863rd place, baby!!!

But, come on, there WERE 8000 runners!

Today was the big day and, although, I was a little bit nervous beforehand, I was surprisingly calm.
I started off the day with a little warm up jog:



The number on my shirt here was NOT my predicted place at the finish line:


I told Sebastian that he could find me in the crowd by looking for my pink bandana...Can you find me?


This is the starting line. I wasn't at the front. I think that was reserved for the Kenyans and the olympic hopefuls. I guess I didn't make the cut.



And they're off!


Can you find the pink bandana again?


This picture is taken around 3 or 4 kilometers into the run. At this point I was still feeling very positive.


This picture is taken around the 20th kilometer. Trying to remain positive, but slightly more tired than in the previous picture.


But I continued that last 1.5 kilometers and FINISHED!!! With VERY tired legs.


There were LOTS of crazy fans after I finished who wanted my autograph. This is one of them:


I finally escaped the fans and got my certificate! I finished in 2hrs and 38min and came in 170th in my division (Women 25-35) and 863rd of about 4000! AND I got a sweet metal.


In the end, they decided not to award prizes for the fastest, but instead to the best looking. I was awarded first AND second place! And instead of a cash prize, I was awarded a bratwurst! I was a HAPPY RUNNER!


Thank you all for all your support over the past couple of months. I am so happy I finally did it and I have decided that I will probably just run a 10k next time.

Thank you, Sebastian, my mad fan for taking all the great pictures!

I haven't quit!

Despite what you might think from the inconsistencies of our blog...we are still going! Holy cow. Only three more weeks for me. I am freaking out! I have been really bad about running this past week, because there were so many things going on...Grades at school, insane terrential rain, and most importantly: My birthday! So, I have been a bit distracted. But, now I am back on the path to success. That is, until I leave for London on Saturday and have to go to a workshop the whole week. That cramps my plans a bit.
Anna, what about youuuuuuuu? How is it going? I am gonna call you right now :)

anna's pictures!!

well, i finally figured out how to put pictures on our blog, but i can't seem to figure out how to write on the same post! regardless, here are some pics of my road to love (like) running!!

(they acutally start down at the bottom..)

my gym bag! recognize it kate and sebastian?! its PERFECT for my gym stuff and i love it!

my gym.. anytime fitness! normally i would try to get at least one picture of me, but im usually the ONLY person in the gym! i love it like that so people can't hear me wheezing on the treadmill though :)

my WONDERFUL new shoes!!! i still love them so much! they are awesome -- kate how are yours??

and my life saving contraption i made up -- literally strapping my dvd player to my treadmill so i can withstand running for over an hour! i dont know what i'd do without it.. haha.. im watching GLEE now and its SO cute!! do you watch it kate? you really should! its awesome..

so there you have it!!!

today is 97 degrees STILL. im wanting it to cool off sooooo bad!!! jay told me today i should try to start running outside so i am used to it, but i literally cannot in this heat.. im worried about what im gonna do, as i haven't passed about five and a half miles inside now.. its so hard on a treadmill to maintain a good pace, you know what i mean kate?

anyways, im OFF to my lovely gym. i love you all and i promise ill post again soon! now that i got my pictures up.. muah!

Kate: 6.5 miles and Sarah's baby shower!

Well, unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to add for today, but just a little news that I successfully finished 6.5 miles today AND I managed to organize Sarah's baby shower! About 30 or so women came over today and showered Sarah with gifts for her baby. There was lots of good food and cake, so I definitely compensated for all the burned calories from the morning!
How's it all going, Anna???

Kate: Day 27 and a successful relay race behind me!

I still need to go for my run today (because I am not creative enough to think about what to do for "cardio" which is what is called for today), but, because Sebastian got a part time job at Jaques Wine Depot (Our favorite wine store EVER!!!!) and is gone right now, I am taking advantage of the quiet time to write.
Last Thursday some colleagues and I signed up for the Dresden Relay Challenge where 4 members on a team must run 3 km each...totaling 12 km. I was on a team with girls and we all ran it in about 16 minutes and took 10th place. (Out of about 15 teams...) :)
Here are some pictures!
Before the race:



My team:



Starting the race:



While I was gone, Sebastian made a new friend:



At the end about to hand off the baton:



After the race:



So far, so good! The weather here has dropped significantly. It's so chilly that you have to wear long sleeves outside already! What about for you, Anna? Any such luck?

Today Sebastian and I have been invited out to Sarah's birthday celebration at a nearby castle in Meissen! How fancy! So I need to go now to go for my run and then pick out which fancy gloves I will wear for the occasion. Love you all!!!!

Anna : still sweating in KY!

OMG, so sorry for my absence from blogland -- especially to my fellow gym shorted chum! ive been working like crazy in order to take some days off this week -- MY BIRTH WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!! -- so now i finally have a break.

i love your post kate! cool pics.. i wish i had someone to take a pic of me but i'm afraid the treadmill doesn't make for such good scenery.

ok a couple things:
1. i LOVE my new shoes!!! i will try to figure out how to post a pic on this entry! they are super comfy and i didn't realize until i got them how bad my last pair were for actually running -- thanks for the wonderful birthday present dad and mom!!!

2. i had a mild breakdown, because sunday (5 MILES!!!!) i worked from 7am to 11pm. no typos. thats acutally right. YUCK! so my run was out of the question. which im really stressing about!! KATE, what would you have suggested? today (monday) i went about 3 and a half, then after i was home realized i maybe should have gone the 5? i think i was just scared to! its getting so hard on a freaking machine .. i might try to venture out tomorrow in the heat just to see if its really as bad as it seems.

3. my ipod had a major breakdown!!! :( you may be asking why i need one if i am watching tv -- well of course, i listen to music on the commercials.. could i get any more pathetic?!? hahah.. so i need to figure out how to fix it STAT, especially if im going to venture outside soon..

jay's mom keeps saying "you're losing!" which she always says when she thinks i've lost weight -- HAHA what a good cheerleader. but who knows. all i know is my birthday is wednesday and im going to eat as MUCH red velvet cake as possible!!!

i love you all and kate, please give me some words of encouragement telling me that 5 miles is easy outside?!?!

Kate: Day 21 and a hot 5 mile run in the park

Today Sebastian and I went over to the Grosse Garten in Dresden so I could do my run and he could be artsy and write lyrics while enjoying the view. It was such a beautiful day and quite hot so the 5 miles seemed quite long. Here are some pictures of our day together in the park:

After the run:



Stretching out a bit:


The a view of the palais on our walk into the park:


While I was running, Sebastian was also working hard....Getting a tan?:


I am looking forward to my day of stretching and strengthening tomorrow! Now off to eat some chocolate pudding....YUM!

Kate: Day 16 and my first preschool...or rather pre-school run.

Anna, I am totally with you about how hard 4 miles seemed. But somehow, if it's even possible, 3.5 seemed almost just as hard today. I had to kick myself out of bed at 6:30 this morning to get outside and get in my run before having to leave for work. It took me about 40 minutes to run 3.8 (I over-caculated my run a bit) and then when I got home, Sebastian had breakfast ready for me! I could get used to this! :)
I am wondering how hard it is going to be to try and wake up before school to get my running in, and I just don't know if I am that prepared to wake up SO early.
I signed up a team relay race next Thursday where I will be part of a 4 member team with each member running 3 kilometers. SIMPLE! I ran 6 km this morning already! :) Here is a picture of the same race that we did last year. A vision in yellow:



Hang in there, Anna. Hopefully it gets cooler and you can get outside in the fresh air.

4 miles (that never ended!!!)

well, i am glad i didn't read kate's entry to tonite cause i would have been depressed today knowing how easy her day was! hahah -- so yesterday was 30 minutes cardio (cross-training) and i was acutally feeling GOOOD yesterday so i went for over an hour.. well today was not as nice!

i went at about 11:30 am into the 99 degrees and headed to the gym.. as much as i've loved my number #4 treadmill at anytime fitness, now i am longing to go outside and have some change of scenery.. i've noticed as i get higher up on the milage it gets hard on a treadmill!!! i can only imagine like 9 -- ughhh.. anyways, long story short i DID finish and i DID almost pass out. hahahh.. anyways, it was just one of those days and tomorrow will be better (mainly cause its stretch and strengthen:)) --but i am starting to feel real good good! it has gotten easier to think about running now -- i used to assocaite it with punishment (from playing volleyball) - so now i'm slowly beginning to enjoy it. i'm feeling good and i've noticed that im slowly becoming more flexible and my skin is clearing up (i think its a mixture of sweat and all the water i have to chug when im almost passing out) -- anywho, i am STILL wondering how i will get past like 5 miles, especially on a treadmill! i'm thinking about buying a portable DVD player and strapping it to my treadmill.. i'm trying to come up with anything possible.. haha can you tell??

anyways, i love you all and i really miss you guys! i think thats why i had a slow day today.. i am feeling lonely for my family! :( i cannot WAIT until novemeber laura, and december kate! i love you all.. will write more, as i keep up my shoe search :)

Kate: Day 14, 4 miles and starting to feel good!

Dear gym-shorted chum and friends reading this blog,
After taking two days off, Friday and Saturday, I knew that the run today would have to be a good one. I woke up and before eating breakfast (which I SO wanted to), suited up and headed out. It is an overcast day today and pretty humid (not like what you are up against, though, Anna!) which made for a pleasant temperature, but also for a very sweaty run! (Did you want to know that?)
After not running for two days, I found that starting was much easier, but when I got to about 2.5 miles and the path which I had taken suddenly went straight up, it got a bit more difficult! But I made myself keep going and I felt great afterward!
I already feel the difference in my body running and some people have made comments about how I am looking fitter. I feel great about that! Running is also becoming a great relaxing activity after a day at school. So, so far, I can only see the benefits of running! :)
I am starting to re-adjust to being in Dresden and my mood is lifting. I was pretty homesick when I first got back, but after cleaning my apartment, seeing my friends, and getting my things for school organized I am feeling better. And Sebastian is coming tonight! I am really looking forward to seeing him again.
Dinner's ready. Better get going.

DAY 9: 3 slow miles on the other side of the Earth!

YES, kate! i totally agree.. i woke up today and said a silent prayer before i checked the schedule -- i was hoping it wasn't like 5. 3 i guess is okay, but i am feeling so tired this week too! i was really paranoid yesterday that i am getting sick .. some of the kids at work have been sick and lord knows i have their little germs all over me. but so far so good .. my throat is a bit sore, which makes running kinda stink. and my miles were slower today! i ran 3 in about 35 minutes. oh well... im STILL wondering how im going to run 13 ... ?!?!? had a nice talk with mom and dad last night and they told me to pick out some running shoes for my birthday so thats the quest for this week..

so happy to see that KYLA (www.adventureswithkyla.blogspot.com) has been reading our blog and might even want to join us!!! even tho there are days like today where i feel like not even the best episode of dateline can keep me on the tradmill, it feels good when i'm done. it's just the process of getting there! :)

love you all and let's hope TOMORROW is more energetic for the both of us katie!

Kate: Day 9 and 3 very slow miles

I am starting to feel a bit better about being back in Dresden and starting to get back into the swing of things. Last night I went out with some of my good friends here and some of the new teachers to Cubanitos and we had a really fun time.
I woke up in the morning, however, feeling pretty groggy. I guess nobody can escape jetlag THAT easily!
I came home from work and although I was very tired, I managed to get myself out and run 3 miles. I also think I might have recruited some other girls to run the half-marathon with me!
How are you doing, Anna? I am feeling really tired this week! It's harder than last week for sure!

Kate: Day 6,7,8 and depressed to be at work again

I finally arrived in Dresden at about 3:00 pm and was absolutely exhausted. Not to mention depressed to be in Dresden again!!! I started to feel very sad and then I got on my workout clothes and went out for the 4 mile run that was scheduled for that day. It actually ended up being really good in the end, because after the long trip and a jog and meeting Ellen and Mike later for some food, I was definitely tired enough to get into bed and sleep soundly. And I felt a bit more settled after burning off some steam. Yesterday I was very happy to have a day to rest, but I still woke up this morning VERY tired. I hope I will get some energy back to go out for a run!
I am not too excited to be back at work---I hope this will change soon.

Day 6: Cross Training Delite

Well well, yesterday was a much needed day "off" cause somehow i woke up sore?? kinda late for that, but anyways, felt much better today! on thursday i had a mild mental crisis wondering HOW i'm going to run 13 miles.. three, four seem do-able now, but 13?!?! i guess i'll do it some how.. kinda like when a mother finds the strength to lift a car off her child .. maybe..?

i worked at 7 am this morning -- UGH. but that means i got off at 3 pm and was able to chill out before i completed my 30 minutes cross training -- what a breeze! im thinking of my lovely partner and thinking she got even MORE cross training than i did at the airports today. im also meditating about my new shoes! probably going to get some - but you all know me ... always looking for a deal! back to RUNNING tomorrow.. LOVE you all more than you know!

Kate Day 6: sitting in the airport

I had to abandons the running plans for today and have instead been burning countless calories lugging around my incredibly heavy carry-on luggage. Without wheels, of course... I will leave in just a few hours for London and then,finally, make my way home to Dresden. I am gonna try and fit in sunday's run, but we'll see how I'm feeling when I get there. I am off for some yummy looking sushi now! :)

Day 4: 3 miles! and only one more day at home :(

I got up early this morning and had my mom (yet again...bless her!) drop me off south of the cabin 3 miles away. It was hotter today, but clearly no heat warning as my poor little sis is having to deal with. The run went well, but I had to stop and walk up a few hills and to catch my breath. I hope running will be much easier in Dresden where the altitude is a mere 400 feet above sea level.
This is my second to last day at home for the summer and I can't believe how quickly the summer has flown by!
I am not looking forward to all the work ahead of me, but I am also excited to see my sweet friends in Germany.
Mom and I are heading into Red Lodge today to see if the Radio Shack guys will take pity on me and charge my Blackberry for me in their store.

day three : IT'S HOT

here i am on day 3 and i'm feeling allright. that is of course until i open my air conditioned apartment door -- there is a heat advisory out today. not just tellin people that it's hot, but telling people NOT TO GO OUTSIDE. arggghhhh!!! anyways, thank god for my air conditioned car which will lead me to my air conditioned gym.

yesterday's run wasn't all that bad. i really thought it was going to be. but just like katie said, i had my headphones up so loud that i wasn't aware how hard it was. hahah.. just the people on the machines next to me could hear! i made it thru allright but i'm still wondering what it's going to be like on the treadmill for 7 or so miles.. we'll see!!! until then, i'm off to the gym to conquer TWO miles! easy peasy...

KATE, lemme see your new shoes!! im going to think some more about getting new ones today..

love, anna

Day 3: 2 miles and an encounter with a mysterious odour...

I woke up this morning from a dream where I was staying at a hotel and my dad bought me a big bear skin coat and I asked him "Dad, don't you think this will attract the real bears to me?" and right as I said that a big grizzly bear came rushing through the doors and the rest of the dream was spent trying to run away through the hotel....
So after shaking that thought, I threw on my running shoes and too tight spandex pants and hit the gravel road outside the cabin.
I was only scheduled to run 2 miles today, so I started off toward Rocky Fork Ranch on the way into Red Lodge.
Just before I hit my mile mark at Rocky Fork Ranch, I suddenly smelled something strange. Imagine a GIANT, wet, dirty dog...Similar to that.
The only thing I could think was....


So, I turned around (very slowly) and queitly started back toward the cabin.
Could it have been a grizzly? Unlikely. But you never knooooooooow.

I am a bit sore today, but the two miles didn't seem so bad! Why didn't I just sign up for the whole marathon?!?!

Day 2: 3 miles. First official day of running!

We are back in Red Lodge for the last week of my vacation. I have to fly out on Saturday morning from Billings---boo hooo!! (But, actually, I can't really complain after being on vacation now for about 6 weeks. Gotta love the teacher's life!)
Now,for my first day of running, I couldn't imagine a more beautiful place to run. However, what makes it absolutely beautiful is also what makes it extremely difficult. The altitude up at the cabin is 5,555 miles above sea level. I start breathing hard just walking up the stair here. Not kidding.
So, because I thought I might cheat if I started from the cabin and ran out 1.5 miles and ran back; I had my mom drive me out 3 miles away from the cabin up the road toward Beartooth Pass. She dropped me off, I turned on Dan Savage and started jogging!
My lungs were definitely complaining about the altitude in the form of asthmatic breathing, but thank goodness Dan Savage's voice drown out the sound and I didn't realize how out of shape I was!
I made it back to the cabin in about 35 minutes and felt great!
I wonder how my southern belle is doing today?
Only two miles tomorrow :)

a note from the other half!

well, here we are! with inspiration from our FAVORITE commercial ever --- the cute ol gym shorted chum who was afraid he wouldn't make the track team, so he tried hardee's --- we have started our blog!!!

after being out of shape since college, i've decided i needed to whip myself back into shape, and three days into my revelation, my lovely sister calls asking me to run a half marathon "with" her.. so here we go!!!

so technically we start our training on sunday aug. 1st. i have been working out for about two weeks now, but i am still going to be cardio-shocked.. however, if my sis is doing it, i won't let her do it alone!!! now if only we could train together because lord KNOWS that the kentucky summer (umm 100 degrees but humidity makes it feel like 115!) is not going to let me run outside. i have a gym membership and thank GOD there's cable television.. i still haven't gotten down the whole "run for FUN" thing.. so there's always an episode of House Hunters or 48 Hours Mystery to distract me..

on our blog we will record all our triumphs (breezing thru a successful day of training) and tragedies (having to say no to a hot fudge sundae then almost falling off the treadmill on a saturday afternoon). i hope you all (mom and dad? laura? kyla? kristen?) enjoy reading and i hope we can make you proud by running/walking/crawling/being transported by stretcher across the finish line!!!!!!!!

love you all! herrrrre we go sissy!

Two girls. Two countries. One mission: To finally make the track team.

I never thought I would voluntarily sign up for any running event after trying to run the 400 meter dash in High School(which is aparently a SPRINT. I was not aware of this fact until I was signed up for it involunitarily . I passed out after coming in last...).
But somehow the combination of kind of enjoying a little jog now and again paired with the amount of calories consumed this summer vacation have inspired me to sign up for the Dresden Marathon in October.

After deciding to do it I first told as many people as I could that I would be running, so I would feel guilty if I tried to quit and then I decided that I needed some extra moral support... like somebody to run with. But of my best friends in Dresden, one is already wrapped up in P90X and one has asthma, and they are both fitter than I am, meaning working out together could come as an embarassment.

Solution? Work out with somebody who is not actually there! And who better than my sister, Anna!!!!
So I called Anna to see if she was interested and not only has she taken on my challenge, but she is already working out to prepare. (More than I can say. I am still on vacation, afterall.)

So this blog is our official coming out. We are coming out of the non-running closet and running 13 miles away from it. (Clearly we aren't running the WHOLE marathon. We aren't THAT motivated!!!!)

We will both be documenting our stories from two sides of the ocean: Anna in Kentucky and me in Dresden. We don't really know what we are going to write about yet. It could be really boring. (But, hey, let's face it: you are already reading THIS and it's pretty boring, so it won't really matter.)

HAPPY TRAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
KATE

P.S. I got new running shoes today from Mom and Dad for my birthday. No more excuses.

Why so glum my gym-shorted chum?

Anna and Kate have decided to run a half-marathon. This is the story of their struggle.