Baby Shower & Deco

My friend Marika  is an amazing sewer and has an adorable Etsy shop for baby clothes and accessories. (Click on her name to view it!)
She was sweet enough to send me a few items for our baby boy that is on the way.

This is one of my favorite Heather Ross prints. The fabric is organic cotton from Spoon Flower and o my goodness it is so soft! Can't wait to put him in this snuggly little outfit when he gets here!

Last week I also received this awesome little surprise in the mail. She knows how  much I love foxes ... aren't these the coolest pants you've ever seen??

It is wonderful having thoughtful and talented friends who make you baby stuff. I enjoy making quilts and similar items, but have never tried clothes. She is a genius at coming up with new ideas for her shop and I love everything she makes. Will definitely post pictures in the future of him sporting these cute little MOCCreations items!

I also had my baby shower this past weekend which was a lot of fun. Lots of my closest local friends showed up and we had a great time.

My mom was in charge of the decorations and with the help of her creative genius and Silhouette Cameo cutting machine, here are some of the decorations she made, which now adorn the baby corner of our craft/guest/baby multi-purpose room.

I love everything she made for the shower. The banner and monster wreath are my favorites! Here are a few more pictures of some of the cool decorations she made ~ it is awesome having a talented mom who loves crafty things too!

Aren't those cupcake eyes so cute? I hate throwing them away after I eat the cupcakes (woo hoo for leftovers haha). And the pompom monsters were spread out throughout my friend's house ... too cute! 

Still trying to figure out what I can do with these 3 for an additional baby room decorations ~ they match the current decor perfectly!

As you have probably guessed, the theme was monsters because I am sure any child of mine will be a little monster :) Plus I love anything dino/monster related! A friend who knows me o so well made the monster in the crib picture above - it has a see through plastic pouch on its belly for holding items - such as the pacifiers she put in there as an additional gift. Such a cute and cool baby gift!

Another friend crocheted this adorable monster hat with matching slippers, love them!!

Last but not least, I made a couple small monsters as prizes for the games we played. It was hard to give them away, they would fit with the baby decor so well! Guess I'll just have to make more!

So as you can see, lots of crafty goodness being enjoyed around here lately as we get ready for our little monster to join the family. I have several other projects I'd like to work on for him before he gets here, but I lack the energy and motivation most days at work ... so we'll see what happens. 

Hope everyone is staying warm and safe with all this widespread crazy weather we've been having across the USA lately! They are calling for 4-6 more inches of snow tomorrow in our area, I am soooooooooo hoping they are wrong!!

Goodbye 2013 - Hello 2014!

I just looked over my 30 by 30 goals and 2013 running goals and all I can say is wow… 2013 turned out to be WAY different than I ever could have imagined!

Running goals were killed by being injured/recovering for the first half of the year and pregnant for the second half of the year. No races, but I did hit some new treadmill PRs and also got down to my goal weight by my 30^th birthday so it wasn't a total bust. Not even going to mention how slow I waddle now on the treadmill with my 28 week pregnant belly, nor how high up the scale has gone since that 30^th birthday weigh-in tho ;-)

Lukas got an awesome new job and we had big plans for a 6 year anniversary “belated honeymoon” trip and saving up money to get ready to buy a house in a few years. That big trip turned into a partially good and partially disappointing trip to Quebec. Saving up money to buy a house turned into paying off our car and one of my small school loans before we have a baby next year, both very good things.  More than anything, I am super grateful for that new job and the peace of mind it gave us when we found out that I was pregnant.

So maybe I didn't hit the majority of my goals for 2013 but there were lots of good things that came out of last year, most especially getting pregnant with Henry, so I truly cannot complain. Goals are good to have but I don’t let myself get down about not meeting them – they keep me motivated, even if I end up using that motivation to accomplish other good things instead.

To say goodbye to 2013 we had a great New Year’s Eve party with our friends the Werrett’s. The festivities included good friends, our raclette grill, lots of yummy food, and a crazy playoff of games consisting of kitchen bowling, 3d connect four, and racing remote control cars to name a few things.

And now on to 2014 and all the craziness it will bring with it!

Do I have goals for this year? Of course J

1.  Save money to prepare for Henry
2.  Give birth to a healthy baby Henry Lukas at the end of March/early April
3.  Figure out how the heck to take care of a baby and enjoy/survive all the joys and trials that will come with it – with the support of my wonderful husband Lukas J
4.  Lose the baby weight and get back into running – with hopefully at least one half marathon by the end of the year

… and that’s about it. 2014 will be the year of Henry and will bring a lot of change to our little one fish, two fish, dog fish lives. Can’t say I’m ready, can’t say I’m ALWAYS excited about it… but it is coming and I’ll let you know how it goes along the way.

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a healthy and happy 2014!

The dreaded "glucose test" and other pregnancy fun...

I had my one hour glucose screen today for gestational diabetes. I read a lot about it beforehand, which always seems to be a bad idea but I do it anyway ;-) Everyone was saying how nasty the liquid is that you have to drink but really, it tasted just like normal fruit punch and I kind of liked it. I'm no stranger to sugar tho so maybe my tolerance is high haha. A lot of people mentioned throwing up, getting dizzy, etc. from it which seems crazy to me after having just had it... but I guess everyone's body is different.

I am hoping I pass this screen test and don't have to go in for the 3 hour test. Obviously I also hope I don't have gestational diabetes, but the majority of people who fail the 1 hour screen and go in for the 3 hour test don't have it and pass just fine... so I'd rather avoid that part all together. I don't want to take a half day off work for another appointment, and I especially don't want to get blood drawn 4 times in a 3 hour period! Keep your fingers crossed that I don't hear anything on Monday from the Doctor's office because no news = good news!

Otherwise, things are progressing just fine on this little journey called pregnancy. I am in my 3rd trimester now and have only 13 more weeks to go! When I say "only", that is just relative to the 40 weeks total... it still feels like FOREVER!!

Henry is moving around a lot lately which is mostly fun, sometimes a little uncomfortable, and most definitely distracting at work. He is measuring normally during my appointments and his heart beat is nice and strong so nothing to worry about as far as we know. I'm not having any abnormal symptoms... just lots of cramping from ligament stretching which ranges from painful to uncomfortable and really puts a damper on my nights and weekends... but o well, what can you do.

I was a bit concerned that I've gained so much weight already and still have 3 months left to go but the doctors are not concerned at all since my weight was low for my height when I started and Henry isn't measuring too big or anything like that. I've been working out a lot more lately, getting in 9-12 miles of cardio a week during my lunch breaks, but even that doesn't slow down the weight gain so I give up. I figure after the holidays I'll go back to eating healthier, keep working out... and it is what it is in the end. I already have plans for a half marathon in the fall and a full in December if all goes well so at least I know I will be motivated to get off my butt and work out when I'm allowed to again after delivery. Even if it doesn't change the scale any, working out def. helps me feel better - physically and mentally - during this trimester so I'm glad I have that opportunity to go to the gym on my lunch breaks.

All in all, I'm definitely ready to be done with this pregnancy... it hasn't been awful but it sure hasn't been fun and not sure it is something I want to/will repeat in the future. On the other hand, I am soooooooooooo not ready to have an infant in the house, so maybe I will trying to enjoy the next 13 weeks of non-parent status a little more ;-)

My mom thoughtfully gave us some gift cards for a few more date nights before Henry gets here in March so we'll be taking advantage of those opportunities for sure. Tomorrow we are going to see Part 2 of The Hobbit. As much as I love going to see movies, I dread trying to sit still without lying down or taking a bazillion bathroom breaks during a 3 hour move... but hopefully it will be fun anyway :)

That is all for my second trimester update. If I feel chattier you may hear from me in the next few months and if not... get ready for a "Henry is here!!" post in March/April :)

Happy New Year everyone ... hope 2013 treated you well and 2014 starts off swell!!

Absolutely torn... thoughts?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question, and no easy one for most people either. But it is the question that is on my mind constantly and so I figure I will throw it out to bloggyland and see what comes back ... or at least throw it out to no one and get it out of my head!

To become a SAHM or to be a working-mom ~ that is the question.

First of all, I recognize what an amazing privilege it is that I can even make this choice. At the beginning of this year Lukas and I couldn't even afford childcare and now being a SAHM with his new job is a slight possibility. I will probably have to go back to work for at least half a year but after that, I can choose to continue or stay home.

Having the choice however doesn't automatically make the decision for me, as I know it would for some people. Some women feel their destiny is to stay at home and raise their children and that is the right place for them and always has been. They may also have husbands who are doctors and lawyers (aka tons of my friends) and be more financially secure, which makes the decision a bit easier to swallow. On the other hand, some women have great careers and love what they are doing and know that with extra time and effort, they can do well at both work at home responsibilities. They find work to be rewarding and enjoyable and therefore worth the effort.

I'm somewhere in the middle...

I don't enjoy my job and it isn't a career, it is a paycheck. There is no room for growth, creativity, change. Half my pay would go to daycare each month, so basically I would be working for 50% less money than pre-baby which is sickening to think about. However, that is money we would be able to save for a house and pay towards a mortgage in a couple years when we are ready to buy one. It means safety and security in case anything happens to one of us, the baby, the dog, the car, etc. And sure, it means money for fun stuff too that wouldn't be possible if I was a SAHM since our budget will include "necessities and minor savings for emergencies - end of story".

However, I'm also not a baby/kid person. I refuse to accept callings at church that involve anyone younger than tween/teenagers. I don't look forward to long hours of screaming, diapers, feeding, cleaning and all the other "work" that comes with being a SAHM mom. Our income will also be drastically reduced and it will probably take us another 5 years to be able to afford a house on just Lukas' salary, as long as everything goes well. But the thought of mixing the two - work stress that is unrewarding and with 50% less pay and then going home to a screaming needy baby and a messy house ... just sounds like an awful concoction to me.

This sounds like a no-win situation to me and I am absolutely stuck and frustrated every time I go over it in my head.

Do I stay at work and deal with the stress and guilt?
Babies in daycare get sick more often, but otherwise they survive. I grew up going to daycares and while I didn't particularly like it, I wasn't scarred for life. And I don't know that staying at home all day with just my sisters for company would have benefited me much either on the flipside.

Do I stay home and deal with the stress and guilt?
Those are MY school loans eating away our paycheck each month. I have a decent paying job for someone who studied languages and is working outside of their field. I feel like I should contribute financially to our family budget. If I leave my job now, I will most likely end up with a lower paying job should I decide to go back to the working world in a few years. Working from home isn't a viable option, neither is working part-time. It is all or nothing, no option to "try it and see".

So while I do have a CHOICE ... I mostly feel like I just have GUILT no matter what I choose and it is disheartening. I'm trying to be excited about this baby, trying to look forward to it all... but mostly I'm just stressed out, worried about everything under the sun, and wishing ... I guess for a perfect life that no one has ;-)

Anyway... stay at home moms... any thoughts? Working moms... any thoughts?

Announcing ~ the Fischer parasite epidemic! :)

Wow, it has been a long time since I've posted on here! Anyone still out there? :)

The main reason for me being MIA for a few months is this ~ a long-term parasite that has set up residence in my lower regions ... aka I'm 15 weeks pregnant haha.

Fortunately I haven't thrown up once, but I was pretty nauseated for a few months and the medicine I was taking made me dizzy and over tired so that was difficult to deal with as well, especially getting up and ready for work and making it through the day.

I still have no energy but fortunately the main bouts of nausea and the need for regular medication are gone, woo hoo! I'm trying to find a little extra energy to exercise now that I'm in the second trimester, which still seems impossible but necessary, as I'm steadily gaining weight and would prefer not to gain excessively... as well as I know it is good for me, the baby, and delivery to have been active during pregnancy. But sleeping or lazing about on the couch before/after work just sounds SO much better haha.

As you can guess, this news derailed all of my training plans for a race in October and December, espec. as I was feeling so cruddy I haven't been able to run for months now. Some people are stronger or less sick or maybe just more determined and running during the first trimester is definitely safe and possible... but I just couldn't do it so I didn't :-/ I was a bit frustrated with myself in the beginning but after I got sicker and sicker I finally just gave up and realized 1 year of my life off of running isn't going to kill me and I have more important things to worry about right now, whether I want to or not.

Lukas is over the moon thrilled because he's wanted kids for years. We are finally financially in a place where we can at least afford daycare, but as far as being otherwise "ready" ... I can't say that I am but at this point, that is a moot point haha. I'm sure when the baby gets here I'll figure it all out and eventually be ok with having our happy home of 3  (Lukas, me and Winston) disrupted ... but for now I'm switching between "yay" and "FREAKING OUT" haha.

We should find out the gender at the end of the month if the baby is cooperating so look forward to an update then. Otherwise there isn't much going on so not much else to report. I will NOT be taking nor posting weekly "bump" pictures, espec. as right now the only "showing" I'm doing is an extra layer of fat on my stomach that I'm not altogether excited about :-p

Alive in here somewhere.... :)

Wow ~ we've had a crazy summer and it just keeps getting crazier!

Quick recap ~ because I have no fun pictures yet but will post them once I do :)

June - Lukas started a new job at Siemens Healthcare in Pennsylvania. Other than the hour commute each way, he is loving his job! He just had a few days of training in North Carolina and is now headed off to Germany to see his family for the weekend and then for a week long work conference ~ very convenient!

July - We moved apartments! Better neighborhood/apartment complex, bigger, more storage, central air, dishwasher, washer/dryer in apartment... we are pretty happy. I'd say we are about 80% moved in at this point. I still have a few boxes to unpack with clothes, etc., my whole sewing room to assemble, as well as lots of pictures to hang on the wall. We couldn't have gotten everything moved and cleaned without the help of our friends from church ~ thank you guys!!

I also turned 30 in July ... scary! I was a bit of a cranky pants, as well as sick, so it wasn't such a great birthday overall. Considering the fact that Lukas has a new job, we have a new place to live, and I have an amazing new sewing machine from my dad and fitted table to match it from Lukas... I'll keep my grumblings to myself and look forward to an eventful 30th year in life :)

August - Other than Lukas traveling around (see June), this month hasn't been too crazy. I've been sick for a bit so that hasn't been too much fun, and my best friend is moving this weekend so I'll head over to help her into her new home. My mom is coming over on Sunday to see the new place and my new machine, so that will be fun to spend time with her and show her around the new pad.

Running has falling off the radar lately. I've been so exhausted from everything going on as well as not feeling well, so for the past 3 weeks I've basically given up. I do get Winston to the dog park near us almost every day, as long as it isn't raining or super muddy, so that is good. We also go walking off and on at a really nice jogging path park by us as a family so that is good. Hoping to get out more as the weather cools down and I start feeling better. No races on the radar and no running goals right now ~ just want to stay active and be healthy and focus on that for a bit without stressing myself out over the other stuff.

Hopefully some fun pictures of Germany and our new apartment to come!

Slimy Saturday Running

Whew ~ made it through a humid and slightly hilly 5 mile run today and boy are we 2 slimy people right now!  This humidity and heat is nasty but I am so proud of myself for making it through the 5 miles and just walking when I need to and not getting ticked off about it ~ a big accomplishment for me physically and mentally. Lukas has seen way too many tantrums in the past during hot/humid runs, and I haven't been able to get through 5 miles in the past 7 months due to IT band issues, so I get an A for the day in both categories lol.

A coworker suggested I try my knee band again to see if that helps my IT Band not rub on my knee so much and he is a genius... it felt a little irritated at the end of our run, but I think that was mostly due to me being super tired and having bad form. Otherwise tho, no pain and I didn't feel like I was bothering it as much as before. I really think strength training is slowly helping, so I will keep at that and hope the band helps me in the meantime as well. I purchased this band in 2011 when I was having major pain and we had to cancel our half marathon plans the first time. I think if I'd known about the foam roller back then, it and this band could have gotten me through the rest of my training but o well... hindsight is 20/20 as they say. Anyway, since then I completely forgot I had this thing until my coworker mentioned using one for his issues and how much it helps if you are doing all the stretching/rolling/strengthening you can and just need something extra while running. Genius man... genius :)

I haven't been able to follow my half marathon schedule exactly in the past 3 weeks, but I've had a lot of good runs, made a lot of good effort, and am still pretty much on target. Hoping to have a successful week of 5ks in the morning and then another 5 miler next Saturday. It is nice to be back to training again, these past 3 weeks have been fun getting more runs in than usual but weird also because I'm exercising less than I was the few weeks before that. I need to get more strength training in and not focus so much on cardio as I have in the past and hopefully that will give my muscles the rest they need from cardio, as well as the strength they need to overcome muscle imbalances and keep me injury free!

I also think I'm going to try and get one run a week in on the treadmill, it helps so much for speed training without making me pass out due to the weather. I ran a new treadmill 5k PR on Friday - 9:16 average at 28:44~ woo hoo! That might be slow for most runners but I'm super happy about it ~ and I didn't have any pain and didn't walk at all which is great. The more I work on speed inside, the faster I will be outside once I get used to the weather and am able to push a bit more, espec. if my knee decides to cooperate.

Happy happy happy... but also tired tired tired haha. Time for a sewing break and then some homework before a nice relaxing nap at the pool. Life is good over at the Fischer's today ~ hope your Saturday is equally as enjoyable and relaxing!

Inspiration all around us...

I have a major case of the Mondays today, including some ill fitting cranky pants ~ not a good start to the week!

I am feeling sorry for myself because I was so busy doing fun stuff this weekend that I didn't get to my long to do list of things around the house, crafty obligations, etc. It was pouring rain this morning so I didn't get my workout in and I also start a new round of homework today which is going to keep me super busy throughout the week after work.

Whine whine whine... sad face... and then I had a chat with a co-worker:

He is working full-time 6am - 3pm, then he is going to school full-time on top of that. He also has a new baby at home and a wife who is finishing up her residency as a doctor and is super busy herself. He spends all weekend doing homework - Friday - Sunday and doesn't really have time for his little family, much less anything else.

Work, 1 online class and "not enough time for working out/sewing" doesn't really sound so bad now :-/ While it doesn't take away the fact that I truly am busy, it does help me keep things in perspective and stop feeling sorry for myself. He also inspired me to re-evaluate how I'm spending my time (Candy Crush Saga ring a bell? lol) so that I am more efficient and can maybe work in more things I SHOULD and WANT to do around the rest without stressing out and wanting to bite people.

Sometimes God changes our situations, other times He changes us. Today was one of those days where it was me that needed changed ~ more specifically my bad attitude.

So now I'm going to stop wanting to kick everyone at work, am looking forward to my last work lunch with Lukas, and ready to hit the books after work ~ and who knows, maybe I'll even have a little time for a workout or sewing if I avoid time-wasters like Facebook and Candy Crush all evening ;-)

Fischer Family Update ~ NEWS!!!

The beginning of the year was pretty crazy for us as far the job situation goes. Lukas had a few interview opportunities come his way that we just couldn't pass up and both turned into viable job opportunities. One was an international opportunity that would have moved really quickly if it hadn't been for a cancelled flight to Europe which pushed everything back a few months. In the end, this turned out to be perfect timing because it gave the other opportunity a chance to catch up and I'm happy to say: LUKAS HAS A NEW JOB! And not just any new job, an AWESOME new job :)

Starting the middle of June he will be working up in PA for Siemens  He had an internship there before we met and he will be back in the same department. His time at CSC has been good experience and a great resume builder, but after 5 years and getting his MBA, it is time for him to move on and expand his career opportunities. 

We are soooooooo grateful for this huge blessing, especially as it is a big enough move up that I may get to stay home should we have children in the near future. That is definitely something I did not expect would be possible (school loans, they're a killer!) so I am overjoyed at the prospect... and terrified at the same time, thank goodness I'm not pregnant yet! lol 

Lukas is really excited for this new opportunity and I know he will learn a lot and grow at this new company and I'm so very happy for him. He has worked really hard and he definitely deserves this chance. 

It will be hard to not have him at work with me every day tho - I will miss him on the commute, for lunch break workouts in the gym, for little walks in the sun to warm up, etc. Having him in the same office and same department definitely has made the past 3 years of my first "real after college job" a lot easier and more comfortable and I'm very grateful for that. I feel comfortable and confident at work tho and have friends and good colleagues here so I won't be nervous or lonely or anything silly like that... but I will definitely miss all the extra "husband time" that I've grown accustomed to. At the same time, perhaps it is good that we have a little distance from each other during the work day ... it will be that much more exciting to see each other after work and maybe we'll have more quality time during the week at home together since we haven't chatted periodically throughout the whole day :) 

Aside from that super exciting change, we will also be moving in the middle of July. We will be getting a bigger 2 bedroom apartment that is much nicer ~ family housing instead of student housing, thank goodness... it is about time! lol It will put me only 10 minutes from work and push Lukas a little further north, even tho he will still have about an hour commute. The main attractions, aside from a little saved time, are the extra space, closet space, central air, washer/dryer, and dishwasher! After living in a hot, cramped, "student quality" apartment for the past 4 years, I am sooooooooooooo excited for this move! Sure, I wish we were moving to a townhouse or buying our own home... but I'm ok with baby steps! 

God has really been with us along the way, helping the right job situation be possible at the right time, as well as enabling us to move when we didn't think there would be space. I know He always watches out for us but after months (really YEARS) of extra prayers and wondering what He has in store for us or why certain things happened the way they did, it has been amazing these past 2 weeks to see how He pulled it all together. We are certainly filled to the brim with gratitude and love for a loving Heavenly Father whose plan is ALWAYS much better than our own! 

See.... I can write about something other than just running and whining about my knee, aren't you all proud? (I say that like someone other than my Dad reads this haha). Speaking of my #1 reader, stay tuned for a post on Dad's visit to Delaware over Memorial Day... and pictures! 

Fitness update

Well last Tuesday was the end of my personal training sessions. I feel like although not much has changed physically, I certainly learned a lot and I am ready to build on that. Hoping to go to the gym tonight or tomorrow and sign up for a 1 month trial membership.

Realistic Fitness goals this month:
Cardio 3x/ week
Strength training 2x/ week

Fitness Challenge this month:
Cardio 5x/ week
Strength training 3x/ week

The cardio part is pretty easy since I can work out on my lunch breaks at work, just gotta force myself to get up in the morning and go to the gym 2 or 3 days a week ~ the getting out of bed part is the biggest challenge whether for cardio or strength workouts :-p

Last week was pretty good for as far as running. Tuesday I ran my fastest 5k on the treadmill in 29:08 and I didn't have any knee pain so that make me even happier! I got in 12 miles of running for the week, including a couple on the trails, and my knee pain seemed to be less bothersome... but I only ran outside twice so that isn't much of a test.

I really want to get outside more this week/month and build up resistance to harder surfaces for my knee (or whatever it is that is being bothered and causing that knee pain.) I hope between that and the strength training, I can get back into training shape and start working towards another half marathon in the fall if all goes well.

In other news, I've been doing really well with watching what I eat on top of exercising more and have been able to lose 6 or 7 lbs in the past couple of months. I am sooooooooooo happy about that because:
1. It is annoying to see the scale creeping up, espec. when my 30th birthday is just around the corner ~ old AND fat is not ok with me lol
2. Summer is here and I want my pants, not to mention my swim suit, to fit!
3. The lighter I am, the faster I can run!

For the past couple of years I've yo-yod between 140 and 160lbs, closer to 150 consistently. My goal for June is to get back to 145 and goal for July is to be down to 140 or lower for my 30th birthday. Although "numbers don't matter" and "muscle weighs more than fat", I know what a fit weight for me is and 135-140 is definitely an acceptable goal. That end of the spectrum is harder for me to maintain as I get older but this time around it should be a lot easier because:
1.  I've developed some really good eating habits in the past 2+ months that I've been able to stick with
2. I plan on staying active and training for more races & continue strength training

So I'm feeling pretty optimistic going into June. Hopefully I can keep up the good work from the past few months and continue to build on it and get rid of this darn knee pain! Wish me luck!

Recap & Revamp (Aka a bit long whiney blog post :))

My goodness, I feel like every time I get one step forward this year, I then get knocked completely on my behind! 

Case in point:

To combat the pain I've been having in my right knee, I started seeing a personal trainer at the beginning of April. We are focusing on my hips, glutes, and core, as those areas seem to cause most of my instability, bad form, and other issues which lead to extra stress on my lower legs and joints. I felt like we were making some progress by the end of April, but the knee pain wasn't going away. They sent me to see the muscle activation specialist on April 29th and that is when it all went down hill. 

She apparently tweaked something in my lower back which caused a muscle spasm which irritated a nerve and made my right leg and arm go numb/tingly for a few days. Pretty scary and ended up in a few visits to the doctor and taking anti-inflammatory medication with steroids which made me sick for a week. 

That was one really frustrating week and I was looking forward to getting back into the groove the following week. Unfortunately over the weekend I rolled my foot and got a minor sprain. I ran on it Monday/Tuesday and had GREAT runs but lots of pain and definitely made it worse. I took 5 days off and was hoping to again, get back into the groove this week.

Monday and Tuesday I had good indoor runs and a good session with the personal trainer, even tho I’m still frustrated with that as most of the things he asks me to do don’t seem to be helping. I have 2 sessions left with him this month and then I’m going to just be done… enough money spent and although I’ve learned a lot, I don’t feel like any of my issues have improved or been fixed so I’ll try something new.

But I digress… so Monday/Tuesday were ok, then I had a horrible run on Wednesday. Couldn’t figure out what was wrong and then realized, o joy, female issues. I was miserably sick at work that day and took yesterday as a rest day. Went for a jog with  Lukas this morning and after 1 good mile, my knee started hurting so I just walked another 1.2 to finish our lap around the reservoir.

On top of that unexplained knee pain, my left shin has really been bothering me lately. I haven't been using my VFFs to run, so I can't blame them this year. I stretch, foam roll, use my calf sleeves, tape my shins, tape my arches, take time off... nothing makes them happy. So yea... let's throw that onto the list lol. 

I feel like I just can’t get a break and it frustrates me to no end. But then I think of all those awesome athletes who have had accidents and come back stronger and even learn to run again with artificial limbs… and I know I need to shut up and get over it, my issues are pretty minor in comparison for sure. But hey, this is my blog… so I’ll whine a little… but try not to let it get me down in the long run.

The only good thing that has come from basically 5 cruddy months of not much running is that I’ve spent a lot of time on the treadmill and have gotten faster. 2 miles on pavement makes my knee hurt but the treadmill doesn’t, so we have learned to tolerate each other.

This week I set a new treadmill PR at 8:30/mile on Monday. Then on Tuesday I knocked that down to 8:26/mile. Felt pretty awesome! I can run 9 – 9.30 min miles outside without having to super push/sprint and I really feel, if I could get over this knee pain, that I can get my half marathon time down quite a bit from last year. There is just that minor issue of only being able to run 2 miles before the pain sets in… bah.

So there is the recap, whining, and a PR to lighten it up at the end. Now comes the revamp… what am I going to do about it?

2 more sessions with the trainer, hoping to get some more exercises to do at home so I can build on what I’ve learned from him. He has been great, but just 1x a week isn’t going to make miracles happen so I need to keep building on that.

I may  join the gym by our house because I definitely see now that strength training is something I should have started 2 years when we started running, if I wanted running to be a longterm activity for me. Although it doesn’t have any cool classes and I definitely get enough cardio time in on my lunch break at work, the gym by us does have good weight equipment and lots of free weights so hopefully I can convince myself to do that 3x’s a week and really focus on building up my core/hips/glutes and getting stronger.

I really don’t know what else I can do for my knee. I swear it isn’t IT Band issues because it doesn’t act like ITBS has for me in the past… so I’m really at a loss. Doctor has no clue, physical therapist has no clue, and personal trainer has no clue. They all say the same: Stretch, roll, strength train – so I guess I’ll keep focusing on that for the rest of the month and see where I end up. 

Anyway... if I can run 2-3 miles without pain, I'm going to stick to that on top of strength training. I really miss long runs of 5-10 miles but maybe with luck and lots of work I'll get there again this year and who knows... maybe my goal of a half or full marathon in Rehoboth again this year in December will be attainable!

Think positive right? :-p

Phunt 50k (25 k & 11k options) (belated post)

(oops... just realized I forgot to publish this post a couple months ago! :))
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This past Saturday Lukas and I ran the Phunt trail race with friends of ours from work. The Trail Dawgs, a local trail running group in our area, put on this awesome FREE trail race every year - aided by volunteers and donations (food and water from the runners participating). There is also a food drive for the PA and DE food banks and any monetary donations go to charity too ~ very cool.

The main Phunt is a 50k ~ 2 loops in the Fair Hill State Natural Area in northeastern Maryland. There is a 25k option ~ one loop, and a 11k option - 5miles of the first loop and then a 2 mile cut over back to the finish/starting line.

Originally we signed up for the 25k but I had some IT Band issues during our half marathon in December so we dropped down to the 11k option. We were also super lazy for 3 weeks and didn’t start running again until last week - oops!

I've never run the trails in Fair Hill before and if I had, I probably would have given up my spot to someone else this time around. We were warned that they were hard and hilly but I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Combine my lack of preparation, knee pain from my IT Band around mile 2, and tons and tons of hills that just seemed to go up up up up and I was struggling… more than struggling, I was just WALKING lol.

In my defense… here is the elevation graph – it is a beast, espec. after not training hills at all since September! It isn't much of a defense, we were almost the last people done with the 11k lol but o well... we still made it!!

By "we" I refer to myself, my nice co-worker who was kind enough to stay with me, and her boyfriend - who waited for us a few times throughout the course to make sure we made it ok.

Where was Lukas you ask? ... Running the 25k!! Again... refer again to our lack of preparation and the elevation graph above... yep, he still successfully completed the 25k ~ longest he has ever run and espec. crazy long considering it was a hilly trail run! So proud of him!

I finished in 1:52... shameful, I know. Lukas finished in around 3:25 ... fantastic based on the circumstances and really for me, that would have been a fantastic pace I probably could not have hit with training even! (Slow me = super slow on trails = crawling up hill :))

A wake-up call ~ aka goodbye 2013 goals!

Well... all of my 2013 goals have gone down in a blaze of glory... or shall we call it "IT Band induced pain" ~ ugh. The last 5k of our December half had me in quite a bit of IT band pain on the side of my knee, so much that I was limping afterward and was super grateful for the free massage just so I could handle the 2 hour car ride home. We were pretty lazy for the rest of December which was good to rest but I didn't take that time to strengthen and stretch at all, so I still had IT band pain issues when we did the trail run in January. We tried training up for a full marathon in May but after having major issues on a 6 miler in Feb, it is now to the point that I can only run about 2-3 miles outside before the pain starts.

I am being smart about it and not pushing it ~ I gave up my marathon goal and am coming to terms with the fact that the 1/2 marathon trail option isn't going to happen either. Honestly I just want to be able to run pain-free sometime again in the near future, I don't care about races right now, I just want to get better.

To help with that, I am going to start going to see a personal trainer once a week. I definitely have muscle imbalance problems which has caused most of the issues I've had in the past 2 years and I just need to focus on strengthening up and getting rid of those problems. My weak core, glutes, and hips are sabotaging all my hard work and I'm tired of getting knocked back down by some new pain/injury/etc.

I've been pretty good the past few weeks tho and instead of being a big whiny baby, I've been using the elliptical and running a few miles on the treadmill at work. I've been able to work on speed and endurance a bit which is nice, and am keeping myself from gaining lots of extra winter weight which is good too. Also is nice to have a break in my work day even if I only get to work out 25 minutes ... better than sitting at my desk that whole extra lunch hour!

So........ more to come on the PT situation in the future. Today is my first session after work, we'll see how it goes!

The good thing about goals is they can be changed or put on hold... no freaking out, just focusing on positive things like getting stronger and running longer in the near future!

A few more running goals, just for fun ;-)

Disclaimer: I tend to obsess A LOT about running plans and goals when I'm not running and I haven't gone running since December 8th... 19 days...so yea, I'm obsessing a bit haha.

Anyway... I did think of a few fun new running goals for 2013 this week:

1. Run 1000 miles (yes, I'm singing the song in my head as I type this!)

2. Over the top goal: Run 1500 miles!!
... not going to let myself count elliptical miles nor walking the dog. Just running - treadmill, track or trail - if I'm TRYING to run then it counts :)

3. 20 mile/week challenge - I want to see how many consecutive weeks I can run 20 miles or more.

Theoretically if I run 20 miles a week for the entire year, I will hit goal #1 - so we'll see how this goes. According to my marathon training plan, I should hit 20+ miles 18 out of 21 weeks between Jan and end of May ... so that is a pretty good way to keep myself on track for the first 5 months. I'll keep you updated ;-)

Anyone reading this have any good or funny goals they are striving for in 2013? Please share!! :)

2013 ~ Goal Review ~ 30 by 30 recap

30 Before 30 Bucket List - Progress Check:

Exercise Goals

1. Run a 5-k in 30 minutes or less - Already achieved this on the treadmill, still hoping for an outside PR of 30 or less tho!

2. Run a 10-k in 60 minutes or less

3. Run a half marathon in 2.5 hours or less

       Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon - 12/8/2012 - 2:26:40

4. Run a marathon in 5 hours or less

5. Meet my goal weight by 29th Birthday and stick to it for a year – unless I am preggers

         Don't worry about the # but focus on getting fitter and eating healthier!

Travel Goals

6. Go see another Broadway show with Lukas in NYC
       Wicked in DC

7. Go to French-speaking Canada

8. Go to Boston/Salem

9. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail

10. Beach vacation with Lukas
      5th Anniversary in Ocean City, MD - overnight at the beach, kayaking, swimming - good times :)

Crafting Goals

11. Free motion quilt a lap sized quilt

12. Learn to do needle turned applique

13. Finish a queen sized quilt for our bed
      Pinky has been deemed a bed quilt - she is queensized and beautiful :)

14. Sew a skirt
       Maxi skirt at Sewing Summit

15. Sew a shirt or dress

Misc. Creative Goals

16. Re-learn basic cords and notation on my guitar

17. Start Mandolin/Banjo lessons (still undecided which)
      Probably not going to happen due to time and $ constraints but still funny to see it was a goal ;-)

18. Take a dance class with Lukas

19. Learn to cook more recipes/meals
      Chili, Calzones, Enchillada Casserole, Corn chowder - good start so far!

20. Bake a YUMMY cheesecake – with a spring form pan (oooo fancy! ;-))
       Oreo cheesecake cupcakes in a cupcake pan, way better than springform ;-)

Personal Habits to establish/achieve
Totally failing here - need to work on this in 2013!

21. Read the BOM/Pearl of Great Price/Doctrine and Covenants beginning to end again

 July 28 2012 – July 28, 2013

22. Establish a habit of dedicated prayed morning and night – not a hurried “before I shower/fall asleep” prayer

23. Make Family Home Evening a priority with Lukas

24. Read scriptures once a day with Lukas

25. Attend the temple regularly

Other

26. Move out of our 1 bedroom apartment

27. Learn to control my personal budget

28. Practice my French by speaking/reading/writing

29. Try something random/new/exciting!

30. Have an AWESOME birthday party :)

Outside of those above goals - some big family/personal goals for 2013 in general:

1. Run our first marathon - we had 2 great 1/2 marathons in 2012 and our sights are set on Memorial Day weekend 2013 for our first full! Stay tuned!

2. Start saving more - we are hoping to eventually grow our family (scary!!) and also want to eventually buy a house ~ prob. not feasible in 2013 but still good to start saving more for both!


I like having goals - gives me something to focus on and work towards. If I don't meet them all it is no big deal - just fun to see what my goals were the year before and see what, if anything, I achieved :)

Happy 33 to Lukas and a fun 1/2 marathon to boot :)

Last week was Lukas' birthday ~ he turned 33 on Thursday! His parents were able to schedule their annual USA trip to be able to be here to celebrate with him which was wonderful. We had so much going on - I think he had a great week of celebrating with people who love him :)

On Thursday we spent a liesurely morning at home and then went out for a late lunch to the Cheesecake Factory. Lukas is in love with their strawberry lemonade - as you can tell by this picture.

Good food, good company, and plety to drink made this a memorable birthday meal for him :)

Afterward we headed up to Longwood Gardens for a nice festive stroll checking out the lights and Christmas displays. There were lots of beautiful trees and flowers and the grounds were stunning with the light and fountain displays. Here are some of the highlights:

Us with Luke's mom

Luke's parents

Pink Poinsettas... who knew?! Love them!

Poinsetta tree

Fountain show to Christmas music

My favorite Christmas tree

Christmas dinner party ~ Longwood style :)

A couple years ago they had a music room where someone played on the piano and everyone sang Christmas carols. Luke was really looking forward to that part of the evening but alas, it was not scheduled on the day we went so that was a little disappointing. All in all tho, it was a lovely day celebrating the birth of my favorite person in the whole wide world :)

Friday we headed down to Rehoboth Beach ~ it was a little chilly for a swim in December but I decided to run in the freezing water up to my calves anyway. I can't resist the pull of the ocean... atleast at this beach where I've never seen a shark or jelly fish or any other creepy thing haha. We had a good time checking out the outlets and going to dinner with his parents and then relaxed at the hotel to prepare for our big morning.

Saturday Lukas and I ran the Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon - our goal was 2:30 and we finished in 2:26:40. I'm very happy with the time ~ it was in the mid 50s and humid and my IT bands decided they hated me around mile 9 so we did pretty awesome all things considered. It was also a lot of fun to run somewhere new in a much bigger crowd this time - 2000 people between the 1/2 and full!

Pre-race in hotel room

Walking up to the starting line behind the huge crowd

Giving one last kick for the last .1 of the race

Heading into the home stretch (those are my pink socks sticking out behind Lukas haha)

Finished - alive and well - whooooo hoooo!! :)

The official race pictures are not up yet, I may have more to share when those are posted. It was fun having Lukas' parents waiting for us and cheering at the end - having fans helps you push on to the finish line instead of falling into a pile on the ground just before you get there lol. They had a good experience checking out the race atmosphere and cheering us on too which was nice.

The race was well organized and the course was fantastic. Water stations every 2 miles approx., beautiful route through downtown Rehoboth by all the big expensive beach houses and then on into Cape Henlopen State Park on a nice flat path that was just beautiful and inspiring to run on for 3/4 of the race. I absolutely want to come back and run this one next year - 1/2 or full marathon option!

I was pretty sick for the rest of the day ~ like someone please kill me type of sick ~ so that wasn't too fun. Fortunately Luke was fine so he drove us all 2 hours back home and they hung out without me while I tried to not keel over. Not a nice way to end our last day with his folks but sometimes that is just how the cookie crumbles :-/

It was a long fun-filled week and now everything is back to business as usual and Luke's parents are safe and sound at home in snowy Germany. Winter is still holding off here, glad we didn't have a white weekend but maybe we'll get lucky enough for a white Christmas afterall!

We are taking an easy recovery week so far. My IT bands are calming down a bit and Luke's hamstring is loosening up a bit so we might go for an easy 5k before work tomorrow. No plans or major training until an 11k on the trails in January and then marathon training begins!

... The New Jersey Libery Run on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend is our next target. We'll have 20 weeks after the 11k to get ready for that beast. I'm nervous, Luke is excited, and either way we are both on board this crazy new rollercoaster... wish us luck!

**This race supports charities for Hurricane Sandy victims and other clean-up projects along the Jersey Shore. As that is where Luke has been serving the past few Saturdays as a volunteer with the Mormon Helping Hands organization through church, we thought that would be a meaningful race to participate in and a good cause for our race fees to be donated to. **

Lazy Thanksgiving & Race Countdown

What a wonderful thing 4 day weekends are! Thursday morning we woke up and went on a 7 mile trail jog to try out a new path.

It was a bit frustrating because:
1. we got super lost within the first mile
2. I had to walk a lot more than usual because I'm just not used to trail running

...but all in all we had a good time. We were hoping to do 10 miles but it took us so long to do 7 due to the above but o well, it was still a good work out and this path is a new challenge for me to eventually conquer! The path is around 6.4- 6.9 miles (the website has conflicting info so I'm not sure how long it really is)  which is a great training loop for a trail or road full marathon. It isn't super difficult but not 100% flat either so it is a small challenge as well as easier on my joints.

After our jog we got ready and headed down to my mom's for Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. My dad wasn't able to come out this year which was sad but it was nice to see my mom and spend some time with her. We ate lots of yummy food prepared by her and hung out in the basement watching tv/movies afterward. I spent the night and we had girls' craft day on Friday until Lukas came back for dinner and to pick me up. It was a great couple of days with my mom and a lovely holiday.

It was nice still having the weekend free after that to get some stuff done at home. I cleaned up a bit and put up our christmas decorations ~ not a ton of decorations since our apt. is already cluttered but it looks a little festive now at least. I also got my sewing room  a bit more organized/cleaned-up for when Lukas' parents come next week since that is also our guest room. Relaxed/lazed about the rest of the weekend which was nice.

Although we got that 7 mile run in on Thursday, last week was a major fail for training because that was the only day we went jogging! I should have gone on Saturday but Lukas was up in New Jersey for a service project to help people whose homes were damaged during the hurricane ~ and it was super cold and windy so I just had no motivation to go, especially by myself. This week is a taper week but we basically had one last week too which makes me nervous. I want to try to get another 7 mile run in this coming Saturday so I feel a little more prepared for the race next week ~ and I also need to get 3-4 days of shorter runs in too because I haven't been doing that lately and I NEED that practice to do well on the longer runs. Lazy lazy lazy ;-)

Both of us are getting headcolds tho so we stayed in our nice warm bed this morning ~ I think that is smart tho, not lazy this time. I might try to run on the treadmill during my lunch break or go for a quick jog after work if I can convince myself to go out in the cold. I'm sure Lukas will be fine for the race since he is stronger and faster than I am anyway and I'm not going to push him if he isn't feeling well. Hopefully we are both prepared enough and will have fun and a good finish ~ I can't believe it is less than 2 weeks away now!

Sharing the course map just because I like to include pictures and am obsessing over this race ;-) It will probably be cold and windy since we are down by the ocean but it looks like a nice run anyway:

Dream big or wake up ~ why I run and what I want to accomplish

I have been a lazy bum lately. I'm always interested in why other people run and what goals they have and how they accomplish those goals. The thing is - I can always find someone lazier than me to justify my personal laziness, or find someone way more awesome than me which is discouraging when I feel super far behind. None of this really matters tho ~ I need to figure out why I run and why my goals are, so I can use that to get my hiney out of bed and on the road in the morning!

Here are some of my thoughts as I've been pondering those "whys" lately:

I'm not running to lose weight - it helps a little but I can still put on weight running 20+ miles a week if I don't watch what I eat. I'm sure a diet and lots of time on the elliptical would give better results if that were my goal.

I'm not running to prove anything ~ old people, overweight people, young people, etc. can run a half marathon or a marathon with the right training so I'm nothing special, even tho those shiney medals on the wall sure do make me smile hehe.

I'm not running to win - no matter how fast I get, I'm already 29 and the majority of that time I've led a pretty unathletic existence and have no chance of placing at the top ~ and I'm ok with that.

I run because it is fun.
I run because I can get better every week if I try.
I can go further, I can go faster, I can beat myself at every PR if I just put my mind to it and make the effort. No matter what goal I meet and max out, there will always another out there to go after which is pretty awesome.

I run for me and me alone. If I have a crappy day and cry after 1 mile and go home to pout in bed, no one cares but me. If I run an amazing 10 mile run and feel fantastic, again, no one cares but me. Running is all about me improving myself so I'm the only one who decides if I succeed or not ~ that is a lot of pressure haha. 

So I know why I run, in general ~ but knowing why I like something isn't enough to get out of bed. I need a goal to work towards so that I can tell myself "for this specific reason, you need to get outside today!"

So what ARE my goals?!

After getting injured in Fall of 2011 and missing our first half marathon, I just wanted to finish one ~ no pressure outside of just being pain free and getting to the finish line.
Hands on House Half Marathon, September 2012 - DONE. 

Next goal ~ run a 1/2 marathon under 2:30
Rehoboth is absolutely going to be the race where I do this, I am projecting closer to 2:20.

Next goal ~ run a full marathon in the Spring.
There are 14 weeks between Rehoboth and the Annapolis Striders Marathon on March 16, 2013. That is where I'm setting my sights so after December I don't just curl up and wait for the world to thaw like a fat groundhog :)

Outside of these specific races tho... I have this desire to be an ultra runner. It is hard to write that sentence without saying stupid/crazy/insane/unrealistic/etc. idea... because I hear that from SO many people around me when I talk to them about this.

I don't know if it is realistic ~ only time and training will tell ~ but it is certainly not stupid, crazy, insane, etc. ... it is just different. Different than wanting to run a super fast 5k, different than wanting to collect medals from road races, different from just running to stay fit. Different isn't bad... and so many people embrace "different"... maybe I can too.

So we'll see how Rehoboth goes and how my first marathon goes. If I can keep myself motivated, keep training and especially start strength training so I'm less injury prone, there may be a 50 miler in my future ~ Nov 2013 is a possibility if my body is ready, if not, there is always 2014. No rush, no pressure, just big dreams.

And if you don't dream big... just wake up. Life is realistic enough, why should I dreams be too? :-D

New favorite running products!

A few new products to share with you today!

If you've been reading my whining posts lately, you know I've been having some shin pain. I had a chat with the guy at our local running store and he said based on everything I told him it is def. my calf that is causing the issues. I need to ice the shin and calf and massage the heck out of my calf as much as possible. He said after a few weeks the pain should be totally gone, and if I strengthen my calves it should not come back.

That sounds great and I started doing all of that and it is definitely helping! I was still a little worried tho since our race is 3 weeks away and so he suggested compression calf sleeves to help out while running and for after long-run recover. I wasn't thrilled at shelling out $40 for a pair of magic socks - but I did it anyway after some online research ~ I bought the CEP compression calf sleeves, size 3, in hot pink:

Pretty snazzy eh? Haha. I tried them out on Friday but only made it about 1 mile until I freaked out, started crying a little, and walked home. Work has been super stressful tho and after worrying all week about my shins and taking some rest days, that was stressing me out too so whatever ~ I had a meltdown, it happens :-p

HOWEVER, Saturday I decided to run close to home for my long run and tried these out on a 10 mile run. Since I'd been massaging my calf a lot my shin was already feeling better than it had all week and the first few miles were slightly uncomfortable but not painful. After 4 or 5 miles I couldn't feel any discomfort in my shin at all! When I got home I rolled and stretched and then wore these to bed for my 3 hour nap and my shins felt great afterward! Minor soreness, way less than usual. I massaged my calves again and felt great rest of the weekend.

Magic socks? I don't know - but they sure seemed to have helped and I will keep wearing them until I decide otherwise!

Another new product I tried out this weekend on my long run were Sport Beans by Jelly Belly - Berry flavored:

These are basically super yummy large jelly beans. It says they have everything in them that the gus and comps and every other fuel I've tried have - but they are way easier to eat and so yummy, seriously taste just like normal candy jelly beans. I was calling them magic beans all weekend ~ they must be if they taste that good and give me enough energy to get from mile 5-10!

To be honest I don't really know if the fuels I use are really special or if regular jelly beans,etc. would have the same effect but I felt great after eating them halfway through my run, just as good as any other fuel I've tried as far as energy levels are concerned. I had a gu right before I ran and a bagel thin with pumpkin cream cheese about an hour or so before my run. Seemed to be a good combination with all 3 - will try that out again on Thursday for our next 10 miler and if it works just as well, I've got my race day routine down for Rehoboth! :)

Magic beans and magic socks combined - I was able to run a happy and pain free 10 miler in 102 minutes ~ 10:12 average pace, yea buddy! Feels so nice to consistently run a faster pace than usual and know that I will definitely beat my 2:30 goal for Rehoboth! On Saturday I could have run 3.1 more and finished around 2h 15min. Not sure Rehoboth will be so fast because half of it is unpaved gravel and there is one big hill but I still think I'm stronger and faster this time and will have a really good and fun ~ although chilly ~ run.

3 more weeks to go - Thursday morning we will do a 10 mile run on a new path at a new park and then will stuff ourselves with all of my mom's yummy food the rest of the day :) After that it is time to taper down and get super duper excited for the race on the 8th :)

We are toying with the idea of a marathon in March - cutting it close with the timing but we'll see how we feel after Rehoboth. If we can take 1 recover week and then start back on 11+ mile runs on Saturdays and work our way up injury free, there is no harm in trying! We won't sign up for anything until February - at that point we will know where we stand with the March marathon and decide what we want to do if that one doesnt work out. First things first tho - conquer Rehoboth! :-D

Because I'm obsessed...

Our names on the official entrant list for Rehoboth Beach, Half Marthon - December 8th, 2012! YAY!

I've been hitting a really good pace lately for long and short runs which has me really optimistic that we will for sure meet our 2:30 goal - shooting for 2:20 actually!

I know this isn't a huge accomplishment to most runners but for me it is a great long distance speed to be able to keep it under 11min/mile the whole way and that is our goal for this race.
2013 I'm hoping to drop that down to a 10min/mile average on long runs. I can keep that up for 4 or 5 miles right now but beyond that it slips back to 10 - 10:30 which is still AWESOME for me and the best long runs I've been able to do since I started in 2011.

The cold weather has been a huge help to me getting faster, I don't overheat and get as cranky/dizzy which helps me to learn how to push and regulate my breathing. Hopefully by the time the warm weather hits, my "fast" pace will be more of a "comfortable" pace and I can keep it up over the summer.

... now to just keep training and convince my right shin that it is NOT hurt and to stop being annoying :-p

O yea by the way, last Saturday - new outside 5k PR: 30:18 :) My run overall was a little slower than the week before but still a great pace and if it hadn't of started raining on us we would have turned that 8 miler into a 10 miler but I'm still feeling confident for the race, espec. with 2 long runs ahead of us before we taper down.