PR!! Yeah Baby!!!

Well, as you can see... I PR'd for the Half!!  My goal was to do sub 2 hours, and I DID!!!  1:59 :) But I will take it!

Me and Hub.  He got 3rd in his age group!! 

It was a fun, fun race!  My husband and 2 friends did it with me.  They all did an awesome, incredible job!  The first 9 miles flew by and I was thinking that this would be really easy.  The last 4 miles were tough mentally, and on top of that there was a huge hill at the end!  So, I just prayed and prayed that I would get through it!  And I did!!  It was an awesome race!

The rest of the weekend was a lot of fun.  We were pretty busy, we had our race, some church functions, and we celebrated my father in-law's birthday.  And we also tried to rest.

Sunday morning I did a 3 mile recovery run at a 9:19 pace and it felt so good!!

I did 5 miles this morning.  I went out and said to myself that if it didn't feel good I would only do 3 miles.  So, it felt pretty good this morning and I was glad I went out and got 5 miles in.  I averaged a 9:01 pace today. 

On a total side note... I'm concerned that Little Lu has chronic fatigue.  Friday morning she would not get up!  This is her at about 8.

I made her go outside, and she wanted to come right back in!  A little later when it was time to get ready for work, she came in the bathroom with me.  This is what I found.

Ignore the bra she's laying on :)

She is just always tired!!  She is a funny dog, for sure :)

Anybody else PR this weekend?

Half Marathon Here I Come!!!!!

Boy, oh, boy am I ready for the half!!  I seriously cannot wait...

Today is a rest day for me and I will spend it by eating some pumpkin oatmeal, drinking coffee, and making a birthday cake for my Father-in-law.  I am super excited about it.  Saturday will be quite the busy day for us.  Saturday morn we are both doing the half, then we will come home get ready and drive an hour and a half to the in-laws and then Sunday we have a pretty full day with some church stuff.

As for yesterday I tried to be a super cool and hip blogger and take an OOTD picture (it took me a long time to figure out what that meant) and you also are going to find out that I'm so not cool or fashionable.  I try sometimes, though.

Before I left for work yesterday little Lu did not want to get up.  She's just too precious.

Ready for this weekend and for the half!!! WOOHOO!!!!  I'll be back on Monday for a race update, and hopefully to tell you I PR'd!! :)

The most delicious oatmeal you will ever eat

Hello!!

This morning was my last run before the half on Saturday!  I went and did a short 3 miles just to get my legs moving.  I usually eat a gu before I go, but since it was only 3 miles I knew I wouldn't need it.  I started out pretty fast (for me) 7:50 and decided to slow it down.  I have only been able to maintain that pace one time for a 5k and I almost threw up, so I told myself that today shouldn't be a fast run, it should be a good, slow run to get ready for Saturday.  I didn't look at my watch the whole time and felt SO SLOW!  I thought to myself "What if I'm running 12 minute miles?"  (Which there is nothing wrong with, it took me a loooong time to get to a 12 minute pace.)  Anyway, when I got home and looked at my watch I was pretty surprised. 

My splits were all under 9 minutes!  I'm so ready to crush this half!!

Also, I wanted to share with you my favorite new recipe for oatmeal!  I eat oatmeal at least 6 days a week and I never get sick of it, I just love it!  Well, my hubby uses creamer in his coffee... I just use milk.  He got pumpkin spice creamer the other day and I wanted it so bad, but I know I don't like it in my coffee, so I added a tablespoon to my oats, and boy oh boy, that was a great decision!!!  I usually just put brown sugar and milk.  But for the last week I have been using just a little brown sugar, a tablespoon of pumpkin spice creamer, and a lot of milk, and it is so delicious!  You should go try it now :)

Any races coming up???

Visit with some family

Well yesterday was a good lil' Tuesday.  After the good run in the morning, I went off to work and finished a bunch of testing and it was a great feeling getting that done!

When I got home my parents were at my house, my mom had picked all the weeds from the front flower bed, my dad had let the dogs out, and brought my trash can in!  It was awesome!  Have I mentioned how great they are???  After that, we drove to go meet my precious Aunt and Uncle and some other family members at Panera.  I really do have the best family, my Aunt and Uncle live in North Carolina and for my senior trip they let my class (of 17) stay at their house for a week!  And to top it off... I had never met them prior to that!  They are just super super nice people!

Aren't they just the cutest things you ever did see? My Uncle is 84.

Here's a pic of the whole gang, we took up half the restaurant!

Last night, after getting home, I found some precious pictures of my family from long ago.

I just can't get enough of looking at old pictures, I love it!

This morning I did 4 miles and averaged 8:40 pace.  I'm tapering down for the half on Saturday... really hoping to do sub 2!  I talked to my friend who's doing it, she just did a 10 mile race at 8:53 pace, so I told her I was hoping to keep up with her the whole time, and she said "My plan was to try and keep up with you!"  So together, I know we can do it! 

Do any of you have races coming up??

Running in the dark

Good Morning!

I was so nervous this morning to go run in the dark.  So last night my husband bought me a new light to wear on my shirt.  I was still just as scared.  So he was a good man and ran with me.  At mile 2 I told him I wanted to do 5 miles and he didn't have time for that, so we separated (at that time, it was getting a "leetle" bit lighter so I felt better.  I got home and had barely any time to get ready and my hair is a "hot mess."  But driving to work this morning, knowing that my run was already complete for the day makes looking terrible a little better. :)

 I got some new nail polish made by CND (the same company that makes shellac) and it's called Vinylux.  I am very excited to see if it lives up to all the hype... it's supposed to stay on for at least a week, and you don't need a UV lamp for it to cure!  These are the colors I chose.  And, yes those are my crooked hot dog fingers. Ew.

I'd have to say that I did pretty good on my own little manicure :)

Last night I went on a nice little walk with my neighbor and her little son.  Lu went with us and of course was howling at the dogs we saw on the way.  It was fun and this friend of mine is doing the half Saturday too!!!  So exciting!!

When I got home, my precious man made us a little fire.

It was pretty cold out there so we only stayed out a couple minutes, but when I came in I decided that it's that time of year when my favorite pajamas come out!!

No, they aren't the most flattering pajamas... no, I don't think my husband loves them, and yes, my eyes are closed.  Hey it was night time and I was tired. haha.

Have a GREAT TUESDAY!!!

Monday Fun Day!!

Good Mornin'

Today is a rest day which is pretty exciting for me.  I used to do 4 days running, one day off.  But since the marathon is over, I've been doing 3 days on, one day off.  I got my haircut and my hairstylist/neighbor wanted to do a keratin treatment on it and I can't wash it, or put it up for 48 hours, so I ran Sunday, got my treatment, and then will take off today and by the time I run on Tuesday I will be able to put it up for my run :)  I don't know if that made any sense to anyone, but hey, it makes sense in my mind.

This weekend was awesome!  First off, it's now officially FALL!!  And the weather here is matching it, so it's awesome!  Friday night we went to go see our friend who works at a running store and got new shoes!  The first pair of running shoes I got were Mizuno Wave Inspire 8's.  After that I switched to Brooks Adrenaline.  But, my good ol' friend had me try on the Mizuno's again, and that's what I got. They are the new 9's so I'm pretty excited... and it doesn't hurt that they are pink!

Saturday morning, we got up and got a good run in.  I did 5 miles and decided that I was going to go out easy and that I didn't care about my pace at all.  It felt easy and good and I averaged a 9:06 pace :)  Pretty happy with that one!

After our run we went to the Farmer's Market and got some goodies.  Then we went to another little market and got stuff to decorate our house with.

Sunday, we did the run thing, church thing, and then took little beagle down to the pier for a walk.  She loved it, and everyone loved her, of course!!

Oh, and I almost forgot... Hubby and I are doing a Half Marathon this coming Saturday!  Pretty pumped and hoping to get a sub 2!!

Any races coming up for you guys?

Did you have a good weekend?

FRIDAY!

Great News!!! 

My hubby is home!!!  I missed him so much while he was gone!  Last night after he got home we rode our bikes downtown, got some coffee, and walked around. 

I need to get better at taking selfies.

Yesterday I had a nice 5 mile run.  And when I say "nice" I mean, the majority of it sucked.  Today was better the same!  6 mile run- stopped a couple times, and I think it was so tough because it's been humid yesterday and today.  It's not hot or warm even, it's just humid enough to sweat and feel gross the whole time.  ew.  But running along the water makes me feel better every time!

When I got back I realized how truly sweaty I was... And a picture of what my new hair looks like when I run- it's a little nub!

How was your run today??

Just Another Post

Aaaaah....

Yesterday was a rest day for me and I had a training at work.  Other than that I went shopping with my parents :)  So, no blogging for me.

This happened last night... Lu just can't stay away from my mom.  I have been having such a good time with my parents.  Very grateful for them :)

Sorry, blurry iPhone picture.

 I feel like I don't have much to blog about.  I will be back tomorrow. 

Visits and Food

Good Morn!!

So my parents are in town because I get too scared when my husband is gone.  So we are having a good ol' time!  We went out to dinner last night and did a little shopping.

Aren't they precious?

Today, I had a six mile run... but not before I had the breakfast of champions!!  P.S. I did not eat both.
Note to self: If it's under 50 degrees, wear more than shorts and a t-shirt.

I like the kind with 20mg of caffeine, the ones with more make me sick :(

My parents and I are off to Goodwill because we have the best Goodwill EVER!  And, it's senior day so my parents get an extra 20% off!  After I get out of work today my mom and I are going to do some more shopping, of course!

Lu and I were sad after my hubby left yesterday and this is how it made her feel... poor lil' beagle :(  Good thing Papa and Grandma are here to help make her feel better. 

Hope you all have a great day!! Does anyone else shop at Goodwill?

Monday, Monday

Hello Everybody!!

I got in a nice run this morning before taking my hubby to the airport.  He will be out of town for business for the next couple days and my precious parents are staying with me :)

This weekend we were quite busy, but in a good way!  We didn't really have any plans but then we made some :)  Friday night we hung out at home and then went downtown for some coffee and the weather felt just like Fall and it was awesome!!

Saturday we ran a couple errands and then I got my haircut!!!  My neighbor cuts my hair so it's super convenient.  And she does a great job!

Saturday night we had some friends over for a bonfire and it was a good time.  It was nice to relax and talk around the fire.  

Sunday we went to church and I had a great 8 mile run!!  My splits were 8:53, 8:52, 9:00, 8:53, 8:57, 8:57, 9:08, 8:46!!  I was so tired, but it felt so good to be back to where I want to be!

Ready for another work week, and hopefully some more good fast runs!! :)  How was your weekend?

Throwback Thurs.. I mean Friday, and the weekend!

Good Morning!!

I found this picture of me and my brothers and thought it was too precious not to share.  I have a great family, and I absolutely love this picture!

Obviously, I'm the baby :)

 I had a good run this morning.  I was going to switch to 3 days running one rest day, but I did 4 in a row.  The weather is just too nice not to be outside!  This morning it was probably in the 50's!  Perfect running weather!!  I did 4 miles at a 9:06 pace, so I was happy with that.  The last mile I did was 8:44... getting there!! :)

This weekend we are going to spend some time together and maybe do some shopping!!!  I need some new running shoes and a new pair of shoes for school.  I would like these

These are the current shoes I wear, just need a new pair.  I need a pair of black shoes for school that go with dress pants and jeans but that have good arch support.  I don't want ugly ones, but that seems to be the only shoes that have good support. Any advice?  What are your plans for the weekend?

Run, Crazy Dogs, and Surgery :(

Good Morning!!!

I had a six mile run this morning and finally my times are getting a little better.  Still not where I used to be, but this morning felt good!  I tried to go faster, but it wasn't an "all out effort."  So I'm happy.

And I was a sweaty, sweaty mess.

Last night Lu was going nuts!  She was scratching at the door to come in the house and ripped all around, she kept running into our bedroom and then running into the livingroom!  Then when I decided to take my nightly bath (by the way, everyone should do this... so relaxing, and then you go to bed clean) She totally fell right asleep!  She is nuts, and here is proof.

Look at those crazy eyes!

Also, I went to the doctor today.  I have "trigger finger"  it's in my middle fingers on both hands and I don't really understand exactly what it is, but something inside the finger catches on the vein.  It's kind of painful and earlier in the summer the doctor did some injections in both hands and it didn't do anything, so surgery it is.  At first, I didn't really care, but now I'm getting nervous about it. 

I have a long time to be nervous about it, because the surgery isn't until January.  They can only do one hand at a time, which kind of sucks because then it's two separate surgeries, but whatever, I can't do much about it.  Also, can anyone ever go to the doctor without waiting FOREVER??  oh my.  Here I am waiting with crazy orange pants :)

Anyway, hope you guys all have an awesome, incredible day!  Tomorrow is FRIDAY! :) 

Workout Wednesday!

Good Morning!! 

I did a five mile run this morning and other than wanting to quit at mile 1, it was nothing special.  I feel like since the marathon I've gotten slower... which bothers me :(  I know it's not a big deal, because I'm still out there running and it doesn't matter the pace, but before I started marathon training I was consistently running anywhere between 8:40-8:50 pace ALL THE TIME.  Now I'm lucky if I stay under a 9:40 pace.  Uuuuugh!

So, I've decided I need some speed work.  My hubby was a track star in high school so he knows all about what to do, but I still like to look up speed work on pinterest (because I'm addicted.)  Here is an article that I found that will be helpful.  I have to have it laid out for me, when it says 400X4 and 500 at easy, and all that, I don't understand.  Now if I take hubby out there with me, he explains it all and it's fine, but we can't always go together, so this was a good article that even I can understand :)

I run some pretty big hills almost every day, so I liked this!  And it's so true!

When I did my first half, I barely trained for it- meaning: I signed up for it Monday and did it the following Saturday.  But running hills is hard, it helps with your speed and your endurance.  When I was running on flat ground, I kept thinking "Man, this isn't that hard."

So, needless to say, I'm going to start doing some speed work.  Have you heard of any good speed work outs?

Monday Blues

Hey there!

I was in a funk all day yesterday.  I don't know if it was just the Monday blues or what.  Work was "blah", and then I came home and wanted to try a new recipe and it turned out just "blah."  Are you sensing a trend here?  So when my hubby got home he asked if I was up for going and getting ice cream... absolutely!!  So we got some delicious ice cream and watched the sunset while walking along the pier.

When we got home I saw this commercial and it ALWAYS makes me laugh.  Every single time, that little boy is so funny! I love it.

First 6 mile run since the marathon and it went okay.  Not my fastest and not my slowest.  I knew I would be slower than usual and that is A-OK with me. 

I don't know how to make this right side up :)

I want to do some speed work soon.  Any good workouts?? 

The Weekend

Good Morning!!

We had a nice weekend.  It was nice not to have to be anywhere at a specific time or have any obligations.  Saturday morning I had a nice run.  Thought I was going to do 3, then decided 4, then decided 5.  It went well and about a half mile from home, someone came and ran right beside me... my hubby!  I was so excited, so we ran together for a half mile.  (We don't run together often, because he's freakishly fast.)

I have just been driving my car all around lately and I love it so much!!  In fact, this is how I look like most of the time when I am driving.

Sunday I did a short 3 mile run before church and it was one of those runs that just feel good.  I was running happy!!  So, obviously I need this shirt to wear when I feel that way, right? :)

After church, I made tuna sandwiches and we ate leftover pita and hummus from using a groupon Saturday night.  Sidenote:  Using groupon when you are on a "dining out budget" is genius because you get to eat out more often!!!!!  And I love eating out!  After we ate our meal, our friends called and asked us to go out to lunch... so we went, even though we just ate lunch, and I treated myself to a nice delicious hot chocolate.

Now on the topic of food, this also happened this weekend...

Yes, those are delicious hot dogs, homemade potato salad (with my most favorite ingredient... green olives), corn on the cob (with my most favorite ingredient... garlic and parmesan cheese), and STEAMED hot dog buns!  Hot dogs always taste better when you get them at a game and it's because the buns are steamed, so I steamed them, and boy oh boy, it was delicious!!!  2 sidenotes- 1) I love adding green olives to my potato salad, and you should definitely try it, trust me on this one.  2)  add garlic and parmesan cheese to your corn and you will loooove it!

Any other must-add items for certain foods?  How was your weekend?

Hair, Nails, and NEW CARS!

Good morn!

I took my little pups to get their hair and nails done yesterday and they came back looking so good!!  But... in the car ride home, Lu had some problems staying on the seat.

Can you see their little faces??? Precious, I tell ya!

You see, we have to cage them in the car because 1) Lu gets carsick and vomits everywhere so it's better to keep that contained to a cage 2) Asher is a very active dog so she runs all around the car (and on the driver) and 3) Asher does not like the sound of semi-trucks, or any other diesel vehicle, and barks and barks until she can't hear them anymore.  So, we cage them, and they go in the same one together because they are sisters and they love each other :)

Lu is not the most graceful dog, so apparently she wanted to move a little ways from Asher and fell off the seat into the area where you would put your feet if you were sitting in the backseat of the car.  And then proceeded to stay there until we got home (which was great for me, because I wanted a picture!!)

Also, I GOT A NEW CAR!!!  Well, new to me!  It's way bigger than I'm used to but with winter coming up it was a good idea to get a 4 wheel drive.

Don't worry I'm not really driving here, I'm parked in the driveway and my hubby took the picture for me :)

I did a quick 3 mile run this morning.  Well, it was supposed to be quick.  I did negative splits though!  I love getting my run done in the morning because then I don't have to plan the rest of my day around it. 

I also talked to my brother last night and we may be doing a half together at the end of September :)  We also talked about when we could do another full.  Originally, we both said we wouldn't do it again, and now look at us... it's crazy, and addicting apparently! :) 

And... it's FRIDAY!!!  I am actually excited we don't have any big plans this weekend.  The last two weekends for me have been filled with travel and busy-ness, so it will be nice to just be.  What are your plans for the weekend?

Randoms

 Good Morn!

So last night as I was sitting watching Extreme Weight Loss my little pup wanted to sit with me.  Of course I let her, which resulted in this. 

Also, this little dog has been eating sticks!!  I won't tell you how I know that, but it does involve picking up her poo in the yard and there may or may not have been sticks in it.  GROSS!!

We started school and I have been so so tired when I get home!  I have been trying to get my run done in the morning, but there are only a few mornings when I can go in later, so most of the time when I get up to run, it's pitch dark outside... no good!  So I ran in the afternoon and then all the kids from school see me and yell my name.  

This morning, I don't have to be at school until later, so I got in a 5 mile run.  It was SO WINDY, so it messed up my pace.  I hate when that happens!  But then I came home and made the most delicious oatmeal EVER!  Seriously, I eat oatmeal everyday, but for some reason today it tasted so good!! 

Oatmeal has to be the least appetizing looking meals ever, but golly it tastes so good!!  Fun fact: every time I stayed with my grandma she would make us oatmeal and when it was done she would say "Come get your goatmeal!"  :)

Hope you guys have an awesome, incredible day!!  Hopefully you are all experiencing some Fall-like weather!

Recovering after a Marathon

Good morning!

I have had a few good runs since the marathon.  I took Sunday completely off as my hubby and I were finishing up our vacation time and I was soaking up our time together :)  Let's rewind though to my after-marathon meal... it was delicious and I have no pictures because we all devoured our food!!  But, I will tell you, that whatever you eat after you run that long will be good, but when it's good food it really tastes good!  Does that make sense?  Because it does in my brain! 

Us holding our medals at lunch

 Anyway, we had an awesome lunch, which definitely helps in recovering after a marathon.  But first, I did this. 

I didn't want to get shin splints so I stood in the 60 degree water for a bit.  I didn't want to shower in the public showers so my brother brought some shampoo down, and I bathed (with my clothes on obviously) in the lake.  After that, I made my hub go to the car to bring me some dry clothes and I changed in a porta potty.  Needless to say, after that, I didn't feel very clean. 

To continue the recovery process I used my compression sleeves. 

And I walked all around the different cities we visited wearing my sleeves and got strange looks.  But I didn't care, I kept trying to show the people my medal :)  Haha.

And the last step in my recovery process was to get a nice night of sleep.  Monday I took my first post-marathon run and it hurt!  But, now I feel so good!!  I am really glad I did that, and now I feel like I'm back to my old running self.  I'm going to keep mileage pretty low this week and pick it up again next week, as I am going to run a half at the end of this month. 

Are you sick of hearing about the marathon yet??  Sorry, this will be the last post about it I promise.

Hope you all are enjoying this wonderful FALL that has just begun!!!!  That reminds me... maybe a pumpkin spice latte is in my near future :)   

A Full Marathon

Alright, just to warn you, this will be long.  I'm going to start at the beginning and give a full recap of the race and the experience.

Friday morning Hubs and I woke up and got out the door pretty early.  We had a 6 1/2 drive ahead of us, and the drive is beautiful so we stopped a lot along the way.

After a few pit stops we made it to our hotel at about 4:30 and they had a sign for ME!!  (And all the other marathoners)

brother/sister team!

Hubby started to get ready for his 5k that night.  At about 6 we headed over to the expo and the 5k.  And he got 2nd in his age group! Woohoo!  The expo was small, but good, we got all the snacks, gatorade, and fruit we could fit in a bag :)  Of course I took a lot!  At this point, I wasn't even nervous about the marathon yet, which usually before a big race my stomach is in knots!  After grabbing some spaghetti and 6 breadsticks from a local pasta place, we went back to the hotel and carb-loaded :) And, I got everything ready for the big day!

At 5:30, my alarm was supposed to go off, but I got up at 5:23.  Took a nice bath (yes, I'm still like a child and would prefer to take a bath over a shower)  and got ready for the race.  I met my brother down at breakfast at 6.  I brought along my own oats and brown sugar because I didn't know if the hotel would have old fashioned oats.  Sidenote:  I'm only high-maintenance before a big race.

After breakfast we were all on our way!!!  We got super-awesome-extraclose parking spots because we got there pretty early!  It was 59 degrees, but very humid.

Talking and stretching before the race

The race had only about 450 marathoners so it wasn't hard to line up at the start.  The plan was to start pretty slow and maintain that pace and if we could pick it up at 20 and beyond we would pick it up.  We stuck together and talked the first half and it went by fairly quickly.  13.1-2:16.  The full was just the half marathon course twice, so the 2nd time around was really nice because we knew where the hills were, where the trails were, and the best part... where the declines were :)  The 2nd half, I'll be honest, if it weren't for my brother I would've walked A LOT!  But, he kept me going!  We walked through the aid stations and at one point (about mile 16) I thought I was going to throw up, so I took a gu and immediately I felt better,  I said to my bro "that gu helped right away, maybe it's just in my head"  he said "it doesn't matter, as long as you feel good now!"  The 2nd half was just mentally tough for me.  That's a long time to run!

half way point and my brother's precious family :)

This is about mile 24.5-  I love that we have the same stride here... and the same pained look :)

I had never run past 18 miles so when we hit that distance, I was pretty proud.  My brother said when we hit 20 it's going to get really hard and we are just going to have to dig deep.  We did dig deep!  At about mile 23 or 24 we just kept encouraging each other that we were almost there, and to keep going!  This is when I started to get really tired and I kept thinking that a marathon should just be 24 miles and I would feel so much better! :)  Besides feeling sick at one point, my brother and I felt pretty good through the whole race!  Hubs saw us at mile 24 and took some pictures and ran with us for a minute.  At 25 we saw my brother's family.  His girls made him a sign and it was precious!  Right after mile 25 there is a HUGE hill.  We knew it was coming because we already ran up it once, and we said we would walk up the hill because at that point us running or walking up the hill would probably be the same pace :)  After that we knew the finish was close, but it seemed to take FOREVER to get to!!  We finally saw it, grabbed each others hands and finished (and my 3 year old niece ran across the finish line with us!!)  We finished at 4:45.  Very proud!

Almost there!

It was a wonderful experience and something that I will never, ever forget.  Just running a marathon is an incredible feat.  But to be able to do it with my brother was an unbelievable experience.  We both agreed that this will probably be the only one we will do, and we'll just stick to half's.   26.2 is a LONG distance to run.  But now I can say that I've done it!  And you better believe this went on my car right after!

:)