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 :) 

Mental Marathon Prepping Step One: Research.

Holy running. 

If you -- like many runners -- have ever committed to upping your distance racing after finishing a race -- the first thing you think is, "I can do this!" So, since I'm on a forced running break until I start marathon training, Ive decided to do some legit research. I already know I'm using THIS Hal Higdon marathon plan, so that's been settled :)

Call me a nerd, it's ok.
 I prefer to call it interested, desire to be prepared, super excited.....wanting to be able to run as comfortably and successfully as I can. And lets face it...26.2 miles of running doesn't make me think of ease or comfort :) However, I've been reading about macros and how to eat to run more efficiently. It's really interesting! To me, maybe (and probably) not to you. 

Another thing I'm doing is looking at potential gear I may need (or really want):

- My running belt water bottles are falling out. Ugh. Looking into why and how to get that under control...I really don't want to buy a new one. My dad got me this one, and I know they're around $50 bucks. I'm down to one water bottle since I lost one during the Fargo half. *annoyed* But I'd much rather buy a replacement bottle than a whole new belt, if I can guarantee it won't fall out. I currently have a Nathan's hydration belt (Speed 2).

- Compression socks/sleeves? I've seen a lot of info supporting wearing these. I don't want to shell out the dough, but will do some research and buy them if need be. Any suggestions or tips are welcome and encouraged :) 

- I'm gonna need some more Brandy bands :) Love those things <3

- cold gear -- I'm pretty much positive that it's going to be pretty cold early October in Minnesota -- so I may invest in a new cold gear outfit. I have a great pair of UA coldgear compression tights that I've worn for about two years. I would love another pair. :) Also, since discovering 6 PM I can justify buying it when it's cheaper than at Dick's :)

My sweet Dad just got me some new running socks (my favorite Thorko's Experia socks) that will be perfect for my long runs throughout the summer. Thanks Daddy-o! 

Luckily, Michelle lives just outside of the city, and has graciously opened her home -- and Kelly has a friend that lives there, too. ANDDD I don't want to speak too soon but I may have some family present, too. :)

Pre-race worship service?!  UMMM that sounds awesome! Good ole Midwest <3

SPOILER ALERT: Until my intern starts, pretty much all my posts will be about running and my Texas vacay coming up. #sorryimnotsorry
I'm SOOOO excited to go home for a much needed visit! My baby brother is graduating high school -- weirddd but fun :) Ready to party with the fam and celebrate all our blessings <3 

What's Been Up

Hey All!!! 

So, uh, I've kinda been dropping off the planet lately with school being *cray* and starting my new second job, and you know...being awesome. 

So: News? Sure. 

- Almost a month away from my half and I am super excited! It's been FOREVER (well, ok, just September, but that's close to forever), and I have been working hard (for the money) -- kidding...working hard to prevent knee injury/pain that creeps up EVERY training season.

- Tuesday after class I helped SURPRISE my girl Natasha with a fun little birthday bash at her apartment. Not the easiest task, but was totally fun and I loved helping make one of my favorite people celebrate one of my favorite days ever (birthdays). Her roomie is super sweet and planned it all, I just had to help occupy her beforehand. Fun stuff. 

- It seems spring will never get here. And when I say never, I really mean it. It snowed today and yesterday a bit -- snow, you know, what white stuff that's usually here between uh, never in Texas? Yep, NEWSFLASH -- it snows between now and ALWAYS here in Michigan. UGH. So, I was getting all pissy about it and decided to go summer shopping. For running clothes, as if I ever buy normal clothes anymore :) Got 5 things y'all -- (and an awesome hair brush) for $61 bones. WHATTUP! I am *obsessed* with these shorts, Adidas and New Balance. I got two tops --  a long one (because let's face it, I may be in a cold weather state the rest of my lifeeee) and a cute running tank: 

Marshall's -- serious. 

Yeah I model my new running clothes and send pics to my mom/bf/friends/Instagram, what else would I do?!

Also promised I'd show you the Honey Stinger treats I am loving, so there.

ok, I know Lance Armstrong uses them, but there's not any illegal drugs in there, I promise. Love these things.

ALMOST done with the first year of school. 9 days until my semester is over. SPOILER ALERT: There will probably be some super emotional post coming up about this past year, blahblahcryetcetra. Feel free to skip that read if you'd like :)

A few things that made me laugh this week:

so true.

"taxi" service in EL. 

Me trying to use tools and unclog my vacuum. Such a shitshow, but I did it alll by myself. :)


Been back at it with my running group, and I am loving it. I forgot how much easier it is to do my long runs with others. Plus, we usually get coffee, lunch, or booze after, so that's a nice little bonus.  If you are a lazybonessss like I can sometimes be, joining a running group, cycling group, whatevergroup helps hold yourself accountable for physical activity. Plus, putting something on the calendar motivates you to get it done. That's my words of wisdom for the day.

Upcoming Races: Bayshore (5/25), Fargo Half [pending] (5/18), Playmakers Triathlon (8/25)
*hoping to add something else to the list soon!*

Off to meal prep and stuff my face. Adios! 

Injury Clinic, Week in Review, New Hair!!

Hey guys -- hope everyone is having a great week! So, I've been complaining about some knee pain, and I went to the Playmakers Injury Clinic (free and awesome, by the way) this last Wednesday. It's every Wednesday from 6-8, but I'd recommend getting there early. Anyway, I got some new stretches for my runners knee issues, and am excited to start feeling better and back to my full fledged long runs, pain-free! :) 

My friend Kelly gave me some Honey Stingers chews and "waffle" for my birthday, and I really like these little snacks to get me through my longer runs. The chews are TOO chewy like the Cliff or Blocks are, making them easier to chomp on the go. The waffle is good. That's all I have to say about that :) I'll post some pics next time.

Went to see Admission, and it was pretty good. Not as funny as expected -- I hate it when movies advertise it as a comedy and while it's funny, it's not how I'd categorize it. But, worth the matinee price for sure. Plus I LOVE me some Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Love. :) 

On my movie trip I discovered something awesome and frightful at the same time -- Eastwood now has  FRANCESCA'S!!! 

Oh for the LOVE of clothes, I was SO excited. Seriously. I already have several things on my "want" list, neatly inventoried in my little head. <3 Their stuff is super cute and I feel like it's really affordable. Their clothing isn't made cheaply either, which makes it worth it. I have several dresses/cardigans that I've had for a few years and still look nice. I will probably be hitting it up all summer.

I have work all weekend, which will for sure be an adjustment...so nice to RE-join the weekend workforce not ..... oh well. Something has to afford me these Francesca goods haha!! And running goods. I mean, summer is coming which means I'll actually be doing shit. CANNOT WAIT.

Anywho -- hope everyone is enjoying this warm(er) weather and spending some QT with Mother Nature :) I'm set for an 8 mile trail run tomorrow. I'll take pics :) Oh and PS -- officially pissed at my scale. Next week I am NOT having any cheats, and I'm going to try to eliminate fruit to get these sugar cravings under control :/ I've been doing AWESOME with my workouts (plus extras), so it won't take too much to see some results this next week.

Fun pics from this week:

7 miles DONE!

Rudy: "Stop taking my picture and throw the damn toy, already."

BEFORE AND AFTER: 5 inches gone. Loving my new do! 

Chicken veggie soup = UHMAZE. 

Veggie prep for the week. Good eats! 

Happy Friday <3

Weekend Wrap Up

This made me laugh out loud. I know so many people who probably get tired of hearing about my running complaints/victories -- in addition to all the other fitness-y stuff I talk about. There's certainly a fine line, and I try not to ramble to the folks I know don't care about my race pace, newest ailment, etc. Everyone talks about something too much -- work, their kids, their significant other, money, etc. Mine happens to be working out/healthy eating. Shoot me. 

Ok, please don't shoot me. Just tell me to shut it. Say it nicely though, ifyoudon'tmind.

THAT BEING SAID: Let's talk about the WEEKEND! 

MSU played Friday at 9:00,  but I was in a MOOOOOD (What I mean by that is I told my boyfriend I wanted to "rip his face off for no reason" -- true story). So, after I got off work after working 11.5 hours -- yes, this glamorous life I lead :) -- I ran my 5 miles scheduled for Saturday because I just wanted to be able to sleep in a little. Took some IB Profen, and drank a Spark around 7:15 so I'd be ready to run right when I got home around 8:00. I was slow, but I got that shit done.
So, I did that and was in a much better mood, so we ended up meeting and watching State WIN.

Because it was snowing I ran on the dreadmill, er, treadmill. Snow? Yep. You read that right.

That day in March was last Sunday/Monday. I forced myself into shorts because I was irrationally optimistic. Oh well. We're still in Winter in my opinion (considering it snowed Wednesday and Friday and Saturday morning -- ew), so whatevs. Anywayyyy, I put on my green and got ready for a pub-run. About two miles with frequent bar stops. To support the National Food Bank, of course I had to :) Here's some pics: 

Me and Natasha

Capital Steps in downtown Lansing

Getting a little cray. at 1:00 PM.

So, we finished that up and came back to rest/watch Michigan State lose (ugh). We took a power nap and got ready to hit the town Saturday night. Ummm, this is probably the only decent picture since I had too much to drink. Ugh. Like, throwupinthemorning too much. So awful.


With that being said, I did absolutely NOTHING today. My head was POUNDING all morning (er, afternoon), and I finally got up and moved to the couch at 1:00. Went and sat in the sauna for an hour to sweat all that alcohol out, and am feeling much better. People that legit drink all weekend every weekend amaze me, I just have no desire to feel like shit all the time. Or waste all my money.

Going to hit the hay early tonight after PAAAAAAACKING for my trip :) Can't wait to get to Minneapolis soon! 6 weeks is a long time to go without seeing your love *blush* and I am so so so excited to spend some quality time with the one that I love. Ok, sweetsy stuff *over.*

Also -- thanks for family prayers. Keep em coming if you can! Reminding myself that God is in charge and everything happens for a reason.

Hope everyone had a fun and safe weekend!