Kelly: pepper spray

I saw a fox on my run last night. Should I take it as some kind of sign from a higher power? Run swift and graceful like a fox. Or does it mean that being attacked by a desert animal at night is a real possibility?

That fox was probably thinking "oh god I want to eat your fat ass so bad"

Kelly: The Search for Inspiration

I meant to write this gem last week but I didn’t. So here it is a week late….Last week I was in search of inspiration in the form of a specific trinket. I wanted a Disney Princess bracelet to wear while I ran. The idea was that I would feel it rolling around on my wrist, look at it and realize why the hell I was doing this in the first place.

I lead my husband on a hunt across Las Vegas. We stopped at several places (including a stop at Wal-Mart. Desperation was setting in). I have a very obsessive personality, so once the idea of finding a princess bracelet was in my head, I would not rest until one was acquired.

But rest I did….until the next day. Stephan had some work stuff to do, so I figured I would head to the Las Vegas Outlets because I knew there was a Disney store there and I had some shoes to exchange. Perfect plan! A few hours of uninterrupted shopping…hell yeah! I had felt fine when I woke up, but suddenly I was stating to have unexplained stomach pain. But I was determined to have princesses perched on my wrist cheering me on.

I drove to the outlets doubled over in pain. I dragged my sorry ass through the concrete labyrinth of stores. Ran the gauntlet of tourists who apparently have never set eyes upon anything so amazing as the outlet mall. I swear it was 150 degrees in that little slice of hell.

I finally arriving at the Disney store and quickly located some princess bracelets. Not on sale, of course. They didn’t have any with all of the princesses on it, so I chose Ariel. What can I say? I like mermaids. The line to check out was incredibly long but in the end I made it, stomach, brain cells and sanity intact.

So, in my search for inspiration I learned an important lesson. If I can brave an outlet mall, in Las Vegas, in the summer, while feeling like I might implode….I can definitely run 13 miles.

The really sad thing is they had princess bracelets at the groceries store right near my house.

Sandrina: Running Machine

I went to the store and spent way too much money on running shoes and arch supports...my feet and knees but feel like a million bucks after running all of this! Tink I do like the glitter!! Three weeks of my training are under my belt..I am actually thinking of signing up for a 5k the first weekend of August...

I like the sparkles on this one (of course i do).
someone needs to invent a glitter tattoo option, like
glitter glue. that would be AMAZING.

p.s. - my boob hurts. i'm just saying.

Erin - The Truth Behind the Slipper

So, in researching designs for our ultimate tattoo of triumph post race. I found this one. It's kind of big, but I like the idea of it. A nice jumping off point.

I also came up with this meaning in a dream dictionary...

Glass Slipper - Dreaming that a prince presents you with a Cinderella glass slipper can mean that you are not accepting yourself as you are, and you may be in persuit of a false perfection that can only exist in your mind. Practice loving and accepting yourself as you are, appreciating and celebrating your uniqueness.

Basically, I'm going to interpret that as... We're awesome.

Sandrina: Running Machine

I believe I will be the first to turn thirty...and I am sure the tears will be flowing. I hope maybe to ride a hip-pity hop for 1 mile, or buy a sports car, or get drunk in front of my parents, or find out that I am actually 31 instead.
I got this crazy idea to run a half marathon when a couple of girls at work were talking about running them and one even running a full marathon. I never really liked to run. The fact that I can't breath when I run is probably the number one reason. One of my goals was to run a 5k. I ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving...my only goal was to finish and run the whole thing. Mission accomplished. I have ran 3 other 5k's and 1 -5miler completing them all and beating my time at each one!
I have created a 33 week training schedule based on Hal Higdon....some guy who runs a lot of marathons. I am 3 weeks into it and will be running 2.75 miles tomorrow. I hope that I can stick with this and run in Disney dressed as a Princess, crown, wand and all and then eat in Cinderella's castle again!!! Thirty I am not afraid of you....sniff,sniff, (wiping away tears!)

Erin: Chased by a princess

Let me say first of all, I don't run. I don't like to run. I don't get a runner's high. The only thing going through my head when I'm running is "I'm dying. This is the end of me. I hope my affairs are in order because I'm going to drop dead any minute." In fact, the concept of running seems so asinine to me that when a friend or acquaintance says to me "Oh, I ran 5 miles today." I almost always reply, "Why? Was someone chasing you?!"

That's why this idea seemed so ridiculous. I mean, I go through my crazy gym phases, I have been up and down so much in the weight department you might call me the poor man's, white Oprah. You might, but you probably won't. So as far as a workout kick, I'm certainly not in one now. When this half marathon ridiculousness was presented to me my initial response to this proposal was "Oh, I won't be turning 30 til next December, so... No thanks!" (Sorry Tink, I'm the baby. But you're right, you're way more of a grown up!) But the more I thought about it and the more I was talked into it, I realized this is a great way to usher in the next decade of my life.

The truth is, it's always been my secret wish to be a runner. I have magical visions of myself in capri stretch pants and a racer back tank top with the sports bra built in. I have on super expensive, molded to my feet running shoes and an ipod filled with peppy remixes all at 165 bpm. My hair is in a bouncy ponytail and I am running through some fantasy park with seemingly endless endurance. I'm dripping with sweat, but am such a fit and well conditioned machine that I could go on for miles more! But alas, I just get so bored! I don't have someone driving me to the finish line. In a dance class I always did extra crunches or across the floors and did the combination at the end of class as many times as possible. I worked for 3 summers at theme parks doing insane dance shows in ridiculous amounts of heat in front of ungrateful audiences. I was happy to do it! Not to mention our old high school colorguard days. Hours and hours in the blistering sun. How did we ever do that?! We still had energy to burn! But running... if there's no one around for me to beat, I just don't care. It all boils down to one thing. I need an audience. There, I said it.

Is it sad and shallow to need a competitor to excel? Maybe. Should I learn how to push myself on my own and strive to achieve my personal goals? Probably. Will it happen by the end of February 2011? Yeah, I doubt it. However, Disney is the ultimate motivator. I feel like running through the magic kingdom with a tiara and glittered up tennis shoes is an amazing way to bring my two dreams together. My fantasy as a champion endurance runner but dressed in costume with Disney characters cheering me on. It's perfect.

So here I am. Registered, running and regretful. I still feel like I've made terrible mistake and I might just die on Main Street USA (though we all know I won't be pronounced dead in the park...) but I'm in it. It's a small consolation that I'm not in it alone. So, when I finish a run (or "boisterous walk with flair" as Michelle classifies them) and I'm disgustingly sweaty, hyperventilating and so sore I can't even get up the next day and one of my smart ass friends says to me "You were running? Who was chasing you?!" I can say to them "Cinderella. She's running in glass slippers, she's turning 30 and she's pissed."

Tink: Birthdays, Boobs, and Babies

we're getting old. seriously. and i'm not sure how i feel about it (and by that, i mean i want to hurl myself off the nearest building). last week i turned twenty nine; that's one more year to the big three-oh. holy crap. i don't know why i'm so surpised; even though i'm the baby of the group, i've always felt the oldest. i was the first to get married, the first to have a baby, the first to buy a sensible car. i think the mere fact that it's a reality - that i can look at my driver's license and see, beyond a doubt, that i am about to exit my twenties... it's horrifying.
so what do we decide to do? run 13.1 miles. dressed as princesses. why the hell not, right? and, let's be honest, it's not about the run. it's about the enormous, only-Disney-could-do-it-up-right, sparkly medal. i'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that none of us are, well, physically fit. wait, i lie. sandrina is. she's a gym junkie - but even she's no runner. and we're going to run. for 5 miles. and then 8.1 more. CRAZY.
wow, i'm getting ahead of myself. i guess i have to start training first. something i'm not allowed to do for another two weeks. you see, to add to the sinking "crap, we're getting old" feeling i've had for the last ten years, i've actually physically become old. apparently my boobs are the first to go, as i had a hunk of one removed today. fun times. "no bouncing" allowed. so, i will follow along with everyone's training for the next 10-14 days, sitting idly by on my fat ass, feeling sorry for you. and by "sitting idly by" i mean chasing around an 18-month old, writing a halftime show, creating months worth of lesson plans, being a wife, and wondering where the hell i'm going to fit running into my schedule. but i'm going to do this. we're all going to do this.
we're turning thirty, ladies, and we won't go quietly.

Kelly: Running Blows

Ok I know, not the most positive title for my first blog. However, running does blow, but in a good way. Kind of an “if I die doing this at least I know I worked hard at it” kind of a way.

Now I am supremely out of shape and when I say I am chipping away at being able to run only 3 miles, I mean chipping away….minute by minute. I have no delusions that it’s a long road ahead. But that is part of what will make this whole crazy idea so satisfying in the end, knowing I worked my ass off to get there.

Yesterday, I “ran” (meaning I ran for 90 seconds walked for 2min…rinse, repeat) outside for the first time since high school gym class. It was hot and I am allergic to all living things so when I got home I sounded like an whizzing old man. My face was fire red and it stayed like that for hours. But, I did it, a tiny step forward, but a step none the less.

That is way I am participating in this blog. To log some progress and to relay all of the funny/sad shit that is bound to happen along the way. Also, I spend 90% of my life locked in a small dark room massaging people for a living and I feel like I get dumber everyday. Maybe this will help me improve my writing skills….or maybe I just like to talk about myself…..