Guest Post: Hooters Half Marathon

March 4, 2015 by scootadoot

Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined.

That’s what Hooters says about itself. I say they have delicious wings, curly fries, and good beer. Also, they know how to throw a pretty sweet half marathon.

This past Sunday I laced up my sneaks and headed out for my second half marathon ever. Well, the first one was only in January so it wasn’t like I took a long break or anything. In fact, the Hooters Half almost didn’t even happen for me. I floundered back and forth about signing up until I finally just bit the bullet and went for it.

After I signed up I was feeling pretty stoked. I ran the Disney Half Marathon in January (and met Mer and Brooke, YAAAAAY) and had an amazing time with my running buddy. We kept a good pace and finished at just over three hours, which I couldn’t tell you if that’s a good time or not, I just know I made it.

I figured for my second half I should set some goals, right? Okay, after my running buddy texted me and asked if I had any goals I decided to set them. Basically my goal was to beat three hours. I figured that was a doable goal considering it was only my second time running this distance.

The week leading up to the race wasn’t anything special. I wasn’t nervous like I was before Disney. I had this, right? I prepped the Saturday before by carb loading. By that I mean I ate a lot of Boom Chicka Pop and pretty much an entire box of macaroni and cheese for dinner. (Note: this is probably not a post you should take advice from, just saying.) I watched some videos on how to apply KT tape for some pain I’d been having, then I made my sister help me. She’s a personal trainer, so she’s good for stuff like that. I also planned my outfit, because you can be cute and comfortable to run thirteen miles at the same time. Also, I’m single and you never know who you might “run” into.

You can’t go wrong with Mean Girls.

I went to bed at a decent hour, my alarm set at my normal-everyday-wake up time. For Disney my wake up time was 2:30AM. Thankfully, I only live about two miles from Hooters, so I didn’t have to get up that early. I was feeling pretty good the night before, but my nerves got the best of me Sunday morning. It probably had to do with the dream I had about my grandma beating me at the race. I blame the carbs.

Breakfast was a small event: coffee (because I do nothing without coffee), oatmeal, and a banana. I don’t eat a lot in the morning, but I know it’s important to fuel up before a long run. My nerves were still going crazy by the time I met my friends in the crowded parking lot. This year’s race had about 1,100 people sign up and, as per the results, 800 finishers. We made a pit-stop at the Port-o-Johns because there’s nothing worse than having to run long distances while having to pee. Side note: I ran a ten-miler in October with no bathrooms on the course. Uncool. Anyway, after a bathroom stop we headed to the start line, just as that beautiful Florida sun started to rise. Oh, and ran into these beauties.

Helloooooo, beer!

My running buddy and I placed ourselves at the back of the pack, just to be safe. We both had goals and were prepared to help each other out with them, but we wanted to be comfortable with our starting pace and there’s really no pressure in the back.

Let’s do this.

We got started just after 7AM with a pretty steady pace. Like I said, I wasn’t out to impress anyone but myself, but I was feeling pretty good at a twelve-minute mile. I know I don’t have a lot of speed, but what I lack I make up for in enthusiasm. By mile two I had to go to the bathroom, so we got water and I went. Water and bathrooms were both available every two miles, which was pretty awesome. The weather on this race (compared to 40s in Disney) was a little rough. It was in the 70s and muggy, typical Southwest Florida, but more difficult when running thirteen miles.

The course we were set on was nice, especially with the weather like it was. We had a great view of some nice neighborhoods on the river. The streets were flat, shady, and provided a nice breeze to counter the humidity. One of the things that I liked that most about running through the neighborhoods was the fact that people were hanging out in the streets cheering for us. Sometimes it was whole families, sometimes just a single old woman sipping her coffee (which I would have killed for), and once there was an innocent looking little girl with a sign that said: “Run fast. I just farted.” I’m still kicking myself for not taking a picture of that one.

I started feeling some pain in my taped leg at about mile five, but I pushed through. Pain is temporary, you know. The first seven miles were like a cake walk compared to what came at mile eight. I’ve ran the Edison Bridge three times and the Hooters Half makes four. It never gets easier. In fact, this was pretty much my downfall.

Actually the worst.

I had a GU at mile nine (Salted Caramel – yum) and some Gatorade because they were out of water at the station, and we kept on trucking. By mile ten my earphones died and I was left in silence.

Worst.

Thing.

Ever.

I’d like to blame the rest of the run on the fact that my headphones died and I had nothing to listen to so I couldn’t keep a pace or DO ANYTHING PRODUCTIVE. But, it’s probably more of the fact that I was starting to feel dehydrated and the pain I’d started feeling around mile five started to intensify. I told my running buddy to go on without me. I’m pretty sure my exact words were “Just leave me here to die!” so she did. She pushed me through those first ten miles and I was so, so grateful, but I knew she had a goal and I wanted her to reach it. I felt pretty good about still having her in my sight, like we were still going together, but eventually she turned a corner and I was on my own.

Of course, running is pretty much a solo sport, so it wasn’t too terrible. I tried to focus on the fact that I’d made it TEN MILES when this time last year I only had a few 5K under my belt. I ran-walked the last three miles, keeping up with intervals with a couple that was in front of me. (They were super cute and ran across the finish line with their kids.) At some point an elderly gentleman came up behind me and said something like “I’ve been following you for six miles, you can’t quit now!”

Game on, old man!

After that I pulled my phone out and just listened to my music on speaker. My pace was still under fourteen minutes and I was looking good to finish under three hours. By the time I came around the back of the mall and toward the finish line I could have cried. People (volunteers and spectators alike) were still waiting and cheering, which is a great feeling. My friends met me just a few yards from the finish and ran the rest of the way with me, because they’re awesome and the best people I could ever imagine running with.

Cute owl bling!

Of course, being the Hooters Half, there was free beer and wings at the finish line. As much as I wanted to take part in those delicious things I settled on water and grapes. I was feeling pretty dehydrated and in serious need of a nap, so I passed on the yummies, which was a little sad. I mean, how do you run the Hooters Half and not eat the wings and drink the beer?

It’s okay, there’s always next time. I really enjoyed this race, even the last three miles that completely sucked. It wasn’t a big crowd and the course was nice, plus it’s pretty close to my house so the travel time is minimal.

And hey, a Hooters girl give you a medal. If you’re into that sort of thing.

Also, according to my Nike+ app my finish time was 2:57:47. So, I managed a PR on my second half marathon, beating my old (first and only) time by ten minutes! Now I’ve got two half-marathons under my belt, but I’m ready to focus on some shorter distances. I prefer 10Ks and have a few lined up for the year already. But, of course, it’s all about the swag.

You can find me on Instagram and Twitter with @thisgirlash_ if you like to talk about books, cats, and running (sometimes). I also blog at Ash Does Stuff.

Guest Post -The Bolder Boulder 10K

May 29, 2014 by scootadoot

This Memorial Day, I decided to join about fifty two thousand other people and participate in my hometown race, the Bolder Boulder 10K. I was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado and grew up around this race but had never seen it in action. The entry makes this event the largest 10k in the country, and it is the largest Memorial Day party in the USA. I knew neither of these facts when I registered. Nor did I know that Runner’s World Named it “America’s Best 10k”, or that it draws elite runners from all over the world. The only thing I did know was that it was a 10K, the race motto is “sea level is for sissies,” and that I really wanted that on a t-shirt. Like, I wanted it yesterday. So I signed up, and lemme tell you, it was amazing!

One of my very favorite things about this race (which is saying a lot because there were many favorite things) was the packet pick-up. It was pre-race, and by pre-race, I mean weeks in advance. The Bolder Boulder rents a storefront at the 29^th Street mall which opens weeks before the race. It’s brilliant! I was able to swing by on my lunch break and pick up my packet as well as do a little shopping. Usually, the packet pick-up location is an hour and a half drive from me and requires me to take off work early to manage the traffic. This option was the best thing ever, and an example of why this race has a reputation for running like a well-oiled machine. When I picked up my packet, I found the tribute bib which I was super excited about. My family has a rich military history and I was honored to run for these brave men in my family on Memorial Day.

Race festivities begin the Saturday before the race and go through the weekend. Saturday and Sunday the Expo takes over Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, a trendy pedestrian street lined with boutique shops, pubs, and restaurants. It’s beloved by locals and packed with buskers in the summertime. I made it to Pearl Street late Sunday afternoon, scored some energy gels, and picked up a great headband for the race. There were tons of deals on awesome running gear, but somehow I managed to refrain from purchasing the neon pink Brooks Pure Flow shoes. After the expo, my husband and I stopped at The Gondolier for a pre-race carb load.

Next best thing to running is shopping for running shoes!

I love these homemade noodles!

The traffic in Boulder is annoying on a normal day. On race day, it’s uberdiculous. We devised a plan to drive to my office on the east side of Boulder and then ride our bikes along the Boulder Creek bike path to the starting line. This plan worked out perfectly. The weather was beautiful! It was in the low sixties and calm, perfect for riding and running! I got a bit of a warm-up riding my bike for about a mile and a half, and we didn’t have to deal with any stress of parking and maneuvering through the crowds. It worked out so well, this will be our plan every year! After we parked our bikes near the starting line, I found the porta-potties. There were so many there was no wait at all to get in. My husband Rick walked with me to my corral, which I’m always grateful for because his 6’ 3 sees over heads much better than my 5’2. I waited about 10 minutes before my start at 8:58.

Waiting to start and arguing with my phone.

I admit I was nervous about the crowds at this race. I was worrying about it in emails to Mer, and she, being the best cheerleader ever, assured me to just relax, let it happen, and most of all, to enjoy it. Race day was pleasant surprise. Although it was busy I wouldn’t have guessed that there were fifty-two thousand participants. The BB is so organized and the waves are so well spaced that it didn’t feel like a big production race.

My corral

There was plenty of breathing room in the coral, and once we set off it didn’t take long for the pack to break up as everyone found their pace.

And we’re off! The beautiful Flatirons are in the background.

The course takes runners through the streets of Boulder, both commercial and residential. I loved the residential sections as it made the Bolder Boulder feel like a hometown race. People who live along the route are wonderfully supportive. I saw two girls holding a “free hugs” sign, and I had to take them up on their offer. They assured me I deserved lots of hugs. Awesome spectators bust out their garden hoses to spray heated runners as they pass. Some stood with huge bowls of Doritos, offering the salty snack to runners who need it. The Garage bands open their garage doors and play “We Are the Champions” and “Eye of the Tiger” to keep runners motivated. They even build slip-and-slides in their front lawns for added amusement and refreshment. Because really, who doesn’t want to slip-and-slide when given the opportunity? There was a drum circle drumming a rhythm for a troupe of belly dancers, who encouraged us with their sauciness (seriously, only in Boulder would you see this). I tried to get video of these beautiful ladies, but I utterly failed at correctly operating my iPhone that day. Plus my battery was quickly dying, and I needed to save some juice for my finish line pic and calling Rick afterward.

Love the small, neighborhood race feel to this event!

At the four-mile mark, I was feeling pretty good. That is also the Casey hill, named because it’s next to Casey Middle School (my alma mater), and it happens to be the highest elevation point on the course at 5.391 feet. By cresting this hill, I earned my “sea level is for sissies” t-shirt!

My husband is my personal race photographer, thanks honey!

Not long after, a sharp pain in my right hip forced me to slow down and walk more than jog. I had registered as a “jogger/walker, mostly jogger” (yes, that is the actual category name) and I stuck to that until my hip acted up. The hip opening yoga sequence I had done before the race hadn’t kept this annoying pain at bay, but I was so close to the 5 mile mark that I pushed myself to run as much as I could the rest of the race. Someone held a sign that said “not all pain is significant” and that sharpened my mental focus. I relied on the encouragement of the crowd and volunteers as I jogged up the last not-so-little hill toward the finish line at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field.

Running into a stadium full of cheering people was exciting. I got tons of high-fives from the people in the first row as I ran through and that helped me go a little faster those last few yards. I felt strong despite the pain and I was so proud of myself for this accomplishment. This was the longest distance I had ever run! I crossed the finish line in 1:29:28. I was not as fast as I would have liked, but I wanted come in under 1:30. 1:10 would have been better. That’s what goals are for though, right? I managed to snap a finish line selfie before my phone died.

Feeling hungry, and more importantly, thirsty (for beer), I made my way to timing tag return then grabbed my snack bag and Michelob. FYI, trying to find your husband in a crowd of thousands without your phone is really, really hard. So I did what any girl would do, I went to the expo! It was great until I realized that I didn’t have any funds with me, they were with missing husband. So was the real camera. Making my way back to my bike would be the best plan as he would wait for me there. As I ~~hobbled~~ walked back down the hill, I spied him sitting near the course not far from the stadium. Reunited at last! After the short bike ride back to the car, my legs were done.

Stick a fork in me.

It was well worth it, though, and I will be signing up for the 37th Annual BolderBOULDER 10K on Memorial 2015 in case any of you want to join me! Come on, don’t be a sissy!

Jenn is an asthmatic former smoker who never in her life thought she’d run by choice. She enjoys surprising herself with new accomplishments, as well as quilting, writing fiction, working on her blog, sci-fi, and pugs. She can be found in her sewing room plotting costume ideas for the Disney Star Wars Rebel Challenge.

Guest post: Consider me Cleansed

May 16, 2014 by scootadoot

I grew up a latchkey kid in the cornfield-laden suburbs of the middle of nowhere, Illinois. I pretty much came and went as I pleased, within reason. I relied upon myself for at least half of my daily meals. The meals that I made consisted of whatever I found in the house, and what I found usually consisted of the white starch food group and the overly sugary food group. When my mom cooked, it was usually a meat, bread, and potatoes sort of presentation. Our milk was 2%, always. We were all a part of the clean plate club, and dessert was never something we missed. This was all well and good. I didn’t know any different, and I liked it. I was an active kid: riding bikes, playing soccer, playing softball, running around the neighborhood…you name it, I was involved. So, activity and ultimately crappy eating were excellent partners. Until. UNTIL I hit puberty.

Puberty was not kind to me nor was it a friend of my “questionable food group” diet. I put on weight overnight, I swear. My thighs grew so quickly that they produced stretch marks. I went from being a fairly thin and athletic girl to a chubby 130 pound 8^th grader sporting a butch haircut. (The haircut has nothing to do with anything, but it was horrific enough to be worthy of mention.) This is where my battle with weight and food and self-image began.

I kept up most of my horrible eating habits right on through college. I added the food group “alcohol,” which might have contributed to making things a bit more than worse. I ate things called “beer nuggets,” and I ate them at 3am. I maxed out around 155 pounds. Just so you know, I’m not all that pretty at 155 pounds. Not gonna lie.

Sometime after college, as a working adult living on my own, I figured out that something had to change. I wasn’t happy. I didn’t feel good. I wasn’t comfortable in my own body. I had an epiphany that I simply couldn’t “have my cake and eat it, too,” AND be any combination of thin /healthy / happy. My metabolism didn’t work that way. My body knew how to turn a calorie into a fat cell faster than I could blink, and I needed to come up with a way to win the battle against the calories and fat cells. I needed a way to win the battle against myself.

It has been a journey of 15 or more years in the making. I have found balance. I still don’t know everything there is to know about food, and I don’t claim to be a health expert. I have learned that no one thing works for everyone. I have only learned what works best for me: overall healthy eating and eating everything in moderation. As easy as that sounds, it isn’t. People who have only known me in my adult life assume that I have always eaten well, taken care of myself, exercised, looked this way, etc. Appearances can be so deceiving! When you go on such a journey, you know that the journey continues. It has detours and breakdowns. It doesn’t end…it just goes on.

So, as much as I’d like to say I have it all figured out and that I never give into cravings for shitty food that are destructive to my body…it just isn’t true. I aim to have more better days than I have bad days. I run (when not injured, which is another story for another day). I go to yoga. I eat mostly well. But, I also falter. I also self-sabotage. I also suffer from body dysmorphia. If I gain 10 pounds or lose 5 pounds, I pretty much feel I always look the same: ok, but not great. That is me. I own it, and I am a work in progress.

Just before Easter, I had found that I was really giving into my cravings more than usual. My one or two bad days of eating turned into “I can just have something bad every day as long as I keep up my exercising…that is ok, right?” Once it starts, it is easier to just go with it. Sugar is addictive. It makes me want more and more and more. I’m seriously an all or nothing sort of eater (I eat all of the cupcake, not just a bite. I eat all of the Easter candy, not just a few pieces. I just can’t help myself, it seems). I adapt by eating the cupcake for lunch, that way the calories are still kept somewhat in check. However, my body can’t be fooled. Do that too many times, and the weight just jumps right back on, of course. I decided it was time to reset my body and get back on track. I didn’t feel good. I was up about 5 pounds. I wanted to gain back the control and the good feelings that good eating bring with it.

Enter: the Suja Juice 3-day cleanse. Just so you know, I am not a proponent of cleanses in general. Most of them involve a ridiculous combination of starvation and explosive “colon-purifying” diarrhea. (I’m just sort of against both of those things at my wise old age of 40. Consider me silly, but that is my stance.) When I came across this particular cleanse, though, I realized it was different. Their 3-day cleanse involves drinking 6 juices a day, for a total of 1200 calories. The juices are designed for different purposes throughout the day. This company does NOT urge you to enforce the rule of “chewing is cheating.” If you are hungry: EAT! If you are more active and require more calories: GET THEM! The only guideline is that you are smart about your choices. They recommend eating raw fruits and vegetables, drinking clear broths, or eating things like a baked sweet potato or an avocado. The idea is to rest and cleanse your digestive tract, and these choices will allow you to stay true to that idea.

My experience with this cleanse was a good one. It is recommended that you set yourself up for the cleanse by reducing sugar intake, eliminating coffee and alcohol, and eating a bit more lightly in the few days leading up to it. Uh huh. Yeah. I totally didn’t do that. I drank coffee. I drank my nightly jumbo sized glass of red wine. I ate as much as I could at an Easter brunch the day before. (Remember when I said that I self-sabotage? Well, here you go.) I knew I was starting the juice cleanse, so I just went crazy beforehand. Consider it the storm before the calm. Sort of backwards, sure, but that is par for the course in my world. Way to go, me!

When I commit to something, though, I commit! I jumped right into that cleanse the next day. I started day one with a juice and a yoga class. I figured it was smart to exercise first thing, prior to my body only having liquid sustenance and being a bit energy deprived. All went well there. I initially thought that I wouldn’t be able to give up my coffee and wine habit, but I did! I think that I was drinking so much throughout the day that I didn’t really crave anything else that was liquid. The first day I did make the mistake of not bringing one of the scheduled juices with me when taking my daughter to a movie. Too much time had lapsed between juices (you are pretty much drinking one every 2 hours), and I found myself VERY hungry. I cheated and ate 3 large bites of my daughter’s soft pretzel. Eh, nobody’s perfect. The rest of the day went well. No other cheats. No other problems.

Now I will say, on day one, I was not used to the juices. I’m not a “juicer” in general, so I didn’t know what to expect. The first juice (Glow) has a bit of an overwhelming celery presence to it, but it wasn’t too bad. I managed it. The second juice (Fuel) is bright orange and has a light sweetish taste of pineapple and orange. For the record, I loved this one. The third juice (Purify) is purple, thanks to the beets in it. My first experience with it was a bit interesting. This one is “earthy” and a bit “dirty” tasting, as in it sort of tastes like dirt. Really. I plugged my nose when drinking it the first go around. Next up was Fiji. It has a lot of apples in it, so I thought it would be amazing. I was wrong. I wasn’t prepared for the STRONG taste of ginger. I drank 2 swigs and called it quits. I drank more water to fill up my belly instead. For dinner there was Green Supreme. It is definitely green, but the taste surprised me. It was very much like apple juice, and I welcomed that immensely! Last for the day was Vanilla Cloud. It is designed sort of as a dessert. It has hints of vanilla, coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I liked it. It is tasty. Other people RAVE about this one, but I have to say that the grit of spices and chunky bits of coconut meat turned me off to it a bit. Just a personal thing, I guess.

Anyway, the rest of the cleanse went surprisingly well. The juices grew on me, and I found myself actually looking forward to them. I didn’t even have to plug my nose at all. In addition, I managed to drink all of my Fiji drink on day 3. I’m not going to lie, I still had to kind of choke that one down, but I did it! I was oddly proud. I found what worked for me was adding in raw carrots and celery throughout the day. I also would throw in a banana or some grapes. When I was craving something warm to eat, I made up some vegetable broth and drank it from a coffee mug. This satiated that need, and it also added a few calories and a feeling of fullness that helped me through the process.

Some things to note:

I really wasn’t hungry, per se. I more missed the process of putting something in my mouth and chewing it. This is where the raw fruits and veggies came in.
I was pretty tired the end of day 1. I even went to bed early.
I was COLD during this process. I am generally cold, so this isn’t a big deal, but I certainly noticed feeling a chill. The warm broth at night helped with this side effect.
My teeth were very sensitive by day 3. Although there are no added sugars in these juices, they do contain a ton of pressed fruits which means there is a lot of natural sugars in them. I have sensitive teeth to begin with, so the sugar did a number on them. I would recommend using a straw!
I took off exercising on day 2, but I did go for a run on day 3. I was sluggish and my legs felt heavy. I still managed it, but I definitely noticed the lack of energy.
I constantly had to pee. I mean it. All day. Middle of the night. All night. When you are drinking that much liquid, I guess it is bound to happen!

How did I feel in the end? Did I lose weight? Did I feel reset? Would I recommend juice cleansing to others? Well, I will tell you. I felt pretty great after it was all said and done. I felt a sense of accomplishment and a sense of peace. I know that might sound a bit weird, but I don’t know how else to phrase it. Weight loss is NOT the ultimate goal of a juice cleanse, but it is often a by-product of it. In my case, I lost a total of 6 pounds. (I lost 3 pounds after the first day. I lost an additional pound after day 2 and after day 3. Oddly enough, after resuming my normal diet on day 4, I still lost an additional pound. I am back to my “happy weight.”) The best part of the entire experience was feeling reset. This cleanse gave me a chance to get away from all the sugar and junk and put me back on the path of “mostly eating well most of the time.” Given all of my positive experiences with it, I would highly recommend trying out the Suja Juice cleanse! I know that I plan on using the 3 day cleanse a few times a year, and I will probably throw in a 1 day cleanse from time to time. They have a lot of wonderful juices that I also intend to use as an occasional meal replacement or as a snack just to get in some extra fruits and veggies. It isn’t a cheap date, but I do like that everything is already thought out, prepared, packaged, and ready for me to ingest.

In the end, as we all know, there are no magic pills / diets / secrets that will turn us into picture perfect models of health and fitness. Every day we have to own our individual journeys and do our best to just keep doing our best. I am proof, though, that you can change your overall course. I’m not perfect, and I obviously still seek out ways to help me stay on track, or get back on track when I falter…but there is satisfaction in small victories and continued overall success. I find joy in sharing my experiences and offering up any tools that have worked for me, just as I embrace gaining similar knowledge from others around me who are also fighting the good fight.

So, have you cleansed? Do you have any tools that you use to battle cravings? What are different ways that you have succeeded in your journey to be healthy?

Megan Ritter is a stay at home mom, blogger and fashionista. She enjoys yoga, running, photography and the laugher of her daughter. Her secret powers include sarcasm and baking without a recipe. It’s quite possible that she was a cat herder in a past life. A Chicago area native, Megan now lives in Haddonfield, NJ with her husband, 4 year old daughter and dog, Batman.

Notes on purchasing Suja Juice: you can find / purchase Suja juice products and the 1, 3, or 5- day cleanse on the Suja website: http://www.sujajuice.com . Please note, when purchasing through their website the shipping costs are very expensive. This is fresh juice that must be shipped on ice overnight. I found and purchased the 3-day cleanse on Amazon.com, and I was able to greatly reduce the shipping expense / cost of the product. The price varies, but you can usually find a good deal here. You can also find many of the Suja juice products (and piece together your own cleanse) at your Whole Foods store.

Guest Post: The Good We Do (for Friends, Strangers, Ourselves)

May 12, 2014 by scootadoot

I’m Jodi, and I’m on a mission to get a better butt. In fact, I’m deep in the trenches. I’ve been working these glutes of mine hard – and for a good few months now. Am I seeing results? Yes. Maybe. I guess? I’m not sure. You’d think I know, considering the amount of time I spend checking out my rear. My bedroom has a full length mirror and at least three times of day, I can be found back to back with it, my neck awkwardly twisted, staring. What a weirdo.

Am I, though? Am I weird for wanting a little gratification for my hard work? Perhaps not. But I may very well be weird for asking my husband a couple weeks ago to snap a photo of my bare booty using my MacBook Air computer. For the record, I took a quick look, then promptly erased the photo. There were just too many frightening scenarios running through my head. (i.e. “Hey Mom. Hey Dad. Take a look at our vacation photos. Here we are with a palm tree. Look at us here, all dolled up for dinner. And this one…OH MY GOD!”)

So, as I said, in between staring at my tush, and having people take pictures of my tush, I’ve been totally trying to tone it, too. I belong to a gym and tend to have a love-hate-relationship with the classes (but that’s a story for another day). So I found a bunch of tips, videos, and tutorials online and have been exercising on my own. In many ways, it’s super great. I started a new job in January in which I work from home, so I’ll often head to the gym around lunchtime and do an approximately hour-long routine of squats, lunges, step-ups, hip lifts, and a slew of other moves. There’s also an exercise I do called butt burns. Ne’er was there ever a more appropriate name. Holy freakin’ ow.

Yet, even with my steady gym attendance and my relentless dedication to butt burns, I’m not seeing as significant a difference as thought I would by now. Some difference? Yes. Enough improvement for my liking? No. I know these things take time, but I’m getting a little impatient (plus, I fly out to Turks and Caicos in mid-June. Just sayin’). So about a week ago, I decided it was time to kick things up a notch. I put a hold on my personal workouts and signed up for classes at a fancy boutique gym in town. I’ve been there before, so I can tell you, here’s what guaranteed: The workouts are incredible. Here’s what’s not guaranteed: When you smile at the other patrons, they’re going to smile back. That’s OK. I’m not there to meet my best friend. And that’s fine with me because I’ve got one already. Her name is Sharon. And she’s awesome.

We’ve been friends since we were 11. We met at an after-school cheerleading clinic (I promptly quit before tryouts even happened. I guess I wasn’t the rah-rah type.) But out of that short-lived experience came a lifelong friend – whose family opened up their hearts and home to me as well. Picnics, parties, weeks down the shore. If there was a Phillips event, I was there.

In July of 2011, the unthinkable happened. Chris (Sharon’s brother, 27) and Sue (Sharon’s mother, 64) passed away within days of each other. Every time I write that, or say that, it hits me like a ton of bricks. I still can’t believe they’re gone. I constantly do the would’ve, should’ve, could’ve in my mind. The truth is, I can’t change what happened. But here’s what I can do.

I can continue to get the word out about the Christopher and Susan Phillips Foundation, founded by Sharon herself, who was unwavering in her wish for the passing of her brother and mother not to be in vain. Through dollars raised from fundraisers hosted throughout the year, the Foundation provides scholarships to graduating Jonathan Dayton High School students (the alma mater of the entire Phillips family) and to Trinitas Nursing School students as well (Chris was attending school there. He was studying to be a nurse). Sue was a Pharmacist Technician at Walgreens. Customers used to ask for her by name.

And they’re off! (The start of the Phillips 5K/10K Run Walk)

June 1st will mark the 3^rd annual 5K/10K Trail Run/Walk. Taking place at Lewis Morris Park in Morristown, NJ, it’ll be an opportunity for folks to celebrate and remember Chris and Sue. Many knew them in life. Others, though, never met them but have been so touched by their story and the good that the Foundation continues to do.

So come on out – it’s sure to be a morning filled with affirmation, determination, and a whole lot o’ perspiration. There’s still time to pre-register (signing up by May 18 guarantees you a cool wicking tee, too). Or simply show up the day of. I won’t be running the race this year. I’ll be volunteering at the event along with others and may even take the mic for a bit. Look for the short girl cheering participants on, and making the occasional corny joke, too. (tap tap. “Is this thing on?”)

Medal recipients proudly pose for a photo.

Affixed on the back of Chris’ Jeep was a bumper sticker: Life is good, it said. He truly and wholeheartedly lived by these words. So, here’s to Chris. Here’s to Sue. Here’s to Sharon and the beautiful Foundation she’s created. And here’s to never forgetting that although it may not seem like it on some days, there’s still so much good in this life.

To learn more about the Christopher and Susan Phillips Foundation, visit its Facebook page or the Foundation’s website.

Jodi Rigotti is the Senior Editor at Teachers Pay Teachers, an online marketplace for teachers to buy and sell their original lesson plans and other course materials. Her hobbies include hiking, cooking, and being nicer than some say is necessary. She currently lives in Hoboken, NJ with her husband (and college sweetheart), Dan.

Guest post: There’s a first time for everything

March 20, 2014 by scootadoot

“What was I thinking?” This is the question that kept running through my head on Friday night – the night before my first half marathon. Less than six months before I thought anyone who ran more than a 5k for fun was insane. Less than six months before that I was among those who swore I’d never run unless someone was chasing me. With a knife. And there was a delicious fruity and alcoholic drink waiting for me when I was safely away from said knife-wielding maniac.

Well, there I was, my alarm set for 4AM, running gear meticulously lain out – double and triple checked (because I’m a little obsessive like that) waiting for sleep. It came intermixed with dreams of showing up naked or, even worse, without my race bib. Thoughts like, what if I have to use the bathroom on the course? and what if I break an ankle half a mile from the finish line? plagued me. At one point I woke up cursing the friends who talked me into a race with promises of glory and pride and bling! Did I mention that among these friends was your favorite runner and mine, Meridith? Thanks, Mer.

I decided that 3:45 was close enough to 4am and rolled out of bed. Up and at ‘em! I threw on my clothes – what a process it was to figure out what I was going to wear! All winter I had been training in sub-freezing weather, but that morning it was 50 degrees. Yikes! Too warm for cold weather gear, not quite warm enough for my regular stuff. So I found a happy medium. Then it was time for breakfast. Peanut butter and sliced banana on wheat toast. For the record, yuck. But it works.

After a few last minute words of advice from my runner husband and a kiss for luck, I was out the door by 4:50. My stomach was still churning when I met my friends at the rendezvous point for carpooling into DC. Thank goodness for the former DC-dweller turned suburbanite who drove us downtown, because the rest of us would’ve been completely lost. Fast forward: we park in the lot, hit the portajon, take Metro to the starting line. It was there that we discovered the VIP portapotties. Yes. V.I.P. porta potties. Complete with red carpet and velvet ropes. Who knew? After seeing the lines for the not-so-important-people restrooms, I briefly wished I had forked over the cash for the climate controlled, easily accessible luxury.

Then it was time to find our corrals. Since the girls I rode in with are considerably faster than I, we headed in opposite directions. I found myself in corral 30 and luckily made a new buddy – another first timer with fast friends in an earlier corral.

Corral pals!

She made waiting for the start so much less stressful. Don’t get me wrong, I was still bouncing on my toes anxious but, had Angie not been there, I might have had a very different experience.

The energy at the race was fantastic! Because it was a Rock ‘n’ Roll event, there were great bands along the course and those who lived on the course put their boomboxes on their front porches or had their car stereos blasting. Good thing too! The local cell and data network was so overloaded because of the influx of people that my Pandora app wasn’t working! The volunteers at the water and Gatorade stations were fantastic, but the cheering crowds, some with signs, some handing out beer, made the race!

I started out strong. I kept telling myself to slow down and try not to bonk. It totally worked for the first 5 ½ miles. Then came the hill. I will have nightmares about this hill for the rest of my life. The elevation climbed from 24 feet to 197 feet in less than 1/3 of a mile. When I tell you that it looked (and felt) like we were going straight up, I do not exaggerate. Probably 85% of the people around me had to walk it, and some even did so backwards to take the strain off their hamstrings and shift into using their quads. It was rough.

Accurate sign is accurate.

My legs were fried by the top and it really messed with the rest of my race. At that point I made a conscious decision that I would basically power walk uphill and only run the downhills. I wasn’t happy about it, but I did what I had to do to get it done. Thankfully, the end of the race was downhill so I was able to run through the finish line and smile for the cameras.

I collected my medal (which, if it wasn’t so darn heavy, I would wear it until the ribbon gave out) and headed through the finishers’ chute. I was very happily surprised when I turned at the sound of my name and realized that Victoria, another of my favorite Scoot a Dooters, had found me in the midst of 25,000 people.

All in all, it was great day. I am incredibly proud that I completed the course and have a shiny new medal to show for it.

I am hopeful that the whole experience will be like childbirth in that it’s pretty painful, but worth it, and a few days later you want to do it all over again. It better be since Meri and Vic suckered me into signing up for another half in six weeks. Yikes!

Keri is a stay-at-home mom to twins who loves to travel and over-indulges in historical fiction. She has been known to tone down her innate awesomeness in order to make those around her more comfortable.

Everyone has to start somewhere! We want to hear about your firsts – whether it be your first run, 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon. What did you do beforehand that worked well? What would you do differently?

Guest Post: Mermaid Run in San Francisco

March 14, 2014 by scootadoot

Last fall, I participated in my fourth Mermaid Run in San Francisco, which is hands-down my favorite event of the year for many reasons.

First off, the 2010 Mermaid Run was my first-ever 10k. The race takes place in my favorite American city, the course is stunning and the weather is perfect for running. The event has a small(ish) participant field and is one of the most organized runs I’ve participated in, the energy is amazing and swag is awesome!

My participant shirt, finisher necklace and race bib

2013 was an exciting year for the Mermaid Run San Francisco, as race organizers added a new distance, a 10-mile race dubbed The Sirena 10.

But even better than the new race length was its course, which would include an out-and-back trek on the Golden Gate Bridge. I could not pass up an opportunity to run across the bridge, so Sirena 10 it was!

Registration opened up right around my birthday so my son gave me one of the best gifts ever, registration for this run… thank you Rob!

before the race

The 2013 race was held on Sunday morning so I arrived in San Francisco early Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the Sports Basement Presidio to retrieve my race packet which consisted of my bib, participant shirt and a Mermaid Run headband. Packet pick-up for this race is always well organized and efficient, so I was in and out in 15 minutes leaving me with plenty of time to enjoy the city before grabbing some Korean hot pot for dinner and turning in early to ensure I would be well rested for my run in the morning.

Sirena 10 Runners lined up at the start

My hotel was a little more than a mile from the start at the Marina so getting there in plenty of time for the 7:30 am start was a breeze for me – a 15 minute walk on Divisadero Street and I was there. It was chilly and windy waiting for the race to start but runners and spectators were having a great time chatting, snapping photos and enjoying the stunning vistas the Marina has to offer.

The three event distances (10m, 10k & 5k) had staggered start times to account for the difference in the course for each distance, right at 7:30 the Sirena 10 runners set off.

We headed out Yacht Road and on to Mason Street towards Crissy Field, right away I noticed that there wasn’t any crowding on the course and was extremely thankful for those staggered start times. Before I knew it, I passed the first mile marker and we veered left on Crissy Field Avenue toward the Presidio.

I’ll admit it. This is the part of the course I had been dreading. While the next two miles would get me to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, it also meant one thing, running uphill.

I wasn’t excited.

Once I made my way up to Fort Point Historic Site and caught my first glimpse of the iconic bridge, those rotten hills were forgotten.

first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge from Bay Trail

Many runners stopped mid-stride to capture the amazing view of the bridge before continuing on to mile 3 and our run across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I’m not going to lie, this is what I had been waiting months to do.

I walked across the bridge years ago. Last summer my son Rob, boyfriend Tony and I rented bikes and rode across the bridge, from San Francisco to Sausalito.

And of course I’ve driven across the great Golden Gate countless times.

But I wanted to run across it. And I was about to…. well, after I took in the absolutely AMAZING view, snapped a handful of pictures which included a shameless selfie or two.

The view right before mile 4 was breathtaking.

I found my happy pace around mile 4 and headed for my happy place as I started to make my across the bridge.

I was in awe of not only the view but of all the amazing women who were already making their way back across the bridge toward the finish. I happily clapped and cheered on the lead runner and several of the others behind her as I made my way to the end of the bridge, Vista Point and mile 5, the halfway point and turn around.

The view from Vista Point.

Running back to San Francisco we were running toward traffic. Quite a drivers waved and honked as they passed by. And I got rather excited when the Bacon Bacon truck passed me, which, in turn, made me start planning my post-race bacon-centered meal.

The run back felt effortless. I was truly swept up in the moment and loved taking it all in. Before I knew it I reached the end of the bridge and mile 7.

One fabulous perk of having to run hills at the start of the race is that those same hills become your best friend on the return route. DOWNHILL!

I ran back down Bay Trail and Long Avenue before we merged with those running the 10k on Marine Drive, we made our final turn at the Warming House at Fort Point and ran those last two miles to the finish.

I am a Mermaid Athlete.

2013 was by far was my favorite Mermaid Run! The course was stunning, and I kept thinking to myself while I was running is how lucky I am to get the opportunity to run in such an amazing city with such magnificent views and have perfect running weather in early November.

With the hills, I was concerned I would fall off pace and slow way down, but much to my surprise that didn’t really happen. I was only 5 minutes off my normal 10 mile time. And I paused more than once to snap some photos!

I definitely rode my runner’s high well into the day. The Mermaid Run San Francisco remains my favorite event of 2013 and you can bet I’ll be back next year! I hope the Sirena 10 will be as well.

2014 race info

Are you interested in running the 2014 Mermaid Run? Registration is underway for the Nov. 9 event.

Early registration fees end May 31 and range from $40 to $70 (depends on which distance you pick!)

Can’t make it to the San Francisco run? There’s also a Mermaid Run in East Bay on May 10. That weekend series includes a 5k, 10k, half-marathon and 18-miler. Registration is between $45 and $75 through May 8.

Oh and in case you were wondering, I did have that bacon after the race. Like the run, it was perfect.

Heather is a mom, runner, crossfitter and contract administrator. She blogs at Heather in the Middle and can be found on Twitter at @hsb0372.

Do you have a favorite annual road race? Have your ever run across an incredibly large bridge? (That’s a hill in itself!)

Guest post: DNF does not mean failure

February 21, 2014 by scootadoot

Sometimes life doesn’t work out the way you want it to or think it will.

Last Sunday was going to be the day I ran my first marathon. I didn’t know what my time would be, or how my body would feel after it, or if I’d love the experience or hate it. But I knew I’d finish.

Except that I didn’t.

Before I get into the details of what happened Sunday, a little background. I started running in April, when I decided I wanted to run a half marathon in September. When I made that decision, I had no bigger plans than just running the half marathon, but it quickly became apparent once I started to train that I would want to run a full marathon at some point. My thinking at the time was that I’d do another half marathon this spring, then do my first full in October.

Then I ran the half marathon, and it was perfect. I ran the entire way with Chick Vic, met my goal of under two hours and helped her beat her PR by five minutes. I felt so good that I wanted to start training for a full marathon right away.

After one recovery week, I began a 20-week marathon training program that put the date for my first full in mid-February. Perfect time to go down to Florida and run a race. But just to be safe, I decided to find a backup race in case flying to Florida wouldn’t work out.

And that’s how I ended up attempting my first full marathon in upstate New York in the middle of February.

Bundled up for a chilly race

My training went very well, for the most part. I did Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 program, modified slightly to fit my schedule (and extended two weeks to add a second 20-mile run). I ran outdoors as much as possible (on the weekends and when my parents were in town and could watch my daughters), experiencing some truly uncomfortable conditions that I hoped would prepare me for whatever weather awaited on race day.

In early November, I did a 14-mile training run that included a 1:52:26 half marathon, more than six minutes faster than the race I had run in September. On my first 18-mile run, I was able to do the final six miles at an 8:19 per mile pace. Neither of my 20-mile runs felt great, but I was a lot fresher after the second one than the first one, which I considered a good sign. The only race I did during training was a hilly 7.5-miler on New Year’s Day in frigid weather, and I felt great after finishing in 1:07:22.

The Hudson Mohawk Road Racers Club Winter Marathon was an out-of-town race for me, but the logistics set up perfectly. On Saturday, I took the train to Schenectady, where I stayed with my wife’s aunt and uncle. They took me for a pasta dinner that night and had everything I’d need to get ready for the race. As a bonus, my wife’s uncle is not just a former marathoner, but a former sub-3-hour marathoner who ran Boston eight times. It was nice to be able to talk about some of his race experiences as I prepared for my first one.

Sunday morning I had a banana and a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast (I also had a gel half an hour before the race and carried four on the course with me), got all layered up for the 20-degree weather that was supposed to feel colder with the wind and then they took me to the University of Albany’s athletic campus, the site of the race’s roughly 5.5-mile loop course.

My parents, who live in western Massachusetts, drove to Albany Sunday morning and met me before the race to cheer me on and then drive me back to Rochester.

All smiles with my parents before the race.

As the start time of 10 a.m. drew closer, everything was going according to script, and that would continue to be the case for about the next two hours.

I had three goals for my first marathon. First, obviously, was to finish. Second was to finish in under 4 hours, 22 minutes, a 10-minute pace. Third was to finish in under four hours.

I know you’re not supposed to worry about time for your first marathon, and I know you’re really not supposed to go out too fast. My plan was to set a pace that would give me a shot at a four-hour marathon. If I was feeling good, I’d go for it. If I wasn’t feeling good, I’d slow down and just do what I could.

On our way out to the first loop

The first half of the race went pretty much according to plan. I let the adrenaline get to me a bit in the first mile and ran an 8:23, but I slowed down right away and was at 9:24 and 9:33 the next two miles, then I accidentally slowed down even more and did the fourth mile in 9:59.

After that, I settled into a groove and started clicking off 9:00-9:30 miles: 9:06, 9:07, 9:13, 9:06, 9:20, 9:20, 9:16, 9:09, 9:25, 9:22. I reached the half marathon mark in 2:01:15. My first quarter of the race (1:00:30) and my second quarter (1:00:45) were almost exactly the same. I felt great.

Heading out for the third loop and feeling strong.

And even the conditions weren’t that bad. It was cold but not unbearably so; I actually unzipped my top layer on the third mile. It was sunny. The roads were mostly dry. There was some stiff wind, but only at certain points on the course.

Then things started to unravel. In retrospect, I clearly had a plan that was too aggressive. I expected to feel tired during the race, and thought I could just slow down if I felt too fatigued. I didn’t anticipate the severe leg pain that was to come.

Just after I finished my 14th mile, I started feeling small cramps in my calves. Nothing debilitating, but enough that I knew I needed to slow down and try to get them to go away. I immediately dropped my pace and did the next three miles in 10:09, 10:08 and 10:03. I still got the occasional calf twinge, but not very often.

Going a bit slower but still feeling OK as I finish loop three.

Then, during mile 18, my thighs started to get tight. By the end of the mile, they had seized up so badly that I had no choice but to slow to a walk. The only way I can think to describe it is that it felt like my thigh muscles were trying to strangle my knees.

I walked for a quarter-mile, and the tightness subsided enough that I could start running again, slowly. But it was the beginning of the end. Mile 19 took me 13:24 to finish.

That’s the last mile I have a split for because, to make matters worse, my Garmin stopped tracking distance at 19.04 miles. It didn’t affect my ability to finish the race, but it definitely threw me off a bit.

The fourth loop ended around 20.6 miles, and I alternated walking and jogging for the last 1.5 miles. My parents had picked a spot near the turnaround to come out about when I should be approaching to take pictures and cheer me on. They knew something was wrong because it had taken me so much longer to finish the fourth loop than the first three.

Struggling mightily as I finish the fourth loop.

I had been running as I approached them, but then I walked through the water station and to the turnaround and back to them. As I passed them, my dad came with me to see how I was doing. I told him it wasn’t good and he kept going with me as I headed out for the final loop. We walked together for about three-quarters of a mile and when we got to the beginning of the main loop, I had to tell him to stop while I tried to stretch out my legs a bit.

Seeing how much pain I was in, and that I couldn’t even keep up with him walking, he said he thought I should call it a day. I knew he was right, but it’s not easy to pull yourself off the course when you’ve worked for 20 weeks to reach this point. Ultimately, I decided that if I kept going, I risked seriously injuring myself, and I told him I was done.

We walked back to the staging building, and I had a new problem. Since I had been slowing down significantly, I was suddenly very cold. That roughly one-mile walk – dejected, in pain and freezing – was one of the most unpleasant experiences I’ve ever had.

The good news: They had cookies in the staging building. I may have had five or six, and I don’t regret it (I also had a banana and some orange juice).

I slumped to the floor and leaned against a wall, texted my wife and posted the bad news on Facebook and Twitter.

Well, my first attempt at a marathon was unsuccessful. Went out too fast and could barely walk by mile 21. Will try again in October.

— Ben Jacobs (@bjacobsroch) February 16, 2014

As disappointing as the DNF was, I tried to stay positive (and the comments from friends and family that came flooding in certainly helped). I went farther than I had ever gone before, I didn’t let stubbornness lead to injury, and I learned valuable lessons for my next marathon attempt.

I don’t see Sunday’s race as a failure. If anything, it has made me even more determined. I’m going to run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 19. And this time, I’m going to finish.

Ben is a husband, father, runner and editor in Rochester NY. He can be found on Twitter at @bjacobsroch.

Guest post: Running the Inaugural Tinker Bell 10k for Team Lemon

January 24, 2014 by scootadoot

This past Saturday I participated in my third Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend at the Disneyland Resort in California. 2014 was the first year run Disney offered a 10k option the day before the half marathon. Initially I had only registered for the half but after participating in the 10k associated with the Disneyland Half Marathon this past Labor Day weekend I knew I had to add the Tinker Bell 10k too, only problem it was already sold out. One of my girlfriends told me that there were spots available through Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s Team Lemon, I was familiar with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation having participated in and donated to their Million Mile Run last September so I requested the registration information.

September’s Million Mile Run

It took me a couple of days to commit to running as part of Team Lemon, although I wholeheartedly believe in the mission of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation I seriously questioned my ability to raise the minimum amount required for the race entry. You see, I am not good at asking people for anything, let alone to part with their money even for a worthy cause. I knew this was going to be my struggle; compared to raising money the 6.2-mile run was the easy part! I did know I wanted to do this so I sent my registration in, as soon as my registration was accepted the Team Lemon Coordinator, Jennifer Kelly, contacted me and gave me all the information I needed regarding my registration as well as what I needed to set up my fundraising page. I went about asking for donations a few various ways, I Facebooked, tweeted, emailed and asked friends and family. I started my fundraising efforts three months before the run and happily two days before the run I received the donation that put me at my fundraising goal.

The 10k was scheduled for Saturday morning so Tony and I headed down to Anaheim Thursday evening, allowing us to visit the expo on Friday. On Saturday morning we got up nice and early (a requirement for runDisney races) got dressed, fueled up and left the hotel at 5:00 am. Our hotel was only a couple of blocks away from the start line so we had no problems walking over and being in our corral in plenty of time.

The temperature was in the low 50’s when the race kicked off at 6:00 am, there were four corrals for the race taking off just about 5 minutes apart so we had the chance to watch the start four times. Before I knew it we were off.

The course was crowded as we started out down Disneyland Drive but as soon as we entered into Disneyland itself it seemed to thin out. I normally run intervals – 3 minutes running followed by a 1.5-minute walk. But I felt strong and wanted to take advantage of the course being open, so we ran straight through until we came up on the Rivers of America, where we couldn’t resist stopping for a picture. We made a few more picture stops in Disneyland before the course led us into California Adventure.

It seemed as we flew through DCA, after one last photo stop with Sully, Mike and the crew from Monster’s University we were at mile 4 and out on the very crowded streets of Anaheim.

This was the part of the run that I thought we’d be able to really open up and get some good running in. We bobbed and weaved through the next 2 miles, once we got close to the corner of Katella and Disneyland Drive we were greeted by the cheering of all of the awesome spectators. We ran into the finish and collected our medals.

I went out and ran but it wasn’t about me this time. I felt honored to be able to run as part of Team Lemon and to raise funds and awareness for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. I would love to run for Team Lemon again in the future and I will continue to support and donate to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Have you ever run for Team Lemon or raised money for another organization/charity? We’d love to hear about it in the comments! And make sure to check out Vic’s pictures from her own trip, with special guest star, Heather.

Heather is a mom, runner, crossfitter and contract administrator. She blogs at Heather in the Middle and can be found on Twitter at @hsb0372.

Guest Post: For Those Who Inspire AND Need Inspiration

November 25, 2013 by scootadoot

A couple of days ago, Bec posted about change and the various stages associated with it. If you didn’t read it, go here and do so. I was pleased as punch to see the post, mostly because I was happy to see Bec in a better place.

So I got to thinking on my drive home from work, what can I do to help my good friend who has helped me so much on my journey? What’s the best way to be supportive? I thought it over, texted with Mer, and decided the truth, as it often is, was the best way to go.

Here it is: more years ago than I want to think about, Bec and I bonded over our shared love of sarcasm and angsty teenage love stories. I was in a different place than I am now, and it was a dark place. Bec and I have a lot in common when it comes to how we grew up and how we see our bodies, which unfortunately is a history of feeling simply not good enough. I remember sharing the story of how I don’t remember a time when I didn’t think I was an obese, disgusting girl in need of a diet. This includes grade school. Bec agreed.

Somewhere along the way, Bec decided it was change time. She started running. She started eating healthier. Everywhere there was Bec, there were these words:

I saw what she was doing and I started making some half-assed changes of my own. We fell off the wagon together. We got back on together. And even when Bec wasn’t on the wagon with me, she has been my fearless cheerleader (what can I say, sometimes I’m a grump).

Then there was a moment where I found myself standing in her kitchen flipping through a book about training for a marathon the night before a 5k. Bec made an off-handed comment about maybe trying a half marathon one day. I shrugged it off, thinking, yeah, right, that’s impossible. I am still too big and too slow and too just not to do anything more than walk a 5k. (To be fair, that day was hotter than the face of the sun before we started moving. Witness our fabulous pre-race look below.)

In spite of myself, I ended up reading that book that Bec assured me was fantastic. And she was right. I signed up for a half marathon after reading it. And then I kept going. I recently completed my third half marathon (Wine and Dine with some Chicks you know and love! They wrote about that too) and I’m already signed up for a bunch more. I’ve made some big changes, and though the bacon and cheese still win sometimes, I can say that I have finally gotten beyond half-assed into real change.

So what’s the moral of my story? I wouldn’t be here without Bec – because in spite of her protests, and her stumbles, Bec has been the single biggest catalyst for change in my life. Her positivity and inability to ever truly give up has gotten me through some of my tougher spots. She has introduced me to some great ladies who have continued to help me keep my chin up and legs moving.

I consider myself to be a fiercely independent person. I know Bec is pretty stubborn too. But I know I depend on my friends to see me through the rough spots in my life, and I want Bec to know we’re here to do the same. For all the pep talks I got, direct and indirect alike, I am more thankful than a few words on a blog can ever express.

Becci, you can do this. Maybe today isn’t your day, or next week isn’t your week, but you will get there in your own time. Finding a kindred soul was cathartic for me, and I can only hope that I can repay you in kind along the way. I know that horrible not-good-enough voice still lurks around the corner for us both, and I’m too honest to say it’s gone away completely, but sometimes, that bitch does shut up. At the very least, she’s gotten a lot quieter. I will see you in April, and if you’re a cheerleader or a runner, either way, you are an amazing friend and inspiration.

Have a friend who gave you your push out the door? Or who inspires you to keep going? Or do you just love Bec like I do and want to tell her so? Comment away!

Heather is a half marathoner, dreamer and doer. You can find her on twitter.

Guest Post: Beauty and the Beast

November 7, 2013 by scootadoot

We pretty much all grew up with the adorable (and, at moments, terrifying) fairy tale depicting the beauty, Belle, and her unlikely relationship with the big scary Beast. Essentially, a story about two people that you might not put together at first glance, but upon further inspection, clearly fit well with one another.

Now, this might seem like a strange analogy for the way that I view the relationship between yoga and running…but that really is what it is like. If you look at it from an over-simplified “10,000 foot view”…yoga is Beauty, and running is the Beast. Some people might not think that they would form a great mutualistic relationship, but they do. Oh, how they totally and completely do!

side by side shot of some of my yoga wear and some of my running wear

I have been running off and on since my sophomore year in college. Prior to that, I firmly believed that I didn’t have more than a forced-gym-class mile in me. I pretty much forever hated running as a sport and thought it was for crazy people. As a matter of fact, I really felt that way up until probably 10 years ago. (Wait, am I dating myself here??? Yeah, I’m kind of old.) Even after I stopped thinking that running was for those who were certifiable, I still envisioned that it was for a special brand of people who were probably close to superhero status. Why? Because every time I took to lacing up and hitting the pavement, the novelty of it all would last for a few months, and then it would fizzle out. Let’s face it. Getting off the couch is hard. Finding motivation to do something beyond that? Well, HARD x 10. So, the people who ran obviously had the super power of stick-to-it-iveness that most do not. And, it seems I was better at quitting than I was at continuing or committing.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I actually caught the running “bug”. This time, for real. I don’t know how exactly that it happened, but it did. Maybe it was because I stumbled upon the realization that running was a cheaper form of therapy for a first time mom than prescription drugs or “real” therapy. Maybe it was because I actually got time to myself, and I wasn’t about to stop indulging in that guilty little pleasure. Maybe because I discovered it was a way of giving in and letting go and coming out stronger at the end…and, well, that just feels good. Just for the record, I’m all for feeling good.

Selfie from one of my fall runs last year in my beautiful outdoor gym

At the same time, though, I was starting to realize that my body wasn’t as into running as my head was. My body was viewing running as the Beast that it can be for some. See, I have an ever-growing list of injuries / aches / pains that often hinder my want or ability to open up that front door to my outdoor gym. I would often wake up the morning after a run, step out of bed, and limp my way through the rest of my day, courtesy of: sesamoiditis, a newly forming bunion, an uncooperative and often angry heel and ankle, IT bands tighter than my husband’s grip on the bank account when I go out purse shopping, etc. Well, you get the idea. I’m sort of a mess (and my husband is stingy when it comes to purse shopping). Enough of a mess at a few turns that I was starting to cut back and contemplate stopping my running activity YET AGAIN.

Until.

Until, I sort of accidentally met yoga. Ah, enter, Beauty.

I say that I accidentally met yoga because I really had no intention of being a yogi. (Sort of like I never really intended or expected to be a runner.) I had taken some prenatal yoga classes, and they were “fine”. Outside of that, I had unwarranted opinions about the practice, and I just didn’t think yoga would be for me. But, life works in mysterious and awesome ways…and, so it happened.

I decided that I needed to do something else besides JUST running. Something that would break up the monotony of my routine, challenge me, and get me another form of exercise all while still allowing my body to recover from my running Beast. I was searching out a unicorn of sorts.

Another mom friend had mentioned the prospect of us trying out an all-levels Vinyasa class at a local studio while our kiddos were at preschool. I swallowed all of my group exercise, “oh, I look like an idiot and have no idea what I am doing while you all look amazing in your Lululemon everything” insecurities, rolled out a mat, and took the class. And, I almost died. Turns out, yoga can be seriously HARD, y’all! I like a good challenge, though, so I stuck with it. And, I learned a whole bunch of things in the process: yoga IS exercise. It can be intense. Or restorative. It works every part of your mind and body. It can energize you and calm you, all at the same time. And, it really, really, really helps to loosen up your muscles and stretch you back out after a run (see: pigeon pose, double pigeon pose, lizard pose, forward folds, downward dogs, legs up the wall, etc). Hallelujah! Beautiful, wonderful, magical unicorn found!

This is a pic of myself (10 lbs heavier, but still including despite that fact…ha!) and my best friend Canella (yoga instructor extraordinaire) doing back to back tree poses on the beaches of OBX in 2012

Working yoga into my weekly routine, and limiting my weekly running to 3 or 4 days at the most, has made it possible for my body to be “ok” with the beatings that it takes when I’m out hitting the roads. The pairing of both exercises, in turn, has allowed me to run longer distances than I ever imagined and to improve my pace (without even consciously working on it). I actually ran a half marathon in September, and that is something that I never even imagined being remotely possible. So, I might be old, achy, and held together by KT Tape, but I am now also officially one of those certifiable superhero-y sorts of people that I used to emulate…all thanks to introducing Beauty to the Beast.

So, what do you do besides run? Is there anything that makes it more enjoyable or more possible for you to run or for you to be a “better” runner? Please share!

Happy Running! Shanti, Shanti, Shanti! And, Namaste!

Scootadoot

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