Things that make me smile - another 'Swiss Alpine Marathon' post

You know you're a runner when - the 'Wedding' edition

...what immediately springs to mind when looking at this photo is:

Photo courtesy: www.nu.nl

..."That dress would look so much better paired with Newton running shoes. Preferably the pink Newton racing flats."

...That walking down the aisle part goes on and on and on. Run, Kate, Run! Running down the aisle would also make it more fun to watch. At least, in your opinion.

...You're wondering whether or not the dress has built-in briefs.

...You have this 'brilliant' idea of marketing RazzyRoo headbands with a veil attached. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

...When looking at the carriage ride, you find yourself thinking 'isn't the London marathon finish line at that exact same spot?'.

Disclaimer: I don't have the marriage bug. Had it as a little girl, but lost it somewhere along the line. It happens. I'm not bitter, and I don't have a broken heart to blame. I'm just not the girl to sob over a wedding. Sorry. And yes, I AM a girl. Just checked and the obligatory parts are still there.

Three Things Thursday

1. The Toe: Further to Yesterday's post, my pinky toe still looks like an inflamed mini sausage. Yeugh. All red-ish and painful. It's not that swollen anymore, and there seems to be a blister on the cuticle, that's messing with the toe nail. And that blister seems to be causing the pain. Wearing closed toe shoes is not an option. Hmmm... Soaked the thing in a foot bath last night, and plan on doing the same tonight. Plus, I tried to drown the little piggy in Calendula gel. Hoping it does the trick on the inflamation issue. If it doesn't improve by tomorrow I'll call the GP for some Antibiotics ointment/gel/whatever works. I'm not a huge fan of Antibiotics, but if the other option would be having a yucky swollen and inflamed toe, I'm opting for the Antibiotics.

2. Team Hole in the Wall: Since I didn't get in through the lottery (boohoohoo...), I'm hoping on the guaranteed entry into the New York City Marathon through Team Hole in the Wall. You can find the link to my fundraising page on the right (just click on the 'Team Hole in the Wall' logo). I really really want to raise enough funds to help out at least two kids. Those Hole in the Wall camps mean the world to these seriously ill children. Funds needed for two kids: $ 6,000. Any advice on raising this amount is more than welcome!

As an extra 'what's in it for you' I decided to do something 'fun'. I plan on running the Swiss Alpine Marathon K78 (an ultramarathon - 50 miler) this July. This race is pretty special to me, and I wanted to do something to add a 'spiritual' touch to it. And that's why I plan on taking prayer flags (like the ones in Tibet) with me and leaving them at the highest point. For those that donate $35 or more on my fundraising page, I'll take a prayer flag with me, with your message written on it. Curious to know what you think!

3. Yet another marathon?: I kind of hope to do another marathon (Edinburgh Marathon) on May 22nd. Seems like a plan to me. However, this implies that I should get some runs in. Because of The yucky Toe, wearing running shoes or any closed toe shoes for that matter hurts the heck out of The Toe. Ouch. Mainly because of that blister (and yes, I considered popping it, but my PT said 'no, not yet'). So...I did a short 2 mile / 3.2K recovery run yesterday. Barefoot. And it felt good! Lesson learned: Barefoot running is actually kind of fun. Another lesson learned: don't run barefoot on a treadmill. The treadmill gets hot. Enough said.

Battle scars

If you're about to have breakfast/lunch/dinner and/or tend to puke during horror movies, you might want to stop reading now. As in: NOW!


Because...here they are. Battle scars.



Boob chafe. Ouchie. At the moment it has reached a point where it's itching like nobody's business. And I'm flashing my armpit, I know. Get over it. :)


Yeah... Enough said. I do NOT know what's going on there. You can't tell from this photo, but the tip of the toe actually is blue/black-ish. Hmmm... I'm not sure how much longer I'll get away with wearing strappy sandals to work. Even running shoes hurt. Do you actually need your pinky toe? ;)

Any thoughts on what's going on with the toe? And what I can do about it?

Race photos 101 - How to work that silly face all the way to the finish line

Utrecht Marathon. 25 april 2011. Second marathon in two weeks time. 27 / 27 degrees Celsius (up in the 80's in Fahrenheit). Sunny sunny sunny. Late 10:30 AM start. It was hot. 3:59:55. Pr'ed by 10 minutes and 36 seconds. Came in 12th out of 46 in my Age Group (524 runners in total: not a lot of ladies out there!).

Aid stations: sucked. Badly organized. Fortunately, I have - hands down - the best mom in the world. She bike sherpa'd me to the finish line. Giving me all the water/gatorade and TLC a girl could possibly ask for.

In photos (all taken right before the finish line):


Those guys in the back. Chicked them. 500 meters before the finish line. Take that. From a girl. In a skirt.


Still checking my watch to make sure the 3:59 doesn't change to 4:00. :)


There it is. The silly face. Patent pending. :)


Nice form, missy. NOT!


And, there's the silly face again. The safari hat might look silly, but it was a true life saver in that heat and with that sun.


Crossed the finish line. Stop the Garmin! And it still says 3:59. Seconds later I was crying my eyes out on the shoulder of one of the volunteers. Embarrassing, at least...

One happy camper - The 'two marathons in two weeks' post

Two marathons. Two weeks.

Paris Marathon on April 10th in 4:10:31 and 27/28 degrees Celsius / up in the 80's in Fahrenheit heat.

Today's marathon in - again (damn you Spring marathons) - 27/28 degrees Celsius / up in the 80's in Fahrenheit heat in 3:59:55. Close call, but still. :)

Pr'ed by 10 minutes and 36 seconds, and managed to leave 75% of the women behind me in today's marathon. Apparently the heat was hard on all of us. I'm one happy camper. :)

Something different - Patagonia running gear

The North Face, Salomon Running, Runningskirts.com and Nike - my running gear of choice. Can't go wrong with these brands. Although, I'm not a huge fan of Nike tees and long sleeves. On the other hand, I hopped around in their Tempo running shorts for most of this winter (over long tights...obviously).

I'm pretty loyal to the brands I love. As soon as I've found something I like, I'll hang on to it for dear life. Simple as that.

However...a girl can always add brands to the list, right? Yup, she can. :)

Patagonia trail running gear

So, guess what I came along spending too much time on the internet last night in my search for cute non-black trail running gear:

Patagonia Women's (Trail) Running Gear

Check out that website. Seriously, do yourself a favor, and click on the link.

Why? Well...one reason to check it out is because Patagonia sells these:

Photo courtesy: Patagonia

Women's Draft Dress - $65 - Patagonia states 'it's one step up from running naked'. For a girl that likes to go commando in her running shorts, this might very well be heaven in a dress. (Also available in 'Storm' (grey-ish) and 'Cerise').

Photo courtesy: Patagonia

Women's AllWeather Dress - $55 - The Draft Dress has mesh panels, the AllWeather Dress doesn't, but it still looks perfect for hot weather runs. Also, I like the style of the dress. (Also available in Black and Red).

Of course, the running dresses aren't the only thing on the website. They have shorts, tights, vests, jackets, tees, etcetera. And although it says 'trail running' gear, you could very well use it for non-trail running - at least, in my opinion.

Let's get technical

Yep, no cotton here. All Patagonia running gear is made out of high quality technical fabric. But then again, Patagonia has been in the outdoor clothing and outdoor gear business for years. They know which fabrics work when you're out there on the trails. :)

I just love the fact that Outdoor brands like The North Face, Salomon and Patagonia are using their expertise to create high quality running gear. Thumbs up! :)

Now...if I could just find a retailer that is willing to ship that Draft Dress to the Netherlands for me to try it out. ;)

Three Things Thursday - The 'Please let me have this' post

1. Pre Race madness: I've got the pre race jitters... again. Just 4 more nights. Yikes! Especially since the weather forecast for this marathon isn't any better than the weather forecast for the Paris Marathon on April 10th. Sunny, 24 degrees Celsius / 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and a late 10:30 AM start. Recipe for disaster? It could very well be...but I plan on taking it extremely slow (don't expect any PR finishing times on this one...sigh :(), and plan on using it as a training run for the Swiss Alpine Marathon 78K. Fingers crossed that I get through it without a heat stroke and seeing runners collapse on course like the Paris Marathon scare from the 35K point on...

2. Let me have this, alright?: I really don't want to complain or be mean, but seriously...could my co-workers just stop telling me that I'm insane and a bad employee (they honestly said that) for running two marathon in two weeks, or just running at all? The 'your employer would never agree on you running two marathons in just two weeks time' and 'you had a migraine last monday: that must have been because of all the running you've been doing' comments are just making me feel more frustrated by the minute. What the bleep! A. I don't go around talking about running all day: it's the co-workers that can't seem to stop talking about it. B. That migraine is a side-effect of the prescripted meds I need to take for the kidney problems I was born with. And they know that. But still, they have to complain about it. And by the way: you all had the flue, laryngitis, hang-overs, etcetera in the last couple of monts and took sick days because of that: I didn't! C. Am I telling them to stop smoking / stop eating greasy food / start exercising? No, I'm not. So, zip it!

Okay...I'll stop complaining, now...it's just that I feel so...well, frustrated about it...

3. Support your fellow runners!: Katye from Long Legs on the Loose ran the Boston Marathon last Monday. And managed to get a torn calf at mile 11. Ouch! Remember my little NYC Marathon 2010 adventure? Does 'torn calf at mile 8' ring a bell? I know in how much pain she is now and how frustrated she must feel, so, please, go over to her blog and tell her that she's a total rock star and that you're sending healing vibes her way! :)

Another marathon, another outfit

Weird.

My body is supposed to be in taper mode / carb loading mode, but it sure feels like it's still in recovery mode / eating greasy food mode.

Hmmmm... Two marathons in 15 days. Paris Marathon was 1 1/2 weeks ago, and I have the Utrecht Marathon planned in 5 days (great thinking Silly Girl, great thinking). Fingers crossed that I can make it to the start and finish line in one piece. Weather forecast? By the looks of it it could very well turn out to be Paris #2: 24 degrees Celsius / 75 degrees Fahrenheit + sunny (and the sun is already pretty hot...and it's only April). Add a late 10:30 AM start to that, and this girl knows that she is not going to PR on this one. ;) I would be lucky to finish the thing without a heat stroke.

Yep. Another marathon, another outfit.

And since I did obediently follow your advice on the Paris Marathon outfit (well...with results being 50/50, I just combined the two options)... There we go again! ;)

A.

The 'sarcasm' outfit, since I'm nowhere near as fast as a cheetah. Ha!

B.

The 'I'm actually quite nice and sweet and girly' outfit. Or the 'fool them' outfit. ;)

Well, voting is on! Just make sure not to make it 50/50 this time. ;) I couldn't combine these two. ;)

Help! New York City Marathon question

Okay, I'm fully aware of the fact that this might be a stupid question, but I'm still going to put it up here.

I joined the lottery for the NYCM 2011 back in November 2010. Then decided that I wanted to run for charity and contacted Team Hole in the Wall. Registered and started fundraising. Booked early flights (cheaper) to NYC.

Fast forward to January 28th '11: received an email from NYRR saying that chances to get in through the lottery are extremely thin. They advised me to look for other ways to get in and offered a refund if I'd go for the withdrawal.

"On January 24, New York Road Runners posted additional details about entry into the ING New York City Marathon 2011. These details are to educate all applicants about the application process in general and the selection of non-guaranteed entry applicants in particular. Please click here to review the information.

You are receiving this e-mail because you submitted a non-guaranteed entry application prior to January 25. Anyone who applied for non-guaranteed entry during the period from November 8, 2010, to January 24, 2011, now may choose to withdraw from the application process and obtain a refund of the $11 processing fee.

Steps to Claim Your Refund
If you would like to withdraw your marathon application and receive a refund of your $11 processing fee, follow these steps:

Check your ING New York City Marathon Runner Profile to make sure your credit card information is correct. If you have trouble accessing your profile, contact us.
Send us an e-mail at marathonrefund@nyrr.org with “Marathon Refund” as the subject, requesting the refund.
If you paid by credit card, your refund will appear on your statement. Please allow up to two weeks for the refund to be processed by NYRR, and additional time for the credit to appear on your credit card statement.
If you paid by cash or check, please bring your receipt or a copy of the canceled check to our 9 East 89th Street office for processing.
Please note:
This is a one-time benefit that is non-transferable.
Requests must be made on or before April 19, 2011.
Do not reply to this e-mail. Instead, if you have questions, e-mail reghelp@nyrr.org.
By requesting this refund, you are withdrawing your application for non-guaranteed entry to the ING New York City Marathon 2011. This action is not reversible; however, if you become eligible for guaranteed entry to the marathon, you may re-apply by the application deadline. You will then be charged the entry fees including the $11 processing fee.
Your withdrawal does not qualify as a cancellation or denial of entry for purposes of obtaining guaranteed entry to a future marathon. Check our website for more details.
Sincerely,
ING New York City Marathon Registration"

I then emailed NYRR - several times - about having joined a charity and if that implied that I would no longer need to be in the lottery, I would withdraw my lottery entry. Only heard back after email bombing them, just saying that my application had been removed. No answer on the charity/lottery thing. Just 'removed'.

And now I've been hearing that when you're removed from the lottery and no longer in it, you won't be able to accept the guaranteed entry through the charity (invation emails are said to be send out late April). Okay, see, I'm freaking out here, and worried that I can't run NYCM '11 after all.

Team Hole in the Wall couldn't answer this question (which makes sense, since NYRR should confirm it). And I guess my emails to NYRR got lost in cyberspace.

Could anyone help me out on this one? Since I'm freaking out... Oh, I already said that...

About those high heels...

A little while ago, I wrote an open letter to the (excessive number of...) high heels in my closet. Missed it? Here it is.

Well, I've had a bit of a change of heart. Lately my feet have been kind enough to let me wear heels again, without sending shooting pains through my legs, that is. And without letting me waggle around like Bigbird's little sister. All smiles for being a runner and still being able to walk around in heels comfortably.

Don't get me wrong, stiletto heels are still a no-go. Walking in stilettos isn't the problem. The fear of getting stuck between the cobble stones the town I live in is paved with, is (the problem). Because, such an embarrassing (and not to mention clumsy) accidento has my name written all over it. Plus...it's more likely to wack your ankle in stilettos than in a more chunky heeled shoe, right?

So, stacked heels and wedges it is. :) And thank the running gods, that wedges are the shoes the hip kids are wearing at the moment. And if the hip kids are...who am I to disagree? ;)

Eco-friendly shoes? Bright green? I like it! :)

Sushi with friends?

Hmmm...Partying all night?

City trip?

Photo courtesy: Instyle Magazine (April '11) and O Magazine (April '11)

My only concern? All those cute wedge heeled shoes have an open toe... And, let's be honest...there really isn't a soul out there, that would thank me for taking these little piggies out in public. ;)

See how I'm 'disguising' my blue toenails by wrapping Compeed patches around them? Clever, huh? ;)

Disclaimer: Please feel free to laugh at and not follow any fashion advice that's linked to moi. Especially since - last Saturday - I managed to hit the shops wearing a Paris marathon long sleeve, A&F sweat pants and VFFs, paired with Prada sunglasses. I got stared at. Enough said.

Heck yeah, I'm coming home!

My 'I've found my happy pace during this long run/marathon' song. All smiles! :) Push 'repeat'! :)

Foto Friday

Proof that I should be admitted into a mental institution...as soon as freakin' possible. And further to yesterday's post: my mom asked me to let you know that she is willing to pay big $$$ to the guy that is brave enough (and completely nutso if you'd ask me...) to take me off her hands. ;)

50 meters before the finish line...

Three Things Thursday

1. Recovery: I'm not a huge fan of taper time. Turns out I'm even less of a fan of recovery time. I want to run. I want to exercise. But, apparently, when my 'post marathon and pre next marathon planned in 1 1/2 weeks schedule' calls for a rest day this implies that I should play couch potato for the day and not cheat by cycling. Yeugh. And yes, I'm driving pretty much everyone around me insane. You're welcome, guys. :)

2. Sleep pants: Let me introduce you to the Saucony Amp Pro2 recovery pants. Saucony states that the tights promote healing and reduce recovery time. They had me at 'reduced recovery time'.

I'm not sure if the intended use for these babies is to be worn during the daytime, or during the night. I figured my post marathon legs would love me if I'd wear them to bed. Paired with my Paris Marathon cotton tee. Oh yeah, I'm sexy like that. And my family keeps wondering why I'm single. ;)

See the 'webbing' in the tights: that webbing is supposed to perform miracles. I'm just hoping it will help the quads get rid of this burning sensation... Ouch. And yes, that's my dog Diddy in the background. On his own side of the bed. On the faux fur pillow I let him pick out. Again, why I'm single is beyond anyone. ;)

Frits the Cat (Yes, he's actually called 'Frits') makes a surprise appearance.

3. Lesson learned: Do not - I repeat 'Do Not!' - jump to doing your normal weights work out regime three days post marathon. Fast forward to the events of last night's gym session. I normally do 100 repeats on the leg press machine. You've probably already guessed what's coming... Programmed the machine for my 'normal' work out, tried to get going, but the plate wouldn't move. So I pushed harder. Burning quads of terror! What the bleep! I guess my cramped up quads need some extra time to recover. Needless to say that I'm staying away from that machine for the rest of this week.

Any advice on this one? I don't want to risk an injured quad...

The odd couple

Don't you just love meeting up with running buddies - post marathon? Well, I do! :) Wendy and I met during last year's Swiss Alpine Marathon and have stayed in touch since that 'shared moment of pain'. ;) Last Sunday we both ran the Paris Marathon and both loved every minute of it. And met up for a beer afterwards. :) It took a bit of a struggle finding each other, but after some missed calls, texts and 'I'm in front of...can you spot me?', it did all work out fine. :)

Wendy is mega-speedy. She has a 1:43 half marathon PR. As for me...I can only dream of a 1:43 half marathon PR. If it weren't for her being so nice, I would have been ignoring the heck out of her. Ha! ;)

Oh yeah, I'm a giant. It stays unnoticed when in the (tall people) Netherlands, but being in France makes me feel like a freak of nature.

Aren't those the best Finisher's shirts ever?

Another plus about Wendy (she is incredibly nice!): she took this photo of me...and made me look non-freakish in it. That's a first! ;)

Please tell me about your favorite running buddy meet-up!

Race photos 101 - How to mess up yet another set of race photos

What can I say? I'm gifted.

Why the long face? You have another 20 miles / 32K to go. :)

22K-ish / 14 mile-ish point. Look at the face. I hope I look better in person.

At the 25K point. Still running a 5:30 K / 8:48 mile pace. And yet I manage to look sloo-ooow! Oh, and that's not sweat...I'm soaking wet from dancing around at the sprinkler stations. :)

Right before the finish line. Too freaking happy to finish. Need to work on my tan. A.S.A.P.! And have to work on not closing my eyes on finish photos! Might have to work on getting those Emz abs. But then again, that would involve crunches and I'm not a huge fan of those. ;)

You won't believe it...

...but I did manage to not get injured (remember a little injury I'd like to call the NYC Marathon Calf Strain?) in this marathon.

Weather: 27 degrees Celsius / 80 degrees Fahrenheit at 11.15 AM. Sunny (and by sunny, I mean 'fireball' sun!). Too hot for this little redhead. I can not handle heat. Beautiful day for spectating, though!

Splits:

5K: 28:06

10K: 56:03

Half Marathon mark: 1:56:56

25K mark: 2:18:49 and still feeling absolutely fantastic! Loving the course and the crowds!

28K mark: spotted my mom. Spent at least a good 5 minutes chatting to her and petting her service dog Diddy (he was all excited when he spotted me and kept jumping up and down :)). And another 5 minutes trying to find her in the crowds - while calling her on my phone. Not a wise decision...at all... Note to self: next time - consider to keep running and leave the chatting for after the finish line. ;)

30K: 2:53:19 - yeah...the chatting and phone thing didn't really help with this one. ;) Quads are starting to cramp up, but nothing too bad. Took some salt.

32K: runners are collapsing all around me - due to the heat. And it is extremely hot. I decide to drop my pace and finish this thing without heat exhaustion / heat stroke. Especially since I have another marathon scheduled in 2 weeks...

35K: 3:25:28

42.2K (Garmin said 42.6K): 4:10:31

Taken into consideration the extreme heat and the chatting to my mom part, I'll take it. Would have loved to go sub-4, but 'hey' better luck next time! ;) At least I crossed the finish line already excited for the next marathon! :)

Plus...with the New York City Marathon being my first road marathon, and that one taking me 5:18 hours due to the calf strain at mile 8 / 13K (and limping the damn thing out....ouch!) - and Paris being my second road marathon, it's still a 1 hour 8 minutes PR. Ha! ;)

Memorable sight: Eiffel Tower? Louvre? Bastille? Nope...runners collapsing from the 35K mark on (as in: dropping in the middle of the road, and just staying there...). Heat stroke. Not a pleasant sight. Paramedics were all over the place. Scared the heck out of me!

Loved it?: Heck yeah! I loved every freaking minute of it! :) Great course, amazing day, absolutely fantastic weekend! :)

Still curious? No photos yet, but I do have a course video of moi... Follow this link: video. I'm in an aqua tanktop, sky blue cap and orange running skirt (and pink compression socks...).

Open letter to The Wall

Dear Wall,

I'm Silly Girl Running. And I'm supposed to run a marathon this Sunday. And I'm scared sh#tless about the whole thing. Just wanted to inform you about that.

I know it's your job to crush marathoners near the 20-22 mile / 32-35K mark. And yes, I know the 'talk' about the hole in the wall is a big fat lie - at least, as far as you're concerned. You're there: got it. Point taken. I should be afraid. Very afraid. No worries, I am.

But please, dear Wall, I would highly appreciate it if you would fail to make an appearance this Sunday.

That's all.

Love,

Silly Girl Running

Three Things Thursday

1. Pre Race Madness: I've got the pre race jitters. The bad kind. As in: I don't even feel like eating...not even cupcakes. I'm at the point where I'm not only questioning myself, but also my training. I'm a mess. And I'm scared sh*t that - running gods forbid - something bad will happen before or during (remember NYCM 2010?) the marathon. At this point I'm pretty certain that I won't even make my 'not pushing too hard' goal time. Oh yeah, it's bad. I need a drink. Maybe even two.

2. Race outfit: Well, Dutch Customs finally decided to release the Chocofleurs running skirt I've been waiting for. Somehow they decided to hold on to the arm sleeves that were in the same package. Yep...it's beyond me.

The skirt arrived just in time for me to...NOT...take it for a test drive. I only have a 3K / 2 miler left in this training plan: test driving the skirt is out of the question. So...a diferent outfit it is.

Which outfit would have your vote?

A.

Mums in Bloom runningskirt.com running skirt and Azure tank top. Note: this outfit has a strict 'no drippy poo on race day' policy...

B.

Photo courtesy www.hiphardlopen.nl

Orange dot runningskirts.com strappy tank and orange runningskirts.com running skirt (I am - after all - Dutch). :)

3. Cats and dogs can't be friends? Well...in my house, they can! :)

Yep, those are my pets. On my bed. And I don't mind. Ha! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Weather Forecast for this Sunday's marathon in Paris:

22 degrees Celsius / 72 degrees Fahrenheit

I'm starting to worry now. This redhead doesn't adjust to or do well in warmer weather. Enough said.

Salt tabs, anyone?

Tuesday makes me wonder...

What bleeping point was I trying to make in this photo?

Uhm...yep... Up to you to find a subtitle for this photo. :) [And please don't say my #ss looks huge, because it does...what the bleep!]

True

Photo courtesy of

I heart to run.

It's a dog's life

Well, I've cheated on the taper. Beginner's mistake numero uno.

Lordie and moi - 5K. I absolutely love this photo.

And I know my body and especially my legs will make me pay for it in Paris (Paris marathon, if everything goes according to plan...). And I'm fine with that. Because, A. I had an amazing time cheating on the taper, B. I wouldn't run anywhere near an 'okay' time in Paris anyway (overcrowded course and too much photos to be taken), and C. I had a kick #ss time cheating on the taper!

My dear mom cheering us on at the finish line.

How did I cheat on the taper? I raced (well, I didn't want to puke, so it wasn't really racing, was it?) a 5K canicross with Lordie. And a 2.3K canicross with Diddy. In my defence: I did plan on just running those distances at marathon pace. No lie.

Well...that didn't work.

Lordie and moi about to finish the 5K in 22:03. He had stopped dragging me along after 500 meters, so I had to do this thing all by myself. Oh, and he decided to greet the trees with what I'd like to call "the longest pee session of 2011"...Yeah...during a race. What the bleep!

Still ready to finish... This race reminded me of the fact that I do NOT like 5Ks. At all...

I was just trying to focus on staying in front of the other runner (Monique). Lordie was just focussing on taking it as easy as possible (Okay...in his defence...he was hot...it was a hot day).

Diddy kicking it into gear. My abs are still in pain because of this.

Andrew described it as 'a dog flying a Silly Girl kite'. He was quite right.

Diddy and moi about to finish the 2.3K in 9:10.

Those are not my quads. I borrowed them from one of the guys. My real quads are nice and feminine.

Lordie and I placed first in our AG in the 5K. Can you tell Lordie feels like he's above the other dog? ;) Prize: dog food. And lots of it. Not fair...considering the fact that I had to work this one on my own, while Lordie was too busy finding a tree. ;) By the way...being in the same AG as a 16-year old (that does track by the way...ouch) is...different. It made me feel 'old'...

Diddy and I placed 3rd in our AG in the 2.3K.

Cupcake Marathon Prize Winners - European participants

Well, there we go. The results of the Cupcake Marathon. Jason is covering a post on the US/Canadian participants today, and I'm all over the European ones. For the US/Canada peeps: go over to Jason's blog and find out if you're one of the winners!

First I'd like to thank Jason for hosting this with me and finding some amazing sponsors! Jason, you have a great thing going with your blog! And that Pizza Tri he's hosting this year: well, that might be the one thing that will make me squeeze my bod in a wetsuit.

European winners

Okay, over to the winners. After some minor issues with random.org (don't even ask...just don't...), I've managed to draw the lucky European participants that will be receiving some awesome stuff in their mail box any day now! I really wanted to make a print screen shot of every random.org drawing, but since this would have made a huge post...you'll just have to trust me on this one. And yep, for of over 60 participants from Europe (amazing how many US/Canada participants there were by the way: over 200), there were4 prize packs to hand out.

1st Prize goes to: Wendy Widmer (full marathon) - Sweaty Band headband, GU sample pack, Nike running tee (short sleeve)

Sorry, Wendy. I just had to share this photo. It's hilarious!

Mijke van den Brand (half marathon) - Asics Running socks

Elisabeth van der Schalk (half marathon) - Sweaty Band headband

Sheila van Liempdt (full marathon)- RazzyRoo headband, GU sample pack

Oh, and all the winners will be receiving a Silly Girl Running fridge magnet as a bonus. Whether you like it or not. ;)

Wendy, Mijke, Elisabeth and Sheila: Could you please send me your address info?

March Recap / Stats

Miles / Km planned / ran: 170 miles / 272 km planned 190.1 miles / 304.2 km ran

Rest days planned / taken: 8 / 7

Highest mileage / km week: 15/3 - 21/3 : 47.5 miles / 76 km

Long runs planned / ran: 4 / 4

Pace / speed work outs planned / ran: 8 / 9 (I've cheated on the taper....)

Cross training work outs planned / done: 5 / 10 (ski trip)

Donuts burned: 117 (What? Only 117?)

Current shame-inducing guilty pleasure: Cheating on the taper...Enough said.

Current obsession: Watching 'The Big Bang Theory' re-runs.

Current drink: Still fennel tea, water and diet coke. I'm boring.

Current song: I've rediscovered Aerosmith on my Ipod for long runs. Favorite song: 'Push play'. And now it's in my head for the rest of the day...

Current need: The cure for taper madness.

Current triumph: Struggling through training those uphills for the mountain marathon and not giving up - yet, that is...

Current bane of my existence: Still...the pile of work on my desk.

Current blessings: Spring weather coming in and still...the being able to run with my dog thing.

Current excitement: Uhm...marathon training?