Word to your mother

First off, I want to thank you for reading my blog.  Thank you for your kind comments, encouragement and advice.  I may not say it often enough, but I do appreciate you and the fact that you take the time to read my musings. :)

I've been enjoying all the Mother's Day posts from the mommy bloggers out there.  Your kids are so adorable and thoughtful... what blessings they are to your lives!

I love my mom.  She is usually the first person I talk to about important stuff.

Future hubs, me, Mom and Dad at the July 4 Twins game last year

I visited my parents this past Mother's Day weekend, the third weekend in a row that I drove up to my hometown.  I ran a 5K on Saturday that benefited the family of a well-loved community member who died in a tragic accident.  Be on the lookout for a race report later in the week.  My mom and I also attended a spaghetti dinner benefit that same evening for the family.

On Mother's Day, we ate a nice brunch at home after church, then Mom opened her gifts.  Later in the afternoon, we went to a small get-together of my dad's family at my uncle Bob's house.

Here are a few photos:

My cousin Dan's daughter Lauren, whom I met for the first time yesterday.  She's always so happy!

My cousin Bill, his son Liam and my Grandma.  Liam is a cutie, too!

Lauren's uncle Steve (whose hand you see) is starting her out already... on crappy beer, unfortunately.

Grandma and her great-grandkids.  I hope I look that great when I'm 92!

Liam and Lauren... so precious!

Have a great week!

Three Things Thursday

1. Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody!  Future hubs cooked us a delicious dinner of chicken fajitas, which paired quite well with strawberry-rhubarb wine from Winehaven Winery and Vineyard in Chisago City, MN.  Yum!

2. I tested out a pair of Vibram FiveFingers.  I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO at REI several weeks ago (because I had a coupon!) and took them out for the first time on Tuesday evening.  It was such a gorgeous evening, I couldn't resist!  My pace was considerably slower (for me) while running in them (anywhere from a 10:00-10:30 minute per mile pace), but I liked how light they were on my feet and how lightly and quickly my feet hit the ground while wearing them.  Running in them felt effortless.

My calves are now screaming bloody murder at me, due to DOMS and the fact that I was using my calf muscles a lot more than I usually do.  I was tempted to wear them for the Medtronic TC 1 Mile next Thursday instead of vying for that PR, but I think I'll attempt the PR instead.  My legs need to get used to the VFFs more before I use them for a race.

Future hubs also recently bought a pair of VFFs.  You can read about his experience HERE.

3. Speaking of the TC 1 Mile, I got an e-mail blast from Twin Cities in Motion today announcing that Ryan Hall and his wife, Sara, would be running the race.

You can read the press release HERE.

I'm so stoked!  Ryan Hall is one of my favorite American distance runners and I'm excited to see him vying for the win and a sub-4 mile.  Even if I don't PR, seeing Ryan run will make the whole race worth it for me. :)

Do you have a favorite distance runner?
I like Hall (as mentioned before) and Kara Goucher.  Kara is originally from Minnesota. :)

Cool Kids Virtual Marathon

Barefoot Neil Z hosted the Cool Kids Virtual Marathon, a.k.a. "I can't afford the actual race" virtual marathon.

I thought this would be a great way for me to build my mileage for the summer races I have planned, and perhaps break a mental barrier I have regarding the marathon distance (as strange as that sounds).

Here's my bib number, designed by my witty fiance.  I did actually print it out, but I didn't take a picture of the printed version.

I broke the bank, hee hee!

The rules stated that we could run the entire marathon distance on May 1, or over the prior two-week period, starting April 17.  At least 1K of the race distance had to be completed on May 1.

Here are my stats:

I completed slightly more than 26.2 miles.

If you want further proof, here are a few pictures of my iPod, treadmill (at work) and The Red Dragon (my Garmin):

4/17 - Beautiful morning run in my neighborhood

4/18 - Future hubs and I walked at the Mall of America.  We paused half-way (and paused the clock) to eat sushi. :)

4/20 - 4 x 400 intervals on the TM w/2-minute recovery after a 5-minute warm-up

4/23 - Jelly Bean Virtual Race

4/27 - 6 x 400 intervals on the TM w/400 recovery after a 5-minute warm-up

4/30 - Rainy 5-miler in my neighborhood.  Yuck!

5/1 - Short walk out to the highway and back from my parents' house (they live 5 miles outside my hometown)

I'd be pleased if I could get a 4:21:10 next year when I attempt my first full marathon for the third time.

Big thanks to Neil for hosting this virtual race!

Busy weekend

I visited my folks this weekend.  My hometown's senior center hosted another craft sale this weekend, so Mom and I reserved a table to sell our wares: jewelry (what I made) and rice krispy bars (what Mom made).  We were hoping this sale would be more profitable than the first senior center craft sale back in December (you can read all about it HERE).  I am happy to report that it was: $101 in sales!  I sold four necklaces, two pairs of earrings and a bracelet... much better than the one pair of earrings I sold in December.  Mom sold eight of her fifteen bars (at 50 cents each, her earnings paid for our table fee).  The senior center may not have another sale because some of the other vendors didn't do so well, but that's alright.  This experience made up for the crappy December sale.  Mom and I are thinking of reserving a table for my hometown's Carousel of Crafts this coming December.  We hopefully will do well at that sale.  I may also look into some craft sales here in the Twin Cities area.

I have only a few items for sale on my Etsy page.  You can check it out HERE (or check out my left sidebar).  If you're looking for a gift for your mom for Mother's Day, or a gift for anyone else who likes jewelry, check out my site. :)

I hope to work on the jewelry I'm making for my bridesmaids this week, provided I don't have to put in a bunch of long hours at work like I had to the last three weeks.  Ugh!

Mom also recorded footage from The Royal Wedding, so I watched it.  Wasn't Kate Middleton a stunning bride?

Watching the wedding made me a little more excited for my own in September.  My friend Scott (who married in 2009) warned me that planning the "little details" of our wedding would feel like "death by a thousand paper cuts."  So far it has, especially when you receive a phone call from the bridal shop that one of your bridesmaids hadn't been measured yet.  WHAT?!!!!  The problem was promptly fixed, but it was yet another instance where I wished that future hubs and I would have jetted off to Vegas to get married in a dinky little chapel on the Strip.

I just need to remember that planning a wedding is like finishing a jigsaw puzzle.  You start with the outside edge pieces (the major stuff) first, then work on the middle (the details).  Keep working at it piece by piece, and it will all come together.

I slogged through a rainy Saturday 5-miler and a short walk today to finish up my mileage for the Cool Kids Virtual Marathon.  I will post some type of recap tomorrow.

Happy first week of May!

Three Times Two Things Thursday

1. My left ankle appears to be back to normal.  I had full range of motion on Tuesday and was able to withstand tough strength-training, yoga and interval workouts this week.  I've got another 5.79 miles to go for the Cool Kids Virtual Marathon, which ends on May 1.  If the weather is decent Saturday (it's been rainy here lately), I'll try to get 3-4 miles in, and then walk the rest on Sunday.

2. Prize raffle winners and photos were posted today for the Jelly Bean Virtual Race (click HERE if you want to check them out).  My costume won an Honorable Mention!  I was also a raffle winner.  Yay!  I will be the recipient of a pack of three pace bands from Races2Remember.  Has anyone ever used their pace bands before?

3. Speaking of prizes, I received my TYR Alliance Team Backpack in the mail on Tuesday, courtesy of a giveaway hosted by Steve from Steve in a Speedo?! Gross!

My bag is royal blue and gold... ironically, those are my wedding colors!

That swim/transition bag is a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and it has a lot of handy compartments that will work perfectly for me once I get into the tri scene.  Heck... it would work as a hiking backpack or carry-on!  Thanks to Steve for hosting the giveaway.  He's a local runner, so I hope to see him and his wife at future events.

4. Happy Administrative Professionals Day (which was yesterday) and Week!  My company is providing lunch for us admins tomorrow.  Kudos and a quick shout-out to Marlene, who is also an administrative assistant. :)  If I'm missing anyone else, let me know so I can give you a virtual pat on the back, too.  Keep up the great work!

5. The course has been revealed for the Rock 'N' Roll Savannah Marathon and Half-Marathon!

You can check it out HERE.  I'm so excited that a good chunk of the course will take place in Savannah's historic district.  Plus, the race finishes right in front of Forsyth Park. :)

6. Rachel, future hubs and I will not be doing the We Walk! Half-Marathon after all.  Rachel has an all-day choir rehearsal that day with One Voice Mixed Chorus, a choir very near and dear to her heart.  Mark and I talked about the race and decided we didn't want to do it either.  We haven't walked much together and our motivation to do the race was definitely lacking.  Instead, we're thinking about doing the Red, White and Boom! TC Half-Marathon on July 4.  Mark would use this race to PR, whereas I'm hoping to have a good time, although I may pace my fiance if he wants me to.  I'm already thinking of patriotic costume ideas! :)

Enjoy the rest of your week!  I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday, although it's month-end, which means lots of paperwork.  Ugh!

The Jelly Bean Virtual Race

On Saturday, I completed the Jelly Bean Virtual Race.

I wanted to challenge myself for this virtual race, as well as log a few miles for the Cool Kids Virtual Marathon.  So, I signed up to do the 10K.  My plan was to run the first half of it in my Sauconys, then walk the second half in my Nike Frees.

I had so much fun wearing a costume for my first virtual race that I decided to wear one for the Jelly Bean.

I found these socks on sale!

I bribed asked my roommate to take a few pictures before I headed out for my run in the 'hood.

I found the bunny ears in Target's dollar bin...

I even added a cotton ball to my butt for good measure!

"Little bunny Frou Frou RUNNING through the forest... er, neighborhood"

Some bloggers doing this race may have taken off their costumes for the run, but I decided to wear mine.  I got so many honks, smiles, stares, and flat-out "WTF?" looks from drivers and other runners, walkers (and their dogs!) that I couldn't help but smile.  Two kids even followed me for a couple blocks on their bikes.  They probably thought I was handing out candy.  Too bad I didn't have my Easter basket with me!  I think I lost my cotton ball tail after the first mile, and my bunny ears needed adjusting throughout the run, but oh well.  I had so much fun running in costume!

This was my first run with my new Garmin, which I have named The Red Dragon.  I'm still learning all its bells and whistles, but so far, I really like it and think it will be an excellent training tool for me.

Now, on to the running part...

I had a decent pace going for my first two miles, hovering around a 7:30/mile pace, listening to music on my iPod.  About the 5K mark, I must have stepped on a crack in the road because I rolled my left ankle.  Sharp pain slowed me to a walk and I hobbled a few steps before stopping briefly.  C'mon, I thought to myself, I've already recovered from one injury this year and I don't need a second one!  I started walking again to try to work out the pain and prayed, asking God to take away the pain so I could continue with my run.  After a minute or two of walking and praying, my ankle suddenly felt better and I was able to continue running.  I took a few walk breaks during the second half of the virtual race, mostly in areas where there weren't a lot of people around.  I never did switch shoes... I just wanted to continue.

I had a decent finishing time, but I probably only walked about a mile total of the 6.2 miles.

57:37... average pace of 9:12/mile... not a bad 10K time at all! 

I felt a little tired after the run... here's a pic in honor of Amanda at 5 Miles Past Empty:

Amanda does her signature pose so much better than I do!

I iced my left ankle (and both knees for preventative measures) at home and ate lunch, then took it easy the rest of the day.

Thanks to Jess over at Run With Jess for hosting the Jelly Bean!  I enjoyed this virtual race (ankle twisting notwithstanding) because I had the opportunity to make people smile. :)  I can't wait to start wearing costumes at local races!

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Easter Sunday, future hubs and I headed up to my hometown to visit my parents.  We met them at church, then we ate brunch back at home.  My mom is an awesome cook, but she certainly doesn't make a lot of low-calorie and low-fat food!  A nap followed, along with a short visit from my aunt, uncle and grandma.  Mom made supper before Mark and I headed back to the Cities.

Happy Easter (and Spring, finally) to you all!

Ankle update: I've been able to walk on my left ankle without much pain since the incident happened and I have no limp.  I doubt I broke anything; my ankle would be much worse off if I had.  There is still a little bit of swelling (there wasn't much to begin with), a dull ache from time to time, and the ankle's range of motion is slightly limited compared to my right ankle, but that's improving.  I took today off from any cardio activity (I did strength training with my personal trainer during my lunch break), but plan to run on Wednesday.  I've got another 9.6 miles left to complete for the virtual marathon through May 1.  I probably will be walking most of it, but that's fine.

Saturday Reflections

My blog is called "Running Toward a Higher Calling" but I've noticed that I haven't been writing much about God.  Mostly, I write about running or wedding planning or my family.  I find it really difficult to talk about faith or God or religion, mainly because I tend to be very self-conscious when it comes to such personal, weighty and often-times divisive topics.

Lately, I've been feeling very convicted about inviting God to take part in the things that I enjoy the most, such as running.  A lady who prayed for me earlier this week encouraged me to pray to and praise God when I run.  I sometimes pray when I run, but my prayers are usually requests along the lines of "God, please give me the strength to endure this run to the end" or "God, please make this side cramp go away."

I usually listen to music when I run, but most songs are secular: lots of rock and roll with some hip-hop thrown in the mix.  So today, during my run for the Jelly Bean Virtual Race (race report to follow in the next day or two), I programmed my iPod to play my Christian/inspirational playlist.  This song filled my ears early on in my run, and I've had it in my head the rest of the day:

I felt like I enjoyed my run a lot more today than usual.  Part of it was from wearing a costume for the virtual race, but mostly I just enjoyed being outside, listening to songs that praised God and feeling my heart join in with the verses and refrains, putting one foot in front of the other and feeling God's presence with me every step of the way.

I also want you to know that I pray for you.  If you are injured, I ask God to heal you.  If you're mourning the loss of a loved one, I'm praying for God to provide comfort to you and your family.  I pray for good races and training runs, good weather, good friends and supportive family, and the strength to endure any battles, great or small, that you're facing.

I hope you all have a Happy Easter!  Future hubs and I are spending the day with my parents, as we spent Palm Sunday (last weekend) with his parents.
What are you doing for the holiday?