tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88389118233997724422024-03-12T23:07:34.515-05:00Twenty Six Point Tworun, rest, eat, bitch, buy things, cross-train, blog, repeat. Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.comBlogger1207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-31591424308269780822017-09-01T11:26:00.000-05:002017-09-01T11:26:41.745-05:00Favorite things- SkincareSo, after the debbie downer update post, I thought it would be nice to talk about some things that I am freaking loving right now.<br />
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So, I'm going to be honest with you. I've struggled to keep with a skincare routine in the past. I'm one of those people, that if I don't see results immediately, I get bored and go back to wiping my face clean with Costco Makeup Removers and slathering some St. Ives Moisturizer on and calling it a day.</div>
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BUT, I have finally found products that I LOVE and so now, I get excited to wash/moisturize my face. Is that weird? Probably. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA05j0xoFLHMrQ1bFCb17ctoJUecmscd2uErpvHly-5EdpXhW9bhe74nWhGG7AVmVhsuCRzMmcMfwpH8EbPrULCjVXnNo5p5buawUhypqqGneLl3GD29-_iu6qUWMX28d3SVZFPRb8IE/s1600/636315293509874083-1966101720_fkjds.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyA05j0xoFLHMrQ1bFCb17ctoJUecmscd2uErpvHly-5EdpXhW9bhe74nWhGG7AVmVhsuCRzMmcMfwpH8EbPrULCjVXnNo5p5buawUhypqqGneLl3GD29-_iu6qUWMX28d3SVZFPRb8IE/s1600/636315293509874083-1966101720_fkjds.gif" /></a></div>
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Okay, first up: <b>Cleanser.</b></div>
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I have jumped on the oil cleanser bandwagon. I have kind of naturally oily skin, so, I always avoided these in the past. But, holy shit, they are amazing.</div>
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They really clean my skin, get all my eye makeup off and leave my skin glowing and fresh looking.</div>
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My favorite is the Sunday Riley:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaILuDH96a5fSnghtGmohlSYuN8OvhWNAS2pD7i_MWeClpST30wgRdsrNyNtmndoPnxBpFKuJZ59O4h1-CApkDncKtU1O7i0hJQNhsdpTIyqvwxdJYGvAj6IdgTgaY5dqXMzgaj3zmDXI/s1600/s1908334-main-Lhero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaILuDH96a5fSnghtGmohlSYuN8OvhWNAS2pD7i_MWeClpST30wgRdsrNyNtmndoPnxBpFKuJZ59O4h1-CApkDncKtU1O7i0hJQNhsdpTIyqvwxdJYGvAj6IdgTgaY5dqXMzgaj3zmDXI/s320/s1908334-main-Lhero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/c-e-o-c-e-mico-dissolve-cleansing-oil-P418347?skuId=1908334" target="_blank">CEO Micro Dissolve Cleansing Oil</a></div>
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It's a little pricey, so, I've also been using the Clinique Brand Cleansing Oil:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxwWNme4Jf-vJmJeDzNhVeFYYI3NqXvI7TI_fuuLHFDdeaLgM9MT-c0bCjFQYi9-q_e0X0lgSEWrDE2jJT4BtxFv_Y6t-wsb3EyjELSoKIPBaVERrOUQ_mfgVZfGPPIANdtUSpmy630s/s1600/s886267-main-Lhero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxwWNme4Jf-vJmJeDzNhVeFYYI3NqXvI7TI_fuuLHFDdeaLgM9MT-c0bCjFQYi9-q_e0X0lgSEWrDE2jJT4BtxFv_Y6t-wsb3EyjELSoKIPBaVERrOUQ_mfgVZfGPPIANdtUSpmy630s/s320/s886267-main-Lhero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/take-the-day-off-cleansing-balm-P126301?skuId=886267" target="_blank">Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm</a></div>
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Next up: <b>Old Lady Skin Prevention</b></div>
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After I've cleansed and dried my face, next I use an alpha beta peel regiment, to slough off the top layer of my skin and hopefully prevent me from looking too much like my age.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NS4UwUXFgNyriDMNLJgkMtUg-uzkjmp_fLVEbLH7as_HaeVoWKfE4mUQ-QpD44gd9shZ2Vwe_Suoc5emMuCvQCnBnWEvKYmRU3_sFKueabAmUWIJsY8qJNEDGuR2yaDSaueESRJ0Wi4/s1600/s1352194-main-Lhero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NS4UwUXFgNyriDMNLJgkMtUg-uzkjmp_fLVEbLH7as_HaeVoWKfE4mUQ-QpD44gd9shZ2Vwe_Suoc5emMuCvQCnBnWEvKYmRU3_sFKueabAmUWIJsY8qJNEDGuR2yaDSaueESRJ0Wi4/s320/s1352194-main-Lhero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/alpha-beta-peel-extra-strength-daily-peel-P269122?skuId=1352194" target="_blank">Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel Regiment</a></div>
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(I use Extra Strength)</div>
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This is a two step process. You use one wipe all over your face, let your face dry, and then use the other wipe. (In the correct order). This stuff is not cheap. It's not. I lucked out caught a 90 day supply at Nordstorm's yearly sale, and got it at a half-way decent price. Now, since my skin is naturally a bit on the oily side, I have had no issues with peeling from this product. But, if you have dry skin, start out with using it every other day and probably try the Universal instead of the Extra Strength. (I started with the Universal).</div>
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Next: <b>Serum-y stuff.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF-9ByejffO0JyaO5kcYCmA1D-WQP94AtECtWb9E4AyruF6nSgqfR0WEyklDZtzGjR8YYzF9nn-s1jgIl7GCzje9aEXyxWCfkTNmckUCDlWJ1cW5MW6Tnc7oA8Q4bwPEuGq7E1fgOZQw/s1600/s1887298-main-Lhero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF-9ByejffO0JyaO5kcYCmA1D-WQP94AtECtWb9E4AyruF6nSgqfR0WEyklDZtzGjR8YYzF9nn-s1jgIl7GCzje9aEXyxWCfkTNmckUCDlWJ1cW5MW6Tnc7oA8Q4bwPEuGq7E1fgOZQw/s320/s1887298-main-Lhero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sephora.com/product/good-genes-all-in-one-lactic-acid-treatment-P309308?skuId=1887298&icid2=products%20grid:p309308" target="_blank">Good Genes: All in One Lactic Acid Treatment</a></div>
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Full disclosure: If you try one thing from this post, try this. This is the one thing that I ran out of, and was like.. meh... not going to re-order and then after a couple of days, I was like, OMG, my skin is not the same. So, I immediately re-ordered and rushed shipping on it. This stuff tingles a little when you put it on clean skin, but it is so plumping and leaves your skin so dewy, it's amazing! If I won the lottery I would buy this in bulk and just sit in a tub of it every day. </div>
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I also feel like it's making my enormous pores smaller and tighter (if that's even possible. If not, then it's just making them look smaller).</div>
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I don't know what Lactic Acid is, but, I honestly, don't care. It's amazing.</div>
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Lastly: <b>A Moisturizer</b>.</div>
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I actually haven't found my holy grail moisturizer yet. So, if you have any suggestions, let me know!</div>
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Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-45624422978500347912017-08-31T07:54:00.001-05:002017-08-31T07:54:34.583-05:00Update SchmupdateGreetings.<br />
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What's been happening with you? Good things, I hope.<br />
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I've been chugging along... I haven't really been running all that much lately. I was doing reformer pilates 3 times a week for a couple of months, then they cancelled the class time I was going to. So, then I moved onto doing Hot Yoga again, and then the studio closed down.<br />
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<i>I am the grim reaper for fitness classes, it seems.</i></div>
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And now, I've been doing Orange Theory Fitness since June. I really like it. But, man, it is an ass kicker. And you do run in there. I typically run 2.5 - 3 miles in those classes, but I haven't been doing much running outside of there.<br />
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I've for sure been in a funk lately. I've been keeping active and trying to eat healthy and not drink all that much, but, I still seem to be gaining about a half a pound a week. I'm not sure what the dealio is. I'm afraid it's just getting older and I need to just eat even less than I'm already eating and work out more. But damn, it is getting frustrating. I need to go to the doctor and get labs done, but, my health insurance STINKS, so, I'm kind of hoping that if I just keep on the path, eventually I'll turn the corner. Plus, I'm sure I'll go to the doctor and my labs will be awesome and it will just be like... yup... eat less, bitch. Work out more.<br />
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Because of this sad state of affairs with my body, I am finding myself wildly emotional and stressed. I cry at the drop of a hat, I get stressed out and irrational over the dumbest things. In short, I'm a real fucking joy to be around these days.<br />
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Some good news to end this post on... I did get a promotion at work, I am now CFO, which feels pretty fucking fantastic and I have my condo on the market. The KoB, the pups, and I are hoping to sell it and find a place around town that is bigger than my place and closer to work than the KoB's place.<br />
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So, there are good things happening. And I know that if I just keep doing what I'm supposed to be doing that eventually the weight gain will stop and I'll start losing weight.<br />
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I didn't really anticipate this post to be kind of a bummer, but, I feel like that's just my general demeanor lately.<br />
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<i>Too late!</i></div>
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I'll try to come up with some fun and perky for my next post. Either that, or I can just change the name of this blog to.. Killjoy.</div>
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Later, bitches! </div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-73048700204823255122017-03-21T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-21T08:00:04.635-05:00Reset<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<i>Housekeeping: I couldn't get BitchState to work today, so, for now, this is a 26point2ers exclusive.</i></div>
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There are officially no races on the calendar. Well, that's not entirely true...I am planning on running a 5K and a 5 miler in the upcoming weeks, just because I enjoy those particular races. But, no LONG races. No marathons or half marathons. And honestly, it feels liberating. I was always scared that by not having a race on the calendar for the future, that maybe I'd just quit running. </div>
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But, I think the opposite is true. I'm actually no longer feeling dread about running. Lately (as in the past year or so) every long run I've attempted has been met with absolute dread. Why? Because I'm just constantly not in shape and constantly trying to force myself in shape and these days, that's like forcing a square peg in a round hole. IT'S NOT WORKING.</div>
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So, I'm feeling liberated a bit and looking forward to running. So much so, that I've got a new challenge for myself...</div>
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I am so sick of struggling through a 14 mile run at an overall pace of 11:30 just to try and attempt to get myself in shape for a half marathon or a marathon. It's kind of ridiculous. So, I'm taking time and focusing on my fitness level, instead of my endurance. </div>
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My current status of running is going to consist of running 3-5 days a week with my long run topping out at a whopping 6 miles. And I am not allowed to add on to that long run, until I can run all 6 miles at 8:45 pace. Once I can run 6 miles at an overall pace of 8:45, I will add a mile or two to the distance come up with a new time goal before moving on.</div>
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I did my first long run under this new plan last weekend. I ran 6 miles:</div>
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10:02, 9:46, 9:46, 9:35, 9:22, 9:28</div>
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And I have to be honest, this was one of the hardest runs I've done in a long time. So, I've got some work to do, but I'm looking forward to it. </div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-2119759695299138142017-01-04T08:14:00.000-06:002017-01-04T08:14:03.122-06:00New Year, New BlogHeyyyyyyy guys! Happy 2017.<br />
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I started this blog along with my friend, April, back on July 30, 2007. We had both just ran our first marathons and we were ready to start training for another one. In the 9 1/2 years since then, April and I have drifted apart, and I've ran many marathons, some good, some bad, and most of the time I still found myself eager to post to this blog.<br />
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Until I wasn't. I don't know if it's just that this blog can be boring to write when you feel like A. you've already covered that topic (like 4 times) and B. you're just running to get back into shape and does ANYONE really want to read about that? And then, I felt like if I blogged about something else entirely a whole lot, that, I was straying from the essence of this blog.<br />
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Essentially, this blog BORED me. I LOVE running and I LOVE blogging, but trying to just blog about running was frustrating and uninteresting to me.<br />
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<i>Kinda</i></div>
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Sooooo.... it was time for a change! Introducing:<br />
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<a href="http://www.bitchstate.com/blog">bitchSTATE</a><br />
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My new blog! I have a couple of little posts already started over there, so, feel free to take a look. It's a work in progress actually and I really don't have an EXACT idea of what the theme is, but, I'm sure I'll get there eventually. <strike>(And if anyone understands wordpress and how the hell you get the blog to be on the main page and not /blog CALL ME).</strike><br />
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I am keeping this blog, because good lord, it's 9.5 years of my life basically documented and how cool is that? BUT, I most likely won't be posting over here anymore.<br />
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Thanks to my readers (all 4 of you); those who comment regularly and those who lurk. I appreciate it and I plan on getting back to reading and commenting on my favorite blogs now that it won't make me feel guilty about neglecting my own blog.<br />
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If you are only here for the running, <strike>then you've left me a long time ago</strike>, then, pop into the new blog occasionally, because I will DEFINITELY still be blogging about running and races, BUT, fair warning, there will also be lots of dog blogs, travel posts, gifs, some occasional rants, and just general life journal-ing blogs, and who knows what else (so, basically like this blog, except updated more often).<br />
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So, thanks again and I hope that you all stick with me at this new site and blog. And if not, thanks for your time!<br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-70645975291799264772016-12-06T08:00:00.000-06:002016-12-06T08:00:33.227-06:00Week 1 Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here we go, folks. Attempt #1,271 of a marathon cycle. AGAIN. Let's keep our fingers crossed that I make it through more than a mere 2 weeks or so.</div>
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Starting with last week, I've got 12 weeks until my next marathon: <a href="http://thearizonamarathon.com/" target="_blank">The Sun Health Arizona Marathon.</a> So, I figured that was plenty of time to get myself into half-way decent shape. My goals as of right now, are: 1. To finish and 2. To Finish under 4:30. </div>
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So, that means that I need to actually attempt to train. I feel like I trained OK for the Oklahoma City Marathon back in April, and the wind killed me and I still managed to run a 4:46. Soooooo. Hopefully a sub 4:30 can be in the cards for me in 12 short weeks.</div>
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Am I following a training plan? Nope. Am I being coached? Nope. I don't think I'm quite ready for either one of those right now. But, my plan is to slowly increase my weekly mileage and eventually get to a point where I'm focusing on 3 runs a week. (Similar to the FIRST training plan thought process).</div>
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Typically, I run twice a week with my buddy Steve. He is WAY faster than me and we generally run faster than I normally would on my own. As the weeks go on, I'm going to start using my runs with him for tempo runs, etc. But, for right now, I'm just calling my runs with him as "steady state" runs. Which, to me, means... running slight faster than comfortably hard. I'm not officially timing the runs, but, I do keep an eye on when I hop in and out of the car, so, I have a general idea.</div>
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The other key run of the week, is the Long Run. Which, I hope to incorporate "fast" miles in every week. You'll see what I mean as we go along.</div>
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So, here is how Week 1 shaped up:</div>
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Mon: Off</div>
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Tues: 5 miles around 9:40 pace with Steve. (I was still recovering from a cold, so, we took it easier than normal).</div>
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Wed: Off</div>
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Thursday: 5 miles around 9:15 pace.This run felt fantastic.</div>
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Friday: 3 mile run and 2 mile walk after</div>
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Saturday: 10 miles at a 9:15 pace with my drill sergeant Bitch, Melissa. Seriously, she saved my butt on the run and pushed me to get this run done at that pace. I was thrilled!</div>
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Sunday: 3.5 mile recovery run. This FELT like a recovery run, which was kind of nice. Been a long time since I've felt like that.</div>
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So, I'm starting out slow and I can't say that my mileage will ever hit the 50-60 mpw range. But, I'm just going to do the best I can and hopefully bump up my weekly mileage and get to a point where my recovery runs can be a little longer as well.</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-52653710883172910092016-11-14T08:22:00.001-06:002016-11-14T08:22:48.136-06:00Race Report: Des Moines MarathonSo, despite the fact that I was severely undertrained, ended up with horrible stomach cramps from the middle of the race onward, and had my worst finish time ever for a marathon, I feel like I can still report on the race itself. Unbiased? I'll try.<br />
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<b>Expo/Registration Cost/Value</b>: So, I registered late, and paid the max fee. But, even that fee was still comparable to BIG races regular fees. It was around $120/$125. The expo was perfect. Big enough to purchase last minute items that either don't travel well or that you forgot, but small enough to get in and out of in a hurry, if you like. We received a long-sleeve half zip performance top that was gender sized. Also received a Huma gel in the bag, which was a nice little bonus. Overall, the expo was great and I feel like the registration cost was definitely in line with other races.<br />
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<b>Course:</b> The first half was really hilly. The last half was pretty flat, with the exception of a massive hill around mile 24. Thanks Des Moines! I found myself thinking multiple times during the first 13 miles or so... why the hell are there so many hills? This is IOWA, for chrissakes.<br />
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One major plus to the course, though, is that the half marathon split from the full around mile 2 or 3. Which, I LOVED.<br />
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Highlight of the course: Around mile 8, you actually run onto the Drake University track and run a lap on it. It was very cool.<br />
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Around miles 9ish-13ish (it might have been later than this, I'm a little foggy on the exact miles), the course ran through a park. Which, you think... oh, that's nice. But, it was so humid out, there was a lot of mud along the path and wet puddles and everyone ended up with muddy calves and you are just kind of getting to the point in the race, where, the littlest annoyances turn into big fucking deals, so, yeah, I didn't like that. It wasn't just me... that was a general complaint with the other marathoners in our group.<br />
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Miles 20-26 were some of the weirdest miles. You start making your way back into Des Moines and so, your legs start thinking... Yesssssss almost done. But then your brain is like... easy, there, we still have to get in 6 more miles somehow. We ran past my hotel at mile 20. LITERALLY RAN PAST IT. I stopped in a porta john right after passing the hotel and was like, as soon as I get out of here, I'm taking off my bib and walking back the hotel. Somehow... I didn't do that, but I wished I had for the next 5.5 miles.<br />
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Those miles are the worst of the race. You do an out and back loop, you wind through some neighborhoods, you are just teasingly close to the finish that it annoys you. And then, THEN, you have to climb up what appears to be Mt. Whitney around mile 24.<br />
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<i>This picture doesn't do it justice. This is like halfway up the hill.</i></div>
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<i>Ugh.</i></div>
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<i>And as I'm reviewing this before posting, I'm not entirely sure this is actually the </i></div>
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<i>Des Moines Statehouse, because the Des Moines Statehouse had a gold dome. </i></div>
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<i>Fuck it, you get the idea.</i></div>
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The Start and Finish lines are downtown, which is convenient. I can't really speak of the finish line festivities, because, by the time my weak ass finished, they were tearing everything down.</div>
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<b>Support:</b> Hands down the most well supported marathon I've ever done. They have tons of bike support, I never went a mile without seeing one. They were amazing. One of them gave me flat coke, one of them gave me 3 tums (which ended up screwing me up, in hindsight). Very well supported race.</div>
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<b>General: </b>A destination race? Nah. But, if you live in the area or need the state, it's a great race. Des Moines was a really fun town and the race was well managed.</div>
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<b>My issues:</b> I fully expected to have to run/jog the last 10 miles of the race. I did not expect to be in a state where I could barely even walk. I had the worst stomach cramps. I think, since it was humid at the start of the race, that I overcompensated at the first few water stops and ended up just getting water logged and a sour stomach. The tums didn't help the pain, but I do think, they kept me from being able to throw up (which is what I needed to feel better). I could barely even stand upright. All I wanted to do was lie down on the side of the road in the fetal position, my stomach hurt so bad. I stopped at every porta john after mile 17. I was absolutely miserable. I've never been so miserable at a race before. </div>
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FINALLY at mile 25.5 I threw up. And I felt like an entirely new person. I was able to start running and ran pretty well to the finish. I feel kind of bad, because all the walkers who passed me the last few miles, I blew past them with a smile in that last half mile while running. But, HEY, I finally felt better!!!! And my legs felt absolutely fine.</div>
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At the end of the race, I was actually thrilled. I felt like if I could last through that much discomfort for that long, that I could honestly do anything. Apparently, I'm pretty tough. One of these days, I'd like to finally prove that I'm tough when it comes to pain of pushing hard, and not just the pain of my stomach revolting on me. ONE DAY. (2017 is going to be a good running year).</div>
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Anyway, that was Des Moines. SO FREAKING HAPPY that I actually finished and can cross Iowa off the list now. 15 states down!</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-6467811790422367862016-10-27T07:49:00.003-05:002016-10-27T07:49:56.748-05:00Bitches do Des MoinesA couple of weekends ago, the Bitches and SoBs flew out to Des Moines, IA for a quick weekend.<br />
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The main event, was the Marathon and Half Marathon. The KoB, Jeff, and I were all signed up for the Marathon and the rest of the Bitches were signed up for the Half. When we arrived in Des Moines, we hit up a dive bar across the street from our hotel for lunch.<br />
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<i>Quite possibly the most accurate photo of our personalities to date.</i></div>
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<i>At El Bait Shop in Des Moines, IA</i></div>
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We had lunch at The El Bait Shop (highly recommend the tater tots! and a local Iowa beer called Dorothy's New World Lager) and then made our way over to the Race Expo.</div>
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The first awesome thing about this race was the ease of getting around. We didn't rent a car and we were able to walk everywhere we went (with the exception of the airport). Life is so much easier when everything is in walking distance.</div>
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At the expo, we got our race packets and more importantly:</div>
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<i>Our wristbands for beer post race.</i></div>
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We also hit up the Barefoot Wine Display (Hellllooooo free wine!) (not sure what the hell Barefoot Wine has to do with Races, but as a lush, I'll happy drink whatever cheap ass free wine you pour into a plastic thimble with enthusiasm). And... I bought a pair of Nike Vomeros for $62.50 (including tax!). I can't find them anywhere online for cheaper than $140!! Crazy awesome deal!</div>
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We had dinner at a nice restaurant in downtown Des Moines and settled in early for the night.</div>
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The race started at 8am (awesome!), so we wandered out of the hotel around 7:20am (awesome!) and made it to the race start with plenty of time. </div>
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Now, I will do a full write-up of the race itself. But, just know that it was a shit show for me. I had the worst finish time I've ever had and the only thing that kept me from dropping out and walking to the hotel at mile 20 (we passed right by it on the course. UGH) was that I didn't have a marathon finish in Iowa yet.</div>
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Anyway, while I was dying on the course:</div>
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the rest of the Bitches were yukking it up and having a grand ole time back at El Bait Shop:</div>
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Another hour passed by and still:</div>
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<i>Me.</i></div>
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<i>Them.</i></div>
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Finally, I finished and joined them for the fun. They had moved on to the bar next door to El Bait Shop which was called The High Life Lounge. It was basically someone's basement circa 1978. It was awesome.</div>
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<i>Thankfully, still alive.</i></div>
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<i>And, totally unaware that there was an ass photobombing me.</i></div>
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We walked into the downtown area for dinner and then at the end of the night we stumbled into the Iowa Cubs Stadium where they were broadcasting the NLCS game on the jumbotron.</div>
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Monday we ate a huge lunch and then went to a different restaurant and had beers and some of us had dessert and I swear we all waddled out of Des Moines with about 4 extra pounds on us.</div>
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All-in-all it was a great trip! Des Moines was fun and had great food and a great vibe. And now the only question is... where are the bitches off to next??</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-69808858627283378612016-10-06T08:13:00.001-05:002016-10-06T08:13:22.237-05:005 things.1. I finally signed up for the marathon that I am running/hobbyjogging/walking/crawling through in about 10 days. Thankfully, our hotel is within walking distance of the race, so, I will just let everyone know NOT to wait around on me, to go back to the hotel, shower, go to lunch, have a few beers, and then HOPEFULLY I will be able to join them for dinner. Or ya know, they can visit me in the hospital or whatev.<br />
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2. I am hesitant to even mention it, but, I think I might just FINALLY be motivated to get my shit together. I signed up for the legit weight watchers last week (not just the fake app that I used with success last year) and I'm still trying to get into consistent strength training. Along with that, I'm also trying to set some personal and career goals and it feels good to be giving myself control again. Too often, I get caught up in the mundane and find myself just floating along and bebopping through time without really being PRESENT in my life. So, that feels good.<br />
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3. I've started wearing a headlamp in my early morning weekday runs and everyday I am utterly baffled at how we ever ran at this same time of day, same time of year, same park without one before.<br />
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4. The KoB and I have started watching American Horror Story. We've finished the first season and are about halfway through the second. Generally, I am strictly opposed to all things scary. But, I am finding this show really enjoyable. It's spooky. But, not nightmare provoking. (After I saw The Ring, I couldn't sleep with my light off for like 9 days. It was bad).<br />
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5. One of my favorite things about Weight Watchers it their social media section called Connect. Everyone on there is talking about something called Halo Top. Normally, I'm not really into "diety" foods. I'd rather eat a little bit of the real thing that has ingredients that I can pronounce. BUT, ice cream is one of my favorite things. And considering a HALF CUP (which is like... why even bother getting up off the couch to scoop out a half cup?) has more than 1/3 of my allocated points for the day. I think I might have to give this low cal ice cream a try. Anyone else had it??<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-76907961826011657302016-09-28T08:45:00.002-05:002016-09-28T08:45:53.726-05:00Weeks 5 & 6So, week 5 wasn't bad, although, my plan was to run 10 miles Saturday and then 16 miles on Sunday.<br />
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That didn't happen.<br />
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Saturday, I ran a 15K and a .7 mile warm up for a total of 10 miles. So... hooray!!! Even better... I ran the 15k at a 9:49 pace (my goal was sub 10:00 pace for the race). So... double hooray!!<br />
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And then Sunday rolled around and I was all psyched to run 16 miles. And then I started running and my legs felt like bricks. Apparently, running 9 miles at 9:49 pace is hard on my legs these days. Sad, but true.<br />
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So, at the end of the week, I finished with back-2-back 10 milers. Not ideal, but not terrible.<br />
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Week 6 was terrible running-wise. The KoB was out of town for a couple of days, which means, I was on dog duty. I went to the Carrie Underwood concert for work one night, which was fun, but EXHAUSTING, and then we flew to Boston, where I could have ran more. But, didn't.<br />
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So, there you have it. I'm tapering. HAHAHAHAH. Ha. Ha.<br />
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The good news is, I have no problems with walk/running this marathon as much as I need to. (It's going to be a lot of walking, people). I've got 2 weekends to go before the race. Let's hope, I can put something together this weekend.<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-53477585139957156442016-09-15T08:15:00.001-05:002016-09-15T08:15:01.901-05:00Weeks 3 & 4I honestly don't know why I can't get my shit together to blog more often, but, I'm really hoping I can get back into a good routine, because I have things to say, dammit. Anyway, I'm in the middle of week 5 right now, so, we've got a little catch up to do.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">So, week 3 was really good. Since, I don't have a lot of time to train (weekday-wise), I'm really focusing on getting quality miles in on the weekend. So, week 3, I ran 10 miles on Saturday and then 14 miles on Sunday and surprisingly, felt really good for both of those runs.</span></div>
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I think doing double long runs (for me) is a good way to get into endurance shape. It's teaching my legs to run while tired and since I have to run slower to get the miles in, I feel like I'm testing the injury gods a little less. </div>
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So, I feel like I had a good week 3. Week 4, my running was pretty non-existent. So, that's no good. But now, I'm in week 5 and hoping to have a good week!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Remember, this is a precautionary tale of training. DON'T DO THIS. Actually train for shit and don't half ass it, like I am.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURsfqGITzGsovIN-w2Vz32r2lKLu1r9-cJBRSwW_l2WMFEJnYkm3Pu3BljiFegyVhrBXU1eVke-Q04eMa4HDlBFMs9hoVu4qNxsN1KT7b7B8Obb0F787u3gQAh2bBQ4aiT_1CAJ58FAM/s1600/636057506071737838-1416829276_giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURsfqGITzGsovIN-w2Vz32r2lKLu1r9-cJBRSwW_l2WMFEJnYkm3Pu3BljiFegyVhrBXU1eVke-Q04eMa4HDlBFMs9hoVu4qNxsN1KT7b7B8Obb0F787u3gQAh2bBQ4aiT_1CAJ58FAM/s400/636057506071737838-1416829276_giphy.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm getting into it and having fun, and I'm tempted to float the idea of being coached again, once this mess of a training cycle and race is through. I'm ready to get better again and while it's going to be a bit of a struggle to get my weekday miles up (new job is awesome, but a little less flexible than previous job), I think I'm ready to see if I can make it work.</div>
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Gotta get through Oct 16, first though!</div>
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Hope everyone else's fall training is going well!</div>
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OMG my blogger formatting on this post is driving me crazy. I apologize if it looks even shittier than it normally does.</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-82420237809659683792016-09-01T07:45:00.000-05:002016-09-01T07:45:40.563-05:00Weeks 1 and 2Hi.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22Shyphenhyphenhx2OuhFwc2JWblK1oA7drGSmsS0lUZvecNmfCOpNd-RS-TgvMOaJO0EYVDpBmTx_INtE1dfBJvETQZz90SG6-Ls1iWbePOlt9piLUlhq043d2C2AHxuYJX48Aa7ozXYTzjwkctg/s1600/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22Shyphenhyphenhx2OuhFwc2JWblK1oA7drGSmsS0lUZvecNmfCOpNd-RS-TgvMOaJO0EYVDpBmTx_INtE1dfBJvETQZz90SG6-Ls1iWbePOlt9piLUlhq043d2C2AHxuYJX48Aa7ozXYTzjwkctg/s400/200_s.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Sadly, I don't have a good excuse like Bob and Linda.</i></div>
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How's it going?</div>
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Things here are going... okay. </div>
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My strategy is essentially the same strategy I had for my first ever marathon (which I finished! Hooray! But, immediately afterwards, I was like... fuuuuuuck I didn't train properly for that. So... Booo!). That strategy is: Make sure you get your long runs in.</div>
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So, last week (officially week 2). I embarked on a 15 miler. I did finish the damn thing, but it was not pretty. </div>
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Let's be honest. I shouldn't be running 15 mile long runs right now. And if it weren't so fucking hot that anything faster than a 9 minute mile is basically impossible, I probably wouldn't even be entertaining training for this marathon in October. But, with the temperature so hot and me so out of shape, I feel like pushing myself to a bad point, just isn't going happen. So, there's my reasoning. Instead, I'm just pushing myself into heat stroke and the possibility of having to walk 6 miles back to my car because I am just done in the middle of a long run.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ELFH2kSNOb1Jfl-q3gyGsx1uqbl4r7mcCtunSR30_aF1AhY_W85jzSM4HaJxMIxdPCTuDi4QvQu4NZgouqo3HK21ILstLpVRjhlBkSnfxVYRIyxUA8OQCijFTKZTQzTvWBFh4fuXak/s1600/on_the_floor_dying_bobs_burgers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2ELFH2kSNOb1Jfl-q3gyGsx1uqbl4r7mcCtunSR30_aF1AhY_W85jzSM4HaJxMIxdPCTuDi4QvQu4NZgouqo3HK21ILstLpVRjhlBkSnfxVYRIyxUA8OQCijFTKZTQzTvWBFh4fuXak/s400/on_the_floor_dying_bobs_burgers.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, for the record:</div>
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Week 1: Long run of 11 miles, total miles for the week: 31</div>
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Week 2: Long run 15 miles, total miles for the week: 32</div>
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What's the rule of thumb? Don't make your long run more than 25% of your total mileage for the week or some shit? Hahahahahahahahahahahahah.</div>
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Hahahahha.</div>
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Oh shit. I'm so dumb.</div>
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In other news.... I also have two other marathons on the books for my near future. The Flying Monkey in November and a marathon in Phoenix at the end of February. So... I need to get my ass in gear.<br />
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With 6 weeks go, I'm sure it will happen.<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-80629687116198549692016-08-18T20:17:00.001-05:002016-08-18T20:17:54.440-05:00What can happen in 8 weeks?Remember back in like May and I was all... I'm going to start basebuilding and I'm going to start doing some workouts. I'm going to be hella prepared for the Des Moines Marathon in October!!!!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz77AvO_MmKR_Rz5dbAzodeaLG2cyxrM9TSDDby_lXduzBVXMqbRzVLwnS3iY36ZAfqkOSU_WorMOVFcXFaNDjLDe-9HMkfXXJhCz6Y6D4No4pS17tRfg5wLVzDNw0j0RlD06NZQT984/s1600/tumblr_inline_o80e3hCWu91r79k32_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnz77AvO_MmKR_Rz5dbAzodeaLG2cyxrM9TSDDby_lXduzBVXMqbRzVLwnS3iY36ZAfqkOSU_WorMOVFcXFaNDjLDe-9HMkfXXJhCz6Y6D4No4pS17tRfg5wLVzDNw0j0RlD06NZQT984/s400/tumblr_inline_o80e3hCWu91r79k32_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Me, in May.</i></div>
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And then summer happened and it got humid as fuck and then there were vacations and bottles of wine on friday nights and then a beach trip and now it's fucking mid-August and I've got no base and no speed and no endurance and yet, I'm still planning on doing a Marathon in 8 weeks.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmclJ9P4yn2S5Lix0w-LMyujUtf1U4MyA1_iCfnp_ZauO5Q6aTjHyQ_cOR32s38pI97gZsfD0QF04eyko8Ssu1_p0-sekWAXHsAEbVQbd4QSLEGh_zF3aAzsww6XXK5ovfToMBbASVHI/s1600/tumblr_inline_o4pzgcMfvO1r79k32_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmclJ9P4yn2S5Lix0w-LMyujUtf1U4MyA1_iCfnp_ZauO5Q6aTjHyQ_cOR32s38pI97gZsfD0QF04eyko8Ssu1_p0-sekWAXHsAEbVQbd4QSLEGh_zF3aAzsww6XXK5ovfToMBbASVHI/s400/tumblr_inline_o4pzgcMfvO1r79k32_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Indeed.</i></div>
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So. Should I drop down to running the half and focus on that? Yeah, I definitely should. That is the smart thing to do. But, am I going to do that? Nope. Nope. Nope. I'm going to push forward and see what the hell I can do in 8 weeks.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-YX_sgtL3_fOPpTz3M25XTp1fuI7FhD8X-L4GcnI0JVTyiKSWlZMxvLbmfNEym5fzbe1aKwOiuUkl9r9YRL0ic-x29fO1HVNidm5V9YnE5CD5JwQpqBByQCiV9dJmM2gLbxyInq5YXs/s1600/tumblr_inline_o7c2p4twLW1r79k32_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-YX_sgtL3_fOPpTz3M25XTp1fuI7FhD8X-L4GcnI0JVTyiKSWlZMxvLbmfNEym5fzbe1aKwOiuUkl9r9YRL0ic-x29fO1HVNidm5V9YnE5CD5JwQpqBByQCiV9dJmM2gLbxyInq5YXs/s400/tumblr_inline_o7c2p4twLW1r79k32_500.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> This is what my body is saying to my brain right now.</i></div>
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So, please, join me.... here on the blog. Where I will be recapping each of my 8 weeks and what I've done or not done in order to survive a marathon in 8 weeks. Originally, I had thought I'd try to break 4 hours again in that race. Now, I just want to finish the race with my shin bones intact.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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I do have some good news to go along with this ridiculous news!!!!!! I have actually been LIFTING!!!! As in... consistently using weights and doing push-ups and shit. I KNOW. I can't believe it, either!!!!! And even crazier, is I'm actually really having fun doing it. </div>
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Another plus... I've been doing really well with cleaning up my diet lately, as well. So, if I can finally put all three together: lifting+running+not just eating popcorn and ice cream for dinner, but salads and stuff = a decent shot at surviving the next 8 weeks, as well as the race.</div>
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So, here we go... I'm in the middle of week 1 right now. Stayed tuned for the possible shitshow.</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-71025680728738568912016-08-10T06:04:00.001-05:002016-08-10T06:04:12.608-05:00Best Laid Plans: Leadville Trip 2016Let me be real with you guys. Originally, when we were talking about this trip back in like January or something, I got the GREAT idea, that we should backpack/hike the entire (one-way) length of the Leadville 100 course. We were going to get dropped off at the turnaround point and then take 3-4 days hiking/backpacking/gasping for air the 50 miles back to Leadville.<br />
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Doesn't that sound amazing?????<br />
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The only issue? I've never backpacked before. And so, we decided that we'd do a couple of trips leading up to it to make sure that I'm not going to whine and die the entire time while hiking and carrying a pack.<br />
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Did we do those little trips? Nope.<br />
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So, we bagged the backpacking trip... NEXT YEAR, DAMMIT. And since The KoB was quickly dying at 10,000+ ft, we decided to spend our Sunday driving around again. And we did drive out to the turn around point of the Leadville 100 course. Which, also happens to be our darling, eyebrowed, furry child's namesame:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlAJOSKFXtdgD30RBZiMBNUduuiYVG4rB1K7Pk56No8bD5JzWSy4St6jfjOQ0qnTF2u1VbI8ulMOkCPnVoE5d3134DToaegu6r791-76OgmsIPmvm2P9gOgI7d6w_w9vu3cmktpwJJGs/s1600/winfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlAJOSKFXtdgD30RBZiMBNUduuiYVG4rB1K7Pk56No8bD5JzWSy4St6jfjOQ0qnTF2u1VbI8ulMOkCPnVoE5d3134DToaegu6r791-76OgmsIPmvm2P9gOgI7d6w_w9vu3cmktpwJJGs/s320/winfield.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i> Eyebrowed Winfield.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWlRy24JOp59YS7HuNyl0RckILhfs8D6u_2iaodiBLPhGpRoAY9HAD6dc0n3jxAqN8qzYaRnKeITii9azV-p-PZsR3D13wXcuk4B40Gu5zt6fLW_T2JQ3KFPVCp_uaIZPXJqPF1EGuvI/s1600/IMG_5684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWlRy24JOp59YS7HuNyl0RckILhfs8D6u_2iaodiBLPhGpRoAY9HAD6dc0n3jxAqN8qzYaRnKeITii9azV-p-PZsR3D13wXcuk4B40Gu5zt6fLW_T2JQ3KFPVCp_uaIZPXJqPF1EGuvI/s400/IMG_5684.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Ghost Town Winfield.</i></div>
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Both equally charming.</div>
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Other fun random things from our trip<strike> so that I can finally wrap this trip report up. </strike></div>
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<i>Gilman, Colorado</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>And abandoned mining town that we saw from the side of the road.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It was so eery. It was everyone woke up one day and left.</i></div>
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<i>According to wikipedia: it was abandoned in 1984 by order of the EPA.</i></div>
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<i> A Beautiful bridge that we drove over and then under later on.</i></div>
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<i> We made a rule that we stopped at every "point of interest"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>that we encountered. We read a LOT of historical markers.</i></div>
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It was an amazing trip and an amazing vacation. Thankfully, since we spent the last night in Denver before flying home, The KoB's HAPE did get better.</div>
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See you next year, Colorado!!</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-36755993424624364582016-08-02T20:15:00.002-05:002016-08-02T20:18:01.168-05:00That Time The KoB Almost Died on Vacation... well... not really.The day after hiking up Hope Pass, The KoB and I were both a little hungover (thank you high gravity beer and high altitude) and my calves were totally and utterly fucked. I dunno if I spent all nine miles of the Hope Pass hike walking on my tiptoes or what, but I couldn't walk without soreness for about 4 days. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?<br />
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Anyway, since we didn't feel our best, we figured we'd just hop in the car and explore a bit. So... that we did....<br />
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<i>First Stop: Independence Pass</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJX4iwMl7U2nOb3_qYMx3eN37JS4YKidEml44G17QRYEBNCJ5pZCkJiP0m_wZnLQGPWBNE-JBFNSrFc99Wn2lVF7VVnF_dGkEIXmtsOX2yEllpw3qk-czciGuKldxZwMkt4KNGI6RAlE/s1600/IMG_5642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJX4iwMl7U2nOb3_qYMx3eN37JS4YKidEml44G17QRYEBNCJ5pZCkJiP0m_wZnLQGPWBNE-JBFNSrFc99Wn2lVF7VVnF_dGkEIXmtsOX2yEllpw3qk-czciGuKldxZwMkt4KNGI6RAlE/s400/IMG_5642.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> That's the road to Independence Pass. </i></div>
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<i>It was extremely curvy and switchbacky. </i></div>
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<i> Helluva view though.</i></div>
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<i>Next up: Was the Ghost Town of Independence.</i></div>
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<i> I loved seeing the remnants of these little towns.</i></div>
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<i>It was amazing to think about what life must have been</i></div>
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<i>like back then. Particularly in the harsh winters.</i></div>
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<i> Another view of Independence Pass on the way back down.</i></div>
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By the time we got back to Leadville, we were feeling better and went out for an early dinner. After dinner we went to bed and kinda/sorta expected to tackle some 14ers the next day. Until, The KoB stopped being able to breathe easily and started wheezing like a 67 year old smoker with emphysema. And then the coughing began. It was a rough night. I've watched enough of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everest:_Beyond_the_Limit" target="_blank">Beyond the Limit</a> episodes to be able to diagnose him with the early stages of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) (despite the fact that I haven't taken a science class since my junior year of high school, I am well versed in all the mediciney things in the world. Trust me).</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i> Sadly, I couldn't find one gif from that incredible tv show.</i></div>
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<i>So, instead here's a gif of Alfonso Ribeiro doing the</i></div>
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<i>Carlton on top of Everest.</i></div>
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The next morning, after I got probably 5 hours of sleep, to the KoB 30 minutes or so, I read the list of symptoms to the KoB for HAPE and he had like all of them. And the only cure is to get to lower altitude.</div>
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<i>Sadly, we didn't have one of these altitude chambers for him to lie in.</i></div>
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Too bad for him we still had 1 night left in Leadville!<i> </i></div>
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After we got home and he checked the interwebs doing research on it, he got pissed at me because I didn't tell him that one of the outcomes for untreated HAPE is... well... death. But, I mean... you could die from anything. I feel like the stock answer on WebMD is always yup... it's fatal. Plus, we were at 10,000 ft. Not 20,000. He was going to be unable to breath easily for the next 3 days, but I felt certain that he wasn't going to die from it. AND LOOK... HE DIDN'T. Anyway, next time, I know to lead with the worst possible scenario when reading off of WebMD for him. HAPPY VACATION, guys.</div>
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More postcard like pictures and more stories of The KoBs worsening airways to come.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-3587261861156199092016-07-25T20:12:00.000-05:002016-07-25T20:12:08.803-05:00Leadville Trip Report Part 1: Hope Pass<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The Coors Brewery.</i></div>
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<i>Not in Leadville. In Golden.</i></div>
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Thanks to a direct flight from Nashville to Denver we got into Denver at 7:45am local time. We picked up our rental car (without a hiccup for the first time in Denver in 3 years. Yay for Alamo!) and headed out of town. We purposely didn't really plan much for this trip in general. It's a vacation, I like to have ample time to do whatever the fuck we want. </div>
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<i> </i></div>
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So, we decided... what the hell, let's check out the Coors Brewery and I am really glad we did. It was a nice little tour and being a Regular Coors drinker, I was quite happy to enjoy the 3 free drinks you get to enjoy on the free tour.</div>
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After the Coors tour, we started to make our way into Leadville and stopped at a beautiful lake outside of town, that I had always eyed on our trips in and out of town.</div>
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<i>Too bad it wasn't fucking scenic or anything.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRKDyIKRumP1bNevPAuFjo-uU-0-kvKIJh6ZCiJlf6p9WT-EUb8AgNWIXO7kBYU-Wgu30z6nEYjZJ9Woil_v0xEoA7OCG1pEpsgbH-b47txVaPpd72gfTgOA7V2C0SkSOfVSeMw9NaKY/s1600/IMG_5636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRKDyIKRumP1bNevPAuFjo-uU-0-kvKIJh6ZCiJlf6p9WT-EUb8AgNWIXO7kBYU-Wgu30z6nEYjZJ9Woil_v0xEoA7OCG1pEpsgbH-b47txVaPpd72gfTgOA7V2C0SkSOfVSeMw9NaKY/s400/IMG_5636.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Colorado: Where every picture looks like a postcard.</i></div>
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We hung out at the lake for a little bit, enjoying the early moments of slowing down for a week and enjoying our vacation.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWwJfmE6WiUZKTi26I898jAx0B7-gFteq3gjUbRYUvizoaM-IDnWh3SBHMz2ZpM7c3TqiTeWd6tbgRF_OR2r9iRi8Q-hF5cj-Khs3hEoE5q3_YRMEOv5wtJOL0CypZOIGXO6zKQTBOs/s1600/IMG_5634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWwJfmE6WiUZKTi26I898jAx0B7-gFteq3gjUbRYUvizoaM-IDnWh3SBHMz2ZpM7c3TqiTeWd6tbgRF_OR2r9iRi8Q-hF5cj-Khs3hEoE5q3_YRMEOv5wtJOL0CypZOIGXO6zKQTBOs/s400/IMG_5634.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i> And like the basic bitch I am, I took a selfie.</i></div>
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We got into Leadville, changed clothes and headed to the Mineral Belt Trail for some walking/panting/jogging/running/walking/panting. Fun times.</div>
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There were two things that we had kind of planned on doing during this trip. One was hike up to Hope Pass from Twin Lakes (a route that is apart of the Leadville 100 trail race) and the other was to hike 4 14ers. Doesn't that sound impressive as hell? And it would have been, if we had done it. Even though, all 4 would have been done in one day. Oh well, best laid plans, right?</div>
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We DID hike up to Hope Pass though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBjdVPA6WJfq6EoeQMaA3WVgbcwLOqGWOlCSUsTJwcAMHhws4SdcCLjvmL1qOfMKs4kS9BMPB8V-3HyQN2aXuC2nvm0FzgyeZi5dLcqITUrAj0SckaQNfWlA1BmEFr4ecjYq4FPXmBa0/s1600/hope+pass+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcBjdVPA6WJfq6EoeQMaA3WVgbcwLOqGWOlCSUsTJwcAMHhws4SdcCLjvmL1qOfMKs4kS9BMPB8V-3HyQN2aXuC2nvm0FzgyeZi5dLcqITUrAj0SckaQNfWlA1BmEFr4ecjYq4FPXmBa0/s400/hope+pass+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Folks, all these photos of hiking up to Hope Pass are part of the</i></div>
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<i>Leadville 100 course.</i></div>
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<i> Seriously, WTF?</i></div>
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We started at the Willis Gulch Trailhead and after about a mile of hiking straight up, we got to the part of the route where the race course meets up and then we went up 3.5 more miles. Straight up.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiihizDXrJ042OBpRU7mhbzyo5r9SrPw43pslccGOwbrGtoI6nguu5Y-E5d5STciSckTthDv1-3hpUEYV7Z8MAerS-Rlb9UbHLqUlRCkCHPjmH3VQzcBtZuvJ8-JFaZYTrYrPgg8W1XLE/s1600/Hope+pass+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiihizDXrJ042OBpRU7mhbzyo5r9SrPw43pslccGOwbrGtoI6nguu5Y-E5d5STciSckTthDv1-3hpUEYV7Z8MAerS-Rlb9UbHLqUlRCkCHPjmH3VQzcBtZuvJ8-JFaZYTrYrPgg8W1XLE/s400/Hope+pass+6.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i> And keep going up...</i></div>
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The roundtrip trail is 9 miles. And it tops out at over 12,000 feet. I loved it. It was a hard hike, for sure, but, I felt like at 12,000 feet, I was able to keep moving ahead (albeit slowly) without having to stop and catch my breath like I did when hiking to 14,000 feet. It was so enjoyably hard. But, I was out there on fresh legs and I cannot imagine hiking up that beast after running 40 miles and then going all the way down the other side and then back up and over the whole damn thing again. Seriously, WTF Ultra Runners? You guys be cray.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdTrrqR_ebcRmaZQuGTpNNPy5vQtEKeRuanTSC2wO-F43Z8sgsNn9_6e41bY2ZtFE2gSbc6eU_gHCOooy0HWlivbc-OTgIrsCppwFFyFpV7hegDp_xah9Ac8xPrLWxyvcOK_MBWPve_Q/s1600/hope+pass+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKdTrrqR_ebcRmaZQuGTpNNPy5vQtEKeRuanTSC2wO-F43Z8sgsNn9_6e41bY2ZtFE2gSbc6eU_gHCOooy0HWlivbc-OTgIrsCppwFFyFpV7hegDp_xah9Ac8xPrLWxyvcOK_MBWPve_Q/s400/hope+pass+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>It took me 2 hours to hike up to the top. </i></div>
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<i>A time that I was VERY proud of.</i></div>
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<i>That lake behind John is one of the Twin Lakes, and essentially,</i></div>
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<i>where we started the hike (and exactly where the race starts up Hope Pass). </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz4LZlUZTz7G0VJYkeukiGOQmF62lSos40H125UV4pp1E4p9XTLKvQG_0Whyphenhyphen1caPKs4oaERGhmd7A6XDpG6SY_lY7gIpxYOGgkIk-zS4Rnr9RqZf_op1k7d10TTtYvgb1LsV1XMT73wI/s1600/IMG_2413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz4LZlUZTz7G0VJYkeukiGOQmF62lSos40H125UV4pp1E4p9XTLKvQG_0Whyphenhyphen1caPKs4oaERGhmd7A6XDpG6SY_lY7gIpxYOGgkIk-zS4Rnr9RqZf_op1k7d10TTtYvgb1LsV1XMT73wI/s400/IMG_2413.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i> Obligatory photo from Hope Pass.</i></div>
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Since it took 2 hours to go up 4.5 miles, I figured, ohhhh, we'll be down in 1:15. </div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPrz47b1SrNn9Cr0jPFKD0yAWQ6wkgWEzie99h8kg2qDzIl7FV099MToIFP-kvDrU7YUCnUgBee7Z1vebqvhhGzpk_4XbveXShWRWgGsFXT3z2Skkps5qieqXCVGKzc78AqhUXh7KwZ8/s1600/hope+pass+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPrz47b1SrNn9Cr0jPFKD0yAWQ6wkgWEzie99h8kg2qDzIl7FV099MToIFP-kvDrU7YUCnUgBee7Z1vebqvhhGzpk_4XbveXShWRWgGsFXT3z2Skkps5qieqXCVGKzc78AqhUXh7KwZ8/s400/hope+pass+5.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i> Hahahahahahahahahaha.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPJ5lfkLktpzGwJlJcNdjTEzVMEW6ToQBmJCynnDtXsqF0_KNl2L7ju-lOMXVN0mRZLWDyl5ugjqRfOaJCrxoKNftgaWVp4LQYO-epJ8Pm1fOlsgq1WdrfGdJPtlumnDHHsfBQx6bQCI/s1600/hope+pass+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPJ5lfkLktpzGwJlJcNdjTEzVMEW6ToQBmJCynnDtXsqF0_KNl2L7ju-lOMXVN0mRZLWDyl5ugjqRfOaJCrxoKNftgaWVp4LQYO-epJ8Pm1fOlsgq1WdrfGdJPtlumnDHHsfBQx6bQCI/s400/hope+pass+7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i> Nope. It took me 1:40 minutes to get down.</i></div>
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<i>Sheesh.</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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But it was an amazing hike and I really enjoyed it. Next year, I want to hike up it from the opposite side!</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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After that hike, we went back to Leadville and got wasted at Periodic Brewing. Helluva time. But, probably not the best idea at elevation.</div>
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Oh wells...</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-29082422539981572522016-07-18T19:34:00.001-05:002016-07-18T19:34:56.632-05:00Tips for Enjoying a Vacation at Elevation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrnCrdFXuGKUzqGusVaG2sIVnwhXuVOZTdHtszWLPDB_SxHMYpJ5af9_zeq-t42is5oG7OpP8F6EB0E4INmgJgvkRWaQaniA6qRuqbJsL_VhKjvRjMkFQQFSJoAaq3bNG3DwocdMqycs/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfrnCrdFXuGKUzqGusVaG2sIVnwhXuVOZTdHtszWLPDB_SxHMYpJ5af9_zeq-t42is5oG7OpP8F6EB0E4INmgJgvkRWaQaniA6qRuqbJsL_VhKjvRjMkFQQFSJoAaq3bNG3DwocdMqycs/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
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<i> Drinking high gravity beer is a "Don't" not a "Do".</i></div>
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<i>KoB DGAF.</i></div>
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<i>(Ollllld Chub!) </i></div>
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So, for the 3rd year in a row now, The KoB and I have traveled to the absolutely beautiful and charming town of Leadville, CO.</div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsSqBMlus_HSGxfTjQlBUuOptWw8oQeRbxJkBRpKU5PrgLcSZQVsI9ffEIw0moczzsPepPKLIuKTT5IGV387ZAc-SEwFPlArw6gHk_vCUAxG1FiDaQDeMUS8rar52RKKefRFE_MS9V_o/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsSqBMlus_HSGxfTjQlBUuOptWw8oQeRbxJkBRpKU5PrgLcSZQVsI9ffEIw0moczzsPepPKLIuKTT5IGV387ZAc-SEwFPlArw6gHk_vCUAxG1FiDaQDeMUS8rar52RKKefRFE_MS9V_o/s400/IMG_2427.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Home of the Leadville 100 and the National Mining Museum.</i></div>
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<i>Also the place in the US where climbing up a</i></div>
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<i>set of stairs will leave you panting and doubled over for 3 minutes.</i></div>
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<i>HELLO life at 10,200 feet!</i></div>
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So, for some, 10,200 feet of elevation might not be anything. But, for a Nashville/Sea-Level girl, it is a huge deal. The obvious thing is that the lack of oxygen renders you panting and gasping at the most ridiculous of things. Like... taking off a sports bra. It's sad. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNxK-eFSBcyvbenJr4T9UtsVv4rU6Fes_qF_vpDZuqw9x3GcP2ZdinQQFapp30j7S8yA4nWvQU1GDXPyKbjdAtzFBIVjQJ3C2T-sQpJcGDE1za5tY_mLyguHVP1RH-URzWXGXzvYadp4/s1600/1973d706ac26cd59045451365b54314a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNxK-eFSBcyvbenJr4T9UtsVv4rU6Fes_qF_vpDZuqw9x3GcP2ZdinQQFapp30j7S8yA4nWvQU1GDXPyKbjdAtzFBIVjQJ3C2T-sQpJcGDE1za5tY_mLyguHVP1RH-URzWXGXzvYadp4/s320/1973d706ac26cd59045451365b54314a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>It's exhausting.</i></div>
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But, after my 3rd year in a row, I've come up with a few tips on making the elevation a little less troublesome and less noticeable.</div>
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<b>Running/Endurance stuff:</b> So, every year, I get out to the Mineral Belt Trail (an awesome 11+ mile loop around the city) and think, okay, I'm just going to run slow and it will be fine. And then I start running and I have to stop to catch my breath after about 90 seconds. SERIOUSLY. It's humbling and annoying. But, I've found, that if I just give myself those breaks and start and stop and walk, after about 25-30 minutes, I find my pace and I'm able to keep running (even on the uphills). I think it just takes my body more time to understand what the hell is happening and adjust. So, give yourself a break and some time, and you'll be fine.</div>
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<b>Headaches:</b> The lack of oxygen can give me a wicked headache. So, from the moment the plane touches down in Denver, until I get on the plane going home, I take a dose of Excedrin every 8 hours. It keeps the headaches away.</div>
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<b>Bloat:</b> Along with the Excedrin, I take Gas-X pills the same way. It is crazy how bloated I get and I'm not entirely sure how elevation=bloat. But, it's seriously painful and none of my pants fit unless I'm keeping it all under control with the Gas-X. Trust me, it's a life saver. </div>
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<b>Hydrate: </b>So, I try to make sure I'm staying extra hydrated (this is probably more because Colorado is so much drier than I'm used to). And by the same token, I think it's best to stay away from alcohol as much as possible. Did I do that? Nope. But, the elevation definitely makes a hangover about 13X worse.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvrq6w6kdROJ1dUQIhzm2qN1ac_Q4rIxHAQyeQxnzrtea4wC3DWVOO7dmMu3UBU23ljbpx-unmBQo-ZQzZj9ZFzrcEM9lqqbOMT1WWlCxvQkZNihJxN9y-gNJq-fLmo3G0feolFxP338/s1600/MasterLogo180x180.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvrq6w6kdROJ1dUQIhzm2qN1ac_Q4rIxHAQyeQxnzrtea4wC3DWVOO7dmMu3UBU23ljbpx-unmBQo-ZQzZj9ZFzrcEM9lqqbOMT1WWlCxvQkZNihJxN9y-gNJq-fLmo3G0feolFxP338/s1600/MasterLogo180x180.png" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<i>Highly recommend this local brewery.</i></div>
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<i>Probably should only have one or two if you want to </i></div>
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<i>feel your best. Do as I say, not as I do.</i></div>
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<i><strike>Because drinking 4 Brown Ales in one sitting wasn't smart.</strike> </i></div>
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<b> </b><b>Sleep: </b>I haven't quite mastered this one yet. And I find that the mornings are extra hard for me at elevation. Normally, I pop up and am ready to go in the mornings, but I'm always more groggy and still feel tired when I wake up in Leadville. Probably because I don't sleep as well there. But, if anyone has any good sleeping at elevation tips, I'd love to hear them!</div>
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Anyway, it's not groundbreaking stuff, but, it's not something I ever considered before my first trip out there, so, maybe it will help someone!</div>
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Trip pics and re-caps to come!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-31955376895864052452016-07-12T07:19:00.002-05:002016-07-12T07:19:56.731-05:00This Cracked Me Up...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7qTtWyTyOE0WACN4cTZakH9rpZzaiXkdzV85P83E0V3O-v8ClOqOqiBTR9Lfe3Gr5dwcwjfgLy6Po1T8MOU6CVCSKZ5qcNtpj_x-KRLFAmqZ2e6takee-8ziNnvIjEvEd6Qm_6xtAL8/s1600/IMG_2346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7qTtWyTyOE0WACN4cTZakH9rpZzaiXkdzV85P83E0V3O-v8ClOqOqiBTR9Lfe3Gr5dwcwjfgLy6Po1T8MOU6CVCSKZ5qcNtpj_x-KRLFAmqZ2e6takee-8ziNnvIjEvEd6Qm_6xtAL8/s400/IMG_2346.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>On the Clearance Rack at TJ Maxx.</i></div>
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<i>$25 bucks for a 2015 Boston Marathon Jacket. </i></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-37029623805329519512016-07-11T11:13:00.000-05:002016-07-11T11:13:19.004-05:00Olympic Trials Favorite MomentsSorry I've been so quiet over here lately. I'm hoping to get things cranked back up in the blog world in the next few weeks, so, don't give up on me just yet!<br />
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Just a quick note on two of my favorite things from the Trials. (And to be fair, I didn't watch anywhere near ALL of the events, so, my favorite moments are ones that I did actually see).<br />
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<i>Hillary Bor in the 3000 Men's Steeplechase.</i></div>
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Whoa. The steeplechase is one of my favorite races to watch, because, I honestly just think that it's such a ridiculous and yet awesome race. YOU HAVE TO JUMP OVER A HURDLE AND INTO/OVER A HOLE FULL OF WATER. What the fuck? How is that even a real thing?</div>
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<i>Fox Hunt Scene from Mary Poppins</i></div>
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It always makes me think of a scene from my favorite childhood movie: Mary Poppins. I just love the weirdness of it and I can't ever imagine attempting it myself. </div>
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Anyway, the finals turned into an amazing race and I loved watching Bor surge at the end and wind up with a ticket to Rio AND a personal best. Not a bad day.</div>
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And my other favorite:</div>
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<i>Allyson Felix</i></div>
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Allyson Felix qualifying in the 400m. I can't really pinpoint why I like her so much, but I do. Always have. So, I was thrilled that she will be competing in Rio, as well.</div>
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Go Team USA!</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-71745110786710868912016-06-28T11:43:00.000-05:002016-06-28T11:43:25.911-05:00RIPI will never ever in a million years be a fan of the University of Tennessee <strike>(go cocks!)</strike>, BUT, I am a huge Pat Summitt Fan.<br />
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<i>Here's how I'm going to beat you, I'm going to outwork you.</i></div>
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<i>That's it. That's all there is to it. Pat Summitt</i></div>
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The world has lost a legend and a helluva competitor and athlete. If you want to read a compelling book about a pioneer in women's sports, I highly recommend her book, <b><i>Sum it Up</i></b>.</div>
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What a life she led and a legacy she leaves. RIP, Coach.</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-64214318278990535862016-06-23T07:53:00.000-05:002016-06-23T07:53:21.652-05:00Stay HydratedSo, it's been hot, ya know? It's summer and it's going to be hot and humid and your pace is going to slow down by 15-30 seconds per mile and you just deal with it, right?<br />
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We've had some hot mornings and for the most part, I've done okay with them. I've been actually doing well with drinking water during the day and most of my runs have manageable.<br />
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Until today.<br />
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Steve and I were running along and it was hot and sticky and humid and gross. But, that's all typical. By amount mile 3, I was starting to feel... not normal. And of course, we had ran 3 miles out and turned around, but, initially, I was like... yeah, okay, I can make it 3 more miles. No big deal.<br />
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Until I couldn't. It was ridiculous. I had to stop and take walk breaks, I got that dizzy, black out-ish feeling and I felt like I wanted to throw up. By the end, I had gotten the cold chills, so, I knew I was just dehydrated as fuck.<br />
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I ran yesterday morning, too, and sweated a ton, and I just don't think I rehydrated enough to make up for that AND get me ready for today's run.<br />
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Anyway, when I got home, I checked out the dew point. The temperature outside was 80 degrees and the dew point was 71. GOOD LORD. With a dew point that high, I'm not sure if completely water logging myself the day before would have helped. That is just ridiculous.<br />
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Running is stupid. Be careful out there folks... drink enough water and carry water with you (something I need to do more).<br />
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And now, because I promised yesterday... Recent adorable dog pics:<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-28396282607942585982016-06-22T08:13:00.002-05:002016-06-22T08:13:54.060-05:00Still here and Ranting...I'm still here. Just in that weird spot of not a whole lot going on.. so, not a whole lot to blog about, ya know?<br />
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I did get an AMAZING raise at work this week, so, that's something I'm really excited about. It was a huge leap of faith for me to leave my comfortable job in public accounting- job where my dad was my mentor and my boss and gave me so many opportunities and taught me so much. But, it was definitely the right move for me, at the right time. I am doing a job now that I love with a great team and I am so grateful for the opportunity. I miss working with my dad and my brother, but, I'm having a great time at my current job and learning new things and making an impact here. YAY for change!<br />
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<i> Celebrating needed!</i></div>
<i>******</i><br />
<i><b>Warning:</b> Slightly political rant ahead... tread lightly or ignore if you could give a fuck what I think and are only here for the gifs and cute dog pics. Come back tomorrow, I'll have some cute dog pics.</i><br />
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I have been incredibly angry of late about the Orlando mass shooting. I was angry that it felt like... ohhh... ANOTHER Mass Shooting. I was angry that I wasn't just unbearably shocked and saddened. I am fucking mad. I mean, of course, it is an absolute tragedy, and I am sad, but, HOW HAS THIS BECOME OKAY? HOW HAS THIS BECOME THE NORM? How was I able to read the news and watch the coverage without bawling my eyes out? I am an empathetic person, I AM! There are a lot of great things about this country, but my god, there are a LOT of fucked up things. And, I have no problems with people owning a gun for hunting (although... I'd prefer they didn't) and while I'm not thrilled about it, I'm OKAY with people being allowed to own a handgun. But for fuckssake, why do people need to able to legally purchase a semi-automatic weapon?<br />
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And don't give me that bullshit answer of... "oh, well if they were illegal, there'd be more of a market for them." We make things illegal because they are WRONG and/or Dangerous. For instance, it's illegal to drive drunk because you can fucking kill people. Do people still do it? Of course, but that doesn't mean we should just make it legal. All this to say... I'm so sorry that this has happened. And I am so embarrassed for our country that we continually allow this to happen- in part, because a lobbying group has our politicians by the balls. It's fucked up.<br />
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I am sorry Orlando, I can't even imagine how horrifying that was/is.<br />
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If you're interested in a better rant than I can write, check out Samantha Bee's rant.<br />
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-7150179300456298572016-06-07T07:34:00.001-05:002016-06-07T07:34:53.900-05:00LatelySaturday morning was the day where I realized... yup, it's summer. It was the most humid run I've had so far this season and good god, after 8 miles I was ready to lie down on the path and die. It's funny how all the sudden your body just shuts down and it's like... nope.<br />
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I had delusions that I would run out 5 miles and then on the way back try to pick it up a little. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoJmMV6kI57RVkwRw2z_smXoUWsSicV23bR6eMNhSyxoLnllZhwxIDcusg-yYcK825psQhXugCRZr6kiezlihqZU5pHXC-V2IieISQrKsVKfE-ZO9V_xT22IjZLbfgX7pZSmLQ2PRqFg/s1600/tumblr_inline_nv26a5GbhY1r79k32_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoJmMV6kI57RVkwRw2z_smXoUWsSicV23bR6eMNhSyxoLnllZhwxIDcusg-yYcK825psQhXugCRZr6kiezlihqZU5pHXC-V2IieISQrKsVKfE-ZO9V_xT22IjZLbfgX7pZSmLQ2PRqFg/s320/tumblr_inline_nv26a5GbhY1r79k32_500.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then, after I finished, I was EXHAUSTED all damn day. I went to bed at 8pm. WTF? I definitely need to start making sure I'm hydrating before, during, and after runs. Or ya know... at all, really.<br />
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Otherwise things are going well. Over Memorial Day weekend, The KoB and I did our annual pilgrimage to a car show with my dad and we met some of my uncles there as well. It was a hot day and there was lots of texting going on the Friday night before and we weren't even sure if we were going to be driving The KoB's Corvette up there or not, but in the end, we did, and it's a good thing...<br />
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<i>Her first Trophy!!!!!!</i></div>
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She came in 3rd overall in her class!!!! Very exciting. She wasn't the only one who took home a trophy though, it was a clean sweep in the Family:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Rmqb1rCimaQG1676j2lW5T7QWLLz97L3J98po4K2CARfma3enJ5lh4HjZe00UUaoebHQBiBi80rPO-VwAn69QKUlk5Slt6b2YtiKKLoH_r0PzuG1T1J-d6DvhsyyT46yKWVg6dRA7uw/s1600/IMG_1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Rmqb1rCimaQG1676j2lW5T7QWLLz97L3J98po4K2CARfma3enJ5lh4HjZe00UUaoebHQBiBi80rPO-VwAn69QKUlk5Slt6b2YtiKKLoH_r0PzuG1T1J-d6DvhsyyT46yKWVg6dRA7uw/s320/IMG_1813.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<strike>Getting these 3 guys together and all looking at the camera at the same time</strike></div>
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<strike>is like herding a bunch of blind and deaf cats. So, this is best I got.</strike></div>
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<i>My Uncle won 1st with his truck, my dad Second, and The KoB won 3rd.</i></div>
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It was a good day. </div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-84577079255368113072016-06-01T07:34:00.001-05:002016-06-01T07:34:35.362-05:00LessonSo, here's the problem with starting training tweaks (like a speedwork program) with no goal race: It's incredibly hard to stay motivated.<br />
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Yeah, as excited as I was to try some regular speedy stuff again, after the first week and the hamstring issues, I kind of fell off of the speedwork wagon. I am the WORST at following through on things if there's no real accountability (if you couldn't tell by now).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6sPPb2nKxVJsstbfk4H1b_0_Jy72wkEp-ZhQD2YS1TSByTcs52i3UNZyX4RyQuXvFMo8BziVdzZg-5tSrvHjKnLBlWrUKH6yxIRODYkJ0yWK9iSP6J-pF9z9NQeaNGaU06MzQqaG5l8/s1600/tumblr_inline_ngt9wsD7uk1r79k32.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6sPPb2nKxVJsstbfk4H1b_0_Jy72wkEp-ZhQD2YS1TSByTcs52i3UNZyX4RyQuXvFMo8BziVdzZg-5tSrvHjKnLBlWrUKH6yxIRODYkJ0yWK9iSP6J-pF9z9NQeaNGaU06MzQqaG5l8/s320/tumblr_inline_ngt9wsD7uk1r79k32.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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So, where does that leave me? Well, just kind of running when I want to run. And I'm okay with that. I'm going to attempt to ratchet the consistency and mileage up a bit in June. But, I think, right now, the less (by way of training plans) is more. Less direction. Less expectations. Just enjoyment.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybmS53YDKOOoIy4WzCGj7mmUPByHGsCouctzGowYDdf3Ze5Shq9Pb1FgZFl9FgrXxw6olIVKktdAX70ro4CsZPXF84InCi7VkVKUw2dTckE0KzEqILAB_mFNVvpF78Ai4pd_VxX_rrnQ/s1600/tumblr_inline_nqqj2m3JD11r79k32_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybmS53YDKOOoIy4WzCGj7mmUPByHGsCouctzGowYDdf3Ze5Shq9Pb1FgZFl9FgrXxw6olIVKktdAX70ro4CsZPXF84InCi7VkVKUw2dTckE0KzEqILAB_mFNVvpF78Ai4pd_VxX_rrnQ/s1600/tumblr_inline_nqqj2m3JD11r79k32_500.gif" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, I run with Steve at least twice a week and that forces me to run faster than I normally would, so there is some built-in speed to my schedule, and we will probably occasionally throw in some kind of fartlek, or tempo runs occasionally.<br />
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That's where I am right now and truthfully, it's fine. There will be plenty of time for plans when I start training in earnest for Des Moines (which, eeek! will probably have to be soon).Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-34233180876517456112016-05-17T07:52:00.001-05:002016-05-17T07:52:48.280-05:00Week 1 of Speedy-ish StuffSo, I need to back up a little to give you the full story of last week's "speedy-ish stuff." The Saturday before, I spent over 3 hours blissfully planting 150 plants and flowers and spreading mulch. So, the week started with my hamstrings being totally effed.<br />
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My plan was to do the following:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DhSsnMVSIh6Bg97XD5dy08BVJnuN0oBstlFk5V5dGH2S2ufm1nH6mWQ_ggoOS3tcynj0qjHTZYhrc4swogX-gWse0YLVOtpyva_E8UXtni0bkWYzRINIEbyMNQdhW44AfKuuqWP7C0c/s1600/8e6a5f12-d770-41c6-98df-3f769202d8a3.jpe" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_DhSsnMVSIh6Bg97XD5dy08BVJnuN0oBstlFk5V5dGH2S2ufm1nH6mWQ_ggoOS3tcynj0qjHTZYhrc4swogX-gWse0YLVOtpyva_E8UXtni0bkWYzRINIEbyMNQdhW44AfKuuqWP7C0c/s400/8e6a5f12-d770-41c6-98df-3f769202d8a3.jpe" width="298" /></a></div>
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<i>Well crap, you probably can't read that.</i></div>
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This is what it says: </div>
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M: Nada</div>
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T: am: 5x400s 6 miles total</div>
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T: pm: Shred DVD</div>
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W: Nada</div>
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Th: am: 8:45, 8:30, 8:15 Tempo 3 miles w/up and c/down</div>
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Th: pm: Shred DVD</div>
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F: 4 mi easy</div>
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Sa: 10 miles last 5 at 9:00 pace</div>
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Su: 11.2 Easy</div>
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So, yeah, I did two run workouts: The first one I did 5x400s and that went pretty well. I feel like in the past, I've always been able to nail my interval workouts, BUT, that my one weakness there is that I generally milk my recoveries. So, I wanted to focus on HONEST recoveries and I mostly did that, but they progressively got slower and slower. Ha. It's the first week. I am happy that I just made myself more aware of my recoveries.</div>
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The other workout was a 3 mile tempo run. I had hoped to do what I mentioned above: 8:45, 8:30, 8:15. But, I ended up doing mostly 8:35ish for the whole thing. And by Thursday, my right hamstring was quite sore. So, I skipped the DVD workout on Thursday evening.</div>
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Friday morning my right hamstring had moved from being sore to being EFFED. I ran 3 miles and called it quits and iced and foam rolled on Friday night.</div>
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The rest of the weekend, I nursed my hamstring... I ran 6 miles easyish on Saturday and about 8 on Sunday. I am happy to report, that by Sunday, my hamstring was all better and back it's normal non-flexible, non-cranky self.</div>
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All-in-all, I was happy with the week. I got in some good speed work (even if it wasn't exactly the paces I wanted, and I smartly scaled back when my hamstring started to holler at me). </div>
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Onward and upward!</div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8838911823399772442.post-65652105936728164902016-05-10T08:02:00.002-05:002016-05-10T08:02:36.198-05:00Consumer ReportsSemi-Running Related things that I'm loving these days:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEF-W12f23GheDn1We7zYgKquayAP2Gy-SKgwLOmfK9eqGP-_kqvtItvx4PuHtSimluGcm8Bz1qB_WdhcnjS6tvq9FMBT2p47SwVmSKhSrTAByYPUrVtXPZdaFQ4vqPyvtH-1fzBB234/s1600/393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEF-W12f23GheDn1We7zYgKquayAP2Gy-SKgwLOmfK9eqGP-_kqvtItvx4PuHtSimluGcm8Bz1qB_WdhcnjS6tvq9FMBT2p47SwVmSKhSrTAByYPUrVtXPZdaFQ4vqPyvtH-1fzBB234/s320/393.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<i>Huma Energy Gels</i></div>
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I am happy to report that energy gels are back in my life. I LOVE these gels. They have chia seeds which make up their consistency and the fruit flavors taste just like pureed fruit (strawberry, blueberry, and lemonade are my favorites. I still haven't tried mango yet, even though it's my favorite fruit). They taste natural and clean and they don't have the chemical aftertaste that you get after downing a Gu. I've used them in 2-3 marathons and on training runs and have yet to experience any GI distress from them. WIN.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kkFG_08rjARkOcMEyv7ahKkC3sQsgP65GYW7g3e70xBNrcMY-L3msknvzl40L9OLC6zv8J8M9275YDGCe3SATe-RZiVj4n5jQGbkVSzlR7VZOr5y0at9vVAMT_PlgyZdDVjyZqI-C7w/s1600/c4efc95a6d232ea3e107486b843a0b65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kkFG_08rjARkOcMEyv7ahKkC3sQsgP65GYW7g3e70xBNrcMY-L3msknvzl40L9OLC6zv8J8M9275YDGCe3SATe-RZiVj4n5jQGbkVSzlR7VZOr5y0at9vVAMT_PlgyZdDVjyZqI-C7w/s320/c4efc95a6d232ea3e107486b843a0b65.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<i>Nike Vomeros</i></div>
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If they are good enough for Marky Mark, they're good enough for me, dammit. No, seriously, I know I've been wearing Vomeros for awhile now, but I've finally given up flirting with other shoes (like my previous favorite the ASICS Nimbus) and am just going to faithfully follow the Vomeros. They are cushioned and light and they last a pretty good while. Nike may not be the "hip" running company and there may be 4 year old children in Guatemala sewing these shoes together, but, they are officially MY shoe now. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy79SmviTOiTYsfhFzLvFDXaFcGy-p-yxgd8wiz0X45jgkgrvyCPyOdglHxHctMJjAEkT4Dz6ruQ-YsTVY2sNaAxihWBsTQQO8HuWBLISxJznNg2KxS9Rs6Ng-xnNwqV25eK1H5r5DoMo/s1600/13717-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy79SmviTOiTYsfhFzLvFDXaFcGy-p-yxgd8wiz0X45jgkgrvyCPyOdglHxHctMJjAEkT4Dz6ruQ-YsTVY2sNaAxihWBsTQQO8HuWBLISxJznNg2KxS9Rs6Ng-xnNwqV25eK1H5r5DoMo/s320/13717-3.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<i>Hamilton Soundtrack</i></div>
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Okay. I HATE musicals. Hate them, hate them, hate them. EXCEPT when I become obsessed with them. Like when I became obsessed with the Broadway version of Evita when I was in middle school and listened to the soundtrack NON-stop (heh) for 3 years. And now, much like Evita (historical), I am obsessed with Hamilton. (This might be the most basic sentence I've ever typed on this blog. WHO ISN'T obsessed with Hamilton??????). But, I love it so much, that I've banished myself from listening to it, unless I'm running. It is fantastic running music ("Yorktown" is my favorite running song) and I love listening to it on the treadmill. I also find myself chanting to myself during runs... "I'm not throwing my shot, ya know I'm just like my country, I'm young, scrappy, and hungry and I'm not throwing my shot!!!" Inspirational as shit. </div>
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So, there's a few things I'm obsessed with lately. You got anything good to share?</div>
Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00574939084120691481noreply@blogger.com1