best part of my day.

My morning run in 55 degree weather. No.

Let that sink in.

FIFTY. FIVE. DEGREES. No humidity. I even put on a long sleeve shirt. My face got chilly, my cheeks were all red after my run, my hands a little numb.

It was incredible. After the 'summer on the surface of the sun' (read: endless days of 100+ temps), in early September I got to run in FIFTY FIVE DEGREE WEATHER. With my dog. In the peace and quiet of early morning. No iPod. No Garmin. No running buddies. Just me and Milo. And even though it didn't feel like an easy painless run (none of them have been lately), it was the best run I've had in a really long time.

After the first mile I just forgot about everything, let go and ran hard. Milo kept up, I've been working to get him in shape for this, and it is paying off. I can now just let him run beside me, off the leash, worry free. He is always right there. My favorite little running buddy. Then before I knew it we were back home. Both out of breath, chilly and smiling. All peaceful, content and happy. I worked some junk out on my run. I really needed that.

*milo happily trotting along in front of me on our run*

best part of my day.

My little guy is growing up! But I am a proud doggie mommy this week (i see that, you just rolled your eyes, didn't you?). Milo started 'school' this week. After losing his best friend Starla (a black lab) next door earlier this year, his play time and interaction with other dogs has been drastically reduced. In turn, his weight has shot up. 

Since he is a 65-pound, long-hair, black dog, taking him on a walk or running with me when it's 100+ degrees between work/night-night is out of the question. Um, I need to point out that Milo goes to bed on his own at about 10p every night. Whether we do or not. He likes himself some sleepy-time. So if it IS cooled down by 10p you better believe he isn't going on a walk.

Moving on. Milo started school, two afternoons a week at Doggy Day Care. He was thrilled we came back to pick him up on his first day (he is a shelter dog, understandable he had some anxiety) but came home beyond worn out and happy both nights after 'school'. With spectacular report cards to boot.

Seeing his exhausted little face after getting home from work last night? Hands down best part of my day, if not my week...

 

 *too worn out to get up after school last night*

 

*milo's report card from day two of school, he even got his paws neatly trimmed by his new friends*

best part of my day. fighting the cold.

So. I have a little summer cold. FUNSIES!! I haven't worked out since Sunday and I feel like I'm channeling a narcoleptic right now, all I want to do is sleep. But. I have a job, so... instead I survive. And wait for 5p to arrive so I can go home, crawl in bed to watch trashy television, and eat whatever I want.

Here you go, the only way I am surviving right now. My little 'sicky-poo' stash... It's as blissful as it gets on a 105 degree Wednesday when you are sick and have to work:

best part of my day.

Question: What do 30-something, professionals do on a hot Saturday afternoon? I'm about to explain...

Step 1. Grill some delicious foods in the scorching heat and refrigerate tasty homemade beer to counteract standing in bajillion degrees to make food for your friends.

Step 2. Let little kids run around and play all nimbly bimbly in a different room while said 30-somethings consume food and beverage.

 Step 3. Obviously play with the light saber app's on your phones over lettuce while eating cookies.

Step 4. Entertain yourselves while kids crash out. For example, with the Talking Carl's on your phones.

Step 5. Volunteer to pace a friend in a half marathon, running ONE race in two different countries (canada and the US)? Yes please! Pacing someone during their first half? Oh my, yes!

Step 6. Convince boys to take the group on a winter trip to Mexico

Step 7. Accept a dare to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon based on securing said trip to Mexico (yes, i will do anything to get a trip... ANYTHING).

Step 8. Admit to blahggie land you were stupid enough to take a dare to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon to get a trip.

Step 9. Admit to success. The eating of the cinnamon was ugly, lets just say the cloud of cinnamon that covered me and went into the air was similar to what I imagine comes out of Snoop Dog 5 minutes before he goes on stage. It was an impressive cloud of red dust. And maybe I'll post a picture. Maybe. People, my tongue went numb, so did my face. My hair is still gritty with cinnamon after a good washing.

That, my friends, is how you spend a Saturday...

best part of my day.

I spent a good chunk of time at Beaver Lake with the family over the Fourth of July holiday week. The baby girl pictured below was hands down one of the biggest daily highlights for me. My niece, Avery, she has stolen my heart. Big time.

*giving kisses to sweet avery one morning before her first lake swim. my mom took this photo, i had no idea she captured it. but i'm glad she did. LOVES.*

I've been absent from blogging, I've taken a break, but that's another story. I'm making some changes to my blahggings, not drastic, just some that will make me want to return to the blahgesphere. Coming soon!

For now I'll share that I'm several weeks into marathon training, it's going well, I've been testing new running shoes, it's been going well, I've been taking vacations, that's been going well, I've been spending a lot of time with family and friends, that's been going well, I've been cooking and baking, also going well, I've been taking my sweet dog on walks, going well when it's not 111 degrees (it's hot in wichita this summer), and I've worked hard on getting healthy... that's been the most exceptional thing of all. And part of the changes to come.

Brutal honesty shall follow... YIKES!

best part of my day.

Or worst, or maybe kind of a mix. So. The thing is that the Edder was running some errands when his car exploded during the lunch hour today (by exploded i mean a belt fell off or something, i don't know). He happened to have Milo with him, so while he was stranded waiting on both myself and AAA to show up, he let Milo out to run around since he was parked next to a retention pond.

The awesome part is that when I showed up both Milo and the Edder were back waiting in the exploded car with the windows down. So I pulled up, rolled my window down and was hit with a stench so bad I immediately wanted to vomit (there's a vomit theme on my blog lately, eh? and no, i'm not pregnant). Awesome. Apparently our curious, precious little Milo decided to roll around on a decomposed, rotting, fly infested snake while waiting for the car to be towed.

Holy goodness.

People. That was hands down the worst thing I've ever smelled. So much for getting stuff done over my lunch hour. That was a mess. The point is, despite his disgusting stinky smunk, I heart my dog. And clearly he was very proud of himself so I couldn't resist taking a picture of his pride. No worries, both the car and dog have been thoroughly scrubbed.

In other news, May is a busy month for everyone, no? I've been busy, clearly, but also just taking a bit of a break from bloggie land and running in general. Just waiting for inspiration to hit. It finally did today. Thanks stinky Milo! 

Despite another running showdown I have coming up next weekend at the River Run 10K against AP, I'm still not running very much. I'm not worried. FACT. I will win. I've been running casually, whatever pace feels good, how many ever miles I feel like going. It's been incredible. I'm happy. Meh. What I haven't done in miles I've been making up for by doing plenty of hot yoga at a new studio in town, owned by a running buddy. She's amazing. I'm addicted and have no plans of stopping through the summer.

I'm just resting up and taking a break before I start training for.... wait for it... waaiiiiiiittttttt....a fall marathon. My home town marathon no less. Yep, I decided to do one. More on all of the above later.

For now I have more birthdays (they are endless in my family, those May birthdays) to celebrate and a vacation to take!

best part of my day.

Sometimes living in Kansas is awesome. Like when you are running right outside the city limits at dusk and get to witness incredible sunsets. This one isn't nearly half as amazing as most of the sunsets get around here. And my iPhone camera doesn't start to do it justice. Even still... it's the little things.

best part of my day.

Being on vacation. And knowing I still have a few days of it left.

I couldn't find the time before I left last week to blahg that I would be MIA for a good 10 days, and my running schedule would be shot. I'm in the mountains of Colorado skiing, eating, and sleeping to my hearts content, all with my family and Edder (who, thanks to that job of his, just made it out to join us today. it's a small miracle he was able to join at all. so no complaints).

I told myself I wouldn't get all interwebby while I was on vacation, but me + being relaxed = boredom after four days. Clearly. I can only take so much before I have to do something besides read and sleep and ski! I have managed to get two five-mile runs in so far. And wowza running at altitude is no joke! And I won't lie, I am loving those waterproof Mizuno trail runners of mine. I plan to get a few more runs in, and snap some pictures while I'm at it. Although none of the runs will be very long. If I add in five days of skiing to those short runs, I think I'll be fine to pick back up on some hardcore training once I get home.

Until next week blahgesphere. For now, just a little peek at my daily view around here.


Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stuff my face, snuggle my new niece and get ready for another day of snowy-skiing-goodness.

best part of my day.

Well it was my Saturday really, but it was so happy that it's oozed over into the rest of my week. Saturday was a beautiful and rare 60+ degree day in Kansas in January. Part of it spent doing my 'long' run of 10 miles with some fantastic running buddies. It made me ridiculously happy that my long run was only 10 miles. So freeing. So freeing for all of us in fact, that we were game for making total idiots or ourselves in a gym parking lot halfway through our run.

Behold. "Special" runners (if you're smellin' what i'm steppin' in). Attempting to jump for joy. A photo series:

*attempt to jump together, take one. photographer fail*

*attempt to jump take two, with a new photographer. still, a fail. and we all look particularly dim-witted. awesome.*

*this is the photo i took, please note there is air in the photo, i make myself proud. this was as good as the action shot got. trust me there are more, but they are far more humiliating than even these that i posted, so this is all you get!*

*we gave up on the jumping and went ahead and just took a normal group shot. my running pals. happy.*

*we found a fox during the run, it was SO friendly.... hannah became besties with it.*

In contrast to Saturday what a week it's been in Kansas, we deemed it Blizzard of Oz at work. And while it's still quite a mess, it's not half as bad here as it is in other parts of Kansas or other areas of the country. But I love snow and winter storms, so no complaints from this girl. My point is, only in Kansas can it be nearly 70 degrees on Saturday and then Monday and Tuesday it's the Blizzard of Oz. Beautiful.