sitting in bed NOT running

Miles today: soon to be 1.1
Miles this week: 15.4
Miles in 2010: too many to count

I'm sitting in bed with Stacey.

We're not running.

That's because Usher's on GMA this morning and he stole our whole hour from 8-9am...because we just sat there waiting...and waiting...for him to appear.

Then George Stephanopoulos announced him and there it was...a fierce dance party in my bedroom.

AH-mazing.

Now I'm going to run a mile.

Be proud that I have run everyday for 230 days. Only 135 days to go!

To have and to hold from this day forward...

Miles today: 1.1

Miles this week: 20.5

Miles in 2010: 216.5

Gregg and I drove to Luray last night to visit our friends Paul and Wendy and their kids Raegan and Davey. We didn't get to leave town until almost 8:00 because of my run after work, which put us in Luray around 10:30pm. Paul and Wendy are super kind and gracious and Paul was waiting in the car with Raegan when we pulled up to their road so he could drive us through the pot holes and trenches created by the plows from all the winter snow.

When we got to their house, a few of Gregg's other college friends were there too, so we stayed up late talking and catching up.

The whole reason for the trip was to visit Paul's dad, David, who is a pastor at a little church in Chester Gap, to ask him to marry us in July.

This morning, we went to Pastor Dave's church with Paul, Wendy, the kids, and Jeff...and then afterwards went back to Paul's parents' house for lunch. Paul and his family are originally from England, which gives them some old English traditions...it was fun to be at his parents' house because there are little figurines of Big Ben and the Tower Bridge around the house.

For lunch, I experienced my first Yorkshire Pudding (not pudding at all, but actually a kind of bread). It was so good...I even got the recipe from Paul's mum. After lunch and dessert (tapioca pudding and carrot cake), we asked Paul's dad to marry us. It was so cute because he took us downstairs to his office, pulled out his manilla "wedding" folder and gave us a few papers with diagrams about where you stand in the ceremony and the order of the ceremony...and then went over the ceremony with us...each little detail, including the parts..."to have and to hold from this day forward...". It was very sweet and Gregg and I are really happy that he agreed to marry us. He and his wife will just be getting back from England on July 8th, so he'll come down to Lynchburg on the 9th to do the rehearsal and then stay the night for Saturday and the wedding!

We had a great trip, and we spent the rest of the afternoon with Paul and Wendy and the kids...stopped by Jeff's house to drop him off after lunch, got a tour of his house, and then went back to the Johnsons to watch America vs. Canada Olympic hockey (boo!).

We had aimed to run while we were in Luray today, but it just didn't happen, so we didn't run until 10:00 when we got home. We were both tired, so I just offered myself the neighborhood mile...a little rest for a busy weekend.

MY CHEATING CHOCOLATE HEART!

Miles today: 3.1

Miles this week: 8.9

Miles in 2010: 204.9

So about a week ago I told you that I was going to give up sweets for Lent. I celebrated my first Ash Wednesday with Gregg, and no sooner had I made my pledge to give up my ultimate nemesis, I cheated.

Yup...you got it. I'm going to be honest and tell you that just about everyday since last Wednesday, I've cheated on my Lenten promise. Now, I've had plenty of excuses, and many twists of what I really meant my Lenten sacrifice to be...but all twists and stretches aside, I just plain cheated.

Here's kind of how it went.

Wednesday, February 17: I ate a box of chocolate mint candies from Magnolia Foods...because they were in my purse from after Valentine's Day and I thought, "Well, I'll get rid of them now so I won't be tempted the rest of the time during Lent."

Thursday, February 18: I ate a piece of cake leftover from my birthday. It was in the fridge. I had to eat it. I told Gregg I'm changing my "giving up sweets" to "giving up candy."

Friday, February 19: Gregg and I went to Olive Garden for dinner with my birthday gift card. After our meal, I really wanted dessert...but I resisted (mostly just because Gregg said he was giving up sweets when I made my Lent decision, so he wouldn't eat dessert with me...and what girl wants to eat dessert by herself?!) and then had a big ole temptation slapped down in front of me when the check came...the ever-loved and always desired Andes mints! I mean, is that even fair?! So, I made the excuse that I had to eat it because of tradition and came up with something like: "oh, you're allowed to skip your Lent sacrifice on Fridays..." and ate not one, but two Andes mints. There goes the: "give up candy" part of the Lenten sacrifice. BAD ME.

Saturday, Februray 20: First, I ate a powdered sugar donut at Josh's race at Snowflex, then after dinner, Gregg and I both ate a piece of leftover birthday cake (see, he didn't keep up with the promise either!)

Sunday, February 21: After church at Holy Cross, there's always a big ginormous plate of donuts sitting on a table as you go out the door. Can I ever resist those? You guessed it: NO. Did I resist this Sunday? NO! When we got to Bethesda, ate our Benihana, and made our way back to the hotel, you would've thought I'd be so full and wouldn't need any sweets, but for some strange reason, all of that salty food made me want need have to have some mini Oreos from CVS. I ate them right before bed...and yes, I brushed my teeth.

Monday, February 22: I did not eat sweets all day on Monday...I even stopped in a funky bakery in Bethesda that makes glorious cupcakes that I really wanted to taste, but I resisted. I made it through lunch...no sweets. Dinner at Panera...no sweets...impressive, huh?

Tuesday, February 23: After dinner, Gregg got me a piece of birthday cake. I didn't say no.

Wednesday, February 24: I was very bad today. I ate a donut from 7-11. That's a sweet. I can't give up sweets. Then when I got home, Gregg and I finished the cake from my birthday.

So now, here we are, I made it through day #53 of running...but I can't make it through day #8 without a darn sweet to eat. WHAT IS MY PROBLEM?!

Part of it might just be that Ash Wednesday this year just happened to fall about a week before my period, and you know that pretty much meant that I couldn't possibly go without sweets in the pre-menstrual week...but at the same time...I feel like I've given up on a lot more than just my waistline. I can't follow my promise to God to give up something...to sacrifice for Him. So, I need some accountability I suppose...and I'm going to try again. We'll see how it goes this time.

On a lighter, happier note...tonight after our wedding sesh with Anne, Gregg and I ran at Lynchburg College. It was rainy and yucky when we started, but it ended up being not so bad. We ran a mile around the track, a mile on campus, and then another mile on the track...and I even pushed it in the last mile. Gregg got my splits (and all you fasties out there, don't laugh at these...PW!)...something like 2:03, 2:00, 1:57, 1:52...which made me happy because I wasn't even trying that hard. Fast as fast can be...watch out when I start doing speed work, huh? Just kidding. I'm not fast...never will be. But I do like getting better, that's for sure.

Home from the Hubbub

Miles today: 1.1

Miles this week: 1.1

Miles in 2010: 197.1

Gregg had a quick business trip to make to Bethesda, MD...so I decided to go with him. We drove up yesterday afternoon and arrived around 5:30pm. Gregg had work to do at one of the AREVA buildings, so I took some work with me and just hung out til he finished.

After he was done, we went to Benihana, a Japanese steakhouse, for dinner. Here, the chef comes to your teppanyaki table (where you're seated with other guests) and cooks your food in front of you. Yum, YUM, YUM! We ate til we almost popped and enjoyed flaming onion volcanoes and shrimp tails flying into the chef's hat. My favorite trick by far was when he took an uncooked egg, spun it on the grill, flipped it in the air with his spatula and kept tossing it up and down like a ping pong ball (without breaking it while it still spun) and then flipped it one more time and caught it in his pocket.

Gregg ordered filet and I got chicken. The chicken-fried rice is also made right in front of you. So good! I had a california roll for an appetizer. I wouldn't know how to enjoy sushi if I hadn't gone to LA with Sarah a few years ago to visit my friend Mikey. We had real LA sushi and I learned the wasabi/ginger rules of eating sushi. It was so good.

Today, my plan was to head down to the Capital Crescent Trail, but after Gregg left for work, I just lazed around the hotel and got complimentary breakfast. I dressed for running, but I never actually made it out the door...and soon it was time for lunch. Gregg came back and we went to a little deli, the Hampden-Cafe that made EXCELLENT sandwiches. Now, even though we were in fancy schmancy Bethesda, I did think the food was a little overpriced...but it was still really good, so I guess was worth it.

After lunch, Gregg went back to work and I shopped around Bethesda a little...I hit the National Jean Company, and a cute store called Sassanova. I stopped in RnJ Sports, just to see what kind of running shoes they had, but I was honestly unimpressed with the store. It wasn't very nice inside. Gregg and I met back up around 2:30 and went back to the hotel to get the Cadillac DTS that he rented so that we could drive through DC and then head home.

The second part of my running plan today was to drive to DC, park somewhere, and run around to all the monuments with Gregg. However, when we got to DC, it was 4:00pm, there were NO places to park, and we drove around in a million circles trying to find somewhere to stop...and on top of that it was raining and yucky outside. Bless his heart, Gregg tried so hard to find a place so we could run, but it just didn't happen, so we ended up leaving and heading home.

We stopped in Gainesville so I could check out The Running Store, and then ate dinner at Panera. We finally got back on the road and headed to Lynchburg. We didn't get home until almost 10, and by this time, I wasn't too into running...but I needed to get a mile in, so I laced up and headed outside with Gregg.

We ran my neighborhood loop kind of fast and got back inside. I was tired from a long day!

Happy 28th Birthday to me!

Miles today: 1.1

Miles this week: 1.1

Miles in 2010: 170.8

Today was seriously the best day I've had in a long time. Here's why:

1. I woke up and went for a (short) birthday run.
2. I dried and straightened my hair for the first time in a long time.
3. I got to work and was followed by Jeff with a birthday balloon and cupcakes from Magnolia Foods (my fave)!
4. Dave, from Mizuno, came to show Jeff and I the fall 2010 footwear line. We also took a look at some apparel...and after we were done, since it was my birthday, Dave gave me a jacket and some Breath Thermo tights!
5. I had my birthday lunch at Phila Deli.
6. While eating my lunch, I checked my email on my phone and was super surprised to see an email from Saucony...telling me that I won last week's contest for my choice of a Garmin 310XT or an iPod Nano. You can guess which one I picked.
7. I went home after work and Gregg told me to get ready quickly because we were going to dinner.
8. When we pulled into La Carretta's parking lot, I was a little surprised because I thought we were going somewhere fancy and we just had Mexican last night.
9. But...to my surprise...as we walked in, I saw my good friends Sarah and Ryan, who surprised me by coming. Then, when we went to sit down, more people kept popping in...Jesse, Stacey and Drew (all the way from Roanoke!), Jeff, Tom, my sister, Meghan, my brother-in-law, Ed, and my niece, Ella...I was so surprised!
10. We ate dinner, and then I was surprised again with a big sparkly sombrero on my head and a yummy cake...and everyone sang to me.
11. Since I had such a lucky day, I wanted to play the lottery. We stopped at the Shell station on the way home, and the lotto machine was down, so I just bought a few scratch-offs...and won $20!
12. When we got home after dinner Gregg gave me a sweet birthday card and a gift certificate for a massage! Yipee!

Thank you to all my friends who made my day so special, and to Gregg, my lovey, who surprised me and cares about me so much!

bridesmaid bonanza

Miles today: 1.1

Miles this week: 16.2

Miles in 2010: 162.7

I know I'm really behind on my blogs and today is actually Tuesday and I'm blogging about Saturday, but I promise I'll be all caught up by tomorrow (Wednesday) night.

Today was the Queen of Hearts Poker Fun Run, so I woke up early to ice all the cupcakes I made last night. When I was done, I probably made almost 100 cupcakes. Pretty good for last minute.

We set up for the run at the Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church, who graciously offered us one of the nicest rooms in the church to begin and end our event. They were so giving!

The event went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy running and playing poker at the same time. The grand prizes were gift cards to the store and two pairs of free Mizuno shoes.

After the run, I headed to the store to work. We got pretty busy and Patterson stopped by to chat. I just love when out-of-towners come home. I love to see them! Pat had to run 21 miles this afternoon, so he was about to go out for that run. I kind of can't imagine doing 21 miles just for training. Maybe someday.

I left work around 4:15 and picked up Austin to head to Roanoke to pick out her bridesmaid's dress. Stacey met us at David's Bridal and I think Austin had fun trying on the dresses and picking one out. Seeing bridesmaids and wedding stuff makes me so pumped for the wedding! I can't wait.

I didn't get home until almost 8:30pm, and I was starving, but I still hadn't run...so Gregg, my constant encouragement, pushed me off the couch and I went out for my mile run. I know I've been a little lazy this week, but I just have been sore in a couple places and really tired. I think week 6 of training must be a "hump week."

Mile was cold and blustery and I didn't want to do it, but once I was out there, it felt good. Of all things, when I got back to my driveway and went to push stop on my watch, I saw that I had never pressed start, which kind of ticked me off because I think that was my fastest mile around the neighborhood ever. Ugh. Oh well. Got the run in.

Gregg and I went to Wendy's after that...not a wise choice since it was almost ten...but I was so hungry and everything was closing, so I had a spicy chicken sandwich. I'll probably pay for it in the morning.

A Mile Short

Miles today: 3.2

Miles this week: 15.1
Miles in 2010: 161.6


It was a super busy day today because so much was going on at work and in my life...so I was kind of bummed when I didn't get to do everything as planned.

We had a pretty busy day at the store, and we had some planning and buying left to do for the Queen of Hearts Poker Fun Run tomorrow, so that made it a little crazier, plus Austin was coming home from Wake and Patterson was running the mile at Liberty and it is Valentine's weekend and almost my birthday! I'll be 28 on Monday!

I went out to Wal-mart around 3:30 in the afternoon to get food for the poker run in the morning. I kind of had fun getting all the treats, but getting to Wal-Mart was a different story. Every traffic ramp off the expressway near the mall/Wards Road was backed up a mile. It took me so long just to get to Wal-Mart, and then everyone in the store seemed to be in the aisles I needed to go down. It just took forever. I think people were out shopping to make themselves feel good since they were stuck inside for the past few weeks...severe case of cabin fever.

On top of all that, when I was checking out, I had picked up a 30+ pound box of bananas, and the kid at the register tried to weigh the whole case on his register scale, which obviously didn't work out because the box was way bigger than the scale, so he had to take each bunch of bananas out of the case and weigh them individually...it took forever. I felt bad for the kid and for the guy behind me who picked the wrong line because of my slowness. It was funny though, because the guy behind me struck up a conversation, asking about all the bananas...and we ended up talking about running (he used to be a runner) and my running everyday for a year thing. It was kind of cool.

I finally got back to the store after 5 and did some last minute race prep stuff...race numbers with team names, gift cards from the store for prizes, etc.

I really wanted to be able to go see my buddy Patterson run the mile at the Liberty Quad indoor meet tonight, but I ended up having to close the store, and couldn't make it. I was still really proud to hear about the results and wish I could've been there.

Closed up the store and then + (plus) one came to go for a run. You can imagine that running with Austin made me very happy. We just ran from the store down to Oakwood and back...nothing fast or far, but it was good to catch up with her and get a run in.

By the end of the night, I was exhausted from a busy week and tired muscles, but when I got home I still had to eat dinner and bake 50+ cupcakes for the Queen of Hearts run...so I spent the evening with Gregg watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and baking cupcakes. I'm really excited about the Olympics...what fun to watch these amazing athletes! I also love keeping track of the medals (see below).