The complete Big Sur entry

So I've been promising to chronicle our Big Sur 2008 weekend, and now I am finally sitting at home at my computer, raring to go!

Our trip to Big Sur began with a long traveling day (including a delayed flight and a canceled flight) but finally arriving in Santa Barbara, CA the Thursday before the Marathon. There we had a chance to visit with Nicole, Lauren and Nicole's friends, as well as travel to Oxnard, CA and have dinner with my cousins and uncle (which was fabulous!).

Saturday AM we hit the road in two cars and headed north for 4 hours, arriving in Carmel about 1:30pm. Our group of 5 was the first to stop at the house we rented for the weekend in Carmel Valley. It was fantastic. 3,300 square feet of quirky house, but it had amazing views and lots of space to spread out and enjoy nature. To the right is a picture of the edge of the house and one of the many beautiful views.

After dropping off our stuff and checking out the house, we headed into Monterey to pick up our race packets and meet up with Megan, Megan's mom Jean, Laura, Laura's boyfriend Mike, and Nicole's friend Sam. When Megan informed me of my race number, I just knew the days ahead in Carmel would be spectacular, as my marathon number was the last four digits of my home phone (3011). Too cool. So, after the packet pickup we grabbed some late lunch and headed back to the house. That night we (when I say we, I really mean Jean) made a big pasta dinner and had a great time discussing plans and strategies for Sunday's events.

2:55 AM Sunday, I awoke to my alarm, and began Marathon Day. Megan, Laura, our new friend Sam and I were all doing the full marathon and needed to be at the Big Sur Marathon Bus by 3:45 AM in order to get bussed down to the start before the road was closed off for the runners. All in all it was a great pre-marathon gathering at the start line, with the exception of the near heart attack Megan and I both experienced when we were separated for about 20 minutes before the marathon started, after I took one last potty break. With only 5 minutes before the start of the race we were able to find each other at the start line, and could calm down. The reason the separation was so stressful is that we had planned on running the marathon together since we began training, 4 months prior, so it wasn't a good feeling thinking about the possibility of a "solo" marathon.

The start was beautiful, huge redwoods lining the road, perfect weather, and plenty of white doves. The four of us ran together up until about 5.5 miles, where Megan and I stopped at the port-o-potties and Laura and Sam tapped into their natural speed (Laura would go on to finish in about 4.5 hours and Sam in about 4 hours). I documented our potty stop with a photo, because it was the very first time I have ever had to use the port-o-pot during a race!

As promised, the scenery was spectacular. I really can't describe it in words. It is a place where everything that is beautiful in nature comes together, mountains, ocean, green pastures, all untouched and perfectly natural. I am extremely grateful that there was one development in this natural place, the Pacific Coast Highway, so that we could experience all of it.

The first 9 miles were pretty mild, elevation change wise. We did get some downhill, which started the quad workout from the beginning. Then the very much talked about Hurricane Point climb began at mile 10. Before the climb started we took our second round of gels, expecting an extremely challenging 2 miles ahead. Truthfully, we killed that hill! It didn't stand a chance. We passed hundreds of runners walking as we ran with ease up 600 feet. It felt fantastic.

After Hurricane Point it was a downhill descent to Bixby Bridge around mile 13. We rounded the corner and came upon the Bridge as we heard 'Music of the Night' being played by a pianist on a Grand Piano. Now, as I did in that moment, tearing up, it was something that would be a scene straight out of a great movie. It was magical. Crossing that bridge I was in a wonderful state of gratitude, for my life, my body, and my friend.

Miles 15 to 19 were rolling hills and more beautiful scenery. Every time we would come upon a turn I would say "It's about to get really pretty", and Megan would respond with "Thank God, we really need some good scenery around here." Needless to say, we were having a great time! There was lots of singing and shouting and talking, never did we really feel out of breath. Although, starting at mile 18 my legs were talking, and we all of a sudden went extremely fast around mile 23 for no apparent reason, and had to slow down. Miles 20-25 had some tough last minute climbs and the scenery changed a lot with civilization approaching (although still beautiful!). We never did find that "Wall" that you hear marathoners speak of, I attribute that to our tough training schedule that we stuck to rather diligently and great pacing during the race. We started out pretty slow and just had fun! We ended up crossing the finish line in 4 hours and 51 minutes, which was an excellent finish time for us considering the elevation changes. Word on the street is that Big Sur will add 20 minutes to your normal finish time.

As anticipated, the finish was pretty emotional, as soon as we heard our fans (Bill, Nicole, Laura, Jean, Lauren, and Kat) cheering I started kicking my legs up in joy. Probably wasn't too smart to be attempting strange dance moves after running 26 miles, but luckily I didn't fall flat on my face! After crossing the finish we hung out with our friends and fellow runners, Jean ran in the 5K, Lauren and Nicole ran in the 10.6 mile race (which was the furthest distance they had ever run) and Kat ran in the 9 mile race (the farthest she had ever run). Shortly after returning to the house we ate sandwiches and took ice baths. Laura and Mike left later that day to return to Palo Alto and Sam headed home to Santa Barbara.

That evening we ate leftovers, drank some adult beverages and went to bed. Monday morning Lauren, Nicole, Megan, Jean, Bill and I went into Carmel by the Sea and ate in a super cute very yummy little restaurant called The Cottage. Afterwards we drove down to Big Sur and showed Bill and Jean our marathon route. It was amazing how different the day was, while Sunday was completely perfect weather, Monday was quite foggy and cold, we were again very grateful for our marathon weather. Nicole and Lauren continued south to Santa Barbara, as Lauren had a 6 AM flight back to Orlando on Tuesday. The rest of us got to play in Big Sur a bit and take in more beauty.

Tuesday AM came and we left Carmel and headed north to Palo Alto. Megan and Jean were flying out of San Francisco and dropped us off at Laura's house on their way. We were then able to spend the day in San Francisco, had lunch in Chinatown, pastries and coffee in North Beach, and headed to Alameda for dinner with my cousin Brian, his wife Becky and their 1o month son Brody. Afterwards we headed back to Palo Alto, stayed with Laura, and Bill left for Gainesville the following morning. I was able to spend the day relaxing in Palo Alto on Wednesday, my initial plan was to travel around San Fransisco, but I was completely exhausted and opted to lay low. I made the wise decision to get a massage that day in preparation for the upcoming weekend relay in Black Mountain, NC.

Wednesday evening, before my red eye flight to NC, I was able to have dinner with Laura. It was the perfect way to end my 6 days in California, with a great girl over a good beer. Our dinner and time together was one of the highlights of the trip.

I think I'll leave it at that... I had an amazing time with amazing people. My friends and family donated over $2,200 to Hope Runs, I am so proud of that. 6 days following the Big Sur Marathon I was able to be part of another amazing event called Blue Planet 24 - Black Mountain (formerly known as Run for Africa). That will be my next blog.

Thank you for helping me experience the most perfect marathon weekend imaginable, almost makes me want to retire from marathoning because I don't think I'll ever duplicate the excellence of last week's marathon. Thanks.

It is finished!

We did it, we conquered Hurricane Point and finished our Big Sur Marathon.

It was the most perfect marathon imaginable. Almost makes me not want to do another one, because I know nothing will ever be that good... almost...

I plan on writing a much more detailed account of our big day with pictures and all. But, right now I don't have a hookup for my camera or a scanner to scan the pictures I took with my disposable during the marathon. So, just a quick post to announce to the world that we had an amazing time!

I knew it was going to be the best weekend ever when I realized that my race number that was assigned to me was the last 4 digits of my home phone number!

Love to you all!

One Week Out

In a week I will be about 1/2 way through the Big Sur Marathon, probably just coming downhill from Hurricane Point (a 2 mile climb of 600 feet). I do believe all marathons are special and teach you something about yourself, but this one, I expect, will be a loss for words experience.

Why? Scenery, location, physical challenge, friends and children.

The scenery is a given, if you have ever driven down Route 1 near Carmel you know what I mean. Only God himself could have dreamed up such spectacular sights. The edge of the US drops into the ocean with force and precision and in turn produces a beautifully assaulting visual.

The general location, northern California, is incredibly special to me. I spent a year there fighting with God, myself, image, expectations, and morality. My brief experience there shaped my mind and heart in ways that I am just beginning to tap into. Following the marathon Bill and I will be spending a day in San Francisco wandering through my past, and then I will spend a day in the city alone, after Bill leaves for Florida. The city used to be my solo playground, where I felt strong and independent. May of 2001 someone stole that from me, and I have not played in the city alone since. Words cannot express how excited I am to return to her, alone and stronger than ever.

The physical challenge of the marathon might seem obvious, we will be running for roughly 5 hours. However, the small summits throughout the course will be challenging mini-goals within the larger goal of crossing the finish line. Now that my body is prepared, I am preparing my mind for those hills. Honestly, I can say that I am hungry for them, absurd as it sounds, after all the talk of how hard it is going to be I just want to scream "BRING IT!". Can't wait.

If I write too much about friends, I believe I will wet down the keyboard. So, I will try to sum it up by saying this: Over the course of 5 days I will finally visit one of my dearest friends since she left Florida for California nearly a year ago, see a Florida angel by the name of Lauren, run a marathon with my priceless friend Megan and a beautiful soul Laura, reconnect with a few cousins who helped me survive my California experience, all of which will be witnessed by my soul mate Bill and heavily cheered by Megan's mother Jean.

Then, there is the children. Specifically those at Tumaini, but children across the globe that are fighting harder then children were supposed to fight. This marathon, while it will be powerful on so many levels, is really just about them. I am ridiculously priveleged, and while I wish I could simply pass that along, I realize that they have things that I will never know or have. Children, if you ever get a chance to read this, know that your beautiful lives leave others speechless and many of us will spend our lives trying to make this world smaller and more connected just for you.

The taper is upon me

Tapering is an interesting time for marathon runners, well me at least. Everything seems to slow down around you. For me it is much more of a mental slow down than physical. Race day becomes inevitable, and the reflections begin. Knowing that the toughest part of the training has been logged, you've beaten up your body as much as you could, and now that body deserves some respect.

Last week Thursday was my last over 10 miles mid week run, I did 12. It was a pretty hot day and by the time evening came I regretted putting off the run. I knew I should have ran in the cool of the morning. That particular morning I had to wake at 4am for a shift at the gym where I work. It was a short shift, but so was my sleeping time... come 5:30pm I was looking for any excuse to back out of the run. I didn't back out, but did decide to wear my MP3 player, something I haven't done in over a year. I'm one of the purists I guess who like to hear my feet hitting the ground, the sound of my breath, and focus on my surroundings. But, I needed a little outside motivation that day, so I brought Bono, Eddie Vedder, Live, and some other energetic musicians with me.

The result - it was one of the best runs of my life. As stupid as it sounds I felt like I was in a music video. I charged up hills and ran with intensity. It felt great. It was one of those moments where you fall in love with running all over again, and apologize repeatedly for threatening to leave him after the race. Then you make a promise that even when times get tough, maybe you'll slow the relationship down a bit, but never give up on it...

Now, I return to my project today, which is finishing my final planning of my world wind running trip. I don't think I've blogged about it yet, so here it goes. After Big Sur, we are spending a couple days pampering ourselves in this elaborate house in Carmel and then spending a couple days where I left my heart, San Francisco. Wednesday morning after the marathon, Bill is flying back to Florida, and I fly the red eye that night to Greensboro, NC. From there I will take either a train, bus or automobile closer to Bristol (either Asheville or Boone) where my friend Beth will pick me up. Then Saturday AM I'll travel to Black Mountain, NC (just east of Asheville) where I'm participating in a 24-hour relay. I did this race last year, called Run for Africa, and I swore I would not miss out on it this year. I'll be running four 5 mile laps over the course of 24 hours and will be surrounded by really great people. Our team is 10 in number, and come from a few different states. It will be worth it, but my legs will need some TLC come May 4th.

Over the bridge!

This Saturday, Megan and I reached the top of our training, the 21 miler! The best part is... we felt great! We traveled over to my parents in Satellite Beach, to celebrate Megan's upcoming birthday with a little sand and sun. We ran our 21 miler on Saturday morning, 1/2 on the beachside 1/2 on the mainland. We crossed two bridges, the Pineda and Eau Gallie (pictured at right) Causeways, trying to put a couple hills into our flat coastal run.

We decided to stop more frequently to hydrate and take gels, drinking more Gatorade than usual at each stop because of the heat. We think the extra fluids really helped us feel GREAT throughout the run. What an encouraging 3 1/2 hours! No injuries to report and we both are in marathon shape!

Now, we begin what is called the Taper portion of the training. This weekend we go back down to 16 miles for our long run and then the week before the marathon we go down to 10 miles for the long run. This is a critical part of marathon training, giving your body time to rest and have a chance to heal itself of any injuries that might be waiting in the wings. So the most intense part of training has come to a close as we are within 3 weeks of the BIG DAY!

It is very exciting, especially for Megan, who has gotten to say "this is the farthest I've ever run in my life", and feel good at the end.

Georgia on my mind

Easter weekend, the weekend of March 21st, we were in Northern Georgia with friends. The idea was to have a mini vacation and squeeze in some good mountain training runs. Well, we got some hard runs in alright. Friday we did a 5.7 mile run which was about 1/2 up 1/2 down, it was challenging but didn't get the best of us. I finished feeling strong and in shape!

On Saturday however, was a different story. Our 10 mile run was extremely challenging, the first hour was up a mountain. When we got to the top the views were amazing. The downhill was nice, but overall one of the toughest runs I've done. During that first hour I definitely felt defeated, it was tough!

The picture you see above is a view from the top of Springer Mountain. I went with Bill, Tucker (my running pup), and some good friends Beth, Aaron, their little boy Leon, and a friend Kailey (Beth, Tucker and Leon are pictured on the right). It was just a 2 mile hike but it was one of the highlights of the trip. We were able to hike to the start of the Appalachian Trail (AT), which I have been fascinated with since reading a Walk in the Woods. My plan is to start the AT at Springer Mountain in March of '09 and hike to the NC/TN border. All in all the trail is over 2,000 miles and runs from Georgia to Maine, but my plan is to do about 6-8 weeks on it rather than the 6 months it would take for a thru-hike.

Now we are back at home and I am dealing with another injury. Came up suddenly on last Saturday's run. I think I have figured out what it is, and without going into the details I believe it is subluxated cuboid syndrome (if you are really interested see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuboid_Syndrome). Of course this comes from my overpronation problem, that has caused almost all of my running injuries. But, as always I am determined not to let my physical "deformities" get the best of me, and to find a work around to get me back out there. After some research I've rigged up a small pad to place under my cuboid bone in my foot which is said to help, so hopefully it does, otherwise I'll bring in a professional.

I'll keep you posted!
Happy Running!

Thanks to God!

Couple of things, both of which I thank God for...

First, for now, I am pain free! Which is amazing after re-reading my frustrated last post. I don't really have much of an explanation, so I'll just count it as a true blessing!

Second, refers to the picture in this post. On Saturday the 8th, Megan and I had planned on running our 16 miler in O'Leno State Park, reportedly they had a well marked trail system where we could do our long run. Well, upon arriving we studied the map and were a bit confused on the reported trail distances but we ventured into the woods with my 16oz gatorade bottle and 4 gels. Over 3 hours later we made it back to the car as the sun was setting and dark was falling on the park. We got a little lost on the trail, which caused about 15 minutes of panic, because the woods were getting dark and we both have terrible night vision (and of course we weren't wearing our glasses). After about 7 minutes of personal panic, to which I tried to hide from my friend, I prayed for safety and peace.

We also ran 18.5 last Saturday, the 15th. We traveled down to Clermont and ran up the only "mountain" in Florida, Sugarloaf Mountain. To show you how desperate we are to find elevation, we drove 2 hours for a 300 ft. climb. But, not to fear, we found lots of other hills on our route, and were completely exhausted at the end of our 3 hour run!

This weekend we head up to the REAL eastern mountains of Georgia. We are renting a cabin outside Blue Ridge, GA, near the NC border. Elevation here we come, quads get ready!

My Unsung Hero

It is challenging being a "marathoner" and long distance runner sometimes, but the toughest job falls on my faithful husband. Every race he can he gets up at the crack of dawn with me to come out and cheer me on. He listens to all of my complaining about all of my aches and pains. He doesn't say a word when I vow that 'this race' (whatever race it is at the time) will be my last, only to hear me talk about the new race I've signed up for. All the hours I train, the miles I put on the car traveling to fun new training sites, and the money I spend on race entries, shoes, and electrolyte replacement drinks/foods, get nothing but support and understanding from Bill. And, all of that carb-loading he must endure with me, oh wait, I think he really enjoys that part! All of this without ANY glory. Bill is without a doubt my best friend and biggest supporter. I am 100% confident that I would not be doing any of this if it wasn't for his consistent love.

Running Update:
It's been awhile since I've "blogged", I must have been enjoying my birthday celebrationS (yes I was spoiled this year!) and focused on home improvement projects. As the birthday season has wrapped up and the home is starting to get sorted out... I'm back online.

Running is going pretty well. A couple weeks ago I ran the Gainesville 1/2 Marathon, and PR'd (running lingo for - I set a new Personal Record), so that was exciting. My folks came up and we had a great visit. I kind of took the week off of running before the race hoping to give my tendinitis issues time to chill, with the exception of 1 leisurely 3 miler, so I hope that explains why I was ridiculously sore the few days following the race. I never really get sore anymore, unless I do something out of the ordinary, so it felt kind of foreign. This past weekend Megan and I ran 14+ miles of trails and I felt really good. But, then this week hit. I ran Monday and experienced pretty extreme calf pain, which I attribute to my bum knee that I've been favoring. I also had some pretty sharp pains in my quad which followed up the groin. Last night the pain was so bad I could barely walk... so that was pretty discouraging.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty frustrated. The miles that I'm doing are really normal for me, my training has pretty much been by the book, but my body is barking at me for sure. I think this third marathon will be my last long distance road race for awhile, I hate to admit it but I think my legs need a break from concrete. I go to a PT today who is also a massage therapist, so hopefully he can work out some kinks.

Having said all this, I still am REALLY excited to be doing the Big Sur Marathon! I am constantly thinking of the kids in Kenya, 8 of whom ran the Kilimanjaro Marathon this past week (20 had to stay home because of visa problems, so frustrating), their training and terrain is way more challenging than anything I'll ever face, so it keeps me going. Just to give you an idea, their 20 mile training run consisted of over 2,300 ft change in elevation, and a normal run for them is at 6,000 ft! All of which is dirt and rock. Yeah, puts things in perspective for me!

Bye for now! Your support and donations keep brining tears to my eyes, thank you for joining me on this journey!!

Generosity

I am starting to see the effects of generous friends and family. I sent out my fundraising letters for Hope Runs last Monday and barely a week later we have raised $200! A feeling I can't quite describe comes over me each time I receive a check in the mail or an email telling me of a new online donation. I think it has something to do with the original feelings of trepidation when sending out the fundraising letters wondering what people will think when they read my request for money. But, then I receive a donation and I am reminded that it completely is not about me, it is about the kids at Tumaini, Huruma, and Shamba. I'm so overjoyed when I realize that the givers have looked passed the bumbling words of the messenger and seen the message.

So, thank you all who have taken the time to visit this site or have given to the children touched by Hope Runs. Bless you. "Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." -Desmond Tutu

Yes, I'm that tall...

Well, I forgot, yet again to take a picture before our Saturday run. I must get major morning brain or something! I can't believe I always forget my camera. My apologies.

The picture you see, is of Jacque and I after the Charlotte 1/2 Marathon in North Carolina. It was this past December. This morning Jacque and I ran 12 miles which is our last run before the Gainesville 1/2 Marathon next weekend. For those of you who don't know, I am the REALLY tall girl on the left! Yes, I'm really that tall, just over 6 feet actually.

Our run was nice. It started warming up towards the end and now it has turned out to be quite a warm day. Florida weather is strange. My last post I was sad about the hard freeze and today I am in shorts and a tank top! So silly.

Unfortunately my right knee is really bothering me. I'll be icing tonight and might take a few days off next week and swim and/or bike instead. I know it's just a little inflammation, and it will subside if I let it rest and ice like I should be. I might even treat myself to a leg massage to loosen up all the kinks... as I write that I realize how inappropriate that is, saying I'll treat myself, because if any of you reading this have ever experienced a deep tissue athletic massage, you know it brings tears!

Well, off to the garden, time to replant my veggies!

Day of rest?

Well, today I should be doing speedwork, but it is Valentine's Day and Bill has worked the past two days but is off today(he is a nurse so when he works it is a 13 hour day), so I'm thinking it might be a day of rest. Perhaps tomorrow I'll find the time for speedwork.

Last night was a great run with my running buddy Jacque. Jacque is a great friend and trained with me during my first marathon training. We did 6 miles and tried to find as many hills in Gainesville as possible on a 6 mile run.

This morning was a very sad morning for me and fellow gardeners/farmers. Last night we were supposed to get temperatures in the mid 30s (Fahrenheit), so no real freeze warning. Well, this morning everything was covered in thick ice. We apparently got into the 20s. Which I know isn't that cold compared with other places, but when your in Florida and the last freeze date is only 2 weeks away, you expect to have a warning of a hard freeze. My passion, other than running, is veggies, and I lost about 100 new veggie plants. It will be okay, I'll replant tomorrow, but some of my friends weren't so lucky, which goes to show that this freeze was a sneak attack.

But, if I didn't garden I would be thrilled at this cold snap and crisp air. Today though, I'll morn my little plants and be reminded again of what can happen when we try and out smart mother nature. After all, the books say the last frost date is March 5th, and it isn't March yet, so I have to let mother nature win this one.

Ocala run and good food

Last night was a great run. I went down to Ocala, FL (about 40 minutes south of Gainesville) to meet Megan after work to run 7.5 miles. Even though Megan lives in Gainesville, she works for the Marion County Court System in Ocala. So, to change our scenery and squeeze in a longer run before dark, Bill and I drove down.

The miles really flew by, I love running with Megan because of our great friendship and her sneaky talent of talking through any hills we encounter, to make sure we are adequately distracted. The nearly 8 miles felt like half that, and to finish our visit in Ocala, we treated ourselves to Thai food, which was gloriously sinful.

It's funny how in America we crave foods that our not our own, and then when we travel outside our country we come back hungering for those foods we call American. Is that normal I wonder? Or is that a symptom of Americanism? Like the saying the grass is always greener on the other side, did we make that one up?

As I write about my experience last night, I wonder what the kids at Tumaini ate for dinner? What can you buy at the markets right now? What is growing in February in Kenya? I hope it is every bit as delicious as our little Thai meal.

11 in the woods

Today Megan and I successfully ran 11 miles in the woods. We ran a couple of unpaved trails in San Felasco State Preserve, which is by far the most beautiful place to run in Gainesville, Florida. It saddens me that I failed to bring my camera, yet again, I need to get better at chronicling our runs with pictures.

The run was beautiful and uneventful. There were a group of TriGators (the Triathlon Team for the University of Florida), who are always friendly and always fast. I think they passed us three times during our run, and I'm sure they were covering many more miles than we. I'm glad athletes out there exist, those that run faster than I ever will and who never seem to break a sweat. Takes a lot of pressure off leisurely runners like me and my friends, we can just enjoy the run and never worry about if we are the fastest that day, or any day. It is quite freeing to run for fun and not competition.

The downside of today is that my right knee which has been starting to bother me this week, is officially hurting. I'm sure it is just another bout of tendinitis, which seems to be my injury of choice, so I know I'll get through it but it will be a bit of a pain in the meantime. Ice and Ibuprofen, cause I'm not very good at resting, never was a good tendinitis patient.

We are spoiled with picture perfect Florida winter weather the past few days. 40s (Fahrenheit) at night 70s during the day, as Megan said today... it is the kind of weather people decide to live in Florida for. Good to be a runner on days like today.

Tomorrow is my day of rest, then back to the pavement on Monday... until then...

Lack of Oxygen

So, I've discovered that recovering from the flu doesn't mix well with intense hill training.

Last night Megan and I did a 40 minute hill training on the ramps of the football stadium. It would have been yet another great workout, had I been able to breathe. Toward the end of our run, as I was huffing and puffing, I developed a new appreciation for working lungs!

I apologized profusely to my friend, for being the slow poke, but she of course told me it was fine. Can't wait to be fully healthy and back to my old self, lungs and all!

I'm scheduled to run 8-10 miles tonight, but after last nights poor showing and the coughing fit it brought on afterwards, I might scale back the run... we shall see.

Here's to a good day.

Hello Tumaini!

Welcome to my blog, friends!

My hope is that this will be a place for me to post updates on my running and life as I get closer and closer to crossing the finish line of the Big Sur International Marathon on April 27, 2008 for the kids of Tumaini Children's Home in Kenya.

So, hello kids and everyone else at Tumaini!
My name is Kim Moore, I am 27 years old (turning 28 on February 26th!) and I am training to run my 3rd and most challenging marathon. You all are my inspiration, and help me get out of bed to run when I might not feel like it! So, thank you all!

A little about me...
I live in Florida which is one of the most southern states in the USA. It gets pretty hot here, but this is a great time of year to run, because the temperatures are still enjoyable. I live on 5 acres of land in a little house with my husband Bill. We have lots of animals; two dogs, two cats, 6 chickens and 4 goats. We love them all very much and we are very grateful for our lives.

During the day I am mostly at home, tending to things around the house, gardening, and taking care of the animals. I love vegetable gardening, visiting with friends, reading, and of course running. I never ran much growing up, but I always was playing sports, my favorite was soccer (also known as football). My husband, Bill, is my best friend, and even though he doesn't run long distances with me, he is my biggest supporter. My dog Tucker is my very best running partner, he can run up to 7 miles, without breaking a sweat!

I am going to be running the Big Sur Marathon with 2 friends, Megan and Laura. Megan lives near me in Florida but our friend Laura lives about 3,500 miles away in Palo Alto, California, which is very close to where the our marathon is. I am so excited to share this experience with them, this is Megan's 1st marathon and it's Laura's 2nd.

I'll be sure to post pictures and running updates as I go! I am working on my letter to send out to friends and family telling all about Hope Runs and Tumaini.

Tonight I'll be running for 40 minutes doing hill training. Since we don't have a lot of hills in Florida, I am going with my friend Megan to the football stadium, where the University of Florida Gators play, and we are going to run up and down these steep ramps! Doesn't that sound fun! I'll be thinking of you all!

Keep learning... keep running... keep praying
Much love. Kim.