100th post!! And a Givaway!!!

Don't miss D's previous post, also from today!  It's about the Lavender run.  

Hey lovely readers!  Thanks for sticking with us (or joining up with us now).  We love your comments and emails.  We wanna do a little giveaway to tell you thanks.

Danna and I have really liked Jeff Galloway's books, especially when we first got started.  We studied those things like crazy.  They really helped in so many ways and I still use a lot of the things I learned in almost every run.  So we're giving away a book of your choice.  Here are your options:

Jeff Galloway's newest book: 
Galloway Training Programs
or
Galloway's Book on Running
(Or if you don't want either of these pick the one you like best on Galloway's site and we'll get you that one!  You can decide after you win.)

 Here's how to enter: 
(PS:  You must make a separate comment for each entry!)

1.  (Required entry)  Become a follower and make a comment telling us you did (or make a comment telling us that you already are one).  You do this by clicking "follow on our side bar.  :)
2.  Post this contest on your blog and make a comment saying you did so.
3   Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter and make a comment saying you did.
4.  Add us to your blogroll (blog sidebar) and make a comment about it.

The contest will end 6/20 at midnight!  We'll pick an entry by random selection (random.org).

Good luck!

~K, D & S

The report from this morning...

So we ran this morning in the snow.  It was a nice run!  Once a blog I like had a little post about running in the snow.  I thought it summed it up perfectly.  I always remember the line "we relish running through the stillness."  I think it describes a winter run in the snow so well!  The way the snow absorbs all the sound, the snow crunches under your feet.  This morning there were even a bunch of birds chirping.  Danna, Hayley and I recently commented that winter running has shortened the winter for us, and made the weather tolerable and even...lovely.  Don't get me wrong- can't WAIT for Spring!  And even more- Summer!  I am a warm weather woman through and through.  But winter running has grown on me to the point that I now, well, hate winter less.  :)  

Okay, so I tried out the Stabilicers as noted in my previous post.  They really stay on nicely.  I thought they were comfy too!  They make a nice little clicky, crunchy sound when you walk which I thought was fun.  Fun in the same way it's fun to wear tap shoes on a stage.  It's got that gratifying click.  There was no chance of slipping with these babies on.  Bottom line- I love em!  I took them off mid run when the trail was clear and they just peel right off.  They look easier to keep clean than Yak Trax, and they have better reviews online in general!  They come in a nice little zip-up plastic bag too.  Thank you so much Heather for the recommendation and sample!  I'll re-post about them at the beginning of next winter too, but now that the season is over, this is a great time to buy them for cheaper!  Check out 32North.

Well, my friends, happy running!  Do a nice long run on Saturday, drink some chocolate milk, and ice those lower extremities.  Hope to see you on the trail!  I've got 14 miles to do and Danna's OOT.  Hope old PF can handle it.

XOXO

~K

PS:  Check out my new widgets- the books I'm reading/have read, the local temp., and the countdown.  Fun!
PPS:  Check out our giveaway!

Gearing up for the blizzard?

Kristin again...

Check out my previous post for our giveaway!

Yesterday there was a big fire in SLC.  It filled the windy air with ash and by the afternoon the entire valley was shrouded in an ash powder (it was really beautiful and really chalky-tasting...ew).  We were crazy to get up and run this morning.  But we're bad, we're bad, you know it!  So we got up in the rainy/snowy morning and ran (Hayley, D and I).  I tried to keep my mouth covered in my scarf as much as I could.  And my hair from turning into a fro.  Curly-haired running girls- wassup!  

It's been snowing all day and we're planning to run tomorrow.  I'm excited- it may be the last snowy run of the year and, shockingly, I have missed it!  I am also excited to finally try out my Stabilicers which Heather from the 32 North company generously let me try out!  Here I am putting them on for the first time:

The concentration...

Sweet success!!

I also have a new system for my running garb.  No, I will not be throwing it over the banister every morning (Matt's going to be thrilled).  I'm keeping what I plan to wear (clean stuff) in this basket- in the bathroom, right next to the beloved towel spa D gave me for finishing my first marathon!

And the reusable or wet stuff goes on these hooks.  Isn't this a cute shelf I found for super cheap at Tai Pan Trading?  Thanks to Matty Fatty for the installation.  (And Dad too for the borrowed tools.)

Well, now that my bathroom is ready, my Stabilicers are ready, and my alarm clock is set, I better get to sleep.  Otherwise I might have to kill someone when the alarm sounds at Vicky:thirty.  Full report on Stabilicers coming soon!

Love, K

XOXO

To race or not to race.

Happy Birthday to Danna! Here we are with a few friends at Dear Lizzie!

It's Kristin here.

This last week's medium run we did 7 miles. (Suz wasn't with us- refusing to subject her lungs to the nasty inverted air quality of last week. I don't blame her.) It was a fantastic run for me! I felt great the whole run- just relishing that runner's high, and the feeling of catharsis that comes with a good long run. This was the first run in months that wasn't a struggle. To be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk. Lately running has been so...grueling for me. I've tried to keep up with D and S, but my body's clearly not in as good of shape as theirs lately. This whole foot injury resting thing has taken me backward big time. Sometimes I hate to admit this, knowing people may hear it and think, "You struggled for months until you got back into the groove? No thanks- running's not for me." But it's worth it! The company was worth it, and the feeling after the run, the caloric burning, the sense of discipline and accomplishment, the fellowship with other runners. Anyway, Iw as so happy to finally be feeling great again! Hang in there new runners, it's so worth it.

On our long run we ran a different trail- one we haven't run in a while. We talked about work, family, cute husbands, running itself (as always), blogging, future races. Danna's really interested in running the Wasatch Back this year- a killer 2-day relay race through the mountain passes that is a blast. Anyone done it? I'm so tempted, bu THE HILLS! I'm so not a hill person. We are also considering the San Francisco Nike women's marathon in the fall (also very hilly of course- San Francisco) where you get a Tiffany Necklace at the end as your medal, served on a silver platter by the local firemen dressed in tuxes. How can a girl resist. Oh hills, why must you torment me? But for the little robin's egg blue box, I think I just might. Suzy, wanna come?


I say run while you can! What if next year you're pregnant? Or have a (non-running-induced) injury? Or what if the air quality makes running impossible? Or... You just never know.

I was totally inspired by this video I found this morning. This guy video taped his Disneyworld Marathon. The nostalgia actually brought tears to my eyes- especially watching the starting line (warning: hand-held camera=shaky running footage), seeing the other runners, the crowd, the whole marathon atmosphere. Can't wait to do it again.



Ksenia left a question on our last post:
Great resolutions! Sorry I couldn't make it for the run with you guys this week. I did about 6 miles today! I feel great. There is nothing better than that feeling of achievement when I finish my run. I agree with you that I really start enjoying it fully only after mile 3!

If I run in the morning, at around 8-9, do I need to eat breakfast? My stomach seems to deal with the run better if I don't. What is the official runner's doctrine on that?

Thanks! You guys are my inspiration!

My thoughts are as follows: We 3 think eating before the race is a good idea, as it settles your stomach. Gels and Gatorade are hard on the stomach. However if you are going to do this you need to practice on the long training runs. We liked a half or full piece of (dry) toast, (D likes a hard-boiled egg), and 1/2 a banana. We also practiced with bananas and pretzels mid-run since that's what the aid stations hand out. Avoid fatty foods, dairy, too much protein, too much fiber/roughage. Also, drink liquids (6-8 oz) as soon as you get up, then 6-8 oz/hour (Galloway's Book on Running p. 90) before you run. I have never been able to eat before a run until I started practicing. I had to put the toast in the toaster the second I got up so I wasn't eating too close to the run.

XOXO

~K

The dynamic duo does double digits

Another week goes by...
Sunday we completed the 100th mile of our training schedule. Woo hoo!

This weekend our run was really great. I actually struggled the first 4 miles, but felt pretty good after that. We ran a total of 12 miles!! We will never again be running single digit runs on Saturdays. My little sis Mikelle came to run with us for the first 4 miles (she is now training for her own half-marathon: The Top of Utah), and Suzy ran the final 2 with us. These created excellent distractions from the drudgery. As did our fun girl talk. I talked about every little detail of Youth Conference (which I went to this weekend) for about 8 miles, letting Danna breathe easy. :)

Twelve miles!

On the run, there were a few highlights I would like to mention. Underwear Man. I have been telling Danna about him for a while now, but no description could do this strange dude justice. On this run he appeared! He rides his bike in a strange pair of underwear each morning, clearly seeking attention. Sometimes it's a one-piece tight white cotton wrestling-type suit, (what Matt's mom used to call a onesie!) but yesterday he had a new flesh-colored pair of underwear on (only)...no joke! I felt so validated to have Danna actually see this guy (Mikelle saw him too!), and when he whizzed by she looked horrifiedly at me, and I yelled "That's HIM!" We then discussed his strange daily behavior. Any of you other Parkway walkers/runners seen this guy??

We also saw the Jeff Galloway marathon training team out and about, and we cheered many of them on, and felt not a little jealous of their coolness, and their jugs of water and Gatorade every few miles. We might have joined if it weren't $159.00. Check it out: http://www.utah262.com/ Sheesh! What do they do to earn that money? Make you run? More on the training team later...

After the run always comes my favorite part. The icing, stretching, and eating. We iced and stretched for about 40 minutes I think. Seriously, my whole body was covered in salt crystals like never before in my life. I was a walking salt lick. As we stretched and chatted with Adam, we decided we are going to be starting our own training program next year. It will be called "She Runs Like a Girl Marathon Training." We will be driving along the Parkway in a shaded golf cart, with tropical umbrella drinks and a megaphone, and shouting things like:

"Move it ladies!!"
"More walk, less talk!"
"My next tip is go faster!!"
And many other hillarious things I can't remember!
Adam suggested we put spikes on the front of the golf cart.
And then we would see the Galloway runners going by and we'd obnoxiously trash talk them. When our trainees asked technical running questions we don't know the answers to, we'd shuffle through Jeff or Hal's books (which would of course be disguised with a pink cover.) Or we'd just answer them all with "That can be solved by stretching your I.T. band."

After I went home and showered, we met up again for a little more fun. Namely my favorite 2 things! The "lox and a bagel" from Einstein's, fresh squeezed OJ, (Danna had a blueberry streussel and fresh fruit medley).

Then a make-over and shopping trip at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. I got some cute Estee Lauder make-up, a sweet gift with purchase, and check out my cute new shoes!! (Also check out this sexy male model!)

Pre-Season

When we refer to "pre-season" we are referring to the time before the official schedule actually starts. The schedule runs 18 weeks before the marathon, but we started training much earlier than that. In many ways we have no idea what we are doing, and without a schedule we thought we should just try to...well...run a lot. There were many unforgettable events and "land marks" during pre-season that we would like to share with you, our supporters.


First of all, I personally became obsessed with all things marathon. I began asking every person I know who has ever ran a marathon every possible question I could think of. What kind of GU did you like? (GU, pronounced "goo," is a brand of energy gel many marathoners eat/drink/suck on.) What did you wear? How was it? Which marathon? Tell me about your training, your belt, your injuries, where you put your Bodyglide...ha ha ha! But seriously, I needed to know every detail. I didn't want to show up on marathon day and be one of those noobies who ends up in the medical van because she thought it would be okay to wear her new ipod arm band during the race.

Matt (husband) went to the library and checked out a stack of marathon books for me. Books I have been consuming like I consume Fiber One Bars (which is voraciously) and I now consider myself somewhat of an expert on things that one month ago I had never heard of (e.g., Bodyglide, fartlek, GU, overtraining vs overloading, form, and Mizuno shoes). If you are considering joining me in this crazy lifestyle, I highly recommend the following books:

*Running - by Galloway, who in the runner's world needs no first name for identification (A really great comprehensive book that covers just about everthing)
*The Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women - by Dawn Dias (Hillarious, sarcastic, and the inspiration for this blog! And, yes, it actually had some insightful advice too.)
*Marathon - by Galloway (My Hero!! :) The local running store experts recommended this one to me. Has a few more specific tidbits his other book doesn't have.)
*How to Run a Marathon - by Tim Rogers (This British author seems to think the London Marathon deserves to be mentioned on EVERY page. Okay, we GET IT! London is the best, blah, blah, blah. But it did give me lots of interesting info from his personal perspective. It also made me scared that I won't be running in England where the fabulous Brits would be cheering me on!)

OTHER PRE-SEASON EVENTS:

*Danna and I spend hundreds at the Salt Lake Running Company on things you wouldn't even think we would need- like special running socks and underwear, and it ain't ever cheap, baby. Here's a picture of my new stuff:


*Our husbands start a special support group (well, partnership) and start weeping frequently. Condolence cards and/or meals for the hubs' are welcome.
*I have an oh-so-painful in-grown toenail surgery on 6 spots and stop training for two weeks. I did, however really strengthen up my shin muscles by walking on my heels non-stop. No joke.


The next photo is my toenail now. As a result of the surgery it is skinnier, yellower, more jagged, and over-all weirder looking. I am sure to lose toenails in the marathon! (This is common for marathoners.)


*Everyone I know is asked to pray for my joints as we Memmott girls are known for our bad knees (if you are reading this- consider yourself asked!)
*I run during pre-season with a dorky, uncomfortable fanny pack. Enter chafing.
*We enter the lottery for the St. George Marathon as a team, and pray our guts out that we will make it.
*WE MAKE IT!!
*Amazingly, during pre-season we did not actually run a single run together, and we were very nervous that we had different paces.
*My physical therapist co-workers (who are anti-running) tell me I don't have a runner's body and should not do it. As a speech therapist, I tell them they do not have talkers' mouths, and that they can stuff it!
*My toes heal from the surgery very nicely! Yippee!!
*My husband takes great pains to find me the perfect pair of shoes on ebay at a much lower price than the running store.
*I upgrade from a fanny pack to a true runner's belt- no more getting whacked 400 times with my own Gatorade bottle.

As you can see, we had an exciting pre-season. When it came time to start our true schedule we felt we were more that ready for it- the right gear, the right toe-nail widths, and the right running partner(s). The old days of choosing our rest days and run distances are only a pleasant memory. THE SCHEDULE is now our master!