Twin Cities Marathon

WELLLLLLLLL...this post will be a long one. Consider yourself warned. 

For those of you that read my last post, you know I decided a week before the race to give it a go, after being fully healed from my stress fracture a while and giving myself a few test runs (of 10 miles or less - mind you). I figured I was already going to Minneapolis, I couldn't get my money back, and I wanted to try. My parents were going to be there specifically for this race, I was running with Kelly, Michael was coming...I just wanted to try for myself, and kind of for everyone who had planned to be there to support me, too.

SO glad I did. 
We rocked it. Slowly but surely.

The weekend started off great. We got there to cold and wet weather, but my parents picked us up and took us to the expo. Our sweet parents waited rather patiently while we oooh'd and awww'd over all the running goods, and finally after about two hours my Dad threw in the towel and shoo'd us out the door :) We took a rest and then ate dinner all together at The News Room, and Michael and Alissa joined us. I wish I would have taken more pictures before Sunday. But, we had a low-key night and called it an early night.


Saturday Kelly and I did our last training run and ran to the Metrodome and back, which is where the race started. The weather was great. Still overcast, but no rain, and in the high 40's. Saturday was SUPER low key, we walked around the city and stumbled upon a walk/protest for immigration reform, which was neat to see. Then, we watched a movie at the hotel (aka napped a bit), and Michael and I called it quits early. We drove around Lake Minnetonka and pretend-house hunted and then drove through this cutesy little lake town. I loved it. Fall there is to die for. So, I had a lovely dinner of pasta and water water water. I think I was in bed by 9:00 :)

Flash forward to Sunday morning

TC 10 mile (on the way to Kelly's hotel)

I SLEPT LIKE A DREAM. I felt SO well rested, and actually naturally woke before my 6:15 alarm went off. Stretched, had my banana and Honey Stinger waffles, and a little coffee. Perfect. We met Kelly at her hotel, and of course, took some pics :)

Pre-race excitement. And maybe some nievity :) You don't have to tell me how sexy we look, we know.

So, we booked it to the Metrodome and I went to put our check bags up. Welp, of course it can't go perfectly and I had to put my stuff in a different coral -- so Kelly and I lost each other. We had both realized this at the start and said a prayer for ourselves/each other, and *wham* found each other :) Thank the Lord -- because looking back it would have been trouble without her.

At the start line, after we got separated. Taking pictures to ease the anxiety  

So, we knew Kelly's mom, Mrs. B, was going to be with Alissa and her sister at miles 8 and 18. And my parents were going to stagger along the way, too. Michael was at mile 5 and 13, so we had mini-mile markers to get us through the first half. We eventually decided to just stop and stretch when we saw our friends/family, because -- hey, why not? :) Social stretch, anyone?

We even saw some famous people, like Chubacca. 

Kelly and I getting excited to see some familiar faces! 

So, about 10 miles in was about when I started to be more aware of how long this race was going to be. 26.2 miles, to be exact. While I knew this in theory....it really hit home in between 10-13 miles. So, we just kept running, with intermittent conversations and anecdotal comments about the scenery, runners, spectators, etc. We chatted with a few runners, listen to tunes intermittently, and just took in the scenery and the fact that we were seriously running a marathon.

After seeing our family at mile 18, I asked my parents to come somewhere between 22-24, because going from 18-26 without seeing anyone seemed too long for us...we were tired and I think fading a little bit. So, Mom and Dad said they would do whatever we needed, even if they missed the finish.

Around mile 20 we saw Michael with his sister Michelle and her fiance, Dan - they live in Ramsey and came up to spectate which was super sweet. So, we stretched and hugged and left, with the "6 miles left" mantra. We chatted this man who was on his 349th race (marathons and ultras) -- and his advice was that the race was actually two separate races -- the first 20 miles and the last 6. Man, was he right.

My parents creeped up around mile 22 or 24 (I can't remember) and offered some final moral support.

There I am...jogging along.

We took two pictures, and this was our "How we really feel" picture. Again, we rock the same hat and the same fuel belt. Don't be jealous. 

Mile 26 -- praise the Lord! 

Andddd mile 26. This was where I was walking faster than I was running, but I think Kelly and I were both determined to finish it running. So, we did. After a quick little side hug emotional "i cant believe we are doing this and doing it together" moment, we ran through the finish. Wow. 26.2 miles. Done. We got our medals, grabbed some food, and changed clothes ASAP. Then we met our families and hugged and chatted :) Took a ton of pictures. I think Kelly and I were "run-drunk" and still in shock. Heck, I may STILL be in shock.

ONE AND DONE! First Marathon in the books! #TWINSIES

My AWESOME parents :) 

My sweet giant. 

Dan, Michael, Me, Michelle. 

Awesome medal. 

Let's just talk about the weather. It went from a 60% chance of rain all morning to a 30% chance, with minimal rain the whole race. We couldn't have been more blessed. Even so, it got colder in the later morning, and I found myself feeling so thankful for the spectator support when it was rainy and gross. There is no way it would have been as enjoyable without all the spectators and the signs and the volunteers. And of course, our family.

Even my family and friends that weren't there helped get through those miles. I knew I had support and prayers coming my way the whole race, even though most of my friends and family (obviously) couldn't be there. I appreciated all the pre- and post-race texts :)


We went to the yellow room overlooking the city in the evening, and it was so pretty! Of course Kelly and I wore our finisher shirts and medals!

Yay us

Well earned Marg's at Rosie's. We just love to match everything, drinks included :) 

We were SOOOO sore after. Obviously, I know. But no one really warns you. My body was SO tired and our mental states were less than stellar. I felt really "cloudy" -- mixture of exhaustion, disbelief, and joy.
This followed into Monday, too. We got up at dark:30 to catch our flight, and I went straight to class (even though I was dead tired -- that's grad school life for you).  I went home after stopping at the grocery store for a nap, and overslept. I had to pick up my nanny children at 3:00, and woke up at 2:57. Yikes. Leave it to Michael to provide comedic relief.

PMSD. A real thing. 

I can't believe I ran a marathon. After a major lack of training, I still finished, and although I was slowwww, I still accomplished my goal. Next time, I will hopefully finish before 5:30:06. But, for this race, I am perfectly content and thankful. Quite the experience.

Fargo Marathon 2014, see you in May :) 

Minnesota is ON

So, what do you do when you get when you add a healed stress fracture, renewed love for running, and a non-refundable registration for the Twin Cities Marathon? 

You get a marathon runner. My plane ticket has long been purchased, hotel arranged, family planning to be there, the whole 9. So, when this last weekend I was on my run and feeling awesome, I thought, "why not?" Then I said,"No...seriously. Why NOT?" 

And that, my friends, is how I decided to try to run this race. Although I am extremely undertrained, I don't mind crawling the last few miles. Or walking intermittently. I just want to do it. My very dear friend Kelly and I planned to do it, and although she will now finish before me (as she should!) -- I want us to start this together, as planned. I don't know what I would have done last year without my sweet sweet friend, and for that reason doing something this epic with her just feels right. :) I'm excited for our families to meet and celebrate this crazy event.

There's nothing better than this spontaneity -- this is something I rarely do. Spontaniety is not a word ANYONE would EVER use to describe me (sad, but true). 

I may have to drop out. I'm ok with that. I may not be able to walk right for a week, or do yoga as I do, or sit. Or bend over. I mean..let's not think about that any longer...but the point I was trying to make is...

I may not finish.
And that. is. ok.
I will be surrounded by the love of my parents, partner, and friends. That will be enough. Trying is what I am promising to do.



For those of you that know me, and know me well, this self-kindness is not something that comes easily, but I have really been humbled by this stress-fracture and I know that everything happens for a reason. And maybe the reason for it to happen this way was for me to be able to ENJOY this race. ENJOY the process, finish or not. PRACTICE self kindness. TRUST in myself, my feet, my faith, my determination, maybe even my pure stubbornness -- because lets face it, I've got plenty of that.


Twin Cities Marathon -- 2013. That's what I'll be doing this weekend :) 

Everything Summer (Recap in Fast Forward)

Wow blog world. I've been absent :) Summertime is  almost over, and I haven't wanted to miss a beat!! Hence my absence. :) Lo siento!

All things Texas: Sunshine, dirt roads, family, graduation, friends, beer, grill, pets. I mean, need I elaborate? Our family is growing up and transitioning to something different, which will take some adjusting. My youngest brother graduated, so pretty soon we will all be out of the house
 *woah* It's such a blessing to see my sweet brothers grow up and become men.
How strange is that? My "little" brothers aren't so little, and it's so great to see our relationships grow and deepen. Can't imagine not having those crazies.

All things Florida: One of my favorite family vacations. We truly enjoyed each other and it was such a blessing to have my partner join in on the family fun this year, as well as Devin, my brothers' partner. While it was different to be missing the WHOLE fam, it was great to relax just us 5 and reconnect. We saw some dolphins, watched Shark Week, saw a sea turtle, kayaked, I ran in the rain, and we slept a lottttt. Sound perfect? It was. :)


Running: WELLLLLLLP. I was training for the Twin Cities Marathon, and I suffered a stress fracture. Right after 14 miles. *sob story* I was doing great with my training and had read some really great books on eating for running and Ha's marathon guide. However, since then I've been doing yoga (namasteeeee) and riding my bike some and cutting back on my runs dramatically.
Dramatically = one run a week, 3-4 miles max. Since the first week in August. *ouch* I'm slowly adding in more runs but experiencing soreness in my R leg fibula, so I just listen to my body and adjust as necessary.

Really stinks. But, I am excited to be getting back to it. Fall is my favorite running season, anyhow <3
I'm still headed to MSP for the race to support my friend Kelly and run the last 5-6 with her, and spend some fun quality time with my parents and P-I-C (partner in crime). Really looking forward to it! I just got a new running belt since my last one was acting crazy, and I got a sweat belt to maybe help shed some extra inches in the belly. If not, oh well, it is supposed to support better breathing and posture, so I'll be trying that out the next few weeks!

In other news -- Michael got a new job -- so no more overseas traveling! Exciting stuff. That's all about that.

This semester is going to be exciting and packed -- and I am so excited to be starting my last year as a graduate student at MSU. #gogreen
I'm interning at the Michigan State University Counseling Center and have been there since the beginning of July. I have been learning so much and really enjoying the experience. I'll be there for the year! I'll also be waiting tables once a week, working as a nanny, and doing a work study at the East Lansing Hot Yoga studio that I LOVELOVELOVE in exchange for free yoga practice. While this is a very busy time for me, I am focused on being present in each day, and allowing myself to love this time, as come May it will be over, and I will then miss it. Such is life.

I realize I am LATEEE to this gem of a show, but The Newsroom, anyone?! Hello, my new favorite show. Just started Season One and officially in love. I wish I wasn't, because I have papers to write, but this show is seriously good.

New Music Tuesday(s) and Minneapolis Wrap Up

Two weeks of new music -- yay! 

My current favorites: 

JT's new album - The 20/20 Experience. GET THIS IN YOUR HEAD.  The 16-year old girl in me is swooning. Except now JT has ditched the fro and is way cuter. And married. My favorites: Don't Hold the Wall and That Girl and Let The Groove In (very Salsa-esque), Tunnel Vision. Obvi I like this album. 

Blake Shelton- Based on a True Story. LOVE me some Blake. I really like his first single, Sure Be Cool if You Did. But, honestly, I love this whole album after the first listen this morning. Really can't pick a favorite right now, but Small Town Big Town is what comes to mind first thing. This will be my next long run album. :) I really like Doin' What She Likes, too. Really cute. :) The lovey in me just gets the fuzzies. Lame sauce, I know. 

One Republic - Native. I love One Republic. This album doesn't change my mind on that. Really like  Feel Again (their single. Hasn't gotten old to me yet.) and I Lived. Love the lyrics and it rings true to how I want to feel at the end of this whole Michigan experience.  

50 Cent - We Up. New single. Really feeling this one! 

Willy Moon - My Baby. Such a fun song! 

Also, not "new" per se -- but I have been loving on Phoenix's newest album, It's Never Been Like That. It's a fun album, a good slow paced running mix, with some fun upbeat songs, too.

OK -- On to Minnesowwtah :)
Well, getting up at 4:00 AM to catch a flight is never fun, but doing it to see one of your favorite people after 6 weeks of not seeing them makes it a bit easier. :) So, Luckily on the way there I didn't have any delays or issues (Praise the Lord!), and arrived in Minneapolis at 9:00 AM! We did lots of fun stuff, inluding: Mall of America (all day!), downtown Minneapolis (so fun -- LOVED IT), the Walker Art Museum (I would NOT recommend this museum to ANYONE. So weird and we all left feeling creeped out and confused. You can't unsee things....that's all I'm saying), and some good eats! We had brunch at The Local, had giant beers and mexi at Acapulco's, and even cooked out. Last but not least, I got to hold a black chicken, and play with Duke :) Can't wait to go back! Special thanks to Michelle and Dan for opening up their home, and to Natasha and Sheena for checking on Bigs while I was away! Here are some pics:

One of the chickens, and Duke

Trying to teach Duke "up" -- not a success. 

Acapulco's 

Downtown Sculpture Garden -- Cherry on a spoon. 

Downtown. Yes, he's that tall. And I'm that short. 

On the train to downtown. ALMOST missed the train lol 

<3 So, that's my quick trip to Minneapolis with Michael to see his sister and Dan. Had so so so much fun. Even got a run in! Although I ate like shit, I'm getting back on track this week :) I do what I want on vacations lol

Posts will probably be a little inconsistent until the end of April -- my semester is starting to wrap up which means everything is due. Yikes.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Oh -- Special shout out to Rockwall Heath High School Gymnastics team and my bad-A brother Grayson for making it to STATE this year!!! Woo hoo.

Recipes: Healthy "Classics"

Ok -- so I love me some food. Please show me someone who doesn't -- even 'rexis like food. Luckily, my fam eats pretty much healthy. Except Dad -- if it weren't for my mom, we'd have pizza or macaroni and sausage every night. Or cereal. These are my dad's favorites. Luckily, he doesn't do the cooking or we'd all be unhealthy fatties. Sorry Dad, it's true. 

Anyway, my mom makes the World's Best Turkey Burgers. You've probably seen her famous recipe  floating around on Pinterest -- joking. I've been making them between burger patty and meatball sized, like sliders-ish and throwing them on my salads, like this: 

They're so good. I LOVE them. More than traditional burgers. That's a little mozzarella cheese on top, it looks like squeezable mayo but it's not -- that would be gross. For two patties it's 194 calories.

Anyway, you need, ground turkey, and a veggie mix pack.

This is the only brand if veggie mix I've been able to find. But, this is all you need. None of that 20something-ingredient list. Ain't nobody got time for that. So, thaw the meat and dump in the mix and mix together with hands. Clean hands, preferably. Unless it's just you eating it -- then do whatever you want. Form them into whatever size you prefer, and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. I just cut one open and make sure they're done, I don't own a thermometer. I just make sure it's not pink in the middle.

Finished product from today -- makes 11 (I ate one pre-pic) 

Put them over sandwiches, toss with spaghetti squash and tomato sauce, put it in between bread/pita for a makeshift sandwich/wrap. They're so good! These also freeze well, so there ya go. My go to "I'm sick of chicken what do I eat" meat. :) 

New recipe from my Pinterest board I tried -- Ok, I'm trying to branch out and I've sworn off pinning new recipes until I start trying the bajillions that I've already pinned. I LOVE Mac and Cheese, but it is clearly not diet friendly, and since my last cleanse I've really reduced my dairy by like 75%. But, this looked delicious and I kept thinking about making it. So I did. This is how I modified it to make it a bit healthier:
 1 cup of spaghetti squash /1 cup whole wheat pasta instead of the 2 cups of pasta
1.5 cups of the cheese and 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese instead of the 2 cups of cheddar
I made my own "bread crumbs" using my Ezekiel bread, garlic powder, and flax seeds.
of course made it spicyyy (more cayenne, dried japs, red pepper flakes, paprika)
I used coconut milk because that's what I use ** I'd recommend getting some skim or 1% because the sweetness is not masked by the cheese. **

This is my "breadcrumb" mixture. 

My roasted veggies. About 25 minutes in the oven at 350 

 Cheese mixture. 

FINISHED! and tastyyy. 

I put all the ingredients in My Fit Pal and figured out that one serving (if this dish serves about 4) is approx. 500 calories -- the average mac and cheese dish is anywhere from 400-600 for a cup, and that's just as a side. I ate mine as my main dish and was totally full.

Other news:

GOT MY BRADY BANDS! Love them. They're so cute. And they seriously stay on. So, for those that need some great hairoutofyourfacethatdontfalloff headbands, these are super affordable, and cute.

Green chevron, gunmetal sparkles <3

Just when you think winter is over, you go on a night run and fall on the damn ice. Hard. Thanks, Michigan. I forgot that March is still freakingggg winter here. Lesson learned. I'll stick to daytime runs or the treadmill until April (ughhh).

Since this pic, it's only gotten uglier. Ugh. 

ANDDDD I got my triathlon training book in AND my super cheap new Mizunos (Amazon Student prime + gift card + late 'model' shoes = 100+ shoes for about half the price. Bonus), so my plan is to read some on Sunday and pick a triathlon -- I'm torn between the Grand Rapids one in early September or the August 25th Playmakers one here in Lansing. Leaning towards the local Playmakers one. 

ANDDDDDDD finally -- cheers to me for securing my next job! I'll be working at the River House (yes -- waiting tables for the first time in three years) this summer when my nanny job ends and my internship starts. Bittersweet :( I am going to truly miss my Michigan family, but it's nice to know I won't be jobless and can still go over to harass them whenever I want :) 

Root Cabernet <3

ANDDDDD -- wow it's been a busy eventful week -- I'll be visiting Minneapolis in less than TWO WEEKS! So so excited to visit a new place and spend time with M/his sister :)


Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, I'll be spending the rest of this SPRING FORWARD day working on school stuff, since I already ran my 4 miles and can't procrastinate anymore. Happy Sunday!