w i n n e r

okay - so I'm wishing I had won four more of these to give away.

Loved the jokes and seriously........why you guys run outside is beyond  me. ;)

I have to stay true to my AZ roots and give this one to Adam. 

Ray Road?  Could you pick a worse place to run?  Have you checked the stats online to see how many people are killed each year there?!  Please tell me you'll at least pray before you leave even with this thing on.

BUT also ------- I have something for Pam.  The post office story.  Priceless.  I'm at the post office 5 days a week for my job.  I get the post office story.  And people . . . . please check out why dear sweet Pam deserves the extra gift I am creating, just for her.  Click [here].  I knew you'd understand.

Email me!
queenofjean [at] gmail [dot] com

deal. love. run

I ran my first marathon 9.5 years ago. . . Unknowingly, pregnant with my [now] almost 10 year old Peanut. My second marathon came almost 9 years later, in December 2009. I have run three since then.

I cannot remember the moment I first fell in love. (With running, that is. Don't worry Pita. I remember with perfect clarity the orange linen shirt that sealed the deal for me).  Okay, the winks may have melted my heart a little too. Simply put, running has always been a part of who I am. And I think it might be one or all of my [three] sister's fault.



As any youngest child knows, there is a certain amount of worship factor towards older siblings. This idea was confirmed upon trying to wear my sister's way to big for me tops & shoes. And sorry Ann, I do recall trying on your retainer just once or 44 times. Yes, I agree...that is insanely sick and might be close to stalking.


I never stole my sister's retainer. (church donations? Yes. Orthodontic hardware? Never.) But I did think they (and all of their goodies/"Anise Anise" perfume/Duran Duran music/28 boyfriends who each thought they were her "only"/Farrah Faucet hair) walked on water - the hair probably could have after all the hairspray. Okay, never mind, it has nothing to do with my sisters. I'm just grumpy I didn't get to see all of them today [as previously planned].

I Actually blame my love of running, all on my "trials". Call it a coping mechanism - whatever.

Every time life came a knocking - - I went a running. There was just something about that 75 minutes when all that mattered was the polluted wind in my hair and the scorching 105 degree sun on my freckled nose.

Running from trials? Maybe, but I think not.

Each time I returned home, I felt renewed. I remember being 19 years old living with my parents over college summer break and having my mom say to me [on a "rest day"], "go running Em". "Just go, you'll come back feeling better." Taaa - Daaa! Like magic. Or maybe, like a MOM, she was right.

So some may say [and trust me they HAVE SAID] this is not a good way of "dealing" with an issue[s]. To which I say, "hey, cheaper than therapy".

 * * If I lose you here I completely understand . . . my blog....my rant...my need to vent [may be a bit too personal for some]. * *


Sunday [yes, Mother's day] marks the day I lost my [unborn] second child. Now, let me first say that I am child-like in my emotions. Meaning . . heart on sleeve. Thin candy-like shell with chocolate molten lava ready to spew out at any moment. Yes, I've been called "dramatic" by  friends others. Call it what you will. I call it "emotional". I was hurt devastated. This child had been dreamed of for years. years on end. I DO realize many people go through similar situations [much, much harder {way harder} situations] daily, and deal better than me. I didn't deal. Not "well" anyway.


So. I. ran.  Ever since the day I was given the "go ahead" from my doctor.

 So. I. run.

 I deal how I deal. And to Dr. Phil's question . . "How's that workin' out fer ya?".






excellent.






freaking excellent.

giveaway state of mind

Gooooooood Morning!

So, I [somehow] won some sweet swag from last Saturday's marathon.
The $50 gift card - - - well - - - I spent that 2 hours after the race. [sporting goods store]. yay!

However, I still have this sweet little number.

This 99.8% treadmill running girl can't really warrant having a "ROAD" ID when I basically run in place 5 out of 7 days.

I'm thinking I could benefit waaaaaaaaay more from something more like this

Or this:

So I am giving away a $15 certificate to "road ID".  Click here for more product information.

Rules/entry . . .

easy [being that I don't have a FB or twitter account] ;)

Two options:

1.  Tell me why you should get this road ID - why you need/want it.

OR

2.  Tell me a joke - yep, your best one.  I soooooo need a laugh today!

* * and of course --- you get extra credit if you are a follower. * *

Winner will be chosen Monday May 10th.

Video today . . . give-a-way tomorrow.

So I had a post in mind for today.  Namely, a "give-a-way" post but . . . .

My mom sent me an email this morning with the instructions to log into her facebook account and look at a video that was posted.  [ya, ya, I don't have a FB account . . . you got a problem with that?! ; ) I like to feel 10 years old and delve into my mom's personal life.  Maybe one day I'll share why I don't have one --- but probably not.]

Anyway........ amazing......... sorry, give-a-way postponed until tomorrow.

Enjoy it.  Click here. 

Race day - with a bit too much detail

OK-sorry this is long. I’m not one for long posts but …. [this surely is].

We left for Prescott [by the way it’s pronounced press-kit like biscuit, well unless your from Scottsdale. I‘m ¼ Scottsdal-ian. ; )] by 10am Friday. Peanut had enjoyed three hours of “bring your favorite child to work day” from 6:30-9:30am {that’s what she titled it}. She came back all tuckered out from shredding & recycling paper - it’s a rough life at a Trust Bank.
After we addressed her one [really, really painful] paper cut we were off. The pita enjoyed driving crazy fast in the company car and [gasp] only had to show one car the “way to the nearest exit” / AKA “the bird” the whole way there?!!? Yep, that’s a  r e c o r d. Happy me.

Peanut enjoyed taking photos most of the way. By the time I got my iPhone back from her . . . I had 93 new photos. 74 of them looking mostly like this:

Once we arrived the Pita had a business lunch at a sushi joint. Sooooooooooo jealous but I distinctly remember the part about sushi = bad idea on the day before race. Bummer. However, Peanut & I ended up at a crepe cafe which was way more fabulous than the photo looks.

Yada yada yada --- packet pick up. So I guess, I missed the memo about “normal” people don’t wear 4.5” heels to packet pick up. Whatever.  I was wearing jeans.   It’s all I wear when I’m not in my running shoes or flip flops. Oh and as to what my job actually is, click here. Next, I meet my volunteer “honey” - - “bitten off more than I can chew….” [my face is getting red just thinking about it]. Walk out. The pita says [love this], “tomorrow we are coming back…you wear those same shoes….but wear your finishing time on your jacket". Made my night. But we hadn’t yet driven the course.

Here’s one of our stops along it.

Here’s another. [the one where the Pita said, “Em, seriously, I will be completely impressed if you do this. But I hope you know you don‘t have to.” Ugggghhh.  This [as it turns out] was a "flat" portion.

I called off the “course drive” at mile 8. I had seen enough. I have never researched/driven a course ever before. Which is probably how I signed up for this. ;) I over think a lot of things in my life but not running. Less has always been more for me with running. Weird.

Race day.
4:45am - wake up

5am - eat/dress/ p r a y / p r a y / p r a y ;)

5:30am - peanut leaves my purse [with way too much cash, 6 credit cards, $400 in sunglasses, an iphone, ok you get the point] on a table in the hotel lobby [but waits to tell us at 12:30pm]

5:45am - I wonder why people run to warm up? That’s extra distance people. ;) seriously, I never “warm-up jog” first.

6am - Pita says, “you got this baby”.  [I'm thinking..... LIAR I love you.]

Garmin - start

Ipod - start

 .   .   .   .   .   .

“Let’s get it started”.



The best “fun spots":



Mile 6 - elevation gain 362 feet.

Mile 7 - EG 405’ - - wish I would have had my camera --- there was a sign put out by the organizers which said, “what the hill is that?” Looked up didn’t see anything “abnormal”. 45 seconds later, the next sign, “don’t look up now!” They weren‘t kidding!!!! *&%@!%&^



Mile 8 - EG 341’

Mile 9 - EG 373’

Mile 15 - EG 351’

Mile 17 - wait for it --- wait for it --- elevation gain 484’

Realized I hadn’t had any “Gu” yet at mile 14.  Was too busy dying.  {warning} TMI but . . . I can’t just down those things. I spread one out over 2 miles. Where do I keep it in the intermittent moments? In the bra top “gap” of course. This method had never failed me until Saturday when I looked down & . . . . nada. bummer. Yep, no “gel handouts” at this race. Oh well. By this time my ipod was playing, “[I wanna] feel it” {three 6 mafia} - and I sure was.
Crazy moment of the race . . . . Mile 17. The one that was certainly the hardest by all means . . .It was also the third best moment of the whole race. I look over my right shoulder and …… the most beautiful view I have ever seen in Arizona [and I’m a native]. Insane. Gorgeous. Listening to, “Let Go” - Frou Frou {thanks Kera} - could not have planned that better.

By this time, it was the [mostly] down [ward-ish] stretch. My lungs were opening. My legs were just going and I was alone. Rocking out in the pines to, “Magic” - B.o.B. Singing like a complete fool. Trust me, I was not blessed with a singing “gene”.
Funny moment . . . Not realizing I was still singing out loud when I caught up to a man and was saying, “mama said to knock you out” - I actually apologized. He didn’t look impressed. It was classic though, I’ll never forget that.

Best moment . . . Seeing the Pita & Peanut’s look on their face when the Pita had to slam on his brakes at 22 [not expecting to see me that quickly]. He turned around and said, “WTH? You’re doing awesome!” [I’ll take it.] At which point I told him to have Peanut put her “earmuffs” on [hands over ears] and I took the opportunity to tell him in THREE words what the past 3 hours had been like!!

He drove off yelling, “YA BABY!!” --- and I know I had the biggest stupid smile on my face.

“The pursuit of happiness” started playing. Awesome. Passed all remaining water opportunities and just rolled with it.

Saw my AMAZING parents at 25. Loved that. They drove 5 hours round trip - to see me run for 15 seconds.

Seriously.  One of the 7,444, 444,444,444 reasons my family is the best.  I love my family. Completely supportive of my insane adventures. Two minutes later my mom was sticking out the window for this photo opp. [can’t believe it worked! Sorry mom but that’s the honest truth.]

At 25.6, “winner” begins to play and out of somewhere, I get a last kick. My dad [AKA “twinkle toe’s E"] always told me, “you sprint with all you have left at the end. Anything you have left, give it up on the last stretch.” I love that. I think of that EVERY race.

What

An

Experience.

Next year, I’ll be back. I’ll be [way] more “ready”. For now, I’m loving my 5th overall female and 2nd in my age group finish. Not to mention the $50 gift card & an additional $15 gift card for “Road ID”.

Check back tomorrow for the give-a-way.

*********************************

Happy Birthday Ethan!!  Love you Buddy!!

Race day - part one [a letter]

Dear Whiskey Row Marathon / Thumb Butte Mountain,


I'm elated we had a chance to meet. Even though you make a horrible first impression.  Seriously? only 10 paved miles the whole race?  It's okay . . . . I forgive you. I forgive you for scaring the crap out of me Friday night when I drove all over you. I knew our "date" wasn't until Saturday but I was hoping an early introduction would help us get off on the right foot.

I was wrong.

I let you fool me into thinking I should be scared of you. Yes, I chuckled [mostly as a defense mechanism] when I saw you were going to try and get me to walk as early as mile 3. You know the road I'm talking about. The road that could only be described as the road to hell. You left little to the imagination. I knew what you were going to try to do with me & I was ready. 

Yes, you took my breath away [wish I could blame 100% of it on altitude]. Yes, more times than I'd like to [or will ever] admit.

I hated you at 6. Cursed you at 10. I can't even write what I said at mile 14.5. What I will tell you . . . you were MINE after 16. I owned you. I know, that was only for the remaining 10 miles, but I loved every minute of it.

At 18, I remember laughing [don't take it personally], you do deserve respect BUT it was my turn. It was my time. Your turn to respect me.

By 22, I think we found common ground. However, I did find it slightly humorous that you threw in that last awesome hill for good measure at 24.

                                                [mile 25]

No worries, I'm not holding a grudge.

Now, now, now . . .to the woman who was volunteering at the race packet pick up who told me: "You may have bitten off more than you can chew with this one honey." [BTW, I HATE, HATE, HATE being called "honey". Unless you are my grandma or aunt you are not authorized to call me honey].

What I'd like to say to you . . . . . Bite me.

WRM, I thank you. Thank you for helping me realize I AM STRONG [and maybe that I need to do more hill training]. It ALL has been noted.

Until April 30, 2011 -

Emz

*Your 5th place overall finishing female & very sore new friend.* : )

Race? How was it?

In one word?

thehardestfreakingawesomeraceIhaveeverrunOUCH.

Well, until tomorrow anyway.