Dorothy Beal

I have this thing with running...

Dream Big Run Long

Heading To Vegas Marathon & My First Live TV Interview

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This morning I’m hopping on a flight and making my way to Vegas for the third year in a row. I’m excited to represent Mazda this year as a Game Changer via their partnership with Rock N Roll Marathons. You can read about the partnership here — http://www.mazdausamedia.com/COMPETITOR-GROUP-AND-MAZDA-ANNOUNCE-EXPANDED-PARTNERSHIP

I’ll be in the Mazda booth today from 1 – 3:45 pm hanging out and watching people get their face blown by the wind machine {it took some convincing to get me to do it at Chicago expo!}. Mazda 2Mazda wants to know what makes you a Game Changer – if you aren’t attending the expo you can share your story on this nifty website they have 🙂 http://www.mazdagamechanger.com/ If you will be at the expo you can share it on the wall!!! It’s really fun reading what everyone writes. Running is so freaking awesome – it brings together hundreds of thousands of people each year from all over the world. It’s one of the best sports in my humble opinion.

Last month at the Rock N Roll Denver expo I had my first live TV interview – it was short and sweet and lots of fun. Thankful I was wearing black because there is nothing like a camera to make you all nervous and sweaty {lol}. If you want to check out the interview you can watch it here –  http://s3.amazonaws.com/TVEyesMediaCenter/UserContent/86554/4079137.6728/KCNC_10-17-2014_18.13.40.mp4

Denver Insta 2

#irunthisbody shirts are in stock at www.dreambigrunlong.com – orders placed from now until 11/19 will ship on 11/20 since the person who handles the shipping {aka me} will be out of town!

Andrea Barber aka Kimmy Gibler rocking her green #irunthisbody shirt

Andrea Barber aka Kimmy Gibler rocking her green #irunthisbody shirt

Looking forward to meeting some of you in person at Vegas!!!

I Get To Run.

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I firmly believe in my head and heart that I GET to run rather than HAVE to run, yet I often have to remind myself of this fact. Lately running has felt like something I have to do instead of something that I make time for because I enjoy it.

At night I always go through the next day in my head. My thoughts include all the things I’m going to do tomorrow as well as all the things I’m going to stop doing tomorrow. I have the best of intentions every night of my life.

For the past 6 months or so running and I have had a very up and down relationship. One second I feel on top of the world, the next second I question why I still run. I debate deleting my blog weekly because what does someone who isn’t confident in their running have to offer anyone about running.

My girlfriend Claire – who I love for so many reasons, {I won’t even begin to bore you with the details} wrote me not too long ago with three simple words.

Find Your Strong.

 

If you have been following along this blog for the past 5 years or so you will know that Saucony’s Find Your Strong ad campaign means a lot to me, and I’m fairly certain it always will. When I utter the words Find Your Strong on a run – it feels less Saucony and more me. I imagine or hope that some of you feel this way with the phrase I Run This Body. Both of these phrases are about more than just running.Find Your Strong Headshot

This morning instead of feeling overwhelmed with all that I had to get done today and all the things I already knew I didn’t have time for – I reminded myself that I GET to run. If I am going to go out there and run 8 miles why not enjoy those 8 miles instead of rushing through them stressed so I can check off one more thing on my to-do list for the day.

I believe it’s good to have running or working out as something that you schedule in each week, but it is also important to remember why you are running, or why you started. For me running isn’t just about being fast, or about having something to talk about – it’s not about burning calories or even so much about working out — I run because I love it – truly, madly, deeply as the saying goes. I don’t feel normal when I am not running – it is air to me – I need it.

This morning as a cruised along my favorite trail – I felt something come back. I didn’t feel like a slug pulling it’s oddly shaped body along – I felt like a machine – like everything was working together – mind, body, soul. I even managed a couple of fast for me miles, which gave me the energy that I needed to take on this day. I’m confident my relationship with running will be back on track soon, very soon.

Life is good.

  •  mile 1: 8:08
  • mile 2: 8:05
  • mile 3: 8:16
  • mile 4: 8:09
  • mile 5: 7:46
  • mile 6: 6:43
  • mile 7: 6:32
  • mile 8: 7:44

8.18 miles — 1:02:45

 

You Can’t Dream TOO Big {DTB}

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Way back when I first joined facebook – notes were popular. I had almost forgotten about those little things, when someone recently commented on the only note I ever posted.

{Note: Apparently I skipped #18 – I probably had it in my head but didn’t type it – my mind works much too fast for my fingers – so you will get 24 random things about me}

 

25 Random Things, Facts, Habits & Goals about Me

February 6, 2009 at 9:28am

      Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you. {umm do you remember when those email chains use to go around – forward to 25 people or you will have the WORST DAY EVER – umm okay – so glad those aren’t cool anymore}
    25. My favorite # is 11 – I’m the 2nd Dorothy in my family – her birthday was the 1st of April and she was my great grandmother – so it’s only fitting that I was born on the 11th
    24. I didn’t play with barbies growing up – I had one – jess ripped her head off and I was done with them after that – I much prefered reading anyways
    23. October 26, 2003 changed my life for forever
    22. I’m big on numbers and finding their meanings – I believe they are signs from God that he really does exist
    21. October 26, 2008 changed my life again – I finally believed in the beauty of my dreams
    20. On 10/26 I ran 26.2 Miles exactly 6 months and 2 days after having my 2nd child – I was 26 years old
    19. They best advice my mom has ever given me is to hold on to a REAL friend with all you have – they are what gives you meaning in life
    17. There is a girl in my book club who has two daughters named Amy and Sarah
    16. Amy and Sarah and I pierced our belly buttons together with safety pins at 1 in the am in 9th grade – I still have the scar.  When I turned 18 I got my tongue pierced – I came to my senses my junior year and removed it – I still have the scar
    15. The best advice a friend has given me is that your family is who you make it – not who you are born with – your best friends become your family – Thanks Ash!
    14. Amy and Sarah can tell you that I am the last person in the world they ever would have thought would become a runner – freshman year I faked hyperventilating on the soccer field so I wouldn’t have to run laps.
    13. 9/7/06 & 4/24/08 were truly the best two days of my life – I chanted to myself during labor to never forget the pain – I have already forgotten – and feel that God must really like me to have given me two such wonderful children
    12. I am a wealth of random facts and information – I pride myself on this
    11. I love bargain shopping – literally I get high from finding great deals
    10. I become obsessed with certain songs and play them over and over and over again(thanks Claire) – Eric would argue that this is the “chipotle affect” in my life and that I do it with not just songs but with food, clothes, places,  just about anything – in the height of my chipotle loving days I would go twice a day – this literally makes me want to vomit
    9. I believe in the pay it forward concept
    8. I love reading – I used to be the only volunteer in classes growing up to read a passage outloud – I could read by age two (Eric told me this meant I peaked at two – got to love husbands)
    7. I get emotional when I see incredible things – hear amazing stories – I cry when I think of Dick and Rick Hoyt
    6. I want to run a 3:30 marathon, have a six pack and be able to do 10 pull ups with no help 🙂
    5. I believe that some of the best things in life are unanswered prayers
    4. I love the numbers 818 – I look at the clock randomly every day at that time – it’s freaky – Eric and I got married on 8/18
    3. I have crooked fingers – my 2nd toe is longer than my first – it’s also the same size as my pinky finger
    2. Two of my best friends were friends with my mom first
    1. I’m finally happy with who I am – it only took 26 years……
    So now you know way more than you probably EVER wanted to know about me, but I’m posting this for a reason. Bear with me.
          #6 I want to run a 3:30 marathon, have a six pack and be able to do 10 pull ups with no help 🙂
          When I wrote this post a 3:30 marathon was DREAMING BIG for me. It was scary but it was my dream and it was one of those dreams that I was determined to make a reality. I don’t think I’m anyone special. In fact I think that is part of what makes me special, I’m just like everyone else. I am not more talented, I do not work harder, I don’t have some amazing genes that turned me in to a super athlete. I’m just a regular girl who literally takes to heart the notion that we ONLY GET THIS ONE LIFE, so why not make it good.
          Dream Big became one of my person mantras after I got married and became DB. The other day on a run when I was thinking about my dream of one day running under 3:00 in the marathon, I got scared. Thinking about running a 6:50 average pace for 26.2 miles sometime in the next 5 years makes me want to vomit. I can’t even imagine running those paces. This facebook note reminded me that at one point in my life the thought of running a 3:30 marathon made me want to vomit.
        What could you accomplish in your life if you weren’t AFRAID to DREAM BIG. Live YOUR life without limits!!

Dream Big Beach

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Dorothy Beal