Half Marathon training

We are in week 2 of Half marathon training and all is well so far. Our main focus of training is the St. Louis Rock n Roll Half Marathon. Dustin and I are big fans of the Elite series because they have music along the course and your race bib is your ticket into a concert the night after the race. Our favorite is the Country Music Marathon in Nashville. It is where we both ran our first marathon together...all 26.2 miles of it, ensemble. It was a great experience, especially since we are big fans of country music. We especially like the fact that most Elite races are on Saturday instead of Sunday so we are able to go out Saturday night and see the city, celebrating instead of worrying about the next day's race. That first year we saw Phil Vassar in concert. I couldn't believe how many songs he has written for famous artists, especially for Tim McGraw. He even had a few hit singles that he recorded himself I recognized. I went home and bought a few CD's (yes I said CD...no ipods at this time) and loved them. He is an upbeat artist with fun, wanna-sing-along songs. A few years later we went back and saw Lady Antebellum. They only had their first single out at the time, but we could tell they were going to be big!!!
For St. Louis' first elite race they are having Sugar Ray for the free concert. That will take us back to memories of old times!! "IIII just wanna fly...". I'm excited to be a charter racer!
On Wednesdays we have speed work so we have been heading over to Farmington HS's track. Their track has a nice, newer surface so it has been fun to run on. Plus, the civic center is just across the street for post run stretching and abs. The only problem is that apparently the men's locker room is really warm so Dustin spends most his time getting ready in the morning trying to cool off. One of the guys getting ready today said that when he was in HS the wrestlers used to sit in the locker room before weigh-ins to sweat off some water weight. Geez!
We visited St. Joe park again over the weekend with a much better experience than 2 weeks ago. We tried to pick out a 10 mile route that was flattER. It still had some challenging spots, but it is good for us. My calves have been sore since we moved here from the changes in elevation compared to Springfield. They are getting so big that I have to take my skinny jeans off with the jaws-of-life.
Besides that, things are going well. We are getting settled and trying to get running routines down. We trail ran last week at pickle springs and stopped at the farmer's market on the way home. It's the simple things in life like a fun trail run, farmer's market, country sunset, and being able to see the stars that have made this transition easier. It's not all that easy for me to be at home all day studying by myself so keep the joyous, simple things coming!!

Warrior Weekend Photos

I wanted to add these photos from our Warrior Dash; we were talking about it this weekend and how much fun we had and how we would love to do another, so I thought I would share a few more. It's easy to see that I stole a few from the website. If you wanted to buy the real one it was like $30 per picture! Glad I learned how to copy these non-copy photos using screen shot...

Aimee coming out of final mud pit

The 417 Mag Pic

Dustin jumping the fire before the mud pit

Welcome to Farmington! (and memories)

Friday we set out on our last run together before the move. We got up early, warmed up, and headed down to the trail like we have done so many mornings over the last 7 years. We have ran on the Nathaniel Greene trail over 1,000 times. Marlie knows it by heart, along with the areas we let him run off the leash (he starts looking back at us pleading to run free if we forget). We know we aren't supposed to do that, but he really enjoys it and doesn't bother anyone. Only one time did a lady show us her notepad and pen while asking us what are names were so she could turn us in. HA!
We know that if you run really early you will run into a family of skunks that reside under the storage shed. We could tell you the distances from our house to any spot on the trail (which shifted a bit once we got our Garmens). The water fountain is only available in the summer and the water is normally warm. Although there are large signs saying not to feed the geese, there is always someone there doing just that (sometimes it is us with Max) -hence all the poo everywhere around the lake. We have learned that Marlie must be on a leash when we pass the pond, or else he will chase the ducks into the water and swim for hours while we call his name (remember John and Tracy??). Marlie keeps us entertained by bounding (not running - remember he is part gazelle) through the fields and stopping at his favorite creeks to get a drink and, sometimes, plop down in to cool off. This trail is also where I bonked in the last few miles of the Bass Pro Marathon to miss qualifying for Boston by a few minutes. I didn't run on the trail for months after that!
For the past three years the Washam 5K course ran on this trail. We are not sure whether there will be a forth annual Washam 5K, and if it will be in Springfield or Farmington. The greenway trails in Springfield will definately be missed. I hope all you Springfieldians recognize what a gem you have! The trails, Dustin, and I have had a good run!
Monday I ran on the golf cart path that goes around our house. It is a 5-mile run that isn't flat! I have a feeling that between golf and running this path and I will become good friends! Tuesday we went out to St. Joe Park to run a 6-miler. It was REALLY hilly. We finished the run and I could here the trail mocking us, "welcome to Farmington"! I got my first-ever mid-run calf cramp. I always wondered why athletes would run off the field with cramps because I only got them in my sleep. Now I know.
Running is going to be different here, that is for sure. I like to run hills from time to time, but there is nothing like stretching your stride out on a flat course. But, as long as we can handle it, the hills will make us stronger. Dustin sees it as a challenge; I see it as a reminder that I'm really not in as good of shape that I would like to be (and torture). We have a couple of ideas up our sleeves for changing it up (track, trail running, STL running club - we will post more about these later). As long as there is land, we can run.

Warrior Weekend

The Before

Warrior Dash is advertised as the "craziest freakin day of your life"; well they got that right. Aimee and I traveled to KC the night before the run so we could hit up the power and light district one last time before moving to Farmington. The next morning we had our race at 9:30 am followed by a quick turnaround for the Kenny Chesney show at Arrowhead that afternoon/evening.

When we went down to our car in the parking garage Saturday morning (7:30 am) it would not start. All power worked but nothing when we turned the key. BIG problem. The race is 17 miles north out by the Airport and we are stranded, except our life saver Ashley was staying at the same hotel as us. She too was going to the concert and running Warrior Dash, but not until Sunday. We're sure she appreciated our wake-up call, especially when we ask to borrow her car.

Drive north, talk to insurance and towing about car issue, can't find parking lot, backtrack after directed by police officer, board bus (8:55 am), continue to deal with car issues back at hotel via phone, return to where we just came from, pick up bibs (9:18 am), bathroom, pre-race pictures, stretch (kinda), back of pack in line, get talked into doing some pull-ups, race begins (9:30 am), complete 3.10 hellish miles included: barbed wire, river crossings, tires, muddy hills, balance beams, hay climbs, wall drops, nets, fire, and mud pit with barbed wire (10:15 am), get medals, wait in line for bags (10:35 am) take post-race pictures (10:40 am) try to hose off, catch bus back, continue to talk with companies about car issue, arrive back at hotel (11:30 am), realize tow truck came by but could not locate car in parking garage, find new tow company, get late check out, try to remove all mud, tow truck arrives (12:30 pm), back up traffic in parking garage while tow truck loads car, tow guy informs me he could have fixed problem himself says it is security issue and tells me what to do, call mechanic to let them know I will be by shortly, meet Ashley in lobby with all our stuff plus hers to head to Arrowhead (1:00 pm), tow guy calls back and has car running is on his way back to hotel, have own car again (1:15 pm), McDonalds, Wal-Mart, check into new hotel by Arrowhead, meet concert group (2:30 pm) set up tailgate, tailgate in parking lot (3:30 pm), head in for Zac Brown Band (6:00 pm), Kenny (8:30 pm), Encore (11:00 pm) take down tailgate (11:45 pm), walk across street to hotel, hang out in parking lot, get to room, watch ESPN (1:00 am) Bed.

Craziest Freakin Day of Our Lives!

The After

Kenny and Zac

Hot, Hot, Hot

In MO we have had a few weeks of 100+ degree temperatures. I have actually opted for the treadmill a few days this past week because it is just too hot! The nice thing about treadmills at our fitness center is that there are TV's everywhere. I forgot how much of a distraction that is! I don't watch much TV so it is fun watching the news and a few TLC/Bravo episodes :)
Wednesday we did speed work at Kickapoo. On our cool down back to the Meyer Center we realized it was 83 degrees. It felt so hot! We were reminded that that was the temperature at the Chicago marathon last fall when I finished. I couldn't imagine running a marathon in these temperatures!!! Crazy.
I can't wait for fall temperatures - its the best season for running! Looks like the west coast knows how to cool off - hopefully their weather drifts this way!