Unfortunately not 30 half marathons in 30 states... With the completion of the Riverboat Series, I have now finished races in 30 states! I'm really excited to hit 30 states, but, umm, I changed the rules (and convinced Beer Geek to go along with it) - I now want to do half marathons in every state. Luckily, I've got 14 states + DC already done, so it's not like I'm starting from 0. I'm not in a rush. Sure, I'd love to race in 50 states by the time I'm 50, but as long as I'm making forward progress, I'm ok with where ever I am. It's about the journey, not the goal. In other big news, I have Nike Women's Half Marathon this Sunday. Why is this big news? Nike will be my 30th lifetime half marathon!!! If you'd told me, back … [Read more...]
5 for Friday: Off to the Races!
OK, the first one is kind of a big deal! I'm racing 13 half marathons in less than 12 weeks. I start tomorrow with RNR USA and finish with ZOOMA Annapolis on May 31. After each race, I will do a giveaway. That's right: 13 races, 13 giveways. If you've heard me talk about loving it, I've tried to get it for you. Think compression, hydration, shoes, skirt... 13 awesome items that I love. 13 is my lucky number and I'm making it your lucky number too! 2. Yesterday I worked the ZOOMA booth at the RNR USA expo. I'll be there again today. I'll let you in on a secret: if you come to the expo and sign up, we'll give you a discount on the race AND a shirt like the one I'm wearing below. Can't make it there and want to run ZOOMA … [Read more...]
3 March Challenges: 200 miles, #ZOOMAphotoaday, #happyfitMarch
I am *SO* done with winter. *SO* done. Winter doesn't seem to be quite done with us yet, but I see spring just over the horizon. I.can.not.wait! (Nevermind that then we'll be dealing with allergies. I've spent the entire winter stuffed up from colds. I'm used to breathing being a challenge in and of itself.) March 1 starts 3 challenges for me: 1 personal and 2 fun! My mileage goal for March is 200 miles. 200 miles?!? I know many serious runners hit that regularly, but despite training for two marathons and a five half marathons in five days series, I've never quite done it. I almost got there last year, but ended up injured. It's going to be close. I will have to hit pretty much every.single.run I have … [Read more...]
Five for Friday: Closing out January
January was a rough month. The weather was mostly awful, with a few days of beautiful thrown in. My kids had days off and delays and snow days and holidays... I seriously felt like they were with me more than at school this month. It's not that I don't love my children, but I get a lot less done when they are around. Quite happy to be closing the door on this month! January in Five Pictures 1. It snowed. Not a lot at any one time, but often enough to mess with the streets and delay or close schools. I had a very blonde moment when I couldn't figure out how to put my Honda Pilot into 4WD. Turns out it does it on its own... 2. I ran a lot of miles on the treadmill. In fact, this was my highest number of miles on the … [Read more...]
13 random things Thursday
My life seems to be going in 1000 directions at once and 13 is my favorite number, so... 1. Yesterday I spent my entire day in snow pants. I put them on early in the day to shovel snow and just never took them off. Why? Because my drafty old house does not do well with wind chills below zero. 2. It appears that I got the job I interviewed for last week. At least HR thinks so. I have an appointment next week to fill out paper work, but I haven't been contacted by the department I'll work for, so I'm not exactly sure what I've been hired for LOL. 3. I bought a new torture device at the running store last week - the Foot Log. I've had issues with my forefoot for quite some time now + plus my feet are getting kind of tired of all … [Read more...]
Unplanned 10 miles + Zooma Run to Napa contest
Yesterday was a beautiful day. High 50s and sunny with not a lot of wind. Jones had a dentist appointment and then Beer Geek went out on a 2 hour bike ride. Finally, at around 3, it was my turn. My intention was 4-6 miles of easy running. It wasn't a perfect run. I had issues with my calf tightening and my foot going numb. I had a bit of pain in my right foot. But, somehow, I got in a groove and kept going and going until I realized dusk was approaching and I wasn't dressed appropriately. I picked it up for the last mile and actually ran it at under a 10 minute pace. I felt accomplished and strong when I finished. I didn't intend to sneak up on my long run, but obviously it worked! More importantly, Zooma is running a … [Read more...]
Zooma Annapolis Ambassador!!!
Today started as one of those "no good, very bad" days. I woke up with a headache again (so over this cold). Beer Geek yanked the clock out of my stove, which left me with live wires sticking out. (Long story). School started on time, which meant walking to school on sidewalks that resemble a skating rink. It's cold. It's grey. It's raining. And I need to run 6 miles. But it's amazing how one simple sentence can turn your day around: Congrats! You have been selected as a 2014 ZOOMA Annapolis Ambassador Woot! Woot! Woot! Zooma Annapolis has a LOT of things going for it: it's a women's race, it's in beautiful Annapolis, and the swag and post race event are pretty awesome. Even better? It's the last race in my 13 races in 79 … [Read more...]
Zooma Half Marathon Race Report (Half Marathon#1)
The short story: I finished with a time of about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Not the time I was hoping for, but a respectable time nonetheless. The course was hilly and boring and the weather was warm and humid. I'm just happy it's over. The long story: On Saturday, we drove to Delaware and took the boys to the beach. The weather was hot and sunny, perfect beach weather. Not so much perfect "day before a race weather". After the beach, we stopped at a brewery and took their tour and got some cases of beer. At that point, Jones, Shoo, and Beer Geek were all happy guys. We headed back to Annapolis, had dinner and took the boys swimming at the hotel pool. We all retired early to prepare for the next day. The day of the race I woke up … [Read more...]
