Run Like Hell Portland - 2012

Run Like Hell is a Halloween themed run that benefits The ALS Association of Oregon. My hubby and I signed up for the 10k (or 6.2 mile run) my sis and a friend signed up for the 5k. It is one of the funnest runs because people come out dressed in full Halloween garb. These year it was a Super Heroes theme. There were a ton of Bat Mans, plenty of Wonder Women and I saw quite a few Incredibles. But there were lots of other great costumes...including Santa Claus - now, that's a true Super Hero to kids.

This run isn't so much a race. Everyone is in a good mood--not so competitive as some runs. We all start snapping photos of each other and it's easy to make friends. I met another Poison Ivy - and we chatted about how we made our costumes ('cuz I'm too cheap to go buy one ;)

She had a great wig! No way could I run with a wig on. But then some people ran in full Big Bird costumes and kudos to them. It's not easy to run . . . let alone run with a furry-feather suit on.

Sonic and Tales made an appearance- true super heroes to gaming guys and gals. Just take a peek at some of these fun get-ups Portland had going on - in the streets of downtown Portland.

So, I hope y'all get a chance to Run Like Hell!

How to Make a Tank Top

We have the Run Like Hell Halloween Theme Run coming up. It's a benefit for ALS and we've been working on putting our costumes together. This year it's a Super Hero Theme and we're planning on Batman as our theme.

My hubby is going as the Riddler, I'm thinking of Poison Ivy and my sis is going to be either Catwoman or Robin.

Anyway, when you're wearing a costume for a run you have to remember not to over dress or you'll get too warm. So, my husband asked me if I could make the tee-shirt we were using for his Riddler attire into a tank top.

I thought, "How hard could it be?"

So I took one his favorite, old, worn out tank tops and used it as the pattern.

I used a sharpie to sketch the patten onto the tank top and cut it out (remember to allow for a seam allowance--I forgot).

Then I stitched up the raw edges. Soon we'll stencil the question marks on the shirt but this was the first step in the process.

Here's a pictorial history of how I did it.

I'll post the next step this week.

ALS "Lou Gehrig's Disease"

This weekend in Portland, Oregon there was a walk to help raise awareness for the disease and my husband and I participated.

It was a dreary day in Portland, Oregon. Dark gray clouds rolled in early in the morning and then, without much warning, they burst open. Like an angry child throwing a fit, the clouds dumped their anger out on us, in one huge down pour. We were caught - without umbrellas or hats or even rain jackets. . . but then it was over. The sun peeked out and warmed us. We dried out.

It was just too bad the rain couldn't wait until after our walk for ALS. But that didn't put too much of a damper on the occasion. Portlanders are people who can deal with a little--or even a lot--of rain.

They came out dressed as the Flintstones, trees and even octopus creatures.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. It's also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. Every 90 minutes someone is diagnosed with ALS and every ninety minutes someone dies from ALS.

So, helping raise a little money for research was a nice way to spend a rainy day.