Sunrise and Upside Down Dog

My pictures for Thursday and Friday.

The sunrise is actually from Friday morning. I wasn't feeling well on Thursday and I went to bed early. Taking a picture was the farthest thing from my mind.

Friday morning, the pink in the sky caught my attention and I grabbed the camera and went outside to grab the amazing colors. Sadly, this picture doesn't do it justice.



The boxer dog likes to sleep and relax upside down. I thought the look on his face while he was totally relaxed was hilarious. I snapped a shot to share with you.

New Shoes

My sulky 13 year old wanted no part of me documenting his first day at his new school today.

In preparation for the first day at the new school, I ordered Stone a pair of shoes from RunningWarehouse.com I knew they wouldn't be here in time for the first day, but it would be close.

The shoes arrived this afternoon. I asked Stone to try them on and we realized we had a problem. They were too small. I'm glad that RunningWarehouse.com has an excellent and easy return policy.

Now the debate is, do I order a half size up, or shop locally?




Do you know how bad I feel returning a shoe that says "Thanks for Picking Me!"?

Music and Motivation

I received an email this morning asking me to share some information and get your feedback. The writer of the email is working alongside this year’s Virgin London Marathon and running music producer AudioFuel. They're trying to encourage runners to vote for their favorite running tracks which will make up this year’s ‘soundtrack’ for the London Marathon, which will be later available on iTunes.
What are your favorite running tracks? You can nominate your favorites until February 1st here. I know there is a headphone / no headphone debate out there. I fall into the headphone camp. And I believe that most runners love their music. How cool would it be to have a soundtrack chosen by athletes around the world? I think it'll be interesting to see what makes the cut. I can also use new music!

AudioFuel provided a free sampler you can download here

Isn't This a Running Blog?

It is a running blog! I promise.

I have been following Speedy Sasquatch's plan as best I can and have been focusing on recovering from Goofy. There has been some running, some biking and some resting.

We're getting back to it this week with some more running in preparation for the North Carolina Marathon

So while there has been some running, there is nothing major to report. No stories of fantastic long runs, or long runs gone bad, just some short runs that were pretty good. I can't complain.

I had toyed with the idea of running the Ocala 1/2 Marathon or the ING Miami 1/2 Marathon on Sunday, but I decided against it. I'm going to Miami anyway Sunday night and I considered extending the trip a day on the front end, but I decided I would be better off and less stressed staying home chilling with the fam as long as possible and just banging out my long run on the treadmill this week.

Next Saturday is a different story. I'm headed to Ocala for the Valentine 5K This race was mentioned in the February Edition of Runner's World. In the magazine it mentioned that there are monkeys in Silver River State Park I want to see the monkeys. How cool would that be? Do I bring my little video camera in hopes of seeing a monkey or do I just run like I stole something? I just don't know if I have a new PR (27:12) in me... It would be nice.

Another Two-Fer

Yesterday the bed didn't get made. The big black dog didn't seem to mind.



Today was Cha Cha's first day at her new school. Just like any other first day of school, pictures were in order. Can you believe, it's her first "first day of school" that didn't require a uniform.



Sneak Preview: Because the computers were down at the middle school yesterday, Stone couldn't take the placement tests needed. He took his tests today and his first day will be tomorrow.

Yesterday and Today

I have been taking pictures everyday, I just haven't had a chance to post everyday.

YESTERDAY

Yesterday I snapped a shot of our new whiteboard for chores. In hopes that we will all be held accountable for our tasks. Ohhh, I think it might be time to show Stone how to do laundry.




TODAY

I think one of Cha Cha's items on the chore board will be to put her shoes away. It seems that her shoes end up in the same place, just not in her closet where they belong.





They don't belong under the coffee table. In less than 24 hours, she has worn three pair of shoes including flip flops and boots.

Chillin'

I need to start carrying the camera with me at all times. I work from home and it's getting more and more difficult to come up with a new picture every day.

This is Tango, Chillin' on the dog bed. This bed is usually on the porch, but the recent cold weather had a negative effect on Tango's ACL and he was having a hard time getting up on the dog couch (yes, we have a dog couch) so we brought the bed in so he would have a soft spot to lay down on.

Self Portrait - Sort Of...

When you have curly hair, you never know what you're going to get. Especially if you air-dry your hair.

The las few days my hair has been curlier than usual - if that's possible. And I've had a huge curl that on occasion has fallen in the middle of my face. I thought I would share it with you today.

Having a Vision...

At least a year before we moved to this house, Mr. H bought a wooden canoe from a neighbor for $25. The canoe had a hole in the bottom, but we had room to store it and it was $25.

I had no idea what we were going to do with it. I'm not sure if Mr. H knew either. Maybe it was a future restoration project.

When we moved into this house Mr. H. kept saying that the canoe would look great on the ledge between the two sets of windows. He shared the idea with several people. They all told him no and that it wouldn't look right. It would look stupid.

Mr. H knew better and he had a vision. He put it up there and it was a perfect fit.

We have added things to it over the years, The flying frog that belonged to my mother, an old tackle box and some fishing poles. An abandoned wasps' nest we found in North Carolina.



Every single one of the naysayers, who couldn't see the vision are singing a different tune now. If you have a vision, stick to it! Don't listen to the negative - you might miss out on something cool.

Race Report :: Walt Disney World Marathon

After the half marathon on Saturday my plan was stay off my feet for the rest of the day. When I arrived home I had thawed out a little bit, but I was still cold. Mr. H. had brewed a pot of coffee and I had a great big cup.

My shower also has a sauna in it. I turned the sauna on and jumped in the shower. Once I was cleaned up and warmed up I put on my pajamas, threw my running clothes in the washer and laid down in bed. I tried to nap, but had a hard time sleeping. I finally fell asleep and after about 45 minutes I jumped up. I was sure I had thrown my iPod in the washer. Thankfully, I had not.

I could not get back to sleep, but I decided to remain off my feet and I lazed around until the late afternoon.

At 4:45 PM we headed out for my favorite pre-marathon meal, sushi. While we were at dinner, I missed a phone call from Marathon Chris. She called to say that her husband was most likely not joining her in the morning and she had an extra spot for the runner's retreat.

As soon as we got home from dinner, I got my things ready for Sunday morning. Then I headed to bed. It was a little later than I had hoped, and the sleep came easy.

My alarm rang at 2:15 AM. I got up, got dressed and hit the road before 3:00 AM. Chris and I talked on the phone and made arrangements to meet up. The runner's retreat was awesome. Separate bag check, private bathrooms, warm beverages and the promise of food after the race.

When we left the retreat we met up with a few Twitter peeps. And we all headed to our starting corrals. Chris and I waited in the corral and right before the race started we wished each other luck. We were off. Chris was targeting a very specific goal and she was off. I wasn't really sure what to expect from myself for the race. My coach had said to move with the crowd. To have the crowd set the pace and not to rush forward. I took his advice and ran comfortably and didn't jockey for position or try to pass people.

By the third mile I had shed all of my toss away clothes except my gloves. I was warming up, even though it was cold out. I was shocked to find ice on the road at the water stops. All the way through the half way point. The ice in the water and the on the ground was much freakier to me than the sleet from Saturday. I was careful with my footing and just kept moving forward.

I was keeping a comfortable pace and I was feeling really good. On the loop around that headed back past the starting area I decided to toss my gloves. My hands were starting to get too warm. I should have hung on to them for a little while longer. I got cold later in the race and cursed tossing the gloves.

At mile eight I was thinking about the 5th anniversary Goofy medal and I realized that this was my 5th marathon. What a wonderful way to commemorate the occasion!

I was feeling good and I just kept going. Through the Transportation and Ticket Center, along the road that led us to the Magic Kingdom, down Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, through Cinderella's Castle, Liberty Square, Frontieerland and then to the backstage area.

The course continues along a service road and it gets a little crowded but I was enjoying myself. Along this stretch of the road the Central Florida Accordion Club braved the cold and came out to keep us entertained. It was a lot of fun to hear them and I really appreciated their enthusiasm.

Did I mention I was feeling good? We moved on to the road that would take us to Animal Kingdom. It was still cold, I missed my gloves but I continued on. I did see runners stop to pick up discarded clothing to help warm themselves up. This road is shady and it was a little breezy.

I passed over a timing sensor along this stretch of road. There was a DJ calling names of people as they crossed. I found out after the race the BostonCardioVet was right behind me and heard my name called.

I was feeling amazing! This stretch of road, while nothing to write home about, was one of my favorite parts of the race. I was running consistently and had thoughts of a possible PR or close to it.

I entered Animal Kingdom and I was still feeling pretty good. I was still running strongly and it was turning into such a good day.

As I got through Animal Kingdom I started to feel things tighten up and I was beginning to slow down a little bit, but I kept moving forward.

Somewhere around mile 18 I heard someone cheer for me. My name was on the front of my shirt and throughout the race people had been cheering for me by name. And then the person said "Are you Maddy from Twitter?" I said yes, but I was wondering if they were really talking about me. There were 16,000+ finishers. Could this be someone I knew?

The person caught up to me. It was Alett, a.k.a @petfxr. We ran together for a while, chatting and running. Alett pealed off the course for a stop at the porta-potties. It was so nice to meet her in person and I enjoyed the company.

I had just started to notice an issue with my little toe on my right foot. It felt like the seam on my sock was in the wrong spot. I stopped to tug on it, but it didn't help. I untied my shoe and looked at my sock and saw what looked to be blood. There was a medical tent ahead and I ran up to it and asked for a band-aid. I took my shoe and sock off and I was sure that the nail being in place was short-lived. A volunteer bandaged me up and I was on my way. In and out in less than two minutes. The band-aid was a huge help and I was able to keep moving forward. The pain was gone.

I made my way through the out and back around mile 21 and 22. This is often called the cruelest part of the course, but I really didn't mind it this time. I was still running, slower mind you, but I was still running.

And just like that I was on my way to Hollywood Studios. Just like last year, my friend Jim was waiting to welcome runners to the Chocolate stop. He jogged along side me, gave me a hug and sent me on my way.

I was getting closer! I was still feeling good. I was slower, but I was still feeling pretty good.

I refused to stop running and I kept going through Hollywood Studios and along the route to the Boardwalk.

I entered Epcot knowing the end was coming soon. I was almost done. As I passed through the World Showcase, I was still running. Slow, but I was going. Near Norway I saw My friend Morgan who had come out to cheer on several of her running friends. I knew I couldn't stop but I waved and kept at it.

I was so close. Keep moving forward, keep moving forward, keep moving forward. Spaceship Earth, keep moving forward. The Gospel Choir, keep moving forward. The 26 mile marker, keep moving forward.

The Finish Line! 5:26:35

My Best Case Scenario Goal was to finish the race somewhere between 5:30 and 5:45. I finished well ahead of my goal and I was so happy. It was the confidence boost I needed as I take this training and put it to work for me for the North Carolina Marathon on March 20th.

I claimed my medals and headed to the retreat where I met up with Chris, put on some dry clothes and ate! What a nice treat that was!

This was not a PR for me, but it was one of the most enjoyable marathons I have ever run. With the exception of walking a few steps through some of the icy water stops, I took no walk breaks, tried to keep a consistent pace and I ran my race. I was so thrilled with this race!

I can't wait to see what happens in North Carolina!

Not So High and Tight

For eight years or so, Stone's hair was kept pretty short, pretty much high and tight with the exception of the front. With the assistance of some gel, the front was a little bit longer and it was spiked up. He's got pretty thick hair and when it started to get shaggy it would drive me crazy. Last summer he grew it out. and now when he's avoiding the camera this is the result:

The Reward

Once again, I took this picture yesterday and did't have a chance to post it.

My plan yesterday called for an hour and five minutes on the trainer. It was hard work, but I knew this was waiting for me when I finished.



120 calories of cold, smooth goodness.

Goodbye Epcot

Our Disney World Annual Passes expire on Tuesday. We won't be renewing them (for now). We spent the weekend there and on our way out of Epcot today, I snapped a picture from 2006 when we had our pictures taken for the "Leave a Legacy" wall. It's no longer offered, but up until a few years ago you could have a picture taken and it would be laser etched and mounted on the granite slabs in front of Spaceship Earth.

Giant Leaf

Again, I am a day behind. I took this picture yesterday at the Port Orleans Riverside resort at Walt Disney World.



There were giant maple leaves all over the place. It's not that far from our house, yet we rarely see anything like it.

Charmed Life

I took this picture yesterday, but I fell asleep before I posted it.

Here's another shot of the Big Black Dog. She's participating in her favorite activity. Sleeping or resting. I'm convinced she sleeps 20 - 22 hours a day.

Race Report :: Disney Half Marathon

As you probably know, last weekend I participated in the Goofy Race and Half Challenge at Walt Disney World. I registered for this race on January 12, 2009, the day after I completed the 2009 Challenge.

As in years past, I began checking the weather forecast ten days out. It looked like the weekend, Saturday in particular, was going to be cold. And as the weekend got closer, the days appeared to get even colder. I was a little worried when Saturday morning's forecast included a "wintery mix". The local weatherman was predicting sleet from 5:00 AM - 11:00 AM. It looked like I would be running in the cold and rain, sleet and/or snow. Unbelievable.

I prepared the best I could. I bought some pants, a rain poncho, arm sleeves, a fleece blanket, toss-away sweats and a knit hat.


I put my rain poncho on right after this picture was taken

At Thursday's expo Marathon Chris and I discussed our goals and since they were similar, we decided to meet up and run together. I had some doubts, based on my last half marathon in October if I would be able to meet the goal and was prepared to send Chris along if I needed to. I didn't consider that the last two months of training had gone pretty well.

We walked to the starting corral and as we waited it became evident that it was indeed sleeting. It hurts when it hits you. We did our best to stay warm, and surrounded by other people in the corral it really wasn't all that bad. I was prepared to be miserable, but it just wasn't.

As the race got underway, Chris and I quickly found a comfortable pace. I wasn't pushing it too hard, just moving along and talking with Chris. Before I knew it, I was plenty warm and ready to shed my final toss-away, an orange sweatshirt I picked up days before at a local thrift store. I had on a long sleeve shirt arm sleeves and a short sleeve shirt. I was comfortable and we were moving forward.

The race was pretty uneventful other than the sleet, we ran and talked, talked and ran. And just like that we were entering the Magic Kingdom. My pace always picks up a bit when I run down Main Street. I just can't help myself. We made the turn toward Tomorrowland and we just kept moving.

We ran through Cinderella's castle and tried to jockey for a good shot, but that can be a tough job, this was as good as it got.



The course winds through Frontierland and past Splash Mountain, which by the way, is under construction, over the railroad tracks and through a backstage area and out to a service road. It was a little chilly on the service road. There were a lot of trees and the sun was just rising. Brrrrrrrr... It was raining lightly with sleet through in for good measure. I thought I would be soaked and miserable, but it really wasn't. It was actually a lot of fun.

We were now heading back toward EPCOT along World Drive. Soon we were on the cloverleaf for the overpass that would take us closer to the finish line. Chris and I kept moving and we powered up the hill and even passed some people. We were approaching the cruelest part of the course, after mile 11 there are two overpasses that are difficult to climb, but we made it through and just like that, we were in EPCOT. In years past there were characters to cheer runners along at the turn around of the out and back portion of the course through EPCOT. This year, because of the weather, there were no characters to push us through the final half mile.

I was excited, we were so close and the pace picked up a bit. We kept moving forward and crossed the finish line in 2:35:01 - right on goal!

This was by far one of the most enjoyable half marathons I have ever run. I ran with a friend, chatted and we really just made it fun!

After we received our medals, I made my way to the medical tent to get some ice for my knees as a precautionary measure to prepare for Sunday.



Then we hit the Goofy tent where we got our Sunday Goofy wristbands and a quick picture.



I picked up my checked bag, which took at least a half hour. On my walk to my car I realized I was frozen to the bone. My hands were numb and I was so, so cold. I could not get to my car fast enough, I jumped in, cranked it up turned the heat on high and put on a dry shirt, a pair of gloves and a track jacket. Finally, I started to warm up.

It took quite awhile to get out of the parking lot, but I didn't care. I was basking in the results of a great, fun race.

27 Days Post-Op

Mr. H. is recovering very well. Here's a look at his knee 27 days post-op.



All things considered I think it looks pretty good.

On the Trainer

Part of my marathon recovery includes maintaining my fitness while I allow my legs to get back to 100%. The coach said 45 minutes on the trainer tonight. So that's what I did.



I promise I'll post my Goofy race report soon!

Mummy

I found this baby lizard muumy in my car today.



Poor little guy.

Crazy for Chick-Fil-A

Stone stayed home from school today with a cold, so we brought him dinner from Chick-Fil-a - we went because it was school spirit night. Check out how crazy the Big Black Dog looks.

Weekend Take

Saturday, January 9th, Walt Disney World Half Marathon: 2:35:01

Sunday, January 10th, Walt Disney World Marathon: 5:26:38

Combined Goofy Race and Half Challenge Time: 8:01:39



I thought it was fitting that my 5th Marathon was a part of the 5th anniversary of the Goofy Challenge. The Goofy medal is a nice way to celebrate the occasion.

Sleet

I bet you were expecting a picture of my medal from the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.

I had planned on that all along, but I thought that the rare occurrence of sleet, and the accumulation of that sleet on my pool screen was a much better representation of the day.



Chances are, we will probably not see this again for many years.

Half Marathon Prep

Getting my stuff together for tomorrow morning!



Moeben arm sleeves, shirt (recycled from last year), bandanna, and race bib.

Good Luck On All Races

Cha Cha came with me to the Walt Disney World Marathon Expo tonight. As we arrived to packet pick up Cigna had a giant wall set up and a bin of markers for people to write well wishes.



What did she write?



Dear Runners Good luck for all races.

I tell ya, she's a keeper!

Champion Innovation Lab

As you know, I'm running the Goofy race and a half Challenge this weekend. Disney always puts on an amazing event from expo to post-race. I have found, based on my past experience, that every detail has been thought of. That includes celebrating with the people who have been a part of the Marathon since the very first one, 17 years ago. This year, Champion is working with nearly half of the "Perfect 17" and have asked them to participate in the Champion Innovation Lab.

Participants were given a variety of Champion performance apparel and, starting last September, they were asked to catalogue their experiences in a Training Log and share real-time insights with the Champion New York Design Team and Champion Athleticwear Consumer Research. The runners receive apparel from the brand’s popular Double Dry® line featuring wicking technology, compression tanks and briefs and athleticwear from the Seamless product line. Questions include pace, weather, route (e.g., trail, street, treadmill), comfort, fit and washing machine care. Runners will also be outfitted in Champion apparel for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend events and will be announced as Champion Innovation Lab participants when crossing the finish line.

That's pretty sweet!

“I look forward to the Disney Marathon Weekend every year as well as participating in the Champion Innovation Lab. It's exciting to test out their new products and important to me as an athlete that they are listening to the feedback I have to share,” said Dee Dean, marathon runner and ChIL participant.

I pulled that quote straight out the press release because I have actually met Dee Dean. We talked back in 2008 at the Spring Fling 5K. Dee is in her 60's she runs with a quickness and is a tremendous ambassador for our sport. A true testament that you can (and should) keep at it when most people think they can't. What a great lady!

The two-way dialogue generated by the Champion Innovation Lab has proved to be a critical in keeping the brand grounded in its roots of delivering top performance athleticwear for the everyday athlete.

Isn't that what it's all about really? You can make some cool looking stuff, but if it doesn't work, no one is going to want it.

Way to go Champion!

The half marathon is this Saturday and the marathon is Sunday. I wish all of the Champion Innovation Lab participants luck this weekend!

I'll be checking in this weekend with some pictures and brief updates - This girl needs her rest for Sunday.

Yay! It's almost here!

Christmas Present

You'll have to trust me that the picture is set the right way - Blogger keeps flipping it when I upload it.



My Christmas present arrived today. The batteries are charging now. I can't wait to check it out!

Dirty Girl

The big black dog loves to be outside when the weather is chilly. She also likes to roll in the grass and the dirt.

Bored

Way to go Lake County. Two and half weeks for Christmas Break? My kids don't go back to school until Wednesday. This is the result:



Cha Cha is bored, but not bored enough to brush her hair, I asked.

Eat Run Eat

I have started a new project and I hope that you can help.

Check out Eat Run Eat. It's a resource for runners and other athletes to submit and search for healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack recipes.

I always seem to have a problem coming up with something to cook. I'm not a very creative (or good) cook and I want to avoid getting take out because it's easier than coming up with something to cook.

Take a look at the new site and please submit your recipes!

Hungry Dog

Every day around 3:00 PM the Boxer Dog tries to convince me it's time for him to eat, even though I don't feed him until 4:00 PM.



Silly dog.

New Beginnings

For the New Year, my daughter got a new bed. A big step up from the princess loft bed she had for years.



The vertical blinds' days are numbered. I'm not a fan.

Project 365

I have been reading about some people starting a photo project, posting a picture a day for the whole year. I thought I would give it my best shot (no pun intended). I realize that I may need to get a card reader for travel and honestly, it's probably where I'll get some of the more interesting pictures anyway.

So this is my picture for Day 1

Hello 2010!

I have not been updating regularly and even left an unfinished Ragnar Relay Story out there.

Most of you know, I didn't have the running year I wanted to have last year. I don't have all of my miles tracked in the same place, so I'm not even sure how many miles I ran, but I do know it is less than 1,000 which is the mark I've hit for the past few years.

All I can really do is keep moving forward.



And I'm okay with that.

I'm sure you've heard Albert Einstein's quote "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." That's exactly what I felt like. I really wasn't making any progress and it was making me crazy.

In November,I got myself a coach, Speedy Sasquatch., and it has made a huge difference. There has been a lot more consistancy on my part and I can see the beginnings of a return of my speed.

That makes me happy!

I'm not sure I'm going to set any mileage goals this year, I just want to see what is going to happen.

I have Goofy right around the corner, and while I'm not as trained as I would like, I'm going to run the races, more as training runs and to have fun instead of racing them.

Then on March 20th, I'll be running the North Carolina Marathon in High Point, NC. I'm looking forward to this race and I'm hoping to set a new marathon PR.

I'm planning on returning to Chicago in the fall to run the Chicago Marathon Last October was the first time I was sad not to be at a race I had run before, so I decided I would give it another shot and hope for cooler temps this year.

What are your race plans for 2010? I hope I have an opportunity to meet up with a lot of you this year!

Happy New Year!