Join me in Support of the Colon Cancer Alliance

This weekend people will be running through Rock Creek Park in DC this weekend in their boxers and underwear in the Colon Cancer Alliance's UNDY 5000.


This weekend's race, the Undy 5000, is a great way to get the word out about colon cancer. In a way that the whole family can be involoved!

If you want to register, or join our team, you need to do so by Thursday at 7 pm by visiting our team page here. Donations are also welcome if you want to support the Colon Cancer Alliance by going my participant page and clicking the"Donate to Sarah" button on the right side.


If you donate by Thursday and post (in the comments here) the costume idea you would like to see (remember this is a family undy race) I will do my best to put that together for me to wear for the race Saturday morning. (Do a quick image search to see what others have donned for the Undy 5000!)

Also, we are going to be running with our two jogging strollers and I will any "Survivor...," "In Honor of," "In Memory of" signs on the strollers for those loved ones who have battled with colon cancer. Just let me know if you have someone to add.

Thanks! And I can't wait to share the photos from this race!


Thank you for your help and support spreading the facts about colon cancer!

For more information about colon cancer and the work of the Colon Cancer Alliance visit www.ccalliance.org

AMR 10 Running Related Questions

The wonderful ladies at Another Mother Runner, Dimity and Sarah, started this 10 question game and I felt urged to join in. They are hoping this goes very viral so I thought I would help them out! You should too! 

1. Best run ever: This is by far the hardest question for me. I don't think I have had that run that is head and shoulders above all my other runs. My best race would have to be the Valentine's 5k in Lewes, DE, also known as the Frostbite 5K. It was the first time I ran the whole distance without stoping. (Maybe because it was so cold and if I slowed down I would freeze.) I felt really great after that run. Like I could accomplish anything because I was crazy and ran in the freezing cold. I think part of it was rounding the corner to the finish and hearing the Politician and the Dad cheering me on. The Politician was so excited! That is something I won't ever forget. 

2. Three words that describe my running: Release. Therapeutic. Empowering.

3. My go-to running outfit is: Vibram Five Fingers, Skirt Sports Gym Girl Ultra in Black Vinyl, and if it's a race day a Ut Prosim/ Montani Semper Liberi Shirt

I still have some if you want one!

4. Quirky habit while running: There are times, I'm sure, that I look like I'm having problems running. For example, when a fantastic song starts up and I begin "boogieing down" or fist pumping the air. I'm sure that looks really great. 

5. Morning, midday, evening: Morning, morning, morning. My day seems to flow so much better when I am up and out before the kids get up. Just a bit of time for me to get the day started. 

6. I won’t run outside when it’s: I haven't found weather yet I won't run in, but I have been lucky. Though thunderstorms with intense wind and rain do not appeal to me, I would be hitting up the bike at the gym on those days.

7. Worst injury—and how I got over it: I'm still working on my left knee/hip strain from before the Pittsburgh Half. I just started some physical therapy for it which is loads of fun let me tell you. I'm sure it hasn't been helped by carrying the Enforcer on my left hip. He's a big guy!

8. I felt most like a badass mother runner when: I finished my first run in the rain. There is something about getting out and doing something that goes against smart logic (sure let's go out in the rain at 6 am, good times,) that just gives me an I can accomplish anything attitude for the day. 

9. Next race is: Undy 5000 in DC to Support the Colon Cancer Alliance. Check out my race schedule here.

10. Potential running goal for 2013: I haven't even thought about 2013 yet! I would like to do another half marathon, maybe the ZOOMA Annapolis. I have been thinking about one of the Disney Half Marathon's too. I would love to dress up for a race like that!


Now it's your turn! Answer the questions yourself on your blog and post a link in the comment's below (and on Dimity's or Sarah's questions, links are above.) Don't have a blog? Feel free to link to your Facebook note, send me an email or even leave your answers in the comments! 

Impossible => I'm Possible

Wow, nothing like a good quote to get you thinking, right? I came across this gem while wasting time on Pinterest (one of the great time sucks of the modern age.) Since reading it, I can't seem to get the phrase out of my mind. I don't think I have used the word "impossible" unless I was telling myself "it's not impossible."

How often do we feel that even the simplest task are impossible? What about the phrase "I can't?" I feel like all too often I hear myself saying "I just.... can't" usually in response to an everyday hiccup when I'm at the end of my rope. Where did this attitude of defeat come from? "It's impossible, I just can't, I will never be able to." It carries over from those daily road bumps into my long term goals, or lack of those goals. I can become defeated before I even begin.

True, there are things I will not do because I know there are limitations because of my skill set and on my time due to responsibilities and previous choices that dictate most of my day to day life. I won't sing on Broadway in my twenties (playing Annie is out,) being an Olympian isn't in my life path, and having a spin 'n span house for more then twenty minutes won't be happening this year. But, I can belt out "Tomorrow" and "It's a Hard Knock Life" to my kids and they might clap, I can push myself to finish a race a few seconds faster and raise my arms high across the line, and I can enjoy a clean home for a few minutes. With a shift in perspective on location/stage/arena, I can feel like I accomplished things I thought to be "impossible."

"Can't" is a bad word in our house. Whenever I hear my kids using it, we try to change the phrase around to "I can ____, but I need some help." Asking for help is a difficult thing, even for kids who may require a lot! But as adults, us moms in particular, there is a barrier where we feel we didn't accomplish the task if we receive assistance. Sometimes it seems easier just to not start in the first place. It can feel so overwhelming and daunting. When you don't start, you can't fail right? But you won't grow, you won't learn, you won't succeed. And the personal joy of succeeding, even after setbacks and course alterations, is a priceless feeling.

There are so many stories about people overcoming situations that seem impossible. So You Think You Can Dance? often has guest dancers with disabilities. AXIS Dance Company, a company comprised of dancers with and without physical disabilities, has been featured on multiple seasons. There was a contestant on The Glee Project this year who is blind with a powerful singing voice and he was able to pick up choreography faster then some of the other contestants. Then there is always the inspirational story of Helen Keller. These people have overcome what others would think of as impossible and achieved.

Recently, I keep coming back to how this pertains to running specifically. In the beginning, it's easy to say I can't run a marathon, 5 miles is impossible for me, or running a mile yeah, no. The hard part is getting up early or heading to the gym when you would rather relax at home. Pushing yourself to be better. Urging your body forward. (Forward is a pace!) Finding motivation when you feel down. My sister-in-law, who recently started running, mentioned in passing that she "can't run more then three miles." And right now, that is probably partially true. Going out and running many miles straight, at a pace that feels faster then walking, isn't the smartest idea when just starting out. Start small, increasing your distance in a smart way (following a training plan is a great idea,) and overtime (ah, patience) you will find yourself in mile 4 and ready to go more. If that's what you want. You have to want it and you have to choose to put in the time or it won't happen, but just because you haven't, doesn't mean you can't. 

If you feel yourself starting the phrase "I can't," finish it with the word "yet." You're right, at this moment you may not be able to complete the task in the manner you hope to eventually. But with time, training, help, patience and sometimes a little bit of imagination it's not impossible.

A Few of my Favorite (Running) Things

To make me feel like a real running blog, I decided it was about time for a favorite things list.

So here it goes with my Top Five:

1. Vibram Five Fingers



One of my 3 pairs currently in rotation. Welcome to Crazy. 

• You may have heard of the barefoot or minimalist movement. There are about a thousand books you can read about it and people will love to tell you how great it is for you (if they like it themselves) or how it causes more problems then it solves (if they think the idea is dumb, or tried it and hated it, or are scared to try it or any number of things.) I have never run in traditional running shoes. And from what I understand if you are going to transition from a traditional shoe to a barefoot/minimalist shoe you should start at the beginning. You will run differently in a minimalist shoe. If I try to run with a heal strike in my Five Fingers I can feel the pain straight to the top of my head, not pleasant. But I love to feel the ground beneath my feet. I'm sure I trip and fall just as often (maybe even a little less) then I would in "normal shoes." People either love them or really don't like them at all. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground, but they are one of my favorite shoes to wear when doing anything athletic from running and walking to biking to yoga and Pilates. They are my go to shoe. 
2. LUNA bars
• I just discovered these and they are my newest favorite thing. Before an early morning long run when I need a little bit of fuel, these site really easy on my stomach and are great to have after a tough late morning workout too. I am not a fan of protein bars or diet bars or anything that doesn't taste like real food. LUNA bars are more like a grown-up granola bar. They are made for women (though you guys can have some too if you ask nicely) and are each under 200 calories. If you are trying to cut out sugar though, these do have a bit of that. I have tried a few so far and my favorites are the ones with nuts, White Chocolate Macadamia and Vanilla Almond. I wasn't a big fan of the Carmel Nut Brownie or the S'Mores because they both tasted more like a health bar then I would have liked. My next tasting adventure will be the LUNA Minis which are only 80 calories and could be a great midmorning snack!
3. Run Keeper

• Great mobile app! It is a GPS based app that tracks your speed and distance on your outings. You can change the settings to alert you when you have reached a certain time or distance among other things. It has a coaching feature as well if you are looking to do intervals. The service also has a website and sends you emails when you complete a workout. (I'm sure there is a way to turn that off, but it doesn't bother me so I haven't touched it.) Oh and did I mention that it's free from iTunes?
4. AMR - Another Mother Runner
• The more I read from Another Mother Runner the more I like the pair of ladies that started this amazing online and on the run community. They have inspired me to keep moving forward and also have got me thinking on ways to bring the movement message to others. 
• I love listening to podcasts more then music when I run and the AMR ladies do a 30 minute podcast which is great to listening to on those morning runs. I can get a few miles in by the end of the podcast and I feel like I have just had a conversation with some girlfriends. I haven't been able to find other female running podcasts that I like (if you know of one, would you share?) 
• For more on why AMR is a favorite thing check out my post "I choose it for me."
5. Sprigs Banjees Wrist Wallet
• I really don't like those upper arm contraptions to put your phone or mp3 player in and this wrist wallet was just what I was looking for. Mine is a simple gray, but the website is full of fun colors and patterns. There are two different sizes a regular and a BIG. The regular size only has one zipper pocket while the BIG has an additional hooded pocket that fits my iPhone in its case. I can carry around a few bucks, the clicker for my car, an id, a credit card (in the zipper pocket) and my phone (in the hooded pocket) as needed when I go out for a run. It does take a little getting used too as the phone can be a little heavy at first. I wear the wallet a little higher up my arm then right at my wrist. The husband has one as well, but he doesn't like the weight of his phone on his wrist. We use them not only for runs, but anytime we go out and don't want to carry a purse or a wallet in a back pocket. Very handy!

There we go! My current five favorite running related things. 

What are your favorite things right now?

Not Ready to Race it? Volunteer!

I have thought a lot about where to go from here after this year of races once a month. Maybe another half marathon, but not a full, not yet anyway. Perhaps a triathlon. A swim, bike, run. That's would be a change. And with the pool at the gym could be a great way to stay on top of my exercise over the winter. (I really, really don't like running on the treadmill.)

With this idea of a triathlon in mind I searched the area, like I do for any running race, and discovered the Iron Girl Triathlon in Columbia, MD on August 19th. A women only race definitely appeals to me especially for a first triathlon. Since I wasn't going to race this year, but I was interested in the idea of a triathlon, I signed up to volunteer.

Because I had no idea what to expect and I have never volunteered for a race before I asked the coordinator for a suggestion on where to sign up. She suggested the swim finish/run start water station staffed by Team in Training volunteers. (If you have ever seen groups of people in purple at races it was probably Team in Training. Check them out here.)

They asked we arrive at the venue around 6 as they were starting road closures at 6:30. The drive was easy and the park simple to find. I was not prepared for the vast number of people pulling into the parking lot/field. After venturing of the road, volunteers directed us through patches of trees to the end of lines and lines of vehicles. (I loved seeing all the bike racks. It made me smile so early in the morning.) Families, racers and volunteers were all arriving bright and early on this Sunday morning.

It didn't take long for me to find the water station, have some introductions, and get my first Team in Training purple race crew shirt. The directions were pretty simple, hand out water and gatorade while yelling out to the racers what you had to hand them an/or fill more cups and place them on the table. I had a chance to do it all! It is hard to hand off those little cups. No matter how I held it I always felt like I was ramming the cup into her hand.

The spot we were in had a lot of action as racers passed by on both sides at different times during the race. I was able to see the ladies come out of the water and into the transition area, where the bikes are, and also after they finished the bike ride seem them off on the last leg of the competition, the run. The weather was really great for a race a little cool, but not cold if you were moving around. A few of the spectators had jackets and blankets though. A speaker in the transition area kept us up to the minute on the starting and finishing lines. The winner finished in just under an hour and a half. That's a 0.62 mile swim, 17.5 mile bike and 3.3 mile run. Wow. She was one of three professional triathletes in the race.

Over the speaker, we heard about a gentleman in a suit waiting at the finish line to propose. She said yes! Though we were wondering if she could hear what we were hearing of the speakers because if she could she knew something was coming before she reached the finish.

One thing I noticed was due to the wave start of the race (you can only have so many ladies swimming in that narrow strip at once) the water station doesn't get over run and backed up the way it does in a run only race. With 3-4 people handing out cups we had more then enough hydration for the racers that wanted it.

Me at the nicely filled water/gatorade station, lots of little cups...

I had a great time working with Team in Training. I can see why so many people work with their organization. They were all welcoming, cheerful, supportive of the racers (loud trumpting followed by a chorus of "GO TEAM" every time a Team in Training member passed was quite nice,) enthusiastic and excited to be there. It was  a wonderful atmosphere.

Being a part of the race this year as a volunteer, excites me to sign up for a triathlon next year. The energy of the participants, the supporters and the other volunteers was fantastic. I loved the atmosphere of the race and community feeling and the sense that everyone was invited and if you wanted to take part you could. This is definitely a race I would enjoy participating in.

So if you are on the fence about signing up for a race, any race, try volunteering for one or even just coming out as a spectator and cheering the racers on. It's a great way to give back, even if just a little, and it allows you to test the waters of a race before getting your feet wet. And then maybe you'll be ready to jump in.

8 down 4 to go (aka a shorter Pittsburgh run)

The Run Around the Square 5K in Regent Square in Pittsburgh, PA on August 25th could easily become a race to do annually. With a combination of street, sidewalk and trail this race has so much character and an amazing amount of community support for a smaller race.

Capped at 1,500 racers, the race feels bigger because of a few tight turns and a narrow strips. But the energy of the crowd and the course layout, make up for the sometimes cramped running space.

Before the 5K, they ran a 1.5 mile family fun and dog walk. Many of those participants stayed to cheer on the 5Kers. I was presently surprised at how well all the pooches behaved! (We did see a white version of Bear which was a bit strange!)

Jamming Duet

The start of the race is through a neighborhood of brick cobblestone streets and then winds through the trails of beautiful Frick Park. The most welcomed surprise on the course were the many musicians. In the neighborhood there was a musician or two at almost every turn and the there were a few in the park on the trail. One of the people in the neighborhood had a boom-box out playing a local radio station. My favorite was the tuba player in the trees, sadly I didn't get a photo of him!

Electric Violinist

In addition to the few water stops provided by the race (and at least one by a local neighborhood gentleman,) there was a beer and champagne stop on the trail inside the park. I'm not a fan of bubbles in my drinks, but even so I think it was placed a little to early in the race. We still had at least half of the distance to left to travel and I'm not sure how that would have settled on the stomach. They did seem to be filling up as quickly as people were taking them, so maybe it's just me!

My dad found this race for me and he and my mom raced as well. Dad ran a great race and finished less then two minutes behind me. Way to go Dad! Mom had a great race too and we were talking about how we were surprised to see the finish because we could have kicked it in a little more at the end if we realized the finish was so close.

All in Blue and Ready to Race!

Now, I have never been to an after-race party like the one after this race. Spectators and racers meet up in Fern Hallow at the race finish to enjoy that post-race glow, admire the newly earned race medal and chow down on tons of food. Not only were bananas, chips, breads and other normally seen post race foods available, but they also had a full grill going with hot dogs and hamburgers (we skipped this because of the insane line) and the beer tent was definitely popular. There were also a row of venders from stores, churches, and restaurants. Most, if not all, of them had something delicious to offer runners. A Mexican restaurant was handing out salsa and chips, guacamole and pita chips (SO DELICIOUS) and a gaspacho along side lemonade or sangria.  Rita's was another stop on my list though we waited until we were on the way out because the line was incredibly long at first. The Red Velvet Cake Cream Ice was the perfect end to a great event, sweet, cool and refreshing.

Despite the great atmosphere, I ran a slower race then the July 4th race. Trail races are always a little slower and the course was pretty packed, then there's that summer heat which is not my friend when I'm trying to speed along. I finished the 5K in 34:42 for an 11:12/mile. Not bad, but not what I was hoping for either. I came in 991st out of 1500 and 92nd out of 123 in my age group 25-29.

Things I learned from Race #8:

1. Sangria is right up there with wine for me as a post race pick-up, very tasty.
2. I do not like to run downhill. Yes, you go fast, but I feel like I am going to trip and fall on my face the whole way down. 
3. Live musicians on a course really make the race a wonderfully different experience. 
4. I really enjoy the hybrid races (road and trail.) I wonder if I can find more like this one. I love running on trails, but running during the weekend no one is on the trails here and that doesn't feel so safe to me...
5. Having a phone with GPS is incredibly helpful when down in a wooded holler with no clear idea how to get back to the car. When technology works it's wonderful!

Climbing steps out of the holler!

Coming up with five newly learned things for each race is becoming more difficult!

Hopefully the weather cools down a bit and I can increase my speed before the UNDY5000 at the end of the month! We'll see!