Run on 12/19 Cancelled Due to the Snow Forecast

Due to the prediction of "the December storm of the decade," I'm cancelling our scheduled run for tomorrow morning.  Hopefully the predictions will be wrong and I'll feel silly for cancelling.
 
Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - Saturday, December 19th @ 7 a.m.

Hard to believe, but we'll have our last scheduled run of the year, this Saturday, December 19th at 7 a.m.  I was going to call it a Jingle Bell Run, but then I got concerned that someone may show up with jingle bells on their shoes, and wouldn't that be fun to listen to for 5 miles?  :)

Anyways, we'd love to have you join us.  We'll meet at the Horizons Church parking lot and run for about 5 miles.  If you have any questions, you can email me at karenegyud@gmail.com.

Interesting Article on Stretching Study

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/phys-ed-how-necessary-is-stretching/

Run Scheduled - Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 a.m.

We'll meet up this Saturday, December 5th at 7 a.m. in the Horizons Church parking lot for a run - should be around 5 miles.  If you're new to the group or have questions about pace, ability, etc., please email me at karenegyud@gmail.com. 

By the way, blogger seems to have gotten rid of spellcheck, or I just can't find it, so please forgive any spelling errors I may make.  I'm so used to the security of spellcheck, I'm not used to paying attention :)  If you're familiar with blogger and know where this feature has disappeared to, please let me know!

Blessings,
Karen

Turkey Trot - Nov. 26th

We had a great run last Thursday for our 2nd Annual Turkey Trot.  Thanks to everyone who came out.  As you can see, it was a little foggy!  And thanks to Dave & Patty for the pictures.

2nd Annual Turkey Trot - 11/26 @ 7 a.m.

2nd Annual Turkey Trot

Thursday, November 26th @ 7 a.m.

Come meet us at the Horizons Church parking lot for a 5 mile run on Thanksgiving morning.  There are no prizes, mile markers, water stops, t-shirts or registration fees.  This is just a fun run to start the festivities of Thanksgiving Day.  Bring your friends and family and burn some calories to prepare for the feasts laster in the day.  Email karenegyud@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Run Scheduled, Saturday, Nov. 14th at 7 a.m.

We're finally scheduled to run again! We'll plan on meeting this Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 a.m. in the Horizons Church parking lot. Depending on who all comes out, we may once again split to do a 3 mile group and a 5 mile group.

Don't forget to mark your calendars for Thanksgiving morning for our 2nd annual Turkey Trot. By my calculations, the run will cancel out the calories of two pieces of pumpkin pie. Now isn't that worth it? We'll meet at 7 a.m. so you'll have plenty of time to get home to watch the parade, cook, eat, nap, etc.

Huge kudos to Dave Robertson and Bob Hagan on their finishes at last Saturday's Mountain Masochist 50 mile Trail Run. You guys amaze me.

Here's praying that the weather is better by Saturday morning (supposed to be)! Look forward to running with y'all again!

No Run Scheduled for 10/31

I originally planned on having a run scheduled for this Saturday (10/31), but I'll be out of town at the end of the week and won't be back into Stafford until the wee hours of Saturday morning.  So, I'll let y'all know if the next run will be 11/7 or 11/14.  Don't forget that there will be a run on Thanksgiving morning again this year.

Congrats to all of the finishers of the Marine Corps Marathon.  I am so impressed by the job that MCM does in putting together a fantastic event.  You have to be okay with crowds to love this event, but there's nothing like running through large, cheering crowds and having our men in uniform stationed along the entire course.  I could go on and on about the flyover at the beginning, well managed water and food stations, very friendly participants, etc., etc.  The weather was fantastic too!

As I continue to relearn how to walk down steps, I look forward to getting back out there and planning the next event.

Happy Running!

Blessings,
Karen

HC Run Schedule - 10/3 @ 7 a.m.

Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of October? Yes, hard to believe. My body is starting to get used to the cooler temps - hopefully we don't have any Indian Summer days. Those who are running the Marine Corps on Oct. 25th are getting their 20(+) milers in this weekend...I'm still trying to figure that out for myself. And good luck to Debbie & Vinny who will be running the Chicago Marathon on October 11th and Rich who will be running the Baltimore 1/2 on October 10th. Can't wait to hear how it goes!

Everyone's invited to meet up this Saturday, October 3rd at 7 a.m. in the Horizons Church parking lot for a run. Depending on who comes, we may once again split to do a 3 mile group and a 5 mile group.

Upcoming schedule...as it currently stands:

10/3 - run at 7 a.m.
10/17 - no run due to the HC Yard, Tool & Bake Sale*
10/31 - run at 7 a.m.**
11/14 - run at 7 a.m.
11/26 - TURKEY TROT at 7 a.m. -Thanksgiving Day - no run scheduled for Saturday, 11/28

* I'm going to be helping out with the Yard Sale, but if someone else wants to organize a run for that date (or any of the other open dates), great! Just let me know and I'll make sure the info goes out to the group. FYI, I am donating 2 fuel belts to the sale (the kind that hold one bottle against your back), so if you're in the market for one, you may want to check that out! They kind of look like this:

**I prefer the 7 a.m. time, but I'm aware that it's getting darker and darker in the mornings. If it's too dark at 7 a.m. to be safe in our running, I'll push the time back to 7:30 a.m.

Blessings,

Karen

Cape Henry Running Festival

Here's another running (& cycling) opportunity coming up this fall. Thank you Mike for sending the information along. It's the Cape Henry Running Festival & Duathlon on Saturday, November 21st. There's a Duathlon ( 5K run, 32K bike, 5K run) and a 10 mile run. More information can be found at http://capehenry.kalerunning.com/index.html.

Run Scheduled - Saturday, September 19

Everyone's invited to meet up with us this Saturday, Sept. 19th at 7 a.m. in the Horizons Church parking lot for a run. We have some new runners interested in participating, so the run length may vary based on who shows up. We may split to do a 3 mile group and a 5 mile group. As always, if you want to run more, you're welcome to run to the group or to add some extra mileage on at the end of our group run.

I have a new fav running gadget. My ipod nano is now going to collect dust. I am the proud owner of a Sansa Clip. I have a subscription to Rhapsody which allows you to listen to any music on your computer or authorized devices - of which the Clip is one. I've been listening to the same songs for a year on my ipod, so I'm pretty thrilled to be listening to new Crowder, NeedtoBreathe, POD, etc. while I'm running. It's very small, has a radio and has 4 GB of memory.

Congrats to my brother Don who finished his first marathon last Sunday (Erie, PA) and has caught the bug to run more.

If you're going to be in town for Thanksgiving, mark your calendars now for our 2nd annual Turkey Trot (or should we call it, Eat More Pie?) run. Time & distance to be disclosed at a later date.

Finally, for those training for a marathon (or, you simply like long runs), if you are interested in doing a 20 mile run on 9/26, please email me (karenegyud@gmail.com). I will also be scheduling a 16 mile run in early November.

For some reason, blogger won't let me put paragraph breaks in above, so I apologize for it the "run-on paragraphs".

Run Scheduled/Capital Crescent Trail

So, I found a "new" running path that I love.

Last Saturday, in search of a flat run, I headed to Georgetown to run the C&O Canal Towpath, which is the only flat run in the metro area I'm familiar with. But, in my search for parking longer than 2 hours, I ended up at the Capital Crescent Trail. It runs parallel to the C&O for a couple miles before diverting up to Bethesda. I was thrilled because unlike C&O, it's paved instead of gravel - easier on the feet! It was a great 14+ mile run, but NOT flat. When I got home and plugged in the Garmin, I found out that it's a 500ft+ elevation increase from Georgetown to Bethesda. So much for a flat run.

Now that September 1st is here, and we are enjoying low humidity and lower temperatures, I will put those hard runs behind me, and look forward to long runs in perfect temperatures! (LOL - how long will this last, 5 days, 6 if we're lucky?)

Anyways, for those who are in town this weekend, Horizons Runners will be meeting in the Horizons Church parking lot this Saturday, September 5th at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. Feel free to add miles before or after if needed - last time I made it a 10 mile run.

Love running with y'all!

Blessings,
Karen

Running Sins

Okay, so I know Horizons is doing a series on sin, so this is a very appropriate link for our group.

http://dailyviews.runnersworld.com/2009/08/forgive-me-bart-for-i-have-sinned.html#comments

I love the comments about the running sins...I'll be bold enough to add my own.

My sin is that I've been following a "have never run a marathon" training program, when in reality, I've run 3 in the last 2 years, so I should be progressing a little more than I'm committing to and should be following the intermediate program. But that requires a LOT more running. Forgive me. In my defense, or for my penance, I will say as much of the "Hail Mary" as I know, and I will try to run 6 miles 2 days in a row.

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - This Saturday (8/22 @ 7 a.m.)

Join Horizons Runners this Saturday at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the parking lot of Horizons Church and run the out and back through Augustine. There are runners of all skill level who come out and run, so even if you feel like 5 miles is a stretch...or your concerned about keeping up...please don't let you that hinder you from coming out. If you're concerned about this aspect, please feel free to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) and we can talk through where you're at as a runner.

By the way, now I'm a big fan of this:

Blessings,

Karen

Run Scheduled - August 8 @ 7 a.m.

"The biological ages of runners are at least 10 years younger than their chronological ones." Steve Hawkins, Ph.D.

Join Horizons Runners this Saturday at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the parking lot of Horizons Church and run the out and back through Augustine.

There are runners of all skill level who come out and run, so even if you feel like 5 miles is a stretch...or your concerned about keeping up...please don't let you that hinder you from coming out. If you're concerned about this aspect, please feel free to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) and we can talk through where you're at as a runner.

Blessings,
Karen

Mind Games & Goal Setting

I have been reading a book about ultrarunning (thanks Dave) - it's a collection of different runners' experiences with doing runs 50K and up. While I type this, Bob H. is probably finishing his 50K, Dave R. is prepping for his 50K next week (Dahlgren - still entry spots available). I'm amazed at their ability to run these distances. I still struggle with the mental part of running 26.2 - or even 10. It can be overwhelming to think about running for that long of a period of time.

One of the runners in the book talked about how much of running is goal setting. Set the goal, put your mind to it and the body will follow. I do know it works because it's what has enabled me to run as much as I have already. And yes, it will be what it takes to run a 50K, if I can ever manage to work up that much courage.

My encouragement to you is that when you're training, make sure you're setting some goals that stretch your mind - not just your body. Don't believe you can even run 1 mile, let alone a marathon? What if you try believing that you can, and setting out to prove yourself right?

Even more so in the race of life that we are running, remember the words of 1 Peter 1:13 "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - This Saturday, 7/25 @ 7 a.m.

Join Horizons Runners this Saturday at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the parking lot of Horizons Church and run the out and back through Augustine.

If you've never been a part of a running group and have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com). I know there is sometimes apprehension about the distance, running speed, etc., and I'm sure I can allay any of your fears. I always look forward to the fellowship and encouragement of being with other runners - people who understand this "sickness" we call distance running :)

I can tell many people are in full race training as the injury reports are starting to trickle in. Make sure you train smart - which often means not over training. Unfortunately, my problem is typically under training!

Last week I ran the 7ish mile loop at Prince William Forest Park (the road loop - not the trail) and ran the part with the horrible hills first. That is a tough, but great training course. If you've never done it, I highly suggest trying it out. It's actually 8 miles round trip from parking lot D. Let me know if you want better directions. There is a $5 parking charge - unless you're in out and before they open. I know there's some energy for running the trail loop out there - let's see what the weekends in August bring us and perhaps we get something scheduled.

Hope to see y'all Saturday! Happy running, enjoy the humidity and be blessed.

Karen

Run Scheduled - This Saturday, 7/11 @ 7 a.m.

Join Horizons Runners this Saturday at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the parking lot of Horizons Church and run the out and back through Augustine.

There are runners of all skill level who come out and run, so even if you feel like 5 miles is a stretch...or your concerned about keeping up...please don't let you that hinder you from coming out. If you're concerned about this aspect, please feel free to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) and we can talk through where you're at as a runner.

Blessings,
Karen

Ragnar Relay

I'm seeing if there's enough interest out there to field a 12 person team for the Ragnar Relay that will be held on September 25/26. The deadline to register at the lower price is June 30th, so I'm looking for commitments by this Sunday, June 28th. I have 6 pretty firm commitments, and a handful of other possibilities, so we're at least 1/2 way there.

For more information, review the website (www.ragnarrelay.com/dc/index.php) and if you're interested, send me an email at karenegyud@gmail.com.

Run Scheduled - This Saturday, June 27 at 7 a.m.

Join Horizons Runners this Saturday at 7 a.m. for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the parking lot of Horizons Church and run the out and back through Augustine.

Hopefully the weather reports will be correct and it won't be oppressively humid. I'm still trying to adjust to the heat.

Hope you can join us. Please email me should you have any questions (karenegyud@gmail.com).

Blessings,
Karen

Summer Schedule

Just wanted to get some advance warning out to everyone on our summer schedule. We'll still be sticking with our every other week schedule, at our new meet time of 7:00 a.m. However, the next scheduled run will be on June 27th and every other week there forward. That keeps us off the 20th (I'll be on vacation :), and July 4th.

Run Scheduled - This Saturday, 6/6 @ 7 a.m.

Hello runners!

I hope you are enjoying warm weather running. I'm not, but I'm hoping to get used to it soon.

We'll meet this Saturday, June 6th at 7:00 a.m. in the parking lot of Horizons Church (corner of Winding Creek and Flatford - back side of Park Ridge). Distance will be @5 miles. Please note that the time has been moved up 30 minutes and we will stay at a similar time through the summer due to the heat & humidity of our lovely Virginia.

See you Saturday!

Coupon for the VA Beach 1/2

If you are planning on running the VA Beach 1/2 Marathon - here's a coupon for $10 off...

Price Increase May 31st!
Pocket $25 when you:
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Use Code: POCKET Offer Expires: 5/31

Run Scheduled - May 23

Hey Runners. Join us this coming Saturday, 5/23, for a 5 mile run. We'll meet in the Horizons Church parking lot at 7:30 a.m. There will also be the opportunity to add a few more miles onto the end of the run if you'd like.

Congrats to everyone who ran in a race last Sunday. Dave Robertson & Steve Sparling ran the Ex2 Off-Road Half Marathon in Prince William Forest Park - great times guys. I do hope there will be pictures from this one! I know there were a few people in the Historic Half in Fredericksburg, too. I have to admit that my predominant thought on Sunday morning was one of thankfulness that I wasn't registered to run either of these races. :)

Training programs are starting to kick into full gear - I'll try and schedule some "off-site" long runs for those in training for fall half & full marathons. If you haven't signed up for something yet, there are lots of great options - Baltimore, Richmond, VA Beach. Dave R. is doing the Rattlesnake Trail 50K on July 11th in WV. Rattlesnake Trail? No thank you. But, for those who are into trails without snakes in the name, there is a 50K in Dahlgren in August. Here's the link: http://www.racetimingunlimited.org/raceinfo/DU09Info.aspx

Have a great week running in this beautiful weather and hope to see you Saturday.

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - May 9th

We'll meet this Saturday, May 9th at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Horizons Church (please note location). In case you're not familiar, the church is located at 12 Flatford Road (corner of Winding Creek and Flatford - back side of Park Ridge). Distance will be @5 miles.

Thankfully, there's no rain in the forecast for the morning!

Please email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) should you have any questions. Hope to see you Saturday.

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - April 25th

It seems like forever since we've had a run together! We'll meet this Saturday, April 25th at 7:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Horizons Church (please note new location!). In case you're not familiar, the church is located at 12 Flatford Road (corner of Winding Creek and Flatford - back side of Park Ridge).

Distance will be 4-5 miles for the main run, with the option to add some additional miles on the end, if you choose. I'm planning on adding about 2...if my legs recover from last weekend by then.

Also, a reminder about the event coming up in a couple weeks that could use some volunteer help: www.athletic-equation.com/endurance-events/24hratr.html. You can contact Dave Robertson (david.robertson@associates.dhs.gov) for more info.

Good luck to the Goodroe's who are doing the Face of America Charity Two Day Ride this weekend.

Please email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) should you have any questions. Hope to see you Saturday.

Blessings,

Karen

A Couple Weeks Off

Generally, we'd be running this Saturday, but because of the Easter holiday, I'm not going to schedule a run. Next week is the Charlottesville 1/2 which I'm running, so the next organized run will probably be April 25th - meeting in the church parking lot.

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - March 28th

There will be a run this Saturday, March 28th at 7:30 a.m. We will meet for the last time at Rodney Thompson Middle School. (We'll meet at the church site in the future). Finally, the weather should be more springlike - hopefully in the 50's.

We'll do a 4 mile run together - all are welcome to add on to the run before and after. I've been loving the extended long run after our 4 miles, but this Saturday will just be the 4 miles for me as I need to get ready for the big move! (Items currently in storage, etc. moving into the church building Saturday!!!)

If you have any questions about the group, like where Rodney Thompson is or how challenging the run is, etc., please don't hesitate to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) or call (703.403.3388) and as always, feel free to invite a friend to join us. See you Saturday!

Park Ridge 5K Pictures

The Park Ridge 5K was awesome this year - it was really well put together. Kudos to the planners. Several members of the running club were out for the 5K or the 1 mile fun run. It was PR for me in the 5K, which really isn't saying much, but it's nice to see improvement year to year. Thank you to Pat & Danielle for sharing some pictures with me!

Park Ridge 5K

Have you registered??? http://www.geocities.com/parkridge5k/

Park Ridge 5K is this Saturday at 8 a.m. and the 1 Mile Fun Run is at 9 a.m.

See you there!

Karen

Run Scheduled - March 14th

Morning temp for Saturday is forecasted to be in the 40's. Considering how cold it has been for our runs recently, that will feel great!

There's a great article in Runner's World this month about running with others and the positive benefits. I am thankful for this group and how it has encouraged me to get outside to run on some mornings that I would have made any excuse not to get out of bed.

We currently meet up at Rodney Thompson Middle School (for just a few more runs - then we'll be meeting at the building!) We'll plan on doing a 4 mile group run. If you have any questions about the group, like where Rodney Thompson is or how challenging the run is, etc., please don't hesitate to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) or call (703.403.3388) and as always, feel free to invite a friend to join us.

See you Saturday!

Run Scheduled - February 28

We'll close out the month of February with a run this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Can you believe it's the last week of February???? I know we all want spring, but I will try to focus on the fact that it's still FEBRUARY and it's supposed to be cold. :)

We currently meet up at Rodney Thompson Middle School. We'll plan on doing a 4 mile group run, and if anyone wants to go a little further, or needs to do a little less, we can work that out as well. If you have any questions about the group, like where Rodney Thompson is or how challenging the run is, etc., please don't hesitate to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) or call (703.403.3388).

I was going to move the runs in March to 7:00 a.m. until I realized daylight savings time takes effect on March 8th - meaning that it will still be "darkish". I'll wait until April to move the time back.

Also, it's time to sign up for some races. Don't forget to check out the Charlottesville Half/Full Marathon and the Park Ridge 5K, coming up soon.

See you Saturday!

Blessings,
Karen

Great Run

We had a great run this morning. It wasn't windy - even though it was still a little cold out. We had a couple new people - way to go Christian!

I decided to take Dave up on the challenge of an extra 4 miles - which was more like an extra 5 miles. My legs are feeling it and I could really use a nap now, but it's great to be up to that mileage so early in the year. Of course, the first humid day will knock me back down!

Dave will be getting us some info on a volunteer opportunity at a race coming up in May.

Thought for the day...when you run, what is your mind focused upon? For me, running is usually a great time to clear my head, but sometimes, I can obsess on problems or negative thoughts - as simple as, "I can't do this, I can't run any further." A better way to use the time: Psalm 77:12 "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."

Blessings,
Karen

Run Scheduled - Saturday, 2/14 @ 7:30 a.m.

Do your heart some good this Valentine's Day and join Horizons Runners this Saturday, 2/14 at 7:30 a.m.

We currently meet up at Rodney Thompson Middle School. We'll plan on doing a 4 mile group run, and if anyone wants to go a little further, or needs to do a little less, we can work that out as well.

If you have any questions about the group, like where Rodney Thompson is or how challenging the run is, etc., please don't hesitate to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) or call (703.403.3388).

Tentative Schedule for Feb & March

Subject to change, runs will be held on the following Saturdays in Feb & March: 2/14, 2/28, 3/14 & 3/28. By March, as the weather gets warmer and it gets light sooner, the start time will move back to 7:00 a.m.

If you are not on the email list already to be alerted about scheduled runs, send me an email at karenegyud@gmail.com. Also on the calendar for March is the Park Ridge 5K on the 21st.

Running Playlists

I just came across this cd today. I actually already have most of these tracks in my running playlist. I'm in the market for some new songs to add to my list. It's already 5 hours long, but I've been listening to the same playlist of songs for over a year. Anyone have suggestions of their favorite running songs?


Track Listings
1. Let God Arise (Chris Tomlin)
2. No One Like You (David Crowder Band)
3. You're Worthy Of My Praise (Jeremy Camp)
4. Hallelujah, God Is Near (Robbie Seay Band)
5. Filled With Your Glory (Starfield)
6. Happy Day (Tim Hughes)
7. Alive (Rebecca St. James)
8. Everything About You (Sanctus Real)
9. Blessed Is The One (Daniel Doss Band)
10. Burn For You (Shortwave Radio Mix) (tobyMac)
11. Strong Tower (Kutless)
12. Moment Made For Worshipping (Steven Curtis Chapman)

Scheduled Run - Saturday 1/31 @ 7:30 a.m.

I have scheduled a run for this Saturday, hopefully to get us on the opposite days of the Men's Group. (We generally meet every other week, as schedules allow). So, join us this Saturday, 1/31 at 7:30 a.m. We currently meet up at Rodney Thompson Middle School. We'll plan on doing a 4 mile group run, and if anyone wants to go a little further, or needs to do a little less, we can work that out as well. Email me if you plan to come.

If you have any questions about the group, like where Rodney Thompson is or how challenging the run is, etc., please don't hesitate to email me (karenegyud@gmail.com) or call (703.403.3388).

Weather for Saturday looks a lot better than today! Hope to see you then.

Blessings,

Karen

Run Scheduled - Saturday, Jan.24th @ 7:30 a.m.

I've scheduled a 4 miler for Saturday, January 24th at 7:30 a.m. We'll meet at Rodney Thompson Middle School. Please let me know if you have any questions.

It should be balmy compared with today. They're calling for a high of 38!

Race Schedule

Here are some great races happening in 2009.

• Saturday, March 21 - Park Ridge 5K (Stafford, VA)
• Saturday, March 21 - National Marathon & Half Marathon
• Saturday, April 18- Charlottesville Marathon & Half Marathon
• Sunday, May 17 - Marine Corps Historic Half (Fredericksburg, VA)
• Sunday, September 6 - Virginia Beach Rock N Roll Half Marathon
• Saturday, October 10 - Baltimore Marathon & Half Marathon
• Sunday, October 25 - Marine Corps Marathon (Washington, DC)
• Saturday, November 14 - Richmond Marathon & Half Marathon

This isn't an exhautive list, but these seem to be the most popular races amongst the Horizons Runners, and most are on Saturdays.