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. :)