Just Plodding Along

So it would appear that is has been about a year since a blog post happened. Why? I don't know maybe because running had been causing me so much pain that I didn't really feel like a runner anymore. Even though I was still trying to run. Or maybe it was because I didn't have a big goal for running any more. And this was first and foremost a running blog. So not much to talk about. Whatever the reason, I feel like sharing again because 1) I have finally started to run (reality check: run/walk) again and 2) I have a big goal for next year that involves training like I have never trained before and this blog has always helped keep me accountable and making progress in the right direction (more on the big goal later).  So to catch you up, in the past year: We made it to Mount Rushmore! and Badlands National Park my bestie and I ran together (the last time I seriously ran anything) at the Twin Cities 10 miler. Running with her is always the best. Since...

When you friends ask you to be on their Ragnar Angel Fire Trail Relay team you say heck yes. And then you grab your running buddy and make her join as well and then force her to go on adventure time with you before hand.  We drove six hours up to Taos to check it out cause you know rich people ski there so it has to be cool. We were not super impressed by the actual town of Taos, not sure I would go back there but the natural area around Taos was amazing.   We found like a mini grand canyon or the Rio Grande Gorge which I had no idea existed until I googled things to see in the area. It was pretty incredible. Afterward we found the most photographed church in New Mexico and .....photographed it. Then we stuffed our faces and went to bed to get up to hike in the morning. The next day we headed to Williams Lake located at the ski area. After a bit of a treacherous gravel road drive we found the trail head and headed uphill ....in the altitude and qu...

This past weekend was awesome. One of my very favorite people in the whole world came to visit! Maren, one of my besties since 7th grade (she has put up with me for a very long time) flew down from frozen Minneapolis to hang with me. Unfortunately El Paso is a little bit lacking in exciting things to do but we made it work. D took us on a base tour which included the Old Fort Replica.  We did not in fact feed the plastic replica animals. Such rule followers.....We also took a drive up to scenic drive to check out downtown and spy on Mexico since it is right there. Then we hit up Independent Burger and Belle Sucre Bakery  to get birthday supplies in the form of mini cakes since it was Maren's Bday on Saturday. Yes to mini cakes and go to Belle Sucre Bakery if you are local. So delicious.  Saturday after I got home from running with the half marathon group I am training we headed to Mesilla in New Mexico for birthday adventure time. Super cute little town. We ...

Not running for at least an hour a day really frees up some time.  Some non-running activities that I did this weekend include torturing Max with a four mile walk around town. Just kidding he loved it. He would still be out walking if I could keep up. A trip down to Milwaukee for   My favorite animal in sand, love it.  A really fun festival with hundreds of artists, entrance to the art museum's galleries, live music and food. I learned my tolerance for looking at art has about a two hour time frame and then I just want a snack. I also found what I will be doing on July 27th. Thanks sign in park.  I don't want to offend any of my Chicago peeps but I gotta say when it comes to traffic and cheap parking Milwaukee wins hands down. For around twenty bucks I had an awesome day. Five bucks can't even get me into Chicago.  And just so I don't get to comfortable with this life of leisure and culture I am fostering I have so...