Critz Tybee Run Fest - Part Two - Race Day!

(You can start on Part One if you'd like!)

Woke up to some crummy weather news on Saturday. Rain was already steadily falling.

And, not just rain, but then they started calling for thunderstorms too.

49 and raining is not pleasant and feels cold. I know this because it's just too close to the race in October which was 45 and raining. We bundled up the best we could and had a quick breakfast. The half had a later start because one of the other races started first. We tried to stay home as long as we could since it was pouring. 

Before leaving on the trip, I went to get a once in forever manicure - even though my nails were really short! I had them done to match the shirt I was going to wear which coincidentally also matched my socks and my watch. When it comes to running gear, it is possible I go slightly overboard on the purple. 

Turns out, no one ever saw my purple shirt because I ran the whole thing with my jacket. Which, by the way, was a Christmas gift from Tom and I absolutely love it! One of those things I would never buy myself but I'm so glad to have. 

When we arrived at the start line, they told us the start would be delayed since the first race was delayed due to the storms. (If you ran all of the races they had that weekend, you would run a full marathon.) We took the opportunity to take a few photos. (Forgive the lighting - it was really a nasty day!)

We got started just a few minutes behind schedule. It was a fairly crowded start considering it was a small race. I'm not going to recap this one because it's just been too long to remember! All I know is that it was one of my worst feeling races and if Claudia hadn't been there to push me and my friends hadn't been there to cheer me on, I'm not sure I would have broken 2 hours. The first part of the race felt OK, but it started going downhill around mile 5 or 6 when the torrential rain started in. At one point, I thought I was going to lose my breakfast which is a first too. All in all, not a great race, but I will say that I gave it what I had and came out with a great time that I would have been very proud of just 9 months ago so I won't beat myself up about it.

Enough with the negativity! We had some great cheerleaders along the way! At one stop, Claudia even did a cartwheel for the crowd. :)

Finally, it was over! I passed by the stand passing out cups of PBR to round the corner for the final 0.1. If I look happy, it's because I was! I love races that end by turning onto the last little section on a straightaway.

All done!

I wish I could say that the weather improved, but it did not. Rainy and cool rounded out the day. After showers and lunch, we went to the lighthouse area in Tybee to find the local art show. We went into the little shop there and went to the beach as well. The gray skies weren't helping though! We decided to come back the next day for better pictures in hopes the sun would be out. But, just in case, we snapped a few photos.

Along the way though, I did find this cute little beach cottage that was for sale. 

Then, back to Savannah we went! We did a little more shopping and found Byrd's Cookies. At first, we were a little confused but then figured out that the cookie bar was all about sampling their selections! Yummo! They're little biscuit-y type cookies and they had a handful of different flavors, both sweet and savory. Most of us bought some for our kids... or maybe for ourselves! 

We also did a little shopping the Paula Deen gift shop which was full of butter related gifts! We settled in for an early dinner there at Lady & Sons which was good southern cooking. I'm just glad I had run 13 miles earlier to get some of it burned off! 

Home again to settle in for the night after another great day! 

Critz Tybee Run Fest - Part One - Pre-Race

Better late than never! Only a month out, but trying to get caught up!

Fun fun fun weekend! Spending the weekend in Tybee/Savannah with a group of girlfriends is something I would highly recommend! Not to mention the wonderful crowd support on the course. No PR for me, but happy with a second best anyway. I'm really surprised I did that well even - it was not my best feeling race. Not at all.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and went straight to the house. Atlanta had serious weather issues and our flight was the first out of Atlanta to Savannah and people cheered when the plane took off! I won't even get into the fun that we had with the scavenger hunt that was planned. Seriously, so fun. If you ever want to do something like this, let me know and I'll send you the list because it really made the trip there a blast. Just as an example, here's a photo of something required...

I loved the Savannah airport. Just made you feel like you were in the south!

On the drive to Tybee, we went through Savannah and caught a glimpse of what we would see the next day. Love the trees! 

We got the house and, if it wasn't so cold, we would have spent some more time on our upper deck.

Friday night, we went out to Sting Ray's in Tybee. It's a cute little bar/restaurant in Tybee and I had the best grilled fish tacos ever! Yum!

The next morning, Claudia and I decided to run to the expo at the YMCA. We found this cute little garden when we arrived. Yes, a garden in January - even though it was covered for the recent frost, we loved seeing the green!

We decided to run a little more. We ended up on a 6 mile run. Oops. I have to say I really enjoyed it though. Definitely enjoyed it more than the race the next day! We caught some glimpses of the beach and this cool anchor from a boat from the 1800's that recovered off the coast.

After some showers, we went into Savannah. We landed around the City Market and hit up a few art shops. We came across Vinnie a Go Go's for pizza. Great find. We went for the spinach, tomato and feta pizza. Delish.

After lunch, we putzed around town. Scouted out Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) and the various squares around town. If you're ever visiting, make sure to stop at the SCAD art store to check out various pieces for sale by students and alumni. It's not just traditional "art" either but a lot of jewelry and textiles too.

We had a great day for exploring with 50-60 degree temps and sunshine. Loved this town...

The architecture and level of restoration was amazing.

We walked all the way down through the streets until arriving at Forsythe Square which is a large park that was just beautiful. We did have to avoid the 100 middle schoolers that were just released from a school bus as we arrived! 

On our way back toward the river, we came across the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. 

We went inside for a little peek.

After walking through the historic district, we went down to the river. It was neat down there too with candy shops with fantastically delicious praline samples! 

After a beautiful, blue-skied, warm-weather day of exploring town, we headed back to Tybee for some spaghetti and Milli Vanilli Pandora. Don't judge.

Josie's Gymnastics Debut!

I'm a very proud mama right now! Josie had her first meet today for gymnastics! We've been taking her to classes for a few years and then she decided this year she wanted to compete. Today was her first chance to give it a try!

The last two weeks, she has really been practicing non-stop between gym practice three days a week and basement practice the other days. (Completely self-imposed!) Honestly, she just seems to be having so much fun!

I, being the nervous mom, was concerned that she wouldn't know her routines and may be embarrassed in front of the crowd and the judges. I was sorely mistaken! She remembered all of them and didn't have one ounce of stage fright and really did a great job! While she didn't make it on the podium, she got a medal, and probably more important to her, a free t-shirt. :)

I'm so glad she has decided to compete. The benefits are so huge for her character development, not to mention the physical exercise. Being on a team yet having an individual experience is one of the reasons I've really enjoyed running. I'll never win a race (never say never right?), but I can always improve. Same goes for gymnastics. I think she's going to make some great friends along the way!

Can't say enough how proud I am of this little one. Sweet girl and growing up so fast! 

Running Update - Next Race & GOALS!!!

Blogging has taken a major backseat lately. One of these days, the mood will strike again. It seems like we get into such a routine that nothing seems interesting and then, when something exciting happens, like the holidays, I don't have time to sit down and document it. Oh well.

In about two weeks, I get to head south! Woo Hoo! Our book club decided this past summer to take a girls' trip to Savannah this winter. This month, we picked a book set there (Savannah Breeze - Mary Kay Andrews) and we will spend three nights in a house on Tybee Island!

After the sub zero temperatures, the foot of snow and general gray skies, I am more than ready. Although the temps don't look "hot" by any stretch, I think 50 will feel downright balmy. In fact, one of the girls said tonight, that 20 felt warm after -15 and we all walked around without coats that day. I'm considering just wear flip flops all weekend, just because.

We had a little planning session tonight and I'm getting really excited. I love trips in general and traveling without kids makes me feel as free as a bird. And, it gives me strange bursts of energy. Somehow, I can get by on 6 hours of sleep each day with plenty of energy left over! I wish I had that energy before I had kids - I didn't know a good thing until it was gone!

{Don't get me wrong, I love taking the kids places and watching them see new things. But, there's something about being alone where no one depends on you that is just super appealing.}

On Saturday, I will be running in the Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon. This will be my second "destination" race with my friend, Claudia. The first was the Steamboat Half. This race will knock Georgia off of her 50-state list. It will also mark my first race of 2014. :) I'm looking forward to another race with a few familiar faces at the finish line!

I have some lofty running goals this year. They're a little dependent on one another so bear with me.

There is a pattern to my races that I noticed sometime last year...

2010 - 30 years old - 0 Half Marathons
2011 - 31 years old - 1 Half Marathon - 2011 Indy Mini
2012 - 32 years old - 2 Half Marathons - 2012 Indy Mini & 2012 Indianapolis Half
2013 - 33 years old - 2 Half Marathons + 1 Marathon = 3 Half or better races - 2013 Indy Mini (PR), 2013 Steamboat Half, 2013 Indianapolis Full

See the pattern? (Also, do you see where I will be when I'm 40? I think that's a great goal to run 10 Half or better races that year!)

So, this year, I am 34 and I will run 4 Half Marathons. {Or, 4 Half or better races.}

Here are the races that I've already entered for the year.

Critz Tybee Run Fest Half Marathon - Tybee Island
Indy-Mini Half Marathon - Indianapolis

The second part of my goal for 2014?

I will beat 1:50. I'll take a 1:49:59 on either of those two races.

This is the lofty part. My PR is 1:54:51 and shaving almost five minutes off will not be easy, but I do think it is attainable. I've shaved 10 minutes off since my first half so this is only half that right? :)

Now, for the interdependence part, if I beat 1:50, I will train for a full marathon in the fall with a 3rd Half as part of my training plan. With that goal, of course, to be a PR at the full.

Back to the upcoming half, I'm not shooting for a 1:49:59. My training hasn't been awesome but I did have a pretty stellar 9 mile run last weekend. I've mostly run on the treadmill which causes me to go much slower. I am, however, shooting for a PR. I think a PR is within reach. The course is super flat and will be very interesting since it runs all around the island. It's doable.

PR or no PR, the trip will be awesome and I can't wait!

Book List 2013

I am dreadfully behind. Really. In fact, I'm not even sure I'll get this post finished. I just don't have blogging in me these days, so it's fallen by the wayside.

I do want to list the books I read last year just like I did last year. My goal was to read two per month. I didn't hit it. In fact, I didn't even read as many as last year. I'm pretty sure that was due to my addiction to Candy Crush. On December 31st, I decided to delete it from my phone and read instead of playing. I've since read two books. We've also been home a lot so I'm sure that rate won't continue, but I should be able to take on a few more this year.

Again, I won't be extensively reviewing the individual books, but here is the down and dirty. (* = book club book)

1. Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin - This is one that I found on the library's online site. It was an OK book but I'm not sure I would recommend it. 

2. The Rocky Road to Romance - Janet Evanovich - This is the first of her's I've read. I read it on the beach, so I'm not sure if it was good, or if I was just happy to be on the beach. :) 

3. The Second Time Around - Mary Higgins Clark - See #2 - typical Mary Higgins Clark

4. Sacre Bleu - Christopher Moore - I really liked this one. A friend suggested it and I'm glad I read it. It was pretty bizarre but an interesting mix of fiction and non-fiction based in Paris during the Post-Impressionist Art Movement (had to Google that - think Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec).

*5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon - I have to say, I wasn't a fan. Too deep maybe?

6. Sail - James Patterson - Typical James Patterson

7. 1st to Die - James Patterson - See #6 - I can only read two of his in a row before I get bored. I think I started another one in this series but didn't finish it. Or, maybe I did. I can never keep his straight either.

8. Lean In - Sandra Sandberg - READ THIS BOOK! All women (especially mothers of daughters), fathers of daughters, teachers and business people should read this book. In fact, all women and men should read this book. Period. Excellent. 

*9. Kisses From Katie - Katie J. Davis - Good, easy read about an amazing girl who is making a real difference in Uganda. 

10. Big Trouble - Dave Barry - Don't bother. He attempted a novel and, in my opinion, he should stick to comedy. (Sorry if that sounds harsh.)

*11. The Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown - This was a book club book and good. I liked it and it was really different than the types of books I would usually read. 

12. The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio - Terry "Tuff" Ryan - This was a good one. It's a memoir written about a mother who entered all kinds of contests to provide for her family during the 1950's. 

*13. Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier - Think the Nicole Kidman movie. I have to say I liked the book more than the movie. It was a little long in the flowery language describing random landscapes and such, but I have a knack for skipping right over that. 

*14. Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls - Yet another book I would have never picked up but glad I did. Another memoir (read more of these than usual this year) written by a woman about her crazy childhood. 

15. Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers - I had this book recommended by a few people a few different times and just couldn't get excited about it. I put it off for a long time. Then, when I started it, I finished it in two days by staying up until 2 and 3AM. It is a western loosely based on Hosea in the Bible. Great book. 

*16. See You in 100 Years - Logan Ward - Another memoir! A New Yorker and his wife move to the mountains and live like they would have 100 years ago. It was a great book for a lot of reasons. Mainly because it made me realize I'm glad I live in 2014 and not 1914. 

17. Marathoning for Mortals - John Bingham - OK for what it was. In the midst of my heavy training, it was fun to read about other people running and training. 

Also, right at the end of last year, I finished another book - "Killing Lincoln" - loved it and highly recommend it! Forget about Bill O'Reilly's politics. It was a good book and highly entertaining and educational. 

Can I hit 24 this year? Hope so!

In the Midst of Trying Times...

We all go through rough patches right? When we just don't feel like trying anymore and we just can't make anyone happy? When we question whether we really can do anything right?

It seems this year that the holidays are really hitting some people especially hard and making them especially grumpy and sometimes just mean. (At least, I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt and giving them the holiday excuse.) All of this negativity, hardly well deserved, has about put me over the edge this December. I'm kind of getting tired of putting on a happy face and playing the Stupid and Cheerful card. Trying to be the "bigger person," act like a polite adult and not throwing a fit like a two year old is kind of starting to wear me out.

I think the negativity and anger are particularly hard for me to take during this season of Christmas in which we're supposed to remember the gift that Jesus gave us and love one another and all of that other good stuff. I just want the Norman Rockwell Christmas Card picture of snuggling with the kids reading a book in front of the tree with the fire roaring and Christmas Carols playing on the record player.

All that being said, I definitely needed an attitude adjustment today. So, I picked up a book that had been sitting gathering dust on the bookshelf forever.

The Bounce Back Book - Karen Salmansohn

It's a super quick read - I finished it while drinking coffee and watching cartoons with Jack.  I do think it's probably geared more toward people struggling with more than grumpy people, but I found it has some wonderfully profound nuggets of goodness for all of us.

It's changed my attitude this morning and I thought I should probably share it since it's likely more people than just me need an attitude adjustment.

People aren't evil they're weak.  

Who you truly are as a person is best revealed by who you are in times of conflict and crisis.  

You're either growing into a bigger, better person or shrinking into a lowly, bitter person.  

When you're tempted to indulge in a negative, regressive behavior, swap it for one that will move you FORWARD. 

Pessimists, who generally don't bounce back easily from bad times, see setbacks as permanent, pervasive and personal. - Dr. Martin Seligman  

Optimistic people tell themselves that setbacks are temporary, confined to that one situation and are usually about the other person, not a character defect in themselves.  - Dr. Martin Seligman 

Swap feeling like you're wearing a KICK ME sign to feeling like you're wearing a KICK ASS sign! 

If you are falling, dive! - Joseph Campbell 

In Buddhism, huge difficulties are thought to be a compliment - a sign you're an old soul being tested to see if you're ready to rise to the next level of enlightenment. View bad events as a test of your character. Now ask yourself... What the heck are you being tested for? Patience? Compassion? Improved communication? Resilience? Forgiveness? Open mindedness? {Side Note: I can easily relate this to my Christian faith as well. What "fruit of the spirit" is God challenging me to work harder on today? Kindness? Gentleness? Self-Control? Patience?} 

Forgiveness therapy - This is an interesting one. When a group of adults struggling with substance abuse were divided into two groups - one with traditional substance abuse therapy and one with forgiveness therapy - the ones with the forgiveness therapy had a higher success rate. {I can also relate this one back to the Christian faith. Doesn't this look a lot like Jesus on the cross?}1. Recall the hurt
2. Empathize and try to understand the act from the perpetrators perspective
3. Be altruistic by recalling a time you were forgiven
4. Put your forgiveness into words in a letter that is sent or never sent
5. Don't dwell

After starting and finishing this book, I've readjusted my attitude and will work hard today and the rest of the season to be the optimist and see the best in people and in myself. Control the things I can control, treat others as I want to be treated, etc. etc.

There. I feel better now. Thanks for indulging me this morning.

What 6 & 7 Year Old Girls Do When Bored...

It seems as if I'm always walking around picking up random pieces of paper with a few scribbles or doodles. Recently, I saved back a few because I realized it is a phase of their life that I wanted to capture. Usually Tessa is the one who draws, but she's getting into writing too. Josie hardly ever draws and has taken to writing as well.

Here are some samples from their most recent portfolios!

The first few are from Josie. I can't remember what these types of things are called. But, yes, yelling is actually fairly common in our household. It's not always bad, but the general noise level is usually pretty high.

I love the "Supersmart" and "Supernice." 

I found this in our office after they had left and never did get a chance to ask Josie what it all meant. Interesting to say the least. 

This is a favorite of mine that Tessa brought home from school after Veteran's Day.

Tessa wrote me this note in the car on the way home from Ohio. She thanked me BEFORE I helped her with her project. Smart little girl. :)

These are my favorites. Tom and I found these in our office after the girls had been there playing. Apparently, they were playing New Home Salesperson. :)