Team 'Ohana--No One Left Behind: The Continuing Adventures

[FFigawi]

Welcome Kira! Glad to have you as part of the family!

 

[chimera]

John, how's life after the big move? Have you lived in that area before?

 

[deekaypee]

Safari on iPad keeps crashing on me when I try to type into the Disboards field. So I've lost two posts. Just imagine all the witty things I must said on the first couple of attempts. Hah.

Questions: Have any of you ordered the non-race runDisney tech shirts? Do you know how they run? And anyone here doing fall Disney races? Not that I can commit to any races far in advance, but I'm curious.*

Kira - Welcome to the family. Glad to see that other cousins have already hazed, er, I mean welcomed you! Cool to see the race plans you've already made. Goofy, huh? Whoa! And I also like peanut butter and chocolate milk...although they're not just for running recovery here.

Rose & Richard & John: Thanks for your kind words, though they make me believe you've not seen me on the dark side. (Yes, I live on the dark side. Don't come there - we have chocolate, but we don't share.) I'll try to be better. Or at least more consistently snarky.

Rose - Congrats on your 8 mile, esp. your attitude. It's what your body will allow right now, and that's a big deal. And it sounds like it's a good kind of sore - a phrase that only an athlete can appreciate. I'm so going to miss seeing you at the Princess. You're truly fun to hang out with; and I'd love to support your race. (Will miss seeing other cousins, too - who all is going?)

Mel - How did your run go? I saw on FB that you're not doing hills. I know the feeling...intimately. How are you adjusting to the weather? And, of course, the whole new life.*

Sandy: So good to see you back here regularly! (Me too.) And WTG on moving; how is your ankle feeling? Is the swelling a chronic condition? (Look at me being all nosy.) Btw, I have Tervis Tumblers. Love em, just love em.

Maria: Me, I'm excited about Downton Abbey and Merlin! DOOD & I watch the former together - DVR'ed it and will start after the Golden Globes tonight. And I watch Merlin as part of my elliptical days - so I have to wait until the season is complete before I download it to my iPod.

Maria & Jackie: Are you both doing the 100 days challenge? And how is your running coming, as I know you're both hot on the heels of your goals.*

John: Yes, more stories on your relocation. I try to keep up on FB, and it looks like you're hooked into the running scene there.*

Jeanne: How are you, post-race. You were an inspiration out there. Both days!

AFM: Ran my 7 miles today...felt pretty good.*

Things I learned over race weekend: I can't do a lime green wig, esp. not on a race course. Experimented with a wig on the scream team for the full - too hot for me. But it made me think of Tracy Scott (the original green wig queen) and, of course, Corinna. But I think I"m back to dying my hair in 2013.*

I/we also learned that we'll need to maintain a half level of fitness and just sign up for races later than we'd like. It's just the only way we'll keep moving forward, relentlessly, for something other than the occasional 5K race. Both of us missed races this year and got a bit, er, cranky.

We're also hoping for maybe the Tower of Terror this year, but it depends on a lot of things; we do remember liking that race.*

Looking forward to hearing more news from my cousins. It's like a great big fuzzy blue family reunion with 'Ohana.

 

[tiberius]

Mel - How's your move going? I wish I'd gotten to chat with you more at the B&C meet, but it just didn't seem to work out that way. OTOH, Corinna and I taught a No Way Jose a good lesson in downing ice cream.

Debra - I know the dark side well, I've served in the Marines, worked in law enforcement and (most of all) raised daughters with boyfriends, but don't worry because I will bring my own chocolate. I have he same issue with my iPad on occasion.

AFM - I am heading back into training this week after a recovery week of training over this past week. I had 8 miles today, with 20 on tap for next weekend as my last long run before my 50 miler on February 4. (Whatever was I thinking? )
Also, I've written the first of my race reports on my blog in case anyone wants to read about it, or just to surf by and see the photos.

 

[MouseDogMom]

Kira - Welcome to 'Ohana! And back to the Dis in general! I've been following you mostly on FB, so I don't feel like you've been completely missing, but it's nice to have you back here. I'm so excited that Mad Men is FINALLY coming back this season!

Rose - Hooray for 8 miles! It's hard to start over, but it's such a good feeling when it finally comes back. I can't believe it's been a year since my surgery, and I'm 4 weeks away from marathon #2!

Debra - Day 15 complete! Bill grumbled a little when I made him go out for a walk tonight with the dogs. I offered to go alone, but it was getting dark, and I knew he wouldn't let me go without him. Then he realized we HAD to stay out for 30 minutes! It does seem unfair that I can't bank the extra activity from day to day - yesterday I ran 8 miles with my group, then Annie and I took the dogs for an hour walk. Poor Sienna is actually whimpering today - her little muscles are sore from all the new activity she's getting. But when I asked her if she wanted to go for a walk tonight, she was at the door in seconds!

Sandy - Just keep moving... just keep moving. At this time last year I wasn't allowed to even get ON the treadmill for any steps. Any activity is good! And the dogs like it too!

Mel - I responded on FB about the hills, but we have a theory in our Galloway group that running in Raleigh (or central NC in general) pretty much prepares you for any race you choose. Obviously there are some mountainous marathons that you'd have to train for, but other than those, there's not much a course can throw at you that you're not ready for if you run here. And then when you find a flat race course, life is good! Luckily, most of our greenways are relatively flat. It's only when we hit the streets that we encounter hills.

I designed a course for our group to run yesterday to mix things up a little. I took parts of courses that I'd run previously and liked and put them together and created a route that everyone really, really enjoyed. And yes, there were hills. Not too many, but enough to warm us up, since it was 28 when we started out!

15 days into the 100 Day Challenge, and I've been successful - so far - in actually working out the upper body and core. Tried to get back on the stationary bike, but it really bothered my knee, so I decided that may not be part of the rotation. That means the puppies may get more walks!

Jackie

 

[chimera]

The move is pretty much over and unpacking is almost done. I don't start working again until next month and then only part-time. Back to full-time teaching in Sept. Now time to start settling in. I'm feeling a bit like a stranger in a strange land...there's no Publix, so I don't know where to get groceries. It's a small town with few sidewalks, so finding a safe place to run is tough and as Jackie mentioned, the hills DD8 is starting to miss her friends back home and her school. We had a little mishap last week for her first day riding the bus home...the school put her on the wrong bus so the first impression I got to leave with most of her school administration was sheer panic. I'm sure it will just take us all some time to adjust. I know many of you have made big moves, so if you have any hints on settling in, please share.

I have the Downton Abbey on netflix but having started watching it yet. I have been watching the BBC Sherlock Holmes series...first episode was pretty cool.

Richard...did I tell you, you look fabulous! All of you guys really did! I'm sure you showed that No Way Jose who's boss

Rose...good luck with the foot!

Who all is going back for Princess this year?

 

[bunnyfoo]

Hello Team 'Ohana! Hope it's okay if I pop in to say it was great seeing lots of you last week during the races and at the meets! It's always nice to put names to faces and not just Facebook pics! Congrats to those of you who ran or walked in the races. Hope to see you guys next time, even if it's a once a year thing.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Me! I'll be back for Princess this year!

Kira! -- Always happy to welcome a new cousin! Your job sounds like a ton of fun -- the research must be the best part!

Mel -- I so missed handing out twizzlers at the Full with you guys this year, I am planning on being there next year with treats in hand for all our runners! You must be relieved to have your move mostly done. Change and upheaval are hard, but I bet you will settle in quickly and not scare the school too much

Jackie -- You designed a run course?! I am so impressed

Richard -- I can't even run 50M over a week, and you are going to do it all at once?! Fabulous!

Debra -- I'm not doing the 100 days, maybe next year. Right now I'm concentrating on getting as ready as I can be for the Princess, which in my case means trying to lose lbs. and get my long runs in. I did 11M Saturday, and unfortunately for me it did seem like a lot more than 10. Next Friday Dennis and I are planning to run the last 10M of the Boston Marathon route, to get me outside and doing some hills. This should be interesting, he's going to slow down to my pace...which also always slows when I move outside. This may be a recipe for disaster, but we're going to give it a whirl. I'll be wearing what I did for the 2010 Arctic WDW Half as it will be 30 degrees, but hopefully it won't be sleeting on me the whole way...

Rose -- If you do the Full, will you and Mike run separate races? Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead I was just wondering. I think it is fabulous that you guys run together -- I'm a little nervous about this first attempt for Dennis and I to stay together, just in training -- considering I generally finish a Half about an hour after he does

John -- Do you feel like you're well-settled now? Have you found any fun, new things to do or see?

Sandy -- I am a huge fan of the Tervis Tumblers! My SIL introduced them to me, and now I always have one of the larger ones with a straw and citrus water. Mine are Margaritaville-based. One says "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", and the other says "I'm the Woman to Blame"

Corinna -- Not that I've been checking FB like I should, but I saw a great photo of you and Debra and Vicky! Those medals look pretty spectacular!

Jeanne -- I've been hearing tales you totally marathon weekend!

AFM: Did the aforementioned 11M, and also did my other planned 4Ms last week. This week I'm shorting one 4M so I can do the run on Friday instead of Saturday. We decided it was better to take a day off from work and do it, rather than leave the 13 yr. old at home alone and be a little too far away and not able to get back home, wondering how he was. He would probably be fine, but if he's in school, no one (ok, me) has to worry...

Had a moment of silence for OLTL, which ceased airing Friday. End of an era -- and just when I thought I was getting 10 hours back in my life (I was just going to go "cold turkey" on the soaps), OLTL characters are coming to GH, so I guess I'll keep that one for now. I realize it has been my choice to watch these shows and I could have had the time, well, anytime, but some habits are hard to break, and frankly, I didn't want to break them. My new extra five hours are going to be spent getting things done around my house. Sometimes that might mean the DIS

I'm very happy right now my Beloved Patriots are looking like they should have all season. I hope that continues.

Everyone have an awesome week! Happy MLK Day!

Maria

 

[FFigawi]

John, how's life after the big move? Have you lived in that area before?

John -- Do you feel like you're well-settled now? Have you found any fun, new things to do or see?

Just a quick update before I head off to work. Life is pretty good so far. We're all the way through the bureaucracy - my wife finally got her driver's license last week; I'll write in more detail later about what an asinine process that is - and are awaiting the arrival of our shipment of things from home. Once we have our stuff unpacked, it'll actually feel like home. Getting the walls painted has been a big help to feeling settled in. That finally got done last week after a month of staring at stark white walls. Kind of felt like living in a hospital ward.

I've managed to hook up with the local running club so I can continue with my training. Well, I'd continue on my own anyway, but it's much nicer to do 18-mile long runs with other people. It's been an odd adjustment going from one of the fastest in my group in Houston to one of the slowest here. My times are improving, though, as I'm forced run faster to make sure I don't get lost.

We went out to the desert last weekend for a run along the coast. Really pretty and much more fun than running on roads. This part of the desert is rocky and covered in scrub brush. Haven't made it out to the dunes yet, but I'm sure I'll get there at some point. I've posted some pictures on my blog if anyone wants to check them out.

From reading all the posts here and on FB, it sounds like you're all doing well. I hope everyone stays injury-free as they recover from marathon weekend and get ready for the Princess, Rocky, and other upcoming races. For those dark-siders out there, you'd love the chocolate over here.

P.S. Debra, I'm in for dyed WISH-green hair if you are

 

[jbucci]

It is so great to see this thread alive and kicking

I don't have time for proper shout outs to everyone but wanted to say how thrilled I am to see all of you back here.

Kira: Welcome to Ohana I'm from SJ, so pretty local to you. I agree that the PDR is/was an awesome race. The weather for the 2008 one was just about as perfect as you can get. We try to do that event every year.

John: The pictures are amazing!!! I'm glad to hear you are feeling more settled in. Stay safe and keep us posted on your happenings.

Richard: I'll second the "you look fabulous" statement. Your hard work is definitely paying off. Next year hopefully we can work out an Ohana Gallowstop full complete with Everest ride (if for no other reason than to boost my Garmin pace by means of coaster).

Jeanne: Congrats on your awesome showing at marathon weekend, you looked really strong and good out there. You've got tons of guts and determination and I totally admire you for it. (and one of these days will beat you at Words With Friends)

Mel: Good luck with settling in. I wish I had real advice, but I am thinking of you if it helps at all.

Rose: Good to hear you are getting out there. I hope the foot behaves so you can rock Princess!

Maria: Training with a spouse is tricky. Butch ran the Philia Marathon with me and I was really nervous because he is so much faster. It actually worked out really well and got me a PR, so it is possible. As long as the agreement of "you can leave if you need to" is in place I think it is a good thing.

AFM: I had an awesome time doing Goofy.

DD8 did her first 5K with us and was awesome. She had a small tripping issue right near the end but managed to get up and finish despite pretty scraped up knees. By the end of the weekend she was proudly showing of her medal and says she will do another race with us

Butch and I did the half together and took tons of pictures and generally had fun. I also realized that since I started running I really have come a long way. Our Donald finish was 2:58, one minute faster than my first-ever half. In that one I was dying to make it under 3 hours and pushed hard every step of the way. In this race I ran at a relaxed pace and had fun. Very eye-opening and empowering somehow.

The full was more fun than I could have imagined! I promised Corinna I would get her through Goofy and due to her knee not cooperating that meant walking a good chunk of it. We teamed up with Tracy and stayed together for the race. I have never spent so much time laughing in a race (or lost my shoe so many times). The WISHers on the course were awesome and seeing Tracy finish her first full brought tears to my eyes.

I've had some tendonitis issue with my left foot so walking Goofy was really what I needed. I got an x-ray to make sure it was just the tendon and not a stress fracture. The x-ray was ok, so I'm back to trying to push it a little. I'm doing Tinkerbell for my 40th birthday(2 days after the race) and am going to try to PR, we'll see how it goes. Attempting PR just a few weeks after Goofy seems crazy, but I feel really good.

 

[jmasgat]

Hey Ohana. Just popped in to say thanks for letting me crash your B&C meetup Saturday. I'm a sucker for their chocolate milkshakes. And having this before my race the next day didn't seem to bother me.

Hope to see you around--virtually and otherwise (I'm looking for a Feb/Mar race to do)

Maura

 

[tiberius]

Maura - You're always welcome to come by for ice cream with us. That's the Ohana version of marathon carbo loading!

John - Glad to see you're adjusting well. I look forward to reading about your adventures in your blog. Thanks for posting it!

Mel - Flattery will get you everywhere with me! Thank you, the strange thing about it is that I don't really notice the change so much until I see a photo and then I hardly recognize myself. There was one photo that went up on Facebook with Jen and I that I must have seen a few times without recognizing myself before somebody else tagged me. You are right in that everybody is looking good, and let's not leave you out of that description. I'd probably shudder at the combined weight loss of our group if it was reduced to a number! Give those NC hills a chance and you will soon be a much better runner because of them.

Jen - Thank you for those comments also! I was just looking at my first full results a bit ago, it was 2:58:23, pretty much the same as your first one. I was so happy to get under 3 hours that day. It seems surreal that I can now do it so much faster even with all the stopping I did during the half part of Goofy. I did a half marathon and PR'ed a few years ago on my 44th birthday and loved it. Celebrating your 40th at DL with a race will be great! As to Gallowstopping with EE, I discovered that my pace this year got me to EE right before the first train left for the morning. So any faster than that and it would be too early. Since I left with Corral B (yes, I got them to move me up) it could likely help to just start farther back and--of course--to concentrate on fun along the way!!!

Maria - I don't do 50 running miles in a week either, so I am anxious to see how this race goes for me.

Vicky - Nice to see you pop in here--don't be a stranger! (and I hope it doesn't take a year for you tor come back) It was great to see you and visit with you at Disney, plus seeing you on the course a few times!

 

[MouseDogMom]

Mel - No Princess for me. Still. Maybe one year. Do you have Harris Teeter? It's my favorite grocery store by far. And I would have been furious with the school, in addition to a little crazy!

Maria - We mourned OLTL as well. Still haven't forgiven ABC, and Progress Park, for AMC going away last September. It was our lunchtime escape at work, and we're having a hard time finding a replacement. We've tried Bold and the Beautiful, but just can't get into it. I didn't watch OLTL at all after AMC went off the air, but shed a tear or two last Friday anyway! I grew up with both of them, and it just seems wrong that they're gone. I've somehow managed to train with Bill for the last couple of years, even with a 2-3 hour time difference in our marathon times. We don't do our long runs together any more, but our midweek training we do with a small group of 4-5 friends. And before this past year, it was mostly just the two of us. I did get faster trying to keep up with him.

John - The pictures are amazing! I can't imagine running in the desert, but the change of scenery would be fabulous. And I've been following the dogs' progress on FB - looks like they're doing just fine!

Jen - Sounds like the full was a blast. I'm really sorry I missed it! And I'm glad there doesn't seem to be any real damage to your foot. I also don't see anything strange at all about trying to PR so soon after Goofy. After all, the training is done!

Maura - 26.2 with Donna in Jacksonville, Tobacco Road in Raleigh - both have half and full distances. The new NC Half in Charlotte in March has a really cool medal, and there are lots of WISHers doing it.

Richard - More and more of my friends have been bitten by the ultra bug. I got my ultra shot. It makes me immune. I'm insisting that the Jacksonville full will be my last attempt at 26.2. The rest of the year will be 13.1. And I hope forever after! Although if I could convince my family to go to Dublin...

Jackie

 

[jeanneg]

Welcome to Ohana, Kira!

I'm happy to see people posting again. It was so good to meet up with many of you over marathon weekend. I'm just sorry I missed catching up with Mel. She took off for her relay leg even before I arrived at the transition point (thanks to her fast partner Maura!) and I just couldn't muster up the strength to make it to the ice cream social on Saturday even though I wanted to compare NC notes with her.

Much to my surprise, I felt great over the weekend and finished both races. I'm sure alot of it had to do with my meds, which might be considered "performance enhancing" , but my psyche definitely needed some stroking and completing both races gave me a real boost. My doctors are still looking for answers and I went for a few more tests last week (no results yet). Something is out of whack, but they are not sure what it is. The good news is
that I seem to be negative for rheumatoid, auto-immune and the major insect borne diseases. The meds make me feel great, but they are not good for me longterm so hopefully we'll have some answers and a new course of treatment soon.

John: loved the photos on your blog. And already signing up for races is quite impressive!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Debra--woohoo on 7 miles! I wish you were coming to Princess cause we loved seeing you last year at Star Wars! And I feel like I spent most of 2011 on the Dark Side. So hopefully both of us will be enjoying 2012 a bit more.

AFM - I am heading back into training this week after a recovery week of training over this past week. I had 8 miles today, with 20 on tap for next weekend as my last long run before my 50 miler on February 4. (Whatever was I thinking? )

50 miles...I know people do it, but I'm not even sure I will be able to finish 26.2! I'll be thinking about you on the 4th!

15 days into the 100 Day Challenge, and I've been successful - so far - in actually working out the upper body and core. Tried to get back on the stationary bike, but it really bothered my knee, so I decided that may not be part of the rotation. That means the puppies may get more walks!

Jackie

So I am doing this challenge too, and I don't know what I was thinking! I am supposed to be working on not over doing it according to my physical therapist! Tonight I walked on the treadmill with a beer nearby. Hopefully that counts.

The move is pretty much over and unpacking is almost done. I don't start working again until next month and then only part-time. Back to full-time teaching in Sept. Now time to start settling in. I'm feeling a bit like a stranger in a strange land...there's no Publix, so I don't know where to get groceries. It's a small town with few sidewalks, so finding a safe place to run is tough and as Jackie mentioned, the hills DD8 is starting to miss her friends back home and her school. We had a little mishap last week for her first day riding the bus home...the school put her on the wrong bus so the first impression I got to leave with most of her school administration was sheer panic. I'm sure it will just take us all some time to adjust. I know many of you have made big moves, so if you have any hints on settling in, please share.


Who all is going back for Princess this year?

Mike and I will be there for Princess! The bus thing would have freaked me out! I hope you are settling in ok. Winter is such a hard time to make new friends, etc. I know around here everyone hibernates! Hopefully spring will come early!

Rose -- If you do the Full, will you and Mike run separate races? Maybe I'm thinking too far ahead I was just wondering. I think it is fabulous that you guys run together -- I'm a little nervous about this first attempt for Dennis and I to stay together, just in training -- considering I generally finish a Half about an hour after he does


AFM: Did the aforementioned 11M, and also did my other planned 4Ms last week. This week I'm shorting one 4M so I can do the run on Friday instead of Saturday. We decided it was better to take a day off from work and do it, rather than leave the 13 yr. old at home alone and be a little too far away and not able to get back home, wondering how he was. He would probably be fine, but if he's in school, no one (ok, me) has to worry...

Maria

Great job on the 11 miles Maria!
If I do the full we will do it together, cause I really think it will be my one and only. We decide ahead of time if we are running together or separate. Most of the time Mike likes to run together. At KDF in April I will do the half and Mike will do the full. Not sure if we will do part together or not.

Mike wanted to do Goofy next year, but I promised we could come back another year so he could do it. I am still having some electrolyte problems and I really want him to be with me for my ONE and ONLY full. I feel like someone should know my weird health history!

Unless you want to do it with me Maria?

I've managed to hook up with the local running club so I can continue with my training. Well, I'd continue on my own anyway, but it's much nicer to do 18-mile long runs with other people. It's been an odd adjustment going from one of the fastest in my group in Houston to one of the slowest here. My times are improving, though, as I'm forced run faster to make sure I don't get lost.

We went out to the desert last weekend for a run along the coast. Really pretty and much more fun than running on roads. This part of the desert is rocky and covered in scrub brush. Haven't made it out to the dunes yet, but I'm sure I'll get there at some point. I've posted some pictures on my blog if anyone wants to check them out.

I loved the pictures! That's very cool that you found a group to run with!

DD8 did her first 5K with us and was awesome. She had a small tripping issue right near the end but managed to get up and finish despite pretty scraped up knees. By the end of the weekend she was proudly showing of her medal and says she will do another race with us


I've had some tendonitis issue with my left foot so walking Goofy was really what I needed. I got an x-ray to make sure it was just the tendon and not a stress fracture. The x-ray was ok, so I'm back to trying to push it a little. I'm doing Tinkerbell for my 40th birthday(2 days after the race) and am going to try to PR, we'll see how it goes. Attempting PR just a few weeks after Goofy seems crazy, but I feel really good.

I'm so glad DD had fun! And I am so glad there is nothing major going on with your foot. I am becoming an expert at foot stretches! I say a PR for your birthday would be pretty cool!

I ran my first half marathon on my 43rd birthday. It was a great birthday present!

****
So I think I said this, but I did 8 on Saturday, and then 3 on Monday. The foot is holding up ok. Maybe I have finally turned the corner to good health. I see it as a good sign that my hair is continuing to grow back and a lot of the other c-d symptoms seem to be under control. I lost so much hair that I kind of look like I have bangs where it's growing back, even though I don't!

In retrospect, I maybe should have taken a couple months off last spring when the foot problems and itbs started. My hair was still falling out at that point and I was still having so many other issues. But I really feel like things are finally on the upswing. At least I hope they are!

We had tornadoes here today. Pretty unusual for January!

I hope everyone is doing well!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Welcome to Ohana, Kira!

I'm happy to see people posting again. It was so good to meet up with many of you over marathon weekend. I'm just sorry I missed catching up with Mel. She took off for her relay leg even before I arrived at the transition point (thanks to her fast partner Maura!) and I just couldn't muster up the strength to make it to the ice cream social on Saturday even though I wanted to compare NC notes with her.

Much to my surprise, I felt great over the weekend and finished both races. I'm sure alot of it had to do with my meds, which might be considered "performance enhancing" , but my psyche definitely needed some stroking and completing both races gave me a real boost. My doctors are still looking for answers and I went for a few more tests last week (no results yet). Something is out of whack, but they are not sure what it is. The good news is
that I seem to be negative for rheumatoid, auto-immune and the major insect borne diseases. The meds make me feel great, but they are not good for me longterm so hopefully we'll have some answers and a new course of treatment soon.

John: loved the photos on your blog. And already signing up for races is quite impressive!

I hope you figure out what is going on!

 

[FFigawi]

Maria - I don't do 50 running miles in a week either, so I am anxious to see how this race goes for me.

You'll be just fine. It's more mental than physical, and mental toughness is one thing you've got plenty of. Here are a few tips and suggestions from when I ran Rocky a few years ago. I'm sure you've heard most of them before, but I thought I'd throw them out anyway.

- Walk the uphills, jog the flats and downs. At first, this is hard to do because you'll feel great and want to jog uphill. At the end, this is hard because you'll want to walk everything. Making it your routine from the start will help keep you moving and going at mile 45.

- Let the aid station volunteers do their work filling your bottles, etc. Spend your brief time (never more than 1-2 minutes) there refueling on salted potatoes, PB&J, and pizza. And soup when it gets chilly after dark. Solid food works much better for long races like this than goo and jelly beans.

- It will get chilly after dark. Even if you're warm heading out for your third lap, bring long sleeves or a jacket along. Once the sun goes down, the sweat will evaporate off you quickly and bring your core temp down rapidly.

- Make sure your light has batteries and works. Bring spares in your drop bag.

- Lights mounted on your head will give you neck cramps from looking down all the time. Carry one in your hand or wear one on your waist to allow you to look farther up the trail.

- When you're done, dangling your legs off the wall behind the lodge into the water is a great way to get a ice bath. Sure makes those aching and tired feet and legs feel good, even if it's a bit on the cool side.

- Find someone to run with, especially the last lap after dark. It makes the time and distance pass much more quickly and easily. I'm sorry I'm not there to be that person. I was really looking forward to running it with you.

- Enjoy being out there. Huntsville is a gorgeous park and there is so much to see, so take time while you're out there to look up from the trail and take in the scenery.

 

[FFigawi]

Richard - More and more of my friends have been bitten by the ultra bug. I got my ultra shot. It makes me immune. I'm insisting that the Jacksonville full will be my last attempt at 26.2. The rest of the year will be 13.1. And I hope forever after! Although if I could convince my family to go to Dublin...

Did I hear someone say Dublin?

 

[Kira G.]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I have gone back and read the bios of a number of you, and I am thrilled to be part of the group!

When I read everyone's bios I realized that I had left something very important out of my family description - our pets! We are the happy owners of 5 cats (although one currently lives with my oldest daughter at college), a hamster, and one crazy labradoodle puppy named Shiloh. I think Shiloh runs the house right now - he's about 7 months old and completely adorable!

In the past I have been really bad at quoting and responding to everyone systematically. I am so impressed by people who do this - it seems to take me forever and I am always sure I've forgotten someone. Hopefully as I get to know everyone better this will get easier. It looks like we have a wealth of running experience in this group, and I look forward to learning from all of you, and contributing where I can.

I am jealous of everyone who is running the Princess Half. I had thought about doing this race (and maybe combining it with some Spring Training Phillies action!), but it didn't coordinate well with my kid's vacation schedules. And if I come back for Marathon weekend next year, the timing for Princess will probably not work out in 2013 either. So I will put it on the "someday" list!

My training so far is going really well. I am more or less starting all over again, so I'm using the 5K & 10K plans from Running for Mortals to get me back in the game and ready for the Broad Street Run in May. I'm also doing a weekly Pilates and Modern Dance class to work on my core. I have completed 100% of my planned workouts so far, and that's exactly what I need right now - consistency. I've been frustrated by my lack of weight loss since the beginning of the year, despite being much more disciplined with both my food & activity. I'm trying very hard not to get discouraged, and to remind myself that this is a marathon not a sprint!

It sounds like everyone is doing a great job with their training!

Kira

 

[deekaypee]

Hello Vicky and Maura! It was great to see both of you recently, and I hope we can hang out more often - virtually or otherwise! And I'm always up for ice cream, even when my scale says I shouldn't be...

Richard: What were you thinking? You were thinking that there was no way that a 50 miler can intimidate you! And am I reading you right - that you're now timing your Goofy so that you can ride EE? Now, THAT's a racing strategy!

Jackie: Oooh, poor Sienna, but I'm impressed that even she knows that movement is good for her body. Animals are so much smarter than people. (No sympathy for Bill! ) Super impressed with you designing a race course. Next step - RDing one! Immune to the ultra bug. Hah!

Mel: What you're doing is such a big adjustment - I forget how even the smallest things, like a favorite grocery store, reminds one of being a stranger in a strange land. (A favorite book from adolescence, btw.) One of the things we did was quickly find our favorite take-out place in the neighborhood, so we could become "locals." And visited our library, often, which provided us with insights into local events, volunteer opps, etc.. Those are the neighborhood things that have made a big difference. And we keep trying to do all the tourist things - although it sounds as if your town might be a bit small for that?

Maria: I love, love the idea of running any part of the Boston Marathon course - which is as close as I'd ever get to the Boston Marathon. I think the pure prestige of the route would get me through the hills. Hopefully, that'll work for you, too, with some added warmer weather for incentive! And big congrats to Dennis for running with you - DOOD won't with me. 'Nuff said.

So sorry to hear about OLTL; I watched it long ago, and fell out of the habit. No judgement, as I just turned to night-time melodrama with my current obsessions being "Downton Abbey," "Justified," and "Walking Dead." Will be pickup up on "Game of Thrones" (read all the books so far) and "Boardwalk Empire" as soon as I clear some stuff out of the DVR. Yep, addicted.

John: Your new running groups sounds, well, very rabbit-y! But what a great way to make friends, I imagine! I took a quick peek at your blog. Terrific pictures! And I'm really jealous that you got to see Federer, just in the sense that it's one of the opportunities I, too, wouldn't have sought out but sounds cool. And of course I'm in for dyed hair, at least in part. It'll have to be permanent color next time around - the Florida sun stripped the green quickly last time and it looked like I was sporting Steelers colors. Not good, even when living in Pgh.

Oh, and what great advice about the ultra. If I ever run one, I'll be bugging both you and Richard for support!

JenB: Wow, it really is cool to read about your running progress in such a short period of time! Kudos! And double kudos for making it a goal to PR at Tinker Bell. I can't imagine giving yourself a better gift than making the attempt (so long as the foot is good)!

Jeanne: Well, even though it's frustrating that your doctors haven't pinned down things just yet, I'm glad the drugs are making you feel somewhat better. And you totally earned the boost from the races. One would have never guessed that even getting to the start line was an issue!

Rose: Congrats on our 8/3 and return to good health (fingers crossed). In terms of racing, I think it's very cool that Mike wants to run with you...and do the Goofy. You've definitely got some race/vacation planning to do. And hopefully enough time to figure out how to work with the electrolytes, etc. Or more important, how one does the 100-day challenge with a treadmill AND a beer. Now that's a regime that you could market!

Kira: I know exactly what you mean by needing consistency - in my WO and my life. And you sound as if you've got that nailed down. You'll be ready for Broad Street in no time. I'm always trying to remind myself that things are a marathon, not a sprint, so it's good to hear others do that too. P.S. I can't believe your oldest is at college. Already?!

AFM: Not much going on, I'm afraid. The school semester hasn't started - it's a week later this year - which pushes back spring break by a week. We generally head to Disney during spring break.

As luck would have it, I just heard from my SIL. She's asking if we'll see my nieces when the family is in my town - my brother does the NCAA tourney, and she's thinking of tagging along to visit us and some friends. And guess when that trip is? Yep, during our spring break/WDW trip. Hoo boy. It's not going to be pretty when I break the news to them.

In terms of training, I haven't really worked out a new schedule yet - just moving through the 100 days by mixing in XT with running. We travel to my parents next weekend so I didn't want to start a new, more focused schedule only to be disrupted. Excuses, excuses, I know. I need for follow the Kira model!

On the up side, I'm weaning myself away from caffeine (again) before traveling. I have to choose my chemical dependencies, and it's time for caffeine to go.