Way To Go Chris

Great job Chris and Sarah for running your little hearts out in the Mesa Falls Marathon. Chris took 2nd in her age group. You guys are amazing.

Best Day Ever!!

This is the before and after shot. Oh wow, what a race. The Dirty Dash (Boise) was fore sure, without question the best race ever! We had so much fun wallowing in the mud. I am not sure how something so incredibly hard could be so incredibly fun. We leapt, crept, climbed, balanced, slid, oh ya and ran our way through the course. We will definitely be back next year. Who knows, maybe with a few more fellow pennies in tow.

A Runner's Spare Time

Ever wonder what "real" runners do in their spare time? Ya I don't really wonder either, but for the heck of it, when I find a real runner I will ask them and let you know so we'll all feel enlightened. As for members of the Shiny Penny Team we find various ways to entertain ourselves. This weekend our little team is splitting up to conquer a few different events. Sarah (happy b-day) and her mom Chris are running a marathon in Idaho (good luck girls, you are awesome!!). We have another teammate who is part of a walking team participating in Hood to Coast. Then there are the 5 little piglets going to play in the mud! Jan, Stephanie, Carolyn, Wendy and I are headed to Boise for the Dirty Dash. None of us have ever done this before and we look forward to having fun and getting dirty in the process. Party on!!

Thanks Pendleton

As I shoved my bruised toes back into my running shoes this morning at 6:00 I kept thinking, "I really don't have to do this, training and the race are over. I should just go back to bed." But needless to say I got up anyway and headed out. I am glad I did, look at the change I picked up today, it made it all worth while. I think the donation we make to the memorial bike charity may be the smallest donation in history but I bet there is more hours and sweat behind it than any other donation ever given. It would be interesting to count the number of hours and miles that go into it. Thanks Pendleton for the 41 cents you left laying around, it made my day. :)

Why do we run?!

A week ago Linda posted her feet so you could see her toe nails. I didn't take pictures of my blisters or purple toe then so I learned from her and found a camera for this "running joy!" I had a great weekend with some awesome girls but I was very frustrated with my runs and during my last run I was pondering if I really am strong enough to keep running. Linda, is a little older than I am and she's still running. Chris, is a little older than I am and she's training for a marathon so maybe it's just me! Maybe I'm not made of the tough clothe?! However, after taking my socks and shoes off Saturday night I was surprised to see a swollen and bruised ankle. Monday morning I went to the Dr. and was relieved to think that maybe I'm a little tougher than my original thought. I'm starting to think runners should be examined by a shrink and after my question to the Dr. this morning I think he would agree. The diagnosis was do able and hopefully I can train for my half next month!

After The Run

This was our post run meal. While on the relay you don't eat meals of any type, you just kind of snack. After our van finished all three legs we headed to the nearest diner for a bite to eat. Notice the number of plates and the number of runners....hmmmm they don't add up. Then on the way home some of the runners decided to take a snooze. What do you expect, you get up at 2:45 Friday morning and don't go to sleep again until you get home, or in their case until you are in the van on the way home. There are major exchanges where runners can unwind for a few hours but it's pretty hard to catch shut eye when runners and their vehicles are coming and going. But we LOVE it!!

Sneak Peak

This is just a sneak peak at some of the fun pictures we took on the relay. I am working on compiling them and will post more later. This one is of Kelley on her first leg, and she was participating in one of the contests, brightest outfit. We don't know the outcome of the contests yet but we'll keep you posted. In total we participated in 7 different contest against approximately 80 other teams.

Another try at it....

Okay not that you'll probably read this before morning....but here's another introduction. Still can't find the first one I wrote, I'll find it Sunday!

Penny for your thoughts? The Shiny Pennies are back and this years theme is "Shiny Penny goes to boot camp." It all started when they discovered how much money can be found on the roads, it has now become their passion. They ran this relay last year and are here to prove to themselves as well as to others that pennies really can "go along way!" There are days when they may feel more like a whiny penny but you just wait and Saturday you'll see 12 whiny pennies shining as they stand under the finish sign and once again giggle at the "journey" it's been and with any luck they will all have a penny tucked in a pocket or shoe that they found along that "journey."

Any last minute thoughts?

GO!!! SHINY PENNIES!!! GO!!!

Congratulations Ladies!!! You have all worked so hard getting where you are today, you don't know how proud you all make me feel to have been a part of such a wonderful group of ladies/runners. I am anxious and excited for the successes and fun you guys will experience this year. I am truly sad that I have not been able to be a part of the group this year but I have just as much enthusiasm in my heart and soul for all of you, as though I was going to be there myself.

Those of you that I had the pleasure of yelling "Go Shiny Pennies!" at 6 in the morning, Thank You! those days were always better for having your inspiration and smiles so early in the morning.

Jamie and Steph I will be with you in spirit Friday night into Saturday, that was the best bike ride I have ever had.

I have a feeling you ladies are going to smoke your times from last year! Go run your hearts out and don't forget to have fun. Well, I know you guys won't forget the fun part!!! I will be thinking of all of you Thursday-Friday and wondering how it's going, so please post a little something if you can. Try to get some sleep along the way as well.


GO!!! SHINY PENNIES!!! GO!!!

A Heartfelt Thanks!!

We just wanted thank everyone who supported our carwash today down at Wilcox furniture. Some of you asked who we are and what the money is used for. Hopefully the blog gives you some idea about who we are. As for what the money is used for? Well, it costs us $900 just to register for the race. In addition to our registration fees we have to pay for hotel, gas, race contests, incidentals and vehicles. Figuring everything in I would say it costs us about $3000 or more to participate in this race. One of the reasons we chose the Spokane to Sandpoint race is that it is not a strictly for profit group. A portion of their proceeds help support other ventures such as The Partnership for Transformation which is a non-profit organization that helps provide educational, economic, and spiritual aid to rural communities in Africa. PFT has brought communities like Nyango clean drinking water by providing the funds and labor to drill a well. In addition to PFT, the Spokane to Sandpoint relay race also donates a portion of the proceeds to a bicycle safety course to educate riders of all ages. If you have any other questions that we can answer please feel free to post on our blog or if you have questions about the race you can visit the sponsor website at http://www.spokanetosandpoint.com/. Thanks again for all your supports, we truly could not make this happen without you.

Jaime Larsen

Hello, my name is Jaime Larsen. I am a returning team member from last year, and very excited to give it another shot. As like many of my fellow runners I have participated in a number of events, from triathlons, and 5k's to a marathon. I got involved with running because of my mom (aka "Buff Granny"). She is definitely an inspiration to me, and many others. While I enjoy running it is a very small part of my life (although it doens't feel like it sometimes). I am also a full time student, wife (11 yrs), mom (she's 5), and active in my church. Running just helps balance it all. It gives me an outlet when things get a little too crazy. Anyway, I am excited to be back this year, and can't wait to conquer the roads again. Ok, I am always behind the camera so the only usable pictures I have of myself are with other people. So Linda, Jan, and Stephanie you get grace the pages of the blog again. That was a fun race in the snow, didn't do much for our times, but it did wonders for our spirits

Introduction

I need your opinion....I haven't found the first one I wrote but here's another introduction that I wrote.....

'All that glitter is not gold' is a phrase this next group doesn't take to heart. Returning for their second year in a row is 'The Shiny Penny Syndrome.' They come to us from Pendleton, Oregon (and one from LaGrande, Oregon). This year the Shiny Penny is going to boot camp. This group of women have cleaned the streets of Pendleton picking up all sorts of coins...whether it's scarred, shiny, old, dirty, or beat up because like these coins these ladies at one point in their training have all felt like one of those coins. These ladies enjoy laughing, eating, and running (with other hobbies in between). With the support of their families and their community these ladies are here to complete the task while still making memories that will keep them laughing for years. Watch for these pennies on the road way and watch for the ones that make sudden stops, they don't just look for money in their own town....GO SHINY PENNIES!!!

I think my other one was better...what are your thoughts? Changes?