Early Bird Birthday Present!

Good morning, everyone!
How did your extended weekend go? Besides the monsterous wind - and a little bit o' heat - it was a great weekend for some running. I know I soaked up the sun and went out for my go-to form of exercise this weekend!

Just a reminder that our special early bird registration rate of $45 goes through noon on June 1st (that's tomorrow!). It's an easy day to remember....because it's my 28th birthday! :) Just think of it as my birthday present to YOU! Registration is easy...simply go to www.runfortherocks.com and register. You can either pay by credit card with a PayPal account, or you can send a check in after you register online. The choice is yours!

Oh, and ANOTHER great thing going on June 1st? It's National Running Day! Yep, a glorious day where you can celebrate being a runner and hitting the pavement (or trails). I know nothing makes my birthday better than a nice run - but it's going to have even more meaning now that it falls on a "national" running holiday! :)

Keep on trucking along and take advantage of these cooler mornings before the heat wave comes. You know what I'm talking about - the heat and humidity that only Kansas in late June/July/August/(and September) can bring!

- Amy (AKA - Mama on the Run)

Are you motivated to Run for the Rocks?

Has anyone ever told you that you couldn’t do something, accomplish something or laughed at a goal you have?  Do you tell yourself that you can’t accomplish something – like running a half-marathon perhaps?

I used to be influenced by others in that regard too.  Now I use doubts as motivation when it comes to running.  Weather that doubt comes from inside or from someone else; I have gradually learned to use doubt as motivation to accomplish any goal I set out to achieve.  If someone expresses doubt… I can’t help it; I ABSOLUTELY will accomplish whatever challenge is being doubted! 

My husband is a wonderful man, but sometimes he forgets (or rather hasn’t learned!) that telling me I “probably can’t” or even “probably won’t want to” do something is like a directive to go and do just that – at least when it comes to running, cycling, hiking, etc.  (I know this wouldn’t work on me with on, say the laundry, so don’t try it!) Last weekend I was pretty determined to run to the lake about 15 miles away from our house, but it was really windy and gloomy.  My husband came in from getting the mail and said “honey I don’t know if you’re going to make it to the lake today, it is really windy and kinda chilly…”  I’m not sure if he knew it right as he said it or not, but I could tell pretty quickly that he knew he said precisely the wrong thing.  I WAS going to go and I WAS going to make it and he WAS going to pick me up when I go there darn it!  Silly… maybe.  Determined to do it anyway… yes. Tenacious… definitely.

I didn’t care that that 15 miles was hard and that the wind beat me down.  I was motivated every step of the way just because I was so determined to prove I could.  I relished making that phone call saying “I’m a mile from the lake, if you leave now to pick me up you can meet me there!”  I admit I do take this to the extreme.  I didn’t have to run that distance to that place on that day, but I did it for myself.

If you are thinking about running the Run for the Rocks half marathon, but haven’t run one before, or have other doubts, don’t talk yourself out of it!  Don’t let you or anyone else tell you that you can’t accomplish something you want to achieve.  Use that doubt as motivation.  If you train and tell yourself you can do it, I know you can run this race and accomplish anything else you set your mind to (even if your husband would prefer you set your mind to laundry!)

We Have a Website!

Ahh.......

We're all breathing in and out now, as our Website launched this afternoon! Check out www.runfortherocks.com for race information. Of course we don't have all details, but will be updating frequently - so bookmark us or add us as a favorite on your computer!

Special thanks to LogicMaze for creating a great design. Simple, effective, fun - a perfect combo! Feel free to let us know about the site. You'll find some great features such as an interactive course map and more.

Have a great weekend!

- Amy

Proud Race Moments

What's one of your proudest race moments?

I have a few - but one of the greatest ones has to be crossing the finish line of the 2010 Chicago Marathon. (the left-side pic includes my handsome hubbie, darling daughter, and me post-race!)

When I was about 11 weeks pregnant with my daughter, I had some complications that put a halt on my running. I was beyond disappointed, as I had envisioned being one of "those" pregnant mamas running on her delivery day.

Seven months later, in early September 2009, I was able to run again - and it was completely liberating! (I'm sorry, but the power walking, stationary biking, swimming, and elliptical just didn't cut it while pregnant. Something was missing!). I knew during the short jaunt (that hurt like crazy and was slower than slow) that I absolutely wanted to run another marathon, this time post-baby.

My husband and I ran our first full marathon in Wichita 2007. It wasn't the greatest race...he said never again, I said maybe again. The maybe's one out after those seven months off from running. I craved the sport even more and knew just how fortunate I was to be able to do it on a regular basis. So many people desire to run but cannot due to various circumstances.

But back to Chicago....

I stayed up until midnight on Feb. 1st just so I could make sure to register when it opened up online. Several months (and miles) later, I crossed the finish line...beating my previous marathon time by 2 minutes in 90-degree heat. (Several of us runners wanted to go faster, but when the temps reached 90 degrees by the 18-mile marker, we threw our PR's out the window and went into survival mode).

Crossing that finish line meant more than finishing a race. It meant that I had accomplished a goal I had set out to do - to finish a marathon post-baby. To plug away at endless miles (mostly on my own) during Kansas's hot and humid summer months. To soak in the fun city of Chicago by foot.

I'm pregnant again - this time, due in October. And while I won't be running any marathons or half-marathons during those "magical marathon months" (September, October, and November), I'll definitely be craving to do one next year. Until then...I just trek along, joyous at the fact that I can still run at 15 weeks pregnant and looking forward to several more weeks of (slow!) run-walk combos.

What are some of your proud running moments? Feel free to comment or share in your own blog - and then let us know so we can read them!

- Amy

Website Updates

Happy Thursday, fellow runners!

Can I first just say how WONDERFUL this week has been weather-wise? I went out this morning for one of the most blissful runs weather-wise in weeks. Shorts, long sleeve tee, no wind...perfect for this running mama!

We're plugging along with the Website and are putting finishing touches on it right now. Our launch date is set for next week. Just call us NASA - hopefully without the launch delays that so often times happen!

Anyone have big races coming up this weekend or in the coming weeks? As I mentioned earlier, it's the most perfect time of the year (in my opinion...next to fall, of course) to be running outdoors!

Until next time...happy running!

- Amy, AKA Mama on the Run