Generic Title: Year in Review

Last day of 2013.  I got one last run and weight session in.  It gave me time to think about the past year.  Here’s what had happened…

It started by running the 20th Anniversary of the Disney Marathon in Orlando…

Medals dang near big as yo head!

As part of that, the boy ran the Kid’s Race and won his heat!

I can’t believe he has better form than I do. He also has better race photos.

I also kept my streak alive of being undefeated against celebrities in races.  You can read about the others HERE, but this time I beat Joey Fatone….

It’s the guy from that boy band – I think it’s named – My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Explored the Orlando Theme Parks with…

Moms, Pops, Boy.

Celebrated the boy’s birthday at a fire station (his choice)…

Unfortunately, the did not serve us chili.

I then ran the Too Cold to Hold 5 miler.  You can see the recap HERE – A bunch of friends joined me…

We should’ve ordered brighter shirts for TNSR.

I ran the Dallas Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon.  You can see the recap HERE…

I know it looks like Brooks threw up on me, but don’t care cause it was cold! I needed more of that tin foil stuff to wrap me up like a baked potato.

I then got to produce a bunch more videos with the hilarious Flula…

Like our dope videos or we will fight you…in a non violent way.

I got to celebrate my birthday and St. Patty’s Day in a special way, which you can see HERE…

I’d be a giant in leprechaun village.

Then I won my age group in a very special 5k that you can see the recap HERE…

I’ll treasure this one fo shizzle.

I then got to meet up with my sis and sis from another miss in Raleigh, NC…

With my sis and sis from another miss.

After a few days of fun, we were off to the Outer Banks to run the Flying Pirate Half Marathon, which you can read my recap about HERE…

My sis and I after a recent 1/2 marathon in OBX, NC.

We had a bit of fun exploring the site of the Wright Bros first flight…

Gotcha!

And celebrated on the beach…

Here’s your typical beach photo of legs and feet.

Unfortunately, the next day was the bombing of the Boston Marathon.  I wrote my thoughts on it HERE, which I got a huge response from.  Apparently I wrote what others were feeling.

At Fenway Pahk watchin tha Red Sahx play the wicked Yankees a few years ago.

I then ran another 5k, you can read about it HERE…

Takin it to da bridge!

Then my soccer team finished in second place after losing in a shoot-out after double overtime…

No smiles for second place.

I continued running with Thursday Night Social Run...

We run. We socialize. It’s cool.

I ran another 5k, recap HERE…

Posing with a patriotic trash can.

I re-incorporated trail running into my repertoire…

It’s best to run in the back so the leaders are 1st to find snakes and spiderwebs.

Got to play a ninja in a music video…

In between takes with some “Felvis” dancers (female Elvis).

I then ran in an unofficial 4×1 mile relay race, recap HERE…

At the Relay Race – We’re both rockin the Pure Flow 2 by Brooks.

I then ran my first Beer Mile race (4x 1/4 mile + 1 beer at each).  I finished 2nd overall.  Recap HERE…

A trophy, yay!

I became a part of a new run training group – Project Run 214…

Bright and early!

Got to see Mumford and Sons with family and friends…

Went to the local Oktoberfest so that I could drink free beer cheer my friends running the 5k…

My friend wore lederhosen during the race, so we decided to celebrate.

Enrolled the boy in his first hockey class…

He looks serious!

Went to the coast of Texas to teach a class on TV production and collect some awards…

Boats on the water.

I ran my first 15k race.  Recap HERE…

Say ahhhhhh!

Tested out a new mode of transportation…

Howdy pardner. You like my ride?

Went trick or treating with the rug rats…

I’m a ginja (ginger ninja).

Do not cross him.

Cowgirls are udderly cute.

I then went to the Alamo to look for my bike…

Alamo selfie!

Won two more Emmy’s for the mantle…

Emmy #6! I’d like to thank the Academy, etc. etc.

Hung out with Nitro from American Gladiators…

Right before we went through the gauntlet!

I then tweaked something in my knee…

My tape job.

Cheered for more friends running a Thanksgiving day race…

The turkey was probably sad because it was Thanksgiving – a sad day for flightless birds.

Survived a North Texas ice storm…

All that white stuff looks like fun snow, but is actually pure evil ice.

Which forced me to the dreadmill to continue my training…

That took forever.

Helped a friend run the final few of his 30 mile run for charity…

At the mile 27 station.

Celebrated the holidays with family and friends…

All our ornaments on the bottom half of the tree.

And ate a buttload of tacos…

Mmmmm, tacos.

BTW, my knee is feeling pretty great.  I’m almost done training for next week’s Dopey Challenge (5k, 10k, 13.1, 26.2) at Disney World!  Can’t wait to get these 6 medals!

My neck feels heavy just looking at them.

In between we just kept on trying to keep on.  Hanging out at home with the fams and dogs.  Making videos.  Yoga-ing.  Working out.  Cooking.  Laughing.  Oh, and blogging.

 

How was your year?  Did you make the most of it?  How’s your 2014 looking?  Big plans?  Holla!

Run Glorious Run

I got to run outside again today!  We’ve had two days with afternoon temps just above freezing, so much of the ice has melted, not all of it, but much.  I was so happy to be outside and not on the treadmill that even though my run was not the most scenic, it was still glorious to me!

I did a quick 7 miles this afternoon.  I wanted to run in the daylight so that I could see any lingering icy spots (there were quite a few) along with downed trees and branches.  Many trees suffered casualties from the weight of the ice.  I had to negotiate around many poor tree limbs.

And here’s something strange that I also saw on the sidewalk – a fleshlight.  If you don’t know what it is, google it when you’re not at work.  Hahaha.  I had to stop my run and go back to make sure I had seen what I thought I had…and I had indeed!  Not sure how it got there or why, but it gave me a chuckle.

Anyway, this morning I saw this sight over our garage door, and figured I’d snap a pic before they all melt.

In case you didn’t believe that we did actually get ice in Texas recently.

Again, it was just a simple mid week training run, but after being cooped up indoors for almost a week, it felt glorious!

How bout you?  Had any glorious runs lately?  Come across anything strange on the ground during a run?  Is saying an icicle broke your glasses a good excuse after an incident with your Red Ryder BB Gun?

32 Miles on a Dreadmill

The good news is that my knee is feeling better, not 100%, but tolerable to run on it now.  So I was able to get back into my Disney Dopey Challenge training this week.  It culminated with a weekend of 4, 9, & 19 mile runs on Fri, Sat, Sun.

The bad news is that we got totally iced over this weekend.  Everything has a layer of ice.  Everything.  No snow, all ice.  So I wasn’t able to run outside.  I had to do the 32 total miles all on treadmills.

All that white stuff looks like fun snow, but is actually pure evil ice.

I don’t know how you treadmill runners do it.  I was so bored, I was this close to offing myself.

I set the pace at just under my target marathon pace (around 8:50 per mile), and went to town.  So it took me around 3 hours to finish the 19 miles.  That’s a long time to run on the hamster wheel.

I never run with music, but thought it would help with the treadmill boredom.  Problem is that when I plugged them in, they kept getting some sort of electric feed from the treadmill that sent a shocks into my ears.  I didn’t feel like getting shocked in my ears for 3 hours straight, so I took them off.

And to make it worse, the gym’s TV’s went out with an hour to go.  So I really had nothing to listen to or look at while I ran.  It was pure mental torture.

Sunday’s miles.

On a side note, after this experience, I really don’t think training on a treadmill is good for you.  It’s not like normal running at all – no turns, no real hills, no real speed changes (I know you can “simulate” the last two, but it’s not quite the same).  Plus, since the treadmill is moving, I believe it’s basically doing some of the work for you because you don’t have to use the energy to propel yourself forward.  That is why they say you should set it to an incline of at least 1 to better simulate outdoor running.  So that’s what I did – yup, the 3 hours of running was all uphill at a perfectly constant pace.  Also, my chiropractor said I was way out of alignment, and in spots that I’m normally not after outdoor running (like the inside of my knees) – I’m blaming it on the ‘mill.

The good news is that I was still able to get the miles on my feet.  And I know that I can run that long without stopping once at what is supposed to be my goal marathon pace.

Here’s hoping the ice melts soon because not only was my vehicle slipping and sliding on the way to the gym, but never want to run on a treadmill again! (No offense to those of you who do – I know some don’t have an option and some even enjoy the treadmill)

How bout you?  What’s the furthest you’ve ever gone on the treadmill?  How would your brain react to running in place for 3 hours with no TV, music, etc. (mine was fried)?

We’ve been BLANCHED!

I know some of you fancy yourselves to be amateur cooks, so you should know what blanching is.  For those who don’t – for example, it’s when you’re boiling asparagus until it gets nice and bright green, then you immediately remove it and put in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking.  Well that’s what happened to us here in Dallas.  It was 80 degrees (American) one day….the very next day we were covered in ice.  Yup.

The little monsters exploring the ice-snow.

So yeah, we’ve been blanched pretty good.  I guess we were done cooking.

Anyway, pretty much the whole city shuts down whenever we get any bit of snow or ice.  They even cancelled the Dallas Marathon.  Bummer for everyone who spent the past few months training.  And bummer for me because I was going to use part of the race course for my 19 mile Dopey Challenge training run on Sunday.  Not sure what I’m going to do now.

Today called for 4 miles which I begrudgingly did on the dreadmill at the gym.  I much prefer the outdoors, but I don’t want to step on an icy patch and take a nasty spill.

I’m supposed to do 9 miles on Saturday before the 19 on Sunday.  Here’s hoping I can do it outdoors!!!  Come on sidewalks and streets, de-ice yo-selves!

Also, I found an old pic from a newspaper in my hometown in Ohio.  It shows some of us high school track and field kids winter-training down the coldy snowy streetys.  I’m the one on the right with the bandana on my face – I can’t remember if it was to fight the cold air, or if I was going to rob a stage-coach afterwards.

Hardcore, baby!

Those were the days before all the fancy tech-thermal-moisture-wicking-temperature-regulating gear that folks wear now-a-days.  Back then it was cotton and wool.  You probably like my sweats and wool cap!  The cool http://raceitliveitloveit.com/ blogger recently talked about those days on one of her posts.  It wasn’t that long ago!

What about you?  Did you get blanched?  Do you run in ice or snow or stick to treadmills?  Ever run in sweat pants and shirts?