Energy Gels and Mile Markers

Ok so I joined Laura on Monday for a 5 mile run. I decided that now was a good time to start adding energy gels to my training, and 5 miles seemed a safe distance. I went to RoadRunner and bought 1 of each type so that I could try some and find the one I like. My first was a Chocolate Honey Stinger Gel. I still am not fond of the consistency but it was really super sweet. It was almost too sweet. So we will just keep trying to find a good one!

A couple weeks ago I picked up the book Mile Markers from the Border's closing sale. It was a really good deal and I had been wanting to read it. I can say that so far it is a really good, motivational book. Reminds me of why I started running and why my RP's are so important to me. I feel the need to share a quote from the book that really touched me...

"My girlfriends are my sweat sisters. Since our first mile together, whatever hill we have faced we have climbed together. I would not consider facing any challenge without them. We train each other in ordinary times, and we surround one another like a moving fortress when a crisis hits, We share humor like a cold germ and contagiously crack up to the point of soundless laugher and roadside hyperventilation. We have woken sleeping neighborhoods with out storytelling. We have seen each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we know when to push and when to protect. When something needs to be said, we have earned the right to say it and have built the courage to hear it. When the ache of disappointment or loss is greater then words, we run quietly side by side and wait for God."


I highly recommend this book and I'm only about a quarter of the way through it. It is really a great reminder of why we run and the motivation and friendships behind it!

A birthday run

So my friend Jen decided that for her birthday she wanted to run the Haddassah Check it out challenge 8K in Towson. So we were all a little skeptical since she might be the only one that really enjoys running in the heat. However, we all decided to make the best of it  and embrace the crazy.

We decided that if she wanted us to run we wanted to make it as crazy as possible. So 1 personalized running shirt, a bunch of tutu's, and a pink flamingo later we were set to run.

Please know 2 things about this picture, 1. The Godfather was forced into this picture (but secretly he loved it), and 2. I have no idea what we thought was so funny at this moment.

Megan and I once again teamed up. She is an awesome RP because we both had no problem saying NO to the hill on Providence Rd, interval or not. Unlike previous races we have been training and were able to handle this race a lot better. We stuck to our intervals for the most part, only walked a few times, and had some great conversation.

Now since it was everyone's first 8K it was an automatic PR for everyone, we decided we didn't want to set the bar high for future improvement, lol. After all the heat and the hills we finished in 1:12:40. I'm happy about that time. I didn't feel like I wanted to die afterwards, and the tutu's were a huge hit at the race!!

Now time to get down to goofy training and raising money for the MS society. Next up: Kim tries to figure out GU!