I Ran 39.3 Rock N Roll Miles!

From Bike Run Yoga

I got a wonderful gift in the mail today, my 39.3 metal from the Rock N Roll Marathon Group! I completed the San Diego Marathon in May and the San Antonio Half Marathon in November 2009. Competitor Group, the company that puts on the Rock N Roll events give additional metals for completing more than one of their events.

I love my metals, not that I wear them out (that would be just silly) or even look at them on a daily basis but when I do look at them, they remind me of the amazing accomplishments I achieved in 2009. I not only ran my first marathon, I ran in 3 half marathons and a handful of other shorter races. In total I completed 12 athletic events in running, cycling and yoga. This from a girl that had never actually run an entire 5k - ever! So if you think running a marathon or half marathon or really any goal you have for yourself is impossible, think again, anything is possible....just set your mind to it and take it one day at a time.

From Bike Run Yoga

From Bike Run Yoga

I Just Completed Event 11!

From Mayors 5K

Eleven events down!! It is such a great feeling to know I am so close to reaching my goal of completing 12 events in 2009. Tomorrow I run the White Rock Half Marathon and that will round out my 12 events!

Today I ran the Mayors 5k that is part of the White Rock Marathon weekend events. The day started off with me lying in bed at 6:00 am not wanting to get up, then as I was laying there, I heard this rush of water, it sounded like it all came down at once. I was like, WHOA! what is that?! OH MY GOSH! Rain! My mom had just asked me yesterday if I thought it was going to rain. Oh no mom....it isn't going to rain....it will be cold but no rain. Yea right. I debated going. But if I didn't go, I wouldn't have done 12 events and I would have not completed my goal. So begrudgingly I got up and got ready.

I thought the run started at 8 am so I hurried to get all my stuff together and headed out the door. I planned on taking yoga after the run so I had to get two sets of work out gear together and make sure I had enough food to make it through the day.

As I wound my way through downtown, I was surprise to see NO ONE around. Hmm, not a good sign. I saw some balloons blowing in the wind and assumed that was where the start was and found a place to park. I got out of the car and wow was it cold! I walked into the Dallas City Hall to more workers than runners, got my number and waited, and waited and waited.

From Mayors 5K

I met a fireman from Midlothian that just started running this year and pretty much sticks to 5k's. His wife is running the half tomorrow. Then I met a lady named Mackenzie, it was her first race. She also had just started running this year. She had just started running a few weeks ago! She plans on running the Rock N Roll Half Marathon in Dallas in March 2010.

Mackenzie and I went outside and froze for about 15 minutes. Then it was time to start and she took off! I thought to myself...hmm...I think she runs faster than me! lol That's ok. I am not fast, just determined.

The run started off down hill and the course was a mile and a half and then a turn around so I was dreading having to run back up it bu the down hill was a good start. I decided I needed to be at the half way point at less than 17 minutes to beat or be at the same time I ran the Susan Komen 5k earlier this year. I ran at what I thought was a good pace...as I was running a lady came up beside me and we ended up running the rest of the 5k together. It was great, she kept me at a good pace. As we came up to the turn around point I looked down at my watch and saw it was 17:19. I had two decisions, run faster or change the goal. As I ran I decided I wasn't trying to be a super star today, I was trying to run an easy run to prepare for tomorrow and my time was not the most important thing. So I ran at a nice pace but didn't push myself too hard and finished in 34:31.

So there it is, event 11 done. Looking forward to event 12 tomorrow...13.1 miles....and then goal accomplished!

From Mayors 5K

2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge: Get a FREE T-shirt!

Bike Run Yoga is my idea of the ideal Tri. The real concept though of Bike Run Yoga is more about doing events you love, not what MY ideal triathlon would be. (Although the thought of what my ideal Tri would be is how the company got started.) Also, it doesn't mean those three activities have to happen in a typical triathlon event process. It is about participating in events that show off what you love to do, to challenge yourself, to promote a healthy life style and to most importantly, have fun!

My friend Ginny and I just completed our century ride and I got to thinking about all the events I had completed or was planning on completing this year and how great it would be to have a Bike Run Yoga t-shirt that has on the back a list of all the events, like a concert tour shirt, to really celebrate all my accomplishments. It is tough to complete one event be it a marathon, triathlon, duathlon, century ride, yoga competition or other event. It is even tougher to dedicate the time and energy to complete multiple events in one year. How great would that be to be get a free t-shirt that commemorates all your efforts and shows off all the events you completed in one year?

Bike Run Yoga wants to help you celebrate your 2009 achievements! Come join us in the the 2009 Bike Run Yoga Challenge! Complete the challenge and get a FREE personalized event t-shirt that lists YOUR events for 2009.  Anyone that meets the requirements below can win. You still have time in 2009 to get a free shirt!

What does that mean? It means, complete all the requirements and get a t-shirt that lists all your events for 2009 on the back; the front will be the Bike Run Yoga logo; The events will be listed on the back with the name of the event and the event date.

Requirements:

1. Make a commitment to the challenge (this means post a comment here and tell me you are doing the challenge)
   
2. Follow/subscribe to Bike Run Yoga blog (that's THIS blog)
3. For 2009, complete 12 events (Tri, duathlon, run, ride, swim or yoga event)
4. FYI for 2010 - must complete 24 events
5. Must be a finisher at the event (we use the honor system for verification)
6. Submit your events,email address, full name and shipping address to Bike Run Yoga no later than January 5, 2010

Once your events are submitted, a Bike Run Yoga celebration t-shirt will be custom made for you and shipped to you in 4-6 weeks.

As an example, here is a list of the events I have either completed or will complete by the end of 2009. Join me in this exciting challenge and show off your

Tour Dallas April 4
Big D ½ Marathon April 5
San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon May 31
Too Hot to Handle 15K July 18
Hotter N Hell 100 August 29
Tour Des Fleur's 10K September 19
Susan G Komen 5K October 17
Light the Night Walk October 18
Texas Yoga Asana Championships November 8
Thundercloud Turkey Trot November 26
San Antonio ½ Marathon November 15
White Rock ½ Marathon December 13

Questions? click here to email me.

The Week of Two Ten's

Here is an exert from my marathon experience earlier this year. My Team in Training group was running 20 miles this particular weekend and I was in Austin so I ran with my friend Ginny and we didn't like the idea of running 20 miles so it became our weekend to run two ten mile runs back to back. The mind is a powerful thing!

5/11/09 - The Week of Two Ten's. My friend Ginny and I are running the San Diego Marathon together at the end of May. She has been training on her own but matching the Team in Training schedule and decided to come to Austin with me to run 20 miles this past Saturday. In talking, we decided 20 miles was too much and way to overwhelming and we would rather run 2 - 10 mile segments. So it was the weekend of Two Ten's. Our first mistake might have been not running on Thursday like we were scheduled, instead we ran Friday morning. I wear so much technical equipment on my arms, I managed to chaff the inside of my left arm pretty raw. Who would have thought I would need Body Glide for just three miles?! I put Neosporin on it and tried to let it air out and at least scab over but I sweat so much I knew Saturday was not going to be very fun. Then, some how on the way down to Austin Ginny and I managed to damage ourselves even more, she with a pinch mark from the seatbelt that welted up and me with a large scrap on my leg. We looked like we had been through the ringer and we hadn't even run yet!

We had discussed our route and decided to stick close to Town Lake because several running stores provide water and it is fairly safe. It was abnormally hot and humid, only adding to the joy of running Two Ten's. Our plan was to run up Congress, around the capital, down to the lake and around the lake twice.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 4 of my second 10, I knew my knees were really mad and the remaining 6 were going to be pretty tough. But I was on the downward slope so I kept going. The nice thing about the Nike ipod sensor is the count down of miles so it tells you how much more you have to go. The down side is it tells you how much farther you have to go. Pushing the button every few seconds doesn't make it tell you less distance faster...it is very methodical that way. Mile 18 I realized I had gone as far as my last long run and I only had two more miles to go. That isn't hard right? Two miles, less than a 5K...easy breezy. As my watch beeps for me to run another 5 minute...I winch at the thought of picking up my legs one more time. My walk is more dragging of my feet and I notice my shoes are covered in dust from the trail.

I managed to get all the way around the lake twice and had about a mile left. I ran up Congress and around a few buildings, well, walked/hobbled around a few buildings and was never more happy than when the ipod said I had completed my workout! Such joy! I had made it! Two Ten's!

The Week of Two Ten's

5/11/09 - The Week of Two Ten's. My friend Ginny and I are running the San Diego Marathon together at the end of May. She has been training on her own but matching the Team in Training schedule and decided to come to Austin with me to run 20 miles this past Saturday. In talking, we decided 20 miles was too much and way to overwhelming and we would rather run 2 - 10 mile segments. So it was the weekend of Two Ten's. Our first mistake might have been not running on Thursday like we were scheduled, instead we ran Friday morning. I wear so much technical equipment on my arms, I managed to chaff the inside of my left arm pretty raw. Who would have thought I would need Body Glide for just three miles?! I put Neosporin on it and tried to let it air out and at least scab over but I sweat so much I knew Saturday was not going to be very fun. Then, some how on the way down to Austin Ginny and I managed to damage ourselves even more, she with a pinch mark from the seatbelt that welted up and me with a large scrap on my leg. We looked like we had been through the ringer and we hadn't even run yet!

We had discussed our route and decided to stick close to Town Lake because several running stores provide water and it is fairly safe. It was abnormally hot and humid, only adding to the joy of running Two Ten's. Our plan was to run up Congress, around the capital, down to the lake and around the lake twice.

Somewhere around mile 14 or 4 of my second 10, I knew my knees were really mad and the remaining 6 were going to be pretty tough. But I was on the downward slope so I kept going. The nice thing about the Nike ipod sensor is the count down of miles so it tells you how much more you have to go. The down side is it tells you how much farther you have to go. Pushing the button every few seconds doesn't make it tell you less distance faster...it is very methodical that way. Mile 18 I realized I had gone as far as my last long run and I only had two more miles to go. That isn't hard right? Two miles, less than a 5K...easy breezy. As my watch beeps for me to run another 5 minute...I winch at the thought of picking up my legs one more time. My walk is more dragging of my feet and I notice my shoes are covered in dust from the trail.

I managed to get all the way around the lake twice and had about a mile left. I ran up Congress and around a few buildings, well, walked/hobbled around a few buildings and was never more happy than when the ipod said I had completed my workout! Such joy! I had made it! Two Ten's!