Fun Stuff

• Elias joined Crystal and I on our after work run this evening. And after the run Elias added 'Crystal' to his ever growing vocabulary. Very exciting!

• Elias also enjoyed pointing out the Mickey on my shirt while we were stretching. That's right I purchased Crystal & I special 'In Training for the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon' running shirts. This is just the beginning of the wonderful Disney merchandise that I will acquire to commemorate this event. I consider the exclusive Disneyland 1/2 Marathon memorabilia, especially the coveted finisher's medal & race day pin, one of the most important reasons to participate in a Disney run.
• The other day someone asked me how I knew about the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon. I wasn't quite sure how to respond as I thought this was just common knowledge like knowing that Friday follows Thursday.

Progress

Yesterday marked a "milestone" of sorts for Crystal and I. We had lunch with a friend and then decided to get our Starbucks and go shopping. We were shopping for maybe an hour, felt uninspired, and looked at each other and said "should we just go running?" I guess this means that running really has become our favorite hobby! Don't get me wrong the day was a success as we each purchased a pair (or two) of shoes. But it was impressive that we cut the shopping short to go for our run.

We even took Elias with us in the Bob so it was a bit harder of a workout. Although our pace wasn't too much slower with the stroller.

"Running not Shopping"

Nike+

Today I learned that since I started running on a consistent basis a little over a month ago, I have run the combined distance of a full marathon. I learned this from the Nike+ website which I use to keep track of my runs. When it became apparent that Crystal and I were really going to run a half marathon, Aaron surprised me and bought me the Nike+IPod sensor so I could keep track of my training.

An added bonus of selecting the Nikes is that the sensor fits inside the shoe, beneath the insole. (Before I got my Nikes I had to attach the sensor to the laces with a velcro case)

To use the Nike+ sensor I just select 'Begin Workout' on my IPod and select the music that I want to run to or no music if I'm running with Crystal. It is amazing that the time seems to go much faster when we are talking than when I'm running alone listening to music, but I have come to enjoy both. Then at the end of the workout I get a summary of the run similar to this one.


And then when I sync my IPod the workouts get sent to the NikeRunning website where I can view my run history, set goals, and even look for running routes. Plus I get the added bonus of achieving new "levels" like today I was promoted to the orange level based on my mileage (50 km) and every time I achieve a personal best distance I get an "inspirational message" from the likes of Lance Armstrong. Isn't Nike great ;)

SHOES!

The most common piece of advice that I received when I started telling people that I was crazy enough to run a half marathon was to get fitted for and buy a nice pair of running shoes. The idea of getting fitted for shoes had never occurred to me as I've never really had trouble with my feet. But I figured I should take the advice of expert runners so today I went and got my first official pair of running shoes and insoles.

Wanting to support local businesses I just planned to go to Runner's Roost but the power of anonymous reviews on the internet encouraged me to not bother with Runner's Roost and go straight to RoadRunner Sports. They apparently have a much better return policy if the shoes don't fit right even after running outside and are very helpful even to new runners....so this sounded like the right place to go. The whole experience was kind of fun and didn't take too long.

First I stood on some sort of sensor pad and learned that I have high arches so insoles were strongly recommended. Next I ran on the treadmill barefoot so they could see if I had any foot pronation??? Turns out my foot doesn't turn much but it was pretty neat to watch the video of my feet running on the treadmill. Then I had insoles sculpted to my feet, tried on three different pairs with the insoles, decided on the Nikes, and ran on the treadmill again just to confirm that they felt okay.

It is kind of hard to see with the reflection, but here is the screen capture of me running on the treadmill barefoot.

I believe this is the first pair of shoes that I have bought without making the selection based on appearance. Although I do like the look. Hopefully, I will not have to take advantage of the 60 day return policy and these Nikes will last me many miles!

As an added bonus the RoadRunner sports was on the way home from my little monkey's daycare so he was able to come help me make a final selection. He enjoyed running around the store and "beeping" along with the treadmills. Plus, the sales person told me that it was awesome that I was going to be running at Disneyland and she hopes to run the Walt Disney World marathon. All in all the RoadRunner Sports seemed to be a good choice.

Stroller Strides

If it weren't for Stroller Strides I never would have considered running a half marathon. I started going to Stroller Strides a little over a year ago when my little guy was 4 months old. I knew I needed to do something to get back in shape and lose some of the baby weight. However, Stroller Strides has become much more than just a place for a workout. Stroller Strides is a great network of moms and a source of motivation. Erin, the instructor, also has running groups and boot camps for moms who are training for races. I started going to the 6 am Monday morning boot camps when I went back to work full time since I couldn't attend as many Stroller Strides classes during the week. These ladies inspired me and the idea of running a half marathon seemed possible. Thanks Erin!

Stroller Strides was featured in the Denver Post today. Check out the article and video to learn more about 'Losing the baby fat - with the baby and other moms'. I was lucky enough to attend class the day that they were filming so I can be seen working out in the video.