Cute Pic

Seems I forgot to mention we were camping over Memorial Day weekend. 


Pics here: http://markyeatman.smugmug.com/Camping/Quantes-Camping-May-2012/23228575_McV2Hb#!i=1872818251&k=mQtWL9Z


One of my favorite from the weekend...those eyes, the pinky and of course the hat...LOVE! 

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful I don't have a flesh eating virus!  I was afraid for a few days that I was going to have to cut my foot off!  ;-)  

I scraped my ankle pretty deep in some spots 2 weeks ago on the dishwasher door, and for a few days there the skin around it was really red and sore and just a few days ago some gross greenish stuff sloughed off. 

I was worried for a bit there and broke out the rubbing alcohol and  hydrogen peroxide to kill anything that may be trying to eat my skin away and cause amputation of limbs. 

It still hurts, but I don't think I will have to have my foot cut off. 

P.S. I'm also thankful Mark is coming home to work the rest of the day from home.  He got Sky up this morning and she was so happy to see her Daddy that when he handed he to me to leave she lost it, and continued to lose it for about an hour and a half.  Thank goodness for long naps and Daddy being on his way home. 

My Mind...

...is not totally in the present. 

Such a mixed up weekend of fun with really good friends doing what we love which is camping.  But there was sadness, tears, frustration, anger and hoping the phone would ring with an update but dreading it at the same time. 

I can't really process all my feelings right now so for now I will keep it simple. 

There are so many things I love about my Grandma and will miss about her.  On one hand I have peace in my heart over her passing, but on the other I can't really believe it either. 

I'm ok though.  I'm just hoping that everyone else who knew and loved her can find some peace in their hearts and are able to grieve in the way they need to in order to move on with happy memories and love. 

Link love

There is a new feature off to the right side...Link Love.  A list of websites and blogs etc that I enjoy and visit often. 

The first addition is: http://thetutuproject.com/

It's worth checking out! 

One thing I have learned over the years volunteering with the ACS is that you can react to cancer news multiple ways.  The man behind the Tutu Project shows how you can handle it with grace, beauty and humor all wrapped into one. 

Not only is he supporting his wife through her cancer journey, but he is there for others who are going through treatment along with his wife. 

Talk about a true Hero. 

Stay tuned for more links in the future I won't add them without talking about them first though. 

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful to be getting out of town tomorrow for a long weekend of camping with friends! 

Since Bob and I are both unemployed at the moment we are heading up tomorrow morning with Sky and maybe Grace.  Mark and Michelle and the girl(s) will follow after Mark and Michelle are off work tomorrow. 

We are all meeting Alex and Tina at their new camping property at Lake Cushman. 

Sky has not had the easiest week and am guessing today will be worse given she is having shots.  So yes I'm thankful, really thankful for a camping break with good friends.  It gives Sky a change of pace with other little people to play with and adults that don't tell her no and will give her tons of attention. 

It gives Mark and I time to hike, read, and spend time with Sky free of TV, cell phones and other distractions. 

Yeah Baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what????

Absolutely ZERO, and I mean not even a hint of a twinge of foot pain today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 I had an appointment with my massage therapist on Friday and finally felt like we found the spot/thing that helped.  Still I waited to run/workout until Dad could work on me Tuesday.  He hit some good (translation - me kicking and cursing at him) spots and I felt a difference for sure.

So, today I went to fitness class and we did a lot of sprinting and my foot didn't hurt at all!

I'm so excited!  You know what that means???  I'm back, and I'm back BIG TIME!!  I'm taking my running stuff with me this weekend and will be running while camping.  I will be running next week and the week after, getting ready for Sound To Narrows.  I can't wait to take on 5 mile drive for S2N.  There are a lot of hills, but I don't know...I have a good feeling about it and my friend El has a crazy time goal and I have a crazy dream of keeping up with her.

It's amazing what you can do when a friend is pushing you!

So thankful my foot feels better.  Can't wait to go get my shoes next week!  

Dear Sky

One year ago today you changed our lives forever!  I remember looking at your beautiful face for the first time, hearing you cry, holding you in my arms.  It didn't seem real, I could hardly believe you were here and we were actually holding you. 

Sometimes it still doesn't feel real.  It seems like we just brought you home yesterday and yet it feels like you have been part of our family forever.  I don't really remember life before you. 

Thanks to you every day is an adventure that I can't wait to start.  I love getting up every day knowing your smiling face is waiting for me.  It's exciting to see what new and exciting thing you will do.   

I want you to stay small forever, yet I can't wait to see what type of young lady you grow into!  Being your Mommy is the most important and precious gift I have ever been given and I feel honored to be your Mommy! 

Things I love about you right now:
-Singing the ABC's makes you laugh when your crying
-You like hearing your name
-You are thrilled any time you can get someone to clap and cheer for you
-Watching you watch Ellen cracks me up (yes I know I'm a bad mom for letting her watch TV, but there are worse things I could be subjecting her too!)
-Seeing how you interact and play with Reagan and James is fascinating
-You do things on purpose just to make us laugh
-You are supper determined (code for stubborn) and so very much like me!
-You LOVE your Daddy...that is something we have in common
-You are the perfect mix of cuddle and play by yourself for hours at a time
-Easily the best eater I have ever seen.  There isn't anything you won't try and you seem to love everything we have given you, even the spicy and adventurous stuff

I could go on and on. There isn't anything I don't love about you!  I feel like my heart and life is complete and I didn't even know it was missing anything.  But, you fit so perfectly in our life and you are such the perfect little girl for us that I feel so full of love and happiness that I may burst. 

I love you sweet little girl and am thankful every day you found your way to us!

P.S. I'm also thankful to everyone that was praying for us and thinking of us along our journey.  I know there are family and friends of friends that were putting prayers and vibes out there for us.  I may never know who they all were but I'm thankful to them every day! 




 

This Should Be My Post!

Check out this post: http://www.macheesmo.com/2012/05/the-hidden-cost-of-coupons/  It's a cooking blog I follow and I LOVE his post today! 

I have been saying this for a year now...every time I'm asked why we aren't saving money on groceries...well here is why!  I tried couponing once and was disgusted by the food I came home with all because I saved money on it! 

I do use coupons on things like TP, diapers, deodorant and other nonperishable/personal care items, but that is about it.  

1st Birthday Party

We had Sky's first birthday party this Saturday.  (I really can't believe that Sky will be 1 on Tuesday.  It has been an amazing year of growth and discovery and I have loved every second of it!)  I'm so thankful the weather was nice and we were able to spread out into the yard and the deck.  There were a lot of people, kids, and fun! 

 Me and Aunt Candy. 

 Sky and Reagan...birthday buddies!  

Monkey cupcakes.  Thank you to Jodi for helping me find the idea and for helping decide that cherrio eyes were way better than m&m eyes.   

 Taking her first bite of cupcake.  

 Not sure what it is or why it's on fire! 

 Her first tattoo.  It's a Monkey to match the monkey birthday party theme.  

 Super happy about her new sun hat!  

 Lot's of peeps to help celebrate!  

 Lot's of presents and lot's of help from little people. 

 Michelle, Tina, Alex, Candy. 

 Her custom Ray Mansfield Sock Monkey!  

 I'm a little disturbed at how much the monkey looks like Ray.  Down to the mustache and the part in the hair!  I can't wait until Sky is old enough to understand why this is an awesome birthday present!   

Uncle Paul with the girls: Grace, Abi, Sky, Kiera.

Thank you to everyone for the gifts and for taking time to celebrate with Sky!  

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that Sky is taking water out of a sippy cup all on her own.  I was not looking forward to the transition from bottle to sippy cup next week, but maybe, just maybe she has decided she is ready. 

She is one stubborn little girl and I was not looking forward to a battle of wills with her over this. 

Mothers Day Fun

Since this year was my first Mothers Day, Mark let the family know the three of us would be spending it together.  Since the weather was so nice that I decided going to Anacortes and then from there going to Orcas Island.  However, it's a long drive, really long drive, and the weather was so nice that we decided to spend all our time in and around Anacortes so we could spend more time in the sun and less time in the truck.  Plus I didn't love the idea of possible getting sick on the ferry.  I didn't want to be sick all day on my special day! 

Since it was Sunday a lot of shops were closed, so we breezed through town and then headed into the wilderness.  Thankfully the Visitor Information place was open and we were given a map with some great parks etc to check out. 

 Hooking up the Ergo for a little exploring.  Sky and I both really love our new Ergo! The sun shade came in handy and I love the zipper pocket on the front for chapstick and keys!  

 Trying on daddies hat.  (Don't look to closely...I'm pretty sure there is some cellulite on those legs.)

 Sky's favorite way to travel.  

 Her new sunglasses were on her eyes for all about 2.5 seconds.  

The view from the top of Mt. Erie...so beautiful!  

On the way home we ran into traffic and decided that stopping for dinner would be a good idea.  We got take-out and found a park to eat in so Sky could get some play time in since we had been in the truck most of the day.  

I'm so glad I got to spend the day with my two most favorite people! 

Frustrating

I want to run, it's really hard to not put my running shoes on and go.  I mean I already know I can run 13.1 with constant foot pain, so why not just go for a little 3 or 5 miler?  Because my foot hurts, constantly (although today it felt pretty good!), and I know I the smart thing is to rest it.  BOO!!!

My running plan is to not do any until Relay weekend.  I will have have lot's of time to run on a track, nice easy on the body running.  I hope to have new shoes by then as well, so can work on breaking them in and getting the ready for Sound To Narrows the following weekend.  So another 2 weeks of not running.

The biggest hang up for me is I felt pretty amazing running my 1/2.  Aside from my mental issues with one section and the leg cramps at the end, I felt great, and kept thinking to myself, wow this feels too easy...surly I'm doing something wrong.  I just hate to lose that feeling.  I put in so much time and so many miles training and it paid off, and now after taking a forced break I'm going to have to start over.  I was really looking forward to maintaining and running 15 to 20 miles a week.  I just have to keep telling myself I will get back to that point, I can do it.  

In other news the Kia is done and I get it back tomorrow.  Let's hope the break lights work after this.  I will say that Kia has totally turned over their staff in the service department and completed an entire redesign of how they run things.  And...it has paid off.  Their customer service is amazing, they didn't treat me like a dumb girl who doesn't know anything about cars, and for the first time in 10 years I don't mind taking my car in for work there.

BTW I did have a wonderful Mothers Day Sunday, and as soon as Mark uploads the pics I will post about it.  HINT, HINT, HINT, HINT!!!  If it wasn't the pro camera I would do it myself, but I have a rule about not messing with that bad boy.

Even though it was my day, Sky ended up with her first pair of real shoes.  No more soft crib shoes for her.  She scored big time at the Nike outlet!  Here is a sneak peak...

Speaking of shoes...what do people do with old running shoes?  My pair that are shot still look brand new.  Seems wrong to Good Will them knowing they are shot as running shoes, but they won't do me much good as I can't run in them.  I did wear them to the car wash last weekend, but I don't like the idea of saving a bunch of old running shoes.  I only have so much closet space and don't want to give old running shoes space in my closet unless there is a really good reason to hang on to them. 

Manic Monday...

Just another Manic Monday, oh oh, wish it were Sunday, oh oh, because that's my fun day, oh oh...gotta love the Bengals.  The girl band that is NOT the football team!  

Sky and I had to get up early this morning so we could take the Kia into the shop, and still get Mark to work on time.  (The fuse for the brake lights keeps shorting out and I end up driving around without brake lights.  Not good!) 

In my not awake state I pored coffee on my cereal instead of milk this morning.  :( 

I did a quick look around to make sure no one saw what happened before realizing Mark was still asleep and Sky wouldn't know the difference anyway.  Then I decided I had better splash some cool water on my face to wake up! 

Fun Fact Friday

Fact - It's my first Mothers Day this weekend!  And, it's going to be 80 and sunny!  Given the nice weather my original thoughts on what I wanted to do have changed.  I have selected several day trip options, and am leaving the research as to what there is to do and the final choice as to destination up to Mark. 

Sky has a new toy...thank you Grandpa for the early birthday present!  So far it has only been out in the driveway, but she seems to really love it! 

 Sky now has a nicer ride than I do!  

I like that there is a second seat for a friend to join her.  I see a trip in the wagon for Sky and Reagan in the near future! 

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm extra thankful I don't get up and go to the office every day. 

When I can smell her before opening the nursery door I know it's going to be a messy start to the day.  Had I been all gussied up and in my work cloths ready to go, dealing with an over filled diaper and being peed on would have been a really crappy way to start the day.  No way I would have made it out the door on time, and I would have been ticked off and grumpy. 

Thankfully I had time to give her a bath, clean myself up, have a relaxing breakfast and everything is back on track. 

Plus, I LOVE being able to enjoy the sun we are having rather than staring at it through a window. 

So Gross

You should see the bottom of my big toe right now...it is gross!! 

I was scratching it and not paying much attention until I felt fluid running down my toe.  Turns out the entire bottom of my big toe was one big old blister.  I now have patches of 4 to 5 layers deep of dead skin that has peeled away with raw pink skin showing through. 

It's gross and painful!  Oh the joys of running.  I will refrain from posting pics. 

Lessons Learned/Odd Facts/Product Review

First don't forget to check out day two of Beachbody week on my sisters blog!  http://lathamsontherun.blogspot.com/2012/05/beachbody-week-p90x.html

And since this isn't really a running blog, I just happen to be a stay at home mom who runs a lot this will be the last post about my 1/2...I'm still basking in my glory.  :)

Odd facts:
-I blew my nose on my shirt tail a lot!  I don't know why but my nose always drips when I run.  It's actually the best sinus clearer ever!
-I spit a lot too.  Right out in the open, didn't break stride or slow down at all.  The guys behind me yelled "real women spit."  Made me laugh. 

Lessons Learned:
-Chew your energy gummy shot thing before trying to swallow.  Almost choked myself. 
-Don't try to keep running when grabbing the water from the volunteer at the aid station, and don't try to keep running while drinking it.  Water up the nose is not pleasant, and neither is dousing the volunteer or yourself when your not even hot yet. 
-Don't let your stick of glide run out the morning of the race!  I think my blisters have more to do with the fact that I ran out of glide than anything else. 
-Figure out once and for all which button actually stops the GPS/Time tracking on my running watch.  So irritating to see it still running 3 minutes after crossing the finish line. 
-I probably didn't take enough water.  I purposely don't take much fluid during long runs because I don't want to have to pee along the way, and I hate the feeling of liquid sloshing around in my tummy when I run.  But, maybe a little more water would have helped with the leg cramps.   Or maybe not being injured and missing the last 3 weeks of training would have helped as well.  

Product Review:

 -Long Sleeve Shirt - Champion shirt from Costco around $15.  I love all my shirts, but this is the only one I have that doesn't slide up as I run.  I love it because I put it on, start running and never give it a second thought.  I have other shirts that are way cuter, but I have to pull them down constantly.  That's ok for training or short runs, but didn't want to deal with it for the 1/2. 

-Running Skirt - Lululemon Pace Setter Skirt Tall - Love it!  Supper cute, love the swish from the pleats, and the shorts stay in place.  They don't ride up and the leg bands aren't to tight, but stay in place. 

-Socks - Pro Compression Socks- I started out with compression sleeves that I was really happy with, but then saw a 50% off deal for these socks and thought what the heck, I will give it a try.  I already knew from wearing the sleeves that compression for my legs was a must and thought these would help with my blister and tendon issues in my foot.  I don't care how hot it is, I won't run without them.  From the knee down I had zero twinge of pain, my legs feel supper charged with these things!  When I use enough glide inside and out my feet are happy as well.  Plus I put a clean pair on after the race and wore them for a few hours to help with recover.  My legs felt pretty great the day after.  I took an ice bath after too though, so that may have helped as well. 

-Hair - Bicbands - Amazing!  I have tried so many bands to keep the hair out of my face and if they work they look stupid, but most of them don't work anyway.  The slip off my head with all the movement that goes with running.  This thing stayed in place the whole time and it is supper cute! 

-Shoes- Saucony I don't even know which ones.  They are not my fave, but obviously they got the job done. 

-Inserts - Sole - You can heat em up in the oven and get a quick custom fit, or over time they mold to your feet as you wear them. 

-Tank Top (unseen under the long sleeve shirt) - Under $10 from Ross a bazillion years ago before I even started running!  It's the ONLY tank I have (other than good old cotton ribbed ones) that don't slide up while running.  I wear it on almost every run. 

-Fuel -Power Bar Energy Blasts - I eat two every three miles starting at mile 3 or 5 depending on how I feel.  I started at 3 this time, but in training runs I like to wait a little longer since I normally run 5K's without anything. 

-Watch - NB GPS - only issues I have with it are not being able to remember which button is the stop button.  Other than that I love it, and it's way, way, way less than the more popular brands, but works just as well. 

-Music - Sans Disc - Love it!  It's small, holds more music than I will ever run long enough to need at one time, it fits in the gel pocket of my running skirt which I love, plus it gets radio reception, so if I need a change I can listen to the radio.  It has a lock button too so you can't turn it off on accident. 

I wonder why someone doesn't make a one eared headphone for runners?  A lot of runners, myself included, only wear one ear bud so we can hear cars, other people etc while running.  But that means there is an extra ear piece bouncing around that you have to deal with.  I safety pinned mine to my bra, but having stereo sound in one ear would be great! 

I think I have all the "I ran a 1/2" excitement worked out of my system now.   ;)

Oh And...

http://lathamsontherun.blogspot.com/2012/05/beachbody-week-meet-james.html

It's BeachBody week on my sisters blog!!  If you have ever wondered about P90X, or have used it and want to share your comments...see how it compares to some of the other programs out there...Check out her blog!!! 

The Morning After

I am sore, not as sore as I was after the 12 mile training run, but man my knees and blistered feet are sore.  No muscle cramps though, my legs feel pretty great actually.  I'm a little bummed I'm as sore as I am though because it is a beautiful sunny day and I would love to go for a walk along the top of Chambers and play with Sky at the park.  I don't think my knees will handle it well though. 

I can hardly believe that yesterday happened.  I RAN A 1/2 MARATHON keeps running through my head, and I keep re-looking at the pics, is that normal? 

Life isn't all about running though and we did have other stuff going on this weekend...

 Sky finally wore her new pj's that Grandma got her!  Cute belly peeking out.  

 More pj cuteness.  

 Love her smile and we can't get over how cute the boy short style looks on her!  

 We puppy sat this weekend for friends, Sky and Vada took about an hour to figure each other out.  After that they were the best of friends.  Mark was outside mowing the lawn and the two of them watched him through the door the whole time.  Mark took this picture looking in at them.  

And I took this pic from behind...the two of them were pretty darn cute the whole weekend. 

13.1 in Pics

Now for the pics.  There are more than this on the SmugMug page (link is on the side of the page).  Under Sports and Tacoma City Marathon. 

 This is the 1/2 field, seems small to me.  Was 944 runners, walkers, and stroller pushers in all.  

Me before the start...was a little nervous here!

This is the first mile, and you can see my pacer in the blue shirt and yellow hat.  I made an effort to smile and look like I'm having as much fun as I'm having.  I'm notorious for looking pissed off while running even when I'm having a good time.  So, I really wanted to look like I'm having fun since I had my own personal photographer there.  :)

 This pic is for my sister...look at the swish in the skirt!  So fun!  It's shows up better on the SmugMug site.  Thankfully there are full short under the skirt, because a few of the pics there is more swish than I thought!  

 This is the last really happy pic of me.  This was the last spot Mark could get to me before I hit the dreaded part of the course.  

This is my pacer/pace group...notice I'm no where near?  I was long gone by this point...they were all nice ladies though, fun to run with when I did run with them.  

This is probably around 12.5...the smile is a lot more tentative and I have frown lines on my forehead.  My legs were screaming at this point...this is right when Mark said "You've got this."  Was just what I needed.  (My shirt looks so stupid tied like that, but the rules said the bib had to be on the front, and rather than re-pin it while running I just tied my shirt on backwards.)

 After Jodi got me up the hill she hopped into her car and headed for the finish to say Hi again.  

  My first race medal!  I love that they give you half of it for finishing the 1/2.  Clever.

The question that has been popping up is will you do it again?  Yes...I would like to do a 1/2 again.  I learned a lot and feel like the next one would be easier. 

There are some things to work out though.  I need to be evaluated and fitted for shoes, I'm going to work with a running coach for a session or two to go over my ergonomics while running.  I know there are things I can do better to help my body out and not hurt as much.  I want to get to a point that running 10 miles at a time is not a big deal and running 15 to 20 miles a week is not a big deal and doesn't keep me from my fitness class.  

I think my next 1/2 could very well be a trail run.  I really want to do a trail 1/2 and there are a few good ones around here.  I would do another road race if it's the right one though. 

I'm also pretty much done running the waterfront for races though.  Especially the part that is from Pacific Ave down to  Ruston Way and back again.  It's stupid I know because it's totally flat and should be supper easy, but no matter how long or short the distance mentally I just can't embrace it.  It feels like it just goes on and on and on and sucks my will to run right out of me.  I loved the winding through downtown, up and down hills, through the park and Stadium district, but give me never ending flat and I just don't deal well. 

I also don't know if I would do another one alone.  One thing I really learned today is that I crave that someone to distract me and encourage me when it gets difficult.  It's not that I can't do, sometimes I have hard time wanting to keep doing it, and having someone say we can do this or you can do this helps every time. 

I have a few weeks of rest ahead of me, then need to get some hill training in so I don't hate running Sound To Narrows in June.  That's probably going to be a slow and steady race for me.  Lot's of hills and not sure how much I really want to push it. 

13.1 Done!

What a great event and a great day for running!  I was relieved to find that my foot didn't hurt as bad as I had been anticipating.  I was also relieved that the leg cramps from the night before were gone and the bruised toe was not sore. 

Official finish time...2:20:37!  A little over 9 minutes faster then my goal!  

As far as the event itself goes I thought they did a good job.  All distances started on time, the course was fun, for the most part (I have mental issues with a 4 miles stretch of it, but that is my own issue not theirs), the aid stations were well staffed, it was easy to know who was handing out gel/water/gateraid/vaseline, all the volunteers were supper supportive cheering you along, and they did a good job of making sure you didn't have to re-run (out and back) very much of it.  Only the part I have mental issues with.  :( 

The pacers were really friendly, and really good at checking to make sure you were ok.  It was great, while it lasted.  My pacer started out fast.  We should have been running around 10:38 a mile and every time I checked my watch we were under 10 minutes a mile at one point were running under 9:30, which I knew was way too fast for the start.  So at mile 2 I slowed it down and kept her in front of me, close enough to chase down when I wanted/needed to, but not trying to keep up too much.  She stopped at the first aid station mile 4, I wasn't ready for water or stopping, so just kept on a going. 

I didn't see her again until the turn around point, and she was way, way behind me.  I liked knowing she was behind me because if I did need to slow down, her catching me was my fall-back plan.  I would have just finished with her. 

I felt really good, was doing a good job on my own of slowing up for the hills, quick turn over for the downhill, and taking water for myself at the stations, so didn't feel the need to hang with the pacer.  I was loving the course, the weather, and how I  was feeling so I just went with it. 

Plus, Mark was there the entire time and he knew what short cuts to take to see me at different points (for the first half and then the last mile.  There was a middle stretch I didn't get to see him at all) and take great pics, so I was having fun seeing him and posing while running.  :) 

I spent the first half yelling Thank You to every officer that was stopping traffic for us, thanking the people cheering, thanking the volunteers, waving at people watching us from their windows/balconies.  I was just having fun, and making sure to take it all in.  People probably thought I was a very annoying happy runner, but I don't care, I was having so much fun! 

It was great until about mile 7 and then I hit the dreaded part of the course, and let me tell you it got to me big time.  I just lose all will to run on this section of road.  Plus I could feel the blisters (that's what I get for running in new inserts without testing them out fully, but they worked...my foot felt pretty darn good.)  Both big toes are blistered, both arches have the 4 layer deep blisters and the tips of 3 toes are blistered.  I could have stopped and gooped up, but I knew if I took my shoes off I could very easily not put them back on and be done, so I kept going.  The first half of the dreaded section I kept cheering the leaders that were already on their way back to the finish line (Jodi's sister Amy being one of them - 5th lady overall!  She is a pretty runner, makes it look really easy to run, and she had a big smile and wave for me which helped!)  Then I started encouraging some of those that were struggling around me.  One guy was having a hard time so I asked if we could run together, he thought I was helping him, but really I just needed someone to help me keep going. 

It also got hot in that section so walked long enough to take my shirt off and tie it around my waist.  I was not planning on running in that shirt, but was a cooler start than I though it would be, so had to layer.  Anyway around mile 11 my legs were cramping bad and I was on the verge of a panic/crying jag and felt like I was going to be sick.  I knew I was way ahead of schedule at this point, I had told Jodi I would hit mile 12 at 2:08, which was where she was going to be waiting to see me, but at mile 11.5 it was only 1:54 so I knew I had a lot of time to get that .5 done before I would be late.  So I slowed it way, way down took water at the aid station and walked through there pretty dang slow.  I just wanted to hang on until I saw Jodi.  She walked me up the last hill, I was ready to crawl at this point and was so very thankful to have someone there telling me I could do it.  I got up the hill around the corner saw Mark who said "You've got this" and cruised in for the finish. 

I still had enough in my legs to sprint at the end, and was kind of ticked at the two people in front of me in the finish shoot, they took up all the space and I couldn't get around them.  It would have only saved me a few seconds but still...I was not wanting to slow down.  But they had 1/2, full marathon, and marathon relay finishers all crammed in so I understand why the narrow shoots.

Thank you to Mark for the thumbs up and pics along the way, to Jodi for being there at mile 11, to Amy for the encouragement when she passed me, to Elya for calling and texting me encouragement, and Michelle for the good luck pic from Sky this morning! 

Since this post is already really, really long I will post pics and comments in a second post. 

Diva Dash Photo

I have been waiting to see these pics all weekend!  Looks like such a fun race.  I totally want to do a fun race like that.  Need a break from "real" running.  ;)  It's worth clicking over and taking a peek at the rest of the pics...especially the finish line pic!  http://lathamsontherun.blogspot.com/2012/05/diva-5k-in-pictures.html

Oldest niece - Emma, my sister and youngest niece - Sophie.  Emma took a wrong turn, lengthened her distance and still finish close to 29 minutes.  Girl means it when she laces up her running shoes! 

I would love a close up of my sisters shoes...they are spray painted pink.  When they dress up for a race, they really dress up!  

BTW - I finished and beat my goal.  Pics and post race report soon...waiting for the official times to be posted, was supposed to happen by 3pm.  I thought I pushed stop on my watch, but I didn't, so want to wait and post the right time.  

Race Expo

Jodi and I went to the race expo yesterday to pick up my packet, her sisters packet and a friend of her sisters packet.  It was fun to look around, but didn't take long because it was small.  Jodi did find some Nike shoes for $50, and I found a shirt and BIC band for my hair...I tested it out yesterday when I got home and not even Sky could dislodge it!  That thing is awesome. 

These pics are in no kind of order that makes any sense.  

 Back of the event shirt.  

 My outfit for tomorrow.  Yeah I know the socks don't match a darn thing, but I don't care.  They are magic socks.  (My only complaint about Pro Compression is they are pricy, so any time I find a discount code I take advantage of it, I have not had to pay more than $30 (regular price is $50) so far plus always get free shipping.  The problem is they never have my size in any of the colors I want, but they always have my size in pink, so that's what I have...every pair is this pink.) 

 Event shirt.  I manage to take bad pics!  This pic makes the shirt look like a tent, but in real like if it is a girl cut, so it fits like a perfect glove, plus it's V neck...do you know how hard it is to find V neck tech running shirts?  It's hard, so I'm supper excited about this thing.  

 I found this trail running shirt at the expo it's also a V neck tech shirt that fits well.  I also got a silver sparkly Bic band for my hair.  (Thank you Dad!)

Close up of the logo on event shirt.  

Back of trail running shirt. 

I trimmed my toe nails last night and painted them a pretty sparkly pink to go with the headband and socks.  I know no one will see them, but I know they look pretty.  What you can't see is that the middle toe on the left foot is completely bruised black on the back side.  I noticed it while working on my toes last night.  Have no idea how or when it happened and it's tender to touch, but can't feel it when walking.  Let's hope I won't feel it while running either.  

My goal for this race is the same as it was before my foot started bothering me...to finish in 2:30 or less.  Based on my two longest training runs I'm on pace to finish around 2:20, and that is the pacer I will be using as well, which also happens to be the slowest pacer.    

 

If I have to take it down a notch my base line goal with every race is to finish and run the whole way, no matter how slow.  

However I'm not stupid, stubborn, but not stupid.  I have some races lined up through September that I am supper excited about, so if at any point tomorrow I feel like my foot has crossed the line from just hurting to doing damage I'm done.  It's not worth messing up the rest of my summer. 

Having said that I'm going into this with the mind set that I will have fun, I will finish and I will make my time goal.  

I will post pics and post-race report sometime tomorrow afternoon.