5K...check!

I ran my first 5K today and ran the whole time!! It was such an awesome experience, it was really hard at times to keep pushing on but it was completely worth it when you cross the finish line! It was insane, there were SO many people that showed up today, I know they raised thousands of dollars, which is awesome! (ETA--they had 969 participants and raised almost $37K!!! Way to go!!)

Here is a shot of the people before the race:


Here is me waiting in line at the for the bathrooms and freezing my butt off, it was so cold!


I had flashbacks to Country Fest when I saw these:


Dave Ryan & Lena Svenson from the KDWB Morning Show (the people who keep me sane on my long commutes):

The view of DT from Boom Island Park:


Off we go towards the starting line:


Here are the cheerleaders waiting for us just before the finish line, SO cute (even if they were in purple and gold)...also before you got here, just after the 3 mile marker, there were about 15 Special Olympic athletes waiting along the side of the road for us and giving high 5's and thanking us as we passed by....seriously, that was worth more than I can even put into words, just incredible.


And after 3.1 miles of running, I finally arrive at the finish line!!


In hind sight, I should have timed myself on my ipod...I know for next time! The number I did see was not the best of times but it really wasn't about that for me this time. It was only about finishing and running the whole time. I also wasn't able to see what time I actually started but I know for sure it wasn't 0:00 (due to the mobs of people funneling into a walking path where we started, it was insane). And then the people with strollers and the walkers were supposed to wait for the runners to start first...but of course they didn't, so it took quite a while to get onto the path and then have room to pass them. There were so many people out for the event, we ended up starting 30 minutes later than scheduled....the registration line was still super long at 9am, we didn't start until close to 9:30. There was no official time keeping done but Joe got this picture a few seconds after I was done, it said 42:01 when I crossed.

SO happy to be done!
(I hate the pic above of me but it was the best out of all the ones Joe took, I look chubbier than normal but I'll blame it on the two heavy t-shirts I'm wearing ;)


In other news this week, Shiloh turned 3 on Wednesday. She got her traditional pig toy I get her every year, along with a few new ones. Of course the $10 fox (and the most expensive one) lasted about 5 minutes before she chewed through to the squeakers...but she loved that toy while it lasted, she barely put it down! The pig and rope are still in tact, let's hope they last a while longer yet!

week 7 and life in general...

I finished week 6 over the weekend and started week 7 today...and let me tell you, it was a tough run tonight...I didn't want to run at all, I was over it at 10 minutes in...but I made myself go to at least 15, then told myself I could quit at 20 but when I got there, there was only 5 minutes to go, so I pushed through. I ended up going the full 25 minutes but it was SO TOUGH. Normally when I get past the 5-10 minute mark, it's smooth sailing...no such luck tonight.

We had a wonderful Labor day weekend, they always go too fast. But at least it's a four day work week, although it's screwed me up...I kept thinking today is Tuesday. SOOO glad it's actually half way over!

We don't have too much planned for the weekend, Joe works Saturdays now so we are limited to when we can leave. He had hoped to get back to WI to fish one last time, not sure we'll get that chance now. I do need to get to a pet store this weekend, our baby girl turns 3 next week. And I can't remember the last time she got a new toy, she has her rope from her last birthday and her usual rawhide bones...I think she's way overdue for some fun new toys!!

Joe and I continue to job search and pray something better comes along for both of us...although Joe has four wheelers on the brain. I think he's been spending more time on craigslist than monster lately.

just a quick trip across the country...

...so I was hoping to get out of GD before having to travel to Pittsfield, MA but no such luck. I was told today that I'm flying out Wednesday night for an emergency meeting on Thursday morning with one of our customers and then flying back Thursday night, ugh. This should be interesting, the GD facility is 1.5 hours from the closest airport, which means I get to make that journey by myself in a rental car. I sure hope I can get an afternoon flight out and not have to make the drive at night...I'm not thrilled about this but I don't really have a choice.

Joe was going to price out sump pumps today and we'll have his friend install it for us, hopefully on Wednesday. I have piles of laundry and it's driving me CRAZY not being able to wash them! We also have to contact the insurance company because it got into some of the carpet downstairs...I hope we can claim it and get brand new carpeting down there!

I finished week 5 on Sunday by running for 20 minutes straight and I did it without walking! There were times when it was tough but I just kept pushing through and it got a little easier after a while. I think I ran over 1.5 miles that day, which I didn't think I would ever be able to do again after hurting my feet. On to week 6 tomorrow, woo hoo!!!

We also talked to a realtor last week to determine what to do about my townhouse. My renter has indicated he'll be moving out sometime this fall, so we're exploring our options...not good news. We're not sure what to do, the market isn't looking good for townhomes or improving anytime soon. And I know I won't luck out twice with a good renter either.

Life seems to be so crazy right now...I feel so overwhelmed most days and I'm hoping it goes back to normal sometime soon. I finally hit my breaking point today at work, I'm talking with one of my program managers tomorrow morning and will hopefully get some of my workload taken off my plate...I hope it helps and I don't come home crying every night, which has unfortunately been a regular occurrence lately :( I know God never gives us more than we can handle but some days I wonder...

week 5...

Today begins week 5 in my c25k workout plan...it was a little tougher than last week, although the running minutes didn't change much from last week. It was 5run-3walk-5run-3walk-5run. I tracked my mileage on WalkJogRun (a fabulous website, BTW...I used it all the time when I was training for the Twin Cities 10 miler). I'm currently running about 13 minute miles, which means I ran about 1.2 miles today...not too shabby considering I couldn't even imagine running 1 mile four weeks ago! Thursday will be 8run-5walk-8run and Saturday is 20 minutes of all running, no walking...yikes!!!! My goal for the 5K would be to run around 12 minute miles...I should be able to get close to that, I think...I still have a little under a month before the run!

My feet are doing a lot better than previous weeks...my calves did tighten up more than usual today though...I'll have to make sure to stretch them a little longer next time.

Tomorrow is my last day of work for the week, yay!!! Joe has Thursday off, so we are heading the great MN get-together (aka MN State Fair)...so I'm looking forward to spending the day with my hubby and stuffing my face with all kinds of food on a stick! And it's supposed to be like 75...what more could I ask for?!?!? I'm taking Friday as a mental health day...I'm so miserable at work, I really hope something better comes along soon, not sure how much longer I can make it and stay a sane person. I plan to wash away my stress by shopping on Friday...the Gap is having their friends and family promotion this weekend and I need to work on my fall/winter wardrobe, so I'm excited :) I also never got the chance to use my groupon for the Gap last week...so it should be a good time...I haven't been shopping in SO long!!

running, recaps and such...

I've been slacking lately...it's been a little hectic, I will get better :)

This week is the 4th week in the c25k workout...and it just got a lot tougher! Last week, I was running intervals for a total of 9 minutes...this week went to 16! I know the jump has to be somewhere but when I did my first run outside on Tuesday after work, it was hard with the heat and wind that day. I thought I was going to die...yesterday was a lot better so that is good :) My right foot is starting to bother me though. I think I ran a little funny last week, the ball of my foot is sore. I stretch it really good and ice it after every run, which is helping...just hope it holds out another month for me!!

Last weekend, my email account got hacked, which was awesome...not sure how they did it but someone in Poland got in around 3:30am and started sending some link to all my email contacts, I apologize if you got one...gmail disabled my account around the J-K but everyone with a first name A-J got the email...seriously, why don't people have better things to do?? I don't think it's linked to facebook...I use different passwords for both, for that reason...but maybe it was still the culprit?? Who knows...as much as I love facebook, there are days I just want to delete it...with all these privacy issues they are having, makes me wonder if it's worth it anymore, what I did learn from the situation was that gmail is watching for suspicious activity, which was awesome to know they can shut it down if need be!

The job search is still on...I was not selected for an interview for the job I talked about last time...which was disappointing but the job itself was a strecth. I didn't have the experience they were looking for but thought I'd try anyways because you never know!

Joe finished up his 3 weeks of training in DT Minneapolis and starts as a personal banker on Monday. He's not too thrilled with the demotion (although WF doesn't see it as such) but it's at least a job and a steady paycheck. I'm not too thrilled that he'll be working Saturdays now...but such is life...I hope something better comes along for him too.

I found a new addiction...GROUPON. I've bought two groupons this week. I got a steal on a 16x20 canvas that I ordered with one of our wedding photos...later that day, I got an email from the company that the picture wasn't sized correctly for the 16x20 so they upgraded my order to 16x24 for free!! I can't wait for that to arrive. I also got the $50 gap one for $25...so excited to get a new pair of jeans today when we go shopping!! :)

Shiloh as been a PILL this week. We've been pretty busy this week after work. She is completely fine while were at work all day...but when we've left the house during the evenings, sometimes for only 10 minutes, she's been pulling things off the counter or out of the garbage and chewing them, ugh. Seriously dog, you are 3 years old in a few weeks and haven't done this since you were a puppy. And I really do NOT want to pull the kennel back out...it takes up so much space and is just an eye sore. However, we've been slacking on her walks/exercise this week too...which I think is the reason...she's bored and mad at us, not a good combo!!! Hopefully we get back into a routine next week and life will go back to normal.

weekends go too fast...

I had a fabulous weekend, I'm so sad it's Monday already! On Saturday, I headed to Stillwater to go on a boat cruise with AJ and Kristin to celebrate Kristin’s 30th birthday this past week! It was a lot of fun, it started out kind of chilly (was even regretting not grabbing my hoodie if you can believe that!) but the sun came out not long after we left the dock and it was hot again! We had a great lunch and chatted, then headed to the shops in Stillwater afterwords. We then spent the night at AJ’s house and grilled out dinner and went to the park with AJ’s little one, Colin, who is getting so big and cuter every time I see him.

We also are trying a new meal planning program through e-mealz.com. AJ recommended the site to us and we are giving it a whirl. It is fabulous so far...for $1.25/week, you can go to your account each week and they post a plan for 5 meals, along with a grocery list. We are doing the “Low-Fat for Two” plan...they have 20-some options to choose from, for both couples and families. We went yesterday and spent $75 on groceries...$50 of that were for the planned meals and it included meats like chicken breasts, pork chops and ground turkey. And most of the ingredients that we bought were common staples we didn’t have or were out of (think bbq sauce, salad dressing, etc), which will be used on future meals too...so it’s not even $50 when you think of that in those terms. And it was easy to make and super yummy! I’m actually looking forward to cooking now...I don’t have to figure out what to make every night because we already have it! It also will eliminate Joe and I not knowing what were hungry for, which usually results in Joe picking up dinner on his way home…not cost effective at all! We also had leftovers, which I brought for lunch today...we'll see savings with that since we'll be buying less lunch stuff (we bring our own lunches most days). Since I’m a super nerdy number cruncher and track our expenses, I’ll let you know what our monthly savings is after August. I know we’re going to see a huge difference!!

I also completed week 2 of my couch to 5K program on Saturday, so far so good! I’ve been able to run outside on a few of the days, which is good because it’s quite different running on a treadmill and on the road! AJ is training with me, so we’ll be able to motivate each other and keep each other going when the big day arrives! Maybe we'll even make it tradition to run 5Ks throughout the year?!?!

Hope you all have a great week!

weekend recap...

It was a busy weekend! Saturday, I headed to Stillwater to tour a winery with Brooke, Taylor, AJ, Steph and Kristin. We had so much fun drinking wine and catching up. And baby Taylor is getting so big but is as cute as ever!! We went to the St Croix Vineyards (it's near the Hwy 36 and Manning intersection)...would recommended checking it out. It's also an apple orchard, I would love to go back this fall! On Sunday, we headed to Maple Grove in the morning...Joe found some used folding chairs on craigslist to use for his football draft, so we picked those up. Then we stopped at the Running Room to pick up some shoes for me. Seriously, these shoes are awesome. I will never buy running shoes elsewhere ever again. We also got Joe some much needed workout shoes at DSW with my birthday gift certificates. Then we headed to Dick and Wanda's house, Joe's grandparents were down from Winger and we spent the afternoon and had dinner with them.

Today was day #2 in my couch to 5K workout...and so far, so good! I'm still alive and able to run the amount of time I'm supposed to be! I'm also not super sore, this might be the best training plan ever :) I also get a kick out of my c25k app I'm using...it tells you when you are supposed to walk and run...the voice sounds exactly like Greg Thunder from the KS95 Morning Show...it just makes me giggle when I hear it. I'll hear a *ding, ding* and a "RUN"...I should write them an email, they'd probably read it on the air...but I don't really listen to them anymore (CAN'T stand Melissa, ugh!).

Tonight we are watching Wipeout Blind Date...it is freaking hilarious! It brings me back to my college days and two of our favorite shows. We watched Blind Date ALL the time and we also would watch this Chinese obstacle course type show, where these people would be dressed in ridiculous costumes, doing ridiculous obstacles. They would have English speaking commentators over the actual ones and they "explained" what was happening...well this show is the combo of both...SO funny. On Tuesday nights on ABC all summer, so happy I found this show!! Joe and I have been seriously LOL-ing since we found it :) I needed to laugh after the work week I've had so far, much needed!!

c25k...

I got an email today from my favorite local radio station advertising for the Dave Ryan's 5K for MN Special Olympics on September 18th...and thought why not? I could probably get in shape again since it's still two months out. I've been looking for some motivation to get to the gym more and it's for a great cause that has always been near and dear to my heart. So I googled 5K training plans and came across the "Couch to 5K" program, which consists of 3 workouts per week, ranging from 30-40 minutes each. The workouts are walking/running intervals, with more walking at the beginning and less towards the end. And I also downloaded this awesome iphone app that has the workouts programed and alerts you when you need to switch from walking or running. All you need to do is load your favorite music and you are set! Pretty excited to see how it works. I start tomorrow morning, wish me luck (I'm gonna need it those first few weeks are h-e-double hockey stick)!!

I do need to invest in some good running shoes. I trained for the Twin Cities 10-miler a few years ago but got planter fasciitis in both feet when I got to the six mile mark and couldn't finish my training...so I know I'll be able to run the 3.1 miles for this one...granted, I was a few years and pounds lighter back then...but I only need to do half of that, so I should be able to do it :)

Anyone want to join me?!?!? I promise I'm a very slow runner...it's even a stretch to call it running, it's more like jogging :) Let me know, it $25 to pre-register and you get a free t-shirt!!!