Running from the Kids

Ragnar....Will you ever return?

2009-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

This month has brought back some great memories from a year ago. Last year at this time, I was diligently preparing to run some 200 miles with my "crazy running friends". I was pushing the miles on our Saturday morning runs. I was running farther than I ever had before. I had amazing will power to make my body reach beyond my goals and I was enjoying the company of wonderful friends. What happened? Today I find myself barely able to complete a simple 3 miler. My workouts are few and far between. I seem to have no will power to push through the pain and some of those wonderful friends are now running hundreds of miles away from here. Such sadness!

Oh Ragnar...Will you ever return? Will we ever have the chance to re-unite those ladies who are "running from the kids"? Will I ever get another chance to run, drive, sleep, repeat?

Oh please, Ragnar...return...Texas is waiting!

And we are off!

2009-06-19T11:48:00.001-07:00

-- Post From My iPhone

Knock Knock... Is any one here?

2009-01-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

Guess what I saw today?

Any Guesses?

They posted the dates! Mark your calenders ladies it is happening again this year on October 16 & 17!

I know it is a ways off but that really made my day a happy day! Now I think after all the fun we had last year everyone wants in. How do we feel about making a second team too? Keep our initial team together? Just thought I would start the discussion so if we got talking about it with people we would know what to say if they want to join in the craziness!!!!

From Shelley

2008-11-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Cool, spooky tree...Lindsay on the go...

Mary after a hard run! But, look at that smile!

More pics of a great weekend!!!!

What does an amazingly good 29 hours and 38 minutes consist of?

2008-10-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

A very well made list that has been made, remade, cross checked and emailed to 10 more friends...

Thank you for being as crazy as me gift boxes :)...

Fabulous "party favors"

A beautiful setting... all be it a little hilly shall we say...

Two 12 passenger vans crammed full of way too many things, but what if we need that kitchen sink!!!!

some great art skills, and some perfect friends

And of course a beauty queen wave or two :)

Our party favors in action....

Some quite stellar hand offs of the slap bracelet (we are all girls of course we know how to share jewelry flawlessly)

Some passing waves...

A few new friends....

some favorites for the birthday girl all wrapped into one

Those hills took us all the way to the north 40...

of course 29 perfect hours would include a birthday cake on fire at the end of your first leg...

Catching a few zzzzz's in any pretzel type shape you can get yourself into...

A van with a few extra large but very fashionable purses....

A friend willing to drive her 10 craziest running friends the long way from San Antonio to Austin

Some headlamps, LED's, reflective vests

a few too many of these....

Blogging from the road of course....

Pure joy in our smiles after our last legs

Only one missed turn sign while dodging the car trying to hit her and 1 whole extra mile straight up another hill....

a finish line that cam 180ish miles later

it has to include a cattle incident form....

laughs at how many girls does it take to wash off the windows?....

and pulling into the driveway at 11:48 pm saturday night to this....

Great job to all of you moms! Thank you for giving me the best 29 and a half hours I have had in a while! See you all same time and place next year? I will be there! and we can be 'Still running from the kids!'

Ruminations...

2008-10-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

This One Time at Ragnar…

We’ve been punished. We’ve pushed ourselves. We’ve persevered. Here are one runner’s random reflections on her fabulous (30th birthday) Ragnar weekend…

Old McDonald Had a Farm…

Animals seen on the road: cattle (no kidding!); goats; deer (alive and dead); chickens and roosters; dogs; coyotes; armadillos (alive and dead); skunk (dead); myriad crazy running friends, with some decked out in dresses, tutus, sashes, and all manner of regalia.

Relationships…

I’ve developed a love/hate relationship with running hills and the ‘one mile to go’ marker signs. I love running down the hills, and hate—no, loathe intensely—running up the hills. In fact, I am convinced that I could climb Everest and K2 with no oxygen after this weekend. As for those pesky ‘one mile to go’ signs… well, the last mile was the LONGEST mile of the whole run. There were 2 times when I loved seeing those signs… during Leg 18 when I was almost done with my ‘very hard aka diabolical’ run (confession: I actually hugged this sign) and Leg 36 when we were almost done with the event. Otherwise, they just gave false hope. Jerks.

Tutu much…

I learned several things over the course of the weekend. One of the best lessons was the celebration of motherhood. Many, if not all, of the all female teams were composed of mommas. Hot mommas, I might add. What a wonderful way to celebrate a commitment to be in shape, inspire other mothers, and come together to encourage other moms. (And as an added bonus, I am pretty sure those dads at home were cheering us on to come home. I know my husband learned to appreciate his ‘stay at home’ wife a little bit more!) There really is no better calling in the world as that of a mother. It just took 180ish miles to be a bit more reflective on that.

Teamwork is essential. Throughout the race it was common to hear in the van, “I could not have done it without you.” Or, “Thanks for cheering me up that blasted hill.” Or, “Does anyone think that leg was easy? What moron decided that?” The team component of this race made it incredibly worth it. I know that my team support helped me through those long, slow, painful inclines. They helped me stay awake during the night, mainly because of all the laughter. They also helped me realize the importance of being united for a cause and sticking to a decision. We decided, albeit crazily, to run from San Antonio to Austin. And that is just what my TEAM did.

What’s in a name?

Easy. Moderate. Hard. Very Hard. Huh!?! Those aren’t ways to categorize the runs. Ragnar, I have a few suggestions for next year. How about “You’ve got to be kidding me,” “It’s less than 4 miles, you’ll somehow survive,” “This will help with your mountain climbing training. Don’t worry, you don’t need to see the top of the hill,” and “Sorry, you drew the wrong straw. See you at the exchange, sucker.” I think those are a bit more reflective of the actual running legs. Give it some thought.

Running From The Kids. That is our team name. Between the 11 of us, we have 31 beautiful, healthy, and wonderful children. They are the reason we run. For peace and quiet. To get perspective. To show them we can do it. To allow them to miss us and appreciate us. And to inspire them to do the same—whether it be a great relay run or learning to hit a curve ball or memorizing a hard piece on the piano or developing a talent in the arts or aspiring and achieving a goal. We were examples to them. The appeal, aside from the actual run and bragging rights distance, was to get a little time away from the housework, the errands, the carpooling, and to do something entirely for ourselves. This is a rarity. A treasure. What I learned, and I could perhaps speak for the team on this one, was that I started by running from the kids and decided I was really running for my kids. It’s just a little preposition change, yet poignant. They needed to see me accomplish a feat other than the daily routine and keeping our schedules coordinated. It started as ALL about me and getting the heck away… and ended with me wanting to be back with them…with a medal around my neck.

Lessons learned…

Pack lightly. While we all had overly stylish purses, we didn’t need to bring the biggest in our closets. Yet, we were oh so stylish at the country gas stations getting our smart waters!

Divide and conquer. Rather than individually bringing wipes, bug spray, bandaids, etc. we should divvy out the list and minimize on the paraphernalia.

Be organized. Thankfully our captain is the master in planning for just about every scenario. (Perhaps she is a ghost author in the ‘worst case scenario’ book series?) We were pretty much ready for any contingency. Thanks Erin!

Get rest. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Just thought I’d throw that one in there. Not sure how to make it happen…

Eat, don’t binge. Eating was one of the toughest aspects. We liked munching on bagels, bananas, apples, string cheese, and wheat thins. But I won’t lie that we also consumed copious amounts of chocolate, licorice, coconut ‘Ragnar’ cake, and lots of trail mix.

Stay positive. It was hard to be negative with this team. You just weren’t allowed to be. Our attitude permeated everything. Way to go girls!

There is a reason it is called Hill Country…

I really wasn’t prepared for how hilly and hard those hills are. At the start, I was cursing those darn hills. At the end, when I could feel my legs again, I was thrilled to have mastered that feat. Whoo hoo! I think I’ll take a little more caution next year when choosing my legs. And perhaps I won’t have to do 4 of them!?! How cool are we that we finished the race with 10 runners, rather than 12? Again, go us!

And finally, does this medal make my ego look big?

I find myself wanting to shout from the rooftops that we conquered Ragnar. Did we win with the best time? No. Did we win our category? No, but came in a not too shabby second. Did we finish? You betcha, and in style! I think that for the next week I’ll need to wear some kind of Ragnar momento (I still have my bib, maybe that’ll be my Halloween costume?). I am so proud. Proud of myself, proud of my team, proud of my husband and kids for surviving. I really did it. We really did it. I am not sure that Ragnar will need to do any additional advertising for next year. They now have 10 devout runners to speak of what a wonderful, hard, intense, painful, cathartic, and blissful journey it is. I have always thought that when athletes cry at the end of some feat it is because of exhaustion riddled with pain. Oh no my friends. It is sheer joy and probably the purest expression of release. I know, because I found myself emotional at the end.

And yes, I am wearing my medal around the house today as I do my chores and clean up after the kids and the husband. I think it makes me look just short of perfect.

I am ready to sign up for next year.

Awards...

2008-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here are the awards for the BEST Ragnar team ever...

"You can do anything when you look this fabulous..." The Fashion Award goes to Jaime!

"The Machine; The Blister Buster"...goes to Yvonne!

"Most Likely to Run Hills and Most Organized Captain Athletica..." goes to Erin!

"Thank you sir, may I have another? Bring it ON!..." goes to Mary!

"Little Miss Sunshine...the Energizer Bunny... and Best Cheerleader..." goes to Katie!

"Most encounters with animals and BEST BBQ run..." goes to Corrine!

"Never been so happy to see you... the Best Finisher..." goes to Julie!

"Taking one (acutally 2.8) for the team..." goes to Michele!

"I can do anything in a tutu with this smile..." goes to Shelley!

"Totally driven (crazy)..." goes to Sharon!

"Best birthday..." goes to Lindsay!

Miss Michele is almost done!

2008-10-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

She handed off to yvonne and is getting ready for her last one :) run mama run

-- Post From My iPhone

Miss Katie is done!!!

2008-10-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

Katie is done and Michele is off!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Jaime is done!!!

2008-10-25T05:24:00.001-07:00

Jamie is done and Katie is going! Go team!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

An eventful exchange 12!

2008-10-24T17:09:00.001-07:00

So Julie was a rockstar and ran faster than she thought and showed up to no one waiting for her! Everyone down by the exchange was yelling for team #3 while we were gearing up Jaime for her night time run! We get to the exchange and Jaime takes off going the wrong direction! We are all turned the right way now and going strong!

-- Post From My iPhone

Hi john!

2008-10-24T15:50:00.001-07:00

All we have done is eat lunch at the slowest subway in Texas! Van 2 is up right now and is almost to their last runner. More to come soon! Promise

-- Post From My iPhone

And a 4 5 6!!!!

2008-10-24T12:52:00.001-07:00

Yvonne handed to me, I didn't die on my very very hard 8.1 miles of hill. Lindsay was a rockstsr on her first birthday run. Had a cake on fire for her at her handoff to Shelley!

-- Post From My iPhone

We have a number 3!!

2008-10-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Go Yvonne!!! Run like a mother!!! :)

-- Post From My iPhone

Two done for the girls in tutu's

2008-10-24T08:36:00.001-07:00

Clean hand off to Michele and she is off!

-- Post From My iPhone

Exchange #1 done... Only 35 more to go!

2008-10-24T06:49:00.001-07:00

Jaime rocked her first 3 and Katie is on her way

-- Post From My iPhone

San Antonio!! Finally!!!

2008-10-24T04:17:00.001-07:00

We finally got to Austin, collected Lindsay and 2 beautiful vans (hahaha) and found some dinner at Maccaroni Grill. Got back on the road and hooked up with Katie at the hotel by 12:30!!!! We all crashed as soon as we could stop laughing and are up and ready to get this party started!!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

On the road

2008-10-23T17:19:00.001-07:00

We are trying to get to Austin and this is what we see.. Everyone off the freeway!

-- Post From My iPhone

And the winning design is....

2008-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE: THE RUN LIKE A MOTHER WILL BE REMOVED!

Let me know if you want to change/add something. We don't have too much time to do so, but I can always ask! I'll place the order hopefully tomorrow. Make sure Erin has your shirt sizes. And, I have asked for the price, and will post that as soon as I know. They have an option to let you order online... I'll look into that. Sometimes that is easier than being the bank.

Nine days to go...

Lindsay

Welcome Shelley!!!!

2008-10-10T12:41:00.001-07:00

We have a new runner!!! Wooohooo.... go Mary for recruiting!

On that note we have a little bit of a leg assignment shuffle

Runner #1: Jaime (no change)

Runner #2: Katie (no change)

Runner #3: Michele (no change)

Runner #4: Yvonne (no change)

Runner #5: Erin (no change)

Runner #6: Lindsay (no change)

Runner #7: Shelley

Runner #8: Leg 8: 3.3 Mary Leg 20: 8.7 very Hard Erin Leg 32: 3.3 Easy Mary

Runner #9: Leg 9: 4.9 Moderate Lindsay Leg 21: 5.0 Hard open for the taking Leg 33: 2.8 Easy Michele

Runner #10: Corrine (no change)

Runner #11: Mary

Runner #12: Julie (no change)

Shirt 3- Dots, dots, and more dots

2008-10-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

And the last nominee...

Shirt 2- Peace and Quiet

2008-10-09T20:07:00.003-07:00

Here is shirt 2... again, we can change colors, fonts, etc...

Shirt 1- The Road Less Traveled

2008-10-09T15:46:00.001-07:00

Here is a mockup of the first shirt. I have 2 more options still to come. Take a look; form an opinion. The others should be here tomorrow. We can change layout, colors, etc. Once we have all three, will vote. I'd love to get them ordered by next Tuesday.

And, we can always add more names :-)

Happy Training!
Lindsay

Updated leg info!

2008-10-08T19:05:00.000-07:00

Runner # 1 Jaime

Runner # 2 Katie

Runner #3 Michele

Runner #4 Yvonne

Runner #5 Erin

Runner #6 Lindsay

Runner #7 Mary

Runner #8 Leg 8 ~ Mary Leg 20 ~ Erin Leg 32 ~ Mary

Runner #9 Leg 9 ~ Erin Leg 21 ~ ??? Leg 33 ~ Michele

Runner #10 Corrine

Runner #11 Leg 11 ~ ??? Leg 23 ~ ??? Leg 35 ~ Lindsay

Runner #12 Julie

Please feel Free to email me and let me know you want to take one of the question mark slots! Please :)

New estimated start times and a question....

2008-10-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Jaime: Leg 1 ~ 8:00 AM Leg #13 ~ 7:35 PM Leg #25 ~ 7:30 AM

Katie: Leg 2 ~ 8:50 AM Leg #14 ~ 8:35 PM Leg #26 ~ 8:20 AM

Lindsay: Leg 3 ~ 10:00 AM Leg #15 ~ 9:25 PM Leg #27 ~ 9:10 AM

Yvonne: Leg 4 ~ 11:10 AM Leg #16 ~ 10:15 PM Leg #28 ~ 9:40 AM

Erin: Leg 5 ~ 12:10 PM Leg #17 ~ 10:50 PM Leg #29 ~ 10:25 AM

Michele: Leg 6 ~ 1:30 PM Leg #18 ~ 11:30 PM Leg #30 ~ 11:00 AM

Mary: Leg 7 ~ 2:15 PM Leg #19 ~ 1:00 AM Leg #31 ~ 11:30 AM

Runner #8: Leg # 8 ~ 2:55 PM Leg #20 ~ 2:00 AM Leg #32 ~ 12:00 PM

Runner #9: Leg #9 ~ 3:25 PM Leg #21 ~ 3:30 AM Leg #33 ~ 12:35 PM

Corrine: Leg #10 ~ 4:15 PM Leg #22 ~ 4:20 AM Leg #34 ~ 1:05 PM

Runner #11: Leg #11 ~ 5:25 PM Leg #23 ~ 5:30 AM Leg #35 ~ 1:35 PM

Julie: Leg #12 ~ 6:45 PM Leg #24 ~ 6:40 AM Leg #36 ~ 2:25 PM

Ok so here is my question... how attached are all of you to your leg assignments yet? Would you be mad if I did a little rearranging? Here is why I ask... So Valerie is not going to be able to do this with us. She is going to post later but I totally understand. So we are short three runners. While we are all trying to get more girls I am running through a worse case scenario in my mind and here is what I have come up with to help our shortage...

I know I can do longer mileage... so I am thinking if we could shuffle a little bit I would be able to do 2 runners in a row (ie... Runner #5 & Runner #6) Given I just did 26 I am trained for longer mileage so I would be able to (not super speedy fast but could)

That then leaves only 6 spots to split up between every one else :) What do you think? I need to know what you are thinking....

Team meeting Recap!

2008-10-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yea we survived our meeting! And we actually accomplished a few things! So here it all is in no particular order...

Which leg are you? Here you go... (Valerie Let me know which one of the three left you want to claim)

Runner #1: Jaime S (Leg 1~5.1 Moderate Leg 13~5.9 Moderate Leg 25~3.9 Easy)

Runner #2: Kaite G (Leg 2~6.8 Moderate Leg 14~5.1 Moderate Leg 26~4.7 Easy)

Runner #3: Lindsay (Leg 3~6.8 Moderate Leg 15~5.2 Moderate Leg 27~3.0 Easy)

Runner #4: Yvonne (Leg 4~6.0 Moderate Leg 16~3.5 Easy Leg 28~4.4 Easy)

Runner #5: Erin (Leg 5~8.1 Very Hard Leg 17~4.0 Easy Leg 29~3.5 Easy)

Runner #6: Michele (Leg 6~4.4 Easy Leg 18~8.8 Very Hard Leg 30~3.1 Easy)

Runner #7: Mary (Leg 7~3.4 Easy Leg 19~5.9 Hard Leg 31~3.3 Easy)

Runner #8: (Leg 8~3.3 Easy Leg 20~8.7 Very Hard Leg 32~3.3 Easy)

Runner #9: (Leg 9~4.9 Moderate Leg 21~5.0 Hard Leg 33~2.8 Easy)

Runner #10: Corrine (Leg 10~6.7 Moderate Leg 22~6.7 Moderate Leg 34~3.1 Easy)

Runner #11: (Leg 11~7.5 Hard Leg 23~6.8 Hard Leg 35~4.8 Easy)

Runner #12: Julie L. (Leg 12~4.5 Easy Leg 24~4.3 Easy Leg 36~5.1 Easy)

These are the most current distances for each person (they made a few changes recently but it should be final now) I spoke with the Ragnar folks at the expo this last weekend and they said we can split up the legs for the non existent runners :)

Katie is in possession of a head lamp and reflective vest for those of us with legs in the dark. As posted in the race bible any one running in the dark must wear both of these items.... as stylish as they are it is a lot safer!

As far as transportation to all of our needed to be places. Those of us up here is the Dallas area are planing (we think) to leave here around 3 on Thursday. I can drive and take 3 or 4 others (depending on how much stuff we all have) and we will need 1 other. Michele or Sharon is this an option for you to drive? We should roll into Austin around 6:30 or so. Grab Lindsay and some super stylish vans :) some yummy carb filled dinner and off to San Antonio.

Or van reservations are made from the airport in Austin so we can park our cars there so we have no back tracking after we are done to collect our vehicles.

Valerie... what makes most sense for you.... meeting us in Austin or San Antonio? Mary is from San Antonio. Do you guys have logistical plans for after? Let us know how we can help. We are planing to head back to Dallas Saturday evening.

Lindsay has gotten us a couple of room in San Antonio for Friday night. We will be sharing beds but that seemed pretty minor given we will be sharing vans for the following 36 hours :)

Here is the race day checklist put out by Ragnar and how we are doing with it....

Mandatory:

1. Two Headlamps or flashlights (I know we have one but do we have 2 Katie?)

2. Two reflective Vests (again...)

3. One Race Bible per vehicle (no worries we have 12 spiral bound ones :) so for those who didn't get them last night I have one for you)

Supplies:

1. Sleeping Bags/ Blankets (Please remember we are in vans so don't go crazy with the blankets :) )

2. Pillows (see number 1)

3. Ground cover (some tarps?)

4. One first aid kit per vehicle

5. GPS if you have one (several of us have iPhones with some GPS on them)

6. Laminated directory with everyones cell phones (Send me those cell phone numbers ladies)

7. Personal, Medical and contact information for each runner (send me this to and we will make a great little sheet for each van)

Food:

We are going to bring coolers and hit and HEB Thursday night to stock up. If there is something specific you are concerned about though bring it with you

Fun Stuff: (what I consider the most important part of the list)

1. Blow Horn

2. Cow Bells

3. Frisbees

4. Rubber chickens

5. Van decorations

6. Costumes

7. Noise makers

8. Candy (aka the food of life)

9. Music

10. Hula Hoops

11. Other fun stuff...

Lindsay.... and everyone... as far as shirts what we finally decided was that we can go with your company. Each of us and our drivers can get 2 (1 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve so we are prepared) to wear at the finish line. Several of us (ok mostly me) are kind of particular about what I run in. (i hate chafing.... no wait i loath it) so we are going to get them to look great at the end. Our only color preference is not yellow. Maybe long sleeve black and short sleeve white? As far as what is on them ....

I need everyone to send me words! Your kids names, your husbands names, important words to you, mantras, inspiration and I need them by Friday at the latest! I am going to drop them into Wordule and get a cool graphic to print on them!

Ok my brain is on overload and it is time to get kids so that is it for now. Things you need to do now!!!!...

Start an email to info@theribbonspot.com that has your words, let me know what shirt size you want, any more questions you have so the next post might make a little more sense and hit send!

Happy running... we are almost there!

Newby

2008-09-22T16:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone, I'm Mary the newest addition! And I am so excited!!
I am a 'little' obsessive when it comes to running, just ask my 8 year old son Lance, he has helped volunteer for running events and in August he won second place at the Silver Stars 5k for his age group! Let's see, well, I started running in the summer of 2005 when I received orders for an unaccompanied 1 year tour to Korea. I was sitting in my apartment missing Lance and was sick of feeling sorry for myself. So I put on some very untrendy running shorts and a regular bra and just started running (yeah I know it sounds like forest Gump). Granted I only lasted 30 minutes with numerous walk breaks, but everything in my mind cleared and I felt so good, yep,I was addicted! And it just keeps giving! I finished my time in the Army and moved to San Antonio to head the Breast Imaging Center at BAMC, and I knew no one. Once again running helped me out by introducing me to some great people that have become my surrogate families! I love challenges like these and can't wait to get out there!!

Updated estimated start times...

2008-09-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ok finally figure out how to get it to post in the layout... only took two computers and half my hair being ripped out in frustration but finally thought of a way to make it work...

If you haven't sent me which legs you are interested in please do so in the next day or two so we can get this all squared away. If you have talked/emailed me I have them don't worry I don't need them again :) Also Katie and I think a little meeting for those of us that are local would be helpful and she has offered to have us over one night 8:30ish or so, once the kids are done for the day so if you are a local let me know what nights might work for you this week or next and we will see what we can get worked out. Thanks and in case you missed it the last 100 or so times I have posted it, my email address is info@theribbonspot.com don't hesitate to email me, even if it is a silly something! I love to get mail.... just ask Bart how much I like mail.... his mail got him a wife :)

slogans or trash talk? you decide!

2008-09-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ideas keep popping in my head…for shirts and/or the van? (Full disclosure: I did poach some of these off the internet!) How saucy do we want to be?

Run like a mother
Mom mobile: we bust ours to kick yours
You’re a little cranky mom… shouldn’t you go for a run?
The woman who starts the race is not the same that finishes the race
Don't worry about the map...we'll show you the way!
Win or Bust? We’ll take both!
Some call it obsessive compulsive. We call it motherhood.
We kick asphalt.
Sometimes we run to forget, but we never forget to run!
We have the best set of legs in town.

word fun....

2008-09-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

Maybe something that looks like this in vinyl all over the vans? Very fun little gadget found at Wordle

Ok Ladies we need to be serious....

2008-09-19T11:55:00.001-07:00

HAHAHAHA.... anyone who really knows me knows I am not a super serious person so don't stress i am not mean.... just trying to cross things off my perpetual to do list!

So here are all the things that are somewhat connected to this race that I think "oh right I need to..." at 2 am.... in no particular order. Get a pen and get these on your to do lists too :)

1: Looks like we have a start time! 8 AM which is great but does mean that if you scroll down and look at the legs move all of them ahead by 1 hour. I'm sorry but I don't have it in me to type it all out again.... forgive me i am trying to hurry.

2. Team Running From the Kids is almost complete! Almost isn't quite good enough though. We have one in the works... I don't want to pressure her but I know she is reading this so just say yes.... we can make it work! :) Think of all the people you know... soccer teams, baseball teams all the moms you come in contact with branch out the worst they can say is no thanks your crazy.... but we all all ready know that. We need to get this wrapped up before it is October! Think Think Think then Ask Ask Ask!

3. Lindsay and I have secured van rentals in Austin. We need to start thinking logistics. Tentatively we are planing to go down Thursday evening after all of the daily festivities (would hate to expect Dad to keep all of our balls in the air ~ we are super women you know) I think we should carpool down to Austin leave our cars at the airport (where the vans are) pick them up and keep on trucking down to near the start This way when we are done in Austin on Saturday we don't have to back track to pick up our cars.

4. Speaking of vans.. did you know there are awards for the funnest decorating and best costumes and such? I think we should decorate somehow. So get some creative juices flowing.... start brainstorming and lets get some real ideas and turn them into reality! After peeling off vinyl polka dots from Miss Kate's walls I have been stirring some ideas along those lines... but let me get your ideas too

5. Do we want shirts or anything? If so it would be best to get them started now so we can make them great and not be in a rush! Again think think think...

6. I know there were way more things than this but they are temporarily gone... maybe I will post again later with them... stay tuned!

Oh yea ... how is the training going... or not going?

Email me info@theribbonspot.com.... I would love to hear from all of you!

Running Perspective

2008-08-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Running Perspective

Erin and I ran the ‘Hottest Half’ this weekend. I made some observations along the route—my first half marathon. Hopefully this will help us as we get into gear for RAGNAR!

1- Not enough people wear enough deodorant. It was painfully obvious when people were smelly (and I am talking POTENT!) before the mile 1 sign!

2- Sweaty and drippy—these are the people to avoid! No, these aren’t the folks who are dousing themselves with water. These are the folks who just look like they have. I don’t know which is worse—the port-o-potty or having the run close to those dripping onto you. Yuk.

3- Water is the key. It will be warm on our run, so we have to make sure we stay hydrated. We could all invest in those cool ‘fuel belts’ because they really make you look like you know what you are doing; or the new fandangled water bottles that mold to your hand and don’t slip out. Another reason to go shopping?

4- Gadgets make you look cool. I usually chose my ‘pace person’ by their gadgets and/or outfit. Erin is especially knowledgeable in this area, as she has most of the gadgets. (Ask her about the ‘gutter’—it is sure to get some laughs!) And, she has all coordinating outfits.

5- Friends make it bearable. I had a rough, real rough, first half. There was such a comfort on the back stretch when Erin pulled up beside me to guide me the last part of the race. I truly couldn’t have done it without her support. THANK YOU! It gets me excited to have a van full of cheerleaders to get us through the rough patches.

6- Don’t worry about the competition. I kept looking around at others thinking: why are they passing me? I learned to get over myself real quickly and just focus on the task at hand: finishing the commitment I had made. It’s OK if granny zooms past you; she’s probably been doing this since they invented marathons. Just do what you can do!

7- The Olympics are over; we have 4 more years before we have to see people who can run circles around us on TV. Let’s be proud of our accomplishments in finishing together—and then we can go buy ourselves something ‘metal’ to reward ourselves!

Well, those are my observations so far. I look forward to running with y’all! And, I promise to wear copious amounts of deodorant-ha!

Let's pick our legs....

2008-08-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hey ladies....

Here are estimated start times for each runner/leg based on if we get our first choice start time. If we don't get our first choice the worst it would change is 1 hour later. So email me at info@theribbonspot.com and let me know which runner number(s) you want so we can start getting this sorted out and get training for each of our own legs :)

Let me hear from each of you soon!!!! info@theribbonspot.com

1 Leg 1: 5.8 moderate/7:30 AM Leg 2: 5.9 Moderate/6:40 PM Leg 3: 3.4 Easy/5:45 AM

2 Leg 1: 6.8 Moderate/8:30 AM Leg 2: 5.1 Moderate/7:40 PM Leg 3: 3.3 Easy/6:20 AM

3 Leg 1: 6.8 Very Hard/9:40 AM Leg 2: 5.5 Moderate/8:30 PM Leg 3: 3.3 Easy/6:55 AM

4 Leg 1: 6 Moderate/10:50 AM Leg 2: 4.7 Easy/9:25 PM Leg 3: 5 Hard/7:30 AM

5 Leg 1: 8.1 Very Hard/11:50 AM Leg 2: 5.3 Moderate/10:15 PM Leg 3: 3.5 Easy/8:20 AM

6 Leg 1: 4.6 Easy/1:05 PM Leg 2: 6.1 Moderate/11:10 PM Leg 3: 4 Easy/8:55 AM

7 Leg 1: 8 Hard/1:55 PM Leg 2: 4 Easy/12:10 AM Leg 3: 6.7 Hard/9:35 AM

8 Leg 1: 3.1 Easy/3:15 PM Leg 2: 4 Easy/12:50 AM Leg 3: 5.1 Moderate/10:45 AM

9 Leg 1: 4.4 Easy/3:45 PM Leg 2: 6.7 Hard/1:30 AM Leg 3: 3.9 Easy/11:35 AM

10 Leg 1: 5.1 Moderate/4:30 PM Leg 2: 6.7 Hard/2:40 AM Leg 3: 3 Easy/12:15 PM

11 Leg 1: 4.7 Easy/5:20 PM Leg 2: 4.3 Easy/3:50 AM Leg 3: 2.9 Easy/12:45 PM

12 Leg 1: 2.9 Easy/6:10 PM Leg 2: 7 Hard/4:35 AM Leg 3: 3.9 Easy/1:15 PM

1~ 7:30 2~ 8:00 3~ 8:30 all AM

2008-08-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

So our start times have been requested.... I figured we may as well get out there and get going.... and then we could all get one leg in long before it gets dark :)

We still have four spots and only 9 days before the new people will have to pay $90 instead of the $80 by the 31st. On that note if you haven't gotten me the money please do so soon... Thanks.

On a training note... have you thought about your feet lately? I know my feet love new shoes.... fancy ones... spiked heel ones.... flip flops.... and also my running shoes. I would strongly suggest going to your local running store in the next few weeks and getting fitted for some fabulous new shoes, good shoes, right for your feet and how you run. If you are like me you all ready know what those new shoes are. Did you know running shoes last 300-400 miles before they start to break down? That is about 3-4 months. The beginning of September would be a great time to get new ones to get them broken in, your feet accustomed to them and have them not be on their last legs for your three legs :)

New look... new commitment!

2008-08-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

So I don't know about all of you but this Texas heat is killing my want/desire to run! Let me re-phrase.... I want to run.... I just can't! So in honor of recommitting to training I thought a new look was in order. I hope some of the rest of you are feeling the same way...

So a few things...

1. Look the the right. See that lovely team list that still has 4 spots with question marks! We need to get this part wrapped up for many reasons.. a few of which will be subsequent numbers :) Put those feelers out, think of maybe the not so obvious people in your life that you would want to have an amazing unforgettable 24+ hours with, without daily life creeping in. If you find some one... get their email address to me and I will send them a link to fill in their information and check the waiver.

2. Did everyone else get the pace/start time email? If you didn't and want to read it let me know I will forward it to you. Katie G. ~ we need your knowledge.... when do we want to start? Does it matter? Does it make a huge difference? This is me asking for HELP... and that rarely happens... just ask Bart :)

3. Have you read the Race Bible yet? Did you even know there was such a thing? Here is a link to it... Texas Race Bible... Well I was just reading it and read that you have to provide 3 volunteers, or you can pay $120.00 and not provide any. I am kind of on the pay $10 each and not have to find 3 more people... but let me know what your thoughts are. (The book isn't very clear... at the beginning it is every team and farther into it it is only teams with some one within 100 miles?)

4. We need to start thinking about what legs we all want/can run. Check them out here Email me what your thoughts are for yourself... which ones you want/don't want and I will compile the emails and see where we stand....

5. Here is the training for next week.... happy weekend everyone....

Monday: Easy~30 minutes hills Intermediate~5 Miles

Tuesday: Easy~rest or easy cross train Intermediate~6 Miles Hills

Wednesday: Easy~40 minutes Intermediate~5 Miles

Thursday: Easy~rest or easy cross train Intermediate~8 Miles

Friday: Easy~30 minutes Intermediate~5 Miles

Saturday: Easy~60 minutes Intermediate~12 Miles (Hey look Lindsay.. our moment of insanity falls right in line with our training.... hahaha)

A New York Run!

2008-08-04T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s august! Only 3 more months and we’ll officially be “running from the kids”! I can’t wait. I just returned from vacation a few weeks ago and have to admit that I didn’t run as much as I had planned. I also enjoyed eating much more than I told myself that I would. But, one cannot go to New York and not enjoy the culinary experience that great city has to offer. Pastrami sandwiches and cheesecake from Carnegie Deli topped my favorite list! If any of you have been there, you will know just what I mean.

I did enjoy some of the most beautiful runs I’ve ever had while I was there. Picture magnificent wooded hills early in the morning (dew still on the ground), cool breeze coming off a picturesque lake, a baby fawn with it’s mother feeding on the berry bushes off the side of the road, and a cute little New England town in upstate New York with architecture dating back to the early 1700's. Now that's a run!

Wish you were all there running with me, I imagined you were. Looking forward to our Saturday morning runs when everyone returns! In the meantime, keep running ladies!

It is JULY!!!!

2008-07-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok so it is all ready July!!! So here is the training for this week and a few housekeeping things so make sure to read to the end :)

Monday: Beginner 15 Minutes, Intermediate 5 Miles

Tuesday: Beginner Rest or easy cross train, Intermediate 6 Miles

Wednesday: Beginner 15 Minutes, Intermediate 5 Miles

Thursday: Beginner Rest or easy cross train, Intermediate 5 Miles

Friday: Beginner 15 Minutes, Intermediate 5 Miles

Saturday: Beginner 25 Minutes, Intermediate 8 Miles

Ok so on to housekeeping.... Everyone should have gotten an email link to fill in the information for registration. If you didn't get it or need me to resend it let me know and I will get it out. We are registered as a team and paid for but need to get some specifics from everyone. On that note, I need to collect the $80.00 from everyone.

We also still have 3 spots so put those thinking caps on and let's get our team filled!

I hope everyone's training is going well... just a few things... remember to listen to your bodies. If you need to take a day off to lets say rest a sore knee don't beat yourself up over it. Your body will only give you 100% if you give it the right rest. Also with our lovely Texas summers don't forget to hydrate... lots and lots of water.

HAPPY RUNNING!!!!

Meet Lindsay

2008-06-18T18:19:00.001-07:00

Now it’s my turn…

I don’t know if I could come up with 100 things about me like Valerie, and I am not as creative as Katie, so hear is by best effort at introducing myself.

1. I like lists. (Erin, stop laughing!)

2. I have a great family: husband, Dave and two fantastic kiddos: Kate, almost 1 and Lincoln, 3 years. They are the reason I run.

3. Running has been a new found love of mine. See, I gain monster amounts of weight (65 pound range) with my pregnancies and then have to work it all off. And that is where the running comes in. I am proud to report that I lost the 65 ‘Kate pounds’ in 9 months. As they say, 9 months on, 9 months off! (Please no pregnancy stories about how you only gained 13 pounds)

4. I love to travel. I studied abroad twice in college: Europe and South America. I have been all over Europe, parts of South America, parts of China, Mexico, the Caribbean, Russia… and look forward to more!

5. I am a special education teacher. I currently teach 6th grade language arts, math, and reading. This coming school year I will also be teaching geography and science (with Susie!). I have taught HS American Literature, Contemporary Literature, World Literature, Spanish 1 and Spanish 2. (If I was a baseball player, I would be a utility player for sure.)

6. I graduated from Georgia Tech (GO JACKETS!) with a BS in International Affairs, and graduated from the University of Utah (GO UTES!) with a Masters in Secondary Education. (OK, so I do have to brag a bit here… I graduate summa cum laude. I am proud to be a dork.)

7. I love to learn. If I had the time and the money, I would be a permanent student. I would love to get a PhD someday: perhaps social work, educational leadership, or special education.

8. My car radio is always on NPR. Love it.

9. My husband and I met on a blind date. My first and last. Yes, it was truly love at first sight. We met, got engaged 4 months later, and married 4 months after that. Bliss.

10. Favorite places include: Nordstrom, especially the shoe department, Atlanta (my home town), Georgia Tech football games, my couch with a good book (a rarity!), a secluded beach with nothing to do, and sitting next to my husband on a plane going on a trip.

11. While I do love a good television show, my best free-time hobby is reading. I prefer to read contemporary lit and world lit. I went through a world lit phase where everything I read was about poverty, childhood issues, graft, corruption, and/or the third world. I had to phase in some good crime drama, chick lit, adolescent lit, and an occasional classic to help temper that. I was about to start too many charities at the pace I was going. They were a bit too much of a buzzkill.

12. I don’t like chocolate. I don’t eat it. I don’t really even like the smell. But, I’ll make treats with it. I can’t explain it; it’s just part of me.

13. We are running this race on my 30th birthday. Very cool. Very excited about that!

That’s it for now. I am very excited to be part of this. Thanks to Erin for helping get us off and running. Yippee!
LME

We have 13 DAYS! & This weeks training...

2008-06-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies~

So it is the 17th of June today which means that we have 13 to get this team basically finalized and get registered! So here is the plan... (unless someone else has a better one) Everyone who is in please send me an email to info@theribbonspot.com and tell me yea or nay! I have registered team Running From The Kids and have paid the entry fee so if everyone could get me the money we are set :) We are team number 003 :)

We are still waiting to hear from a lot of you for your introductions.... don't be shy we don't bite....

Now on to the training for this week. Remember this is what they suggest.... modify, alter, do what you need to do to fit what feels right and good into your lives. I know we are all busy and have the little people home for the summer so sometimes it is hard to get out. Do what you can :)

Monday: Beginner... 15 Minutes

Intermediate... 3 Miles

Tuesday: Beginner... Rest or easy cross train

Intermediate... 4 Miles

Wednesday: Beginner... 15 Minutes

Intermediate... 3 Miles

Thursday: Beginner... Rest or easy cross train

Intermediate... 4 Miles

Friday: Beginner... 15 Minutes

Intermediate... 3 Miles

Saturday: Beginner... Rest or easy cross train

Intermediate... 6 Miles

Happy running :)

Training for this week....

2008-06-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true it starts this week if you are following the training plan they have on the site :) So here is what this week has in store.... Enjoy

Monday: Beginner run for 15 minutes and Intermediate is 3 miles
Tuesday: Beginner rest or easy cross train and Intermediate is 4 miles
Wednesday: Beginner run for 15 minutes and Intermediate is 3 miles
Thursday: Beginner rest or easy cross train and Intermediate is 4 miles
Friday: Beginner run for 15 minutes and Intermediate is 3 miles
Saturday: Beginner rest or easy cross train and Intermediate is 5 miles

Keep us posted on how you are doing! Happy running :)

Meet Katie

2008-06-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

I have about 30 seconds to say Hi! and to let you know that I think Erin is the most enthusiastic runner I've ever met. An idea to get to know a few new girls has blossomed into a full blown past time, complete with a blog! thanks for taking the ball and running with it Erin (pun was totally intended;)

I'm older than 30, and have learned that age is a matter of mind. I look forward to running with young at heart moms and feel so blessed to have a body that can put one foot in front of the other. My life is full of chaos and disorganization, even though organization is something I've always felt I was good at. I wouldn't change a minute of the experiences we've had and feel so thankful for the package that is my life..this package includes a fantastic, supportive, fun loving, talented and hot to trot husband John along with 6 great kids ranging in age from 13-2. 4 of our kids are "home grown" and two came by way of adoption. It has been a fabulous ride getting them here, and my every breath is devoted to making sure they have the tools to be good and worthy individuals (okay, some of my breaths are also used talking to friends on the phone, looking at ideas for our house and garden and even making a few scrapbooks here and there. Oh, I guess I also use some of my breath when I sit and watch Arrested Development or the Office, but not as much, so I don't sit down very often. As you get to be my age that metabolism slows girls, and you have to stay on your feet more just to use up those slow burning calories ;)

Having run one of these relays before I can speak with experience when I say the following things:

1. This will be challenging
2. This will be fun!
3. I want to be in the second van (tell ya why later on...)

can't wait to work hard toward something worth achieving. So happy to have all of you work with. And as for those two last few spots; perhaps its time for me to make some long distance calls to sisters and former running buddies to fill them up!

Did you know it's June?

2008-06-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

OK, don't want to freak anyone out, but did you know that today is June 1st. According to our training guru/runner extraordinaire, we start training in 8 days! So enjoy those cupcakes ladies, because tomorrow we run! (Well, not really tomorrow, but you know what I mean!)

Let the games begin!

LME

Hello! Valerie Here!

2008-05-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this great group of moms! I am so excited to be a part of it and am looking forward to talking with and training with all of you! I started writing this novel length bio about me and then decided to do a "list of 100" instead! Here it is!

One Hundred Things About Me

1 I LOVE Coffee!

2. I also LOVE Chocolate!

3. I was born and raised in Houston

4. I do not love Houston!

5. I went to Texas A&M for my degree

6. I have a BS in Genetics

7. I worked as a research associate in

pharmaceutical research

8. …specifically with endocrine disorders

9. I met my husband at the company I worked for.

10. We only dated for 6 months before getting married

11. …in Vegas

12. We were supposed to get married in Sanibel, FL

13. …but Hurricane Charlie hit Sanibel Island the Friday

before we were supposed to leave

14. I panicked and thought it was a sign from God that

we were not supposed to get married and nearly

called of the wedding!

15. Our wedding was pushed back two weeks

and moved to Vegas.

16. When we walked to our car to drive to the wedding

spot, we realized that ALL of the tires were

flat on the rental car

17. Once again I panicked!

18. We are still married!

19. My oldest child graduated today (May 30^th) from Kindergarten

20. I cried during the slideshow.

21. My son is 3 and quite the handful!

22. So is my 18 month old daughter who tries to keep

up with the other two!

23. I am amazed and inspired by all of you

marathon mommies!

24. I too will turn 30 this year, August 18^th

25. I have no idea what to do to celebrate my

30^th birthday!

26. The goals I had for achieving before my 30^th

b-day included owning my own

business, running a marathon, and doing a triathlon.

27. I own two businesses, Stroller Strides and

Urban Studio Photography

28. I’ve never done a marathon or triathlon, but am in

training for both

29. This is my first year as a stay at home/work

at home mom

30. I thought I’d have more time

31. I was wrong!

32. I used to be very fit in college and regularly ran,

did strength training, and studied Judo

33. I started back at running and strength

training 6 months ago

34. I lost 30lbs of “baby weight” in three months

35. I love running and working out

36. My other hobbies include photography, photo art,

graphic design, web design, reading, cooking,

charity work, and bible studies

37. My favorite author is CS Lewis

38. I also love JR Tolkien and JK Rowling

39. Needless to say, I’m a total geek!

40. I don’t have a favorite movie because there are too

many to choose

41. My favorite comedies include Dodgeball, Zoolander,

The Wedding Singer, The Princess Bride, and Spaceballs

42. My other favorites include The Lord of the

Rings (all of them), 300, Harry Potter (all of them), and

Indiana Jones (all of them)

43. My favorite TV show is Scrubs

44. Followed by Seinfeld, Sex in the City, Family Guy

45. I also really enjoy watching Man vs Wild,

Destination Truth, Ghosthunters, and Dirty Jobs

46. Did I mention I was a geek!

47. I love being outdoors.

48. I love outdoor activities like hiking, camping,

kayaking, and fishing

49. There are no places to hike, kayak, fish,

etc in Houston

50. I travel to Florida most of the time for my outdoor adventures!

51. My whole family is addicted to Disney

52. I’ve tried not to conform, but have failed!

53. We like to go to Disney World at least once a year

54. I really want to go on a Disney cruise

55. I’ve never been on a cruise

56. I’ve never been out of the States

57. We are working on that!

58. I have one dog and one cat.

59. My dog is a female Westie named Domino

60. My cat came with the hubby

61. She is 13 years old and has three legs

62. We had a fish until a few weeks ago

63. Dora the fish died at 2 yrs old

64. I want another dog, but the hubby says no

65. “the hubby’s” name is Jason

66. My kids’ names are Daniella (6), Joshua (3),

and Riley (18 m)

67. All three kids like to pretend to teach

Stroller Strides classes

68. All three of my kids love to sing and dance

69. I love to sing and dance with them!

70. My favorite band is Foo Fighters

71. I also like Barlow Girl, Jeremy Camp, and Kutless

72. My iTunes has over 1800 songs in it

73. My library is nowhere complete!

74. My iPod is outdated!

75. I want a new one!

76. Maybe that’s what I’ll ask for my 30^th!

77. In my younger crazier days I used to go skydiving

78. I chose skydiving, because I thought it was less scary

than bungee jumping

79. I still have no desire to bungee jump!

80. I love to eat!

81. I don’t really have a favorite food

82. I’ll eat pretty much anything!

83. I love to drink ice tea

84. I drink way more ice tea than I should!

85. I also like to drink red wine

86. My favorite red wine is Estancia

87. One of my best friends is a wine rep

88. I am never out of Estancia!

89. I don’t like getting out of bed in the mornings

90. …but once I’m up, the morning is my favorite

part of the day

91. My favorite color is blue

92. I also like green, brown, and pink

93. I have been studying ways to live “greener”

94. Two books I just read are Raising the Bar and

Healthy Child Healthy World

95. I thought both were very inspiring and educational

96. The next book I plan to read is The Red Sea Rules

97. Tonight before I go to bed I aim to update my

blogs and write a seminar on pre and post natal fitness

98. My family blog page is http://jasonvalerieand3crazykids.blogspot.com/

99. I also have a Stroller Strides blog that I have

been slacking on this week!

http://strollerstrides.wordpress.com/

100. I am really excited about being a part of this team and looking

forward to meeting all of you!

And then there was two...

2008-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ok we are down to two spots left! (Lindsay will you make sure Susie is really in?) So I will kick off the introductions since no one else is jumping in...

Here is what I know about our great team so far.... {you had your chances to speak up :)}

1... Jessica.... She is the mom of three great girls. She is wonderfully tall and runs like a "gazelle" as the rest of our Saturday morning ladies say. She apparently loves to run hills so I think all of us are on board with letting her

2... Valerie... She is joining us from Houston. She founds us through Marathon Mommies. She is the owner of a Stroller Strides business in her area and is the mom of three. That is about all I know so feel free to add more details :)

3... Susie .... She is a middle school teacher with Lindsay. She is also at the gym with me early in the am and is always smiling and happy.....

4... Lindsay... is the mom to 2 little ones and a middle school teacher. A party always follows her wherever she goes.... and in true fashion our little run is being viewed as one big birthday party to bring in the 30's :)

5... Michele... is the mom to 5 kids including a very active set of twins at the end! She is our dependable Saturday morning cheerleader :) She is a real estate agent and is one of the most dependable people I know

6... Yvonne... She is our party girl.... bringing fun and way too much laughter everywhere she is! She is also amazing/crazy when it comes to running... like ruining the Austin half with no training... but boy we had fun :) She is the mom of three boys

7... Ellen... Ellen is the mom of two boys and my steady reminder to not over-do it so I can keep running with her forever! She is wonderfully fun, an artist and is the manager of a great UPS store :)

8... Jaime... She is the mom of 3 adorable kids. Used to teach a great song and dance troop. Jaime is always on top of things, or at least has me fooled into thinking she is :) and is soo much fun to be around.... even if it isn't very often!

9... Katie... The amazingly calm mom of 6! Just came back to Texas after a few stops around the world- literally! I don't think I have seen her not smiling since she moved in :)

10... Me (Erin)... I am the mom of 2 (Hunter 8 & Jorden 6) owner of The Ribbon Spot, Lone Star Ribbon and manager of The Marble Spot (it really belongs to Hunter) I am anxiously hesitant about turning 30 on the first of January. It is kind of fun having my birthday on resolution day... so for this year it was to run a race (5k, 10k or a half) every month for the last year I was in my 20's. Well as with everything in life it has gotten modified as time went on because it was never my intention to run 2 FULL marathons, a triathlon and prepare to run the Goofy challenge 10 days into my 30's or to run a 196 mile relay. I truly have discovered that I love to run... I love how it makes me feel, how it clears my mind and how it has been the gateway to some of my best and most important friendships. My favorite color is Pink, Red, Green and Orange :) My favorite dessert in chocolate mousse cheesecake for The Cheesecake Factory. I am a music junkie and love just about every type of music (there are 2200+ songs in my iTunes library right now) But currently a favorite to run to is a group called Black Violin (classical violin music mixed with a perfect running beat)

Hahaha.... I just discovered that between all of us there are at least 29 kids....

Now it is all of your turns.... let all of the rest of us know a little bit about you... i.e. birthdays, favorite colors foods or music.... something.... anything :)

Here we go!

2008-05-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ok Ladies....

I thought it would be fun to get this going to keep up with each other and stay excited! I would love for everyone to post a little get to know you bit when you get a chance. Everyone is welcome to post and comment but please remember to keep it clean... sometimes there are little eyes reading here too! :)