Dirty Legs Spring Run # 2

(check out the awesome view , I couldnt help but smile)

Bluff running , that is what I did on this BEAUTIFUL Sunday. Took part in my second trail run put on by SV Endurance. I had a good time. Unlike the first trail run ( which was fun, but ..) there werent mountains to climb, and I was OK with that. The race was located in Wilder Ranch State Park in Santa Cruz and it was a spectacular view. We ran along the bluff and while trying to keep a good pace and not bust my ankle I was able to look down off the cliff and see the waves crash on the rocks. To me THAT is trail running , not having to walk up mountains because I am unable to physically run up steep mountains ( I dont think I'll get over the shock of the first run). There was a bigger turn out for the 5k this time , and there were runners there that had come to the first one , which I now am proud to say I introduced myself instead of just giving the "nod".

It was a happy run, I was glad to be there , I was happy to see other runners and well it was just a HAPPY day. I did start off the race not knowing if I was going to go all out or take my time. I decided to just "GO". Decided to find my happy pace and to greet/cheer any runner that ran past me while on the trail. I had known before the race that I didnt think I could win female over all , there was an older lady ( older lady=super endurance) that was doing a Rocky warmup around the parking lot before hand , I was hoping she was running the 10k , but nope , 5k runner. She had started off really strong and I wasnt going to go to the point of sprinting to catch up to her. She kept a strong pace in front of me , I was hoping she would start fading but she was stuck with it. So the only thing I could think was that NO ONE else would pass me.

( Lady is green is Rocky warmup lady)

The result was 27:04 , which Im pretty psyched about. 2nd overall and 1st in my age group. I finished strong and not to the point of blowing chunks... Like last time , egh. I wish I could share more , but this race went by so fast and I was in la la land with the view, gotta savor the moment right?

( Happy Day and new running friends who I will have to cross over to the "Daily Mile side" )

NPS St Patricks Day 5k Run/Walk

This post is a week late , why I didnt think of blogging about it I have no clue.

Last week the Naval Post Graduate school held a St. Patricks Day 5k run/walk. There was a great turn out of families and its all fun. Since this race was stroller friendly , the kids were strapped in and ready to go and the Hubby was the driver.

On this same day it also happened to be the hottest day yet in Monterey and a tad freakishly warm ( 72 degrees ,which is SOOO hot for here).

Not until the shot went off did I realize my husband was going to leave me in the dust in hopes of coming in first in the stroller category (which there really wasnt an official category , he just HAD to beat out all the other dads with strollers). I didnt have plans on racing this race. Just had wanted to go with the flow and enjoy the runners. In the beginning I found Alissa (one of my Stroller Strides Mamas) and decided to run with her. About .25 mile she just decided to get a walk in and I was off. Now when one if running by themselves with no real plan , well it becomes ALOT of people watching. I wish I could have taken notes of all the thoughts that run through my mind as I stare at shoes, shorts, read shirts, compliment hats, stare at strides, notice people dropping off... Then as I was running I was slammed in the face with an asthma attack. Some dude I was running behind must have just gotten out of class and REAKED of cologne. Now I dont have problems with people smelling good , Im all about that. But in a RACE , heaven help the asthmatics ( like me) . I tried to push past him and get him behind me , but he totally wasnt having me pass him up. We went back and forth for about a 1/2 mile , then I turned to to him and said " Looks like I'll just run with you then " . So I ran with with till the homestretch , where he died off. I was sad to see him slow down and encouraged him on , but I got there before he did.

After crossing the finish line I found the husband who abandoned me and saw that the kids got cool medals, and thought it funny how he came in second, I guess the Dad in front of him was BOOKING it.

We hung around to support and cheer on the awards ceremony. Now this is when I wanted to kick myself in the butt , I had no intentions of making age group but when I did see the winners from my age group and saw the chick that came in second was an eye shot in front of me ... well I had a small Tom Cruise inner freak out! It left me with the "seriously?" expression on my face. I had to tell myself "Next time, Im flipping FLYING .... *cough cough* ( as long as its not to hot)" .

In all we had a great time . Nothing beats running races with my little family.

Nike Women's Marathon

Alright here it goes ...

After hearing back from a Nike contact the best bet for getting into the Nike Women's Marathon is registering as a team. Most of the teams she knows have ALWAYS gotten in that way. So now its time to gather your friends, family and fellow DM'ers and lets "JUST DO IT".

Now this is how it goes :

ONLINE REGISTRATION opens MONDAY APRIL 5th through FRIDAY APRIL 16th. On the online registration form there will be a box for GROUP ID. Please copy and paste the GROUP ID that will be emailed to you (yes, I will email out GROUP ID) correctly onto the random drawing application in order to be identified as a member of the group.

It's really that easy!

Now I've been wanting this to be a DAILYMILE team , but PLEASE invite everyone you know to join you! Be your own ambassador to the sport and encourage your friends and family to strap on their shoes and get out there! As for myself I am starting a running group here with women (and whatever men want to run along) to train for this race and prepare for a triathlon. Some people don't want to do this alone! Remember we are a team!

Even though we are a TEAM it does NOT mean that you have to stick with the team when running. We are all at different fitness levels, and some of us are faster than others. So no one feels as though they CAN'T (egh, bad word I know) do it, I will run the 1/2 marathon at a run/walk. No one will be left behind to run on their own. This is a time to encourage and work with one another so we can ALL cross the finish and receive some cool gear.

Other than the GREAT views and WONDERFUL spectators in this race there is some really RAD gear waiting for you at the finish line. First and foremost all finishers receive a unique finishers necklace designed by Tiffany & Co. 100% Recycled Nike dry Fit Finishers Tee-shirt and what is the BEST part (after running for so many hours) is an ICE COLD CHOCOLATE MILK! I know some of you are thinking "Milk? Really?", to me it was the most amazing thing ... Next to the hot firemen in tuxedos handing me that glorious little blue box :)

One more thing. This is not a WOMENS ONLY race. Will you see many men ? NO. I know it bothers some women that they allow men at all. I am one that welcomes it. On the race course last year I saw only motivating husbands (like mine), boyfriends, brothers and sons. Running as pacers and support machines. If I hadn't ran with my hubby I would have been solo and would have broke down at mile 11. So please bring them along as well, the more the merrier. I also saw men running for family members that couldn't be there due to cancer, I teared up many times reading the back of peoples shirts...

I think that covers it . All you now have to do is just decide! AND email me christinahebert(@)live.com . I'm looking forward to meeting all of you nationwide!

REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED!!

Please share on your blogs.

Please inform me if you have a group of people signing up with the GROUP ID , so I know how many people will be in the group and I can email ANY updates sent to me from NIKE.

You can email me OR leave a comment with your info or blog and I will get you the GROUP ID.

Ultramarathon Man

A couple of days ago I received an email from Fleet Feet Monterey that a Dean Karnazes was going to be stopping by for an hour as one of his stops from San Francisco to the L.A Marathon. His source of transportation , usually his two feet but this time via ElliptiGO.

This email also stated what he was was the author of ULTRAMARATHON MAN , which I had seen several times at Borders. Wanting to support Fleet Feet and check out a new book I RSVPed for the event.

So yesterday (last minute of course) I remembered to pick up ULTRAMARATHON MAN from Borders so I could get Dean to sign it. What ended up as book I just wanted to purchase to get an autograph turns out to be my now all time favorite book.

What is there to say about ULTRAMARATHON MAN , well that Dean Karnazes is THEE MAN. This guy is the ultimate beast. 100 miles in one day? Marathon to the South Pole? A 200 mile SOLO relay race to Santa Cruz?

I laughed HYSTERICALLY (seriously) and cried, then cried some more.

He shares his pain which is constant ( come one 100 mile run?), his family and how he uses his talent to help others. If you want the ultimate pump up book , this is it. The book left me thinking, if he can possibly run 100 miles in one day there is absolutely no reason I ( and YOU , thinking about YOU too) cant at least walk 1 mile a day.

Im not one for in depth reviews , but I can assure you this is an easy and enjoyable read.

Now to get to the cool part. After I spent my evening opening my heart and dreams to this book I got to meet THEE MAN.

Showing up fashionably late ( but who is to complain ? we sure as heck werent going to ElliptiGO from San Francisco) he cruises up on a elliptical on wheels. First thing I noticed were his legs! Now before I had left the house I had seen Ron W.'s picture post of this mans calfs and was shocked , but to see those bad boys in person was like "holy shit".

Next thing I noticed was he wasnt very tall ... he wasnt tall at all. I got over that and was surprised at how happy he was to be there and what a welcoming smile he had.

The line formed for book signing and people werent asking much ... I personally wanted to pepper him with questions but I silently waited for my turn . When I get up to him he informs me that he has to use the restroom. So I wait and all I could think about is in his book he talks about how he literally pees on the run. Finally we meet and I admitted to him that I didnt even know who he was till yesterday after I read his book and I was blown away. He was shocked I read his book in one sitting calling it "Ultramarathon reading" and just smiled and was glad that he could see that I had a "passion" for running. He met my husband and was sweet to my crazy kids. We talked about the "pain" of running and if he was trekking to L.A solo. Again I was blown away with his genuine smile and infectious spirit that was radiating from him.

To wrap it up this man was legit, hardcore, inspirational, and motivational.

" ...True, running is a simple primitive act. Yet in its subtleties lies tremendous power. For in running, the muscles work a little harder, the blood flows a little faster, the heart beats a little stronger. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that" - Dean Karnazes, ULTRAMARATHON MAN

Dirty Legs Spring Run # 1

Proud to announce that I had a couple firsts today.

First race of the year.

First trail run , ever.

First women overall.

First age group.

And to be completely honest , I'm flippin psyched!

A couple weeks ago my dailymile friend Roxanne (please add as friend , she is training for her first Ironman and needs all the support she can get) informed me of SV Endurance Dirty Legs Trail Run. I signed up for the 5k , at only $20 , with technical tee AND practically in my backyard I totally jumped on it. Now I have never run on trails, EVER. So this was a leap of faith. With all the encouragement and positive feedback about trail runs from my Dm'ers I was very excited.

To start the Sunday morning off , I was late. Arrived there 6 minutes before race time , but all was smooth with checking in and getting ready. Before we had left the house I had told my husband that I was shooting for a 9 minute pace, not until we started and I hit that second rocky hill did I think " um no way , just be consistent" . 3/4 mile in I was doing great I was behind 2 men that were leading the pack and had 2 women on my tail.

What I thought was just going to be a "come out and try this thing," turned in to a "race this thing" . With only 2 women behind me I felt I could easily finish top 3 , and maybe win. That was until the trails became super narrow ( I swear not even a foot wide) and STEEP climbs. I was passed by the women duo and their trail running shoes. I slowed down to a fast walk, I was very shocked with this climb. I had imagined glorious flat trails not mountain climbing.

1/4 mile later, I was weaving up a mountain (probably was a small hill but bear with me) and lost sight of the duo. I recovered with my walking and decided to be strong and pick up the pace. As I started going I saw the duo and they were now walking, I caught up with them and walked behind them . Please dont think we were wusses, but it was steep and unstable. Once the hills became more tolerable I booked it, I kept a strong pace and powered through the hills.

Now when you would have we made it to the top, but we only went higher. NEVER ENDING! At some point one of the women broke away from her friend and passed me. At that point I knew I needed to kick it up a notch. She might have passed me, but her friend sure as heck wasn't. For about 1/4 mile I stayed about 3 yards behind her, unable to catch up. I will give her credit, she was strong up those hills, but I was faster when we leveled out. There were only a few level points and the last 1/2 mile was all down a STEEP hill. Still behind her we were BOOKING it down that hill, but you can only run so fast down hill! I never knew when the bottom/finish was coming, but the women in front and behind of me did. I saw her pick up pace in front and I could hear the footsteps pick up speed behind me. I was slowly catching up with the girl in front and then I saw the turn for the finish line. And who was waiting at that turn? My little family, and there was no way in hell I was going to let them see Mom lose. I unleashed myself and was neck and neck with the leader. WE WERE FLYING! I heard her give it her all and I don't know where I pulled the last of what I had, but I just COULD NOT let her beat me . I thought to myself "I am a mom and I'm strong," sounds lame but I really did say that to myself. And by a stride I crossed the finish line and beat her!

I then pulled over to the right , and to add another "first" to my list I threw up my breakfast.

My time was 28:36 , thats not bad for climbing Mt. Everest and having to slow down to walk. I couldn't be happier and if I wasn't busy "unloading" my breakfast, I probably would have had tears in my eyes from joy.

I recieved a great medal and for first place won a pair of injinji socks which I was very happy to recieve after reading ThatGuyWhoRuns review!

Now half way through that run I thought, this is NOT for me . When I finished, I realized that this could only make me stronger. Am I IN LOVE with trail running? No, but I do have a little crush.

Pain is My Friend

Todays blog originally started with complaining about how sore and tired I am. Its Saturday morning and all I can do it sit here and zone out at the TV, wondering what the heck happened to all the cool cartoons?

Come to the realization that I'm not a super human . Never thought that I was but my body has caught up with me and its saying " dude, seriously, Im tired" .

I laugh at myself and say " this was a REST week dude ". No pain no gain , but as my coach says " Pain is your friend" , well Pain and I arent exactly on good terms this glorious Saturday morning. As Pain and I sit and stare out the window we sigh at the clear blue skies that have been hiding from us all week, we talk about who is going to give in a little bit on the 3 mile run and 22 mile bike ride that has to be accomplished today. Pain is very convincing , but I think in the end I'll win :)

Pain would also like to let you know he has frequent flyer miles and will be at your doorstep shortly. I'll subdue him for as long as I can , he is quite entertaining.

( This is the bike they are replacing the one I purchased with, different aerobars and components)

As my lovely DM'ers know I still have not received my new bike, apparently they never had it to begin with? Read about it here . All was resolved and sometime next week it will be delivered , fingers crossed.

My zombie walk to the kitchen this morning lead me by last nights activities. I had to stop and stare at my kitchen table and shake my head. Did I really sit there last night reading Racing Weight and eat pizza? Yes, Yes I did and that pizza was delicious.

I have to get this off my chest ... I eat pizza EVERY Friday night. Thats right EVERY Friday night. Then I eat leftovers every Saturday. Do I feel guilty about it? I used to. We are all on some sort of "diet", some of us eat less , eat flavorless food, eat ONLY certain types of food . Whatever it is most of us are doing it. We all have different reasons but the the main reason is to lose those "last" pounds that nag at us. The reason I bring this up is because I want you to remember that we are HUMAN. We here to enjoy life. We also need to "shock" our bodies with some desirable and delicious. Am I saying go and binge? No no no no. Im saying using portion control just remember you enjoy yourself sometimes.

Im going to " dare " you today to go get an account at LIVESTRONG . Most of us have food logs , well this is the ultimate food log that also calculates calories burned, the program is called MYPLATE . I seem to be preaching it to everyone , but with this log has helped me keep track of my daily carb/fat/protein ratio and with that I've lost 10 pounds these past 2 months ( along with working out OF COURSE). Want someone to hold you accountable, would you like to hold me accountable ? Friend me. You can view my food log by clicking on "go to accomplishedmoms diary" .

Remember , keeping moving.

pssst... pssst... what are you doing RIGHT now? Nothing? How about doing 25 crunches? Or hold a plank for a minute? You can do anything for a minute right? I DOUBLE DARE YOU.

Capture Yourself

Here is a glimpse of my life.

Constantly moving toddler.

Bouncing Baby.

Tired husband.

I live in dishwashing gloves.

Yes, I do wear aprons. ( thanks sis. terrill! )

Love my crocs.

Cant live without the foam roller.

I seem to always be the one behind the camera.

Yes, that is my everyday hairstyle if Im not hiding in a ball cap.

I spy running shoes.

I spy hubby's uniform.

Thats me pretty raw. This is who I am when the running shoes come off.

Who is the everyday you?

I "dare" you to share the raw you. What do you see when you look into the mirror? Get your camera, step in front of the mirror and capture the "you" .

You dont have to be a photographer. I am definitely not one , but I am a professional at taking a million pictures on my digital camera and at least having 1 out of 20 come out pretty nice. Please share with me! Leave a comment with a link to your blog , or share on dailymile ( if you not already there , get there!).

P.S This past weekend I got my first triathlon bike. Not until Santa Claus ( UPS man) gets here with his delivery will I share the awesome details and pictures.

To Give Back

One day 2 years ago I signed up for a prenatal yoga class. Little did I know I was to meet Karri Skelton of Kembali Yoga, a compassionate and talented woman who would enlighten me that through a warrior pose and the need for travel you can change the world, one girl at a time.

SMRBS: Who are you?

Karri: I'm the mother of three beautiful little girls (ages 7, 4 & 3) who enjoys living life to the fullest. I enjoy outdoor adventure, travel, dance and continually learning new things. I'm also married to a very caring & supportive Naval physician. We are currently stationed in Yokosuka, Japan.

SMRBS : What do you do?

Karri: I teach Yoga & Pilates classes in Japan and own/operate Kembali, a non-profit yoga clothing line. In Balinese it means to "give back".

SMRBS: When did you start being active?

As with most things, you don't realize how much you want to change until you've hit a certain low. I waited until I was 30 to get married because I thought if I had a career & worked through my 20s it would be easier to move on to the next phase and stay at home when I had children. But when I had our first child (two years after we got married) I quit my 10 year career, we moved across the country and I developed post-partum depression. I had no idea what to do as a stay-at-home mom, had no friends or family in the area and my husband was working over 100 hours a week as a new resident at the hospital. After spending too many days crying and not seeking help because I didn't know what was wrong, I decided that exercise might help. So I went to the local YMCA, looked at their list of classes and yoga looked like the easiest one to start with. I thought we'd just relax and stretch but it was completely different than what I imagined. It was the hardest workout I ever had (Power Yoga) and not only was it a physical challenge, but mentally and emotionally it inspired me. So I continued on practicing yoga, started eating healthier, losing weight, feeling good about myself and making new friends. It helped me turn my life around.

That's when I knew that being active and healthy was essential to finding true happiness. I became certified as a yoga instructor. Since then my confidence has sky rocketed. Now I can teach yoga in front of 100 sailors without being nervous . I also started taking belly dancing lessons to push my own limits of self-consciousness and now after dancing on stage at festivals, I feel even more confident about my body and appreciate my womanly curves.

SMRBS: Where has being active taken you?

Karri: Since becoming an active mom in Virginia we moved to Yokosuka, Japan and it's been the most amazing experience ever! Even though we have 3 small children we still take them with us on trips (like to Thailand, the island of Saipan, and all over Japan). I also think it's important for mom to go on her own sometimes and spend time with her friends on "ladies' trips". I've been to Korea & Bali with friends and went solo to Hong Kong for a yoga conference. I've been to Bali a couple times on my own as well to start up my yoga clothing line. I fell in love with the people & culture on that island and wanted to do something to give back. So I started out with having a few sketches being produced there, a small fashion shoot (using my friends as models) and now it's really growing. 100% of our profits go to buying school uniforms & books for girls who cannot afford them so that they may become empowered through education. (It's a 3rd world country and women are not expected to finish high school or grade school).

As far as other ways of staying active, since living in Japan I've gotten into more outdoor adventures (rock climbing, hiking, kayaking & diving). I think more women could find happiness through travel & adventurous activities as opposed to shopping or going to a spa (although I do love a good Shiatsu massage).

SMRBS: Why do you do it? Why are you the way you are now?

Karri: Once you become active and healthy you feel so good, you don't want to go back. When you're constantly challenging your body & mind, releasing endorphins, feeling strong and powerful then you become confident and know that even though the world may have a stereotype of what a middle-aged stay-at-home mother of three is suppose to look or act like, you are an amazing and fearless woman who can do anything you set your mind to. No matter how many kids, no matter what your circumstances, you can pursue your dreams and not wait until they're all in college. Live life now, get a babysitter, take a class, and DON'T feel guilty about it. As mothers we are always putting ourselves last on our list of things to do which causes resentment and frustration. The only way that you can give love to your children is if you love yourself first. If mom isn't happy then no one in family is happy. I also think I "am the way I am" now because of losing my father 2 years ago. It made me realize that life is short, we can go at any time and that we need to live each day with gratitude in our hearts for each moment. Don't put off our dreams, hopes and happiness because tomorrow may never come. Go! Do! See! "Run.Bike.Swim!!!"