tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34687177436831178972023-11-16T10:01:33.563-05:00See Steph RunSMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-50187848257514889712014-06-17T19:56:00.000-04:002014-06-17T19:56:39.900-04:00Race Report- Medved 5k to Cure ALS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the fourth year in a row Dad and I spent the morning of Father's Day running in the Medved 5k to Cure ALS. Check out the <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/06/race-report-als-5k.html">report</a> from last year! Here are some photos from each year, please ignore the change in waistband size, ha.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2013</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2014</td></tr>
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This is the first 4-peat race we will do this year and while we were running, we tried to figure out which other races will be potential 4-peats too. The next one is on <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/07/race-recap-fairport-firecracker-5-mile.html">July 4th</a> so stay tuned for that race recap in a couple weeks. Since we waited until the last minute to do packet pick-up with our <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2014/05/race-report-lilac-run-10k.html">last race</a>, and had some t-shirt issues because of it, I decided I would get there bright and early Saturday morning. For the second year they offered a tech shirt option which is a great option, but makes it really hard to choose the right size, especially when the tech shirts are gender specific. Apparently most running woman aren't well endowed in the chest region!! The people at packet pick-up were super friendly and they did have the correct size shirts for us this time around. Unfortunately the tech shirts are white and mine doesn't fit. I know you've heard me gripe about white race shirts in the past, why doesn't anyone listen to me!!! ;) <br />
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The race started at 8:30 so Dad & Mom picked up Rob and me and we were on our way to Frontier Field around 7:30. It was cool and cloudy and so I opted for long sleeves and capris. When I saw everyone in shorts, short-sleeved shirts or going shirtless I got nervous that I overdressed. We did our usual pre-race ritual and saw some familiar faces and before we knew it we were kissing Mom and Rob goodbye and lining up at the start. We noticed from the beginning that the field felt smaller than usual and sure enough there were about one hundred less participants than last year according to the timing results. As soon as the horn blew and we started moving, my legs felt heavy like they were working really hard. We kept moving along chatting, dodging pot holes and manhole covers and before we knew it we were at the one mile mark, way quicker than my usual speed lately. Holy cow, no wonder my legs were fighting me!! I don't think I looked at my Garmin that entire first mile. One disappointing factor about this race is that they usually run out of water at the first water stop by the time I get there. I'm not sure if they were more prepared, or if it was the cooler temps or less people, but they had plenty of water and I was really grateful as the sun was starting to come out at this point. </div>
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This course is great because it is flat and there are lots of twists and turns and if you are facing the sun and heating up, there probably will be a turn as soon as you start to get uncomfortable. A stretch in the middle is nicely shaded by the city buildings and usually there is a bit of a breeze. We thanked the police and volunteers and wished Happy Father's Day to everyone. There are not a lot of spectators on the course, they are typically concentrated to the area around the baseball stadium but with Dad and I simultaneously talking and gasping for air, the time passes quickly. At one point we were even distracted by a nice train hauling lots of sugar tanks! I told Dad I was going to take a walk break at the train bridge and he quickly responded that the 2 mile sign was just a bit after the bridge, so I sucked it up and we walked from the sign to the next water stop. Once again there was a table full of water and encouraging volunteers.<br />
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The best part about this race is the finish, as it takes you into the outfield of Frontier Field and you finish on home plate. This year they were broadcasting the finish on the jumbo screen in the stadium, that was a fun addition I don't remember from the past races! As we approached the outfield we noticed an older gentleman who was commenting on the baseball signage along the way, he started talking to my Dad about baseball players and they slowed their pace a bit. I continued and as we rounded the end of the stands I kept moving and kept my eye on the finish line. I heard my Dad say behind me "ok, I can't let my daughter beat me, bye" or something along those lines! I saw him appear out of the corner of my eye and brush past me right before the finish. I do think we finished at the same time, but for this race they listed him ahead of me in the official results. I'll get him next next!<br />
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<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-66077964986131783952014-06-16T20:20:00.000-04:002014-06-16T20:20:49.700-04:00Photo Bombing YaSo I was all ready to do my race recap of the ALS 5k that I ran with my Dad yesterday! As I was scrolling through the photos on my phone I realized a lot has happened in the month since my last post and I thought I'd catch you up, with a little photo bombing! So you'll just have to check back tomorrow or Wednesday for my recap but in the mean time, find out what I have been up to...<br />
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I got tenure!! Even though I have worked for Pittsford for five years, my first two years were part time and didn't count towards tenure. It was a great ceremony and my parent came into town to celebrate. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I do feel like I am officially established in my career now and I am more happy than ever that I went back to school to get my teaching degree. I love what I do.<br />
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As part of Girls on The Run this year, the girls conducted a community impact project. I was so proud to be a part of this special project, which the girls created and executed all on their own. They chose to collect items for Lollypop Farm and I was so excited to drop all of this off on their behalf. They did a great job!!<br />
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The biggest thing to happen in the Warchol household is that we bought our first house!!! Which will explain most of the photos that follow, haha. We are so excited to be getting out of our cruddy apartment and to have a place of our own. It has been a dream of mine since before we got married and really paved the way for the type of wedding we chose to have and I am so happy with the way everything is unfolding.<br />
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We were out to dinner when we found out we got the house and I thought this was pretty cool and so of course I photographed it. No more meals out ever... we can't afford it now! ;)<br />
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Commencing house planning and idea photo roll, how did people plan for stuff without iPhones?!?!<br />
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Just adding in some cuteness in case you are bored with my photo bombing thus far...<br />
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One of the best parts about being a teacher, turning the calendar.<br />
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I have the best colleagues on the planet and they already surprised us with a little house warming gift.<br />
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The beginning of June means the end of Girls on The Run and Molly and I put together some goody bags and enjoyed a celebration with the girls for their accomplishments. $100 bucks goes a long way at Five Below, great store.<br />
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My last Canal Days as a Fairport resident, at least for now. I tagged along with the Klus family and got to enjoy some lunch with my favorite niece and nephew. At least he looks comfy...<br />
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Girls on The Run ends with a 5k race and some pre-race festivities. The 5k is held at MCC and we spend about an hour with the girls writing on each others shirts, coloring their hair and getting them ready for the race. It was a wonderful night and seeing them finish and smile and knowing that I helped them to get there, is the best feeling on the planet.<br />
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Stay tuned for my ALS 5k race report. It is the first 4-peat race that Dad and I have done!</div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-90768293116878661392014-05-19T20:36:00.002-04:002014-05-20T12:10:33.443-04:00Race Report- Lilac Run 10k<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My running began over 3 years ago, that is crazy to think about! I wont go into my whole story, if you haven't read it already you can check it out <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/p/theres-something-about-steph.html">here</a>. It was in February of 2011 that I downloaded a Couch to 5k app on my iPod and jumped on the treadmill at the local gym. That first run was horrible, I was just embarrassed and figured everyone was watching me. I slowly got better and eventually was doing more running then walking, so I decided to sign up for my first official race the Lilac Run 5k.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 2011</td></tr>
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Since most of my running had been done on a treadmill in a lovely air conditioned environment, I struggled with the rolling hills around Highland Park and the heat & humidity. I roped Dad and Rob into joining me and even though I was poorly dressed and walked more then I thought I would, I was hooked!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 2012</td></tr>
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In 2012 I returned to the Lilac Run and completed both the 5k & 10 races. I think this is a great feature about this race. The 5k starts at 8am and the 10k starts at 9am so it is totally possible to do both races and if I remember correctly they even give you a little discount if you do both! Last year I was bummed that I wasn't able to do the race for a 3rd year in a row, especially because this was the one that started it all, but as you know I was participating in my first marathon!<br />
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I was super excited to sign up for the race again this year and after much deliberation, we settled on running the 10k. Since I'm a sucker for tradition, I waited to do packet pick-up until my Dad was in town on Saturday. I had a bad feeling that waiting until close the end of packet pick-up would mean t-shirt issues and sure enough I was right. We arrived at Medved around 4pm on Saturday and they were out of all of the sizes we had asked for. Now in the race info it said the first 2000 runners who signed up would get a t-shirt. After getting our bibs we were told to go over and get the t-shirts ourselves. This made me wonder if not enough of each size was ordered, or if people took sizes that they didn't actually register for, since pick-up wasn't being monitored. Or maybe they allowed anyone who registered, even beyond the 2000, to take a t-shirt. I am not hugely disappointed since the t-shirts are white and I really hate when race t-shirts are white!<br />
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On the way home I sent Molly a message to see if she got a shirt. She had gone to the store and registered for the race the day before. Sure enough she did, which proved my theory that they must have just let everyone take a t-shirt even if they weren't the first 2000 to register. Oh well!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan & Molly</td></tr>
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We received an email saying that most of the grass parking lots would be closed due to all of the rain we had last week. We thought since parking may be an issue, we would just go really early to ensure getting a spot and watch the 5k. It was prefect weather, very cool and sunny. We had fun watching the 5k runners come in and the time went pretty quick.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5k runners heading to the finish line</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our crew: Evan, Me, Dad & Molly</td></tr>
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After some photo ops and getting Mom to her spectating spot we were ready to go! We all spread out quickly but I got into a pretty good rhythm. I was going slow, but consistent. Around mile 2, amongst the rolling hills, I started thinking that I wished I had signed up for the 5k!! Before I knew it we were turning on Monroe which has a nice downhill, but is also fully exposed to direct sunshine. I started to heat up on this section but I still feel like I dressed properly. As we were going through 12 Corners in Brighton we saw lots of familiar Fleet Feet faces cheering everyone on, then we turned on to Elmwood so the sun was now behind us.<br />
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We weaved around some neighborhoods off of Elmwood and there were lots of families out cheering, this area was shady and there was still a cool breeze once in a while. By this point my Dad and I were going pretty evenly with one another, Evan was no where to be seen since he is so speedy and Molly was not too far behind us. We turned out on to Elmwood and passed Laura's house where she and her family were cheering from the driveway!! We paused long enough to drink some bottled water they had gotten ready for us and we were on our way. Thanks Laura!! With one giant hill back up, we returned to Highland and were in the home stretch. Along the rolling hills again, Dad and I picked mini landmarks to run and walk to. Once we could see Goodman in our sights we booked it, back up hill, to the finish line. Along the way we smelled lilacs and hot dogs and lots of people cheered us in! Even though Dad and I finished at the same time, I was listed first in the results, so I did technically beat him.SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-3303647911112782052014-05-17T11:34:00.001-04:002014-05-17T11:34:21.691-04:00A year ago today...I was driving to Cleveland to run my first full marathon! One of the things I love about this journal is looking back and reflecting on my accomplishments and how far I have come and what in my life has changed. Since this whole blog was created to track my training for my first full, I figured it might be a nice time to look back and remember how challenging and fun it really was. I really want to get on that path again to training and running another marathon or even try my first ultra, looking back for me is really inspiring.<br />
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If you are new to the blog or are interested in going back in time to one year ago today, start <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/05/cleveland-or-bust-expo.html">here</a>!<br />
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I am also excited to say that my race report for the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/11/race-report-stars-stripes-veterun-5k.html">Stars and Stripes 5k</a> held on Veteran's Day each year, caught the eye of the race directors and they asked if they can use it to present to potential sponsors, how neat is that!<br />
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Lilac Fest 10k tomorrow with Dad, Molly & Evan, can't wait to tell you all about it.SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-38838348768737910032014-05-14T18:36:00.001-04:002014-05-14T19:35:31.225-04:00The Start of a New SeasonHas it really been six months since my last post? Six months and 15+ pounds! I tried for most of last year to get some inspiration back for running. After the marathon I had a hard time getting into training consistently, mostly because I didn't want to train consistently, if that makes any sense. I had nothing major I wanted to accomplish, combine that with a freezing cold winter and I was pretty lazy with both my exercising and healthy eating.<br />
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One of my last <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/11/ton-of-fun-week-six-half-way.html">posts</a> mentioned trying to get the funk out... well I think six months later, maybe, I have done just that!! A change of the seasons helps. Both having the weather improve and the summer race season approaching, has put a spring in my step. My "runiversary" is coming up and I got inspired big time this past weekend for a couple of reasons. I'll get to that later. Now don't get the wrong idea, even though I haven't been blogging I have still been running, sporadically. I did quite a few late fall and winter races and my total race mileage for 2013 was 115. Not too shabby considering I was only 5 race miles down from 2012 and I wasn't really trying for most of the year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNu8OKoqZD6Kf_QtCAGd6EwV_v0pyWkmHUVQWCRuexgxDJXUQCHIE17E0IyhSRFaTLcEUc6uQxhJE9YpbE8HDqHIhNSVRH0UG0oI_ibrY-EHy9QJuCEk6ybKYqr7NivC1eZbU7qx91Ie4/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNu8OKoqZD6Kf_QtCAGd6EwV_v0pyWkmHUVQWCRuexgxDJXUQCHIE17E0IyhSRFaTLcEUc6uQxhJE9YpbE8HDqHIhNSVRH0UG0oI_ibrY-EHy9QJuCEk6ybKYqr7NivC1eZbU7qx91Ie4/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkey Trot 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I decided to sign up for the <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/02/double-duty-with-side-of-pr.html">Lake Effect Half Marathon</a> again hoping that would keep me running through the winter. Well at least February, who knew winter would continue into April! I knew since I PR'd last year and had only done a long run of ten slow miles that my time wouldn't compare. I just tried to not have it be my worst time and that worked. Thanks goodness for the train wreck that was Oak Tree 2012!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFlC1zu2IKm9c38XUZMb328m-VlrP9iHF07OpF3bWYbVq0VOc2pGjPbONIF3nksDFb4n34YGraBBiP2NWJSAR9Xs6Z3DnFo5kNWXnkx-Yj76T_HnYbukBXTEvCY3R2zKqXC-PKxqEy-A/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFlC1zu2IKm9c38XUZMb328m-VlrP9iHF07OpF3bWYbVq0VOc2pGjPbONIF3nksDFb4n34YGraBBiP2NWJSAR9Xs6Z3DnFo5kNWXnkx-Yj76T_HnYbukBXTEvCY3R2zKqXC-PKxqEy-A/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome spinner medal this year!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
March came along and found my Dad running his first half marathon! I went back and forth on running with him, especially since I liked<a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/03/syracuse-half-race-report.html"> this race</a> so much and finally we both came to the conclusion that I would spectate. So I went all out! I made tons of signs, drove around like a crazy person beeping and yelling, and totally teared up at the finish line. I am so proud! Can't wait to run one together. We also tried another race in Syracuse for the first time, The Shamrock Run. This was so much fun and we will be returning for sure!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_rEmcjcDiOnQ8LD-QiD6-1yjNtMhfic7Vb0aumCJG2_qWI8hw9jXQfLCnBfXzvqYbOzmivNFqGPsFdC2JHk9HEROgj8XQYhjRH3klYqFW8uJ5yHA1k_JJbAli3GGVCuu0C6cPmQnVHE/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_rEmcjcDiOnQ8LD-QiD6-1yjNtMhfic7Vb0aumCJG2_qWI8hw9jXQfLCnBfXzvqYbOzmivNFqGPsFdC2JHk9HEROgj8XQYhjRH3klYqFW8uJ5yHA1k_JJbAli3GGVCuu0C6cPmQnVHE/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many signs...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF6egsWiyGB5kwJ3VH7IS2WmyH5NpktVrJmC0qv2zanvb3-BfJEHbEjxZ-fPKD-uDf6qaSvWi1L57uefoz0YBhlMXDqfItF2v-v-684BKVDju_0tkAPpcCYimKgDwsVSHUN5DQpyaQBo/s1600/get-attachment-4.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF6egsWiyGB5kwJ3VH7IS2WmyH5NpktVrJmC0qv2zanvb3-BfJEHbEjxZ-fPKD-uDf6qaSvWi1L57uefoz0YBhlMXDqfItF2v-v-684BKVDju_0tkAPpcCYimKgDwsVSHUN5DQpyaQBo/s1600/get-attachment-4.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinneotC0Piz1OU7MNgiftgke4wwaZHXrkGjxHffO2vs2Cx-0MyvsAKS2K7TSYwRjcaHkh8HoLX45x2wcyqzLfxCB3Xqon3jKIKCQkEU4LBGDhJKGEAVtx41lZvgGl4ceJbIyaq630MYfk/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinneotC0Piz1OU7MNgiftgke4wwaZHXrkGjxHffO2vs2Cx-0MyvsAKS2K7TSYwRjcaHkh8HoLX45x2wcyqzLfxCB3Xqon3jKIKCQkEU4LBGDhJKGEAVtx41lZvgGl4ceJbIyaq630MYfk/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I did set a goal at the beginning of the year to try to run 3-4 half marathons throughout the year so I would have reason to keep doing some long runs. In April, I did my first major race 3-peat by completing the <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/04/flower-city-race-report-part-one.html">Flower City Half Marathon</a>. This was the first long distance race I did and I met some amazing people, who I still run with today, at HFM training in 2012.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMdqIqqmfDW0vc4XkymIDfOIkNoB8HXlelF3vk1k7waoclLIY4FdL4KQgOpsJ01erNzsDjilwDtciJqo-Rsr6B7ITM1rr5cFnYBvM27ryyzxwdkQtqA4NdCrrnuiRcSn0YDt9WrmkCD0/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcMdqIqqmfDW0vc4XkymIDfOIkNoB8HXlelF3vk1k7waoclLIY4FdL4KQgOpsJ01erNzsDjilwDtciJqo-Rsr6B7ITM1rr5cFnYBvM27ryyzxwdkQtqA4NdCrrnuiRcSn0YDt9WrmkCD0/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Now I don't recommend my training plan, but I didn't run for the entire month leading up to the race. For one reason or another life just got in the way. I decided, after chatting with another runner, that I would go into the race with a run/walk method, and see how I felt going forward. I would run 2 miles and then walk 1. I also figured I would walk some of the major hills. When I started I felt great, I should have since my legs were very fresh! The weather was perfect and the race went so well for me. Yes I was super slow, but I found that I didn't even need my run/walk strategy, my walk breaks were usually short and I had such a great time overall. I also saw lots of familar faces that I hadn't seen in a while and it helped me to remember why I love running and participating in races so much!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtODoVR6-ORpVdcUjNM6Pzt7HxTm2qUhJKRiIELy46HLgk7ko2phKmTd-7IQlWJLBI47XOnuzWxVmL6H-ZK415i1tPOcG3GpJDFpNKxcuZg08TC8o0hYiOIaHzPGTIuthLHJdFF_3X-Yg/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtODoVR6-ORpVdcUjNM6Pzt7HxTm2qUhJKRiIELy46HLgk7ko2phKmTd-7IQlWJLBI47XOnuzWxVmL6H-ZK415i1tPOcG3GpJDFpNKxcuZg08TC8o0hYiOIaHzPGTIuthLHJdFF_3X-Yg/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accidental twins, me & Katie at the<br />
Flower City Half Marathon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
During the Lake Effect half Marathon I found myself running around the same pace as a girl Kaitlin. Turns out she is from Rochester too! We had a great time running and chatting and even though she smoked me at the finish line, I was secretly hoping we would run together again some day. Thank goodness for social media and my good memory, because I found Kaitlin on FB and we actually got together for a run this past Saturday. We messaged back and forth and I created a route based on where she wanted to start and how many miles she needed to do. Kaitlin had 10 miles on the schedule, she is training for her first full, I said I would join her for 5 so I found a loop. I felt like I was back to my old self planning routes and looking forward to running.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFm3pA8XrDYEBe8gwXTAmYJ09l9MRw05n0IOY3ZgUZJoNfIx4PYw1TJ_noh_lxUfCXeT6Sn4VFU4iOWCeuU9W5wBESHOAvH2e7oEUSDNghfoD7hwt8GV7l_gEFvqHzTkoGnjo1X1D7Ws/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzFm3pA8XrDYEBe8gwXTAmYJ09l9MRw05n0IOY3ZgUZJoNfIx4PYw1TJ_noh_lxUfCXeT6Sn4VFU4iOWCeuU9W5wBESHOAvH2e7oEUSDNghfoD7hwt8GV7l_gEFvqHzTkoGnjo1X1D7Ws/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
Turns out it was pretty sunny and warm Saturday morning but it was a beautiful run. There were tons of people out, it was sunny with a breeze and we had so much fun. It went by so fast and our pace matched pretty well. We made it back to our cars and I headed home and Kaitlin went back out on her own for some more miles. After I went home and got ready for the day I decided to head over to North Ponds Park in Webster to check out the Mind The Ducks 12 hour race. I could only stay for an hour or so, but I had so much fun cheering on my running friends and watching then accomplish this amazing acheievement. It got me thinking could I run for 12 hours on a 1-mile loop, I'm not sure but I think I want to find out!<br />
<br />
This Sunday marks my "runiversary" with the Lilac Festival races. It was the first 5k race I trained for and began this whole running journey. In 2011 I ran the 5k, in 2012 I got cocky and ran both the 5k and the 10k, last year I was in Cleveland running my first full marathon and this year I plan to return to run just the 10k. I'll have a race report on Sunday or Monday.<br />
<br />
And you thought you were done having to read my blog, I'm just getting started...again!SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-81155163809235977362013-11-13T20:07:00.001-05:002013-11-13T20:07:19.974-05:00Twist it up TuesdayIn an effort to get out the noise, get out the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3468717743683117897#editor/target=post;postID=8681492180511225089;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=3;src=postname">funk</a>, I decided to switch up my Tuesday routine yesterday and try something different and (kinda) exciting. Since I sat in the hot tub at the Perinton Rec Center last Tuesday and watched Molly and Rob do laps, I got inspired. No, no... not to don a teeny bikini, but to take advantage of the work out facilities while my peeps did their thing. In a weird coincidence, Evan just happened to be working out while we were there and so he and I decided to go together this week. Which was a good thing, because it was freezing and snowy out. I need to grow my extra fur layer for winter running, it hasn't come in yet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingvQZWy2bY-XU6p85knzEeYVI4CpXXwbt7nI9qw8zlXRqp_ruaeDgCR2d5HTVZKJNznQgpIXquApd_qb7zBaCQNPG8Pwlg3X498ZgQQasZHg-nKir2DGq35TkMTqb6vuQcSjqunASjtY/s1600/full_PerintonAquaticCenter31281448456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingvQZWy2bY-XU6p85knzEeYVI4CpXXwbt7nI9qw8zlXRqp_ruaeDgCR2d5HTVZKJNznQgpIXquApd_qb7zBaCQNPG8Pwlg3X498ZgQQasZHg-nKir2DGq35TkMTqb6vuQcSjqunASjtY/s320/full_PerintonAquaticCenter31281448456.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting in the hot tub sounds way better then<br />
running in the cold, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So Molly and Rob were set to do laps and Evan & I would work out. Since lap time started later, I picked up Evan and Rob & Molly were supposed to come separate. Evan and I started on the treadmills, which have their own TV's!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqgzPhUOVPX50m9xocwTbVHEroQHjp3Z57WSY6FRPNag7FgRZRf3x2NHss5PMmAHusnLq6DOgyNu6HGgrBVLzooWvHWZHmdExKBp2BY-NNo0ThnFl61W90o8gsOa7tFfy7wlr9XB7gx8/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqgzPhUOVPX50m9xocwTbVHEroQHjp3Z57WSY6FRPNag7FgRZRf3x2NHss5PMmAHusnLq6DOgyNu6HGgrBVLzooWvHWZHmdExKBp2BY-NNo0ThnFl61W90o8gsOa7tFfy7wlr9XB7gx8/s320/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
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The view also overlooks the pool area and we got to watch all the cute babies taking their swim lessons. Nothing like some soggy diapers to make you want to jump in for a round of Marco Polo. We decided to do 30 minutes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkrYs-O0sjEpc_hKgNr-v64hk-G2q1vhAUea8ihZ-PvbFPRTBMTrujIqnDbd7D59djBQs4xUiLUjqH9qlIstBxjTRqAhEGWuCykOKP8nFrPmt_b5_ZabD0flt96YzvWt68c_ZUK3TF_8/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJkrYs-O0sjEpc_hKgNr-v64hk-G2q1vhAUea8ihZ-PvbFPRTBMTrujIqnDbd7D59djBQs4xUiLUjqH9qlIstBxjTRqAhEGWuCykOKP8nFrPmt_b5_ZabD0flt96YzvWt68c_ZUK3TF_8/s320/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woah, I have no neck from this angle, <br />
I have to work on my selfies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Then I quickly remembered why I hate the treadmill so much! Even though Evan and I were thoroughly engaged in an episode of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, how has he never seen this before, I was bored and wanted to be done five minutes into it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84oypLGX9aOJeuwhUBd6MckC0QJR9Hw3DnWqYFAS8m6-WOge5IvDjSD2nNcFWe0QkG5FQQQyu24F_WeMDjpkZoMvxaGHPMywxEuqD60UYygWEraZUS9tfbluMW1JpT4pKhPDvI4x4K8E/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84oypLGX9aOJeuwhUBd6MckC0QJR9Hw3DnWqYFAS8m6-WOge5IvDjSD2nNcFWe0QkG5FQQQyu24F_WeMDjpkZoMvxaGHPMywxEuqD60UYygWEraZUS9tfbluMW1JpT4pKhPDvI4x4K8E/s320/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan was having a great time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When the torture was over I realized my results were lack luster. I needed to redeem myself so we headed over to the Erg.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaruDf8wSBkuvclbFrfbR1TxvYQCDxmR0ZxS3Jo3BelefLHFfWlVzIGO3wKSb-XOqi6RijPnZyHKGZFU1NyI2-4WFtZFuCWcLRkQbJFUqp3db7Ww0VulbFP6s-JNmJNYiCSq1PG6vX3iU/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaruDf8wSBkuvclbFrfbR1TxvYQCDxmR0ZxS3Jo3BelefLHFfWlVzIGO3wKSb-XOqi6RijPnZyHKGZFU1NyI2-4WFtZFuCWcLRkQbJFUqp3db7Ww0VulbFP6s-JNmJNYiCSq1PG6vX3iU/s320/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Evan is a Crew-ber, not sure if that is a term, but he is a member of Fairport's crew team. So the erg is NBD. That's text talk for "no big deal" for you grandpa's out there. I strapped in and got to work. Taking some breaks here and there, this rowing stuff is hard, in the end I did ten minutes and really enjoyed it. While I was finishing up (ie. catching my breathe and trying not to faint) Rob walked down the stairs with his swim stuff. He actually seemed kind of impressed with my erg stats, and since he loves rowing at CrossFit I felt great!!<br />
<br />
So even though I have a gym membership and could have just gone to the RAC, I thought having a different workout partner and switching it up would keep me interested, it definitely did. But I still hate that treadmill.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Did my post on Lululemon get your yoga pants in a bunch? Check out the latest...</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1. Mr. CEO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/lululemon-founder-chip-wilson-apologizes-2013-11">apologizes</a> for blaming the female body for the breakdown of their product.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
2. Lululemon is so resourceful (or cheap) that they took their recalled (see through) yoga pants and just added mesh and extra fabric to them and put them back on the rack!! Dubbing them the "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/lululemon-new-pants_n_4262885.html">Second Chance Pant</a>". They did give you a six dollar discount, now they only cost $92 bucks. </div>
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<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-68112479493776447522013-11-12T20:38:00.000-05:002013-11-12T20:38:14.499-05:00Race Report- Stars & Stripes Veterun 5k<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQGj1juvaHwsurVobS-D9SZUPMCCPgiZ_ZkuKm4jSVhWvo4tomCw3WXoNW3MnwQrZj_RnRSz_qXrq5lRvGoCJqlYGmE-b45Z27VRKPhkXrCq3qwLs_AHb0N331HL228YwySWXO-xdkNE/s1600/123456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQGj1juvaHwsurVobS-D9SZUPMCCPgiZ_ZkuKm4jSVhWvo4tomCw3WXoNW3MnwQrZj_RnRSz_qXrq5lRvGoCJqlYGmE-b45Z27VRKPhkXrCq3qwLs_AHb0N331HL228YwySWXO-xdkNE/s1600/123456.jpg" /></a></div>
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I first heard about <a href="http://veterun.webs.com/">this</a> race in 2011, which also happened to be its inaugural year! Rob works for Clark CSM and created the logo you see above. The first year I ran with him and his boss Glenn. Rob actually wound up being my rabbit and I PR'd, even though the course is challenging with lots of rolling hills. This year I was way slower, but I am getting ahead of myself here!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob & Me - 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glenn & Rob- 2011</td></tr>
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I signed up for the third year in a row thinking that Rob would run with me again, but he couldn't. According to their FB page, the race is organized by 5 or 6 families from the Honeoye Falls area, with a ton of help from their friends and the Rochester community. The families all have ties to the military in some way and really wanted to draw attention to the true meaning of why we have off of work or school for Veterans' Day. Proceeds from the race entry and sponsors go to support Honor Flight, which is a program to honor those who served by flying them to Washington DC to see the monuments created for them. According to their FB page they were able to donate $21,050 from the first two years of the race. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This years shirt was by far my favorite.</td></tr>
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In addition to supporting a great cause, I love that I can take part in a community event that feels like a small town family fun run. They have always started the race by thanking the Veterans in attendance and they discuss the experience of <a href="http://honorflightrochester.org/">Honor Flight</a>, which I didn't even know existed until I started participating in this race. This year they also read a poem written by a veteran who was able to participate in the Honor Flight program. I would be lying if I told you I didn't tear up and think about my own family members who have served. I also enjoy that they tend to have young people sing the National Anthem and then everyone walks en mass to the start line and the gun goes off. There is something very ceremonial about the start of this race and I just love it! I feel like I am part of something bigger.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstKM4zlnMJXLpJ7feIsgTVzyHvvsNOBnMZPgdwsaGQV3wnlXk_A_NEvqKep3nqV3IdXQgAPD1kQfCQZHeUqCpvi9E4FfW5s88yoxQ9Tb_QTa7u_RsuXapGp0Iz5JT91cyfQ_REd5vaT8/s1600/IMG_1718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstKM4zlnMJXLpJ7feIsgTVzyHvvsNOBnMZPgdwsaGQV3wnlXk_A_NEvqKep3nqV3IdXQgAPD1kQfCQZHeUqCpvi9E4FfW5s88yoxQ9Tb_QTa7u_RsuXapGp0Iz5JT91cyfQ_REd5vaT8/s320/IMG_1718.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the lodge keeping warm.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fireplace is a nice touch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob's logo- awards I assume.</td></tr>
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I realized when I was pulling into Mendon Ponds that I forgot my Garmin and we all know that when you don't record it on your Garmin, it might as well have not happened, so I was bummed! I also know how hilly this course is and so I was worried about not being able to keep my pace in check. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Listening to the MC</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqYe834QXHKOnrNVOw6IJE5Y29su-RF1cY4rOgUa3lg_joXPo9XaguqwLHit1ZBAC7lmlZPdkQqXxAs8fOSKwJYA5H527HeIcc7IqZRzFQySWbzqI4tVsLc_o8pRZkEf_DUoSukjHoEg/s1600/IMG_1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqYe834QXHKOnrNVOw6IJE5Y29su-RF1cY4rOgUa3lg_joXPo9XaguqwLHit1ZBAC7lmlZPdkQqXxAs8fOSKwJYA5H527HeIcc7IqZRzFQySWbzqI4tVsLc_o8pRZkEf_DUoSukjHoEg/s320/IMG_1724.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So cool, and he kicked my butt!</td></tr>
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The gun went off and I started running, up hill. I felt like I went out too fast and when I got to the 1 mile mark there was no one reading splits, I am not sure if anyone was supposed to be, but this just reminded me how dumb I was for forgetting the Garmin. I continued on to the rolling hills and slowed at the water station. I also pulled over a little after that because I had a rock in my shoe. I feel like this happens more and more to me, especially at Mendon Ponds. Since the course is an out and back eventually the leaders zoomed by in the opposite direction and I was able to cheer on some familiar faces. There was definitely more walking breaks on the way back and I just tried to make sure I stayed even with the people in front of me and tried to not let any one pass me. This worked really well until I was going back and forth with these two young girls and they totally killed it on the downhill towards the finish line. Oh well. I officially clocked in my worst Veterun 5k time, but I am not in the same running shape compared to the previous two years. If anything, it is fantastic motivation to try to improve for next year!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the downhill finish, kinda makes <br />up for the uphill start, kinda! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy to be done and have another 3-peat race!</td></tr>
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The Tom Wahl's food truck was there this year and every runner got a free lunch! It smelled so good. I decided to skip the line and meet Rob for a healthier lunch. Even though Mendon Ponds is a killer course it pales into comparison to what a lot of service men and women have experienced in training and combat. So I can suck it up for a wonderful cause. This race is so well organized and truly feels like a family/community effort. I love that most military members represent their branch in clothing or uniform and that the race results even list their branch and time served, really cool. </div>
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One more thing that really hit home for me was when it was mentioned to go up and thank and shake the hand of any Veteran that you may see out at the grocery store, post office or out to eat. The speaker said that will make their day more then we understand. I witnessed this over the Summer when I was at Dunkin Donuts, because where else would I be. I saw a gentleman go up to a man who was wearing a hat saying he had served in one of our wars. He thanked the gentleman for his service and shook his hand. In that moment you could just feel how proud that Veteran was and he just beamed. When I witnessed that, I thought how much a simple, easy gesture can really make someone's day. </div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-15840607926567318862013-11-11T15:57:00.001-05:002013-11-11T15:57:59.368-05:00When life gives you lemons, try to squeeze your big butt into them?Lately there has been more and more written/said about the Lululemon brand and their transparent yoga pants and exclusion of the plus-size woman. I have sort of ignored all the hoopla, but it is becoming harder and harder to claim ignorance when the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/lululemon-founder-some-wo_n_4221668.html">founder</a> of the company, basically blames the female body for the breakdown of their product. HUH?!?! I have purchased and received gifts of Lulu since I started running. They are pricey, but I have never had an issue with the quality of anything breaking down. I have three jackets/hoodies, a pair of running tights and capri pants that I have used for yoga or lounging, and a long sleeve shirt.<br />
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I really do love all of my Lulu gear. It is comfortable, washes well, works well in tough situations (ie. couch time or running in freezing Rochester winters) and I feel good when I wear it. I know that may sound strange, but I am sure you have a favorite article of clothing that just makes everything right in the world while you are wearing it. Now, I have much less expensive athletic wear that I have purchased at Target or Marshall's or have gotten with a race entry, that is equally as comfortable and has worn well over my last three years of running.<br />
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Where I do struggle with the Lululemon brand is in its sizing. I do not have the typical runner body and this body changes easily depending on what I am putting in my system and what I am training for. What?! You can't train for a cookie eating contest and expect to fit into your body hugging athletic gear, what is wrong with the world! Not only does Lulu clothing only go up to a size 12, it is very rare to be able to find a size 12 in the product and style you want. And is the "12" even a realistic 12, probably not. The kicker, is that Lulu does this on purpose, because the the plus-sized customer isn't someone who they want representing their brand. We aren't part of their demographic, and they admit this. Out loud. To play devil's advocate though, if you walk through your typical mall, there are stores that you simply will not go into because you don't fit into the demographic. Am I going to shop in Hot Topic or Abercrombie and Fitch, probably not. Are the young and skinny going to step into a Lane Bryant or Christopher and Banks, doubt it. So why does Lulu get in trouble when they are simply doing what most stores in the mall do? Is it because the chauvinistic, male co-founder (spokesperson) of the company comes off as a douche bag? Here's another little gem from Wilson: "It takes 30% more fabric to create plus-size clothes, meaning that he would have have to charge a higher price for them. Something that Wilson said he would never do because plus-size people are <u>sensitive</u> and the company would feel intense fallout from the community." Sensitive?!? So what is your excuse for selling $98 stretchy pants to skinny people, you have no problem doing that. If you haven't been able to tell already, I am struggling with this whole topic/issue. An article I read recently said that consumers are expected to spend about $332 million on athletic wear sold at plus-size women's clothing stores this year. That is a crazy number! In fact, the article went on to say that the plus-size apparel industry is worth about $14 billion. So If Lulu chooses to not be a part of it, just to protect the image that only skinny people should be squeezing their butt into transparent yoga pants, then so be it. Maybe that is why analysts are seeing their growth <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-19/lululemon-goals-a-stretch-as-analysts-see-growth-slowing.html">slow</a>. Don't I sound so smart?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuRBSM75EePErKJEV3dbhhDadKs2OSi4KS0nQ368siwwU3O1B-Wn-vHnq88j1wCDZ0XE5-4NY7hPjiVU1vFKpouBpEAJ8VYMxx4jyqJdkhZnwPTUUd5ouXmuvGDR_D_33BRzim9WIC98/s1600/1375025_490125654417775_1906346540_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuRBSM75EePErKJEV3dbhhDadKs2OSi4KS0nQ368siwwU3O1B-Wn-vHnq88j1wCDZ0XE5-4NY7hPjiVU1vFKpouBpEAJ8VYMxx4jyqJdkhZnwPTUUd5ouXmuvGDR_D_33BRzim9WIC98/s320/1375025_490125654417775_1906346540_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from Lulu Rochester FB page.</td></tr>
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The Rochester Lululemon "showroom" recently shut its doors to make room for a bigger and better full size store later this month. Will I go and check it out? Probably. I am actually more curious than ever to see what the stock is of their size 10's and 12's. Naively, I used to think maybe they didn't have many "larger" sizes because they were just a showroom, which offered limited amounts of their products. I guess I'll find out the truth soon enough, even though I probably already know the answer. If you are interested in a male perspective on the Lululemon issue, check out this <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-posnanski/lululemon-plus-size_b_4235539.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular">link</a>.<br />
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<b>Have you ever boycotted a store/product because of the company's philosophy?</b></div>
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<b>Stars and Stripes Veterun 5k Race Report coming soon! </b></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-86814921805112250892013-11-08T17:24:00.000-05:002013-11-08T17:24:08.602-05:00Ton of Fun- Week Six (Half Way)Okay, something is definitely up this week. I don't know if it is mental, physical, cosmic, spiritual (as in someone has taken over my body) but I am in a funk. A funkadelic, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Funky Cole Medina, kinda funk. Okay, now that I have checked all the "funks" to make sure I keep the blog PG, please tell me it isn't just me? Is it the weather, the change of the clocks, was some sort of tired/lazy spell cast on me? It is probably none of these things, I probably just need to make some positive changes and get out of the funk on my own, but it's difficult. If you haven't guessed it already in all of my funkiness, I gained one pound this week, which is WAY better then I thought it was going to be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it possible to have Spring Fever when you haven't<br />
gone through winter yet?</td></tr>
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My week started with an awesome, new to me, <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/11/race-report-east-ave-grocery-run.html">5k last Saturday</a> and a lovely full body massage at Shear Ego. Compliments of Rob for my birthday. He made a good point that if he buys me gift certificates for them, then he doesn't have to do them. Sneaky, but smart. So it would seem as though my week was headed in the right direction. But by Monday night I was laying on the couch feeling exhausted, not quite feeling right and went to bed in the middle of one of my favorite TV shows. Thank god for DVR. Tuesday I felt a little spark of inspiration and knew that if I didn't run as soon as I got home I could very well get swallowed by the couch again. So I skipped the Cobb's Hill run and decided I would kill two birds with one stone and run to the polls to vote! I thought this was a good idea until I arrived at the location and stood in the privacy voting area with my ballot and proceeded to sweat all over the counter, whoopsy! I wound up running a little over two miles, not much, but I was happy to be outside on a beautiful fall day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheORTRO4QTHGtRtqHXZV1JaN9uZ__nNG490yCudxTv9DARvH_R7BEGEvovZNs77q8RBJTYvY67k2ol_v5ahYHgipaNj3lJcp0wfEYIA4fA2-wHDs5Ru2xbdbTiLybcTBMYlxsbJnA1UY/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheORTRO4QTHGtRtqHXZV1JaN9uZ__nNG490yCudxTv9DARvH_R7BEGEvovZNs77q8RBJTYvY67k2ol_v5ahYHgipaNj3lJcp0wfEYIA4fA2-wHDs5Ru2xbdbTiLybcTBMYlxsbJnA1UY/s320/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view along the way.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDxL_6TynWz75Fo09eWHIP07LOpR6Y2sB5xSSn-LTslx-zHEmMeklBNDaGRhGkCuZnacBUi7rgDN08aXewEQwpsOueFYa1TbOrCOlZAprw0CW6eJI-wTmSdfleSWbZFh3R7VyqtQbLZk/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDxL_6TynWz75Fo09eWHIP07LOpR6Y2sB5xSSn-LTslx-zHEmMeklBNDaGRhGkCuZnacBUi7rgDN08aXewEQwpsOueFYa1TbOrCOlZAprw0CW6eJI-wTmSdfleSWbZFh3R7VyqtQbLZk/s320/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish someone gave me a sticker<br />
every time I went for a run!</td></tr>
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Wednesday I packed my gym bag to go to my weekly spin class and I just didn't have the energy or desire to go. Instead I went home, cleaned the kitchen, made dinner and did laundry. At least I got some stuff done that needed to get done, but this didn't help my energy level or mood. Exercising and eating right is like a double edge Ginsu knife, when you do it, you feel great and have high energy. But when you are in Funkytown and can't escape, the last thing you feel like doing is sweating it out, but that is probably what you need to do the most! </div>
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Thursday is my typical weigh-in day at FF and for the first time in 7 weeks I did not do an official weigh-in. I had other errands and priorities that got in the way, and even though I could have made the time with a little more effort, I just didn't. So I weighed in at home and recorded my weight in My Fitness Pal, which I do every week regardless of my progress. It keeps me honest since not every week is going to be rainbows and roses. So there you have it, week five, in all of its funktastic glory!<br />
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SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-85090560020410149222013-11-03T10:24:00.000-05:002013-11-03T10:25:03.734-05:00Race Report- East Ave Grocery RunHave I mentioned how much I love fall/winter 5k season?! It started with the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/race-report-iron-angel-5k.html">Iron Angel 5k</a> and continued last week with <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-recap-pumpkin-in-park.html">Pumpkins in the Park</a>, another race I was able to 3-peat, this time along side my Dad. This week I did a new race, well new for me, the East Ave Grocery Run 5k!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqyZC4g5e7AfJy4XylpyXiWIN705BT80pWmeyOxQxgSuu8SZH5eR8WyqU6wUKDGVSBraC3zxiiE-KXnTkdwVv-Yf6fq5IvrpQwmUeJtxb7Kf8whWWEjX1K3msXEFXXF50DnVx8t3mlK0/s1600/logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqyZC4g5e7AfJy4XylpyXiWIN705BT80pWmeyOxQxgSuu8SZH5eR8WyqU6wUKDGVSBraC3zxiiE-KXnTkdwVv-Yf6fq5IvrpQwmUeJtxb7Kf8whWWEjX1K3msXEFXXF50DnVx8t3mlK0/s200/logo.gif" width="161" /></a></div>
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I got a text on Thursday from Molly asking if I wanted to join her for her run-iversary race. Molly started her running journey two years ago when she trained for a 5k through Medved. Her graduation race was <a href="http://www.groceryrun.org/">The Grocery Run</a>. I have heard of the race but never had the ambition to run it myself. So when she asked if I wanted to join in I looked up the race info, printed an application and set the alarm. Even though it sounds like I am just being a great running friend there was one tiny selfish reason I obliged so easily. You see, I added up my potential race mileage for 2013 and I would be about 3 miles under my number for 2012. So one more 5k would give me the little nudge that I needed.<br />
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It kind of felt good to know absolutely nothing about this race and to just jump in blindly. I joked on my FB page that I got suckered into paying to run on streets I could run on for free, but the entire race fee goes to the Third Presbyterian Church and Foodlink which work together to feed the hungry of Rochester. Plus the course was dubbed as flat and fast. They forget to tell you that you have to have fast legs to run fast, but it still sounds good. So far everything about this race sounded fantastic, until I walked out to meet Molly and discovered it was raining! By the time we got downtown it had cleared up though. The first thing I noticed was lots of colorful signs indicating all of the lots for parking. This was very helpful. We found a spot quickly and headed towards to church the register. Instantly we were greeted by tons of smiling and welcoming volunteers who pointed us in the right direction. In addition to the friendly people guiding you, they had bright signage everywhere!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couldn't get lost if you tried.</td></tr>
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Registration was super easy, there wasn't even a line. The shirts were pretty cool and I was wishing I had signed up ahead of time to get one.<br />
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In addition to having tons of bathrooms they even offered coffee and hot chocolate.</div>
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After getting our bibs and saying hi to some friendly running peeps, we headed outside to check things out. Molly told me that if we had brought canned goods we would have gotten a free Nalgene bottle. Again, another disadvantage to jumping into a race blindly, oh well.<br />
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We saw lots of people in food related clothing, I guess there was a contest if you came dressed up and even some race mascots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOOYyUzihkRUHZjPLnF3YUAB2Q1Ev5_qIZOT6NfiK4s-RwRwN6t_9hyphenhyphenY9Wm-769co23ztIjd4y5wYNleYGNS2Gy3bMBWCfPEEiXKkWfxHN1fJfPVYd9YkJUuzjOg6T2uuNePCR0J8n4A/s1600/1453381_596385037065286_1572857666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOOYyUzihkRUHZjPLnF3YUAB2Q1Ev5_qIZOT6NfiK4s-RwRwN6t_9hyphenhyphenY9Wm-769co23ztIjd4y5wYNleYGNS2Gy3bMBWCfPEEiXKkWfxHN1fJfPVYd9YkJUuzjOg6T2uuNePCR0J8n4A/s320/1453381_596385037065286_1572857666_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the Grocery Run FB page. </td></tr>
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We then headed to the start and I ran into one of my students. I wished her good luck and then we were off! There were tons of spectators and the weather had cleared up nicely. I briefly thought that I had maybe dressed too warmly, but there was nothing to do about it now.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Wegmans Peeps racing!</td></tr>
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We started our pretty speedy, well speedy for us, but I felt good so I just kept pushing on. About 5 minutes in we started seeing the leaders near the one mile mark. Seriously?! On our way to the one mile mark we passed two areas where the House of Guitars had sponsored music, how cool to have blasting music during a 5k. Great race amenity! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race photo from the Grocery Run's FB page!<br />
Molly's on the right and I am next to her.</td></tr>
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I hit the one mile mark at 11:32, again pretty quick for my typical run lately. I still felt okay so I kept on pushing. I walked through the water station and thanked the volunteers as I went. I did the second mile in 11:41 and was feeling my calves begin to tighten up. I thought my third mile was my slowest, since I took a couple very short walk breaks but it came up at 11:35. It was also during this mile that I really started over heating and having my glasses fog up. I could have done without my jacket for sure. I saw the finish banner on the horizon and I tried to push it to come in under 36 minutes but I wound up coming in at 36:01. If only I had gone quicker through the water station, oh well, still my best time since February!!!!!! I congratulated my student, who had finished right in front of me and waited & cheered Molly in, a little over a minute after I finished. We headed over to the refreshment tent, where they had a HUGE spread to enjoy. Even though we didn't eat anything I did take a chocolate milk for the road.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily and Molly.</td></tr>
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I loved this race and am so glad Molly asked me to join her. I would do it again for sure! It was so well organized, the course was great, there were even a lot of spectators out and about. I also enjoyed that this race had people of all sorts of abilities participating. I was surprised to see so many kids, families and walkers out to support the cause. This was my 46th race and it put me at 103 race miles for 2013 and I still have 3-4 more 5k's to run. I also spent some time this week preparing my half marathon training program for the Lake Effect Half in February 2014. I'll post on my plan later in the month. I'll officially start training at the beginning of December. More running stuff for me to blab about, aren't you lucky. </div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">When was the last time you tried a new race?</span></b></div>
<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-20680780540405013522013-11-02T17:23:00.000-04:002013-11-02T17:23:17.232-04:00Ton of Fun- Week FiveAnother week done and I am down 4 pounds in total. I would have thought at this point I would have lost more weight, but I am actually pretty proud that my weight is where it is at. Obviously I would like to lose more weight, but prior to joining the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/having-ton-of-fun.html">challenge</a> it was slowly creeping higher and higher since the end of marathon training. Here is an abbreviated look at week five by the day!<div>
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Friday- Halloween parade with my sister and her family. Went out to dinner with my parents.</div>
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Saturday- <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/10/race-recap-pumpkin-in-park.html">Pumpkins in the Park</a> with my Dad. </div>
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Sunday- Watched Ainsley and enjoyed a yummy beef stew made by my sister. </div>
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Monday- Yoga at Molly's Yoga Corner. This was the last class in the session so it was restorative, which is like a giant relaxing stretch fest. Oh yea! </div>
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Tuesday- Planned to run hill repeats and decided to run the hood instead. Then sat on the couch too long, got too dark too early and didn't run at all. Whoops. </div>
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Wednesday- Spin class; Halloween style. Complete with black light, halloween trivia and candy. Yup, I earned a York Peppermint Patty. </div>
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Thursday- At school I decided to dress up as a marathon runner, complete with finishers jacket, bib, race medal and running visor. Very original! Weigh-in and Half Moon salad. Handing out candy and enjoying some quality niece and nephew time. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Ever been happy with yourself for accomplishing something, even if it didn't go as perfect as you hoped?</b></span></div>
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<b>I think we all need more of this!</b></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-60608842791824047302013-10-27T10:59:00.001-04:002013-10-27T11:00:13.946-04:00Race Recap- Pumpkins in the ParkA race I love to hate, or is it hate to love? Either way, I always have excitement and am eager to sign up for Pumpkins in the Park and then, not long after signing up I think what the heck have a gotten myself into?!? Let's go back to the beginning...<br />
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2011 was my first year of running. I had met Laura (the first of many, quality running friends) through No Boundaries 12k training. Pumpkins in the Park would be the first race that I did "by myself". I went alone and did not have any family or friends cheering me on. I happened to meet up with Laura and her husband and we had a great time. The 5k course is challenging, the first two miles are pretty much up hill, including Cobb's Hill reservoir and the last mile is down hill. Thank God! The atmosphere of this race was awesome, lots of people dressed in Halloween costumes and there were tons of families because FF also offered kids races.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matt and Laura after the run.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course I am talking. </td></tr>
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Last year Laura and I had a repeat appearance and we had Molly join us. Molly insisted that we dress up and I told her that I would dress up if she took care of all the details. So we went as the "3 Blind Mice". I didn't remember it until I looked back at this photo but must be it wasn't all that cold since we were in short sleeve shirts and capris/skirts. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Laura & Molly</td></tr>
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This year since Laura is due with her second child in 3 weeks we lost one of our mice. It just wasn't the same without her. Molly was scheduled to run with me and then she skipped off to Boston for the weekend. Which left me alone and already signed up. I really do love this race, but I knew the course would be challenging and that it could be cold and rainy. Part of me wanted to bail and part of me wanted to continue the tradition and make it a 3-peat. My parents decided to come into town for the weekend and my Dad kept questioning me to find out if I was running. Apparently I never really answered him. When we saw him Friday night he said he brought his running stuff and was planning to sign up in the morning before the race. I guess this means I can't bail now. I warned Dad that the course was pretty challenging and that I was just going to treat it as a training run. Even though I am not really training for anything, haha. </div>
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We met at my sisters house at 7:30am and we headed to Cobb's Hill. The weather was cool, windy and cloudy, but it was dry. Parking was a breeze and we hung out inside the lodge to stay warm and catch all of the creative costumes going by. We also got to see tons of Rochester running peeps who are always so welcoming and supportive of my Dad. The owners of Fleet Feet were set to make a major announcement right before the start of the race, so we gathered outside and listened with excitement. The big announcement was that they are moving their Brighton store location to the Culver Road Armory, which was right near where the race was being held. The renderings of the new space were pretty cool and I am hoping they will now host more group runs from the new space, instead of always having their Saturday group runs at different field trip locations. </div>
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Once the race started, Dad and I began to run pretty conservatively. Since there are a lot of kids in this race and for some reason walkers lined up towards the front, we had a lot of bobbing and weaving to do before we finally got spread out around mile 1. It is so fun (and distracting) to get to check out all of the costumes running by. Before we knew it we were heading up Highland and towards the reservoir. Dad had never been up the reservoir so I think he was looking forward to checking out the view of the city from the top. After surviving the hill, we both booked it back down and down the Culver hill towards the finish line. We caught up to my cousin's wife who was also running, and all finished near each other. </div>
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After hanging out with them and watching the kids participate in the kids races, we headed to Dunkin' and enjoyed some hot chocolate and pumpkin scones my sister had made for us to take to the race. Overall I am really glad I decided to run this race. I did way better than I thought I would, and dare I say I even enjoyed myself. Now I remember why this IS one of my favorite races. Hopefully my mice will be back with me next year! </div>
<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-38168671382198260412013-10-26T13:50:00.001-04:002013-10-26T13:50:43.556-04:00Ton of Fun - Week FourI am sorry this post is so late! I switched up my usual Thursday night routine and didn't get the chance to work on it. Last night I joined my niece and nephew at the annual Halloween costume parade in Fairport and so I am just starting it now. I also have no photos, so consider this an epic blogger fail! But the good news is I lost weight this week.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If only I had all my toenails!</td></tr>
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I tried to change my frame of mind out of sabotage mode, and even though not every minute of the week was perfect, I came out on top. Last weekend we went to Wegmans for dinner and I always struggle with making healthy choices and not getting dessert! Well the Husband was really a lifesaver. He jokingly (but firmly) told me to stay away from the bakery section, and maybe the egg roll area. So I did. Well maybe I got a cookie, yeah, I think I did. Okay, survived test one, sorta.<br />
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I also did some better meal planning when we did our grocery shopping. I have said a couple times, if I buy it and it is in the house, I'll eat it. So I just try not to buy it, or buy better versions. I got nervous that I was falling into the same pattern as the previous week, when I felt super lazy and didn't exercise Monday night. So I got out the juicer and worked on my breakfast for Tuesday and Wednesday. I made a carrot, mango, pineapple juice, it was great!!<br />
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Tuesday I ran (and improved on) my Cobb's Hill run! Wednesday I went to my spin class and really focused on staying within my daily calorie target. Thursday I lost weight. Now since I didn't do my usual routine, I wasn't able to weigh in at home. Typically the home scale is lower then the FF scale and I started My Fitness Pal with my weight from home, so that is what I enter in. I did my official FF weigh in and was down so I put that in MFP instead. Now I just have to keep the momentum going and not get cocky with my weight loss. I promise I wont. This week is already off to a good start because I ran Pumpkins in The Park this morning. Race recap coming next!!<br />
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<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-91070539017568493972013-10-17T19:37:00.001-04:002013-10-17T19:37:06.179-04:00Ton of Fun- Week ThreeOkay so I am always honest on here so here goes. I gained weight this week. I can think of a million excuses, but really I just didn't try this week. It sucks that I even have to try so hard, that I have to think about it all the time, that I have to plan and worry about every food decision I make. For the rest of my life.<br />
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I had really good intentions going into the week, but I got cocky with my weight loss last week. Why do we all do this? Have a great week and figure you can cheat a little here and there and that it wont matter, but it always does matter! I started off indulging in some sweet treats that I justified having because it was my <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/10/they-say-its-your-birthday.html">birthday</a> weekend. We had a tailgating event and a short camping trip over the weekend, and I know I could have avoided the multiple sodas and the larger portions I ate. One saving grace was that since my Mom knows about the weight loss challenge, she avoided making me any sort of birthday dessert on Sunday, thanks Mom!<br />
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I had off on Monday so I was out of my food and exercise routine. I had the whole day and didn't do anything to help my progress, except for juice. I did make my juice for Tuesday and Wednesday morning. So by Tuesday I felt like too much damage had already been done, I knew the scale wasn't going down, I wasn't even sure at that point if it would read what it read last week. I did manage to get to the Tuesday night Cobb's Hill run. Molly and Rob went with me and I did see some improvement over the previous week and I did a tiny bit extra too! But after the run I got treated to a birthday milkshake. For the record I did get a small, but it didn't help matters.<br />
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Wednesday morning, bored with my juicing recipe and already knowing I wasn't succeeding for the week, I stopped at Dunkin'. Instead of playing it safe(r) and just getting my latte, I got a bagel with low fat cream cheese too. Ugh. I did okay during the school day and made it to my weekly spinning class where I rocked it! I try to be conservative with eating on Wednesdays, knowing that weigh-in day is Thursday. I made a Boca burger and a rice side dish. I knew the rice side dish was a mistake while I was making it because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat just a small portion. Sabotaging myself I ate the whole package. Ugh again. I sort of had the mindset that I knew I was going to be up at the weigh in, so why bother. I should have switched my frame of mind and said that every choice I make can either make it worse, or make it better. I should have just made it better. I will probably make this mistake again in my life. I'm human.<br />
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So I wasn't excited about weighing in, I was actually thinking about postponing it until Friday, but I thought that would just make it worse. So I faced the scale, and was up just like I thought, but still down over all so it isn't life altering. Lessons learned in week three? Don't get cocky, if you are down you can easily go back up again. Use every bad decision as a stepping stone to a great choice. Hopefully I can remember these lessons during week four. Here goes nuttin'!SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-46216546244048084562013-10-14T21:34:00.001-04:002013-10-14T21:34:44.211-04:00They Say It's Your BirthdayHow was your weekend? Mine was fabulous! It was my birthday weekend, ya know, part of my birthday month! It all started with a shortened work day on Friday. A few of us went out for a late lunch at The Gate House. I had a burger with brie and apple slices, yum! I also started the weekend with a blackberry pear cider, double yum!<br />
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We followed lunch with a short walking tour of some art around Village Gate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Paley sculpture at the MAG</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Wall Therapy murals from 2012.</td></tr>
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After the walking tour I headed home and met Molly for a run on the canal. The weather was perfect, the leaves were colorful and I had a blast. When Rob got home he presented me with my birthday gifts. Even though my birthday was still two days away, neither of us are patient when it comes to giving (or getting) gifts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new juicing cook book, sweaty band and a gift card<br />for a massage from my favorite place, lucky me!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first wife card!!!</td></tr>
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On Saturday I woke up and Rob offered to make me breakfast. Oatmeal, sweetened with blue agave nectar and raspberries.<br />
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For the past three years we have spent my birthday weekend at the Hunt Races in Geneseo tailgating and celebrating with Rob's work. It was super sunny and hot this year, we both got a bit of sunburn.<br />
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After the Hunt Races, Rob and I drove from Geneseo to Watkins Glen where my parents were camping with the Wright family. This is the third or fourth year they have participated in their Halloween weekend. Basically they decorate the two campsites like crazy and hand out candy to the camping trick-or-treaters. Of course I forgot to take pictures of how cool it looked, but it was sort of like this...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually this is way cooler!</td></tr>
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After a great campfire and a cruddy nights sleep, thanks loud neighbors, I woke up to "Happy Birthday" being sung to me. We ate breakfast and shortly after Rob and I decided to go to Watkins Glen State Park to hike the gorge.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbNVeM0kC3TVMGYCO_IhHau4dH94y9aCJpgIP1oMTYXmRbOnLzZS2czhT83BA-JbkYv2ErvPNk4EkZWJmnctKyiXjoMDBoBtOk8SnKd3_vIaQNTin6blHH5qW6HDbWmJcDPsOpPOaVMQ/s1600/IMG_1659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbNVeM0kC3TVMGYCO_IhHau4dH94y9aCJpgIP1oMTYXmRbOnLzZS2czhT83BA-JbkYv2ErvPNk4EkZWJmnctKyiXjoMDBoBtOk8SnKd3_vIaQNTin6blHH5qW6HDbWmJcDPsOpPOaVMQ/s320/IMG_1659.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought this was as exciting as it got!<br />I was impressed right away.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJYdWacgydLxgofVKGeYtc_PvE5ig8V1i0VvNqIcQTMN7FjRPCgUFF2iAOEdDeSN937zwo0Y7eZVy0VHThEcC0YJ-v9K9sLInnxpohVwLsq2BLpcUiHPsrSbf53F1jFGcyFH_vDlcMr8/s1600/IMG_1661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJYdWacgydLxgofVKGeYtc_PvE5ig8V1i0VvNqIcQTMN7FjRPCgUFF2iAOEdDeSN937zwo0Y7eZVy0VHThEcC0YJ-v9K9sLInnxpohVwLsq2BLpcUiHPsrSbf53F1jFGcyFH_vDlcMr8/s320/IMG_1661.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't know there was so much climbing<br />involved. 832 steps, woah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR3AXA4PLRqkQPiP7R3_08A5V2NEBwZo0bNAcAGSkVUI2TUq0y0Nl747fd4MyOZqSLbDf-ct07zMfuMXt2rrtk9XX6ezYjnJsHCFiZdI8qJvJXaap0RMbgovi6Bl304JbArelrbH8UD0/s1600/IMG_1664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtR3AXA4PLRqkQPiP7R3_08A5V2NEBwZo0bNAcAGSkVUI2TUq0y0Nl747fd4MyOZqSLbDf-ct07zMfuMXt2rrtk9XX6ezYjnJsHCFiZdI8qJvJXaap0RMbgovi6Bl304JbArelrbH8UD0/s320/IMG_1664.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday girl and her husband.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeI4RE93JfmmB1XcCEeEYHItWIGEH6bxTbbRpc8zNS8OSPtov_r7uzZJsUdDCCANIZUEbOVTRB7QpjJe8bJxSuyQ2kY3ZhOGxsjH6kt-hnnp4xMIQkF44Ou85HAWezLksciAY38zNmeM8/s1600/IMG_1671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeI4RE93JfmmB1XcCEeEYHItWIGEH6bxTbbRpc8zNS8OSPtov_r7uzZJsUdDCCANIZUEbOVTRB7QpjJe8bJxSuyQ2kY3ZhOGxsjH6kt-hnnp4xMIQkF44Ou85HAWezLksciAY38zNmeM8/s320/IMG_1671.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These photos don't really capture<br />the grand scale of the gorge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhN1HUq46bVJBF_nKaZA3PJNjAkKzusE5EInnjuMII-6EdKevL6FIb1x_K1FLwrc8DavsEk5fQaxmcoTtXHW8bDBGTSqTFl8Fd-cM3Wo3dURJAL25x25fVR1YJOwuB3-Gf3dM5HgQ06E/s1600/IMG_1672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhN1HUq46bVJBF_nKaZA3PJNjAkKzusE5EInnjuMII-6EdKevL6FIb1x_K1FLwrc8DavsEk5fQaxmcoTtXHW8bDBGTSqTFl8Fd-cM3Wo3dURJAL25x25fVR1YJOwuB3-Gf3dM5HgQ06E/s320/IMG_1672.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we got to the end/top we took<br />a different trail back. There were<br />a lot less people and it was much<br />drier, and sunnier and prettier! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After hiking the gorge we headed back to the campsite to enjoy a yummy homemade lunch with the folks and then we made our way back north to Fairport. The drive home was beautiful, Rob slept, I had the radio off, window down and just enjoyed the sunny, fall day. A great way to start my 32nd year.SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-62681355784271654852013-10-11T19:53:00.002-04:002013-10-11T19:53:20.721-04:00I'll come clean, I'm on the juice.<div style="text-align: left;">
Over the summer I fell in love with juice. Specific juice. I visited Breathe Yoga and Juice Bar in Pittsford and got hooked on some of their cold pressed juices. They also offer juice at their juice bar that you can have made to order while you wait. The cold pressed juices are prepared ahead of time, bottled and they last for 2-3 days. Even though they are pretty pricey (9-10 dollars for 16 oz.) I got them semi-regularly and used them for breakfast. I have my favorite flavors, my two favorites contain pineapple and are on the sweeter side. They have a filling, lasting effect and they are a cool, refreshing treat on a hot summer day. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vXUDh_hyphenhyphennFG4eRRafwEfNvTk1izlDYmkrB1QkAvuVZHp3pO7G2dN5tdWZnqwX__JERmPF6qFVi8PaELhIx8Ds4kfOXXQFoBCa9TvAes9jlrSUMsHa58LJof-aXAt6lvFktuCG4WR4wc/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vXUDh_hyphenhyphennFG4eRRafwEfNvTk1izlDYmkrB1QkAvuVZHp3pO7G2dN5tdWZnqwX__JERmPF6qFVi8PaELhIx8Ds4kfOXXQFoBCa9TvAes9jlrSUMsHa58LJof-aXAt6lvFktuCG4WR4wc/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold pressed juice on the left, juice bar on the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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This got me thinking, would I be saving money if I actually bought a juicer and made my own? Would they, could they, taste just as good? Would I actually use it or would it just sit in the cabinet collecting dust? I started doing some juicer research, compared different brands, checked out consumer reviews and decided if we bought one it would be a Breville juicer. The price was way more then we could afford though.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pYkeVqj4yuSmg1V5D566YKuww8FlxMdwUhUBG_muMTb73P51cESX56XExudEeJRoNgpc-3CB1SQnv_acZMhKlh2UFcCnnJAcTi4zZJjWSBhldQD2w9dLftUpHRWN8fBYvWWNzhW7B8k/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pYkeVqj4yuSmg1V5D566YKuww8FlxMdwUhUBG_muMTb73P51cESX56XExudEeJRoNgpc-3CB1SQnv_acZMhKlh2UFcCnnJAcTi4zZJjWSBhldQD2w9dLftUpHRWN8fBYvWWNzhW7B8k/s400/Picture+2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breville for sale at Macy's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Around the same time I was doing research, I started seeing those commercials on TV for the documentary <i>Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead</i>. Even though I haven't seen the documentary, the commercials made me curious and so I went to the <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/about/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead">website</a> to check out what the big deal was. While I was on the website I noticed that "Joe the Juicer" uses Breville juicers exclusively. I also found this <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing/juicer-buying-guide">helpful page</a> for describing the different styles of juicers and helping you choose which type of juicer would be best for you. The website also has great <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/recipes">recipes</a>, healthy properties & benefits of different fruits & vegetables and an <a href="http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/juicing/produce-prep">EZ prep guide</a> for tons of fruits and veggies for when you are actually ready to juice.<br />
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I found the juicer that worked best for us for sale at Macy's for $250. Yea, big bucks. Even though it was on sale for less and we had a wedding gift card it was still way too much. We also had some wedding money/discounts at Bed Bath and Beyond so I thought I'd check them out. The same exact juicer was sold for $100 less at BB&B!!! The juicer shown above started at $149.99. With the discount from our registry and gift cards, the juicer would cost us around $90. I probably spent more than $90 at Breathe this summer, so I totally justified that it would be worth it. I asked the hubs if I could use our wedding gifts for it and he gladly obliged! I was going to do it even if he didn't agree, but now that we are married I figured I should probably ask!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-QclhzJulsk1BqPFRuE5OQ5Mv7r08UGaK8o6xQI8uswrNH8VXQwVZcUZDiqQgEC0xCvGoJ1BhftzQDUQM1vHcq8SJB0LQAV2YaAqGAtvk_KhX19D2ANYX7hC_U-XZ4XE4QZGBu-gUmM/s1600/IMG_1630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-QclhzJulsk1BqPFRuE5OQ5Mv7r08UGaK8o6xQI8uswrNH8VXQwVZcUZDiqQgEC0xCvGoJ1BhftzQDUQM1vHcq8SJB0LQAV2YaAqGAtvk_KhX19D2ANYX7hC_U-XZ4XE4QZGBu-gUmM/s320/IMG_1630.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When we did our weekly grocery shopping I picked up some apples, prepped pineapple, mangos and lemon juice. I have since experimented with pears, carrots and strawberries. My first juice was apple, pineapple and mango, with a hint of lemon juice. This was a bit too sweet. Since I wasn't following an exact recipe and I didn't quite know how much juice would be yielded I just kinda tossed stuff in. I was pleasantly surprised that it made more then I thought it would and it tasted good! Some fruits and veggies take prep work, others you can toss right in. The juicer has a lot of parts and it looks confusing, but it is really easy to assemble and use quickly. Clean up is also pretty easy. When doing my research I found that this juicer is almost entirely dishwasher safe, which is a big bonus in my book. Even though I have only hand washed it so far, since it is so easy. I have gotten into the habit of making my juice while I am cooking dinner. I refrigerate it over night and it is cold and ready to go to work with me in the morning. I am not a huge breakfast eater, especially during the work week, so this is an easy, portable, healthy alternative. It also keeps me pretty full until lunch!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnc9X6E-YWvwfF1MM62k1qe0x-JZ1Q6n5sncw_B9HHrV_buoiZJ99UkL-je3fiPtX3K-jPIsMW2vziZpX2QeKWNxkA2ipbxFqW1ujXmg798m3HRO3YJSISb4YF9IPe9FQ_-in2nH22ugg/s1600/IMG_1632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnc9X6E-YWvwfF1MM62k1qe0x-JZ1Q6n5sncw_B9HHrV_buoiZJ99UkL-je3fiPtX3K-jPIsMW2vziZpX2QeKWNxkA2ipbxFqW1ujXmg798m3HRO3YJSISb4YF9IPe9FQ_-in2nH22ugg/s320/IMG_1632.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For strawberries you have to remove the greens.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZLgGSwG78oUmv0vOK8GSBRHqdkzYuATmQf_8-rmkECH33k8xkkZZGBLu7ZSC0SMQHI53zoV95If_9fz-uW3prTUUundvfto8-rkzwiq6-Kfqow9inLQqLzGWb7paVjUGrDNV5LE5qL0/s1600/IMG_1634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZLgGSwG78oUmv0vOK8GSBRHqdkzYuATmQf_8-rmkECH33k8xkkZZGBLu7ZSC0SMQHI53zoV95If_9fz-uW3prTUUundvfto8-rkzwiq6-Kfqow9inLQqLzGWb7paVjUGrDNV5LE5qL0/s320/IMG_1634.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small apples and carrots get thrown right in!<br />
Normally I would use two carrots but I only had 1. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd8rfApKYCGPOL-DCXi2nkFm4n1a6d3qBNiRk5Lmngc5KjkkAeDE8bJCPbPP5VV5xu8rqsP37iaqhQQ-V_CT-ZrIJwdH10TXnmBX7LmaF9xTra7ulre70VqsdzedD8VRPnf9Mv9_IMM0/s1600/IMG_1635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCd8rfApKYCGPOL-DCXi2nkFm4n1a6d3qBNiRk5Lmngc5KjkkAeDE8bJCPbPP5VV5xu8rqsP37iaqhQQ-V_CT-ZrIJwdH10TXnmBX7LmaF9xTra7ulre70VqsdzedD8VRPnf9Mv9_IMM0/s320/IMG_1635.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Somewhere in my research I read that if you<br />
use produce bags to catch the waste from<br />
the food that it makes clean up a lot easier.<br />
It really does!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJz8P_uNaaBOXBM67HeXa2x_jfktD9a7f0MVEV5qA-cr-nYL4OP-7fAEE-sSbyI5BSJmxhvhP_sMKB4XEMLYrdLSO-ToeZbf6A6HartfjyBjiw_OyjiqQLbtFqzkeF0MDb0YI3d2dJ1wI/s1600/IMG_1636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJz8P_uNaaBOXBM67HeXa2x_jfktD9a7f0MVEV5qA-cr-nYL4OP-7fAEE-sSbyI5BSJmxhvhP_sMKB4XEMLYrdLSO-ToeZbf6A6HartfjyBjiw_OyjiqQLbtFqzkeF0MDb0YI3d2dJ1wI/s320/IMG_1636.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This juicer has two speeds. Low for softer food, <br />
like the strawberries and high <br />
for harder food like the apples and carrots.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDO2xH4cAr5HPcQl4TYzJVrVoqdeBaU1ErZBXHWbjeV1kwRGq6Gine1bWiYZEvLhJs_emkwJxx4BEzMjBiruIhE0xkJA4Hj_PELEv4r-2Pl0N2SXeQcGdVDw82W5zvBhSEF-u8TLBoko/s1600/IMG_1637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDO2xH4cAr5HPcQl4TYzJVrVoqdeBaU1ErZBXHWbjeV1kwRGq6Gine1bWiYZEvLhJs_emkwJxx4BEzMjBiruIhE0xkJA4Hj_PELEv4r-2Pl0N2SXeQcGdVDw82W5zvBhSEF-u8TLBoko/s320/IMG_1637.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In goes the carrot, out comes juice!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcF8W3pcJvytpbuH_jAReKVlwgku03mYZxaO0G_JPokrs7sr58Zj0ahSXUh6pYxMmFQWxhmiePqqE2yaYhfs7NHsU0qknbz3dCxWBLKAPWbgxuHxfSFt4lvQdcXZfubf62XKWYiKgWCc/s1600/IMG_1639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcF8W3pcJvytpbuH_jAReKVlwgku03mYZxaO0G_JPokrs7sr58Zj0ahSXUh6pYxMmFQWxhmiePqqE2yaYhfs7NHsU0qknbz3dCxWBLKAPWbgxuHxfSFt4lvQdcXZfubf62XKWYiKgWCc/s320/IMG_1639.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In goes the apples, out comes a lot<br />
of juice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpYSt8mv51keyZbE1nZk231BV9dWcQBgq91zkaObAfXEwy42uyCi4s6pCxSONkmZeEuXLxWJS3K2l-jT_5dVVJFm6P-N2dhrLZNvlgosGSI0170GwYJpCCsUbS8jiACy7Mi5BeiSPwl0/s1600/IMG_1643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpYSt8mv51keyZbE1nZk231BV9dWcQBgq91zkaObAfXEwy42uyCi4s6pCxSONkmZeEuXLxWJS3K2l-jT_5dVVJFm6P-N2dhrLZNvlgosGSI0170GwYJpCCsUbS8jiACy7Mi5BeiSPwl0/s320/IMG_1643.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last to go in is the strawberries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_iAelmUoc_F0cJAEC9YBfZ2Vzk1HYK7Zd0981Ysqt5yt9zYgnK5S6fHSzMxba9BrYAVTISdBX4Gzp82zpOCB2UnmsizucX9aoAlD7NHE7Fb7G4en2nlCfOmYxRWNiJ12myw7xSDEK94/s1600/IMG_1644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_iAelmUoc_F0cJAEC9YBfZ2Vzk1HYK7Zd0981Ysqt5yt9zYgnK5S6fHSzMxba9BrYAVTISdBX4Gzp82zpOCB2UnmsizucX9aoAlD7NHE7Fb7G4en2nlCfOmYxRWNiJ12myw7xSDEK94/s320/IMG_1644.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to clean up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnnv5roMlOhE4pBnyK0qROri-N1pDp797NkKHJ94GFkI0Qdix56_VLVjXW6bKCzlS4O7uXAw6ghlaTh79ju5CQAHQe74SZ79Hc9F6AnwY1Zuw4uhKoRMKf3VZVGRopkfkVzxiJKG-SMo/s1600/IMG_1646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUnnv5roMlOhE4pBnyK0qROri-N1pDp797NkKHJ94GFkI0Qdix56_VLVjXW6bKCzlS4O7uXAw6ghlaTh79ju5CQAHQe74SZ79Hc9F6AnwY1Zuw4uhKoRMKf3VZVGRopkfkVzxiJKG-SMo/s320/IMG_1646.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waste in the produce bag, remove<br />
and toss into the trash.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDJUNeXV6hfLOf2j9MeibgMz7Vad_jQTqOeipJCZNNaFIRl7trjbYK0n9XpneCowTHe5nwVHKRtD7fcnYhEUFjv4ofTDf23cfqd-56-o9rxANAhFmBrtcSgNPm_xTDF9GXvkh3IROmuU/s1600/IMG_1647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRDJUNeXV6hfLOf2j9MeibgMz7Vad_jQTqOeipJCZNNaFIRl7trjbYK0n9XpneCowTHe5nwVHKRtD7fcnYhEUFjv4ofTDf23cfqd-56-o9rxANAhFmBrtcSgNPm_xTDF9GXvkh3IROmuU/s320/IMG_1647.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juice and the froth on top. This batch<br />
didn't make as much as other batches<br />
have, but since it is the end of the week<br />
I am running out of produce.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVleWDP59SfDYZdll6qGIHUlCYfg9X0z0yAPNDaHbh7w3Tc_0o3HHiyEHxeGpnjZLLzYCmI0UqMZRkuDifGpmo6VeBIsBoRpwI8T0RV_evKUhiF9-iYyfW0uFh7jvHcb5Ca7xYOLUkeI/s1600/IMG_1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVleWDP59SfDYZdll6qGIHUlCYfg9X0z0yAPNDaHbh7w3Tc_0o3HHiyEHxeGpnjZLLzYCmI0UqMZRkuDifGpmo6VeBIsBoRpwI8T0RV_evKUhiF9-iYyfW0uFh7jvHcb5Ca7xYOLUkeI/s320/IMG_1648.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The catcher/dispenser has a separator <br />
built in to remove the froth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWtliXeyx2PwlGJ9LziBbH5nowim94g3jgk3Ck2oYDMjOthfWk4jZhTh6-cHtHLP6KZtLX-mpI9JzcAcVwLcN-oLVivp9JDMEPSjsGhmBXxCmKzdtyPJjKlrxfHPXxTXtiN8xyKfkjzg/s1600/IMG_1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWtliXeyx2PwlGJ9LziBbH5nowim94g3jgk3Ck2oYDMjOthfWk4jZhTh6-cHtHLP6KZtLX-mpI9JzcAcVwLcN-oLVivp9JDMEPSjsGhmBXxCmKzdtyPJjKlrxfHPXxTXtiN8xyKfkjzg/s320/IMG_1650.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished juice in my fancy juicer/travel<br />
cup. It isn't that fancy, it cost $5 at<br />
Wegmans and we bought it for<br />
the wedding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you have any juicing questions let me know! Since I am pretty new to it I would recommend checking out the website links I shared above. I plan to get some more veggies when we go shopping this weekend. I also hope to try some of the actual recipes I have bookmarked on my computer. My juicing plan has kept me out of the Dunkin' drive thru this week and I am pretty sure it helped me be successful in the Ton of Fun <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/10/ton-of-fun-week-two.html">challenge</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you own a juicer?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>What are some of your </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>favorite fruits and veggies to juice?</b></span></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-88706465529452675432013-10-10T18:01:00.002-04:002013-10-10T18:01:18.096-04:00Ton of Fun- Week TwoHow has it already been a week since I last posted?! I have every intention of doing a post on my experience thus far with our juicer, but every time I am done and washing the juicer, I remember that I wanted to take photos of the process. Hopefully now my post can live up to the hype, whenever it gets done. But anywho, we are really here to discuss week two on the ToF weight loss <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/having-ton-of-fun.html">challenge</a>. To find out how week one went, click <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/10/ton-of-fun-week-one.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Week one wasn't perfect and I really wanted to try to make more changes for week two, since I am sort of getting into a good groove. I have officially logged in and tracked for 13 days in a row on My Fitness Pal, if you haven't downloaded this free app what are you waiting for? Go ahead, check it out, I'll wait. Also, you can just go to the <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/">website</a> if you don't have access to apps. There are some extra bonus features there that you can't get on the app.<br />
<br />
So back to trying some new things for week two... I figured since I polished off a half gallon of ice cream during week one, maybe I should just not buy the ice cream in the first place, that way I am not tempted. Mission accomplished! I also decided to be more diligent about juicing, since I am using it as my breakfast to avoid the Dunkin' drive thru. On Saturday, Rob and I went to the farmers market in Fairport to get some veggies for dinner and to use for juicing experimentation. Week one I had only juiced with fruits and my sugar intake was really high. I also decided instead of juicing every night for the next morning, to make a double batches instead. I went four days in a row with no trips to Dunkin'! I hope they don't forget my usual.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjJho3Whqg1KgP5tbfPSEaad98wFy67S_DcdscLVXu0ruVV9CJbHlKniy7Uh6krH9UBjNy2BElbMldKqvg_VT3sbN8F9SmieSnPZBZq9UXsXwQsmfMlcFZeYxs-3OvYSa1n2TvKHG9RY/s1600/Stephdunkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjJho3Whqg1KgP5tbfPSEaad98wFy67S_DcdscLVXu0ruVV9CJbHlKniy7Uh6krH9UBjNy2BElbMldKqvg_VT3sbN8F9SmieSnPZBZq9UXsXwQsmfMlcFZeYxs-3OvYSa1n2TvKHG9RY/s320/Stephdunkin.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I have too much time on my hands.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As far as my weekly exercise I really slacked off over the weekend so I hit the ground running Monday. Instead of yoga I went to the gym and did 45 minutes of hard cardio. On Tuesday I returned to my former Tuesday tradition of the Cobb's Hill run and I brought Rob. This was very eye opening. Cobb's Hill is always pretty challenging, but during half marathon training I got pretty good at it and even enjoyed it occasionally. Well on Tuesday I couldn't make it up the hill without a walk break. I figured this is a good gauge of starting over and it can only get better from here. Wednesday was my usual spin class, we had a sub, but she was pretty good.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqXDEfHyKlaleO5bjpwEoFwkSVOKWEpFKJHKMIHIx6_bdxIvD3iFVmfhtgQyTEudl7XbtlHM0dhpcEK-lfwYNUb6mAXU-V_28iVD5RZD2ftESDz-sX0fS7_ABfyoWrLf4ByfD8UV6h2o/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqXDEfHyKlaleO5bjpwEoFwkSVOKWEpFKJHKMIHIx6_bdxIvD3iFVmfhtgQyTEudl7XbtlHM0dhpcEK-lfwYNUb6mAXU-V_28iVD5RZD2ftESDz-sX0fS7_ABfyoWrLf4ByfD8UV6h2o/s400/get-attachment-3.aspx.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4.6 pounds lost so far! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Must be all the changes I made helped because according to the FF scale I lost over 3 pounds!!! Way better results compared to week one. I think I have found my groove for sure. How did I celebrate? My favorite Half Moon salad and I splurged and got a Mountain Dew. I really like to live on the wild side.<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9x-saFEaCeHlFmIUxWpoifaeBs5aSxPwnqUG84kTOyuk-TKRG6TRNbgElWeQNWOQNFOHEd50fNhVlvlXecJOalLv-ghOhA8TYLTLTAgO8ifhM4x16jpUcJuC6lSbcVJHpqAqLzrJ1vw/s1600/get-attachment-5.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9x-saFEaCeHlFmIUxWpoifaeBs5aSxPwnqUG84kTOyuk-TKRG6TRNbgElWeQNWOQNFOHEd50fNhVlvlXecJOalLv-ghOhA8TYLTLTAgO8ifhM4x16jpUcJuC6lSbcVJHpqAqLzrJ1vw/s320/get-attachment-5.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Looking ahead to week three I hope I can continue to stay in the groove with these changes and make healthy choices overall. It might be hard since my birthday is coming up and I am a fan of sweets, maybe I'll make a special birthday cake juice...carrots, pineapple, mango and some sprinkles? Maybe I'll just stick a candle in it!<br />
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<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-18864067610211394112013-10-03T20:22:00.001-04:002013-10-03T20:22:34.921-04:00Ton of Fun- Week OneLast week I wrote about my latest personal challenge, which is Ton of Fun. Click <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/having-ton-of-fun.html">here</a> in case you haven't been stalking me as much as you should! Well the challenge started Saturday and Molly and I had our first official weigh in. Of course we went to Fleet Feet together, to keep ourselves accountable and we even dragged Rob along. When we arrived at the Brighton store, the two locations are having an East vs. West contest, I'm an East-sider all the way, the line stretch a third of the way across the store! The line moved pretty quickly and we got to catch up with lots of familiar faces and do a little window shopping. When we got to the front, Kim offered to take our "before" picture. Seriously?!? I know what I look like, that is why I am in this line, but I obliged anyway. Molly went into one room and I went into the other. Kim took my measurements and recorded them into a program on her tablet. I then swapped rooms with Molly and another FF staffer weighed me. The scale at the store had me slightly lower then our scale at home. After the relatively quick and painless process, we were off to conquer the week.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5BW98OOUQXXCrsFWyw299EU7b8kSA3ZOUog77UFgWG3QgPKyvSbmt-12F_GYKQ7JKIikYaF1LLkZZ3pqzKnlQMvc3bfeT5fyQdAxJ58w0l5srDxnJ7m5pb07rMhTMHIR1AhIQRZyXcI/s1600/6358126097_32e2db10b0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5BW98OOUQXXCrsFWyw299EU7b8kSA3ZOUog77UFgWG3QgPKyvSbmt-12F_GYKQ7JKIikYaF1LLkZZ3pqzKnlQMvc3bfeT5fyQdAxJ58w0l5srDxnJ7m5pb07rMhTMHIR1AhIQRZyXcI/s320/6358126097_32e2db10b0_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the lack of photos, I forgot what being<br />a blogger was all about. Don't worry I'll make up<br />for it shortly!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have heard amazing things about the My Fitness Pal (MFP) app from a huge range of people, and Rob is currently using it, so I went home, downloaded it and got to work. I like that it has so many foods in the database, including everything Wegmans. I also like that it gives you so much more then just calorie count. I have used it consistently every day! One day I even tracked my breakfast and lunch the night before.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb81765DZQ4J5EVO2K2La2O-cAv1jkSU760iwqsmgBn0oYNi9JIM1E4JXi1tGjZNfUGDAEbYzBbXsImGopfpq5cJDh9qZkDR_ZTcvqL71UeAQWhXhxjqDoZhLFo6eb-bmQ3H74db3dck/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb81765DZQ4J5EVO2K2La2O-cAv1jkSU760iwqsmgBn0oYNi9JIM1E4JXi1tGjZNfUGDAEbYzBbXsImGopfpq5cJDh9qZkDR_ZTcvqL71UeAQWhXhxjqDoZhLFo6eb-bmQ3H74db3dck/s320/get-attachment.aspx.png" width="240" /></a></div>
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In addition to using MFP and making some changes in food choices, I started using our new juicer as a morning treat switcheroo so I can avoid the Dunkin' drive-thru! I plan on doing a post on this very soon. I also got back into my weekly fitness routine. Sunday, I got back into running races with the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/race-report-iron-angel-5k.html">Iron Angel 5k</a>. Monday I went to Molly's Yoga Corner, where I have practiced yoga for over two year. I've had to cut back my spending this year so I go less, but it is worth it every time. Especially the day after a hilly race! Tuesday Molly and I got back into our weekly running ritual. We were planning on attending the hill workout at FF but her work meeting ran late. So we ran around our hood, the weather was amazing. On Wednesdays I take Trish's spin class at the RAC in Pittsford. It is a crazy, killer good work out and I missed her torture over the summer.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9U2DJ22hUXonGPLs8Zo3BfLHIkn0qeJB_40mLot_dy0jWreRKtaD7r8jxopX_IC7V1NqZ2Uyh_yjVxjLiRxIFzUva_bMgtj-C0tCg7T-W5Zte-y8wdXaD-xoWo3NZmyoFL4pwPkzlgw/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg9U2DJ22hUXonGPLs8Zo3BfLHIkn0qeJB_40mLot_dy0jWreRKtaD7r8jxopX_IC7V1NqZ2Uyh_yjVxjLiRxIFzUva_bMgtj-C0tCg7T-W5Zte-y8wdXaD-xoWo3NZmyoFL4pwPkzlgw/s320/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiles for being done with week one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Which brings us to today! For the Ton of Fun challenge you get to pick your weigh in day and time. Basically you can go whenever the store is open. Molly and I decided we would try to weigh in together, ya know for moral support. We also decided that Thursday would be the day! So even though it hasn't quite been a week we headed to Fleet Feet to face the scale.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VLIjytGb9V6Br7TX0hyphenhyphenblnARPoknfDtt4Tnz-MC04PdjaQAVTYDmwVkKaWdz4Kw0Br0WcbBiY4Pkt7ElGMRaQ-E_wTHWIsWlasrosOHgWea63Kf1NVuD7oJlUBkawR3aVerXoZGks6o/s1600/get-attachment-4.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VLIjytGb9V6Br7TX0hyphenhyphenblnARPoknfDtt4Tnz-MC04PdjaQAVTYDmwVkKaWdz4Kw0Br0WcbBiY4Pkt7ElGMRaQ-E_wTHWIsWlasrosOHgWea63Kf1NVuD7oJlUBkawR3aVerXoZGks6o/s320/get-attachment-4.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulling up my stats!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
When we got there we were met by one of the lovely FF employees, who was super nice and didn't mind my crazy photo requests. She pulled up my data, I confirm and we headed to the scale. The scale is located in one of the dressing rooms so it is really private. Unless you bring your own personal photographer.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3kURykrh1pNGM_ax3FsShdPEtWSWZ6UL_t5lW_O-3U6MO0mvLxiH_cYo7XNh24eWbd-rLXfEeFQu5grd-QPxHpDWLknQM_J8k5VVpNDNieM4zE49EmWTfmeeAzf-qj-Z36PjFs3TpS8/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3kURykrh1pNGM_ax3FsShdPEtWSWZ6UL_t5lW_O-3U6MO0mvLxiH_cYo7XNh24eWbd-rLXfEeFQu5grd-QPxHpDWLknQM_J8k5VVpNDNieM4zE49EmWTfmeeAzf-qj-Z36PjFs3TpS8/s320/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here goes nothing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have to admit, since I cheated and used my scale at home throughout the week I was pretty excited about getting weighed, but the result was just a tiny loss. Now, I know this is better than gaining so I don't want to sound whiney, but since my home scale showed a 2.4 pound loss (wooohooo) over what I weighed on the scale right before weighing in at the store on Saturday, I was expecting to see something similar. Improvement is improvement so I'll take it. Cheers to being less of a fatty! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDA6Fk8cxUBMcZzk0aG-oLgfn0dgf96znhtk37oOhGu8D538cIwTnyN-RrwlzcvX8HZiU1TeNRziR0MawYk1E1HCb_s8Yi_ySzBWQ314hongHExnXTok8sO_-zHc4hraFHTjEkzZH7jSQ/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDA6Fk8cxUBMcZzk0aG-oLgfn0dgf96znhtk37oOhGu8D538cIwTnyN-RrwlzcvX8HZiU1TeNRziR0MawYk1E1HCb_s8Yi_ySzBWQ314hongHExnXTok8sO_-zHc4hraFHTjEkzZH7jSQ/s320/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I feel like I look like I am in time out.</td></tr>
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Molly had an amazing week too. I know her weight loss challenge is a personal journey so I wont share too many of her details, but if you're wondering how much she lost, this photo may be a clue...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYAmNPoQab_uc_YDvo2MJBnFJXv6oB8AnkKmN0QLBIF07lw10ZyMYt_xwavJVBruw9TkjYt15dZIKY6qh6gDbrpiMXa2Oc8Z4r1c7LMZrmgCIzepH-6hH1KdtLuzuPFX2uVi_WKwiTFI/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYAmNPoQab_uc_YDvo2MJBnFJXv6oB8AnkKmN0QLBIF07lw10ZyMYt_xwavJVBruw9TkjYt15dZIKY6qh6gDbrpiMXa2Oc8Z4r1c7LMZrmgCIzepH-6hH1KdtLuzuPFX2uVi_WKwiTFI/s320/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for week two!</td></tr>
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I feel like I am off and running, pun intended, with getting things back to the way they were earlier this year. In fact I just signed up for my first, post marathon, half-marathon. The <a href="http://www.lakeeffecthalfmarathon.com/">Lake Effect</a> Half Marathon in Syracuse, February 2014. I ran it <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/02/double-duty-with-side-of-pr.html">this year</a> and PR'd!! Watch out week two, here I come!!!<br />
<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-68440493966739281152013-09-30T20:50:00.000-04:002013-09-30T20:50:11.977-04:00Race Report- Iron Angel 5k<br />
Well I did it, my first official race as a Warchol! That's my married name, just in case you didn't know. Yup, I got to go to the second half of the alphabet line at pack pick up, exciting stuff. It did dawn on me that when my dad and I run the same race that our numbers wont be consecutive, so that is a little. Any who, back to the race report...<br />
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About 14 months ago a local teacher, triathlete, mother, wife, etc. was hit and killed by not one, but two drunk drivers while out on an early morning training bike ride. This incident affected the community immensely and the trial and the out come was just as disheartening. Last year a small community run/walk was held in her honor, but this year the group of women she trained with, Moms in Motion (MIM's), held a larger, timed run and walk as a fundraiser for the trust for her two small children. To check out more info or to donate go <a href="http://www.heatherboyum5k.com/">here</a>. I found out that some of my friends were running and I thought this would be a great jump back into running since it was for such a great cause. The race was capped at 500 and I signed up after the deadline to get a shirt, but I went to packet pick up on the first night and got a shirt anyway!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTTJQT7eLEQmxflaaSi9B9pYAtHWSldly3u2BbFUAez_VzddV5glE2ulUdwBHUaeoBV-p-fB558TjXHERpKiWCHVcPiNwVQqIFwPk7jDEVaS2TdP_bAKIBZXA2aGkUIhJ7X_Np4swi_k/s1600/get-attachment-6.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTTJQT7eLEQmxflaaSi9B9pYAtHWSldly3u2BbFUAez_VzddV5glE2ulUdwBHUaeoBV-p-fB558TjXHERpKiWCHVcPiNwVQqIFwPk7jDEVaS2TdP_bAKIBZXA2aGkUIhJ7X_Np4swi_k/s320/get-attachment-6.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great shirt, a little big and white, but happy to get one!</td></tr>
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On Sunday morning I woke up and got ready. There is so little prep that is involved when preparing for a 5k, I love it! Plus I now realize how much I over did it when I was a newbie. I swung by and picked up Molly and then I headed to the Tucker house to pick up Evan and Abby. The four of us arrived at center park, we were greeted by smiling volunteers and a parking spot, nice! We walked to the main building at the park and caught up with fellow friends and runners and chatted while we waited for the pre-race ceremony. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gathering for the start. Great family atmosphere race!</td></tr>
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Molly and I ran into three of our girls who participated in Girls on The Run this spring and it was great to see them out at a race. As an additional fundraiser MIM's was also selling HFB memorial items.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7ZE4M6vm3qp42vNQakc4oI-y2yvs-yPVYzbiCL5GtsfNof304cuRZVDM0g7s2ujzm8kyDZTW-bkxn6XPF9lx02bggjjNb8UW4uX3wFQ2-0yom9En7YRoj1iN6eX5nOfFrbnc7zTScPI/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil7ZE4M6vm3qp42vNQakc4oI-y2yvs-yPVYzbiCL5GtsfNof304cuRZVDM0g7s2ujzm8kyDZTW-bkxn6XPF9lx02bggjjNb8UW4uX3wFQ2-0yom9En7YRoj1iN6eX5nOfFrbnc7zTScPI/s320/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Around 8:50am Heather's husband spoke and a letter from one of her friends was read, also two of her colleagues sang the National Anthem. There was a solemn tone, but it was clear that everyone who came was there to fight the good fight. Everyone was so positive and supportive, I wish all races had this kind of vibe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Exf0kLipk3aLYTlYNzyWAlbIbUeagFDmviUNMw8fqdGx5EoTchQM2MaKTlu_NQfDvegKu-w0IE8Jx4qeub0CmbYJhsHkcAJbIP8iUnhaejMeQPjUVvHbnodlNEoSujTunDjSLfxlWIE/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Exf0kLipk3aLYTlYNzyWAlbIbUeagFDmviUNMw8fqdGx5EoTchQM2MaKTlu_NQfDvegKu-w0IE8Jx4qeub0CmbYJhsHkcAJbIP8iUnhaejMeQPjUVvHbnodlNEoSujTunDjSLfxlWIE/s320/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan & Abby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Molly, back in the game!</td></tr>
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At 9am the gun went off and down the field we went. I have neglected to say that the course was a cross country course. I had heard at packet pick up that the course was very challenging and I was a little hesitant about running on the hilly, damp grass. The weather was amazing and the course was partially shaded so that was a bonus. The course was hard for sure, but it was lined with smiley volunteers, both MIM's and the Fairport Cross Country team. Everyone was so encouraging, cheery and happy to be out there. Even though my time was pretty slow and I did walk a few of the hills, I was so happy to be out there. As Molly and I came into the finish line our friends (and strangers) were cheering us on, love that feeling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5q5xXZKJzXgB8zd6mHd39enVZDB1wJstN_Eh340Nv4LueXkTIYExjFZ44d63srFmwAQlxKPufaEXFv1qaeeDLrnyMmgepzGlhdu3bwiMauSe7CsBetRX8NZ2fU2nYgakoZklcSqMuGc/s1600/get-attachment-7.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5q5xXZKJzXgB8zd6mHd39enVZDB1wJstN_Eh340Nv4LueXkTIYExjFZ44d63srFmwAQlxKPufaEXFv1qaeeDLrnyMmgepzGlhdu3bwiMauSe7CsBetRX8NZ2fU2nYgakoZklcSqMuGc/s320/get-attachment-7.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only missing Thea who couldn't wait for us slowpokes!</td></tr>
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I honestly can't say a bad thing about this race. Except for maybe that the course was challenging, but that probably has something to do with the lack of running lately!! It was a great morning and I am so happy to be able to help a worthy cause. <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ever run a memorial race?</span></b></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-60476223712949984922013-09-28T10:06:00.000-04:002013-09-28T10:06:37.711-04:00Baby I was Born to Run....slowlyI'm back baby and pretty sore! Thursday I dragged Molly to the Fleet Feet Pub Run at Char at the Strathallen hotel. They had a 3 or 5 mile option and even though a few months ago I would have chosen the five, I was hoping to just be able to go the distance at 3. The weather was amazing Thursday night and I was so excited to be back out there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9wp4fW-RWQ65niGB4P6fRExqkyd7EvPG8z1ZFW-u1BeWzhNqorbevMN25TjTXc-WSXWucqhJ-U9sWpij17lyYD_tNvybLdBoEBb_ADC49W-_Za0RNZTxpdJC-G0GJsg3-Sw1sEx4XsQ/s1600/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9wp4fW-RWQ65niGB4P6fRExqkyd7EvPG8z1ZFW-u1BeWzhNqorbevMN25TjTXc-WSXWucqhJ-U9sWpij17lyYD_tNvybLdBoEBb_ADC49W-_Za0RNZTxpdJC-G0GJsg3-Sw1sEx4XsQ/s320/get-attachment-3.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alright guys, summer vacation is over!</td></tr>
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I actually couldn't remember the last time I used my running sneakers, until I saw all the dirt on the bottom and realized I used them hiking in Lake Placid about two months ago! We were all in for a rude awakening. I picked up Molly and we were down right ecstatic on the drive there, kinda like some middle school girls on the way to a One Direction concert. Since I have been away from the Fleet Feet family for a bit there were lots of new faces, but a ton of familiar faces too. It was like coming home again and we picked up right where we left off. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof that I ran! Or stood around with a bunch<br />
of people in running clothes!</td></tr>
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We got the 3 mile route from Ellen and we off and moving. The majority of the group were off and in the distance in no time. Molly and I pulled up the back and pacing us, without really knowing it were Amy and Dave. After a half mile or so I couldn't believe how good I felt and even though we weren't going as fast as I have in the past, I was going faster then I thought I would be able to go. I was also shocked at my endurance level, my heart wasn't beating out of my chest and my breathing was surprisingly controlled. When we hit 1 mile I was so happy that I didn't need to walk and this kept me energized for mile 2. During mile 2, I started to feel some aches and pains in my knee and legs but nothing bad enough to make me stop or slow. Molly dropped back a bit and I ran and chatted with Amy and Dave. We caught back up with each other at a red light and I told her my goal of running to one of the last streets, take a short walk break and then run the rest of the way. Even though the route was 3 miles, Fleet Feet always gives you the gift of going slightly farther without officially saying it so the route was more like 3.4ish. As we made the final turn on to East Ave to head back to the hotel we chatted about our surroundings and past runs and how good it felt to be back out on the streets. When we returned to Char we hung out for a bit and then headed home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5QHW-RsCOX2VUxoQOV3c37I6dcCrbEBMFlLyaOhNk2Vy-5pCrxbrQqrwR1INGdTZ4Tl__OlyG1pYPqWVBdE3wEDNPzkzuEw1uvq6bqwR4iSdBzN9r5GWt9aHhX_y8_acXDHiaeFbnP0/s1600/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5QHW-RsCOX2VUxoQOV3c37I6dcCrbEBMFlLyaOhNk2Vy-5pCrxbrQqrwR1INGdTZ4Tl__OlyG1pYPqWVBdE3wEDNPzkzuEw1uvq6bqwR4iSdBzN9r5GWt9aHhX_y8_acXDHiaeFbnP0/s320/get-attachment-2.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow but steady and got it done!</td></tr>
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My final pace on the Garmin was 13:29. I did forget to pause it for a couple red lights so really it was slightly better then that! By the time I got out of the car my usual running pains were back, but I wore them like a badge of honor. Turns out you can jump back on the wagon and I feel like I appreciate my body and mind more now for it. Now I am recharged and ready to go for my first weigh in for the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/09/having-ton-of-fun.html">Ton of Fun</a> challenge and my first 5k as a Warchol. I'll be posting about both soon.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Ever take a break from exercise and are shocked by your progress when you return? Either good or bad. </b></span></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-14438051435164121352013-09-25T19:15:00.002-04:002013-09-25T19:15:41.021-04:00Having a Ton of FunSo I mentioned in my last post that the spark is coming back! I am actually excited. Some may say giddy! You know how deep down you know all the right things you NEED to do, but sometimes your brain likes to play games? That is how I have been feeling lately. Hopefully at some point you are finally strong enough to over take it and say, shut up this is what I am doing. I decided that to get back into the groove and community atmosphere, I would join the Ton of Fun challenge at Fleet Fleet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr2H3OI7pJMCJID46LIEYsSqL4aZF1Yg06q1r_zzsSnP6LLitZf4K9_Et4BTxLbRYlw2r-NJG6wIVJ_ZqUO_D9n9ooMyglIICl2XQFgYZNQWN3Wr2YYAXOtGUs8kJ8DWERM1UbpMeYBI/s1600/FF_Ton_of_Fun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjr2H3OI7pJMCJID46LIEYsSqL4aZF1Yg06q1r_zzsSnP6LLitZf4K9_Et4BTxLbRYlw2r-NJG6wIVJ_ZqUO_D9n9ooMyglIICl2XQFgYZNQWN3Wr2YYAXOtGUs8kJ8DWERM1UbpMeYBI/s320/FF_Ton_of_Fun.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of FF website.</td></tr>
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It is a 12 week <a href="http://www.fleetfeetrochester.com/training/ton-of-fun-weight-loss-challenge">challenge</a> to lose weight and be active. I thought it was just the right thing I needed to get in gear. The program costs $50 but you have the opportunity to earn it back through store credit by losing weight. There are other fun prizes along the way. You know I am game for anything that involves prizes, sticker charts and goal tracking. I have enjoyed FF training programs in the past and have met some of my closest friends by participating in them. It can be intimidating at first, but quickly it becomes your favorite thing in the world. I plan to post updates throughout the 12 week program. Not sure just yet if I am comfortable putting my weight on here for all to see, but I do want to cover the ups and downs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VJh7MsTAQi3OX1u93Luk0M6vfFw0EeAhZE-U5ISgH1t34hxHnuvSOu_xe33dlbs5FgMa02sHj4ZC-wLPp37uh1rRD0KynVtszsrlgvX3pbCxaQ7T7JztFggCAabFyfVZnsHNRkKT7nM/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VJh7MsTAQi3OX1u93Luk0M6vfFw0EeAhZE-U5ISgH1t34hxHnuvSOu_xe33dlbs5FgMa02sHj4ZC-wLPp37uh1rRD0KynVtszsrlgvX3pbCxaQ7T7JztFggCAabFyfVZnsHNRkKT7nM/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual weight...of a small child.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of our wedding gifts was a new, fancy, bells and whistle scale so I am excited about using it and seeing some change. A benefit of running is that it helps your body to be more toned. One disadvantage to less running is more jiggle. In addition to maybe losing a pound or two, I hope this challenge can help the jiggle reduction.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69h9EaCSLglAAbiuHOv-N4kbC1HPttXQAX4ka3LWOtunWppvvolAC_dzO4GAxbnHhNgkQv8YhUtpIH9ufZtLlAu0AbPdd201oSfWcBTkrnh2dyn0dwD-ZEszUE91A0F6ug0oY2S9snxs/s1600/jiggle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69h9EaCSLglAAbiuHOv-N4kbC1HPttXQAX4ka3LWOtunWppvvolAC_dzO4GAxbnHhNgkQv8YhUtpIH9ufZtLlAu0AbPdd201oSfWcBTkrnh2dyn0dwD-ZEszUE91A0F6ug0oY2S9snxs/s320/jiggle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That wont ever happen, let's not be too lofty with our goals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So I hope you join me over the next 12 weeks to track my progress, root for me, help me celebrate my success and keep me out of the Dunkin' drive thru! Seriously, I could really use your help on that last one, anyone available between 6:30-7:00am?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Ever had success with a weight loss challenge?</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-69061652287717467522013-09-23T18:21:00.001-04:002013-09-23T18:21:24.718-04:00The Runner Who Doesn't RunSo truth be told I actually created this post back in June! Three months later and I am still a runner who doesn't run. But that is all about to change, I feel the fire and excitement coming back. In case you don't know, I ran my first full marathon in May. Then I got completely burned out and tired with training and running. I became a machine who ran because a piece of paper told me to do it, not because I actually wanted to. I guess part of me liked being out there or I would have given up before I even crossed the start line, but you get the point. Summer vacation and the heat started to kick in and then the stress and busyness of wedding planning kicked into high gear and I just had a million reasons to not run. Plus I just didn't really want to. I ran the <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/07/boilermaker-15k-race-report-part-one.html">Boilermaker</a> with my Dad in July and ran every now and then on the treadmill at the gym, but nothing more then a 5k and that was it. I did spend the summer in the AC of the gym and got really into strength training and taking multiple spin classes each week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUjq3dSgWiy_uAWbCLy1I3EXYHkCDgxmyBW4l52FnptP9SYTVOmLdjg-PABKenH4ebbUCBwoiLn4mxuLs480v_hMxHmmyme-tSKruzsRCdWLAGk7oJKcYSWk-eM3-Eu9xc-K2izHceMU/s1600/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUjq3dSgWiy_uAWbCLy1I3EXYHkCDgxmyBW4l52FnptP9SYTVOmLdjg-PABKenH4ebbUCBwoiLn4mxuLs480v_hMxHmmyme-tSKruzsRCdWLAGk7oJKcYSWk-eM3-Eu9xc-K2izHceMU/s320/get-attachment-1.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't win the challenge but those darn stickers did<br />
keep me pretty motivated!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I also maybe got into the Fro-Yo craze that seems to have taken over the Rochester area recently. I guess it is better for you than Coldstone though. Hopefully.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz_YR1mUVrdbQMKKSinchcI3YLKiDnmhh06LaXxGEWJesCbXMr6gR5gTBY091WFAg7U78zC7M3LCkztnqpY1jM9gqLIg_Nmcm9bpJW8757Fae21E5LiA6bFEdzNy1DBMeUGwcf9nI5BU/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz_YR1mUVrdbQMKKSinchcI3YLKiDnmhh06LaXxGEWJesCbXMr6gR5gTBY091WFAg7U78zC7M3LCkztnqpY1jM9gqLIg_Nmcm9bpJW8757Fae21E5LiA6bFEdzNy1DBMeUGwcf9nI5BU/s320/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberries, graham crackers and<br />
cheesecake & strawberry fro-yo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Now that the wedding is done, the school year has begun, routines have reappeared and the weather has cooled drastically I am ready to get out the running gear. My first step? I signed up for a 5k in 6 days!! Yea, maybe this was a bit drastic, but drastic times call for drastic measures. Plus the race is for an amazing <a href="http://www.HeatherBoyum5k.com/">cause</a>. I love the fall/winter race calendar and am looking forward to some more 3-peat races in the upcoming months. I am also missing my running girls terribly and am hoping we can reconnect soon.<br />
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So for now I'll leave you will some gratuitous wedding photos, but come back soon for more running chit chat!!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Have you ever fallen off the running wagon?</b></span></div>
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SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-58350292400757982102013-08-06T10:25:00.000-04:002013-08-06T10:25:04.443-04:00Ironman Lake Placid Volunteer Recap- Part TwoAfter <a href="http://andypottsracing.com/bio.html">Andy Potts</a> came out to start his second loop we knew it was time to head back to transition to begin the real work of our shift. When we got back Randy gave us instructions for what to do and what to tell the athletes. At this point it started raining off and on, not too heavily but enough to make the transition area slippery. We all positioned ourselves around the gear bag area and waited patiently to hear the crowd start cheering for the leader out of the water. Before we knew it Andy Potts came barreling around the corner, knocking down some of the fencing, and was smiley, gracious and even apologized for the mishap as he zoomed by. One of the perks of being a pro is that you get a little more TLC, so as pro's came around the corner we would shout out their numbers and volunteers would pull their bags for them. Everyone else that came out of the water (in a hazy stupor) had to figure it out for themselves.<br />
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All of a sudden there was a constant stream of athletes coming through the transition chute. Due to the rain and the fact that they were all wet, the grass and concrete became very slippery. More volunteers positioned themselves to act as catchers as people went down, others yelled out to athletes to slow down and watch their footing. The gear bags were in a new area this year, and even though I can't compare it to what it was, it seemed slightly dangerous. Athletes had to navigate their way around, grass, old wooden boards, concrete and because transition is in the former olympic speed skating oval, they had to worry about stepping over the lip of the track. You can see some of what I mean in the photo below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS2m8pVeJDD9iINCHIeRugz-T0FC4DZ3AieyWHI10Dxi0y3RsSD_PMz3DuVnJLnabVCdlkctF_jhRos-Ou2AExKFqIFUIByuR-bik-fBStFJe3Yrh6Woz44LNvJAlP1rZOK4_4AyE1QU/s1600/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNS2m8pVeJDD9iINCHIeRugz-T0FC4DZ3AieyWHI10Dxi0y3RsSD_PMz3DuVnJLnabVCdlkctF_jhRos-Ou2AExKFqIFUIByuR-bik-fBStFJe3Yrh6Woz44LNvJAlP1rZOK4_4AyE1QU/s320/get-attachment.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of neon tape to make the athletes more aware. </td></tr>
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As more and more athletes came in they became foggier and foggier. At one point an older gentleman walked by me and something didn't seem quite right. I had been yelling to the athletes to grab their blue (bike) bags and head to the changing tents. But when he walked by I saw a red bag. I quickly yelled at him that he had the wrong bag and when he turned around he had dark swim goggles still covering his eyes. No wonder he couldn't tell the color of the bag!! He still wasn't quite comprehending me so I kept yelling you need your blue bag, you have the wrong bag. He finally got the idea and headed back to his spot, but still was wearing the swim goggles. The rows of bags were kind of confusing and to athletes who had just swam over 2 miles and were disoriented it was even harder to figure out. Some athletes would just stand at the end of the row, staring at the sign, hoping it would shout out to them which direction they had to go. For a lot of athletes we could see their body markings, or they would tell us their numbers and we could help to guide them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jX1CuXxW_jBtPog4ojYuTutVslEPGrnDz91u5QJPGQfmeitoNQ-uH1vI59rwn1NLL0xgjaa-bxRddkDqzIuUQ4s2iw0adK9ZSHQItueXaUjhmoyxlsmV-2n21-1w767waxd5p1qMxQ/s1600/bags.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2jX1CuXxW_jBtPog4ojYuTutVslEPGrnDz91u5QJPGQfmeitoNQ-uH1vI59rwn1NLL0xgjaa-bxRddkDqzIuUQ4s2iw0adK9ZSHQItueXaUjhmoyxlsmV-2n21-1w767waxd5p1qMxQ/s320/bags.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can sort of make out the small sign<br />on the end of the gear bag rack. </td></tr>
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After a while there were just a handful of blue bags left hanging and fewer athletes were coming in. We had about twenty minutes left in our shift and lots of new volunteers were coming into the gear bag area. Now our job was to take the 2000+ blue gear bags, all thrown into a HUGE pile, and hang them back on their rightful hook. Randy reminded us that it was super important to get the numbers right so they weren't searching for bags for the athletes after midnight. I must have checked those number labels a million times. The bags were heavy, they had all of the athletes wet swim gear in them and wet because of the rain and puddles they were resting in. A little after 9am Rob, Molly and I made our way over to the merchandise tent and looked around and then headed to get some breakfast. We have a favorite <a href="http://www.simplygourmetlakeplacid.com/Pages/default.aspx">sandwich/creperie deli</a> to go to and as we approached the line was out the door. But it was well worth the wait. I got the Gulf Brook, an amazing breakfast burrito and we all sat on a bench and wolfed down the goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtum_hR21LEGzKUahXKRWD1_w9qwM2bBSt9yKvgSwPc550mbu78_squHjL8SuIBmV3erKjscPAqijSe7XeRcUO47bnClMZlHhzgDE6MSLUr7ooAkimLPWS0CkvGw0O6TM3zMvfWuNGno/s1600/front_opt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtum_hR21LEGzKUahXKRWD1_w9qwM2bBSt9yKvgSwPc550mbu78_squHjL8SuIBmV3erKjscPAqijSe7XeRcUO47bnClMZlHhzgDE6MSLUr7ooAkimLPWS0CkvGw0O6TM3zMvfWuNGno/s320/front_opt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the link above.</td></tr>
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While we were enjoying our breakfast Rob happened to spot a childhood friend who was in town to watch the race. He himself is an accomplished triathlete who has gone to Kona to race in the Ironman World Championships. Rob has talked about Travis for a while and so it was neat to finally meet him. We then headed to my really favorite spot in Lake Placid...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Ycklb4jgdkELxivnLxigeGJYvw_ZO_AGxF6lDKItMEONz9wxRVGGoZZfDU4xPopRsAImBD437tqC5O75zf7X0FOw8BCB7tdmxlF1pbYBX3GsUUoLh49tZYvLGsUvC85aaC7h8odNGA/s1600/13405883899281881628889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4Ycklb4jgdkELxivnLxigeGJYvw_ZO_AGxF6lDKItMEONz9wxRVGGoZZfDU4xPopRsAImBD437tqC5O75zf7X0FOw8BCB7tdmxlF1pbYBX3GsUUoLh49tZYvLGsUvC85aaC7h8odNGA/s1600/13405883899281881628889.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from the link below.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last year <a href="http://www.adirondackpopcorn.com/main.sc">they</a> had dill pickle popcorn for the first time and I loved it so much I was really hoping they would have it again. Apparently it has become so popular they have made it one of their daily flavors, woohoo!! When I told Molly about the dp popcorn I think I got a disgusted look or at least a shocked one, but when she tasted it she was instantly converted and got some for herself. The owner also recommended mixing the dill pickle with the cheddar and I told her we would be back often and would try that combo too. With popcorn in hand we headed to the bike turn on Main Street to watch the cyclists finish their first loop and head back out on to their second loop. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRlXIcfgSbUwtbxLtSEm2DJJMu8vTCi25b_RJtq6iqAEcnkDFWjPXqnHNWN2zUGYSoHSn7prvGNJ28ckctU-8PNLP13QWoGtZFnzhyphenhyphenfDFgaTh6xNkDghueHKa_XZiCAiyIgU3J49Xz3Q/s1600/bikes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRlXIcfgSbUwtbxLtSEm2DJJMu8vTCi25b_RJtq6iqAEcnkDFWjPXqnHNWN2zUGYSoHSn7prvGNJ28ckctU-8PNLP13QWoGtZFnzhyphenhyphenfDFgaTh6xNkDghueHKa_XZiCAiyIgU3J49Xz3Q/s320/bikes.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We noticed a lot of the athletes were eating at this point and we saw everything from bagels, to sandwiches to uncrustables. The athletes were in good spirits and a lot of them encouraged the spectators to cheer louder by yelling or making arm movements. At one point there were three cyclist whizzing by and one female athlete was screaming and not in a good way, it turns out a toddler had somehow gotten under the barrier and was making her way towards the cyclists who were heading downhill (see in the photo above). It could have been a scary situation but luckily a volunteer had heard the scream and ran over to scoop the little girl up and return her to her mom.<br />
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Okay small rant break: I know I am not a parent, but exactly how does that happen?!?!?! Plus what made it worse was that the mom didn't even seem thankful or appreciative. She just wrestled the (seemingly) wild and hysterical little girl back into her stroller. Molly said she was practically sitting on her to buckle her in. REALLY?!?! I would have told them to leave. I also saw them a later in the day and the little girl was still being unruly.<br />
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After watching for a while and moving to a new spot I was getting tired of standing, here I am complaining about standing, so we decided Rob would swim and Molly and I would find a place to hang and relax for a little while. Molly wound up going to hang with the Towpath crew at their tent and I made my way to the top of the hill by the beach and parked myself there for a new vantage point. It was here that the cyclists were getting their bike special gear bag. Ahhh that explains why they were all eating just a short bit down the road at our previous spectating spot. As cyclists would approach, their numbers were called through a megaphone and volunteers grabbed their bags and assisted the athletes with what ever they needed. Then they would push them off on their way again. I sat there on the curb and loved cheering and calling out numbers as they rode by. Since this was a much less crowded spectating spot, I actually got some smiles, thanks and thumbs up. I also chatted up a woman next to me who turned out to be from Rochester too.<br />
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Once Rob finished swimming we decided we would take the shuttle back to his car to unloaded his wetsuit and some stuff from our bags we weren't using. I think we both just wanted a break from the hustle and bustle too. We didn't have to wait long and we enjoyed being chauffeured around town. Once we swapped stuff at the car we got back on the bus and headed into town again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHwezwxK8g5DXQP6Ajo9SLo-TKyhsP0h0KRDLQ3i0tpWE4V2mAm1MKd70ABmumW1aDLjzQnuSL96JxMkePjTqXdFppUOOqZpYsOVubHEp2qyEtPmlGs49vSC2vnlqnvXEOzN1lld4bKo/s1600/bus.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHwezwxK8g5DXQP6Ajo9SLo-TKyhsP0h0KRDLQ3i0tpWE4V2mAm1MKd70ABmumW1aDLjzQnuSL96JxMkePjTqXdFppUOOqZpYsOVubHEp2qyEtPmlGs49vSC2vnlqnvXEOzN1lld4bKo/s320/bus.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wheels on the bus...</td></tr>
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When we met up with Molly she was standing at the run entrance/exit of transition cheering on runners some of whom were starting their first loop and the pro's who were finishing their race! By this time we were getting hungry again and jumped into a near by pizza shop for halfway decent pizza. After some more spectating and a quick trip into a bar for some free popcorn and adult beverages we decided we would take the shuttle to the car, take the car to get gas and head back to the campground for some relaxation before we came back to cheer the last hour. In hindsight this was probably a bad idea. For a short portion of our drive we were following alongside the run course and so we cheered, and Molly rang her cowbell out the window. We saw lots of tired, weary athletes but they were all still moving. <br />
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Once we got back to the campground Molly and I decided to close our eyes, we were exhausted and the day already felt like the longest day ever. At around 9:15 I was awoken by Rob who was also getting ready to take a nap, he had turned off the tv and the lights and was going to bed. Apparently we weren't going to make it back to Placid for the last exciting hour. Molly was passed out and even though I thought I had just fallen asleep I guess I had been out for a while. We all were in agreement that we would go to bed and we didn't wake up until the garbage truck woke us a little after 7am Monday morning.<br />
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Overall volunteering at IMLP was an amazing experience and we were already talking about next year and what we would do differently. First: not volunteer at the butt-crack of dawn. We weren't sure how easy or hard it would be to get around town from Wilmington but apparently it is pretty manageable. Second: I think it would be fun to volunteer out on the course. Third: get back to town for the last hour of competition. You can't help but be inspired by the people and their stories and what keeps them moving, for some, up to 17 hours!!!! Soon I'll have a post about the volunteer dinner we attended the day after the race and the rest of our time in Lake Placid.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Have you ever volunteered at a race?</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What was your favorite part?</span></b></div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-88437858550748688042013-08-05T14:18:00.001-04:002013-08-05T14:18:20.010-04:00Ironman Lake Placid Volunteer Recap- Part One<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQKS5-90A9vCkDoEQJVaf4aKawJlGqoLaon6uDFT6VqSlNcExzcXGc8ZV6qcp0niwxN-jtWtcaeJDeCCt1dkg80aa6_KtLqhj6-FxWuNDGZkllCJeRsa5IDQZU-a3EUnnLKYnnBM-bCY/s1600/get-attachment-12.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQKS5-90A9vCkDoEQJVaf4aKawJlGqoLaon6uDFT6VqSlNcExzcXGc8ZV6qcp0niwxN-jtWtcaeJDeCCt1dkg80aa6_KtLqhj6-FxWuNDGZkllCJeRsa5IDQZU-a3EUnnLKYnnBM-bCY/s320/get-attachment-12.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mirror Lake- Swim Course</td></tr>
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I have known about Ironman Lake Placid (IMLP) for quite some time now because we have been vacationing there most summers and you tend to see the flags, banners and hear chatter around town. This was the races fifteenth edition. About five years ago, a close family friend Scott (the one responsible for bringing Rob into the cycling cult) attempted IMLP and because of health reasons related to his diabetes, had to pull out during the run. Scott and his family have volunteered at the race numerous times and so last summer while camping at the <a href="http://clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/08/go-dacks.html">KOA</a> we decided to reserve camping sites for 2013, volunteer and at the time, Rob planned on signing up for the 2014 race. My friend and training partner Molly and some of her friends decided they would sign up also and Molly reserved us a volunteering shift in transition, doing gear bags from 5-9am. We had also planned to stay until the last hour to watch the final athletes come in before midnight, we knew it would be a really long day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaj23c9XfL1rV8-0oNjUvpxbZOfPZuHRWEqCZ7lcA5TxrEmV7oIQvgh3r8lVXmQHNwGymyXtVTZsRgko4Ji4Ot8hLbdiU65XGZebHRo68JqrtoxHvRrE6enJwXer9VazG6BPEgSflZso/s1600/get-attachment-11.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaj23c9XfL1rV8-0oNjUvpxbZOfPZuHRWEqCZ7lcA5TxrEmV7oIQvgh3r8lVXmQHNwGymyXtVTZsRgko4Ji4Ot8hLbdiU65XGZebHRo68JqrtoxHvRrE6enJwXer9VazG6BPEgSflZso/s320/get-attachment-11.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach/Boat House on Mirror Lake</td></tr>
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Since we were going to be away from the campground for the entire day, we all packed bags and brought what we thought we would need to survive the day. I brought a magazine, which I wound up never using and Rob brought his wetsuit so he could swim the course after our shift had finished. Our priorities are slightly different! We figured out logistically where we had to be and when and set our alarm for 3:00am. Don't worry, we planned on hitting snooze at least once. When the alarm went off Rob and I were surprisingly awake, I think it was the excitement of the day, and we weren't even racing!! Rob went out to make some coffee with the Keurig and it was quickly realized that Dad only had stock piles of decaf coffee. What the heck was that going to do for us?!?! Not too shortly after, Molly awoke from her slumber and joined us as we stumbled around the RV trying to get ready when it was so dark out still. The volunteer shuttles began at 4am and since we had a little bit of a drive to the lot and because we weren't quite sure how long the wait was going to be and because I am a worry wort, we left the RV at 3:45am. The funny thing was that as we were leaving the campground so were about five other cars, not something we expected to see even though we knew a lot of volunteers and participants were staying at the KOA. We made our way down the dark and twisty route 86 and turned on to River Road. Because both of these roads would hold a couple thousand athletes later in the day we loved seeing the signs, banners and spray painted messages along the road. If we weren't already excited it was really hitting us now. Somewhere on River Road the low gas signal came on in Rob's car and so of course I began to panic. The panic only lasted, well most of the day, as I knew getting around town would be challenging and didn't know what would be open when we left at 1:00am. I knew where we had to go, but it was so dark and there seemed to be no other civilization awake that I started to get nervous, until we came upon a field that had a couple people and a school bus. We were the first volunteer cars to actually pull into the field and I thought maybe my need to be early might not have been warranted.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCZUzawO_MDR_5pSrI_fkRbV0K-21f74rsfWzktsjQIyHjkWMef_9GgkkyqFeh2ydYzdVgMRCtXSyu6hDbcWb1VCaraCaGFZ-K3e1RO83-Out-QYuYfWVTbM3MC9CJeCnNMTBdDFeHN8/s1600/dak+bus.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCZUzawO_MDR_5pSrI_fkRbV0K-21f74rsfWzktsjQIyHjkWMef_9GgkkyqFeh2ydYzdVgMRCtXSyu6hDbcWb1VCaraCaGFZ-K3e1RO83-Out-QYuYfWVTbM3MC9CJeCnNMTBdDFeHN8/s320/dak+bus.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob and Molly on the Shuttle sometime<br />
around 4:15am.</td></tr>
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We stopped at the other lots and picked up a couple volunteers, okay I wasn't the only crazy early one, and we eventually arrived at our destination at the shuttle lot near the ice arena. Even though it was so dark still, the place was bustling with activity and we made our way around transition to find where we needed to report for volunteering.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUseCyu0_XjZ5f-p6GpoxRZKJ6aiXChXNw4L7KXFAJd6mpIPzr3Y40HstY1ENxyyz97lef605TEvqFKxbkLM7kvQpYcaqiMCbzFRYZrpqRDdWwvUiaCd7_2HrRzxPOK5gKeCARxYjLvVY/s1600/high+transition.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUseCyu0_XjZ5f-p6GpoxRZKJ6aiXChXNw4L7KXFAJd6mpIPzr3Y40HstY1ENxyyz97lef605TEvqFKxbkLM7kvQpYcaqiMCbzFRYZrpqRDdWwvUiaCd7_2HrRzxPOK5gKeCARxYjLvVY/s320/high+transition.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transition and finishing chute. </td></tr>
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Along the way we passed the body marking area where lots of athletes were stripping down to their skivvies to be written on. In addition to numbers and ages we saw lots of smiley faces being written in thick, black marker.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZUXn3-hRP42OjibJnPsVLdnb8BPNI1Tk_NCrYUTDJbUqXflrj76ynADYhyphenhypheni7RaIKwRNCBeqWv_hySs7Shxxjao_zSQR78JmpjONekiJKGbEBwqiUIDzRFbiQo6uovZCUSriNu04BEyQ/s1600/body+mark.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZUXn3-hRP42OjibJnPsVLdnb8BPNI1Tk_NCrYUTDJbUqXflrj76ynADYhyphenhypheni7RaIKwRNCBeqWv_hySs7Shxxjao_zSQR78JmpjONekiJKGbEBwqiUIDzRFbiQo6uovZCUSriNu04BEyQ/s320/body+mark.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of excited volunteers and anxious athletes.</td></tr>
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The emails we received from the transition coordinator, Randy, leading up to the big day were funny and we were looking forward to meeting him in person to put a face with the emails. Since he did not hold a meeting the day before, we were told to tell security that we were working with Randy and that he would give us our wristbands and t-shirts when we started our volunteer shift. Well when we approached the, not too friendly security, they gave us a hard time about not having wristbands and didn't seem too happy with "who ever this Randy guy was". They made us walk all the way around transition to a back entrance to talk to whoever was there. I think they just wanted us out of their hair.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzperNWyIekHhcPNOfqWo2ZA2iZZjin8b9T7sFd7Llx4tBsY_Nvw9dcnHozWltFTkeTHNw4b5WJ95eU-RODfuFFWKuwjFvWzgGNCHhkrWkToMgiIkl-v0UncySDt-HQx1KZVE5dhLiciQ/s1600/transition.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzperNWyIekHhcPNOfqWo2ZA2iZZjin8b9T7sFd7Llx4tBsY_Nvw9dcnHozWltFTkeTHNw4b5WJ95eU-RODfuFFWKuwjFvWzgGNCHhkrWkToMgiIkl-v0UncySDt-HQx1KZVE5dhLiciQ/s320/transition.jpeg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athletes doing last minute bike prep.</td></tr>
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The three of us walked around back and approached a couple people setting up the bike entrance/exit. They were much nicer and pointed us to someone who pointed us to the right place. However, when we arrived there was no Randy, or other volunteers for that matter. Chalk it up to being there a just a tad early. A couple other guys (one who we later found out was the race director) gave us some (unclear) info about what to do and told us that is how they thought Randy did it, but saved by the bell, Randy arrived before they walked away and quickly informed us that is NOT how he does things. He was very laid back, but still organized and put me in charge of handing out shirts as the other transition volunteers arrived. The first hour from 5-6am was all about answering athlete questions and pointing them in the correct direction. The most common questions were: what do we do with our (green) morning clothes bag, where do our special needs bags go, what time is transition open until, where is the exit for transition, where is body marking? Some of these questions I thought were funny, because if they found their way into transition, couldn't they find their way out? Plus most of the athletes had to walk right by body marking to get into transition. But based on the many, many, deer in the headlights looks we got, I knew they had a lot going on in their minds. I even had an athlete frantically come up to me asking if I had a cell phone. Apparently he had forgotten all of his water bottles and needed to call for back up. He was so appreciative and I was happy to help put out one small fire. At 6am we corralled all of the athletes out of transition and got the low down on what we would need to do once athletes came back for their transition onto the bikes. Since Randy was so laid back and we didn't have any work to do until the athletes finished their swim, we all headed to Mirror Lake to watch the swim start.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wpktwmiII9zs6NhPtqNvB_Eia8w1uVbQQAfaMw7ngLrOMq2PbC24MBFGFHUAR5BU5wKVU6DchPRDAmvN2qzUBv81BZEiERt4WDTW9omYa2lFKbdmLOvgBd8SjQ5yisn_ECzgK67qcAI/s1600/walk+to+swim+start.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wpktwmiII9zs6NhPtqNvB_Eia8w1uVbQQAfaMw7ngLrOMq2PbC24MBFGFHUAR5BU5wKVU6DchPRDAmvN2qzUBv81BZEiERt4WDTW9omYa2lFKbdmLOvgBd8SjQ5yisn_ECzgK67qcAI/s320/walk+to+swim+start.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The swim start at IMLP has always been epic and I have not only heard about how cool it is, but have even watched <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0tnVsYgqzU">YouTube videos</a> of it. All athletes start in the water and start swimming at the cannon blast. Well about a month or so ago we heard that Ironman was testing a new start at some races, a<br />
self-seeded start, and that this year's IMLP would indeed be testing it as well. So we weren't quite sure what to expect and we were too far away from the beach to really be able to tell what was going on.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpf920ZiipDBFEo6tuUlKpr1C6OaDLd9wN8ms60lmdau8D8BMTagHIngQwbibhI3xpcjjhSiY8Lo2uI3FeQ7S4S_X6gZdf64vGD5hNOOdAVb_YyXmYPYcJODYbKWuKZs5njR9HT1dkzw/s1600/swim+practice.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpf920ZiipDBFEo6tuUlKpr1C6OaDLd9wN8ms60lmdau8D8BMTagHIngQwbibhI3xpcjjhSiY8Lo2uI3FeQ7S4S_X6gZdf64vGD5hNOOdAVb_YyXmYPYcJODYbKWuKZs5njR9HT1dkzw/s320/swim+practice.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Athletes finishing their practice swims.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUIldxmcnDDQAhvik1JpJRiS6lxCu9bS58aGgvPgrMo9AxSI4M_xERYCgRah2drTGzSkleqWtJe25k25VkgYptqbzSiOLqSFFf-9_WUz0kXhhQRUq2xipIbva44vPFcQqEfpoggfkh8E/s1600/beach.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicUIldxmcnDDQAhvik1JpJRiS6lxCu9bS58aGgvPgrMo9AxSI4M_xERYCgRah2drTGzSkleqWtJe25k25VkgYptqbzSiOLqSFFf-9_WUz0kXhhQRUq2xipIbva44vPFcQqEfpoggfkh8E/s320/beach.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting corralled on the beach.</td></tr>
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What it seemed like was that all athletes started on the beach and lined up behind placards with different expected finish times, for example 0-60 minutes, etc. When the cannon went off Pro men and then Pro women went off running into the water. Then a few minutes later went everyone else, almost single file into the water. The process took so long that when Pro leader Andy Potts got out of the water to begin his second loop, there was a line of athletes still feeding into the lake for their first loop. The start wasn't as exciting as what I would think previous years would have been, but I think it was safer for the athletes and that is what is important. Plus it was still neat to be able to get to watch the start!!<br />
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Part Two Coming Soon! </div>
<br />SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3468717743683117897.post-78128653759499302292013-08-02T11:31:00.000-04:002013-08-02T11:31:56.957-04:00Go DacksEvery year I look forward to spending time in the Adirondack Mountains. My grandparents had a house in Big Moose, near Old Forge, so I grew up going there multiple times a year. Now that I am an adult, Rob and I love to go and hike, bike, run and swim in Lake Placid and surrounding towns. Most of those exercises he loves to do and I love to hang out and read and relax. As you probably already know Rob is a triathlete and the idea of racing the Lake Placid Ironman is something he has been considering for a long time. This year we decided to "borrow" my parents RV and camp in Wilmington, volunteer at Ironman and spend the greater part of the week relaxing and having fun.<br />
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Before we left last Saturday we were dealing with a small, singular (hopefully) mole problem that you may have read about <a href="http://www.clevelandorbust26point2.blogspot.com/2013/07/boilermaker-15k-race-report-part-two.html">here</a>. Well to up date you on the story, Mr. Mole exited our apartment by way of mouse trap thanks to the fantastic maintenance workers of our apartment complex. I guess it had been captured while we were at work and when the workers came to check things out, they were nice enough to remove it for us. They even cleaned up the chalk outline.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too bad it was really a mole, or this would be even funnier. </td></tr>
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Once the mole was taken care of we were able to pack and prepare for our getaway. But you can be sure I had Rob get my suitcase out of the closet for me. We left for the Adirondacks at 6am last Saturday, and because Molly had signed up to volunteer also, she followed en route to my parents house in Cicero. Since my parents were nice enough to let us borrow the RV, but not trustworthy enough to let us drive their baby, they drove the RV and towed their vehicle while Molly and I followed in hot (code word for: super slow) pursuit. Actually I just don't feel comfortable driving it and they kindly offered to drive and set-up/tear down. I also joke about the speed but my Dad has this RV driving thing down, and he even got a compliment, while we were stopped at a McDonalds, from a complete stranger who had been following him. Nice, but creepy gesture. I love our drive up North because it is like visiting an old friend who you haven't seen in a year. We have a comfortable routine of places we stop and like to see what is new in the area. Overall from Fairport the drive is about 5 hours. 1.5 to my parents house, 1 hour to Watertown and 2.5 hours through small towns and back roads. <br />
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My parents have been to Placid during <a href="http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/lake-placid.aspx#axzz2apDDx3WH">Ironman</a> weekend and have talked about it for the last five years. We couldn't wait to get there and feel the electricity. Originally we were going up to volunteer so Rob could sign up for next year. Due to the fact that it sells out quickly (3-4 minutes for 2014) the best way to ensure a spot is to volunteer and then you are allowed to jump the line on Monday morning. Well Rob had to go and ruin everything when he proposed in January, so the timing and especially the money (over $600 bucks) wasn't going to work for now. We still wanted to go and experience it and I would recommend it to everyone, whether you are a fan of the sport or not. Once we passed Saranac Lake, which is the last major town before Placid, we started spotting cyclists and runners, everywhere!! Once we got into Placid there were beautiful, athletic people crawling like ants. We go to Placid every year and I have never seen it with so many people walking the streets. We had to drive by all of the festivities, tents and transition area on our way to Wilmington and there was so much to look at it was hard to drive. From Placid to Wilmington the main route you drive is the route for the bike course. We saw hundreds of cyclists and we couldn't believe that so many people were riding the course the day before the race. We realized later that the majority of them were not people who would be participating the next day. Our caravan pulled into the <a href="http://koa.com/campgrounds/lake-placid">KOA</a> and I raced in ahead of Mom so I could pay, because I knew she would insist that they pay. Our site was located in the front row, near the office and we had camped at or near the same spot last year. Mom and Dad started setting everything up and we unloaded our stuff and learned the ways of the RV. Me the inside and Rob any business pertaining to the bathroom and plumbing.<br />
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After we were settled we all grabbed lunch together and then Molly, Rob and I went back to Placid so Rob could visit one of his favorite bike stores and Molly could visit with a friend who was competing the next day. We also got our plans in order for what time we had to get up and where we had to be for volunteering on race morning. We said our goodbyes to Mom and Dad, who got a hotel room for one night and hit the hay early since our alarms were set for 3:15am. Ugh!<br />
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Volunteering Recap Coming Soon! </div>
SMK Photographyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03054901347023629856noreply@blogger.com0