Finish Lines 2011

No Matter how long it takes

If you keep moving

One step at a time

You will Reach

The Finish Line

Get out there and Find your FINISH LINE!!!

and for a laugh....

• What is your next Finish Line you are working toward??? Leave a comment...
  

Still Alive

Quick note to let you know that I am still alive, not blogging, not running, but doing a lot of running around. My Big Girl job has taken over for a bit and I am treading water trying to stay afloat. Life will be back to NORMAL (is there a normal?) soon. In the mean time run a few miles for me will ya??

• Leave a Comment to let me know about your recent STELLAR runs, will help me feel closer to the road.

BE BACK SOON....

Shifting Gears

There are days when you are cruising along, all is well, the wind is in your hair.... then there are days when your path is blocked by something you did not expect and you have to shift gears.

This week has been one of those weeks for me and my House Full of Boys. Monday was Muscle Man's birthday and I was poised for the busiest week of my career at my Big Girl Job. Mid way through the day I got a call, it was Muscle Man, his real Dad in Arkansas had died. He was not close to his Father for various reasons, but this still came as a TOTAL SHOCK.

I had to work

I had to get home and take care of my husband

I did all I could at the office, tears dripping down my cheeks and went home. ALL of the balls I was juggling, all my work left for someone to take over.. I had to be with my family.

I SHIFTED GEARS

This week I balanced being a single parent and dealt with the sadness of a smaller role in the job I was so excited to do and had worked so hard for.. I supported Muscle Man from afar. I leaned on Tall Grandma and Tall Sister to take care of me...and they were WONDERFUL! THANK YOU!! And I must say our boys were pretty awesome too.. Last night they made me LAUGH at the store playing a game with the patterns on the ground.

And tonight Little Stud #1 said "Mommy how long does it take to get to the Finish Line?" I said "Depends on how long the race is." He replied in the sweetest matter of fact voice "Yes but if you Finish first you get a token." It melted my heart. This week has been ROUGH, but I made the most of it with the support of my family, friends and co-workers.

What does this have to do with running?

Just when you think you are cruising along there may be something that forces you to shift gears. Possibly an injury, busy schedule or change of seasons. You can either stop and get rusty, or find a way to make the best out of the situation and find a new path.

......Or you may be in a rut, holding for too long in the same gear....maybe it is time to shift gears to test your range beyond the comfortable? You never know what you may find.

• How have you had to or chose to shift gears??

You Go Girl 2011

I was not planning to run the You Go Girl Half Marathon this year. I had not been training, I was going to spend Muscle Man's birthday weekend with him....BUT we talked and I guess I heard wrong and he was OK with my running.. Thankfully my friend Amy had a bib and Tressa had a team shirt. My plan was to run with the AMAZING Kim with a sbu 2 hour goal.How cool is Tressa's sign?? I love the saying I don't sweat I sparkle, so my sign was PERFECT.. Thanks Tressa!! I texted Jill who gave me info on the best parking spot, SCORE!! We all met at the nearby Tully's and posed for loads of FUN photos..

I wore braids to support team Kerrie, I had been coaching her for a 1:55 Half shhhhhh we told everyone it was for a sub 2 hour :) I knew she would be AMAZING and I was glad that I would see her on the course.

I could tell Kerrie had her game face on, she was READY and the nervous energy was thick.. Hugs and luck from Coach Tall Mom..

Had to pose with my (no longer Imaginary) Friend before we got all sweaty. I have wanted to run with Kim forever, she is also a Tall Mom we made a great pair..

Speaking of Tall Mom's in the gang Stacie was there looking lovely as always...

And our AWESOME race support Tressa, she made signs and had her tiny baby with her the whole time. I will call her Tough Mom!! Most of these photos are from her, Thanks!!

Team picture time, Tressa stood on a chari while holding Riley, talk about talented..

We have a fun group of ladies. The course is WONDERFUL because there are out and back sections where we could wave and cheer...

It was sprinkling lightly, I was a bit torn on what to wear so I kept on my arm sleeves.. BIG MISTAKE.. Jill did one of her awesome self group shots and we waited for the race to start.

I don't remember much from the race, I was having so much fun chatting with Kim that the rest of the race melted away...

What I do remember:

-So many beautiful women, strong and unique...all out there for the same purpose to get to the Finish.

-We met reader Melissa and her husband at Tully's, she was GREAT! her hubby was along the course taking pictures but I don't remember seeing him.

-Jill with her hippie hair running the 10K (love you Jill)

-I got HOT and muggy after the first mile. It was raining but too hot for arm sleeves and 2 layers.. i know better!!

-UP the BIG Hill, my legs felt STRONG, I was coaching Kim to the TOP, felt great to get there.

-I dropped my small water bottle and Kim did a killer side kick to get it out of the road.. NICE work Kim!

-Seeing Tiffany and her bright blue shirt and eyes, over and over during the race, she cruised to her first sub 2 half.

-Seeing Alma and Tressa cheering for us, I handed off my arm sleeves and wet phone at mile 5ish. My phone is trashed!

-My running skirt was weighed down with rain and kept slipping off. I was pulling it up the whole race

-Kim and I had no shortage of coversation and both of us are not fans of any sort of hills.. I wish she lived closer it was nice to go stride for stride with a tall gal.

-The water stops were well organized, this was the first Half I have run without a handheld and I LOVED it! Water stops slow me down but it was nice not to hold anything.

-I loved my pigtails but I think they made me hard to spot, I was spotted by one reader.. HI!!

-We saw Jamie ZOOMING to a PR and Kerrie not far behind.. STELLAR!! I was excited to see them at the Finish and CELEBRATE.

-The 2 hour Pacer seemed really fast and only had 1 person with her, she came in at 1:55.. Bummer :( I believe the goal for a pacer is to come within 1 minute of the goal time, but I could be wrong. It is my goal to pace a group to a sub 2 hour one of these days.

-Last year at the cone turn around I did a little dance move to show off for Kim. This year we were together...so we both showed off our GRACE as we did a super spin move around the road cone.

-I could see that we were behind pace for the Sub 2 Hour Goal, so Kim told me to set the pace. Mental math was tough, but I knew we needed to SPEED UP. Kim stayed close by as I picked off some runners.

-I turned to see how Kim was doing and gave her a thumbs up, she waved me to go on solo.. I was TORN, I didn't want to leave her, I wanted that Finish Line photo, but I also needed the sub 2 hour for ME.. So I turned on my ipod and took off.

-I was in the zone, legs strong until I hit the next hill. My mind went to places I didn't want it to go, I started to cry thinking about my Dad and how it had been a year since I had seen him. How he had never seen me cross a Finish Line in person. October 16th marks 1 year since his death, I thought about my Mom and family and the sadness we have been through.. The tears came out like the rain from the sky.

-At this point I had issues with Mommy bladder, guess I drank too much.. UGH!! Running fast and trying to hold it is NOT EASY.. It happens people, deal with it! I was thankful for my spandex shorts :)

-I had to find SOMETHING to pull me out of my sad place so I set my sites on runners in front of me. Lady in pink shorts, passed, lady with black capris, passed, lady with a smooth stride, passed... I was MOVING, I knew I had to hold the pace to make my Goal.

-The last hill came...small choppy steps.. "Come on Mel!!" I saw an older woman to the side and shortly after a tall Man, they were there to run with the pretty runner in front of me...bummer they would not see her Finish but it was neat to see their happiness.

-Past the hill and it was downhill to the Finish. Lazer focus until I saw my friends, what a welcome site... I burst forward and did a little pose as a couple runners passed me at the line. I did not wear a D-Tag because I didn't want to take a place away from another runner.. but my Garmin time was 1:58:18!! I did it! the last 2 miles were the fastest of my race.

I collected my cute (pho)gold necklace medal and waited for my buddy Kim.. She came across and looked GREAT! We talked about the last 5K and headed to the FOOD. My Fleet Feet buddies were manning the table, always nice to see friends... Not sure if Kerrie will love this, she left it all on the course. I am a PROUD Coach!! We stood around, shared stories, and got position to cheer on the last members of our Will Run for Ice Cream Team. Another FUN day!! We are already talking about next year. After the race we hit The Rock for lunch.. I got a pulled pork sandwich and coffee, YUMMERS!! And I bonded with the next Generation of Girl Runners Miss Riley.

You Go Girl makes my Dimples SHINE..

• To read more about You Go Girl check out my friends Blogs, click the name to be directed, in alpha order:

Alma

Carol-Ann

Kadie

Kerrie

Kim

Stacie

Tiffany

Tressa

Loving Running

T-Rex arms & mouth wide open.

I often look CRAZY!!!

I LOVE RUNNING!!!

RARE when a photo captures the JOY on the FINISH.

Early in a race is is easy to flash the dimples.

Having a friend helps keep the SMILES flying.

EVERY FINISH is Different. I cant judge the LOVE of the person in front or behind of me.

When I see you taking my picture I will SMILE!!

Every Finish Line is Different, we ALL struggle and cannot look Zen and happy every minute of a race.. But that does not mean we are not "LOVING RUNNING".

For context on the last photo (with me in the background) go to my Facebook page HERE. "Loving Running" cant always be captured with a simple photo..

You Go Girl and keep on going

I did not plan to run You Go Girl Half Marathon this year, it is Muscle Man's birthday tomorrow so I asked him if I should skip it...apparently I heard wrong because this week he asked why I was not running it.. WHAT?

My good buddy Amy (who had a birthday on September 17th Happy Birthday friend) picked up her bib and gave it to me. FREE RACE! I asked Kerrie HERE if she wanted a pacer, she was ready to run her own race...so I texted Kim HERE. I have wanted to run with Kim since YGG last year!! We decided that we would shoot to run together for a sub 2 hour half. FUN!! Then the lovely Tressa HERE let me buy her team shirt, THANK YOU!! I opted for the Jess HERE inspired pigtails like Kerrie and we were READY TO RUN!!

I felt CUTE and so excited to go for a sub 2 hour. While trying to sleep the night before the race I realized that today marked the last day that I saw my Dad before he died, it was at a Birthday party for Muscle Man and Tall Nephew. This made me a bit teary during the race, I decided that I would PUSH for a sub 2 hour for ME, I NEEDED it.. If you must know how it turned out check out my Dailymile HERE or Facebook HERE.. Race Report to come Soon :) My Big Girl job is SUPER BUSY, so I will get it up soon...

• Also be sure to check out Mom vs. Marathon HERE, I am a PROUD COACH today!!

HIGH FIVE Friday

Welcome to HIGH FIVE Friday.. A day where I spread the Virtual HIGH FIVE for things going on in Blog Land..

Self HIGH FIVE I will now be running You Go Girl Half Marathon with Team "Will Run for IceCream" and Kim on Sunday!! I am super Excited!!!

HIGH FIVE RACING:

You Go Girl

Half Marathon
*Cheering- Adorable Wife

Me!!

Kerrie- Sub 2 hour Goal!!!

Kim

Tiffany

Carol-Ann

Karla

Stacie
Katey
Diana
Fleet Feet Kendra

10K

Jill
(so not)Super RunnerMom
Kadie & her daughter

SuperMomE12- Top of Utah Marathon (gunning for a sub 3:30)
Rachel- (FIRST) Fox Cities Marathon
Pamela- Canada Army Run Half
Becca- Air Force Half Marathon
Lisa- Air Force Half Marathon (pacing her brother to his FIRST!)
Amanda- Delta Harvest Half (and first 20 mile training run)
Melody- SavageMan Triathlon
Tahoegirl- Bridge Run 10 miler
Jess- Pumpkin Classic 10K

HIGH FIVE MILESTONES:

Jamie & her hubby- 7 mile training run for their upcoming Half Marathon.

Sarah- 22 Mile training run!! EEK!

Kristin- Longest training run yet in cold NYC, 16 miles

Running Moose- 5th 20 miler in a row!!

Rena- 10 miler after not running all week due to CRAZY schedule

HIGH FIVE CONGRATS:

Morning Runner- Got Married on 9-10-11

Jesse- 100 mile race- Check out his VIDEO HERE

Denise- Complete a 70.3 last weekend

Kate- New 5K PR and 3rd in her Age Group

Christy- 1st in Age Group and 2nd overall Female for a Sprint Triathlon

HIGH FIVE GOOD LUCK:

Michelle- Registering for Boston Marathon on Monday!

Molly- Mid-way through NYC training and having a tough time. Good luck on the 16 miler.

Barefoot Angie Bee- Planning a Barefoot Runners Meet-up

HIGH FIVE FOR A GOOD CAUSE:

Kayla- Raffle every Sunday for American Cancer Society

• What do you need a HIGH FIVE for?? Leave a Comment.. My apologies if I missed anyone I was compiling the list at 10:00PM...
  
• 
  
• Please go around and spread the HIGH FIVE Love :)
  

HIGH FIVE It's Friday!!

Want a High Five??

I plan to revive HIGH FIVE FRIDAY tomorrow. I know that Mom vs. Marathon has BIG plans for a sub 2 hour Half at You Go Girl.

Who else needs a HIGH FIVE for the Weekend? Comment here or on Tall Mom Facebook Page HERE. Be sure to Link your Blog if you have one.

Go BIG or Stay Home?

I am in a PICKLE.. I have a problem...

I PEAKED EARLY!!!

In 2009 I was a new Runner and thought I needed to run FAST all-the-time. As a result my PR's are great, for me. These days my running has changed and I struggle to get anywhere close to that speed. I talked a little about this to Jess last weekend... It would take extreme focus to get close to the Runner I was in 09 and 2010.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO WITH MY RUNNING!!

At this point I need to Either

GO BIG
or
STAY HOME

What I mean is I need something BIG.. Train to KILL any of my PR's, First Ultra, Goofy, NYC, a BIG event to get me re-energized and focused.

or

Maybe I need to take a break, not a full break from running I couldn't do that, but take time to be with my family and run when I can for the pleasure of it. Stay HOME and reconnect with Muscle Man, the Little Studs and my family as a whole. No worries about PR's or other running Goals.

I AM TORN!!!

• Thoughts?

Iron Girl Seattle 2011 Race Report

Iron Girl Seattle is a BLAST!!! I am still giddy about this race, and it was a 5K. Never in past 5K races have I been this jazzed days later... My good buddy Jess @ Blonde Ponytail wrote her Race Report, check it out HERE..

Jess arrived on Saturday afternoon, brushed her teeth and we were back out the door. You see I live about an hour South of Seattle, so races in Seattle are a trek. We wanted to get to the Expo and meet the lovely Kit with Iron Girl. Funny story, I had a procedure done on Monday of race week which resulted in cramping, I opted to run the 5K and fight the pain for about 23 minutes :)

When I asked the lovely volunteer what I needed to do to switch my entry she said...
"It is OK you can try to run the 10K and if you get tired, finish the 5K." She was so sweet about it, and I sorta felt like a wimp in that moment, but I explained I could run the 10K but I preferred the 5K and switched my entry. Next we met Kit and chatted, this little lady is FANTASTIC!! She know how to put on a great event..
The expo was small and outdoors. I was a bit baffled that the Athleta booth was a "try on" booth and that they were not selling anything? Very STRANGE.. We got hungry so went across the street to the Greenlake Bar & Grill, the food was DELISH and the company even better. Jess and I click, I wish daily that she lived on the west side of the Mountains :) At one point we were intruded by a Bum, I am not kidding his Bum was hanging out of his pants, the bartender kicked him out but not before we got an eyeful and nearly upchucked our dinner.. Jess paid for Dinner, THANKS JESS, and we headed home for a 5:30 wake up..
I opted for Red, White and Blue (Team Sparkle HERE) Skirt to honor 9-11. The day before we had spotted a restroom on the side of the building, so we got in the SHORT line to avoid the Honey Bucket LONG line... Short line score!! No Toilet paper, UGH!! Oh well, you take the good with the bad.
Next it was off to the Start Line, we were told it could get congested so we didn't waste any time. The music was FANTASTIC, keep the energy High.. There were FIT FIT FIT women stretching and warming up, I felt a little out of place but I HOPED I could get sub 7's for the 5K so I was in the right place. Next Lindsay HERE came up and introduced herself. She is a local Blogger, I fell upon by reading her Nuun application..talk about inspiration, she is a Type 1 Diabetic with asthma and Runs!!! Amazing. Danielle came up to say Hi around that time also, so fun to have buddies to chat with while waiting.

They told inspirational stories and introduced the Leader of it all Judy, she choked up as she asked us to recognize 9-11 in a moment of Silence. I fought back the tears as the bagpipes played, it was a lovely tribute with the flag waving and everyone quiet.

A few more stretches and we were OFF. Jess's 10K plan was to chase me, so when I switched I told her to go 7:50-8:00, she is a GOOD listener, more on that later.

I knew I could hold the first mile around 6:45, after that is was anyone's guess. I have not done much speedwork, and NOTHING in the 6's. I felt strong as I set out but could feel my throat starting to close, eyes watering and post nasal drip...ALLERGIES!! I forgot to take my Claritin :( There was a photog on the course so I did a quick pose, I am excited to see the picture. First Mile 6:49 as we turned to the right. There was a little water stopped so I swished a quick drink. I spotted a runner who seemed to be in my Age Group up ahead and bursted forward. I passed her but could feel my legs burning and I was choking trying to clear my throat, I was slowing but there was not much I could do

Second Mile 7:21. I was surprised by the slower mile because I was TRULY giving it all I had. The scenery was pretty, near the lake with STRONG WOMEN surrounding and passing me :) What a TREAT!! I love love love all female races.

There was no chance for a PR but I could try to squeak out a sub 23:00... I tried to get my heavy legs to turn as I struggled to breathe and clear my throat. I bet people around me thought I was a smoker, it was not my lungs it was ALLERGIES!!

I could see the Finish Line, just then an itty bitty little gal passed me on the left, I did not have the legs to kick it up. But she stopped just after a line in the grass, it was not the Finish Line :( I sped up and passed just in front of a 14 year old girl, visor flying off as I sprinted...not proud of passing her, but she will know the FINISH LINE from now on..

TIME: 22:52
Pace: 7:23
Overall: 16/1,433
Age Group: 3/268

I had placed in my Age Group!!! I was tired, grabbed a water and waited with Nuun Coach Casey for his family. I was overjoyed watching ladies Finish.. a few things I LOVED:

• Women running their first 5K and the look of VICTORY and exhaustion
• A lady who had lost 180 pound, she was beautiful
• A pair in matching shirts, the first had a #1 and her partner had #2 and #3 over her tiny baby bump.
• Little tiny girls crossing with their Moms. A girl about 12ish said to her Mom "Why did you make me do that?" Another little one went zooming across the Finish arms swinging and smile blazing, her poor tired Mom tried to keep up but her daughter was too excited!!
• The passion, excitement and joy from everyone!!

We waited and I heard "Jess ----" and waited for me buddy. She had KILLED it and looked GREAT!!
Wish I looked this good after a race. She came around and we chatted with Casey and his family for a bit.. Look at the next generation...
How DARLING is this little ATHLETE?? We talked with Judy, the leader of Iron Girl, and told her how much we enjoyed the event... Lindsay came up and had done GREAT, read her report HERE, she dissappeared before I could say goodbye. Next it was time to get Jess's results and settle in with some grub..they have catered breakfast!!!
Jess got her timing printout which said she placed 4th in her Age Group.. UGH so close!!! WE wondered what the top 3 times were and decided to stay for that announcement to hear. I really enjoy staying for Award ceremonies so I was a happy camper.

There were women as old as 80 and many named Phyllis. When people accepted their awards, a beautiful charm, the photographer was there to snap a photo, NICE TOUCH!! The announcer was fantastic and kept the energy high. Soon it was time for me to hit the stage..
3rd place!! Not to shabby for a crampy allergy day :)
Showing off my Bling.. Note the little girl in the background, she won her age group and was WAITING to get her prize, clearly not jazzed to be waiting. It was a LONG ceremony but I appreciate that they gave top 3 awards for every Age group. It was time to pay attention to the 10K 30-34AG, They said the 3rd place then announcer said "Jess" we were clearly SURPRISED!! She had taken 2nd in her first 10K!!! Guess she did not need to chase Tall Mom a$$ to do well.
Matchy matchy in her Iron Girl Pink outfit. so PRETTY!!
What a FUN day we had. I would recommend Iron Girl events to anyone wanting a GREAT first time 5K or 10K experience, or to be re-energized with racing. You get a MEDAL!!!

After the awards we went to Chelsea's HERE to get clean up, I had a baby shower for Short lawyer a few hours later. It was a blast to see my UW friend's house and hang just a bit longer. Also got to chat with Danielle, a local runner, come to find out we work at the same company. Thanks Chelsea for letting me wash off the grime!!

• Check to see if there is an Iron Girl event near you HERE, it is not just Triathlons!!
  

KINDERGARTEN

It's Official!! We have a Kindergartner... Little Stud #1 started today.. No tears from Mom :) Thankfully I was able to go in to work late so I could snap a few photos. Once in the class I could tell he did not want me to take his picture anymore :) He seemed a little nervous, but I am sure he was his usual self once he got going.





Parents on the outside looking in.. CHANGES!!

• Race Report up soon!! I had a blast at Iron Girl Seattle..
  

God Bless America

10 Years ago I was in college, recovering from a knee injury and starting my Masters degree at Gonzaga. 10 years ago our country suffered a scary and devastating attack. I watched on the news hardly able to fully understand the scope of what was happening. It was a dark time, it was a quiet time, it was a somber time. As a college student things that happen outside of the campus hardly seem to make a dent in daily life, but that day and the days that followed everyone was clearly impacted. Seeing the images and reading books which spell out what it felt like to be on the site are haunting, seems more like something out of Hollywood than a historical event just 10 years ago.

Today I ran a 5K, I wore Red, white and sparkle blue and put my hand on my heart during the national anthem to honor my country and those who were lost on 9-11 and the men and women who continue to fight to keep us safe. A lump formed in my throat as the bagpipes played and we had a moment of silence. I WILL NEVER FORGET!!

• Where were you on 9-11?

Wanna Race? Plan your Year in Running

I am still not 100% sure what I will do in the way of my Year in Running for 2012. In thinking about the Year I realized there are many many many things to take into consideration when planning my schedule. Newer Runners, or even seasoned Runners could benefit from the thoughts floating in my Tall Mind. Yes I often give "no duh" advice, but if it helps anyone it was worth sending to the Blogsphere :)

TALL MOM TIPS for
Planning your YEAR IN RUNNING:

Look at a your Personal Calendar:
Jot down all of the IMPORTANT life events, birthday, anniversaries, planned vacations, work events and travel, busy family months, holidays, etc. This will give you a clear picture of your year outside of racing and may help you avoid registering for a race when you have a prior commitment.

Look at the Racing Calendar:
There is OVERLOAD when it comes to finding good comprehensive Racing Calendars. I often use Active.com, Marathonguide.com, HalfMarathons.net, and other local search engines. I also am linked into my local Running store who sponsor many smaller local races. In WA there are races nearly every weekend for about 3/4 of the year, which is exciting and overwhelming. Jot down the races you are interested in. Keep a spreadsheet to record the costs and registration deadlines. There is some strategy to race selection, so plan it out.

Set a Budget:
Maybe you have deep pockets and can register for every race every weekend. If you are like me the racing budget is slim to non-existent. Having a budget in mind will help you to plan out the year. These days a good 5K is about $25, 10K $35+, Half Marathon $75+ and Marathon who knows $100 and more.. You get what you pay for!!! The prices are higher for races with better course support, timing chips and amenities like road closures, tech tees and all important abundance of porta potties. Splurge on your "A" race, and try out a cheep race, you will notice the difference. And be sure to follow the tip below...

Be an Early Bird:
The fees are deeply discounted if you Register Early. This does not mean you need to register for everything for the entire year....be aware of the date that the price will go UP, mark it on your calendar. Some races offer team discounts, and other incentives to get registered early.
Add a couple races for FUN!

Dress up in a costume, turn off your Garmin and takes lots of pictures. Invite friends and family to join in for a Memory Making Adventure. Run like Santa, hit a Haunted Hustle, Trot like a Turkey, Shake your Shamrock, Race against Cupid, cross a Cinco De Mayo finish line, themed races are a BLAST and worth the slightly higher entry fee. Read the small print, there are often contests for best costume or other incentives for joining in the FUN.

Find Family Friendly Races:

Some races will allow jogging strollers, or have races for kids. This is a GREAT way to make it a full family event. I LOVE races with Muscle Man!! I was BLESSED to run with my sister for her 1st Half Marathon. Any race can be a family event if you plan ahead.

Race for a Good Cause:

Last year I raised money for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer, many of you are already raising funds for worthy charities, props to you I KNOW the commitment it takes to run and raise money. You do not need to raise $$$$$ to give back. More than likely there is a race in your own backyard where the funds go to a Good Cause. Diabetes, Cancer, local cross country teams, even the local zoo and more.. Build the Calendar around your GOALS:

What is your GOAL for 2012? Maybe you have more than 1 GOAL. Become a Half Fanatic or Marathon Maniac, set a new PR in any distance, qualify for Boston, complete your first Tri, 5K, 10K, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, etc.. Having a GOAL is super exciting. The important thing is to plan your entire calendar around this GOAL(s), with events having a specific purpose to get you to where you want to be. You don't want to sign up for EVERY race and be burnt out before you have reached your GOAL. But adding a race in the middle of a tough training schedule is a great way to stay focused and infuse some excitement into your plan.

Give Back- Volunteer:

I need to take my own advice on this one, I am ASHAMED to admit I have not yet volunteered for any racing events. 2012 will be a year I will be an athletic supporter ;) Chose a race that benefits your local Running store or club, pick a race where you know some of the people running, and be sure that you bring the SMILE and excitement to the race that you appreciate when you are on the course. Runners are the BEST volunteers, plan it on your calendar.

Come to Rock N Roll Seattle:

HEHEHE.. OK, I am biased but I would love to have loads of Runners come visit us ladies in the PNW. Add this race to your calendar. I will most likely host a Bloggy Meet-up the night before the race if there is enough interest. It is NOT an easy course with ROLLING hills, but the medals are great, you can see Mount Rainier and the Space Needle on a clear day and the post race photo-ops are well worth the trip. DONT EVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR A ROCK N ROLL RACE.. you can always find a coupon code online.

Plan a Destination Run:

This may go along with the tip above, Seattle is a great destination. I would recommend that your destination run be a Half Marathon a not longer, but maybe I am just a sucky traveller. Rock N Roll Vegas Half in the dark, WOWEE!! Wish I could go again this year. Maybe you have a favorite Blogger who lives in another Zipcode, or a race across the pond you have always wanted to do. Possibly it wont fit in the budget next year, but don't count it out, destination races are a FUN way to get to see a new city by the power of your 2 feet. Maybe you are trying for a PR?? I would save a PR for another day, the destination race should be all about FUN!

Pace/Be Paced by a Friend:

Contact your friend and coordinate your race schedule to MERGE. Teaming up for a race is a BLAST. I have worn matching outfits and raced with a buddy (sister) on more than 1 occasion. Running does not have to be a solo sport. It is an HONOR to have been there to help my friend through a tough patch. Pacing her/him to a PR, that is icing on the cake!!

Invite your Friends:

It does not take much to plan an EPIC Meetup.. Many venues have free private rooms, invite folks, get a big group together, and take over that room. Name tags, ice breakers, and good food make for a related evening. Look ahead and get the chatter going early, that way everyone will be on the same page. If it goes well? Make it an Annual event.

• Off to take my own advice. The Tall Mom 2012 Calendar needs some work :) Happy Planning