i love dirty girls (gaiters)

the humble runners each got some new (and awesome) dirty girls gaiters for christmas, courtesy of santa (errr...my mom-in-law). got these snazzy splatter painted ones and a pair of groovy disco-ish looking ones. took them for a test run (pun intended) and they were superb. southern california experienced some pretty incredible rainfall most of last week, so a lot of the trails were closed at el morro. but that didn't stop us. we (tyler and i) hopped right over the caution tape and kept on truckin. okay, i do understand that that's probably not something to brag about or be so nonchalant about. as a humble runner, i'm not in the business of making haughty comments about disregarding safety. however, it'd been a few days since we'd had rain, so a lot of it was dried up. we took one detour when he hit a flooded area and everything worked out. except for the part where we saw a coyote. not kidding. tyler said it was a baby (i just saw its head peeking from around a corner from a distance and i wasn't wearing my glasses). but i digress. my gaiters were super muddy (they served their purpose) but we had a great run and did a total of 6.26 miles. i wore tyler's christmas present, the garmin forerunner 310xt. it tracked my pace, distance and time. my average was a little over 14 minute miles which isn't great, but also isn't bad considering the detouring and walking over muddy and slippery areas (and walking when i was really tired).

i had taken two weeks off from running (last time was the run in texas with my bro and sis) and i got sick after that plus with alllll the rain...anyway. i went on a run with my fellow humble runner, tayler, and was so winded. i felt nauseous and so out of breath. my chest hurt real bad. i was feeling worried about our 12k after that. but, i got back out the next day with tyler and felt great afterwards. here are a few photos from the day. since his knee is still pretty sore, he did a run/walk so he snapped a few photos of me.

here are the gaiters before:

tyler looking pumped (kinda):

me in my new arm sleeves and the garmin watch on my left wrist:

a taste of the treacherous trails:

and my gaiters and shoes after the run:



xo, jess

big baz 2011 12k

hello dear readers...hello? anyone? anyone out there? it's been a while since we last posted that i'm afraid we may have lost our loyal following. we did have a loyal following...didn't we?

so ladies and gentlemen, here is our next big goal: the big baz 12k on saturday, january 8, 2011 at blue jay campground at the cleveland national forest. we'll reach between 3,000 and 4,000 feet of elevation, so this is a little (okay, a lot) more intense than our 9k. that's big baz here to the left. looks like a real nice guy, doesn't he? i'm hoping the humble runners can get a photo with him.

i've been running pretty consistently. you know tyler is dealing with some itbs from his 50 miler, so he's taking a break from running until that heals. instead he's been riding his bike alongside me while i run on the boardwalk. what a guy, huh? this is great since i have to go in the evenings and i'm not comfortable running alone when it's dark. my sis and i were also in texas this weekend for our mom's 60th birthday, so we went for a run with my brother. the road was pretty perfect for running on (somewhere between asphalt and gravel). we had dogs chase us, saw lots of horses, etc. now i've come down with something - a sore throat and chest thing, so i'll have to take some time off. stay tuned...

xo,
jessica

photo via here.

Pound the Pavement to this- Skanky Hip Hop

    Call it a guilty pleasure or blame it on my Jersey roots, but I have a soft spot for cheesy, masoganistic, booty-shakin' beats! Do you know the song, Sexy Bitch by David Guetta featuring Akon? I can't hear this tune without wanting to get a move on or bust a move, whateva!  For me, getting a good run or work out in makes me feel sexy and alive. Listening to lively beats like this get me pumped! "They say she needs to slow down. The baddest thing around town." Love it!! Have a listen...
                                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cefQbsIrc1I

                                               Love, Jennifer

Sense of accomplishment? Absolutely.

Before watching Tyler complete his 50 mile ultra a month ago, I wouldn't have thought me the type of person to run a race.  I'm pretty athletic and I like to be active, but I had always thought of running as a means to exercise.  I have always been more into "recreational sports" and outdoor playtime where fitness is simply a biproduct.  Hiking, snowboarding, swimming, etc.  But after I experienced the amazingly positive vibes that saturate the atmosphere at a trail race, I knew that there must be so much more to running than the exercise.  It's a carnal experience that roots us in our nature. So, I washed the fitness factor from my mind, and hit the road for the experience.  { Sure-fitness is important, but I feel that people lose interest because it is so much of a hamster-in-wheel activity with little emotional and mental payoff.    }  Now running is a recreation.   I enjoy the ride and think little about the effects on my fitness-probably because I know that anyone who has the desire to get out and beat the trails several times a week must be in good shape.

So, all that being said, I finished my first 9K with a big, fat, smile on my face.  I had a great time and felt like a true runner.  I know that I still have much to learn, and many more K's to get under my treads, but now I know what I am capable of, and what kinds of feats I may be able to tackle in the future.  And when that time comes, I know that I will have faithful supporters.  The accomplishment one feels after completeing a race is nothing compared to the excitemnt of seeing your family and loved ones cheering you on at the finsih.  I often have wondered how runners who go it alone must feel at the finish.  What's great is that the throng of onlookers is so supportive when you make the final strides, that there are always smiles to greet you.

Tayler