Monthly Archives: November 2012

One Week Streak

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Highlights from week 1!

Highlights from week 1! (Yes, I ran in a cemetery- very peaceful!)

Last week, I decided to join the Runner’s World holiday streak, pledging (just mentally, of course, not in blood or anything like that) to run at least one mile a day from Thanksgiving day to New Year’s.  So far, so good, and today I just finished up my 9th day in a row- wow!- power to the streak!!!

I’m no Mark Covert but even just these 9 days have been very interesting and I can say that I’m really learning from this commitment and hope to make it all 40 days.  Here’s how its gone so far… Continue reading →

Gifts Ideas for Any This Runner

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I’ve been good! I swear!!!

Yes, it’s that time of year again and I am positive that you have been suffering through the holiday email and snail mail barrage just like me: SHOP, BUY, SHOP, BUY!!! I don’t do and will never do Black Friday, I’m an Internet junkie so I try to get most of my Christmas gifts online in order to save myself the hassle of the people and lines at the brick and mortars, but that means that I have to start now if I want to insure availability and prompt arrival… so I have…

As you can see, I started writing this post with a “giving” bent but decided to write, instead, about the “getting”, especially since my blog is all about me all the time and Hubby claims to actually read my blog now (I am SUCH a helpful wife like that!). I like the stuff I like and the only one who really knows what I like is ME, you know? The items I want for Christmas have to do with- you’re never gonna believe it- running and cooking!

And here’s my Christmas Wish List… Continue reading →

Meatless Monday: #elf4health

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Yesterday I was super duper hungover, and I… oh, wait… that’s a HORRIBLE way to start a post that has the word “health” in the title!  Geesh!  Oh well…

Anyhoo, as I was saying, I was basically laying down all day yesterday and reading lots of blogs and catching up on Twitter and saw a bunch of people writing and hashtagging #elf4health. I clicked around and found bloggers Elle at Nutritionella and Lindsay at The Lean Green Bean and their Elf For Health holiday challenge so I signed right on up!

I am partnered with a buddy and every day we are presented a new health challenge- we will exchange emails and tweets about our progress and help motivate each other as well share recipes and workout tips. Today is the first day of the challenge and we are tasked to go meatless.  And after the indulgences of the holiday, I am oh so ready for that! Continue reading →

Virtually Running

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For the last 3 years, our family has participated in a local turkey trot (Hubby actually runs it, I don’t- he only does 2 races a year, so I let him have that one… boo..) but this year, Hubby put off his registration and the trot got stuffed!  All sold out!

I’ve been catching up all on my blog reading lately and came across a fellow blogger’s list of virtual turkey trots and I thought, “Why not?”  I chose to go with Daily Vitamin F’s virtual trot (as fellow running mom Kiley was kind enough to donate one of her Running Sucks shirts to my auction for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society earlier this year), printed my bib and hit the road for my OWN thanksgiving day 5K.

Continue reading →

Anya’s Ultramarathoning Awesomeness

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Anya at the finish line of her very first ultra!

I already introduced you to my friend Kate and her Ultramarathoning Awesomeness, and now for part two, I would like you to meet Anya!

I met Anya during our first season with Team in Training but it really wasn’t until our second season together as mentors that we got really close, especially on those 6am, very dark, very cold, very wet buddy runs.  She is probably going to kill me for saying this but not only is Anya an amazing runner but is she such a sweetheart!  Don’t let the fact that she wears all black fool you- she is kind, funny as heck, and the type of person that will tell you what you need to hear even if you don’t want to hear it!  I LOVE THAT!

After completing 2 seasons of road running with TNT, Anya informed me that she was going to go Ultra.  And, honestly, I was very surprised! Knowing the struggles she had on the road, I was a little concerned for my friend that jumping from a road half to a trail ultra may just ruin Anya for life; but, knowing this team and these Coaches, she was in the best hands ever.  Within just a few runs on the trail, Anya was hooked!  And here is what she had to say about it…

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Race Recap: Big Sur Half Marathon

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I’ll just be honest right up front: in my current state, I really had no business running the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay this past Sunday, but having spent $125 to register for the sucker plus running it with Team in Training, I was committed no matter what shape I was in. I’m stupid like that.

Last week, I saw my doctor to figure out why my neck was in constant pain, 24-7 (feels like someone stabbed my right shoulder with a knife and left the blade behind, super duper ouchy, especially anytime I’m driving or upright) while the entire length of my right arm would get painfully tingly and go numb several times throughout the day, every day.  She ordered x-rays and discovered 3 pinched nerves in my neck.

That’s my neck and there are baaaaaaad things going on in there.

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Today’s Reason: Travis Dow

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In memory of Travis Dow: November 3, 1971 – November 4, 2012

While I was well aware that my dear college friend, Travis Dow, had been diagnosed with Burkitt’s Lymphoma earlier this year, I am still shocked and heart broken to learn that he finally lost his battle.  Travis was a truly amazing person through and through, a generous soul, a stellar talent, his smile contagious- plainly put, a Good Man.

I joined Team in Training last May to raise money and awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and upon learning of Travis’s diagnosis, added him to my personal list of honorees, sending him a very loud “shout out” and moment of silence before each and every run.  While he was never aware of that, he was certainly always on my mind whenever our coaches would talk to us about the pain and ridiculousness that is cancer- I would think of Travis, and hope and pray for a cure.
Continue reading →