Three Things Thursday

1. Running streak - In all the choas of the past two weeks, I didn't take a rest day from running.  Today will be Day 15 of my running streak and Day 25 of my exercise streak.  So....should I take today off from running? It is supposed to be unseasonably warm today with a high of 78F this afternoon.  It's going to be hard resisting heading out for a run after work.  Either way the running streak will end tomorrow but the exercise streak/not taking a complete rest day will continue!

My Brooks Ghost 5s have 515 miles on them!

2. Compression socks - During the summer I always kind of forget to wear my compression socks because it is so warm out.  This week has been the return of the socks under the work attire.  Love being able to hide my pink socks!

3. The garden - We have had a few cold nights so I went out and picked the last of the vegetables from the garden.  I actually got a lot of green tomoatoes that are now slowly ripening on my kitchen window sill.  We still have a lot of carrots in the ground and it is really awesome to be able to run outside and grab a few carrots when I am making stew or soup!

Happy Thursday!!

Three (slightly random) Things Thursday

Oh hey it's THURSDAY!! Yay!

1. Last weekend I went  blueberry picking with a friend.  It was an insanely hot morning and I was sweating so much by the end but managed to pick about 12 pounds of blueberries.  Brian already requested blueberry muffins, but I am craving blueberry pancakes. Yum!

2. Due to a late frost at the end of May, my hydrangeas are not flowering.  There was one bud and flowers but this is it and of course the bug was on the back of the plant, hidden under several other leaves. Once I saw these few flowers, I quickly clipped them and brought them inside to a vase.  Need to enjoy the few hydrangeas we get this year  :-(

3. Check out my giant bruise!  Brian and I moved a piano on Sunday and then Monday I woke up with this! I do not bruise easily and I don't remember getting hit really hard so I don't know how this happened.  This has to be my biggest bruise EVER!

Only a couple of hours (ok more like 5-6 hours) stand between me and the weekend.  Happy Thursday!!

Three Things Thursday

1. Although I would have loved to run a Turkey Trot, I stuck to the bike in the basement and pedaled hard for an hour to get my exercise in. I alternated between riding hard for a minute and then recovering and reading my book for a minute. It really made the time pass quickly!

2. Now I am watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade - I got to see the Rockettes and the Buzz Lightyear Balloon!


3. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope you have a great day with your families!!

Three Things Thursday

1. I had an appointment with my primary care doctor yesterday and she set me up with a referral back to the physical therapist I saw last year when I hurt myself. I have scheduled an appointment for next Wednesday! Since my knee wasn't getting any better by just resting, I have been doing my old PT exercises from when my right knee/hip was weak last year. The exercises seem to be helping my left knee/hip and I don't have any more pain.

2. The car that I have been driving since I was 16 has finally bit the dust. The headlights switch inside the steering column has been shorted out and now my headlights wont turn off and my bright lights are on all the time! I honestly hate shopping for cars but after having this car for 9 years I think its time for a new car (well, new to me that is)!

3. Good luck to everyone running and racing this weekend! I love that the Chicago marathon is on 10-10-10! That is just so exciting!!

Three Things Thursday

The pre-race edition!

1. I have been craving spaghetti for the last two weeks!! I can't wait until Saturday night when I can sit down with a big bowl and carbo load!

2. Yesterday may have been my last run before the race. I was feeling super tired last night so I decided to sleep in this morning. If I feel good after work, I may head out for a short 2 miles. Otherwise I am in total rest mode until Sunday which means lots of water and no high heels!

3. Uhh I am going to be running 13 miles on Sunday and the nerves are starting to creep in!!! This will be the first time I have raced a half, and only the second time I have run 13 miles in my life! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post when I share my time goals and race outfit!

Happy Thursday!!

Three Things Thursday

1. Scheduling doctors appointments for 9am is the best idea ever. Instead of my usual wake up time of 5am, I got to sleep in until 6am and head out for a well lit morning run! I ran a pretty hilly route and my legs still felt tired from the tempo Tuesday workout. But 5 miles is 5 miles and it felt great to get it done!

2. This weekend Brian and I are going hiking! We plan to hike about 4.8 miles and over 4000ft of elevation! We also get to go and visit family, including Brian's adorable nephew!

3. One more week until my Half Marathon! Next Sunday, September 12th I will be toeing the line of my second half marathon. I ran this same half two years ago with my best friend Kaylie. Sadly this year I will be running solo but I am still very excited to see how it goes!

Have a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday

Happy Thursday to all!! I am on vacation at the lake and hopefully enjoying some relaxing time in the sun!

1. This past Monday night, Brian and I had dinner with my best friend Kaylie and her fiance Mark! We had the most delicious meal of steak-spinach salad with sour cream potatoes followed by a dessert of blueberry crumble with cornmeal-almond topping! It was a great evening filled with great stories and lots of laughter! Yum, Yum!!

2. While on vacation I hope to get in a long run, like 12 miles long, and to top that off, I want to run it in my running skirt. If all goes well I think I will run in it for the half marathon in September too!

3. Brian and I have set a date for our wedding!! Since we are both engineers we are very into numbers and such. We will be getting married on September 10th, 2011 (also written as 9.10.11) We just love the consecutive numbers!

Three Things Thursday

1. Summer Hours started this week at work. That means working Monday thru Thursday, ten hour days. Its a tough schedule, but nice having Fridays off all summer!

And we just lost power at work for about an hour. Not sure if it was due to the heat, but I honestly thought they were going to send us home for the day :(

2. This morning I headed out for a short run in 77F with 99% humidity. Wowee! Kept it slow and steady to get my legs ready for Sunday. Finished 2.35 miles in 20 minutes and then ate breakfast out on the deck!

3. The Boilermaker 15k is this Sunday!! I have picked out my race outfit and started to pack! There is going to be a record 13,000+ runners this year. Although the chances are slim, let me know if you are going to be there and maybe we will run into each other!

Good luck to everyone racing and have a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday

1. Tuesday Double: Tuesday after work I headed to meet up with the local running group. I had already done 3.5 miles of hills in the morning but the workout looked decent enough and I thought I would make it.

We did 2 miles warm up then started into 3x1000m (although the girls I was running with were doing 6x1000m in 3:55). My previous 1000m pace was about 4:04 so I thought I could just hold on for 3 repeats and would make it. Well the first one they went out way too fast and that pretty much killed me for the next two. I ended up running 3:49, 3:57 and 4:05 and then stopped. I continued to run the recovery jog with the girls and then we did 6x100m barefoot strides followed by a 2 mile cool down.

My legs were hating me by the end. I had no idea how much I had run but once I got home and claculated it, I found I had run about 8 miles with the group. That put me at a total of 11.5 miles for Tuesday and 16 miles in two days!! I haven't run that many miles in one day in 2 years! Surprisingly I wasn't sore on Wednesday but my body still feels pretty beat up. It was nice to have a group to run with, but these girls are FAST and they are all training for marathons so they run like 85 miles a week! I want to be involved in the group but I don't want to be pushed/pressured into increasing my miles right now.

2. June Running/Recap:
Miles Run: 98.3 - highest mileage month ever!

Highest Mileage week: 23.5 although this week is shaping up to be higher cause of my intense 16 miles in two days.

Rest days Taken: 8

Current Book: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane - not to the scary parts yet!

Current Colors: Yellow - there is just something about yellow right now although I do love pink too!

Current Goal: Stay healthy and run 1000 miles in 2010

Current excitement: 4th of July weekend and then Boilermaker!


3. Weekend: 4th of July weekend is coming right up and I can't wait to eat good food, watch fireworks and lay in the sun! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

Three Things Thursday

1. Last night Brian and I met up with some co-workers and went to see the local minor league team play.  We arrived at the stadium and I got really excited because....that is where the half marathon finish line is (for my September half)!  I hadn't been there since the last time I ran the half marathon which was in 2008!

2. At the baseball game, I met the man who was the first male for our company at the Corporate Challenge.  He was telling me about a Tuesday track workout he goes to at night with a local running club.  I may have to make an appearance and see how it goes.  It would be nice to have people to run with for my speed workouts.  And thanks for all the comments yesterday!

3. This weekend I have lots of plans which include: 8 mile long run, strawberry picking and eating, running skirt shopping, and Pottery barn wedding decor class with my best friend and Bride-to-be Kaylie!

Can't wait for the weekend!  Happy Running!

Three Things Thursday

1.  I am skipping out on work tomorrow and tonight Brian and I are heading to his parents house to stay.  Tomorrow night (7pm) we have the 5k race, which we also ran last year. The course is very flat and through a nice little neighborhood which is really the most enjoyable race for me. Last year my time was 22:18 and Brian's was 25:52.  I would love to PR and run under 21:37 but we will just see how it goes with the heat and humidity!

2.  This is one of two races that I run in the evening.  I know that on my training runs I tend to run faster in the evening compared to the morning...Well I guess that was mainly true  in the winter since I was running in below freezing temps in the morning.  I just wonder if this same concept pertains to summer running since it is basically 60F++ in the mornings and nights!

3. Saturday morning we are returning to home and then a few hours later heading out across the state for Brian's nephews baptism!  It has been a while since we have seen him and I can't wait! Apparently he is smiling and giggling now!

It is going to a be a busy weekend!!  Happy Thursday!

Three Things Thursday

1. This morning's run was amazing.  I awoke to cool temperatures in the upper 50s and headed out around 5am.  As I started running, I was soon enveloped in fog where I could not see anything 20 feet in front or behind me!  Something about the fog and the quietness of the morning made me so happy to be out running!  As I reached the turnaround point in my run, the fog had lifted to reveal the beautiful sunrise!  This is the best part about morning running in the summer!

2. I really, really want to go Strawberry picking!  Although I know there is a chance I may eat more than I actually pick, that is a risk I am willing to take!

3. I signed up for another 5k next Friday, June 18th.  I ran this same race last  year with Brian and we loved it so much we are going back again!!  I am also thinking about signing up for a 10k race 14 days before my 15k.  Do you think the 10k is too close to the 15k?  Should I race the 10k or just run it as a tempo run?? 

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday! I can't wait for Friday and the weekend!!

Three Things Thursday

1. Biggest Loser: I was way behind on the biggest loser episodes and last night I was finally able to sit down and watch the Marathon episode and the finale!  I wait all season just to see them run a marathon and each time it really makes me want to run a marathon!  It was impressive to see all the weight the contestants had lost, although I thought that Koli looked way too thin.  I love that Stephanie and Sam are dating and honestly I think that Michael has a thing for Ashley, or he is just really feminine.  Overall, everyone looked amazing, the outfits were awesome, and I loved Allison Sweeney's hair!

2. The Weekend: I am counting down the hours until the end of the day because I have taken off from work tomorrow to enjoy a four day holiday weekend!!  Is it weird that even though I have the day off tomorrow, I still want to get up early to run?  Friday night I am headed out for a girls night to see Sex and the City 2!  Hopefully the rest of the weekend will be fun too, although I don't have any real plans yet!

3. Moving: After much prodding, my roommate finally revealed about a month ago that she was moving in with someone else!  I was left saddened as I could not find any one to move in with me.  So next week I will be moving back home which feels like total defeat for me.  I guess I could live alone but for the sake of safety (and money) I opted to move back in with the good old parents.  I really am going to miss all my regular running routes!

Happy Thursday!

Three Things Thursday

1.  After my little tumble on Tuesday, I bandaged myself up and went to work.  My ankle swelled up a bit but it seems to be doing decently well.  I ran this morning and my scraped knee just feels stiff because of the large scab that has now formed.  It is funny because I ran all winter in the dark and snow and ice and didn't fall, and now the weather is nice and its light out in the mornings I end up falling on my face!!

2.  I joined a book club - like a real life, meets once a month, book club!  My high school alumnae association organizes one and my friend Kaylie just happened to find the information about it!  They meet on the second Monday of every month so I need to get reading!

3. Two weeks ago I went to a baby shower for Brian's new nephew.  I finally was able to reveal my crochet creation! I crocheted a green baby blanket back at Christmas time but didn't show anyone for fear that somehow Brian's sister would see the blanket and know about it before she got it as a present! So far it has been my favorite thing that I have crocheted!

One more day until the weekend!  Happy Thursday!

Three Things Thursday!

1. This week the mornings have been really cold and I just have not had the desire to get up and run.  Especially this morning.  I was able to get out Tuesday morning for 3.6 miles and yesterday for a fast 2 miler in the misty rain.  But this morning when the alarm went off at 5am, my body said no.  So I rolled over and went back to sleep for another 45 minutes.  The extra sleep was glorious but at the same time it was a beautiful morning that I missed out on.  Weirdly enough, I have been really wanting to run mile repeats...maybe this weekend...??

2.  Last week my parent's cat got a hair cut.  Her winter fur coat is so thick that when summer time comes around her fur gets all knotted.  So my mom had her groomed so she would be more comfortable!  And she really is - she loves not having the fur!  Isn't she cute???  (Before and after shots below)

3.  30 days ago, I wrote about participating in Amanda's 3 Changes Challenge where I said I would a) stop eating candy, b) make an effort to connect with friends and c) get rid of clothes that do not fit anymore.  Well I am proud to say that I haven't eaten any candy! Not a single piece!  It was hard at first but then I just kept on going and I feel so much better without it!  I have been eating my fair share of cookies and cake though!  I have made attempts to connect with friends but work and family stuff has gotten in the way.  And lastly, I have nice big pile of clothes on my bedroom floor that I will be donating!  It feels good to get rid of the clothes that didn't exactly make me look that good because they didn't fit - it was like a mini episode of "What Not to Wear" in my bedroom!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!!  Happy Thursday!!

Three Things Thursday

1.  Hi Everyone!  Sorry I have been absent from posting this week but work kind of just got super busy all of sudden and well, my blogging kind of got pushed to the last thing on my To Do list.  Tuesday I ran 400m intervals outdoors and tried to hit a 1:35-1:37 pace but the weather was a tad bit chilly and so I had some trouble.  Wednesday morning I went for an adventure run and just ran around on some streets that I had never run on before!

2.  Yesterday my best friend, Kaylie got engaged!!  I was so excited when I found out and could not be more happy for them!!  He proposed at a nearby park in a field of wildflowers after they had been riding a tandem bike!  They are so cute!

3.  I mentioned a while back that I had actually signed up for a race and that race happens to be this weekend!  Sunday I am running the Better Life 5k to benefit The Diabetes and Nutrition Therapy Center for a local hospital.  It is being held at a local golf course with the race right on the course.  This is an important race to me because my Dad has had type 1 diabetes since he was 5 years old.  For almost 60 years my dad has lived with having to check his blood sugar and take insulin.  The technology has come a long way since he was first diagnosed and really has helped to make his life easier!

I can already tell I am getting nervous about the race because last night I had a scary dream about being at a race and not having my bib and chip.  It has been a long time since I have run a race.  I am just hoping that the weather turns from rain to sun for Sunday!

Happy "almost" weekend!!

Three Things Thursday

1. First of all I had trouble falling asleep last night and it has been this way all week! Usually I am asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow but this week my mind just races and I can't calm it down for about 45 minutes!  Last night my mind is running wild with thousands of thoughts and I begin to wonder if I am having trouble sleeping because of over training but that doesn't even make sense since I only run 20 miles a week!!  I finally fell asleep only to be awoken at 3:45am because of throbbing pain in my second to last toe on my right foot.  It was quite painful for no good reason!!

2. I got up at 5am for my run and my toe was still feeling funny but I thought - "I am only running 2 miles, no big deal!"  So I headed out and ran 2 miles in 14:11 and then jogged the last half mile home.  I keep trying to find a way to run two miles without encountering any hills but sadly it is almost impossible to do!!  The toe hurt a bit while running and is still tender but I am sure I will live!

3. Tomorrow after work, Brian and I are headed to visit his family.  His sister had a baby boy on March 5th and we finally get to see him!  It should be a fun filled weekend!

Happy Thursday!!

Three Things Thursday

1. It is the first day of April and I started the day off right with a easy run this morning.  I headed out with no planned route and ended up running a short 3 mile loop.  As I was coming to the final intersection where I could either go straight back to my apartment or turn left and add on a little extra mileage, I was feeling so good I turned left!  As I made my way the extra half mile, I actually passed a runner!  Usually I never see anyone out at 5am!  This was a woman and she said good morning to me! I wanted to stop and ask her if she lived nearby and ran frequently in the morning, although that might have been a little too sketchy!  Hopefully I will see her out again!!

2. Right now the Easter candy is killing me! The Cadbury eggs, skittles, jelly beans! It is all too much! I cannot stop eating candy!  In Biggest Loser style, I just looked up the nutrition facts and one Cadbury egg has 170 calories.  Ouch.

3. Check out a great giveaway hosted by the Happy Runner to win Run Like A Mother by Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea!

March mileage total = 88.6 miles

Happy Thursday!!

Three Things Thursday

1. It is that time of year when I get the urge to do SPRING CLEANING!!  I just want to go through all my stuff and throw out anything that I don't need! I want to de-clutter!   

2. I bought new shoes!  I stuck with Asics but I bought women's shoes instead of my usual mens.  I had the Men's Nimbus 10s and I LOVE them but the women's Nimbus 11s are 124 dollars!!  So I opted for the regular Gel something or other for 64 dollars.  I did buy the wide shoes instead of the regular because I think I had regular women's before and that probably contributed to my hip problems.  After 5+ years of running, I finally got my shoe type down (hopefully!)

3. Oh Hello Spring! Thanks for showing up this morning for my run!  The temperature was in the 40s, the birds were chirping, and the sun almost came up while I was out!  I did 4 slow miles and hopefully I will be able to get out for a second run after work since it is supposed to be a high of 60F!!!

Did you run today?  HAPPY THURSDAY!

Three Things Thursday

1. Thank you all so much for the wonderful Birthday wishes!  Yesterday morning and afternoon were good but around 5pm everything went wrong.  Let me explain.  I usually get to work around 7am if not before.  Last night I stayed until 7pm!  Working 12 hours on my birthday really was not ideal but I made it to my parents for pot roast and then cake and really had a great night with them!

 2. I slept in this morning (and I am still exhausted) and didn't work out but will hopefully be able to leave work and go to spin class tonight!  I am also hoping to get outside for a morning run tomorrow since there is no snow in the forecast for once!

3. Today is March 4th - the only day out of the whole year that gives a command (get it - march fourth??!!)  : )

Happy Thursday!!!

Giveaways -
Inperspire Towels at  Tall Mom
WIN detergent plus more at 5 Miles 2 Empty