Last week was emotionally draining, so I took a break from writing anything with substance. I also ended up taking some days off running. I used volleyball practices as cross-training and I let myself rest. Thank you for your kind words...they helped.
My good friend Brittany came over Friday night with her daughter Kaya for a sleepover. The original plan was to watch horror movies like we used to when we were in middle and high school, but we ended up just talking. It was nice to have an adult conversation spanning the topics of politics, religion, makeup, and the struggles of adulting. I definitely needed it.
Saturday we had breakfast and took Kaya to the park before they had to leave. We also spotted a car that should win for most confusing combination of bumper stickers ever.
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| I mean...do they know what country they're supporting? Do they know what Socialism and the Constitution are? |
I made a little trip to Fit2Run to restock my Gu for my 20-miler Sunday, which will likely be my last really long run of training. I was chatting with the cashier, and I realized I've already put more miles into training this cycle than last. I'm feeling strong and confident, but not over-confident. I hope this is a good sign!
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| I'm trying some new flavors (lemonade and sea salt chocolate), but I'm really looking for the plain Gu. Lately, really sweet Gu has been awful for me once I hit mile 10 or so. |
I'm avoiding running my usual route this week so that it feels fresh on Sunday when I tackle 20.
I also got my new shoes. It's amazing how many miles I've already put on my current pair because they're not that old, and I want a fresh pair for the actual marathon. They're super bright and obnoxious. Perfect for racing.
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| I actually wanted these when I got my current shoes, but decided to wait because they were a bit more expensive. This time though, I wasn't going to deny myself! |
This week is as busy as last. Matt had his wisdom teeth out Monday and is recovering well. Our first volleyball game of the season is Thursday. The team is looking pretty good. The girls get along well and are really supportive teammates; I'm hoping they remember their rotation positions in an actual game situation!
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Grades are due for progress reports right before break, so I'm totally swamped this week, but I'm looking forward to some quality triple-F time - family, friends, and food.
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| Ideally, we'd have five pies to choose between. We actually don't usually have pumpkin pie, but it's a favorite, too! |
Finally, this was on my Facebook when I woke up this morning:
Sometimes it feels like I've been running forever, but apparently this half marathon (which I consider my first even though it was my second...It's the first I really trained for, so it actually counts) was only three years ago. It's kind of crazy and inspiring to look back and realize how far I've come since then.
Another memory Facebook brought up was my blog post on taking risks and being daring. It still resonates with me, and I enjoyed reading it again. I was happy to realize that I've grown braver since writing it two years ago.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
Do you like when Facebook brings up memories for you?
What do you eat when Gu is too sweet on a run?
Marathon #2 is three weeks away...How is that possible?!
ABK
I am so excited for you! I can't wait to hear how the marathon goes. I also try to run different routes before I tackle a route for my long run. I hate getting bored and having my mind wander.
ReplyDeleteI just got my next pair of shoes, but they are heading to the closet until the beginning of the new year. They are the same shows I've been wearing, but the next years version. I'm hoping they didn't make any big changes.
I've been buying last year's model of Kayanos because the new ones were impossible to find IN stores, so I couldn't try them on. Sometimes the toe boxes change and then my size changes! So I've just been sticking to the old model...which is fine by me, because they're cheaper!! lol
DeleteI love new shoes for a race too. :) I can't believe your very last super long run is coming up, but it makes sense! BDR will be here before we know it!
ReplyDeleteI'M SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU COME SEE US! The kitchen is still a disaster but we'll survive!
DeleteI cannot believe December and BDR are almost here! Time sure does fly during the second half of the year. I hope you have an awesome 20-miler and that the weather cooperates!
ReplyDeleteThe only Gu that I can stomach for really long runs is the regular Chocolate. The fruit Gus are way, way too sweet for me. I've never tried the plain, what is it like? I used to be all about the Honey Stinger chews, but my last coach was big on not wasting energy chewing (haha) so I've gotten used to just relying on Gu now.
For Thanksgiving I like pecan pie or cheesecake! I'm not a big pumpkin pie fan at all!
It's so weird how quickly training seems to go in retrospect. Once you're IN it, it just seems to fly by. And yeah, the end of the seems way faster than the beginning for some reason.
DeleteI like the chocolate and the PB, and the salted watermelon isn't TOO sweet. I like chews but they're harder for me to eat and they don't seem to work as fast.
I love chocolate pecan pie. My mom makes a killer GF version that I ask for every year!
I've never had the plain Gu before, but I know they make it. I'm gonna search for it today so hopefully I can try it out tomorrow!
DeleteFacebook has never asked me about any special memories, I feel a bit cheated, lol! Nice shoes! I just bought a new pair (finally) that I'm looking forward to putting on!
ReplyDeleteFB has the "on this day" app and it shows you old pictures etc from that day in the past! It's pretty fun. And you don't have to share them with your feed if you don't want to.
DeleteAre your new shoes super colorful and crazy looking too?
Your marathon is 3 weeks away?!?! I'm really excited for you! I LOVE your new shoes!!!!!!!!!! I'm a Nimbus girl now and I really hope I can get a funky pair for my next ones. I have to admit that I like the really sweet Gu, especially in the late parts of a run/race. I feel like it gives me a bit of extra pep. ;)
ReplyDeleteYeah, how INSANE is it that suddenly my marathon is right around the corner?! I haven't really been counting down this time so it just kind of sneaked up on me! With the first one, when it was 50 days away I started counting down.
DeleteI chew gum while I run, so I think the sweet Gu and the gum is too much for me. Since you can't find unsweet gum, I want to try to plain Gu! I hope I can find it.
OMG I can't believe how fast your marathon is coming up! You are going to crush it - you've worked hard and listened to your body. Your new shoes are just sexyyyyyy - I LOVE THEM!!! I am a Brooks girl but I have total shoe envy. I also never saw the sea salt chocolate gu - that is on my list now for sure. I usually do the caramel macchiatto (butchered that one) and chocolate PB!
ReplyDeleteI love the caramel macchiato Gu, but I bought a whole box of it and now I'm kind of tired of it haha!
DeleteI tried Brooks because I know they're really great shoes, but they just don't work for my feet. I do love that Asics always have amazing colors and designs to choose from!!