What does it take for a below sea level road runner to finish an elevation trail race of 6,995ft? Join me as I train, lose weight, and prepare mentally for the biggest running challenge of my life. Also I will try to answer the question... What was I thinking?
Yes, I did it! Resolution #1 (completing a half marathon) accomplished and bucket list item checked off! It was fantastic and so worth every mile. Where to begin? We can begin with the expo.I will try to make this part of the journey short so we can get to the good stuff. For anyone who has never been to a Disney race they always have an expo. That is where you pick up your race bib and goodies. This time it was in two different buildings at The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. I helped my family find the packets they needed to officially "chEAR" me on, picked up my own bib, and then we said goodbye. Karen (my fartlek buddy and friend) wanted to listen to one of the speakers talk about GU. I grabbed Caitlin (my 14 year old niece) to head over to the other building to get our bags with our shirts. Holy line Batman! It circled a field and then went into the building! We got into the line and chatted with a few people while we slowly made our way around the field. I wish I had had my camera with me. It was a sight. I texted Karen to ditch the lecture and join us in line or forever endure the consequences. It took us about 20 minutes to get into the building.We got our bags and went exploring.
Mutant Minnie cheers our future victory!
The expo had some really fun things to see, do, and buy. One of the "things to do" was the Cigna booth that let you put on the medals and pose like you finished your race. We did it but were afraid to wear the medals. Bad mojo in our minds. New Balance also had a picture op that was crazy and lots of fun to do. Unfortunately, after exploring and shopping we were too late to listen to any of the speakers. Man, was that expo crowded!
More free pictures!
I ended up buying two things at the expo...one was an iFitness hydration belt and the other was the new runDisney vinylmation Mickey with a Donald Half Marathon medal. My own Nathan belt was hard and cumbersome. The new belt was soft and snug. The Mickey was just too cute to pass up. My idea is to bring him along on any trips I take in the future. Plus, he was just too awesome to pass up.
Awwwww yeah!
Time just kind of flashes by at that place. We ended up exploring, sampling, and shopping for a few hours before making our way back to the hotel. I had been given a huge gift (Christmas/birthday) from my parents...Disney's Art of Animation Resort! This is a cartoonist's dream hotel. I absolutely loved it and will definitely stay there off season in the future. Animation sketches are everywhere...inside walls, outside walls, ceilings, and in your room. We were at the Lion King section so the property had life size versions of the characters positioned in a winding "jungle". They even had the elephant graveyard!
But I digress. We were starving by the time we made it back to the hotel. I had a really hard time trying to figure out what to eat. Do I go vegetarian so my stomach doesn't feel like lead? Meat like hamburger so I have protein to burn? I ended up getting a pulled pork sandwich with some coleslaw. The coleslaw was gross but the sandwich was good. Ended up just eating the meat though. Then I had a chocolate chip cookie. I really need to bone up on what to eat pre-race. Is it confusing for you guys or do you have a planned eating schedule? Advice will be well received in the comment section below.
Fish are friends...not food!
So now it was time to sleep. I made my way to my room and noticed they were showing "Finding Nemo" right outside my window. Greeeaaaat. Normally I would have been thrilled but I wanted to make sure I could sleep. Now I was going to have to use my ear plugs and I was afraid I would sleep through the alarm. My nerves got the better of me and I over compensated. I set my chicken alarm (no one sleeps through that thing) to 2 a.m., my cell alarm to 2:15 a.m., and I scheduled a wake up call at 2:30 a.m..
The most comfortable Murphy bed I have ever slept in!
Nothing was going to make me and my niece miss this race. Not even Nemo. I laid out everything for the race, made sure my tunes were fully charged, and crawled into bed.By 8 p.m. I was sound asleep and dreaming of lining up at my first half marathon in just a few short hours. Click here for Part Two The Race!
Have you peeked at my miles completed for 2013? Yeah...that would be a big fat zero. I got completely flattened by a cold. Going to start walking tomorrow so my legs do not get stiff. The BIG race is this coming Saturday. Yup, the Donald Half Marathon. It will be the longest distance race I have ever competed in. Let me clarify though that my competition is myself. I have no grandiose plans to win the race. I have grandiose plans of finishing the race. That will be a fantastic day for me. I was feeling a little down about this week of non training. Then I thought to myself (ever spiraling down the black hole of self defeating thoughts) what if I can't do it? What if I get there and I just fail? What if the sweeper bus --instead of just picking me up-- runs me over, backs up over me again, and runs me over for a third time while the bus driver screams "Lack of training loser!". Then I thought how silly that was because gas is expensive so running over me once would be enough. After that I began to think I needed a mantra for this race. I will find it and then write it on my hand. YES! Then when I imagine the tickle from the sweeper flag being tapped upon my shoulder I can just look down, get motivated, and kick it into gear. Then I wondered if you guys had some running mantras that keep you going in a race? Then I thought....well, I think that is a good topic for the blog. Time to share running mantras! Here are some I have discovered that I like.I made the phrases bold where I thought a mantra could be found.
"Plan your work and work your plan." Napolean Hill
"Winners make it happen. Losers let it happen." Leonard Lavin
"Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it. You can.It’s up to you. Decide to do it and follow through." Porter Freeman
"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit." Napoleon Hill
"I will persist until I succeed. Always will Itake another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. . .. . I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking." Og Mandino.
"Any man’s finest hour -- his greatest fulfilment to all he holds dear -- is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle -- victorious. . . .Leave no regrets on the field." Vince Lombardi
These are just a few. I think I will tweet out (@LookAtMeRunning) more quotes I may run across this week. So if you find yourself in the same head space as I am right now feel free to use, or find, or share your favorite mantra. Until then....
As promised a new song to get you motivated.
Keep moving forward my friends! Cristina
P.S. Do you have a mantra you use to see you through a race? Please leave them in the comment section below. You just may be the one who helps a fellow first time half marathoner through the race!
Happy New Year's my fellow resolution-ers! Yes, many people will pat us on the back and wish us luck. But do we need luck or gumption? We need gumption and a plan. I have a plan and a theme song for my year. Yes, I said a year.
"But Cristina, that is madness! They say to never make a full year resolution." I hear you. But this one isn't impossible. It is a two parter that can be accomplished. What is it?
RESOLUTION #1
I shall complete a half marathon. Yup, that one is going to come true on January 12th at Disney World. My goal is to not get picked up by the sweeper bus. I will finish with a smile on my face and perhaps a tear of joy running down my cheek. I have been training and although I am still a super sloth of speed I know I can do this! I even have a message printed on my shirt to let them know to leave me be and let me finish.
For the 2013 Donald Half Marathon
See? They may not even see me when I use my mad Jedi skills of invisibility. This goal is do-able because I have put in the training and the time (not as much as I should have for a blazing speed) that will help me accomplish this feat.
RESOLUTION #2
I will run 41 miles a month every month for the entire year. I turn 41 this year so I thought it would be kind of a cool thing to do. Now, for you hard core runners out there this is a nothing goal. But imagine an over weight chick, with arthritic knees, occasional asthma, and an aversion to hot weather out there running three to four times a week come rain or shine or stupid treadmill. I hate the treadmill. I once heard it called the dreadmill and totally think of that name now.
So, this goal will have me run 492 miles for the year or more. Why more? Factor in the half marathon, the Expedition Everest Race, the 5K Foam Run Miami, and the Tower of Terror Race and you have yourself a little more than 41 miles a month in training alone.
PLANNING FOR SUCCESS
First, you need a theme song or several inspirational songs to get you motivated and energized. Over the next year I will post these for you guys. Some you may want to never hear again and some just may make your play list. Here is the first. It is "Eye On It" by TobyMac.
Second, I need to be held accountable. That means I need to post every week to you --my one loyal reader-- my results or my missteps. And some may happen. I will not post that they WILL happen because that is the wrong attitude to have. Simply by feeling an obligation to let you know if I accomplished or slacked on my goal will give me the push to "do" when I want to "don't".
Third, I just need to focus on doing it and let the benefits come my way. What benefits?
Weight-loss for sure because I will need to eat healthy (including the occasional --not daily-- brownie or chocolate fix) as I train for these races.
A super duper farmer's tan.
Better mental attitude. I will be accomplishing weekly goals.
New friends. You always make new friends when you start running because none of your old friends want to hear your running stories. They just think you are crazy and inspirational at the same time. So, you will meet new running friends along the way.
I have no fourth. Just an invitation to you to read the blog, follow along on my journey, and/or join me. How old are you? Run/walk that many miles a month until the year is up. Post your results in the comment section of the weekly blog. If you start a blog of your own, continue to post here and I will post my results on yours. We will help each other. If you think I am crazy but inspirational then by all means leave me messages of encouragement. I will appreciate them. If you couldn't care less...well, thanks for reading this post, ha-ha!
So where were we? Ah, yes, race day! Of course that morning we went to Magic Kingdom! I had a plan. I would hydrate like crazy and sit whenever possible in the lines. Thank goodness the park was fairly empty. Would have been a fantastic day to play until I dropped but I had a race to do. I did however proudly wear my ToT race shirt. To me it said "Yeah, that's right! I am a runner." It also showed how dumb I was to forget... NEVER wear black in the Florida sun.
If this hat were not so heavy I would have added it to my costume!
Because my costume for the race was the Cheshire cat I had to keep an eye out for anything Cheshire. Instead of buying the Tower of Terror pin I decided to buy the Cheshire cat pin for my medal. I thought it was the best way to commemorate what I had worn this day.I was VERY tempted to buy this hat for the race. It was heavy! So back onto the shelf it went. Sadness. After we had played (until I knew it would catch up to me if we didn't stop) we rode the bus back to the hotel. There I took a pre-race nap because I had gotten a heat migraine. Again....black shirt + Florida sun = heat migraine. Hesitantly I downed some Excedrin Migraine pills and hit the sack. Two hours! It felt sooooo good. Headache was gone and I was ready for eating dinner. A tiny bit of salmon (it was not good), mashed potatoes, and corn. Ummm...I didn't know what else to eat. I couldn't think straight and these choices seemed the lightest. I had five hours until I would be running so I felt like I would be okay.
Check out the line for the port-o-potties. Glad my issues happened at the hotel.
The family left me at the hotel to go play some more in the parks. I laid out everything I was taking with me to the race. Looked good. Turned on the t.v.. Looked at the clock for the time. Half an hour until I needed to shower. Watched t.v.. Looked at the clock. Watched t.v.. Looked at the clock. Okay, I can't do this anymore. Shower time. Showered, dressed, and then had tummy issues. I fully believe it was nerves. Remember, this was my first long race and I was terrified I would get swept. I had trained for this and didn't want to fail. I finally calmed myself down and watched "Lady and the Tramp" until it was time to leave. Even after all of these years I still hate those stupid cats. Looking at the clock I saw it was time to catch the bus.
Description for those hesitant to watch the video : This first video gives you an idea of what happens before the race, joining your corral, and the wait to get to the start line when you are in the back of the pack. It can be a long boring wait if you are not running with a buddy. I made an attempt to talk to people but mostly listened to other runners deal with pre-race jitters. They are really funny. I was in the very last corral and didn't need to worry about a warm up walk.
That white light glow is the start line for the race!
They had us lining up by 9:45 p.m.. From our position we could see the fireworks for EPCOT. We couldn't hear any of the announcements until they moved us up a bit more. By then the only thing we could hear was the anthem. One thing I have to say about the people surrounding me. I was so impressed with the respect they showed for our nation. As soon as we realized it was being sung all chatter ceased.
It was then that the race began. First corral A. Walk, walk, walk, walk. Then corral B. Walk, walk, walk, hey! We could see the start! Next corral c! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! FINALLY, it was time. The three almost four months of training were about to pay off! Fartleks, heat exhaustion, early mornings with crazy people in the parks...all of it! I could do this! And I did!
The START!
It took forever but the race began. I started my Garmin and Gymboss. My music helped me keep a good pace and the distraction of all the costumes got me through the first 1 mile shin cramps. Suddenly my mp3 player died. OH NO! Now I was definitely going to have to rely on Disney music (not very often), scenery (not much of it...night race), and other people's conversations (plenty of that), lol! Thank you loud talkers. You helped me more than you realize.
Around 2.5 miles. I love how all the safety reflections on shoes and shirts look like stars.
It was amazing how many people were ahead of me. We actually looked like a trail of highly disorganized ants. Without the music I needed the many volunteers cheering me on. I made it a point to wipe off my sweaty hand and high five these people whenever I passed. At around the 2.5 mile mark you could hear "Caution runners! Speed bumps ahead." Over and over and over until we passed the entrance to Animal Kingdom and swung back around to pass through it again. At around the four mile mark I began to relay with the two ugly step sisters. I would pass them, then they would pass me and so on. I wish I had taken a picture of them. They actually motivated me to stay strong and not give into the tiredness. Mile 5 found us running into the woods that lead to the track at ESPN's Wide World of Sports. It was dark, the trail was rocky, and people just plain ole stopped running. I gave up trying to run and just walked with the rest of the crowd. This is where I lost my focus. When we hit sidewalk and then the track I just wasn't keeping pace anymore. I began to take double walk breaks. I had to snap out of it! My step sisters were gone and I was on my own. So I again looked to the volunteers for my salvation. I began to run again. Not as fast but I ran.
Back where it started!
Mile six we were in Champion Stadium. I read some of the best signs. My favorite for that spot was "Go random runner!". It was also a nice distraction to see myself up on the video board. I didn't look like I was dead yet. AWESOME! I can't even recall where I was at for mile seven. I know I was looking over my shoulder to see if there were any sweepers. At this point I realized that I didn't need to worry anymore. I was still passing people and I wasn't exhausted yet. The sweepers were not coming for me. HUZZAH! Now I was passing mile 8 and some dalmatian puppy runners. Then it was up/down an off ramp and into Hollywood Studios. I must admit that as a teenager I hated WHAM!. But as I entered the park and they were playing "Wake Me Up" (I think that was it) the beat got to me and I sung as I now paced myself to the music. Soon I found myself approaching mile NINE and entering the "Lights, Motors, Action" theater. I stopped to take a picture of myself on the video display. These girls kept watching me try to take a picture and wouldn't get out of the way. No matter...because I was going to finish and nothing got on my nerves now! And so I ran. I walked then ran past the spaceship from "Flight of the Navigator" and the spaceship from "Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy". I walked into downtown New York. Passed a lady with a sign that read "I don't know you but I am proud of you." Thank you!
Approaching the hat!
"The End Is Near"
We ran past all of the yummy eating places and onward towards the sorcerer's hat. By now I had begun to look for my family among the onlookers. I kept worrying that they may not have made it back to the park to see me finish. Does it seem silly that I wanted them there to share this accomplishment with me? I don't think so. At this point I was beginning to feel the heat and the miles. All along the path there were volunteers continuing to cheer us on. This ("The End Is Near") was another favorite sign of mine although it felt untrue at the time.
Where is this? It showed us the fabrication shops.
Finally I was at the point of walking...very fast walking. I kept thinking about a nice cold drink and wondering if my family would have one waiting for me? Did they know where I was at? Were they here? Ooo! Toy Story! I have to ride that later. Where are on earth are they having us run now? Rainbow alley? And then I rounded a corner. I could see the finish line and I could hear the announcer saying "30 seconds until the 3 hour mark." I wanted to be under that 3 hour mark! I dug into my untapped well and sprinted for the finish line! It probably looked more like a quick jog to those watching but for me it was a sprint. I DID IT! I scanned the sideline for my family and there they were. I admit I teared up but it was a great moment for me. Ten miles and I got to share it with my family. The medal girl tried to hand me my medal but I bent down so she could place it on me like an Olympic medal. That is what it felt like to me...like I had won. And I had.
September 28, 2012 my family and I arrived at Disney's All Star Movie Resort. At check-in they asked if I was there for the race. I grinned like the Cheshire Cat and responded "YES"! She then welcomed us and handed me the Race Guide. It was real! This was happening! I was so excited and I hadn't even been to packet pick-up yet. I really liked our room but I was anxious to get to the expo.
The guardian dalmatians warned of coming rain.
Despite the incoming rain warning from the 50 foot dalmatians (and the bus driver) we hopped on the bus. Man was it poring! There were tidal waves created as we drove to ESPN Wide World of Sports . People were being swept from the sidewalks into the newly created lakes! Okay, I am exaggerating a bit....take a look for yourselves.
The bus drop off was a pool by this time. The bus attendants were soaked! Poor people.
We will be back!
Needless to say we did not get off of the bus and instead headed back to the hotel. The All Star Movies Resort had a pretty decent food court. Knowing that tomorrow was the race I decided to carb load a bit. What is the best way to do that on the cheap yet with Disney flair? Get the pepperoni pizza of course!
Not a bad deal. $15 for a large.
Yummers! They had Barq's Rootbeer as well so of course I had rootbeer with my pizza. After dinner the old folks were really tired from the trip up. They headed for the room and we tried once again for the expo.
Sunshine and a happy attendant!
Success! There was sun and the bus was actually full of people this time. One of the experiences I like about a Disney race is the people. Everyone is so happy to be there and will willingly be silly. We followed the signs for packet pick-up and found ourselves facing a bell hop from the Tower of Terror. I wish I had taken a picture of her. We asked her how to get to the ground floor and she replied in a creepy voice "You can either use the stairs" (points to stairs) "or" (Insert creepy smile) "take the elevator. " We chose the stairs. So much to see! But first I had to pick up my free ToT 10 Miler Stitch poster. Then I got my bag, walked across the chip activator for the bib, broadcast to the world my name and age, and walked over to the orientation meeting. I am glad I attended that meeting. In it they told us about the various terrains we would encounter. That helped because I wasn't surprised like some when during the race we had to walk down a rocky dirt road. Next, I checked out the bling for this race and for the Half Marathon in January. They were so shiney and pretty!
Jeff Galloway - Hydrate so you don't vomit.
We then attended the Jeff Galloway presentation "Strong To The Finish". He spoke about race day nutrition, hydration, and rest. In addition he advised us on the run/walk methods and various paces to use. What did I get out of it? Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and eat small light portions all day on race day."Eating a big meal the night before (or the day of) a long run can be a real problem. You will have a lot of food in your gut, and you will be bouncing up and down for an extended period. Get the picture?" - Jeff Galloway.He also discussed pacing yourself so that you could finish strong and with a smile. I soaked it all in. I sure didn't want to vomit.
Now it was time to shop! I found some fantastic earbuds for my mp3. They are called Snuggbuds and they are the first ear buds that have not hurt my ears. My ears are little and so I needed some that were small. You can replace the soft plastic cushion with different sizes. Also, the cord is fabric which I really liked. The sound was incredible...noise canceling...so in my bag they went. Of course I bought a new running shirt as well. We walked around, got some free moon pies, and caught the bus back to the hotel. It was then that I pinned my bib onto my cheshire race shirt making it official in my mind. I was about to run my longest race yet...ten miles! Time for bed. Check out Part 2 RACE DAY!
Do you see this beautiful, goofy girl? That is my 14 year old niece. On Saturday we ran her first long run in her training schedule for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon which will be this coming January. Do you see that smile? That was right before we began. Now look at that smile again. It was there when the three mile run was finished. The last time she ran that far was in the Expedition Everest Challenge 5K back in May. So you can easily imagine the struggle this run was for her. She was a complete and total trooper. I did the majority of the whining. My calves were still screaming from the dehydrated run last Monday followed by Insanity the next day. NEVER DO THAT! You will want to die. I continued to train the rest of the week but I was still paying for it on my run with her. You may be asking yourself at this point why I am somewhat rambling. Proud of my niece syndrome? Maybe. Couldn't think of anything else to blog about? Not really. I am writing about her because every time I run with her I am amazed at the strength of character she has yet to realize she possesses. Of course I do my best to booster what I can. However, I think it is the confidence she gains when she runs farther than she thought she could. Or when she willingly gets on a treadmill to do her 30 minute training runs even though she hates treadmills with a passion. I believe this is something we all possess and forget about at times. All runners out there sometimes question their own abilities. Or how far they can push themselves. Or even their own worth in the eyes of their fellow runners. How many of us have felt defeated when someone passes us that we thought would never be able to do so? And why do we even think those thoughts? In the end aren't we really just competing against ourselves? Yes, some of us run a race to win. Some of us run to get a personal record. Some of us run for a cause. Some of us run for the shiny bling that will be placed around our neck when we cross the finish line. Some of us --like me-- run in a race to see not only what we are made of but just to enjoy being with other insane people who love the carnival of it all. I love my fellow nutty runners who dress up. I love the volunteers who cheer me on or the other runners who pass me while saying "Keep going!". I absolutely love the Disney characters waving and dancing as I pass by. I admit I love the bling as well. But I also love watching as someone --like my niece-- gains and strengthens her or his own self worth by doing what once was the "impossible". I want to remember to be like my niece. I want to remember to always start and end each run with a smile. Because after all, didn't I just do something I thought I would never be able to do unless I was being chased by an ax murderer? I actually ran for the joy of accomplishing the "impossible". I ran because I wanted to find out what I was made of and accidentally found the fun in running. I am now a runner (albeit a very slow one) but a runner nonetheless. If you are reading this and shaking your head in agreement then you are too. So, let's remember to enjoy it and be like my niece...always try to finish with a smile. And maybe remember to yell "Keep going!" so others will finish with a smile too. Happy running! Cristina
Thank goodness today was a relatively short run. The storm Ivan is giving us some much needed rain. However, I absolutely hate running on a treadmill! I have been putting it off all day long. But, as soon as I post this I will get my lazy rainy day keister onto it. Meanwhile, I thought I would show you guys how I have motivated myself to get out there (or on there) for the past couple of months. Maybe even help those of you who are still wondering to yourselves how you ever thought you could ever sign up for that race and complete that "insurmountable" number of miles. Yep, this is dedicated to you and me. As I have shared before I am one of those people who apparently loves to scare myself into a challenge. Shortly after I signed up for the Tower of Terror Ten Miler I kind of sat there and stared at the course map.
This is the map of terror.
No really. I sat there and stared at the above course map. I looked at it and thought, "Holy crap. That is a long way. WHAT WAS I THINKING?" I was literally starting to psyche myself out thinking I had bitten off more than I could chew. I was new at running! Still am but I was very new. The most I had ever done was a 5k. I, puny mortal and out of shape girlie, was going to triple the amount of miles and finish without getting swept? Idiot! I felt like I was kidding myself.
And then I thought of all those cheesy but true motivational quotes I liked.
"You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith." ~Mary Manin Morrissey
“You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.”- Ralph Marston
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon. ~Doug Larson
Doug Larson was right! And so were the others! I needed to look at this a different way. A different way...hmmmm. *snap fingers* That's it! If I broke it down by the training runs and posted my progress on the "map of terror" it wouldn't be overwhelming. I could see how far I had already run on the actual course...in a virtual way. Yes, I could do this. So I looked at my training plan. First run would be a 3 miler. No problem. I just ran that in May. But then after running that (marking the time on the map) and then several other runs I noticed I was in trouble. Click here for that story. But I noticed my trouble because of my map marking. This required more stuff to add in on my map.
No longer the "map of terror".
Marking my goals on the map has completely changed the way I train. How so? Three ways. #1. I am not so intimidated by the sound of the length of the long runs when I say them out loud. Seriously, people will ask me at work how long my run was last Saturday and I will casually say 9 miles. They gasp and say "You are crazy!" I will giggle and think to myself "I thought so once too." But what I say in reply to them is "Oh you should have seen the things I saw on that run! THAT was crazy!" I can say that because I can SEE how far I have already come. #2. I am now conscientiously working on improving my time and form. I do however think it had taken getting over the intimidation of how far the runs sounded to even acknowledge that portion of my training. #3. I now do consider myself a runner. An out of shape runner who is not only working on getting fit but also trying to enjoy her runs a little more each time. And I am no longer afraid to ask questions in my online running groups. I am a runner dang it and I need to know how to love my sport more and more each run and that means info and not ignorance. Never be afraid to ask what you may think is a dumb question. Believe me, someone else wants to know the answer too. My friends (and those who can relate to my story) never let fear block your way to your goals. Find a way to break it down. Try this map idea. Enjoy your long runs more. Find the crazy happening around you when you run so you have something to laugh about or tell about when you get home. Do not be afraid to ask questions of people who have been running all of their lives. Many of them love to share the love they have of running with people like you and me just starting out. Fresh ears for old stories, ha-ha! And who doesn't like sharing what they love to do? Meanwhile, a question to all of my new seasoned runner friends out there. "What did/do you do to get yourself away from psyching yourself out of a race when you sign up for a new more challenging race?" Keep it up and maybe I will see you at a race or two! Ah crud...now I have to go get on the treadmill. Happy running! Look for the crazy! - Cristina P.S. Thank you to Carlos and Stephanie for the replies to last weeks posts. They were extremely helpful. Something is wrong with Blogger and I couldn't reply. Thanks again!!
