November Foodie Penpal Reveal!

 

It's the end of the month and you know what that means, Foodie Pen Pals reveal!  What is Foodie Pen Pals, well just read below!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

This month my box came from Gail in Chicago.  In her email to me she asked what I liked and didn't like and I asked her to send me things she gets locally that she loves!  I love local foodie finds so I was excited to see what Gail loves!

I was greeted with this note as I was opening the box.

 

When I opened it up I saw the bounty!  All cleaverly marked with notes on what she uses these items for or what she loves about them!  Nice touch!
 

I had had these before, but not in years.  She said that her kids eat these after X-country.  PERFECT!  I need a good snack for after my runs.  BONUS!
 

How did she know I LOVE pumpkin!  I'd seen these before but never got them.  They go brilliantly with coffee!

This one intrigued me the most, I'd never had chai in my life and I hear it being ordered at coffeehouses all the time.  So I'm really excited that I get to try it and make it myself!

 

Gnocchi!!  My favorite to cook with, I have a fabulous "stoup" that I use it in that is perfect for this time of year!  I can't wait to make it this week!

 

Lastly, was this beauty!  Cranberry Walnut loaf which sounded so delectable that I wanted to just tear right into it and make some toast.  Unfortunately with the cold damp weather we've been having, it molded during shipping.  Bummer!  Now I have to keep a look out for it at my local TJ's, it really sounded amazing!

Thank you Gail for sending me these awesome goodies!  They will be consumed with great appreciation and pleasure!

"The Jam" Thursday - What is blowing up my iPod

It's Thursday and it's been a tough week.  Juggling family, work, training, blogging and the holidays...it's a stretch to get everything in.  As a result, some things get left by the wayside, like my blogging.  I've been missing it, but have had no energy this week to post.  My apologies.  I still need to recap my training from last week, a BIG week for me.  But I digress...

Today is Thursday where I feature a "jam" for the week, a song that gets my booty bumping and my legs pumping.  Today's "jam" is a song that I'd been listening and rocking out to long before it hit the airwaves.  I love the DJ and I like/listen to almost every song on this album.  The singer/rapper on this track have had their share of controversy for sure, but I can't help but love the hits that Chris Brown releases.  The next Michael Jackson he's not, but he definitely gets me moving when his songs come on!

So without further ado, I present todays "jam":

I Can Only Imagine by David Guetta (feat. Chris Brown)

This song has always been one where it gets me moving and I totally rock out to it.  When ever it comes on the radio or my iPod I turn the volume up.  It's got a great beat and gets you moving when you feel sluggish, that is why I normally put this song towards the end of my playlist when need driving beats to help me going.  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Thursday

Usually my Thursdays are about music and what "Jam" is blowing up my iPod, but today is a special day where the focus is on family and giving thanks.

I am thankful for my family and my husband who are infinite sources of encouragement and love.  I would not be here if it weren't for them.  I am also thankful for each and everyone of you, not just because you share a part of my world by supporting and reading my blog.  But because you are important and loved very much by people in your life.  You give them the hope, love and support they need, even if you don't realize your contributions.  

So today on the day we give thanks, I wish you a wonderful day for you and your family.

  source

Race Recap: Mustache Dache 5K

Saturday November 17th I ran in the 1st Annual Seattle Mustache Dache.  It's a 5K race to benefit Movember, aimed to raise money for awareness and treatment for Prostate Cancer.  This is DEFINITELY a fun way to get people moving and involved in a cause, by making the source of the fundraising jovial and light.  EVERYONE was encouraged to wear mustaches during the race and festivities, costumes were highly encouraged!  I'm never one to intentionally draw attention to myself, but for some reason I really wanted to dress up in costume for the run, I felt compelled for some reason.

I LOVED the bib design!  Wasn't it just so much fun!?!

I was especially excited about this race because I was getting to meet up with some local blogger ladies, some again and most for the first time!  It is always so intriguing to meet people in real life whom you only know through words on a page.  See their characteristics, their demeanor, how they carry themselves and how they treat others.  People watching is very interesting to me, though they were probably thinking I was stand-offish.  But I digress.

The rain held off for the morning which was nice because most of where the race route was would be through mud and fields, that could have made for a pretty nasty run.  This fun run could have easily turned into a Mud Run! HA!  I wore a costume that had a fun mustache that conveniently clipped to my nose and miraculously did not fall off when I ran!

 

There was quite a lot of people at the race, the start area was PACKED with people! It was crazy!!

 

Fun touches were all over the place.  From the signs to the mechanical bull, to the giant hairy 5 foot long mustache you could pose with, it was just a fun time!

The race was fairly flat, some dips and low grade inclines, but nothing bad at all.  The terrain was a bit muddy in spots, but it kept mostly to a trail that was either paved or a rocky walk way.  There was one HUGE bottle neck about .5 miles in where everyone screeched to a stop and walked for a bit because the trail had narrowed so much it was only two by two space across that part of the trail.  I think that messed with a bunch of people's times!

 There were some great costumes.

And some non-existent costumes.  Was his made out of invisible thread?

I kept a pretty even pace and just enjoyed myself.  I was treating this as a fun run, but running up to speed as much as I could, I certainly wasn't racing this.  I think I would have been more full out if I was racing this for sure, but I was mostly just taking in the fun aspects of the run and enjoying a new trail/route I've never been on before.  It was quite nice.  Then as I was getting closer to the finish I pushed it just a bit more, I wanted to stop, but I was SO CLOSE.  So I pushed on, then as I was approaching the finish line, I saw the photographers taking those horrible finish line pictures.  

These were my pictures from the finish, they aren't stellar, but then again when are race pictures good.  They were free to download (yay!) and the first time I'll actually have race pictures on a race recap, go figure.  Oh and what was my costume?  Why...I was the Swedish Chef!

 

This was approaching the finish line.

 

See the intense look on my face!  I was determined to finish strong, I wasn't going to stop for anything.

Not even for a smile!  I just look confused here though.

 

At the finish, all sweaty (sorry, I mean glistening) holding my finish line Refuel chocolate milk (my recovery fave!) and a box of Zico coconut water (not pictured, but another of my recovery faves!).  I got people commenting on my costume throughout the whole time at the race, all positive but not quite getting who I was until the very end when a guy standing there with his kids took one look at me and said "Swedish Chef!".  I thanked him and told him he was the only one who'd guessed right the entire day.  Too funny.

All the bloggers had met up again at the end to talk a bit about the race and most were getting together for brunch.  I didn't want to intrude on their gathering so I headed home to watch the UW Football game (which they won, just in case you were curious).  But not before we took a great picture!

Borrowed from Sarah's Twitter

It was really great meeting all these ladies, I felt empowered by them, humbled by their accomplishments and motivated to go after my own goals.  These ladies are great and I hope to get to know them better in the future!

The real shocker of the day came when I got home and checked the results.  My time had been posted online already, boy they were fast putting those up!  This was my first 5K since my last one in April where my official time had been 40:47.  When I checked my time I was so excited I was jumping up and down, literally!  My official time for this 5K was 35:31, not only did I PR, but I beat my previous time by 5 minutes and 16 seconds!  WOOHOO!!!  SO STOKED!  Not only did I have fun running this race, but I also brought home a PR, that makes this race a win-win in my book!

I was skeptical at first about running this race and I did it only because there was a coupon deal for the entry (and I was going to meet up with some great blogger ladies), but I think I'm sold on this race.  The race was put together really well, the location was beautiful, the vendors were awesome and the theme couldn't have been more fun.  It encouraged people to have fun and be silly, what's not to love.  Would I run this race again?  Heck yeah I would!  And I would encourage anyone else I could to sign up for it as well, it was just that much fun!

Momentum Monday: Drop the guilt

Hello Monday...we meet again.  Anyone else have terrible sleep like me last night?  Not fitfull but so light that I feel like I didn't sleep at all.  Oh well. 

This week is a short week for many of us with Thanksgiving on Thursday and most businesses closed on Friday (not mine, I'll be doing my Black Friday shopping then going straight to work. I know...Black Friday shopping, don't judge, you do it too.)  This week is usually packed at work full of things to do and get accomplished before everyone leaves for the holiday, making this week that much more stressful for all.

Then we get to Thanksgiving and most of us go on autopilot with our eating.  Grazing during the day on snacks sitting out while watching football, extra helpings of your favorite dish(es) during the big dinner thinking "hey, I only get this once a year, I can have more", indulging in dessert(s) even when your belly is already stuffed full of the dinner feast and promptly falling asleep due to our food induced comas.  Then the next day we get a giant old helping of...

guilt.

Why did I eat all that?  Why did I have more stuffing and gravy?  Did I really eat a quarter of the pumpkin pie...WITH whipped cream?  Ugh... 

It's the same song and dance we tend to do every year, we are excited and happy and social on this day of Giving Thanks, then we inevitably have the day of Feeling Guilty afterwards.  Vicious cycle, no?  How about we change it up a bit and do something for ourselves to keep our day of guilt as a day of Thanksgivings past.

If you know yourself, like I know myself, I will indulge on this day, not to the extent I illustrated above, but I will eat things I normally would not.  So my plan is to make my run a bit longer on Thanksgiving morning to help curb my feelings of guilt on Friday.  I will rise earlier and add another mile or two to my scheduled run for that day so I will not feel guilt about eating these items and not doing my job to exercise.  So that is why today's Momentum Monday is this:

I'm not saying that you should reward yourself with food (I believe in rewarding yourself with other things so you don't attach triumph to food products), I am saying that your reward for working out that day or adding just a bit more to your normal workout is to let yourself not feel guilty for having this short lived indulgence.  Leave the guilt on the road when you run, on the floor of the gym where you lift, on the mat where you did yoga or wherever you worked out that day.  Allow yourself to enjoy your workout and enjoy the holiday goodies, and kick the guilt to the curb.

End of Week 7 Half Marathon training

Well it is the end of week 7 of my training and it's crazy to think that Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday and then the end of November.  Where did this month go?  These weeks, which seemed like they would go on forever, seem to be flying by and I can't do anything but hang on and try to enjoy the ride. 

This week's training was hampered by the visit of shark week, so my runs were not as consistent as I would have liked them to be.  Let's take a look at the schedule:

Tuesday: 30 minute run/walk
Thursday: 30 minute run/walk
Friday: 6 mile long run

As I had mentioned in my previous week's training recap, I was signed up for a 5K on Saturday, so I switched my mileage from 6 miles to 3 miles to keep consistent with what my schedule had going on.

So Tuesdays run was scrapped completely, the sharks were invading and I could barely walk let along try to go on a run.  Boo hiss...I wonder if I'll ever get a Tuesday run in during my training.  So far I'm 1 for 6.

Then Thursday was much better and I went on a run with my work ladies at our usual spot.  It was a chilly one, but we bundled up and headed out on the trail.  NONE of us were feeling this run and we were all struggling to keep a good pace.  We were supposed to do intervals, but my acid reflux had flared up a few days before and I wanted to keep this run nice and even.  So we just decided to run and let our bodies decide the pace.  The three of us ended up taking the lead during the three miles and it was nice to have someone pushing the pace.  By the last mile we were pushing the pace much harder than I thought we were and finished that mile in 10:41!!  That is probably the fastest mile I've ever had and it felt AWESOME!  Needless to say, this run was a good one!

Saturday was my 5K, I was running the 1st annual Mustache Dache with a group of local Seattle blogger ladies.  It was costumes and mustaches galore and a fun time to boot!  I'll save the details for my recap in a couple of days, but just to give you a tidbit of information, it was a big day for me in my timing!  It was a fun run and I treated it as such, though knowing what my timing was, I wonder if I raced it what my time would actually be.  Hhhhmmm...guess only time will tell, considering I'm running the Jingle Bell Dash 5K in 3 weeks, (my raceiversary) we'll see how I do when I put my racing mojo to work!

So that is it for me.  This week was less than stellar, but I got out and did the work, ran my butt off and had a great time with friends, old and new!  Now the focus on this week is HUGE because Turkey Day is on Thursday, I think I may run a couple miles more on Thursday, just so I can have a big helping of stuffing! :)

End of Week 6 Half Marathon training

Thought I would do a bit of a catch up on my training from the past two weeks, since last week I was on hiatus.  A lot and not a lot had happened during the previous weeks training, so let's break it down, shall we?

Week 6 training schedule looked like this:

Tuesday:  30 minute run/walk
Thursday: 30 minute run/walk
Saturday: 3 miles

Last week was RI-DICU-LOUS at work and I just didn't have a lot of time to do anything else but work.  Tuesday was a fail, I didn't get out to run, I was at work until almost 7pm (I start at 6:15am) and I just couldn't do it.

Wednesday I signed up for a class at Flywheel Seattle - SLU, they were holding a charity ride to help raise money for the American Red Cross efforts with Storm Sandy.  It was the first time I had taken a class from Tommy and man, did he kick my butt!!!  I was so woosie from such a hard workout when I left, that when I got into my car I scarfed down the free bag of Popchips and banana I had picked up at Flywheel and guzzled all of my water.  Needless to say I had to chill in my car for a couple of minutes before I could drive home!  Well played Tommy, well played.

Thursday my friend Danielle was up for a run and with a meet up time of 5:30 it forced me to stop working to go run.  We headed over to Myrtle Edwards and did a 5K loop.  It. Was. COLD!  Brrr...my toes were frozen for most of the run (I need to get some warmer socks!!), but it was a good run.  We had fun just talking and working on this distance.  We will be running the Jingle Bell Dash on December 9th and want to have a good finish time for this 5K, so during our short runs during the week we are concentrating on speed!  We finished in 38 minutes, not great, but not bad, something to work on.

Saturday was my long run day, on the schedule was 3 miles.  I decided to switch my days because I was signed up for a 5K on the 17th (which is the next Saturday) so I switched the mileage and decided to take on 6 miles.  I was running with Danielle around Lake Union which is conveniently 6 miles.  She was only running 5 miles that day, so we decided that we would start together and that when we got to 5 miles, she would stop and walk the rest of the way and I would continue on for the last mile.
The first couple of miles was the challenge, it was so tough, for both of us.  Our bodies were just not having it, but we pushed on and ran and ran and ran.  I never really got into a rhythm at all during the run.  I did try a new fuel Honey Stinger Chews, they were okay, I'm going to write a review about them later.

We got to the point where we split and I took on the last mile on my own, it was hard but not as hard as I thought it would be.  My pace stayed the same instead of slowing down and I made it to the end point much quicker than I thought I would, but I also was in trouble.  I needed to find a bathroom...and FAST!  This was the first time I had encountered that extremely urgent need to find a bathroom and all the businesses around there were closed, there was no where to go and I had no idea how long it would take Danielle to catch up to me.  Her house is just a block away and I needed to get there...NOW!  She caught up and we walked to her place and I asked to use her bathroom and proceeded to punish it.  Gross I know, I lit a candle in her bathroom for her, it was bad, but I'm glad that I had a place to go because I never would have made it home if I'd driven right afterward.

Me after my 6 miles.  Good, but spent!  Those were probably the best 6 miles I'd run ever, despite my body rebelling against the run.  The other times I'd attempted 6 miles were during 10K races and I always ended up walking a lot more and feeling bad about my time.  This time we stuck to our 9:1 run/walk ratio and it worked really well (that damn one minute walk is so short!!), we got through the mileage quicker than I thought we would and I felt great afterward, well except for the whole bathroom thing.

This next week would be much easier, same schedule but 3 miles for my long run day, a 5K race, woohoo!!   That's it for now!

"The Jam" Thursday - What is blowing up my iPod

It's Thursday and technically my Friday as tomorrow is my day off and beginning of my three day weekend (I know, you can start hating me now, done? Okay, let's proceed.).  On Saturday I'll be running with some local Seattle bloggers at the Mustache Dache in Magnuson Park and I'm so excited to get out and run the course with these fantastic ladies.  Hopefully I can keep up, they are all MUCH faster than I am!  It will be fun to recap that later.

Today is one of my fun days on here where I feature "The Jam" of the week.  These are songs that get my booty bumping and my legs pumping.  Today's song is a common summer staple on the Top 40 radio channels and was released about 5 years ago.  I can't help but turn the volume up the moment I hear the first beats of the song playing.  I'm instantly smiling and bopping my head around, getting into the music.  It's fun and sassy, two things I like to say I am (you be the judge) and I always have fun with this song.

So today I present:

Whine Up - Kat DeLuna

This is a fun song that always blows up my iPod, especially when I'm running.  I get some good energy and have fun with my run while listening.  I hope you enjoy this song and it helps propel you with good energy through your weekend.  Whether you are racing, resting or have a long run planned with your besties, get out there and enjoy your time.  Whether it is with your family, friends or some quality by yourself, enjoy this time to focus and regroup, the holidays are coming and we all need as much sanity as we can muster!

Have a great Thursday!

Time: Friend or Foe?

Time can be a fickle thing.  We may think we have plenty of it, only to watch it slip right through our fingers and we hadn't accomplished anything yet.  Other times we feel like we don't have enough and then come to find out, we had more than could ever have been wished for.

Work got insane for me almost a month ago and hasn't really let down since.  I work until past my time to leave almost every night and come back in the morning feeling like I hadn't gotten anything done the day before.  The piles of work still keeps growing and I feel like I'm drowning in work.  It invades my dreams and I wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something that hasn't been done.

The extra time spent at work has effected my home life as well; like you didn't already know that.  I'm at home for a couple short hours before I have to be in bed to start the whole cycle again.  The stressful time at work should help me sleep, but I find my sleep more fitfull then before.  I also don't get quality time with my hubby (our opposite schedules don't help the situation either), and it has taken a toll on both of us emotionally and physically.  The absence of your partner takes a toll on your body for sure.

The stress of work also kept me from my love of blogging and being "plugged in" to social media.  I was hardly ever on Twitter or Facebook and I didn't even get one post up all week.  I felt like I had let myself down.  I appreciate everyone who comes here and reads my posts, as this is catharsis for me and having the ability to share with others makes me happy.  That happiness dimmed a bit this past week and I'm desperately trying to claw my way back in.

The extra time at work has taken a toll on my workouts as well.  Staying late doesn't give me much time to get my runs in and it bugs me to no end, considering running is what I do to help get through stress and shake it off.  The fact that I'm adding more stress and neglecting the very thing that helps to mitigate it to my body has really effected me and I hate it.

Now we are getting into the holiday season where time doesn't feel like sand running through your fingers, but rather like water.  It goes SO fast and we are constantly trying to shove more things into our schedules during this time, no wonder we all get so frazzled.  We drink too much coffee because we aren't getting enough sleep, we overeat because we give in to all the temptations and treats around us, we indulge in lots of high calorie beverages (alcohol especially) during the numerous social gatherings we squeeze into our already hectic schedule.  It's a wonder we make it through this time of year in one piece!

With all this coming up and all that we will inevitably face through the end of the year, how much time will you spend that you wish you would have spent on something more beneficial, rather than the holiday rat race? 

For me, I will work on my time management to turn off my computer earlier and get that extra snuggle time with my hubby.  I will work on setting time limitations at work so that I can leave on time each day and continue with my training schedule for my half marathon.  I will be more cognizant of what I put into my body so that I enjoy the holiday in moderation and not be angry with myself for adding extra "jolly" weight.

Time may not be on our sides, but we can certainly do all we can to maximize what time we do have available. 

Momentum Monday: Give It!

Hello everyone! Welcome to Monday!  It was a long week last week and I took an unexpected hiatus from blogging (more to come later on that), but I am back now for today's Momentum Monday!

This past week brought on many road blocks and confidence sinkers at work and in life for me.  Lots of issues and challenges to face with waining confidence and even less energy to fight.  Regardless of what life brought me in the way of pressure, defiance and doubt, I countered with patience, understanding and strength.  You may not be at your best every single moment of your life, but how you choose to present yourself at your lowest point reveals your character.

 

source

I was not at my best with my workouts last week, but I brought it.  I may not have been at the top of my game at work last week, but I served it.  I may have let life go on the backburner a bit last week as well, but I went after it.  It may not have been my best, but I don't regret a moment of it because I gave 100% of what I had.

That is why today's Momentum Monday was something I had to share, especially now that we are heading straight into the holidays where life gets a bit more hectic, work and home life is scattered all over the calendar with parties and gatherings galore.  We need to face each day with patience, understanding and strength because each day will be different and will test your wills.  So whatever your 100% is or looks like, give it and don't hold back.  You may just be that sparkle of hope or confidence for someone else, even if you aren't feeling like you are giving it your all.

End of Week 5 Half Marathon Training

Week 5 come and gone already?  Strange how the weeks are passing so quickly!  That means I only have 16 weeks to the day left until the race.  HOLY COW!!!  4 months exactly from today I'll be running my first half marathon.  ::shaking my head::  Nope...no, I can't think about it right now, too overwhelming.

So let's talk about my progress this week...or rather the lack thereof.  This was probably my worst week of running yet.  My training for this week was as follows:

Tuesday:  Run for 30 minutes
Thursday: Run for 30 minutes
Saturday: 5 mile long run

Okay, no biggie, I can get this done right?  Wrong!

Tuesday I was meeting up with some lovely local blogging ladies for "Fly by Night" at Flywheel Seattle.  It was my first time there and I was really nervous.  But that totally trumped the fact that I got to meet the lovely Stacie of Skipping In Seattle, Sarah of Sarah the Fit Foodie and meeting again the sweet Lauren of Marathon Lar.  These ladies go to Flywheel on a regular basis and were kind enough to let me tag along!  Fly by Night is a night class where there are two instructors "dueling" and they usually involve a theme.  Since this one was on 10/30, I'll give you two guesses what the theme was...and the first two guesses don't count!

Taken from Flywheel Seattle's Facebook page

It was so much fun and I was a sweaty mess afterward!  Thanks ladies for keeping me motivated and having a great time!

 Borrowed from Sarah's Instagram

Pictured: Rachel, Me, Lar, Sarah and Stacie

However since I knew I was going to be doing this ride, I decided to forego the run and use this as my training for the day.  Okay, no biggie.

Then Thursday rolled around.  I was going to run the last Road Runner Sports Adventure runs for the year, but as I was heading out the door that morning my running bag did not make it out with me.  Damn it.  Okay, no worries, I'll just run around home when I get off work.  So I got home and relaxed a bit (the week had been a bit of a doozy) and the time started passing before I'd realized, I never made it out the door.  I felt so bad and mad at myself for letting a run go without getting out there.

So I was determined to get out on Saturday for my long run and get my 5 miles.  I'd been invited to a local blogger meetup and I was finally going to meet some of the amazing women I've been reading/following along with their blogs for months, even a year.  Then I began reading the pace they were going to take the run at the meetup and got scared.  I can't run that fast and I didn't want to look like an idiot, so I chickened out and didn't go.  Maybe next time I'll get the courage to go out and run with these amazing women!

At the same time though my friend Danielle and her friend Erica were going to run Myrtle Edwards, so I joined in their run.  They were only going to do 4 miles, so I figured I would run an extra mile after they were done.  It was blissfully cool and not windy at all long the water, overcast and perfect for running.  We set off and found a good rhythm.  We talked about races and training and what we would be training for next.  It was really nice to have a couple of people to run with, the conversation was great!  We hit our turnaround point and headed back.  The funny thing is that the two miles back seemed a whole lot shorter than the two miles out.  Before we knew it, we were at the end of the four miles and I was feeling good, REALLY GOOD!  I said goodbye to the ladies and continued on with my last mile.  That was a blur to me, I don't even remember that extra mile, I was just trucking along lost in my mind.  Then before I knew it, I was back at my car!  

5 miles?  I STOMPED YOU!!! 

I felt AMAZING!  The run was easier and I felt like I could keep going even after I'd hit my 5 miles. I barely walked at all, we did a 9:1 sequence where you run 9 minutes and walk 1 minute.  It was great, the mileage seemed to fly by and I wasn't as fatigued as I usually am.  It's a HUGE difference from when I ran my last 10K and by mile 4 I was mostly walking with some running breaks.  It was the most amazing feeling and I'm in awe at what my body is able to accomplish.  This run is just fueling the fire for me to keep going and keep on with my training.  I see that it's working, I feel that it's working and I believe that in 16 weeks, I'll be ready for that race.

Tuesday better watch out because I'm gonna attack that run like nobody's business!!!

"The Jam" Thursday - What is blowing up my iPod

Thursday...I'm so glad you're here.  Tomorrow is a day off for me and I'm REALLY looking forward to sleeping in!  That being said, that means today is my Friday and I've got a fun "jam" for you today.

There are times when you are just starting your run or race and you're not quite ready for the music that is "pop"-ish or pumping.  You need something a bit more gritty and pace pushing to get you going.  This song on my list came on at just that point, just as I was starting out and I needed something to push the pace.  This song really got down and helped get me to a pace that I was wanting where I could push even harder.

Today's "jam" is an oldie but goodie, I present:

Enter Sandman - Metallica 

I know metal music might not be everyone's forte, and hell, the music I usually feature is the farthest thing from metal.  There is just something about this song that gets in and pushes you, pushes the pace and really gets your legs pumping.  I never would have guessed it if I hadn't experienced it myself, it really does a good job at pushing you!  So enjoy and more importantly, enjoy the ride!