Why is someone taking my picture at 7 am? (The Double Digits Edition)

A genuine thanks to Charles Outcult for putting together an awesome photo album of our TNT DC team! All of his other pictures were really great, both the candid ones and the ones we posed for. But let's be honest we could have done with out this one! Seriously, what was this guy thinking when he took this picture of me two weeks ago?? Let me guess....

"Yes. This is a great shot. I'll get her while she looks confused, mid-smile, swollen in the face, with her eyes half open. Genius."

Back to the blog.

Six weeks after embarking on this journey, I have gone from struggling-to-keep-my-balance-on-a-treadmill running (twice a year at best), to running a full 10 MILES this past weekend! It was a great shady trail starting at Fletcher's boat house, running towards Bethesda, MD, and then back. The weather was just right, even a bit chilly when we first started. The icing on the cake was the 9 am BBQ to celebrate our double-digit accomplishment, loading up on burgers and hot dogs for breakfast. Divine.

And that's not the only thing I've got to celebrate this week... I'm about 20% closer to reaching my fundraising goal of $1800 in donations to LLS, thanks to all the great support from my friends and family!! I've got to admit, fundraising has been the toughest part for me so far. While I've got a lot of good ideas for events, it's been really hard finding the time to organize and host them. I'm hoping to make some serious moves in August!

Thoughts On My Training: I used to absolutely hate running with other people. Or at least, I hated the idea of running with other people. I was always nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the other person, or feared being put under pressure to keep up a conversation while simultaneously running out of breath. Well, after a few weeks of morning group runs with TNT, I've basically learned that there's nothing better than the company of others while trying to get through multiple miles! Whether I'm talking with someone the whole time, or just quietly running side by side with someone at the same pace.

In fact, I've been lucky enough to have my ol' ball and chain, Joey, join me a couple of times for my midweek runs. The nice thing about Joey is that he doesn't mind doing all the talking the whole time, haha. Quite a ball of energy, that kid is. Our first run together was when I had to make up the 5 mile run I missed while in Guatemala. He did great! Below is our post-run pic. We look like we mean business (especially Joey!).

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94 days until MCM!! Time is flying by, Donate today!!

I tried. (The Guatemala Edition)

Fetal Friends: Together in the womb, and on the trail.

39 bag checks, $20 worth of airport-McDonald's food, 2 bumpy plane rides, and 14 hours of traveling later, my best friend Christina and I made it back in one piece from our trip to Panajachel, Guatemala, visiting our other BFF Lucy (together they are my "fetal friends"). The trip was amazing, filled with plenty of big meals, fine cocktails, and necessary relaxing. I had big plans to keep up my training while on vacation, but destiny had something else in store for me that week.

On our third morning in Pana, Christina joined me for what would be my first and last run that week: a solid 30 minutes through the tiny streets ("callejones" in Guate-speak) of a small neighboring town called Jucanya. With the hot central-american sun beating down on us at 9 am, we were both fairly equipped in our new "moisture-wicking" apparel and plenty of sunscreen. However, nothing could have prepared us for what we were literally about to run into.

Our run that day was completely unplanned and unmapped. All I knew is that we needed to keep going for about 30 minutes. I couldn't take my eyes off of the cobble stone, rocky, dirt roads we were running on, for fear that I'd twist my ankle landing on something loose. At some point, Christina suggested we take a turn off the main road and into one of the windy callejones. I agreed, thinking it might be nice to check out some of the back streets. As we rounded one tight corner, I almost ran over a small child who came sprinting from the opposite direction! Kids running around was not out of the ordinary, but this particular kid was sweating profusely, with a mischievous smile on his face. Keeping up a steady pace, we didn't really have any time to process why he might have been running away from this narrow, walled-in path we were headed down until..... BOOM!

RAGING TERRITORIAL "I WILL EAT YOU" WILD GUARD DOG

It was ferocious and angry and hungry, and only god knows what that little kid must have done to piss it off...but now it was mad at us, fiercely chasing us, threatening every inch of our lower bodies with crazed barking!!! Memories of being cornered and attacked at age 12 while on my roller blades were rushing through my head. The only word that kept flashing in my mind as we instinctively tried scrambling away was "RABIES. RABIES. RABIES." This dog was faster than us on any given day, and it was well aware. The beast followed us as fast and as far as it could until I started screaming "STOP RUNNING, JUST STOP RUNNING." For a good ten seconds, as we slowed down to a nervous stumble forward, not looking back, the beast kept up its attack!

Finally, what seemed like an eternity later, the beast turned around and returned to its post.

Needless to say, with enough adrenaline pumping through our veins, we rushed back home and packed away our sneakers for the rest of the week. Panajachel is meant for taking in beautiful views of their volcanoes and lake, enjoying their fresh made tortillas, and taking advantage of their slower, more simple way of life. That day I decided to save my 5 mile run for when I got back.

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111 days until MCM!! At least $1675 left to raise, donate today!