Princess for a Day (or a weekend)!!!

http://www.brooksrunning.com

The countdown has begun, well if you have been following my blog you've seen my countdown for a while... Time is a ticking! I have my Belle costume all together, right down to my Brooks Summon 3's with Yellow accents. I can't even tell you how bad I have runDisney fever AND how stoked I am to get my Coast to Coast medal too!

I haven't always been the princess type girl, but over the past few years, I have channeled my inner happy ever after. Recently, I purchased the new release of Beauty & The Beast on DVD (since my original is on VHS!) and have watched it 3 times, heck once was this morning. I am really trying to get my little angel cakes into it, selfishly I suppose... I may be asking a lot since she is not quite 15 months old yet. I did tell her that she will see that castle soon (which really is in a few years I think but ya never know!)...

Heather & I before TINK

So you know just a few short weeks ago I was running the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half, and in less than 2 weeks I will be running Princess! How lucky am I? It's funny because I am 36 years old (I know I don't look a day over 25, it's true though, 3-6!) and I had never been to Disney, neither east nor west coast... My son, has been to Disney World twice, my husband, a few times...so 2012, I am going big on Disney! Now I am the only one in the house that has been to Disneyland, so at least I have that. Then Wine & Dine falls just around my birthday, maybe I can swing that one too?

She heard HOTDOG!

I dream of, someday, running the Princess 5k with Gabby (I know it's a little early for me to assume that she will love to run, but I am HOPING she does!), and she will be there at the finish for the Princess Half... I love when she is at the finish line of my races (and my hubby too of course!)... I know she is small now, but it won't be long before she is running around Disney dressed as a Princess (any one she wants although something tells me there will be costume changes involved). She is loving the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and admittedly, I do to - HOTDOG!

I wonder if there is a frequent flyer program for runDisney? That would be awesome, I'd sign up for sure...  Well look for my race report, I am so excited to see Disney World! Next weekend is the Myrtle Beach Half, and I am super excited to have Heather in town to push me to a PR!

If Confidence Fits...

Lately, I've been thinking about what confidence means to me. Confidence has always been something I have struggled with. I often wonder why it is I would question my own abilities to do anything. It was more of an issue when I was younger, and yet I have always wondered why am I afraid to fail? It's crazy because deep down I know I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. It's that evil doubt that creeps into my mind and starts making me question myself. I have proved this time and time again (not to toot my own horn by any means) with each challenge that comes to me, or I seem to find myself a part of, I come through. I may not always be perfect, I do stumble, and there are times where I fall, but confidence isn't about never failing, it's about getting back up and trying again.
How successful can someone be if they never fail?
I would say in the past year, I have done things that I just didn't think I would be able to, I do fear the unknown. I feel anxious and scared to try new things, go places I never have and get involved in situations where I may just not be the best. It reminds me when I used to tell my son, You can't quit because it's hard, you have to learn from the experiences of trying.

In the past year, I have run distances I once thought were too far, completed a sprint triathlon (which included an ocean swim), knowing I'd likely be last, and was determined to do so much more with my running than just show up, I was going to do good work, and benefit someone besides myself. If you ever wonder what it is you are meant to do in life, don't think of it as one big thing, but maybe a bunch of little things that scare you...

"I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else.
I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be."
~ Ken Venturi
So how does one gain confidence? I guess the first step would be to determine why it is you think you cannot do something, then do it anyway. If you tell yourself you could never do, see, accomplish, then you will be always be right, 100% of the time. I never thought I'd run a half marathon, or complete a triathlon, or an 8+ mile obstacle run. I never thought I'd want to, but it was more likely I feared that I would fail - so it was easier to avoid it by simply denouncing the notion that I wanted to even try.


"We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each
experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...
we must do that which we think we cannot."
~ Eleanor Roosevelt  

So here I am, while this post was started days ago, I sit in the Atlanta airport, waiting to board my flight to Anaheim, CA. I will be meeting new people, seeing Disneyland for the first time in my life, and running my second half marathon. I know I will have fun, once I am there. I am also thinking about leaving my family for a few days, and I know they will be fine, I will miss them. 

I am confident that this experience will be so wonderful. I am confident that I will enjoy myself and I a confident that I will be bringing home some pixie dust for my little angel. Anyway, confidence is not something easily gained, but seemingly easy to lose. We have to see a situation, be realistic in our goals and expectations, and celebrate our little triumphs and collect them within ourselves...that is how I think confidence works, we have to build it through experiences over time... sounds like a math equation huh? 

 

Winter Run? It's 60 Degrees!

This is my 5th year doing the North Myrtle Beach Winter Run, but this year instead of the 5k, I opted for the 15k. I specifically remember last year feeling like the people who chose to run 9.3 miles were probably at least twice as crazy (if not 3 times!) but then again, last year this time I was 8 weeks postpardum. I really can't believe how fast time flies, another year already?

I admit, I was a little nervous, this was my first 15k. In the wise words of my dear friend Sarah, "Hey you will PR today!" - that was like music to my ears! She was right, my first 15k means my best 15k time…But I was nervous for 2 reasons, 1 - I haven't exactly been training for the Half I have next weekend. Tsk Tsk…I know. 2 - I didn't want to hurt myself before the Tink 1/2…. Since I haven't run more than 5 miles since my last Half in October, all I could think about was twisting, rolling or pulling something major. That and I guess you can say, I kinda suck at the long run. I know, I know, I need to train more, I need to figure out the whole hydration and nutrition thing, I am definitely not the best role model for distance running, or maybe any running… Maybe I will pledge to try harder, and really work on a training plan or at least the sticking to it part.

I was pretty excited to see that Mother Nature was going to take it easy on us this year. Usually it is freezing or raining, or worse - both! This year, it was overcast, breezy and about 60 degrees! I almost didn't know what to do…run with the jacket or without? Where would I put my gummy lifesavers? I can't wear my arm sleeve for my iPod, in case the jacket has to come off… see I don't have these issues with a 5k!

I figured it all out, iPod is clipped to my sports bra, gummies are in my jacket pocket, and I will just tie it around my waist when I was getting too warm. My attire for today was driven by my latest Schwaggle purchase from PRO Compression - I had to choose between purple and lime green, decisions, decisions… Lime it was! I love these socks, there is something about running in compression socks… My calves didn't cramp or feel tired…love, love, love.

Now, lets talk hills (which again, I am in Myrtle Beach, so it's not like Mt. Everest) - I wasn't expecting any change in elevation but at 1.3 miles in and again at 4.5 miles, I was shuffling up hills. It was crazy because even with hills, I felt pretty friggen awesome. I was so worried that I would crap the bed halfway in but I didn't - I just kept telling myself, you are half way there, no problem, its just 3 more miles, you are doing great, you got this… When I hit Ocean Blvd I was greeted with what felt like tropical storm force winds. At first the run was breezy but nothing to severe. As if the last 1.5 miles wasn't going to be challenging enough, here are the headwinds from hell. YAY! My time took a nose dive, but I just had to keep pushing through it… I remember when I ran my first half back in October and I was struggling so bad around 8 miles; my shoes, my foot, my spirits were just not 100%. I honestly think this race has helped me realize that I can do this, and it's not as hard as it was before, it can only get better from here.

In other crazy running mom news - I registered for the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon. So this will make my race schedule 3 Halfs in 28 days! Half Fanatics here I come!!!

Frost Becomes Her...

It's insane how much I hate the cold, I grew up in New York, but somehow I knew I didn't belong...give me the beach, and even more importantly, give me the heat! So what's a girl to do when she hates the cold yet performs her best runs when it's under 40 degrees? Yeah, I don't know either...

Today I ran the second race of the Myrtle Beach Race Series, Press for Time 5k. The proceeds from this race benefits a variety of both adult and youth programs at the Coastal Carolina YMCA.

I, of course wore my new dress code, shorts with high socks, today I rocked my SLS3 Butterfly compression socks in "Hibiscus" or as I call it - hot pink... I love these socks - absolutely thrilled with them.

It's been a long week (or really 2 weeks since I added that 25hr/wk internship on top of a full time job!) and there was a small part of me that could totally have stayed home and snuggled in front of Mickey Mouse Club House with Gabby BUT I made a commitment and so I was off to the race in the frigid temps that only come in January. It figures that it's been in the 50's+ this past week and not today. 

This is Julie pressing 70% of her BW

This race was interesting because it was comprised of two elements. A bench press, which for each rep you can deduct 30 seconds from your run time and then the 5k run. Males were required to press 100% of their body weight while women needed 70%. Just before heading in to make a complete fool of myself on this bench, I ran into a friend of mine, Julie. She is super nice and we were talking about the bench press. I told her how on Monday I came to the conclusion that I either had to 1) somehow be able to bench 20lbs more than I had been or 2) lose 30lbs by Friday - neither of which were happening. She actually ended up cranking out 2 reps and I of course I did not fair so well. There were little hopes of me pushing 105lbs but I had to try.

When I left the house I was still thinking, why am I wearing shorts? I guess I subscribe to the theory if you look good, you feel good, and if you feel fast maybe you run fast? It's a mental game I play... Anyway, I arrived at the YMCA, freezing. I went in search of pins since I neglected to get them the night before when I picked up my packet. I then headed out to the course. Admittedly, the turn out wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but I fear the cold is a huge deterrent in this area... in other places 32 degrees in January is a heat wave!

Heel strike, might need some work...

So before I knew it, it was that time. Time to get in place, set up your iPod, find your satellite on your Garmin and get ready to move. With these temps, I was all too ready to circulate some blood! As I took off, I was hoping for under 30 (which is a standard goal) and secretly hoping to beat my best 5k time of 28:57 (October 2009)... I had been working on cross training at the gym, getting in some cycling, the Arc Trainer and running on treadmill doing a 5mph/8mph 3:2 interval for 30 minutes at a time. Anyway, I took off at a good pace, and mentally I felt strong. Physically, well I wish I hadn't rushed outside and took a minute to use the restroom, a lesson I seem to never learn! I had never run this course before but it was all newer paved streets. The course was closed which is always a bonus! There were slight elevations (but seriously, I live in one of the flattest states in the country), my Garmin calculated 20ft at the most, so it was nothing crazy. I ran most of the race at a steady pace: 9:10, 9:28, 9:20 and 8:42 (if I could just do 8:42, that would rock...lol) with a time [according to my Garmin] of 29:05. Bummer huh? If I could have just pushed a little harder during that second mile, I could have set a new PR...drats. None the less, I was happy with my time, and I really felt so awesome, it is definitely getting easier which means, time to push harder right?

Everyone looks better with Bling!

Post race I saw Julie, she was chillen on the curb. I asked her how her race was, she said it was alright, she finished under 28, which is a dream to me... that's the thing about running, we all have our own goals and expectations.  We got to talking about awards, wondering if we would somehow come out with any additional bling. I knew I wouldn't but hey, I won't count myself out until they are done announcing. A side note, when we were talking about the bench press, Julie had commented about how I didn't look like I weighed 150lbs (yes, I told you my weight) and of course, in my aww shux tone, said, thank you... She also said, "You're stomach is so flat", bless her - she may just be my new bestie... What is so crazy is that this morning as I was getting dressed it came to me that compression gear is the athletes Spanx! It really just sucks everything in (here is where I admit my tummy appears flat due to awesome undergarments - that and a strategically placed race bib!) - Oh how I really do love my compression gear!

Dean, Me & Julie

Later on when we were posing for our Pressed for Time 5k picture, I said to her, "Do these socks make my knees look fat?" - I guess to me it is the equivalent to the 'muffin top' I sometimes experience with an ill fitted pair of pants... I think when it comes to compression socks I have short calves in proportion to the size of my feet. I am excited though, not only did I order more compression socks to match more of my outfits, I ordered my first running skirt too (ok two of them)! One is reserved for the Tinker Bell Half in Disneyland and the other I am hoping arrives in time for the North Myrtle Beach Winter Run 15k next Saturday!

Oh and while unexpected, I am so stoked that I am currently the #6 female on the Dick's Sporting Goods Leaderboard for the Myrtle Beach Race Series!!!

You can see most of my race results at Athlinks.com and a special shout out to The Digitel Myrtle Beach - Thanks for sponsoring me :)

Lets Get This 2012 Ball Rolling!

So here we are, almost a week and half into 2012. So what is going on? Well just a few things actually...

First, in major news, I have posted the proceeds from our TNT Lousy Medal Virtual 5k, it was just over $2500 and both Heather and I have exceeded our fundraising goals! We have less than 3 weeks before we head to the West Coast and run in the Inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon!!! I am so excited to see Heather, meet our TNT team and run for a great cause. It's been a challenging road but we stuck with it, and it feels wonderful to have accomplished what we set out to do.

Next, I have joined Team Tough Chik which celebrates the strength of women in athletics, while maintaining our identities as women (or at least that is what I get from it, so I'm running with that!).  Designed by women for women, this awesome line of technical gear is not just stylish, but embraces the adventurous, fun loving and sometimes rugged wear and tear a woman can bring on. So Team Tough Chik is a seriously supportive, charitable and bad a$$ group of ladies, not afraid to work through blood, sweat, and tears, and do it all with style. I have some new gear coming, so keep an eye out for my reviews!

Also in blogger heaven, I have been selected as a FitFluential Ambassador! I am not sure if it's my candor, my realism, or my love of everything (well almost everything, I will never love a burpee!) fitness... Maybe it's my dream to be a triathlete? Or my on going desire to improve in running... who knows - it could be my new found love for knee socks!?! Whatever the reason, I am thrilled to be a part of a far reaching collection of fitness enthusiasts!

On the local tip, the Myrtle Beach Race Series continues, with The Digitel Myrtle Beach as my gracious sponsor. The next event on the old calendar is "Pressed for Time" which incorporates a bench press component to a 5k the following day. Now, I will admit, I should have been benching weeks (maybe months) ago in preparation but I thought I had 70% of my weight in the bag! Sadly, I found out last week, I need to press 105lbs, please refrain from doing any math to figure out my weight please...

Currently, I can do 85lbs, see my problem? By Friday I will have had to accomplish one of two things, drop 25-30lbs, or be able to bench 20 more pounds than I can currently. Each rep is 30 seconds, so I would likely need oooohhhh 10-15 reps!!! Hey, I am willing to give it a shot, see if I can press at least 1... might be my max rep but in a run, every second counts right? So if you haven't already, I urge you to register! The race series is fun & all the cool kids (like me) are doing it!

Coming up on the 21st is the 29th Annual North Myrtle Beach Winter Run, which is apparently the longest running event on the Grand Strand - very exciting! I've been doing this event since 2008 and it was my FIRST ever 5k race so I do it every year. This year I am switching it up and instead of doing the 5k, I am going to do the 15k! It will be my last long run before the 1/2 in Disney and what better way to log it than at the race that started it all...

So the rest of January will be filled with work, interning (boo! It really is cutting into my family time...), racing, and a little travel... but more on that later. First events first... Pressed for Time is on my radar, tonight, more weights!!!

Typically January is that month that most resembles a Monday but for me it feeling kinda Fridayish!

2 Races, 1 Day, 0 Regrets

We are in trouble - she's on the move!

 Ringing in the new year, well honestly I was fast asleep when the ball dropped, I am assuming it did. Gabriella was sick with a fever on Friday, and well I think she shared. Saturday, after being at the fitness center from 645am-3pm, I really started feeling so blah. So for New Years Eve, it was an exciting night of herbal tea, pj's and asleep by 930pm.

I really didn't know how I might feel for the first day of 2012. When I woke up the next morning, I was still not 100%. I debated whether or not I could or more so, would take my sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching runner butt to this Prediction Run 5k. The event started at 10am, so admittedly, I had a few hours to go through the pros and cons.

Pro: I have paid my money to the Virtual Run Against Cancer, and I have bought the canned goods for the Prediction Run.

Con: I feel like a dirty sock... I want to sit in a hot shower until the feeling of fever dissipates

Pro: If I get out and run, I will ultimately feel better

Con: If I sit around the house, I will likely feel worse and then guilty and regretful for not just putting on my big girl panties and doing the run...

Go! Go! Go! Gabby!

So that is what I did... I got dressed to include my latest hot pink Bondi Band, adorning the phrase "One Hot Mess", I thought it fitting given my situation...

My predicted time was 29:15, my actual time was 30:29, so I was 1:14 off... I guess if I was 100% I would have been closer but honestly, it was more about supporting the Running Club and the local food bank. I was hopeful that I'd get an AG award, but it was by closest prediction time and apparently there were many in the 30-39 group that had a better grasp on their own paces...

The run itself was 3 loops around the lake, which can be discouraging, like when you get lapped. I struggled with my breathing as Tonya and I fell further and further behind an 8 year old girl. I really can't decide which is worse, I suppose neither are bad... for them...I guess I am happy to see kids out running races and I will always be lapped by a dude with legs longer than my entire vertical existence. I dragged my tail around the lake, each time reminding myself that I am almost done, it's only 3.1 miles... short run, no biggie, just a warm up...lol It wasn't an awesome run, I didn't get that light as a feather feeling, but I got it done.


After I finished the race, Stephen & I took Gabriella to the park and she got in one of those little cars, but the one swing she could use was broken and the slides were too big... but it was enjoyable to just be outside, since it was freakishly warm for Jan 2nd... who wouldn't want to be enjoying 70 degrees? The sun was shining, the ghetto doves (pigeons) were out seeking scraps from the tons of people out and about taking advantage of the warm new year day! It really is refreshing to see so many active people out, especially the kids...

My Cheerleaders!

My second race, well it really wasn't like I ran two separate races, just supported two causes in one day. The Virtual Race Against Cancer supporting a fellow Team in Training member who was also working with Relay for Life. If she reached her fundraising goal (which she did), she is going to shave her head in May...Oh I cannot wait to see that!

So by the end of the day, I had run to support 2 causes, taken down the 6 window wreaths, 5 inflatables, 4 spotlights and we finally moved Gabby's playhouse from the in-laws to our Carolina room. We also flipped the carpet so my office is now defined as the wooden space and Gabby's space & house has wall to wall carpet!

I really couldn't ask for a better way to kick off this new year than to spend most of the day, outside, with my family... and I did end up feeling much better!

Oh All My Lousy Runners!

Post Lousy Run

Well first I must say a heartfelt THANK YOU! When Heather & I decided to put on a Virtual 5k to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, I could not even have imagined the support we'd receive. We ended up with 178 registrants, and raising over $2500 for the cause! So seriously, I am beyond humbled. Of course, with 178 Lousy medals to package up and mail out, it's going to take me a little while to get it all done... you know, in my spare time!

The Actual Lousy Medal!!!

I was actually ready to do the mail merge to print the mailing labels. I had carefully formulated the columns to Proper case, concatenating the City, State & Zip code, to then realize the only labels I have are the extremely small (and personally, I deem them useless) a whopping 1/2" by 1 & 3/4"... yeah, useless. So looks like I will be busy this weekend, well Sunday during Gabby's nap anyway since Saturday I will be interning from 7-4pm... yay!

Just days before this run I found out that a running mom friend was told her cancer was back. DaDiva is an inspiration and a positive spirit who brightens lives through her sense of humor and unparallelled presence... When I headed out for my Lousy Medal Run, I had a few things on my mind and one of them was my little green monster (which is how I affectionately refer to her as she is back on chemo) - it was what pushed me to have one of the best runs I have had in so very long. All I could think of was if this amazing woman can run a marathon on chemo, and now run our lousy medal 5k just days after restarting chemo - well friends, I have no excuses, I must run, and run I did. I'd say like the wind, but it was more like an average pace of 9:19, but for me, it felt like a gusting of emotion and determination.  

Then there is this business of the Grand Prize drawing... I am not sure if everyone thought to come back and leave a comment but I feel like with 10 days post race, and ample prodding... It is time to draw the winner... I know some had issues seeing their comment post, but I received the email (for each one) and have compiled the unduplicated list... First, lets see what we have up for grabs!

Now this package is geared toward the women, but hey if you are a dude and you win, you could make a lady friend very happy (assuming she is into the running thing too)... We have a princess tiara bling holder from Allied Medal, a Tough Chik 'iRun' t-shirt, iFitness head bands and a One More Mile belt. Total retail, around $100, not too shabby!

So without further ado.... The winner of the super duper prize package is....

<<< DRUM ROLL PLEASE >>>

Stephanie Christianson

Congratulations Stephanie! I hope you love this little bonus for supporting a wonderful cause!

I also want to post a few pictures that I got my hands on from those who participated... If I missed anyone's photos I apologize now!

Cheryl & Amber ready to run!

..and they have paparazzi?

Libby made these for her group

Leia & Wonderpup

Holly & Amanda got it done!

Libby's Group Photo - LOVE IT!!!

Kim &her princess

Jinny flexing :)

Ross's Inspiration

Kim got it done right before the snow!

Bye Bye Hectic Holiday Season...

I just realized I haven't written anything since the 3rd...tsk tsk... Not that I am going to blame any one thing mind you - December has been a whirl wind in my world, as I am sure it has been for most of us!

The semester was pretty non eventful, much lower key then basically the previous 4 years I've attended. This was a part time semester with one night class and one lunchtime course. Neither very challenging nor writing intensive (which isn't making a case for why I have been MIA..hmmm) - Anyway, I ended up with another 4.0 semester, which would be my GPA if it wasn't for that pesky B I received in Exercise Physiology back in the Fall of 2008 (which seems like eons ago), it has me hanging at a 3.944 so it would appear I will never get that elusive Summa Cum Laude, Magna it is...

In the midst of finals, my little baby girl had to have a bilateral myringotomy, which is fancy for tubes in both her ears. We have spent so much money on doctors co-pays, antibiotics, not to mention taking time off from work. While scared to have our angel put under anesthesia, we couldn't be happier with the results. In the past week and a half, she has heard more and began walking more, giving us piece of mind that it was indeed the right decision. Hopefully when we go back to the doctor in January, she will score flying colors on her hearing test...

On a sad note, we said goodbye to Teeny Martin a.k.a. Granna, she passed on December 20th... She was a spirited woman, and even though she struggled with verbal communication, due to multiple strokes prior to when we met, she spoke volumes with her kind eyes, bright smile and all too clear expressions... I will always remember how she hated to be told to sit, and often tested the boundaries by trying to sneak around and get up to walk by herself... oh and her eye rolling was priceless. She will be dearly missed but I am forever grateful to have been a part of her life, and having her at my wedding, meet my baby girl, celebrate Gabriella's first birthday with us, and chase her around the house at many a family BBQ as she said "No No No"... she was always ready to go home by 430pm. I take comfort in knowing she is now in her forever home, watching down on us... 

So life in the Epton household never seems dull... we have Joshua who is obsessed with Drivers Ed and a car, and Gabriella who is just getting her legs figured out. Stephen is steady improving his golf game...maybe someday we will be traveling to tournaments to watch him? I really feel like I've been replaced by his new shiny golf bag...lol

You'd think with classes over that I would have more free time right? Ah, not so much! I continue to be consumed with fundraising for the upcoming Tinker Bell Half, just booked my travel today - apparently only like 2.5 weeks late...oops! The Lousy Medal Virtual 5k was a huge success, we will be posting the Grand Prize winner here in the near future & seriously, I am so humbled by the sheer generosity and support of others... My crafting was not so successful. Two craft shows and little to show for it. Although I did have some running friends order some custom frames for their family which I have to say, I was so thrilled with how they turned out! So with the Lousy Medal Virtual 5k, Crafting for a Cure and the Bondi Bands, I will be about $200 shy of my goal - which is great in the grand scheme of things!

Of course, if you didn't know, I always have something going on... tonight I start my Internship, last part of this Bachelors in Exercise & Sport Science program. So last week I busted out my excel spreadsheet and worked it until somehow I found 350 hours from now until April 25th, to complete this deal. Yes, 350 hours on top of my full time job, my house, my family, my training, and ultimately my desire for a full night (heck 6 hours straight would be awesome) of sleep. How you ask? Well, not easily and not without sacrifice. Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband... he has said multiple times that it's something that needs to get done, and we will work through it. It would be silly to throw in the towel now, so close to finishing, so press on I will (woah, I went all Yoda on ya!) - finish this degree up and proudly sashay across that stage on May 5th... seems like forever away but I think the older I get, the faster time passes... 

I am looking forward to completing this chapter, and I already have big summer plans... What are they you ask? I plan on finding my toes in the sand more this summer than summers before! Especially since I started this degree process back in March of 2006... a lot of summers were consumed with accelerated coursework! Of course working from home will help with that, 10 minutes to the beach + 40 minutes on the beach + 10 minutes home = 1hr lunch...oh yeah, something to look forward to! No more studying, no more papers to research and write...this summer I am all about relaxing! (Someone remind me of this post in May please when I inevitably will find something to get involved with!!!) 


That my friends is December in a nutshell! Stay tuned, later this week will be the Lousy Medal reveal, race report and announcement of the Grand Prize winner!!!

Rivertown Reindeer Race

The Rivertown Reindeer Race is in Conway, SC and this was the first time I had run in Conway period. The morning was in a word, FREEZING. The brain child I am decided that I would wear long socks, shorts and a long sleeve top - needless to say, I was not warm. Of course Stephen pointed out that the chicks wearing knee length capri's and short socks had just as much skin exposed if not more. My thoughts, I should have worn long pants, leg warmers, gloves and ear muffs! It was only 36 degrees, which in some points north of the Mason Dixie line, may not be terrible, but to this NY transplant with no affection for the cold weather, can I please have the 60's back?

As I checked in, trying to ignore the stares of people thinking I am completely off my rocker, I was pleasantly surprised by the pretty awesome tech shirt, in green (awesome) that was in the swag bag. I debated putting it on, but Stephen said it would be like wearing a rock t-shirt to the concert... Apparently back in '90 I wasn't cool at that Motley Crüe concert - my bad... Anyway, I didn't put it on but it worked out ok since I had a sports bra, compression tank and a long sleeve cold weather shirt (my core was toasty at least!).
I ran into Jenn, if you remember we did the Turkey Trot together (me the 8k & she the 5k) and if I had known she was going to do this too, we would have carpooled! She decided this morning at 7am she'd brave the cold, and she took 2nd in our age group! NOW, had I come in 4th and not 5th, I would have teased her that if she'd slept in - I'd have some bling! The times for the female 35-39 group are crazy!

Top 5 by Age-Time: 36 - 21:30, 38 - 25:47, 38 - 27:14, 38 - 27:18, 36 - 29:45 (the last one being me...lol) Either I have to start kicking it up a notch or seriously live up the time I am 38! Of course with the one speed demon chick, I can only hope for a first in age group if she never shows up...lol It's all good though, I loved my race... speaking of which, my race!
So again, I had never run in Conway, SC despite it being about 15 minutes from my house. They really don't have too many races, but if they did - I'd run them all! This course took us through the residential areas where Spanish moss and older homes lined the streets. It was like something out of an old book. People and their kids were on their front porches, cheering people on as they were huddled under their blankets. It was by far one of my most favorite races. As Jenn said, "It was such a pretty course"...indeed it was. I didn't realize how many hills there were in Conway. I joked (half joked really) about how we should train a little on these streets - I need to get some hill training in! In case you don't know, Myrtle Beach is probably one of the flattest areas you will find in the US (not sure if this is a fact but in my opinion it's true - further research is needed...lol).

I always try to look around and guess who might be in my age group. I was sure that the grey haired lady in the purple tights was over 39, and the little girl (who beat me in the end by a ONE second) was way younger... but other than that I kept my Garmin covered and my focus on my run. Up and down a few hills, around a few corners and I was approaching the finish. Jenn cheered me on as I was about 50 yards from the end. Stephen was my paparazzi (as usual, and I love you for it!) and I think I saw Gabriella clap her hands! What a great way to finish!

I do want to give props to the population who I am most in awe of, the 2 gentleman and 1 lady who are in the 71-99 age group. Y'all, they floor me...

          ********** FEMALE 5K RUN AGE GROUP:  71 - 99 **********

Place Name                  S Age City               St Finish  Pace  
===== ===================== = === ================== == ======= ===== 
    1 Delores Horn          F  72 Pawleys Island     SC   31:07 10:01 

           ********** MALE 5K RUN AGE GROUP:  71 - 99 **********

Place Name                  S Age City               St Finish  Pace  
===== ===================== = === ================== == ======= ===== 
    1 George Hagan          M  75 Murrells Inlet     SC   28:21  9:08 
    2 Terry Williams        M  71 Conway             SC   30:13  9:44 

Seriously, I am PRAYING to someday populate this age group - after all it may be my only shot at 1st in Age Group...lmao!!!

Well I am happy the turn out was so good, it benefited the Red Cross, so another great race for another great cause! I'll be looking to see if Gabby makes the news, the camera man thought she was so cute with the antlers on, well actually she is SO cute!

Giving Thanks & The Grand Strand Turkey Trot 8k!

Oh Thanksgiving morning, how I adore thee... Honestly, it's quite possibly my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving morning last year, I had welcomed my daughter, Gabriella, into the world. Needless to say I missed the Turkey Trot and enjoyed (sorta) my dinner in the hospital. This year I couldn't feel more blessed. I am in the full swing of my passion for running, back into my pre-pregnancy jeans, and thoroughly embracing everyday with my family.  A lot of awesome things have happened for me, and my family. I had my daughter, completed my first unofficial triathlon, ran my first half, took a new job and found time to smell the roses. When I was approached by The Digitel Myrtle Beach to be their sponsored athlete for the Myrtle Beach Race Series, I was thrilled! Who me? Ah, heck yeah! So today was the first race of the series, and I completed the 5th Annual Grand Strand Turkey Trot 8k. It was a typical morning, I had been up with Gabby at 3am, back to sleep at 4am, and the dreaded alarm blared at 615am. Ugh. My friend Jenn picked me up at 7am, we decided to carpool to packet pickup on this very chilly and a little bit breezy Thanksgiving morning. We had some time to kill after we got our bibs & shirts so we just spent it chit chatting in the car, since it was still 45 degrees out. As the time dwindled we made our way to the start. I guess there was an overwhelming response to this event (which is awesome since it was for charity!) and we got off to a little bit of a late start but nothing crazy. I didn't mind because I had a few minutes to catch up with my friend Christine who had recently moved away, and was in town! She was pacing her little boy while pushing a double jogger - she kinda rocks like that! I wish we had more time to chat but it wasn't long before the siren sounded and off we all went! Jenn is a tad faster (ok, a LOT faster than me) and when the crowd started moving, she was gone. I decided for this race that I would abandon my start fast and go like that for as long as possible, since it really wasn't working for me. I decided today that I was there to simply enjoy the run. So the only goal I set, stay under a 10 minute mile, and finish before 50 minutes. The course is flat, they say fast, but I say - depends on who's running it! As I hit 1.70 miles a gust of wind took my Nike visor right off my head! Thankfully (as going with the theme for today) a runner that was behind me scooped it up and handed it back to me. The whole visor thing through me for a minute, I had to get back into a groove.  The 8k and 5k runners started off together, and as we reached the split, I have to be honest - I had wished I was doing the 5k! I think my problem is that I really don't get comfortable until about 3.5 miles. As I started heading down Farrow Parkway, I started seeing people coming back (since mile 3 & 4 are an out and back) already - sometimes that can be a downer. Today, I just looked at the people passing me trying to guess how fast they were going and perhaps for a fleeting second, daydreamed about how it would feel to be at the head of the pack. Despite my daydreaming, I maintained a good pace, and soon enough I was turning around. Now, I was the person people were seeing, and all I could think was, "Good job guys!", and I like to think that's when everyone who was passing me was thinking too! I was at about 4.7 miles when I felt like I could pee myself (any woman with a child knows what I am talking about) but I knew I was close to the end.  The running path had started getting busy with non-racers, so I was weaving in and out of walkers and post-race peeps cooling down. Just a little farther, it's right about this corner, up over this last little bridge. You got to love a little downhill action to propel you toward the end, and boy did I need that! I don't have an official time yet, but according to my Garmin, my time was 49:28 (Update: Official Chip Time : 49:33) and my average time splits were 9:46, 10:01, 9:53, 10:00, 9:40 and 8:07 with an overall average pace of 9:52. In my book, not a bad day at all - this turtle will take it! What could be better than hitting a race goal you ask? Well for me, I think the best part of any race is when I can see my wonderful husband, who is always so supportive of all my races, standing at the finish line holding my baby girl. Someday she will actually understand what is going on, and I can't wait to hear her cheer me on... Of course the Eptons never decline a photo op, so here we are taking a minute to digitally document our day at the race, thanks to Jenn for being our photographer ;) Cutie Connor The last part of the day, which I think is beyond adorable is the Tot Trot. Of course next year Gabriella will be sporting a pair of Newtons (do they even make them that small?) for the Tot Trot so watch out! My friend Regan was there with her adorable son Connor (a.k.a. Future Heart Breaker!). He was so pleased with his race bling, and who wouldn't be? I think he was making eyes at Gabby too - we will have a chat about that later! I love seeing little kids being active, kudos to all the parents out there making their kids part of this wonderful race day! Now no race would be complete with admiring my own race bling! I love this medal, it's cute, it's colorful and it's a good size too! I really had a good time at this Turkey Trot, there were so many people just hanging out, listening to music and putting off positive vibes. I am so excited for this whole race series! Next up in the series is the Pressed for Time which means this girl here better be hitting the weights! I'm not hitting on much when it comes to the upper body strength and I am going to need to do some serious work! The bench press portion happens on January 13, 2012 and the race is the 14th. I cannot wait to see what the t-shirt and race bling for this race it going to look like! The rest of my Thanksgiving involved me attempting to make a homemade macaroni & cheese (which turned out pretty awesome if I do say so myself!), and nice dinner with family and friends, and of course a little football! I haven't quite made it to dessert, my mom made homemade apple pie & pumpkin squares, not sure what I am waiting for! I guess Monday is when I will be recommitting to a healthy diet and fitness routine... Tomorrow is my baby girls first birthday so there is cake in my immediate future! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I know I could not feel more blessed than I do today.