GRATEFUL

This was supposed to be my Merry Christmas post...but it will have to wait until tomorrow!

Today I need to thank a few people....

First Cassandra from Running for Three.
She was my Secret Santa this year!
Yesterday, I received this awesome t-shirt:

Yes I know what you are all thinking: She did spoil me!

I love love it!!!!

THANK YOU CASSANDRA!

Thank you Jill for leading the Secret Santa Exchange!

Next, we have Kim the running skirt expert!

Yesterday, I posted on her Facebook wall to ask what skirt she likes best.  She is a tall gal like me and I am looking for a running skirt but not any running skirt. Her response was a whole POST on running skirts! Running Skirt Analysis !!! Now that is an answer!  If you are looking to get a running skirt go visit her blog she knows a thing or 13 on the subject....(yep she has 13 skirts!)

Last but most definitely not least...I have the huge honor of being featured on the Another mother runner blog today.  The Run like a Mother gals!  You know the ones who wrote the yellow running bible for moms...

Last summer they started a series called WHY I RUN.

They invited mothers who are runners to write a personal essay on why they run.

Today my essay is up on their blog.

You can find it here.

Writing it was not difficult, I know why I run.

Sending it to Dimity made me a little nervous..I realized that if they actually post it, lots of people will READ it.   Yesterday, I got a tweet from Dimity that said :"You are up next sister!"  Now I was really nervous.  They had really great runners featured during the summer..like Beth and Terzah..now me?  I got up this morning, made coffee and turn on the lap top.  In my inbox I had several messages from comments people had left on the post where my essay is.  People are so kind.  I am so thankful that they picked me for this and I am thankful to everyone who read my essay and left a comment.  So if you are one of them I thank you.  It is scary to put everything out there like that but I am glad I did it.

Ok now I got to to run 5 miles and I am way behind schedule and the Santa Ana winds are back so I got to head to the gym and have a date with the treadmil!

The International Association of Women Runners Women’s Running Telesummit

Here's an interesting event for women runners, featuring experts in training, nutrition, life balance and other topics of particular interest to the women’s running community.

Everything is done over the phone!
Instead of traveling to a conference location, you can listen to each presentation from the comfort of your home, office or car.

Best part is that it is FREE!!!

Speakers include the great Jeff Galloway and my favorites Sarah Bowen Shea & Dimity McDowell Co-authors of the book “Run like a Mother”.

 You can get more info and  sign up for this event here: womens running telesummit

6 Strength Training Moves

Here's  some great tips from Dimity McDowell from  Run Like a Mother one of my FAVORITE book ever;  if you don't have a copy ask Santa for one!!!

All the exercises are 2 sets of 10-20 reps and require minimal equipment.  Not sure I can do the side plank just yet but I will give it a try!!! 

Great tips and hilarious comments you will see!!!

Run Like a Mother in NY Times article!

The book that is saving me and making me believe I can actually run a half marathon: Run Like a Mother, was mentioned in a NY Times article today here is the link


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/fashion/31Unwashed.html?scp=1&sq=run%20like%20a%20mother&st=cse

Today I Ran

This from my favorite people to follow! The Run like a Mother blog! This is a great source of inspiration for me, I feel like I could belong to this group of women!

Maybe I am just crazy

Maybe I am crazy to think I can actually complete a half marathon....
This blog will be mainly for me and also for my kids if they want to know more about their mom one day!
I started running back in March of 2010.  I have a friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer and I was furious that something so horrible was happening to someone so nice and so young just like that.  I did not know what to do to help so I decided to run the Susan G Komen Race for the cure in LA.  It is only 5 km but to me at the time it was a lot to cover! I ran on the treadmill at my gym and thought I was getting in shape!!
Yeah right!
The day of the race came....started with a hill...and killed my legs but I did not stop and I finished the race alive and just under 35 minutes...not too bad for a first race in 20 years.
I got hooked.

Me and my friend Shana the warrior at the Susan G Komen race for the cure!

I came home after that race and signed up for another race for the next month. A second 5km in Carlsbad with "real" runners....I trained a little better and took 2 minutes out of my time.

Then I found the book Run like a Mother thanks to Dara Torres my idol who I follow on Twitter!  Reading that book made me believe that I can actually become a runner.  I started running more races, all 5 k.  One morning in June, we were getting ready for one of my race and my husband said "30 minutes" today and I said "yeah right!".  When I crossed the finish line the time on my watch 30:35! Progress...
I ran 9 5ks since March and I kept doing better at each one so I decided to make the jump to the 10k distance! First one coming up in 2 weeks...I am not going to lie I am nervous!
I also made the decision to run my fist half marathon in January of 2011.  January 23 2011 to be exact.  12 days after I will turn 42!
I have 2 goals: 1. to not die and 2. to finish!
I will not worry about the time.
Maybe I am crazy to think I can do it but many others have so why not me?!