It's here! It's here! ...my Doctor Who virtual medal.

In case you missed my post about my ringing in the New Year with a virtual half marathon (plus a couple more miles), you can catch it here (with the cool photo of my ice bath... brrrr.)  I also link on that post the amazing group who hosted the "Doctor Who" themed virtual race.

Well, today after getting home with Bugaboo from our "Kids' Zumba class", we went out to check the mail...

"It's here!  It's here!"

A befuddled husband and Squeakers came outside to greet us at the mailbox and I fought the urge to tear my envelope open and quickly display the goods.  

I couldn't help but do a geeky pose... 

 My sweet husband humored me with a hundred pictures of me wearing the bling from the race... and He'll have to humor me as I wear it all day tomorrow.  Heck, I earned it!  I think I should at least get to wear it for the same amount of time it took me to "cross the finish line".  ;-)

Pretty cool, right?  The detail is amazing and if you signed up for the half marathon distance, your ribbon will be blue.  That is the only reason I volunteered myself for the half.  I'd like to say I planned it all as the "big finish" to my holiday streak and to kick of the new year... but the truth is, it didn't look right with a green ribbon.  :)

Bugaboo doesn't watch a whole lot of T.V., but it's hard not to pick up on the things mommy and daddy might like.  So, despite catching up on the early episodes from the 1960's during the kids' nap or after bedtime...  Bugaboo still picks these things up.

"Where's MY Tardis necklace, Mama?"
Uh-oh.

Can she earn a medal with zumba?  ...Well, she is pretty good at running a mile.  Maybe she'll get a green ribbon.  ;-)

And on that note, I end it with this adorable thought... a room full of kids strutting their stuff in a zumba class.

 

Do you do virtual races?  (I don't do many... it's not as fun as a race can be.  But sometimes the bling is worth the solo run and lack of festive environment with other runners.)

Starting off the New Year... Doctor Who, Holiday Streak done and the most miles ever.

To kick off the New Year and set the mood for a year of completing any running goals set, I met with some members from my Moms RUN This Town chapter in the afternoon to do some laps around a pretty park.

All of us have different paces and had different goals for distance planned for today, but we all met together and ran with each other for awhile, before we started to spread out and set into our goals.  I think we covered every distance from 5K to just a smidgen more than a half marathon.  What am I saying?  Every step taken after 13 miles is a step taken deliberately and with a lot of determination.

My goal was to end my Holiday Streak (day 52) with 15.2 miles.  This is the most miles I have ever completed.  My sweet husband also gave me an entry into the Doctor Who virtual race for Christmas. 

If you are interested in this virtual race, you can join the Facebook Group "Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Virtual fun run/walk".  Contact the admins to possibly sign up for this race because registration is officially closed, but they are taking a limited number of extra registrations.  

The bib number is the same for everyone, so I "doctored" my bib to be the code for "the vortex manipulator" in the show... or an even cooler double meaning: the time and date that the first episode ever aired (17:16 23rd Nov '63).

I'm disappointed that once again my "Charity Miles" app didn't work again.  If on the "feeding America" campaign, one mile feeds 2 people, I could have fed 30 people on my long run today.  :(  I hope they fix whatever problems they are having with this app. It is so frustrating to end a run and see that no miles were picked up by it. The app constantly updates every time I open it... so I don't understand what the problem is.  If you have a secret to it, please share it.

That aside, I've made it home with my miles well tracked (thank you garmin) and my body feeling it.  I've taken my ice bath, slathered my aching legs with arnica gel and probably going to sleep in my 110% juggler knickers.

As you can see from my garmin above, it took forever to complete the task of 15 miles... but it is done.

2014 will be a year of determination and maybe "slow and steady" will win the race.  :)  It helped to see familiar faces of my sole sisters as we passed each other in the park and I listened to some of the Doctor Who radio dramas featuring "the 8th Doctor".  I was geeking out a bit.  :)  I also wore my "I believe in the blerch" shirt since I didn't have a doctor who tech shirt.  You can totally take that as a hint to get me one, if you want.  ;-)

Happy New Year and happy running!  The year is surely going to be full of lots of adventures.  I hope it is an injury free year for you and would love to hear about some of your goals.  :)  I enjoyed reading your goals on my facebook page.

Conquering "The Blerch" or my negative self talk...

The online comic "The Oatmeal"  describes the arch nemesis "The Blerch" as a fat little cherub who follows the comic author when he runs.  It is a wretched lazy beast who tells the runner to slow down.  Just stop.  Time to walk.  Let's just go home.  Go home and take a nap, eat some pie, or do something generally non productive.  Since seeing the funny illustrations to this topic, it really has made the idea more relateable.

Who doesn't have a bad run now and then?  Who doesn't struggle with negative thoughts and self talk now and then?

Anyone?

Everyone struggles with it at some point, and if you honestly think you don't, then pat yourself on the back or push yourself a little bit farther because I'm pretty sure even gold medalist Olympians have interviews where they have struggles in their sport.

I am so struggling.

I struggle with not getting a run in while the sun is still up and the excuses set in to skip out on my run streak and not continue since I don't really have gear for running at night.

I struggle with just wanting to be lazy.  There are about a million other things I can think of to do than get in 30 minutes of cardio.

I'm struggling with me and feeling lethargic with the lack of sun and cold weather.

I struggle at times with depression.

Probably nothing in comparison with some of the challenges others face and still get a run in.  That frustrates me too.  I can run.  I have the ability to do it.  Some are unable to and would like to.  Some have serious challenges and still get it done without complaining!

I have to conquer this laziness.  This apathy I am drowning in and rise above it.

A friend of mine gave me an early Christmas gift... and I love it.  With my new "Blerch" running shirt, I headed out last night to get the run in that I didn't want to do.

With my flashlight in hand and my sweet family following in the near distance ogling at holiday lights, I went out and pounded the pavement for a ten minute mile.

Life really isn't all that bad.  I don't know why I have such a lazy streak lately that is so hard to kick!  I hate it!  But with the crisp air, beautiful fog and lovely holiday lights, I killed my mile with a pretty fast pace (for me).    I got my run in today this morning.  Now to just keep my momentum up.  (And egg nog consumption down.)

Do you believe in "the blerch"?  How do you overcome those negative thoughts?

DIY riding costume... or "How to stuff a turkey costume for your turkey trot"

Eight days before my "Turkey Trot" race on Thanksgiving Morning... I got onto Google.  This is usually bad news for me, because I see some idea that I can't let go of and become obsessed.  

This time, I looked up "Turkey Trot Costumes" and scrolling through the images, it didn't take long to come across this beauty:

Photo Credit:  http://www.kranson.net/events/2011/thanksgiving/parade/default.htm

The website says it was the Turkey Trot from 2011 in Detroit... So, getting more specific in my Google search terms, I found a youtube video with the runner in action (which you can click here to see it, but you might want to fast forward to 4:25.)  and a blog about his costume!

After my detective work was done, I set to sketching and after two hours from the initial Google search, I had the head completed.  

Because I was in such a hurry, I didn't think this through in terms of blogging and didn't take many photos of the process to make this.  So, bare with me as I try to explain it...

I've made 90% of the costume with found objects in my random home.  I have lots of felt for all sorts of projects, so using some felt, some orange-ish 4-way stretch jersey material, a pool noodle, black pants, coat hangers and a pole I use in the garden for bean runners... I have my costume.  And a whole lot of pillow stuffing.  Some I had to pilfer from friends who had some old/extra pillows I could de fluff.  

First thing, my orange material was "tube shaped" like the material was meant to be sewn into a skirt.  So, I took the "waist" of the skirt-like tube and folded it down to the bottom and sewed the two together all the way around, except for a small hole to shove pillow stuffing and the pool noodle in.  

Next I cut an "x" in the crotch of some old black pants and sew the new opening around the doughnut-hole opening in the orange material.  This "x" has to be big enough to fit around the hole in the orange doughnut and big enough for me to jimmy on before a race.  :) 

Getting into this thing is a making for a bad video on youtube or something.  

Then next part, I had my husband place a tennis ball on the end of the "bean pole" so that if/when I tripped and fell over my costume, I wouldn't impale myself on the rod in the head.  Shove it in the turkey head, add stuffing and sew the neck shut and attach the pole through the "chest" of the orange doughnut and secure pole into the pool noodle with just about anything you can get to work...  We have a lot of hot glue, string and maybe even a little duct tape in the mix.  The tail is attached the same way, with some coat hangers within a couple of the feathers so that it didn't just flop down behind me and get dragged behind me on race day.  It did droop a little and I'll want to fix that somehow so I'm not irritating the serious racers around me when i run in it.

That's pretty much it.  Oh!  Except suspenders.  Suspenders are a must.  That is what I did purchase for the costume at the local thrift shop.  Attaching the suspenders to the orange doughnut, I had to be cautious stepping into the doughnut hole... not to get tangled in the suspender straps and hike the turkey butt up over my own.  That was a chore.  Most certainly something I needed help with.

I have very patient friends...

This is me taking the turkey out for a test spin.  It did great for those 2 test miles.

The reactions I got from witnesses of my test run would be a whole other blog entry...

On race day, I'd change how to get the tail to be a little more predictable and not so droopy and after 3 1/2 miles in it, my suspenders came loose.  I pestered two poor race volunteers at separate parts of the course to reach down into the "doughnut hole" and clip my suspenders.

I swear that isn't as naughty as it sounds.

After giving up on it working again,  I carried the turkey to the end/beginning of the race where I had one more loop to do.  I'll go into all of that when i get the race recap up... but for now, I think instead of suspenders that are removable with their clips... I'd sew in something much more permanent and no chance of snapping/breaking/coming undone.

Anyway.  I added some old back socks to the end of the pants for "boots" (with some white material from the old pillow for the "socks"), hot glued some painted cardboard on for buckles and used a black tech shirt and some white material for the pilgrim's shirt.

The hat is black poster board and a little bit of foam inside.  I hot glued a headband to it and it stayed on perfectly.  That's about all I can think of...  :)  I'll get the recap up soon and post a pic of it on race day.  I added a couple embellishments with jingle bells on the reins and black arm sleeves with white cuffs on my arms.

Did you do a "Turkey Trot"?  Do you ever run in costume?  DIY or store bought modified for running?

**I should add that this beast weighed 11lbs, so I'll probably want to figure out ways to lighten it up too**

Race Recap: Superhero Fun Run 2k 5k 10k

On August 3rd, my family participated in the second annual "Superhero Fun Run"

A bit of the pre-race party

I had been looking forward to this race like a kid looking forward to Christmas!  I love comic books and superheros... and Free Comic Book Day just doesn't come around soon enough.  My family needed another super fix.  

That's why I wanted to cry the night before the race when hubby started to lose his cookies in the bathroom.  "Well, there goes the race."  I selfishly thought.  

Wait... is that selfish?

I frantically got on facebook and started begging for a double stroller.  I could take both kids on my first 10k, right?  It was a "Fun Run" and no matter how slow I ended up being, it would still be a PR. Right?

I secured a double stroller (and backup arrangement,)  justifying it that if hubby was sick with something he ate or drank, or a virus, he'd like some rest the next day.  (I'd like to race!) ...And it would be good to keep the girls busy out of the house.  

Well, poor guy pulled an all nighter at work and then didn't sleep at all that day, so he was convinced that his episode of being ill was completely based on exhaustion.

Wow.

He couldn't be convinced to stay home.  I guess he was looking forward to this as much as I was! 

So after a night of rest, off we all went to the super race!  And exhausted ourselves again, even more than before.  :)

I am such a bad judge at how many participants are at these types of things, but it was an intimate setting and not a huge crowd.  Maybe 300 people?  I do know that I registered a week before the event, and the first 200 people got a free cape.  I was one of those first 200 people.

The price was right too.  Get a group of 4 runners and pay $6.25 a piece.  Nice!

Hawkgirl

The Superhero Fun Run is a race created to benefit the charity Oregon Music Hall of Fame (which supports music education in Portland's public schools and offers scholarships for continuing music education in college).

Before the race began, there was a fantastic pre race party.  There was a DJ blasting upbeat tunes to get your heart pumping and lots of superheros to get photos with. 

I don't think I have had so much fun before a race!

My friend, in her sexy batgirl costume, attempted to teach me the Oppa Gangnam Style and I'm pretty sure I came off completely clumsy... even in a Wonder Woman outfit.  

Dr. Strange and Spider-Woman

Before the race began, it definitely was a big party scene. This might not have been in everyone's favor. A bit of constructive criticism received on the event's facebook page stated it very accurately: 

"...I know this was labeled a "Fun Run", so when we signed up to have our kids run their first small race (Dad runs marathons so we are familiar with races), we thought it would be a bit more organized. We are used to races with registration, bibs, and a start and finish line. The idea is fun, but to be honest we were pretty disappointed. Maybe this can be corrected for next year otherwise we will probably never do this again.

With bringing young children to these events, there is usually some semblance of order and not a big crowd of chaos. My autistic son had a very hard time, so in the end we left before it even started because we couldn't even figure out where to go to get away from the noise without leaving. Why were the streets not closed? This doesn't seem like a very safe idea."

 While the street was not closed, I also didn't notice any cars attempt to even enter our block. However, that alone doesn't make it safe, or a good idea.

 

Superhero Fun Run responded:

"We are only in our 2nd year, and like all things, it takes time, but we always appreciate feedback, so thank you. Please understand it takes money to do this and more, everyone volunteers their time freely.

We would love to have more sponsors, but raising sponsorship takes time, as they don't all just jump on board, as we grow more sponsors will come on along, and thus more money, so we can afford to close the street (that is not cheap). We’d love to have more volunteers?

We paid for the permits out of our own personal pockets; $1,156.00 dollars today, to us, it's not about how much, but to build upon what is raised goes 100% for music education, as we donate 100% to the charity, again we're growing, so if you hang in there, we promise things will only get better.

We can't have a finish line, gun start, etc. just yet, as the city won't allow it on the Esplanade. We're not big enough for the streets yet, not until we reach about 4 to 5 thousand, as that takes again a lot of money to close streets.

We heard concerns, as we actually went around and asked runners, we heard a lot of positive things as well, and next year the street will be closed, also we’ll offer bibs, shirts, and a pre-registration (two days prior to the event). We will also have volunteers with signs at each turn of the races. Again, we work with what we have now, but we’re growing, and we love all of your support, but we promise to keep getting better!!!!!!

The goal is to keep the same cost, offer more, and always donate 100% to the charity."

I completely respect their response and really have no idea what it must be like to plan an event like this. Especially without a lot of financial backing. I've taken for granted that the races I've registered for are hosted by larger venues who have held races a dozen times.

It would have been nice though to have a little sidewalk chalk directing our paths a bit. It doesn't take much for me to get lost and in no time at all I was the only superhero trotting along the sidewalks of Portland's Waterfront.

Homeless people flicked dimes at me.

But some nice shoppers at the Saturday market cheered me on "Go Wonder Woman!" and every single runner I said "Good Morning" to happily responded with a "Good Morning" back at me or a wide smile.

It wasn't a complete loss... I had signed up for the 10k and in the opposite direction of the 10k route, the 5k racers were to compete (with less loops). I saw a lot of 5k superheros pass by and wasn't too lonely with my lasso of truth swinging from my hip.

The race was a 2k, 5k and 10k... with the 2k being a kids' fun run. I left the kiddos with "Super Dad" to participate in the 2k together, but he got confused and didn't que up with the 2k participants.  

Probably for the best.

 If I had known it wasn't going to work out for them though, I'd have taken Bugaboo along with me. She loves to run and really was disappointed to miss it.

But not as disappointed as to miss out on doughnuts.

On the race's facebook page, they had posted that VooDoo Doughnut was a sponsor and that doughnuts would be available for runners at the finish.

There were none.

Race volunteers seemed confused by my questions about the doughnuts and their existence so I dropped it. ...but it is really hard to let it go when you're three years old and have been promised a doughnut. Maybe even bribed by it to get out of bed so early and get to the race that morning.

I know. Bad Mommy!

It really would have been nice for the doughnut to have been there. Not just to console an unhappy Bugaboo... but I had really wanted one. I was looking forward to it! After a walk around the corner to VooDoo Doughnuts, the line was a 45 minute wait.

Maybe next time. (Even though 45 minutes is considered a short wait time. I was ready to get off my feet and go home.)

So, with that, Batgirl and I made a slow journey back towards home... (Our running partners Supergirl and "Mother Nature" had already wandered to their next destinations).

Even though we passed the mural "Keep Portland Weird", we were ogled a bit in our attire and asked to pose for photos. One man offered to be our "spiderman".

My fantastic running partner greeting me at my finish.  First 10k done!

The party was definitely before hand.  The "big after party" fizzled out as soon as racers finished.  It seems that people went and retrieved their free comic book, and then either got in line for a caricature drawing or just went straight home.  No group dancing and no unified spirit as it had been before the race.  Oh well.

I had fun.

I'm still undecided if I would do this event again. 

The charity is good.

The swag, not so much.
It was tons of fun before hand.  Festive environment.
The finish was a bit of a let down.  Run your distance and wonder to the pub to get your comic book and go.

Next time I'm down town, I'll probably don some more traditional running attire and check out some other paths featured in Runner's World.  

The geek in me can't let it go.  If you don't know me, my hobbies outside of running include:  comic books, Dr. Who, Nintendo, pinball, dice games... and a couple other geeky things.  So I sent them a facebook message asking if I could help out next year.  They haven't responded... but I think I'd make a damn good volunteer.

Do you volunteer for races?
How have you handled races that were a bit disappointing?