A Mucky Muck

Oh hey, y'all! Remember me? I used to run a little bit and occasionally blog about it. I've been a wee bit mute lately for reasons too boring to elaborate on, so I'd like to reintroduce myself with a lil' recap of the RunAmuck 5K & obstacle course I recently completed with the rest of Team Shake'n Bake (the team name probably makes a bit more sense if you know that 3 out 4 team members' last name is "Baker").

We arrived at the race an hour or so before our start time, and were all immediately taken aback by the scene. One of the first finishers we spoke with showed us the bloody, muddy mixture gushing down her leg as she warned us of sharp rocks scattered throughout the muck. We were all a bit scatterbrained at the start,  and the more we watched people stumbling across the finish line, the more we all were secretly hoping that someone would say, "Or... maybe we don't really have to do this...?"

We headed to the bar to soothe our nerves with a little Bud heavy (okay, Sus and I actually opted for the Light version, but it sounds more true to our team name to claim that we went for the real stuff). While were were sipping our beers, we noticed that a group was lining up at the starting line - so rather than wait another 30 minutes for our scheduled start time, we chugged down our cold ones and lined up to take off (Note: there was absolutely zero organization to this thing, so we weren't too concerned about messing up the "race structure.") 

About 30 seconds into the race, we began running uphill at what seemed like a 75 degree angle... and clearly I began immediately regretting the beer. The obstacles were pretty mild and absurdly random, and the first mud pit was easy breezy. I fulfilled my duty as back of the pack for Team Shake'n Bake and begged my liver to bear with me for just a bit longer until the race was over. I also managed to lose a shoe - twice - in the muddy mixture and ran portions of the race with my shoe only partially on.

The second mud pit was a bit more challenging, and the only way I managed to get through was by rolling on my belly. We sprinted (Okay, as you'll see in the video below, we didn't actually sprint. But it felt like a sprint to this gal who ran a little faster than she had planned in order to keep up with Team Shake'n Bake) to the final mud pit just in time to see our mascot aka Wilson Bobby aka my nephew having a complete meltdown. Poor little guy didn't know what to think of his parents being so close, yet so far, and completely covered from head to toe in mud...

We tried to show him how much fun we were having in the mud, but I'm not sure we were that convincing. We were pretty darn excited about hitting the showers STAT and getting the heck out that place.

You wouldn't know it, but there are jorts underneath all of that mud (which is not exactly recommended for races, fyi).

Was it fun? Certainly! Do I ever want to do it again? Eh... I think I'm good. It was a fun little Saturday activity, but I think I'll go ahead and check this one off my list.

Muckin' Mondays (sigh).

Muck Yeah!

On Saturday afternoon, I'll be knee deep in a pit of muddy muck... by choice... running the RunAmuck 5K & obstacle course in DC with my bro, sis-in-law and this guy. To be perfectly honest, we're not really even sure what we signed up for. None of have ever run one of these before, and the description seems to be intentionally vague:

The RunAmuck Run is a unique and incredible 3-5 mile run with terrain and outlandish obstacles that can include hills, river crossings, walls, obstacles and mud pits. 

We're racing as a team, Team Shake 'n Bake, and we'll be paying homage to Ricky Bobby in our Nascar gear. Meet our mascot, Wilson Bobby...

Will it be pretty? Not a chance.

Will it be fun? Sure hope so. If not, there is supposedly a beer garden at the end, so I feel fairly certain that we'll find a way to make the most of whatever we've gotten ourselves into. 

If you ain't first, you're last.

The Race That Almost Wasn't

First of all, can I call your attention to the countdown ticker to the right? Yeah that ticker... the one that now says Marine Corps Marathon 200 days! I know that we were ready for our 10 miler - so ready that we actually could have run a half marathon. Hopefully we continue on this path and we'll be equally as prepared for MCM in a mere 200 days (eeek). 

 But I'm getting ahead of myself... back to the race that almost wasn't... the Parkway Classic 10 miler we completed Sunday - 10 weeks to 10 miles....check!

As we've mentioned over the last week or so, the fate of this race was intertwined with the fate of our national government. Okay, maybe a bit of a melodramatic statement, but the long and short of it was the George Washington Parkway is a federal parkway manned by the National Park Service (i.e. "non-essential" government workers); therefore, federal government shutdown = no NPS available to blockade the race course from traffic.

The race directors had hopes of receiving a waiver so that if the federal government did actually shut down, the race would go on as planned because it was a special event, organized way in advance (thus, deserving exemption from the government's inability to function). Well, as we tweeted late last week, no dice - "no exemptions granted for special events on NPS grounds." Cut to Friday at 11:45 PM and we still had no idea if we were going to be running those 10 miles on Sunday and we had 16 minutes before the deadline was up. Despite the nail-biting situation we were in, I couldn't stay up late enough to hear the final word, but woke Saturday morning to a text message from Megs, "Wooo hooo!!! Race on!"

Phew - such an emotional roller coaster of "will we or won't we" - now it was time to focus and get into the right mindset. Saturday morning, my mom, (who was in town for a fabulous visit), hubs and I headed to one of my favorite places in DC, Eastern Market. I did an easy 20 minute run per training plan, then it was a wonderful lunch here, followed by vegetable lasagna for dinner and to bed by 10:30. Thankfully my nerves didn't keep me from getting to sleep - and as another good sign, Sal didn't have any of her crazy running dreams.

We were all picked up by our wonderful chauffeur/photographer at a very early 6:15, where he carted us to Old Town Alexandria to catch the shuttle to the start. (Thanks Pat, for getting up before the roosters). The race is a point-to-point, starting at Mt. Vernon and ending back at Old Town. After a 15 to 20 minute easy shuttle ride, we were dropped off among a sea of runners (4,618 to be exact), and we quickly realized this was no local 10K Turkey Trot. We found our way to the line of Don's Johns and then headed for the space blankets. D.C. had been swallowed in cloud coverage for a solid three days, so it was a bit chilly (but it ended up being a perfect low 50s and once we started we warmed up quickly).

As with every race, it was crowded at the start, but once we got going I realized why everyone loves this race and its access to the entire width of the Parkway. I can't imagine starting a race the size of the Cherry Blossom with its ten to 15 thousand runners (and definitely not the MCM with a cool 30,000 runners). We started with great pace of about 9:10 (a little faster than we would on a normal training run) but it was race day, the adrenaline had kicked in. I was pleasantly surprised with how fast the 1 mile marker popped up on us, and then again we seemed to be at miles 2 and 3 in no time. I heard about the "rolling hills" on this course - and they aren't lying - it was constant rolling through about the first 4 miles, but I found that as soon as you made it to the top, you were going right back down again so they weren't so bad.

It is such a beautiful course resulting in a scenic, peaceful race. It follows the Potomac the whole way, and amazing houses line both sides; however; since the Parkway is closed off, there is little spectator access which yields thin to non-existent crowd support... hence the peacefulness. As you're coming into Alexandria, the crowd is there waiting - which is a welcome change during the last few miles when you need that pick-me-up the most. The race ended at the waterfront park where we were welcomed with our significant others and families, music, bagels, bananas, granola bars and the beer tent (which unfortunately, the line was too long to justify waiting in so we just opted to head to our brunch for Bellinis and mimosas). At brunch we kept on burning calories from laughing (even as we stuffed our faces) from the live entertainment provided by these two adorable guys:

The Wilsonator

(who just turned one)

Megs' significant other and most hilarious person in the history of ever (aren't they precious)

As to be expected, there was no course record setting, no age group placing, but we all had a 10 mile PR (compared to our 2 other 10 mile training runs). There is nothing like a race to spark your motivation, just something about running with a herd of other people that picks you up and keeps you going - not to mention the nerves and adrenaline.

I give Parkway Classic two toes way up and would recommend it to anyone. It was so well organized - from the shuttle to the start, to the water/Powerade/porta potty stops that were basically every 2 miles. The volunteers were friendly, the course was roomy and scenic - what's not to love?! So keep your eyes peeled for 2012 registration opening this fall.

Sal, Megs, Liv at the finish

(mom says I have to wear a bright color next race like these two because she couldn't find me).

So what's next? Now we're in a little bit of limbo before full on marathon training program commences. It could be fun to run one of these 5Ks to keep the spirit. I definitely don't want to lose any progress I've made through this training. It's so amazing to really see improvements in my running. What would you recommend the footsy girls tackle next? How do you stay motivated in periods of downtime where you don't lose ground or motivation?

If I Had a List

It is TBD how I'm going to feel after this whole thing shakes out, if when we make it over the finish line. Am I going to be a runner for life? Will I begin searching for my next conquest soon after MCM? Hopefully we can turn our thoughts to planning our Oregon trip. Or...will I be burnt out, over it and never want to run again?

I'd like to think that my enthusiasm for training and the joy I've found in running thus far will continue. It's hard not to look to the future and think about the other races out there, after all there are so many different ones, all with something unique to offer and located in some fun place or city I would love to visit. A recent Runners World article about the best marathons for first timers got me doing just that.

So, consider this my "if I had a marathon bucket list" list, and preliminarily, this is what would be on it:

The New York Marathon: I mean, how could it not be? It's "the" marathon (unless you're fast, and then I guess to you, that might be Boston - which will not be on this list because that requires speed...and qualifying). Who doesn't love New York City, especially in the fall? This race definitely has the "name" factor going for it. Not to mention the celebrity appeal. But I think the main draw for me is the screaming supportive crowd is basically 4 deep for the entire course. I can't even imagine that. Love that the course makes its way through all 5 boroughs involving the entire city. Minus two points for the fact that to get in you either have to a) face the lottery or b) pay up...a lot.

Big Sur International Marathon: Consistently named as the most scenic marathon, as far as a destination/vacation race for me, this would be my number one. I've never seen the beauty that is the Northern California coastline. Why rent a convertible and drive it (like in the movies), when you can really take it all in by spending hours running it? I'm sure the views you experience are a great distraction from the pain and hilly course. In fact the more I research it, watch videos of the course, and see pictures the likes of this:

and this:

...the more I want to sign up...like right now. I'm pretty jealous of all you NoCals out there that can experience this on a regular basis.

Walt Disney World Marathon: Big fan of Disney World, huge. After all, it's the most magical place on earth. I can't get over how much fun it would be to run through all 4 kingdoms passing the characters along the way - snapping pictures as you go with the disposable camera provided for you. To boot, it's in sunny Florida... in January. I could imagine for those runners with children this is like killing two birds with one stone: take your kids to Disney World and accomplish your goal of running a marathon or half. Only negative is you might be limping the day after while your kids are running from ride to ride in the parks yelling at you to hurry up.

Chicago: Watching this documentary on the Chicago marathon definitely has me inspired. Rounding out the "big three" of NYC and Boston, I feel as though it can't be left off. I'm not as familiar with Chicago as I would like to be, and what a great way to experience it. As a plus, it's flat and fast.

Portland: I believe I have previously shared my fascination/obsession with the city of Portland. Although, number one on my list of races that I must participate in is Hood to Coast, which we WILL do, preferably sooner rather than later (right team?).

Napa: I can't imagine anything better than recovering from your race with a wine tasting, or four. The perfect way to really earn your wine and food - not to mention the beauty of the course as you're running along the vineyards. Additionally, it has a small field size of about 2,400, so you would never feel too crowded. The hubster and I are visiting wine country for the first time ever in late September, and I couldn't be more excited. The timing of this trip will mean that while there, I'll likely have to run the distance of at least a half marathon for MCM training, so I'll get a little taste of running in this:

and then some of this:

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in Phoenix: I have some family friends that live outside of Phoenix and I had the pleasure of visiting them and the state of Arizona for the first time last year. It was more beautiful than I imagined and I'm just looking for an excuse to get back to Carefree. This race is held in January, which I'm pretty sure is the only month I would attempt to run outside in the desert.

My "brah" and me after hiking Black Mountain

Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras: It's New Orleans. During Mardi Gras. See comments above for Napa regarding wine and gourmet meals. Except sub wine for hurricanes. One of my favorite cities in the world. Enough said.

This list is strictly stateside. I could write an entire separate post for all of the international races I would love to participate in....which basically encompasses any race located in a foreign country that I long to visit (and yes, I included Hawaii, even though I know it's in the US...but for me getting there, it might as well be in another country.)

What about you? Do you have any favorites I need to add to my race wish list (that I may or may not wish for come October 31st)? Have you run any of these yourself?

Footsy Friends: Mikey & the Krispy Kreme Challenge

I'm beyond excited to introduce today's guest blogger: my recovering meathead of a brother, Mikey Doodle (okay, his name is actually Mike, but why pass up an opportunity to call him an embarrassing family nickname on the World Wide Web?) Mikey oh-so-bravely challenged the elements today by stepping out into this rainy mess of a day and putting his insides through complete and utter torture - all for the thrill of the Krispy Kreme Challenge. I'm proud to announce (though I'm not sure if I should be) that Mikey successfully ran 4.8 miles with a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts in his belly. And being the sweet brother that he is (and because he knew his whiny little sister wouldn't let him off the hook without a fight), he offered to share with SFOF a little bit about the battle of man vs. donut...

Saturday mornings are great. You sleep a little longer, eat a little more breakfast, take a little more time getting your day started. You know what makes Saturdays even better? How about when it’s raining, cold and dark out and you wake up realizing this and rollover for that extra (at LEAST) hour of sleep. Those conditions just so happen to make my Saturday morning. However, THIS Saturday looked nothing like the Saturday we all know and love. This Saturday I had to get up at 6:30, bundle up in four layers of racing gear, lace up the Mizunos, and drive 30 minutes to the campus of NC State to join 7,500 other sugar enthusiasts for the 7th annual Krispy Kreme challenge.

Having arrived a little early I danced around the bell tower waiting on my friends, all the while getting heavier and heavier by the minute as the rain continued to fall and soak through my layers. Despite the 35 degrees, the scene is surprisingly full of life, with sightings of gorilla man, Mario and Luigi, bikini girl, and many others, all trying to stay dry before they embark on perhaps the worst decision of their life.

My friends show up just before the start of the race and we go get in line as racers dart off. We hadn’t planned ahead of time who was running with whom, so I had to make a quick decision on how much I wanted to torture myself. Group A, two 6’7” guys who just so happen to be very athletic, or Group B, two girls, my height and probably my pace. Naturally I choose the daddy long leg group and I was already a half-mile into the race before I could process what a bad decision that was.

We dart through the crowded streets, jumping through and around puddle after puddle, inching our way closer and closer to infamous mid-way point. (side note: Much to my dismay the race is not the 4 mile race it claims to be. For some reason they market it as four, when it’s actually 4.77. That can be very disheartening when you had garnered the courage over the previous few months to take on this 4 mile eat/run challenge.) We’re probably trucking at a 7:45 pace or so, and I’m feeling pretty good despite the conditions.

We finally turn the corner and off in the distance I can see the green and red sign. I shudder. I think I see it flicker its lights at me in a taunting gesture. We get closer and luckily (for me) it’s backed up and I can regain my breath. Like a herd of cattle they push us through a tunnel of tables covered in donut boxes that are covered with sheets of plastic. Must be saving the dense donuts for the slow pokes, I tell myself.

Mikey starting to feel the pain

And then it happens. A volunteer passes me the box of doom. It’s time. Me vs. the dirty dozen. Runner vs. eater. Lactic acid vs. saturated fat. It’s on.

(another side note: While it makes complete sense, the “hot and fresh” you’re picturing when you sign up for this race is never found. I so badly wanted to drop inside the store and grab my dozen right off the conveyor belt and let the donuts melt in my mouth. No, these were cold and not fresh. Given they were baking 60,000 donuts, I forgave KK).

As we walk to find the best eating spot, I open the box and pull out #1, squeezing the life out of it with my hand. Not too bad. I can do this. Next I grab out #2 and 3 together, smushing them into a fist full of goodness. Three down, I can definitely do this. #4, 5, and 6 together next. I start to slow down. After barely finishing those I’m at the half way point. HALF WAY. I have to eat what I just ate all over again. #7, 8, 9 come out together and I mash them together as well, deep down hoping to crush their morale and subsequently their ability to wage war on my stomach. It wasn’t working. KK had turned the table and was fighting back with a vengeance.

Each bite takes longer and longer. I try talking to my friends around me to take my mind off the battle that I’m losing. I find some water to wash some of the sugar down my throat, some of the 264 grams of carb I have eaten. Time to grab #10, 11, and 12. I’m literally feeling dizzy, seeing a couple of stars. Painfully, I take a bite and then another. My buddies are about ready to go. I grab my empty box for proof and the last half of my 3-donut stack and we start walking towards the gate. I have my first gag reflex. I really don’t know if I can get the last few bites down but I tell myself I have to! I can’t tell people I ate all 12 if I throw the last little bit on the ground. I show the volunteers my empty box and start back on the run, grasping the remaining nugget of donut in my sugar glazed hands.

Mikey and the Daddy Long Legs

Over the next mile I take little nibbles of it, wishing it would just go away. With about a mile and half left to race my nugget is finally gone and I move back to the other challenge at hand. Running mostly uphill, through the now heavier rain, with a stomach full of 240 grams of fat (60 saturated). Not a minute into the return trip, group daddy long legs had left me in the dust, err, mud. My focus on finishing the race and keeping the food internal makes the world around me quiet. I can hear my heart, more confused than it’s ever been. Blood to muscles or blood to digestive system? You can’t have both Mike!

My calves start to feel the blood depletion with cramps trickling down both sides. But I am determined to make it and I have to get it under an hour, as that is what the official challenge rules require. Surprisingly, I had not seen any yackers yet. Rumor had it that an average of 25% of the competition would not hold it in. Focused on not being part of that statistic, I chug up the hill, in the zone, towards the finish line. 

Finally I can hear the music and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I endure the final half-mile and cross through the finish line, stomach fully intact with 8 or 9 minutes to spare. I made it. A few minutes later I contemplate an upchuck, but decide against it.

After watching a few more waves of people cross the finish line, I headed back home to a relaxing, hot bath. After 2400 calories (1,320 from fat), 144 grams of fat, 60 mg of cholesterol, 13,680 mg of sodium, 264 grams of carbs, and a whopping 24 grams of protein my morning was complete. Krispy Kreme, better luck next time.

10 Days to 10 Weeks to 10 Miles

So, as you may remember, we did not make the Cherry Blossom cut. And though it still stings a little okay, a lot, we are pretty darn excited about our Plan B. On April 10, Liv + Sal & Sis-in-Law Sus (and a few others that we're still in the process of recruiting. We're looking at you Willie Wonka & Megs) will be running in the Parkway Classic, a 10-miler starting at Mount Vernon and ending in Old Town Alexandria. Not only do we LOVE this course (running along picturesque George Washington Parkway) and the fact that there is less risk of getting trampled to death (as is most certainly the case with Cherry Blossom), but this race also spits us out in Old Town at prime brunching hour. Which means, we've been more focused on where we're eating afterwards than the actual training process.  

Alas, it's time to quit thinking about eggs benedict and start focusing on the 10 miles we have to run before we can taste our first mimosa. And since most 10-miler training plans typically start about 10 weeks before race day, that means we have to get serious in, oh... 10 days (Geez... that's a lot of 10s in one sentence). We've scoured the best (and not-so-great) training plans out there and finally settled on the beginner's approach to this Runner's World training plan developed by Larry Indiviglia, a certified personal trainer and director of run programs at Island Fitness in San Diego. 

Now, I like this plan because it gradually builds distance and allows plenty of time for both cross-training (essential for avoiding complete boredom and another one of these disasters) and rest (obvi my favorite days). My hesitation with this plan is that there is a lot of emphasis on heart rate and pace and other fancy technicalities that, frankly, just don't fit into my approach at the moment. I would love to think that I run slowly on purpose, but fact of the matter is that, I'm putting everything I have into my running every single day - some days, that comes out fast respectable - and most days, that means a slow-and-steady-finishes-the race pace. Regardless, I'll do my best to at least be conscious of how slowly I'm running so I can gauge whether or not I'll be able to finish this race before the sun sets.  

Oh, and one other reason this race totally rocks, there will be 50+ members from Back On My Feet - DC participating this year. Now, if that's not inspiration enough to sign up and get moving, I don't know what is (Ahem. Still looking at you Willie & Megs). 

Two Toes Way Up

As you know by now, Sal + Liv went to see Hood to Coast last night. All I can say is... sign us up! Actually, that's not all I can say about it... I can say a lot about it...which is just what this post might turn in to... So, you've been warned.

As a documentary goes, it was hands down the best documentary I've ever seen (even including The September Issue....which I lurved). Purely from a movie standpoint, it was the best movie I've seen in a long time. And that's saying a lot, because I just saw The Black Swan last weekend and thought it was fantastic in all of it's dark weirdness. [sidenote from Sal: Liv + I have verrrrry different taste in movies. But, I totes agree that this flick was the bomb.com]

This movie was the perfect mix of utter inspiration: both tears from sadness and tears from hysterical laughter. The filmmakers chose the four most amazing teams fathomable to feature - each fabulously different from the next in every possible way. While reflecting on the film this morning, we realized  that each of the teams had a unique sort of motto, if you will, and we think we want to adopt them all.

Let's start with the Dead Jocks: extreme, experienced and talented runners - yet so fun and hilarious that you want to be on their team because you know it will be the best time of your life. Unfortunately, you can't be on their team because, even though they coined themselves the "dead" jocks, they run like 6:30 something miles. They drop hilarious self-deprecating one-liners throughout the entire movie and lament  the the demise of a runner's body through aging.... and all the while, I'm thinking to myself,  "will I EVER break a pace of 9:30?" Two of their team members have actually participated in the race each year since it began in 1982. The Dead Jocks taught me that if I ever do make it to a point in my life where I am an experienced runner like these guys, I hope I enjoy it as much as they do. It is evident they are extremely serious about their running, without themSELVES too seriously.

The second team had me in stitches every time they were on the screen. Thunder and Laikaning is a group of animators (in fact, the very animators from the studio that brought us Coraline) that I can  totally identify with because they blame their lack of athleticism on their sedentary jobs.  Jason and Rachel (clearly the camera favorites of the team) don't train for the 15 to 18 miles they'll likely be running. They go on one 3 mile uphill run to determine which  is the worst and second worst on their team. To be honest....I didn't think they would be able to make it. I mean, running three 6 to 7 mile legs with zero training? I couldn't do it. But at the same time, I also wanted to be on their team. They had the attitude of, let's see if we can...why not...it could be a totally awesome experience. I wanted to be drinking beer with them in their training planning sessions. I wanted to eat a big juicy burger with Jason at 10:30 in the morning when he still had one leg left to run. I can see myself as Rachel, cussing as she sees her teammate approaching her to pass the slap bracelet, signaling that it's time for her to run her "mountain" as she called it. And I definitely wanted to be on their team as she jumped in the van from finishing her "mountain" when you could see the runner's high on her face and even hear it in her voice as she said, "that was awesome." From Rachel we're adopting the motto of, the only experiences we'll regret, are the experiences we don't participate in.

While all the teams were an inspiration, the remaining two were especially. heart-wrenching. Heart N Sole, another group of experienced runners, was trying to overcome a near tragedy from the previous year when one of their teammates, Kathy, collapsed at the start of her third leg when her heart stopped beating. Kathy  is a seasoned marathon runner with like 74 marathons under her belt. Not to mention her daily workout routine includes 100 push-ups and 1,000 crunches. Oh, and did we mention that she's like almost 70? Regardless, she's in great shape... and it just goes to show that being in great shape isn't everything when it comes to heart health. Anyway, Kathy made a full recovery, and her interaction with her doctor was hysterical - he must be wildly frustrated with her determination to continue to run. And not only to run, but to compete... AND to run the hardest legs of Hood to Coast. But I really admire Kathy, because she didn't want to live without running, she doesn't know a life without running. From Kathy, we adopt the motto of "some day, I'll be the runner I want to be." This motto gives us freedom to explore just exactly what that runner is. And the best thing about the sport of running, the answer is totally different for everyone - and that's perfectly okay.

I would be shocked to find out that team R. Bowe left a dry eye in the theater. A team formed to celebrate the memory of Ryan Bowe - a son, husband and friend  (and W&L General) taken from this earth too soon at the age of 30 from a rare heart condition. My heart broke for his mother, who not once directly spoke to the camera without a tear in her eye. And I could barely stand to listen as his widow discussed the events of the early morning that she lost her husband (while she was 9 months pregnant). Team R. Bowe was running on emotion, and reminded us all that running can be such an emotional sport. We run to take out frustration when we're mad. We use our happiness and excitement as fuel. We run when we want to remember and when we want to forget. From team R. Bowe we learned that sometimes it's the unseen forces that keep you going when you think you won't make it.

Aside from the incredible human stories, the film showcased the beautiful scenery of Oregon, the excitement of race day, a runner's spirit, and tied it all together wonderfully with an incredible score by Nathan Barr. (queue the True Blood music)

I was even more excited when I found out on Monday night that my husband's aunt and uncle have run Hood to Coast...twice! And I can't wait to pick their brains for every detail of their experiences when they're here in April for the Cherry Blossom run.

So run, don't walk.....to your computer, to add Hood to Coast to your Netflix queue if you didn't get the chance to see it last night. I already added it to mine - along with this little documentary recommended to me by a co-worker.

Now all that's left for us to do is build our team for next year's Hood to Coast. We've got 3 total....who else is with us? Oh - and it's a mur.thur.fur.kin lottery entry as well - so someone else is signing up our team this time.

Everyday People. Extraordinary Journey.

Liv + Sal are headed to see this next week, and we're pretty darn excited...

Hood To Coast Movie Trailer from HoodToCoastMovie on Vimeo.

Here's a little bit about the film:

HOOD TO COAST follows four unlikely teams on their epic journey to conquer the world's largest relay race. The film captures the love, dedication, and insanity of the every day runner as well as the excitement, pain, and humor of the unprepared first timer. Their stories are reminders that no matter who you are, you can push yourself beyond where you thought your limits were.

Each year 1,000 teams (12,000 runners) in 2,000 vans cover 197 grueling miles as a relay, putting themselves through an arduous physical journey that as an individual would be impossible.

Some run to test their personal limits, some to overcome personal obstacles, and others leap in blindly looking for a way to shake up a complacent life. As we follow four teams from their preparations through the big day, we realize that winning isn't everything in a film that takes a celebratory look at personal motivation and attempting the extraordinary.

The film will be in 350 theaters nationwide next week for one night only. To learn more about the race, the flick and how/where you can see it next week, check out the Hood to Coast Web site.

Why we love it? Well, for one thing, we could use some major inspiration to get us back on track and remind us why we signed up to run this marathon in the first place. We also love that most of these folks are not extreme athletes - they're people just like us who are pushing their bodies to extremes... by choice.

Full recap after we check it out next week. Until then, Happy 2011!

Luck Be Us Ladies

If only, if only we can win the lottery…then we can run 10 miles in April. Wait, whuck kind of lottery is that? Why, the lottery to enter the Cherry Blossom 10 miler of course!

We could probably think of many more lotteries we’d prefer to win – like the kind that involve us choosing the lump sum amount - but we'd also really, really like to be chosen for this one. After all, it adheres to our whole pre-training training plan.....and when there are kinks in my plans, I get a little testy.

This:

vs. This:

You know how the saying goes, April showers.... - ick

So we had choices - do we enter as a group, either we all get in or we all go home, or individually?And if we enter as a group how many people do we force convince to do it with us?

Here is the problem though, I have AWFUL luck! I never win raffles or drawings or anything of the sort. I'm worried my bad luck will keep the Footsy gals out of the race! But we're entered, all three of us as a group - Liv + Sal and Megs (a footsy friend you'll meet later when we make her guest blog for us). Now all we have to do is wait till the results of the lottery are posted on December 14th, and in the mean time I'll be searching for four-leaf good-luck cherry blossoms.

lylas,

Footsy Friends: Guest Blogger Tess

Introducing our ever-fabulous and exceptionally eccentric hot yogi of a friend, Tess. Though she recently ditched us in the District for the bright lights of D-Town, Tess is that friend that's always up for a challenge or adventure and can make you laugh in a second (particularly when dressed in her weekend uniform of a bright orange Texas sweat suit with some statically-stuck socks on her bum and UGGs in the middle of summer). She's also that friend that will screen your calls for 3 months and then pop up out of nowhere and offer to guest blog. That's why we love her (well that, and because of her slightly alarming passion for ketchup). And now, you will love her too…

Greetings fellow pavement pounders! Allow me to introduce myself as the first ever guest blogger to penetrate the pages of Shoes Full of Feet. A little about me- I'll be brief so as not to bore: I'm a 26-year young native Texan living in Dallas- working, figuring things out and have recently been adhering to the mantra "keep calm, carry on." I have found the latter to be a bit easier than the former, but I'm halfway there, right?

As far as my running classification, I would consider myself an emotional runner (hmmm). My relationship with running (because as you will see it most certainly is a relationship) has been pretty consistent over the last 10 years, but rocky at times. I find myself running when I am mad, sad, happy, stressed and bored. I have always used running as a quick fix to satiate one or a few of the aforementioned feelings. When Sal + Liv informed me that they had decided to start running and were planning to supplement their training with an awesome blog, I was admittedly… jealous (what!?). While I have been running all of my life, I've never let myself fall in love with it for fear of having to take my running relationship to the next level. I have never given running a chance to change my life, or at least enrich it… until now. With that I ask beg for a second chance.

WARNING- CONTENT BELOW MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR SERIOUS RUNNERS: 

Twas' the night before the Turkey Trot… and well… my anxiety was stirring, A LOT. I had not run in quite some time and had not prepared in a way that I normally would. I woke up @ 6 am, threw on an oversized T and running pants, and went to Starbucks did a jumping jack or two in the driveway. I had not preregistered for the 10K and was met by long, long lines upon arrival. Luckily, I made it in just enough time to line up and take off. My total time was 59:08:02, and while I did not stop unless you count some suspect lingering at the water station, it was not pretty. My lack of preparation came through before, during and after the race. BUT with every accomplishment comes a lesson learned. If I am going to gear up for this marathon, I need to get serious. Until next time, here is what I am listening to... on repeat.

Sneaks off to Liv + Sal… see you in DC!

Meet Crockett too aka Tess' BFF 

Doughnut Dilemma

My bro (a different bro this time) just signed up for the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, and frankly, I'm just now sure how I feel about this. Growing up, I used to pride myself on being able to take down a dozen original glazed doughnuts in one sitting. Thankfully (for the sake of my insides), that is a talent I no longer possess, though I still have an extremely strong passion for Krispy Kreme. Anyway, back to the challenge...

The Concept

Each runner runs 2 miles to the Krispy Kreme store located on Peace St. in Raleigh. After downing A FULL DOZEN of the famous Krispy Kreme doughnuts (coffee optional), the runner must run the 2 miles back. All in one hour. 

There are a couple of different competition levels: the Challenger is required to run the full race and chomp down on (and keep down) all 12 doughnuts. The Casual Runner is not required to eat a dozen, can run or walk and doesn't exactly have to keep 'em down either (oh, that poor race clean-up crew). 

Major props for coming up with an original concept that no doubt enables some major camaraderie (perhaps too much?) among racers. And love that all proceeds benefit the NC Children's Hospital. BUT I can't help but feel conflicted about this concept, no matter how much I love Krispy Kreme. 

The calorie count for one dozen Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts is 2400, 1200 of which are calories from fat (36 grams saturated, 0 grams trans). Everyone burns calories differently, but the average # of calories burned running 4 miles in an hour is around 400 - 500 calories. So basically, if you don't eat another thing all day long, you can still net out around 2000 calories - the average # of calories upon which most nutrition facts are based (even though, that # completely depends on individuals' metabolic rate). Obviously, that will not be the only thing racers eat that day though, so... yeah (eww). 

Even so, it's not like this is something participants will be doing on a daily basis (at least I hope not). And my hunch is that, anyone who signs up for the Krispy Kreme Challenge is probably already leading a pretty active lifestyle - it takes a special type of athlete to find the excitement in potentially losing your insides in front of thousands of other runners. 

So, will I be joining my bro at the starting line? Not likely. I think it would be a step backwards (or at least sideways) for the ol' pre-training training. But then again, did I mention how much I love Krispy Kreme?? I'm still torn. But registration is now open for anyone else that is intrigued/hungry/into self-inflicted pain and self-loathing.

Source: http://www.slashfood.com/2009/02/09/krispy-kreme-doughnut-challenge/

So about that 10K...

The good news is that WE DID IT! And... we didn't walk! Well, in the interest of full disclosure, Sal + the tweenster walked for about 20 feet while slurping back some H-two-the-O... we weren't as talented as Liv at the whole pinch-the-cup-and-keep-on-truckin' move. Anyway, our lil' group crossed the finish line and agreed to make a tradition out of running the same race each year.

But we should also explain that, while we did complete the race, it certainly wasn't pretty. We huffed and puffed and marveled at how the road seemed to never end - it was deceptively long and constantly playing tricks on us, convincing us that we were closer to the finish line than we really were.

The lows...

• Watching a friend loop back for her final leg of the race while we were still on mile 2.5 (she ended up finishing first place in our division, we might add! Go Blur!)
• Mile 3 - the course was a down-and-back with mostly uphill on the second half
• Sal had to pee the entire time.
• Mile 4 - Liv's left ankle started hurting real bad and couldn't figure out why - she thought she was running with good form. Luckily all was well after the race and it wasn't even sore the following day.
• Thinking about having to do that race 4.5 more times when we finally run the 2011 MCM. Ugh.

The highs...

• The weather! It was a beautiful day with race temps in the 60s - couldn't ask for more at the end of November.
• The pre- and post-race camaraderie with all of the other folks from around the 'ham
• Running with Sal's bro and tweenster niece/keeping each other company for the first half of the race
• Watching the tweenster take-off while on a total adrenaline rush and crush the finish line. Also watching a boy in the tweenster's class complete the race in a wheelchair
• The knowledge after the race that there was nothing left to do that day other than EAT!

The Footsy gals' first official race couldn't have been better was a great start! Though our goals were meager - a) to just finish and b) to try and complete it without walking - we accomplished them. And we even ran a pace to be proud of...finishing the whole shebang right at an hour. Clearly we won't be breaking any records anytime soon, but we earned our Turkey Trot tshirts and will sport them with pride.