Category Archives: Daily Life!

Packing is Hard

Daily Life!, Running, , , , ,

So I started finally packing my race weekend bag last night… And I must say, it’s hard to pack for a race when the temperatures could be anywhere from 40-60 degrees and there’s a good chance for thunderstorms.

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From left to right, I compiled a cold outfit, a medium temp outfit, and a ‘holy crap it’s hot’ outfit. If you look closely, you can see a sleepy puppy that was no help at all in this process.

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Mr. Mac was a lazy boy last night! Anywho, I’m hoping I’ll be wearing my medium temps outfit: Lululemon running crops and tank top. This will be the comfiest for me. But I know I’m not in charge of the weather that day, so I’m prepared to adapt to whatever the Little Rock meteorologists say!

Due to the rain in the forecast , I’m also packing a hat with a brim to keep the rain out of my eyes, lots of Aquaphor! (for obvious chafing reasons!), and plenty of trash bags and ziploc bags to go around. This girl doesn’t mess around when it comes to being prepared, so I’m ready to rock this potentially rainy first marathon! 🙂

I got in my last scheduled run this morning despite sleeping past my alarm a bit. Oops!

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I did this run at a nice easy pace. It was definitely more for my peace of mind than anything else! The whole time I was trying to focus on my stride and how I wanted to run during the race. I was completely at peace by the time I arrived home, so I think that’s a good sign. I’m not sure what this 26.2 will bring, but I do know that I’ve done everything I can to be as successful as possible.

Tonight I’ll be focusing on finishing packing my bag and packing Mac’s bag for the weekend. Luckily, he’s not difficult. Food, a toy, and his bed is all he needs to be happy!

Nick and I will be finalizing our travel plans, and I’m hoping he’ll be the world’s best navigator for me. I will drive us on Saturday and he will drive us back on Sunday. But he will also do all the driving to the start line on Sunday morning. The stress!! I’m praying that this is much simpler than I’m anticipating. And if we get desperate, he can drop me off and go hunt for a spot farther away. Post-race pics with my giant medal will be the most important thing anyways! 🙂

I’m off to get some of my packing done before Jazzercise at 6:45. I’m thankful that during this stressful week, I still can go and dance with my awesome Jazzer ladies! Have a great night, everyone!

Carbs & Anxiety

Daily Life!, Running, , ,

Happy Tuesday!! I hope you’re having a great day.

The last couple of days when I’ve written, I’ve been avoiding the big topic of the week: my first marathon. It’s a big deal and lots of last minute preparation is going on. But I’m trying to not talk about it too much – simply because I’m trying to remain calm and not go crazy by writing out every last detail I have planned for the weekend. Now, with that being said, my attitude will most likely change. And if you wake up tomorrow with a new post from me that outlines everything for the Little Rock Marathon, I apologize in advance. 🙂

Breakfast

Breakfast today was a little more fun than normal thanks to chia seeds!

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I added this little packet of chia to my morning oatmeal, and it was awesome! It added a nice flavor and thickened up the oatmeal perfectly.

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I felt accomplished for the day after reading the nutrition facts on the chia seeds. Those little seeds pack some powerful nutrients!

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And while we’re on the topic of food, my dinner last night was pretty fab as well.

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I was near a Chipotle, so I decided I could get a fairly healthy and delicious meal to take home. So I opted for this massive chicken burrito bowl! And it tasted as amazing as it looks. I loaded it with brown rice, black beans, fajita veggies, grilled chicken, corn salsa, and guacamole! It was amazing and I felt like a stuffed piggy by the time I threw in the towel a few bites near the bottom of the bowl.

I was reading about race week nutrition on Active.com, and I came across one article that really stuck with me. It said that the week of your race is the time when you really need to care for your body. You’ve spent months sculpting it into a lean running machine. So this is the week to flood your system with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and nutrients for muscle repair. And this burrito bowl was awesome in that respect! Brown rice, beans, veggies, and chicken… All superfoods to help our bodies be strong and repair muscles after exercise. I rarely splurge on eating out during the week, but this week just seems worth it! 🙂

So other than fueling my body with lots of good food and carbs, my only other main anxiety factor is the weather. Why must the weather always be against me?! My first half marathon was run in frigid temps with wind gusts of 40 mph. And now the forecast for Little Rock is around 40 degrees and rainy. Can I not get a race in 50 degree temps with partly cloudy skies? So I’ll be weather watching all week in hopes of the forecast changing to be slightly warmer with no rain. I’m going to be optimistic as long as I can!

Send me your positive thoughts as I prepare for my first marathon this weekend. This Type-A girl needs to take a chill pill and know that everything will be ok!

Have a great day, everyone!!

Chili Weekend

Daily Life!, Jazzercise, , , ,

Hey everyone! I’m back! I just woke up from my Sunday afternoon catnap and realized I hadn’t written since Wednesday. Oops! But all is well. Busy lives just never seem to get less busy. 🙂

The end of my week was filled with work and Jazzercise. I was just anxious for the weekend to arrive! Nick and I had plans to attend the Sertoma Chili Cookoff at the Expo center in downtown Springfield on Saturday afternoon! I couldn’t wait for lots of chili in my tummy!

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I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to get in my last long run before the marathon next weekend. 10 miles flew by, and I was headed off to sub a 9:30 Jazzercise class before I knew it. I taught to a full room of 13 ladies with tons of energy, and it felt great! Maybe the 50 degree temps and sunshine had something to do with it?

Anyways, between the run and class I had carved a nice big calorie deficit just waiting to be filled with chili. After a shower, Nick and I headed downtown to let the chili tasting begin!

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Mmmm, chili. 🙂 We tasted about 10 different kinds before Nick threw in the towel. I had room for a few more bites! It was a crazy environment though. And we didn’t hang out too much longer.

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People everywhere!! We could barely make it from one side of the expo center to the other because of the Huge crowd. It was intense. But we still had a great time seeing friends and sampling chili from local restaurants and businesses. My favorite was from Dublin’s Pass – a local Irish pub. They didn’t win, but I definitely went back for several extra samples from their booth!

Overall, it was a good time! The only down side? Dealing with chili overload today. Our stomachs were not happy with us this morning!

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After the cookoff, we went by Ultramax (a local running store) to grab some last minute supplies for next weekend. By the time we were done shopping, we were ready for some real food! It was 4 pm and I hadn’t had a real meal yet for the day. So we stopped by a fresh and healthy Asian restaurant called Koriya. I got the crispy shrimp bowl in the picture and it was delish!

It was full of rice, veggies, and tempura shrimp. I loved it! This restaurant is on the opposite side of town from us, so I’m not sure how often we’ll go back. But I think it’s worth the trip. They have an awesome menu with lots of healthy options!

Tonight I’m just trying to get a rough list together of everything I want to pack for next weekend. The Little Rock marathon is one week from today! By this time in the evening, we should be arriving home. 🙂 I’m so excited!!!!

Have a great evening everyone. Enjoy the last few hours of your weekend, and I’ll talk to you later!