Tagged

Ok, so I haven't found time to scan the photos or upload from the camera, but here is my response to Michelle's tag.

The Rules:Tagging is easy. Just copy the following onto your post. The rules of the game are posted at the start of your blog post. In this case, I'm asking you 5 questions about running. Each player answers the 5 questions on their own blog. At the end of your post you tag 5 other people and post their names. Go to their blogs and leave a comment on their blogs telling them they've been tagged and to look at your blog for details. When they've answered the questions on their own blog, they come back to yours to tell you. Got that?

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago? 10 years ago I was applying for Architecture School and was trying to get through my second year of college. Working out was not something that I would do. Looking back, I did a lot of walking at school in Seattle. Lots of daily exercise washing cars for a living, but very little structured exercise. The last time I ‘ran’ was getting ready for 10th grade basketball – I would run down my childhood country road bouncing the basketball, I must have drove the neighbors crazy.
2. What is your best/worst running experience? Every time I run it seems like the best running experience. I like the fact that I can talk and run, so probably when I was doing my first 16 mile training run and I need a pep-talk I called my friend Lisa and her son Brandon gave me a pep talk – he is five! I talked to a lot of people on my cell phone that day, just out for a run. Oh yeah, the day in the winter when there were little snow flurries as I was running, that was fun, I felt like a kid chasing snowflakes. Oh yeah, the first day this spring when I smelled fresh cut grass. This list could go on for days, running has just opened my eyes, ears, heart, everything.
My worst running experience was during my first marathon. The hills were tough for me – I trained for the mileage on a flat trail, just to get the mileage in, not the hill training. So when I was at the 20 mile mark, my feet were like raw hamburger and I felt alone in the canyon (I really was alone), and I had a big hill in front of me, I felt like I was crazy for even trying to do this. Then I would think about all of the people at the end waiting for me, I got up those hills even if I had to power walk them. It was a mentally and physically challenging day. The next one will be better though, I know a little of what to expect now and I can train my body and my mind for the obstacles that I know will be out there.

3. Why do you run?
Because I can, and because I saw a flier in the YMCA last February (2007) advertising a Couch to 5k running program. I told my friend Elinor, I should do that… and here I am. The Y-Run-Club took me under their wing and kept me moving, giving me advice, cheering me on and just being out there running.
Why not, I have a lot of things that I want to do, the more someone makes it a challenge the more I want to do it. Because I can run, putting my own two feet in front of each other and move myself fast down the trail, road, sidewalk – it is amazing what your body can do!
As I heard a lady in my WW meeting say, she ‘walks away her mad’. Part of me runs to get away from pressures – pressures like work, family, spouse, housework, projects… the list could go on and on. I can think about what I want to when I’m running, although at times I wish I had a recorder to nab great ideas or at least be able to sketch while running (wait, that’s what I could be doing on my walk breaks).

4. What is the best or worst piece of running advice that you've been given about running? Best advice; Body Glide, Butt paste, proper clothing, proper socks, retiring shoes after mileage (even if they still look new). The Y-Run-club has been a wealth of information. I just figured out that I can use the body glide on the arches of my feet to combat the 2” blisters that are persistent.
Worst piece of running advice…. I don’t think I have gotten bad advice, I try out a lot of different things to see what works for me.
4a. My advice to others – you are never too old, too fat, not-built-for, too clumsy, etc., to start running. Just find a good beginner program and try it – you’ll find it addictive – and hey there are many more worse things to be addicted to.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know. hummm, I’m sure that there a lot of things…. Let’s see, I was a pretty rebellious teenager and I got suspended from school for TP’ing my basketball coach’s house. There were eight of us maybe that got caught…. My punishment was being home from school with my dad working around the house (which really wasn’t that bad, except that I knew he was disappointed with me). I still have the newspaper article somewhere and I still feel lame buying a case of TP at Costco. Let’s see, I am really a farm girl who needs a place in the city during the week and a farm with lots of animals and tractors and fields and chores for the weekend.
I am really a open book, I try to have people around me that support what I do and what I want. Someday I would love to have my own architecture firm in the city and my own farm in the country – and adopt some kids that need a good home along with a pack of ‘pound puppies’.
Now, I’m Tagging,
Michelle, Rob, Wendy, Emily, Jenny

I'll try to get some photos in later, but today is my active day, I rode my bike to the bus (1mi.), went to work and I am heading to step aerobics tonight after work and then a 5mi bike ride home. Hopefully it will get sunny later today!

Have a great day everyone!

Tag & Thin-Dependence

I’ve been tagged by Michelle regarding running – I will work on those (something to do during my lulls at work tomorrow.)

I had a great weigh-in last night, now I’m down 13.8 pounds (in 6 weeks)! Today I had a client tell me that my eyes looked really blue because of my nice purple shirt (I found the shirt with the tags still on it in the bag with the receipt in the bottom of the closet – an obvious purchase without trying it on last fall, and that it didn’t fit – I tried it on and now it fits and looks good). This client is about my age +/- and she is becoming a really great person to talk with, I floated all of the way back to the office – she had no idea what an impact that comment made.

Today I had a great moment(s). For all of you skinny people you can skip to the bottom of the post now, you just wouldn’t understand. I squatted while looking at roofing samples on the floor and when getting into a supply cabinet at work. You know, squatting when the back of your thighs touch the back of your calves – for me it hasn’t happened in a long time, I guess I didn’t even notice until I did it today. Yes, it is weird, but it was comfortable, it did not cut off the circulation, guess it’s a sign that all that I am doing is paying off. Well it’s not the only sign, I have moved in to the 4th belt buckle hole – that happened when I was feeling like I was getting a cold on Tuesday. I kept hiking up my pants all day and finally took the belt in a notch. Brian is going to get me suspenders soon if I don’t stop shimming my pants back up to the correct spot =).

Tonight I came straight home and Darby and I started out on a long walk – the sun is finally out (it has been in the 50’s and raining here). We walked down Sunrise, stopped at starbucks for an Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte and headed back home. I just need to be out in the sunshine… We did 2.5 miles – a good afternoon walk. I am still optimistic that all the sleeping I did earlier this week has kept the cold away, but I don’t want to push it, otherwise I would have ran at the track with the Y-run-club. The Sound to Narrows 12k is this weekend. It will be my third year. My first year I was coming off of a broken toe and a sprained knee (don’t ask – it was only a fall down three freakin’ steps onto carpet). Last year, Brian and I ran it together in the rain. This year I’m running it solo – Brian has been having some knee troubles so he is out. I am going to park and ride my bike to the start line to avoid parking aggravation (it is at a park in the middle of a residential neighborhood). So I am excited to be running through the park, zoo and old neighborhood. I have also been putting together my training plan for the Portland Marathon – I will see if I can post my goals for that.

Overall my WW has been a really great experience, next is to see if I can convince my mom to join me…. My WW ‘coach - Candy’ (yes, her name really is Candy) gave us this inspiration for the upcoming summer season;

My Declaration of Thin-dependence:
I pledge allegiance to myself
In quest of my weight goal,
And to the healthy habits for which it stands.
One body…
Under control …
Indisputably,
With confidence and new clothes for fall.

Run, macha woman, run!