If you can't be an athlete...be an athletic supporter...

My title today is taken from Grease. My sister and I always thought it was so funny. But, let me tell you, during the race I never fail to feel that extra bit of motivation when I see a family member cheering for me, or some random stranger yells some encouraging words. With the upcoming marathon in St. George this weekend, I know many of you who are going to run, and many more of you going to cheer. With that in mind, I am sharing some spectator suggestions from Runner's World to make you the best spectators EVER! And, if you are going to be in St. George this weekend...let me know so I can look for you!

What to say...There's nothing worse than a spectator yelling "you're almost there!" at the 16-mile marker. We love you for being there and cheering, but this really isn't helpful. Here are some fun and motivating one-liners to yell at various points on the course: During miles 1 to 12, a simple "Woo-hoo!" works well. There are so many people and everyone is feeling so strong at this point, any noise will make them happy. Miles 13 to 17, it's always good to hear, "You're looking strong!" because you still may be at that point:) Miles 17 to 23 can be a no-man's land and a good time to hear, "One mile at a time -- you can do it!" And finally, miles 23 to the finish requires a little more finesse and comfort -- e.g., "Less than a 5K to go! Think your way to the finish line!" Oh, and it is only OK to yell, "You're almost there!" if you are standing within sight of the finish line!"

What to do...Find out what your runner will be wearing so you can watch for them. You can be a great support team by asking your runner what would be helpful. Maybe they would like you to be at mile 23 with a giant sign. Me, I need someone standing at the finish line with a Diet Coke so large that it must be carried with two hands. Also...please don't make them walk any further than they have to...they have already run 26 miles and change, they do not need to hike all over while you try to remember where you left the car. Find out what kind of food they would like to eat afterwards or if they want you to bring a pair of flip flops to change into. Whatever it is, you can be the BEST SUPPORTER EVER by just asking what you can do to support them.

What to expect...Tears, crying, limping, intense need to just lay down on the sidewalk for a minute. These things are all normal. No matter how hard you train, 26 miles is a strain on the body and the emotions. Be supportive and encouraging. Give your runner a hug and tell them they did a great job!

We totally appreciate all that you do...not only during the race, but during the long months of training. We could never accomplish these goals without you! THANKS!

What the #$*&%???

OK... Match.com has done it now. Not only do they send me weird male matches, but today I got this message.

Apparently, my profile is now being sent to women, and they can select me as one of their favorites. I guess they thought that since I was not overly enthusiastic about either of these matches they sent me...

...that I must prefer women. Because, obviously, that is the only explantion that I would not pick JoseB, above, with his awesome ride, or LookingforBlondes (below) who wants a hot sexy blonde to sit on his lap.

I give up.

FINALLY... The Office is Back TONIGHT!

In case you forgot what happened clear back last MAY (it's been forever)...here's your recap.

The Happiest Race on Earth

If you've been wanting to do a half-marathon, but aren't really into running, then this is the race for you. Seriously... entertainment around every corner, no need for speed. I had an inkling that this wasn't an ordinary race when my previous race times qualified me for Corral A...the first wave to go off. This suspicion was confirmed when I looked up the final results...I finished in 1:52 which gave me a placing at 1007 out of 11643 overall...252nd out of 7262 women, and 44th in my age/gender division out of 1252. I AM AWESOME! Let's just forget about the many walkers that were there...I'm taking my results and engraving them on the back of my medal.

This race is awesome...Disney puts on a fun, organized race. Once the starting gun, excuse me, starting FLAME CANNONS & FIREWORKS, went off, we ran through Disneyland, then out through a secret back entrance, along the streets of Anaheim where a mariachi band, Polynesian dancers, and every cheerleader and band member in the Anaheim area were there to cheer us on. After running through the hockey center parking lot, we headed over to Angel Stadium where we entered the field and ran around the warning track. The place was packed with scouts hopped up on sugar at 7 am, cheering their heads off. I felt like a rockstar. It was awesome. At that point, we're getting close to the end and I'm cruising along...partially due to a yummy GU with caffeine, and a lovely Excedrin Back & Body (miracle drug). We ran through a tunnel and I started a wave with a bunch of cheerleaders calling my name (another awesome thing...our names were printed over our race numbers so people could cheer for "Heather" not "986".) Once I saw the Tower of Terror looming up ahead, I knew I was almost there, so I kicked it into gear, gave some fistbumps to the thuggish band kids hanging around, high-fived Minnie Mouse, and hit the finish line. It is a super fun, energetic and entertaining race. It just flew by. And I got my amazingly heavy finishers' medal.

And, like the seasoned runner that I am, I also know how to kick back and relax after a race. What better place to recuperate than Huntington Beach on a perfectly sunny day.

I Gotta Do This...

A little while ago, my friend Amelia posed the question, "Why do people run?" on her blog. I commented that I run to feel empowered and strong and that it's therapeutic. And it is. I also like getting medals and free t-shirts. However, I am reminded of a quote from "Better Off Dead" when Lane is getting ready for his big ski race and all of his friends are convinced he's about to kill himself trying to beat Roy, the captain of the ski team.

"Look Charles, I gotta do this. If I don't, I'll be nothing. I'll end up like my neighbor Ricky Smith. He just sits around crocheting all day and snorting nasal spray."

Sometimes, that's how I feel. I don't want to end up crocheting all day and snorting nasal spray, or adopting 100 cats, or sitting around hoping for something good to happen. I'm making good things happen by pushing myself harder than I thought I could, finding new friends in the racing community, and keeping my body healthy. Setting large tangible goals for myself and achieving them shows me that anything is possible with enough determination and perseverance. Sometimes, running sucks. But then you get that perfect run where you are just flying along feeling like you can do anything. And everything is worth it on race day when you cross the finish line and your friends and family are there...and you have your big shiny medal.

So, this weekend I'm off to run the Disneyland Half-Marathon, and when I get back, I will have an awesome new medal shaped like the castle. You can't tell me you don't want one of these...maybe you'd even want to run to get one.

Gravity hates me, too

I have been waiting for these shoes to come in for months! It's the newest thing from Nike...the Lunarglide. They look very fast, yes? Even the name implies that gravity is obsolete. So, I slipped them on this morning to take them for a test run. I was flying! Soon enough about 2 1/2 miles into my run, gravity caught up with me...it looked a little like this, but I was not lucky enough to have helmet...



And now I am missing skin from my hands, knee, and I smacked my face on the asphalt hard enough to add another cheekbone. Who says running isn't a contact sport?

The worst part was that it was 6:30 in the morning, a bunch of high school kids waiting for the bus watched this all happen, and I had to run 2 1/2 miles back home with blood running down my hands, holding my bruised ribs. At least it was still darkish outside.

Match.com hates me.

The ads for Match.com say that if you don't meet someone special in 6 months, you get 6 months free. I think that sounds like you will be punished for not selecting someone from one of the amazing options they keep sending you. Here is a small sampling of my matches this week.

What's with the helmet? What are you hiding? Is there a severe facial deformity, or do you just like to seem mysterious? Maybe you are challenging me to look beyond the physical to the person you are underneath a motorcycle jacket and helmet.

I don't know when this picture was taken, but that kid is probably 18 by now. I'm sure you don't need to protect him/her against internet predators anymore. And I have a rule against dating guys who show off more cleavage than I do.

I'm guessing you're going for the 'bad boy' look. That's a lot of head accessories. Oh yeah, and the cigarette hanging out of your mouth is very attractive. I specifically asked for non-smokers, so I'm not sure how you were selected as a match for me. Also...what is with you LDS guys that describe yourself as a social drinker or a smoker? I'm pretty sure the Word of Wisdom is applicable on days other than Sunday.