Nike Women's Half Marathon X Team Turtlez take on San Fran!

With very little sleep, and several set backs at 4 am, we finally made our way to the airport and made it through security and successfully made it to san fran with three legs of travel and no lost luggage!  Thursday we met my aunt at the airport and then met Angie and Merrie at the house.  We then made our way to the expo where we connected with Karen! (Yay!!! SistersInNike reunite!)  The expo was fun and not super crowded(just how I like it!) We ran into Joan Benoit Samuelson!! And then checked our names on the wall at Niketown, and then proceeded to spend a weeks wages on gear!:)

The next day we went on a duck boat tour.  Last year my goal was to ring the bell on the trolley.  Mission accomplished.  This year I was allowed to drive the duck boat!! :)  The sweatshirt over a hoodie look I attempted to bring back.  It was so cold I had to buy another layer and this I heart SF was $11.  Can't go wrong!  

We walked around fisherman's wharf and saw sea lions, did some shopping, shared a crepe...

Don't be fooled, she is saying, "yes, let's share." but she is thinking, "keep your grubby mitts off my nutella!"  No--we all shared and it was delicious.  my last crepe was in san fran last year.

Can't go to SF and not perform YMCA!!

We went and had our chowder in a bread bowl (which was unfortunately not as good as I hoped) however we had oysters on the half shell, calamari, and bruschetta that were fabulous. And of course a celebratory cocktail.

From our lunch place we did some shopping and meandering and found ourselves at the Buena Vista.  I don't normally like Irish coffee, however this was sweet and warm and in a pretty glass--we all loved it! 

Still rocking the double sweatshirts... 

Geez, day two and I am beginning to see we look like boozehounds... 

After we had a cocktail with lunch, a late afternoon irish coffee we had to rush to go to a restorative yoga class.  I had to ride in the hatch of a prius.  my aunt did volunteer as well, but she is 52 (yes marly i am stating your age because you are amazing for 52!!) and it felt wrong to stick the buzzard in the back.

i know this is against the law, and dangerous, but we were late and only one car was available.  It was actually comfy and for once I could see the tops of the buildings!

The yoga class was sooooo not worth risking my life in this position.  I have been fortunate enough to have had a class with Vandana and she was amazing.  Our instructor was a twit.  She set an alarm that would go off at the end of each pose. This alarm happened to be the alarm I wake up to every day so it was jarring and anxiety inducing.  She also kept leaving the room, etc.  A guy was snoring.  it just wasn't what I hoped it to be.  Alas, it makes for good fodder.  And after class Sunny told me how she had to modify a pose (thank god I didn't look over at her or I would have been in hysterics) and we now refer to that modified posture as "bear on a log".

We went to a 100% vegan restaurant that night for dinner, Herbivore.  And it was fantastic.  The food was very flavorful and satisfying and I also had one of the best cocktails I have ever had in my life.  It was prosecco with pear and ginger--DELISH!!!!!  

Saturday, the day before the BIG RACE we did a fun shakeout run through Golden Gate park.  The weather was in the high seventies on saturday and it was so wonderful to be in the sun.  We walked around the Haight-Ashbury area and ate lunch, bought snacks, and then went back to our house to relax.  I sat outside with my kindle and read and soaked up some sun.  We had a phenomenal dinner on saturday night at Razzata.  They walked us through the restaurant, down a tiny hallway and out into this gorgeous courtyard with a clear heated tent and lots of white lights.  it was prix fixe and it was excellent!  They kept bringing out something better than the last... and it was fun not knowing what was next.

Finally:  RACE DAY!!!  We woke early so we could eat and prep for the big event.  We had our Team Turtlez tees and chose a meeting spot for post race etc.  The race began at 6:30, so we were down there by 5:35.

Cab ride!!!

Kathryn is a former client and this was her first full!!  She has come sooo far! And i am so proud of her!!!

Team Turtlez!!

Girls gots GAMS!

Look at all these people!!!

I was trying to take a pic of the Wonder"woman" that was a man but I was running, they were running... so its blurry. :(

This was a break dancer--and the song was this song that marly's son (my cuz) and I would crack up at when we were little!  It was great to hear it again!

First hill HANDLED!

Almost finished! The windmill waves you on!

oh, bubbly? why yes.  super FAaaaaaahhhhhnnnnncy in a can, with a straw!! it was awful and none of us could finish it.

And I had to buy yet another shirt because it was so chilly at the finish I needed sleeves!

This sign cracked me up!  This was the mom and sister cheering on Meg! :)

After the race we made our way back to the house and we freshened up and went back to Buena Vista for a warm up and some nibbles.

Everyone was pretty tired so we made our way back to the house which took an eternity with our driver who moved to san fran from el salvador a week prior! but it was an adventure.  

The next day we all departed, several people having issues with super shuttle which was a bummer.  we had a VERY long lay over in seattle so we had manis!!! :)

This was a marathon photo I think I might need to buy:

The trip was a blast!  That is a lot of people to coordinate, and it worked out really great.  It was a challenge to get that many of us from place to place but we managed and i have seriously not laughed that hard in a long time.

Thanks to my lovely ladies!  you all mean a lot to me and I am so proud of everyone that ran/walked and finished!  I hope you all feel a sense of accomplishment and know that in my book you are all rockstars!

100 push ups a day challenge... and heading to San Fran!

So i am at day 6 of the push up challenge (I think) and my arms are sore and tight... but i am sticking with it!  You perform 10 wide pushups then 10 "Pilates" or "tricep" push ups, then 9 and 9, 8 and 8, 7 and 7, 6 and 6, 5 and 5 and 5 and 5.  Total:  100!!  i can do most on my toes but have to do some modified.  I also began doing some "chalk circles" to help stretch out the shoulders.  google it if you have tight shoulders--these are AMAZING!!!  or i can maybe upload a video soon if any interest.

Today I am packing for our trip to San Fran tomorrow!!! Team Turtlez is heading west!  we are all running the Nike Women's Half Marathon.  I hope my legs can carry me through the streets of san fran after the full two weeks ago.  I am not running for time, just for fun.  I plan on running with a camera (mostly so I will have it at the finish!).

Follow along on Instagram (i am turtlegirl00)!  Best of luck to all the other entrants of the race, we will have a blast ladies!  Also I can't wait to see two of my #SistersInNike Karen and Tiara! 

Anything we shouldn't miss in san fran?  Be sure to let me know!  

Also if you decide to do the push up challenge, let me know how it goes! :)

EEEEK! it's been awhile... random catch up

I have been super busy.  I am sure most are this time of year.  I was so relieved to have the missoula marathon behind me, but had about 10 days where i took it relatively easy and had to jump back into training for the Smuttynose Marathon in the beginning of October.  We are still moving into the new house and beginning to finalize some details for the new studio.  I have been dreaming of a new space for several years, since I have really outgrown my current space.  However, having this empty space that I can do what I want has been a bit overwhelming.  This past week we made some progress.  The floor plan is dialed in! The flooring is ordered, bathroom items ordered, a tankless on-demand hot water heater ordered, etc.  I will be sure to post before and after pics.  

Also, our house is finally coming together.  The Hubbee has been working out of town during the week, and we have had plans that have taken us out of town almost every weekend, so finally last weekend we were able to make some headway.  I have ordered two new sofas; one for sewing center (it is also a sleep) and a beautiful charcoal gray for our living room.  The living/dining room has been painted, along with trim and I can't wait for the sofa to arrive!

Another random:  my cousin moved to Montana from Florida and he immediately said he wouldn't run... within 2-3 weeks he came on a 3 miler, and he then bought actual running Nikes!  We ran a super speedy 5k last night and he is going to run the Night Owl run (Aug 23--a fantastic festive fundraising event!!!).  Another convert!!! :)

now, back to the training... it has been half-hearted.  i am hitting all the workouts but it was really rough and mentally challenging to get them done... until last week.  Last week was the first run that actually felt good.  finally the bug is back.  i have pretty much been in training for almost a year and a half, so I think i am a bit burnt out.  After October races I am going to switch focus--i will always run, but I am keeping longer races off plan until hopefully the next summer.  The other piece is during the move, we were eating out a lot, and that takes it toll on me.  I have reigned that in and hopefully the feel-good running will continue.

how is everyone elses training?  for what races/events are you training?  Any suggestions of something not to forget to add to studio?

Missoula Marathon

I know it has been forever since I posted... the move has taken its toll.  Plus summers in Montana are so short that every weekend seems to be a long weekend and we head out of town.  I am loving our new house.  The location is wonderful, the yard is fantastic (we barely had grass at our old house, lovely views but it was much more arid).  We have trees and flowers and privacy for being in town.  I have loved riding my bike everywhere and dogs love going on runs/rides too.  

The move landed right at the beginning of the taper portion of training (thank god because I would not have had time for long runs) but even the taper I cut most of runs in half due to time etc.  Hubbee has been working out of town so I had to do most of the unpacking and while working 10-12 hour days it left little time for runs.  I would take dogs on 2-3 milers but that was it.  I was so torn as to even attempt the marathon.  I thought about bagging it.  Another weekend out of town, how would my body handle it, my mental psyche?  But hubbee thought we should go and I should do it.  He reminded me of the personalized bib, and the long runs I did in preparation and what would make me feel worse, not doing it or doing it and not being fast?  

That is just it.  i was so torn.  do it for fun or would a slow time wreck my spirit?  My main goal first and foremost for fulls is to finish with a smile.  I don't want distance running (or running in general) to become something I no longer want to do, so i don't want to make it too miserable. don't get me wrong, I want to push myself and am okay going out of my comfort level, but I don't want to do that EVERY race/run.  Now for devil's advocate:  on the other hand, having a slower time, how would that mentally feel?  

Another goal i have had since I was a child was to be like the 92 year old lady that was in a Nike commercial.  So if I plan to be running for that long then not all races will be fast... simply keep running.  

So we headed to missoula.

Packet pickup/expo was fun and i bought a few things, this shirt being a new fave:

It is from the running club in Missoula, RunWild.  I just love it for the turtle! (DUH!) and it is the softest tee!

We also took my cuz to the skate park in Missoula (which is a really great one!).  He is really a great skater! I had no idea...

so i had resigned myself to simply enjoying the run... i ran sans gps and just had my ipod.  The Marathon begins at 6 am and they do fireworks beginning at 5 and every fifteen minutes through the start.  I was on a bus by 440.  We ate my tradition pre-race meal of sushi and went to bed early.  Hubbee was a great help by running to lobby to grab me some coffee and half a bagel.  I really appreciated that the hotel accommodated runners by beginning their breakfast extra early and we received gift bags that contained bottled water, protein bars, and some fruit.  I digress, the race...

There were a lot of Marathon Maniacs at this event--and they always inspire/amaze me.  It was fun to listen to all of their accomplishments on the bus ride to the start.  The race began and I just went slow and steady.  I chatted with a few women and that is part of what I love about the full--people chat.  It is pretty amazing to me the sense of camaraderie we all feel together on the course.  It is a unique feeling and I cherish it.  I was feeling pretty great and enjoying the gorgeous sunrise and the views.  the course is a very pretty course through the countryside then you run into the town and there are lots of spectators and residents put their sprinklers on the curbs which helps so much! The temperatures were rising quickly sunday.  I saw Hubbee and Cuz and Amy around mile ten:

There are plenty of aid stations along the course which I also appreciate.  I brought my shot bloks ( I ate two at mile 9 and then had half a gu at mile 15). I alternated gatorade and water sips at the stops, until mile 23 where i made a near disastrous mistake.  I put my water into the larger gatorade cup and CHUGGED it.  I don't know why, feeling the heat? but within 3 minutes I had a SEVERE cramp at my rib, left side just under my chest.  I had my arm over heard and couldn't even catch my breath.  It was beginning to feel like an asthma attack and then i began to panic a bit.  I slowed to a walk and applied pressure while keeping left arm overhead to stretch.  I was mentally kicking myself for chugging that much fluid so fast.  Rookie mistake and I know better.  I began to finally catch my breath and knew Hubbee would be on the next block.  I gave him the thumbs down from a few hundred feet away and he came running over. Knowing he was there was relief, as in I am not going to die alone, and I could feel the tears again and the lump in my throat.  he walked with me two blocks and offered to walk the rest of the way, I was contemplating getting in the car.  Then as suddenly as that cramp came on, my mind shifted and i told Hubbee I would see him at the finish, I wanted to simply get this thing finished.  From that point I didn't stop at any of the other aid stations and even managed to kick it over the bridge through the finish.

I tossed my sneakers immediately after the race.  I had tied them a smidge too tight and they were shot.  No worries--new lunarglides in a box at home!! :)  I love my flyknits but I think they are great for a half but I like the cushion of the glides for the full distance.  

I was so conflicted at the end of this race.  I was happy it was done.  I don't necessarily feel that is a positive... but I did find some positives:  i felt great through 23, and felt great after my mishap, I only had to pee once at beginning (nerves?), and my body felt great other than that cramp (legs felt good, no chaffing, etc).  I felt like I was perfectly fueled and dressed right for temps/distance etc.  So I have certain things dialed in and that feels good.  By the way I wore RunningSkirts.com skirt, compression socks, long sleeve run top and sports bra and I received SOOOOOO many compliments on my skirt!! :)  It was super comfy to run in--stayed in place, felt covered and I think it is flattering and they have awesome colors and patterns.  The compliments cracked me up because I brought my three fave long run outfits and Hubbee kept saying, "it's not a fashion show!" Hello!!  i am a girl--it's always a fashion show!!!  :)

I had run a trail run three weeks ago that was at 6200-8200 feet on the CDT, 9 miles.  It poured rain, cold, wind, etc.  It was the first time I finished a run (not even a race--a run) and thought, I probably shouldn't have done that.  I never want to have that feeling again.  And I was scared I did damage etc.  I did NOT want to feel that way after the marathon, and i feel fortunate that I didn't.  I was up walking around a half hour after the mary and was able to enjoy the rest of the day with our friends.  for all of this I am thankful and feel that at least it ended on a good note.  And I was able to finish with a smile.

Have you ever hit the wall?  did you come out okay on the other side?

Randomness:

Cuz and I painted over the walls that had hideous sponge paint that looked like smeared baby poop.  I chose a light gray for three walls and a pale aqua for the fourth wall.  It makes the room so much brighter and cleaner looking!

Next up is painting the trim white and convincing hubbee we need this charcoal gray couch i am in LOOOOOOVE!

some side notes:  

TeamTurtlez is heading to san fran this october to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon!! woot woot!  And next up is the Smuttynose Marathon that I will be running with my aunt @marlyw and cuz @neilsir and hubbee and bestie are running the half and possibly uncle-so that will be a blast!!