Springtime in the Rockies

There is a tree right outside our window that we see all the time. It's just there, taunting us. We have watched calmly it as it lay dormant all winter. About a month or so ago, we noticed a tiny bit of green on the branches. Oh no! Then a couple weeks ago, those green spots turned into buds. NOOOOOOO! Now, those green buds have turned into full-on flowers. There's no mistaking it. Spring is here. Winnie the Pooh had the Honey Tree, Shel Silverstein had the Giving Tree. We have the "Oh crap. It's blooming. That means spring is here. That means only one more season until IM!" tree. To us, this tree has been like the hour glass the Wicked Witch of the West gave to Dorothy in her castle. Slowly ticking away, reminding us that while we thought we had all the time in the world, Aug. 3 will be here before we know it!

After several days of gorgeous spring time weather, we woke up Sunday morning (at the butt crack of dawn) to a nasty snow storm. You know, those spring snow storms that bring wind, sleet, snow, snain, just all-around nasty. It was Horsetooth Half Marathon day in Ft. Collins, and boy howdy, was it a different experience than the first time I did it two years ago! We loaded all our winter gear into the car and headed up to Ft. Collins, white-knuckle gripping it the entire trip (well, Freddy was driving and he loved it. I had to close my eyes a few times). When we got to Horsetooth Reservoir, the wind was howling, sleet was blowing sideways and it was just frigid. We both just kept cracking up that while normal people were hunkered down with some hot cocoa in their pj's, we were bundling up to go run in this crap for a couple hours.

Once we started, we had a great time! It was perfect running weather and the conditions made the course even prettier than the clear, hot day I had in 2012. Plus, the best part of those conditions is we were guaranteed not to see any snakes! In 2012, a rattlesnake decided he wanted to join in the fun and made his way onto the street while we were running. Luckily, I was too busy taking in the scenery to notice him-I just heard people around me commenting on the snake that joined the race. Some days it pays to gawk-had I seen it, I would have died. And that would have made for a bad day!
I stopped many times along the course to take pictures which slowed my time, but I didn't care. This was a training run and it was just so pretty, I wanted to take it all in.

I crossed the finish line within 30 seconds of my time from 2012, 2:22 (which was an average pace of 10:48/mi/mi. EXACTLY the pace Coach Marco had predicted for me. Kind of freaked me out). Freddy was waiting for me at the finish line with a time of 2:13-a new PR for him! I couldn't be more proud of him. That is a monster of a course and only the second half marathon he's ever done!

I got home and was so excited to download all the photos I had taken only to find out that NONE of them turned out. Not one! Then I was mad-had I known none of them would have turned out, my pace would have been way better. Alas, the photos below are all I've got for ya!

The view from our car. Yeah, it was THAT cold!!! But goodie, we get to climb that hill in front of us!

I was super excited about the pint glass at the end. I would have been more excited if a shirtless fireman gave it to me after he filled it with a margarita. But we can't always get what we want all the time. 

Freddy, on the other hand, was most un-happy with his lack of medal. I felt sorry for the volunteer who handed him an empty pint glass instead of a medal. 

Freddy and I at the finish. Weather was great until we stopped. We are freezing our tushies off!

We are coming off our biggest training week so far, topping out at just over 11 hours of training since last Sunday. My legs will tell you they have trained at least 20 hours more, but my mind says "get ready, this 'aint nothin!" We did two time trials this week: one in the pool followed by the bike the next day. I actually enjoy time trials. For me, they are more mental than physical. I'm used to running time trials, I've been doing these for years with my running group, Runners Edge. The pool and bike are way different though and while I feel these trials went much better than last time, I clearly have a long way to go!  This weekend, we are looking forward to much better weather for our ride and runs. I'm ready to pull out my warm-weather running duds!

Swimming Lungs, Bike Brain, & Runner's High

So here we are in April! And as one of my friends so kindly pointed out, less than 4 months to IM Boulder! Eeek!

Freddy & I during an awesome training run in Parker with our group, Runners Edge of the Rockies

Freddy and I have been ever so slowly ramping up our training. We are averaging a little over 8 hours per week of training and so far, so good! There have been days that have been tougher than others; days where we hit "snooze" on the alarm clock until it's too late to get our workout in in the morning; then curse ourselves that evening when we have to train; days where we look at a brick workout and think "for the love of God, we have to do what????", but all in all, we are very happy with our training and are really enjoying it!

Our swimming is coming along just fine. Neither of us are fast, but we are both very comfortable in the water and truly for an Ironman, I think that is 99% of the battle!  I had a nice treat when my running buddy Molly, who is training for her first Ironman 70.3,  texted me the other night saying "a little birdie told me you train at the Apex", "yes, I do!", I excitedly exclaimed. "Me too", she said. "Awesome! Meet me at the pool at 5 am tomorrow morning for a swim", I hesitantly responded, knowing the response would be the typical "Thanks but no thanks".....Molly surprised me by quickly replying with "Yeah! I'll see you then!" Well, Molly beat me to the Apex in the morning and we had a fun swim together! She even stuck around after and did my plyos with me! 

The biggest thing I am working on in the pool at the moment is speed. The toughest thing about speed is not having my swimming lungs quite yet. My body needs to trust that the air will come and I need to focus on calming my brain down and allowing my body to take over (common theme with me!). I can cruise along at a nice, easy pace for a long time. But increase the speed, and it gets harder to breathe, thus vastly changing my swimming form. Freddy and I can both see improvement from where we started but realize we still have a long way to go. We are really looking forward to getting into the open water-that will be the true test!

Training in the aero bars while cars pass me is
enough to have me begging for a marg!

I look like I know what I'm doing, right?

Of all three disciplines in IM, the bike freaks me out the most. I commonly refer to my condition as "bike brain".   Riding is such a different feeling than running, it takes me a good month of solid outdoor rides to get my bike brain engaged and ready.  After a long winter of only riding on my bike trainer, the weather was nice enough last week to take the ride outside! We have a pretty large group of friends doing IM Boulder, so we always have people to run and bike with, which is great.   Most of the people, however, are super fast and I, well, am not. I decided to meet up with a couple girl friends who are pretty evenly matched with me a half hour before the group started to get a head start on the "fasties". We had a great time riding in Boulder and got about 20 miles in before the peleton caught us! This was also the first time using my aero bars. The first 10 miles, I was a complete disaster. The sight of them through my periphery sent me into a panic. But, I knew I had to get used to them sooner or later.  So, like anything with me, I baby-stepped it. I would put one arm on the bar and keep the other near the brake. Then I would switch. After I felt ok with 

that, I would give myself little goals of putting both arms in the bars for a very short time, getting used to the feeling of my body positioning and how my bike responded. Mile by mile, I would extend my time in the aero position, literally talking myself through it. I'm sure the people who passed me thought I had escaped from the asylum. But I didn't care. It was working. I was becoming one with my aero bars! Am I totally comfortable in them? Not even close! But, I can see the benefit in them and 

the positioning is super comfortable so I'm getting there!

Dude! Where's my road????

Yes, I did include this little detour in my mileage for the day!

Jill, Dan, Teah, Freddy & I
at the Runnin' of the Green finish!

Running season in Denver officially kicks off (well, in my brain anyway) with my favorite 7K, the Runnin' of the Green through downtown. Freddy had the weekend off so joined me, my running group, my family, and 10,000 of our closest friends for the Irish jog. Freddy did great and his time was way better than mine. He's discovered that he's much faster than me on the bike and run. I am pretty sure, though, I've got him beat in the pool for now. Freddy is finding he really loves running and is pretty sure he's found his runner's high a time or two! Next weekend, Freddy and I will be heading north to Ft. Collins to do one of my favorite half-marathons, the Horsetooth Half. The last time I did this was two years ago, not long after my broken leg. It was a small come-back, if you will, so this time, I'm hoping to beat my time. That being said, I'm treating it as a training run with firemen, beer and a medal thrown in. Wish us luck!

Me and the CEO and President of my fan club, Jill
and my favorite girl, Teah at the Runnin' of the Green

Peroneus Tendon, Chinook Winds, & A Make-Over!

February was quite eventful! Our winter here is hanging on for dear life and as I have stated on numerous occasions, I will not run on ice. So, needless to say, I have been logging a lot of miles on the "joymill". I was supposed to run in the Ralston Half-Marathon on Feb. 9 but my Peroneus Tendon had other ideas. I was in dire need of new running shoes, so I headed to my favorite running store, Runners Roost, to pick up my old reliable Mizuno Wave Alchemy's that I have been running in for about 4 years. I about popped a vessel when the salesman said "sorry, those have been discontinued". After a long cry and a bit of a temper tantrum, I decided to try out a new pair of Mizunos. After I tried them out the next week on a 6 miler, I knew I hated them. But I thought maybe they just needed to be broken in, so I had the brilliant idea to try them out for a 10 mile run on the joymill. All was fine until I got home after the run. About an hour after my run, my foot was throbbing and I had difficulty walking. I was PISSED. Coach Marco and I decided that a half marathon in a week was not a good idea, so I iced, iced baby and advil'ed until it felt better. I wasn't too disappointed that Ralston didn't pan out, however. A couple days leading up to the Half, it snowed. And it snowed. And it froze. Race day, the route was an ice rink and I think the high for the day was around 15 degrees. So, my peroneus tendon issue may have been a blessing in disguise! That pesky little tendon has been just fine ever since and I'm happy to report that thanks to the internet, I have bought the last 2 remaining Mizuno Wave Alchemy's to be found!

If there is one thing I hate more than ice, it's wind. I don't know what it is, but this year, we have been cursed with Chinook winds like I have never encountered before. It's been almost daily and the winds have literally shaken the house on many occasions. This has amounted to a lot of sleepless nights and horrible allergies and asthma for me. A couple weeks ago I was to do my running time trial. I much prefer working out in the morning for a lot of reasons, but mostly because morning workouts are better for those suffering with allergies and asthma. I think it has to do with the pollen count or something. I don't know, but I can tell you I do much better in the morning! Well, the morning of my time trial, I was once again surrounded by the stupid Chinook winds so decided to wait until the afternoon to do my time trial. Bad idea. About a mile into my run, I had an asthma attack that would not subside. Since I'm a total bad-ass, I don't believe in running with my inhaler. You know, I've got my rep to uphold and all.  So, I had to suffer through it. Those nasty Chinook winds have continued to wreak havoc on my allergies and asthma so I've been having to work around them. Spring cannot get here soon enough!

Being the "classy" gal I am, I love make-overs. So imagine my joy when for Christmas, Freddy bought me a make-over! Until I discovered that this make-over wasn't for me. It was for my bike in the form of aero bars. I think he's trying to kill me. I understand the science behind them and totally get why you need aero bars, but they terrify me. The thought of zooming down the highway with my hands no where near my brakes just doesn't seem smart to me. But alas, apparently if you want to be an Ironman, you have to have aero bars. Despite my argument to go "old school" and be a purist, I got aero bars anyway. Last Sunday, I went to our favorite bike shop, Wheat Ridge Cyclery and met Brian, my expert fitter for the day. I liked Brian from the start and he was giddy about the whole thing.  I think my bike is super-pretty without the silly aero bars and still wasn't sold on the whole idea.

Poor Brian had his work cut out for him with me. He looked nice enough and reminded me of my cousin, Matt Handeland. Maybe we would get along after all!

Oooooohhh, check out this shiny new saddle! I think that would look awesome on my bike!

After a couple hours, Brian had worked his magic and set me up with some fast-looking, sassy aero bars. The same model that Mirinda Carfrae uses! Hey, if they are good enough for her, they are good enough for me! Maybe I'll even speed by her in Boulder!  I've been trying them out for a week on the trainer and so far I love them. But let's not go crazy. There is no need for me to brake on my trainer. I reserve the right to change my opinion once I get them out on the road!

Yesterday, Freddy and I had an hour and 20 minute run. We woke up to snow and a temperature of 15 degrees. Awesome. Neither of us had any desire to head to the gym for yet another indoor workout so we grumbled and stalled for a little while before heading out the door. My face was numb for the first mile as we were running into the wind. Soon enough, we were on the trail and heading towards the reservoir. My face thawed and I could finally see how pretty the scene was in front of us:

Then Freddy yelled "it's so pretty! Take a selfie!"

We continued our run in silence, he listening to Rush or some other sort of rock, and I, jamming to Shakira before he said "I can't feel my face. I think we should turn around". I swear the temperature kept dropping, but it was so pretty and peaceful I blocked out the cold and thought that I would remember this moment on August 3 when I would give anything to be this cold. Nearing our house, we took a detour when we spotted an awesome sight. A tractor! Ah, it's just like being back on the farm again!

All in all, yesterday's run was lovely. We were happy to be done and even happier when we warmed up!  That cup of hot cocoa never tasted so good!

Good Flora & Other Myths

Training has officially begun and I already feel like I'm behind! I caught the nasty crud that's going around the week in-between Christmas and New Year's and have been fighting it ever since. Winter has come back with a vengeance to Colorado and while I love running in the cold, and don't mind running in the snow, I draw the line at running on ice. Considering I'm super-graceful on dry land, I don't take my chances on ice.  So, Freddy and I have been logging our miles in the gym and on our bike trainers. Not our idea of an awesome time, but hey, I'm just happy to be working up a sweat again!  Last Sunday, we did a 4 mile run followed by 2 back-to-back spin classes. And we were toast!  We tried another brick on Wednesday. This weekend I logged 10 miles on the Dreadmill and Freddy logged 6. We survived but have our work cut out for us for sure!

We got our first round of training from Coach Marco. He works differently from other coaches we have worked with in that he gives us 2 weeks of training at one time. Nothing more, because he likes to see how we are doing and build from there. Me being incredibly type A, may slowly go crazy with this as I like to see what's coming, but I will put on my patience hat and trust that all will be just fine! He's got a great balance of small bricks and takes a very "zen" approach to training. Which will come in handy on my next 100 mile bike ride when I'm pissed off at the world. I did, however, question his sanity when he told Freddy and I he would have us do some workouts "naked".  Visions of the Bobkie commercial which aired during the Tour de France a few years ago came to mind (sadly, I cannot find the commercial anywhere to post here so if you missed it, you're missing out), and I was more than a little disturbed. After some clarification from Marco (who now thinks I'm a complete freak), I found out that by "naked" he meant I cannot use a Garmin nor other toys I have to collect data. WTH??? Breathe, Kari. Breathe!

I'm slowly feeling myself become a new person. I'm paying closer attention to the fuel I'm putting in my body and adapting the "eat to run" mentality where food is not comfort, but instead, fuel for training. I'm not 100% there yet, but feel I'm on my way to making healthy changes. Part of this is increasing my pro-biotic intake. Marco is very organic in his approach to things and has been giving us nutrition tips in addition to our work-outs. One of the things he wanted me to try is Kombucha. He was super-sneaky in his suggestion. In a recent discussion, he asked "do you like tea and beer?" "OMG!!! I LOVE TEA!!", I enthusiastically responded. "Awesome", said Marco, proudly. "I'd like you to try Kombucha. It's a tea full of pro-biotics to keep your good flora in check". Um, is that Flora like the fairy in Sleeping Beauty? I liked her-she was sassy.  So off I go to Whole Paycheck-er-Whole Foods where I excitedly head towards the Kombucha section. I stare at the large cooler housing a billion bottles of this stuff when I notice that every bottle seems to have floaties in it. I can feel my enthusiasm towards this stupid tea leaving me quickly. I do what I usually do-make my decision based on price, grab two bottles of the cheapest brand and head towards the cashier. I asked the cashier if they sold Kombucha leaves that I could brew at home, you know, like real people tea that's yummy. He smiled and said "no, this is made from mushrooms and fermented (I guess this is why Marco asked if I liked beer). See those particles in the tea? Those are your probiotics. You are going to feel awesome and have so much energy!" Oh God. Can't I just take a pill or something? He continues, enthusiastically, but with a funny look on his face "have you ever tried Kombucha?" "No", I stated. He smiles "well, you either love it or hate it. Now, this particular brand does have a bit of a vinegar taste to it. Take it home and if you don't like it, bring it back and we'll be glad to exchange it or give you a refund." Oh boy. What have I gotten myself into? So, I get home, open the bottle and my nostrils close immediately, repulsed by the smell of cleaning solution that is Kombucha. I repeat "Good Flora. Good Flora" over and over in my head and take tiny sips of my 8 oz cup until it's empty. It's pretty horrible, I'm not gonna lie. I much prefer my Noosa yogurt to get my good flora movin'. But, I will be a good little athlete and do what my coach tells me. But, Marco, you and I have much different definitions of tea and beer.

In my learning period with Marco, I made the big mistake of saying I was heading to the dreadmill to get in my miles because of icy conditions. Any runner knows you call the treadmill what it is-a dreadmill. Marco quickly corrects me be saying "let's not refer to it as the dreadmill. Let's call it the joymill." Oh Marco, you little whipper-snapper, you and I are going to have so much fun together! But you know what? Damn it, it worked! I logged 10 miles on the "joymill" and it wasn't horrible! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want to make a habit of it, but I didn't want to kill the person next to me. Every time I thought of Marco calling it the joymill, I smiled, possibly even laughed as well!  Ok, the smile on my face was more likely due to my own personal Justin Timberlake concert I was having, but I'll give Marco a smidge of credit....

Let's do this!

Oh crap. It is now 2014. Which means we have less than 8 months to get to the start line of Ironman Boulder! Gulp.....

A lot of people have asked us how our training is going. Well, the truth is, the past couple of months we have been focused on getting into a routine. I am proud to say, that for the most part, I am happy with the consistency I have made. I have attended the gym classes I have wanted, gotten my body used to waking up early again (not that I ever wake up late, but you know, having the alarm go off at 4:30 instead of 5) and have made vast improvements to my diet.  Ok, two out of three 'aint bad, right? I don't believe in setting the bar too high all at once. Always strive for something, my friends! Once we get going on a regular schedule, I anticipate having a couple two-a-day workouts (or bricks), a couple days off with one long run and one long ride during the week.

Those of you who know Freddy know of his affinity for Excel Spreadsheets. Maybe affinity isn't the right word. Excel is his mistress-he loves her. And I'm ok with that. I don't do math. Or pie charts. I do, however, love the spreadsheet once it's all set-up real pretty like. He has made a really impressive spreadsheet for our training. It's so amazing, I truly think he could market it. And everyone we've shown it to agrees. We have used it the past couple years and it has been fun to chart our progress (um, or lack there of) and have a "friendly" competition with each other. One of the charts he has created is a map of the US for us to log our "Race to the Mississippi".  We start the year on the coast in San Francisco and head east.  Every forward-moving workout is logged and we see who can reach the Mississippi River first!  For 2013, we didn't track our data together, but we will be doing it for IM Bolder and I will provide all of you a monthly picture so you can cheer us on!  For S's&G's, here's my progress from 2013:

That blue horizontal line is me.  Hey look! I made it to Iowa! Hello, Iowa family!

In case you are wondering, in 2013, I ran 906.10 miles, biked 650.55 miles (this included road, spin and trainer), and swam 7.19 miles, for a grand total of 1563.84 miles!  This put me right smack in the middle of my second favorite state-Iowa!  Pretty bad-ass until you look at some of my running buddies' totals. Their totals made me tired. And made me want to work way harder in 2014. I can't wait to see what our totals are for 2014. I do not want Freddy to beat me to the Mississippi. That will just not do.....

So, what's next?  Freddy and I met with an hired an amazing swim coach named Marco that we cannot wait to work with, even though he called me a "dainty swimmer". WTF???  We met with him last week, just before Christmas and came away with some great tips and drills. The best part was that he assured me I would not need to contact Ironman for a refund-that he was confident we would do just fine. And maybe even enjoy ourselves in the process. Don't push it, Marco....

I'm also in the process of supervising the Captain and Co-Captain of our cheering section. My two girls in charge are doing a hell of a job. One of them also loves spreadsheets and I'm pretty sure she's creating one for all our cheerleaders as we speak. In truth, I'm a little sad I won't be with them on Aug. 3. Rumor is they are setting up one hell of a party! I have made two requests so far 1) there better be a very large, very cold, very salty margarita left for me when I finish and 2) when I run by at some point during the marathon, they are to "drop" a brat on the ground. I, not wanting my friends to litter, will promptly pick it up and possibly use it as fuel for the finish.  Truly, my friends have been so amazing calming my nerves during this time. Every run with them has started with them asking "so, how can we support you this week? What will you need from us?" I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life and I cannot wait to see them in Boulder!

My race schedule (as of today) for the year is as follows:

• Ralston Creek Half Marathon on Feb. 9-I love this one as it starts about 1.5 miles from our house!
• Horsetooth Half Marathon on April 13-probably my favorite Half. The route is gorgeous and it ends at a brewery. With firemen. 'Nuff said. 
• Skirt Sports Half Marathon on June 1-a women's only Half that is a blast! Instead of medals and t-shirts, you get a skirt. Even though I love my medals, I love this race!
• I've been told my BFF Heather is coming to town in July, so we are looking for a fun half to do together during that time-it may be a run from my house to our other BFF Pam's house for a mini-reunion! 
• Ironman Boulder  on August 3-God help me....
• New York City Marathon on Nov. 2-yep, my number came up this year! Cannot wait to run in my favorite city!!!  I'm not sure who's more excited for this one-me or my mother!

And, because my dear friend Nancy keeps requesting more photos, here's a lovely one of a great Christmas run with a couple of hearty girls from my running group. Ironically, Nancy decided it was too cold to run and stayed at home that morning! It was 19 degrees when we finished, but we all had a great time!  

Can I get a refund?

No, seriously! The closer I get to Jan. 1, the more I am freaking out.  Freddy and I signed up for Ironman Boulder back in July, high on the accomplishments of our dear friends who had just rocked the Ironman in Coeur d'Alene and made it look like child's play. I remember sitting at the computer that morning feeling sick-knowing that once I pulled the trigger, life as I knew it was about to change. I thought I would have a year of getting in the best shape of my life. Plenty of time! Except now it's December and I'm no stronger now than I was then.

My friends Nancy, Daniela and I at the start of the Portland Marathon. Don't we all look pretty and fast? 

I am coming off a really bad, no, horribly awful Portland Marathon in October that has left me less than optimistic about my next marathon (which just happens to take place after a 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride). Going into Portland, I had been fighting some nagging tweaks including a nasty bout of piriformis syndrome that just would not go away. Like any good marathoner, I thought I was tougher than any silly little nag and convinced myself that if I ignored the pain it would go away. Well, on Oct. 6 during the Portland Marathon, high atop the lovely St. John's Bridge, my piriformis really kicked in. Those who really know me, know I'm a pretty tough cookie. While pacing the Denver Half Marathon in 2011, I felt a horrendous, stabbing pain in my leg at mile 11. Not one to be a pansy, I convinced myself it was just a nasty cramp and I limped to the finish line; shoving away every paramedic along the course who wanted to give me a ride in their fancy ambulance. When I woke up the next morning and almost fell flat on my face because I couldn't put any weight on my leg, I knew this was no cramp. I knew my leg was broken. I got up and went to work all day before facing my fate at ER (call it denial or dedication-whatever). 2013 was supposed to be my come-back year after my break. I did PR at the Garmin Land of Oz marathon in Kansas in April, so that was awesome. But I didn't really try, I just ran the pace that felt right. Portland was going to be it! Aside from my broken leg in 2011, I have never been in this much pain during a race. My mind and the rest of my body were strong and wanted desperately to run. My hips, however, would not move. Period. I slowed to a 20+ minute mile because I could only walk a few steps without having to stop and stretch. It was a horrible, intense pain and one that I refuse to go through again. So, needless to say, I will be incorporating a whole host of preventative measures for Boulder.

That's my friend Daniela, literally kicking my ass on the St. John's Bridge. We had a lovely 17 miles together until the pain in my ass had other ideas.....

I'm terrified. Absolutely, completely terrified of the Ironman. While each distance individually is totally do-able, putting it all together while fighting hunger, heat, exhaustion, and the ever ticking clock,  has me scared stiff. But, I love pushing my body beyond it's limits. I love fighting while every fiber of my being is telling me to stop and go have a frosty margarita and a nap.

So, from now until January, you will find me in the gym with some old lady weights in my hands, trying to bulk up so I can kick some serious tail in Boulder.  

My "why"

When you put yourself through these crazy adventures, the question you always need to prepare for from those who don't get it is "why?".  I have a lot of "why's", but my "why" for starting on this endurance ride are two people I love very much: my Papa and Freddy's mom, Carol. My "Papa" (you may call yours your Grandpa-but mine's extra special, so he's Papa) has always had a way of getting me to do anything. I was convinced until I was in my 20's, that Papa's favorite food was canned spinach because when I was a kid, he always said it was his favorite 'cause it made him strong like Popeye. So, because my Papa said he loved it and was good for him, I forced it down the hatch. Imagine my shock when I hesitantly loaded my plate with a gooey mess of canned spinach as an adult and offered to scoop some up for my Papa, who met this offer with a crinkle of his nose and a "Gross.  I can't stand that stuff".  When we would watch "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" together, in the days before remote controls, Papa would make a game of me being his remote and walking over to the tv to turn the volume up or down. He even would get me excited about scooping up some of his favorite ice cream: butter pecan. He taught me how to count by how many snacks he would like us to share. "A couple" meant two. "A few" meant as many as my little hands could carry. That man has magical powers, he does! So, I really blame Papa for getting me into this whole endurance thing. If it wasn't for him (and Freddy's mom), I may still be a couch potato dreaming about doing a marathon. Although I will admit, being a couch potato sounds awfully tempting at times!

Me & my Papa in our younger days. He taught me at a young age to enjoy the good things in life!

My marathon journey began with Train to End Stroke, a training program through the American Stroke Association. I have always loved causes and this was one near and dear to my heart as Papa had had multiple strokes and Freddy's mom Carol recently suffered a stroke. I asked Papa and Carol if they would be my "stroke heroes" and, both being incredibly humble but wanting me to succeed, agreed. I am so proud to say that with their confidence in me, I raised $3500 for the American Stroke Association and became a marathoner. 

I finished my first marathon in 2005 with Train to End Stroke. And I loved every mile of it. Shortly after my marathon, we lost Freddy's mom to cancer. It came as a huge shock to all of us and it was horrible having to helplessly watch her battle this disease. But, if there was anything good that came out of losing her, it made Freddy and I really try to live every day to the fullest and not take any day for granted.  When I first met Carol, we had an instant bond, like we had known each other forever. Before Freddy and I flew to Arizona to meet she and Clair for the first time, Freddy called Carol and warned her about my aversion to my food touching. When we sat down to eat dinner just after our arrival, Carol jokingly served my meal on a kiddie divider plate. I knew then and there that I loved this woman! I had brought with me some pretty awesome fake teeth that I had put in at Freddy's request when I met her. Her response was running to her room to put on some great glasses that made her eyes all buggy. She was always there to cheer Freddy and I on with any crazy quest. She loved watching us push ourselves, but like any good mother, always wanted us safe and happy.

My Fan Club for my first marathon! Freddy, Erica (Freddy's niece), Shelly (Freddy's sister), Kristin (my sister), the next guy-not important, Mary (my mom), Clair (Freddy's dad), seated Carol (Freddy's mom). Little did we know, this would be our last family photo with her and the last time we spent time together before cancer took her from us.

Over 12 years ago, Papa was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. PD is a horrible, debilitating disease that I despise to the core of my being, but one that Papa and my Grandma (Mama) face head-on with humor, strength and resolve that I hope to possess some day. The good to come of this (I am always one to find silver lining in any situation) is that we have aligned ourselves with and awesome group of people through the the Davis Phinney Foundation. Now, we can do events we love so much, for a cause we love even more.

So, although my cause has changed, my "why" is still the same. I do this for those who can't. And because I can.