Shred: Day Two

So, sore legs and all we did our Shred video tonight. I would have loved to skip- we got to it close to 9 PM, but we did it. Starting the video is half the battle, right?

Anyway, I discovered I am sore in many many places including that little spot between your chest and armpits. What is that area called and why is it sore?

I also discovered I am Anita's grandmother. Jillian, the hostess, has 2 assistants Anita and Nicole. Nicole is built and more advanced. You look to her if you are in shape and need a bigger challenge. Anita does a modified version and helps people newer to working out, i.e. knees down on push-ups. Marcus watches Anita. I can't do what Anita does, so I am Anita's grandmother. And, her grandmother is kicking my butt.

I seriously hope I can walk tomorrow.

30 Day Shred

Tonight, Marcus and I started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. Boy is it hard! You do 6 minute circuits- 3 minutes strength training, 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute abs. It includes things like lunges, curls, jumping jacks, crunches, etc.

It was fun doing it with someone else and I hope we can see some results by the end of June. I definetely feel it!

New Jogging Stroller

Marcus and I used a handy dandy Babies R Us coupon and bought ourselves a jogging stroller for more fun adventures with Abby Lu. She loves riding in her stroller and enjoys being outdoors, so we decided it was a wise investment that we would use. I plan to take it to Sweet Berry Farms when we pick strawberries with Kyleigh, Landry and Bella later this month and to Round Top when we go outdoor antique/junk shopping with Mom and Tiffany in April. Plus, we can use it for jogging the local parks.

We tried it out today at Brushy Creek Park near our house. We walked her on the gravel trail and it handled well. It has big tires and springs to keep her ride smooth.

We walked for about 30 minutes and the baby girl did not wake up at all. (Although it looks like she was in the sun, I promise we had the shade cover on and her legs covered with a light blanket!) This, along with many others, are on the list of places she has been and never even knew. She has slept through Target and Walgreens. Funny thing is, she will not sleep at home during the day, but she'll sleep in the car, in the shopping cart and in the stroller. I feel bad shopping with a sleeping baby, but it works!

Ran The Rock, Rocked the Cause!

I can not begin to explain what an amazing weekend we had! My Goddess girls and I have been getting together once a year since college. We always shop, eat, and catch up, but never have we come together for a cause. It was such a good feeling to be with such strong women who care about each other, their families and their community.

Here is a play by play....

On our way to Dallas, we got the call that Katy (miles 10-15) would not be joining us. Not only was she sick, but her house had flooded and her husband was out of town. She couldn't leave her house.

That meant Marcus to the rescue! He had packed running clothes just in case he got the call. Marcus was a great sport and was excited to join the team. The double-fisted drinking began with lunch at Bread Winners on Saturday morning.




After lunch, Chandra, Marcus and I met up with Billye at Scottish Rite Hospital for a tour. What an inspiring place! They do such amazing work for our children. They thought of everything. The hospital rooms are bright colors, they cover up all of the scary machines, they have a kids-only area for crafts, TV, and video games, and they make sure kids are able to be kids.

They even take teenage patients on ski trips each year with custom made orthodic legs built into ski boots or snowbaords.

Here is Marcus and I with one of their many Christmas decorations.


After the hospital tour, we checked into our hotel and then went to the pre-race party to meet Baby Will and his unbelievable parents. We snapped a quick photo with him after seeing the video that ESPN filmed of his story. In total, his family through everyone's generosity, will present Scottish Rite with more than $15,000 in donations. One little person can change the world!

Will was so expressive. I know that through the Lord, Scottish Rite and his special parents, Will truly will be able to do whatever he wants to do. The Lord put him with the right caregivers to make this possible. He was fearfully and wonderfully made!

After the party, us girls went to dinner and did a little Christmas shopping while Marcus hung out with his cousin Jason in Dallas and washed our new race shirts.

It was all fun and games and then Sunday morning hit!

The weather report had predicted everything from 40 and rain to sunshine and 80 degrees. The former was more accurate. It was COLD! Here is a picture of our full team (with Danni who drove in late Saturday night!) before the race began. It was around 45 degrees with an occassional rain shower and a strong wind.

Chandra ran the first leg and did amazing! She had never done a race before and had to maneuver among the 15,000 runners. She ran under a 10 minute mile for 6 miles! When she called home after her leg, her 5 year old daughter's first question was, "Mommy, did you win?" Having finished her leg alive, Chandra proudly exclaimed that yes, she had won!

Danni was next and got super lucky- her 4 miles leg was mistakenly reduced to 3 miles. She actually passed us on her route while we were trying to get to the exchange point. She did phenomenal and was able to go much faster than she predicted.

As you can imagine, if Danni's leg was short, someone's leg was long. Yep, that would be our Plan B runner, Marcus. In a mere 24 hours, he had gone from not running to 5 miles to 6 miles. As a wonderfully supportive husband, he took it all in stride and ran his 6 miles with a smile. Yea Marcus!
I was up next for miles 15-20. I am proud to say that it was the longest I have ever ran and it was my personal best mile for mile time. I am also thrilled to tell you I did the race without shin or shinkle pain! Three Alleve, a rolling pin and lots of water and stretching did the trick!

My leg is one of the hardest stretches for the full 26.2 marathon runners, so it was filled with Hooters girls, men dressed like Dolly Parton, beer, art work, live bands, candy and lots of Gu. It really made the 5 miles go by quickly. Marcus met up with me at Mile 4 to keep me company and we did the last mile together.

When I was done, I passed the lime green slap bracelet (a modern baton) to Billye who ran the next 6 miles. She did a great job and I am so grateful that she organized us into this race. Thank you Billye for sharing Will with all of us!


Finally, the last .2 miles were upon us and we all met Billye to finish as a team. Marcus ran ahead and snapped a picture of us running the final stretch. We could see the balloon arch of a victory just ahead of us!

When we crossed the finish line it read 5 hours, 30 minutes and 30 seconds. Woo Hoo! We were not last and beat our 6 hour predictions.

We all were awarded green relay team finisher medals and proudly wore them to lunch and all the way home. I may still be wearing it.... just kidding!

Overall, amazing weekend! Will and his family is an inspiration to us all. I am proud that my friends and I ran the rock and even prouder that we rocked the cause!

Oh My God- It is Here!

I can't believe the White Rock Marathon weekend is upon us. In just 5 days, we will be running our marathon relay. It is all becoming very real! I am scared my shins will hurt and my time will suck, but I am more excited to do this with Billye, Katy, Chandra and Danni! I can't wait to meet Will on Saturday, see his ESPN feature video and to meet his amazing parents, Reagan and Katie. Beyond Will, we are running for all the boys and girls at Shriner's with hand and feet differences. I hope we can inspire them as much as they have inspired us. Please pray for us girls as we run on Sunday morning- our health, our stamina, and for good weather.

If you want to read more about Baby Will, click here.

To donate to Shriner's Hospital in Will's honor, click here.

Reindeer Run...

Today was the 2nd annual Lifetime Fitness Reindeer Run that Anna and I signed up to do...it's the last weekend before the big ROCK marathon relay.

Unlike last week, the rain was......bearable. Just little bitty drizzle here and there...and it was 65, not 35 this time. So not so bad weather for this one...



However....I need to log a grievance with the directors of this race. This was advertised as a 5K.....this was NOT a 5K. My time was a couple mintues over our "mistake at the lake" as was Anna's I swear by my Brooks running shoes, this was at LEAST 3.4miles...maybe 3.5. Afterwards, there were bananas, and napping.....and there was much rejoicing....








Marcus

Mistake at the Lake

Since we are just two weeks out from The Rock, I jumped at the chance to meet up with a former KW co-worker at run the Shake a Leg at the Lake 5K this morning.

WRONG! I was so wrong for agreeing to run this race. It is now known as the "Mistake at the Lake", according to Matt and Caroline.



Here is Caroline and I before the race. I can guarantee you if she had not showed up, Marcus and I would have gone back home and right back to bed.








Can you guess why it was so wrong? Look closely, yes it is wet and yes it is cold. It was 40 and raining! The wind chill made is more like 35! And, land near a lake is normally not flat!

It was a small race to begin with and the weather made it a tiny race- maybe 50 people ran the whole thing!

Here is Marcus and I post race. What you can't see if how very wet we are. The first mile had rain coming straight into your face. Marcus and I ran with one eye shut! The entire third mile was up hill- I don't remember mile one being downhill!

Plus, the wetness made my cotton yoga pants so heavy that they stretched out. When I started the race, they were out my ankles and they grew to the point that they covered my shoes and lapped over my toes. I was a vision of "beauty and grace" as Marcus would say.

A big shout out to Caroline for completing her first 5K. She even won second place for her age group!

And, Matt for deciding at the last minute that he'd rather run the race than stand in the cold and wait around. He ran a very respectable time for a last second decision.

They will only get warmer and flatter from here!

New 1 Mile Record!

Last night at the gym with my loose shoes on and my heel inserts in place, I ran my fastest 1 mile time ever! Granted, it is NOT fast compared to most people including Marcus, but I beat my best time by 2 minutes.

Yea!

Anna

The Case of the Painful Shinkles Solved!

I am super super stoked to report that Marcus and Runtex worked together to solve my shinkle pain.

Marcus noticed that I was lacing up my shoes too tight. Last Sunday I went for a run with my shoes MUCH looser than I normally do. My shinkles did not hurt. To quote the Runtex worker, I was "choking" my feet.

After that run though, my heel was bothering me. I have a mild case of heel spurs so that looseness of my shoe made my foot/heel hit the ground more often. I purchased some heel inserts made to absorb 97% of the shock of running. Combined, it all worked and I ran longer and more than I have in weeks.

Yea!

CASA 5K Completed

This morning Marcus and I ran/walked the CASA 5K. It was a tough morning- very early, hot, and incredibly humid! We were sweating just stretching and walking from the car!

My goal was under 50 minutes. Last month on the treadmill I completed the 5K in 52. I ended up completing the race at about 49 minutes. Although encouraged, I recognize the Marathon Relay is just 3 months away and I have to improve to have a respectable 5.5 mile time! I also need to get better equipment- dry fit shirt, taller socks (blisters!) and something to assist my aching shins!

Marcus wanted to complete the race in 25 minutes. He came really close! The humidity also killed him. He definetely enjoyed the water balloons from the kids post-race.

Our next 5K is next month! Here's hoping we can improve our times!

August Workout Goal...

With all the craziness of work this month, I did not reach my workout goal. I only worked out 6 times, but I am not going to beat myself up over it. I worked 19 days straight preparing for Mega Camp, a big Keller Williams event. Taking out the week of the event and the major prep week, I did workout a couple of times each week.

September starts tomorrow and I am going to reset my goal of 11 workouts to prove that I can hit it!

Wish me luck!

My First 5K in a Long Time!

Marcus and I are training for the CASA 5K in September and did a practice run today at the gym.

My friend Elizabeth and I used to do 5K run/walks once a month back in 2001. It was a nice workout and fun to have bagels, run and be back in bed by 10:00 AM. Elizabeth changed jobs in late 2001 and we slowly stopped seeing each other and the 5Ks stopped soon after.

I have not run another 5K in ages, until today! I did my first treadmill 5K ever and the first 5K in at least 5 years. It was shin pain free which was nice. I'm not thrilled with my time; however, it was on par with my pace in 2001. I am older now and surely not thinner, so I'm not totally disappointed.

I hope to improve my time by 5 minutes on September 9th. Wish me luck!

July Fitness Goal Met, On To August

When I decided to do the marathon relay for Katie's baby 3 weeks ago, I joined the gym and set the goal to complete 10 miles of walking, running or biking in the remaining 2 weeks of July!

Last night, I met my goal! I officially ran/walked/biked 12 miles! Most of that was spent on the treadmill where I discovered running feels better on my shins that walking, but walking sure does feel better on the lungs! Biking is fun, until the tension shoots up and then it takes everything I've got to move the pedals. I've also learned that my ipod needs better workout music.

This month, I have a big event and will spend 6 days in a hotel working 16 hours per day. Needless to say, I will not be going to the gym that week! So, my goal is to workout 3 times per week the remaininder of the month. That makes the ticker goal 11 workouts. Wish me luck!

Rock Relay Workouts Begin!

Okay, I'm officially in this. I am doing "The Rock" marathon relay. I bought new workout clothes and joined the gym this weekend.

Buying new workout clothes is just a pain.... how much do you really want to spend on workout clothes. I always want to look cute. But, this sweaty girl with her face bright red, hair pulled back and makeup removed can only look so cute. The clothes will only do so much. On top of that, I could not be more white. It is the middle of summer and I have the working girls tan, or lack thereof. Hopefully everyone at the gym can see that I have style through my cute shorts and fun colored t-shirts!

More humiliating the buying the clothes, is being interviewed by the young gym sales guy. He asked questions like, "What is your weight loss goal?" and "Have you ever been at your ideal weight?". Or, how about "do you plan to change your eating habits as well?". I have never wanted to go workout so bad. Let's get the interview over with. I am here to workout and not discuss it with you! I was a fat kid for goodness sake!

I'm glad that part is over with! Keep track of my progress on the ticker. I hope to increase my miles each month until the marathon relay doesn't seem so far. Marcus also plans to join us. He'll be running the Half Marathon while the girls and I relay it.

Anna

I'm Running the Rock

My girlefriend Billye sent out a prayer request and call to action for her friends Reagan, Katie and their unborn child. After waiting and waiting and praying for their new baby, R & K recently found out their child will be born without hands and feet. Their faith and love and concern for their unborn child is moving. Read more about them on their blog- Reagan, Katie and Baby.

In the sea of doctors they have seen in the last few weeks, their experience at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas stood out. Three things I did not know:
1. Scottish Rite is a FREE pediatric orthopedic hospital. Free to any child in Texas.
2. It can never be more than 4 stories tall so that it does not intimidate a child. They will build stories underground, but not more than 4 above ground.
3. It must always smell like popcorn!

To support Katie and her baby, I have agreed to join Billye and her friends on a marathon team to support Scottish Rite hospital. We will run "The Rock" together in Dallas on December 9. My part will be a little over 5 miles. A big feat for my big butt!

Please pray for Reagan, Katie and their baby! Pray for the other parents and children that know the world of pediatric orthopedics! Pray for our relay team that we may show our love and support of these families through our blood, sweat and tears!

- Anna