tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12297081590359946332024-03-14T05:07:38.030-04:00Run Happy ForeverRunning, guinea pigs, costumes, and guinea pigs in costumes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-31888251006290106162014-11-01T20:26:00.002-04:002014-11-01T20:26:43.307-04:00Wicked Halloween 10K - Frozen Head in the Freezer<b>Race:</b> Wicked Halloween 10K<a href="http://www.activeagainstals.org/events/twinkie-run/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Sunday, October 26th, 2014<br />
<b>Distance:</b> 10K<br />
<b>Time: </b><span class="workout-time">59:07</span> (<span class="workout-pace">9:32</span> mile/pace) <br />
<br />
<b>Equipment</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Foam core sheets x 6</li>
<li>White duct tape x 4</li>
<li>Fridge decorations </li>
<ul>
<li>Bag of chips </li>
<li>Empty cereal box </li>
<li>Dry erase board</li>
<li>Frozen dinner boxes</li>
<li>Ice cream sandwich box</li>
<li>Kid's drawing</li>
<li>Wooden letters</li>
</ul>
<li>Head bandage </li>
<li>Black and white cream makeup</li>
<li>Tacky glue</li>
<li>Shiny white fabric</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Creating the Structure </b><br />
Taking pieces of white foam core, I trimmed down and taped together the edges of the pieces to create the bottom and top half of the fridge. It was important to make sure the fridge wasn't too tall or else it
would hamper my stride and I wouldn't be able to run very well. The sides had arm holes cut out; I was debating about putting in the arm holes, but if I fell it would
be better to break the fall with my hands rather than my face.<br />
<br />
I went with foam core instead of a cardboard box because the former is sturdier, and I needed sturdy for the race. <br />
<br />
Once everything was taped together, the whole thing was wrapped with white duct tape. Besides making it water-resistant, this would help keep the costume together while out running.<br />
<br />
<b>Decorating the Freezer</b><br />
For the freezer section, I glued down some shiny white fabric along the insides. The fabric was the most expensive piece out of the whole thing. Once that dried, I added a couple boxes of frozen dinners and a box of ice cream sandwiches (yum!)<br />
<br />
A box of cereal and a bag of chips was glued to the top. <br />
<br />
<b>Decorating the Fridge</b><br />
A piece of thin cardboard was wrapped in duct tape and added to the front for the handle.<br />
<br />
A co-worker's kiddo drew the drawing and donated the letters and the star magnet. The dry erase board was glued on along with a clip. My original thought was to have the clip hold the bib, but then I worried that my bib would blow away!<br />
<br />
A piece of paper with the words "Is this refrigerator running? Well you'd better run and catch it!" was added to the back. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7tSuDfzNuME/VFV4HjwtwUI/AAAAAAAABo0/fjI5O6CSAMA/s1600/fullfridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7tSuDfzNuME/VFV4HjwtwUI/AAAAAAAABo0/fjI5O6CSAMA/s1600/fullfridge.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completed fridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-hQbfCvIqI/VFV4HsZTUpI/AAAAAAAABow/QQOeJh29BMk/s1600/fridgefrontbtm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I-hQbfCvIqI/VFV4HsZTUpI/AAAAAAAABow/QQOeJh29BMk/s1600/fridgefrontbtm.jpg" height="601" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remember to pick up milk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GXDirjoilVo/VFV4HAzWcSI/AAAAAAAABoo/8Nb0ycagaLc/s1600/fridgefronttop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GXDirjoilVo/VFV4HAzWcSI/AAAAAAAABoo/8Nb0ycagaLc/s1600/fridgefronttop.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The freezer part where my head goes. Love this fabric.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2OgmlNNTV90/VFV4Hc0cYgI/AAAAAAAABos/sh2jc1zExcM/s1600/fridgeback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2OgmlNNTV90/VFV4Hc0cYgI/AAAAAAAABos/sh2jc1zExcM/s1600/fridgeback.jpg" height="396" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Message taped to the back of the fridge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The other touches</b><br />
Being a severed head, my noggin had a bloody bandage and white and black makeup.<br />
<br />
<b>Racing as a fridge!</b><br />
When I first put on the costume, a kiddo in the mini van next to my car
burst out laughing. That right there
made all the effort worth it!<br />
<br />
While my arm movement was limited and I had no peripheral vision, this was pretty easy to run in! The costume sat well on my shoulders and I didn't have to hold anything up. Not having to hold anything makes running in a bulky costume much easier. As this was a road race, there was plenty of room to maneuver around.<br />
<br />
I wondered how people would take the joke on the back of the fridge but they seemed to get a kick out of it. One woman told me that she tried to catch me and thanked me for the motivation. That made my day!<br />
<br />
This costume won the individual costume contest, but it must've been a very close call because second place was a kid as Fred Flintsone, prehistoric car and all. It was an amazing costume!<br />
<br />
Lots of people dressed up for this race and were looking fabulous - I had a blast!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jejeMjInXEo/VFPriPubNHI/AAAAAAAABoc/OZE5-hZNb9g/s1600/wickedhalloweenrun10K2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jejeMjInXEo/VFPriPubNHI/AAAAAAAABoc/OZE5-hZNb9g/s1600/wickedhalloweenrun10K2014.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing the 10K!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Plymouth Township, MI, USA42.3735328 -83.509038142.2796863 -83.6703996 42.4673793 -83.3476766tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-12156550893468269442014-06-14T15:34:00.000-04:002014-10-31T16:18:43.608-04:00Canton Liberty Run<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://cantonlibertyrun.com/" target="_blank">Canton Liberty Run</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Saturday, June 14th, 2014<br />
<b>Location: </b>Canton, Michigan<br />
<b>Distance:</b> 5K<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Equipment</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Sweater with beaded fireworks</li>
<li>Red and blue socks</li>
<li>Decorated Jazzy Jorts (jean shorts)</li>
</ul>
To help kick things off at the Canton Liberty Festival, the event hosts a 5K and 10K race Saturday morning. This year was tehre a theme contest for striped costumes, starred costumes, and decorated jorts (jean shorts.) Most of the people I saw went with the jort theme.<br />
<br />
I decorated my jorts with some bows from the dollar store, felt stars super glued on on the front. For the back, I wrote the name of the race with glitter pens, and drew the Statue of Liberty in green fabric ink. Both the Statue and the glitter pen writings took a full day to dry.<br />
<br />
I'd never run in jorts before, so I played it safe. I wrote running shorts under the jorts (is that cheating?) and lubed up the inner thighs with BodyGlide. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wsfIpOO_9EY/U6okh2YcsJI/AAAAAAAABnU/jSRSSz0B8Xs/s1600/10414427_10154254256845612_4334095062579651718_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wsfIpOO_9EY/U6okh2YcsJI/AAAAAAAABnU/jSRSSz0B8Xs/s1600/10414427_10154254256845612_4334095062579651718_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Build for speed.<br />
Photo by Greg Sadler Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The weather was a little cool that morning - in the low 50s - which was lucky! My sweater was making things a little toasty. But I felt that I was channeling freedom and that's what mattered.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0rhJ1AqlME/U6oksASQBrI/AAAAAAAABnc/RnpknCjAKFU/s1600/10460847_622777208092_5943557393361999879_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0rhJ1AqlME/U6oksASQBrI/AAAAAAAABnc/RnpknCjAKFU/s1600/10460847_622777208092_5943557393361999879_o.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we're off!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The 5K spends around a mile in the park near the end of the race, which was shaded had a nice wide path.There are a couple of baby hills but the course is mostly flat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
After the race, I went home, changed clothes, and Jason and I came back to spend a few hours at the festival. Had a great time at both the race and the festival!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Heritage Park, 46202 Heritage Park Road, Canton, MI 48188, USA42.2988733 -83.494859942.293000799999994 -83.5049449 42.3047458 -83.484774899999991tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-22415856015005340622014-04-03T12:31:00.000-04:002014-04-03T13:40:40.245-04:00Twinkie 5K<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUvvA1_rbCA/Uz2ac8drBfI/AAAAAAAABmo/2vfEVQc-dZ4/s1600/TwinkieRun.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUvvA1_rbCA/Uz2ac8drBfI/AAAAAAAABmo/2vfEVQc-dZ4/s1600/TwinkieRun.png" /></a></div>
<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://www.activeagainstals.org/events/twinkie-run/" target="_blank">Twinkie 5K</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Tuesday, April 1st, 2014<br />
<b>Distance:</b> 5K<br />
<b>Time: </b>23:28 (7:34 mile/pace) <br />
<br />
<b>Equipment</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Twinkie costume!</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
The Twinkie 5K is a race presented by Ann Arbor Active Against ALS to raise funds for Lou Gehrig's Disease research. 100% of the profits for this race go towards finding a cure, which is great!<br />
<br />
My costume is by the brand Rasta Imposta and bought off of Amazon for $20. The day was awfully windy and it worked pretty well as a wind breaker.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--qdIQM2oo9A/Uz2atjJo_aI/AAAAAAAABmw/SgnV1hUgh20/s1600/twinkiecostume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--qdIQM2oo9A/Uz2atjJo_aI/AAAAAAAABmw/SgnV1hUgh20/s1600/twinkiecostume.jpg" height="400" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying on the Twinkie! I ironed this costume before the race. Have to keep up appearances.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Let's talk Twinkies. Every runner has two chances during the run to eat a
Twinkie. Once at the start when the horn goes off, and again at the mid-way point. Each Twinkie deducts a minute off your time; a good chunk of time for a 5K! Seeing as I was a Twinkie, eating a Twinkie seemed like cannibalism.
Although, the post-race grilled Twinkies sounded pretty good.<br />
<br />
The race does not have timing mats but does keep tracking of a runner's finishing time and factors in the number of Twinkies a runner has ingested.<br />
<br />
I'm amazed how fast people can stuff an entire Twinkie in their mouth. Although, I did see a few half-eaten Twinkies along the trail. A woman mentioned her dog was cleaning up the trail from the mislaiden golden goodies. Perfect way to clean up the path.<br />
<br />
The route goes around the beautiful Gallup Park twice. We were lucky to have it warmer than last year, but we did have to fight the wind at times. Made for an excellent challenge! Also the Gallup park trail has a wood chip bit that feels delightful on the feet. <br />
<br />
I really enjoy the vibe of this race, and it's for a good cause to boot. Definitely worth doing if you get a chance!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-75359549420148053612014-03-22T19:32:00.000-04:002014-03-22T19:40:33.598-04:00Saint Patrick's Day Leprechaun CostumeAnother illusion costume, this time with some Saint Patrick's Day theme!<br />
<br />
<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://www.runshamrocks.com/" target="_blank">Shamrocks and Shenanigans</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Sunday, March 9th, 2014 <br />
<b>Distance:</b> 5K<br />
<b>Time: </b> 27:30 (8:52 min/mile)<br />
<br />
<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://www.konastpatricksdayrun.com/" target="_blank">Kona St. Patrick's Day Run</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Sunday, March 16th, 2014<br />
<b>Distance:</b> 5K<br />
<b>Time: 27:03 </b>(8:41 min/mile)<br />
<br />
<b>Equipment</b><br />
<ul>
<ul>
<li>Foam board</li>
<li>Several rolls of Duck Tape</li>
<li>Cardboard</li>
<li>Kid sized green pants</li>
<li>Kid shoes</li>
<li>St. Patrick's Day themed cloth</li>
<li>Dowels</li>
<li>Tacky glue</li>
<li>Parachute pins </li>
<li>Polyfill </li>
<li>Plastic green pot</li>
<li>Green glitter pen</li>
<li>Gold glitter pen </li>
<li>Gold coins</li>
<li>Leprechaun vest</li>
<li>Wig (I used a tinsel wig for Shamrocks and Shenanigans, bright green wig for Kona) </li>
<li>Various shamrock accessories (gloves, socks, rings, etc.)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
First step was to create the field to support the lower half of the leprechaun.<br />
<br />
I cut out a hole in the middle of the board that was a little smaller than my waist. It was a tight squeeze to get in and out of the board, but this way the board could rest on my hips.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFAOAER4BQ8/UydF2z1B5dI/AAAAAAAABj4/FjXLviM16iI/s1600/photo-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFAOAER4BQ8/UydF2z1B5dI/AAAAAAAABj4/FjXLviM16iI/s1600/photo-4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Because there were only a few inches between myself and the cardboard, I used strips of cardboard to reinforce the board.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnHufstPozM/UydGIJwXoaI/AAAAAAAABkA/7G1135xNrO0/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnHufstPozM/UydGIJwXoaI/AAAAAAAABkA/7G1135xNrO0/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" height="420" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding a little side support.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Next, I wrapped the entire table in duck tape. This helps to keep the piece water-proof; you never know what kind of weather you'll get for race day in Michigan!<br />
<br />
I purchased a yard of Saint Patrick's Day cloth from a fabric and spread it out on the floor with the back of the pattern facing the ceiling. I centered the foam board over the cloth with the long edges in the front and the back.<br />
<br />
To open the now-fabric-covered hole, I cut the cloth into strips and duck taped down to the bottom of the board.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pZ57wpjEhhg/UydHcqM1XaI/AAAAAAAABkU/3Ye3I7zmu7Y/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pZ57wpjEhhg/UydHcqM1XaI/AAAAAAAABkU/3Ye3I7zmu7Y/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding the opening through the fabric.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once I done with the opening, I flipped the board back over. I ran tacky glue along the edges of the board and pressed down to secure the fabric.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTQf-ANxZPM/UydIFP8NsNI/AAAAAAAABkc/SzMnUdMlvYo/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GTQf-ANxZPM/UydIFP8NsNI/AAAAAAAABkc/SzMnUdMlvYo/s1600/Untitled-4.jpg" height="520" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drying table.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two dowels, one on each long side, were added to help support the table. I found the pot o'gold and the plastic mug were enough to buckle the table a bit and make it droop.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or53Efp-Rf0/Uy4coTv2i3I/AAAAAAAABmU/yr67q7CN3gE/s1600/aa06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-or53Efp-Rf0/Uy4coTv2i3I/AAAAAAAABmU/yr67q7CN3gE/s1600/aa06.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck taped dowels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Now for the pot o' gold!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The pot was decorated with the word "LUCKY" and in shamrocks with green and gold glitter pens.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmq2NL0SHwQ/UydGsTUWMEI/AAAAAAAABkM/e6m04dpjR6U/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cmq2NL0SHwQ/UydGsTUWMEI/AAAAAAAABkM/e6m04dpjR6U/s1600/Untitled-2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
For the top of the pot, I cut out a circular piece of cardboard that was the same size as the rim of the plastic pot. I covered it with duck tape, again for weather reasons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jY50qvgbfdM/UydJhj5mWoI/AAAAAAAABko/GUa402clhj8/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jY50qvgbfdM/UydJhj5mWoI/AAAAAAAABko/GUa402clhj8/s1600/Untitled-5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
This piece was covered in gold coins that I picked up from the dollar store, secured with tacky glue.<br />
<br />
To secure to the table, I used tacky glue and a couple of parachute pins. The glue might have been enough, but I really didn't want to lose the pot 'o gold!<br />
<br />
Once the pot was secured, I filled the pot with polyfill and glued the top piece covered with coins to the top of the pot.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JP654JHrm7s/Uy4bv7QXY1I/AAAAAAAABls/WpufXaqpvzo/s1600/aa01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JP654JHrm7s/Uy4bv7QXY1I/AAAAAAAABls/WpufXaqpvzo/s1600/aa01.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filled with polyfill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now for the legs! The pants and shoes came from the thrift store, the socks from a grocery store.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCwvU5Ra6SI/UydKMEtPdNI/AAAAAAAABkw/IITq1La5Lgo/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kCwvU5Ra6SI/UydKMEtPdNI/AAAAAAAABkw/IITq1La5Lgo/s1600/Untitled-6.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I was lucky - I found kids' running shoes in green!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running shoes in green!</td></tr>
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I placed the socks into the shoes and stuffed them with polyfill. I then filled the pants with polyfill and sewed them to the socks. The top of the pants were sewn shut.<br />
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The shoes were glued to the edge of the foam board. The pants were glued right near the opening, and were also sewn to the table (had to use a big needle for that!)<br />
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To decorate the rest of the open space, I added a garland to the back of the table. A green plastic mug was added to the front, and gold coin were scattered around the pot o'gold and along the edges.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing the table part out!</td></tr>
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For the wearable pieces of the costume, I had a wig, a shamrock headband for one race and a tiny hat (I love tiny hats) for the other, a bowtie, shamrock gloves, shamrock socks, and of course the leprechaun jacket.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2G_uqJfuORI/UydMEw1wvVI/AAAAAAAABlM/wrhBJ9hekew/s1600/Untitled-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2G_uqJfuORI/UydMEw1wvVI/AAAAAAAABlM/wrhBJ9hekew/s1600/Untitled-9.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Kona St. Patrick's Day race entering the costume contest. It was freezing!</td></tr>
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This costume won first place at the Kona St. Patrick Day's race. I won a spiffy glass mug!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeling the shiny new mug!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-59210643186752031352014-01-01T07:00:00.000-05:002014-01-01T07:00:04.804-05:00Happy New Years!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L21N7f614CE/UsM4_kO7XOI/AAAAAAAABgw/w68sEnGf-kk/s1600/newyear2013Apollo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L21N7f614CE/UsM4_kO7XOI/AAAAAAAABgw/w68sEnGf-kk/s640/newyear2013Apollo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Party piggy Apollo!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LZEbM0tj6bM/UsM4_07fWOI/AAAAAAAABg0/DfkDgJQK06Q/s1600/newyear2013Edgeworth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="576" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LZEbM0tj6bM/UsM4_07fWOI/AAAAAAAABg0/DfkDgJQK06Q/s640/newyear2013Edgeworth.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers from Edgeworth.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8h4sUdknuY/UsM4_36J6fI/AAAAAAAABg4/RWcxlqwovR0/s1600/newyear2013Gruden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r8h4sUdknuY/UsM4_36J6fI/AAAAAAAABg4/RWcxlqwovR0/s640/newyear2013Gruden.jpg" width="634" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gruden von Squeakycheeks wishes everyone and everypig a wheeky new year!</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-50225334164170231962013-12-25T08:00:00.000-05:002013-12-25T08:00:01.808-05:00Merry Pigmas!Happy Holidays from the piggies Edgeworth, Gruden von Squeakycheeks, and Apollo!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a-oN_09xXnQ/UrowlkEcfsI/AAAAAAAABgA/Ejj8Kd4WrgI/s1600/grudenholiday2013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a-oN_09xXnQ/UrowlkEcfsI/AAAAAAAABgA/Ejj8Kd4WrgI/s640/grudenholiday2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Pigmas from Gruden von Squeakycheeks!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VZgbtdqVCk/Urowkb1UFAI/AAAAAAAABfk/HCMfemvOq3c/s1600/apolloholiday2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0VZgbtdqVCk/Urowkb1UFAI/AAAAAAAABfk/HCMfemvOq3c/s640/apolloholiday2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Dummer Pig Apollo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-chaGg6Q9TMw/UrowkTmqvdI/AAAAAAAABfs/mlA6uA_RP_E/s1600/apolloholidayhellofriend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-chaGg6Q9TMw/UrowkTmqvdI/AAAAAAAABfs/mlA6uA_RP_E/s640/apolloholidayhellofriend.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello birdie</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2nS6uxceLc/Urowkm3soPI/AAAAAAAABfo/KLVIYJuvMDA/s1600/edgeworthholiday2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X2nS6uxceLc/Urowkm3soPI/AAAAAAAABfo/KLVIYJuvMDA/s640/edgeworthholiday2013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Holidays from Edgeworth!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esK98_SKH5Q/Urownil4j0I/AAAAAAAABgM/VkVNzHZoNDA/s1600/edgeworthholidaywink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-esK98_SKH5Q/Urownil4j0I/AAAAAAAABgM/VkVNzHZoNDA/s640/edgeworthholidaywink.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*wink*</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm25uGz2hfg/Urowl3zs_eI/AAAAAAAABf4/qA0TGx0n08U/s1600/grudenyaypigmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bm25uGz2hfg/Urowl3zs_eI/AAAAAAAABf4/qA0TGx0n08U/s640/grudenyaypigmas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*yay pigmas!*</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-28767743154185508602013-12-24T16:16:00.000-05:002013-12-24T16:17:32.962-05:00Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner Costumes Makes Michigan Runner Magazine!<span class="null">I was lucky enough to have </span><span class="null"><span class="null">Tracey Cohen t</span>ake a picture of my </span><span class="null"><span class="null">Thanksgiving Dinner costume </span></span><span class="null">for </span>her <span class="null"><span class="null">Ann Arbor Turkey Trot article, which has been published in the January / February 2014 </span></span><span class="null"><i>Michigan Runner</i> magazine! It's on page 24 of the hard copy, page 43 of the online copy, the latter of which is available here: <a href="http://issuu.com/michiganrunner/docs/mr0114/42">http://issuu.com/michiganrunner/docs/mr0114/42</a> !<a class="_553k" href="http://issuu.com/michiganrunner/docs/mr0114" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIWeRZcrjjs/Urn4YYRcJvI/AAAAAAAABfU/pJAWvVDYYWQ/s1600/mirunnerjan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIWeRZcrjjs/Urn4YYRcJvI/AAAAAAAABfU/pJAWvVDYYWQ/s1600/mirunnerjan.jpg" height="320" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious turkey dinner.</td></tr>
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<span class="null"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-76311787628147347362013-12-17T18:00:00.000-05:002013-12-17T18:37:06.523-05:00Winter Running InfographicI muchly prefer the hot and humid summer temps over the bone-chilling weather of winter. Based on information from local running store clinic, I crafted the below infographic illustrating some hot tips for winter running.<br />
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You can also <a href="http://jocelynanderson.com/files/coldweatherrunning.pdf" target="_blank">download the Winter Running Infographic</a> in PDF format.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-48660805405223037002013-12-08T21:28:00.000-05:002013-12-08T21:32:15.114-05:00Holiday Hustle 5K - Reindeer Shoes and Big HairRace: <a href="http://runholiday5k.com/">Holiday Hustle 5K</a><br />
Race Date: Saturday, December 7th<br />
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The Holiday Hustle 5K is one of the few races in the area that's an evening race. The 5K starts at 4:30 p.m., so by the time people are finishing, it's just getting dark and you can see the Christmas lights twinkling on everyone's festive outfits. It's perfect timing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jbY2zShkcg/UqUd4s2XHbI/AAAAAAAABb8/4PTbg2GhUzA/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jbY2zShkcg/UqUd4s2XHbI/AAAAAAAABb8/4PTbg2GhUzA/s400/photo(1).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This year's Holiday Hustle bib added to the collection.</td></tr>
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Several weeks before the race I picked up an ugly Christmas vest and a snowman turtleneck at a local thrift store for a few bucks. I was a little late in shopping; it was pretty slim pickins for ugly holiday sweaters. But my vest was pretty tacky so I could roll with it.<br />
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The center piece for this outfit was the wig. I stuffed the wig with poly stuffing to make it puff out, and then wrapped a garland around it. The garland was secured by using the wig's hair strands to tie it in place. Way easier than using a needle and thread to secure the garland (my original plan.)<br />
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The garland had tiny presents along its length. During the race, I had a girl ask me if she could have a piece of chocolate from my wig. She thought the presents were wrapped treats! That's actually a pretty great idea to put food in there. It could be my very own traveling aid station!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ITkeXb2_DkM/UqUfB0UcbKI/AAAAAAAABcI/Z8CNUUm06-A/s1600/photo-2(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ITkeXb2_DkM/UqUfB0UcbKI/AAAAAAAABcI/Z8CNUUm06-A/s320/photo-2(1).jpg" width="320" />.</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wig with its fancy garland.</td></tr>
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Originally, I was going to run in my Adidas, but I found a pair of red shoes for $12 at Payless. Then I was on a mission to decorate the shoes. The reindeer came from Target at $2.50 a pop. The reindeer were super glued onto the canvas shoes and took a day to dry. Glittery stickers were glued onto the shoes once the reindeer had dried.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFL_xAj3-J0/UqUf9Q0kjvI/AAAAAAAABcU/ZT0_RPHKGMo/s1600/reindeershoes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="406" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nFL_xAj3-J0/UqUf9Q0kjvI/AAAAAAAABcU/ZT0_RPHKGMo/s640/reindeershoes.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So majestic.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaWHReNhfqA/UqUgwe8MKRI/AAAAAAAABck/Ct0JDJ1r--A/s1600/IMG_6475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uaWHReNhfqA/UqUgwe8MKRI/AAAAAAAABck/Ct0JDJ1r--A/s640/IMG_6475.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bows on the back.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
To round out the rest of my outfit: Santa stocking socks, green ornament earrings, snowman gloves, and Christmas tree sunglasses. The round lenses from the shades went
well with big hair, plus they were glittery. You can never have enough
glitter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/1450325_606004201332_1459616414_n.jpg" style="height: 598px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 397px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my bib for the race!<br />
Photo by Greg Sadler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It was chilly that day - around 20F and a bit windy before the race start - so I was very glad for my nice warm wig.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-BbdBwsK_0/UqUiRn5FVnI/AAAAAAAABcw/eTqzTZiWV2g/s1600/1455027_733197570041059_1278730814_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-BbdBwsK_0/UqUiRn5FVnI/AAAAAAAABcw/eTqzTZiWV2g/s400/1455027_733197570041059_1278730814_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking awesome in our festive flare.<br />
Photo by Larry O'Sullivan</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The wig stayed on for the most part until the last half mile. At that point the bobby pins in the front of the wig had worked themselves loose and the wig started to slide backwards. I had to support it a bit during that time by putting a hand on it, but I received a lot of compliments on the hair style, so it was well worth it. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nZykSY9zkk/UqUjvCIWrRI/AAAAAAAABc8/QJXfx97y6Pg/s1600/_DSC7516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3nZykSY9zkk/UqUjvCIWrRI/AAAAAAAABc8/QJXfx97y6Pg/s640/_DSC7516.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race start!<br />
Photo by Greg Sadler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Sadly, my reindeer didn't make it through the race. One of them worked itself loose during the first half mile, the other one fell off with a half mile to go. They were glued on okay, but the glitter coating of the reindeer that I liked so much turned out to be their undoing. The styrofoam separated from its glitter coating, so I still have glittery bits stuck to my shoes. When the reindeer fell off, I chucked them to the side of the road so I could pick them up later. The red one I found, but the green one went missing. Maybe he's found a new home.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-YWJBgyGEc/UqUkXCUruxI/AAAAAAAABdM/9xKIbq3gYgw/s1600/photo(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g-YWJBgyGEc/UqUkXCUruxI/AAAAAAAABdM/9xKIbq3gYgw/s320/photo(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's left of the reindeer. Now to figure what else I can stick on there!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My time ended up being 34:47, a 11:13/mile pace, which is a little faster than the 12:30/mile pace I was going for. Must've been the hair that made me a little too fast.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Dexter, MI 48130, USA42.338369700000008 -83.88855519999998542.291414200000006 -83.969236199999983 42.385325200000011 -83.807874199999986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-18555202479509316562013-11-30T18:49:00.000-05:002013-11-30T18:49:31.483-05:00Ann Arbor Turkey Trot - Thanksgiving Dinner Costume: The Return of the Turkey Dinner<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://theturkeytrot.com/">Ann Arbor Turkey Trot</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Sunday, Nov. 28th, 2013<br />
<br />
The second outing of the Thanksgiving Dinner costume, this time on Thanksgiving day! This race was untimed, so no pressure there. The glass and corn came off the costume during the last race, so I glued another glass on the table and put carrots on where the corn used to be.<br />
<br />
The race took place downtown Ann Arbor. It started to snow right before the race, so things were a little slick. My drinking glass was half-way filled with snow! The race went down Main St. down to Michigan Stadium and looped back up around. A little hilly, but not bad.<br />
<br />
About a mile in I had a costume malfunction. Under the table I had a bag stuffed with coats and blankets, which helped support everything. During the run a coat fell out of the bag and onto the road. A super nice woman stopped and helped me get the coat back into the bag; so thankful that she stopped! After getting everything situated, I tootled on, past the hot chocolate aid station and onwards to the finishing line.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uaAqjrtQ0EQ/Upp37al2x9I/AAAAAAAABbg/HuKwapzaxJg/s1600/turkeydinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uaAqjrtQ0EQ/Upp37al2x9I/AAAAAAAABbg/HuKwapzaxJg/s400/turkeydinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Michigan Running Man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
After the race my tiny T-Rex arms were shaking from supporting the table for so long. It's an awfully good arm workout!<br />
<br />
<br />
Michigan Running Man captured a video of the 3,000 runners. I'm tootling around in there around the 1:20 mark.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ixycQYx4WS8?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
</div>
<br />
Such fun!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-39828982024934304862013-11-20T13:35:00.002-05:002013-11-30T18:25:12.261-05:00Kona Chocolate Run - Thanksgiving Dinner Costume<br />
<b>Race:</b> <a href="http://www.konahotchocolaterun.com/">Kona Chocolate Run</a><br />
<b>Race Date: </b>Sunday, Nov. 17th, 2013<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.konahotchocolaterun.com/">The Kona Chocolate Run</a> had a costume contest for this race so I had to think of <i>something.</i> Costume categories were: chocolate, superhero, or holiday.<br />
<br />
I couldn't think of a superhero that I wanted to be. Cat woman, Wonder Woman, and Bat girl costume ideas didn't really make my skirt fly up.<br />
<br />
The chocolate theme had potential and I looked at quite a few tutorials on how to make a Hershey Kiss costume.<br />
<br />
But the holiday option - now we're talking. So many options! I knew I wanted to go with Thanksgiving instead of Christmas because hey, it's still before Thanksgiving, gosh darn it.<br />
<br />
I've gotten a kick out of my turkey hat in years past, so I was thinking about what to do with a turkey hat...be a turkey dinner! Of course! The options for decorations are endless.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FXB/60SJ/HO236HUQ/FXB60SJHO236HUQ.LARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FXB/60SJ/HO236HUQ/FXB60SJHO236HUQ.LARGE.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FIU/ZBZ1/HO238Z13/FIUZBZ1HO238Z13.LARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FIU/ZBZ1/HO238Z13/FIUZBZ1HO238Z13.LARGE.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and back!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The costume took a couple of weeks to put together. It's not hard, but takes awhile due to the glue needing to dry between steps. Here's what went into the costume:<br />
<br />
<b>Structure Materials:</b><br />
2 x 30" by 15" foam core<br />
Tacky Glue<br />
2 rolls of White Duct Tape<br />
Scissors<br />
<br />
<b>Decorations:</b><br />
Turkey hat<br />
Plastic plate<br />
Silverware<br />
Tablecloths<br />
Fake food<br />
Plastic glass<br />
Candle holders<br />
Candles<br />
Decorative leaves and fruit<br />
Cloth napkin<br />
Place mat<br />
<br />
<br />
I put together <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Thanksgiving-Dinner-Costume/">an Instructable on how this was made</a>. It's pretty easy!<br />
<br />
<br />
One of my favorite things about this costume was how easy it was to customize. Looking for usable items for the table in thrift stores was half the fun.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FWI/NF5W/HO23APPI/FWINF5WHO23APPI.LARGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FWI/NF5W/HO23APPI/FWINF5WHO23APPI.LARGE.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious fake food! Mmmm gravy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
To support the table, I ended up pinning a bag stuffed with a blanket to my chest. It helped and allowed me to rest my arms at times, but I realized that I would not be able to run normally as a turkey dinner, so I adjusted by pace. My arms were sore the next day from holding the table, it ended up being quite the workout!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1460960_10201774447755918_1671624709_n.jpg" style="height: 643px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 482px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karyn and myself pre-race!<br />
Photo by Karyn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There was a cold rain at the start, which did a number on the glue on my glass and corn, and my taper candle didn't survive the race with my weeble wobble running. Still, I'm impressed that everything else stayed on!<br />
<br />
Near the very end of the race, a woman in front of me said "I can't be beaten
by the turkey dinner!" So I sped up a bit and when she turned around I
was right there. She really took off after that! I wasn't going to pass
her, just trying to help her in her final kick. Motivated by a turkey dinner.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrNfOKXs8JY/Uoz_oGSMalI/AAAAAAAABas/1EBzAZmpa3g/s1600/KonaRun5KThanksgivingDinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TrNfOKXs8JY/Uoz_oGSMalI/AAAAAAAABas/1EBzAZmpa3g/s320/KonaRun5KThanksgivingDinner.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost to the finish line!<br />
Photo by RunMichigan.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My time ended up being 39:03, 12:35 mile/pace.<br />
<br />
The race was huge - 6,000 runners and walkers! - and the finish line was pretty crowded as the 10Kers and the faster 5Kers had already finished. People were really nice and let me, the big ole table, navigate my way through the chocolate line crowd.<br />
<br />
This was the inaugural Kona Chocolate Run and it had a few minor bumps, one of them being that the chocolate line was incredibly long. I heard later that it was a 45 minute wait. My brother, his girlfriend, and I skipped on the chocolate because of the wait time, but the Kona folks have already started working on improvements for next year, including better chocolate line traffic flow.<br />
<br />
My costume was one of the winners! There was a super cute gingerbread girl I saw in the costume judging line in front of me. I hope she won too, she was absolutely adorable.<br />
<br />
Not my fastest time, but it was certainly one of the funniest!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pacfu9jhky0/UorPsJ9TbyI/AAAAAAAABZ4/EJ7hEIvDBOs/s1600/turkeyfinishline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pacfu9jhky0/UorPsJ9TbyI/AAAAAAAABZ4/EJ7hEIvDBOs/s400/turkeyfinishline.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line!<br />
Photo by Greg Sadler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Plymouth Township, MI, USA42.3735328 -83.509038142.2796863 -83.6703996 42.4673793 -83.3476766tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-63405478283364784912013-11-18T21:09:00.001-05:002013-11-18T21:51:50.006-05:00Ann Arbor Turkey Trot 5K - Gobbler Turkey CostumeThere are two Ann Arbor Turkey Trots in Ann Arbor. This one is hosted at Hudson Mills Metropark and is a lovely, slightly hilly course. It's mostly paved trail but there is a bit of gravelly road. My 10K PR came on this course, but today I was sticking with the 5K.<br />
<br />
The weather was sunny and awfully windy.<br />
<br />
<b>Equipment:</b><br />
Gobbler costume<br />
Tutu<br />
A billion safety pins <br />
<br />
This costume was the hardest thing I've ever had to run in. There is a small mesh panel so you can see, but the costume does not sit easily, so the mesh panel is always migrating downwards until all you can see is the ground.<br />
<br />
It took 40 minutes to finagle with getting the costume on, and I still wasn't happy with it by the time I needed to head to the starting line. I put on the tutu, safety pinned that to my running tights, and then pinned up the turkey drumsticks so I could run more easily.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TjKljmfhbkI/UorIGdwTZ0I/AAAAAAAABZo/22K-Vv5KnO4/s1600/turkeytrotrunninggear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TjKljmfhbkI/UorIGdwTZ0I/AAAAAAAABZo/22K-Vv5KnO4/s320/turkeytrotrunninggear.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GOBBLE GOBBLE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I tried pinning the costume in all sorts of ways to help see better, but it wasn't happening, so I was stuck with holding it up. The sunny day was beautiful, but it was reflecting off the mesh that was letting me see out of the costume, so I could barely see at times, eep!<br />
<br />
Because the mesh panel that let me see out kept wanting to slide down, I had to run with one hand at all times holding the top of the costume up. This is not easy! I kept having to switch arms because my tiny t-rex arms were getting so fatigued. My arms were still sore later in the day from keeping the costume up. But it had to be done!<br />
<br />
One of the highlights of the run was coming up along a man pushing his kiddo in the stroller. The little man in the stroller was telling his dad that he was done with running (we were maybe a mile in.) When I passed them, the dad said "Look, a turkey1 Do you want to run with the turkey?" There was a long pause and then an "okay." Kid approved! That made the whole costume worth it.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of "go turkey!"s at the finish line which really helped me - I was bushed! Some people really got a kick out of the costume, but I would not suggest this one for racing. Way too difficult to see out of.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-78768371578771491132013-11-18T21:06:00.001-05:002013-11-18T21:06:30.316-05:00Red Carpet 5K - ShoesThis one's from back in August, but is the <a href="http://www.redcarpetrun.com/">Red Carpet Run</a> is my favorite race of the year. Everyone is dressed to the nines!<br />
<br />
<br />
My fabulous shoes: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaUqmPV47sc/Un7bHnqQxwI/AAAAAAAABZU/6a4N2ubzRks/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iaUqmPV47sc/Un7bHnqQxwI/AAAAAAAABZU/6a4N2ubzRks/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
They're $9 shoes from Target with black fabric flowers and white feathers glued on. They held up great!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-81563538303706225462013-11-09T19:45:00.001-05:002013-11-09T19:47:08.255-05:00Halloween 2013 Races - Peacock CostumeI was at a local thrift shop looking for inspiration for what to wear for this year's Halloween races when I discovered a beautiful teal dress. The fabric had a great shine to it, and the bodice had sequins; perfect for a peacock costume! I picked it up for $8 and then was on a quest to find other pieces to complete the costume.<br />
<br />
Party City offered quite a few peacock items this year. I picked up:<br />
<ul>
<li>Peacock feather gloves</li>
<li>Black and blue feather boa</li>
<li>Peacock fan feather wings (this what became the tail)</li>
</ul>
<br />
Also purchased: <br />
<ul>
<li>36"-40" feathers from <a href="http://featherstore.com/">featherstore.com</a>. I ordered 50, but 30 would've been fine. I discovered it's much cheaper to order online than buy in stores.</li>
<li>Blue duct tape</li>
<li>Foam core </li>
<li>Flat sequin shoes from Payless. I am a minimalist runner, so as long as the shoe had zero drop or close to it, I was good to go.</li>
<li>Blue gloves</li>
<li>Tacky glue </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Items I owned already and that were put to use:<br />
<ul>
<li>Peacock earrings </li>
<li>Peacock feather hairclips.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
I cut out a piece of foam core that was the same shape of the feather tail and then wrapped the foam core in duct tape. This piece would be the support for the peacock feathers. The foam core isn't waterproof, so the duct tape made sure the structure would stand if the weather wasn't favorable. The duct-taped foam core was glued with tacky glue to the tail and left to sit for a day.<br />
<br />
When first adding the feathers, I sorted through them and took the longest ones, and added those to the tail with the peacock eye facing away from the back. I originally tried to tacky glue the feathers down, but the shaft of the feathers were not sticking very well. I discovered that duct taping them was much easier! I taped down a row of long feathers, and then did another row of shorter feathers. A few more rows were added, trimming the feathers as needed.<br />
<br />
For the shoes, I added gold glitter around the edge, but this ended up coming off in the wet grass. I took four peacock eyes from my feather pile and glued a feather on top of the shoe, and one on the side. The feathers stayed on just peachy. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ELLfZU3UqLM/Un7VOzJTmTI/AAAAAAAABYo/LsvtFx40DEY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ELLfZU3UqLM/Un7VOzJTmTI/AAAAAAAABYo/LsvtFx40DEY/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shiny shoes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
For the feather boa, I pinned it onto the dress with safety pins. This way I could easily remove the boa and wash the dress later. <br />
<br />
For makeup, I went heavy on eye shadow called "peacock."<br />
<br />
It was pretty chilly out when I was wearing the costume, so I wore black long-sleeved shirts and black running tights under the costume. <br />
<br />
The outfit was a hit! Nothing like a costume with some height. And peacock feathers are so pretty!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp6PfYCgiv4/Un7Vw9uRvKI/AAAAAAAABYw/2UCY2kbfJpE/s1600/1383298_601762866002_40079598_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp6PfYCgiv4/Un7Vw9uRvKI/AAAAAAAABYw/2UCY2kbfJpE/s320/1383298_601762866002_40079598_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start of the Wicked Halloween 5K!<br />
Photo: Greg Sadler Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
There wasn't that much drag. It felt like a light tug on the back of your shirt. So not too bad at all.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S1_6qnzUPMk/Un7VyRVH_8I/AAAAAAAABY8/g2hZP4c5dcI/s1600/1385356_601762307122_250568613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S1_6qnzUPMk/Un7VyRVH_8I/AAAAAAAABY8/g2hZP4c5dcI/s320/1385356_601762307122_250568613_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feathers flying toward the finish!<br />
Photo by Greg Sadler Photography</td></tr>
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This costume ended up winning the 2013 Wicked Halloween 5K/10K costume contest! I was awfully excited about that, there was some stiff competition!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Plymouth Township, MI, USA42.3735328 -83.509038142.2796863 -83.6703996 42.4673793 -83.3476766tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1229708159035994633.post-64412588237451651432013-04-09T21:30:00.000-04:002013-10-17T09:30:19.902-04:00Benito and Friends Go to the VetThe guinea piggy Benito has been losing chunks of hair lately. He hasn't seen itchy or moody, so it wasn't a piggy emergency, but I did want to get him over to a piggy professional. Luckily, Dr. Marsh at the Animal Kingdom in Saline is amazing with the little fuzzies.<br />
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I packed up Benito and his piggy friend Gruden von Squeakycheeks so Benito would have someone to chat with on the drive over. Edgeworth was in his own carrier - he was going to get his nails trimmed - and sat in the passenger's seat. He ate his parsley that I put in the carrier for him, and then stared at me the rest of the drive there.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oCwFChPwvmU/UWQOw4PU70I/AAAAAAAABVo/CJTcdJvuw_s/s1600/findthepeegy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oCwFChPwvmU/UWQOw4PU70I/AAAAAAAABVo/CJTcdJvuw_s/s320/findthepeegy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bentio hides under Gruden von Squeakycheeks.</div>
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Benito turned out to have a skin condition that isn't painful or itchy. He has lots of scurf, which looks looks like dandruff. There's no way to get rid of it other than giving him a bath every day. Benito doesn't really like baths, so we're going with the second option and giving him a good brushing every once in a while. Glad it's just something cosmetic and the little guy isn't comfortable in any way!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Animal Kingdom Veterinary Hospital, 4920 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA42.2145686 -83.79744419999997316.6925341 -125.10603819999997 67.7366031 -42.488850199999973