It's the Final(ish) Countdown

It's FRIDAY!!! I'm looking at my calendar and am a bit surprised at how fast these last couple weeks have flown by. My poor apartment was neglected until last night when I forced myself to pick up and make it look like a somewhat normal person lived there. How is it possible for it to get messy when I'm never home? I somehow manage to figure it out. 

I'll be working on a few good recipes to share (no shit-muffins, I swear), so be sure to stay tuned in the coming week. In the meantime, goals I've set and races I've been training for are fast approaching:

Warrior Dash - Tomorrow 
Tough Mudder - 29 days
Half Marathon - 43 days

EEEK those races used to seem so far away and now they're like..1, 29 and 43 days away! WARNING: math GENIUS over here. I am super pumped for Warrior Dash. Maybe it's because I sort of know what to expect, having done it last year? Or because I'm running it with one of my BFF's again? Or because I've actually done physical activities, unlike last years' race where I hadn't ran in about a hundred years and wanted to die? Who knows, but I'm ready to eat mud and cuss and drink a beer. Hopefully it'll give me some more fuel for my Tough Mudder fire.

That one is still making me a bit nervous. While I've been running and working out, I feel like the running has been >greater than< strength training, sooo if I'm struggling, I'm secretly hoping a hottie with a body will be helping me up and over some of the walls, through the mud and under the barbed wire. Amber and I have a sweet tank top we're planning on wearing to represent the good ole Hoosier State in Missouri, which is obviously the most important part of this race. Outfits.

And then there's the halfie. I didn't really think I'd ever run one in my lifetime, because, quite frankly, I hated running. My hatred is a bit less now, and I ran 8 miles on Wednesday, the furthest I've gone in my LIFE (and yes, I'm going to say that every week when I tag another mile onto that run). My body is still recovering from Wednesday, so I took it easy last night, with the exception of kickass kickball, and am only training my drinking skills tonight so I can be ready to roll tomorrow morning for the dash. But the training's been going well, and you know what? Methinks I'm going to be OK in this race. A big part of surviving will be running it with my gal pal Dori, who's been killing her training and is my motivation for this race! She's always impressed me with her ability to move her legs in a way that propels her forward for extended periods of time. Her GPS skills? Maybe not so much. I remember she ran 13 miles when we were in Colorado for Robin's (my Warrior Dash BFF) wedding and got a bit lost. A few hours and a car ride later, all was well and she was back with us. I think we'll plan on just following the crowd in Milwaukee this time. I just hope I can keep up with her!

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm beyond ready to enjoy the weekend. Til next time!

High Five for Friday!

I’m super stoked to bring you my first-ever High Five for Friday post. Though I’m a bit pissed at myself for not getting a post out there earlier this week, it’s been a pretty fun/eventful one, so it’s made it easier (well and harder) to pick 5 of my favorite things from the last week. Shall we? 

1.Cucumber water. Sounds so simple, and it is, but it has totally made my week. My mama came to stay with me last Sunday so she could catch an early Monday morning flight, and brought me some a lot of veggies. So I sliced up some cucumbers and took them to work to put them in my water and wham, bam, thank you ma’am – it’s SO REFRESHING!! It definitely made me up my water intake each day that I had them. I drop 2-3 slices in there and they keep each refill of water fresh all day long!

2.The Color Run. I wrote about it in my last post, but it was a blast! Everyone was in a good mood, moving, whether they’re walking, running or dancing. Plus, they give you little packets of color at the beginning to hold onto until the end (I totally had to stuff my bra, I ain’t carrying anything), and there was a big stage with music and what not, and every so often they’ll count down, and everyone throws their color up in to the air. We were right in the middle of it and it would almost  be pitch black with color (is that an oxymoron?). You couldn’t see anything for a few seconds, and when the color settled, you were doused with a bit of everything. My friend Alison got it on video from a distance and it is awesome! Check it out:
 

3.Honesty. I live in a very old apartment building. The elevator is the kind where you have to literally open both the door and the gate to get in. Sometimes, the gate gets stuck and won’t shut on its own and the people getting off the elevator often times don’t realize they need to check and make sure it’s shut. Because when the gate is still open, the elevator does not go anywhere. And people get upset. And sometimes, they just need to tell it like it is. 

4.Snail mail!!! I got this cute little card from my friend Leah in DC. She and I have been friends since first grade, but have lived far apart for a while now. She’s always someone who I can pick right back up with where we left off, no matter how long it’s been. And sometimes we still write each other the old fashioned way, like we did in elementary :).
 

5.Running! I was so glad I made myself run last Sunday. After a weekend of partying with friends, it’s so nice to hit the pavement and work it out. Though, it was INSANELY HOT and I could literally ring my clothes out when I was done, I felt so much better. I got my 5 miles in, and now I’m gearing up to do 6 tomorrow…EEK! {Side note: I NEVER thought I would EVER put running as a favorite thing. LIKE EVER. I used to associate running with the devil or the Apocalypse, no joke. I guess it just goes to show you when you want something and you put the work in for it, you can put your mind to just about anything. I don’t know if you guys have ever heard of Nike, but they have a pretty simple way of encouraging you. Just (fucking) DO It.}

I’m linked up Lauren on this first H54F post! Woot woot HAPPY FRIDAY, Y’ALL!