Will run for Beer-fest!

I figured out a sure way to make certain I accomplished my 14 mile long run on Saturday…

…that was to run myself 7 miles out so I would have to run 7 miles to get back home.

It worked. I ran, and ran, and ran until garmina hit 7 miles. And then gladly turned around and ran the 7 miles back.

I knew with all the wedding festivities the month before that I had missed many of my much needed marathon training runs. Saturday’s long run was kind of a crucial one for me to gage where I was at.

If I could do the 14 miles successfully, then I knew that I could probably jump right back into training no probs!

My run was very peaceful and beautiful. I just followed the same path for 7 straight miles. And I saw some beautiful parts of Boise I had never seen before.

I actually jammed out to my ipod during this run too. Which I almost never run with music. But when I started the run, I knew I would need more motivation than usual.

I took a lot more walking, texting, emailing, & facebook breaks than I ever would on a regular run. But I didn’t care…whatever it took to get me through it was all I cared about.

I was truly amazed at how my body held up. My last long run was done on June 18th when I completed the Chocolate & Champagne Half marathon.

I just kept with it – well I had no choice really. I had to get myself home somehow and running was going to get me back a lot faster than walking.

Around mile 12 I ran out of water. I tried not to freak out as I knew I had a little ways to go. My energy was starting to drain a little bit, and I had blisters on my feet that were screaming at me.

But I just kept going until I hit a water fountain at mile 13. It was a godsend let me tell you. I also happened to run into Coach Brad, my TNT coach from last year.

We chatted a bit about the TNT team and it definitely gave me a little pep in my step to finish up strong.

Almost 3 full hours later I was done! Crazy sauce!

Okay…so that picture is a bit more dramatic than I actually remember it being. I was hot, sweaty and tired by the end but the run wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.

And I promised myself a nice natural “ice bath” if I finished up the 14. Woo hoo!

So lucky to have the Boise River strategically placed at the end of my runs. 😉

No rest for me though… shortly after I finished up that long glorious run, I chowed down some eats and off to the Beer Fest we went.

I joked that I ran for beer that day. Boy did I ever!

I was so excited to meet up with my family and friends down at the park for the Barley Brother’s Traveling Beer Show!

It was awesome! For $25 you got this little 4 oz cup and as many tasters of beer as you wanted all day long.

There was over 200 different kinds of beer to taste, and I was so excited try some new ones.

And was so excited to take a picture of this guy in his beer mug outfit! Classic!

There were so many beers to taste and I had a hard time deciding which one to go with. I usually ended up with the stouts & porters.

He get’s real serious when it comes to drinking beer! 🙂

At least that is what he told me after I took the picture. That’s my serious beer face! 🙂

Then we stumbled upon this hidden gem…. Payette Brewing!

This is one of Boise’s newest brewery’s and let’s just say that my brother and I are big fans!

After all was said and done, I’d have to say I thought it was a successful event.

And well–any pain I was feeling from the 14 mile run was surely numbed away by the gloriousness of all the beer!

Hope you all had a great weekend I know I did! Happy Monday!! 🙂

Top Five Races of 2010

 

Wow, I can’t believe tomorrow it will be 2011. I guess the year just flew right on by? Anyone else think so?

2010 was an amazing year for me running wise. I took my running to a whole new level and really came into my own. 

You all watched as I finished my first marathon at Destination 26.2 and you witnessed the blossoming of  Beyond Destination 26.2, a place where running will always be my number one, but sometimes a girl’s goals change. Destination 26.2 taught me that I really can do anything. So I hope you will stay with me into 2011 as I reveal my goals for the new year.

Until then, I would like to recap a few of my favorite runs of 2010. Although they were ALL pretty memorable to me!

***

Dubbed as “The Run where I PR’d!”

Officially Named: Beat Coach Pete

  

  

  Though we did not beat Coach Pete (The Football Coach), we did have a rockin’ time trying. Oh yeah, and I finished in 29:39! Making this my fastest 5k ever. Booh yeah! (Full race recap here)

 ***

Dubbed as “My worst Race of the year” (But with the best fans!)

Officially Named: The Great Potato 10k

 

It was abnormally hot out and something I ate from the night before did not set well in my tummy. I cried all the way up until the start line when J. Alabama wished me good luck. I crossed the finish line to see not only Destination 26.2 Mom & Dad, but friends Amy & Nicole & J. Alabama there cheering me on! I still managed to finish in 1:05:13 – Not too shabby! (Full race recap here)

***

Dubbed as “The one where I was crammed into a van with 5 other runners for 12 hours!”

 Officially Named:  The Sawtooth Relay (62 Miles, 6 runners, and one beast of a mountain)

  

Or maybe I should have dubbed it one of the funnest experiences of my running life! Though it was hard, nothing a cold pbr after 12 hours of running and riding in a van to make it a favorite! (Full Race Recap Here)

**

Dubbed as “The Dirtiest Race I have ever Run”

Officially Named: The Dirty Dash 10k

  

There is nothing like chugging a beer in the middle of your run, sliding down a ridiculous slip and slide and crawling through a mud pit all in the name of fun and running! (The dirty race details here)

**

Dubbed as “The One where I ran a freaking MARATHON!”

Officially Named: Nike Women’s Marathon

 

There is no greater feeling than training your butt off for 4.5 months, while raising over $3,000 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The moment I crossed that finish line, I knew I was unstoppable.

Running a marathon was one of “those things” I never thought “I” could do. But ya know what, I did it. I ran a freaking marathon. OH YEAH! 🙂  (Full recap here)

***

You can read ALL my race recaps by clicking the Race Recaps tab at the top of the page. (You can also view a few races on the mind for 2011)

***

Thanks for being there for all the memories I’ve shared in 2010. I am looking at 2011 with a new lens.

There will be running in 2011, oh yes there will be running. Heck, I even signed up for the Run For The BLING of It Challenge (12 Races in 12 months). But running will not be my only focus. I’m still working toward a healthier more balanced life, and I can’t wait to share my official New Year’s Goal-utions with you next week.

Have a happy & safe New Years Eve and “see” ya next year! (LOL – Does that joke ever get old??) 🙂

Guest Post: Running for a Good Cause

Happy Tuesday Friends!

As you may know, I am still traveling (now for fun not work). This week I am blogging from Denver as I make my way to New Mexico! 🙂

So I asked Courtney from Run Courtney Run to give a little insight to her Team in Training story. As you know I trained for my first marathon by teaming up with Team in Training and even had the chance to meet Courtney at a blogger breakfast the day after the Nike Women’s Marathon & Half-Marathon race. She’s a great girl, and I love her enthusiasm toward Team in Training. Thanks for sharing it with us Courtney!

***

Run Courtney Run

I never thought I would be a runner. I definitely hated running all through high school. I did whatever I could to get out of the mile during PE class. I wasn’t even really an athlete. I mean I danced for a long time but I never played sports. I didn’t really have the coordination. Although I did have a lot of friends that were athletes.

In the spring of 2008, two of those “athletic” friends convinced me to sign up for a sprint triathlon with them. Everyone thought I was crazy and that I could never do it which only fueled my need to do it. So that July, I went out and completed my first triathlon and first race of any kind and became completely hooked. It wasn’t long after that that I signed up for my first half marathon. I completed the Disney Princess Half Marathon in March of 2009 which only fueled my addiction further.

After that I decided, I wanted to keep running but only if it were for a cause. I had lost my Aunt to cancer in February of 2007 so I wanted to do something to honor her and help others so that someday there wouldn’t be cancer anymore. I started researching charity running programs and decided on Team in Training. They seemed to have a great program with the most to offer. I quickly signed up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon again but this time with Team in Training. I even got my best friend, Becca, to sign up with team for Princess as well. We quickly got to work raising funds and training. We mailed hundreds of letters, stood out in front of grocery stores, held a wine tasting, and much more.

Before we knew it, it was March again and it was time to head down to WDW for the race. I hadn’t done an event with TNT before so I had no idea what was in store for us but little did we know, it would quickly become one of the greatest experiences of our life. That weekend, we gained mainly lifetime friends from all across the country, met so many incredible cancer survivors, and so much more. We got to see and hear how the funds we raised were being put to work and how WE were helping change people’s lives for the better. Before that incredible weekend was over, I knew I had to keep going and stay involved with Team in Training as much as possible.

Fast forward to June 2010, I’m starting my second season with Team in Training and first time as a mentor. Our team is going to be training for the Nike Women’s Marathon and Half Marathon. Throughout the season, I keep in touch with all of my teammates on a weekly basis to see how their fundraising is going and help them in any way; Including sending them all sorts of fundraising tips and ideas. I had a blast helping all these ladies out for the 4.5 months leading up to the event and finally in October, we were all able to come together for the event. As a whole, TNT raised $7 million for Nike Women’s. Incredible! It was amazing to meet so many women that weekend all running for the same reason, to beat cancer!

Fast forward to today and I’ve just started my third season with TNT and second as a mentor. This time I’m going back to WDW for the Disney Princess Half Marathon again. I can’t wait to raise more money and help all of my teammates reach their fundraising goals. If it weren’t for Team in Training, I don’t know that I would have kept running. The people involved with this amazing organization inspire me daily to keep going and doing whatever I can to help the cause.

I encourage anyone and everyone, runners and non-runners alike to join a charity program especially Team in Training.

First of all by joining something like TNT, you get incredible support and training unlike any other and it will definitely help you get to the finish. Secondly, you will make a difference. You have no idea how much your work will help others. Last but certainly not least, cancer is terrible, horrible, just plain BAD. I don’t want to see people like my Aunt suffer any longer and I know by raising funds for an organization like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, we will find a cure sooner rather than later!

Have you ever participated in a charity running race?

Marathon Night & Morning After

 

Thank you for all your kind words. It’s just so amazing to say that I did it. I ran 26.2 miles!

I wanted to recap a bit of the happenings after the marathon. Though I had just run a marathon I was still all smiles and ready to celebrate!

***

By the time I reached my hotel after the marathon I was still freezing cold from my wet clothes. Maria kept telling me it was ICE BATH time, but I wanted nothing but warmth.

The arch in my right foot was aching like crazy, so I figured she was probably right. Ice bath it was!

I stuck my feet into the ice cold water and screamed out in pain. It was colder than the Boise River. I managed to sit with my shins in the water for about 5 minutes, but that was as much of an ice bath as I was getting. I still shivering from the marathon. 

Check out the Team in Training tats! We each put one on each leg. They looked pretty cool when we were running!

Then we got ready for the Victory Party! We didn’t even get time for a nap or our second lunch.

When we got to the TNT Victory party we ate some food and I immediately ordered us the TNTini!

Ahh.. it was glorious! It warmed me right up!

Then we managed to get out on the dance floor and dance for about 45 minutes. I’m not sure how we all did it. But we all rocked out!

We went out to a small bar for another celebratory drink and then called it a night. The marathon exhaustion finally caught up with us!

We slept in a bit the next morning then excitedly went to Sears Fine Food for my very first Blogger meet up!

Sandy, Courtney & Me!

I was so excited to meet these girls and chat with them about our races the day prior!

All that running made us hungry!!

 

I heard they were known for their buttermilk pancakes so opted for the Swedish pancakes with a side of Lingonberries. Did I mention they were 18 mini pancakes?

Well, if I was ever to justify eating 18 pancakes this day was surely the day for it! I was determined to put them all down, and I still couldn’t do it. Even post marathon hunger said enough was enough!

We chatted over breakfast and discussed the pros and cons of running the Nike race. Since this was my first marathon I had nothing to compare it to. But Sandy had run several before and Courtney had run several half’s before, so it was interesting to hear their opinions of the race.

I will be doing a little recap tomorrow of what I liked and didn’t like. As there were a few things that happened that were very disappointing.

After breakfast we said goodbye to Sandy and the three of us went to Nike Town to check out the Finisher’s Gear.

 

We had a fun time shopping around the city and then said our goodbyes to Courtney. We had some lunch at California Pizza Kitchen then we had a BART to catch!

I was actually pretty surprised at how good my body felt the day after. I still had some slight pain in my right foot, but everything else felt as it should. A bit worked, but I could move around.

I thank you for reading all about my crazy shenanigans this weekend! We laughed, we cried, we conquered!

Be back tomorrow with official race photos & the good, bad, and the ugly of the Nike Women’s Marathon.

Nike Women’s Marathon (Destination 26.2)

What an epic day!

Marathon morning started early but not as early as some. We were up at 5:00 am and out the door by 6:00 am ready to rock!

We met up at our corral with many of our team and started singing songs to get pumped up for the run. It was pretty chilly to start the morning, so the long sleeves seemed like a good idea.

I had to take a picture with my mentor Laurie as she has been a great motivation over the last few months!

Almost 20 minutes after the crowd started moving did we even cross the start line. Everyone was moving slow and it felt good to warm up that way. My muscles were still very cold.

The first couple of miles were a quick blur. We ran through Pier 39 and the Wharf which was an amazing way to see the city.

Before we knew it we were already at the 10k mark staring out to this beautiful site. Oh the Golden Gate Bridge, I how I love thee!

We had shed our long sleeve shirts by mile 2 due to the humidity. It was overcast for the whole entire race. Which felt good for the first half.

Obligatory photo opportunity!

There was no way I was running by the Golden Gate Bridge without my picture snapped in front of it. I think this was the perfect break before heading up the hardest hill in the course.

We were surprised by our Coach Brad and Bryon on the sidelines cheering us on as we headed up the hard hill.

Those first 6 miles we were feeling good. Really good! I think it was all the excitement from the spectators! Everyone kept yelling GO TEAM! The support from the crown was almost overwhelming at times because there was just so much! But it was much appreciated!

The picture below is of the masses running up the hill. (It was this crazy until around mile 11.50 with people.) Maria needed a quick  pit stop so I took the opportunity to take a little stretch break.

We were about half-way up the hard hill at this point and still feeling good.

Our coach trained us well for the hills on this course. There was never one time in which I felt I could not tackle the hill. I even dare to say that some of the hills we ran in Boise were actually harder. Possibly the adrenaline kicked in and I just had it in me to kick those hills during race.

I can’t quite explain the feeling I felt during the hill run though. It was as if everything clicked for me. All the hill training that had been such a struggle was finally doable. It was thrilling!

These girls ran the whole marathon in these outfits! LOL!

The run down the hill was even more exhilarating! I remember rounding a corner and hearing “Don’t Stop Believing” playing from the Nike Power Song station and calling my friend Ashley to sing to her. (It’s one of our favorites songs!)

She was freaking out – “Omigawsh, are you running right now?!” Oh yes! We are at mile 10 baby and feeling AMAZING!

Then we continued on until we hit the Marathon & Half-marathon split off (around mile 11.50).

This was an interesting point in the race for me. I remember it so clearly. It was as if the energy in a balloon was instantly deflated. As the halfers took the right road and we continued on straight all in the world was quiet.

It was apparent that there were WAY more halfers than full marathoners. As the road ahead was finally free and we could keep a consistent pace for once in the whole race.

I was really excited at first to have the whole road ahead, but as I mentioned that feeling quickly faded. It was quiet and then it started to get cold.

We hit mile 13 in really good time. The clock says 3:09 but my garmin said 2 hours 45 minutes. We were happy with that time!

Shortly after this picture Garmina died and things got a little bit harder. The rain started down, the wind flared up, we were getting chilly and we were running a bit slower.

But we were still happy. We knew our parent’s were at mile 15 & 16 waiting to cheer us on. So we had a little more pep in our step to get going.

Mile 15.50 was quite a cluster! The half marathon course rounded back up with the Marathon course and we watched as they ran toward the finish as we had to keep on trucking.

But at that time I saw J. Alabama & my Mom high fiving and shouting Go Linz! I was instantly reenergized! A few spots down I saw Destination 26.2 Dad and brother was across the way snapping photos!

Not long after that we saw Maria’s mom. She was all smiles!

Then not a minute later we saw Coach Brad and Byron! They ran with us a ways and told us to keep up the good work.

I think seeing so many familiar faces at that one point was the perfect pick me up. If we had reached a wall it was between mile 13-15. After that it was all fabuloso!

We ran down the highway and were cheered on by the amazing volunteers and other Team In Training Coaches.

We were still happy as can be despite the cold weather and the on and off rain.

We began the run around the lake. It was about 4-6 miles around the lake, but felt like we were running forever. At one point Maria exclaimed, how do you feel?

Great!! I said.

Well good, because we just passed the 21 mile marker. This is the most you have ever ran!

Omigawsh!

It was really surreal when I started thinking about how horribly I felt after the 20 mile team run just a few weeks ago. At this point in the race I still had it in me to keep to going. I was smiling, I was happy. I was ready to own this marathon.

Then not far ahead was the Ghiradelli Chocolate mile. Ahh… if you wondered whether or not I was going to indulge in the chocolate treat, just know I went for it!

How could I resist? Really?! And let me just tell you it was the sweetest most amazing chocolate ever.

Then it was time to get serious and focus on the last bit of road ahead of us.

J. Alabama has always mentioned it’s good to pick someone out to be your “rabbit”. Someone who runs just fast enough ahead of you to keep you on the move the catch them.

Well our “rabbit” as we like to call her was a speedwalker! She was amazing and I couldn’t help but freak out a little when I would I would look up ahead and see that she had passed us yet again.

Every time we would take our 1 minute walk she was speed walk on by and leave us in the dust. Then we would catch back up and the cycle would start all over again.

Our rabbit is on the left side of this picture above. We were on the home stretch (around mile 24) and were determined to catch her and pass her once for all.

That’s when the weather gods decided they could not hold out any longer. The rain started down harder and the wind was colder. It was getting intense.

Maria & I were not phased by this. I had the biggest smile on my face and could taste that finish line.

Then I saw my brother jumping and yelling up ahead in the middle of the course. He was taking a million pictures of us and was so excited!

You can see how drenched he was.

Not far behind him was J. Alabama.

“Run baby Run!”  He said. “You are almost there!”

That last half a mile was insane! The rain was coming down in buckets and we were passing people who looked like they were in so pain. I couldn’t beleive how amazing I felt.

I was feeling the joints and muscles ache in my body, but I wasn’t feeling anywhere close to as bad as I felt during my 20 miler.

Maria and I grabbed hands and crossed the finish line in amazement!

WE DID IT! We ran a freakin’ marathon! And we did it under 6 hours.

We reached Destination 26.2!

We were then greeted by these handsome fire fighters with our “race medals”.

Yes, our race medals were a necklace from Tiffany’s!

Now I have a few complaints. We were handed our race medals and told that they would be sending the REAL ones in the mail. I sadly opened my box to find a 2007 medal.

Umm… I guess they ran out of race medals? That was sort of let down considering this is one of the perks for running this race.

I tried not to let that bum me out too much. I actually couldn’t focus on anything else as the raining was still pouring down buckets and Maria and I could not stop shivering.

We picked up our finisher’s shirts and tried find those awesome space blankets they give out at the end of marathons. We quickly found out that they had run out of those too. As silly as it sounds I’ve always been fascinated by those things and was SUPER excited to get one. 😦

We were shaking uncontrollably at this point and shuffled as quickly as our bodies would let us to the Team in Training tent.

We grabbed some Boudin’s Sandwiches and met up with our families.

Thank goodness J. Alabama had nice warm coat waiting for me. You can see it in my eyes, I was done. But I was still high life at this point.

This adventure was truly amazing. I can’t believe how great I felt throughout the entire race. Now don’t get me wrong, it was tough. There several times in which I just wished I could be teleported to the finish, but there was no greater joy than that of crossing that finish line.

I earned all 26.2 of those miles.

Thank you again for your support and happy thoughts. I could definitely feel everyone’s energy with me through the race.

I am a marathoner now! 🙂

Mission Accomplished!

We reached Destination 26.2 and it was an amazing journey!

I am a marathoner now! That is so crazy to say! 🙂

I have another FULL day in San Francisco and am excited to meet up with a few bloggers tomorrow! I promise to do a full recap on the race by tuesday.

By the time I got back from the marathon, iced and cleaned up it was time for the Team in Training Victory Party! The fun hasn’t stopped around here!

Thank you for all your kind wishes and happy thoughts. My marathon went better than I even expected!

See you on Tuesday for the real deal!

Mission: Destination 26.2 Accomplished! YEAH!

Destination 26.2 or Bust!

Marathon day is here! Marathon day is here! 🙂

Well friends, we made it to Marathon day! I seriously can’t believe this day is here!

Well as you read this I will be out running my heart out! I have ALL of you to thank for your encouraging words and advice along the way.

This journey has been truly unbelievable!

Now here are a few of my favorites pics from the Team in Training Inspiration Dinner last night.

Byron. This picture makes me cry just looking at it!

The dinner was inspiring and helped to get us excited for the journey ahead. The 26.2 mile journey!

A dear friend Kat brought Maria & a little good luck package to wish us well on our run. She is a fellow TNT’er!

Check it out what she made for us!

Disposable ARM warmers! I ♥ this!

I ♥ those so much I had to give them a good demo before the night was over.

Due to possible rain and cold I have opted to wear a long sleeve shirt under my running singlet. But these arm warmers rock and will be saved for another glorious occasion!

Then it was time for getting the goods ready for game day. Oh yeah!

It’s finally here. Next time you see me I will be a MARATHONER!

Destination 26.2 here we come!

Checking out the city

My Saturday morning started off by meeting the girls for a quick yoga sesh in our hotel rooms. It was the perfect way to stretch and take a breather before starting our busy day!

Then it was time to find some breakfast.

We found a cute little coffee shop called Tart to Tart where we ordered egg & cheese bagel sandwiches & coffee.

Then it was time to tour the town. (But not too much, gotta save some energy in those feet for the real thing tomorrow!)

Isn’t this what you picture when you think of San Fran? It make me think of FULL HOUSE! LOL!

If you look all the way to the very top of the street, you can see Lombard Street (the most crooked street in America!)

Then it was Wharf Time! This picture captured some crazy clouds above. There is a 30% chance of rain tomorrow!

We decided it was time to check out Boudin’s! This place is known for their famous Sourdough bread.

We went on a tour of the bakery and learned all about sourdough and even got to see where the bread was made.

The aroma of sourdough filled your nostrils as soon as you stepped foot into the bakery. It was amazing!

No tour is complete until you indulged in several samples! Yum!

I said goodbye to Victoria & Jenn on the Wharf and said Hello to my family + J.Alabama! I finally found them after much confusion.

Oh, Oh, Oh… then it was bread bowl and chowdah time!

Chowdah in a yummy sourdough bread bowl is definitely where it’s at!

Destination 26.2 dad had one request and that was to stop at the Buena Vista for the famous ‘Irish Coffee’.

Shhhh…. don’t tell, but I may or may not have taken a sip. 😉

I am loving the sites of San Francisco so far! Later tonight I’m heading to the Team in Training Inspiration dinner. I’m bringing tissues along. There is no doubt in my mind that I will cry! 🙂

Have you ever been to San Francisco? What was your favorite thing to do? (I have two more wonderful days here & want to see it all!)

Just Do It!

 

Before catching the plane yesterday I met up with my Team!

The Team made it to San Francisco and we didn’t waste anytime hitting up the Nike Expo.

The town is covered in Nike banners and marketing for the event.

We were so excited to get our bib numbers and official Nike swag bags!

The expo wasn’t as crazy as I’ve heard some other expo’s are but we did find the Smoothie Revolution booth and got a good laugh!

This guy was riding a spin bike which powered the blender and mixed the smoothie ingredients.

The flavor was Orange-cicle Dream! A dream it was – I totally need to re-create this at home and healthify it even more by adding spinach!

Next up was the Dedication Wall.

I haven’t talked much about this on my blog but I am running this race in honor of a beautiful woman named Shaun. She has had many ups and downs over the last year and half with Leaukemia.

I wanted to be able to honor her amazing spirit by running this race for her. She is currently undergoing experimental treatments and it’s been a rough road.

 

I just know that all the money Team in Training raises for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has made a huge impact in people’s lives. And it makes me so proud to know that I was a part of making that difference.

After the Expo we were hungry! We hit up a little place called Annebelle’s Bar & Bistro for dinner.

We started with these miniature sourdough rolls.

I split an appetizer Asparagus salad.

It was topped with mushrooms, pistachios, shaved parmesan and a dressing with a hint of lemon.

The main dish was a bed of fresh fettuccine noodles, topped with scallops, red bell peppers, garlic & basil.

The sauce was more of an olive oil sauce and it was surprisingly light yet filling. (This was also a half portion).

We pondered dessert at Annebelles but nothing jumped off the page. So we put our cab hailing skills to work and found our way over to other side of town at Ghirardelli Square!

Upon walking in you are immediately handed a square of their delectable chocolate. The fall must try flavor was Pumpkin Spice Caramel.

Doesn’t that just sound amazing? Oh yes it was!

As if that wasn’t enough goodness we opted to split an espresso chip ice cream sundae!

I think tomorrow I will be a little more conservative about what I eat. But seriously…there was no escaping Ghiradelli without some tempting treat!

After that we called decided to head back to the hotel and call it a night.

Oh yeah, and check out my newest hoodie! Woop woop!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well we have another FULL day of site-seeing, a Team in Training Inspiration dinner and I get to see Destination 26.2 Mom, Dad & Brother & J. Alabama! I am so blessed that my family has traveled so far to be a part of something so big and important to me.

Off to see the city!

(Crazy… but it costs $15.00/day for internet! I want you to know how much I love my readers to pay this crazy amount!!) 🙂

3!

 

3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days! 3 days!

Someone’s a little more than excited don’t you think?

Let’s take a quick jaunt down memory lane to help better understand this running journeyI have been on for the last year and half.

♥  March 2009: Joined a free running club to learn how to run a 5k

♥  May 2009: Race For the Cure 5k (First ever 5k!)

♥  June 2009: I run for Chocolate & Champagne (5k)

♥  September  2009: Women’s Fitness Celebration (5k)

♥  October 2009: Barber to Boise  (First ever 10k)

♥  March 2010: St. Patty’s Day Race (5 miler)

♥  April 2010: Beat Coach Pete (5K)

♥  May, 2010: Famous Great Potato (10K)

♥  May 22, 2010: Marathon Training officially started!

♥  June 2010: Sawtooth Relay (62 mile Relay Race)

♥  September 2010: The Dirty Dash (10K)

♥  October 17, 2010: Nike Women’s Marathon – A.K.A  Destination 26.2!

So as you can see, I started my running journey in early 2009 and have not looked back since. I started off slow by doing 5k’s and worked into where I am today….almost Marathoner!

It’s crazy to think tomorrow I will board a plane to San Francisco and in 3 days I will have reached my Destination! 

It’s been one awesome and memorable journey, and I know the most exciting part has yet to come.

Stay tuned as I make my way to that finish line!