Up With the Moon

March 10, 2014 by Meridith

I’m an early riser.

This wasn’t always the case; back to my 20s and pre-kids I was a champ at sleeping well past 10am. Naps were my best friend. And I’d balk at waking up before 8am. Or 7am. Let alone 6am. However, as the years have gone on, I find myself waking just after 5am. And even more astounding to my 20 year old self, it’s usually to exercise! Even on Saturdays.

Of course the winter months have had me wanting to hibernate inside my house, sticking to mainly treadmill running and going to the gym (which is less than a mile from the abode). The first nice weekend that rolled around was this past one; it also just happened to coincide with my pal Brandi’s running clinic AND my scheduled running date with Sarah.

Meant to be!

Just to add a little spice to the already spicy salsa, I decided it would be a great time to introduce my pup, Gemma, to running.

Just in case you’re not keeping track here, let me reiterate: First run outside in a couple of months. With Sarah, who is making her triumphant return to running after having her second bouncing baby boy. And with a dog, who isn’t used to running on leash for more than a couple of minutes, let alone a couple of miles.

What could go wrong?

If you answered everything, you would be correct. But going into it, we all expected it to be a learning process. Everyone has to start (or start again) somewhere, right?

At exactly 7:30am, Brandi started off the clinic with stretching exercises, getting us warmed up for a short long run around the 3.68 loop.

Brandi and Sarah on the track, stretching the legs.

Sarah was happy that Gemma the wonder pup was there because, first off, PUPPY. And secondly, it definitely takes the pressure off when you have a dog who isn’t used to running. We decided we would do intervals, while chatting and working on Gemma’s running manners.

What do running manners for a dog include?

Stay on the left side of your person (don’t trip me)
No seriously, stay to the left side (don’t trip the others)
Don’t pull, you silly dog. It’s so much more fun when you stay right next to your person!

I’m sure you’re sensing a common theme here and at this point, that’s mostly what we were working on. The first mile or so was rough but then she started to get it! We need to get used to cars passing us (it’s a bit unnerving as a person, let alone a pup) and we definitely tired her out.

We slowly made our way around the loop, getting passed by Brandi and the other clinic attendees along the way with shouts of encouragement. Toward the end of the loop, Gemma was d-o-n-e, done, but with promises of the car and the banana we’d share once we got there, we all finished strong.

Following the run, we met up with Brandi once again to stretch it out and chat about our experiences. While it was Gemma’s first time doing the loop, it definitely won’t be her last. (Although it’s supposed to snow later on this week again. Have mercy!) She slept good and hard on the ride home, snores and all. That’s the downside of waking early… you’re ready for bed before most.

If you’re new to running with a pup, Aimee, over at Running with Sam wrote a great post with tips for running with your dog and it’s one that I have read more than once.

Who is your BRF (Best Running Friend)? Next weekend I’m running a 5k with my Dude – hoping to help him PR.

Ever run with a pup? Got any tips for me on teaching Gemma her running manners?

Training: faking it versus the real deal

March 3, 2014 by Meridith

Once upon a time, there was a girl who signed up for her first half marathon in November of 2011. The half marathon was runDisney’s Princess half marathon, for in those days you didn’t have to sign up the day registration opened to be able to participate.

She trained for the February 2012 race in two and a half months (in hindsight it probably wasn’t enough training for the distance) but she ran the races with supportive friends who whispered encouraging words in her ear and walked with her when her IT bands no longer wanted to run.

And she did it!

From there, she went on to run another half a month later, where her IT bands fared much better and she helped Cam achieve her first half marathon.

She continued to register and run the half marathon distance, although her long runs weren’t always quite long enough and she didn’t always follow the training plan exactly like she should. Read: SHE WAS FAKING IT.

Faking it got her through the half marathons. Not as fast as she wanted though, and not without injury. Make that injuries, plural. After her most recent injury, she said, “Enough is enough.” (Actually, she used more colorful language, F this S… just so we are keeping it real.)

Her injuries have lessened significantly, for which is she very grateful. She’s been treating her Plantar Fasciitis with medicated gel and Thorlo socks. Custom orthotics just joined the mix as well and while she’s not 100%, she’s feeling about 85% better.

Thanks to Thorlos for connecting on Twitter and for assistance. Very grateful!

Thanks to Thorlo for connecting on Twitter and for assistance. Very grateful!

She’s been pushing herself harder than ever before with training. She doesn’t skip or skimp. Three days a week she’s achieving at least five miles a day. She is following the training schedule to the letter; her long runs on the weekend have been accomplished as she works her way toward her next half. Her A, B, and C goals are in place and she’s confident in her abilities to hit one, if not all of them. And while the winter-y weather might have deterred her in the past, she is saying I can and I will now more than ever. She’s hoping for a happily ever after in the land of PR.

Have you ever faked your way through a race (or two, or three)? Come back after an injury (or two)? What types of goals do you set for races?

Chick Chat: It’s a World Class Menagerie

February 25, 2014 by Meridith

Well, it’s not quite a menagerie but the Chicks sure do love our pets. With my family’s new addition (who is all over the Scoot a Doot Instagram because I’m obsessed with her) I thought it would be fun to introduce our furbabies! I feel like pets are an extension of who we are as people and so when I see pictures of Sam, Ollie, Walt, Axl, Hannah, Boomer, Ace (just to name a few), they make me smile and feel like I know their owners better.

So snuggle up with your animals and prepare yourself for the Scoot a Doot pet parade.

I live with two rescued cats – a 13-year-old calico tabby mix I’ve had since 2002 and an almost 1-year old tabby who came to our home just two weeks ago. We also have a hedgehog, I have found it so hard to find things for him. But I finally found a cage that is perfect for him, if you have a hedgehog and your looking for a new cage check out this hedgehog cage on Amazon. It’s the exact one I got and I love it.

I met the elder cat, let’s call her Murr, in the newsroom of my last paper. There, the local SPCA each week brought in a pet to be photographed and featured in the paper. I often helped out and regularly squealed when I saw the animals. Murr and I fell in love straight away, and by the time her photo ran in the paper, she was already exploring my then-apartment.

She lived with me well before I started dating my now-husband. (and she instantly preferred him to me once he entered the picture. Humph.) But Murr’s in it for the long haul, even though she’s quirky, wiry and most definitely is not a snuggler. She’s an incredible mouse-hunter, she’s obsessed with tuna juice. She’s tiny and beautiful. And she knows it.

New cat was hit by a car last fall. She broke her back leg and had several surgeries to repair the damage. She was rescued by a friend, who couldn’t keep her, so she came to live with us.

She’s sweet, fat and always underfoot. She loves to snuggle and is ALL about the food. Her food, Murr’s food, my food, my husband’s food. She will eat anything. We still haven’t picked a name for her but have a few frontrunners.

Needless to say, Murr hasn’t taken too kindly to the new cat. She’s currently stashed herself in our loft/attic and throws repeated screaming tantrums whenever she sees new kitty. Please tell me they will eventually be friends?

Reily came to Mister Jess and I nine years ago as an 8-week-old fluff ball. He was this adorable Shih Tzu-Yorkie mix, a tiny, tiny little ewok. We couldn’t walk down the street without getting stopped at least five times by people remarking about how cute he was.

Seriously. Look at this puppy! Gah!

He really is our first-born son. We’ve had him for the vast majority of our relationship, and he’s kind of grown up with us. His interests include long walks on the beach, playing with his 80 bazillion toys, and giving me judgmental looks.

He also really enjoys moping. We like to call him Jordan Catalano because he’s not easily impressed. Case in point: when Bug came home. He was not having it.

Who are you, tiny human, and why have you taken all of the attention away from me?

Despite his bemusement, he has been amazing with the transition. We are so lucky to have such a sweet, sensitive (seriously), scary-smart dog-son in him. I hope he and Bug will be best friends as time goes on.

Yay, pets! We are dog people in this house. Brewser is a terrier mix that Josh adopted before we met and we got our cavalier, Caroline, ten year ago this summer.

Three kids plus two dogs makes for a full house! Brewser is the gumpy old man of the family- he stays away from the kids and sleeps most of the day. He likes to sit right next to me at night, once things have calmed down.

Caroline likes to be at the center of everything. She loves to sit near the kids when they play and she has even snuggled right up next to the babies while they’ve nursed. She sits on my lap once the kids are in bed, and sleeps at my feet at night.

I was raised by the quintessential ‘cat lady’, so it’s no surprise that I’m a cat person. Growing up, we always had cats, sometimes outnumbering the people in the house. We had dogs here and there, but we were definitely a feline family. At twenty, I went out and got my own cat for the first time (yes, I still lived at home, and yes, my mother was away on vacation when this happened). Elmo, my orange tiger baby, moved with me into my first apartment. When I moved to NC to live with my then boyfriend/now husband, we couldn’t have pets, and I was heartbroken. My grandmother graciously offered to take him, and he still lives with her. He’s a big, old, spoiled nineteen-year-old tabby at this point.

For years, we lived in apartments, and couldn’t have pets. So, as soon as we bought our house five years ago, we started talking about getting a pet. My son is phobic about dogs, so cats it was. We adopted Cleo and Coco from a local rescue organization and brought them home the day after our first Christmas in our new home. They’re neurotic and weird and occasionally insane (hello, catnip), and they are very much a part of our family.

Cleo is our shy cat. If you come over, you will never see her, unless you crawl underneath the sofa. She was found outside at just a few days old, and she’s quite timid. She’s terrified of people walking, but oddly loves feet if they’re on the couch next to her. We think she’s part Maine Coon, due to the fluffy fur between her toes, but who knows. If she loves you, and she’s pretty darn selective about who she loves, she LOVES you. Mostly, she loves my daughter. Every once in a while, she loves me.

A rare snuggle moment with Cleo.

Coco is our nutbag cat. She’s our hunter, our talker and our dinner table beggar. She’s a tortoiseshell, and very pretty. She alternates between viciously playful and attack-mode snuggly. If she wants to cuddle you, you darn well better be ready to let her. She’s relentless. When I’m getting ready to go to bed, she’s right there at the top of the stairs, stalking me.

My personal stalker.

Coco was rejected by her mom when she was a baby, which my mom tells me explains her neediness. Whatever, I’ll take it. She’s such a love, and if I’m reading in bed, you can find her curled up on my hip. The rest of the time, you can find her sleeping on something (always on. If there is a single sock on the floor, she will sit on it) or chasing things that aren’t there.

As much as I would love a dog, and we talk about that being a possibility someday, I think I’ll always be a cat person. I’m sure my mom is proud.

My pet situation is a little complicated. I recently moved back home with my mom. My mom currently has three dogs, two cats, and cockatiel. I have a lab named Ruby and two cats, Stella and Sookie.

When I moved in with my mom, Ruby kept figuring out how to get out of the yard. For her safety, she now lives with the ex. Which is the best situation, considering my children didn’t have to say goodbye to their dog. But it’s been the hardest loss in my divorce. That dog once saved my life by alerting me to a gas leak. Not to mention she was the greatest comfort I had during my bout with depression. I miss her greatly.

The Protector

My cat Stella has been with me for ten years. My sister found her as a newborn in a parking lot, the umbilical cord still attached. I fed her a bottle and taught her how to poop. And how does she return the kindness? By biting the top of my feet and attacking me in my sleep. She’s feral, that one. I can pet her for about three seconds before she swats me away. She’ll only drink from the sink and refuses to go in a messy litter box. She’s a total primadonna.

El Diablo

Sookie is the youngest, just 3 years old. She is a very loving cat but complains constantly. My friend once told me that “Sookie” means to whine in Australia. Which is completely appropriate. But she sleeps on my chest and purrs so I forgive her whining.

The Complainer

Lastly, I’ve recently adopted my guy’s pup, Murphy. She’s a big baby and the sweetest dog I’ve ever met. She has the best disposition and loves my kids. When she puts her head in my lap, I can literally feel the positive energy she radiates.

The Baby

Two weeks ago, the only pet in the house was our fish, Fin. And while he’s very pretty, he’s sort of the quiet, not-interested-in-us type. Life was pretty mundane and we were all missing having a four legged pal in the house.

But all that changed when a little over a week ago, we adopted little miss Gemma from Bella Reed Pit Bull Rescue.

Adoption day picture

The first few days, we spent getting to know each other. Finding all the sunny patches in the house. Encouraging peeing outside rather than on the floor. Realizing that I was posting more pictures of her than my children on Facebook. You know, the usual.

I’ve always been the only girl in the house, so it’s nice to have someone with whom to share my girly things – like my Hello Kitty blanket, for example.

Intently watching Cesar Milan.

Gemma is still a puppy so we are working on good manners and basic commands. She’s very food motivated and eager to please, so I think she’ll learn quickly!

I’m hoping that soon, we’ll be able to start running together. She’s got a lot of energy so I think we’ll probably start that soon. She’s getting the lay of the land and I can’t wait to go exploring more with her.

Gemma is a totally different dog than Jack. But when you look into her eyes, the same sentiment is present. Home. She is mine and I am hers.

I think that’s what makes pets so great. That underlying understanding that cannot be said with words because you don’t speak the same language, but it’s there just the same: you are my home.

Tell us about your pets! Anyone have any puppy training tips? What’s your favorite activity to do with your animals?

Scoot a Doot Blogaversary Winners Circle!

February 24, 2014 by Meridith

Thank you all for celebrating our 1st blogaversary with us! We’ve had so much fun this year and it’s due, in large part, to the people we’ve met along the way. Without further delay, here are our winners!

A big round of applause (totally wrote apple sauce first!) for Meredith, Amy, and Laurel! We’ll be emailing you soon, make sure to check your email so we can get your details and prizes out to you.

Many thanks to PocketFuel and Herrochester for partnering with us for this giveaway!

Oh Kiddo, My Kiddo

February 10, 2014 by Meridith

Nine years ago tomorrow, at 9:49 in the morning, I became a mom.

Since then I’ve learned what it is to be a parent and it’s a continual learning process. The role of a parent isn’t the same as mom, which might surprise some, while others might be nodding their head in agreement. I’m always a mom. But I bring out the parent hat in teachable moments, when I need to guide and lead my children.

Recently (and here’s where it gets really cool) Pooks and I have been establishing our friendship. Now, the roles of mom and parent always supersede the role as friend, but we are growing into this new found part of our relationship.

It’s freaking awesome!

Going into our 9th year of being us, there are things that we enjoy doing together that are ours.

He recently read a book that he loved and then suggested that I read it because he knew I would love it, too. The love of reading is something I shared with my mom and it’s so cool to see this continue on to the next generation.

Furthermore, he’s more in tune with me in an emotional sense. When our dog got sick and my husband was at the vet with him, Pooks was there with me when I got the call from Jay that Jack wasn’t going to be coming home with him. To have him with me in that vulnerable moment, when I couldn’t put on the mom or parent hat, and just needed to have him as my friend was invaluable. He’s starting to see me as a person. For so long, I think it was really easy to only relate to each other as our given roles in a family; now it’s more than that.

In honor of Valentine’s Day coming up, I’ve been decorating my family members doors with hearts and reasons why I love them. There are currently nine Valentine’s on Pooks’ door.

1. I love you because you are musical and want to learn more.

2. I love you because there are so many things you want to do and explore.

3. I love you because you are Principal of the Day.

4. I love you because you always ask if I am okay if I’ve been sad or upset.

5. I love you because you’re a good big brother.

6. I love you because you sing in the shower.

7. I love you because you are ridiculous!

8. I love you because you care about animals.

9. I love you because you are a great kid.

Here’s to my son, my friend, my nine year old.

Channeling My Inner Janet Jackson

February 3, 2014 by Meridith

I’ve been feeling very out of control of situations lately.

It’s not a good feeling for someone who spends their life being the leader, the one who is in control, the one who (mostly) has their shit together.

However, it’s where I’m at right now and it’s a bit scary to me because I don’t typically function well in this type of environment. I’m not a complainer by nature, but I also don’t like a lot of change. Because change = me not in charge.

Earlier in January I blogged about my dog’s sudden passing. (Thank you for all the love, support and comments.) I’m still trying to deal with that and I’ll admit, it’s taking me longer than I expected to heal from that emotional punch in the heart.

Furthermore, I’m dealing with an injury. Yeah… another one. I came back too fast from my previous injury and developed a heel spur. Which, on its own, wouldn’t actually be a bother because heel spurs don’t hurt.

Except that it’s digging into the plantar fascia tissue. Not cool, heel spur. Not. Cool.

I’m in pain. And have been since November, really, but finally went to the doctor a few weeks ago. (Again with the control thing and thinking that I could fix things on my own. Note to self: I cannot. Also, I’m not a doctor.)

My doctor is very proactive and said that I can continue working out, as much as I can tolerate. I have anti-inflammatory cream, and exercises, and I’m getting custom orthotics (ooooooh, fancy!). If all those exciting things don’t work, we’ll discuss arthroscopic surgery to cut the plantar fascia. He suggested that if something hurts, I do not do it. This includes box jumps, step ups, jumping jacks, and… running.

Let’s get back to that control thing for a minute. That’s a lot of things right there that I’m not able to do. And ordinarily, it would send me into a tailspin. However, I’ve made the conscious decision to focus on the positive and what I can do. Because I can control my reactions to when things don’t go my way.

I can continue working with my trainer and do most things that he barks at me. Furthermore, I am able to speed walking without too much pain, which is exactly what I’m doing. I’m taking charge of the situation and while it’s not ideal, and it sure as heck isn’t running, it’s something. And in my world, something is always better than giving up.

And it really leads back to my motto, I can and I will. Rather than focusing on all the negatives, all the limitations, I’ll be focusing on what I can do to move ahead with my goals.

I’m training for my third Atlantic City April Fool’s Half on April 6^th and I’m committed to getting the training done. By making the speed walking modification (walking on the treadmill at 4.0-4.5) and playing with the incline (anywhere from 2% – 15%. If it’s on 15%, I’m at 2.8 mph), I’m able to get in a good workout. I logged 94 miles in January. My goal is 40-60 minutes three days a week and long “runs” on the weekend. And I doubt this very much since we are in winter forever, but if it ever warms up, I’ll head outside.

So, friends, that’s where I’m at at the moment. Again, it’s not ideal and it’s not where I want to be but as long as I’m breathing and moving, I consider that a win. Yay me!

What do you do when life doesn’t go as planned? Are you a crazy obsessive planner like me or more of a go-with-the-flow type of person? Also, I hope you’re singing Janet Jackson songs for the rest of the day like I’ll be. No, my first name ain’t baby.

Jumbo Double Dare (no, that’s not a typo)

January 30, 2014 by Meridith

When my Pooks was little, he refused to call Dumbo anything but Jumbo, because calling someone Dumbo is just plain mean.

So, while the rest of the people running on August 30th and 31st will be completing runDisney’s Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, I’ll be completing the Jumbo Double Dare Challenge. I’m sure runDisney will modify my shirts and medals for me, right? (Just don’t play Baby Mine or there will be tears.)

Of course, it’s always better with a friend or two and I’m super stoked that I’ll be running with my California girls, Jess and Cam. Oh, if you could only see the group text that was happening on Tuesday during registration. Wait! You can…

There was a lot of flailing going on previous to this portion of the message but I'll spare you that part.

There was a lot of flailing going on previous to this portion of the texts but I’ll spare you that part. You’re welcome.

I’m sure that I drove both of them crazy with my emails and texts leading up to registration, too. After all, I knew from previous years that Disneyland races tend to fill up quickly. And sure enough, this year was no exception! You can see above that only a half hour after registration opened, the Dumbo Double Dare was already at 85% capacity and quickly filled soon after. There is no time to hesitate with these races!

How amazing are these medals?!

Cameroo and I have run Disneyland together before at the 2013 Tinker Bell half so it was naturally the next step to try a challenge. This will be our first runDisney challenge and the most logical step for us, with the 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday, equaling 19.3 glorious miles.

It will be Jess’ first half marathon ever! Like any good bossy friend, I’ve already been giving her tips. I know that she delights in getting emails of running thoughts at random times.

Wondering what I’ve told her thus far? Here are a few tried and true nuggets of wisdom. What can I say, I’m a giver!

1. Run a 10k race (or longer if so desired) prior to June 1. This way she will be able to provide the timed event for her pace and will be placed in the proper corral.

From the registration email: “If you did not provide proof of time at the point of registration or acquire it after you have registered, then email this information to disneysports@trackshack.com before June 1, 2014 to have your start corral placement changed.”

2. Follow Jeff Galloway’s plan provided by the world class Olympian athlete on the runDisney website. Currently, the plans from 2013 are still on the site but it’s really easy to take them and apply them to 2014. How easy? Well, I took the half plan and am following it for the April 6th half that I’m training for! (And so is Cam because we are running together and I sent her the dates/plan. See? Bossy.)

Click for the link to the beginner plan. Running less than 6 months? This one is for you!

Furthermore, there is a training plan specifically for the Dumbo Double Dare which you can check out here.

That’s basically all I’ve sent so far so I guess you all get off easy. Jess and Cam? Not so much.

209 days to go! Let’s talk runDisney! Who will we see at the Jumbo Double Dare (or, the Dumbo Double Dare)? Brooke and Vic will be at the Glass Slipper Challenge in February – who will be at that?

Special thanks to Anya for the pictures from her 2013 Dumbo Double Dare recap!

Show Us Your Medals!

January 30, 2014 by Meridith

Ahhhh, medals: the tangible evidence of completing a race. They are the proverbial icing on the cake of months of hard work and training for a race.

This past week I reached out via Facebook (our own and the Run Blog Society community page) and Twitter, asking people to share pictures and stories of their favorites. And wow, did people answer the call! To quote the A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

So without further ado…

Kyle at An Accidental Optimist.

“The first one is a fave because it’s a horseshoe. You can’t get much cooler than that. The Amish made it. I ran the Bird-in-Hand half with Vic. Good times all around!

The second one is because it’s from MY FIRST MARATHON, Philadelphia 2013.”

Michele at A Pace of Balance.

“This is from the Nation’s Triathlon which I completed September 2013. It was an Olympic distance and was my first tri since 2003 BC (before children)… so really, it was my first tri.

I loved this race for many reasons.

1) I did the race with my sister and in fact, it was her birthday/Christmas/Mother’s Day gift to me. She guided me through the whole thing.

2) The course. Washington DC. Need I say more?

3) I felt like a bit of an underdog. I didn’t decide to do the race until about 8 weeks out. I am an avid runner, but I had to really improve on the bike. If you see my bike in the pic, you’ll notice it’s a hybrid and not a fancy road bike like the majority of the people had at the race. It was my mommy bike which I converted into a race bike by getting rid of the baby seat, slapping on some cage pedals, and installing a speedometer. Boom. Someone actually said to me during the race “Girl, you are killing it on that bike of yours!”. And I was. I kept up with the seasoned crowd. I finished in 3:01, which I think is pretty good for a first timer. To me, the medal is a reminder that I should never sell myself short and we are always capable of more than we realize.”

Ruth at The Run and I couldn’t pick just one – so she sent along a handful of these awesome medals!

Julie at Run. Walk. FASTPASS. Repeat.

“Jost Running was looking for running bloggers to review their Virtual Race Medals as they launched their business last year. Each month an new medal came out for that month’s race. I was amazed at the detail and “pop” in their virtual race medals. I was not a fan of Virtual Races when I signed on, as I live in a big city with PLENTY of race opportunities, BUT I loved the idea of running the race my day, at my time, my route – and getting my bling in the mail. I am German and yes I love beer. The Oktoberfest Medals just made me smile…who can’t use another bottle opener. Seriously, my favorite medals in looks. Fun designs and a great reward for long training runs especially when you have a hard time getting out the door. They converted me to a fan of the Virtual Race.”

April at Run the Great Wide Somewhere.

“I traveled alone to the race [Space Coast Half Marathon], but felt strong and got a PR. The course was gorgeous, all the runners were friendly and polite and it was very well organized. And the medal is so beautiful and sparkly and has a space shuttle on it!”

Meredith at Just An Ordinary Girl in FL.

“The Dumbo Double Dare race medal hold the number one spot. Not only was this an inaugural race, but also represented a huge accomplishment for me in completing 19.3 miles in 2 days!”

Cynthia at You Signed Up for What?!

“I had a longtime goal to do a triathlon by age 40, and with 3 kids and a more-than-full-time-job, I did it. And I loved it!” [Athleta Iron Girl]

Summer at Running with Pixies.

“My favorite medal is the 2013 Princess half marathon medal. Even though it was my third time running Princess, and my 5th half marathon, there was something about that race that clicked and made me realize that regardless of my finish time I was, in fact, a real runner.”

Sue at This Mama Runs for Cupcakes.

“The Marine Corp marathon medal is my favorite because it is the medal from my very first marathon! A lot of hard work and time spent away from my kids for this!”

Jennifer at Rescuing and Running.

“Wine Glass Marathon, Corning, NY is a fabulous weekend getaway in the beautiful fingers lakes region of NY! It was a wonderful girls weekend of awesome regional food, wineries, glass art, and a beautiful 26.2 mile run through rural NY countryside.

The medal, which is actually glass, is handmade by a local Corning glass artist. It is beautiful and very unique! In addition to the awesome finishers medal, the race swag is top notch. We got a great drawstring back sack, a good technical long sleeve tee, wine glass, and a small bottle of Champagne made and labeled specifically for the weekend. The course was beautiful with many supporters along the way. The post marathon food options is the best I have ever seen with offerings of pizza hot out of an oven, several hot soups, sandwiches, cookies, fruit, bagels, chocolate milk! I cannot say enough about this wonderful regional marathon.”

Sara at The Classy Crafter.

“Six months of training all boiling down to one race and truly figuring out what your body is capable of.” [Walt Disney World Marathon]

Lisa at Lulu’s Big Adventure.

“This medal is from the Canada Army Run Half Marathon, which I ran in September 2013. Not only do I love that they created a dog-tag medal in the army spirit, but this race was special to me. I knocked over twenty-five minutes off my last half marathon time, and I came in well under my goal of 2 hours. I was really nervous about how I was going to do at this race, since I am incredibly injury prone and trained in the stifling Brazilian heat all summer. So, when I had such a wonderful race experience and achieved such a big PR, it was a special moment for me.”

So there you have it, our second installation of “my favorite medal”! You can check out the first post, from Vic, here.

I love seeing the different favorites that were sent and also hearing the logic behind why each person loved their favorites the most. You’ll notice that we had no repeats – so many different races and reasons! Many thanks to all those who shared. You rock!

What’s your favorite medal? Link us to a blog post or pictures in the comments so we can check them out.

Goodbye Jack Daniel

January 16, 2014 by Meridith

My dog died.

There are no pretty words to say about a death and my emotions are still raw. Certainly, I knew that Jack wouldn’t live forever but I suppose the suddenness of his death has thrown me and my family for a loop. He showed no signs of sickness although he did show his age of eleven years, with his graying hair and occasional yelping from what we believed was arthritis pain.

He was just barking at his arch nemesis, the vacuum cleaner, the day before. He had all his faculties; the sound of a deli wrapper could be heard from any point in the house. He joined me in the kitchen as I made the kids their grilled cheese for dinner, always patiently waiting for the slice he eventually knew was coming his way.

But on Friday, he was ill at ease. He paced the house, looking to all his regular spots to get comfortable. My husband and I fretted, not knowing what to do for our oldest baby. Eventually we decided that we’d bring him to the vet the following day.

I spent the night sleeping on the floor with him; my blanket was a favorite of his and it seemed to comfort him for awhile. At 4:30am we awoke to his labored breathing and realized that he could no longer walk. I carried him down the steps, crying and telling him that he was the best dog and how much we loved him. He licked my face, one last time, and Jay brought him to the emergency vet.

Within an hour, his heart stopped beating. Jay was with him as he took his last breaths.

My family is devastated. I know that’s a strong word but there’s really no other to explain how we feel. We miss our best buddy, our healer, our protector from possums (but not steps, thunder, lightning or bees), our first “kid” and our “big brother”. We miss our pack member, who placed himself just below the kids in order of rank, but grumped about it on the regular.

The house is quiet. Too quiet. I write while all family members are at their respective places when they aren’t smashed into our 1600 square foot home. When they are here, I can’t think straight. When they are gone, I can’t stop thinking.

I can’t stop thinking I see Jack out of the corner of my eye or hear his feet gently padding the floor.

I’ve continued with my streak, getting my miles in, even though right now I’d be lying if I said it was anything more than just going through the motions. My mind wanders to wondering if there was something more we could have done or if we could have seen this coming any earlier than we did. I cry randomly for no other reason than I miss him.

I’m sad and miss my friend.

I know it will get easier eventually.

But not yet.

Weight a Minute

January 8, 2014 by Meridith

There was a point in my life that I weighed myself every day. That’s right. Every. Single. Day. I was definitely obsessed, if not on the edge of disordered. Truthfully, I was driving myself a little crazy.

Until one day, I just stopped.

I decided that it wasn’t healthy for my mind to be so wrapped up in the numbers. So the morning visit to the scale ceased. I was mindful of my food but no longer tracked every morsel I consumed. I continued to work out. And I was content.

2013 brought many good things my way, including more half marathons, shorter races and workouts with my trainer at the gym. However, I injured myself in September and that put a damper on what I was able to do physically. My miles shrank but my food intake continued as though they hadn’t.

(You see where this is going, don’t you?)

I weighed myself the other day for the first time since the summer. I wasn’t all together surprised by the number but I will admit that I wasn’t happy with it either. That’s not to say that I’m not happy with myself, because I am. I’m at a good place, a much different place than I was when I was the girl weighing herself daily. Generally speaking, I’m pretty awesome.

But I would like to work hard to get back down, weight wise.

At my leanest, I was at 144. This was in 2012, when I was tracking everything – my weight, my food, my workouts – everything.

By the end of last summer, I was at 152 – I tracked my workouts, but that was basically it.

And now, here I am, at 156. I knew I was gaining weight. I could tell by the way my clothes were fitting mostly. I think that I tend to have a bit of body dysmorphia so no matter when I look in the mirror, I always see the same thing – whether I’m 10 pounds lighter or 20 pounds heavier. That doesn’t help matters.

What I do know is this: I need to make a change.

Rather than focusing on the numbers (since that hasn’t really worked well for my psyche in the past), I’m going to try to present things to myself in more than/less than fashion. For example…

More water and less bazillion (slight exaggeration) calorie drinks

More homecooked, less takeout. More veggies, less cookies. Smaller meals throughout the day and smarter choices.

I’m going to leave the numbers bit of things in the trusty hands(?) of my Fitbit One and myfitnesspal.

Treadmill outranks couch (that’s “my” spot that everyone steals – and I’m going to let them steal it.) And outside will outrank treadmill when it’s not 3 degrees.

And I plan to continue my exercising. I don’t think that I’ll feasibly be able to add things like hot yoga back into my schedule but I would like to hit the 10,000 step goal set by the Fitbit each day. (Okay, fine, maybe focusing a little bit on numbers isn’t the worst thing in the world.)

No excuses, no whining. I’m ready to get this done. I can and I will!

What sort of challenges or goals are you looking forward to tackling in 2014?

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Author Archives: Meridith