IM Arizona 2014

Did that title get your attention? Nope, I'm not doing an Ironman. But, I'd like to do a little post about a friend who is...

Liz and I New Years Eve 2012

(and now I miss my shorter hair).

Liz and I met at a Strider's Training run a few years ago. We were both waiting for rides (It was the Kroger to Kroger Run) and we struck up a conversation about what we were training for, etc. We ended up running together on another training run later on and we've been pals/running buddies ever since.

Here we are at 6am in our hotel room in Chicago

before the shit show that turned into The Chicago Marathon 2011.

(I'm glad she got the memo about the hand on the hip pose).

Two years ago, I got a text from her, I believe it was on a Friday, because when I initially saw her name pop up on my phone, I assumed she was asking about doing a training run together that weekend. Unfortunately, that was not the case. She had been out for her regular weekday morning run through downtown Nashville and she had been struck by a car. She was okay, in that she was ALIVE and thankfully hadn't broken anything. But, she ended up suffering damage to her knee that required surgery and a year worth of physical therapy. All because a driver failed to look before turning. The accident was not her fault. She had the right of way.

Now, Liz is like me and the rest of us runners out there. She doesn't just run for exercise... she runs for her general well-being, for her sanity, as a stress reliever... and all that was essentially taken away from her for about a year. She stayed as active as she could with lots of time in the pool. When she finally got the okay to start running more, she decided that she wanted to give the triathlon world a try. 

She signed up to do a half ironman in May of this year. She trained hard for it, and showed up the weekend for the race and the weather was bad and they ended up cancelling the swim portion. Ugh! So frustrating. She signed up for another one in July that involved a freshwater swim and rocked the shit out of it a month ago.

After that, she signed up to run for Team Smiletrain at the Arizona IM this November.

Smiletrain is an organization that facilitates repairing cleft lips and palates for children internationally.

From their website: Millions of children in developing countries with unrepaired clefts live in shame, but more importantly, have difficulty eating, breathing and speaking. Cleft repair surgery is simple, and the transformation is immediate. Our sustainable model provides training and funding to empower local doctors in 85+ developing countries to provide 100%-free cleft repair surgery in their communities. 

So, here's the pitch. I've donated and I'm asking you to donate on behalf of my friend Liz who has battled back from GETTING HIT BY A CAR to now training for an Ironman. It's a great charity and I would be so appreciative of any support you can throw their way. And if you aren't in a position to donate, or just don't want to... then, please, at the very least... be extra careful driving and running. It DOES happen and can happen to you or someone you care about.

DONATE HERE 

(click the Support Elizabeth link under her picture).

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Rise and Shine

Sometime last year I saw a motivational Youtube clip for the TCU Baseball team. Then about a month ago, I saw that Nike had used the dialogue from the video to make an ad:

If you can't watch the video or don't want to... here's the dialogue from the video.

Rise and Shine

It’s 6am and your hand can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you it’s too early,  too dark and too cold to get out of bed. Aching muscles lie still in rebellion pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move. A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland. But you didn’t ask their opinion. The voice you’ve chosen to listen to is one of defiance. A voice that says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor and don’t look back. Because you’ve got work to do. 

Welcome to the grind.

 

For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way.

10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you, each one promising the path of least resistance. The thing is, you’re headed upstream. And when you make that choice and decide to turn your back on what’s comfortable and safe and what some would call common sense, well, that’s day one. From there it only gets tougher. So just make sure this is something you want. Because the easy way out will always be there. Ready to wash you away. All you have to do is pick up your feet. But you aren’t going to, are you? With each step comes the decision to take another. You’re on your way now, but this is no time to dwell on how far you’ve come. You’re in a fight against an opponent that you can’t see but oh you can feel them on your heels, can’t you? Feel them breathing down your neck. you know what that is? That’s YOU. Your fears, your doubts, and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky. But don’t lose heart. While they’re not easily defeated, they’re far from invincible.

Remember, this is the grind. The battle royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder just telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you. Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat. Burn away your self doubt with the fire lit beneath you. Remember what you’re fighting for and never forget that momentum is a cruel mistress, she can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake. She is ever searching for the weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for. So, as long as the devil is hiding in the details, the question remains… is that all you got? Are you sure? When the answer is yes. When you’ve done all you can to prepare yourself for battle. Then it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy: the enemy within. Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory. You’re a lion in a field of lions all hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says victory is the only thing that can keep you alive. So believe that voice that says you can run a little faster, you can throw a little harder and that for you the laws of physics are merely a suggestion. Luck is the last dying wish of those who wanna believe that winning can happen by accident. Sweat on the otherhand is for those who know it’s a choice. So decide now, because destiny waits for no man. When your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you that you’re not ready for it, listen instead to that lone voice of dissent. The one that says you are ready. You are prepared. It’s all up to you now. So rise and shine.

A break in the clouds.

After weeks and weeks of mostly lackluster and "oh my god why can't we just walk instead," runs I finally had a good one today. And a fast one*.

Just when I was getting ready to throw in the towel on a sub 4:00 Marathon in March/April... there is now a  SLIGHT glimmer of hope**. Does this mean I'm back to following the training plan***? Ehhh... not exactly.



* Okay, so it was only for 4 miles. But still... I kicked that 4-milers ass.
** Yes, I realize how ridiculous it is to get so amped up after a 4 mile run. But dude... it was that good!
***Someone explain to me why I continually spend hours on coming up with a training plan to follow... only to not follow it for more than 3 days? Speedwork, Hillwork? Ehhh.. who needs it, right? gulp.

Good Luck!!!!

Alright everyone, time to send out your best wishes and good luck to April. She's running the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday!!!

I really wish I was going to be there to root you on, but I'll definitely be there in spirit!!!

School those bitches, boss!

Decisions Decisions

The beginning of marathon training is just around the corner and I need some help. With all the training programs out there, how can I know which is best for me? Trial and error with different plans over the course of a running career is probably the best way to hone in one the perfect program, but I've only got one marathon under my belt so far. For that marathon, I loosely followed a Runner's World program and it worked ok. My goal was to finish and I did. When I was training for my second program, I followed Coach Hal (Higdon), but that ended when I got injured. I am interested in seeing the Coach Hal program through, but when I was injured, I got to thinking that maybe there was a better program out there...one that promotes staying injury free. That's a BIG deal to me.

There's Jeff Galloway, who says that incorporating short walk breaks while running is the way to go. He argues that it can even improve your time, which (side note here) I'm not really interested in PRing cause my first marathon was so long ago. It would be great, but I just want to run it and finish it and not get injured in the process. That's not too much to ask, is it? I know people who swear by this method of running/walking.

And then there's the FIRST training plan, which promotes "run less, run faster." I hear that Melanie and Spike are following this plan. I'm kind of a slacker, so running 3 days a week sounds alright to me, but those 3 days of running have to be KEY workouts, which means lots of pace running and speed workouts and lots of using a stopwatch, I believe. I'm not so keen on that.

Now let's take a look at a sort of opposite method of training called RUNNING YOUR ASS OFF. Amy is currently following this plan with her 70 freakin miles per week (you overachieving showoff hussy you. just kidding. sort of.) and it seems to be working for her. However, this plan requires hard work, time, and lots of dedication, which lets be honest here, I'm not always willing to put forth. Like I said before, I'm a lazy biotch sometimes. RunnerMom is also just getting started with a high mileage, but slow pace marathon program and I'm very interested to see how that goes for her. The benefit of this plan is that I don't have to worry about killer paces and such. Plus, I'd like to be able to say that I run a helluvan amount of miles every week. I'm very vain like that. I like to portray myself as a bad ass.

So you see, I have a decision to make. Won't you please chime in with your .02?

Oh and...

Good Luck Amy!!!

Race Report: Cedars of Lebanon Frostbite Half Marathon

Well, by now you know how Saturday morning's race turned out. And if not, then you might want to scroll down and check out the drunken race update that Vandy Montana and I put together Saturday night.

And I know what you're thinking and you're right. Sunday morning, I did not feel so hot. It was worth it though... I haven't quite yet learned the art of celebrating SANS booze (but if I'm going to simultaneously lose weight and continue to kick ass in races this training period, I'm looking for suggestions).

But... about the race.

I had been thinking about what I wanted my goal to be all week and it wasn't until the ride to the race that I finally settled on a goal time: 1:53. That's what McMillan says I should be to run in order to run a 3:59 marathon, so I figured that's a good goal.

The race course wasn't too difficult. As far as elevation goes, it was wayyy flatter than the previous location of this race that I had ran, but there was a good 2.5+ mile stretch of the race that was on gravel... which... is NOT fun. I had my slowest mile in that damn gravel... all because there were slower people in the padded down gravel and in order to pass them, I had to pick my moment in the center of the road, where there were huge loose gravels just waiting to twist my ankle.

Overall, I felt really good in this race. Sure, I had my moments... miles 3 and 4 were probably the hardest mentally. But, I realized something really big during this race... as soon as I start to struggle mentally... if I pick up the pace, I find that I can push myself past the mental fatigue and negative thoughts. Like, in the past, I've always done the opposite... I've slowed down and I think that just makes me feel worse about myself. As soon as I sped up on Saturday, I was like a new person. It was awesome and something that I think will help me in the future when I feel the mental collapse approach.

I wore my watch and kept track of all my splits:
Mile 1: 8:25 (the start was super clogged)
Mile 2: 7:51 (ummm.. probably a bit fast)
Mile 3: 8:04
Mile 4: 8:22
Mile 5: 8:36
Mile 6: 8:29
Mile 7: 8:16
Mile 8: 8:16
Mile 9: 8:13
Mile 10: 8:49 (Damn gravel and slow peeps)
Mile 11: 8:38
Mile 12: 8:34
Mile 13: 8:19 (a nice downhill here)
Mile .1: no idea.

Official time: (no chip timing): 1:49:54.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with those splits.

And I want to give Vandy Montana a shout out for his effort, as well. He PRed with 1:40!!!!!! (Damn show-off.) We are going to kill St. Louis in a couple of months.

The best thing about this whole thing... isn't that I did so well and pushed myself and had awesome results. The best thing about the race is that it shows me that I'm training the right way. My hardwork is paying off and is there anything better than that?

Yeah, there's no denying that's a PR smile.

My brother is awesome.

To be fair, I have two brothers and they are both awesome...and an awesome sister. Yes, I come from a family of awesomeness! Awesome. However, the oldest little brother, Spencer, is deserving of some special recognition today for his awesomeness.

Last night I was thinking about a post dedicated to the difficulty of fund raising. As you may know, I am running the Marine Corps Marathon in less than one month. I'm running this race is so that I can raise money for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Multiple Myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cell. It is treatable, but as of yet, there is no known cure.

My grandmother (Meme) passed away from this form of cancer in March of 2005. I was not living in the country at the time, so I couldn't attend her funeral...and I guess this is my own little way of showing my love and appreciation for her. It's my way of saying goodbye.

When Meme was diagnosed in 2004, we learned that there wasn't a whole lot known about the disease. The MMRF was only founded in 1998 and is now the world's number one funder of multiple myeloma research. They have raised over $102 million to fund 70 laboratories worldwide, which has resulted in four new treatments to extend the life of those who have myeloma. This breakthrough research is currently being explored in a range of other types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. That's huge. I don't know one single person who hasn't been affected by cancer in some way or another. It's scary.

So I figured, what better way to honor Meme than to do my part to try and raise money and awareness for such an important organization that has the potential to help millions? Race for Research is one of their big fund raisers and they do several 5ks and marathons all around the country. For the Marine Corps Marathon, they set our goal at $2,500 and I initially thought...$2,500 is no big deal...I'll just knock that out! Yeah well...that didn't go over as planned. Fund raising is hard and I can't believe people do this for a living.

I've raised $1,117 to date and I've seriously asked everyone I know. Multiple times. I've sent emails and letters. I've called. I started a Facebook Group. I even submitted a press release to the local hometown paper. But...times are tough. I know this. Sometimes I feel guilty for asking for money, especially in our current economy, but then I think...this is important! This is a good cause!

Ok now I'll get to the part where I explain why my brother is awesome. This morning when I got to work, I saw that I had an email from Spencer (who lives in Japan). Here is what it said:

Hey, I didn't want to tell you until it was official, but I had it approved today so I'm going with it. Some friends of mine, and Koko too, helped me type up a letter in Japanese that I passed out today to about 20 different offices in the our city hall. It talks about what you are doing and about how I want to help you raise the money for your run.

Since no one knows you I promised to ride my bike around the entire Nagashima island with a thank you banner telling everyone thanks for their contribution. Monday the 13th is Sports Day in Japan and a holiday too so I will use that day to make my ride.

I passed out the letter today and on Monday 6th I will go around to each office and collect any money that has been brought for your run.

Either through bank transfer or with my credit card - not sure yet which one - ill send you the money. If it's a lot of money I'll probably send it through the bank. I'll keep you posted and good luck with the training.

cheers, spencer

How amazing is that?!? How awesome is my brother, y'all?!? Thanks to him, his girlfriend Koko and the citizens of Nagashima, that I've never even met, I might actually have a chance at reaching my goal. I'm bursting with sisterly love and pride right now!!

To help me and support an excellent cause, go HERE

Another Article That Tells Us How Awesome Running Is.

And now for your weekly "Why running is good for you" argument I present the following kick ass article:

Running Slows the Aging Clock

Go ahead, read it… I can wait.

I’ll admit, Being the vain bitch that I am, I was immediately drawn to the article because of its title… I was thinking that it was going to talk about how if I continue to run, I’ll have less wrinkles and won’t have to worry about those pesky gray hairs that I’m starting to pluck on a regular basis….

But… it’s not. And that’s okay. Because it’s still very good news for us runners.

Check it:

“But so far, the effect of running on delaying death has also been more dramatic than the scientists expected. Not surprisingly, running has slowed cardiovascular deaths. However, it has also been associated with fewer early deaths from cancer, neurological disease, infections and other causes.”

But one of the most exciting things that I got from this article is that I now have a response to all those people that say something to the effect of this:

“Ohhhh… I would love to run, but I’m afraid it will just tear my knees up.”

Or

“Ohhhh… yeah, running is just too rough for my knees.”

Or

Anything else about someone’s dainty-ass knees. (And please excuse me, if you really do have jacked up knees, because if you truly do, I completely understand. It’s just that a lot of people use this as an excuse not to run, even if they’re knees are generally fine).

Well, now, because of this article, I have a response for those people who don’t want to run because they’re afraid their knees will disintegrate or something…

According to a recent study of over 500 older people, comprised of both runners and non-runners for a period of more than 20 years… “… there was no evidence that runners were more likely to suffer osteoarthritis or need total knee replacements than non-runners - something scientists have feared.”

BOO-YA.

Anyway, this article is awesome and I suggest you read it (don’t worry, it’s short). So, I've got the cancer and cardiovascular disease properly taken care of...now if I just gotta figure out a way to keep those gray hairs from popping up.

Running is NOT Bad For You!!!

Don't just take my word for it...

Heart Disease and Weight Control
Dr Peter Schnohr, chief cardiologist of the Copenhagen City Heart Study, says, "The strenuous activity of jogging offers great heart benefits. It increases oxygen uptake to improve cardiac function, lowers blood pressure and increases insulin sensitivity."

Oh yeah, and...
His team calculated that runners live five to seven years longer than non-runners.

Autopsies determine that heart failure and death that come when running are usually caused by an existing heart condition that had never been discovered.

Osteoporosis
Running increases loading on the femur, boosting femoral bone mass density (BMD). And you don’t need to run daily to see results. “Among our study's runners, 47% ran eight or fewer times a month yet still had higher BMD than non-joggers,” says researcher Michael Mussolino from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brain Power and Stress Relief
German neuroscientists from the University of Ulm found that 30 minutes jogging sessions 3 times a week significantly improved concentration and visual memory.
“The runners who had taken the six week jogging course made fewer mistakes and could complete the tests much more precisely,” says researcher Ralf Reinhardt. It’s thoughts intense exercise manufacturers new hippocampus cells and protects existing ones. A study at Oregon Health Sciences University found almost all joggers experience mental and emotional benefits from their exercise.

Joints
Sports medicine specialist, Dr. William Chan has this to say: "As a general rule of exercise, running and walking do no damage to the knees nor will it cause arthritis of the knee when you grow old. Studies done on marathon runners have shown no evidence of degeneration or arthritis of the knees as a result of long distance running."

A team of researchers from the department of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in southern California recently reported in the Arthritis Research and Therapy journal that adults who run consistently have 25% less musculoskeletal pain and arthritis than non-runners when they get older. Bonnie Bruce, the study author, followed more than 500 runners from a local club (called “ever runners” in the study) and 300 inactive people (“never runners”, but not necessarily sedentary) in their 50s and 60s for 14 years. Dr Bruce and her colleagues found that the “ever runners”, who ran at least six hours a week on average, experienced less joint pain by their 60s and 70s and only 35% of the joggers got arthritis (compared with 43% of non-runners).

Most knee pain that comes with running is caused by a previous knee injury.

In Conclusion...
So as you can see, runnin ain't bad, folks. (But we all know that already, don't we:) Maybe one day my nurse will stumble across this blog and gain some knowledge about the benefits of doing something great for your body.

The key is to be smart about it. Of course, not everyone is meant to be a runner...there are so many other great forms of exercise, but if you DO run, just remember to :
Wear proper shoes (and get new ones when they are worn out)
Don't push yourself on injury (listen to your body!)
Stretch
Try to get off the road and onto a softer surface once in a while
At least once a week, lift weights and do strengthening exercises

And HAVE FUN!!

Daily Kick in the Butt

Last year, I signed up to get a Daily Kick in the Butt from Runners World. These emails consist of a single quote from a pro runner, coach, literary figure or average Joe that have to do with running. This is today's:

To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain - not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it.

-Dr. George Sheehan

I do not fear my aching calves.
I do not fear my aching calves.
I do not fear my aching calves.
And I will not decay!!

Let's hear it for the old folks

Greg loves the guitar. He loves to listen to it, play it and watch other people play it. He'll even get down on some Guitar Hero. That's why I scored major points when I got him tickets to see Kenny Wayne Shepherd for his birthday. KWS is a bluesy rocker-type guitarist who taught himself to play by listening to his father's Muddy Waters records. He was only 7 years old. By the time he was 17 he recorded his debut album, which spent 20 weeks at the top of the blues charts (He is now 30). Guitar World named him the third best guitar player...after B.B. King and Eric Clapton. You get the picture. The guy is badass.So last Friday, we headed down to Tunica to see him play at the Grand Casino and MAN, was that an awesome show. I always liked Kenny Wayne Shepherd, but I now have a whole new appreciation for him. Those are always the best shows, you know? The ones that you're just indifferent about going to, but get blown away by the performance.

Ok, so KWS is obviously not an old guy, and this post is about old folks kicking ass and taking names. Friends, I'd like to introduce you to Pinetop Perkins:

Pinetop Perkins is a 94 year-old blues legend and the special guest of The KWS Band last Friday night. He has played with Muddy Waters and numerous other blues legends and continues to do live shows every week. Let me just tell you...old Pinetop can really get down. His assistant helped him onto the stage and to his keyboard, but from that point on, he was in control. He played the keyboard...he sang...he danced...he was spunky! Gotta love that.

Another senior citizen that's been in the news lately is Buster Martin. I'm sure you've heard of him. He's the drinking, smoking 101 year-old who ran the 2008 London Marathon. It took him about 10 hours. He was going for the world's record to be the oldest man to finish a marathon, but the Guinness people said he lied about his age. He was actually only 94. Only 94? Oh, well that's not impressive anymore, is it? Ha. But for the sake of the record, he didn't succeed...A 98 year-old still has that title.

The most amazing thing about this guy is his lifestyle. He still works, he smokes and drinks regularly, has 17 children and plays in a rock band. And he finished the London Marathon. What a rockstar. Maybe that's their secret...Pinetop and Buster are both musicians and live like they are 30. They don't even seem to notice the fact that they're nearing 100. Party on, Buster.

I think I'll start a band...who wants to join me?

Friday:)

I just talked to Amy and she is currently sitting in the Chicago airport, waiting on her flight to Portland. I'm just so excited for her. She's trained harder than ever before and I just know she's on her way to setting a PR!
Goooooo AMY!
I'll be sure to post her time on Monday since she won't be near a computer.

And as for me...no need to scold yet. I've been running everyday. Not a lot, mind you, but I've gotta work my way back up. I'm also going to put my running log online. Maybe that will help me to stick with it. Because how dumb is it to build my mileage up only to slack off and lose all that hard work?? Pretty dumb. But I now have a marathon on the calendar and I am registering today.

I'll be in Boston this weekend for work and I'm excited about running in a new city. Anyone have suggestions for great running routes?

Farewell my friends...

As you may know, I recently moved into a new home. It’s a step-up from the apartments that we have been in for the last two years. We now have more space, a yard and most importantly-we are no longer renting.
So while I’m really glad to have moved into the house, there are still some things that I’ll miss about living in the apartment. One of these things is my early morning run and the friendly, familiar faces that I would see everyday.
With these early risers, I would always exchange a smile and a wave…often a cheery “good morning!” or some other words of encouragement. So as a tribute to them, I’ve picked out a few of my favorites and I’d like to tell you a bit about what made them so special.

Sassy Power Walkin Grandma- This chatty grandma was my #1 favorite and I always looked forward to passing her on my run. A spry little old lady with a constant smile on her face, would shout out encouraging words that kept me going. Everyday, rain or shine, she got up at 5am for her 6 mile walk. When I slacked and didn’t get out of bed (very rarely happens…)and Greg was running solo, she would ask about me, but when I ran without Greg, she would ask about him, but then call him a chicken for not getting up to run. HA! Maybe that’s why I love her so much…

Spiffy Sweeties- The style award goes to these two! Not only did these old timer sweethearts walk hand-in-hand, but they even wore identical outfits! And they didn’t just throw on some clothes and go…Oh no…their t-shirts were always carefully tucked in. Serious fashionistas, I will say. They also rocked these giant radio headphones and so they had to yell their good mornings over the music. I still want to know what they listened to and if they were listening to the same thing...

Super Safe Bouncy Girl- Safety first! No car was going to hit this girl because she wore a bright orange, reflective vest! She also had the funniest running style I’ve ever seen. It was like she was bouncing up and down on a pogo stick or something. I have no idea how she even had enough energy to run more than a mile…it didn’t seem very efficient, but I guess everyone has their own style, right? Actually, I might not have even noticed the bounce running if she didn’t have really short curly short hair that flopped up and down as she ran. Quite a sight!

Military Man- I don’t really know if this guy is in the military or not, but he was totally hardcore and successfully made me feel like a weak-ass slacker. Thanks, Military Man. So not only did this guy run (fast), but he also wore a full backpack while doing it. I’m guessing there was some kind of weight in there, to make his run even more challenging. I’ve decided to do that, too, when I start training again. (no really, I am…and I’m offended that you don’t believe me!)

“Don’t Mess With Me” Mama- While bouncy girl protected herself from crazy, out-of-control vehicles on the road; this lady protected herself from the evildoers of the city. She walked with a golf club in hand, everyday, ready to beat down some criminals. And I thought pepper spray was good enough…

These few are the most interesting of the bunch…those that deserve a little introduction, but I can’t end the post without giving props to the familiar dog walkers and bikers that I would pass on a daily basis. Can’t forget those guys!

So I’ll raise my Gatorade in a toast to you, dear friends of the morning! Thanks for keeping my runs interesting! May you continue to rise early and make the neighborhoods of Cordova a better place!

Goodbye Apartment!

Hello Home!

I missed my calling...I wonder if the Grizz need a new cheerleader...

I'm like the greatest cheerleader ever. You should have heard all the encouraging and inspiring words that were coming out of my mouth as I cheered on all of the wonderful and dedicated runners of the St. Jude Marathon.
Amy gave a great mile-by-mile account of the race, but now I'll share a little bit of my side of the story...

I decided to be a kick-ass friend and wake up early to take Amy downtown so she wouldn't have to worry about the stresses of traffic and parking and directions. We rocked out to AC/DC to get her all good and pumped up.
Then Amy got out of the car and followed the sea of people and I drove home and went back to bed for 45 minutes. You are probably thinking...smart move,April...you are going to need all the energy you can get! And you would be so right...

So then, after "5 more minutes" and then "5 more minutes!" Greg started to get irritated with me and told me that he was not my snooze button. Jeez...touchy...maybe he should have taken a nap too. Anyway-we then made 2 very kick-ass signs. I forgot to take pictures, but mine was double sided and the first side said:
GO AMY! You're the best! #1 Woo Hoo! (very original wording, I know...it took me awhile to come up with that). It even said sponsored by 26point2ers! Can't pass up free advertising, right? I'm a marketing guru.

The other side of my sign said Cheap Trick! with an awesome drawing of a rock-and-roll hand. If only you could see my artistic ability. I'm also an art guru.
Cheap Trick is an "inside" thing between us and maybe one day we will let you in on its awesomeness, but probably not.

Ok and now for Greg's sign...he insists that his was the best and it was good...I'll give him that, but Greg, everything doesn't have to be a competition!! (my sign was better)
I mean seriously, everything is a competition with him....but I'm pretty competitive too, so I'm up for the constant challenge. Like we even compete for who loves who the most. I know you're thinking...so what? All couples do that..."I love you more!" "No, I love you more!" Yuck. Gag me with a spoon. Yes, I did just type that, shut up.
But we don't do it like that. We say "I love you the most and I win!" It got so ugly at one point that we just agreed to say "I love you the most and WE win."
Man, I totally got off track there, but my point is that we are both very egotistical and self-centered people. It's a good match.
So anyway, his sign said C'mon Amy, Get Cocky. In case you didn't know, Amy is a former Gamecock...or um, still is a Gamecock? Once a Gamecock, always a Gamecock, right? And just so you know...when we were seniors in high school, Amy actually said to me, "I'm going to South Carolina just so I can yell, 'Go Cocks!'" Really. (sorry Amy, but that is too funny not to share. I'm sure I'll pay for it...)

Soooo Greg and I packed up the car with our signs and some chairs and headed to mile marker #20! We had prime seating right up front. Ok, so there weren't that many other people at mile 20, but whatever. I got the camera ready and the cheering began. Here is a little sampling of my awesome and original cheering:
Let's go runners!
Great job!
Looking good!
Woo Hoo!
20 miles down!
Only 6 more miles!
Almost there!
C'mon guys!
You got this!
You can do it!
You OWN this!
And the list goes on and on. And yes, I did make those up all by myself. Don't even think about using them without my permission...I had them all trademarked or copywrited or whatever the correct term is. You will have to pay some heafty fines if you choose to steal...
Tons of runners were really thankful for our support and showed their gratitude with waves, smiles and words of thanks. One guy even came and sat on my lap for a little bit. However, I must say that one guy looked like he was going to snap Greg's head off when he told him that he could do it!! (the guy just happened to be heaving on the sidelines when Greg said it so maybe it wasn't the best timing...)

After cheering for an hour or so, our STAR...our FAVORITE FRIEND (Amy) came running by! Yay!! She looked solid and strong and ready to run 20 more...ok, actually she looked pretty tired, but I guess that's ok since she had already run 20 miles. So we held up our signs, cheered loudly and snapped a few pictures. Then it was time to move to the finish line.

We were looking into the distance for Amy's pink shirt...turns out that it's like the year for pink shirts or something because we were fooled by Amy Impostors multiple times. But then I spotted her (Greg would tell you that it was he who spotted her, but it was really me) coming through the gate and around the field.
Yay!!! She did it and I am so proud of her!

So then we went to Huey's, drank tequila and partied on Beale Street.
The End.

woe as me!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...you didn't get your 20 miler in, you aren't eating, sleeping or drinking right like you should before a marathon....that's rough, but let's put things into perspective here. I learned today that

I CAN'T WEAR HIGH HEELS!!

I haven't tried, since the injury, to put any on, but today I did and it hurt too much to wear them. And I've been planning this seminar for work, which of course is today, so I'm wearing a really cute outfit with plain, boring flat shoes. Woe as me!

But seriously. You're going to do fine!! I know that its all just nervousness before a race. Remember how we both kind of freaked out before Nashville too? Don't worry!!! You've got it under control and I can't wait to be there to see you cross the finish line!!!

GO AMY GO!!!