Sunday, October 21, 2012

Aqua Gear

Anyone who has been reading this blog for more than one post, knows I am prone to injury. It sucks. I haven't solved the problem yet, but I am finding more ways to keep going when I am forbidden, by Jesse, from running. One of my favorite alternative ways to burn, is to get wet. Putting my head in the water still freaks me out, so my swimming lacks a little something, but I do love water running. Yes, it can get boring (although, not as much if you watch the water aerobics class and gawk at the "real" swimmers) and it's cold in the morning, but I just can't beat the benefits. My hip doesn't hurt and it really stretches out the plantar fasciitis in my right foot. Awesome!

So, between Jesse's "real" swimming and my water running, we hit the pool 4-5 days a week and it seemed like a perfect fit when Aqua Gear asked us to do review of a few of their products. To be honest, I had never heard of Aqua Gear before. Usually, I settled on getting our water needs from Amazon or Big 5, settling on their low selection because I didn't know where else to go. Enter Aqua Gear.
AquaGear® Swim Shop

Really, all you need to know about them is that AquaGear Swim Shop is a family owned and operated boutique with a focus on fast, responsive, and helpful customer service, which I experienced first hand. They were great to work with, and helpful in choosing the products we should review.  Founded in 1992 by Joanne Bullock, an Aquatic Personal Trainer, Life Guard, and Swimming Instructor, this swim store has gained a substantial following in the aquatic community for it's unique selection, and commitment to the highest level of customer service. Didn't know it before, but I do now! 


The hard task came when we needed to choose our products, and that is only because they had such a huge selection of lots of different products. Things I never would have thought of trying before, I now had access to. My browsing led to water weights. Brilliant! Just what I needed to step up my water workouts. I was sold. Because my legs aren't the strongest, I went with the Water Gear Aquatic Ankle Weight in the 3lb per pair option.  Like a dork, when they arrived I tried them on and strutted around the house. I looked pretty hot. They were easy to snap on and adjust, which I knew would be handy for putting them on in the pool (and it was). I liked the way they felt and nothing rubbed or hurt walking around so it was time to dive into the pool. It was easy to put them on in the pool and I started off, sticking to the shallow end since that is our pool's rule, and I instantly noticed the impact they were going to have on my workout. The extra resistance was perfect. I proceeded to run, high knee, butt kick, and jump my way up and down the lane. My little leggies were already more tired than they had ever been after a pool workout. Love! Now, I take them every time. They are the perfect way to step up boring water running, and they also have lots of other water exercise options. Sweating in the water is just so much fun!

Now, I will throw it to Track Coach, whom by the way just the Head Coaching job in Onalaska so send him a congrats! Hi there, long time no write... So thanks to the wonderful folks at AquaGear, I got a brand new pair of goggles. I got a pair of Speedo Air Seal Tri Goggles currently listed for $19.99. They were probably the most comfortable goggles I have ever worn! They seal very easily and stay sealed and are good for long sessions in the pool or lake. I also really liked the wider peripheral vision the goggles allowed. I could definitely see that being a bonus during a race. One note, the nose piece is not adjustable and I found it to be fairly wide so I would caution you about these goggle if you happen to have a narrow face as a couple of my swim buddies have (they tried them and had a hard time getting the goggles to seal). However, since I would consider my face to be medium, and they worked like a charm. I would say these goggles would work perfectly for anybody that has a medium to wide set eyes and would like to have a pair of goggles they don't have to worry about during a long swim session or a triathlete looking for a good solid set of goggles.

Right now is the perfect time to get to know AquaGear better, they are having a 40% off inventory sale! Yippee! Check them out here and/or like them on FB here and tell them Track Coach and Adorable Wife sent ya! I also want to mention a few other really great things about them. First, they have an A+ rating from the BBB. That's huge to me. I want to know I can trust a company before I use them, and the BBB is like a million good reviews! Second, third, and fourth, they do same day shipping (plus free shipping on orders over $75), they do a price match up to 30 days after purchase, and (this is fantastic) easy returns up to 60 days post purchase, no questions asked. So big for online shopping!  Seriously, check them out!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

How You Doin?

So, yes, I have been missing for quite a while and the reason is I was preparing for my big Fall Craft Show. I try not to do too many of these shows because they kind of take over my life and the hubs doesn't enjoy that so much. It is a lot, but I enjoy creating new things, so it is fun for once in a while! I was quite proud because I still managed to get 3 workouts in last week, which I usually fail to do the week of a show! Anyways, so here is what I have been up to, what about you?
 
P.S. Colleen was so cute and nice and asked if I had a website for my items, and I do have a shop on etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/iwantthatcrafts and a fb page www.facebook.com/iwantthatcrafts ! Thanks for liking my hobby!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Life overload!

These past few weeks have been so full of awesomeness that I can barely wrap my adorable head around it! There was Chelan Man, a few days at the lake, the EPIC S2S relay, a charity garage sale for Autism Speaks, and some big birthdays (including coach turning 27!) so much to write about, do little time. The boys will be starting school next week, which I hope translates into more blogging time!

For now, I just want to say thanks to everyone who made this past month or so possible; teammates, sponsors, and especially the grandparents who watched our youngens when taking them along wasn't possible! I really loved it all and have many more weekends of excitement ahead, including a Mariners game Saturday benefiting Autism. Should be "interesting" with all the kids, we may need more luck than the Mariners, nah!

A preview of things to come!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Three things Thursday

1. Today is going to be a twofer day. I actually got up and ran this morning (what?) and still have VERY good intentions of running again tonight. My hope is to acclimate my body to running more than once a day for the relay. Kind of short notice to my body as the relay is next weekend, but some is better than none right?

2. I am trying to get as prepared as possible for the non-running parts of the relay, and my stomach is almost in constant knots thinking of what else I could do or bring. Maybe my hope is that if I bake enough different kinds of "healthy" cookies it will make up for the fact that I may very well have to walk some in my legs :( Sad, right? Jesse always compares me to Monica from "Friends" where I like to bake for other's affection. Worked so far.

Looks just like that!
3. This weekend I will be too busy to do much relay prep as it is Logger's Jubilee. It's Jesse's hometown hick festival complete with lawn mower races, log rolling, and a 10k. I was hoping to join Jesse in the 10k this year as a tune up for the relay, but injuries always prevail! Instead I will be downgrading to the ever casual 2 mile fun run. Let's just hope I survive it, and, of course, the street dance that night! We will also be taking in the local theater's production of Wizard of Oz. It promises to be a great night!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Running for Our Lives!

Last weekend I died. So did Jesse. But, this time, death was fun. Getting eaten by zombies is always a good time. I guess that technically means we are both zombies now. Better watch yourself!
I managed not to get nervous for this event until the morning of. It was never a "race" for me, but an experience. Costumes were a must, although my ideas were lacking, so we ended up being a seventies type couple who got attacked at a dance. Which translates to a trip to goodwill where funky clothes were bought and then ripped up. Still, I dug our look, especially Jesse's jacket!
Riley and Brady apparently wanted in the pic!

When you get there, you can hear the screams echoing through the forest and the zombie sounds that proceeded them. We watched the other waves a bit, and had a good giggle, and then got ourselves checked in. After we got all tagged up...
Do we look scared?

We headed to the start. They had 3 separate chutes, appetizer, entree, and dessert. Based on my slow mile time, we ended up in the dessert chute, but next time I would move into the entree because there was way too much walking in the beginning. The course weaved it's way through a bmx course and in spots was very narrow, hence the getting stuck behind people and walking. My expectations were nil. I didn't know if zombies would follow us the whole time or jump out at us or what the obstacles would be like. Our biggest goal was to come out alive vs getting through it fast. My inside my head goal was to not have to have Jesse help me through any obstacles!

Once we got rolling, I was so paranoid about keeping an eye out for zombies, I didn't look down like I should and tripped on the trail, a lot, tweaking my ankle a few times. We made it to the first obstacle without any encounters and made it through the electrical shock house unscathed, but once we exited, came the first field of zombies. They looked pretty awesome, but there were a lot. Jesse and I took off in different directions and sprinted and juked our way past the first bunch. This is how the rest of the race would progress. Groups of zombies to sprint and twirl through, Jesse got a really good spin move down, and then we would walk to the next obstacle. Flat out sprinting in that heat was hard. We were both sweating a ton, like it was rolling into my mouth, but I was too dirty to wipe my face.

The obstacles were never a huge challenge, I even made it over the walls by myself, it was definitely the zombie crowds that posed the threat to my success. By mile one, we still had all our flags ( we started with 3 and the zombies could take one at a time) and were thus feeling pretty good about our survival chances. But that didn't last long. A ways up the trail we got hit by a few in a narrow spot and we both lost a flag.

Since the zombies were attacking us mob style, we decided to do the same to them. A bunch of us would gather up and then run through them together to increase our chances of survival. At one point we caught up to a group who gave out a loud "quack, quack, quack, quack" a la mighty ducks style before they headed into the fray. It was pretty hilarious! I don't know how effective this tactic ended up being as only one person in this large group survived. Maybe had we actually done flying v to protect those with flags, it would have worked better.

By mile 2 I only had one flag left, and it was soon stolen by a speedy blonde zombie seeking revenge for a group that got past her untouched. We did start to notice that the "better" zombies were near the end of the course. They really like to hit ya when you are down, and tired, and muddy. I really thought Jesse might make it, I think he did too, but after successfully making it to the second or third last mob, someone got it, and his junk. He was probably more bummed then he let on, I know he is competitive, but we were almost done, so there wasn't time to pout. We held hands down the slide into the muddy water and crawled under the electric fence (the only spot where my dress gave me trouble) and headed toward the finish line for the dead.

I felt gross and happily let them spray me with the big hose, but it barely made a dent. We tried to clean up and at least put fresh clothes on. Next time I will make sure to bring baby wipes or something, what was I thinking? Jesse wanted to seek his revenge on the zombies, and tried his hand at the Subaru zombie challenge...
Slingshot zombies into graves...
roll tire through graveyard, and finish with a dunk tank. He lost :(

I really had a lot of fun at this event. Next year, I definitely want to be a zombie! We saw lots of great zombies, some of our faves were...

-the barista
-the sleeper (complete with robe and slippers)
-the prom court
-the nanny (with a child strapped to her)
-the nurse (just trying to help the affected I bet)

ok, that's all I can remember! But there were other good ones. I hope they have it in Ony again. Getting a group together would be a ton of fun. Did you race this weekend? How did it go? Have you ever done an obstacle race? What did you think?


Friday, August 3, 2012

Bullets

I can only think in bullets today, so that's how I'll post.

• Tomorrow is my first ever obstacle race, the Run For Yours zombie 5k obstacle course in my hometown of Onalaska, WA. What? Never heard of it? I'm shocked! I've been so focused on the relay, I haven't really had time to get too nervous, or excited about this race. But Jesse and I will have some sweet outfits. Here is a bit of a sneak peak...
Intrigued?

• After the disappointment of Tuesdays run, I was anxious to push myself the next night. We had some unexpected guests and I got on the mill later than I wanted, but i was able to get my fastest 2 miles ever, 24:09, which included my two min walk warm up. Satisfied? Yes!

• Two weeks removed from the relay and the nerves are really kickin in. I have had repeated nightmares about not packing properly or leaving late. It's all for fun, but I still want to make sure I show up!

• The Olympics are actually getting me down. We just don't have time to watch them like we wish and therefore are missing the cool obscure sports and interviews. What happened to the days when we couldn't find enough coverage to watch? Oh yeah, 3 kids!

• Speaking of TV, our new obsession is Franklin and Bash. Zachary Morris is all grown up and funny! Of course, it's viewing is on hold till post Olympics.

• Our race tomorrow says to be prepared for mud, water, latex, and small electrical shocks. Should Jesse and I get a taser tonight so we can practice?

How was your week? Any advice for my upcoming races? I appreciate all tips! Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Even when you suck...

Or at least you THINK you suck, on a run, ride, swim, etc. you are still doing SOMEthing! This was my lesson last night and it was hard one to sink into my thick skull.

I don't like doing things I'm not not quickly good at. My low self confidence apparently can't take it. sports was always a go to activity. Because I was always fairly natural at all the sports the PE teacher used to throw at us, I made my identity one of an athlete. I am slowly, and painfully, learning that running is not like other sports. It seems I was wise to dread the conditioning at practice. Coordination I have, iron lungs I do not!

Still, I have been SLOWLY improving, and feeling good about it and last nights run just felt like a slap in the face. Let me paint ya little picture- its a warm evening, around 6, and I want to get in a quick 3 miles before my sister arrives to play games. I have convinced Jesse to run with me and push the kids, so we take off from our front door. My goal is to get down to 12 min miles by the relay, and based on a run last week with two sub 13 miles that included some walking, I feel this is totally doable! Despite the heat, I tick off the first mile in 12:09, but fear I am fading fast. It's not my legs, but stomach that wants me to give up. That "you are gonna puke or poop" feeling hits and I can't shake it. The next two miles are slow and hold no enjoyment for me. I run too slow, walk too slow, even push the cross walk buttons too slow. Despite how awful I feel, I am super glad Jesse is with me or the run might even look worse! I finally get my sorry butt to our street, my always designated stopping point, look at my time and almost cry. The second and third miles took me 27 min to finish. Awful. I felt AWFUL. Jesse tried to compliment me, but it fell on deaf, sweaty ears.

I never felt like I would have been better off not running, it was just having this dark cloud of disappointment raining down on me did nothing for my spirits the rest of the night. I began planning out the rest of the weeks runs, hoping in one of those outings my magic results from all my hard work would find me. They certainly weren't around for this run. But as the night wore on, and my spirits were lifted by a rousing game of progressive rummy (which I won! Booya) I came to the realization that running is hard. Maybe for a few thousand out there, it comes easy, but for the rest of us, it will take work. Every run won't be better than the last. If getting out the door is half the battle for you, and just finishing is the other half, than even a run like last night's makes you a complete winner. So, the wheel of morality tells me, I'm a WINNER! It also says tonight's run will be better. Thanks wheel.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Three Things Thursday

Yea, it is technically still Thursday so I am golden! I love me some bullet posts!

1. I have been trying to get into big time training for the Spokane to Sandpoint relay. Something about knowing others are counting on you really makes you step up your game. Which is exactly what I need. Counting the tri on Sunday, I am up to 5 or 6 days of exercise in a row. I don't know if I have ever put my legs through this much work! They are starting to feel a bit dead today, so I didn't run, just mixed it up with some stair climbing, spinning, treadmill hill walking, and rowing. I may have gotten bored and was forced to keep changing my activities up. My goal is to get down to 12 min miles for my legs. Sounds slow, but a big improvement for me. Yesterday, I got two of my three miles under 13 min, so I am feeling hopeful!

Is it just me, or is my thumb weird? Like really bent. I shouldn't do "thumbs up" anymore. Loving my Bondi Band, so great for sweaty runs and bikes!
2. Sunday I completed my longest Tri to date, which was still a sprint tri, but longer than my SUPER sprint. Of course, there will be a full action packed recap coming, but I wanted it to be known that I finished it! 400 m swim, 13 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. Nailed it!

3. The more I get into training the more I realize, unfortunately, that I have no mental toughness. Like zip. When things start to hurt, my mind convinces me to quit. During my runs (he he he) my ribs, collar bone, or feet will start to ache before my legs or breathing give out. I know these things can be run through without ill effects, but I'm no good at it. Usually, I only last a few minutes past the start of the pain. Tonight, to keep myself going on the stair stepper, I had to repeat (in my head, not for everyone to hear) doughnut, pizza. Step=doughnut, step=pizza. These were the bad things I ate today, therefore part of them must be burned off. What are some of your favorite tricks for keeping yourself mentally tough? I could really use the input! Thanks.

So, I sit here now, icing and typing, getting ready to hit the hay, looking forward to my next workout. Odd, but I am loving to see my numbers go down (both on the scale and on my time.) Have a great Friday!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

And strolled!

Finally, the second part of my Rock n Roll adventure. You can read my first part, I Rocked... here. So, do you get it, I Rocked...and Strolled. Strolled instead of Rolled because I went slow. No, not funny. You sure? Ah, give me a fake laugh anyway! Ok, thanks for your pity laugh. Now onto the action.

After our night of giggling and not so much sleeping, we all woke up a bit on the groggy side, but since none of us were shooting for world class times (or even sub 2 hour times) it didn't phase us too much. We heard the rain pounding outside and Jason tried to get back into bed. Like that was gonna happen! There was some scrambling and delaying on the boys part, and we got out of there later than I wanted.
Ah, the "hotel hallway getting psyched for a race I didn't train for" pic.
Stacie and I both really wanted to make the blogger photo, so we hustled down the Seattle streets with the rest of the swarm arriving just AFTER the pic. This, honestly, did not put me in a very good place. I didn't have to time to grab food yet either and the combo made me cranky (poor Jesse). We were able to capture a few pre-race photos...
Stacie and I (so glad she was here with me!)
Jesse and I (love him!)
At that point, everyone headed to their corrals and Jesse and I ventured out to find the bag check. I'll leave most of the before hand out, because like I said, I was cranky and not very friendly, but I eventually got something from Starbucks and made it back to our proper corral with time to spare. Waiting to start wasn't really that nerve racking for me. I hadn't trained, I wasn't prepared, and my body tends to fall apart easily, so I had no goals but to finish and have fun. I would walk when I felt like it and run when the urge struck. Solid plan!
Hello Start Line!

It is almost starting!
Now, I can't even recall what sounded our start, but I remember yelling when the announcer man asked who the first timers were. We set off, and since it was the start, I wanted to run to begin with. Unfortunately, I had originally put my finish time as 2:15 or something (ah, dreams) and that meant everyone around me wanted to go MUCH faster than I did. Well except for the group of power walking ladies who jumped up from corral 34. My new goal was to beat them! It was still surprisingly a little defeating to have som many people flying by me at the START of a race, but I then let go of all my competitiveness and just started cheering them on. That pretty much sums up the race for us. Jesse was staying with me the whole time, it would be a 13.1 mile date, and we danced, cheered for the bands, high-fived the cheerleaders, and tried to enjoy ourselves as much as possible!

Near the beginning so I wasn't hurting too much yet.

The one HUGE hill...
Yes, I walked it!
Since I had never gone past 6.2 miles in race or otherwise, someone suggested taking pictures at all the mile markers past that point to document the momentous occasion. I was glad I did, it turned out to be a great keepsake, but it was hard to come up with different poses for each mile.
One more step, and I will have a distance PR.


We missed mile 7 because Jesse had to take a potty break and I was solo for a while, including through the tunnel. But I did manage to run the whole time we were apart. Maybe I wanted to give him a challenge in catching up to me!
My cheerleader pose (no, I was NEVER a cheerleader, just being goofy!) People did look at me a little funny at this point.


At this point, I had been hurting quite a bit for some time (mostly my knees, Achilles, and hips) but around here, my pelvic bone really started to kill. Like, bad. It separates too far when I'm pregnant and doesn't go back together like it should, but I had apparently never gone far enough to piss it off during running because this was a new pain. Don't ask what I'm doing in this pic. Seriously, don't!
There was a lot more walking then running on this stretch, but still felt like "rocking" out this pic!

Kissing mile 12 goodbye.
And finally, mile 13. Even though there was a cruel hill at the end, we tried to run it in. We even finished holding hands, ah. I'll try to post all the official race pics soon so you can see it.
The taste of victory!
I had never done such a large race, so at the finish, I was grabbing all the food and goodies i could! I may not have needed it, but i accepted a space blanket just so i could feel legit. We met up with the other bloggers and friends, which is always nice, especially when you have no family there. Most everyone was there already because we are so slow and even the marathoners weren't far behind. Chatting and retelling our heroic tales is always the best part of the race, besides finishing it of course. Some of the group was headed back to the gracious Chelsea's, but with our kids at home, we didn't think we would have time, but I really wish we could have!
Zoe, Me, Mel, and Chelsea (she is always such great race support.)
Then it was off for super quick showers, packing up our room, and then saying goodbye to our hotel and bunk mates. Eventually, our stomachs called to us and we went to grab a bite at Claim Jumper where I had ribs and this little beauty...
Well, I had to share this. But I think I earned it!

Final thoughts, I LOVED this race. Everything about it was great, even down to the fact that I didn't have to be before or during the race, so no honey buckets for me. The only downer was not having any one on the sidelines. Especially when I saw the kiddos with their "Go Mommy and Daddy" signs, I got a little sad inside. Solution, pretend every kid was my own! It worked, surprisingly well in fact. Maybe next year. Of course, I am very thankful to our parents who are nice enough to watch our kids so we can do these events together. Instead of a big getaway together, we just do a few mini race vacays together! Yes, we have already signed up for next year, and I do plan on training, a least some :) for that one. The Half is never going to be my race, but I think it will be fun to have this one be an annual tradition. I don't recommend running this distance with no training, but at least know it can be done. Thank you Rock n Roll for taking my virginity!

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Three Things This Thursday

I only have about 10 min. to write this, so I will see how quick I can be!

1. I know I still haven't finished my Rock n Roll write up. I just want to do it justice, but there hasn't been time to do it, so there it sits in my drafts, just waiting for me to add more to the title. Do know, though, I WILL do it. The dauntingness and guilt from not writing it has kept me from writing any other posts. So no more!

2. I did manage to do something to my foot in the half-marathon, a stretched or pulled something probably, and haven't ran since. Jesse thinks it will be better for me to go into my coming events under trained instead of over injured! We'll see. It is feeling better so I will run next week and try it out.

3. Speaking of upcoming events, I have Chelan Man in a little over a week, YIKES! Kind of snuck up on me. It is my first tri in 2 years, and really only my second one ever! It will again be a complete and have fun race versus a hard worked for accomplishment. I hate that my race schedule this summer is becoming like that. My dream is that I will be better by the relay.

3.1 Speaking of the relay, my cousin and her man had to reluctantly drop out and we now have 2 openings. The relay is from Spokane to Sandpoint August 17th-18th. Anyone interested? Being in shape is not really a criteria! Spread the word please!

Whew, 10 minutes done!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

I rocked...

Wowza, I am no longer a half marathon virgin! It has taken me quite a while to recover and even have the energy to try and recap ALL that happened last weekend. So, I am gonna break it down into two parts for your reading pleasure.  First up, Thursday thru Friday, the pre-race festivities, or as I like to call it, "The whole reason to do these big, expensive races!'

Thursday morning, or hours before I was to be free for two days, my boys decided to give me a nice sendoff. Peyton broke a couple of blackberry syrup jars in the laundry room while trying to climb a shelf and while I was cleaning up that mess, Brady decided to get in on the mix and play with his poop in the dining room. I COULD NOT have been more ready to leave. It was going to be my first time away from Riley at night, and I was doing it for two, but I felt she was ready ( or I was a nervous wreck, but desperate to go!)

Excited to be on the road!
Stacie pulled up to get me, and I think I may have sprinted to her car. It was time for an all ladies night at the Sarah and Dimity "Run Like a Mother" house party. Jesse and Jason would be meeting us up there the next day. I was excited for this event and it did not dissapoint! Sarah and Dimity, with the help of their hostess, put together a great shindig with food, prizes, and some great freebies! They are both such funny ladies and it was fun to put their voices to the words in their books. Of course, it was also fabulous to hang out with all my bloggy friends and meet a couple that I have been stalking for quite some time, Lesley and Tricia. 
Here is Lesley, Me, and Stacie
Stolen from Jill!

After the party, and a purchase or two, we followed Zoe back to her house where she graciously put us up for the night despite being in the middle of moving! It was fun to stay up late gabbing and playing with her cuttie patootie daughter, but eventually we all needed to hit the sack. And did we, it may have been 10:00 before Stacie and I got up! We quickly showered and cleaned up, got some sage advice from Zoe's dad (sex before race day, always!) and went out into the pouring rain to Expo it up. There was a very near miss on the freeway where we almost became very acquainted with the bumper in front of us, but we made it to the expo and quickly made our way inside.

I am always overwhelmed when I walk in there. So much to see (read BUY), try (buy), and sample (buy). We got our packets and race shirts, mine was a depressing medium. Apparently when I signed up, I thought for sure I would have lost the baby weight by now, haha got you sucker! But it better be gone by next year, because I signed up for a medium again! The plan was to take a lap, sans boys, to get a good feel for the place, and then do our shopping. Well, we were only about half through when they caught up with us. No offense, dudes, but you kind of bring an Expo down! Stacie and I did have a great time getting our samples and freebies. I tried everything I could, partly because I was starving, and partly because I knew it would be a good idea to fuel up for the next day. We had made it through most of the booths, including spinning for some awesome tuna prizes (Jesse did get a shirt), 

My new beau!

and then we parted ways for a bit so I could get KT taped, but met back up for the Bloggy Meet-up. It was very official this year, Mel was even on the Expo schedule. We heard some great advice from her and John Bingham, and then posed for our signature pic. Poor Jesse is always the only boy at these bloggy things!

My turn to pose with Tricia!

By this time I was getting hungry and tired, so we posed for a few pics, signed up for next years race, bought some insoles, and then headed for the hotel.

Yes, Jesse and I are fun, Stacie and Jason are not!

I got us a hotel early on that was walking distance to the start and finish since we didn't have any drivers. It was nice to be so close, so I invited Stacie and Jason to stay with us, in their own bed, and add to the fun. Even though the hotel was super nice, we were starving and had add to get food asap, so we jetted out and around the corner to The Cheesecake Factory. After an evil 20 min wait, we were at our table chowing down on a ton of bread, ok maybe just I ate a ton! I was so full from the bread and sweet potatoe fries that I coulodn't even eat my pasta, but still managed to order some cheesecake to go! That evening in the hotel was filled with naps, cheesecake, and way too many laughs to count. We were like giggly kids at a sleepover camp. I was almost crying at one point when Jason was serenading Stacie to sleep! Ah, pants on!  Maybe not the best nights sleep before a race, but I hadn't trained for this race, it was all about FUN for me, so the night was perfect! Up next, the actual race!