All That & The Kitchen Sink

...no, really.  The kitchen sink is involved in this post.

We finally know when we're leaving for China!  Yeah!  No more guessing and stressing out!  Next Thursday...oh boy!

We are going WHERE???

New faucet!

The other day my Dad came over and installed a new kitchen faucet at the house.  We tried to repair the current one, which had given out earlier in the morning with a sad-sounding *phhht* as I tried to do dishes, but it was extremely eroded and old.  I love doing projects with my Dad, as it's a good bonding experience for us.  My favorite memory of father/daughter bonding time was my Senior Project in HS when I made my wooden sailboat with him...it was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot.  :)  Anyway, the new faucet works like a charm, despite looking like an alien ship from "War of the Worlds" according to my Dad...haha.
I'm very grateful my Dad will be staying at my house and taking care of Murphy next month!

Travis and I both got Hep A shots this morning in preparation for the trip.  Owie.  I hate needles.  Luckily it didn't hurt that much AND we got some kicka$$ holographic band-aids!  Yeah!  Goober found them fascinating.

Wicked awesome boo boo cover, huh?

Once Goob wakes up from her nap I plan on taking her on a run to test out some new Champion gear I got in the mail this morning.  It was exciting having FedEx stop by the house!  Murphy helped open the box, explored it a little, then gave his seal of approval.  The gear is bright and festive!  I'll be reviewing it when I get home in October, but I'll be using it when I can right now.

Don't worry, that's not a dead cat...he's just in a sunshine coma after opening the box.

HAPPY FRIDAY, ALL!  Much love and luck to all those racing this weekend...
including the fantastic HTC nuun Relay teams: NUUN PLATUUN and AFTERNUUN DELIGHT!  Good luck, ladies!

Spectating See Jane Run!

The fun thing about finishing a big race is to cheer and bring home the other runners afterwards.  I've always been a big "cheering" advocate at races I participate in, so spectating the See Jane Run Half was a lot of fun.

After getting my cute medal and posing for a pic from the official photog, I grabbed a water and headed back to the hills near the finish line.  Who cares if I didn't know anyone running a particular segment, I just yelled and cheered at every woman (and occasional man) that ran by.

"You've GOT THIS!"  

"Good job, ladies!"  

"Lookin' good!"  

"Homestretch!" 

"Downhill from here!"

You know what?  I love doing this!  Since I appreciate spectators of any kind cheering at races, I feel it's only appropriate I "give back" some spectating love to others.  :)  And I get to see the best moments in a race: people seeing the finish line.  The renewed energy in the air is almost tangible as you witness runners "near the end."  It's awesome.

 My high school buddy E posed for me as she ran by...she's kind of crazy and you want to know why?  The longest run she had done prior to this half marathon (her first half and first race of any kind) was only THREE MILES.  WHA???  And she finished in 2 hours and 10 minutes!  Holy cow!  She's a rockstar for sure.

Go E!!!

Saw Diana finish strong, too!

Yeah Diana!!

Then Jayne and Mel came by, and I HAD to take a video instead...oh, and I tried a more "muffled" yell in order to save listeners' ears.

And finally Chelsea (looking REALLY DETERMINED) and Kerrie were there to finish! (Beware, I yelled a little loud).

I was so excited to see Chelsea and Kerrie at the end!  I quickly (well, as fast as my stiff calves could take me) walked back to the finish area to find my friends and celebrate with some champagne and chocolate!  YUM!

May I say that champagne is pretty damn good after a race?  Strange, but really good.  Chelsea's awesome man/fiance M surprised her with flowers, it was so sweet.  I'm so proud of Chelsea! (Read her recap here and here)  And Jayne too!  Unfortunately at this point the weather decided it had had enough of playing nice and the rain started.  Oh, and so did my blue lips and shivering.  But no worries, I'd rather hang out than be the party pooper (and I wasn't as cold as people probably thought).  

The Tall Sisters and little me

Speedy Running Skirt guru Larissa & I after the Half (she not only finished a wicked fast Half, but had worked at the expo the day before AND after the race!)

A GREAT MOMENT!

The Bubbly

Mel and her Muscle Man (thanks MM for the race pics!!)

My "PR" pose

Hurray LADIES!

As the rain picked up even more, we said our goodbyes and headed off to our cars.  Kerrie had imbibed in two three cups of bubbly, and she was, well, bubbly!  It was pretty funny seeing Kerrie buzzed.  HEEHEE!  In the car I tried to take a picture of my blue lips, but I don't think this does it justice.

My blue lips

After getting back to my car at Chelsea's house we relished in the warmth of the butt warmer seats of the Volvo.  Ahhhhhh.  Then we talked and goofed off on our way back to my house.  At one point Kerrie said,

"I run fun for faster!"

Uh, what?  "I mean, I run faster for fun."  Was that the bubbly talking?  Either way, it was memorable.  

Thanks to all that made the race day super special!  I'm so glad I got to share in Jayne and Chelsea's big moment. :)

Cheers to that!

I Love Me Some Greenlake! & Shoes!

How was your Thursday?  Mine was busy!

Molly, me, Lindsey

Yesterday I stopped by Greenlake for the OnlineShoes.com New Balance Minimus event at the southend of the lake for a bit.  It was nice to finally put a face to the name and meet Lindsey of OnlineShoes.com (and Molly, too!).  Not only were the ladies super sweet, but so were the New Balance Minimus shoes!  MAN!  I got to test drive run a pair for a minute and they were like feet hugs.  Really comfy, minimal and not too tight.  Plus, they have the Vibram outsole technology for maximum durability.  The pair I tried on were the WT10 Trail model in black/blue, but they have different colors and terrain options too: for "Road" and for "Life."  The motto is pretty neat:

How awesome are these shoes?  I want!

After hanging out for a little while, Goober and I ran around the lake twice.  She instantly fell asleep after we started moving, thank goodness.  Her naps have been, um, difficult lately.  On the second go-round of the lake trail we were stopped in our tracks by a flock of geese.  My thoughts went immediately to Kerrie and her fear, so I had to snap a picture.

Sorry Kerrie.  But they were nice geese, except they pooped all over the trail. 

Goose, goose, goose, geese, "geeses." 

When the Goobs woke up, we watched some lifeguards-in-training in the water for a couple minutes.  She was mesmerized by the people swimming and jumping in the water from the floating docks.  :)  My future swimmer/lifeguard/runner/ninja.

Goober and her trusty companion, Bruce the Moose

Happy Friday, all!!  Anyone racing this weekend?  

I want to give a shout-out to the people doing Ragnar in the NW this weekend:
Jill
Larissa
Brad from Allied Steel Medal Displays

A New Running Buddy!

This morning I met up with Michelle, a local blogger/runner/awesome chick, for some early AM mileage on the Cedar River Trail.  She's been searching for a running buddy to meet up with, and of course I wanted to help out. :)  Turns out, we have some things in common.

Post-run photo, of course!

We both gag if we use GU energy gel during a run.  We both love Costco frozen yogurt.  We both have foot/feet problems.  We both have to wear something pink when we run.  And apparently we both wear quite a bit of Nike apparel. ;)

It was 8 miles filled with random conversation, and it was FUN.  Can't wait to run with her again soon!  Thanks Michelle!

Before I met with Michelle for 8 miles, I completed 3 miles solo to make my total mileage over the double digit range....I guess this is my last "long run" before the big 'ol marathon in *gulp* two weeks!

Just a Quickie

Hey All!

Just a quick note to say that I appreciate everyone's amazing comments and "good lucks" regarding Sunday's 20 miler.  You all totally helped me get through it!  Thank YOU!

A couple of things:

• I missed my long-run buddy, Kerrie.
• Ran the first 10 miles solo...which was a little rough because I kept thinking of the distance, and didn't "zone out" like I should've. 
• Had to cross railroad tracks 6 times.  Not. A. Fan.
• Second 10 miles were with my friend Leah.  Haven't seen her since my baby shower back in October!  She's running the RnR Seattle Full too.  :)
• Mileage PR, baby!
• Feet were surprising ok at the end.  Calves?  Notsomuch.  
• Yeah, calves are STILL sore today.
• Ice bath was a necessary evil.  And I mean evil.  Rawr.
• It felt AMAZING to see that 20.00 on Gus' pretty little face!

More about the run later!  Busy with a very fussy/needy/constipated Goober monster lately.  

The Big Two Oh

My first 20 miler in a couple hours.  Nervous.  Excited.  Anxious.  I CAN DO THIS.  Thinking of Kerrie as she runs her first 20 tomorrow AM too....

BRING IT!

Race Day

My good 'ol redemption race is tomorrow....again....wow.  Time flies!  This will be the 4th year I've participated in JDRF's Beat the Bridge 8K.  My first year was my "holy-crap-I'm-out-of-shape-and-can't-run-to-save-my-life" race, the year after I actually "beat" the bridge, then last year I was prego with the Goob and still beat the bridge.  What will tomorrow bring?

A course PR?

Another blow to my foot injury?

Some sun?

Hopefully number 1 and 3.  My time to beat is 40:11 for this race.  I think I can do it.  I hope.  I haven't been training too much because of the foot pain flare-up, and speedwork has been minimal lately....so we'll see.  I just want to have fun with this race!  (And hopefully meet up with Meredith from my high school!)

A huge congrats to all the runner/racers today!  Amanda, you're such a rockstar!  Heather is a muddy momma!  And good luck tomorrow, Marlene!

Oh, and I'm SO EXCITED to take Goober swimming again.  She loves the water!  YAY!  I even got her another swimsuit and a really awesome/sweet/wicked cute red retro swim cap.  Adorable!

Bring on Summer!

Virtual Race Madness!

Because Neil Z's pretty damn awesome....

I signed up for this crazy virtual marathon.  Thank goodness I don't have to get it all done in one day!  Ha! Hop on over to Mr. Barefoot's page to sign up.  It'll make him smile, especially since he's been a bit frowny lately.  And no one likes a grump face...

Bullet Points

A couple of things:

• ActiveWrap was kind enough to offer $5 off your order when you use blog5 at checkout.  Be sure to LIKE them on Facebook, too!
• I'm still up for answering any question you have for me.  See {this post}...apparently I may be an open book on this blog because there's not a lot people are curious about!
• I started a Running Giveaway listing site called "Runner Swag." Check it out.  If you want a giveaway posted to the site, then send me an e-mail to runnerswag@gmail.com with the info.
• Subscribe to Whooga's Newsletter and be entered to win a pair of ugg boots!  Easy as pie!  Click here to subscribe.
• My husband has Adonis DNA.
• Goober is obsessed with her tongue lately.  She's a goof.  

"No, Goober. The kitty binky doesn't go in your ear, silly."

• Congrats to TMB on getting a 34 minute marathon PR yesterday!

More later.  Happy Sunday!

2011 St. Patrick's Day Dash Recap

My fans, before heading out into the cold

Two years ago, this was my first race back-in-the-game.  It wasn't a pretty one either: freezing cold, rain, giant snowflakes and WIND.  This year it was just like that, minus the snow (thank goodness).  But, unlike other years I had TWO spectators cheering for me this time: Travis and Goober!  We totally bundled Miss Goob up for her Mommy's first race, and I'm happy to report that she was such a good little baby!  It was cold and miserable out, but Travis said she was completely fine--talking away under her blankets and rain shield. :)  That's my girl!

Also unlike last year, I didn't have to sprint to get to the starting line. We parked nearly an hour before the start, and I'm thankful for not being rushed.  While we were waiting under some shelter before I headed off to stand with my wave a woman asked me about racing and being a mom.  She said I "looked like I've raced before" and had a "runner's body."  Thanks!  I think?  Apparently her teenage son was running and was a little annoyed that this race was cutting into his track practice?  I'm not sure I understand that, but ok. ;)

After getting good luck kisses from my loves (well, Goob gave me a sloppy, drooly smile) I made my way to the middle front of the Green wave.  Mistake #1.  Once the race started I was dodging and weaving people that were leisurely jogging and just chatting away...I'm racing here, people!  I got stuck a couple times and couldn't really get my place in the crowd until around the .75 mile mark. Humpf.  I was a little disappointed with myself for not having the confidence to start further up front and get a good pace in right away.

Then I realized that I forgot to take a puff from my inhaler.  Mistake #2.  I was sucking wind and trying to stabilize my breathing for a long time.  Thank goodness the cold air somehow makes me breathe a little easier if I forget my inhaler.

My music was loud and I was getting in the zone up that giant sloping hill that makes up the first half of the race.  I heard my name to my left and saw a childhood friend, Melanie, running beside me!  "Hey Melanie!  How's it goin'?"  She replied "Good!" and got lost in the crowd.

One reason I love this course is that it's a large out-and-back and you can see the elite runners coming down the hill.  It's fun to see how many of them I recognize, and I always yell "Go get 'em, girls!" to the first women I see.  Man, I wonder how they are so fast.  Makes me want to drink their Kool-Aid. ;)

The downhill was where I just zoned out until I was near the finish.  Around the last corner a part of me was wondering if I could even do my usual sprint kick to the finish line.  I felt wiped out.  But, I saw a person ahead of me that I said "I'm going to beat him" and took off.  Trav caught me as I passed and said I looked fantastic.  At least I looked speedy!

Oh!  I see the finish line!

Post-race smiley face

As I waited at the meeting spot for Travis I heard a "Nice skirt!" comment come from behind me.  I turn around to a bright-eyed blonde wearing a Running Skirt green plaid skirt...I recognized her immediately and said "Hi!  You must be Larissa!  I'm Zoe, a Running Skirt fan!"  How cool!  She introduced me to her hubby (who, by the way, she beat in the race!), and I introduced her to Travis and the little Goob monster.  We chatted for a bit and she told me about some races she's set to run in the near future.  It was great to meet another fellow running blogger from the PNW. :)

Little Goober was getting tired and we couldn't stick around for the finish line festivities because of the icky rain (boo), so we headed home.

BUT, you know what Gus displayed as I finished?  A 30:03!  A TWO MINUTE PR from last year's time!  HECK YES!

It wasn't until later that I found out that I did pretty well in my division--top 50, baby!

FINAL STATS:
Mileage - 3.8

Post-race GOOFY FACE

Time - 30:01
Overall - 859 out of 7353
Division Place - 41 out of 785
Sex Place - 167 out of 4085
Pace - 7:54

A Quickie

Race was FANTASTIC!

I PR'd by over 2 minutes!

Goober and Travis are my amazing cheering section and I'm so lucky!

I met Larissa, aka Nordic Moxie!

Are there enough exclamation points in this post?!  I think not!

Full race recap tomorrow!  

Meet Dan McKenna

...he's a bada$$ runner going to Conquer Atacama next week!!

Oh yeah, that's the mug of a rock star!

I was honored to talk to Dan on the phone the other day about his fundraising efforts and his training schedule, but I warned him that I'm no Barbara Walters...so this may be a crude recap of the interview, and I apologize in advance, Dan!  But overall, it was awesome to talk to such a dedicated and driven athlete.


First, a little about the Atacama Crossing:

• The Atacama Crossing (Chile) is part of the 4 Deserts which was named by TIME magazine as #2 on its list of Top 10 Endurance Competitions in the world.
• The Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2011 is the seventh edition of the event.
• The Atacama Desert is 15 million years old and 50 times more arid than California's Death Valley.
• The entire race will be held at least 1.6 kilometers / 1 mile above sea level and cover the distance required to make a horizontal crossing of the country of Chile (250 kilometers / 150 miles).
• The highest altitude on the course is at Camp 1 and is 3000 meters /10,000 feet.

Facts from HERE

Some highlights from the interview:

Where does he do most of his training?

Almost all of Dan's running is done on a treadmill at a gym, with high inclines, speeds and a pack on his back for training.  He tries to run at least five times per week at a 7:30-8:00 min/mile pace with his pack.  And, at 6'3", he stands out quite a bit on the treadmill.

What made him choose St. Baldrick's for his fundraising efforts?

His uncle has been very involved with the foundation for the past couple years; he works closely with the board of directors and raises much needed funds for research.  Dan's been involved with the foundation with his family but not as closely as he is now with the fundraising efforts.  He's always wanted to run this race (the Atacama Crossing), so when he saw that a person can run it and designate a charity he knew he needed to work with St. Baldrick's.  After talking to his uncle, Dan was set up with event coordinators to help with the fundraising efforts.  He is dedicating each Stage of the event in memory and in honor of five New York area children diagnosed with cancer. 

At the time of the interview, Dan has raised $4200.  His company, Morgan Stanley, has pledged to match whatever Dan raises.  With hopes to raise at least $10,000 beyond the race, he is really close to his goal.  I personally think he will bring in a lot more!


Plus, once he returns home, Dan is going to shave his head in honor of St. Baldrick's!

When did he start running?

Dan's played soccer competitively his whole life, and even received a scholarship to Villanova for soccer.  He was always training, always a runner.  However, as soccer season came to a close during his Junior year, he succumbed to a devastating knee injury (torn ACL, lateral meniscus, medial meniscus, MCL...).  After a little rehab he was able to still be active and compete at a decent level.  After college ended though, he missed the competitive "fix" and started running every day after work.  He was hooked.  For him, running was a way to clear his mind and relieve stress--burning extra energy on a nice long run felt great.  So, he started running small races, 5Ks here and there, and then completed a triathlon.  Eventually he got a little tired of the shorter distances and tried his hand at military-style challenges (with obstacles), and eventually started researching more physically demanding races like ultras.


Does he have a time goal in mind?
Dan's a little anxious going into the race, but he'd be happy finishing in the top 25%, or at least the top 50%.  His goal is to actually run the entire distance.  However, there are certain aspects of the course that he cannot be prepared for, such as the altitude and terrain.  To stay positive and hyped up is how he plans on staying energized for the race.

Is he sponsored by anyone?
All of the race fees, transportation costs, gear costs, etc., were funded entirely by Dan himself.  All of the money raised will go directly to the St. Baldrick's cause!  Donate HERE.

The oldest mummies on earth were found in the Atacama Desert...what would he do if he found one?

Name it first, but might have to leave him--it'd be extra baggage!  Perhaps just mark the location and be off on his way.  Dan will be documenting by taking pictures throughout the run and will try for some video footage as well.

• Follow Dan's journey through his Facebook page HERE.
• Find out more about the St. Baldrick's Foundation on their Facebook page or their website. 
• Donate to Dan's fundraising page HERE.

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Thank you SO MUCH to Dan for the fun chat!  Also, thank you to Melissa for setting this up!  My co-interviewer, Goober, listened intently and added some gurgling insight to the conversation when she felt the need.

LOVE YOUrself Valentine Challenge Results

Wow!  I am so amazed and inspired by this awesome group of runners who participated in this challenge!  With the exception of Spike (and his runner's butt), all the participants were women.  Come ON guys...I know you love yourselves too.  Next year, k?

Here are the results!

Me

I chose my shoulders.  I've always loved how strong they looked and felt, especially after swimming a tough workout back in my competitive swimming days.  They seem to be the only body part of mine that hasn't given me any grief over the years, and for that I am grateful.

Location: Kent, WA

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Amanda P.

"I chose my right ankle for a couple of reasons.  I love that I have shapely ankles (no cankles for this girl;-)).  I sprained it a couple months ago, but with the exercises the doctor gave me, it healed and let me run a 5K.  I also love it because I have my strawberry birth mark there, which matches the birth mark that my mom has on her neck."

Location: Syracuse, NY

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Shelley B.

"Naturally, I chose a spot for the tattoo that was hard to photograph, but I wanted to showcase my calves.  They are pretty huge, as you can see by the picture, but running has toned, defined and made them small enough that I can actually wear boots comfortably now - a miracle! :) :) :)"

Location: Texas

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Kerrie

"I love my left shin.  If it weren't for fracturing it, I wouldn't have slowed down, lost weight and focused on my strength.  Hurting myself was a blessing in disguise. :)"

Location: Maple Valley, WA

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Nancy

"Ok so this was more of a challenge for me than I thought it would be!  I was thinking my legs because they are powerful and all that but my legs are probably my least favorite body part!  So I chose what I feel is the unsung hero of the body....my feet.  I really love my feet and not in the creepy Rex Ryan way but the thanks for all you do way.  I used to say my feet were my fav body part because they were the skinniest body part but this made me realize all that my feet have done.  They have pushed me across many many finish lines from marathons, to 3 day walks...from PRs to near misses.  My feet have hiked glaciers in Alaska and danced the Sevillanos in Spain.  They have walked me down an isle and paced me up and down hallways rocking a baby.  My feet have helped me raise money for breast cancer, diabetes, and Chrone's Disease.  My feet have taken me places I never thought I would go!  I love my daughter's feet too...all squishy and cute.  I always kiss them and say I can't wait to see where her feet take her!"

Location: Cape Cod, MA

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Molly

"This is my right calf.  After college, I started hitting the gym to lose the weight I had put on while in school.  One day I was standing in my kitchen wearing shorts, and my Mom walked by.  She said 'wow, look at how muscular your calves look!'   The next time I was on the stair master, I looked down at my legs, and I could see what she meant!   I love my calves, because they are a measure of my fitness level.  I love the power they give me to complete my runs,  And as an added bonus, they look great in leather boots!"

Location: NY

Also posted by Molly here.

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Heather G.

"I used to have a bit of a love affair with my feet, and always had them pedi'ed and polished. I would take pictures of them lounging on the beach, overlooking the ocean. I haven't worn polish in months. I perpetually have scaly looking heels. Today they're especially vile, with the blisters and all, but they took me through my 12 miles this weekend, on a blistered toe, which I tried to bandage, and just caused a second blister on the neighboring toe, and then through our first trip to Disneyland with Gab. <3"

Location: Irvine, CA

Also posted by Heather here.

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Morgan aka "Red" & Spike

"We decided to switch things up a bit by choosing the part of each others bodies we admired most from our respective active lifestyles. :)"

Location: Michigan

Also posted by Morgan here.

Spike says: 
"Red's ragin biceps are my fav because those guns can cause lots of damage. I know because when she gives me the best hugs ever I always feel lucky to escape the gun show alive. " 

Red says: 

"Spike's got a great butt and it's from all that speedy running!!!

Tee hee!!! :)"

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TMB

"I chose my quads because they are my powerhouse. They carry me through every step of every mile and they always manage to give me a burst of speed when I need it. Plus, they are AWESOME."

Location: Glen Allen, VA

Also posted by TMB here.

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Erin

"I chose my "Upper body" to tattoo.  My hubby Josh refused to take a picture of my butt and forbid me to put such a picture on the internet. (He's no fun)  :)

I thought about taking a pic of one of my calves or thighs because they are super-awesome-muscular, but I was afraid that when the flash hit the extreme whiteness of my leg skin that the effect would be blinding and painful to your eyes. So you can thank me for not...

So I went with my shoulder... I  have to say I really am loving my whole upper body (besides my incredible-disappearing boobs). I love having defined shoulders, collarbones, etc. and thanks to my cross training I am starting to even get some muscles. And for some reason wearing a blank tank makes me feel really tough. I didn't even like to wear short sleeves before my weight loss/running, so this is a huge change for me. :)"

Location: Wyoming

Also posted by Erin here.

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Cynthia

"I chose to put the skull tattoo on my thigh because I am most proud of my legs all thanks to running. I've always wanted long, lean legs, and well I will never get them to be longer unless I suddenly grew a few inches haha, I can defintely work on them being lean and toned!  Plus I am proud of my legs for all the miles they help me get through. I sometimes reward them with an ice bath or massage after long runs :)"

Location: Boise, ID

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Holly

"I think the part of me that I love the most are my triceps!  They used to be really weak, and they are now by size the strongest part of my upper body.  And yes, that's all muscle in the pic, no fat on my arms and I am PROUD!!"

Location: Virginia

Also posted by Holly here.

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Alanna

"What I love: the tattoo might be on my calf, but I could only put it one place.  Should have had 2 so I could have gotten my foot too.  I love my legs because it's about time that I do!  I have always had large calves (calfs?), ankles and feet. There's nothing dainty about any of them.  When I measured my calf for my sleeves they were 14" - the same as my husband Colin's.  And I wear a 10-1/2 shoe while I'm only 5'6".  But, they get me where I need to go and after almost 2 years of running I can almost see my gastrocnemius muscle!"

Location: British Columbia, Canada

Also posted by Alanna here.

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Katye

"I picked my heart because I think it is as strong as it ever has been (both literally and figuratively) because of running!  There is nothing like getting your heart pumping on an awesome run but running has also given me a new love for my body and self confidence that I never had before.  As I’ve mentioned before…I’ve struggled with body image issues and eating disorders that did some damage to my heart and body.  But I threw that away for running.  I still struggle but now I appreciate my body for what is can do, not what it looks like!"

Location: Maryland

Also posted by Katye here.

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Kayla

"I had a hard time choosing where to put the tattoo (I'm a very indecisive person) but I put my tattoo on my calf.  I love it because its part of my leg and my legs carry me for miles on my runs. Plus, I just think my calf is pretty awesome :) I usually like to show of my calves in some cute heels and a fun dress (can't wait for summer to bring out my dresses again haha)."

Location:  Woodridge, IL

Also posted by Kayla here.

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Marlene

"I decided on my calf (don't mind the bulging vein - lol) because I've always felt that they are powerful and have beent old they are my best feature ;)"

Location: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

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Mel

"Well I couldn't really Tattoo my face, so I used tape :) I chose my Lips because I love them no matter what my size. When I was first starting to run felt overweight and frumpy and now that I am much more fit. Running has SPARKED a passion in me and what better body part to symbolize passion than the lips. My dimples and smile are a close second. "

Location: Bonney Lake, WA

Also posted by Mel here.

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Lin

"I chose my tummy as my 'most proud of' body part, not because it looks the best, but because it has accomplished the most; it was able to make my beautiful baby girl. In the process, it expanded to huge proportions and then 'almost' back again, 4.5 months later. I'm impressed with, and grateful for, all that my tummy can do!"

Location: Pasadena, CA

Also posted by Lin here.

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Lauren

"My favorite body part or parts I guess are my feet.  I love the places they take me and my tattoo on my foot has special significance.  There is a flower for every person in my family."

Location: Torrance, CA

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Carmen

"I choose my not so beautiful feet! I have been a dancer and soccer player, but only as a mother and runner have I treasured my feet so much. They allow me to play with my kids and challenge myself on a daily basis. When they are hurt, I feel weak and out of sorts, but when they are strong, I feel fun and strong and like a true athlete."

Location: Holly Springs, NC

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Bethany
"Here is a body part that I like...I guess to say I'm 'proud' of it would be kinda weird...but I like this body part as a result of running...Probably the polar opposite of what most women would say, BUT...I LOVE MY CHEST! :-)
It's so convenient, super comfortable for running and sleeping on my stomach, and I can wear whatever kind of shirts/dresses I want.  I can't imagine having a 'bounce' there.  Both my grandmothers, my aunts and cousins are all very large on the top so thank you running for keeping things small!! :-)  
TMI?  Sorry."
Location:  Boston, MA
Also posted by Bethany here.

AMAZING PHOTOS!  Thank you all for participating!  Definitely some pretty awesome body parts up in here! ;)