And just like that, it's race week! I'm amazed at how fast this training cycle went. I think that training for a triathlon and a marathon at the same time for much of the summer made this cycle go by even faster than usual. I'm so thankful that I've stayed healthy and have felt good during most of my runs. Here's my goals and strategy for the race on Sunday and how you can track me!! (warning, lengthy post to follow, feel free to scan it or skip it if running isn't your thing!)
Goal:
I usually set A, B, and C goals for a race but this time around I only have one "real" goal which is to finish in less than 4 hours. Sure, I want to have fun and finish with a smile on my face but I'd be lying if I said that my sole focus wasn't coming in under 4 hours, even if that means 3:59:59. I came fairly close in Des Moines when I ran a 4:03:34 so hopefully I can shave ~ 4 minutes off of that time. I know I am a stronger runner than I was 3 years ago when I ran Des Moines so hopefully all of my hard work pays off on Sunday.
That said, I am trying to prepare myself mentally to not reach my goal. It will be challenging and I don't want to beat myself up if I don't run a sub-4 hour marathon or if I don't PR. After my RA diagnosis, I never thought I'd run another marathon so I will also be focusing on appreciating that my body has healed enough to allow me to run this race.
Strategy:
My plan is to line up with the 4 hour pace group but try to run my own race. I want to stay slightly ahead of them, but not too far ahead as I need to be careful about not going out too fast. John and my run club buddy will be running with me, too, so we'll be able to cheer each other on and motivate each other. I'll definitely bring headphones and listen to some Taylor Swift as soon as I need the motivation/distraction which could be earlier in the race.
For fuel, I've changed plans as it was just too hard to carry the number of apple sauce packets that I will need. I thought about carrying 3 and having Phil hand some to me when he is spectating but I felt it was too risky to rely on him as it can be tough to spot spectators, and vice versa. So 2 weeks ago, I started training with Huma gels. They were recommended to me as they are not super sweet, they are chia seed-based, and they are all-natural. I felt great on the 2 long runs that I had them on so I feel confident about using them on race day.
For a distraction, I'll once again turn my pace bracelet into a prayer bracelet and will dedicate each mile to a different person. It was fun to look back on my last race recap and read my reflection on my prayer bracelet:
'The prayer bracelet proved to be a great strategy, though. I prayed for
marriages, both new and seasoned, babies, a friend who is trying to have
a baby, nephews, a niece, and faux nephews and nieces. I prayed that
single friends would meet their husbands soon. I spent the final 5
miles praying for an aunt who has cancer, as well as the sister and mom
of two friends that are battling cancer, too. I said Hail Mary's and
Our Fathers and thought to myself (and said out loud a couple of times) -
this is so hard. But I made it through, with a bright, shiny PR (and
very sore, beat up legs/feet).'
A couple of those prayers have been answered, 2 of which I bolded, which is neat to see. It's always fun to decide who to pray for during each mile and it really is the best distraction. I know for sure that I will be dedicating the last 3 miles to a friend's mom who is losing a battle with lung cancer; hopefully thinking of my friend, her mom, and her family will give me some perspective during those miles.
How you can track me:
If you care to follow along from afar, you can sign up to track me. You can look me up by my name, which most of your know, or by my bib number which is 6320. The cut off for signing up to track me is Saturday night at 7 pm. Thanks in advance to those of you who will be cheering me on from afar! I really appreciate the support and encouragement!
One last note:
The local Black Lives Matter chapter has announced their intention to disrupt the marathon and shut-down the course. Their plan it to stop the race at mile 25 and not allow runners to finish the race. I hope and pray that this does not happen. I don't want to get into a debate about this organization in this post because it's too complex for a post about a marathon but I will say that it would be very heart breaking if they succeed in doing this. So while you are sending me good vibes for my race, if you could also send up a prayer that the protest is a peaceful protest and doesn't prevent me from finishing my race, that would be great. I've got enough to worry about without having to worry about this!
And now my focus this week will shift to eating well, drinking lots of water, and getting as much sleep as I can so I will be ready to attack my goal with gusto! Wish me luck and send me lots of good vibes on Sunday!!!
Monday, September 28, 2015
Friday, September 25, 2015
Looking Forward: The October Edition
It's been a long time since I did a Looking Forward post - since February, actually! I didn't intentionally plan for October to be full of so many awesome things but I'm glad it worked out that way as sometimes I get a little down after a marathon. Like many big life events, after it is behind me I sometimes think - now what? But my packed calendar in October will hopefully offset some of the post-marathon blues as I'll have lots to look forward to! Here are the fun things that October will feature!
On October 2nd, Phil and I will celebrate 3 years of being in each others' lives. When people ask how long we have been together, it's a tricky question to answer because of the gap when I was in Charlotte. But we remained in touch during the time so I'm still considering this our anniversary! We have other plans that will prevent us from celebrating that evening but we are planning to do a belated celebration the following Friday.
The first weekend of October, I will run my 4th marathon, which will be a "golden" marathon as I'm running it on the 4th. John is flying in to run it with me. I'm really excited to catch up with him in person and show him around the city I love. John and his wife, who live in Raleigh, hosted me for a weekend when I lived in Charlotte so I am looking forward to returning the favor by hosting him. I'm not sure what all we will do as I will need to make sure we aren't on our feet too much but Phil, John and I will definitely be going to a Twins game on Friday night.
The second weekend of October we will have our 7th annual Julia Child Night! We are having the event earlier than we normally would as it was the only free weekend for my aunt, brother and I during the months of October and November! This year we are doing something different and will take a break from French recipes. Instead, Julia Child is going to be traveling to the New Orleans area. My aunt and uncle visited there on their way back from Florida this winter and got all kinds of inspiration! We've got a great menu planned and I am really excited for the event!
The third weekend of October, I will head to Miami for my girls trip with my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law. I am so glad that we are keeping the tradition of going somewhere every other year alive! I've only been to Miami once and it was for work so I barely saw any of the area. I'm so excited to check it out and spend lots of quality time with the women in my family.
The third weekend of October, Phil and I will head to Boston to visit a couple that moved out there recently. I've never been to Boston so I am so excited to check it out. Plus it will be great to catch up with our friends. We haven't seen them since their going away party in May and we miss them so much! While we are out in Boston, we'll be meeting up with Kelly and her husband and son, too.
Last, but not least, in late October, my good friend Courtney is due. They did not find out the sex of the baby so I am especially excited to find out what they are having and what name they have chosen! Courtney and her husband live about 10 minutes away from Phil so I envision lots of visits after the baby is born so I can get my baby holding fix!
So there you have it! A VERY full month of exciting things! The month is bound to leave me a bit exhausted by the end, but it should be a happy kind of exhausted! And so far, November is fairly quiet and I intend to keep it that way.
What are you looking forward to this fall?
On October 2nd, Phil and I will celebrate 3 years of being in each others' lives. When people ask how long we have been together, it's a tricky question to answer because of the gap when I was in Charlotte. But we remained in touch during the time so I'm still considering this our anniversary! We have other plans that will prevent us from celebrating that evening but we are planning to do a belated celebration the following Friday.
The first weekend of October, I will run my 4th marathon, which will be a "golden" marathon as I'm running it on the 4th. John is flying in to run it with me. I'm really excited to catch up with him in person and show him around the city I love. John and his wife, who live in Raleigh, hosted me for a weekend when I lived in Charlotte so I am looking forward to returning the favor by hosting him. I'm not sure what all we will do as I will need to make sure we aren't on our feet too much but Phil, John and I will definitely be going to a Twins game on Friday night.
The second weekend of October we will have our 7th annual Julia Child Night! We are having the event earlier than we normally would as it was the only free weekend for my aunt, brother and I during the months of October and November! This year we are doing something different and will take a break from French recipes. Instead, Julia Child is going to be traveling to the New Orleans area. My aunt and uncle visited there on their way back from Florida this winter and got all kinds of inspiration! We've got a great menu planned and I am really excited for the event!
The third weekend of October, I will head to Miami for my girls trip with my mom, sisters, and sister-in-law. I am so glad that we are keeping the tradition of going somewhere every other year alive! I've only been to Miami once and it was for work so I barely saw any of the area. I'm so excited to check it out and spend lots of quality time with the women in my family.
The third weekend of October, Phil and I will head to Boston to visit a couple that moved out there recently. I've never been to Boston so I am so excited to check it out. Plus it will be great to catch up with our friends. We haven't seen them since their going away party in May and we miss them so much! While we are out in Boston, we'll be meeting up with Kelly and her husband and son, too.
Last, but not least, in late October, my good friend Courtney is due. They did not find out the sex of the baby so I am especially excited to find out what they are having and what name they have chosen! Courtney and her husband live about 10 minutes away from Phil so I envision lots of visits after the baby is born so I can get my baby holding fix!
So there you have it! A VERY full month of exciting things! The month is bound to leave me a bit exhausted by the end, but it should be a happy kind of exhausted! And so far, November is fairly quiet and I intend to keep it that way.
What are you looking forward to this fall?
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Currently: September Edition
Wow, it's the last week of September - that is nuts!! Here's what is currently on my mind!
Reading: 10% Happier by Dan Harris which is a book about taming the not-so-positive voice in your head and managing stress. I just started it 2 days ago so am not very far but I've heard good things about it! After I finish this, I'll be done with the Read Harder Challenge!
Loving: the beautiful fall weather we have had lately! It's been cool at night and warm and sunny during the day!
Thinking: about the marathon. Obsessively.
Frustrated: by nothing notable these days actually! Life is good!
Feeling: extra tired these days which I am attributing to marathon training/tapering. I'm decreasing my mileage so I should feel less tired but that has not been the case lately. It's almost like all the exhaustion of the past 16+ weeks of training is catching up with me.
Anticipating: a lot of fun things in October! There are too many to list out here so I'll be doing a looking forward post later this week!
Watching: very little TV these days. I have this thing where I feel really guilty if I watch TV as it seems like a 'wasteful' way of spending my time... Not that I judge others that watch TV (to each their own!), it's just not a way I choose to spend my time typically.
Sad: that summer went by so quickly. I know I packed a lot into the summer months but there are still things I didn't do that I wish I had, like go to the lake more!
Working: on re-building my fall/winter wardrobe after doing lots of purging over the past year.
Grateful: that I am really liking my new job! The people I work with are great and the work is interesting and challenging!
Listening: to lots of podcasts, as usual. My favorites these days are Starr Struck Radio, Get Booked, Book Riot, and Books on the Nightstand.
Wishing: that the beautiful fall weather we've been having would stick around for several months!!
What are you currently reading, frustrated by and grateful for?
Reading: 10% Happier by Dan Harris which is a book about taming the not-so-positive voice in your head and managing stress. I just started it 2 days ago so am not very far but I've heard good things about it! After I finish this, I'll be done with the Read Harder Challenge!
Loving: the beautiful fall weather we have had lately! It's been cool at night and warm and sunny during the day!
Thinking: about the marathon. Obsessively.
Frustrated: by nothing notable these days actually! Life is good!
Feeling: extra tired these days which I am attributing to marathon training/tapering. I'm decreasing my mileage so I should feel less tired but that has not been the case lately. It's almost like all the exhaustion of the past 16+ weeks of training is catching up with me.
Anticipating: a lot of fun things in October! There are too many to list out here so I'll be doing a looking forward post later this week!
Watching: very little TV these days. I have this thing where I feel really guilty if I watch TV as it seems like a 'wasteful' way of spending my time... Not that I judge others that watch TV (to each their own!), it's just not a way I choose to spend my time typically.
Sad: that summer went by so quickly. I know I packed a lot into the summer months but there are still things I didn't do that I wish I had, like go to the lake more!
Working: on re-building my fall/winter wardrobe after doing lots of purging over the past year.
Grateful: that I am really liking my new job! The people I work with are great and the work is interesting and challenging!
Listening: to lots of podcasts, as usual. My favorites these days are Starr Struck Radio, Get Booked, Book Riot, and Books on the Nightstand.
Wishing: that the beautiful fall weather we've been having would stick around for several months!!
What are you currently reading, frustrated by and grateful for?
Monday, September 21, 2015
Weekend Highlights
Happy Monday and greetings from Chicago! I'm here again for a super short work trip. I'm really hoping that I can extend one of my Chicago trips soon as I have so many people I'd like to see in the Chicago area! Hopefully I can finagle that in 2016! I flew into Chicago last night so it made my weekend feel a bit short but flying in this morning wasn't an option since I had to be in the office by 7:30. My weekend went by quickly and didn't involve much downtime, but here are some of the highlights!
- Going out to dinner on Friday night with Phil, another couple and their baby. We went to a really cute restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis that was so good and has the best french fries.
- My run on Saturday went really well! I ran 16 miles at a 9:07 pace. That's faster than I expected/planned to run it but I just felt so good. It helped that the weather was absolutely perfect; I hope the weather is like that on race day!
- After my run, I decided to run errands on my bike since it was so beautiful out. I dropped off some basil with a friend, pick up my bike tour packet, went to a running store to get some stuff for the marathon, and stopped by Whole Foods for a couple of things. Mornings like that make me very thankful that I live where I do as all of those stops were within 1.5 miles of my condo!
- After all that running and biking, I was starving so I made a delicious at home brunch. It's was a lot of food but truth be told, I was kind of still hungry when I finished... post-run hunger is no joke!
- I got to briefly Facetime with Becky and meet her adorable baby boy, Parker!
- I spent lots of time in the kitchen prepping for the two recipes that I made at Phil's mom's house on Saturday night. She said she can not remember the last time that someone made her dinner so it felt very good to do that for her. All in all the recipes turned out great except one recipe was a little bit too spicy as I used hot Italian sausage in it. Oops. I'll have to cook again for her soon so she can see that not everything I make is super duper spicy. The spice level was just fine for Phil and I but a bit too much for his mom who has a Scandinavian taste palette. ;)
- We played 3 games of Yahtzee at Phil's mom's and I got a Yahtzee during one of the games! Woo hoo!
- On Sunday morning I did the Minneapolis Bike Tour. They have 3 different route options and I did the longest one, which was 32 miles. It was a beautiful morning and there were so many people out biking. It's such a cool event and does a great job of showcasing the beauty of Minneapolis! I did it on my own as Phil doesn't have a bike and my usual biking buddy is 8 months pregnant, but I still had a great time. I really try to not let having to do things by myself hold me back!
- After the bike ride, I went directly to church. I was obviously extremely under-dressed, but God doesn't care, right? :) Speaking of church, isn't my church beautiful? It's a historical landmark as it's one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Twin Cities - and it has a French theme to it as the patron saint is Our Lady of Lourdes.
What were some of the highlights of your weekend?
- Going out to dinner on Friday night with Phil, another couple and their baby. We went to a really cute restaurant in Northeast Minneapolis that was so good and has the best french fries.
- My run on Saturday went really well! I ran 16 miles at a 9:07 pace. That's faster than I expected/planned to run it but I just felt so good. It helped that the weather was absolutely perfect; I hope the weather is like that on race day!
- After my run, I decided to run errands on my bike since it was so beautiful out. I dropped off some basil with a friend, pick up my bike tour packet, went to a running store to get some stuff for the marathon, and stopped by Whole Foods for a couple of things. Mornings like that make me very thankful that I live where I do as all of those stops were within 1.5 miles of my condo!
- After all that running and biking, I was starving so I made a delicious at home brunch. It's was a lot of food but truth be told, I was kind of still hungry when I finished... post-run hunger is no joke!
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| 3 scrambled eggs + 2 pieces of GF toast + 1 avocado was consumed by one hungry runner! |
- I spent lots of time in the kitchen prepping for the two recipes that I made at Phil's mom's house on Saturday night. She said she can not remember the last time that someone made her dinner so it felt very good to do that for her. All in all the recipes turned out great except one recipe was a little bit too spicy as I used hot Italian sausage in it. Oops. I'll have to cook again for her soon so she can see that not everything I make is super duper spicy. The spice level was just fine for Phil and I but a bit too much for his mom who has a Scandinavian taste palette. ;)
- We played 3 games of Yahtzee at Phil's mom's and I got a Yahtzee during one of the games! Woo hoo!
- On Sunday morning I did the Minneapolis Bike Tour. They have 3 different route options and I did the longest one, which was 32 miles. It was a beautiful morning and there were so many people out biking. It's such a cool event and does a great job of showcasing the beauty of Minneapolis! I did it on my own as Phil doesn't have a bike and my usual biking buddy is 8 months pregnant, but I still had a great time. I really try to not let having to do things by myself hold me back!
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| A small fraction of the many, many bikers lined up at the start! |
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| Nerdy helmet selfie. |
- After the bike ride, I went directly to church. I was obviously extremely under-dressed, but God doesn't care, right? :) Speaking of church, isn't my church beautiful? It's a historical landmark as it's one of the oldest Catholic churches in the Twin Cities - and it has a French theme to it as the patron saint is Our Lady of Lourdes.
What were some of the highlights of your weekend?
Friday, September 18, 2015
TGIF
Ufda, this past week was another busy one. I feel like I've got so many plates spinning these days... Life is good so I can't complain but I would love a week with fewer plans... Last year I made one week in November a "plan free week" and I am thinking about trying to do that again so I can reset my battery! Here's how my week shaped up!
The high of my week was spending time with two of my college friends last night. They both have 2 kids and our schedules are all so busy so I'm always grateful when we can find a night when we are all free!
The low of my week was a poor night of sleep on Sunday night. I'm making changes suggested by the sleep doctor I saw in August and my sleep is improving but I had a rough night on Sunday as I was up from 12:30-3 so only got about 4.5 hours of sleep. Womp womp.
A book I am reading is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which is the book for my local book club. I'm looking forward to discussing it with the girls next week. It's being made into a movie so when it is released, our club is planning to go to the movie together!
For my workouts, I ran with my club on Monday and Wednesday and strength trained on Tuesday and Thursday. Today I will rest, tomorrow I will run 16 miles and on Sunday I will bike 32 miles when I do the Minneapolis Bike Tour!
The best money I spent was on plane tickets for our Boston trip and our trip to NJ for my friend Alli's wedding! On Monday I noticed the price for the Boston trip had dropped from $390 to $307 so we decided to buy. Later that day, Phil saw that it had dropped to $217! I called Priceline and luckily they agreed to match the price! Plus our tickets to Philadelphia for Alli's wedding were only $197 so we really got lucky with airfare this week.
My plans this weekend include going to dinner with Phil and another couple and their baby tonight. Tomorrow I will run with my club and then that evening I am doing a trial run of a recipe for Julia Child night which Phil will help me eat. On Sunday I'm doing the Minneapolis Bike Tour in the morning, which is an annual event put on by our Parks and Rec Board, and later that day I fly to Chicago for a quick business trip. I don't have any plans for Saturday afternoon which I am very happy about!
What was the high of your week? What was the best money you spent this week?
The high of my week was spending time with two of my college friends last night. They both have 2 kids and our schedules are all so busy so I'm always grateful when we can find a night when we are all free!
The low of my week was a poor night of sleep on Sunday night. I'm making changes suggested by the sleep doctor I saw in August and my sleep is improving but I had a rough night on Sunday as I was up from 12:30-3 so only got about 4.5 hours of sleep. Womp womp.
A book I am reading is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which is the book for my local book club. I'm looking forward to discussing it with the girls next week. It's being made into a movie so when it is released, our club is planning to go to the movie together!
For my workouts, I ran with my club on Monday and Wednesday and strength trained on Tuesday and Thursday. Today I will rest, tomorrow I will run 16 miles and on Sunday I will bike 32 miles when I do the Minneapolis Bike Tour!
The best money I spent was on plane tickets for our Boston trip and our trip to NJ for my friend Alli's wedding! On Monday I noticed the price for the Boston trip had dropped from $390 to $307 so we decided to buy. Later that day, Phil saw that it had dropped to $217! I called Priceline and luckily they agreed to match the price! Plus our tickets to Philadelphia for Alli's wedding were only $197 so we really got lucky with airfare this week.
My plans this weekend include going to dinner with Phil and another couple and their baby tonight. Tomorrow I will run with my club and then that evening I am doing a trial run of a recipe for Julia Child night which Phil will help me eat. On Sunday I'm doing the Minneapolis Bike Tour in the morning, which is an annual event put on by our Parks and Rec Board, and later that day I fly to Chicago for a quick business trip. I don't have any plans for Saturday afternoon which I am very happy about!
What was the high of your week? What was the best money you spent this week?
Monday, September 14, 2015
Weekend Review
Whew, another weekend come and gone! The weekends fly by way too fast!! Here's how I filled mine!
On Friday night I found out that the side swipe repairs were done so I was able to pick up my car that night after work. I was actually a little bit disappointed that the repairs were done so quickly as I was kind of enjoying driving the rental car which was newer. But my good old 2003 Accord with 170,000 miles on it is still in fine shape and I'll take driving an older car over a car payment!! That night Phil and I made dinner and watched part of Up in the Air together (which I had already seen). He finished it on his own as I went to bed early since I had a big run the following day.
On Saturday morning I was up bright and early for a 22 mile run with my club.
It was around 45 degrees when we started, so perfect running weather. I was a little nervous for this run but it ended up going very well despite the fact that I had to run about 12 miles of it on my own since my usual running buddy was working on Saturday.
I was pleasantly surprised by my pace as I did not really feel like I was "pushing" it for the most part so I was surprised to see that my average pace was 9:14 for the 22 miles. I'm really hoping to run a sub-4 hour marathon and while this run did go well, it does make me question whether I will be able to do that but we'll see what happens on race day! All in all, I can not complain as I never thought I'd run another marathon so I'm focusing on being thankful that I'm able to run the marathon!
After the run, I dashed home and got ready super fast (26 minutes!) and headed to my friend's baby shower. I was nearly 2 hours late but I am glad I was able to be there for the last hour. The shower was so nice and there were so many great decorating details! Her due date is about 6 weeks away and I am so excited to meet the baby and see if it will be a boy or a girl (I'm guessing girl!).
On Saturday afternoon I had a total of 90 minutes of downtime at home before going to church. After church, Phil picked me up and we headed to his friend's birthday party. It was fun to see his group of high school friends and the birthday boy and his wife had a baby recently so I got snuggle with her for a bit.
Since the party started at 4, we were home by 8:30 on Saturday night, which I was so happy about as I was exhausted.We Phil watched a movie while I dozed off. Oscar is usually a total hyper spazz but she was very calm that night and sat on my lap for awhile which was extra calming/relaxing for me.
I slept like a log that night and slept for 8 hours straight. I can't remember the last time I got 8 continuous hours of sleep. It's been many, many months. Turns out 22 miles of running and a full day of social activities is the ultimate cure for insomnia.
On Sunday morning I was surprisingly not sore from my run. It was a beautiful morning so I went for a short 5 mile bike ride to work out any lactic acid that was still in my legs. I had a quiet morning at home which was just what I needed after the busy day I had the previous day!
On Sunday afternoon I met a friend for coffee at one of my favorite coffee shops. I hadn't seen her since the spring so we had lots to catch up on! After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing things like laundry, ironing, grocery shopping and meal prep, aka "adulting."
And on Sunday evening, I put my feet up for some much-needed relaxation!!
How was your weekend?
On Friday night I found out that the side swipe repairs were done so I was able to pick up my car that night after work. I was actually a little bit disappointed that the repairs were done so quickly as I was kind of enjoying driving the rental car which was newer. But my good old 2003 Accord with 170,000 miles on it is still in fine shape and I'll take driving an older car over a car payment!! That night Phil and I made dinner and watched part of Up in the Air together (which I had already seen). He finished it on his own as I went to bed early since I had a big run the following day.
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| Oscar played peek-a-boo in the cupboards while I made dinner |
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| 22 miles on deck, but first, coffee. |
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| 22 miles = done!! Gotta love all of the pink/purple I am sporting! |
After the run, I dashed home and got ready super fast (26 minutes!) and headed to my friend's baby shower. I was nearly 2 hours late but I am glad I was able to be there for the last hour. The shower was so nice and there were so many great decorating details! Her due date is about 6 weeks away and I am so excited to meet the baby and see if it will be a boy or a girl (I'm guessing girl!).
On Saturday afternoon I had a total of 90 minutes of downtime at home before going to church. After church, Phil picked me up and we headed to his friend's birthday party. It was fun to see his group of high school friends and the birthday boy and his wife had a baby recently so I got snuggle with her for a bit.
Since the party started at 4, we were home by 8:30 on Saturday night, which I was so happy about as I was exhausted.
I slept like a log that night and slept for 8 hours straight. I can't remember the last time I got 8 continuous hours of sleep. It's been many, many months. Turns out 22 miles of running and a full day of social activities is the ultimate cure for insomnia.
On Sunday morning I was surprisingly not sore from my run. It was a beautiful morning so I went for a short 5 mile bike ride to work out any lactic acid that was still in my legs. I had a quiet morning at home which was just what I needed after the busy day I had the previous day!
On Sunday afternoon I met a friend for coffee at one of my favorite coffee shops. I hadn't seen her since the spring so we had lots to catch up on! After that, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing things like laundry, ironing, grocery shopping and meal prep, aka "adulting."
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| A whole lot of basil... |
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| Became a triple batch of pesto which I froze for use this fall and winter! |
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| I roasted broccoli... |
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| which accompanied a dairy-free caprese salad and the meatloaf I made (which was delicious) |
And on Sunday evening, I put my feet up for some much-needed relaxation!!
How was your weekend?
Friday, September 11, 2015
TGIF
Happy Friday! Woo, this week went by fast but I am not complaining as I am always happy when Friday rolls around! Here is how my week shaped up!
The high of my week was seeing Phil on Tuesday after 5 days apart! It was nice to spend a quiet night in together. We went for a run and made dinner which is my ideal night!
The low of my week was finding out that Phil's mom had to put her cat down. Daisy was in their family for many years so it is hard on Phil, too. Losing a family pet is so sad. :( Plus his mom is a widow so I worry about how much more lonely she will feel without Daisy around to keep her company.
A book I am reading is Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. I read and loved her first book, The Paris Wife, so I had to check this one out. So far it's been interesting and good!
A recipe I made was Southwestern Chicken & Rice Skillet, which is a weeknight stand by for us since it's so easy to make and requires things I tend to have on hand! It's an Iowa Girl Eat's kind of week for us as tonight I'm making her Vegetable Ragu recipe and on Sunday I'm planning to make her mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves to bring for lunches next week.
For my workouts, I rested on Monday since I was sore from the trail race on Sunday, ran with Phil on Tuesday and my club on Wednesday, did a shoulders/back strength training workout on Thursday, and today I will rest again. Tomorrow I have my last long run of 22 miles (GULP!) before tapering begins and on Sunday I'm hoping to fit in a bike ride.
The best money I spent was on the Pumpkin Spice Latte that I will treat myself to this morning on my way into work!
My plans this weekend include staying in with Phil tonight, running a ton of miles tomorrow morning, then dashing to a friend's baby shower afterwards. In the evening we are going to a friend's birthday party which is a brat and corn feed (how awesome is that?). On Sunday I am meeting a friend for coffee and will hopefully get a chance to relax a lot since Saturday is a packed day!!!
Are you planning to make any new recipes this weekend? What was the high of your week?
The high of my week was seeing Phil on Tuesday after 5 days apart! It was nice to spend a quiet night in together. We went for a run and made dinner which is my ideal night!
The low of my week was finding out that Phil's mom had to put her cat down. Daisy was in their family for many years so it is hard on Phil, too. Losing a family pet is so sad. :( Plus his mom is a widow so I worry about how much more lonely she will feel without Daisy around to keep her company.
A book I am reading is Circling the Sun by Paula McLain. I read and loved her first book, The Paris Wife, so I had to check this one out. So far it's been interesting and good!
A recipe I made was Southwestern Chicken & Rice Skillet, which is a weeknight stand by for us since it's so easy to make and requires things I tend to have on hand! It's an Iowa Girl Eat's kind of week for us as tonight I'm making her Vegetable Ragu recipe and on Sunday I'm planning to make her mini BBQ Cheddar Meatloaves to bring for lunches next week.
For my workouts, I rested on Monday since I was sore from the trail race on Sunday, ran with Phil on Tuesday and my club on Wednesday, did a shoulders/back strength training workout on Thursday, and today I will rest again. Tomorrow I have my last long run of 22 miles (GULP!) before tapering begins and on Sunday I'm hoping to fit in a bike ride.
The best money I spent was on the Pumpkin Spice Latte that I will treat myself to this morning on my way into work!
My plans this weekend include staying in with Phil tonight, running a ton of miles tomorrow morning, then dashing to a friend's baby shower afterwards. In the evening we are going to a friend's birthday party which is a brat and corn feed (how awesome is that?). On Sunday I am meeting a friend for coffee and will hopefully get a chance to relax a lot since Saturday is a packed day!!!
Are you planning to make any new recipes this weekend? What was the high of your week?
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Kamloops Recap
I had the pleasure of visiting Amber in Kamloops over Labor Day weekend. I don't have words to describe how fun and awesome the weekend was! It combined all of my favorite things: being active, being outdoors, spending time with a great friend, drinking delicious wine, and eating yummy food! I have a lot of pictures to share, so this will be a picture-heavy recap!
On Thursday afternoon, I flew into Kelowna, which is about 2 hours away from Kamloops. It wasn't ideal to fly into Kelowna but I just couldn't find a flight option that got me into Kamloops at a reasonable price with a reasonable number of stopovers... so I owed Amber a huge thank you for driving to get me! We took our time getting back and stopped in Salmon Arm to check out the view and stretch our legs.
When we got to Amber's home, I was greeted by her pets, Webster and Chloe. Webster was particularly interested in me and proceeded to kind of stare me down for the rest of the weekend which was pretty hilarious.
On Friday morning, we were up early for a sunrise run with Chloe. Amber usually does this run with some other ladies but they all bailed! We were already up, though, so we still went and I am so glad we did as the view at sunrise was gorgeous and it such a peaceful way to start the day!
After breakfast + coffee, we headed up to a ski area called Sun Peaks which is about 45 minutes from Amber. I marveled over how the landscape changed from the desert to an area with lots of pine trees in just a matter of miles. We took the chairlift up to mid-mountain and did a 7.5 mile hike which was beautiful!
On Friday night, Eric joined us for a yummy dinner at a local restaurant. I definitely indulged by having a lettuce-wrapped burger, fries and wine, but we had earned an indulgent meal!
On Saturday morning, we went to a great hot yoga class at Amber's studio. It was such an awesome class which left me feeling like I got a great workout! After class, we hit up the farmer's market and then met up with Amber's mom and a friend for a delicious Mexican lunch.
We had talked about going kayaking that afternoon but after all the activity the day before, I really needed a low key day. So we got some cool refreshments at Starbucks and headed down to the river area where we sat on a park bench and chatted.
On Saturday night, we got take-out pizza from a great local place that had GF pizza and I got Amber hooked on my favorite show, Parenthood!
On Sunday morning, Amber, Eric and I ran an 18 km trail race. The race didn't start until 11 am so we had a low key morning at home. The race was on a beautiful trail system in Kamloops. The course was so challenging as we had quite a few climbs but we had a great time!
On Sunday evening, we made dinner, watched more Parenthood and went to bed tired and happy! On Monday, we took our time getting ready and then Amber drove me back to Kelowna for my afternoon flight back home. I was sad to say goodbye to Amber but grateful that I got to spend 5 full days with her exploring her beautiful area of British Columbia!! Hopefully we will rendezvous again in 2016 for another running adventure!
How did you spend your long weekend?
On Thursday afternoon, I flew into Kelowna, which is about 2 hours away from Kamloops. It wasn't ideal to fly into Kelowna but I just couldn't find a flight option that got me into Kamloops at a reasonable price with a reasonable number of stopovers... so I owed Amber a huge thank you for driving to get me! We took our time getting back and stopped in Salmon Arm to check out the view and stretch our legs.
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| The beautiful view in Salmon Arm |
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| Our first selfie at the end of a long day of travel! |
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| Amber and Chloe on the run |
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| We were rewarded with a beautiful view! |
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| Taking a selfie by the waterfall we ran to. |
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| We were at cloud-level at the peak of the summit! |
On Saturday morning, we went to a great hot yoga class at Amber's studio. It was such an awesome class which left me feeling like I got a great workout! After class, we hit up the farmer's market and then met up with Amber's mom and a friend for a delicious Mexican lunch.
We had talked about going kayaking that afternoon but after all the activity the day before, I really needed a low key day. So we got some cool refreshments at Starbucks and headed down to the river area where we sat on a park bench and chatted.
On Saturday night, we got take-out pizza from a great local place that had GF pizza and I got Amber hooked on my favorite show, Parenthood!
On Sunday morning, Amber, Eric and I ran an 18 km trail race. The race didn't start until 11 am so we had a low key morning at home. The race was on a beautiful trail system in Kamloops. The course was so challenging as we had quite a few climbs but we had a great time!
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| Stopping for a selfie along the way! |
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| Stopping for the photo towards the top of a never-ending climb! The views were incredible! |
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| I was SO dirty afterwards! Ignore my disgusting blistered feet/black toe nail. My poor feet! |
After the race, we ate a delicious post-race meal of grilled burgers and brats and lots of other snacky things like hummus and veggies. That's the best post-race meal I've ever seen at a race!
We headed home after the race, showered, and headed out to a local winery that was about 25 minutes from Kamloops. I did a wine tasting and then we settled on a nice bottle of white wine. We shared a charcuterie plate and each had a glass of wine on the patio which had a beautiful view! The weather was absolutely perfect!
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| Cheersing to having another race behind us! |
How did you spend your long weekend?
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Canada Bound!
Good morning and happy Thursday! By the time most of you are reading this, I'll be on my way to Canada as my flight leaves at 6:45 am today! I've been talking about visiting Amber in Kamloops for many years so I am so excited that this trip has come to fruition!
Every time I get together with Amber (and our other running URL turned IRL friends) it always makes me nostalgic for trips of the past. The first time I met Amber in person was in 2010. I flew into Vancouver, she picked me up at the airport and we were together non-stop for the next 5 days as we road tripped from Vancouver down to Portland where we met up with Lauren to run the marathon. You know that a friendship is special when you can spend that much time together and not have any moments of being annoyed with one another!
In 2011, I got to see her twice as I hosted her in August for a long weekend in Minneapolis and had a blast showing her around the city that I love. Iowa Amber came up for the weekend, too, and we had the best time together! What made the trip extra special was that we helped Amber pick out her wedding dress!
A couple of months later, I headed west to Victoria, BC where Amber, Leigh, Lauren and I met up. Lauren ran the full marathon and the rest of us did the half. We had a great time checking out Victoria - it's definitely a place I'd love to go back to!
Flash forward to 2012, and I was back out west to stand up as a bridesmaid in Amber and Eric's wedding in the Sunshine Coast area of BC. On this trip, I also got to meet Kelly and Anais for the first time. It was fun to check out another area of BC - that province is just stunning!
2013 found Amber, Anais, Lauren and me in Chicago for the marathon. I was a bit down on this trip as I was unable to run it due to a stress fracture and my RA, but I made the most of the trip and still had a blast. It was great to explore the city and reconnect with these ladies.
In 2014, Amber, Lauren, Leigh and I traveled to San Francisco where Kyria lives. We did something different this time and ran a trail race which was really fun! Leigh bowed out on the race since she was quite pregnant at this point - and we would later find out that Lauren was in the early stages of her pregnancy, so baby Henry got to experience his first race on the beautiful hills of the Berkeley area!
And now here we are in 2015 and I am on my way to Amber in her home city of Kamloops. So much has changed in our lives, and the lives of the other girls we have met up with, but I'm thankful for the fact that we still try to see each other on a regular basis - and that our rendezvous have taken us to such cool places! I've definitely formed very special bonds with these girls as we of course share a love of running and being active, but there are many other commonalities that tie us together. Amber and I will definitely be thinking of our other runner buddies on this trip when we run a trail race on Sunday!
Have a great rest of the week, everyone! I'm sure I'll be back next week with photos of my time in Kamloops with Amber!
Every time I get together with Amber (and our other running URL turned IRL friends) it always makes me nostalgic for trips of the past. The first time I met Amber in person was in 2010. I flew into Vancouver, she picked me up at the airport and we were together non-stop for the next 5 days as we road tripped from Vancouver down to Portland where we met up with Lauren to run the marathon. You know that a friendship is special when you can spend that much time together and not have any moments of being annoyed with one another!
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| Enjoying lattes in front of the original Starbucks. Coffee is ALWAYS part of our meet-ups |
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| Posing for a photo with views of my neighborhood in the background! |
A couple of months later, I headed west to Victoria, BC where Amber, Leigh, Lauren and I met up. Lauren ran the full marathon and the rest of us did the half. We had a great time checking out Victoria - it's definitely a place I'd love to go back to!
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| Checking out the harbor area of Victoria which we ran by during the race. |
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| Dressed the 9's on Amber's special day! |
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| Pre-race/spectating selfie |
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| Pausing for a photo before biking over the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge! |
And now here we are in 2015 and I am on my way to Amber in her home city of Kamloops. So much has changed in our lives, and the lives of the other girls we have met up with, but I'm thankful for the fact that we still try to see each other on a regular basis - and that our rendezvous have taken us to such cool places! I've definitely formed very special bonds with these girls as we of course share a love of running and being active, but there are many other commonalities that tie us together. Amber and I will definitely be thinking of our other runner buddies on this trip when we run a trail race on Sunday!
Have a great rest of the week, everyone! I'm sure I'll be back next week with photos of my time in Kamloops with Amber!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Music, Books, Miles and Looks of August
I feel like a good chunk of August should have been renamed "Aug-tober" given how chilly it was (booo!!!!) but all in all it was a great month! I went to my parents lake home twice and went to Chicago for work so those three trips made the month go by especially fast! Here's how it shaped up!
Music:
** crickets ** I rarely listen to the radio these days so am completely out of touch with what's new and worth listening to these days!
Books:
August was another strong reading month for me! My favorite book was The Kind Worth Killing. I usually don't read thrillers but this came recommended by a friend with good taste so I decided to check it out and am so glad I did. It's a total page turner. My least favorite book, by far, was Sense and Sensibility. Similar to previous months, the books with stars behind them counted towards the Read Harder Challenge. I only have one book left to read for that challenge!
The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine* - 3 stars
The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain - 4 stars
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - 4 stars
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - 5 stars
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen* - 1 stars (note to self: stop reading classics)
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - 3 stars
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - 4 stars
Miles:
August was also a strong month for me in terms of mileage and workouts! I ran 138 miles, biked 54 miles and swam 2.5 miles. I only fit in 3 strength training workouts, which is kind of pathetic, but that should pick up this month as I'm trying to strength train twice a week.
Looks:
I've got nothing noteworthy to share. I'm basically re-wearing the same summer outfits over and over again. I feel pretty meh about my clothing options right now so while I am not ready for summer to be over, I am ready for a new season of clothing. I really need to do some shopping soon, though, as I have purged so much clothing over the last 8 months. If only I enjoyed shopping...
Music:
** crickets ** I rarely listen to the radio these days so am completely out of touch with what's new and worth listening to these days!
Books:
August was another strong reading month for me! My favorite book was The Kind Worth Killing. I usually don't read thrillers but this came recommended by a friend with good taste so I decided to check it out and am so glad I did. It's a total page turner. My least favorite book, by far, was Sense and Sensibility. Similar to previous months, the books with stars behind them counted towards the Read Harder Challenge. I only have one book left to read for that challenge!
The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine* - 3 stars
The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain - 4 stars
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi - 4 stars
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson - 5 stars
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen* - 1 stars (note to self: stop reading classics)
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen - 3 stars
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - 4 stars
Miles:
August was also a strong month for me in terms of mileage and workouts! I ran 138 miles, biked 54 miles and swam 2.5 miles. I only fit in 3 strength training workouts, which is kind of pathetic, but that should pick up this month as I'm trying to strength train twice a week.
Looks:
I've got nothing noteworthy to share. I'm basically re-wearing the same summer outfits over and over again. I feel pretty meh about my clothing options right now so while I am not ready for summer to be over, I am ready for a new season of clothing. I really need to do some shopping soon, though, as I have purged so much clothing over the last 8 months. If only I enjoyed shopping...