Surftown Half Marathon Recap

I have been looking forward to writing this all week because the race was such a great and fun experience. Unfortunately, the race lead up and the race itself got me a bit behind in my schoolwork (which seems to be increasing exponentially) but officially caught up and I am excited to share the experience!

Although it so warm and humid now, last weekend it was actually bit chilly. I woke up at 5:30am on Sunday and it was around 50 degrees outside--apparently perfect running weather since it eventually warmed up to 65 degrees but it felt freezing in just my shorts and shirt. I ate my usual english muffin (sadly un-toasted) with peanut butter, applesauce and half a sliced banana. I read in one of my running books that on race day you can drink 6-8oz of water every 30 minutes so I stuck with that and had no problems ( I seriously have nightmares about having "runners trots"-a fairly common occurrence for runners going on long distance runs where their bowels get unhappy with all the movement and they literally crap their pants). Pretty sure one of my goals in life is to not have to do my business in front of 700 people...so therefore I watch what I eat and drink really carefully before running. Anyway, the worry was for naught because I didn't have to go during the race and I guess I sweated a crazy amount because I didn't go until I got home-about 3 hours after the finish. Is that TMI? Yeah...sorry about that.

So I got to the race site around 630am. I hyperventilated in the car and hysterically asked Logan why in the world did I sign up for this and freaked out for a good 10 minutes. Finally decided that the lure of a post race corn dog (the race bib got me into a local fair that was on site for free) was enough of an incentive so I finally got out of the car.

Do you think it counts if I drive to the finish line?

Logan went off to volunteer for the race (so he would have something to do for the 3 hours and he got a free shirt plus admission to the fair--we are all about free stuff in this family) so I wandered around for a while pretending to stretch, praying to not throw up and trying to figure out a way to take an llama to ride for a portion of the race. The fair had a petting zoo that really did have llamas and camels so this plan was not entirely out of the question. Around 7:20 I went over to the start line and realized that I was about to voluntarily run 13.1 miles and resumed freaking out. Luckily I couldn't freak out for long because before I knew it, the race gun sounded! It didn't take too long to get across the start line and we were off!

One of the things I liked best about this race was the course. The course ran alongside the ocean, through cute ocean-side villages and neighborhoods. Plus it was flat...it probably could have been the most ugly course and I would have liked it because it was flat but it was actually really pretty:

Logan took these pictures as he volunteered. I hardly have coordination to run without tripping, let alone run while not tripping while taking pictures. I am only human!

This road went forever...I think I spent at least 8 miles on it..bad thing was that the bog kinda smelled.

Once again, I did exactly what I wasn't suppose to do: I started way too fast. I felt awesome and it felt good to get the nervous energy out so I was humming along at around 9 or 10 minutes/mile (which is crazy fast for me. Turtle speed for the win!) and this actually worked for like 5 miles. I started to hit a wall around mile 7. I could hear people finishing (in like barely over an hour--crazy!) and I realized that I was barely half way and I was starting to really feel the quick start that was way over my training pace. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I thought about quitting around mile 8. I felt so tired, my legs were like lead and I still had 5 miles left. Luckily, I was able to realize that my body was fine *still really tired* but fine and that it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I decided to give it another mile and then when I reached mile 9 I told myself that 4 miles is so tiny! In fact, if I looked down at my running calender and saw a 4 mile run I would be so happy because that isn't long at all, so I kept going.

At this point I had entered Watch Hill, my beloved oceanside village, but I had overlooked one tiny thing about Watch Hill...the HILL portion of it's name. Ugh, so many hills! What sadist decided to put hill after hill after hill at the end of the course!?! When I drove the course the day before they hills did not seem nearly as steep...so I had to take prolonged walking breaks to simply make it up them. The last few miles are a bit of a blur but I do remember that as I passed an older lady she yelled you "you go girl!" It made me smile and kept me going. **Sidenote: runners are so nice! everyone was cheering as people passed them and was yelling encouragement to each other. Unexpected but a great surprise** My favorite part of the race was as I was nearing the finish line I came upon the water station where Logan was working. He started yelling encouragement and ran to the end with me. The first thing I said when I saw him was "why didn't you bring me an alpaca to ride?!? I am so tired!!" He laughed and told me to keep going or I wouldn't get a corn dog. I was so inspired that I stopped my three legged turtle pace and got all the way up to four legged turtle pace!

Four legged turtle pace...be in awe

Before I knew it I was at the finish line! I didn't know this beforehand but apparently at half and full marathons they say your name as you cross the finish line--I was quite pleased.

Someone point me to the corn dogs right.this.second.

A volunteer handed me my medal and a bottle of water and I attempted to walk for a while (I read in my running book to walk for a half mile after finishing). The attempt lasted for about 10 seconds and I plopped down on the sidewalk.

So ridiculously pleased with my pretty surfboard medal

One of the best things about races is the post-food/drinks. I immediately went to the beer tent and got my free beer. I had two gulps and gave the rest to Logan as I am not a beer drinker...those two gulps however were very delicious.

If only they were serving Diet Coke

There was also clam chowder, breads, chips, crackers, cookies and various drinks available but I was not feeling fond of food so I ate my two cookies (nothing can keep me from cookies, NOTHING). We walked around the fair for a while and I did get my corn dog which did not live up to the Tulsa State Fair foot long corn dogs which are a step away from Heaven. I ate two Reeses Cups that I had stowed in the car and promptly became dead to the world and slept for a few hours.

So my official time: 2 hours 52 minutes and 5 seconds and gun time: 2 hours 52 minutes and 43 seconds
Half Marathon under 3 hours? Success!

Observations:
1. I think I will try to avoid races with time limits. I think the 3 hour limit scared off some of my fellow slow people so it got kind of lonely towards the end.
2. Water is a safety blanket for me so I think I am going to get a camelbak because that tiny handheld one doesn't cut it.
3. I need to buy proper running wear because I wore my old workout capris and they kept ridding up. You know what's awkward? Trying to fix your pants when  people all around you staring at your butt.
4. Corn dogs are really motivating
5. I can't wait till my next race!!!
Speaking of next races, I think I will aim for one in the spring. I want to do a proper training program that incorporates hills and timed trials. My program this time was purely distance based and I was utterly unprepared for hills plus I think I can be faster. I am hoping for a 5% improvement so that works out to around 9 minutes. I think my goal will be to finish under 2hr 40 minutes.

Such a cool experience!

 I can totally see how people get addicted to this because I can't wait to try it again.

I did it!!

I did it!!! After 9 weeks of training I am officially a half marathon runner! I promise I will get the race recap up in the next couple days. I was so crazy nervous the few days before the race and then I was busy that weekend so I am a bit behind in my course work. I can't wait to share photos and my race experience with everyone :)

Less than 24 hours...

This time tomorrow *hopefully* I will have run/walked/crawled 13.1 miles in under the 3 hour time limit. I am starting to get nervous but I admit, under all the nerves is excitement. I am excited to see if I can do it, if I can push myself past my comfort zone, if I can avoid passing out during mile 4.

I picked up my race packet yesterday. I was very dismayed to see all the other people there were crazy skinny and looked really tough (so much for my plan of getting a piggy back ride when I get tired). They looked like they ate 13.1 miles for breakfast and then went out for a quick 23 mile run afterwards. Yikes. I was a bit self conscious, especially when I picked up my race number and the shirt lady then said "Large right?" I was thinking "Oh my goodness! She knows!!" then I realized that it was written on the back of my race number...yes, I am a goober.

Good news is that the shirts are super cute. I'll take a picture of it for the race recap and post it. It's long sleeved and sweat wicking so it will be great for winter runs.

I can't help but think that only a few months ago I was so excited that I ran 5 miles and now I am prepping to run 13 tomorrow. There is free beer after the race-I think I may need one now.

Busy Month

Ahh! I have been so lax. Right after getting back from Jamaica my mom came to visit for a week, I had my birthday, then the whole hurricane business and finally school started...seriously a whirlwind month.
First, Jamaica...my husband and I had such an amazing time. We went to the same resort where we had our honeymoon so it was nostalgic and insanely relaxing. We spent almost the entire trip just laying on the beach, talking, reading, relaxing and drinking yummy cocktails interspersed with swims in the ocean or snorkeling trips. Before I left for Jamaica I had committed to my training program for the half marathon so I really didn't want to get off track. I did my long distance run right before we left but I still had 4 runs that I needed to do in Jamaica-3 three mile runs and 1 5 mile run. I am so happy to report that I met my goal! I did 3/4 of the runs, skipping one of the 3 miles because we were doing a long snorkeling trip that day. Even with the one missed run, I ran 11 miles on vacation which is 11 more miles than I have ever run before. Plus, we got back late Friday and I went for my long run of 10 miles the next morning and felt great (although I think I was sweating pure rum).  Here are some beautiful Ocho Rios sunset pics:

Anyway, once we got back I cleaned like a mad woman and then had a lovely week long visit and 26th birthday celebration with my mom. She actually left just a few days before Irene made her presence known-good timing since the airport ended up closing and tons of flights were cancelled. Irene was my first hurricane and we got pounded pretty hard but were really lucky in that we didn't lose power. I have tons of friends and professors who are still without power and many are on well water which needs electricity to pump water into the home so no water-Ick, I can't imagine how much that would suck. We ended up with some tree damage but nothing major, just took me about 3 hours to clean up on Monday. Unfortunately lots of trees were really damaged and/or uprooted in the woods behind our house, it's really sad to see.
The first day of classes at UConn were canceled on Monday so I started my Ph.D. on Tuesday! So exciting but really intimidating since everyone seems so well qualified and knowledgeable. I already have so much reading to do but it's kinda fun, especially after my year off.
Exciting news!!! I registered for the Surftown Half Marathon today!! That's right, after randomly latching onto the idea a few months ago I am at least trying for it in just two and a half weeks. I have almost completed my training program-I have my longest run this Saturday and after that I am just tapering until race day. I did find out that there is a strict 3 hour time limit which works out to a bit over a 13 minute mile average. I know I can do it-I have trained for this, ran almost 200 miles for this and I will really push myself that day. It's going to be a year of challenges: getting my Ph.D., adjusting to a new school and running a huge distance (for me)...what a way to start my 26th year.

8 Mile(s)

Sorry for the infrequent postings! I have had house guests quite a bit for the past few weeks so I keep myself busy trying to entertain them. I am actually really sad that the guests are slowing down-summer is almost over so back to school/work/whatever. It makes me so happy when people seem to have a good time here, I love showing them my favorite parks and beaches and the restaurants where I can nom nom nom into oblivion but the best part is just getting to hang out and catch up. When guests come I always make some sort of baked good-scones, muffins, cookies etc-this time I made my favorite chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies. They are so moist and full of tasty deliciousness. I could seriously eat a stack of them but luckily I gave most of them away.

Seriously make these. They are my all time favorite cookie...and needless to say, I have had my fair share of cookies.

The recipe can be found here. I like to add a bit more than 1/4 tps of salt and instead of doing so much fresh ginger, I add 1 tsp of ground ginger and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Try them, if you are a chocolate fan you won't be disappointed.
Usually when I have guests or am on vacation my workouts fall to the side but this time I have actually kept up with everything. Logan and I leave for Jamaica tomorrow so I made myself do my long run today since let's be honest- keeping up with workouts while hanging out in CT is great, running shorter distances in Jamaica is possible but running for 2+ hours on a treadmill when I could be laying out on the beach while drinking rum based cocktails? don't think so. Luckily I made myself go run 8 miles today so now I only have to do three 3 mile runs and one 5 mile run. I never would have thought that I would be saying that I "only" have to do those runs, especially while on vacation. To be honest, I will be happy if I get 2 3's and the 5 done...I'll update when I get back.

Sorry for no updates...I'm busy laying in the sun and drinking fruity drinks!

8 miles went surprisingly well today! I really love trails where I can run half the distance in one direction, it takes away the choice of quitting. I have to finish the entire distance or I am not getting back to my car. I have read that you should refuel when you run for more than an hour and I can see why. I didn't bring anything to snack on and by the end I had a pounding headache and felt gross. No surprise since my Garmin said I burned over 1000 calories! That is many banana rum smoothies! actually, it's probably not...maybe two? It sucks that burning calories is so hard when putting them on is so easy. It was a beautiful run, completely shaded and surrounding by trees, rock formations and running water (which didn't help my desperate desire to pee for the last 5 miles).

So pretty...makes it a bit easier to keep going. The path is often really soft with pine needles so it's easier on my feet.

I finished in around 1 hour and 45 minutes so it works out to around 13 minute miles. I am pretty okay with that since by the end I was really tired and feeling gross so I was barely trudging along.

Two Weeks Down + Bruschetta

Good news! The heat wave has actually broken!! Ugh, all last week it was around or above 100 degrees. It was crazy because in Oklahoma we are use to heat--we kinda scoff at ONLY 95 degrees, especially since it got up to around 110 there last week-- but here very few people have air conditioning. When Logan and I were house hunting central air conditioning was not on my wish list, it was on my must have or will turn into a hell beast list. Seriously, I kinda turn into a hell beat when I am hot but Lord help you if I am hot, hungry AND tired. So for the sake of our marriage we bought a house with central air but very few of my neighbors have it. It seems like the norm is having a window unit in the bedroom but just use fans, open windows and a prayer for the rest of the house. For an Oklahoma gal like me, it's weird and I am in awe of their fortitude.
Anyway, so because it was a million degrees outside I did most of my runs last week at the gym. I have a love/hate relationship with my gym.

I love that they have tons of weight machines (I am intimidated by free weights)

I hate that I am the only girl who doesn't seem to wear makeup while working out (I seriously don't get it, what is the point? One time I wore mascara because I worked out in the evening and it was running down my face by the end. I get really sweaty...I know it's pretty attractive)

I love that there is always a free treadmill/elliptical/bike

I hate that the trainers will sometimes troll around the gym looking for new clients. Yeah, I don't want to do embarrassing exercises in the middle of the gym while people scoff at my lack of fitness. But thanks for asking.
I love that I rocked out my runs this week and even did some sprinting intervals and didn't die.
Now, the number one reason why I HATE my gym: they have this funky philosophy that keeping the temperature around 78 degrees will help reduce soreness. Yeah, all this does is make me sweat profusely and make me really cranky. I pay each month, lets turn down the air.
The best part of my gym is that it's less than a mile from my house. Plus they have a pool and a sauna.

I am two weeks into my training and, big surprise, I haven't made up my mind about the Surftown Half. The good news about this is that registration is the same price until the end of August so I still have many weeks of indecision. I have gotten some questions about what training program I am following so here it is:

Week Half Marathon Training Schedule

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
1	3	Rest	3	3	Rest	4	Rest	13
2	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	5	Rest	15
3	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	6	Rest	16
4	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8	Rest	19
5	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	10	Rest	21
6	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	11	Rest	24
7	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	12	Rest	26
8	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	9	Rest	22
9	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	8	Rest	18
10	3	Rest	3	Walk 2	Rest	13.1	Rest	21.1

When I researched training programs I found some that had runs 5 times a week and some with 4 and shockingly, I chose a 4/week program. I know myself: I would throw in the towel if I had to run 5/week. I liked that this one has normal runs 3/week and one big long distance run. One change I did make is up the distance on week 7 from 12 miles to 13.1. I really like running the full distance before a race. It helps me get over the mental part of running and I know that I can do it because I have done it before (just like Harry with his patronus in Prisoner of Azkaban! Quick side note: I am still really sad that Harry Potter is done).

I am in the third week of the program and its going really well. I did my long distance last week at a track and thought "oh it's just 20 laps" by the end I wanted to die...ugh...around and around and around....bleh! I think I can only do 3 to 4 miles at a track, it just gets way too repetitive.

In other news, I have had such a ridiculous craving for bruschetta. Tomatoes are in season now and they are just so full of flavor and can be eaten plain with just a touch of sea salt and olive oil. I tend to like simple bruschetta more than the recipes that have a laundry list of ingredients. So please do yourself a favor and buy some farmer's market tomatoes, grow/buy fresh basil and make some-it's delicious and also pretty low cal. This recipe tends to make enough for two since I rather just have to make more than have leftovers.

Simple Summer Bruschetta
2/3 tomatoes chopped up (make take more if you are using tiny little roma tomatoes) I like to drain them since they get really juicy when chopped up
Bunch of basil-seriously, those recipes that call for 4 leaves I can't imagine. I love the flavor of fresh basil so I grow a big pot of it and grab a big bunch when making this. Chop it up really fine.
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Drizzle of olive oil
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar
Loaf of french bread
Cut up the french bread and toast it in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes until crisp. Once it comes out  rub the bread with a cut clove of garlic (this gives it a really nice bit of garlic oil). Mix tomatoes, basil, garlic and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Toss in a bit of salt and pepper and taste. This is one of those recipes that adapts wonderfully so play with it! It works best if you let it refrigerate for a little while to let the flavors marry. Put a bunch of it on a piece of bread and enjoy...repeat again and again. Nom. Nom. Nom.

Not a picture of my bruschetta because I ate it all before I thought to take a picture. I could take a picture of my growing bruschetta belly....then again, maybe not.

GE 5K Road Race Recap

I survived! I didn't finish last! They had snow cones!

Those statements pretty much sum up my race experience. It was so much fun and a great experience. I don't think I'll be one of those people who does a race every weekend (too poor for that) but I think I would like to do a few a year. I really want to do the Turkey Trot-a 5K that happens on Thanksgiving morning. I inhale about a billion calories on Thanksgiving so I figure 3.1 miles will cancel out all that damage...right? Also, there is this race called the Warrior Run that happens all over the country. It is a mud run where you, quite obviously, run in the mud and also navigate around lots of obstacles. Fun stuff.

Anyway, on with the recap!

We got up pretty early since the race was held in Plainville, a city about 40 minutes away. We ate a light breakfast of English muffins with peanut butter and applesauce (a favorite of mine). We these got awesome moisture wicking shirts--yay for free swag!--when we picked up our numbers but we decided to wear our OU gear race day. My OU shirt has brought me luck before so I figured it would help me reach my goals. I chose to do 3 goals: one that is pretty easily attainable (finishing under 40 minutes), one that I would have to work for (finishing under 36 minutes), and one that would basically take a miracle to happen (finishing under 30 minutes). Yes,  I'm slow- you think I was kidding all those times I compared myself to a turtle? Yeah, I wasn't.

Boomer Sooner!! School pride? I haz it.

Run Logan Run!

We got there around 8am since the race started at 9. There were tons of vendors there-Dunkin Doughnuts, Rita's Frozen Custard, Dairy Queen, some massage place and tons of other stuff. They were handing out lots of free food and drinks but we didn't partake since nothing begs throwing up on the side of the road like a chili dog. There were about 4000 people participating in the race or walk (a modified 1.3 mile course) so we just wandered around people watching, checking out the vendors and listening to the band. Around 8:45 we headed over to the race start point. I have to admit I was starting to get really nervous because even though it wasn't even 9am, it was already 90+ degrees and absolutely cloudless thus resulting in major, major hotness...ick. We hung out at the start line for a while and ran into a guy from Nebraska who spotted our OU shirts. It was funny because he said that it was one time that OU and Nebraska could come together. After listening to the president of GE talk and also Dr. Petit (the race was to benefit the Petit Family Foundation-info below)

The Petit Family Foundation honors the memories of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit, and Michaela Rose Petit by continuing the kindness, idealism and activism that defined their lives. The Foundation's funds are given to foster the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses, and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence.

After a home invasion on July 23, 2007, Jennifer Hawke, Hayley Elizabeth, and Michaela Rose Petit tragically lost their lives. Hayley, and later on Michaela, were dedicated to community service and charitable giving, especially with the MS Society in support of their mother's illness. After their deaths, the Foundation was created as a means of continuing on their work and spirit.

All proceeds from this event will go to the Foundation.

The starting gun sounded....and we were still standing there. One minute later....still standing. Finally after two minutes we finally got going. Our race numbers had this cool chip in them that would sense when we passed the start line and the finish line so we could have an accurate time that isn't based on the gun start. I have read in tons of running blogs about how the biggest mistake a new runner can make is going too fast starting out. Yeah...I read all about that but still did it. *le sigh* it is just so hard not to! There are runners all around you and you have all this adrenaline so I kept a 9 minute mile pace for about a mile and then the heat finally got to me and I had to take a walk break. It was the hottest weather I have ever run in...gross. The course was not really that pretty, mainly just through neighborhoods and main streets but it was fine. The people in the houses we ran by had set up their sprinklers to "rain" on the runners....IT WAS AWESOME!!! Whoever thought of that: major kudos! I had decided not to bring my fancy new water bottle because there would be water stations at every mile marker. I grabbed some water at the first water station and kept trudging along. I would jog some but definitely had to take some walk breaks pretty often. At mile 2 I was so sad because they were temporarily out of water and I didn't want to stick around to wait. I figured it was only one mile more so I could tough it out. The last mile was really hard-so hard, so hot-but we survived. I crossed the finish line at 35.57-this is actually a pretty decent time for me, but I definitely want to improve next time. Logan came in about 20 seconds later.

After picture, you can't tell that we are literally dripping sweat and completely soaked. It was gross.

 I grabbed a bottle of water (I seriously love free stuff) and had to sit down since I was feeling really woozy. Jeff Galloway, my favorite running guru, says that for every 5 degrees over 60 degrees, you can expect it to slow you down 30 seconds/mile. 35.57 minutes works out to an average of 11.5 minute mile so with the 94 degree heat, I'm pretty happy. Plus, I met two of my goals. I use to reward myself with delicious food but I am trying to mend my ways so I based my rewards on cool stuff. If I met my first goal of under 40 minutes, I got my much coveted Bondi Band. It says "Will run for cupcakes", Logan think it's silly but I think it's hilarious! I have to admit, one thing I love about running is that it torches quite a few calories so I get to eat yummy cupcakes with no guilt. If I met my second goal of 36 minutes (I did it! barely...but still...winning!) I get to order the awesome spibelt (a running pouch that fits tons of stuff-I have wanted one since I read about it on runningoffthereeses.com and I kinda like to have lots of stuff with me on a run...gum, inhaler, phone, keys, chapstick, etc). Since I met two goals I got my lovely prizes! If I had gotten my last goal of under 30 minutes, I got a massage...but no go on that...guess I'll have to convince Logan to give me one.

After we finished we walked around the food area again and got some Sobe Life Water, which was actually really delicious and sugar free! As we were drinking our sobe, we ran into more Oklahoma connections! A really nice couple whose daughter went to OU for school and now works in OKC. I can't say how awesome it is to have these little moments of home, it's a small world. There was tons of food being offered but honestly, it was so hot and we were so sweaty that not much sounded good. We grabbed a couple bananas and some oranges and after a while we grabbed a couple snow cones that really hit the spot. I haven't had a snow cone in forever because I can't find anywhere that sells them in CT. It's crazy because you see snow cone shacks everywhere in Oklahoma. I have tons of happy memories of the college group heading over the the shack across of Classic 50s and getting snow cones. They had so many delicious flavors....mmm....totally love snow cones. We sat in the shade under a big tree and listened to some of the awards ceremony,needless to say we did not win anything :) but it was fun listening to the crazy fast times that some people produced. The winner was a guy who completed the course in 15 minutes and 38 seconds....so crazy!!! I was still working on mile 2 at that time....absolutely ridiculous. I will never be a race winner but I am really inspired to improve my time next time. I do think that some cooler weather will help my running time but also more training can't hurt.

Speaking of training, I am officially in week 2 of training for the Surftown Half Marathon and I am still on the fence about registering. The miles are going okay but after this weekend's 5K I can't wrap my mind around the idea of going for another 10 miles. I think the next few weeks will help me decide since my distances are getting higher. As always, I'll keep you posted. This blog kinda helps me stay accountable and I really appreciate all the feedback I have gotten-y'all are awesome.

Running vs Harry Potter? I choose Potter

I had a really hard run today...and it's Harry Potter's fault. My training schedule only called for a 4 mile run and I have done several of these pretty easily-I am talking about full on awesome runs where I don't want to die continuously. But today I really wanted to just keel over and I blame it on Harry Potter and his siren call to the movie theater. Even though I grew up in the hellbeast heat of Oklahoma, the summer here in Connecticut feels mighty hot so I try to get my runs out of the way early in the morning/evening. This morning instead of running I went to the theater and saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (IMAX and 3D, which was kinda silly because there wasn't much 3D) and IT.WAS.AWESOME!!! If you're a fan, you definitely should go see it. I can't believe that there will never be another movie or book...sad :(
After the wonderful and epic movie, I got back home and it was already up to 92 degrees but I figured that is almost cool in Oklahoma so I suited up and headed out after scrounging in the kitchen for a frozen vita top and a tortilla with cheese and salsa-let me tell you, not the greatest running food choices.

So delicious...only 100 calories so I can eat 4 right?

There are those days where it feels like your miles fly by and then there are days where it feels like you are running and running and running and it equals .10 miles. Today was the latter. First off, there is some major TMI coming your way so you may want to vacate...okay, so I never wear shorts while running because they ride up but today I was doing laundry so it was a shorts day. I figured how bad could it be right? but unfortunately I also wore the world's worst underwear apparently because everything was ridding up and I felt like I was flashing my entire neighborhood. Oh yeah, I was running in my area so I was really unhappy with the idea of my shorts ridding up AT.ALL. because my neighbors really don't need to see my pasty white upper thighs. Ick. I finally finished the run and dragged myself into the house stuck my head in the refrigerator and retired to the couch where I sat soaked in sweat for a good hour (don't worry future guests, I cleaned the couch after!).
Logan and I have the GE 5K run this weekend so we will be styling our OU gear and I'll be sure to do a recap afterward. I really don't plan to push it since I have to do a 6 mile run the day after so I just want to finish under 40 minutes since it's suppose to be ungodly hot again on Sunday. Sunday I also have the Women's World Cup final to look forward to which is good since I may still be mourning the loss of Harry Potter :)

Great books, great movies...end of an era :(

Decisions, Decisions...

13.1 miles
It would be like running from my previous apartment back in Tulsa, Oklahoma all the way downtown and back. It would be like running from my house to my favorite cupcake shop and back to my house about 7 times (which would be awesome because their cupcakes are crazy delicious).
Basically, it is 13.1 miles of challenge, will power and grit.
When I first thought of doing a half marathon I found a great race- flat and several months away but it is the same weekend of a wedding in another state so that was out. If I didn't do that race I realized that I would need to wait till next spring since races are few and far between during the winter and I feel like I can hardly breath when it's super cold.
Then last week I got a bit of a shock.....there is another race....an absolutely perfect sounding, fun, flat and cool race....a race that is 10 weeks away. Yikes! 10 weeks is nothing in terms of training. I have been looking at training programs and some of them are even 30 weeks!
The Race: The Surf Town Half Marathon. I really want to do it because part of it is at my absolute favorite beach-Watch Hill. The course winds around the adorable beach towns, along the ocean and the entire race is lined with bands playing fun beach music like Jimmy Buffet, steel drums and reggae. It is also suppose to have fun pre and post race activities plus an awesome goodie bag and I LOVE goodie bags!

How could you not want to run along this?

The problem: I can't run 13 miles. Luckily, there are training programs for 10 weeks that I could do, especially since I can go for around 5/6 miles right now. I am really scared though. It's kind of silly but I really don't want to finish last and I don't it to be a horrible experience because I am trying to do a race that my body isn't ready to do. Everything I have read says that first time runners shouldn't go in with a time goal and I don't really care too much about finishing under a certain time but I have this fear that I will shut down the course....that the sag wagon will come around and tell me that the streets are getting ready to open back up and that everyone but me is done. Trust me, it's not a completely irrational fear. Did you know some people run this in 1.5 hours? That definitely won't be me, unless I get to bring a bike along with me (or suddenly develop supersonic speed). I am thinking around 3 hours is doable, especially since the course is flat and has hydration stations every 1.5 miles, but who knows how slow I would be faced with the prospect of running for 3+ hours.
Anyway, I am really debating about doing this race. I talked about it with some friends who visited this week and I like the idea of training like I am doing it for a few weeks and seeing if it's something I want to do and can maintain for the full 10 weeks and then registering or conversely, start looking for another race with a more reasonable time frame.It's a big goal but I like the idea of challenging myself and getting big results but I want it to be the right time.
What do you think?

Inspiration

I am one of those people who watches Food Network and then wants to cook something delicious.

Butter? Yes please Paula...you are very wise.

I watch Survivor Man, hosted by lovable nerd Les Stroud, and I want to go camping and hiking (although I think I can skip the eating of bugs).

So serious...so sexy :)

Luckily for me (and the size of my waist line) the Women's World Cup has been going on for about a week now and I have been watching almost every game. These women aren't sticks who only eat lettuce and the occasional line of cocaine a la Hollywood...no, these women are strong, passionate and talented. As a long time competitive soccer player, I grew up in awe of the USA women's 99' World Cup team. I remember the absolute media circus after Brandi Chastain took off her shirt after winning the cup for her team. Now I look at pictures capturing that moment and I realize that although movies, tv and magazines hawk the skinny, emaciated look, I want to look like this:

I could get abs like this with just a few sit ups...right?

and not this...

Please get these gals a sandwich STAT

Anyway, I watch these soccer games and I want to go outside and run for hours (unfortunately my body and fitness level disagrees strongly with these desires) and I want to become stronger. These are the women who I think of as inspiration to go outside and run even when it's hot and I want to sit inside and watch endless episodes of Gilmore Girls. As a woman, I think it's important to remind myself that it's not about clothing sizes, a magical number on the scale or the perfect diet...instead, for me, it's about being able to go out and run miles even when it's hot and humid, to be able to pick up heavy bags of bird seed, to hike up a mountain with my husband and just to enjoy my life to its fullest capacity (cheesy? yes...but still true)

Off to the Races

I have pretty much decided to run a half marathon...eventually. I was really excited and even picked a race, the Hartford Half, that fit perfectly into my training schedule but it falls on Logan's birthday and the day after a friend's wedding in Atlanta so that's out. Sadly, I think the race might have to wait till spring because when I run when it's super cold my lungs feel like someone is stabbing them with tons knives, plus it's hard to find races up north till April. This unfortunately presents a conundrum because if I do one in the spring that means I am training in the winter so unless Connecticut gets some global warming up in here really fast I am a bit screwed. I have been looking around at other states so we'll see what happens. I use Running in the USA to look for races, it really helps since you can search by state and type of race.

I actually stumbled on a 5K race that is on July 17th-the GE Road Race which benefits the Petit Family Foundation. It is a really sad story that most Connecticut people know, at least the ones in my area...a family was attacked at home and the husband was injured but the wife and two daughters were killed. The Petit family was really active in charity work so the funds from the race go to help their chosen charities.

Description from website:

     The Petit Family Foundation honors the memories of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit, and Michaela Rose Petit by continuing the kindness, idealism and activism that defined their lives. The Foundation's funds are given to foster the education of young people, especially women in the sciences; to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses, and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence.

After a home invasion on July 23, 2007, Jennifer Hawke, Hayley Elizabeth, and Michaela Rose Petit tragically lost their lives. Hayley, and later on Michaela, were dedicated to community service and charitable giving, especially with the MS Society in support of their mother's illness. After their deaths, the Foundation was created as a means of continuing on their work and spirit.

All proceeds from this event will go to the Foundation.

This will be my first 5K race that I actually plan to run. I have done some walks but the idea of running one is much more scary. I know that I have been doing longer distances than 3.1 miles but doing it in front of other people (who are much faster than me aka move faster than a speeding slug) is a bit more intimidating.  I convinced my husband to do it with me so at least I'll have someone to get a piggyback ride from when I get pooped.

Plus you get a shirt....a shirt and an opportunity to pay someone to run?!? count me in.

Vermont weekend + running=maple syrup scented pain

Logan and I spent the past weekend at a small inn in Vermont. It was absolutely gorgeous-trees everywhere, cute (and terrifying to drive in) wooden bridges and lots of delicious cheese and wine. We booked a package deal where we got breakfast in bed, a couples massage, a dinner with yummy wine and a super nice room with a humongous jacuzzi bath tub. It was so crazy awesome and I indulged pretty much every meal...and between meals. We found this small country store where they served "maple creamie", sounds weird but imagine the most yummy pancakes on earth and then magically transform them into ice cream. So wrong but so good. On Sunday we even went to Simon Pearce-a restaurant I have wanted to go to since I read about it in this article: http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-37926475 Everything was insanely delicious (just picture this: dark chocolate mocha woopie pie with cheesecake mousse and poached cherries) and I think I have eaten enough cheese for cows to cower in my presence for months. I also have had enough wine to pickle my liver.

Creepy but cool wooden bridge. Yes, you drive through it...it feels like the Headless Horseman could come out any moment.

Quechee Gorge...we actually hiked down to the bottom but it was full of obnoxious teenagers. yuck.

All gussied for Simon Pearce

Pretty falls area

The delicious Simon Pearce. I am still trying to find out who I need to bribe (and where I can get money to actually bribe someone) to eat out on the deck overlooking the water.

Beautiful Vermont...so green and mountainous and full of delicious cheese and wine

Anyway, I had lots and lots of yummy food and drink. It was awesome. We got back Sunday night (briefly contemplated staying up to watch the DVRed episode of True Blood but eventually succumbed to my food coma) and got up refreshed Monday. I had an amazing run on Thursday so I felt good about running Monday. I started my run and felt a bit icky, I figured I was simply sweating out pure maple syrup and it would get better...it didn't. Ugh, it was hot, I was barely plodding along and I seriously contemplated laying down in the middle of the trail and having the police come get me. I ended up going for 4.5 miles...*shame face* in like an hour. It was bad-lots of walking and LOTS of bitching. It was the first time that I kind of got the fact that diet does matter. I am not sure if it was the food, the wine or the combo but man, it was a miserable hour. Run on the docket for tomorrow so I have hydrated, eaten normal food and I am really hoping for non-dying results.

PS. The cheese, wine, ice cream, maple syrup etc. were totally worth it :)

PPS. I saw this picture in the Plymouth, VT town message board. It made me laugh and Logan looked at me like I was crazy...he obviously doesn't appreciate my nerdiness :)

To join the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance? Decisions, decisions....

I am woman hear me roar...or watch me paint a deck

My dad was really handy to have around: broken window? he can fix it... leaky faucet? he can fix it...fall through the floor in the attic (actually happened...twice)? he can fix it.
Me? not so much. I have never really been handy although my dad did give me a tool set when I turned 21 which has actually come in handy a ton especially over the last year.

As a homeowner there is no option to call the landlord to fix it. When we moved to this house last June the deck was starting to show some wear and tear. I thought about painting it last year but it was such a busy summer getting settled in that it got pushed back. This winter was horrific (2nd most snowy winter in Connecticut history) so the multiple feet of snow took it's toll on the deck even more. I knew that I had to get the project done especially since I have tons of visitors coming this summer. So here is my (possibly inept and wrong) how to guide to re-staining your deck.

My deck before picture...as you can see it's starting to look a bit run down. The first step is, of course, clearing off all the furniture. I did this alone because my husband is crazy busy for another week so I felt like a beast. Now I had spoken to my neighbor about if I needed to rent a belt sander and he thought I could get away with just renting a power washer. I was so excited about that because I really hate sanding (I refinished my bedroom set and it required me to sand it multiple times) so I rented a power washer from a local store for only $36/all day. The power washer was really easy to use and only required access to a hose. I was shocked at how much paint came up with the washer but it also got tons of dirt and grime up.

After power washing, I sanded a few spots that had flaky paint. Next, the fun part, actually staining the deck. The previous homeowners painted the deck-a big no-no according to the guy at Home Depot. Apparently paint will just flake off and deteriorate no matter how many coats you put on. Since not all the paint came up we went with a stain that had a similar color so it wouldn't take tons of coats to cover it up. After talking it over with the Home Depot guy, we went with a Behr paint stain that is guaranteed to last for 10 years. Now I am not going lie, painting kind of sucked. The floor/stairs were fairly easy-first coat took about 2 hours to apply and only about 1-2 hours to dry (it was pretty hot outside) and I did the second coat the next day and it looks great. Now for the tough part: the railings...oh the railings...they took forever because the posts are so close together so it took forever to get all the sides done. The inner railings took about 4 hours and the outer parts plus all the showing supporting structure took almost 6 hours and my arms wanted to fall off by the end.
So 2 gallons of paint plus many woman hours and lots of soreness equals a complete project!

Final part of the project was bringing everything back up. It was raining but I was determined to get the project 100% completed so that's why everything looks so wet.

So that is my how to guide...it took two days and some hard work but the results are fabulous and I no longer have it hanging over my head. I know it's silly but doing something like this by myself (with some much appreciated help from my husband) was nice and kind of empowering.
Good luck with your own projects!

Committing to Happiness

I am huge book nerd. Seriously, I have many, many bookshelves in my house and they are stuffed to the gills with books ranging from serious and impressive (to be read with your nose in the air and with a stick shoved you know where), education ones (books from Masters degree and now my Ph.D. books!), chick lit (use to be slightly ashamed but now I embrace my pink covers), how to books/cookbooks (lots and lots and lots of cookbooks) and finally my newest section: improving life quality. Improving life quality has been a big thing for me this year. This year was my first time not working or going to school so I had a lot of free time on my hands. At first I used that time to sit around, watch tv and think about how bored and alone I am in Connecticut. Finally, I got sick of myself and the constant "poor me" mentality so I did something about it...I fell back on my favorite pastime for answers: books.
My first book was The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

Yes, the writer is a rich white girl and thus has rich white girl problems but I still liked the book. I am all about to-do lists and the author used a ton of those. She wrote about making simple changes-for example, committing to make dinner 3 times a week, to reading a new book every month, to gardening every weekend, to taking a trip somewhere new once a month etc- basically focusing on what makes you happy and actually doing those things.

With my huge amount of free time I decided to try new things and so I turned to gardening. I am still really, really bad at gardening (I kind of hate it. The weeds just keep coming back over and over again!) Therefore, may I present the awesome beginners guide: Learn to Garden

I browsed through several gardening books before buying this one. I really liked it because it kept in mind that as a beginning you probably aren't too interested in working with really complicated, fussy plants. It also gave straight forward advice about yards, planting a flower meadow, trees, flowers, herbs etc.

As a stay-at-home wife (at least for 2 more months) I do almost all the cooking. I usually just throw things together and I tend to not cook with recipes. However, this year I focused on trying new recipes, baking new and unique things and cooking seasonally. I loved these:
Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons

Logan and I gave up meat for Lent so Cooking Light: Vegetarian was a lifesaver!

and finally, when I was in desperate need of a cupcake (which is kind of everyday) I turned to Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

and if cupcakes don't fit the bill, there is the culinary bible which gave me my favorite chewy chocolate gingersnap cookies (ridiculously delicious and the ones on the cover-they are that special) aka Martha Stewart Cookies

My newest hobby is running. Running and I have a love-hate relationship (it loves to make my body hurt really badly and I hate it with a fiery passion until I finish the run and feel awesome. Endorphins? I am still waiting for them to arrive). After running my first 5 miles the other day I started thinking about how far I want to take this...do I want to do a marathon? Hahahahaha....NO! 26 miles? huge no thank you. I am intrigued by the idea of a half marathon...13 miles seems much more do-able so I am thinking about training for one. I haven't made up my mind but to help me do that I ordered Half-Marathon by Jeff Galloway-guru of the run/walk method.

I don't know what it is about running but it makes me happy-the exhilarated and exhausted feeling when I reach my car (finally) when my run is done, the bright tomato red face that refuses to go away for hours and just the feeling that I did something that my body didn't want to do and survived. I may hate running but somehow it makes me happy.

10 Observations from my first 5 mile run

I did my first 5 mile run today!! I know plenty of people out there run 5 miles easily with their eyes closed and with only one leg  (those people are being ignored) but this is a definite first for me and I am tickled pink by it. Instead of a typical recap I decided to let y'all know my observations from my run today.

1. There are lots of creepy old ladies out there. Their smiles freak me out and I swear one looked like this today but with bright old lady red lipstick:

"Hello dearie...yes, in matter of fact, I will eat your soul"

2. If you drink quite a bit of water plus run more than your poor, tired, weak body is used to then the following is possible: throwing up. Bad news: you throw up, yuck. Good news: it tastes mainly like water. I was really really REALLY lucky that no one was around and I was in the woods portion of the trail, it was tres embarrassing.

3. When rinsing out your mouth do not under any circumstances accidentally spit out your gum. I was so sad when I saw it on the ground...for a millisecond I considered rinsing it off and putting it back in my mouth *shame face* I didn't (probably because I knew I would need that water crazy bad by the end of the run) but totally considered it.

4. For the love of God bring some gosh darn tissues!!!

5. When you see two baby raccoons on the trail, you may want to give up your life of running (and having a normal house) and take them with you to love and cherish. No I didn't take this picture, I can barely fit my keys in my tiny running pouch, let alone a camera.

"I can haz cuddle?" Yes, yes you can.

6. When you are almost done with your run do not stumble on a high school running track because you will loose your senses and add another mile to original run total (I was only planning on doing 4 miles today...oh how plans change) and then your body will be very, very angry with you for the rest of the day.

7. It is smart to bring two bottles of water with you-one for your run, and one to keep in the car for after your run. By the way, I recently bought this water bottle for runs and I love it. I can stash my keys and phone (must have because I have an irrational fear of being kidnapped) in it.

You slip your hand through strap so you don't have to grasp a bottle through your entire run

 I love my new water bottle but I wish it was just about a million times bigger. I go through a lot of water, course this may be why #2 happened....anyway, I am empty by the time I am done so it would be great to have another bottle once I finally drag my weak, untoned, ass to the car.

8. When your running route takes you by the same boys playing baseball multiple times they will assume that you want a piece of their hot action and yell to ask you if you like what you see. The answer must always be no because statutory rape? not a good thing.

9. There is magical power in the song Riverdance. Starts of slow but gets fast at around the 2:15 mark and for some reason my legs must keep up. It's weird.

10. Running is oddly addictive. Yes, I managed to find creepy ladies, convince teenage boys I want their bodies AND throw up but it was kind of awesome and I can't wait to do it all over again-luckily I will have this opportunity again and again and again...*sigh* I imagine the novelty will wear off and I will go back to hating running which is my usual feeling while I am actually doing the running.