Flying our flag high
July 15, 2009
To commemorate the adoption of the US Flag in 1777 and to show our love for this great country some friends and I ran in the annual Run-A-Way Athletic Club’s Flag Day 5K in McAllister Park. It was a very hot and humid run, but luckily the clouds kept some of the heat at bay. Although Caty and I arrived a little late to the race (sorry, Caty!!), we had a good time. I was proud of Caty who placed 3rd in our age group with a time of 28 minutes and 47 seconds (she just keeps getting faster, leaving me further and further behind 
). Cassie finished just 2 minutes behind Caty and placed 7th. Lisa and I…well, we finished and that’s an accomplishment in itself!
Top: Cassie & Caty - Bottom: Lisa & Me -- Why did I get the close-up??
Cassie, Lisa, Caty, Jenn
What fun with some of the best girls around! Here’s a salute to great running buddies, fun runs, and the beautiful stars and stripes!
Click here to see all of the pictures from the race.
Beach Ready
June 2, 2009
A few weekends ago, for the 5th time in my life, I had the pleasure of running in Beach to Bay alongside some amazing women and runners. The race, held on National Armed Forces Day, took place on May 16th and had 1,980 6-person teams running a relay style, 26.2 mile marathon from the Padre Island National Seashore into the Corpus Christi Bay. Our team captain Caty did an awesome job of coordinating runners, drivers and accommodations for our team, Beach Ready, and was an inspirational motivator as she helped us train for each of our runs.
The morning of the race proved to be a normal, coastal Texas day – temperatures reaching 70 degrees before the sun was fully shining and the humidity settling in at near 95%. As always, the heat and humidity make this race challenging, but as apparent by our 4 hour and 24 minute finish, team Beach Ready took the challenge in stride. With each leg having it’s unique terrain (the first 5 miles are on sand!), I chose to run leg 3, up and over the South Padre Island Drive Causeway. My teammate Sharon ran with me and we completed our 4.3 mile portion in about 44 minutes.
After hanging out in Cole Park near the finish line, we headed to the beach in search of the sun and some fun. Luckily we found both along with a few hours of relaxation before dinnertime.
The Gulf - Beach Ready
Jenn & Sharon
Another great Beach to Bay under my belt! Thanks Caty for being such a great team captain and for making our time in Corpus stress-free and enjoyable.
Terra Firma Believer
May 29, 2009
After weeks of preparations and 3 ½ hours of blood and sweat (no tears have been admitted at this point), Dustin successfully competed in and completed his first adventure race, the Terra Firma National Sprint Adventure Race that was held in Burnet, Texas on May 9th. The grueling race consisted of several mountain biking, trail running, and kayaking legs as well as multiple mystery events. Held at Camp Longhorn, it was the first in the 2009 Terra Firma race series and proved to be one tough endurance event for all involved. As proof to how technical the course was, one of the national collegiate competitors from Florida was eliminated before the race even began when she fell from her bike on the pre-ride and compound fractured her arm!!
With high expectations Dustin and his teammate Shey (team name ‘Menace to Sobriety’) started on their adventure at 9am race morning (we actually left San Antonio at 6:30am to make it to the pre-race meeting on time). After running 1 mile, they hopped on their bikes for a 8 mile journey into the wooded paths of the camp. An hour kayak across a lake followed and another 3 mile uphill trail run greeted them on the other side. After retracing their run back down the hill, they kayaked again and returned to their bikes for another 5 mile ride (at some points Dustin and Shey both had to push their bikes up inclines too steep to ride!). Scattered throughout these legs were obstacles (monkey bars, rope climb), the last of which had them swimming about 100 yards around a lazy river and then crossing the finish line hand in hand (required, by the way).
I was so proud of these 2 when I saw them approaching the finish line and elated that they were able to finish (several teams dropped out during the race due to injury, cramping and fatigue). It was an accomplishment that I am so glad I got to witness!
WAY TO GO GUYS! Your training and determination paid off and you have made me a <Terra> Firm<a> believer in being able to hang with the big dogs when you have the will and right preparation. Your finish was not only a testament to your fitness, but to your sheer perseverance (and your competitiveness) as you hung with the nationally ranked teams competing along side of you. I can’t say enough how proud I am!
Conquering the Big D
May 13, 2009
It seems a little strange to me that just 12 months ago there was a handicap parking tag hanging from my rear-view mirror…I couldn’t walk or stand for more than a few hours without getting extremely weak and tired and working out was not something my body would be doing for at least a few more months.
It also seems a little strange that just a little over 12 weeks ago, I started a journey to fulfill a lifetime goal and in just a few short weeks, I did just that. on April 5, 2009, after following an online training program and with the support of my family, friends, and training groups, I ran my first half marathon — I CONQUERED THE BIG D!
It started as something that I just wanted to do, a personal challenge that I knew would be tough, but I never imagined the setbacks I’d have along the way. The goal I started working toward nearly 2 years ago has finally been accomplished! Once I chose my training plan, I promised myself I’d stick to it no matter what and I’ve been amazed that I kept that promise with only a few slight deviations (at week 6 a strained Achilles caused me to miss 2 runs and at week 8 a trip to Granbury to help out with family duties made me miss 1). I guess this time around I was just ready…or as my friend Anne would say: “Lungs…Legs…Brain….Check” – to me, meaning I had kept myself healthy and well, conditioned myself in all the right areas, and convinced myself mentally that I would succeed!
I took it one day at a time...and boy did it feel good to mark each day off!
The best part in making this dream a reality was that I wasn’t alone in my journey. My great girlfriends Sharon, Caty and Maureen were also along for the ride…the only difference between them and me was that they have each run at least 1 half marathon before and the Big D was my first.
The actual weekend of the race was an awesome experience. Sharon, Dustin and I drove to Plano on Friday night and met Maureen and Caty at their aunt and uncle’s house – Bebe and Tom graciously opened their house to us so that we would all have nice comfortable beds to rest in before the race (the other option was blow-up mattresses in Maureen’s apartment).
Our welcome 'sign' at Bebe & Tom's house
Saturday, the girls enjoyed manis and pedis and afterward we let Dustin join us for our pre-race carb-load at Macarroni’s 
That night, I went to bed nervous and woke up plain scared. The temperatures were in the 40s on Sunday morning and the wind was gusting at 25 to 35 miles per hour! As I dressed in my running shorts (I hadn’t even packed pants!), all I could think was ‘it’s ok, you’re prepared” and for the most part I was.
Caty & Mo getting pedicures - Sharon getting a manicure - My nightly preparations
When we arrived at the Cotton Bowl, we took our time in the car, putting on our race numbers and chatting, not really wanting to get out in the cold wind any earlier than we had to. But then it was time…at about 15 minutes to race time, we eagerly climbed out of the car and began doing last minute checks…inhaler (yes, I’m the dork with asthma) check, energy goo (Caty, Mo & Sharon eat that stuff) check, MP3 players check, watch…..uuuhhh oooohhhh….I forgot my darn watch 
Well, I was off to what I thought would be a bad start…I didn’t have anything to time myself by and since the race was a small one, there weren’t any pace groups…so at the gun, I had to remind myself to start slow and listen to my body so I didn’t over do it.
The race went like this:
The finish line in Fair Park!
Me & my running buddies (Sharon, Caty, Mo) - Some of my biggest supporters (Von, Mom, Dustin)
I know I’ve said this before, but THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me reach this goal…so many of you have been so supportive and without your kind words and uplifting comments, I would have never made it! A very big THANK YOU to Dustin who has put up with my grumpy moods and late-night workouts over the past 3 months…he’s had to eat sandwiches and cereal many more nights than I would have liked him to (because I haven’t been home to cook). Dustin, you are my #1 fan and it meant the world to me to see your excitement as I finished my first half marathon.
*On a random, but interesting note, during my training I used an online system to keep track of all of my training runs and within my 12 weeks of training I ran over 100 miles! Crazy, right?!
And so, my friends, I leave you with a few inspirational quotes I so often turned to during my training in hopes that they will give you the same type of courage I found within myself during the past few months:
“Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.” –T. Alan Armstrong
“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say ‘I have finished.’ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.” –Author Unknown
And perhaps my favorite and the one that truly helped me keep putting one foot in front of the other – “Run like hell and get the agony over with.” –Clarence DeMar
Tough Cookies Don’t Crumble
March 18, 2009
It’s official…this past weekend 2 friends and I joined the ranks of some of the toughest women athletes in all of Texas…THE Tough Cookies. To do this, we competed in the Tough Cookie Duathlon in Copperas Cove, Texas. We left Saturday afternoon, bikes strapped in the back of Janet’s truck, and headed to the hill country where we would conquer one of the most intimidating races I have done thus far in my ‘racing career’ (I can’t speak for the other 2 ladies as they have many many more races under their belts!).
Loaded and ready to go
Following the first run was a 10 mile out and back bike ride through the rolling hills (and the hills did NOT stop rolling throughout the entire
course!) and then another run, this time 1.65 miles. For me, it was over in a matter of an hour and 19 minutes and it seemed much quicker than that. Other than an untied shoe and an un-ignorable bathroom break during transition #1, I would say that my first Tough Cookie event was a success! I actually REALLY enjoyed the competition and the dual sport experience.
Before and after the duathlon
Me, Sharon and Janet - Under the finish line balloon arch
58 Stories
March 18, 2009
Tower of the Americas
I’m not talking about bedtime stories, but I am speaking of one very tall tale – one that ends in the triumph of climbing one of the tallest buildings in San Antonio…step by step, no elevators, no stopping, just constant motion with the hopes of finding yourself on top when it’s all done. And triumph is exactly what my team felt as we stood atop the Tower of Americas in downtown San Antonio Saturday morning, February 28th, after a daunting 22 minutes and 48 seconds of quad-pounding, heart-racing step-step-stepping. The event, held to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of San Antonio, started with a 1 mile run around Hemisphere Park and ended with a race up the 58 flights of stairs (that’s 952 stairs) in the 750 foot tall tower. I won’t lie, the race was hard and it tested the endurance and strength of every participant, but the excitement and pride felt when making it to the top overruled any pain endured during the climb.
Team Pampers, Stephanie, Sharon, Julia & myself, made quite the showing and finished with a combined time of 1 hour and 28 minutes – were were the fastest all women team!
Team Pamers before the race, the start line, up we go!
Us with San Anotnio's finest
On a mission
December 11, 2008
This past weekend Dustin and I and a few of our friends braved the almost freezing weather in support of several local charities in San Antonio (it seems like I’ve been doing this a lot lately…and I hate cold weather…but I guess when it’s for a good cause, I can’t resist!). We geared up and rode in a 15 mile charity bike ride through the San Antonio Missions and along the San Antonio River. It was called Mission to Mission and we pledged donations to the Rape Crisis Center, Meals on Wheels, and the Seton Home among others in return for the chance to ride the beautiful trails with hundreds of other bikers. It was a great experience and a very scenic, relaxing ride. I was able to stay up with the guys most of the time and they even let me lead the way a few miles of our trip! It was a great day for a great cause and I feel great for being a part of it! I hope some of you will join us next year.
Jenn & Dustin after the ride, John pondering the importance of our ride, Bryan, Dustin & John trying to read the trail map, Our group at one of the missions
Friendly visits
November 23, 2008
Dustin and I love visitors especially when it’s family. We don’t get to see our extended family much, so it’s a treat when they come to visit us in San Antonio. This past weekend my aunt Kay, uncle Garry, aunt Beth, and cousin Bobby made the trek to SA to see our house (they had previously only seen pictures) and hang out. While the boys played in the back yard and built a deck for our <currently nonexistent> hottub, the girls (and Bobby) shopped, played, rested, cooked and enjoyed each others company. It was so fun to hang out with everyone and show off a little of our daily lives in SA. The deck turned out to be a sturdy wood-worked perfection (with Garry as project lead I’m not surprised!)…
Building a deck
On Sunday morning Bobby joined me as a volunteer at the inaugural Rock ‘n Roll San Antonio Marathon. We woke at 5am to be at our post at mile 19 on the marathon course by 6:30am! Our breakfast of pigs in a blanket (which Bobby and I prepared the night before) kept us going as we mixed and poured over 8,000 cups of Cytomax energy drinks for the runners. Excitement was high was we cheered on the marathon participants and handed out ‘refreshments’. I had so much fun hanging out with Bobby and volunteering at this event. Next year my goal is to be a more active participant by running the race (in some form or fashion)!
(Middle: Jenn & Bobby at their volunteer table, mile 19 of the marathon -- Top left corner working clockwise: our breakfast - Jenn & Bobby 6:30am @ 37 degrees! - Bobby filling drink cups - Bobby & Caty organizing everything - Bobby posing with 3 full rows of energy drinks - Bobby having fun with the camera - Jenn & Bobby napping after the race - Bobby handing a drink to a runner - an 80 year old marathoner! - Jenn & Bobby @ 55 degrees - Bobby @ our volunteer table - pink energy drinks!)
5K at U*S*A*A
November 23, 2008
In tradition of one 5K a month my friend Caty and I joined several other friends to run in the annual Veterans Day 5K that U*S*A*A organizes in honor of those who have served. The course on my company’s campus is a challenging one with lots of hills, but we managed to beat the challenge and finish…eventually! Before and after the race Caty and I enjoyed visiting with Jeff & Nina and their kids as well as Steph, Sharon, and Roberta (the newest addition to our ‘running group’ along with Nina & Jeff). It was a morning of sunshine and good times mixed with exercise and remembrance and we look forward to the race in 2009!
Caty, Jenn, Nina -- The Running Group -- Caty & Jenn
Vampires in the Night
October 30, 2008
Us before the race
Who wouldn’t be interested in running through the woods, after dark, on a dimly lit path, filled with large boulders and tree stumps on a Friday night after a long week at work?? Well, maybe that doesn’t sound like fun to you, but for Dustin and I, the Vampire Night Fun Run gave us a chance to challenge our running, balancing and night-vision skills while supporting St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at the same time. You see, we participated in the 2 mile run in support of finding a cure for childhood cancer. I will admit, in the online brochure, the run seemed much simpler than it turned out to be — it was described as a 2 mile out-and-back (1 mile there, 1 mile back) course on a trail through Leon Creek. What the brochure failed to mention was that the course would be dimly lit, filled with large boulders and tree stumps, and often times run along the side of a large downsloping cliff…and that one misstep would send you sliding down in the raveen below…oh yeah…and that the path is technically a mountain biking path! After several ankel rolls (by several I mean about 783), numerous stumps of the toes that sent us barrelling forward, and too many near slips on the gravelly terrain, we managed to cross the finish line in a little under 25 minutes. “25 minutes for 2 miles” you say??!!?? That should tell you how rugged the terrain was. But, it was fun and we’re glad we did it — but next year, we may just donate money and not run the race!
Us after the race
