Jeff’s Post – Wisconsin Follies!

We are wrapping up an eventful week in Wisconsin and will be leaving tomorrow for the 12+ hour road trip back to Maryland.  Running while traveling is always difficult so I’ve been fairly happy with my runs this week and I always love running in new places.  My running recap for the week – 6 miles in Ohio (after driving 8 hours), 6 miles in Waterford, WI (after driving 5 hours), 6 miles on Monday, 4 miles with Tamara on Tuesday – then we went to Lake Michigan for the day and I couldn’t resist running another 4 miles at the lake – just beautiful.  I got another 6 in yesterday and have decided to take a couple days off.  I’m still dealing with a nagging shin pain and I’m hoping the couple day rest will help.  Our vacations are over and I need to get super focused over the next couple months.  I basically have a race every month ending with Marine Corps in October.

This trip was really about visiting Tamara’s Dad and making sure that Samantha got to as many amusement parks, water parks and ice cream shops that we could find.  I think we accomplished all of those.  I even had my first ever Cream Puff from the Wisconsin State fair.

I’m writing this post while Tamara is out running and she just called me.  We always carry a cheap flip phone when we run and she has never called before (scared me a bit) but she just wanted me to check on a road she was running to see if it connects to the highway.  I tend to run more up and backs when I travel just to make sure I can find my way home.

I have shared a few pics below and will add more once we get home.  I also ran on the track for the first time last week and want to recap that over the next few weeks. I really enjoyed it and hope to get on the track more.

Have a great day and Happy Running!

Tamara’s Post – Road Trip!

We are driving down I-80 in Indiana, we can see Michigan to our right – about a 1/2 mile over the corn field. We are heading to visit my Dad in Wisconsin – it’s such an easy drive from Maryland and love the 70 mph speed limits! We spent last night in Maumee, Ohio – we had a free night at a Marriott, so picked one that had a pool. Jeff went for a run and Samantha & I hit the pool and the hot tub – ahhhh! I love eating at new places, and was happy with my discovery of Mancy’s Blue Water Grille – yumm! This morning we scored again by finding Scrambler Marie’s for breakfast and Biggby’s Coffee for lattes and hot chocolate for Sam – success! Alot of interesting sites on our roadtrips…some from inside the van…

So…after an exhausting first part of the summer – I finally feel somewhat back in the groove. Samantha’s social calendar filled with swimming and countless hours of play practice for the Wizard of Oz really took alot of time – but was well worth it to see her as a munchkin! My running has been going ok – just ok – nothing to brag about by any means. I tend to let my child and work (sometimes) take priority over my running…but it’s time to get serious! I’ve been dealing with a silly pain behind my right knee for about 3 weeks – I took 4 days off last week which helped alot. We are doing the Rock ‘n Roll Philly 1/2 marathon (#rnrphilly) on Sept 16 – so I really want to increase my mileage – soon!

With my knee issues, along came some pretty painful stomach issues that started this past Wednesday, I’m not over it yet  – but I think I could run through any non-running issue and I do…my brain needs it – has to have it. I felt a bit better this morning and headed down to the gym at the hotel. I was super disappointed I couldn’t watch the women’s Olympic marathon on the TV – Jeff & Samantha were watching it up in the room. I had to settle for scrolling through the channels and finishing 4 miles in time to sprint back upstairs to catch the end of the marathon – no medal for USA, but awesome to watch all of the incredibly talented women that finished – they all deserve a medal for just making it that far! Samantha said they were running slow and she could beat them – she was quite interested in the race – which made us happy! Gotta drive on!

Jeff’s Post – I’m Being Chased!

We are in the midst of a crazy heat wave in Southern Maryland so Tamara and I got up early again this morning to try to beat the heat.  We had a short 5 mile run planned which I was ok with given the heat and my tired legs.  We took off out the driveway and decided to run a reverse route of a loop we have run many times.  Almost instantly I was ahead of Tamara.  It wasn’t planned but just happened.  Our rule is to not slow down for the other just run how we are feeling (Just had a flashback of the Rock n Roll ½ Marathon in DC this year where Tamara flew by me at mile 12!).  About a mile in I had a pretty decent lead in our race of two :).  I looked back a few times to both check on Tamara and to see how close she was to me.  It was strange but the whole time I was feeling a little bit of pressure to keep my lead (yes I wanted to win).  I also thought a couple times that this is really good training for me to stay focused and keep pushing.  It reminded me of the one and only 5k race I won last year.  I passed a runner for the lead about 2 miles in and it was a strange feeling to be the front runner.  I won’t win many 5ks but I really did love the feeling of being chased this morning.  It kept me focused and made me push myself to run faster than I would have.  Thanks for the chase Tamara!

Jeff’s Post – Strength From My Right!

I get strength to push through runs from a bunch of different places.  It could be music, emotion, passing another runner or a goal I have set for myself.  Today I got strength from my right.  Tamara and I have treadmills about 8 feet apart and this morning when I was struggling on a normal run I took a few peeks over at her and it helped push me to the finish.  As we do with our outside runs we normally don’t talk much.  She is blasting the volume on her latest reality show and I’m typically watching the news or a concert with my ear buds in.  No need for conversation just having that person running beside/with you will push you when you need it.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th.  I started the day with an early morning 8 mile run and then we spent the day at a picnic in the neighborhood I grew up in.  It was hot hot hot but we had a great day.  I have shared a few pics below.

Have a great running day!

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Jeff’s Post – Making Strides!

After months and months of work around the house I finally feel like we are making strides.  The basement is about 90% finished (pics coming soon!) and today we moved all of the remaining furniture that was sitting in the garage down to the basement.  Now we can fit two cars in the garage again – Yeah!

One of the things I’m most proud of is that during all this chaos I did a good job of staying focused on running.  In fact, running helped me stay focused on all the things that were going on around me.  One of the many many things that I love about running.

Last week I had my first 50 mile week in months.  I started off strong running a 1/2 marathon on the treadmill Monday and Tamara and I finished strong with 6 hot miles today.

Tamara and I are committed to picking up the blog posts and hope you continue to stay with us as we share our journey. Stay tuned as we gear up for a great summer – we can’t wait to share!

Have a great running day!

Wordless Wednesday – Look What the Cat Dragged In!

Jeff’s Post – Ups and Downs!

I don’t normally like to get off the topic of running but I will for a moment with this post.  Tamara and I have been through a crazy range of emotions over the last week.  So, I give you a little behind the scenes at “werrunners”.  We didn’t discuss it much but some of our loyal readers picked up on the fact that Tamara and I are a “dating running couple”.  We both own houses and decided recently to move in together (Tamara moving in with me – on Memorial Day weekend).  We have been working non-stop (with an amazing amount of help from my parents) to get things ready for the move.  Part of this was to finally finish my basement and to get a nice gym set up for us.  Rewind to last Wednesday – Tamara calls me at 2:30 in the morning (still living apart) to tell me that her Manchester Terrier “Kilee” came in from outside and couldn’t move her back legs.  She didn’t appear to be in pain but obviously we were both alarmed.  Tamara stayed with her and made an appointment for her at the vet first thing Wednesday.  She calls me from the vet and says that they think Kilee had a stroke and referred us to an emergency animal hospital about an hour away.  I left work and met Tamara and we headed to the animal hospital.  The doctor advised us that they would have to do an MRI to get a better idea on what we were dealing with.  We took Kilee to an imaging center about 2 hours away for the MRI and then headed back to the animal hospital to discuss the results.  The results – no stroke, no disc issues, no tumor, no cancer and a spinal tap confirmed no infection but the spinal cord was showing some sort of discoloration around ½ way down Kilee’s back.  Kilee was a 100% healthy dog, she was the athlete in the family and Tamara often took her running with her and now she was paralyzed in the hind quarters.  Needless to say we were devastated.  Tamara has another Manchester Terrier “Kacee” and I have a beagle mix “Teddy” and we were so exited for all of the dogs to finally live together.  They have spent many weekends together and Teddy and Kacee were fast friends spending their time chasing each other around the yard.  We decided it was best to leave Kilee at the animal hospital for a few days to start a steroid treatment.  Move to Thursday – We begin the move to my house on Thursday and Friday (again with amazing help from my family).  We check on Kilee a few times a day with no change.  On Saturday we decide to go get Kilee and bring her home.  It was important for Tamara and I to make sure Kilee made the move with the rest of the family.  Again, another range of emotions when we see her.  She was scared but so happy to see us when we came in.  I wish I had a video camera running when we brought her in the house.  Kacee and Teddy were so excited to see Kilee and it was amazing how gentle they were with her.  At the moment we are caring for Kilee in our home.  We have been carrying her around like a baby and I have walked her some with a towel around her hind quarters.  Tamara has quickly learned how to express the bladder and at the moment we are just glad to have her home.  It is still heartbreaking to see her in this condition and we are hoping for the best over the next few weeks.  We are puzzled, saddened and angry over the sudden paralysis of her legs and continue to look for answers.  Of note is that she was treated with Simple Guard flea and tick medicine a few days before her paralysis.  Tamara is convinced that this treatment played a role in Kilee’s issue and she will be writing a blog post over the next few days to talk about her findings.  Hoping all the dog lovers can send some positive thoughts our way.  We would love nothing more than to see Kilee run free again.

A few running notes: For the first time since I can remember I took 3 days off from running as we dealt with Kilee and our move.  I did get a run in on Sunday – it was a hot 6 miles and I thought of Kilee often during my run.  Tamara and I also ran a hot 4 miles this morning.  Tamara got her new Landice L8 treadmill delivered on Wednesday and got to run on it the first time on Saturday.  The gym is also nearing completion.  Still have some things to add but we are getting there.

Have a good day – Go for a run if you get a chance and give your pet a hug!

Jeff’s Post – Quick Weekend Recap!

Wow – the weekend just flew by.  The basement remodel is in full swing but we found time for a few runs.  Saturday we got up early and went for a speedy 4.85 miles – ( I know – we should have gone 5 but Tamara said no).  This was such a fun run and there was definitely some racing going on.  We ended up with a 7:25 pace – No world records but it was fun to go fast and I loved how we pushed each other.  After our run we headed to Lifetime Fitness and finally bought Tamara’s new Treadmill.  She ended up picking out the Landice L8.  This such a nice machine and after 10 years on her current Nordic Track I think she deserves it!  Now I want one :).  We should be getting it in around 3 weeks – They are waiting for us to finish the gym!  Saturday night we stayed up until 2:30 am painting the gym (don’t you love the color) – Then after a few hours sleep we went for another fun 3.1 miles on Sunday morning.  We ended the weekend with a nice Mother’s Day brunch with my parents.

Hope you have a great running week!

 

Tamara’s Post – OC 5K Race Report

I’m behind again – with just about everything in my life – so here is my late race review for the Ocean City 5K. I really wasn’t expecting to run a race when we headed to OC. Since I found the 5K filled up a week before the race I was determined to not train and just run – and eat. When I heard they might open more charity slots, I thought maybe there was a chance – but knew we would be getting in town late on Friday. The weekend was all about Jeff and I wanted him to be relaxed and I wanted to watch him finish the ½ marathon. So when we got to the expo (ok, really just a registration table) we noticed they still had 5K slots opened. It didn’t take long for me to pay my $70 and sign up. Done. I think Jeff was a bit relieved because he knew I really wanted to run. Race morning I was my usual grumpy self – Jeff was up too early (in my book) and I was just in my pre-race foul mood. I tried hard not to complain about being tired (after all it was his day – not mine). We drove to the race start and hung out until the ½ started. I loved watching the start of this race – I stood up on a set of steps and overlooked the 100s of runners streaming down below me (yeah, there goes Jeff! I think he saw me!). I noticed the course looped back to the boardwalk and I was thrilled to be able to see Jeff again and get an action shot (1/8 of a mile in and he’s looking strong!). It seemed like forever (really was :45) until the 5K started – I sat in the car and listened to music. I was determined to run a good race, but thought a flat 23:00 was probably all I had in me. When I lined up at the start line I was shocked (ok, I was angry) to see a row of people at the very front of the pack with backpacks and casual running clothes on (way too judgmental, I know). I jumped out of line to quickly use the restroom when I noticed we still had 5 minutes (I’m quick like that). When I returned I butted my little self right smack in the middle of the front row – yup, I made someone mad and I got a remark from a woman next to me. I apologized and sincerely told her that I was only able to run about a 21:15 5K and she was welcome to step in front of me – she quickly said “Nope, that’s ok!” and we chatted a bit about the race. When the gun went off I bolted outta the chute and panicked when only 2 men started as fast as me (what the heck?!). We made a sharp turn onto the boardwalk and soon a few other raced past me. I was the lead woman – for a short time – another girl caught me and we ran together for a few seconds and then she smoked me. I watched her go ahead strong (she was young I reasoned, it’s ok). I’ve run on the boardwalk before but never raced – wow, was it a weird feeling trying to kick as hard as you could while the old boards moved under your feet. I felt clumsy. I didn’t look at my splits and when I got to the turnaround I gathered I was about 30 seconds or so behind the lead woman. And the woman behind me was a least a minute. It was a wonderful feel to be in the first pack of runners heading back to the finish as 700 other runners were still making their way to the turnaround. I loved the cheering from those behind me – the enthusiasm, the excitement, the smiles. I got several heard several comments such as “Way to go!”, “Look another woman”, “You are the 2nd woman”, “Nice job!”. I was motivated and excited and I tried my hardest to kick harder to catch the lead woman – every time I got closer she pulled away. Ugh! There was a nice little cheering section at the finish and being the 2nd woman overall was a wonderful feeling! I was satisfied (not thrilled) that my time was 21:50 – I did better than I expected, but didn’t beat my time from a few weeks ago. I chatted it up at the finish then jumped in the car. I was able to shower and change before I got the awesome news that Jeff got a PR in the ½! I was excited for him and hurried over to meet him at the bus stop at the post-race party. Great food, great (strong) drinks, and a pretty cool trophy made this race one that I would definitely do again! I don’t want to talk about the “morning after drinking too much run” all I can say is – wow, that was painful!

 

Jeff’s Post – Failure to Blog :)

Wow – Really having a difficult time finding the time to blog.  We have so many house things going on at the moment (painting rooms upstairs – finishing the basement – basically another house) everything is in a bit of an uproar.  I last left you owing a Part III (the after party) of the Ocean City ½ marathon.  Let’s just say we had a great time (pictures are on flickr to the right of this post).  We had such a great time that Tamara was THRILLED with me when I insisted that we run 6 miles on the boardwalk the next morning and even more THRILLED with me when we were running a very slow pace and I made the comment “I want this to be a respectable run” – oops did I say that out loud :).   We may not be blogging as frequently but don’t worry we are still running.  We were able to get in two nice easy runs over the weekend (6 and 4 miles) and then I pounded out 10 miles on the treadmill on Monday.  Today was an off day but I’m hoping to hit the treadmill hard tomorrow.  At the moment I’m getting in between 30 – 40 miles per week and I’m good with that for the next month or so.  I see running and a lot of painting in our future.  I’m hoping Tamara and I can go and buy her new treadmill this weekend.  She is looking at a Landice.  We are still about 3 weeks away from the gym being finished.  I can’t wait to get things set up and can’t wait to see how far and fast we can push ourselves.

That’s it for now – need to vacuum up some drywall dust so I won’t be breathing it in on the treadmill tomorrow.  Thanks for reading and go for a run if you get a chance!

The New Gym!