It's ok to be you. Video by Colbie Caillat

One of the great benefits of having a blog is I can post things that I love.  This video makes me tear up because of the pressure that is put on women to be beautiful, thin and "perfect".  Yet here is a grammy Award-winning, singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat  who released her new EP,Gypsy Heart Side A with the album’s lead single “Try” that makes a powerful statement about beauty ideals. 

I know I will go back to this video and watch it when I need to remember, it's ok to be me. And maybe I won't cry each time I watch it.

Women, Wear Your Vagina Medal Proudly

The women's half marathon is like no other.  The start the race has lots of pink portapotties, sinks (with real water) outside of the portapotties, a freshen up station for after the race with Secret deodorant and wipes, pink finisher shirts and now the infamous finisher medals with a picture of a vagina.

Overheard at the Women's Half Marathon finish line in Tempe.

Woman #1: Doesn't that flower look like a vagina?

Woman #2: Yes, I think it is a vagina.

Hence, I present you with the finisher medal that all women who ran the Women's Scottsdale Half Marathon shall wear proudly.

Ohhhh, so that's what a vagina medal looks like.

Happy running!

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

In my post about the parrots that weren't there, I talked about my new friend Rafaella from Lima, Peru. On our departure day we would have a 6 hour layover at the Lima airport and thought it would be a great opportunity to see a little bit of Lima and get dinner.  Rafaella's mom, Jessica, told us a restaurant to go to and arranged a driver for us because taxi's at the airport were expensive.  We were so thankful for her arranging this for us.

We arrived in Lima after our short plane flight from Puerto Maldonado and saw this gentleman holding a sign. He was so sweet.  He was dressed very nice and had made the sign by hand, making little scribbles to create the sign.  In the states, someone would have an iPad with the name typed in, a little white board or something printed.  Rarely are signs in the states made with such care as this sign.

I believe in Peru anyone with a vehicle, any type of vehicle whether it be motorcycle, lawnmower on wheels or a true car, can get a taxi license.  There are no requirements for size, condition or safety. Vehicle = source of income so it must be very competitive.

I really wish I remembered this gentleman's name because he was incredible sweet and accommodating.  His driving, however, is what now makes this story quite funny. I'll refer to our driver as Mr. Toad.

Have you ever been on the ride at Disneyland called Mr. Toads Wild Ride?  That is what this felt like.  Michele, who sat in the middle, had to be blindfolded so she couldn't see.  Actually she wasn't blindfolded but we should have to help keep her calm.  In Mr. Toad's defense, I think everyone in Peru drives crazy and he was just weaving and driving in the middle of the road to get to point A.  Weaving aside, there were no headlights on the car and it was night.  Not dusk, but dark.

We stopped to take a quick picture and I checked there were indeed no headlights and when I got back in the car I noted nicely how the headlights didn't appear to be on.  He turned on his high beams and his hazard lights and this is how we drove around until somehow they turned off and Michele's heart rate would increase and someone asked to turn the lights on again.  Again the hazards and high beams went on and we'd weave through traffic.  We did drive many miles though in complete darkness and sometimes crossing the road and pulling into traffic.

Mr. Toad was a Peruvian fold dance teach for the university and his english was very good.  If I remember right he had 9 children, or was that grandchildren.  You could tell he didn't have much money and his school income wasn't substantial, hence the driving job. We paid him the amount agreed on plus some.  He could use the money to repair his headlights (we hope!)

The Parrots That Weren't There

This blog post is in honor of my new friend Rafaella. Rafaella is a young lady from Lima and I met her at the parrot lick in Peru.  To get to the parrot lick we hiked from the lodge 10 minutes to the river and took a 20 minute boat ride upstream and hiked another 45 minutes to see all the birds in the poster John is pointing to.

What we saw was this.  What's that you can't see all the birds?  That's because there were no birds.  We waited and waited for the birds to arrive.

Rafaella (who I didn't get a picture of while in Peru) was waiting patiently with her mom hoping to see birds.  Needing to do something after I took pictures of the blank wall and this curleyq on the plant,

I showed Rafaella the on camera picture I took of the macaws the day before

and I offered for Rafaella to look through the binoculars and she spotted a lone parrot in a tree.  Nothing terribly exciting for our time at the salt like with the non-existent parrots.

To communicate with Rafaella I did the caveman grunts and pointed to things because I know zero spanish and since I had only heard her mom speak english I assumed Rafaella didn't speak english.  Imagine my surprise an hour later when I learned she spoke english and spoke it VERY WELL.

From that point forward I spoke to her in english and asked her questions and learned she's about the same age as my neighbor and niece.  I got my first penpal when I was 10 years old and thought the three of them could also be penpals and got Rafaella's address in Peru.

I wrote Rafaella when I got back to Arizona and today I received her reply.  I suppose I should rename the title of this post to 'The parrots that weren't there but my new friend was.'

Bob and the Spirit Stick

When I ran Hood to Coast in August 2012,  I discovered Spirit Sticks and how awesome they were in locating team members in a mass of people.A Spirit Stick is a decorated stick with stuff on it and a light for the night time.  In a crowd of people, you can easily find your group because the stick waves above the crowd and at night, unlike the Gremlins, you look toward the light and easily find your team. It was my search for spirit stick parts for the Del Sol Ragnar that I met Bob.

Bob works at Home Depot in Phoenix in the plumbing department.  After showing me clamps for a sink I sprung on him my next request.  I need a cheap piece of wood or stick.  Ok he nods and starts to walk towards the main aisle.

Two steps later he stops and with a perplexed look asks if its to go between french doors.

See Bob does his job and does it well.  He is quite serious, wants to do an excellent job and needs to understand the goal and my very generic request for a piece of wood wasn't enough information.  I explain the race and what I'll be doing with the stick.  Oh, and I don't want to spend much money either.

Trotting down the aisles we go heading towards the wood dowels.  Being in a playful mood I try unsuccessfully to crack jokes with this very serious, on a mission Bob. I also tell him we're exploring his creative side.  We choose a dowel, thick enough to be sturdy but still cheap and I hand him one and tell him to hold the stick up as we walk through the store with the soon to be spirit stick.

In lighting we grab a Home Depot employee from the lighting department and tell what we want.  The lighting guy wants to talk me out of battery operated because it won't last long.  By this point with my non-stop jabbering, Bob has a complete understanding of the race and how long the light needs to last and my cheap price point. Bob locates the rectangle lights I ended up with and even comments how I can tape them to the stick. Next stop is colored duct tape.

Bob's customer service was amazing and what was fun is how this gruff, serious guy with the long beard tromped throughout Home Depot holding a stick in search of stuff for my spirit stick with me.

After the race I had to show Bob the finished product even though by that time I had broke it in two places but it was still head together with the neon green duct tape. His face broke out in a smile when he saw me and the spirit stick.

Bob and the Spirit Stick

To get a picture of me and Bob together I had to grab someone who happened to be a customer walking by.

My infamous way of holding the spirit stick during the race...over someone's head.

The customer was Magnus from Norway and wanted to understand how the spirit stick attracted spirits. I don't know if he ever quite understood it wasn't for finding or warding off ghosts.  Magnus also wanted his picture taken with me and the spirit stick.

I know Bob made my day when he helped me find all my spirit sticks parts and hopefully he'll remember me and my goofy spirit stick.

Happy Running

My Morning Fresca

I gave up Diet Coke years ago and for the most part don't drink soda's..except Fresca's. The first sip of fizzy sweetness relaxes and calms and a hint of a smile forms on my lips. It's my crutch and I don't have Fresca's often in the house.  A week ago I bought a case and brought some to work and left at home.

Having the day off from work allows me extra time to run and relax.  At 5am John and I were up running the trails in the humidity under the cloud covered sky and at 8:30am, after thinking about the Fresca all morning,  I grabbed the soda and sat down at my computer.
I pulled back the pop top listening with anticipation the fizz escaping from the can
I lifted the can and took a sip
Horror crossed my face as I realized the taste wasn't right.  Everything was wrong.
I ran to the bathroom spitting the brown liquid out of my mouth.

John came in to see what was wrong.
"Ugh!  It's your beer and not my soda" I cried out. 
"That's my last beer" John replied sadly
" Well you can now drink it."  I pushed the can towards him
"But you drank my beer" he looked at the can with puppy dog eyes
"No, I spit it out"
John looked at the sink.  "That's even worse.  It's only 8:30am I can't drink the beer".
"Sorry, you could pour it down the drain" I walked to the kitchen to wash out the flavor of the nasty beer.
John followed me with his still sad face "But that's my last beer and I was saving it for the 4th of July"
"Well, it's the 4th of July and you can drink it now".

The bantering continued for a bit longer but the unfortunate thing is there are NO MORE Fresca's in the fridge and also no more beers (which I don't really care about anyways.)

I still have the beer taste and foresee a trip later to the grocery store for beer and Fresca to complete today's celebration of the 4th of July.

Happy Running and Happy 4th of July

Where the Magic Happens

Life has been crazy.  I was trying to keep up posting daily on the blog but acknowledged with out of town trips, working extra and dealing with my rentals, I couldn't keep it up.  Hence, it's been since June 11 since I've posted.  Since then I've run Ragnar Relay (post to come this weekend), taken pictures with my camera (inspired by camera class in Denver), went to PT, sometimes done my exercises and continued to work extra.  I think:

• life is calming down (fingers crossed)
• I can find my sanity (crap...did I lost that again?)
• post on Ragnar (awesome race with my friend Somer) 
• I'll follow the Olympic trials and see if the 100M women third place is "decided" by a coin toss or a run-off
• and maybe sleep in past 4:30 (darn cat wants to fed so early)

I came across this today and it's a reminder to get out of my comfort zone and continue to try and grow, spiritually, mentally and physically.

Some Injuries Take a Long Time to Heal

Push the Red Button- Video

This is an awesome video.

Tim Burton Inspired Cake Zoetrope- Video

Cake Wreaks keeps me in stitches with her daily disasters of cakes. On Saturday she posted these awesome video's.  Check out this amazing Tim Burton-inspired cake zoetrope by French food artist and filmmaker Alexandre DUBOSC.

See pictures of the making of this awesome cake.

I didn't know what a zoetrope was. Here's the wikipedia definition

A zoetrope is a device that produces the illusion of motion from a rapid succession of static pictures. The term zoetrope is from theGreek words ζωή (zoe), meaning "alive, active", and τροπή (trope), meaning "turn". "Zoetrope" taken to mean "active turn".
The zoetrope consists of a cylinder with slits cut vertically in the sides. On the inner surface of the cylinder is a band with images from a set of sequenced pictures. As the cylinder spins, the user looks through the slits at the pictures across. The scanning of the slits keeps the pictures from simply blurring together, and the user sees a rapid succession of images, producing the illusion of motion.

Can You Run on Water?

In celebration of Mother's Day and the miracle that they put up with us, here's a video about running on water, which seems like it would take a miracle.

The Party After the Whiskey Row Race

The after the race party for the Whiskey Row race last weekend makes the race one of my favorite events. John and I stayed at the St. Michael's Hotel, right on Whiskey Row (a famous street with lots of bars), which gave us a chance to shower,nap and then head to the street for the entertainment. Starting at 10am till 10pm there were bands, food, margarita's and beer to enjoy.


The Whiskey Row race is a fundraiser for the YMCA and everything happening that day centers around the YMCA. The bands donated their time, Budweiser donated the beer and a local Prescotarian donated a 1963 Nova Supersport to be auctioned and raise funds for the YMCA. John bought three tickets for $50 but we drove home in the same car we drove up with. The lucky winner wasn't at the drawing so I have no idea if he jumped for joy at winning.

While we were running the race there was a young kid walking along playing his ukulele and we gave him thumbs up.  I guess later he showed up at the finish line (someone said he ran the 10K) and the race director decided to have him play in the morning and afternoon in between sets.  This was the highlight of the day for me.

Marquez is 14 years old and is a true crowd pleaser.  He opened with one of my favorite songs by Isreal Kamakawiwoʻole "Over the Rainbow" and then strummed into other popular songs by Train and Adele. The range of high notes he hit was very impressive.  The crowd cheered him on after each song and he had a great big smile.  Afterwards I saw one of the organizers give him a card wanting to work with him in the future. He was a true gem.


Here's a video of him playing (not from Saturday's event) 

Favorite Cheering Sign - Worst Parade Ever

Worst Parade Ever is going to be the next sign I make to cheer on friends running a race. Imagine someone showing up for a parade with floats and marching bands only to see runners trudging by, some smiling, some glaring and some flat out in their own world they don't even notice you.

Back in February many of my friends were running the IMS Arizona Marathon and I headed out with my double sign in tow.  Not being very creative outside of creating a sign with "RUN", I went to the web for inspiration. The one thing I knew is my sign wouldn't have "You're Almost There." There really should be a law against that one. The only time that is remotely funny is at mile 1 of a half or full marathon.

 Some funny signs I found are:

• "In our minds, you're all Kenyans."
• "Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much butt!"
• "Your legs will forgive you...eventually."
• "Don't stop -- people are watching."
• "Chafe now...brag forever."
• "That's not sweat, it's your fat cells crying."
• "You've got stamina! Call me!"
• "If it was easy, I would do it."
• "Toenails are for sissies." or "Don't worry, toenails are overrated."
• "You're not slow. You're just enjoying the course."
• "Stop reading this and keep running!"
• "Beat Oprah!"
• "Puke and rally!"
• "Run like someone's chasing you."
• "Run faster...I just farted."
• "It'll feel better when it stops hurting."
• "You trained longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage!"
• "Mortuary ahead....look alive!"

Rule 2.20 in The Runner's Rule Book by Mark Remy says" Truth, fiction, or neutral, the key is to say something.  Even a zombie appreciates a note of encouragement."

Happy Running!

First Follower: Leadership

I first saw this video at a Women's Leadership Conference a couple months ago. Where the guy just looked like a giant goofball at the beginning, it turned into a leader with a following. Running can often be like that too. A goofball out there running and next thing you know, you've encouraged someone else to get out there and run too.
 

Flash Mob in California Shopping Mall

Enjoy this flash mob performance that took place December 18th at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, California

Sugar Plum Fairy

I watched in amazement how beautifully they played this song on crystal glasses. Enjoy. Glass Duo (Poland) - Chamber Music Festival in Bologna, Italy - June 2010. Placed in Chiostro della Basilica di Santo Stefano. Festival di Santo Stefano XXII edizione. P.Tchaikovsky - Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker)

Quit Using GU

Why use GU when you can inhale gnats and bugs on the run? Protein delivered directly to you.

You Know You're a Runner When....

I love the posts, forums, articles and blogs that have me laughing out loud in my office causing people to gaze in cautiously at the usually serious, worker bee who stars unflinching at the computer monitor.  Here's our chance to add to the list...

You know you're a runner when....

• you wish all your pants, shorts, skirts had a soft liner so you could go commando everyday.
• you use words like hydration, chafe, wick, race pace in everyday conversation.
• your legs are really tan, but your feet are super white.
• you put more miles on your running shoes in a week than you do on your car.
• you know you actually have two shoe sizes.
• you refrain from getting pedicures for fear the lady giving it might pass out at the sight of your feet.
• you shoot snot rockets with gusto and rejoice when you don’t have anything on your face after
• you use the words “easy,” “run” and a 2-digit number in the same sentence.
• you know a ‘fartlek’ isn’t an insult.
• you are totally comfortable wearing shorts that are entirely too short for your gender.
• planned your wedding around your Summer race schedule
• your calves are bigger than your biceps.
• you are willing to dig through the smelly dirty clothes hamper to find your favorite running shirt.
• when traveling, your suitcase is full with running stuff before you even start packing regular clothes.
• you have a shirt that says “Stop Pre”.
• your drawers are filed with more race shirts than regular shirts. Most of which you have never worn, and probably will never wear, but you keep them anyway.
• you have left socks and right socks.
• you drink more water than anyone you know and still have yellow pee.
• your cupboards are filled with gu, electrolyte supplements, protein shake mix and hundreds of water bottles.
• you have spare gels in every bag you own.
• you know charity “Fun Runs” are actually fun.
• you know 1, 3, and 5-mile routes from your house and work in every direction.
• you check the weather hoping it will rain on your run.
• you can eat an entire loaf of bread and not feel bad about it.
• you think it is appropriate to stretch in public places.
• you have diamond cut calves.
•  ‘google maps’ or ‘map my run’ is bookmarked on your computer.
• you can’t wait to share your run stats with someone when you get done.
•  you shave your legs, and you are a man.
• you know your running shoes are worn out, even if they look brand new.
• you talk to your bowels encouraging them to do their ‘thing’ before your run! -Lesli Jenks Groves
• sleeping in on a Saturday is anything past 6:30.-Asa Flynt Reynolds
• boys get your number they save your name in their phone as “manda runner.” Yeah, NBD. -Amanda Theobald
• you judge others by their shoes instead of their clothes.-Dan White
• one of your favorite things about going out of town is running someplace new! -Tanya Semerad
• you have more shoes than your wife… and you have lost ALL of your toenails ~ Scott Dickey
• you are afraid to eat dairy products because you have a long run tomorrow. -Rendi Freimuth
• You try to PR when mowing the lawn 
• You try to talk your friends and family into running a 5K because it is ONLY 3.1 miles
• you plan your vacations around cool runs you want to do. Spouse: "Hey, lets go to Hawaii". You: "Great! There is a marathon there on 1/22. Lets go then"
• When you instictively equate the distance of 1 kilometer to be a specific number of minutes and seconds
• when you convert food calories into how many miles it equates to.
• when someone asks you what you did over the weekend and you reply with "ran a SHORT race," they ask "how far" and you reply "I ONLY ran a half this weekend"
• You know you are a runner when running in the rain or snow is just another run. 
• You know you are a runner when you have more running shoes than work shoes.
• Your feet look better without toenails. 
• People at work think you're in a whole lot better shape than you think you are. 
• You actually are in a whole lot better shape than you think you are. 
• You spend you entire salary on running gear, ultrabars, and entry fees 
• when you get to the top of a hill and then go back to the bottom so that you can do it again
• when you start to record runs onto a spreadsheet so you can plot everything on a graph
• You refer to Oktoberfest as carbo loading for the Berlin marathon the following weekend 
• Your friends tell stories about how insane you are for getting up at 8am and running even though you just left the club 4 hours ago in Vegas. 
• Your out of office message reads something like "I'll be out of the office running RAGNAR, a 192 mile relay race. yI'll get back to you on Monday.
• You drink from a water bottle at the dinner table

Credits: Elizabeth Jenkins July 22, 2011 article 

Linked In discussion 

What are you favorite sayings?  What are you own you know your a runner when.....?

Thought for Today

A sign in Boulder, Colorado

Dust Storm Through Phoenix

At the end of my run the wind was picking up but I had no idea this dust storm was sweeping across Phoenix.