Merry Christmas

It's been a really long time but.......I'm still here.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've all enjoyed your time with your families.

Husband and I are enjoying our last quiet Christmas. Our Baby Boy!!! will be here in just a few short months. Amazing!

Blessings on everyone! Enjoy what's left of 2011!!!

Waiting

Hello out there. This running blog hasn't had much in the way running lately. And my computer is limping along on it's last legs. It is practically unresponsive to any clicks or commands and the video card is shot and the screen looks like it's having seizures. I'm lucky to be able to be typing this at all!

All that aside...

I'm a big fan of being pregnant at this moment. My sister-in-law just gave birth to her first child a week ago. Baby Oakley Mara. A beautiful little girl (despite the ridiculous name). I held her yesterday and she is absolutely precious. I am so excited for my little person to be in my arms in.....5 looooong months.

Things I'm not liking:

- The price of maternity clothes. How am I supposed to save for baby and clothe my preggo-body? Yikes! Thank goodness for friends who've loaned me their clothes :)

- The skin of a 13-year-old. Zit-tastic over here :(

- Unwanted advice/mothering from coworkers. Yes I'm standing on a chair b/c I'm only 5'1" and can't reach the top cork strip that's 7+ feet off the ground to hang these projects. Ain't no one going to do it for me. I'm going slowly and checking balance before I stand up. I'm fine. Go away.

- Not exercising. I've totally dropped the ball on this one :( I was running until I found out I wasn't as far along as I thought i was and kinda freaked. Since week 5 of this whole deal I've been a sedentary bum. I've only been to yoga 3 times. Boo on not staying healthy and fit through this whole thing.

I promise the jogging stroller will be assembled and ready to go as soon as Dr. C clears me for "exercise" ! I've already picked a "come back race" for next October. (giving myself plenty of time to "recover") I'm doing the Twin Cities half-marathon in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Husband is going to try for the full with my sister. They're also planning to do the half in Green Bay in May. We'll have a month-old nugget at that point and hopefully I'll be able to walk the 5K with my parents and the jogger! :)

Gender reveal day is on the 22! Stay tuned :)

Moving Again

Finally made myself move again.

We've been experiencing unusually warm weather for this time of year. I'm talking 80's in October in northern IL!! I could almost get used to this. This weather has had me longing to get out and go for a run! I haven't run much since discovering I had taken on a passenger ;) And as a result I have been feeling sore, achy, and slow lately. I decided that I needed to get moving again, stretching in particular. I caught a yoga class this morning courtesy of dear old lost-as-heck Columbus!

Yoga was lovely! The instructor is someone who caters to the over 60 set at the gym and always has modifications for each pose. She moves through the stretches and poses slowly which was great for me today. I looked up and found 2 other days this week that I have time to catch a class after school. The only thing there is having the energy to go after school.

Energy...or the lack there of...is what has kept me from moving in an exercise-related way for over a month. Pre-preggo I would have forced myself through a run despite lack of fluids or nutrition. Now, not so much. I'm doing all I can to drink water constantly, but I know it's not enough. Anyone have tips or staying consistently hydrated?!?!

On a good note, the morning queeseys have passed and i'm feeling normal again....even a little sexy. (husband appreciates that! Figured we'd go with it as long as I feel like this!) I get 2 ultrasounds in Nov, one to check for heartbeats and one to check for gender. Super excited!

Happy......moving! :)

News! Both Happy and Sad

That's right! My plan worked! I'm preggers!

Only 10 weeks right now and due in April.

I haven't felt much like running, even though the first thing I bought for my pregnant-self was the "Running for Two" shirt! No morning sickness just all-day-nautious :( By the time I get home from school I'm wiped! I don't feel like I'm eating or drinking enough to make it around the block! But I will keep trying. Bentley and I have run twice in the past week. Only 1.25 miles each time, but I was proud of those miles :)

Of course we told our "children" first. Bentley was as excited as you could hope for, but Doozer could sense the competition :)

Now for the not so great news.....

I had a more exciting post in mind when I started writing this last week. Sadly, after I typed the paragraph above my phone rang. My father called to tell me that my grandmother had passed away suddenly that morning. She had been ailing with Alzheimer's for a number of years, and was living in a home that could care for all of her needs. My parents told me that she passed quietly and peacefully in her sleep. Her time came and she was gone. All the joy I had about writing this post went out of me. I am still over joyed at my news, but I am filled with sadness over my grandmother's passing. Sadness and peace at the same time. I am certain that she is now at peace, back with her mind and body that left her long before her soul did.

Thelma Bailey Shesler, the greatest grandmother a girl could ask for. You are loved and will be missed.

That being said...I know her memory will live on in my "next generation." I hope to be the kind of mother she was. I've got a lot to work for, but I'm half-way there :)

Still Here

I know you weren't concerned, but I haven't fallen of the face of the earth.

I have some big news coming soon, but until then, bear with me.

I haven't run in a long time.

I will run tomorrow. I will. Even though it will be close to 100 outside. But I was good with my hydration today and will be just as good tomorrow. I will be ready to kick pavement at 3:30 with SIL#1 and Niece#1 (SIL#1's step daughter). This should be interesting. We have inspired this little lady to lace up her shoes and run. Even though she whines like mad when she sweats. Cross your fingers!

On the book front, I managed to accomplish reading 11 books this summer. Mostly books from my classroom library that I have never read before. A coworker loaned me her copy of The Help which I will finish some time this weekend. Can't wait! I'm loving the book and won't see the movie until it's done! I have a whole new stack from my room that needs reading next. As good as they are for kids, I'm getting burned out on Rick Riordan. Need new children's author!!!

Any Labor Day race plans? I never signed up for the Girl Scout race, but I do want to do a 5K in October. It's the Stone Bridge 5K and is right down the street from my house. I can wake up, get dressed and be at the start in less than 30 minutes :) Can't beat that! I will do my best to talk SIL#1 and Niece#1 into running it with me.

So much going on.....

There is so much going on IN my life right now.

So excited and scared all at the same time.

School is starting soon and I am not in the mental place I usually am at this time of year. That's what team-mates are for, right?!?

I need to register for a September race. But running isn't as high on my list as it was a few weeks ago when I made the plan. Hopefully I can get it back soon.

I feel like mush and I'm wandering in the nowhere.

Happy Running.

Back to School

School starts a week from today! Ahhhh! I've actually been back in my room for a week or so getting things organized. I'm finally proud of my room layout (only took me 5 years to figure it out!) haven't done any lesson planning because district directives are still coming out about what needs to be taught when. (yes, the "office" people are deciding what the teachers teach! Sound wrong to you? Yes!) Anyway, things will turn out alright.......I hope!


My computer has decided to crap-out and I'll be posting from my phone until it decides to stop being a bum or I get a new one for Christmas. Fat chance though.

Still running! Skipped Sunday's long run after attending the worst bachelorette party ever! Ugh! But I ran 2 with SIL#1 today. Thursday is 3!

Happy running!

Today my body said...

NO!

The weather was beautiful today! Back in the 70's with a light breeze. We had slept with the windows open and it felt lovely to wake up with a cool breeze blowing through. And then I remembered last night...

A brief rundown: ran 2.5 miles with SIL#1 and Sister, husband was late to dinner, I had family over, I broke a wine class, I did a massive dinner fail, I was hot, I was tired, and when it finally came down to it I couldn't sleep because I kept having crawling aches in my legs. (kinda like shooting pains, but more like an ache is crawling up my leg. Sooo uncomfortable!) I also itched all over (like coke bugs, but I swear I don't do that stuff!).

So after I let out a contented sigh about the beautiful morning, last night smacked me like a b....

Ugh! Why!?! Well...I know why but that's beside the point.

This led me to decide to skip my cross training workout this morning, sleep in, and go shopping for classroom stuff.

I think my "plan" will need some modifications in the coming weeks. I feel like I'm trying to do too much. Will I keep running? Yes! Will I try to cram exercise classes in on the same days as running? Probably not. I know I'm going to keep the yoga and water workouts, but the other stuff might have to go.

Hopefully I can building them back in at a later date.....

Not discouraged here, just annoyed........................................and happy :)

The "new" Plan!

So I'm all in to this new plan I created a few days ago.

This is what I've done so far:

Thursday 8/4: ran 3 miles

Friday: freakishly tired and slept in before heading to a bachelorette party :)

Sunday: ran 3.83 miles (was supposed to be 4 but it was too damn humid to push it any further)

Monday: rest and yoga

So far so good......right?

The week ahead looks like this:

Tuesday: debating between H2O Bootcamp and Zumba and then running 2 miles

Wednesday: morning water workouts for cross training

Thursday: Deep water class and run 3 miles

Friday: run 3 miles

Saturday: bachelorette party! (i'll have had my fill of these for a while!)

Sunday: run 4 miles (maybe)

Spent my first day in my classroom today. I had to move so much furniture because of course I wanted to change the entire layout of my classroom this year. If I would have thought ahead in May I could have left a "map" for the janitors to rearrange my classroom for me after they cleaned the floors. Oh well. Just did it myself. It's looking good so far. I'll be going in again tomorrow to do some more work. School starts 2 weeks from today! Eeek! I'm so not ready!

Oh well. Good bye summer :( Hello workin' for a livin'

Happy Running!

New Plan

Husband finally hooked up all the electronics in the basement today! We also had the sofa delivered. It's starting to look like a real room!

Well.....just to make sure he did it right, I decided to test out the Wii. I got a Wii fit for Christmas a year ago and wanted to do "body test." I don't believe these things are very accurate, but they give some general idea of weight (not fitness....at all!!). When I last tried this, it was May and I had just finished training for the Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon. I was also working and on some sort of schedule. It gave me a weight of 132 lbs in May (probably a "skinny" day). I was stoked! I did the happy dance around the living room! My training was working. Running was working. Life was good.

Flash forward to today.....Wii no like me anymore :( I seem to have gained about 10 lbs since May. I have not been running consistently, despite going to the gym almost daily. I'm taking classes here, not running. I am not working (teacher = summer off) and am on no schedule what so ever! Food? Yea we have lots of it. I eat most of it. Even though we're stuffed full of veggies because of our CSA farm share.

Crap! How did this happen?

Honestly, I felt this coming. I haven't been my healthiest self. For the past 3 weeks I've just felt awful. It's been 90+ degrees outside with 104+ heat index for that entire time. This heat is killing me! I've been inside....sitting, reading, and eating. I've felt slow and lethargic. And yesterday I had trouble buttoning my shorts.....they fit perfectly two months ago. I've been sleeping through breakfast and skipping lunch as well. I'll graze off of what ever I find by rarely sit down for any other meal except dinner. That is like health/nutrition 101; never skip a meal!

I want there to be another reason for this ;) ......but sadly, not yet.....I don't think....

I don't feel unhealthy. In fact, I just had a blood test today an the nurse was excited that my BP and HDL numbers were so low! My HDL and triglycerides were so low they didn't even register on the test :) I still feel like the best person I've been in years....mentally.

So. What am I going to do about this. Well, here's the plan:

1. Stop skipping meals. Breakfast and lunch matter!

2. Set my alarm to wake up in the morning by 8:00. (it's summer, I'm giving myself some "sleep-in" time)

3. Stick to the new workout plan: Run 4 times a week. Long runs on Sunday. Cross train on Wednesday. Do yoga on Monday and Saturday. Fit fitness classes in around the Tuesday-Thursday runs.

4. Get SIL#1 or Husband in on this plan with me (Misery loves company! Just kidding. Trying to spread the "healthy" here!)

5. Keep planing out meals ahead of time and working in as many fruits/veggies as possible!

I've already written out a schedule that takes me through August 31st. School starts on the 22 so I've worked it out so I can get it all in. I want to feel good again. I felt great in May and I want that back!

I'm going to make this work!

Happy running!

Spoiled

Yup. That's me. Spoiled.

Why, you ask?

Well it's summer and I'm a teacher.....not a lot of "work" that I need to do which leaves tons of time for working out. I also have a gym membership. Those two things combined are really coming in handy right now that it is melt-your-face-off hot outside! I did 2 miles yesterday on the treadmill at the gym and 2 today. I also sneak-ed in an extra .5 on the track. These miles made me feel good. Since I'm still having some ITB pain, I'm keeping it to 2 miles for now. Then I stop, stretch, and use the roller if it's around. If I have time (like today) I'll get some more miles on the track. But considering it's an inside track that takes 14 laps to make a mile....I won't be doing that too often.

Oh....I'm also spoiled because I received my second massage in one week. He he he. I got a couples massage for Husband and I last week after his Tough Mudder race. He was so thankful that someone could work out all his knots! The lady asked him after why his legs and knees were so banged up! Last week I also received a coupon to one of my favorite salons/spas. All I had to do was write a review on Google Places and they'd give me 50% off any massage I wanted! Husband was going golfing today so I posted my review and booked my massage! I really wanted a hot stone massage, but I ended up with a 90 minute regular massage because the person I was scheduled with got sick and the lady who took over hadn't finished her hot stone therapy training. Oh well. I still feel amazing now!

I then treated myself to some Red Mango after. Mmmmm! If you haven't experienced Red Mango, it's a frozen yogurt bar. You serve yourself from 12 different flavor choices and then top your flavor with any of the toppings from the bar (fruit, nuts, cookies, candy, chocolate.....etc.). It's amazing. And certified Gluten Free! Can't get much better.

So yea.....I spoiled myself today. But it's only 2:00 and I have a kitchen that trolls must have gotten loose in last night because it's a total mess! My spoiled princess moment is sadly ending. I've become Cinderella again :(

Enjoy your day! Beat that heat and happy running!

Giveaway!!

I recently found katieRUNSthis tanks to Katye!

She is a very inspirational running blogger from Louisana. She is also in the league of running mommy-to-be's! (no secret that I'm seriously trying to join that club :) )

She's hosting a giveaway for Go Sport ID bands. (like RoadID but fancier) Since I already won a great RoadID from LongLegsOnTheLoose, I'm hoping to win this for Sister. She needs one! But you should click on over and check it out too!

ALSO!!!!

Tall Mom is hosting an Active Band giveaway on her blog. Ends tomorrow! Check it out!

My Awesome Husband!!!

Check him out! He ran the Tough Mudder with friends on Sunday. This video has him right up front and in all the action a the start. He's the tall, bearded guy on the right with the "Operation Filth" shirt and the bondi band! (That's right. I got Husband hooked on the Bondi!)

I won the battle!

It was bright and sunny this morning....just like it has been for the past week.

The only difference?!?!

It wasn't hot!!! I didn't check the temp for sure, but I was rather cool out.

After struggling to get out of bed, I started to gather my things for water classes. The sun kept calling to me. The breeze kept rustling the leaves outside. Did I really want to go to class?!?!

NO!

Bentley played his part in convincing me. I just couldn't resist his whining anymore.

We only made it 2 miles because I'm really out of practice and the Brown Monster was lurking around.

Now I'm off to Yoga! I can feel some ITB tightness and really need to get back into stretching.

Did you check out Sister's new blog yet? Well, do it already! Stealthy and Healthy!

New Blog Alert!!

No not mine :)

Sister has a new blog up and running and would like a few visitors/followers.

I may or may not have spoken of my lovely Sister before, but I will now. She is younger than me and almost as pretty ;) But that doesn't really matter. What does matter is that after graduating with a degree in nutrition and dietetics from The University of Minnesota, she is finishing up her dietary internship at Crappy-Middle-Of-Nowhere-Hospital and is looking for some useful way of spending her free time. I will list her full credentials when I know them for sure, but I do know she knows her stuff! She's using the Interwebs as a way of conveying her knowledge of nutrition and practical way of being healthy. As runners, we need all the nutrition we can get to make our bodies the best they can be for our sport! Her whole concept is ways to make nutrition a part of your life, not something you have to go out of your way for.

Please visit Stealthy And Healthy for actual, fact-based articles and reviews of healthy things like food, exercise, and general nutrition/healthy-stuff!

Feel free to leave her comments about your favorite recipes, healthy foods, exercise, etc. Also feel free to ask her questions about nutrition and healthy lifestyles. She isn't a certified RD (registered dietitian) yet, but the only thing that's keeping her from being known as Sister, RD is a simple little test which she can't take until her internship is done in December. So....whatever advice you take away from her blog is "at your own risk," but I will tell you she isn't just making stuff up. She'd like to eventually write for nutrition journals or fun magazines like Runners World (any idea how to hook her up with that Katye?!) and she needs to start somewhere. Real nutrition articles need to be fact-based, not just opinions. She won't make her goal if she writes a blog that she just makes up!

So......check her out!!!

Haven't run in a while....

I'm not being lazy, I'm just not feeling it.

Locker #53 at the gym and I are becoming very good friends. I have logged all of my workouts on DailyMile and am loving seeing the green bars almost every day :) I am missing the mileage numbers that used to go with them though...

We seem to have entered a tropical heat wave here in IL. As much as I want to go running, I don't think my body will cooperate with this heat. Will make a greater effort to get in a few treadmill miles this week :)

What motivated me in the past was a race. I need to choose an August 5-10K. I sent the SIL's a link to a local race calendar, but I haven't heard anything back. I'm really the only one who plans anything. Ooooh! Just had an idea! I'll check Sister's local race calendar in Middle-Of-Nowhere-IL :) She'd like a visit! (I'm smart sometimes!)

Let you know what I pick when I pick it :)

Things I love about summer...

Here's a list I was thinking about this morning as I watched Bentley play at the dog park:

I love summer because:

- I have all the time in the world to run and workout :)

- I get to sleep late whenever I want to!

- I get to spend time outside. Yesterday I sat on the patio with a good friend for a few hours. It was warm, but we had shade and a good breeze. I even spent an entire day outside last week reading a book! Plus, my tan is looking good :)

- I get to read for fun! I've read a total of 9 books so far this summer and I'm working on my 10th :)

- We have a CSA share and get a box of veggies from a local farmer once a week. I love summer because I eat healthier! My recipe box is full of recipes to accommodate all the veggies we get in the summer. Some of these recipes are so good that I even cook them in the winter with grocery store veggies. Interested in finding farmer's markets and CSA groups in your area? Check out LocalHarvest.com. That's how I found ours!

- We have time to get things done around the house. Husband has spent the last 3 weeks finishing our basement. I'll post pictures when he's all done. It's going to be great! And we even bought a new stove on the 4th. Let the baking begin!

-I get to spend time with my animals. Bentley and I run, walk, or go to the dog park almost every day. Doozer enjoys cuddling with me while I read. And we all enjoy family-bed time in the evening.
- We can go see movies on weekdays! I don't know what the theater situation is by you, but around here our local Kerasotes theaters have been bought out by AMC. Kerasotes used to have a great program called the 5-Buck-Club. You could see movies for $5 any day of the week after they'd been out for a while (2-weeks or so). They also gave military and senior citizen discounts. But when AMC took over, they ruined everything. No discounts for anyone! And they raised the concession prices sky-high! It's insane! After enough people complanied they changed their weekday (Monday-Thursday before 5:00 PM) prices to $5....except on holidays. All other times are $10 a ticket. For those of us that have jobs, that means we're looking at paying $20 for tickets and another $20 for concessions (because who can resist a movie w/o popcorn?) all the time. The only option we'd have for catching a $5 movies is on a holiday, but that doesn't count. But because Husband and I are teachers, we can finally see movies during the week for $5! Long story short, we only really see movies in the summer. Netflix and RedBox are awesome!

- Another thing I love is time for vacations! Money's tight and we don't go too many places. But it's nice taking a weekend away every so often. Plus, this year we went to Disney!

- I see kids playing outside. Our neighborhood has a ton of kids. But from December-March you wouldn't know it. As soon as the temps are warm enough though they all end up outside. It's nice that we live in a safe area that is great for bike-riding, walking, and just being outside as a kid.

- I still get a pay check even though I don't have to go to work! Now don't get me wrong, I practically work 24-hours a day from August-May. I'm constantly planning lessons, grading papers, and thinking about school and my students during the school year. Their success with education is my life! During the summer, I need my break. I still take classes, I've been to one in June and am thinking about another in early August. I'm even taking an hour here-and-there to work on SMART presentations for next year. So, I guess I'm still working....from home....but it's worth it!

There are many other things I love about summer. Those are just a few that I thought of today.

What is your favorite thing about summer?

4th of July 8K

Just got back from the 8K this morning with Husband and SIL#1. I'm so proud of her! She accomplished the whole 5 miles without walking and at an 11:30ish pace :)

I stuck with her the whole way....until the end. I just had too much in me not to sprint to the end. I sent Husband back for her when I passed him during the last quarter. He had finished before us and was walking back to cheer us on.

It was nice race. Good temperature and a pretty location--down the bike path by the river. We felt very accomplished that we ran the whole thing all before 8:30!

Now we're off to a baseball game and then to go appliance shopping. There's a really good sale right now and we're in need of a new fridge! After that, we're watching fireworks somewhere....just not sure where yet.

Happy 4th and Happy Running!!

Reflections of a pacer

That's right folks! A pacer! Me?! Yes!

I've been running with SIL#1 (sister-in-law #1....my husband has 3 sisters and this one is his oldest. #2 is the middle, and #3 is the youngest) for about a week now. We trained together last summer and ran the RNR Chicago half together last August. No one would have ever though I would become the "pacer" out of the two of us based on last year's training. But she took a lot of time off for life/family/etc. after the half and is just now seriously getting back into running.

Before her time off she was a pretty kick-butt runner. She could run circles around me and was pretty good at self-pacing (we didn't own Garmins last summer). Last year we would start a run and she'd either push me to run harder or I'd poop out and she'd continue. Her self-motivation is amazing! Very jealous here. She could even keep pace with Husband! (she's also taller than me, so it's easier.)

I'm not the best at putting these reflections into nice paragraphs, so I'm going to continue with a list here:

- I am super psyched to be the "pacer" out of the two of us. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something :)

- I can feel my legs begging to run faster during our runs. I never thought I'd beg for speed!

- Now I know what Sister must have felt like running with me at that stage :) Thanks for keeping pace with me Sister :) (Sister is my sister, in case you're confused!)

- I can hold a conversation while we run, and SIL#1 can too. This makes me think that I should push her to run a little faster :)

- It's nice not caring about time and just going for distance.

- It's nice having someone to run with when I don't feel like I'm holding them back. It sometimes is easier to run alone because then I don't worry about taking away from Husband or Sister's workout. I know they slow down for me to be nice, but it's nice not having to make someone do that.

- We're doing an 8K (together, unless I decide to kick asphalt) on the 4th of July. So excited! I needed another race. I even bought glitter flag tattoos and American Flag ribbons for our hair! (A bit of Katye inspiration)

- I cannot believe how amazing my journey as a runner has been. To run with her today and think about how far I've come was great. She was saying the same things I did last summer (my shins hurt, I feel like I'm running in place, my lungs are exhausted, I'm so sore today, etc). She even told me that it's "my job" to make sure she keeps running when school starts up again (we're both teachers). Me! I'm responsible for keeping someone in shape! Can you believe it?!



Today I feel very blessed. I am blessed that Husband and I share a love of running together. Blessed that I have SIL#1 to run with. Very sad that my Sister isn't here to run with all the time, but blessed that she inspired me to run. Blessed that someone made the "itty bitty" sign with their fingers and said I was "this big" today. (I have never been told I'm thin by anyone. Ever! Just short! And that's not what she meant.) Blessed that I have a dog to run with. Blessed that I feel the best I've ever felt in my life.

Running has changed my life! How has it changed yours?

Watch me work...

I successfully started another week of classes at the gym! :)

Last week went a little like this:

Monday: two miles on the treadmill and 30 minutes of Core H2O

Wednesday: 30 minutes of Core Control and 1 hour of Water Pilates

Thursday: 3 miles with SIL#1

Saturday: 1 hour of Yoga and 3 miles with SIL#1

Not bad :)

Today I did 1 hour of Water Pilates before doing 30 minutes of Core H2O. Back-to-back classes are awesome. Though I'm the youngest person in these classes by 20 years, I still get a great workout. I didn't know you could sweat in the water!

In case you didn't notice by my class selection....my core is my "trouble zone" right now. I have problems doing sit-ups. My neck hurts so bad after because my form is horrible. In these particular classes, we don't do sit-ups. The core is worked in other ways that I really feel the next day. So....now if I could just find an arms class things would be great!

Happy running! Enjoy summer :)

3 Things Thursday

1. It was tough to roll over this morning. Abs class yesterday kicked my.....well....abs! I followed an intense 30 minute class with aqua pilates. It involved a series of things that made me sweat! In the water! Ah! This should make running tonight a little tough :(

2. I'm currently watching Tangled :) Again. Husband is out shopping for man-stuff, and I'm all alone. This isn't too bad because I can now sing along at the top of my lungs without him rolling his eyes at me or doubting his wife-choice. Best Disney movie in a long time!

3. I got my hair cut today. Things are always better after I get my hair cut. I look cuter :)

Neglect

I have seriously neglected some things these past few weeks:

- My body......sleep and running have taken a back seat to busy, busy, busy! A week in Disney will do that to you :(

- My house.....though we cleaned all day before we left for Disney, the house is now showing signs of being lived in again (aka...mess!) There is one whole room I never even touch! But, it needs to be cleaned.

- My blog.....sorry people! Being that this is a running-related blog and I haven't been running, I haven't been blogging. Things will change soon!

Oops! Neglect no more! I'm back and looking to pay some attention to some stuff!

Want a Disney recap? Here you go:


Things learned:

- I'm never going to Disney, in the summer, with children in strollers. I witnessed too many tantrums to ever want to take that on. I said silent prayers for every brave family I saw with children under the age of 5. More power to them but I will not join them.

- Husband really likes Disney....even though he pretended not to be as excited as I was!

- Disney's allergy accommodations for food are amazing! I had gluten-free chicken fingers! For the first time ever! I felt like a princess talking to the chefs at each restaurant we ate at.

- Make your dining reservations as soon as you book your trip. We didn't have a problem with any restaurants because we'd had our reservations for 6 months :) Never waited more than 10 minutes for a table.

- If staying at the all-star resorts.....stay at the sports resort. It's the first stop for the buses :)

- Wear sunscreen! I voided every shower I took by lathering myself with sunscreen immediately after. But, I didn't get burned!

- Fast pass is the way to go! We didn't wait for more than 15 minutes for any ride.

- If you're an adult, and feel up to it, drinking your way around the world at EPCOT can be fun :)

-We bought the refillable drink mugs from our resort and probably saved $100 that week with how many times we refilled them. We're gifting them to friends who are traveling later this year :)

-Hollywood Studios isn't as much fun as I remember.

- The character breakfast is a good idea. They made me gluten-free Mickey waffles! And we saw all the characters we miss that week!






We've been home for two whole days and I'm still not caught up on sleep. We packed a lot into those 5 days......but for that price, you would be silly to miss something! We squeezed every dime out of our vacation :)

I woke up this morning (a struggle) and checked the gym schedule to see what was being offered today. (I am making a big effort to catch a class almost every day this summer) Core H2O was at 10:00. Sweet! My core is rather soft and lumpy, plus I have a really cute suit for water classes :) Off I went. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill before class (I miss running!) and then changed and got in the pool with at least 20 "older" ladies. (I felt like a little kid!) But the class did the trick and I'm rather tired. After my afternoon nap I'm sure I'll feel it in my tummy.

What's on the schedule tomorrow? Basement finishing supplies are being delivered and I have a class for school to take at noon so I'll probably run around the block with Bentley in the morning.

I'm back at it and hoping to put lots of miles on my shoes this summer :) Happy running!

I didn't forget! I swear!

Here's what you've all been waiting for! The winner of the Red Check BIC Band!

Husband picked the winner from a fancy dish :)

jzimmerman


Congratulations! Send your information to jmbarnes85 (at) gmail (dot) com!!!!

We're off to Disney on Monday :) See you when we return!

Hey there!

Welcome new followers! I know most of you are here for the BIC Band, but I hope you'll stick around :)

It's report card week again. The end is near though! Last day is Friday!!! I have some miles planned this week though. Hopefully I can get them in before we leave next week!

One week from tomorrow and I'll be in sunny Disney World! Yay!

Don't forget to enter the BIC Band Giveaway! It ends Wednesday!

For real this time (*giveaway*)

Hello again!

I am only 7 days from the last day of school! I cannot tell you how great that feels! We leave for Disney the Monday after school is out and I am so freakin' excited I can hardly contain myself :)

Not a whole lot of running has occurred since Green Bay. I decided to focus on keeping grades and school work up to date so that I could enjoy my last few days of school without a lot of stress. But Sister came home over the holiday weekend. That means a whole car-load of motivation came with her. She got Husband and I out for a run on Sunday morning before it started storming. 4 miles later (time: 41:08) and we logged it as a great run.

I'm looking to put together a "maintenance plan" for the summer. I plan to run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with a long run on Sunday. I don't want to go over 7 miles for my long runs. I'd like to keep my distance base, but I don't want to over-do it. As I've said before, I'm looking to take on a "passenger" some time this summer and I don't want to jeopardize anything.


And now the moment you've all been waiting for.............the BIC Band Giveaway!!!!!

To celebrate my 2nd half marathon, total PR, and 200+ posts, I'm giving you a chance to win a Thin BIC Band.

I was first introduced to these bands by Katye @ Long Legs on the Loose. I purchased a few for myself and one for Sister. I even purchased one with my own money to give to you! (That's right, I'm not sponsored here!)



In case you don't already know, here's a little bit about them from their website:

"B.I.C. Bands gives back to those in need with every purchase!

B.I.C. Bands will not slip~ (SERIOUSLY!) They are great for any workout, a trip to the coffee shop, going out with friends, work....you name it, your B.I.C. Band will keep your hair looking FAB! They are headbands that stay in place and help others win their race!"


So, you want it?!?! Here's how you get it:

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment (+1 entry)

2. Go to the BIC Bands website and click around. Leave a comment about the bands you love. (+1 entry)

3. Repost this giveaway on your blog and leave a comment about it (+1 entry)



(I only set it on his head for the photo! Promise!)



And that's it! I've never done one of these before, so wish me luck! With a little more luck, I'll announce the winner on June 8th! So....go to it :)

Happy Running!

Green Bay Half Marathon Race Report

Warning***Long Post Ahead***

Finally getting around to writing this report. This was, by far, my favorite race to date! I had an amazing weekend with my family. It was great to be back in that small-town city :)

The Trip:

Husband and I weren't as ready as we thought we were for this trip. I had planned to be all packed and ready to leave when my sister got here Friday. Buuuuuut, a healthy dose of lazy and a large dose of school-time reality prevented me from packing much of anything. So, of course, when Sister got here I was running around like a mad person trying to pack for myself and Bentley, and reminding Husband about what he had forgotten. Oh....and I forgot to mention that we didn't have any power. The small storm that had rolled through that afternoon managed to knock out our electricity. Nothing like packing for a vacation in the dark!

After dropping off Bentley at SIL#1's house we were on the road for a quick 3 hour drive north. After meeting up with my parents at the hotel we grabbed Sister's Boyfriend (referred to hereafter as FBIL-future brother-in-law....they aren't engaged, but it's gonna happen) and headed off to dinner. A quick chow-down at Noodles & Co and we were back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

*Random side note* The restaurant next to Noodles in Green Bay is known as El Serape. Unfortunately they were also experiencing random power outages just like we were at home. The really bad part is that the power outage only effected certain parts of their sign. So, instead of the sign reading El Serape Mexican Restaurant it read Rape. oops.*

The 5K:

I had talked my parents into walking the 5K on Saturday morning. All races that weekend went through Lambeau Field. My dad is a big Packers fan and I knew he'd really enjoy the lap around the field. The weather was crummy and cold, but we dressed as warm as we could and set off to enjoy ourselves. Husband, Sister, and FBIL were our champion spectators that day. The race was pretty uneventful because we were walking, but that worked well for me because I needed to save my legs for the next day. As we entered the field I made sure I got some great shots of my parents. I even made my dad do the Lambeau Leap!...sort-of. As we came out of the tunnel and rounded the corner for the finish line I was talking them through finish-line poses and decided they should jog in. My mom wanted no part of jogging, but I ended up racing my dad to the finish. We were full out sprinting :) He's such a good sport!

The Expo:

After the race we hit up a rather small expo. I didn't really want anything special from the expo except maybe a shirt. But the official race gear was not very good. So I skipped out on it. I did, however, buy a sweet 13.1 magnet for my car :) I figured that I would have 2 halves under my belt and that would make me legit enough for a car magnet! Husband bought a few packages of sports beans, and he wasn't overly impressed with the expo either.

Our hotel was nothing special. Just a cute little joint out by the airport. We decided to head to the Titletown Brewing Company for dinner. Husband and I went their for our 1-year anniversary a few years back and loved it. They brew a special 26.2 brew every year for marathon weekend and Husband and my dad wanted to try it. I enjoyed their special Snow Cap root beer. (pretty sure it wasn't GF, but oh well.) Amazing salad, great conversation, and then some ColdStone ice cream for dessert. Early to bed for us racers.

The Race:

Weather conditions were decent. Temps were in the 50's. It wasn't raining. But there were 20+ mph. This was going to make running difficult. Again, I was super emotional before we crossed the Start line. This was the second biggest thing I've ever set out to accomplish and again I had Awesome Husband at my side. Super Sister was also with me. This was bound to be a good day. Husband and I kept pace with each other for the first 5 miles. I stopped for a quick bathroom break at that point and quickly lost him. We need to run our own races anyway. I was amazed with how great I felt during this race. Not once did I feel exhausted. Not once did I find The Wall. I was pretty darn impressed!

*Interesting Thoughts While Racing*
- It's nice to run through all these neighborhoods. Watching people as they cheered for us from lawn chairs in their front yards was fun.
- There were lots of great signs:
- "Chuck Norris wouldn't quit!"
- "That guy stole your wallet ---->"
- "We're proud of you total stranger"
- "This wind totally blows!" (ha!)
- "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon!"
- Ran past a house with "Go Bears" signs in the windows. Thought they were very brave to live in Green Bay with such nonsense written on their windows.
- This race isn't as crowded as Chicago. The air even smells better.
- I wish I could eat bratwursts at the end with everyone else. Damn celiac disease.
- Why aren't there more photographers? I look good and someone needs to capture photos of this :)
- Why don't I live here?

At mile 12, the marathoners split off from the halvsies. I yelled and screamed as best I could for those braves souls who were heading off to battle the 20+ mph headwind for 8+miles. Yuck. I also wished quick steps for my sister. Back toward Lambeau we went. Coming through the tunnel I passed Husband on his way out. I surprised him :) He didn't expect to see me. The lap around the field was great. I yelled and screamed to make sure mummy and daddy saw me....they did. I didn't sprint around the final turn because I knew I had a great time already.

I clocked a 2:12:27! Couldn't have been happier!

Final race thoughts: This was awesome! I can't wait until I can train for another one.....next year :)


*****Got an e-mail the next day saying that there was a course error. I suspected one when I heard all the GPS watches around me beeping at least .1 before the mile markers. Hmmm. So many people complained that they remeasured the course. Sure enough they had added an extra 800 feet between miles 3 and 4. Oops! This didn't effect me too much except that it did effect all the marathon runners who were aiming for Boston that day. The race directors worked out some formula and called the Boston people. They were able to "correct" everyone's times and qualified a bunch more people who missed their BQ by a matter of seconds because of the measurement error. I just got a more awesome time! The now "official" time for me is 2:10:57!!!!!! Holy heck! I am more awesome than I thought :)*****

Post-Race:

Found Husband after the medal, water, and t-shirt pick-up station. We got our photo snapped together. We look hot! Then we found the family and our bags. Got in line for for "beverages" and then made our way to the atrium to warm up. 30 minutes of stretching and photographing later we found a spot in the stadium to watch Sister finish her race. Her time update texts were slowing down and I knew she was struggling. Finally we saw her come through the tunnel. I was a smidgy emotional at this point too. There was my awesome sister. Finishing her second marathon! I wanted to scramble over that wall and run her to the finish. But I was all wrapped up in that silver plastic thing. I would have made a fool of myself and probably gotten in big-time trouble for climbing down stadium walls. Instead I booked back down the steps and made it around the corner just in time to hear the announcer mispronounce her name as she crossed the finish line! Yay sissy :)

All my students asked me if I "won" the next day at school. I laughed. They all wanted to see photos, touch my medal, and hear about the race. I love them.

Now I need to focus my energy on school for the next few weeks. I also need to get a work out plan going. I'm not aiming for major mileage this summer because I'm planning on taking on a passenger....if you know what I mean ;) But I am looking to improve the tone in my arms and abs. Any good workout ideas?

Happy Running!

Run and Done!!!!

Just finished the Green Bay Half Marathon!!!

Time: 2:12:27!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Total PR!!

Full race report when I get home :)

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA for a while.....Don't quite know what got in to me.

I've kept up my miles. Only 8 more stand between me and13.1 glory on Sunday :)

I have a count down on my board at school. The students knew exactly what the "5 days" meant. So proud of those nasty little buggers (seriously, I'm not the biggest fan of 5th graders at this point in the year. Too many hormones for me to handle).

I have an outfit planned. Nothing too stylish, but I did buy a new green Nike shirt so that I can rock some of my Packers spirit while I run! Hopefully that 30% chance of rain gets downgraded even further closer to race day and I don't have to fret. Not a fan of doing this in the rain. Temps should be in the 50's which is perfect running weather for me right now. (yesterday's near-70 run almost got to me. The sun got to my arms because I was the bum who forgot to wear sunscreen.)

I don't know. I should totally be more psyched about this, but I'm feeling sort of blah right now. No idea why. I'm just not feeling the love I guess.

I still have that BIC band I'm holding hostage until I can get my butt in gear and post the pics/giveaway. Ugh.

Something better light my fire before the weekend!

Ooooh.....here's something that should get me going.....Only 1 month left of school!!!!!!! Can't wait!!!

Important stuff

So.....some important stuff happened this week.

* I turned 26 on Monday ;) Happy birthday to me!!!!!

* I ran 11 miles on my birthday because I had the day off school, and it was on my plan. A year ago I never would have thought it possible to run 11 miles, let alone be motivated enough to want to run them on my birthday. Go me!

* those 11 miles and your kind words gave me the confidence I need to feel like I can kick butt in this half mary! (I can call it that because I'm a serious bad-ass runner now)

* my prince got married to someone who wasn't me ~*le sigh*~

* I logged 23 miles this week. Peak week of training is over. I guess you'd say this is taper time! So.... Bring it I guess!

* and this is my 200th post!!! Expect a giveaway soon to celebrate!

Happy running!

Almost time

I've run 2 races so far this year. Penguin in the Park 5K in 28:00, total PR. Heritage Run 10K, my first, in 59:54, instant PR. Daily mile says I've logged 159 miles so far in 2011. The next race I run will be a half marathon. Will it be a PR as well? Can I beat 2:43:22?

There are only 23 days left until the Green Bay Half Marathon. I'm starting to feel the butterflies. After the 10K on Sunday I was thinking that I just did "half" of a half marathon (sort of). It took a lot of effort...I know I was sick.....but it took more effort than I wanted it to. I'm starting to doubt.

I've completed most of my runs on my plan. Stuck to the schedule as much as I could when life/weather/laziness didn't get in the way. But I remember how hard Chicago was last summer. And I had SIL#1 and SIL#2 running with me in Chicago. This year I'll be on my own, unless Husband decides that he's not out for a PR and wants to stick with me. I run my best when he's with me. He makes me better :) But we've both trained for our own races.

I know I can complete the distance. I want to complete the distance. I want to kick ass! I want to bring a PR back to show my students on that Monday! If you set your mind to it, you can do it!! (Awesome Long Legs Katye and Tall Mom Mel have proved that with their Boston races this week.) This is the only half on my schedule this year so I want it to be awesome!

Will it be everything I want it to be?

Heritage Run 10K Race Report

I haven't been feeling well lately and haven't felt much like blogging :( Also, I have been reading blogs on my iPhone and it's more difficult to post from there.

However, I have been keeping up with running. After last week's 80 degree Sunday, the temps took a dive back into the 30's. It felt so cold after being so beautiful :(

I managed a 4-mile neighborhood run last Tuesday with Bentley. The temps hadn't got to complete crap yet, so it was manageable. I chose the hilly neighborhoods to purposefully kick my butt. It hurt, but it made it. 42:something was my time.

I skipped my Friday run because my because I started to fight this allergy/cold/flirt-with-death that I've got going on.

Sunday was race day! I sucked up the sickies and made it work. I was up around 8:30ish and was fully functional by 9:00. I made some tea, ate some peanut butter toast, and tried to decide on an outfit. The temps were supposed to be in the low 50's....but it was windy! I finally decided on my tights, cool-weather long-sleeve shirt, and a tech tee over top. Plus my good luck Princess tiara Bondi Band!!! Husband and I ran the whole thing together. (I love that we can do that!) Through the whole thing I had visions of us crossing the finish line holding hands :) However, the blisters and chest pain became a little too much toward the end. I was fighting pretty good for the last mile to keep myself from walking. But when we saw that finish line, I decided to smoke him!!! I broke out my run-like-I-stole-something sprint and thought I blew him away! I just made it to the finish line when I caught a glimpse of him over my right shoulder. He caught me right at the end and we did cross the finish line together! (just not holding hands) 60 minutes and something.

I had 10 miles on the training plan for Sunday so after we got home I suited up Bentley and headed out to the trail. I kept it slow because the blisters were ouching me. But, I finished my 4 miles. Full 10 miles completed as planned :)

Then I spent the next two days in a snotted-up funk. I felt terrible. So much cool air on my already banged up lungs :( I felt like I was breathing fire and talking like a man. The students though I was entertaining. I wanted to die. Today it's raining buckets, and I'm being lazy. Plus I'm still a snot factory. Hopefully I can get in a run tomorrow.

Congrats to all the Boston runners yesterday! Especially Katye who fought a huge mental game to get through! I'm super proud of all of you :)

I've got some 'splainin to do...

So....I skipped my long run last week. The wedding festivities carried over into Sunday and before I knew it I was out of time and out of motivation (and I hadn't seen a glass of water in who knows how long). I intended to push it to Monday, but the weird feelings in my chest got the best of me and I made myself go to the Dr. after school. When I got home, Husband kept bragging about how "good" his 9.5 miles felts and I couldn't keep myself from feeling like crap. So I sucked it up, put my shoes on and managed 4 miles before it started to pour down rain.

Wednesday was a much better day. Husband, Bentley, and I attacked 5 miles on the trail in record time :) I felt great!!! Not even the tiniest bit sore either.

Friday, was supposed to do 6 miles. But, I felt like I had been hit by a bus all day. It was almost like I had never fully woken up that morning and that I was just going through the school-day motions like a robot. The chest issues were bothering me big time so I just came home and took a nap instead of running like I wanted. (This was also day #1 of new meds to deal with chest issues)

Saturday felt great! The sun was up and it was 60-something by 9:00am!!! I was off to yoga before a baby shower and was hoping to make up those 6 after it was over. Didn't make up the 6 but did a lot of laundry and graded some papers. Did make plans for a "long" run the next day

Today, Sunday, I felt even better!!! (I'm digging these meds!) It was 70 by the time I woke up and I just couldn't get my feet in my shoes fast enough. I made sure that I had my GUs and my camelpak because I was going to feel "hot" out there. My pace was super slow, partially because I didn't want any chest issues flaring by trying to be superwoman. At the turn around point I realized that I should have stuffed my inhaler in my hip pack because the combo of tree pollen and burning yard waste was messing with my lungs :( But I fought through it and really didn't need to walk until the last mile. At that point there is a quarter mile stretch where there is no shade. I didn't know it but it had gotten to about 80 at this point and boy did I feel it! Not used to this yet!..... Love it! Just not used to it. Overall, good run...just really slow.

It's a good thing I ran when I did. It's still beautiful out but Dr. Tornado from the weather channel says I'm getting blown away this evening. Hopefully this is one of those times where the weather man is wrong.

Only a few posts left until I attempt a giveaway! Happy running!

Report cards and an early birthday present

*prepare for random thoughts that don't exactly go together*

This is "report card week". I hate report card week. That means that I have zero free time. Barely enough time to type them and eat dinner before bed time.....if I squeeze in a run I'm going to be up forever!

I've been having some chest/breathing/heart issues lately. I would get this strange flutter in my chest and then it goes away. No other symptoms. Now it's a constant tightness, dull pain, and shortness of breath. After finally taking myself to the doctor I have learned that my Dr. isn't exactly concerned that a perfectly healthy 26-year-old is complaining of these symptoms :( The heart monitor they want me to wear won't be available for another month!.....boy....hope this isn't serious (*annoyed eye roll*)

Despite the chest issues I've still been running. I can run just fine, a fairly fast I might add. Today Husband and I did 5 miles in 49:35! I broke 50!!! Yay! Didn't feel a thing the whole time....I also photographed part of this run. Should post them tomorrow.

We just switched our mobile phone service to Verizon. I'm now the proud mamma of an iPhone!!! (bandwagon...what?!?) Any apps I should get? The free-er the better!

I just finished my 27th report card while watching the Blackhawks game! I had to rewrite the comments a few times due to distractions :) Oops!

Bentley just barked at me in his sleep. He's not a barking dog when he's awake, but he barks softly in his sleep. He's odd.

The wedding on Saturday was beautiful! When photos are posted I will put some up here :) I looked great! and so did the bride. And I was pretty much the best attendant ever! I made her bridesmaids look like freeloaders :)

I am famous! Not really, but I did get my photo in the local news paper. My students participated in a speech competition and the newspaper photographer showed up for our session. She photographed me "keeping the peace" during the score-tallying by reading a story. I don't get the newspaper so I didn't see it until my students brought me a few copies. :)

Holy Cow! I need to go to bed! L8r!

April Fools!

Today is April First! Only 24 shopping days until my birthday people :)

But really.....that's not what this is about.

THIS is what this is about...

Snow!!! Seriously?!? This better be a joke.

The Doozer is not happy. She's an inside lady, but still, her birds aren't hanging around today because of the snow and so....she's not happy.

Me? Well....I'm supposed to do 5 miles. I'm in the process of gathering the courage needed to run in the snow in April. Can't push it back until tomorrow because SIL#1 is getting married. I'm the "assistant" so I'll be busy all day. (in case you're wondering assistant = not good enough to be a bridesmaid. I'm only a little bitter about it.) I'll let you know how it goes.

Lady Luck loves me!

Guess who just won Katye's BIC Bands giveaway??? ME!!! Thanks again Katye for hosting a great giveaway.

For anyone who's interested, she still has another giveaway open. It's a Running Skirts giveaway. Click on over and check it out!

Also....Run, Zoe, Run is hosting another giveaway. This one is great! It's for a Road ID. I won a Road ID from Katye last year and have worn it on every run since. I even bullied my Husband into buying one. So, I didn't enter this one for myself. But I did enter for a special someone :) So I better win this one for her!


***OOOHHH! AND! The BIGGEST giveaway I've ever entered! Skinny Runner has a huge prize to give away to one lucky winner. Over $400 worth of swag! The only thing you need to do is vote for Marlie & Matt to win the Ultimate Wedding contest on Crate & Barrell's website.

Only a few more posts left until I attempts to host a giveaway of my very own! :)

Giveaway News!

If you haven't already.....check out my Penguin in the Park race recap HERE! (I totally rocked it thanks to some extra motivation from Sister)

Also, Katye is still hosting some awesome reader appreciation giveaways.

Check out the BIC Bands giveaway HERE!

and

Check out the latest, Running Skirts giveaway HERE!

I'm bound to win at least one of these things right?!?! Where is Lady Luck when I need her? :)

Penguin in the Park 5K

Saturday started early for Sister and I. Her friend met us at her apartment at 6:45 am. She came with to cheer us on and be Bentley's handler for the morning. One of these days I'll find a race that allows dogs! He'd love it!

After we found our way to Decatur it was still pretty chilly out. Packets picked up, chips strapped on, t-shirt inspected....we were ready!

Sister asked me for my fastest 5k time (29:15). Her response, "Great! That means that today we'll run it in 28." My response, "Ha! Good luck!" I didn't feel like I was in the shape to run that. I was channeling some serious speed when I ran that in October. Didn't think I'd make it that fast today.

Us in our "custom made" Sister Penguin 2011 shirts :)
"My Penguin Waddles Faster Than Your Penguin!"

When the gun sounded we were jostled a little because there were so many people. Organizers say that it was a record turn out. Sister and I took off. I was feeling good so I didn't do my normal slow down at the beginning to conserve energy. We kept pushing it until mile 2 .5 when I started to slow down. I really felt like I was dragging at this point. Thanks to Sister, I was able to pull through. When we came over the last hill I was so happy to see the finish line that I pulled out some serious speed. Sister and I finished together and both took 6th place in our age groups. My official time was 28:00.4!!!!! Ah! I couldn't believe it! I was screaming and shouting so much as I crossed the finish line that the photos are goofy :)

Check out our serious speed!!!
The Blur Sisters :)

Overall, it was an awesome race! I was so happy that I could run it with Sister and even happier to PR by so much!!!

Happy Penguins :)

Sweet Penguins!

Sister and I just had an awesome race :) She kept asking me what my best time was and then told me how we're going to be at least one minute faster. We ran at a 9:20ish pace the whole way. I lagged a bit at the end, but over all I felt great!!!

Our official time was somewhere around 28:00!!! Can you believe it?!?!?!

Full recap coming when I get home :)

Smooth 4 miles

Husband and I met for a quick 4 miles after work today. I had brought my running clothes to school with me and did a quick change after I shoo'd those kiddos out the door! 3 people stopped me to ask me if I was running. They also commented on my great choice of colors :)

We have run this path before, but we usually start at a local high school and run toward the park. However, school was still in session and we couldn't park there until much later. So we decided to park at the park and run toward the high school. It was nice. Gentle hills, nothing too steep. We were able to chat and kept a great pace together. I love him!!!

I'm going to start cleaning my house in a few moments. I'm having people over after work and don't want to show them a crappy house. After they leave I'm heading to visit my sister with Mr. Bentley. Our first race is on Saturday!!! Yay!

And then it's time for Spring Break!!!

Word Vomit

For lack of anything better to write about here's a list:

1. My ITB doesn't hurt today. Sadly it's back to high 30's for the temp :( I'm a wimp these days.

2. Saw Rango with Husband after school. So funny! Go see it.

3. Watched 4 of my students give speeches today during our elementary forensics competition. One of my girls has down syndrome and she has a lot of difficulty with physically speaking. However, with the help of her classroom aide, she was able to give a quick speech about her dog. It was wonderful to watch!

4. Just watched my cat dive-bomb my dog's head. She's now sitting astride his neck and smacking him in the teeth while he gnaws back at her. It's interesting to watch.

5. Husband is watching the episode of Top Shot he recorded. They are doing trick shots tonight. The elimination round involved the contestants being suspended upside down and shooting at glass bottles. It's an interesting show on the History channel. I'm a bigger fan of American Pickers and Pawn Stars myself :)

6. Only two more days until Spring Break. I need this.

7. I'm taking Bentley with to visit my sister this weekend. She and her roommates requested that he visit, even though I'm pretty sure they can't have pets at their apartment. Oh well. Almost 100lbs of copper fur is cuddling with someone on Friday night and it won't be me :)

8. Spoke to a telemarketer from Sprint today and pretty much told her to shove it. It felt good. I've never done that before. I was surprised with how easy it was to be rude and pissed off to someone with an impossible-to-understand accent who was trying to sell me more stuff I can't pay for. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend :(

9. My first race of 2011 is this weekend. Sister and I are doing the Penguin in the Park 5k. Sadly Bentley won't be running with us. But rumor has it that a roommate is coming to walk him on the "sidelines" while we run. Yay for puppy cheerleaders!

10. Katye is having a Reader Appreciation week! She did a Lock Laces giveaway the other day and today she's posting a BIC Bands giveaway! I'm a recent fan of BIC Bands thanks to Katye. Come to think of it, everything I'm a fan of is thanks to Katye. Sad I couldn't meet her in Chicago last summer, but maybe some day!

11. Husband bought me ice cream. I like it when he does that.

12. I'm avoiding cleaning my house.

13. I'm resisting the urge to spend hundreds of dollars on running merchandise right now. I want/need compression socks. Anyone know a great place to get them from? I also want new shoes just because.

14. I'm broke. (not because I spent it on running stuff, because I haven't. But just because I am.)

15. Now we're watching the Blackhawks hockey game. Hossa just got a penalty. I love hockey!

16. I'm done listing now :)

Why I'm not running today

Is it because it's been raining since last night?

Is it because I have *pounds* of school work to do?

Yea.....and because for the past few days my ITB has been sending me a message.

This morning I heard it loud and clear and it was saying "OUCH!!!!!"

I've been stretching after every run. Taking ice baths when needed. I even bought a foam roller! Thanks to a few internet videos I've figured out how to use that sucker. All of this seems to be making things worse.

I ouch and it ain't pretty :(

Spring

Spring his here!!!

Too bad it's raining here or I'd be out for 6 miles right now. Boo!

Husband and I had a great 6 mile run on Friday. The best part was the end. We kept an easy 10:30 average pace the whole time so I had some "kick" left in me. I was able to stride out in front of him and beat him to our "finish line"!!!!

First Time Ever!!!

This coming Saturday I'm heading down to visit SissyPants so we can run our first race of the year together. This will be a quick 5K before we go apartment hunting for her. Should be fun. I'm feeling good.

Hey! Look what I did today!Happy Running!

Hills and Stuff

Sunday was Long Run day. With Husband out of town that meant that I was long-runnin' on my own :( That's how it usually ends up anyway.....he's too tall for me to keep up with for any long distance :(

Anyway.....I was bored with running around here and I've established a 2-week running ban on The Trail because it is still covered in snow......so, I mapped out a route through our old neighborhood. Gosh I miss that place! There's a great bike path that meets up with a path that runs through a state park.

Once I made it to the park, there were some killer hills! I slow trudged them all :( But I made it the whole 8-miles. There was an actual toilet about half-way through :) And I used my camelbak which helped keep me hydrated! Plus I raided the GU supply at Dick's Supporting Goods in anticipation of winning Run, Zoe, Run's GU Giveaway! I felt totally awesome, even though I was slow.

Today I had 3 miles on the schedule. Bentley and I stomped out these miles in just over 30 minutes. It was great! I felt pleasantly winded when I was done. He also seemed a tired.

**Giveaway Reminders***

So my I giveaway luck seems to be running low, but I'm going to keep trying!

Remember Run, Zoe, Run is hosting a mega GU Giveaway!

Also, I Have Run is hosting a 2Toms product giveaway! This stuff helps protect your skin from chaffing and blisters even better than Glide. Click on over and check it out.

Angry Runs

Apparently anger is my new running fuel. Who knew?

Why so angry? School. Home. Life. Etc. That's why.

However, this focused anger seems to have made for two awesome runs this week.

Wednesday: 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym because of it being too cold and damp for my wimpy butt to run outside. Time: 29:43! Oh yea!

Today: 6 miles on the not-as-sloppy trail. There was a good mile there that was still covered in snow and made running darn near impossible. I'm lucky I didn't sprain an ankle or tear something! But Bentley and I made it in 1:06:18. Not bad considering we both needed bathroom breaks :)

And....

OOOOOH!!!! Giveaways!!!!

Run, Zoe, Run is hosting a GU giveaway! I'm a huge GU fan. Partially because most flavors are Gluten Free (a necessity in my celiac-world) and mostly because they are delicious! The Chomps! are my favorites because I'm too chicken to try the gels. But I guess I'm going to have to if I win this giveaway :)

I didn't win the sleeves, but 5 Miles Past Empty is still hosting the CEP Compression Socks giveaway! I really need a pair of these. I'm going to use the coupon she has posted to order a pair for Husband and I and hope that I win a pair in the process :)

Happy Running!

Whoops!

If you read my Bandwagon ABC's post you may have noticed that I forgot letter Q: quote from a movie. When I came to it I drew a blank in my mind. If you ask my husband, he'll tell you that I'm no a very original person. I would constantly send him quotes from movies and songs while we were dating. He kinda got annoyed ;)

So.....what I'm saying is.....how the heck did I miss Q?!?!?! I should have been bursting at the seems with them! But no. I blanked.

I want to make up for that now. 'Cause I know you've all been dying for these ;)

Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban: "The spider! They want me to tap-dance!" ~Ron

Lilo and Stitch: "Ohana means family! And family means no one gets left behind or forgotten!" ~Lilo

Short Circuit: "Hey lazerlips! Your mamma was a snowblower!" ~Number 5

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: "Come on Steve, we have diem to carpe." ~Flint

Gone with the Wind: "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." ~Rhett Butler

Ok.....I can't focus enough to quote anymore. So, I'll leave you with that.

Also....I just kicked butt at the gym today. 3 miles were scheduled and the weather was cold and damp. I was too pissed off after school to work up the effort to run outside. So, I focused my anger and pounded out 3 miles in 29:43 minutes! yay!

New Blogs and New Giveaways

I like finding new perspectives on running and thanks to Katye's Sunday Funday post I found a few new blogs to follow.....and a few giveaways to enter!

5 Miles Past Empty is hosting a CEP giveaway. If you are my husband or my sister you have heard me whine about needing compression socks for the past two weeks. This would be awesome if I won :) If I don't....and sister I'm talking to you......I really want a pair for my birthday :)

I Have Run is hosting an Ink N Burn arm sleeves giveaway. I have debated getting a pair of these for the Green Bay Half in May. Things will be chilly to start and I know I'll heat up by the end. I don't want to waste anything by "tossing" it so sleeves just sounded cool. Winning these would be great!

Click on over to check these out! Only a few posts left until I reach 200 and host a giveaway of my very own :)

PS.....my 7 miles went well. Check my Daily Mile side box for an update.

Reflections

This morning I slept late and woke up worried about my "long run." I'm supposed to do 7 miles today. Lately I haven't made it through an entire run without walking (or being attacked by the Brown Monster).

I feel low and slow.

My feelings didn't get any brighter when I checked my training plan and saw the 4-miler that I did yesterday (rescheduled from Friday due to rain) was supposed to be 5. Ugh! I shorted myself a whole mile!

This plan is starting to get confusing :(

So.... I decided to look back at last year's posts from this time and see what I was blogging about. Maybe I'd find some hidden motivation.

March 5, 2010: I had just won Katye's Road ID giveaway! That was a huge moment for me. I remember feeling "accepted" into the blogging world by winning that ID. I wear it on every run and entered about 5 more giveaways after that to win one for my husband. I was unsuccessful. But I did make him use a $2-off coupon we got from a race to order one. Now we're both properly ID'd on our runs. Thanks Katye for making my day :)

March 7, 2010: I was seeking Yoga advice. We had gotten a Wii Fit for Christmas and I had been doing Yoga on the balance board. I posted about purchasing a yoga mat and DVD and trying "real" yoga for the first time. I wasn't very impressed with the DVD. I have since joined a gym and catch a yoga class at least once a month if not more. I know I'll be more consistent in the summer :) I love yoga now! Thanks for the advice bloggy people!

I noticed a much brighter person last year. Someone not beaten down by miles and a training plan. Someone who was still stretching her laces with running and who didn't know how far she could go yet. Though it has been months since I've seen this distance I know I can do it as evidence by these previous posts:

Distance P-frickin-R and Rock N' Roll Chicago

So now I just need to get my shoes on and do this. Pick a route that is long enough and that has bathroom stops. And hope that someone comments on this before I get back :)

Disney Dreams

Reading all the Disney Princess Half recaps have made me so anxious for our Disney trip in June!!!

If you haven't checked them out, here are the links:

Run, Courtney, Run
Long Legs on the Loose #1 #2 #3 (she's very detailed :) and got to be a VIP!!!)
Racing with Babes: race recap and media event recap

I'm more excited than ever! We decided last year that we were going this summer. We never took a honeymoon because of time and money so this is going to be the last "big trip" before children. Husband has never been before. I have been about 4 times. I have already mentally packed for this trip and know exactly which suitcases we're taking and which ones are being checked :) I also also mentally rehearsed my first-time-at-the-Magic-Kingdom-with-my-Husband moment! I'm kind of a big dork. This is going to be awesome!!!

Also! I almost forgot!!!

Run, Zoe, Run is hosting a giveaway! She's giving away a Hydrapak Gel-Bot. It's not a robot :) but it is a super awesome waterbottle that holds an energy gel and water at the same time! Awesome! If I win I might actually starting using gels.

Bandwagon starts with B

(A) Age: 25
(B) Bed Size: Queen (we really need a King. Having a 6'4" Husband doesn't exactly leave me with a lot of space)
(C) Chore You Really Dislike: All of them.....exactly why my house is always messy :(
(D) Dogs: Y'all know Mr. Bentley by now!
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Hug from my Husband. I always hug and kiss him before we leave in the morning, I even make him wake me up when he leaves early for wrestling meets. Just so we always have that moment.
(F) Favorite Color: Blue. It fits my personality well.
(G) Gold or Silver? silver
(H) Height: 5'1"
(I) Instruments You Play: None. I have no musical talent.....unless you count my bountiful booty music :)
(J) Job Title: Teacher
(K) Kids: no kids yet
(L) Live: Roscoe, IL
(M) Mom's Name: Juanita
(N) Nicknames: none. I wasn't cool enough for nicknames in school :(
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? None!!!! (yet)
(P) Pet Peeve: I have waaaaayyyyy to many to list.
(Q) Quote from a Movie:
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings: 1 sister
(T) Time You Wake Up? 5:30 during the week, whenever I feel like it on weekends
(U) Underwear: only when I feel like it......HA!
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: brussel sprouts
(W) What Makes You Run Late: thinking in the shower
(X) X-Rays: the only one I can remember is a chest x-ray 2 years ago to see if I had pneumonia....I didn't
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: I am really good at making a lot of stuff :)
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Tigers

Sloppy Mess

I had full intentions of photographing this run.

I also had full intentions of wearing gloves and dressing Bentley in his "business suit" too.

But that didn't happen.

Oops!

However, we did complete the 3 miles on a sloppy, soupy, thawed out trail. We were the only people on the trail so I just let Bentley run. He kept stopping to sniff "nature" and then sprinting past me. Tons of snow and soggy sand were flying everywhere!

The run out was rough. Finding all the sloppy spots and dodging the snow-packed areas were tough. I also met the Brown Monster around mile 1.25. I was planning to turn around at 1.5 and because I was in a tree covered area I decided to "take care of business." Bentley was intrigued. I was weird-ed out. And I got sticks in my shorts :( Boo! (TMI I know)

Total distance: 3 miles
Time: 32:18

Only a few more posts to go until my 200th post giveaway!!!

Legs of Lead

I didn't make my run on Friday. I had waited for my husband to get home from school so we could run together. But.....we needed to pick up my new sunglasses first. For some reason the office was full of people and it too a good 20 minutes to just hand me my new sunglasses (I didn't need an exam, just the box in my hand!!). By the time I made it back to the car we were losing daylight and Husband was in a pissy mood. We would have gotten locked into the park we planned on running and Husband suddenly has a fear of the dark :(

So.....we didn't run. We went home mad at each other instead.

Sunday rolled around with a cold breeze. I wasn't totally feeling it. Husband was feeling motivated to clean and organize the basement....so we did that. When we finally reached a stopping point I realized I couldn't avoid the run no longer.

I planned a looping route through 3 neighborhoods that are connected by an not-yet-built neighborhood. This kept me off main roads and away from traffic. However, there were a ton of hills! My pace and legs were really slow :( I also took a ton of walk-breaks. I just had to. Lead legs don't move fast! At all! Argh!

I guess that's what I get for skipping all my other runs this week.

Tomorrow is a new day and the start of a new week. I'm done with PT and can't use that as an excuse after school anymore. These runs will get done!

Happy Running!

One of those days

Today is Parent/Teacher conference day.

I have my last PT appointment and then I'm going in to school early before conferences start to get stuff organized.

I haven't run since Monday.

I haven't felt like running since Monday.

The haven't-seen-the-sun-since-Friday blahs have gotten me.

Yuck.

Plus side......I ordered a little something to giveaway to one lucky follower :)

Weird side.....I wrote about my half-marathon training in our "staff spotlight" letter this week and had coworker ask me for running advice yesterday. Asked ME! For advice! No one ever does that! Can you believe it?!?! I told to invest in a good pair of shoes :)

Anxious

After last week's temperature teaser (it was in the 50's here and made it to 60 briefly by Friday) I am soooo ready for Spring. Winter is my favorite season because I look better in winter clothing :) however...it can get a little boring after a while. Inside is only so interesting. I miss the sun. I miss being able to take Bentley on every run and not worry about if he'll freeze his paws off. This cold is getting to me.

Today I ran my rescheduled 4-miler on the trail. I usually never go to the trail by myself, but today I did. It had been raining all night and somewhere before dawn it switched over to freezing rain and everything had a nice slick coating on it. Bentley even slipped off the deck when I let him out this morning. Husband had school and it's supposed to snow this afternoon. Ah! What to do?!?

Well....I chose the lonely trail because it's gravel and was less likely to be slippery. I was right. I also chose the trail because it is tree-lined and was less likely to be as windy as other places. I was right. Overall, it was a good run. I felt slow and heavy but when I checked Pedro at the finish he read 43:49 and I didn't feel too bad. I'm dying at the end of my runs again and that concerns me. :( GB is only 82 days away! AH!

On the bright side, Husband and I bought plane tickets to Orlando in June! It's official we're really going! Yay! Mickey here we come :)