Molasses in January

That's how slow I felt today. Despite my best efforts at hydrating yesterday, I was out-sweating the water stations. The course was 3 laps of a 3.1 mile route, which was nice because it was at least half shady and a decent breeze (but not so much as to make it a struggle going into it), and the first lap was fine. I felt slow, but heat happens. It was about 80 degrees and humid as a troll's armpit. Did I mention we started over half an hour late? Which meant all it did was get warmer, and stickier.

Second lap, still ok, other than mental battles, and we even caught a few 5k walkers before the end of that lap. I was having a hard time keeping myself going, but felt like if I could just start getting more water, maybe 2 of their tiny 3 ounce Dixie bathroom cups, I'd be able to make it.

But then, literally 50 feet into lap #3, bad news: water station 1 was OUT OF CUPS. So, crazy sweaty dehydrated girl that I am, I put my face under the jug and had them pour a bit in my mouth, all the while being assured that the next station would have cups.

But guess what?  No one was there. A few lonely cups of 80 degree water were on the table (it was like drinking from a hot tub).

Station 3? Worse- it was GONE! I watched the truck pull away. And nearly cried.

Station 4? GONE! Watched another truck pull away, cursing them under my breath. Ok, maybe not entirely under my breath. By this time I had had to walk several times. I tried to keep jogging a bit more, knowing there was one more potential water station (though it had been unmanned thus far).

Station 5- THANK YOU, SWET BABY JESUS! Still no humans working it, but thankfully, the water was still there, and my dear, sweet hero of a husband poured extra cups for me since he was about a minute or two ahead. I walked while I drank them, then resolved to jog the rest.... which I almost did, until the pavement moved and common sense said take a break. So I walked for a minute, then turned the corner where I could see the last long stretch. I then jogged the rest, using pure frustration at such a poorly managed race to get me to the end.

They had a fire hose to spray us down after every lap, and that might have been the only thing that kept me from passing out.

 This is the second event we have ran put on by the group that managed this one, and in both of them, they ran out of water or cups or both.

One of the awesome volunteers told us they will no longer hire this company (thank goodness!). Allegedly, someone was checking the course for the last runners, but seeing as I was wearing SAFETY GREEN and a bright, floral running skirt, I don't know how they missed me. Or the people who were still trudging along behind me.

I nearly fainted by the time it was over- my hypoglycemic friends, the black dots, were dancing in my vision, probably because even though I'd had shot bloks with me, my system said screw it and wouldn't work to process it without water.

All I can say is thanks to my awesome husband for making sure I made it through- he never got too far ahead- and thanks to the Ounce of Prevention charity gals for putting on the event. They did a great job, it was just the race organizer group they hired that failed to maintain a safe course. And, we know know, has a history of running out of water.

My time was somewhere between 1:38 and 1:40. Slow.as.molasses. But I finished, despite feeling like a lost little girl in the Sahara.

End of complaining. Time for a nap.

Brilliant idea?

I hope this works as well as I want to hold my car key this Saturday. It seems like a great idea. We shall see.

Taking rest seriously

My shin has been acting up... Mostly because a rock-headed dog keeps running into it. So, add in the heat, and today is a rest day. Back to spinning tomorrow, then rest/hydrate Friday to be ready for Saturday's Ta Ta Trot.

Spinning and a star

I took a spin class at the gym today. Working on spreading the word about my Zumba class, too. And now, I'm wrestling with deciding what color to border this block and how to turn it into a tote bag.

Mudder photos! YES!

Of course, since I went ahead and gave up waiting on Brightroom, I get an email hours after posting my recap that photos are up. Of course.

These gems were worth the wait, though.

Before- so fresh and so clean!

Fresh out of Artic Enema (ice water filled dumpsters with a wall you had to go under- legs were still numb!)

One of the berlin walls- I'm lowering myself down in a much more controlled way than last year.

Electroshock Therapy! 

Glad I'm smiling this year. 

Laugh at the pain (or the outfits). Call me crazy. It was worth it. And there will be more.

Are you ready, Kentucky?

Our coffee mug collection just got Awesome (Tough Mudder recap)

You've already seen this photo

so you know we survived. The best part is that not only did we make it through our second Tough Mudder, but both of us felt better prepared, completed more obstacles successfully, and were less sore afterwards.

Backing up:

Friday night, Tim's friend and his wife came down to stay- they were also doing the Mudder, and as first-timers, were more anxious than excited.

We cooked hotdogs over a fire in our fire pit (since there's a burn ban, it had to be contained), and had a few adult beverages, and then we found a snake, so I had to catch it:

My brother pointed out that there is an uncanny resemblance to a photo of me at age 5 holding a frog- same pose, just a 22 year difference.

Mudder morning: I, the human alarm clock, woke everyone at 4:30, and we were off by 5:20.

We had to stop in Lafayette for small bladders and empty stomachs.

 See what Tim's outfit looked like when we started? His friend's is similar, while we girls just had a theme of BRIGHT clothes.

We starte out running in the Mudder, but it was clear by the 3rd mile that we would be walking most of it in order to get the whole team through (Which is ok, people- Mudders are about finishing, not time! Teamwork over self!). But, I'm happy to say that I required much less help with the 8', 9', and 11' Berlin walls than last time, and I made it over Twinkle Toes (a balance beam that I fell off last time and was sooooo mad since I normally have awesome balance), and I jumped in the quarry without any hesitation this time, and can honestly say I smiled through the whole 12 miles (2 more! Yay!).

But a warning: if you bring small children to spectate, electricity causes uncontrollable cursing... sorry. Which means I swore heavily getting shocked in the Electric Eel (mud crawl under barbed wire spaced with live wires) and Electroshock Therapy (25 feet of hay bales to jump over through dangling live wires at the finish.... where I actually yelled "Little kids might want earmuffs" before I ran through).

The other amazing part of this Mudder was being able to get Ryan and Claire through it. Ryan needed very little help beyond encouragement that he could go the distance (the furthest he'd previously ever ran was 6 miles), but Claire's more of a fitness newbie. She needed a lot of help, but you have to give her credit! She FINISHED! That's the beauty of a Mudder: finishing is the achievement. I hope she learned as much about herself as I did during my first one. And I really hope it inspires her to keep pushing, keep running, and stay active.

 We bought coffee mugs this time. We both agreed that we'd get the giant beer steins in October in honor of Mudder #3 (and when we'll be prepared for their higher price point). How awesome is my coffee mug, though?

And I just had to share this photo from last night- the big baby, Matt Lauer, decided he needed to be in my husband's lap. All 100+ pounds of him. Such a giant baby.

Our next event is the Ta Ta Trot 15k in 10 days. And then, I'm going to have to figure out this solo long run business- so far, I've had a race or other event to get mine in, but starting in July, I'll be exploring parts unknown on the trail.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Boom. Mudder #2 is done.

Awesome day.

YEAH, TOUGH MUDDER!!!!

By the time you read this, thanks to that glorious auto-post setting, I will be lined up at the starting line for Tough Mudder #2. I AM BEYOND EXCITED!!!!

Last time, I was nervous, worried I might get hurt, doubting myself, you know the usual.

This time, I'm just crazy excited, and READY.

It's going to be hot, which means those ice baths will feel awesome, too.

I can't wait.

YEAH, TOUGH MUDDER!!! I'm coming for you!!!

Chocolate chip muffins!

Yum. 'nuff said.

5 things I'm loving today

How about 5 random things that have made me smile today? Ok, go:

1.  Ghiardelli brownies!

With my unusual food allergies, these are one of the few packaged mixes I can eat (oh, darn, I have to have the fancy ones). I love these brownies, and so do all of Tim's coworkers.

  Here's a tip: If you have a sweet tooth, but don't want to look like a candy addict/brownie batter licker/cupcake lover/sugar slut, send baked goods away! You still get the joy of baking and licking out the bowl, but the temptation won't be around. Don't get me wrong, I always cut into these brownies before sending them off to the guys, but that's it- I have one, then they're gone. Same thing with cookies- I bake them, pul about6-8 back for us to eat, and send the rest away. Everyone wins!

2. These blocks.

 I know I shared this photo yesterday, but looking at these blocks again this morning just made me smile. I think the big one might end up as part of a tote bag. A girl can never have too many tote bags!

 3. Choreography

While I find myself challenged at times, the overall process of choreographing a song has always been fun for me. I may not be a good dancer, but I love trying. And with Zumba choreography, I'm having a blast. I hope my class has as much fun following along as I've had making it.

But I am getting kind of sick of typing choreography- it's one of those words that always slows me down when I'm typing since I have to sound it out in my head.

 4. Tough Mudder outfit!!!

How can you not love that much neon? The Team Sparkle skirt will be making its 2nd mud run appearance of the year, paired with yoga shorts from Pink by Victoria's Secret, as is the green/black sports bra, paired with a bright pink one by C9 since I'm, uh, gifted and thus need 2. And then I have one of many pairs of bright knee socks. My husband will be wearing a pair, too- same pattern, but neon yellow/green. Whatever you want to call it. The color of lemon-lime gatorade.

I can't believe the Mudder is on Saturday!!! EEEEK! I feel more prepared, and less at the same time. I've been doing more strength training by myself, but since the team is basically just Tim and I, there have been no team practices, no adults taking over a playground and climbing like monkeys, no random "here's a stream, let's run through it then climb a tree" practices.

So, I'm confident I'm in shape, but it will be interesting having fewer people.

However, I am THRILLED that it's supposed to be in the 90's- whoohoo, heat like that will make that ice bath feel good! Much better than 48 degrees!

5. Inexpensive healthy eating.

Believe it or not, Aldi's has health foods. So anyone who says eating healthy is expensive is both right and wrong. I know, fresh veggies aren't the cheapest, but why not make small changes? Whole grain cereal instead of sugary stuff? I get these for under $2.50. I want to say $1.99, but I'm not sure. And they taste just like that cheery other brand. Aldi also has pretty good prices on their fresh veggies and fruit, though I will say, I get bored with their selection. There's only so many times I can eat broccoli and zucchini before I want to cook an artichoke, or some other veggie that I can't find at our Aldi. And then I go to Kroger and spend $50 on just fruits and veggies. :)

Stitching

My brain was getting crowded with choreography, so I spent some much-needed time in front of my sewing machine. The big block is from a tutorial by Victoria Finley-Wolfe and the small one is Bonnie Hunter's latest block in Quiltmaker- I used it as a leader-ender. Now, a little more dancing...

ZUMBA!

After 8 hours, approximately 2000-2500 calories burned, and countless laughs, smiles, and an all-around awesome day, I am a trained, licensed
ZUMBA INSTRUCTOR!!!!!
How crazy is that? I'm still in disbelief that these last few weeks have led to such awesome changes in my life. CPR/first aid training will be next week, and for the next three weeks, I'll be practicing.
So if you see me wiggling to music out in public, don't worry, I'm practicing!

Now if only I could get rid of my headache... stupid blood sugar wasn't a fan of all the fun I had, and I got behind on food, which led to this lovely headache... but even a headache can't dampen my happiness tonight! I think I'm going to dance some more!

Zumba master class!

Last night was the Zumba master class- completely optional to get certified on Sunday, but so worth it.

I don't think I've had that much fun in a very long time (outside of running those 2 halves this spring, but let's face it- that's a sick, masochistic, push through pain and conquer sort of fun, while Zumba is a freakin' DANCE PARTY!).

I had been a little freaked out that I would get there, and find out everything I know about Zumba is wrong or out-dated and that I'd be horrible and this was a bad idea...but I'm pleased to say I kept up as well as and better than some of the instructors who have been through all 5 or 6 different levels of training. YAY!

I am so excited to be starting a new chapter in my life. I'll have a job that's not just a job title, but career potential. As a college grad with half a masters, I have yet to find a job that I felt I could be proud of when I inevitably send the "I won't be coming to the reunion, here's what I've been doing" sheet next summer. But now? I'll be able to write, "I'm a group fitness instructor, teaching Zumba (and other classes TBD)." Which, finally, makes me feel like a success. Way more successful than "Beer girl at a 4.5 star golf course."

Happy weekend, everyone! I've got a date with long run before work this afternoon.

Shoe Love

Some girls have lots of high heels, some don't. I prefer less than a 5 mm drop. :)

Truly, an awesome year.

So, yesterday morning, I got an email asking if I could do an interview that afternoon! Which I did.

And...

I NAILED IT!

They hired me on the spot. How awesome is that?

I'm still floating on cloud nine. And super excited about Zumba Friday night for a master class, and then instructor training on Sunday.

Cover your ears, I'm squealing with joy!!!!!

Relay for Life block.

Got another awesome quilt block done last night!

I went with a yellow center for this- anyone who has had cancer or had a loved one with it can guess why. Plus, it's getting easier to look back at my dad's life without getting too sad, and yellow can be so darn cheery.

Happy Sunday! Off to work I go.

Still miss you, Dad.

Mr. PR- he makes me so proud. He smashed his previous best by 8 minutes.

 Well, we did it again. Finished another half marathon. #3 for both of us. I nearly cried at the very start when we all paused to remember those who've lost the battle to cancer, and those who are fighting.

And again, at the end, when I was rounding the corner towards the finish, all I could think was, "Dad would be so proud of me right now." He's the reason I picked today's Relay for Life event over larger ones like Sunburst.

Ignore the terrible hair- there's a reason I wear a hat with my short 'do.

Tim got a PR witha time of 2:20 and change, while I was a minute short- 2:14 and change. Which kills me because I walked twice. I'm proud of myself for not walking until 10 miles in, but at the same time, I only had 3 to go! If I hadn't walked, it could have been a PR.

But, considering this was an out and back course of constantly rolling hills, and I was only a minute behind my PR, that's still pretty awesome. I'd take a picture of why I walked- a blister 2" by 1" on my right foot right at the ball- but I'm pretty sure you don't want to puke.

And, as if I hadn't done enough for the day, I made peanut butter cookies, then mowed with our push mower, and am now doing laundry. AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT- because this is the first time I've finished a double digit run and actually had energy left!

I have fabric ready to make my Awesome Quilt block, too.

The other happy news about today's race? I wore one of my new skirts from Running Skirts- and this time it fit! I ended up ordering their size 3- which equates to a large- even though in every other brand on earth I wear a small. Whatever. I am not a number or label size. The skirt fits perfectly, so I'd advise anyone else with a muscle-butt or strong thighs to order up in in doubt of your size.

I'll be honest, I nearly wrote them off completely- I never heard back from my first email regarding their sizing, and their return policy is pretty strict, while other athletic apparel stores allow you to actually wear a product (since often just trying on is no indicator of comfort during performance). I was still frustrated as all get out when i finally did hear back, since they didn't seem to understand or think it possible that someone could be built the way I am, and instead suggested I try the athletic style they have- Um, hello, short bunch up on my large-for-my-size thighs, and are the thing I'm trying to avoid by buying a skirt! So I still felt like I was guessing at a size. Which is why I am glad it fit, and glad it performed so well today.

I gave the blue dot skirt away that didn't fit, thinking my friend from grade school would easily fit- but she's been doing crossfit and now has the same "problem" I have, so she passed it along to her SIL. I don't care who has it, I just want it to get used by someone!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend- I'll be slaving away at the golf course tomorrow, dreaming of my soon-to-come interview and Zumba training next week. And of the many, many sewing projects I want to make- I keep seeing so many quilts and bags that are begging to be made, but I feel like I need at least 3 more hours in the day to even dream of starting one!

Stitching the night before

As I try to make *important* decisions like which running top to wear with which running skirt tomorrow morning, I've been working on the Awesome Quilt:

I wrote races, times, dates, and even odd details like 13.6, and bronchitis sucks.

I made two more blocks tonight. Earlier, I purchased a permanent fabric marking pen from JoAnn's, so I went ahead and scratched a couple details about each event on each block.

This means I'm caught up on races I've run so far this year. Depending on what the final number is, I'll make or not make a block for the Police Week 5k that I volunteered/ran with a 5 year old.

So far, I'm loving these blocks. This will give me a scrappy memory quilt to wrap up in during future rest days, as the Year of Awesome is meant to be the beginning of a lifetime of fitness and fun.

Back to the debate: green tee, or pink sleeveless tank, or red tech shirt from last year's AF half, or.....