MandiRuns.com Is Too Sexy For Her Race Photos

And I .... am not. I don't typically take good photos. I just looked through her adorable Women's Running Magazine pictures and then ... mine.  When I told you I left it all out there ... now you will believe I MEANT it. I look like I'm getting teeth extracted with no laughing gas!

I've realized I *might* make it but am starting
to think it was the longest .1 miles of my life!

 

Now I'm starting to recover!

Maybe I can take lessons from Mandi!

#Paleo Works!!

How do I know? Because I'm not doing it ... and I feel yucky!

I did SO well for my first 40-some days. And then I got off the mountain and continued a pretty good modified version (mostly Paleo with allowances to go out to eat once in a while) up until my San Francisco marathon. And then well ... while in San Francisco I had a cappuccino muffin (why not? I was going to burn a million calories the next day!) And then I had a granola bar from my swag bag. And then I had a latte with skim milk ...

And then I came home and my Keurig needs to be de-scaled or returned for repairs or something ... and so I had a few MORE lattes. Oh? It's pumpkin bread season? I could have a slice, I *did* run a marathon after all ... slide, slide, slide.

So now I'm sluggish. I've had two starts of colds. I've had heartburn for days and my tinnitus is worse than it has been in a long time. I'm tired.

SO. it could be the change in weather. It could be that I hit my 40 hours this week on Wednesday and I'm stressed to the hilt. It could be I'm worn out from all the running and traveling and stuff. But I'm willing to bet it's mostly diet. Time to get back on track. I guess it will be Monday. I've put a lot of people off while I've been cleaning up and working out. I've got an Ultra Team meeting tonight at a pizza place and I PLAN to have a slice and some vino. I've got plans with a friend for a lovely fondue restaurant (Happy National Fondue Month!) Friday night. And my friend Brad has been patiently nudging me about the Indian Food coupon he bought and we're going Saturday night. Sunday it's crazy Cruiserman race day and then I shop, chop and cook and I'm BACK ON.

Back into the cave!

Put your left foot in, take your right foot out ....

Do the Hoka poka? This really hasn't been a chick blog until now because I'm about to talk about SHOES! I was just walking around work today and reading Facebook posts about post-race sore legs when I realized ... I'm not sore! I'm mean, a little ... like a good workout sore ... but not leg sore, muscle sore, I over-did-it sore ...

Don't get me wrong, my toes never fully healed from the marathon and so I had to do a little surgery and some blood-letting last night - my toe is sore. Aaaand I broke the "no new things on race day" rule and the area where I lost skin due to the rubbing of my new arm warmers is sore. I appropriately earned my medal with a little pain.

Come to think of it - I wasn't really that sore after the marathon either! I thought it was because I'm faster and spending less time on my feet on the course - or maybe because I'm in better shape. But I really think it might be the SHOES.

Ever since my return to running as the newer stronger Amy, I've been experimenting with shoes. I'd spent many many years in Brook's Adrenaline - they gave me great support for my pronating feet. But after the injury I realized maybe I needed less help and more self-made stability and support. I put some serious miles in a pair of Newton running shoes, which are meant to assist with mid-foot landing and prevent heel striking. They did me pretty well. Then I bought some Saucony's which had way too much toe box room for me. And then a few weeks before the marathon I was told about Hoka One running shoe. I heard they were crazy looking, pretty tall but really really good for knee issues. I tried a pair out at a local running store, read a ton of reviews and decided to make the plunge. They are pretty costly but I thought it was worth a shot. They definitely start conversations while waiting in the port-o-potty line.

They are cushiony but not heavy. I worried if it would feel too soft after a number of miles, but they never felt heavy. I do find that when I get tired and start to shuffle, the shoes will catch and so I'm forced to continue to pick up my feet and keep my form. On trails, they really seem to grip the rocks well and I feel pretty comfortable making my way down a rocky trail.

Aaand, I'm not sore! Could it be the shoes? If only I could find something for my poor little toes ...

PR, PR - 2011 is my year of PR's!

This morning I ran my 9th half marathon: The Women's Running Magazine Half Marathon. It's such a fun event! The Swag bag is pretty and I used last year's swag bag to carry lunches and stuff to work until it finally started to fall apart about a month ago. The Expo - also full of super cute girly running stuff and I dropped some $$ I shouldn't have BUT ... anyway!

The course starts in Downtown Scottsdale and ends in Tempe. It's a big race but not huge - about 7000 runners. Enough for a lot of energy but not SO much that it's a fiasco. Loved the course. We went through downtown, we ran along the canal and through Papago Park and then ended at Tempe Beach Park. Loved it.

I didn't have a STATED goal of breaking 2 hours, but it was a secret hope. And I made it! Just barely ... with seconds to spare. But I was SO SO pleased!

And I had nothing left in the tank - I left it ALL out there. When I realized I could make it - but might not - I had to push and I thought that finish line would never come. But it did - and *I* did it!

This race is significant for me because I ran it last year in a LOT of pain - on my tip-toes and found myself run-crying for part of it. It took me 2:35 to finish. It was amazing to feel SO GOOD this year and so strong. This made Personal Record #5 for me in 2011. It's been an amazing year!

Mimosas and Medals at the Orange Table to celebrate. Woot! Woot!

And sometimes it's nice to get a high five!

The committee places this on your lawn as a surprise
to let EVERYONE know about your award!

I had a great morning today. I was nominated and chosen as a 2011 Frances Young Community Hero for my work in the community. It's truly an honor.

Frances Young was an extremely active member of the Scottsdale community for many years. For nearly a half century she mentored, advised, assisted and championed numerous local organizations and causes — simply for the good of the community.  According to the committee press release, Frances summed up her life by saying, "I’ve gained far more than I ever gave. That’s what I want everyone to know."  Frances died in 2009 in her late 80s.

For 13 years a committee has received nominations and selected three people to be honored as "community heroes" -- I was selected for 2011 along with two other AMAZING people.

Matt Mays is a sweet spirit who advocates for people with disabilities and for
the arts as well. Pam Berges spent 50 years every Saturday volunteering at
Scottsdale Healthcare to make suffering people more comfortable. Inspiring! 

It's an honor but also quite humbling. I'm so happy that I'm able to inspire people and that I'm able to actually make a difference with my time and energy. But I look at so many other people doing so much more and feel like this "high five" was a nudge reminding me what I still can do. I've got more in my tank.

My parents had a BLAST and reveled in my praise this morning. They are so cute. And a little bit naughty ... but after I get copies of some of the pictures I might humor you with parent stories later.

Now off to bed. I have a Charity Chicks event to fret about all night. Ticket sales and Facebook RSVPs don't reflect the numbers I was hoping to see tomorrow BUT I expect a lot of last minute attendees and think the event will turn out GREAT. But I have some graphics and signs to build tonight.

You'd think with all the praise I get and awards I win, some day someone is going to figure out I don't really know what I'm doing!!  It always works out somehow ... !

(By the way, my nominee Jan Horne is also an incredible woman. She has such a warm heart and ever since we started working together has been very generous for all our ventures. High five, Jan!)

Topics only a runner would love

The problem with hanging out with mostly athletes all the time is that certain topics become commonplace. When I met my Ragnar teammates last year as I climbed into the van that would be home for the next 27 hours, it didn't take long before we were comfortable and sharing facts about our bodily functions. It was easy and funny.

FYI, when you put on a dress and show up at an event where they're serving pink drinks from a punch bowl, they probably do not want to talk about how early you have to get up before a run so you can poop.

Objects in San Francisco Are Larger Than They Appear?

Just a couple random pictures for you ... things are HUGE in San Fran!

Found this apple in a market and had to share.

I tried to show perspective with the Vita Coco water -
I couldn't wrap my hand around it!

Biggest, fattest slice of pizza I've ever seen!
Even with my pre-race and post-race recovery off-plan time
I couldn't justify eating this. So to the chagrin of the man
behind the counter, I took a picture instead.

Please to enjoy!