Zucchini Overload!

This is my life anymore- baking zucchini bread like crazy:

Luckily, zucchini bread freezes well, so my freezer is getting well stocked until next year.

This is an older picture (just a few weeks old) of the girls walking their pigs.  We try to walk our pigs several times a week, but with all the freaking rain and mud, that hasn't happened as often as we would like.

 I picked Chloe up from camp yesterday.  She had a great time!  Her and her friend sang us silly camp songs on the way home and told us of their fun adventures.  When we left camp, all the campers were hugging their counselor good-bye and snapping pictures with her.  In true Chloe style, she just waved good bye and had no desire for hugs.  Sometimes I wish my kid was a bit more affectionate and friendly, but she is who she is.  When we got back, Alex invited Chloe over to stay the night, so Chloe jumped on that chance.  Today is Alex's sister's birthday, so they will have a fun day.  I love this picture of the two girls with their skinny knobby knees! 

I should be blogging about my running, but it hasn't happened since Monday night.  It was so hot and muggy Tuesday night I just couldn't do it.  I did jump on the trampoline with Bg and we played basketball, so I was somewhat active but not as I should be.  Yesterday was MUCH cooler, so I planned to run when I got home from camp, but with the lightening, pouring rain and tornado warnings, I decided staying inside was probably the best bet.  I really need to get a treadmill!!!

Sad Chloe!

Chloe had a pretty exciting fun filled weekend.  She was supposed to "baby sit" my adorable nephew Nolen on Friday night at my niece's softball game.  Well, Chloe got home from the sitter with a 102 fever, so I had to baby sit Nolen all on my own.  Chloe was heartbroken, as she was going to be in charge (and by in charge, that meant telling ME to change his diapers).

But I did have fun with my cute date on Friday night:

 

Chloe was still sick on Saturday morning.  Since she was supposed to leave for church camp on Sunday, I took her to urgent care figuring she had strep again.  But they couldnt find anything wrong with her, but the doctor said if she was fever free, she should be able to go to camp. 

I baked 10 loaves of zucchini bread on Saturday for the freezer.  I would have made more, but I ran out of flour.

I drove up to Confederate Park on Saturday afternoon to get my 5 mile run in.  After about 3 miles, I ran into a friend walking and made encouraged her to run with me.  She ran my last two miles with me and it was so nice catching up with her.  It wasnt a fast run by any means, but I am building my endurance back.  I had brought along a foam McDonalds cup filled with lots of ice and water for after the run.  I have all kinds of fancy water bottles, cups, thermoses, etc, but for some reason prefer the foam cup!

Chloe woke up Sunday morning still running a fever.  I felt so bad for her, as two of her best friends would be leaving her behind as they went to camp.  I had nursery at the church Sunday morning and after church did all my mowing, gardening and fun outdoor things that must be done.  Bg came home and my mom told me that she wasnt allowed to come back over till she was 20 (someone had some behavior isses)!

I stayed home from work on Monday with Chloe since she wasnt fever free yet for 24 hours.  She woke up feeling good, no fever, ate a hearty breakfast and lunch and begged me to take her to camp.  So...I did!  She was so excited.  This is a goofy shot of her before leaving and once we got to camp, she wouldnt let me take a picture.  And since I was all alone for a long drive, I had to stop and get some frozen custard!  I like to think frozen custard is way healthier than ice cream but I doubt it is.

Monday is supposed to be a rest day, but I didnt really exercise on Sunday and dont think I will get my run in every day this week, so I went ahead and did the 4 miler scheduled for Wednesday.  I didnt think it felt that hot when I left, but the closer I got to the creek bottom and with 4' tall corn lining both sides of the road, I think the temperature raised 10 degrees about a mile from my house.  I didnt go fast, but I finished strong, especially with the BIG hill I have to run up before getting home.  This is the back of my shirt when I got home:

 

There was a cool blood moon that I tried to capture on my run, but it isnt the best picture:

 

 

A week of no running!

So this has been a major disappointing week on running.  Not to make tons of excuses, but it just has not worked out well with my schedule.  We had our out of town visitors both Monday and Tuesday night.  I probably could have worked a run in some point Tuesday night, but wanted to sit and visit with our guests and watch the kids play.

I am doing the Hal Higdon half marathon intermediate training program, so I was supposed to rest on Monday anyway.  Tuesday was supposed to be a 3 mile run.  I figured I would get a run in on Wednesday, but Jeff worked late.  I needed to mow and tend to the garden anyway and by the time Jeff got home and I made it in, I was ready to prepare supper and go to bed!  My garden is bursting with green beans, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and dill. 

Thursday night I planned to run after Chloe's softball game.  However, about 15 minutes after her game started, the rain came in.  And boy did it rain.  Over 4 inches, with lightening and strong winds.  Needless to say, game was called off and my run didn't happen.  Chloe did get a single base hit before the game was called. Isn't my little chicken legs cute!!

Bg went to Branson with my mom, Granny and niece Faith. She left Thursday night and wont come home till Sunday.  It is the longest I have been away from her!  I will admit though, it will be nice not to break up any fights for several days.

Eating ice cream with Granny and Baby Faith (she will forever be Baby Faith to my girls).  And sun in her eyes at Osceola  Cheese (seriously, the BEST place to get cheese anywhere).

I have been reading running blogs and my favorite blogger so far is the Hungry Runner Girl (http://www.hungryrunnergirl.com/) and I am stealing her questions for the day.  Curious what my answer will look like a year from now:

1.  Would you rather run along a beach path or on a mountain trail? Well, considering I live in the mid-west, I don't really know.  However, I did NOT like running on the beach in Alabama, so I am going to say mountain trails.  Plus, I guess mountain trails are cooler.
2.  If you could choose the flavor of gatorade at your next race’s aid stations, what would it be? I don't think I like Gatorade anymore.  I drank a lot of Strawberry Kiwi and Lemon Lime in high school and loved both those flavors, but never see them in stores anymore. 
3.  If I gave you a $100 gift card to a running store, what would be the first thing that you would purchase with it? I really want to try some compression things- pants, socks, arm bands.  I see everyone at races wearing them and my friends swear by compression pants, but I am too cheap to buy any.  I am a fad follower!
4.  Do you prefer to follow a training plan or wake up and decide then how far and how fast you want to run? I like to have a training plan, but don't follow it exactly due to my schedule.  Heck, this week I haven't followed one at all, but would prefer to follow one.
5.  Would you rather start your run with the uphill and end on the downhill or start your run with the downhill and end with the uphill? I like starting with uphills.  With my first 5K, I started uphill and only got stronger. 
6.  When you can’t run, what type of cross-training do you choose to do? Right now, none really.  I do some work on my Rock 360 (ab roller), but nothing faithful.  That is the downfall of living way out in the boonies- I would probably join a gym, crossfit or do a bootcamp if I lived close to one of those.
7.  What is your preference—>  Out and back, point to point or loop runs? Not sure.  It really depends on the length of the race.  Right now, I don't have a preference.  I don't think I would like point to point, b/c I like to end close to my car.
8.  If you could recommend ANY running related item to a new runner, it would be a—> Good shoes and socks!
9.  Do you ever see any wild animals while out on your runs? Do my kids count?  I have seen deer, squirrels and turkeys.  I hear a lot of shuffling in the conservation area and the weedy ditches and prefer NOT to know what wild animal is hiding from me.  I see lots and lots of cows though.
10.  Ever gotten lost while out on a run? Not yet.  I don't run far enough away to get lost!
11.  If you could have one meal waiting and ready for you each time you got home from a run for the next 30 days… what would that meal be?  I have no idea. 
12.  Capris or shorts… what do you run in most often? Depends on the weather.  I prefer capris so my thighs don't rub, but it is too hot right now. 
13.  At what mile (or how many minutes) into your run does your body start to feel like it is warming up and ready to go? I get into my grove between mile 1 and 2.  I don't know why that first mile is so hard.
14.  What do you do with your key when you run? My fitbit band, or the little pockets in my shorts. 
15.  If you could relive any race that you have done in the past, which one what it be? My first half.  The feeling during the race was amazing.  And I would have skipped the bathroom break.
16.  What type of run is your least favorite type of run? All of them, ha ha.  Not really, probably something to do with speed.
17.  What has been your biggest motivation lately to get out the door to get your run on? My slow time in the last 5K and my emerging ab muscles.
18.  When you go for a run, do you leave right from your front door or do you drive somewhere to start? Both.  I prefer not to run on my gravel road right now b/c all the rain and fresh rock have made it a mess, but I don't always have the option to drive somewhere.
19.  When running in daylight—>  are sunglasses a must or an annoyance? An annoying must.  With my sensitive eyes, I wear sunglasses constantly- even when cloudy.  I bought some smaller, skinnier sunglasses that are easier to wear while running, but are pretty ugly.
20.  When you get tired, what keeps you from quitting? I do quit sometime. 

Chloe Softball and Cousin Fun

Chloe is playing her 1st year of coach pitch.  She missed the first 3 games due to vacation.  Her 1st game she struck out twice (although she did hit a few foul balls).

Last night was her 2nd game.  She did great!  She struck out 1st time at bat, but hit singles the next two times and made it home each time!  According to her, she hit two home runs!  She didnt have any action as an outfielder, but did get to play catcher one inning.  It was hilarious.  The catcher gear was way too big for her, she could barely walk and once she went to her knees, she couldnt get up.  However, she threw from her knees to the coach very well.  I was a very very proud mama.

After her game, Chloe and Bg had a fun surprise!!!  Their cousins from Branson, Mariah, Summer, Jaz and Alice came to stay the night!!!  The girls dont have many cousins and really dont have any close to their age, so when they do get to see the few cousins their age, they are really really excited!  The girls bounced around the house until about 10:30 (way too late) last night until I made them go to bed.  They were a bit grouchy this morning and very very sad to say good bye as their cousins hit the road again.

Cannonball Run

Excited after my good 5K in Columbia a few weeks ago, I eagerly signed up to run my next one- the Cannonball 5K in Lexington to raise money for the Habitat for Humanity.  I took about two weeks off of running- the week before my vacation and the week of vacation.  Before vacation, on all my runs, the weather was relatively nice and the humidity wasnt too bad.  But of course, coming home, the weather remember this was Missouri and we need the highest humidity possible.  So, on top of not running for two weeks, I was now running in incredible heat and humidity.  It was a rough week of running.

I ran what should have been an easy 3 miles on Monday around Fairground park.  Nice flat ground and a wide trail.  It was actually probably my easiest run of the week, but it wasnt anything to write home about.  I ran it right at a 9'24" pace.

Tuesday was the worst run of the week!!!  I made a lot of excuses what it was so bad, but I just didnt have it in me.  They had new rock on my road, which was very rough and I was worried about a twisted ankle.  I finally got off the new rock, but then the road was pretty much a muddy mess and I slipped and slid around.  I didnt even make it 3 miles and had to stop and walk a bit.  Total run was 3.17 mile at a 10'34" pace.  Boo.

Wednesday I walked with my friend Somer.  She has had lots of back pain and had an MRI earlier in the day, so we took it easy.  We walked 2.87 miles and it was nice catching up with her again.  Somer got the results back on Thursday and they were very good results and she will be back running again in less than a week!

Thursday we had a quick storm roll through, so I got to run a bit after the storm in the rain.  It was kind of nice watching the far off lightening and hearing the rolling thunder.  It wasnt a fast run (again that darn loose rock on my road), but it was the most enjoyable run of the week.  I ran 3.1 miles at a 9'54" pace.

I took Friday off b/c, well Friday.

So, I realize this is boring, but I want to document what I do each race day to see what makes a difference.  I got up around 6:00, got myself dressed, had a small cup of coffee and 1.5 PB poptarts (YUM!).   About 45 minutes before the race I took Advocare's O2 Gold to help with my breathing issues (my lungs give out WAY before my legs).   I had seen people with the Gu stuff at races, so I wanted to try Gu before my run to see if it made a difference.  About 15 minutes before the race, I drank (ate?) a Strawberry Kiwi Gu Gel.  Gross.  Then I had to find some water to wash it down.  I typically take a pain pill before races for my back pain, but my back hasnt bothered me in a while and it was a short race so I skipped it.

There was a girl I went to high school with at the race.  She was an excellent athlete and one of the school's top sprinters.  However, I was the distant runner and I thought to myself, "maybe I can finally beat her in a sport!'  I knew she ran a lot, so when the race started and she took off strong, I decided to stay behind her to pace myself and hopefully beat her.  The 5K was pretty hilly and I started off stronger than my last 5K.  However, after the first mile, I was loosing speed ( and my high school friend was gaining distance).  I was dripping sweat and although it wasnt that hot, the humidity was super high.  Around mile 2, I let two ladies pass me (dang!) and my back was really starting to hurt (shouldnt have skipped that pain pill).  My fit bit was telling me my mile splits, but I couldnt hear it so I had no clue what my pace was.  When I crossed the finish line, I heard them yell out something like 28'30.  Yea, seriously.  2.5 minutes SLOWER than my last 5K.  I wanted to use the heat as an excuse, but it was that hot for everyone else too.  And my old classmate beat me by like 3 minutes.  Dang, I will get her next time.

I still ended up placing 3rd in my age group and got a nice medal.  I am very disappointed in my run and actually felt quite a bit of knee pain and hip pain (which my hip seems to be a cronic pain the past 3 months).  Luckily 3 days later, my knee seems to be fine.

I told Somer I would run another half with her on Sept 6, so I need to start increasing my distance.  My MIL told me I could have her treadmill, so now I just need to convince Jeff to help me move it to our basement. 

Cannonball 5K:
Official time:  somewhere around 28'30"
Fit bit splits:
1 mile:  8'35"
2 mile: 9'10"
3 mile: 9'33"
I forgot to shut my fitbit off, so I dont know what my official fitbit time was.  This race was opposite my Columbia race- my mile time got longer each mile, versus in COlumbia, where each mile was faster.

Vacation!!!

We just got back from the most WONDERFUL vacation ever!  We went down to Orange Beach, AL with Scott, Amanda, Calle and Trey.  It was a long (and not very fun) ride down.  We left on Friday afternoon around 3 and didnt arrive to our condo until around 5pm.  We rushed in, changed into our suits and headed straight to the ocean!

Calle got stung by a jellyfish and I got pinched by a crab during our first 15 minutes at the beach.  It was certainly funny watching Scott trying to pull the crab off my toes as it desperately (and painfully) held on.  But luckily, those were our only bad experiences the entire trip!

Sunday we spent the entire day lounging around the pool or the beach.  It was wonderful!  The kids liked the pool more than the ocean (the ocean was a bit rough), but it didnt bother me where I lounged at!  Sunday night we ate at Bubba's Seafood and the girls loved the fish.  I decided since I was at the ocean, I would have my one seafood dinner that day (I am not a big seafood fan) and had the crabcakes which for seafood, they were very good.  Bg loved the corn on the cob as well!

The rest of the trip was a lot of good pool time, beach time and sun time!  We went on a wonderful dolphin cruise that lasted for about 2.5 hours.  We had a private boat on a lagoon with two jet skis and a tube, so we got to see dolphins, sunbathe, ride jet skis and all the kids got to tube to their hearts content.  It was expensive, but a very neat experience!

We went out at night and caught sand crabs scurrying across the sand.  They almost looked like little white spiders and they moved FAST!  The kids thought it was fun chasing them around.

We also dug for sea shells.  There were shells everywhere and we brought home a lot of really neat and unique shells.

I even got my exercise somewhat.  Amanda and I ran on the beach one morning (my sensitive feet did NOT like that) and since we were on the 14th floor, I made sure to walk up the stairs once a day.

We also each spent a night as a date night while watching each other's kids.  Jeff and I went to LuLu's which was awesome!  Since it was just the two of us, we were seated at the bar right away and didnt have to wait the 1.5 hours everyone else was.  I ordered the cheeseburger, and it was wonderful!  We ended the night walking on the wharf and riding a ferris wheel.

The wharf was so neat that we took all the kids back on our last night there to watch the light show and to ride the ferris wheel, which they all thought was really neat. 

Family pic:

 Kid pic:

Our condo:

 

It was such a wonderful trip.  We definitely plan to go back.  This was my face on the way home.  I has the sadz:

 

1st 5K

This post is a bit of a lie, as I have done 5K's before.  Heck, I ran cross country in high school!  But I bet I havent ran a 5K in at least 10 years.  I have done the Higginsville Heat and Hunger walk (4 miles) but I always walk that.  So, yes, I am going to lie and say this is my 1st 5K since I havent done one in so many years.

Again, that crazy friend Somer talked me into doing this run with another gal from church (I swear Somer knows everyone in church who has ever laced up a pair of running shoes!).  This was the Go Girl Run in Columbia and everyone knows I cant say no to a trip to Columbia (Go Tigers!).  I signed up for this race about 4 days before it was set to start and I hadnt run since my half a week earlier.  I did two short quick runs to prepare and then rested.

I had a goal time of 27 minutes.  Before the race started, I had looked at past 5K race results and realized that with a time of 27 minutes, I could *possibly* place in my age group (the not so young pup group).  I also read that the first 4 places in each age group would get a medal.  And the competitive person in me screamed, "I want that medal!!"

Race day started off similar to Branson.  Chilly weather, cloudy skies and slight rain.  With the cooler weather, I was wishing I had signed up for the half, but it was too late.

I decided to start about 1/3 of the way to the front.  I didnt want to get in anyone's way but I also didnt want to be stuck behind a lot of walkers.  The first 1/4 of a mile was straight uphill.  I was breathing hard (I need to get some muscles) and made it to the top already worn out.  But the rest of the course was flat, so I knew I would be okay.  I started off too slow and got behind a lot of walkers.  We ran on the Katy Trail and it is kind of narrow, so I spent the 1st mile and half dodging walkers.  Note to self: start further ahead in the pack.

I felt good most of the race.  Mile 3 really seemed to last forever, but it was exciting to come round the corner and see the end.  When I crossed the line, the time displayed said something like 7:36 and I was really confused what that meant. 

I got my completion medal, bottle of water, and freebies and walked over to where they printed results.  And of course the machine wasnt working.  I waited about 10 minutes and it finally printed out my results: 26:01!!!!  1 minute faster than my goal.  It was a 8 minute 26 second mile. 
And the most exciting part....it said I placed 4th in my age group!!!!

My first mile was the slowest, which is kind of weird, but considering the hill and dodging walkers,  I guess that makes sense.  Mile 1:

I had an excellent smoothie while waiting on my friends to finish.  It was so good.  My friends finished and Somer also had her PR!!!

We had some time to kill while waiting on the awards ceremony, so we walked through some of the booths.  I stopped at the chiro booth and had them look at my hip which has been giving my trouble after I run.  They did some stretches with me and I felt better.

I was pretty excited to place in my first 5K!  I wish I had started off closer to the front.  I ended up placing 15th out of 275 women.  I placed 21st total, but there wasnt very many men since it was the Go Girl Run!