A half marathon today!

Quick info on the run today - never in my life did I think I would actually run a 1/2 marathon for my training run. I actually was slated to run 11 miles. But I missed a trail marker and did 3 miles instead of the 2 I was suppose to do, on the first part of the run... Then ran 9.6 miles around a local reservoir, add in the .5 miles from my house to the first trail head (I didn't drive to go running!) And drum roll please, you have 13.1 miles!

I just had to share that - pretty darn cool if you ask me. The best part was I cut 15 minutes off of my first 1/2 marathon two years ago :) All smiles today.

Calories burned: 1720
HR monitor said I was in the zone: 3:01 minute!

Who is this person?

On Wed I woke up at 5:30 and went to my 6:00 am running class. I was dragging a bit as I started out but quickly got into my chugging along pace.
I felt great when I got home so I thought let's go to the gym, got the kids fed and ready and headed to the gym. Ofcourse I know all the trainers at the gym, I work there after all and may I add they are all extremeley friendly and helpful. I get quite a bit of free advice, tips and training techniques from them so it is very nice to work at the gym. There is this one trainer who has quite an impressive personal trianing resume, so I tend to always ask him my questions, well he was on one of the stair climber machines when I got there (the gym only has two) so I got up on the second one and thought ~ I can hang with him! So I start out and fiddle with the machine until I can get it about the same pace he is on ~

I don't know if anyone else does this but I always run /work out faster and harder when there is someone right next to me!

So I am taking on the trainer if you will. After a 1/2 hour over 125 flights of stairs I am dripping from head to toe with sweat but I am smiling, I am keeping up! A half hour was all I planned to do, but I can't stop now, I have to go longer than him! Five minutes later I decided that he has won and I reluctantly get off the stair climber and and spray it down (yes you are suppose to wipe off the machines after you use them - it is gym etiquette and just plain gross if you don't!) I hang my head and walk over to do my sit up routine. He won. But then alas a positive thing happened - he got off the machine right after I did! So now I feel pretty darn good. Sure he was probably at a higher setting I was level 6 not bad for the stair climber for me... so I wonder what level he was at? I didn't have the nerve to ask... I hung with the trainer on my second work out of the day - not too bad, eh?

Then I went to a bike handling class to round out the evening!
I burned a total of 1500 calories - on my 3 workouts - according to the HR monitor! I was feeling pretty good. The best part, I was only a little soar the next day.... woo hoo.

Happy B-day!

I was waiting to post a pic of D and big D to wish them a happy birthdays, but if I wait any longer it will be really late.... already late as it is!





I don't have any recent photos of Derrick with his son Detrix. I have Detrix or Derrick... but not together!

Wow Detrix turned 15, can you believe it!? I can't he will be getting his permit soon... crazy how time flies. I met Detrix when he was 3 years old, what a charmer he was and still is. If you haven't seen him lately you will hardly recoginize him he is all "growed" up!

My 3 guys at the Seahawks game in Dec 2007

Derrick turned ..... 35! yeah we are both officially in our mid thirties! It used to seem so old, 35, now I think it very young, life is just beginning.



Happy Birthday to Detrix and Derrick!

A Duo you must see!

I received an email from Marcie regarding the Hoyt Team I think I have posted on them in the past but given the Marathon Challenge it is very appropriate to remind you all of this AMAZING team!

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.
It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk.

This video can be viewed

at:http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

If I can figure out how to put the video on blogger with out clicking to the website I will fix it later.

Now that you have seen the video - I can guilt you into my challenge of 26.2 little miles done on a weekly basis! Everytime I see a video of these two remarkable people it inspires me to do more than I ever thought possible!

The best part of this video is when they are running - Dick pushing Rick in the wheel chair and they pass a lady running! How awesome is that! I must say I would be honored to get passed by this Amazing duo!

Come on get out there - Week one of the Marathon Challenge - just one mile this week...

Through Rain, Sleet and Snow

No it is not the mailman - it is me running! Went out for a nice 10 mile jaunt this morning in the spring time, instead I got 32 degree rain, snow and sleet! Crazy weather around here. I actually ended up going 10.7 miles. I was done with my run and a team mate came by and wanted someone to run the last two miles with her of her 16 mile run, so off I went with her. It felt good but I had many flash backs to the Seattle 1/2 marathon 2 years ago, it snowed on the 1/2. I am hoping that the 1/2 in May it doesn't snow. Sad I would have to think that... the person who is suppose to "flip the switch" on the weather from Winter to Spring has been slacking! If they measure snow fall at the airport, it will be latest snowfall on record I think! That is nuts!

so I burned 1300 calories today. Yeah.

Have a great weekend.

A Challenge for you all!

Hey mom's out there! I have a challenge for you and your kids

A Marathon! 26.2 miles

Now before you freak out - read this!

Over the next 26 weeks, I want your kids to undertake a challenge of epic proportions, A Marathon. I am taking on the challenge of running a full marathon in October, I want you and your kids to join me on my adventure of running a full marathon. I am asking you and your kids to walk or run 1 mile a week.

This weekend will mark 26 weeks until the marathon in October - so every week you and your child(ren) would walk or run a mile, at the end you will have done a marathon!

What is a Marathon?

In ancient Greece, Phidippedes ran from the plains of Marathon to Athens to report about the Persian War. That is where the marathon got its name. Thousands of years later, people still run, but now they do it for fun.About half a million people run marathons every year! People who run marathons train a lot. A marathon is 26.2 miles.



Why participate in this challenge?
· it's a great way to have fun
· kids emulate their parents, get into this make it a family outing
· running and walking makes you physically fit
· you can run or walk anytime and anywhere
· you don't need special equipment

Not sure how far a mile is? Well when you are with kids if you walk for approx a 1/2 hour you will have gone about a mile!

I am actually starting this challenge this weekend at our church ( I am one of the children's directors) and waiting on approval to do the program at my work (wrk part time at a gym in the kids care)

So let me know if you are in - if you would like to do it let me know and I will send you a run - o- meter.... I am also working on prizes for the kids! I am thinking medals, I have seen them before just have to find them... and yes I will send medals to you and your kids!!

I started "racing" with John and Josie and they were just beaming the whole time - so excited to be out "racing"!




As some of you know I am on the Raise the Bar triathlon team, Here is the link to my bio on my Raise the Hope team a subset of the main triathlon team ~ check it out!

My Meez

Does it look like me?

Don't leave me home alone!

So much talk of the New Kids on the Block reuniting..... Would I go see them in concert? hmmm that is a tough one... Bon Jovi I would travel to go see, seriously.

But New Kids, not so much. Jury is out on this one I think, I will have to hear some of the new music to see if they are ipod worthy. Looking good after 20 years... yeah not too bad.

The new or should we say "old" New Kids on the Block....

What ever happened to Hangin Tough?

I got a kick out of all their publicity - Now back to me and Bon Jovi - I run to their song "It's My Life" each day I run. Really is a great song. It's my life, what am I choosing to do with it? I know "like totally 80's" of me.... laugh if you must but I love my Bon Jovi. Yes if you are wondering all BonJovi songs are ipod worthy! Random post from Em, see what happens when Derrick goes out on a Sat night and leaves me at home... postings of NKOTB and Bon Jovi.

Great Grandma Jo

I got quite the suprise today - an inheritance if you will. Not the kind of inheritance I was expecting at all. My mom and dad just came back from a long road trip, they visited many relatives and sounds like they had a great time.

Josephine our daughter is named after my grandmother, Josephine "Jo" My mom brought back a painting of my grandmother "Jo"

Now I must say the picture has some unique qualities. I will tell you the suprise it has later. But when you first look at the picture (hand painted may I add) it sort of looks like one of those paintings out of a scooby doo cartoon. You know the pics that the eyes follow Scooby doo around the room, as he walks. That is what this painting reminds me of. It is not a horrible painting by anymeans - It is a pic of my grandmother after all - she was a small petite woman devoted to her faith - I think it was done when she was around 50 years old. Grandma 'scilla gave it to Josie, with a bit of a grin on her face. Ofcourse I couldn't put it up anywhere but in josie's room because it is her Great Grandma Joe! "Grandma scilla told her that, it goes in my room, mom" says Josie. She is now as I type singing a song she made up about "Great Grandma Jo!" I had the perfect spot for it - but alas it is hanging in Josie's room. It has only been up for a little bit of time, but she is taking time out to talk to her Great Grandma Jo on the wall.

The suprise you ask - what is the surpise? There was money hidden in the painting!

Nah, just joking, that would have been a great story eh? Actually the surpise is this - the painting was done by Zorro's daughter. OK the guy who wrote the Zorro stories., Johnston McCulley. If you are asking who Zorro is, or don't know the Zorro stories - you are too young to read this blog! The painting actually has on it the famous "Z" mark that Zorro made, I kid you not it really does! Some pretty fun stuff here....

Thank you to Aunt Laura and cousin Holly for thinking of us with this painting. I will be thinking of something I can say thank you with, keep your eyes peeled for something fun.