Over the Edge for Special Olympics!

When they first approached me at work to do this I thought it sounded great but that with Ironman training in full effect this season I should wait until next year to do it.  Then they said they would do the fundraising for me so I thought sure why not.  I posted the page and let them know it was up and ready to go.  Then unfortunately they had to come back and tell me it was against policy to help with outside fund raisers and couldn't sponsor me.  In the mean time I had already committed to the organization and had my 1st donation.  So I didn't want to back out now!  So I'm on my own with limited time but I will give it my all and try my best to do the event and fundraising!



What is the event you ask?
Overcome a challenge in your life so Special Olympics athletes can overcome the challenges in theirs. Looking for an adventure of a lifetime that will also change the world for the better? Well look no further!  Watch our video!!

HUB International and SONM presents the 4th annual "Over the Edge" event. Join dozens of fellow thrill seekers as they go “Over the Edge” of a 16-story building in downtown ABQ, all to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

My Story

After hearing Randy Mascarello and Tim Harris from Special Olympics New Mexico (SONM), speak at the 2012 SHRM New Mexico Conference, I was inspired and wanted to show my support for Special Olympics.


“Oh Yeah!” Tim prompted the entire room at the conference to yell this out every time he did to celebrate each accomplishment he spoke to us about. As we heard him recount his participation in the Special Olympics and I saw him beam with excitement, I found myself joining in “Oh Yeah!”

Starting at 8 years old running my 1st mile race up through my first Ironman Triathlon finish a few years ago, sports has taught me lessons that I have carried with me throughout my life. When asked “Why do you do endurance sports?” by people who look at me like I’m crazy, I usually answer “I do it because I can, and I think of those who can’t.” One of my favorite quotes is “You can quit and no one will care, but you will always know.”


The look in Tim’s eyes told me that Special Olympics meant to him as much as my Ironman finish has meant to me. Repelling off a tall building sounds scary and challenging, but it’s a challenge I would love to take it on to help others be able to know what it feels like to be part of something special and to build the confidence in those athletes that compete in these events. If just one more Special Olympics Athlete gets to yell “Oh Yeah” and beam with pride, then I am all in.

Any help is greatly appreciated please help me spread the word!  Thanks in advance! Please visit my Personal Fundraising Page. I am proud to be an athlete and to do what I can to help others participate in sports.


Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to our fundraising efforts.


Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

Count down begins...

My last week as a single lady but somehow it doesn't feel like much will change :-)   We are currently debating deciding whether I am going to change my last name or not.  My two main arguments are 1) it's too much work and 2) my current last name flows so much better  I'm not getting much support with either argument so I guess I will be changing it. 

Had some ups and downs this weekend but ended on a good note so I'm holding on to that!  On Friday I had to skip my workout because I had to take the doggy in for some shots because my better half who had scheduled the appointment said he wasn't going to be able to make it.  So that's that...  no comment ;-)

Sat. went for a run now this was supposed to be a 13 mile run in training for my half marathon.  I woke up still feeling the after effects of recovering from being sick I was really tired but decided to suck it up.  I wanted it to at least be a flat 13 so I drove down to the river trails which is the only place in town you will find relatively flat 13 miles.  The gates were locked!!  I found a random parking lot and decided to start running and would just have to guess how many miles I ran based on time.  Well, I ended up by the ditch running in really lose sand!  I started to get a little lost so I decided to go find my car, I decided it was a sign that I wasn't meant to run the full 13.  In the end I ran 1 hour and was tired but felt good.  I then went to do a 1 hour yoga class which ended up being exactly what I needed!!  After I was done there the stress and tiredness had melted and the knot in my neck was gone.  I drank LOTS of water after. 

I swear the yoga cured me the next day I felt way better!  I woke up and did an awesome spin class for 18.7 miles.  Does cleaning count as exercise because wow I was really tired after cleaning house.  Somehow it is a little more nerve racking when it's his parents that you are cleaning house for instead of your own.  All though my mom is pretty hard critic, she once wrote my name in some dust she found on a piece of furniture!  :-)  In jest I know but I still have to give her a hard time just like she does to me!!

I'm looking forward to 2 short work weeks, 12 family members, TONS of good food, a marraige, a 13 mile run along with lots of other quality workouts to work off all that good food, a Wine Festival, a bike ride so my dad can show off his brand new bike (I have to admit I'm a little jealous, I'll post pics)   I'm sure I will be busy so my posts for the next two weeks may turn out to be mainly pictures! 

What are you looking forward to this week?

Inspiration

As I rode my bike to work this morning I knew I was going a little slower than usual and I was thinking to myself "Ugghh I have to do this 2 days in a row if I wanna get my promised 2 in for this week!"  Then I thought about my brother he does a very similar commute to this EVERY DAY of the year.  Through cold, hot, wind etc.  He doesn't own a car and commutes everywhere on his bike.  I truly admire his gumption not only in this area but every part of his life.  He is my younger brother but I have found over the last 10 years or so I'm the one that is looking up to him. 

I remember a year we had record snow storms for our city I was in Colorado and roads and businesses were closed for something like 4 days and he had a work emergency with no cabs willing to drive or buses running he had no choice but to try and bike to his work in several feet of snow and COLD temps.  About half way there he saw a lone car out and offered them $20 to give him a ride the rest of the way.  They said their daughter also had to go to work and they'd be happy to do it for free.  He's built 2 of his own bikes that are single gear and has a folding bike for days he has to take the bus.  He rarely accepts a ride from me or others and is very resourceful.  The more I thought about it the more I told myself to get over it and buck up! 

When I did my IM in 2008 I had raised money for a toxoplasmosis research center in honor of my brother.  See he was born with this parasite and it caused him to have scars in his eyes that are not reversible.  He is legally blind in one eye and has scars in both eyes and can't see or read things clearly unless it is very close to his face.  He has not for a minute let this slow him down.  I do sometimes see the affects it has on his life but all I do is look at him in awe as he has never let it get in his way!  The research place I donated to is:  http://toxoplasmosis.org/  They are very wonderful people and continue to keep me up to date on their progress.  Now they have tests for this when a child is born but at the time when my brother was born they didn't.  I guess I just felt overwhelming pride as I thought about my brother on my way to work this morning and wanted to share it.  I think he would be embarrassed if I shared this with him and he easily turns crimson red when embarrassed.  :-)

I know we all have our own obstacles and some are bigger hurdles than others but it's always nice to have a reminder that it's amazing what the human spirit is capable of when we use determination!  One of my favorite go to inspirational stories is Team Hoyt if you've never seen it it's a must!

As Promised.....

I don't think I've said this yet but I REALLY do appreciate the followers I have and the encouraging, kind, and sometimes funny words you all have to say!  I have had a couple of requests and sorry if it took me a while to get it up.  1st a while back I mentioned a funny picture about certain someone possibly being a drama queen when participating in the Ironkids Nationals and I had a request from KC for the pic well, here it is:    

Please don't laugh too hard!

Next request from more than one person was the coconut lime cupcake recipe 1st of all I want to give full credit to Post Punk Kitchen I got the book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and everything I've  made from there has been awesome even if you aren't vegan they are yummy.  The bf approved (he did say they weren't as pourus or fluffy as other cupcakes) but that he still liked them.

Cupcake

• 1/3c coconut oil (it's a little expensive but you can use it for other cooking not just baking these)
• 3/4c granulated sugar
• 1c coconut milk
• 1/4c soy milk
• 2t vanilla
• 1T lime zest
• 1c all purpose flour
• 1/2t baking soda
• 1/2t baking powder
• 1/4t salt
• 1c dried coconut, plus extra for topping the cupcakes

Frosting

• 1/2c nonhydrogenated shortening (I actually just doubled up on the earth balance below and didn't use this)
• 1/2c nonhydrogenated fake butter (I used Earth Balance you can use Smart Balance too)
• 3½c POWDERED (confectioners) sugar
• 1t vanilla
• 1/4c lime juice
• 1t lime zest
  ______________________________

1. preheat your oven to 350° and line cupcake tins
2. for cupcake: melt coconut oil in a small pan over low heat
3. mix together coconut oil and sugar
4. add coconut milk, soy milk, vanilla, and lime zest and mix well
5. mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
6. once smooth, add dried coconut and pour into cupcake pan
7. cook for 25 minutes and allow to cool completely before icing
8. for the frosting, beat the shortening and fake butter together until fluffy
9. add the sugar and beat 3 minutes
10. put vanilla and lime juice in, and mix 5-7 minutes more
11. add the lime zest and frost the cupcakes
12. Roll the frosted cupcakes in remaining coconut flakes and if you want top with lime slices to make pretty (Or just dig in and forget about formality)

Final announcement!!!! My 1st giveaway coming soon!!! I'm super excited about this stay tuned...

Sedona Full Marathon Race Report

Arrived a night early for packet pick up.  This went smooth other than the fact that by the time we arrived there were no more small shirts left.  So why is it that there are never smalls left when I go to pick up my packet?  Why do they bother asking what size you want when you pre-register?  I know these shirts run big and that is why I order a small, now I will just give away my medium.  Better yet why don’t they just give me the option to pay less if I don’t want the shirt or any of the give aways?  I’ve only seen 1 race use this awesome idea!  Ok off my soapbox.

It was a brisk start to race day, somewhere around 32 when we got ready to head out the door.  Lesson Learned  #1: Don’t take the word of the front desk clerk when they say it is less than a quarter mile from the hotel to the start.  We walked to the start in not much clothes which ended up being at least a mile walk.  My hands were frozen by the time we got there.  The stunning vistas and some nicely placed hot air balloons momentarily distracted me from this.  There were about 1,700 entrants total which we later found out was mainly for the ½ marathon or less (10k or 5k) 168 were for the full, which made for a very lonely race, which for some is welcomed.  The start was a little unorganized due to the fact that a lot of people thought all the races started at the same time.  Luckily the timing chips on our bibs made up for this little fumble.  About ½ hour into the race my hands finally started getting some feeling  in them and my muscles started to loosen  up a bit.  The bf and I ran about the first 6 miles together.  At the turn around for the ½ marathon is where I lost sight of him and it became a very lonely run.  I tend to be a middle of the packer and end up with people far in  front and far behind.  I actually took my little camera in my fuel belt and it’s a good thing I did because this ended up being the best part of the marathon.

Lesson Learned #2: Train for the race not for the convenience of the trails near your house.  The hills were mixed throughout the run which is something we failed to train for.  Our training involved lots of hills but we usually did one really long steep hill at the beginning then had it easy for the second half.  That made these rolling hills difficult on the second half.  The 10 miles in the middle of the race were on red sand dirt roads.  It was more uneven then I expected and the rocks and dips made my hips very tight.  Again made for very pretty scenery.  Apparently this is voted in the top 3 most scenic marathons in the world by some trail magazine which explained why there were people there from all over the world (Japan, Sweden etc.)  The top male finisher passed me on his way back when I was at about mile 11.  He finished in 2:50. 



Just Past the
1/2 Marathon Turnaround



The aid stations were awesome and stalked with all kinds of treats they were about 1.5 miles apart.  I opted for my own plain water which they refilled for me as necessary.  The really odd part was that I packed 3 packs of Clif Shot Bloks which I had used for all my training and I should have eaten all 3 throughout the race.  But my stomach decided not to be happy with me on race day and I barely made it through 1 pack and had to force that.  About mile 18 it started to really hurt and by mile 20 I was having to walk part of the uphill portions and at the aid stations.  Miles 22-26 felt a lot longer and I even thought at one point “am I going to make it in the allotted 6 hours?!?!?!”  There was no way I was going to quit especially knowing the bf was waiting for me at the finish line and it was his first marathon. 

It warmed up to 65 by noon.  I ended up finishing in over 5 hours I think it was 5:28 he finished in 5:12 and  by the time I finished they had shut down the massage tables and there wasn’t much left to hydrate with or eat at the finish.  All in all I am glad I did it and even happier that I was able to finish.  It was a great bonding experience and the most fun I've had as far as the personal aspects of the race.  This is the first relationship I've been in that we share these intrests together and I will never take that for granted!  The biggest pro for this race was the location and scenic road.  The biggest con was the organization but if you were just doing it for fun and not for a fast time this was a good winter race to attend.

I am very happy that we ended up staying a second night before driving back.  We were wobbling around so much that it was hard to sit in the car for 5-6 hours on that drive back and that we were able to take in some of the sites and visit with the bf’s family! 

To Lunch or not to lunch?

As I made my morning walk from the parking lot and up the stairs I looked around the hall way and thought “It’s a Christmas miracle!” Someone came over night and decorated the entire floor so much work just for one day who is crazy enough to do that?  As I walked further I saw stickers on the window I thought Purchasing Dept stickers does that mean they’re the ones who did all this decorating for us?  Then as I was about to put the key in the door to the office I noticed someone I didn’t recognize go in the other door…. Hmmmm  I had exited the stairwell on the second floor not the third floor!!!!!  I snuck out before anyone could see me but was laughing hysterically as at myself and the person passing me in the stairwell looked at me funny so I just said “Merry Christmas!”  It’s a ghost town here and most are already on vacation and those who aren’t physically are mentally, hence the above story.  As the brave few still left sit around discussing whether we’ll get that delightful e-mail from the prez telling us we can leave early and to have a happy holiday!  So I ask myself do I lunch or not?  Will they let us leave or not? 

Fa la la la laaa la la la laaaa!!   That’s all that’s going through my head.

Ok so Monday was a weird workout, I was scheduled to do 50 minutes of cardio.  I started on the treadmill, 10 mins. Felt funny so took a bathroom break, step machine 12 minutes still felt dizzy and lightheaded so went to the mats to do some crunches then pushed through another mile on the treadmill.  All in all only managed to get about 35-40 total minutes at the gym (including the crunches) and went home.  I don’t get why this randomly happens to me I ate well that day I’m gonna have to start taking gel packs to the gym even for short workouts, ridiculous!!  It happens to me about 2-6 times a month for no apparent reason…  Tuesday on the other hand had an awesome plyometrics and weight workout that totally made up for Monday.  Burned over 400 calories and felt awesome.  Wed. had an indoor soccer game that we brutally lost but we were short subs so I did A LOT of running!  Today if we get out early I will go for a hike with my wonderful doggie and my bf, yes he’s wonderful too we just have a difference of opinions from time to time ;-)  Then to go grocery shopping to prepare for a fun filled Christmas weekend.  Extra bonus my good friend since 7^th grade will be in town with her new hubby and we will be seeing the Luminarias together!!!  I’m so lucky to have the friends and family that I have surrounding me!!

Menu:

Friday -  BF = Eggs or Tofu with grits (tortilla for D), "soy bacon"
             Lunch = Steak or Vegetarian Meatloaf, mashed potatoes
             Dinner = Salad and/or leftovers
 Daytime hike or sledding and snowplay with Lexi
 Friday night we will go to Old Town to see the Luminarias then drive around to see Christmas lights (S & Fam joining us)
 Saturday - MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 BF = Berry Tasty Breakfast Cups
Lunch = Sweet Potato Casserole (w/some set aside for D to be made with marshmallows), Rice and artichoke salad, crescent rolls, Couscous loaf, corn on the cob (or some type of grilled vegetables), Mom's choice of dessert
Dinner = Leftovers or Salad
 D & N 12 mile run, someone else could walk Lexi
S and Fam to stop by in the afternoon for hot chocolate distribute neighbors gifts....

Sunday - 
BF = Hot Cereal (or left over crescent rolls for egg sandwiches w/soy sausage
Lunch = Spaghetti w/Marinara Sauce (Mom's Style Sauce) and Garlic Bread
Dinner = Salad, Leftovers or sandwiches
 9am spin class or other activity

Monday -  2 hour Volunteer w/Road Runner Food Bank first thing in the morning.....

Yes this is an actual email I sent out to my family, I know I have a problem with planning ;-)  See prior post…

So much on my mind

Days filled with holiday parties and special events keep me busy and tired but still happy!  Have the local Roadrunners Christmas party tonight which is always fun and the chance to win running related gifts is an added bonus (last time the runners bracelet I won was awesome).  So thankful that my new workplace is considerate of vegetarians, twice they made accommodations without me having to ask, yesterday vegetarian red chile and squash enchiladas and today veggie delight sandwiches from Subway!  WooHoo…  we won’t mention the cheesecake I had afterwards…  Had a nutcracker “experience” and we’ll just leave it at that, then helped the bro pick up some wood flooring and tonight the party, when is a girl to work out!!!!  Tomorrow is a rest week in my marathon training, 8 mile run.  We were going to do some hill running but it has since snowed so think we’ll stick to the city.

Recertified again with NASM as personal trainer, I keep doing it “just in case”.  I did let my USAT triathlon coaching cert. lapse though.  I’m thinking of maybe picking up a few clients on the side, make some extra cash.  Personal training was the funnest, most enjoyable ,and rewarding job I have ever had.  I just couldn’t quite make ends meet with it at the time cause I tried going back to school again at the same time.  But I figured this way I get the best of both worlds.  So with my new job I get 1 week and 1 day off for Christmas wow!  I didn’t plan a trip anywhere b/c the bf would have been jealous.  So instead I’m going to do a boot camp for myself with at least 2 cardio workouts and some weight training each day!  I will also take that time to register myself as a business so I can start the personal training.  The catch is I don’t quite feel like a trainer.  I mean I am still in shape but about 15 lbs heavier than when I was a trainer before.  Maybe it’s just the motivation I need to stop shoving those extra calories down my throat, he he he....  Losing that weight would sure make my running easier too!  Gotta pull out the “Racing Weight” book again and start reading.  But I get so tired of keeping a food log L  No one ever said it was easy right, ok I will practice the speeches I use to give to clients on myself.  I will also start a mirror of motivation like I had done when training for my Ironman (I’ll post a picture once I’m done with it).  So I never like to do New Year’s resolutions but I do like to set midyear and annual goals for myself, do here it goes:

1)      Get to my “race weight” or as I prefer to call it my “fighting weight”

2)      Register for at least 8 triathlons in the local challenge series

3)      Register myself as a business and acquire a few clients

4)      Not injure myself this year with skiing, running, soccer, etc

Goal date: March 2010  Will keep you posted!

Overwhelmed yet optimistic

Becoming slightly overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness from time to time is normal it's how we deal with it that counts, or so they say...  Let's see what do I feel overwhelmed about? 

1. My weight, tracking my food, increasing training and having to give in to buying a bigger pair of jeans to fit into is overwhelming because I haven't seen any progress in the last 2 months I feel like it isn't fair as my bf loses weight with our increased training I'm still at a plateau. I know we can't compare the two metabolisms, and I shouldn't resort to malicious tactics such as forgoing the HUGE free muffins they gave us but taking it back to my bf to eat tonight just in hopes to even the playing field (j/k I would never do a thing like that)
2. Having depressing work meetings that tell us the doom and gloom of the next years to come with the economy and the prediction that the unemployment rate will take 5-10 years to fully recover.  Realizing that I was the last in to my dept. and that usually translates to first out during layoffs.
3. The holidays are coming up and my savings account keeps going down instead of up.
4. The learning curve on my new job should be better in my own eyes but everyone keeps telling me I'm right on track...
5. The pressure to be married and have kids in order to avoid the social stigma of becoming an old maid, I mean really ppl what century do we live in...
6. Is it really that important to be excited about a fancy holiday party coming up when I will be going through all my old dresses keeping my fingers crossed that I still fit into one while thinking I should be more worried about other things.
7.  Being sick and not having gone to the gym in 3 days.

But I'm feeling better and today I will be back at the gym so all this should be shaken off by the end of the day with a whole new bright perspective!  I still have a job, I still have food on the table, I still have my house, I have close friends and family to spend the holidays with and I will try to help others in need in any way I can with some extra volunteering this next year! 

So I'm not giving up I'm gonna keep trucking along and this weekend's long run should put me back where I need to be.  Cheers!  This weekend I go shopping for yummy vegetarian THANKSGIVING food and going to practice being THANKFUL!