Trigrlz Blog

New Sponsor!!

2009-05-12T06:27:00.001-07:00

I am so excited, I picked up a new sponsor for the 2009 season!! Team Bear Naked!! No, it's not what you think, it is a granola company!! I love their products and cant wait to get started promoting them.

As part of my sponsorship, I will have to wear their branded apparel, hand out samples of the products and educate others about Bear Naked as well as hold an athlete breakfast for a minimum of 25 athletes. I cant wait to get started!

You can check out the team by clicking on the link below. Be sure to check back often as the sites changes frequently!!

http://www.teambearnaked.com/Page246.aspx

26 Thoughts for Today

2009-05-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

I wrote this letter to my husband for him to read while I was out running the Boston Marathon. Need less to say, it was one of the most inspiring races of my life and one which I will hold near to my heart for all time.

26.2 Thought’s For Today

Mile 1: I began this journey as a way to connect with you and to share with you the burden and uncertainty that MS can bring. I do not ever once want you to think that you are in this fight alone. I am here, fighting with you every step of the way. Remember when we first met and we used to hang out at Clyde’s and get into the craziest conversations about the future: OUR FUTURE? We would talk for hours and hours over many a martini and dream about what it would be like to spend the rest of eternity together. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 2: I often worry about you and I want you to know that I would give anything to find you a cure and make your legs strong again. I truly believe that we will see a cure in our lifetime and we just have to keep moving forward to beat this thing. Together, we can face anything! Remember that first night we ever spent together at the bay house, sharing a single bed?! Remember the thunderstorm that woke us up and terrified me? You held me so close and told me you were there and that everything was going to be all right. And it was. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 3: Sometimes, while you sleep at night, I lie there and watch you sleeping. You look so peaceful and so content. I like to examine the contours of your beautiful face and listen to your breathing; it is one of my favorite sounds. Remember when we were living in my mom’s basement the first summer together and how we would snuggle up on the couch and watch so many movies together? You would always find the best movies and make the most romantic dinners. We would fall asleep in each other’s arms, never letting go. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 4: I love to look back on the night we first met. That was the greatest day of my life. I’ll never forget your amazing smile and how your blue shirt made your eyes glow. I remember how we spent the night talking and making out like teenagers until the early hours of the morning. I didn’t want to leave you to go home, I was afraid you were to good to be true. When you called me later that weekend and asked me out, I knew my life was going to change forever, for the better. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 5: Remember all the times hanging out at the Ritz Carlton with Christos and the first time you ever had sushi? How about the crazy night we spent on Matt’s boat on the Potomac River and all the wild things we witnessed?!? I thought those things only went on in the movies! I love to think back and remember when we were at the Ritz one night and you turned to me with your amazing smile. Your eyes were glowing and you told me you had something very important to ask me. I remember Christos smiling because he was in on it and I was so nervous. I totally thought you were going to propose right then and there, even though we had only been together for 6 weeks! You asked me to come to Greece with you and your family. You took my breath away. Here was this unbelievable man who walks into my life and creates the most amazing fairytale of a love story and he is ready to whisk me off to Greece to meet his family!! I felt like Cinderella as you were making all of my wildest dreams come true. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 6: The trip to Greece. What an amazing adventure! I have never been so nervous in my whole life. Here I am about to board a plane to an unknown part of the world with a man I barely knew and somehow, in the depths of my soul, I just knew I could trust you. I remember getting to the airport and your cousins where there. Nico, Christos, Nico, you and then there was me. They all made me feel so welcome and so special. By the time we made it to Italy, we were family, all of us. We even made cow sounds and bleated like sheep in the mass of people at the airport! I knew this was going to be the greatest trip of my life, and it was. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 7: I loved exploring Greece with you. All the amazing beaches and the sunsets that would make any photographer drool. I remember the first night at your aunts home and the amazing dinner she made for all of us. So many family members and the laughter and the music. It was magical, like a scene from a foreign film. I’ll never forget sitting on the beach in Kathisma with you and you asked me what time it was. I didn’t have a clue. I had no memory of when we got there, we had no idea when we were going home as we changed our tickets so many times and I didn’t even no what day of the week it was anymore! It truly was the best vacation of my life. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 8: Remember when we climbed the waterfalls in Lefkada? I’ll never forget us making that trek through the woods and up the mountains in our clubbing attire! The spiders were so big, I was terrified! When we got to the top you kissed me on my forehead and told me how much you loved me and you were so happy I was there with you. You called me your best friend. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 9: I’ll never forget watching you climb all the way to the top of the cliffs at Kathisma. I was in awe of your courage and determination. When you got to the top you smiled down to me and told me to “watch this!” You did the most beautiful dive off those cliffs into the water below! I was so scared you would hurt yourself but you just popped right up and shook your head with the biggest grin ever! You looked like a professional diver! I am out here today so that we can find a cure and give you the chance to dive like that again. I will not give up until we do, and we will. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 10: I’ll never forget the emptiness I felt in my heart when we returned from Greece and you had to be away from me to be with your kids. I ached for you. Those were some of the loneliest weekends and I am so thankful I never have to experience that ache again. I remember when you first suggested we move in together. I was so happy that you wanted to be that close to me, every day. We first looked at apartments and then when my mom suggested a house, we started the hunt. I was so crushed when we lost the first house we wanted and I felt like we would never find another home like it, and then you did! You called me and told me you bought us the exact same house, only a little different! Most women would have freaked out that their boyfriend had just bought them a home without her having seen it. Not me, I trusted you and new that you would only get it right. And you did! Never again would I have to be away from you. We would have a beautiful home and fill it with so much love and laughter. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 11: Remember my birthday that year? I was turning 28 and you showed up at my mother’s house in a stretched out white Hummer limo. There you were, my night in shining armor, riding in on your white horse! We had the best time that night with Maria, Jason, Patty, Geoff, Katerina and Mark. We went down to Georgetown for dinner and then to Ozio for dancing and drinks. We played cards at Maria’s until the sun was coming up and then you surprised me by taking me “home.” We spent the first night in our new house that night! I never thought I could be any happier than I was in the single night. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 12: I’ll never forget November 19th, 2004. This was the first time I ever met your kids. I remember I was a nervous wreck and I was so scared they would hate me and resent me. My mom helped me get ready to go over to your parent’s house where I would meet them. She tried so hard to calm my nerves and reassure me that everything was going to be ok. And it was. It was love at first sight for all of us I think. They were so warm and so loving and they couldn’t be more excited to meet me. I knew in that single moment that everything was going to be ok. We were going to be ok. Forever. Together, we were a family and we were going to have a great life together. Our party of 5! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 13: I am half way there baby!! I cannot wait to see your smiling face when I come through that finish line. All the hours, all the miles and hard work are worth that one moment when I see you for the first time coming down that finishers chute. I am out here for you my love. This is my way of giving back to you after all you have done for me. I may be half way through my race today but I am nowhere near halfway through my fight against MS for you. I promise you that I will not give up the fight and will do everything I can to get you to your finish line, a life free of MS!! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 14: I never told you this while I was training because I didn’t want to take the chance of making you worry. While on my long runs, I cry. I laugh and cry and think of all the amazing and wonderful things we have done and will do together. I cry because I love you so much and would give the world to you. I cry because sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair and my heart aches. I cry because it feels so good to let it all out and it also makes me feel so alive. This has been the single most inspirational race I have ever done. Every step I have taken has had such meaning and I have learned more about myself and us through this journey. I know that it is so hard to face the world when your legs just don’t want to cooperate with you. I have felt that pain in my training when I have pushed myself so far that I just cant imagine moving another step. And then I think of you. And somehow, somewhere inside of me comes this incredible surge of energy and determination. And it all comes from thinking of you, my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 15: I love to think about our first winter in our house. It snowed quite a bit that year and we took the kids out back and went sledding. We both worked like dogs to get the kids up to the top of the hill and then hopped on the sleds and went racing back down. I love to look at those pictures and our huge smiles. Remember when we went to South Beach that winter and had our wild weekend at the Ritz?? God did we have the best time or what?? Every time I put on my fur coat or the belt we bought I laugh at how crazy and carefree we were. Those were the days!! Or how about when we came home to discover that I had turned the heat down so low that I froze the kids fish?!? I was so horrified and we rushed out and bought replacement fish hoping they would never know the difference. Too bad we couldn’t fool Nicole; she was on to us right away!! Even in my moments of failure as a parent, you never put me down or told me I failed. You always let me fail with grace and encourage me to keep trying. You always help me to be my best and love me in spite of my mistakes. For that I will be eternally grateful. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 16: I’ll never forget the night that you proposed to me. It was December 9th, 2005 and I knew you were up to something. It was rare that we would go to Clyde’s twice in one week these days let alone two nights in a row. I was at Blaine’s getting my hair done and you must have called me at least 4 times asking when I was going to be home. I remember when we were seated at our table you kept looking around and were totally lost in thought. Honestly, I can’t remember what you said to me as I was wondering what you were thinking about so much and then the ring appeared!! I do remember saying ‘yes’ of course and we both teared up as people around us clapped and then the waitress brought us champagne. It was so surreal to me that this was actually happening and we really were going to spend the rest of our lives together. This was one of the best days of my life, and you made it so! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 17: I love thinking back to the year leading up to our wedding and all the planning we did. It was such a magical time and in spite of some minor hiccups, it was one of the best years of my life. I’ll never forget shopping for the perfect dress and the feeling of when I put on THE DRESS!! The floodgates opened and I lost it, this was to be the dress I would marry my best friend in. I wanted to call you so badly and tell you all about it. I hated not being able to share that moment with you! Keeping a secret from you was so hard and I hated every minute of it. I love to share everything with you, the good, the bad and the ugly. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 18: I remember the weekend of our wedding and it rained and rained and rained. I thought we were going to have to build an ark to get to the church! I woke up on our wedding day to the most beautiful day and thanked God for all that I was blessed with in my life. I was so excited to get to the church and see you! I hated being away from you even on that day! I felt like 4 o’clock would never get there. In the car on the ride over to the church, my dad and I saw a family of deer on the side of River Road. There were six of them looking right at me, it was magical. I remember thinking about the life and the family we were about to begin. Isn’t it cool that there were six of them? It was like God was trying to tell me something ;-) This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 19: I love to think about the wedding and all the magic of that day. I remember when they played Trumpet Voluntary and it was time for me to come to you. I was so excited and so nervous and I was crying so much I was afraid you would think I was upset. I was so happy and so ready to commit my life to you. I remember when I saw you up there waiting for me and you kept trying to look away because you were afraid you would cry. My heart melted. I never meant to make you cry! The ceremony went by so fast and the whole world stood still when you kissed me. It was the longest, most romantic kiss ever and again you took my breath away. I was yours and you were mine. From that moment on we would be together, forever, unconditionally. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 20: This is where the race gets tough. I am coming into the hills now and my legs are getting tired. Do not worry, I will be fine! Just like life has some ups and downs, so does this course. When things get tough both in life and out here today, I will have you to lean on. You are so much a part of me now that not a single moment goes by that I am not thinking of you and loving you. Your love and support is what keeps me going and fuels my fire to keep fighting for the both of us. I could never imagine my life without you in it and I am so excited to share every moment with you. Even the hard times are better when we are together. I only hope that you will find in me the love, support, and strength you need to keep fighting. I am here for you today, tomorrow and forever. These “hills” that we have in our life are nothing when faced with the fire that you and I have together to get over them! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 21: I love thinking about the morning after we got married. I woke up with the biggest smile and you looked at me so adoringly and said, “I love you Mrs. Kopsidas.” I get chills every time I think about it. Being your wife has made me so proud and so happy. You make me a better person. I love it when I hear you refer to me as your wife; I am full of pride every time I hear you say it! Everyday, when I count my blessings, I remember to count you twice. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 22: My love, I am getting tired and my legs are slowing down now. I am aware of every muscle in my body and every step forward is getting that much harder. At times like this during my training I would reflect on life and all that we have faced and will face together. I know that some days it is so hard for you and that you are scared. It is in times like these that we have to learn to have faith and trust in each other and God. Together, we will see this through and beat all the odds. The only difference between a hill and a mountain is in our attitude and so long as we have faith, we can climb any mountain. I have always had faith in you and I will never give up that faith. Today I am digging deep into that faith to get me through this race and safely into your arms. I KNOW I CAN DO THIS just as I KNOW YOU CAN FIGHT THE MS!!!! WE CAN and WE WILL BEAT THIS TOGETHER!!! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 23: I love to think about our honeymoon and all the wonderful memories made then. Tahiti was a magical place and I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else. Remember the amazing fish we saw and all the salt water I kept gulping in when I was supposed to be blowing air out of the snorkel?!? Swimming with sharks was so cool and your stingray hicky was priceless! I loved our little smurf-hut that was our home there and the cheeseburgers with coconut and pineapple rings. Searching for the perfect Black Pearl to take home and the whale-watching trip, the crazy little land crabs that lined the sides of the road and the exotic birds flying around. That place was heaven on earth. Remember your bloody nose while snorkeling with the sharks? I was so freaked out and was sure we would be dinner if we didn’t get out of the water and fast! I don’t think I have ever seen someone swim so fast as you did then! I loved our private plunge pool in our “backyard” and all the romantic dinners under the stars. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 24: I am getting closer to you now and I can hardly wait to see you. Someday, I hope to bring you out to one of these races and we will do it together. I dream of that often and would give anything to share that with you. Today, I have a little picture of you pinned to my shirt and my nails are painted orange for MS and I have your name written across my fingers to inspire me to keep moving. You are with me now and I can see your smile and hear your beautiful voice. You are cheering for me and telling me I am almost there, to keep pushing and don’t give up. Don’t worry, I will NEVER give up. This is for you baby! I am making my way across Boston as a symbol of my love and dedication to you. Every step, every mile is all about you. It always has been. You are the reason for so much in my life. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 25: The Citgo Sign!! This sign is symbolic to so many who run the Boston Marathon. It let’s the runners know that the finish is just a little over a mile away and soon they will reach their promised land. I am looking at my beautiful wedding band right now and that is my symbol that I reflect on every day that reminds me of our love and commitment to one another. It is the only symbol I need in my life to let me know how lucky I am, how blessed I am to have you in my life. It’s funny that I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love you. That part of my life is such a blur to me now, a faded distant memory. I think I have always loved you and I just had to find you to share that love with you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for letting me be the person I need to be and loving me in spite of it all. Thank you for giving me the best life and for always believing in me. Because of you, all of my dreams are coming true. This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 26: I am almost there!! I can feel the energy in the air and every ounce of my being is fighting to keep moving. For the past six months I have trained for this day. All the miles, the hours and the sweat to get to this day. I almost don’t want it to end! I am so proud today to be wearing my MS singlet and letting everyone know that I am racing Boston for you. I wish I could stand on the top of the highest building downtown and shout it out to the world! I am coming baby, get ready! I can’t wait to see you!! This is what I am thinking about right now…

Mile 26.2: I am crying tears of joy and I am so excited to see you! This is the moment I have dreamed of for the past 6 months. Crossing the finish line of the Boston Marathon and landing in the arms of my beloved. I did it!! We did it!! Words cannot express what I am feeling right now. Joy, sorrow, pride, love…there are not enough ways to describe what I am going through inside. All I can say is thank you. Thank you for being you. The wonderful, beautiful, charismatic you. The man who completes me. The man who would go to the ends of the earth and back for me. The man who loves me unconditionally and who gives me the courage and strength to do these crazy races. The man who is the reason for so much good in my life and the only person in the world I would ever want to spend the rest of eternity with. You are the best part of my every day. You are everything I never knew I wanted and everything I never thought I would have. You are my hero!

This race may be over but I promise you this, it is only beginning for me. I will continue to fight every day until we have won. I will never give up on the dream of finding you a cure. It will happen! We will overcome any obstacle that is put in our way. Together, forever, we will cross that finish line!!

"Wasted Away Again In Margaritaville!"

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

This month has been particularly tricky. I am getting up there in mileage and the weather is not cooperating. Well at least not until this week! We have had temps in the 60's and 70's this week so I am so excited, only I caught one of our kids colds this week too! Boo Hiss! Why cant I catch a break?!?

I am running 19 miles tomorrow and then we are leaving on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again....!!! No really, we are heading off to the sunny Eastern Caribbean on a 7 day cruise!! I cant wait! This was my Christmas present to my husband, the man who always does so much for everyone else and nothing for himself. We are heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John then on to St. Maartin!! I am so excited as I love cruises and have never been to these ports of call. I am looking forward to lazy days in the sun, relaxing with my best friend and just being alone with him! No cell phones, no computers, no family (even though we love them!), just time alone to be alone! HEAVEN!!

Tony has had a rough week this week and we are nervous about his legs. The MS is giving him a run for his money and even though he is in the middle of his monthly treatment it is rearing its ugly head. We have decided to take a wheelchair with us so that we are not limited to what we can do on board and on the islands. I am so proud of my husband agreeing to do this, he did put up a bit of a fight at first! I think it is the right move and hopefully we wont ever need to use it, but if we do, then it is there for us. I was surprised to learn that the cruise line does not provide wheelchairs, only in the case of emergency. They are however, being very accommodating and will provide us with priority embarkation and such.

I saw a great video today on a device that is being used with MS patients to help with "foot drop" which is what I feel is happening to Tony. The device is about $6,000 to purchase and most insurance companies do not cover it. I am planning to look into it with our insurance upon our return as our insurance has been amazing thus far with his treatments and such. Check out the video and let me know what you think!

http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/woman-with-ms-overcomes-adversity/3558222925/?icid=VIDLRVNWS06

So, after I run my 19 miles tomorrow, finish packing and loading up the car, we will be heading off on our 2009 winter vacation! Can you say "Wasted away again in Margaritaville!" WooHooo!!!!!!

I Am Runner Girl!

2009-01-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

"You Are Runner Girl!" Yup, that's me, or so shouted the SUV full of kids last night on my run! You see, it was very cold out, dark and there was a wintry mix coming down so most people in their right mind would not have been out hoofing it. I did and am dam proud of myself! It was a beautiful night and relatively peaceful. Just me and the sound of my feet crunching in the snow. I loved feeling the snowflakes falling all around me and seeing my breath with each exhale. I was having way too much fun to notice the cold and the kids in the SUV made it that much sweeter. I felt like a superhero!

I guess on some levels I am a superhero, at least I am to my husband and most certainly to Kona, my dog. Every day I wake up with a new found love for my life and I feel blessed to be given the gift of a new day, a new beginning. Using my love of all things triathlon and running, I am setting out to make a difference in my husbands life and others that are living with MS. Everyday, I make the choice to get out of bed and either do or do not, there is no try! Most days I choose to do and do what I can to make a difference. I help Tony by laying out his clothes for him so he doesn't have to fight with his legs first thing in the morning to get to his dresser. Next, I will get his coffee going and make sure all the things he needs for his day are ready and easily accessible to him. Once I see him off to work, I will go get ready for my run, bike or swim depending on what my training plan says. When I get home at night, Tony is there waiting for me with the biggest smile and the warmest hugs. He says the same thing every time, " I have been waiting all day for this! You are my hero and my best friend. Thank you for loving me!"

I have to say, I am a bit spoiled with all his love and affection. Even Kona gets jealous and occasionally they will both fight for my attention! I guess it could always be much worse, but I am so thankful to be a hero to my husband. I couldn't imagine a greater feeling. Even though I don't have "super powers" per se nor can I walk on water or fly, but in my husbands eyes I am everything and that is all I will ever need. With that, I am on top of the world and it doesn't get any better than that!

Cold, Sore, Tired and oh yeah...SORE!

2009-01-20T12:33:00.001-08:00

Today is another day in the history books as it is Inauguration Day and we are welcoming our first African American President to office! Needless to say, the atmosphere here in the Washington D.C. area is electric to say the least. Parking is at a premium and the traffic, which just about sucks on a good day, is beyond awful! Too many tourists wanting to witness a piece of history in the making. I'll be content to watch the festivities on my computer in the comfort of my warm office...it's 8* out today with the windchill! Burrrrrrr!

I started my day with a 5 a.m. wake up call and headed out to the gym. I met with Jeff, my personal trainer and everything triathlon and running guru, for a strength session. I am still sore from running my 15 miles on Sunday and Jeff really put a hurting on me. I felt ok throughout the session but now I am really paying for it and I have a 4 mile run to do this evening. Waahhh!

The longer these runs get the more I wonder why I constantly choose to do this to myself. Then I think of my husband and all the other people in this world faced with the uncertainty that living with Multiple Sclerosis can bring and I always find a renewed strength to keep moving. Mobility is such a precious gift and I will not for one moment take it for granted! After all, pain is just the weakness leaving the body right?!?

I am also doing a speed development program through Montgomery County Road Runners Club in the hopes of improving my speed and such. I am a rather slow runner now but hope to improve that over time. It's not that I have dreams of being Kenyan or anything, but I would like to finish these races more within my age group rather than with the 60-70 year old set...no offense mom! As of right now, it looks like I will be making a lot of friends in that age group while running Boston! WoooHooo!

Work is very, very busy today. I am getting slammed with clients needing all sorts of "change" isn't that ironic! Don't they know what an important day it is today?!? Call me tomorrow!! I want to watch all the pomp and circumstance! LOL! Oh well, I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars that I have such a great job with an unbelievable company, especially in today's uncertainty. Thanks CoStar!! I am tired from all the training, all the traffic, all the demands of clients, all the pressure I put on myself. Waaah, Waaah, Waaah!!

Ok, enough of the whining, I am over it! Time to get moving again, keep my head up, train smart and oh yeah, run faster!! ;-)

Fish Out Of Water!

2009-01-14T08:37:00.000-08:00

I managed to get back in the pool today after a 2 month hiatus....and boy did I have my "fins" handed to me! I was a total fish out of water! I managed to get through the set and survived however I was sure I was going to drown on more than one occasion! Whoever said taking a break was a good thing obviously wasn't a triathlete, nor were they training for anything such as I am! Terrible advice! Next time, I will cut back, not stop altogether....

Tonight I am heading out for a girls night out with my mother and my two step-daughters. We are heading downtown to the National Theatre to see West Side Story! WooHoo! I am very excited and am pleased to hear that the show has earned rave reviews. I am not so excited about the idea of taking metro as we are experiencing some of the coldest temperatures in over 2 years. Brrrrr! It is going to make for a miserable run tomorrow morning! Ah, the joys of training!

Last weekend we took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg. That place was amazing and I highly recommend it. One warning!! Be prepared to be exhausted! I started out the weekend with a 14 mile run and then a 3 hour car ride only to then begin the assault on the water park. I was not anticipating having to climb 10 flights of stairs to access the water slides, but then again, how else was I going to get to the top?!? After several hours of this I finally called it quits an left the kids to fend for themselves. My legs were shot! The water slides are ridiculous and the best one was called the Howling Tornado which we renamed the Vortex! After several stomach dropping drops, you are plummeted into a large tornado/vortex like tube and slide from side to side, almost flipping over! It was so much fun and the girls and I laughed so hard we had tears coming out of our eyes!

Sunday was Matthews 7th birthday and we spent the day at the water park again before having to pack it in and head home. Now it is back to reality and training!

Jolly Fat Mans Run

2008-12-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

I ran the Jolly Fat Mans Run today and was so annoyed by the lack of organization of this run. Granted it was a RYOD or, Run Your Own Distance run, it was just poorly run for lack of a better term! This run was sponsored by the Sargents Program and was to benefit the Toys For Tots program. I guess I was expecting more from the experience but oh well, at least I got my 9 miles in for the day!

I arrived at the Capital Crescent Trail at 7 a.m. and looked around for anyone to give my new and unwrapped toy too. There were several small groups of people gathered at the start of the trail and no one was very helpful, or friendly for that matter. Bah Humbug! I finally located someone from the Sargents Program and they said they were not collecting toys. Not only that, we were to just head out and run on our own and then meet up at RiRa for breakfast, bloody mary's and mimosas. Hugh?!? Confused, I went back to my car and put the toy in the trunk, I would just take it to the local firestation and they would give it to a Toys For Tots child.

Annoyed, I fired up my Ipod and headed down the trail. Along the way I saw small groups running and a few cyclists. Soo much for the 750-800 people they cliamed to be coming on their website! I was glad in a way as this trail would have been very crowded with that many runners.

I ran from Bethesda to Fletchers Boat House in D.C. an then turned around and headed back. I got my 9 miles in and felt ok for most of the run. At about mile 7.5 I started feeling a nagging "pain" in my right hamstring. Not sure what that was about but I got through it and iced it when I got home. It is a little sore still today so I will mention it to my coach and see what she has to say.

All in all, it was a nice run. Quiet and quite cold. I got my mileage in for the weekend and that was my goal! I never did bother to go to RiRa as the idea of drinking alcohol after being so productive just didnt sit well with me and besides that, I needed to get the rest of my Christmas shopping done. Alcohol and shopping = major disaster!!

Fall Into Winter 10K

2008-12-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

I joined my friends, Jodi and Dan for this "catered workout" and man was it cold out today! I woke up to hear the winds howling and seriously considered crawling right back into bed where it was warm and cozy. I decided I had to grin and bear it as this was day one of my official Boston Marathon training and I had to start off on the right foot!

On with the layers and then headed down to breakfast. Kona, my black lab was eagerly waiting for me and greeted me with a wagging tail and head nudge that let me know he was ready to venture out into the cold for a walk. When I opened the front door I was shocked at how cold it actually was outside, 22 degrees with a windchill factor in the low teens!!! BRRRRRR!! We headed out and took care of business fast!

When I arrived at the race site, Jodi and Dan were already there and apparently had been since the wee hours of the morning as Jodi thought the race started at 8 not 9! Ouch!! I picked up my race packet and was pleased to see that we received really nice swag for such a low key race. We got a Saucony long sleeved technical tee and a cool pair of socks with snowflakes on them! Not bad for a $25 entry fee!

This 10K wound through the neighborhoods of Reston and had a few rolling hills, nothing too hard. It wasn't chip timed so we were on our own for recording our time, perfect for a training run! We headed out on a downhill and then began a long stretch that ran past a pretty lake. The lake was great to look at but the winds that whipped across it were brutal. You know it is cold out when you try and breathe through your nose and well, everything in there freezes...I will spare you the particulars! I was happy when we past the lake and got away from the winds, or so I thought! We rounded another corner and Bam! there they were again only this time they were head on and my pace immediately dropped back to a slow crawl.

It went on like this for the entire run and all I can say is that I was glad to see the finish line! I have never been so cold in my entire life! It's days like this that I wonder what on earth I was thinking when I committed to a Spring marathon but then I think about why I am out there and why I made that commitment and it all feels right. I would give anything to find a cure for MS and if that means running in the sub zero weather with frozen snot and whipping winds, so be it!

After the run, Jodi, Dan and I got a much needed and well deserved Starbucks and then headed to the awards ceremony where Dan took 3rd place in his age group! Overall it was a great, low key race and a fun morning with friends while getting in a needed training run!