#100daysofburpees

So there.  Challenge completed.

(If you don't know what a burpee is, please take a moment to google it.  There are 101 different videos that will show you thirteen different versions of "the burpee." I chose the "squat thrust with jump up" version myself.  There's your visual.)

I stumbled onto this fitness challenge as I stumble upon most of them, scrolling through Twitter one day.  I was in the middle of training for my 2nd half marathon, and hating every minute of it.  In January, I had completed a plank-a-day challenge, and was feeling pretty confident about *that.* So the #100daysof burpees challenge seemed like a good next option, and something that would keep me from feeling like such a failure at my race training.

The gist of it was very simple: on day 1, i did 1 burpee.  On day 2, i did 2 burpees.  And so forth.

Some days, the burpees were the entirety of my workout. Although, I quickly found that if you're going to wrestle into a sports bra for the burpees, you might as well get in another workout.  I mean, why go through that effort for nothing?

Some days, the burpees were part of another workout.

On day 17, I ran a half marathon, and then did 17 burpees back in my hotel room.

On day 60, I did  30 burpees as part of my TRX class, and then did 30 more back at home.

On day 86, I did 10 burpees in the middle of a mud run race, and 76 more when I got home.  (I might add, those were the UGLIEST burpees you ever did see!)

Sometimes Jack did burpees with me.  Sometimes I managed to get them done before work. Most of the times, I watched old episodes of The Office on Netflix to distract me.

Sometimes, I cried. Once, I almost threw up.

I never missed a day, never missed a burpee.  On Saturday, June 8th, I did 100 burpees.  and on Sunday, June 9th, I spent one entire blissed out day sans sports bra. 

After the half marathon, in March, I purposefully took myself  "off the road" for 90 days.  That's right, no running (except for a few races I already had lined up.) The burpees challenge proved to be a fantastic gateway to some other serious cross training during this time. (And, in fact, the burpees challenge took 18 days longer to complete than my official training program for my first half marathon last year!)

In summary:
5,050 burpees completed
18 lbs lost
11.5 inches toned away
16.50 dropped on the BMI chart
2+ minute PR in the Lighthouse 10K
1 mental roadblock against running CLEARED

Somewhere in there (day 27? day 74? who knows?) i started to look forward to running again.  I officially transferred my November half marathon registration to a full marathon. I've been caught checking out my biceps a time or two. I even added 25 burpees to my workout today, because i *gasp* missed doing them!!

I'm actively searching for my next challenge (as if training for a marathon over the summer isn't enough.) Maybe you've got one for me? Maybe you'll join me?

something about

something about this picture (taken last night as we awaited the arrival of Tropical Storm Andrea) made me think about old times (how many games have i played with jack on tropical storm eve over the years?)

something about this picture made me think about all the photos i've taken, and made me cringe a little when i ran through the list of devices and apps where all of these photos are strewn about.

something about this picture made me miss blogging.

tobacco road half marathon recap (part 1 of 1)

hi.  pull up a seat.  sorry i didn't tidy up before i sent out my impromptu invitation... feel free to sit anywhere, and please don't mind the clutter.  or the lack of snacks.  i think i can manage to brew a pot of coffee for us. i'm just glad you were available on short notice.

i ran a half marathon yesterday.  it's hard to believe that i've now completed TWO! four months ago, i could barely contain my excitement over crossing that first finish line.  those three little hours generated enough for three different blog posts! i wasn't even sure that i would write a blog post about this second one. i thought maybe a few 140 character tweets would be enough to sum it all up. i might have underestimated.

i've completed it.  i registered for this race in the afterglow of my first half marathon, back in November.  back then, i just knew i would stay conditioned, develop my core strength, and shave minutes off of my time. it's safe to say, i did none of those things.  race afterglow gave way to holidays, which gave way to sickness, which gave way to - let's be real - a good bit of apathy. at first, my plan was to just keep running.  then, it was to jump back on board with the couch to 13.1 program i did last fall.  then, it was simply to run when i was inspired, and rely on a lot of muscle memory.

i ran 3-20 miles per week, with no consistency.  my diet was ridicuolous. i went to the gym half-heartedly. i strained a muscle in the back of my knee, which became "the thing to blame" whenever running or working out didn't happen. i got heavier and slower and with a few weeks until race date, i began to look at this half as something i just needed to get through so that i could begin getting back in shape.

i could get a medal in ridiculous thinking.

the tobacco road half marathon was a GREAT event, and gave me the opporunity to run with a new-ish local friend, a few new #runchat friends and even a long-ago member of my summer camp family.  it fell on lucky St. Patrick's Day, and we  ordered sparkly green things for the fun of it. perhaps it was the moment i ordered sparkly arm sleeves that this race became, in my mind, something i didn't need to take so seriously.  i don't know. (for the record, i got A LOT of compliments on my sparkly outfit, so no regrets.)

the race course is a combination of road and rail trail - the trail is a lovely, wide stretch of a disused railroad trail, converted into a multi-use path,which is then used for walking, cycling and  horse riding. the trail itself is relatively flat (trains don't really like hills). the streets at the beginning, and again at the end of the race were... not. please keep in mind, these might have been moderate elevations for someone accustomed to running in the Piedmont, but for this coastal girl, they were hills.  and plenty of them.

the 7 am start, which included shuttle bus riding that began at 5:00 for me, was fine. there was coffee and water and bag check and lighting and plenty of porta potties, so the 2 hours we had to wait at the start was minimally uncomfortable.  there were 5,000 participants, between the full and the half, and we all started together. there were pace groups, but no waves, so i wasn't entirely sure where i wanted to start among that throng.  i do know that we ended up smack dab in the middle with ten minutes to go, and not enough time for one last porta pottie break.

i don't know about you, but for me, even the tiniest inkling that i have to go to the bathroom becomes an ALL CONSUMING MIND F*CK when i can't get to one.  so much so, that the race began, and all i could think about was that the course relief stations wouldn't appear until almost mile 3.  as luck would have it, the start of this race ran us through a recreational park, and the standard park restrooms were open.  i actually jumped off the race course within the first quarter mile to make a break for the bathroom (and i promise you, i was not the only one.)

of course this meant that i would spend the first several miles of the race playing "catch up" - and on the hills, to boot.  i am not a fast racer, so playing "catch up" can feel like a terribly daunting task.  i just set my sights on reeling in one runner at a time, and soon was far enough from dead last that settled in to a good groove. i usually find my groove somewhere between mile 2 and 3, and coincidentally, this is just about where the race moved from pavement to trail.  *phew*

i hit my 5K and 10K splits exactly where i wanted to be.  something happened at the turnaround, though.  it was a close turnaround on the trail - literally "run around this sign and go back." i don't know why, but the next two miles for me were dreadfully slow.  i lost some steam.  my legs felt dead.  i hydrated and fueled and tried not to glance at the minutes ticking away. i also tried not to think about those hills that were waiting for me in the last 2 1/2 miles.

i was a little over a minute behind at my 15K split.  it didn't get any better. but something about falling behind gave me "permission" to just enjoy the rest of the race.  i made my peace with the fact that it wouldn't be anywhere near a PR for me.  i shouted "Happy St. Patrick's Day" to all the spectators and gave high fives with abandon. i even managed to reel in a few more runners who had been steps ahead of me the whole way. some of them still got away from me. the hills came, and they were not fun. i was acutely aware of nagging pain in the back of my right knee. i was thankful for a few raindrops.

and then, the final push.  my fabulous friends (who'd been waiting for almost an hour since they finished) were waving signs and cheering me on. the finish was literally right around the corner.  well, right around the corner and UPHILL! my name was announced, i had a foil blanket and a medal and more pizza than i could eat.

half marathon #2 was completed, no longer looming on the horizon.  gone were the feelings of guilt that i hadn't trained properly.  i finished a full fifteen minutes slower than my first half marathon.  i like to say that i ran the race exactly as i trained for it. i could have been faster, for sure.  i could have put in more hours training. but i ran - and finished strong - and i'm proud of that. thank you, half marathon #2. i'm so glad to have known you.

and now it is monday.  the day after my second half marathon. what now? i'm registered for half #3 in november, but for now, my races will be 10K or less, and i will be in the gym more. i will sort out this issue with my popliteus muscle. i will recommit to "salad mondays" and green smoothies and i will properly keep track of my calorie intake. 

and, hey, if you see me wearing my green sparkly skirt in the gym, please give me a high five!

twenty twelve

plain and simple...

1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before? i ran a half marathon!!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? i "continued" my running & fitness, i did not do as well "continuing" my weight loss

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? no
4. Did anyone close to you die? no
5. What countries did you visit? none

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012? a "me" getaway
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 11.10.12 when i crossed the finish line in rva

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? crossing that finish line

9. What was your biggest failure? withdrawing a bit, letting outside factors create stress in my life

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? i spent my Christmas "vacation" time in pajamas in bed, for the most part.  not fun.

11. What was the best thing you bought? compression socks, new running shoes

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? jack's, as he made the transition from elementary to middle school, and found his way on the football field

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? i cannot say

14. Where did most of your money go? racing

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? coffee with friends, tweet-ups, seeing the Canadian Brass live
16. What song will always remind you of 2012? Call Me Maybe, anything by The Avett Brothers, Home (Philip Phillips), Moves Like Jagger, Til Kingdom Come

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? about the same on all fronts
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? traveled
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? apologized

20. Did you fall in love in 2012? love eludes me

21. What was your favorite TV program? The Olympics, Parenthood
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? it's not hate
23. What was the best book you read? all i read was The Hunger Games trilogy, alongside Jack.  that is what made it specia
24. What was your greatest musical discovery? The Avett Brothers

25. What did you want and get? a bigger running support group

26. What did you want and not get? a new space

27. What was your favorite film of this year? Les Miserables
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? i did nothing as i turned 43. literally, nothing

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? MORE TRAVEL, a conference to attend

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012? it's all about the boots and accessories

31. What kept you sane? running. yoga (just started recently). meditating (i lie.  this is REALLY hard for me.  but i keep trying.

i've got my eyes on you, 2013...

richmond 2012 - part three

 running a destination race comes with certain challenges: you need to be prepared to take your favorite snacks and fuel with you, you need to navigate an unknown city (sometimes on a dark Friday night, sometimes during a VCU home basketball game), you can't forget your perfectly broken in shoes.  and? you might find yourself in the finish area without your family and friends to celebrate with you.

i was fortunate enough that my cousin and her friends were still hanging around the beer tent when i finished my race (understandably, since most of them live in Richmond, they had other obligations after the race, and couldn't hang out with me all day). and i was also fortunate that my mom and my aunts "just happened" to be having a sister's getaway weekend in RVA this very same weekend.  (they weren't at the finish, but we celebrated later over an awesome meal at Tarrant's.) my adopted training team was gone...  i don't blame them for leaving me.  heck, they really didn't even know i was on their team!! ha!

but somewhere on Brown's Island, there were people waiting for me.  well, waiting to meet me.  or, rather, they kinda sorta knew that maybe i would show up and introduce myself.  enter the #runchat tweetup!! some of you know that earlier this year, i set out on a mission to meet some of the amazing people who live in my digital devices.  and i've done a pretty decent job of making myself step out of my comfort zone to do just that.  (i've had drinks in atlanta, drinks in wilmington, drinks in concord...  erm.  i'm sensing a trend here.  a-hem.

anyhoo, i was really looking forward to this particular tweetup, as the #runchat community on twitter has provided me with countless moments of motivation, advice, empathy and sheer entertainment.  after the 15K race last month, it was #runchat people who talked me through the merits of proper hydration and all that electrolyte mumbo jumbo.  they urged me to try compression socks, and oohed and ahhed over pictures of my newest shoes.  these guys get "it" - and have become my virtual running group.  i was thrilled to find out that i would have a chance to meet some of these incredible people!

after wandering around a while with my complimentary race beer (guess i should add "drinks in richmond" to the list), i was able to track down liz, who had just finished her first half marathon, as well.  in solidarity, we waited (and waited, and waited) for any sign of other #runchat people. (pro tip: finding people who look like "#runchat people" in the finish area of a race with 10,000+ participants who look like "running people" can be more challenging than one might think!) we happily chatted a lot of folks, and liz must have lent her cell phone to a half dozen who were trying to connect with their friends and family post race.

then there they were, in the designated spot: david and scott heather and jen and several other people.  lots of introductions and high fives and hashing out of what had just happened on the course for each of us.  stickers and temporary tattoos were passed around. smiles and hugs were shared.  (not surprisingly, high fives and smiles are even better in person than they are on-line.) i am thrilled to have been able to spend time with these guys, and happy to call them my running group!

after a long walk back up that steep hill to my hotel, my afternoon was filled with text updates from jack's football game with intermittent periods of napping.  and hydrating.  cousin liz and i caught the tail end of the Taste the Local craft beer festival/fundraiser, where we met briana of Still Easier Than Chemo.  she is running 12 half marathons in 12 months in memory of her mother.  amazing!! 

dinner was phenomenal, and bedtime was early! back home on Sunday, i realized just how easy it is to talk about my race experience to anyone who dare asks, "so, how was it?" i'm also pleased to report that my medal goes with just about every outfit i own! ;)

so what's next? another race, of course!! several, in fact.  jack and i will run a few 5Ks over the upcoming holiday season. i'm participating in Runner's World Holiday Streak (run at least one mile every day between Thanksgiving and Christmas). my favorite trail run has done away with the 10K and added a 15K. and i have my sights set on another destination half in march or april (rock and roll D.C., anyone?) 

(and, oh yeah.   i totally took advantage of a discounted race fee and i'll see you next year, Richmond!)

richmond 2012 - part 2

corral K inched ever closer to the start, i decided pretty much at that moment that i was going to run sans run/walk prompts from runkeeper.  i had been mulling over this idea most of the night - would i be able to hear the prompts (i don't wear earbuds or listen to music when training), would my phone battery last the morning, would my gps be strong enough to get an accurate reading throughout the course, etc. any one of those issues could have been easily solved, but i think, in that moment, i really felt that the best way to run "my race" was to experience the "whole race" by trusting that my body was ready and my mind was willing.  i will never, ever regret this decision.  

and with that, and an awestruck glance into the marathon line up happening to my left, we were over the starting line and headed down Broad Street! i love the beginning moments of a race, with everyone jockeying for position and pace, friends and strangers cheering, no thought of the miles (and miles, and miles) that lie ahead... i honestly believe that i know within the first four minutes of a race how that race is going to go for me.  and here i was, jogging through  a city i'd never visited before, with the silliest grin on my face.  i knew, i knew right then that i would run and smile my way through richmond, and i sure as hell didn't need runkeeper to tell me how to do it!

the first half of the race is a little bit of a blur for me, but there are some definite highlights:

• passing the first band, and silently groaning when they messed up the intro to "Sweet Child of Mine"
• hearing "Eye of the Tiger" from speakers on a random building
• marveling as the elite marathoners passed by
• seeing my mom and my aunts cheering for me shortly after mile 2
• singing along (loudly) to "Fat Bottom Girls"
• smiling at the boy who was obviously handing out his Halloween candy as we ran by

before long, i was rounding the u-turn between miles 4 and 5, and found myself in conversation with a young woman who was running this half for the second time.  we stayed together for a bit, as she filled me in on what was yet to come. i shared my concerns about the hills (i live in coastal North Carolina, and there's not much opportunity to train on hills in my neck of the woods). she shared that the "worst of the hills" would be through Bryan Park and cautioned that many people hit the wall shortly thereafter because they push it too hard in that section.  

and after a few more turns, there i was, on the slow decent into the park. (the park is a loop, with an in/out entrance.  i don't think anyone missed the fact that, while we were enjoying this easy-ish downhill into the park, thousands of runners were making their way back UP, just on the other side of the caution tape.  for me, this was a little added incentive to keep it cool through the next few miles.)

and then i found myself alongside a training team.  training teams are a Very Big Deal for this race.  Sports Backers alone had thousands or runners participate in their half training program.  (is it like this in all bigger races? i was fascinated!) this particular team and i were running at about the same pace, and i absolutely let them pace me through the park. see them there in the blue tank tops? i loved this little squad and their chipper chit-chat.  i loved the woman who called their cadences by the timer on her watch.  i loved the woman who asked if anyone wanted a pretzel, or Skittles.  i loved the guy who reminded them to turn their knees out on the downhills (who knew?).  seriously, I LOVED THESE GUYS!! 

before i knew it, we were across the 10K mark, and nearing the last of the bryan park hills.  i was still running and smiling, taking water at every stop, and eating my gatorade chews about every three miles. coming up one of the final hills, i came across the sweetest grandmotherly type offering a "peppermint patty for a pick me up." how sweet!! i ran with that peppermint patty in my hand for a few minutes, debating what to do with it. as it started to get a little bit melty, and with one last thought about the fact that "you shouldn't eat it if you haven't trained with it," i popped that little sucker right into my mouth.

oh.my.word. within minutes i was nauseous! i don't know if it was the candy, or the two cups of water i'd just had, or a combination, but for the first time in over two  years of running, i actually felt like i might throw up! thankfully, the moment passed, and the lesson learned? don't take candy from strangers :)

who knew that a peppermint patty was just the beginning of the crazy things that i would be offered throughout the second half of the race?!? coming out of the park, we slogged through the sticky block were kids were passing out Accel gels. (again, i took one. and i carried that sucker with me for five miles before chucking it in a trash can!!) what is it with me? apparently i will accept any gift that is offered to me on the race course!! where were the people with sparkly headbands, i ask you? now THAT'S a gift i would have loved!!

i was NOT tempted by the liquor shots, or the dixie cups of beer, though.  i know my body well enough to know that either of those would have been a very.bad.idea. the gummy bears just before mile 10 seemed innocuous enough, and i actually did enjoy those.

i knew from my 12 mile training run that miles 9-11 could be tough for me.  i was, in fact, having a nagging ache in my left hip/lower back. (twenty five year old back injuries never really let you forget about them, do they?) i played around with my stride and pace, and took some advil.  it was either the pain reliever or the Lady Gaga played by the college age DJ, but they symptoms disappeared quickly.

my adopted training team was still nearby, and shortly before mile 10, i came upon them at a standstill.  in fact, the police were stopping all of us for a moment as the first marathoner came flying by! this was the point where the two courses came together, and i'll tell you what: there is nothing more humbling than chugging along at a thirteen plus minute mile and hearing a five minute miler sneaking up on your left!

at some point in a long run, you realize that you're "only" this many more miles from the finish.  one of my favorite parts of this race had to have been the Endurance 5K "starting line" at mile 10.  there was a fresh energy at this point, and it was really fun to run under that banner and pretend (even for a moment) that we were just starting an easy little 5K.

the final three miles were a little challenging to me, physically.  i was definitely tired, but glad to have staved off the nagging back ache. we had to run through some areas where spectators had already packed up and headed  home. it was warm. a few times i expected to see a mile marker well before i actually did. but i was still running! and smiling! i know i was slower than i had been, and was getting a little frustrated that people i hadn't noticed earlier in the race, were now starting to pass me. or, at least, that's what i assumed was happening when all of a sudden i would see different shirts around me.  looking back, i know that i was actually passing some people who had been ahead of me the entire race.  i was actually able to "reel in" a few people, and for me, this close to the finish, it was a HUGE feeling of accomplishment!

and then? then i rounded that final corner onto 5th, and the street literally swept down towards the river and the finish line.  it was breathtaking! and steep.  when they advertise a downhill finish, they mean business!  i was very emotional and wondering how i was going to breathe and run and cross the finish line while fighting back the CRYING. (does anyone else suffer from this?) thank goodness someone from my adopted training team showed up at my side at just that moment.  we fell into easy and inspirational conversation all the way to the finish. most importantly, she distracted my from CRYING. (seriously, adopted training team, I LOVE YOU GUYS!)

and then, and then i crossed the finish line! three months and so many miles past, and i remembered to throw my arms up and enjoy the moment!!

 and even though the official clock was showing the finish times for those insane marathoners, i knew immediately that i finished in under three hours!! and listen, when you are a slow runner who is (let's get real) a bit afraid to set finish time goals, small victories like finishing a half marathon in under three hours is a really big freaking deal!! like, "i could have signed up for an earlier wave" kinda big deal!!

the finish area in richmond was beautiful! within minutes i had received high fives and a medal and was on the lookout for my cousin, my bag, and a beer.  my adopted training team had dispersed, and for a moment, i was just one finisher among thousands, feeling a little lost in the crowd.  it's a good thing i still had a #runchat tweetup to look forward to...

richmond half marathon 2012 - part one

here is the post as it appears on amuse-bouche.

richmond 2012 - part one

whoa! did you see that dust cloud when i opened up blogger this morning? my apologies!! i know it's been a while since i visited, but i've got stories to tell that won't be told in 140 characters (ahem, twitter).  why don't you just grab a cup of coffee (or tea, or chai, or water) and i'll tell you one of them...

last weekend, i went to richmond, va to run my very first half marathon!!  what what?? that's right! aw c'mon, you guys...  you've known about my running for a few years now.  you remember when i came in DEAD LAST in the 10K trail run just a year ago.  (no, really.  dead. last.  you should go read that post.)

well, i'm still running, despite the threat of the blair witch (i TOLD you to go read that post!) and, in fact, i've run 7 races this year already, with at least 2 more to go. but this one? this was a pretty.big.deal. and it all started this summer with a (not so) innocent text from my cousin:

 now, liz ran the richmond half last year for the first time.  i remember her telling me about it as we waited at the start of a turkey trot shortly thereafter. you should be very, very careful at the beginning of a turkey trot when you are all feeling like a competent runner and your cousin says you should shoot for a half marathon. just sayin'.

 so, despite the fact that i don't live in richmond. and i hadn't run further than 10K at one time since february, (i even registered for a half down here in tiny town, but an injury prevented me from participating. that injury was more mental than physical, but more on that another time), i found myself coughing up the registration fee and searching frantically for a couch to half app.  (there are many stories to tell about the training, but i'll get to those in another post.  i certainly don't want you to miss out on my zombie runs. or the 15K race that changed everything about how i run. or how running saved my life.)

but, for now, fast forward to last weekend.  i arrived in richmond friday evening, checked into my hotel (i don't often get to take advantage of my hotel family travel perks, but finding a hotel two blocks from the start? SCORE!!) then i made my way over to the expo, which was an entirely overwhelming experience for me.  just walking in the door sent my emotions into overdrive. with bib in hand and shirt retrieved, i made approximately forty-seven laps around the expo floor.  since i had arrived in town with most everything a girl could need for her first half marathon - fuel belt? check. compression socks? check. The Stick (tm)? check.-  i wasn't really looking to buy anything. but i couldn't shake the feeling that i *needed* to get so much more: a sparkly headband! a wacky runner's humor tee shirt! throw away gloves! gu!  i picked up a pair of thermal sleeves from one more mile (functional! and witty!) and headed out to meet up with liz and her friends for dinner.

and then i was back in my hotel room, pacing and setting alarms and not hyperventilating.  i laid out my outfit, suffered through a twenty minute phone call with an overtired 11 year old who couldn't get skype to work, and settled in for the night.  i set my first alarm for 4 (the plan was to eat a bagel and go back to sleep for a few hours). i awoke as soon as it went off, and had the bagel in my hand, only to realize that i had only dreamed the alarm went off, and it was, in fact, only 2:38!  at "the real 4 a.m." i ate my bagel and fell back to sleep, thoroughly lost in that dream when you are approaching the starting line, but it keeps getting further and further away from you.  you know that dream? that dream SUCKS!!

at six, i was up for real, drinking a cup of coffee and a eating clif bar. i rolled out my calf muscles a little, did 100 ups, double checked the bag that i was going to check, and texted this quick snap shot to the family. (do i look nervous? i was going for "hey, i got this! it's gonna RAWK!" i don't think that's exactly what i got.) then, it was downstairs for the two block walk to the starting area.  i loved this commute!!

 the 8K race was just starting as i followed the crowds toward the corrals. to say the air was electric was an UNDERSTATEMENT!! with 8,000 runners registered for the half, plus another couple thousand each in the 8K and the marathon, it was a veritable sea of spandex and bathrobes and hats and trash bags (it was cold, and the wind whipping along the street where the porta-potties were line up was bone-chilling!) i ate a banana and some gatorade chews, stowed my long sleeve shirt and checked my bag, and caught up with liz. she took this photo to email to our moms so they would (hopefully) be able to pick us out of the crowds as we ran by them. this was also the last time i would see liz until beer.  i mean, the "finish area."

 i made my way back to the K wave.  the back of the pack. the "when i signed up for this race, i truly wondered if i would make the four hour cutoff" corral.  i planted myself somewhere right in the middle, and listened to the chatter around me. the half marathon began at 7:30.  and it would be 22 minutes before i crossed the start line...

one foot at a time

and now

five years ago, i started this blog, with the intention of completing a marathon before my 40th birthday.

five years later, and i'm almost 43. and tomorrow i leave for a trip in which i will run a half marathon.

i'm am excited beyond measure!!

don't put time limits on your goals, kids. 

see you in 13.1

spt

On Sunday, it was for fun. So much fun, that I knew I needed it to be a little more permanent.

On Tuesday, I did just that.

spt

big things happening at hampton inn southport!! like my hat?

twenty eleven

i was just wrapping up my journal writing for the year, and i reread last year's words. it's no secret that 2010 was a crappy year for me. i was waxing about how the pendulum seems to swing between good years and bad years. in short, i finished last year with one request... for the pendulum to swing back. well, 2011 was better. so much better. but, i've gotta tell you. the pendulum didn't merely swing back as much as i PUSHED it back with every fiber of my being. and i honestly didn't mind the hard work1

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? ran SEVEN races!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? i don't know that i planned to make a resolution for 2011. but on the night of January 1st, in response to a tweet from a stranger, i peeled myself off of the sofa, where i had been lounging in pajamas all day, got on the scale and had a mini meltdown. on January 2nd, i downloaded The 30 Day Shred, and I honestly never looked back. I was having the resolution conversation with a friend earlier, and it occurred to me that, for the first time in my adult life, i merely have to "continue" doing the good things i started doing this past year. and that, my friends, feels very, VERY good!!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? my niece, Danielle, was born in March
4. Did anyone close to you die? my grandfather, Pop-Pop
5. What countries did you visit? can i just rewrite this question?!? let's talk about the fun places i went in THIS country: Asheville, D.C., Charlottesville, Orlando, Philly and New York were the highlights.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? the courage to make the really big changes
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? December 31st, when i walked out my front door and ran 10 miles. i will remember this because of the really bad sports bra rash ;) 8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? running. losing weight. blogging every day of September. changing my life.
9. What was your biggest failure? missing the wedding of a great friend. and neglecting my blog every month but September.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? no!
11. What was the best thing you bought? the iPad
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? is it okay to say mine?
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? any adult who ever took advantage of a child in their care
14. Where did most of your money go? new running shoes (two pairs!), race entry fees, our trip to NY 15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? i got really, really, really excited about getting "fitted" for running shoes.
16. What song will always remind you of 2010? Beautiful Trash (Lanu), Closer to the Edge (30 Seconds to Mars), Kiss Me Slowly (Parachute), Lost in You (Three Days Grace), New York Groove (Ace Frehley), Whenever (BEP)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? 
b) thinner or fatter? 
c) richer or poorer? Happier, thinner, richer. it feels incredibly good to be able to say this!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Traveled
19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Complained
20. Did you fall in love in 2011? Yes
21. What was your favorite TV program? Parenthood.  Please pass the tissues.
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? i liked someone less
23. What was the best book you read? Born to Run
24. What was your greatest musical discovery? Anything from Australia, thanks to a new friend!
25. What did you want and get? great running shoes, a new 10 year journal
26. What did you want and not get? i am lucky to be able to say "nothing"
27. What was your favorite film of this year? The Muppet Movie
28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? i turned 42 in my hometown of Greenport, NY with some of my oldest and dearest friends
29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? meeting my friends who live in my phone
30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010? Old Navy
31. What kept you sane? running. counting calories. working out. texting.

 i really have no complaints about 2011. i feel good! i look good! i am surrounding myself with good people. the possibilities for 2012 are endless, and i can't wait for all the good to continue. i hope the same for each and everyone of you! xo

the view from back here

yesterday, i ran a race. it was my fifth race of 2011!! i have even registered for one more this year, which will make a total of 24 miles raced this year. now, i realize that some of you run all 24+ of your miles in one race. however, i find that if you spread those miles out over several races, you don't have to spend as much time in the ice bath afterwards. and? you end up with more race tee shirts!!

i took on a 10K trail run. now, i've run a 5K trail race and i've run a 10K road race, but i'd never combined the two before. it was definitely a challenge, given that this trail had a decent elevation, and eleventy billion roots and vines to avoid. i trained for it as best i could, averaging about 16 miles per week and setting my sights on a conservative, yet still challenging, pace.

now this would be a good time to remind you that i am not a fast runner. i really am okay with this - i recognize that my body is built for endurance and stamina, not speed. my running goals have never been to win the race. my running goals have always been to run each race just a little bit faster than the one before. the only other competitor in that particular race is me. and truly, i believe that no matter where you are in the standings, NOTHING beats the feeling of just crossing the finish line.

i'm always at the back of the pack, and that's really okay with me. but yesterday i got to experience something new. yesterday? i finished dead last.

last place!! the very last person to finish the race!!

can you imagine?

i knew from the start that i would probably finish in the back. this was a small race, and as i glanced around the other runners assembling at the start, it became pretty obvious that this pack was made up of Serious Runners. i'll admit, there was a moment when i considered just getting in my car and taking off. heck, i'd already picked up my tee shirt from the registration area. who would be the wiser?

but i really wanted to run this race. it didn't take too much of a self pep talk to get myself to the starting line. when you're not worried about "winning," it's a lot easier to just run. and so, i did.

and i finished dead last. but? i finished!! and i ran that race at the exact pace i wanted to run. and i felt strong and athletic. and i learned a few things along the way:

1) when you are in last place, you don't have to worry about running through any spider webs, because every other runner has already done that for you.

2) when you are in last place, you don't have to worry that your running attire isn't as fashionable and trendy as the other runners, because after you leave the starting corral, you will never see them again.

3) when you are in last place, you don't have to worry about someone saying "passing on the left" from behind you on the narrow trail.

4) when you are in last place, and you hear something crashing through the woods behind you, you don't have to question whether it's another runner or the Blair Witch. (obviously it's the Blair Witch, since all of the other runner's are already ahead of you!)

5) when you are in last place, you can really enjoy the scenery.

6) when you are in last place, the race volunteers really REALLY cheer you on!!

7) when you are in last place, everyone will know who you are!

i finished the race thirteen minutes behind the person who finished in front of me. by the time i reached the water and orange slices at the finish, most of the 5K runners had gone home. the other 10K runners were entertained with a raffle, but i'm sure many of them were ready for me to finish so the official results would be posted.

while they were handing out awards, i stretched and hydrated and gave myself a little pat on the back for finishing strong. so, imagine my surprise when i heard my name called across the PA system.



turns out, i won first place in my age group!! now, i was the ONLY person in my age group. but you know what, it still felt REALLY great!!

dead last. you should try it some time!!

a costume only a mother could love

i am a big fan of homemade Halloween costumes. in fact, my earliest musings revolved around making a costume for jack.

(sometimes those costumes weren't homemade by me. they were homemade by my sister. at the last minute. at my request. also? this would be a good time to pimp her new blog, dedicated to her pretty amazing costume making skillz.)

and then? then we hit the years of the "buyable" costumes. sigh. buying a costume did not resonate with me. but he loved it. (maybe because he never recovered from the Han Solo experiment?) i will admit, it was easier. and he was an awfully cute Iron Man. Snake Eyes. a Spy. whatever...

so, imagine my UTTER SHOCK when I received word that he was making his Halloween costume this year!! yes, i "received word" via text message, because I was lounging by a pool in Orlando at the time...

(pardon me... i just went back there in my memory for a second...)

there was truth to the rumour, however, and i am the PROUD mother of a PROUD child who made one of the, um, GREATEST costumes ever made.



what? you don't recognize Carmine from Gears of War? i'm shocked!!

a-hem.

i'm not a Gears of War fan, but HOMEMADE HALLOWEEN COSTUME!! made entirely of things we already had in our possession. GOOD: homemade BETTER: free

we had a great night of chili and trick-or-treating with kids-his-own-age in a neighborhood that looked like HGTV had dressed the set for a Halloween special.

it's not just the Reese's miniatures that are making me smile today...

five

after the blogging bonanza that was september, i couldn't very well let october slip by without writing a single post.

(oh, yes. i am painfully aware that i did not write a single, solitary post this month. not one. nothing. nada. zilch. void. vacuum.)

it is very important to me that i document somthing about this month, and today seems to be my last opportunity to do so.

especially since today is, well, it's a very special day. it's my blogiversary.

five years ago, i created this little blip in the blogoshpere.
five years ago, i was a working mother with dormant creative tendencies.
five years ago, i didn't know about facebook and twitter and foursquare and pinterest (five years ago, some of them didn't even exist).
five years ago, i didn't know if anyone would read the words i wrote.
five years ago, i embarked on one of the greatest adventures of my life.

i know it doesn't seem like much, this oft-ignored blog of mine. i don't write anything for weeks at a time, i forget to take pictures, i don't do giveaways and i am a HORRIBLE commenter. but, i like it here. it's simple and safe and it's allowed me to stretch my boundaries - just a little - this past year.

if you're a newish reader, please feel free to go back and see where it all began. i like to do that myself, sometimes.

to all of you who swing by from time to time, hello! and thank you! keep coming back. there's bound to be something new to read every now and again!

to all of you who fill the blogosphere with your own words, i say this to you: BLOG ON!!

who's with me for another five years?

thank you

thank you for a month of reading while i mused.

thank you for your comments, and for taking the time to reconnect with me. i wish i had found the time to respond to all of you who stopped by!! i will find time to keep making connections with you.

thank you for your suggestions as i tried to capture thirty days of me. thank you for putting up with my lists. thank you for reading between the lines.

the past few years have found me struggling to keep up with amuse-bouche. i might have lost my own muse for awhile. in fact, just a month ago, i might have thought that blogging every day of September was an overwhelming challenge. but it was a challenge i was evidently ready for, because here we are, thirty consecutive posts later.

truth be told, i've been having fun blogging again! it's crazy! ridiculous, even!!

or, a-hem, riDQulous



yes, i might have been incented to complete this little challenge. but if suffering through a DQ blizzard is the price i have to pay for falling in love with my blog again, then i'll take one for the team!!

in fact, Blizzards all around!!

THANK YOU!! keep coming back. i'll be here waiting for you.

L'Shana Tova

For some, it is the New Year today. and although it is not holiday that i celebrate as part of the religion i identify with, i am drawn to the idea of celebrating the New Year. right now. i'm not waiting until January.

so when i was thinking of what i might like to set as a goal for this New Year that i'm adopting, i had to go back and read what i'd set as my goals ten months ago when 2011 rolled around.

2011 rushed past me in a heartbeat as a read those words. i can't say i've made the decisions i needed to make, nor do i have some of the answers i was looking for. i can say that i have created and shared, and yes, even loved.

and i have met people. people who have impacted my life significantly.

after i blinked back a few tears, remembering (and even mourning) the past few months a bit, i went back to look at that post. "dear 2011" was the blog post i wrote and published on January first. but there was something more, i realized. sitting quietly in my drafts folder was another post; a chiaroscuro that has colored my year, lights and shadows, changing... yet still.

the words i wasn't ready to publish.

What you saw as falling apart was actually things falling into place. You're now set for the future you are meant to have.

a quote? a fortune? i can't be sure. but there it was, waiting for me to come back to it tonight, as i sit here embracing the though of another New Year.

things are falling into place.

to a sweet New Year.
l'shana tova.

new beginnings. but first...

today's suggested blog topic is "new beginnings." i'm not entirely sure where this is going to go. i'm pretty certain, though, that in order to talk about new beginnings, i need to give you a little history first.

the time: twelve years ago
the place: atlanta, ga

i had just returned to the ATL from a week long vacation along the southeastern coast of north carolina. it was actually a week long plus a day and a half, because we were having so much fun, we didn't want to go home. it was july 5, 1999.

i was, at the time, halfway through an eighteen month engagement. most of my time was preoccupied with working, traveling (for work), planning a wedding and trying to decide what the heck to do after the Big Day. living in atlanta had been ten years of fun, but honestly, i was over the rat race. i was over the singles scene. i was over the traffic. i knew that one of our first major "married" decisions would be deciding where to live. even though we were still ten months away from the Big Day, i think we both had atlanta squarely in our rear view mirror by then.

the opportunity presented itself to us to join my family for a week long vacation at the beach. my most recently married sister and her husband had moved to southport shortly after their wedding in october '98. eight months later, they were eager to welcome us to their little corner of heaven. southport is the home of The North Carlina 4th of July Festival, and we had scheduled our visit to coincide with the week long activities.

and active we were! there was swimming and beach combing. we went to concerts laden with Sousa marches. we hit up the carnival for cotton candy and cheap thrills. we ate ice cream under street lights draped with red, white and blue bunting. we rode bikes to the local breakfast joint. by the middle of that week, some of the locals were even calling us by name.

needless to say, we fell in love with this little corner of heaven. we spent the seven hour drive home making the sorts of plans that about-to-be-married couples make: how soon could we move? what would our first house look like? we would spend our days working, but we swore we would always find time to laze about in the rolling ocean waters. sure, some of our plans were fanciful (we will open a bed & breakfast with a small restaurant on the grounds!), but the plans were falling into place: within the span of one year, we would be married, and residents of southport.

it's important to keep in mind that, at this point, it was 1999. we did not have cell phones. we did not have email. we couldn't google. when we left our apartment to drive to north carolina, we essentially put our lives on hold for the week. no one could track us down. no one needed to track us down. we were, quite literally, unplugged. needless to say, one of the very first things i did after returning from our star spangled vacation, was to check my voicemail. (i almost said "answering machine." i'm pretty sure that by then, we had at least upgraded to automatic voicemail on our home phone line.)

there was a message from a mentor of mine, a man who had taught me the restaurant business with such care and with such passion that i knew i was meant to spend my career in the service/hospitality industry. his path had taken him to a corporate gig, where he was a recruiter for a large restaurant chain. there was a training position available, and he thought of me. he encouraged me to apply, set up a phone interview for me and did a really good job of promoting the company.and he very cautiously told me that the job would require relocation.

to apple valley.
minnesota.

and, you guys? that wasn't the deal breaker you might think it would have been. the thought of living in the frozen tundra did not scare me as much as i expected! i was more hesitant about moving so far away from my family. fourteen HUNDRED miles away from my family, to be exact.

but there was southport. there was this little corner of heaven that had welcomed us with apple pie and homemade ice cream, with flags waving, with parades and band concerts. there was the seven hour drive home in which we had penciled out the first years of our marriage as they would play out along the Cape Fear River.

there was the fact that i didn't get the voicemail about minnesota until after i had spent a week swimming in the Atlantic Ocean.

i filled out the application. i snuck home on a lunch break to sit cross-legged on my bed for the phone interview. i used the internet at work to learn what i could about this restaurant chain and it's headquarters in apple valley.

but my heart was already in north carolina...

spt 9.27.2011

a little bit of a fashonista portrait today.

(bwahahahaha!! do i really identify myself as someone who has a sense of wardrobe style? really?)

boots
cardi
belt buckle

(that's right, i said belt buckle.)
(you can stop laughing now.)

(really... stop laughing.)

so, how did i do? casual, yet professional, right? confident general manager who is not afraid to kick a little ass when necessary?

fashionista?

will you take a self-portrait today? leave me a comment and let me know!