Three Things Thursday

I haven't done a Three Things Thursday  in a quite a while so here it goes:

1. Daylight Saving Time really got me this time! I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to wake up for my long run on Sunday morning. I was so tired but I made it out the door and struggled the entire time but the good thing is that I got it done. I was counting down the miles the entire time and I was so glad it was done! I have been feeling run down this entire week so I am looking forward to getting a little bit of extra rest this weekend even though I have to wake up early for my long run on Saturday.

2. Rice Krispies are my absolute favorite cereal. I throw a sliced banana in my Rice Krispies and they are the best thing ever. I sometimes have them for dinner. I was thinking back to many years ago when they had Marshmallow Krispies and those will always be my favorite. Kellogg's discontinued them for some reason but apparently a lot of people love them just as much as I do because they started a Facebook page to try to get Kellogg's to bring them back. They haven't brought them back yet but I will be here patiently waiting for them!

3. Running has not been about the pace lately that is for sure. I attempted a tempo run on Tuesday and I went better than expected. I did a two miles warm up @8:45, 8:41, then four miles at 7:53 followed by a 2 mile cool down@8:41, 8:34. It wasn't the fastest tempo run but it felt good to run some miles in the high 7's since I have not done this since this whole knee and hip issue started. The knee and hip are feeling better but I am not out of the woods yet. I am still doing a lot of exercises to keep them happy and in check.

What is your favorite cereal? 

Have you ever tried Marshmallow Rice Krispies?

Did Daylight Saving Time affect this week you like it did me?

Three Things Thursday

1. I am excited to have reached 1000 for 2014. My goal is to hit 1400 miles but my focus will be more on quality runs for the remainder of the year so come what may.

 2. I finally gave in a decided it was time for my son to get a cell phone. He is in 7th grade this year and swears that he is the only one who does not have a cell phone. I think the decision came when I started getting a bunch of calls from my son from other kids' cell phones when he forgot things for school. He is not the most responsible boy but I think this will be a good time to test him. Not only did he get a new phone but so did I. I took the iPhone 6 from the new line I added and gave him my 5S. Lucky me right?

3. I haven't been posting much on the Weekly Recaps because I really don't have anything exciting to tell you. I have been running with my running club on Saturdays for the past two weeks and that kinds of seems to be the highlight of running for me right now. Hopefully I will have some exciting news to share if I am able to run a race soon. I feel like I jinx myself when I talk about my races too much.

Three Things Thursday

1. I thought it was pretty cool that Google remembered that it was my birthday. I must be on the late train because I didn't know that this existed!

2. Since I wasn't able to run Ventura on my birthday I did something that I have always wanted to do. I volunteered for a race that benefited Steven's Hope for Children. It was a pretty neat experience. My son and my other half also volunteered with me. My son and I unloaded trucks of water and helped set up the finish line chute and my other half took pictures at the Finish Line.

3. My hip is feeling a lot better and I actually had a good run last night. It wasn't where I want to be but it felt good to test out my hip and not wake up with any pain. I hope this is a good sign for me to be able to run my next race. 

I also wanted to remember those who were affected by the horrible tragedy that took place on 9/11/2001. I pray for all of the those who were affected and hope they find peace today. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

Three Things Thursday

1) I have not gone for a run in five whole days! Yes, five whole days! I don't have any exciting news to share about running because today makes the fifth day of no running. Am I repeating myself? I am dealing with it way better than I thought I would. This might sound weird but it has been kind of nice to come home and relax and take care of the things that I normally put off for the weekend.

2) When I can't run I kind of go on these missions where I do things that are related to running like shopping for running clothes and shoes. I didn't do that this time around but I did do something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I joined a running club! I am kind of tired of running those long runs alone so I am thinking this change will be kind of nice.

3) The Ventura Marathon is next Sunday which also happens to be my 21st birthday. I have not made a decision as to whether or not I will run. I know that I want to but what I want to do and the right thing to do are two different things. The deadline to defer the race is Tuesday, September 2nd. The race director is not charging any fees for deferring this year which is really nice of him. I will make my final decision by next Tuesday. Pray for me!

Three Things Thursday

1. My goal for July is to run 150 miles so I signed up for The Bigfoot Challenge over at http://www.teamigotyaback.com/#cac5. I saw it on Instagram and decided to try it since it is already in line with the mileage I had planned for the month of July. I hope I can do it but as we all know that sometimes life gets in the way and we have to make changes in our running schedule. I don't follow the recommended running schedule because it does not work with my schedule but the mileage I have planned will meet the goal if I can stick with it. Wish me luck!

2. I am thinking about running the Cypress 5K again this year. I ran it last year and got the worst side ache so that is all that keeps playing in my head. I am going to wait until the last minute to sign up to make sure I am ready for it. 5K's are short but oh so painful! If I run it, my goal will be to break 23 minutes (22:59) and I am not sure if I am capable of that right now.

3. This is kind of a sad thought but it has been on my mind for the past few days. I was driving to meet my carpool on Tuesday morning and I saw something in the road. I assumed it was a dead animal and sure enough it was. I decided to change lanes to avoid hitting the dead dog and when I made the lane change, I noticed a small white dog laying in the dummy lane who was still alive. I presume that he was waiting there for his buddy that had just got hit by a car. It was just really sad and just makes me realize how darn faithful dogs are. I did not stop because it was really dark where the dog was at and I did not want to scare him and make him run into traffic because of me. I drove past the same spot after work because I wanted to make sure that he did not get hit too. He was not there so I was relieved to know that perhaps someone rescued him or he made it to safety. This just makes me love my fur babies that much more!

Today is my Friday since I have the day off tomorrow so have a great weekend everyone!

Three Things Thursday

1. I am going to see the Eagles next week! I am super excited and have to see them every time they are on tour. I am a big Eagles fan (I know I am old) but I think everyone loves them some "Hotel California." They are inaugurating at the Forum in Los Angeles which has just been renovated and reopened. The top of the Forum has the world's largest spinning vinyl of "Hotel California" which is turning at 17 mph. Pretty cool if you ask me!

2. My son will be turning 12 years old on Saturday! I cannot believe that he will be a teenager next year! He is a big silly boy and always manages to make us laugh. He has a big heart, is very lovable and I am so glad that I was blessed with such a special kid. 

We have some fun stuff planned for the weekend and we are going out to dinner as well. He is pretty excited about this birthday since his friend will be spending the night.

3. LA Marathon training is coming along. The next 6 weeks will be full of long runs so things are starting to get real! This weekend calls for 17 miles and then a big 20 the week after. I am even hoping to squeeze a 22 miler in there. It has been windy here this week which makes my long runs much more challenging than I want them to be. I am hoping that the winds disappear so that I am able to have some decent long runs before this big race.

Any Eagles fans out there?

Three Things Thursday

1. I love it when my run accidentally turns out to be a progressive run! I was not shooting for it but realized it only after I uploaded my run!

2. I am having a lot of fun with my new Garmin 620. If you are a numbers person you will love it too. It gives you so much information about each run and your overall running dynamics. I want to post a review of the watch from my prospective as soon as I have it all figured out. So far so good. I really kind of love it!

3. Tomorrow is my last day of work before I start my vacation and I am pretty excited. I will be off for a whole 17 days. It is going to be hard to go back to work!

 

Are you taking any time off from work this holiday season?

Three Things Thursday

1. My son had his first band concert of the school year. He got upgraded to the full tuba so he was really nervous but ended up feeling really proud of himself because he did really well!

2.I swear I need this. I would really enjoy going to work if this was my desk. I am not sure if my boss would approve but it would be nice to get some miles in while getting my work done!

 

3. Today marks 14 years that we have been married! We started off our morning by running 5.14 miles together. He also sent me 14 red roses to represent the 14 years that we have been married.

I am off to Las Vegas this evening to have a blast running Ragnar Las Vegas so I will talk to you later!

Who else is running Ragnar Las Vegas?

Three Things Thursday

1. Happy Halloween! My son is going to be Ironman this year and please do not ask how he squeezed into that costume! 

 

Sugar is going to be the Security Guard of the house since she does not take well to unfamiliar people. This costume fits her perfectly and was only $2.47 at Petsmart! DEAL!

2. I signed up for Pile on the Miles for the month of November over at Run Eat Repeat. If you haven't signed up yet, you should because you have a chance to win some pretty nice prizes and it keeps you accountable! My goal is to run 125 miles in the month of November.

Pile on the Miles 2013

3. I thought I was done signing up for races for 2013 but I am thinking about running this local Turkey Trot 5K. It is one of those small races that all of the fast people show up for so it is hard to place even though it is a small race. I ran it in 2012 and ended up placing 4th in AG.

Who else is participating in Pile on the Miles 2013?

What is your goal?

Any plans for running a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving?

I like to run Turkey Trots so that I can feel better about all of the food that I will be eating on Thanksgiving Day!

Three Things Thursday

1. Just looking at this forecast is getting me all excited about running this weekend. I can't remember the last time I ran in 50 degree temps! My other half and I will be running 8 miles together on Friday which will his longest distance to date. I am pretty excited for him even though he doesn't talk to me at all when we run!

2. I have my annual performance review at work today! I always get nervous about it but knowing that I have been working hard and staying on top of all my projects make me feel a bit more confident.

3. I think I am in love! I just love the new Garmin 620 and think that it might be something that I will have to squeeze into my "fun money" budget! It has so many great features like recovery time and race predictor which can predict your finish time for a given distance.  I really like that it has a color display too!

Today is also my Friday! I got paid and I don't have to work tomorrow! Have a great weekend!

Three Things Thursday

1. My son's first day of school was Tuesday. Initially he did not want me to drop him off. I mean he is a sixth grader now and is too cool to hang out with me! He told me "no flash photography please" but I managed to convince him to let me take just one picture of him. The rest of pictures I took without his permission.

2. I always know when my birthday is close because I get tons of free offers in my email. I am most excited about the $30.00 free meal at Benihana! My birthday is Saturday and I will be celebrating it by attending a friend's wedding. My family is not too excited about how I chose to celebrate my birthday but I wouldn't miss her wedding for the world. 

 3. There may be a marathon in my near future. I am trying to finalize my plans and I should know more by the weekend! I am excited!!

Three Things Thursday

1. It's race week and it looks like the weather is going to be in the mid 60's for the Dumbo Double Dare this weekend. Not the best but it beats the 90 degree heat that we have been having for the last month.

2. My Garmin is back and just in time for my races this weekend. It is a brand new one so  I hope I remember how to set it up all over again! I was seriously considering running naked this weekend but chances are that I won't now do it!

3. My Pom Roxy, who is 13 years old, will be going in for a biopsy and a test for Cushing's disease today. I am a little worried about her health but I have been throwing money at trying to figure out what is wrong with her for the last year and I think I may have finally found a specialized vet who may have figured it out.

Three Things Thursday

1. My grandma is 85 years old and is still in great shape both mentally and physically. Her license was up for renewal and she took her test yesterday and she passed. She has been studying really hard and I am so glad that she passed. She needs her freedom now that my grandpa is gone. I know that she is getting up there in age but I am confident in her driving abilities and will definitely take her off of the road when the time comes.

 

2. I usually keep my flip-flips in my car right near my feet so I can take my work shoes off and get comfy when I drive. Yesterday as I was getting out of my car to grab my favorite sandwich from Subway (Oven Roasted Chicken) I realized that I had two different shoes on and had to go back to my car to fix the problem.

3. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you probably already saw this but I am going to share it this last time. We went to the beach last Sunday and some people left there food unattended for a long period of time and this is what happened to it. There was no stopping these guys and they were pretty quick to eat these chips right up!

Three Things Thursday

1. I have the sweetest son in the world. At times he drives me crazy but for the most part the kid has a huge heart. He spent the night at Grandma's and came home with this stuff more me to keep on my desk at work. He know how much I love cupcakes but I am not sure what the high heel is all about. I am not a fan but I think I mentioned to him that I thought this tape dispenser was cute.

2. I have to work five days this week and I am bummed to put it mildly! The thought of getting up early for five days straight is making me tired! I know that I have to be thankful that I have a job so I will stop whining about this now!

 

3. I have 15 miles planned for Sunday and the weather forecast is looking very interesting. I can't run on Saturday because I have other stuff on the agenda but it looks like it is a good week for a long and steady run. 70 degrees to start...I am getting excited already!

Three Things Thursday

 1. I didn't get a run in on National Running Day because my son was under the weather and my Grandma needed help balancing her checkbook. Family first so I will head to the gym tonight to get a good run in on the treadmill because it's going to be 85 degrees today. I was bummed but when you are mom it happens!

2. I have been really wanting a Nutribullet and I finally got one. My Grandma bought it for me as a graduation present and I am so excited! It was $99 but we only paid $60 after all of my discounts and Kohl's cash. I thought it was a pretty good deal! We tried it out last night and I love it! My son was not so fond of it because he said our concoction smelled and tasted like plants. He prefers his without the spinach of course.

 

 3. I am running a small, local 10K on Saturday. I am so not ready for it but I am just doing it for the heck of it since it is within running distance of my front door. How often does that happen for me? Almost never. I am also excited to be meeting up at the race with this lady and this lady! This will be even better than a PR!

 Anybody have any good Nutribullet recipes they want to share with me?

Three Things Thursday

1. My son failed his eye test at school so we took him to get his eyes checked and found out that he has really bad astigmatism in one eye. Apparently his right eye is doing all of the work so he has to wear glasses full time now. He is not very excited about it and today will be his first day wearing his glasses to school. I hope it goes well. If one person makes fun of him I know that he will refuse to wear his glasses. Kids can be cruel and he has ran into quite a few of them who are not so nice at times.

2. It is officially taper time and I am so nervous about my upcoming race. The ten day forecast will be available tomorrow and I am really concerned about the heat that we have been having here in So Cal. As of now it is looking like the temperatures are rising which may result in adjusting my goals for the race. Bummer! I do not run well in the heat...

3. On Father's Day I will be participating in the commencement ceremony for earning my Master's Degree. I actually finished all of my classes some time ago but since the ceremonies are held once a year, I had to wait all this time. I am not sure why they planned it on Father's Day but I am excited that my Dad will be coming and we will be able to spend the day together after the ceremonies. 

Three Things Thursday

1. RunDisney posted pictures of the medals for the Dumbo Double Dare, Disneyland Half Marathon, Disneyland 10K, and the Disneyland 5K in September. I can't wait to get mine!

2. I registered for another race. I have not ran a 10K in a while. It is a very small local race that is about 2 miles from my house. I guess I can even run to the race in the morning! I have lived in the area for a while now but was never able to register since I had school on Saturdays.

 3. The Long Beach International Marathon announced that the marathon will now start at 6:00 a.m. and the half will start at 7:30 a.m. In the past, the marathon started at 7 or 7:30 a.m. and by the time you finished the weather was really warm. I love races with early starts and I am now thinking that I might change to the full if I can survive training through the summer heat. If not, I am already registered for the half marathon. All I really want is my Beach Cities Challenge medal and this will be the last race I need to get it regardless of distance.