Thanksgiving 2016

Okay, after this I think I'll be "caught up" with life. Turkey Day! Thanksgiving was a crazy affair, even more so than usual because duh, a baby. It is very convenient to have your whole family live in one town, but it is also not because that's a lot of family to see in a couple days! I mean, it's wonderful, but it's also exhausting. But it was special to have include Indiana in what has been our tradition for the past, I dunno, decade. 

Let's begin with Indiana and animals, because what else could be better? (Also some of these photos have already been posted to instagram, but whatever!)

Indiana loves chickens! Actually she loves all animals. But she's really into chickens! Doggies are cool too though.

Indiana and I go on walks daily, but walks with daddy are always a treat, and scenic walks are even better! I took a few rapid fire photos of Indiana's first shoulder ride, and in the photo before there's a truck pulling a hay bale driving by in the background. Typical.

Turkey Day morning we ran the Turkey Trot! This has also become tradition for Brendon and I, I think this is our fourth year to run one? We did two in Austin, last year in Temple, and this year we ran down in New Braunfels. Well, Gruene actually. And my dad and sister ran it with us! I really enjoyed this Turkey trot. The race starts and finishes right in front of Gruene Hall, and it's a pretty run! Also the refreshments were insane. They had the usual post-run fare; water, crackers, bananas, but they also had chocolate milk (!!!), juice, BEER, and freshly made sausage! Oh New Braunfels, you love your sausage.

OKAY, so we're going to go off on a long tangent here and talk about running, scroll down to get back to Thanksgiving goodies. This was my first race after having Indiana (my last one happened to be the Temple Turkey Trot which I ran pregnant), and I wasn't really sure how it was going to go. SO LETS TALK ABOUT POST BABY RUNNING. I was fully prepared to sacrifice a lot of my pre-kiddo life for Indiana's baby years, but running was not something I was willing to give up. I started running again after my six week postpartum check up in March. As soon as I got the okay to run from my doctor, I went after it. Slowwwwly. It was so so hard. Because not only was I out of shape, but my body was wrecked. Having a kid destroys your body. No joke. My abs were stretched out into nonexistence, my endurance was shot, and we're not even gonna talk about all the weirdness that happens to your body after pushing a baby out. But anyway, as soon as I got the green light I started running three days a week. It was hellish at first and my runs only were a mile or two long, but I kept it up and got sorta back into the swing of things just as soon as the heat hit. And if you've ever run in the southern heat you know, it's a whole new thing entirely. For whatever reason, in July I decided to up it to running five days a week. Which was more than I ran when I was training for the half. I mostly did it because I wasn't seeing much progress (summer stalemate) and running is seriously my only real alone time away from baby world. It's my therapy, and it contributes a whole lot to my sanity. Once the cooler weather hit I got "faster" and I started running some longer runs on the weekends but I've been dealing with some health crap so I honestly wasn't sure how this race was going to go.

BUT, y'all! I ran my fastest 5k! 25:36! I've never ever been fast, even when I was "in shape", but I got 5th in my age group out of 101 and I mean, I kinda felt fast! Brendon ran back with me which helped I'm sure, and you always run faster at a race, but I'm pretty proud of myself. Kudos to Brendon for running with me, he would have slayed had he not. He's actually legitimately fast. My dad also killed it and beat us all, with a bum leg. Of course. My sister also did badass for basically not running for weeks. It was a good race for all of us. And a reminder that I love races and need to run more. They're such positive happy experiences. Everyone is in such a good mood. My dad and Brendon were cheering on people who were running with us and slowed to walk, and they kept going with us! I didn't do much cheering because 1.) I am shy and terrified of strangers, and 2.) I was flooring it and trying not to die, ha. But the guys encouraging those people and those people not giving up did wonders for me.

Yay for running, and now I'm done with my schpeal. Back to the baby photos:

Indiana's first Thanksgiving! Feast number one was at my momma's house. We had definitely worked up an appetite after running (even though we ate like a hundred deviled eggs), and I was ready for those sides! As we do not partake in turkey, the sides are our main course. But I mean, isn't that everyone's Thanksgiving? The sides are where the party is! We gave Indiana a little taste of some stuff, but she was kind of whatever about it. I think she was mostly just overwhelmed by the excitement of lots of people in a new place. It was a big day for her.

Awkward candids don't happen so much any more now that I am in charge of a baby instead of a camera. But here's some for ya. My mom was ready!

I haven't cut my hair in a year and I'm definitely reaching religious zealot/hippie lengths.

More doggie love for Indy! That tongue! After the feast at my mama's we headed over to my dad's for feast number two. Brendon's mom came over too!

Side story: Brendon is really into ping-pong these days. He's already scheming to get a table whenever (if ever??) we get a house. He bugged everyone to play him and I caved, twice. And the second time, I BEAT HIM.

Who's shiny ride is that??? ;)

My dad is the king of crazy-man in photos.

This picture cracks me up because it accurately captures Indiana's feelings about Thanksgiving. It was a lot for that poor girl. But contrary to how grumpy she looks, she did really well and I'm forever proud of my tough baby. Traveling and staying away from home is super stressful, but I definitely think it's worse for us than it is for her. I mean, don't get me wrong, it throws her schedule out of whack and sometimes takes me up to a week to fix it, but she's mostly a happy camper and loves seeing her extended family. I on the other hand stress about every little detail and worry about her lack of sleep and her loss of routine and her dislike of long car rides and generally just work myself into a ball of anxiety and worry. The hardest part of parenthood for me is the worrying. And I know it will never stop, please don't remind me. ;)

But anyway, it was worth it. Thanksgiving at home is always good and I'm glad we went. Brendon took off Wednesday and Thursday so we had a nice five day weekend. We need more of those!

Christmas will be here before we know it and we'll be doing the holiday game again! Wooo the most magical, but the wildest, time of the year.

Thirteen months of running

So at the beginning of 2014, I made four resolutions. I've never made resolutions before ever (and didn't make any this year) and I did okay with three of them. But I knocked one of them out of the park. Run more. Y'all, I ran more.

Freckle face from the summer sun. After our first ten miler.

I can't remember the exact reason why I decided to start running seriously. I know I wanted be a runner, I blame you Austin. You and all your healthy people. Since moving here I would "run" occasionally. We ran a couple 5k's, but by ran I mean walk/run. I couldn't run a 5k. I could run like a mile and a half before stopping. At the beginning of the year I had just wrapped up my first few months as a vegetarian and solved my chronic stomach pain issue, so I was feeling pretty good. I think this was a big part of deciding to run. Before that, standing for a long period of time meant pain, so running was pretty much out of the question. Once I felt normal, I felt like I could take on anything. Like truly, feeling normal I felt like one million bucks. And I was 25. Young, but not real young. And not really unhealthy, but not healthy either. I wanted to start a good fitness habit before it got too late and it got harder. So crazy obsessive project style, I guess I decided to really run.

The original goal was to run a full 5k, 3.1 miles without stopping. I started running 3-4 days a week. (Brendon tagged along through all of this of course, in far better shape than me. He is a champ, and always carries our water. Love that boy.) And we kept that average for the entire year. Except December. That was a weird month, we'll talk about it later. So at first I ran and walked and ran and walked and it sucked and it was hard. I remember after giving up halfway through a run, telling Brendon there was no way I'd ever make it three miles. And then seriously, that week, on February 4, 2014 I went for a run alone after work one day (this whole running thing has been made exponentially easier because I live and work so close to the trail. God bless the trail!) and I ran a full 5k, in under 30 minutes. I did it! I felt like two million bucks and I was addicted. Once I knew I could do what I thought I couldn't, running got easier. No, that's wrong, not easier. Running is never easy. It got... obtainable. Adding distance wasn't so crazy. We slowly added miles all spring. I accumulated more sports bras than regular bras. That 5k goal was long gone and I set my sights on a half marathon. My toes got used to having constant blisters on them. We bought a watch just for running. And a running water bottle. On some random run in May we ran the whole trail, which is the tiniest bit over 10 miles.

And then summer came. Oh god running in the heat. It sucks so bad. It knocks you down and humbles you and makes you feel like you've never run in your life. Adding distance was out of the question. My goal for the summer was just to keep running, to not stop. Forget the mile times and forget the distance, just keep running. And I did. I didn't give up. I learned how to run in the heat and just focused on that first cold front, which eventually came. Once it cooled off we officially started half marathon training. Like using an actual plan. We finished the program at the end of November with a 12 miler. This is the training plan we used and I highly recommend it. If you stick to it, you will have no choice but to become a better runner. It whoops your butt, but it works.

Anyway, December. So December was weird. We took pretty much the whole month off. I think I ran 4 or 5 days? The whole month. December is always crazy anyway, but we also went out of town on two different trips, we both got sick on separate occasions, and Christmas happened. It was a nutzo month. So training continued in January and we did the last few weeks of the training plan again. The other night we knocked out 13 miles, our longest run ever. The half is this Sunday. The Austin Half Marathon is notoriously hilly and I'm a little nervous. We haven't done many hill runs since we started really training for the half, but I'm hoping that we'll conquer it nonetheless. My goal is just to run the whole thing. I have no time to beat, I just want to do it. Taking December off set us back a bit, so if I can just finish the dang thing I'll be thrilled.

But as nervous as I am, I'm mostly excited. I've worked really hard for this. I altered my life for this. Devoted hours and days. Went on runs after working for twelve hours and never regretted it. Ran when I was tired, sick, grumpy, crampy, and no regrets. My Saturdays became about long runs, and recovering from those long runs. The idea of running a half seemed ludicrous in January of last year, but by March I was already scheming and dreaming of 13.1 miles. Running, running, running. And no more "running". No training just for a race, running for a week or two and then giving up, no more walk-running. Real running. Painful, wonderful, running all year long. 3-4 days, every week. Except those few in cursed December. Sunny, dark, cold, hot, dry, humid, windy, rainy, you name it. I ran in it. Because I don't believe in treadmills, not in Texas anyway. I stayed up late to run and I got up early (on my days off) to run. I had good runs and bad runs and all sorts of mental and physical battles with myself. I ran hundreds of miles and went through two pairs of shoes. I watched (and felt, always sore, reminding me that I am not as young as I think) my body change and get stronger. Oh man you guys, when my legs got tight instead of soft, so much awesome. I learned that calories are your friend, and you need them. It made me look at food in a new light (food is fuel!), and I definitely learned what NOT to eat before running. And that water is your best friend. Seriously. Drink all the water. But most importantly I learned that you are always capable of more than you think. Your mind is your worst enemy and your best ally. You can do it, you just don't know it yet.

Wish me luck Sunday. I can do this.

September

This photo has little to do with anything, but what's a post without a photo? It's statistically proven that the internet loves cats, so here is sweet Greg, helping me sew. 

Here we are guys, mid September. WHATTHAHECK? It's basically fall. The highs all week are sub 90 (hey, it's Texas, we'll take what we can get), and pumpkins have made their appearance at HEB. I've been integrating leggings back into my wardrobe and planning Halloween costumes. (WHAT SHOULD I BE?)  What have you been up to? I've been working working working. Running a store means periods of relative peace, and periods of chaos. This is a period of chaos, but I sort of thrive in that environment, so it's okay. I go into workaholic mode and become sort of addicted to work. I worked 56+? hours last week between both jobs, and secretly loved it. Don't get me wrong though, I'm tired and prefer the periods of peace.

Mr. Hogan is somehow already wrapping up his second of six rotations, and honestly it's been lovely. I mean, at least for me. Everyone warned us about rotations and how hard they'd be, but really, it's been great. It's just like he has a job. That he pays to go to? There's no class, no studying. When he's home, he's home. We can chill and play and relax without the stress of school. Our theory is that everyone thinks rotations are so hard because they've been perpetual students for almost a decade and most don't know what it's like to work 40+ hours a week. And it is a big change. Pharmacy school is hard, no doubt, but you're sitting most of the time and even though it's a lot of mental work, you're not actively "working". I can definitely see how rotations could be a rough change. But Brendon is a hustler by nature and no stranger to work, so it's been a smooth transition. So far. We're only two rotations in, there could be some nasty ones in the future. Like the one in another city where he lives away from me for six weeks. That's going to be fun. 

Sewing season has begun. I'm working on my dirndl number three (one and two here) and obviously have a Halloween costume to make. I'm having a hard time deciding what to be this year. I'm sure, as always, I'll wait until the last minute to throw it together. Feels good to be sewing for myself! 

And hallelujah we made it through summer without giving up on running. Kept it up all through the heat, running 3-4 days every dang week, aside from our vacay in Colorado. It's been cooling down and I've been so grateful that we stuck it out all summer. Every day our runs get faster, thank goodness for fall temperatures. We've got the five mile Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and then the Austin Half Marathon in February. Eeeee! 13.1 miles! We haven't been able to add much distance over the summer, I think our longest run was seven miles, so it's time to start ramping up the distance! Our longest run in the spring was ten miles... ready to beat that! 13.1, I'm coming for you.

Hurray for fall. My most favorite time of the year is beginning and I couldn't be happier. Now bring on more cold fronts!!

Running in the summer

This picture has little to do with this post, aside from the fact that I'm sweaty from running. I was laying on the floor blasting the fan and AC trying to cool down, and it was game on for Sophie. She's licking the sweat off my face. Cats are weird.

So we're about halfway through the summer? Kind of? Lets say yes. I haven't quit running (!!!), which is something I was very scared would happen. However, let me say this has been the mildest summer I've experienced in a long time. I can't remember a summer like this. We haven't hit 100 degrees yet, which is amazing as we are mid July here. We've also had a fair amount of rain (never enough) to keep it relatively cool. It rained last night, and when I ran this morning at 9:30 it was only like 78. Although the humidity was a whole different beast. So it's been a mild summer so far. But still, it's Texas and it's hot. But I've kept up the running.

This is my first summer as a "runner", so I've got nothing to base any of this on. I am also not competitive or hardcore or any sort of expert. I just run because I like seeing myself improve and, well, I love running. But this is what I've learned so far during my first summer of running:

WATER. Dear lord, drink you some water. All day every day. Before running, after running, while running. Take water with you. Brendon and I have a big water bottle that we run with, and he carries it because I'm a huge wiener and can't run with it. So when I run alone I run waterless, and boy does it suck. We've also just about run out of water on our "longer" runs. I've been talking about buying one of the little handheld water bottles, but I've yet to do it. I need to. Water is so so so important, especially in the heat.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you feel like you're going to puke and pass out at the same time, stop running. Get into some shade, drink some water, and cool down. Overheating and dehydration are not playing around. Twice this summer I've come close to losing my cool, literally, and it was very scary. Both times I thought I was going to puke, then my brain was going to explode. Not cool. If you feel ill, stop. If you're dizzy, stop. If you're seeing spots, goodness STOP! Listen to your body!!

SLOW DOWN. You're going to be slower in the heat no matter what, it just comes with the territory. I run about a minute slower now than I did in the spring. And that's okay. But it also helps if I make a conscious effort to run a little slower, especially if I'm trying to run a longer distance. If I'm just running a 5k I'll push myself a little harder because I know I've only got a few miles to do. But if I want to run farther, or run hills, I make sure I stay at comfortable pace. I focus on my breathing and slow down when I feel it's getting out of control (this works well for me in any temperature).

And on that note, IGNORE YOUR MILE TIMES. This is a personal thing for me. At first my slow pace was discouraging, but right now I just focus on getting out there and running. Getting in your run in no matter how slow. We have this Garmin watch that tells you your current speed, and I completely ignore it. It also makes this lovely beep when you wrap up a mile and gives you the mile time, and I also try to ignore that. I focus on, "YES, ANOTHER MILE DOWN", not "oh my god that was almost an 11 minute mile". You're out there doing the damn thing, sweating your ass off. Give yourself credit.

HIDE FROM THE SUN. Seriously. My dad is one of those crazy folks who loves running in the heat of the day because it's a better work out. I did not inherit that gene. I am a vampire, the sun sucks the life out of me. It makes everything more difficult. Run in the mornings or evenings, when the sun isn't high. I am not a morning runner because I'm usually at work by 5:30am and if I'm not, I want to sleep in! So we run in the evenings at like 7 or 8. It's hotter than in the morning, but the sun isn't shining directly on you and man that makes a world of difference. The downside is the mornings and evenings are a bit more humid, but I'll take humidity over the sun any day.

WEAR AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. Seriously. If it's real hot, I'm running in shorts and a sports bra, that's it. Your shorts come with built in undies? Use 'em. Layers are not your friend. Also, swamp ass. No one wants it. On days I do run in a shirt, it's moisture wicking and relatively loose fitting. No cotton. You will sweat all over it and it will get heavy and hot and gross. Also SUNSCREEN! I am not good at this, thus, I have a very prominent runners "tan". By tan I mean freckles.

KEEP POSITIVE AND KEEP RUNNING. The big one, y'all. The heat and humidity are humbling and can be incredibly disheartening. It takes time to acclimate, and during that time you feel like you've never run in your life. I've had runs this summer when I've thought "I wasn't cut out for this, I'm not a runner, I suck I suck I suck, why am I doing this???". But you keep running. And I'm not saying it's easy to run in the heat, but it does get easier. Just keep trucking through. You might not be able to run as fast or as far, but it's a hell of a workout. And although this is my first summer as a runner and this will be my first fall as well, when that first cold snap hits, I'm thinking I'll be feeling pretty damn good. Stronger and faster. And that's what I tell myself when I'm a hot sweaty zombie mess and I feel like if I take another step I'll melt into the pavement and/or burst into flames.

So that's the plan. I can survive a couple more months of this and I WILL be a better runner because of it. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! (But running in the heat can kill you, so BE CAREFUL! Pace yourself! Water water water!)

The Boardwalk

How's the summer going, y'all? We're already halfway through June, how insane is that? I'm excited, because that means that the years half over, but sad because Brendon only has a couple weeks of freedom left before he starts rotations. You win some you lose some, eh? Really, the first day of summer isn't until Saturday, but whatevs. So far this "summer" has been pretty fantastic. Mr. Hogan and I have been taking full advantage of days off together and doing lots of fun things that do not involve pharmacy school at all. We've been playing outside and adventuring and I've become what I'd like to call, vampire tan. Very freckly. 

Saturday before last we were able to attend the grand opening of the Boardwalk at the Trail. The official name is the Butler Trail, but I will never be able to not call it the Town Lake Trail. Just like I've never gotten used to calling it Lady Bird Lake. 

This was very neat to attend as we are avid lovers and users of the Trail. It's probably half the reason we got into running and most of the reason why we've been able to keep it up. Now that the boardwalk has opened you can run all the way around the lake from Mopaq to Pleasant Valley (10.15 miles, which we've run!) without leaving the trail! Big deal! Previously you'd have to run a mile or so up Riverside and over 35, which was a hellish jaunt up a busy road. Now there's a beautiful boardwalk to run on instead! It is very very pretty and really neat. The Trail Foundation (the wonderful folks behind the upkeep and development of the trail, you are all angels) had a little grand opening ceremony and then a parade down the boardwalk.

The Mayor and all sorts of other important and trail loving folks cutting the ribbon! Afterwards we followed an East Austin drum line (did you know I was a band nerd in my teen years? I love me some drum line) down the boardwalk. Somehow we ended up right up front with all the important folks (we're pushy). It was an awesome experience, and such a beautiful day.

I mean, how cool is that? Who else has a boardwalk to run on?? Austin wins again. My only qualm with it is that it is almost entirely in the sun and the light reflecting off the boardwalk is a little intense. Definitely a hot stretch to run, but far better than running up Riverside. It's mostly flat! And the views aren't bad either.

You can barely see them, but they had some aerialists performing underneath 35 on the columns! Neato!

And thanks to the boardwalk we have a brand new view of our beautiful skyline. I really love this town, y'all. It's such a good place to live. We're so spoiled. Yeah the traffic sucks and a ton of people move here everyday (ahem, like us), but it's so worth it. I mean, the Trail you guys! It's such a lovely resource that I will sorely miss if we ever move. One of many, many things.

Happy National Running Day!

Oh running. Where do I begin? I hated you for so long, but now I feel like I can't live without you. Running has changed my life, fosho. I'm healthier than I've ever been (going veggie helped too!) and I feel stronger than I've ever felt. And man, feeling stronger is so lovely. It took a while, a few months really, but my body has started changing. Mostly my lower body, because lord knows I'm not lifting weights. But my legs feel tighter now. They're bigger than they were, and I've actually gained a little weight, but I'm totally okay with that. I have muscles! And you can actually see them! Calf muscles and quads and, although I haven't spotted them yet, hopefully booty muscles as well! I love the way my legs feel. Wearing shorts used to be my least favorite thing, and now I love it! My legs are still pale chicken legs, but there's a wee bit more meat on them. Meat I worked hard for. And these scrawny legs can carry me farther than I ever thought.

This all started with a silly New Years resolution. This year I made a New Years resolution to run more, and I've kept it. Probably the only resolution I've kept, ever. I've run 3-4 days a week, every week, all year. And it's June! I've run hundreds of miles. I couldn't run a full 5k in January and I just registered for the 2015 Austin Half Marathon. And I know I can do it as long as I keep doing what I'm doing. In fact, I have a good feeling I'll (unofficially) run 13.1 miles before the end of the year. 

My longest run has been 10.15 miles. TEN MILES Y'ALL. Running, nonstop. I mean, what? I never EVER thought I would ever be able to run five miles much less ten. Things are different now with the stupid stupid heat, but my legs are still working and I'm still getting out there. Running in the heat to me is like running double the distance. The heat sucks the life out of me. Running a 5k used to be cake for me, but in the heat, it's hard. And that's okay. Because it's still a hell of a workout and when it cools down this fall, I'll be faster and be able to run farther. 

I can't tell you how happy running has made me. It's been a journey, y'all. As corny as that is, it really has been. It feels so good to have come so far, and I can't wait to see what else I'm capable of. I just have to keep working at it. That's the catch though, you can't quit! And quitting is the easy way out. Because sometimes it's hard. And going for a run seems like the impossible task. But no matter how tired I am, no matter how long of a day I've had, or how bad my legs hurt, running is always worth it. So happy Running Day! Get out there and run. I promise you won't regret it.

Autism Speaks 8k - 2014

Sunday was the Autism Speaks 8k! This was the second year they've held the race and our second year to run it! (Here's the post from last year. I'd like to think my legs look better now. ;)) Coffee Bean is the major sponsor of the race, something I'm pretty proud of. I'm a big fan of this organization and am happy we've gotten the opportunity to work with them two years in a row!

The weather was, oddly enough, almost exactly the same as it was last year. Although it didn't really rain this time (it poured last year), it sprinkled on us and it was HUMID as all get out. The good news was that the temp was pretty low and there was no sun! The sun is my enemy when I run. It sucks the life out of me. This course is challenging. It's a loop you do twice. The first section of the loop is lovely and flat and all things nice, but then the second half of the loop is hellishly hilly. There's two big hills and an insane downhill. And then you do it all over again! Last year I ended up walking some of it so my main goal this year was to not walk! And I didn't! Although oh my gosh there was one point on the second loop I was running up a hill and my legs were just like NOOOOOO, but somehow I kept going!

We did the course in 45:30, which is five minutes faster than last year! I don't know how we placed overall (for some reason our stats online are off), but I was 51st out of 198 ladies, and 14th in my age group of 41 chicas. I'm very pleased with how we did. We averaged 9:10 min miles, which is pretty dang fast for us, considering the hills!

We ran it with a few awesome folks from work (and my bosses were there serving coffee, which was super cool! They were so supportive!), and I made the ladies from my store matching shirts! They look a little bit like prison shirts, but whatever.

And following tradition from last year, one of my baristas got third in her age group! This girl is a running rockstar and very much an inspiration! She keeps me motivated!

You can actually SEE the moisture in the air. It was cray humid. But even with the humidity, we had a blast. It was a good race with good folks for a good cause. And I think our last race for the rest of the summer! Just training training training all through the heat!

And I must must must mention my how wonderful Mr. Hogan is as a running partner. Brendon runs MUCH faster than me. By quite a bit. But he runs with me. To stay with me he slows down, circles back, or runs backwards, asking me how I'm doing (my pet peeve, but really, it's kind of sweet). He could finish with much better stats, but he finishes with me. I feel rotten about it, because really, I'm so much slower, but I love that we run together. We're a team! It's so nice to have him by my side and the best motivation. And we always run across the finish line holding hands. Because we're sappy like that. :)

Old and busted, new hotness

Finally broke down and got new kicks. I've had my old ones for about two years, and they've got a few hundred miles on them. My legs and feet were starting to get a little more wear and tear on them than I'd like, so I figured it's about time for a new pair. When I got the last ones I was working towards running a 5k, now I'm working towards a half marathon! Hopefully these green babies will help get me there. The colors sure are... vibrant. I'm calling them my hulk shoes.

As far as running progress goes, I've hit a bit of a wall this month. We've been going pretty hard since January and making wicked progress, but lately, it's been rough. I've been suffering from serious allergies, like worse than I've ever had. Ever. Breathing has been challenging to say the least, especially in the last week. Between that and the increasing heat, our runs have been shorter and slower and rougher. We squeezed in a slow six miles this week, but that's the longest we've run in a while. Yesterday I managed a depressing two miles before I, literally, wheezed to a stop. I hate these allergies. Hate, hate, hate. It's so bad it's almost like a cold or bronchitis or something evil. It's migrated from my head to my chest in the past week, so I'm hoping it's on it's way out? I don't know. It's making me sad, and it just needs to go.

And dear lord, running in the heat and humidity is a whole different ball game. And it's not even summer heat yet. I'm hoping we'll acclimate at some point (I mean, it has to happen right? It has to get easier?), and then this fall when it cools down we'll be speed demons (HA). I'm trying really hard not to get to disappointed and down about how much harder it is to run lately. I'm thinking of the summer just as a training season. I'm not sure if I'll be able to increase my mileage, much less hit that elusive 13.1, but I'm going to keep on running. Boogers in my chest or not. And that can only make me better, right? I came across "JFR" (Just F-ing Run) while researching places to get shoes (Rogue Running!) and I've been using it for motivation. Feels like hot soup outside? JFR. Worked 13 hours today? JFR. Can't breathe because you're insides are coated in boogers? JFR. Here's more.

And on an unrunning related note: Here is Sophie, squeezed in my shoe box. It was empty on the floor for a good 45 seconds before she got into it.

Fluffy fat kitty, you're so silly! JFR, y'all.

Run the Ranch 5k

Spring in Texas, huh? Look at that sky! Sunday Brendon and I ran the "Run the Ranch 5k" in Steiner Ranch. If you are not from Austin, you probably don't know where or what Steiner Ranch is, so let me lay it down for you. Steiner Ranch is a GIANT suburb wedged in a U-bend of Lake Austin and Lake Travis. It's hill country for sure and it is beautiful. I worked out there for over a year, and although I enjoyed it and the commute is pretty breathtaking, I am happy to be working back in the city.

Steiner Ranch is a very affluent area, and this was definitely the most... family friendly? 5k we've ever run. There was basically one demographic represented, if you catch my drift. We were some of the only people without kids there, gosh, SO MANY KIDS. Totally logical as it is a suburb, but dang. Fast kids too. Dang kids and their endless energy.  

The course was basically just out through a little neighborhood and back. Did I mention that Steiner Ranch is hilly? The whole race was hills. Thank goodness that's all that's around our apartment! We did pretty good though! We placed 5th and 6th in our age group (18-35 both males and females, and as a disclosure, this was not a big age group. Most of these folks were parents, in the next age group.) and finished with a better time than we usually get running 3.1 miles. Our first mile was 8:44, our second was 9:04, and our last was like 9:55. The end was this stupid long hill that seriously seemed to last forever. No pro times of course, but I'm proud of myself! Felt good to stomp all over those hills.

All and all I liked the race. Not sure we'll run it again, just because we felt so out of place being young and childless. And it was slightly unorganized (this was only their second year) and such a looooong production. However, SO well sponsored. They had lunch! Hamburgers of course so we were out of luck, but hey, they provided lunch! And coffee and bagels and fruit and froyo! I mean they went all out with the local businesses. Freakin' Randall's was giving out free roses! The goodies were awesome. Especially since I think registration was only like $10? So maybe we will run it again!

It felt good to run a race, especially now that I've been training decently. I love the excitement and atmosphere! It also felt good to be back out in Steiner Ranch, as odd as that sounds. It's so pretty out there, I miss it!

Next up is the Autism Speaks 8k at the end of May. I imagine it's going to be pretty hot. We're trying to get used to running in the heat, but man we went out the other day when it was like 85 and I thought I was going to die. Seriously, pass out and puke at the same time. I'm hoping my body acclimates quickly. Texas heat/humidity is not playing games. AND THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!

Running love

Totally unedited selfie of me after running. Like those blotches? That's what happens to us vampires when we run. More on this in a second, but first: OH MY GOODNESS SORRY I AM A TERRIBLE BLOGGER. Seriously. It's just, my life! It's so busy and really not that interesting. But I PROMISE I am doing (relatively) exciting things in the near future and I will TRY to document and share. For the four of you that care.

Anyways, back to that ridiculously large photo of me. No matter what Anastasia Steele does, don't run in pigtail braids. They will beat your shoulders, arms, chest, and even your face. So stupid. Anyway, running! It's a damn addiction. But the good kind. We have been running our BUTTS off. Like four times a week, at least. And holy hell have we (I) made progress. For a while it was just running the same 5k route and always stopping to walk a bit. Then one day I ran the whole thing. And then I stopped having to walk at all. And then we added more miles. And then more. And then the other day I ran six miles, which is the farthest I've run, ever. To you pros, that's nothing. But to the girl that couldn't run an entire 5k at the beginning of the year, this is exciting. A half marathon seemed impossible a couple months ago, but now I think it's totally attainable and something I am working toward. I'm still really slow pace-wise, but I don't care. As long as I'm running, I'm happy. I just love it. I love the way you feel afterwards, although during sometimes I feel like I am going to DIE. And I love that I'm almost always sore and can feel my legs getting stronger. I can't see it (no visible muscle growth... yet!), but I can feel it when I run or stretch. Also my skinny jeans have a rougher time getting over my calves these days. Ha.

We've got two races coming up, a 5k at the end of the month and an 8k at the end of May. I haven't run a race since the Trail of Lights 5k and I'm excited to pin on that number again now that I've made the progress I have. And there's just something so awesome about races. So much positive energy and just generally good vibes. Man, I love good vibes. Also there's snacks.

And speaking of good vibes, everyone seems to be feeling and sharing the running love lately! We've got a few of us at work that are on that running game, and as silly as this sounds, the online love has been so good. Thank you Facebook friends for putting up with and supporting all my running posts, seriously. It's so awesome to share this new found love with others and talk about motivation! It's like we've got a little support group going on! Keep on running, y'all. You da best.

So that's what I've been doing. Running, running, running. And working of course. I'm a little concerned about what will happen this summer when it gets real hot. I run in the afternoons and evenings because, duh, working at a coffee shop means no morning runs. When you get to work at 5:30am, running before work is out of the question. When it's 101 degrees out, afternoons and evenings are going to be challenging to say the least. But I'm hoping we can keep up the frequency and progress. Running in the heat can do nothing but make me stronger! Or kill me via heat exhaustion. Hopefully the former.

Autism Speaks 8k

Sunday, Brendon and I ran the Autism Speaks 8k at Camp Mabry here in Austin. This is the reason I started running again, actually, I registered for this race to force myself to start running again. Coffee Bean was the major sponsor, so a few of my fellow caffeine dealers ran it as well. Autism is something Brendon and I care a lot about and have personal experience with, so it was cool to be there for this and to work with this organization.

8k is about 5 miles, which is the farthest I think I've ever run. Woo, for some that may not be impressive, but for me, it's something. This was actually my first real race. I've run 5k obstacle courses before (I don't think that counts) but never just a straight up run. And I loved it! I love the positive energy everyone has and I even loved the competitive aspect of it. I did alright, about how I expected. I was basically right in the middle placement-wise, 134 out of like 260 runners and 17 out of 34 in my age group. Brendon would have kicked butt fosho, but he hung back to run with me. I'll get faster babe I promise!

The weather for this bad boy was gross. It was POURING when we left and raining when we got there, but luckily it stopped just in time for the race. However, it was humid beyond belief. Like running through soup. And phewwww, the course at Camp Mabry is hilly! It's a loop you do twice and the first half of the loop is easy peasy, but the second is full of hills. Cray cray hills. It was a lot tougher than our usual run at Town Lake, but it was fun. Also there were boy scouts cheering us on and giving high fives so that was motivating. Can't stop running in front of some 10 year olds!

Duane and Whitney, two of my team members representing our little store in the hills! Duane got 7th overall (!!) and 1st in his age group. He's a pro fosho.

It was a lot of fun and I look forward to running more races! And doing better! One day I'll place and get one of those cool medals. And by cool I mean cheapo, but still, I want one.

And in case you missed this face on instagram, here's my boo:

Scary. Looks a bit like a demonic Joseph Gordon Levitt. On crack. Run on, y'all!

Warrior Dash 2012

FIRE! And random people! On Saturday Brendon and I ran the Warrior Dash, and we had a lot of fun! This is the second obstacle course/5k I've run, Brendon and I did the Rebel Race in June. This was the second time Brendon did the Warrior Dash, he ran it before when we lived in Denton.

Compared to the Rebel Race, I think this course was way easier. The Rebel Race was basically a 5k cross country hike/run through ditches and gulleys and real big hills (covered in gravel), while this one was relatively flat. The obstacles were easier, I felt like there were fewer of them, but they were spread out pretty evenly. I am thankful for this because I was in much better shape back in June. When I moved to my new store in July I basically stopped running because I was and am just way too tired (and lazy). I love my job but it wears me out! 

Regardless, I still ran more this time than I thought I would, and we actually started off really strong, passing all the slow folks. BUT, of course, I pulled a muscle in my upper thigh (butt) on the first obstacle. Whomp, whomp, super embarassing. So we had to take a little pit stop for a few minutes. I was so pissed. It kind of screwed us over because it threw us behind a whole pack of slowish people so when we got to new obstacles, we basically had to stop running and wait in line for everyone to get over/around/through them. Not so fun. AND about half way through, while standing around waiting for people to climb up a hill, I got stung by a bee. Because that is my luck. I felt something tickling my back, so of course I went to grab at it and boom, stung on my pointer finger. Hurt like a mother, but luckily we pulled the stinger out pretty quickly, climbed up the hill, and I finished the race just fine.

The Warrior Dash had "cooler" obstacles than the Rebel Race. We got to jump over fire! And the mud was higher quality stuff, it smelled much less like animal feces and more just like mud. But instead of a shower station to rinse off, they just have these big water trucks that spray down a mass of people. Not very efficient. We were still really muddy when we got home.

Now pictures! These are all via my iPhone (cinco! It actually takes pretty dang good pictures!) because I was not trying to bring my good camera out there to get all muddy.

Pre-race! We were a little on the sleepy side. It was also really windy and a little cold!

Post race! There are no muddy pictures because we rinsed off before we dared to touch our belongings.

Muddy evidence left on the bottom of my pants.

We got big ol' medals, warrior hats, t-shirts, and free shades from Nissan! My sunglasses match my car now, y'all!

The best part of these things are the people who show up to them. Everyone is so fun! There was a stage with a DJ (I think a band was going to play later in the afternoon) and everyone was dancing!

See those people on the right? That's what everyone looked like after the race. MUDDY.

Of course they played Gangnam Style and we danced our butts off. Brendon was rockin' it.

We had a whole lot of fun. We were a little reluctant on our way out there because we have both been going nonstop for weeks and are hella tired these days, but it was so worth it. It's so much fun. If you have a chance, sign up for one of these things. You don't have to be in good shape (I'm proof!), just do it. It's a blast, I promise you'll love it. And if you have a choice between obstacle courses I highly recommend the Warrior Dash. Although it was pretty dang crowded and a bit easier than the Rebel Race, it was way more organized. A much better "event" in my opinion.

Just don't get stung by a bee and end up with a fat sausage finger for a few days. Because it's no fun. And not cute.

Although it doesn't really hurt, it burns, tingles, and itches like a mother. Bee's are stupid.