Friday Favorites

It's Friday and I've been proctoring standardized tests all week....fun times here in Massachusetts...and so I thought some dishing about some of my favs lately would be about the right speed! 

THE FRIGGIN SUN!  Spring in New England...especially on Cape Cod...can be described in three words, gray, raw, and rainy!  Seriously it is crazy!  We go from Winter....to rainy...to Summer!  That is why I was so excited to step out my door this morning and to see the SUN!  It's bright....it's glorious...it's warm....and it will be gone this afternoon so I am trying to get as much quality time with the big ball of gas before it hides behind a cloud again!!  Everyone has a little pep in their step this morning!  Amazing what a little sunshine will do!  What's Spring like in your neck of the woods?

Boston Marathon....live in Massachusetts and Patriots Day is more commonly known as Marathon Monday!!! 

I LOVE going to the race and cheering everyone on...looking for my friends each year...and cheering on the elites with my family!  This year is no different!  There are going to be so many amazing elites running it this year and so many of my friends towing the line that I am just giddy!  Next week expect lots of flashback posts to Boston!!!  Are you running Boston this year?  Let me know so I can keep an eye out!  I'll be the super pregnant lady cheering her head off!!

SmartyPants...So many women struggle to find just the right prenatal vitamin that is going to give them all the nutrients they need but doesn't upset their stomach or isn't giant sized.  I was so excited to find SmartyPants gummy vitamins!!

I had tried SmartyPants a while back before I was pregnant and honestly had to fight my children off since they thought I was eating candy every morning.  I thought of them when I needed to find a prenatal vitamin since they were so easy to take and tasted great.  The prenatals did not disappoint!  I can order them easily on Amazon and they are at my door in a day!  They aren't expensive and are so easy to take...even in the first trimester when my belly was not happy!  They have vitamins for everyone in the family!

Boy Shirts...Please don't get me wrong I love me all things glitter and pink, but I have been having so much fun finding boy shirts!  Seriously whoever said dressing a boy is not as fun didn't know about etsy or anything like that!  Here's the latest that I got the man on esty....

The biggest debate in our house is what style to put him in...on my side I love me some madras and preppy all the way while my husband loves superheroes and trucks!  We've been meeting in the middle...or rather just buying our own thing so he'll be styling no matter the day! 

Shop For Me...The latest trend in cooking is food meal kit services that send you everything you will need to make a meal from scratch.  You can really get anything that you could want from vegan to gluten free.  Even our favorite guy Tom Brady is in on it with his new meal kit on Purple Carrot....you can dress like TB12...sleep like him...and now eat like him!  This week my Mom, because she loves me and know the love/hate relationship I have with meal planning, gifted us a free box from Blue Apron.  I went online to order and it couldn't be easier! 

Saturday a box will be delivered to our door!  I am so wicked excited to not have to plan 3 meals next week!  I order meals for 2 since we have some picky little eaters in our house.  I will let you know how it is!  Have you done a meal kit delivery service before?

What are you loving lately??  Anything fun planned for this weekend?  I am so excited to head to RI tomorrow for a sprinkle for our little man!!!  My sister and mom are hosting and I am so excited!!!  It means so much!!! 

Reflecting...

Two years ago this was our oldest daughter proudly poised in our usual spot at mile 7 cheering loudly for the elite runners passing by.  It was a beautiful morning and my husband, as he does every year, was so thoughtful to bring the two ladies and I to the race and then graciously take the ladies to his grandmother's house just a few miles away while I watch the rest of the runners and look for my friends.  Two years ago I saw many friends including my BRF's brother Stu...I high-fived him and told him to give Jill a hug for me once he got to Boylston!  We ate lunch out that day as a family and then packed up our two sleepy girls and headed back to the Cape.  Half asleep in the car I began to hear the news on the radio...bombs...finish line...casualties...and my stomach dropped...Jill was there.  I am of course thankful that Jill was physically fine...she was in between the two bombs and actually jumped a jersey barrier and began running the course in search of her brother who was stopped.  I am always thankful we decided to NOT go into the city because it was such a beautiful day.  My thoughts though go to that day and the people who's lives were forever changed...I pray that today on another beautiful day in Boston that they will feel the love and support that they need.  Today is One Boston Day...a day to go out and do something good...to make this day about the good! 

Boston Marathoner Spotlight...Rich Houston

I first met Rich when we moved down to the Cape and I started teaching at a high school there.  Rich is a history teacher at the high school and the kind of teacher who not only loves what he teaches, he gets his students to love it too!  He gets excited about the things he is passionate about and you can't help but get excited right along with him!

I had not been teaching there long when Rich invited me to come run with his running group sometime.  He used to joke that I could come but he may slow me down since he is an old man.  I quickly learned Rich's REAL running truths and while he may have slowed from his 2 hour marathon days...slow he is not!!  Rich inspires others with everything he does....just let him tell you himself!

Tell us about you.  How did you get into running?

I starting racing back in junior high school in the late 1960s. I competed in track at St. John's HS in Shrewsbury and at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. I've been running with local clubs for the last 36 years. Initially I belonged to the Great Boston Track Club, then the Central Mass Striders, and for the last 20 years the Cape Cod AC.

 

        How many times have you run the marathon?

I've been an official Boston entrant 28 times. If I make it this year, it will be 26 official finishes. I also ran it twice unofficially with my wife. On two occasions, I qualified but was injured and unable to run on race day. This year will make 19 in a row. 

 

If you could play a highlight reel of your running career, what would you include?

I set the St. John's school record for the mile: 4:18.8 in 1974 (5th in the Mass All-State Meet). I ran 4:08.9 in finishing 6th in the New England Intercollegiate Championship mile in 1977. I ran Boston in 2:30:34 in 1979.

 

Where were you when the bombs went off?  What event of the day sticks out for you most?

I was waiting for my baggage at the bus between Clarendon and Berkeley Streets on Boylston. I had finished about 25 minutes before the first bomb went off. We did not realize the "boom" was a bomb until the sirens and emergency personnel began to arrive. I was quite worried about family members and friends who were spread throughout the area. When the phones went out it took a while to meet up with my wife. We were unable to access the parking garage where our car was located for quite a while until security finished its assessment.

 

How has your training been this year?  What have been your biggest struggles/victories?

I have a great CCAC (Cape Cod Athletic Club) running gang that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We did our long runs from Brooks Park in Harwich on Saturday morning. The biggest challenge is trying to stay healthy and not overdoing it. I tried to get several weeks of 50 miles or more; my longest run was 20 2-3 weeks before race day.

 

What does running Boston 2014 mean to you?

I looking forward to being part of the big event that shows just how STRONG Boston and the running community really are. I hoping to keep my streak going and get requalified for next year.

 

Rich I'll be back at my post at mile 7 where you saw me last year!!  Maybe one day I will be able to hang with your fast legs!!!  Best of luck!!!!

Boston Marathoner Spotlight...Dani Holmes-Kirk

I have been reading Dani's blog Weight off my Shoulders for many years but I have had the pleasure to be a fellow ZOOMA Ambassador with her last year and this.

When you first meet Dani you realize not only is she an amazing and driven lady but she is real...she is honest about her struggles and honest about successes...and boy does she have a lot of them!  Dani has drive that can move mountains and it seems like every time she lines up for a race she is primed and ready to crush it!!  And crush it she does!!!  Let's let Dani tell you in her own words!

1. Tell us about you. How did you get started running?

I am a complicated lady. Nope not really. Just trying to set a scene. Really I'm a girl that was unhealthy and overweight for quite awhile and decided to take charge of my life. On November 2, 2009 I walked into my first Weight Watchers meeting and in January 2012 I hit my goal weight - losing 64 lbs in the process and gaining so much more. In total I have shed 80 lbs from my highest weight (or the one I last saw before destroying my scale). 

I NEVER thought I would be a runner. I always HATED running. But, I wanted to lose weight and all of my friends that ran looked to be thin and in shape. So in January 2005, I started with 1/2 a mile on the treadmill and each week I added another 1/4 mile. By that March I ran my first 5k, February 2006 my first half marathon and September 2006 my first full marathon. 

Then I stopped. I was injured and done with running. I stopped for about 4 years.

In January 2011, I had back surgery for a herniated disc. My wife started running while I was laid up and I wanted to get out there with her. Hello competitive side. So in June 2011, I gave running another try and have been hooked ever since. 

2. If you could play a highlight tape of your running career, what would you include?

Every since run I've ever done. I am not even trying to be sarcastic. Every chance I am given to run I now cherish. After running the Boston Marathon in 2013. the ability and gift to run cannot be taken for granted. So every time I lace up those sneakers is a highlight.

Now there are definitely some memories that are more exciting to others. 

*Finishing my first marathon 3rd to last in 5:59:27

*Having a BLAST during the Dopey Challenge in Disney in January 2014 (4 costumes, 4 races, 4 days, 48.6 miles)

*Going from my first 5k (38:21) to my current PR of 21:59

*Finishing the Savannah Marathon sub 4 hours and taking 2 hours off my finish time --- from 5:59:27 to 3:58:49

*Completing back-to-back half marathons in September 2013

Sporting some serious Disney bling!

3. Where were you when the bombs went off? What event of the day sticks out for you most?

I was just on the other side of the Finish Line. I had crossed the Finish Line about a minute before the explosions. How my emotions varied are best described here: http://www.weightoffmyshoulders.com/2013/04/the-aftermath-of-marathon-monday/

The race itself is something that I could not replicate. It has such energy and liveliness. But if you are asking in terms of what happened then I would say feeling so lost after the race. I was separated from my mom and my wife & dad had been closer to the bombs. I wandered around the streets trying to use the phones of nurses or anyone in the area to try and contact/find my family. As I wandered on Boylston St and Newbury St I ran into my friend Robin (@robinbn) somehow. She finished 20 min before me but was in the area. She, her husband and friend Steph sat with me on a stoop on Arlington St until we got a hold of my family. Thankfully Robin's phone was working as mine had been dead.

Elated after finding her family!

 4. How has your training been this year? What have been your biggest struggles/victories?
 

The training season was very unique. Biggest reason being that I had signed up for the Disney Dopey Challenge before committing to running Boston in 2014. So in January I had the 48.6 mile challenge (5k, 10k, Half, Full) in the middle of my normal training plan. That paired with a foot injury that really took control of my fall training led to altering my plan.

I definitely spent more time on the bike as a result and actually think that has really helped my ability to tackle hills stronger this year.

 5. What does running Boston 2014 mean to you?

Running Boston in 2014 is for closure, celebration, my family, my friends, the city of Boston, the people injured/killed during the explosions and so much more. But the #1 reason is always for me. I run every race with a purpose to prove something to myself. Coming from the 235 lb girl who wanted nothing to do with running to a 80-lb loser and 4-time marathoner (soon to be 5), every race proves another hurdle and trophy for my collection. 

If there is anything I know about Dani it is that there is nothing that can stand in the way of this girl reaching her goals!!!  I'll be looking for you at mile 7...Go Dani Go!!!!

Boston Marathoner Spotlight...Megan Sabatinelli

 I met Megan at a race in 2011 when a sweet voice said at the starting line, "Are you Fancy Nancy?"  She was a reader of my blog and recognized me.  Through comments here and there I convinced Megan to join the running group I was a part of and from there she just took off!!!  She has worked so hard and has become an amazing runner...and a person I am proud to call friend!!  There are many things about Megan that inspire me as a runner but one of the biggest things is how she has worked through many walls to make her training happen.  She has done long runs on Friday nights after work in not so great areas of town knowing that that was the only time she would have to get it in...faced the roller coaster of the local service road with other fabulous ladies to make sure she got in her hill workouts...all with a smile on her face!  The fateful HOT AS HADES Boston marathon was her first time running Boston and the heat did not sway her...but let me let her tell her in her own words!!

Tell us something about you?
 I'm in my late thirties. I am a wife and mother of two boys ( 13 and 10).    I'm a teachers assistant  in a elementary school. I started running in 2005, I needed to lose weight after having 2 kids and my husband being deployed for 4 months with the military. I started by just doing a couple of miles a week and then got talked into doing a road race. That's when the addiction began. I loved racing and trying to beat my previous times.

What would be included in your running highlight reel?
Some of the highlights of my running career have been of course my first race. It really started me wanting to run more and faster. The other big race was my first half marathon. I never thought I could run that distance so it was a huge accomplishment to do it. I also think that running the half marathon helped to give me the confidence to try and tackle full marathons. One of my favorite races is Myrtle Beach half/full marathon. Myrtle Beach currently holds my marathon PR and I've run the half twice. Boston will always have my heart. It's of course the best marathon.

Where were you when the bombs went off?
I was probably about 2 miles back when the bombs went off but was stopped at 25.5. I was very luckily because my husband was waiting for me in Kenmore Square and someone behind him said the was a explosion at the finish so my husband jumped the fence and ran with me till we were stopped. One of the things I remember is my husband saying the rest of the world knows mores about what's going on than we do. That really stuck out because we had no information about what was happening. We were walking around the city hearing bits and pieces about what was happening. I also felt horrible for my parents and kids because we couldn't get a hold of them and I knew they would be frantic worrying about us. The rest of the day was surreal, seeing the police cars and rescues flying through the streets.

Taken by her husband in Kenmore Square before she knew what had happened

How has your training been this year?
Training this year has been hard. The weather has been the biggest hurdle. We have run in snow, sleet, ice, rain, freezing temps, and very little sun. I feel like if I could survive this winter I can tackle anything on race day, except hot temps :-).
What does running Boston 2014 mean to you?
Running Boston this year is about finishing business, about coming back stronger and taking the marathon back. It's about remembering those who lost their lives and those who were injured.  It's about celebrating the amazing, courageous acts of love and kindness that came out of that day. I'm excited  to run but also worry about the emotional aspect of the day. I think this will be the Boston yet.

One of my strongest memories from the days following the bombing last year was a run we did on Cape.  It was one of the first times most of the marathon runners were together again and it was organized as a run of unity.

I remember seeing Megan and wanting to cry...happy to hug her and know she was ok!  She was there to run with her son.  Megan I'll be cheering my loudest at mile 7....I know you're going to do amazing!!!

Boston Marathoner Spotlight...Stu Weiner

My first Boston Marathoner I want to introduce you to is Stu.  Stu is the baby brother of my BRF Jill...sorry Stu!...and 2014 will be his 3rd time running Boston.  I first met Stu in 2011 when we went for a New Year's run on the Cape Cod Canal.

He met us there and I thought to myself...boy do fast runners run their family?!  He had just started getting serious about running and the bug certainly bit him hard.  We ran again in April when we tackled the first Jamestown Bridge 10k and that is when the weather issue started following Stu wherever he raced!

It was freezing and super windy that day and I have to say that most races he did after that one had some sort of weather twist!  I even said at one point that if Stu was running then I was planning for foul weather!!! In true form that would follow for any races we did together, he took off and I spent the rest of the race chasing him!

Stu started his Boston trilogy in 2012 for....you guessed it...one of the hottest Boston Marathons on record!!!  Temps soared well above 90 degrees and Stu, who never backs down from a challenge, was game!!  He finished...all be just slightly dehydrated...and started his tradition of running for Team Eye and Ear!

Stu is the type of person who loves to have a great time, help out whenever he can, and laugh the loudest...but when it's time to run it is time to get to work!  It shows in his times that are being cut more and more almost each time he lines up for a race! Stu is passionate about running but even more than that he is passionate about his family.  I think if I asked Stu what his greatest accomplishment was he would say his family!

His beautiful wife and girls post 5k

These smiling faces were who was waiting for Stu along with his sister Jill and a family friend at the finish line on April 15, 2013.

Mile 22

They were actually standing on Boylston between the two blasts.  His sister jumped the barricade and ran along the route until she found Stu at mile 25.5 where he and thousands of runners were stopped.  It was a heart wrenching time to be separated from his wife and children but to know they were safe was top priority.  After far too much time apart and a trek over the Mass Ave bridge, he was able to hug his wife and girls again!

This year Stu is ready to settle the family business in Boston this year and finish what he started in 2013!  He's ramped up his training this year by adding in hill repeats and track workouts in order to face the biggest Boston Marathon in history not only to finish but crush it!  Stu will be running again in his Team Eye and Ear singlet...from Hopkinton to Boylston he will be smiling the whole way...and having an extra special embrace from his family at the finish!  We're cheering for you Stu...and we know you are going to have your best Boston yet!!! 

Monday Motivation

I heard this quote the other day on from the AMR podcast looking back over their last 100 podcasts.  Images of last year's Boston Marathon began to rush into my head.  Banner day has come and the marathon is just 4 weeks away.  It is hard to not think about it.  I joined up with a group this weekend for a long run...a group of people who knew the finish line of last year all too well...a group of powerful and resilient men and women who have vowed to continue to cross that finish line!  It was a light conversation over the 10 miles I joined them for...talk of jacket colors and weather worries...of what corral they were in this year and how things have changed.  What wasn't discussed was April 15th, 2013...they had already lived it...and now they were ready to put it behind them!  Their resolve is so inspiring to me!  We all battle to get to the finish line...we sacrifice...we push...we make it to that finish line and throw our arms in the air...and this year EVERYONE will make it!!!

Triumph Over Evil

I sit trying to write this post, trying to put together my thoughts on how this day unfolded....and it is difficult to do just that. The day began with cheering for the wheelchair division runners....

We sat perched at mile 7 waiting and cheering for all of those making their dreams come true.  Having put in the months of work, they were finally running Boston...THE Boston Marathon!  It is difficult to think that these people...

were just 19 miles from a horrific scene...I really am without words and do not want to write just to write.  So for that reason I am signing off for the day.  Thankful that my friends who were at the site are all OK and that my family and I made a decision Monday morning to head to mile 7 instead of spend a sunny day in Boston.  My thoughts and prayers are with all those effected.

Today I am wearing a race shirt...a sign of camaraderie to say that evil will NOT be victorious.  Joining hands with brothers and sisters far and wide so show that good WILL triumph!

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21

Fitness Friday....Boston Marathon Yearbook 2013

In just a few short days, thousands of runners will be taking the best right and left ever!!!  Thinking about that left onto Boylston still gives me goosebumps!  While there will be many IRL friends and bloggy friends that I will be on the sidelines cheering for, there are many within the crowd of 26,000+ that I'll be on the lookout for as well!  Here are some of the hidden and not so hidden famous faces that will be making their way from Hopkington to Boston!

Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan

While Shalane is a local girl (she's from Marblehead, MA) and it would rock to see a local win, Kara is my total running hero!  Seriously this girl rocks!  I was listening to her interview by Sarah and Dimity from Another Mother Runner the other day on their podcast.  She is not only a completely amazing runner, she is also an awesome mom!  We could totally be BFFs...however not BRF since I'm pretty sure she could lap me several times during a run!  These two ladies rock and I'll certainly have the camera ready when their pack passes me!

Joey McIntyre

Shall I break into the chorus from "Hangin Tough" as he jogs by?  Joey has grown up and no I no longer have my over sized Joey button to wear.  He is running for the Alzheimer Association...a disease which his mother suffers from. 
                                                  
I'm sure the Boston native will be right at home!! 

Summer Sanders

Best known for her Olympic swimming days, Summer will be toeing the line in Hopkington for her very first marathon.  Summer and I spent many days together...well actually I was doing her prenatal workout DVD which was really great!  She runs a great half so I'm excited to see how Boston treats her!

Kris and Kayla Biagiotti

The BAA is honoring Team Hoyt for the many, many years they have been running the race and I am always moved each time I see them.  However, there will be another team that is running Boston for the first time.  They are the first mother-daughter wheelchair team to run Boston.  Kayla was diagnosed at three with a mitochondrial disease and Kris has battled her own health but she is not shying away from this challenge.  Good luck K-Girls!

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Celebrating 30 years since her win in Boston in 1983, this amazing lady will be there yet again!  She is still an amazing runner and has run the last two years.  She even scored herself an awesome finish last year even though it was about a bazillion degrees!

Are you going to be part of the Class of 13 at the Boston Marathon?  Who are you excited to see?