TOENAILS and BLISTERS and CRAMPS OH MY!!!!!

So I will admit that I became somewhat of a slacker after the marathon. OK. A TOTAL SLACKER after the marathon. I would run, if I was lucky, MAYBE once a week. (I DID go to the gym.......twice)

At first, it was because I was sick and had a gnarly pulled muscle in my groin.

Then..it got really COLD! I really don't like running in the cold (I know...totally lame excuse!)

But I am happy to say that I am once again back to training and I gotta tell ya, my body is REVOLTING! (I know...I'm settin' myself up on that one!)

The toenail that got all icky was finally growing back nicely. It has already started to get all funky again...and this time it's bringing my big toe along with it!

No matter how much I spend on good shoes and socks that wick. No matter how much Vaseline I slather on, I get blisters. Big, yucky painful blisters. I believe that blisters are my body's way of getting back at me for all that it knows I'm gonna put it through for the next 5 and a half months.

On top of sore toes, fire breathing blisters and knees and ankles that are asking me "Are you SURE you want to do this again? We did this once already...we didn't much like it the first time!", I keep getting cramps when I'm running too! Nothing serious...just my body trying to "talk" me out of doing this again...personally, I think this is another way my body is forging a coup against training.

So I'd say I have been running seriously for about 3 weeks. I had planned on doing a half marathon this coming weekend. I knew that I hadn't been training long enough to do it so I told The Guru that I was gonna run a lot this week to get ready. He said NO! NO! NO! Go in under-trained. Well, I went against the Guru's advice (Blasphemy, I KNOW!) and ran a 9 mile long run on Saturday. Well it might has well have been 90 miles! I was so tired! My legs were like mush.

So I am rethinking the half marathon this weekend. I don't want to do anything that will set me back on the big picture! But this has been a much needed wake up call that it's time to get serious!

I hope that you all have at least started your training. Whether it be for running, walking or biking. If you haven't, IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Start now and we can get revolting bodies together!

And if your body says: "No way, Jose" or "Au contraire, mon frère" or "You are out of your FRICKIN' MIND, Homey", Just remember, we are doing it for the DOGS!!

Be well everyone and here we go again!!!!

Click here for a downloadable flyer to print and distribute.

Race Day is OCTOBER 17th 2010

Hello All!

I am pleased to announce that our Rescue is once again an official charity of the Long Beach Marathon!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

Race Day is OCTOBER 17th 2010

Do you think we can exceed last year's totals in every possible way? Do you think we can get a full-on Team to participate in whichever race?  Do you think I can finish in 5 hours without dying?!

I think we can!  On every level, we now know what to expect and I think we can blow last year out of the water!

So I hope that you all started your training.  If not, it is definitely not too late to start training for any of the races.  Just to let you know there is the Full and Half Marathon, biking the course and a 5k.  You can walk it too!

We will once again need at least 20 participants for any of the races (we had 40 last year...a lot that we did not even know!!)  and 20 volunteers to work the expo or work on race day.  This is completely separate from the volunteers we will need for our finish line festival tent area.

Of course I will have more info as it we get closer to the race, but put it in your calendars now because I want there to be so many of us and our beautiful goldens that we will be the talk of the day!  We can all wear cool, matching shirts!

Be well everyone and IT'S TIME TO START RUNNING!! (from the movie "Running Man" with our governor and Richard Dawson.  In the movie, contestants have to run for their lives for a game show.  If you need motivation, just think: You won't be running to save YOUR life, you will be running (or walking or biking or volunteering) to save the lives of our baby Goldens!!!)

FINITO!!!

Hello everyone!

As most of you have heard...I finished my marathon! 5:33:39. Not bad for my first time. I had hoped for a bit faster but I am in no way disappointed!

There are so many people that need to be thanked for all that WE AS A TEAM accomplished for Rescue!

I'd like to thank Ms. Sanya for being her usual bombilicious self for making the blog look so great and for keeping the running total (like the pun?) of all of our donations. I hope she knows how much her efforts to make our site look fantastic are appreciated!

I'd like to thank all of the folks who either offered up their time to volunteer to work for the marathon so that we satisfied our obligation to them and to those who hung out at the Finish Line Festival with all of the beautiful Golden babies! It was wonderful to finish and be around people I like and respect so much and to be around the dogs who just loved giving me kisses! (I think it had something to do with sweat...)

Thank you to everyone who joined the GRCGLA Rescue team. We ended up with 40 participants! Hopefully we will get a lot more for next year (yes...I am planning on a next year!!!)

I would like to thank Barbara Davis and Denise Buczek for their tireless efforts to get this fundraiser out to everyone. WE ROCKED THIS THING!

I would like to thank everyone who generously contributed to the thermometer. Every little cent is appreciated and added to our PHENOMENAL total of $28,200.00!!!

I would like to thank my beautiful Baby Sums for flying next to me during my run. She brought many of her new friends and they gave me the boost I needed. All I had to do was think about them and I didn't feel quite so tired (well I did but it got my mind off of it). I love you, Pretty Girl.

I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mr. Marty Friedman, aka, The Marathon Guru, for all of his help and wisdom. He took a lot of time giving me tips and advice and I could not have finished without him. A couple of times during the race I heard his voice in my head saying: "come on, lead legs!!"... Of course he told me many times to think of him saying more positive things like "Go Golden runner girl" or "you are the most amazing, wonderful, super duper runner of all time" but all I could think of was "Lead Legs"...which they were! Thank you Guru, so very much, for everything! (Guru is the guy I'm hugging...getting him all sweaty!)

And last I would like to thank everyone who sent me good luck wishes and words of encouragement. I want you all to know how much those words meant and mean to me. And thanks to all who have read this blog and to all who've said they enjoyed it. It was fun.

Things I have learned from running a marathon:

• I can't run and drink water from a cup at the same time
• I can't run and have a coughing fit at the same time (I ran the marathon with a cold)
• I can't run, chew gum, eat GU, and hold water at the same time (are you noticing a pattern here???)
• GU is my friend. I love GU. I am going to carry a GU with me at all times. Bury me with a GU (They had run out of GU (energy gel) at the first station that it was offered. So I had to wait until mile 16.5 to get a darned GU! I thought I was gonna die! I was literally thinking of who I would have to kill, maim or bribe to get one. Good thing I was so weak I couldn't have squished a bug!)
• My nose runs faster than I do.
• Doggies think I am the yummiest after a run.
• Toenails ARE for sissies!! (One of my toenails is falling off.)
• Blisters are BAD!
• Cupcakes are GOOD! 

And, all kidding aside, I am one of the luckiest people to be surrounded by folks like you. It is my honor and privilege to be a member of this organization. I am so proud to be a part of the GRCGLA Rescue.

Be well everyone!
Peace out!

CONGRATULATIONS BETHANY!

She completed her very first marathon in 5:33:39!

IT'S HERE!

I can't believe that the marathon is tomorrow!

When I started this, I had 22 weeks to train. It seemed so far away. It went REALLY fast.

I am excited and nervous.

I am also VERY excited that my Chicago Bears have a bye this week. I asked them to not play on the day that I run my first marathon. So nice of them to not play on a day that I wouldn't be able to watch them. My people are so good!

My bib # is 958. You can see how I'm doing by going to this link: http://www.liveraceresults.com/liverc2/Default.aspx

Enter in my bib # and you will see how slowly I am getting along ;)

If any of you have nothing to do tomorrow...come on down to Long Beach with your beautiful doggies! This is a wonderful opportunity for the GRCGLA Rescue. We can use all the help and all the Golden Babies possible to make us the most popular area of the Finish Line Festival!!!

Be well everyone...and I will see you on the flip side!!!

SCCCOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!

Hello everyone!

It is October 1st. The day the ice cream challenge comes to an end. I hope that you have all eaten so much ice cream that you never want to see ice cream AGAIN....or at least until next weekend!

If you would like to project how much more ice cream you will eat this year and include it in the total...that is completely acceptable!!!

So dump that kitty and Count D' Money!!!!

If you will be attending Dogtoberfest this Saturday, please write a check for the number of scoops and bring it to the festivities!! I will be there with a HUGE envelope to take all those checks!!!

If you won't be attending Dogtoberfest, please write a check and send it to the PO Box ASAP (PO BOX 491209 Los Angeles, CA 90049). Please write "SCOOPS" in the memo. Send it soon as we would really like to add it to the total and make that thermometer go up, uP, UP!!!

Thank you all in advance for accepting this HORRIBLE challenge!!! I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I have missed the lusciousness of all that yummy, yummy chocolatey goodness!!

Be well everyone...YOU ROCK!!!!!!!