Star date 2202010 – 04hundred…

Jennifer here!

Star date 2202010 – 04hundred…

The alarm clocked sounded @ 4:00 a.m. It pierced the night with its awful tone. I rolled over & tried to fall back to sleep. Then, a cell phone alarm went off @ 4:05a.m. Then, a 2nd cell phone alarm cried out @ 4:10a.m. It was time to get up and get ready for the 8 mile run team run.

So, you ask, why am I getting up @ 4:00a.m. for a 7:00a.m. run? Well, that’s a great question! I have 6 dogs, 6 cats and 2 chickens. My dogs barely moved when the alarms went off. My dachshunds buried themselves further under the covers. Elvis, my very handsome 95 lb black lab, looked @ me like “why are you getting up @ the crack of the middle of the night mom????” I wanted to snuggle them. I wanted to stay in bed, but I had to get up. I had several client pooches that I had to take out for potty breaks before the run. So, 4:00a.m. was necessary.

Can you see all 6 dogs in this picture?

Such pretty chickens!!!

All in all, the morning went well, I got my appointments done and arrived at the team meet up on time! (Unlike my roommate!) So, off we went on our 8 mile journey. We ran in Ballantyne. I never noticed how many hills Ballantyne Commons Parkway had while driving in my car. It’s a much larger hill when you are running it than when you are driving it.

About 7 minutes in, I was cursing @ Monica like a drunken sailor.
About 8 minutes in, we started up the first hill.
About 9 minutes in, I was cursing Monica MORE.
About 10 minutes in, the endorphins kicked in. I was euphoric – and running down the hill I just ran up.
About 3 miles in, the urges hit me. DONUTS…. I couldn’t think of anything else but DONUTS.
· The chocolate cake ones with GLAZE
· Regular glazed
· Blueberry jelly filled… SO YUMMMMMY
· Oh GOD, APPLE FRITTERS
· More chocolate cake glazed.
· Make it stop.
About 6 miles in, I come upon Coach Jim. I am guessing he’s about 6’5” or so – which will be relevant in a moment. Wow, what a great guy. He was waiting for me. He was waiting to make sure I was ok. He was waiting for me. OH SHIT… He was WAITING FOR ME. CRAP… How long has he been there? It’s cold. He’s just standing there. He’s probably freezing. He’s probably cursing me and my damn short little itty bitty legs. Damn legs move faster. DAMN!!! CRAP!!!!…

“Oh, hey Jim! What, are you waiting for me??? Oh, that’s great. Thanks!!!!” I said while still cursing @ myself in my head. RUN MINI RUN!!!

So, there Coach Jim and I were, jogging together. WOOHOOO YAY! I mentioned his height a moment ago. As a reminder, I am 4’11 & ¼” tall a.k.a. 2 & ¼” above booster seat size while he is like 6’5”… so, like, his butt is @ my chest. I may be exaggerating slightly. Never the less, his running stride and my running stride are… ummmm…. Wellll……… not EXACTLY EVEN!

After a couple of minutes, I finally said, “So I wouldn’t be offended if you just walk fast while I jog.” He laughed and said he was fine. Wow, what a guy!!! He is suffering like hell at our painfully slow pace, but look @ him, he’s still running. DAMN MY SHORT LEGS!

After another couple of minutes, we parted ways so that I could continue on my journey and meet up with Beth, the assistant captain, Jim’s wife, my former co-worker… and oh yeah, TALL, PERFECT running SHAPE & I don’t even think her thighs rub in the MIDDLE! CURSES!!!

“Oh HEY Beth!”
YAY, I’m running…
We’re running…
SLOWLY….
“ You can walk fast if you want to do this together. It won’t offend me.”
Oh, ok, you want to suffer @ my pace too, ok
DAMN SHORT LEGS!!!!

All in all, the first long run I was able to participate went well.
I ran 7 & ¾ of the 8 miles.
I only cursed in my head & not out loud.
I did it in a decent amount of time – not great – not horrible.
I could still walk…

So, YAY – GO TEAM!

I was able to walk on Sunday too. I was a little sore, but not too bad. My left knee was a bit sore, but not as bad as it has gotten in the past. Woohooooo!! ! I really CAN DO THIS!

The Sports Bra

Jennifer here...


If the men who follow our blog think of Pam Anderson running down the beach in her red Bay Watch bathing suit when I talk about women and running, this is NOT the look, or feel, that the REAL RUNNING woman is going for.

I know, I may be letting a lot of men down right now, and for that I am sorry…. Wait.. no I’m not. Pam Anderson isn’t a realistic woman.

Anyway, I digress….

The sports bra truly is the miracle of modern woman!

Now, not just any sports bra mind you. The search for the PERFECT sports bra has been a lifelong quest for peace and serenity while being active. Did you know that the sports bra was first created in the 70’s? The sports bra is 33 years old this year.

I’ve owned something like 30 or 40 sports bras in my life. I have suffered through each one.
What’s wrong with some sports bra:
· Underwire that jabs when you move.
· The UNI-BOOB…. The uniboob is what a woman experiences when the sports bra doesn’t divide the boobies. Ultimately, they are squished together in the middle making you look like you have 1 large boob in the middle of your chest.
· Simply NO support – these sports bras are made of some cheap cottony spandex material that simply stretches out as soon as you put them on.
· The attempt @ a size smaller to get that extra support – which doesn’t give the support you were looking for and then you are forced to become a contortionist and turn your body into a pretzel to remove it.
· The one size fits all… We are all NOT one size. I am 4’11 & ¼” tall… that’s 2& ¼” taller than BOOSTER SEAT SIZE…. Do you think that my shoulders are as far from my boobs as a chic who is 5’9” tall???? I don’t think so! If they were, I would look rather RIDICULOUS. So, then they add in the adjustable straps which helps some…. EXCLUDING the fact that they don’t always allow for enough adjustment with someone with the shorter distance from boob to shoulder… ACK!
· The zipper… while good intentions were meant when some sports bra makers added the zipper… they forgot to include supportive material and adjustable straps… so, when a woman with a D cup places this uncomfortable contraption on her body and begins her workout, the zipper simply folds under and stabs or rubs into the sternum…. UGH….

Now, having listing a SMALL sampling of what I have experienced in my search for the perfect sports bra, let’s talk about the BEST sports bra EVER! EVER!!!!

I mentioned my trip to Try Sports in my last post. Well, the Powers that Be, God, Allah, The Goddess of Comfy Boobies, Aliens, and anyone else you can think of, led me to the sports bra section of the store…. I think I even heard HARPS in the background. This is where I found the most amazing sports bra. OMG!!! The material feels wonderful. The straps adjust with soft VELCRO. There are 3 clasps in the back. It separates the boobs into their own little compartments. Most of all, it supports. There is NO reenactment of Pam Anderson running down the beach in her red Bay Watch bathing suit. It’s a MIRACLE!!! What I haven’t mentioned is that it cost $50… Yes, I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw the price tag, but my sales girl Lauren assured me that it was worth it. Lauren was RIGHT!

So, ladies, if you need sports bra assistance, go see Lauren @ Try Sports in the Blakeney shopping center! Tell her I sent ya! Every person who goes there as my referral gives me $10 in bonus cash. If I can get 5,,,, then I can buy ANOTHER SPORTS BRA!!!!

Late As Usual

Sooo here's the thing.....I am perpetually late! Some people think that this is because I'm narcissistic, but that's not the reason. In my head, I believe that I can get 20 things done in the next 12 hours or so. Of course things NEVER happen the way I plan, soooooo I'm always late. I am also a magnet for the ridiculous. If there's some quirky thing that's going to happen, it ALWAYS happens to me!


So, when our marathon training was to begin, I was late!

We signed up for Team In Training at the kickoff party on January 26, 2010. At that time we were given a February training schedule that laid out our mileage and workout schedule for the next month. Yippee!!

Then do to some crazy only-my-life circumstances, I needed to return to the north and was unable to begin training on February 1st.

Now you might be thinking to yourself, "just because she was in the northeast doesn't mean that you can't workout". And you would be right, under normal circumstances. But since this is my life and the way things always happen....those first two weeks of February happen to bring to the northeast the largest recorded snowfall in the history of that national weather service (which has been operating for the last 88 years)!!!!

That's right ladies and gentlemen, we were not hit with just one snowstorm, there were 3 major record breaking snowstorms!! It was so bad that the New York City School system actually closed (for the first time in its history!!!).

For those of you who are thinking about alternative indoor options.....just shhhhhs!!

When I was finally able to dig my snow covered car out of the snow, giving the batteries a little much needed boost, I began my trek back to Charlotte. So I had lost two weeks of training time and decided that I could easily make this up over the next week all I needed to do was a little push!!

Once back in Charlotte I begin my training catch up with some much needed Billy Blanks Amped-Up Tae Bo!!! I love Billy!!!! He's able to motivate me and makes me want to vomit all in the same 55 minute session!!

Then the next day I stretch out my muscles and go for a little three mile spin around the neighborhood. Not sooooo bad, muscles are a little sore the day after but tolerable. So I decide that after I get my new sneakers from Try Sports, I'm going to really reeve up my workouts (this goes back to the stuffing two much into one time slot thingy)!

So, after the incredibly helpful salesperson at Try Sports helps me find the perfect running shoes and sells me on the most AMAZING stick massage thingy in the world, I'm ready to really pound out some miles!!!

Now, I have decided that since I am going to be spending so much time outside working on my running, I might as well kill two birds with one stone (so they say) and try to get my anxiety ridden, spasmodic, extra large/cuddly rescued cocker, named Teddy Bear, trained properly. And of course the best way to do this is to wear him out so thoroughly that he has no choice but to submit to me, right?

So in line with the philosophies of Cesar Milan and the vast array of dog trainers out there like him, I decide that Teddy Bear and I will start our new training session off with a 6 mile walk/run. Yup, that's right, 6 miles.

Our first three miles started off with Teddy Bear tearing across the street, zigzagging over every inch of concrete, making sure that not a blade of grass was spared his spray!! "Ok.....this is ridiculous," I thought to myself. So I harnessed my inner Cesar, remembering all the little tricks that our trainer had taught us, and I began to TAKE CONTROL!!

The next two miles were a blur of corrections and commands as the two of us battled it out for status as the Alpha. Everything seemed to be going alright (except for the newly formed blisters on my fingers from holding the leash so tight), when all of a sudden we came across a flock of......DUCKS!!!

Now even the most seasoned, well trained dog, would do a double take at the sight of twenty birds waddling only 10ft away from them. But for Teddy Bear, there was no second guessing. To him, those ducks were a gift from nature, there for the taking, and take he must!!!! So off he went flying through the grassy park, with me and my throbbing shoulder in tow!!

Our sprint finally ended as Teddy Bear launched himself into the pond, doggy paddling after the taunting ducks. Luckily I was able to coax him out of the water.....but this was just as a pair of sweet elderly women decided to stop and admire the scenery.....right next to us. And we all know what happens when a sopping wet dog emerges from the water........oops!!

Needless to say both Teddy Bear and I were in need of a hot shower and a long nap by the end of our adventure!!

Next up, our first 8 mile run with the team!!

                                 Teddy Bear, Duck Hunter Extraordinaire………don't let his doe eyes fool you!!!

Ridiculously Small Feet

Jennifer here:

So… Monica somehow convinced me to take on this challenge with her. She MUST have asked me when I just woke up from a daily nap.

Here is a little about me. I am a true TV junky. Sci-fi being my FAVORITE. I am actually to blame for introducing Monica to MANY MANY TV shows. In addition to being sucked into the TV daily, I also take a nap every day. As a small business owner, I feel that I deserve a nap EVERY DAY. I work LOTS and LOTS of hours and my nap is my savior.

Anyway, after Monica asked me, in my sleepy stooper, to participate, I realized that my kids’ size 3 sneakers just weren’t going to cut it! Thankfully, TNT has a ton of resources including discounts at local businesses. One of which is “Try Sports”, a gear store for running and biking (and probably other things too).

Well, off to Try Sports I went.

My Try Sports experience was horrible, amazing, terrifying, fabulous & awful – all before I looked at the prices. But, before we get to that, let me tell you about the experience. They had me run on a treadmill in order to analyze how I run. There I was, on the treadmill, jogging, losing my balance, and kinda feeling like an ass, BUT, it was all for a good cause. After about 2 minutes, it was time to review the video on the computer. It was at this point that I realized just how damn fat my calves were and wow was my butt huge on that little computer screen.

Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. However, the Try Sports Associate was fantastic. She was knowledgeable, funny, and supportive. I tried on like 8 pair of shoes. AND, while I have ridiculously small feet, I am wearing a women’s size 6 for running. (which would be a kids’ size 4 – 1 size larger so my feet can spread). I ended up with a pair of running shoes for $140, plus orthotics for $60. I was nearly about to vomit at that point. I have NEVER spent that much on a shoe in my life. Monica arrived for her fitting about that time. She felt so badly because I was GREEN, that she gave me her $10 coupon. Now that’s a friend! One who is willing to give up a coupon is a friend for LIFE.

I wore my shoes that night as well as for my dog walks the next day to break them in. I wore them for the big run (8 miles) on Saturday 2-20. My feet feel AMAZING! They haven’t felt this good in … well.....EVER!!!

So, my ridiculously small feet have grown up and are wearing expensive, but comfy, running shoes. San Diego, here I come!!!

Couch Be Damned!!

I am Monica, the couch warrior!! I have spent a long time perfecting my laziness, its not a skill that came easily to me, but it is one that I have slowly overtime mastered!

There was a point once upon a time, when I was an athletic, in shape, hottie. But with my progression into adulthood I have reoriented my focus from outdoor adventurer to master of all formulas from excel to pharmacology (not particularly heart pounding).

So at the ripe old age of 28, I have fallen into the hands of gluttony and spanx! After months of contemplation and deliberation on how to return to the status of hottie, I have decided that I must activate my go go gadget sneakers and return to the realm of the athletic.

In order to keep myself motivated and committed to my cause, I have enlisted the help/support of my roommate Jennifer, aka "mini me" or just "mini". Together we have signed up for Team in Training with the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, to run the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon on June 6, 2010. That's right it less then 3 1/2 months we will be hitting the streets of San Diego to run (or crawl depending if my legs can make it through training) 26.2 miles!! We figured why not get in shape AND raise money for a good cause.

So here we are, at the beginning of an incredibly scary journey!! With my knack for being a super klutz and Minni's love of napping, this is sure to be an interesting and comical endeavor!!