Tag Archives: USA

Aug28

August 2016—All in One Post!

Posted on August 28, 2016 by mscurlgurl78

So, I did around 3,500 miles this month!….

In my car.

I haven’t been active here lately, partly due to my roadtrip! On July 31st, I packed up my trusty 2009 Pontiac Vibe and hit the road. Along with the essential clothing, toiletries and podcasts to entertain, I also packed my 9 year old beagle, Snoopy. Where were we heading? We were going across the border south east to my hometown of Franklin, Wisconsin. We had stopovers planned in Longville, Minnesota (my aunt and uncle live there). Snoopy is an excellent travel companion; I honestly cannot say that enough. He just curls up and sleeps the whole time, does not fuss, and is excited to arrive to any destination. So I kept myself occupied by listening to a variety of podcasts and when I really started losing it I would talk to Snoopy.

All packed and ready to hit the road!

We made it to my mom’s on August 4th, and we stayed until August 22nd. During that time, I was able to see all of my family that lives in the area, attend a closing day of Badgerette Pom Pon camp (I worked for Badgerette for 5 summers), watch the State Distinguished Young Woman show with my friend Maureen (I won 2nd alternate back in it’s Junior Miss hey day), go to two travelling beer gardens, see a bunch of my friends back home, eat and drink my way through both Wisconsin State Fair & Zoo Ala Carte, go to my favourite Mexican restaurant 3 times, play in a bag toss tournament, and so much more.

“Swimming” with Snoopy in Lake Wabedo in Northern Minnesota

When you are in Longville, MN, you go to the Meat Raffle at the bar….and win!

Henry Winkler is forever immortalized as the Bronze Fonz on Milwaukee’s riverfront

MKEhome!

Snoopy posing in front of the Calatrava–Milwaukee Art Museum

The main reason I drove was so I would be able to bring back the remains of my childhood that was still housed at my moms. It wasn’t that she was forcing me to take it, but I have been gone since 2008, so I figured it was time. Yearbooks, photos, games, puzzles, Barbies, Littlest Pet Shop, etc, etc, etc….It is now all back in Alberta. I also packed up some New Glarus Beer, a ton of Wisconsin cheese, 32 bottles of Sprecher soda, and who knows what else. Snoopy and I arrived back in Lethbridge on August 24th. Wow, it felt good to get back! We both missed his daddy Dan and his brothers Woodstock and Faron.

Root River Beer Garden with all my Wisconsin Family!

Mom, Aunti Debbie, Uncle Chuck, Auntie Susie, Uncle John, Cousin Dan and his wife Anne and their girls, Cousin Jennifer and her husband Paul and their son, and Paul’s parents…Snoopy is hiding somewhere!

That’s for DAMN sure!

During that trip, I also started running. I had done my first 5km run prior to the trip in a numbing time of 33:43. I had walked and jogged a bunch during it. That was on July 28th. Remember, my foot surgery was on June 10th. I had been given the clear I could start running after my 6 week post op on July 21st. I did my first humid (SO HUMID AND HOT) Wisconsin run on August 7th. It was a little 20 minute jaunt that average 9:40 per mile. Oww. On August 11th, I went out to try and beat my July 28th 5km time. I did so handedly, running a 30:02! So close to that sub 30! I did a couple other 1-2 mile runs during my time in Wisconsin, but I wanted to try and get under 30 minutes. On August 16th, I set out to do that. I ran that 5km in 28:20! These gains I have made in less than a month since coming back into running are huge. I was going nuts not running for over 6 weeks, and taking this time to get my newly fixed foot used to running (and running properly) has been great.

5km well under 30 minutes!

Since returning to Lethbridge, I am happy that the humidity is gone. I have ran on August 25th, 26th and 27th, and the weather has been glorious. The biggest highlight was yesterday, the 27th. I went out to run a sole mile with the goal of getting between 8:00-8:15, a pace I was always easily able to obtain on my runs, and my sweet spot for my Boston qualifying pace. I finished that mile in 8:14! Guess what world…LAMMERS IS BACK!

And guess what today is? Today marks the start of WEEK 1 of my GOOFY CHALLENGE training plan. I have put together a very non-aggressive 19 week training plan with the goal of “comfortable completion” of the 2017 Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge, which is a half marathon on Saturday, January 7th followed by a full marathon on Sunday, January 8th. The even more special thing about this race is that I will be running my 2nd WDW full marathon alongside my best friend Ali. It will be her very first full marathon! I will be there to support her through those dark moments (especially between miles 15-23!!!) She has run half marathons before, and I have set her up with a training plan to coincides with her Spartan Race and Crossfit schedule. It will be a weekend to remember!

The original “Pottage Pose” from the marathon portion of the 2014 Dopey Challenge in WDW

19 weeks is a LONG training plan. When I ran the Vancouver Marathon in 2015 and Boston in 2016, I had an intense 16 week plan. This plan does not include speedwork. It just has two easy runs a week plus a long run on the Saturday. Then, in late October, I add another mid distance run on Friday, which will help prepare me for the two day challenge that Goofy presents. I am not going for any speed records at this race; I want to get my body back into running shape so I can begin to push myself again come the new year!

I have updated my 2016 race schedule, as I have a few local events in October and November. I will be recapping those after they occur, and I will definitely be keeping you posted on how my Goofy training goes. Until then, I need to get ready for my first day back at work tomorrow….Teachers start this week, with students coming in the day after Labour Day. For teachers, this is our “New Year”. Happy New Year to all the teachers, students and parents out there!

Jan28

Initial Thoughts and Rambles from my Spartan Race Weekend in California

Posted on January 28, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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I am still not fully recovered from my whirlwind weekend in Southern California. I flew out at 7 pm on Friday, and then was back at LAX on Sunday by 3:30 pm. I drove home and got into my bed by 3 AM Monday morning in Lethbridge. I am tired, my body is tight, I had chaffing marks on my ankles from my calf sleeves, my eyes hurt, I am sunburned, and my number is still etched into my calves with permanent marker. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This weekend I ran the Spartan Race So Cal events-Super Spartan (9 miles) on Saturday, Jan. 24th, and the Sprint (approx. 5 miles) on Sunday, Jan. 25th. Both events were held at Vail Lake in Temecula, California. My best friend Ali, her boyfriend, and their dogs picked me up from the airport and we headed to Temecula on Friday night. We were at the race site nice and early for check in and to peruse the site. I also spent a lot of money on merchandise! I would run the Super with Ali and Kevin. This would be Ali and Kevin’s TRIFECTA race weekend (completed the Beast the weekend before, a distance of a half marathon). Heading out at the start of the race, I didn’t think the wind would be to bad, seeing that I am used to Lethbridge winds. I was wrong. These winds were just as strong at winds in Lethbridge, but add the gritty sand and dirt from the course blowing around and the sun, and that makes it a whole different experience.

I enjoyed all the obstacles on the course—some that are the same as previous years’, and many that are new. Seeing that this is my 3rd year doing Spartan Races it is appreciated that they change things up. Like the Traverse Wall—while they still had one, instead of this one going in a straight line, it now zig-zagged. The terrain of Vail Lake also just added new natural obstacles that reminded me of the Montana Sprint. Ali and I finished this race together in a time of 4:40.06. I know I have said this before, but considering this girl wouldn’t even run 900 metres last year at this time and was now doing 9 mile obstacle course races is amazing! I am so proud!

That night I realized when we went in the hot tub how sunburned and wind burned my thighs had gotten. It stung like HELL getting in the hot water. Whoops. That being said, I still decided to go out and push myself during the Sprint. Seeing a preview of the course the day before was a huge help, and I was able to tackle those hills just like I would if I were in the Coulees in Lethbridge. I even nailed the Spear Throw obstacle!— a Spartan Race FIRST for me, and this was my 9th Spartan Race ever! I still move quite slow over any height obstacle, as my fear sets in, but I made them. I fell on the Monkey Bars, Rope Climb and also made it 3/4 of the way on the Traverse Wall….so 90 burpees for me. Even with those burpee penalties, I finished in a 1:21.52, which was good for 33/1655 females in the Open Division! My running came in handy for my lack of upper body strength!I knew what to expect coming into a Spartan Race, but I am very happy to say that I feel the organization is back bigger and better in 2015. The obstacles did not disappoint, the race swag was new and improved (finisher shirts that are specific for each distance, instead of a general shirt!), and incredible medals! I am very excited for my Spartan Beast in Montana this May so I can become a member of the USA Trifecta Tribe! AROO, AROO, AROO!!!!

Dec29

2014 Running Recap

Posted on December 29, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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It is almost a wrap on 2014…what a year! Ok…I hate that I used that as my first sentence, but I am currently going on my 26th hour in a sleeping car on the Amtrak and am not thinking straight. So maybe writing my recap now isn’t the smartest idea, but I don’t have anything else to occupy my time with really (or that I want to be doing?) so I may as well type this on out!

The numbers

My total of unique race events (ranging from 4km, 5km, 10km, 10 milers, halves and full!) in 2014 is currently at 24, and my 25th event will be on New Years Eve when I run the Brita Resolution Run 5km in Red Deer, Alberta. Last year, I finished with the Lethbridge version of the Resolution Run and that made for my 22nd event. So I will be up three events from 2013 when the clock strikes midnight! Doing the Dopey Challenge (4 individual events) and Dumbo Double Dare (2 distances) in 2014 made the yearly total add up quickly, that’s for sure! And in the process, I ran personal best times in the 5km, half marathon and full marathon distances. Now, will I be trying to “beat” that total and “feats” next year? Not exactly…

This year actually could have been a few races less than 25, especially since before Dopey, I didn’t even have another full marathon planned. After Dopey, I had gotten the bright idea that I could maybe push for a Boston Qualifying time. While I did drop my time in the two latter races I ran (in Calgary and Edmonton, June and August, respectively) it wasn’t enough to qualify. Looking back, I probably did too much in between if Boston had been my main focus for 2014. Going into 2014, Boston wasn’t even close to being on my radar…but my mind started going after seeing some of the possibilities. Was I frustrated I didn’t qualify for Boston last year? You bet I was….but now, I can look back and realize that looking at the progress in my full marathons is something to be proud of. My old personal best before 2014 was a 3:56 full from 2007. In 2014, I ran a 3:50, 3:46 and 3:44 over the course of my jam-packed year. And now I know what I need to work on more of while I prepare for 2015.

Boston qualifying is the main focus for 2015, as I am going to officially start my training program on January 11th. I will be running in the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 3rd, and my events leading up to Vancouver will help supplement my training, while not overdoing it. I have been able to get the half marathon distance down pat (running sub 1:40 now three times in 2014) but will need to work on building distance/endurance in my training.

In addition to Vancouver, I am currently registered for 8 additional events. Six of these events are Spartan Races. I will be doing the Temecula Super Spartan & Sprint on two days back-to-back in January, alongside my best friend. Then in May, my husband and I will be making our way down to Montana for their yearly Spartan Race! Only this year, we aren’t doing the Sprint….we are doing the newly added Beast! This means I will earn Spartan Race Trifecta Tribe Status by May! So I should be done with Spartan Races then, right? Of course not, as that is a Trifecta in the US, so I also want to earn a Trifecta in Canada! September will be the Red Deer Super and Sprint, and then off to Sun Peaks for the Beast! But not just the regular Beast….the Ultra Beast! I have already tackled the Beast in Sun Peaks in 2013, so I needed to take it up a notch and give the 26.2 miles of hell a shot. I guess that’s the main thing that’s bound to happen once you start trying all the different types of races out there…you want to keep pushing yourself beyond the proverbial limit.

I know I will pick up other smaller, local races throughout 2015, but my focus is on my full marathon in May and the Spartan Races. And oh yeah, I do have some things to worry about in addition to running…we have a new house to put sweat-equity in, an old house to sell, and I have a killer schedule for second semester that will take up all extra energy I have. Spring will be very busy for myself (and my hubby!) and while the training takes up time, and one might say I should “go relax or something”, I think I can beg to differ, as my running, training and racing is how I, in the words of Aaron Rodgers, R-E-L-A-X !!!

Cheers to 2014 and here’s to looking forward to 2015! And GO PACK GO!

May14

Spartan Race Montana 2014—We Loved it so Much, We Came Back Again!

Posted on May 14, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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Last year, Dan and I participated in our first ever Spartan Race in Kalispell, Montana. That recap can be found here: Spartan Montana Sprint 2013

After that race, I participated in four more Spartan Races—2 more Sprint distances, 1 Super, and 1 Beast, thus earning my membership in the Trifecta Tribe. I had a great time doing all the races that I knew I had to do some again this year! Naturally, Dan and I signed up for the Montana Spartan Sprint again!

We headed down to Kalispell, MT, the night before so we could get to packet pickup. Pickup was running from 5-8 PM outside of Sportsman Ski Haus. We arrived at 5:10 PM and the line was out of control. Last year, Dan and I maybe waited ten minutes tops. I am not sure why the line took so long to move, but we waited a solid 1 hour and 20 minutes. There were some people who waited even longer. If the weather had been bad, or if we hadn’t been able to take the beer we purchased out of the beer garden back to our friends standing in line (and vice versa) this would have been completely unbearable. This is my only complaint of the otherwise awesome weekend. I truly hope the organizers of the race do something about this next year, because obviously more people utilized race pickup the night before than last year.

I did win a parking pass for us (and a sweet long sleeve burnout-tee!) at the pickup pre-party! The pass came in handy the next morning, as we could drive straight to the race site and park our car on property, versus taking the shuttle. We had a 10:45 heat time, and our friends Matt & Kelly would be racing along with us in this heat. It would be their first ever Spartan Race experience!

The course, while in the same location as last year, started and ended in a different spot, and also went in what I would consider to be reverse direction as the year prior. This was awesome as someone who had done the race the year prior. Another cool thing about this event was it had been deemed a “Founder’s Race”, as Joe De Sena and other founders of the company personally helped construct it. They would also be participating in a Founder’s Heat later in the day!

There were many traditional Spartan Race obstacles, such as the Over, Under, Through….Cargo Net…Sand Bag Carry…Spear Throw…Barbed Wire Crawl….Rope Climb. But that last one was with a twist! I was all set to attempt this rope climb, but the climbing rope was swung from another rope between trees like a hammock. This caused a bouncing movement when climbing the rope as other climbers also climbed. I did not like this! Dan with his arborist skills made it up no problem. I, on the other hand, had to do burpees.

The terrain is crazy on this course, just like last year. Such steep climbs up the sides of mountains, to then only descend down slippery falls full of mud. It was also very wet and humid, in my opinion, but this just has to do with the surroundings. My glutes burned pretty much immediately upon climbing the first hill. This was expected though!

After the spear throw, Kelly and I told the boys to go ahead, as there was just the sandbag, 8-foot wall, and fire jump left. I finished in 1 hour 46 minutes. I even did two terrible cartwheels over the finish line mat! I am hoping that they caught it on camera, so when pictures are posted I will let you know! Being a bling junkie, I was excited to get the medal and see how it looked this year. The Spartan Race medals at split into 1/3 this year, and if you do one of distance they piece together as a giant medal. This race also included a special black medallion for the Founder’s Race, which is very cool!

We collected our bags, went and got an after photo, and proceeded to hose ourselves down. I didn’t even care that the water was ice cold, it just felt good to get semi-clean! After changing into crappy sweats, we collected our finisher shirts. I was pleasantly surprised with them, as last year they were just a standard cotton black shirt. Not comfortable or breathable at all. This year they are a heather grey, very light, and just plain awesome!

Other than the race itself being awesome, the after-experience at this particular Spartan Race is incredible. Just like last year, they had food trucks on site and beer flowing from local breweries. We stayed for over 3 hours after finishing and just enjoyed the food, beer, weather, and other racers finishing! It was a blast! I had been worried about the weather all week, as chance of rain was at about 80% for the whole weekend! but the afternoon photos speak for themselves! as we really got to enjoy the best Montana had to offer! When there is so much going on at the race site, beautiful May afternoon and all, why would we want to leave?!?! This is what makes the whole Spartan Race Weekend special—you don’t just go and run a race and are finished…you take it all in all weekend long! If you take advantage of all the things Spartan Race pulls together to make the whole weekend tie in, then you will have an amazing time. AROO! AROO! AROO!

Jan5

More Than a Year’s Worth of Effort…It Is Here!

Posted on January 5, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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The event I set as the goal of my running career so far is almost here-Dan, my mom, and I leave for the Dopey Challenge in less 40 hours! Dan and I have to get through one day of work tomorrow (January 6th) before we head up to Calgary to catch our red-eye flight to Toronto, where we will then catch a flight to Orlando. My mom leaves on Tuesday AM, and if all our flights are on time :::fingers crossed::: we arrive within one hour of each other!

At the start of this journey, I talked about how I was made for this race. I have had the picture below posted a couple times, and it’s currently both my cover photo on Facebook and background on Twitter:

The year was 1988. I am almost four years old. I am sprinting up the driveway after running up the hill with my dad. I am sporting a Walt Disney World shirt, a gift from my Uncle Chuck & Auntie Debbie. I had not been to Walt Disney World yet. Little did I know, that after 1 trip in 1991, I would become an addict.

Disney World became our family vacation destination. The three of us took six fantastic trips together as a family, the last being in Spring 2003.

My dad suffered a fatal heart attack the following Spring, on April 25th, 2004. My life and my mom’s life were turned upside down. I turned my energy to running, and ran my first half marathon on May 1st, 2004. I haven’t stopped running road races since.

I needed to find a way, a suitable way, to honor my dad. It was time. I was finally able to handle the loss, and knew honoring him was my last step. Running and Disney….that had to be the combination. I set out on January 2013 ready to raise money for heart disease research…setting up fundraising accounts with American Heart Association and Heart & Stroke Foundation. I blogged about my running and races and Disney World and family memories. I signed up for more races in 2013 than I ever have done in my life—I ran 22 unique races over the course of this year! And most importantly, I signed up for the Dopey Challenge, which is to be held on January 9-12, 2014, during WDW Marathon Weekend.

I was meant for this race. My whole life. I never knew it until this past year. This week, when I step into the Walt Disney World Resort with my husband and my mom….I will be ready to run…more than ever….my dad will be with me too.

Je Me Souviens! To Infinity & Beyond!

If you are interested in donating in memory of my father, Andrew A. Lammers, please click on the “Charities” tab at the top of the page, and follow the links to my personal fundraising pages with American Heart Association or Heart & Stroke Foundation. Every little bit helps and is appreciated more than you know!

Nov18

“…Tell us Where You’re From….”

Posted on November 18, 2013 by mscurlgurl78

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This is a post about identity. Who we are. Who we think we relate to. And it may change over time. And my post may not have a closure. It may loosely tie to racing. It may loosely tie to my dad. Really, it is just a pondering of thought I have had since Saturday…

When I fill out race registrations, I have to put in my address and phone number. So I naturally enter Lethbridge, Alberta, as this is where I live. I am now coming up on my 5-year Canada anniversary (December 2nd) and it is still crazy to think of this whirlwind I have been a part of. My dad was born In Quebec City….moved to Beloit, Wisconsin around age 2. Lived in Switzerland. Back to Wisconsin. Raised a family. Daughter moves to Alberta. What the……?!? Anyway, while entering an address in a race entry form may not seem to be a big deal, the first time it really sank in for me was this April, when I ran the Waukesha Trailbreaker Half back in Wisconsin….but I was entered as a Canadian.

This past weekend I ran a 10 km in Lethbridge, Alberta. I am now calling this area “my turf” and felt strong going into it. I am use to the weather, the elevation, the surroundings, and the trails. With all that on my side, I rocked out a PR of 45:37 and got 1st overall out of 55 females. Erin from Runners Soul also mentioned me on the microphone before the race as a “strong local runner to watch for in the women’s 10km.”

So I am a Milwaukee girl, born and raised, who lived there for 24 years….and now I am 5 years into being in Lethbridge and am finding my place. But I am still struggling with that question “where are you from?”

Anytime anyone asks me this in a basic conversation, I say “Well, I am from Wisconsin, but live in Lethbridge, Alberta.” If someone within the province asks me where I am from, like when I went to Banff with my mom this summer, I answer straight with “I am from Lethbridge!” But then they question me because of my ridiculously heavy Milwaukee-esqe accent (trust me, it’s a thing), knowing I am not a since-birth Canadian.

And when I was interviewed by RunDisney last week, they asked me to say my full name and say where I am from (presumably to look me up before adding me into the final cut). I said my whole name and simply said “Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada”

I know there’s tons of people out there who have been from everywhere under the sun….maybe born overseas on a base, then back to the US, moved around every couple years….so they may be laughing at my post and think I am an idiot since I am FROM one distinctive place but now LIVE in another. But the thing is….Lethbridge is my home and future. Milwaukee is my hometown and my roots will always be firmly planted there. I will always have a ridiculous connection to Milwaukee….it has made me who I am today. Lethbridge is just beginning to experience what Milwaukee created.

Mar12

Fundraising Update!

Posted on March 12, 2013 by mscurlgurl78

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It has been a little over two months since I started this site and got my message out there for the public to read. I have felt so great about everything so far! The support from family, friends, and people I have never met has been fantastic. I get so excited to see someone “like” my webpage or a specific post. I also love getting emails from the American Heart Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation to say I have received donations in the memory of my dad!

So far, the US is in the lead with $610 in donations to the American Heart Association!!. Canada is close behind with $465 in donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation!!. My goal for each organization is $1000 a piece, and I am still very confident we can surpass that a few times over! I am so overjoyed to see that we have already raised $1075 for heart disease research within North America!!

If you would like information on how to support either organization and donate to my fundraiser in memory of my father, please click on the charities tab up on top of the page. Follow the correct links for your region and you can donate securely online. Every dollar is valued and appreciated.

This website was created to help me heal and remember my dad, and make it more accessible for others to share in his memory and my motivation. Keep sharing my page, reading my page, commenting in my page! I love hearing feedback and input!

-Andrea

Je Me Souviens-To Infinity & Beyond!

Running, Dad, & Disney–My Journey Continues…

Tag Archives: USA

August 2016—All in One Post!

Initial Thoughts and Rambles from my Spartan Race Weekend in California

2014 Running Recap

Spartan Race Montana 2014—We Loved it so Much, We Came Back Again!

More Than a Year’s Worth of Effort…It Is Here!

“…Tell us Where You’re From….”

Fundraising Update!

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