Cheerleader

Wow it has been to long since I last blogged this marathon training is kicking my butt.

The last couple of weekends I have played the role of Cheerleader instead of the athlete.
On May 12, I went to the Hippie Chick Half Marathon to cheer on a few of my running buddies (Cheryl, Kim and Stephany). I walked around with them, watched them line up for the start, and kept my eye on them as they crossed the starting line. What do I do now? well I went and check out all the vendors. Mmmmm Peet's was giving out free coffee and free samples of Luna Bars. This was nice, so this was how the support team lived while the participate ran/walked. Hmmmmm, not bad. Well I knew that Kim would be finishing her 10k, so I made my way to the finish chute. Oh my goodness, I was at a loss. I started laughing out loud. I turned to a gal next to me and said "Well this is new for me, being on this side" It was her first time too. She had injured her leg and could not run. (I did not run due to me running an 18 mile training run the next day.) It was so much fun to cheer all the runners and the walkers on. It was great to see Kim, Cheryl & Stephany come across the finish line. I had so much fun that I went and cheered on running buddies and some "Chicks" at the Portland Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon.
The Rock-n-roll half was a blast, I felt like I knew half of the runners, Lol. And the best part...I got a few hugs from them. Thanks...Robin, Mimi, Chanda, Travis, Brenda and Heather. Oh and there was a BIG bonus to cheering with Rose, Margaret, Michelle, Kate & Megan. Oh and I can not forget a real treat....We got to see the Kara Goucher race by....Can't wait to see her in the Olympics this year.

I think I will be adding these races to my schedule next year.

On the running road again.

Well I went out for an 11 miler today with my training group Vancouver Fit. I was also testing out a "Magic Cocktail" so that I won't hit a wall like I did last week. It worked really well, I feel great. The only issue I had were with the Gummy Bears, they reminded me that I ate them. May need to change my fuel on these longer runs. Any suggestions beside GU or gels, Can't do them.

Well one thing that I LOVE about running is, other runner's. All the runner's I know are amazing. Yes there are a few out there that should just keep to themselves. Before I started running, I thought all runners were elite and that I could never be apart of that group. I would drive passed people running and think "man I wish I could do that". Well now I am! I am a part of that elite group. And I have been welcomed, by some amazing people. I know several ultra runners, marathon maniacs, half fanatics, 10kers & 5kers. We all do these races because we like it, Yep we do, Honest!!!.

Tip from a fellow runner.......Never getting your Body glide and your Deodorant mixed up. (lady parts are unforgiving)

Hey you should check out my friend Heather's Blog She just won Best blog in Clark County! http://www.willrunforcoffee.com/

Hitting the wall on a 12 mile run.

I have had a bad run here and there, but on 3/24 I tapped the wall at mile 7.5. By mile 9 I slammed into the wall, it was all I could do just to walk. Thankfully, I was two awesome running buddies (Cheryl and Robin), who promptly told me to stop whining and just walk/run the best I could and they would follow suit. I have never bonked this hard before that day. When I got home I took a wonderful ice bath and as I screamed (with joy of course) my poor yellow lab came tearing down the hall in to the bathroom. She was giving me a puzzled look like "What is wrong with you? You get to play in the water". I started to pet her, she tried to get in with me, Lol. Which caused the wonderful ice water to splash warmer parts of me. So she proceeded to try and pull me out of the tub. What a sweet puppy. After the ice bath I rested, elevated the legs and watched some tv. That was how the rest of my day went, pretty much.

I woke up the next morning and felt a slight panic. My legs and the rest of me felt fine. I was expecting tight sore muscles, but that wasn't it. I thought "What if my running days are over?" "What am I going to do?"
I know to some it may seem like "oh well, you can find something else to do" I DON'T want to find some thing new, I LIKE running!!!! This was the reason for my panic. This is new for me. Before running, when I would try something new fitness wise or pretty much anything, if after awhile I had a hard time or didn't feel like doing it again, I would just walk away. (I know bad habit)

Today I went for an 11 miler, guess what......I can still run :o)

On Tuesday March 13, 2012 I had to say good bye to my long time friend Blynda Stewart Murray. Blynda was not only a wonderful friend she was also an amazing person.

I thought I was ready to write about her, but I am not. I will try again later

Blynda Murray Nov. 28, 1971 - March 13, 2012

So far

Wow it has been a while since I last wrote a blog…. I am more a reader than a writer, but I do find that I enjoy writing some times :o)

I have started my marathon training with the Vancouver Fit group, so far so good.

Every time I mention or even think about running my first marathon, I get butterflies in my stomach. It is crazy how nervous I feel and I still have 116 days to train.

My goals for this year are to

….. Run my first marathon - Vancouver USA 6/17/2012

….. Get in 1001 miles by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2012

….. Rid my body of 25 fat pounds

….. Go to LA to run my first destination race Long Beach Half Marathon

….. Keep running with my awesome running buddies & make some new running friends

….. Go see my son

…. And have lots of fun with my friends and husband.

…. Maybe go and take a personal day(s) & have Heather show me how to set up a better blog page & then of course go to Chipotle for a lunch break.

My idea of fun

Wow, my idea of FUN has changed... some.

Last year at this time if you would have told me that I would run a half marathon for fun (or that I would be running at all), the day after Christmas, I probably would have died from laughing so hard.

Well that is what I did, I ran/walked Operation Jack Half Marathon on Dec. 26, 2011.

This has been a wonderful life changing year. I started with the Couch to 5K at the end of January 2011, I remember my first 30 seconds of straight running and I thought, Holy Crap!!!! How the heck am I going to get up to a full mile? Well I did after a few weeks. I then signed my son and I up for our first 5k race, the Shamrock Run 5k in Portland, Ore. I was excited to run this event as my first race and that my son was going to do this with me.

The announcer called the 5k runners to line up and as we lined up my son turned to me and said you are ready, I smiled back and nodded, trying not to think about hurling. He then was very focused on a cute little blonde gal with a very tight green t-shirt the read “Rub for Luck” across her chest.  And as we crossed the start line he turned to me and said “see ya at the finish” and he was off.  WHAT??? You are going to leave me for this cute blonde gal????? I thought to myself. Oh I was crushed for the first few minutes till my lungs started screaming at me, reminding me to pay attention and I slowed my pace down to where I could breath . As I started up the bridge to the turn around, my son was running down and as he passed me he shouted “Awesome Job Mom!”  Then he was gone again. As I ran I kept thinking “What the heck am I doing?” and before I knew it I could see the finish line. It was an amazing feeling to cross that finish line, but the best part was that my son was waiting for me at the finish line, with a hug. I forgave him for ditching me.  That is how my running year started. Since then I have ran several races, met so many new friends and found a great running partner.

Can’t wait to see what next year brings.

Oh ya, I signed up for my first full marathon June 17, 2012. Vancouver USA Marathon!!! :o)

So a big hug and thank you to my husband and son for all their support. And to Robin for the after work calls to meet up for a run, the great races, Sunday morning meet ups and everything else.

The Killer (to me) Workout A.K.A Danielle’s Smack down

The Killer (to me) Workout    A.K.A Danielle’s Smack down

I have been running for 11 months now and new that I really needed to add some strength training to my workout. So, I went through my gym to find a trainer and about passed out when he told me the cost. $1500., for 3 months. Not happening.  

So………..

Last night I enlisted the help of a co-worker/friend/fellow runner, Danielle. She has been posting on Dailymile all her awesome strength training workouts. I have used the excuses like, I can’t do sit-ups, so ab work is out of the question (I know it is a stupid excuse). I really can’t do anything where my tail bone comes into contact with the ground, it causes an unbelievable pain that can last weeks.

Well I have that excuse no more. Danielle introduced me to the Stability Ball (Oh My!!!) We did dumbbell curls, triceps dips, pushups on a stability ball (dear God), single leg squats, walking lunges, single leg calf raises, weighted squats on a stability ball, hamstring raises on a stability ball, crunches, and weighted oblique twists (who the @%*& came up with this). Then to add to the torture she showed me how to properly use a foam roller. Apparently sitting in a corner collecting dust is not its function. Who knew?

I am happy to report that I am alive, I did survive, the abs are a little sore along with the glutes, but it was a great workout, Thanks to Danielle. Now I need to remember everything and do it again and again and again……