The Latest!

No, I'm NOT pregnant,
No, we're NOT moving,
YES, we're still fending off the throngs of reality television
producers who are begging to put cameras in our house.

I am very excited to announce that I am now officially an employee of
Life Time Fitness Corporate. :)
I hadn't been "looking" for a job--I've really enjoyed staying home
with the kids-- but when I heard about this position even existing, I
was sure I'd be a perfect fit.

My new title is "Web Lead Specialist Queen" (I made some assumptive
changes with that very last word but am sure LTF will be on board).
Basically I get to put my sales & mass communications background to good use!

When someone goes to www.lifetimefitness.com there are "Contact us"
opportunities.
People may have questions about amenities, locations, price, etc. OR
maybe they're just not ready to take that first step in joining a
health club and want someone to help them with that transition.
Whatever the reason for their outreach, I'm the one they're communicating with!
I assess what they're looking for (just like I did when I was a member
adviser 20 years ago) only now, I take their info and give it to a
sales dept. head at one of our clubs.

It's a base plus commission pay plan and the very best part (besides
the fact that I get to email all day AND help people achieve their
fitness goals!) is that I can do it from home!
It's still a full-time commitment and we're going to put Samma in some
sort of daycare but I'm not punching a clock and it's fairly flexible.
I can do it from anywhere that has WiFi.

My mom is going to be down visiting anyway so it'll be wonderful to
get into the groove of me working with her here to help out.

This is just such such a blessing and we are so thankful that I was
chosen for this opportunity.
This was totally what my aunties would call a God Thing. It's a
perfect career for me right now, my mom was coming down for an
extended stay anyway, Samma's potty trained and will have a few
options as to how she'll be spending her days moving forward...
You know us--WE certainly couldn't have set this up! :)

Ooooh, also, Minnesotans..... I'm going to be in the Twin Cities for
training from Feb. 16th til the 19th--I'm not making any plans in
there BUT I'm hoping to stay up there for the weekend following
so--LET'S PLAN SOMETHING :)

Now you're up to date with the Goings On of The AZ CrAZies!

I DID IT!!!!!

You GUYS!!!

I did it!

I completed a half marathon. I'm very, very proud. (Please don't confuse "Proud" with "Eager to do it again.")

It really is an amazing feeling. I felt pretty great the first 8 miles or so, taking walking breaks here and there. I had a very scientific system where I'd bargain with myself--"Ok, get to the stop lights and then you can walk to the first street sign."

Mile 10 kicked my ASS. It was slightly uphill, the end was in sight but not so in sight that it gave me any momentum whatsoever to really dig deep and kick 'er down--ugh. Mile 10.

Mile 11, however, FLEW by.

The crowd started at mile 12. I rounded the corner & got a call. It was Chet. I answer (cuz I've got my ear buds in) "Can you see me?!?!" I'm scanning the crowd....

"No.... we can't get in..."

They had been driving around for 2 1/2 hours, all the roads were blocked. They couldn't get into the race. All my dramatic visions of me scooping up my kids and passionately making out with my husband at the finish line--Shattered. I just started bawling.

You have to remember--this is very emotional. It's emotional because you're so happy, you're exhausted... I was already tearing up anyway-- So, my emotions manifested themselves in snot and a minor panic attack because I couldn't catch my breath. HOT.

Anyway, I made it--Obviously. And was still thrilled. I got my medal and strutted with AZ's finest runners. I'd wanted to complete the run in under 3 hours and I did it in 2:42. So I was pumped!

A bit later, my girlfriend Kimmy finished--her hubby & kids were in the car with mine so we had each other. Awwwe. Then she called her parents and sister, who were also going to be there.

They had gotten in a car accident! They'd TOTALED their car! They're banged up but fine so you can imagine the emotions for poor Kim! After assuring her they had a ride and would take their car to Dave Stanley--the guy to KNOW in the East Valley, she & I focused on what was important--WE were promised one free beer and we were going to collect!

It was a can MGD 64. It was so-so. Next year I'm going to have a thermos of Bloody Marys waiting for me.

But now we had another problem--Getting home. We're in Tempe and all the roads are closed. So, we decide to walk a 1/2 mile to the Light Rail. Because that's what one wants to do at this point. We had a $20 between us so we bought our tickets to just take us as far towards Gilbert as we could go & have Chet pick us up. Turns out, it only goes another 2 stops and then it's the end of the line. So, there we are in a not-so-hot part of town. Sore, drained, and wearing our PF Chang's racing numbers and medals. Oh--and Kimmy's carrying her fanny pack containing the change from our lightrail passes: $16.50 in dollar coins.

We spotted a grocery store in the distance and made a decision. We needed fuel.

So, we hoofed it another couple of blocks so we could buy two subs from the deli and a 6-pack of Smirnoff Ice with our dollar coins.

And there we sat. Outside a grocery store. Sipping our vodka drinks, eating our subs and proudly wearing our marathon garb. In the ghetto.

Juuuuuuust about perfect! ;)

TOMORROW!!!

Oh my goodness!! The 1/2 Marathon is TOMORROW!!!!!!!

I'm trying to sum up my mood in one all-encompassing word.... It would have to be... "Excited!"

I'm excited to get it over with, but in a good way. Does that make sense? I've had this countdown on my phone for a couple months now. Every Sunday it would Bing, "12 Weeks!" ... "7 Weeks!" ... And today's Bing: "Tomorrow!"

I can't say that every time I heard a Bing I was excited. On the contrary. There were more weeks than not where I looked at what I had done the week before and just felt like this was NOT going to end well. There was the MN trip in October--No training to speak of for 2 weeks... There was the, uh, Holiday Hiatus, if you will, when I did not even put my tennies on for 11 Days. Day 1 back from that, in mid-December.... Not Fun.

And I've got fairly decent excuses. What Mommy doesn't have a list of reasons why she can't find 90 minutes to jog by herself?

That is why tomorrow is such a big deal to me.

It's not like I've been working my ass off, hard-core training, watching what I eat, not drinking wine, like, every night.....

BUT I've squeeeezed in my runs. I've thrown Samma into her jogging stroller & run to the grocery store, to Target--Wherever!

I've gone to Life Time to run on the treadmill between picking Logan up from school at 3 and bringing him to soccer at 4:45.

I'm a Mom running 13.1 miles tomorrow.

I'm nervous as hell. What if my heart stops?

What if I poop my pants?

What if I get a cramp and have to stop?

What if... What if... What if?!?!

But you know what?? I'm not really thinking like that. Sure, I'm an Extreme Googler and am aware of everything that can go wrong, but when it comes down to it, I, Elizabeth Adams Haider, am running (and, let's face it, largely WALKING) 13.1 miles in the morning. In my new MN Vikings tee shirt. Before I turn 30.

Because I can.

Progress!

So, I've put it out there: I signed up for the Chang's 1/2 Marathon! I did my first run (and by "run," I mean a fair amount of walking, too) on August 28th--not training for anything, more to try to lean out and improve endurance. I went 3 miles in 45 minutes.

I've been averaging about 3.5 miles in the 45 minute range.

Last night was a victory--I made a deal with myself. (I always do that. You wanna know where Logan gets it? Me.) We were going to supper with Stacey & Kurty at 6:30 and I told myself if I hit 4 miles in 50 minutes, I could be done, otherwise, I'd have to go 60 minutes.

I did it!!!!! 48.52 minutes, baby!!!!!!!

I'm not necessarily doing anything for speed, I just need to get my endurance up.

Tonight I'm walking with my girlfriend Kim so it'll be great to get my legs stretched out!

I figure if I get my miles in throughout the week, it's ok to eat meatballs and drink beer over the weekend.

That's how that works, right?? :)

Have a good one!!

"I am so not a runner!"

I used to enjoy running a little--like back in high school, I would run occasionally. And a big reason I did this was because I liked the effect it had on my calf muscles. They looked pretty sweet.

A few weeks ago I got an email from Logan's former preschool teacher, Maureen. She announced she was training for a half marathon and blogging her way through the training.

Wow--Marathon Moe.

Love her--So proud of her--Dare I say... inspired by her?

I've been hitting the treadmill for the last three weeks now and finally yesterday I made it to 4 miles--YEAH!!!!! It took me 50 minutes but I had to keep reminding myself that THIS is where I'm starting from.

OK, I kind of had delusions of hopping on the ol' mill, hammering out 5-6 miles and I would have an even glisten of sweat about me. Not so much that I was stinky and had half-moons through my pants under my butt cheeks, but juuuust enough to maybe make it look like I was sprayed down with tanning oil. You know the look. I wanted just enough perspiration for people to marvel at my athleticism and and, I don't know--feel a little jealous because I rock.

Oh dear me. The half moons under my butt after, oh I don't know, 15 minutes. Gross.

The fact that one afternoon I wiped my forehead during a run and seriously splattered the gentleman next to me--Mortifying!

And those days where I'm sore from the day before and starting my run is seriously so loud and clomping because my legs are killing me that people turn and look (possibly because they want to actually see what a moose would look like in a Life Time Fitness.) PAINFUL!--on every little level.

BUT--I am doing it. Slowly but surely.

My girlfriend Kim suggested we walk the 1/2 marathon.

We'll see. I'd like to try to run it.

So--sign up for the PF Chang's Rock & Roll 1/2 Marathon today and maybe--just maybe--you'll get that prime location. Yes YOU could be the lucky duck behind the midwestern maiden, huffing & puffing with sweaty butt cheeks.

And you may want to bring an umbrella.

We Will Never Forget...

It's 9/11/09. Pretty much anybody over the age of about 15 remembers where they were when the terrorists attacked. They remember who they were with. They remember what they did for the rest of the day.

They remember the weeks afterwards. There was nothing on TV. There was nothing on the radio. There were no flights. Every song had an undertone. Whether it was an undertone of American pride, of grieving or of solidarity, there was a message.

The calls were played over the air and on TV. The final messages left by loved ones. Put to music.

There were assemblies, vigils and counseling sessions.

There was panic.

There was uncertainty.

There was also a pulse. A strong, common tremor felt by millions. 

It was a time of people springing to action. Young people, old people, people who had never considered it before were signing up to fight for this.

The United States of America.

We were attacked and we were damn worth fighting for.

CNN, FOX News...all the major stations had continuous coverage of ground zero, they replayed the attacks, they interviewed those who had lost their soul mates. Later, "Shock And Awe" was aired. For days and days.

It was surreal.

Life had been altered.

Casual conversations were peppered with new news. With "Did you hear about's," with opinions. 

Flags were waving.

People donated their money, their time, their belongings, their blood.

And I remember where I was when I saw my first plane in the sky after the dust settled. The airlines were up and running again.

I was in my car, driving to work. I heard the formerly familiar sound that had become obsolete. 

I rolled down my window, craned my neck out and watched that one plane.

People in their cars all around me were doing the same thing.

Life was going to go on.

The radio stations were going to play songs that had nothing to do with this tragedy.

Saturday Night Live coming on was a national turning point.

We eased back into our lives.

We had to.

Life blooms and goes on and babies are born and couples fight and kids fall down and cars get stolen... Everything goes on.

But we say "We will never forget."

Never forget the fear. Never forget the devastation. Never forget your own empathy. Never forget the solidarity. Never forget the images. Never forget the feeling that you had, in that moment, when you felt attacked. Never forget the hugs you shared with strangers. I'll never forget the vigils. I'll never forget the impromptu assembly at my college when one voice, amid the crying and donation taking started singing from the middle of all these strangers, "If tomorrow all the things were gone, I worked for all my life and I had to start again, with just my children and my wife..." 

Never forget. 

"That flag still stands for freedom. And they can't take that away."

We are damn lucky.

Thank you, God.

For blessing the USA.

Raising Awareness about Teenage L.D.

I wrote this for my 17-year-old cousin who contracted L.D. (Lyme's Disease)

I'm posting it here just for fun...

Remember: There is nothing more important than the support of your fam-damnily when dealing with disease. ;)

It started off so innocent
A day so hot and calm
You were covered in SPF 30,
a hat and some lip balm.

You just went out to have some fun,
Forget the day and have a laugh
You didn't even notice Him
Ascending up your calf.

Now I'm not saying it's at all your fault
You're a young and carefree chick
But I just hope you've learned the truth.
The Truth About...
Little Ticks.

There's nothing Dear about this Deer
So do not be misled
Because the only thing some ever see
Is the rash from that Little Tick Head.

Some girls puke or sleep a lot
And some girls get the chills
But that Little Tick, oh he's moved on
Leaving bulls-eyes gives him thrills

Your dad was afraid this day would come.
He knows all their dirty tricks
Because as they say, a Dad's got to worry
About all the Little Ticks.

No protection is fool-proof.
Some are 99%
So when in doubt, to avoid getting sick
make sure you're ALONE in your tent.