It's been crazy

I have been like one week on and then one week off and on and off
and then last week I got the stomach flu and then we had Thanksgiving
and so TODAY Christy and I got it together and started on the P90X again.
We have BIG goals for the first of the year and BIG goals for long term!
I
AM
EXCITED!
I cannot wait for May - the 1/2 marathon is going to be amazing!
I
AM
EXCITED!

On plan

I have been VERY on plan this week.
I know, it's only Wed but I am pumped up.
I have been on my WW points all week and
I have worked out to my P90X everyday as
well as getting in a REALLY GOOD walk n
jog last night. I am VERY on plan.
I love it!

and here is some food for thought....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reaching Your Dream Takes Courage

Courage is admitting that you're afraid and facing that fear directly. It's being strong enough to ask for help and humble enough to accept it.

Courage is standing up for what you believe in without worrying about the opinions of others. It's following your own heart, living your own life, and settling for nothing less than the best for yourself.

Courage is daring to take a first step, a big leap, or a different path. It's attempting to do something that no one has done before and all others thought impossible.

Courage is keeping heart in the face of disappointment and looking at defeat not as an end but as a new beginning. It's believing that things will ultimately get better even as they get worse.

Courage is being responsible for your own actions and admitting your own mistakes without placing blame on others. It's relying not on others for your success, but on your own skills and efforts.

Courage is refusing to quit even when you're intimidated by impossibility. It's choosing a goal, sticking with it, and finding solutions to the problems.

Courage is thinking big, aiming high, and shooting far. It's taking a dream and doing anything, risking everything, and stopping at nothing to it make it a reality.

~ Caroline Kent ~

workout this a.m.

did a 45 min p90x workout with Christy this a.m.
kicked my trash and I needed it




{NEEDED} is the key word here.....

COLD

{It has been
COLD
COLD
COLD here.}

Too cold for a.m. running.
Too busy for evening running.
No time during the day (work).
Missing my morning P90X workouts.
Feeling the 'chub' big time.

AAAAAACK!

nothing

that is what i have been doing on my MAD marathon journey
N O T H I N G at all
no running, no p90x, no nothing.
totally SUCKS too

(and the weather has been freaking COLD in the mornings)

boo

my amazing family

I have so many amazing examples around me
my sisters, my cousins, nieces and nephews
and so many others... I am so thankful for
the presence of them in my life and the example
of good health they show me.
In June (while I was on vaca in Disney) they
did the Sawtooth Relay Run - AMAZING feat!
I am VERY thankful for my AMAZING family!
YOU GUYS ROCK!

Sat evening jog

Finally got myself motivated to go this evening.
Took our exchange daughter Lea with me.
INTERESTING.
OK well long story short, I did about 2 miles
with walk and jog intervals of 1/4 mile each.
My running times were good too, a bit faster than
norm which is cool. Not as fast as the massive
downpour rain run from last week but a bit faster.
I will take it.
WHY? did I run faster? Here is my theory.
Lea is FAST! Really really really fast. She is a
cross country/distance runner. She ran the WHOLE time
and lapped me
ONE...
TWO...
THREE... times! Good mercy!




I think I figured out she runs about a 7.5 minute mile!
That is about twice as fast as me! LOLOL
She was very kind though, I kept telling her she cannot
laugh at me. We had a great time and she kept me moving.
Craziness!!!

procrastinate?

I was all fired up to go for a jog last night
had a 'challenge' from a friend, and I flopped.
I keep having this fabulous 'vision' ... ha!!
So my plan was to get up this morning and go
before it got too late... but again, I didn't.
I stayed up too late, slept in and now I have
too much to do and will have to find time later
this afternoon or evening. UGH!!
I feel like a schmuck for letting my friend down
who simply challenged me to a 2 mile or more jog.
I flopped on not only him but myself.
I just have to get into routine again, if it is
a.m. or if it is p.m. I have to do this regularly!!!

the present moment

"do not dwell in the past,
do not dream of the future,
concentrate the mind on
the present moment."
BUDDHA


{just needed that MAD bit of info
today... glad he was thinking of me!}

Running in the rain! Who knows? The MAD Run could be a rain day right??

So, I keep pushing off my running in the mornings.
This week I did SO good on my foods and was trying
to do good with running. I didn't do so good.
Bring in the rain. So, last night I decided I HAD to
go out for a run. Great idea! Bring in : the rain.
We had this amazing awesome cool storm last night.
Thunder,
lightning,
and rain.
Oh and of course, wind.
Eastern Idaho is just not Idaho without the wind LOL.
I waited till' 9pm to go, was planning to head to the
Jr High track and give myself a little bit of an endurance
test to see where I am right now. Cool.
Well, I got down to the end of our street and head around
the corner and it starts to rain. No biggie, the rain would
cool me off and keep me going. I have run in the rain before.
HA!
HA HA!
OK so by the time I get to the track it is a good rain. I crank
up my tunes, pull my sleeves down over my hands and start running.
Did a nice little cycle of run a lap walk a lap and by the 2nd lap
I was SOAKED wet! The thunder was rumbling the ground and the
lightening was flashing and making the field bright and beautiful!I cranked up the music a little louder and kept going.
I was truly enjoying this!
At one point the rain DID start to smack and sting
my skin a bit but overall I was loving it! Very 'freeing' to be out
there in the dark with the rolling thunder and the flashes of light!
LOVED it!
So, after 2 miles I dragged my soggy butt, body and feet
home. I stretched out really good (NO more hip flexor issues) and
came in to warm up. I was so cold I didn't dare take a shower bc I
was afraid I'd lose what body head I had - instead I bundled up in
my warm robe, had a cup of mint tea and cozied in my blanket.
I felt really good!
Insert this morning. My head is throbbing. I feel yucky. I feel like
a drown rat the morning after.
Lesson learned? Maybe all that fun (and faster run times) was not
worth it?




(I copied this exact post for my personal family blog as well, so if you see it twice you know why....too lazy to write two posts today - sorry!)

So it's Tuesday again

I got in a nice morning walk with Christy yesterday -
we met for our Mon P90X workout but no one was there to let
us in the church, instead we did a 2 mile walk. It was nice.

TODAY however, I feel like a SLACKER big time.

This morning I was planning to get up and do a morning
walk n jog - planning is the key word. I did have my
clothes and mp3 laying out to put on. I did have my alarm set.
I did ask hubby to 'gently' remind me I wanted to go run
when he woke up for work. I did sleep and sleep. I even let the
kids oversleep! LOL

Now, that we have all overslept. The kids were crabby and so
was Mom. I had one of those mornings where I felt off from the
get go. Mostly because I let myself down on the run routine
again. I hated my hair this morning, I hated my face and the
makeup just didn't jive. My clothes feel frumpy. I really wish
I'd gone running. GOT to get myself into a better place. GOT
to get my running in when it is scheduled! Geeeeeeesh!

October is off to a slow start!

So, my 50 mile challenge is off to a slow start
but I am starting!
I was sick with a kidney infection then I overdid
my hip flexor the other day.
So today I at least went out for a brisk walk!
I did about 1.5 miles just cuz' it was so nice out
but I didin't have a lot of time so I felt like I
had to do something... you know?

Anyway, currently I am having an addiction issue
with 44 oz Grape Icee slushes and I don't think
it is helping the cause. LOL So, somehow I need to
kick this all up a notch - hope next week is more
scheduled and on plan!!!

ongoing hip 'thing'

A year or so ago I started having periodic hip/leg issues
at the time someone told me it was "hip flexor" muscles and
basically that I was not stretching enough. Off n on this
will flair up on me. Today it is REALLY bad - prob the worst
I have had it and lasting longer than ever before. I am thinking
my walk and short run yesterday morning are the cause. I did not
stretch AT ALL and even though I only ran a short distance I
believe it is the culprit. Dang!
So today, it has bothered me all along... going up stairs has
been pure misery. Trying to lift up my knee is just plain painful.
So I researched it myself and I am going to self diagnose here
and agree with what someone told me originally....

Causes
The most common cause of hip flexor injury is acute trauma. You may experience one specific instance when you felt your hip flexor pull. This may have been when you broke into a sprint, made a cut, or kicked a ball.

Tight muscles and poor flexibility will contribute to hip flexor injury. When muscles are tight, there is an increased amount of tension on the tissues. When this increased tension is added to by an explosive movement, injury can occur.

Hip flexor strain can also be caused by compensation for other injuries, or weakness of other muscles. This is common if you have core weakness. When the lower abdominal muscles do not stabilize the pelvis, the hip flexor muscles will try to compensate for this weakness and become overworked.

***Symptoms***
The most common symptom of a hip flexor strain is pain. It occurs along the front of the hip and may radiate down the front of your thigh. Your pain will increase with movement, especially trying to lift your knee toward your chest.

Running, jumping, and even walking can be painful, and your sports performance may be limited.

The symptoms really cued me in bc that is exactly what I am dealing with.
So now I am on the quest for the best prevention for them... good stretches.
(and a bunch of advil, tylenol and alieve)

Any suggestions??

I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE MAD TO YOURSELF IN OCT!!!!

BE MAD IN OCTOBER WITH ME!

50 MILES this month! We can do it!

I would like you to challenge yourself
with me to MAKE A DIFFERENCE for your
body by accepting the challenge to walk
and/or run 50 MILES in October!
50 miles of quiet time or time with a friend
or loved one. 50 miles of time to think. 50
miles of improving your quality of life. 50
miles of good health. 50 miles of MOVING YOUR
BODY! 50 miles of your fave tunes on your earphones.
50 miles of wear on your best running shoes. 50
more miles under your belt... how about 50 miles
is almost TWO MARATHONS!?!? WOW!!!!!!!!!

Who is with me?????

WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

Making some personal challenges!!

*camping in Yellowstone*



















This past week sorta flopped - I had some
nasty blisters under my toenails from the
7.5 mile run last weekend. They are finally
healing up - yeah! However, I have been
slacking so it's time to kick it up a bit.
This past weekend we went to Yellowstone
and Grand Teton camping - not much running
happening there. Then I found out I have a
nasty kidney infection- slowing me down
even more :O( POOEY! So, walking it is I guess.

Personal challenges.
I turn 39 this week! THIRTY NINE folks!!
I have ONE YEAR to make some huge changes.
I won't announce them all here, but I am
ready to look like a rockstar by my 40th!
FOR SURE!

I want to do 50 miles this coming month.
October ... 50 miles of walking and running
training. Bikes don't count! This is my
own personal goal but if you'd like to join
me I think that would be great! Just check in
and let me know how it is going!

I AM MAD for myself for the next month and
for the next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

motivated today

hope to go out for a good long jog tomorrow morning before my
6 a.m. p90x workout - or maybe after? either way, I need to get
going... I am recouped from Sat's event so it is all good...

time to tie up those shoes and GO!!!

(thinking I need a killer new purple bandana for running...
just a thought...)

head is on straight - toe nails not so much

I AM THE LUCKIEST SISTER EVER!!!!


We had a blast last weekend at the RIM2RIM and then hiking at
Shoshone Falls and Hidden Lakes... I am such a lucky little sis!

Thankful for my sisters and the optimism and belief in me.
They help remind me what is important.
It was not my time for the
run, my place in the list of runners,
it was not the chub lub
looking photos,
it was that I was "DOING" - you can't go through
life just living, you have to be "DOING"!
Sat, I WAS "DOING" and
dang! I was doing pretty good! :O)
So, that all said...my head is now on straight, in a good place
and feeling good.

My toes, not so much. Last year I lost one lil'
toe nail after this particular run.
This year, I think I might
lose 1 - 2 - THREE of them!!!!!!
OUCH! All that pounding down hill
just shoved my toes into the front of my shoes. My Dad used to say...
"it's a long ways from your heart" - and he is/was definatly right!

Night all...I have to get some sleep! Tomorrow I will see if I can
cram my toes into some joggin' shoes! :O)

sucess OR failure? who gets to decide?

My nephew Jake (in black)met me (in grey and blue) at the last 1/2 mile and ran it in with me, he was a ROCK at the worst moment for me....


My sister Carlee (in the darker shorts) and me coming up to the top of the
trail out of the canyon 1.25 miles of STRAIGHT UPHILL hell!!) and a HUGE
achievement and relief....







so, you get to see the bad photos - sorry, they are far from
attractive, far from impressive, but they are real and that is
what I am going for here on this blog

this is the real deal

I went to Twin Falls late Fri night with my sisters
feeling under prepared for the RIM2RIM 7.5 mile run (walk n run)
I was facing Sat morning - part of the pressure was that
I had several family members with me, my 2 sisters who
were running with me, my older sister and her hubby who
came to 'cheer' and support us as well as my sisters
daughter (my neice) and her husband who ran with us too...
my neice and her husband are GOOD runners, GOOD-FAST-AMAZING
runners.

I won't go into too much detail but I had a plan, and basically
I was good with it until some crazy nosey dude made some comments
to my sisters and I that were SUPER insulting...my sister god
mad and lost focus and we ended up sticking together and barely
running maybe even 2 miles of the whole thing. :O( SUCKED!!!!

I *did* run the entire downhill (steeeep) portion and a lot of
the bottom of the canyon and into the finish... I was proud of
that in its' own little wierd way. I did not run much of any of
the first part - I held back and it makes me sad/mad now.
I didn't make it up the main hill in under 20 min as I had hoped and
I did not beat 2 hours like I'd hoped. And the BIGGEST fail was
that my time as a RUNNER this year, vs a WALKER last year was 15 sec
LONGER than last year!? I DO NOT GET THAT AT ALL!

Thankfully I had a lot of support and that helped. I was feeling ok
with my 'failures' and giving myself kudo's for going, for running,
for blowing off the guy who was so be-litteling to us... I was doing
ok until I saw the photos.
Now I am feeling sick and like a failure.
My sister got us all matching running tank tee's and oh my hannah
that was not good - not good at all. I am disgusted with how I looked
and disgusted with what I did not accomplish. Failure is a big word but
today it is fitting for me.

OK so the sucess?

I have new goals. Big goals. LOTS of drive.

and I can't talk much more about this cuz' I am still on a high and
a low from everything...

It is what it is.

ya know??

Is this not the coolest??!!

The event organizers have OUTDONE themselves
and this poster is just amazing! I love the
message it gives... just screams "wide open
spaces" to me! Makes me want to go out on a
bright sunny morning and just run and run
on the open country roads! GOOD JOB GUYS!!!!!!!

Coming up soon! Just 3 more days to go!

http://www.habitatmagicvalley.org/events/rim2rim-race/rim2rim-info/


Rim2Rim Info
The race is a grueling 7.5 miles out and back
into the Snake River Canyon filled with lots of Idaho scenery.
It begins at the beautiful Bass Lake located within
Blue Lakes Country Club. Racers speed up the 6% grade in
hopes of capturing the Dash for Cash money that is given
the first male and female racers to cross the top of the
grade finish line. The course then follows the Golf Course Road
to the junction of Highway 93, crosses over our famous Perrine Bridge
with views of the Snake 500 feet below, then along the Canyon Rim Trail
to the Canyon Springs road that drops them back into the canyon at that
same 6% grade, across the Canyon Springs Golf Course to the city water
pipeline bridge to get across the river and back to the Blue Lakes Country Club. The race finishes back at Bass Lake with a gourmet luncheon
and awards ceremonies.

Race Time and Date
Rim2Rim will be held on September 18th
9:00 am | Rim2Rim Walkers Start
10:00 am | Rim2Rim Runners Start
Rim2Rim starts and finishes at Bass Lake at the Blue Lakes Country Club.
Number Pick-up and Race Day Registration is from 7:30 AM – 9:45 AM at Blue Lakes Country Club. Allow plenty of time to park and ride the shuttle into the canyon.
The staggered start allows us to all eat together and start the Race Results Celebration earlier.

hmpffff

discouraged today

grumpy and whiney and

discouraged

Sisters to strengthen me

Carlee, Lisa and myself.

The skinny chicken sisters! LOL We are so silly!
I am so thankful for these 2 girls. They push me
and cheer me on and make me better about myself.
When I finished my long run yesterday of course
they were both calling and texting me 101 times
to see how I did. I am very thankful for that.
Someone who cares about this as much as I do AND
cares about me that much too - makes a girl feel
wonderful and even if I do fail sometimes they still
boost me up and make me feel like wonderwoman!

7 or so miles today

Did a 7+ mile trek today out to the old neighborhood and back, I was alternating my walk/jog for the first few miles... then I slowed way off on the jogs then by the last 2 miles I was done with jogging, bummer. I really wanted to do the loop in less than 2 hours (as the video says) but at least I went and tested myself out a bit. So, here is a real deal visit with myself after I was home... I look like I have a nervous twitch or something LOL but I thought it was kind of 'real' to do it this way? What do you think?

big busy weekend

this has been a CRAZY weekend
at my house... therefore, not
so good of choices and I am not
thrilled with myself

BUT

today is a new day and I can always
change what I am doing today

so today is my last chance for a 'long'
walk n jog before my big race this coming
week in twin falls, id

I really don't know if I am ready
for 7.5 miles at all but hey, why not?!

so, I will report back more later I suppose
maybe I will have to head out towards the
old neighborhood and see if the ladies there
want to join me? hmm that would be a heck of
a lot more fun!

ok wish me luck!

FRIDAY!

(photo is a donna downey painting, I LOVE her work!)
http://donnadowney.com



















TGIF baby! This has been a hard week for me.
Not sure why, but I have not had a ton of
motivation on my running. Scary because I have
my Rim2Rim Run next weekend and quite frankly
it ain't gonna be pretty.
I am a little scared...
a lot scared.
I set some goals for myself and
I don't know that I am up for them but I WILL try
my darndest to achieve them. Gotta start somewhere,
right?
So, 7.5 miles, with the climb up out of the gorge
(this is in Twin Falls) at 1.25 miles and a 12% grade.
then the long route and then back down the grade,
across the river and uphill AGAIN then a slow downhill
slide into the finish. That last uphill KICKED MY TRASHlast year so hopefully this year I am mentally AND
physically ready for it??!!

Hope to have time to do a long walk n jog tomorrow or
Sunday (or both?!)

:O) Gotta keep on , keepin' on ya know!

Two Totally Different People - One got into {Making A Difference}

Me back in 2006 - there is one from a photo shoot
and then with my crazy skinnychicken sisters Carlee and Lisa
before all three of us started to take better care of ourselves.
I love these girls! XO I am in the lime green tee, Carlee is in the
middle in navy and Lisa is on the end with the stripes!





















And here we are just this past month...
I think between the three of us we have lost
well over 100 lbs - totally totally amazing!
I am on one end in black, Lisa is in the middle
in the purple swirls and Carlee is on the other side
in the beautiful black and white (she was the
Mother of the bride at this wedding). I love my
sisters a lot, we joke that we are the "skinny chicken
sisters" and it fits! LOL

Why? am I MAD? {making a difference}

-- a few closer shots of my MAD poster, so you can see WHY I want
to MAD Marathon! -- (forgive the sappy photos of me, I just got done
working out! LOL)

MAD MARATHON HERE I COME!!!!!

I AM MAD!
{Making A Difference}





Working on the ol' blog here... work with me,
it may be slow progress! LOL

Here is just a FEW of the reasons I am MAD.
Loved doing this poster and admitting a little
selfishness that I am making a difference for

ME!

Did my p90x this a.m. - arms and back.
Didn't want to drag my butt out of bed
but I did. I didn't give 100% sorry to say,
but at least I showed up. Committment says
something I think.
More to come
LOTS LOTS LOTS MORE...

DarlaLOU

DarlaLou's MAD Marathon Journey

HELLO BLOG WORLD!
I was asked by a dear and wonderful friend
to share my experience with preparing for
the MAD Marathon coming up in May 2011 and I
was THRILLED to accept her invitation
I am Darla, *DarlaLOU* to my close friends
and loved ones (a life long thing) and I live
in Eastern Idaho - I love Idaho and have lived
here my whole life. I don't ever want to leave!

I have changed my life the last couple of years.
I will go into that more on a later post, but
in short, I started running (ok trotting) and
I found that I REALLY liked it! I mean, crazy, in
JHS and HS I hated running, it was a joke, it was
torture! So why now? Why running? Not sure, but I
am loving where it is taking my life at this
time. So if you are learning to love running, or
even making small health changes, you might find
this blog helpful. I hope so!

I love to blog, so to have one for
this single purpose of journaling my road to the
marathon is exciting! I hope you enjoy following
along with my stories of the ups and downs along
the way.

I am brutally honest in my journaling. If I am
having a really bad day, I'll have a really big
whine session with 'myself' on my blog. If I have
a really great day, I will be jumping for joy
via the words rolling across the screen! Oh, and
a warning, I LOVE to use !!!!exclamation points!!!!
a lot. It is just silly me.

Anyway, here I am! Hope you enjoy reading my
about my journey to marathoning and hopefully
I can inspire and motivate you to believe if *I* can
do it then *you* can too!
Let's get MAD and let's get moving!!!!

DarlaLOU