I received an email from Mettle Events with the official results from Saturday's race. My chip time was 30 minutes 50 seconds, not 58 like I had on my app. One second faster than my last race! Woot!
Also, I was in 12th place out of 50 from my age group! I think that's pretty good! Go me!
My next race will be my 40th race. Amazing.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Nutzy's Funn Run 5K
Today my team from work and I ran in Nutzy's Funn Run 5K. The county we work for organized as many teachers as they could to run and gave us all shirts to wear. Even though the weather was cold and cloudy we had a great time! It starts and ends at the Diamond and was nice and fast. There was one hill that was a little rough and slowed me up a bit, but other than that I did really good and finished in 30 minutes 58 seconds! Only my 3rd mile was over 10 minutes. I have to say, I am pretty impressed with myself! A 30 minute 5K is a big achievement for me. My knee did great, but my hip flexor, the old injury from so long ago was bugging me. I also have been getting bad side stitches. I think this may be in part to me over hydrating, so I'm going to try drinking less water before my next race.
Afterwards there was a heated tent, coffee, water, donuts and bagels. If you wanted, they even had a shuttle that took you to a heated tent on Broad Street to watch the annual Christmas parade. I ended up just heading home though and taking a nap :-)
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Harbor Lights 5K
This past weekend J & A Racing had their inaugural Harbor Lights Half Marathon and 5K. My friends and I ran the 5K on Saturday. I have some strong opinions on this race. J&A usually does an awesome job and I have no complaints. This time though there were a few things left to be desired.
1. The "expo". I've been to a fair amount of expos and packet picks ups and let me tell you they are VERY different. This was not an expo, this was a packet pick up. There is nothing wrong with a packet pick up, but I love to see the different vendors that an expo has and this had about 2 vendors and 4 other people just advertising stuff. It was disappointing.
2. The J&A store is usually pretty good. They have great shirts, running gear, pint glasses and stemless wine glasses with the races' logo all over it. I was extra excited because the Harbor Lights logo included an anchor. They had a cute tank top I wanted to get for running with a big anchor on the front and also this really cute lightweight pull over hoodie with a big anchor on the front. This was the first day of the "expo" and they only had 2 hoodies left, both a size small. That was it. This made me so disappointed that I ended up buying nothing.
3. It was in downtown Norfolk. If you've never been there, to be blunt, it is a bitch to get in and out of that place.
4. It was FREEZING. Not that J&A could control this, but no one likes to freeze their butts off. Again, my fleece lined running pants are one of the best purchases I have ever made.
5. Since the course was through downtown Norfolk, it turned a lot. I actually really liked this because it kept it interesting. We also finished along the waterfront which was very pretty.
6. Part of the race went down a cobblestone street. The cobblestones are actually ballast stones from old ships so they were way wonky. Most people moved to the sidewalks and since they were so crowded I decided to stay on the street since it was not all that long. I was good until the very end when we all turned back onto a regular street and I rolled my ankle. It still hurts today but I think it will be OK. It was fine for the rest of the race and did not start bothering me until Sunday.
7. The post race party was outside. We were comfortable for about 20 minutes after finishing and then the cold set back in. I did enjoy my Blue Moon, as pictured below.
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| Cheers! |
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| Before the race when we were still warm. |
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| At packet pick up the night before. I thought the sailboats were too cute. |
Next up??? Maybe the Surfin' Santa. I'm not sure yet. Stay tuned.
My weekend didn't end there though. Saturday night I was back in Richmond and had "friendsgiving" dinner with some old friends I had not seen in a long time. After dinner there was fun and late at night some deep chats around the fire pit. I wouldn't change a thing. Looking forward to the future :-)
Saturday, November 15, 2014
I regret nothing
Today, like right now, people are running the Richmond Marathon. Since my knee has been a huge pain to me this last year and I have not been very good at finding motivation as of late, I decided not to run. I ran the 8K last year and not only was it cold, but it also down poured on us before the race started, my knee hurt and I was absolutely miserable. So you can see why I avoided it this year. I'm kind of glad I did when I say the frost on the car this morning and felt how slippery the deck was when I let the dog out.
My Facebook status today: "good luck to all those running!! I'm writing this from my warm, snug bed. I regret nothing."
And that was true, until I saw the medals people are posting! Nice bling this year. Even though I missed out on it this year, this gives me a bit of motivation for next year. Will I run the half again? I hope to someday!
Friday, November 7, 2014
Fall fun
It's been a fun fall! We've been so busy I haven't had much time to do anything but work, sleep and take care of my kid. We did go to a wedding the other weekend and had a great time. It was so nice to see some friends that I haven't seen in years. I didn't realize how much I miss them. I hope that we can start hanging out again from time to time.
Backyard Jenga!
We also took B on his first trip to the pumpkin patch! He was so cute and I loved sharing something that I loved as a kid with him.
And he had his second Halloween but really the first that he could enjoy. His parrot costume still fit so he wore that again. I think it was super cute. I loved watching him run around with his candy bag. He loved being outside. It was a fun night.
Happy fall y'all!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Crawlin' Crab 5K
Last Saturday we were in Hampton, Va running the Crawlin' Crab 5K. The weather was iffy but turned out to be a beautiful day. It rained that night and it was super humid during the race so we were all soaked when it was over.
This race was extra fun because not only did C run it, but my friends Jess and Emily were in it as well. It was Jess's first race and Emily walked and pushed B. I ran the whole thing and even though I hadn't really been training I feel like I did really good. I came in at 32:28 and only walked at the water stop. That's only 2 minutes slower than my fastest 5K. Also this was a bit of a milestone race because it was Jess' first race and she is QUITTING SMOKING SO SHE CAN RUN BETTER!!! Now you're screwed Jess, you have to quit. I told you running is addicting.
I don't usually like out and back courses, but I really liked this one. It was quick and easy and I totally zoned out while running. It was just nice to see where you came from I guess and knowing how close you were to finishing.
We hung out at the post race party and it was a lot of fun. They moved it inside which was a change from the first year I ran it and was so much better. The AC felt great. We ate our crab chowder and drank our free beer before heading back to the hotel to check out. It was a fun overnight trip.
The battery in my phone decided to "bloat" and broke my phone, so we got like one picture, but I got a whole new phone for free today so it's all good.
I noticed that J & A made some changes to their races and I think the Virginia is for Lovers is done. This makes me a little sad because even though it was in February, I actually really liked that race. Even though they are getting rid of one, they are starting the Harbor Lights half and 5K in November and we are planning on running that as well. I'm so excited. I wish I was in half marathon shape but maybe next year. My knees just aren't what they used to be. I am also thinking of running the Surfin' Santa again in December. I did this the first year they had it and it was a 10 miler. Now it is a 5 miler and is at 5PM so when you run through the lights on the boardwalk, you will actually be able to see the lights! I think that would be a lot of fun. It feels awesome to be excited about running again after feeling like a bump on a log for so long. I got my race fever back!
This race was extra fun because not only did C run it, but my friends Jess and Emily were in it as well. It was Jess's first race and Emily walked and pushed B. I ran the whole thing and even though I hadn't really been training I feel like I did really good. I came in at 32:28 and only walked at the water stop. That's only 2 minutes slower than my fastest 5K. Also this was a bit of a milestone race because it was Jess' first race and she is QUITTING SMOKING SO SHE CAN RUN BETTER!!! Now you're screwed Jess, you have to quit. I told you running is addicting.
I don't usually like out and back courses, but I really liked this one. It was quick and easy and I totally zoned out while running. It was just nice to see where you came from I guess and knowing how close you were to finishing.
We hung out at the post race party and it was a lot of fun. They moved it inside which was a change from the first year I ran it and was so much better. The AC felt great. We ate our crab chowder and drank our free beer before heading back to the hotel to check out. It was a fun overnight trip.
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| Our one picture. |
I noticed that J & A made some changes to their races and I think the Virginia is for Lovers is done. This makes me a little sad because even though it was in February, I actually really liked that race. Even though they are getting rid of one, they are starting the Harbor Lights half and 5K in November and we are planning on running that as well. I'm so excited. I wish I was in half marathon shape but maybe next year. My knees just aren't what they used to be. I am also thinking of running the Surfin' Santa again in December. I did this the first year they had it and it was a 10 miler. Now it is a 5 miler and is at 5PM so when you run through the lights on the boardwalk, you will actually be able to see the lights! I think that would be a lot of fun. It feels awesome to be excited about running again after feeling like a bump on a log for so long. I got my race fever back!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
A GREAT Milestone!
You all know how hard I've been working to get back in shape since B was born almost 17 months ago. I cannot even begin to tell you how freaking excited I was when I stepped on the scale this morning and saw an amazing thing....I AM OFFICIALLY BACK TO MY PRE-BABY WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A few months ago I was convinced that I would never see that number again. Then back in August The Today Show did a "detox challenge" with their anchors. Each person gave up something that was a vice for them, like ice cream, bread, wine, shopping, etc. This inspired me to do my own detox challenge. For the month of September I decided to give up my biggest vice: all those sweets. I said goodbye to cake, ice cream, cookies, brownies, and candy. I still ate things with sugar in it, like yogurt and granola bars, but I did my best to stay away from those big items that don't do a body good. C took up the challenge as well and gave up soda. How did we do? Not too bad. Out of 30 days, I had 5 bad days. And 3 of those days were tiny pieces of candy, so they really weren't so bad. We made ourselves accountable by drawing smiley faces on the calendar for the good days and frown faces for the bad. Even though I didn't make it all month, I am so proud of myself and have proven to myself that I don't need the sweets as much as my brain was telling me I did. And the best part was that I lost those last 3 annoying pounds!!
This weekend we have the Crawlin' Crab 5K and I am getting really excited about that as well. I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't run a race since July. I haven't been training like I would have liked to but I think it will still be good. Races are always a good time. It is also my best friend's first race! I am excited for her. More on this later.
This was a post I did not think I would get to ever write. Aren't these little accomplishments wonderful??
A few months ago I was convinced that I would never see that number again. Then back in August The Today Show did a "detox challenge" with their anchors. Each person gave up something that was a vice for them, like ice cream, bread, wine, shopping, etc. This inspired me to do my own detox challenge. For the month of September I decided to give up my biggest vice: all those sweets. I said goodbye to cake, ice cream, cookies, brownies, and candy. I still ate things with sugar in it, like yogurt and granola bars, but I did my best to stay away from those big items that don't do a body good. C took up the challenge as well and gave up soda. How did we do? Not too bad. Out of 30 days, I had 5 bad days. And 3 of those days were tiny pieces of candy, so they really weren't so bad. We made ourselves accountable by drawing smiley faces on the calendar for the good days and frown faces for the bad. Even though I didn't make it all month, I am so proud of myself and have proven to myself that I don't need the sweets as much as my brain was telling me I did. And the best part was that I lost those last 3 annoying pounds!!
This weekend we have the Crawlin' Crab 5K and I am getting really excited about that as well. I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't run a race since July. I haven't been training like I would have liked to but I think it will still be good. Races are always a good time. It is also my best friend's first race! I am excited for her. More on this later.
This was a post I did not think I would get to ever write. Aren't these little accomplishments wonderful??
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
August update
How did August come so fast? Summer is not nearly long enough, and yet I am ready for a routine that does not involve Netflix and couch surfing.
The difference between this summer and last are amazing. Last summer, my summer lasted for almost 6 months. It was fantastic. I was exhausted as is to be expected with a newborn but this summer is exhausting in a whole new way. I still don't have the time to do the things I really want to and it is hard to make the time. Really hard. now have a toddler and although it is so much fun watching learn and grow, it's the most exhausting thing I've ever done. I have to constantly keep him entertained and the only real breaks I get are his nap time or when I have him gated in the living room and I can see him at all times but he can basically just play with his toys without needing me. Today he had a doctors appointment and we had to wait in the waiting room for 40 minutes before even going back to the exam room!! It was hell. Luckily there were not many people in there but my child kept running up to other people and grabbing them or touching them, trying to go through the trash, screaming, not wanting to be held and trying to use the furniture like a jungle gym. I sooooooo envy all the women I know that are my age that have little girls right now. We went to the sprayground a few weeks ago and all the moms were huddled together talking and their little girls were standing around them while my child, the only boy, ran around like a wild animal with me chasing him. There is no social hour for me anymore and I am a person that craves adult conversation. For the first time ever, I think I am ready for school to start. I love my child with all my heart and soul and I hope he always keeps his adventurous, happy spirit but holy crap does it wear me out!
My running is very slowing getting better. Me knees are hit or miss but I am getting a little stronger. I got half way through my ab challenge and even though I did not complete it, I can now hold a 30 second plank with no problem. 15 days was all it took to accomplish this. I want to continue the simple ab exercises that the 30 day challenge uses because amazingly they worked, but I don't see myself ever doing 125 sit ups and 200 crunches in one sitting. The gym has also be hard b/c little man throws a fit whenever I drop him off in the kid zone and I have to throw a snack at him and run for the door. I'm really glad he loves his daycare. It's getting slightly better but it is hard to run away from tears. I get over it quickly when I hop on the bike or enter a classroom.
Yesterday we woke up late so instead of the gym we went for a run. I did 3.25 miles while pushing the stroller! It was slow and hot but it felt really good. Tomorrow I am definitely going to the gym but I think another 3 miler might be in order for Friday early morning.
Also, this is how much fun you can have with the box that your new water heater comes in:
It's the bright side of the water heater breaking.
The difference between this summer and last are amazing. Last summer, my summer lasted for almost 6 months. It was fantastic. I was exhausted as is to be expected with a newborn but this summer is exhausting in a whole new way. I still don't have the time to do the things I really want to and it is hard to make the time. Really hard. now have a toddler and although it is so much fun watching learn and grow, it's the most exhausting thing I've ever done. I have to constantly keep him entertained and the only real breaks I get are his nap time or when I have him gated in the living room and I can see him at all times but he can basically just play with his toys without needing me. Today he had a doctors appointment and we had to wait in the waiting room for 40 minutes before even going back to the exam room!! It was hell. Luckily there were not many people in there but my child kept running up to other people and grabbing them or touching them, trying to go through the trash, screaming, not wanting to be held and trying to use the furniture like a jungle gym. I sooooooo envy all the women I know that are my age that have little girls right now. We went to the sprayground a few weeks ago and all the moms were huddled together talking and their little girls were standing around them while my child, the only boy, ran around like a wild animal with me chasing him. There is no social hour for me anymore and I am a person that craves adult conversation. For the first time ever, I think I am ready for school to start. I love my child with all my heart and soul and I hope he always keeps his adventurous, happy spirit but holy crap does it wear me out!
My running is very slowing getting better. Me knees are hit or miss but I am getting a little stronger. I got half way through my ab challenge and even though I did not complete it, I can now hold a 30 second plank with no problem. 15 days was all it took to accomplish this. I want to continue the simple ab exercises that the 30 day challenge uses because amazingly they worked, but I don't see myself ever doing 125 sit ups and 200 crunches in one sitting. The gym has also be hard b/c little man throws a fit whenever I drop him off in the kid zone and I have to throw a snack at him and run for the door. I'm really glad he loves his daycare. It's getting slightly better but it is hard to run away from tears. I get over it quickly when I hop on the bike or enter a classroom.
Yesterday we woke up late so instead of the gym we went for a run. I did 3.25 miles while pushing the stroller! It was slow and hot but it felt really good. Tomorrow I am definitely going to the gym but I think another 3 miler might be in order for Friday early morning.
Also, this is how much fun you can have with the box that your new water heater comes in:
It's the bright side of the water heater breaking.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Deltaville 5K and July 4th
This weekend was pretty fantastic, except for the cold I had all weekend which is now a sinus infection...
Hurricane Arthur was only in town overnight and didn't do too much and when it left it took the humidity with it! If you have to have a hurricane, that's the way to go.
I've been planning this weekend for awhile. My parents went to Key West and we had the river house to ourselves. So naturally I invited everyone I know and we had a big frat party...just kidding. We are past all that, but we did have a ton of fun. I had my closest sorority sisters down and we had a blast.
Here is some of our wild and crazy partying right here.
The weekend was exactly what the Fourth of July should be, floating in the river, drinking beer, eating good home cooked food, and hanging with great friends. It was so relaxing. It's especially awesome when your baby takes a 4 hour nap ;-)
Yesterday my husband decided to be awesome. Well he's awesome every day but he decided to be extra awesome. He took me up the road to the boat store and bought me a paddleboard! It's one of those items that you want to get a really good deal on because they are a bit expensive, but I'd been looking online for a few months and talked to a few people and my choices were to either wait until the end of the season to get a deal on a really expensive used one or get this one now. And this one is the one I really wanted. It was on a little bit of a sale and it included a board bag and paddle. The paddle itself can cost between $100-$300. I think we did pretty good and its a board that I am never going to want to replace or outgrow. It's super stable for only being 10 feet and I had no trouble with it. They are a little hard to maneuver in the wind and I need to watch out for boats and stick to the shore when they are out on the creek.
Last night I went out after dinner at sunset. It was gorgeous. Looking out over the water was like heaven on earth. I paddled over to the sandbar that separates the creek from the river and saw seagulls hanging out and a crab swimming in the water. There were no boats out and it was so quiet and peaceful. I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else on earth. Well I can because I absolutely love to travel but this is a damn good way to spend each weekend! I can see B and I being here for more than the weekends when he gets a little older and can do more.
Oh and before I forget, the 5K!
This was my first race since last October. It went pretty good and I finished in 33 minutes which is about where I was before I got pregnant. All the PT paid off because my left leg did great. The right leg, not so much. I think it's been making up for the left leg for so long now that my knee took the brunt of everything and its been jacked up since Saturday. That night I could hardly bend my leg and had to limp around. It's still bothering my today. It's right where the quad connects to the knee cap. I'm so over this. I don't think I'm going to be running anything,longer than a 10K anytime soon.
Other than that the race was a lot of fun! It was small, flat and fast. My kind of race. We got a really cool medal and shirt. The weather was perfect too. I also saw 2 of my students there, small world.
Life is good!
Hurricane Arthur was only in town overnight and didn't do too much and when it left it took the humidity with it! If you have to have a hurricane, that's the way to go.
I've been planning this weekend for awhile. My parents went to Key West and we had the river house to ourselves. So naturally I invited everyone I know and we had a big frat party...just kidding. We are past all that, but we did have a ton of fun. I had my closest sorority sisters down and we had a blast.
Here is some of our wild and crazy partying right here.
The weekend was exactly what the Fourth of July should be, floating in the river, drinking beer, eating good home cooked food, and hanging with great friends. It was so relaxing. It's especially awesome when your baby takes a 4 hour nap ;-)
Yesterday my husband decided to be awesome. Well he's awesome every day but he decided to be extra awesome. He took me up the road to the boat store and bought me a paddleboard! It's one of those items that you want to get a really good deal on because they are a bit expensive, but I'd been looking online for a few months and talked to a few people and my choices were to either wait until the end of the season to get a deal on a really expensive used one or get this one now. And this one is the one I really wanted. It was on a little bit of a sale and it included a board bag and paddle. The paddle itself can cost between $100-$300. I think we did pretty good and its a board that I am never going to want to replace or outgrow. It's super stable for only being 10 feet and I had no trouble with it. They are a little hard to maneuver in the wind and I need to watch out for boats and stick to the shore when they are out on the creek.
Last night I went out after dinner at sunset. It was gorgeous. Looking out over the water was like heaven on earth. I paddled over to the sandbar that separates the creek from the river and saw seagulls hanging out and a crab swimming in the water. There were no boats out and it was so quiet and peaceful. I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else on earth. Well I can because I absolutely love to travel but this is a damn good way to spend each weekend! I can see B and I being here for more than the weekends when he gets a little older and can do more.
Oh and before I forget, the 5K!
This was my first race since last October. It went pretty good and I finished in 33 minutes which is about where I was before I got pregnant. All the PT paid off because my left leg did great. The right leg, not so much. I think it's been making up for the left leg for so long now that my knee took the brunt of everything and its been jacked up since Saturday. That night I could hardly bend my leg and had to limp around. It's still bothering my today. It's right where the quad connects to the knee cap. I'm so over this. I don't think I'm going to be running anything,longer than a 10K anytime soon.
Other than that the race was a lot of fun! It was small, flat and fast. My kind of race. We got a really cool medal and shirt. The weather was perfect too. I also saw 2 of my students there, small world.
Life is good!
Friday, July 4, 2014
A great weekend
Last weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in awhile. Thursday I went down to the river and it was nice to be alone for the night. Friday I rode jet skis and floated in the water. Saturday I went to a friend's cousin's house on a different river and got to finally try stand up paddle boarding! I've been wanting to try this for 2 years so I was super excited about it. I was bugging the hubby about getting one before I ever tried it but now I'm just driving him up a wall :-)
Paddling was so easy, relaxing and fun!
It also makes a good place for your wine. Floating table! 
Most of the day was spent drinking beer.
B wasn't too sure about the sand but he got used to it. The last time he was in the sand he was only 4 months old so he didn't do much. Now he can enjoy it!
Sunday I was back in RVA so I could run the first of the Summer Donut Dash series that Run Eat Play RVA started. Inspired by the Freedom Trail Run in Boston, this run was designed to give you a tour of part of the city of Richmond and to introduce you to local places to eat. They decide to start with donut shops and the Donut Dash was born! The weather was gorgeous and the donuts were awesome! I can't believe I had not tried Sugar Shack yet. Definitely not something I need to eat on a weekly basis but super yummy!
One of the places we stopped. It is the oldest house in the Fan. It used to be a farm house!
Sugar Shack!
Yea I brought some home...and yes that one has bacon on it.
I'm sitting here waiting for Hurricane Arthur to move out so our super fun Fourth of July weekend can begin! I'm running my first race since last October tomorrow. I'm pretty excited. More to come!
Paddling was so easy, relaxing and fun!
Most of the day was spent drinking beer.
B wasn't too sure about the sand but he got used to it. The last time he was in the sand he was only 4 months old so he didn't do much. Now he can enjoy it!
Sunday I was back in RVA so I could run the first of the Summer Donut Dash series that Run Eat Play RVA started. Inspired by the Freedom Trail Run in Boston, this run was designed to give you a tour of part of the city of Richmond and to introduce you to local places to eat. They decide to start with donut shops and the Donut Dash was born! The weather was gorgeous and the donuts were awesome! I can't believe I had not tried Sugar Shack yet. Definitely not something I need to eat on a weekly basis but super yummy!
Yea I brought some home...and yes that one has bacon on it.
I'm sitting here waiting for Hurricane Arthur to move out so our super fun Fourth of July weekend can begin! I'm running my first race since last October tomorrow. I'm pretty excited. More to come!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Bagel Dash
Today my friend and I were supposed to do the Donut Dash that Run + Eat + Play RVA is putting together. We were actually pretty excited about this. I seriously couldn't sleep last night. I think because it is my first race type run since October, and I was just looking forward to doing something fun and different.
So this Donut Dash is a series featuring 3 different RVA donut shops this summer. The first was supposed to be at the Sugar Shack. Well, yesterday their mixer broke and they were unable to make donuts today! Oh no! So the first Donut Dash was post poned to next weekend.
We made the best of it though and went over to Wellesley lake and ran around there a few times. Afterwards we hit Einstein Bros. Bagels for a bagel and coffee. It's not a donut but you can't beat the vanilla hazelnut blend! Yum....
Looking forward to next Sunday! Pretty sure I can make it.
So this Donut Dash is a series featuring 3 different RVA donut shops this summer. The first was supposed to be at the Sugar Shack. Well, yesterday their mixer broke and they were unable to make donuts today! Oh no! So the first Donut Dash was post poned to next weekend.
We made the best of it though and went over to Wellesley lake and ran around there a few times. Afterwards we hit Einstein Bros. Bagels for a bagel and coffee. It's not a donut but you can't beat the vanilla hazelnut blend! Yum....
Looking forward to next Sunday! Pretty sure I can make it.
Mmmm...shmear
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Summer goals
I do not make New Year resolutions. This is simply because I do not follow through with them. I believe that if you want to make a change in your life, no matter how small, you have got to do it for yourself and start whenever you are ready, not just because it is a new year.
On my run the other day I was thinking of what I want to get out of this summer. I came up with these goals:
1. Run at least 3 times a week. It doesn't have to be a long run, it just has to be a run. Traditionally I can get a little lazy with running in the summer because the heat just kills me. This week I have been getting up early and running while C is still home to be there for B (even though they both sleep through my run) and I can run without having to worry about waking the baby and getting him in the jogger. So far it has worked out really good. Early morning runs really aren't so bad.
2. Complete the 30 Day Ab challenge. I saw this on Facebook the other week but had missed starting it at the beginning of June with everyone else. I finally started 3 days ago. So far so good.
3. Go to the gym at least twice a week. Even if I have to wait and go late at night.
4. Find new and fun things to do around town with B. He's old enough now he can actually enjoy things. I am going to enjoy pretending to be a SAHM over the summer.
5. Blog more.
That's it! I hope I can achieve these goals over the summer!
On my run the other day I was thinking of what I want to get out of this summer. I came up with these goals:
1. Run at least 3 times a week. It doesn't have to be a long run, it just has to be a run. Traditionally I can get a little lazy with running in the summer because the heat just kills me. This week I have been getting up early and running while C is still home to be there for B (even though they both sleep through my run) and I can run without having to worry about waking the baby and getting him in the jogger. So far it has worked out really good. Early morning runs really aren't so bad.
2. Complete the 30 Day Ab challenge. I saw this on Facebook the other week but had missed starting it at the beginning of June with everyone else. I finally started 3 days ago. So far so good.
3. Go to the gym at least twice a week. Even if I have to wait and go late at night.
4. Find new and fun things to do around town with B. He's old enough now he can actually enjoy things. I am going to enjoy pretending to be a SAHM over the summer.
5. Blog more.
That's it! I hope I can achieve these goals over the summer!
Summer Kickoff 2014
Summer time and the livings easy!
So happy that it is finally summer once again. It is my favorite season of all time for so many reasons: it's warm (hot) out, I can swim at the river, I can wear flip flops and shorts everyday, no work...it's so fun.
This weekend we went to the river and although I was unable to get a run in there I made up for it today. This summer is going to be a little trickier than I thought with not having B in day care and also not having him on my gym membership. I'm not going to get to use the gym like I thought I would and that makes me sad but I'm going to do the best I can. Anyways today I actually got up early and went for a quick run. The picture above is of the trail that I run almost every time I go out because it is at the end of my street. I got up early because it was going to be so hot today. Not only did I want to keep the kiddo out of the heat, I didn't really want to be in it either. The weather was great and it was getting pretty hot by the time I finished around 7:20AM. Unfortunately my hip decided to act up. It hurt to run on it about half way through and I had to stop and walk a bit. Then I decided to limp-run which I'm sure was a sight. After a few minutes of that I was able to run again without pain. Not really sure what changed or why it worked but it did. Now the outside of my hip is really hurting. I guess it's time to really start taking those PT exercises seriously again.
On another note, last Thursday night the hubby and I had a quick date night at a place down in the bottom called On The Rox. It is right across the street from Tiki Bob's and is owned by the same people. It is a bar though, not a club. They were having a special that night and they had Sly Fox beers on tap. Sly Fox is a micro brewery in Pottstown, Pa which is where my husband lived and grew up. One of the times I was visiting him we ate there and had a good time. On Thursday I had a beer with raspberries and blackberries and it was really good. If you are looking for a quiet scene though, Rox is probably not your place. It is more of a bar than a restaurant but we had a good time even though it was a bit noisy for us-I guess we are getting old???
My 2 guys over the weekend. Happy Father's Day!!
The end of the school year is always a little bittersweet, especially when you teach a resource in elementary school. As an art teacher I have the same students for 6 years. I get to see them grow from 5 year old babies to 11 year old big kids ready to tackle middle school. It is fun to see how they change and to get to know them. These flowers were from a student who came to us just last year from China. He quickly became one of my favorites. He learned English extremely quickly and is an amazing artist. He came up to me during his last art class and asked if he could come back and visit me in 10 years. I had to laugh, of course!
I survived my first year as a working mom and now I get to enjoy this view for the next 3 months. It is going to be a great summer.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
The Bacon Festival
Ahhhh the weekend. I do love it so. I especially loved this past weekend. Saturday morning I woke early and went for a 2.5 mile run, the farthest I've gone in awhile. The weather was perfect and the big thing I noticed was how quiet it is that early in the morning. It was nice to run my usual route without cars whizzing by and only a few people outside. It really set the pace for the rest of the day. I have a 5k in one month and I hope for that to be a great race so I really need to get back on the bandwagon.
Today I was again up before everyone else. I took the opportunity to curl up in the chair with a Runner's World, coffee and my dog. It was a great start to the day. I'm super excited for this upcoming week to be done and school to be out so that I can have the mornings to be more like this one.
Today was also the Bacon Festival! Even though it was kind of humid we had a great time and got some good bacon food! I was surprised that B liked the salted caramel bacon brownie ice cream from Gelati Celeste. We also got some goodies from Deep Run Roadhouse and Halligan's. And of course beer ;-)
I hope to have more updates in the next few weeks as I train for my upcoming 5k in July. Seems weird to say I am training for a 5k after running 5 half marathons. I guess you have to start somewhere!
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Year of Wonders
Has it been a month since I posted?! Ooops...not much going on here. I haven't been running like I want to. My whole left leg has been hurting and this doesn't exactly spur motivation. We have also spent the last 2 weeks recovering from norovirus. B got it first and then gave it to us. It was horrible. Now my little man has pink eye. Hopefully he is done being sick after this.
Anyways, yesterday was his FIRST BIRTHDAY! Where did the time go??!!! You don't realize how fast time goes by until you have a child, and then it flies. This year has been amazing. We could not have asked for a more amazing and wonderful child. We are so blessed. So I hope you had a happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy Birthday to my darling boy!!!!!!!!
Day 1 to now. Wow.
Birthday cake for my little guy!
Anyways, yesterday was his FIRST BIRTHDAY! Where did the time go??!!! You don't realize how fast time goes by until you have a child, and then it flies. This year has been amazing. We could not have asked for a more amazing and wonderful child. We are so blessed. So I hope you had a happy Cinco de Mayo and Happy Birthday to my darling boy!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 4, 2014
How I Met Your Father
This week was the series finale of How I Met Your Mother. I did not watch this show until this past summer when we finally got Netflix and I mostly stayed home with a newborn. It did not take long for me to fall in love with this show. Why I never watched it prior to that, I have no idea. It is hilarious and sweet and reminded me a lot of FRIENDS except that it is told in flashbacks which is pretty cool.
My husband and I watched it after the baby went to bed and I am still on the fence a bit about the ending. It seemed slightly forced with all that crammed into one show and then the death of the Mother who I felt like I barely got to know irritated me...but when Ted held up that blue French horn, I felt it was a great way to close it out.
This got me thinking about our story...Cory and I do not have any blue French horns or yellow umbrellas, but our story is a pretty damn good one. (At least to me) When you ask a couple how they met you usually hear "In college" or "at a bar" or "through a friend". Not so with us.
We usually give people the short version:
"How did you meet?"
"Online"
Then we glance at each other and smile because we both know that there is so much more to it than that.
I won't go into the whole story, but what I can tell you is that I am a lot like Ted. I always believed I would meet the perfect man and I would know it when I did. When I got married the first time, I thought it was right because we were friends first, best friends, but there was always something lacking. I wouldn't admit it back then but I found it hard to believe that the search was over on our wedding day back in 2006. I can tell you this: VERY few people meet their soul mate at 19 years old. I didn't know who I was as a person back then. I had muddled through life doing what I was told, daydreaming and making art. I stumbled into a relationship, it worked for awhile, and then it stopped working. By the time I was 25 years old I was starting over completely from scratch, the only saving graces in my life being my steady job, my parents, and a person I had met and gotten to know through an online game.
If you had told me that I would have met my soul mate through an online game, I would never have believed you.
But I did.
You know that saying, "when you meet the one you'll know"? Being a dreamer, I always believed that. I can tell you I know for certain that it is true-when you meet them, you will know.
On a very cold winter day, from the first moment I laid eyes on him, I knew.
We talk about this moment often and it is very special to both of us. On the day we met in person for the first time, we got out of our cars and looked at each other. He smiled, said my name and raised his arms to hug me. What happened next I could not have planned in a million years: the rest of the world became a blur, like the bokeh effect in photography, this man came into extremely sharp focus, everything around him a blur. A smile spread across my face, the biggest smile I had had in over a year, and I took off at run. When I got close enough, I jumped...and he caught me and spun in a circle, just like a movie.
Both of us mentioned this in our wedding vows four years later.
As Ted said in the finale-"At times it was a long, difficult road. But I'm glad it was long and difficult because if I hadn't gone through hell to get there the lesson might not have been as clear."
I can tell you that Cory and I understand those words better than most people. We've lived them. Yes it was a long and difficult road, but in the end, it lead me to him, and that is all that matters.
My husband and I watched it after the baby went to bed and I am still on the fence a bit about the ending. It seemed slightly forced with all that crammed into one show and then the death of the Mother who I felt like I barely got to know irritated me...but when Ted held up that blue French horn, I felt it was a great way to close it out.
This got me thinking about our story...Cory and I do not have any blue French horns or yellow umbrellas, but our story is a pretty damn good one. (At least to me) When you ask a couple how they met you usually hear "In college" or "at a bar" or "through a friend". Not so with us.
We usually give people the short version:
"How did you meet?"
"Online"
Then we glance at each other and smile because we both know that there is so much more to it than that.
I won't go into the whole story, but what I can tell you is that I am a lot like Ted. I always believed I would meet the perfect man and I would know it when I did. When I got married the first time, I thought it was right because we were friends first, best friends, but there was always something lacking. I wouldn't admit it back then but I found it hard to believe that the search was over on our wedding day back in 2006. I can tell you this: VERY few people meet their soul mate at 19 years old. I didn't know who I was as a person back then. I had muddled through life doing what I was told, daydreaming and making art. I stumbled into a relationship, it worked for awhile, and then it stopped working. By the time I was 25 years old I was starting over completely from scratch, the only saving graces in my life being my steady job, my parents, and a person I had met and gotten to know through an online game.
If you had told me that I would have met my soul mate through an online game, I would never have believed you.
But I did.
You know that saying, "when you meet the one you'll know"? Being a dreamer, I always believed that. I can tell you I know for certain that it is true-when you meet them, you will know.
On a very cold winter day, from the first moment I laid eyes on him, I knew.
We talk about this moment often and it is very special to both of us. On the day we met in person for the first time, we got out of our cars and looked at each other. He smiled, said my name and raised his arms to hug me. What happened next I could not have planned in a million years: the rest of the world became a blur, like the bokeh effect in photography, this man came into extremely sharp focus, everything around him a blur. A smile spread across my face, the biggest smile I had had in over a year, and I took off at run. When I got close enough, I jumped...and he caught me and spun in a circle, just like a movie.
Both of us mentioned this in our wedding vows four years later.
As Ted said in the finale-"At times it was a long, difficult road. But I'm glad it was long and difficult because if I hadn't gone through hell to get there the lesson might not have been as clear."
I can tell you that Cory and I understand those words better than most people. We've lived them. Yes it was a long and difficult road, but in the end, it lead me to him, and that is all that matters.
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