Just Plodding Along

Started the day of with a trot  and even though it was 28 degrees out a ton of people showed up just to run for fun. I love runners we are so crazy, the best kind of crazy.  Got to get together with great friends to celebrate. I think it is up there with one of my favorite turkey's days.   I also realized I need to step up my craft game because everything was just so cute and immediately ordered a set of stamps so I can start making cute things. Contemplating even getting on pintrest.....whoa too far. There wasn't enough food....just kidding I immediately regretted my pants choice. I should know to only wear stretchy pants. Amateur mistake. On to the next holiday. Christmas decorations have been put up!

for: - Health Even though recently it seems like I have a million and a half colds I have been lucky to be healthy enough to run pretty much to my little heart's content and do lots of fun and exciting things. Marathons! Marathons! Marathons! -Happiness Leaving Illinois and moving to Columbus Georgia was kind of intimidating but now that we are here I love it. I feel lucky that we are in a place that I can work at a running store because it is fun and that D is doing a job he is happy and feels proud to do. Fort Benning- Home of the Airborne School -My family They have been amazing supporting us and our life endeavors and I feel very grateful that I have such loving and awesome family. - My friends Near or far they are the best and I feel very lucky to know such amazing and inspiring people. Friends who cheer/make wacky posters/ eat pancakes together, stay together -My husband He is my favorite person and my best friend for 10 years now. I like tha...

Have I mentioned I love my job.... Only a million times then. The love was reinforced yesterday when I got these New shoes to try. So that is a ton of awesome. 

Okay so that might be a bit harsh. But I did fail to get my butt to Pilates this morning. But in defense of my laziness I had to be at the hospital for lab work at 8 a.m. this morning (physicals are fun...). Then I was faced with a very tricky choice. Starbucks and baby drumstick (and just to clear up any confusion, drumstick is his nickname because he was supposed to be due on Thanksgiving, he has a nice normal name but he will always be lil' drumstick to me) holding or the gym. Well you can see what won. I will totally trade working out for cuddling with this little guy any time. It is now late afternoon and no working out has been done. Eh. I know if I don't get it done in the morning it is most likely not going to happen unless someone else is expecting me to workout with them.  I like to think I am resting up for the 5k on Saturday. Yes resting. I realized this morning that the marathon is March 1st. I knew it was March 1st but today I realized it is MARCH 1ST o...

This week was a total bust in the training department. No 8x400 repeats, no 45 minute tempo run, no Saturday pancake run with people much faster than me to keep me motivated to run an unnatural speed at 6a.m., no body pump- nada. The only thing I managed to do was Pilates on Monday and my C25K runs (followed by a decent amount of hacking) for a total of five miles this week. All because Monday night I came down with a raging cold. Total bummer and I feel like since we moved here I have been sick/ hurt ALL THE TIME. I have thrown out my back twice, had like a million colds (okay three). What the heck. So like any normal person I ordered this: By the power of mega sized Kirkland brand vitamins I swear I will never be sick again. So I may have over reacted and good lord must all vitamins come in size horse pill? Luckily D was kind enough to not really say anything about my massive vitamin purchase when it showed up at the door. For some reason getting a package full of vitamins is j...

It has recently come to my attention that I am a very lucky person. The end of August I moved to Columbus knowing no one and a little nervous about how this whole new location/ D back in the Army thing was going to go. Fortunately I have met the wives and significant others of Alpha company and they rock! Tami, Amanda, Christa, Jorden and Victoria have made my life so much better. When D is in the field for a week I don't worry about being alone because I am not. If I need something they are there. Even if it is to feed the addiction of buying running clothes But I needed a top specifically for the one Pilates class I take a week Or to stuff my face with froyo. So CherryBerry is kind of magic This morning I got to be there when Tami had her second little one and it is amazing to think about how close we all have become in such a short period of time. Team Drumstick (he was supposed to come on Thanksgiving but he was in a hurry) He was totally worth the wai...

I have been trying to figure out what I want to do next. I signed up for the Publix Atlanta Marathon at the end of March. But that race is hilly. HILLY. So after talking to my friend Buddy about wanting to PR again in the marathon he suggested the Albany marathon which a flat and fast course in the beginning of March. This would let me try to PR and still run the Atlanta one for fun. And then words like track workouts and tempo runs started coming out of his mouth. Basically he is ready for us to train hard and kill it. I can get behind that. So I made it official and wrote it down on our Live Big Challenge board at work. You know when you write it down it becomes real. And I might have put I want to finish around 4:20 or less.......so I might have got a little excited and ambitious. But we are going to go for it. Dream big! I can do hard things (and any other mottos that may assist as needed). So March 1st is go time. Albany we are coming for you. My new theme song just ...

Last week's training:  Monday- Run in Destin Florida along the water = awesome. Tuesday- 6 a.m. body pump and couch to 5K run of about three miles Wednesday- 6 a.m. run with Big Dog Peeps to try Brooks stuff for 4 miles. Thursday - Couch to 5K for about two miles and blatant ignoring of body pump Friday- Rest day Saturday- 5.5 fast miles at the Big Dog pancake run Sunday- 75 minute run for 7.7 miles. Total miles around 24. Cross training not great. Overall I feel like I am getting a bit faster and have been pushing it on a lot of runs. I can feel it in my legs since they are a bit sore and my abs and arms are in constant pain from body pump. Maybe that will stop one day. On to the randomness. I bought this sign the other day. Love it. Makes me happy every time I see it. Found these tortillas at Sam's and they crack me up. XTREME Wellness. So much healthy wrapped in a tortilla. Holiday baking time. So excited. Fancy marshmallows make me happy.  ...

Two awesome things happened today: 1) 6 a.m. run with the Big Dog peeps where we got to wear test some new Brooks gear. This shirt below is da bomb. Warm, fuzzy, just long enough, everything you want in running clothes. Good thing too because it was about 34 degrees this morning...... ahhhhh what. I would expect this kind of weather from Illinois. But Georgia. Really??? Get it together. I also got to try an awesome vest- this one Source Feels like paper, keeps you all toasty. Some sort of voodoo magic going on. And it is super bright which comes in handy at 6 a.m. now. I might need my own version of this. Bit classier than the classic sweater vest I do believe. 2) Got to see two of my favorite peeps this morning plus some other very nice ladies at a little social event. I decided pumpkin bars were needed at this event so made some to take and share and swear I have eaten the majority of the pan. Somebody save me from myself. Why do none of my pants fit....? I blame...

Friday I fit in a 35 minute tempo run before we hit lunch and then the open road for Florida. Tried out my new Brooks Pure Cadence and liked them a lot!  After burning some calories we headed to lunch so I could replenish them. We stopped by Country's BBQ right by where we live. I had my eye on one thing and one thing only- banana pudding. It was amazing. I will be going back just for that. I think I am in love.  After we fueled for the car ride we headed to Destin for a long weekend. Along the way we stopped for gas and saw this at the gas station. I was so sad that I didn't see any gators on the way there or on the way back I had to console myself with more banana.  In Destin we stayed at the MWR resort. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation is a big perk of being in the military. There are military hotels around the world where service members can stay for a reasonable price. We got a nice room with a kitchenette, living room and bedroom with a king ...