Highlight Reel …. 2015

Posted on December 29, 2015 by tootallfritz

I think the end of the year highlight reel is important, particularly for those years that go down in history as being difficult. And if I thought 2014, and the move to our new home in Indiana was difficult, I was wrong. 2015 brought us trials and tribulations that would have broken most. Yet we are still standing strong, just a bit weak in the knees.

I encourage all of you to focus on the positive. Leave behind the negative whether it be people, habits, attitudes or memories. Grab onto the positive from each year and make your own highlight reel. When we are old & grey, nobody wants to hear sad, woeful stories but rather the ones that inspire and bring laughter & smiles. We get to choose the legacy that we leave behind, let it be a positive one.

Stats – 1100 miles on foot. 900 miles on bike.

Races:

5K – 1
8K – 1
Half Marathon – 2
Marathon – 8
1/2 Ironman – 1
50K – 1

Best Run – Charleston, NC – Cooper River Bridge

Favorite pics. 1) Kids first day of school, 2) Lilo – 2.5 months, 3) Aby’s First Half Marathon, 4) Celebrating Mom’s birthday at Dierks Bently.

Favorite Race – Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon, which is a “practice” run for the Minnesota Voyager 50 mile ultra up by Lake Superior in MN. Took Julie & I forever to run it. So freaking hard. But we smiled the entire time.

Best Bridges – Pittsburg Marathon. Really loved this race, town & all the bridges.

Fastest Marathon – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon – 4:26

Best Selfie – Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Me, Erin Rose, Tamyra, Missy & Julie in the back “flying”. Love this pic.

Favorite Race pic – Ironman 70.3 Steelhead

In 2015, I checked 6 new states off my list: Missouri, Pennsylvania, Iowa, California, Minnesota & Oklahoma. My goal to run a marathon in every state is ongoing as a long term goal. I love the adventure and the road trips with my run friends. But I also like to support local races, help my friends and run group members achieve their goals and run iconic races that just so happen to be in states I’ve already checked off the list. I’ve ran 15 states thus far and the journey will continue well into the future. One state at a time as the family & budget allows and as my run friends can fit travel & new states into their schedules.

As we close in on 2016, I first and foremost pray for a healthy, happy family, then a healthy body that can continue to pursue goals at whatever pace seems manageable. I hope to color in a few new states on my marathon map and participate in a few more 70.3 triathlons. I’m looking forward to a fresh start, new goals and the beauty of the unknown. Cheers to 2016! I hope it’s the best year so far for my family & yours!

** Cheers ** 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

Marathon Recovery

Posted on November 11, 2015 by tootallfritz

Marathon recovery is different for everyone but I do suggest allowing the body ample recovery time. Regardless of whether you had a good or bad race, the itch to run is a powerful one. I know you want to get back out there and hit the trail. Is that wise? Well, let’s think about that for a minute.

Was this marathon was an “A” race? If a person ran hard to meet a goal, regardless of whether the goal was accomplished or not, then that person needs more rest than others. Effort, both perceived and actual, exhausts the body and mind requiring more time for recovery. So, did you run hard? If the answer is yes, then you need a good recovery plan with lots of focus on nutrition, protein intake, rehabbing the muscles thru rolling, icing, stretching, chiropractic and/or massage therapy. Take care of the body that takes care of you!!

People who “race” marathons need WAY more recovery time than those of us who run but never really leave our comfort zone. I’m frequently asked how I run so many marathons a year. Well, I never used to run a lot of marathons. I used to only run one per year. But I ran harder! Way harder. And I was tore up afterwards for a much longer period. Over the years, my body has adjusted to the mileage demands but in return, I never really ask it to push itself. I run slow and try to be steady. If there is a nasty hill, I walk up that hill. I keep things pretty chill. For me, the ability to keep running is way more important than my finish time. It took me years to learn that. While it’s not a philosophy that would make everyone happy, it works for me. Running is one of the few things that gives me peace. It quiets my mind and soul. I don’t have to think or I get to think about whatever I like. So its important to me to stay healthy and keep moving. Now how do we keep you moving forward? Proper recovery!

Take in Protein, Carbs & Water immediately after the marathon. This serves a couple purposes in bringing the glycogen levels back up (since you depleted them!) and getting the recovery process started! The optimal carb to protein ratio for recovery is 3:1 or 4:1 depending on who you ask. We need between 10-20 grams of protein for proper recovery, so that means we need 40-60g of carbs. Too difficult to do the math? Plan ahead so you don’t have to think. Stash your recovery food/drink in your check bag. If they hand out chocolate milk at the finish line, your golden, drink it. I use the AdvoCare Post Workout Recovery drink so I don’t have to do the math. Start refueling as soon as you get across the finish line, it can make a difference on how you feel not only for the rest of the day but also for the rest of the week! Don’t let a nauseous tummy stop you from eating. Food is what you need to start feeling better.
Rehydrate. This is so obvious but I’d be negligent if I didn’t stress its importance. I normally chug a bottle of water as soon as I cross the finish line. I get the water down and my recovery drink ASAP. Less to carry. Puts me on the recovery fast track.
Stretch or Roll as soon as you can. I keep “The Stick” in my car or hotel room. If I forget it, I borrow one. It’s important. The act of rolling increases the blood flow to achy muscles, tendons & ligaments. The faster the blood gets moving, the faster the recovery process. The blood starts working to heal those microscopic muscle tears that cause soreness.
Compress. Thought compression was a joke or a object of commercialism to steal more of our hard earned $$? It’s not. Compression works. If you are in a bad way, compress the entire lower body with compression tights or a compression shorts & compression socks combo. Compression does the same thing the rolling does, but that doesn’t mean you can skip the rolling. Compression keeps the blood flowing even when you are sitting or driving home. Compress today, feel good tomorrow.
Ice. I know you hate those dang ice baths but it’s the quickest way to handle swelling in the lower extremities. You can knock out icing the hips, quads, hamstrings, knees, calves, ankles & feet ….. all at once. Looks like a better deal now, right? Sit in the empty tub, start filling with cold water, add ice once water is above hips. Sit for 15 minutes. Yeah, it sucks but it’s work it.
Stay on top of food/hydration throughout the week. You’ll be hungry. Eat. Lean proteins, good carbs, fruits/veggies and drink lots of water to flush the lactic acid out of your mucles. Try not to eat all the Halloween Candy. But if you do, refocus the next day and start again. I keep a high quality protein drink handy at all times. Once again, I’m an AdvoCare user/distributor so I use AdvoCare Muscle Gain. I also have an ace up my sleeve and use the AdvoCare Nighttime Recovery on days leading up to/away from the marathon when my legs are heavy/sore. I’m sure there are other great products on the market, feel free to use what you like, this is what has worked for me over the last 9 years. I mention it so that you know to look for something extra when you are struggling with recovery. I have it down to a science at this point. Find what works for you.
Light activity for the week (or more) following the race. I avoid running for 3-4 days. Then I just go slow and get the blood flowing. I practice yoga, stretch, swim and cycle when I don’t run. I never stop moving but I can’t run every day like some people, so I need to switch it up. This will also prevent burnout from intense training plans by doing non-running things post marathon.
Rest. Sleep. Go out for dinner & drinks with hubby. Enjoy some free time, not related to “the run”.

What has worked best for you for fast recovery? Tell us! Everyone is different and we need as many tips as possible!

** Speedy Recovery Wishes ** 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

The Week of The Big Race ……

Posted on October 6, 2015 by tootallfritz

September certainly opens the door for the fall racing season but October is marathon month. So many great races. So little time. This year I did NOT register for the Chicago Marathon. Yes, I love the race. Yes, most of my IL and IN friends are running it. No, I didn’t cave like I always do and toss up a huge entry free for a race that I’ve ran time and time again. This year, I’m heading to Long Beach, California for the Long Beach Marathon.

I picked Long Beach cuz it was 1) on the same day as Chicago and 2) because my friend Lara moved out to the Long Beach area at the same time my family moved to Auburn, Indiana. I haven’t seen Lara since their move and I can’t wait to see her and her amazing family. We’ve spent so much time over the last 5 years pounding miles on dark trails (her and/or her hubby) that I frequently think about them while I run. I smile with thoughts of the stories we’ve told a million times and can’t wait to create new ones.

Long Beach won’t be what I initially imagined. Lara is a super fast runner ~~who never complains about my slower pace~~. When I signed up back in February, I had thoughts of a new marathon PR. I envisioned myself fit and fast. I imagined the perfect race. But life isn’t perfect, so my vision has changed and I’m not at all sad about that. We will have a great time running the Long Beach area, singing, dancing and laughing over the course of 26.2 miles. It’s going to be hot. 94 according to accuweather. But we’ll be together and we are lucky enough to have another friend, my girl Julie M., along for the fun. And fun we will be having. Look at this amazing course. Lots of blue water to bring us a breeze and beautiful sites.

Since we are facing a hot race, I’ve reviewed a couple of my old posts about the week leading up to important races/marathons. Feel free to check out the Race Week Do(s) & Don’t(s) or the Marathon Week post for pre-race tips. For us, we will be hydrating with electrolytes all week. We have packed the salt caps and our favorite run visor. We won’t be carb loading so much as eating healthy nutritious foods with complex carbs, lean proteins and healthy fats. It’s pretty apparent that nobody will be PRing on a 94 degree day, no matter how spot on their training or how amazing their fitness. So we have put our expectations in check and we’ll focus on the positive: enjoying our race, making sure everyone is hydrating and keeping up with fuel/electrolytes, and having as much fun as possible being together and doing what we love. I’m thankful for crazy friends who think that fun = running long.

** Wishing YOU a Great Marathon Season With Crazy Friends ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon–Duluth MN

Posted on July 14, 2015 by tootallfritz

As most of you know by now, I’m on a quest to run a marathon in every state. And I’m on a budget. As a result, I’ve pretty much given up running races that are less than the 26.2 distance. I’ve also pretty much given up running marathons in state’s that I’ve already “checked off” unless the race is free. I pick races based on my (and Julie’s) calendar. I don’t stress about the course. Or the weather. Or the details. It’s an adventure. The bigger, the better. The more the merrier. Join me!!

We picked our Minnesota race because Julie said she wanted to knock off MN this year. I can’t say this was my first choice for MN because, well, we are road runners! But alas, it fit into our weekend warrior calendar and it was super affordable at a mere $35 entry fee. You absolutely can not beat trail races for the price, the hospitality, the fun and the level of commitment that they give to each and every runner. The Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon wins the TTF Award for the “Best Bang for the Buck” in 2015. I don’t even care that it’s only July. They already won. $35 entry fee = $1.34 per mile. Our race took forever 7 hours & 37 minutes = $4.60 per hour.

The aid stations were stocked with coke, ginger ale, sprite, powerade (BLUE!!!!), ice, ice water, pretzels, M&Ms, candy, fig newtons, sandwich cookies, frosted oatmeal cookies, gingersnap cookies, potato chips, watermelon, bananas, salt, salt capsules, and a ton of stuff that I can’t remember. I probably ate/drank more than the $35 entry fee.

There was also an army of volunteers who encouraged us, filled our water bottles, wiped our tears, recorded our numbers, pointed us in the right direction and handed us paper towels & wet wipes in case we needed to go to the bathroom clean up.

The race started promptly at 6am at the Lake Superior Zoo. There was no big start banner. No chip timing. No pomp. No circumstance. But there were people making announcements to get us in the right spot and there were bathrooms. Runners came to run and everything else is left on the trail.

The first 2.5-3 miles of the race climbed the ski trails of Spirit Mountain. Once we started hitting nice roads and fancy bridges we knew we were close to the top!

Then we started seeing the ski lifts and we came out of the trees for breathtaking views of Lake Superior in the early morning fog. Absolutely amazing.

The trail was very well marked with orange ribbons. I never once questioned our direction. Organizers spent a lot of time clearing trail for us rather than just using ordinary trails already cut in the parks through which we ran. There was a lot of planning to get us from Duluth to the finish in Carlton, MN on this point to point course. It was a creative path. A difficult one. Not the most technical of all that I’ve ran but extremely hard and probably the most fun so far (and that’s saying a lot cuz we ran the Dances with Dirt Devil’s Lake WI Extreme Trail Marathon last July). Take a peak at the various terrain from steep trails along ridges, to roped off trails to help us navigate the terrain & not fall …..

To hills, both up and down as far as the eyes could see.

Beautiful ferns. Bridges. Obstacles.

Water crossings. Mud. Roots. Rocks.

Parks. Rivers.

Every step of this was amazing. And hard. Very hard. But we smiled and laughed almost the entire 7.5+ hours. If you are a trail runner, the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon is a must. If you are an ultra runner, then this race is just a warm up for the MN Voyager 50 Mile Trail Ultramarathon at the end of July. Like what you see in these pics? Try the Voyager and you’ll get to run it twice.

As you know from the above post, we finished. And were happy to see the car and some clean clothes at the end of the race. To our surprise, we also received a very unique handmade finishers medallion and a gender specific soft, tee. Nice!

I’m forever grateful for the good friends I’ve made over the years while “on the run”. A special thanks to Julie for running some of these crazy races with me! I can’t wait til we tromp off into the woods for the next adventure!

** Maybe We’ll See YOU On the Trail ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Adventures In Running ….

Posted on May 15, 2015 by tootallfritz

I’m am always thankful to be a runner. Always. Running has taken me places I would have never gone without it. Running has introduced me to people I would have never otherwise met, both in person and virtually. Running has made me realize that I can do things that I never thought possible. Running is always an adventure, good, bad or indifferent.

Today I ran a new area. Because I was afraid if I didn’t get my run in early, I wouldn’t get it in at all. Yeah, it’s been a crazy week! So I parked the car and ran right after I dropped Michael off at school. I didn’t drive to familiar territory. Didn’t want to waste anytime. I just parked the car and ran. Visor or no visor? That was my only thought. I grabbed the visor because it had been raining all night and more rain was predicted. Now where am I? Got my bearings and took off down a long sidewalk that Michael and I always talked about as we passed it every day. The long sidewalk took me to a country road where I proceeded to run out of Small Town USA. It was at that moment, less than a 1/2 mile from my car when I realized that I didn’t have my Personal Savers Pepper Spray. I always take my Wrist Saver on new runs. On most of my runs to be honest. But I didn’t want to go back for it.

When you run in the country, it’s inevitable there will be loose dogs. It’s only a guess as to whether the loose dog will be friendly or not. I’ve been bitten 3x by unfriendly dogs so I now assume if a dog is charging me and barking that it will be followed by a bite. Beware, if your dog charges me, I will spray it with pepper spray. Not because I want to hurt your dog but because I don’t want your dog to hurt me. I love dogs. Have 3 of my own. But that doesn’t mean I’m stupid and want your dog to bite me. So ……how long do you think it was before a loose dog saw me? 1.95 miles. I was in a time crunch so I had planned to run 2 miles out from my car and flip to make the return trip. Just enough mileage to shake out the tightness from my landscaping duties this week. But alas I had a potentially crazy dog between me and my car. UGH! Said dog didn’t see me until I was almost past his house, then he had to run the long yard to the road to get to me. By that time, I was far enough past that he didn’t give chase. Thank goodness. But he was laying in the yard, by the road, awaiting my return. What a sweetie, right? Yeah, probably not. So I kept running forward to WhoKnowsWhere. Scenery wasn’t too bad.

I was immediately thankful that not only am I a runner but a MARATHON runner. It doesn’t matter that I’m on a road to nowhere, I’ll eventually get back to my car. I quickly calculated that I was a half marathon or so from my house. I wasn’t really sure how to get home but I knew the general direction, like as a crow would fly. Smile I also knew that my car was just to the right of that creek (pictured above), no more than a mile away across that field. Worse case scenario I could cross that wet, muddy field. But let’s just bag that idea for now. I’m not lost. I just don’t know exactly where I am at the moment. I’ll just keep running down this road and see where it takes me. And that’s when the rain began. I immediately gave thanks for my visor! Running in the rain. Refreshing. I think. If I knew how to get back to my car it would be a bit more refreshing. But alas, I’m a marathon runner. I’ll get back there eventually.

Fortunately, most country roads are set up in a grid like pattern. Usually with each segment between intersections being a mile (or so) in length. I tried to focus on the grid and hope that these roads followed the general rules of country road infrastructure. I was assuming I could run a rectangle and be back to the car. That’s why I wasn’t panicked and didn’t feel the need to tromp across that wet, muddy field. I just didn’t know any of these roads and the north end of “the grid” was the key. The road eventually curved away from the direction I needed to go but without a cross street/road I just followed along. It eventually popped me out on a busy road that connects our town and the one where Michael goes to school. It wasn’t a road that I would normally run (or bike), due to the heavy traffic volume, but at least I knew my location and the direction of my car. I managed a mile down the busy street. In the pouring rain. Trying to look smooth and as if I were enjoying myself. Ignoring all thoughts of what people must think of this crazy lady (me!) running along a busy road in the rain. Turned back into town at the first opportunity, the rain eased, and I found my long sidewalk that was the start of this running adventure.

All runs are an adventure. Some are just more interesting than others. Keep running and keep making memories. As I see it, I’m just banking stories for the grandkids!

** Adventures In Running ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Pittsburgh Marathon Review – #RunnerOfSteel

Posted on May 5, 2015 by tootallfritz

I’m not really sure how I became this “crazy” marathon runner who’s current goal is to run a marathon in each of the 50 states. If someone had told me 2 years ago that I would be running more than one or two marathons a year, I wouldn’t have believed them. In fact, I would have thought them to be the “crazy” one. Somehow, something changed. Maybe it was the fact that I would train so hard for ONE marathon a year and then never get the desired result due to injury, training fatigue, life, stress or weather. Maybe I woke up one day and decided there were so many great marathons and too little time to run them. Maybe my kids were driving me crazy and I decided to run more ~~and drink less~~ to blow off steam. Maybe and most probably, I decided that if I ran more marathons, I could run fewer of those unsupported, boring, long runs. Yeah, that’s probably it.

Regardless, I’m on a journey that is taking me places. Some of those places weren’t exactly on my “must visit” list. And that makes things interesting in a fun and adventurous way. On that note, we picked the Pittsburgh Marathon the way that we pick most of our races. Julie said, “Hey, I’d really like to run a marathon at the end of April or beginning of May.” I said, “If you wait til the beginning of May, I’ll go with you”. Then we looked at the marathon calendar and tossed out a couple options. I saw that Pittsburg was on May 3rd, pulled up google maps and discovered that it’s only 4.5 hours from my new home. We registered a month in advance because Pittsburgh is in PA and that’s a new state for us. Done. Pittsburgh, HERE WE COME!!

Pittsburgh, we came to find out is the City of Bridges. I love bridges. There are varying reports as to the exact number but according to Popular Pittsburgh, there are almost 2,000 bridges in the area! More bridges than Venice, Italy! What? Really? Check out this article HERE to see some of those amazing bridges and the history behind them.

Race weekend. We enter the city and it’s a pleasant surprise. Nice city. Lots to see & do. Great expo. Bridges, bridges & more bridges. And hills. Hello hills! Smile Course map below.

Elevation chart, showing elevation climbs up to 985 ft. That’s a lot for us Midwestern flatlanders!

Regardless, we kinda laughed about the hills cuz what could we do? Nothing. No need to ruin the experience by stressing about the course. We’ll run Pittsburgh the way we run every race, mile by mile with one goal in mind, the finish.

First some sightseeing: The Strip District for shopping and walking around. Market Square which we found a little too late, lots of bars, restaurants & shopping. Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers & Steeler PRIDE everywhere. University of Pittsburgh. Carnegie Music Hall & Museum (pic 1 & 2). The University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning (pic 3). The Heinz Memorial Chapel (pic 4).

Race day came and we were excited and ready to run! Temps were warm and the sun was shining. There were 4 corrals. Staggered start with 5 minutes between corrals. Start was crowded and we spent the first several miles running on the sidewalks to get around the walkers.

Then came the bridges and hills. 16th Street Bridge. 9th Street Bridge. 7th Street Bridge. West End Bridge. Birmingham Bridge – which isn’t yellow by the way! It’s green. Why isn’t the Birmingham Bridge yellow like all the rest?

The most difficult hill to climb was at mile 12. I stopped running the climb about 1/2 way up. Good decision on my part. It was too much for my body so I took my time and ate a few of my Sour Patch Kids and watched everyone else struggle up the hill. Smile Best downhill was at mile 24. One LONG downhill that I was thrilled to see, then it flattened out for the last 2 miles to the finish.

Great spectator support by all 13 communities! I loved the music and bands. The kids and volunteers. So many great homeowners put out sprinklers and dug out water guns for the kiddos, fed us oranges, licorice, candy, pretzels, offered beer and handed out water in little dixie cups . Many thanks to the firefighters who opened the fire hydrants for us! Temps climbed to 78 degrees and it was full sun, all day long. I was beyond thankful for the plethora of water stations, ice stations, cold rags, multiple fueling stations that offered either Carb Boom Energy Gel or Pure Protein bars. This was a great race. Not easy but a big city race, done right.

There was never a dull moment. Pittsburgh, you rocked this marathon and I thank you!

Numbers:

14,635 Half Marathon finishers
4,317 Marathon finishers
2,316 5K finishers
1,124 Relay Teams

Nice Shirt & Finishers Medal:

Great race. If you’ve been thinking about trying Pittsburgh, I’d highly recommend it. Expect a big city race with great crowd support and plenty to see while you are pounding out the miles. Try to take your time and enjoy the city and what it has to offer. Lots of amazing buildings and homes with beautiful, old architecture. Go run Pittsburgh!

** Enjoy the Race, No Matter the Terrain ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Winter Blues ….

Posted on February 27, 2015 by tootallfritz

There is only one heartbeat in this house who still has any love for the cold, snow and winter in general. And she has 4 legs.

I need to channel Miss Meadow’s love of the outdoors, embrace the cold ~~knowing that it has to leave eventually~~ and go outside and run. I promised myself that I’d run outside this weekend and I’m already trying to figure out how to avoid it. Normally, I’m all about the winter running. NOT.THIS.YEAR. I’ve turned into a total wimp. A very soft & squishy wimp who hasn’t been running much at all. I should be ashamed but the bottom line is that my foot needed a break anyhow. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Smile

But I’m going OUTSIDE to run this weekend. I promise. I need to get out of the house. I need to run. I need to get reacquainted with the winter weather ~~because it feels like it will never leave~~. So who’s going with me?

Beware, if you live within a 50 mile radius of Auburn, IN then I may ~~beg~~ hit you up to go running with me.

As a reminder to myself, I’m going back and read a couple of my previous post about running in the winter. It’s like research as I try to gain courage to suit up to go outdoors. Here are a few links if you feel like YOU might also need some courage to get out the door.

Okay, I think I’m ready. I’m going to try to run outside BOTH days this weekend. Yep, Saturday & Sunday. That’s the plan. I’ll layer up and make it happen!

If you need MORE motivation, sign up for a race. I currently have a giveaway going for the Sunburst Races Marathon & Half HERE. I still have a 30% off discount code for the Marion Rotary Marathon For Shoes, code is: MARION201515. AND I have a 10% off discount code for any Spartan Race in the country, code is: SPARTANBLOGGER.

** I’m Going to Kick the Winter Blues ** Amanda – TooTallFritz

Hipster Hands Free Dog Leash Review & Giveaway

Posted on November 6, 2014 by tootallfritz

As most of you know, I’m a HUGE dog lover. One of my favorite activities with my dogs is hiking and running. However, I’m also a freak about having my hands free while “on the run” for a variety of safety reasons. For the last 10+ years, I used the same hands free leash system. It wore out and didn’t make the move to Indiana. I’ve recently discovered that it’s no longer available unless I feel like shopping in the UK. You may have seen it previously posted in my “how to” segment on Running With Your Dog. Needless to say, I don’t do a lot of shopping in the UK so I need something new and readily available. Enter the Outward Hound Hands Free Hipster Leash.

Much to Libby’s dismay, we took the Hipster out for a test run. She really isn’t into running much anymore and prefers napping while tucked into a warm blanket. Age will do that, right? While Libby may not be using this much, we do have plans to add another 4 legged “runner” to our family soon, so it’s important that we are ready to run when the time arrives!!!

The Hipster arrived quickly and looked great. Loved the a neon green color! It had several zippered pockets for storage, including one pocket that contained a collapsible water bottle carrier (pictured above) and another (the one labeled #2 above) that was large enough for most cell phones. There were also D rings on both sides of the adjustable waist belt. While Libby runs in heel position, I love the dual positioning option for dogs who run/walk/hike on both sides of their human. Clever!

The Hipster also comes with an adjustable leash, with clasps on both ends. The leash can be adjusted from traffic lead length (2’) to approximately 6’. The leash is NOT on a quick release so be vigilant, my friends!

Off for a run to test this Hipster out!!

The verdict? The Hipster will work great for a dog that’s been trained. However, the same goes for all hands free systems. You can’t use a hands free leash if you haven’t put the time in to train your dog to walk/run with you. And “with you” means either beside or slightly in front of your body. No pulling, otherwise, they could pull you off your feet! I also loved all the zippered pockets so that I had plenty of space for my phone and a few doggie bags. Plus there is plenty of room/pockets for ~~Sour Patch Kids~~ gels or fuel for your run/hike.

If I were doing a list of Pros/Cons for the Hipster, my only con would be that the D rings for the leash were on the side of my hip. Libby generally runs one step in front of me, rather than directly beside me. Therefore, when she was ahead of me, she tugged on the belt and twisted it a bit. Next time I’ll tighten the belt a bit more to see if that helps or I’ll just twist the belt at the start so that our D ring is sitting on the front of my hip bone. I don’t think this is actually a design flaw but rather, just the way that we have learned to run together. Overall, I like the Hipster and am happy to add it out our arsenal of must have dog accessories!

Thanks to Dog Fence DIY for allowing me to review this awesome product! They not only sent one for me to review but are also giving one ($34.95 value) to a lucky, dog loving reader! Who can’t wait to hit the road with their dog & a new Hipster Hands Free Leash?!?!?!?

In order to be entered in this giveaway, please comment below and tell me & Dog Fence DIY where you plan to go with your dog after winning the Hipster Hands Free Leash! Are you a runner, walker, hiker or all of the above?

Giveaway “runs” from now until Wednesday, November 12, 2014 at 9 am. I’ll draw one winner via a random number generator. Good luck!!

** Run Hands Free ** Amanda – TooTallFritz **

TooTallFritz

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

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Hipster Hands Free Dog Leash Review & Giveaway

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