Just Call Me...Grace

This month has been a heck of a month for me regarding injuries. No, not running injuries but things that I manage to do just because I'm clumsy and uncoordinated at times. I'm not the most graceful person out there, but even I recognize when the clumsiness has gotten out of hand. Let's see what I've done so far...

I've gotten multiple bruises on my thighs from walking into the corners of the dog gates we have around the house...metal gates with a hinged door. Plus walking into the dog steps that I put in my bedroom so I could vacuum them (covered in carpeting) and resulting in a broken toe. Then walking into the same set of steps trying to worsen the broken toe. Today the hubs and I were going to lunch at the local Mediterranean restaurant and I managed to catch the curb with my foot and fell face down onto the sidewalk. Not only did I hit both knees hard but my palms also took part of the hit as I tried to save myself. The hit on my right knee has resulted in a tingling sensation down the inside of my shin and to the arch and ending at the middle of the great toe and first toe. My phone, however, was the most damaged of all as it also fell face first onto the sidewalk sufficiently shattering the screen. Then, to top everything off I tried to trip over the same sidewalk but managed to catch myself so no fall ensued.

Since I'm getting ready to travel tomorrow and the fact that the insurance deductible has gone up to $99, I put some packing tape on it and will use it like that for a while. It's a bit ghetto but it works.

The other victim of my fall today.

I'm just wondering what I can do to myself between now and the end of the month. Oh wait, I'm going to a Spartan Beast race this weekend...that'll give me plenty of opportunity to injure myself again before the end of the month. Yay.

On Losing Your Mojo...

 

"MO·JO noun \ˈmō-(ˌ)jō\

: a magic spell, hex, or charm; broadly : magical power 

<works his mojo on the tennis court>"

                                        ~ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

What mojo am I getting ready to talk about? My running mojo. For a couple of weeks now I haven't felt the love of the run that I normally do. It seems that my enthusiasm has gone out the door making it impossible for me to run and enjoy it. For instance, yesterday was supposed to be a long run and for the first 5K I was feeling good but by the time I hit about 5 miles that had all drained from me and I was dreading the rest of the run. By mile 5 1/2 I was feeling nauseated and actually ended up doing the whole vomiting scenario by the time I stopped the run at 6 1/4 miles. Now, the whole stomach issue may have been due to going out too soon after eating, but at the same time I can help to think that I made myself physically ill just by all the negative thinking I was doing. As I had stated in my previous post, I had been perceiving my lack of progress basically as a fault in myself, but now I think the negative thinking had it origins elsewhere.

A couple of weeks ago I had gone to see an ART (Active Release Therapy) chiropractor whom I had seen once in the past and had gotten good results from. This particular time, I had left my KT Tape on for my ankle and knee support. He then went into a pseudo-psychologist persona and was telling me at my age (I'm 2 years older than him) that my body will start breaking down in 10-15 years and I'd eventually need knee replacements, etc. Then he started about asking why and of course being as open as I am about my bipolar disorder I talked about using running as a way of helping me deal with the depressions. I mean I was in tears by the time I had finished talking and he kept saying that I needed to find some other hobby that wouldn't be so hard on my body. Who was he to say what my body could handle or not? I use the KT Tape as a means of supporting my knees so that they don't hurt after runs, I use the tape to stabilize weak ankles from spraining them so many times as a kid.

He finally did the treatment and I felt good and walked out thinking that what he had said hadn't affected me, but as I think about it I can't help thinking that that whole discussion is playing with my head causing the negative thinking and the poor perception of progress. I need to change my mindset and get back into a positive frame of mind. I need to get to the point that a 10 mile run, no matter how slow, still felt good and was relatively easy to do. Screw what that chiro had to say. I'm now looking at another ART chiro south of me in New Mexico and hopefully she will not be as intrusive as this other guy was. I can only hope because I really want to get my love of the sport back and continue on with my marathon training. Upon the recommendation of a Twitter acquaintance, I'll be backing off my training and just running for fun before this marathon in  5  weeks, why? Because it is walker friendly and a downhill course. So, please wish me luck in finding my mojo because in a similar way as Austin Powers needing his mojo for his love life, I really need it back to have a running life.

Perspective: Lack of progress...

I'm a slow runner, but since I started coming out of a severe 6-7 month depression at the beginning of the year I've become slower than I have ever been. I'm talking 3:15 - 3:30 finish for a half marathon. I used to finish in the 2:35-2:50 range and I really can't put my finger on why I'm so slow. I know my endurance has gone to pot and I put on at least 10 pounds during the depression (that I am working on losing, plus an additional 15 pound). I'm running, swimming...finally fixed my bike tire so hopefully will start riding that again and yet I see no progression in my running.

I think part of it is that I started running again too early with no training doing a double in August. My times sucked then but I just attributed that to still having to deal with the depression. I raced a few more times until the end of the year with no training whatsoever just because I needed to get away and be by myself. I think I actually started training again in February or March...whenever the weather changed and got warmer.

I feel like a total newbie when it comes to running again. I'm just working on endurance like I did when I first started training for my first half marathon. Once I get that down I'll start some speed work, but right now I'm concentrating on marathon training (just to cross the finish line within time) due to the sheer stupidity of registering for 6 full marathons with two sets of back to backs.

Not seeing any progress is quite disheartening but as some friends pointed out I am out there running still, finishing is the goal and I am quite lucky to still be around after last year. It's easy to hear/read but believing is a totally different thing. All I know is that I'm not giving up, if I have to resort to walking these races I will. All I want is to cross the finish and get my medal...yes, it is about the bling collecting. So, I'm taking a deep breath and trying to put this situation into perspective (hard to do if you're a born pessimist). I saw this quote today and it says it all:

Treadmill Love...Not!

The weather this afternoon has been crazy. A thunder storm made it's way in around 3:30pm just about the time that I was heading out for a 4 mile run. I figured that I'd go ahead and head out since there was no lightning. Less than half a mile out the lightning started. Now, I'm not stupid enough to run when there's lightning especially when it felt like it was starting to rain. I turned around and came back home hoping that I had gotten a mile done so that I could count it for the Runner's World Summer Run Streak. Alas I only had 0.68 miles. So to meet the 1 mile requirement I hopped onto the dreaded treadmill (hereafter referred to as the "dreadmill") and did 0.33 miles for a grand total of 1.01 miles. Yes! My minimum was met...time to get off that stupid machine!

The thing is that I had 3 more miles to do. I kept looking at that machine and thought to myself, "Just get on the darned thing and do it!" Instead I went to make dinner. By the time I had sat down and eaten half a rib eye the weather changed and was nice, but now I had a full stomach. I decided to wait 30 minutes and hoped that the weather would stay the same. Not. By the time I was ready the weather had become windy...around here, in the high desert, windy means blowing sand/dirt...not something I want to run in. So I gave in and decided that the dreadmill would be the only way I could get my 4 miles in.

I turned it on, got on it and started running. Immediately I started hating life...that is not an exaggeration. In less than 4 minutes I was off, turned the darned thing off and was on Twitter and Facebook bitching and moaning about the dreadmill. The strange thing is that I used to love the treadmill. I don't know when my infatuation with it ended but I want to run outside, not on some machine! So now I have a 4 miler the day before my 14 mile long run. Joy. Well, as long as it gets done that's all that matters right?

Do you prefer running outside or on the treadmill? Why?
What do you do if you can't complete a scheduled run for whatever reason?

Product Testing: Salomon Speed Cross 3 Trail Shoes - Part 2

This is a follow up post to: Product Testing: Salomon Speed Cross 3 Trail Shoes

Well, it poured last night during the thunderstorm so I decided that today would be the day to really try the shoes out for the conditions that I bought them for...mud. I headed out to the local ATV/horse/hiking trail and saw that there was at least one ATV on the trail. As I headed down my usual trail at a jog I realized that I was inadequately supported so the run turned into a hike. About a 1/4 mile down I heard the ATVs and saw a great section of mud and water. It was funny that the ATVers actually went around instead of through the stuff. After they passed I headed straight for the mud/water. I didn't actually want to got through the water itself...after all I am at home and not actually running a Spartan or Tough Mudder at the moment. However, I did get to the edge of the puddles where the consistency of the mud becomes more like natural peanut butter right after it's been stirred.I did slip a little but I would expect that in any shoe until you get your footing.

Considering the different consistencies of mud that I encountered: the aforementioned thin peanut butter...

• Sticky and soft mud that the tread of the shoes sank into but still allowed me to move easily 
• Slick, thick, mud that was so soft that it almost swallowed my shoe...I likely would have lost it if not for the speed laces, my foot did not get wet at all 
• Hard mud that had soaked up the rain but was likely so dry that all it did was soften it just a bit no problems traversing that 
• Wet sand that really had no effect on my propulsion even though it was about 1" deep at times 

I really don't know how they would perform on the incline rope wall if it is slick and muddy like the one at the Nevada Super Spartan was. However, based on the squeaking that I can hear when walking on concrete I would guess that they would do well...all I want to do is stay in the upright position instead of slipping and sliding like I did in Nevada.

Overall, I'd rate these as very good, comfortable and fit is very good. I haven't washed them yet, they are now in my vehicle I'm sure the mud is dried and packed on so it'll be interesting to knock the mud off and throw them into the washer. The really, true test will come on June 29th at the Utah Spartan Beast (my Trifecta). Hopefully there'll be some pics to show how well they work, but for now here are some pics from my testing today.

Side view 1:
Can you guess which shoe almost got swallowed by mud?

Side view 2.

Tread filled with mud but lugs still coming through.

Post run/hike.

Just after pulling out of the extremely soft mud.
Thank goodness both feet didn't get caught up!

I doesn't look like it, but this is where the "best" mud was.
This is the area where my shoe sunk into the mud.

The biggest mud puddles I could find.
Played mainly on the edges of the puddles where it was quite slippery.

FitBit Flex Un-boxing: My New Activity/Sleep Monitor

Back in January I purchased a FitBit One which was then the top of the line item for the company. I had great success with it monitoring my daily steps/activity/sleep and when coupled with an app like My Fitness Pal where you can log food intake, additional activities and such it gave you a visual review of your day...how many steps you took (you got badges depending on the number of steps), caloric intake, caloric expenditure, how many calories you have left available, heck it even lets you track your water intake!

This was working all well and good until one day when I was changing to go swimming and I clipped the One on my swimsuit strap and forgot about it. These items were not water resistant so after nearly and hour, I realized that it was on my suit and I tried everything to get it operational again with no luck. I emailed FitBit customer support and they sent me a new one even though the damage was my fault. Unfortunately, the new One was defective and wouldn't charge so again I contacted customer support and they sent another one and told me (I had asked) that the Flex would be shipping out in about a month for those that pre-ordered. Well, that made me give the new One to my husband who doesn't like anything on his wrist so he wouldn't deal well with a Flex. So far he has had no problems with it. However it took a little over a month an a half for me to get my Flex.

My FB Flex finally came in yesterday. This is just going to be an un-boxing post but I'll provide some answers if possible in a follow up post after using the product a few weeks.

Fit Bit Flex in the box. Current price $99.95 on Fit Bit's website.

Contents: Small and Large wristband, Fit Bit tracker
(small rectangular item on left),wireless USB dongle,
booklet telling which website to go to for setting up
an online account and finally a USB charging cable.

So there's really not much to mess with or lose with this item. The dongle stays in a USB  port on your computer and when the Flex is within 20 feet of the dongle it'll automatically update the info in your account with your activity since the last update.

The Fit Bit tracker itself fits into the back of the wristband and
simply slides in with the arrow (can't see on pic) going toward
a plastic window on the band. The window is visible on the
picture above on the small band.

The tracker once it is seated completely in the wristband.

The closure for the band can be a PIA. The two connectors
(near top of pic) tend to be loose because they can be taken out
and used on a different band. This is one item that can
potentially be lost.

From the box there are currently limited phones that the Flex can sync with: iPhone 4S & 5, iPad 3rd generation, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (my phone) and select other Android devices which can be found at http://www.fitbit.com/devices.

On a computer it is sync compatible with Windows SP, Windows 8 and Mac OS 10.5+.

One neat thig about this is that you can also not only track your activity, but also your sleep. That could also be done with the One but I don't know about the older models. There are LED lights that give you an indication of how your activity is going (there a 5 lights with each representing 20% of your goal). And the syncing automatically is a lifesaver for time, couple that with a range on online apps that this unit is compatible with and you should be able to track you daily progress. While you can't keep a food diary on the Flex itself, using one of the apps will forward the information to the Fit Bit Dashboard (your account) and it will use that information to update calories in, calories out and how many calories are left for the day. Also, on the Dashboard you'll be able to adjust your goals as needed. Lastly the unit is supposed to be water resistant not waterproof meaning that it can be worn in the shower or in the rain.

So, that's the unboxing of the Fit Bit Flex. I'll test it out for a couple of weeks and report back with a full product review.

My Spirit of the Marathon

 

Tonight the old man and I watched Spirit of the Marathon (2008) in preparation to watch Spirit of the Marathon 2: Rome (2013) at the theater tomorrow night. Just to give you an idea of how bad we want to see this movie we're doing a 4 hour round trip to go to the closest theater to us showing it. Anyway, as we sat there watching on the laptop (on Hulu they don't have rights to show it on TVs and such, just via the web), I started thinking about my own marathon training which is leaving a lot to be desired. Through no fault but my own laziness I am no where near what I feel I should be in regards to preparation and mileage. The max I've done since my last half marathon is 10 miles and that was a couple of weeks ago. I need to be at 20 miles minimum by  6 weeks from now. That's a lot to build up to in a short period of time plus a week of tapering.

I'll likely do a 12 mile long run this weekend and bump it up by 1-2 miles each weekend. The weekend before taper is a half marathon mostly on the same route as the marathon I'll be doing. I know that this is more and faster than I should be doing, but I need to do some catching up. The big test will be the week before we leave for Idaho (where the races are), I'll have the hubs drop me off at a little town roughly 26 miles from home...and I'll see how far I can make it towards home. This should be particularly interesting as this highway has most of the hills in the county...not big ones, but just hill after hill for about 2 miles.

I think I've had the same gumption as those followed in the movie in that I won't let anything stop me (although I may need a cheerleader or two). I mean really, if I was having a neurological event (like the one at 2013 TinkerBell HM) and just kept going just so I could finish the race and get that medal. If that's not gumption, I don't know what is.

I will finish this first marathon (technically the second because I hiked the Bataan Memorial Death March full course) even if I have to walk the whole thing. Thankfully it's mostly downhill...my quads and hammies are gonna hate me, and hate me even more because of the back to back torture of downhill running.

So I ask that you wish me luck and somebody please send a virtual smack in the head to me for signing up for a total of 8 full marathons this year!! WTH was I thinking?!?

The first two are givens but yes, I am willing to die to finish.

Product Testing: Salomon Speed Cross 3 Trail Shoes

So, I've been running my Spartan races using some old MizunoWave Ascend 5's. They were doing fine, but there wasn't much grip on the inclined walls if they were muddy and wet, plus the shoes were a half size too small which has caused me to have chronic runner's toe on my first toes (next to the great toe) that just don't get a chance to heal up.

I had been watching for shoe discussions on a couple of different obstacle course racing (OCR) pages and found that Innov8 Rocklites, Mudclaws and X-Talons were very popular and highly recommended for the "stickiness" of the rubber to help keep you up on the muddy incline walls and getting out of the mud pits. The other shoe I found mentioned fairly often was the Salomon Speed Cross 3. Now I like to try shoes on before I purchase them online (much to the chagrin of the clerk). But since there were no dealers for Innov8 in New Mexico I happened to notice the Salomon SC3 at REI on our last trip to Albuquerque. I went ahead and tried them on making sure I went up another half size to allow room for my toes. The speed laces kind of confused me, but after trying the shoes a couple of times it was no problem. I ended up purchasing them that day after checking online for lower prices while I was trying the shoes on!

I took the shoes out for a short trial run/walk yesterday on the local ATV/horse trail. Although it had rained heavily a few nights before there was little in the form of mud. When I did find any semblance of mud I ran through expecting to slip but never slipping and feeling in control at all times. In the sandy areas it was the same, just felt like I was running on top of the sand rather than sinking into it.

As it stands right now, I'm expecting some good results with this shoe and it's fairly aggressive tread and stickiness. I am kind of worried about the shoe draining water as some people have complained of that, but I'm hoping it's a non-issue. After a few mud runs/OCRs, I'll report back especially after I see how they clean up post race. For now, here's some pic of the shoes.

Before the excess lacing is tucked away.

Clasp pulled down and excess lacing tucked into
pocket on the top part of the tongue.

Pretty aggressive lugs, not sure what the little
round bumps do but the stickiness of this rubber
you can feel even walking on concrete!

Another view of the lugs...
sorry for the bits of mud!

Heel view.

Inner arch view of shoe and a better view of the lugs.

Disclaimer: Salomon did NOT provide me with these shoes, purchased them myself. Nor am I getting any form of compensation for this review. All opinions are my own.

I'm Streaking!!!

So, how many of you are doing the Runner's World Summer Run Streak? Run streak? What's that you say? Well...it's not running naked... Runners World (yes, the magazine) holds different run streaks during the year. Basically they set a date to start and finish...for example for the summer run streak you must run at least one mile every day from Memorial Day to July 4th; some of us crazies have extended that to Labor Day! So there are those days that you don't wan to to run, but you force yourself to get out there because you don't want to break your streak. So far we're on day 14 and my run for the day is completed.

I'm teaming up with an online running friend to keep each other accountable. One of us will usually post our mileage for the day and then the other has to reply. Seems to working well for both of us so far.

Have you joined the movement? Are you running just the 1 mile daily or are you doing more? Good luck if you've joined in on the fun!!

Thinking Out Loud: Military Sexual Trauma

I'd like to take a moment to talk about a serious issues that I personally have had to deal with. While I'm really open about my bipolar diagnosis, this certain topic is something that I haven't talked about publicly...other than when I do a guest lecture in the mental health/psych nursing class that I used to teach. Sure, my husband knows about it and both my therapists now about it. So why don't I talk about it? It's because I had never really classified it as rape or military sexual trauma (MST). MST includes rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment until recently.

This is what happened...I was graduating from tech school (Air Force job training) and our class decided to have a party at another classmates duplex. The alcohol was free flowing and being a lightweight I had drank enough to start vomiting. My classmate and his wife had set up some extra mattresses in case this happened. So I lay down on the mattress and pretty quickly passed out. The next thing I knew I was waking up in one of the bedrooms upstairs with a student that I totally despised. I really didn't understand what had happened but I chalked it  up as being my fault since I had gotten drunk and lost my senses. Does this sound familiar? Maybe someone drank heavily like I had or had been roofied, but in either case could not recollect the circumstances for their situation. How many of us who fell into this type of situation blame ourselves for it happening? I just rationalized it that I must have agreed to the interaction, I just couldn't remember...but why with this person that I could not even stand next to?

This all happened in 1983 approximately March or April. This was before the services spoke publicly about rape within the military. It was still very much a man's military, it was the few women who were still breaking barriers in jobs that had in the past been purely given to men. My seemingly innocent rationalization of the situation in a way, I guess, enabled me to put this in the back of my mind as if it had been dealt with. I guess it was the acceptance that what had happened was my fault, now I know it wasn't, helped me go on with life. I didn't report it to anyone I just went about with my transfer to my first duty station. After disclosing this event to my current therapist, he came to help me understand that yes, in fact, I had been a victim of sexual assault or MST.

Wrongful sexual contact 28%; Nonconsensual sodomy 7%;
Aggravated sexual contact 3%; Rape 31%; Aggravated sexual assault 30%;
Attempts to commit these offenses <1%;Other ~3%

Another reason I had probably been able to rationalize the problem is that I had been molested at about 11-12 years old. I guess I may have dealt with that in the same way. However, I did tell my mother (he was her boyfriend) and she didn't believe me so maybe there was some ingrained thought that if I had told someone that it would just have been brushed under the run like things were back then when it came to rape/MST.

Why did I decide to open up about this now? Well, it's been on my mind and my therapist said that I should think about it and talk about it...I don't think he meant quite in this fashion though! lol! The real reason is because there's been a lot of talk lately about military sexual trauma. Let's not forget that these things happen not only to women, but also to men. I, in fact, know several women and one man that I used to work with who are victims of MST.

Silence doesn't do anyone any good!

In 2008-2011 the number of female veterans receiving VA health care showed an estimated 15-20% as reporting to have been victims of some sort of MST. The same studies showed that male victims ranged from 0.7 - 1.2%. These numbers reflect only those who actively sought care from the VA. Who knows how many out there, much like myself, never divulge this information to anyone? Thankfully I'm comfortable enough in my own skin to talk openly about this. If you know a military member who is keeping their abuse hidden, help them to understand that it wasn't their fault and to report it, if they are not comfortable with their immediate supervisor move up the chain of command (I know, this is typically not how the military works)...this type of event should not go untreated or without punishment to the offender.

I'm happy to see that MST is a major talking point now, but the commanders at the top are still hemming and hawing as to how severe the punishment should be, especially in the case of officers. Unfortunately, many like me have to live with the knowledge that we were taken advantage of unwillingly. I know female veterans from the early 70's who are just now coming out of the woodwork to seek care. In my case, my therapist believes that this situation may indeed be one of the triggers in my bipolar diagnosis.

I just want to see that any veteran, male or female, who have been victims of MST are able to get the help that they need. So kudos to the services for acknowledging MST, but I'll shake my finger at them until they realize the appropriate punishment for such an action. Kudos to the VA for trying to identify as many victims and attempting to get them the care they need because for some of us the trauma, pain and shame have never gone away or gotten to the point that we understand what happened and know that it was not our fault.

Thanks for "listening" to this little rant, I hope that it helps someone out there to seek help and report their abuse.

What do you mean it's not 2014 yet?

Well, here we are getting ready to head into June of 2013. I've had my race schedule set since the middle of 2012 and it's had many additions and deletions. In fact I still have 17 races to go ranging from half marathons to full marathons and OCRs (obstacle course races, Spartan and Tough Mudder). I also have a trip to Alaska to run a back to back marathon and 16 miler (also I get to visit one of my favorite couples). Most of these races are already paid for and I'll be SOL if I can't go to them for one reason or another like in 2012 when I went into a severe depression that caused me to not even get out of bed other than to use the bathroom and occasionally eat. I missed, or DNS'd, about 8-9 races that I had to suck up the loss of the registration fees. I did however get 2 of these races deferred but I won't be able to use one of them at all.

So, that brings me to 2014 I have a full schedule going on. Short races to full marathons and more Spartan Races (I think I'm a little addicted now). Anyway I counted my races for the year and they total 34!! The schedule includes at least one trip to Hawai'i because the back to back that I was going to do is no more because the half marathon I wanted to do changed their dates. Yeah, I'm a little irked at that. I wanted to get both my half marathon and full marathon in Hawai'i done in one trip to save money, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. The schedule also include two 5 day series of a mix of half marathon and full marathons. The nice thing is that there is no time limit so I don't have to stress about when I finish. One of the obstacle courses that I plan to do is the Mud Quest Run which is 13 miles and has 100 obstacles. They were rained on hard the day before the race this year so that made the mud that much better! It looked like everyone had fun even with all the muck. I also got myself into a 5 year legacy type situation with the Space Coast Marathon. Why did I do that? Because each year's medal represents the space program, namely the shuttle program and there's special bling at 5 years...2014 will be my 2nd year running. So much for not having to travel to Florida anymore!

Thirty four races in 2014! I can't believe it, then again it wouldn't be the first time. Of course things will likely change, but this schedule works on paper...literally.  Oh, by the way, yes...I have started on 2015's race schedule already! ;)

So, is your 2014 race schedule made now? If not, when will you start making it up?

Nike Women's 26.2/13.1 - San Francisco Registration

Well, today is the day that thousands of women around the US and probably the world have been waiting for. The Nike Womens Marathon random draw and college student program registration is open. You can click on the image below to go to the registration page.

This is the 10th Anniversary of this race, should be something special.
You always get a Tiffany's necklace at the finish line rather than a medal!

Once you click the link you'll be asked to sign into your Nike+ account or to set up and account.

Now, there are 3 different ways to enter:

First select whether you are:

• Invited
• College Program entry 
• Random Draw.

1. Invited : I'm assuming that these are the elites, VIPs, etc.

2. College Program: Must the a full time student
    (undergrads typically 12 units; grad/post-grad 9 units).

3. Random draw entry: You are placing your name into the lottery or with a  
    group.

Prices are as follows:

College Program - $150 for either full or half
Group/Individual Random Draw - $200 for marathon
Group/Individual Random Draw - $175 for the half marathon

Remember, you cannot register for both the group and individual random draw. You can only register for one or the other. If registering with a group, you will be asked for the group name and a password...who ever is setting up the group should have this information.

One last thing, if you join with a group only one entry goes in for the group but all participants in the group will be able to run the race. For instance, your group leader name goes in and gets picked the whole group participates.

That should be it other than entering your personal information and a credit card number. You will not be charged unless you or your group are drawn.

Good Luck!

Museum, Shopping, OCR: Oh My!

So yesterday the hubs and I went up to Albuquerque specifically to have lunch and see the Titanic exhibition at the New Mexico Natural History and Science Museum. Getting there and immediately heading to Pappadeaux's was no big deal, but during the drive I mentioned that I wanted to stop at REI just to look at hydration vests (I wanted an easier access one with hip pockets for when I do Spartan Beast in Utah so that I didn't have to take it off to get stuff out), trail shoes for mud runs (my current ones are too small and are causing black toenails, I ended up getting the Salomon Speed Cross 3) and some wicking under garments. I really didn't want to buy everything, I just wanted to look. By the time I looked I had picked up everything that I wanted and a tire repair kit for my bike. I kept hinting to the old man if he wanted to buy me any of these items, but he non-chalantly said no (or just downright didn't  answer) so it was all on me. Keep in mind I'm on disability through the VA and am no longer able to work due to that disability and get pad once a month. Sometimes that once a month can last for a very short time, especially if I'm feeling a little hypomanic which results in excess spending. I can't fault him though because he had bought me some new Saucony Rides and Zensah compression calf sleeves for Mother's Day.

REI and Heart & Sole Sports purchases.
Top left, clockwise: Salomon Speed Cross 3, Gregory Dipsea 6 Pack for Women
(70 oz bladder sold separately, I'm just pulling the one out of  my Nathan
 vest to use in both this and the Nathan...Saved $33 that way), Brooks Dyad 7,
 Xtrainer fingerless gloves with leather grips & iBungee Speed Laces
for  my Saucony Ride's.

Our next stop was the Titanic exhibit. Unfortunately, we were unable to take pictures at all as that was part of the agreement with the exhibitors. What was cool that they actually had an iceberg (real or mechanically made) that you could touch to see how cold the real one was...brrrr! The items for display were cool, but I really wish they had had more of them. One thing that really got me was that as you entered they gave you a random card with information about a real passenger. At the end of the exhibit, there were lists of those lost and those saved. You were to find your persons name to find out if they survived or not. My person was a little girl who survived but her father did not (see the identifying card below). There was no mention of a mother/wife or siblings). Also as you entered you got a photo take on the false front end of a ship (a la Jack and Rose in Titanic)and at the end of the exhibit in the gift shop you could see the picture and purchase it if you wanted. I saw ours and immediately headed for the exit...I hate how most of those pictures come out.

 

The next stop was Heart & Sole Sports. I really just wanted to go there to buy some #RunNow for Boston silicone wristbands but they were out. Instead I started trying on shoes, I know...bad idea, that included Hoka One Bondis which felt too strange to me, Brooks Dyad 7's (which I ended up getting), Brooks Ghost 6 which were my second choice and one other pair that I can't remember that I couldn't even put my foot in with my custom orthotics. So again I dropped hints to the husband and again he ignored them (can't say I didn't try)! So I ended up buying the Dyad's and some iBungee laces (have to find a different color to match my new Dyad's) for my Rides and we were done. They had sold out of the wristbands...the real reason I had decided to stop there! Ugh!

We stopped at Coronado Mall briefly to see if I could find a different cover for my Note 2, one that had a backside that you could open and store a couple of bucks or a couple of cards but it looks like the only way I'll be able to do that is to order through eBay. While we were there I had a craving for a drink and so we stopped at Keva Juice (similar to Jamba Juice) to get some smoothies.

Pier/deck block for dragging behind on a chain/rope,
I'm planning on pulling 2 at a time..

One last stop was Home Depot to see if they had any of the deck pier blocks that Spartan Race uses on one of their obstacles but with no luck. Every store I've been to has been out of them. I'll just have to keep hunting so that I can add that training to all the other OCR training goodies I have now. After this we headed home for the nearly four hour trip and arrive home around 10pm. I immediately started cleaning and doing laundry eventually falling asleep sitting up in bed with the laptop on my lap and my head bobbing up and down (I would guess). I woke up around 3am and started working on the laundry again and I have been awake since.

This trip was supposed to be a quick out and back trip but as you can see even the best laid plans don't always work...especially where running is involved! :)

I was supposed to be on the road on a run an hour ago but I'm postponing it until I eat so I don't bonk during an 8-10 run like I did on Thurdsay and I still need to wake up the old man so he can do his 6 mile run. So, with that said, I bid you adieu as I eat or procrastinate some more...whichever comes first!! LOL!