It just sounds cold outside...

Making it hard to feel motivated to get out the door, while wearing the appropriate weather proof outfit. Opposed to sweats and a fleece, prepared to go... oh... drink a cup of tea.

Oh.. October, you've finally decided to show us you're not all sunshine and blue skies haven't you.

When I got to the gym, I was pleasantly surprised by how many gals were there.  Pretty sure Washington women are the toughest around (just sayin').

We ran the Madden Ln. loop, just backwards.  Then at the last moment, threw in the airport trail, which was a nice change of pace.  It added just the tiny bit of mileage, but pleasantly slowed us down.  You know the whole being cautious, as to not fall on ones face thing.

Both Tamara and Deb chose to stay on the road, concerned about the slowing down part and having places they needed to be.  

Our runs lately have been feeling quite... dare I say... inspired.  We've all, collectively, been running faster and feeling stronger.  Feeling pretty great to live in such a gorgeous place, with so many incredible women.  

Thanks for running with us!!

5.3 miles at a 9min 16sec. pace.

*********

AND A BIG P.S.

we are always happy to have new joiners!!  If you have yet to run with us, or know any of us very well... I promise we are all nice.  Please DO NOT feel intimidated by our distances, there are always options for shorter routes.  Plus, miss BooBoo (who is coming back from an injury) will be leading the ones who have more of a half marathon in mind opposed to a full or (oh, geez) a 50k.

So come run with us!! TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS at 8:30am in front of SJI FITNESS!!

Long run thursdays...

Our calendars for upcoming races have been studied, highlighted and a few already registered for.

Out of the masses, we are collectively training for an 8k, 3 half marathons, a 25k, 4 full marathons, a 50k, a run as much as you can 57 miler, and one super ambitious IRONwoMAN.  So our training begins....

Today.

Unfortunately for some... I hadn't let others in on that small detail (THE STARTS TODAY part)

So with a group the size that we had, four ran the four mile loop (sounds appropriate), one ran the six miler and the remaining four (or was it five) ran nine and a half.

When we started, less than quarter mile in we realized nobody remembered water... and suddenly we're all completely parched.  A random fella on a bicycle pedaling by at the right moment smirked at the joke of having to makeout to stay hydrated... oh boy.

We past the four mile and six mile turn outs and waved farewell to our shorter distance lady friends for the time being.  Running on... we turned onto Egg Lake Rd, where the massive(est) of all massive dogs ran to the fence, sure he has super shaggy eye covering, adorable hair, but that bark was intimidating.  Moments later a wobbly kneed deer hopped out of the brush (although completely harmless and incredibly cute) startling me as well.  Geesh get ahold of yourself. 


Three meadows is a new favorite road.  It's both wooded and opens to lovely pastures.  No traffic and even better.... no hills, or at least any going up.  Our friend Sophie was jogging past, so we said a quick hello.  She's nice.  There were a good 3-4 deer that hopped out and I'm happy to say none scared myself or my other (brave) running friends.

There were discussions of all our upcoming goals.  Mainly, miss Meghan who has committed to a full ironman!!  For those of you not in the know, thats a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 run.  Basically something worth a bit of AWE and AMAZEMENT.  The training for something so ambitious takes a ridiculous amount of time, dedication, support and energy.  Impressed and already proud of her.

Where Three Meadows meets Roche Harbor road, there's an enormous pasture full of a gaggle (yeah, pretty sure a gathering of horses is called a gaggle... so, go with it) of horses.  All staring at us, and wanting to be pet.  Welcoming the option to stop running for a moment... we did.

The remaining miles seemed to fly by.  With smiles of way to go, we hugged our good jobs, and said our goodbyes.

Thanks for the run gals.

9.3 miles, average pace 9min 14sec 

again with the two days later...

We are four.

Being the odd one out, who didn't run a speedy 13.1 miles a mere two days earlier.  I was confident I'd be told to go far far away, for suggesting anything other than a 3-4 mile run... Instead, it was all "OKs" and "As long as we go slows" to a 6 mile jaunt.

Heading out to Warbass to run PEAR POINT, our pace was already semi fast.  Everyone looked like they were feeling pretty great, so I chose to not point this out.  Why disrupt a good thing.  Besides I assumed if it wasn't okay... our suddenly not so shy Tamara would let us know with some creative language that we best SLOW DOWN.

Although our attitudes stayed in check.  The end in sight and the concluding beep of our watches.. is always welcome.



6miles 9min. 8second pace

2010 RLR half marathon!!

The BooBoo and I looking rather official (ish)... Playing the role of 

RACE DIRECTOR for the second time this year.

It's now one day later (back of hand, wiping proverbial sweat off forehead)... All that organizing, plotting, and "gee I hope it goes well" paid off.  It's that feeling of planning an extravagant party and hoping people show up, and maybe you'll even wear the right dress. 

We stayed at the Earthbox Motel the day/night before, where we had people pick up their numbers and last minute register.  It was a day of lining all our ducks in a row.  Marking the course with spray chalk, picking up last minute odds and ends, trying to dry out a cell phone that had been dropped in tea, checking in on all our absolutely incredible volunteers, and figuring out the new timing system.

Our alarms were set three to be exact, dinner eaten, hot tub soaked, lined and realigned the so called ducks... WE ARE READY...

It's 8:30am BooBoo and I are still on the course putting up mile markers and the ever so important *CAUTION RUNNERS ON ROAD* 

signs.  We have somehow missed where mile 8 was meant to go, but have run out of time.  Maybe it'll make the run feel shorter, and we'll have done our friends a favor... maybe.

Back in perfect island time to shake hands with our helpful police officers, hug our wishes of a great run to all our friends, talk about safety, explain the course... and...READY... SET... super annoying horn GO!!!

Words can not express how great this part felt!  So proud of all our girls!!  

There were 61 in all... mostly from our tiny little island.  Women who had never ran/walked further than 6 miles, bravely laced up their tennies and challenged themselves to a please pat yourself on the back and maybe reward yourself with a cheeseburger 13.1 miles.  Not a small feat.  

Driving the course, to cheer on, check on, and mildly scare a few unsuspecting gals with obnoxious horns and super enthusiastic whooooops!  You'd never guess there were such #$%$#$# hills, with all the smiles we saw!  

Have I mentioned yet how incredibly gorgeous it was?.... IT WAS INCREDIBLY GORGEOUS!!  The sun came out as promised, and was comfortably warm as well.  One might go as far to say it was the perfect running weather... you're welcome.

The race ended back at the Earthbox Motel where there was delicious soup, local bread, chocolate milk, fresh fruit, shopping lululemon... yes shopping, and a hot tub all to reward yourself with. 

We can't thank all of you enough for all the support you've given us!  We couldn't have done any of it with out you!  Sincerest of THANK YOUS!!!

There will never be another first!! Great job runners!!

PS there are more photos to be seen from the race on our facebook page... come be our "friend"

a video... rlr half marathon

RLR half marathon... 2010 results

1 Stacie Tangney   01:45.210
2 Meghan Hoffman 01:45.220
3 Zoe Jenning   01:48.190
4 Shannon Miniken   01:48.590
5 Bethany Ceasaro  01:50.110
6 Kelly Hjelle  01:51.500
7 Marissa Evans  01:51.570
8 Stephanie Smith  01:53.500
9 Deb Vermeire  01:54.560
10 Kim Wickman  02:00.390
11 katie Dillery  02:04.160
12 Jennifer Ayers  02:05.040
13 Cloud Oakes   02:05.300
14 Debbie Rishel  02:08.040
15 Tamara Greene  02:08.040
16 Waeow Shaller  02:08.180
17 Shannon Kelley  02:11.530
18 Marty Robinson   02:12.260
19 Denyse Davis  02:13.240
20 Kristi Richardson    02:14.060
21 Rachel Newcombe  02:16.090
22 Cynthia Buttrey 02:23.480
23 Kendra Miller 02:26.270
24 Cady Seiler 02:28.200
25 Joyce Stimpson   02:32.310
26 Delores Sentinella   02:37.220
27 Amanda Rennick  02:38.520
28 Jackie Reiff  02:39.520
29 Vida Wight  02:53.100
30 Cere Demuth  02:53.100
31 Barbar Foster  02:53.450
32 Rebecca Housen  02:54.050
33 Heather Lee   02:54.060
34 Toi Wright   02:59.460
35 Ashley Strutz 03:02.040
36 Lyndsay Johnson  03:02.300
37 Bridgett Reitan  03:02.300
38 Amber Kleine  03:08.590
39 Carolyn Leighton    03:08.590
40 Debbie Pigman   03:11.280
41 Jennifer Horn  03:23.490
42 Libbey Oswald  03:23.490
43 Mo Mcnally    03:29.290
44 Penny Dunn  03:29.290
45 Julie Carlson   03:30.120
46 Michelle Lambright  03:30.190
47 Debbie Cutting  03:30.250
48 Sherry Lawson  03:30.260
49 Shannon Calverley    03:38.300
50 Vikky Dauciunas 03:38.310
51 Stacie Baker  03:47.580
52 Heather Allen  03:47.590
53 Barbara Ray   03:48.020
54 Martha Dickinson  03:48.030
55 Adrienne Bourne   04:09.390
56 Maureen Marinkovich   04:09.390
57 Sara Jensen   04:09.400

A little reminder of why we live here...

Sunday mornings at my house are leisure ones, filled with down pillows, oversized comforters, and cozy cuties.

So when the 6:30am alarm rang, it was tough to not push snooze for the next, oh, 800 times...

I picked up Shannon, who was waiting patiently at the end of her drive, we drove to where Kathleen was waiting patiently at American Camp.(okay so maybe I did push that snooze button a couple times).  Hugged our hellos, Stretched our stretches, started our watches and headed for the trails.

The south end of the island is known for fog and wind.  There was def. lots of fog but the wind was absent this morning.  We started through American Camp and headed to the woods of Jakles Lagoon. The three of us taking full advantage of the solitude of the trails and the comfort of the fog to spill our thoughts.

*Recently there was a commitment from quite a few people to run the ORCAS ISLAND 25K FAT ASS (yes that is really the name of the event) Which is all trail, not to mention climbs to the top of... deep breathe... Mt Constitution.

So with the thought of our *fat a##es* we went up Mt Finlayson the hard way.  It's a trail so steep some call it the "hello buddah" or "b*tch slap" hill (alright maybe nobody calls it the second one, but it sort of is one).  I've walked up that hill plenty of times, even carried babies up it... but running it is sort of a different challenge.  Oh what have I got myself into.. 

Once we made it to the top we took a moment to slow our pulse and catch our breathe, then looped around making our way back to American camp, where we ran the cliffs of all the nearby coves.  This last part, the part where we're nearly finished, and the fog is breaking up, and the views are beyond incredible... and, and and... is when we need to take a moment and truly realize the immense beauty of this island.

I feel so lucky to live here.  And to have such great friends to share it with.

8 miles 10min. 20second ave. pace


come run with us!!