"Whether you think you can or can't...you're Right" -Henry Ford

I started off my day going to You Tube and watching the Team Fox Video….I just felt like I needed to remind myself of some “bigger” things in life and not let the little things get to me too much.  Sometimes the bigger picture is lost in the grass of everyday minor issues.

 

I shared this video before, but in case you missed it…this helps explain just what Team Fox is All About...if you need a feel better video..give it a click. 

Now onto this running thing….  I made a “girl call” to Dorsey Chevront at On the Run and Walk in Parkersburg….  Basically I said I need orange shoes and told him that was the “girliest” question he’d ever hear me ask J  I am looking to get the orange “sleeves” and orange shoes for the marathon to “match” my team fox gear J  If you have lost track of time….that happens in 57 days/22 hours/13 minutes/22 seconds as I type this (not that I’m counting down). 

I’ve just been logging some miles and minutes this week…I did one of the “tempo” workouts they suggested for the week and rearranged a few runs since I switched up my long run day to Sunday this past weekend.  I keep getting consumed I need more miles…but need to switch up the strength aspect as well.  Yes I know they are both equally important, but the mental game is sometimes a tough battle.

I just wanted to give you a little mini Team Spangler update this week so everyone can start to save the dates if you’d like of a few events coming up.  I received another donation this week I mailed into Team Fox that puts us REALLY close to the $4000 mark, and I’m really excited about that!  I ordered another 100 shirts to have on hand to sell at a few upcoming events, and can still get more in for anyone who wants them…Help us spread Team Spangler everywhere J

This is what we are about....
 

I received a message from Wyngate Senior Living Community in Parkersburg, who’s “Golden Girls” group has helped us raise money earlier this year wanting to do another event for us!  They have offered to have a “Chili Dinner” event on October 18^th at their facility (will confirm times later and exact details…but right now looking around 5pm-7pm)  We will have a few silent auction gift baskets as well.  There will be a DJ to provide some fun.  A big thanks goes to Jeremy Casto with Party Time DJ Services who probably wishes he’d never met me through the chamber and all the things I volunteer him for. J 

We also have information regarding the scrapbooking crop we noted earlier to be set for October 20^th in Charleston with help from my cousin Carrie Ford.  If you can sneak away for the day it would be a great day!  You can get more information on it at:

Crop for a Cure Information

I’m looking forward to the weekend of another long run (even longer then last week) to feel a little bit better about the mileage J  I’ll be in Ritchie County so looking forward to a different route to enjoy and switch things up a bit.  Don’t worry I’ll try to stay clear of dogs J

I’ll end with this quote for the weekend as I’ve thought this a few times randomly this week feeling overwhelmed….    “Whether you think you can or can’t….you’re right”….Can and Can’t change your approach in life….from wishing to doing… So find a way to “can do” something this weekend and change it up a little bit, to make an excuse is easier then doing.

“Who Let the dogs Out”…No Seriously…..

If you don’t know the song…then I’m sure you’re thinking I have a weird sense of humor and where did she come up with that…if you do know the song…I’m certain you still think I have a weird sense of humor and I apologize that the song in now stuck in your head.  We loved that song in high school because it was just one of those songs that stick in your head and just so happened to be one of our high school rivals mascots so it only seemed fitting (the boys on the team may not have thought so but it was a nice thing to harass them with on long road trips)…. 

I blog with a heavy heart today.  My hometown community has had a rough weekend of tragedy that has struck and it’s always so hard when it hits so close to home.  Please know for the 2 tragedies that have happened that a community of prayers are and thoughts are behind to help through the hard times of all those involved.   

I have had a whirlwind of the last week.  I forgot to warn you that work will be taking me out of town along with a hectic schedule to blog through due to events scheduled for all day.  Now…don’t feel too sorry for me in the meantime, as having to “work” at West Virginia’s Finest and Historic Hotel, The Greenbrier, doesn’t make work all that difficult.  You tend to escape into another lifestyle when going there that it’s almost hard to want to come back to reality.  I will never complain about having 3 gourmet meals provided to me each day that I know I couldn’t prepare myself even with my hardest of efforts.  Believe me when I say I used the excuse “I’ve been running and training for a marathon….I need to eat” every opportunity I had. 

The Greenbrier.....One of the highlights of WV

I can't believe they made us suffer through a dinner event with this view :)
We were told this was a home Jerry West stayed in often before he built a house there....

My side note to all this though and the running side of things, it is truly unfair for a girls legs to even want to cooperate with the concept of running after having to be walking around in heels all day.  Maybe I’m just not use to it, but that is exhausting on your legs! J  Before you roll your eyes boys…you should try it and get back with me on it. 

My running story today reflects my long run…those seem to take precedence most weeks I’m beginning to see.  I was supposed to do it on Saturday….and somehow I hate to admit that I talked myself out of it on Saturday and pushed it to Sunday…if you ask I had about 15 solid excuses as to why….  You know..weather…humid…heat…etc (You get the idea)…..  So thank goodness I stuck to it on Sunday…woke up early….and made myself get to moving my legs before I talked myself out of it….  I had 2 ½ hours ahead of me to conquer what my training schedule told me.  This was my longest run yet so far..and they continue to get a little longer for a short bit more.  I enjoy it once I get going…I love it actually….it’s just some days the mental game is a little more than others.  Sunday was one of them.  I passed by my furthest “turn around spot” so far on this route..and almost seemed overwhelmed that I still had about 20 more minutes to go before I needed to turn around.  So…I obviously just kept running….  Before I knew it….. here comes 2 dogs running towards me.  At first my happy self wanted to think…”Ohhh hey dogs…it’s ok..I’m only running through…with a soft voice”….then realize soft voice or not..these dogs aren’t as friendly as my nonstop licking your face husky is at home.  Apparently I missed the 3^rd dog coming over before I felt a quick nip at the side of my leg….then I got mad.  Beyond the crazy barking and growling the owner who came out on the porch didn’t seem to care too much, mind you it was an older lady…but I referenced still trying to be friendly that your dogs aren’t very nice and you should probably tie them up (I also said I needed to come back through here and if they could to please tie them up)….She never left her porch….  When I came back through…of course the dogs were still out…so my tone of niceness had sense disappeared and my affirmative get back or else seemed to at least get me through without another ordeal and they finally left me alone.

 

Why can't all dogs just be as friendly as "Smokes" :)

For those of you who haven't seen him since my blog post when he was just a little guy....

 

I don’t think I really realized that I should have actually been scared….and it could have been worse.  Ohhhh the life of a runner and random dogs, I’d almost forgotten.  We use to know where every potential dog problem use to be and could have avoided it.  Lesson learned to be better prepared.  It also took my mind off of the fact of my route of running.  The WV Hills are an understatement when you are going for 2 ½ hours…Every time it seems I turned a curve in the road…there was another hill waiting for me!  Don’t get me wrong…it was beautiful scenery….but my gosh! J   I wish I had a picture to share a few images of the run, my cell phone has decided it didn’t want to last long enough anymore to handle the runs with me…so I’ve added a new phone to the wish list/to do list and  left this one at home. (Which yes creates another problem to the planning runs better aspect)

I also made one pit stop at a neighbors for a quick little water break….I of course under estimated the level of “hotness” of the temperature….  So moral of the story…the 2 ½ hour long run is marked off the training list and no records were broke through the process of it J  Now to stick to the training schedule this week so I don’t keep going through panic stages of being prepared for NYC. 

60 days..WHAT!?!….Insert Rocky Theme in my head before nerves set in… J