I Have Run

Sweaty Hugs

2012-01-25T15:30:00.002-07:00

I like my personal space. I don't like it when someone I don't know sits in the chair right next to me at church. I don't like when someone stands too close to me in line. And since my kids are an extension of me, I didn't like it when strangers would touch my babies. And I still don't like it when kids I don't know touch my girls when we are at the park, at school, etc. And when someone I don't know very well asked me if I wanted to hold her baby the other day, I didn't want to be rude so I held that baby. But I didn't want to.

I'm just not a touchy-feely in-your-space kind of gal.

So I'm sure you could guess I'm not a big hugger. I rarely hug people the first time I meet them. I even have relatives I am not entirely comfortable hugging.

I started thinking about this when I was looking through the pictures on my computer this morning and saw these:

When it comes to the runnerd in me, I am all about hugging. It's funny how running can bring you together. Whether it's snuggling together for a photo in front of the port-a-potties before a marathon or sweaty hugs and group photos after a half marathon, I never hesitate to get or give a hug. At first I tried to blame it on the runner's high dulling my personal space senses, but the port-a-potty photo BEFORE the race is proof against that theory.

The truth is there is something about running that connects us. Running isn't just something we do to burn calories or stay fit. For RUNNERS, there is emotion connected to running. And it is that emotion that comes out when I feel that urge to hug a runner I know - or sometimes even just recognize from the bloggy world. So if you ever see me at a race, you better watch out. There might be a sweaty hug coming your way.

Have you hugged a runner lately?

It's Not Christmas Anymore

2012-01-23T15:49:00.003-07:00

So I've been doing a Get Fit Challenge for the past few weeks. It is a 12-week challenge, and we are just beginning week four. I am part of a team, and the team with the most points at the end of the challenge wins. It has been a lot of fun to be part of something like this, especially since I am ordinarily such a do-it-by-myself type of person. And it has been a great motivator to run, work out and eat better. Here is what we get points for each day (with one free day each week):

5 Fruits and Veggies each day

No eating after 9pm

No sweets (ice cream, brownies, cupcakes, candy, etc.)

Drink 48 oz. of water

Minimum 30 mins. exercise

Contact with team member

We also get points for losing weight or maintaining and lose points for gaining weight. And each week we have a "challenge" to earn extra points. This week's challenge is to add a new workout to our routine, set a goal, share it with our team and accomplish it. My challenge goal is to try two new P90X workouts this week and do planks every day.

Last week's challenge was giving up soda, and the week before we had to keep a food journal. The food journal was hard at first, but now I love knowing how much I am eating and burning. I just wish the daily updates on how much I would weigh in five weeks based on my daily totals would start happening. Somehow, in spite of some serious calorie cutbacks last week, I only managed to maintain my weight. I am going to ramp up the workouts this week and see what happens. If I still don't lose some weight, I'm not sure what else to do. I can't drop my calories too much more without starving.

So, with more workouts on the horizon, there is a good chance I will continue to look like this most of the time:

My Bean took that on the way to pick up The Princess from school. Pictures like this are starting to fill up the photo gallery on my phone. Whenever Bean is playing games on my phone, I inevitably hear: "Mom, say 'It's not Christmas anymore.'" (Our go-to phrase instead of Say "Cheese!" during the holidays was Say "It's Christmas!" Apparently this is what she thinks it should be now that Christmas is over.)

Crappy Days

2012-01-13T11:38:00.001-07:00

Sometimes we just have crappy days. Yesterday was one of those days. There wasn't one specific thing thing that made it rotten. It was a bunch of little things that slowly sucked the life out of the day and out of me. Yet I KNOW I have everything to be grateful for and every reason to be happy. But I woke up with my crappy mood still hanging around, so I decided it is time to sit down and focus on some of the things that make me smile:

Hearing my Bean sing The Healing Incantation from Tangled while she plays with her sister's Rapunzel tower and doll.

The fact that my Bean takes advantage of every minute her sister is at school to play with her sister's stuff.

Having an amazing run on Wednesday after being sick on Tuesday.

Snuggling under the heated throw I got for Christmas.

Getting perfect surprises, like a heated throw, from the hubs for Christmas. Always things I never know I wanted SO much!

Neighbors who have become some of our best friends.

A husband who picks up all the slack (and more).

Overhearing The Princess tell her little sister, "That's what big sisters are for" (when cleaning up something The Bean spilled).

Sleeping in two days in a row. During the week.

Realizing I'll have both girls home all day on Monday. I miss my girls when they are at school!

Clean sheets.

Clean running clothes.

Friends who are also runners. And runners who have become some of my best friends.

Happy Friday!

Dry Heaves

2012-01-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love that? Sadly, I relate all too well. Maybe that's a good thing though. I'll just keep telling myself that.

Before I started typing, I realized I'd been staring at my computer screen for several minutes. I have a headache that is making it difficult to think and focus. As you can imagine, I'm getting tons of quality work finished. Luckily blogging is easier than editing. However, I can now call this a Web site rather than just a blog, because I bought my domain name. So now if you go to ihaverun.com, this little old blog/site is what you'll find. Don't worry. If you don't feel like changing your Reader, you'll still end up here if you use the ihaverun.blogspot.com address. It just makes things easier for everyone. And easy is good.

Something that hasn't been easy has been changing my mindset when I'm running lately. I've been running by time rather than distance. It has been a fun but challenging change. I had no idea it would be so hard to run 40 minutes and end up with 4.17 miles. There is just something about ending with anything but a .00, .25 or .75. But I'm working on getting over it. It has been fun to be surprised at the end of every run and to see how my perception of how fast and how far I am running matches (or doesn't match at all) the reality.

I have also started doing more cross training recently. Last week I only ran four times but worked out six. After spending at least a month each of the past two years injured, I am trying hard to stay strong, fit and healthy in 2012.

What are your goals for 2012?

Things I Love Thursday - A Picture Really Is Worth a Thousand Words

2012-01-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Is it really 2012? How did that happen?

Somehow Christmas and New Years flew by. But not without some priceless moments. Including these:

Since I last blogged, there was some running. And as much as I resist admitting it ... some of my best runs were in sunny Arizona. Outside. (Shhh, don't tell Millie.)

Now I'm back to Millie. And Millie got a makeover. Of sorts. She is now in the toy room so we could expand my home office. It made more sense to combine the toy room and workout room than to try working in the toy room. So Millie isn't in the master bedroom anymore and my home office is.

Working has been tricky. Hopefully things will kind of fall into some sort of routine now that the holidays are behind us. Starting a new job two weeks before Christmas was interesting. But it is going well, and I am enjoying it. But fitting 40 hours of work into the rest of my life will continue to take some juggling. Needless to say, I am getting better and better at multi-tasking!

Also needless to say, my girls always come first. Seriously, how could they not?

And they don't get much cuter than when they were posing for an impromptu photo shoot to show off their Christmas dresses:

Jumping for joy!

Their "models" poses

Sisters

Speaks for itself...

Christmas Came Early (thanks to Vega Sport)

2011-12-22T15:38:00.000-07:00

Do you get excited when you get something in the mail? This is one of the reasons I love ordering things online. I love to get "fun" mail. I also love the holiday season because I get something "fun" in the form of a Christmas card almost every day.

A few weeks ago, I got something really fun in the mail. It was like Christmas came a little early. I got this box full of goodies. The type of goodies a runner loves. And since the box arrived, it has been the gift that keeps on giving (name that Christmas movie).

The box from vegasport.com was full of Vega products. It claims to be "the first complete natural, plant-based sport performance system." And based on my experience, I think it just might be.

I'll be honest. I was a little put off by the Vega name. I am not vegan or vegetarian. I like my meat. But then I realized a lot of sport nutrition products are probably vegan or vegetarian without even trying. So I have been adding the Vega products to my diet and workouts where they fit best. This has been made easier by the fact that each item is labeled with the purpose to Prepare, Sustain or Recover.

The first thing I tried before a run when I was seriously lacking energy was an Acai Berry Endurance Bar (also available in mocha). I couldn't get through the entire thing. I am not a fan of energy and protein bars that look like mashed up baby cereal with some dried fruit thrown in and shaped into a bar. The taste and texture just doesn't like my mouth. It reminded me of a Larabar, so if you like those, you will love Vega's Endurance Bars.

So I tried a Chocolate Coconut Protein Bar instead. And holy yum. This is exactly the kind of thing my mouth does like. And with chocolate coconut or chocolate saviseed to choose from, how could I be happier?

After another run, I tried a Performance Protein shake. It had a different taste than other protein shakes I have tried, which threw me at first. But it grew on me as I drank it. It mixed up well (a must!) and was pretty tasty. And it only has 120 calories and 0.6 grams of fat. The calorie total is pretty consistent with other protein drinks, but the fat content is lower, which I like. And it comes in vanilla, chocolate and berry, so everyone can be happy.

My next Vega experience was trying out the Acai Berry Pre-Workout Energizer (drink). When I dumped the powder into my cup, I was a little nervous because it literally looks like sawdust. It mixes up much better than I imagine sawdust would and tastes incredibly better. Yes, I've tasted sawdust.

The Electrolyte Hydrator (in lemon lime or pom-berry) also mixes up well and tastes great. And last but not least, the Recovery Accelerator (in tropical or apple-berry) and Endurance Gel (in raspberry or orange zest) go down easy and taste great, which says a lot coming from me since I am usually not big on fruity drinks and gels.

Vega products are clean nutrition to help you build and maintain health. Find out more at http://vegasport.com or http://myvega.com/ (Twitter hastags: #VegaSport #AskVegaSport). Then try them yourself.!

*Fine Print: I was provided Vega products to try in exchange for my unbiased review.

The (Runner's) Christmas Song

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Runners braving the elements,
boogers freezing in their nose.
Yuletide carols blasting through their headphones,
and toenails missing from their toes.

Everybody knows a Garmin and some chocolate GU,
help to make the run go right.
All the runnerds, with their eyes all aglow,
will run 'til they get that high.

They know that running makes their booty tight,
and crazy runners will even go at night.
And every runner's child is gonna spy,
To see if mommy or daddy runs by.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
to runners from one to 92...
Although it's been said, many times many ways
Happy Running to YOU.

My Little Runnerd

2011-12-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Princess got new running shoes the other day. The next morning, she woke me up to tell me she had learned how to tie her shoes. That is how excited she was to wear her new running shoes. There was no waiting for mom or dad to tie them. She was going to figure it out herself. And she did.

Then she wore her new shoes ALL day. And insisted on taking them for a real run on the treadmill. All the running and jumping around the house wasn't testing their run-ability enough for her. So she ran on the treadmill. 1/2 mile. And loved every minute of it. When I grabbed the camera to take her picture, she told me I should take pictures of her running and put them on my blog "to show everyone my little runnerd." Her words. Words that made me smile. A lot.

(She insisted on a picture of the tread. She likes every inch of her new Sauconys, even if she keeps forgetting how to say Saucony.)

Race Report: Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon

2011-12-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

I know it has almost been a week since the RnR Las Vegas Marathon/Half Marathon, but it has been a busy ~~month~~ week. And it is still busy, so I'll do my best to keep it short.

We headed to Vegas on Saturday afternoon. I spent most of the drive playing on my phone and annoying the hubs. When we finally got there, we checked in at the hotel and headed to the expo, which fortunately was just across the street from our hotel.

I picked up my bib and then found out they had run out of goodie bags. LAME. So we wandered around for an hour, since that was all the time left before they started boxing up everything. And they didn't wait a minute past the 8:00 pm closing time. I tried to buy a t-shirt at the last minute, but they had already roped off the area and were herding people to the exit.

The expo was a little disappointing. I had pretty high expectations based on the size of the race and the comments from other people who have been to other RnR race expos. The view from our room, however, was not disappointing.

We slept in and had a late breakfast on Sunday. We did some window shopping and then headed to the hotel so I could get ready. I left the hotel just before 4 pm to get to the starting line by 5:30. It took me the entire hour and a half to get from my hotel to the start at Mandalay Bay. Then I couldn't find the gear check area, so I ended up at the starting line about 15 minutes after the first wave crossed the start and after being jostled and pushed and shoved into the bushes while trying to get there (I have the scrapes and bruises all over my legs to prove it). I finally made it into a corral and started running. Here are a few pics the hubs captured before I found him about two miles into the race:

The empty strip. The best part of the race by far.

Why it's nice to be fast.

Pretty much how crowded it was the entire race.

Running the strip at night.

After I found the hubs, I took off the shirt I had on under the one in this picture, told the guy yelling in my ear to stop screaming "WHAT CORRAL WERE YOU IN?" because it wasn't going to matter at this point, and kissed the hubs goodbye.

Shortly after that, I needed to pee. But I couldn't find a port-o-potty for six more miles. And I kept drinking at almost every aid station because I didn't want to get dehydrated. So when I finally found a line of potties at mile nine, I was pretty happy.

Because I wasn't racing, I was able to take my time to go potty, to walk through the aid stations and to chat with the hubs when I saw him. I also left my Garmin at home, so I just ran whatever pace felt comfortable. I could tell I was running slower than my usual pace, but I didn't care.

I finished in 2:18, my slowest half ever. But I am totally fine with my time. I wasn't as fine with the chaos as I crossed the finish and tried to find the hubs. You know it is bad when you plan to meet by the "M" in the family reunion area and you are both there for more than 15 minutes before you find each other. By the time we headed to Mandalay Bay to the gear check, I was freezing. My teeth were chattering and I was shivering from head to toe. And I had put on my coat by then. I felt so bad for anyone who was wearing shorts and a singlet.

When we finally weaved our way through gear check and back out of Mandalay Bay, we found the shuttle. It was a little bit of a walk, but it was better than walking all the way to our hotel or paying to wait for the Monorail again. My stomach started to bother me on the shuttle, so we headed to the public restroom inside the Venetian as soon as we got off the bus. That is when my body really became unhappy. I apologize in advance, but the truth is the proof that I was sick was coming out both ends. At the same time. And I'm not sure I have ever puked that hard or that long. It was actually not as entertaining as it sounds.

I thought it was really strange that my body was reacting like that after I took it so easy during the race. Then last night I read THIS article (after finding out about it on SUAR's blog). Basically, I was not the only one sick after the race. And there is suspicion that all the post-race sickness was caused by water handed out during the race that came from fire hydrants.

And because that wasn't enough, I developed a raging UTI on Monday. I can't decide whether to blame it on having to "hold it" for over an hour while running or on the water that caused all the other problems. Either way, it has taken all week and some strong antibiotics for my stomach to get back to normal, my kidneys to stop hurting and the urge to pee every 5 minutes to subside. Like I said, it has been a busy week.

How has your week been?

The Future's So Bright...

2011-12-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

I don't have an amazing outfit planned. I have only talked to one person about meeting up. And I haven't printed out (or even read) the race info I keep seeing in my email inbox. But I am running a race on Sunday and it is starting to sink in, if only because it forced me to do a load of laundry today so my running capris are clean to pack tomorrow. I also thought about the race a little while I was running this morning, debating whether or not to pack my Garmin. I am doing the race for fun, with no time goal in mind. So what do you think -- take the Garmin or leave it home? It would be my first half without it.

One thing I know I will be leaving home: my running sunglasses. I have a pair of Smith sunglasses I wear when I run. But with an evening start time, I don't think I will need them. Instead I'll be packing my awesome new(ish) Margaritaville shades.

Usually I wear a pair of $12 sunglasses I got at Aldo. I haven't had a pair of sunglasses that cost more than $25 for a really long time (other than the ones I wear running). Pretty much since I had kids. Between the little people at my house and my own klutziness, I can't bring myself to spend more. Then Margaritaville/Jimmy Buffet sent me a pair of their Calypso sunglasses.

They are awesome. Here are a few things that make them great:

MPT (Margaritaville® Polarized Technology) nylon lenses (Love Polarized lenses! They make the colors so pretty.)
100% UV A/B Protection (No crows feet!)
Heat Sculpted Polymer frame (Durable. Back to that having kids thing.)
SunGrip rubber nose pads (Stay in place. Gotta love that.)
SunGrip rubber temple tip insert (No headaches. My least favorite thing about most sunglasses is that my head starts to hurt after wearing them for very long.)
Spring hinges (Yay!)
Integrated Margaritaville® Leash System (Haven't used this yet, but it might come in handy someday.)
Island Style details (Refer to the pictures. Focus on the sunglasses, not the goofy grins.)
Ships with custom Margaritaville® Case and microfiber cleaning bag (Almost as awesome as the glasses.)

Margaritaville has a few pairs that look like they would be great to wear running, and they all have rubber grips and nose pads to keep them in place. So if you want to be cool like me, you WANT a pair of Margaritaville sunglasses. And they are 50 percent off right now for the holidays, so don't waste time heading to the web site to load up on sunglasses for everyone on your holiday shopping list (including yourself, of course).

*Fine Print: I was provided one pair of Margaritaville Eyewear in exchange for my unbiased review.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-11-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

I went for a run today. In spite of still having a sinus infection that makes my teeth hurt like crazy and an ear infection dulling my hearing, I headed out the door while the girls were busy learning at school. I figure I need to get a few runs in before I attempt this:
For the record, I am running the half instead of the full. I am in no shape to run 26.2 miles right now. But the one good thing that came out of forced rest was a hip that feels like it's finally back to normal. And while I am not overly excited about the race, I am excited for the weekend. A little nervous to be without my girls, but excited for a grown-up weekend! And to see some of my favorite people.

Also for the record, I did not run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. After being up half the night because my ear ached, I went to Urgent Care instead of to the race. Don't be too jealous. I am now on antibiotics and finally feel like this mess of a cold/sinus infection/ear infection is on its way out.

As far as the title of this post, the change coming my way is that I have taken a full-time editing job. I will be working from home, but it will take some time to get into a new routine and schedule. So please be patient with me if I am MIA for days at a time on here or don't comment on your blogs as often. I'm going to try to keep up on your lives as much as possible, but I will do a lot of it from my phone and it's a pain in my runnerd booty to leave comments from my phone.

Don't worry too much though. I have some fun things in store for December, including the return of the singing runnerd.

And now to finish off my month of gratitude:

November 24th - Turkey.
November 25th - Christmas movies. And TV specials. Like Prep & Landing. And Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.
November 26th - My Honda Pilot. Which is good because sometimes I feel like it is like my second home.
November 27th - Dr. Pepper. Sad but true.
November 28th - Doctors and veterinarians. I like people who can make my little family and me feel better when we don't feel our best.
November 29th -Pumpkin pie shakes. I might even be more thankful for these than for actual pumpkin pie.
November 30th (a day early) - Millie. I couldn't go all month without being grateful for Millie. Even if she is has spent more time as a place to hang clothes the past week than as my running buddy, I still love her.

What are you most thankful for today?

Turkey Trotting, Toilets, and Three-Year-Olds

2011-11-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I can't believe it is already here. And because I don't have a turkey defrosting or rolls raising, it doesn't feel like tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We are spending tomorrow at family's, so I don't have much to do today. There is a pumpkin pie in the oven though, because we need to come home to some kind of Thanksgiving "leftovers."

What have I been doing lately, since planning and executing Thanksgiving dinner obviously hasn't been keeping me away?

Well I made this last week. My first wedding cake. And I delivered it and spent a day at the wedding and reception. Hard to believe my beautiful cousin is married.

Making the cake was stressful but fun. And it was easier than running a marathon. Or at least I only said "I will never do this again" once. I said those same words dozens of times during and after my last marathon. I can also tell you that I now know wedding cakes are worth every penny of what they cost.

And I have been sick. Yes, still. I think I am finally on the other side of things. I still have my "sexy" deep raspy voice (one of the mom's at The Princess's school said my voice is sexy, so I'm going with it) and sound like I am going to cough up a lung. But I have my energy back. Just wish me luck that I don't, in fact, cough up a lung during tomorrow's Turkey Trot. I'm just hoping my lungs operate at a near-normal level and that I don't have my all-time slowest race tomorrow. No matter what though, I'll have fun.

And now to get caught up on my gratitude for the month. I am grateful for:

November 10th - Toilets.
November 11th - Toilet brushes. So I don't have to stick my hand in there.
November 12th - Zooey Deschanel. New Girl. Elf. A Very She & Him Christmas. Zooey rocks.
November 13th - Sunglasses.
November 14th - My girls playing happily together. When my Bean is smacking The Princess on the side of the head with a Christmas book, not as much.
November 15th - Cell phones. How did we ever live without them?
November 16th - My Bosch mixer. Forget Kitchen Aid. Bosch is where it's at!
November 17th - The Internet. How did we find out anything before the Internet? And computers. I can't remember life before computers. And yes, I was alive before everyone had a computer at home.
November 18th - My dishwasher. Seriously. I am so grateful for my dishwasher!
November 19th - Weddings. Congrats M & B!!
November 20th - Pumpkin pie. And whipped cream. November 21st - Books. Sometimes I wish I didn't love them so much. Or at least had more time to read them and more places to put them.
November 22nd - My sister. Happy Birthday!!
November 23rd - Three-year-olds who can sing O Holy Night. We are on round two of little people who know all the words to and can sing O Holy Night. And they sing it everywhere. Old(er) people at the grocery store LOVE hearing tiny people sing such a big person song.

Good luck to everyone trotting tomorrow. And HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Things I Love Thursday - NOT Having Food in My Teeth

2011-11-17T17:57:00.001-07:00

Image Credit

Blogging? My running blog? YOUR blogs? No I haven't forgotten about those things. It's just that I've been making fondant and baking cakes and chasing down the text for some work projects. And when I've had a little extra time, I've been running and biking and 30-day shredding and getting a miserable cold.

I meant to write a post on Monday that included an apology to Janae, who I ran into at Costco on Saturday. I'm pretty sure I had food in my teeth the entire time we were chatting. But that's what happens when you go to Costco on a Saturday (which requires a level of insanity I now realize I have) and they have a sample at the end of every isle. I also managed to eat all 1200 of my calories for the day at Costco. And since it wasn't even noon yet, I clearly exceeded my total for the day. I have pretty much every day though. I just can't live (happily) off 1200 calories per day.

In addition to running into Janae and realizing we are both running Vegas in a few weeks (yay), I realized something else. I wasn't having one of my better days as far as how I felt about myself. So as I walked to my car, I realized I may never stop worrying about how I look. In some ways that is good, because it means I will take care of myself. I won't turn into a mom-jean-wearing old lady with greasy hair. But it also means I need to find a way to love myself, even on bad hair days and when my jeans are more snug than I'd like. Or when I can't find the right shoes to wear, because shoes really do make the outfit, even if you'd never know it by looking at mine most days.

But I digress.

So here are a few things I've found that help me love myself a little more:
Exercise. Whether it's running or a quick 20 minutes of strength training, I feel amazingly better about myself when I feel fit. Even if I weigh the same, somehow those snug jeans don't bother me quite as much.

Wear things that make me feel good. When I walk out of the house in those just-a little-too-tight jeans or the shirt that accentuates my rolls, that is all I think about ALLLLLLL day. It is distracting from everything. And it makes me grumpy. Just ask my family.

Eat better. When I don't overeat or eat a bunch of junk, I feel so much better. And when I drink a lot of water I feel better too. I can tell by how much I am craving water in the evening if I had enough that day. Water-loading just before going to bed isn't the best idea, so I try to be better about spreading it out throughout the day.

I know this is all pretty basic and nothing new. But they make a huge difference.

Having a little Bean who tells me she likes my hair when I do it differently or how cuuuuute my shirt is when I put something new on doesn't hurt either.

Harder than running?!?

2011-11-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

Some days running is harder than others. If you read this blog, there is a good chance you know that from personal experience. This week I discovered two things that might possibly even be harder than running on those days when you just aren't feeling it and your legs aren't having it.

The first is jumping rope. Because my running has been limited lately, I am trying new things. One of these is a circuit that included several 1-minute intervals of jumping rope. One little minute. But it is HARD. The first 15 seconds or so, I think it is going to be cake. Then it gets harder and harder until I am begging the second hand on the clock to move faster. I'm not sure I have ever broken a sweat in less than a minute before. But by the end of every jump rope minute, I am dripping.

The other thing that, for me at least, is seriously hard is eating only 1200 calories per day. Since I'm trying to lose a few pounds and I can't rely on running to help me out much, I decided to cut my calories. A few different web sites told me my ideal intake for losing 1-2 pounds per week is 1200 calories/day. If I thought I was hungry all the time while training for a marathon, this is a whole new beast. I am not only hungry, I am STARVING. And we (meaning me and my poor family) have learned that a hungry Candice is a grumpy Candice. So I might have to bump it up to at least 1500 calories per day to stay sane and keep my family from kicking me out of the house.

The moral of this blog post? If you are looking for something to do that is difficult and potentially entertaining to you and those around you this weekend, try jumping rope or eating only 1200 calories for a day. Happy Friday!

Do your body parts talk to you?

2011-11-09T14:40:00.004-07:00

You know that "F" word we don't say at our house? Well it has been A LOT harder not saying it lately. Because it is exactly how I've been feeling. Maybe it's because I kept eating like I was training for a marathon when I couldn't even run. Or it's because the time I spend on the bike and elliptical doesn't kill as many calories as time spent on Millie. Whatever the reason, I am trying to do something about it.

It is crazy how just one run made me feel a little better though. After more than a month of cross training and NO RUNNING, I was able to run on Monday. I ran three miles. They were a little slower than I would have liked, but I did have the incline at 3% because it seems to be a little easier on my hip. And speaking of the hip, it was very cooperative. It is still not at 100 percent, but it doesn't HURT. It just talks to me a little every once in a while. And it only whispered off and on during the run. I'm still taking things easy and following doctor's orders though to make sure it stays happy and eventually shuts up altogether. So after a day off yesterday and cross training today, I will be going for another run tomorrow. And I can't wait. Because the way I feel after some time on the bike or elliptical doesn't even come close to how awesome I feel after a run!

What I was thankful for on:

Thursday, November 3rd - Kitchen gadgets. Especially those that help making a wedding cake a little easier.
Friday, November 4th - The Internet. Seriously, how did we live without it?
Saturday, November 5th - When my girls sing. Especially things like "Drip drops and roses" and other versions of their Favorite Things.
Sunday, November 6th- Winter candles from Bath & Body Works. At the rate I'm going, I'll need at least a half dozen to get to Christmas.
Monday, November 7th - My first run in over a month.
Tuesday, November 8th - Command hooks. You know, those ones that you can stick to your wall to hold just about anything and then you can remove them later and they don't hurt your paint? They are one of my favorite things lately.
Wednesday, November 9th - Christmas decorations. And being finished getting them all out. Yep, we are THOSE people. (No Christmas lights outside yet though, so don't freak out!)

Still love it

2011-11-07T15:10:00.001-07:00

It may have been a little slow, but after 36 days of not running...

I'll take it!

Princesses with crazy eyes

2011-11-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

It's harder than you think to be motivated to write on a running blog when you haven't run for the past month. Yes, as of yesterday, it was a month since my last little (26.2 mile) run. Another visit to my doc yesterday and another possible two weeks without running. Fingers crossed the things I've been instructed to do for the next two weeks have me running before my re-check on the 15th.

And while there hasn't been running, I realized I can wear this year's costume if I ever run a Halloween race. My costumes from this year and last year are both running-friendly. I didn't think about that when I bought them but realized it when I was looking (jealously) at all the Halloween Half pics on Facebook over the weekend.

Instead of running 13.1 miles on Saturday, I went to an awesome Halloween party where we devoured a spaghetti skeleton, tried to eat donuts off a string and saw princesses with crazy eyes. Hope your Halloween was as fun!

And since the Halloween fun is now behind us and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I am going to share 30 days of gratitude on here. And because my family and my health and all my incredible blessings are a given, I am going to have a little fun with it.

What I was thankful for on...

Tuesday, November 1st - Doctors. Who are also runners.
Wednesday, November 2nd - Frosting. Especially on cookies and cakes.

What fun thing are you thankful for today?

Bustin' My Bootie

2011-10-28T15:40:00.000-06:00

My (lack of big) boobs have been a lot happier recently. I have been searching for some new sports bras that are affordable and also do their job. I finally decided to order a few that looked promising. Two out of three were a complete fail. But the other one = happy, happy boobs.

I actually just ordered it because it was on sale and was a max support bra, which I figured should be good for running. Turns out it is perfect in every way. And although I didn't get a picture of myself in the awesome new bra, I have to say I even like it more than this one.

Here's a picture of my new Champion 360 Max Support Sports Bra floating in the air:
I love it so much that I sent the two failures back and got two more of this one. In different colors, of course.

Supporting my girls will come in handy as I tackle this:

I signed up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge in 2009 and 2010 as well but didn't really stick to it or accomplish much. This year will be different, which is why I'm posting about it on here this time. Hopefully it will make me a little more accountable. If you want to join in the holiday bootie bustin' fun, head over to Run to the Finish for details

And since tomorrow I'll dressing up as a green M&M to join my two little princesses (What else would they be for Halloween?) for some Halloween party food and fun, I need all the bootie busting help I can get.

What are you doing this weekend?

On the other side of the treadmill

2011-10-25T20:35:00.003-06:00

Source

Today I busted out eight miles on the elliptical. Then I worked my legs until they were jello and my abs until I ran out of time.

My at-home cardio options are limited to the stationary bike or the treadmill. And since my 5-minute attempt on the treadmill was a total fail yesterday and resulted in an hour on the bike, I headed to the gym for today's elliptical time. I listened to music but was dripping sweat too much to attempt to read. So besides the music, I kept myself entertained by watching the people running on the treadmills, which were right in front of me. Here are my most profound thoughts from the experience:

If you are pregnant and have GIANT hooters as a result, STRAP THOSE THINGS DOWN.

Sketchers Shape-Ups on the treadmill = cringe!

Standing on the sides of the treadmill to rest while the belt is still moving doesn't mean you actually ran 2.5 miles or 30 minutes when you are finished.

The rest of the runners were pretty mundane. And I wasn't close enough to see the speed, time or incline on the 'mills, so it wasn't as exciting as it could have been.

My other excitement of the day was texting back in forth with my sister-in-law, who has started running. Her first race is Saturday. I can't wait to find out how she does and how she likes it. Good luck Julianna!!

Kind of a BIG Deal

2011-10-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

Some days, things just don't go according to plan. Last night, the plan was to spend an hour on the bike and then get some strength training done after my girls went to bed. This was a reasonable plan since my girls are usually settled for the night by about 7:30. But I was still snuggling my Bean when The Princess called me into her room with a sense of urgency in her voice.

"Feel my loose tooth," she said. I wiggled the tooth that has slooooowly been getting looser over the past few months. It was just barely hanging on. I told her if she pushed it down really fast, it would probably fall out. She tried but just couldn't do it. When she tried, she pulled her finger away at the last minute. So she asked me to do it. And out it came. Then the tears came. She decided she didn't want to lose teeth. (The Princess is not a fan of change. At all.)

So last night The Princess lost her first tooth. This is a BIG deal. After the tears stopped and she decided it was pretty cool to lose a tooth, both girls had to get out of bed to celebrate by calling Daddy, going next door to show her friend, calling Grandma, taking pictures and documenting it on video. By the time the celebration came to a close, it was 9 pm. It was quite the night!

The Tooth Fairy came and acknowledged the event with a crisp $5 bill. I think the most I ever got was a dollar, and that was for molars. "Inflation," her dad said. I'm thinking $5 is a first-tooth kind of thing. And I was glad The Princess later told me it would be fun if she got some of the "round money" when she loses her next tooth.

I will always remember when The Princess lost her first tooth. But I won't remember that one missed work out.

Did you have any BIG deals in your life this week?

Things I Love Thursday - Inspiration (and Giveaways)

2011-10-20T14:53:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to interview Terry Hitchcock, the subject of the movie My Run. I had my list of questions ready to go, but many of them remained blank when the interview was complete. The reason is because Hitchcock was so easy to talk to, and one subject would inevitably lead to another. Our 15 minute interview turned into closer to 45 minutes without even a glance at the clock. It was interesting to hear his story in his words and his own voice. Here is some of what I learned, straight from Hitchcock himself:

Terry Hitchcock didn't plan to make his running journey into a film. "I did the run and then said to myself 'I'm going to go on and do other things.' I did the run with no real fanfare, he said. "Every day I was competing with the Olympics in the news. I did my run and then it was over. Then the idea of making it into a movie started snowballing over the years..."

One of the reasons Terry's accomplishment is so notable: "I'm not really a runner," he said. "I don't look at myself as a runner."

Terry Hitchcock's story is being made into a feature film.

Terry Fox is one of Hitchcock's heroes. Fox's run inspired Hitchcock's run."I remember picking up the paper and wondering where Terry is today," Hitchcock said. "During his attempt, he raised $24 million."

"I wanted to do something for single parents and their children," he said. "I wanted to represent those 37 million people."

Hitchcock trained for 17 months. The most important thing his trainer taught him was to never give up.

Halfway through his training, Hitchcock had a heart attack. He didn't tell his trainer; said he went on vacation.

Billy Bob Thornton (the film's narrator) loved Hitchcock's story and wanted to be a part of the film. Thornton even wrote a piece of music that is in the documentary.

And the winners of the copies of My Run are :

Sarah Grecco
and
Ingi

Please send your mailing info to ihaverun@hotmail.com.

The rest of you can receive 10% off by purchasing the DVD at MyRunMovie.com, using the following code at checkout: INSPIRES.

*I received two free copies of the film to give away. My thoughts and comments about the movie are my own. Winners were chosen by Random.org.

I Love to Laugh

2011-10-18T16:39:00.001-06:00

This makes me laugh every time I see it. And it is way too true. I have the race photos to prove it. Happy Tuesday!!

Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Makes Me Smile

2011-10-17T17:42:00.000-06:00

I know it's not the end of the month, but it is the start of a new week. And hopefully this week will bring some running. In the meantime, here's a recap of last week's work outs and an update on some of the things this runnerd is up to lately:

Elliptical workouts planned/completed: 2/2

Bike workouts planned/completed: 2/4

Runs planned/taken: 1/0 (I took two steps, if that counts; unfortunately they were two painful steps.)

Strength training workouts planned/completed: 6/5

Ab workouts planned/completed: 3/2

Current Reads: Just finished The Long Run yesterday (review to come). Decided it was time for a mindless beach read since I plan to spend a lot of time reading as a treat to myself tonight (aka my birthday), so I am reading One Fifth Avenue (which I purchased for $2.40 when Borders was going out of business).

Current Shame Inducing Pleasure: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake from Baskin Robbins
Current Obsession: Christmas music, including this:

Current Song: Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera

Current Need: To run. I guess that includes a healthy, happy hip.

Current Excitement: A new freelance job opportunity

My Run, Your Run, Terry Hitchcock's Run

2011-10-13T21:30:00.000-06:00

My last run was 26.2 miles. It was 13 days ago. With my hip still on the mend, I am biking and ellipitcalling like it's my business. And until I can spend some quality time with Millie again, I have been getting my running fix from other runners. Yep, you guys. Through your blogs and from two great running books (more on that later). And now I want to give you the chance for a little inspiration from Terry Hitchcock's story in My Run.

After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, real life super hero and modern day Forrest Gump, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

He ran in spite of freezing rain and unbearable heat, in spite of chest pains and bone fractures that wracked his 57-year-old body. He just kept running – each day, every day – strengthening an unbreakable bond between father and son – not stopping until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta.

MY RUN is more than a film about a guy running multiple marathons; it’s a film about the daily marathons we all run in life.

Credit

I have two copies of My Run: The Terry Hitchcock Story to give away. To enter to win a copy, leave a comment letting me know you follow my blog and also tell me about your last run or what inspires you to stay active.

Winners will be announced next Thursday, October 20.

That's What Friends Are For

2011-10-11T13:28:00.001-06:00

First I have to say I agree with most of you and your comments about the expectant mom who ran the Chicago Marathon at 39 weeks pregnant. I think it is great that she ran through her pregnancy. And since she had the go-ahead from her doctor and her husband was with her during the race, I think it is amazing. Just my $.02.

Now for what I really want to talk about. Tonight I am going to dinner with my friend Joyce. We have been friends for ten years. We have gone months at a time without talking to or seeing each other. Yet we can pick up the phone any time and talk like we just saw each other yesterday. She is the one friend I knew without a doubt I'd see at the hospital the nights my girls were born. And nothing could have stopped me from seeing her little guy the day he was born. Sometimes we celebrate each other's birthday months after they happen or exchange Christmas gifts in February, but life can get crazy and we both recognize that. I can tell Joyce anything and trust her like I trust very few people in this world.

I don't have a lot of people like Joyce in my life. I have reconnected with some high school friends through Facebook and stayed in touch via Christmas cards with friends from college, but most of my friends have come and gone. There just aren't a lot of friends that are worth the effort. And I truly believe a real, true friendship is one worth fighting to keep.

What made me start to think about my "friends" was my St. George Marathon race report. The comments I received on that post meant more to me than any of you will ever know. And I also realized how much many of you mean to me. Since I became a runner, I have made some friends that I will fight to keep. And I know most of you know exactly what I am talking about.

Maybe it's because as runners we are often at our most vulnerable or that you can't fake it when you are pounding the pavement. But really, I don't know what it is. All I know is that runners make some of the best friends.

Just like so many other times, your comments after the St. George Marathon were exactly what I needed to hear. You made me cry, smile and laugh. You said things only true friends would say.

Some of you I've met. Others I haven't. But whether I've hugged you in person or just wanted to while sitting in front of my computer, you inspire me. And not just to be a better runner. To be a better person. To be a better friend.

So thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I am honored and feel extraordinarily blessed to have such amazing friends in my life.

Woman gives birth after running Chicago Marathon. What do you think?

2011-10-10T12:46:00.000-06:00

I just read this article about a woman who ran (and walked) the Chicago Marathon yesterday and then gave birth last night. The comments at the end of the article are very interesting to me as a runner and as a mother. Before I weigh in, what do you think?

Photo finish: Woman gives birth after running (and walking) marathon

St. George Marathon 2011 Race Report: Mourning a Marathon

2011-10-05T14:32:00.001-06:00

Before the race, I met up with Julia, Frances and Rachelle. We rode the bus up together and then hung out until the start. Julia, Frances and I started together and ran together quite a bit in the first half of the race. It was great to have someone to talk to when I needed a distraction and we all had a sub-4:15 goal.

My hip was sore but bearable and actually felt the best on the uphills. I carried my handheld with Powerade and finished it off about the mid-point. I refilled it with water, but it became obvious later that I should have sucked it up and downed some of the lemon-lime Gatorade along the course.

The first 20 miles I maintained a pretty steady pace and felt pretty good, in spite of the rising temps and my hip.

Then came the five stages of grief.

Denial - This started about mile 20 of the race. I didn't want to believe I was getting dehydrated. I tried to find other things to blame, but the truth was my body was shutting down. My mind couldn't overcome my body. When I saw my husband with about 1/2 mile to go, I broke down in tears and told him, "Everything hurts." But I kept going and crossed the finish at 4:49:27. Not my 4:15:00 goal, but I finished. There were so many times I wanted to stop, but I just couldn't. Quitting was not an option.

Anger - I was mad at myself for getting dehydrated again. And I was so angry at everyone who ever said the course is downhill because an elevation loss is not the same as a downhill course. Top of Utah, with the first half straight down a canyon, is downhill. St. George has plenty of uphills and so much of the downhill is very gradual. I was also angry at myself for believing there was no way it could be hot and miserable two years in a row. I was so wrong! And of course, the anger also came with a lot of disappointment.

Bargaining - Just get to mile 22 and then you can walk. Just get around this corner and you will see your family. Just finish and you never have to do this again.

Depression - This started as I crossed the finish. It didn't help that I felt like I couldn't walk in a straight line or think very clearly. All I wanted to do was sit down. So as soon as I found my family, that is exactly what I did. Then I stood up just long enough to puke my guts and a lot of water out. The hubs wanted me to go to the first aid tent, so we headed that way, but the effort of even getting there just seemed like too much, so I told him I would be OK. I saw Rachelle, but don't remember much about our conversation. And then I laid on the grass while my girls ransacked my race bag and the hubs went to get the car. I was texting Jen, who thought the first aid tent and an IV would be a good idea, but I couldn't peel myself off the ground. It took several hours and some food in my stomach before I could drink more than tiny sips of water or stand for very long. So the IV probably would have been a very good idea. Once my body overcame its depressed state, my mind swore off marathons and I spent the next few days pretty down about the race.

With my amazing family/support crew, just moments before the puking

Acceptance - This is where I am now. Finally. I am accepting that I can only learn from the race and look forward. It is ironic because those words - keep moving forward - went through my head hundreds of times over those 26.2 miles. I never planned on that being my mantra, but it worked and will continue to be my mantra as I continue on my running journey.

Keep moving forward…
-Walt Disney

St. George Marathon - Giving it my all

2011-09-30T11:58:00.001-06:00

I meant to post before today, but this week has been chaos and I have been a mess. Dealing with my hip pain has put me on a roller coaster of emotions, but after an x-ray and MRI resulted in a green light from my ortho, I am packed and ready to head south to St. George to run the marathon and meet my goals. Since I have to go get The Princess from school in a few minutes, I'll just say I am going to give it my all. I'll give you more goal specifics in my race report. If you are the praying type, throw in a little prayer that my hip pain eases up as I get going.

And if you are running St. George tomorrow too, look for me! I'll be wearing a teal tank and black running skirt. Good luck to everyone running! Everyone else...have a great weekend!

Super Bass, Stereo Hearts and a Party Rock Anthem

2011-09-26T13:30:00.000-06:00

The countdown is on. Four days until the St. George Marathon. That means it's time to update the iPod so there's more than two hours of songs on there. A sub-2 hour marathon might be inevitable, but it won't be set by me. Shocking, I know.

I figure if I can't run, I'll get ready to run. I shot an email to my doctor this morning to see if there is anything else I can do to help speed things along with my hip since the only times it hurts now is when I first get up in the morning and the Celebrex has worn off or when I try to run. Until I get his response, I will distract myself with music.

Last week I got an email of the top ten workout songs for September from Chris at RunHundred.com and was pretty excited. Perfect timing for updating my iPod. And I'm letting you in on the list too:

Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer - Give Me Everything (Sidney Samson Remix) - 129 BPM

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass - 128 BPM

Switchfoot - Dark Horses - 83 BPM

Gym Class Heroes & Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts - 90 BPM

Lady GaGa - Edge Of Glory (Bare Noize Remix) - 140 BPM

Pitbull & Marc Anthony - Rain Over Me - 128 BPM

Nadia Ali, Alex Kenji & Starkillers - Pressure (Alesso Radio Edit) - 129 BPM

T.I. & B.o.B. - We Don't Get Down Like Y'all - 92 BPM

LMFAO, GoonRock & Lauren Bennett - Party Rock Anthem (Russ Chimes Remix) - 129 BPM

Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat - 129 BPM

You can listen to clips of the songs at RunHundred.com. You can also subscribe to the web site, and get (for free) weekly updates and the monthly top 10 list with each song's BPM (beats per minute) is listed. There are also links to buy them on Amazon.com and iTunes.

Before you wander over to Run Hundred though, tell me what YOUR favorite running song is right now.

First Foto Friday (and maybe the only one ever)

2011-09-23T13:56:00.002-06:00

This is what I'm wearing today. Yes, I added the "NOT." Probably hard to tell because I have such amazing photo editing SKILLZ. I figured the shirt works either way because running does suck because if I didn't love it so much NOT running wouldn't suck so much. I'm not sure how much sense that made or if it even makes sense because I think there is a double negative in there, but hopefully you get the idea.

Sorry about the boob shot, but these were some of my other attempts:

Sooo, you can't see the words on my shirt and Bean was determined to be in the picture. So I did what I had to do. Boob shot. Apparently I need a camera that zooms out if I'm going to try self portraits.

When I downloaded the pics off my camera, I found this:

I took it the other day when we got to The Princess' school a little early and were waiting for the first bell to ring. Seriously, she is FIVE! Going on fifteen. And how the real fifteen already scares me! At least once a day, she tells me or the hubs: "You are ruining my life!" or "This is the worst day of my life."

I also found this pic. While I watched the Emmys on Sunday night, the hubs let the girls stay up late with him and watch the football game.

Speaking of the hubs. Yesterday, he said "snap it" in a moment of frustration. It was an attempt to not swear by combining "snap" (which I have brought back in full force at our house and LOVE hearing Bean say) and "damn it" (sorry Mom). It might be my new favorite word.

Things I Love Thursday - Fallin'

2011-09-22T13:49:00.000-06:00

I love, love, love, love, love this time of year. It is, hands-down, my favorite. I love that it is dark by 8 pm, and not just because it makes it easier for my girls to go to bed.

I love the smells outside. And inside, like my pumpkin candles and pumpkin pies and breads.I love the colors, from the changing of the leaves to the warm fall oranges and browns.

I love decorating for the holidays. And watching my girls' excitement when we do.

I love the cooler temperatures. I love being able to have the windows open and hear the voices of kids playing and the cows mooing in the field behind our house. I love the cool air coming in while I am sleeping.

And I love that the cooler temperatures decided to move south. When I checked the 2-week forecast a few days ago, it showed a high of 92 in St. George on October 1st. Now it's showing the high as 81 with a chance of rain. I'll take the rain if it means I don't have to take the heat.

What do you love about this time of year?

Runnerd Stress

2011-09-21T17:23:00.001-06:00

I was going to do a whole big post about my massage on Saturday and my healing progress since then, but the bottom line is my hip still hurts when I try to run so I've been cycling and strength training to make me feel like I'm doing something. I am also trying to keep my stress level at a minimum (and failing) as each day brings me one day close to October 1st, marathon day.

The one good thing is that I haven't had any pre-race bad dreams, like I usually do, where I wake up and realize the race has already started. We'll just ignore the fact that I'm having dreams about the wedding cake I'm making in November instead, where I wake up the day of the wedding and realize I forgot to make the cake.

And now for the real reason you are here...the runnerd giveaway winners. My little Bean chose the winners from here:

And here are the answers to the bonus entry questions, just in case you were curious:

1 .On what body part did I have surgery? My foot

2. What do I collect? Clocks

3. What are my favorite socks (two possible answers; either will be accepted)? SmartWool or Wright Socks

4. What is my favorite place to visit? I was looking for NYC but also accepted Hawaii, since no one said NYC and almost everyone said Hawaii.

5. Name one of my snack/treat obsessions (there are several)? Baked goods, (chocolate) Twizzlers, hot tamales

6. How did I dress up for Halloween last year? Baseball/softball player

7 .What body part do I most want to improve? Mid-section/stomach

8. Who is my favorite band? U2

9. In addition to "runnerd," what running phrase did my hubs come up with? DNPTP (Did not poop their pants)

10. What nickname did another blogger give me? An extra point for naming the other blogger too. Runner Barbie - Tall Mom Mel

The results are completely unbiased since Bean can't read, so even if she could see the names they meant nothing to her. And she reluctantly posed for a picture of one of her selections:

Water Bottle - Jesse of Run to the Border

Runnerd Glass - P of Adventures of an Average Athlete

Keychain - Nelly on the Run

Email me at ihaverun@hotmail.com with your mailing info and I will get your runnerd stuff in the mail! Congrats to the winners. And the rest of you can load up on runnerd gear at the Runnerd Shop!

Are you a runnerd?

2011-09-16T13:09:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time, my husband called me a runnerd. I laughed so hard I almost cried. I have since embraced my runnerdness with a Runnerd Shop, Runnerd Facebook Page and Runnerd Blog (although this last one is much-neglected). My runnerdness is also showing up around the house, in the form of a keychain, t-shirt, tech shirt, sticker on my car, etc. And because I wouldn't be the runnerd I am without all of you, I want to spread the runnerd love. Here's what I'm giving away (one winner for each = three winners!):

And here us how you can win:

Follow my blog (required) - leave a comment letting me know

Like the Runnerd Facebook Page (optional) - leave a separate comment letting me know

And for bonus entries to win, show me how much of an I Have Runnerd you are and send an email to ihaverun@hotmail.com (do not leave a comment please!) with answers to any or all of the following questions (1 additional entry for each correct answer):

On what body part did I have surgery?

What do I collect?

What are my favorite socks (two possible answers; either will be accepted)?

What is my favorite place to visit?

Name one of my snack/treat obsessions (there are several)?

How did I dress up for Halloween last year?

What body part do I most want to improve?

Who is my favorite band?

In addition to "runnerd," what running phrase did my hubs come up with?

What nickname did another blogger give me? An extra point for naming the other blogger too.

The winners will be announced Wednesday, September 21st.

Things I Love Thursday - Being a Runnerd

2011-09-15T14:42:00.002-06:00

Someone asked my race today; I almost asked which one. I forgot "race" has a non-running meaning.

I also saw this today and love it:

I just wish I looked like that afterward. And before.

This is what I look like during:

Yesterday I wore this awesome shirt for a LONG three mile run. I'll get to the run in a minute, after I talk about the shirt. Yes, it is pink. And says runnerd. It also has my name peeking out under my hand (oops). How cool is that? Pretty much a perfect shirt. And it was great for running. In spite of the sweat dripping off my face, the shirt wicked every drop of sweat off by body. And the best thing is...you can get one too. And it doesn't even have to say runnerd on it. Although I don't know why you would want it to say anything else.

One of the best parts is how cheap (price, not quality!!) it is. Right now you can get a personalized ULTRA-Lite nduranc.com tech shirt for only for $14.95 from nduranc.com. They'll even add your name (or whatever) in stylish black text to the front, left-bottom of your shirt for FREE! I have a feeling this might be the new go-to site for race teams like those running Ragnar! You don't have to get pink either. You can choose from yellow/gold, silver/grey, white, royal blue, lime shock, agent orange, apple red, tropic blue & pink. No matter what color you order, you get the shirt information sheet that is included, which is pretty dang funny. But knowing the guy (Charlie!) behind the shirt, you would expect nothing less. So be sure to also visit the Facebook page and sign up for the monthly newsletter, which will include "an occasional, out-of-the blue, crazy offer."

After you order your ~~runnerd~~ shirt, you can try to win some runnerd gear. Tomorrow I will be posting the long-awaited runnerd giveaway.

Now, about that run. My hip/leg has been bothering my quite a bit since my race on Saturday, so I didn't even let myself attempt to run until last night. And it did not go well. After a pretty good day painwise, I thought maybe I was on the mend for good. But it only took one step to know I was wrong. Because the pain eventually subsided during Saturday's race, I decided to keep going and see if it would subside this time. Then when I stopped briefly so the hubs could take the sweaty picture above and then started running again, I could hardly take a step. IT WAS SO PAINFUL. The hubs reminded me I can walk, so I did. The pain eased up a bit, and I sped up and finished my run. But at 8:30 this morning, I made an appointment with my doc, went in at 10:30, and was diagnosed with a hip flexor strain. I have a massage (the painful kind, not the relaxing kind) scheduled for Saturday morning. My doctor is a runner/triathlete, so he is always awesome about finding the best solution while keeping my race calendar in mind. The last thing he said was "Good luck in St. George!" Ironically, I said those same words to him on one of my last visits just before he did the Ironman there. And he did awesome. So I hope that's a sign.

I am not calling myself injured, but my taper might be a little different than what is printed out and stuck on the board next to Millie. But as long as I can run those 26.2 miles on October 1st, I'll do whatever it takes.

Watching TV tonight instead of running. You? (And a giveaway winner!)

2011-09-13T20:55:00.001-06:00

I'm not a big TV watcher, but I am admittedly excited for the fall shows to start. And the first new show I'm looking forward to starts in 15 minutes, so there's no time to waste. It's time to announce the winner of the Gone for a Run paracord IDmeBAND. And the winner (chosen by Random.org) is:

RACHEL from RUNNING IN REAL LIFE

Shoot me an email at ihaverun@hotmail.com and I will respond with the info on how to get your IDmeBAND!

And for the rest of you, what fall shows are you looking forward to watching?

Race Report: Spanish Fork Half Marathon

2011-09-12T16:54:00.000-06:00

The timer will go off in five minutes for the zucchini bread baking in the oven. So why not blog for five minutes?

Plus, I need to do a quick race report, even if it's mostly for myself. Saturday I ran the Spanish Fork Half Marathon, a smaller race about 30 minutes from my house. I signed up for it to get my fourth of four races I needed to complete Run the Slam. Here is my race report in the form of some random thoughts:

(Why can't I look normal even when I stop running??)

The race was an out-and-back, my first out-and-back half marathon. It was actually an out and back, turn, out and back again, turn, back to the start. The first part was on country roads along a river and the second part was along a paved trail. It was a pretty run with a few walkers and bikers along the way.

It was pretty flat. The flattest half I have run.

The flatness made me wonder how I would do since it was a new thing for me. My PR (1:52:39) was set on a very downhill course. I finished this race in 1:53:15.

I came in fourth in my age group. I came in less than a minute under the third place runner. I know I could have pushed myself a little more and finished third AND beat my PR.

This knowledge (and regret) will be useful in St. George when I am doubting myself. "No Regrets" became a new mantra for me after this race.

My stomach started acting up the last few miles. The first thing I did when I finished was head to the bathroom. I am just grateful it was after I finished. This experience reminded me how important it is to be careful what I eat the days before I race, especially since my stomach hasn't bothered me as much in the past few months. I can now really tell it is because of my pre-race eating habits.

I thought it was great that it was chip timed even thought it was such a small race. The volunteers were great. And the temperature was perfect for a fall race.

In all honesty, I will probably not run this race again. And not just because I didn't get a medal. Although I think it would be better to spend a little money on medals and less money on the raffle prizes. Another complaint is that the shirts were supposed to be Brooks tech shirts. They were tech but not Brooks. And it is kind of ugly. I also didn't love that they ran out of cups and Gatorade at the finish. I was really thirsty!

My cousin (in-law) Erik ran this race too. I didn't know he was running until he surprised me just before the race. He came in fifth overall and first in his age group.

My awesome support group/race crew/family came to see my finish. LOVE seeing them at the end of a race, even if The Princess thinks I should run faster so I can get an award like Erik.

I am still shocked the hours and days after my races that my legs are so conditioned to do this running thing and are hardly sore at all anymore. Love it!

I can't remember if I blogged about it or just mentioned it on DailyMile last week, but the front of my hip has been bothering me lately. It doesn't hurt when I am not moving my leg, but is quite painful sometimes if I have been sitting or standing still for a while. I am leaning toward a nerve issue because of where it is, how it feels (hot, tingly, and sometimes shooting into different parts of my quad) and how it comes and goes. I tried several different anti-inflammatories that did NOTHING to help. But my Celebrex has been a life-saver.

My hip didn't hurt much the day before the race, but it was pretty sore for the first three miles of the race and then it either stopped hurting or went numb. Either way, I was glad it was gone. It hurt a little after the race, and then I had the hubs pull me up from sitting on the floor later that day and took a huge step that made it hurt A LOT. Since then, it has been pretty sore. I'm giving it a few days off from running before I give in and go to the doctor. Fingers crossed it subsides with a little TLC and a lot of icing.

By the way, have you entered my giveaway yet? It ends tomorrow. For an extra entry, follow Gone for a Run on Twitter. Leave a comment on my giveaway post letting me know!

A race, Rapuzel and other randomness

2011-09-09T10:44:00.003-06:00

Because somehow life has been busier the last two weeks than it was during the summer and I have been so bad at blogging lately, you get an awesome Friday post of randomness.

My race schedule is getting smaller and smaller. And tomorrow, I will take yet another race off the list. I am running the Spanish Fork Half Marathon. I have no idea what the course is like, but I am excited to be able to just run since I paced my last two half marathons. It is also the final of my four races for Run the Slam.

I realized I have Fourth of July and Halloween decorations out. The Fourth of July ones are waiting to be put in the attic when I have the hubs get the Halloween decorations down. And the Halloween decorations that are already out were purchased last week while my mom was here.

I posted a giveaway on Wednesday. Have you entered yet?

This week I realized I may have a little bit of a crush on Flynn Rider from Tangled. Still trying to decide if that means I have a crush on Zachary Levi, aka Chuck, (who does his voice) too? I also realized Little Einsteins is one of the most annoying shows on television.

I am still administering seven types of medication to my Rowdy boy. We are just waiting to see if the eye with the ulcer heals. It will either heal or rupture, which would mean some tough decisions, so we are holding our breath. And keeping our fingers crossed.

I have the best husband ever. I don't talk about him much, but he is amazing and supportive and I wouldn't be a runner without him. He is the reason I am running St. George. After last year, I said I wasn't running another marathon until my girls were older. He knew how disappointed I was in how St. George turned out though, and talked me into at least putting in for the lottery. Then of course I drew out. He has made sure I've had the time to train and has been there to push me when I needed it and talk me through the tough runs. He has way more confidence in me than I do in myself! Yesterday, I ran while my girls were both in school, which meant I was able to run outside. It was still fairly cool in spite of being 10 am, so I channeled some of his confidence in me and finished my 7 miles in 1:02:21, an 8:54 pace.

And last but not least, my little baby Bean turned three on Monday. I am still trying to accept that she is three and no longer my baby. She is an amazing little person with SO much personality. She didn't start talking until she was almost two and a half, which might be why she is one of the most expressive, animated kids I have ever seen. She is also incredibly loving and sensitive. She will randomly give me the biggest hugs and tell me a "I love you sooooo much."

Saturday, she opened her present from Grandma and Grandpa before Grandma headed home to Arizona. When Bean tore off the wrapping paper and saw a shoe box, the look on her face was priceless. She just kept asking why Grandma gave her shoes, until we finally talked her into opening the box.

Then on Monday, she insisted on opening her presents before she even ate breakfast. Her mismatched jammies in the picture say a lot about her crazy little personality.

After the requested pink birthday pancakes, we rode bikes and scooters, one of her favorite things to do. It was awesome that her Daddy was able to be home all day for her birthday. I thought it was also fitting that it was on Labor Day and I was in labor exactly three years before.

To finish off the birthday celebration, we had a little Minnie Mouse themed party Tuesday night, where she got to blow out her candles for a second time in two days, which was one of her favorite parts of her birthday.

Now it's your turn. Since I am behind on my blog reading, tell me some randomness from your life lately!

Gone for a (long) Run giveaway

2011-09-07T21:23:00.000-06:00

Saturday I ventured out for my last long run before the St. George Marathon. It went really well. I finished in just under 3 1/2 hours. And my race team was faithful as always. The Princess and her daddy brought me a Powerade refill (and my forgotten sunglasses) at 13 miles and then the whole crew (including my mom) brought me some ice cold water an hour later. My stomach cooperated, and I only needed one potty stop at the beginning (mostly because I didn't give myself time for it to happen before I headed out the door). And when I finished, my legs felt pretty good. The only soreness was my IT band, which bothered me off and on toward the end, and my Achilles on both feet, which have been a little tender after my longer runs ever since the uphills on the South Valley Half. But by the next day, any sign of the 22 miles I ran had pretty much subsided.

Before I headed out the door, I made sure to put on my ID bracelet. This has become part of my get-ready routine before my outside runs. But this time I was a little more excited about it because I was trying out my new IDmeBand Paracord Safety Bracelet from Gone for a Run.

Here are my thoughts, after wearing the bracelet for 22 miles:

It doesn't stink. Even after 3.5 hours of sweat. That is always a good thing.

It is pink. I love pink.

I didn't notice it. It fits a little looser than I like, but the smaller size was the exact measurement of my wrist and I was afraid it would be too tight. So I just pushed it up my arm until it didn't move and then I didn't even notice it was there.

It is really lightweight and didn't make my arm sweat like my silicone band does.

It was nice to know I had a life-saving device on my wrist, and not just because it contains my identification info. I think it is fascinating the paracord can be uncoiled and used as a tourniquet, a tow rope or a (running) shoe lace.

I am excited that one of you gets to have one too. And you get to choose a blue, black or pink paracord IDmeBAND. Yep, Gone for a Run wants to give one of you the band of your choice.

Here's how you can win (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow my blog. (1 entry - required)

Visit Gone for a Runand tell me which bracelet you would choose and why you want it. (1 entry - required)

LIKE Gone For a Run on Facebook. (1 entry - optional)

Share this giveaway on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. (up to 3 entries - optional)

If you don't win, you can still get your own Paracord IDmeBAND at Gone for a Run. Or check out the silicone IDmeBANDs with adjustable bands, which I think is AWESOME! The winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced on Tuesday, September 13.

*Gone for a Run generously provided the bracelets for the review and to give away in exchange for my unbiased review.

Things I Love Thursday - The Little Things

2011-09-01T17:13:00.001-06:00

Since I don't love that we added a plumbing leak to to the truck and the Rowdy adventures after my last post, I decided I needed to take a minute to focus on some of the things I do love lately.

Sweet notes from The Princess. She gave me the one on the left after my half marathon last weekend. It says: Good Job Mom You Did A Wonderful Job. I Love You Mom So Much. Love The Princess.

Booking our trip to Hawaii and getting a screaming good deal (even though it took over an hour and three different travel web sites to finally nail it down).

Watching my happy girls spin in their new back-to-school clothes!

Getting this package in the mail, which means a Runnerd giveaway is coming soon. Very soon. It was going to be in today's post actually, but I'm still waiting for life to slow down just a little.

BAM! Getting slapped in the face...

2011-08-29T21:25:00.002-06:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks? You know the ones I'm talking about. At the start it seems like it should be an easy, low stress week. But then BAM. From day one, it slaps you in the face. That was last week.

I'll spare you too many details and just give you a quick recap, which I'm sure won't do justice to the amount of stress the week's events created. Things started with a battle between our truck and a railroad crossing arm. You know the ones that come down to keep you from hanging out on the railroad tracks when a train is headed your way. And it wasn't my husband or myself driving the truck. I still haven't decided if that is making it harder or easier. All I know is that since we got the estimate to repair the damage, I get a sick feeling when I think about how much it will cost. Especially when I realize paying to fix the truck could pay for a trip to Disneyland instead.

My baby Bean starting preschool also hasn't been easy. In spite of how tough she was the first day, when Thursday came she cried when I left and then burst into tears again the moment she saw me at pick-up time. I am very much NOT looking forward to tomorrow morning.

My little Bean also got sick at the end of last week to add to the stress in her own little life. We were out of town, visiting my grandparents, so she ended up in a single bed with me with a miserable fever. We were both up off and on as her little body fought the infection.

Then there's my little Rowdy boy. On Wednesday I noticed his eye looked a little bloodshot. Then when I was running that afternoon, I kept hearing a strange noise and finally turned off my music. That funny noise was the little guy yelping every time he rubbed his eye. I called the eye specialist who he sees every six months for his cataracts - the reason he is almost blind - and she suggested I get a cone (of shame, as The Princess calls it) to get him through the night. Then we headed up to the office the next morning, where we found out Rowdy has an ulcer in one eye and his cataract has progressed and he now has glaucoma in the other eye. Initially the doctor said there was a good chance they would need to remove both eyes. So we spent the afternoon contemplating whether or not to have his eyes removed. Fortunately his eyes responded to medical treatment, and we are now administering seven different medications to him each day. But we find out Thursday if the meds are working like they should and what the next step will be. It has been hard to see him in so much pain and to feel so powerless to do anything about it.

Besides the bigger stresses of the week, there were other small things that happened and some crazy busy days thrown in to add to the chaos. I actually got up early to run several times, which is HUGE for me because I will take every minute of sleep I can get. But I can honestly say my runs helped me get through the week. And I am sure there will be more early morning runs in the future. It was actually really nice to start the day running and be able to cross that "to-do" off my list.

I capped off the week with another half marathon as a pacer. I paced the 2:20 group at the Utah Runner Girls Half Marathon. It was nice to run with very little pressure. I waved to all the runners and bikers I passed and made the most of it. Even with the hilly course, the 2:20 was an easy pace to maintain. I finished a little early, but I learned even more about how to keep an even pace and how to pace in general and look forward to doing it again in the future.

Julia took this pic of me in my Utah Race Pacers shirt just getting things started!

Julia and Rachelle ran it too. Be sure to read their race recaps. Julia ran with some friends, and Rachelle won the whole thing! Here are a few photos I stole from them because all my pics from the race are on the hubs' phone and he's at work.

Me, Julia & Rachelle

Needless to say, I was absent from the blog world for the most part last week. I really miss you guys. I feel so out of touch. But things are calming down and life is settling into a schedule and routine, so I'll be catching up soon.

Only Half Crazy: South Valley Half Marathon Race Report

2011-08-23T17:28:00.004-06:00

We've been packing in the fun these last few days of summer before The Princess starts kindergarten next week. Bean started preschool today and said goodbye this morning without any tears. Probably good or I might have lost it. But it was fun to spend a little time with just The Princess, since that doesn't happen very often.

Anyhow, as far as running goes, I managed to pace the 2:15 group at the South Valley Half without any notable incidences or accidents, so I am considering pacing again in the (possibly near) future. The course was off a little, so when I thought it was going to be short 2/10ths of a mile, I slowed down. I was worried I would finish two or three minutes early, based on my time, and the goal was to be within a minute of the pace time. When I passed the mile 12 sign, it still looked like the course would be short. But when my watch hit 13.1 miles, I still couldn't see the finish line. When I finished, my watch said 13.23 miles, 2:16:44. Most of the other pacers ended up with similar results, so I tried not to be too disappointed in the result.

In spite of it getting warm towards the end and a tough course with 3+ continuous miles of uphill (I just told myself the hills were good practice for St. George), I had a lot of fun and would certainly do the race again. It was a smaller race than the last few I have done, so it would be fun to see how I could do if I really ran it.

As far as pacing goes, it wasn't too bad holding the sign the entire time except in the last few miles when it got windy and my thumb got tired from holding the sign so it wouldn't hit me in the head. But the sign also came in handy to block the sun during a lot of the race. I was a little worried about wearing a shirt I'd never worn before, but I didn't notice it at all. And the bright yellow made it easy to pick me out in the race photos.

I changed back into my own shirt before I took pics with Blaine (who is off the hook since I didn't crash and burn) and Whitney (an awesome blogger who won her race entry through my blog), otherwise Blaine and I would have been twinners in this pic:

Blaine, Whitney & Me

I have to say this race has one of the COOLEST logos. Both the medal and the shirt are awesome! And thanks again to Aly for letting me be a part of such a great race.

My Tommie Boys

2011-08-19T11:10:00.001-06:00

My long run will not only be a little shorter tomorrow at 13.1 miles, but it will also be a lot slower. I am pacing the 2:15 group at the South Valley Half Marathon tomorrow. I'm still not sure why I said I would do it, but I did. If I end up a terrible mess of a runner, I will blame Blaine.

It makes me feel a little better that I can run it 23 minutes slower than I ran my last half marathon. But I'm a little nervous about holding a sign for over two hours. And I'm not a big talker while I run - one of the reasons running solo suits me, so it could be interesting if someone wants to chat for 13.1 miles.

So tomorrow I'll need an entirely different kind of luck when I line up at the start. If you happen to be running the race, look for me and come say hi! I'll be the blonde wearing a bright green pacer shirt, holding the 2:15 pacer sign.

And now, since I never got around to my Things I Love Thursday yesterday because I was too busy getting my tempo run done and basking in the glory of not finding yet another excuse to put it off, I'll tell you about something I have been loving today! Here's a hint:

I received a pair of Tommie Copper calf sleeves and a pair of knee sleeves a few weeks ago. I have been wearing the calf sleeves almost every day since, and I love them. I have two other brands of compression socks and calf sleeves, and I have always loved how they make my legs feel after I run. But there are a few things that are quickly making the Tommie Coppers my favorite. First is how lightweight they are. I can even wear them under jeans without getting too hot, which is a first. Honestly, I don't even notice they are there. I have also worn then on a few of my longer runs, especially when my shins have been a little sore, and they have made a huge difference in how my legs feel during and after my runs.

I also like that the compression is not so tight that I can hardly get them on, but it is just tight enough to do its job. And the silky smooth fabric helps them slide right on.
According to the Tommie Copper web site, here are some of the things that make the compression sleeves so perfect (at least for me):

... all Tommie Copper products are manufactured using a proprietary compression fabric combined with copper infused yarn that by design is so comfortable you may forget you are wearing it.

Copper stimulates the immune system to fight infections, repair injured tissues, and promote healing. Copper also helps to neutralize "free-radicals" which can cause severe damage to cells.

I also tried the knee sleeves. I have never really liked longer compression shorts because I don't like anything tight on the back of my legs just above my knees. I found the same thing to be true with the knee sleeves. I tried wearing them during they day several times, but always ended up taking them off pretty quickly. Yet I don't notice them as much when I sit still or lie down, so I wear my Tommie Copper knee sleeve to bed when my knee bothers me. And every time I have worn a knee sleeve to bed, my knee has been happy the next morning.

So if you are a fan of compression or have been thinking about trying it out, you should head on over to the Tommie Copper web site. In addition to calf and knee sleeves, there are ankle and elbow sleeves, gloves and compression shirts. You can also find Tommie Copper on Facebook and Twitter.

*Tommie Copper generously provided the knee and calf sleeves for free in exchange for my unbiased review.

Running from Tempo

2011-08-15T20:01:00.000-06:00

Saturday's 20 miles were great. Runs like that are what keep me from bailing on marathon training and sitting home on marathon day. I finished in 3:11:40, a 9:34 pace. When I finished, I told the hubs I could have run another 6.2 if I had to, although I'm sure it helped that I had my own little race crew for the last five miles. At 15 miles, I stopped to fill up my handheld at a convenience store and my family met me there. It was perfect timing because I needed a little pick-me-up after two miles of running into the sun and against some serious wind.

Then my fam surprised me and met me every mile after that. It was awesome to look forward to my own little cheering squad, and the hubs had ice cold water and pieces of ice that got me through the last three miles. Although I was hydrated with more than 32 ounces of Powerade, I was totally craving cold water.

After my girls cheered me across the imaginary finish line, we headed over to watch the BYU football team at an open practice. Once we were too hot and the Bean had said "let's go" too many times, we headed to the water park. It was a pretty perfect Saturday!

This week's "long" run will be a little shorter. I have the South Valley Half on Saturday. But there are still three runs before then, and one of them is a tempo run. Last week, I loved every minute of my speed intervals. I have always loved speedwork, but tempo runs are a different story. There is no love there.

I know a lot of it is mental because this week's workout is 5 miles at what happens to be my half marathon pace. If I have run 13.1 at that pace, why does 5 scare me so much? You'd be amazed at how many excuses I can come up with to avoid a tempo run. But there will be no avoiding it this week. It will be done.

What are your tricks or tips for getting through a tempo run? Maybe I'll have to make this my new tempo run mantra:

Picture stolen from Fast Cory's blog

Booty Shakin'

2011-08-10T15:14:00.001-06:00

The winner (chosen by Random.org) of the random giveaway was comment #27, the amazing Miss Zippy. Please send your mailing info to ihaverun@hotmail.com, and I'll get your stuff on its way.

And so the rest of you don't go away without a smile, here's a little booty shake for you, courtesy of Bean:

80s Movies Rock My Runs

2011-08-09T11:33:00.003-06:00

Did I watch Girls Just Want to Have Fun while I ran ten miles on Saturday? Yes I did. Did it have a crazy amount of 80s stereotypes in the first 15 minutes? Another yes. Was it pure awesome entertainment? Another big YES. I might have to make classic 80s movies a long run staple.

Seriously, how can you resist a movie with these lines in it:

Velcro. Next to the Walkman and Tab it is the coolest invention of the 20th Century!

Janey: Do you have a date or something?
Lynne: No I wish, I just know I must be horny.

He's a boy and he's alive, what's there to hate?

Whenever I'm in a room with a guy, no matter who it is - a date my dentist, anybody - I think, 'If we were the last two people on Earth, would I puke if he kissed me?'

What is your favorite 80s movie? And it doesn't matter if you weren't born until the late 80s or even the 90s, you can't tell me you haven't seen The Breakfast Club, Say Anything, Ferris Bueller's Day Off or Better Off Dead. And if you can, it's time to hit the video store or update your Netflix queue because you are missing out.

Now here are some more answers to your questions...

Running Ricig said...
Did you always love Millie as much as you do now? At first, Millie was just a necessary evil. Even with a jogging stroller, I couldn't run with my girls when it was too cold or too hot. So I got a treadmill. I grew to like it, and then I fell in love. My Letter To My Treadmill post was really the turning point.

Are you as much fun in real life as you seem on your blog? Apparently I have you fooled.

Julia said...
How do you keep that love for the TM going? Can you please share some of it? :) My ten mile run on Saturday was a reminder of why the treadmill is so great. I watched an entire movie while running, made four trips to the potty (15 feet away), and turned the A/C down so it was blowing on me almost the entire run. What isn't there to love?

What's your favorite thing to do with your girls? My favorite thing with my girls is bedtime. And not because it's bedtime. But because it is my guaranteed one-on-one time with my girls every day. They are quiet and calm and snuggly. First I read, rock and sing with my Bean. Then it's The Princess's turn, only we read, sing and then I snuggle her in her bed while she talks about the random things from her day. When Bean was born, we were going to have them share a room, but Bean is a light sleeper and The Princess talks in her sleep (a lot), so that wasn't going to work. We might reconsider it as they get older, but then bedtime would be a group activity and I would really miss that mom and me time.

Favorite summer time activity? Seven Peaks water park has been one of our favorite activities this year because the girls are finally old enough to enjoy it! I also love pushing my girls on the swings in the backyard, which happens almost every day. It is so fun to listen to their little thoughts and conversations while they swing.

Can we hang out soon? I see another trip to Yogurtland in my near future. But we might want to sit outside this time so we can hear each other.

Fair Weather Runner said...
Favorite trashy useless tv show (if you have one) and/or, what's your guilty pleasure? Bethenney Ever After is my guilty pleasure show, although I only watch about 10-15 minutes at a time while I roll or ice my muscles. And my guilty pleasure? Reading running blogs. I usually should be doing something else, but I just can't resist.

Rachelle Wardle said...
What is your favorite distance to run? 13.1 Probably good since I'll have finished at least five by the end of the year.

How do you stay so stinking skinny and so cute? I don't think of myself as skinny. And I honestly would be a lot heavier if I didn't run. I gained 25+ pounds in college, and I'm sure that number would have continued to climb if I hadn't done something about it.

What is your favorite restaurant? I tried to pick one, but I couldn't do it. I love good Italian or Mexican (not much of that around here). Carrabbas is yummy. And I have Cafe Rio almost once a week, so that says something. I love food too much to play favorites though.

Favorite post run fuel? Chocolate milk!!

Today is the last day to enter my giveaway! Winner announced tomorrow.

Friends and Guests

2011-08-04T14:57:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite things about running is the friends I have made. Yesterday, I met these awesome girls at Yogurtland (of course):

Rachelle, Julia, Ash, Jen & Me
And today I went to lunch with Alicia. I didn't think to take a picture, probably because it felt nothing like a blogger meet-up and everything like lunch with a friend, and I don't typically take pictures when I got to lunch with a friend.

One thing both outings had in common: my girls. They got to tag along. Everyone is always so nice to put up with them, especially because my kids aren't always the most patient kids in the world. And the less patient they get, the more they like to bug each other. Fun stuff.

Yesterday I mentioned I took part in The Great Big Bloggy Post Exchange. (You can read my post HERE.) Today you get to meet Deanne of I Am Not a Runner and enjoy her great post:

So, you’ve made the decision to start getting in shape… good for you! I made that decision two years ago, after my second child was born. One year after my third child was born, I am in the best shape of my life and I weigh ten pounds less now than before I had my first child. I ran my first half-marathon in May and just finished my first triathlon. I’m not here to lecture anyone or chastise anyone’s lifestyle — I was there. I was lazy, never exercised consistently and was on yo-yo diets. So how did I do it? Here are a few of my tips:

1. Find something you enjoy doing. For me, it was running. I had never run in my life, other than when I had to. My husband had been cycling a lot, and to cross-train he decided to start running (he had run in high school). A friend of mine decided she was going to take a 5k training class, so I decided I might want to try it too. For you it could be swimming, running, walking, cycling, yoga, Zumba (a sort of dance/aerobic exercise) or any number of things.

2. Get a training partner, if you can. My friend attended the class, while I trained myself on the treadmill. We would compare notes on how our training was going, and seeing her progress pushed me to increase mine.

3. Get a goal for yourself. Whether it’s weight loss, BMI, body fat percentage, a certain distance, etc. Have a goal that you want to accomplish.

4. Have a training plan. Plans are available online for free or for a small cost, depending on what your goal is. See a personal trainer at a gym. Have a plan that forces you to do a certain distance or time each day or each week. If you have a plan to get you to your goal, you are more likely to stick to it. Put your training time on your schedule. Do what works for you -- first thing in the morning, lunchtime, right after work, after the kids are in bed -- whatever works for your schedule.

5. Go out of your comfort zone. Push yourself to go further than you think you can go. Even if it’s little by little. I started off not being able to run more than a ¼ of a mile. This month, I am scheduled to run in my first half marathon. I’ve completed 12 miles in training, but not without a little anguish. If I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone and do what I thought I was not capable of doing, I could not have come this far.

By no means do I think that I am an expert on fitness. Many people have asked for my “story,” and I thought I would just give my advice … and like they say, please check with your doctor before beginning any fitness or exercise plan.

Things I Love Thursday - Maple Bars & PJs

2011-08-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Before I get to (some of) your questions, I wanted to let you know I participated Paula's (aka "P" @ Adventures of an Average Athlete) Great Big Bloggy Post Exchange. My post appeared today on Laura's Boise-full Life. It has been fun to find some great new blogs and get to know some new blogging runners. So once you are done finding out some fascinating stuff about me here, head on over to Laura's blog to "Be Inspired" cuz I'm not sure the answers to your questions will qualify as inspiration.

Christy said...
What do love most about running and what do you hate most about it? It's hard to pick one thing I love, but it is probably the challenge. I still have times, like when I looked in the mirror at myself at 3:30 am before my last race, when I wonder Who am I? and can then answer it with I am a runner. I love that I am doing something I never thought I could or would do. As far as hating goes, I don't really hate anything about it. If there is one thing I could change, it would be my post-run stomach issues. But at least they always wait until I'm finished running!

What is you favorite pre workout fuel? I haven't mastered that yet. Might be part of the stomach problems. Before my races lately, I've gotten takeout from a pasta place. I get bow tie pasta with half meat sauce/half Alfredo. Before a regular run, it's usually just whatever we have for dinner because I run after my girls go to bed.

What are your favorite pajamas? These:

Do you think maple bars or bear claws are better? Maple bars. Especially maple bars from Krispie Kreme.

misszippy said...
If you couldn't run, what sport would you do instead? I don't do sports. I am afraid of flying balls and took Spanish dance in high school to avoid PE class. Although I really enjoyed Powder Puff football my senior year of high school, come to think of it. I don't think I would be playing football though. I have to say it would probably be cycling. I started running because it was something I could do with my girls and I can say the same thing about cycling. But I can't imagine loving my stationary bike like I love Millie.

I know your kids are young--are you finished or will you have more? In spite of the fact that The Princess begs for a baby brother, I am finished. I'm sure it would be a girl if we had another one anyway, so I'm just saving her the disappointment.

Christi said...
This is my standard question...Brad Pitt or George Clooney? Oooo, that's a tough one. Once upon a time, I would have said Brad Pitt without a moment of hesitation. But I'm starting to lean more toward George these days. Does that mean I'm getting older or just smarter?

That's it for now. Gotta get my girls to bed. More answers to come...

Get some GU and other stuff

2011-08-03T11:13:00.001-06:00

I lied. I have too much going on with work (and play) to answer your questions today. So you'll have to wait until tomorrow. That means you get tomorrow's planned post today instead. And it's a giveaway! Here's what you get:

Runnerd Sticker (of course)

Raspberry PowerBar Energy Blasts

Lemon Lime GU Brew

Apple-Cinnamon Hammer Gel

Strawberry GU Chomps

Brooks Playing Cards

LiveSTRONG Bracelet (youth size but it fits me and most women)

It's just a fun, random giveaway because my readers are so awesome. Here's how you can enter to win:

Follow my blog. Leave a comment telling me you do. (1 entry)
Follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter. Leave another comment telling me where you follow. (1 entry)
Blog, Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway. Leave a comment telling me you did. (Up to 3 entries)

The giveaway will end on Wednesday, August 10.

Race Report: Timpanogos Half Marathon 2011

2011-08-02T17:53:00.003-06:00

I ran the Timpanogos Half Marathon on Saturday. I was a little unsure of what to expect of myself in the days leading up to the race. After being sick for over a week and two short runs on Wednesday and Thursday that were more difficult than normal because I still had a cough and congestion, I was afraid to even set any goals. Of course I wanted to PR, and a sub-1:55 would have been even more awesome, but I didn't set out with either of those goals solidified in my mind because I still wasn't feeling 100% when I went to bed Friday night. I did, however, get to bed at 8 pm, so I knew at least I would be fairly well rested.

The 5:40 am start time meant I rolled out of bed at 3:20 am. Because the hubs is working nights, the babysitter got there at 4 am. One of the best things about the race was how close to home it was. It took less than 10 minutes to get to the parking lot, where I met Julia, Rachelle, Becky and Alisha.

Me, Julia, Becky & Alisha

On my third trip to the potty, the gun went off (while I was inside). Luckily the start was close to the port-o-potties, so I got out there and started. Gotta love chip timing!

The course was beautiful and just downhill enough to be fast but not painful. It was shady and overcast the entire race. It was cool but not cold at the start and it never got too hot. It was really ideal in almost every way.

There were a few times I felt like I couldn't get a deep enough breath and there were several runners that looked startled when had to clear my throat, but my lingering cold didn't seem to affect me too much overall. During the race, I carried my handheld full of PowerAde. I walked through every other aid station and drank a cup of water. Sometime within the last five miles, I caught up to Blaine who was pacing the 1:55 group. I quickly introduced myself and then said I hoped to beat his pace time and waved goodbye. About mile 10, I realized I never used my energy gel and decided it probably wasn't worth it at the point. With three miles to go, I knew there was a good chance I would PR if I could maintain around a 9-minute pace. With two miles to go, I knew I could run a 10-minute pace and still PR. So I slowed down.

What??? That's exactly what I thought as I hit the final mile. Why did I slow down if I didn't need to? My IT band was actually doing pretty well considering all the downhill. My legs were tired but not beat. And I felt good mentally. So I kicked it back into gear to finish strong. And I did, with a three and a half minute PR.

1:52:39 chip time
38/148 in my age group
165/721 female

Julia, Me, Rachelle

Julia finished just after me and we exchanged a sweaty congratulatory hug since she got an awesome PR too. Then we ran into Rachelle, who ran an amazing race.

Not much of a race report, but it was a great race and one that I will certainly do again. I will have more about my thoughts during the race in a guest post later this week, so I'll be sure to let you know when and where that appears.

Also check back tomorrow for answers to your burning questions. You still have time to ask if there is something you are dying to know.

Things I Love Thursday - Running Bliss

2011-07-28T14:25:00.001-06:00

After several days of not running (of not really doing anything at all) last week, I finally had my energy back and was feeling like giving running a try. So I set out for the water park on Saturday morning. For 12 miles, I remembered why I love running. My legs felt good. There was lots of shade. My potty/water stops were spaced perfectly. Even with my lungs not at 100%, runs don't come much better than this. My family picked me up a little over a mile from the water park so we could stop and get some chocolate milk and I could do a quick change into my bathing suit (in the car - I'm skilled like that).

While I was running, I realized I could compare my run to the wedding tradition...

Something Old - I have a pair of SmartWool socks that I've had for a few years and have worn off and on. I wore them for a long run last month and have worn them for every long run since. I love them. I always thought my WrightSocks were the best for blister prevention, but my SmartWools are even better. I have noticed a few hot spots, but they haven't turned into blisters even on my longest runs. And they actually keep my feel pretty cool and dry, in spite of being wool!

Something New - I haven't been listening to music on any of my outdoor long runs. This is a first for me. I have always listened to music indoors and outside and racing. It has been surprisingly nice. I have been amazed at how steady my pace stays and how easily the time and miles pass without it. Now I just have to decide if I will run with or without it during my half on Saturday.

Something Borrowed - On one of my DailyMile posts, Becky L. suggested paying attention to my cadence to help my ITB issues. I discovered I already have a pretty quick cadence, but paying attention to it and keeping it steady at a 170-180/min really seemed to help. My IT band was considerably better on this long run than on the past few. I have also been doing the ITB rehab exercises Lydia H. recommended in the same post comments.

Something Blue - I am digging the Mountain Blast blue Powerade. Hopefully this will make it easier at races because I have seen it at a lot of them. Too often there hasn't been something my stomach can handle, so I've had to stick to water or take my handheld.

What is something old, something new, something borrowed or something blue in your running world?

**If there is anything you just need to know about me, now is your chance. Be sure to ask me your questions on my Q&A post. **

Tell Me What's On Your Mind

2011-07-26T22:04:00.001-06:00

It finally happened. Someone (Suzy) noticed I haven't been tagged, so now it's my turn for the Q&A. So ask me anything. About running? Sure. About me? Go for it. About my family? I'll probably answer. So get your thinking hats on and see what you can come up with because it's time for:

CANDICE

Since I went on a mini-vacay and unplugged for a few days, I am really not sure who to tag. So I'm just going to hope the following haven't been tagged already:

Farrah @ My Own Calcutta
Alicia @ Alicia Runs
Fair Weather Runner @ Fair Weather Runner
Kara @ It's a Dog Lick Baby World
Shelly @ It's Just One Foot in Front of the Other

Every Day I'm Shufflin' and other "mantras"

2011-07-22T01:36:00.001-06:00

During my long run on Monday, I realized I was repeating the same line over and over again: "Every day I'm shufflin'." Yep, those are words to LMFAO's* Party Rock Anthem.

It wasn't something I ever thought would be a mantra, but it worked. And it's how I felt. But at least it had a good beat and kept me moving. It also got me thinking.

What is a mantra? According to one of the many online dictionaries, it is an "often repeated expression or idea: an expression or idea that is repeated, often without thinking about it, and closely associated with something."

I realized the ihaverun household uses mantras ALL. THE. TIME. Here are just a few:

The light is red. The family mantra whenever we stop at a red light and Bean repeatedly screams, "Go, Mom!"

Right here, Rowdy. The words we repeat to guide our poor blind little Rowdy back in the house because he keeps walking into the wall or the bikes or the bushes or he is just standing with a deer in the headlights look because he momentarily lost his sense of direction.

Love you goodnight see you in nine minutes. The lack of punctuation is on purpose because it is said in one big breath. It has to be the last thing The Princess says and hears whenever someone checks on her at bedtime, every "nine" minutes.

Go lady. The Bean's mantra whenever cars around us are moving but we are not. As you can tell, she's not the most patient passenger. I still haven't figured out if she is talking to the person in the car in front of us or if she is talking to me.

What are we doing fun today? The question I hear from The Princess every morning and every day after naps.

What? This actually isn't my favorite word, but it's probably the one I say the most. Sometimes it's because I don't understand what the Bean is saying in her 2-year-old language. Other times because The Princess talks quietly when she doesn't want to get in trouble for something or doesn't want her sister to hear. And a lot of the time simply because I have hearing loss in one ear (not because I'm old; been that way since I was little) and can't hear what people are saying if there is a lot of other noise.

What do you want for dinner? Typically a weekend mantra, this question is exchanged several times between me and the hubs, sometimes with the addition of "I don't know."

What are your non-running mantras?

*For the record, whenever I see LMFAO, my mind translates it to laughing my fat a$$ off.

Not Running Sucks

2011-07-21T19:50:00.000-06:00

I thought today might be the day I run again. The fever, chills and body aches are gone. But the cough and a newly developed ear infection are keeping me off the treadmill again tonight. I just spent some time with the good old Internet, trying to figure out if I can use my Bean's ear drops that she got for possible ear infection with her tubes for my ear infection. I don't feel like going to the doctor to find out what I already know. And her ear drops expire next month, so I might as well get some use out of them.

Speaking of my Bean. Today the girls decided it would be fun to play with their winter scarves, mittens, coats, etc. It was like finding treasures they forgot they had. Bean even had to wear some of her finds to the grocery store.

She likes having her picture taken about as much as I do. I considered taking a pic of myself this morning since I had to get dressed in a non-mom outfit for a work meeting and was going to share my rare appearance in heels and slacks with you, but it didn't happen. So you'll have to make do with the picture of my Bean. She cuter anyway.

That's pretty much it for the excitement around here. Can I just say how much I'm enjoying reading all your Q&As? You are a bunch of funny, fascinating people!

Boob Sweat and Blue Powerade

2011-07-19T17:57:00.000-06:00

Some days things don't go as planned. Saturday was one of those days. While my 18-miler was postponed until Monday, the trip to the water park still happened. It's all about priorities. And while getting all my long runs done during this training cycle is a huge priority, spending the day with my family came first. I'd hoped to squeeze a few miles in at some point, but it just didn't happen. So I lived vicariously through all of you and your weekend runs.

I did manage to get out the door early Monday morning for my long run. So as far as I'm concerned, last week ended around 9:30 yesterday morning. I had 18 planned. Six miles in, my IT band started talking to me. By mile 10, I was hurting pretty bad. I called the hubs at mile 14 and told him I might have to cut it short. Said I would call him at 16 and let him know for sure. I could tell the pain and tightness was affecting my running form, so when I hit the 16 mile mark, I slowed to a walk. I was literally limping. That's when I reminded myself that listening to my body and quitting early are two different things. Called my hubs and he and the girls met me a few minutes later with a tall, cold bottle of chocolate milk.

I rolled out my legs, iced my knee and limped around the house the rest of the day. Last night, I finally started to walk normal. Today, I just feel a twinge of pain now and then. Since this week only has five days in it after last week's long run yesterday and I have four scheduled runs, I had a short recovery run planned for today. But when last night's sore throat turned into a full fledged cold this morning, I decided there would be no running. I'm hoping the chills and body aches are gone tomorrow, and I can spend some time with Millie. At least having a cold today meant a rest day for my ITB. And a chance to catch up on some blog reading, since I was in my jammies before 5:00 pm and don't plan on doing anything that can't be done sitting while sitting until I go to bed (early).

Hopefully between my past experience with a nagging IT band injury and some great advice from my DailyMile friends, this won't be an issue much longer.

Was that boring enough for you? Here are some (hopefully more interesting) random running thoughts I've had lately:

I am not losing weight. It doesn't help that I'm always starving. Those two pieces of German Chocolate Cake I had last night probably aren't helping either. Or the Muddy Buddies I made the other day. Or the dozens of Pumpkins Chocolate Chip cookies I consumed last week. Or my recent obsession with chocolate Twizzlers.
Why are all energy gel flavors sweet? Something sweet is the last thing I want while I'm running. Apparently that's the only time though.
I have been able to gag down one CarbBoom during each of my last my two long runs. I go for either watermelon or grape pomegranate.
Since convenience stores usually only have Berry Blast (you know, the neon blue kind) Powerade on tap, I am learning to like it.
What is with the boob sweat? I mean, really, is it normal that this is the first (and sometimes only) place I have visible sweat? This was yesterday, after 9 miles. Nice, huh? Last week's boob sweat was bigger and apparently more fancy because The Princess said it looked like a flower. Too bad I didn't get a picture of that one.

The perfect shirt for runners and potty trainees everywhere

2011-07-15T17:03:00.001-06:00

Y'all love some fry sauce. Or are at least willing to try it. Or have tried it, unaware that it was fry sauce. Now I just need to resist a trip to In-N-Out, because I don't think that is the best fuel for tomorrow's long run.

I'm hoping the long run goes much better than last night's speedwork, which kicked my booty. I got all six 800s done and called it good at five miles. It was almost 10 pm, and I was beat. So I read some blogs while I drank my chocolate milk, showered and went to bed.

I think the fact that I am running to and meeting my family at a water park tomorrow morning should keep me motivated. And since my boring little run won't really be Twitter worthy, here's something that is: Mike's 20in24.

And before I call it the weekend and order my new pre-long-run pasta take-out, here's an ad I saw today that made me think of Beth. And runners everywhere. And my recently potty trained daughter. Because this is indeed an important event.

Things I Love Thursday - Running ... with some sauce on top

2011-07-14T15:39:00.001-06:00

When my husband left for work, I told him to have fun. His response was, "But I don't get to spend a few hours doing my hobby." That's because he knows my fun plans tonight are 7 miles of speedwork on the treadmill. And I am excited. Hobby, passion, interest, obsession, whatever you want to call it, I love running.

But that's something you already know I love. Today's thing I love was motivated by this Tweet yesterday: "Dear Utah, Your 'fry sauce.' It's freaking gross. Emz"

Image Source

I LOVE fry sauce. Fry sauce was a part of my life even before I moved to Utah. While I was growing up, my mom would whip up some fry sauce anytime we had french fries.

What is fry sauce? A mixture of ketchup and mayo. Some places/people use bbq sauce and mayo and then call it ultimate fry sauce. It is mighty tasty too. And if you really want to get crazy, you can ask for some sides of spread at In-N-Out (they have it prepacked just for people like me; it's the same stuff that goes on the burgers) and dip your fries in it. It's basically fry sauce with relish in it. And yes, I'm aware that fry sauce is SOOOO not healthy. I could probably stop eating fried food altogether if there wasn't fry sauce in the world. Did you know it's also awesome with corn dogs?

Have you tried fry sauce? Do you like it?

Ladybug Lovin'

2011-07-13T16:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday after I ran three measly (and way too hard for three) miles, The Princess wanted to go for a walk. She has been asking for a few days when we can go for a walk, so we decided to finally make it happen. The main reason for the walk? So she could push Emerson, her doll that she treats like a real baby and takes EVERYWHERE, in her stroller. So of course Bean had to push her doll in a stroller too.

After I stopped to take that picture of my girls, I noticed a ladybug on the giant weed next to me. Then I noticed another. And another. And another. I looked at the nearby weed bushes and there were ladybugs everywhere!

This picture doesn't do justice to how many there actually were. But if you look closely, you'll see a few of them doing something that A LOT of them were doing. I don't know if it is ladybug mating season or what, but there was some serious loving (or piggyback rides if you are under the age of six) going on.

We made sure to let Bean know ladybugs are good bugs. We've had to do that with rollie pollie bugs too. Otherwise she sees a bug and automatically steps on it. Or brings it to me. Three times in one week, Bean came up to me, said "here Mom" so I would hold out my hand, and placed a bug in it. I don't hold out my hand anymore when I hear the words "here Mom." The Princess however doesn't even want us to step on ants because they are "little creatures."

So that is how I got over my craptastic three miles. Ladybug watching.

I didn't however have to get over the 15 miles I ran on Saturday. I started from home and planned where my family would come pick me up later that morning. My IT band started bothering me around mile ten (it NEVER bothers me on the treadmill, thus the effort to do more outdoor runs and get my IT band used to the difference), so I couldn't have been happier when I saw my little family standing next to the trail about two miles later. It was the perfect surprise at the perfect time. They gave me kisses and love, and off I went no longer thinking about my leg. Then I saw them again just as I hit 14 miles. My IT band was on fire, and I was tempted to hop in the car and call it good, but I decided I didn't want to be a quitter with a single mile to go. So fueled by seeing my favorite people again and knowing I would climb in a cool car with them in less than 10minutes, I finished it. And finished strong. It was my fastest mile of the 15! Eventually I will plug in my Garmin and find out exactly how fast, but not right now. So just take my word for it.

And Monday, I started my weekly addition of 1 mile barefoot. This is supposed to help prevent lower leg injuries. And since my right shin and calf act up sometimes on the treadmill (but never on outside runs of course), I figure I'll give it a try.

Raindrops on roses...not so much

2011-07-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

I ran 15 miles on Saturday and a barefoot mile today (in addition to four in shoes), but why talk about those things when I can share some of my favorite random things, thanks to Rachelle tagging me!

Favorite Thing to Photograph

My girls (although I actually didn't take this picture)

Favorite Thing to Cook

Cupcakes, cookies, brownies. I'm all about the baked goods, mostly because they are my favorite thing to EAT.

Favorite Way to Exercise

Running, of course

Favorite Movie

I love movies and have a lot of favorites, but this has been a constant on my list.

Favorite Article of Clothing

I was going to say jeans, because I could wear jeans every single day. But I could survive without wearing jeans for a week. I couldn't survive without my running shoes for a week.

Favorite Flower

Tulips

Favorite Breakfast

French toast!

Favorite Cartoon Character

I love Rapunzel and Flynn and Belle and the frog in Gnomeo and Juliet. I could probably list about 20 cartoon characters that I love, but Snoopy is my favorite. Because he's a writer.

Favorite Book

It is IMPOSSIBLE to pick a favorite. For a list of just a few, check out THIS POST.

Favorite Place to Be

Anywhere with my family

Favorite Place to Visit

Hawaii

I suppose I should tag some of you. So if you haven't been tagged already and you are reading this, consider yourself tagged. I wouldn't want to play favorites. Get it? Favorites? I am too funny.

Photo sources
French toast
Tulips

Comfort Zones

2011-07-05T15:45:00.000-06:00

I've spent time with some amazing runners in the past month. And each experience has been completely different. Here's a little insight into why.

This:
was totally out of my comfort zone. Meeting new people. In a large group. Feeling old. And slow. And not nearly as cute as everyone else.

This:
was mildly more in my comfort zone. Mostly new people. In another group. New situation. I never run with people. But at least I was running.

And this:
was perfect. One on one. With an amazing person and friend. Talked about running and everything else. And I'm even fine with the fact that this picture means I should change my header image to one of Skipper (you know, Barbie's littler/smaller - but in our case not younger - sister that has a cuteness equal to Barbie's hotness).

I am not really one of those people that tries to find new things to do to help me get out of my comfort zone. I'm pretty sure it's called a COMFORT zone for a reason. And I like to be comfortable. But I don't regret the Yogurtland meeting. Or running with that group this past Saturday. Running has forced me to step outside my comfort zone, and I'm sure it will continue to do so.

I just have to remind myself that spending time with other runners is sometimes like running. You don't regret the runs you do, even if they are hard.
And sometimes they will be hard.
But you do regret the runs you don't do.

Think, think, think

2011-07-01T20:57:00.002-06:00

A person has A LOT of time to think while driving for 12+ hours. While my girls were little angels in the backseat, I did just that. Think.

Just a few of my random thoughts...

I wonder what it would be like to run from my house (in Utah) to my parents' house (in Arizona). This road has a pretty wide shoulder. I wonder how many miles that is. And how long it would take. Probably wouldn't want to do it this time of year though.

79 degrees. That's more like it.

I am really bored.

Is it raining? There aren't any clouds though. Ewwww, it's bugs. It's raining bugs!

I need new windshield wipers.

No one has called or texted me in a while. Someone call or text me.

I love the voice record feature thing on my phone that turns what I say into typed words. I just wish it understood me better. I'm going to end up texting something totally inappropriate one of these times, and I'm not sure anyone will believe it was my phone's fault.

I also did some real thinking. About real things. Put some effort into thinking about things I try to avoid. Things I don't really want to have to think about but know I should. Things that really matter. Having the time to think was good.

Considering what the day meant - leaving grandma's, endless hours in the car, getting home way past everyone's bedtime - it was a good day.

Swimming, Sweets, Sweat and Sheets

2011-06-25T15:52:00.003-06:00

I made a deal with a friend that I would take advantage of being on vacation a little more by unplugging if he will get more sleep. So as long as he keeps up his end of the deal, I won't be posting again until the end of next week. So enjoy this. And then be sure to come back because I have an awesome giveaway in the works.

Swimming
My girls are NOT big fans of the Arizona heat (neither is their mom). But they are huge fans of swimming. And because the pool is in the backyard at Grandpa's and Grandma's, we have been able to do just that at least once, if not twice, a day since we got to Arizona.

Sweets
Within a 24 hour period, I consumed a strawberry colada snow cone topped with cream from Bahama Bucks, mint ice cream with brownies from Cold Stone, and three cookies from Paradise Bakery. And I had a goal to NOT GAIN WEIGHT while on this vacation?!? I'm back on track today, eating more like a normal person. But those were a yummy 24 hours!

Sweat
Holy hot. We've established is is hot here. Yet I have NEVER been drenched in sweat like I was after running 6.5 miles outside this morning. My mom took my girls for a walk, so I decided to run outside rather than on the treadmill. However, running at 7 am in Arizona is nothing like 7 am in Utah. The sun was blazing and the temps were in the 90s. I was a good girl though, and took my handheld. The 16 ounces of water were gone by 4 miles, so I stopped and bought a Powerade at Sonic because Walgreens was still closed. And there was only a swallow of Powerade left when I finished my run. I realized I can drink a lot when it is hot without needing to pee. Apparently everything I drank came out as sweat. The Princess even told me I needed to shower before I went swimming because my sweat was disgusting. When I told her I wasn't showering, she said I at least needed to wash my face. There was literally not a spot on my body that wasn't wet.

Sheets
Yesterday my mom got an email from Bed Bath and Beyond about some new sheets. Or I should say Sheex. After watching the video in the email, I'm thinking we all need these sheets. Who knew sheets could be almost magic?

Seriously though, if they weren't so spendy, I'd be tempted.

Things I Love Thursday - Runner Pride

2011-06-23T22:55:00.000-06:00

I almost didn't post today, but then I read this blog post:

Proud to Be a Runner - Slow or Otherwise

I love it.

On the Go(tein)

2011-06-22T21:22:00.001-06:00

I didn't forget about my Gotein giveaway. I've just been busy enjoying the running, napping and swimming. I'm on vacation. Which is also why, in spite of good intentions to post a reminder about the giveaway yesterday, I never got around to it. I spent the day driving to Arizona.

This morning, I started my vacation with five miles on the treadmill. You may remember from my Arizona trip last summer, though, that running on my parents' treadmill is a different experience than running on Millie. Their treadmill is in their garage. So even at 6:30 in the morning, it is toasty warm. I just tell myself it's good training in case it is ridiculously hot for the St. George Marathon again this year.

Now what you are really here to find out! The winner of the Gotein giveaway (chosen by Random.org) is:

Kari @ RunningRicig

Congrats Kari!!! Send your address to ihaverun@hotmail.com, and I'll get your Gotein on its way!

Lessons in Potty Training

2011-06-20T21:40:00.000-06:00

So the reason I did last week's long run on Thursday rather than Saturday was because Saturday was potty party day for my Bean. The Princess and her daddy had a daddy-daughter day while Bean and I spent the morning potty training her new doll and the afternoon potty training Bean.

In my effort to become a diaper-free house, there were some definite highlights. First, Saturday night I showed off my skills as a master seamstress when I turned some toddler undies into some doll undies. I was completely winging it. I didn't have a pattern. Not that it really would have made a huge difference since I haven't sewn anything complicated enough to need a pattern in over 10 years. But I got a sewing machine for Christmas, so I decided to attempt to sew some doll undies rather than stapling them together like I did for The Princess' potty party. Yes, you read that right. But they were DOLL panties. No children were harmed by the staples throughout the course of the January 2009 potty party.

Anyhow, my attempt resulted in an Elmo thong...

and a Cinderella string bikini.

(Don't look too closely. I TOLD you I am not a sewing queen, and I threw these together at 11 pm on Friday night!)

Then, as I was getting things in place for the next morning, I noticed this:

Yep, I got the boy version at the library by mistake. I really didn't want to have to add an anatomy lesson to the day, so I strategically placed my finger over Joshua's boy parts while reading this book.

Yet even with the few glitches, the potty party was a success. We finished off the day with some congratulatory big girl presents: a Minnie Mouse swimsuit from Daddy, Rapunzel sunglasses from Mommy, and princess flip flops from big sis. Bean had to wear everything when she took Emma out to swing before bed that night. It was a little cold though, so Minnie had to hide under a jacket.

How was YOUR weekend?

My Run, literally

2011-06-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

You know you love it when I recap my long runs. Especially since I do most of them on the treadmill, so the pictures are limited to Millie and me. If you get too bored reading about last night's 12, you can skip back to yesterday's post and enter my Gotein giveaway.

Anyhow...I started running after I got my girls to bed. I had my iPod Touch ready to go in case I got bored and needed Netflix to get me through, but the Touch went untouched. My tunes got me through, mostly thanks to the new ones. Some of my new favorites, and I must admit I am surprised, are:

Spotlight - MuteMath

Remember the Name - Fort Minor

River Deep, Mountain High - Glee Cast

A few weeks ago, I went shopping for a bra that I can wear by itself (as motivation sort of to get the abs I want) that will make it look like I have two boobs instead of just one. I loved the Moving Comfort Juno, but they didn't have the color I wanted (pink, of course) in my size. Just a few days later, I won a giveaway for a Moving Comfort bra of my choice from Laima at Women's Endurance Gear. I was soooo excited. Of course I chose the Juno in pink. The bra arrived yesterday, but it was blue. They were out of pink in my size. I was a little worried the blue would blend in too much with my pale skin, but I was pleasantly surprised when I put it on for my miles last night.

I rarely run in just a sports bra on top. Even at home, I am too self conscious. But it is getting hot here, and I knew I would be on Millie for a while, so I figured I would give my new bra a test drive. After I put it on, I was a little worried about the stitch at the center of the front that makes it a slight v-neck. Maybe if my ta-tas were bigger, it wouldn't touch my chest, but it does. So I rubbed some 2Toms Sport Shield there and hopped on Millie.

I told you I have a lot of freckles!

Two miles in and things were going great. No bra complaints. Happy legs.

My Rowdy boy loves to snooze while I run.

I posted on Twitter to practice my texting and running skills. I also managed to post a picture on Facebook and post something on the Runnerds wall. I'm happy to say that I never even came close to falling off Millie. Emz sent some awesomely encouraging tweets and kept me motivated. One of my favorite tweets...

With two miles to go, I kicked things up a little and got it done. My legs were a little tired, but I was a happy girl. I have never done more than five or six mile runs the week after a race. But with only 105 days until the St. George Marathon, there's no time for slacking. I also needed to get this week's long run in a little early because I have big plans this weekend and because I'm doing next week's long run even earlier in the week because I'll probably be taking a little road trip with my girls. I will not running next week's 14 miles in the Arizona heat.

So overall the bra was great. My ladies hardly moved. The little stitch at the front left a red mark but nothing like the blister I have on my tailbone where my running shorts rubbed while I did (P90X) AbRipperX on Wednesday.

Done. Yes, I know I sweat a lot.

There were other random things about my run I was going to post, but I've got a party to plan. So have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

Things I Love Thursday - Gotein and Giving Things Away

2011-06-16T18:37:00.006-06:00

I'm a vanilla girl. I'm not saying I'm vanilla, like as in boring. I just like vanilla flavored and scented things.

Milkshake? Vanilla.
Hand soap? Vanilla.
Candle? Vanilla.

So when I was contacted and asked to review Gotein "protein to go," I was not surprised that my favorite is the vanilla. And it is yummy. I've never really been a protein shake drinker, but I've been thinking about adding it to my diet. So the review (and wait for it.......giveaway) were perfect timing.

I was a little nervous the first time I poured a Gotein packet into my bottle of water. I tried chocolate first thinking maybe it would be like my post-run chocolate milk. I'll be honest; it wasn't. But it was good. It mixed up completely and went down easy. And it was just the right amount of chocolaty, with no aftertaste.

So the next time, I tried the vanilla. Holy yum. And even though I kept forgetting to put some water bottles in the fridge and had to drink it at room temperature, it was still great.

The strawberry is my third favorite, but my girls LOVED it. I'm just not a strawberry drink girl.

The stick packs are made for a 16.9 oz bottle of water. You just drink about 1/3 of the bottle (which I found is important or it will taste too watered down), pour in the Gotein, swirl and shake. Easy peasy.

And for the nutrition nuts out there, here are the stats:

6 grams or less carbs per serving
110 calories or less per serving
1 gram of sugar
17 grams of protein
24 vitamins and minerals

I can tell you, as soon as my U2 tickets sell on eBay, I'll be buying several boxes of Gotein. At $24.95 for a box of 12 stick packets, it isn't too spendy. I'm just feeling poor because I've spent too much on running clothes lately.

And yes, after much debate and deliberation, we decided on a trip to Disney (not sure yet if it will be Land or World) with our girls instead of going to New York to see U2 again. It was a difficult decision since New York and U2 are two of my most favorite things in the world, but they just aren't as high on the list as my two incredible little girls.

So there is a sweet deal on some U2 tickets at Meadowlands Stadium on eBay, and there is a sweet Gotein giveaway right here. Yep, you can try Gotein for yourself. Here's what to do to enter to win your own samples of each Gotein flavor (leave a separate comment for each, please):

Follow my blog. (1 entry)
LIKE Gotein on Facebook. Tell them Candice @ I Have Run sent you! (1 entry)
Spread the news about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. (1 entry)

Winner will be chosen by Random.org on Wednesday, June 22.

*Gotein provided the samples for the review and the giveaway. I did not pay any thing for them. The opinions expressed are mine.

Our Definition of summer fun? Painting a swing set, of course

2011-06-15T19:05:00.000-06:00

My girls have friends over to play. It is awesome because they are happy and busy. What isn't quite as awesome is they decided to play "puppies." So four little kids are crawling around my house, barking. And if you didn't know, kids have pretty high-pitched voices. Then there's poor Rowdy. He pretty much hasn't moved since the barking started. I can just imagine he's wondering if they are trying to play with him, taunt him or just annoy him. And since he can't see them (he is blind), he figures he'll just play it safe and steer clear of them.

So our summer fun today was the playdate, which is actually me watching my cousins kids. But our kids (she has two boys almost the same ages as my girls) play great together, so it is an easy gig.

Monday, our summer fun was repainting the swing set. Last time I painted it, I was pregnant with my Bean, so it has been a few years. It looked like this until yesterday:

After a little of this:

And this (2-year-olds take painting the swing set very literally):

It looks like this:

Can you tell 5-year-olds LOVE to pose for pictures? The Princess loves to pose almost as much as my Bean hates standing barefoot in the grass:

To finish off the day, I ran two miles. I was going to take one more rest day, but I needed to run both mentally and physically. So I took my sore calves upstairs at 9:30 that night and put in two slow miles on Millie that were TOTALLY worth it. Then this afternoon I ran six miles. I wanted to die the first half mile. But once my legs warmed up and I got in the groove, it was a perfect run. One of those runs that reminds me why I love running.

Race Report: Utah Valley Half Marathon 2011

2011-06-13T16:14:00.006-06:00

I have put this off because I don't know where to start. I guess I'll go with the Friday night blogger meet-up. It was fun to meet some of my favorite bloggers in person, and I was surprised how many bloggers were there that I didn't know. So now I have even more great blogs in my reader! I have more to say about the meet-up, but it could really be a post of its own and this is about my race, so I'll just finish this part with a pic of all the girls and me:

Saturday morning, I got up just after 3 am and got ready for the race. I ate LUNA Bar and drank some water. After debating whether or not to carry my handheld water bottle, I finally decided to fill it with Powerade and take it. The only flavor I can really handle is White Cherry. I'm sure that is valuable information to you.

Just before 4 am, I picked up my neighbor who was running it was well. It was her first race. And in case I forget to mention it later, she did great. Finished in 2:10 with a smile on her face.

Between then and the start of the race, there was the usual bus ride to the start, retying the shoes, two port-a-potty visits, and stripping off the unnecessary clothing.

Then the race started at 6 am on the dot. Gotta LOVE a race that starts on time! As I began to run, I thought about Farrah, Alicia and my bloggy buddies starting 13.1 miles behind me. And I knew my neighbor and my cousin (in-law) were somewhere in the crowd with me.

The weather was perfect. It was partly cloudy once the sun came up and the course has a lot of shade. I felt really good and consistently stayed between the 1:50 and 1:55 pacers for most of the race. I drank water at every other aid station and sipped my Powerade off and on. I had planned to use my energy gel around mile 6, but I couldn't imagine stomaching it once I got that far so I never ended up using it. I really need to figure out something I can handle before I attempt 26.2 miles. But I am happy that I figured out the hydration thing, so one step at a time.

About mile 10, I tried to clean my sunglasses because they were ridiculously smudged from my sunscreen, but all I managed to do was pull out a lens. Apparently I need to practice cleaning my sunglasses while running. Then while I was trying to (run and) put the lens back in, I managed to make the other lens fall out. So while I was stuffing both lenses in the little pocket on my handheld, the 1:55 pacer passed me. After a little mental pep talk about running my own race and not letting that get me down, I put my sunglasses frame on my head and kept on running. I had a weird stomach cramp for a few miles, but it was more like a side ache. It didn't feel like the kind of cramping from dehydration, which wouldn't have made sense anyway. And it actually was pretty tender after the race and all day yesterday in that spot on my stomach. That made it hard to keep my pace for a few miles, but I managed. And then I saw the finish line. You could see it for about the last mile, which was good and bad. It made me push a little harder, but it also made that last mile seem really long.

I knew as I started that last mile that I could PR, but I also knew it wasn't likely that I would get in under 1:55. And while one unnamed person that lives in my household thinks it's funny that everyone was congratulating me for my PR even though it was only by 1:09, I'll still take it. Just think, if I keep chipping away at my half marathon time like this, I'll be killing it in five years. Or something like that.

So my chip time was 1:56:09. Which, like my last race, was only 1 second off my Garmin time (1:56:10).

Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 8:52

Mile 2 - 8:50

Mile 3 - 8:56

Mile 4 - 8:37

Mile 5 - 8:30

Mile 6 - 8:32

Mile 7 - 8:42

Mile 8 - 8:54

Mile 9 - 8:49

Mile 10 - 9:07 (dang sunglasses!)

Mile 11 - 9:11

Mile12 - 9:02

Mile 13 - 8:50

Mile .1 - 1:12 (8:27 pace)

As I crossed the finish line, I saw my cousin-in-law waiting for me. He rocked the race, his first half, in 1:28:15, which got him third place in his age group. My girls and I (the hubs had to head to work after my race) cheered as loud as we could when they called his name at the awards ceremony:

And the other good news, which you already know if you follow me on FB or Twitter, is that there was no puking. There were also no emergency trips to the potty after the race. And I was able to put something in my stomach - chocolate milk, a banana Creamie, lots of water and even two bites of pizza - right after I finished. This is a first. I usually can't even handle the thought of food for several hours after a race.

Then my girls were mostly patient while we waited to see all our marathoning friends finish. While we waited, I noticed Sam from Operation Jack standing next to me and decided to bug him. I knew he went to dinner with Alicia the previous night, so I asked if he had seen her yet. After a few minutes of my stimulating conversation, he decided to go run Alicia in. And it was awesome. He helped her get in just under 4:20! But you should hear the details from her, so go read HER BLOG (after you finish reading mine though).

Farrah crossed just after Alicia. Like within a minute. And it was her FIRST marathon. She totally rocked it too. So there was lots of sweaty hugging (the best kind) and a few pictures taken and tons of smiles. I am so proud of both of them. And inspired by them.

My Princess was so excited to see Farrah. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but Farrah and I bonded over running after she had been my girl's preschool teacher for over a year. Now Farrah is not only one of my girl's favorite people, but she is also one of mine!

If you haven't donated to our Train for Autism team yet, it's not too late. Alicia has worked so hard for this effort and is such an amazing person. I am so lucky to call her my friend!
One of the best things that came from staying and watching so many marathoners finish was the confidence it gave me. During my race, I was doubting my ability to run a good marathon and to reach my goals. After standing at the finish line for over an hour, I was able to remind myself all the things that will get me through it: the pain is temporary; it is worth it; my body will be ready; so much of it is mental; and I've freaking got this. That last one went through my head more than once during my race (thanks Emz!).

Then as I was heading to the car, I ran into Julia. I had watched for the blogger girls, but hadn't seen any of them finish or wandering around, so I'd pretty much given up on seeing them. But Julia knew where a few of them were, so I got to give the Rachelle a BQ congratulatory hug and say a quick hi and goodbye to Janae (aka The Princess' new best friend) and her sister and to Ash. I was bummed that I didn't see Jen, but was so happy for her seventh marathon finish!!

And so another half marathon is done. I accomplished my goals and learned a lot about myself in the process.

Happy Girl

2011-06-11T16:36:00.000-06:00

A PR and no puke. I'm a happy girl.

I'm So Excited (but I didn't add that song to my playlist)

2011-06-10T16:00:00.000-06:00

I have crazy butterflies today. I am so excited for the blogger/runner meet-up tonight. And I am more excited for this race than I have been about a race in a long time. I don't know if it's because I ran it last year and finally broke two hours on a half or if it's because I know so many people running, but I can hardly contain myself. That is why I am blogging instead of napping. I knew it was pointless to try and sleep when all I would do is waste time thinking about tomorrow.

As far as tomorrow goes, I already picked up my packet and have my race day outfit selected. I'll be sporting a pink shirt, just as an FYI. My goal is a PR, which means faster than 1:57:18. The course is downhill and they changed it just a little from last year so there isn't an uphill during the last mile this time. I feel pretty good about it. Oh, and I'd like to not puke after I finish, but that isn't exactly a goal.

I'm excited to run with the help of some new tunes too, thanks to all of you. Here's what I added to my playlist:

Enter Sandman - Metallica

River Deep, Mountain High - Glee

Rolling in the Deep - Adele

More - Usher

Pokerface - Lady Gaga

Magic - B.o.B

Walk - Foo Fighters

Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO

Ray of Light - Madonna

Spotlight - MuteMath

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

Man on the Moon - MJ*

Remember the Name - Fort Minor*

Pressure - Billy Joel*

Big Girls Are Best - U2*

Elevation - U2*

When Love Comes to Town - U2*

Desire - U2*

(* Songs I already owned)

Good luck to all the Utah Valley Half and Full Marathon bloggers/runners out there!!

Things I Love Thursday - Learning Things from Cosmo

2011-06-09T20:06:00.001-06:00

Normally, the only magazines I read are Runner's World and Entertainment Weekly. Recently I subscribed to two additional running magazines (that I'm anxiously awaiting my first issues of) and received a free subscription to Cosmopolitan. Who knew Cosmo would have so much useful information for runners?

Did you know your lady lumps (this applies only to women unless you are sporting man boobs, sorry guys) bounce eight inches vertically as you run? And they move in a figure-eight pattern. There are even statistics as to how much they move each direction!! Fifty percent up and down, 22 percent side to side, and 27 percent in and out. And that, ladies, is "Why Sports Bras Feel So Good."

I found the perfect way to use with all those safety pins you bring home with your race bibs. This month's funfearlessfashion in Cosmo said to: "Gather up a small amount of fabric in the middle of a cotton tee and cut off the end of the gathered material to create a hole. Repeat in random spots across the front, back and sleeves (make holes various sizes). Fasten safety pins across the holes." I probably won't do this one myself since I carry my two little girls around and don't want to accidentally poke them with my latest attempt at fashion.

And in your attempt to "Stay Sexy All Summer Long," here's the solution to smelly pits. Runners with smelly pits? Never. But just in case: "Start by washing with an antibacterial soap then sloughing dead skin with an exfoliator. Step out of the shower, towel-dry pits (leftover moisture breeds bacteria), and swipe on antiperspirant. If you perspire heavily (ummm, can you say runner?), choose one with 20 percent sweat-blocking aluminum zirconium, such as Secret Clinical, and apply it at night so it has enough time to plug sweat ducts."

And last but not least, here are a few of the

#17 Designing the cover of a mix CD with a Sharpie

#21 Wearing your hair in braided pigtails...

#23 Drinking chocolate milk - research found it's one of the best things you can drink after a workout.

#37 Instituting Taco Tuesdays, Pizza Thursdays, etc.

#42 Marco Polo

#50 Being totally infatuated with the fact that you have boobs (or that your woman has boobs, if you are a guy)...remember how excited you were to take them bra shopping and show them off in a baby tee?

Also, because it's Thursday and I actually remembered my giveaway is supposed to end today, the winner of the $10 iTunes gift card is:

And since that means nothing to you, this should help:

So Chris @ EVOLVING THROUGH RUNNING, please send your mailing info to ihaverun@hotmail.com. And thank you all for your suggestions. I got some great new tunes.
In my pre-race post tomorrow, I'll let you know what I added to my playlist. Until then, go

#15 Make some cookies for the sole purpose of eating the raw batter.

I Spend All Day on the Computer

2011-06-07T18:55:00.000-06:00

In spite of The Princess telling her dad last night that I spend all day on the computer (she was mad at me at the time and also said she thinks I want to sell her - for the record I do not want to sell her), I have spent very little time on the computer the past few days. My lack of comments around the blog world and my last post being on Friday are proof of that. I just confirmed with The Princess that I have not been on the computer hardly at all today, so I am good-to-go guilt-free for a few minutes. So here's a quick peek into what I have been doing instead of blog writing and reading the past few days.

Virtual 5K
I ran my Virtual Race for Autism 5K. I ran 3.1 miles at half marathon pace as part of a short 4.1-mile tempo run today. It's taper week since I have a half marathon on Saturday, so I am taking it easy. Here's my proof that I ran it.

And if I can stop being so busy (and sometimes lazy), I'll post a pic of me with my race bib. And if you haven't signed up for the race yet, it's not too late. Just click the link above.

Stacey
My awesome cousin stopped by yesterday to say goodbye to my girls and me. Stacey is moving to Hawaii to be with her love. Not a bad reason or a bad place to move. She will be missed terribly (already is missed actually), but I couldn't be more excited and happy for her. And knowing we'll see her when we go to Hawaii in February makes it a little easier.

Baby Birds
We have spent a lot of time lately staring out the window trying to find the baby birds that are residing in our backyard.

A month or so ago, our neighbor showed us a nest by her house with three little blue eggs inside. Over the next week or so, we checked the eggs daily when the mommy bird was off getting some exercise. We didn't dare get too close when she was there after our neighbor warned us that mommy bird will dive at your head if she thinks you are after her babies. Then when we peeked in the nest bout two weeks ago, there were three little birds. So we have checked on those little baby birds every day for the past two weeks. It has been fun and amazing to watch how quickly they have grown.

Sorry the eggs are cut off on the bottom, but I edited this picture because a fourth baby didn't make it and the proof was a little too much to stomach.

The nest was up pretty high so I just had to stick my phone up there and hope it was aimed right when I took the picture. This was the best I got.

Saturday when the hubs lifted The Princess up to look in the nest, one of the birds panicked and toppled out. After chasing the bird around the neighborhood (it couldn't fly yet) the hubs tried to put it back in the nest, but the other two babies panicked and toppled out too. Now we have two baby birds residing in our backyard and our neighbor has one in hers. Since the babies like to hide, except when the mommy and daddy birds come around with worms hanging out of their beaks, we spend a lot of time trying to find them in the bushes. They are getting close to being able to fly and will probably only be around a few more days. It will be a sad day for my girls when the baby birds are gone.

Can you find the two baby birds and the mommy in this picture? It's like Where's Waldo with birds.

24.6 days of music

2011-06-03T13:21:00.001-06:00

My Bean had a bad dream and woke up at 5 am this morning. Since she decided not to go back to sleep, I am very tired and can't remember any of the interesting things I thought to blog about during my run yesterday.

So instead, I am going to share my current running playlist with you. I'm also going to ask you to share your favorite running tunes with me. I need some new tunes for my race next Saturday. I even have an incentive to get you to take the time to leave a comment. The incentive? A $10 iTunes gift card. Here's how you can win it:

Everyone who gives me a song suggestion will get an entry to win.

Anyone who suggests a song that I actually download will get a second entry.

And anyone who suggests a song that I already own but isn't on my playlist already will get a third entry.

Blog, tweet, or Facebook about the giveaway and you will get an extra entry as well (be sure to let me know you did this one in another comment).

Now to give you an idea of the kind of music I like, here are most of the songs on my current running playlist.

My Body -Young The Giant

Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine

Misery - Maroon 5

All Summer Long -Kid Rock

Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Raise Your Glass - P!nk

Tonight - Enrique Iglesias

What the Hell - Avril Lavigne

Grenade - Bruno Mars

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Sing - My Chemical Romance

Animal - Neon Trees

Billionaire - Glee Cast

In My Head - Jason Derulo

New in Town - Little Boots

So What - P!nk

Bulletproof - La Roux

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Break Your Heart - Taio Cruz

Use Your Love - Katy Perry

E.T. - Katy Perry

Tik Tok - Ke$ha

We R Who We R - Ke$ha

Where the Street Have No Name - U2

Something That I Want - Grace Potter

Don't let this limit you too much. It's mostly just the songs I've purchased in the past few months because I've been too lazy to go through the 24.6 days of music in my iTunes library.

Giveaway winner will be selected by Random.org and announced Thursday, June 9th.

Things I Love Thursday - 26.2

2011-06-02T12:48:00.003-06:00

Don't you just hate it when real work gets in the way of blogging. Alas, that is what happened the past few days. So instead of writing a play-by-play of my 12-mile run last week or a May running recap, I was learning everything there is to know about the American Concrete Institute Intermountain Chapter. Tell me you're not jealous.

And now since it's Thursday, I must focus on something I love. This is quite easy since I have a backlog of Thursday topics. However, the post title might be a little misleading. I am still trying to make peace with 26.2 MILES. However, I am loving my 26.2 APPAREL. I received two pairs of shorts and four shirts for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to me indeed! I have worn all six items but only managed to get a few pictures.

Gotta love the sweaty, post-run pics. I LOVE this shirt. It is seriously the softest fabric. I also got a solid pink shirt that is the same fabric that might become an everyday item in my wardrobe because it is so soft and comfy. Plus it is as wicking and cool as it is soft. I like these shorts, but not as much as the other pair I got. I'm just not sold on the little flare thing they do on the sides. But for someone who only had one pair of shorts that I liked to wear running before I got these, the fact that I like them is BIG.

Could someone teach me how to take a good self-portrait? I tried sitting the camera on top of the TV and getting a timer pic, but those turned out worse than these. So this is what you get, a pic of my happy running face and a lovely picture that highlights my armpits. But scan down past the pits a little and you'll see my new favorite shorts.

Until recently, I was all about the running skirts or the capris. I still think capris are the kindest to my body as far as covering things up and keeping them from jiggling, but I was not loving my skirts as much lately. I just felt like I was flashing people all the time. Even sitting down to tie my shoes takes a conscious effort at modesty. So finding some shorts that don't look weird on my body makes me a very happy girl. And the shirt is great too. I was seriously lacking in the tank department, so I got this in two colors.

And since we're on the subject of 26.2, I signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon yesterday. What better way to celebrate National Running Day? I am a little unsure about those 26.2 miles but figure I can drop down to the half if I wuss out later. Let me know if you are running it! I'm excited to meet all the other bloggers and blog readers who are running the strip (at night).

There's a party goin' on right here

2011-05-30T15:02:00.000-06:00

Apparently when I fail to look at my calendar until just before I go to bed, I completely forget my blog's birthday (last Thursday). Bad bloggy mommy, I know. So I'm here to wish my blog a belated happy second birthday.

There is no giveaway to celebrate the day. No cupcakes to enjoy (other than the one above that is making me drool like a teething baby). But here are a few of the posts you may have missed that have helped make my blog special (at least to me) over the past 730 days (+4 because I need to learn to look at my calendar in the morning) and 222 (+ this one) posts:

DNF, DNS and more "runner lingo"

A Letter to My Treadmill

Skinny People

Runnerds

The 12 Days of Running

Disappointed

And since we're on the subject of my blog, have you voted today for it to be one of the Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blogs? If not, just click the little circle below and then give me a "thumbs up."

Things I Love Thursday - Running for a Reason

2011-05-26T14:32:00.000-06:00

Alicia, of Alicia Runs, who I also claim as a friend (even if we've only seen each other in person a few times) is hosting a Virtual 5K Race for Autism. She has some amazing prizes lined up (including some Runnerd stickers), so head over to her blog HERE, learn more about the race (and prizes), and sign up NOW!!

And don't forget to vote for me to be one of the Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blogs on Circle of Moms. Just click the circle above and then click the little "thumbs up" on the page to vote. You can vote once a day until June 1st (so I'm almost done begging and bugging). Please and thank you!

I Should Probably Tell Bono He's My Child's Godfather

2011-05-25T15:53:00.001-06:00

I am very tired today. But very happy. Every lost moment of sleep was TOTALLY. WORTH. IT. And who knew so many of you are fellow U2 fans? Maybe not fans like I am a fan since my blog title is taken from one of their songs, my dog's middle name is Bono, and I claim Bono is my daughter's godfather since she went to two U2 concerts while in the womb. But really, how could anyone not be a U2 fan?

I've had tickets to this concert for almost two years, so I have been waiting for this for a long time. But it was worth the wait.

Now in my half asleep state, I'm here to share some of last night's highlights with you. And wouldn't you know...there is even some running/blogging related stuff in here.

The Fray was great. You can't be a Grey's Anatomy fan and not like them. They are a surprisingly cute bunch of guys, even in their skinny jeans. And it made me feel better to find out the lead singer is 30 since he looks much younger. Not sure why it makes me feel better, but it does. Then while we waited for U2 to start, I saw this. It made me smile and think of all of you. Someday I may be too old for general admission, standing only tickets. That day is not today (or technically yesterday). There is nothing like being that close to the action. And while I didn't see any of Bono's crotch sweat like I did at their last concert (5 years ago when I was preggers), I think it's just because he was a little more mellow this time around and didn't sweat as much. Or maybe one of his buddies is a runner and introduced him to some amazing, breathable fabric that he's having his pants made of now. Some other things I realized last night:

I can go four hours without peeing even though I had to go and couldn't jump too much for fear of peeing my pants. I'm thinking I can make it through a marathon without a potty stop with a little practice and planning (fingers crossed).

I can get better pictures when the guys stand still.

I love hearing Bono say the word run. You should have seen my smile when he sang the first line of Where the Street Have No Name.

You can get a little exercise at a concert. I'm not just talking about the jumping and dancing either. My arm is rather sore today from holding my phone up to record One and then again when everyone pulled out their phones to light up the stadium (so much safer than lighters; gotta love technology).

And just so you know I was really there and didn't steal all the pics/video off the Internet, here is my post-concert happiness (with the hubs and my brother and his beautiful wife).

Butterflies

2011-05-24T14:21:00.000-06:00

My day so far...

I cleaned up this mess. Sometimes I try to be the mom that just lets The Princess's room go with the hope that she'll eventually get tired of it and clean it herself. That hasn't happened yet obviously.

Then I made and ate this. It is on a dessert plate because it makes me feel like I am getting more to eat.

Next it was time to shower and get dressed in this.

I was going to run before the shower but made a last minute doctor's appointment to make sure I don't need to do anything more than I am doing to get and keep my leg happy. He prescribed this. And physical therapy.

Now I'm doing this. There is no picture because you are lookin' at it. I'm blogging while my girls sleep.

And in a few hours, I'll be here.

I literally have butterflies. I am so excited!!

Don't forget to vote! You know you love my blog and think it deserves to be a Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blog!!!

A Grain of Salt

2011-05-23T18:33:00.000-06:00

Running advice. We all get it. Whether we want it or not.

Sometimes we choose to get it when we read Runner's World each month. Other times we solicit it by asking a question on a blog, Facebook or Twitter. Other times, people just give it to us. My favorite is the non-runner advice about my running. But sometimes the advice we get is exactly what we need.

Yet I was reminded of something yesterday. While I was in a meeting (obviously not paying attention), I started reading one of the the monthly "inspiration" pages in my running calendar. It talked about the danger of tinkering with your running form. Just a week or so ago, I read about how much a runner had improved by changing his form. While I haven't come to any conclusions about which side of the fence I'm on when it comes to this debate, I reminded myself that it's up to me which side to be on. That is something I have to decide for myself.

Most of us bloggers are just speaking from experience. And while some have additional training as a running coach or fitness professional (as in my case), our knowledge is still not gospel. What works for one person may not work for everyone. So take any and all running advice in stride (ha, ha). And always, always do what works for you.

Have you voted for me today? Only one week of begging left. You can vote once a day until June 1st!

I rejoined the Twitter world so come find me (IHaveRun)! You'll get to find out exciting, fascinating things about me, like how many brownies I ate in the last 24 hours.

Ten and One

2011-05-20T16:36:00.002-06:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and again and again and again, I'm sure), but I love my Millie. Last night we ran 10 miles together. Here's how things went:

Mile 1: Thought about how I need to figure out how to fuel. It doesn't help that I mostly run at night but my races are all in the morning. I was hungry during this run, so I had a few bites of a LUNA Bar every few miles and my tummy never argued with my efforts to put something in it.

Mile 2 : Thought about how Operation Lower Leg Happiness has been a success. Between the icing, stretching, strengthening and constant compression-sock wearing, I'm feeling pretty good. Debated whether to ice just my lower legs in a bucket or hit the tub to ice the entire legs. Ended up doing neither because I just wanted to go to bed once I finished running.

Mile 3: Listened to this song several times:

Made me very excited for THIS on Tuesday night. Then I tried to decide if I should start the movie I got at the Redbox or keep listening to music.

Mile 3.1: Started watching Country Strong. Have been very impressed by Gwyneth Paltrow's singing on Glee. She doesn't sing as much as I expected in this movie. Love Tim McGraw. Funny that he doesn't sing in this movie. At all. Unless you count the closing credits.

Mile 6: Tried eating some Strawberry Banana PowerBar chews. I have to figure out something I can eat that isn't sweet. I just can't get the sweet stuff down while I'm running. Gave up after gagging down two chews.

Mile 8: Wondered if I was going to like the end of the movie. Maybe I should have read some reviews. At least it was passing the time. And my legs felt great!

Mile 10: Sped things up just a bit to finish strong. Happy legs, happy Candice.

Still had some of the movie left so I Sticked my legs and did my shin/calf exercises while I finished watching. And I was right about the ending. Good thing I had my running high to balance out how depressing it was.

And if you want to help keep that smile on my face, you can go vote for me at Circle of Moms. Just click the link below. You can vote once every 24 hours (for multiple bloggers and from multiple computers/devices). So if you think I deserve the title of a Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blog, please go vote!

Things I Love Thursday - Sunscreen

2011-05-19T13:20:00.000-06:00

If you've hung around my blog for a while, you probably know my hubs calls me The Sunscreen Nazi. I actually take pride in the fact that my girls freak out if we are at the park and they realize we forgot to put on sunscreen. I think it's awesome that a sunscreen stick is as fun for them as lip gloss. I am somewhat anal about keeping their porcelain white skin as flawless and porcelain-like as long as possible. And when one of them gets a freckle, I feel like I've failed as a mother.

I haven't always been a sunscreen fanatic. In high school, I was very tan for senior prom. After that, the tanning bed remained my friend throughout college. I have a sheet of freckles on my back to prove it. I'd show you the proof, but I haven't figured out how to take a good self-portrait of my back.

As I've gotten older and apparently wiser, I've also become more aware and terrified of wrinkles and skin cancer. So enter the sunscreen. Lots of sunscreen. However, I will admit I like the way I look with a tan. And when I noticed how glaringly white my legs were a few weeks ago between my black running skirt and my black running shoes, I figured anyone who sees me like that prefer the way I look with a tan too.

So in spite of my fears of turning orange, I decided to try a sunless tanner. It was kind a spur of the moment thing when I was standing in line at Victoria's Secret and saw this:

Beach Sexy Custom Tan Adjustable Self-tan Lotion with Shimmer

I figured this was a good way to start so I could go darker or lighter if I was beginning to resemble a carrot. So far, so good.

I'm just a touch darker than my girls, but at least it's not orange. And who can resist a little shimmer? I figure I'll go a little darker once it isn't rainy and in the 40s anymore.

Have you voted for me today? Don't forget you can vote once a day (from every one of your computers, cell phones, iPads, etc.) until June 1st. I would love to be one of the Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blogs, so please click the link above and vote for me if you think I deserve it. Thanks!!

Mom, Runner, Blogger (with a sore toe)

2011-05-18T15:05:00.001-06:00

Not sure how I forgot this yesterday:

My girl got out and ran with her dad for about a mile. She was loving all the honks and waves she got and was seriously eating up all the attention, until she ate it. She hit the ground hard, scraping both knees and elbows. But after we got Band-aids on all her war wounds (including a princess Band-aid that a runner from another team brought over to us - aren't runners the best?!), she was excited to talk all about the people who waved and honked and cheered for her.

My other girl had her last day of gymnastics today. I don't think she will miss it too much over the summer since all she wants to do is the balance beam or the trampoline. I won't miss it too much either since it seems like it is the one place I can count on my broken toe being re-injured each week. I don't know how it happens, but it gets stepped on at least once. Today it was three times. Since the toe is still so swollen and tender that I'm limited to flip flops or running shoes, I'm starting to wonder if it will ever get better. And I wouldn't trade my kids for anything, not even a happy toe, but I'm pretty sure the little guy would be happily healed by now if I didn't have little people stepping on it all the time. Oh, well. At least it doesn't keep me from running!

And since this is as much a mom post as a running post, I might as well ask you to vote for me at Circle of Moms. I have been nominated for the Top 25 Health & Fitness Mom Blogs. So if you think I deserve it, please click the link/button below to vote for me. You can vote once a day until June 1st. And if you really love me, you can vote from every computer and mobile device you own (or use at work)!! Thanks! I wouldn't be a mom blogger without all of you (and the kids of course).

Half Fast Running

2011-05-17T16:08:00.003-06:00

Blogger deleted my Thursday post last week and my weekend put me behind on everything, so I'm here for a quick update on all things IHR.

Why did the weekend put me behind? Because I was at the Red Rock Relay in Moab. Other news: I started marathon training for St. George yesterday with my first run in a week. How can that be if I was at the relay over the weekend, you ask? Well, I wasn't in Moab for me.

My hubs put together a team of (all but one) non-runners a few months ago to get them motivated and moving. They all trained as much as their schedules would allow, and I'm proud to say they completed their 70-mile relay faster than they expected in spite of several nagging injuries and a crazy course. Seriously, when I drove up to find them Saturday afternoon, I couldn't believe how hilly the course was. When I finally got to their team vehicle, I wasn't the least bit jealous of their adventure. Yet in spite of that, there's a good chance I'll be running it next year. Anyhow, congrats to Team Half Fast!

My favorite part of the weekend, besides watching those guys run their guts out, was that my hubs has a new appreciation for what I do. And he has a whole new understanding of what it takes to run 26.2 miles.

This was a pretty good part of the weekend too though:

As I mentioned, I started my still-in-the-works marathon training plan yesterday. I think I've managed to sucker one of my favorite bloggers into coaching me to an awesome finish. My lower leg is just whispering at me occasionally, so I figured there is no time like the present.

Finally, I've been nominated on Circle of Moms as a Top Health and Fitness Mom Blog. I would love to be one of the top 25, so it would make me so very happy if you vote for me (from every computer and cell phone in your house)! You can click the link above or click on the Circle of Moms logo on the top right hand side of my blog to vote. You can vote once a day until June 1st.

Frozen Veggies and Tiny Treadmills

2011-05-11T17:15:00.000-06:00

Today I got an email that began: "CONGRATULATIONS!!! We would like to congratulate you on being selected for the 2011 St George Marathon." So now it is real. Which means I am trying to put together a training plan. With my other two marathons, I just printed out a couple of marathon training plans and followed the one that looked like it would work best with my schedule and training level. I've never put together a training plan that is really specific to my past performances and expectations. This time I am going to work my life around the plan rather than the plan around my life. I am going to do this and do it right. So if you have any brilliant knowledge when it comes to putting a marathon training plan together, please share. Or if you want to volunteer to coach me to an amazing finish, you're hired.

Marathon training officially starts next week. That gives me 20 weeks. My right calf has been bothering me since my half marathon, so I am trying to nurse it back to happiness this week. I spent time on the bike the past two days, but I'm not sure my booty can handle it again tonight. I'm thinking yoga and abs might be on the menu. Operation lower leg happiness has also involved lots of stretching and strengthening. And of course a bag of frozen veggies.

Do you see the carrot and corn peeking out near my ankle?

And now I will leave you with the highlight of my day. The Princess came in while I was making dinner to show me this "treadmill" she had made:

out of this:

Playing the Lottery

2011-05-09T17:06:00.003-06:00

EMZ ran over 100 miles in 24 hours. On a treadmill. See the end of her run HERE. Then go donate. It's not too late.

I wore this on Friday and thought about her all day:

And my mom, who lives in the Phoeniz area, sent me these updates:

Of course, she is crazy. In all the good ways. We all love you EMZ!

I haven't spent 24 hours on a treadmill lately, or even cumulatively in the past few weeks, but I did sign up to Run the Slam. Participants run in four of the six half marathons, get to compare their overall time with other runners, and get a unique four-part medal. It is limited to the first 150 participants. I figured since I am already registered for three of the six half marathon options, why not? So I signed up for the Slam and registered for another half marathon on September 10. That was the excitement around here. At least for a few days.

Then I remembered the St. George Marathon lottery results were being posted today and sat down at my computer this morning to find out my fate. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted that fate to be. Part of me wants to see what I can really do with 26.2 miles and the other part of me is happy running 13.1 miles, puke and all.

So I typed in my name and nothing appeared. I've been there. Two years ago, the same thing happened. Then I noticed it said to include my middle initial. So I entered it again with that additional little letter. And there is was. I'm in.

Still processing how I feel.

Things I Love Thursday - Running with Heart

2011-05-05T09:32:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow, EMZ will begin a 24-hour treadmill run that is all about heart. Find out more and donate at http://www.runemz.com!

Running is Not Pretty

2011-05-03T15:49:00.002-06:00

The ONE decent race pic
As I browsed the lost and found race photos looking for my girl, I realized running is not flattering. That realization made me feel a little better when I could only find three of 22 photos of myself that I would (barely) want to share on the blog. Now here is some other post-race miscellany (and stolen pics)...

I drink chocolate milk after every run. There was chocolate milk after the race. Did I drink any? No, not with the puking and all. I didn't put anything in my stomach except water until that afternoon.

Last week was my first 30+ mile week since last October. Next time I might consider a taper.

I puked right by where they handed out the awards. My apologies to anyone who ended up standing in it.

I threw up on my medal. The first two times I doubled over, I remembered to hold my medal back. The third time, it swung forward just as I puked.

When The Princess called to tell Grandma about her race, my girl said she is going to do more races. I tried to contain my excitement, since I only want her to run if she wants to run. But I was pretty happy!!

Still love my Auria earphones. They didn't move at all.

I loved when the two new songs on my playlist came on: Dog Days Are Over & My Body. They rock!!! PERFECT running songs.

I think I look like a boy in my ear warmer headband. Not a fan of those pics.

Apparently this was the best smile I could manage as I pushed to the finish.

Running the Numbers

2011-05-02T15:45:00.004-06:00

1:57:18 - chip time
0:01:50 - PR
13.1 - miles run
131 - approximate number of times I thought about what I would write on my blog
14 - out of 107 in my age group
231 - overall out of 913
14:25 - finish time for The Princess's 1 Mile Fun Run

2 - # of medals we brought home
2 - # of PRs
1/3 - mile into her race before The Princess wanted to start running
4 - times I stopped to puke (in the grass) after seeing my girl off at the starting line of the fun run while heading to the restroom
20 - approximate times Bean asked "Mommy throw-up grass, why?" throughout the rest of the day
0 - # of times I have puked after (or during) a race or run before this
1 - # of times the cranberries my salad at dinner reminded me of puking up cranberries and oatmeal that morning
2 - mile when my hands stopped freezing
4 - # of times I got a snowflake in my eye while running
3 -inches of snow I scraped of my car before leaving for the race
11 - mile when seeing Alicia at the aid station made me smile
12 - mile when I looked at my watch and wondered if I could do it
13 - mile when I knew I had it

0 - times I took an energy gel
1/2 - swallow of Powerade
7 - mile when my broken toe felt like it was ON FIRE
10 - mile when my broken toe went completely numb
5 - # of times I wondered why I put in for the St. George Marathon lottery
12 - mile I spent constantly swearing in my head at the golf course hills
70 - approximate number of hills on the golf course (maybe a slight exaggeration) that made my legs hurt on the uphill and my stomach hurt on the downhill
5 - awesome miles I ran with Farrah before she stopped at a potty
4 - times I slowed down to take a few gulps of water at an aid station
132 - approximate number of times I thought about seeing my family at the finish
10,000 - number of times running made me smile over the weekend

81 - # of the winning comment selected by Random.org for the Auria Exceed Earphones giveaway. Congratulations Rachelle Wardle! Email me at ihaverun@hotmail.com so you can get your headphones!

Things I Love Thursday - Getting Ready to Race

2011-04-28T21:23:00.000-06:00

Saturday is race day. My first half marathon since last August. The first of four between now and the end of this August.

Do I want to PR? Yes. What does that mean? Beat my 1:59:08 time. Have I worked hard? Yes. Were there bumps in the training plan road? Yes, a week of biking three weeks ago because of a broken toe. Am I going to let that be an excuse? No. Am I going to leave everything I have out there on Saturday? That's the plan.

Besides kicking some half marathon booty, why am I excited for this race? Because Farrah is running it too. Alicia will be at one of the aid stations. And when I finish, my family will be waiting for me and then my Princess is going to run her first official race, the Kids 1 Mile run.

I was going to include a pic of my race day outfit because I'm a girl that way, but the weather keeps changing, so my planned attire does too. Since it was almost 70 degrees today and is supposed to snow tomorrow, I've given up making a final clothing choice until tomorrow night.

Now I'm off to bed to get a little extra sleep before the big day.

Runnerd Pride

2011-04-27T14:17:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. You were dying to see what I got in the mail on Monday, and then I made you wait an extra day to find out. So sorry. At least you could enter my giveaway in the meantime though.

I'll quit making you wait and get right to it. Here's the first thing that made me smile from Monday's mail:

I realize my car is ridiculously dirty, but it snowed and rained all morning while I was out running my girls around, so what you see is what you get. Believe it or not, I washed it two days before this pic. You are supposed to be noticing my awesome new RUNNERD sticker though, not how dirty my car is. I ordered this sticker from the RUNNERD shop. I had to get one to make sure it lives up to my runnerd standards. Obviously it does.

In the same package, I got this:

I really don't like pictures of myself in general, if you haven't noticed from how few actually appear on my blog. But I made an exception for this shirt even though I had to do a self portrait (although I obviously can't figure out where to look when taking a picture of myself using the mirror) because my 5-year-old was already in bed. And I had to wear the black shirt under it because of that darn snow/rain. Hello, spring??? Are you there?

And last but not least, I am going to be sporting these Auria personalizers on my earphones at my half on Saturday:

Speaking of these, don't forget to enter my Auria Exceed Earphone Giveaway!