It was dry and dusty but not any hotter that some of the runs I've had back in Texas with Abbie and Missy. It was a hilly run. I ran with my new friends Jonathan and Alex and Laura.
Ciao
Courtney
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A Nice Run
Today I decided it would be a good day for a run in Ethiopia. You can find out more about what I am doing in Ethiopia here.
It was dry and dusty but not any hotter that some of the runs I've had back in Texas with Abbie and Missy. It was a hilly run. I ran with my new friends Jonathan and Alex and Laura.
It was dry and dusty but not any hotter that some of the runs I've had back in Texas with Abbie and Missy. It was a hilly run. I ran with my new friends Jonathan and Alex and Laura.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
One Year And One Day
I planned ahead. I schemed. I was ready for our anniversary. I found out some hard news about a friend and I got distracted. But today I remembered and today I would like to recognize the three of us for making it to our one year mark by remembering some more.
Remember the time we ran in a downpour?
Remember when Missy used to run in trail shoes?
Remember when we ran in COTTON socks?!?
Remember that we still do?
Remember when I fell and broke a nail?
Remember when our water was stolen?
Remember the 5k that was uphill both ways...barefoot in the snow?
Remember our passion for picnics and early morning smoothies?
Remember when we thought we won in our age bracket?
Remember our photo shoot that produced such embarrassing photos Abbie never even showed us?
Remember that man and the calves pushing the stroller?
Remember the lady who could walk half the time and still beat us?
Remember the chalk art that was most likely just for us?
Remember the Alamo?
I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
Remember the ice?
Remember quad-C's?
Please add you "Rememberies" if you would like. :)
Happy Anniversary and A Day!!!
Remember the time we ran in a downpour?
Remember when Missy used to run in trail shoes?
Remember when we ran in COTTON socks?!?
Remember that we still do?
Remember when I fell and broke a nail?
Remember when our water was stolen?
Remember the 5k that was uphill both ways...barefoot in the snow?
Remember our passion for picnics and early morning smoothies?
Remember when we thought we won in our age bracket?
Remember our photo shoot that produced such embarrassing photos Abbie never even showed us?
Remember that man and the calves pushing the stroller?
Remember the lady who could walk half the time and still beat us?
Remember the chalk art that was most likely just for us?
Remember the Alamo?
I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
Remember the ice?
Remember quad-C's?
Please add you "Rememberies" if you would like. :)
Happy Anniversary and A Day!!!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Has it been a whole year already?!
Today marks one year since Courtney and I began running...who would have thought that we would still be consistently running a whole year later?! We now run 3 days a week plus have a day of strength (on our new training schedule) and have honestly only missed maybe 4 or 5 weeks the whole year (due to weather, holidays, sickness, etc..) even when Courtney was injured she would still walk while we ran until she recovered! Plus, especially at first, we were running more like 5 or 6 days a week (crazy, we know ;)). I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to reaching new goals and growing even closer in our friendships this next year! :) Happy 1 Year Running Anniversary!
-Abbie :)
-Abbie :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Our Friend Rocky
We have started training for our first half marathon- we are about 2 weeks into the new schedule and we plan to run it in May. We are following a training plan and for Sunday it had a 4 mile run so we set out on one of our old familiar roads that Courtney had found for us last summer- it's 4 miles exactly and we know it well. It's a nice run with only one big hill right around 1.50 into it. On our run Sunday we made a new friend- "Rocky Road" is her name...Rocky for short- she ran almost the entire 4 miles with us and hung out with us until we left. :)
We will try to blog again soon with more details about our new training schedule and our list of up-coming runs!
-Abbie :)
We will try to blog again soon with more details about our new training schedule and our list of up-coming runs!
-Abbie :)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Missy's preface
December 31, 2011
Well I am of course, a little late in writing my introduction. I am not much of a writer, but I would love to share a little about myself.
I am 31 years old and I have never felt so alive for many reasons. I have been married for 9 years to my soul mate and best friend, John. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Our relationship has evolved into such a splendid thing, especially if I look back to where we started.
I have been a 2nd grade teacher for five years now. We are planning on trying to get pregnant soon, so I am not sure how that will change things, but we will see. I love to spend time with friends and family, dance, run, read, watch movies, and learn new things!!!
I never thought of myself as a runner. I was not athletic growing up and I was never involved in any sports. I was always too self-conscious and shy to do anything like that. I always wanted to “work out” to stay fit, so I started working out when I was a teenager and young adult. My work out regiment included a lot of indoor elliptical machines, stair steppers, and weights. Then, I met Courtney and we joined a gym together. We started to take group exercise classes like spin class, yoga, abs, and weight lifting classes. We did this on and off for years. Then, January 2011, I overheard Abbie and Courtney talking about how they were running. Within seconds, I was in!!! I wanted to run so bad, I could taste it. I have never been a runner. I always hated running, so I am not sure what came over me, but Abbie and Courtney inspired me!!! J So, on January 30, 2011, I started running (which was 10 days after Abb and Court started running).
I still remember how we started out. We could barely run a ¼ mile. We would wake up super early and meet at 5:45 a.m. to run at a local park that marks each ¼ mile. We would call out different things to run to: “Ok, run to the 2nd light pole!” “Ok, now run to that bench” and then we would walk. Then after a few days or week or so, we decided to run a whole ½ mile. Wow!!! I vividly remember running it. Now picture this, the sidewalk is marked with every ¼ mile. So, we are running along in the early morning and it is really cold. We pass the ¼ mile and it wasn’t so bad. Then, we keep on running and it is starting to get really hard for me to keep going, but I press on. I know the mark for a ½ mile is coming up, but I can’t quite remember where it is. I am so tired that I am not thinking straight. I just want to stop. Then, very dramatically I either say it or think it (I honestly can’t remember which one), I say/think “Where is the half mile mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Then, shortly after I said/thought that, there it was. It looked so perfect in my mind because it meant I got to stop running and walk again.
This memory is very humorous and heartfelt to me. It reminds me how far we have come and it reminds me where we started. You have to start somewhere, so whatever it is that you want to do or accomplish, go ahead and start; you might surprise yourself!!!
Courtney, Abbie, and I have run several 5k races and one 10k race now. We have grown so close through running together. I love having my running buddies and wouldn’t be running without them. We are very supportive of each other in running and in life. I have learned a lot about them and myself from this experience. We plan on training for and running many more races together. We are about to start training for our first half marathon and I am so excited!!!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Courtney's Take On Our First 5k
Our first 5k. I remember it well. It was the third annual Allen ISD Eagle Run,benefiting the Schools in Allen.
We spent much time training for that run. The place we chose to train was a marked mile and a half run. So we had to do it twice. Like Abbie said running is very much a mental mind set. And for me running around that course two times right in a row was enough to take over and make me want to give up.
I suggested that we run across the finish line and then turn around and go the second time backwards.
Don't be silly you know what I mean. We ran the course from finish to start we didn't actually run backwards.
We did as suggested and that is still how we do it.
We trained and trained on that course. Fartleking,working up to our three mile goal. Pretty early on I began having an ache in my right shin. Just a dull throb. I noticed that as I ran the ache would subside and only come back when I stopped running. The first few steps I could feel it and then it would just go away. I was running in some old shoes that were not made for running so I blamed them. I went to Academy and tried on pair after pair of shoe until I found a pair that didn't hurt when I took a step. I bought them and was proud that they were pink.
I kept running. Working past the first few steps of pain,reaching our goal and then celebrating at the finish line by saying ouch a lot and trying to make the pain in my shins (it was both at this point)go away.
I noticed that there would sometimes be some red streaks running up the front of my shins but I kept on running.
I began reading on shin splint injuries. Started doing lots of extra calf stretches all though out my days. I iced them and elevated them after runs and pressed on. We had a 5k coming up and I had work to do. I started wrapping them during the day in ace bandages as tightly as I could or I couldn't really walk. Putting pressure on my legs meant shooting pains in my shins. I knew it was there but I just thought it would get better as I continued training and became a better runner.
When we ran we quickly fell into what in my mind I called the triangle. Abbie and Missy out front talking,me the point of the triangle in the back rocking out to my ipod.
One day Missy and I were on the second half of our course and she was pretty far ahead. She had increased her speed to cover up a knee pain she was dealing with. I told myself to "Speed up,just get this done. It will make the pain go away too." when I fell. One minute I was speeding up the next I was on the sidewalk.
I felt an intense pain in my right hand that was under me,I imagined all my fingers were broken. I rolled over and looked at it and saw one whole entire fingernail was gone. Well,it was there the tip of it jabbed into the end of my finger but it wasn't connected. My right knee was scraped up as were some of my other fingers.
I got up told myself to breath and took the shortcut to the finish where Missy sat waiting. She was relieved to see I hadn't been kidnapped. We left my van and she drove me home. We had to wake everyone up,get them dressed and then try to find an open emergency clinic. I can tell you they don't open very early. We had to wait in the parking lot until 8am. I think I was in shock a little. I just remember being very cold and shaky. I just waited in the car looking at that nail,I couldn't bear the thought of someone taking it off.
Warning: Skip the next photo if you get sick looking at things like torn off fingernails. Sitting in the car waiting I decided to document my ordeal using my phones camera.
When I finally saw the Dr. I said "Can you numb it before you touch it?" Please and Thankyouverymuch. He numbed it and we soaked it and he pulled it off and wrapped me up.
Here I am all wrapped up. I know! That's is? I didn't get a fancy splint,or a sling or a cast or anything! It sure did hurt a lot for a piece of gauze and a couple of go rounds with some sticky wrappy stuff.
Missy and Shiloh needed to head to work so Missy's husband John came over for the day and helped me with my kids. With only my left hand to use I was pretty limited on what I could do.
Thanks,friend!
There are lots of theories on why I fell.
Maybe I tripped? No,when you trip you suck in your breath and get startled and say to yourself "I'm falling!"
Maybe the pain in my shins was too much and my body couldn't take it? No,I have a pretty high pain tolerance and whenever I feel pain I do a quick comparison to what I have felt during labor. Had I felt that I would have stopped. And still I would have tried to catch myself.
Maybe I passed out? Probable. I didn't know I was falling. I only knew,now I'm running now I'm on the sidewalk. I must have been taking a step with my right leg because I fell on that knee and my right hand was under my stomach,fingers straight into the ground. But there was no black fuzzy feeling in my head. I've never passed out before maybe there is no black fuzzy feeling?
*****************************************************************
I told all that to say that happened two days before our big run. I couldn't really even put my hand down because of the throbbing but I decided I wasn't going to miss our race. I've never taken so much ibuprofen. Not when my legs were hurting or anything but because I was on it for my finger it also helped my legs and I didn't feel any pain during our run!
This is me just before our run. 'Scuse my hair...I couldn't make a proper pony tail with just one hand.
And maybe because there was no pain or maybe because we ate two cliff bars before our run but during this race even though we still formed our triangle I was the point in the front.
Eat my dust Missy and Abbie. ;) Just kidding. I didn't really even notice until Missy pointed out later that they were having to keep up with me. I was just energized by all the people and the music and the cliff bars and the lack of pain and it felt easy.
We had never run the .1 of a 5k until race day. I guess we were saving it but it was the hardest part I think. We came up a big hill *oof* and rounded a curve and there was the finish line. I sped up and still came in last (of the three of us)but still reaching my personal goal of 'anything under 35 minutes'.
My time was 33.54. I came in 14th in my age bracket,316th overall.
Abbie's time was 33.53 11th in her age bracket,315th overall.
Missy also finished in 33.53 20th in her age bracket 314th overall.
Someone shoved a water bottle at me and I just focused on trying to breath.
We were all so surprised. Our 3 mile runs on our marked course usually took us 40 minutes or more. We realized later how many hills our training course had and shared a giggle for making so much extra work for ourselves.
We snapped this photo just before the run. It would become tradition,trying to get just the right amount of shoe in the frame.
It was a good first race. And the waffles and pedicures after were pretty hard to beat too.
Courtney
We spent much time training for that run. The place we chose to train was a marked mile and a half run. So we had to do it twice. Like Abbie said running is very much a mental mind set. And for me running around that course two times right in a row was enough to take over and make me want to give up.
I suggested that we run across the finish line and then turn around and go the second time backwards.
Don't be silly you know what I mean. We ran the course from finish to start we didn't actually run backwards.
We did as suggested and that is still how we do it.
We trained and trained on that course. Fartleking,working up to our three mile goal. Pretty early on I began having an ache in my right shin. Just a dull throb. I noticed that as I ran the ache would subside and only come back when I stopped running. The first few steps I could feel it and then it would just go away. I was running in some old shoes that were not made for running so I blamed them. I went to Academy and tried on pair after pair of shoe until I found a pair that didn't hurt when I took a step. I bought them and was proud that they were pink.
I kept running. Working past the first few steps of pain,reaching our goal and then celebrating at the finish line by saying ouch a lot and trying to make the pain in my shins (it was both at this point)go away.
I noticed that there would sometimes be some red streaks running up the front of my shins but I kept on running.
I began reading on shin splint injuries. Started doing lots of extra calf stretches all though out my days. I iced them and elevated them after runs and pressed on. We had a 5k coming up and I had work to do. I started wrapping them during the day in ace bandages as tightly as I could or I couldn't really walk. Putting pressure on my legs meant shooting pains in my shins. I knew it was there but I just thought it would get better as I continued training and became a better runner.
When we ran we quickly fell into what in my mind I called the triangle. Abbie and Missy out front talking,me the point of the triangle in the back rocking out to my ipod.
One day Missy and I were on the second half of our course and she was pretty far ahead. She had increased her speed to cover up a knee pain she was dealing with. I told myself to "Speed up,just get this done. It will make the pain go away too." when I fell. One minute I was speeding up the next I was on the sidewalk.
I felt an intense pain in my right hand that was under me,I imagined all my fingers were broken. I rolled over and looked at it and saw one whole entire fingernail was gone. Well,it was there the tip of it jabbed into the end of my finger but it wasn't connected. My right knee was scraped up as were some of my other fingers.
I got up told myself to breath and took the shortcut to the finish where Missy sat waiting. She was relieved to see I hadn't been kidnapped. We left my van and she drove me home. We had to wake everyone up,get them dressed and then try to find an open emergency clinic. I can tell you they don't open very early. We had to wait in the parking lot until 8am. I think I was in shock a little. I just remember being very cold and shaky. I just waited in the car looking at that nail,I couldn't bear the thought of someone taking it off.
Warning: Skip the next photo if you get sick looking at things like torn off fingernails. Sitting in the car waiting I decided to document my ordeal using my phones camera.
When I finally saw the Dr. I said "Can you numb it before you touch it?" Please and Thankyouverymuch. He numbed it and we soaked it and he pulled it off and wrapped me up.
Here I am all wrapped up. I know! That's is? I didn't get a fancy splint,or a sling or a cast or anything! It sure did hurt a lot for a piece of gauze and a couple of go rounds with some sticky wrappy stuff.
Missy and Shiloh needed to head to work so Missy's husband John came over for the day and helped me with my kids. With only my left hand to use I was pretty limited on what I could do.
Thanks,friend!
There are lots of theories on why I fell.
Maybe I tripped? No,when you trip you suck in your breath and get startled and say to yourself "I'm falling!"
Maybe the pain in my shins was too much and my body couldn't take it? No,I have a pretty high pain tolerance and whenever I feel pain I do a quick comparison to what I have felt during labor. Had I felt that I would have stopped. And still I would have tried to catch myself.
Maybe I passed out? Probable. I didn't know I was falling. I only knew,now I'm running now I'm on the sidewalk. I must have been taking a step with my right leg because I fell on that knee and my right hand was under my stomach,fingers straight into the ground. But there was no black fuzzy feeling in my head. I've never passed out before maybe there is no black fuzzy feeling?
*****************************************************************
I told all that to say that happened two days before our big run. I couldn't really even put my hand down because of the throbbing but I decided I wasn't going to miss our race. I've never taken so much ibuprofen. Not when my legs were hurting or anything but because I was on it for my finger it also helped my legs and I didn't feel any pain during our run!
This is me just before our run. 'Scuse my hair...I couldn't make a proper pony tail with just one hand.
And maybe because there was no pain or maybe because we ate two cliff bars before our run but during this race even though we still formed our triangle I was the point in the front.
Eat my dust Missy and Abbie. ;) Just kidding. I didn't really even notice until Missy pointed out later that they were having to keep up with me. I was just energized by all the people and the music and the cliff bars and the lack of pain and it felt easy.
We had never run the .1 of a 5k until race day. I guess we were saving it but it was the hardest part I think. We came up a big hill *oof* and rounded a curve and there was the finish line. I sped up and still came in last (of the three of us)but still reaching my personal goal of 'anything under 35 minutes'.
My time was 33.54. I came in 14th in my age bracket,316th overall.
Abbie's time was 33.53 11th in her age bracket,315th overall.
Missy also finished in 33.53 20th in her age bracket 314th overall.
Someone shoved a water bottle at me and I just focused on trying to breath.
We were all so surprised. Our 3 mile runs on our marked course usually took us 40 minutes or more. We realized later how many hills our training course had and shared a giggle for making so much extra work for ourselves.
We snapped this photo just before the run. It would become tradition,trying to get just the right amount of shoe in the frame.
It was a good first race. And the waffles and pedicures after were pretty hard to beat too.
Here is the info on this year's Allen ISD Eagle Run. It is a good course,it makes a big loop and there is only small bit that you have to run twice. They had good snacks,muffins and bananas. There was plenty of water. It's high energy at the beginning with loud music and school mascots acting silly in the street. It's cold though so take some extra time and warm up.
Courtney
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