Week in Review (February 9 - February 15)

Tuesday (24,024 steps) - 7 incredibly early miles. I was shocked that this felt great, even after #eatingallthethings while we were in California and the sheer exhaustion that came from getting back in town. Not to mention, it was cold. Either way, it was a great run.

After work we picked up some more Girl Scout cookies and then headed back to A's school for the music performance her grade was doing, entitled "Colorado." It was super cute, it was very obvious that the kids put a lot of work into it.

Wednesday (21,025 steps) - A yucky, windy 4 miles in the morning. I hate the wind SO MUCH. I would rather run in single degree temps and snow than wind.

We went to run club, where we did another short run with Heather, and A was allowed to sell cookies to the runners after.

Thursday (24,943 steps) - Had to get up extra early for the 6 miles on schedule because A volunteered at school to hand out candy grams. The 6 went surprisingly well, and was "fast" for me. I also got to see another amazing sunrise, so that always makes getting up early "worth it."

Friday (14,161 steps) - TGI rest day!! I was in a bad mood ALL day. First, found out that some items I sold and shipped were missing (to the tune of $100). I printed labels from PayPal and our office assistant SAYS she took them to the mail room, but there was no other tracking info. So somehow they boxes got "lost" somewhere between my office and mail room. THEN, I found out that one of my favorite attorneys I work for is moving!! Wah!!! After work we had to head right to her first cookie booth of the season. Being a Friday night and a pretty busy grocery store, A's share was over 50 boxes, so I guess it was worth it.
Saturday (43,800 steps) - Up early for our longest training run YET of this nonsense marathon training. It was INSANELY foggy on the drive down, and even though the forecast was for nice weather, I ended up keeping a jacket on for the first half as the fog cooled down the air. The first few miles were fine, but I REALLY struggled through this one. I certainly hope the next long run is better! Love running with Heather though.

Bought brunch at Einsteins and then headed home for to 1). make a lasagna, 2). shower, 3). watch the Olympic marathon trials. Yes, I managed to accomplish all that before we had to go to YET ANOTHER cookie booth. Man, cookie sales are a lot of work, for BOTH of us. After dinner we watched Hotel Transylvania 2 and I sewed more patches on A's vest. Ugh. I hate, hate, HATE sewing. Batman seemed to enjoy it though.

Sunday (15,179 steps) - Didn't have to get up SUPER early, but it felt early after the long week. Drove down to the Platte River Grill for the February RMRR trophy race. A didn't want to run the 5k by herself, so instead of running the long distance (7 miles), I ran with her. We clocked the first mile a bit too fast (around 10), and she struggled a bit. When she saw the 3 mile marker she booked it and beat me by quite a bit. My .1 pace was 7:06, so she was probably 6 something. Ah, to be young.

1. A looks adorbs. 2. I need to cut back on cookies and stop running with claw hands

This is the best race of the season! The Platte River Bar and Grill provided appetizers (nachos, quesadillas, fries, onion rings), which pretty much ended up being a meal. We went back outside to watch Maureen and our other teammates finish. Maureen talked me into doing the bloody Mary bar - that was a fun change!

Roost team (and A, because she feels she is an "honorary" member, lol)

After we went home and showered, A and I decided to go out for some door to door sales, hoping it wasn't in poor taste to sell on Valentine's Day.

She actually did pretty well in sales, and we headed back just in time to miss some of the obnoxious wind. We went over to Jessa's house for the spring premiere of the Walking Dead!! We had some beer, frozen pizza, veggies and fruit - I miss hanging out with Jessa. The show did not disappoint, it was a great episode.
Monday (19,147 steps) - I took the day to hang out with A - we planned on "Rebecca and Ariel's day of fun - and we had a "schedule" to keep so I still had to get up early for my run. I had 5 on schedule, but when I woke up the wind was howling and I was DREADING THIS. It was seriously the windiest weather I have EVER run in. I turned around at 2 miles. I felt like my face was morphing and the wind kept pushing me off the sidewalk (literally, this is not an exaggeration). My legs were tired, I was working incredibly hard, it was MISERABLE, AWFUL, TERRIBLE. I would consider this in my top ten of worst runs EVER.

As an aside, I love my new ERS ambassador top! Super comfortable!

Can you even tell it is windy? Because it was!!

After I showered we had to go to the doctor so I could get my depo shot, go to her scout leader's house to drop off money and get more cookies, do a cookie delivery for a friend, and THEN... the fun activity of the morning? Jump City! In the past, I have sat there reading while A jumped, but this time we both did! So fun! Gymnastics, slides and dodge ball, where YES, I beat a bunch of ten year old boys. HA HA.

We left around 11:30 to drive down to Denver to meet Jessa at Vine Street for lunch and STOUT MONTH!!! We each tried two beers and spent almost three hours playing Apples to Apples. Seriously one of the most fun board games EVER.

Thankfully, we had built a nap into our "day of fun" because I was exhausted. After nap time we did A's request of playing some video games (Super Mario 3D World) and then did another friend's cookie delivery. Leftover lasagna for dinner. Bam.

Stats:

• 145,079 steps (I didn't meet my "goal steps" two days this week)
• 45 miles run (only "race" was a 5k, and oh, maybe that's why I'm tired...)
• No cross training
• No strength/stretching

Everything Else:

• Girl. Scout. Cookies.

Week in Review (February 2 - February 8)

Tuesday (21,783 steps) - Impending Snowpocalypse meant sleeping in. I did a quick yoga video and then dropped A off at a friend's house since SHE got a snow day and I had to work.

Not sure why anyone thinks we should drive in this much fresh snow!

While I was at work, A made her Valentine's Day mailbox

6ish miles on the treadmill during my lunch break. Went out briefly to sell Girl Scout cookies, hoping for some sympathy sales (yes, we got a few, but WOW, it's COLD and people don't shovel their driveways or sidewalks!)

Wednesday (18,588 steps) - Tried to brave heading outside since two days on the treadmill was TOO MUCH. It was a freezing cold terrible 3ish mile disaster. The snow was super deep, but at least it wasn't icy? Nothing had been plowed yet.

Skipped run club.
Thursday (21,710 steps) - Thought (incorrectly) that the sidewalks would be plowed/better. NOPE. 4 miles of terrifying ice mess.

After work I picked up A and we headed up to Louisville Runners Roost for an ERS ambassador meeting. It was an incredible event! Food, beer, and TONS of merchandise from vendors/sponsors.

2016 ambassadors, our local Hoka rep, and the race director for ERS

The gear (not pictured, Native sunglasses!)

By the time we got home it was a crazy whirlwind of trying to get everything packed for our trip. I haven't really mentioned the trip, but basically, Heather and Maureen had plans on running Surf City in Huntington Beach, California. I was already registered for the Ralston Creek half marathon and didn't have the funds or resources to bring A with me, so I declined the initial invite. After Heather was able to secure the family jet and beach house for the weekend, INSISTING that A was welcome to come and could hang out with her non-running friend that was coming while we raced, I of course decided to join in the "Girls Only" weekend.
Friday (12,946 steps) - Last minute packing, dropped A off at school and then I went to work, but only for a few hours.

One of my attorneys went to Voodoo! Excellent start to a racecation!

Left work just before noon to pick up A and head over to Heather's house so I could follow her and the other Heather (we called her "H2" to keep confusion at a minimum) to Centennial airport for our flight to SoCal. We made a brief stop at Einstein's for lunch to eat on the plane. I have never flown on a private jet... what an experience this all was! We literally parked (or got the car valeted) about 12 feet from the plane. I sat in the back with H2 and we had a great time getting to know each other. The flight went by super fast.

Thank you for the flight!! Landed in the California sunshine!

We were picked up by a limo service (a big van/bus) and the drive to Heather's place in Newport Beach only took maybe 20 minutes.

View from the patio!

We had a quick tour of the house, and then we decided to get dinner.

We stopped at Inspiration Point to watch the sunset and then to Yard House at Fashion Island where I had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich and sweet potato fries. We stayed up pretty late playing Apples to Apples. Because, California.
Saturday (22,363 steps) - Up fairly early (all things considered). Tried to go to a French restaurant in the harbor, but it was closed. Instead we went to a diner that had the most amazing cinnamon french toast. I #ateallthethings.

Oh. Did I forget to mention the skillet I also ate?

We went to the expo in the morning before heading over to the beach in the afternoon.

We had a great time doing a barefoot run and playing in the water.

Stopped at the store to stock up on groceries for the weekend and the Super Bowl extravaganza. H2 made a delicious salad and pasta dinner for all of us. In bed fairly early after playing Scattegories for a bit. Ever played it? So fun.
Sunday (31,470 steps) - Surf City half marathon.

Heather, Jandy, Me, Maureen

We headed back to the house and found that A and H2 had prepared some fresh cut fruit for us to snack on while A made us all breakfast. (Seriously, she made a menu and made toasted bagels and omelettes for us all).

After we all showered and ate we got ready for the big game!

Pre-game!

The Super Bowl was the most fun I think I have ever had. We screamed and yelled at the tv, drank beer, and ate the most food ever. It was the most exhausting day of my life and I think I went to bed at 9.

DENVER WINS!!!

Monday (16,784 steps) - Up fairly early to meet California BFF Heather for breakfast!! She found an awesome place called Pancakes R Us. She had to go to work, so she dropped us off at the house. We immediately left for one more day at the beach (and another barefoot run).

We had just a short amount of time before the limo came to take us to the airport (although we had the driver stop at In N Out burger on the way). Flight back was just as (if not more) fun than the way out.

A got to be a co-pilot for a bit - she "helped" fly over the Grand Canyon!

When we landed, our cars were waiting for us (heater running and trunks open). I may never be able to fly commercial again... By the time we got home we barely had time to do some homework and unpack. Most fun girl's weekend EVER.

Stats:

• 145,644 steps
• 30.7 miles run (recovery week in training - worked out perfectly!)
• No cross training
• 14 minutes of strength/stretching (oops)

Everything Else

• Did I mention that the next month of my life revolves around Girl Scout cookies?

Week in Review (January 5 - January 11)

Tuesday (17,349 steps) - Had a short day at work so that I could pick A up at the airport!! Man I missed this kid. We headed to Cheesecake Factory for dinner to celebrate her return and my work-aversary.

Wednesday (17,954 steps) - Got up early (but not as early as I would have liked) and did a 2.5 mile run. It was slow going, but I wanted to get in another outside run before the snow hit later in the week. Got to see a beautiful sunrise, which is always nice.

After work we went to run club. It's always awesome to see everyone, and this time was extra exciting because A won one of the raffles! We went to dinner with Heather afterwards at Noodles & Company.

Thursday (17,441 steps) - No motivation to get up. Again. I think I was severely sleep deprived after ATY because I have just been exhausted! Did a hilly 3+ mile treadmill run during lunch.

A and I had a fantastic low-key evening, watching "The Princess Bride." I was surprised she enjoyed it, I thought she would be too young to really appreciate it. Of course she missed a ton of the jokes.
Friday (18,160 steps) - 3.5 miles on the treadmill during lunch. I picked up A after school, and upon arriving at home we discovered there was something wrong with Robin Sparkles! Her right eye was oozing puss and she could barely open it. We called our regular vet and they weren't open, so we headed to Animal Urgent Care (yes, this is a thing). We were seen right away, and after an exam the conclusion was either conjunctivitis or an abscessed tooth. Unfortunately, they didn't have kitty dental x-ray equipment so we would need to follow-up with our vet ASAP. They did give her some antibiotics and ointment for her eye. So that was fun. My boss had given us a gift card for Olive Garden, and since I wasn't in the mood to cook, we went. I a glass of wine and lasagna - and we took home chocolate cake for dessert.
Saturday (28,702) - On the internet, it said the vet was open at 8 am on Saturday. We opted to just get there right when they opened and see if they could squeeze us in. Turns out, they are only open EVERY OTHER SATURDAY (this not being one of them), so I had to make a few phone calls to see if someone else could see her. We were able to get an appointment for the afternoon. I met up with Heather around 10:30 for a run. I had planned on attempting a recreation of a run I did last fall, but I got confused, so we ended up doing Big Dry Creek. All but about a half mile was snow-packed. It was sunny out and warm, and neither of us fell. A great run!

Heather, A and I went to get lunch at the Mexican restaurant by our house. AWESOME way to recover. So good! We took Robin to the vet, where she was examined (again) and had some blood work done. We made another appointment for Monday for her to have x-rays and get any teeth pulled (if necessary).
Sunday (19,642 steps) - A really chilly run in the morning. I'm never going to survive running outside when it gets REALLY cold.

A and I made breakfast burritos for breakfast, and then we headed to the rec center to go swimming. I spent a lot of time in the sauna, but we did have a great time in the "lazy river" - now that we have a rec pass it's really inexpensive to go. Headed home for a quick shower before meeting up with Heather for glow miniature golf.

We were waiting for some jackets to get embroidered with our team logo, so we went to the Yard House for a late afternoon snack and drink. They have the best happy hour! For only $7, we got a full size buffalo chicken pizza that we all shared.
Monday (17,142 steps) - Did a loop around the neighborhood, and once again, it was FREAKING COLD. I felt fairly strong on this run and didn't have to walk up the hill that normally kills me.

Too early for a sunrise pic so here is a pic of my shadow, lol

Got ready in time to get Robin Sparkles to the vet for her appointment. After work, we picked her up. Turns out, her teeth was mostly fine, and they only had to pull one. That one tooth, however, was not on the side of her mouth where her eye was all gross and her face swollen. They cannot figure out WHY her eye was like that. Oh, and they also found a tape worm (ew ew ew), so MORE meds. They couldn't figure out how she ended up with THAT either, since she is an exclusively indoor cat, and we don't have a dog (or fleas). They thought she might have had it before we adopted her, since we have only had her about four months.

Stats

• 136,390 steps
• 27.4 miles run
• No cross training (although running in the snow feels like it!)
• 10 minutes of strength/stretching (I'm getting back into it...)

Everything Else

• Obviously, spent a lot of the weekend dealing with a sick kitty. And dealing with (in my opinion) INSANE people who think that for the amount of money I spent getting her better I could have "gotten rid of her and gotten a new cat." WTF. I can't believe there are really people that think like that???
• My brake light came on over the weekend. I thought FOR SURE with all the work I've had done on my car I had replaced brakes recently. And I had. In March. But only the rear brakes. I called to get a quote for front brakes and it is close to $600??? Apparently Mini Coopers use some super special "high performance" brakes that supposedly last longer, but you replace rotors and pads every time. Still seems insane and expensive. Geez. January shaping up to be a very expensive month!!
• A found out she was selected to be in the spelling bee again! We will study the word list a bit more this time and hopefully she will make it past the first round...