Team 'Ohana 2009: No One Left Behind

[laughinplace199]

Jen G, I think the full marathon in 2010 is a great goal, especially as you reach the big 4-0 (been there, done that ). Your half went extremely well from what I read, so why not train for a full?

I started running in January of 2008. At that time, I literally could not run a mile, but I slowly built my base (with the help and advice of my cousins here). I turned 40 in June, ran my first half in October, and ran the WDW full in January.

You can definitely do it!

 

[corinnak]

Julie - I am so glad the magic eraser worked. I also keep going with it. It's amazing what those thing can clean up.

JenG - I also wonder about the prospect of a full someday. Marathoning for Mortals does have some walk/run and run/walk plans, in case you hadn't looked there.

Jen117 - GREAT story about the Cheese Festival! I have never been to a cheese festival, but it sure sounds good! Mmmm. Cheese...

 

[deekaypee]

RE: Reporting miles and minutes. I think we just report miles and minutes, together, without delineated activity. But I say do whatever you're comfortable with. I'll probably post something on my activity weekly, just for my own accountability. Mike from the SuperGoofs sent me a spreadsheet that I have yet to check out. (He's a sweetie--of the hard-core IM variety!) It might let us keep individual tallies on a google doc if you're interested. I'll let you know.

JenG: First, do you prefer to be called Jennifer? Just let us know!!
Your first 1/2 marathon sounds delightful--I love all the first-time memories you shared (and reminds me of my own). Your morning race strategies were especially interesting--I might try a warm bath pre-race next time! It really sounds as if you were strong throughout the race, and your aches and pains were minor. Congratulations! And I really appreciated your link to pictures--so good to put a face with a name.

Yay for turning 40! Many of us did that last year, and it didn't turn out too bad. (I think?) We'll just start calling you Ms. Incredible now, just to get you in the spirit of things. And by spirit of things, I mean doing the WDW marathon. I agree with everyone else--you're definitely ready to train for it. Heck, I'd say go for the Goofy!

Mel: I love "You Oughta Know!" Just the right amount of righteous anger and, in general, I'm a fan of anthemic music. After my divorce, it was "Too Many Fish in the Sea" by The Commitments. Keep thinking--we want to hear your theme song! Good eye on Lost--there are tons of literary (esp. speculative fiction, sci fi, and philosophy) references as well as scientific discoveries to parse out.

Jackie: I knew I could convince you to come here with my talk of books! The Krispy Kreme race sounds like sickeningly good fun. I can't believe ESPN will be there! I also like your plans for the possible Disney full (or the alternatives, depending on Annie's scholarship and $$ in general). I'm thinking of something similar--doing a marathon in November (Philly?) and then just keeping the mileage up.

Julie: You're not going to believe this, but I didn't really drink bourbon until after I'd been going out with DOOD for a while. Naw, I was a vodka fan (I believed you couldn't smell all that alcohol on my breath if it were vodka. It sounds like I need to talk more with JenG about vodka stories....) Don't EVEN talk to me about LastMinuteTravel. I've spent more hours than I want to imagine on that site--and still no hotel.

JenB: That's a great pace, and puts you right on track for the Princess. You've done just an exceptional job in 2008 and 2009 will be your back-to-back PR year!

Allie: I'll pass along the well wishes to DOOD. He says he doesn't lurk on this site.... Oh, and WD40 is a real McGyver miracle, isn't it?

Corinna: Great job on the tracking and keeping up with the miles/minutes, esp. with Cabaret about to open. (That sounds like a fun, fun show, btw.) I'm all for pounds lost--less thinking for me about the % (all the better). Same with tracking for January, as it's the same for me either way. A big fat zero. I really need to get serious about this.

Jen: Yay for your PR in 2008. You had an especially rough year, so I'm hoping 2009 is better for you. (What are the odds that it could get worse?? ) I had no idea you were multi-talented with the crafty crafts! (I mean, I knew you were talented....) And you remind me that I have yet to try cheese curds.

Jeanne: Have you decided on the Goofy yet? Hint, hint, hint. It's filling fast!

Plum Spooky Fans: How are you enjoying the book. It's now the only Stephanie Plum I haven't read. I was intrigued to learn that the series follows the general trajectory of the private investigator genre, once I figured out that it's a hybrid series, with lots of romance and comedy thrown in. (In fact, it's cross-linked with romance on Powells.com.) Indeed, remembering what Maria said, Stephanie is the fluff in the _____ sandwich. (What was it you said, precisely? I'd never heard of the phrase.)

Oh, and yes, I think we need to all dress as Lula for one event. Preferably together, so at least people will think we're all kooks together.

Maria, Christa, Richard, Denny, Nancy, Robert, Linda, Marcy, Kathy: Check in soon!

As for me: Just a lot of running around on errands, if not that much running around for exercise. (And that whole Last Minute Travel thing. Harumph.) I need to get serious about the weight loss, so I'm posting my goal for February! I'd like to lose 4 pounds. I lose very slowly, and haven't been great about tracking, so I'm hoping that's reasonable. Corinna, are you keeping track of those specific goals? And do we all have specific fitness goals for February?

In more fun news....I was listening to my iPod on shuffle and heard Elvis and The Beatles back-to-back. That got me to wondering. I have this theory that liking Elvis and The Beatles is kind of like the dogs/cats preference. Even if we like both artists, there's one we prefer. For me it's definitely Elvis and for DOOD it's definitely The Beatles. What about you?

Oh, and we might want to talk about hosting a Team Mixer, so that we can visit with other teams. Any ideas?

 

[grizbuzz]

OK. You all have me convinced. I should try for the marathon. I need to just sign myself up now before I come to my senses. I would LOVE to do the WDW 2010, but I'm not sure I can get all the way to Orlando. We're going to Florida next week for a cruise and twice in one year is a bit much from California. But it is my 40th birthday. Hmmm....

When you all go to WDW running events do you can by yourself or with family in tow?

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Jen G: You have plenty of ime for WDW Full in 2010. The DL 1/2 is a good start. Respect the distance don't fear it! The hard part of the first marathon is the mental game. If your mind will continue, your body will follow. I am a great example of this. Others can tell you of my story for Goofy #4 and soon #5.

Mel: No Princess as too close to WDW Jan. If I was retired and wealthy than I would be there!

I have 32 miles and 10 hrs. Linda was put into a boot for her foot as her toes still won't move free Big River dropping chair on her foot. They fear nerve damage and won't see surgeon until next week. Gordon Biersch finally turned over to insurance so we get statements tomorrow. I hear we won't get medical bills reimbursed for at least 6 months

 

[corinnak]

Did somebody say......Bourbon????

Robert - I'm glad the wheels of the process are starting to turn. That is terrible that it is going to take 6 months, though. I am so sorry about Linda's foot injury continuing to be such a daily problem. Nerve damage sounds worrisome. Tell Linda we're all thinking about her.

JenG - I have traveled with my family in tow, traveled with a friend and left the families at home and gone by myself and had only WISH friends for company. They have all been fun in their own way, but I have to say that traveling on my own was easier in a lot of ways, and I got to have some extra fun with the WISH team.

Debra - Cabaret is definitely a fun show. Except for the sort of depressing parts, anyhow. And the part where they drink raw eggs. Mmmmm. I went and got them pasteurized eggs. Regardless of anyone else's lack of concern, I am taking no chances with our Cliff and Sally.
We were running scene changes and transitions last night (I'm in a lot of them!) and in spite of my specifying that I wanted to just wear basic techie black, it sounds like they are going to insist upon basic techy black fishnet stockings.

ME - I am not really putting in the miles so much in the running department. I think it's a bit of a cross training moment. I'm doing resistance band workouts pretty frequently - it seems like they are helping my back. I've got a couple other videos that I am throwing in as well. Some walking on the TM to fill in the steps. Running 2-3 days for now, and I haven't done a long run in a while. The weekends are FULL with scenery. It's going to be in production soon, though, and I can get back to the new normal. My tracking system is very fancy - I wrote some columns on a piece of paper with a crayola marker and I am just writing them down in a list. It's working OK so far! My weight is creeping downward and the plank exercises are getting to feel less brutal.


Did anyone watch Biggest Loser this week? Did you see where Jillian basically dismissed the idea of people not losing weight because they are gaining muscle as they lose the fat? That was all I was holding onto, Jillian - man! I don't know that it applied to Joelle at all, obviously. They had plenty of footage of her slacking off. They can edit things however they want, though, obviously.

Maybe I should post a separate thing for the WL challenge...

 

[corinnak]

Ohana Weight Loss Challenge

February Edition
If you are interested in participating, please either post or PM me your goals for the month and for the year. We are counting pounds only, no fancy percentages here. (If you don't want to have a goal and just want to post what you've lost at the end of the month, I am OK with that as well!) I think most of the other WISH weigh ins are on Fridays, so I'm going to suggest that as our regular weigh in and report day. Post your loss each week and I will tabulate the losses for the month. That's about it!

 

[jeanneg]

Aloha cousins......I need to make a suggestion. Since it appears we are definitely going to go forward with reporting activity, we should seriously consider doing one of two things to make it a little easier for our captains. Either we begin a separate thread just for reporting as we had last year, OR we decide on a reporting color and use that for posting activity. We are a group of nearly 20 people and it gets hard to search through all the postings to find recordable activity. Maybe our captains should decide which one they prefer, but it is definitely worth implementing.

 

[jbucci]

JenG: I agree that you could do the full marathon if you wanted to-- I went from nothing last Jan to completing the full last month (it wasn't pretty, but I did it). The hard part is the time commitment to do long runs over the holidays in Nov and Dec if you are planning on the WDW full. I was able to do it, but it took a lot of dedication to not blow off the long runs in favor of holiday/family stuff. I'm glad I did it and have foolishly signed on for Goofy next year. If you can run a 2:30 1/2 you can definitely do the full.

Robert: sorry to hear about Linda's foot, hopefully some time off of it in the boot will help and you will eventually get some money back

As for me, not much going on. My schedule got off this week, so my run and cross train days are all messed up-- trying to get back on track tonight. I've been playing Dance Dance Revolution as cross training, a bit unconventional but works up a good sweat and is fun.

 

[corinnak]

So far, this is the closest I've been able to find to a leopard print running skirt. I think it's a cheetah. If only the sides were lime green....

 

[jeanneg]

What, no cougar print!?! There's no way you'll ever catch me in that one. I'd be afraid some big game hunter would take out his rifle and shoot me!

 

[grizbuzz]

So far, this is the closest I've been able to find to a leopard print running skirt. I think it's a cheetah. If only the sides were lime green....

That is hilarious! I don't think there would be any fading into the background with that on.

 

[grizbuzz]

Aloha cousins......I need to make a suggestion. Since it appears we are definitely going to go forward with reporting activity, we should seriously consider doing one of two things to make it a little easier for our captains. Either we begin a separate thread just for reporting as we had last year, OR we decide on a reporting color and use that for posting activity. We are a group of nearly 20 people and it gets hard to search through all the postings to find recordable activity. Maybe our captains should decide which one they prefer, but it is definitely worth implementing.

I'd think the separate thread would be easier. But agree the captains should decide their preference.

 

[corinnak]

That is hilarious! I don't think there would be any fading into the background with that on.

Who exactly on the WISH team fades into the background anyhow?

 

[laughinplace199]

So far, this is the closest I've been able to find to a leopard print running skirt. I think it's a cheetah. If only the sides were lime green....

If we have lime green feather boas, I'm sure that no one will even notice the maroon side panels on the skirt.

 

[laughinplace199]

Hello Cousins!

Jen B - 12 min/mi is a great pace! Good luck with the Princess training.

Allie - Thanks again for the crayon removal tips. I have a feeling this won't be the last time I need them.

Jen - I didn't know you were so crafty. Your kids must be the best dressed kids on the block. So, what exactly happens at a cheese festival?

Corinna - I love your fancy tracking system. I'm thinking of giving DS2 some crayons and having him record my miles and minutes on the kitchen cabinets. It's great to hear that your weight is creeping downward! You must feel really good about that.

JenG - Vodka stories are always welcome - and actually encouraged!

Debra - Last Minute Travel - ugh! That's several hours of my life I'll never get back. Sorry to hear that it didn't work out for you either. I agree that we should all dress like Lula next year, but since there are so many Billy Idol fans here, maybe we should have spiky Billy Idol hair with our Lula garb?

Robert - Sorry to hear that it's going to take so long to get reimbursed for Linda's medical bills. I hope that she recovers as quickly as possible.

Hi to Maria, Nancy, Richard, and the rest of the cousins!

 

[Steffwalks]

Hi dropping in for a quick

I found that the easiest way, as a captain, to compile the data of time and miles is with a PM. I don't have to hunt for the minutes and miles. It's all right there and it doesn't get away from me. With a PM people could talk about their workout in the thread, without having to worry about the numbers, right then. They could compile them when it was easiest for them. It worked really well for all of us!

Go, Cousins! or is that the more familiar, cuz?

 

[deekaypee]

About tracking: I'm not sure I have a marked preference for any of the methods, so I'll go with the majority vote. I've tailored the Excel spreadsheet Mike made and posted it as a Google Document attached to my email. It will automatically add your daily/weekly/month totals, etc, as well as for the team. It's very fancy, and Mike's very talented. If anyone wants access to it, let me know.

As far as PMs or a new thread, I know I was reminded to post when I received the subscription notices via email. But we're only posting once a month, so we could do PMs or keep it posted on this thread. If we do the latter, I think having it in another color would be good. Don't forget, you can post your individual totals in your siggy. I keep meaning to get to that one myself, but have to reorganize my clippies.

This raises another question. Dave was thinking we would start monthly threads for the teams, but I was thinking we would keep the chat thread throughout. I can always change the header on this one, but the thread will get long if we keep it. What are your preferences?

 

[deekaypee]

JenG: I travel with DOOD, as he's got an extreme running bug. (Although I've traveled to WDW alone often, as I have the Disney bug.) If you do decide to travel alone to the marathon weekend, remember you won't be truly alone. You'll have the cousins with you..... And I hear at least some of them are bad, bad influences when it comes to Disney night life. (I'm hoping anyway, for next year.)

Robert: No one can tell your story the way you do....but I will say that trailing you on the course is quite inspirational. I kept thinking that Robert's overcome all these physical obstacles, and it helped convince me that I'd come back from marathon 2008 and become better, stronger, faster (very Steve Austin-ish). And 32 miles/10 hours already?? Wow!

So sorry to hear that the reimbursement process is going to be so extended, although I suppose it's somewhat good news to hear the process has started. But nerve damage and possible surgery??!! Please give Linda my well wishes and hopes for a less invasive solution.

Corinna: For the weight loss....I'd like to lose 4 pounds this month, XX total. If I don't lose any weight next week, I'll choose to believe it's because I gained it in muscle. Hang what Jillian says! I'll weigh in Friday and use that as my starting point.

And of course you need to do Cabaret tech in fishnet stockings. That's almost mandatory, isn't it? Just channel your inner Lula.

Love the cheetah print, although I do wish the side panels were green. Maybe with a matching pinkish-maroon boa. Or, like Julie suggests, a pink and green--how preppy. 'Burgh preppy. As an alternative, that do you think about a zebra print? (Someone used to make them, but I don't know who.) Lula might like one of those. I draw the line at pleather, though. In general, I'm with Jeanne. A cougar look would be purrrrrrrfect.

We might be headed away from the 'Ohana look, though. Does someone want to resurrect the grass skirts and coconuts running costume?

JenB: I'm not so sure you "foolishly" signed up for the Goofy. Goofily, maybe.... No, really, I'm super impressed with how well you met your last year's goals and how you're setting the bar even higher. (And your DH, too.)

Julie: I'm still passively trying to get the LMT deal. But only when I'm online and switching between tabs. I'd really like to stay somewhere extra-nice next marathon weekend and a LMT deal would have helped the budget.... On the other hand, I think it would be excellent to stay where other cousins are staying and make THAT my priority. (Of course, you're probably all staying somewhere extra-nice, huh? MUCH too early for me to make these decisions.)

Steff: You can call us anything you want to, cuz. Except late for dinner!

Richard: How did last week's trail run go?

Maria: Hugs! Because we're soul sisters!

 

[chimera]

There's always runningfunky.com