(feels like a) Monday Motivation: Terry Fox

I have a slight -- but vivid -- memory of my childhood of Terry Fox's loping gait. His hop-hop-step, a result of running with a prosthetic leg long before anyone had designed one for running, is engrained on my mind, almost like a never-ending animated gif.

And I don't know why.

My parents weren't runners, and I certainly wasn't an active kid apart from playing soccer. No one in our house was swept up in the "running boom". But he's there, with his ringer tee and his curly hair bouncing. I remember hearing the news that he had had to stop his Marathon of Hope because the cancer had spread to his lungs. News from the small, black-and-white television in the kitchen, playing in the background, maybe.

And now that I'm really thinking about it, "That's Incredible" (or was it "Real People"?) comes to mind...

A quick Google search points me to imdb, which confirms that, yes, in 1980 Sarah Purcell from "Real People" interviewed Terry Fox while he was running his Marathon of Hope, running alongside him for the interview. And if I could have found a video to embed, you know I would have. So that's where the enduring memory comes from, I assume.

Of course, it's not like I have spent the last 35 years thinking about Terry Fox.

But since I started running, I think about Terry Fox a lot. Here's something I have never told anyone: I run with a Terry Fox silver dollar in my race belt. Because, well, even when I'm having a hard day out there, it's nothing like what Terry went through.

(For the record, I also run with a Theodore Roosevelt dollar coin. Talismans are important.)

I also made a point to sprint slightly off course when I ran the Victoria Marathon a few years back so that I could pay a visit to the Terry Fox statue there. (A course marshall thought I was cutting the course -- since the actual course passed on both sides of the small park. But she smiled when I told her I had just needed to run over to grab a photo with Terry.)

And speaking of Terry, I saw this picture today:

photo courtesy Hunter Brothers Farm

Yep, that's the start of a corn maze. An epic, Terry Fox 35th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope corn maze. How much do I wish I could see this in person? Sadly I don't foresee a trip to New Brunswick anytime in the near future.

Farmer Chip Hunter told cbc.ca that they "decided to pay tribute to the 35th anniversary of the Marathon of Home, and because he ran by our house and we met him."

By the way, the Hunter Brothers Farm makes AMAZING corn mazes ... the Beatles? Cat in the Hat? Sesame Street??? You can see their corn maze archive on their website.

This year's Terry Fox Run takes place on September 20, 2015, information on locations and ways you can donate can be found on the Terry Fox website: www.terryfox.org/Run/

Dream girls' day out! Deena and Joan to run this year's Chicago Marathon

It's not secret that I am a fan of Deena Kastor, who, when I was first starting out, I frequently referred to as "the sweetheart of American marathoning". No, really. One year I even made one of her recipes to take to Thanksgiving Dinner. She's one of my all-time favorite runners. I was thrilled when she set the world masters half marathon record at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia, finishing in 1:09:36. I mean, look how badass this woman is:

PhotoRun.net photo from Competitor.com

Another favorite of mine is Joan Benoit Samuelson. I love this picture of the final yards of the 1984 Olympic Marathon -- the first one women were allowed to race in. She has run into the stadium in Los Angeles, the crowd are on their feet, and she looks SO STRONG:

photo from Competitor.com

Sure, I now have other favorites, but these ladies were my first. And they are BOTH going to race in the Chicago Marathon on October 11 this year. Deena is attempting to set a new world masters marathon record (time to beat: 2:28:40, a record set by Colleen De Reuck at the 2005 Chicago Marathon). Meanwhile, Joan is hoping to run within 30 minutes of her 1985 Chicago Marathon time, which she won in 2:21:21. Which, of course, was the American record until Deena ran sub-2:20.

I've never been a spectator at a marathon -- but this one would be a good one to see in person. (Except that I'll be running my own half marathons that weekend…) And I'll be cheering them both on and trying to take inspiration from them as I struggle through my own race.

Boston Marathon 2015, or why I love my job

Des Linden running the Boston Marathon in 2014, photo courtesy of Brooks.

Today was Marathon Monday -- so we had a viewing party in our Beastro. The Boston Marathon on the big screen, boxes of donuts, and 60 cheering Brooksies watching every step of the way. We were there, of course, to cheer on our athletes, including Amy (Hastings) Cragg and Des (Davila) Linden.

One of my previous favorite Brooks memories was my first Boston working there, when the race wasn't televised or streamed for free, but I paid for the stream and live tweeted the action on behalf of Brooks. I remember a little pod of people gathered around my monitor as we chanted GO DES! GO DES! GOOOOOOOO!

(I also remember an announcer saying that the lead pack stopped at a "refreshment stand" … which made me laugh and tweet about it … what were they picking up, hot dogs and cotton candy?)

This year Desi ran an amazing race, leading for a huge chunk of it, while both Shalane and Amy also running in the lead pack for a long time. The Brooksies gasped when the Ethiopians surged, dropping the rest of the pack. Shalane and Amy never closed the gap, but Des did, showing her toughness. (Which isn't to say that those ladies lack toughness!!!!) Amy ended up dropping out at mile 22, but Shalane ran on alone, and Des ran with the pack. But with a mile or so to go, the Ethiopians surged again, and dropped Des for good. Still, she was there in the back of the frame, running smoothly and looking like a total boss. She ended up with a strong 4th place finish, a time of 2:25 (gulp), and was the first American by far. So yay Des!

It was thrilling to be in a group of people all cheering on marathoners -- and I was thrilled that Rotich (Kenya) ended up winning the women's race. But of course the biggest cheer for was for Des, and they way she waved and smiled while she crossed the finish.

In other news, the awesome Tatyana Mcfadden won her third straight Boston Marathon in the women's push-rim wheelchair division. Again, she wore "Martin Richard" and 8 on her kit. I was gushing to Heather about Tatyana's achievements and how badass she is, and Heather said, "Oh my god, she's your girl crush." Fair. Totally fair.

How great is it to be able to watch the Boston Marathon at work? Seriously, great.

I'm already excited about watching the replay of London next weekend -- watching Paula run her final London Marathon, watching sweet Emma Stepto run at home, and watching the most amazing men's elite field ever. (Really, I need to run London at some point. Possibly the last full marathon I ever run.)

2015 Goals - looking ahead

Now, I know what you're thinking. "She didn't achieve SIX goals last year, only a paltry 3. How on earth is she going to achieve TEN?!?!?"

I decided that I wanted my goals to be both long-term and short-term, and give me different things I could focus on at different times. I feel like these give me a good opportunity to achieve different types of success throughout the year. So, in no particular order... (other than that I drew them in this order...)

1. Run 700 miles
You've heard this one before, of course. But if work on the other goals, I'll achieve this one. Of course, hitting this would mean running more than 2.5x as long as I ran in 2014. So this is a big, hairy, audacious goal. But a little cuddly on the inside. Or something.

2. Run 15 half marathons

This is a bit of a stretch -- except I have a plan that might just work. Besides, isn't it nice to think about the symmetry here? (Suz, I'm talking to you, here...)

3. Break 2:10 in a half marathon

This is a big stretch -- I haven't run close to that pace in nearly 2 years, but I think on the right day, on the right course, I could hit it. We'll see.

4. Run 15 in '15

Ahh, this. After my spectacularly poor performance in 2014, you'd think I wouldn't be fool enough to take this on again. And to add that additional mile. BUT this time I'm thinking about it differently. I'm giving myself a couple of "joker weeks" -- essentially, get out of jail free cards. And I'm going to try to achieve a lesser percentage of success, rather than 100%. So if I hit the mark 90% of the time, I'll still give myself an A. 80% will score a B, 70% a C, and so on. Yes, 2014 was a big, fat FAILURE. So the only way is up, right?

5. Run half marathons in 5 new states
Last year was about hitting some bucket list races... this year is about picking up new states and getting back on schedule. If all goes as hoped for and dreamed, I'll actually get one or two more states than this... but the stars will have to align.

6. Run a sub-8:00 mile

This is also a big tough goal. My fastest mile EVER was somewhere between 8:15 and 8:30. I never ever ever work on my speed. Nor do I ever run on a track. But I would like to try and run on a track every couple of weeks to do a touch of speedwork and improve my times. Some time in January I will run a "time trial" and see how far I have to go.

7. Break 1:00:00 in a 10K

A year ago I would have thought this was a real long shot. Except when we "took it easy" at the Tinker Bell 10K in January 2014 and ran 1:02 and change. Then a month later I ran 1:01 and change. So this year I'll run a couple of 10Ks and see if I can't get my time down a bit more. This one feels within reach.

8. Blog an average of 2x / week

This shouldn't be difficult -- but I would like to develop the discipline of blogging more often... and about more than just race reports. (Thanks for the tough love, Suz!)

9. Run a 5K PR

If I work on my speed even a little, this one shouldn't be too tough. My current 5K PR is 29:32; anything under that will feel like a big win.

10. Run to work 50 times

Other than that I'm lazy, that I hate carrying stuff on my back while I run, and that it's pitch black in the mornings right now, there's no reason that I don't run to work more often. So this goal is just to push myself to do it once a week or so.

You'll notice that I don't have any non-running goals (well, other than this running blog!). I thought about adding in something about cross training, improving my flexibility, etc. But then I figured that I'm tracking some of those in my 101 in 1001 project, so look there for those.

What are your goals for 2015? I'd love to cheer you on!

2014 Goals in Review

Let's just say it. If running was my job, and this was my annual review, I think I might get let go. Or if not let go, I would be put on a "PIP" -- a Personal Improvement Plan.

I don't have any excuses for somehow managing to run LESS than ever before. I usually go through my goals one by one, but this time let's start with...

THE GOOD

3. Run half marathons in three new states in 2014 - COMPLETE!

I ran three new states this year. Most importantly, I also ran three half marathons that have been on my race bucket list for YEARS: the Indy Mini-Marathon in Indiana, the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Ohio, and the (Half) Marathon to Marathon in Iowa. These were huge races for me -- even if my performances weren't all that great. Having the chance to "kiss the bricks" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -- and get choked up just seeing the grandstands -- will be one of my all-time great running memories. In a very different sort of memory, I'll always remember the Marathon to Marathon's race director's pre-race warning: 

"We've had reports of serious storms in the area, and baseball-sized hail elsewhere in the state. Stopping the race for bad weather is entirely my decision. This is Iowa. So if a bus pulls up behind you and tells you to get on...  GET ON."

Three new states = woot!

3 out of 3

0 half marathons

3 half marathons

4. Set a PR in the 5K 10K (?!?) - COMPLETE!!!

PRing in the 5K has been a stretch goal for two years straight… though I didn't actually run any real 5Ks in 2013. At least any 5Ks where I didn't have to climb an obstacle, crawl through mud, avoid zombies, or get doused in color. So imagine my surprise to pick up a PR in the Tinker Bell 10K on 1/18/14 -- a race where we were "taking it easy" because we were running a half marathon the next day. Oops.

Then back in April I missed the 5K turnaround and a new PR at the Oso United Mudslide Benefit 5K. I had given up on hitting this goal this year -- since I didn't have any 5Ks planned -- but then on a November Sunday I rolled out of bed and decided on a whim to drive out to Redmond to run my pal Keely's "Get Your Rear in Gear 5K"… and somehow managed to both PR and break 30 minutes.

A PR in the 10K? A PR in the 5K? And finally breaking 30:00 in the 5K? Result.

6. Blog!

I love writing this blog, even if hardly anyone reads it. But I want to keep writing and try to get more regular with my posting… if only because I love looking back over the blog to see how far I've come as a runner. I'm calling this goal "achieved" because, well, I did blog all year long. More some months than others, of course... However, as my LSF Suz pointed out, I stopped posting about training, and really just started posting race reports, "which isn't as inspiring as following your training". Fair. I guess I just worry that my training (or, ahem, my lack thereof), isn't very interesting. I'll try to address that next year. 

(Also: the fact that I have to call this an achieved goal is a reflection of the fact that I did a very poor job of writing the goal -- it definitely doesn't fit the SMART structure!)

Now... 

THE BAD

2. Run at least 700 miles.

Good lord. This is my lowest annual mileage since we started running, despite running 12 half marathons. Of course, there were several months where the half marathons were the ONLY miles, so I don't know why I am at all surprised. Of course, I'm not surprised that I didn't hit the goal per se... but I AM surprised by how far from the goal I ended up. 

I may not have logged all my runs in Nike+, but I suspect I did. And my total miles? A shocking, shameful, sad 250.1. Last year, 323 miles. 2012, 570 miles. Ouch. 

I could say that this summer we focused more on hiking and climbing stairs rather than running, since we were prepping for the Inca Trail. But that might cause a slight dip, not such a huge drop off. 

Despite supposedly "recommitting" to my goal in early September, where my total mileage was a terrible 160 miles (in 8 full months!), the latter part of the year was almost as bad, where I ran 90 miles in nearly 4 months. 

1/1 - 9/7: 160 running miles (ouch)

31.75%

0 miles 

504 miles!

After "recommitting"
9/8 - 12/31 : 90.1 running miles (sigh)

40.22%

0 miles

224 miles!

In a desperate attempt to think positively, my percentage did go higher... but.

5. Break 2:10 in the half.

Well, I would have loved to break 2:10 in the half. But given how little I ran at all, I should be pleased to have run a single race under 2:20. Maybe in 2015 I'll nurture my mojo a bit more.

Finally...

THE UGLY

1. Run 14 in '14

This was the key goal for the year -- everything else paled in comparison. The idea was that I would run at least 14 miles every week. And I performed MISERABLY. In all of 2014, I managed this task a total of EIGHT TIMES. I don't know what to say. I'm really disappointed in myself. That said, while it's simply a lack of running (duh), the goal was also set up to fail too easily. When I missed the first week, the goal was shot.

So when I finalize next year's goals, I'm going to rejigger this a bit. So stay tuned.

BECAUSE I HATE TO END ON A BAD NOTE

Still, successes and joy outweighed my uneven performance this year. I ran some fun races, wore some great costumes, and -- may I mention it again? MADE IT  IN TO THE RUNDISNEY AVENGERS SUPER HEROES HALF MARATHON VIDEO!!! Yep, the highlight of my racing year is captured in this pixelated screen shot:

Here's to a great 2014... and to an even happier 2015.

Monday Motivation -- so much inspiration!!!!

If you're reading this, I can assume that you know that today was Marathon Monday -- the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. I was lucky to be able to watch it this morning at work, as we stood around chatting and cheering, sometimes going back to our own desks to watch, but frequently regathering to chat. A pretty great way to spend a morning, eh?

On my walk home today I kept thinking about different things I wanted to write about -- so much to write about! -- for please forgive me if this post is a little more scattered than usual.

Monday Motivation #1: Meb Keflezighi!!!

photo by Charles Krupa, AP

All the way home I kept singing "Eye of the Tiger", but just saying MEB.

Meb! MebMebMeb! MebMebMeb! Meb Meb MEEEEEEHHHHHHBBBBB!!!!

I'll admit it -- I've liked Meb for years, from when he won the New York City Marathon in 2009 (first American man since 1982), to when he won the Olympic Marathon trials in 2012, and his two great finishes at the Olympics (a silver in 2008, 4th place in 2012). I'll also admit that I like Meb even more since Nike bizarrely cut him in 2011, and that he races for Skechers. Yep, Skechers.

In fact, I think Meb is my favorite male marathoner (other than Wil, of course!!!).

Anyway, it was great to watch Meb run today -- I loved how he opened up a big lead, then watched in alarm as Wilson Chebet started to reel him in. It was a little like a horror movie there for a bit… it seemed like every time they changed camera angles, Chebet was just that much closer. We were all counting seconds by watching their feet as they passed road markings. Twenty seconds, then 15, then 10, then 5 or 6… But in the end, Meb prevailed, becoming the first American man to win Boston since 1983.

Monday Motivation #2: Emma Stepto

Emma Stepto winning the Bristol Half Marathon

On Saturday afternoon I finally sat down and watched the recording of the London Marathon. When I think of marathons to run, if I ever run another, London is top of my list. So, yeah, I watched 6 hours of coverage…

I noticed Emma Stepto just before the elite women's start. She was wearing a bright yellow top, but I couldn't really see any detail. I did wonder if maybe she was a Brooks runner that I didn't know. I spotted her a few more times during the coverage -- turns out she was the second fastest British woman in the marathon, coming in at 2:36:05, good enough for 14th overall.

After watching the race I looked her up on Bing, and found a very cool post on the Improbable Runner blog, which informed me that Ms. Stepto is … FORTY FOUR. Not only that, but she didn't start running until she was in her 30s. Well, there it is -- it's really never too late to start running!

Nice coincidence: I found her on Twitter (@emgogogo), and she thanked @brooksrunninguk after the race. So maybe she is a Brooksie of sorts.

But the awesomeness of Meb, Wilson Kipsang, and Emma Stepto all pale, frankly, in comparison with our third motivator:

Monday Motivation #3: Tatyana McFadden

I've written about total badass Tatyana McFadden before… after she won the NYC Marathon (and, of course, Chicago, Boston, AND London in 2013…). I was surprised and happy to see her during the London marathon, as I didn't know whether she would be racing. After all, she had changed her focus (albeit temporarily) to cross-country skiing. Oh, did I mention she earned a silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Sochi the other month? Yeah, she's that sort of athlete.

The men's wheelchair race in the London Marathon was very close, with four men screaming down the Mall very close together. The women's race? Not so much -- Tatyana McFadden simply outraced everyone.

And then this morning… there she was again, all of a sudden, winning Boston. WHAT??? Winning by more than 2 minutes? Well then.

But even that isn't the best thing about Ms. McFadden.

She raced today for team MR8, in honor of sweet Martin Richards, 8, who was one of the victims of last year's Boston Marathon bombings. She was wearing his name and age on her back while she raced.

photo by @PaulaEbbenWPZ

But wait, there's more…

After receiving her gold-dipped laurel wreath, she took it over and gave it to Carlos Arredondo, who rushed to the aid of the bomb victims last year.

Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

So. Very. Awesome. Oh, and today is her 25th birthday. So happy birthday, Tatyana McFadden!

Decem-BURPEE!!!

How can it be December already? Where did 2013 go???
I've got lots off things going on this month -- and I'm feeling excited about getting back into the swing of things -- and jumping into 2014 with the wind at my back. (Perhaps writing while Wil plays Assassin's Creed 4 has injected a bit of nautical-speak into this post...)

Thing 1: it's actually week three of Coach Jenny's Holiday Challenge! In order to keep us all on track during the season of eating (that is, the holidays...), CJ has put together a simple challenge that runs through Sunday, January 5th, 2014. Set a realistic mileage goal -- which is totally up to you, and should reflect what you can realistically achieve during this super-busy time. Besides walking and running mileage, you can add miles for cross-training, too: every 10 minutes of cross-training = 1 mile running. I've been setting my goals pretty conservatively -- and hitting them the past two weeks. But for some reason the hardest part is actually managing to post them on Facebook!!! If you're interested, you can register for the challenge here.







Thing 2: Tomorrow is the beginning of Sync Fitness's "Holiday Hotties" program -- three weeks of unlimited boot camp workouts, food and drink tracking, and prizes, fabulous prizes... We had our kick-off meeting last week -- I'm excited that we'll actually be getting started tomorrow!

My goal is to go to boot camp 10 times over the three weeks -- which isn't a ton, and I'm already giving myself a couple of bonus "sleep in" mornings. Ideally I would go to BC Monday - Thursday, but we'll see how my old body holds up. (Did I mention that I'm only recently not feeling sore after last Wednesday's killer Barre workout???) I know I won't go in the evenings or during the weekends, but I'm not in it to win it. Just in it to get myself back on track.
I think my challenge will be to drink all of my water (80 ounces/day?!?) and to track my food. I'm also going to challenge myself to try at least one new recipe each week. Things high on my list: a quinoa adaptation of one of the rice bakes in my cookbook; spagetti squash; and one of Sara's recipes.
Of course, the other part is just to get back to tracking my food -- I always eat healthier if I remain accountable; getting back to tracking daily will be a great habit to acquire before the new year!
Thing 3: Clearly, I like a structured challenge... so I decided to look for a 30-day challenge to do in December. I'd like to strengthen my marshmallowy core, so this 30-Day Plank Challenge seems like an obvious one to try. Except, of course, that I have a VERY difficult time imagining that I'll be able to go from a 20-second plank on December 1 to a FIVE MINUTE plank on December 31. But who knows, without trying?

30 Day Plank Challenge

Thing 4: Okay, so this is totally not my original idea. But when I was looking for different plank challenges, came across the cleverly named "Planksgiving" -- which was a 30-day plank challenge for November that was featured on the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans site. And then I saw that their December theme challenge was 31 Days of Burpees. Which, instantly in my mind, became Decem-BURPEE. Yeah, dumb, but it STILL makes me giggle, 3 hours later.
So here is their lovely 31 Days of Burpees -- aka Decem-BURPEE challenge calendar... Who's with me???

Monday Motivation x2

#1: Tatyana McFadden, who won the women's wheelchair division of the New York marathon on Sunday... Having also won the Chicago, Boston, and London marathons this year. Total badass!

#2: Nowhere near the same level, but... Check out the 2013 Wine and Dine Half Marathon medal!

Spirit of the Marathon 2

Did I cry? Yes. Did I laugh? Yes. Did I cheer? Yes. Was I inspired? Yes.

Was I still slightly underwhelmed? Yeah, unfortunately. 

Maybe I had built it up in my mind too much. I LOVED the first one. And there was a lot to love about this one. The grief-stricken father, the elite runner scarred by her Rwandan childhood, the cute pizzeria owner and his elderly cousin, the independent running/triathlon store owner (rocking her Brooks gear!!!) struggling to keep her business going... And, of course, beautiful Rome. 

Maybe it was the fact that the theatre was less than half full. (Why? More screens? No idea.) Or, yeah, maybe my expectations were too high. 

Still, I wouldn't have missed it for the world. And I will see #3 if they make one. 

Permission to run slowly...

The Total Immersion Swimming newsletter the other day included a story about giving yourself "the permission to swim slowly"... Now, I don't exactly have to give myself permission, since I'm just so slow. Bit I like the idea that, if you find that you have to stop and rest often, perhaps you're trying to go too fast. Anyway, it made me think about my ongoing challenges with pacing -- that I can't seem to stay on a steady pace if left to my own devices, but I can follow along if needed. I think that's something I should work on next year -- getting my pacing figured out!

Getting in to the Christmas spirit

The Fleet Feet store in Chico sent us this picture from their front window:

FRA-GEE-LAY.... it must be Italian! 

Now that's Run Happy Holidays!

Ode to my Fuel Band

I coveted you from the moment I saw you.

So sleek, so simple.

I had been a Nike+ user from the early days. No, of course I never used the shoes... I really hadn't worn Nikes since, what, 7th grade? But I loved being able to track my miles when I ran. Heck, I still do.

I started with the little shoe pod, a pouch to attach it to my laces, and a sensor I attached to my iPod. My iPods came and went, and I even wore out a couple of sensors. But it was still good.

A year or so ago (probably more?) I bought the SportWatch. That was also cool -- and I still run with it because I love the GPS functionality. It's too bulky (and, well, too NIKE...) to wear every day as a watch, but who cares.I never wore my Garmin as a watch either. And this is much better looking.

And then, ah, the Fuel Band. A sleek little black band for my wrist, tracking my movements and granting me "Fuel Points". I love the device, I love the gamification, I love it love it love it.

But after 219 days, I had a problem. A stretch of the LEDs on the watch had died. Now, these aren't functional, really. I could still see if I hit my goal for the day. But I worried that if they were going, something else inside my be going, too.

Since I'm in Las Vegas for the NNG Usability Week conference -- and staying at Caesar's Palace -- I walked down to the Nike store to see if the folks there could help. After a little hemming and hawing, ("Well.. do you have a receipt?"), the manager said just to swap it out for a new one. Great.

Here's something a little shameful: I asked them to help me sync my day's Fuel Points (and those of the previous couple of days) so that I wouldn't break my streak. Yeah, it's like that. So we synced my old Fuel Band, and it was unceremoniously put in a box... while I was handed a shiny new one.

So -- Nike Store customer service gets an A. That said, they know the device hasn't been around all that long -- so they couldn't pretend I had had it for years.... But it was with a minimum of hassle, and I didn't have to lose my Fuel Band for weeks on end if I had to send it in.

But now I'm struggling to set up the new Fuel Band. Am I perhaps the only person in the history of the Fuel Band to ever get a second one? (No, I'm sure I'm not... but I may well be an edge case...) And it seems that my points from the past three days haven't actually synched. Which leads me to the real crux of the issue:

MY 176-DAY STREAK IS OVER.

Yes, since having the Fuel Band, I only missed hitting my goal one day -- on day 41, I think. And now I have "missed" three more -- including a day when I ran a PR in a half marathon. But, assuming everything sorts itself out, I will be back at it tomorrow. I hope.

By the way, I know I'm a dork.

Best marathon sign of the weekend...

A woman was standing at about mile 10 (mile 23 of the full course) holding two signs.

The first sign was one of the ones they handed out at the expo, saying:

ALMOST THERE

The second sign she had made herself... Probably on the back of one of the official signs. It read:

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID

Classic.

Today's minor obsession...

While looking for marathons in Montana for next year on the Running In The USA calendar, I saw a reference to the "Center of the Nation Series" half marathon in September... And discovered this:

5 Days, 5 Marathons, 5 States?!?  Um, wow. I was hoping to pick up five states next year... so perhaps this Center of the Nation Series is the way to go... I haven't run in any of those states yet...

Of course, me being me, I had to start thinking about logistics. Fly into Rapid City and rent an RV? (A weird little dream of mine is to rent an RV... ). Fly into Rapid City and rent a car and stay in motels?

And then it hit me... ROAD TRIP. I mean, if the first race is on the Monday morning, leaving Seattle on the Friday evening would give us PLENTY OF TIME to drive across. And with the last race being on Friday morning, that would give us PLENTY OF TIME to drive back from Nebraska. Perhaps even to drive through Yellowstone.

In other news, I had been toying with the idea of running the Yukon Do It Half Marathon on my birthday... but admittedly I didn't want to pay $70 (with tax and fees) to run it. Plus getting to Port Orchard early in the morning, etc. etc.

And then I found this cute little race:

It's unsupported essentially -- we'll have to carry our own water. But it is timed, so that works for me. Plus it starts at Green Lake, runs down to the Burke-Gilman, out to Golden Gardens, and back. It's not that different to what we would have run on our own -- so it's perfect!

Now I just need to plan runs for the weekend of the 8th, the 15th, and the 22nd. Oh, and the 5th of January. I do have some ideas for runs I'd like to do:

- a track half marathon. I have no idea why I want to do this, but I do.
- a million inch run -- 15.8 miles. It would be a little weird if I didn't hit this goal, right?
- a run to downtown and back -- I've missed doing this route for a while!
- one last Green Lake half?

Why Amy Hastings is Awesome

Jeff Pearlman had a really great Q&A with Amy Hastings the other day -- here's my favorite part:

J.P.: Amy, how do you deal with the pain and suffering come mile 16 … 17 … 18? And do you think, because you run 100-plus miles per week, your pain and suffering isn’t as bad as average hacks like myself?

A.H.: When it comes down to it 26.2 miles is going to hurt no matter how you slice it! Whether you are out there for two hours or 10 it’s a lot for the body to go through. Marathons are are the great equalizers in that sense because everyone hurts when they cross the line. They create a sense of comraderie because it feels like you went into battle with every other person out there and whether or not you defeated the 26.2 mile beast, you attempted it and felt its wrath. The 100-mile weeks definitely help me finish faster but both times when I crossed the finish line I was hurting.


Ahhh, Amy. You're awesome.

2012 Walt Disney World Half Marathon Medal

Last night, after a lot of buildup, Disney released the design for the 2012 Walt Disney World Half Marathon medal. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to see the medal before I've earned it -- I like it to be a surprise -- but I admit that I got caught up in the hype.

I didn't like last year's "Donald" medal -- I prefer all metal rather than colorful -- so I was a little relieved when this was revealed:

Next they'll reveal the 20th anniversary Mickey medal for the full -- which should be beautiful. But what will they do for the Goofy? I've always hated the Goofy medal we earned back in 2010. (Wah wah, I know.) So I was hoping for a return to the classic Goofy face. But maybe Goofy will look more like Donald? As long as it doesn't look like an overgrown 5K medal, I'll be happy...

Inspired by the medal, I went out for another run this morning. A little bit faster than yesterday, and I felt good during the run. Still, I've missed boot camp this week -- really looking forward to getting back to the new normal next week!

Monday Inspiration

I have this picture pinned to my wall at work because it inspires me:

It was taken at the starting line of the 2010 More Magazine Women's Half Marathon in NYC. I saw it in an early 2011 issue of More Magazine, advertising the 2011 race, and I tore it out. I recognized the woman on the far right as Sally Meyerhoff -- known in the running world for her pink compression socks, bright outfits, and long red braids. A three-time collegiate All-American, she later set the American record for 10 miles, and won lots of road races. She won the 2010 More Magazine Women's Half Marathon, and was going to go back to defend her title in 2011. She had also won the 2011 Arizona Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in January of that year. But on March 8, 2011, she was killed when struck by a truck while riding her bike. I like to think of Sally running in her pink socks with her braids flying out behind her.

Next to her is Colleen De Reuck, who finished second in the race.

And then next to Colleen is Bronawyn O'Leary, wearing bib number 603.

If Bronawyn ever reads this (yeah, doubtful, I know) -- I really mean no disrespect here. But I have to admit that, looking at the picture, I thought, "Oh, dear, #603 has lined up in the wrong spot."

Here's why:

1. Colleen and Sally both have "name" bibs, rather than number bibs. (The mark of the expected winner in a big race...)
2. Colleen and Sally both have obvious sponsor marks on them -- Colleen is wearing Nike product, while Sally has a Brooks singlet on.
3. Colleen and Sally are chattering away. #603 looks nervous and is stretching.

4. Colleen looks like a distance runner. #603 looks like, well, me. 

I've been to enough events that I have seem people who have no business lining up in front, lining up in front. And -- please forgive me Bronawyn -- I assumed you were just eager and ready to run. Perhaps TOO eager...

Out of curiosity, I looked up how #603 had finished. To my surprise and chagrin, Bronawyn O'Leary had finished in FOURTH place. I ended up doing a little more research about Ms. O'Leary -- she is a teacher and now an Assistant Principal who has won plenty of races herself. She is Very Fast. 

Bronawyn reminds me that runners -- even elite runners -- aren't all whippet thin. Wow, that sounds terrible. But what I mean is that you can't judge a book by its cover... that you can be fast without looking like Paula freakin Radcliffe. 

I think I should stop typing now. Bronawyn, I just want you to know that you inspire me. And that I think it's a good thing. Even if everything I'm typing sounds like an insult somehow...

Olympic Track Trials

Got the chance to come down and stay at the Brooks Track House and see day 4 of the track trials in Eugene. Soggy weather, but a very cool day nonetheless. It was pretty amazing to see people whose names I have known for years running a couple of dozen yards away.

Also interesting to see a brand with a nearly unlimited marketing budget "activate". Nike had huge interactive areas, some of which were cool, but none of which were awesome. Thai also called their merch tent "Camp Victory", which sounds a bit like nazi doublespeak.

It was a long way to come, and I pretty beat from the drive and the cold, but I am glad to be here!

Falling

Got an email from Athleta with a really cool blog post the other day. Written by Rachel Toor, the post, called "Falling", describes how the author came to terms with falling when she runs. I haven't fallen badly on a run for a while (okay, yeah, I fell in the mud on Saturday, but that wasn't too bad) -- guess I should knock on wood here -- but I certainly know about falling. Here's my favorite line:

I have learned to look at my legs and see not just the ravages of damage, but reminders of all the times I have gotten up, have kept going, have made it back.

Read the whole article on the Athleta chi blog here.

Oh, and, no, this is an old picture, from September 2008. I don't think we captured any photos of the bike crash knees from 2010. Too busy trying not to hurl. :)

2013 Walt Disney World Marathon Course Reveal

Wow -- really excited to see this!