A little thing called life happened

I’m going to go ahead and be very honest here for a moment: life happened and my marathon training totally derailed.

In addition to all the fun and exciting things that I knew were coming, there was also one major surprise.  

 

Last Monday I was supposed to go to lunch with my boyfriend.  I walked out to the parking lot at work thinking about cheeseburgers and onion rings and wound up with a very different kind of ring!

Yup, this girl is getting hitched!

Gratuitous ring pic...conveniently taken after I went and got an emergency manicure.  He asked if I was surprised or if I had been suspecting he might propose...I told him if I was expecting it my nails would have been painted and all one length!

The day before, I also went on an awesome hiking trip with Hank and some friends (both two and four-legged) which I justified as replacing my long run even before we started. Halfway through I realized that hiking was actually way more exhausting than any run I have ever been on.  

We got some pretty great pictures though :) By which I mean I got good pictures of Hank. I looked like a goof.

I also started my MBA last week. Because I totally needed one more thing to add to the list of activities!  My book didn't get here this weekend as planned so tonight I will be doing lots of homework.  I really hate to start the class this way but I don't have much other choice.

But before homework it's time to go do a little running (on the treadmill because the weather has turned brutal!)

Hope you have an amazing Monday evening!

 

Ten Pictures Tuesday

I knew last week and this week would be challenging and exhausting, but it catches me by surprise every year.  Working in college admissions means this is essentially the week we work towards all year...and Friday we start back at the beginning of the next cycle.  I work for a small school with rolling admissions so there really is no break or slow part of the year. 

I only ran 3 miles last week.  I did my first scheduled run of the week today but I am not killing myself over sticking to a schedule.  The real goal this week is to get through without getting sick and any miles I fit in are icing on the cake.

One of the perks of being a really small time blogger without an adoring audience is that I can disappear without hurting feelings.  It's not that I don't love to write this stuff, it's that I drag myself home and I am doing good to feed myself and the dog before crashing.  Last night I fell asleep facing the wrong way on the bed.

I promise to be much more interesting next month. Travel starts for work and I get new running routes and general adventures daily!


Until then, today's ten things Tuesday is brought to you by ten pictures from the past week.

Hank is a pillow thief.

Confession: I like to plop down on the couch after running. Even if I am super sweaty.

Another confession: I gave Hank the pb jar so I could get stuff done last night.

This salad from Whole Foods might be the best salad ever.

I got an iced coffee and new Toms i like them both very much.

I got busy and had Taco Bell.. Not proud. But it was delicious.

Don't be fooled. This is the lunch of champions.

Mellow Mushroom pizza is the bomb diggity

 

Running after eating leftover pizza is not the bomb diggity.

My cat is a nut. That is all.

Alright y'all....I hope you are having an amazing week. Hang in there!

Training: Week 2 update

Well week 2 is in the books.  Again it did not go according to plan, but I am not terribly disappointed either.  Ok, I am a little disappointed.

Here is a look at what was done:
Monday: rest day - accomplished with great success
Tuesday: 3 miles at 9:46 pace (a bit behind my 9:30 goal but not terribly)
Wednesday: 5 miles was the goal. Zero were run.
Thursday: 3 miles were planned, I ran about 1.5 with the dog.
Friday: rest day - but I did that HIIT workout instead and ran about a mile
Saturday: turned into cross training day with lots of walking
Sunday: 9 miles planned, 8 miles completed (see below)


So what happened?
I am going to blame part of my failure on my ankle and wanting to give it a bit of rest since it has been acting up lately.  A very large portion of the problem has been the weather though.  I don't enjoy running in the rain but I will do it, however we have been having terrible storms with rain so hard you can't see anything accompanied by thunder and lightning. I don't play with lightning.
While I am worried that the weather is holding back my training, I also know I will soon have access to a treadmill on a semi-regular basis so I am feeling okay still.

I also realized I have been lazy with posting so I figured I would share a little more about my week!
Monday night I went to the dog park and met up with the boyfriend.  After Hank wore himself out we went for a walk.  It was a super pretty path that I need to go back and run eventually!  There was shade pretty much the entire time as well, so that alone doubles the amazingness.  Tuesday was nothing special but my run actually felt really good and I was happy to get close to my goal pace.  Wednesday I worked late, changed into my running clothes, and stepped outside just in time for the storm to roll in, so I came home and watched Netflix instead. Because I am a responsible adult.  Thursday Hank really wanted to join in on my run so I took him thinking it was cooler than it actually was.  He was a trooper and would have kept going, but by a mile and a half I could tell he was getting way too hot and panting harder than I was comfortable with.  We walked the rest of the distance so I suppose I really did get in three miles, I just didn't run them all.

We run together and post-run relax together.  I stretch while he lays on top of the AC vent.



 I posted about Friday already :)


Now for the weekend!  Hank's lesson in Raleigh got canceled (again) because of these darn storms so I planned on getting up to run...or sleeping in and running later.  However, my friend called me at 7 a.m. needing me to pick her up from the airport (in Raleigh) because she had been in an accident.  Of course I was out the door in record time.  I talked her into a stop at Trader Joe's because I was out of cookie butter and needed my fix. I also picked up these delicious snacks and apparently the peanut butter is a new item.  It's very sticky and very addicting.

That afternoon we hung out and went shopping for her son's birthday present from me.  He's only turning two and I am not a baby expert, so I took full advantage of having her input on what he actually needs!  We walked the mall for a few hours which I am sure adds up to at least a couple miles!

Finally today I went for my run!  The only good thing about this crazy weather is that I was able to run at 4 in the afternoon without dying of heat exhaustion!  Which is probably good because I forgot to pack my water bottle and shot bloks.  Oops.  I also forgot my KT Tape so I was a little concerned about my ankle but I figure if it started to hurt I would just walk back to the car.
I went to the Cape Fear River Trail again so I tackled a lot of really steep hills but also had some great views!

 There is even a covered bridge and lots of this wooden boardwalk stuff which is actually pretty nice to run on.  The trail is 4 miles one way and well marked, which is great since my Nike+ app decided to crash halfway through. Again.  I planned to double back a half mile at some point to get to my planned 9 miles, but the rain was moving back in very quickly and my knees and hips were starting to complain from all the hills.  Basically I am falling apart already!  They are all old just problems that flair up occasionally and are pretty manageable if I just take care of myself.  Weather changes never help my case though!

My running selfies obviously need some work, but I did find this sign in a very convenient location. Also can I just say how much I am loving that mesh shirt from Brooks? It's reversible and beyond comfy. Plus I think I got it for about $10 at TJ Maxx!

There is a (heavenly) water station around mile 3 that I was so happy to stop at, but I was really impressed that I made it without my own water or any kind of fuel. I don't think I'll intentionally try it again, but I am really glad to know I can do it if I need to.

I refueled with a pepperjack bagel and hazelnut swirl iced coffee from Dunkin.  They were out of cookie dough iced coffee which just about broke my heart.

Overall it was a great week despite the rain and storms!  Hope you all had time to enjoy your weekend.

Proper Planning...and whatnot

The problem with life is that there is a big gap between planning and implementation. I am an excellent planner and I can, on paper, make a day that has time for everything. Then the next day I'll oversleep by nearly two hours and blow the whole thing before my feet are even out of my cozy bed.

This little munchkin wanting to snuggle also does not help.
And yes he really is that dingy in real life. We went to the dog park last night. Which is probably why the plan for the week post was not even written on time. Go me haha.

So here is a brief summary of my training plan for the week.

Monday: rest day
Tuesday: 3 miles (goal pace 9:30)
Wednesday: 5 miles (goal pace 11)
Thursday: 3 miles (no goal pace)
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 9 miles (goal pace under 12)
Sunday: cross training (hot yoga?)

Are you there groove?

I fell off the wagon. Hard. But I'm here and I'm back to making plans. Which is a great first step I think.

I am a perfectionist and I am competitive. In some ways this is great, but it poses a real challenge other times because if I don't feel like I am meeting my goals I get overwhelmed and burnt out pretty quickly.

So here I am after a rest, ready to create new and more manageable goals!

Besides, I love love love mega planning Monday!

On the food front I have pretty much nothing planned. I am moving soon so I'm really just attempting to live off my pantry stash so I have less to pack and carry.

Running: this week my marathon training plan officially starts! I'm using the Hal Higdon Novice plan. With a few tweaks here and there of course.
The week:
Monday: rest
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles at race pace
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: 8 miles
Sunday: cross training

Now for the particulars. I am aiming for a 10 min/mile pace. This might be a little overly optimistic but we will see what happens. I'm going to try it a few times and reevaluate at the end of the month.

Tuesday I am going to keep trying for a 9:30 average pace and Thursday will be more of a recovery run.

The big plan for this evening is to go check out my new place! Tuesday will probably be date night. Then the rest of the week should be uneventful until I head to Raleigh again Saturday morning for Hanks last lesson then watching racing Saturday night in Rockingham.

My biggest accomplishment this past weekend was (sorta) teaching Hank to take a selfie.

It's a work in progress.
Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Ten Things Tuesday: slackers edition

I'm back! Life got a little (ok a lot) hectic and I've been running in probably a million circles while still managing to avoid my planned runs. Yikes! So today's ten things are split in half. Five things making life crazy and five things I've been doing instead of running.

1) Our WiFi router croaked in one of the bajilion thunderstorms we had. No internet is no fun.

2) Our plumbing is also not working and keeps getting worse instead of better. It started with the washing machine "draining" all over the dining room. The the kitchen sink was on the fritz. Showers have worked (albeit very slowly) until this morning. Pre-workday run was canceled when I woke up and saw this

Makes you want to jump right in right? Anyways the plumber is supposed to come today. Of course they were supposed to come Thursday as well.

3) It has been hot as all get out and humid to boot. I'm very much not a morning person, but by the time I get off work the heat index is over 100 and I'm ready to,lay in bed and do nothing.

4) On that note, I did a ton of campus tours last week and I'm going to go ahead and count all that walking in the heat as cross training lol.

5) And last for the making life crazy things is the fact that I have been mentally burnt out. I just don't want to get out the door for a run. It's been a battle but I think this will be my rebound week.

6) (aka part 2, #1) I've been traveling! The boyfriend and I went to see his dad in the Tampa, FL area for the 4th of July and had a blast. Lots of hours in the car and one the beach, but it was a great change of pace and scenery.

The run was hot but fantastic and the view was incredible. Then I went and soaked in some sun for the rest of the day!

7) I'm planning more travel! This weekend I am heading to the mountains of NC for a tiny bit of work and lots of fun time. I have already planned a running route to see of the 6 major waterfalls in the DuPont forrest...and a lake swim to finish it out! Follow me on instagram@ seejessrun711 for picture updates throughout the weekend!

8)  Hank and I had a great "mommy-doggy day" yesterday. He had a lesson then,we explored Raleigh, went to the dog park, picked out some new treats and a toy at petsmart, and met dad for dinner at Moe's.

We practiced our new "place" command and took some selfies in the car. Because we are cool like that. 

9) I'm knitting a sweater and dreaming of colder weather. Actually my roommate runs the a.c. high enough that I might need it indoors before the fall even gets here! 

It's gotten bigger since that picture but still isn't super interesting. The fun part is still to come.

10) And finally, I've been eating a ton of frozen yogurt! 

As much as I love SweetFrog here in NC, we found a place called yogurt mountain in Clearwater and it is my favorite of all the frozen yogurt places I've been to.

And that's ten! So glad I've finally made it through a post and I am hoping the success will carry over to running this evening! 

Hope you had an amazing holiday weekend! 

Thankful Thursday: Hank Edition

As much as I talk about Hank on here I figured it was only right that I share his story. He will always be one of the best things to happen to me so I couldn't think of a better place time to share than on a Thankful Thursday. (Sorry in advance for the picture overload.  Be glad my phone blew up or I would have many more haha)

I have wanted a dog for pretty much forever.  My family always had dogs and I knew I would always have them.  After college I got a cat because I wasn't really situated in a permanent location and cats are (supposedly) lower maintenance. 

A little over a year ago I moved into a house and could finally have a dog! My boyfriend was deployed at the time so I was a little nervous about how it would play out when he got back, but that did not stop me from dragging my friends to every PetSmart adoption event or make me spend any less time looking at rescue websites.

I knew I wanted a big dog who was friendly and energetic enough to go on my runs with me.  I wanted a girl dog because I had heard horror stories about boy dogs peeing on everything.  Realistically I wanted a newfie...but I live in the hottest part of North Carolina so that option wasn't really an option.

I struck out several times but then I saw this face

I wandered down the rest of the row to be fair, but I came right back to him.  He was a two-year-old English pointer/lab mix. He had no name and he was clearly a rescue and you could see he was dirty and skinny at about 70 pounds.  But he was the happiest and most loving dog I had ever seen.
I got to walk around PetSmart and play with him for a bit and all he wanted was to be loved on.  My friend had her 10 month old with her and he was obsessed with the baby (in a good way) and, despite being a bit uncoordinated and clumsy, totally stole my heart from that moment.  We found out that he had been found on the side of the road covered in green paint like he had been shot with a paintball gun.  How someone can do that to any dog, let alone a dog this sweet I will never know.

I wasn't able to take him home that day because he still had to be neutered so I had a while to get everything I needed and to pick out a name.  I kept staring at the picture of this big goofy dog and saying names until I came across one that sounded right.  As soon as I said Hank my friend and I agreed that it was perfect.

I couldn't wait to bring him home!  The first night I had him, we sat on the floor and Skyped my boyfriend so they could "meet"  Then the poor dog had to tolerate me hugging him and crying for an extended period of time...which he handled like a champ.  I have to admit it was the first of numerous times that dog was been my shoulder to cry on!

As soon as he got his stitches out we went on our first big roadtrip down to Atlanta, GA.  He handled over six hours in the car like a champ and was rewarded with a super awesome weekend of hiking adventures.

He also got his backpack that weekend which he LOVED from the first time he wore it!  I thought there would be some adjusting but our first attempt he happily went for a three mile walk!

A few weeks later we went on another adventure and got to see a waterfall

We have been on so many other adventures since then and they have been great.  But the real reason I am thankful for this amazing dog is that he makes sure I always have a reason to get up in the morning.

And he makes me go out and do things.  He makes it much easier to meet people too! As much as I love typing about my life, I actually don't have an easy time meeting new people.  Hank does not have that problem and has made it so much easier for me to talk to people I don't know!

He makes exericise much more fun as well

So even when he steals the chicken off the counter and even when he steals the entire bed, I will never be able to love this darn dog any less.  He is by far one of the best things in my life and I am thankful for him every day!  I only hope I am half as good to him as he is to me.

P.S. He is totally obsessed with his dad now that they have met in person..and his dad loves him just as much!

Ten Things Tuesday: morning run edition

I got up and ran before work today...I think this qualifies as a genuine miracle so I am dedicating this post to my morning run!

1) I overslept. No surprise there really.

2) I got to run with my favorite running buddy and we practiced running selfies.

3) Morning is still way hotter than I realized. The "feels like" temperature is already 83!

4) Looking at my selfie attempts made me realize I wore my shirt backwards. Classy.

5) I tried out the "Running to Rock" Spotify playlist and really liked it.

6) Hank was worn out!

7) A banana after a run is great. Nora agrees.

8) Iced coffee is even better than a banana.

9) I'm still sucking at hydrating. I could really feel it this morning.

10) I know they are called ballerina buns for good reason, but I'd like petition to have them renamed "post morning run showered and don't want to blow dry m hair buns." Wordy I know, but so much more inclusive

Question: Are you a fan of running in the morning? How do you get motivated?

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Netflix= the anti-workout

I have no run to recap (for several reasons that will follow) so it is time for Ten Things Tuesday!

1)  I have been slacking on blogging lately in part because Netflix put up the second season of Orange is the New Black.  Seriously, if you haven't watched it you totally should.  Except when you find yourself avoiding all other activities because you just want to find out what happens next...I was not the one to make the recommendation ;)

2) The weather here is getting crazy.  The high at the end of the week is over 100.  Plus 100% humidity. Plus thunder storms that are shaking the walls.  This is a large part of why I didn't run today...plus Netflix...

3) I had this amazing salad for lunch.  I need to eat salad more often.

4) I knew soda cans could explode from freezing but I didn't know heat could do the same thing.  Is anyone else guilty of keeping a case of soda in their car so it's not really cold and easy to get to, but you can get one if you really crave it?  I am a total caffeine junkie!

5) I am an over-planner.  I have a couple trips coming up and I spent my lunch break looking up the best places to go running.

6) Summers in North Carolina make me a little bit homesick.  I miss cherry season and gardening and dry heat.  I miss all the fun things we got to do as a family.

7) North Carolina has it's perks though.  The beach is much closer and warmer!

8) This wasp had me trapped in my office when I was trying to leave for the day.  I am not allergic or all that scared.  I just have a natural desire to avoid pain...and it was huge!

9) This weekend we made baked garbanzo beans while the pizza was in the oven.  They taste great but I don't think I cooked them long enough because they weren't really crunchy.  Anyone with experience want to weigh in on what the texture should be?

 
10) Hank might sit in his crate all day practicing this.  He certainly has the judgey face down to an art form!

Alright yall.  It is time for me to head to bed.  By which I mean time to finish the last episode (already?!) of Orange is the New Black then eventually fall asleep.







Tell me a thing (or ten!) about your Tuesday :)