Ice Bucket Challenge, part 2

I know it's been more than a week since Cindy challenged me, but punctuality has never been a strong suit for me.  I finally did my ice bucket challenge this morning when I got home from the Spartan Workout, definitely in need of a shower.

I am making my donation to Water Wells for Africa, an organization that builds water wells in rural Africa to provide access to clean water for those who do not have it.  Many people either use unsanitary water or walk hours a day to obtain clean water.

Laura's next to complete the Ice Bucket Trifecta.  As a bonus, if you check out our Facebook page you can see our Daddy do the Ice Bucket Challenge with the North Canton Fire Department!

The Unlikely Triathletes or Team Badass Librarians

by Guest Blogger Kathy Helmond

My first (and likely only) venture into the world of triathlons came last Saturday at the Go Girl Triathlon at Eagle Creek.  This all-women event provided a great way to try something new and be surrounded by inspiring women athletes.  Long a fan of the Kona Ironman specials on television, the triathlon is a challenge that this shaky swimmer will probably never attempt, but I love to watch others giving their all to this three event race.  I am always moved to tears watching the men and women in the Hawaii heat and wind overcoming obstacles and persevering to the end.

 A co-worker (Penny) of mine competed in some triathlons with Team in Training some years back (pre-knee replacement) and we sort of fantasized about doing it as a team “someday.”  One day during one of these conversations another co-worker (Carrie) joined in the conversation and revealed that she was a swimmer in high school.  That was all we needed to decide that the idea could become a reality!  Before we could talk ourselves out of it, we signed up for the Go Girl Triathlon and Team Badass Librarians was formed!  The name was obviously tongue in cheek for this 2/3 middle aged, past our prime team.  But we had a lot of fun anticipating it all summer.  As life usually does, things came up for all three team members and training was not what it should’ve been! 

Ice Bucket Challenge

Baby sister has given her older siblings the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  What will they do?

Race Tomorrow

Whoops, forgot to inform the masses, Mark and I have finally after years of trying, found a race during our vacation.  We are on Oak Island, NC, and will be doing a 5k right next door on Bald Head Island. Cars are not allowed on the island, so we will ferry over and take a tramto the race.  All the money goes to the Turtle Conservatory there.
Because of the heat and half of the race being on the beach, I dont expect a pr, in fact I have a feeling this race is gonna be tough on the old legs. Cant wait.
tomorrow should be an adventure....wish us luck

Huma Chia Energy Gels....and Stuff

Huma Chia Energy Gel

Normally I prefer chews over gels for fueling on long runs, but recently I tried a Huma Chia Energy Gel, and it just might convert me to a gel gal.  Laura & Mark really like these, and Laura gave me a Blueberries gel to try last time I saw her.  She said the Chia seeds help you stay hydrated, and the flavor of all the gels is incredibly delicious.  As usual, she is right.

• Flavor - It tasted like blueberry pie filling, not overly sweet or tart, just perfect.

• Texture - This had the best texture of any gel I've tried.  Maybe it was the chia seeds giving it a more substantial feel, but it really made me feel like I'd eaten something, even while it still went down very smoothly.

• Energy - I took this gel at the halfway point of my 8 mile run last week.  I did feel my energy pick up, and I stayed steady through the end of my run.

• Packaging - The package opened easily when I was ready to eat it.  I tried to squeeze every single bit of gel out of the package & into my mouth, but I still left a little behind that stained my bag just a smidge (there was no trash can nearby).  

I give this gel an A+, and I can't wait to try the other flavors (Mangoes, Apples & Cinnamon, and Strawberries).

Santa Hustle Discount Code

If you are planning to run the Santa Hustle Half Marathon or 5K in Indianapolis on December 21, register with code TERHAZELIN to save $5 off the regular price.

New Blog Design

Let us know what you think of the new look for our blog?

5K PR Watch

Photo by CCRG

If you've been following our blog for a while, you know that one of my goals for this year is to run a 5K in under 30 minutes.  My current PR is 34:38, earned during this year's Race for the Cure, While 4:38 might not seem like a lot of time to shave off the run, I'm going to have to go from an average pace of 11:10/mile to less than 10:00/mile.  And I don't like speed work.

My first attempt to better my PR was last Thursday, at the 1st Merrell Summer Series 5K in Carmel.  This was a fun race, starting and ending at the Monon Center and running along the trails and roads nearby.  It was a very pretty course running along some waterways and by lots of wildflowers.  Some of my Indiana friends thought it was hilly, but my North Carolina friends would say it had a couple of slight inclines.

Photo by Carmel Road Racing Group

Our Ladies Training group ran this race as part of our weekly training runs, and we met beforehand to warm up together before lining up with all the other runners.  It was a gun start with a chip finish, so that probably added a few seconds to my time, but I can't blame the gun start for keeping me from a new PR.  I finished in 35:49, an average pace of 11:34.

I can't feel bad about that, though.  I ran really hard, pushing myself more than I normally do, and I still felt good at the end.  I really enjoyed the run, too.  The weather was gorgeous, and it was warm but not hot, and it was fun to cheer my friends on and be cheered on by them in return.  I am really looking forward to the next race, on August 28.  Hopefully as the weather cools off I will be able to find a little more speed.

Eagle Creek Trail Quarter Marathon 2014

Finish Line Face, photo by Planet Adventure Races

This race was so much fun!

I am definitely hooked on trail running now.  I didn't have a particular goal for this race since I'd never done one before.  I knew I could run 6.5 miles on flat pavement in about 1:18-1:20, and I expected this would take me longer but I didn't know how much.  So I just set out to run at a comfortable pace and finish strong, which I did.  My official time was 1:37:57:1, and while I was tired afterwards I was by no means wiped out.  My splits also show that my last mile was my 2nd fastest, after my first mile, which makes sense given that the most challenging trails were in the middle.