May 12athon – Rocked that Bi-Curious challenge!

Heh Heh Heh. I am bad. I thought it was a catchy title. What can I say?

Well, it’s May 12th and that means time to get out there and get some miles in for the Stet That Run’s 12athon Virtual Run Challenge. I am happy to say that not only did I get my 6 miles as required for the JV team, but I also got my limit of Bonus Challenges in today as well. Vanilla miles of the past months be damned.

For my bonus points I chose the following challenges:

• Naturalist: Thanks to our wonderful 12athon race director Iris, and her invaluable advice, I am heading towards minimalist shoes. Unfortunately, my LRS did not have any of the shoes I actually wanted to try in my size (9.5) I tried for 3 different models of Merrells and 2 models of New Balance with 0mm drop. Actually, every barefoot type shoe I asked for was not in stock. *cue scream* thank you giant running shoe chain store! I went home with a pair of Nike frees 3.0 which has a 4mm drop. Not what I wanted, but already a HUGE improvement over the big heavy shoes I have been in before. Much less pain for my plantar fasciitis already! When I am not running, I am almost barefoot in my regular life. I can’t wait until I try something even lower in about a month or so. They are light and I love that I can move my feet in them, and they can do this… But there is still a whole lot of padding/cushion and I don’t want that so much. But they count for the challenge so YAY!
  

  I can actually move my feet and wiggle my toes for a change!

• Bi-Curious: I spent the better part of last night fixing a bike for a friend and while I was out there decided to put some air into the tires on my bikes and wipe all the dirt and grime off.  I was inspired to go for a short ride today so I figured why not get points while I am at it I ran 3 miles this morning, then hopped on a bike that is clearly not fitted to me (It’s still my favorite little Frankenstein) and rode 3 miles. I have to admit, I felt like I was cheating at this whole crazy game, but I had fun. This picture just reminded me that I left my water bottle in the holder out there…
  

  Too big, not built for a woman, total Frankenstein, but my fave bike in the current arsenal.

• Baker’s Dozen: I did learn my lesson after last time about leaving my stomach’s affairs in the hands of someone else; especially when that someone is addicted to donuts! I baked my own healthy cookies, which is a staple in my home. I ate one before I left, 3 on my run and it was awkward to stop and eat a cookie every mile on my ride through the neighborhood haha.
  Here’s the recipefor you health conscious people. It can be made with a minimum of 2 ingredients! Yes, you read right. I think you endurance athletes may like it. I have been making them for years!  This batch has 4 ingredients: bananas, oats, fig pieces and peanuts.
  

  They may not look pretty, but they are tasty and good for you!

I had such fun getting my sweat on this morning. I am however green with envy over the 12athoners who were able to get together and run in real life. When will you all be taking a trip to beautiful and sunny Arizona? hmmmmm? *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge shove shove poke poke prod prod*

Oh and I will be relaxing while pouring a frosty mug of this today

Because I like to replenish my lost fluids!

Healthy Banana Cookies – It cannot be any simpler than this!

I have been making these cookies for years and my family loves them.  I like that they are healthy and simple and have minimal ingredients!  I wanted to share since it is so easy to make and virtually impossible to get wrong! There is no measuring of ingredients involved.

Eat Me!

They do not taste like a regular cookie, but more of a fruit/nut bar. I love to grab a banana in the morning before going for a run, but these are a great alternative for when I am all out especially since they keep in the fridge or freezer.

They may not be pretty, but they will be as tasty as you make them and healthy! This batch in the photos are made with only 4 ingredients: bananas, oats, fig pieces and peanuts.

These cookies start with a base of just 2 ingredients: Bananas & Rolled Oats. Theoretically, you can just use that, but it would be so very boring!

Recipe:

• Ripe Bananas (I usually use about 5 or 6 big ones and get about 24 – 30 cookies)
• Rolled Oats. Make sure they are rolled old fashioned kind, I don’t think quick oats/instant oatmeal will give the right texture.
• Any assortment of fruit you desire. FRESH OR DRIED Fruit, it doesn’t matter. I have used everything from fresh apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, etc chopped into pieces to any dried fruit you can imagine like blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, etc. Use any combination as it’s fun to experiment with flavors.
• Nuts any kind or combination like peanuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc. (be careful of allergies if sharing) they nuts are optional.

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a cookie sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mash the peeled bananas with a fork or whisk.
3. Stir in oats until the mixture is thick enough to scoop onto a cookie sheet. More oats makes a drier, firmer cookie, less oats makes a moist cookie. It depends on personal preference.
4. Stir in any combination of fruit dried or fresh or combination of both. This is what makes the cookie tasty in my opinion, they more fruit the better! Otherwise you end up with bananas and cooked oatmeal.
5. Stir in nuts if you are using them.

These cookies do not expand or rise so whatever shape you make them they will stay that way. I have made them into bars by forming them into a rectangle or you can scoop into a cookie cutter then lift out the cookie cutter to leave the mixture in that shape.

6.   Bake for about 20-25 minutes then allow to cool before eating/serving.

C is for cookie it’s good enough for me… C is for cookie it’s good enough to eat… Cookie Cookie Cookie starts with C. (I often do sing the cookie monster song; true story)

Store these in the refrigerator since there aren’t any preservatives. I also like to make a lot and freeze them so I always have a snack when I am on the go.
They are like snowflakes, no two batches have ever been the same!

Let me know if anything needs to be clarified, you guys know I can ramble on and on and not make sense!

Heavy breathing isn’t just for the perverted! RUN

I saw that on a shirt once and it really applied to me this morning!  I ran a mere two miles huffing and puffing the whole way… and LOVED every single moment of it.  My maniacal smile in between gasping for air should have been proof to anyone who saw me.

It’s been too long since I enjoyed/been on a run.  Between foot issues then getting sick the very same day I bring home sparkly new running shoes. Ha! Fate had other plans for me.  I even toyed with the idea of wearing my new nike frees 3.0 to bed.
But out on the road today, during all that heavy breathing without a partner, I fell in love all over again.  It may have only been two miles, but those two miles were all mine and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

The truth is, I have been feeling a bit better for a few days, but I have found it so difficult to get out the door in the morning.  Every night I swore to myself that tomorrow would be the day, and every morning I would find the flimsiest of excuses not to go. It had been so long that I couldn’t bring myself to even pull on those new shoes.

Something had to give. Over the past few months not only has my fitness gone all to crap, but I found myself shoving disgusting things in my mouth. All the junk food that your brain can think of it probably went down my throat. It wasn’t like tasty food that I love, but things I don’t even like. I was in this spiral and just kept getting lower and lower. I felt like shit; both mentally and physically. I am not going to candy coat it. Because I already ate all the candy.  My stomach looks like I’m expecting triplets. The kicker is this: I knew all it would take for me to shake off these cobwebs and pull myself from this funk would be just one good workout session.  So why has it been so hard?

Today, I operated on auto-pilot without giving my brain time to think. The second my I opened my eyes this morning I swung my feet off the bed and started getting ready to head out the door.  The new shoes I mentioned are my first foray into using “less” shoe with a 4mm drop so I promised myself “No more than 2 miles.” After all, it had been awhile since I had been out there and didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment. 2 miles I can do in my sleep.
But, I have to tell you, those two miles felt so incredible that I wanted more! I almost pushed it, but decided to take it easy instead. After my run, I hit the fitness center and knocked out what felt like the quickest 30 minutes on the elliptical followed by some light strength training. I had to stop myself from doing more only because I was starving!

I have to tell you, I feel great right now! Endorphins flowing and I can’t stop smiling. I have even been dancing around like a goofball. I even did this song…
Yes, I did. I am so sorry!
How annoyed are you? Still here?
My husband hasn’t seen that girl in a while lol.  Even he is smiling. You see, exercise benefits everyone!

Ok. I need a goal to stay on track because one workout doesn’t a ‘Comeback’ make!  I have decided to sign up for a half marathon!
I will let you know which when I choose.

I will be rewarding my return to grace with a cold brew today, an Albion Amber Ale from the Marin Brewing Co. I haven’t tried that one before, let’s hope it’s worthy of a celebration! I wish I had some Belgium black from Four Peaks though yum!

 

Happy Running!
Happy Sweating!
Happy cold Frosty One!

Whoa! Thanks for sharing!

Are you ever too friendly? Or am I just crazy?

Do you have one of those faces that prompt random strangers to tell you their life story? You know what I’m talking about; when someone you never met or barely know just looks deep into your eyes and says to themselves “self, this is the person you must share your personal truths with.”

Now, I’m not talking about being neighborly & sharing a mutual conversation with someone you’ve just met. I’m such a friendly person that I seem to make instant buddies wherever I am. I love that! I actually enjoy going to festivals, events, etc. alone because I know that I’ll be meeting new people. It’s just my personality.
My friends joke at my expense because when we’re out together they say that I can’t go to the ladies room without coming out with a new friend. They have named these lovely ladies my “pee pee buddies.”
True, albeit weird story: I was on a trip with a girlfriend once in a small town and we decided to hit a bar that night. After a few beers I headed to the bathroom. There were 2 stalls, I picked one and headed in. A minute later I heard the door open and someone entered the stall next to me. She started talking and we stuck up a conversation. While I was washing my hands the woman actually opened her door while she was still sitting there and said “sorry, I like to see who I’m talking to.” LMAO! What can I say, I stayed and chatted with her until she was done and when we walked out her party joined our party and she bought us a round of drinks. She also offered to teach me how to ride horses at her ranch the next day, unfortunately we had to continue our trip. Yes, I gather friends wherever I am! Yes, sometimes my new friends are odd, but I love that. It keeps life fun & interesting.

Sometimes, however, I’m not feeling friendly. We all have those days where we just want to be left alone. These days I imagine my ‘friendly’ hat turns into a ‘Caution: I bite’ hat. So why is it that on these days I seem to meet people who don’t want a friend, they just want to spill their guts to a stranger & then move on. Maybe it’s cathartic for them. It is always easier to share issues anonymously, but what trait signals a person that someone is receptive? Or do people who need to talk just settle for anyone?
My Dad tells me this has been happening to me since my early teen years. The person in front of me in the checkout line will literally turn around and start telling me about their life. He would stand back amused.

My husband seems to have this same effect on people and he is the exact opposite of me. He’s a shy, anti-social wallflower, but people open up to him as if his name was Dr. Freud and they were laying on a couch.

A few days ago, Hubby & I were sitting, cuddled on a bench outside enjoying the evening and a woman walked by. When she saw his face she stopped to say hello. We smiled and returned her greeting. She then proceeded to tell us that we would both be happy to hear that she finally dumped her boyfriend. She found out he was cheating and she ended up with an STD so she kicked him out.
He’s trying to apologize and is begging her to take him back, but she just isn’t having it. We told her good for her, he didn’t deserve her and to stick by her guns! She ‘updated’ me on a few other personal topics. Then, she really looked at us and said, ‘looks like you have a really good friend there.’ We said yes & thank you. We’ve been together 11 years and are still best friends. She said she was happy for us. We told her to take care of herself and to have a good evening. She then continued on her way. I asked my husband who she was. He looked at me and said “I thought you knew her.” The look on his face was golden!
We broke into shocked laughter! We each indulged the woman only because we thought she was an acquaintance of the other. There was a gentleman on the next bench who had heard everything. He laughed and said it was his turn and we had to listen to him next. He was joking of course and the three of us kept chuckling at what just happened. None of us could believe the personal details she shared with us LOL.

Does this stuff happen to anyone else?
I mean, we have all met people who share a bit too much, but please tell me there are others who encounter it on this level of crazy!

A few bonus runs can’t be bad

Actually they were downright great!

I feel like I am getting back in the swing of things little by little and starting to feel like my old self out there on my runs.

I was able to complete 2 out of 3 bonus runs this month for the Stet that Run Virtual 12athon.  Tax Day, a way to shake off the stress of Uncle Sam by running 4.15 miles in honor of April 15th. This run felt pretty good, like shaking off some cobwebs.
Then there was a bonus run that was in honor of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. I admit, I haven’t read this book so I am not sure just yet what it is I am running for. I am definitely adding this to my ‘must read’ list.
I did do the requisite 4.2 miles on April 20th and I have to say, it felt great!  I enjoyed this run so much, might have had something to do with the new running shirt I treated myself to beforehand lol. I was definitely seen in my bright yellow duds. I’ll have to get a photo next time I wear it.

I am still convinced I am wearing too much shoe if that makes sense. I am having discomfort when I wear my running shoes, even got new ones, but same issue.
I have gotten some really great advice though and I can’t wait to share what I discover.

I am such a slug!

It’s the 12th of the month!
Do you know what that means? Why it’s time for the Stet that Run’s Virtual 12athon silly. What? Did you think I already did that last month? I’m going to level with you… today, I wish I already had it over and done with lol.
Remember what occurred last month on the 12th? This graceful swan took a tumble.  I am laughing while I type this because if any of you know me in person, you know that the last word that would ever describe me is graceful.  I am a world class klutz! I trip over my own feet perhaps on a daily basis, I have tumbled down a desert hill resulting in jumping cholla cactus in my hand and butt (tweezers were required to remove same) and I have even fallen out of a parked car.  I wear my clumsy shame as a badge! I’m not graceful so I will be damned good at being the best klutz out there. At least this is what I tell myself, but I really need help!  Stand clear folks or you may take a tumble with me.
The fact is, I haven’t been on a run since last month. That makes it exactly one month since I have enjoyed what I like to call “Me time and no one better try to get in the way of that time.” I may have been a bit cranky these past few weeks…
Actually, though the fall was pretty bad and I did need a few weeks to heal, I am actually taking the opportunity to rest a different pain. I have been dealing with plantar fasciitis since last year. It has been nagging for quite some time, but it has started to get a bit worse recently.  This month off has been good for it. I am still experiencing discomfort, but the majority of pain has definitely eased up. I definitely want to explore this some more since I have been either completely barefoot or wearing cheap, thin flip flops when shoes have been necessary.  I think I am wearing “too much” running shoe.

As for this 6 mile “run;” I have definitely had better. Of course, I didn’t expect it to be a walk in the park after no being out for 4 weeks, but it was a little brutal.  I realized right from the beginning that this wasn’t going to be a run. So, I used the Galloway podcast that I downloaded for the very 1st 12athong run in January and ran/walked the 3:1 ratio. It helped me finish. It wasn’t until I was almost done that I realized that the point system for the Bonus Challenges reset and I would be able to claim a few extra points. That made finishing a bit easier with a smile on my face. Way to cheat the system lol.
I did labor through this workout, but I have to say it felt so good to be back out there again. I saw the usual faces that I pass and say/wave hello to every morning and there were a few new ones; always a plus!  I worked up a sweat and maybe even picked up some well needed endorphins along the way.
All in all, I am once again grateful to this challenge for getting me out the door and back at it.

I will be taking it easier with shorter run as I get back in the swing of things, but it feels amazing to Be Back!

I Won!

Yeah… That’s right! ME!

Thanks to the wonderful people that bring you Stet That Run’s Virtual 12athon Challenge I have officially won my 1st ever running prize. I, ladies and gentlemen, was the 1st quarter  winner for the JV team.

I just want to give a shout out to all the 12athoners and what they have accomplished every month. The way some of these amazing runners have been not only getting in their miles, but adding in all the crazy shenanigans of the bonus challenges is mind blowing! I URGE you all to please go read about and see the craziness for yourselves! I am in amazing company folks.

I cannot begin to tell you just how elated I was to find out that I was receiving running swag.  Not just because I love free stuff. I really do! I mean, I have never entered a race or anything so this was a huge deal for me. My first running accomplishment.

Look at my prizes!

So, true to form, I promptly announced to my family that they needed to build me a shelf to put my trophies on. While I am the kind of girl that is perfectly capable of building shelves (one only has to look around my home to see the evidence) I thought that this shelf needed to be done for me to further remind them of my awesomeness.  I am still waiting on that shelf however, so we’ll see what happens.

Here’s what I won:

• A very awesome hand crafted runner’s cup. This is the very thing I was holding like a trophy and walking around the house with for about an hour asking my husband and Dad repeatedly “Hey, have you seen my trophy?” I wasn’t sure if they got a good enough look the first 27 times. I am nothing if not thorough!

Have you seen my fabulous cup? I won this!

• One Good Earbud from Far End Gear. This is a very cool and functional earphone for anyone who is into sports and wants to hear their music without sacrificing their safety. This device allows both channels of audio to be played in one ear. The one I received also has a speaker which is so perfect as I use my phone as my GPS tracking device and MP3 player. I can use this as headphones and for voice calls, which is perfect as I am hearing impaired and need an earpiece every time! LOVE IT!  I will be writing up a post on this once I take it for a run, but it is the most comfortable earpiece I’ve ever had.
• A box of True Lemon Lemonade. There’s 10 little packets in the box. Just pour one into a bottle of water and you have delicious lemonade for only 5 calories! It’s great guys, and I don’t usually drink anything except water, hot tea, and alcohol. I’ll definitely be keeping these handy.
• A great little wristband from InknBurn that says RUN or DIE. I love it! I have been wearing it since I opened the box. I haven’t been running since the last 12athon run. So it is serving as a reminder that I need to get back out there and fast! They make some really stylish gear so be sure to check them out.

All in all, I can’t tell you how excited I have been receiving the package in the mail. I do miss my fellow 12athoners though and cannot wait until next month when we all get together and run again even if only in spirit. Such a great and motivational bunch.  Be sure to join us all on April 12th! Now, I have to start planning my bonus points for next quarter.

Thanks Iris!

The Road to Hell…

They say is paved with good intentions.  Yeah, I had good intentions as I set out this morning for the March 12athon run.

These 2 guys were quacking up after witnessing what a mess I was today! Why Yes, I am ridiculously cheesy. Thanks for noticing!

I had a particularly hectic past few weeks so I didn’t do much in the way of planning for the bonus challenges (that will change for the future!) Being a Junior Varsity member of this whole crazy ordeal, I figure I have to get in as many extra points as I can.  Last night however, I prepared the lazy way; by conjuring up the challenges on my phone and figuring which ones I can pull off.
I decided on:

• Baker’s Diet Dozen – mini treats as opposed to those monster donuts  the hubby tortured me with last time. My spouse is addicted to donuts! Yes, there I said it. He’s gotta have ‘em. He seems to always have some in the house! So I packed the ones he had – 6 mini coconut donuts oh, and I started with half a blueberry muffin. How those fried, lardy, sweet treats don’t add to his waist line I just don’t know.  But I will find out and then I will kill him once I have his precious secret! Let’s keep that last part between us ‘kay?
  

  I won't lie, I started burping these after mile 2. Why couldn't they be mini cupcakes or something.

• Kriss Kross; wearing my clothes backwards and 12 jumping jack at each mile.  Though, now that I am typing this, I am wondering if I should have been doing 6 jumping jacks as I’m team JV… hmmm… No matter, easy enough!
  

  The Daddy Mack'll make ya Jump Jump!

So, not worth much in terms of pointage, but every little bit counts right?  So, off I went.  Slower than usual, lacking a bit of energy, but determined to finish non-the-less.  I ran a little further than 3 miles tragedy struck!  As, I was crossing the Metro Light rail tracks on Main Street, I tripped and fell. That’s right ladies and Gentlemen, I went SPLAT!
I have never fallen while running before, but have heard many stories! I just had my 1 year runniversary last week (I started couch 2 5K last March) I am chalking this up to earning a running badge!
I haven’t entered any races or won any awards so this, my friends, is 1st running honor. I think it’s time I look for a race so I can have something positive to display heh heh.
All kidding aside, it wasn’t the safest place to land considering there’s a light rail passing in each direction on 12 minute loops and the track is sandwiched right in the middle of Main street traffic (thankfully, almost non existent traffic at the time.) So I got up, checked for trains 1st, then stumbled across the road.  The worst part was that I was dizzy afterward. I started looking around for somewhere to sit, spotted a bus stop and slowly made my way to it, while trying not to fall again.  There, I rested, drank some water, and ate the last 3 donuts.  The dizziness abated, so I decided to limp the 2 miles home.  A very helpful man stopped me to inform me that my leg was bloody. I smiled and thanked him.  I mean what else could i do?
I made it about 1 mile after 1/2 hour and decided to try a slow jog home.  Realized, it wasn’t too bad and honestly I didn’t want to forfeit my entire March points, so I went a little out of my way for a total of a 2 mile jog.  Therefore, I made a little over 6 miles today. YAY!  I did it. Turning into my driveway, ‘We Are The Champions’ started to play in my headphones (no joke) I started laughing, threw my arms in the air and came in like a champ!

I obviously didn’t bother with evidence on the bonuses since I will have to repeat them another time considering I only did them for 3 miles.  Sorry Iris, the 12athon goddess, you couldn’t get another jumping jack out of me after that!

But… as long as you’re not squicked out by blood, then you’re in luck!
Honestly, the left knee looks much worse since it’s been cleaned up!  I decided to spare the faint of heart the pics. and yes, there are pics haha.

My Battle Scars! I don't know what is with the right knee, it's the oddest injury I've ever had!

I should add, I planned on doing the RUI challenge today as well, but the only thing that stopped me (other than imbibing that early in the day) was not knowing if my bottles would count.  I use a hydration belt that has four 6oz. bottles. I only use 2 of those bottles, but I need to find out how many would count for the single and double fister.  My luck, I may have been much more graceful with a bit of hooch in me!  I mean, it always improves my mad dance skills!

Until next time,

Happy Running!

“Beer before wine makes you feel fine…”

Birds overhead at the start of the run

“Wine before beer makes you feel queer.”
Why didn’t I listen to the sage advice from Karen Walker’s nursery rhyme.
Yesterday, I enjoyed a very fun filled day at the SkirtSports SkirtChaser 5K. Maybe too much. All this girl wanted was a few beers. Truth be told, the beer line was too long. So, long story short: I waited for the line to dwindle down by sipping on a couple glasses of Barefoot Wine’s cabernet. Over an hour later the beer line was finally looking doable, then I started on the Four Peaks Kiltlifters. (Yum!)
This paired with a day hanging out in the AZ sunshine made for a very sleepy combination.

Disclaimer: I used public transportation to get home! I don’t condone drinking & driving. Deadly mixture.

Thankfully, I don’t ever drink enough to get hang overs (or so I tell myself when I wake up intoxicated), but I tried to sleep as long as possible since I only had a couple of hours of sleep the night before since it was my BFF’s birthday celebration. This meant a postponed Stet That Run’s 12athon Run.

I had planned on combining a few challenges, but honestly just kept it simple for a straight run. I decided to forgo the “festive” Valentine sweater I borrowed from my step-mom as I didn’t want to be uncomfortable. It was in the high 60s and the sweater would have been too much.
I did use the Galloway 3:1 podcast again, but you can only claim each challenge once so no points there. I did leave late enough to see the sunset. Accidental, but scored some extra points so yay!
Here’s my run stats on Endomondo

Again, I’m grateful to Iris and all the other awesome 12athoners for the motivation to get out there & run. I love the feeling that even though my runs are solo, I’m never alone on the 12th. I’m very excited to be a part of this whole crazy bit of fun. The best part is reading all about the awesome adventures of the others. They all inspire me; such great and supportive runners! My goal at the end of this is to move up from JV team to be a full-fledged 12athoner.

Some thoughts during my 6 miles today:

1. I sure hope I make it home before it gets dark.
2. It sure is beautiful outside, maybe I should try to get used to evening runs
3. Is that tiny dog really going to chase me? I’m afraid I’ll step on him
4. Ick! Why do these kamikaze bugs always fly directly into my mouth?
5. I wonder how many bugs I’d have to swallow to get 1 gram of protein
6. I hope I never find out the answer to the last question
7. Am I the only one who notices everything seems more beautiful on a run? The sky, clouds, the little flower that people just see as a weed…
8. Or is it because the colors are more vivid because of endorphins or all the blood leaving my head to go help out my legs
9. Whoa! My left calf is cramping. That’s never happened to me before
10. Man, it’s dark out here! I should get a headlamp
11. I should pay attention to my footfall, cramps aren’t normal for me
12. Aww, I think we’re all out of bananas. I’ll have to pick some up tomorrow
13. Ooh, only 1 more mile to go, if I turn here home will be about a mile away
14. Ugh! I smell!
15. Home… Shower here I come

The Truth of the matter however, is that inner dialog was just an attempt to distract me from the dominating thought in my head: I want chapstick!
I mean, that’s really the only thought that I kept coming back to over and over again. Here I am thinking about how much I’d love some chapstick. Why don’t I bring chapstick along with me. Do I really want to turn my hydration belt into another purse? Man, I’d kill for some chapstick right now! Other runners strategically place water along their routes; here I am wondering where would be a good place to keep a tube of chapstick. My Dad once showed me this Dr. Oz quiz to find out if you’re addicted to chapstick. I checked yes to every item on the list. I could check some of them several times. “Hi there stranger, we’re going to have a casual chat and you’ll be my friend for 15 minutes, here hold this tube of chapstick for me in case I need it and I can’t find the 6 others I keep on me.
Yeah… I have a sickness.

I win!

Ok, I just looked up at everything I just wrote… Wow that’s a whole lot of jibber jabber/mumbo jumbo/convoluted nonsense/are you still reading this/disconnected thoughts/chitter chatter/really, you’re still reading?/blather/gobbledygook!

I wonder if I’m still drunk?

Official Start of The 12athon Challenge!

Greetings!

So today was the official start of the Stet That Run’s Virtual Challenge.

I had fun! Well, I think I did. I’m a bit queasy at the moment!
Too many donuts… But I’ll get to that shortly.

I’ve mentioned that I’m on the JV team of the challenge since I have not yet reached awesome endurance runner status. (Have no doubt that I’ll get there, but these things take time & work. I’m willing!)
Since I’m only running 6 miles at a time, I’ll only be making half the points that most of the other runners are building up.
I’m going to attempt to combine Bonus Challenges to accrue more points.

Today, however, I bit off more than I could chew! Literally!
Here are the challenges that I conquered today:

Mayan Ultra: Running for the past 12 days. *See previous post*

Sunrise: I saw the sunrise during my run. I miss waking up and running before the neighborhood wakes.

Galloway: I downloaded a podcast from Motion Traxx of a 3:1 Galloway workout (loved this!) I’ll be using this more often!
It made this slow poke Faster!!!

Dirty Dozen: Pee Yew! 6 articles of dirty clothing, 1 piece removed at every mile. Quite a look! I’m glad I run alone.

Baker’s Dozen: The 1 challenge I regret! 1 baked goodie at every mile (where’s the sick bucket?) PLUS the pumpkin spice muffin I ate before my run.

I’m. Going. To. Be. Physically. Ill.

So, here are my Endomondo stats and some highlights of my run:
I woke up and started getting dressed. Then I started to pile on my laundry. On top I had a white tech shirt, then a pink tech shirt, then an over-sized blue t-shirt to try to hide the madness. On the bottom, I wore a pair of running capris, pulled on my skirtsports skirt, then pulled up a pair of tech shorts over the shortie of the skirt, but under the skirt part.
Did I mention madness?
That’s 2 extra pieces to shed both on top and bottom. I needed 2 more so I pulled on a pair of gloves (counts as 2) I’ve never worn gloves on a run before so I know those would be the 1st to go.
I never usually eat before I head out the door for a workout, but today I actually woke up famished! I started out with a muffin that I’m glad I had since I forgot that I had to start off with a baked goodie. Then I was off, just mere moments before the sunrise with the DJ giving instructions in my ear.
I run along a canal and I see the same faces of runners and walkers every morning; super friendly bunch of strangers so I had no worries leaving articles of clothing in out of the way spots to throw over my shoulder on my way back. The toughest part was eating the donuts! I asked my hubby to pick up some baked goods on his way home last night and explained what they were for. He was very amused to say the least, but he’s used to my shenanigans by now.
Unfortunately, instead of the little plain, glazed ones I asked for, he came home with cheese filled giant globs of ick! Under normal circumstances I may have enjoyed 1 of these. Too late to go back, but of course a sane person would have just abandoned that particular challenge.
You have yet to find out just how sane I am not so I’ll let you know that I ate 1 at every mile AND I made a heck of a mess of myself. I didn’t want to stop to eat to negate my Galloway so my mile markers went like this: ditch clothing, stuff face, (I mentioned that the gloves went 1st right?) Wipe hands and mouth on the next article of clothing to go.

Heh heh…

Today, I had a running milestone!
For the 1st time in my brief running career I was high-fived by another runner. Yes folks, she ran across my path and slapped me one! Of course she could have just been giving me mad props on my bad ass running skills OR she just wanted to get a closer look at my stunning albeit confusing outfit. This was mile 2, I might have been quite the hot mess. You decide. I’m going with props for my skills.

All in all, I had such a fun time doing this!
Except for the part that I’m still burping donuts and lard, it was amazing.

I can’t wait to see what kind of points I can earn next month!

Never in a million years did I think I would take a bathroom mirror picture! The things I do for 12athon!

Be grateful this isnt scratch ‘n sniff!

I’m like an ogre who is like an onion; peel away those layers!

I can’t even look at them.

Tomorrow I rest by volunteering at the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n Roll Marathon Expo!