Snowdrop Event

Good Morning Everyone!

We are on our way to run 100 Miles. Here's our home for the next 55hours. Wish us luck. Catch Ya later. 

Just Another Day

  The beautiful fall season has now turned into winter and the calendar is almost ready to flip from December to January 2015. The weather is always changing from warm and humid to cold and breezy, a daily surprise. This weather has given us such amazing leaf colors in the trees, bright reds, yellows and oranges. The leaves have fallen like a fluffy blanket of snow on the pavement and when the wind blows they are scattered into piles everywhere. The Spring Creek Greenway has been covered in fresh leaves, crunching and crackling with every stride of my run. The fresh smell of fall can still be found in the air. 

   A part of the Spring Creek Greenway that I run is a 5 mile out and back course that I ran 3 times the other day, 15 easy miles. I had the pleasure of meeting a new fellow runner. An interesting sort of relationship developed and has given yet another understanding of my passion to run. Each time on the out and back I encountered the young lady running opposite of me. Each time we met up I would say a friendly hi, give a thumbs up and a smile for her efforts. She'd smile back and wave, looking relieved knowing that someone else was out on the trail for a long run. I could see she was struggling a bit in the later miles when I finally caught up to her. So I decided to slow my pace a bit and see if I could help with a few encouraging words. This is were the fun began. I pulled up next to her and started asking the usual questions. ...how is your run going, what race are you training for? The usual first questions all runners seem to open with. Well, as we all know, smiles and thumbs up are the universal unspoken language we all seem to understand. She of course only spoke Spanish. Wow, thinking quickly and laughing to myself because the many years of flying 'Airplane Spanish' isn't going to help me here! Unless she needs a beer, to know where the bathroom is located, if the seatbelt sign is on or it's chicken or beef I'm not going to get very far into the conversation. I had to really pull from my memory of high school Spanish. It wasn't very pretty but I did figure out she was running 17 training miles at an 11 min pace for her 3rd Houston Marathon. We ran together for her last 2 miles. I think she enjoyed the company along the way and it is always nice to have someone with you to help you finish strong. With another smile and a wave I took off to finish my run. Looking forward to seeing her again. Time to think about breaking out a Spanish text book maybe, Ha!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Gotta Love Naps.. especially after that big holiday meal. Heading out for a long walk. Enjoy your day. 

Running Shoes

      Shopping for most things is definitely not my forte. Now, if it has anything to do with running clothes or gear I'm always interested. The new pair of La Sportiva Vertical K trail shoes arrived at my door yesterday and needless to say I was excited.

I'm going to wear them for the Brazos Bend 50 Mile race. Oh, the smell of a brand new pair of shoes! It's just like that great new car smell and who doesn't like that! It's to bad that after the first time I lace them up and go for a long run on the trails they will look just as dirty and worn as the rest of them on my storage rack. But that is when they achieve a greater level of status. Instead of laying around in a box, now they have some dirt, grit and grime. Probably a new blemish or two and after running in the rain or mud they now have character. Serving the purpose they were built to do, each run is now a story to tell. 

     I rotate through several pairs of shoes as do most distance runners I'm sure. Currently I have 7 pair of trail shoes and 5 pair of road shoes. I keep track of and spread the mileage out between all of them. I'm able to get around 350 to 400 miles on a pair then I donate them to a local children's charity for kids that can't afford shoes. The shoes still have plenty of life in them just not for running long distance. 

     Running is basically an inexpensive sport. So if you don't need to get really high tech and connected, you just need a good pair of shoes, some simple clothing items and you're ready to hit the road. When I first started out I had the hardest time finding the right pair of shoes. The running store employees were talking to me in a foreign language - pronate, supinate, wide toe box, cushion, stability, neutral gait, heel or mid foot strike, one size bigger (WHAT! I already have big feet so why would I want an even bigger size). At first it seemed like a complicated algebra problem and I didn't know the formula. It can be a little frustrating at first, but it's worth having the right pair of shoes. Once again the tried and true method of trial and error has solved the problem. When you find the right shoes it's a lot easier to get that next pair. It's a process! I get asked frequently by people starting out their running life - What is the best running shoe? What brand of shoe do you wear? The very best running shoe is the one that fits your foot correctly, feels comfortable and you like. How many awesome stories can all of your running kicks Tell?

    30 mile run yesterday and a 15 miler with my husband today, getting those new shoes dirty!

Training Runs

     I'm going to run the 50 mile trail race at the Brazos Bend 100 on Saturday Dec 13th. I am using this race as a training run. My goal is to maintain a 10 minute mile pace, that equates to 8 hours and 20 minutes, but I also have to factor in maybe 30 more minutes for aid station stops to hydrate and refuel or solve any unexpected problems. So that should be right around an 8 hours and 50 minutes finish time. BOOM!! The idea is to see where my training is at and how much work is left to do for Destin. It's not uncommon for endurance athletes to use a race as an opportunity to train hard to be ready to compete at another event. It's all a process.

    I have been maintaining 55 to 65 mile weeks for the last two months and will increase that to 70 to 80 mile weeks through December and January for Destin in February. The key and essential component - back to back long runs. I have had a lot of success with this method. It builds strength and endurance along with teaching your body to function while being tired. Yesterday (saturday) at the Spring Creek Greenway trail, I ran 30 miles and stayed right around a 10:30 mile pace and then ran 15 miles today, with my husband pacing me we maintained a 9:45 mile pace all the way through. I feel strong and can tell the training is now starting to come around. I'm really looking forward to the Brazos Bend 50 event then sharing the time over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at Snowdrop 55 Hr helping my husband achieve a long time goal for him. All of this work has an ultimate goal, that being the Destin 24 Hr run in February. I'm going to take a run (no pun intended) at something pretty big and special. I will spend some more time talking about that as we get closer to February. 

Company Picnic

    The Destin Beach Ultra Run - 24 hour event - is the big race I'm training and gearing up for in February 2015. The Race Director created this particular race event with the main focus on raising awareness and funds for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The SOWF has been providing the children of our fallen Special Operators, in all the branches of service, the opportunity to get and complete their college educations for the last 30 years. This will be my fourth year to be a part of this fundraising event and endurance competition. In the first 5 years of this endurance event they have raised a total of $134,000. 

    On Saturday Nov 1st, my company had their annual employee picnic. It featured a petting zoo, games, train rides and even a zip line for all the kids to enjoy. I think I even caught a couple of the parents putting their karaoke talents on display. I joined in the fun and set up a vendor booth to get donations for SOWF in exchange for origami paper wallets that I make.

I met and talked with so many of my fellow employees and met new friends from other departments. Getting my name out there and helping out the charity with the funds that were donated was awesome. I enjoyed sharing stories and displaying my medals and awards from the Destin Beach Ultra.

I appreciated the many different reactions and questions people had about ultra running. I raised a total of $100 for SOWF. Thank you to all of my fellow employees that donated. If anyone else would like to donate or find out more about the SOWF and spread the word around, here is the link. http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/jeanhofschulte/destin-beach-ultra-runs-2015

  Or www.firstgiving.com   Then search my name Jean Hofschulte 

    

What's Normal...

    If you ask me which I like better training for a race or running the race. I do have to admit I really love the training part it gives me a goal and purpose. Every time I finish a training run it makes me feel accomplished knowing I have the dedication and drive to do my very best. 

 

 My layover in Portland, Oregon this morning was no exception being in the gym on the treadmill at midnight getting my 20 miles in before I have to go to work, that's normal to me. What's seems crazy to me is the tv shows that are on at that time of night. Do people really stay up to see these programs? I've watched some really strange stuff between the Sci-fi channel extra large squid living in the local river killing people to Hallmark channel movies that make you cry and then there's Infomercial's. It's all very entertaining and it does pass the time. 

  I'm feeling very accomplished today. Now it's time to put the uniform on and go to work. 

Mini Muffins

  Food, food and more food. The people who participate in Endurance Sports at all levels come to understand this fact. When I run extremely long distances, a huge amount of calories are expended and therefore needed to fuel my body to keep it moving forward. Liquid calories just aren't enough to get it done so I need to eat real food. Teaching your body to eat and run at the same time is a very weird concept. Naturally the cooking and baking skills I learned from growing up on a farm and making everything from scratch has really come in handy. I love to experiment with different combinations and ingredients to find the ones that fit my needs the best. Since I'm a fairly patient person the trial and error method is mostly effective and can be fun. Fortunately my husband is a great sport and always steps up to the plate as my guinea pig. No pun intended although it works. He tries anything I put in front of him. I found a cook book that is really informative and has answered a lot of my questions about hydration and fueling for endurance sports. Feed Zone Portables by Biju Thomas and Dr Allen Lim. The introduction to this cookbook explains about endurance athletics and what the specific requirements are to be successful. Very interesting and reasonably more complicated than it might appear at first glance. Great stuff though! I have been following these concepts and ideas for a year now and feel I've had a good deal of success. I've even taken away more ideas, altering the recipes and packing techniques for taking food on my trips. They truly are portable, easy to make and easy to eat while using mostly all natural and fresh ingredients. My favorite is the French Toast mini muffins. I stuff them either with a glob of peanut butter or chocolate chips or both. (my idea for stuffing them) MMMMmmmm. My husband makes amazing fresh blueberry pancakes with 7 natural ingredients to supply the perfect ratio of nutrients and even has the pure maple syrup included. Then I just put the batter in the mini muffin tins to bake. A bite size muffin that has everything I need and is simple to eat and I only need about one an hour. Those muffins work for when I want something sweet. For the savory taste, I make a mashed potato with sausage and grated fresh parmesan cheese mixture. They all get baked the same way in mini bite size muffins. A perfect petite package of pleasure.

   Happy eating and exercising!!!

Race Report Huntsville Half

    I made a last minute decision at the Huntsville Half Marathon to run the whole race stride for stride with my husband instead of racing. He has not pinned on a bib number and lined up for a race in a long time. I truly wanted his company along the rolling hills on the double looped course. When we run together I feel so much joy and happiness and it reminds me of when I first started running. He has always given me his help and support in my running. 

    The day could not have been any nicer. We had beautiful weather with cooler temperatures at the start, tons of volunteers cheering and the young kids at the aid stations trying to hand out the most water without spilling a drop. There are plenty of hills up and down on this course. The start/finish line is located on a downhill, a nice way to start and especially finish. 

     One of the great moments of the day happened passing through mile 11. We were running past one of the Huntsville State Prison units, on an old cobblestone street at the main entrance of the building and the Saturday morning shift change was about to happen. The employees were standing in line outside on the sidewalk waiting to enter. We came around the corner of the building, being careful not to trip on the uneven cobblestones, but still trying to look like we were running a confident solid finishing pace. I also need to mention we were the only runners there at that moment. The employees started giving us a huge round of applause and cheering us on. Wow, what a reception and quite unexpected. I was completely taken off guard by all their enthusiasm so early in the morning. So after waving and taking our Thank You bows I had  to ask them '' is this the line to get a good cup of coffee?'' There was plenty of laughter so I hope my attempt at some comedy helped to start their long day with a smile. Good times, I love running and sharing laughter. We had another funny moment along the way as we were climbing the last big hill at mile 12. We were just trying to push through and one of us was looking a little rough at this point. As we got to the top of the last long hill a young lady who was passing out water at the aid station complimented me on being a great 'daughter', running with and helping 'My Father' finish the race. Oops! I got such a great laugh out of that and hubby was to tired to correct her so he just mumbled a few words under his breath then smiled all the way to the finish.

   We finished our half marathon in  2:25 enough to get my husband a 4th place finish in his 'old man' age group while I took home a 6th in my age group. 

  I know the Huntsville Half  Marathon race was 3 weeks ago. Sorry for the delayed report. Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging. This morning though I went out for a 26.2 mile run in honor of my friends running the NYC Marathon today. It looks very cold and windy. Good Luck!! 

Ready Set Go!

Count down, start time in one hour. Got our bib numbers and timing chips. Beautiful morning for a run. 

Hey Lady....

 The other day my husband and I went out to the Spring Creek Greenway to do my 20 mile training run. It was a beautiful day and with some cool dry air finally I was looking forward to enjoying a comfortable 10 minute/mile pace. Easy Breezy! My husband was riding his bike along side me for the run. He was, as always, keeping me company chatting away, telling funny stories and catching up on the latest news and carrying my water bottles.  We enjoy saying "good morning' to all the regulars and new people on the paved hike and bike trail. It has been getting very busy and popular out there especially on the weekends. This particular morning was no exception. We encountered a group of young bike riders with a couple of chaperones enjoying the trail and closing in behind us. So we moved all the way over to the right side so they could pass easily. Several of the young boys rode along side for a minute and were very chatty with us while the rest of the group passed us one by one. They were surprised we were that far into the trail and I was running and my 'chaperone' was riding his bike. Intrigued enough that one of the young boys said " hey lady... can't you afford a second bike, so you don't have to run''? I almost fell on the ground laughing. I love kids, they say the darnedest things sometimes. The entertainment factor from that carried us through the rest of the day.  

Pre Run Jitters

   Placing 3rd in my age group at the 2012 Huntsville Texas Half Marathon inspired me to come back last year to push harder for a 2nd place finish in my age group. WooHoo! It was the fastest half marathon I have ever run 1:50:32, averaged an 8:24 mile pace. I'm thinking about this upcoming Huntsville Half Marathon. The questions always sneak up on you. Am I ready? Can I run faster? How strong do I really feel? Most important... what am I gonna wear?? Anticipation is high and confidence is low. Feeling the rising pressure from within.

    Huntsville has scenic rolling hills. I love this double looped course it goes around some of the Huntsville State Prison buildings, so it does seem to make you want to run faster, or not break the law, because their watching your every step. It is the first race of my running season and it gives me an idea of my fitness level. I think that is why I am always so anxious about this race. A cold front has come through the area so weather conditions should be perfect for another PR this year. My husband running stride for stride beside me, I can't ask for anything better. What a wonderful day it will be!! 

Fastest Workouts

  The hotel that we stay at in San Diego for our layovers has had an old out dated fitness center for many years. The best description of it would be a closet with one treadmill and an elliptical machine. Both of them definitely have seen better days. The placard on the door says ''maximum capacity of 6'', that always makes me chuckle when I use the "gym".  I've never seen anyone else working out so the 6 max rule must be working. Of course I'm usually in there around 3am so that might have something to do with it as well. I can tell you it was tiny and possibly in the Guinness Book of World Records for the smallest gym. Recently the hotel has completely remodeled and updated the fitness center. They now have beautiful state of the art equipment, lots of space to move around and I love this new facility. The best part is that they haven't calibrated the treadmills yet for some reason. I've brought it to their attention several times. My normal routine is to get on the treadmill, walk for about a quarter mile to then start jogging for another half mile or so until my legs feel warmed up enough to turn up the speed. On these treadmills no matter what speed you set it at above a 10 minute mile pace the treadmill belt will only run at a 10 minute mile pace. So I get to have some fun. Since I'll never be able to really run a 6 minute mile. I crank up the pace on the screen to a 6 minute mile pace and pretend that I am flying through my workout, lots of smiles and singing. At the end of my 40 minute run the treadmill screen tallies up my milage and says that I have completed about 7 miles. WooHoo. That is super duper fast. Gotta love those treadmills. 

  Apparently I run so fast in San Diego now that maybe Cliff Nutrition has heard about me. I received a strange package in the mail the other day, I'm not sure why but it was from Cliff Nutrition Company. It contained a sampler of their chocolate chip bar, electrolyte mix, Shot Bloks, Gu, and a recovery drink mix. I feel like a paid elite athlete with a sponsorship. I'll keep dreaming and working hard and running 6 minute miles in San Diego, you never know what might happen!

Did you know...

'' the scariest moment is always just before you start'' Stephen King..This is one of my favorite mantra's, along with 'you have to start somewhere' (unknown) I repeat it often to myself and others.

    The hardest and scariest thing I ever did was stub out my last cigarette on March 4, 2001 after being a heavy smoker for 20 years.       

    The second hardest thing was learning how to run. I was never really a talented athlete. It took me a very long time with lots of trial and error to complete that first mile. When I did... I felt like I had won a gold medal at the Olympics. So what if it was the slowest mile on record. It was My Record. Never to this day forgetting that feeling of accomplishment. My husband has helped guide, motivate and encourage me to run better and more efficient. It was not easy or fun at first, but once I got my feet in a forward motion, I never looked back. Running is not bad for you. I am having fun setting new goals and distances.  

    Always striving for a new goal, ''It's a process'' my husband always says. When I quit smoking and  started running the next thing I had to do was eat healthy. Learning, researching and applying the technics has become such a passion in my life. I never want to stop cooking new food recipes or trying new exercises. It amazes me how many choices are available. You just have to pick the ones you like and get started!!

Pushing through....Fun?

     My friends John and Katie (they been have been married a long time) have a passion they share in their life. They like to 'bicycle', as he calls it, riding really long distances while site seeing, touring and  experiencing the countryside along with its different cultures. Every year they take a hiatus from work, pick a new destination and go on an adventure ride. Admiring their free spirits, we understand each other's passion. Mine for running long distances and theirs for riding long distances. Our conversations usually involve something about gear, fueling and hydration. Our mind sets are very similar. It's very much about being able to push through. 

   I had to chuckle when John sent me this text a few days into his latest adventure. 

  ''You once told me the start of a long race lacks fun, but then, when you find your groove, it becomes fun.  Well, I'm riding my bicycle, solo, across western Canada, and the first 3 or 4 days were a grind.  But now it's fun.  Started in YVR, over 4 named mountain passes, now in Lake Louise. Will meet up w/ Katie tomorrow night in YYC, and together head east bound.  Goal, (might be possible), is the Terry Fox memorial statue just outside''.  

     Pushing through and grinding is exactly what I experienced this morning during my first training run on the local trails. I had to remind myself that I was having fun. Road running and trail running, are two completely different styles and surfaces. I have been doing most of my training on pavement lately for the Maui Marathon and up coming Huntsville Half Marathon, now it's time to hit the dirt trails and kick it up a notch for my future races. Wow, what a difference on my leg muscles. More endurance training is needed. I had to focus, concentrate and look ahead to see where I was going to plant my next footstep without tripping on roots or stepping on any critters. Chasing away the early morning cobwebs and also running through a few along the trail is always an added challenge for me since I do not like spiders. Yuck! Another hot and humid day in Houston. Even the beautiful canopy of trees are great for shade but it also locks in the stagnate hot air making it hard to settle in my breathing. Am I having fun yet? It wasn't pretty but I got it done, 10 miles of a trail workout, I'm  completely soaked and exhausted but I went home with a smile on my face knowing that every run will get better and stronger. That's why they call it training. 

Maui Marathon- The Run

   It's 5am, a small flashlight in hand, my adrenaline is flowing from almost being run over and now we're off! A great idea to start here early, it's September and Hawaii. Can you say Hot and Humid? When the sun comes up it can be pretty brutal. They have experience with this race, it's not their first rodeo so to speak. This was the 44th annual Maui Marathon, the oldest of all of the islands. It is listed and rated as one of the 'top 10 most scenic marathons to run'. The views and scenery were breathtaking. The course ran from near the airport in Kahului around the southern coastline finishing at the Whalers Village in Lahaina. The roosters finally woke up, stretched and started crowing at daybreak around mile 5. We were still trying to settle into a good running rhythm. The hills began at mile 7, rolling and climbing through mile 10, the sun now starting to reach full blast and there's no shade in site. We were refilling our water bottles at every aid station along the way. I was amazed at how much ice they had on hand for the runners. They had ice cubes, shaved ice- Blue Hawaiian coconut flavor and ice soaked sponges. I think they somehow lassoed their own ice berg from somewhere and chipped away at it to keep us all cool. Thank You!! Diane and I kept pushing through the miles, a little slower than what we planned, but forward motion is the best and the only way to the finish line. We chatted and met many other runners from Australia, Japan and New Zealand. There were people camping out and cooking all along the shoreline. Ooh some of the smells along the way, not always the most appetizing when you're hot, tired and a little dehydrated. Boy Scout Troop #22 were handing out Lei's for all the runners around mile 17, a nice boost to uplift the spirit. We came into Lahaina through Front Street. The people of the small quaint tourist village were out in full force supporting all of the runners with their garden hoses and sprinklers to help get us refreshed. The finish was getting closer. Now it's time to attempt to look good for that split second and smile for the marathon photographers. I had my phone and was texting Nancy and Melissa (our crew members) updating our progress along the way. Last text... '5 minutes' and they were ready to yell, scream and cheer us across the Finish Line. Woop Woop! A volunteer placed a beautiful, well earned, medal around my neck and congratulated me. I chugged 3 pints of ice cold chocolate milk and Diane found a chair, got her feet propped up and enjoyed an ice cold Jamba Juice. Victory!! Nancy and Melissa joined us for finish line photos. We changed out of our wet shirts, shoes and then of course went shopping for the discounted marathon souvenirs. Truly a memorable layover. 

  Walking back to our hotel was a very good choice, it helped to keep the legs loose and stretched out, a nice cool down. It was fun sharing our stories of the run and hearing about their finish line experiences. It made me feel good when Nancy and Melissa said they would do it again. The stories were awesome and we had each other cracking up laughing along the way. 

  Our day was just beginning. After eating, showering and washing out my sweaty smelly running clothes. I crawled into bed at 1:30 pm for a nap. Our van time downstairs was at 8:20pm for the ride back to the airport. No worries, just one Redeye flight to Los Angeles then we'd be done for the day, a nice 16 hours of rest. That night we had another Redeye flight to Houston to work, then we were done. The Redeye flights almost seemed harder to work than running the marathon. Interesting how that turns out! This was an amazing experience and one I hope to do again!

To Diane, Nancy and Melissa, 

You made this trip so memorable, I truly enjoyed and will never forget - Thank You All!

26.2 mile run

Maui Marathon-Getting to the Start Line

   The best and most detailed plans don't always run smoothly to the finish line. Being a stewardess for as many years as I have, being "Flexible" is a valuable asset. Our husbands didn't get to make the trip as planned. Our flight leaving Maui was going to be heavily weight restricted which limits the seat availability. So the boys decided it wouldn't be worth getting stuck in Hawaii a few extra days without us, imagine that!

  Diane and I were excited about landing in Maui 30 minutes early, that was going to assure us plenty of time to get to the expo at the Westin Resort Hotel to pick up our race packets - the bib numbers, marathon shirts and information on bus schedules to the start line etc. for a smooth race day. Flexible.... We waited an unusual amount of time for the van service to pick us up which now gives us about 50 minutes to get to the expo before it closes down. The van ride takes around 45 minutes so it's time to break out the phone and call the Westin to see if the volunteers there could wait for us. Our van driver was nice enough to agree to drop us off at the expo and then wait as we assured him we'd only be a minute or two. We jumped out of the van running into a hotel we had never seen before and asking the bell men as we're running by him where the expo is, he picked up his pace running along side telling us through the long hallway, then down the stairs and around the corner. We made it with about 1minute to spare. We went through the door and there are a lot of people standing around this huge ballroom talking. We ran in yelling we're here for packet pick up and the entire group of Japanese runners all turned and looked at us funny, not saying a word but all pointed in unison to the next room. I quickly realized that "packet pickup" must be a universal language because they all knew what we needed and then pointed to the next room as none of them spoke English. In the adjoining ballroom we quickly got our marathon information and bus schedule for the morning and ran back to our awaiting van and other crew members, Nancy and Melissa. Whew!! 

  I finally got in my room and was sleeping by 9:00pm since Diane and I decided to meet downstairs in the lobby at 2:45am for our morning warmup walk to board the bus for the start line at 3:15am. Flexible....Running a marathon on 4 hours of sleep. 

   The start line area was setup in true Hawaiian fashion. The announcements were being given in English and Japanese for all of the runners that traveled from Japan, the refreshment tables beautifully stocked and decorated with hand carved native fruits to eat. I have been known to eat some strange stuff before and during a run, but not fresh tropical fruit. There was a Samoan Fire Knife Dance. I felt like I was at a Luau, the grass skirts and all. A new first for me was the 10 minute Zumba warm up class at the start line. That seemed like a little too much activity before running 26.2 miles. Our national anthem was played followed by the Japanese anthem. We were then escorted to the start line a couple of blocks away. In my 13 years of running I have been stopped on the course two separate times by a train,  almost hit by several flying golf balls and stopped dead in my tracks by a moose who was enjoying an early breakfast. Flexible... Delayed start. A drunk driver who was being chased by the police made a turn into the start line and plowed his car into the  runners at the front. We were shocked to see the car coasting into the crowd then stopping about 30 feet from where Diane and I were standing. Luckily only one spectator had a few minor scrapes. The race finally got underway after the officers dragged the man from his car and handcuffed him and cleared the area. Now it's time to Run!

The Race is next 

Paradise

Maui Marathon complete! Check that one off the bucket list. Running 26.2 miles on a layover was amazing, fun and exciting! Had to use some extra energy because they said it was one of the hottest days to run. Whew! 

It really was the most scenic route I've ever run. All along the shoreline watching for whales, jealous of everyone snorkeling from shore ( at least they were cooler in the water). My friend Diane and I are recovering well. More stories to come.

   I also want to thank our other crew members Nancy and Melissa. We So appreciate all your support before, during and after the race!! You Rock Ladies!

Another day

'' the scariest moment is always just before you start'' Stephen King

  Yes that's AM !!  Started a 15 mile treadmill run in Philadelphia before my 7:00am van to the airport. Ready to rock the Maui Marathon!! 

My Early Morning Friend

  Most runners have at least some to a lot of experience with a treadmill or more commonly known as the dreadmill. Since I do a fair amount of my training while I'm on my trips, I have frequent encounters with this dreaded machine. 

   I am what is known in the airline industry as a 'slam clicker', when I get to my layover hotel I go straight to my room... slam the door and click the lock. My alarm is usually set between 1am and 2 am depending on my workout length and the departure time of my flight. The cleaning people aren't even up that early although I do run into an occasional happy partier leaving the bar. I wonder if they think they are seeing things, me walking around in workout clothes with bed head hair in search of the fitness center. I don't go out sight seeing or shopping on layovers much anymore since I've seen the layover cities numerous times over my career. I should probably also say that I am not much of a shopper unless of course it has something for do with running gear. I preplan my treadmill workouts each week so I can get speed work, hill runs and tempo runs accomplished. I also manage to get my core work and weight lifting as well. Some of my coworkers often call me crazy, insane and just straight up weird. It's dedication. It's my passion and I'm the only one who will suffer during a race if I'm not prepared. I'm the only one who will get myself across the finish line 'smiling'. Early morning crack of dawn workouts do have a few nice advantages - I don't have to wait for a treadmill, there's plenty of peace and quiet. Sometimes there is a worker or passer by that gives me that Wow you're crazy look! If you happen to walk by or come into the workout room at 2am you can even catch me singing loud and probably a little off key but the equipment doesn't seem to care. 

15 mile tempo run today 

Running Schedule

 Like most runners and especially ultra distance runners, I have to plan out my running schedule a year or so  in advance. Many races reach the sign up limits quickly, there's travel planning, entry fees and other miscellaneous things to consider and they all have cost factors. I enjoy running mostly trail runs at different distances during the year to build up to the race that's my One Big Event of the Year.

  I have the Maui Marathon in September, then the Huntsville Texas Half Marathon in October. December will be a big month as I will run a 50 mile race at Brazos Bend State park in Needville, Texas. My husband and I are then going to run a 55 hour event ( run as many miles as you can in the time limit on a set course ) for the Snowdrop Foundation which will go through New Year's Eve into New Year's Day! So at midnight instead of popping the cork on a bottle of champagne we'll take a quick break from running, a toast with our water bottles, a huge hug then back to knocking down some more miles. A great way to start 2015 for an Amazing Cause! The Houston Marathon is in January and It will be my 11th in a row. Now for my Big Event! All of the training and these events all lead up to February 14th, the Destin Beach Ultra Runs, I'm running the 24 hour event. What makes this race so unique is that it's all run on the beautiful white sand beaches of the Emerald Coast of Florida. This is my 4th year in a row to participate, twice I've run the 50 mile distance and this will be my second time to run the 24hour race. Wish me luck! 

Today - 13 mile tempo run

Bucket List ✔️

I'm back into full training mode now for my fall running schedule. I am a stewardess with a major airline so I do a lot of my workouts/ training on my layovers. That gives me the opportunity to do the really long runs on the weekends with my husband. Recently my friend Diane did her homework and research to pitch a proposal for accomplishing something that has been on her bucket list for a very long time and has just now shared. She is also a marathon running stewardess. It seems the stars have aligned perfectly for this to happen. We are both working the same trip that has a 27 hour layover in Maui on the same day as the Maui Marathon. Coincidence? No, Diane put some serious work into planning this out and it couldn't be more perfect. We are getting paid and still going to be able to enjoy our passion for running. It didn't take a lot for her to convince me - Sign Me Up!!  Oh yeah, now we have to really bump up our training to run the warm and humid 26.2 miles in 3weeks. I told her it wasn't a problem, we just pull up our big girl panties and do it! Surprisingly enough the running is actually going to be easier than double red eyes we are flying right after we run the marathon. She promised we would keep each other awake on the all nighters, we'll be brewing some extra strong coffee and perhaps a Red Bull or two. It will be worth it for sure. I have run over 20 marathons but most of them have been in Texas so when I finish this one I will have run a marathon in 5 different states. A few left I guess for all of the 50 states. Maybe someday. 

  Today 9 miles of Fartleks (speed workout) 

Armadillos

 I had an Amazing day yesterday. Starting a blog has been a long time idea of mine. I've had so many co-workers and friends say they wish they could follow my crazy running, training, eating and race results.  Hope I don't disappoint. I Do The Best I Can and I Want to Inspire. 

 Yesterday was an early morning 12mile recovery run ( last 2miles in the pouring down rain) so refreshing I Love running in the rain. Running in the park by our house, especially early, we get to experience a lot of wildlife. You never know what your gonna see. Well we got a real treat. An actual Live Armadillo! He was off to the side of the trail rooting in the dirt for his morning breakfast. As my husband and I were running by I asked 'are armadillos aggressive'? He said 'I don't know'. So we just picked up our pace a little :) Didn't want to stick around to find out. Hope he got a good breakfast. 

 Today is Core Workout day. Along with laundry and grocery shopping. Happy Labor Day!! 

l would like to start out this blog by saying Thank You Rachel!! if it wasn't for you i couldn't follow another adventure in my life. This blog is going to be dedicated to all my ultra running/training experiences, And Life.  Thank you for taking the time and following me.