Cooper River Bridge Run 2009!

This past weekend Ben and I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run with my mom and 83 year-old grandfather for 2nd year. Honestly, I was not really looking forward to it given the past few weeks events. I had not really run consistently since before Christmas and once we found out I was pregnant I really took it easy and did more walking and than running. Prior to the race on Saturday I had not ran in over 3 weeks!

I had high hopes of finishing better than my time last year and somehow I was able to shave off 7 minutes…over a minute per mile. I finished in 1:07:03 and Ben finished in 57:52!! I could not believe my time and I almost beat my personal record for a 10k I set back in November at the Old Reliable Run in Raleigh. Not too bad given the past few weeks and no training!

Over 31,000 people ready to run/walk 6.2 miles!

I’d say the theme song for my run was the 5th Dimension Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine. The weather was beautiful despite the chilly temps at 6am when we lined up for the shuttle bus to Mt. Pleasant. It’s an amazing experience to run alongside 31,000 other runners as loved ones cheer you on as your come down the final mile of Meeting and King Street.

The Kenyan’s running twice as fast as the rest of us!

Ben and I after the race.My mom and Papaw…he finished 1st in his Age Group!!

It was kind of bittersweet to think we might not be able to run next year…if we have another little one on the way! :)

After the race we all showered and headed out to T-Bonz for our traditional lunch and celebratory beers. No trip to any city is complete without finding the nearest beer store…we made it to the Beer Exchange without doing too much damage. We were so tired we decided to head to the beach house for pizza and early night in bed!

Enjoying a Nut Brown Ale and Raspberry Wheat post race!

Running this race was another weekend that Ben and I really needed. It’s been nice to get back to reality and do some of the things we both love! I’m so glad everything worked out for us to still enjoy the weekend in Charleston.

First 5k of 2009

Yesterday we completed our first race of 2009! I love getting back out on the road and having a race on our calendar always provides enough motivation to keep our runs throughout the week.

My sister, Sara’s sorority at ECU held their 1st Annual Kappa Delta 5k For Kids in Greenville. Ben and I drove down after work on Friday for the Pasta Dinner, then went to Eddie and Lisa’s house to spend the night in New Bern. The morning came very early as we struggled to get out of bed and the temperature outside was in the 20’s! After a quick bowl of hot oatmeal we were on our way back to Greenville.

The race kicked off at 10am with a little over 100 people running. Most of the family participated and it ended up being a successful race. Ben completed the 5k in 26:01 and I came in at 32:24. Not too bad for our lack of training over the holidays and winter.

Next up: Cooper River Bridge Run 10! Just 7 more weeks!!! This is by far, my favorite race…40,000 people running in Charleston and many many more lining the streets cheering you on!

Current Obsessions…

During my run this afternoon, I realized I have a few obsessions lately…

Running (obviously). I set out for a late afternoon run and took it easy since I’ve got a bad case of shin splints, which I thought had improved. I made it 2.5 miles and decided to stop. I guess this cycle will continue until the days get long enough for me to get some regular and consistent runs in during the week and get my muscles back into shape…and keep them there. I’m currently icing my shins on the couch…no fun when I really just want to RUN!

During my run I had a great playlist. I get sort of obsessive with one particular song and play it over and over again for a few weeks. Today’s selection is Love Story – Taylor Swift…which I replayed 3 times! Other songs that kept me moving today:

~Womanizer – Britney Spears

~Disturbia – Rihianna

~Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) – Beyonce

~Let It Rock - Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne

~Run (I’m A Natural Disaster) – Gnarls Barkley

Love Story by Taylor Swift captured my attention since I’m in LOVE with the Twilight series and could pretty much be the theme-song of this series. I finished Twilight last night and stayed up until 1:30am reading. At 9am when I woke up, I picked up New Moon and read until 3pm, stopping only for coffee, oatmeal and bathroom breaks. Ben tried to convince me to ride with him to American Brewmaster for brewing supplies, but I was too engrossed in reading. While he was gone I found the perfect Twilight T-shirt and placed my order. Forks Brewing Co: The Ultimate Thirst Quencher – Reach for a Cold One! I’ve already placed my order online and hopefully it’ll arrive soon.

I’m pretty certain the rest of my Sunday evening (what’s left of it) will be spent reading…I cannot get enough of Edward Cullen! The possibility of sipping on a beer might be in the future too…if only there was a true Forks Brewing Co.

Uggs. I thought I wanted these last year, but honestly they aren’t that cute looking and I honestly was not sure I was cool enough to wear them. But, this year I finally gave in and got them for Christmas! I don’t care how ugly or stupid looking they are…they are so, so, so comfy and feel just like bedroom shoes. I also don’t like wearing shoes in the house and almost immediately take them off when i get home, however, I could leave these on all day!

Oh Happy Day!

Today was one fantastic day...and I'm pretty sure it's all because of my run. I haven't really felt myself for about 2 weeks now. I guess with no excercise, horrible eating and holiday stress it's expected. Today I took a vacation day and it was just what I needed. After suffering a headache for 4 days and spending all Sunday evening on the couch popping Excedrins and Advil, I was happy I had built in an Emergency-Finish-Everything-Up-Before-Christmas Day! (Many thanks to my awesome hubby, who made me a steaming hot bath, brought me water and excedrin and cold compresses all evening! I think I finally nipped this one in the bud!)

I normally like to run first thing in the morning, but it was 22 degrees at 8am this morning. So I snuggled in bed for an extra 30 minutes before bundling up to come downstairs and power on the laptop and do one thing for work. After I finished with a big cup of coffee, I cleaned the kitchen and began wrapping all the presents.

I still had a few last minute gifts, mostly stocking stuffers, to buy. So I around 1230pm, I headed out to Target and to get a haircut. One home we set out on our run. As soon as I found my running clothes and shoes my mood lifted! At 3pm, it was still chilly outside and my muscles knew it'd been a while since I used them, but overall it was a good run! My calves cramped up a lot after and I'll be sore tomorrow, but I finally feel good again!

Ben and I usually go to dinner one night before Christmas and we've been wanting to see Four Christmases, so we had a little date tonight. It wasn't much, but just perfect and what we wanted....Cobb Salads at TGI Fridays followed by a movie. The movie was great other than the irritating, immature middle schoolers sitting behind us who clearly weren't there to see a movie.

We're off to finish our evening watching The Polar Express and wrapping the last 2 gifts I bought today. Enjoy the last few days before Christmas!

Running Funk!

I never thought I really LOVED running and I still just like it a lot because of the way it makes me feel. But, I've been in a funk for for a few weeks and have really noticed it the last few days and I'm pretty sure it's because I haven't been on a run since Thanksgiving Day! I might not LOVE running, but I MISS it!

I was planning on the training to help keep those pesky 5 lbs I always gain during the holidays at bay. I'd been doing a great job so far of eating almost anything I wanted and maintaining my weight. After the Holiday parties this past week I just feel icky!

With our trip to Asheville, Holiday parties, Christmas Shopping and squeezing in time for friends thre is no time left on the weekends for a good run. I had originally planned on running the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon on Feb 14. and knew it'd be a stretch to find the time during the winter and holiday season to train. When we realized we were under a tight deadline to sign up for the race, the $60 entrance fee was a little steep at Christmas. I ultimately decided to not run this race, BUT I promised myself I WILL run a half marathon in early 2009. I felt a huge weight lifted off of me.

I'm really looking forward to my time off at Christmas and our really long weekend at the beach to get in some good runs. I can't wait to step onto the beach on a crisp winter beach morning for a run along the surf. Ok...I'm feeling even better just thinking about it!

Road Runner at Heart

Have I mentioned how much I hate the time change and its always dark...which means no more running outside. I don't mind the cold, it's the dark that is keeping me away. So tonight I tried a new gym, which was very nice and literally on my way home from work. I packed my gym bag this morning and stopped in on my way home to pick up my one week pass and get in a workout.

More than likely I'll join, although I don't really want to. I always feel like gyms are ripping me off, except for Planet Fitness where we were members before we moved. But...I figure if I'm really doing the MB Half Marathon in Feb. I must get in some training on the treadmill and a little cross training and weight training wouldn't hurt either.

Tonight for the first time in over 6 months, I stepped foot onto the treadmill...I loathe them! I never thought I'd ever think running outside would be easier. I was super bored, I felt like I was running way too fast over my normal pace, my shins were killing me and I was getting overheated. I guess it'll be ok for short midweek runs, but I know by the weekends I'll be looking forward to my long runs outside!

Today I'm grateful for:

~Running outside: I can't wait for my 6 mile run this Sat. in the fresh air!

~Quiet Days at work

~Scarfs: Sometimes I wear them all day long and it's just enough to keep me warm all day and stylish too!

Sunday Running....

This afternoon Ben and I ventured out to downtown Raleigh for the Old Reliable 10k. Ben decided not to run and would just watch me this one time. While I was a little lonely at the start line waiting to get going, it sure was nice to have my own cheerleader and personal photographer. The weather was awesome and it was pretty warm in the sun.

I thought I'd have a really good run today and through the first mile, which circled the block and brought you back over the start line, all was good. I was running at my usual pace, but by the time I got to mile 3 I had developed the most horrible side cramp. I tried everything while running to subside it and nothing seemed to work. I ended up stopping 3 times! By mile 3.5 when I turned onto Dixie Trail and saw Anna and Dan cheering for me from their house, I decided to suck it up and keep running no matter what. I was so happy to see them cheering and it was just what I need too keep going. By mile 4.5 I was feeling good again and the cramp was gone. The last 2.7 miles were easy peasy...I was feeling good, had tons of energy and NO PAIN! My final time was around 1:05 and while that was my goal, knowing I could have maybe shaved off a few more minutes was slightly disappointed. But at that point I was just happy to finish considering how I felt halfway through the race. But, I'm so mad I forgot to turn off my Nike +, which was off anyways and recorded 6.8 miles at 1:16, which made my overal pace over 11 minutes per mile. I'm just a stickler like that.

For a local race, it was a good course and I'd do it again next year. The course was relatively flat and I liked how you circled back through the start/finishe line to see family and friends. Now I start a 12 week training program for the Myrtle Beach half marathon. I'm heading to our gym to sign up for a membership to get in some good runs and workouts during the long winter weeks.

Today I'm thankful for:

~Running tights: So comfy to run in and stay in place!

~Friends and family who cheered me on just when I needed it most!

~The awesome fall weather that made my "good" miles enjoyable.

During my hour running when I wasn't thinking about how bad my cramp was, I was totally coming up with things I was grateful for....I love thinking while running.

Happy Veteran's Day

Being that it's Veteran's Day it was a relaxed, short day at work. I didn't have anything have anything I HAD to get done today, but it was nice to have a quiet day in the office to get a few loose ends tied up. I had planned on working until 1 or, that turned into 2, and I finally left at 330!

I was beyond excited to get home with the sun still shining, so I immediately headed out for a short, 3 mile run. Although my Nike + is off now...I ran my usual route of 3.12 miles and it says I ran 2.75, which threw off my pace too. Grrrrr....

Ben left for work and I decided head out shopping. A friend sent me a 25% Friends & Family coupon for World Market and I've been eyeing some chocolate brown velvet drapes. Of course they only have one panel when I needed two. I decided to go ahead and get just one now. I was already out and in the store. But while there I picked up 2 Abita Harvest Pecan beers for our Beer Tasting Dinner Party with Tara & Rick this weekend. I also finally found some cloth napkins and placemats I loved. How precious and it'll will pick up the green, purple, red and yellows in our kitchen.

And wouldn't you know they rang everything up wrong...the girl said she gave me my discount and I was almost ready to head home when I decided to double check...yep...she forgot. So back in the store I went, returned everything and got my discount...25% off was worth it!

Once home, I sat down to awesome leftovers of Lasagna and a side salad. I'm now freezing and think I'll spend the rest of the night curled up on the couch with a cup of tea.

Today I'm grateful for:

~Coupons: I rarely buy anything for full price and sometimes coupons come at just the right time.

~New Friends: I am so excited to host our newest friends, Tara & Rick on Sat. We all share a love for beer and they couldn't be a more fun couple to hang out with.

~Our Veterans: Both sides of my family have military background and I have 2 cousins who are currently serving in Iraq...many thanks for all their hardwork!

It's Almost Done...

Another project is almost complete. We finished painting the living room today and other than finding dark brown curtains and a rod, we're practicaly done. Eventually we'll add crown moulding, but first we need to finishing painting the rest of our rooms downstairs and let our checking account recover from all the Lowe's purchases in the past few months!

We started our day off with a bang...we ran 6.25 miles! It was so long, we needed a map to keep track of all of our turns through the neighborhoods and I found a great site...Google Pedometer. It's similar to MapMyRun, but allows you to print out your map with the distance and elevations. I ran one loop twice...the second time around I thought things looked familar and finally found my way. So, I tweaked my route again and my 6th mile came faster than I thought. It was a great run and I feel good for the 10k next Sunday. I finished today in 1:04:32 with an average pace of 10:14/mile and I burned almost 800 calories!! In just 6 months I've shaved off over 10 minutes on my 10k....yeah I'm feeling pretty awesome!

Other than running and painting we've been pretty lazy today. Watching football, cleaning up the house a little and working through the massive pile of laundry. One day I'll learn to do laundry on a regular basis...doing 3 weeks at a time is not fun!

Pictures of our almost complete living room: We're also getting rid of the large entertainment center...as soon as we can sell it on Craigslist! I love how it all came out. Ben definitely pushed me out of comfort zone with brighter colors and I'm so glad we took the plunge with the colors we chose.

Today I'm grateful for:

~Ben: being my running partner, helping me keep my pace and keeping me going through those tough hills.

~Our decor: I love decorating and I'm so thankful we have the means to make our home exactly how we want it.

~Popcorn: We had a bag for the perfect afternoon snack...so filling and easy. My dad makes a huge bowl almost every weekend for an afternoon snack, so a great memory!

Yep...you guessed it....

Work, Dinner, Wine, Sleep...and Blog!

Another long day at work and home in the pitch black. But, I'm enjoying my leftovers from Sono...Pan-seared Sea Bass, rice, steamed broccoli and a big glass of wine. Maybe some pumpkin ice cream later! Delicious.

Two more crazy days of work and then the weekend. My deadline runs from the first business day of the month to the 5th. Sometimes it falls over the weekend and if need be, it gives me 2 extra days, which is nice. But, it's also nice to be DONE on Fridays! I can't wait until this Friday...we have a nice relaxing weekend ahead of us.

One of my friends, Meredith, requested the recipe for my White Bean Chicken Chili. It's delicious and we add extra spice since we enjoy it hotter. This go-round was a little soupy, but that's all the more reason to make extra corn muffins to soak up the liquid. Enjoy!

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 tbsp flour
3 cups chopped chicken breast
3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
1 can corn; drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream

Add everything to the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Oh...I finally hit 100 miles on my Nike + this past Sunday! In just 4 months, I've run 102 miles and earned a certificate from Nike. And I'm in 2nd place in my challenge with some friends for the most miles ran between Labor Day and Thanksgiving! Which reminds me I need to sign up for my gym membership now there is no more daylight for evening runs.

Tonight I'm grateful for:

~My financial and analytical knowledge: To the outside world what I do for a living is a foreign language. Many of you have no idea...and the fact month after month I put my skills to test and problem solve breaks in our systems and adjusts exposure (lost you there didn't I?)seems like second nature to me. But this month, I've had several issues that I've really had to put my thinking cap on and pull everything I've learned in the past several year. It's a good sense of accomplishment to solve these problems and fix the issue.

~Nike +: Ben gave me this for my birthday in June and it has inspired me to keep running every week...such a nifty little gadget. And who knew I could run 100 miles in 4 months!

~Blogging: I love sharing little tid-bits of my life and many things I've grateful for!

I'm running out of time...

I absolutely-positively hate the time change! Sunday I will admit it was nice to get an extra hour or house chores in. We didn't sleep in...at 630am I was wide awake. So we got up early, I made some delicious Pecan Pumpkin Dessert Squares. I've had some Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter from Williams Sonoma in the pantry since last year.


Pecan Pumpkin Dessert Squares

1 package yellow cake mix; set aside one cup
½ cup butter, melted
3 eggs, large
1 jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F. Divide yellow cake mix, placing all but one cup in a mixing bowl. Stir the melted butter and one egg into the cake mix. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9" × 13" pan. Mix the jar of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter with two eggs and milk. Pour this result over the cake mix. Stir the reserved cup of cake mix with the flour, sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon. Mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the pumpkin layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into "2 squares. Serves 24.

Once cleaned up in the kitchen, I got the rest of the house spic and span! At 3pm we decided to go on a 5.5 mile run. It definitely was not the best...we ended up on a very busy road without a sidewalk. Plus, I was dehydrated and left with no energy. I really needed some Carb blocks to keep up my energy.

We ended a night with dinner at Ben's parents house. Ben's mom, Susan, made an amazing mexican chicken casserole that was her sister's recipe. We also enjoyed Harrison's (our 4 year old nephew) amazing Greek dip with homemade pita chip for an appetizer. I hadn't seen the Stafford's in many months, so it was great to see most of the family then. I'm not sure where the past 3 months have gone!

Sunday's Gratitude List:

~Food: I love food and cooking and how it brings people together.

~Sidewalks and neighborhoods: We live in a wonderful area with so many neighborhoods to run in...I almost took it for granted until I had to dodge a few cars on a busy street and rolled my ankle one too many times in the ditches while running.

~Fresh air: The fall brings mild days and better quality air. I love when the summer haze is gone and it's so easy to breathe!


Now...a little catch up! The time change as gotten me all of whack. I feel like it's almost midnight. Month end started at work and I usually work late. I rushed home at a 6pm and it was pitch black outside. I'm so sad my evening runs outside are over until spring. After a whirlwind trip to the grocery store and back...I'm pleased to say we only spent $58 for a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners...all homecooked meals!

I've been slack in my cooking lately and I'm so sick of all the frozen and pre-prepared dinners we've been eating. Even though we didn't eat until 845pm...I was so much happier sitting down at a candlelight table eating fresh sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli and our favorite crunchy baked chicken. Definitely worth all that hard work!

Today I'm grateful for:

~Fresh veggies: They've been missing from my diet and my body is craving them now. The freshest veggies only need a little seasoning and are so sweet and delicious.

~Wine: I love coming home to a nice glass of wine with dinner. It makes it feel special, even if it is a week night.

~Daylight savings: I hate it being so dark...I get so depressed during winter and wish we had daylight savings time all year long!

Plentiful Gratitude!!

Throughout the day I keep thinking of the things I'm grateful for...which proves a point that by keeping a journal you can become happier. I'm constantly thinking and making mental notes. But, then when I sit down to write my 3 things, I have too many...how to choose my top 3 for day is so hard! Who knew I'd be in this dilemma of too many things I'm grateful for!

After a week without any running, I came home, threw on warm clothes and set out immediately for a 3 mile run. It was a nice relaxing run dispite the chilly temps. Hard to believe just last weekend I was running in shorts and tank top.

Since today's run was so great, my grateful list will be mostly about running:

~My body: I can't believe God created such an amazing thing...I started running again one year ago and never thought I could train my body to so efficient and run 6.2 miles. My muscles, lungs and heart work together to get me through 3 miles so effortlessly...because of this I can truly say I love running.

~Under Armour: My new compression shirt I bought at the outlets this weekend wicked away the sweat and keep me toasty warm. Hopefully, I won't dread those long 4-10 mile runs this Jan. when I start training for the half marathon.

~Magazines: I love reading them before bed...my favorite, Cooking Light, just came yesterday. The plan for the rest of the night is to snuggle up on the couch with some ice cream and my magazine!

A Frosty Fall Weekend!

Our weekends are always jam-packed and this weekend was no different! We definitely could have used an extra day to fit it all in and catch up on our sleep. Friday it finally turned chilly. I snuck away from work a few hours early...Ben fixed homemade pizza with sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, bell peppers and onions. We enjoyed pizza in front of the fire...our gas logs quickly heated up the downstairs so it was nice and cozy.

I was actually delighted to start Saturday morning's run being cold. It was a very nice break from the sweat-drenched runs for the past few months. I'm sure I'll be hating it in a few weeks. My run was fantastic...not my fastest, but a nice relaxed 5.16 miles at a 10:00 pace!

Saturday also included finally picking up our coffee table and end tables. We rushed home and unpacked them before heading to Kim & Jeff's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding in North Raleigh and we couldn't be happier for them. After an unfortunate event of losing their reception site one week before the wedding, they found a wonderful site in Wake Forest. Despite being a little chilly, we had a fabulous time. Dinner and the cake was amazing...the cake barely looked like cake!

Sunday we continued our hectic weekend heading to Charlotte for the Panther's game. It was me and the boys this time as we celebrated Shane's birthday. What a great game...we were so excited to see Jake and Company pull out an awesome win. With this crowd...good beer is always plenty. Fun fact: Carolina Beer introduced the Red, Wheat and Blue beer this year at the Panther's game and they haven't lost a home game yet. You know we helped continue that tradition at the game!

One Last Summer Hoo-Rah!

As Labor Day is typically considered the last weekend of the summer, we celebrated it at the beach! We still have a few more weekends planned to the beach. Next weekend is one of them if Hurricane Hanna decides to make a sharp right turn and head back out to sea.

Both Saturday and Sunday turned out to be incredibly nice, although a little hot. We started Sat. morning off early with a run. My best 5k ever! I did 3.14 miles in 31:23. The rest of the day included the beach and pool. Then dinner at our usual favorite beach place...T-bonz. It didn't take much convincing, but we ended up at the Chairmen of the Board concert at the House of Blues. This is my favorite place to see them and this being the 6th time I've seen General Johnson, it was probably the best. I'm sure the drinks Ben was handing me all night had nothing to do with that. My uncle and my mom ended up on stage, so I guess you could say we had a great time!

Sunday was a lazy day. We spent most of the day by the pool and then headed in to pack and head home. I had to work today, Labor Day. It wasn't all that bad and I get an extra vacation day for working the holiday. I came home at 230 and Ben and I have been tidying up, doing errands and now finally relaxing!

Until I flipped the calendar to September, I was sad summer is almost over and nowhere near ready for fall, but now I can't wait to buy new fall decor and start decorating our new house. I can't wait to set out pumpkins on our front porch.

I Finally Feel Like A Runner...

After weeks and weeks of making all kinds of excuses for my bad runs I finally came to terms that it's probably due to inconsistentcy. I never seem to have the week nights free to run and running is the first thing to get put on the backbunner. And besides if I want to really train for the half marathon in Myrtle Beach, I need to find time to run.

With daylight savings time coming to an end in a little over a month, I decided I should start doing my runs in the morning before work. Luckily, I don't have to be at work super early. So last night I made up my mind I'd run this morning. Before I went to bed I laid out my running clothes and shoes, put a glass of water and some Cliff Blocks on the nightstand and set my alarm for 6:09AM. It was still a little dark, but I got up anyways and by 6:25 I was heading out the door. Of course it was raining then, which I didn't notice when I got up...good thing I didn't or I definitely would have gone back to bed for another hour of sleep. At this point I was already up and dressed and told myself to just run.

This morning's run is interesting compared to my other runs when I've been up for at least an hour before starting. Normally I start off at a faster pace, then taper off to my normal pace. Today I started off sluggish and then I got up to my regular pace. It wasn't that bad and hopefully I can keep up the morning runs. It's nice to know I had run 3 miles before 7am and I was done with today's work out.

As I was looking for tips on running in the morning, I found an interesting article about running and circaidan ryhthms. It's quite interesting how different times of the day are different for everyone.

Please Stop the Music!

I never thought I'd be one to run without music. Lately I've been having several bad runs which I've been blaming on the high temps, getting overheated and being dehydrated. Even Saturday mornings run when the temperature was in the low 70's I had my most horrible run. I had to take a break after the first mile and only completed 2 miles total.

So this morning, I was determined to try it again. Less than 1 mile into my run I started getting annoyed with my music and just turned off my Ipod. I thought I'd get bored, but once I could finally hear my breathing and concentrate it made a world of difference in my endurance. Maybe it was a fluke and it was just a good day, but I did my best 5k in several months!

I'm trying to find a decent race in mid Sept. to run. I only have one weekend this month, so it'll be a tight squeeze to find a race. I just need something to keep me on track until training for the half marathon starts.

Awesome run!

This is probably one of my best runs...it definitely doesn't top the Cooper River Bridge 10k, but it felt amazingly good. I switched up my running route and did it backwards this evening. At the end I felt like I could have done another mile, which is progress from the past few weeks when it's been a struggle to finish. It gives me great confidence that I can train for this half marathon in Nov.

I love love love my Nike+ Sportsband. It's pretty accurate when compared with mapmyrun.com. And now everyone can see my awesome runs and the progress I've made.

Fun with the birthday presents!

Since my birthday over a week ago, I've been extremely busy and in NYC for a week. This weekend was finally time to enjoy all the great birthday gifts I received. On Sat. night I made a mouth watering peach-blueberry cobbler that was a cross between my great-grandmother's peach cobbler and my favorite Cooking Light cobbler. I think it's my new favorite now.

To accompany dessert I used my new Bialettie Moka Express Espresso Maker. It's a staple in any Italian household. It's very similar to a peculator, but better than any drip coffee as the pressure forces the water through the coffee, but giving it more time to aerate in the coffee. My dad also gave me a hand held frother, so we had perfect cafe lattes.

Today, we went to Durham to 9th Street Active Feet. If you ever need running shoes this is the place...these people really know their stuff. After taking a look at my current shoes, my callus pattern on my feet (gross, I know), they way I walk and finally the way I stand on each foot, I was recommended 4 pairs of running shoes. For the first time in my life, I selected shoes based on comfort and what I needed, rather than color, brand and price. After a few test runs up and down the street I used my gift certificate from my mom to buy the Etonic Jepera 2 SC. Comparably, they are heavy for a running shoe, but offered so much cushion and also giving enough support for my over pronation. I can't wait to test them out. Being so busy with the move, birthdays and then NYC, I haven't run in over a month! But, just another reason to get back in the groove and start training for the OBX marathon.

I'm still debating on how to spend my Lowe's and Bed Bath and Beyond gift cards. I'm thinking of putting them towards a new storm door to match our windows, bath hardware for our master bedroom, or a ceiling fan for our bedroom.

A little anxious!

Today, all of a sudden, I started feeling anxious. Realizing we're closing on our very first home in one week and packing up our entire townhouse this weekend is enough to worry about. Also, Ben is waiting to hear about a very promising job offer at Duke. The thought of us being able to enjoy dinner and go to bed together every night is beyond exciting to me. We've never known anything other than working opposite schedules, so this will be a huge change. Please keep your fingers (and toes) crossed for Ben. It's a great position that will not only offer him good opportunities, but will afford our budget great opportunites! I told him, if he gets the job, we'll splurge on the "man chair" he's been eyeing as a celebration/graduation gift.

Also, I think I've officially decided to run the OBX Half Marathon in November! YIKES! I remember when I made the decision last fall to run the Charleston Cooper River Bridge Run 10k. But I did it and finished. It's the same feeling. I've already printed off Hal Higdon's Training Program. Once we are settled in the new house, training begins!

Speaking of running. My grandfather was featured in his local paper for running. I'm very proud of him and he's been my inspiration to keep running. The article is very well written and portrays his character to a tee!

New Blog...

You can't have too many blogs can you? This is an old blog I started over a two years. And even though I have a cooking blog, there have been so many things going on in our lives that I wanted to share...that aren't related to cooking!

A quick update...er...since the first and last post...We're married, we bought a house, I changed jobs, Ben is graduating this summer, and we finished our first 10k! And hopefully Ben will be in a new position too very soon.

The 10k was awesome! Ben, my mom and my grandfather ran the Charleston Cooper River Bridge Run on April 5. Training didn't go as planned and I never finished. But I made my goal and ran the entire 6.2 miles. I could have finished faster, but I didn't want to be over-confident and was seeded with the walk/run group. With 40,000 people, it was a little crowded and I spent most of my time weaving in and out between people. It took us 14 minutes to even get to the start line. My gun time was 1:28 and my chip time was 1:14. Now I'm thinking about running a half marathon either in Nov. in the Outer Banks or in Feb in Myrtle Beach. It's only 13.1 miles!

Our running has taken the back burner the past few weeks as we are closing on our first home May 21! We couldn't be more excited to have our own home and start making it our own. It's basically move in ready, but with a few coats of paint, some new furniture, we'll be settled. While we didn't think we'd be house hunting so soon, it was a very easy process...not to jinx anything from now until closing!

I guess we've had quite a bit going on. Too much that I haven't had any time to cook lately. I've been reverting back to my old standbys for dinners....anything that's quick. But, hopefully with this "new" blog you'll be able to keep up with everything going on in Staffordville.