Merry Christmas!

I am enjoying the holiday season this year with my family...well my husbands family.  We made it to Virginia on Thursday night, and have been enjoying the holiday spirit while here.  We've been baking and wrapping, and arranging, and visiting, and all manner of things.


I went for a short run on Friday.  Waynesboro is in the valley, but it's fairly hilly here.  I got up and got on mapmyrun, and and mapped out a route (that I could recognize landmarks), it was about 2.5 miles, and I ended up doing it twice.  I could of gone longer but I didn't want to spend more than an hour away.  It was a nice run, and the sun was out and the people were out walking.  It was lovely.

The tree here is beautiful, and it's wild how many gifts there are under it.  Scout has been sniffing around a little under it, but to be fair there are gifts for him under there, and I think he knows!!  *smiles*  He hasn't gotten into anything yet. *fingers crossed*  He has had his moments in years past (remembering the year he ate half the cookie tray, and the top half of a chocolate cake), but he's been really good in years past as well.

I really love this time of year, even with the craziness and hustle and bustle of everything, I love being able to spend time with the ones we (I) love and remember how lucky we are to have each other, to live this life, and be a part of this world.

Merry Christmas, or whatever Holiday you Celebrate.  

20 miler!!

Tis' the Season, Fa La La La La La La La La!!  So Friday I worked til 5-ish, then I went and ate dinner and went to the wine club holiday party.  I only drank 1 small glass of wine though, as I knew I had to get up early and do my 20 miler the next day.

I woke up at 5:15 on Saturday and took the dogs (my friend was spending the night after the wine club party- she and Jason stayed later and came back home to sleep), for a walk.  I got all my stuff together and headed out the door.  It was chilly but not COLD out.  The air was moist but it wasn't raining. I was dressed in a long sleeve compression-ish shirt, a short sleeve wicking shirt, and one of my running jackets on top, and my cwx compression capris on bottom, along with socks and the new-ish brooks running shoes, also a knit hat and gloves (which got shed pretty quickly into the run).

I got to the meet up spot, and hung out in my car until the group formed.  No need to get cold before I need to. *smiles*  I got out and hung out with the group for a bit, we had our instructions, and our mission moment.  I asked Wilford to take a group pic of us doing the 20 miler (he nicely did and put it up on facebook :) ).  And off we went.

I had been dreading this run all week.  I really didn't want to do it.  I knew I needed to, but I didn't want to do it.  Our team is small, and I usually am out running by myself for a good chunk of the time.  We have some great coaches, but we also have people who need more encouragement, or instruction than I do.  When I trained for Nike, our team was HUGE, and there were always people around, even if we didn't run the same pace we could talk for awhile and then move on.  I'm the middle girl.  Runners faster and runner's slower than I am, but I'm pretty much in the middle of the group on most runs.  Which means I usually get to hang with a coach for a little bit at the beginning and a little bit at the end of my runs.  20 miles is a really long way....boring, boring, boring running.  TNT policy says we aren't allowed to use headphones during group training for safety reasons.  I get it, and I actually think I run faster without music (I listen to my foot falls better), but I miss the distraction of music.  Ohhh, but I'm such a lucky girl to have good friends, of whom I sent out pleas of you could come run some of this run with me, or ride beside me for a little bit, or just come cheer me on at my hard points!  A few friends wanted to come out, but schedules and what not got in the way.  One friend said she would try to come and ride beside me, but it was early on a Saturday morning (trust me, I totally understand not wanting to get out of a warm bed on a cold morning).  My good friend Ruth made it out to ride beside me (very slow riding in cold temps) for a good chunk of my run.  It was nice to chat and catch up, and keep my mind distracted through all those miles!!  I felt good, I felt really strong, and HAPPY, so HAPPY!!  Ruth headed back when I had about 4 more miles to go, she was cold, and had to get back to her car which was closer to the half way point of my run (it was an out and back).  I kept running, feeling pretty good, but also feeling that last honey stinger chew sitting in my stomach just turning into a hard knot.  Eating while running can be tricky at times.  Figuring out the right combo of "food" is always interesting.  I've been doing endurance sports for awhile, and just when I think I've got it all figured out, something throws me for a loop.  It's okay though, because you learn from these things.  I ended up walking for the last 2.5 miles, but I tried to keep my walk going strong.  Walking is hard.  Your feet hurt more (really they do), and you just want to be done, but it takes longer, because you are walking instead of running.  Yeah...walking isn't fun, but since I do run walk combo's throughout my run, it wasn't torture either.  I finished...I made it.  I ran/walked my 20 miles.  It took me 4 hours and 15 minutes.  I found the porta john, thank you ATT for having that there, and afterwards felt amazing!  I walked across the street, talked with the coaches, signed out, and headed home for my ice bath.

Yes, you read that right, ice bath.  Brrrrrrr.  Actually the cold water bath is pretty hard in and of itself, so I sit in the cold water for about 7 minutes and then add the ice in, for another 7 minutes.  It's terrible.  I HATE IT!!  Jason made me some hot chocolate to try and keep me warm.  This is one bath I wear clothes in, I should of had Jason take a picture of me in the ice bath.  I wore some old tri shorts, and on top I had on a long sleeve cotton tee, and a sweatshirt, I forgot my knit hat.  I had a book, but Jason talked to me, so that was good.  Ohh and I had my phone.  Smart-phones, I lover youse.

Yep, then it was shower time, and get ready for the first of 3 parties I had to go to.  I actually only made it to two parties, because I did crash (I was just so tired).  I felt pretty good all day though.  I ate yummy food, and had lot's of water, and coke's cause ummm yeah.  I'm sorry I missed the last party, but sleep was so AWESOME!

Part III of Looking back at TNT

2008.  That was the year.  Mom had had her stem cell transplant, and was alive and kicking.  Her spirit was good, even if her body wasn't cooperating.  Treatment had left Mom was some nagging, and painful side effects.

I had (so it seemed) fully recovered from having my knee surgeries.  I was really starting to like running.  It didn't hurt like it did before.  Before having knee surgeries, running really sucked, and was very painful.   After the surgeries, it was kinda fun.  For what ever reason I decided since it didn't suck to run I would go after the big kahuna.  I would do a FULL MARATHON!  Not only would I do a full marathon, I would do it in Hilly San Francisco. I would raise money for LLS, and I would get my Tiffany's necklace (the finisher's medal for the Nike Women's Marathon).  I have to admit that the necklace was a big reason for picking that particular race.  However, the ENTIRE race benefited the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and  TNT's presence there is awe-inspiring.

I decided to to the season as a mentor again.  Mostly because I loved the cause, and wanted other's to love it as much as I did.  Mentors actually get a break in fundraising (because they are helping everyone else fundraise...and it's like another job to keep on top of it all), however I never take advantage of that discount.  I always raise the original minimum amount or more.  I had never mentored a marathon group before.  I thought it would interesting.

Because I'm an over-achiever, and because I knew this would be a big challenge for me, I set up my training plan and started slowly building my miles up before the season started.  I also started my fundraising plan way in advance as well.  I ran and ran and ran.  My friend and I planned and planned and planned (she was doing Nation's Tri, and raising money for LLS just like me).

Official training started.  I met the team.  I had a BLAST!!  I ran and ran.  I mostly ran my long runs on Fridays and came out to the team training's on Saturday and ran some more.  I met some new friends!  We ran up and down hills.  Always up and down hills.  We added lot's and lot's of miles.

My husband was gone that summer.  He was in school and was doing an internship in NYC.  So when Mom and Dad came to visit, it was for a full month (JULY).  They came to the fundraiser that my friend and I put on.  We did a wine tasting and silent auction.  We raised about $4,000 that day!  It was great!  However it was a wicked hot summer, to be training in, and for my parents who are from the Pacific NW (much cooler summer temps) to be here.  Although it was AWESOME to have them come and hang out with me for a month.  My dog got spoiled, and I think they had a good time (minus the heat).

To JUST DO IT...the Nike Women's Marathon was HARD.  I learned a lot of lessons that day.  First and for most, don't do a marathon as your first running event.  STUPID!  Second, marathons are really boring for people to watch (when you aren't participating), don't ask non-endurance athlete people to come cheer you on.  Third, remember it's all mental (or it gets really mental). Forth....marathons are stupid hard, Fifth....it's really good to listen to your body.  I made it mile 17, and was over the whole thing.  I had run the first 12 miles or so, I mean I ran...just ran, instead of doing my normal run walk intervals.  (I did stop to take pictures, but not like how I trained).  At mile 17 I called my friend back in Raleigh (yes I had my phone with me) and told her I was done, I was over this stupid race and wanted it to be over, she calmly told me that I was getting there, that I was almost to the lake and then I would be in the home stretch.  Except I could see the people in the home stretch across the highway divider, and all I wanted was to be there!  Also my feet and ankles were killing me.  I hurt so much I could barely think straight.  One of the coaches found me, and we walked to the aid station, where they gave me a tylenol.  I kept going for a bit, but decided to sweep myself off the course (which really just means I just didn't do about 2 miles - around the lake- of the course).  I walked back to the finish line, happy that it was getting closer, but sad that I would not be able to say I was a marathoner.  I did run across the finish line (hey, don't judge me, I had to get the right pictures).  I got my necklace and shirt and blah blah blah.  I went to the TNT tent and found my parents, got a massage at the free massage tent, and we headed back to the hotel.  I took an ice bath and a shower, and then got in a car to drive a few hours to my parent's friends house for dinner.

Nike was an AWESOME experience, in which I learned a lot, mostly: do some smaller race before attempting the big kahuna!

finishing

running up a hill

my name in the sea of names on the Nike Wall

working my way up another hill

looking back, the hills were big!!

Chrissy at Crissy Field!

the expo tent

the Golden Gate bridge in the background!

TNT look back part II

The next year for me was a little more difficult.

I had somewhat overdone it on my first season of triathlon (really my first season of trying to get back into shape), and both of my knees were hurting pretty bad.  I ended up having surgery on both of them (at different times during the year) to have some rough tissue taken out of my knee space.  Originally the ortho told me that I would never be able to run again (of which I secretly jumped for joy....an excuse to not run), but after all was said and done he gave me the okay to get back at it.  And I did.

I decided that since I had had such a wonderful first experience with TNT that I would come back and do the same race, with the same coach, and even a few of the same teammates, but I would be a mentor.  Being a mentor meant that I would be the go to person for my group of teammates for fundraising advice.  I felt like I could accomplish this task fairly easily, as I didn't find fundraising to difficult the first year.  I also really wanted to have good contact with my mentee's especially the ones brand new to this experience (as I did not experience that with my mentor....not that I blame him, I really didn't need a lot of help). One of my friends from the first season was the other mentor, and I was excited that we were going to be able to help more people through this experience.

The season started...and I knew from the beginning that I would miss a few workouts because my parents were coming to visit and we were going to go on a 10 day Caribbean Cruise.  My parents arrived in Raleigh from Portland, Oregon and immediately I knew something wasn't okay with my Mom.  My Mom who always has energy, always super happy to see me, always ready to get off a plane and get going, was struggling a little.  The plane ride(s) were a little choppy and she was sore.  After we get settled it comes out that Mom had surgery to have an Ovarian Cyst taken out about a month before coming out.  (My parents have never been great about communicating what's happening with them, and my Mom is the worst....she doesn't want to burden anyone else).  She had been cleared to do this trip, but she was a little worried.  My Mom's pain threshold (back then at least) was high.  It took a lot to get her to see anyone about something, she almost never took any kind of pain relief medication, she was a "I'll tough it out, and it'll get better" kinda a gal.

Mom and Dad were just visiting here for a little bit before the cruise, so Jason (my husband) and I just went about our normal routine, with going to work and then coming home to hang out with my parents.  One time while we were at work my Mom and Dad went to the emergency room because the pain was so much my Mom couldn't stand it.  That's a big deal people, my parents, especially my Mom don't like to go the doctor (at all).  At the emergency room she was told she had a bladder infection.  Ummmm No.

My parents looked up doctors that they could see that would be in network (insurance, you gotta love it), and then called around to see who would be working (it was getting pretty close to Christmas, as in 12/23).  We (I got to come on this trip) went to see a doctor who is actually a sports medicine, but also does "normal" doctor stuff as well that would see my Mom.  She explained the pain, and her surgery.  The doc examined her, wasn't sure, but thought the pain might be related to the previous surgery and that travel may have aggravated it.  He gave her some pain meds and put her on some steroids to help hopefully subside the pain.  He told my Mom that if it wasn't getting better to come back to check if it was something else more serious.

Mom didn't want to miss this cruise.  Mom was in a lot of pain and the meds were not helping.  Mom didn't say anything to anyone (except maybe Dad).  We flew to Miami, and boarded the ship....took off for a great vacation.  Except Mom was drugged the whole time, and when she wasn't drugged she was in pain.  Mom doesn't remember most of that cruise.  We flew back to Raleigh, and the pain just getting worse.  We went back to the practice, to see a doctor, mostly so Mom could make it back home to Portland so she could see her doctor.  She was in so much pain that she really wasn't sleeping, no position she put herself in was comfortable.  The heating pad wasn't helping, nothing was helping.  When she saw the doctor he wanted to do some x-rays, but Mom just wanted pain meds to get back home.  He obliged, and Mom and Dad went home to Portland (with me too).

I was going to Portland to be there for my Grandmother's memorial service, she had passed away the year before and we were doing a remembrance dinner....which got cancelled due to weather.  It snowed like crazy, and my Great Uncle got very very very sick. And the whole trip was a mess.

Mom spoke to her doctor while she was in Raleigh, and her doctor decided that she needed to go see a PT as soon as she got back (and made the arrangements).  She didn't want her to have any x-rays because she said that insurance wouldn't cover it because she had already had them done for her surgery.  My Mom went to 1 PT appointment and left in more pain than when she went in.  So much pain she could barely walk.  I ended up coming back to Raleigh, leaving my parents to figure out what was happening.  Mom assured me she would be fine, and that she had a follow up appointment in the next few days with her surgeon.  On that follow up appointment she told the surgeon about all the pain, and he immediately sent her for an x-ray, the film showed 6 broken vertebrae, and he sent her to get an MRI, when that came back it showed another broken vertebrae and something that my Mom said looked like cottage cheese (CANCER).  They didn't know what type, or if it had metastasized from somewhere else, but it was the big C.

Mom was officially diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in February 2007.  My pretty little world came crushing down.  My super strong Mom has cancer, a blood cancer at that.  Research showed me that survival rates looked grim, and treatment wasn't going to be happy.  Luckily I was connected.  Team in Training raisies money for the the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (blood cancers).  I got lot's of information.  Lot's and lot's of information, better than internet information.  I felt buoyed by the research.  My teammates were AMAZING!  I continued to train, and be the best mentor I could be.  I had a new purpose, a better resolve, another reason to be doing all this.  My MOM!

I completed my second season of Team in Training doing the Azalea Festival Triathlon with the words 4 MY MOM written in sharpie down my leg.  My second team will never be forgotten, it's the team that got me through some really tough times.  I am still very good friends with many people from that team and get to hang out with them fairly often!

A look back on my TNT experience...

This is the first installment of a look back on my TNT experience.  This is the beginning of my journey.  Enjoy the read....and look for the next one coming up in future.

My friend saw me swim for the first time.  She invited me to join her and another friend from the dog-park to join her for a swim at the local pool.  I had to take my sweet puppy boy home, and get my swim gear out (buried in some hole in my closet) and get to the pool, but I said sure.  She didn’t know I was a swimmer.  Surely I didn’t look like I could swim.  I looked like an inactive person who probably didn’t know how to do much.  She offered to bring me googles, but I declined, knowing that I would be able to find my own.  So I went to the pool, and I WOWed them with my swimming skills.  HA!!

After that first swim, my friend and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Her: Hey I think you should do a triathlon, they are sooo much fun.

Me: ahhhh, I don’t think so I can’t run.

Her: But you are an AWESOME swimmer and that is everyone’s hardest part.

Me:  but I just started riding a bike again, the last time was when I was 10.

Her: Triathlons are AWESOME!

Me: ummmmm, yeah, you’ve said, but…

Her: And you can raise money for cancer research too….it’s lot’s of fun with great people and coaches!  You should totally do it!

Me: well, okay…I’ll go check it out.

So in November of 2005 I went to my first TNT information session with my neighbor and friend (not the same friend that convinced me to do this).  I sat in a room with a dozen other people and watched the “join the team” video.  I was hooked.  I’m such a sucker for emotional stuff.  I knew I was going to do that season, and that I was going to be a triathlete. My neighbor and I were on the same team, my original friend who talked me into it was on a different team….although we were all on “The Team”.  I was training for Azalea Festival Sprint Triathlon, my first Triathlon (as it turned out my second), and my friend was training for St. Anthony’s Olympic Distance Triathlon. 

My first season with Team In Training was AMAZING!!  I met some of the most wonderful people, many of who are still in my life.  We were mostly all beginners, maybe not at everything, but at least at something.  I was just learning to ride my bike again and gain endurance (distance), I had to really get my running in gear as well.  Swimming was the only thing that was easy for me, and therefore the only thing that was fun.  It was season of learning, and enjoying the newness of everything. My teammates were encouraging, and my coach was FANTASTIC.  I couldn’t of asked for anything better.  The season progressed, we all got better.  We signed up for Super Sprint as a “warm-up” race.  It was the Hillsborough Super Sprint (250 yd swim, 9 mile bike, and 2 mile run).  It was in March, and it’s cold…and I got passed by a 12 year old on the bike, and I had to struggle through the 2 mile run.  I hated every minute of it, I didn’t enjoy it at all…..but then…then….I crossed the finish line, and I was hooked!  It was the best feeling EVER!  I did it, I pushed through all my fears, and my doubts, and I finished my first triathlon.  It was the BEST feeling EVER!!  (well, almost the best feeling). 

The Team kept training and we traveled down to Wilmington, NC for our “Big Race”.  The swim was in the UNC Wilmington Pool (indoors), the 14 mile bike was on flat smooth roads, and 5 K (3.1 mile) run was through the UNC-W campus.  Because we were all novices, we all started close to each other….at the end of the race.  My swim time netted me a little earlier swim start, but that didn’t gain me much as many people were more proficient on their bikes and at running.  The best moment was at the end, when I had already finished my race and was sitting around with the team.  One teammate was still out there.  She was our cheerleader.  She had never swam before, rode a bike before, or really run before this season of training.  She had gotten through the swim, had made it through the bike, and had started out on her run.  A phone call came in to the coach from this teammates husband (who was running along side her), saying she didn’t think she could make it, that she wanted to quit.  As soon as these words came out of the coaches mouth, 2 of our speedy runner teammates zoomed off to find her.  A little later a couple more people went, and so on and so on, until the entire team was running with this teammate…..(they were announcing the awards, when we all came around the corner and they stopped to have the entire crowd cheer for our teammate)….and she crossed that finish line!  It was such an AMAZING time, our entire team was SO CLOSE!  It felt so good to be part of something SO GREAT!

As a side note Team in Training is a major fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Each person raises a certain amount (depending on what race and where they were going) of money.  This proved to be fairly easy for me, because I believe the cause, and I’m not afraid to ask people for help and money for the right thing.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nc/ambbr12/dentalfriend

5 K this morning.

I ran this morning in the neighborhood.  It's probably the last day that it'll be warm for awhile.  It's supposed to rain most of the day (it hasn't started yet, but it feels like it's going to any minute now).  It was 67 degrees outside at 7:30 am, with 95 % humidity.  UGGGGHHHH!  I say that but I think I would loved that during the summer, but I've already acclimated to the fall weather.  It's going to get cold again, as in tomorrow the high will be 53 and the low will be 28!  Brrrr.

Anyway, it was another time trial for me.  I mapped out my 5 K in the neighborhood. I went out, and I did it.  I was having a hard time breathing through part of it, possibly because of the humidity or all the wet leaves, or who knows.  I did it in 28:15, which is pretty good.  I sent the time to my coach and I will have a new set of speed and tempo workouts to do come next week.

This weekend will bring a 90 min timed run, I haven't decided if I'll try to get up early and run before work on Friday or just wait till Saturday while I'm visiting with my in-laws in Virginia.  Hmmmm.   I guess it depends on how my days go!  *smiles*

I meant to take a picture of myself after the run...but I forgot.  Bummer. So here's a screen shot of the weather channel app, so you can see what the weather was like this morning.

It was my BIRTHDAY!!

HOLY COW...I'm getting OLD!!  Saturday was my birthday!!  It was pretty darn AWESOME!  I have some pretty AMAZING people in my life, lot's of people to make me feel super special....thank god for that!  *smiles*

I started my day with a 16 mile (OMG, I HATE RUNNING AFTER 10 MILES) run through some of the hills of Raleigh.  I met up with the team and ran through N. Cary Park into Umstead through Umstead and down to Edwards Mill Rd...ohh and then back.  The best part of that run??  CUPCAKES at the end!  Yep one of the coaches made me cupcakes for my birthday!!  They were super yummy, white cake with chocolate frosting, with a little extra chocolate in the middle!  Perfect way to end the run!

On my way home I stopped at Harris Teeter (grocery store), and grabbed a bag of ice.  Then I got home and ran a bath of cold water while I sat in the tub and then added the said bag of ice.  Yep it's ice bath season.  I do a ice bath after every run over 15 miles.  They are so painful, but they make life so much better.  Joints get less inflamed when iced down.  It makes it so I can walk again!  YAY, walking!! (key to successful ice baths are having something warm on, on the part of your body is not in the tub, and drinking a warm beverage, and having something to distract you, ie: magazine, iPhone, book, conversation with the one you love)

After the ice bath my sweet hubby made me lunch.  Yummo grilled cheese and soup, perfect after the cold run.  Then it was nap time.  Ahhhh I love a good nap after a long run.

After waking up I had a bunch of birthday cards that had come in the mail to open.  Fun to get birthday cards...I love it!!  Then I got ready for dinner.  Dinner was AWESOME!  I met a bunch of my friends at Taverna Agora (FAB Greek Restaurant).  We had a lovely dinner with more fun birthday cards.  After that some of us went and got some frozen yogurt at Yogurt Mountain and chit chatted.  Perfect fun night for me.

I cut my hair again...

Whew, I can't stop cutting my hair it seems.  This time it's a little too short in the front, but it's perfect in back.  Ohh well.  It'll grow!!  I snapped a picture yesterday before I went to swim.  It's probably the last time it'll be straight.

Speed Work

I've been working on trying to get faster, and my coach (from TNT) said he could make me faster...so I'm doing what he tells me to do.  It's hard, like really really hard.  I dread the workouts, but they are relatively short, which means they are over before you know it.  I'm always thinking of ways to cheat my way out of the workouts, but then I go ahead and do them anyways.  I'm not helping myself by not doing the workouts.  So today it was run 3 x 1 miles at a 8:40 pace (which is wicked fast for me), then a 1/4 mile recovery walk between each mile.  Whew, it was hard, but I mostly did it.  My mile times were 8:38, 8:41, and 8:45.  On the way back I saw a really cool spider web and had to take a picture.

Saturday's Run...

hanging out before the start.

getting ready to start.

So Saturday I got up and went out and ran with the team.  I haven't been to team runs the last couple of weeks because of doing the day of the dead 5 K, and then cheering on the girls at B2B.  So I was excited to come out and see everyone out there training for the cause.  Our group is training for 3 marathons or halves this season.  Kiawah, Disney, and PF. Changs.  It's a small group, and most of the team was doing the City of Oaks half marathon as a warm up.  Ohh yeah, and we were doing a staggered start...depending on what your workout called for.  I had an hour run to do, so I got there at 8 am.  Some people had 90 min, and some people had 2 hours, so yep we staggered it so we could all end together.  Fun times!!

Oh yeah...I'm working more now!

I think part of the reason I'm feeling a little more tired and not wanting to do as many of my workouts (I'm slacking a little and need to step it up a bit), is because I'm more busy work wise.  I had been working for almost the last 3 years on Tuesday and Thursdays at one dental office. For 2 years this has been my only solid source of income.  I had been working at a different office on Mondays and Wednesdays, but then I wasn't.  I had been looking for the right office to fill in my other days since I left my M/W office.  2 years I've worked on Tu/Th with some fill in days here and there at some of my favorite offices.  I had interviewed at an office in Wake Forest a while ago, but we couldn't work out the days.  I stayed on with them as fill in for them, because I really like the office.  Well, they offered me a position when one of their hygienists had to leave because of a move.  They worked out the days and have me working Wednesdays and Fridays.  It's official I'm working 4 days a week (that's full time in the dental world), and still doing a little fill in on Mondays for my favorite offices.  YAY!!  I'm re-learning how to get all my stuff done now.  This summer I was lucky to have to work as much and to be able to dedicate my time to training.  Now I have to be "normal" and try to fit it all in.  This I can do.  Just gotta work on my time management, which really means I can't stay on facebook for hours!  HA!

The seasons are changing.

Just thought I'd share my good news!  Yay, for having jobs that I like.  Both offices are different from each other, but I'm happy at both!

Dreaming of this...

I'll be needing one of these after the marathon.....just saying!  Dole Whip Float!  YUM!!

Halloween

This year was the second year we decided to go trick or treating with my friend Jenn and Jimmy and her boys.  I love Halloween, and I usually dress up, I mean who doesn't??  *smiles*  Since I missed all the "adult" parties because I was down being a good friend cheering on my girls doing their Ironman.

Me as Mary Poppins

Nate as a firefighter, Jenn as a Chef, Pete as a duck, and me.

I had decide which costume to wear.  It was between the hippie flower child, Cinderella, or Mary Poppins, (I might of chosen Aragorn from Lord of the Rings, but part of that costume seems to be missing...hmmmm).  In the end I decided on Mary Poppins, since it was raining and the little ones might actually know who I was...with a little singing.

B2B 140.6 for friends!

WOO HOO!!  Watching friends complete their goals is AMAZING!!

The girls were surprized by our purple supporter shirts

Jenn running to the bike from the swim

Jenn getting ready to bike 112 miles

Avril going out on the bike.

The girls finally found each other on the ride

Jess and Avril at the rest stop

Me and Jenn at the rest stop

Jenn and Dar at the rest stop

Avril and her Mom at the finish

Neal and Avril at the finish

Jenn and her family at the finish

Dar and I at the end.

Jenn and I at the finish

Lora, Marcus and Jenn at the finish.

Jenn and Avril the next morning.

I went down to Wilmington to cheer on my friends Jenn and Avril who were competing in their first 140.6 mile race (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run).  Spectating is a sport, let me tell you!!  *smiles*  It was great watching them accomplish their goals!  So Amazing to see all the people who were able to fight the winds and cold of that day.  15-25 mph headwinds for the first 75 miles of the bike.  Chilly conditions for the run.  But the swim was quick with a nice current!  YAY!!

Small Pumpkin Carving...

Kim (in black and white) carving pumpkins.

Michael (in black and white) carving pumpkins.

So we didn't actually have our annual pumpkin carving party.  We went our friends house to have a pumpkin beer and wine party.  It wasn't pumpkin wine, but it was a fun night. We added the ability to carve pumpkins if people wanted.  So my friend Kim brought pumpkins and Michael brought pumpkins as well.  I carved one of Kim's pumpkins (of which it went to her parents house).  It was fun hanging out and getting our cute pumpkins carved.

the pumpkins

Day of the Dead 5 K

I had a great time doing this 5 K!!  I needed to do a 5 K to check my time, so I can figure out my training.  My coach is trying to get me faster.  I'm not sure how fast that will be, but faster than I am now would be good!  *smiles*

Bill and I after the race, notice my lovely sweat.

I met my friend Bill downtown around the start line.  We waiting in line FOREVER to get our faces painted (we were 4th and 5th in line), and barely got them painted before the race started.  One guy was painting elaborate designs on people faces (people who were not running), and the girl was doing a much quicker job, with equally cute designs on peoples faces.  I got the quick girl, Bill got the guy and made him stop painting on his face so he could go run!  *smiles*

Downtown is hilly but it's always fun to run around with people.  I had a great time!  I ran hard, and I did my 4 minute run and 1:20 min walk.  I finished in about 27 minutes. WHOA!!   That's FAST...for me.  I'm not sure that it was a true 5 K, pretty sure it was a little short.  Anywho...it was an AWESOME race, and I had a great time!!

me after I got home. nice shot of the shirt and face.

Neuse River Greenway

YAY!!  The new greenway is open, well mostly.  It's so fun being able to run down about a mile to the start of the greenway and go run and run and run.  So apparently now the greenway goes for about 26 miles, or it will when it's all finished.  Right now it goes about to mile 6 (the soccer complex).  So I've been going down and running my Yasso's and my tempo runs at the greenway.  It's been wild, 1/4 mile markers are all over the place, makes running fun and lets me keep up it all.  So yay GREENWAY!!

NC State Fair

my buddy holding Dad's hand

my extra little buddy and Mom

Looks like Pete is running from the law.

Nate waiting for NC State Ice Cream

Me waiting in line for Ice Cream

Last Sunday I went to the State Fair with my good friends.  I only go to the fair with them, it's become tradition.  They actually go to the fair a couple of times, but reserve one time to "go with Chrissy".  I'm not the typical fair person.  I don't ride the rides....I mean anything you can pack up and take away does not seem safe enough for me to ride on.  I don't eat most of the food, what a lot of my friends go to the fair for (deep fried EVERYTHING).  I go to see the exhibits, check out the animals, people watch, and hang out with my friends and their little ones now.  I love seeing the boys faces light up to the animals and when we walk through all the food vendors and by the rides. I told Jenn that when the boys get old enough, and start wanting to ride the rides, will be when I stop coming to the fair with them.