(UPD 8/29) Tales of the Tweedles & Other Spazzjazzerit PHM '15 Cupcake Adventures

[Tinker326]

You were veeerrry hated....by me! Lol, down with Frozen!

I'm heeeeere!

Haters gonna hate girl!

P.S- I am off to a sports doc on March 9th so I can get better and be ready for Oct. If only we could get some more cupcakes over there..........

Hi, joining in if I may. I'm no runner, but I chronically aspire to be. Oh, and booze, cupcakes, shattered coffee mugs? Sounds like my idea of fun! I also confess that I read your last TR which had me in stitches. You had me at sharks and drunk grandma. I can't wait to read the rest of this one!

Well I'm no runner either. But somehow I cross finish lines. It was a long (long) journey for me to find a place of acceptance with running. It is rather ironic that I finally did and than I get injured! If you really aspire, the best way to go is locate a race (5K) sign up and start a walk/run program (Jeff Galloway). He will get there! I promise!

I wish you would have chimed in on last TR- We like our Drunk Grandma fans!

I'm along for the ride! Tinker I love your writing style and i am always up for your tales. Although, I am going to totally miss hearing about the rest of your family, especially drunk grandma!

Can't wait to hear all about your trip!

Yhea.. Jackie's here! No worries, I'm gonna find a way (somehow) to get that Hawaii TR in the Dis Boards. Might throw it in the 'Disneyland and the West'' area.. Hawaii is west. Right? Right! Then there will 10 glorious days of sharks AND Cap't Kill-Joy. Although sadly no drunk grandma. Although she is p-off that she was not invited and has taken every opportunity for the last year to tell me. But.. since I was considering throwing her overboard to the sharks at the end of the cruise, I figured I didn't want that same feeling on my 15th anniversary trip where it might take all my will power not throw over the person I'm celebrating 15 years with!

No drunk grandmas here but there were some tipsy tweedles and a water nazi...YES, I'll drink my freaking water Tweedle! Sheesh! Nicole is an unyielding waterpusher. It's insane. No wonder Grandma drinks! and that's not water... water isn't BROWN!

Hey. The emoticon BEFORE the drinking on is a water drinking one. Sheesh. WATER DRINKING. <----Watch her.

And actually Grandma would agree with you that she drinks because of me! But mostly because I'm not cool enough for her.

Also, I actually remembered red. Must be because it's early in the AM. Should we work on pushing out a post on pre-trip deets & planning?

 

[Tinker326]

Still have no idea how I kept missing you both this past weekend as according to instagram we kept being in the same places.

I'm here now though!

Yes, we did keep missing you- although it seemed we were never in a park for very long......... so probably Karen posted (she's the instragram wh#re) and we were already gone.

 

[jdd]

Joining in!! Karen's trip report from last year was one of the reasons I signed up for the PHM in 2015, and I'm so glad I did. It was a blast!! and I'm really looking forward to reliving it through your report!

 

[jdd]

Well I'm no runner either. But somehow I cross finish lines.

Yes, exactly! Somehow I have 5 races under my belt now....but still don't feel like a "runner"

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Haters gonna hate girl!

P.S- I am off to a sports doc on March 9th so I can get better and be ready for Oct. If only we could get some more cupcakes over there..........

I was looking at flights to Detroit this morning. Huh. I can't get the smilies to open. No fun! *pout* wait, I figured it out.

Well I'm no runner either. But somehow I cross finish lines. It was a long (long) journey for me to find a place of acceptance with running. It is rather ironic that I finally did and than I get injured! If you really aspire, the best way to go is locate a race (5K) sign up and start a walk/run program (Jeff Galloway). He will get there! I promise!

I wish you would have chimed in on last TR- We like our Drunk Grandma fans!



Yhea.. Jackie's here! No worries, I'm gonna find a way (somehow) to get that Hawaii TR in the Dis Boards. Might throw it in the 'Disneyland and the West'' area.. Hawaii is west. Right? Right! Then there will 10 glorious days of sharks AND Cap't Kill-Joy. Although sadly no drunk grandma. Although she is p-off that she was not invited and has taken every opportunity for the last year to tell me. But.. since I was considering throwing her overboard to the sharks at the end of the cruise, I figured I didn't want that same feeling on my 15th anniversary trip where it might take all my will power not throw over the person I'm celebrating 15 years with!



Hey. The emoticon BEFORE the drinking on is a water drinking one. Sheesh. WATER DRINKING. <----Watch her.

Sigh...yes maam.

And actually Grandma would agree with you that she drinks because of me! But mostly because I'm not cool enough for her.

Also, I actually remembered red. Must be because it's early in the AM. Should we work on pushing out a post on pre-trip deets & planning?

Yes, we did keep missing you- although it seemed we were never in a park for very long......... so probably Karen posted (she's the instragram wh#re) and we were already gone.

That's me! So they have no smiley with a camera?? What the???

Joining in!! Karen's trip report from last year was one of the reasons I signed up for the PHM in 2015, and I'm so glad I did. It was a blast!! and I'm really looking forward to reliving it through your report!

Yay! I'm so glad you had a blast, will you do a TR???

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Also, I actually remembered red. Must be because it's early in the AM. Should we work on pushing out a post on pre-trip deets & planning?

Wait, I have to actually post? Here I thought I was just going to make witty comments all day long and you would do all the work! Pre-trip...hmm...

I knew I should have written in my journal, but there was just no time! I usually write up the previous day in the early morning hours when everyone is sleeping...but we didn't sleep!

 

[Tinker326]

Ok, so if you can make it to Detroit Karen, I have free lodging for you (my whole family lives there!) OR if you can make it to Chicago, I can drive you over with me! (ENABLE!) So cost could be low, but I know it's busy time of year for you with your job.. so that would be the factor!~

Yes, exactly! Somehow I have 5 races under my belt now....but still don't feel like a "runner"

I think I only feel more like a runner because I have a bonafide injury. Only actual runners get running injuries right? So I must be one?!?! Hahahaha!

That's me! So they have no smiley with a camera?? What the???

But the have this...

Wait, I have to actually post? Here I thought I was just going to make witty comments all day long and you would do all the work! Pre-trip...hmm...

I knew I should have written in my journal, but there was just no time! I usually write up the previous day in the early morning hours when everyone is sleeping...but we didn't sleep!

Well, fine. I'll post pre-trip stuff since it's not your photos!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Ok, so if you can make it to Detroit Karen, I have free lodging for you (my whole family lives there!) OR if you can make it to Chicago, I can drive you over with me! (ENABLE!) So cost could be low, but I know it's busy time of year for you with your job.. so that would be the factor!~



I think I only feel more like a runner because I have a bonafide injury. Only actual runners get running injuries right? So I must be one?!?! Hahahaha!



But the have this...



Well, fine. I'll post pre-trip stuff since it's not your photos!

Yeah, you go first, then I'll copy you.

I'm pretty sure I can't pull off Detroit because of the time factor. If I do the RocknRoll in STL, I can just drive in, do it, and drive home...not much time away from work. Sigh. We need to find a race sometime early next year to do together!

 

[momabaarjo]

I am having a tough time already keeping up...but what is new?

 

[jedijill]

Wow, I didn't know this was a Missourian thread! I'm originally from MO....raised in Centralia and lived in KC before moving to Denver about 7 years ago!

Jill in CO

 

[Trentmom]

Hey Tweedles!! Loved your Pre Trip and can't wait to follow along with with your TR

You girls looked adorable in your costumes

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Great, just great!!! I've already missed 3 freaking pages. Someone didn't have the decency to give me a head's up link!!! Grrrrrrrr!

 

[Tinker326]

I am having a tough time already keeping up...but what is new?

Karen and I are really, really good at Tweedlerambling. Things get long quick! You are kept up. You were there & part of this report!

Hey Tweedles!! Loved your Pre Trip and can't wait to follow along with with your TR

You girls looked adorable in your costumes

Thanks for coming on over! And thanks! Karen planned the Tweedle costume. I just did what she told me to do with it!

Great, just great!!! I've already missed 3 freaking pages. Someone didn't have the decency to give me a head's up link!!! Grrrrrrrr!

Important life lesson learned in the course of this race.. it's not how fast you do anything but rather enjoying the journey. And there's lots to enjoy- this is just the beginning! As my kids always say to each other "First is the Worst"... (no offense to the first reader!).

 

[Tinker326]

Training & Plans- Tweedle Dum's Take

The best laid plans...............

They don't always go as planned, do they? They certainly didn't here.... but through this 'journey' many went better than planned. Just a few..worse. It's all good. That's life. Life is a journey of ups and downs... and now I am done being philosophical with something that really has nothing to do with this specific post.

Bossy Tweedle Karen told me to write this post but I realized that as I was gathering pictures and such- that she will really need to write her own as training was very individualized and different for both of us!

"So let's start at the very beginning.. it's a very good place to start..."

"When you sing you begin with Do Re Mi.. when you train you being with W T F Did I Sign up For?"

By late February of last year, Karen and I had already committed to running the challenge together. And had already started tossing room ideas around. It really took us both about 2 nanoseconds to both agree on renting points to stay at AKL as we both love it. I set off searching for a contract. Of which I found right around the 11 month mark allowing us reservations right in March of last year. We were set!

Very closely following this is when we found the Cupcakes girls & a bunch of fantastic wonderful ladies entered our lives as well. Tammie led up the group and helped bring us together.... Tammie is awesome!

We shared our fears, our training plans, cupcake crawl plans, our thoughts & everything in between.....

Meanwhile, Tweedlebossy was very busy initiating costume talk. There's no slacking in Tweedlebossy books. She suggested The Tweedles. I quickly jumped on board as Alice in Wonderland holds a special place in my heart. And before I could blink- Tweedlebossy had our costume ideas all together. And she sweet talked me into my first Sparkleskirt. It was a big day when that sucker arrived...



Now it was time to consider training. We all remember I have had a hate/hate relationship with running. After not running a bit after Wine & Dine 2013- I started up again in March and signed up for a race that was called the "Green Beer Run". I need big incentives to run. Like alcohol.



So not only was the beer exciting... but it brought me downtown on the day Chicago dyed the river green. They do this every year and for the decades I've lived here, I've never seen it. It was awesome!



But back to non-green rivers and no beer......

The cupcakes were in full force discussing race line finishes. See one person (a super cool lady who I adore) had a super cute finishing line photo last year.. .(why yes I did steal this off your FB page- so I know it's edited!)



And why yes, that super cool lady who I adore IS my Tweedle. Isn't she cute?!?! She takes the best photos!!

No one could agree what this 'pose' was called and we wanted to do this pose as we crossed the line this year. Was it Jazz Hands? Was it Spirit Hands? What was it?!? No one could agree. And because we are bunch of compromisers and crazies- we made up our own term. And they became Spazz Hands (Spirit/Jazz combined). However, since we used the term often, it also needed to be translated into a verb. And hence Spazzjazzerit was born. Because, why not?

Somewhere in this time Bossy Karen tried to convince me to join Instagram and wanted to hash tag the h#ll out of everything.. and all our jokes got placed into a hashtag...and this became our logo. Which, I love...........



As the Tweedles were beginning to learn about each other- I figured it was best that I warn her straight up I was a horrible picture and selfie taker. She didn't believe me until I attempted this picture of shirts I purchased for us & sent to her. Yes, yes she is a cat in this picture..........



Least I have the storyline right!

Still don't believe I'm a bad selfie picture taker. Here I am attempting Tweedle poses in the workout room-



Karen early on realized her mistake in choosing the wrong tweedle for her pictures.............. Ha!

Anyways, back to training............ so by April I was up to my first 5 mile run (and second sparkle skirt purchase). I like this picture of me because I look much skinner than I am in person. And who doesn't love pictures like that?



Why, there's Cap't Killjoy. Sucking in his gut. So obvious honey, so obvious.

I also signed up for lots of local 5K's. Including a color run with my girlie girl in June!

Before:



After:



So much fun! However the summer brought on new pains as I attempted to run. Shin pain. Why? I couldn't figure it out...... (Tweedles can be dense sometimes!).

It took till OCTOBER to finally realize it was my new 'state of the art shoes' that were likely causing it. I went and bought new ones & bingo.... that was exactly it!

In between that, I worked on my Tweedle task of outfitting our race shirts Tweedlestyle.



And by 'working' I mean paying much more talented than me family members to create the above shirts! It was around this time I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. That comes into play here....

October brought a few more races & the 'official training' of Galloway's Plan. I was going to follow it to the letter!!!

Some of those first runs as I built distance.......



I started playing with new run/walk ratios & different fueling/water options in here as I suffer from exercise migraines easily. I found a balance and it worked well for pushing me on. Brought up my pace a bit but I was so much happier! 3/1's and Nuun tablets!

I signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15K as a training day. It was a blast!



The Chicago weather held out pretty well through early January allowing me lots of chilly, but good outside runs! I built my miles up to 10 outside. And I felt good about it.....

Then, mid January- all went to shiz......... the snow/ice arrived.....



And I was forced to find alternatives for the long runs that were now on my schedule. An 3 miler/11.5 miler back to back and a 4/12 miler back to back. Treadmill wasn't doing it for me & so I decided to find an indoor track. Located one at my community rec center that was 12 laps for each mile. My app would not calibrate... so for the 3/11.5 I came up with a new plan.. dots on my wrist with a sharpie for each mile as I counted laps on my fingers. (Tweedle had to stay focused..)



It was..not fun. But I did it..........

And then two weeks later I was due for the 4/12. And... on that 12 miler on that same track.. was when my injury occured. On mile 10 to be exact. I finished the 12, in pain & defeated. I knew it was serious. And with that, my training came to halt. I had to give up the last long run and TRY to focus on healing. But after 2.5 weeks it really wasn't.. and I knew this would force me into a new game plan. And I was heartbroken that the race I had trained for likely wouldn't have the outcome I wanted. The good news in this was that I could still walk (which further proves it's likely an IT band injury) and I walk FAST. So I started 'training' with some walks and lowered my run/walk to a 1:1 for a few lower mileage runs. I was doing 'ok' and pain while there but not horrible. And that's how I went into the race........

Now, (is this long enough...jeez, what a boring post).. meanwhile... these came & excitement reared up:



Our lovely Tammie was busy bee arranging dinners & meet ups & shirts & cupcake ears. (I told you this girl is AWESOME). And all those deets will be on HER trip report!!! So go follow along if you are not!!! (Momabaarjo on the DIS)

I decided I best get my Tweedle but in gear and work on a 1/2 outfit. I had decided (with a lot of hesitation) to be Elsa. I didn't really want to be a princess or a Queen but felt I had to- Princess peer pressure from internally- meaning myself..no one else!). I had gotten a sewing machine for christmas and one snowy cold weekend I tackled that mothereffer.......

The beast...



It pretty much took all day to thread it. Including lots of facetime calls to DrunkGrandma.

Then it took another day to figure out a cape thingy for Elsa. Ultimately this happened:



Why yes, it did take me all day to sew a straight line. I'm awesome like that.

And my costume became complete that weekend:



Do or die- It was Tweedle time or bust.......... I was on my way to Disney!

And I packed up and got ready to finally meet my Tweedle half & some Cupcakes....



And that's all she wrote on training............. now to make this sucka red so bossy tweedle doesn't yell at me!

 

[SarahDisney]

Spazz Hands! I love it! It's the perfect way to combine spirit fingers and jazz hands.

I loved reading about your training ... looks like you did some really fun training races!
I had the same snow'/ice problem - it really stinks, doesn't it?

I love the Elsa costume, even if it took you all day to sew a straight line ... you're better than me, I can't sew a straight line even if I tried all day!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Aww, you are such a sweet Tweedle stealing my picture just to post it and talk about how cute I am. I'm going to be extranice to you since you typed out all the Spazzajazzarit stuff too! Less for me to remember!

I'm off to write my training up!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Training & Plans-TweedleDee

Since Dum covered most of the Tweedleplanning and Spazzajazzarit stuff, I'll just jump right into my training!

Last year's PHM 2014 was my first half marathon. I had wanted to run it for about 2 years but had string after string of injuries that kept me from registering. I have a way of pushing myself TOO much, I think, and I was always overdoing it. Regardless, I trained hard for 2014 and a month before the race I started having some severe knee pain on my long runs. I only got to 10 miles but was determined to run the race. I DID do it and it was amazing...but it was painful. There were quite a few times during the race, while in tears, I wished I could have fun like the other runners around me, but it was just so painful that I didn't enjoy the experience the way I wanted.

Oh I could insert my finish line pic here but SOMEONE already posted it!

When I got home, I decided I wanted to run the Glass Slipper Challenge, actually I knew before I even ran the PHM that I would go back again and do the GSC the next time. I'm a planner that way.

I was determined to go into training in the fall strong and uninjured, so I spent the spring and summer building my strength. I ran 4 miles, three times a week all summer long. It got a little tedious at times, but I really wanted 4 miles to be my "base" for when I started adding miles in. I also convinced TweedleDum that I was the goddess of selfies. This one I took while riding a bike!

Little did she know, I'm as bad at taking them as her, I just have really good editing skilz.

I think I had our costumes all figured out by early spring last year! LOL...I told you I'm a planner! I decided to be Alice the "princess of Wonderland" for the PHM. This fit perfectly with our Tweedle theme and I love Alice! I started piecing together my Alice costume.

I ran a few races over the year as part of my training, and even got to try out our Red Sparkleskirt and rainbow leggins for our costume during the Mustache Dash.

Fall arrived and I was SO EXCITED for official training to begin! I decided to follow Galloway's plan for the GSC but not do the intervals. At some point as the miles went up I decided to add in the intervals for my long runs. So anything under 5 miles, I would run but anything over I would do 5/1 intervals. This worked out REALLY well and I think that's how I finally got to a race uninjured!

I also did at least one of my runs with my furry client Normie each week. He's a great running partner!

Winter was worse this year for training, but I tried to squeeze my long runs in on good weather days and if I couldn't...I ran anyway! Rain & Snow folks. No pain, no gain?

My hair is FROZEN in that picture. Yup!

I followed the training plan pretty much to the letter except I didn't go up to 14, only 12. Two weeks before the race I had to go to Florida for a conference and did my last long run there. It was gorgeous and I finished up training feeling ready and positive that I could do this! In fact, I realize now that I didn't have ANY of that pre-race jitter stuff that I usually do. I think part of it was that I knew I was ready, but the other part was all the fun I was having with my Tweedle and the Cupcakes!

 

[Tinker326]

Spazz Hands! I love it! It's the perfect way to combine spirit fingers and jazz hands.

I loved reading about your training ... looks like you did some really fun training races!
I had the same snow'/ice problem - it really stinks, doesn't it?

I love the Elsa costume, even if it took you all day to sew a straight line ... you're better than me, I can't sew a straight line even if I tried all day!

Spazz hands are awesome!

I was fine running in the cold & even light snow. It was when the snow started covering the ever present ice that it became a problem. I was worried about 'injuring' myself and getting run over (I live in a busy burb and the only clear area was middle of roads). How ironic considering I actually injured myself by making that decision and going indoors.

Thanks for the compliments- the next race I'm doing what I really want to do- a non-Princessey character.

Aww, you are such a sweet Tweedle stealing my picture just to post it and talk about how cute I am. I'm going to be extranice to you since you typed out all the Spazzajazzarit stuff too! Less for me to remember!

I'm off to write my training up!

Sometimes I can be sweet. Rare, but possible.

Forgot how much that ice in the hair picture makes me giggle!

Also I linked up your report to the TOC.

P.S- Had to edit to add the darn red again!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Very nice start ladies!!! I know both of you trained hard and deserved the fun you had!!! I'm waiting for pictures of your room at AKL!!!!!

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Very nice start ladies!!! I know both of you trained hard and deserved the fun you had!!! I'm waiting for pictures of your room at AKL!!!!!

Uh...er...pictures of the room???

Does the balcony count???