I've moved!

Rather than manage two blogs and a website, I'm doing it all in the same place.  Keep up with my latest and greatest adventures and all sorts of other fun stuff on my new home on the 'net: Moxie Girl Productions.
Follow me at moxiegirlproductions.com. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Whatever it takes

"Exercise in the morning before your brain figures out what you're doing." Love this one! So true; get it done before you have too much time to talk yourself out of it.

Since I started my lifestyle change in 2002, I've had to continuously adapt in order to keep exercising and eating right. Currently, running in the morning is working for me, sometimes followed by short evening workout. But, when I began, I exercised during the day, on my lunch hour, in the storage room at work. My husband at the time was not supportive of my lifestyle change, and doing it at lunch was the only way I'd stick with it.

As the years have progressed, I've shifted my workouts from noon to early evening to the crack of dawn and back again. In reality, it doesn't matter when you do it. It only matters that you do it. Figure out what works for you and go with it. When it stops working, figure out another way until things change again, as you know they will.

In addition to persistence and consistency, adaptability is key to achieving any important life goal. And isn't it delightful that, no matter which strategy you've adopted, there's a funny quote to support you along the way. :)

Adventures in Kindness

There was a bit of adventure at work today when I was advised that we had a homeless person snoozing in our lobby.  As Deputy Administrator for the Nevada Housing Division, and the highest ranking staffer here in Southern Nevada, it was up to me to take care of it and make sure our employees were safe.

I offered the gentleman a bottle of water and asked his name.  Enclosing my palm in his leathery grasp, Tyrone gave me a firm handshake and told me he'd come here from Los Angeles about a month ago.  He'd lost all his money in the machines.  It's a familiar story in Vegas; this is not the place to be if you're addicted to gambling.  Tyrone had popped into our building, looking for respite from the heat.  He wanted a place to stay for the night.  Ultimately he was hoping to find an apartment.

We adminster the low-income housing tax credit program, which awards housing affordable housing projects to developers who create housing for seniors, the disabled and low-income folks who can't afford anything else.  We don't, however, manage the housing directly or provide any other types of transitional services.

I turned to HELP of Southern Nevada, a non-profit that delivers services to serve the poor, the homeless and those in crisis.  They offer a range of options for people in Tyrone's situation.  I was delighted to learn that they'll also pick people up and deliver them to the right place to get assistance.  Within an hour of my phone call, Mindy and Christine arrived, talked with Tyrone, and escorted him to their car to take him where he needed to go.  They were fantastic.

An easy out in this situation would have been to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.  They'd have come and sent Tyrone on his way.  That may be the solution one day, but thankfully, it wasn't today. 

Instead, with a little bit of research on our end, we were able to connect someone to the services he needed while maintaining an appropriate environment for our clients.  And, who knows; maybe this will be a new beginning for Tyrone.  I like to think so.

Sparkle & Glow

My first sparkle skirt just arrived from Team Sparkle!

I think it'll be perfect for the Vegas Seven GlowRun 7K I'm doing in early October.  Maybe I should add a pair of yellow fairy wings??

My Top 10 Mud Run Bucket List

Run for Your Lives zombie-infested 5K (photo courtesy of MSNBC)

I've got a respectable number of muddy obstacle races under my belt:

• Muddy Buddy
• Warrior Dash
• Tough Mudder
• Spartan Sprint
• Mad Mud Run
• Devil Dash

Since my descent into mud-run madness began with the Muddy Buddy back in 2010, obstacle racing has exploded in popularity.  Races are popping up left and right across the country, each with their own funky twist. 

Ready to run the Spartan Sprint in Malibu

My Top 10 Mud Run Bucket List

1) RhinO Night Race - Most obstacle courses feature 10-20 obstacles.  The rhinO course has up to ten times that amount over the span of 4 miles. Climbing through log-jungles, crawling through tunnel mazes, hoisting yourself up through platform holes, swinging across ropes, and maneuvering obstacles… at night.

2) Las Vegas Halloween Weekend Urban Obstacle Run - This 5K run hits the streets of downtown Las Vegas in full Halloween form. Scurry up rope ladders, sprint through cornfields, and save your fanciest footwork for the tire row. Once you make it past the brain-hungry zombies, more than 14,000 people will gather to perform the "Thriller" dance in an attempt to break the world record.

3) Run for Your Lives - Run For Your Lives is an apocalyptic 5K obstacle race. But you’re not just running against the clock — you’re running from brain-hungry, virus-spreading, bloody zombies.

4) Rugged Maniac - Rugged Maniac is a 5K obstacle course race that combines the most rugged terrain with at least twenty obstacles. You’ll climb over walls up to 12’ high, crawl through mud under barbed wire, slide down a 50’ water slide, jump over fire and face many other challenges all while running through a combination of forests, fields, motocross tracks and ski slopes.

Diva Dash (photo courtesy of Diva Dash)

5) Diva Dash - Diva Dash is an adventurous women-only 5K obstacle race. You will jump, climb, swing, and DASH your way to the finish line where even more contests and prizes await at the after party.

6) R.O.C. Race - The Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge takes the challenges of a military obstacle course and combines it with the competitive game show themes from favorites like Wipeout, American Gladiators, Double Dare and MXC.

7) The Survival Race - The Survival Race bills itself as the Original Family-Focused 5K, Obstacle Course & Mud Run.

8) Civilian Military Combine - The CMC starts with “The PIT” (strength element) and transitions into a 5-mile mountain run with military obstacles positioned throughout. The difficulty of the course is determined by you, the competitor, whether you are a weekend warrior looking for the ultimate challenge or a competitive athlete looking to win.

9) Pretty Muddy - Pretty Muddy is another women-only 5K with "architectural" obstacles.

10) Ruckus - Ruckus offers 2-, 4-, and 8-mile courses, and each course features 20+ large-scale obstacles.

Runners up: Obstacle Apocalypse, Savage Race, Rebel Race, Man vs. Mud, Renegade Playground Challenge, Living History Farms Race, Down & Dirty, Del Mar Mud Run, World Famous Mud Run, Casper Zombie 5K, The Runnnig Dead - Zombies, RTAW Walkers, Temecula Zombie Walk, Zombie Stomp Mud Run, Mavericks Mud Music & Obstacle 5K Run, Lozilu Womens' Mud Run Series, Dirty Dog Mud Run, Mean Streets Race Series, Mud, Sweat &  Beers, and Suicide Hill Mud Plunge 5K Adventure.

Here's Your Sign!

Sometimes when I'm out there - running, walking, or skipping to my Lou, I stumble across little bits of inspiration that make me smile.

It feels like the universe is applauding my effort, offering up encouragement in unexpected places.  It's my sign that I've chosen the right path.

Soul Fitness: 12 Ways to Nourish Your Creative Side

Vintage Jewelry Class: recycling found objects into fresh and funky wearables

This I know: we are not modular beings.  Our various components - body, brain, soul - don't operate in a vacuum.  If one part is strong or damaged or stagnant, it affects all the other parts in some way.  That's why it's so important to seek out adventures for every aspect of ourselves.

It doesn't have to be daunting.  In  fact, it can be lots of fun!  Everyday Health recently provided some inspiration with their list of a dozen ways to nurture your creativity.  I've tried several of their ideas, like creative writing, fabric crafts, painting classes, yoga, and cooking classes.  As you can see from my hand-stitched Moopy Bunny, some of my attempts haven't been pretty.  I'm fine with that, though, because they've all been fun and expanded my horizons.

Adventures in Curious Creatures: Moopy Bunny

Want to work on your soul fitness?  Check out the full list from the EH article.

1. Tackle a crossword puzzle
2. Take a knitting, crochet, or cross-stitch class
3. Take up gardening
4. Visit the theater
5. Take a painting or sculpture class
6. Take a dance class
7. Learn yoga or tai chi
8. Listen to lectures
9. Take a cooking class
10. Learn to sing or play a musical instrument
11. Learn to speak a new language
12. Go back to school and take some academic or other classes of interest to you

Adventures in Romance

Just like your fitness routine, it's easy for your love life to get stale. 

Maybe you've just met your significant other, and you have no clue what activities to do together beyond the usual dinner and a movie.  Or, maybe you've been a couple for years, and you've fallen into a rut, relying on the same old date night favorites. 

Like embracing a Yoga asana when you're normally a CrossFit addict, sometimes you just gotta shake things up.

But where do you start? 

Wit & Whistle blogger Amanda Wright has created a fantastic worksheet to help you and your special someone find a new hobby you'll both be passionate about.  She calls it the Hobby Compatibility Quiz and Creative Dating Guide.  Despite the long-winded title, it's a fast and friendly checklist of just about every possible activity you can think of - or Google.

From beatboxing to belly dancing, home brewing to hula hooping, water gardening to woodworking - and everything in between - you're bound to find something here to inspire and keep things fresh.

Independence Streak

In the spirit of our founding fathers, I exercised my freedom to pound the pavement this 4th of July.  It was my second 4th of July race, and my first race wearing a costume.  Inspired by a running costume post at Life's a Wheeze,  I picked up a tank top and leggings at Walmart.  I paired them with a blue and silver star tiara from Party City and a white tutu from a "naughty Alice" Halloween costume.

At the last minute, my husband Mike remembered that we had a red, white and blue dog shirt for Sadie.

Desert Sky Adventures gave the inaugural 4th of July 5K Blast a nice twist by doing it at night.  It started at 7 p.m., right before sunset, on the Western Beltway Trail behind the Roadrunner Saloon.   My brother-in-law Patrick joined us, making it a real family affair.

I was a little apprehensive about running while wearing extra stuff.  I do a lot of obstacle racing, in which costumes are also quite popular.  I tend to avoid them for those events, though, because they can get caught on ropes and nets and weighed down by mud.  Happily, there were no equipment malfunctions except for my tiara occasionally falling off.  That's an easy fix: bobby pins!

The race had some challenges with a hill going and coming to get over the bridge spanning the highway.  Nothing too extreme, thankfully.

Somehow, the time and location made the race an extra festive experience.  It didn't hurt that beer and $2 tacos were awaiting us at the finish line.  Not to mention a super cool medal/bottle opener!

Rockin' Rabbit 5K

 

 

 

 

By now, you've probably learned that I love races with a unique element to them, whether it's a one-of-a-kind medal or terrific props or an unusual location.  Lake Mead isn't particularly unusual; it's not rare to run alongside a ;pretty body of water.  But, it's not every day that you get to run through historic land railroad tunnels.

In early April, I ran through those tunnels for the first time when I did the Rockin' Rabbit 5K.  We parked at the Hacienda Hotel & Casino and were shuttled to the start line.  The first half of the run was on a slight incline, which meant coming back was slightly downhill... always a nice way to finish a race.

It was nifty inside the tunnel but hard to see the ground with sunglasses on.  Good thing the trail was well groomed!  The views of Lake Mead, both coming and going, were gorgeous.

The registation fee benefited Hope 4 Lives, a non-profit dedicating to helping others with the fight against breast cancer, Aids, and other life-threatening diseases.  I love running in support of a cause.  It's a win-win all the way around: enjoying the great outdoors, getting some exercise, and helping out the community.

In the spirit of the event, I rocked a pair of fuzzy pink rabbit ears.  I also rocked my time; I PRd at the Rockin' Rabbit, beating my previous best time by ten seconds per mile!

Words to live by

"She believed she could, so she did."

Indeed.

Terminal 3 10K

Photo courtesy of McCarran International Airport

McCarran International Airport opened its new $2.4 billion Terminal 3 on June 27, and the month of June was devoted to a series of special events for the big occasion.  The first of those was the Terminal 3 Fun Run, 5K and 10K, which took place on June 2.  Nearly 900 of us enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run on the miles of new roads around the terminal that would never again be open to foot traffic.  Proceeds benefitted at-risk children in Clark County.

This event had the largest array of pre- and post-race snacks I've ever seen. I was amazed to see a food station offering lettuce wraps, filled with ground beef, before the race started.  I cannot eat before a race because I get sick to my stomach, even with something as mild as a protein bar.  The thought of consuming spicy meat before running made me queasy, so I gave that table wide berth.  I did, however, load up after the race and had a ton of goodies to enjoy later at home. :)

This event was also one of the hottest I have ever done.  When I finally checked the temperature on my iPhone weather app, I discovered it was only 88 degrees.  It felt like 110!  The fresh, deep, dark blacktop, not having been grayed by the elements yet, must have been reflecting heat back up. 

I had a great time doing this race, but I wish I'd had a chance to check out the terminal more.  McCarran has created a terrific media kit that showcases the art and architecture of the expansion, so I have a sense of what I missed.  I'll be sure to check it out all when I finally get a chance to transit through that terminal.

Diva Feva 5K

I'm a sucker for clever names.  That's why I wanted to run the Diva Feva 5K.  Well, that and the fact that the race location was just minutes from my house.  Convenience should never be underrated!

This race got off to a very rocky start before we ever lined up. Packet pick-up was a debacle.  The hours got changed at the last minute, and the organizer sent all-caps emails stressing her lack of liability if you were picking up for friends.  I really didn't think it was that big a deal; I've never known anyone to scam packets or anything like that, especially for a small race like this.  Clearly, this race group was new and needed to chill a little.  

I was chill as I opened the door into Road Runner on Cheyenne the day before the race to retrieve my bib, t-shirt and the other race goodies. Packet pick-up is normally a simple thing, taking only a few minutes, and I didn't expect this one to be any different.  An hour later, my chill had been replaced by copious amounts of sweat as the air conditioner struggled to keep up with 30 of us crammed into the petite store, waiting for the organizer to arrive.  The woman handling timing for the event, who was apparently helping out with registration, had been there promptly and looked more and more chagrinned as the minutes ticked by.

When the organizer finally walked in, there was no word of apology or thanks for our patience.  She just set up her stuff and started registering us. The skirt that was promised as part of our registration had not arrived, so we were instructed to ask for race day.  It was only as we were handed our bibs and bags that she expressed regret for the delay.  A lot of people were questioning how the race was going to go the next day.

Driving to the park, I cast off my concerns from the night before, and I was glad I did.  Although they were out of my size skirt when I checked in, I was offered a very nice pair of running shorts as a replacement.  Glittery pink foam tiaras were provided to add sparkle to our run.  There were refreshments and music, and the race started basically on time.  When making announcements, the organizer apologized for the prior issues and told us it would not happen again.  I believe her and will do another race with her outfit.

Instead of a medal, we received a pink certificate. It was a neat idea, but I'm not inclined to frame it and put it on the wall.  I'm thinking of scanning it in, shrinking it down, and laminating it into a medal of my own creation.  That's what a diva would do, right?

Groovefest 2012 Run for the Music Quarter Marathon

  

On Saturday, June 23rd, I completed my first quarter marathon.

(Psst...it's not much longer than a 10K, but calling it a "quarter marathon" sounds a lot more impressive!) 

It was an accomplishment that wasn't supposed to happen, but a last-minute change of plans made it possible.

There's a saying in General Aviation:  Travel by small plane is great when it doesn't matter when you get there.  The reason for that is that small planes are highly affected by weather, as are their pilots.  My husband Mike is a VFR pilot, meaning he's trained only to fly by sight, not by instruments.  So, if the weather is bad, our journey may be delayed or cancelled entirely. It requires a "go with the flow" mentality and the ability to quickly find other exciting things to do.

Our original plans for the weekend were super fun.  We were going to fly from Vegas to the airport in Camarillo, California, where they were hosting a 5K obstacle race entertainingly called Mudapalooza. Our pilot friends Gary and Elaine live in Camarillo and stow both their planes at the airport.  They, along with Mike, were going to enjoy VIP spectator seats at the event so they could all watch me make a fool of myself in style.

The California coast is generally socked in with fog in the morning, which doesn't seem like a big problem.  Just land there in the afternoon, right?  Um, not quite.  Vegas has its own weather challenges.  At this time of year, it gets very hot very fast and stays that way most of the day.  Wind is also a factor.  Those gusts aren't just potentially dangerous; they also make for very turbulent flight.  Keep your vomit bags handy!

Bottom line: between the heat, the wind and the cloud cover on the coast, we couldn't get ourselves to Camarillo safely or comfortably by air.

Mudapalooza at Camarillo was out, but we weren't giving up on finding adventure somewhere else.

Cedar City, Utah, is only an hour or so north of Vegas by DA40, versus the two and a half hours it takes to reach Camarillo, and there's no fog.  The deal was sealed when I learned that there were still spots available in the Groovefest Run for the Music Quarter Marathon.  This 6.6-mile race included a half-mile underground segment with disco balls, glow sticks, and music.  Oh yeah! DISCO BALLS!! 

Race day kicked off with a missing shuttle bus driver, causing us to start the quarter marathon about 20 minutes late.  Then came news that the dirt-packed entrance to the underground portion was flooded and tricky to navigate.  I didn't mind; I got some mud in after all!  The disco balls were miniaturized and scarce, but they dimly lit our paths as groovy 70s singles echoed in the concrete corridor.  It was nifty catching glimpses of colorful graffiti while running through the darkened space.  The tunnel opened onto a pretty two-lane path set through green hills on the right and gentle slopes with rooftops on the left.  The scenery was so pretty, such a nice contrast to the desert vistas in Vegas.  There was even a live musical duo strumming guitars toward the end of the race.

It was a great race.  I earned another one-of-a-kind medal - a CD imprinted with the Groovefest logo - to add to my collection, and I can now say that I've run underground and with disco lights!