Month: September 2014

Friday Funnies

Sometimes you just need a laugh. And, what better day for that than a FRIDAY?! Today’s blog isn’t motivational. I hope you’re not too disappointed. Instead, it has one goal: to make you lol. So…here’s to all of you fitness “freaks” who will hopefully appreciate the humor in these as much as I do!


Happy Friday, everyone!!
Sparkle.Pounce.Laugh a Little! 

We Pounced The D!!

It’s Monday afternoon, and I am multitasking like a mad woman and dreaming of getting a Starbucks coffee. Ahhhhh…coffee…!

To say that the weekend wasn’t very restful would be a HUGE understatement. It was a whirlwind of expo set up, sales, tear down, inventory, and then a fabulous race filled with all of the sparkle a girl could ask for! So, yes, I’m a tired lady. But, it was totally worth it.

My weekend started with an early morning down at Cobo Hall in Detroit to finish setting up Sparkle.Pounce.’s first race expo booth!

It was a fun and successful day. We were thrilled to hear how many people saw Stephanie’s latest design (Run Great – Michigan) on Facebook and couldn’t wait to get their hands on it! Our hoodies sold out in all sizes except XS! Thanks for the love, Ladies! (And don’t worry, we’re still taking pre-orders on our Etsy site www.etsy.com/shop/sparklepounce until Tuesday night!)

Then, Sunday morning was the Detroit Women’s Half and 5K. This event is designed by women, for women. And it shows. These ladies know how to put on a race! They had every detail covered, from the super cute, fitted race tees, to the rhinestone embezzelled finisher’s medal, to the free manicures and massages. It was definitely an event worth going back to.

And the race itself was a blast. Sparkle.Pounce. was lucky to be given three Rock City Skirts to wear for the race, so we felt pretty sassy and confident out there!
And being surrounded by all women, many of which were first timers, was a wonderfully comfortable feeling! Women seem to know how to have a good time and be a lot less intimidating than men at races! 
The weather threatened to put a damper on the day, but it ended up being a perfect morning for a run around a beautiful island with some amazing views of our beloved Detroit City. The race volunteers were awesome, there were quite a few spectators (which every runner LOVES!), and the course was well marked, flat, and easy to follow.

This is a race that Sparkle.Pounce. will definitely support in the future! Thank you to all of the ladies that joined our team. It was so fun to see some Sparkle.Pounce. gear out on the course!


Sparkle.Pounce.Keep Chasing Those Dreams.

-Kendra

You Are Never Done, Darling

Just as I was getting over the rush of completing my 50 miler, I got an email today containing the finisher’s photo that I ordered.

 

And it all came back to me. All the excitement, the pride, the disbelief that I actually ran 50 miles. CRAZINESS!

The timing of this email was perfect. I will be running the Detroit Women’s Half Marathon this Sunday, and just this morning I was thinking how I wasn’t really feeling ready to run that far. It will be harrrrrrrd. Maybe I could just go and cheer? My legs are not feeling it just yet….

And then it hit me, this run is going to be amazingly FUN! My sister is running it with me, as well as some friends, and a whole group of ladies on Team Sparkle.Pounce. that will be sporting matching shirts. Plus, it’s an all WOMEN’S race! WOOT! WOOT! Of course I’m going to run it.

Sometimes I think that’s what happens to me after I achieve something big. I feel like I’m done. Wahoo! I did it! But…that’s not really how it works. Yup! You did it! Awesome! Now, what are you going to do next? For me, I always need another goal to work towards. Something to keep me moving.

Detroit Women’s Half…here I come!

Sparkle.Pounce.Never be done.




Hurts So Good.

I am an Ultra Runner. 

Man, that feels good! And yet, it hurts. So. Much.

Yesterday and today I have gotten quite a few texts and emails from friends and family, checking in to see how I’m feeling. Here is a compilation of my responses:

Rough.
My face still looks like I got hit by a bus.
Still haven’t been able to sleep well.
Getting up and down out of chairs (and off the toilet) is a huge chore.
My ankles are swollen.
I’m a bit of a wreck.
My quads are still extremely sore.
I’m hurting. Bad.

And yet, I have also had a few people ask me if I’d ever run another 50 miler, and the answer has been…Yes! I think I would!

The race was amazing. I honestly couldn’t have asked for it to go any better. It was a 16.6 mile loop comprised of mostly beautiful, single-track trails, that we had to run three times. It rained a lot the night before, so there were some really muddy spots where it was impossible to run.


This was one of those spots. I had NO intentions of taking any pictures (or even touching my phone) during the race. But, this was the equivalent to an ultra marathon traffic jam, so I went for it!
My goal for this race was to finish in under 13 hours. The time cut off was 15 hours. My plan of attack was to start out around a 12-13 minute pace and maintain that until I was physically unable to. And, of course, I planned to stop and eat and drink at all aid stations, and walk up all hills. (That doesn’t sound that bad…right?!) The best advice I received about how to reach the finish line was to, “Start out slow, and then slow down.” Sounded good to me!
So, I started out around a 12:30 pace, and to my surprise, I was able to keep up that pace for almost the entire race! I kept wondering when I’d feel like I wanted to quit, or when I’d just have to walk. But, those feelings never came. It. Was. Awesome. With every new mile I had a new person (or group of people) to think about from my mile dedications, and it kept drawing me back to the fact that I have been gifted a mind and a body that are capable of great things. So darn it, I’m going to do this thing!
At about mile 38, I had the best surprise a girl could ask for…
 
My parents were there! And I got to see them again at mile 45 (which is actually when this picture was taken) and at the finish line, where they spoiled me rotten, carried my stuff around, bought me a chocolate shake, drove me to my hotel, and then took me out to dinner! Did I mention they’re the best?! 

And I ended up finishing with an official time of 10:33:55! And every single person that has sent me a note of congratulations in any way, shape, or form, has made me feel like a complete rock star! So, thank you all for your love and support! 

Sparkle.Pounce.And then pounce some more.

-Kendra (Ultra Runner!)


I Am Full

Tomorrow morning I will be attempting to complete my first 50 mile ultra marathon. Deep. Breaths.

Today, I’m overflowing with a mix of emotions.

It’s hard to explain, really. I haven’t felt this emotional about a race since my last Ironman (two summers ago). And I really didn’t expect to be experiencing these feelings today. But, I woke up this morning to a Facebook post from my little sister, and I almost started to cry. 


It was with this one, simple message that I realized I was absolutely, positively, terrified of tomorrow’s adventure. Scared to the point of a shortness of breath and being on the brink of tears…24 hours BEFORE the race starts.
I’m not a mushy, emotional person. At all. But today, I have been on the verge of tears nearly ALL DAY.

The Facebook messages and text messages keep coming from friends and family. And with every message, my eyes are watering up and my stomach is filling with butterflies.

As with one other race I’ve done, I decided to dedicate every mile of tomorrow’s run to someone who needs it. I just finished getting my arms all tatted up with their names. 

 

It was with this simple gesture that I finally felt a small amount of peace about tomorrow. Writing each of those names helped me to remember how blessed I am to have the strength and ability to run 50 miles.

And now, I’m feeling full.
Full of hope for a great run.
Full of thanksgiving for so many wonderful friends and family who are supporting me from afar tomorrow.
Full of courage.
And full of life.

I can do this.
Sparkle.Pounce.Be Full.