What Women Want …. Christmas 2015

Posted on December 15, 2015 by tootallfritz

What women want. That is a timeless question. I could really say a lot on this but I’m not sure it would do anyone any good if I gave away ALL of our secrets, so lets focus on Christmas 2015.

What women really want for Christmas is time. Honest. If you’ve been married more than 5 years, I guarantee your wife is ~~bitchy~~ tired. Okay, she is bitchy & tired. Especially if you have a couple of kids and some pets. She is tired of the laundry, cooking, cleaning, bill paying, and the stress of running a family while trying to maintain her sanity and not completely lose her own identity. To be honest, if she hasn’t totally lost it OR become one of those moms who toss back a bottle of wine every night before bed, you are lucky. And I’d suggest you tell her. Now.

So how can we incorporate time into the 2015 gift giving? If your wife is into fitness then my number one suggestion would be a race registration. Be smart about it. If she ran her first 5K this summer, don’t buy her a registration to the Flying Pig Marathon that I’ll be running on May 1, 2016. As a general rule of thumb, more women are registering, training for and competing in the half marathon distance than ever before. It’s manageable training for both wives & mothers, even those of us who also work. It can be done. This will make you look good without putting too much responsibility on you to watch the kids during a killer training schedule. Win. Win. Register her for a local half marathon, like the Southwest Half Marathon & 10K in Palos Heights, IL or the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon, 10K or 4 mile in Ft Wayne, IN. Price range: $45-$80 depending on the race and how far out it is from now. Early registration = $$ Savings.

Now that winter is upon us, there are a few things that your wife might need for her outdoor runs that she probably hasn’t wanted to spend the money on for herself. Mom’s are notorious for feeling guilty about buying things for themselves. Even things that are as much a necessity as a want. Is she running in the dark? If so, she needs some sort of headlamp or light. I prefer the Knuckle Lights so that I can quickly point them in the direction of any sound or movement. Find them on Amazon HERE for $39.99 per set.

Fun in the snow? Yes, please! Mom’s like to have fun outside too! Few things make me smile more than running in the snow. I grab my YakTrax for some added traction and I go! I prefer the YakTrax Pro, with the springs, no spikes. I usually run on a variety of terrain. Even if its super snowy, sometimes I hit a street that is plowed and I’m down to blacktop before I know it. Not a problem with the springs! $29.99 per set.

A mom’s work is NEVER done. If she is training, working, running the household & being a mom, then she is probably on her feet most of the day. You want her to recover quickly. A good pair of compression socks will aid in recovery and put a smile on her face. There are tons of compression socks on the market now but CEP is medical grade. You’ll need her calf circumference to get the correct size! And pick a cute pair so that she loves them and thinks happy thoughts about YOU each times she pulls them on her tired feet/legs. Hawaii Blue & Pink 2.0 Compression socks pictured. $60

There are 4 gift ideas, all under $100. Hope that helps you find something for the special active lady in your house! And if the budget it tight, then skip all the above, and just take the kiddos out to play for a couple hours so that she can rest. That will be just as good as a gift under the tree. Promise.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. And remember that time is one of the most precious gifts you can give, whether its time spent with loved ones, or time you give your significant other for themselves. Time is a very precious commodity with the busy lives we lead.

** Merry Christmas ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Flying Pig Marathon (or Half) FREE Entry Giveaway – 2016

Posted on December 8, 2015 by tootallfritz

282

Year after year, there are a few races that I hear about time and time again. It’s not because they are fast & flat and everyone crushes their PR. It’s because the race offers more than a course of 13.1 or 26.2 miles but also an EXPERIENCE. Flying Pig is one such race. I’ve been asked a 100 times if I’ve ran Flying Pig. My answer has always been, “no”. But that’s about to change, because I’m headed to the Flying Pig Marathon for 2016 and I want YOU to join me!

The 2016 theme is “Oinked For Life” where we are encouraged to fly with the pigs cuz they put the “fun in run”. Flying Pig is known for a fun filled weekend with events for the entire family. It’s also a big fundraiser for local charities hosting the Piggest Raffle Ever & Pig Drop to start off the weekend in style! Can’t wait, I’ve never been to a Pig Drop!

They’ve also joined a fast growing trend where races offer some sort of “challenge” which results in extra bling, swag or rewards for participating in more than the main event. The Flying Pig is all about getting everyone involved in the activities in and around the community for the entire weekend. This year, there will be both a 3 Way Challenge (10K, 5K & Half Marathon) and a 4 Way Challenge (10K & 5K & Marathon). Or you can do either Challenge “with Extra Cheese” and toss in the Little Kings Mile on Friday Night. As an added incentive to walk or run the Little Kings Mile, the Pig Drop is at the Little Kings after party and I know you don’t want to miss that! Additional details from the website below:

3-Way / 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese

You’ve asked for a new challenge at the Flying Pig, so we’ve come up with a new, fun series within Flying Pig weekend: The 3-Way and 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese! It combines the Skyline Chili 3-Way (Toyota 10K, Tri State Running Company 5K and the half marathon) and 4-Way (10K, 5K and full marathon) with a twist—the Little Kings Mile on Friday night of Flying Pig weekend!

Skyline Chili 3-Way and 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese finishers will receive additional premiums for their great achievements, including a 3-Way/4-Way finisher’s shirt, an additional 3-Way/4-Way Challenge finisher’s medal, and a plaque to display all five event medals. Start your Flying Pig experience a day early, and be one of the first to sign up for the 3-Way or 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese!

So if you are in it for the bling and swag, then sign up for the 3 or 4-Way Challenge “with Extra Cheese”! I’m certainly looking at my schedule to see how much fun I can fit into one weekend! I’ll definitely be running the marathon, hopefully one of the challenges too.

The 2016 finishers medal has not yet been unveiled but here is the 2015 version for marathon finishers. Cute!

It all sounds super cool, right? Okay, let’s get you set up to win a FREE entry into the half or full Flying Pig marathon on Sunday, May 1, 2016. If you are interested in being entered into the drawing, please comment below (one point). If you REALLY want to win, then you can get additional entries by jumping thru a few hoops (listed below). Just let me know in the comments what actions you preformed so I can allot you the proper amount of entries.

Comment Below – Required – 1 Entry
Like the TooTallFritz Facebook page HERE – 1 Entry
Like the Flying Pig Facebook page HERE – 1 Entry
Follow TooTallFritz on Twitter HERE – 1 Entry
Follow Flying Pig on Twitter HERE – 1 Entry
Follow TooTallFritz on Instagram HERE – 1 Entry
Follow Flying Pig on Instagram HERE – 1 Entry

Total of 7 entries available for this giveaway. Let me know in the comments what to credit you. Note: it’s a freebie if you already follow me or the Flying Pig Marathon on any of our social media channels. Smile Giveaway goes from now until December 16, 2015 at noon CST. Good luck!!

** Let’s Fly With The Pigs ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

A Return to CrossFit ….

Posted on December 3, 2015 by tootallfritz

Call this a week of new beginnings. It’s been approximately 612 days since my last CrossFit session. My CrossFit days came to a screeching halt in the Spring of 2014 as we learned that we were moving from IL to IN. Hubby had received a very sudden job offer for a position that I believe he had been interviewing on for over 7 months. We had about 2 days to decide if he should take it. Then we had another 2 weeks of mania before he left to start the new job, 200 miles away from where we lived in IL. It was a crazy time and to be honest, I still am not sure I’m settled in Indiana. Although I love the new area and being close to my family and old HS friends, it’s been nothing but a long period of adjustment, struggle and pure chaos, which is far from over. It hasn’t been fun but I’ve made a real effort to get back to basics and focus on my food, weight and regain my lost strength (both physically & emotionally). That’s what I focus on each day. I make the choice to eat well and be strong.

I’ve been looking for a CrossFit Endurance type program since I moved in August 2014. But it wasn’t that easy. The area I’ve moved to is much smaller. I’m now in a suburb of Ft Wayne, Indiana NOT Chicago. Slightly different market. There are very few CF boxes here and only one CF Endurance program within a 40 mile radius. That Endurance program was a cruise from where I live AND it’s an evening class. As a wife and mother with a full time J.O.B, evening classes don’t really happen for me. Ever.

So I visited a couple CF “boxes” (AKA “gyms”) looking for a CF class somewhat close to my new home. It didn’t go well. One box owner told me I was out of shape, overweight, and due to my history of injuries, I would need to be personally trained before I could possibly even go to one of their CF classes. Great. I knew all that but couldn’t afford a personal trainer or a bigger wound to my already damaged self esteem. So I tried to do home based CF workouts. I talked to some of the trainers at my local YMCA to see if we could get some CF equipment at the Y. I was making an effort but ultimately failing because I wasn’t even sure if I was doing the CF moves correctly. I knew I needed to regain my strength. I wanted to do Strict Presses, Push Presses and Dead Lifts, etc but I didn’t have anyone watching to make sure I wasn’t screwing things up. So I basically gave up til recently when I once again started searching for options. And bingo, one of the CF gyms had just moved to the north side of Ft Wayne.

513 Incentive Drive, Ft Wayne, IN * (260) 310-5360 * anthonyshefferly@gmail.com

I went for a visit. Can’t say I had a ton of hope. We still haven’t managed to sell our IL house and things are not good for us financially. I pretty much assumed that I couldn’t afford anything they were offering. But looking and talking are free, right?

Long story short, we set up a CrossFit Endurance Class on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 5:30am. Offering a one month trial period for December 2015. Very low cost (almost free). Trial period for any runner, triathlete, endurance athlete who may be interested in seeing if this is something they want to pursue. Trial period for CF Tactical Strength to see if an Endurance class will work for them and if there is a real interest/need for this type of class.

December 1st was our first class. Stay tuned for more info on my first week back to CrossFit tomorrow!

P.S. ….. Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a FREE Entry to a Spartan Race of your choosing. Go HERE to enter!

** Happy Running & Enduring WHATEVER Your Heart Desires ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Happy Thanksgiving & Let’s #OptOutside for Black Friday

Posted on November 26, 2015 by tootallfritz

Hey, all! The holidays are a wonderful time of year, full of traditions. Some of us start our day with a local Turkey Trot while others are already warming the kitchen with the smell of homemade pumpkin pie. I want to wish each and every one of you a joyous Thanksgiving! I’ll be thinking of you all and hoping that you are surrounded by friends, family and someone who loves you!

The holidays are full of tradition. When I lived in IL, I would always host a Black Friday run at Waterfall Glen. There wasn’t a hashtag for #OptOutside. There wasn’t a big corporation behind the movement to get people outside. Nobody was talking about health, wellness, fitness, friends or family on Black Friday. No, they gave their thanks on Thursday and moved on to retail madness on Black Friday. Some big retail chains are saying NO this year. REI in particular started the push to #OptOutside for Black Friday by giving all of their employees the day off with pay. Many other retailers has followed suit. I encourage all of you to #OptOutside for Black Friday. Let’s wait for Cyber Monday to get all those amazing deals for our little angels, from the comfort of our home, where we can shop in our PJs. That’s what I’ll be doing.

If you need a place to go on Black Friday to #OptOutside, I’ll be leading a group run at Pokagon State Park, in Angola, IN. Details HERE. If you don’t want to follow me, then you can follow Lilo. She promises an AMAAHHHZING trail run! Or if you aren’t close to us, then REI has a link HERE to find a place to #OptOutside.

** Let’s Hit The Trails With Lilo & #OptOutside on Black Friday ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon …. Then Vs Now

Posted on November 5, 2015 by tootallfritz

As I prepare for the 2015 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, I can’t help but reflect on the first time I ran it in 2008. The 2008 event was the inaugural race for Indy Monumental and I don’t think any of us expected it to grow the way that it has over the last 7 years. There was no “expo”, only packet pickup at the Capitol Building. I didn’t have a crew. Or a blog. Or know 25-30 people running. I had one crazy friend who made the trip with me to Indy from Chicagoland. And pretty much everyone else in our lives thought we were insane. Like totally insane. Abby S & I in front of the Capital Building at packet pickup.

2008 was the year of the triathlon. I probably thought of nothing else in ‘08 other than TRIing and TRYING to get preggo with Mr. Michael. And damn, I was skinny! I’m pretty sure I never appreciated how thin I was at that point in time. I bet I ate every dang thing that I wanted and drank my fair share of Corona Lights too! Ah, memories! But seriously, 2008 was THE year. Abby S and I competed in 6-7 Olympic TRIs, a Duathlon, 3 half marathons for me (4 ore more for her), I did my first 70.3 TRI and ran my 2nd marathon at Indy. Good times.

However, I remember the ‘08 Monumental race being very emotional for me. I was off my birth control (trying to conceive) and exhausted. We had been racing hard since mid May that year and Indy Monumental was on Nov 1st. I didn’t understand that training cycles need to be cyclical. I didn’t understand the importance of rest in life or racing. I just kept the training/racing cycle going and I crashed and burned at Indy. And shed a billion tears in the process. This is where I learned that crying and running are NOT compatible. So when I tell the Cross Countries girls to suck it up cuz the tears make it harder to run, well, I’m only be honest cuz I know from personal experience. Tears and running do not mix, if you want to breathe.

Monumental was the end of my racing season for 2008. I did run a local turkey trot but that was it. And I conceived before year end. Rest helps a lot of things: muscle recovery, emotions, hormones, and conception. Smile

Needless to say, I don’t remember a lot from the ‘08 Monumental race other than my state of emotion. Hard to see thru those tears. So I’m really looking forward to the 2015 race, which will be my 24th marathon. I look forward to SEEING what Indy has to offer. My only goal this year is to NOT cry. I’m in a totally different state of mind these days with my running, not so focused on speed but thankful to just be moving, running, racing, and thankful for my life “on the run”.

Here is the 2008 Inaugural race medal and race shirt. The shirt has been repurposed in a race t-shirt quilt but I found the square for a quick photo. Love my t-shirt quilts and all the memories they evoke.

Good luck to everyone running the 2015 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon! If you see me, shout! I’d love to meet you! I’ll be wearing a Marathon Maniac shirt, probably the long sleeve yellow one. See you Saturday!

** Be Monumental ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Ghosts And Ghouls Spooktacular 5K –Auburn, IN

Posted on November 3, 2015 by tootallfritz

Anyone want to run a 5K? If you are a marathoner, I think I just heard you groan. If you are a marathoner who gained 26#s last year, then ~~you might be me~~ I definitely heard you groan. But alas, one of Aby’s class projects was to host this 5K. She needed runners. So I ran. It was a great race. Well organized. Easy route that was well marked. And I won the Women’s Master division with a time of 24:04 which snagged me a Kroger gift card and some free food from Arby’s. Yay!!

The 5K was sandwiched between Trick or Treat hours for our local businesses and the residential Trick or Treating in Auburn, IN. My fear was poor turnout due to holiday fun. In fact, we struggled as a family and had to divide and conquer. Hubby took the little man trick or treating. I went to the 5K.

The 5K was a project based learning assignment hosted by the DeKalb New Tech program. The class was raising money for DCIC Ministries, Shelter Ministries, Salvation Army, and Warm A Heart. All of these organizations are Christian nonprofit charities serving Auburn, IN and the surrounding communities in DeKalb County. They offer various services and help our community in numerous ways by feeding, clothing, educating, providing medical vouchers and/or financial assistance to those in need. The New Tech program was hoping to raise $2,500 to split between these organizations but due to timing and poor turnout, they only collected $735. All items for the 5K were donated (bibs, water cups, water, prizes) so the registration fees were 100% profit. They still need to raise $1,765 more to meet their projections. If you would like to help with a small (or large) donation, please email: JBitting@dekalbcentral.net.

I love these small 5Ks with a purpose. They are focusing on their community by trying to get everyone moving while also trying to make a difference and help those in need. Next year, I’ll try to be a more involved to help get the word out and get a bigger runner base. But for now, I can only try to help boost the donations. I know lots of people are looking for end of the year deductions. No need to wait til December, give now and you can help these charities make a better Christmas for people who need assistance.

** Running For A Cause ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Halloween, What’s the Plan?

Posted on October 29, 2015 by tootallfritz

Each year, Halloween makes fit mom’s cringe. Not just because of the sugar our children will ingest ~~and the subsequent bouncing off the walls and possible vomiting that may ensue~~, but also because of the temptation that it brings into our home. We don’t buy candy for a reason and it doesn’t have much to do with our crazy kids. It’s hard to resist. We love it just as much as they do, maybe more.

In order to not sabotage every workout that you’ve done this week, I suggest having a game plan going into the big day. Yes, you can eat SOME candy but don’t eat it all. My kids do not like Almond Joys. So every house that they go to where they get one, they immediately come back to me and hand it over. I promise to not stuff that Almond Joy in my face as soon as it’s within my grasp.

I’m going to have a plan. I’m also going to hope that it’s cold and miserable so that we go to fewer houses and bring home fewer goodies.

The plan:

Eat real food before heading out to trick or treat. Even if it’s just some turkey slices & carrot sticks, I’ll not be heading out when I’m hungry.
I’ll take a bottle of water or coffee to carry with me while we are out. Then I’ll have something to keep me distracted and hopefully keep my tummy full.
I will not eat every Almond Joy the children receive. Pinky Promise. Limiting myself to 2-3 items this year. And those would be the “mini” bars, not the big boys.
I’ll attempt to limit the number of houses that we visit without limiting the fun.
I’ll encourage the children to trade their unwanted candy with their cousin before we head home so that we don’t have a bunch of “unwanted” candy laying around after the holiday.
If there is a lot of candy, I usually bag some up and take it to work for my co-workers so I get it out of the house. However, now that the kids are getting older & wiser, that isn’t so much of an option but it might be for you. Do it, if you can get away with it!
I’ll make sure I get in a workout pre-Trick or Treating and the morning after. I can’t out exercise a bad diet but I can work off a few Almond Joys, IF I focus and keep control.

Lastly, I want to leave you with these graphics. I think it’s important to know exactly what you have to do to work off your favorite candy. It’s a real eye opener to see the calorie counts of some of those minis.

It’s okay to treat yourself but NO mindless eating. It will do more harm than you think. Keep it together. Stick to the plan. You can do this!!

Related Posts: Halloween Confessions and Halloween Hangover.

** Stick to the Plan ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Work In Progress …..

Posted on October 27, 2015 by tootallfritz

I wanted to touch base with all of you today and talk about a few things. So many of my blogger friends, run friends & Facebook friends are just killing it right now. I mean KILLING IT. Running killer times. Lifting heavy weights. Qualifying for Boston. Conquering new and ~~horrific~~ challenging distances. And I’m proud of them. They worked hard and they deserve everything that comes to them and more. But there is a whole group of us, myself included, who are also working hard but it doesn’t look quite as great on paper. That’s because we are a Work In Progress. And let’s be honest, some of us will forever and always be just that …… a Work In Progress.

Social Media can be as great as it is horrible. There is so much to motivate us and even more to tear us down. Let’s build our network accordingly. Keep the motivators, get rid of those who spew negativity toward us and others. Focus on what we can control. Identify our weaknesses. Be positive. Know that things don’t change over night. Fitness, life, parenting and work can be hard and getting where we want to go can be a painfully slow process.

In real life, there are road blocks. U-Turns. Detours. And people who want to tear us down, possibly because they are miserable and too afraid to chase their own dreams. They see us “going for it” and call us selfish, bad mothers, single-minded and/or obsessed. Well, they are right, I am obsessed. I’m obsessed with my own personal wellbeing. Obsessed with wanting to be the best person I can be today, tomorrow and well into the future. But I still have to take the detour like everyone else. Life is hard. It’s how we chose to react and handle what is thrown our way that defines us as people.

Don’t let the fear stop you from chasing down what you want. Don’t let the excuses build a wall around you. Don’t let stress be an enabler. Think for a minute. What’s the plan?

What can I control? ANS (for me): Only my actions and reactions.
What is my weakness? ANS: I’m a stress eater and let my emotions enable binge eating.
Be positive – I always get in my workouts, even when everything else is falling apart.
Know that things don’t change over night – I’ll keep chipping away at fitness even when it seems like my goals are hopeless. I’ve created mini goals to keep things focused and manageable.

Over the last 18 months, I’ve been in a period of constant change, chaos and struggle. I look back at the “easy days” longingly and wish that just a fraction of the easiness would return to our lives. I know that it will. I have faith that better times are ahead but for now, I’m focusing on what I can control. I’m doing pretty well with my food, except for the bags of mini health bars that hubby keeps bringing home for me. Unfortunately, today I told him not to bring them home anymore because they are the TTF kryptonite. Sad smile More salads, fresh veggies, spaghetti squash dinners. Less Heath Bar candy.

More StairMaster and Strength Training, less mindless running. I can barely move my 35# kettlebell at this point and that makes me sad.

And most of all, no matter what, I refuse to give up. Even if I never get back to where I “once was”, I’ll keep working toward new goals. Pursing new things with dogged determination because I know that for me, fitness is about more than the size of my jeans and more about the state of my mind.

I’m a Work In Progress and I’ll never give up ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

Ready Or Not ….. Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

Posted on August 5, 2015 by tootallfritz

I didn’t ride my bike or swim at all in 2014. The move (packing, finding an IN house on a tight time table, finding renters for the IL house, and actually getting all of our stuff from the old house/barn to the new one) was quite a project. I ran when I could but that was pretty infrequent too between April & September (2014). When spring 2015 came around, I had a real itch to get out on my bike. However, I wasn’t real familiar with all the roads in my new area. Drivers here had ran me off the road while running more than once. And I knew of 2 ladies who were hit and killed while riding their bikes in IL (different areas) early in the season. I was a bit nervous about getting out on the road. Actually, I was scared.

I finally got my bike out after the local coffee shop, Jeremiah’s Brewed Awakenings, ran a promo for Bike Month in May. I think the promo was that they would give a free coffee to anyone who completed 7 items on the bike month promo sheet. I never did turn in my sheet but I did dust off my bike toward the end of the month and take it for a spin. And I was a happy lady. I started riding around my area. Even found a couple good routes with a few hills. Set my basement up for some marathon bike trainer sessions because I was having trouble getting out the door between kids, work and Aby’s Cross Country schedule. Signed up for Ironman 70.3 Steelhead. And then my basement flooded with my bike trainer in it and all plans were halted.

When there is a crisis at home, mom doesn’t leave to go ride her bike. So all swimming and biking stopped with the basement flood. It was emotional. It was exhausting because we (hubby, kids & I) had to clear out and demo the basement. Insurance didn’t help much at all. In fact, it didn’t even help enough to pay for the replacement of our geothermal heat/air unit. And when it rains it pours, right? So it was at this exact same time that’s our IL renters decided they weren’t going to pay rent anymore. Now our home is in a partial demo’d state with no heat/air. Current basement pic below.

We’re paying for 2 houses and an eviction lawsuit to try to get the renters (can I call them that if they aren’t paying???) out of our IL house. Lot’s going on and not much to do with training or triathlon. But over the last three weeks I’ve tried to get my shit together mentally & physically salvage my training because the IM registration fees are pretty high and am hoping for another 70.3 finish.

I’ve only managed a couple swims but I’ve ridden numerous times, mostly 25 milers but I’ve been riding.

I even took a day off work to go ride the Steelhead course with a few amazing athletes.

We took a practice swim that really sucked in Lake Michigan but at least Laura N. was able to get my wetsuit zipped This is a real win because of course, I’m now “a bit” heavier than the specs of the suit recommend.

So the good news is that I won’t drown because my wetsuit technically fits. And I should be able to cover the 56 miles on the bike because I’ve trained for almost a full 3 weeks. Smile And well, I can run a half marathon. So I guess I’m ready to do a half ironman! Right? Right!

So there it is, all laid out. Steelhead, I’m coming. Whether I’m “Ready or Not”. I wasn’t going to win anyhow, so I’ll just keep ticking off the miles until the finish line is in sight.

** I TRI ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Aby’s First Half Marathon …..

Posted on August 4, 2015 by tootallfritz

I’ve always put limits on Aby. She wanted to run her first 5K when she was so small that she called them K5s. She’s wanted to run a half marathon for years and I told her, “not til you are 13”. She wants to run a full marathon and I say, “not til you’re 16”. Good or bad, that’s what I’ve done. I see kids a lot younger than her running longer races and I don’t judge those parents but for Aby, I worry about injury and burnout. Quite frankly I want her to be a runner and fitness enthusiast for life, not one who has accomplished everything before she can drive. So we have limits.

I did let her participate in the Mini Muddy Buddy when she was 5.

Her first 5K was at age 9. She took 2nd place in her age group.

In the interim between that first 5K and now, we’ve ran a lot of 5Ks, 4 milers, 8Ks, teamed up for duathlons and ran countless miles together ~~sometimes when she would have rather ran alone~~.

She’s also ran a few Cross Country seasons. And she’s been there to support me and spectate a “few” marathons.

Now she is 13 and has finally made it to her first half marathon. We had planned this race for quite some time. She picked it last year before she even turned 13. I registered us both. Created a training plan. And she ran all summer, slowly building up to the 10 mile long run and race day. The Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon on July 19th (2015) was her first half marathon. We spent the weekend in the Chicago area. Picked up her XC spikes for the upcoming Cross Country season. Hit the expo. Spent time with friends.

Race day arrived and it was hot. And humid. Temp was upper 80s with a “feels like” time of 96 degrees. The plan was to run slow. Very slow. And to make sure we finished under our own power. I’ve seen way to many people go down in hot races. I’m always overly cautious about pace in the heat.

We stuck together. Walked thru the water stops ~~since a lot of the volunteers hadn’t showed up since it was so hot and we had to wait in line for fluids~~. Took our time. And enjoyed ourselves. I didn’t want her first half to be miserable even though the conditions were less than ideal.

At mile 11, she took off toward the finish and notched off her first half marathon finish! Goooooo Aby!!! She was flying!

My baby girl is growing up! She ran a smart race and had fun. Lots of time to add speed later but her first half marathon was fun and that’s something she will always remember.

Cheers to our friend Nicki who spent the weekend hanging out with us! She has ran a lot of races with Aby and I over the years. The weekend wouldn’t have been complete without her there to witness Aby’s first half finish. Thanks, Nicki!!.

I know that I won’t always be able to run and race with Aby but I certainly cherish the times we’ve had thus far. She’s getting older. She has her own agenda. But fortunately, at this point, she doesn’t have a driver’s license so she still depends on me for a ride. Smile

** Making Run Memories, One Race At A Time ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

TooTallFritz

Running Toward: Health, Wellness & PEACE …………………………………….. Running From: Insanity, Screaming Children, Housework & a Big Ass

Category Archives: Family

What Women Want …. Christmas 2015

Flying Pig Marathon (or Half) FREE Entry Giveaway – 2016

3-Way / 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese

A Return to CrossFit ….

Happy Thanksgiving & Let’s #OptOutside for Black Friday

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon …. Then Vs Now

Ghosts And Ghouls Spooktacular 5K –Auburn, IN

Halloween, What’s the Plan?

Work In Progress …..

Ready Or Not ….. Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

Aby’s First Half Marathon …..

Share this:

3-Way / 4-Way Challenge with Extra Cheese

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: