Focus on happy & YOGA
January 20, 2011
It’s been a bad week and it’s been a good week, but right now I’m choosing to focus on the good (because frankly I don’t have the time or energy to think about the bad right now…specifically to sit down and get it all out…in writing, off my chest, outta my head…but I’ll get to it, I have to in order to move on…last time it took me nearly a year…hoping this time doesn’t take quite that long).
So, on that note I received an exciting package today – my OFFICIAL Livestrong gear for the Livestrong Austin Marathon! HIP HIP HOORAY! I got a nice hat, a reinforced (and pretty damn cool) Nike backpack, and a bright yellow racing jersey all adorned with, you guessed it, the Livestrong logo.
This package made me excited for a few different reasons. But the #1 reason it makes me happy is because it means the race is close…so close I can see the finish line – 4 weeks and counting down. This has been one of the most challenging yet most rewarding 26 weeks of my life. I never knew it would be so hard and never imagined it could be so easy. This gear solidifies my entry, tells me it is time, and gives me renewed strength to keep doing what I set out to do – Fight for 5 plus 28 million. Can’t wait to plaster my Fight for 5 logo on the front and back of my jersey – YAY!
Now, on to other happiness. My friend and yoga instructor, Tia Pirkl, recently approached me and asked if I would be interested in holding a fundraising yoga class. My first reaction was YES and my second reaction was THAT’S GONNA BE A TON OF WORK and I wasn’t sure I had time for it. Then, Tia proceeds to inform me that she’s already gotten the consent of the yoga studio (Yoga Shala is donating the space for free), found several dates and times that would work, created a draft for a advertising flier, and above all that she was going to donate her time to teach the class…SERIOUSLY, she just took the TON of work and turned it into a pile of dust. We got another friend, Barbara Holland @ BlackStone Studio, to spice up our flier, so without further ado check it out!
You can RSVP to the event on Facebook (or just show up the day of, but if you let us know you’re coming we can plan appropriately for the refreshments after class), then share the flier/event with all of your friends! The class is ‘free’ but donations are encouraged (you’ll be able to donate by cash, check or credit card) and I promise that you’ll leave refreshed and with a full heart. This is an all-level class and it’s going to be F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! You’ll even have a chance to win some door prizes. RunOn San Antonio has already donated a gift certificate for a 6 week training class and we’re working on securing additional items from other businesses.
I hope your week has been all good and no bad, but if by chance you’ve had some bad work its way into the mix know that it will find its way out eventually, it always does. And until then I hope that you can find time to focus on the happy.
Merry Christmas & Merry Running
December 20, 2010
Well, the half way point of my training has come and gone and I must say that I’m pretty happy with the first 48 runs totaling 335 miles so far (hard to believe that I will far surpass that mileage in the next 13 weeks of my training). As a midpoint to my training I ran in the Rock & Roll San Antonio half marathon and finished in 2 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds – a personal record for me! My previous ‘PR’ was 2 hours 20 minutes (so I ran 15 minutes faster at this distance than I ever have before)!! As much as I wanted to take a few days (or weeks) off after this race I knew that I had to keep lacing up my tennies and keep filling the training log with long and short runs alike. And so I have, although I must admit my momentum has waned just a little bit, but I’m finding that my friends and family are checking on me often, reminding me of my goals, asking about my progress, and giving me just the right encouragement to help me get through the next 5, 8, or 12 miler.
Thanksgiving week has, by far, given me the toughest run for my money (pun intended!), enticing me to stay inside warm, cozy houses, feeding me delicious meal after delicious dish, and begging me to skip workouts. And, I’ll admit it, I have skipped a few gym sessions, but thankfully I haven’t missed a planned run yet…and I promise (to you, to myself, and to JonJon, Robert, Pat, Nanny, and Terry) that I won’t…I want my commitment to my training and to this race to be as strong as those I’m running for.
On that note, you’ll notice that I’ve added a few people to my ‘In Honor Of’ signature. Although I started this journey to ‘Fight for Five’, I’ve continually been reminded that cancer knows no discrimination. As I’ve explained my marathon and fundraising goals, I’ve been told personal stories and triumphs over this disease and its many forms. The stories come from co-workers, friends, extended family, and acquaintances and at the end of each one I am astonished by the strength and courage shown by each of the individuals fighting for their life. All of them are inspirational and I want to fight for them. My weekly Livestrong Foundation email reminds me that there are currently 28 million people living with cancer. If I could list all of them I would, but for now I’ll list the ones that have touched my heart in a personal way. Darrel, my cousin’s husband, is fighting stage 4 lung cancer. Clara, a co-workers wife, has beat breast cancer. Richmond, a co-workers husband, is in remission after a long arduous battle with Leukemia. Look around you – more than likely in the few minutes it takes you to look around the room, whether you be at home celebrating the holidays, at work during your daily grind or at a neighbor’s house for a BBQ, there are more than a few people who’ve faced or are facing cancer. This holiday season, consider fighting for them by making a small donation in their honor to the Livestrong Foundation. It will mean more than you know. A donation in support of a worthy cause is also an easy and thoughtful gift for the person on your list that has ‘everything’…so pick a charity that means something to you and donate – a small amount from several people can go a long way!! For me, this charity is Livestrong, make it yours too!
I pray that you and your families have a blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas!
Love, Jenn
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Join me in supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Donate at http://runaustin.livestrong.org/marathon2011/jennifertrimmier
In Memory of
Jonathan Ward – Leukemia/Lymphoma
Robert Hodges – Brain Cancer
Pat Zahirniak – Pancreatic Cancer
In Honor Of
Opal Ward – Breast Cancer
Terry Hausman – Multiple-myeloma
Darrell Trowbridge – Lung Cancer
Clara Kalin – Breast Cancer
Richmond Meier – Leukemia
Livestrong Marathon Update
October 29, 2010
Well, here I am, in the middle of week 10 of training for my first marathon (out of 26 total weeks) and I’m feeling AWESOME for a few reasons. First and foremost, my fundraising for the Livestrong Foundation is off to a magnificent start because so many of you have already donated to this great cause! THANK YOU! I’m currently at 8.5% of my goal and have raised $425! It’s exciting to see the support I am getting. Many of you have said you plan to donate so I cannot wait to see the donations continue to roll in. In all, I need to collect $5,000 in donations to meet my goal before I run in Austin Marathon on February 20th.
Secondly, training is going extremely well. I feel like I run…and run…and run, but it’s all worth it for such a worthy cause. I’m up to a comfortable 10 miles (yes, that means I can ‘easily’ run 10 miles and no, no one is chasing me when I do it 
~ I have surprised even myself with my body’s ability to acclimate to the increased training. And so I run on, I will finish week 10 off with an 11 mile run on Saturday and on November 14th (at the half point in my training), I will run the San Antonio half marathon to prove that I am on track! Wish me luck.
There’s still plenty of time to donate, but the sooner you do, the less time I will spend stressing over fulfilling my obligation and goal So, if you are compelled to donate, when you have time and if you haven’t already, head over to http://runaustin.livestrong.org/marathon2011/jennifertrimmier and pledge your support for me and for Livestrong’s research efforts towards eliminating cancer in our lifetime. Also, if you like my story and believe in the cause, please forward this blog on to your friends/coworkers/contacts and ask them to support our fight as well by donating.
I can’t say THANK YOU enough for all of your encouraging words & support – they mean more than you could ever know.
Sincerely, Jenn
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Join me in supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation
Donate at http://runaustin.livestrong.org/marathon2011/jennifertrimmier
In Memory of
Jonathan Ward – Leukemia/Lymphoma
Robert Hodges – Brain Cancer
Pat Zahirniak – Pancreatic Cancer
In Honor Of
Opal Ward – Breast Cancer
Terry Hausman – Multiple-Myeloma
I Livestrong, do you?
October 4, 2010
You can donate at http://runaustin.livestrong.org/marathon2011/jennifertrimmier
You can also forward this email to your friends & family who may be interested in donating to the Lance Armstrong Foundation
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In Memory of
Jonathan Ward ~ Leukemia/Lymphoma
Robert Hodges ~ Brain Cancer
Pat Zahirniak ~ Pancreatic Cancer
In Honor Of
Opal Ward ~ Breast Cancer
Terry Hausman ~ Multi-Myeloma
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My Story
I run. I’ve been running for a long time. I run for my health. I run to make myself feel good. I run so I can eat whatever I want. But now, I’m running for a bigger purpose. I’m running so that one day my kids, grandkids, and I will know a world without cancer. I can no longer sit back and watch my friends and family battle this disease or worse, lose their lives to this disease. I will not accept that this monster cannot be beaten and I will not stop until we find a cure.
For the next 4 1/2 months I will be training to run 26.2 miles in the Austin Marathon, but more importantly I will be ‘Fighting for Five’ of the most inspirational people I know while advocating for the Livestrong Foundation. Although I have signed up to tackle this race, I cannot do it alone. Like so many of you have been there for our friends and family as they have battled cancer, I will need your support to meet my goals:
Goal #1: To raise at least $1,000 dollars for each person I am running in memory or in honor of – that’s $5,000 total for the Livestrong Foundation (all donations will go towards the fight against cancer and all are tax deductible).
Goal #2: To finish the marathon – this will be the tough part!
I know that this will be one of the biggest challenges of my life, but I also know it doesn’t even come close to the challenges my family and friends have faced when fighting for their lives.
I look forward to seeing many of you on the running trails and by my side as I start and finish this journey. As each mile passes me by, I will pray that God gives strength to my grandmother, Opal, and friend, Terry, so they can continue to courageously fight and beat the diseases attacking their bodies. And as I run I will carry the memory of my cousin, Jon, and uncles, Rob & Pat, with me as I put one foot in front of the other and I know their angel wings will in turn carry me across the finish line.
THANK YOU for the love and support I know will come my way during this expedition. And THANK YOU for your generous donations supporting the Livestrong Foundation.
With Love, Jennifer
P.S. You can contact me at Jennifer.Trimmier@gmail.com with any questions or to donate by cash/check.
Running for Wine
December 20, 2009
My friend Chris and I participated in the Spicewood Vineyards 10k the weekend of December 5th. The 26 degree starting temp, ice crystals and frozen low water crossings just couldn’t keep us away from the free wine awaiting us upon completion of the race! The cold was a stark change from the hot and humid running weather we have been having in San Antonio and I actually enjoyed the cooler temps. Of course, the best part of race was finishing the hilly course and running straight to the bar for our free wine (and free wine glass etched with the race logo – how cool!). The boys were troopers and waited out our return at the finish line and then enjoyed drinking with us. This was one of the funnest races I’ve ever done in the SA/Austin area (mostly due to the goodie bag and free wine) and I look forward to participating in it in years to come.
Ice crystals on the car windows - Chris & I braving the weather before the race
Running, running, running
Awesome supporters
The funnest part - food & wine tasting
Rock & Roll San Antonio
December 20, 2009
As I ran through downtown during the San Antonio Rock & Roll Half Marathon I couldn’t help but be inspired by the spectators and their motivational signs lined along every inch of my race path. From fictional & funny to heartfelt & provoking each of the brightly colored pieces of cardboard carried a different message that ultimately led to one greater theme…YOU CAN DO IT. And although I had no doubt in my mind that I would finish, I did doubt whether or not my body could fight the heat and humidity with enough persistence for me to make my goal. Ultimately I finished 3 minutes slower than I had hoped (2 hours 23 minutes), however I still accomplished what I set out to do. As one of the signs blatantly pointed out “if it were easy, everyone would do it” and that made me feel a little better about my finishing time.
Among the friends running by my side (or in front of me ) that day were my best friend Caty, 4 other sorority sisters (Amy, Julie, Cathy & Sheila), and 3 co-workers (Julia, Chris & Mark) – all together they make up one of the best support/running groups I could ever ask for. Although I didn’t talk to most of them every day, they were always there at the right time, with a note, an email, a word of encouragement and if it weren’t for their love of running, my love for the sport might have waned just a little (ok, let’s face it, I probably would have quit a long time ago!). I am especially thankful for Caty & so proud of her for finishing her training and the race…she’s been completing her master’s degree and has been so busy, yet she never thought about quitting once…not only that, she kept me going and motivated throughout the past 12 weeks!
Our group before the race (Me, Caty, Chris & Mark) - The start of the race...mass people!
Among the spectators that day was a very special person, my father-in-law, Tim. I’m used to having people at the finish line and I love seeing Dustin’s face after a long and challenging race, but having a fan along the route brings an excitement that I can’t quite explain. I knew that I’d be seeing Tim around miles 3 and 7, but still, as he crept out of the masses and toward me handing over a bottle of water I couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see a familiar face and to hear an encouraging word aimed directly at me…and it helped me chug along. What I didn’t expect was to see Tim when I really needed him the most (and Caty agrees)…at mile 10 when the race coordinators felt it appropriate to only provide Goo at the aid station and no water despite the scorching <running> weather and humidity that caused some full marathoners to eat salt packets to keep from cramping up! So, as I’m running past the aid station and literally using my arms to pull my shoes up off the pavement (the soles were cemented to the street with left over Goo that was acting as glue), out came Tim with a fresh bottle of water – PERFECT TIMING! After the handover, Tim took a picture and shuffled his way back to the sidelines leaving me refreshed and ready to finish my race.
Some pics from the race...yes, that is a Malibu Rum bottle running
And that’s it…I finished, met up with my friends, shared a celebratory drink with them at La Fogata and then went home and crashed. Unexpectedly, I felt pretty good when I woke from my nap and within 2 days I was back in the gym.
Caty & I finishing!
YEA for fast recoveries, great running buddies, fun races, supportive spectators and oh yeah, those lively little signs that lined the course…here are a few of my favorites…
“Run <insert name here> Run!” – it’s funny because you see so many signs with a specific name written on them with this message, but I actually saw a guy holding up this sign, essentially cheering for everyone
“Free Beer” and they really did have free beer and there were some runners that took advantage of the offer (bleeehh!)
“You’re no longer a runner, you’re a marathoner” – and although I was only running a half, I am a true runner (I never used to believe that because I wasn’t fast, but I’ve learned that I am a runner, no matter how slow, and I am proud of what I can accomplish even if I take longer than others
“Your feet are hurting because you’re kicking so much ass!”
“Run like you stole something” – I’ve seen this one before, but it’s still funny
“Runners have balls, other sports just play with them” – although not literally, figuratively I like to think so 
On the back of a female runners shirt – “I run to beat myself, and she’s pretty good.”
And, my all time favorite that I still repeat to myself in my head on those days when I eat a big greasy cheeseburger and am trying to talk myself out of going to the gym…”Sweat is your fat cells crying” – wow, now that is inspiration, at least for me!
Magnificent Monolith
November 11, 2009
What better way to celebrate a 2 year wedding anniversary than spending an entire day getting all sweaty with the one you love…climbing a 425 foot tall pink granite monolith that protrudes from the earth demanding authority from all that graze its slippery slopes? The amazing pluton I speak of is Enchanted Rock, the largest pink monadnock in the United States! This imperial dome is found just 50 miles outside of San Antonio inside of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, near the quaint little town of Fredericksburg. Being the outdoorsy types we are, Dustin and I thought this was a great idea and indeed this resplendent rock gave us an adventure that was well representative of the past 2 years we’ve had together – simply stunning.
On the drive to Enchanted Rock
Top - our steep trail to the top; Bottom - huge boulders along the way & playing in the caves
View from the top
On the way down...our very rocky path to the bottom
The picturesque scene from one of the trails
After hours of hiking Enchanted Rock and the caves, crevices, and trails around it we ended up at Auslander Biergarten for dinner and drinks…Dustin was quite thirsty after hiking all day.
If he needs a beer this big after 2 years, how big will the 10 year beer be??
Happy Anniversary to us and here’s to many more! To see all of the pictures from our hike, click here.
I had run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours.
July 28, 2009
If you’ve followed my blog at all the past few months, it might seem as though all I’ve done this summer is run. And really, to me, it seems like that also…so without further ado here are the pictures from my last 5K (last as in last from the month of July…who knows what August holds!!)! This race was run with great friends – Lisa, Caty, Maureen & Shauna.
Top: Randy Beamer (WOAI) announcing the beginning of the race - We're off (if you look closely, you can see 4 of the 5 runners in my group in this photo) - Maureen (in the left of the photo) Bottom: Shauna, blazing a trail - Caty, showing her muscles - Me, getting passed by Jennifer Broom (WOAI weather girl)
I must admit (again) that I LOVE running with Caty & Maureen (some because I don’t get to do it that often and also because they really push my limits). I actually ran my fastest 5K ever that weekend and I know this was in part to their motivation and encouragement!
The fantastic finishing five! Shauna, Maureen, Me, Caty, Lisa.
Now you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows…I finished the race in 28 minutes 18 seconds!
Me, Caty, Maureen, Shauna, Lisa
To see all of our Women’s 5K pictures, click here.
Free to Run
July 20, 2009
My friend Maureen & I couldn’t pass up the chance to celebrate all of our freedoms and run in the Freedom Day 4 Miler held at Woodlawn Lake on July 4th.
Maureen
Me
As the woman in the picture below will testify to, it was a typical July day in Texas – hot, humid, and HOT, but our freedom to run couldn’t be restrained!
Wow!
It was fun running with ‘the other twin’, I just wish I had the chance to do it more often!
Maureen & me after the race
I think running with Maureen & Caty has been good for my pace – I finished the 4 miles in 38 minutes, 21 seconds – a quick 9:32 pace (compared to my normal 10 to 11 minutes per mile!)! Thanks girls for bringing out the best in my running abilities!
To see all the photos from the Freedom Day 4 Miler, click here.
Spaghetti Set Go
July 15, 2009
The start of the race
Caty and I ran the Carrabba’s Half Marathon Relay again this year. We’ve done this several times the past few years, but this year we got stuck…ok, we chose, to run as a 2 woman team (teams usually have 4 people on them) meaning we each had to run a 10k to complete the course. Instead of running a 10K straight through though, we chose to alternate, running in 5K segments. Caty started and got our team, Spaghetti Set Go, off to an awesome start…I took over and although the sun was making it’s way through the cloud coverage my first 3.1 miles went well. Caty improved her time on her 2nd 5K, running in under 27 minutes and surprising me at the transition by coming in so quickly! It was extremely hard to make my legs start going again, but my pace for the 2nd leg evened out and I improved toward the end of the race. Final time, 2 hours 9 minutes and 19 seconds – with a 22nd place finish in our age group.
Caty, Caty, Me, Me -- haha - Caty was on the opposite side where I was at the start, so I didn't get great pictures of her, but did catch a few!
We got to share this experience with our friends on team Out Chasing Booty (Stephanie, Sharon, Julia & Janet)! It was great seeing familiar faces at the transition points and cheering each other on at the hand-off area.
Sharon & Stephanie of team Out Chasing Booty - LOVE the cowboy hats!
Here I come & there I go -- crossing the finish line!
Perhaps the best part was the catered lunch from Carrabba’s after the race – yummy chicken marsala with mushrooms, salad and pasta – makes it worth running 6.2 miles (almost)!
Sharon, Janet, Julia, Stephanie (team Out Chasing Booty) & Caty and Jenn (team Spaghetti Set Go)
To see all of the pictures from this year’s Carrabba’s Half Marathon Relay, click here.
