a year of change

Our First Date

2012-02-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

Our first day was on May 09th, 2011. We decided to meet at the Deadwood (a local restaurant) parking lot and we'd go somewhere from there. Pat suggested going over to Hines Drive and going for walk on the trails at Cass Benton. I knew that Cass Benton was one of the parks along Hines but I had no idea of the trails that I had been missing out on. Pat had ran there for cross country in high school so they were familiar to him. It was a warm & sunny day out. It was a great first date because we were able to talk & get to know each other. And I was so excited to learn about the trails and see how beautiful they were. After our walk that was probably about an hour or so we decided to go get dinner in downtown Northville. We started out at Table 5, a really nice wine bar. It was really packed and we waited for a while before we got a table. We were seated right on top of two other tables and it just didn't seem right. So Pat suggested we go somewhere else. I quickly agreed and we walked down the block to Buckminsters, a newer bar. The had food but it wasn't a very big menu and we both ended up with sandwiches. He was very sweet and kind, a true gentleman. I had a great evening with him and was anxious to see him again after that night.

The Night we Met

2012-02-16T09:58:00.001-05:00

Before I get to our engagement story, I'm going to back up to the night we met...

The running club that I am in has an annual "Club Race". It's open to paying club members only and the club buys pizza & beer afterwards. There are awards based on who actually wins the race, then there is some statistic that calculates a handicap based on gender & age to see who actually was the fastest, then an award to who improved the most of last years time.

It was originally scheduled for April 28th, which was the Thursday before I did the back-to-back marathons. I wasn't going to do it since it would be a bit much before the big challenge I had ahead of me. For some reason that I can't remember it ended up getting rescheduled to the following week, May 5th.

I survived the insanity of two marathon and decided to run the race. It was a challenging run with lots of hills, but I managed to come in as the first female. I cheered the rest of my running friends on and when everyone had finished we headed over to the Sports Den for awards, pizza, & beer.

Megan (aka BR) & I sat next to each other and there was an empty space next to me. This guy that I had seen at several of the other runs (but never officially met) sat next to me and on the other side of him was our friend John. The guy introduced himself as Pat (aka PC) and the four of us chatted most of the evening. He ended up with one of the awards, I think the age adjusted handicap one. He made a comment about how the fastest guy got an award but not the fastest female which was really sweet. At one point he got up to use the restroom and Megan and I being goofy and sneaky decided to slip a wallet sized picture of the two of us from her wedding into one of his pockets. Don't ask why we walk around with wallet sized pictures of ourselves. Anyway, as the night wore on we decided it was time to head home. On the way out, BR told PC that he might want to check his clothes before he washes them next.

Acting like teenagers, we then left and walked to a window that looked in on the room that we had been in. We ducked down so that no one would see but we watched as he was checking all of his pockets. Another friend had witnessed us putting the picture in his pocekt and was trying to help him find what we hid but she couldn't find the hidden pocket that we slipped it into. We were on the ground laughing hysterically over it. Eventually he found it and we slipped out unseen.

Later on I had Megan give him my number but he felt a little weird about that since he didn't know if I was okay with her giving out my number. He later friended me on facebook and asked me out the following Tuesday.

So sometimes acting 20 years younger that what you really are pays off!

We got engaged!!!

2012-02-15T13:01:00.000-05:00

It was so romantic & perfect, I couldn't be happier!

Happy Valentines Day!

2012-02-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

(photo from pinterest)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Are you celebrating? If so, how?

I have a "secret" date tonight. I'm meeting the boyfriend at 5pm tonight and I have no idea where we are going or what we are doing. How romantic is that? I love a good surprise!

Aeggekage

2012-02-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

What the heck is Aeggekage? It's the most delicious breakfast that you could cook up! It's also know as a Danish Over Pancake or a Baked Pancake. I just can't tell you how awesome this is.

Weekend Recap in Pictures

2012-02-06T09:07:00.001-05:00

Brady got a long over due hair cut.

We went to a fundraiser for the daughter of a friend who is raising money for her Irish Dance team that is competing in Belfast, Ireland in April.

Ran 10 miles Saturday morning.

Brady stayed snuggled in bed while I got up to run.

Lifted at the gym both Saturday & Sunday. Saturday was back, Sunday was chest & abs.

Nothing says Sunday morning like donuts after a good workout...haha!

So close to winning the 3rd quarter in my Super Bowl squares.

January Re-Cap: Working it out

2012-02-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

I've been working out like crazy lately. January was a good month here's the details:
01/01 - Four Mile run at Island Lake
01/02 - 30 minute circuit, 12 min abs, 1 mile run at Planet Fitness
01/03 - Ran with NRR, 5.69 miles
01/04 - Indoor soccer game
01/05 - OFF
01/06 - Jamie Eason's Live Fit, Day 1
01/07 - Live Fit, Day 2
01/08 - Live Fit, Day 3
01/09 - Live Fit, Day 4
01/10 - Ran with NRR, 5.13 miles
01/11 - Barre Bee Fit, Indoor soccer game
01/12 - Ran 4.5 miles on the treadmill at Planet Fitness
01/13 - Live Fit, Day 8
01/14 - Live Fit, Day 9
01/15 - Ran 5.5 miles in Chicago
01/16 - OFF
01/17 - OFF
01/18 - Live Fit, Day 10
01/19 - Live Fit, Day 11
01/20 - Live Fit, day 12
01/21 - Ran 3 miles on the treadmill
01/22 - Ran 8.4 miles at Kensington
01/23 - Live Fit, Legs
01/24 - Ran with NRR, 5.12 miles
01/25 - Indoor Soccer Game
01/26 - Live Fit (not sure which I did this day, I have to check my log book)
01/27 - Live Fit (not sure which I did this day, I have to check my log book)
01/28 - Ran with NRR, 9 miles
01/29 - OFF
01/30 - Live Fit, Chest & Triceps
01/31 - Yoga, Ran 3 miles at the gym & did Live Fit, Legs

Pics from last weekend

2012-02-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

Catch Up & lots of Good eats

2012-01-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

Wow, I haven't posted in almost 2 weeks! I certainly didn't mean for that to happen.

Chicago was awesome! We got in around 1pm Chicago-time on Saturday. We relaxed and watched some MSU basketball and ate some awesome bean dip that PC's brother had made. Later on in evening we met up with some of their friends and headed over to Pizza Art. An awesome pizza place that you can bring your own beverages too. We got two six packs of beer to split and ordered two different types of veggie pizza. Oh, and we also got the Bruchetta which was out of this world! After dinner we headed over the Chicago Brauhaus...a highly entertaining German Beer Hall. We shared a boot of beer and did a little dancing.

On Sunday, we headed to Fork, a great place for breakfast. Later on in the day, PC & I headed down to the Lakeshore path and got a run in. I think I got about 5 miles in. I had forgotten my Garmin so I guessed based off of PC's miles (he went further than me). After the run we showed and relaxed for a while before headed out to dinner at Grafton Irish Pub. They had some of the best fish & chips that I've ever had. We had plans of hitting a Jazz Club but we decided to head back to J & K's place and played Euchre instead. Oh, & did I mention that they have the cutest little dog, named Charlie. We just loved the little guy!

Last week was my birthday and I started celebrating early by going out to dinner at Bravo! with three of my girlfriends. Three bottles of wine & some good food later we called it a night. It was so nice to catch up with them!

On my actual birthday, PC got up early with me and made me chocolate chip waffles & served me OJ in a martini glass. I went to work until 2pm when he PC came to take me to a late lunch at The Melting Pot. We went home and just relaxed for a little while before heading to the gym and spending the evening with his kids. The next day my co-workers took me to lunch at Arbor Brewing Company.

Last weekend was filled with running, trips to the gym, lots of cleaning & organizing. And we took G & her friend to see Legally Blond that was put on by the local High School. I was so impressed!

I've stayed pretty close to my workout plan this week and I've now worked out 22 of the last 25 days. I'm hoping to continue my streak tonight with a trip to the gym for a short run & some weights.

TGIF!!!

2012-01-13T15:34:00.000-05:00

(pic from pinterest, linked from http://trendytraveler.tumblr.com/post/6893004025)

I don't know what it was with this week but I'm so glad that it's coming to the end. Maybe it has something to do with the Full Moon that was on Monday. I rarely struggle to sleep at night but this week I was fighting for every Zzz! I could get.

(pic from pinterest)

It was a good workout week without any days off:
Monday - Live Fit Phase 1, Day 4 weight (Shoulders & Abs)
Tuesday - Ran with NRR for 5:13 miles
Wednesday - Barre Bee Fit Class & an Indoor Soccer game
Thursday - 4.5 mile run on the treadmill

I'm really proud of that last treadmill run. I was tired and wanted a day off. My plan was to run with NRR but the weather wasn't too nice out (cold & rainy) so I used it as an excuse not to go. Plus I didn't want to add 30 min more into my drive time. So I forced myself to head to the gym and ran with my friend Pitbull (#IlovePandora).

(Pic from pinterest)

This weekend PC & I are off to Chicago to visit his brother & his wife. We'll head out first thing tomorrow morning and will head back home Monday morning. I've been missing City life so I'm so excited to be going.

Have a good weekend!

Working it out...Above the Barre

2012-01-11T16:36:00.000-05:00

I've been on a roll for the New Year with working out. I've never felt better, and more sore...haha!

I've been trying to stick with the running and make it to at least 2 of the 3 weekly NRR runs. But, my heart still isn't back into running. Rather, running as much as I should be with a half coming up in March.

Today I decided to mix things up and I went to a Barre Bee Fit class.
The class is described on their website as:
"Our program combines intense cardio, total body toning, deep stretching and detoxification into a powerful program to achieve maximum results. Each regimen is choreographed weekly and designed to focus on the small, and often ignored, muscle groups critical to building a toned yet feminine physique. Our classes change regularly to incorporate innovative props, new movements and rotations in an effort to keep your muscles confused and the positive results coming. In Barre Bee Fit's intense group classes, our skilled instructors are devoted to encouraging and pushing you to your limit"

I was really impressed with the Studio, it was very modern looking. And it's only 3 blocks from my work. The instructor was very nice and gave a brief overview before the class. The class kicked my butt! I wasn't really expecting it to be so challenging and think that maybe I was over doing it with all the other workouts I've been getting in lately and with an indoor soccer game this evening. It was more strength work than I was expecting and less stretching. There is another Barre studio in town that I'd like to try for comparison but I'm pretty sure that I'd give it a try again on a day that I'm not so sore to begin with.

Weekend Fun: Listening, Reading, Watching

2012-01-09T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Weekend Before Christmas

2011-12-19T16:58:00.000-05:00

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend....Relaxing, sleeping in, a Euchre party with friends, a trip to Detroit to listen to the Detroit Syphony Orchestra's Holiday program followed by Thai food.

My shopping is done, just waiting on one last package to arrive. It's a short 3-day week for me, then a 5 day weekend filled with family & friends. I can't wait!

Brady's visit with Santa

2011-12-15T16:23:00.000-05:00

Priceless, just priceless!

Yeti

2011-12-14T15:50:00.000-05:00

Ornament Exchange

2011-12-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row I participated in Micaela's Ornament exchange. It's alway fun to get the chance to meet someone new. I was paired up with the lovely Jenn (who also is a runner) and was so excited last night when I came home to a package from her:

I just love the ornament, It's so cute! Thanks Jenn!!! And a big thanks to Micaela for hosting the exchange!

Recipe - Crock Pot Chicken Curry

2011-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

I attempted a little menu planning on Sunday for the week and this is what was planned for Monday. I put the ingredients out and had the boyfriend throw it all in the crock pot. It turned out amazing! We both really liked it. I didn't have a jalepeno or coconut flakes so I left those out. I added a little red chili before serving to give it a little kick.

A running disaster, cookie disaster & a few good things too!

2011-12-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

Last week I decided to start 25 days of Fitness. I was doing great until last night, but I'll come back to that little disaster. Here what I've done so far:
1. Thursday - Ran 5.5 miles with NRR

2. Friday - Did a 50, 40, 30, 20 , 10 workout that I found from nhershoes.

3. Saturday - Did 20 minutes on the elliptical machine, the lifted
4. Sunday - 2 min jump rope then two circuits from day #2
5. Monday - 10 min warm up on the elliptical, then a weight lift circuit plus stretching.
6. Tuesday - fail! I was supposed to run an easy 3 miles.

My gym membership is for 3 days a week: Saturday, Monday, Thursday. My neighborhood is pitch black and really only offers a one mile loop. I planned on driving to another larger neighborhood to get my run in. On my way over I ended up getting lost & so frustrated that I came home and took the dog on a one mile walk. I was thinking that I could just do the mile loop three times but I was so tired, frustrated, & cold that I just gave up. Our bodies all need a day of rest, right?

Last weekend was another busy one with my first Christmas themed party of the season. My Aunt has an annual cookie party. She invites her friends (and family) over. We all bring 6 dozen cookies. We eat lunch, play some games, then exchange cookies so that we go home with a variety of cookies. This was my second time going, there were other attempts but one year bad roads kept me home and I think I was sick last year. My Mom & I usually go together and have a really good time. I decided to get creative and bring a cookie that I thought that others wouldn't bring so there wouldn't be any repeats. I found a really easy to make pinwheel cookie recipe. As I was mixing the dough I was panicking because it didn't look like it was capable of making the 7 dozen that the recipe called for. You make a basic vanilla dough then you split it in half and mix chocolate into one half. That part all went smooth. Then you put it in the fridge to firm up before you roll it out. When I took the chocolate half out, it was hard as a rock! I had to keep putting it in the microwave until it was soft enough to roll out. While I was rolling the dough it keep sticking making things difficult. I kept on adding flour to the surface I was rolling it out on and to the rolling pin. When I finally got it rolled up and ready to cut to bake, the cookies looked really tiny. Slightly larger than the size of a quarter. I was hoping that it would rise when baking, but that didn't happen. So I ended up with 7 dozen mini cookies. I was so upset that I didn't even take any pictures of them. But they did look kinda cool.

After the cookie party on Saturday, my BFF came over to see where I live and hang out. She brought a salad and some wine. I made a Chicken Tortilla soup that thankfully came out really good. We chit-chatted for a while, ate a few cookies, then curled up on the couches to watch Bridesmaids. It was hilarious!

On Sunday I had a very productive day. I went shopping and got a great deal on a Coach bag at the Outlet Mall. I had been looking for a purse for a while and was happy to get one that I really like and a price that was affordable. I also ran other errands and did a lot of cleaning. It felt good to get so much done.

Setting goals

2011-12-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days I decided that leading up to Christmas I would do 25 days of fitness. I've been in a slump. I ran 4 marathons in the last year, all half-heartedly and I've been burned out. But I do love how easy running is. And I really like my running group. So last night I kicked if off with run with the Northville Road Runners (NRR). I hadn't seen most of them in a month (or some more than that) so it was so nice to see them. And have the support of a running group. I took it easy & ran with BR. 5.5 miles are in the books!

This next year, I want to focus on shorter distances for a while and get some speed back. And that joy that I get from running. And not having to run 20 mile training runs. So I downloaded Hal Higdon's half marathon training plan and I signed up for a half in March. I still would like to do a marathon next year but I think I'll save it for the fall and just stick to halfs until then.

In my 25 days of fitness, I'm going to try to incorporate some other workouts too. With day 1 complete, I'm onto day 2...which will be a 20-minute workout video.

25 days of Christmas - Wish List

2011-12-01T16:36:00.005-05:00

I decided that to fight off any winter/holiday weight gain that I am going to set a goal of 25 days of fitness. Today and the next 24 days I'm going to get atleast a 20 minute workout in per day. I'm going to start off today by running with my friend from NRR who I haven't seen in a while.

With Christmas creeping up on us, I decided to start a little wish list.

A new iphone case, like one of these from Erin Condren

A brush/bag set from Mac Cosmetics

Jane Tall Boot from Frye

Run Hoodie from The Relay Runner

Texting gloves from the NorthFace

Lululemon WonderUnder Pant

What are you dreaming of for Christmas?

First Snow

2011-11-30T09:40:00.000-05:00

Turkey, Family, Football, & Trees

2011-11-28T14:01:00.000-05:00

The busy time of year.

2011-11-23T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas! Last Monday when PC and I were driving home from the gym, we drove past this house. It's gotten me excited for the holidays, we just need a little snow. No snow predicted for the next week. But it is Michigan so anything can happen.

This is my second year participating in Micaela's Ornament exchange. She matched me with Jennie, and I got the ornament sent off to her yesterday.

Today officially starts the month of celebrations...it's my Mom's birthday. On Tuesday my niece will be turning 1 so we'll be celebrating both birthdays tomorrow evening after we've stuffed ourselves with Turkey.

I'm off to my parents farm tonight to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family & extended family. I'm so excited to see everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Fall Transitions

2011-11-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

I keep telling myself that I'm going to start putting more effort into this little blog but time always gets the best of me. As always, it has been a busy few days....

Last weekend was lo-key. I didn't run & really enjoyed getting to sleep in. Well, I didn't really sleep in but I didn't have to get up & rush to run. I spent a lot time unpacking I still have stuff piled up in the living room.

We also spent several hours raking leaves in the back yard. It's been an adjustment going from apartment living to having a rather large back yard:

On Monday after work we headed to the gym and got a good workout. Then we watched Homeland while eating dinner since we were too tired to stay up for it on Sunday night.

Tuesday was Lightfest. It's one of my favorite runs. It's a 8K that runs though a holiday light display two days before it opens up to the public to drive through. It was my 4th year in a row running it and the best weather by far! We had temps in the upper 50's during the day. There is always a huge bonfire to keep runners warm before the run, but this year they hardly needed it. I can't believe how quickly time has passed and that the holidays are just around the corner.

Wednesday was girls night & I met up with Big Red and our crazy friend Pam. We've been trying to keep a date with each other every other Wednesday night and so far we've been pretty good about it.

This weekend will be more unpacking and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Marathon #12 NYC = Done!

2011-11-14T16:32:00.001-05:00

I'm a week late in posting this & I'm still sore, but I finished marathon #12. It wasn't pretty by any means: 4:34:24.

Moving weekend

2011-10-24T16:23:00.000-04:00

This is what my weekend consisted off:

Friday (took the day off of work) - Got a late start on what was supposed to be a 10 mile run and only did 4 instead, went to pick up the rental truck at 10:30am only to find out that the truck wasn't ready & wasn't going to be ready for at least an hour, argued with customer service of the truck rental and got another one closer to the apartment for a discount (due to their mistake). Packed & loaded the rental truck for 2 hours with the help of my parents. Drove truck to the BF's house, ate lunch. Moved furniture out of his house & unloaded the truck which went on until about 8pm. Ate dinner and called it a day.

Saturday - Returned rental truck. Loaded my car with more stuff from the Apt. Went to BF's son's baseball play offs. He watched while I ran 10 miles. They got first place! Went home, unpacked more stuff. Watched football. Made homemade potato soup & perch for dinner.

Sunday - Ran 17 miles. Went to apartment for another load of stuff. Stopped at Target for some bins to help organize. Unpacked. Got Outback carry-out for dinner. Tried to stay up to watch Dexter & Homeland but ended up sleeping through both.

Busy

2011-10-05T16:30:00.000-04:00

Been really busy lately...moved into my new office at work, got a temp to help with my old job so I've been training him so I can start learning new stuff, been running like crazy since NYC marathon is only 4 1/2 weeks away, been slowing moving in the BF and adjusting to life with him & his 4 kids. Life is good!

Brady with the BF's daugther & her friend

Brady snuggling with the BF

My new office

My little office friend & flowers from a co-worker

Me in my new office (before the new blinds!)

The view out my window...currently construction of the new landscaping.

The Spider

2011-09-21T08:48:00.000-04:00

A year ago I would have never imagined my life as it is now. I'm dating this awesome guy (PC) who has four kids. Yes, I said four! They're great and I really enjoy being around them. I often volunteer my time to help out PC with their activities. It kinda cracks me up a bit too. Last weekend his youngest son had a baseball double header in South Lyon, while his daughter had cheerleading in Howell. He dropped his son off for the game and met up with me to cheer me on in a 15K. We went back to watch the end of the first baseball game. I then left him to spend time with his son and watch the second game. I headed to his house to pick up his daugther and her friend to take them to the High School that they were going to be cheering at. Somewhere along the drive, I hear high pitch girly shrieks about a spider being in the car. The girls were terrified of the thing. I'm not a fan of spiders myself but I knew I couldn't let it bother me while I was driving. I told them to kill it with a shoe but they wanted no part of that because it would "make the spider angry". Ha ha, funny girls! So I ended up pulling over into a subdivision to deal with the spider so they could relax for the rest of the drive. I couldn't stop laughing the whole time about the situation. And I wouldn't have it any other way...

Movin' On Up!

2011-09-15T11:01:00.000-04:00

(my current office)

Just over two weeks ago a co-worker of mine submitted his two weeks resignation. I was offered his position and got a nice little raise to go along with the promotion. Oh, and I get to move into his office that has a window in it. I officially started the new position this week but the office is getting painted & cleaned before I move in. Hopefully, I'll be in next week.

Happy September!

2011-09-01T16:04:00.001-04:00

I really enjoy summer, but I sure LOVE fall!

All photos via pinterest

Weekend Re-Cap: A date, kids activities, & meeting the parents

2011-09-01T15:46:00.000-04:00

Back in May I started dating a really cool guy. We've pretty much been inseparable all summer. I've never been happier. We had a great weekend together that started out with a date night...I headed straight to his house in Brighton after work. He was dog sitting for me so Brady was already over there. We took the dog with us over the Brighton Rec Area and the three of us got a 3 mile run in. I was so impressed with how well Brady did. He stuck to the trail and only tried to dart after a critter once. We gave Brady water then put him in the car so we could get two more miles in. After the run we headed back to his house to freshen up and head to Milford to for dinner at Cinco Lagos. Before heading home (back to his place), we took a little stroll through downtown Milford.

On Saturday we got up early so we could pick up his son and drive him to South Lyon for a baseball double header. While they were warming up we headed off on a 5 mile run. It was nice to get two good runs in a row. We watched most of the first baseball game then went to get some lunch to drop off for his son. Once that was done we drove back to Brighton to watch his daughter cheer at a youth football game. She was so cute! Then we headed back to South Lyon to watch the end of the baseball game and take his son back home to his Mom's house. The evening was spent in Fenton at a surprise 40th b-day party for the father of one of his son's teammates.

Luckily Sunday was a lazy day. We slept in a bit & watched Temple Grandin (if you haven't seen it I highly recommend watching it soon). In the evening we went to his Dad's house to visit for a bit. It was the first time that I met his Dad, Step-Mom, & half-sister. I'm slowing making my rounds to meet his whole family. He got to meet my family all at once back in July when my family spent the week at the farm.

Random Act of Kindness

2011-08-25T14:18:00.000-04:00

Pic from here

I had plans last night with my friend Andrew for an 8 mile run. He had texted me on Tuesday that he was looking for company for a run and it just so happened that my schedule had 8 miles on it. My Mom had mentioned yesterday morning that my commute home from work might be during a storm but there was nothing. I was watching the weather forecasts all day and if just seemed like we weren't going to get what was predicted. So I met Andrew at 8pm in downtown Plymouth. At 2 miles in it started to sprinkle lightly and it felt so good since it was close to 90 out. At 3 miles in the rain picked up and we saw lighting in the distance. At 3.5 miles in Andrew said that he didn't want to be a chicken but he thought that we should consider cutting the course short and just start heading back to our cars. Shortly after that point, the winds picked up and so did the intensity of the rain. It was getting pretty miserable out and we were soaked. As we stopped at a light to cross, a woman rolled down her window and asked if we wanted a ride home. I was a little skeptical since we really didn't have that far to go when she asked again. Andrew & I looked at each other then made way to her car. I was so appreciative of that woman for picking up two soaking wet strangers and driving us to our cars. It's nice to know that there are good people out there.

A Wedding in Grand Rapids

2011-08-17T14:09:00.000-04:00

Lollapalooza Playlist

2011-08-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

Some of my fav's from this past weekend at Lollapalooza:

The Pretender - Foo Fighters
Pumped up Kicks - Foster the People
Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
Fragile Bird - City & Colour
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant
Not Afraid - Eminem
MoneyGrabber - Fitz & the Tantrums
Young Blood - The Naked & Famous
Come Back Home - Two Door Cinema Club
Circuital - My Morning Jacket

Lollapalooza & an upcoming wedding.

2011-08-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

Wow, I've been busy! This weekend makes the 3rd weekend in a row that I'll be out of town.

Last weekend was Lollapalooza, it was a lot of fun but completely exhausting. 3 days, 7 stages, 130 bands, good friends, hot sun, rain, & lots of mud.

This weekend I'm off to Grand Rapids for a college roommates wedding.

Camping

2011-07-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

My mind keeps wandering to my plans for the weekend....

pics from here

NYC Training: Weeks 3 & 4

2011-07-27T10:00:00.000-04:00

Last week was a fail on my training. It was hot & humid in Michigan with a heat index of 100 degrees or hotter. Talk about miserable for running. I skipped a few days out of laziness & crabbiness. I finished the week out good with a 5 mile run on Saturday and 10 mile long run on Sunday.

Week 4 started on Monday and so far, so good. Monday is usually cross training and it was the first time I actually did just that. I went to the gym (at 10:30pm even!) and did 20 mins on the stationary bike, 5 mins of stair stepping, & 10 mins on the elliptical. Last night was a club run night so I ran with the group. My schedule had 3 miles on it, I did 4. Even thought temps have dropped to the 80's, it's still hot & humid. Putting the two training weeks together means that I've had 4 good workouts in row.

This weekend I'm heading to Muskegon to go camping & have an Irish Football game on Sunday so I'm not sure when or how I'm going to get my runs in.

Brady, the hockey goalie

2011-07-25T10:37:00.000-04:00

NYC Training

2011-07-13T09:43:00.000-04:00

I decided that I needed to get serious and find a training plan for the NYC marathon. I've always just kinda winged it. While it's worked for me the results have been less than stellar. I found the Hal Higdon training plans online and am doing my best to follow. It's an 18 week training plan and I started it a week early. I've tweaked it a bit since I like to run with the NRR on Tues, Thurs & Saturdays and they usually run 5-6 miles. Other than being sick and missing two runs I've done really well following the plan. I just hope I can keep it up.

My Sweet Niece

2011-07-12T09:32:00.002-04:00

Best Dressed Hash Run

2011-06-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

I'm so behind in my posting, I've been a busy gal. But I wanted to post pics from last weekends hash run that BR & I ran.

Happy Friday!

2011-05-20T16:13:00.001-04:00

I hit a wall today and I feel like I'm in need of a nap. I just looked at my calendar and it all makes sense, I've been a busy gal! I've had something going on for the last 12 days straight:

05/08/11 - Mother Day, went to lunch with my Mom & Dad
05/09/11 - Went on a date - a walk through a park & dinner
05/10/11 - NRR Ladies Wildflower night at Peg's house
05/11/11 - Relaxed at home
05/12/11 - NRR run followed by Deadwood
05/13/11 - Tigers game (they won, go Tigers!)
05/14/11 - Dinner at BR's parents house, then a stop at the Moose
05/15/11 - BR & T's wedding reception
05/16/11 - Took my Mom to see Water for Elephants
05/17/11 - NRR run followed by the Den
05/18/11 - Haircut, Bikram Yoga
05/19/11 - NRR run followed by Deadwood

Tonight it's my second Bikram Yoga class. I'm a little sore from last night's run so I'm anxious to go stretch my muscles out. It should be a pretty laid back weekend so I can catch up on rest soon.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Bikram Yoga

2011-05-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

Another great Groupon deal that I found was 2 months unlimited Bikram Yoga for $39.00. It would regularly be $250 so I thought it was a steal! I've done yoga before but never Bikram. I've heard a lot about it and have some friends who just love it. I was getting my hair did last night and I was talking to my hair dresser about it and since she's done it before she was giving me some tips. She told me to make sure to bring cold water to drink. I love ice water so I made sure to bring a big bottle filled with ice. She also said not to push too hard the first time and to make it a goal just to stay in the room. I guess sometimes people feel a little dizzy or nauseous until their bodies get used to the steamy 105 degree room. I made sure to drink my water regularly and I think this helped me with the heat. I didn't have any issues at all. Her last tip was to make sure to bring some clothes to change into afterwards. There is a lot of sweating going on in that class! I felt great after the class and I'm excited to go again.

NRR - Ladies Night

2011-05-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

One of the Ladies from the NRR hosted a wildflower walk at her house last Tuesday. Peg's yard backs up to Maybury State Park (one of our club running areas). Her neighbor knows her local wildflowers and was able to point them out to us and give us a little info on each one. Afterwards we went back to Peg's house where she served up a little Mexican fiesta with lots of wine. BR & I both brought our Mom's along and they had a blast.

Mission Accomplished

2011-05-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

Two marathons finished in two days!

Marathon #10 - Kentucky Derby - 4:32:12
Marathon #11 - Cincinnati Flying Pigs - 5:12:29

I'm in, I'm in!!!!

2011-04-27T16:07:00.002-04:00

Another Marathon the 2011 schedule: NYC Marathon!!! I'm so excited!!!

Wine & Drag

2011-04-26T10:18:00.000-04:00

I had an absolutely wonderful time last weekend visiting my sister & sis-in-law in West Danby, NY, just outside of Ithaca. My BFF who lives in NYC joined us for a weekend of fun. It was a whole lot of good wine, good food, & a RuPaul Drag Race marathon. I'm now obsessed with the show. So obsessed that as hard as I tried to stay up last night for the Season Finale, I just couldn't do it. I had to get up early to find out who won before agonizing over it all day at work.

Mail fun

2011-04-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

It's always fun to get real mail & the other day I got two exciting packages:

The first one is coffee from Roos Roast. I had a Groupon where for $10 I could get $20 of coffee. They sell 1/2 pounds for $8 & pounds for $14. I've seen Roos Roast at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and I've always wanted to give it a try. It's always fun to support a local business. Anyway, I ordered a pound & a half, but when I opened the package, I was send 2 pounds. How exciting! They even put a handwritten note in that said that they messed up & I was a winner!

The next package was from Road Runner Sports. The Martian Marathon tore my feet up and I had blisters on my toes. I know it's gross, but these things happen when you run long distances. I thought it would be a good idea to try out a new pair of socks. I love them already!

Two pairs of Injinji socks & a pair of Under Armour boy shorts:

The running club has moved our Thursday runs to Maybury State Park where we run the trails there. I love trail running, it makes me so happy! I ran the trails there quite a bit last year and thought I had become pretty familiar with them. Last night Megan & I ran with Ken who took us to parts of the trails that I had never been on. He was such a good tour guide and showed us the three highest spots in Wayne County. I was loving every hilly minute of it. It was one of those runs where I didn't want to stop, except that it was getting dark out. The only downfall of it was that my feet were so sore. So I went home and pulled out my footbath:

Brady was afraid of the thing and just didn't know what the heck was going on. It was pretty amusing. Although it couldn't have bothered him too much because soon he was down for the count. He's such a sweet little dog.

Happy Friday!

Starting to freak out a little....

2011-04-14T14:43:00.001-04:00

It's just over two weeks until I'm running this....

Then I turn around & run this the next day....

I don't know what I was thinking signing up for two back to back!

Kara, caffeine, & chipotle

2011-04-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

It's a bright sunny day in Ann Arbor so I had to take advantage of it and go for a little walk at lunch. I've been trying to swim at lunch three days a week but more often than not I end up working through lunch. It makes the day drag on so I've been really trying to get out even just for a little bit. Today I walked over to campus and stopped in Borders. Kara Goucher is on the cover of the May Runner's World and I just had to pick it up: Next I headed over to Chipotle for a vegetarian burrito. I love their burritos! I had an empty Starbucks coffee bag that could be turned in for a free tall coffee so a stop a Starbucks happened too. A little afternoon caffeine does the body good.

To top off my good mood of the day, last night in the mail I received my Moose membership card, I can't wait to go now! And I came back from lunch to e-mails saying that both my federal & state taxes have been excepted electronically. It's a relief to finally have that done!

Opening Day & an Ichiban Birthday

2011-04-11T13:12:00.000-04:00

Weekend re-cap: Friday was the Home Opener for the Detroit Tigers. I headed downtown after work with Mo & MC for what we called "the second-shift". The game was a 3 & had just ended when we got down there sometime around 6:30. Knowing that my cousins have season tickets, I gave them a call and we ended up meeting at Cheli's bar. It was so amusing watching all the drunk people. We ended the night with a trip to the Baltimore, a favorite bar in Detroit. I was up early on Saturday for a 9am haircut. I spent the day relaxing, which was so nice for once! In the evening I headed out to Ichiban, a Japanese Steakhouse for my friend Angela's birthday dinner. The cooks there are quite the entertainers and kept us laughing. After dinner we headed to the Livonia Moose for karaoke. I was home & in bed by midnight so I could rest up for a long run. Sunday, run day. I met up with my friend Dan at noon to get a few miles in. I was hoping for at least 10 mile but between the heat (80 degrees!) and my aching shins/calves, I only had 8 in me. It was a slow, painful 8. I guess my body still isn't recovered from last week's marathon. But 8 is better than none so I'll take it. The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping, cleaning, & laying on the couch with a glass of wine watching The Notebook.

NRR: First run at Maybury

2011-04-08T12:38:00.000-04:00

Run: 6 miles Course: Maybury When the weather warms up, the Northville Road Runners take their Thursday & Saturday runs to one of the local State Parks to run on the trails. Last night was our first run there. When I got there I was feeling great & I had so much energy. I love trail running so much more than running on asphalt. It's so scenic and peaceful, not to mention easier on the joints. I started out running faster than I probably should have but I was feeling so good. Then, at about 2 miles into the run, I realized that my legs were still dead from the marathon. I slowed my pace and just kept on at it. I was so thankful when the run ended.

First Tuesday Run

2011-04-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

Last night I ran with the Northville Road Runners again. On the first Tuesday of each month they change things up and meet at Running Fit (a local running store) and run a different route from there. All dues paying members put their name in a box and three names were drawn. The first two got gift certificates to the store, I think for $25 each. The third winner gets a pair of shoes. Not a bad deal! I was contemplating whether to run or not since I was still sore from the marathon. I decided that I just needed to suck it up and give it a try. My legs felt heavy & the run seemed painfully slow but I felt great once it was over with. I went 5.3 at a 9:20 pace. The group went out to eat afterwards but I headed home and had dinner of a veggie dog with macaroni cheese with broccoli mixed in. I was exhausted and knew I needed an early night. My body needs lots of rest now in order to recover & be ready to be abused again. Only 24 days until the next marathon. Workouts this week: Sunday: 25 min Yoga (Gaiam Power Yoga: Stamina with Rodney Yee) Monday: 10 min yoga, 800m swim, 20 min treadmill walk/jog, 20 elliptical Tuesday: 5.3 mile run

Recovery

2011-04-05T08:43:00.000-04:00

It's not surprising that I have been really sore since finishing the Martian Marathon. I wasn't trained for it and my body took a beating. I've been hoping to work some magic to get my body healed and ready to do it all over again times two. I took it easy on Sunday to let my body rest. In the evening I did a little bit of yoga to help stretch my muscles out. Yesterday I did a little more yoga in the morning. Then I swam at lunch. It felt so good to be in the pool. I've also been trying really hard to eat healthy well-balanced meals and avoid junk food. Even though for some reason I've been craving greasy fried food & candy. I also forced myself to go to the gym last night for a really slow 20 min run. My left quad was really sore so I switched over to the elliptical and did 20 minutes on that. Tonight, I'll try a run with the NRRs.

Running with Martians

2011-04-04T08:52:00.000-04:00

Marathon #9 = Done! 4:21:02. Whew! I'm glad that one is over with. I can honestly say that I was really unprepared for this race. My longest run was the Seaside half marathon a month ago. With that being said, I pushed hard for this race and I'm really happy with my time. Now if I could only train consistently! On Friday after work Big Red, her husband, & I headed over to the race expo to pickup our race packets. It was a small expo with little swag. We got our race #'s, timing chip, & t-shirt. It was nice not getting all the paper that often comes in a race packet, but I do like the free samples that some races give out. We then headed to La Pita for some amazing Lebanese food. Pre-race meal (dinner the night before) = V4 juice (carrot, beet, spinach & parsley), Chicken Kabob with garlic sauce & rice, hummus, & small salad. I only ate half the meal & took the rest home for post -race. After dinner I came home and laid out my clothes & race gear: nike capri tights, northface running tank, northface longsleeve shirt with hood, wright double layer socks, Asics running shoes, gloves, 2 hammer gels, ipod, & garmin. I was in bed by 10pm with my alarm (and coffee maker) set for 4:30 am. 4:30 came quickly but I was wide awake and ready to roll. I took the dog out, got dressed, & relaxed for a bit with some coffee. Then I ate yogurt with peanut butter & honey with half a bagel. I was out the door by 5:40am to get a good parking spot. I was really surprised at how few people were running the full and I had no problems parking. I parked a little further away and walked over to my friend Dan's jeep where we chatted before the race. The race started promptly at 7:15 am. My strategy was to go as slow as possible in the beginning to conserve energy. I was running a 9:30 pace and it felt really slow. I wanted to speed up but I knew that I would regret that later. I felt great until about mile 21 when my garmin's battery died on me (even though I charged it the night before!) and I just hit a wall. I kept on moving and crossed the line feeling great. I walked straight to the food tent where they were handing out bananas, bagels, & pizza. I grabbed a banana & a slice of cheese pizza and made my way to the car. I had a Hammer Recoverite drink waiting for me and I drank that before eating the pizza. I came home and got out of my running clothes right away. A shower & nap was just what I needed.

NYC, Part 4 Re-cap

2011-03-31T09:50:00.000-04:00

New York was a blast as was expected. I feel so at home there. I went to my parents house after work on Friday & had dinner with my Dad. He made a delicious shrimp & scallop pasta. The scallops were so good, but I don't think they liked me so much. I had a belly ache for the rest of the night, well weekend but I can't blame the scallops for all of it. Anyway, after dinner my Dad dropped me off at the airport. For once my plane of time & we actually landed at LaGuardia 20 minutes early. Maura was waiting for me and we headed to her place to change before doing a little pub crawl. We ended up running into one of her friends who I had met before so we spent most of the evening chatting with him. On Saturday, we got up and headed to her gym to get a workout in. A late night and a slight hangover left us feeling sluggish but me managed to get a 30-minute run in. We stopped by the deli on the way home for sandwiches then plopped ourselves on her couch and watched "Country Strong". It was really good. Then it was off the New Meadowlands to watch the USA vs. Argentina soccer game. It was amazing! We had great seats and it was a good game that ended in a 1-1 tie. The way home was hot mess as we sat in traffic for 3 hours to go the 15 miles to get back to her place. We decided to call it a night after dealing with that. Sunday was another trip to the gym in the morning. Then we headed into the City to the Banc Cafe for "brunch". They have this fabulous drink called the Ruby Red Lemonade that you could get by the pitcher. Some friends of ours just so happened to be there so we joined them and had a few good laughs. Later on some more friends joined us and we just had a great time. I had an early morning flight home and had to be up at 4:30 to catch a cab to the airport. Luckily I had taken Monday off of work to catch up on sleep & get organized for the week. At least that was my plan. I ended up watching The Tourist instead of getting things done. Oh well!

NYC...part 4

2011-03-25T11:26:00.000-04:00

(Maura & Me in NYC from my December trip)

Tonight after work I'm heading back to NYC. It will be my 4th trip in 4 months. They've all been good times, each trip better than the last. I'm not sure that the last trip can be topped but it will still be a blast.

Moose & a Bridesmaid

2011-03-22T13:01:00.000-04:00

Life has been oh so good lately. I'm trying to enjoy every moment of it and appreciate how lucky I am. Here's a little recap of what I've been up to...

Last Thursday was St. Patrick's Day. Since I usually like to go all out for the St. Patrick's Day parade that is the Sunday before in Detroit, the actual day is much tamer for me. After work, I met up with the Northville Road Runners (NRR) and did our Thursday night 5.5 mile run. Then we all met up at the Northville Sports Den for some beer. The thought of green beer scares me so I went with one of my favorites....Guinness. I'm amused by the group that was there since most of them are men in their 60's. One of them was talking about some of the activities that the group does and mentioned the Moose. I got so excited, I've been trying to get information on becoming a member of the Moose. Mostly, because it's one of my favorite animals and how cool would it be to say I was a Moose. I know, I'm not quite right in the head. Anyway, this older Gentleman (Ron) that I was talking to invited Big Red & I to the Moose the following night for fish & chips.

(Big Red & I with Gary)

Well, Ron was completely surprised when we walked in the door to the Moose Lodge the following night. He didn't think that we were serious & thought that we weren't' going to show up. We had a great time chatting with fellow NRR's that are also member of the Moose. And the fish & chips were amazing! So that night Megan & I filled out our applications & became Women of the Moose. Dreams do come true...ha ha!!! I was home by 9pm so I could get some rest for an early morning run.

(At the Moose with the NRR's)

I was up at 5:30 on Saturday and headed out the door to get some miles in before heading to the other side of the state to hang out with two good friends from college. Jody about 20 miles from me and we met at a Park & Ride along the way to finish up the rest of the drive to Grand Rapids. Kelli was working at her school's carnival so we picked her up there. We were a little too excited about getting to see her classroom.

(Jody, Kelli, & Me)

The plan for the day was to go shopping in downtown Holland. On the way, she mentioned going to pick up her friend Carie. Then she went into this really sweet speech that ended with asking me to be a bridesmaid in her August wedding. She had already asked Jody over the phone & had been trying to get a hold of me but we kept playing phone tag. Carie is going to be her Matron of Honor so we were picking her up to go get fitted for dresses. I really like the dresses that she picked out and thank goodness they have a very flattering cut.

(Me looking goofy in a too tight version of the dress)

Once we were all set with the dresses we stopped at the Curragh for dinner then headed back to Kelli's house. We had talked about going out to a bar in downtown Grand rapids but we instead decided on staying in to catch up. We ended up chatting & playing cards until 1am. (Jody playing cards)

On Sunday we slept in then went out to breakfast. Jody & I headed home from there. I spent the rest of the weekend doing chores & getting ready for the week ahead.

Corktown 5K

2011-03-14T08:47:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Detroit's big St. Patrick's Day parade. The day starts off each year with a race before the parade begins. I went down with Big Red & pulled off a 25:24.

Running: Northville Road Runners

2011-03-11T08:23:00.000-05:00

(photo from: http://weheartit.com/)

When I first started running I did most of my runs solo. I often enjoy being alone with just the pavement & the thoughts in my head. But sometimes we can benefit from running with others. Back in February I was out at the WG one night with some friends when a former co-worker of my friend Maura showed up. He didn't know a lot of people there so I decided to chat him up a bit. It turns out that he is a runner too. He told me about this running group that he was a part of and talked me into joining him. About a week later I set out with the Northville Road Runners (NRR). I'm hooked! I would say that the group is mostly older gentleman but there a few younger ones that occasionally show up too. I've even talked Big Red into running with the group. The NRR meets 3 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday. A 5-6 mile run is done then they all meet up at a bar or restaurant for beers & very amusing conversation.

Do you run solo or with others?

Panama City Beach & Big Red's Wedding

2011-03-08T13:22:00.000-05:00

February Re-cap

2011-03-02T08:42:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's almost been one month since my last post. I guess times flies when you are having fun or you're sick.

Shortly after my last post I came down with some sort of illness that left me with a fever for 3 days. It started on Super Bowl Sunday and I was just too sick to even watch it. I was so disappointed. I was too sick to even think to tape it so I could at least watch the commercials later. It was a whole week of doing nothing but trying to recover.

Then President's weekend I made another trip to NYC. I'm really loving it there right now! It was a weekend with two of my best girls being completely rediculous.

Last weekend was another weekend of rest & trying to play catch up on all the laundry & cleaning that got pushed aside.

Somewhere in all of that I made a new running friend who talked me into running with a local running club. I immediately loved it! I've been back again since and hope to run with the group more this month.

And now we are already into March and I'm preping for my first trip of this month... a long weekend in Panama City, FL to see one of my BFF's get married & run two races while I'm there.

Swim, Run, & a night at the WG

2011-02-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

It was a good day yesterday filled with two short workouts & night out with friends.

I usually park about a 1/2 mile from work and walk in to avoid paying for parking. A co-worker of mine buys a spot across from our building and due to that nature of her contract she is required to be "off" for 3 months. I decided to rent her space from her for that time as a little break from having to walk through the cold and snow. It's been a great decision! It allows me to drive on up to the public indoor pool at lunch for a swim. I've done it twice so far and am hoping to start going 2-3 days a week. Yesterday was one of those days. I feel like I'm so much more productive at work after a workout break in the middle of the day.

In the evening I met up with one of friends at the gym. Chatting with her on the treadmill made time fly and before I knew it 40 mins was up.

Then later on in the evening I went to the local hole-in-the wall bar also known as the WG to meet up with some friends. Some of them I hadn't seen in a while and it was so nice to catch up with them.

January Recap

2011-02-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

January Mileage: 48.5

While I feel like my mileage for the month was pathetic, I've been on a good workout roll. It's tough to get miles in on Tuesday & Wednesday nights when I play soccer. But I feel like those workouts also play a key roll in my health & fitness level.

In a slightly drunken stupor last Friday, not so much me as I was fully aware of what I was getting myself into, some of friends decided to do a triathlon together. It will be my second one and I think I'm already better prepared for it. I just know it will be hard to get the swimming & biking in when I have marathons to be training for.

I had a good 7 days in a row of workouts last week so I decided to take it easy last night and I just did a 15 minute ab workout from exercise tv. I was up at 4:30 this morning to hit up the FIT class at the gym.

Weekend Recap

2011-01-25T12:18:00.000-05:00

Life is oh so good! I had an absolutely fabulous weekend that I'm still smiling about...

Friday was Mustache Bash! My friends took me out to TinFish in Novi for a really nice dinner. Afterwards we all put on fake mustaches and headed to a dive bar near my apartment. It was a blast!

On Saturday I met up with one of college besties to go shopping and grab lunch. I ended up buying a cute new wallet from Coach, Lush bath bombs, and some makeup from MAC.

Sunday was another fun day when I met up with another bestie & one of her co-worker's & his family to see the ice sculptures at the Plymouth ice festival.

With my trip to Lake Placid & my birthday week, I skipped out on my workouts. I was so busy & didn't want to stress myself out over getting them in. This week it's back to the grind. My goal is to lay low for the next month & focus on getting ready for the Seaside half marathon on March 6th.

Last night's workout was supposed to be 5 miles on the treadmill. About 2 miles in my shins & calves were getting sore so I cut it back to 3 miles. To make up for it I did 20 mins on the elliptical. This morning was the FIT class at my gym.

Weekly Mileage: 3
Monthly Mileage: 32.50
Yearly Mileage: 32.50

Leavin' on a jet plane....

2011-01-13T10:21:00.000-05:00

Pic from here

I'm so giddy with excitment...tonight I'm heading to NYC to see one of my BFF's. The same one that I went to visit last month. This time we are driving up to Lake Placid for the weekend & staying at the house in the picture above.

Triple Fail

2011-01-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

I had a great weekend that as usual went by way to fast! I relaxed at home Friday night before heading off to a 10:40pm soccer game. It was my third soccer game of the week and I was feeling it. It was a fun game that left me wired when I got home so I couldn't sleep right away. I had big plans with Big Red to get a long run in Saturday morning. We were aiming for 10 miles. As we got going, my shins were in so much pain that I was struggling big time. I stopped several times to stretch with hopes that the pain would go away. After about 3 miles, I just couldn't take it anymore and we changed our route and headed home. I think I ended up with 4.5 miles. This is fail one, I was really bummed about it. Luckily, I had a hair appointment that made me feel better and I decided to just be happy with the miles that I did get. After all, I did get a lot in last week. Maybe too much, too soon? Then later on in evening I headed to BR's house to make fake mustaches for my birthday party on the 21st (it's a mustache themed party). Lots of giggles ensued with that activity! Sunday was a planned day off. It was also Big Red's Bridal shower. She looked so pretty in her purple & white dress and the shower was short & sweet. The second fail came in last night...I had plans of running at the gym but I was stressing about getting packed for my trip this weekend and by the time I made dinner & had my clothes laid out, I was too exhausted to get a workout in. So I thought I'd go to bed early and lift in the morning and I couldn't get out of bed for that (fail #3). I guess sleep was calling me. So now it's time to regroup & make the best of time that I have this week...I'm heading to New York Thursday evening until Tuesday morning and I know my workouts will be slim to none while away.

Weekly Mileage: 0
Monthly Mileage: 26.50
Yearly Mileage: 26.50

TGIF!

2011-01-07T12:43:00.000-05:00

I couldn't be happier that it's Friday. I'm exhausted! I had a dentist appointment yesterday and was happy to not have any cavities. I was kind of expecting once since I had been eating a lot of candy & drinking pop there for a while. Since I got out of work early & the dentist appointment went quick, I had time to head to the gym for their barbell strength class. It was a good one but I was working pretty hard. I've been trying to add some strength training into my workouts and this was the perfect class. After wards I met up with BR to get some miles in. We were planning on 6, but I had to drop it down to 4 because my shins were hurting.

Thursday's Miles: 4
Weekly Mileage: 22
Monthly Mileage: 22
Yearly Mileage: 22

New Year Resolutions

2011-01-06T08:37:00.000-05:00

I don't normally set New Year Resolutions but I decided that I would set a few simple ones and see how it goes.

1. Take the stairs more
I work on the 5th floor of my building and I often just take the elevator up. Since the new year I have yet to take it and I've been making my way up & down the stairs.

2. Track my mileage. That's why it's been on the blog.

3. Drink more water. I've been keeping a water bottle at my desk and trying to remind myself to keep drinking it. Especially when I think I'm hungry.

4. Read one book at month. I just started reading The Namesake (again, I love that book).

5. Reduce salt intake. I like salt. A lot. So I'm trying to use spices more and salt less.

I skipped out on a run last night since I was sore, tired, & had a soccer game. I'm glad I did but I hate putting down a "0" for my daily mileage.

Wednesday's Miles: 0
Weekly Mileage: 18
Monthly Mileage: 18
Yearly Mileage: 18

Tired

2011-01-05T09:25:00.001-05:00

My 3 workouts yesterday kicked my butt! I'm exhausted but it feels oh so good.

I ran with Big Red last night and got an easy 4 miles in before heading off to soccer. Luckily I had about and hour & a half in between the two so I was able to make some pasta for dinner and get a 15 min nap in. My team lost our game but we had a really nice second half and I had sweet goal. That always makes me feel good.

It was rough getting out of bed today but I felt good once I got moving.

Tonight is another soccer game and since it's in Ann Arbor I'll just stick around town until my game. I've been trying to decide if I want to just relax or try to get some more miles in.

Tuesday's Miles: 4
Weekly Mileage: 18
Monthly Mileage: 18
Yearly Mileage: 18

3 in a row...

2011-01-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

I'm on day 3 of consecutive workouts. I've somehow managed to find a little motivation & I'm going with it. Part of my New Years Resolution (more on that later) is to get organized and put more of an effort into logging my workouts. Last night I went up to the gym to do some speed work on the dreadmill. I warmed up for 10 mins at a 9:40/mile pace. Then I did 4 x 800 with 2 mins recovery in between. The first 800 was at 8:00/mile, the 2 & 3 @ 8:15/mile, & the 4th at 8:30/mile. Then I ran until 4 miles at about a 9:00/mile pace. Then slowed it back down to a 9:40 to finish out 5 miles. This morning I was up early to go to the FIT class at the gym. It's a very challenging strength training class that works multiple muscles at a time.

Weekly Mileage: 14
Monthly Mileage: 14
Yearly Mileage: 14

Sunday Re-Cap

2011-01-03T15:57:00.002-05:00

The last day of vacation before getting into the New Year was a good one. I was able to sleep in a bit before heading out for a run with friends. We got 9 miles in on Hines drive.

After a warm shower, a soup & salad lunch, and a little nap, I met up with BR, Tony & Nate to see Black Swan. It was really intense but I loved it.

Running Stats as of Sunday

Weekly Mileage: 9

Monthly Mileage: 9

Yearly Mileage: 9

Tonight I'm hoping for a 4 mile run on the treadmill.

Waffle cookies

2010-12-29T10:55:00.000-05:00

When my Grandmother was alive she was the most amazing cook & baker. One of my favorites that she would make were waffle cookies. I loved them dearly. When my sister was home for Christmas my Dad suggested we make them. My sister did most of the work & they turned out just like I remember.

Football Celebration

2010-12-28T15:55:00.000-05:00

Last night was our celebration for winning the North American Ladies Junior B Gaelic Football finals. The event happened over Labor Day but we had just gotten around to the big celebration last night. The coach of the men's team (and brother to 3 teammates) owns Conor O'Neills in Ann Arbor so that was the perfect location. We had a really nice buffet style dinner followed by an awards ceremony. We also got the t-shirts & sweatshirts that we ordered. It was a mix of current & former players as well as family members of both. I'm really glad I came back to the team...it was so nice to be a part of the first Championship ever for the Detroit women's team.

Weekend of Fun

2010-12-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited for this weekend...it's a busy one...Soccerthon to benefit S.S. Port, Lemon drop martini's after with one of my bff's, hanging with my friend the Intern who will be in town from Annapolis, Jellodeux (aka my friend Pam's holiday party), family dinner, running, & shenanigans!

Wild & Crazy

2010-12-06T13:41:00.000-05:00

I just got in this morning from a fun weekend trip to NYC. Well, I was in Yonkers most of the time. My oldest BFF lives there and I went for a visit. And by oldest I mean that I've know her since I was about 6. We grew up playing soccer together & then went to the same high school where we became inseparable. We have so much fun together. We get a little wild & crazy...

Family Fun

2010-11-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

Introducing my newest family member, my little niece Etta...

Holiday Fun!

2010-11-24T09:29:00.000-05:00

I am so excited for Thanksgiving & the four day weekend!

Tonight, BR & her fiance and coming over for homemade pizza and to play this:

Tomorrow morning I'm heading here for Thanksgiving:
The beautiful Micaela hosted an ornament exchange and I mailed this off to Ashley on Monday:

I hope you all have a safe & very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Lightfest 8K

2010-11-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

Last night I ran the Lightfest 8K. It's definitely one of my favorite local races, although, it's more of a fun run. This was my 4th time running this event & all time have been with my friend Dan. There is big bonfire set up just outside of packet pick-up so that racers can stay warm before heading out into the cold, and in last night's case...into the cold rain. Luckily the temps were warmer than they have been in the past. The course takes you along Hines drive which is set up with it's holiday light display. There were dinosaurs with x-mas presents, dreidel's, reindeer in training, a loch-ness monster, a ski chalet, just to name a few of displays we saw. At the end there are buses waiting to take us back to our cars at the start. This is always the worst part because it is so cold sitting on those buses. It's a nice way to kick off the holiday season.

Reading

2010-11-15T10:53:00.000-05:00

One of my girlfriends suggested that I read The Hunger Games a few months back. I had seen it out in stores but didn't really know anything about it. Well, I decided to pick it up anyway and just didn't have time to get to it. I decided to start reading it last weekend and I was worthless until I finished it. And then I had to go out and buy the second book. It is SO good. Has anyone else read the series?

Mending

2010-11-08T15:55:00.000-05:00

Nothing mends a broken heart better than a fun-filled weekend with friends. It had been a while since we all had gone out for a night on the town and last weekend happened to have two of those kinds of nights. Friday night was the rockin' night where we went to the Magic Bag to watch some bands play. Then on Saturday, we headed to Detroit to Cliff Bell's for a mellow night of listening to jazz. To end the weekend, I subbed on a friends indoor soccer team and got a good bit of exercise running around the field.

It makes for a feel good Monday looking back & laughing at all the fun we had. And it helps that it's a gorgeous fall day in Michigan with temps near 60.

I decided that I love this time of year...that time after Halloween right before Thanksgiving & Christmas start to get stressful. I can appreciate seeing the holiday decor in the stores and I'm getting anxious to start listening to Holiday music. The days are getting cooler but there are still a few warm days left before hibernation time begins. It make for perfect running weather too.

Broken Hearted

2010-11-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

Image from here

It's been a while since I posted...I've been busy fixing a broken heart. Yes, it's true....FB & I have parted ways. It's been a roller coaster of emotions the past few weeks, but I know I'm in a better place. I have a wonderful group of family & friends that have been so supportive, I could never thank them enough. While I've been hurting, I've been really trying to focus on the good...and there sure is a lot of that out there. Like getting to spend a week with the real love of my life, my 2 year old nephew. And finally getting a web cam so I can skype with friends & family that are far away. And knowing that about this time next month, I'm going to be an aunt again. And that the holidays are just around the corner and I'll get to spend it with some those that mean the most to me.

Reminiscing....

2010-10-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

Life is such a funny thing sometimes. We have things planned out and often they do not go as planned. One of those things for me right now is the Chicago Marathon. I was all pumped in the Spring to have a great year of running and was going to train really hard for the race with hopes of making it to Boston. Back in May I injured my calf and was out for a while. Then one thing or another happened and I kind of enjoyed not making running a priority in my life. Then Labor Day weekend came and I got a concussion that is still leaving me with headaches . Staring at a computer screen all day at work leaves me wanting to go home and lay down with my eyes shut for awhile. So I made the decision to not run the marathon. I have race envy of those who are running it, but I know that I made the right decision.

And in the land of Ann Arbor, everyone is gearing up for the big game this weekend....UofM vs. MSU. My ex-husband & I always had season tickets and every Saturday in the fall was a big football day. If it was a home game we would shop the night before and have everything all packed and ready to go for the morning. We would be up at least by 7am so we could be in line to park on the golf course at 8am. We would tailgate until game time (usually noon but sometimes even later). Then came the game, the drive back home fighting traffic from one part of town to the other. It would take everything out of you and the evening would be spent on the couch watching the other big games of day. Sometimes I miss it, like right now, when I know that both teams are heading into this game undefeated. And the weather is supposed to be beautiful. But I'm thankful that I have so much more free time now that I don't participate in this American ritual. Tomorrow morning I can wake up when I want and head out for a run. I can watch the game on my couch and not have to worry about how long the dog has been left at home. I won't be stressed or irritated about having to fight traffic once the game is over. But I will be watching and cheering the Wolverines on - Go Blue!

Getting back

2010-09-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

I'm finally getting my motivation back for workouts. I really struggled this past summer trying to stay in shape. Unfortunately the result was that my lack of workouts lead to tight fitting pants. Now that fall is upon us I've found motivation to sweat it out. I was desperate to get any sort of workout in so I decided to try the Zumba class at my gym (Lifetime Fitness). I love it! I can't remember the last time that I was so excited to go to the gym. The class is on both Monday and Thursday night but I prefer the Monday night instructor. Plus the class is at 8:15 so I have plenty of time to walk the dog and eat dinner before going to class. On Thursday's the class is at 7 which is a little harder to make. Second, I've been trying to hit the trails on the weekend with BR. It always helps to have a running partner to keep you motivated. The other thing that I've recently found and became addicted to is Exercise TV. I have AT&T U-verse and exercise-tv is on demand. There is no excuse to not be able to squeeze in one of the 10-minute workouts.

A dog and his friends...

2010-09-14T11:33:00.000-04:00

To win just once....

2010-09-07T12:55:00.000-04:00

2010 Ladies Junior B Gaelic Football North American Champions!!!!

We did it! We took home the cup!!!

The last hurrahs of summer

2010-09-02T11:05:00.000-04:00

Last night, FB & I meet up with the boat trip group. We are renting a houseboat in Kentucky in mid-September with 10 other people. It will be the last vacation of the summer, even though in my mind summer is over after Labor Day. I've only previously met 3 of the 10, but it seems like a good mix.

This weekend I'm heading to Chicago to spend the weekend here:http://www.chicagogaelicpark.org/. It's the annual Gaelic Football Finals and I'm really looking forward to it. I think we have a good team this year and a good chance of making it all the way.

Also starting this weekend....College Football! A true sign that summer is over. I sure love the fall, but dread the cold that is soon to come!

Ithaca, Part III

2010-09-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

Slowly trying to get caught up here. It's been a busy week! On my last day in Ithaca we started off with a walk in the woods with Jada.
Then we went into Ithaca and walked around the commons before lunch at the Moosewood. We shared an awesome brownie with ice cream for dessert. Then we headed up to Cornell and walked around the campus a bit.

Ithaca, part II

2010-08-27T09:36:00.000-04:00

Sunday in NY started out with a trail run in the Danby State Forrest with my sister, Karen. I'm not entirely sure how far the run was but it was a grueling hour & a half up & down steep hills. The reward at the finish was homemade scones and coffee that Monica made. After food and showers we headed off to the finger lakes wine country. It was so beautiful! I really enjoyed the wine at Red Newt and was disappointed that they couldn't ship to Michigan.

The map of our run, we cut a bit of it out.

The amazing cream scones with choke cherry goodness:

A stop at a waterfall on the way out of town.

First stop: Lamoreaux Landing

Stop 2: Red Newt Cellars

Finger Lakes Distillery.

Shredded

2010-08-23T13:06:00.001-04:00

Blew a tire on my way into work today. I was so lucky that it didn't cause an accident since I was on the expressway going about 70 mph. FB gets boyfriend of year for getting out of bed at 6am on his day off to come change this for me. The car's now in the shop to make sure it didn't do more damage.

On a happier note...My Gaelic Football team pulled off a great win yesterday over Pittsburgh. We are now Midwest Champs! We'll be heading to Chicago this year for the Finals.

Connected

2010-08-21T11:21:00.000-04:00

I FINALLY have internet at home! I'm so excited!

Ithaca, NY, pt 1

2010-08-20T11:55:00.001-04:00

Day 1 in Ithaca: Breakfast at Ithaca bakery, a trip to Wegman's for supplies for dinner, farm city days, & homemade pizza for dinner!

Shirley Temple soda...good with Bourbon!

Farm City day: Sweet baby cow:
Sheep hearding demonstration:

Baby goats lending wool:
One of the 200 cows:

Dinner: homemade pizza & cucumber salad.

Postcrossing

2010-08-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

I first learned about postcrossing from following one of my favorite blogs...Dolce Vita (Thanks Micaela!). I thought that it would be fun to send & receive post cards to/from various places around the world. I signed up and sent my first post card to the Netherlands. I was so excited when I got a message yesterday that it was received. Now I can't wait to receive my first post card!

Friday Funday

2010-08-13T10:23:00.000-04:00

Life it good when the day starts off with a trip to Zingerman's. I'm in love with their dirty sheed (2 shots espresso, vanilla, and a touch of cream all over ice) and their cheddar herb scones. And it keeps me full all morning.

Tonight I'm heading to Ithaca, NY for the weekend. My sister & her partner moved to Ithaca from Portland, OR just over a year ago and I have yet to visit their new home. I'm sure that my weekend will be filled with good food, good scenery, good exercise (running, hiking, swimming!), and lots of fun!!!

I can't belive that it's now the middle of August...where does time go!?! That also means that I'm now under two months to the Chicago marathon. Anyone got a good two month training plan?

A night in the D

2010-08-05T10:23:00.001-04:00

Big Red's Birthday!

2010-08-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

Big Red's birthday was July 21st, but we celebrated in the D on the 24th. We started out with dinner at Parthenon, then moved on to Delux, then finished the night out at the Baltimore. It was a wild, crazy time!

Running

2010-08-02T14:23:00.000-04:00

It's just a little over 2 months until the Chicago marathon. I've got to get my act together and start running. I'm trying to get a run in every day this month even if it's just a mile. I got some good mileage in this weekend and I'm hoping I can keep it up.

F - 4 miles
Sa - 4 miles
Su - 8.5 miles

I didn't want to time my runs because right now I'm just concerned with getting them done. It's so true that the hardest part is just getting out the door.

How do you keep motivated?

Silver Lake

2010-07-30T13:52:00.000-04:00

In mid-July FB & I joined his family for four days to camp out at Yogi's Jellystone Park in Silver Lake, MI.

Daycation

2010-07-30T08:55:00.000-04:00

Just playing catch-up today. At the end of June, FB & I took a daycation up to Caseville, MI. We had a blast! Here's the pictures....

We started out grabbing a beer at one of the local bars:

Then we off to a family fun center and rode down this scary slide:

They had this fun, fun game called bank shot basketball. There were different back boards that you had to use to make a basket.

Next up was putt-putt:

On the way home we stopped in Port Austin and had dinner here:

You can't head up North with out going to Grindstone City for ice cream:

FB's 5 scoops:

And lastly, we stopped at a lighthouse before we finished our drive home:

mmmm....breakfast

2010-07-26T09:06:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, my lovely sister introduced me to what is now one of my favorite breakfasts...savory french toast! I don't usually like anything sweet first thing in the morning and this was a great twist on french toast. I started with the end of a baguette that was just starting to get stale, perfect for french toast:
After I sliced up the bread, I took one egg and cracked it into a bowl. I added a little bit of almond milk, some fresh basil, and pepper. It also works well with rosemary but I didn't have any on hand. It's fun to experiment with different herbs and spices.

I like to top the toast off with sliced tomato and feta cheese:

Here it is cooking on the stove:

And the very tasty finished product: