A New England Adventure

For some reason it has felt very important this summer to do things and not let the summer just pass me by like it has in the past. Whether this is a result of the heinous winter we just had or the major changes that I'm sure are about to take place in the coming year, I've been filling up the weekends like it's nobody's business. Between trips down to the city to visit my family, the trek to Philadelphia to run the 1/2 marathon, baseball games, fireworks, drive-in movies, in-theater movies, trips to the Hudson, races, and a wedding, I've barely been home long enough to do some much needed laundry. This past weekend was no exception.


Kristin proposed a girl's trip to me at the beginning of the summer, and the original plan was to go to Montauk, LI. Neither of us had been there and thought it seemed like the perfect summer getaway. Unfortunately with all of those summer plans I mentioned, I never really got around to looking at hotels. Kristin, who is even busier than me, also forgot to look into booking a hotel. So with 2 weeks left before our vacation, Kristin took the initiative and looked up some prices. Spoiler alert: Montauk is freaking expensive! I'm sure there are less expensive hotels to stay at if you have the foresight, but if you wait until the last minute like we did, all that's left are $600/night B&B's. Ummmm...no thank you. So we changed gears and looked elsewhere. Our elsewhere happened to be Mystic, CT.

If you read Kristin's post about the trip, she'll tell you that she vacationed in that area as a child, so we knew ahead of time that this area would be more up our alley price-wise. We stayed at the EconoLodge there, which ended up being the perfect distance from everything and had a great view of the neighboring cemetery. I pretty much stole the Prius from Mike, leaving him stranded with my manual shift Kia (which he cannot drive), picked up Kristin early Friday morning, and we were off!

I was a little surprised Kristin was willing to spend the whole weekend with me alone, as in my younger years I wasn't always the most pleasant of travel companions. I feel like I've matured greatly and am now pretty chill to travel with, but I'll let her be the judge. She put up with my constant nose blowing throughout the weekend, as I've been battling my 2nd summer cold, and for that she gets major props. We even shared a bed. 

 

When there's ice cream involved, everything is a-ok.

Mystic was great. The perfect New England town. We hit up the aquarium, which I had been to once in my adolescence, and was definitely smaller than I remembered. There seemed to be more mammals than fish, which is something I actually enjoyed because I think fish are kind of boring to watch. Give me a penguin swimming around any day, all feelings brought on by Blackfish aside. Afterward we walked around Mystic and Old Mistic Village and chatted and ate bad food and ended up in bed before 11. Party animals!

"Stop taking pictures of me, weirdo."

The next day we headed into Rhode Island to go to a beach in Watch Hill. While not that sunny, it was warm enough to enjoy the frigid Atlantic (seriously, when does that thing heat up?) and to get a bit burnt on the shoulders. By 1:30 we were ready for lunch and headed into the little town to eat and browse. We ended up at the Ocean House Hotel, which is so fancy, it has a dress code. At least the bar did. We sat out on the verandah in rocking chairs and sipped our delicious cocktails and pretended we were incredibly wealthy for the afternoon. I loved it. The hotel itself reminded me of how I pictured the White Sands hotel in the Anne of Green Gables books growing up, and I'd love to be able to afford to stay there someday. I mean, they had a freaking croquet court. How Victorian elegance can you get?

This is what I'm hoping my future house looks like.

 

A high tide and a low tide and a hefty bar tap for two drinks.

 

Dinner that night was at Mystic Pizza, which is totally touristy, but felt like a must-do. As some one who loves coming of age movies staring young women/Julia Roberts, of course I needed to hit this place up. We both figured it would be only ok quality, but after shoveling away too many potato skins and half of a buffalo chicken pizza, I can definitely say that this place puts its money where its mouth is. So good! I'm drooling right now thinking about how scrumptious it was. If you're in the area, check it out! Like right now!

It really was.

 

Another early night on my part made way to an early morning Sunday. The original plan had been to do our long Sunday run together, but the cold had moved back to my chest, so running didn't feel like such a great idea. Instead we went to Kitchen Little at the Mystic Marina and I ate scrambled eggs with melted cream cheese. Just as healthy as exercise. A too brief meal lead to driving Kristin to the train station in New Haven and heading home. After an incredibly close call to running out of gas, I made it back to Albany around 1:30. Just enough time to relax before the Bruno Mars concert!

If you don't like Bruno Mars, check out of the videos of him performing on YouTube and reassess. He's freaking awesome! He opened with Moonshine and encored with Locked Out of Heaven and everything in between was pure magic. He's been a staple on my running mixes for the past year, so it was amazing to see this songs performed live. Sharing it with my friends Aprill and Joey was just the icing on the cake.

Tipping my borrowed hat the Mr. Mars

 

So another fun filled summer weekend in the books. Having that time alone with Kristin was so awesome and we talked about so many things and I always just feel better somehow after spending time with her. Maybe a new tradition is in the works? I can only hope so.

Bonus, found a video of Bruno's encore a the show I was at. It makes me want to dance just watching it!

Let the Marathon Training Begin!

This week I begin my marathon training! I'm nervous, but excited and I cannot wait to see where this journey takes me. To really get into the running mindset, I decided to go on an internet dig to see if I could find the results of all the races I've run in the past 4 years. Here are the results:

SPAC Rock & Run 5k 2010 (My First Race!)- 35:13
Freihofer's Run for Women 5k 2011- 35:29
Freihofer's 5k 2012- 39:22
Albany Run For Pride 2012- 36:21
Putnam County 8 Miler 2012- 1:52:53
Freihofer's 5k 2013- 38:18
Firefly 5k 2013- 39:51 
Boilermaker 15k 2013- 1:58:17
Color Me Rad 5k 2013- ???
Troy Turkey Trot 10k 2013-1:15:01
Trot Off That Turkey 5k 2013- 35:20
SPAC Rock & Run 10k 2014- 1:09:19
Freihofer's 5k 2014- 35:15
Half Sauer/Half Kraut Half Marathon 2014- 3:10:59
Take Your Base 5k 2014- 40:18
Team Sarcoma 5k 2014- 33:24 (Personal Best!)

It's nice to see it all laid out and to remember each run. Looking at the list I see easy runs with friends, hard runs alone, injuries, intestinal discomfort, and lots of work. I didn't realize that yesterday's race was a personal best for me, and I'm glad to start marathon training on a high note. In case you're interested, I'll be (more or less) following Jeff Galloway's Training Program for experienced runners who don't have a time goal. I'm jumping in at Week 3, but it's still early enough that I don't think those 2 weeks are going to hurt me in the long run (pun intended).

My main concern, which is not really an issue at the immediate moment, is where I'm going to do my long runs once the cold weather sets in. With the marathon taking place in January, where will I be able to run 26 actual miles in December without having to worry about knee-high snow? Research will need to happen, but any suggestions as to locations/gear for training are certainly welcome.

Let's do this!

In Which I Do a Half-Marathon and Barely Survive

So, let's talk about my first half-marathon. Back in March, Kristin told me about the 1/2 Sauer, 1/2 Kraut Half/Full Marathon that was to take place in Pennypack Park in Philadelphia. She had already run one half-marathon before and I knew I didn't want to run my first one alone, so I very spontaneously signed up. It seemed like a step in the right direction because my overall goal is to run a marathon (spoiler alert, I'm signed up for one this coming January!). 

 Have I mentioned my obsession with sassy running headbands?

The website calmed my nerves a bit in that it spoke of walkers being welcome and that the overall pacing is not that fast due to the summer heat. They advertised plenty of shady paths and water stations generously sprinkled throughout the park. Capping at around 1000 people, it was a nice medium sized race and the difference in price between the marathon and the half-marathon was $5. Runners were encouraged to just run the 13.1 miles if the heat of the day became too much and they'd be eligible to the half prizes. Overall it came off as a very welcoming race to all running types.

I started my training shortly after signing up by more or less following this running plan. I'll admit I didn't run nearly all of those shorter runs during the week because there were days when a 6 mile "short" run just wouldn't fit into my schedule. The program did get me out there, though, so I'd highly recommend it. I mixed into my training the Iron Barre class at the Hot Yoga Spot twice a week. It's a strength training class that works you from head to toe in a 90 degree room. I'm glad I added it into the mix because it really helped to strengthen my legs and I've noticed a difference in my overall body appearance. It's worth the 5am wake-up call!

Training also gave me an excuse to get some new running gear. I went to Fleet Feet and a very informative man named James got me into the perfect pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 14's. I also bought way too many pairs of Belega socks, which are so worth it because I haven't had a single blister since. On a long run I saw another woman wearing a great running pack, and because I'm a creeper, I went to 4 different stores before I found the exact one and purchased it. The Nathan Trail Mix belt holds a nice amount of water and has a pocket to carry tissues, my phone, inhaler, and my Sport Beans! Great investment.

 

The man at the store said the mud would give me street cred.

 

I'll admit that I didn't get up to the 12 miles the plan has laid out. I had been pretty dedicated to my long weekend runs down by the river with Mike, with Dunkin' Donut coffee recoveries afterward for  good two months. But as the warmer weather hit, plans became inevitable and I just wasn't home/able to do the weekend runs. I did my best to run during the week and I did get up to 10 miles, which at the time had been the farthest I'd gone. Looking back, I now know how important those long and short runs are in the training process. 

The day of the race, Mike and I picked up Kristin and her friends Molly and Laura at the house they were staying at and we headed to the outskirts of the city to a nice shaded park. It was certainly everything they advertised. Not too crazy, well organized, lots of Porta Potties. Mike was a great sport and took care of all of our stuff while we ran. Kristin and I headed to the last wave as I was unsure of what kind of pace I'd be able to run at. The first 3 waves left and it was our time to head to the start line. The organizer joked that they saved the best beer at the after party for the last runners and then we were off!

We're doing this! It's about to happen!

 

We started off at a great pace. I like running with Kristin because she's a great pacer and got me running faster than I knew I could, while still feeling good. There was certainly plenty of shade, but 3 previous days of rain left behind lots of mud and huge puddles to run around. And the hills! There were three pretty steep hills in succession, and I ended up walking some of them. The humidity was not helping!

Two blessings to speak of were that the water/Gatorade stations were religiously every 1.5 miles and that their mile markers seemed to be closer together than my Garmin was telling me. Kristin and I noticed early on that even our two Garmins weren't in sync with one another. So when we saw mile markers approaching when our watches told us we still had 0.2 miles to go, it was a nice surprise every time.

As the miles passed on, I found myself getting really tired. I had eaten a pretty good pasta dinner the night before and a protein shake that morning, which was my go to pre-run meal. Kristin kept me going, though. We got to around the halfway point and came to "Mount Cuckoo", which was a trail portion. At the time I really liked it because I was able to go a nice slow pace on it, but the mud made me over-adjust my stride. Soon after completing the trail portion, I started feeling a pain in my right leg.

By mile 10, every time I tried to run, the arch of my right foot up to my knee would cramp up then spasm. It hurt so much! I started crying, both in pain and frustration, to come that far only to have my body revolt. I had been keeping hydrated the whole time, alternating water and Gatorade at the aid stations, so I don't think it was dehydration, but maybe it was. So for the next 5k, we pretty much had to walk it.

And here's where I tell you how great Kristin is, which I know I've done before. When it became apparent that running was out of the question, I urged her to go on so as not to totally screw up her time. And do you know what? She didn't. She stayed with me every step of the way. Encouraging me. Telling me that finishing was all that mattered. Showing me great stretches. Putting up with my sorry ass. Because as positive as I normally am, when I'm in pain, I suck and every negative bit of me comes to the surface. And this isn't even the first time she's had to stick with me during a terrible race! She came in last with me in an 8 mile 4th of July race 3 years ago when GI issues again kept me from running. But once again, she rose to the occasion this hot Saturday in June and literally kept me going. I honestly don't know if I would have finished it without her. I'm really incredibly lucky to have her as my BFF.

I knew I had to finish this race running, so for the last 1/2 mile, I made my body move in a strange jog/skip/limp and crossed that finish line at a time of 3:10:59! Not the 2:30 I had been shooting for, but finished nonetheless! It felt so good to finish and get that medal. It made every mile of pain seem worth it, to know I could at least get my body to move for that long and far. 

 

No take backsies! This finisher medal is mine!

The after party was at the Cannstatter Volksfest Verein Club, a beautiful German-American club, where they served beer and brats and had prizes for the people who had dressed up for the race (crazy people). I surprisingly enough wasn't in the mood for a beer, so I used both of my tickets for brats for Mike and myself. It felt so good to be done and to be sitting. And I will say that after a quick nap back at the hotel, I felt good enough to walk around Philly for a bit. So I am a true believer in training and its role in recovery!

So now I'm ready for my next one. I'm going to start integrating more hills and speedwork into my training and see if that helps, and try to figure out what caused those damn spasms!  I'm glad I did this one, and while I'm disappointed with the end pain, I know I can only get better from here!

P.S.
It should also be noted that we didn't come in last. Woohoo!

That's us at the top of the Rocky steps, because we're champions like Rocky. Get it?

I'm Back, Suckers!

Well, goodness. This has certainly been one long hiatus. I tried so hard to document the wedding planning process that I never got around to blogging about the actual wedding. It makes sense, though. I've recently come to the depressing realization that I am great at starting things, and not so great at finishing them. I start diets and books and blogs and vacation itineraries and I can never seem to follow through with them to the end. Is it laziness or too strong a will power to not move forward? I'm not sure. I'm not sure I'll ever know. I do know that I loved writing in this blog, though. I love that I have documentation of a phase of my life I will never repeat.

Quick recap: Got married, ran a bunch of races, traveled to Jamaica/Georgia/Disney World/Martha's Vineyard, and didn't blog. All caught up!

So let's give this another try. A rebirth, if you will. The focus of this blog when I created it was the wedding, but that has come and gone. Going forward I'm going to focus on things that matter to me. At the moment those things include running, living well, social issues (especially those regarding women), and the random events, people, and places that make me smile. We'll see how it goes. Maybe this time I'll make it stick. Maybe. Here's to hoping!

Give and Take

So a month by month update of my life should suffice for this blog, right? Ah well.

Last weekend was perfect. We had out rehearsal dinner Saturday night and it was like a teaser of things to come. We had all of these wonderful people in one place, practicing walking in and walking out and they all did it so beautifully. Afterward, we had dinner at Shadows on the Hudson, which is this amazing restaurant right on the Hudson River. The food was delicious and Mike's mom got these gorgeous centerpieces for each table. Mike and I each gave speeches, but mine was better because I stood on a chair and more people laughed (that is how I judge these things).

On Sunday we made our way back to Albany and relaxed before what we knew would be a hectic week. I napped and then got ready to see Florence + The Machine at SPAC. What? You don't know who Florence + The Machine are? Ok, check out this song right now! Then check out this one! And when you're properly in love, we'll chat. It was amazing, and it's up there as one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

As the wedding approaches (less than 8 days, but who's counting?), I've been thinking a lot about what's going to change once I get married. Now I know that things won't transform suddenly once we both say "I do", though I wouldn't mind birds and fireworks to magically appear out of nowhere. These changes will be gradual and far reaching.

When Mike first asked me to marry him, I spent a lot of time thinking about the things I'd be giving up once we got married. I know this doesn't sound very romantic, but hear me out. When I first met Mike two and a half years ago, I was in a point in my life where I didn't know if I believed in marriage. I went into dating him with the idea that what we were starting wouldn't last forever. I was too young, I felt, to be tied down to 1 person and I wanted to be free to come and go as I pleased.

In the beginning of our relationship, I spent a lot of time thinking, "Well, I'm happy now, but eventually we're going to get sick of each other." Then came the summer when my rent went up, and I just couldn't afford to live in a 1 bedroom apartment on my own anymore. Mike, most likely jokingly, offered to let me move in with him and his roommate. They had a third bedroom, and a third housemate with cut the rent down. It was a win/win. At this point, we had been dating for less than 5 months. I'm usually some one who takes my time easing into things and deliberating greatly before making big decisions. That being said, I moved in with Mike without putting too much thought into it.

Our lives melded together pretty easily. This was most likely eased by having Steve as a housemate and buffer. Still, I thought we were getting closer to that time when the other's habits would just get to be too much. Then we road tripped down to Florida. Mike quotes this as the time he knew we could make this thing last long term. We spent literally every waking minute together for 1 week, something I had  never done before in my life. As an only child, I like my alone time. There was no alone time. And you know what? We didn't kill each other. Not even when we drove through tornado destroyed country and had to stay awake for 36 hours. We only actually fought once, and even that was due more to exhaustion than anything else.

Florida was definitely a turning point on our relationship, and I began to think that maybe this thing we had going on didn't have to end. Maybe we could keep it going for a while. Maybe even forever. We began talking about a future together and the things we'd do to support one another. We began to talk about *gasp* babies. What they'd look like and how we'd raise them. We even talked about marriage, but in my head that was like 5 years down the road. Then when Mike proposed, there was really only one answer.

Now that I've diverted enough, let me get back on point. Mike proposed, I said yes, then the doubts crept in. I was only 24 and what about all of those things I was going to do as a fiercely independent woman? What about all of the bad relationships I was going to have and the life changing moment when I would decide to leave everything behind and move to San Francisco? Was I giving up a life of untold wonder and adventure to settle down? Was I letting the feminist in me down by agreeing to be some one's wife?

You think I'm horrible. I felt horrible. Here I'd just had this amazing man ask me to marry him and I was hung up on the idea that I'd never get to do all of these things alone. And there was the word. Alone. It's not something I've ever been afraid of, because being alone has never been lonely for me. I've always been able to entertain myself and as I've gotten older, I've felt more comfortable about venturing out and doing things on my own. But there are drawbacks to doing things alone. You have to bring the groceries up from your car by yourself. You have to sit next to weird strangers at the movie theater because you have no person to buffer you. There's no one to take a picture of you next to the TARDIS at the Doctor Who exhibit.

And it soon became apparent. Agreeing to marry Mike isn't about the things I'm giving up. In any choice you make in life, you're giving things up. The things to focus on were the things I'm gaining. And just like that, the world tilted and my whole viewpoint was altered. Think of all the things I'm gaining by marrying Mike! Some one to laugh at my incredibly corny jokes. Some one to drive all the way to Half Moon with me to get breakfast on random Sunday mornings. Some one to reach those top shelves. Some one to hold me when I cry over something important, and not make too much fun when I cry over something stupid, like a commercial. Some one to have romantic nights out with and lazy days in with. Some one to power through 8 seasons of Supernatural with. Some one to fit every occasion and tell me I'm beautiful, even when I'm anything but. A personal cheering squad to keep me motivated through dark times. And some one I could can about and be all of these things to as well.

Next Friday I'm going to marry the man who has, in his own way, walked his way into my heart and settled down for the long haul. I'm not worried about the life I might be saying good-bye to. I'm excited about the life and adventure I'm going to be embarking on. I'm gaining a husband and friend for life. We're signing a contract on it and everything.

The Many Faces of Shelby H

Well goodness gracious. How is it August 19th already and where the hell did this summer go? This year has seemed to just slip through my fingers and I will look back on 2012 as the 12 months that felt more like 4. But I'm sure the 3 of you reading this are wondering how the summer has gone. Well, to give you a quick recap...actually, let me just direct you to Kristin's blog instead. She did wonderful posts on my SURPRISE bridal shower and my lovely bachelorette weekend. She was also kind enough to leave out the embarrassing details, such as the fact that I had to stop the girls every 5 minutes to tell them how much I loved them all. Sappy much? There was also Ben and Emily's fabulous Cape Cod wedding which included a lawn ceremony, lobster bake reception, a sweet playlist, and a guest list of 30 people. They did things right! And those are my summer highlights.

Baby Shelby

This weekend I was at home and started looking through one of the many boxes of pictures we have. The fact that boxes of pictures are now a thing of the past makes me incredibly sad, but I digress. As I sorted through these pictures, I was struck by how old I felt. And I know that being 25 and saying, "Gosh I feel old," will make a lot of people cringe, but it's the truth. As I sifted through these pictures and memories, I couldn't help but reflect on how my life is changing.

When sweat suits were all the rage

There was the beginning, when I was freaking adorable and helpless. A baby solely relying on the safety of my parents. Then I learned how to use the microwave, and it was all downhill from there. From that moment on, I was doing things myself and my parents didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturday mornings.

My awesome Laura Ashley dress

Then came the elementary school years. Moving into a life separate from home and making friends who would come to shape the girl I would grow into. My years in a Catholic school were both rewarding and frustrating. At this point in my life, I'm still pretty sure I would literally do anything a nun told me to do and feel lucky I was asked.

Have you met my son Shelby?

Right before puberty, I reached a point where all of my hair was cut off and people routinely mistook me for a boy. I think that my feminist ideals probably sprung from this time in my life, but at the time, I just got really upset every time some one gave me something blue. I also lost my baby teeth and had hideous teeth grow in their place, right in time for my self awareness to kick in. Awesome.

World traveler with a sweet hat

At 11, my parents sent me to Australia, without them, and I got my first taste of world traveling. I would never look back. I went on the travel to Europe several times, including England and Ireland, the Caribbean, and Canada (but we can't really count that, can we?). Exposure to other countries and cultures would definitely benefit we later in life, especially when getting into battles of wits with small minded jerk-faces.

A jean jacket with jean capris? Of course!
 London fashion

The high school years hit me at full force. I would again cut off all of my hair and lose a ton of weight and still think I was fat. Ahh, to be 16 again. I joined the Drama club and helped maintained a salt water tank and pretty much stayed under the social radar that is teenage existence. I learned to drive and my fight for independence gained steam. I started thinking about life outside of my hometown and stressing over which college I would get into. I also wore lots of screen print t-shirts.

Went stag to my senior prom and it kicked ass!

Parting from friends I thought I couldn't live without, I started a new chapter in college. College consisted of reading classic literature, studying Chemistry until a small hours of the night, and thinking everything that came out of my mouth was incredibly profound (I'm still not sure it wasn't).

And then it was over and life had to being again once more. I moved into my first apartment, got my first cat, and grew to love coffee. I woke up for work each morning, saw college friends when I could, and watched a  lot of Netflix. And life would have continued on in such a manner had I not been at a bar one night showing people pictures of my cat. But that's another story for another time.

Married with a kid, married, engaged

Three of my future bridesmaids

As I looked through all of these pictures and watched my life unfold before me and a psuedo-chronological manner, I was able to glance at the people I once knew. Some I lost touch with due to distance and time, some I chose to leave behind me, and some have passed away and those were the hardest to look at. Some of these people I knew when they were just 6 years old now are married and/or have children of their own. Some are doctors and some are teachers and they're all living lives they never dreamed of when these pictures were taken.

Dramatic Shelby is dramatic

And then there's the people I used to be. The would-be ballerina, the #1 Buffy fan, the actress, the forensic scientist, the crazy cat lady. And I look at the pictures of past me's with just as much nostalgia, because I'll never be able to meet those girls again. Their crushes and causes and wants that all felt so important at the time and captured in these photos are lost to me now. But every once in a while, I can open those boxes of pictures and pull them all out again and remember all the me's that had to live and die in order for the me of the moment to be born. At 25 I consider myself lucky that there have been so many Shelbys. I am constantly evolving and growing into new people.

Photographic evidence of my first zit

I stand now on the end of my current chapter, waiting for the beginning of a new one. The wedding is 6 weeks away. Single Shelby will be gone forever and Shelby H-T will take her place. She's going to have challenges that I can't even imagine at this point in my life and she's going to make mistakes that will shape future me's. I'm nervous and excited and worried and anxious and a whole list of emotions. But I am looking forward to this next incarnation of myself. I think she has a pretty sturdy foundation and a great web of support. Let's just hope she doesn't trip down the aisle and fall flat on her face, because that will be a picture she will have to destroy.

Reach for the stars!

Kicking It Into Gear

So when I created this blog, I said that the plan was to lose 30 pounds. Well, that hasn't been going so well. My self discipline has been terrible. But that all changes this month!


My goal for June is to run every day. And so far it's been going pretty well. About a month ago I signed up for the Freihofer's Run for Women, which is a 5K held here in Albany. Registering (and paying) for races always encourages me to slap on the running shoes and hit the road. I ran this race last year with my friends Kristin, Aprill, and Maritza and it was a blast. Thousands of women gathered just to run. Some are running in teams, some are running for a cause, and some are running because they love it. The feeling of being surrounded by all of these women looking to finish something together is incredible.


This year my friends, for various reasons, were unable to join me, so I ran it alone. While not as enjoyable as last year, I was so glad I ran it again this year. Maybe it's because I stay toward the middle/back with the slower ladies, but there's just such a sense of encouragement. No real competition. Everyone just running toward their own individual goals. And the runner's high that accompanies the experience isn't bad either.


I finished this race is 38:15, which was a little slower than last year, but my only real goal this year was to finish. I took a couple of walking breaks, so I feel really good about my time. Two downsides to the race were a) my Garmin running watch was never able to connect to a satellite, so I never knew exactly how far I had left to go, and b) the rain made the road a little slippery and I almost slipped on a discarded water cup (but I didn't!). Overall a wonderful time. And a special thanks to my cheering squad this year: My mom, Mike, Drew, and Ashley. Knowing there were people waiting for me at the end really helped to push me through. That and the cookies they give you.


Something else I'm doing to get me to that 30lb goal is to start working out my arms. I've been really self conscious about them lately. In my head they're crazy huge, so I'm being proactive to tone them up. Today I started this workout. It felt really good and I'm pretty sure I was working my abs out also, which is an added bonus. I'm know that tomorrow I won't be able to lift my arms above my head, but it'll be a good hurt.


So to all of the ladies and gentlemen out there working their butts off toward a goal, I salute you. Happy summer everyone!