Cuz I just can’t limit myself to 3 this week…

1. I contacted Races2Remember last week about placing a bulk order of back bibs for all Erin’s runners and walker to wear during Disney Marathon weekend.  I’ve had a BackBib made by them for pretty much every big race I’ve ever run and they always do such an incredible job.  But they totally stunned me when they offered to DONATE back bibs for the entire team.  I was really floored and moved by this.  They don’t even know Erin but were touched by her.  I am a forever customer of this company.  I can thank them enough!  And they didn’t ask for a single thing in return…not even shipping.  They turned out beautiful…can’t wait to wear this.
2. If you are moved by Erin’s incredible strength and smile go leave a quick message on her Guestbook…you don’t know what it means to Erin and her family! 
3. On a sad note, a friend of my brother’s, Gaby Sicard, died very suddenly Tuesday night in a car accident.  She was pronounced dead at the scene, but she actually managed to pull herself back to give family and friend’s that last goodbye before passing for good.  She was just 19…a college freshman.  She had a very simple dream to trend on twitter and many are trying to make this last little dream of hers a reality!  All you have to do is tweet #flyhighgaby .  PLEASE go take a second to do so and encourage others!  Her facebook eerily reads, in her About Me section, “To live in the hearts of others is to live forever ” So very true!
4. This morning I ran in the snow for the first time this winter!  I didn’t really have a plan, just went out.  And ended up doing a 6 mile hilly loops around my house and finished with 4 on the treadmill.  Wasn’t particularly fast but it felt so good!  At about 2 miles in, I just wasn’t into it.  I was ready to turn around and go home…but then it started snowing!  It was like Erin say, “seriously…your gunna give up this opportunity to run in this beautiful snow just cuz you’re a little tired?”  I kicked it up a hill ; )
5. That being said, my ankle is still not 100%.  It’s not painful, but I feel it at about the 9 mile mark.  I’m currently struggling with the idea of running 2 halfs instead of the half and full in Disney next weekend.  Could I muscle through the marathon?  Probably but it would definitely take a toll and I don’t want to start the new year injured…I’ll keep you posted.
6. No matter what…I will have two awesome outfits.  Will be going with Cinderella for one race (Erin’s favorite), and Belle for another (my favorite). 

I hope those of you who celebrate Christmas had a wonderful one with your family and friends!  Really is such a wonderful time of year.  I for one had a wonderful one.  On Christmas Eve I went to work, went to the Ravens Game, went to my grandparents with my dad’s family for (of course had our traditional White Elephant swap which is always entertaining), and from there went to my mom’s best friend’s house to finish off the night.  Got to put the Peanut and Bug to bed (so fun threatening them with “if you don’t go to bed Santa won’t be able to come!), moved all their presents upstairs, watched A Christmas Story on TNT for the 4th time, and eventually passed out. 

Next morning we went to watch the little ones open their presents.  Have to love Christmas in the eyes of a two and five year old!  So sweet…however Peanut doesn’t actually like to rip the paper so it takes her a good long time to open her stuff.  Oh and if you have seen my facebook page this week you will know that Peanut also decided that we should ALL wear matching pajamas.  Complete with our name’s embroidered on them.  And because we let a five year old run our lives, we obliged.  All of us were there decked out in our matching ensembles but there’s a strong chance my mother would find a way to shut this entire blog down if I posted a picture of her in the morning before her shower.  So I’ll just leave you with this special little gem.  I give you brothers and sisters on Christmas.  22, 20, 5, and 2 and all matching.

Bug didn't quite understand the concept of the self timer hence the confused look on his face

We had a big breakfast courtesy of my dad and the rest of us opened our presents.  I opened a box from my parents and found the super cute “Road Runner” Necklace from Endure Jewelery.  I absolutely love it and have been wanting it for quite some time now, but it’s a bit pricey and my parents had already gotten my BOTH a new computer and camera for school (my iPhone pictures just aren’t putting it for my portfolio sadly) so I didn’t ask for it.  So I was a bit confused about how they knew I wanted it…my dad’s response?  “I read about it on your blog.”  Enough said.  We were so very blessed with the presents my parents gave us and Jamie and I gave my dad a new Garmin 610 and my mom some new Lululemon Grove Pants and a Scuba Hoodie.  Yes I realize I give too many running oriented gifts.  Then it was shower time, church time (still don’t like the “new Mass”), time to visit my grandparents, then to my aunt’s house out at the family farm for dinner with pretty much my entire family.  It was wonderful. 

The farm is mostly a breeding stable but there are also a lot of rehabilitated ex-race horses.  Race horses have been a passion of my grandfather’s for a long time but its also always been important to him that ex-race horses are taken care of.  Many are retrained for recreational riding and find some good new homes.  My mom’s horse is a Clydesdale/Thoroughbred mix and when she started loosing weight to the point that you could see all her ribs (she usually has the opposite problem), they took her to Cordelia (family farm) so my uncle could look at her.  My uncle is an equine vet and his staff helped nurse her back (my mom thought she was going to loose her).  She has now gained back almost all her weight (close to 300 lbs!) and will go back to her regular farm soon but we went to visit her while we were out on the farm on Christmas and my mom brought her a Christmas apple.

she's a BIG girl

We walked around the farm a bit and got to hang with the babies.  The foals are so cute with their tiny tales flipping all over the place.  I’ll post some more Christmas pictures once I steal them from my family ; )

The day after Christmas is my cousin Emily’s birthday.  And this year just happened to be the big 2-1!  So we went to a Karaoke bar…on a Monday night.  May or may not have sang a few jams…and there was rousing rendition of Tiny Dancer by me, Emily, and my older cousin Cory.  Yet because she is related to me…Emily managed to loose her license last week.  Which means going out, on your 21′st birthday…with your passport.

nice one bday girl!

Made it two bed around 2:30am.  Because my boyfriend is amazing and volunteered the DD position, I may have had a few glasses of wine and cranberry vodkas.  So being mildly sleep deprived and hung over is great for doing Insanity (not…I wanted to puke the whole time).  Yesterday we headed to National Harbor to stay at the Gaylord National resort over night.  We took the kids to ICE!, which is basically a giant playground made out of ice sculptures.  This year’s theme was the movie Madagascar.

It is a toasty 5 degrees in there.  I think running has made me much less of a weather wimp because I was wear a tank top, sweatshirt, and gloves and I was fine.  Peanut has about 0% body fat (there is a reason we call her Peanut) and after about 20 minutes she was freezing and wanted to go explore the warmer attractions.  Bug on the other hand was all over it and loved the ice slide.  After meeting some characters and a ride on the train, we headed back to the hotel for some dinner while watching the indoor light show.  After dinner the kids went to “Gingy’s Gingerbread Shop” (from Shrek), and decorated Gingerbread cookies. 

eventually eating it became more fun

true works of art

 After some playing around in the hotel room and staying up way past the little ones’ bed time, we were asleep by 10:30.  I shared a queen sized bed with Bug.  He is 2.  It is INSANE how much of the bed he can take up!  Literally…he sleeps horizontally, jerks around like crazy, and moves so much in his sleep.  But he holds your hand while he’s sleeping so all is easily forgiven.  He’s such a little cuddle bug.  As I was falling asleep with the little Bug’s feet in my back I though to myself that seriously…when it comes down to it nothing really matters but the people who care about.  Life is pretty good right?

they had fun

Thank you for all who read my post about Erin HERE.  It is so good to know how many people are surrounding her with light and love.  If you get a chance, sign her guest book HERE and let her know where you’re from.  It will mean a lot to her to know she is inspiring “strangers” all over the country! 

So here’s just a bit of catching up from the past week.

Last Saturday morning I ran the Celtic Solstice 5Miler which is always a lot of fun.  The race runs past this statue of William Wallace (aka Brave Heart). 

funny...he looks nothing like Mel Gibson...

So people get into it.  Kilts are a must.  And some, like my dad’s friend HappiLee Running…get really into it.  A race that starts with Bagpipes makes me happy.

I even got this guy, RoyalRunner, into a skirt ; )

We had a lot of fun.  I was by no means racing.  I decided to run with FitMomma (who has her LAST CHEMO TREATMENT yesterday!) and we went whatever pace felt good to her. There was a very grumpy old man who kept making very inappropriate comments throughout the race (at one point he literally said to me, “Look Blondie, you’re really sandbagging it.  If you can be talking and laughing this much you need to run faster”).  Oh excuse me sir, I didn’t realize I asked your opinion?  Yes we were laughing and talking.  I was running with very good friends.  FitMomma has to keep her heart rate in check.  Go Away.  But we still had a wonderful time!  And my dad really killed the race.

Later that day was my best friend’s wedding!  I’ve know her since we were 5 and it was so surreal but such a joyous day.  But not without its own little “events”.  Before pictures she looked STUNNING…

But well…then nerves and low blood sugar got the best of her and she ended up looking a little something like this…

Yes I realize I look possessed...I was trying hard not to laugh because her dad was taking pictures of the whole ordeal

Yep…she hit the floor.  We got her dress unzipped, covered her in some coats, and let her lay there until she felt good enough to get up (which she protested but she needed to get off the cold floor).  The boys had arranged the chairs so she could lay down but in order to get there, I had to hold her dress up from behind or she would have given the bridal party and the pastor quite the show.  Her brother in law is a doctor and finally forced her to eat and drink something (again she protested convinced she’d end up throwing up) and she started to get a bit of color back in her face.  She kept fretting that we were “getting off schedule” and we reminded her there was still a good hour before people started showing up and this day revolved around her schedule and no one else’s.  Once we got her vertical again we were good to go (although she ended up ditching her beautiful heels for flip flops to walk down the aisle).  And within a few hours, she looked like this…

It was such a wonderful day, despite the little mishap ; )

some of the bridal party and dates! That would be my handsome man sitting behind me

three of my best friends in the whole world. Since elementary school!

all "shiny" after dancing the night away. Yeah I'm like a foot taller than all my friends...

 Today Bug had a Christmas show at this Pre-school.  Yep a bunch of 2 year olds “singing”.  Peanut was dressed to the nines for the event, as always.

Bug didn’t sing a single word.  This is a kid who NEVER shuts up.  He is always babbling and singing.  But nope…he just sat there and stared at us the entire time.  As seen below.  He’s the cute little one in the suit right in the middle

Oh well…it was cute anyway and we had fun watching the other classes.

Peanut played photographer

He was so handsome in his suit and tie!

Bug and my dad rocking the hats

So there’s a quick catch up from me!  Have a BLESSED and wonderful Holiday!

Last night was a night I will never ever forget.  It was a night that truly defined the meaning of Christmas and Christmas spirit.  It was a night that meant more to me than I can adequately express but I will try to recap it here.

I have a beautiful friend named Erin.  The short version: I met her on my trip to San Diego for the marathon in 2010.  She was fighting Lymphoma at the time and despite not feeling great, she walked the Half Marathon and touched my heart in so many ways.  Over the next year we formed a friendship.  Two girls in their early 20′s, experiencing life.  We never ran out of things to talk about.  She always has something positive to say and is just one of those people that makes you happy.  If you’ve read for a while, you know I have a bit of a history with some serious body image issues.  The treatment Erin was on included lots of steroids that packed weight onto her little frame.  Of course she was still stunning, but being a young women and having to go through that in addition to dealing with loosing your hair can really mess with you.  Yet she is just such a total sweetheart, and as I’ve told her 1000000 times, she literally has the best smile I have ever seen.

freaking beautiful right?

 As our friendship grew, I decided (almost completely last minute) to run San Diego again this year to be with Erin.  This was her redemption year.  She was healthy, in remission, and although being rather fatigued, was going to go and give that race all she had.  I had won an iPod shuffle off a blog raffle and sent it her way to help her through her training.  I wanted to be there with her as she tackled that finish line and we spent too many hours talking about how excited we were.  But cancer is selfish.  It doesn’t want you to accomplish what you want in life.  Right before we were supposed to leave Erin got news that her Lymphoma had returned for a third time.  Yep that’s right.  She had kicked this thing’s ass twice and for some reason it decided to come back for more.  She was still hoping to come to San Diego with the team (we were going to room together), but wasn’t sure she would be able to make it through the race.  Race or no race, we were going to have fun.

But then she got sick again.  She had to start treatment right away and it took its toll on her.  That’s the thing with cancer…the stuff that is supposed to be making you better makes you so very sick.  She was in a lot of pain and she had to make the tough decision to stay home and close to her doctor.  Of course we all supported her in her decision but I was so sad she wouldn’t be with us.  I had to find a way to take her with us so I ordered a bunch of back bibs for the team so I could take her through the race with me.

I wore Erin’s beautiful picture on my Elvis cape and FitMomma and I dedicated mile 12 to Erin.  It was emotional and I missed her a lot but I knew she was there with us.

I called her right after the race to tell her how much we all missed her and were thinking of her.  But she didn’t sound good.  I could hear the pain and exhaustion in her voice.  But she was fighting the good fight.  Over this summer and Fall she has been dealing with the pain and side effects of her chemo.  Yet she always had her sense of humor and her perfect smile. 

Last week we got some heartbreaking news.  Her cancer was Stage IV.  Her dad explained on her Caring Bridge site, “Stage 4 does NOT mean nothing more will be done to find a cure.  It means this time the right mixture of the horrible cocktail of poisons has not yet been found.  Dr R said the next course of treatment will be to use a different chemotherapy chemical mix that has been successful in 2 of 14 trial patients showing complete success. Those odds may seem not so good since they show a 1 in 7 chance of success. “

It had moved into her bones and major organs causing her severe pain.  She started a new trial treatment right away that wiped her out.  Her family reported that in addition to the pain, she was severely fatigued (to the point of being basically bed ridden) and had no appetite.  As her dad said, “Erin has been extremely weak having eaten enough to keep a sparrow almost flapping.”  The lack of food leads to further fatigue.  This girl who is so very full of light and life can barely get out of bed.  Many of us started feeling like we just had to do something, just didn’t know what.

And that’s where last night came in.  Some very last minute planning and responses led to over 50 of us (her Team in Training Family) surprising her at her house.  You see, Erin adores Christmas musics, so a list of her favorite songs was compiled, we stood outside her door, she was wheeled up to the front door, wrapped in many many blankets, and there we were, singing her favorite songs.  In less than 72 hours of planning, over 50 of us gathered together to be there for our beautiful friend and hero.

Our signing was not the best.  We messed up plenty, and every time we did the smile on her face grew.

As we sang Rudolph, Emily and I had to ad in all the little adlibs (“Like a light bulb!”).  She giggled and smiled through all the pain and fatigue she is experiencing.  She was beautiful.  Her smile literally beams.

my beautiful BEAUTIFUL friend, earth angel, and hero

We went through song after song and there was just such a joy and peace in the air.

 I wouldn’t trade last night for anything.  I got my Christmas gift last night in the form of Erin’s presence and smile.  After our songs, we went up to the porch and dropped off the gifts and meals we had brought for Erin and her family.  She was there at the door and it was so good to get to talk to her for a brief minute.  Of course we couldn’t give her the hugs and love we wanted (chemo suppresses your immune system so much that you really have to limit contact with people so you don’t catch something).  I’ve been dealing with a cold so I kept my distance but I think I made her laugh by screaming things at her from a few feet away and blowing kisses. 

Erin with her parents, sister, and brother in law

Her father came up and thanked us all with tears in his eyes, but really we were the ones who received the gift.  Cancer is messing with the wrong person…this girl is a fighter.  She is pure joy and love.

You can read what her father wrote about the night on her Caring Bridge page HERE.  I really encourage you to read it.  It is so touching to read from the family’s point of view. 

We love you Erin.  Truly.  You have changed me forever in the most amazing possible way.

And to all the idiots who have made fun of TNT or the “Purple Wall” at races…Bite Me.  This team in power.  This team gave me a hero and an Earth Angel.  Miss Erin Elizabeth.

I will proudly be running the Goofy Challenge for Erin.  Sorry E, this won’t be any PR weekend but I will take every step with the joy you bring to me in my heart!  You are truly a blessing from God!

For some reason this video get all screwy at the 3:07 mark and then the picture and voice don’t match up?  OY VEY!  Don’t have time to fix it right now.

Have you noticed it is snowing over here at Long Legs on the Loose again?  That can only mean one thing…it is time again for the 12K of Christmas!  We had a lot of fun with it last year and after throwing the idea out there on FB and Twitter I got a lot of interest (and some already “registered”!) so here we go!

• What: Run, walk, bike, elliptical or whatever you want to do just cover 12K (7.46 miles) wherever and however you like.
• When: Anytime between now and New Year’s day!  You do not have to complete the entire thing at one time if 7 miles seems a bit reaching for you.  Just log the miles over the days however you feel comfortable.
• Where: Anywhere you like =).  Treadmills and indoor bikers are welcome
• Who: ANYONE who wants to join!  A number of you already emailed me and told me you were interested =).  You don’t need a blog, just an e-mail address.
• Why: Why not?  I love virtual races.  Gives me a chance to “race” with many of you I have never met! 
• Cost: Free!  But make up your race fee by paying it forward however you like!  Do something nice for someone, help a family member with a chore you hate, help wrap someones presents, or donate to ANY charity you feel passionately about.  However you want, just do something to make a difference in someone’s life.

How to register: I know some of you already e-mail me which is awesome!  But everyone (even if you already e-mailed me) shoot me an e-mail at KatyeRunninAround@gmail.com with the following details with the subject 12K

1. Your name
2. Your blog (if you have one)
3. Name and number you would like on your bib
4. How are you going to pay it forward?  At the end I will compile a list of all the people and places that benefitted from you all so tell me what you are doing or what charity you are donating to (I don’t need to know the amount). 

Once you have completed your 12K shoot me a second email with the subject “Results” with the following details:

1. What did you do?  Did you walk, run, bike, etc.
2. How did it go?  You can either tell me your time or how you felt during the “race”
3. When did you do your race?
4. A picture!  If you so chose dress up for your race!  Send me a picture of your stunner outfit.  There will be a prize for best outfit!

And I think that is about it!  Any questions?  Just let me know.  Oh and pull the family and friends into it as well!  I will start sending out the bibs tonight and will have a big post of all the results after the new year!  Oh and in addition to the best dressed prize…there will be one for a randomly chosen participant.  I will announce the prizes tomorrow. =)

I might know that I am a FitFluential Fitness Ambassador.  And sometimes these lovely ladies challenge us with some awesome writing prompts.  As I continue to stress about getting in those last assignments of the semester and preparing myself for FULL TIME student teach in January, oh and my BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING on Saturday…this is the perfect time to take a second to take a deep breath and write on this weeks topic.

5 Tips for Achieving FitFluential Balance During the Holidays

First of all, being FitFluential has nothing to do with how much you weigh, how many times a week you work out, or how many calories you take it.  Being FitFluential comes from taking care of yourself in every possible way, and in turn inspiring and assisting others to do the same!

1. Chose your Battles.  This is a big one for me.  The Holidays are a wonderful time, but also bring their fair share of stress.  You might start to feel like your list is never ending, maybe you find yourself a bit more on edge (and therefore lashing out more than you mean too).  Or maybe you just don’t feel like yourself and find yourself getting annoyed, irritated, or upset by things that usually would roll right off.  Stress does that.  When you find yourself getting on edge, remind yourself to take a step back and breath.  Ask yourself a) is this worth my energy to get so upset? b) am I blowing this out of proportion? c) do I have the ability to change this or the better or is it out of my control?  When you’ve stopped to really think about that you may decide that yes…this actually is something you need to deal with and address and that is fine!  Go for it!  But if it really isn’t that big of a deal or it is something that you simply don’t have the power to change…let it go (as hard as that is) and move on to those things you can have a positive affect on!
   

   Photo Credit

2. Try Something New.  Many of us thrive on routine, and sometimes the Holidays throw that off.  We suddenly have more and more things to do and less time to do it.  This might mean you have to readjust, change up the routine, or even sacrifice some things.  For me…this sprained ankle threw a HUGE wrench into my routine.  Right before the Holidays.  I can’t run or do plyo like I want so I’ve tried some new things.  I’ve tried my hand at the elliptical, incline elliptical, stair stepper, new weight training routines, and even tried the rowing machine.  Seriously, this was a blessing in disguise.  The rowing machine kicks your butt!  It is challenging new muscles and keeps my heart rate up!  So don’t be scared to change things up a bit.
3. Don’t Forget About Yourself.  All that being said, you have to remember to keep time for yourself.  So much easier said that done.  Yes, you will have to sacrifice some routines and time but if something is really optimal to your own health, balance, and stability, you just can’t give it up.  You might need to find a new way to do it…but find a way!  If you NEED to run, it might mean cutting back the miles a bit, finding new routes while visiting relatives, or jumping on the treadmill instead of your favorite long run on the trail.  But if it is truly important, you’ll find a way.
4. Sleep.  Over the past week of moving around the country, my sleep schedule was all over the place and I wasn’t sleeping.  I hated how I felt.  I know the recommended 9 hours is close to impossible for most adults, but make sure you make sleep a priority.  Around this time of year, we usually add more and more demands on our bodies without giving them the time they need to recover.  We might find ourselves staying out later than usual for parties or shows…all wonderful things!  But those lost hours add up so try to get on a sleeping routine as best as you are able.
   

   even if you end up running in your sleep ; ) Photo Cred

5. Enjoy.  It is so easy to get caught up in all the craziness.  But don’t forget to enjoy it!  Enjoy the lights and music.  Enjoy your FAMILY.  Enjoy your friends and meals together.  And gasp…enjoy the extra rest days!  Your body might need it more than you know : )

I’m still alive I swear.  In the past 7 days I have boarded 8 places…and been in MD, PA, NV, AZ, GA, and TX- and 3 different time zones.  That’s a lot of tabloid magazines.  I love buying the cheaper celeb mags and reading two completely different stories about well…the same story.  All within an hour’s time I learned that Kris Humpries is 1) sueing Kim, 2) applying for an annulment, 3) is hurting for money 4) has lots of money and 5) is gay.  Oh and Khourtney K is pregs again.  Did you know that Scott D is super excited about it, and her sisters can’t stop gushing about their new niece/nephew?  Oh and Kim is incredibly jealous of the attention Khourtney is getting, Khloe can’t stop crying because of her own fertility issues, and Scott is no longer in the picture.  So much truth, so little time!  By the way…I pretty much despise the Kardashians.

Pretty much got home from Las Vegas late Monday night, went to my classes Tuesday and Wednesday, and then got back on a plane to Austin to work with Running Skirts showing up the Spring 2012 line to retailers (omgsh it’s to die for).  So I’ve pretty much in a walking zombie state and have no real sense of sleep cycle.  Tomorrow I’m leaving early yet again on NY.  Sunday=DOWN TIME.  I’ll be back to catch y’all up then!

Oh and I’ve been sick for the past week as well.  I’m a terrible traveler!  What have you been doing this past week??

Warning: I wrote this post quickly in the airport while my computer was dying.  I’ll come back to proofread later today I promise…but bare with me.

Before I get into any details I want to say that overall I loved this race!  It was incredibly cool running the strip at night.  Especially since this was my first time in Vegas, I was still in awe of the whole thing and really soaked it all in.  Running at night was weird but very fun so overall my experience was a very positive one!  I have read some other bloggers reviews about the logistics at the end of the race not being very good and the marathoners had a whole different experience than me so I will leave those reviews up to them.  I had a great time!

Pre-Race

As you know, the marathon started at 4 while the half was scheduled to begin at 5:30PM.  Being Sunday, my dad and boyfriend had a long list of games to catch all day.  I flipped around games for a while but then the nervous energy started to get to me so I went to walk around a bit.  I ended up wondering the Shoppes and Mandalay Bay.  Didn’t buy anything, just had fun wondering around.  I was in the Nike Golf store and this poor lady walked in and asked the guy at the front desk, “do you sell sports bras”.  Ut Uh.  Never good to hear a few hours before a race.  He said sadly they didn’t.  She was an older women and explained that she just realized she hadn’t packed one (see people…my neurotic list making pays off!).  The young guy at the desk really didn’t know where to tell her to go.  The only place I knew of was Lululemon at the Fashion Mall which was a good 2.5 miles away (I purposely avoided said store once Sandy told me it existed).

After wandering for a bit, I met J at the Sports Book which had a little deli next to it.  A turkey sandwich sounded perfect but they ended up loosing our ticket and it took 45 mins to get our food, aka I ate almost an hour later than I wanted to.  The one benefit of sitting around so long was another blogger recognized me and introduced herself (I’m so mad at myself right now for forgetting your name.  Met so many awesome bloggers this weekend!  If you are reading this weekend.  If you are reading this please remind me!) I tried not to worry about it too much but I have a weak stomach when it comes to running so I was hoping that wouldn’t come back to hit me.  After we ate we headed back up to the room to get dressed and ready to go.  I was so confused on what to wear.  The whole weekend, the forecast for the race changed.  At one point it was saying it would be around 35 at 5:30PM and and points it was saying it would be closer to 47 degrees.  As I said in my last post, the SoCal ladies I was hanging out with were pretty worried about the cold and I was started to question how unworried about the cold I was.  But honestly I’ve already run in 30 degree weather in the past month so I opted for long sleeves, skirt, and socks.  I’m glad I didn’t for got the tights, I would have been too hot running.

I wanted to rock my Elvis gear but a few things got in the way…I don’t have any white sports bras and wasn’t thinking.  I had a red one and a black one…neither of which would have looked cute under my thin white RunLove Longsleeve in race photos (flashes make white every see through).  And honestly, I haven’t been feeling 100% about my current figure in head to toe white.  And the Raven’s pulled out a win (putting us #1!) right before the race so I went with my Raven’s purple.  Lululemon Full Tilt half zip, Preppy Purple Running Skirt, Purple Run Love compression socks, Raven’s Buff over my ears (got that free as a giveaway at the stadium this year), and my Ravens hair tie.  Around 4 we headed over to the Mandalay Bay (where the race started).  We waited at the Sport Book along with lots of other runners which made for some great people watching.

One guy in running gear and bib started talking to the two guys sitting next to us.  He was CLEARLY VERY intoxicated and it was hilarious watching him talk about his race strategy.  I so wish I had noted his bib number cuz I’d love to see if he even made it to the start line!  I got all my stuff together and around 5 we started to head out to the race start.

Always take my girl FitMomma with me with the ribbon!

Heading Out

This is when the slips ups began.  We were staying at the Luxor that is right next door and actually attached to the Mandalay Bay.  Sandy who was staying a bit further down the strip texted me and said they had to walk because they couldn’t find any shuttles.  This wouldn’t have been a huge issue but I knew they weren’t used to the cold and walking a mile in the cold before the race starts can not have been fun.  As we made our way outside, we kind of got swept up with the crowd and without realizing it, headed right into the corrals, still with our bags.  We had seen a big sign that said “gear check” but it was in the middle of a crowd (not actual gear check) and it wasn’t pointing to anything.  Not helpful.  There were a few other people still with bags at in the corrals but we figured we must have missed it.  We back tracked for a good 15 minutes before finally finding out that gear check was actually BACK INSIDE.  Annoying.  So we had to pushed backwards through the crowd before finding a tiny sign, about a foot off the ground, behind a column, pointing to the gear check room.  We rushed to drop out bags at the right spot and rushed back out and never made it back into our corral (7).  So we missed the start by a few minutes, ended up starting in corral 10, which wouldn’t have bugged me if we hadn’t had purposely gotten there 20 mins early.  Oh well.  It was still very cool looking around all the lights down the strip.

The Race Take 1

Warning: all my pictures from the race suck.  I was running and couldn’t actually see what I was taking a picture of in the dark.  Oh well!

The Mandalay Bay

So we were off.  Yes…it was crowded.  There was no corral enforcement which annoys me.  If you have to provide a time to be put into a corral, they should check.  Some RnR races do enforce it, most don’t.  Disney is very strict with it.  As I said, we started with the 10′s but looking around…there were many bibs well into the 30′s.  Within the first mile, many many people were walking in groups.  This caused lots of issues with an already crowded course.  And my opinion that they should enforce corrals isn’t just to benefit the faster runners, but for the sake of the slower runners and walkers as well.  I’ll just reinstate something I commented on SR’s race Recap…

“Honestly, I don’t think it sounds like she was blaming the half marathoners at all. If anything she was saying the organization left something to be desired. I ran too…ran the half and started in corral 7 but on the out and backs, I saw many marathoners having to dodge walking halfers. I don’t think there is anything wrong with walking a half, I think its wonderful to be out there no matter what pace you are, but they should have planned better for this…not just for the speedier halfers and marathoners sake but for the slower half marathoners. If I was a slower runner or walker, I would have felt in the way and very discouraged by that set up. All in all, I had a great time, but it was a very packed race “

This created a great deal of dodging for the first few miles which ended up being bad news for my ankle.  As I’ve mentioned before, the weight bearing and impact of running really don’t bother it, but any lateral movement does.  The dodging and weaving irritated it.  Also, there were tons of those little reflective bumps and humps in the street for traffic but every time I stepped on one, my ankle rolled slightly.  Ouch.  So between dodging people and those, it wasn’t ideal.

But honestly, I was feeling really good.  At first my goal was to keep up with my dad till the 5K point, but once we hit 3 miles I felt like I could make it to 5 (keeping in mind I’d have to go back as far as I had gone).  But then I realized that mile 5 was off the strip and I didn’t want to stop and wait anywhere not super public and lit up (and without a place I could duck in if I got cold).  So as we passed the Stratosphere Casino Hotel a bit after mile 4, right across the street from Baltimore Ave.  We figured that would be an easy spot to remember to meet so I let my dad go and jogged around for a bit until my garmin hit a little over 5 miles before heading into the Stratosphere.  I knew I had roughly another 30 mins before my dad would be looping back so I took advantage of the indoor bathroom and sat down and watched some random games.  Interesting race strategy right?

Race Take 2

So as nice as the little break was, I’m sure many of you feel the same way…when you stop…you stop.  Obviously, as the night progressed, it was getting chillier.  I was fine running but waiting around was chilly.  Everything got tight/stiff and the real soreness in my ankle started to set in.  But because my dad runs like clockwork, he was back at our designated meeting spot within a minute of his predicted time.  I knew he had picked up the pace a bit on his solo run but he said we were finishing together.  The next two miles weren’t bad.  I had met up with my dad again a bit before the 8 miles marker.  Once we hit the 10 miler marker, I started to feel it.  By mile 11, it was actually hurting.  Every time I accidentally stepped on one of those little bumps in the road or the little potholes (hard to avoid in the dark), I winced.  If it weren’t for my dad, I would have called it quits by 11.5. 

I had to start taking walk breaks which was frustrating.  I knew I was slowing my dad down and I assured him I wouldn’t be offended if he took off but he assured me we were finishing together no matter what.  I can hold a fairly speedy walking pace so when I needed to take a quick walk break, dad would slow down to a pretty slow jog (his calves are prone to intense cramping so he needed to keep the running motion going).  I would run until it got bad enough that I had to walk.  I’d walk until I felt like I could run again.  With the walk breaks, I had slowed up down to a 10:30-11 min mile and even though we could see the Mandalay Bay, it never seemed to get any closer. 

I started to feel a bit nauseous the last mile.  I think it was a mix of the anxiety of getting this done, the fact that I forgot to take any gels while running, that fact that it was after 7:30, and the pain that was shooting up my leg every time my ankle shifted or wobbled one way or another.  With about a half mile to go I took a bad step and my ankle rolled.  I started to tear up and my dad told me to grab his arm (which I used as a bit of a crutch every time I came down on my left foot).  Somehow we made it back to the MB, and had to round two corners to hit the finish. 

I started tearing up a bit more over a few things…one, it hurt.  Two…I was so happy to be done.  I swear that last .1 lasted forever.  Three…I was pretty proud of myself for getting through it. and Four…my dad stuck with me.  I know I probably wouldn’t have finished if he hadn’t stuck with me.  He gave me a hug, kissed me on the cheek, told me I was a tough Irish kid (a common phrase in our family) and that he was proud of me and dropped me at the med tent while he pushed through the finishers shoot (which I hear was insanely crowded and cramped). 

Post Race

The lady at the med tent was wonderfully nice, noted how swollen and puffy my ankle looked, and sling wrapped a bag of ice around my leg (felt like Heaven).  I sat there for a bit drinking water and soaking in the heat lamp (it was in the 30′s by now…and now that I was sweaty and not moving I was getting cold).  But then the guy next to me started puking his guts out (the poor guy was so pale and they wanted to send him to the hospital and he was begging him not to). And then another lady started throwing up…and I was out of there.  I thanked the volunteers and limped out of there as quickly as I could. 

I found my dad and we headed quickly bag inside the MB to get our bags.  Now I was heard some horror stories about people trying to get out of MB back to their hotels (ie. cab lines that were hours long, massive cab fares because of all the wait time in traffic, people walking 2+ miles back in the cold).  We didn’t have to go anywhere…just walked back through the hotel to our room.  I am so sorry if you were one of those people stranded! 

Met up with J in the Sports Book again, headed to the room and got quick showers (and I biofreezed the heck out of my ankle) and headed back to this really great Irish Pub in the Mandalay Bay Shoppes called Rí Rá.  They had a wonderful live, authentic Irish band, most the guys working in the pub were from Ireland (one had just run his first race and then raced back to work!), and ate at the bar.  I had mussels in an awesome white wine sauce (it was an appetizer but it was huge!) and even drank a Guinness.

You may have heard a lot about chocolate milk this weekend.  Yes, it is an AWESOME recovery drink…but let’s not forget the true recovery drink.

Hung around to hear two of my favorites, “Whiskey in the Jar, and “Galway Girl” and was in bed by 12:30AM.

So yes…there were logistical issues.  This is not a race to run for a PR.  There are things that need to be fixed by RnR, but I was on the lucky end and didn’t encounter any issues bad enough to ruin the experience.  Yes my ankle hurt…a lot.  Yes, it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to run.  In the end, I ended up with about 9.5 miles which I’m very happy with.  That 9.5 was much harder than I think any other half I’ve run.  The strip was amazing (I was in awe most of the time), I had an incredible time running with my dad, and bad an awesome weekend with my dad and J. 

Yes, I’m in Vegas.

Yes I still plan on attempting to run tomorrow.

Yes I got to meet up with lots of awesome bloggers this afternoon.

Yes I stalked my BFF Kara Goucher…again.

Yes I watched one too many minutes of college football today before ditching my dad and boyfriend.

Yes, I stopped to watch a guy getting arrested on the strip while walking with SR and Sandy.  His was was completely onto the median of LV Blvd.  And the front of his Jaguar was completely wrapped around a tree.  And yes I watched him get breathalyzed and arrested by a cop who was enjoying the attention entirely too much.  It was quite funny.

Yes, I have many more things to write about but write not I’m off too dinner then another awesome meetup then who knows what the night has in store ; )