Spokane To Sandpoint RECAP.... :)

T.I.R.E.D..... that's me RIGHT NOW!

I just got home from a kick a$$ experience. The Spokane To Sandpoint Relay Race. Talk about an amazing time..... Where to begin.......

For those of you who don't know The Spokane to Sandpoint is a 184.3 mile Relay Race. You have 12 runners and you each take a different leg. Certain runners are assigned to certain Vans. Van 1 or Van 2. Van 1 starts (duh). Each runner will run a certain distance. For example if you were in Van 1, Runner 1, you might start with a 5 mile run. Your van drops you off at the start line and then heads out to the next exchange point (mile 5). Runner 2 will wait there for Runner 1. Runner 1 will hand off the runner's snap bracelet and Runner 2 takes off on what ever amount of miles their leg is. Runner 1 will hop in the van and ride with the other runners. Then Runner 3 will be shuttled to the next exchange point... This goes on until all 6 runners in Van 1 are done with thier assigned leg. Then Van 2 will start with runner 7...and so on and so on... Each Van will have 3 "legs" like this. You have 36 hours to complete the course. It's around the clock. I was in Van 2, Runner 8.  I ran leg 8 (3.66 miles), leg 20 (2.83 miles), leg 32 (3.5 miles). Our Team was The Roslyn Brew Crew for Roslyn Brewing Company. Kelly's (our team captain) husband owns this business and they sponsored us!! How freaking cool is that??? Yay.

So there's the "idea" of this race. Thursday at 3ish we all met in town at Fred Meyers. I was EXTRA nervous because I only knew one gal, Lisa. The other ladies I hadn't ever spent time with and I KNOW they are big time runners. I just can't help but to feel like such a "newbie" to the whole running scene. Turns out everyone was super nice and friendly. We all piled into our assigned vans... I was in Van 2 with Kelly, Lindsey, Lisa (that told me about this and invited me to do this), Jackie, and Candie. Our Van was a 1992 Chev Suburban. It had NO AIR CONDITIONING and sometimes the back passenger side door wouldn't open. OH and the gas gage stopped working at some point. It was perfect for decorating and bombing around in BUT it definately was an oven.

Thursday night we stayed at a little lodge type place at Mt. Spokane about 5-6 miles from ths start line. It was simple and cheap, just like me so I didn't mind it too much. :)

Friday morning we were scheduled to start and we all woke up early. Both Vans headed up the road to the start line. At the start line while waiting for Van 1 to begin our race we did some decorating of what we affectionately called "Big Blue". :)

We took our pictures of us goofing around a team picture at the beginning of the race.

 The Roslyn Brew Crew 2012 S2S



Kelly, ME (way in the back) and Lindsay. These chics are AWESOME.

Our first runner took off and Van 1 began their journey. Van 2... WENT TO STARBUCKS. When all the gals in our van decided to go to my FAV coffee stand I was PLEASED. We had a few hours to kill and I loved the idea of doing it with a latte in hand. We all visited and kicked back waiting for our turn. I was so worried. My stomach started to hurt and I knew I needed more water. I couldn't figure out if it was nerve or a sour stomach. Now, looking back... I think it was NERVES...

Van 2: Lindsey, Lisa, me, Candie, Kelly, and Jackie



Pretty soon it was time for our awesome Van 2 Big Blue to start. Candie was runner 7 which meant she was first. It was approximately 2:30 ish and DAMN HOT. Actually it was 97!  I can't remember exactly how many miles she had, but I do remember that I WAS NEXT AND I WAS SCARED.  My stomach was ON FIRE and my nerves were shot. I was trying to play it cool..... and doing a crappy job of it. As soon as Candie took off we all piled in the van and headed to the exchange. I remember standing there and feeling like my legs were going to start shaking. What the heck was wrong with me??? Candie came around the bend and did the hand off. I was instantly ready to go. I took off running and thought "I got this"... but my stomach was killing me. I looked at my Garmin and I was doing a 8:40 pace. That's SUPER FAST FOR ME!!! I passed one gal. I felt like I was holding my own.... but then it hit. My stomach was starting to turn. I had slowed WAY down so I could settle myself down. I could actually taste the latte coming back up and I knew I had to stop. It was 97 degrees out and I was on a trail with no water. What the hell was I thinking? I kept trying to talk myself out of it... but I couldn't hold back anymore. I started to vomit... It was the ONE AND ONLY TIME I have ever done anything like this... Runners were passing me.... and I was DYING. Not only was I getting sick, with no water... but people were seeing this happen? WTH? Have I no shame??  I started to regroup and had slowed to a jog... My face was sweaty and I was feeling whipped. I made it another .5 miles and stopped again for a quick dry heave. I almost started bawling. My head was pounding... but I talked myself down off the ledge and got my ass back in gear. I was incredibly slow but at that point, I just had to finish this damn leg.  Soon I saw my teammates and they were cheering me on like CRAZY. I ran across this amazing bridge and did that hand off to our next runner, Lindsay. My teammates had cold water for me and were all so kind and understanding. I was so afraid of holding them up and they were only concerned about me. It made a terrible moment seem completely ok. These chics were cool as hell.

Lisa in her beer wench costume w me.

Kelly. One of her legs was a mustache/tattoo contest SHE WON IT. YAY....

EVERYONE in our van ROCKED THEIR RUNS. They are all so fast and strong as heck. The time went fast. Soon we were at the transition point where Van 1 picks up. We could take a rest and eat. We hit a fun little restaurant and I was sure to drink plenty of fluids that were not labeled Starbucks. We laid down in the park and napped while Van 1 was out doing their runs.

Our second set of runs were at night. And by night I mean PITCH BLACK OUT. My second run was a "glow contest"... It was so fun. I needed to have fun. I had totally had the worst running experience of my life during my first leg.... my second needed to be awesome. I had the coolest dress up nonsense EVER... It was LED gloves, lights, glow sticks, and a LED WIG..... I loved it. My run was short and it was SOOOO MUCH COOLER OUT. We ran along trails by the water which made a world of difference. I felt much much better and had runners running towards me at times. There were lots of high fives and laughs. I felt  redeemed.

LIGHT IT UP.

The rest of our night runs went awesome. Everyone enjoyed it so much more.... it really made every ones experience so much more incredible. It was cooler and easier to move in. After our night runs Van 1 picked back up for their last set of legs and Van 2 headed to a local school to sleep. I can honestly say I have no idea how long it took to get there, where we were, or what the heck was going on. I had crawled in the very back seat and started to curl up with my sleeping bag. I didn't wake up until 5:00 am. I probably fell asleep around 1:30 ish??? I'm unsure of the exact time. When I did wake up my head was killing me. I really believe I got dehydrated. No matter how much I drank, I was still feeling whipped, and headachy. I guess that's what happens in super hot weather and poor hydration while sitting in a freaking oven of a car after running.... HA.

My last leg of the run was approximately 9:30 this morning. It was 3.5 miles and it was getting warm out. I made a deal with myself to just take it easy. My legs were super sore from running and sleeping in the car. They felt heavy, but I was so pleased to be on my last run I knew it was gonna be a mental game for me. When I finished I did what I always do. I bawled. I cried because I still cannot believe how far I've come. I was NOT the fastest but I was part of a team that encouraged me and showed me what strong women can do. We had some silly times and made great memories. We all took turns losing stuff in the car and it was always right in front of our faces, we got lost, we made jokes, we bitched about the heat, whined when we got cold or wet, and so much more. Heck, we even locked ourselves out of our vehicle but all found ways to find the good in it and keep rolling. I loved every second of that. I am so grateful for this experience to do a Relay with women who are amazing. I hope we can do it again next year. Maybe I'll make it without vomit. :)

OH and HELL YES... I got a metal, a cool tech shirt and I kept up with my 7 in 7 goal. August race .... COMPLETED! Yeeehaw....

BLING ALERT!!! On Thursday my ROCK ENCORE metal came in the mail. If you do 2 rock n roll events (Portland & Seattle)... you received an encore metal. Check this baby out... she's a gleaming mass of beauty... sparkles, sparkles, sparkles....

Damn good weekend... 2 metals were added. Yay..... I'm off to bed... I'm tired.........

xoxoxoxo,

M



Why don't you just drive there????

Holy Smokes! It's been a busy few days.....

Saturday was the "big day" for my brother and Juli. Everything turned out amazing and it was so fun to be a part of their special day. I love love loved seeing Wade all fancied up.Not too shabby for a small town country boy. His usual attire of wranglers and a sleeveless tee-shirt were nowhere to be seen. I gotta say the boy cleans up nicely. :) Keep your eyes off my man-candy ladies.

 

Sunday was a recovery day for me. I was whipped. Wade was whipped... we really needed a recovery day.... and some freaking Dairy Queen. (No worries, we behaved).

Monday... Oh Monday....

Back to work I went and afterwards it was BOOT CAMP BABY! Candice attempted to kill me once again (I'm still feeling the soreness in my legs). I am noticing that my slacking off has started to catch up with me. Boot camp was hard on this girl. I was OUT.OF.BREATH and HOT. AS. HELL... and by HOT I mean sweating like a pig and panting like a dog. We did plenty of burpies, mountain climbers, plank jacks, high knees, squat thrusts, jumping jacks, and other forms of torture. Next we followed up with some different down and backs. It was a good one, if you think that death by exercise is a health lifestyle choice.. I kid, I kid.. it wasn't THAT bad.. kinda.

ummmm.. whatev...

Later that after boot camp we did what most people in the valley did.... we watched it go up in smoke. No, I'm not being funny. I'm super serious right now. Our little beautiful valley has been on fire for the last 2 days and it's been horrible. So much destruction and so damn fast. I'm broken hearted for the homes that were lost but grateful for the lives saved because of the fast response times. Currently we are at 10% contained and our valley has lost 28000 acres, but not one life has been lost. That's a huge blessing.

Yesterday was a work day for me and then some more watching and praying. I wish these fires would stop. We need some rain and NO WIND.

Tonight I'm packing. I hope I bring all the right stuff. I AM SO EXCITED and SOOOO NERVOUS, but tomorrow afternoon I leave for my first Relay Race. I will be running in the Spokane to Sandpoint Relay. YES, I'm scared. YES, I'm worried... BUT I'm just scared and worried because the other 11 women that are on this team are super fast and super strong. I hope I do good. They have taken mercy on me and given me some easy legs. They must be able to see a poser coming their way! One of my legs is a night time run. Approximately 9:10 at night and it's a "glow" contest. I have purchased a BOAT LOAD of glow in the dark stuff. I hope hope hope it works out well. The leg is a short one 2.83 miles and I think I'll be able to handle having a ton of crud pinned to me and wrapped around me for that length of a run. I want to WIN the contest for our TEAM. DANG IT!!! I've never ran in the dark. I have to wear a running reflective vest and a head lamp. I keep thinking I'll be scared of the boogie man and run faster. BECAUSE I HATE THE DARK... but I'm gonna be a big kid and roll with it. :) It's tough being a grown up. I should be home Saturday and I'll update the blog with all my adventures. My total running is 9.98 miles. This is a 36 hour race.... but we should be done well before that. AND THIS IS MY AUGUST RACE. Plus, I think I get a metal to add to the collection. YAY....

Little pic I borrow from the actual website for the Spokane to Sandpoint.

Let it be known..... prior to my "running" the only time I was in Sandpoint ID was for dinner or to buy booze passing through. Hahahaha.. Time have changed, huh?

OH OH OH... big news.. I can't believe I didn't post... I weighed in at a reduced 153.8. I went down and I'll take it..... I really need to pay good attention if I'm gonna get into the 140s EVER IN MY LIFE.

So, there ya have it folks... Mandy's life summed up. Wish me luck this weekend... Lord knows I'll need it. I'm gonna do my best. Can't wait to share the adventure with you.

Question of the day??  Who's getting married first, Jen or Brad????

xoxo
M

That's the best you got? I expected better from a hooker like you!

Ya know what? Women are bitches. We are. We suck and we are mean. We are cruel and should be reminded that our lack of consideration towards others REALLLLLLY hurts.
I know, I know... I'm standing in a house of glass here, but it's true.

Last night a friend was venting on Facebook. She was saying that she overheard others talking negatively about her workout and weight loss journey. I could tell it really hurt her feelings. Why do we do that? Seriously?? WHY? Why do we take it upon ourselves to be so mean all the damn time? Why do we CARE enough to be that mean? It's really pathetic.
Who are we to judge? Man oh man...I'd love to walk in on that conversation. It's usually some lame person who just finished their last ding dong and they are feeling shitty about themselves, so the say crap like "Oh yea, right she's running/exercising/whatev"..... If you care enough to say bad things why don't you care enough to stop killing yourself with whatever vice it is YOU MAY HAVE. Oh and don't get all 'holy roller' on me, girly. I know you have some. Maybe you like to smoke a couple packs a day. Maybe you're a wine-o at night. Maybe you're even a pill popper, or you hide Snickers in your dresser drawers. BUT YOU ARE NOT 100% PERFECT. So, shame on you and your lame ass friend who would waste valuable time and energy talking smack about another person's weight loss journey/goal. I don't know who you are, but I think that's for the best. If I did know who you were, you'd really enjoy what I have to say. LAME-O.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know I'm not perfect. I've had my share of "she's anorexic" or "she's obsessed" but that was WELLLLL before I learned that 100 calories = 1 mile. Now that I know what I have to PUT out to GET WHAT I WANT, I've kind of simmered down on the crap talk. At least the crap talk about weight loss... If you get drunk and streak through town, FAIR GAME... I'm gonna be saying something about that. Seriously. ;)  OH and you better hope I don't  have my camera. Just sayin.

Today I'm planning to meet up with the ladies and do a walk/run. I need it. I need to get my exercise on. I only did bootcamp on Monday. Candice was trying to kill me. We did 21 down. WHAT'S THAT YOU ASK? Oh...well.... let me share. 21 push ups, 21 squat jumps, then 20 push ups, 20 squat jumps, then 19 push ups, 19 squat jumps....all the way down to 1 of each. It equals 100 push ups and 100 squat jumps. It was a 100 freaking degrees outside and I wanted to vomit. I still feel like my arms are going to fall off my body. OH and then we did some down and backs and an ab workout. Boot camp is so effective but so hard when you've missed a few and tried to come back.

I'm off work today. Lots to do. Helping with the wedding set up and getting organized. This is so fun but so hard. First, I'm bossy and so are all the other women, well... except Jac and Kristi.. .so really just Juli, Lonnie, and I. I mean we aren't BOSSY BOSSY, we are just mommas that like to do shit OUR WAY.... and so I have to remember that it's Julz day and I should just be a helper. Plus I can't help but to boss the little bro around.... Today's goal, NO BOSSING ANYONE. This will be hard for me.... because I'm a jerkface. I'll let you know how it goes. :) I'm so excited for them tho. Casey and Juli. I mean how exciting to have a special day with your families and start your life officially. That's a big darn deal. I'm also super excited to see EVERYONE. Weddings or Funerals... that's the gathering protocol and I'm thankful it's a wedding for Casey and Julz that brought everyone together. Those crazy kids. I pray I don't bawl, because I'm an ugly cryer.

OH and I've managed to stay on goal for eating since my last post. Amazing, but true. I feel like I should get a guest spot on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. This is a big damn deal. Being honest with yourself? SAY WHAT???? 

Here's a little morsel of goodness to share with you all:

IF NOTHING CHANGES, NOTHING CHANGES!  Think about it... and live it. :)



Love you all
M

Hi My Name is Mandy..... Hi Mandy!

I  know, I know.... WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, MANDY? Well... let's see... living my life? Being a wife, mom, employee, sister, daughter... EVERY EXCUSE IN THE WORLD... DUH....

Let me summarize my life since my last update

1. Yes, I did complete the Rock & Roll Seattle 1/2 Marathon. It sucked. I had a leg injury and it was hell for most of the race, but I did it. I got my metal and I got outta there. The End.

2. Yes, I did the WD 10k. It was foolish of me to plan my hubby's surprise 40th birthday party the night before I ran a race, but I had no choice. It worked out fine. I mean, isn't running on a hangover FREAKIN' awesome? Nothing like feeling as though you need to hit the porta potty because you drank TOOO MUCH beer the night before. Thankfully, I had a great running partner and we just did an easy pace.

3. I'M STILL ON GOAL FOR MY 7 IN 7 RACE CHALLENGE. YAY.

Now... let's get back to why I'm really here. To confess. If I was an alcoholic I'd have to stand up and admit that I drank a box of beer every damn day this summer and washed it down with a 1/2 gallon of whiskey. NO I DIDN'T REALLY DO THAT... don't even start calling my mother to plan an intervention. Just cool it. What I'm trying to say is that I have a serious sugar addiction that I can't quit. I have stalled my weight loss because of it. I find myself smashing Red Vines in my mouth like it's my last chance to eat EVER. I cannot help it. It's FREAKING GROSS. I'm 36 years old, you'd think I could be a grown-up about it. GET SOME SELF CONTROL, loser face. (Positive self-reinforcement is always a good thing, HA). So, folks... I have ate all kinds of trash. I'm a garbage gut and I have the flab to prove it. DAMMMMMIT Mandy. I am currently hanging out 155 pounds.. wanting to be at 145 and pissed that I can't get it under control.

That being said, I'm done. I'm BACK to counting my calories and being HONEST with myself about my eats. It's really a learning curve, I tell ya. Nothing comes easy that's what she said......  Let's see if I can drop some pounds and keep focused from here till Labor Day Weekend. That's my goal. If you see me at DQ with a 32oz blizzard, stop me and slap the hell out of me, please. I might not like you at that moment, but when I'm sliding on my sexy bling jeans ... I'll give ya a hug. ;)

OH... BIG NEWS.. before I forget .... I was asked to run in the Spokane to Sandpoint Relay race. Apparently another runner couldn't do it. I think she had an injury. This is super huge for me because, well... I'm not a cool athletic runner like these fabulous ladies and I felt super excited to be invited. I have some pretty easy runs compared to those other ROCK STARS but I'm gonna give it my all. It's so emotional for me. To see myself in a different light is hard. But I'm pretty stoked and I can't wait to see what this is all about. I'm grateful to Lisa who told me about it.. and to the other ladies who are gonna put up with me. Holy shit, I hope I don't do anything stupid. OH and another fun tid-bit... One of my runs will be a  "glowing contest" so I have ordered a boat load of glowing junk. I hope I can be seen. :)

This weekend is a big weekend for my family. My baby brother is getting married. We are so excited!! I will post pics of me and my super sexy husband in his Tux. Wade and I are both in the wedding. FANCY FANCY.

Soooo ... before I close, remember... It's okay to screw up but it's NOT OKAY TO GIVE UP. Right? Help me remember that too.

Love you all
M

BURGERS and BOOTCAMP

Oh yes.... It's here, JUNE. June = Boot Camp = ass kicking ahead!!!  I remember loving June because it's my birthday month, or because it was the end of the school year.... but now that's all changed... I have a whole new love.... It tends to remind me of a bad relationship..  You keep going back for more even though you know it's gonna work you over and leave you aching... No matter how bad you hurt the next day, the pain goes away, you forget it, and you show back up for more. Kiddin' ... kinda.

However, I'm all up into the boot camp business BECAUSE baby, it WORKS. Boot camp is huge to me, that's where it ALL started for this girly. A year ago I made the biggest change of my life and looking back, I'm damn proud!  So let's get this THANG done.

Of course like a total grease face,  I start off my boot camp day with a healthy meal of TWO McDonald's cheeseburgers. WHY? Why you ask? Because ... I'm a pathetic binger that wanted to wolf down nasty food in 10 minutes. I was gross.. it was gross. BUT it also proves to me that I'M STILL LEARNING and needing to KEEP GOALS on the front burner. GEEZUS MANDY... FAIL big time.

I need to be "re-energized", boot camp it JUST THAT THING. First off, Candice is going to measure me. Knowing she is will KNOW if I'm being a slacker keeps me accountable. Lord knows, I NEED IT... I mean... I also need my freaking mouth wired shut and my debit card taken away from me on BINGE days... but hey.. baby steps. Right?? Screw it... I'm renting SUPER SIZE ME.... that'll cure it. Or... you'll see my car in the drive thru.. You pick.

I've also decided on a MAJOR goal for me..... 7 in 7. What's that??? 7 races in 7 months. AND just as long as I don't injure myself or win the lotto and get plastic surgery I'm gonna do it.....

April ~ Wenatchee 10K
May ~ Portland RnR 1/2 Marathon
June ~ Seattle RnR 1/2 Marathon
July ~ Whiskey Dick 10K
August ~ STILLLLL SEARCHING
September ~ Iron Girl 10K (5K if Rylee does it with me)
October ~ Oktoberfest Leavenworth 1/2 Marathon

Count it up kids.... THAT'S A BIG DAMN DEAL. OH yes....this former couch potato is changing her way.... or whatever.

Just have to STAY FOCUSED.... Focus Mandy-Son.... Right?? I got this.. I can keep on track and keep motivated. I'm going to be blogging more. Mostly I just need to get this all out there. If I don't, it doesn't seem real. It's like the whole 2 cheeseburger thing...If I keep it to myself, I don't learn. If I have to share with you all... I'm facing my weaknesses. A long time ago a lady gave me a note. It said "If nothing changes, nothing changes." Well, dammmmit I want to change. I want to FIX this and move on. I want to have SELF CONTROL. GET REAL and GET OVER IT. Right???

Sooooo on that note, folks... I'm outta here. I'll be back on Wednesday for another update and I'll post my run (that I'm doing tomorrow) and my 2nd boot camp session.

Love,
M

Hikey McHiker-ton....

TGIF!

Wow.. this week has been a long, hard, slow one (that's what she said)!!! I was so whipped. The 1/2 MARATHON that I'm still bragging talking about really took it out of me. Monday and Tuesday about killed me. I was so tired and SOOOO sore. My biggest pain has been in my toes nails! Seriously. I think I might be losing a couple of those bad boys. They are bruised. ICK. When I googled it I was FREAKED out. I mean DANG, I would be the girl with the big ol' size 10 flippers that will soon be missing a few nails. UGH! I'm such a classy babe. Wade is A LUCKY man, at least that's what I've been trying to trick him into believing. :)

I've been enjoying my "rest" days by eating, laying around, watching TV, and reading the incredibly trashy "Fifty Shades of SMUTVILLE Grey." It's the perfect junk book. Nothing amazing about the writing but definitely a good one if you want to read some mega trash, which I just happen to LOVE. I won't lie to you... I'm on book 2 and I think I'll be shopping for the last book soon. Don't judge.

Tonight was my first night exercising since last Sunday. I felt great.... Dreamboat AKA Wade AKA husband of the year offered to hike The Ridge with me. I knew I'd have to fuel up properly for this little adventure so we ate at Carl's Jr. This is always a challenge for me because I want to smash my face into a BIG CARL with extra cheese SOOO badly but I did a little research and looked up the Nutritional Information for Carl's Jr. This ALWAYS makes me stop in my tracks. I decided on the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich on a honey wheat bun. This ends up being 390 calories. This was the least offensive food to eat for my calorie allowance. BIG CARL is 930 calories. HOLY COW!

We kicked butt on the hike and had a good time talking and taking high quality photos like these....

I believe I can fly........

 Slight breeze? Maybe so!

 Hiking is hard, I was so tired I fell asleep while flexing.

I'm hoping to get a run in this weekend, maybe even two. We'll see how the toes feel. I also hope the weather is BEAUTIFUL so I can go to yard sales and find some amazing hidden treasures. I'll keep you posted. Enjoy your amazing LONG weekend. Be SAFE. Do something good for yourself and enjoy it.

Love,

M 

PORTLAND Rock N Roll! BRING IT

RACE UPDATE...... Read it now.... HERE..... QUICK....

I did it ... I DID IT! I have officially ran a 1/2 marathon. Portland Rock & Roll! Come to find out it was Portland's inaugural RnR... First one EVA and I was there.... and it was my FIRST ONE EVA.... It was like a budding romance. Meant to be. Me + Portland = True love. But that was before the race ever started. At mile 11 I felt like divorcing the bitch and moving on with my life, with one less 1/2 marathon. It could keep the house and kids.. Just let me BE! I was dying!!

Let's start from the beginning. We arrived in Portland on Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the Expo. This is my FIRST expo and I was ready to get my race number and get my goodies. If you've never been on an expo you'd probably be like me.... a kid on Christmas morning. I was super stoked to find it was EASY to get my number, my AWESOME shirt, and my swag bag.

LOVE THE SHIRT, hate the tin grin.


Wade and I spent a good hour walking around checking out the goods. I would imagine there were about 50 vendors there with EVERYTHING RUNNING a girl could want.  I bought some socks that were guaranteed to stop you from having blisters. They lied. At first was nervous about taking samples but then I thought... "Hey I paid a BILLION DOLLARS to run in this thing AND I'll be damned if I'm not getting any goods!" That's when my super friendly self started in on sample-fest 2012. It was like an adults Trick or Treat. I loaded up on CLIF bars, SHOT BLOKS, energy chews, energy shot/drink, GU, chapsticks, shampoo samples, and anything else I could grab. Wade helped me by grabbing a few too. If you go to an Expo and are shy... bring a spouse who's not. We sampled NUUN drinks, coconut soy fudge bars, about 5 energy bars... all kinds of stuff. Some good, some NASTY.

This is a SMALL portion of our goods. :) YUMMY

After the Expo we dumped our stuff off at the hotel and I talked my sweet husband into helping find my way to start line. I wanted to be sure I was prepared for Sunday morning. In Portland they have FREE transportation that takes you around the city. It's called the Max. I thought it would be a fun adventure.... What do you think Wade thought?? :)

He's thinking "What am I doing here?"... I'm certain of it.

Let me tell you something folks...
1. I should never have a map. I suck and I'll get us lost.
2. My husband is a SAINT because he puts up with me thinking I know North from South
3. Portland is home of some strange people. (Just an opinion .. don't send hate mail, I'll just delete it).

After Wade took control of the map situation, we found the start line AND staging area. We also decided to stop at The Oyster Bar and enjoy the atmosphere.  We order a couple beers and Wade ordered a sampler of oysters. In about 15 minutes they came out... they were perfectly placed on a plate and they were cold... and RAW.  Needless to say, we passed on them.... It was a $20.00 mistake... but hey, now we know. RAW Oysters = NO WAY.  We ended up have burgers at Joe's Burgers. They were good. We headed back to the room and fell fast asleep...

THE END....

NOPE.. Wait you actually want to read about the RACE, huh?

Sunday morning I was up and ready to get going. Wade and I headed out on the Max again and down the start line. I was feeling a bit blah... I don't know why. Thankfully we met up with Candice and her sister Heidi. We got a few pics.....

These were in my "honeymoon" stage of the 1/2.

I made it to my corral 16 (yes, I'm that slow) and waited for the start. When Wade told me good luck and he was proud of me ... I got a little emotional. It's amazing what it feels like to hear someone you love give you confirmation of pride. :)

Then the gun went off.... of course I was so FAR BACK I had a 20 minute wait before I started actually running to the START line. Yes, you read that right..... they estimated 15,000 people were participating in this event. So, it took me a while to get up there. When we took off I instantly said "you can do this" and "it's all mental".... I felt good for the first few miles... I was noticing a few hills but nothing severe and I felt as if it was going to be a great race. I listened to all the advice I got. I took little slips of water/Gatorade at all the water stations. I rinse my mouth. I noticed so many people on the sidelines cheering. I high-fived almost every little kid there was for at least the first 5 miles. That's when I started to get delirious. I started noticing that my Garmin said I was finishing miles BEFORE the marked miles on the course. SAY WHAT? I also noticed around EVERY CORNER was ANOTHER HILL. This was becoming a bad habit. I kept my head down and feet moving. I wasn't going to stop. I was getting passed, but I was passing a few folks too. Pretty soon mile 8, 9, and 10 were behind me. The hills kept coming. I wanted to punch this 1/2 marathon in the FACE. I was so pissed. I see hundreds of people running up a hill ahead of me and I'd think "REALLY?".  I just kept going. Slow but steady. My back was starting to hurt. My non-blistering socks were NOT working and it had started to rain pretty good. Mile 11-12 was my rough patch.... It felt more like 5 miles distance instead of just 1. I had ate almost all my energy gummies earlier... and I was spent. All I kept thinking was if you stop, you'll be mad. Don't quit. As soon as I saw mile 12 marker I started to bawl. Yep, that emotional "You did it."  and "You actually completed this goal" and "No one can take this from you." and all that other stuff. I was ready to see my friends and my husband and I was ready to be done. I was crying pretty hard. Some man that was cheering people on must have saw me doing the ugly cry face, because he yelled out to me... "Don't worry, around this corner it's all down hill you're almost done!".... Hahahahaha. I was crying because I was proud. He thought I was having a temper tantrum. I wonder what kind of wife he has?!

Then the last stretch came mile 13.... I heard GO MANDY GO.... it was Candice and Heidi. They were all wrapped up in their own heat blankets and soaking wet but the STUCK AROUND to cheer me on. It was amazing to have my friend there ... the one who started me on my journey. It was like a full circle.

A moment later I saw Wade and heard him yelling for me. I really wanted to run and jump into his arms and make him take me home BUT I still had to cross the finish line. I was spent but seeing him standing there soaking wet... waiting for me ... telling me he's proud.. taking my picture... It made it worth it all.

Wade took this moments before the finish.

I made it .... I did my first 1/2 marathon in 2:22:43... 13.1 miles at a 10:54 pace. I survived it. It was SO hard... I'm SO sore and I was SO spent during the hilly bastard... but I am done and I'm ready to take on Seattle. BRING IT EMERALD CITY. I got this.

Race Bling...... OH YEA.


xoxox
M