I'm too sexy for my (running) skirt!

by Stacy Hogle

Maria got me thinking the other day when she told me she bought a super cute running skirt at Target. I thought..."I want one!" So I went to our local Ross Dress for Less (unfortunately one of the better stores in Muskogee if that tells you anything!), and found a Nike running skirt for $12.99! Being the bargain hunter that I am, I was ecstatic. So, I took my running skirt out for a test run last night and LOVED it! It was very comfortable and cute it actually made the 3 mile run more enjoyable. I am sure once the newness wears off or the first time someone makes fun of me I will feel different about it, but right now I love it. I love it so much I went back to Ross today and bought two more for me and two for Maria...we have to be the cutest girls at the Marathon!

Trail-running and tennis

by Maria Torres

Mondays and Fridays are rest days for our marathon training, and it was nice to have a break after a pretty active weekend. It was rainy on Saturday, but since we needed to get our 7-mile run in, David and I had no choice but to run on muddy trails. I think there is only one paved running path in Telluride, and it's usually covered with people riding bikes at very high speeds. My lack of coordination coupled with one very hyperactive puppy makes running that path a very bad idea.

So, off we went to the woods to get some miles in. We let Sooie and Bodhi off of their leashes because we were in a remote area with no cars anywhere nearby. David ran ahead of me early on, and the dogs decided to stay with me. Watching them chase one another and roll around in the mud was a nice distraction. They shot in and out of a barbed-wire fence that bordered one of the paths I was running on, and I didn't discover Bodhi nicked his nose on it until we got home. He is fine, but at first it appeared to be a pretty bad cut. He was having such a good time that he didn't even seem to notice it until he calmed down later. It was an excellent running area for them, so hopefully they will know next time not to go near the fence.
When I finished the 7 miles (I use a Nike+ sensor and receiver to track my runs), I was nowhere near my car, so I decided to just jog the rest of the way back. I ended up being an entire mile away from where I parked, so my 7 mile run turned into an 8 mile run. I felt great at the end of the run, so I am becoming more confident about some of the longer runs down the road.

On Sunday, Alex and Wendy let us use their private tennis court nestled in the mountains, and that was amazing. We felt like celebrities! Neither of us plays very well, but we had a ton of fun just hitting the ball around. Since Sunday is our cross-training day, it was the perfect work-out.

Last week, I set up a Nike+ challenge for my dad, David, and me to track our mileage and make sure we are all on track, but I forgot to close it to everyone else. So when we got online to check our mileage, we were surprised to find that we were joined by 10 extremely eager runners from all over the world, most of whom had already put in over 15 miles. WTF? I don't think they understand the purpose of the challenge, which is to just make sure we're all at the same place in our training. Since I created the challenge I could have just canceled it, but I didn't have the heart to because some of them were working so hard to win the damn thing. Dad created a new one that starts today though, so we'll have our own challenge going at the same time to keep us on track.

I'm really looking forward to mapping out some running routes for the longer runs on Saturdays. I'm hoping to find beautiful places I can drive to each week that will make the runs seem less cumbersome. And I'll be sure to bring my camera along so you can experience them with me!

Friday...

by Stacy Hogle

Well, Week 3 is almost over and I am really glad this is a step down week. Just a 5 mile run tomorrow, no big deal. I have started to develop some shin splints and I am not happy about it :( I am going to look for some compression sleeves for your shins to keep the muscle tight to the bone and prevent some of this pain. Yes, I am going to look like a major nerd when I run, like I have on tube socks, but if it makes it better I am all for it. Once I get them I will post a pic so everyone can get a good laugh. I have been on the treadmill this week since it has been so hot out, I am looking forward to hitting the road tomorrow for the 5 mile run. I have some pics to post but I forgot my camera today, so hopefully I will get them up this weekend. I don't want Maria to be the only shining star of this blog...hahaha!

DJ Stev, Where you at? I need some new remixes stat!

6-miler

by Maria Torres


Week 1 of training is completed! By the way, Stacy is a week ahead of me in the training schedule because there's a weekend in August she'll be in California & won't be able to do her long run. I'll let her post on completing her 7 miles this week, but I just wanted to say Congrats!!

I ended up doing the 6.5 mile run on Friday instead of Saturday, mostly because I was delirious from staying up all night on Thursday. David and I went to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight & didn't get back to Telluride until about 5 a.m. I decided to go ahead and run on Friday b/c everyone knows that lack of sleep makes for a great run ;) It actually went really well, all things considered...until I got home and got stung by a wasp! I never even saw the little sucker, but it was definitely a wasp b/c today we found the nest less than a foot away from where I was stung. One even got Bodhi's leg last week! I've had a big knot on my shoulder for three days now. I wasn't aware that wasps would still sting you even if you're doing absolutely nothing to agitate them. The nerve! I'll have to keep this in mind until the exterminator gets rid of the nest on Wednesday...too bad it's located right next to the only entrance/exit to my condo.

A dog-walking device called the "Gentle Leader" has made running with Sooie SO much better these past few runs. Sooie is an extremely strong dog - she's all muscle. My arms are sore after every walk with her, and if she wants to go somewhere, it's impossible for me to stop her. I've been dragged behind her and have fallen down more times than once while walking her. So, when I was at a pet store several weeks ago, I finally caved in and picked up a choke collar for Sooie. I bought the Gentle Leader too, hoping that once Sooie quit pulling so much, I wouldn't need the choke collar. I had been told that some dogs will pull regardless of the choke collar tightening around their necks, and I was sad to find out Sooie was one of those dogs. I took her out just a few times with the choke collar and it REALLY bothered me to feel how tight it was around her neck and to hear her breathing...yet she still pulled just as hard. I decided to try the Gentle Leader, which is kind of like the harness you put on a horse. It doesn't hurt them at all, which is the biggest plus for me. It pulls the dog's head to the side if it's trying to run off to the side, and it pulls the head down if it runs in front of you. It seems like Sooie has caught on pretty quickly and now runs so close to me that sometimes I almost trip on her! She has also quit trying to dart off chasing chipmunks, which has really improved the quality of our runs :)

Above is a picture of the marathon notebook I made & a few of me after the 6 mile run.

Week 2

by Stacy Hogle

Well, I am in the middle of Week 2 and I am very motivated. This week the 3 mile runs have been easier than last. Like I said before, I have been trying to watch my diet and eat more lean meats and complex carbohydrates to help fuel my runs and I think it's working! I failed my no chips/cheese challenge today and ate lots of chips at lunch with my girlfriends...we were at El Chico's, how could I resist? But, the good news is that I stayed away from the cheese! I have put it behind me and started again today.

I am scheduled to run 3 miles tonight and I am already looking forward to it. You may say I am crazy, and maybe you're right, but this is going to be so much fun. It helps to have some wonderful people training with me. I love Maria and her enthusiasm...who else would get this blog up and going and make a detailed notebook to have at home?? Seriously, this is going to be one of the highlights of my year and I can't wait to share it with my favorite people. Lindsey is training for the Half Marathon that day too and hopefully we can get DJ Stev rocking and rolling soon. Justin is an awesome support for me and I couldn't do it without him. Hopefully he will still be this supportive when I need him to follow me on the bike or Ranger when I do the 20 mile run on week 15...eeep!

Here we go!!!

by Stacy Hogle

I completed Week 1 of my 18 week training program Sunday (July 13, 2008). It was harder than I thought to start training again...I guess that's what taking a few months off and eating everything in sight will do to you! I completed my three 3-mile runs on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. They were not too bad! I ran my 6 miler on Saturday morning, that was a different story though. It was pretty warm and humid Saturday morning but I pushed through it finishing in 1 hr and 1 min. Not too far off the 10 min mile pace I like to run at. I finished the week with an hour bike ride on Sunday. (Note to self...sunscreen on your shoulders and back will help prevent tank top tan lines...oops!)

I have been watching my diet and trying to eat more lean meats and complex carbs to fuel my runs. Hopefully this will help me drop a few pounds and maybe some inches off the 'ol hips. I can dream can't I?? ;)I have challenged myself not to eat cheese or chips for two weeks. It's harder than I thought but so far I have done ok. I have two more 3 mile runs this week and a 7 miler on Saturday...wish me luck!

Day 1 - Sooie & me










Day 2 -Hair goes up & off I go!

The Marathon: 26.22 miles, or 26 miles & 385 yds., or 42.195 km

by Maria Torres


Exactly one week ago today, my cousin Stacy called and said she had decided to run the Route 66 marathon this November in Tulsa. I told her how excited I was for her, and how it was my dream to one day run a marathon...after that, it was all over. "Why not now?" she asked. After dishing out a couple of excuses which were clearly not going to deter her, I started seriously thinking about it. Why not now?

My last year of college, I got about halfway through training for one. After doing the Tulsa Run in October of that year and turning 21 the month after that, I just lost interest. I wanted someone to train with and race with, neither of which I had. I needed a training partner who was counting on me and who could give me the extra motivation when I needed it.

I've always really enjoyed running, but about a year ago I took a hiatus from it and just never got back into it. It's hard to start back when you know it'll take a few weeks before running starts to feel good again. So last Thursday, I spent pretty much the whole day in my work-out clothes trying to do every single tiny thing I could think of to put it off. But I finally had to force myself to go, and it was not pleasant. I ran for 38 minutes, about 20 of which I was running a little bent to the right trying to get a side cramp to go away. I was beat, but Sooie (my puppy) of course had a great time and was probably ready to run 26.2 miles right then!

Despite Thursday's run, I knew I needed to get back out and run Friday before my official 18-week training program began on Monday. I had a GREAT run on Friday, to my surprise--4.2 miles and I could have kept going. Being able to remember what I love so much about running was just the encouragement I needed to fully commit to running the marathon.

I did a 6 hour hike up to Blue Lake in Telluride, CO, on Saturday, which was infinitely harder than any run I did this past week. Ask me July 26th (my 7-mile run) though, and I might be singing a different tune. I have run 15.38 miles so far since last week, and that will be 18.38 by tonight :) One of the best parts about this is the fact that Sooie has another outlet for all of her energy. It is impossible for an 11 month old puppy to get enough exercise, but every little bit helps. As the runs become longer with each passing week, my little running partner will become better behaved. That in and of itself is worth it!

My dad (Stephen) hasn't completely committed to running with us yet, but then again he already ran a marathon (White Rock in Dallas) a while back. Stacy and I are doing everything we can to persuade him to join us though :) I wonder if he could even still do it. I don't know, in his old age, it might be impossible (that's for you Dad if you're reading this. hehehe).

Thanks for reading and keep checking back for updates, pictures, etc.! Wish me luck!