The Stone Rabbit

OUR BIG AUTUMNAL RUN. . .Part 1

 

 

 

 

For months I've been writing about how those of us in our little running group have been training to participate in the half-marathon  of the KANSAS CITY MARATHON!!  Last Saturday was the BIG day!!!

 

On the day before our run, Mary and I took advantage of being able to volunteer at the Packet Pickup for the event.  This was my first time to be a volunteer at a run and I have to report it was so neat to do that!!!

 

I LOVE this picture.  These are the "mile marker" flags all ready to be put out on the streets of Kansas City!!!  I didn't know just how much I loved them until we were running the next morning. . .and passing them along our route!!

 

 We thought we would be one of the people who passed out the T- shirts everyone got with their registration, however,  we got a job where we didn't have to stand!   We were seated at a table, armed with huge magic markers and given the job of writing the participants "bib numbers" on their clear plastic "gear check bags"!

Because of the Boston Marathon bombings, one of the safety measures taken at the KC Marathon was to only allow the runners to check any of their belongings in the clear plastic bags.   By "check" I mean there was an area where the runners could leave extra clothing in the bags that they didn't want until after they'd completed the run.   

 

Here's Mary as she happily writes a number on the first of the  MANY, MANY, MANY plastic bags over the course of the following three hours!  :)

 

Here I am  prior to the huge wave of runners/walkers who would soon be lining up for us to hand out their gear check bags!

 

 

 

This is an area where the runners/walkers are given their "packets", which contain their bib numbers and timing chips.

 

 

After all of our hard volunteer work, we were treated with a little neck and shoulder massage/muscle relaxing by a wonderful chiropractor, Dr. Nicole Dierking,  from BODIES PERSONAL TRAINING!

 

Before heading home, we spent quite a bit of time checking out all of the wonderful vendors set up at the event!!  Dorothy was even there promoting the GARMIN MARATHON (In the Land of Oz)  that will be held in April!!  It's a fun event. . .I did the 5K there a few years ago!

Later that evening, I dined on a dish of Quinoa, avocado, scrambled eggs, tomatoes, kale, yellow pepper....and a few dices of cheddar cheese!  I hoped that would give me lots of power for the run the next morning!!

So. . . here's my PINK phone on the morning of the run.  Yep, I was up at that time because we wanted to get a decent parking spot!

And we did!!!  We were the third and four cars in the lot. . . .front row parking with LOTS of time to find the bathrooms!!  :)

L to R:  Me, Mary, Joan and Karen!!

I'll finish telling you about the actual race next time because there's so much about it I want to share with you. . .and by sharing with you, I'm sorta reliving it!!  It was so much fun!

THE STONE RABBIT is in love with my finisher's medal. . .and so am I.   It represents a great time in my life.. . .all of the months spent getting ready for the event with my running friends, the excitement and anticipation about actually doing my first half, and the awesome experience of accomplishing the goal!

Have a great PINK SATURDAY!!!  Please visit Beverly's blog HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  You will find a lot of other bloggers ready with their PINKS or Autumnal shares this week!

DANA

                                                                                                                            

EEEK. . .I'm Running My FIRST Half Marathon this Pink Saturday Weekend!!

 

The day my running friends and I have worked so hard to get to is nearly here!!!!  On Saturday morning, we will be crawling out of our beds around 3:30 a.m. to get ready to meet up and journey to the site of the KANSAS CITY MARATHON 2013!!!

I don't recall ever getting up that early for anything except a crying child!!!  I honestly can't believe I will be able to do it, but I know I will pull it off!

 

As I've told you many times over the summer posts, this is the first half for some of us (me and Joan).   Two of the other ladies have done that distance before.  One other will be doing the FULL marathon for the first time and one will be doing the 5K distance!

Last Sunday, four of us were able to meet up for our last "long" run together in the training plan!

This summer long training plan has certainly helped me "adjust" to getting up really early on weekend mornings so we can get our longer and longer runs in before the hot summer sun is too high in the sky!

This was the last beauty before our half in less than a week!

 

My running friends have been amazing.  . . .always posing for the various photos I wanted to document our journey.  

On Sunday, after we'd finished our runs of 5-6 miles, there was NO ONE else available to take our "after run" shot, so we took them of ourselves!!  Here are Joan (L) and Mary (right).

 

 

I'm on the left and Karen is on the right.

It was a "bittersweet run" on Sunday, as that meant we'd reached our goal. . .finished "the plan".   Wow...the plan that we'd talked about in February. . .that just seemed like a lofty idea. . .had been put in place and DONE!!

Now, the final piece was to come. . .crossing the Start and then crossing the Finish at the KC Marathon this weekend!!

In preparation for the run, I've been carb loading this week. . .in a mostly healthy way.  Heck, I carb load most every day anyway cuz I love carbs, but this week I included:

1.  Homemade Chicken-Noodle Soup (made healthy!!!)

 

2. Turkey Meatballs with whole grain pasta and low sodium sauce!

 

3. Tuna Salad Sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of "pasta salad" made with left over spaghetti from the night before!  

 

4.  Turkey Sandwich on whole grain bread with a side of Organic Annie's mac and cheese (that's all I had in the cabinet that was fast to fix that night...but we love it!)

 

5.  OK....not healthy, but oh so GOOD...half a Patty Melt with a few fries when we took our grand girl and daughter out for lunch on Thursday!!

 

I've also been hydrating all week, but I am a big water drinker anyway, so that's not hard.

One other thing I've done this week is "fix" the band on my Garmen watch!  The pin keeps coming out of it and my band then detaches from my watch!!  I haven't had time to get it repaired before the "run", so I took matters into my own hands and taped it together!!  

Don't you LOVE this PINK tape?  I do!

I also added my goal to it as a reminder. . .like I needed that, huh??

 

 

I've also been making a "list" of everything I think I'm gonna need in the morning!

It's not supposed to rain, but it's gonna be COLD so I have to think about "layers" of clothing. . .and I have certain things that can't be left at home...such as my watch and camera and phone and gloves and energy gels and water bottle and dry socks (for after the run). . .and on and on!!  :)

THE STONE RABBIT is helping me with my list. . .cuz he knows how important this is to me!!

 

 

 

You know I'll have photos next weekend about our experience at the KC Marathon!!!  I just hope my poor old, beat up camera cooperates!!  Yes, it's been dropped many times over the last four years. . .but it keeps on working. . .mostly.

 

Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND, for a long list of other bloggers who are ready to share their PINKS or AUTUMNALS posts with you this weekend!!

DANA

It's Time to Light Up Those Plastic Pumpkins!!

 

THE STONE RABBIT and I are crazy about vintage pumpkin lights!!!  Today, as I was getting the car loaded for my second fall sale,  I pulled out some of the awesome lights I recently found. Because I already have these in my "collection",  I am thinking about selling the duplicates .  However,  the more I look at them, the less inclined I am to part with them.  You see. . . .I'm a HOARDER of vintage seasonal lights!!  

I am. . .and I can't help it. . .I LOVE them!!

 

 

 

On Sunday morning, I'm planning on getting in my last "long" run before the half marathon next Saturday.  It's  amazing that  our running group has been so consistent about meeting up and training most weekends since mid-June!!!  

Our hard work has paid off!!  Two weeks ago. . .  we ran/walked 13.1 miles!!  We are READY!!!

 

 

 

Be sure to visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  There will be a long list of other bloggers who are ready to share their Autumn or Pink with you!!

 

DANA

Plug in the PINK!

 

My pal Bonnie and I are looking forward to a little Road Trip soon. . .so when I saw these little PINK items, I just had to snatch them right up!!

 

Not only are they a great PINK, but just look at that bargain!!  For the price of 7 pair. . .I got FIVE pair FREE. . .plus a FREE CASE!!  Wow!! What a PINK BONANZA!!  :)

 

 

THE STONE RABBIT loves my PINK earplugs!   He asked me if we could return to Target to get a couple more packages of those swell items.  He said there were many times when he felt he could get a better night's sleep if he could just block out a bit of noise. . .but he figures that with his Super Sized Ears, he would need several of those plugs to accomplish the task!

 

 

 

 

Please visit Beverly at HOW SWEET THE SOUND  for a long list of other bloggers who are sharing their PINKS or Autumnal items with you this weekend!  

Happy Pink Saturday!  

 

DANA