It's Who I Am

Being a mommy has changed my life. It *saved* my life - made me better - made me healthier - made me whole. There wasn't anything particularly wrong about my life pre-kids - but it wasn't amazing. I had friends. I had fun. I ran[sometimes].

I didn't really know myself though. Becoming a mommy made me realize what was important to me. In realizing this, I decided that the only way I could be a good mommy to them, was if I was a good person to myself. I needed to start treating myself and my body with the respect it deserved. I needed to be happy for all that I could do and had accomplished instead of focusing on what I didn't have or hadn't done.

Having kids made me appreciate every run I went on. I no longer had to run - I was privileged enough to get to run. I realized how important *me time* was. I realized that I felt the best during and after a run. I realized that I wasn't just a girl who ran - I was a runner girl.

In essence having kids made me find myself.

I would get up at 4:50(and still do at times) and head out the door in the dark for my runs. I found out who I was on these runs. What I was made of.

There isn't a day in my life that I'm not a mom. There isn't a day in my life that I don't think about running. Being a mom is my life - it's who I am. Being a runner is my life - it's who I am.

Go to www.mile-posts.blogspot.com to enter my Why You Run Contest. Contest ends 12/1

The weather out there is frightening....

Ok, so the weather in Houston is not frightenting, but it is that time of year when I feel my running is most threatened. All of the busy stuff going on, all of the food and goodies that once consumed make you feel a run could be worthless. This is also the time of year family and friends are less understanding about why you have to leave to get a run in (except my running husband who completely gets it). On Thanksgiving Day I had a spare 25 minutes in between taking the turkey out and finishing up and just ran out the door as fast as I could to just move before that dinner. I ran into my husband pushing a running a stroller, my 13 and 11 year olds running, my 6 year old on a bike, and the two year old gleeful to be out. I love my running family. I will persist this season despite the distractions. Run Mommy Run!

running makes mice smarter

So, mice who are forced to run on a treadmill at a faster pace than they would choose are smarter. Does this mean when I force myself to run faster than a steady pace, say, do sprint repeats or tempo runs, I become smarter? Or do I need some outside influence forcing me?

Phys Ed: What Sort of Exercise Can Make You Smarter?

MomsWhoSave Gift Idea #1 - Personalized Photo "Skins" for Cell Phones, Laptops, and More!

I know some of you love holiday shopping, but I don't! Is that surprising? I love finding a good deal--obviously, but the hard part for me is coming up with gift ideas year after year for the same people. It's especially difficult finding something for those people who already seem to have everything. And, of course, I need to stay within my budget.

This year, I'd like to share some of the things I've found that are reasonably-priced, and are hopefully new and different enough that the person you're buying for won't already have them. I'll post a new gift idea as often as I can between now and Christmas.

Here's something I have seen before, but not nearly as highly personalized as these from Snapfish. I'm talking about "skins," or coverings for your laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, and other devices.

You can upload your favorite photos and embellish them as much or as little as you'd like to make them just right for whoever you're giving them to (or for yourself).

Check out these examples:












These are available for a long list of electronic devices in nearly every brand name you can think of--plus they're on sale for 20% off. Make sure to enter the coupon code PHOTOSKINS20 on the site when you check out. (This offer is good through November 20th.)

In fact, if you want to order holiday photo cards, photo books, calendars, photo jewelry, mugs, mousepads, or any photo gifts (even just prints), the entire site is an extra 20% off when you click here, and use the Snapfish coupon given.

Want more great deals? Click to visit MomsWhoSave's main deals site, and join us on Twitter and Facebook.

Marathon Stroller Record

I was just reading this article on two(male) marathoners that are trying to break the stroller marathon record. I'm not sure how I feel about it....what about you? I personally know that my kids might unbuckle themselves and try to kill me if I ran for that long with them in the stroller. (And I've been pushing them since they were born) Wonder how these kids feel?

Makes me curious to know if there is a stroller record that involves moms rather than just dads??

If you just can't read enough about running - check out my personal running blog at www.mile-posts.blogspot.com :0) Become a fan while you are at it?!?!

Regrets

Tuesday night I got the rare treat of being able to run when my husband got home from work. It was an easy run and so I decided to really attempt to take it easy. I got lost in thought. This happens quite often as I pretty much never run with an ipod. I am forced to be alone with my own thoughts. I thought about all that I have accomplished this year and started to feel some regrets. I wondered if maybe I would be faster if I had ran cross country or track in high school. I started wishing I had drank less beer in college, partied a little less and ran a little more. I went down this track for about 5 minutes when literally out of no where a little voice said to me "are you kidding me?!?!" At that moment years of regrets went out of my head.

Maybe if I ran cross country or track in high school I'd be burned out from running and wouldn't even be a runner right now. Maybe if I ran more in college I would have gotten injured and again not be running now. There are a million and one things that happen in your life that you can either look at as regrets or you can take the moment to realize that every decision helped you to get to where you are today. If you are proud of where you are, then why live with any regrets? I am exactly where I am and am accomplishing the things I am because I didn't run in high school(other than randoms runs with friends) and because I did choose drinking and hanging out in college rather than focusing on a sport(though I did run cross country my senior year). If I had always ran these times, if I had never gained 35lbs after high school, I wouldn't appreciate the way I feel/look/run now. I'm a better person now. A work always in progress. From this day forward whether a decision is the *right one* or the *wrong one* I will be living with no regrets.


Check out my personal blog at www.mile-posts.blogspot.com :)

#5 at 5

So, it was now a couple weeks ago, but I finished my 5th marathon (the Marine Corp Marathon) 5 weeks after the whole appendicitis fiasco. In retrospect, I do remember the doctor saying something about how my stamina wouldn't be what it used to be for a while. Oh...so that is what she meant! The short story is that I lasted 3 hours. Unfortunately, I only covered about 21 miles in that 3 hours and the last 5.2 miles were a combination of walking, jogging and hobbling. Lucky for me (?) my husband was pretty much ready to throw in the towel at that point too. At least it was a lovely day and it fit our definition of a date!

Unlike the last time I failed to make my "goal" time at the Marine Corp marathon, I don't feel bad about this one. I stayed hydrated and well fueled. I really don't think I started out too fast. I just think that my body had 3 hours in it - at whatever pace I saw fit. Besides, I did achieve my down-graded goal for this round of marathon training: I didn't die. (I realize that sounds overly dramatic, but I'm actually being completely serious.)

I also need to thank my two youngest kids for putting up with this marathon training nonsense! They've spent countless hours sitting in the jogging stroller with minimal complaining. I couldn't train like I do if they weren't so great! Don't forget to thank your kids for tolerating your idea of fun :)

Awareness

One of the many gifts that running has given me is a greater understanding of the world and more compassion for those around me. Today is the first Veterans Day that I have truly took the moment to understand and comprehend what has been sacrificed for us...for me.

Thank you veterans. Thank you for giving me the freedom to run down my street when I so choose, the freedom to run races in whatever I choose, the freedom to believe in what I want, the freedom to blog about whatever I think - whatever I feel, the freedom to have as many children as I want, the freedom to vote, the freedom to marry who I choose, the freedom to go where I want to go and to be what I want to be. Thank you.

Veteran's Day Freebies and Deals from MomsWhoSave.com

Here's a round-up of discounts being offered to veterans and military personnel for Veteran's Day. Please doublecheck these offers, as not all locations may be participating. You'll note the days for these offers vary too.

Applebee's is offering a free entree to active duty military personnel and veterans on Veteran's Day (Wednesday, November 11th).

Also, on Wednesday, Krispie Kreme is offering free doughnuts, and Outback Steakhouse is offering a free blooming onion and beverage.

Home Depot and Lowe's are both offering 10% discounts--also on Wedneday.

McCormick and Schmick is offering a free entree to veterans, but this discount will be on Sunday.

Golden Corral is offering a free buffet meal, including beverage and dessert to veterans and current military personnel on Monday, November 16th.

Family Christian Stores is offering this printable coupon for an extra 33% off any one item, including sale items on Wednesday, November 11th. (There are a few restrictions, so read the fine print.)

Active Duty, Reservists, National Guard Members, and Military Retirees are invited to spend the day free of charge at Wet'n'Wild Hawaii. Plus family members and friends get in for $19.99 with prize giveaways throughout the day. Click for more information.

Eli's Cheesecake in Chicago is offering both active-duty soldiers and veterans free slices of cheesecake and coffee this week at the Eli's Cheesecake Cafe.

Several historic sites in Virginia are offering free admission for vets and current military in honor of Veteran's Day. Click here for more details, but sites include Colonial Williamsburg, the estates of George Washington and James Madison, among others.

Carolina Tire & Service Center in the Charlotte, NC area will change your car's oil for free if you're a vet or currently in the military. (You need to bring in a current or expired ID.)

ALL national parks' visitors can enjoy free admission on November 11th! Click for details.

Florida state parks will not charge a fee on Veteran's Day either. You may want to check with your state to see if they will also be free on Wednesday.

Finally, lots of stores will hold special sales. For example, Sears will have a one-day sale online Wednesday, and I've heard there will be free shipping to military addresses.

Do you know of more freebies for Veteran's Day? Leave comment below.

To see more deals and online coupons, visit MomsWhoSave's main deals page, and for grocery coupons and freebies, click here.

You can also follow MomsWhoSave on twitter and Facebook for even more savings!

Training Smarter Every New Year

There truly are many joys in getting older. The body, however, might sometimes disagree. A new little ache, a nagging pain...all signals that you need to change your way of thinking. No more logging miles to just log miles. There comes a time when you must train smarter, not harder. And you know what...it is actually a lot of fun.

These days instead of squeezing in a run whenever, wherever, and for however long or fast I feel that day, I plan ahead and stay focused. No more racing every weekend just for the heck of it. No more going out for a 20-mile run on a random Sunday without building up the miles carefully and progressively. No more 5 or 6 days of running in a single week.

You know what? We could all learn from the "aging" athlete. Not that being 40 is old! But you will be surprised how the amazing human body can start becoming your personal coach! Screaming at you to take a day off. Letting you know exactly how much is too much.

What can we learn?

1. That all those junk miles really do us no good.
2. That smart training can make us stronger, faster, injury-free.
3. That running 3 or 4 days per week helps our bodies heal and our muscles repair themselves.
4. That learning good form will increase our natural ability to run well and remain injury-free.
5. That dedicating each weekly run to either endurance, speedwork, terrain, or even an easy run helps us perform better.
6. That actually warming up (instead of just thinking about it) makes our run easiser.
7. That stretching is actually enjoyable and important for preparing our bodies for its next great performance.
8. That cross-training keeps things fun, challenging, and interesting!
9. That rest days aren't for wimps!!!

Once we come to the realization that the hundreds of race bibs in a box in the closet really won't make cool artwork, maybe can take a deep breath and focus on just one, two or three big races with a big personal goal.

It's Not Doily Lacing Day....

It's racing day....well not yet, but almost....

Tomorrow I'll be running a new 1/2 marathon in DC with none other than the one and only Snez(my mom). I never really understood how cool it was running races with my mom until I became one. I hope that when I'm in my 40's - I look great and am still kicking butt in races with Miss Chloe Raine running up ahead of me. Honestly my mom rocks. Up until last year her marathon PR 3:38 killed my 3:59!! And she set that PR in her 40's :0) I hope this means that many more PR's are in my future.

My new favorite pre-race tune I hum in my head is actually from the children's show the Backyardigans. It's a catchy little tune - I'll share the lyrics....

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not nervous pacing day.
Today's the day we race.

I'm ready to race a long, long race.
This race goes almost every place.
It's fast, it's long,
It's vast, it's far,
It starts out right here where we are.

But when the finish line's unfurled,
We will have raced around the world.
When we finish this long, long race
I hope, I hope I'll take first place.

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not sausage casing day,
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not picture-tracing day,
Today's the day we race!

We'll run somewhere that's not right here,
And while we do the crowd will cheer.
Through the forest over the snows,
Across the ocean and then who knows?

Whoever is the first around,
will get to make that victory sound,
Dunt-da-daa! is what they'll say
at the end of racing day.

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not puppy chasing day,
Today's the day we race!

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not doily lacing day,
Today's the day we race!

A long, long, long, long way we've come,
To get back where we started from.
We raced real hard but now it's time,
To break that tape and cross that line.

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not self-effacing day,
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.

I don't have any goals tomorrow except to have fun! I mean of course deep down inside I secretly would love to do well but I'm realistic and certainly know it's not the best idea to race a 1/2 two weeks after running a marathon. Sooo that being said we will just have to see tomorrow what the day brings.

Still Got It.

Part of running is fitness - part is mental. Sometimes the mental can take over and make you question the fitness. Sometimes I feel the need to push myself a little on a run just to make my mind remember that *indeed girl - you still got it*

Sunday - I ran 5 in rain before 6 am - 9:19, 9:19, 9:07, 8:18, 8:21. I had wanted to run 10, but was too cold, soaked and discouraged. I called it a day at 5 miles. Then on Monday I ran with Charlie's mommy and felt like we were really running fast - 9:07, 9:10, 9:02, 9:27, 9:14. Don't get me wrong - I don't think that any of those miles were slow per se but I felt like I was running a 7 min pace when I was really running over 9. I know that some of you will say - hello Dorothy - you just ran a marathon - and I know this. I just don't like the inevitable slow down/ recovery period after a marathon and so my mind goes a little crazy.

And so today arrived and I hadn't run in two days. Reason #1 - laziness. Not so much laziness of not wanting to run but because it takes a whole lot to get out the door. I must get dressed, get my hydration ready, get the kids up, dressed, fed breakfast, then get drinks/snacks/lollipops ready for them, make sure we have the correct blankets they like, let the dogs out/get them water and food, then try to head out the door. All that before even taking a step to run and I'm exhausted. Reason #2 - OLD MAN WINTER IS COMING. And I don't like him. I feel bad taking the kids out on especially cold mornings because even though I bundle them up - I feel like it's still just too cold/windy. This morning I was dying to run so I just was going to suck it up and head out the door. Luckily Charlie's mommy offered to watch the kids and I did not hesitate for a moment to take her up on the offer.

Anyone who has kids and whose husband works crazy hours(or is a single parent) knows that it's super hard to run/work out in the winter if you don't either a. have a treadmill or b. a gym membership. Since we moved we ditched the gym membership and we don't have a treadmill(though I have been pleading my case to my husband to get us one). So when someone offers help of the running kind I'm always ESPECIALLY grateful.

I decided to run a 3 mile tempo, which then turned into 4 mile tempo, which then turned into a total of 8 miles. 7:37, 7:33, 7:15, 7:05, 7:56, 7:39, 7:41, 7:15 - 8 miles in exactly 1 hour, average 7:30 pace. I still did the 4 miles tempo but then slowed a bit a mile 5 to recover a little but still push myself. Yes this is less than two weeks after a hard effort at Marine Corps, but my mind has started doubting my capabilities and is wondering if I will loose all my gains from this summer, over the winter. I pushed myself sooner than I know I should but now I feel like *I still got it*.

My mind needed this run. I left Charlies mommy's house feeling refreshed and better than I have felt all week. I'm so thankful for friends who run - they truly understand the need to *get out there and pound the pavement*

Mommies - how do you make your winter running work? Any tips or suggestions are welcomed!!

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month. Hm. So I signed up. Day 3. I've got 1800 words that look nothing like a novel. I don't care; I will try to write more words than I would write without the structure of NaNoWriMo. They may turn into a novel. Who knows?

First, I'm going out for a run.

Racing for the Cure with my 13 year old

Greetings from sunny and 70 Houston, TX! A few weeks ago my 13 year old daughter and lots of her friends got up at 2:30AM and headed to downtown Houston to set up for the Komen Race for the Cure. It was eerie being on the streets at 4AM but it was the most remarkable thing I've ever seen. I've lost count of all the races I've benefited from someone else's early morning rise and dedication.
At 4AM there were hundreds of folks out setting up. Our group made the balloon arches for the start and finish and some of the ladies did the arch for the Breast Cancer Survivors. It was just amazing. By 6:30AM there was a race start/finish and everything ready to go. The girls worked their fingers to the bone. Those with the craft-friendly fingers went to town. (I do not have those fingers). I took pictures and was happy to be there and to see it all happening. Then at 7AM most of those Moms/Daughters left. They got in their cars and went for neat breakfasts and female bonding time. My poor daughter and her friend knew better. They had come with me. I had put safety pins on their shirts and as soon as the work was done we changed into run gear and walked the area. There were thousands of people-- mostly women milling about. There were as many people as there were in Staten Island getting ready for the NY Marathon when I ran it a while back. I watched the girls. The friend's Mom is a breast cancer survivor. This 13 year old girl already knows the terror of breast cancer. Her Mom was home with the flu, but this girl was determined to run for her Mom. We got to the line and started the race. I loved every minute of it. I was weepy looking at the head scarves and dark pink shirts of the survivors. We had our yellow volunteer shirts on and stuck out as not belonging in the race. This morning I will never forget. I will never forget pacing them and then realizing I did not need to move them along. They are 13, but they are touched by a horrible disease and were running strong. I'm in awe of the future.

Where oh where is Dorothy?

I'm here but surprisingly don't have much to say about running. Why you may ask? Well it seems that after Freedom's Run something was ignited inside of me. I was frustrated/happy/angry/sad/elated and found that all my energy was best focused on Marine Corps in order to feel normal again so I blogged and blogged. With that being said I ran *the time of my life* at MCM this past Sunday and am just plain happy.

I knew in the first couple of miles that my ultimate goal of 3:25ish was not going to be run that day. My legs were tired - tired from Ragnar Relay - tired from Freedom's Run - tired from sitting in class for two days straight - tired. I did however still feel that I had some sort of fitness left even though I completely was coming to grips with the fact that I probably peaked at Freedom's Run or even Ragnar Relay. Instead of getting angry or upset, I felt a sense of peace. I felt like I was having fun. Fun you may ask? How can I describe running a marathon as fun. Well it was just that. All twelve of my marathons - whether or not I had a good time - whether or not I hit the wall - were some of the happiest days of my life. So yes even though I was tired, I was having fun. This marathon literally went by faster than any of my other marathons and here is why.

I did not start out too fast - in fact I started out wayyyy slower than my goal of 8 min pace - 8:43 in part to the fact that it was more crammed than any MCM I have run before. This unknowingly helped me to never really hit the wall. Sure I slowed down - but it wasn't from hitting the wall - it was from my legs telling me "Dorothy you have asked us for allot and we are trying to give you allot but girlfriend for the LOVE will you please stop asking us to race back to back marathons?!?!" The time also flew because I was looking forward to seeing my husband at mile 10, mile 15, and mile 21. Each time he handed me a full water bottle and I handed him my empty one, I just couldn't wait till I was at 21 when he would run me into the finish. It went by fast because I realized that since the April of 2008 - I have had a baby(Miles), lost the baby weight, nursed my son for 15 months, took care of two kids and kept our townhouse clean while trying to sell it, sold our townhouse and packed it up, moved to a house and unpacked, ran 6 marathons, pr'ed at 3, qualified and ran the Boston Marathon, re-qualified three times for Boston, ran Ragnar Relay(Team Saucony Rocks) and came in 2nd overall with a team average of just over 7 minute pace for all 197 miles, and ran and pr'ed at every race distance in 2009. WOW. I just ran and kept thinking about how proud of myself I was. How amazed at all this girl had accomplished. How I would have never guessed that I would have made it to this point in my life! Who knew that a girl who used to run 11 minute miles would one day run a 3:31 marathon?!? Certainly not me!

I guess the peace from the race is spilling over and I just haven't had that much to say. That and I've been busy recovering, working on my coaching test, and tomorrow I have to sit in another class ALL day long so I can become CPR and first aid certified.

So there you have it. That is where I have been :)

What happened to the newsletter?

Many of you are wondering what happened to the seeMOMMYrun e-newsletter. And I am getting quite a few emails asking why members are only receiving a handful of "AD" emails lately. No time like the present to address this issue.

As moms, we know how busy life can get. Right? Well, my life is no different from any of the fabulous, busy moms who use this site. Busy, busy, busy.

I WOULD LOVE TO FIND SOMEONE TO HELP WRITE ARTICLES FOR THE NEWSLETTER. Email me at andrea@seemommyrun.com if you are willing to help find a couple of interesting articles and email them to me for the newsletter. This would be a huge help and take a bit of the burden off my aching shoulders.

The 2 or 3 "ad emails" that you have received over the past couple of months are from sponsors (aka. people who pay to help keep the site afloat). Without them seeMOMMYrun would either have to become a membership-fee-based site or would simply go away. So it is very important that seeMOMMYrun has a few sponsors to help out!

For those not interested in receiving sponsor emails, you can login and "Change Your Options" to no longer receive emails. Simple!

For those who lovingly accept sponsor emails, I salute you. Hopefully, I bring you some great deals and fun products that make your life a little easier.

I hope to send out the next e-newsletter in early November. It's about time, right?????

Thanks for your support,
Andrea

Gotta Walk Before I Run

Gotta Walk Before I Run.

Turns out, this isn't just a metaphor. Nine days post-partum: My birth went well, no damage to my plumbing, I've been up and moving, well...since giving birth. I delivered at a free standing birth center and was sent home just 6 hours after my boy's arrival - and I was happy to be back in my own bed.

My mother came into town 2 days later. Now, my mother means well, but at 69 years old, her body isn't what it used to be. In fact, she's a wreck. Plagued by manic-depression, she gave up living years ago. Long story short, she can't stand for more 10 minutes, she shakes to much to write, and gets lost going to her mailbox. Frankly, she needs to live in an assisted-living facility, but refuses. What makes it tragic is that she'd rather have a hundred ailments listed on her gravestone than try to take care of herself. This week, I took care of two "infants."

I made her dinner while trying to teach my 2 day old to breastfeed. I helped her buckle her seatbelt after I hooked in my 3 day old into his carseat in order to pick up my 4 1/2 year old from preschool. I unsuccessfully tried to get her to shower while re-diapering my 5 day old.

I'm thankful my birth went well enough that I could keep my family going AND care for my mother. But I'm exhausted. I'm tired and sore and angry that I couldn't take it easy during my son's first week of life. I'm upset that she invited herself into my home for 8 days knowing full well that she couldn't help walk our dog, drive my son to school, help with meals or even clear her own dishes. I'm furious that she came with a runny nose and loud cough - and now my 4 1/2 year old and I have it.

I want to run. I want to strap on my running shoes and refuel with each step. I want to erase my bitterness by sweating it out but I can't. I should have been healing, but I've been up and moving non-stop. After driving my mom to the airport, I'm just now realizing how sore I am. I know I have to walk before I run, but I didn't think walking would be such a challenge. I know it's only been 9 days since a major event - giving birth - but a 20 minute walk shouldn't have been so hard. Maybe I'm just aching because I've lost my mother.

Marine Corps Marathon Finishers Videos

Today I feel like I ran a marathon. It always takes two days for the soreness to really kick in for me. Yesterday I was a tad sore but it was similar to what I would have felt after a hard 10K. This morning I'm walking around feeling 30 years older. I have heard from numerous different people that taking a bath in epsom salt helps to relieve soreness after racing. I then saw on Ryan Hall's blog that he takes them - I figured if it's good enough for him then it must be good enough for me! So I gave it a try this morning. I don't know if my soreness is improved or if it's a mental thing but I certainly feel better after a warm bath.

If you haven't checked out your finish video then click here. I think it's so cool watching yourself moments before you cross the line.

How is everyone else feeling today????

MCM and my number break down

WOW - What a whirlwind weekend!!!!! Friday and Saturday were spent sitting in a class room in Arlington for my Road Runners Club of America Running Coach Certification Class. The class was great and I was happy to have some familiar faces in the class. I learned a ton of stuff that I can't wait to apply to my own training and also share with all of you.

Marine Corps 2009 was the 7th year I headed down to DC for the race. As always it was amazing and I can't say enough how much I love this race. I have so many thoughts right now but after being in class for two days, running 26.2 miles and then getting woken up by Miles at 5am this morning - I'm exhausted. So I'll just share my number break down tonight and hopefully blog more tomorrow about my experiences!

MCM 2009
3:31:21 - My fastest marathon to date
182 Overall Female - out of 8,280
1341 Overall - out of 20,936 finishers
67th in my division

MCM 2008
3:36:41 - My fastest marathon at the time
239 Overall Female - out of 7,150
1637 Overall - out of 18,279 finishers
71st in my division


My age grade from last year was a 62.5% - this year I'm up to a 64.1%. 60% is considered a Local Class Athlete. 70% is considered a Regional Class Athlete. I'm improving and that's all I can ask for!!!

I'm so beyond proud of myself for all I have accomplished. Yesterday I ran faster than I ever dreamed possible.

I can think of no better thing than finishing the fastest marathon of my life with my husband by my side cheering me and pushing me on. Without him I would not have achieved half of what I have.

**Congrats to Rebecca S, Kate R, Jessica H, Jenn Z, Zoya, Lauren P, Lisa R, and all the other wonderful women who rocked it yesterday!!! WE ARE STRONG MOMMIES!!!

Halloween Fun Run

If you live in the Fairfax County, Virginia area, come meet me and my family at the

3rd Annual Costume Halloween Run at Burke Lake!
(A Fairfax County Park Authority event.)
*Must be in costume to participate.*

Date: Sat. Oct 31, 2009
Place: Burke Lake Park - Shelter A
Race start times:
Group A - 9:00 am 13 and older
Group B - 9:15 am children ages 12 & under (plus their parents if running as chaperones)
Distance: Group A will walk or run around Burke Lake (4.5 miles)
Group B will run to the dam and back (approx 0.75 miles)
Cost: $10 children 12 and under; $15 ages 13 and older

Goody bags, refreshments and a raffle following the race in Shelter A.
Shelter A is next to the big playground with the rainbow twisty slides.