Monthly Archives: March 2017

Marine Corps Marathon… I’m In! Oorah!!

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I think the title pretty much says it all.  I put in for the Marine Corps Marathon lottery, and I got drawn!  Oorah!  Looks like I’ll be running my very first 26.2 in October!!

And guess what?!!  The Motivator is going to pace me the entire time.  I am probably “one and done” with this marathon (but never say never), and this may very well be the only time I’ll have a chance to qualify for Boston.  Sooo, if I can hang with James the entire time, I’m a guaranteed “in” for Boston as my qualifying time is… dunh duh dunhhh… 4:00.  If he can bring me in at 3:55:00, I’m a shoe in.  (Well, I can dream, can’t I?!)

Shit just got real…

May the Good Lord have mercy on my soul!

For MMM, I choose this:

You got me begging you for mercy
Why won’t you release me?
You got me begging you for mercy
Why won’t you release me?
I said release me

‘Nuff said…

 

March Sadness… and a song

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I know a lot of people don’t follow March Madness and the college basketball championship tournament, but I do, and I have to say, I am gutted.  The team I had winning it all was eliminated last night.  Xavier beat the hell out of U of A, and to be honest, I think they had Arizona seeded wrong as a #2.  Regardless, I won’t babble on about it.  My only hope now to stay in first place on my bracket and win all the money is to have Gonzaga lose next week and for me to get all my other picks spot on.  There’s always a chance…

One of my water app plants is growing up quite nicely.  I thought I had killed him as I wasn’t getting any alerts one day, realized it late in the evening, and found him quite sad and thirsty.  But I managed to save him, level him up, and he got quite cute, which really is the only reason I’m sharing.  He’s cute.  And who doesn’t want to share cuteness with others?!

I went out for a nice little run last night, you know, because I’m training for a race and all.  I’m not exactly a heavy hitter when it comes to my stats, but every once in awhile I will check to see if I have any fun numbers.  I kind of got excited with my max pace number from last night.  That is actually the fastest I’ve ever run.  Sometimes stats can be similar to positive reinforcement.  So, yes!  Yay!  I’m getting there!  Now if I could just sustain that particular pace for, oh, say, 13 miles, I’d be super happy.  (Oh, and I climbed a little mountain too… to some of you that have followed me for awhile, that’s the elevation profile for Mo-Fo Hill.)

On to a song…

James told me he was going to post “Victorious” for Motivational Music Monday.  I said, “Oh, you mean Duran Duran?!”  No.  Panic at the Disco.

After processing that for awhile and me thinking about Duran Duran’s Victorious song, I realized the song isn’t called Victorious… It’s called Notorious!!

Okay, well, it rhymes.  And it’s Duran Duran.  Notorious.  Eighties.  You get the picture.

Hope you have a happy and healthy weekend! Any fun plans, races, happenings?

Prom

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It’s prom season again, and I’m loving the creativity used to ask for a date.  These boys got it right!

A high school senior from Kansas asked a girl with Down syndrome to go to the prom with him.  He said, “She is one of the best people I know.”  He said he wanted to make her happy because she has brought “nothing but joy” to his life since he met her.

He knew she loved Doritos, so he wore a shirt that said, “I know I’m nacho typical Dorito.  But I’m going to be cheesy, and ask:  Will you go to prom with me?”

She said yes…

In Ohio, a 17-year-old boy asked his 16-year-old girlfriend to prom by running 5-1/2 miles to spell it out on his GPS app.  They met on the high school cross-country team.  He knew she used the app as well and he asked her to check out the route he ran that morning.  The question mark alone took a mile.

She said yes…

So very sweet.  When we lose faith with all that’s going on in our country, just look at the upcoming generation.  They are our hope, they are our future, and they are being raised well.

Running… And Stuff

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Yes!  I’m actually going to talk about my running.  But first… I have other things I want to share…

Water Drinking Apps:  As the weather has been so cold, I haven’t been as dedicated to my water bottle as I should.  Sooo, enter a cute little app, Plant Nanny, where you log the cups of water you drink by watering plants.  Ever play “Plants vs Zombies?”  That’s exactly what these little plants look like. They grow when you water them (or, in reality, log your water intake).  A great idea.  However, when one is a gamer, which I am, it now becomes a game rather than a utility app.  A gamer will no longer keep track of water intake… the goal becomes all about keeping the plants alive and making them grow, and how many can I grow to make my plant nursery full.  As well, the alert that it’s time to drink is quite subtle.  If I look at my phone and there’s a little plant dancing at the top, I know it’s time to have a glass of water, or really, water my plant. To keep it alive. Because it’s so freaking cute.  I’ll be looking for a new water app.

March Madness:  Yes, I played the NCAA brackets.  Yes, I am in first place by about 40 points. 😀  I chose my original home team to win, the University of Arizona Wildcats from good old Tucson.  They. Could. Go. All. The. Way!!

St. Patrick’s Day:  I think my plant is tired of water and would really like a Guinness…

New Trail and Running:  I mentioned that James and I were going to a new trail last weekend, the Sammamish River Trail.  We did, and had a fabulous time.  So much so, we’re going back this coming weekend for our long runs.  The weather was perfect, just a bit rainy, but a pineapple express was passing through, so it was warm and rainy. Like I said, perfect.

No worries… I got this covered! 🙂

I celebrated Pi Day with a special run…

And this past Sunday, we actually had sun.  Holy cow, do you see that?  Blue skies!!  Yowza!  I got to feel the sun on my face, the first time in forever, it seems.

Can you tell what this is?

I still had to get on the treadmill in the midst of it all, but I’m starting to see a light at the end of the indoor tunnel.  Looking forward to spring training!

So tell me:

  • Do you use a water app to make sure you’re drinking enough?
  • Did you move for 3.14 miles/yards/feet on Pi Day?
  • Who did you pick to win the NCAA Championship?

I Died Today

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I was found by a kind, sweet woman who does wildlife rescue.

I was so sick, I could barely open my eyes.

She took me inside, cradling me in her arms and made me warm and comfortable.

I opened my eyes and looked at her and thanked her for making my last few minutes as comfortable as possible.

But I was too sick to keep fighting.

I had eaten a mouse that was poisoned, and it made me very sick.

I closed my yellow eyes for the last time and went somewhere else.

Please, all I ask is never to use poison to kill the mice.

Poison kills owls, like me.

All I wanted was a mouse for dinner.

I died today…

Poison is a very real problem for our wildlife.  Last year, our center received an owl just like the one above who had eaten a poisoned mouse.  It was nursed for months.  It couldn’t be saved.  It eventually died too.

This past week, we received a raccoon who also was the victim of poison.

If your beloved dog or cat caught a poisoned mouse, vole, or mole, it would die as well.

Please don’t use poison to kill mice and rats.  The fallout is tragic.

(Note:  I read the story above for the first time in a newsletter from another wildlife rehab center in the Sequim area.  I do not know who wrote it or where it originated.  Image is from nwraptorcenter.com)

 

Shape of You

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James has posted his weekly update and MMM song over at 50 in 50 Marathon Quest, so it’s time for me to follow suit.

Ed Sheeran… know this guy?  He’s tearing up the charts worldwide right now.  He recently released his latest album, ÷ (Divide), and in the UK, he currently occupies 9 of the top 10 spots on the Billboard Top 100.  I’m not quite sure how they configure this… maybe it’s the top downloads for the week, and as his album was just released, that would make sense. Regardless, the number one song in the world is “Shape Of You.”

Have you heard it yet?  Probably, yes.  Overplayed?  Definitely, yes.  A great tune? Without a doubt.  It’s also my song choice of the week.

While the song itself has nothing to do with shapes or sizes of bodies, the words “I’m in love with the shape of you” are powerful… especially in this day and age of Photoshop and body shaming.  Which makes me love the song all the more.

  • Are you enjoying Ed Sheeran’s new album?
  • Do you think “Shape Of You” is overplayed?
  • What’s your favorite song this week?

#MyFirstPostRevisited

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Thanks to T. Wayne from A Joyful Process for nominating me for the “My First Blog Post” challenge. The challenge was created by Sarah Brentyn of the Lemon Shark blog.

Of course, there are rules (always rules!). In a twist, these rules are in levels:

Obvious rules:

  • No cheating. (It must be your first post. Not your second post, not one you love…first post only.)
  • Link back to the person who tagged you (thank them if you feel like it or, if not, curse them with a plague of ladybugs).

Other rules:

  • Cut and paste your old post into a new post or reblog your own bad self. (Either way is fine but NO editing.)
  • Put the hashtag #MyFirstPostRevisited in your title.
  • Tag five (5) other bloggers to take up this challenge.
  • Notify your tags in the comment section of their blog (don’t just hope they notice a pingback somewhere in their spam).
  • Feel free to cut and paste the badge to use in your post. Notify your tags in the comment section of their blog (don’t just hope they notice a pingback somewhere in their spam).
  • Include “the rules” in your post.

My nominees (who are under no obligation to participate) are as follows:

50 in 50 Marathon Quest (do we really know what your first post says?  hmmm?)

Bonnywood Manor (because I can’t find your very first post ever written, and I know a lot of us would love to see it).

The Hangry Runner (I see your first post, but I think it deserves repeating, although that raccoon is freaking adorable, :D)

Running To Travel (the same… I see your first post, but it deserves repeating, ;D)

Slow Runner Girl (because you’re amazing and you’ve come so far!)

This is not an award… it’s a challenge!  Are you up for the challenge?

My first post ever written… I remember it well (5 July, 2015).  I had just gotten back from a run, sat down at my computer, and let my fingers do the post-run walking.  The rest is history.  Kind of wish I wasn’t complaining about the heat so much back then…

First and only week of pre-training… done!

I loved the Fit One Boise event so much that I’m making it my premium race this year.  Last year I ran the 10K; this year will be the half.  There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about it… the course was gorgeous, the people and volunteers were ultra-friendly, the post-race snacks were fabulous (all the chocolate milk a girl could want), and the bling was everything a bling should be, sparkly and big!

So, tomorrow begins the countdown and training for this super fun event, and today, I finished my only week of pre-training to dust off the cobwebs.  And boy, do I hurt because I let my training slide.  There’s not a muscle in my legs that don’t say ouch, WTH!

For this upcoming cycle, I will be using one of Hal Higdon’s plans, the Novice 2.  I figure it fits as this is my second year in.  I also like it because the mileage in the middle of the week is doable, and the LSR’s on the weekend gradually increase each week to where I’ll be running 12 miles the week before Boise.  It’s important to me that I get that long mileage in so my body is aware of exactly how much pain it’s going to be in when it crosses the finish line.

My next three training runs will be 3 miles long each, and I have this wicked loop in my neighborhood that’s uphill both ways, with another killer hill smack dab in the middle of it. See picture below.  I’ll measure my progress on this one particular loop as I will always have a 3-mile run each week of my training.  Today was a test run… not even worth posting a time. Okay, so I walked a lot of it.  Did I mention it was hot!  I guess I really shouldn’t complain… The Motivator is training for the Chicago Marathon and had to run 9 miles today in the heat. We should’ve gotten up earlier…

On top of the hill looking down... it's even worse going up!

On top of the hill looking down… it’s even worse going up!

Oh No! I’m Late!!

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… for Motivational Music Monday, that is!  Sheesh, what were you thinking?!

But first, a small update…

Snow… it won’t stop.  This happened last Monday:

And this happened the Monday before that:

I’m really kind of done with winter.  Even our red-tailed hawk at work has been none too impressed… she’s looking a bit cranky these days:

However… cold weather and all, James kicked ass at his race last weekend; the sun even came out for a couple of hours while he ran (he was so lucky to have sun)!  It seems I barely had enough time to get to the finish line before he crossed.  I see him work incredibly hard to get his speed up, and while he didn’t PR, he was close to it.  He’s not convinced he’ll PR in Reno because of the course and elevation (Reno is where our next big race is), but I disagree with him.  I think he has a good chance in spite of the course and elevation.

Okay… now onto MMM…

Are you familiar with Erasure?  They aren’t as big in the US as they have been in the UK.  I was surprised to learn that from 1986 to 2007, they achieved 24 consecutive top 40 hits in the UK. As well, 34 of their 45 singles and EPs have made the UK Top 40, with 17 of them climbing into the top 10 in the UK.  The only song of theirs to chart in France was “Oh L’Amour.”  To date, they have sold over 25 million albums worldwide.

All that being said, I am familiar with only two of their songs, the following being my favorite. This is one that has stood the test of time for me, so it ranks way up there.  It has a constant beat so it’s super great to run to.  If you don’t know it, take a listen.  You may have just found your new favorite song to run to.

So tell me…

  • Have you heard of Erasure?
  • If so, what’s your favorite song by them?
  • Do you have a favorite song this week that James needs to add to his MMM list?

We’re heading to a new area for long-run Sunday and hoping to meet up with a fellow blogger. I will let you know how/if that goes.  Regardless… we’re going to have new territory and a new trail to explore.  I’m actually looking forward to it, because it won’t be snowing!! Happy Sunday my friends!

En Vogue

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Way back when, late ’80s/early ’90s, I lived in the University of Arizona district in Tucson.  I walked everywhere.  To and from work, I walked.  Restaurants, stores, I walked.  Even in the midst of the summer heat (one time in 117 degrees F), I walked. And I never went anywhere without my Walkman (for cassette tapes) or my Discman (for CDs).  I was always plugged into music and had favorite groups I would listen to over and over again. En Vogue was one of those groups.

For #FlashbackFriday and for #MotivationalMusicMonday over at 50 in 50 Marathon Quest, I present to you En Vogue… Free Your Mind!  An inspiring song, especially with all the separation that’s going on in our country now.  It’s also great to get up and move to!

And just for extra fun, Hold On… the first hit from their debut album.

Oh, I can’t stop there!  Giving Him Something He Can Feel just makes me smile!

And last but not least, Yesterday.  You had to own the album to actually know they did it, but this song showcases their true talent.

Saturday morning, James and I are headed to the Lake Sammamish Half-Marathon.  He’s running, and I’m sitting out this time… for once I get to be the cheerleader!  Yayyy!  It’s supposed to snow again (boooo)… so be sure to wish him good luck!  He’s going to need to run really really fast just to stay warm!  (Please wear your Hoka’s, hunny… you don’t own YakTrax).

Have a fantastical weekend!!