Strike

So today me and Gabe did this class at lifetime called Strike...its like Taebp but soooo much harder...I think I like it better... but I sweat it out for 1 hr at this kick butt class...anyways keep up the workout!!!

~Christa

Running in the cold

Yesterday I ran 2 on the treedmill and 5 outside in the cold... Runners - look out!!! ITS FREEEZING!!!! Make sure you bundle up when you go outside... I got really bad frost bite on my legs :( but thats ok... Its just getting me ready for the Turkey Trot... Remember last time when it snowed that day and the year before in the sleet... we have been through it all!!!!
Good luck runners!!!! Hope everyone is ready by next Thursday for the Trot!!!


Runners World Quote of the Day:
"To make your life a work of art, you must have the material to work with. The race, any race, is just such an experience."

~Christa

Taebo - Rockin Buns!

So today me hannah and my mom did rockin buns taebo with the amp bar!!! SO hard...
I love when ALL the girls do a workout together it makes it so much better!!!!
Anyway keep it up!!! ROCK IT OUT!!!

~Christa

fittin it it!

so i did a gross....but needless to say..."oh so necessary evil..." i ran without showering and saw a patient! yuckie...but ya know what... i don't care... i mean i do (since i'm writing this) but i must say... i wouldn't have been able to fit in my workout with doing so...

funny how after marathon training (which was soooo time consuming) you can't find time for a 30 min run or 1 tape/class... what happened???

we gotta make it a priority!

fit it in out there! =)

h.

Running with a smile and my cuter

So yesterday (Tuesday) brandon came over... He decided this yr that he would do as he calls "his marathon" aka the Turkey Trot this year with me... I beg him every yr and this year he caved and said yes... We have been training together.. he never has ran more than one mlie before I made him run with me :) SO before he came over yesterday I ran 4 by myself and then we ran 3 together.... His first time running 3!!!! Wow I am so proud of him!!! Running next to him I couldnt help but smile as he ran with his tensed up face looking so serious trying to get his breathing right... SO CUTE!!! Anyways I wanted to dedicate this blog to him because I am so proud of my lil cuter running with me... So please leave a lil message to encourage him!!!

Turkey Trot
2 weeks
6.2 miles
Brandon ran so far - 3miles down

~Christa

P.s. It seems like this is now my blog - noone ever writes on this but me.... :(

On The Mill

So today I (christa) ran on the tred mill at Bally Total Fitness...

I was sooo pressed for time... You see have have classes from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday... so any workout between on those days are a bonus ;)... Well.... I just found out a week or so ago that there is a Ballys on 12 mile rd only a few miles away so if I ever get a break I try to rush over there and do a quick workout...

Today it wasss extremly hot in there bt I pushed through and ran at a 2% incline on 7.8 speed for 4 miles and on mile 5 I went from 8.0 - 9.0 speed... I am very proud of myself for always pushing myself to workout even in the midst of NO TIME!!! haha
So I just wanted to encourage anyone who reads... That no matter what... You can always find a lil time for yourself... no matter what it is because you are important and you need a lil "girl pampering" :)

xo
~Christa

Cycle to u fall

WOW!!! This post is not about how I ran.. I did a cycling class at lifetime with Gabe and Hannah yesterday.. Man did it kick my butt... I went in thinking I am in shape and it wouldn't be tough... but it was super hard!!! I loved it because Saturdays are so much fun hanging out with my two squshers... Hannah and Gabe :)Now I am ready to go back for round two to kick its butt back!!!!

All in a hard days work
~Christa

Good Run...Lots of Plans

So today me (Christa) and Hannah tok a run together a little over five miles... No headphones but plainly talking the whole entire time!!!!! It was sooooo much fun... We got allot accomplished while running, we made allot of plans and set Lots of goals we want to accomplish for this coming year... My running goals for this coming year are: To walk the three day boston caner walk, run the hell run with the fam (boys against girls), and to run the Detroit Marathon in October...

Fun Fun Run Hannah!!
~Christa

Official Results reviewed by Uncle Mike

I have the official results from the marathon. I have contacted the Chicago transit authority and they have provided me with traffic camera video which I have reviewed and found some interesting information? First entrant that I found on video was Gabe entering a doughnut shop on 3rd street and exiting doughnut shop in golf clothes. He then hailed a cab and proceeds to oakpoint municipal golf course where he exited cab and joined up with a foursome and proceeded to play his usual four hour golf round. I was curious to make sure it was gabe so I zoomed in to the course and confirmed it was him because he was looking for his ball in the trees or water on most of the holes and on one hole when I zoomed in even closer I found he was not only searching for one of his lost balls but also petting a baby deer? He has formed so many great relationships with wildlife since he has taken up golf. I remember the time when he went into the woods to find his ball back in august at Indian wood golf course. I grew impatient and went into find him. I found him unwrapping a nature valley granola bar and hand feeding a wood chuck. That explains his 8 hour plus marathon???????????????

Entrant #2 Was spotted at the eleventh mile mark clearly suffering from fatigue, being followed for several miles by an out of state Macomb county sheriff vehicle with the driver resembling Jim Carey and even more remarkable the occupant strangely resembling Sarah Palin. For a minute I thought it was some hired look a likes that the city of Chicago hired for a promotional stunt. Until I saw the women get out and open the rear door, I then zoomed in and saw it was Shalene and put two and two together on the look a likes! After zooming a little closer I proceeded to see the Sarah Palin look a like pull out a spray bottle on the twenty fourth mile spray Shalene down to look like sweat from the grueling run. Shalene then exited the vehicle and finished the race strong. While at the end of the race the Sarah Palin look alike cheered and was forced into signing autographs for the following two hours. I also noticed that the Jim Carey look alike was put on probation for one week for unauthorized use of county vehicle.

More results will follow as video is reviewed…

conflicted...

I simply cannot believe that my fingers are sequencing my computer keys in this order producing these words but................. drum roll please..................

I think....... umm........... I may want to run another marathon......... as I walked... stumbled back to the hotel like at wounded man on the beaches of Normandy Sunday I reached the room and made Hannah promise just one thing.... Never, ever, under any circumstances ask me to do this again! I then proceeded to lay prostate on the shower floor in my own salty filth...

But then Monday morning I woke up feeling holy dissatisfied in my performance on Sunday... Call it my 5 potty stops of 20-25 minutes in total but nonetheless... I felt like a failure... Maybe it stems from a point in the marathon when I heard a lady yell "go Chicago walkers!" as I was passed by a 70 year old man wearing a Chicago Walkers t-shirt... Yeah, actually happened.... But ya know...? I can do better than this!

Whatever its worth, I'm so glad that we all did this together and I am in fact open to doing another one... God forbid...

We'll have to see...

gabe

Whatta Marathon Day!

Purely from a spectator's viewpoint!

First of all the sunrise was amazing, but warned us of the upcoming heat.  If the marathon had heated up 1 more degree, they would have cancelled it.  It was the largest "no show" for the Chicago Marathon because it was 20 degrees hotter than ideal marathon weather.   45,000 people signed up, and there was still amazingly crazy people all over the place - 1.5 million spectators, of which were:  Gary and I, Greg Fisher, Diane, Angie & Jeannette Fisher, friend Carly, and Grant Heugel!  

Amber was registered for the marathon, but because of her crazy-busy PA schedule, she had to postpone running because she can't run as a "full time job" to train.  She DID run the first 10 miles of the Chicago Marathon, though, and did an amazing job, then joined us with the spectators!

Our group braved the heat and were up early and ready to go.  Although not without incident, everyone finished the marathon!   They were AMAZING -- I am so proud of each and every one of them!  Being at the finish was NOT without tears of joy and victory!  Our amazing marathoner highlights:

Hannah and Christa -- They ran with Bethany up to mile 21, but then Bethany wanted them to go ahead so she could slow her pace since she was beginning to feel the heat.  Hannah and Christa crossed together.

Bethany -- Bethany finished right behind the girls and called me from someone's phone to find me.  I couldn't believe how amazing she sounded, but on her way to meet up with us, she started to "white out" and see white in front of her and her pulse dropped to a scary-low level.  She happened to literally stumble onto a Doctor who helped her along with several people.  They called the ambulance because of her dangerously low pulse, but after some Gatorade and a while recuperating, Bethany insisted on getting up and going back to the hotel herself.

Jesse -- Jesse ran an incredible marathon, breaking all his marathon records and in keeping with the time he was shooting for up to the 30K.  Then heat exhaustion took over, and he got extremely sick and began to dehydrate (as is common in runners over 6 feet), and the knee injury he sustained in football kicked in.  His determination brought him across the finish line, but he sports a knee as large as a grapefruit and a doctor's appointment this week!

Shalene -- Shalene persistently and determinedly pressed forward, feeling the pain but well trained enough to keep going.  Although the heat began to get to her, her Mom jumped in at about mile 21 and with shoes too small (borrowed from Jeannette), and with her jean capris on, ran in with Shalene to the finish.  

Mike Moon -- Mike pressed through incredible calf cramps, but kept going right to the finish line!  His first half of the marathon was amazing, and the second half slowed him down, but he never gave in and never gave up!

Gabe Bahlhorn -- Gabe amazingly pressed through to the finish too,  although he wrestled with feeling the effects of the heat.  He ran by us with smiles and cheers at the onset before the sun began blazing.  After that, his determination took over until the finished!

It was an incredible event to be a part of.  Pictures coming soon!

Uncle Mike's Predictions for the Chicago Marathon

2008 chicago marathon

Acronym's

DQ= disqualified
H= hospitalized
AH= assisted by HP
I P= I Pod disqualification
B= berating non competitor
$= unauthorized purchase during race


first place Bethany Budzinski (DQ)         Disqualified for carrying her fiance on her back for the last nine miles

second place Christa Budzinski (B)         Would of won but had to stop and call and yell at Brandon for not calling her all weekend

Third place Jesse Budzinski Should of won race hands down but was seen boarding bus on Michigan avenue on the 18th mile.

Fourth Place Shalene Fisher ($)         Could of ran closer to the top but was distracted by a pre-Christmas sale at a Louie Vutton store

Fifth place Hannah Budzinski (IP)  Disappointing finish but again can only be blamed on fiance's continual disapointment in pressure situations as displayed in previous events; family picnic water balloon toss and perennial Ginger Bread House debacles. Also race officials and dog sniffing unit finds iPod sewn into sports bra

Sixth Place Gabe Bahlhorn (H)          Strong competitor from a long line of distance runners, but again fell to his appetite and stopped at a Chcago Stuffed Pizza shoppe and never completed race.

Seventh Place Mike Moon (AH)         Collapses on ninth mile and is carried another seven or so miles by homeless person in shopping cart.

Goo/Water/Gatorade????? Whats best?

Jesse,

Reporting in here T-minus 16 days till Chi-Town!!! Listen I have sponsered all 7 of us with a pacetat that I will have for us by next week!! I also wanted to get your feedback on mixing gaterade/water/goo. I have been reading on many websites that if you do all three you tend to get very upset stomachs and that you should NOT do SPORTSDRINKS. I have read that you need to keep 100 calories an hour going in while running while keep a steady in take of H2O.

I have heard many of the runners in this group complaining of upset bubbling stomaches during and after our runs. Many stories on-line talk about how marathoners are throwing up from miles 20-26 so its something to keep in mind.

My conclusion for me is: Take a goo/gel 15 minutes before we start, and then every 45 after. Drink little to NONE gaterade, and stay hydrayed with water from the beginning. I have been doing this and feeeling MUCH better in my runs...Let me know what you all think.....

shin splints n' micro fractures

after my run today... i have sharp sharp shooting pains "in" the bone of my left leg.... it's painful to walk... ice ice ice....rest rest rest...and PRAY....

=(

han

run for the finish..

"It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants to quit." 

everyone will have a different goal... 

                   "what's your pace??" 

     "what's your race goal????"  

mine???????.....run for the finish!

han

Pics

well in the spirit of getting for race day I pulled a few old photos and attached an video at the end I am sure we can all relate to by now!!! Enjoy

Jesse

Video commercials....oh how we all can relate!!!

Here we go 21er!!

Well I woke up at 4am and am eating a muffin and just finalized my route and playlist leaving in 10minutes. Nina voluteered to drop me back off at my house on her way to church so it looks like I have to finish this in under about 2:50!! Wearing my camelback and got my goo's!!!

20..20...20..

So today me Hannah and Gabe hit St. Clair shores for our 20 miler :)  We all started off SOOO very strong, we even got to run in a 10 k on Jefferson too!!! At mile 11 I felt is if I could run it twice... Me and Hannah we doing so good on our time and Gabe wasn't far behind us!!! I loved running down by the Mansions so much!!! Everything was sooo beautiful and it was perfect running weather!  At mile 19 I all of a sudden within 3 secs got terribly tired... but me and Hannah knew we could finish it and do it strong... We got back in record time for both of us... We ran it in 2 hrs and 55 min... 8 1/2 min pace miles :) WOW Hannah we rock... Gabe did so awesome too!!! I was so happy to run with him... I am so proud of you Gaber!  Pain... None, Walking-Never Ceasing, Tired - Never, Strong , Determined, READY!!!! 

~Christa

i'm tired

i'm tired of running... no... i don't need a new playlist... no... i don't need a new route...i need a new workout... i need a break...BUT we have 3 more weeks....3 more long runs until our race...sigh....oh for the a fresh set of shoes, legs, and motivation to go with it!

han