Minneapolis-Star-Tribune-runningkellometers

Erin at Loop Looks tagged me to answer some ABC questions so I thought I would oblige!

A. Attached or Single?

Attached. Been married for 3 years!

B. Best Friend?
I'd have to say my cousin. I don't have any sisters and neither does she. We are the same age (born 2 months apart) so we are natural besties (even though I'm sure we drive each other crazy sometimes). She is the closest thing I've ever known to a sister.

Additionally I think you all probably know who my best running friend is Maggie. We were around the same pace (at least, my pre-pregnancy pace), we would dress alike without even realizing it, and she is probably one of the best people that I've ever met off of the internet. :)

C. Cake or pie?
Cake please! [Red velvet] Cupcakes preferred.

D. Day of choice?

I like Saturdays best. They are usually my most productive day of the week and I can stay up as late as I want! Although these days, I can barely make it past 10pm.

E. Essential Item?

Hmm, that is a tough one. I don't really know what to say here. Comfy shoes?

F. Favorite color?

Green, any shade.

G. Gummy bears or worms?

Bears. I don't like the dual flavor combos of the worms.

H. Home town?

Oak Lawn, IL

I. Favorite Indulgence?
During this precnancy it has been donuts. I haven't had a donut in years and then I found them quite delicious and delightful when I needed to add an extra 300 calories per day to my diet. :) Not to mention, I discovered specialty bakeries as well. DD just doesn't do it for me.

J. January or July?

My birthday is in January so I think that's what I'll go with! :)

K. Kids?
If you're new here, I have one on the way!

L. Life isn't complete without?

Dessert. Period.

M. Marriage date?

June 12, 2010

N. Number of brothers/sisters?
2 brothers

O. Oranges or Apples?

Do I really have to choose? I love them both for very different reasons. I made the switch to organic apples a few months back and I can never go back to regular apples ever again. So delicious! Oranges are a bit of commitment fruit. You have to commit the time and energy to peel it, and then sometimes the insides are not sweet enough or kind of gross and then you are disappointed (with some very sticky hands). But when an orange is good, it is totally worth it.

P. Phobias?

I don't know if I have any real phobias. There are several things I don't like such as mice, ants, bees, running in the heat, other people's stray hairs... Have I grossed you out yet? Because I think I might go throw up.

Q. Quotes?

I've been a big fan of quoting Napoleon Dynamite lately. Perhaps it is because I haven't seen the movie in a long time and I recently remembered how much it makes me laugh. There is just something about it. "Do the chickens have large talons?"

R. Reasons to smile?

Every time the baby kicks, I can't help but smile. Even if it kicking my bladder when I have to go to the bathroom or painfully kicking my ribs... makes me smile every. damn. time. :)

S. Season of choice?

I love the spring time. It is great temps for running PRs, I get to bring out all the bright colored clothes that have been dormant all winter, flowers are blooming, and I get to enjoy some nice temps before the retched summer heat kicks in.

T. Tag 5 People

I usually don't do this but what the heck... If you don't feel like filling this out, I would totally understand.

Maggie @ Mag Mile Runner

Amanda @ Get To Goal

Amanda @ Too Tall Fritz

Stephanie @ Run For Fun

Kim @ Ilax Studio

U. Unknown fact about me?

I loved studying anthropology in college. I wanted to switch my major and spend my years digging in Central America. My mom laughed when I told her about the switch and said there is no way that is happening. So I got my degree in business, and I think it is a better fit for me in the end.

V. Vegetable?

Do sweet potato fries and onion rings count? Salads still sound pretty gross to me in this pregnancy. Probably not a good thing. Oops.

W. Worst habit?

I still bite my nails occasionally. I know it is a really gross habit. I stop for periods of time but then, I just can't help myself. It is probably how people feel about smoking.

X. X-ray or Ultrasound?

ULTRASOUNDS ARE THE COOLEST!! I never officially posted it on the blog, but if you want to see Baby's ultrasound photos, check out the "About Me" section. I have the 10, 12, and 20 week ultrasound photos posted. :)

Y. Your favorite food?

Mmmm, delicious, greasy pizza

Pizza. NOM NOM NOM

Z. Zodiac sign?

I’m a Capricorn.

1) I had a really fun time meeting Anne this past weekend. Our in-laws both have cottages in Michigan and it was (strangely enough) easier for us to meet up in Michigan than in Illinois. We had plans to meet at this cute old time soda shop that also sold ice cream but when we arrived, they were randomly closed. Not to worry, we looked up a local Dairy Queen to walk to and still got ourselves some delicious ice cream. :) I love meeting bloggers in real life after you feel like you already know them from the internet. It is kind of weird yet cool all at the same time. One of the many reasons I love having my blog is all of the wonderful people I have met as a result. :)


2) This "30 signs you're almost 30" article from BuzzFeed has been making its way around the internet this week. Being 29 myself, lots of these things really hit home. Click on the link if you haven't done so already. My favorites were #3, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, and soon to be #30.


3) I continue to be annoyed with pregnancy healthy food and snacking advice. I'm reminded weekly (if not more often) on the various baby apps that I have about what I should be eating and how I should be fueling. The most recent one included some tips on how to avoid ordering pizza and how to make a healthy alternative at home with an english muffin. Um, sorry but if I want pizza, I'm going to be ordering pizza. I did that before I was pregnant so why would I change now? Everything in moderation, just as in life.

What are some of your random thoughts this Thursday?

Now that the exam is over and my work life is back to a more regular schedule, I'm looking forward to my first real week "back." I seemed to have missed the unseasonably warm temperatures and I know I need to get used to running in the dark, frigid cold. The last 3 or 4 times I've brought my gym bag to the office, things have come up and I have not been able to go and workout. Today, I am vowing to get my run on, even if it is on the dreadmill.

Today The Clymb is having a deal on Oiselle clothes. If you have been wanting to try their stuff, this is a great chance to get something at a discount. Added plus, they arrive in time for Christmas (hint hint, to spouses).

I have a serious case of FWP today. I signed up for the Daily Mile Secret Santa and I can't decide what to get the person I've been assigned. I'm probably over-thinking it, but I just cannot decide what to get! I have to decide soon since the gifts need to be mailed out by Wednesday next week. Are you participating in the Daily Mile Secret Santa? Are you having the same issues as me?

And now, I'm going to be focused on training for the F^3 Half Marathon on January 26. I probably couldn't go out and run a half marathon this weekend, but I know I have plenty of time to get my fitness level where it needs to be. I am going to try to PR so we will see how that goes. Plenty of time, right? :)

Since every post needs a photo, here is a picture of Pepper, getting into the Christmas spirit. (If you follow me on Instagram, this is old news.)

This week has been quite busy. I've been a bad blogger, a bad wife, a bad runner, but a very busy bee at the office. My job is cyclical and right now is our "busy season." I worked an 11 hour day on Monday and a 12 hour day on Tuesday. Wednesday was better and I was able to leave at a reasonable hour, thankfully. When I haven't been working, I've been studying or sleeping. I'm behind on all my TV shows and I'm hoping that things slow down next week (like I'm expecting they will). I'm even hoping to take a vacation day on Friday.

Since I was able to leave on-time yesterday, I got in my first run for the week. I've been so stressed out and overwhelmed it felt good to get out there and just RUN. My plan was 4 miles in this one loop around my neighborhood. I don't know if my Garmin distance was off or I was just having one of those "I LOVE RUNNING" kind of days, but it felt great! I didn't really have a plan before setting out. My pace was quicker than an easy run but slower than a temp. Now that I don't have a coach and am not really specifically training for anything, I have to come up with a better plan before leaving the house. That will start next week, when things aren't so crazy...

I ran with my handheld (standard) and drank Zipfizz during the run for the first time. It didn't upset my stomach. (yay!) I always get excited when I take something during a run that doesn't upset my stomach. If you're interested in trying Zipfizz, I'm hosting a giveaway! You have until Sunday, August 26 to enter. Click here for more details!

As I said in my Liebster post, I've been loving the flavor orange this summer. It is familiar, simple, and I like to keep the flavor consistent across drinks/chews during a run. I recently organized my runner junk drawer and realized I have a few varieties of orange flavored stuff.

Do you have a favorite flavor that you like to stick to? Or do you have an iron stomach where you're okay with anything?

This weekend we're heading to my husband's family cottage in Michigan. I've done plenty of runs up there this summer, but none longer than 6 miles. This weekend I'm going to attempt an 11 miler with my friend Kate S and I've already planned out the route. I've never done this route before so it should be fun! I love getting in a run while on vacation! Gotta balance out all the drinks and snacks we'll be consuming the same weekend...

Now that the "seal" has been broken, workouts before work don't seem that bad. My body was sore from the Warrior Dash on Sunday so I took Monday as a rest day. Tuesday I got up at 4:15am and did my speedwork before the sun came up. I gotta admit, it made that last set seem better to be in the light, having started my workout in the dark. (Usually it is the other way around.) Days where I run before work always seem to be more productive days. It was pretty humid out there so my splits were a smidgen slower than I would have liked but I still tried hard and the 2nd split was faster than the 1st. I gotta say, I feel like I am slowly but surely getting acclimated to the heat. I read that it takes 10-14 days out in the elements to become acclimated to them. I've run in the heat less than 10 times but I feel like I'm getting better at it. (With a goal half in July, I guess I don't really have a choice but to acclimate...)

The main reason why I did my workout before work yesterday was that softball season started last night. I'm in a 16" co-ed recreational league with co-workers and former co-workers. As we all work within the final industry, we try to come up with a catchy team name. This year's team is called "Occupy Ballstreet." This is the 5th year I've been playing (on and off). I play first base and absolutely love it. Last year I was a sub and this year I'm splitting the league with a friend (I play the 1st half, she plays the 2nd half). It will be nice to not have to commit the whole summer, but enough to go out there and have some fun. All of us on the team get a little competitive but we are still out there for fun. Since several of us have been playing together for a few years, we know the signals and how to work together in the infield. I always forget to take photos while put there playing but I'm going to try to remember that this year!

I forgot to mention that over the weekend we did a little dog sitting for our friends' pug, Bo. Pepper and Bo get along really well so it was a fun filled few days for Pepper. Because pugs are so adorable, I had to take lots of photos (obvi).

Hello!

Goodnight kisses

Besties!

Have you entered my Warrior Dash helmet giveaway yet?

Normally when it is raining, I don't mind going out for a run. Yesterday, however, I wasn't feeling it. I decided to hit up the treadmill as I passed the gym on my way home from working late. I knew that if I wanted to get my workout in, that was going to be the only way to do it. When it is raining, do you still run outside or stick it out on the treadmill? 9 times out of 10 I'll run outside, but last night I just knew if I went home, I'd sit and relax to watch the BL finale, eat dinner, and try to postpone my run until the next morning. I was glad to get it done regardless!

My gym is moving locations soon and I'm actually really excited about it. More equipment, larger facilities, I just hope they also have a small little room like this with the baby weights so I can do ab exercises and my core strengthening exercises without stares.

I didn't get the chance to mention that in addition to running part of the Illinois Marathon with Amanda, I also attended my cousin's bridal shower that same night. It took place on a condo building rooftop room and it was a lot of fun. My brother works at a nearby bar so we stopped by his work afterwards and had a fun night out.

enjoying a drink with the bride and some of the fellow bridesmaids

Me and the bride after the shower

I'm still recovering from my lack of sleep over the weekend (10 hours in 2 days), but it was a ton of fun and I got to enjoy doing both things!

Speaking of the Illinois Marathon, I accidentally took a video at one of the miles and it makes me laugh so I thought I would share it with all of you...

Because I haven't posted a photo of my dog in awhile, I thought it was necessary to snap a photo of her last night. She had her front paws crossed and I thought it was just the cutest thing ever. Don't you agree??