Run Like a Girl

As many of you know I participated in the Women's Half Marathon supporting the Komen Foundation.  Our team was Mamas for the Tatas (I can't take credit for the cute name).  Through the support of our family and friends we raised almost $5000!  For those of you who supported me, I can not thank you enough!  You truly are ROCK STARS!! Your support is what kept me running until the end and helped me shave 8 minutes off of my personal best!!

A special thanks to Mr. ESPN and my girls ... even if Chatty thought it was boring to come watch me run!

Gotta love Bia and her constipated/fake smile 

PF Chang's Rock and Roll Half Marathon

(Cue the Rocky theme song or Chariots of Fire because in reality I felt like I was running in slow motion... )

I completed my first half marathon and have pictures to prove it.  Sara - unfortunately there were too many people for Mr. ESPN to capture me crossing the finish line so we had to settle for this:

and this - our self portrait from his I-Phone. 

Some things I learned yesterday:

• People are annoying - not that I didn't already know that.  For races they start you in "corrals" based on how fast you run.  If you are going to be walking in mile 1, you should not be lined up before me!  It was so annoying having to dodge slow people!  I blame them for not making my goal time!
• Bring toilet paper to the next race - port-a-potties run out quickly when there are 30K runners ...
• Although I may despise my alma mater's arch rival - there are times when I am thrilled to see it.  The race finished next to my arch rival's stadium.  I have never been so happy to see it!  Good thing I wore my Arizona hat (Mr. ESPN wore is Arizona shirt)!  It was also great that we beat them in basketball the day before the race!!  Go Arizona - Bear Down! 
• People cheering you on as you run is awesome!  Especially when they are nice looking guys from Arizona who shout "BEAR DOWN - Go Wildcats" when they see your hat!
• You can never put on too much anti-chafing stuff!
• New play lists with suggestions from your friends is great motivation to keep running (thanks ladies!)!
• The food and drinks post race are awesome!!  So much stuff for the runners!
• We have the most amazing neighbors!  They kept our kids for us while we were at the race (we dropped them off at 6:00 am and didn't get home until 1:30 pm) and then heated up their spa so we could relax our sore muscles!!  Love them so much!!
• I can RUN an entire half marathon and it is kind of addicting!  Mr. ESPN and I are already looking forward to next year.  He is even debating doing the whole marathon!  I don't think my feet can take 26.2 miles .... I think I will stick to the half.  Anyone want to join us?  It was 70 degrees here yesterday!!



Music to My Ears

OK Ladies - I need some help!  Music Help!  The half-marathon is 11 days away (insert total freak out by me) and I am in need of a new play list for my I-POD.  I like lots of different types of music - currently on my I-POD I have country, pop, rock, classic rock, Christian, you name it.  Some of the artists currently on my play list are Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, DMB, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Black Eyed Peas, Jack Johnson ... wide assortment.

So here's where you come in - I am not a music buff by any means ... basically I have had the same play list for a LONG time ... can you give me the names of some up tempo - good music that I can run to?  One note - I do not like Techno music and prefer longer songs (I tend to count songs as I run - so if it lasts longer I feel like I am running faster - dumb I know but it works for me).  Anyway any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I would like to give Mr. ESPN a list and have him download them for me this weekend (yes he is my Play List Man!).

As far as the actual training part of the half-marathon - I successfully completed a 12 mile run on Christmas Eve and proceeded to slack off the following week (I can't even begin to tell you how bad my a - - hurt afterwards)!  I have been running twice this week (4 and 5 miles) and hope to run a 10 miler this weekend as my final pre-race long run.  Is it bad that I am really looking forward to the post race Beer Garden?? 

Tales of the Tooth Fairy - Part 2 and Random Stuff

I know the suspense is killing you - did the Tooth Fairy return to the ESPN house or did we get another e-mail due to bad behavior?  Good news the Tooth Fairy visited and left $1.  Chatty was very happy and immediately asked if she could put it in her piggy bank.  I don't think she understands the whole money concept and buying things either that or she just expects Mr. ESPN and me to pay for everything with our money!

In other news Bia has been waking up at 5:00 and demanding breakfast.  She comes in our room and lays on our bed and then yells "I WANT BREAKFAST!"  I told her yesterday that her chef (Mr. ESPN) was in the shower and she would have to wait.  Demanding little thing she is!  Good thing she is cute - crazy bed head hair and all!

We finally have a fairly quiet weekend with minimal commitments - ahhhh!  Let's see how long it lasts!  I do have to get up early tomorrow so I can go on a run ... Saturdays are my long runs and since it is still over 100 freakin degrees I gotta get moving early.  I started at 7:40 last week and when I was done at 8:30 I thought I was going to die, it was HOT!

Have a good weekend!

I Finally Did It

I signed up for a half-marathon.  I have been wanting to do one for awhile now although I am not sure why since I have a love hate relationship with running.  But there is no turning back now, I paid the entry fee.  That in an of itself is a little crazy to me.  Basically I am paying them to torture myself, but I get a free t-shirt! 

Mr. ESPN and a couple of my girlfriends are running it too.  When I told Mr. ESPN my girlfriends were running it too he said, "Oh good, now you will have someone to run with" - as in now he doesn't have to feel bad about leaving me behind!  Nice huh? 

Needless to say Mother Nature better cooperate and send some fall weather our direction so I can start training outside, this 105 degree heat isn't going to cut it.  So if you are going to be in the desert in January (the weather is great here that time of year) come on out and cheer me on at the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Half-Marathon.  I have already enlisted The Kingston Queen but I need all of the encouragement I can get.  Is it too soon to think about what I am going to wear for the race???

Shoes and Prescriptions

So I bought two pairs of running shoes last weekend. The results:

1. Wore pair 1 (Saucony) yesterday to run 6 miles and my feet were sore after mile 1 ... I won't even explain the throbbing that occurred by the time I completed mile 6. Needless to say they will be returned.
2. Wore pair 2 (Asics) to No Limits Cardio (intense boot camp style class - non-stop for 60 minutes) and my feet were sore. Not sure how they would feel running, may try them again tomorrow on the treadmill.

I had also purchased some insoles. I am going to try them in my older running shoes (Adidas) and see how they feel in them. I wish I could find a good shoe without breaking the bank. Why is being healthy so freakin expensive? It would be so much cheaper to sit at home and eat McDonalds and drink Coke all day!

This is probably TMI but why oh why is Diflucan a prescription drug (which requires a co-pay and a visit to the Dr.)? Why isn't it OTC? And also why is the dosage only one pill when most GYN's prescribe two? Seriously - it's not like a woman can't self diagnose in this situation. And the other option - lovely cream! Those of you who have never had to use either of these, count your blessings! OK - sorry just had to put that out there because it has been annoying me for a couple days now!