Marathon Madness Begins!

As I listen to the Real Housewives of Orange County discuss the important things in life I am thinking about how many miles I will be running this month...over 100, that's how many...and I can't wait!

This month I really want to challenge myself and start off on the right track. My running schedule isn't really that insane and I'd like to see some improvement in the major areas.

Arms = Pushups
Abs and Back = Crunches and Planks
Legs = Squats

So, without further adieu...here is my July...

I made it in excel because I'm a super nerd and I like things to be in order, but I didn't take the time to perfect it...oh well. Tomorrow is the 2nd, but its Day 1 in my workout month! I will be probably be doing many of the miles on the treadmill due to the massive amounts of rain we are set to get this week.

Wish me luck ... or just pray that I'm able to function regularly.

My Goal / Blog Every Day in June #19

Route 66 Marathon
Tulsa, Oklahoma
November 24, 2013

 
I have 157 days to prepare for my 1^st Marathon! My Dad and I will line up on the starting line and run 26.2 miles ... maybe 26.5 if we think we can handle the detour, are we crazy?! Maybe!

I have wanted to complete a marathon for a long time. I’m obviously not going to win one any time soon, I can’t even win a 5k! Just finishing this will be such a huge accomplishment.

I have crossed the finish line of 4 Half Marathons, so far, and I think that this one will feel twice as good and my feet will hurt at least three times as much.

I know that we will have to stop and walk from time to time, but we will finish. I just know it.

So, I pray that both of our bodies hold up during the training process, that the weather is good on race day, and that we cross the finish line safely.

After 9:00am

My last post was about the OKC Half Marathon...all of that information took place before 9am! Sunday wasn't even close to being over!

We headed back to the hotel to take a shower and pack up, oh and take a quick nap. After a quick steak lunch we were on our way from the 405 back to the 918. And I napped again...for most of the drive.

We stopped by my brother's house where my parents left their offspring for some quality time together. It was very nice to just sit and chat for a bit, actually catching up in person rather than on the phone!

A couple of hours later I headed off to see my massage therapist. One of the best decisions I made for the race was booking a post race appointment with this fantastic lady! My legs were barely sore the next day and it was so great to catch up with Darlene. She's easily one of the sweetest people I've ever had the joy of meeting and getting to know, I will be visiting again in November for sure!

After I made a stop by QT for a glorious 32 ounces of Diet Coke, which I rarely drink anymore, but I just had to get one! I made my way over to fabulous neighborhood in Broken Arrow to see the in progress Overton house! WOW! I feel like the foundation was just poured, but much progress has been made. The kitchen cabinets are in, tile and wood floors down, and walls painted...really impressed! Of course, the highlight was spending a few more precious moments with this family. Caden was fulled by sugary cake and ready to give me multiple tours of his room and his new play room, he is excited and super adorable! I can't wait to see the final moved in product later this year! Maybe we can see the finished product of the Conway house, just a few doors away!

Next came a relaxing evening with the parents, my favorite. We just ate dinner (Molly's Tamales! YUM!), talked, and watched TV...like I don't live 1,300 miles away and I wasn't leaving in 36 hours. Bliss.

Oh - I got an iPad! Shut up!

Is is just me or does my head look freaky big in comparison to my tiny right arm? Probably just me, I hate pictures sometimes.

#13165

4:45am
Wake Up Call

The alarm went off...way too early obviously. We all slowly got out of bed and began to prepare for the race. I pulled my hair back and put on my running gear, including brand new socks...more on that later. I was wearing bib #13165, Dad had #13166, and Brother Nate was sporting #11965. For this run the lowest number that you can wear is #169...the first #168 numbers are reserved for the victims.

We made our way toward the race area and managed to get parking spot less than a mile from the starting line. I think the warm up walk actually did us some good.

The starting area was PACKED and it was then that I realized we probably should have left the hotel earlier than we did. We missed the 171 seconds of silence (168 for OKC and 3 for Boston), but we did hear the National Anthem, very well done. We pushed our way through as many people as we could, but we still ended up in the 7:30 mile pace group. We do NOT run that fast!  

6:30am
Race Begins!

We crossed the starting line about 2 minutes after the gun went off. We were getting passed left and right, but we managed to go out with a decent and acceptable pace.  Did you know that when you run a race you’ll often run more than the actual race distance? Well, you do ... so, I will do a breakdown the race mile by mile, get ready!

1^st Mile – 10:11

Awesome pace, we felt really good. Right at the start you have to go uphill a little, but then you hit a sweet downhill section. We passed the Colcord and turned left to run by the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Making our way into the heart of Bricktown, all three of us were feelin good!

2^nd Mile – 10:03

WOW! I couldn’t believe we were able to do the 2^nd mile faster than the first! We didn’t go to fast right out of the gate, our legs were getting warmed up and our first big hill was in sight. We were on Reno (aka Johnny Bench Drive) and made a left on Mickey Mantle Drive, running past the ballpark where the Oklahoma City Redhawks play. Past Flaming Lips Alley, up and over the steep bridge and we were well on our way to the next mile stone!

3^rd Mile – 10:09

Just slightly slower than the last mile, but it did include a bit of a long hill. We had just passed our first water station, no stopping yet, and we could almost see the Capitol! Lincoln Boulevard was mostly flat and the three of us were still all together. We didn’t want to hold brother back too much so we sent him on his way to hopefully finish in less than 2 hours. We had made it to the Capitol and the streets were still crowded!

4^th mile – 9:44

This may have been the most boring mile of the race...not exactly the scenic route! Mostly small industrial buildings and nothing much else to look at, but did you see our time! Maybe we need to run a more boring route so we finish faster!

5^th mile – 9:44

Exactly the same as the last mile, not much to look at, but we were making our way to the nice laid back neighborhoods of OKC.

6^th mile – 9:55

A little slower than our previous mile, but I will take ANYTHING under 10:00! I’m still so impressed that we kept up this pace. I think Dad was sweating quite a bit and sincerely felt that he was sweating more than anyone else at the race! We were into the 1^st residential portion of the race and loving the downhill course.

7^th mile – 10:09

Back over 10:00 for this mile since it included some uphills, not too horrible, but they will slow you down. Most of this mile was in the Crown Heights section and included the infamous Gorilla Hill! Thanks for the Banana, perfect timing!

8^th mile – 9:58

Another mile that was mostly downhill, but this is also the mile that my feet really started to hurt. When getting dressed in the morning I was planning on wearing a pair of socks that I had worn a few times before. Instead I grabbed a brand new pair! OUCH! The bottoms of my feet started to burn and I just knew that I was going to have a blister!

9^th mile – 10:36

My feet really started to ache and we were in the long straight stretch...for some reason I find this part of the race to be brutal. It’s all on just a slight incline or completely flat, it’s long and it’s boring. The only cool part is that we start seeing more banners to remember those that were lost. Also, one of the water stops passes out sponges soaked in ice cold water, that was awesome. Thanks Devon!

10^th mile – 10:23

Slightly faster than our previous mile and I believe we walked a water station! Not too shabby! We were finally done with the long stretch and I think we were both starting to feel it in our knees and feet. But the finish line was so close!

11^th mile – 10:49

This mile wasn’t too bad, just a little slow. We made our way through the first section of Mesta Park and these people are AMAZING! So many supporters in this area ready to cheer everyone closer to the finish. This is mile 11 and 12 for the half marathoners and mile 24 and 25 for the full marathoners. The homes are so pretty and the streets are lined with shade trees, I’m a fan Mesta Park! I am not a fan of the new socks, probably the worse decision ever.

12^th mile – 10:17

This is where things start to go bad for me. My right calf really started to lock up and give me fits. My breathing was great, so was Dad’s. My quads, back and feet felt great! I think the only think hurting on Dad was his heel. My darn calf had to go and get in the way!

13^th mile – 10:54

I made it through the previous mile of the fairly well, but toward the beginning of this mile I had to stop and stretch for just a few seconds. I had to walk a hill as well, very disappointing. But once we started running we made sure our pace was good to make up for lost time. As we made our way back toward the Memorial and the finish line we tried to kick it up a little bit, and we did...only a little bit.

0.62 – 4:32

According to my GPS we actually ran 0.52 longer than the 13.1 miles...it’s not perfectly accurate so we are probably somewhere in the middle on this, either way, we logged our FASTEST Half Marathon time EVER! When we ran Wichita in October we crossed the finish line at 2:32:12 - our official time for OKC *drumroll* 2:18:54!!! That is an improvement of 1 minute and about 1 second per mile!

Finishers!!

Brother finished about 16 minutes before we did, but he didn't have his phone so he decided to nap by the car and this is how my parents found him.

I was able to stop by the medical tent at the end of the event and say a quick hello to a KD sister, Melissa! She was there with so many others to help anyone that needed medical attention. It was great to see a friendly face at the end of so many miles! Luckily, I wasn't too sweaty for a hug!

I was very impressed with my home state and this fantastic event! I really felt safe and welcomed. Well done OKC. Well done! #R2R - Run to Remember!

I have much more for Sunday, so to be continued...

Saturday, Fun Day

Saturday morning came a little too soon, but I was ready to get the day started! I had some important people to see! We picked up brother and headed to OKC. First stop was the Expo to get our packets, shirts and other goodies.

Then we hit up the new outlet mall! I was impressed with the selection of stores, especially the giant Banana Republic with everything 50% off! 

The family dropped me off at the Pettifer House. This was my first visit to their home since they purchased it last year. I LOVE their neighbourhood and they have already made it their own, very cute! The Overton’s arrived before I did and I got to say a quick hello to Mr. Caden...how is he already 2 ½?! Before dinner he went to visit his cousins and left with only one minor door smashing injury.

The family met us at Iron Starr BBQ. YUMMO! Chopped Beef Brisket and Sweet Potatoes made for a perfect pre race day meal. I will have to go back to try the BBQ Ranch dressing next time I’m in the city! It comes HIGHLY recommended. 

We had a blast, I’m just sad that our visits have to be so short these days. The Overton’s headed back to Tulsa, with a quick stop in Edmond, one of the Pettifer’s went out to celebrate a Bride-to-Be and the other went home for some quality time with the above mentioned BBQ Ranch. The Marrs clan headed back to the outlet malls to get some more good deals. We closed it down!
 

We made it back to the hotel and prepared ourselves for the early wake up call. All of our clothes were laid out and numbers pinned our shirts. All we needed was a good night’s sleep!

4/19/1995

April 19, 1995

I can’t believe it’s been 18 years since that beautiful spring morning that forever changed Oklahoma, and the world for that matter. I don’t think I fully understood how horribly tragic it was to lose the 168 that day and how difficult it would be for the nearly 700 injured to heal. I was only 13 years old and didn’t learn of the bombing until later in the afternoon. I can’t remember if we were told at school or if I saw it all when I arrived home, it’s officially been too long ago to recall all the details.

With the recent events in Boston, MA and West, TX I find myself thinking back to how my memory of April 19^th would be completely different if my 7^th grade self had a cell phone, the Internet, and Facebook. I would have known about the explosion just minutes after it happened, I’m sure. Is that better or worse? I really don’t know.

In just 9 short days I will be standing in a crowd of people to run the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon. Next to me will be my Father, my Brother, and thousands of others with the dream of crossing the finish line. This race was my first half marathon just three years ago. I trained with a wonderful group of ladies, we took a road trip down I-44, and after surviving a night in the haunted Skirivin Hotel we stood at the starting line. Most competed in the relay while Rhonda and I embarked on our first half marathon. We ran past 168 banners with the names of each victim and when it hurts a little or you’re out of breath, you never forget that you run because you can. You run to remember.  

I personally didn’t know anyone was lost that day, but they were fellow Okies, fellow Americans, fellow human beings. Their lives were cut short by a heartless coward and it could have easily been me or someone I know.

As we were preparing to run a race in their memory one of the most prestigious marathons in the world was attacked. I’ve never been to Boston, I hope to visit later this year, but a part of me has dreamed of running that marathon. In that dream my family is waiting for me at the finish line to celebrate. How could someone think of taking that moment away from anyone?

I composed the above text last night with plans to finish the post today. This morning we turned on the TV to learn that one of the possible suspects was dead and the other was on the run. They are still searching for people in West, TX after the explosion. I was glued to the screen, what world do we live in? Is this even real?

Since this horrible day 18 years ago, Oklahoma City has risen and the Oklahoma Standard  showed it's self. We've made it through 9/11 ... NYC, DC, and PA showed that they too will not be defeated.
I have no doubt that the recently devastated cities will do just the same.

I was driving to work listening to more news on the radio and I just needed to escape for a few moments. I plugged in my iPhone and a song that I hadn’t listened to in a long time, probably years, came through the speakers. The Change by Garth Brooks. Maybe it was coincidence or maybe I was meant to hear the nearly 20 year old lyrics today.  

I run because I can, I run to remember, and I run because this world will not change me.

Updates, Thoughts, and Prayers for Boston

It’s been well over a month since my last post and the only excuse I have is ... Life.
No doubt that the past few weeks have really taken a toll on me and my little family, it’s been a tough for many reasons. In the interest of not making this a novel here are some of the highlights of the past 4 ish weeks for my blog readers (Hi Mama! Hi Dad!)
I have been able to keep up with my running schedule quite well actually. I have made it a major priority and I have only missed one run! Most of my miles have been logged on the gym treadmill, but last week the weather was amazing so I decided to do a mid week run in our neighborhood. The sidewalks aren’t very even...I’m being nice...they are horrible and the mass majority of people block a portion, if not all, of the sidewalk with their car. Anyway I injured my left calf in the process and I saw the entire OKC Half Marathon flash before my eyes. At the suggestion of a co-worker and a Facebook friend I purchased a Foam Roller and started stretching. I also increased my water intake and started eating two bananas a day. Fast-forward five days to me having the best 6 mile run of my life! All 6 miles were completed in less than 10 minutes, something that I have never done before. It was amazing to find my stride at a fast (for me) pace and keep it up for a decent distance. I can’t wait to run 13.1 with my Dad in less than two weeks! Brother will be there too, but he will probably leave us in the dust!

Weight Watchers has been dumped, officially. I informed them by cancelling my membership just last week. I lost a decent amount of weight in the beginning, but the 7 week plateau that followed was just too much. After speaking with a rep from the company I tried eating all of the points allotted to me (Flex and Activity) and I continued to not lose weight. I tried not eating any of the additional points and still did not lose weight. So, I feel that I gave it plenty of time and the smart thing to do was to try something different. Going forward I will be following the ole counting the calories method...so far I have lost 3 pounds.

Starting weight 2013 – 169.0
April 9, 2013 (WW breakup day)– 157.0 (12.0 total lost)
April 14, 2013 – 154.6 (14.4 total lost)

I’m feeling good on this plan and hope that it continues to work as I train for this half marathon, other in the future and my dream of a full marathon this fall!

We have been doing some cheap updates and cleaning up our apartment quite a bit and I really love all the changes. I want to get some more artwork up on the walls, but I do plan on doing a photo shoot to posts some picture of our home on the blog. Should be a fun little project in the coming weeks...or to be more realistic, months.

As I went to post this blog the news stories about the Boston Marathon bombings started to show up on social media and news outlets. I can’t imagine how scared all the runners, families and spectators are right now. Thoughts and prayers going out to all! I can’t imagine what would drive someone to do such a thing. The Boston Marathon is a race that I would love to run one day and I would have to work very hard to qualify. All of those participating deserve the medal they receive when they cross that finish line and the crowds of people that cheer them on, not this...not this at all.

Love/Hate Relationships and Chicken Parm Burgers

I'm in a few Love/Hate relationships right now. 

The Treadmill

I have been running on the treadmill during the week, until yesterday the temperatures have been a bit too low to brave in the evening hours. I would bundle up for my weekend runs, but after a long day I knew I wouldn't be in the mood. I have a couple of days where I really rock it out...feeling great! Then I will have a few days that feel like I'm running though mud in 100 degree temperatures. I realize that either way I look like a fat kid running toward a big slice of cake.

 The Kitchen

I normally really enjoy cooking, but planning meals for our Weight Watchers plan is really starting to take it's toll on my sanity. There are a ton of options and things to try...I think I'm just burnt out. I hope to turn this around this week. I purchased a few items to help organize our pantry, cabinets, etc. I think it will help get me out of my funk. 

 The Scale

Part of the WW plan involves a weekly weigh in, I knew this when we signed up. Since we signed up on a Sunday evening our weigh in day was defaulted to Sunday. This was basically the worst idea ever. I just realized that we can actually change the weigh in day, duh. I believe that this will really help. We often use Saturday as our go out for dinner night and the last thing you want to do is have a heavy dinner and then weigh yourself! I've been running quite a bit and haven't seen much change in the scale. I have started measuring myself because I know my clothes are fitting better and I feel SO much better!

Speaking of the scale...

February 24, 2013 - 157.8 - 0.4 week - 11.2 total 

March 3, 2013 - 157.6 - 0.2 week - 11.4 total

March 10, 2013 - 157.0 - 0.6 week - 12.0 total

Time for a really yummy recipe!

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

Ingredients 

6 - 12 oz Ciabatta Rolls, Toasted

1 lb Ground Chicken Breast 

1 C Marinara Sauce, divided

1/2 tsp dried Thyme

1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 C Part Skim Mozzarella, shredded

1/4 C Parmesan Cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350°F

Cut the Ciabatta Rolls in half and throw them into the oven to toast them a bit.

mmmm...Ciabatta!

Combine the ground Chicken with a little less than 2/3 C Marinara Sauce, Thyme, Red Pepper, Salt and Pepper.

looks kinda gross, right?

Form 6 small burgers (a little less than 3 oz each), Heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook burgers until no loner pink.

Add shredded Mozzarella on top of each burger, reduce heat and cover until the cheese is melted.

As you can see, my skillet isn't large enough for all six.

Place burger on the bottom half of the roll.

Top with remaining Marinara

and Parmesan Cheese.

Eat up! 

6 Servings

Calories: 222  Fat: 10.6  Saturated Fat: 4.3  Carbs: 12.2  Fiber: 1.3  Sugar: 3.8  Protein: 19.6

WW Points Plus:6

 

Homeland

Wednesday

I arrived at the Tulsa 'International' Airport Wednesday evening and was greeted by two pretty smiling faces! My parents went the extra mile to meet me inside! How special am I?



I am one happy Okie!



We hugged and such while we waited for my bag. When it arrived on the belt, upside down, I played the Dad card for some help...he nearly fell and/or lost an arm, but my luggage was properly retrieved.

The short drive home was overwhelmed with orange barrels, cones, and detour signs. Seriously?! What's up Tulsa?!

On the way through Catoosa we had to make a special stop -

Yes, at 10:45pm I ordered a delicious Number 6 (Beef Mucho Nachos, Taco, and Diet Coke) and I ate every single yummy bite.

Thursday

I was able to sleep in a bit while my parents went to work. After a few errands I met up with my Mom, Dad, and Shalise for lunch. I just realized that we didn't get a picture *vacation fail*. Shalise had just finished a Chemo treatment and apparently you can get 'chemo brain', this is new to me! Either way it made for an interesting lunch at Dex's Mexican Grill. Yes, I had Mexican food twice within an 18 hour period. I have no shame.

Mama and I quickly did some shopping before I headed off for a manicure and dinner with Chandra! Again, no photo...what is with me?! It was so nice to get caught up in person, so much better than facebook, text, and phone! Chandra - can't wait to see you, Ryan, and Caden in December ... I assume that Caden will probably be taller than me by then, too.

Next on the agenda was tailgating and the TU game! Ran into a few friendly faces here and there and had a special visit from Mrs. Melissa (McLean) Peterson!



Family of TU fans!

UTEP 11 - Tulsa 33!!! GO CANE!

Friday
Dad and I got up for a morning, slightly rainy, slow run ... our last before the big race!

I took a long drive on the Creek Turnpike to meet up with my lovely massage therapist. Darlene is easily one of the sweetest people on earth and I've missed seeing her on a regular basis. Just like most everything on this trip the time seemed to fly by, but I'm so glad we were able to catch up! Tulsa Friends - If you're in need of a quality LMT let me know!

I spent Friday afternoon at TU borrowing Mama's computer to keep up with my job, a few short hours later I said my goodbyes to the lovely ladies of HR. Miss you all! I appreciate all the prayers and well wishes!!

That evening we went to dinner at one of my favorites, the location of my first job ever! MOLLY'S! We had a wonderful evening catching up with Linda and Russ, eating a perfectly cooked steak, and even doing a little bit of shopping.

Brother and I headed downtown for a few drinks and his roomie Nate joined us. Yep, that's right I hit the town with two guys named Nate...sounds like a great TV show. Beers for me, manly drinks for brother, and girly drinks for Nate...all made for a fine evening!




I enjoy anything served in a Copper Mug

Saturday

Early in the AM we headed to Kansas to see two of the four people I would nominate for the greatest Grandparents of all time. (hint: the other two art my late grandparents, I'm just that lucky)

Emma was our navigator

I walked in the door to smiling faces and big big hugs!

I never get tired of these hugs

 Oh - and a special treat :)



mmmm.....

Rockey Mountain Oyster Sammich! Yep, judge if you must.

We ate our food, chatted for a while and then Dad and I loaded up to make the journey from Fredonia to Wichita.

Rural Kansas

Sweet artwork in near Derby, Kansas

We arrived, picked up our packets, and had some dinner with our Cousin Jerry. I recently signed up for Ancestry.com and I may or may not be completely sucked into it. So, we spent the majority of the evening reviewing family information and adding it to our growing tree! So interesting!!

We were able to get bed fairly early in prepration of our run.


Sunday

We ran many miles in preperation, picked our clothes carefully, and tied our shoelaces just right...and then someone drank too much coffee and we nearly missed the race! Note to self - lines for the bathroom will never be longer than they are prior to a long distance run.

We crossed the starting line with 30 second to spare an dour 13.1 mile journey had begun! Our pace was solid through the first few miles and only slowed slightly when we hit a couple of hills. We walked a few water stations and somewhere near mile 8 my toe thought it would be great time to cramp up, we walked a bit and then pushed through the pain!

I have to say that mile 9 and mile 12 were probably the most difficult, but we finished! WHOOP!

WE DID IT!

We celebrated with a drive back to Fredonia and they were so proud of us that they endured our stink for a hug!

Runners with Grandpa - look! no shirt!

 

Runners with Grandma!

Then I got a big plate of these...okay...I had two.

hello yummy.

Thanks Grandma for making my tummy happy! I had dreamed of biscuits and gravy for MONTHS!

We said our goodbyes and headed to my Dad's hometown, Neodesha, to catch up with our cousins ... yes, I have a TON of cousins!

Emma enjoyed the ride

On our way out of town we stopped by my Granpa's old shop - Dad painted that many many years ago!

Marrs name still holding strong!

And we were on our way back to Oklahoma!!

Tulsa in the distance!

My favorite skyline

Hello Boston Avenue!

We visited Brother's house before heading back to Verdigris...

Sister and Brother



Me, Mom, Emma, Nate



Me, Dad, Emma, Nate

And then it was over, another trip to Taco Bueno, bed and the airport.

Counting the days until I can step onto that beautiful red dirt.

On a side note - I'm full on sucked into Homeland, watch it.





By a Thread

I swear, I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread right now. 

Let me preface this ... I am a lucky person.

I'm healthy, I'm loved, I'm blessed.

That being said, I have to believe that the last few months have been a test! Many of you know that we are moving on August 15th and when you live in one of the most densely populated cities in the US the logistics becomes a nightmare. I've moved a number of times in my life, mostly around The University of Tulsa campus, and all it took was my Dad, Brother and a pickup truck! Not so much the case here.

On top of the full time job, the part time job, and training for a half marathon - we have to pack. Also, it's safe to say that the relationship between us and the current (soon to be former!) landlords is horrific, at best. If you want the full story let me know, I don't believe I can post it online...as much as I might want to do that.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel is the 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1,400 square foot beautiful apartment waiting for me just 2 miles northwest of our current location. Yes, my dear friends...we now have ample space for visitors! No more staying at expensive hotels, we will cut you a respectable deal. No worries!

I can't wait to get moved in and overwhelm everyone with pictures!

Here is your running update! I've been improving my speed quite a bit, a 10 minute mile doesn't nearly kill me anymore.  Dad is really increasing his distance quite a bit, but his speed is increasing too.  Let's see how this week goes...it's supposed to cooler in Jersey and I think it will just barely be over 100°F in Oklahoma! EEK!

New Jersey Running

July 31, 2012 - 3.1 miles - 30 minutes 44 seconds

August 2, 2012 - 3 miles - 31 minutes 56 seconds

August 4, 2012 - 2 miles - 19 minutes 40 seconds 
August 6, 2012 - 3.1 miles - 29 minutes 18 seconds

Oklahoma Running

July 31, 2012 - 2.8 miles - 30 minutes 30 seconds

August 2, 2012 - 4.5 miles - 56 minutes 0 seconds

August 5, 2012 - 5.5 miles - 1 hour 1 minute 0 seconds

New Jersey Total Miles - 46.41

Oklahoma Total Miles - 48.55

I am getting beat and I don't like it!

For the Love of Dolly

It's no secret that I love me some Country Music, the twang is in my soul y'all. While it is not mandatory to love this specific brand of music if you're from Oklahoma, many of us do and I'm proud to be in the slightly redneck club.

 There are many singers that I enjoy, some more than others, but there is one that holds a special place in my slightly southern beating heart. 



from dollyparton.com



I personally don't understand how you cannot love this lady, if I ever had the chance to meet her I would most likely pee my pants and/or pass out. 

I'm not afraid to admit that I've been to this glorious place a few times...



from dollywood.com



A 'dirt poor' girl with 11 siblings born into an economically depressed region in the United States went on to write over 3,000 songs? Really? And I get upset when I can't find a cardigan to match my dress? Kinda puts some things into perspective a bit. 

Here is a list of lyrics and quotes from a lady that I think is one of the neatest (if you don't consider my mom, grandma's, etc) in the whole wide world.

"But they didn't understand it
And I tried to make them see
That one is only poor
Only if they choose to be"

Coat of Many Colors

"I look just like the girls next door, if you  happen to live next door to an amusement park!"

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

And years before Gaga said it was okay, you were born this way...

"God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain

Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain

Oh sweet Jesus if you're listening, keep me ever close to you

As I'm stumblin', tumblin', wonderin', as I'm travelin' thru"

Travelin' Thru

I could honestly go on and on, but you have to give mad respect to the lady that wrote "I Will Always Love You", right? I personally still like her version best, but I guess Whitney did an alright job with it too.  I guess...

Thanks for reading about my love of Miss Dolly, I'm sure you're quite annoyed.

Running Update! 

New Jersey Running

July 25, 2012 - 2.5 miles - 27 minutes 34 seconds

July 29, 2012 - 4 miles - 42 minutes 7 seconds



Oklahoma Running

July 26, 2012 - 2.75 miles - 32 minutes

July 27, 2012 - 4.5 miles - 56 minutes
July 29, 2012 - 4.5 miles - 55 minutes

New Jersey Total Miles - 35.21

Oklahoma Miles - 35.75

As you can see, I am clearly getting my rear kicked by father. This means war! 

Dad is doing really well considering it's like a million and a half degrees in Oklahoma right now, I'm happy to have temps in the 80's!  I've noticed the past few runs that once I get to around a mile and half I hit a really good stride, like I could run for forever! I was so upset on Sunday (the last run) when it started pouring rain...I had planned on doing at least 5 miles and I felt awesome!

Red, White and now very Blue

I made a trip to the airport on Tuesday afternoon and picked up a nice lookin family!!

The first official visit from my Okies occurred over the past few days.  My parents were here in December of last year, but that was for our 2nd Reception.  Yep, we are that flippin cool, nbd.  Since things were kind of stressful during that visit I'm counting this one as the first. 

We made the drive back from nasty Newark to relax for a bit then head into NYC to visit the September 11th Memorial.  It isn't completed yet, but it's phenomenal. 

Walking toward One World Trade

Old headstones at St. Paul's

Alexander Hamilton's Grave at Trinity Church

The reflection of One World Trade in Four World Trade

One of the pools

After we completed our tour we took a stroll down to Battery Park.  It's a great place to just sit and look...to your left is Brooklyn, start scanning to the right and you'll see Governors Island and in the distance is Staten Island.  Keep going and you can see the ports of Bayonne and then the skyline of Jersey City.  As you enter the park you'll see this...

The Sphere


It's quite a site really, to think that is survived everything that happened. 

Here are a few shots of the Jersey City Skyline...Hey! I live there!  Cool!

July 4, 2012 - 2.0 miles - 22 minutes 52 seconds

Dad and I went for a run on Wednesday morning, by 10:30am it was already nearing 90 degrees!  I think we did quite well for our first official run of our training program!! WHOOP WHOOP!!

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and cooking out, until we headed over to Hoboken for our 7:30pm dinner reservations.  Most people probably don't eat German food on such an American holiday, but we do and it was YUMMERS! 



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We took a nice photo at dinner, but I can't seem to find it on my phone.  oops.  We're a good looking bunch, believe me. 

A short walk to the water and we were ready to watch us some New York City fireworks! 

We had prime seating, truth.

We were directly in line with the group of fireworks being shot off on the south end...when you looked left, you could see all the other groups too! 

After the longest and hottest walk in the history of mankind, obviously I need you to feel sorry for me, we made it back to the extremely crowded PATH train.  When we got back to the apartment we watched the TV version of the fireworks we had just witnessed.  WAY. BETTER. LIVE! We couldn't hear the music or anything, but there is nothing better than the rumble feeling of massive fireworks! 

July 5, 2012 - 3.0 miles - 32 minutes 59 seconds

Thursday morning we made our way to Liberty State Park to knock out a 3 mile run in the blazing sun.  Straight up brutal y'all.  Dad and I were joined by the husband as we started on the south end of the park and made our way to the Communipaw Terminal.

I think that Lady Liberty was rather impressed with our physical fitness!

We got cleaned up and were preparing to make our way into the awesome double decker tourist bus, but had to make a minor detour since my car was towed.  Fun times.  Word of advice to my fellow JCers...DO NOT park in the BJ's lot and run into the Double Tree Hotel.  They have security guards that are bored and protect their 300 open spots.  Not that I'm bitter. 

Anyway, Mama, Dad and I hit the uptown loop of the tourist bus and learned a lot from our new friend Stewart.  Odd fellow really, but he knew his stuff.

Let's get this party started! It's quite difficult to take a decent picture in a large moving bus with your hair blowing in your face, but a managed to grab a couple...like this one of The Dakota where Mr. John Lennon was shot. 

We passed by the beautiful and large Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine

Tried our luck at the Apollo, or just drove by...imagine what you will...

Stopped off at this place, they don't serve Ice Cream...well then why is your building shaped like this then?!

This concluded our fabulous bus tour!  We made our way back to Jersey and out to my in-laws for dinner.  Fun times had by all!

Bright and early we gathered up our beach gear and made our way DTS, apparently this is cool kid lingo for going 'Down the Shore'.  I learned me somethin new today!

I didn't break out the phone on the beach, but it was a blast!  I have a rockin sun burn and there is a high possibility that there are still bits of sand in my hair somewhere.  I've washed it 5 times since this trip btw, I'm not a dirty skank. 

After the beach and a stop off at the most under populated outlet mall in America...the Trio of bus riders made their way to Times Square to enjoy the Night Loop!!  I, of course, answered all of the trivia questions correctly and impressed our Met fan tour guide! And I've officially been to Brooklyn now, keepin it real.

A photo as we departed Times Square...

Why hello Mr. Flatiron!

A rather blurry shot of the Brooklyn Bridge...

A close up of the Brooklyn Bridge...

Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn

Empire State Building in all White

And back to the brightness!!

The adorable, slightly sunburned people that kept following me around.

Time flew by and the trip was ended with a teary goodbye at the airport.  I'll see ya in October and miss you every day in between!!

So, yes, we only ran twice and ate lots of food...the healthy eating plan started again today and I plan on busting out 2 miles this evening.  Let's do this! 

Total Running Miles - 14.95