Strengthening my Gluteus to its Maximus

You might be a runner if:

1. Your car resembles a locker room

Ask me for a ride to town. Go ahead, do it. You're going to be sitting in the backseat though. My Hammer Gels and old protein bar wrappers like to sit up front (I think they get car sick). It's actually quite embarrassing when my friends get in my car and I have to take a minute to grab all my running gear and throw it in the back. Oh, you want to bring a friend along? Let me clean out my locker room in the backseat: Lulu pants, Body Glide, trail shoes, road shoes, face wipes, extra sports bra... should I continue? Wherever, whenever, I'm ready, ready, ready, ready to run as the Dixie Chicks would say.

2. Have squeeze bottle, will travel

The other day, I had a friend over for a glass of wine. When I opened the cupboard to grab a wine glass, I realized that there were no wine glasses to be found, only glass jars and an assortment of water bottles: Nalgenes, squeeze bottles from the different tri and cycle clubs and gyms I have been a part of and sturdy bottles they gave as souvenirs at various triathlons I've competed in. "So, did you want three ounces of wine or should I fill it to the top?" It's just so hard to decide which bottles to keep and which to throw out. Plus I love decorating my Nalgenes with bumper stickers, so I can't get rid of those, can I?

3. You have nothing to wear on a first date

It is really hard to go on anything past a first date for me. I have one dress that I wear on every first date, but when the second date rolls around, I can't wear the same thing. Then I have a choice between spandex and running shorts... Hmmmm which to choose for the fancy sushi bar? Oh, it gets worse... I took the one perfect first date dress to camp with me this summer, knowing I may go on at least one date. I wore it to the bar once and left it on my sleeping bag one day; next thing I knew, it was gone. Totally gone. So what did I do? Took the money I should have used on a new dress and bought some new running shoes.. hey, those are way more important to me. Is there any way to use a white running top as a fancy shirt with black pants without the reflective stripe on the back giving it's true purpose in life away?

4. On laundry day, your living room looks like a yard sale

Since most (if not all) of my clothing is made out of material that cannot be put through the dryer, I have to bring it home and throw it over any surface I can find: Lamps, the banister, chairs, the entertainment center, my bed, the couch, doors, etc. Downside: Clothing all over the house. On the plus side: Save quarters at the laundromat, I know where all my clothes are and my living room smells like fresh linens for a whole week!

5. You don't need nail polish because your toenails are already black and blue... or missing

 How could I ever forget the day I lost my first toenail? I was swimming laps at work and I could feel my nail being pulled away from the skin every time I kicked my foot. Finally I decided to look down and check on it. It was hanging on by a thread, so I pulled it off and put it in the drain. Disgusting. Remember that day back in March when you went swimming and the water tasted funny? That was the taste of my toe. Delicious, right? I have had a fair share of bruised, callused, broken and barely-there toenails. I barely even notice a screwed up toe anymore.

6. The GPS on your watch isn't loading, so you measure the course you are about to run in your car first

Before I bought my Garmin, I would measure my route before most runs. I used the trip on my car, mapmyrun applications and more. Then I moved to Wyoming and everything changed. There was no way of checking distances because my car would never fit in the small paths I ran. It was too short to clear the rocks I climbed. It was too heavy to go diagonal on the steep slanted rock I shimmied across. And that is the story of how and why I bought my first Gamin. Sometimes my Garmin isn't charged though or it won't buffer, so I have two options: Run a route I know the distance of or drive the route first to check the distance. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

7. When looking up places to move, you make sure they have good running trails

Lately I have been looking into moving to another state. When these thoughts cross through my head, I can't help but think about how good I have it now. I have summer weather 310 days a year. the other 55 are still gorgeous. There are numerous trails and paths and the other runners in the area are so helpful and friendly. There is really no reason for me to move. Sometimes though, I do dream about other trails. I look up the best running towns in Canada and Oregon and Washington. I dream... but then my mom sends me a picture of the first snow of the winter and I remember why I am so blessed to live where I do. 

8. Your cat is named after a shoe company

The day I picked up my cat from the farm, I had just finished running a half marathon. So what did I name my cat? Well, Scofield after my favorite television show crush (Prison Break! Yay! Shout out to Dana!). But her middle name was after the shoe I wore that day: Saucony. Yup Scofield Saucony. Perfection.

 
9. You develop a relationship with your running shoes and it's really hard to say goodbye

No matter how old, beat up and battered they are, I always have a hard time donating my shoes. They have been through so much with me. It's like getting a new car; it's exciting, but it's hard to say goodbye.

I just donated these bad boys

Nike Women's Marathon 2012

Things I learned this weekend:

1. When I am around my college friends, I feel happier, healthier and more excited about life.
2. Sometimes you have to wait for things you really want.
3. It's always better to be two hours early to a race than two minutes late.
4. This world is much too small, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
5. The hills in San Francisco aren't as bad as everyone makes them out to be.
6. N*Sync's music will help pick up your pace around mile 9.
7. It's better to start out slow and finish strong than to wish you had.
8. Compression socks and coffee are like a dream come true after a hard run.

Saturday. 5:30AM. Santa Barbara, Ca.

Let's be honest... it's been over a year since I got out of bed after the first alarm. Usually I hit snooze 5... okay, if we're being honest... 15 times. I wish that was a joke. After an extra hour of sleep, I'll roll out of my comforting bed, exchange my flannel with some workout clothes and go make breakfast for myself and Scofield. Today was different though. Friday night, I stayed an hour after work to compete in the challenge. I pushed fairly hard even though I knew I was supposed to be resting. Problem was, I had homemade vegan cookies at home that I knew would be consumed (by me), so I had to burn some extra calories.

After an hour of intense exercise, I walked home and finished packing (after eating my cookies, of course- nom nom nom). Knowing I would be spending six hours in the car on Saturday, I decided to go on iTunes and buy some new music for the car ride. YES!!! More country! YAYYYYY! And Justin Bieber! Good thing I was driving alone. By the time I finished downloading and creating a new playlist, it was almost midnight. I had to force myself to fall asleep, but eventually I was out and sleeping hard.

It must have been the excitement to see Renee that helped me get out of bed after the first alarm sounded. I sat up tall, went to the closet and pulled out some comfy, warm car clothes, fed Scofield, grabbed my things, dropped my key at the Janke's and took off. Surprisingly, I was on the road by 6AM, dancing and singing to Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean.

Saturday. 11:30AM. Moraga, Ca.

Renee's home was perfect, just as I suspected it would be. Perfect fall leaves falling from the perfect trees out front. Perfect brick step with perfect pumpkins to celebrate the season. Perfect mother with the perfect tennis outfit vacuuming her perfect living area. Everything was pristine and spotless. I was in awe. I felt as if I had walked into a Home and Living magazine shoot.

Renee and I took a walk around the neighborhood for an hour then got ready to go into the city and get our packets for the race. We took the BART to Union Square and walked to the expo. There were women in running shoes everywhere we looked. Tall women. Short women. Skinny women. Not-so-skinny women. Women with jeans on. Women in scarves. Women with their husbands. Women with their girlfriends. Women, women, women galore. The line looked long, so we walked up toward the Disney store, hoping to find the end soon. Then the line made a curve so we followed it another block. Then the line curved again... This was insane. Renee asked one of the volunteers where the end was... it was where we had started. The line literally wrapped around Union Square two times then zigzagged inside until you reached the tent entrance, where more lines awaited you. It was like the Disneyland of race expos.

Once inside, we decided to check out the sponsor tents... not much to see. As we passed the Nuun table, I saw a man who looked incredibly familiar. His arm was around a much shorter women who looked up into his eyes with the same adoration she had been giving him since I met her 5 years ago. It was Kiley, my RA from my first year of college! I snuck up and grabbed her side. We hugged and caught up while we tasted all the different Nuun flavors, deciding finally that the tri-berry was the best.

Saturday. 6:00PM. San Francisco, Ca.

After saying our goodbyes and exchanging good lucks with Kiley, Renee and I tried to hail a taxi cab. It was my first time trying to hail a taxi and I was completely in the dark. Finally we waved one down and took it to meet Renee's friends for dinner. The total was a little under $6. "Make it $8," Renee told the taxi driver as she handed him a $20. He gave her eight dollars back. Uhmmm... Yeah, I don't think that's what she meant...

We ran across the street, ten minutes late for our reservations. They had given our table away and seated Renee's friend Brianna and her fiance Cameron at a separate table. It was a small establishment and the owner was VERY Italian. We asked if we could somehow be seated together, but they said tough luck. Fortunately, we were served quickly, so after dinner we stood outside and conversed.

Saturday. 10:00PM. Moraga, Ca.

"So we'll take the BART to Union Square in the morning," Renee planned. "That means we should be up by 5:30." The race started at 7AM, so I was nervous we would be cutting it close. "Oh Em Gee," Renee exclaimed. "This can't be! The BART is closed in the morning! There's a race! Why would they do that! This must be wrong." She made some calls and found out it was indeed correct. "Well, I guess we will wake up at 4:30 and drive."

Sunday. 4:30AM. Moraga, Ca.

My alarm went off and I snoozed it once. I heard Renee do the same. Sleepily, I rolled out of bed and threw the items I would need in a bag: Sweater, Hammer gels, water, snacks, cell phone. Downstairs, I mixed my walnuts, oatmeal, craisins and peanut butter, chasing it down with some water. We hopped in the car, turned on the tunes and into the dark morning we drove.

Sunday. 5:00AM. San Francisco, Ca.

The cold air was nipping through my Lulus. I looked around at the women in shorts and tanktops and wondered how much sanity they had left in them. Around 6AM, Union Square began to fill up. We took our place in the crowd under the 7:30-8:59 pace sign. As we chitchatted, I looked over and noticed a man taking my photo. He looked familiar... and way too excited to see me. Oh! That's why! It was Roger from my home group! I ran over to say hello and he informed me that his wife had a college reunion there that weekend, so he decided to take a morning walk around the city and just happened to see me in the crowd. So funny.

Renee and I tried to warm-up a little by jumping up and down without bumping into the people around us. As a girl passed me, I felt a hand squeeze my butt. I looked at the girl quizzically but realized it wasn't her. It was Kiley! There were 25,000 racers and I had run into Kiley twice now! How could this be!? She wished us luck and made her way to the front of the crowd.

The race clock counted down. One minute to go. We got ready. We got set. We went. It was hard to find a good pace as we ran through the city. There were so many people that it felt like you had to jump over the short ones and duck under the tall ones in order to keep your rhythm. The last woman didn't even start the race until 40:00 after the race clock started due to the extreme crowd. Renee and I were able to stick together though and it was fun to look over and make sure I was still with her from time to time.

When we got to the first mile, a gospel choir encouraged us along. I looked over at Renee and smiled... just like college. We neared the wharf at mile two and Renee and I parted ways. I spotted a woman whose pace was similar to mine and I locked onto her. She had no idea, but she paced me for a good three miles before I passed her and continued on my way. Looking to my left, I noticed Fred and Sarah from one of the gyms I work at. I hollered hello and zoomed down the hill, side-by-side with Elvis.

Between mile 8 and 9, I began getting really tired and wanted to walk. That's when I heard it... the vocals of Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake. A man in a ninja outfit with a boombox on his hip danced along the street singing along with the music, "Baby, Bye, Bye, Bye". I giggled and decided to stick with him even though he was faster than me. His music was inspiring and I needed some motivation to keep my feet moving and grooving.

As we came up on the 10th mile, I found more speed and passed N*Sync man. With only three miles left, I decided to try to set a new PR. I pressed forward and picked up my speed. My feet were hurting and my left hip flexor was giving me pain. Hips forward. One step at a time. Do this.

Upon the final descent, I passed a man who was sitting on the ground, rubbing his leg. He was a quarter mile away from the finish and his legs had seized up. That's no good. I thought about stopping and helping him, but I didn't know what good that would be. So I tried to pick up my pace instead. Unfortunately, my legs would not go any faster. I glided past the finish line and the clock read 2:02. Dang it. Definitely not a PR. But I was okay with that. It was by far the best race I had ever run. The beauty of San Francisco, the crisp Autumn weather and the energy of the people was phenomenal. I collected my Tiffany's necklace, my finisher's shirt a heat blanket and a banana and made my way back up the course to run Renee in. I found her running strong and began to run her in. Without even training, she finished in 2:44!

It was an incredible birthday weekend and I loved every moment of it. Renee is such a beautiful woman inside and out and I am so blessed to have her in my life. I can't wait until my next adventure with this lovely lady!

Into the "Thick" of It

It's 10:30 PM by the time I get back to my car. The lights of the city don't help light my path; no, I brought Knucklelights and my headlamp to do that task. My legs are beyond tired and my energy is depleted. Someone must have tied bricks to the bottoms of my new Saucony Kinvaras. Why would someone be that cruel? Despite the heaviness to my step and the tightness in my quads, I feel like a runner? Why? Because that is exactly what I just did for three hours: Run.

My relationship with Running got off to a rocky start. I tried to bend the rules and test our relationship at the Scott Tinley tri. Swimming was a smooth talker, Cycling offered a challenging adventure and my date with Running seemed promising. The first 20 minutes were not what I expected. This was supposed to be my strong event. But Running had other plans. It was after the tri that I decided to really commit. Well, after the tri and a blogpost from Drea.

Drea is my hero. I don't know if she realizes that, but I have so much respect for that woman. Runners like Drea, Chad, Joe, Rusty, Lynn... I want to be more like these people. But what sets them apart from the weekend warrior? Commitment. Joe has run every single day for three years straight. Respect. Right there. Drea ran at 5AM every single day in the month of September because it was the only time she could fit it into her busy schedule. Commitment. Pure commitment to the sport. Lynn has won the Western States 100 more than once. Admiration. Sheer admiration.

I have the desire, but when the going gets rough, I sometimes back off. If I don't have time to run for three hours in a row, I typically break it up and do two in the morning, one in the evening. Yesterday, I decided that needed to change. After teaching circuit, I geared up in my night-run attire and took off from work. I found challenging hills and tried to explore new routes. Over an hour of my run was in Hope Ranch, the home of hills. I commited and I finished tired, but successfully. It was beautiful. I burned 2,000 calories yesterday. That's more than some people eat in a week... it's about the amount I eat in a day.

Last Sunday, I had a similar calorie expenditure. I invited Patrick and Matt to run Snake Canyon to Jesusita with me... a little over ten miles on dirt trails. Elevation gain: 1550 feet. In the beginning, I led, but I could tell I needed to back off if I wanted to have some strength for the Nike marathon this upcoming weekend. Matt took the lead with Patrick on his heels and I backed way off, my heart rate remaining between 170-184. As Rattlesnake cuts over toward Tunnel, there is a major climb. Even walking it, my heart rate was at 185. The sun was shining down right on the path with no noticable shade... maybe we shouldn't have started at 2PM in the heat of the day. My sweat tasted like water and I could tell I was low on sodium so I took a couple of Hammer Endurolyte capsules and continued up the hill.

It was a really brutal climb, but the views were spectacular. We made it down Jesusita just in time for me to drive Matt and Patrick back to their cars and rush to work. It was a really great experience and it showed me I need to practice on those trails more before the Endurance race, especially since that hill is part of the course.

Here's looking to some amazing runs yet to come!

One Stroke, One Spin, One Step At a Time

"At a triathlon conference in 1994, Scott Tinley, a pro triathlete, avid mountain biker, and adventure racer, approached Tri-Cal Founder Terry Davis and presented his great idea: to produce a grassroots off-road triathlon event that would give athletes a taste of how triathlon used to be in the early days – casual, difficult, and full of friendly camaraderie. Davis jumped on board, and one year later produced the inaugural Scott Tinley’s Adventures at Lake Lopez in Arroyo Grande, CA.
Now in its 18th year, Scott Tinley’s Adventures has morphed into a 3-day weekend festival with an event to suit every age and ability, including On-Road Long, Olympic and Sprint Triathlons, a Youth Triathlon, and an Off-Road Sprint Triathlon. All races will feature open-water lake swimming, biking through the beautiful hills and fields of Arroyo Grande, and trail running in the nearby hills. The off-road triathlon is still around, making it the longest running event of its kind in the industry." -www.tricalifornia.com


Scott Tinley's Long Course Triathlon was by far the best triathlon I have ever competed in. Due to the small amount of people that sign up for the event, everyone is super laid-back and friendly. Before the race, all the athletes lining up their bikes share chitchat and stories of past experiences. Even though most triathletes are Type A, the atmosphere was very mellow.

For me, the event started the evening before. After work, I took a quick jog home, grabbed my foam roller, jammed some seaweed in my mouth and drove over to the gas station. Shoot! I forgot my USAT card! After leaving the house a second time, I made my way up to Torrey's apartment in SLO. It was still pretty early when I rolled out my sleeping bag and pulled out my iPhone. Okay... down to business... what pace do I need to hold in each event in order to finish the race in under 6 hours? After making my plan, I signed onto Facebook to see if Josh was online. I was nervous and needed to talk to someone who knew what I was about to go through. Someone who would set me straight and remind me that it was just an event, but still understood the importance of it. As soon as he put me back in my place, I passed out hard and didn't wake up until an hour after my alarm had originally gone off (sorry Torrey!!).

Everything I would need for the race...

It was almost six and I had planned to be at the course by 6 on the dot!! I found myself hopping out of my bag and throwing things into my Lulu. I went out to the living room and got dressed while my oatmeal heated up in the microwave. Hammer cycle shorts and my bikini swim top. I threw my warm-ups on over and started eating my oats, walnuts, coconut and banana... but something was missing... what happened to my Justin's almond butter? Shoot... I think I left it in Torrey's room. I didn't want to wake her again, so I decided to compete without my usual protein boost.

I traveled the 45-minutes south to Lopez Lake. At the registration tent, I told them my name and event then walked back to Sweet Baby Sam. The bag was light. All that was inside of it was my T-shirt, my timing chip and my race bib. That's strange... usually they include a swim cap. I asked the woman next to me if she had received a swim cap. She had, so I decided to set up, get marked and go back to get my cap. When I went back to the registration tent, there were lines at each station. I went to the side and asked a tattooed man behind the booth if I could get my cap. When I told him my name and number, I said I should get a white cap. He looked at me and replied, "I'm pretty sure you get a pink cap. Here you go." ...Okay. He's in charge, I trust him...

I went back to my bike and noticed all of the women were wearing normal running shoes, not trail shoes; fortunately, my old Brooks PureCadence were in the car. They have about 100 miles too many on them right now, but I decided to use those instead of my Brooks Cascadias. After switching them out, the racers around me were putting on wetsuits. Someone said the water was in the low 60's. Although I hadn't planned to wear a wetsuit, I brought it just in case. Honestly, I didn't think it would even fit me anymore. Not wanting to embarass myself in case it didn't, I walked a quarter of a mile down to the next restroom and put it on there. One leg stuh-retched it's way through then the other and finally I yanked the zipper up and moved around to get all the right parts in the right places. Thank goodness! It was skin tight, but I got it on. When I reached my bike again, all the men and women that had been set up next to me were gone, but a bunch of pink-capped women were still there getting ready. My heat time was supposed to be at 8:35; that gave me 35 more minutes to get ready. I walked to the water to see who was swimming.

As I neared the edge, I realized I wasn't wearing my timing chip. Walking back to the bike set-up, I grabbed my chip and continued back to the water. A group of athletes was getting in the water to swim and warm-up. I decided to join them. A woman and I struck up a conversation and she told me the water was actually warm. I decided to test it out and she was right! It felt good! I wondered if I should ditch the wetsuit, but decided against it. When I got out of the water, the men were lining up for the Olympic course. That was when I realized I had been given the wrong cap color. Well shoot. I guess I would just start with the Olympic women.

Scott Tinley and the other men lined up (yes, Scott was there. Amazing!). After they took off, the women warmed up and got wet. The whistle blew and off we went. I felt strong. I was toward the back of the pack, but I was holding my own. Every night for the past two weeks, I've been reading Dave Scott and Glenn Town's triathlon training books. Dave Scott was a competitive Ironman who actually started as a swimmer. I took his words to heart and used the different approaches he suggested for spotting and the front crawl stroke. It worked! I didn't veer off course like I typically do! I made it to the end of the mile and a half and felt like I could have gone further!

Running up the rough road to my bike, I attempted ungracefully to pull my suit off. The faster I tried to go, the more jumbled I got. Swim cap? No, don't need that... Jersey? Where is my bike jersey? There we go. I'm set. As I pulled my bike off of its post, a woman to my right decided now would be a spectacular time to strike up a conversation. If you know me at all, you know that I am not one to interrupt and tell a person they are not important enough for my attention. I laughed politely at her jokes about "these darn wetsuits" as I slowly edged my way to the bike take out.

I got on my bike and was stopped by a hippy deciding to cross the path. She was just looking around at all the scenery only paying attention to herself as everyone yelled at her to get out of the way. I literally had to stop my bike and ask her if she could please move. Then up the hill I climbed. It was about an eighth the size of the hill at Wildflower, but it was enough to wear me down. To gain time, I didn't brake as I went back down the other side. I almost wiped out at the bottom turn, but steadied myself and slammed the pedals down to climb the next hill. On my training ride, I had taken this hill at 16mph. Now, I was going over 20mph and I knew that was too fast; I just needed to catch up. I passed a couple of people on their bikes then got to an aide station where the signs pointed left. This was not the left turn I had remembered, so I slowed down and looked around, but no one was directing me one way or another, so I turned left and went down an unpaved road for a bit until I hit a farm. This is not right. I turned around and smashed the pedals to make it back. Again, I had to pass the people I had already passed on the bike.

After being led astray, I decided to be extra cautious on the next turn. Three military men stood on the route, directing traffic. I slowed down and asked them which way to go then I hit the gas hard. As I passed the dinosaur, I knew I was about 10 miles into my 50 mile ride, but my energy level was still high and I felt really strong. I zoomed up the hill, out of my saddle. At the aid station, I grabbed a water bottle out of a boy's hand and it flew up in the air. In one amazing maneuver, I caught the bottle and took a swig of not-so-delicious water. "Nice catch," he yelled. "Dude, I know!" I shouted back, joyfully.

That was the moment I faced the fork in the road. Should I go the Olympic route and end this thing quickly, maybe placing? Or should I go with the original plan and turn right to continue on the long course? I came to Lake Lopez with a goal to do a half ironman. I was not going to cheat myself. Even if I didn't finish with the group, I was going to finish. Turning right, I powered through the hills until I saw an outhouse with a bike out front. Thank goodness for that cyclist's bad bladder! It saved me from being second to last!

The bike course decided to punish me for thinking that way though. As I made a sharp 180 degree turn around the mountain, I was faced with one of the longest hills I have ever climbed. I kept reminding myself, "You get to go down this on the way back". Richard had sent me an e-mail telling me it was all about "one stroke, one spin, one step at a time". I kept that in mind as I pushed up the hill.

When the lead cyclist passed me, I still had 11 miles until the turn-around mark. "Okay, I'm 22 miles behind the lead". The lead woman passed about 3 miles later. "Sixteen miles behind the lead female. I can do this." The hill was hard though and I spent most of it out of breath and out of the saddle. My legs ached. At mile 41, I was told to turn down another poorly paved road. Tri bikes are not made for roads like this. With every pedal, I was terrified my tire would pop. I made it out and back though, passing more dinosaurs along the way. What is with Santa Marians and their dinosaurs?

A little after the turn around, I saw the woman who had stopped at the outhouse. She was eight miles behind me. I picked up the pace and pedaled down the gnarly hill, up some other brutal hills and through some landslide areas until I could see the lake once again. Thinking I was almost done, I did the opposite of what G Town had suggested. Instead of slowing down and getting ready to transition, I used every resevoir of energy I had left. Bad, bad idea. When I got back to the last hill, I was told to turn right. WHAT?! I still had another eight or so miles to go. Good news was, I was only five miles behind the three men in front of me.

With much pain and sheer exhaustion, I found my way back to the last hill and somehow made it to the top and back to the transition area. I was so numb, I couldn't think straight. So I slowly pulled on my shirt and adjusted my race belt. I ate a full Hammer gel and drank some Cytomax before jogging to the run start. No one seemed to notice my transition because the Olympic athletes were starting to cross the finish. After 25 minutes of running, I couldn't go on, so I took a walk break. After one walk break, it was hard to get back into running. I passed a few people and completed the first lap feeling tired and weak. The military men started to run me to the finish line, but I had to tell them I still had another lap to go.

On my final lap, I spent most of it walking or doing a light jog mixed with sprints. I was incredibly disappointed in myself, but I reminded myself this was just a workout and my big event was not until November. I chatted with one man named Andy for a bit before I passed him then I found the woman who had trouble with her wetsuit at our first transition. We chitchatted for a second, then I continued on my way. At the last aide station, I still had 4 miles to run. The crew was just sitting chatting and not paying attention the fact that they had no water out. I ran up and asked for water. They shuffled around and tried to get me a cup before they realized they were out. I waited while they got the hose and filled up a cup. We chatted about why I chose to compete in this and how I thought they should try sometime. If I wanted to beat six hours, I needed to start moving again. I ran up the large hill, rounded the corner and made my way back down towards transition. The military men joined me for the last quarter mile of my run. I asked them all about what they were doing, where they were from, what they liked about living in SLO, etc. It was actually really fun. At the end, I broke off from them and sprinted to the finish. My stopwatch read 5:41.19.  I beat my goal time! YAY!

Butts and Guts

Tomorrow morning!

It's on.

I've learned new challenging exercises... get excited...

8AM at Tucker's Grove, Saturday, October 6.

What to bring?

A mat or towel

A friend

A water bottle

$5 donation

A soy cappuccino for the teacher (optional, but :10 less on your plank! :20 if it's from Handlebar Coffee.)

A good attitude!

See you in the morning!