Saturday was our LAST long run for this session. Marathoners pounded out 22 miles, halfers ran MORE than their race day distance, and everyone was TIRED. Simone was less than amused when asked if she wanted to do another loop! But doesn't it feel great to know that our training is DONE? It is time to taper, time to rest. Take it easy, be nice to your feet, buy a new running outfit, go for an easy jog, take your dog for a run. All that is left to be done is run our race. And honestly, was the training all that bad? Mike seems to be enjoying himself. My gosh, what a chick magnet! (Must be the pants!)
Running the neighborhoods this session has been awesome. It seems that almost no one complains about the hills anymore, and hill running will pay of when we go to OKC. The moderate hills in OKC will seem like mere bumps in the road since we have trained on worse.
Some call it an eyesore, some say it looks like a giant hypodermic needle,but I say this is quite possibly Tulsa's signature building, one of the most recognized structures in our city.
The above time is A. T Z's running time after 22 miles. B. After 20 miles. C. After 10 miles. D. Just a pic he is saving to try to crop onto the clock in OKC as he crosses the finish line!
Monday night with Bobby's Bunch, the north wind returned. It was a cold gray dreary day, perfect for a run. Twas not the largest of crowds, and T Z was late so there was not the usual paparazzi fanfare that there usually is.But props to Sandra who just keeps getting faster and faster. Sandra ran 4 miles under 48 minutes, which is a PR for her. It seems every time she laces upher shoes, she is shaving a few seconds off of her personal bests. Despite that, I think maybe she was less than happy to pose for a pic.Had this lab been a little closer, Sandra might have borrowed his stick to break my precious camera! While photographing this canine, he bumped me with his stick. It was big, heavy, and waterlogged. Must have weighed 20 lbs!
Tuesday night has been cross-training night. Several of our group have been pumping a little iron, doing squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, and sprints.Don't mess with Cindy!
Or Christal, who does her best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation.
Roman demonstrates his cross training...lifting 3 lb sandwiches, and doing crunches. (Sorry Roman, ordering the bread toasted so it is "crunchy" does not mean you are "doing crunches"!)
Lively bunch, huh?Tuesday after the run, a few of us celebrated Stefanie's birthday. For a second, I thought Roman was picking up the tab!Sandra had taught us to "sign" a few words, and if the wait staff knew sign language, we might have been thrown out!!
Thursday was another "triple" night. It was our usual run, from anywhere from 3-8 miles. Also, it was a well attended session for the couch-to-5K group, which seems to grow in numbers every week. Quite a few of this group are run/walking, and some are beginning to stretch their running segments. That's how it all starts! :-) Also, Thursday night is the weigh-in for our BIG LOSER contest.
We had a few newcomers join us tonight. Pictured above are Glenda (top left), Kate (top right), Amanda (bottom left) and Tanisha (bottom right.)
Our newest runner, Nate, came with his Mom Candice. It was awesome to see Candice again, and Nate is quite the little man.Dude, we'll get you out there running with us as soon as you get your running legs! :-)
Over 75 people weighed in for the BIG LOSER contest. T Z was sighted wearing heavy sweats and jogging for all he was worth. Rumor had it that he was needing to sweat off 5 lbs to save face and not be the brunt of Mike Stelly's cruel humor. But alas, despite running 8 miles, T Z went UP 1.6 lbs, and was fined 1 dollar! So go ahead, Mike Stelly, enjoy your moment.
While away, some VANDALS "peeped" T Z's car!! And OMG, it took nearly ALL NIGHT to lick all these bunnies off!!!
And as it seems, when we run, we EAT....Big Loser contest or no. And some people will lie about anything just to get CAKE! Kathy turned 48 years and 10 months old today!
Happy Trails, everybody! See you Saturday morning at Helmerich Park for an easy six!
Amazing that our BIG LOSER contest has resulted in 444 pounds lost in only two weeks. That's a 2 or 3 whole people! It won't hurt near so much when one of us steps on someone's toe! Not that I've ever done that, except when I try to dance.
Why have we all done well? For some, the thought of having spent $25 to join the contest makes them feel as though they have an investment. For me, knowing I have to cough up a buck if I gain a pound is huge motivation for me!
For others, just the camaraderie of walking or running with friends is the added motivation needed. Of course, if I keep eating Tom's awesome protein bars, I may have less than positive results in my own weight loss quest!
Walking the dog helps people get their exercise.... ....and it's a sure thing that they'll love it!
Sloan Taylor, our resident registered dietitian spoke Thursday night after our run about sensible dieting, and simple changes we can make to help in our weight loss.Her audience was spellbound, hanging on her every word....except for Roman. Remember, small bites. Of course the part about setting your fork down while you chew was inapplicable for this entree.
Bobby considers eating badly, but remembers he has to weigh in next week.
More next time about the Tuesday Cross Training sessions!
It is sad in a way, how a loved one can be taken from us, and we grieve for a while, and soon forget. Are we callous? Are we just so busy that we can compartmentalize to deal with a loss? I am guessing that was the case with our kidnapped and feared dead bunny slipper. Mr. Bunny Slipper tried to get on with his life, living with some of you for a week at a time, but I KNOW he never forgot. How did he sleep at night? With threats to his beloved, and then months of silence, it was more than any bunny slipper should have to endure.The kidnappers sent pictures such as this.... although our bunny slippers actually don't have feet. Still, I am sure they were intent on such malicious behavior, that details of her treatment while being held hostage probably will never be revealed. At one point, we thought we had a break in the case when this picture was sent. This cemented the fact that we were indeed dealing with sadistic terrorists. But investigations into the identity of this gunman went nowhere. This video was uncovered in the dumpster in back of RunnersWorld, further substantiating our concerns of what this mad man was capable of doing. That's when we decided our remaining bunny slipper should go undercover to try to lure the terrorist kidnappers out. Since Ken was awarded the slippers for a week, and he usually hangs out on the shady side of town anyway, it seemd the right time to launch our sting operation. Ken would run in his usual places, and at all hours, and would leave the bunny quite visible. So Mr. Bunny got to hang out in the back seat of Ken's car one day, run the trails on Turkey Mountain the next, and lounge around at Starbucks most mornings, all the while, being closely watched by secret runner-agents whose identities will have to be anonymous. This deranged man was photoed following Ken out of the Turkey Mountain trail, but kept his distance and did not take the bait.A tip to the Keifer police however helped uncover a rabbit based meth lab, and while the above criminal was put behind bars, we were still no closer to locating our slipper. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Two weeks ago, there was a major break in the case when a mysterious wad of hair was found in the RunnersWorld bathroom. It so resembled the hair on these feet pictured in one of the kidnappers threatening letters from back in the summer. Just before the weigh-in at the Big Loser, Mike Stelly spent an unusual amount of time in the bathroom. He was very concerned with his weight, and to try to get an extra pound off, he had shaved quite a bit of hair from his body. Most of it was surely disposed of, but a wad was kicked right under the sink. A further search discovered the long lost bunny slipper stashed right behind Kathy's emergency stockpile of Diet Pepsi. After some extensive DNA verification, and the fact that he had whisker stubble on his feet, he was confirmed as the prime suspect in the case. Although Stelly denies the charges, officials at RunnersWorld are willing to drop charges providing Stelly agrees to always wear a RunnersWorld shirt, and add a 2nd pair of shorts to his running lineup, other than the flames. Why, you might ask? Why would he do this? I suspect he just wanted some wabbit stew.
Best of all, the bunny slippers are reunited and free to do what bunnies do.Happy Easter, everybody!! (We love ya, Mike!)
You all know the story of the weekend massacre. 20 miles Saturday in rain/sleet/high winds/snow/more snow! And of course of the Sunday run for those who were less than hearty and bailed after five or ten miles the day before. T Z has been behind in blogging, and rumor has it that he is giving up running all together. This post will catch you up on pictures shed some light on things to come.
Saturday before the run. You brave runners!
You're not fooling anyone, Mike. We know your butt is freezing!
The demise of Trail Zombie.
Sunday was a much better day, thanks to....
Brian arrives well fed and ready to run.
Super Trooper Tatur Dave ran 15 miles Saturday in the snow, rain, and sleet, and then ran another 15 on Sunday!
Newcomers (from left to right) Rachael, Michelle, and Tonya are part of the "couch-to-5K program. Glad to have you, ladies!
We ran 5 mile loops, counter-clockwise, then clockwise, etc. It made for a more interesting run since you got to see a lot of faces you normally do not see.
Some other sights along the way....So much for keeping your feet dry!
Amanda has that ornery look about her. Bill is just plain hungry! He was moaning something about needing a cheeseburger.
Hurrying to stay up with the fast girls!
Monday night, Bobby's Bunch met at the new location, on the west side near the rowing club barn for our run around Zink lake. This was the 3rd day in a row for some running this route. But it felt good to have warm weather and to get some more miles in. Left to right, Cheryl, Gabby, and Leanne wait for the rest of the Monday runners to arrive.
Power Bar Tom just found out he may have a stress fracture, but that did not keep him from biking! I think the remedy is MORE PROTEIN BARS, and of course bring some to share! ___________________________________________________________________________________ Dana nears the end of her Monday run. Dana has been battling some PF issues, but is still out there putting in the miles.
An update!! Negotiations are underway for the RECOVERY of the missing bunny slipper. It seems that finally, justice may prevail and we may get our long lost house-shoe back! Stay tuned!!
Saturday was our LAST long run for this session. Marathoners pounded out 22 miles, halfers ran MORE than their race day distance, and everyone was TIRED. Simone was less than amused when asked if she wanted to do another loop! But doesn't it feel great to know that our training is DONE? It is time to taper, time to rest. Take it easy, be nice to your feet, buy a new running outfit, go for an easy jog, take your dog for a run. All that is left to be done is run our race. 
And honestly, was the training all that bad? Mike seems to be enjoying himself. My gosh, what a chick magnet! (Must be the pants!)
Running the neighborhoods this session has been awesome. It seems that almost no one complains about the hills anymore, and hill running will pay of when we go to OKC. The moderate hills in OKC will seem like mere bumps in the road since we have trained on worse.
but I say this is quite possibly Tulsa's signature building, one of the most recognized structures in our city.
The above time is A. T Z's running time after 22 miles. B. After 20 miles. C. After 10 miles. D. Just a pic he is saving to try to crop onto the clock in OKC as he crosses the finish line!
But props to Sandra who just keeps getting faster and faster. Sandra ran 4 miles under 48 minutes, which is a PR for her. It seems every time she laces upher shoes, she is shaving a few seconds off of her personal bests. Despite that, I think maybe she was less than happy to pose for a pic.
Had this lab been a little closer, Sandra might have borrowed his stick to break my precious camera! While photographing this canine, he bumped me with his stick. It was big, heavy, and waterlogged. Must have weighed 20 lbs!
Don't mess with Cindy!
Or Christal, who does her best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation.
Roman demonstrates his cross training...lifting 3 lb sandwiches, and doing crunches. (Sorry Roman, ordering the bread toasted so it is "crunchy" does not mean you are "doing crunches"!)
Lively bunch, huh?
Tuesday after the run, a few of us celebrated Stefanie's birthday. For a second, I thought Roman was picking up the tab!
Sandra had taught us to "sign" a few words, and if the wait staff knew sign language, we might have been thrown out!!
Our newest runner, Nate, came with his Mom Candice. It was awesome to see Candice again, and Nate is quite the little man.
Dude, we'll get you out there running with us as soon as you get your running legs! :-)
And OMG, it took nearly ALL NIGHT to lick all these bunnies off!!!
