Running in Ruskin

I said I would dedicate a post to my runs in Ruskin, Florida so here it is. When I think of Florida I think of alligators, armadillos, swamps and Disney World!  In spite of the crazy weather in Ruskin, Florida, I decided to get a couple of runs in while I was visiting my sister. I knew that I would not be able to get my long run of the week done but since my sister and her hubby go to bed later and sleep in I had no excuse to not get my butt out there! I guess I am not used to the humidity in Florida because I was a sweaty, salty mess by mile 2 and that doesn’t usually happen that quickly!

I was a sweaty and salty mess!

I got two runs in while I was in Florida. I did a 6-mile run on Friday and a 5-mile run on Sunday and even though it was very hot and humid I think I kind of enjoyed myself.  I did have to take a few breaks and drink lots of water to survive it though. The change of scenery was nice and I was hoping to experience some interesting things while in Florida but that didn’t really happen or at least it didn’t happen the way that I had hoped it would....



I really wanted to see an armadillo and unfortunately this was how I experienced it :(

I don't think this is a swamp but it was the closest that I got to it!

Scary forest...looks like something you see in a horror movie, huh?

I saw way more cyclists than runners when I was out there. The temperature was between 82-84 degrees on both of my running days, but the humidity is what killed me!   I went for my runs around 7:00am so maybe Floridians get out there before 7:00am. I guess they know better. I ran along the main drag, Highway 301, since I didn’t want to get too adventurous on my runs and end up lost! Highway 301 is a pretty flat road with lot of churches, housing communities and scary looking forests (at least that’s what they look like to me.) One thing that I did notice was that all of the truckers like to honk at the runners.  I am not used to that kind of attention in California. I usually get strange stares when I am waiting at the signals to cross the street. I always wonder what those California people are thinking about me because they just stare at me like I am insane!

Very helpful...

One runner..one bike rider..

After completing/surviving these two short runs in Ruskin, I am doubtful that I will ever be able to run the Disney World Marathon.  In my opinion, if you don’t train in the Florida weather it will be hard to hang in the humidity for 26.2 miles.  I must say that I am in love with the medal for the Disney World Half Marathon but $160.00 for a half-marathon is a little pricey for me. I love Disney and all but I am not sure if I want to drop a $160 entry fee plus airfare and all of that good stuff!

Isn't this medal so cute??

Weekly Recap

This is what I was supposed to do:

Monday: Cross Train

Tuesday: 5 Mile Tempo

Wednesday: Cross Train

Thursday: 5 Mile Tempo

Friday: 8 Miles

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 12 Miles 

TOTAL MILES: 30

Here is what I actually did:

Monday: 4.26 Miles @9.09 (It was 90 degrees)

Tuesday: 3.3 Miles @8:45 (It was 88 degrees)

Wednesday: 4.11 Miles @9:17 (Just feeling lazy!)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 6 Miles @8:36

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: 5 Miles @8:34 

TOTAL MILES: 22.67

I am determined to stay on track this week.  I just completed my 18-mile training run yesterday.  My goal was to maintain marathon pace for the entire run (9:00-9:05.)  I will have to tell you all about it and whether or not I met my goal.  Happy Monday!

Frogs, Snails, Puppy Dog Tails, Armadillos and Alligators!

I didn't get my long run in on Sunday and I only logged 23 miles last week but it was all for a good cause!  My older sister, well if you consider 11 months and 3 weeks to be older, than she is my older sister.  We pretty much grew up together with everyone thinking we were twins! What  were my parents thinking..yuck?? Isn't there some kind of six-week rule you are supposed to follow after you have a baby?  

My Sister and I back in the day!

The reason my mileage sucked for the week was because I flew to Florida to surprise my sister and also to meet my new nephew!  My sister's in-laws were kind enough to send me a ticket to visit her.  They are such kind people! I took a red-eye flight out and landed in Atlanta at 5:00am with a short layover before boarding my flight to Tampa. There were some strange people on both of my flights to say the least! Some people just have no consideration for other people...it's really sad!

Had to brush my teeth during the layover in Atlanta! Ignore my bra strap please!

My new nephew and Me! 

Baby Derek: born June 16, 2011

My nephew is the best baby ever! He hardly ever cries and all he does is sleep!  He is only seven weeks old and he sleeps through the night! They have no idea how lucky they are to have such a good baby!  I know I was never this lucky with either one of my kids!

We were able to keep the secret from my sister!  Her mother-in-law picked me up from the airport and took me over to her house.  My sister thought she was just coming over for a routine visit with the in-laws.  When she saw me she was shocked and she cried. She is such an emotional person! We had a great visit and I enjoyed myself to no end.  The only complaint that I have is the Florida weather!  It is humid and hot to say the very least. It just starts pouring rain out of no where in Florida! It's pretty crazy! The weather did not stop me from getting a couple of good runs in though and luckily I did not get stuck in any downpours!  I will dedicate a post just to recap my runs while I was in Florida.

My Sister, Brother-in-Law and my new nephew Baby Derek!

I am used to the heat but not 80% humidity!

We did a lot of bad eating and they showed me around to their favorite places.  The eateries in Florida are not the same as what I am used to in California so it was a nice change.  I tried to make good eating choices but it was hard to do that in some of the places, plus it was a vacation! One of the places we ate at was called "Smokey Bones Bar and Fire Grill"  Here is what we ordered:

The Crowd Pleaser: Fire Stix, Chicken Fingers, and Southwest Spring Rolls

My Meal: Turkey Burger with Broccoli

My sister knows how I love to shop and I have been dying to check out the lululemon athletica store at the Orlando Premium Outlets. We loaded up, baby and all and headed out to Orlando to shop!  It was pretty hot and humid and my poor nephew was not excited about the visit to the outlet!  One of my favorite things to pass on the way is the Mickey shaped power lines!   

Got Milk?

..the power of Disney!

The Orlando Premium Outlets

My lulu Dressing Room Door!

My new lulu Outfit!

The lululemon outlet prices are not much cheaper than buying from a regular store but I did save something! I still haven't tried out the first pair of lululemon shorts that I blogged about. I better do that soon!

My sister's in-laws (Kelley and Derek, they do have names) made some amazing flank steak and cake and boy was it good!  Derek is known for his great barbecuing abilities and I can see why! Kelley is known for her cakes!

I am a true animal lover and my sister has the cutest little 3-1/2 pound Yorkie in the world. Not only is Jazzy cute but she is pretty vicious! If she doesn't like you, then you are pretty much done!  She will bite your ankles and bark at you every opportunity she gets! She fears nothing when it comes to strangers! I was able to make peace with her this visit and that was quite an accomplishment because she hated me up to this point.
 

My sister's Yorkie, Jazzy!

My sister's in-laws dog, Scarlet!  She is so sweet!

     This is my poor dog Baby, waiting for me to come home from my trip!  He is the sweetest thing in the world!

On the day of my departure we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Carrabba's Italian Grill.  We don't have one in California so I was really looking forward to eating at Carrabba's the whole time I was visiting. The bread at Carrabba’s is fresh from the oven and served with a delicious olive oil and herbs combination for dipping. The bread alone could have been a meal for me because I just love it!

I think I ate two loaves by myself!!

Tag Pic Pac: Tagliarini in Picchi Pacchiu sauce
with crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and basil

We had a great time laughing and just enjoyed our last day together!  We really got out of control with the bread! I mean way out of control and we had no alcohol in our systems either..honest!

My Sister and I!

My niece even got in on the act!

It was really tough going home because I won't see my sister and her family until December!  My niece cried for me after I left which surprised me because she was pushing me to say goodbye and get on my plane once we arrived at the airport! She is too funny! The plane ride back home was much better than the plane ride into Florida. I snapped this photo of the sunset while in the sky and thought it was just beautiful.  Well, back to the grind but I guess I have a lot to be thankful for. My family back at home was missing me too!  It is not too often that I leave them behind!