Since today is Wednesday it’s time for another Wednesday Word linkup, hosted by Debbie. Click on the button below to see who else is linking up and to join in.
This week’s word is passionate. Here are a few things I’m passionate about…
My husband, Barry. We have been married a little over five years now, and time sure does fly. I can’t wait for what the future holds!
My family and friends. Family is, and has always been, very important to me. I love family traditions and getting together for holidays. I don’t have a huge number of friends, I’m more of a ‘choose your friends wisely’ type. The friendships I do keep often feel more like family. Having people who are important in your life is more valuable than a big house, fancy car, or any other riches.
My dogs. Anyone who has read my blog for a hot minute knows I love my dogs very much. I know they’re not for everyone, but for me life is better with dogs. There’s nothing like a wagging tail greeting you at the door like you just made their day…. and that greeting being just as enthusiastic whether you’ve been done 3 days or 3 minutes.
My Hokies!!! Another thing you probably already know about me. I went to school at Virginia Tech and I love rooting on my Hokies with gusto, especially in football.
The mountains. I have lived in Virginia all my life, but not always in the mountains. I fell in love with them when I started going to school at Tech, and if I’m lucky I’ll always get to live in/near them.
Running! I started running in 2007, during my freshman year of college, through Team in Training and subsequently ran my first race – the Country Music Half Marathon. I was pretty much hooked after that and, aside from a hiatus in 2010, I have been running consistently since then.
This past week was a lighter week for me on the workout side of things. I had run the Hokie Half on Sunday, and I had the Virginia 10 Miler coming up six days later, on Saturday. So I kept things pretty easy during the week.
Monday – Rest. It was the day after the half marathon. My back and legs were a bit sore, but not awful.
Tuesday – Cross training. Just some light core work, a circuit of sit ups, push ups, and a plank x 3.
Wednesday – Rest. I had planned to do a short, easy run but worked late and was really tired when I got home.
Thursday – Easy 3 miles in the evening after work. It was a really nice evening outside, and I enjoyed the weather. The weatherman was calling for rain all weekend, and actually said after sunset on Thursday we wouldn’t see the sun again until Tuesday morning. So I made sure to enjoy it.
Friday – Rest.
Saturday – Virginia 10 Miler. It was cold and rainy, but I had a good race! I even got to run the whole thing with my friend, Jessie. Full recap coming soon.
Sunday – Cross training. Just some light core work – sit up, pushups, planks, etc. again. I had thought about doing another short, easy run or some light yoga. But my right Achilles tendon was sore and a bit swollen after the race, so I took it easy.
How was your week last week?
Who else had a rainy weekend?
Anyone else race this past weekend?
I always enjoy reading this type of post when other bloggers do one, so I decided to give it a try. Yesterday was a pretty average weekday….
6:45 AM – Alarm goes off. I’m feeling sleepy and don’t get out of bed until 6:55 AM.
6:55 – 7:10 AM – Get ready for work (hair, teeth, clothes, all that stuff).
7:10 – 7:30 AM – Feed the dogs. Get dinner ready for the crock pot. I’m trying a new recipe with butternut squash, and the squash took longer to cut up than I expected. I rush to pack my lunch and eat a really quick breakfast. I grab a small muffin (Barry made himself muffins for breakfast, and left me one!) and eat a banana. Scout loves bananas, so she begs for some. I give in, as always, and give her a piece. Hank gets a small piece, too, although he doesn’t really care for them.
My morning was a bit more rushed than usual. Typically, I actually sit down to eat breakfast and watch a little of the morning news while I drink my coffee. This morning, my coffee just goes straight from the pot to a travel mug to take with me.
7:30 AM – Begin work in my home office. Usually I spend 30 minutes to an hour answering emails, making phone calls, etc. Today I have to just get my stuff together and head out the door. I say bye to Barry and the dogs on my way out. Most days Barry leaves the house around 5:30 AM for work, but a few days he leaves at 8:00 AM. This is one of those days, so I beat him out the door.
7:45 AM – 1:15 PM – Work in the field. I take my first, and probably last, work selfie.
1:15 PM to 1:45 PM – Eat lunch in my work vehicle. I typically work by myself each day, so 90% of the time this is how I have my lunch. Despite being excited for fall, I’m still eating my favorite ‘summer salad’ – grilled chicken, diced apple, dried cranberries, blue cheese, and poppy seed dressing on a bed of romaine.
1:45 PM – 5:00 PM – More field work.
5:00 – 5:30 PM – Return home. Barry is already home and already let the dogs out and back in. I put dinner #1 down for them (they eat two dinners ever since Hank’s crisis) and wrap up the work day in my home office. Once the dogs finish eating, they keep me company in my office.
At 5:30 it’s the end of the work day and the start of the weekend! I usually work four 10 hour days ending at 6:00 PM each day, but today I finish at 5:30 since I’ve already hit 40 hours for the week.
5:30 – 6:00 PM – I unpack my lunchbox, talk to Barry, play with the dogs, then get changed to go for a run.
6:00 – 6:45 PM – Drive over to a nearby park for a 3 mile run. This was my first run since the Hokie Half, and it went alright. Nothing spectacular. It’s a nice evening, and I drive home with the windows down enjoying the weather.
6:45 – 8:45 PM – When I get home, I feed the chickens some kitchen scraps (normally I would also collect eggs but Barry already got them) and get the mail and paper. Then I make some couscous to go with our rosemary chicken butternut squash, and we eat. The new recipe turns out really good! It wasn’t super photogenic, so instead here’s a picture of the gorgeous sunset we enjoyed during dinner.
#nofilter and all that
After dinner I grab a shower and then do the dishes, while Barry gives the dogs dinner #2.
8:45 – 9:45 PM – Write this post and watch Modern Family with Barry. Then kiss Barry goodnight as he heads to bed.
9:45 – 10:30 PM – Let the dogs out. Read a couple chapters of my book. Currently, I’m reading As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka. My Kindle recommended it to me, based on other book purchases. It’s a little strange, but I’m starting to get into it. I let the dogs back inside and get ready for bed.
10:30 PM – Bedtime. Goodnight!
And there you have it! I don’t feel like my typical day is all that interesting, so hopefully I didn’t put you to sleep!
Another Wednesday is upon us, and that brings with it another Wednesday Word from Debbie for her Wednesday Word link up!
This week’s word is comparison. Click on the button above to join in on the link up and see who else is linking up.
The word comparison inspired me to do a sort of PSA this week for my fellow runners. A lot of us talk about the need to only compare what we have done to ourselves. But with the onslaught of social media, it’s hard not to look at what others are doing and let that little voice in your head take over. It tells you that you’re not doing enough, running fast enough, getting up early enough, eating healthy enough, etc. And all that does is make you feel worse.
It’s all fine and well to be competitive with others during a workout challenge or a race, but don’t constantly compare yourself to others. More often than not, there’s always going to be someone better, and comparing yourself to them will only diminish your own accomplishments.
Remember why you started running in the first place. If it wasn’t to become a professional and earn a paycheck, give yourself a break. Focus on your achievements and look forward to the goals you have set for yourself.
Yesterday was the big day! My little sister ran her first half marathon and I was alongside her for every step of the way.
Our day started early, as we left the house at 5:30 AM to get up to Blacksburg for the 7:30 AM start. We arrived about an hour prior to the start of the race, and got a great parking spot really close to the start/finish area. My dad and my little sister’s boyfriend were along to cheer us on, and Barry was also running the race. Barry and I are on our way to becoming legacy runners, as we have run the race every year since it started (this was year three).
Good swag – long sleeve race shirt, finisher’s shirt, medal, and race car magnet.
The first year was a bit too warm, the second year was freezing cold and raining, but this year the weather was perfect – partly cloudy and in the low 60’s. Third times the charm! We did the porta potty thing (short lines due to our early arrival!) and before I knew it, it was time for the start of the race.
The first four miles or so we made our way down some local roads towards the mall. It was a gorgeous morning to be out running. I love the feeling of starting a race and all of the energy from the surrounding runners. It was even more fun with my sister by my side.
I knew from years past that there are always some folks holding funny signs as we enter the mall area, so I made sure to get a picture this year. They’re probably really hard to see, but they say “Chuck Norris never ran a half marathon,” “Stop Reading this sign and keep running,” and “Seems like a lot of work for a banana.” That last one is my favorite.
After a loop around the mall, we entered the Huckleberry Trail right around mile 4. We were on the trail from miles 4 – 9.5 and miles 10.5 – 11.5ish. Up to this point there were a few rolling hills, but once you get on the trail you have a slight downhill and some flat sections for a few miles. (I posted a course elevation profile in last year’s race recap)
I was having a great time and feeling good, and enjoying sharing something I’ve loved since 2007 with my little sister. She was still having a good time, too, and we rolled along on the trail as I told her old stories here and there as they came to mind. The trail is my favorite part of the course, because it’s my old stomping grounds from college.
You hit the main hills on the race course around mile 7, and that’s where things started to get a bit tough for us. My little sister has been having some issues with her hip. She was very strong running the uphills, but the downhills were painful for her. Unfortunately, her hip continued to hurt for the rest of the race.
But she hung tough and pushed through the hills, and we continued moving forward. A little after mile 8, and after a long gradual hill that R kicked butt on, we got to see our dad and R’s boyfriend cheering us on. It was great to see them and I think it gave her a boost! We continued on down the trail towards mile 9, on a section we would be coming back on around mile 11.
With less than 4 miles to go, I decided it was time to snap a selfie (‘ussie?’) to document the occasion. R was a good sport and smiled for the camera!
A little before mile 10, we exited the Huckleberry Trail to do a small loop through a neighborhood. At each road crossing and turn in the race course, there were great volunteers, police officers, and VT Corps of Cadets cheering us on and keeping us safe. As we exited the trail I told a group of them that it was R’s first half and they gave her an extra loud cheer which put a big smile on her face.
Just before mile 11, we reentered the Huckleberry Trail at a different trailhead, and started to make our way back toward the start/finish line area. We were getting close! Running 13 miles is tough on any day, but especially on the day you’re running it for the first time. I know R was hurting and really having to dig deep at this point to keep going. I’m so proud of how she fought through the pain and fatigue to get through those final miles.
As we approached mile 12, Barry came walking towards us. He had come back to collect me after finishing his race, as he often does, and yesterday he ran both of us in to the finish. He had a good day and finished in 1:45 and change. Only a minute off of his best time for this race! Fun fact: he had bib number 666 for the race. The high schoolers working the expo were so excited to give it to me when I picked up his packet the day before the race.
We ran up one final hill in the last mile before making two left turns and running downhill to the finish. My little sister found another gear in the home stretch and ran it in strong to the finish line.
After we crossed the finish line, we were immediately handed bottles of water, a finisher’s t-shirt, finisher’s medals, and a car race magnet. Hokie Half knows how to do swag!
We easily met up with our dad, my little sister’s boyfriend, and Barry. The race is small, so it’s easy to find your group, but it’s also really well organized and everything just runs smoothly. We meandered over to the food tent where they had fruit, chocolate, turkey and vegetarian chili, and bagels available. After grabbing some post race food, we found a spot in the grass to sit down and chill.
Nice scenery in the background, too.
We hung out for a little bit before making the short walk back over to our cars. From there it was time for the special post-race treat my sister requested: Carol Lee Donuts. Carol Lee’s is an awesome donut shop in Blacksburg. They actually did our wedding cake, too (although they no longer do them). What better way to celebrate the Hokie Half than with a Hokie sprinkle donut?
Shortly thereafter (and after my sister grabbed a shower) they had to make the four hour drive back home. All in all, it was a fun day and a fun weekend. I think my little sister had a pretty good time. Now we will see if she’s caught the running bug!
**Edited to add: At HoHo Run‘s suggestion, I’m linking up with her and MissSippiPiddlin’ today for their weekly wrap link up. I didn’t realize it was okay to link up with just a race recap! 🙂 Click the button below to see who else is linking up today and to join in.
Who raced this past weekend?
What types of themed races have you run?
How was your weekend?
"I've opted for fun in this lifetime." -Jerry Garcia
Turkey Runner 