Fun Day Friday

• My mom got this little running girl sticker for me when she went to St. Louis. I think she's precious, and her purple headband is the best. I love purple. I think running stick girl goes nicely with my run sticker I got in New Orleans.
• Speaking of stickers, I'm saving the other side of my back window for my 13.1 sticker. As of December 1, I will have one of those beauties on my car. And I get to check something off my bucket list.
• I've decided my only distractions I'll have from working from home will be unlimited access to my refrigerator and the ability to make endless cups of coffee.
• I am thinking it's time to break out my top 5 Christmas movies. Asher's been quoting Christmas Vacation for weeks now, and it's starting to get to me. I'm trying to hold out until Thanksgiving, but let's be honest....you and I both know I'll cave before then.
• Mark it down. October 26. The first time I mention Christmas on the blog this year. Two months away....I can't believe it didn't happen sooner.
• Boom Kinetic is playing two nights in a row here in Little Rock. I've waited years for such goodness to happen. There's rumors of a guest list for tomorrow night. Trying to figure out how to get on it. It would just add to the goodness.
• I'm in the market for some chunky sweaters and smoking loafers. Any suggestions on where I should go to get these items? I need something trendy in my wardrobe right now. Maybe a sweater with elbow patches. And definitely some leopard print smoking loafers.
• Once Upon a Time and Pretty Little Liars has taken over my free time. Netflix has been good to me recently. I think it's trying to make up for the time it took away The Biggest Loser without my knowledge. And don't judge me for Pretty Little Liars. It's a good show. I think I'm in love with Ezra Fitz. He's cute in that nerdy smart guy kinda way.
• I picked my 13-year-old cousin up from the junior high the other day. And then I kidnapped her and made her help me recycle some magazines. She tries to pretend like I'm not cool anymore, but deep down I know she loved it. Am I cool enough to make recycling fun? It's questions like that that keep me up at night.
• I need to get the new Mumford and Sons and the new Taylor Swift. My musical life is suffering. I am behind. I feel bad about it. And you can hate T. Swift all you want, but she means it when she sings. She means it. (My love of Mumford should help me keep some cool points, right?)
• Who says cool points? I need to be slapped.

Have a great Friday. Rock on!

Fun Day Friday: Welcome the Weekend

• My mom is going to St. Louis this weekend to run a half marathon. AND she is going without me. #rude I'm trying to be cool about it because that's what "grown ups" do, but let's be honest....I really wanted to go. What can I say? Big cities just call out to me.
• I officially start my new job on Monday. I went to check out my office/storage closet on Thursday, and I ended up taking some boxes home with me. I need to look through some stuff so I have a slight idea what I'm being trained to do. To be honest, I'm a tad bit nervous. I'm hoping I will gain more clarity about everything on Monday.
• I'm doing a 5 mile hill workout today. Who wants to come with me? Not all the miles will be hills, but there will be hills........and in this case I mean the Big Dam Bridge or something similiar to it. Who wants in?
• Asher's birthday is Monday. She's going to be 4. Crazy how time flies. Her party is tomorrow. I still  have to find a costume...
• I'm running 9 miles on Sunday. Nine miles. Sometimes I can't believe it. But I'm starting to get more confident in the long runs. To be honest, I enjoy them the most. I don't have to focus on speed or time. I just have to cover the miles. The other workouts during the week are shorter, but sometimes I feel they are more difficult, hence the five miles of hill work I'm planning to do this afternoon.
• I made a to-do list yesterday. And sometimes I write stuff down that I already did just so I can mark it off. It makes me feel better about having a to-do list. I've marked one thing off already, and the day is just getting started. I have a feeling the last three things (reorganize the nook, clean out the cabinets, and clean the house) will not get done today......but that's just a prediction.
• I've been watching a lot of British tv shows on Netflix. I've finished Sherlock and Doctor Who, and I'm now watching Being Human. I can't decide if I like Being Human as much as Sherlock and Doctor Who. What tough decisions I'm faced with?
• Also, the British tv show marathons have made me want to attend high tea. I've tried to recreate the tradition in my house, but I don't have any biscuits. Does anyone know where I can have high tea?
• I'm going to be guest posting for Paige over at Approaching Joy one day in the next two weeks. I don't know what day....so that means you will have to visit her everyday until you read my macro moment. P.S. Paige is getting married and going on her honeymoon.....so show her some love while she is busy getting hitched and all.
• As soon as I hit the publish button, I will be making pumpkin oatmeal, starting the next episode of Being Human, looking through work files, and deciding when I should hit the trails for a run.
• Have a fabulous weekend!

I'm Thankful For...

• This day the Lord has made. Let's all rejoice and be glad in it. 
• My family. 
• My friends.
• The possible thunder storms headed this way. 
• My co-worker Stephanie for getting me this awesome bracelet.

• Coffee. Always thankful for coffee.
• The ability to run again. After nearly a month break, I'm back in the saddle so to speak. It's nice to be running again, although I can tell I lost some of my fitness I had built up from April's 10K. 
• The new John Mayer album "Born and Raised." I love it more than words can say. Country twangs and all. 
• Aloe Vera. First sunburn of the summer has been pretty rough. Aloe has been my friend.
• Getting to meet a whole lot of new people. All this stuff with Asher has allowed me to meet and interact with a ton of people, and I love it. My blue-orange self loves talking and interacting. Plus it's all for a sweet little girl. I'll take it. 
• Boulevard Bread's double chocolate vegan cookie. If you haven't had one, go get one. It will change your life. (I've had two this week...don't judge.)

What are you thankful for today?

Capital City Classic 10K: Race Recap

First and foremost, I need to say the Redneck coffee mug is no more. Thankful for the Easter Bunny for  bringing me a lid for my cup.

Now on to the race recap.Buckle your seat belt.

Wake-up call: 5:20 A.M.
Got up and around and had breakfast at 5:40 A.M.

The standard pre-race fuel of a thin whole wheat bagel with a good smear of peanut butter.

We ended up getting to the race later than we would have liked. But it all worked out.

Mile 1: Side stitch on my right side under my rib cage. Searing pain. It hurt to breathe in and out. Not sure what that was about. I pushed my hand into my side. Not the way you want to start a race.

Mile 2: Side stitch still there, but the pain had eased enough for me to talk to the roommate and my mom. Lady in a black sparkly skirt pissed us off with her "words of wisdom." As we were coming up on the first water break, the roommate asked how it would work. Sparkle skirt was like "you know if you pinch your cup it makes it easier to drink that way you don't get it all over you and you can keep running." Mind you she said this while he was walking with an un-pinched cup. I thought my mom was going to slap her across the face.

Mile 3: Mediocre. Sparkle skirt was yelling "encouragements," and that was the moment we decided no matter what happened we would all finish in front of her. Her encouragements were digs in disguise.

Mile 3.5: Searing side pain returned worse than before. Couldn't breathe. Wanted to cry. Couldn't talk anymore. Had to focus on the each step and each breath. Told myself I could make it through it 100 million times.

Mile 4: Second water break. Hand permanently jabbed into right side. Ran into the sun with no shade. Lucky for us there was a nice, cool breeze.

Mile 5: Thought I was going to throw up. The sun was beaming down. Right side felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me with butter knives. Took our last walk break a bit early. Had to cut that short because sparkle skirt was gaining on us. OVER MY DEAD BODY...which could have been a true statement.

Mile 6.2: FINISH LINE! Black sparkle skirt was left in the dust. And let me just say...if my mom had said I need you to pull out a 10-minute-mile to finish ahead of black sparkle skirt, I could have done it. And I was hurting BAD...but I would have done it. Luckily, I didn't have to.

Here are my stats:
Distance: 6.31 miles (a bit over the 6.2)
Time: 1:15:29 (not a PR, but I was just happy I finished and only walked when I was suppose to walk.)
Best Pace: 9:18
Average Pace: 11:58
Calories: 737

This was the most humbling run I've had in a while. My body rebelled the entire time. I hurt for a good 30 minutes after we were done. And I'd jabbed my fingers into my side so hard for so long that I bruised myself. But I did it. I did it.

The roommate had an awesome run...and I'm so happy for her. I wanted her to have a great first 10K like I did back in November.

My love of running, even when I have a bad day with it, can be summed up with this quote.

I love being able to run with people I love and care about. I love having experiences that bring me closer to my closest people. Being able to overcome a bad run with people who are willing to be patient with you while you struggle is a major life moment. 

I'm so deeply blessed. And so thankful. So humble to have such amazing people in my life. To many more runs for many more days. 

Now on to other things:

• My new shoes came in. I will be alternating these with the ones I got in New Orleans during my training for St. Jude.

• I woke up yesterday morning and sipped my coffee while reading this amazing book. I feel so inspired.

• I also found the Hal Higdon half-marathon training plan less intimidating than I thought I would...Does this mean I'm ready for 13.1? We shall see.

• Grad school sucks right now. End o story. Original research needs to go some place and never come back. Please and thank you.
• And on a completely unrelated note to anything ever: My crock pot won't cook potatoes. After 6 hours on high, the potatoes were still like rocks. So. Disappointing.

How was your Easter weekend?

Tell me something good.

Winnie and Things

Yesterday was just an all around sad day. Two of my sorority sisters lost their dads; one on Friday night and the other yesterday afternoon. I'm having a really hard time coping with it because they are my age and burying a parent. I can't imagine what they are going through, and my heart just aches for them during this time.

Hug everyone that is dear to you every single chance you get. Tell them you love them every single time you are leaving each other or hanging up the phone. And cherish the time you get to spend with people who truly care about you.

In hopes of cheering myself up and finding encouraging words to say, I looked up Winnie the Pooh quotes. Winnie is a profound little honey bear.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you."

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."

"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear."

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

"I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost."

I love Winnie the Pooh and all his profound thoughts. All too good if you ask me.

In other news...

The Redneck coffee cup is back. I did use the Saran wrap to cover the top since I still haven't found a lid. But I'm being good by not showing you. You're welcome.

Breakfast this morning is a little one.

A Cashew Cookie Larabar and two cuties. So good. The perfect accompaniment to my giant cup of coffee.

I'll finish the rest of this post like so...

• I'm going to hot yoga tonight. And this time I will got at the right time, unlike last time. 
• No Online Post 5 to do for school this week. But the downfall is I have to go to class. Blah. Grad school is stupid. 
• Must. Drink. More. Water.
• 10K is Saturday morning. Crazy how time flies. Pretty soon it will be December, and I'll be recapping St. Jude's half marathon. Expect a race recap for the 10K on Tuesday...or before if you're lucky.
• Easter weekend is upon us. And one of my favorite cousins is turning 40 on Easter Sunday. I can't wait to see her and celebrate both special occasions. 

What are some of your favorite quotes? (Doesn't have to be a Winnie quote...just any you love.)

A few others of mine are....

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope I would not have a single bit of talent left, so I could say 'I used everything you gave me.'" - Erma Bombeck

Something to Tide You Over

• The Boyfriend fell asleep while we were talking on the phone last night. One minute we were talking, the next he was out. Clearly we were having a scintillating conversation. It's actually pretty funny when I think about it...now.
• My guest post for Arkansas Women Bloggers' Foodie Friday comes out Friday. So exciting. I can't wait for everyone to have access to the Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Bake.
• I'm running 5 miles with my mom tomorrow. Pretty excited about getting to spend the day with her. There has been talk of a sushi lunch date, which sounds like the best idea ever. 
• This is just a reminder of what the roommate does sometimes. Let's all never forget this.  

• Still reading the Arkansas Politics and Government book....Still pretty close to the beginning. Yikes.
• Mad Men is the greatest show ever invented. I love the 60s. Yes, I'm a nerd. 
• I read yesterday that the Little Rock National Airport was renamed the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport. I mean dang, I know Arkansas is proud and all, but did we really need to rename the airport? I'm sure I will never not call it the Little Rock National Airport. 
• I've. Got. To. Register. To. Vote.
• I'm going to a hot yoga class tonight. I'm pretty much thrilled about it. It's amazing how many poses you can do that you never thought you'd be able to do. It's the only time I ever feel a tad bit flexible.
• I'm going to make these stuffed mushrooms for dinner tonight. You should, too. 

What are you plans this weekend? (Yes, I know it's only Wednesday...but it's my Friday.)

Middle of March

Dudes, can you even believe it's the middle of March? What the crap have we been doing?

Let me fill you in on a few things.

• Breakfast this morning looked like this:

Whole wheat meets fruit and peanut bar. Absolutely delicious. The first time I had a Larabar I didn't know what to expect. It looked nothing like I thought it would, but it was so good. Naturally good. Not full of artificial sweeteners and crap that's bad for you. Just fruit and nuts. Peanut Butter Cookie is my favorite, but Key Lime Pie comes in a close second. 

• Still sickly. Coughing less, but not better yet. My head hurt so bad last night that I could feel my pulse on the left side of the bridge of my nose. It. Was. Awful. The worst headache I've had in a long time. 
• I'm running a 5K on Saturday morning. And I'm pretty excited about it. 
• My friend Logan (you remember Logan from the summer running stuff, right?) ran 4 miles yesterday without stopping. 4 miles in 43 minutes at a 10:50-ish pace. What a bad ass she is. 
• I've had my nose stuck in a Arkansas Politics and Government book since Tuesday. Clearly I'm the most interesting person to talk to right now. 
• I haven't watched TV at night for the past three days...See the above point as to why that is.
• My outfit today is reminiscent of the early 1960s. Makes me feel like I could be part of the cast of Mad Men. 

Now it's your turn to tell me something. Give me your best shot. Ready. Go. 

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Good morning! Sorry for all the silence. I've been sick. Sick and busy. Work has been crazy the past week, and all I can think about right now is Thanksgiving dinner, which is good because I didn't want to eat for five days due to the sickness.

Let's catch up, shall we?

• I was sick. And now I'm better. Not 100% yet, but I'm on the way.
• I haven't ran in over a week due to the sickness. When you have fever off and on for 4 days and it rains like it does in London, a girl can't run.
• I have not ran 5.5 miles.
• I got my official confirmation e-mail for my race on Saturday. Yikes. See above bullet for minor freak out.
• I found this awesome wreath on Pinterest.

• So I made one for my front door and one for my mom.

• My fingers are now bruised and have slight burns from my hot glue gun. Awesome.
• I made a 96% on my third section of my PR plan. Holla.
• I have not looked or thought about school stuff since I turned that part of the plan in last week.
• Today is my last day of work for the week. I'm going home this afternoon.
• Thanksgiving food happens in a mere two days. I can't wait to gorge on delicious eats and treats until it comes out my ears. Yes I plan to be that full.
• After the 10K on Saturday, I will have reached another running goal I set a little over a month ago. What's next? Ideas? Half-marathon?
• I just had a mini panic attack when I typed half-marathon. Oh look, there is goes again. Heart palpitations everywhere. Deep breaths. Ok. I'm good.

What's new with you?

What kind of Thanksgiving traditions does your family do each year?
 My mom and I put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. I also put up my cousin Ashley's Christmas tree. In case you didn't know, I have a true gift for decorating Christmas trees. Like seriously, it should be my profession. I could really make a lot of people very happy with my Christmas creations.



All That is Important

I ran 4.5 miles this weekend with my mom and some of her super awesome running buddies Kerri and Lisa. I got to wear my new long sleeved running shirt. I felt legit.

The downside to legitness came when the run was over, and I took off my fleece headband thingy to evaluate my hair.

In my defense, that is not all sweat. It was very foggy that morning so condensation played a big part in the making of this rat's nest.

The fog was so thick it didn't really lift after the sun came up. (Yes, I said when the sun came up...meaning that I got up before the sun to go run in the freezing cold.)

Fog is super creepy. All I could think about was someone jumping out of the fog and chasing us. Clearly I have a problem. My brain works too hard when it comes to thinking up crazy scary senarios. I still blame Criminal Minds.
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My friend Jodi has the cutest baby in the history of all the babies.

It's crazy to me how five months ago we were all waiting to see that cute little face. I lub her so much it's a little stupid.
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I ran again yesterday. Still preparing for my upcoming 10K. I've got two weekends left for long runs. (BTW--anything longer than 3 miles is a long run to me at this point.)

Distance: 3.0 miles
Time: 37:38
Best Pace: 10:29
Average Pace: 12:33
Calories: 317

This weekend I will run my first 5 miles since the last one. Next weekend I will run 5.5 miles. And then next weekend is the race. And I will run 6.2 miles...a personal record for me. So it's getting down the wire with it all. But I'm excited.
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I made soup last night. I'm pretty sure it's the best soup in the world. Thank you Clean Eating Chelsey for creating something so wonderful.

Broccoli, potato and white bean soup is probably my favorite soup this season. I have a feeling the roommate and I will be eating lots of soup this fall/winter.
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Kroger had my most favorite flower in bulk. So I had to get some to brighten my house.

Tulips are the most beautiful and happiest flowers. I love all the different colors, but I'm a true sucker for red tulips with the yellow centers. I swoon.

Did I leave anything out?

How was your weekend?

A List of Rando Things

1. Today is Logan's birthday. She is 24. It sounds really official, and I guess it is since it's her special day. Don't worry Logan. Give me 4 months and I'll be right there with you. Not really sure, but somehow we've aged. But really, on a true life note: I hope you have the best day ever. You deserve it! Heart you.

2. It's October, and I haven't started writing my thesis proposal. I tell myself it's pay back to UALR for the last year of hell, but in reality I'm just making myself a new hell by putting it off. Seriously, it's gotten out of hand. Someone please help me.

3. We got a completely unnecessary Coke machine at work. How is it that we are building programs promoting healthy lifestyle choices for children and youth and yet provide them with a highway to sugary, carbonated beverages? Seriously something is wrong with that. Oh hey kids, drink water. And there is no water in the Coke machine. WTF?

4. I get to see Needtobreathe again tomorrow night. I think you all know how I feel about that.

5. I haven't run in a week. Because it's fall and the trees are shedding their acorns and leaves, there is a much larger chance that I could run and slip on a shiny leaf with an acorn under it and go face first into the pavement. I already have one cracked tooth. I don't need another.

6. On the note of the cracked tooth, my dental anxiety came back in full force last night when I went to bed. The obsessive thought I keep having is the tooth will disintegrate, and I will have to rock a Hillbilly smile because I don't have $4,000 to get a new tooth. Please pray for my insane dental anxiety and the sanity of my mother who has to hear my rants about losing my tooth forever.

7. I woke up with a massive headache this morning. It's gonna be one of those days where no amount of Advil and caffeine can fix.

8. I need a haircut. When it gets caught in the window that was just rolled up, hung up in the seatbelt and/or the bangs become random hanging strands of hair, something needs to be done. My ponytail's been looking like a well taken care of horse tail. And by that I mean I brush and wash it daily. But something's gotta give. Time. For. A. Haircut.

9. I'm out of things to add to this list. So I'm gonna call it day. I hope you guys have an awesome day.