I'm Home

...and I brought a little bling with me!!! Report soon, but I have some family stuff to attend to tomorrow and didn't want to be absent too long.

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What I'm Taking With Me...

My boarding pass is printed.  My alarm is set for 3am.  Ready to head out for marathon 3 - Marine Corps Marathon.  No goals this time around -- fun, supported training run on my way to my goal race in 5 weeks.

So I bet you want to know what I'm taking with me...

These amazing faces:

(yes, she got all her hair cut off so she could be like sissy and mommy)

The Racing It Off Team:

They are my inspiration... so I'll be wearing my Racing It Off shirt and thinking of them each step.

My frunners:

My favorite bloggers:

Not only was the awesome Tricia on the pages of Women's Health this month, but she was wearing a camo skirt/capri from RunningSkirts (yes, they changed it to black in the published magazine, but it *is* a camo skirt).  That exact skirt will be on my rear this Sunday.  Tricia will be running this with me in spirit.  And yes, I plan to wash it before I send it back to her!

I also have plans to see Katye at the expo Friday, meet TMB for lunch Saturday, and hopefully see Steph on Sunday.  Also hoping to see a couple more bloggers along the course.

And *you* - my readers, who have left so many great, motivating comments.  Thank you!

You ready to go 26.2?  I am!

Racing It Through the New Year

I have been racing a lot.  In fact, starting September 25... I started what will end up a streak of racing 7 out of 8 weekends.  I know, I'm a crazy runner... not quite as crazy as this guy:

But still crazy.  Despite the craziness, though, I actually *do* have a plan.  And I do make sure that the races fit into the grand scheme.  If it means that I run a long run mid-week, and count the race as my speedwork, then that's what I do.  Between me and Adam, we make sure that my schedule still works with all the races.  The one week I didn't race, I actually could have, but decided not when there was no good way to combine a 5k with a needed 21-miler.  And still... all of this is fit neatly into a grand plan.  It's not always easy to wrap all my racing up with a neat bow so that the training stays reasonable and doesn't throw me over the edge... but I'm pretty dead set on making it work because racing makes me happy.
So I haven't really talked much about my crazy racing plan for the rest of the year.

This weekend is Marine Corps Marathon!  Crazy excited about it.  I grew up in the area, and I'm really looking forward to running not only in Virginia, but with my original marathoning inspiration - Joe.  This will be his 77th marathon, his 30th consecutive Marine Corps Marathon (I confirmed facts this morning!).  A little history... he used to be my mother's boss when I was in high school, and I even briefly dated his son... and I always thought he was insane for beating up his body with marathons.  (Turns out that he *is* insane, but so am I... who knew?)  I'm thrilled to run with him.  Our goal - to appreciate the day, laugh a lot, take some great photos, and enjoy 26.2 miles of supported training!  There is no time goal... both of us have other marathons before the end of the year... and he has an angry quad to take care of. 

The very next week after MCM, I have the DRC Half Marathon.  In all honesty, it was a mistake - I didn't pay attention to the date when I signed up.  However, MCM is a "training" run, so I need to be back at it pretty quick, so 13 is actually the perfect pull-back long run.  A lot of the Racing It Off girls will be running, so I'll likely run with some of them, depending on what my body can handle that day.

Then is the Fort Worth Marathon 20-miler.  I love that they have a 20-mile option and put it 3 weeks prior to White Rock - the major marathon in the Dallas area.  This will be it for me... the last race of the 7 in 8 weeks and my last long run before taper.

Three weeks after the Fort Worth 20-miler is my key marathon - White Rock Marathon.  In 2009, it was my first half marathon.  In 2010, it was my first full marathon.  In 2011, it will be my 4th full marathon and I'll have 19 half marathons in the books.  I plan to push hard at this race... and yes, I have a buddy, because you all know I don't like running alone.  Junie has agreed to run with me... although after 4 1/2 hours of my jaws flapping, she might be ready to hurt me.  This race will always be special to me... it re-ignited my desire to run because I wanted to run it for my youngest, Paige, who spent 2 years in therapy at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children - the beneficiary of the race.

After White Rock, I'm hoping to repeat my 5k PR run from last year - Jingle Bell Run.  I haven't made a 5k PR attempt since then.  Can't believe I haven't run but one 5k this year - and I was pacing someone for her first race.

And to finish off the year right - the New Years Double!!!  The plan is 13.1 on New Years Eve and 26.2 on New Years Day (yes, that makes 3 marathons in 64 days).  I will be taking the miles very slow and easy on New Years... because, I'm sure this is shocking, it's all just good training for something else in the grand plan early next year! 

With all this talk of race after race, between which I have to be very careful to not burnout or injure myself, it reminds me of part of my conversation with Joe today.  We had briefly discussed some of the past deaths that have occured at the Marine Corps Marathon.  And I jokingly told him that he needed to pick a different day to die, cause I didn't want to have to live with that.  But then in all seriousness, I said, "ya know, if I'm in my later years and still racing, and collapsed during a race... well, I think it would be the way to go."  He totally agreed.

ACO Fall Fest Race Report

So after I wrote THIS, I figured I had better post on how the race went.  First of all, it's a very small race (about 200 people running both the 5k and 10k) put on by the Allen Community Outreach.  My friend, Robin D's husband helps organize it.  I was glad to not only go out to show my support, but to also get 2 Racing It Off runners to head out also - Samantha was running the 10k as her first race EVER and Christina would be running her 2nd 10k and pacing Samantha.  And bonus - Libby was there running the fun run with her daughter and then joining in for the 10k. 

Samantha, Me, Christina

(for the record, Robin D ran and hid so that she would miss the photo)

The plan for the day - PR.  Here's where I should say that 10k is my LEAST favorite distance.  5ks are downright painful at puke pace, but they are over in less than 30 minutes.  Half marathons are at a pace that is hard, but comfortably sustainable over a distance.  A 10k... the pace is puke-a-rific *and* you have to maintain it for almost a full hour.  No thank you.  But regardless, I still signed up for the 10k.  Also important to note that I *just* PR'd at the 10k distance a month and a half ago with a 57:12 - down over 2 minutes from my January time.

Anyhow, it was time to endure the pain, so we lined up at the start, and we were off.  It was a small race, so I expected to stay somewhat towards the upper-middle portion of the pack... but noooooo... the second the gun went off, people BLAZED past me.  I looked at my Garmin and saw 7s and thought "no way".  I reminded myself that I'd pick them off when they all passed out at mile 2.

Mile 1 - 8:31

For the record, my fastest mile clocked EVER.  (No, I've never done a magic mile.  My fastest mile was during a 5k and clocked in at 8:34.)  So two things go through my head at this point "oh my goodness, that felt great, can I hold this?" and "oh crap!!!  I just started way too fast."  I wasn't sure which one was the truth at this point.

Mile 2 - 8:49

There's my answer... the second one was the truth... I started way too fast.  Oops.  So far the course has been relatively flat, and the temperature has felt awesome.  But then we start to enter some hills.

Mile 3 - 8:59

Oh dear, I'm losing it already.  My pace is slipping... I want to puke.  I see Robin zip by - the second female.  I want to walk... And then what is THAT?  The hill of death right before the turn around (which was at 3.8)... I couldn't breath.  My lungs were burning.  Ugh...  After the turn around, I see Christina and Samantha.  I can't even tell you if they looked strong or not because I was literally on the verge of hallucinations!  Then I see Libby.  Again I wave, but all I can think about was how my lungs hurt and how heavy my legs are.  Usually my lungs give out before my legs, but this time it was both.

Mile 4 - 9:03
Mile 5 - 9:18

There goes my goal of keeping it under 9 for every mile.  And to see consistently positive splits was not a good thing.  Really unhappy with my race day execution... I shouldn't have started so fast.  I can usually pull something out of the hat on mile 6, but I had nothing in the tank.  There were people in front of me that I was so close to and I wanted to push past, and I just couldn't move any faster.

Mile 6 - 9:22

Ugh.  Fail on race execution.

Last 0.26 - 8:24 pace ... barely faster than my first mile.  I had no sprint left.  I can usually pull that last little bit out no matter what, but my legs said NO.

Finish 56:10 - a 1:02 PR.  11th overall female.  2nd in my age group (it was a small race, but there were 15 people in my age group, so I was excited to place).

Really proud of my time.  I know 10ks are a hard distance for me... and when I looked back on the course elevation, I was less bothered by the consistently positive splits because the first 2 miles were mostly downhill... hilly sections during 3 and 4, and steady uphill for 5 and 6.  So the splits make sense, even though I wish I could've pushed at the end and had my traditional strong finish.  I knew I left everything I had out there. 

After a few minutes of rest, I walked out to the 6 mile marker to wait for Samantha and Christina.  I ran in the last 0.2 with them.  I could tell that Samantha really pushed for this one.  She had left everything out there on the course.  So proud of her.  I told her she could temporarily hate me, but I wanted her to use her long legs (yes, a kindred leg-zilla) and sprint the finish.  She pulled it out and finished in 1:11:21 for her first race ever.  I think that was uber-impressive.  Go Samantha Go!!!  Christina was an awesome friend and pacer!

Robin D grabbed a 4 minute PR with a 48:57 (seriously?  that's ridiculously fast) and pulling off 2nd overall, 1st in her age group.  Since her husband did a lot of the organizing, he did the announcements for the awards, and he may have just been a tad proud to announce his wife's name!!! 

Also a shout-out to my awesome friend, Emily, who ran her 5th half marathon this past weekend and did great!  So proud of her!!!

Note to Self...

Dear Self:

You may have run 9 miles including Yasso 800s on Friday, then 21 miles on Saturday, but on Monday when you ran that 10 miles, you knew something was "off".  You were a good girl and headed to your A.R.T. appointment.  Dr. Magic Hands worked you over, and it HURT.  Do you hear your body *now*?  Yes?  Good.

Thank you for taking 3 days off from running.  I know you wanted to run badly, but you listened to me, and you took Tuesday-Thursday off.

Despite your concerns...
- You did not die without running.
- You did not lose all capability to crank out the miles.
- You did not gain any weight.
- Your body *did* heal, it was not a waste of time.
- Your head is still on straight.
- The road and the treadmill are right where you left them 3 days ago.

Thank you for listening to your body and doing the right thing.  Your reward was an awesome, effortless 5 mile run today to let you know that I have given you the "all clear" to race your rear off at tomorrow's 10k.  Go get 'em.

Love,
Me

If I Knew Then...

If I knew then, what I know now...

I would laugh so hard that I'd have trouble pulling myself off the ground!

Let me describe some things about myself "back then":

- I was a nerd.  I liked math.  I liked science.  I did really well at them.

- I was in the band.  Concert band - tenor saxophone.  Marching Band - captain of the colorguard. 

- The only time I used the word "Athletic" was when I was spelling it in the spelling bee.

- I did not like children.  Rarely babysat, and when I did, I usually put them to bed way before bedtime so I didn't have to deal with it.  Had zero desire to ever have a family.

If you would've taken the words I use to describe myself today... There is no way I would've believed you.  Not even remotely.

- Wife

- Mother

- Marathoner

- Coach

First, the thought that I would ever give up a great career to not only have children, but to be with them 24-7, would've definitely astonished me.  In fact, I recall fighting with Peter about the whole concept of being a stay-at-home mom back when we were dating.

Secondly, to believe that I would ever do anything more athletic than spend some time at the gym to keep my weight in check would be ludicrous.  I was always a klutz.  I didn't like to sweat or get dirty. Athletics were not my thing.

Lastly, to not only be athletic, but to actually get to a point where I'm certified to coach others to become distance runners... wow.

Honestly, never would have imagined.  And there are times when I sit here... and I see my children and then I exchange e-mails with the girls I coach, and I'm just bursting with excitement for them and their accomplishments, and I just think - how could I have not known?  How could I have spent so much time doing other things when clearly this is what I am meant to do?  Maybe it was so that I could really appreciate it... I don't know.  Whatever the plan, I'm glad that I am here now. 

Pearl Izumi SyncroFuel Road II Review

What runner doesn't like this site:

Oh yes, I love when the mailman delivers new running shoes.  I was anxious to crack open the box.

Ah, lovely Pearl Izumi SyncroFuel Road II shoes.  The first thing I did, believe it or not, was run straight to the Pearl Izumi website to check out the details on the shoe. 

Directly from the website:

This responsive, lightweight trainer is designed for one thing—going fast! The syncroFuel™ provides mild pronation control and excellent cushioning for the runner training for their next race.  

•Seamless Race Upper with hybrid mesh combination: recycled mid-foot mesh and breathable forefoot mesh

•Half-length medial side syncro Stability Frame

•NEW 1:1 Energy Foam cushions the foot upon impact and then returns energy back to the runner

•SKYDEX® heel crash pad

•Full blown rubber outsole with carbon rubber heel crash pad

•Forefoot Flex Grooves for a smooth, efficient ride

•NEW Ortholite® sockliner for amazing step-in comfort and long-lasting cushioning

•360° degree reflectivity

•Heel/Toe offset: 23.0mm/13.0mm

The SynchoFuel is listed as a Neutral Plus shoe. 

I'm going to get the "bad" out of the way, since it's about personal preferences.  First, I've moved to a slightly less-cushioned shoe for some of my training and all of my racing, so it felt a little weird at first to be back in a shoe with heavier cushioning.  Definitely a personal preference.  If you love the cushioned shoes - I know when I first started, I preferred it - then this is a great shoe.  The second thing is that I ordered a size 10.  I wear a 9 in regular shoes, and consistently order a size 10 in running shoes, but this shoe definitely ran small.  I didn't have my preferred inch of space between the end of my toe and the shoe.  I would've ordered at least another 1/2 size up.  Unfortunately, this limited me to testing this shoe on mostly shorter runs.

I wore the shoes on 11 runs for 58 miles total.  The longest run I used the shoes for was 8 miles.  I actually find it hard to describe the shoes, which for me, is a positive thing... because as soon as the run started, I totally forgot about the shoes.  They were well-cushioned, comfortable, responsive.  I noticed no difference in performance between these shoes and my usual shoes (and I rotate between a couple brands).

Before trying these shoes out, I honestly thought of Pearl Izumi as a cycling company, but they have branched more into running in recent years, and I think their shoes deserve some honest attention.  I know I was impressed, and being one of "those" people that is in love with the shoes I wear day-to-day, to give up those shoes over and over and wear the Pearl Izumi's, not just for a couple of test runs, but for some real mileage, means a lot.  I intend to keep using these shoes for my shorter runs until they've hit their mileage limit!  I only wish they were a little bigger so I could put some real mileage on them!!!

Note:  These shoes were provided to me for review.  I was not otherwise compensated and was not obligated to provide a positive review.

Running Budget 101

So you've just started running, and everything is new and exciting.  You want to run out and buy all the latest gadgets and gizmos.  But what do you need and why?  If I could rewind to the start of running... here's the first ten places my money would have gone:

(Note that I'm not saying you *can't* run without these things.  Many of these items are luxuries, but I'm saying that if you have the money and are wanting to spend it on running gear, this is where I'd personally focus - I'm sure you could ask 10 runners and get 10 different answers, though.)

1.  Shoes - Period.  Hands down.  No question.  This is not the place to skimp.  Go to a running specialty store, have them watch your gait, and get a good pair of running shoes.  Heck, if you can afford it, get two different styles of running shoes so that you can alternate them (I love this because different shoes will activate your muscles differently and have different pressure points - varying that can reduce some potential for over-use injuries... plus it allows shoes plenty of time to decompress before you use them again).   Popular brands:  Brooks, Asics, Nike, Saucony, Mizuno, and New Balance.  But there are also other brands out there, like K-Swiss, Adidas, Pearl Izumi, and Etonic that might work for you.  I happen to be a huge fan of Brooks, but it really is about what works for you.

2.  Race - I know, most people would put this down the list a bit, but you have seen the title of this blog, right?  A race is a goal, a tangible day and distance set to accomplish.  For me, this is what keeps my running on track.  Even if the race is a long time off.  Pick one, sign up, and write it in stone as your goal!  Racing a lot can be very expensive - so plan ahead, sign up early for lower fees, and shop around for one that works for you in terms of cost, location, etc.

3.  Moisture-Wicking Clothing - I see it all the time... runner shows up for his/her first race and receives a cotton t-shirt in the race packet, and then promptly puts it on and runs in it.  Moisture-wicking clothing is important for many reasons - when it's hot, you need to move the moisture away from your body so it can evaporate and your body can continue to sweat in order to cool itself down;  when it's cold, you want it to pull the moisture away from your body so you can stay dry and warm; lastly wet cotton will chafe your skin, badly, it's not pretty.  And go ahead and add socks into this one too...

4.  ID - Safety, safety, safety.  I personally use Road ID, and recommend them highly, but there are a few other companies who make IDs for your wrist, ankle, or shoe.  These are uber-important in the case of a medical emergency.  Don't chance it, spend the cash and get some proper identification!

5.  Sports Bra - Alright guys, you can skip this one, but supporting the girls properly is worth the price tag.  Personally, I love Moving Comfort - great support, and I get to still have TWO instead of an uni-boob.  Find what works for you, but do not be afraid to spend a few more dollars on something that will really work and last (besides, if you have to double-up on cheap bras, it ends up being just as expensive as one good bra!).

6.  Garmin - Yes, you can live without the super-sleek watch that tracks your pace and distance using GPS, but it can also be an amazing tool.  Especially cause one of the things that plagues beginning runners, in my opinion, is pushing too fast and not pacing properly so that he/she can go the distance.  The good news is that you can find some pretty good deals on older versions of the Garmin.

7.  Hydration - I prefer the Nathan Handheld water bottle, but some prefer hydration belts (iFitness has a great one), and others prefer hydration packs like Camelbak.  Find what works for you, and give it several runs - it takes some getting used to, but it's important to keep hydrated, even in the cooler weather.

8.  Anti-chafe Cream - There are several brands of this, but I cannot live without Mission Athletecare's Anti-chafe cream.  I don't care what size you are - things rub when you run.  And when you start pulling double digit distances, parts attempt to start fires.  Don't be a chafed runner, lube up and get out there!  (And while you are there, pick up some sweatproof sunblock and some muscle rub.)

9.  Nutrition - GU gel, GU chomps, Sports Beans, Clif Gels, Clif Shotbloks, Powergel, Honey Stingers... the types are endless.  You won't need these likely until you hit about 8 miles or more, but it's worth getting a few types and trying them out and figuring out what works best for you and your body BEFORE your first big event.  I'm personally a huge fan of Chocolate GU - hello brownie batter!

10.  Running/Race Belt - When you are alone or racing, you often need to carry your phone, your key, your nutrition, etc.  A comfortable belt that holds these items without bouncing around is a huge help.  I can't say enough great things about iFitness belts.  I love their ultimate race belt.  Holds my GU, keeps my phone safe in a water resistent pouch, holds my race number (I hate pinning!), and doesn't bounce around. 

11.  Compression Socks - OK, yes, I said that I would give you my top 10, but I can't leave out my beloved compression socks.  I am a big believer in compression, especially for recovery... I'm a huge fan of CEP socks - I think they are the most compressive of the brands out there, and my calves love me for wearing them, but they aren't cheap... definitely a luxury!

What would YOU add to the list???

Grump-tastic

You know how when you're in college (ok, this won't apply to the men)... and everyone's cycle syncs up?  OK, for men, when your wife was pregnant... maybe you had sympathy pains?

Well, my awesome friend Tricia is having some issues with her very grumpy IT Band... which, by the way, has a history of being grumpy. 

I, on the other hand, am not injury-prone.  Other than your standard over-use twinge of pain that you take a couple days off for and then feel 100% better.  Really, even those occassions don't happen often.  But after talking to Tricia on Saturday, I felt that twinge in my IT Band.  No worries... just the power of suggestion, right?

So, I hit the gym Monday and run my 10 miles and things just feel "off".  It's a bit tender all through the right IT, down the right shin, and across the top of my right foot... What in the world?  But no worries, because I have an appointment with Dr. Magic Hands... for the A.R.T. pain.  And I get there, and he gets to work, and Oh. My. Goodness.  I sounded like I was in labor.  I was borderline in tears.  I think he was trying to kill me with his thumb.  He confirmed that my right leg was completely out of whack.  As I was leaving, I did something I've never done before... I made another appointment for the same week.  I never go twice in the same week. 

Fortunately, I listened to myself.  I knew that if I was making another appointment, that it was more painful than I was letting on.  So I woke up Tuesday morning and the following texts happened:

Lesley:  No running today.
Adam:  Hey Lesley - I think someone stole your phone and is sending messages about not running

Yeah, my coach knows me.  He knows I don't typically blow off runs.  So today was no running.  And I treated my leg like a Princess...  I spent some time with the foam roller:

(This lady has way better technique than me.  I look like an awkward flamingo.)

And I spent some time with the ice packs:

OK, yeah, I didn't look like that dude.  (And WHAT is he thinking?)  But I did ice my leg several times today.

I'm supposed to run my longer run tomorrow because we front-loaded my week so I could race a 10k on Saturday.  But I have a bad feeling that the run is out.  Ultimately, I have no choice... I'm 12 days out from a marathon, and even though it's not a goal race, I still have to get through 26.2 miles. 

Honestly, I'm not super concerned... it hurts, it's tender... I'm taking time off until it feels better.  I think it'll be a couple days.  In the meantime, I tossed the shoes I was wearing... it was their time anyhow.  Besides, we know they are just sympathy pains, right?

Buuuuuuuuut, despite that knowledge... I've been pulled off running for a couple days, so I'm struggling to keep grumpy Lesley at bay. 

2011 ACO Fall Fest

Are you in the DFW area?  Join me at the Allen Community Outreach Fall Fest this Saturday, October 22nd.  1 Mile Fun Run, 5k, or 10k distances are available.  Free childcare available (pre-registration required).  And some fun family-friendly activities afterwards (including bounce houses).  The Purple Cow will also open early and provide a $10 breakfast buffet... eat before or eat after!  Need more information?  Want to come run with me?  Read HERE.  (I know I sound like an ad, but this is a good cause, and it's only the 2nd year for this race, so I wanted to help spread the word.  My good running buddy, Robin D, ran it last year, and so we'll both be heading up there this year.)


(Sorry I've been so absent... the weekend was insanely busy and today was spent playing catch-up and nursing my poor leg that seems to be telling me that I need a break... not now leg, I don't have time for a break!!!)

Turtle vs. Hare

The turtle and the hare discussion comes up quite a bit in running.  Are you a front-of-the-pack runner?  middle-of-the-pack?  back-of-the-pack?  You may have heard the phrase "slow and steady" wins the race.  Well, I'm pretty sure the steady part is accurate - did you see Patrick Makau's splits when he set the world record in Berlin???  1:01:44 first half and 1:01:54 second half.  But as has been proven time and time again - fast and steady wins the race.

It never fails that if you mention you ran a race, someone will ask you how fast.  I remember after my first marathon, which I finished in 5:12, having someone the next week say "oh, you ran a marathon?  what does that take, like 3 or 4 hours?"

I started out as a back-of-the-pack runner and have slowly crawled up to a middle-of-the-pack runner.  I am fairly confident that I did not hit the genetic lottery with regards to speed, and seriously don't even have thoughts of every becoming a front-of-the-pack runner.  Not even sure what I'd do up there! 

But here we are all living in the blog world together - super speedies winning races and age group awards, middle-of-the-pack constantly striving for their PR, and back-of-the-pack looking for the strong finish.  I'm thrilled when I see someone Boston Qualify, even though that's something that really isn't even on the radar for me.  I'm just as excited to hear of someone struggle through every step of a 7 hour marathon and finish with their head held high. 

The point here is... we all have our own trophies!  Whether those trophies be an award, a PR, or just the pride of finishing - we're all out there striving for something better.  It's so easy to get caught up in this person or that person's pace.  And I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't happen to me too.  I won't lie and say I'm not a bit jealous when I see a new runner right out of the blocks hit a 9:00 min/mile that I've struggled for 2 years to hit and can still only hold for probably 4 miles.  And yes, occassionally it'll hit a chord when I work my rear off training, and see someone that didn't put in nearly as many miles, just naturally push through much faster than me.  But with all that said, I know my competition is ME.  I know that I'm here to impress no one but myself. 

Ask those who know me, I am extremely competitive... Running is a funny sport, though.  It allows us to be really competitive without minimizing anything else others are doing.  Sure, I've picked out random people during races and tried to keep up with them or maybe pass them at the end, but at the end of the day, there's no one that would upset me if they finished before me.  The only thing I judge the day on is whether or not I performed to the best of my abilities.

In the blog-world where capabilities are so varying, it's sometimes easy to forget when Speedy-McSpeedy-Pants says they had an awful run where he/she only posted 8 min/mile that it in no way diminishes your excellent run where you managed to get 12 min/miles.  It's important to remember that people's triumphs and disappointments are with their own performances.  I don't know how many runners have mentioned tanking a run and their time was still much faster than mine on a good day.  Remember to take the lessons, celebrate in their triumphs, share in their disappointments, but remember that your race is your own!

(And yes, I purposely slipped in an MCM finish photo... since I somehow keep forgetting that I have another marathon in just 17 days.)

My New Tagline

I have to share this, because it cracked me up...

It's no secret, I like to race...

Not only do I like to race... but I like to have as many friend (frunners) with me as possible.

If you ask the girls I coach, I never say "no" if they want to put a race on the schedule... I just find a smart way to help them safely use it towards their goals.

Especially when I travel, I like to convince others to come with me.

My recent adventures have included convincing people to come to this area for the New Years Double, to travel across the country with me to Rock n Roll Seattle next June, to road trip with me to Route 66 in Tulsa next November, and another race which I'm keeping under wraps for now.  Not to mention the long list of smaller races that I beg people to join me for.  What can I say.  I love the vibe of a race, and it's even more thrilling with other peeps around to enjoy it with.

Anyhow... my "bad" influence was being discussed on Twitter.  Tricia (@TriciaRunning) mentioned my bad influence, and Libby (@LibbyRuns) jumped in that my bad influence was also counteracted by my ability to give a swift kick in the rear on occassion as well.  Pretty sure @UnlikelyRunners jumped in on the action here too.  (See what you're missing if you aren't on Twitter.) 

How it all ended up was Tricia summing me up into one thought:

"Terrible for the wallet, Wonderful for the booty!"

Libby declared it my new tagline.  I think it just might stick.  I was quite literally curled over laughing at this. 

(Hop on over and congratulate Libby on reaching Marathon Maniac status - she ran her first 3 marathons in a 70 day period!!!)

Tyler Rose Half Marathon Race Report

I got up uber early to an unfamiliar sound - pouring rain!  My good friend Emily met me at 4:30am, and we started the 90 minute drive to Tyler, Texas.  We probably could've left a good bit later, but when traveling that far to a race, I didn't want to leave anything up to chance.  We arrived and got a space literally 3 parking spots from the building with the check-in/after-party and quite literally, steps from the starting line.  Wow...  We got our bibs and shirts and then hung out in the car for a bit.

The plan for the day was to take it easy, enjoy it, and run with Emily.  I had invited two others people to run with us too, so that we could have an on-course party - Corina and Holly F (who was doing her second half only 2 weeks after her first half).  And we also kind of paced with Elaine, though in a more indirect way... she wanted to push, and she knew to do that, she'd need to stay out in front of us (which she did)!

(Holly F, Elaine, Corina, Me, and Emily)

The full marathon started at 7:30am, so we headed to watch Robin D get started... She was running this event in place of her 22 mile training run so was planning to take it easy and run/walk the last 4 in. 

(Robin on the right in her signature pink hat and just in front of her in orange is reader/fellow NTX Runner Shawna)

One more group pic before go time:

EW, Corina, Dana, Al, Marcie, Elaine, Robin W, Me, and Emily

Finally it was nearing 8am, and we were ready to go with only one goal in mind... beat the man in the silly outfit (purple spandex, cropped tee, faux lei, and duck hat complete with feathery tail):

Actually, our only goal was to enjoy the day and all get to the finish line!

And we're off...

I don't know how to describe the day to you other than there was a lot of this uneven brick (not exactly a cushioned surface) and when there wasn't brick, there was this uneven pebble-style asphalt.  The entire course was neverending hills.  I am certain we went up more than down, but somehow ended up in the same spot.  I don't think there was ever a flat spot on the course.  Up, up, up, down, up, up, up, down.  I had originally told Emily and Holly F that we would walk the uphills, knowing there were supposed to be a lot of hills... but I didn't realize 8 miles of the course would be uphill.

Look, we found Woody!  (Sitting on the wheel well.)

(Holly F, Me, and Emily)

And we just kept plodding on...

(Emily, Holly F, and Me - this is at a weird angle... I'm not *that* tall.)

I may or may not have tweeted The Unlikely Runner a photo of her butt while running behind her:

And at mile 11, I might have taken and uploaded this photo to facebook to wish Emily's daughter a happy 11th birthday!

And pretty much the whole way, I was checking Libby's tweets from the Chicago Marathon.  I actually had another runner ask me how Libby was doing at Chicago.  I had no idea who she was or how she knew I was tracking Libby!  (If you're reading this, say hi so I know your name!!!)  I'm only guessing that maybe she overheard me reading the tweets to Corina.

Lots and lots of uphills, but we did eventually com into the finish...

Time for a quick group photo:

(Corina, Holly F, Emily, and Me)

And then I headed straight back out to find Holly C (also running her 2nd half marathon just 2 weeks after her first).  I didn't get very far... around 0.35, and I already found her... she was trucking along nice and steady.  Despite being very tired, she hadn't stopped to walk at all.  She ran up all those monstrous hills.  Woo-hoo.  So I headed in the last little bit with her and was telling her how far and where the finish was.  The finish line was odd because you couldn't see it at all... you saw a crowd of people and no finish line... what you couldn't see is that when you came to the crowd, you took a sharp right and veered across a grass field to finish. 

It was so funny because Holly was yelling at me ... "WHERE is it?  WHERE?"  She wanted to pick up the pace but didn't want to do it too soon.

And what feels better after a tough hill workout???  How about some ice cold water on the legs... oh yeah!

(Holly C, Holly F, Elaine, Emily, Me, Erik, Michelle, and Corina)

This is possibly my favorite post-race photo EVER.  Love it... and that freezing water felt so good.  Just jealous only 1/4th of my legs were underwater and some people had water up to their thighs... REALLY?

Just after getting out of the water, a lady came by and said "Would you like some free frozen yogurt?"  Um, is that even a valid question?  YES.

And then a quick pic of the Racing It Off team:

Then I ran in to pick up my SECOND medal because the company putting this race on, Mellew, had a challenge of completing all four of their half marathons (Texas Half - Winter, Big D - Spring, Hottest Half - Summer, and Tyler Rose - Fall).  This was my last half of the Four Seasons Challenge!

After shoving down a piece of free pizza, I had to run back out to watch Robin D finish her marathon.  She did awesome and was right on target for her "easy" training run (which still beat the pants off anything I could do on my best day!).

Great day all around!!!  I had so much fun.  And I'm so glad that Corina helped document all the fun times.  This is a tough course, but we took it slow and just enjoyed every second of it!  Running with friends is never dull.

After the long drive home, I put my medals on my SportHook and quickly realized it might be time for an add-on bar... I clearly have a bling addiction. 



Congrats to all the runners who ran the Chicago Marathon yesterday!