One Mother of a Runner

Let me introduce you to a full-fledged Mother Runner... Excuse me, she prefers the title of Sexy Mother Runner.  She has always been one of my biggest cheerleaders, and today, I am hers.  Meet my friend Bekah...

Bekah is the mother of three children and wife to one cool dude.  Together, their family has more energy than the sun!  I initially met Bekah several years ago through a "mommy group," where stay-home moms come together for playdates to get a piece of adult conversation and fun for our toddlers.  I was immediately attracted to her bright smile, boisterous laughter and avid story-telling skills. 

Between the two of us, we had four children in diapers.  Somewhere between "I'm going insane" and "I need to lose baby weight,"  Bekah began to run.  She's had a true love-hate relationship with running... mostly hate.  However, I write about her today because I believe she's finally found LOVE!  

For one, she posted this photo when her new running shoes arrived.  His name is Brooks.  A couple made in heaven, don't you think?

Then after her run with the Sole Sisters last night, she posted on Facebook, "...I felt like I could have kept going forever."  Do you remember the first time you got that feeling?  I sure do, and it's WONDERFUL to feel your body so alive!  In fact, it still brings happy tears to my eyes today.  My heart jumps with joy to see a dear friend embrace the power of running.

This past spring, Bekah ran her first 5K...

And then a 4 miler in June...

and then another 5K in July...

and NOW... she's getting pysched to run her first 10K this weekend at the Morton Pumpkin Classic.  It has been so rewarding watching her journey in becoming a SEXY MOTHER RUNNER.  So proud to be one of your Sole Sisters!

Please join me in wishing Bekah GOOD LUCK in her first 10K this Saturday.

As always, I'll be at the finish line to cheer you in!!

The Taper

With ten days until The Quad Cities Marathon, I'm in the heart of "The Taper".  Tapering is a time of active rest in which your body recovers from the hard months of training you've put just completed.  You obviously don't stop running, but you search for the ultimate balance of running and resting.  It's tricky to find just the perfect combination to make sure you're feeling fresh at the start.  Physically, you want rested legs, yet not too much that you feel sluggish.  Mentally, you need the confidence of knowing you can do the distance, yet a sharpness and slight anxiousness to make yourself ready to go when the starting gun sounds.  There are so many balls up in the air... and for a runner whose been logging 40+ miles a week, the sudden decrease in mileage can bring on slight battiness!

I've always found the taper difficult.  Excited to "show your stuff" on race day, there's a great temptation to put in extra workouts to make sure you're ready... or just a little bit better.  During training for my first half marathon, I completely tossed out the notion of a taper.  Lesson learned.  I have since learned to TRUST THE TAPER.  It's hard, especially this time... With this being my first 26.2 miler, I'm pretty darn excited to add the title of MARATHONER to my resume.

So what does a runner do during "The Taper"??  

• Cut back mileage.  Last week I didn't do so well on this, but this week will be a significant cutback.  (I started my taper a little early due to a schedule family vacation)  The golden rule is to cutback mileage by 40% two weeks before the marathon, 60% on race week.  During the last four days before the marathon, no runs over 3 miles.

• No more long runs.  The final long run should be about 2 weeks before raceday.  Trying to make up miles now will undoubtly hurt race day performance.

• Keep sweating!  Just because you're cutting back mileage doesn't mean the last two weeks are a cake walk.  It's important to keep the intensity of your workouts at a high rate... mileage may be short, but your pace should be as close to race pace as possible.  This will keep your body sharp and ready for race day exertion.

• Go shopping!!  Hello, race day outfit?!?  Ideally, you should have already tested out your race day clothing.  Now is the time to finalize all the details on the gear you need for race day.  I've tested out my shorts and shirt, but I did order new ones in a different color to "make the outfit".  Never ever wear brand new clothing on race day.  Always take for a test run and wash, wash, wash.  Get your watch, ipod, shoes, socks, headbands, etc... everything in order.  If you're traveling for a race, it's never too early to start filling the suitcase or making a list.

One of my favorite dishes... Salmon, broccoli & rice

• Eat well.  Yeah, I know... I should have been doing this all along.  Two weeks out from race day, I pay special attention to my diet.  Lots of water and fresh foods.  It never hurts to trim a couple pounds off in the last couple weeks... however, in the days before, make sure you eat enough to store glycogen that you'll need during the race.  The night before the race, a huge meal is unnecessary.  In fact, it can be detrimental to your goal, causing stomach cramps the next day.  Instead eat a regular size meal the night before, but with a higher percentage of carbohydrates than usual.  In the morning, top off your tank with a slight portion of carbs... toast, banana, whatever you're used to.  Again, it is wise to "trial run" all this during your training so there are no surprises on race day.

• Avoid it like the plague!  The worst nightmare for any runner is to come down with sickness (or injury) right before the big day.  I use an insane amount of hand sanitizer during the taper.  I always take a daily vitamin, but with a week to go, I add daily doses of Emergen-C to ensure I'm healthy as can be on race day.

• Keep busy.  I tend to zero in on work during the taper.  Partially out of necessity... I'll be out of town for a couple days, so I need to get ahead on projects.  This past week, I've also completed several household projects that have been calling my name all summer.  It keeps my mind busy and the butterflies at bay.

Just about done
with this book!

• Mental Preparation.  I try to keep life pretty simple during the taper.  An over-abundance of social events and responsibilities stresses me out.  I need relaxing evenings in which I can read a couple chapters in my latest book and still get to bed early.  I lay back on the pillow and visualize how the 26.2 miles will unfold.

Your turn... how do you handle The Taper?  

Any advice for a 1st time Marathoner?

Race Recap: IVS Half Marathon Relay

I once said "I'll never run that one."  Last Sunday, I made myself into a liar by running the IVS Half Marathon & Relay.  It's a terribly hilly winding course through the large Springdale Cemetery in the heart of Peoria.  While Mother Nature gives it a nice serenity, it always seemed odd to me to run through a cemetery.  And then the hills... they are no joke.  Long and steep.

I got caught up in the excitement of all my Sole Sisters who were racing.  So I asked a fellow Sole Sister to join me in the relay option... and in no time, it was official.  We were registered as the Lightning Libras!  The Half Marathon is 2 loops around the course; thus in the relay, we each did one loop of 6.55 miles.

First things first... the BEST darn thing about this race was the hoodie sweatshirt!  Perfectly timed for fall & super comfortable!  It's so rare that the swag clothing from races actually fits right, but this one was a slam dunk.  Secondly, I was happy with another ODD race number... #4525.

The race was on the remarkable date of 9/11.  It was a beautiful warm day.  Runners were lined up at the start line.  After a brief moment of silence to honor the day, we waited and waited for the National Anthem.  Technical difficulties.  Talk moved quickly amongst the mass of runners... "Let's just sing it..."  And just like that, the entire crowd of runners, volunteers and fans sang an acapella version of the Star Spangled Banner.  It was the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of and spread goosebumps down my arms.

In a flash, the race started.  It was a small local race, so only a couple hundred runners, which made congestion nearly impossible.  One mile was done quick.  And then the first big hill... By time I reached the top, I nearly had the wind knocked out of me.  That had never happened before. Thankfully there was a water stop at the top.  I took water - only to give me an excuse to walk and catch my breathe.  

The course continued winding through the cemetery back and forth, up and down.  At times there was 2-way traffic, which proved to be fun...  lots of high five's and cheers for friends going back and forth.  This was nice because there were no spectators in the cemetery.  I found it kind of boring without cheerleaders!

The only time split I managed to catch was at the 4 mile mark.  38:20.  I quickly did the math in my head to figure out a 9:35 pace.  I was happy with that considering the rolling hills. At that point, I was feeling pretty good and thought to myself, "I can start picking up the pace here... only 2.5 miles left."  

And then it came.  The big big long hill.  O' dear, I prayed for an end.  Runners ahead of me began to walk, but I forged ahead.  Although I think I would have walked faster at this point.  I felt like I was on a darn stairmaster!!  Finally the loop at the top and back down.  Again, two-way traffic so I joked with runners on their way up... "It's much easier this direction!"  The downhills are almost as painful as the uphills.  Two days later, I can still feel my knees from the steep declines.  I used the downhill to stabilize my breathing, and then picked up the pace as we exited the cemetery.  

At mile 6, the clock read 58:10.  I knew under an hour was out of question at this point, but I still pushed hard that last half mile.  I came up out of the wooded path (nearly tripping over a woman in front of me who stopped for a picture!) and sprinted to the relay exchange, where my partner Toby took over to finish the Half Marathon.  This area of the course was fun, as there was a nice gathering of Sole Sisters who were cheering in the runners.  Cowbell. Whistles. Clapping.  Pure Encouragement!  They are such great women, especially Jennifer who watched my girls for me while I ran!

At the finish, we got a neat dog tag medal, rather fitting for the day.  I hung out and cheered in the rest of the runners, relaxed with a pot-luck style picnic in the park and chatted away with friends as we waited for the awards ceremony. 

6.55 miles

Official chip time: 1:03:15  (9:39 pace)

Combined team time:  2:07:39

The Lightning Libras placed #5 out of 14 in the Open Women division

My running partner Toby and I...  We are the Lightning Libras!

Our Sole Sisters crew before the race

My friend Anna worked the finish line, handing out medals!

Spin Winners!

In August, I hosted a virtual Spin® Challenge to readers of all levels... Virgins, Rookies and SpinStars!  Bummer, I didn't have any Virgins take the challenge to give Spinning® their first try.  However, there were 2 ladies that reached SpinStar status... hitting the Spin® bike 6+ times and lived to write about it.  Give their blog a visit and see how Spinning® added to their running fitness!

Introducing the August SpinStars...

Kim's story at (Just) Trying is For Little Girls
Kim is so impressive because she squeezes in her cross-train at 5:15 in the morning!  That's pretty early to be at the gym.  During the August challenge, Kim realized she burns 386 calories during a 45 minute class.  Oh-yeah, Kim's a SpinStar baby!!

Michelle's story at Average Girl doing Average Things
Michelle made it happen even though there wasn't an actual class that fell into her schedule.  She went above and beyond SpinStar and hit the Spin® bike 8 times in August.  Congrats Michelle!

_____________________________________________________________

Congratulations Kim & Michelle!

You've earned yourself an "Addicted to Spinning" headband

from our awesome friends at BondiBand

Email me your address so I can mail out your prize!

runwithjess@comcast.net

If you don't BondiBand yet... check out my review here 

or better yet, go check out their website here.

___________________________________________________________

Honorable Mention also goes out to...
Courtney's story at Run, Courtney, Run
Courtney set her goal to be a SpinStar, but got a little distracted once school started.  (I'm totally with you here Courtney - Entire days seemed to disappear when school started!)  However, she did complete 3 Spin® classes last month! Well done!


Jen's story at Runner... Maybe
Another morning person, Jen made a couple 5:30am classes at her gym!  Hitting a total of 4 classes in August, Jen was so close to reaching SpinStar status!  After being initially intimidated by the Spin® bike (like so many are!), Jen is now a true believer of benefits of Spinning®!

Running Etiquette

Last night at Sole Sisters, there was a brief discussion on running etiquette during a race.  We have a lot of beginner runners, and this weekend is the local IVS Half Marathon & Relay in Peoria.  Many are running their first race at that distance!   So we provided some quick pointers on how to be "respectful" to other (more serious) runners.  I found this humorous, yet dead-on, list at RunAddicts.net which I thought I'd share...

DON'T BE AN IDIOT: RUNNING ETIQUETTE

posted on RunAddicts.net by Davy Kestens

THE NO-NO'S OF RUNNING

• Lining up at the front of the race when you're a slow runner.  If you don't plan on winning the race, step back where you belong.
• Abruptly stopping during a race. Look around you and move to the side first.
• Not returning greetings or simple nods when passing another runner.
• “I just started running. Can I run a marathon in 6 weeks?”
• If you must spit or blow your nose, please do so at the back of the pack.
• Runners who run WITH the flow of traffic. (Are you crazy?)
• Don’t be a jerk when talking about your pace; not everyone run a 6 minute mile. 
• Cutting other runners off and then slowing down.
• Throwing drinks at the feet of the runners behind you. Be a grown-up and throw it in the bin a few paces down the road.
• Not paying attention to traffic, signals, or course signs:  It makes us all look bad.
• Don’t group-hog the entire road/trail width!  Let others pass.
• Being unaware of your surroundings. Does your music have to be that loud? Really?
• Don't stop IMMEDIATELY after the finish line. Keep going a few meters to get out of the way of the runners behind you.
• Don’t give advice without being asked. This holds true for most sports.
• Not thanking the event volunteers.
• If you must, then at least look around you before you spit.
• If you have a bad case of the tummy demons, it’s nice to move to the back of the line as to not poison the rest of the group behind you.
• Play nice. Follow the track rules, and don’t be arrogant when someone points out those rules. Crowded tracks need a set of standards to avoid injuries.
• Don’t cheat races.
• Inside lanes on tracks are for fast runners.
• Don’t literally push people forward when the starting gun has fired. We all know it's a race.
• When you’re running on trails with your dog, clean up its mess.

Did you notice the two bolded ones in green???  O'Yeah, have I got a story for you today... To the jerk who was walking his bike this morning, you may not be a runner... but did it ever occur to you to LOOK before you spit?!?!  At about mile 12 of my long run today, I found a big loogie hanging from my chest.  I coughed;  I said "runner coming".  He obviously didn't hear me, so I ran up on the grass to run around him.  Right as I came up on his lefthand side, he swung his head to one side and let it fly... I saw the white wad flying in the air.  It was like slow motion - and yet I couldn't move fast enough.  PLOP!  Right on my chest.  Most disgusting thing ever on a run!!

Ok runners... Here's your chance to B*TCH! 

What do other runners do that drive you crazy - run or race?!?!

Life as a School Mom...

It's been hard to blog lately... now that I'm a mom of two SCHOOL CHILDREN!   Hopefully in the near future, I will get into the routine of things, but it's still a bit overwhelming keeping everything on task as a wife. mother. maid. cook. runner. friend. and soon to be marathoner!  Only 18 more days until I earn that last title!

This past weekend over Labor Day, we made a final escape for a summer vacation to this unique Midwest town... Santa Claus, Indiana!

Seriously, there were Santa statues everywhere!  And my kids wanted pictures with every. single. one.

I was pretty much a bum all weekend, laying poolside in the 100+ heat, reading my first novel in years... "Once A Runner" by John Parker.  This book is highly acclaimed in running circles... my review will come later in a separate post.

Finally on Monday, Labor Day, I felt the urge to labor, er, run.  Crawling out of the camper while the family slept, I took off in my Asics at 6:00am.  The Lake Rudolph Campground was huge - almost 600 sites and full on this holiday weekend.  It was a pretty setting alongside Lake Rudolph, with winding roads through hilly woods.  After a couple loops, I exited the campground and ventured into the town.  This was the oddest town I'd ever seen... one strip of businesses, tourist shoppes, amusement park, but no houses.  Does anyone actually LIVE here?  I found a long road with a guarded entrance leading into Christmas Lake Village.

Yup, every single resident of this small Indiana town lived in the gated community!!  I snuck past the gates, guard house and a couple police cars at the entrance.  Boy, did I get penalized!  The 6 mile loop around Christmas Lake was non-stop hills, gorgeous views and very pretty, but hill after hill after hill.  I need two hands to count how many times I said, "You've got to be kidding me" every time I reached the top of one hill... just to see another.

Beautiful views overlooking Christmas Lake.

Non-stop hills...

Does it ever stop?

Needless to say, it wasn't the "long run" I anticipated.  Not that I mind doing hillwork, but they really take a toll on my knees... and my calves always take a beating on the steep downhills as I tend to lean back.  The most interesting part of the run was all the street signs... Dasher Way, Snowball Street, Tinsel Lane, Blitzen Blvd, Poinsetta Dr, Holly Lane, etc... No kidding.  It was very interesting and each street gave me a smile.
9.6 miles in 1:43 (10:43 pace)


After a long 6 hour drive home, we cleaned, unpacked and got ready for the daily grind to start again.  Boo.  This morning I was up early at 5:30am to see hubby off, make lunches, write checks, get the kids dressed, fed and off to school.  Once all that was complete, I had a good 2.5 hours all to myself before preschool pickup.  Okay, I think I can get used to this school thing.  Of course I used that precious me-time to do my favorite thing ever... RUN!  It was a gorgeous sunny morning in the high-50's.  I actually had to dig out the running capris.  It was the most enjoyable run I've had in a really long time.  7.76 miles is 1:19 (10:10 pace)

The final 21

Saturday, I headed out for my final 20+ miler in my 16-week training plan for the Quad Cities Marathon.  Before I get into details, let me just say... It went AWESOME!!  I felt like a damn rock star afterward!  I can't even imagine the feelings I will experience crossing that finish line on September 25.

Pre-run fuel!

My long runs this summer have been sporadic.  Some were well-planned and executed as training runs.  Others were just feeble efforts to squeeze miles into a busy summer schedule.  The whole point of these long runs is to "practice" for the big day, and I haven't been doing that appropriately.  This past weekend, we had a clear calendar, so I zoned in on my final BIG ONE before the taper.  On Thursday, I mapped out my course, dividing it into three legs.  On Friday, I conceded to the rest day, despite the urge to run.  I relaxed and mentally focused myself for the run.  I fed my body well with an awesome pasta dinner and homemade garlic bread.  And oh, the water I drank!

The newly opened Kellar branch trail

After a good night's sleep, I woke up to a quick shower before I headed out.  (I've found that a cool shower not only wakes me up, but by getting my hair wet, it keeps my head cool for hours on the run.)  I started down the first leg of my run just past 6am.  I ran this stretch of the Kellar branch trail earlier in the week with Little Girl.  Amazingly how easy it felt without the jogging stroller!  I circled through Peoria Heights and enjoyed the beautiful views along Prospect, overlooking the Illinois River.
Leg 1 complete.... 7.42 miles in 1:18 (10:30 pace)


I stopped back at my car to refuel, hydrate, grab my ipod, and a headband change.  The next 2.5 miles were fairly quiet, as this portion of the Rock Island trail is far under-utilized.  I wouldn't call it hilly, but it certainly is rolling.  One of daughter's favorite parts of this trail is the tunnel.  It goes under the Interstate and is very dark and cool!  Sometimes even spooky!  Thankfully, this morning I had a biker behind me with a headlight.

Once I got near the Rock Island trailhead, I suddenly had lots of company.  It was a perfect summer morning with temps in the low 70's.  There were groups of cross country kids, women walking, families on bikes and a hefty share of other runners.  I haven't run this portion of the Rock Island trail in at least a month, and I was immediately happy that I included in the day's long run.  The miles ticked off quickly.  As I hit the 11 mile mark of my run, I was happy with how good my body felt... and thankful for proper fueling the night before.  Last week's GI issues were harsh on the run!!

I hit my turnaround in Dunlap and decided instead to do a loop around the town, which made my 20 into a 21 miler.  That's the thing about an out and back... you always feel good at the "out" point, it's the "back" that kills you!

Leg 2 complete... 6.77 miles in 1:14  (10:55 pace)

The way back went pretty smoothly, despite the gradual incline of this direction.  I focused on making it back to the trailhead, where I could refill my handheld bottle at the water fountain.  Again, all the activity on the trail took my mind off the distance I was running.  As I neared the trailhead, there was a mass of Boy and Girl Scouts on the trail doing some sort of race.  It was so cute... I had little 6-8 year olds cheering me on, telling me that I "looked good" and to "keep going".  Yeah, you have no idea!

The final miles back to my car, the TOUGH began to set in.  The trees opened up and I lost the shade that was keeping me cool.  The sun had warmed up by now (hit 81˚ by time I was done).  I started to really sweat in the open stretches of the trail, and those rolling hills that I mentioned earlier made my quads scream.  But I pushed on.  When I saw the final stretch and my car awaiting up ahead, I sprinted it out.  Who knew?  I still had gas!
Leg 3 complete... 6.77 miles in 1:17  (11:22 pace)

I literally jumped for joy!  This run felt really really good, both physically and mentally.  I can totally do this marathon thing.  As EMZ would say, I so freakin' got this!!

I mixed up my Gotein drink, swallowed a banana whole, stretched out my legs and headed home for an ice bath.  The next morning, my legs felt so darn good that I ventured out for a 4 mile recovery run.  It's good.  It's all good.  :)

Hello TAPER!!!

Restless waiting for 20

This morning I was up at 5:30am.  I sat with my coffee, looking longingly out the window... I want to run.

It was a perfect morning, still dark, but crystal clear skies with temps in the low 60's.  I want to run.

The kiddos and hubby were still fast asleep. I could run forever since hubby has off-work today.  Oh, man... I want to run!  


Knowing that my girls B&D were out there logging miles made it hard to stay put.  I want to join them.  I want to run!

Unfortunately, today is REST DAY.  Tomorrow morning is my last big 20 miler.  I want it to be strong.  I need it to go smooth to give me the confidence going into the taper.  So I made the difficult, but right decision, to stay in my pajamas.

The day's temperatures have warmed up now, so the craving to run has lost momentum.  Now I turn my attention to the work at hand today...
• Plan your route (check!)
• Hydrate
• Cook a healthy pasta dinner... looking at some recipes & then off to the grocery store.
• Relax this evening, read a little for motivation, and then hit the hay early.

One thing is for sure... I'm going to be bouncing down that trail in the morning!  I find it somewhat humorous (or demented?!?) that I'm so excited to run 20 miles.  I'm on the home stretch of marathon training.  It's been a long summer, and for the first time ever, I'm happy and compliant to taper.

Do you like Rest Days?  or do you fight them?

What's your running goals this weekend?  Anyone racing??

Thirteen for Thursday

Sorry, I've been a horrible blogger this week.  To bring you up to speed, the typical "Three for Thursday" just won't do... so here's to Lucky 13, short and sweet!

1.  My first born, aka Big Girl, turned 5 years old this week!  Oh, dear, where are the days, weeks, years going?!  I get really emotional around my children's birthdays.  There is so much I want to do with them in these early years, and never enough time (or energy!)

2.  We went camping this past weekend to celebrate Big Girl's birthday.  Friends and family joined us to make it a pretty special weekend... and of course Yogi Bear too!

3.  While camping, I rolled out of the camper at 5:30am and got my long run done.  The plan was 16; however, I went 17.5 miles.  I had some stomach issues on the back half of the run (bad fueling the night before, I know better!), but the legs felt great.  It was a much-need confidence boost on the ole psych.

4.  The days are getting shorter... which means DARK mornings.  I don't mind a little darkness, but when the entire hour is run in the dark... well, it's just not a whole lot of fun.  The flip side is that I'm getting really comfortable running without music.  (I can't forgo ALL my senses on the run... so I ditch the ipod on the dark runs.)

5.  Big Girl started Kindergarten! I thought I'd be a total mess on the first day, but instead I was pretty excited.  She was beaming from ear to ear, so eager to jump on that bus!  Unfortunately, Little Girl has not dealt with her big sister's sudden absence so well.  She cries every morning as the bus pulls away...

6.  I'm only 30 days out from my first marathon!!  Holy smokes!  Again, where has the summer gone?  In week 12 of training, I'm finding it hard to stay focused (especially with so many other things going on in life!)

7.  Yesterday, I set a new record for my longest STROLLER run ever.  Pushing that thing is no joke, and yesterday, Little Girl and I went 7.5 miles.  By time we were done, it had already hit 90 degrees.  I don't have to tell you I was sweating hard!

8.  Maybe I missed my calling as an interior designer?!?  This week, I went crazy and remodeled Big Girl's bedroom.  I've been promising a "rock star" room for months now.  So we locked her bedroom door this weekend and on her birthday was the big reveal.  She was beyond thrilled with the outcome...

9.  A new section of a run/bike trail opened up here in Peoria.  As a runner, you know how exciting this is!!  Can you say sweet smooth pavement with no traffic interruption?!?!  Yesterday morning I checked out one portion, and another part in the evening.  And this weekend for my final 20 miler, I'll be putting them all together!  I'm kinda excited for my last 20 miler... Taper, here I come!

10.  I just registered to run a Half Marathon Relay on Sept. 10.  I would have done the whole Half myself, but it's 2 weeks before my marathon... I was afraid the hilly course would burn up my legs.  Did you hear that... me doing a HILLY race!  My friend Toby and I are both Libras on the zodiac, so we're calling ourselves the "Lightning Libras!"  The race is put on by the local running club... which means small in number, lower entry fee, nicer perks like a hooded sweatshirt and a potluck picnic afterwards.  Sounded like too much fun to pass up.

11.  Good Luck to all the Hood-to-Coast runners!!  Especially the nuun blogger teams.  I'm excited to follow their progress this weekend and of course, all the race recaps to follow.

12.  I'm getting close to finalizing my race outfit for the marathon.  You should know that this is almost just as important as the actual run training!  This should give you a little bit of a hint...

13.  How are you doing on the August Spin® Challenge?  If you're a Spin® Virgin, you still have time to sneak in your first class and grab a prize!  More details here.

Wordless Wednesday: Photo Contest

You write the caption to this photo...

Best caption gets a "Fast Girls Have Good Times" bumper sticker.

Winner will be posted in next week's Wordless Wednesday, 8/24.

~ LAST WEEK'S WINNER ~

** Steve Martin attempts to grab Flash **

submitted by trailrunningchick

Did you even notice the Steve Martin lookalike behind Flash! 

I didn't until I read trailrunningchick's caption.

(Winner-Winner... email your mailing address to runwithjess@comcast.net)