Doggie Doo Run, 2008

Here's one for my local peeps.

I just signed up to run in and support a great local event, the Doggie Doo 5k!

You should, too.

It's hosted by Canine Partners for Life, a truly excellent organization in our backyards that helps support those in need of canine assistance for mobility or medical reasons.

As their website says...

Canine Partners For Life (CPL) trains and places assistance dogs with individuals with mobility impairments to help increase their independence and quality of life. CPL has several types of assistance dogs in its program including service dogs, seizure alert dogs, home companions and residential (community) companions.

Our recipients come from all walks of life and have a wide variety of physical disabilities including muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders and more. The one thing they all have in common is a drive to become more independent and a commitment to do what is necessary to have an assistance dog in their life.

If you remember, you helped me raise thousands of dollars for CPL during my training for Ironman Wisconsin. (Thank you again!)

The race is at Hagely Museum and runs along the river there. Seriously pretty stuff, folks. It's early in the morning and organized by those we trust (for good reason!) at Races2Run.

It'll be fun. I'm doing it. All the cool kids are doing it.

And for $15, you should do it, too.

I double dog dare you.

Here's Mischa, the dog my family raised from a puppy
before his formal training, working with his "mom."

Is she talking about poop again??

Spend five minutes in our house and you know that poop is not an off limit topic. No, we don't discuss it over dinner (we are civilized barbarians, you know!), but it has been known to come up in conversation.

Usually a triathlon related conversation. Often relating to fiber intake and a race the next morning. But there it is -- poop convo.

Indelicato, I know.

But here's a post about good poop, as in poop that will help people live a better life.

How? you ask...

Cowpucky.

Yup, cowpucky.

Canine Partners for Life is hosting a COW BINGO to raise money for their services. Not a little money, mind you -- they're looking to sell 3000 squares of turf to raise $30,000 towards their services.

That's a lotta pucky.

How does it work? You buy one or fifty squares on a grid, that will be laid out in a field at Cow Bingo day. (Which, incidentally, also has fun hay rides for the kids, a blue grass band, and a puppy kissing booth...but back to the poop... .) Then one lucky cow is placed in the pasture and you keep a careful eye on where she chooses to do her bid'ness.

As Lil'Sis would say...we put the K in Klass.

If you've never been to a Cow Bingo before, it's hy-ster-ical. Too fun. I attended a number of them in college, but that's mainly because I went to a small college (2000 of us) in a smaller town in upstate New York. This was what we did for fun.

So -- want to buy a square? Your donation goes to support good services. Important services. Services that allow people to live their lives like you and me, regardless of physical limitations or conditions like seizure disorders.

Good things.

What happens if Bessy the Cow poops on your square???

You win $5,000.

No, seriously. You do.

Five. Thousand. Dollars.

Let me give you an idea of what that would buy...


Enough said.

Go buy a square. In fact, buy a bunch. Consider it an investment in your bike gear.

Go!

Skirts and the City

Anyone running the San Fran Marathon this weekend?? Even just hunting for good deals around the expo?

If you are and you have an ounce of sense in your head, stop by the Atalanta Athleticwear booth!!! A few months ago I told you all about how much I love my Atalanta running skirt -- the fancy look, the fabulous inner short that avoid the rub, functional pockets.

At the expo, the ladies of Atalanta will be raffling away FREE SKIRTS all day Friday and Saturday, plus there will be FREE SOCKS to be had with every purchase.

That's a whole lotta free!

Plus, you'll have a chance to check out their new Inspiration Skirt -- a variation on the running skirt with a "bumhugger" liner (rather than a compression short). It's a light and comfortable fabric and in a TON of cool colors.

And...AND...AND...

(as if there could be more!)

...if you buy an Atalanta skirt and mention IM Able, the great peeps at Atalanta will donate a portion of the proceeds to Canine Partners for Life!

So, in review...

Great skirt: check
Cool colors: check
Awesome company: check
Donation to charity: check

The only thing missing is making you run faster, which is going to have to be left to you gals!!

"Does this skirt make my butt look fast?"

So, a while ago, I was listening to Zen's podcast interview with Catra Corbett, aka Dirt Diva, aka Trail Girl, who is an inspiring and ubercool ultra runner. I loved the interview and checked out her website right away. She has an excellent story, but I'll leave you to find it through her own writing. But, she also is a fan of Atalanta Running Skirts. And any friend of a friend of Zen's... well, you know...

I took a little time to check Atalanta out and was pleasantly surprised. A great company with an excellent, proactive philosophy about personal challenge and community. Right up my alley. So I reached out to them. Zip forward a few weeks later and I had my first honest to goodness running skirt in my mailbox. Wahoo!

Now, I promised a little news and review of their schtuff a while back, but had to wait until I got a chance to actually USE the darned thing. With my calf issues and all recently, it hasn't been until this past week that I really was able to get some miles in and report back. There was that one time I wore it out to breakfast with Mighty M, but I didn't think that would really inform the discussion at all. But, now we've run. Together.

Well, let me tell y'all...

Love. This. Skirt.

Seriously. Just love it! I'm not the type to inflate something just because I got a deal or want a deal later. If I like something I'll tell you. If I don't, I may stay mum on the topic, but no leading astray.

So, I repeat.

I. Love. This. Skirt.

I've been out on about four runs now with it in different kinds of weather. It has this great set up with compression shorts under the skirt and the material is both thin (bonus), slippery (double bonus) and in fancy colors.

Thin is a big bonus. Thin means not bulky. Thin means not hot. Thin is in. Thin is good. Not everybody does it, but everybody should.

Slippery is good, too. Doubly good. Never had chub rub? Don't know what it is? I officially hate you and you should stop reading. Go eat a donut or something -- take your thighs elsewhere.

Come on, people! We all have had moments of -- um -- discomfort (blech) in the heat and humidity of August that no amount of Body Glide will fix. My legs are righteously bitchin'...from about three inches below the seam and down. And those, my friends, are a critical three inches. Pick your running attire carefully and you can divert some serious -- um -- discomfort.

This skirt does it. It diverts this issue with grace and flash. The liner shorts are long enough, yet still shows off our pretty legs. The skirt part is just icing on the cake.

Plus, there's pockets that actually hold stuff (rather than pretend to hold like a corner of one gel pack if you make sure you don't bend over) and somehow I feel skinnier running in them.

(Now, that last observation is purely subjective. I don't know what it is, but I feel like a skinny lady running around town in my skirt. One fancy, healthy, athletic lady!)

And here's fav part -- they're flirty. They are clearly having more fun than the boring pair of Nike dri-whatever runners cut on the path next to you. The colorful part is under the skirt, just winking out at everyone saying, "hey, you there, check me out. me and my coy little self, just running here, all fashionable like."*

Who knew that wearing a skirt would be so fun!

So, my final, unbiased opinion, is that if you have any curiosity about the new skirtolicious running rage, check out Atalanta skirts. They're a small, indepedently run shop that has a strong vision of the role they can play in the community, as well as how to bring a solid product to the market. They socially minded, which is a huge motivator for me to continue to order from them. I love their community page and their plans to help to those who are setting and achieving new athletic goals for themselves also succeed with their fundraising efforts.

So, if you're at all interested in purchasing a new running skirt, you can do so directly through their site (they have five great color combos -- I went with the black/red). Mention that you heard about Atalanta through IM Able and they have committed to donating a portion of the proceed of your purchase to Canine Partners for Life in honor of this year's Ironman Moo adventure!! How cool is that??!!

Come on! A cool skirt, a good company and a charitable donation to boot?

You can't go wrong!

* Okay, so the skirt doesn't actually talk...but if it did...

Canine Partners for Life

As most of you know, I'm raising money this year for a wonderful organization called Canine Partners for Life throughout my Ironman training "experience." If you haven't checked it out yet, spend some time over at the IM Able website to get more info on the charity, my supporters and CPL.

So if you're feeling down about training or feeling defeated by your bike speeds or run paces, take a moment to view life through a different lens. Here are only a few stories of the individuals who go through the CPL program and are enabled to so much more with the help of a canine companion. Feel inspired? You can donate directly to CPL through the Janus Charity Challenge site.

As always, thanks for reading!

Mary and Flame

This Colorado pair have taken the press by storm and have been featured both in written articles and TV spots. Mary uses Flame for a multitude of tasks, most importantly would be help with dressing, opening and closing doors, retrieval and carrying, and paying cashiers. Flame helps with shopping, cleaning, laundry, and her adorable looks make Mary an immediate social magnet.

Katy and Leo

This Pennsylvania college team is working hard. Katy uses Leo for support and balance while walking and on steps. Leo also helps with retrieval, laundry, and helps Katy get up off of the floor. Since their graduation, Katy has also begun having seizures and Leo jumped right in to help by alerting to them before they happen.

Claire and Larkin

Larkin is a successor dog for Claire who is a Pennsylvania high school student. This theatre loving pair are headed for great success. Larkin helps Claire by providing support, balance and momentum as she walks, along with helping to take papers to the teachers, pay cashiers, and carry school supplies.

Conrad and Hunschel

These two spent most of team training learning to move in the same direction and despite Conrad’s questionable driving skills in his new wheelchair these two became a wonderful working team! Conrad referred to Hunschel as his "angel". Hunschel will be helping Conrad with retrieval, opening and closing doors, paying cashiers, tugging the laundry basket, elevator and door buttons, and light switches.

Possibilities

When I first considered the possibility of doing a triathlon, the first thing that voice inside my head was "That's impossible."

That's impossible.

I was overweight and unathletic. I had just dragged myself kicking and screaming from a horribly unhealthy and depressing life and lifestyle. And in the last six months I had left my job, moved out of my apartment, relocated to my hometown, took the bar exam, and quit smoking and drinking.

Um, don't cha' think I would be happy with just living the "possible" things in life? Make it easy on all of us?

Um...did we just meet???

OF COURSE NOT!

I don't play that way anymore. Not me.

The moment my interior voice -- with all its swagger and smugness -- said that triathlon, for me, would be an impossibility, I was resolved. Right there. In that one moment I decided that living a life dictated by what I couldn't do was not the life I fought so hard to reach. I wanted to be defined by what I could do.

And I don't think this approach is all that novel. And it's not really unique or exceptional. But I am proud of it, because there are other choices out there. And that's how we are defined, right? Not by the options we are given, but rather the choices we make. Those are ours and ours alone. Circumstance, timing, genetics, outside events...there are so many things that act upon us, but truly have no impact on character. Our character is built choice by choice. Decision by decision.

So, with that in mind, and knowing how so many triathletes, runners, cyclists, walkers, swimmers, and all those seeking health and happiness, I've put this little set of items up in my Spreadshirt "market."

Because we've all heard it, that little voice. The naysayers with their impossibilities. We hear it all the time.

But I know what is possible.

Do you?

PS -- All the proceeds (after the spreadshirt costs) will go straight to the charity project, so shop with an open heart! Plus, let me know if you'd like this on different products (like a mug or sweatshirt) and I'll get that set up, too.