Bustin' My Bootie

My (lack of big) boobs have been a lot happier recently. I have been searching for some new sports bras that are affordable and also do their job. I finally decided to order a few that looked promising. Two out of three were a complete fail. But the other one = happy, happy boobs.

I actually just ordered it because it was on sale and was a max support bra, which I figured should be good for running. Turns out it is perfect in every way. And although I didn't get a picture of myself in the awesome new bra, I have to say I even like it more than this one.

Here's a picture of my new Champion 360 Max Support Sports Bra floating in the air:
I love it so much that I sent the two failures back and got two more of this one. In different colors, of course.

Supporting my girls will come in handy as I tackle this:

I signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge in 2009 and 2010 as well but didn't really stick to it or accomplish much. This year will be different, which is why I'm posting about it on here this time. Hopefully it will make me a little more accountable. If you want to join in the holiday bootie bustin' fun, head over to Run to the Finish for details

And since tomorrow I'll dressing up as a green M&M to join my two little princesses (What else would they be for Halloween?) for some Halloween party food and fun, I need all the bootie busting help I can get.

What are you doing this weekend?

On the other side of the treadmill

Source

Today I busted out eight miles on the elliptical. Then I worked my legs until they were jello and my abs until I ran out of time.

My at-home cardio options are limited to the stationary bike or the treadmill. And since my 5-minute attempt on the treadmill was a total fail yesterday and resulted in an hour on the bike, I headed to the gym for today's elliptical time. I listened to music but was dripping sweat too much to attempt to read. So besides the music, I kept myself entertained by watching the people running on the treadmills, which were right in front of me. Here are my most profound thoughts from the experience:

• If you are pregnant and have GIANT hooters as a result, STRAP THOSE THINGS DOWN.


• Sketchers Shape-Ups on the treadmill = cringe!


• Standing on the sides of the treadmill to rest while the belt is still moving doesn't mean you actually ran 2.5 miles or 30 minutes when you are finished.

The rest of the runners were pretty mundane. And I wasn't close enough to see the speed, time or incline on the 'mills, so it wasn't as exciting as it could have been.

My other excitement of the day was texting back in forth with my sister-in-law, who has started running. Her first race is Saturday. I can't wait to find out how she does and how she likes it. Good luck Julianna!!

Kind of a BIG Deal

Some days, things just don't go according to plan. Last night, the plan was to spend an hour on the bike and then get some strength training done after my girls went to bed. This was a reasonable plan since my girls are usually settled for the night by about 7:30. But I was still snuggling my Bean when The Princess called me into her room with a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Feel my loose tooth," she said. I wiggled the tooth that has slooooowly been getting looser over the past few months. It was just barely hanging on. I told her if she pushed it down really fast, it would probably fall out. She tried but just couldn't do it. When she tried, she pulled her finger away at the last minute. So she asked me to do it. And out it came. Then the tears came. She decided she didn't want to lose teeth. (The Princess is not a fan of change. At all.)


So last night The Princess lost her first tooth. This is a BIG deal. After the tears stopped and she decided it was pretty cool to lose a tooth, both girls had to get out of bed to celebrate by calling Daddy, going next door to show her friend, calling Grandma, taking pictures and documenting it on video. By the time the celebration came to a close, it was 9 pm. It was quite the night!

The Tooth Fairy came and acknowledged the event with a crisp $5 bill. I think the most I ever got was a dollar, and that was for molars. "Inflation," her dad said. I'm thinking $5 is a first-tooth kind of thing. And I was glad The Princess later told me it would be fun if she got some of the "round money" when she loses her next tooth.

I will always remember when The Princess lost her first tooth. But I won't remember that one missed work out.

Did you have any BIG deals in your life this week?

Things I Love Thursday - Inspiration (and Giveaways)

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Terry Hitchcock, the subject of the movie My Run. I had my list of questions ready to go, but many of them remained blank when the interview was complete. The reason is because Hitchcock was so easy to talk to, and one subject would inevitably lead to another. Our 15 minute interview turned into closer to 45 minutes without even a glance at the clock. It was interesting to hear his story in his words and his own voice. Here is some of what I learned, straight from Hitchcock himself:

• Terry Hitchcock didn't plan to make his running journey into a film. "I did the run and then said to myself 'I'm going to go on and do other things.' I did the run with no real fanfare, he said. "Every day I was competing with the Olympics in the news. I did my run and then it was over. Then the idea of making it into a movie started snowballing over the years..."


• One of the reasons Terry's accomplishment is so notable: "I'm not really a runner," he said. "I don't look at myself as a runner."


• Terry Hitchcock's story is being made into a feature film.


• Terry Fox is one of Hitchcock's heroes. Fox's run inspired Hitchcock's run."I remember picking up the paper and wondering where Terry is today," Hitchcock said. "During his attempt, he raised $24 million."


• "I wanted to do something for single parents and their children," he said. "I wanted to represent those 37 million people."


• Hitchcock trained for 17 months. The most important thing his trainer taught him was to never give up.


• Halfway through his training, Hitchcock had a heart attack. He didn't tell his trainer; said he went on vacation.


• Billy Bob Thornton (the film's narrator) loved Hitchcock's story and wanted to be a part of the film. Thornton even wrote a piece of music that is in the documentary.

And the winners of the copies of My Run are :

Sarah Grecco
and
Ingi

Please send your mailing info to ihaverun@hotmail.com.

The rest of you can receive 10% off by purchasing the DVD at MyRunMovie.com, using the following code at checkout: INSPIRES.

*I received two free copies of the film to give away. My thoughts and comments about the movie are my own. Winners were chosen by Random.org.

I Love to Laugh

This makes me laugh every time I see it. And it is way too true. I have the race photos to prove it. Happy Tuesday!!

Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Makes Me Smile

I know it's not the end of the month, but it is the start of a new week. And hopefully this week will bring some running. In the meantime, here's a recap of last week's work outs and an update on some of the things this runnerd is up to lately:

Elliptical workouts planned/completed: 2/2

Bike workouts planned/completed: 2/4

Runs planned/taken: 1/0 (I took two steps, if that counts; unfortunately they were two painful steps.)

Strength training workouts planned/completed: 6/5

Ab workouts planned/completed: 3/2

Current Reads: Just finished The Long Run yesterday (review to come). Decided it was time for a mindless beach read since I plan to spend a lot of time reading as a treat to myself tonight (aka my birthday), so I am reading One Fifth Avenue (which I purchased for $2.40 when Borders was going out of business).



Current Shame Inducing Pleasure: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake from Baskin Robbins
Current Obsession: Christmas music, including this:

Current Song: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera

Current Need: To run. I guess that includes a healthy, happy hip.

Current Excitement: A new freelance job opportunity

My Run, Your Run, Terry Hitchcock's Run

My last run was 26.2 miles. It was 13 days ago. With my hip still on the mend, I am biking and ellipitcalling like it's my business. And until I can spend some quality time with Millie again, I have been getting my running fix from other runners. Yep, you guys. Through your blogs and from two great running books (more on that later). And now I want to give you the chance for a little inspiration from Terry Hitchcock's story in My Run.

After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, real life super hero and modern day Forrest Gump, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

He ran in spite of freezing rain and unbearable heat, in spite of chest pains and bone fractures that wracked his 57-year-old body. He just kept running – each day, every day – strengthening an unbreakable bond between father and son – not stopping until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta.

MY RUN is more than a film about a guy running multiple marathons; it’s a film about the daily marathons we all run in life.

Credit

I have two copies of My Run: The Terry Hitchcock Story to give away. To enter to win a copy, leave a comment letting me know you follow my blog and also tell me about your last run or what inspires you to stay active.

Winners will be announced next Thursday, October 20.

That's What Friends Are For

First I have to say I agree with most of you and your comments about the expectant mom who ran the Chicago Marathon at 39 weeks pregnant. I think it is great that she ran through her pregnancy. And since she had the go-ahead from her doctor and her husband was with her during the race, I think it is amazing. Just my $.02.

Now for what I really want to talk about. Tonight I am going to dinner with my friend Joyce. We have been friends for ten years. We have gone months at a time without talking to or seeing each other. Yet we can pick up the phone any time and talk like we just saw each other yesterday. She is the one friend I knew without a doubt I'd see at the hospital the nights my girls were born. And nothing could have stopped me from seeing her little guy the day he was born. Sometimes we celebrate each other's birthday months after they happen or exchange Christmas gifts in February, but life can get crazy and we both recognize that. I can tell Joyce anything and trust her like I trust very few people in this world.

I don't have a lot of people like Joyce in my life. I have reconnected with some high school friends through Facebook and stayed in touch via Christmas cards with friends from college, but most of my friends have come and gone. There just aren't a lot of friends that are worth the effort. And I truly believe a real, true friendship is one worth fighting to keep.

What made me start to think about my "friends" was my St. George Marathon race report. The comments I received on that post meant more to me than any of you will ever know. And I also realized how much many of you mean to me. Since I became a runner, I have made some friends that I will fight to keep. And I know most of you know exactly what I am talking about.


Maybe it's because as runners we are often at our most vulnerable or that you can't fake it when you are pounding the pavement. But really, I don't know what it is. All I know is that runners make some of the best friends.



Just like so many other times, your comments after the St. George Marathon were exactly what I needed to hear. You made me cry, smile and laugh. You said things only true friends would say.


Some of you I've met. Others I haven't. But whether I've hugged you in person or just wanted to while sitting in front of my computer, you inspire me. And not just to be a better runner. To be a better person. To be a better friend.


So thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I am honored and feel extraordinarily blessed to have such amazing friends in my life.

Woman gives birth after running Chicago Marathon. What do you think?

I just read this article about a woman who ran (and walked) the Chicago Marathon yesterday and then gave birth last night. The comments at the end of the article are very interesting to me as a runner and as a mother. Before I weigh in, what do you think?

Photo finish: Woman gives birth after running (and walking) marathon

St. George Marathon 2011 Race Report: Mourning a Marathon

Before the race, I met up with Julia, Frances and Rachelle. We rode the bus up together and then hung out until the start. Julia, Frances and I started together and ran together quite a bit in the first half of the race. It was great to have someone to talk to when I needed a distraction and we all had a sub-4:15 goal.

My hip was sore but bearable and actually felt the best on the uphills. I carried my handheld with Powerade and finished it off about the mid-point. I refilled it with water, but it became obvious later that I should have sucked it up and downed some of the lemon-lime Gatorade along the course.

The first 20 miles I maintained a pretty steady pace and felt pretty good, in spite of the rising temps and my hip.

Then came the five stages of grief.

Denial - This started about mile 20 of the race. I didn't want to believe I was getting dehydrated. I tried to find other things to blame, but the truth was my body was shutting down. My mind couldn't overcome my body. When I saw my husband with about 1/2 mile to go, I broke down in tears and told him, "Everything hurts." But I kept going and crossed the finish at 4:49:27. Not my 4:15:00 goal, but I finished. There were so many times I wanted to stop, but I just couldn't. Quitting was not an option.

Anger - I was mad at myself for getting dehydrated again. And I was so angry at everyone who ever said the course is downhill because an elevation loss is not the same as a downhill course. Top of Utah, with the first half straight down a canyon, is downhill. St. George has plenty of uphills and so much of the downhill is very gradual. I was also angry at myself for believing there was no way it could be hot and miserable two years in a row. I was so wrong! And of course, the anger also came with a lot of disappointment.

Bargaining - Just get to mile 22 and then you can walk. Just get around this corner and you will see your family. Just finish and you never have to do this again.

Depression - This started as I crossed the finish. It didn't help that I felt like I couldn't walk in a straight line or think very clearly. All I wanted to do was sit down. So as soon as I found my family, that is exactly what I did. Then I stood up just long enough to puke my guts and a lot of water out. The hubs wanted me to go to the first aid tent, so we headed that way, but the effort of even getting there just seemed like too much, so I told him I would be OK. I saw Rachelle, but don't remember much about our conversation. And then I laid on the grass while my girls ransacked my race bag and the hubs went to get the car. I was texting Jen, who thought the first aid tent and an IV would be a good idea, but I couldn't peel myself off the ground. It took several hours and some food in my stomach before I could drink more than tiny sips of water or stand for very long. So the IV probably would have been a very good idea. Once my body overcame its depressed state, my mind swore off marathons and I spent the next few days pretty down about the race.

With my amazing family/support crew, just moments before the puking

Acceptance - This is where I am now. Finally. I am accepting that I can only learn from the race and look forward. It is ironic because those words - keep moving forward - went through my head hundreds of times over those 26.2 miles. I never planned on that being my mantra, but it worked and will continue to be my mantra as I continue on my running journey.

Keep moving forward…
-Walt Disney