinced me to get another opinion.I went to a new clinic Wednesday and after performing a "McMurray test", which is basically a clinical manipulation of the joint, the doctor said it was positive for a meniscus tear. Obviously the best way to diagnose that is with imaging, so I have an MRI scheduled for Tuesday.

So what does that mean for this weekends race? He feels that running the half wouldn't cause further damage to the knee if its a meniscus tear and he was confident enough in the diagnosis to say I can run the race.

He did however go on to say "but it will really suck"

Obviously I wouldn't run it if I thought it would cause further damage,but am I willing to run when it will "suck"? Probably not, but I won't know if it sucks unless I try.

So on Sunday I'll cross that start line and I'll run. I will continue to run until I am no longer enjoying myself. If it gets to the point where pain wipes out any joy from running then I will quit. There's no point running if it hurts, if I can't reach a goal I trained for, and if it is no longer even remotely enjoyable.

I'm looking forward to this race weekend. Charles and I will have some alone time, visit the River Walk, oh and go on a nice run Sunday morning.

Have a great weekend!

I'm hurting for you

2011-11-09T05:01:00.000-06:00

Once I started losing weight I had some questions nag at me. Of course the main one was "How did I let myself get to 278 pounds?!"

But outside of that, how did my friends and family let me get that large?

I am fully aware I'm 100% in charge of my own health....but if they cared about me shouldn't they have said something? I wasn't just a little overweight. It wasn't a vanity issue, it was a HEALTH issue. I was eating myself to death. I had high blood pressure, I got winded easily and was on a direct path to heart disease and diabetes.

Why didn't anyone say anything?

Charles tells me, that looking back he didn't realize HOW LARGE I had gotten. Obviously he knew I was overweight, but he didn't see me as obese. Love is blind I guess.

But I was obese. I was morbidly obese. I was dying from being fat.

And yet, no one said anything.

My father and I were watching an episode of Biggest Loser last year, when the girl got on the scale and the number was revealed I said "That's how much I used to weigh"

He said he never imagined I weighed that much, and when he saw me he didn't SEE me as that large.

Look at these picture. What do YOU see?

I'm looking at them I see an obese person. Those were taken on a family trip to Disney. I spent the trip worried that I wouldn't be able to fit on a ride. In fact, there was one ride where I had to sit in the double seat by myself. And did my family see that as a chance to express concern? No.

Did I know I was fat? Absolutely yes!

Did I need someone to tell me? Emphatically yes!

Oh sure, it wasn't going to be new information for me. I KNEW I was obese. I knew exactly how much I needed to lose to be considered only "overweight" and I knew to the pound how much I needed to lose to be considered "healthy". With a past in healthcare I knew all the co-morbidity's.

I had all the text book information but dammit I needed someone who LOVED me to tell me I was out of control. To show they cared, to acknowledge the issue, to do SOMETHING. Every bite was a cry for help, help I never received.

I'm not writing this to blame my family and especially not to make them feel guilty. I am the one who ate and lazed myself to obesity, and I am the one who got myself off that path, saving my life by making changes. So this post isn’t about placing blame, but I received a text the other day that stopped me in my tracks. It was a text, out of the blue, from a close family member that simply said this:

"I'm 50lbs+ overweight"

I fired back a text without thinking:

"I noticed on Halloween"

That probably sounds terribly unfeeling, but it was true. We pulled up at an event that weekend and my family member was standing outside. I almost didn't recognize the person and was immediately struck with how much weight they had gained.

And what did I do with that information? Nothing

In fairness to myself, six months or so ago I did sit down with this person and have the weight conversation. I even made them healthy breakfasts and lunches to take to work, and I encouraged a gym membership.

But since then, I haven't done anything. In fact, last week I noticed they had gained a significant amount of weight and I didn't take any steps to reach out to them.

At this point I know a lot of you are talking to your screen, telling me maybe it isn't my business to monitor someone's weight, that weight is personal and I could hurt someone's feelings, so let me explain the root of the issue:

The dirty little secret behind being morbidly obese is you don’t get that way simply because you like food, you get that way because you're hurting over something. You aren't feeding your body, lord knows you don't actually need that much food, you're feeding your hurt. I know that better than most. So while weight is a symptom, I’m really addressing the hurt.

My family member isn't the best verbal communicator (I'm sure it has nothing to do with his gender) So right now I'm taking the time to tell him:

I see you, I acknowledge there is a problem. I'm hurting because I know you're hurting. I love you and I'm here to help you in any way I can.

Its Marathon Week!

2011-11-07T05:00:00.009-06:00

Or umm... half marathon week

Race week?

Rock n Roll San Antonio is 5 days away. A week or so ago I talked about how even though I trained for the full, due to this knee injury I have made the decision to run the half. And while that's still my official decision....I have to admit there have been little evil whispers in my head lately taunting "You trained all summer for the full, just SUCK IT UP and run the full."

And then I kindly remind those devils that I have run 4 times in the last 3 weeks...one of those times pain free, the rest still sore.

To address those of you that questioned my decision to run at all: I have been SUPER conservative the last few weeks, two weeks off total, and have a doctors ok to run the half. My knee being "sore" while running is ok and expected, pain will not be. If I experience pain that indicates further injury while on course I will simply walk to the end. No worries.

I haven't particulary been training for a speedy half, but feel confident that barring further injury I can pull out a PR. Woot!

So, onward and upward to the half!

The Plan:

Pace:

I know there are tons of people that are anti-pace group, but I'm leaning that way. At the very least I plan on chatting up someone who plans on running my desired pace and maybe finding a race buddy. I've trained with a buddy (Charles) but due to the knee thing I've sent him on his merry way. I don't want to possibly hold him back from running his own race.

Hydration:

I train with nuun, but am unconvinced that I should run with my handheld. I kind of just want to use the on course support so I don't have to carry anything. Problem is, their sugary junk filled energy drink offered on course tears my stomach up. I'm fine while running with just water, but I regretted the last long run I did with only water. I get TERRIBLE post run headaches when I don't run with nuun. I'm guessing it's the salt? Either way, the promise of a post run headache is enough to make me want to haul my own bottle. And this commences my rambling on hydration. :) (working stuff out in my head)

That was after that long run 9 days ago where I didn't run with nuun.I was CRAMPING and head hurt so I skipped the water and popped the Nuun tab right in my mouth! Charles was errr..."kind" enough to capture the moment. Attractive,I know.

Nevermind,that picture has convinced me to drag around my handheld so I won't be without my beloved nuun. We don't need a repeat of the above.

Fuel:

This week I hit upon a plan. It could be crazy or it could be pure genuis.

So, you want to know WHY I've decided to run with candy corn? Well, the answer is pretty simple: I like candy corn.

After the last few weeks my stomache is ummmm...shall we say... accustomed to candy corn (hehe), it *is* "made with honey" (says right there on the package and I'm a sucker) and I've been training with honey stinger products...almost the same thing. :) And lastly, it will be "Racing Green". Oh yeah, using left over halloween candy for alternative uses? Patting myself on the back ~~while drinking bottled water~~ for this one. I'm going for it!

Tunes:

On the off chance ~~I don't shower~~ I can't find a friend to race with, I will have my Sony Walkman with me. In case I'm not feeling the bands on course then I'll just crank my tunes. Which of course means I need a playlist. What are your top 3 speedy running songs?

Rock n Roll Las Vegas:

The sign up list for the meetup that Jess @BlondePonytail and I are planning is HERE. I need to get a head count before emailing out details. Thanks!

(Jess-unshowered after running countless miles and living out of a van....lets shoot for a non-crusty pic in Vegas. Love ya!)

GIVEAWAY:

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for $100 gift card to Active Bands. Fellows, this would make an EXCELLENT present for a lady friend. Click HERE.

What's your favorite 'outside the norm' way to fuel runs?

What are your top 3 speedy running songs?
>

$100 Active Bands Gift Card Giveaway

2011-11-04T05:00:00.023-05:00

Its been FOREVER since I've hosted a giveaway. I honestly started to feel like massive amounts of giveaways made me a little inauthentic. From now on, I really only want to offer you products that either really speak to me, or are ones that I already use,love and swear by.

Active Bands fall under that second category. Odds are if I'm running then I have a headband on. Over the last few months I've probably bought 15 or so of these bands. I've even started wearing them outside of running, just a way to spruce up my regular braid or ponytail.

fuchsia glitter band in Seattle with the lovely coffee sporting Chelsea

Thin silver over thick blue dots before See Jane Run Expo

Lime Green Dots on TMBs photo bomb of me and Kerrie and in Seaside after Hood to Coast.

Thick black band in the Hood to Coast van with Diary Avg Runner and Faster Bunny.

Ok, you get the point. I wear them all the time because ~~I'm too lazy to really fix my hair~~ I think they're super cute, they don't slip, and they don't give me headaches.

Recently, I had mentioned that I sported the pink one in this months issue of Womens Health Magazine. Active Bands reached out to me with a fun way to celebrate being in the magazine. They've offered up a $100 gift card to their online store. Their prices are super reasonable,so that will pretty much be an entire headband wardrobe.

GIVEAWAY: One person will win a $100 Active Bands gift card.Winner will be selected by random.org. Giveaway ends 11/11/11 at 11:59PM. Leave a separate comment for each entry. (a single comment is the only thing you must do to enter,all others are optional but will give you extra entries)

1. Go to ActiveHeadbands.com and shop around.Come back telling me which headbands you wish would show up in your stocking this Christmas.

2. "Like" them on Facebook HERE. Keep an eye on their FB,they announce monthly promo's. Leave a comment you've liked them.

3. Follow them on Twitter HERE. Let me know you've done so.

4. After looking at their shop, tell me what colors/styles you'd like to see in the future.

5. Spread the word
-Link this giveaway on your blog
-Share this link on FB,Twitter,etc. Extra entries for each way
-Tweet this:

I want to win @TriciaRunning's HUGE @Activebands #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/3db2dba

disclaimer:Active Bands provides all prizes,retail value $100.Every band pictured was paid for by ME,the review is my own. No purchase necessary to win.Must be 18 or older to enter.VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.Winner announced 11/14/11.If you have questions regarding this giveaway contact me:enduranceisntonlyphysical@gmail.com

Its that time of the year...

2011-11-02T05:00:00.003-05:00

Yes my friends its that time of the year,those weeks between Halloween and New Years where it's easy to toss your healthy habits out the window.

I get it, I do. There are office parties, holiday baking, and family events centered around food. I have to be extra vigilant during the winter months, there are a few "tricks" that keep me from straying too far.

BRUSH YOUR TEETH:

Like I talked about in Womens Health Magazine, brushing my teeth is one of the easiest ways for me to curb unnecessary munching. The time in between when I eat dinner and when I crawl into bed may only be a handful of hours, but in that short time I can pack in tons of extra calories by snacking on food I don't really need. I've found that if I brush my teeth right after dinner I'm less likely to graze. I'll often rebrush my teeth or swish with mouthwash if its been a few hours and I'm facing down the Munchy Monster. :) It tells your brain that meal time is OVER, and food simply doesn't taste good when competing with minty breath so its easy to say no to snacks.

EAT CANDY:

Ok, this seems contradictory but hear me out. I don't think treats are evil. Eating a piece of chocolate occasionally doesn't make you unhealthy. I tend to OVERindulge when I've been denying myself. By allowing myself a treat occasionally I never feel deprived and am less likely to binge on the candy bowl.

ONLY EAT WHAT YOU LOVE:

photo source:Cinnamon Quill

It's pretty easy to splurge on junk simply because it's in front of you. I often remind myself that I'm saying 'no' to the apple pie because somewhere down the line a cherry one may come along that I'll enjoy much more. Part delayed gratification, and part cherry is better than apple pie any day :)

DRINK WATER:

You've heard this a million times, but how often do you put it into action? Next time you reach for a cookie try a glass of water instead. Sometimes you're simply thirsty and the water curbs the munchies, or just as likely it gives you that little moment to pause and realize you don't actually want/need that cookie.

GET ACTIVE:

Super cool things happen this time of year. It's easy to find an outdoor festival, or a holiday themed race. Instead of getting your family together to just EAT, try enjoying each others company while moving your body.

And finally, don't hesitate to hit the reset button. We're all bound to go overboard at some point. Instead of letting that slip up turn into a free for all until New Years,just reset. Give yourself a clean slate.

What are YOUR tips and tricks to stay healthy during the holidays?

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T05:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you have to look at the big picture

2011-10-28T06:00:00.009-05:00

Do you remember THAT race that I've spent the last 20+ weeks training for?

That race that I hired a super awesome coach for?

The one that was going to be redemption from THIS train wreck?

Well guess what?

It's not going to happen.

I've trained through the ridiculous triple digit summer in Texas. I've picked up speed and accumulated miles. I've slowly increased volume, and I crosstrained. I've worked with a great coach and had a stellar training plan.

I've done what I could to set myself up for success, but it isn't happening.

Like I mentioned previously, two weeks ago I started having sharp knee pain. I dropped a race, took time off and went to the doctor. Earlier this week I was given a couple of steroid shots, one behind my knee cap and one into the tendon sheath on the side of my knee. Along with the shots I was given the instructions to take it easy, take a little more time off, and give my body time to heal.

I'm two weeks out from San Antonio full. I've gone over all the options. I know without a doubt I could finish the full, but I also know its setting myself up for further injury.

I've ran a full while injured and honestly? I don't want to do it again.

I don't want to take weeks off to rehab post race. I don't want to hurt myself further. And I don't want to simply "survive" my race.

After talking to my doctors, my AMAZING coach, and really looking inside myself, I have made the decision to drop from the full to the half.

In the end, the well being of my body is more important than one single race. And don't worry, my training won't go to waste. There are lots of spring fulls calling my name.

"Tomorrow is another day, and there will be another battle!"

Quick Reminder

2011-10-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day ~~I'll be harrassing you for votes~~ to vote for me in the SHAPE Magazine Best Blogger Awards.

It's super easy to vote, nothing to sign up for, you get to keep your first born. Click HERE to vote for me. Thank you!

My story in Womens Health Magazine

2011-10-24T05:00:00.002-05:00

I'm super excited to let you know that my weight loss story is featured in the November 2011 issue of Women's Health Magazine.

I was thrilled when Women's Health reached out to me. I am passionate about letting others know that overcoming obesity is possible, and they can do it by making simple lifestyle changes.

When I was 278 pounds and at rock bottom I was inundated with the message that at my size,surgery or pills were my only options.But after years of trying quick fixes and fad diets I was ready for more. I was ready to change my life for the better and I knew in my heart healthy lifestyle choices were the way to go.

I'm honored that my story is in the magazine, I hope it can show someone out there that THEY can break out of that prison called obesity. All they need is determination and faith in themselves.

The process involved a few phone interviews, numerous emails and calls to check facts, and then it was down to the pictures.

The pictures were taken in the middle of the summer, but with the article scheduled to come out in November, I was asked to dress for Fall. That was probably the thing that made me the most nervous. At one point they suggested a zip up jacket or similar. I laughed out loud when I read that email, thinking surely they were joking it was about 108 out at the time. I knew I wanted to show my RunningSkirts.com love so I compromised with a capri skirt. A pink Nike top, pink sparkly Active Band,and my super speedy and adorable Pearl iZUMi Steak IIs completed the ensemble.

With the outfit selected it was time for some makeup. I don't normally wear a lot of makeup so it was cool to have it done. I pretty much love my makeup artist, Christine Stafford at Mantis Salon in Austin. I had worked with her on a previous shoot this year and was so happy for a chance to catch up with her. Christine has an amazing weight loss story of her own and is just a sweetheart to be around. She makes me feel super comfortable and is definitely my 'go to' artist in Austin. She made me look polished but natural and despite the heat of the day, my make up stayed in place. Thank you Christine!

Women's Health assigned my photographer. I'll admit I checked out Kenny Brauner's online portfolio before the shoot. Seeing the level of his work, as well as the people he had photographed before made me a smidge nervous. I had no reason to be nervous though, we hit it off right away. He was super easy to chat with and a pleasure to be around.

photo credit:Kenny Braun

We held the shoot at Town Lake Trail here in Austin. Its a beautiful spot and one of my favorite places to run. It ended up being a beautiful day. I felt a little silly running the same 15 feet over and over, but Kenny put me at ease by letting me know I was doing a great job. I'm thankful I got to work with such an amazing photographer.

photo credit:Kenny Braun

The November issue of Womens Health Magazine is on stands now.

I've been keeping something from you

2011-10-21T05:00:00.002-05:00

photo credit:Kenny Braun

Any guesses what it may be?

I'm in trouble

2011-10-20T14:54:00.007-05:00

Wednesday night I got a call from my father, and lets just say I was in trouble. No I didn't get caught skipping school or making out with my boyfriend, but I did get caught SLACKING.

He informed me that I have been remiss in reminding you about the super awesome SHAPE 2011 Best of Blogger of which I am HONORED to be included.

So, to avoid being ~~grounded from homecoming~~ disappointing my dad, please vote for me HERE.

Its super easy, you dont have to sign up for anything or give away your first born child. Simply click next to 'Endurance Isn't Only Physical' and then hit 'Vote'.

Thanks!

And are you happy Dad?! :)

Dash's Race Recap

2011-10-19T05:00:00.001-05:00

Dash ran a Kids K this weekend. He ran this same race last year and LOVED it, so when we found out we'd be in town, I registered him again.

Here he was last year:

This year he took his race prep pretty seriously. Dash is around for most of our long run and pre-race prep so it came as no surprise that he expected to do the same.

First he hydrated with Fruit Punch Nuun.

Then he fueled with some Honey Stinger Chews. Yum!

And got to the start line early...

And soon he was off.

Super proud of his ribbon.

We all know snow cones make the best post race recovery treat

He loved the whole race experience and has already asked me to register him for another one. Go Dash!

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it

2011-10-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

Last year, while training for my first marathon, I started having twinges in my hips along the time of my first 16 miler. Figuring that was pretty normal with higher miles, I pressed on. By the time of my 18 miler I was having pain in my knee (distal ITB) with every step I ran. But I continued.

When we went out for our 20 miler,training came to a screeching halt. I was hurting, crying, but I kept running. And then my knee would no longer hold when I put pressure on it. I believe I got about 15 into it, literally crying as I went, before it gave out. Charles had to carry me back to the truck.

I was 3 weeks out from race day and frantic. I took to the pool. I put miles in on the bike. I took anti inflammatories. I foam rolled. I got massages. I obsessed. I got a steroid injection in my knee. I took those weeks off.

Come race day I went into battle. I was optimistic that the time off and meds would have me cured. If you remember my race report, then you know it wasn't pretty. By mile 2 the pain was apparent, at mile 10 the knee went out under me.

And I had a decision to make. I was at the split for the half. I could duck out and end my misery. But I didn't. We continued on. The remaining miles and hours are a blur. It was one of the most painful things I've been through.

I crossed the finish line and didn't run again for 8 weeks.

Was it worth it?

Yes.

Would I do it again?

~~yes~~ Um, no comment.

Ok, so maybe I would make that decision again, but there is part of that history that I WON'T be repeating.

Here we are, 4 weeks out from my next marathon, my redemption marathon. Training has been going great, sure I moaned and complained through the summer heat, but I'm methodically knocking those runs off the schedule.

My 16 miler was ok. My 17 miler was pretty darn great. This week's runs were great and I knocked out a speedy 8.6 miles on Thursday feeling fantastic. And then, on Friday I took Dash to the park. At one point I broke into a run with him and suddenly my IT band was screaming. Weird, but I figured it was a fluke.

I had stealth registered for a 5k for Saturday. I've picked up some speed and confidence lately and was looking forward to a PR. I also registered Dash for the kids run. We did the race last year, and I came away with an AG award and he came away with a love of races.

Walking down our stairs that morning I got a little worried. My IT band at the knee hurt but I was optimistic. It was a small race with packet pick up that morning. We picked up our packet and I had just enough time for a small warm up.

A few steps into the warm up it was obvious the knee was more than just sore, it was down right angry. With each step I had the stabbing pain I'd experienced last year, and I was faced with a decision.

I knew I had a PR in me. It was a great course, weather was terrific. Being a small race, I was also pretty sure of an AG award. And hey-I'd spent $ on it. Lots of reasons to race.

But one very good reason NOT to race: The past.

Mile 20ish(?) and hurting,obviously

Post race medic tent.

So, with those images flashing through my mind I made a decision I'm proud of: I stood on the sidelines and cheered on the other runners.

I decided taking care of my body was more important that a PR.

Yesterday's 18 miler was postponed. I'm icing,foam rolling, and will be calling my doctor bright and early. Because it came on so suddenly and acutely I'm going to see my regular doctor as well as get in for some ART.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it and I'm determined to have a healthy race in 4 weeks, so I'm taking care of myself NOW.

What's working and what isn't

2011-10-13T05:00:00.003-05:00

It's pretty easy to get complacent in life, especially in your healthy living journey. Days and weeks and months go by and while you're still getting your exercise in, and sure you eat your veggies, you start letting things slip in here and there.

I find that when my life gets a little too comfortable, that's when I become most UNcomfortable with myself.

So, I'm no longer overweight. Thats nice.

And I'm eeking up to running 40 miles a week. Good job.

And most often I chose whole foods over processed. High fives.

And odds are if I eat out I order the grilled fish. Good choice.

But there are other things that aren't working and it's time to re-evaluate. It's SO important to stay honest with yourself. It's pretty easy to get caught up in THINKING you're living healthy, but most likely there's a lot of room for improvement. I'm talking about myself of course, you're just along for the ride as I ramble.

My list of things that ARE working of course include the above, plus some.

What isn't working:

-strength training:I slacked off for awhile, but am happy to say I'm back on the ST horse so this really belongs in both categories

-accountability: I've been blogging less, for me there's a definite correlation between when my online presence is up (and I'm feeling good about myself) and when I disappear (and start slacking)

-water: I'm pretty good about focusing on hydration before a long run, but need to be better about water on a day to day basis

-family outings: when living in Florida, most of our family outings were centered around an activity. We were outside a lot, on walks and at the beach, etc. Since moving to Texas I've noticed our activities have become more sedentary. We see more movies,plan more family gatherings centered around food and such. I need to be more proactive in seeking out family activities that get us moving, and in Austin that shouldn't be hard. (Edited to add:we DO run as a family a couple times a week,and have started back on our daily family walks)

All of those are actually really easy to fix, and the pay off is immense. What about you, do you sit down to examine what's working and what isn't? I'd love to hear something you're proud of and something you want to work on.

Don't you wish every day was Monday?

2011-10-11T05:00:00.002-05:00

I do, or at least I used to.

Yes, I'm completely aware at this point you're calling bull sh*t, but hear me out.

I love Mondays, there is just something about a new week that puts a smile on my face. Monday MORNINGS are even better (I hear you groaning). Its a new day, a new week, a fresh start.

I think Mondays hold such promise that I can't help but love them. I wake up knowing I have a fresh start, a clean slate, the possibilities are endless.

But today is Tuesday. I woke up this morning, not quite as happy as I did yesterday because well...its not Monday. What is Tuesday? Its not the oh so exciting beginning to a week nor is it the 'thank goodness this week is over' end to a week.

But as I lay in bed, searching my head for a redeeming quality of Tuesdays I realized something. No, I didn't suddenly discover a reason why Tuesday is better than Monday, but the opposite. I realized that MONDAY is no better than TUESDAY.

You see, WE create our new opportunities. WE wipe clean our slates for a fresh start. WE make things happen, not a day that just happens to have ended up at the start of a week.

There's nothing so magical about a Monday that I can't recreate in a Tuesday, or any day for that mater.

From now on, I'm striving to remember the most amazing thing about Mondays is ME. I hold the power of possibility.

And so do you.

____________________________________________________________

Speaking of holding the power (terrible segue), I am BLESSED to be included in the SHAPE Magazines 2011 Blogger Awards . My blog made the list with a group of amazing ladies, one's I look up to, I'm thrilled to be in their company. I'm pretty much the little blog on the block in that lineup, but I've been blessed with loyal followers. I'd love it if YOU used your power to vote for me. Nothing to sign up for, just a simple click next to my blog name. Vote daily HERE.

Four years ago my life changed

2011-10-07T10:04:00.001-05:00

I was given this gift:

Amazing how something so small can have such a big impact.

He brings me joy

He has taught me that even the smallest moments should be cherished.

He has shown me the true meaning of unconditional love

And that happiness comes from within

He has shown me the importance of just being yourself

And somewhere along the way he helped me see the importance of LOVING myself.

Did I mention he has a smile that makes even the darkest days seem sunny?

Four years ago I was given a gift that would change my life. The exquisite highs and lows, moments of joy and worry, and years of laughter that come with being a mother have molded me into who I am today.

He is the most amazing, kind, joyful, radiant person that has ever graced my life. I am blessed to call him my son.

Happy Birthday Dash, Mommy loves you!

Unplug

2011-10-04T10:43:00.003-05:00

For some reason, maybe because Dash turns 4 this weekend, I'm feeling less like blogging and MORE like spending time with him.

Instead of catching up on YOUR life ,and instead of me catching you up on every detail of MY life, I am simply living life.

So far this week we've been camped out under a blanket fort in our living room, putting together ridiculous puzzles as a family, and playing endless games of Don't Break the Ice.

Life is good.

This weekend I'm running See Jane Run Austin half marathon. I'm not going to do a whole post on my goals, because I'm unsure what my goals are. I drove the course sunday, and the hills are OUT OF CONTROL. It will be a tough course to run, but I usually pick hills over flat anyway so I'm not too worried about it. Odds are, I'll wait until the start line to decide if I'm racing it or using it as a training run in prep for Rock N Roll San Antonio. Overall, I just want to have fun on race day and get a good run in.

Hope everyone has a fabulous week, take a little time to unplug and soak up time with your loved ones.

Finally!

2011-09-29T08:38:00.005-05:00

This is fall?!

I don’t care how many pumpkin spice lattes you’re drinking, or that the stores are decorated for Christmas, I won’t consider it fall until triple digits are eliminated from the forecast.

Greetings from SUMMER in Texas Y'all. Off to the pool I go.

I choked

2011-09-26T09:49:00.008-05:00

I'm going to be upfront and tell you I ran a race this weekend.

And I choked.

You may have noticed that while I have a billion half/or full marathons coming up, there isn't a single 5k on my race schedule. In fact, with the exception of the virtual one I ran this summer, I haven't ran a 5k since last August. 5Ks are prevalent, cheap and often support good local causes and yet I don't register for them. Why, you ask?

I am terrified of 5ks.

Yes, you read that right. Despite the fact that I'm in the thick of training for my second full marathon, I am intimidated by a measly 3.1 miles. Let me explain why- 5ks are painful. If you're actually "racing" a 5k its going to hurt, if you're giving it your all then you are probably at puke threshold for the majority of the race.

I am super slow to warm up, and usually don't enjoy the first few miles of any run. Somewhere just over mile 3 is when I start to LIKE running, so a 5k means I'm pretty much running the whole thing not enjoying it. Why would I want to do that?

I'll tell you why: because its time to confront my fears.

Mid-week last week I got it in my head that I would race a 5k. I picked a local one, drove the course, noticed it was hilly and that sealed the deal. Yes, I prefer rolling hills over a flat course any day, even for a 5k.

So I thought it over, I exchanged emails with a very surprised Coach Adam (surprised because I had sworn off 5ks), and spent a couple of days stressing about it.

We devised a plan. It was a speedy plan, it would hurt, but based off my recent speed work it was possible. I set myself up with a playlist of fast moving tunes, I lay in bed at night imagining my legs moving FAST! It was a small race, so I even let myself dream of winning my AG.

And then I choked.

There are of course a list of reasons I failed. The night before the race we were up with some sort of tummy bug. I got up, got dressed and promptly tossed my cookies. Figuring it was more from nerves than from a bug, I soldiered on.

I got there early to warm up. Adam had suggested a 1 mile slow warm up. I got caught up with a local running group and ended up with a speedy 2.2 mile warm up. I felt sick to my stomach,got in the porta potty line and puked some more. Came out and did some strides.

Soon it was time to line up for the start. I was scared. I chatted with some ladies next to me who were running their first 5k. That helped calm me down, I was so excited for them! Some conversation started towards the front, runners picking each others brains on projected finish times. I realized the race was bigger and faster than I expected, so I scooted back a bit. I wanted to pick a person to chase. I picked a girl who was only shooting for a bit faster than me.

And then I choked.

We crossed the starting line, I started my music....and got caught up in the fast crowd. I hung with them for about half a mile of rolling hills before realizing I was zapping my legs. I slowed down and the girl I wanted to chase zoomed away. I realized I should be focusing on MY race and ignore the others.

Shortly into the race I realized that either they had changed the course or I had driven it wrong. The second mile was going to be a long gradual climb. Despite the face that I had hit my pace for mile one, at mile two I got discouraged. Why? Because it HURT at mile 2. I knew it was going too...but that didn't stop the demons in my head.

I kept running, but also scanned the area for ways to drop out. Yeah, I thought about quitting mid-race in a 5k. People were huffing and laboring around me and I kept leap frogging with a lady who would walk, and then sprint, walk and sprint. It messed with my mind that I was running the whole time and yet somehow we stayed near each other. Again, learning a lesson that I need to run my own race.

Mile 2 was probably a minute to a minute and a half slower than I needed to be. It was closer to a regular run for me, NOT 5k pace. At that point, I could either run it out or suck it up and try to put the rest of myself into it. After a mile of (gradual) climbing it leveled out and I buckled down.

I flipped around my playlist and found something to put some pep in my step. Just over a mile left and I wasn't sure what to expect. I simply haven't raced enough 5ks. Should I go all out now? No, I would fade at the end. I found a smooth quick pace and just focused on getting down the road. With about .8 left in the race I decided to accelerate again, faced with the rolling hills I knew I could tackle. I would focus on the the top and burn it down.

But I was running out of juice fast. I had become apparent that my warm up was too long. At this point I was just holding on for dear life. Did I want to puke? Yes! But I went into it puking so I rationalized that was nothing new, I expected that.

A whoosh of air and I realized I had been passed by a very speedy looking young lady, probably in my age group. As I watched her smooth form, I suddenly remembered leg 3 of Hood to Coast when I was catching and passing people I never thought possible. I remembered the elation of those "road kills" and I realized this girl was my chance to feel that again.

So I laid it down. I pumped my arms and went after her. I was exhausted and she looked fresh, but she was mine. A small crowd near the finish was cheering us on, and about 20 feet from the finish I blew past her.

While my finish line kick was exhilarating, it was too late. There was no recovering from the mile 2 disaster. I didn't meet my time goal. I was about a minute off where I wanted to be, a minute and a half off where I dreamed of being.

I choked on race day, but I'm not disappointed.

I learned a lot out there. I raced a 5k and didn't die so hopefully I won't let nerves get to me next time. I warmed up way too fast and too far, lesson learned. I got caught up in other peoples races, from now on I'll focus on me. I let negative thoughts destroy mile 2, now I'll know what to expect on that mile and devise a plan of attack. I got a "feel" for that final mile, I'll know better when to do my final acceleration.

Sure I choked, but I've found so many victories in the experience. Instead of swearing to never run a 5k again, I'm looking forward to the next one where I can kick butt.

(sidenote:while it wasn't as fast as my virtual race this summer, it was a full minute faster than my last OFFICIAL 5k last year)

Outside of lessons learned, some of my favorite parts of the race were after I crossed the finish line. I ran back on course and ran it in with a couple different ladies who were experiencing their first race. I love that I could be a part of that with them. I also got a kick out of handing out nuun samples in front of the gatorade tent. I felt like such a hydration rebel.

Oh, and did I mention the bling? Yep-a medal for a 5k. Score!

Instead of filing this under "races I've tanked" I'm choosing to consider it "lessons I've learned".

Photo Friday: Is my fear showing?

2011-09-23T09:07:00.005-05:00

I thought I had seen all the pictures from our Hood to Coast adventure. Then, earlier this week Lisa posted this one:

Seeing that picture transported me back to that moment. That was taken in Mist,Oregon. I was lined up in the shoot, waiting for XLMIC to slap off to me. That would be my third and final leg.

At that point, we had just a handful of minutes sleep. I had already ran two legs including one straight down a mountain. While I was hydrating well with nuun, I definitely wasn't fueled well. About 15 minutes prior I had tossed a few chocolate covered espresso beans in my mouth washed down with some tropical nuun and called it breakfast.

I was excited and afraid. I was exhausted...would my legs go when I told them to?

That leg ended up being my favorite despite my near panic at the beginning, full recap HERE.

Thanks Lisa, for capturing this moment.

Our HTC Adventure in Video

2011-09-21T05:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks nuun for putting together such a great video of our experience.

Don't forget: use promo code "nuunplatuun" to get 25% off your order at http://nuun.com Exp 9/30

Signs of a good trail run:

2011-09-19T08:53:00.010-05:00

Dirty legs

Dirt lines are better than tan lines, right? :)

Dirt aside, my favorite part of yesterdays 16 miler came courtesy of Dash. Towards the end of our run I decided to try to burn it up, get rid of any juice I had left in my legs. I didn't tell Charles (who was running beside me pushing Dash in stroller) ahead of time, I just took off. I eventually slowed and they caught up with me, and we came to the end of the run. At that point, we let Dash out to run while we walked for a cool down.

Dash ran ahead and then shouted over his shoulder, "I just CLEANED you off!!!" laughing as he went.

Charles explained to me that when I blew past him earlier he had told Dash "Your Mommy just dusted me off!" Dash asked what it meant, and Charles said basically that I ran much faster than him and left him in the dust. Of course, his 3 year old brain made a different translation, and now when he runs past us he says he "cleaned" us off. Man I love this age.

Currently thankful for: a husband that will not only slow his pace to run with me, but will also push our child for 16 miles...with only minimal complaints :)

You want inspiration? I'll show you inspiration

2011-09-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

This online community is an amazing thing. It's weird, sometimes I feel like I'm in a relationship with it. I give what I can to this community, I support others, lend a hand when needed, but no matter how much I DO, I always receive more than I give.

Through blogging I've found accountability, friendships, and lately a lot of inspiration. I wanted to highlight someone today, someone who has been a source of inspiration to me over the past several months:

Yep, thats the amazing Kerrie from Mom vs Marathon. For those of you not familiar with her, I'll break it down for you: she ROCKS. I've had the pleasure of meeting her in person, she's funny, sweet and just a great person to be around. I heart her. See, we look all ~~sweaty~~ glowy and in love. :)

Kerrie is an amazing momma, works her butt off, trained for and ran her first full marathon this year, oh AND FOUND SOME SPEED.

Here's the deal: I started following Kerrie's blog LONG before I ever met her. I liked that we had a few things in common. Our son's are close in age, she has lost a decent amount of weight, AND we ran similar paces.

I rarely talk about pace on my blog, but I've always pretty much considered myself a 10min/miler. Sure I could run a 5k at a faster pace, but other than that I defaulted to 10min/miles and just figured that was what my body wanted. Kerrie pretty much ran about the same pace, and in a blogland full of 7 and 8min/milers I took comfort in another person of similar speed.

But here's the thing: Over the past 6 months or so Kerrie has been working her little butt off. She has been setting goals, attacking them and reaching them. I've kept an eye on her blog and her progress. She is picking up speed like crazy. If I need a dose of inspiration I just take a look at her Daily Mile reports. Miles in the low 8s are becoming the norm, she is finding her stride as a runner.

Now, hopefully you know me well enough by now to know that I think pace is relative. I don't judge someone by what they run, "fast" to me may be "slow" to another person.

You all know, I started working with an amazing coach who assures me I AM NOT a 10min/miler. He tells me I have untapped speed, he tells me I can pick up the pace. And honestly? I'm not sure I would've believed him if I hadn't had Kerrie as an example that it IS possible to break out of your mold.

Earlier this week I had a progression run, I ran that last mile at an 8:30. For me that is "fast", I had to work for it, but as I was focused I wasn't thinking about how hard it was, I was thinking about how Kerrie goes out there and attacks her goals, and it gave me inspiration to do the same.
She is a great example, that is you want something bad enough, and if you're willing to work for it, you can reach the stars...or a sub 2.

On Sunday Kerrie is running the You Go Girl half marathon. She has a goal of a sub 2.

She's going to KILL IT.

Please join me in cheering her on. Good luck Kerrie.

The End

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, I get it. Most of you are tired of reading about Hood to Coast. 20 of your favorite (hehe) bloggers, all writing multiple recaps, swapping pics from each others blogs, I imagine you feel like you've heard nothing but Hood to Coast for 2 weeks.

The hoopla surrounding this even was HUGE, but when you strip it down to fundamentals, was it really that big a deal? People run relays all the time. The story of 12 strangers, pulled together, living in a van and running their hearts out isn't that unusual. Among a sea of thousands of runners, our faces were just a few.

But to us, it WAS monumental.

This blogging community has been a blessing in my life. It has offered me support, accountability, inspiration and most importantly friendship. Hood to Coast, and nuun brought together a group of ladies who had similar hobbies and passions and made real life friends out of them. The bond we now share is something special, something that could only be forged over 200 miles of sweaty, stinky fun.

Nuun Platuun finished those 200 miles in:

27:59:17

We placed 7th in the Womens Open division.

(And yes, we held the lead...Afternuun Delight followed us in about 13 minutes later, in case you wanted the follow up from THIS post.)

Less than 28 hours after we started that adventure, we celebrated on the beach with shots of NUUN, of course. :)

We met Hood to Coast race founder Bob Foote

as well as the ladies from Heart and Sole. (if you've seen the HTC movie,they should be familiar to you)

spread the Nuun love (almost positive I'm pointing to his nuun tatt, NOT fondling his muscles)

Celebrated some more....(cover your eyes mom, I'm drinking beer)

Added an honorary team member, Amanda from RunningHood with Nuun Platuun.

After much errr...celebrating, and still un-showered, we left the beach for some food. Post dinner with Jess from Blonde Ponytail.

Late Saturday night, with tired legs and full hearts we tucked into our Seaside hotel to FINALLY get some sleep. That morning we loaded up, and started the drive back to Seattle.

Sunday night Tonia and I stayed with Mel's house. Monday morning we were given a tour of Seattle by Zoe and Chelsea. We had coffee at the original Starbucks:

I got frisky with a fish at Pikes Place Market(nasty)

Visited the Space Needle

And just generally enjoyed the last of my time with this amazing group of bloggers

The morning flew by and I was soon boarding a plane back to Austin. The trip home was full of delays and oversold flights, but at 12:30am Tuesday morning I was finally home with my boys.

Thanks again to nuun for providing this amazing opportunity. Hood to Coast was the experience of a life time....lets repeat it next year, ok? :)

It takes A LOT to keep us looking and feeling good

2011-09-11T10:19:00.014-05:00

Before I wrap up my Hood to Coast experience, I'd like to take a moment to thank our team sponsors.

Running for Team Nuun was an amazing experience. Nuun went above and beyond in welcoming us, and making sure we had what we needed along the way. They kept us fed, HYDRATED, sheltered, and feeling good but most of all they did everything they could to make us feel like ROCKSTARS. I'm forever grateful for the opportunity to represent a brand I love, and a product I stand behind.

Outside of Nuun, there were tons of great companies that made the weekend go smoothly. Please take a moment to click their links and become familiar with their great products.

Road ID: I've been a fan of their safety products for years. If you're an athlete, you NEED to wear ID on you. The most comfortable way I've found is with a Road ID. Click HERE to see the many ways to wear one. Because we were "Nuun Platuun", Road ID was kind enough to outfit each of our team members with one of their "Fixx IDs" which is a laser engraved dog tag. We had our team name and motto put on it as a way to identify us along the course, as well as have a keepsake for post race.
(also seen below on team mates)

RunningSkirts.com generously outfitted us in their SkirtCamp print skirts. We were super comfy, CUTE and coordinated. RunningSkirts.com is my 'go to' place to shop for cute running wear.

Tommie Copper kept our legs fresh with their great compression gear. In particular, I'm a fan of their ankle sleeve and have pretty much been wearing it non-stop since HTC. It's kept my usually angry tendon a happy camper.

Moving Comfort bras supported our "girls"
2Toms products kept us chafe free.

BuildaSign.com made us SWEET car magnets for our van.

GU kept our peppy despite our lack of sleep.

JambaJuice gave us an easy way to get some fruits and veggies in.

Jack Black skin care products kept us pampered and smelling good (ok, as good as you can smell when you've ran 3x in a day and haven't showered)

All of these companies donated products to help make Nuun Platuun's Hood to Coast weekend a success. Thank you!

"Me? Trash talking?!" HTC leg 3

2011-09-08T05:30:00.007-05:00

Previous Hood to Coast recaps HERE.

After our van completed our second legs, we headed to "the sleeping field" at the next van to van transition in the town of Mist. We were all exhausted and actually looking forward to sleeping on the ground, unfortunately the traffic was INSANE. It took us a couple of hours to get there. I rested my eyes in the back seat, thinking that may be the closest I got to sleep. Our driver Alex was AMAZING at keeping the van positive.

We pulled into the field at about 5:20 am. My next leg was projected to start at about 7:30am, but we figured the other van may be ahead of projected time. Some of the team caught an hour or so sleep outside in the field.

I curled up and slept from 5:45 to 6:45 in the back seat. Of course by "sleep" I mean: check my phone every 10 minutes, thinking I had missed my alarm. At 6:45am we got up and waited in an insane line at the Honey Buckets. I was FREEZING cold dressed in long sleeves, capri's and a zip up hoodie. After taking care of business, I ate a couple of chocolate covered espresso beans, had a sip of nuun and tried not to panic.

At that point, I had ran 2 legs, one of which was screaming down a mountain. We had about 60-90 minutes of sleep and weren't fueling properly. I mentioned to a team mate that I was afraid I'd tell my body to "go" and it would say "NO!". In fact, I believe I told a few of them "I'll try my hardest, but if you see me walking, just drive by. Don't cheer me on, just act like you don't see me,I'll get there."

I was tired, and it was so cold* (hello, I'm used to 108) that as much as I knew I'd try....it just didn't seem physically possible.

Turns out it was a good thing I got ready early, our team captain from Van 2 came running up, letting know they would be in early. I needed to be in transition NOW. I tossed my jacket and made the decision to bring along my walkman mp3 player. Hood to Coast has strict rules about running with music,due to safety reasons. But, they DO allow you to run with music "below your head". I looped my walkman around my neck and decided I'd just turn it up. It wouldn't be loud enough to bother others, but I'd have it for a boost.

In no time at all, XLMIC was flying into transition. I snatched the slap bracelet and set off. I was cold and tight, but instead of being miserable....I realized I was LOVING it!

My last leg was short, 3.75 miles. The first mile was relatively flat,but the rest was "rolling hills". Honestly, I'd take rolling hills over flat any day. It took me a bit to warm up,but soon I had a "power song" on and I was PASSING dudes. Yep, I had more road kills on this leg than the others combined. In fact, my pace on this 3rd leg (on hardly any sleep,with sore muscles) was almost the same as on the first DOWNHILL leg. Here is what was playing as I passed the first 3 guys:

Yep, as cheesy as it sounds I put it on repeat and felt like I WAS ruling the world. I would pick a target and catch up and pass. Prior to the leg, I just focused on doing my best, I didn't feel especially competitive. I don't know if it was the lack of sleep or food, or the cool weather,the music or what, but suddenly I WANTED to track people down and pass them.

I haven't talked about our other nuun team so far. Unfortunately, Nuun Platuun and After-nuun Delight didn't have much interaction along the way. We were at different paces (their team projected to finish MUCH faster than us) and we were all worried about simply making it to the next transition. However, we were aware of where each other was in the race. Somehow, we ended up leap frogging with them throughout the race.

We'd be ahead,then they'd blow past us and we would repeat. We knew going into it that their team was much faster, but the emphasis wasn't on paces it was about having fun. I didn't expect to see them on this leg, they started it waaaay before us, but suddenly I was crested a hill and saw a glimmer of a sparkle skirt their team was sporting.

And then, I WANTED our team to pull ahead of them.....even if we'd only be able to hold it for the next few legs. I'll admit, knowing they were such a faster team made us feel like the underdogs. (sidenote: these were just our girly personal feelings,nothing to do with nuun. They ROCK!) In that moment, I didn't want to be an "underdog".

So I picked up the pace. I could tell the other runner was struggling poor thing, so I asked if she was ok. She said yes....and then I passed her. I flew up and down the next few hills on a high. It was a small thing, but I felt like I was FINALLY showing people what I had.

I came FLYING into transition, pumping my legs as fast as I could, feeding off the cheering of the crowd. I saw the president of Nuun, Mason on the sidelines yelling "Great job Tricia".

In that moment, I felt like I belonged, like I deserved to be on the team.

I handed off to Captain Cupcake, and while I don't remember it, apparently I very loudly said "GO! They're right behind us!!!"

(still catching my breath, but BEYOND stoked with how much I enjoyed that run)

Umm yeah...I'm not a trash talker. I had no clue that was coming out of my mouth, I guess I got caught up in the moment. Luckily, the other team (After-nuun Delight) seemed to take it well. They said "We heard what Tricia said, it's on!"

It was now a light hearted competition to the finish. And I had just done my part, and done it well.

*outfit by RunningSkirts.com I ended up being super thankful I ran in the long sleeve, it kept me warm without over heating me. The skirt was comfy and the compression capri's kept my IT bands happy

My 3 legs were done, but the race wasn't over yet. Did we hold on to our lead? Check back for more soon!

Hood to Coast, Leg 2:playing chicken with the train

2011-09-06T05:30:00.008-05:00

Previous Hood to Coast Recaps:
Hood to Coast, Day 1:I'm a celebrity
Leg 1,The Leg from Hell
Cankles are Sexy

When I last left you, I was icing an ankle. The ankle held up GREAT thanks to an arctic ease wrap and some Tommie Copper compression.

While Van 2 was out running, Van 1 went off in search of grub. Its odd, because it seemed like we had FOREVER until it was time for us to run again, and then suddenly I'm looking at my watch realizing "forever" is actually only a couple of hours. Instead of hitting up a chain, we found a local brew pub. 4th Street Brewing Co had a burger to interest all of us.

I ordered a Veggie burger,no cheese, with fries and a coffee. I was hoping the coffee would wake me up for my next run.
I got about half way through that burger and suddenly my stomach went crazy. A few trips to the bathroom and I started to get worried. At that point, I was about 3 hours out from my run and already regretting fries. Soon everyone finished their meal and we headed to the next major exchange in Portland near the Hawthorne Bridge.

It was dark by then, and the atmosphere under the bridge was almost party like. People had on their blinking safety lights and glow necklaces and everyone seemed pumped. I hit up the nuun tent for hydration, had a quick potty break and then started prepping for my run.

I was STOKED to find out I'd have a partner for some of my run. Julie, from "Adventure Is Out There" had been on course cheering on some of my team mates. I had asked her if she'd want to run through Portland with me and she said "yes". I'll admit that I was a little worried my legs wouldn't want to go after the crazy Leg 1,The Leg from Hell"so I was thrilled to have someone to chat with while those screaming muscles warmed up.

XLMIC handed off to me, and we took off. We cruised along the bridge, taking in the Portland waterfront. It was gorgeous at night, Julie and I chatted, getting to know one another and I was reminded how blessed I am to be a part of this blogging community.

About a mile and a half in, I started to feel my muscles warm up and then Julie pointed out we were going to get stuck by a train. I looked up, and sure enough we came to a screeching stop. Figuring it would only take a couple of minutes, I didn't bother to time the train, luckily Julie was smart enough to keep tabs on it. We ended up waiting for the train for 13 minutes! Right as the train was ending, Julie snapped a quick picture of me and we were off again!
And then, lucky Julie, I serenaded her with the worst country song ever "I Play Chicken With the Train"

Cowboy Troy - I Play Chicken With The Train by WBRNewMedia

It was no surprise that she soon was ready to head back, I'm sure it didnt have ANYTHING to do with my singing, right Julie? :) She ran the first 2.4 miles with me and then headed back. I was super worried about her running alone at night, but thankfully there were other runners out with the race. I laughed when I read her recap, apparently people thought she was a Hood to Coast-er and kept pointing out she was heading in the wrong direction. Thank you Julie!

I was then on my own, in the dark, running through an ugly industrial area. I had to go through the whole warm up process again, it takes me FOREVER to warm up so I'll admit I was feeling sorry for myself. I didn't see our van so I thought they had gone through before the train. All I could think was I was 13 minutes behind projected time, on a 4.18 leg 13 minutes is HUGE. So I got it in my head they probably thought I was out there in the dark, walking or wasting time. It was silly, I can only say I was tired and not thinking clearly. I had a tiny pity party for myself out there.

Soon I was at the exchange, and slapping the bracelet on Average A

I came up to my team mates apologizing, trying to explain the train. Turns out they had gotten caught by it too, and didn't even realize I was late. :) Looking over my garmin, minus the train, I would've ended up close to 4 minutes FASTER than my "predicted time". Darn the train. Actually, looking back on it now, I've made peace with the train. Its a story to tell. :)

I grabbed some Fruit Punch nuun and hopped in the van and we headed on down the road for the next adventure.

Hood to Coast Relay, Cankles are Sexy

2011-09-02T09:34:00.017-05:00

You can read all about Leg 1 HERE.

When I left you last, I had wrapped up a 5.64 mile run with a 2000 ft elevation loss, basically I had just ran down a mountain. Once I was done, I took the time to roll out with the Stick (thanks Lesley) and then wrapped my foot/ankle in some Arctic Ease.

I didn't mention on my blog ahead of time, and tried to downplay it to my team (because I had nightmares they'd kick me off...yeah I'm weird), but I had hurt my left ankle/outside foot earlier in the week. I saw the podiatrist the day before I left and he basically said to take time off and he would treat it, but if I insisted on running then I was on my own. So....I was on my own. :) This was my ankle BEFORE my first run, already looking super lovely and swollen. Eek!:
Sexy huh? Ha! Coach Adam and my buddy Lesley were lucky enough to wake up to that picture Friday. :)

Anyway, as soon as I finished that first leg I knew I needed to ice/treat that ankle. Thankfully, Gene had sent me the Arctic Ease wraps, the cool compression I got from them went a LONG way in recovery. Thanks Gene!Somehow, despite the abuse, the ankle never felt any worse than it did going into the race. Thanks to the wrap, and compression it looked about the same.Score!

(Not so)Average A rocked her leg. I loved being able to hand off to her and watch her power on her way.

Then our nuun staffer Caitlin hit her frenzy button (inside joke) and blew her leg out of the water
Caitlin handed off to Kerrie who pushed through some crazy heat to kill her leg. I was SUPER proud of her for overcoming the heat and rocking that run. Kerrie has picked up some serious speed in the last couple of months, its been fun to watch her transformation.
Next came The Faster Bunny. And let me just say, she should be renamed the faster MACHINE! That girl is awesome, watching her run is mesmerizing. It became difficult to get our VAN to the exchange faster than she ran to it. Yeah, she rocks.
Last in our van to run was Lisa.Poor thing got stuck with no van support (we weren't allowed to stop) but she powered through and looked great doing it!
With Van 1 Nuun Platuun done with their first legs, we got to finally see Van 2 at the first major van to van exchange in the Safeway parking lot.

(L to R Average A,Susan,Harmony,Caitlin,Faster Bunny,Tonia,Kerrie,Me)

Next up: I play chicken with a train.

Hood to Coast Relay, The Leg From Hell

2011-09-01T11:09:00.023-05:00

You can read about van decorations and team meetings HERE.

Van 1 met in the lobby of our hotel at 5:45am.

We stayed in Seattle, since that is where nuun HQ is located. The drive to Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood was estimated to take about 3 hours. Of course, with a van full of ladies we stopped 3-4 times for potty breaks and coffee.

Along the way, we got a phone call from Mountain Magazine. They wanted to interview us about Hood to Coast. The phone was passed around, and we each answered questions. You can read the full interview HERE. Re-reading that interview made me crack up, this quote comparing the Nuun Platuun and After-nuun Delight teams especially:

"They have sort of a hippy theme going on, they’re all tie dye and bright colors. We’re kind of opposites. We’re the 'drop and give me 200 miles', they’re the stick a flower behind my ear."

I hadn't ever heard what their official theme was, how they described themselves, so when asked on the spot that was what my brain puked out. :) The magazine asked us to email her a picture of us, so we snapped a quick in van shot.

At our first sighting of Mt. Hood a cheer went up in the van.

The closer we got to the start line, the quieter I got. The rest of the van was getting louder, and more excited and I was turning inward. They teased me about it, telling me I looked nervous, I jokingly explained that was just my "game face" but truth be told, I was TERRIFIED.

Leg 1 was rated VERY HARD. In fact, when re-watching the Hood to Coast video, the founder Bob Foote says its one of the hardest of the course, and it is further described as "The leg from hell". "Its quad pounding, bone jarring, straight down a mountain".

Those descriptions were what led me to beg for leg 1. I WANTED the leg from hell, but the closer we got to that leg, the more nervous I got. I think being the first person to run is a lot of pressure, you're not really sure what to expect. Luckily we arrived at the start only 30minutes before our time, so I didn't have time to focus on it. We had fun checking out the other teams, the Storm Troopers were a huge hit.

While hanging out at the nuun tent, Bob from Dead Jocks in a Box came up asking for me. We had exchanged tweets, and it was cool to meet in person. Anyone that has watched the HTC movie knows the Dead Jocks are kind of Hood to Coast royalty, they ended up winning their division. Go Dead Jocks!

Soon it was time for Caitlin from nuun to give me the baton (which is really a slap bracelet), and snap a quick pic of van 1.

And then it was 12:30pm, time to go!

As I was running, I just kept thinking about how LUCKY I was. The view was gorgeous, there was a point where I came around a curve and a panoramic view of the mountains and surrounding area opened up and I had to remind myself I wasn't on a sight seeing tour, my legs needed to keep going when all my body wanted to do was stop and enjoy the view. You've probably read other recaps and know that Oregon was experiencing a heat wave. It was around 85 when I ran, which is warm, but not the 105 I'm used to, so it didn't bother me much. Along the way I would run past water falls which would give me a burst of cool air.

Nuun had a videographer follow us around. On this leg he was on a bike, cruising down the mountain next to me, then he would ride forward to video again as I came by. This was the view from the van of me and the videographer:

I felt funny the whole run. I ran with a handheld full of nuun, but was only able to take one sip, I tried to eat a honey stinger chew thinking I wasn't fueled properly, but had to spit it out. I felt nauseous and wasn't sure why. (someone later suggested maybe the elevation) Despite feeling off, I enjoyed my run.

I wrapped up the 5.64 miles a little slower than I was expecting, but overall I was happy with my run. I didn't injure myself, and more importantly I ENJOYED my run so overall I call it a win. I handed off to Captain Cupcake who killed her leg.

I then downed some chocolate milk and started assessing my toenail situation, ouch!

(continued)

HUGE shout out to the ladies at RunningSkirts.com for the amazing camo skirt. It was super comfortable, and totally functional with great pockets. I lost count the number of times someone yelled "Great skirt" out their windows.

Hood to Coast, day 1 (I'm a celebrity)

2011-08-31T09:19:00.010-05:00

It's Wednesday, Hood to Coast ended Saturday, that seems like plenty of time to wrap my head around our adventure and yet I'm still sitting here thinking no matter what I write, YOU won't get the full picture. Anyone that has ran Hood to Coast will tell you its the experience of a lifetime, they'll tell you nothing compares to it, and they'll tell you it's addicting and you'll want to go back for more. All of those statements are true. Beyond that, I've made friendships and connections to last a lifetime. I have memories that probably won't ever make it on the Internet, but instead I'll hug close and only share with those involved in this weekend.

Along with all of the AMAZING things about Hood to Coast, people also warn you its incredibly difficult, those people are probably right, but right now the MOST difficult part I'm facing, is doing this weekend justice.

If it weren't for the people at nuun then this weekend wouldn't have happened to me. I've stood behind their product since I first tried it, but after meeting the people behind nuun I can honestly say I stand behind the company as well. They are a group of fitness and adventure minded people who are so enthusiastic about the amazing-ness of their product that you can't help but catch their enthusiasm. To them, nuun isn't just a tablet you drop in your water, its indicative of a life style, one where you expect the most out of your body, and in return you only put the best back into it. You can find more information about nuun HERE.

Celebrity sighting and I’m a baby:

I flew out to Seattle from Austin super early on Thursday. Our flight had a layover in Phoenix, I'll admit right here that when I touched down in Phoenix I was ready to hop a plane back to Austin. I wasn't afraid of the run, or worried about meeting new people, but I was heartbroken over leaving Dash. Honestly, I cried from Austin to Phoenix. Yes, I'm a big baby.

While sitting in Phoenix, mind racing on whether or not I should just head home, I noticed a lady staring at me. My first thought was I had something on my face, or she could tell I was upset, I jokingly sent out a tweet about it. Someone responded to me "maybe she recognizes you from your blog" and it turns out that was right. She came over and said "excuse me, do you write a blog?" This was the second time I've been "recognized" while flying, and it was just as cool as the first. It put me in an amazing mood, and made me forget all about my homesickness. So thank you Kathy (if you're reading), for giving me that mental boost.

High on the feeling of being a celebrity (I kid), I got on that plane and headed to Seattle where the Nuun headquarters are located. Once in the airport I started meeting all the amazing bloggers and nuun staff and I knew I had made the right decision in going. We checked into our hotel and started on van decorations.

Some people strap blow up dolls to their grill, we thought Tonia from Racing with Babes looked better than any doll. We were "Nuun Platuun" so our theme was obviously camo/military. Along with camo on the windows we had each of our code names, and our team logo.

Great magnets from the people at BuildASign

We even had a human target on the side where we could make our "road kills" (people we pass on the run).

After we finished our vans, we headed to nuun headquarters where we chowed down on my two favorite things, pizza and beer. We introduced ourselves and got to hear about how everyone first found out about nuun, and we learned the term "nuunie" which is someone that loves nuun. I think I can comfortably say we are ALL nuunies.

With logistics and team meetings out of the way it was time to head back to the hotel to prepare for a 5:45am departure. Van 1 would leave early, and Van 2 would catch a couple extra hours of sleep. Since we wouldn't be together at the start, we snapped a quick pic in the hallway of some of us rocking our camo skirts from RunningSkirts.com. Thank you RunningSkirts for helping us pull together such a great look, we got compliments the entire weekend on our skirts, pretty sure we've converted some former skirt skeptics. :)

Lisa,TMB,Jess,Me, Kerrie

And then it was time to snuggle down in a bed next to Blonde Ponytail Jess and dream about the start line.

Its over!

2011-08-30T12:09:00.005-05:00

Hood to Coast is over! I just got in early this morning, so I'm still decompressing, processing, reminiscing...oh and doing stinky laundry :). Details coming soon!

"You can't DO epic on your own"

2011-08-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

THIS:

PLUS: (this silly girl and 23 other amazing ladies)

ADD IN SOME OF THIS:

AND YOU GET THIS:

Hood To Coast Movie Trailer from Film For Thought on Vimeo.

Thanks to nuun for this AMAZING opportunity. Our team starts running at 12:30pm today. Follow our adventure via @ministryofnuun and my personal account @triciarunning on Twitter. Nuun will also be updating their facebook page with our progress. Check it out HERE.

My life in ziploc bags

2011-08-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

I fly out tomorrow for Hood To Coast so I thought I’d give you a peek into my packing. When I got picked for the nuun team everyone started giving me packing tips. The one I received most often was: pack everything in ziploc bags. So I’ve packed clothing for each leg in its own ziploc. I’ll open it up, get dressed, run and then when I get back to the van I can take those stinky clothes of and seal them up in that ziploc. You can’t tell from the pictures,but each of those “leg bags” as I’ve been calling them has a dryer sheet in it as well.

Leg Bags:

Leg 1: pink top,camo skirt,black sports bra,white socks,pink sweaty band headband

Leg 2 (my night leg): bright green top,black bra, orange safety vest,black capri,lime green socks,lime headband

Leg 3: black top,camo skirt (yes,I own two!),white bra,white socks, black headband

Shoes: 2 pairs of running shoes

Hygiene bag: 4 white hand towels, baby wipes,mini lysol, dry shampoo

First Aid bag: camo band aids, 3 arctic ease wraps, biofreeze/mission skincare muscle rub,gold bond body powder,mini tums

Cool weather bag: light reflective rain zip up, yoga pants, black zip up,beanie

Extra/lounge bag: 2 pair CEP compression socks, 1 pair CEP calf sleeves, 2 extra pair socks, capris and extra comfy shirt, black nike slide on sandals,tank

Black cosmetics bag: contact solution, glasses, toothbrush,toothpaste,chapstick, Body Glide, deodorant,mini bar of soap,hair bands,brush,lotion,motrin

Accessories bag: fun camo accessories for me and team.hat,sunglasses,gloves

Others: The Stick, camera, garmin, walkman, handheld waterbottle w/Honey Stinger chews, 2 outfits jeans/tshirts to wear around Seattle/fly home in, watch,knuckle lights w/batteries,safety pins

The only thing not pictured is my phone w/charger and then I’m undecided on a pillow. If I have room I may pack a small one, if not I’ll wing it. Thankfully Mel is letting me borrow a sleeping bag, so I wont have to fly with one. We’ll also have some nuun gear when we get up there, so I tried not to pack too many extra tops.

Ok people, what am I missing? What do I need?

Dear Friends That Live Under A Rock:

2011-08-22T09:52:00.000-05:00

Its RACE week!

I fly out Thursday to run Hood to Coast with Team Nuun. I feel so blessed to be running on a Nuun sponsored team and am looking forward to meeting all the other ladies that were selected. My bag is packed and Wednesday I'll be sharing what's inside it.

Training:

While I have done a few "3 in 24hrs", and those crazy hill repeats, most of my training is still geared towards Rock n Roll San Antonio full in November. This past Friday I killed a speedy 6miler, and then on Sunday I joined the lovely ladies from "Cheetas in Training" for an easy 13 mile run on the Town Lake Trail. My IT bands are still happy and I'm feeling confident going into this 200 mile relay.

Nervous:

I'm not afraid of my night time leg of the relay, of meeting new people or of falling off a cliff. I AM however nervous about leaving my 3 year old. The most time I've spent away from him was one night....and I happened to be in the same city at the time. I have an irrational fear my husband will forget to feed Dash, or they'll live off McDonalds the whole time so I've been to the store and bought easy to prepare meals. I've also set Dash up with a calendar so he can mark off each day and see when I'm coming home. I'm sure I'll leave Charles with a long list of instructions ~~that he'll never read~~, rationally I know none of the above is necessary but somehow it makes me feel better to be overly prepared.

As much as I'm nervous about leaving him, I think this is a great way to test the waters. He'll be 4 in six weeks, so it's bound to happen eventually. This way, only one parent is gone, and the Daddy/Son time will be good for them. Odds are, it will be harder on me then it is on him. Luckily, I'll be so busy with all the Hood to Coast fun that I won't have time to sit around and mope about missing him. Yes, I am ridiculously attached to his smiley little face.

Reminder:

You can follow all the Hood to Coast fun on our team twitter account @NuunPlatuun and of course I'll be updating from my personal account too: @TriciaRunning

Want to see what all the nuun hype is about? Use promo code "nuunplatuun" to save 25% on your order at Nuun.com

How old were your kid(do's) the first time you were away from home?
What are YOU thankful for today?

Hydrapak Winner

2011-08-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

The winner of the Hydrapak is: Tracy.

congrats! Shoot me an email with your shipping address

enduranceisntonlyphysical@gmail.com

It’s a serious medical condition,look it up

2011-08-19T05:30:00.000-05:00

I’ll admit, I’ve got “Hood to Coast Brain”. Not familiar with it, here is the scientific explanation:

Hood to Coast Brain: a condition that affects runners registered for Hood to Coast. Onset usually occurs two weeks to two months prior to race day. Symptoms include but aren’t limited to: extreme desire to run at 3am for ‘practice’, obsessive googling of “what to pack for a 200 mile relay”, packing and unpacking running clothes in gallon ziploc bags, and generally forgetting there is life outside of Hood to Coast. Some experts will tell you this condition is a myth, but only the ones that haven’t actually ran this event.

So yeah, I’m a little focused on making sure I have everything set for the big day which is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY. And yes, I totally just shouted that.

Training this past week:

Sunday:12mile run

Tuesday: 6m:warmup 1m,5x800hills@7:00 downhill.uphill just make it up. (actually did 1.5mile warmup 4 hills then 1.5m cool down.I’m a rebel)

Thurs: Easy 3

Friday: 6miles. 3x1mile @8:40 (running it tonight)

My IT bands were absolutely destroyed after the hill workout Tuesday. I ran it on that kamikaze steep half mile hill that mimics my Hood to Coast elevation drop. The downhill's were fine but my knees were screaming on the uphill's. Luckily for me I had an ART appointment already scheduled for the following day. I went in hobbling and came out from my session ready to run. If you’re in the Austin area be sure to check out Dr. Z at Advanced Rehab, he’s amazing and has played a huge part in keeping me running this past month.

Weeks later and I’m still answering your questions, I blame it (and everything else I’m slacking in) on the HTC Brain. I’ll tackle one for today. Adam asked:

“would you rather be a fast runner - a consistent age group placer or be 100% injury free but be in the back of the pack?”

My gut response was “INJURY FREE!”, but I decided to take some time to think it over. Actually, this has been a topic of conversation over dinner a few times. From the outside looking in, I seem to be injury prone. While it is true I’ve had a decent amount of injuries, the fact of the matter is, I’ve only been running two years (this month). I still consider myself a new runner, a work in progress. I refuse to write myself off as “an injury prone runner” but instead look at myself as someone who is finding her way through trial and error.

Back to the question. I’m sure all runners dream of being “fast” and winning awards, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that was appealing. But, the longer I run, and the more I take part in the running community I realize that speed is relative. Fast for me is slow for others and the opposite is true. I don’t have aspirations to win awards, I don’t run for medals or trophies. I DO however want to see improvement (in all things speed/endurance/sustainability), enjoy running, be healthy, and do it relatively pain free. So my final answer is the same as my gut response: I’d rather be injury free and back of the pack. Running with no fear of injury? A girl can dream.

Did I mention that Hood to Coast is ONE WEEK FROM TODAY?!?!? Anyone else have a giant countdown clock over their head? If you want to hear all the sweaty details come race day the follow our team on Twitter @NuunPlatuun

On an entirely non-running related note: I need new jeans. What are your favorite jeans and where do you find them? Requirements: $100 or less, and while I don’t like super low rise jeans, they also can’t be Mom Jeans.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

A Walk to Save Lives

2011-08-17T05:00:00.001-05:00

(Guest Post)

My name is Janna and I am participating in my 5th Breast Cancer 3-Day in Washington D.C. in 39 days.

When I sit and think about why I walk…I think about this lady.

This is my friend Dawn. I have know Dawn for nearly 10 years now…all by chance. She worked at the corporate office for a company I worked for that was located in Illinois. (I am in Texas) We created a bond so strong that neither distance nor changes in jobs could break up our friendship.

Dawn is a cancer survivor. A Breast Cancer Survivor.

So is her sister.

And now her mom Pat started her fight on August 15, 2011

“My mom got through Lymph Node surgery today with 4-5 lymph nodes taken out. It will be Thursday before she gets results. She will be undergoing Radiation and the rest of the treatment will depend if it has spread into the Lymph Nodes.”

This family has seen their fair share. MANY families have seen their fair share.

Breast Cancer knows no bounds…

I walk for Dawn, her sister AND her mother Pat, Pam (who beat breast cancer and is now fighting a new cancer battle) Elizabeth, LeeAllan, Louise-Paula, Arthanise (who lost her battle this year), Nancy, Dianne, Mary Ellen, Laurie, Delia's Mom, for my new friend Nancy (who was just recently diagnosed) and for any woman who has ever had to or ever will have to go through this horrible disease.

I also walk for my nieces…Sarah, Ashley, Megan & Mallory. I walk for Amy’s daughter Jules, so that they may never have to deal with this disease.

I walk for a cure. I walk for those who can’t. I walk for those who lost their battles. I walk for YOU.

In order to walk I must raise $2300. I have booked my flight and my hotel room. I am COMMITED to walk for a cure.

Can you help me with my fundraising goal? Every little bit helps.

Please visit my Breast Cancer 3-Day Fundraising site: www.the3day.org/goto/jannagoestodc

Lots and lots of goodies

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

Once again I’m reminded how blessed I’ve been making friends in this online community. Lately I’ve been chatting with Lesley, from Racing It Off. just about everyday. We ~~gossip~~ talk about our shared coach Adam, plan future races together, shop obsessively for the perfect Running Skirt, and commiserate running in this heat.

During a recent conversation about Hood to Coast she suggested I bring a Stick (self massaging tool) with me to ease some soreness between each of my runs. She had one she wasn’t using and offered to send it to me, then had the STELLAR idea that we put together little running goodie packages for each other with stuff we already had.

I loved the idea and quickly put together a package of goodies. You can find out what I sent her HERE. I had a great time putting hers together, and eagerly awaited to see what she sent me.

Dash was also excited when we got a package.

Lesley was super generous. I got tons of products from Mission Skincare which she swears by and I’m excited to test out. I also got some GU chomps which made me giggle because I sent her some too. Some Cliffshot drink, sportbeans, Raw Crunch bars and Justins Nut Butter was also included.

In a second package she sent me The Stick. Instead of just sending me her old one, she was kind enough to order me a new one in travel size so that it will easily fit in my Hood to Coast bag.

My muscles will be thanking her for The Stick, but the absolute sweetest thing she sent me was this necklace:

Lesley makes amazing jewelry, you can see more of her pieces HERE. I’m blessed that she make me a special necklace. That picture doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Its gorgeous, a runner girl layered over a pendant that says “Inspire” on it, and on top of that are two blue topaz beads (my birthstone). Its really lovely and I was super touched.

Thanks Lesley for such a great care package, most of these goodies will be making their way to Oregon next week!

ANOTHER THANK YOU:

Another online buddy, Gene, took pity on my poor legs and sent me some Arctic Ease (cold therapy packs/wraps) to use at Hood to Coast. Having someone you’ve never actually met, look out for you, is an amazing thing. Thanks Gene!

SHOUT OUT:

Adam is now officially “Coach Adam”. He received his certification as a running coach this weekend. I said this on Twitter, and I’ll say it again here: I trust him with my IT bands, my hopes and my dreams. Hit him up if you’re interested in a custom tailored training plan, encouragement and plenty of inspiration. His email is theboringrunner@gmail.com

GOODIES FOR YOU:

Don’t forget to enter my Hydrapak giveaway HERE.

Funny Photo Friday:proof I nurse my young in public.Got a problem with that?

2011-08-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

revision: if you were here earlier (um why are you back?) you’ll notice something missing in this top part. Decided not to scrabble for it.Thanks everyone!

Can you say ‘Awkward’ and Cow says Moo:

Did anyone else chuckle over the pic I used in my giveaway? I had told my husband I felt like a nursing cow wearing that hydration pack thing and sure enough he caught this picture:

Attractive, right? Yeah I work hard to look that good, hunched over nursing my young. HA! Want one of your own? Enter HERE

Two weeks, Two weeks, Two weeks:

Bet you’ll never guess how long until Hood To Coast. That’s a tough one, I know, so I’ll go ahead and let you know: TWO WEEKS. Yes, I am excited. And YES! You will have to start listening to a countdown.

Everyone Likes To Save Money:

I’m just guessing there. Some people *might* not like saving money, but since most of you probably aren’t named Richard Branson, I’ll go ahead and share a couple of promo codes.

Use “nuunplatuun” to save 25% off your next order at nuun.com

Use “endurance” to save 15% off your next skirt from RunningSkirts.com (the skirt I’m wearing to nurse that baby cow? Yep, it’s a RS. And their fall line comes out next month, trust me:you’ll love it!)

Training:

I’m training for about a billion half marathons, and have that one looming full in November. Training is going good. My IT bands have settled down, thanks in large part to Active Release. Its still super hot here (56 days of 100+ temps and no end in site) so I’m splitting my runs between treadmill and outdoor. Maybe not ideal, but it’s working.

What are YOU training for right now?

Have a fabulous weekend!

Hydrapak Review and Giveaway

2011-08-10T00:12:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing that's been drilled into my head this summer its "Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate". Everyone has their favorite ways to keep the H20 flowing. If you see me in day to day life, odds are I have a water bottle with me. If I'm running, I've got a handheld with me. Most recently, I've started wearing the Hydrapak Avila while hiking.

I've owned every hydration belt under the sun,but I've always shied away from hydration packs thinking they'd be too heavy and awkward. Now I'm wishing I tried one sooner. The Avila holds 70 oz of fluid and is super comfortable to wear. I love that it has a pocket to toss my cell phone and snacks in.

We took it out recently, while on a hunt for dino tracks, and it kept my water nice and cool and my hands free. After I got used to the idea of it, I took it for a few runs, once adjusted I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't bounce around. I even eventually came to like the sound of the rhythmic sloshing of water.

The only downside I've found, is that Dash loves drinking out of it so much, I’m getting a backache from bending over to accommodate him. For the record, its small enough that he can wear it. Guess its time to get one for him.

GIVEAWAY:

Win an Avila of your own. Contest ends 11:59PM 8/17. You MUST leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each entry. You may enter as many or as few times as you’d like.

1. Go to Hydrapak.com and shop around.Come back and leave a comment telling me which of their products interest you most.

2. Follow Hydrapak on Twitter HERE.

3. Tell me how you've been staying hydrated this summer. How do you carry water?

4. Like Hydrapak on Facebook HERE.

5. Like ‘Endurance Isnt Only Physical’ on Facebook HERE.

6. Spread the word: SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH gets you extra entries

-share this link on facebook
-link on your blog
-send out this tweet:

Win a @Hydrapak from @TriciaRunning in this great summer #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/3sqb3oe

disclaimer:I was given this product for free.The review is my own.

Clean Slate, Clear Mind

2011-08-08T08:36:00.002-05:00

I said this on twitter/facebook last week,I was overwhelmed by the number of people who told me they needed to hear it. Well, today *I* need to hear it:

Dear Tricia,

You were handed something amazing this morning: a clean slate, a new day, a fresh start.

Now its up to you to go forth and ROCK IT!

Love,

Fan-freaking-tastic Friday

2011-08-05T00:11:00.001-05:00

Oh yeah, I'm *that* excited!

Wednesday night I had downhill repeats. It was close to 10pm by the time we made it out,I had to wait that long for the temperature to drop below 100 degrees. Charles and Dash came along for the fun.

I had been scouting out crazy hills in the area and hit upon this gem,a lovely half mile hill with about 160 ft drop. For Hood to Coast my first leg has a 2000 ft elevation loss over 5.64 miles. (Tired of hearing about it yet?) So while this hill isn't obviously as long, it was still a pretty good spot to practice form.

I'll admit,I kind of thought finding my form would be easy.

One trip slooooowly uphill

3:44-tried to be 'in control' on this one. Short steps,long,I cant figure out what to do. Didn't feel great

Slooowly back uphill. Totally not timing these,it would be slow anyway,but add in a stroller and a 35lb toddler and it was a little ugly.

3:49-this one I lengthened my stride,but felt like I was putting on the breaks the whole way down. Slight weird pop in knee. No bueno.

Up Hill is fuuuuun

3:32-better,not great.I could hear my feet slapping. At this point I'm feeling it in my quads a bit.

Up up we go.

3:29-knowing this was my last round I decided to do something new.I tried to imagine myself running 'like Dash'. I mentally relaxed and just let myself have fun. I leaned forward a bit,and let my feet fly. This one felt the best,the most natural. It was also the fastest,but I didn't feel out of control.

Cool down to total 5 miles.

So, Coach Adam wanted each of those ran around 4:00. I was a little fast, but since this was the first time running through this workout,it gives us an idea of where I'm at.

The thing I'm so excited about? NO IT band pain after this run. That's been may main fear about Hood to Coast. I had no idea how my irritable IT bands would react to crazy downhills. This gave me confidence that heeeeey I can do this! :) So yeah, leg 1 is longer and a bit more steep and odds are I won't run it at a 7min/mile, but I can DO it without pain. (Knocks on wood)

(my Garmin still thinks it lives in Fl.Hello east coast time)

My Hill:

Hood to Coast leg 1:

So,its a Fan-freaking-tastic Friday because my IT bands still love me. In other exciting news,we have a start-time. Hood to Coast releases in waves throughout the day based on a projected finish time. They come up with that number by 10k times each team mate submits along with taking the course and terrain for each leg into consideration. I don't know what the formula is,but it spit out a time for us.

On August 26 at 12:30pm I will be toeing that start line and proudly starting team Nuun Platuun on its way to the coast.

What's making YOUR Friday Fan-freaking-tastic?

Good news/Bad news/New news

2011-08-03T09:23:00.004-05:00

Good news: Hood to Coast is almost here!
Bad news: 23 days until race day mean's you'll have to hear about it for 23 more days....and then probably for a week of recap. If you're tired of it then check back here in September. :)

Quick follow up: My IT bands seem to be settling down. I'm running less days, but FASTER miles and that combination seems to help. I've noticed that when I start to feel a twinge mid-run, if I increase my cadence the pain goes away. Today I have some downhill repeats in preparation for the insane elevation loss of my first leg.

I know the key to this workout will be to feel and hold the correct form that will keep me gliding without pounding down that mountain. I'm super thankful to have a coach that is helping me find the happy medium between too much and too little.

Plus he looks ~~like that chick off Glee~~ good in a track suit.

MOOOOOOORE Answers:

Yes, I am *still* answering your questions from THIS post. I've enjoyed these questions, so feel free to leave a comment on that original post if you want to know something.

Big Clyde asks:

Q:When you first started running, what was the turning where you started to love it?

A: I LOVED this question. It made me think of my twitter profile which says "Love running, except for when I don't". I'll be honest I have a love/don't love relationship with running. What I love and don't love about it is the same thing: ITS HARD.

The first time I fell in love with running was at my first 5k. Up until then it had just been something I did to challenge myself and break through old phobias of running as a form of torture in gym class. But as I ran that first race on a cool, crisp morning in Austin, I fell in love. I got caught up in the excitement and beauty of the run, and as I crossed that finish line, I felt like a RUNNER for the first time ever. I was in love.
(a plumper version of me, pre-race with my sister.Little did I know this race would change everything.Nov 2009)

New News: Nuun Platuun

I want to give a shout out and HUGE thank you to Kerrie,aka Captain Obvious, who came up with a stellar team logo. The girl has skills.

Speaking of super yummy hydrating goodness, I have a promo code for you. Use “nuunplatuun” on your next nuun order on nuun.com and get 25% off. I’m enjoying all the summer flavors like pink lemonade and lemon tea, but if I had to pick a favorite right now I’d have to go with fruit punch. Yum!

What’s YOUR favorite nuun flavor?

How did you fall in love with running?

Be Careful What You Teach Them: Intervals with Dash

2011-08-01T05:00:00.006-05:00

Last night I asked Dash which of his toothbrushes he wanted to brush with before bed. I was surprised by his reply:

"Oh, I'll just use Daddy's".

Me: "What?! We don't use other peoples toothbrushes."

Dash: "Mommy, you said its nice to share."

And then suddenly I remembered several times in the last week where I was puzzled because my toothbrush seemed to be moving spots in the holder.

I don't know if he has been using our toothbrushes, some things are better left unasked, but I DO know I'll be buying new ones first thing this morning.

Ahhhh....3 year olds are fun. :)

Falling off a Mountain Friday (and how I married someone I just met)

2011-07-29T05:00:00.001-05:00

I've been remiss in talking about my leg assignments for Hood to Coast. I'm super stoked to be runner #1. I love that I'll get to start our team out and experience the excitement at the top of Mt. Hood. Runner 1 has the least miles overall....probably due to the insane-ness of leg #1.

Leg one starts at the top of Mt. Hood and has a 2000ft elevation drop over 5.64 miles. I've heard HORROR stories about the difficulty of this leg, its a quad shredder. I've been reading message boards for HTC. When people asked for advice on leg 1 the answer is invariable "unvolunteer for it". That being said, I still requested it because in my sick mind it sounds fun to go screaming down a mountain holding on to my knee caps for dear life.

I'm actually not at all worried about getting through that leg, I am however a little worried about how legs 2 and 3 will feel after that descent. I'm sure the pain, and inability to use the restroom on my own, will be worth it though. I'm looking forward to it.

Leg 1 is rated "very hard" for its severe downhill, my next legs 13 and 25, are easy with gently rolling hills. I'm being ~~cocky~~ confident and telling myself no matter how beat up my legs are from running down that mountain, I can always pull out a couple of easy 4 milers. Ignorance is bliss.

ANSWERS:

Now for some more answers from THIS Q&A post.

The Big Enchilada wants to know:

1) Do you think the fact that you can't sleep until 1:00 a.m. is because you feel guilty and my not be able to sleep?

Ummm...does this question make sense to anyone? I'm assuming he was drinking when he asked, so I'm skipping it.

2) Do you know that I'm kidding. I'm always kidding when it comes to you and you are still my BFF.

Again, does this make sense? He is always kidding when it comes to me...so is he kidding that he's my BFF? I'm hurt.Skipping this one also. (glug,glug)

3) Okay, serious questions now. The above were not real. More kids in the cards?

FINALLY, a question I understand. My answer would be when Dash goes to ~~college~~ kindergarten I might have one more. Charles would like one yesterday. Dash asks me for a baby just about every single day. In fact, he told Charles the other day "I wish you could have a baby Daddy, because I don't think Mommy is EVER going to."

I can't give you a solid answer why I haven't agreed to one right now, other than to say I don't *want* one right now. That sounds harsh but its true. Dash is at the age where he is easy to travel with and be active with and I'm enjoying our freedom. I am a stay at home mom and I'm truly enjoying this time I have with Dash, I want my focus to be on him. We live in the same area as several of his cousins so I don't worry about him being lonely. Additionally, I have some personal goals I want to accomplish in my life before I have another child. All of those things lead me to feel now isn't the right time. That being said....I'm more open to the idea now then I was 3 months ago, so who knows what the answer will be this time next year.

4) Where did you meet Charles?

I met him on MySpace (anyone remember what that is?). He was deployed to Iraq at the time.

We talked online for a couple of months and then he flew in to meet me while on mid-tour leave. I met him in person for the first time on a Thursday, and a few days later (that monday) we got engaged. He flew back to Iraq the next morning and I didn't see him for 4 months. The day he came home from Iraq I picked him up from the welcome home ceremony and we drove directly to the airport. We eloped to Vegas and were married the next day. I was with him in person a total of 6 days (spread over 4 months) when we got married.

We spent the week in Vegas, and then flew home and I introduced him to my family. You can read the whole story (including about our random russian wedding witnesses)HERE.

5) Are you a Texas native?

6) Favorite movie?

I don't have a favorite movie. Same goes for books, songs,etc. Sure there are some I like more than others,but none are my all time favorite. Is that weird? I do have a favorite singer though and that's Elvis.

What is your best downhill running tip?

Do you have a favorite movie?

Have a question? Feel free to ask and I'll address it in an upcoming post.

Had a baby,Sand in my ears,and more answers

2011-07-27T10:18:00.002-05:00

Whew! This week has been crazy busy, and wow its only Wednesday. The most exciting thing was the addition of a baby to our family. My sister had a beautiful baby boy, mom and baby are both doing great! This is her 20 month old seeing his baby brother for the first time:

Running: That's the thing were you put one foot in front of the other, right? My IT bands been yelling at me again. I've been conservative in running,doing my at home exercises and stretching, and yet its the same old story. I had two pain free weeks with the ART, so I guess its time to go back. Either that, or I'm asking the ART guy to move in with us, we'll see what Charles has to say about that.

I'll be honest, I've been pretty discouraged this week. In fact, I told my coach that I just want to stick my head in the sand and hide for awhile. His response was "...putting your head in the sand gets sand in your ears. That sh!t doesn't come out." So with those words of wisdom, I'm pulling my head out and confessing: I'm struggling. Its hard to keep taking steps back when all you want to do is move forward.

On to the answers. I'm still answering questions from THIS post. So if there's something your dying to know about me, go there and ask.

Carla@I Run,You Run has Hood to Coast on her mind:

Q:Are you going to meet your NUUN teammates before your trip to the relay, or you will only get to meet them for the first time once you're already there?

A:We are all flying into Seattle the afterNUUN (ha!) before the race where we'll have a team dinner and get to meet each other for the first time.

Q:Have you already met any in person so far?

A:I haven't met any of my nuun-mates in person. However, Jess and I had been chatting on the phone and exchanging texts prior to the nuun thing, so while we haven't met in person I consider her my friend...or at least my go to person to bother via text. :) Since the nuun announcement I've been exchanging texts with several of my lovely team mates. It will be fun to finally "meet" everyone.

Q:Did you already read their blogs before? (And if not, are you reading them now?)

A: Hmmm...I would say I was familiar with about 50% of my team mates blogs. (I'm assuming this is directed at all the nuun blogger ladies,after-nuun delight and nuun platuun so a total of 20 ladies) Several of them were blogs I read on a regular basis. I'll be honest, some of them I hadn't heard of before this,it was a fun finding new (to me) people. And in the same vein of honesty, I'm not reading them all regularly. Maybe that sounds terrible? Either way, its truthful.

Carolina John from Smoke Trainer asked:

Q: Is Adam actually a wonderful coach?

A: The answer is resoundingly "YES"! He is a great source of information and inspiration. I love having someone to be accountable to, and some one to get my "run nerd" on with. Beyond that, I occasionally need my hand held, and often need someone to tell me to pull my head out of ~~my butt~~ the sand. He does those things well, and I appreciate him.

If you have questions, leave them HERE.

Do you ever want to stick your head in the sand and hide when things aren't going your way?

Do you have "friends" that you've never met in person?

Junk in my trunk,fried pies, and miles. YOU asked

2011-07-25T08:39:00.006-05:00

I am operating on 2 hours of sleep (more on that tomorrow), typing this as my 20 month old nephew ~~destroys my house~~ plays, so it may or may not make sense.

First off, I'm SUPER excited for the Fila Toning Twitter party hosted by my buddy MizFit. I own a pair of the "toning capri's" and while I won't claim to be any toner by just wearing them, I WILL say they act great as compression bottoms. When I run in them, they hold all the junk in my trunk in place. Score! Find details on the party HERE.

On Friday, I opened myself up to some questions, ANY questions. If you're interested in asking me about ANYTHING then click HERE and ask away.

Michelle,from Miles for Breakfast:

Q:What would your ideal vacation be?
A: My ideal vacation would include a mix of lounging around AND exploring the location. I want the option of being lazy or active. Dash would be there with me and Charles, but we'd also have someone we trust come with us to watch him when we want some alone time. (I can dream,right?) And while I'm dreaming, that vacation would be in Greece. I'll make it there one day.

super Kate:

Q:Whats the best thing about blogging?
A:I had a hard time picking one, so I fudged the answer a bit with two. The friendships I've made through this online community are on of the best things about blogging. I'm continually amazed at the connections I make. Secondly, and this is a super selfish reason, but one of the things that touches me most about blogging is the emails I get from readers who tell me I've inspired them to take control and be healthy. The whole reason I started this blog was to share my weight loss story and to give those struggling with obesity hope, to let them know it IS possible to turn your life around. I'm thankful I've been able to help and give support to those that need it.

Cory from Fast Cory asked the all important question:

Q:Favorite Hostess product?
A: This question totally made me laugh...and then google hostess products. Honestly, they all look pretty much the same to me...cake with cream in the middle in various shapes. Am I right? So while Charles would pick a snowball (shudder) or a zinger, I would go with a cherry fruit pie. Fried pie filled with sickeningly sweet cherries,sold off a gas station shelf? Yes please! (anyone else think this is funny, following the talk about using my blog as a platform to share my healthy living journey?) Either way,if it were guilt free thats what I'd pick.

My Nuun-mate The Blonde Ponytail:

Q: What's your favorite mileage?
A: I'd have to say 10 miles.Long enough that I feel like I did something, without being so long that it takes a lot of time to recover. I've talked about this before, but it takes me a good 3 miles to start even enjoying the run. Then, by miles six I'm usually LOVING it, so taking it to 10 gets me to double digits without much abuse.

Submit your questions HERE.

If you HAD to pick one, and assuming they were all calorie/chemical/guilt free, what would be your favorite Hostess product? And for balance, what's your favorite mileage?

Tonight I need to run away

2011-07-22T05:00:00.002-05:00

I skipped Wednesdays speed work, shocking I know. Actually, missing one run is not a super huge deal, except for the fact that I've gone from a couple weeks that involved a "3 in 24hrs" to now down to 3 in 7 days.The doctor who ~~I sold my soul to~~ miraculously healed my IT band said I'm only allowed to run 3 days a week and cross train two.

So missing one out of three is like what, a third of my training for the week? (see how I broke that down for those of you who weren't math majors) <--I love that implies I WAS a math major when in fact, thats about as far from the truth as possible. BUT if you need any um 'work that is social', then I'm your girl. (thats a joke, please get it)

Being the good little girl that I am,I readily admitted to my coach that I skipped it and begged to be punished. Fortunately for me, he is a giant (plumbers crack)teddy bear,and he didn't even give me a hard time. Unfortunately for him, I'm not that nice...you did click that teddy bear link, right?

Anyway, I told him when faced with the decision of a run or staying with Dash who wasn't feeling super great, I of course picked the kid. I ran yesterday instead and explained to him that while wednesday I needed to stay, last night I needed to run away. The speedwork session was EXCELLENT and I attribute it to super fresh legs. :)

On to the juicy stuff. Last ~~year~~ week my Nuun-mate,Commando,tagged me to play the Q&A game. At this point its going around like the herps so I have no clue who to credit with coming up with it, but I'm jumping in.

Now is your chance to ask those burning (ha!) questions. I'll start you off:

Q: Who do you think leaves the best comments?
A: The Big Enchilada,or B.E. as I call him, is my current favorite commenter for the sweetness he left on the last post.

Now.....your turn. Ask away my friends.