A little help from my friends

What would you think if I sang out of tune,

Would you speed up and run out on me?

Give me a Gu and I'll sing you a song,

And I'll try not to sing out of key.

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,

I get Runners High with a little help from my friends,

Oh I'm gonna try (to run faster) with a little help from my friends.

Do you need anybody?

I need somebody to run.

Could it be anybody?

I want somebody to run.

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,

Mmm I get Runners High with a little help from my friends,

Oh... I get by with a little help from my friends.

Tumbleweed Running Club reunites after a bit of a hiatus ~ tomorrow morning, 6:45 am.

Thanks, friends for not letting me stay a lump of goo ;)

Conquer the Distance

I finally got out last night. 3 miles. Slow. No walking.

It was good. No, it was great. It was the first *real* run I’ve had since Valley of the Sun, and it felt good be just be out (first and foremost) but it was also good to feel strong. I love runs where I feel strong.


As I mentioned already, yesterday Micheline and I spent a long while on the telephone, combined with internet surfing, trying to find a race to run together sometime later this year. Our intent is to try and meet for a race once a year – following in the tradition of Big Sur. An interesting comment was made during our conversation, and I pondered it quite a bit last night during my run.

Micheline knows me well enough ~ and may not even visit my blog enough ~ to know I didn’t take this comment the wrong way…so I’m okay with sharing it.

As some background, Micheline is my pie-in-the-sky-friend. She truly believes that nothing is out of the realm of possibility. She isn’t deterred by physical or mental limitations; she’s ready to throw her hat in the ring for just about anything. She doesn’t share my disdain for the prospect of finishing last in a race ~ she’s all about just going for it. In some ways, I wish I was like that ~ but I’m much more conservative.

That being said, I choose my races carefully. I know my physical limitations, and try not to put myself in a race situation where I know I’m setting up for failure. For example, Micheline wants to do the Wild West Trail Marathon….and doesn’t think anything of walking it if necessary. I, on the other hand, don’t think that my very first marathon should be one that is rated with a 9+ degree of difficulty ;)

So obviously we have some differences in opinions about the races we should consider ~ specifically given my adversion to HILLS. (Yes, we’ve covered that topic already, so it really needs no more explanation.) So in our search for suitable races, the degree of elevation change is an item for consideration. At least for me.

So yesterday as we are perusing the internet, Micheline finds a race (I can’t remember which one) ~ I look at the elevation chart ~ make a grunting noise, signaling my disapproval ~ and I can almost see Micheline rolling her eyes at me over the phone. So she chides me: “I’m sorry….I wish I could just run a search for races labeled *easy.*”

To which I promptly reply: “ummmm, I don’t recall any of my half-marathons being easy for me.”

And she got my point. I’m not about searching for easy ~ I’m searching for do-able. I’m searching for a race ~ and a distance ~ that I can conquer. Up to now, for a variety of reasons, my first three half-marathons have conquered ME ~ not the other way around.

I want to conquer a race. I want to conquer a distance. And then I can move on.

And as I was running last night, I realized that is what makes me enjoy some runs more than others. When I am out there, running ~ feeling strong ~ conquering the distance, without it conquering me ~ I love the run. And as is human nature, when I am on the other end of the stick, I don’t feel quite as warm and fuzzy.

There is something amazing for me about looking back at the completion of a run ~ whether it’s 3 miles or 13.1 miles ~ and knowing the distance didn’t defeat me. That was what last night was for me: 3 miles of Pokey versus the Pavement ~ and I came out strong and victorious.

THAT is what keeps me running.

And it gave me a new sense of focus. I’ve completed 3 HM’s lately, but I still have so much work to do. I have not yet conquered the half marathon. And I won’t move on until I do.

My plan is to complete at least 2 more HM’s this year ~ and conquer the distance.

Big Lump of Goo

To steal a phrase from Laura, this is seriously what I am becoming ~ a big, lazy lump of GOO.

It’s sadly reminiscent of late 2006 after the completion of my very first *big race.* I came home, with nothing on my plate to work toward, and became completely complacent. I stopped training, kept eating, gained weight and allowed my running progress to take a backward slide.

When you’re a rookie, there is no such thing as a break from running. At least not for this rookie.

So I’ve enlisted a bit of help from my friends today ~ Micheline and I spent 45 minutes on the phone this morning, trying to find some races to target for early summer or fall. I need to have a carrot dangling in front of me to keep me moving. I won’t allow myself a repeat of past years.

So thenI emailed Nancy, and admitted that I am actually considering the Dam to Dam 20K that she had mentioned to me ~ yes, it's in Iowa. But nothing a little good planning and a little bit of credit on US Airways couldn't accommodate if necessary ;)

And in my final act of running desperation, I sent out a pleading email to some of my local running pals ~ Lisa, Pat and Eileen ~ begging for a 5 mile run this Saturday. It’s sad when Pokey ~ the once-upon-a-time-self-proclaimed-solo-runner ~ has to beg for a group run. So help me out, will ya running buddies?

Don’t let this Pokey become a lump of goo. It ain’t pretty.

Kauai Running

I'm back ~ and still trying to get my brain unscrambled and some somewhat settled again after vacation......but thought I'd post a few pictures for starters.

I only ran twice while in Kauai ~ the first morning and last morning ~ and tried to capture the amazing scenery as best as a cell phone camera can.

But how can a run in these places be anything but great?

I really wanted to run faster, but there were signs like this all over the place! So what's a girl to do? :P

And just so you know that I didn't steal these pictures from other blogs.... I give you the glamorous self portrait ;)

In my world, I consider this a HILL. And yes, I actually ran it....BOTH ways!! ;)

*sigh*

Now back to reality. I'll get caught up with everyone soon!

While I'm away...

.....I have a few things to say ~

(tee hee, just call me Dr. Seuss!)

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my gal Lisa ~ who will celebrate her birthday next week with the B-Fit Birthday Challenge! Some of us celebrate with too much chocolate and cake, but noooooo.......Lisa is going to swim, bike and run an absurd amount in celebration of her youth! Have an awesome birthday week Lisa! :)

HAPPY, HAPPY TRI-ING to another one of my heros~ Nancy who is doing her first triathlon during my absence!!! Did you hear me ~ TRIATHLON!!! Holy smokes woman, you ROCK!

HAPPY, HAPPY TRI-ING to Mendy & David ~ some veteran tri-do-ers~ who are great at just about everything! You guys make an awesome pair.....go ROCK that TRI on Saturday!!

HAPPY, HAPPY HALF MARATHON to vivacious Viv ~ who is running a HM relay while I'm flying across the ocean ;) You are going to be fantastic!

and last, but certainly not least ~

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY MARATHON to Nat ~ who is running the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach on Sunday! I've loved riding along the journey with you this far Nat.....so get your tail to that finish line, will ya? You're going to do AWESOME!


Geeze, I almost feel guilty about laying on the beach next week while so many of my kinfolk are doing such amazing things!!! okay, ALMOST ;)

I am looking forward to coming home to some GREAT race reports! ALOHA!

Even though I am still HERE ~

My mind is already here ~

Ahhhhh.....now isn't that so much better?

2 more days until we leave for Kauai, and I am just more than ready. Well, mentally ready - not ready, ready! Unfortunately, the laundry and packing fairy hasn't made it to my house just quite yet.

I'm still resting and recovering a bit from Valley of the Sun ~ I was extremely sore after this race (unlike the other two races where it didn't phase me a bit). Every part of my leg has been hurting ~ calves, shins, quads...the works. Today is the first day that everything actually feels back to normal.

I have to admit that I was just a teeny, tiny bit relieved to know that Taryn shared some of my leg soreness after this race too ~ you know, it's the whole *misery loves company* thing ~ but it just made me feel not quite as bad :) (so thanks Taryn!) Of course, she happened to run this race in 2:13 and I ran it in.....well, you know. Enough said about that!

I am enjoying the little rest from running though, particularly since my schedule this week is so crazy that it would have been hard to fit much in anyway. So it is nice to not have to worry about it.

I'm hoping for a short run tomorrow night (Thursday) and then I'll pack up my running shoes and get some short runs done next week in Kauai. I so cannot wait!

In Memory

One year ago today, I lost one of the most important people in my life ~ my dear Gram.

But one loss, is another gain ~ and I know there are many people, both living and deceased whose lives are much better today as a result of my Gram and her amazing life.

You won’t ever hear me say the words “rest in peace” ~ on the contrary, I hope that my Gram is having the best time of her life.

I love you Gram.