Friday 5: Things I'm Loving

Hello again!  Double post this week--watch out world, I may just be getting back into a groove yet.  I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for the Friday 5.  Luckily for me, it's a free topic (I have trouble actually following along, and then once I see the topic I am usually sad that I missed it!).  I'm going to do my semi usual things I'm loving for you!  All photo cred goes to my sister!  I figured y'all might enjoy a break from my selfies ha!

1. Sister time. Last weekend I took advantage of the long weekend and headed to a small town near Cleveland for some much needed sister time.  It was so much fun just hanging out and we managed to pack in a ton of stuff in the short time we had together.

2. Luke Bryan.  The reason for our sister time, and every bit as incredible as you might imagine.  No idea how he works it like he does in those jeans, but I'll take it any day!  Florida Georgia Line, Randy Houser, and even little Dustin Lynch were amazing, too!  It was a terrific concert and I wish we could "play it again."  ;-)

3. Unusual, but amazing food in unusual, but awesome restaurants.  My sister took me to a few different places for meals that I would highly recommend if you are ever in the Cleveland area.  Before the concert we went to Willoughby Brewing Company.  I think she said that the building was an old rail car repair place.  I always enjoy trying some new beers (the chocolate peanut butter porter was awesome!) and I couldn't resist trying the mashed potato pizza.  In case you were wondering, it was every bit as good as you might guess.  We even contemplated going out to buy a cooler and ice so it would last through the concert, it was THAT good.  We also went to Covered Bridge Pizza Parlor (you may have guessed it was in a renovated covered bridge!) and Heavenly Creamery for ice cream in a renovated church.  Just FYI, the turtle sundae is totally the way to go although my sister would probably try to sway you over to the s'mores sundae.

4. Maddux getting in the water.  So Maddux really hates getting his paws wet.  Like if he steps in a puddle he frantically lies down and tries to lick all the water off.  If it's raining he refuses to go out.  After a walk at one of my sister's favorite parks, we took the dogs down to the beach area to cool off.  I tried my hardest to persuade Mad Dog to get all the way in the lake, but he was not having it.  It was still fun watching him attempt to avoid the waves.

Silly boy ran for the sand after the waves touched his toes!

5. Liane Moriarty books.  I'm reading The Last Anniversary right now and I really love that her books switch perspectives.  It's like getting a bunch of stories in one and makes for a quick read.  I've been staying up way too late this week reading!

What are you loving lately?  Have a great weekend!

Freekeh Giveaway Winner: (y'all made this easy!)  Congratulations to Beth!  She has been notified.  

5 Things I've Learned Lately

Haaaaappppy Friday!  I am linking up with Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar today!  Make sure to check out the awesome blogs joining in the fun.  I have been absent on the blog front lately.  Part of it is because I haven't been training for anything and the other part is that priorities have just been elsewhere.  I'm happy to report that I started a training plan for my next half on Wednesday, so I'm sure I'll be inspired to document those adventures along the way.  As I was trying to think of a good topic to write about today, I realized that I had a lot of random thoughts floating around (like always).  I figured I'd share some things I've learned lately with you.  Feel free to share your own findings in the comments!

1. Love can last a life time.  Before you roll you eyes and think that is totally cheesy, let me explain.  My nice friend and I just headed to Colorado to join a TON of my family to celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary.  It was so great being out there watching them renew their vows to one another.  They are each other's rock and have been a fabulous team and a wonderful example of what love can be.  I'm so thankful that I was able to share in their special day!

Obvious where were get our good looks from.
Photo cred for these awesome selfies goes to my sister!

2.  It's ok to say no.  Last summer my uncle and cousins convinced me to hike up to the top of St. Mary's Glacier.  As a nonhiker, this was pretty traumatic for me (even though I will reluctantly admit that it was a great experience and I'm glad I did it!).  My family and I returned to the glacier again this summer.  My nice friend, dad, and I got to the glacier first.  My nice friend was feeling adventurous, so my dad and he took off to continue climbing.  I sat my butt down on a rock, enjoyed the views, and had a great time being silly with the gals in the family when they arrived.  I had a great time and did not regret my decision to stay behind.

Last year's view from the top.

This year's view from the bottom.
It was a little rainy, a lot fun.

3. Sometimes you just have to ask. So, you guys know my love of Reba.  When I was little I was really upset that my mom wouldn't let me dye my hair red so that I could look like Reba.  (Obviously, we are twins except for that red hair thing...)  When I saw that Reba was performing in Vegas I really wanted to go, but didn't think it would actually happen.  I mentioned something about it to my aunt and she was immediately onboard with the idea.  So much so that we actually booked our tickets already!  Vegas here we come!  I'm so glad I brought it up, because I might have missed a fun opportunity that may not come up again.

I woud be ok if she sang Fancy over and over again.

4. Grocery shopping can be exciting.  I know what you're thinking.  Grocery shopping sucks.  It really does.  BUT, after eating out a ton of meals, it was nice to be able to get back into my regular eating groove.  When I eat out I am of the opinion that I should try what I want to try, even if it may not be the healthiest thing on the planet.  At home I try to eat a lot cleaner.  My fridge had been pretty pathetic leading up to my Colorado trip, but it is stocked back up with fruits, veggies, and of course, sriracha hummus.  Definitely a good feeling!

5. Learning is exciting.  I've always known this, but it's been renewed in the past couple of weeks.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I started grad school.  It is a little overwhelming trying to figure out how to be a student again, but I get a little giddy every time I think about the fact that I am a grad student.  I am so excited to learn more and see what opportunities this opens up for me.

What have you learned lately?  Or been reminded of recently?  Have a fabulous weekend!

Good Things

Happy Friday!  I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for the Friday Five and am excited to read about good things going on in others' lives.  It's been a pretty stressful week, and I need to refocus on the good!

1. Family time.  I had so much fun with my mom, aunts, and cousin last weekend and can't wait until we're all together again.  It was fun getting to show them around some of my favorite places.

2. Highlights.  One of my aunts is an amazing hair stylist and she covered up some of those gray highlights that were out in full force.

Cheers to being blonde again.

3. Best friend time!  One week from today I will be back with my best friend for the ODU Big Blue 5k!  I can't wait!

4. Jimmy Fallon.  Specifically, this video.

5. SUB 2 HALF MARATHONS!  Sorry guys, I'm still giddy whenever I think about it!  You can read my recap here.  Don't forget to link up any Shamrock recaps that you have!

The new picture you will be tired of looking at!

Have a great weekend!

Friday 5: My First Half

Good morning!  Friday is finally here!  I can't believe that Shamrock weekend is THIS weekend!  I'm linking up with Mar, Cynthia, and Courtney today!  Make sure to check out some of the amazing blogs in the link up (or add your own!).  Since this weekend is my 5 year anniversary of running half marathons, I figured I would tell you guys 5 things about my very first one!  (Sorry guys, there are no dorky pictures from the race. I literally ran with nothing.  My brother had the hotel key and my license just in case, but I wasn't concerned with much at this one haha!)

We take running VERY seriously.

1. It was the Shamrock Half Marathon.  I can't really remember why I chose this one.  Maybe because it was close, maybe I had heard great things, maybe friends had suggested it?  My brother and I had previously ran in the Wicked 10k and Virginia is for Lovers 14k, so maybe we figured to just keep going.  Either way, it was an excellent choice.  (Yes, J&A only had three races back then!  They've grown SO much!)

My mom made me this amazing shadow box to hold my first medals!

2. I made up my own training plan.  So, I was in college and I ran a lot.  It was a great stress reliever, I had friends who ran, and I had the most gorgeous place ever to run.  The only real plan was to keep running whenever I felt like it and then add a mile to my long run each weekend.  How nice would that be to do that now?  I remember coming home and telling my roommate that I ran 7 miles and I had never done that before and I was super excited.  She was very patient listening to all my running talk.  (She still is.)  For some reason, I did my 9 miler and 10 miler on the treadmill.  I guess I was scared then, too, of getting stuck far away?  Someone had told me that 10 miles was the longest I needed to run before my race, because "if you can do 10 you can do 13."  Well, ok.

3. I was faster than I anticipated. I remember being blown away by the fact that I had to put a predicted race time.  "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW!?"  I ended up running about 30 minutes faster than I had anticipated.  Not a bad feeling.

4. I didn't use any fuel.  Probably had something to do with the fact that in college you're invincible and a beast.  I just didn't feel the need for it like I do now.  Also, at that point I had never even really heard of it. When I was handed a Gu on the race course I held on to it until mile 9 and then took it.  I will never forget the disgusting, warm (from holding it for 3 miles) strawberry mess.  (So, I also ran in the race shirt.  I figured that if they gave it to me then it must be a good shirt to run in haha!  So glad I'm too cool for that now.)  Basically, I had no idea of everything that running could entail.

Does pizza count?

5. I swore it was my last.  Don't get me wrong, I was SO proud of myself for finishing.  I tell people all the time that there's no feeling like crossing the finish line of your first half.  I remember the second I stopped running my quads cramped up in a major way.  It was horrible! My brother and I didn't even stay for the post race party and just hobbled back to the hotel.  It took me a whole year until I was ready to tackle another one.

What was your first half (or other race!) like?  Have a great weekend! Good luck to everyone running Shamrock this weekend!  Come say hi at the expo!

Friday 5: 2014 in Review

Yes, it's late.  I realize that we are already halfway through the first month of 2015, but life has been a little busy lately and honestly, I just haven't had it in me to reflect.  But, today is a new day and I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for the Friday 5!  Make sure to check out all the great blogs linking up!  2014 ended up being a fantastic year.

1. Stay focused on the happy in life.  I think I did ok with this.  At the beginning of the year I wrote down little things that made me happy each day.  I should have tried harder to keep this up, but you know how it goes.  Maybe I'll try once a week in 2015.  It's nice to be able to look back and smile!

It's hard not to be happy when this boy is in your life!

2. Be proud at the end of my races.  Definite check!  Off the top of my head, my races of 2014 included the Shamrock half marathon (PR!), Crawlin' Crab 5k and half marathon, the Scarecrow Classic, and Surf-n-Santa 5 miler.  I trained hard for these races and had a great time.

3. Attend at least 3 Lucky Dog Animal Rescue Events.  I did well with this one, too.  I started fostering in April and when you agree to foster, you agree to take your pup to an event.  I fostered 5 pups this year and went to several events.  I'm happy to say all of my pups are happy in their forever homes.

4. Make a better effort in my relationships.  Well, this one could probably always be better, but I did end up getting to go on some great trips and I got in a lot of family time and my nice friend and I had a fun weekend get away.  I also got quite a bit of best friend time this year, too!

Fun times in Colorado!

5. Try new things.  I did end up trying quite a few new recipes.  It's been nice mixing things up a little.  I started running with my group and it's been really good for me.  My nice friend and I went to the Go Ape! obstacle course and zip lining place and while it was terrifying, it was a lot of fun.  I also went to Dogfish Head Brewery and tried a lot of new to me beers.  Counts, right?

So glad it was over!

How did you do with your 2014 goals?  I'll have to start setting some new ones for the 2015 soon! Have a fabulous weekend!

Friday 5: Favorites

Hello!  It's been a little while since my last post (BUT I'm going to get more consistent here really soon).  In typical fashion, I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia for the Friday 5!  Make sure to check out the amazing blogs in the link up!  I can't wait to read what other bloggers are loving right now!

1. Thanksgiving with family.  This year Maddux and I went to my sister's house in Ohio.  She did an amazing job cooking our dinner and we had lots of amazing walks at the parks near her home. Maddux went to the beach for the first time and it was so funny watching him with the waves.  My sister and I went to a wine and painting class and had the best time!  I'm not sure my painting looks quite as the instructor had envisioned, but I had a great time trying to figure it out.   (Side note: my sister just hit her goal of walking 1,000 miles for the year with her pup today!  So exciting!!)

2. Sweat Pink Ambassadors. It's so nice being a part of this community.  I've been getting horrible side cramps lately during my runs, and when I posted in the group seeking advice they immediately responded with a bunch of different things I could try.

3. Holiday Sweat Challenge.  I decided I needed a little motivation to keep up with cross training this winter, so I signed up for my first fitness challenge.  Although I've been horrified at how little water I have been drinking lately (you track it every day), it has been fun trying to get the workout points!  I've been making it a point to try to get more water and by the end of this thing I am determined to get my daily water point!

4.  Buying gifts.  While I still need ideas for my nice friend, I have the rest of my family all figured out! I was so bummed that I ran out of tape in the middle of wrapping.  I've had the best time picking out things I think that my family would like.  They all did an amazing job choosing things for my birthday, so I'm glad I get to turn around and spoil them a little now!

Dachshund gifts from my sister.  Short legged pups = love.

5. TRAINING PLANS!  I finally have my Shamrock plan all figured out.  It's printed and on my fridge all ready to be conquered.  Last time I didn't miss a single run.  I'm going to try for that again!  As I mentioned earlier, I'm going to start tracking my training again, so writing (and reading y'all's blogs!) will get much more consistent than my sporadic posting I've had going lately.

Get used to all my pictures looking weird for a while.  My phone
only lets me take selfies, which is not easy if your self isn't in them :)

What are some things you've been loving lately? 

Friday 5: Birthday Eve

Is it just me, or did this Friday take its time getting here?   My mom says I can't complain though because it's my birthday week!  Having her say "Happy birthday Tuesday!!" was enough to make even the longest day seem a little better.  Plus, I've been seeing a corgi out on a walk lately on my drive home from work.  I think the Big Guy upstairs must know I needed a little extra boost lately.  I'm still battling with this cough (yes, over a month--hence the lack of posting lately), but I've been staying busy and November has been flying by.  I'm linking up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia!  Make sure to check out their adventures.  So many awesome bloggers have been linking up that you're bound to find some great reading material on these dark, cold days!

1. Dogfish Brewery.  My nice friend and I headed out to Delaware a couple of weeks ago and had the best weekend.  (Side note: I was so proud of myself because it was the first time I left Maddux with someone other than family or friends and I didn't even cry!)  If you love good beer and the beach I highly recommend this weekend get away.  The brewery was really fun.  We got there right when they opened and had about an hour before our tour started (it's first come, first serve so they just add you to the list and give you the next available slot).  We decided to go ahead and get our samples.  Although there were several we knew we loved, we decided to get some new to us brews.  Some of them were really funky, but it was fun trying some new stuff that we might not have been able to on a normal day. The tour was informative and our tour guide was fun.  They even had crocks for people who weren't in tour approved shoes.  After the tour, we headed to Rehoboth Beach and walked on the boardwalk before heading to the Dogfish Brewpub, where we got to try some exclusive brewpub beers.  It was the perfect relaxing weekend away.

2. Visits with Best Friends.  A while ago I saw that Andrew McMahon was going to be playing in DC.   I don't know many people who know him (and would be willing to pay for a ticket to a concert they didn't care at all about) so I convinced my best friend to come up for an early birthday celebration.  I had the best time catching up with her!  I had a fantastic time at the concert--he alternated playing his new music and songs from his former band.  I was a happy fan!  Saying goodbye wasn't quite as hard knowing that we'll see each other again soon for Surf-n-Santa and then again for Shamrock weekend!

3. Converting Friends Taste in Beer.  (Kidding....but seriously..) Look, I know I'm a beer snob.  I can't help it.  It's partly the way I was raised, and if I'm going to drink beer I want it to have some oomph to it.  (Granted, I have had many terrible craft brews, BUT gotta support small businesses, right?)  My best friend and I met up with my cousin and another good friend at Jailbreak Brewing and I loved watching them find beers that they liked.  I've been working forever to get them on my side! I had to laugh when my best friend later sent me a picture of some Heavy Seas beer she picked up on her way home joking that I had helped her see the light.

4.  Hanging with Maddux.  He is loving this cooler weather and acting like a completely different dog than he does in the summer months.  Unfortunately, the early night fall has made it hard to get decent walks in and I've been trying to find ways to keep him entertained.  We might have to look into signing up for another class soon!  Luckily he really loves his treat ball, so he will happily chase after it most of the time.  I can't wait until our days start getting longer.  I miss our after work walks at the park.

Bark Box deliveries make up for our lack of walking in Maddux's opinion.

5. Christmas Shopping!  Can you believe it's only a month away?!  I basically have one free weekend between now and then, so I'm trying to get all my ideas set so I can pace myself and have everything ready on time.  I've had a lot of fun in the search so far and can't wait to see my family in a few weeks! (I actually get to see my sister next weekend for Thanksgiving and my brother the next weekend for a belated birthday (and engagement!!!) celebration, but you can't beat the whole gang together!)

What have you guys been up to this month?  What concerts do you have to beg friends to go to? The only other one I get funny looks for is the Avett Brothers, but my sister is always down for a visit to see them!  

Have a great weekend!!

Friday 5: Happy Things

Life has been pretty routine lately, so blogging has definitely been slowing down.  I feel like my runs haven't been that eventful (which is fine with me), so the training plan recaps have been kind of dwindling down lately, BUT I will say that the runs are getting done!  The Friday 5 with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia has been a nice way to check in with you guys.  Make sure to take a look at the link up--there are SO many great bloggers who participate every week!   

1. Crawlin' Crab is almost here!!!  3 more weeks and then I'm heading down to Hampton to run my little heart out.  Fingers crossed for some nice fall weather!

2. I'm all signed up for the Surfin' Santa 5 Miler.  I'm so excited about this one.  My best friend is running in it (she's actually doing the Crawlin' Crab 5k with me, too) and it will be so nice just to have some time to hang out.  It's in the evening so there won't be any ridiculous wake up times and we can just enjoy the holiday season together.  I know it's still a little ways off, but I love knowing I have best friend time on the calendar!

Early race starts are made better by besties!

3.  We're one step closer to figuring out what's up with Mad Pup.  Poor fella hasn't been himself lately, but his blood work came out clean, so it's a relief to know that he doesn't have anything super serious going on.  He's on some pain medication for his arthritis which will hopefully work wonders, especially when it's paired with some cooler weather!

Maddux got ice cream after the vet because I felt
bad about his fast and that he got poked with needles.

4. I'm an official member of a running club!  Still planning on going to my store runs pretty regularly, but I like knowing I have options.  Plus, my store group runs 3-5 and sometimes a girl just needs a buddy for runs longer than that.

5. My cousin and I figured out a wonderful weekend run plan.  Meet at a trail in the middle, run however many miles we want/need, and then head to DuClaw Brewing for some game day specials for lunch.  Gotta replenish those carbs ya know? 

Sometimes we have contests when we run to determine who buys drinks.
Whoever had the most color in this race won.  I lost, only because I sweat a lot.

What are some happy things going on with you?

Friday 5: A Happy Week

Happy Friday!  Today's the Friday Five link up with Mar, Courtney, and Cynthia!  I've been crazy busy lately, but life is good.  My parents came to visit from Alabama last weekend and we had a great time.  Here are five things I loved about their visit:

1. Watching the Pirates.  Yeah, they didn't win (ugh), but it was fun hanging out with my parents and cheering them on.

2. Touring ball parks.  On Sunday my parents and I toured the Nationals' field.  I really enjoyed learning about the park and the best part?  The Pirates had some of their gear in the dugout so we got to get all excited about seeing our favorite players helmets.  It's the little things.

Go Cutch!

3.  Walking around DC.  The monuments never fail to amaze me.  I loved getting to show my parents around my town.

4. Visiting breweries.  Over the summer I went to a couple of beer festivals and discovered Jailbreak Brewing.  It's a new brewery so if you're ever in town make sure to give them some love!  I really enjoyed their jalapeno beers as well as some bourbon aged stouts, which surprised me because I usually shy away from those styles. The tour was informative and you got a sampler and a pint glass with your ticket.  A win in my book!

5.  Playing with my new foster!  Last Thursday I got sweet foster puppy Jessie.  We think she's a basset/beagle mix and she just radiates joy.  She and my dad bonded very quickly and I think it was hard on both of them to say goodbye!  If you are looking for a playful, snuggly, happy pup make sure to visit Lucky Dog's website to learn more about Jessie.  Even though I'm going to miss her like crazy, I can't wait for her to find her perfect home!  She is going to bring constant smiles to a lucky family every day.

What's been putting a smile on your face lately?  Do you have any "must sees" when your family comes to visit?

Week 9 Recap and Alabama Fun

I'm not sure where the time has gone, but week 9 of my training plan is officially check off!  This week was a little different than I expected, but if you can't be a little flexible then what good is a plan anyway?

But first, some highlights from Alabama!  Colorado got its own recap and it didn't seem right to not give you at least a few fun things from the other part of my vacation!

The Air and Space Museum: My dad's birthday is at the beginning of August and since we had 4 of the 5 family members home we decided to go to Huntsville, Alabama to visit this museum.  The museum is really interactive and has lots of information on the space monkeys!  It was a great way to spend the afternoon! 

Straight to Ale Brewing: A two hour road trip wouldn't have been complete without stopping for some local beer!  Straight to Ale has a lot of space themed brews (perfect after an afternoon at the museum!) and we made sure to toast Ms. Baker, the space monkey, with a round of Monkeynaut.

I drew a picture and pinned it to the bulletin board.  I wonder if it's still there...

Noccalula Falls: I briefly mentioned this in an earlier post, but my family and I had a great hike at the falls.   You can't bring dogs, which is a bummer, but we got to hike all the way behind the falls this time which was neat.  When my mom and I went back in April it had rained a lot and we would have had to forge a small river to get behind them.  

Legend is that Noccalula flung herself off the falls
because she didn't want to marry some dude.
Men, the root of all our probs.

This is from the first time I went to the falls.  Mom and I tried
really hard to get a selfie with the falls.  This was our best one.

The rest of the time was spent just hanging out, doing a little shopping, watching Pirates baseball on my parents' "party deck", and doing lots of neighborhood walks with my sister, mom, and our pups.  It was a perfect relaxing week.

On to the recap!

Wednesday: 5 miles on the 'mill.  It was just one of those cloudy, hot days and I didn't mind spending the time listening to Wait! Wait! Overall it felt good, but there's not much to say about it other than that.

Friday: 6x800 at the park.  Good grief guys.  This was ridiculously hard.  I decided to go to one of my favorite parks because there is a lake almost a mile around.  I thought that it might be a little easier than my usual trail loop because it's a little less crowded.  I didn't take into account the hills.  Not so bad for a normal run, but killer when you're trying to run fast.  Even though I was pretty sure my lungs were going to explode and my legs were going to fall off my paces were much faster than I anticipated.  I don't see high 7s on my watch (like ever) so having two 800 workouts with this pace was super exciting for me!

Saturday: 7 miles at a new trail!  This was an exciting run for me because it was my trial run with the running club!  I had mentioned that I decided to join a club what seems like forever ago, and finally had a free weekend to attend a run.  The group was so welcoming, but none of our paces seemed to quite match up so I ran by myself for most of this run which was kind of a bummer.  The group leader said that usually there is another girl who would be good for me to run with who was out of town this week, so I'm looking forward to going back and trying again.  At least it was a good way to get my butt out of bed!  I also liked knowing that someone had my back on a trail that was unfamiliar to me.  I can't wait to go back soon and explore with Mad Dog!

Miles for the Week: 15

I have no idea where I'm at with overall plan miles right now, but eventually I'll figure that out again!  

How is your training plan going?  Do you do intervals? I didn't in the past, but I'm loving them now!  Such a good way to mix it up so I don't get burnt out on long runs!  Plus, it's kind of fun to run fast! 


**Today I'm linking up with MCM Mama Runs, Run the Great Wide Somewhere, and My No-Guilt Life for Tuesdays on the Run!  Make sure to check out the adventures of these awesome runners!  Today their theme is mantras, so if you're needing a little extra motivation they are your go-to girls!**