End of Year 2012

Greetings to all during this Holiday Season. In addition to celebrating with food, drink and good cheer, hopefully you are also making the time to do those strength exercises, run, walk, swim, spin, ski and whatever else you like to do.

Start planning your fitness goals for 2013. If you need ideas, there are links to races and events on the right side of this blog. More will be added as dates become available. In the northwest we have the luxury of events in most sport weekly. Choose your sport, look for an event that "turns you on" and sign up! Don't wait for 2013 get on it right now.

In January the list of training programs offered by HELP Training will be posted.

Winter Wet

It's that time of the year again. The holidays are here and lots of goodies to go around. And a most important time of the year to keep up your fitness level.

Congratulations to all the Jingle Bell Seattle runners and walkers, as well as the Market Street Scramble racers.

Need some motivation to keep you going? Next weekend is the Kirkland 12 K's of Christmas and it is also orienteering season. This weekend the Cascade Orienteering Club is holding an event at UW. A fun place to look for "things". Check out the resources list on the blog for more details on the event.

And don't forget HELP Training offers Tuesday morning and Thursday evening run/walk groups as well as a Tuesday evening strength group.

Get a jump start and spring into the NEW YEAR strong and healthy.

Street Scramble at the Market - Team Fun, Fit, Forever

Galer Street stairs - Lake Union to top of Queen Anne

Success at the Seattle Marathon

Wow what a day, a little on the cool side, but sunshine after the fog. Many personal bests, even with the hills. Congratulations to all finishers, but especially to our Green Team.

1/2 Marathoners:
Ann J, Anneke, Barb N, Barb S, Becky, Betty, Carolyn, Carrie, Cris, Deb F, Ericka, Evy, Gale, Jen L, Jenn M, John H, John T, Judy S, June, Kim J, Laura P, Lisa, Meghan, Susan B, Therese and Zella.

Marathon:
Ursula

Volunteer:
Sandy W

Before - A foggy start

After - Yeah TEAM

I'm surrounded by fast women

All done

Recover yes!

All in the family

We couldn't do it without them-volunteers!

The Space Needle is 50 years old

The Full Marathon is double the challenge

Turkey Trot to get ready

The Ballard Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day was great fun and the best opportunity to get race ready for the Seattle Marathon on Sunday. We did not have rain for the 5 km and we will not have rain for the marathon either. Whoo hoo!! Good luck to all runners and walkers.

Busy Weeks and Seattle Marathon here

Well we have been a busy bunch. Saturday a week ago was the 12 hour Indoor Cycling Event at American Athlete. Our team members pedaled many miles. Niki led the list with 6 hours, Cris with 5, Darlene, Cheryl and Nancy 4 hours, Ann and Linda 3 hours, Mary Sue 2 hours, Gale, Marcia, Janice and Gregg 1 hour each.

Also on Saturday, Barb S, Carrie, Helen, Laura, Lisa, and Liz ran the Santa Barbara 1/2 Marathon. They burned up the streets and enjoyed sunny warm weather.

On Sunday we ran/walked Alki and it was a nice day, not too cold, no rain and no wind, couldn't ask for more (well other than the sun).

Ann is hooked on trail running and ran the 5 mile Grand Ridge in Redmond yesterday placing 1st in her age group!

Today was the last Sunday run/walk until next year, followed by an awesome potluck. Thank you to Rachel for opening up her home to us.

This coming week many of us will be getting ready for the Seattle 1/2 Marathon and as a warm up some of us will be doing the Seattle Turkey Trot in Ballard for the Food Bank. Not too late to sign up.
http://seattleturkeytrot.org/

Downtown from along Alki Beach

News

The New York Marathon cancellation was quite expected, but still disappointed many people. The bigger picture of putting energy into the city cleanup was much more important. A few of our team members made the trek to NYC before the cancellation and after picking up their t-shirts on Friday, decided to run the marathon anyway. On Saturday morning they headed out and completed the 26.2 miles in record time. The finish line was set up so photos were certainly in order. They looked so fresh I asked in the photo was taken before they ran :)))))

New York City Marathon 2012 finishers

Carkeek fun

Halloween FUN!!

It's been quite the week of celebrations!

The Tuesday Run/Walk group celebrated their 10th Anniversary with a donut challenge. You ask what a donut challenge is: a team of two get to do a variety of exercises, carry the donut (in a bag of course) and collect points. Even the foggy rain couldn't get our spirits down.

AND it was also Martha's 50th B-day. So what else could we do but give her 50 pumpkins.

Then the strength group filled the room with color and perfectly executed V Sit with ball toss.

But, ahh the spin class drew the most looks. Check out the photos for laughs.....

Rain is back

Even though the rain and cooler temps are back, we've been pretty lucky during our workouts and staying dry.

'Tis the season for lots of races and birthdays:

Karen and Rachel are officially Half Fanatics: Four 1/2 marathons in  Four weeks! Go maniacs!

Cheryl and Paul met up in Detroit for the Detroit Free Press International 1/2 Marathon. The route took you over the Ambassador Bridge into Canada for the sunrise, along the river and back through the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel finishing through great neighborhoods of Detroit.

And plenty of birthday celebrations, after the workouts of course!

Trail races

Many of our folks are starting to do more trail runs. It's a nice change up from the city streets and soothing to run amongst the trees and greenery.  

Last weekend a few tried their hand (really feet) at some races. Ericka ran her first 50 km at Pt Defiance Park, while Karen D ran a 1/2 marathon and Ann the 10 km at St Edwards Park. Fun was had by all!! Congratulations and more happy trails......... to all.

Races happening

Last week Rachel got muddy and if you don't believe me check out the photos below from the Tough Mudder race.

Getting dirty must be the thing to do because Debbie did the Warrior Dash in Virginia with her daughter and got muddy as well. That's what a woman is supposed to do!!!

Annemieke, Ericka, and Karen D had awesome times at the Leavenworth 1/2 marathon yesterday. Fast women burning up the roads.

And the rest of us are still putting in the miles getting ready for the Seattle and Santa Barbara 1/2 marathons coming up next month.

Sun in October

Us north-westerners are not quite used to all the sunshine and no rain the weather pattern has set before us, but we'll surely take it. It makes for a continuation of great biking, hiking, running and walking for our team members.

The fall races are coming our way, with the Leavenworth 1/2 marathon next week starting the parade. Stay tuned for race reports and keep on training.

Still Summer and More Events

No stopping our team. Here's what we have been doing.

Ann is riding in Utah, so is Sue, Alyson in Turkey, Janice and Greg in France, and Sandy in Italy. Some of us are still happy to be riding in the sun in the Seattle area.

Sandra, Merilyn and Carrie raced the Lake Stevens Olympic Tri
Merilyn at the Black Diamond 1/2 IM too!
Thea raced the Escape from the Rock on Mercer Island

Rebecca ran the Iron Girl 5 km at Green Lake
Karen swam and came in 3rd in the 2 mile Swim Across America at Mercer Island
Evy is running cross country and flying along the trails

Ericka qualified for Boston today in the Light at the end of the Tunnel Marathon- yea!

And many of us are getting ready for our fall races in the Sunday run/walk group.

Follow the arrow.....

to the stairs

End of season Wednesday cyclists