It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Thanksgiving has came and we have a new visitor in our house until December 25th. His name is Frisky and he is Wyatt's Elf on the Shelf!

I have many friends who have done this tradition with their children. Last year, I finally decided that Wyatt is old enough to actually get into and decided to get one. Well guess what, I couldn't find one! So we fast forward to Christmas 2013. I knew I would have to find one early and did just that!

 

When we got him out and read the book Wyatt's reaction was not what I thought it would be. He was not amazed or excited. He asked me if I was fibbing because he wasn't a real elf and was just a doll. Yowza! This kid is tough! So I just said he was and then dropped the conversation to see what he would do. Wyatt went and played for a while and then started coming back to tell Frisky information about him. So I guess it worked and he's convinced now! The tv show didn't hurt anything either. That is what Wyatt wants to watch 24/7 now!

 

 

The day after Thanksgiving we got our tree out and put up. Wyatt had a blast helping with the tree and loved every second of it. This pleases me so much. Although when putting up our decorations I have decided that I hate 90% of what I have for decor and just want to throw it away and start over. Thinking this will be on the books for the clean-up after Christmas. 

Another tradition we have started is celebrating Saint Nicolas' Day on December 6th. Last night, Wyatt put his shoes in the hallway to see if he will receive a special treat from Saint Nicolas.

I made sure to put an apple and a juice in his shoe. Of course I forgot last night and had to run downstairs at 5am this morning to get his shoes filled before he woke up. Luckily I made it in time!

He couldn't wait to tell Mike and was sad to realize that he had already left for work. (Mike has always left for work when we get up for the morning but I guess he thought he should have stayed for Saint Nicolas Day.) Wyatt made me take a picture so he could show Daddy what he got before he ate and drank it. Needless to say, this was his breakfast!

Do you celebrate Saint Nicolas Day? Have an Elf on the Shelf?

Winter Runderland 5K

I ran another 5k today. This one was in Manhattan and was in the afternoon, perfect temperature for the first day of December.

The course was one I hadn't ran before. I had taken the previous two days off since I had ran the previous four in a row. During the run I felt like blah. I just kept thinking about how my time was going to suck and I just didn't want to come in last place for my age group.

This is a common problem for me at races in Manhattan. Apparently everyone there is an elite runner and running 10:30 miles is too slow, for any age group!

Imagine my surprise when I saw that I didn't come in last place for my age group! Thoroughly impressed with myself and even set a new PR for a 5K race. I ran it in 30:43 and took 1:02 off my previous fastest 5k time!

Thanksgiving 2013

This Thanksgiving we spent in Paxico with Mike's family. We made sure to dress in our best so that we could get pictures taken for our Christmas cards. Mike's aunt Leslie takes great pictures and we always commission her to take our pics.

 

This year went well. We found out once we started taking pictures that the light was too bright and so most of the pictures we are squinting too much or the brightness is affecting the shading of our faces.  These were the best two.

We always make sure to pack a bag of extra clothes when we go for Thanksgiving. We take our four-wheeler, Wyatt's dirt bike, and the guns so we need clothes to change into for these various activities once we are done eating.

This year we had a great time and we got to do everything we set out to do. I even got a 3 mile run in! We headed out to the North 80 and got a chance to shoot our guns. Wyatt got to shoot the .22 again and loved it. He shoots is so fast that it sounds like a fully auto!

I even got to shoot my 9mm that I got for Christmas last year. It was awesome! I loved shooting it and went through half a box of ammo sighting it in. We went shooting as soon as I got my run done, hence the crazy shooting clothes!

This is the pose Wyatt was striking as we were leaving. During the family picture time he kept calling himself Mr. Handsome! Apparently we have a future male model on our hands! Ugh!!

 

 

What do you do for Thanksgiving? Gun owner?

Wyatt says...

Here are some Wyatt-isms from this past month!

At his school's Halloween party all of the kids were drinking their juices when one kid chimes in and says he is going to pretend his juice is milk, another is going to pretend his juice is a pop, and another says water. What does Wyatt say? He says he is going to pretend that his juice is BEER! Yep, my kid said that in front of everyone! When I told Mike about it his reply was that at least he didn't say a whiskey sour! Not helping, Dear!

This week Wyatt has been asking me how good he has been lately. Each day I have been saying how good his behavior is and how proud of him I am for being so good. The other night he started whining and I asked him what was wrong. He said he was tired of being good because it was soooo hard! He needed a break from being good. Ha, don't we all!

We watch a lot of college football. We root for KSU, OSU, and OU. Our house it quite strange, I know. Wyatt's latest thing it cheer for the team we DON'T want to win! He is very good at it because he will ask about the other team, their name and mascot and their cheer is. After you tell him he will then start cheering that so to go against the team you want to win! What fun!!

His school teacher asked me if we were moving the other day because Wyatt keeps telling her we are moving. I told her we weren't and she seemed shocked. Apparently his story was pretty good and had told her that we were moving to California because he daddy got a new job. He was even giving her a timeline of when we would be leaving.

Makes my heart melt!

This is what my hubby has to say about me and my running!

 

How amazing is he! I have been on him since this summer to run a race with me. He has blown me off each time saying he wasn't ready. He doesn't see himself as a distance runner but a 5k would be doable. He is obviously much faster than I am (I run a 10:20 min/mile) but the fact that I have inspired him to actually run a race with me is awesome.

 

I have already been looking at races we can run together for his first 5k. I think everyone's first race should be one where you get a medal, regardless of the place you come in. So the Diva Dash will probably be out for him. I'm thinking with his pace he will definitely be able to get a medal for placing. 

 

Double Race Recap

There are few races that are close to home for me. So when one came up I had to take advantage of it!

The Double Race is a new race that was invented by Bob Anderson. It's a 10k race followed by a half-time then a 5k race. I absolutely love this idea because this is how I generally train. I love going for a long run and splitting it up into two chunks. I like being able to get something to drink and eat and then go back out there and run some more. This was going to be my race!

The morning started out very cold and I made sure to bundle up. I had on my full leggings, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, vest, and stocking cap. It was a 3.1 loop that we would run twice for the 10k and once for the 5k. The loop was the neighborhood I run, even better.

As the race got started and I was nervous because of the elite runners I saw at the starting line. I didn't want this race to be like Brew 2 Shoe and get blown out of the water for my age group. I did not want to be second to last, again! I just kept telling myself that it was my race, I was running in my town and neighborhood. The other people didn't know the route like I did. I was going to run my race, not theirs! This really helped me out and kept my head focused.

I found a set of runners that were my speed and we kept together as a small group, passing each other again and again. This was actually a lot of fun! After the first loop of the 10k I was running by my car on my second loop and I stopped and stripped off my vest and hat. A lady from our little running group did the same. We were warming up, fast!

The half time came and I was feeling really good. I could see people getting stiff and anxious about starting the 5k. I got a granola bar, ate an apple, and drank plenty of water to rehydrate. I even had time to visit the porta potty again. :) After what happened at the Bison 50 and the porta potty situation I made sure to get in line with plenty in time!

As the 5k started I could hear a collective moan and groan from most of the runners. Their bodies weren't used to this and they were tightening up. I had my music playing and kept on passing people. It was a great feeling! I was on top of the world and was rocking my pace! I kept telling myself, this is my race and my neighborhood. I had this in the bag! I can honestly say I felt awesome the whole race and ran most of the race. I walked through the single water station at 1.6 each time I went by and then started running again. It felt great! This is the type of race I'm designed for!

Start and Finish

Great times! I shaved 8 minutes off of my 10k time from August!

Coolest medal! It's double-sided for each race!

Bison 50-mile Relay Race Recap, Finally!

Several weeks ago I got a seven of my closest running friends together and we ran a 50 mile relay from Topeka to Lawrence! Crazy, I know!

 

The Bison 50 relay is designed to be a solo runner, ultra team (2-5 people), or regular team (6-10 people). It started at Gary Gribbles in Topeka and ended at the Mass Street Pub in Lawrence. I was super pumped because I felt like we had a good chance of placing as an all female team and we would get a medal!

 

Yes, I know the medal should not be the only reason I run but right now it is. I'm okay with it. :)

Sidenote: We didn't get a finishers medal because they changed the finishers prize to be a pint glass! Boo!!

 

There were ten legs of the race each ranging from 3.5 miles to 6.5 miles. Three of us ran two legs.

 

My first leg was leg 3 (4.4 miles) and to say I wasn't ready for it, is an understatement! I was actually in line for the porta potty when my relay partner, Cindy, came running up! Shit!!!! I saw her and just left the line ( I was next of course!) and took off running. She came running up and we made the exchange of the time chip and off I went. I didn't have time to set my Garmin and it was my first time running in full leggings.

 

The leggings kept falling down and making me feel like I had a baggy crotch. I don't think they looked that bad in person but that's how I felt. I kept hiking them up and scrunching them around my legs. About two miles in I decided I really had to go to the bathroom and I couldn't wait. I saw a small Mexican bakery and decided to go in and see if they had a restroom I could use. 

 

I ran in and asked in my best Spanish, "Puedo ir al bano, por favor?" and she pointed to the back for me to go to. I was so thankful that she let me and if I had more time or money I would have been more than happy to buy a delicious looking pastry for me to eat while running. 

 

As I continued my run I realized that I'm really running in the ghetto of Topeka. At one point I was running and looked down to see a gun clip laying on the sidewalk! Yes, a gun clip! Then I looked at the street sign and saw I was in Little Russia. Yikes!

 

I made my way to the exchange point and completely blew past my relay partner. I just wasn't paying attention ran right past her.

 

The rest of the race continued on as planned and we had a blast driving to each exchange point and cheering on our relay runners. There was such a sense of community and everyone cheering for each other, especially the solo runners. About half-way through the race we "adopted" a solo runner who seemed to not have any support system at the race for him. Each leg we saw him and cheered him and were in amazement that he was doing such a good job. He ran 50 miles by himself!

 

My next leg was leg 9 and it was 4.6 miles. By this time it had warmed up and I was able to run in a t-shirt and not long sleeves. The only thing was, this leg was on gravel roads and then Highway 24. The gravel roads were not like the gravel roads I ran at home. This gravel was huge and there was no line of demarcation where cars traveled more and had worn the gravel down. The whole time I had to stare at the road in fear of twisting my ankle if I didn't land right. My body was not ready for this jarring. My legs were killing me and my pace was terrible. I felt like I was letting the whole team down. I walked way more than I wanted to and was feeling sorry for myself. :( 

 

The best part of the race was the end when we all met up and got to finish with our last runner. It was an awesome feeling and to know that it wouldn't have been possible without all of us, it was amazing!

 

We already have plans for next year and we can't wait to get two teams running!

 

Cindy, Joyce, Me, Andrea, Amber, Sherri




Finishers Shirt!

Pile On The Miles-November Challenge

This November I've decided to participate in a blog challenge called Pile On The Miles with Monica at RunEatRepeat. This looks like a super-fun challenge and something that will help me keep up my miles while I'm in between race seasons.

I don't want to undo all of the hard work from summertime and make sure I can maintain my fitness level for next spring and another race season.

My goal for November is to run 50 miles. I know this is going to be difficult and I'm really going to have to make myself get those miles in, even if it means hitting the treadmill at the gym.

My dream of running in the evening, like I did in the Spring, just isn't happening. I have been working non-stop and by the time I get home and Mike gets home the night has fallen. I should just run at night but I don't like the idea. I'm afraid of being hit by a car or having some creepy person attack me. Crazy, I know, but fears none the less.

Check back on Sunday for my weekly goals! If you sign up for the challenge let me know and I will follow your posts. :) Happy running, friends!

No longer an Old Lady!

I have been rocking the Hazel and Olive lately! I have been obsessed over their dresses and absolutely love each one I've bought. Here are the details!

This is actually two pieces. The Anything Goes Dress pairs perfectly with the Rhapsody Cardigan. I am wearing a large in both of these. I paired it with grey leggings and the Black Cheyenne Riding Boots. Love this combo and I received so many compliments on this outfit. I had parent/teacher conferences on this day and it held up to a 12-hour day!

 

The first day of Parent/Teacher conferences I rocked this little number. This is the Metropolitan Zig Zag dress and I paired it with green leggings and brown riding boots. My dress is a large and I absolutely loved it! This dress flows so nice and hangs perfectly on your body. You can't see any lumps or bumps. You will need to wear a slip with this one because it's not lined.

 

This is the Leopard Cardigan and it is another wardrobe staple for me. I love pairing it with a black tee, skinny jeans, and brown riding boots. I'm wearing a large.

This chevron dress is another great find. I loved wearing this one in the early party of fall. It came with a skinny black belt but the cardigan is mine. It is sleeveless and I wanted a sleeve option for the classroom. I'm wearing a large and also receive many compliments on this dress. They are mainly about how long my legs looks! I got'em so I might as well use them, right?! :)

 

If you haven't checked out Hazel and Olive I would go by and see what goodies they have for you!

 

P.S. I've been telling family that all I want for Christmas is Hazel and Olive gift certificates. :)

 

BumbleBee says...

 

 "Happy Halloween!"

 

To run or not to run, that is the question?

Crazy idea?!

So lately, after my half-marathon, I have been thinking about if I should run a full marathon. Crazy, I know!

I watched the movie Spirit of the Marathon last weekend and it was really inspiring. It documented the lives of different marathon runners, some elite runners, some veterans, and some novice runners. After seeing a 67-year old man run the marathon (this wasn't his first) I decided that I should do it too!

I haven't completely accepted the fact that I should/want to run a full marathon but I'm definitely looking into the idea.

I've been doing some research and I'm looking for the perfect full to run. I don't want to run a full in Kansas because...it's Kansas. I can run here anytime. If I'm going to run 26.2 miles it should be somewhere memorable like Chicago or NYC.

This is obviously ambitious and I won't be 100% about it until I've paid for my registration and have to go. So we shall see where I end up! After all that's half the fun in running a race is picking where to run it!



Ran a full marathon? Know a cool marathon to run, not in Kansas? Ever travel for a race?

Halloween, AKA, my least favorite day of the year!

Those who know me, know I don't care for Halloween. I never have cared for the day. Even when I was a kid I didn't care for the day.

As a child my brother and I never were the best at Halloween. We weren't allowed to go to random houses Trick-or-Treating, so that left very few people we could go to that were in our actual neighborhood. Also my brother and I weren't that great in our Halloween costume choices. We never knew what we wanted to be until the day of Halloween. We didn't buy costumes so we had to be creative in what we came up with. Side note: We aren't that creative of kids!

So you can see from my past why Halloween is not my favorite day of the year. I don't like the idea of begging for candy and the need to dress up for it. If you want candy I will just go buy it. I'm also not a big candy eater due to my loathing of Halloween. Plus note!

This year Wyatt chose his costume and we went all out and bought it at Wal-Mart. He chose Bumblebee the Transformer. He loves this Transformer and talks about him all of the time. Anytime he sees a yellow car he says it's Bumblebee.

We are planning on hitting the Downtown trick-or-treat. All of the shop owners on Main street sit outside and pass out candy to the parade of dressed up kids. This is manageable and very doable for me because we live only two blocks away and don't have to drive and Wyatt hates people who are dressed up in giant costumes so we have to avoid about half of the parade because of this! Yeah!!

Okay my rant is over. Know you know my hating of Halloween.

P.S. don't come to my house because my porch light won't be on!

Halloween, Out!






Do you hate Halloween? Crappy costumes as a child? Have a child afraid of big costumed people?

iPhone Photo Dump

Here's a photo dump from my phone! None of these were particularly blog worthy on their own but as a dump will work pretty good. :)

Wyatt got to bring home the class pet, JoJo, a couple of weekends ago and he was all the rage! Wyatt couldn't go anywhere without him.

I wore my Hazel & Olive dress to school again and got a picture of myself in it! I love it and it's so easy to wear, which is what I need! I run around with kids all day long and it lasted all day with me.

I finally got my 13.1 sticker put on my car!!

I've been running again. I only ran two days the week after my half and then 3 last week. I'm slowly building up my miles again since I do have two big races coming up! No rest for the weary!

This past weekend we had our annual Oztoberfest in Wamego. And it was a let down. Thank goodness Pumpkin Patch craft show was going on in Manhattan to entertain us!

Wyatt and I spent the evening cooking early in the week. He made sure to grab his apron and chef's hat for the job!

Tonight Wyatt had a genius moment when he made a pancake and bacon sandwich! How smart is he! And yes we had breakfast for supper, again. Don't judge!

 

 

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

Want to make the easiest cookies ever? I know you do so follow the recipe below!

You will need one box of spice cake mix and one can of pumpkin. Mix the two together in a large bowl. You literally only need the cake mix. Do not follow the directions for actually making the cake on the back of the box!

While you are mixing that together have the oven pre-heating to 350-degrees. I sprayed a cookie sheet with a little cooking spray and then scooped small scoops of the dough onto it. Cook them for 10-13 minutes and you are DONE!

These cookies are very moist and chewy. Make sure to let them cool on a cooling rack before handling. If you are packing them for make sure to use wax paper to separate them so they don't stick together!

 

You can add-in items to make the cookies yours like chocolate chips or pecans. I have had both in these cookies and they are even better! :)