Wordless Wednesday (Halloween Edition)

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Finally, a BQ!!!!

On Sunday 9/30/12, at the Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon in NH, I finally got that BQ I had been looking for all year! Before I talk about how INSANELY lucky I got that Boston 2013 was still open, let's talk about this year's failed attempts and what was different on Sunday. 

I wanted to re-qualify for Boston 2013 at Boston 2012 but with the temps in the upper 80s, I realized a 3:34:59 would be impossible and stupid to even try. I tried again at the Providence Marathon in the beginning of May but ended up running 3:41:00. After Providence I accepted that fact that I would not be running the Boston Marathon in 2013, but then I decided to give it one more shot so I signed up for the Around the Lake Marathon in Wakefield, MA. Didn't happen there either.

Luckily, I signed up for Smuttynose back in the spring with hopes of qualifying for Boston 2014. I wasn't even thinking about 2013 because I figured the race would be sold out already. You can imagine the pressure I felt when I learned I would be (unexpectedly) getting ONE more chance at qualifying for 2013. A chance that I never saw coming and never thought I'd get. The opportunity was just too perfect to pass up. Yes, I was going to try and BQ for 2014 anyway, but once I learned that Boston 2013 was STILL open, it just made things more real/scary. 

I ended up running 3:33.04 and I managed to run dead-even splits the entire way. My second half was a few seconds faster than my first half, but for the most part all my splits were even. This was my 2nd fastest marathon and my 5th BQ. As some of you know, I LOVE racing with a pace bracelet and I HATE racing with my Garmin. After Sunday's race, I can say with 100% confidence that as long as I live I will NEVER EVER try and qualify with a Garmin again. I can't even tell you the peace and relaxation that pace bracelet brought me. 

Here's a list of what worked well for me at Smuttynose:

1.Training. I didn't do as much running as I've done in the past, I averaged around 35-38 miles a week. It was all the work I did at the gym that was my secret weapon. I worked out with a trainer 2x a week doing all sorts of crazy hard drills, mostly for my legs using weights, the agility ladder, TRX, etc. I actually wasn't able to run fast during the week because my legs were so sore, probably not a good thing but it worked out for me.

2. Pace Bracelet. I always knew my TRUE PACE. No one cares what your pace was for 26.4 miles, it's the 26.2 miles that count. I hate looking at my average pace and seeing a faster number than I

get credit for. I also hate thinking I'm at mile 19.9 when really I'm at mile 19.6. And I hate looking at my watch 50x per mile. The pace bracelet is just so relaxing to me and, in my opinion, it's more accurate. I can also evenly pace myself though, so that's probably another reason why I like the pace band so much.

3. GenerationUCAN. Most people have never heard of this before...it's the drink that Meb uses. It uses slow release technology so there's no sugar spike and crash like other products. Ryan has sworn by GenUCAN for years, but for some reason it took me awhile to try it. I've used it about 7 times now and each time I had a strong run and times way faster than I expected. I should do a whole separate post on this stuff, it's amazing!

4. RYAN. OK, so Ryan should be #1, not #4. He was so supportive and never stopped believing in me. A few nights before the marathon he had me sit and watch motivational/inspirational videos on YouTube, lol. He even downloaded the top 100 pump-up songs for me and prepared a pre-race pep talk. Throughout the race I kept visualizing his face when I told him I BQ'd. Ryan also ran the marathon, he finished in 4:17:00. Waiting for him after the race was so hard!!!!! But his face made it all worth it :-)

5. Karmin. Not familiar with them?? Click HERE. I had lots of music on my ipod but 2 of their songs really kept me going. "Just Saying," and "Hello." Honestly, I listened to "Hello" on repeat from mile 17-23. True story!! It was just working well for me so I kept replaying it. 

6. Sparkleskirts. Have you heard of sparkleskirts? If not, you are missing out. I own 7 of these babies and they do NOT ride up. Aside form that, they have 3 HUGE pockets which hold all your food. I wore my bright pink and glitter sparkle skirt, it's my favorite! I can't explain it but those skirts make me SO happy. I checked out my reflection in every car I ran by. I love the way the skirt moves when I run. Check out Sparkleskirts HERE.

7. Mom and Dad. I can't explain it but there's just something about seeing your family mid race. My parents surprised me by showing up at the marathon. I saw them at mile 3, 11 and at the finish. Running past them at mile 26.19 and giving them the thumbs up and saying "I made it," was by far the proudest moment of my life. It was SO cool to qualify in front of them and it was awesome to see their excitement. 

I signed up for Boston about 30 seconds after I finished the race. I'm still waiting to hear back about my acceptance but it should be fine. Thanks to everyone who believed in me! 

RnR Providence Recap and an Exciting Event for Local Ladies!

This past Sunday I ran the Rock n' Roll Providence Half Marathon. The race was much better than last year from the weather to the bands to the organization! The weather was nice and cool in the am, so cool that my teeth chattered for a few minutes when I got out of the car. I didn't really know what to expect for a time; wasn't sure what kind of shape I was in. I was hoping to be able to run sub 8s but I honestly had no clue. I forgot about the hills in Providence, they weren't too bad, but since I rarely run hills (gasp) they felt pretty big to me!
I started off in corral 1 and found my grove right away. My first mile was 7:43, a little faster than I wanted but I thought "eh, just see what you've got and stay with it." I did NOT wear my Garmin, as I feel I run faster without it. I felt a lot better than I expected too and I never really got tired when I thought I would. I felt good but didn't want to push and harder because I had A LOT of glute soreness from a workout on Thursday. I ended up running 1:41:40, 7:42 pace. I loved the course because I got to see Ryan twice during the race. I also loved my outfit from the race. Have I told you lately how much I LOVE SparkleSkirts?? I have 7 of them now. They really are the only skirts (and shorts for that matter) that don't ride up on me! You can check out SparkleSkirts HERE. I was quite pleased with my race and now I feel like I am exactly where I want to be in terms of my speed. Anyone else run Providence? Looking forward to next year!

Any local ladies running the ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon or 10k on September 22nd? They just announced a new and fun opportunity the night before the races, ZOOMA Cape Cod Mocktail Hour sponsored by Hint. The event is open to anyone running either race and will take place at the poolside bar at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, MA., from 7pm-8pm. You do need to RSVP so if you are running the race and will be in town the night before, be sure to check it out!!! Go HERE for more information and to RSVP. Hope to see you there!!!

Wordless Wednesday: DETERMINATION

I've gone under 3:35 twice before...I can and will do it again!!!!
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OMG I Cannot Believe I Really Did This!!!!!!!!!!!

Never thought I'd get a man's name tattooed on my body! Got this tat on Monday. I still can't believe it, I can't stop giggling about it. Ryan knew I was going to do it but I don't think he really believed me until I did it! And no, Ryan will NOT be getting a "Bethany" tattoo!! :-)
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CONTEST! Guess ZOOMA's Newest Stop!

Exciting news! ZOOMA is expanding!! Currently, they offer races for women in Texas, Annapolis, Great Lakes and (just added this year) Cape Cod. On Thursday, ZOOMA will announce their NEWEST location! Maybe it will be near you! Watch the video below, it's really cute!

Think you know where ZOOMA is planning their next great race?? Go to ZOOMA's blog HERE and tell them your guess. Just for making a guess you will automatically be entered to win a free swag bag from the new location!

In case you forgot, I am an ambassador for ZOOMA Cape Cod, half marathon and 10k for women. The race will take place on 9/22/12 in beautiful Falmouth, MA. You can sign up with coupon code CCAMB7 to save $10 off the half or $5 off the 10k. Women's races rock! And it will be SO nice to get a tech shirt that actually fits! I'm looking forward to getting the finisher's necklace and wine! You can register HERE. Hope to see you there! Let me know if you have any questions!

VERT - Sasquatch

On Sunday, I ran the shortest trail race of my life: VERT - Sasquatch. It was a 2.35 mile trail race in the Middlesex Fells. I was drawn to it primarily because 1.) I love trail running and 2.) all the great beer after the race (Slumbrew, Pretty Things, Notch). I had run the course with the race director a couple weeks prior to raceday, so I knew what to expect, but it was a whole different beast on raceday. Normally when I head out on the trails, I'm heading out for anywhere between 10-50 miles, so going all-out for 2.35 miles was a new experience for me. I headed out on the initial paved section, hauling at around 7:00/mile pace (pretty fast for me), and then we hit "The Hill." I knew it was coming because I had run the course before, but some people were just at a stand-still. The Hill lasted for about maybe two-tenths of a mile, and I passed about 20-30 people who had slowed to a walk/hike, but I was gassed at the top. I kept chugging along, trying to catch my breath and keep cruising along, as the rest of the course was pretty runnable on some nice trails. I finished pretty strong, feeling pretty happy with a time of 18:07, good enough for 72nd place out of about 450 runners. After crossing the finish line, the party was just getting started at the Stone Zoo across the street, as runners re-hydrated with delicious and refreshing beer from Slumbrew, Pretty Things, and Notch.

Overall, the race was awesome, and I'll certainly be back next year. I just hope that next year there's a "Sasquatch" division for large, hairy men such as myself. Now that's a division I could do some damage in! :)

Zooma Cape Cod Kick-Off Recap!

Happy almost Friday everyone! As you may know by now, I was lucky enough to be selected as an ambassador for (the brand new) Zooma Cape Cod Half Marathon and 10k For Women which will be taking place on 9/22/12 in Falmouth, MA. This past Tuesday I attended a FUN Zooma kick-off event at City Sports in the Back Bay. The event was a blast; it was wonderful to meet the other ambassadors as well as mingle and run with other ladies who attended the event.
Since I live in Boston and regularly attend runs at City Sports, I led the 3 mile group on the evening's run. It had been a long time since I ran with a group of women...what FUN! I especially loved the 3 women who were training to run their FIRST half marathon. The 3 women agreed that Zooma Cape Cod would be their first and ONLY half marathon but everyone else knew that simply wouldn't be the case! Little do they know...right??  We told the ladies that they'll have their 2nd half marathon planned within 30 minutes of finishing Zooma.
The event gave participants (both women AND men) lots of freebies! They even raffled off a free entry for the half marathon! Muscle Milk and Cytomax were there giving out free samples too. The event seemed to be pretty well organized and the turnout was great. Several new people showed up for the event and I sincerely hope they will return to the City Sports run club very Tuesday night at 6:00pm!
Check out (some of) the lovely ambassadors below:

Michelle (her energy was amazing!) Me, Nancy (OMG, cutest pregnant lady EVER!) Samantha (she's got her own "love on the run") Jess (she is one fast mother runner!!) and Brooke (the event leader, such a nice lady!)

It was great to meet everyone and I'm really looking forward to meeting the other ambassadors in September. Zooma Cape Cod is going to be such an incredible event! No matter what kind of runner, jogger, walker you are, this event is for you! This event is all about health and fitness and having FUN! If you're looking for that perfect race, this is the one! I have done 6 women's races and I can tell you they truly are special, powerful, welcoming and everyone is so encouraging and positive. I sincerely hope you consider signing up for the race! Don't forget to use the coupon code CCAMB7 when you sign up to save $10 off the half and $5 off the full. Hope to see you all on September 22nd (or sooner!!!)

5 Things Friday

1. Had a great week of working out but I'm still not too confident about running a sub 3:35 marathon next month. Sometimes I think I'm crazy for thinking I can do it so soon. I was ready to do it in April, but now I feel kind of lazy and out of shape. Too much resting with 2 marathons and a 50 miler. I've got the endurance but not sure about the speed. It's hard to explain to non-runners how one can feel "lazy" after completing 2 marathons and an ultra but I know you understand what I mean. It's just so much rest!

2. Did you know that I am an ambassador Zooma Cape Cod Half Marathon and 10k? The race is set for 9/22/12 in Falmouth, MA. It's going to be a blast! I LOVE races for women! Check out Zooma's website HERE to register for the race and check out the other ambassadors! Such a great group of ladies, can't wait to meet everyone! Don't forget to use coupon code CCAMB7 at checkout to save $5 off the 10k and $10 off the full.

3. For those of you who don't know, Ryan is now officially a professional engineer. He found out a couple of weeks ago that he passed his PE exam. So proud of him!!

4. Earlier this week I opened up an Etsy shop. So far I have already sold 3 things! Check out my Etsy shop HERE. Also, see the pictures below. Everything comes in a pack of 8 and anything can be made special the way you want.

5. I started doing TRX workouts 2 weeks ago...HOLY COW! It's an unbelievable workout! So hard! Gets my heart rate up and makes everything sore the next day. If your gym has TRX equipment definitely talk to a trainer and set up an appointment! It's so worth the money!

Missed BQ (by a couple of minutes)

Well we all know that it was a HOT Marathon Monday back in April for the Boston Marathon. So it's no surprise that I did not re-qualify for Boston AT Boston this year, like I wanted to. As soon as I saw the weather I decided that my one goal for Boston would be to run the marathon without feeling like I ran a marathon. I took Boston very easy and took lots of walk breaks and ended up with a 4:11:00. Luckily, I had also signed up for the Providence Marathon which was just under 3 weeks after Boston. I figured if i did not BQ at Boston then I would surely get it at Providence.

To make a long story short...I decided that I would run Providence with a pace bracelet and NOT my Garmin. You may remember previous posts where I wrote about running PRs withOUT my Garmin. That's right, I'm faster when I leave my trusty pal at home. I think pace bracelets are a GREAT tool. HOWEVER....a pace bracelet only works when the miles are accurate, right? Well apparently whoever put out the mile markers for Providence did not place them in the right spots (or perhaps they were measured wrong?) I have no clue what happened, all I know is that the mile markers were off. I had some miles where (according to my pace bracelet and stopwatch) I ran just over 7 minutes, and I had another mile that was 11 miles. My first mile was 7:40 pace, even though I looked over my shoulder and saw mile 25 before running past mile 1. Mile 2, I was right on pace (8:09 average) but by mile 3, I was running over 9s on average? Mile 4 I was back to 8:09 average. I reached the halfway clock at 1:43:10...but 3 minutes later I ran over a mat in the street that had a race official...wait...was that the halfway mark? Or was it where the clock had been? A couple miles later I ran by another clock...I figured it was mile 15, but a couple of minutes later I ran by a sign (on the wrong side of the road and facing the wrong direction) that said "MILE 15." According to my pace bracelet, sometimes I had a 3-4 minute cushion, and other times I only had a 10 second cushion. What? How is that possible?? By Mile 19 I had a 4 minute cushion and I knew I could keep it going for another 7 miles, I was feeling great. I was confident that I would BQ. The next few miles were more spread out (1.1-1.3 miles I would guess) and all of a sudden by the time I reached mile 21 my 4 minute cushion was completely gone!! What?? I was so confused. The whole way I was so confused. I should have just worn my darn Garmin but when you run a race you expect the mile markers to be accurate. I don't need a GPS to pace myself, running dead-even splits is one of my strongest abilities in running. It's pretty hard to make up time at mile 22 but I was fighting and trying to pick up speed. I got to a pretty big hill and I could feel my pace slowing. I was still so confused...if those last few miles were longer will the next few be shorter? Do I still have it?? I felt sad because earlier int he race I was running with a big pack of women who were trying to BQ, I broke away from them at mile 11 but even as my pace slowed in the final miles not one of those women passed me again. On the final stretch, I ran by mile 12 of the half marathon...but wait, where is mile 25 of the marathon?? Mile 25 should have been before mile 12, since I had an extra .1 miles to run. It's the same course the last 1.5 miles....Mile 25 was about .3 miles AFTER mile 12 (wth?). The whole thing was very confusing. In the end, I didn't make it. 

Do I blame the misplaced mile markers for my missed BQ? NO WAY, of course not. It certainly made for some confusion, and it was really frustrating, that's for sure. If the mile markers were more accurate I probably would have had less stress and would have had a more average pace (sometimes I'd pick up the pace bc I thought I was falling behind).  I definitely wasted energy with the mile mishaps and I definitely lost some time at the big hill at mile 22, oh well, not a BQ day for me.

So what's next? A secret marathon. Yes, that's right. I have 1 more shot to BQ before the race goes on sale in September. I can't explain why but I kind of just want to keep it on the DL. Sorry friends, but I'm not spilling any beans here. All I'll say is that I'm working hard and feeling confident for the next race. 

50 Miles for 1 Year!!

Can you believe we just celebrated out FIRST wedding anniversary already?!? WOW, what a fast year!

On May 27th (our actual anniversary) we ran the Pineland Farms 50 miler in Maine as part of the Pineland Farms Trail RUNning Festival. Sound familiar? We ran the 50km last year, 2 days after our wedding. This is one of our all-time favorite races. The course is gorgeous, the trails are non-technical (very hilly though), the race directors are wonderful, the on-course support is unbelievable and the course is extremely well marked! I also love the participants, some of the nicest runners I've ever met! The race shirts were great (female sizes too!!!) and the finisher cowbells are a nice alternative to finisher medals. This was our 3rd year taking part in the festival.

The 50 miler started at 6am and the morning was nice and cool for Ryan. Our plan was to finish in under 11 hours and since we had both finished 50 milers in under 11 hours before (on a harder course) we figured we'd have no problem coming in sub 11...as long as the heat held off for Ryan. The first 4 hours were cool for Ry but once the sun came out he quickly got HOT. On the second of three loops, Ryan forgot his hand held water bottle which was a huge mistake. Luckily I had my hand held still so we shared what I had. We slowed down a lot that loop. Between being hot and not having much water, we both decided to forget 11 hours and just take it easy. We ended up finishing in 11:52:24. Longer than we wanted, but it was just more time we got to spend together on the trails. Surprisingly, my leg muscles were not sore at all after the race or in the next few days. The first time I ran a 50 miler my muscles were MAXED out! I was taking baby steps and going down the stairs on my butt for at least a week. What a difference!

We stayed in Maine from  Friday 5/25- Monday 5/28. It was a great 1st anniversary weekend. We will definitely be back for our 2nd anniversary. Maybe we will see some of you there too? It really is one of the best races in New England!!!!

 May 27, 2011

 May 27, 2011

 Last year's race. I told you the race director was awesome. He got us this special cake last year!!!

Last year in our "Just Married" shirts. A few people remembered us from last year and wished us a happy anniversary.

I need to figure out how to get pictures from Ryan's iphone to the blog, because that's where all our pictures are form this year.

I will be doing a post soon on my newest love...SPARKLE SKIRTS!! I just ordered my 6th skirt today, they are amazing. Stay tuned!

Wordless Wednesday!

So much training today that I need TWO lunch bags to carry all my food! Less than 3 weeks to go til Boston!!!!

Kill 5 birds With One Stone With This Breakfast Idea!!

Not to toot my own horn here, but I just baked this totally kick a$$ breakfast thing. It's high in protein, is loaded with veggies, has lots of Omega 3 and calcium and iron. I baked it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees in an 8x8" pan. After it cooled, I cut it into 4 squares. I'm going to toast some whole wheat bread and make it into a breakfast sandwich. I never follow recipes and I rarely measure things so not exactly sure how much of everything I added, but the ingredients are:
-8 organic, omega 3 eggs (**4 whole eggs and 4 egg whites)
-About half a red pepper (raw)
-About half an orange pepper (raw)
-Some chopped red onion (raw)
-Maybe 2 cups of raw organic spinach, chopped
-Milk (maybe like 3 seconds worth?)
- All-natural, uncured Applegate Farm ham (2 slices)
-All-natural, low-fat Cabot brand mozzarella
-Sprinkles of pepper

It's about 3/4" thick. After cutting them I placed them in a square container and popped em in the fridge. All set for breakfast tomorrow and Tuesday!!

Enjoy!

I Finally Found a Protein Bar I like!!!

Hi all, happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Things are going well here, my Boston Marathon training is going really well so far and my foot is getting better each day.

A couple of weeks ago Ryan and I got some free protein bars in the mail from PureFit. PureFit bars are all-natural, gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher and high in protein. I have been looking for an all-natural protein bar for years now and haven't found too many that I like or that I believe to be TRULY all-natural. To be honest, I had low expectations about PureFit bars solely because I had never heard of them before. And then when I found out they were wheat-free, dairy-free etc., I wasn't expecting much.
The first bar I tried was called "Almond Crunch" and it was delicious! I actually felt sad as I was eating the last bite. The next day I tried "Berry Almond Crunch" and the day after that I tried "Peanut Butter Crunch." All 3 flavors were great!! Here's what I like about the bars aside from the taste:

-18 grams of protein

-SIGNIFICANTLY less saturated fat than the protein bars I ate before. These have as low as .5 grams (the other bars I was eating had 5 grams).

-Decent size bar!

-Bar is slightly moist, much easier to eat than the chalky bars I was eating before. Also, sometimes those thick/heavier bars are hard to swallow after a hard run.

-Less sugar than other bars (and the kind I was eating before)

-No after-taste

-These bars won't melt and they won't freeze (unlike the bar I was eating before, it either melted or froze in the car, making it impossible to eat mess-free after a race!)

Unfortunately there are not many stores in my area that carry PureFit bars but I can (and already did) order more online (directly from PureFit or through Amazon). Each bar is $2 or less, depending on where you order them from.

I don't know if PureFit bars will ever be at a marathon expo any time soon but if you get the chance to try these bars I highly recommend them!!! I know protein bars aren't for everyone body but if you are looking for a good option this is definitely one to try!!

Have you tried PureFit bars before? What kind (if any) do you typically eat?

Why Does This ALWAYS Happen??

Soooo hot and itchy!!!!! No matter how much I cover up I Always get an itchy stomach after winter runs!!! Ahh. You too??

How Do You Display Your Medals ???

In the past, we've just hung our medals on doorknobs, or random nails that happened to be in our apartment walls. However, for this Christmas, Miss Bethany decided that she wanted to get a medal hanger for the wall, but she didn't really see anything that she liked enough to buy. On Christmas morning, Bethany's dad surprised us with homemade medal hangers that he had made from scratch. It was one of Bethany's favorite Christmas presents. Bethany's plan is to display only the current year's medals on the hanger (as seen in the picture below). My plan is to just put my favorite medals on the hanger, regardless of year. 

The hooks turn up on the ends, allowing for multiple medals to be hung on each hook. Each rack has 12 hooks on. Both racks read "13.1 NAME 26.2," it's hard to see Bethany's because it's in pink, the exact color pink as her bike. We love our medal hangers and maybe someday we'll get a few more to hang around the house.

We've made a running wall, with our medal hangers, and around the hangers are photos from races. 

So how do YOU display your medals?!

Also, GO PATRIOTS!

Us with the AFC Championship trophy! 

Disney Marathon Weekend Recap

Well I guess it's better late than never. Here's our 2012 Disney Marathon Weekend Race Report. This year we did the 5k, Half-Marathon, and Full-Marathon. It was Bethany's 7th Goofy Challenge, Ryan's 2nd Goofy Challenge, and Bethany's parents' 1st 5k ever!!

The 5k was fun, we walked (with some jogging interspersed) with Bethany's parents. We all stayed together and we all had a great time!! Bethany will be running the 5k with her mom during Disney's Princess Half Marathon weekend in February.

The half-marathon was easy and laid-back. Bethany and I ran together, and just kind of enjoyed each other's company. We ended up running something like 2:12, and finished feeling good and strong, ready for the full marathon the following day.

Unfortunately, somehow, Ryan got really sick the night before the marathon. He was up and in the bathroom all night. At 2:30am I ran to the store at the hotel and bought a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and some Pepto tablets. Ryan was feeling like crap and was pretty weak but decided to head to the start of the marathon regardless. Even though he was sick all night, he did NOT appear to be dehydrated so I was comfortable with letting him start the marathon. Ryan did not eat anything for breakfast and during the race all he ate was some Sport Beans and a tiny piece of chocolate. He was drinking water and was staying hydrated. Obviously he had no energy and wasn't feeling too well so we knew it was going to be a slow day. Our pace pretty much just got slower and slower (until mile 24.5 when he turned it on and I was having trouble keeping up with him!!!) We ended up finishing in 5:30:49. It wasn't pretty at all but we got it done!!! I know what it feels like to run a marathon on COMPLETE EMPTY and it sucks! Not easy at all and anything but fun. Overall, Ryan did a great job and is one tough cookie!! Thank you, Pepto-Bismol!!!!!

All four of us before the 5k. 

Family Fiesta 5k Start Line. Three Caballeros. ¡Ole!

Ryan during the 5k, with Epcot in the background.

Miss Bethany's first day of facepaint on this vacation. She is a big kid, and her inner child comes out at Disney World.

Ryan after the full-marathon. He had MAJOR stomach issues all night before the race, was up sick in the bathroom, and it took 5 doses of Pepto to get him through to the finish line. Grueling, but we made it. 

Feeling a little better after a post-race nap.

Day 2 of Miss Bethany's facepaint, this time at Disney's Hollywood Studios. 

Ryan with Kermit-style Mickey ears. Ryan LOVES Kermit and the Muppets.

Miss Bethany going ballistic in the arcade. Our favorite silly game was "Go Ballistic." So silly, but we won over 3,000 tickets. :-p

So sad to leave Disney, but Miss Bethany will be back next month for the Princess Half Marathon!

Perfectly Goofy Streak Continues!

Ryan and I finished another Goofy's Challenge today. It was #2 for Ry and #7 for me.
Poor Ryan almost didn't make it to the start of the marathon! He was up sick all night last night and he wasn't even sure if he could physically run but we stuck together and he did it. It wasn't pretty but he made it. Will post a race report soon!
Congrats to all finishers!!

2011 Recap (We're Back!)

Hey guys - we're back! It's been a while, but we're finally back in the blogosphere. Here's a quick recap of the races we've run in 2011, and what's next for us in 2012.

Happy New Year, everyone!

1. Walt Disney World - Goofy's Challenge
2. Hyannis Marathon
3. Black Cat 20 Miler 
4. New Bedford Half Marathon
5. Boston Marathon
6. Cox Providence Half Marathon
7. Blackstone Valley Half Marathon
8. Pineland Farms 50km (Honeymoon!)
9. San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon  (Honeymoon!)
10. Around the Lake 12 Hr Ultra (and Marathon)
11. Providence Rock n Roll Half Marathon
12. Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
13. Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon
14. Mount Desert Island Marathon
15. Stonecat 50 Miler (and Trail Marathon)

Here are some photos from throughout the year:

Pineland Farms 50km in our "just married" shirts

RnR San Diego Marathon! Also in our "just married" shirts

After party at Disney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon. Got to play at Epcot til 3am!

 Mount Desert Island Marathon! So beautiful! We already signed up for 2012!!

Ryan finishing his FIRST 50 miler!!! 10:40:00! 

We've had a lot to be thankful for in 2011. What a great year for us! Sad to see it go but it's time to focus on the good things that 2012 will bring. Happy New Year to all!!! 

Up next for us will be Disney's Goofy's Challenge. This will be Ryan's 2nd Goofy and Bethany's 7th Goofy. 

We are going to start posting regularly again. Thanks to those who are still reading and following us!!!!