I Have Seen the Error of my Way(finding)

If you saw the picture I posted on Facebook Saturday after my run, you already know I got a little ... well, lost ... and ended up running an extra 1.5 miles that morning for a total of 10.5 instead of 9.  Now, thanks to actually studying the map (better late than never?), I have seen the error of my wayfinding, and I'll know better next time I'm visiting my family and need to get in a long run.

I started on the far west end of the Mockingbird Trail (purple on the map) and ran until the Eldridge Pkwy bridge, at which point you have to switch to the north side of the bayou.  I continued along the north side on the Quail Trail (green) all the way past Kirkwood to go 4.5 miles before turning around (remember - the goal was a total of 9 miles).  On the way back, I mistakenly assumed that I could cross back over to the south side of the bayou via the bridge across the bayou at the Blue Jay trail (blue).

What I didn't realize is that in order to cross at that bridge, I'd have to take the northern spur up the Cardinal Trail (red) first.  I realized I'd definitely made the wrong choice when I saw the I-10 freeway.  Oops.  I finally checked the next "You Are Here" trail map I saw, and realized that I could get back to the bridge I needed to cross over, but only after a pretty significant detour.

I did, indeed, finally manage to make my way back to the car, with quite a bit of unplanned additional mileage.  On the upside, I'm feeling better about my training for the Donna half in a few weeks!

Oh You're Not a Runner?...You Are Now!

After discussing with her my slight fear that we're going to get eaten by bears while hiking at Glacier National park, a good friend of mine was kind enough to share the following item:

Too funny!  Hopefully BFF and I won't need to put our running skills to the test out on the trails - after completing a half marathon a couple days before, I'm not sure we'd get very far!

Get a Kick Out of Running

No, I'm not about to share some new running tip about kicking your heels to speed up, improve your   form, etc.  No worries.  I'm all about a good laugh - and getting in a giggle while running is a definite plus.  I love funny running shirts!  I try to pay attention to the shirts of runners crossing paths with me while I'm out and about - seeing race shirts is informative and fun, but nothing beats seeing a funny shirt that makes you laugh while you're working hard.

There are lots of companies out there producing some pretty funny tech shirts these days.  I've "liked" a lot of them on Facebook, so their posts tend to lighten up my newsfeed as well.  There's usually at least one a week that I'm tempted to purchase.  I DO have to restrain myself (most of the time (shhhhh)), otherwise my drawers full of tech shirts would be overflowing even more than they are now!

Since I can't buy them all, I thought I'd share some of my faves (hey if my friends wear them then I still get to enjoy them!).  Y'all have probably seen some of these, but maybe there are some you haven't?:

To start with, I actually DO own this shirt!  My mom bought it for me.  Sadly, being black and long-sleeved, I don't get to wear it often in Texas, but it's a GREAT shirt!  One More Mile has most of the "traditional" funny running sayings on lots of different styles and colors of shirts.  Check them out if they aren't already on your radar.

And for my friends and readers that are triathletes, there are funny shirts out there for y'all, too!  I've seen Triathalon Humor (and those similar to them) at expos, and chuckle as I walk past, while still shaking my head:

 

The ones that are so funny that they'll make you snort while laughing, though, are from a company called My5k262, where they specialize in saying exactly what's on your mind.  This one's actually on my "must buy next" list!:

www.My5k262.com

My5k262 is an awesome site that has hilarious, slightly sarcastic, and offbeat sayings on shirts for runners of all distances, family members, and spectators!  Some of my faves are:

 

Aren't those all great?  And with so many different companies these days, there's definitely something for everyone out there!

Q4U: What's the funniest running or tri shirt that you have?

Be CHEERful: A Follow-Up Post

You may remember my rather tongue-in-cheek post last month titled What To Do When You're NOT Running a Race That All Your Friends Are?.  It was about your options for dealing with FOMO when all your friends are running a race that you're not, which, in this instance, was all my ROTE friends participating in the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler.  This is just a quick and funny follow-up to that post.

In response to that post, my friend Megan (check out her great running blog here: Elbowglitter) tweeted me the following pic of her cat, Pippin, telling me I needed to convince the cats to cheer with me:

Megan's cat, Pippin, "cheering on" our friends Katie & Kim from afar.

Which, of course, sparked an idea...what if I could come up with some funny signs for the cats that I could then text/tweet to my friends as they were running?  And, what if I could convince others to join me???  That's when another friend, Kim (check out her great running blog here: TriAndTrue) stepped up, volunteered her dog, Flynn, and helped me start planning.  Here's what we came up with:

My cat, Junebug, "cheering."

My cat, Emma, "cheering."

Kim couldn't get Flynn to keep his signs on long enough to snap a picture, so we "doctored" a few old pics of him to send.

Overall, I think we did a pretty good job of virtually cheering!  Kim and I worked out a schedule where we alternated sending our pet cheering pics to our friends throughout the night, and from their responses, I'd say we were a success!

It just goes to show that FOMO can turn into something fun, funny, and helpful.  Even though I wasn't running the race, I still had a good time that night tracking and cheering!

• Have you ever virtually cheered on friends/family when they run out-of-town/state/country?
• Do you take any of your pets along when you are physically there to spectate/cheer a race?

What To Do When You're NOT Running a Race That All Your Friends Are?

Many of my friends are running the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler (ToT) this weekend.  And I'm not.  Big BOO.  It just didn't fit well into my training schedule for MCM, or fit with this year's travel/budget constraints (too many races and trips, not enough time and money).

In order to cope with the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) from not running this race, I've come up with a list of coping strategies.  Actually, I've come up with two lists - feel free to choose whichever works best for you - adapting as needed for your own personal circumstances.

OPTION 1: Pretend like there's NOT a race going on this weekend to make yourself feel better about your "normal" plans, indulging in a little jealousy and general snarkiness along the way:

• Prior to race day:
• Avoid all mentions of "that race" others are running;
• Remind yourself you ran ToT three years ago (you're not missing out on anything, been there - done that);
• On Race Day:
• Run your last long training run for MCM (twice as long as ToT - and way more hardcore);
• Recuperate in an ice bath (not needed after ToT);
• Curl up on the couch and nap (no time for naps at WDW);
• Avoid ALL forms of social media;
• Watch the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season (kickoff just about when the racers should be headed for the runner's village - they'll miss the game); and, finally,
• Go to bed at a decent hour (after-parties are over-rated).

OPTION 2: Be the best "virtual spectator" you can be:

• Prior to race day:
• Listen to your friends bubbling over with excitement about the race, trying not to beat yourself up about not finding SOME way to make the race happen;
• Offer advice about what the race was like the year you ran it;
• Torture yourself by reading all the message boards, tweets, blogs, and FB posts about weather forecasts, cute costume ideas, and who's staying at what resorts on WDW property;
• Make a list of who's racing, with their bib #s,  so you know who to virtually track; and
• Pour over all the race materials, including the race guide, and the final race instructions.
• On Race Day:
• Post a general "Good luck to everyone racing today" as your FB status before heading out the door at o'dark-thirty on previously mentioned training run;
• Spend the afternoon trolling social media sites for status updates, tweets, photos, etc. from friends spread all over WDW property.
• Set up "Texas Tracking Central" with smartphone & laptop in front of the big TV downstairs so you can track friends while you finish watching the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season;
• Using, FB, Twitter, and runDisney's runner tracking app, track your runners - sending virtual hugs and cheers along the way; also send a funny or motivational text message to anyone who may seem to be struggling;
• Express congratulations and pride to all your friends who finsh the race and post pics of their awesome new elevator bling;
• Stay up as late as you possibly can, poring over more social media posts and pics about how much fun everyone is having at the post-race bash.

I'm going with Option 2.  Whichever option you choose, the Post-Race Plan is the same: find some way to make next year's race fit into your schedule and register!  Missing out on all the fun your friends are having running at Disney is no fun at all for you, and causes serious FOMO!

Good luck to everyone running ToT this weekend!  Can't wait to hear about how much fun everyone had. Are you one of them?  If not, do you have any additional FOMO coping strategies to add (to either list)?

How To Surprise A ...

How do you surprise a race booth person at an expo?  Show up with pre-filled race registration sheets for two out-of-staters.  LOL.  Apparently my friend Jen "blew away" the lady working the Run For The Dream booth at the Shamrock Expo this weekend when she handed over the registration sheets for me and another friend of ours - and then quintupled the surprise by telling her that five of us are doing the Patriot's Challenge!  :-)

Leaping Leprechauns!

Wow, it has been a busy, busy, week.  I never did manage to get any of my normal runs in during the week, so my first chance to move my legs in any running-type-fashion was with my family and friends in this Saturday's Leaping Leprechauns 5K & 15K.  I only did the 5K, but my dad and my friend Jessica did the 15K.  I ended up having a great time, especially considering this was my first run in a week; Jessica was the 2nd overall female finisher, and my dad finished 2nd in his age group - they are both like Speedy Gonzales compared to me!  We had a great time running our respective races, and wore lots of green with some goofy St. Patrick's Day accessories: 

 Even Jessica's hubby and kids got in the St. Patty's Day spirit and dressed up:

  

Saturday's Race Stats (per Garmin):

• 5K (3.14mi); 0:37:45 min; 12:01 min/mi avg page
• A NEW P.R. for the 5K for me!!!

Goals & Giggles

THE GOAL:  While perusing Running of the Ears this weekend, I came across a new message thread: the "EAR We Come!  Running/Walking Challenge" where everyone was setting a mileage goal for the new year.  So, I jumped on the bandwagon and pledged, in public, to cover 700 miles in 2011.  700 Miles!!!  OMG, what have I gotten myself into?  But I'm hoping that with consistent training, this is not only manageable, but an attainable goal for the coming year!  And, considering my love of numbers, it gives me another thing to track!

THE GIGGLE:  Last year after the Half, my dad and I agreed that we'd run in costume in 2011.  I, of course, chose Minnie Mouse - super easy, right?  Wrong!  After Halloween, I went looking for a full costume, and found one.  I bought it, then started having second thoughts...there was no way I was going to be able to run in satin, sequins, and tulle!  So, I kept looking.  During our Christmas trip to Disney, I found a Minnie Mouse apron - perfect!  I shortened it about 2.5" to make it easier to run in, and have combined it with black & red running clothes.  Clip-on Minnie "ears" and a polka-dot hairbow complete to look.  I finally tried on the entire outfit this evening, and felt ridiculous - but couldn't stop giggling.  I can't wait to wear it - it's the perfect combination of "serious runner" (i.e. the dri-fit shirts & compression tights) and Disney magic.  I'm going to leave you in suspense as to my dad's choice of costume, but I will tell you this - for anyone who knows my dad, you'll never believe it!  This race should be a hoot!

As for the sickness?  I'm finally back to feeling pretty normal!  I'm still sniffling and coughing a little, but I'm hoping both will wane as the week continues on...

4 days 'til we leave, 5 days 'til we run!

Run, Run, Rudolph! Race Report

Saturday morning was the Lifetime Fitness Reindeer Run 5K.  It was a "fun run" - so no timing chips, just a clock at the finish line.  We had some friends in town for the weekend, two of whom are runners, so they registered, and since there was going to be a costume contest also, I managed to talk them into running in a group costume with me!  After much consideration, and more-than-a-few email conversations, we figured out a costume that included Christmas ribbon and jingle bells finagled into a faux-reindeer-team-harness (as if we were hitched together), reindeer antlers, and even a red rudolph nose for the lead runner!

We got lots of attention, laughs, and comments from spectators, other runners, and even the police officers monitoring the course!  We were obviously a crowd favorite, which was proven later during the costume contest judging.  We won the group costume division, and were each given a running skull cap and fleece blanket (both of which had the race logo on them)!  As if that wasn't great enough, because the race benefited the Toys for Tots campaign, anyone who donated a toy was entered in a raffle - and my name was one of the ones drawn!  I won a goody bag from a local women's running store that included a set of matching items: a no-slip-grip headband/sweatband, a wristlet for holding keys, and a running skull cap with a hole in the back for a ponytail!  Cool beans!

Another high point in the morning was meeting up with some friends of mine from work who are also runners.  They brought the whole family, and Jessica WON the women's division of the 5K, and their oldest daughter (who's 5) ran in the Kid's K.  Jessica won a gift certificate for a pair of Mizuno's from Sun & Ski Sports and Anna got a super-cute medal (that I'm secretly really jealous of) and an ornament with the race logo on it.

After the race, prize ceremony, and costume judging, we went our separate ways.  However, I still had to log some more miles that morning, so Carrie and Elizabeth were kind enough to join me on continuing my run along one of the trails nearby.  We got in another 4.5 before I was ready to call it quits (so much for the plan to try to get in 9, but 7.5 certainly wasn't terrible -especially with the good paces we were keeping).  All-in-all, a very good day!  And, now the pre-half-marathon taper has officially started!

Saturday's stats:

• 5K Race: 3.16 mi; 0:39:42 min; 12:34 min/mi avg
• Other: 4.5 mi; 0:58:19 min; 12:58 min/mi avg