another month gone

...and one month closer to marine corps. august was a month where i don't know what really happened and what didn't, it was kinda just a whirlwind and i never really knew what day it was (is it wednesday or Thursday? oh it's Tuesday... huh? <---that was me almost every week). in my personal/work life - we lost a recruiter, hired a recruiter, and maintained being super busy which lead to not a lot of time to escape the office for mid day runs. then there was the fact that i am getting married and we spent 1 whole saturday looking at venues and then another saturday morning looking at more. *whoever said being engaged was fun and blissful lied to you, it's stressful* Onto what you care about... miles ran = 31.79 ... not as bad as what I thought, but still not really where they need to be.

there really is not too much to report on the running front. i didn't run any races but i did start to run with my little man mulligan (my dog) and he is really enjoying it. he looks at me with sad eyes when i do not take him with me. once fall hits, we're gonna be best of buds.

I had a BRILLIANT idea the other day for marine corps. I am constantly amazed by what my garmin can do and i remembered that i can have a little auto running pal to compete against. WELL... I am gonna set my auto friend to a 14:00 minute pace and then "race him" ... so as I watch my pace/miles/time running on race day I can also take a peek at my little runner in my watch and see how much she is beating me (meaning pick up the pace) or how much i am beating her. ....hopefully i will always be beating her meaning i am on point to finish & beat the bridge. genius, true genius.

September starts my personal revolution challenge (post to come) and that is going to force me to get in workouts and it's gonna be SO hard to not eat the sweets. September also means crazy forced training. 9.11 = 10 mile run with the Atlanta Track Club and then 9.25 = half marathon in Nashville.

marine corps marathon goals.

with marine corps being too close for comfort and many people talking about the race on twitter, i decided this is a GREAT time to set some goals and focus in on them. so without further ado, goals for marine corps marathon 2010.

start slow. don't like the excitement get to me. remember to pace myself. remember to breathe in and out. remember that i have to finish.
5k: 33 minutes. (10:18 pace)
10k: 1 hr 10 minutes (11:17 pace)
10 miles: 2 hours (12:00 pace)
half way, 13.1: 2:35 (11:49 pace)
:: i figure this is where i am gonna start really slowing down and moving slower and going to have to really start pacing myself ::
beat the bridge: the bridge is right before the 20 mile mark and is raised. if you do not make it to the bridge by the time it is raised you pretty much fail. you're not allowed to finish. i must be at the bridge at the latest by 4 hours and 4o minutes (14:00 pace even). i will write 4:40 somewhere on my body to push myself there. i will beat the bridge. honestly, this is the thing that is scaring me the most.
last 6.2: dedicate 1 mile to 1 person. run that 1 mile for them so it will push me to keep going and keep me from walking too much.
finish time: 5:40 (12:40 pace)

so who am i gonna dedicate each mile to for the last 6.2? I will let you know when I know. It will probably be game time decisions and you'll find out in my race recap. until them... happy training to everyone that is aiming for the marine corps medal. :o)

i finished disney in 5:53:21 which was a 13:29 pace... so I am hoping to shave off 13 minutes...

Doggie Daycare Round 2

When we got Mulligan a year or so ago we knew that we wanted to socialize him and have him have lots of friends. We took him to the dog park and he loved it. It wasn't quite a dog park, just a park over run by dogs and the police started coming. To avoid a $250 ticket his dog park days were done. We also put him into doggie day care which he loved. 4 or 5 months later he was "expelled" and asked to not return. We were never given a real reason, we were never told that he was aggressive, just that he would much rather play in small groups.

Fast forward about 1 year and we decided to put him in day care again. We chose Dogaroo here in Midtown because my clients had said great things about them and we liked how they had certified trainers working with the dog. He had his temperament trial day last Thursday and he did GREAT! He got a report card and was described as curious, friendly, playful, alert, happy, eager, responsive, confident, high energy, and out going. Yup. I would call Mulligan all those things. We were told that we could bring him back at anytime and that they really enjoyed working with him. He got a report card (which is pictured above) and it is now hanging on our refrigerator. What can I say, we're proud parents. I was most excited to see and hear that he passed and was welcomed back in the future. they're a little far away but well worth it.

Unfortunately, Mulligan was not as tired as he usually was when he went to daycare, but we think it's because he did not get put in the yard until 11 AM. Other things we love about this place, they take daily pictures of your dog... mull of course lunged at the camera so he looks like a fool in all of them and they also have webcams... so i can watch him all day at work.

Three Things Thursday.

And onto episode two of three things thursday.

1. the mornings and evenings in atlanta are starting to get cooler. this makes me so so so happy - this was a brutal summer and i think most people dreaded being outside. now i just have to wake up and run or get in a few miles before it gets too dark. this really excites me because i think i may start friday morning runs to the office again (and i will try to avoid all silver muranos). plus cool air = fall & fall = alabama football.
2. fall clothes are stating to hit stores, websites, and catalogs and everything is looking super cute. but then again fall is my favorite season to shop in and anthropologie has some amazing things. must.not.shop. must.save.for.wedding.
3. i have been shopping around and pricing out EVERYTHING for my wedding. this week I have been looking at flowers and florists. i want lush and rustic and romantic and vintage (that's the feel i want for the wedding) and i found an amazing florist here in atlanta. i talked with the sales guy about 2012 and flowers and today he surprised me at my office and hand delivered the most gorgeous bouquet of lush, romantic, vintage, rustic flowers just to say "thanks" for looking into their floral shop & that they're looking forward to talking more. talk about wanting to make the sale. nice touch, nice touch.

unrelated: i have been running. be proud of me. it has actually been wonderful to get out and run.

Three Things Thursday.

I kinda liked sharing things that were non-running related when I did my 100th post and many of my favorite running blogger people (to name a few: runners rambles, run courtney run, and shut up and run) do this little thing called "three things thursday", I like that this little thing tracks my training and lack of training and attempts at training, but I also i feel like "random" is a good word to describe me, so I am going to try my best to do this every Thursday and it will shed a little more light on who I am.... maybe.

3 random thoughts on my mind each Thursday about anything under the sun.

1. Last week I signed up for 3 races. 1) The Singleton 10 miler in Stone Mountain via The Atlanta Track club. 10 miles. September 11th. marine corps forced training. 2) Atlanta 13.1 half marathon. 1st weekend in October. more forced miles for marine corps. 3) The first ever Rock and Roll Savannah half marathon. november 4 2011. coupon code for $30 off - i was sold. ...I feel like a running overachiever but all the races had really good and cheap race entries.
2. Today Kyle and I switched from Comcast (because we think it is horrible) to DirectTV. *will comcast comment on my blog again...hmmm* -- well, I took the morning off (and I am wondering why I took off when HE wanted to make the switch) and to keep the dog from harassing the poor DirectTV man we put him into a new daycare center in Midtown. The place is called Dogaroo and I hope and pray he left his menacing tendencies in our apartment. He has been booted from 1 day care center in Atlanta, lets hope he does not make it two.
3. about a week ago i hate theknot.com until i turned off all their pesky email spam things. now i kinda like it. i think the checklist will be useful & the budget tracker - phenomenal. but planning a wedding isn't sunshine and roses like hollywood makes you think it will be. many of my friends who just got married or are about to be married have told me "after quite a few meltdowns it will all come together", isn't this supposed to be a joyous time?! now... i just gotta get montaluce (gasp.gorgeous) to drop their food min by oh $3,000 or $4,000. ...and decide how much kyle and i want to put towards the wedding. BUT, I have already selected my bridesmaids gifts. Just call me Paula the Planner.

and with that my friends, my 1st three things thursday is complete.

my dog is a runner!

If you know anything about me you know that I am (a) a runner and (b) I l-o-v-e my dog Mulligan (pictured to the left).  Kyle and I have been talking about making Mulligan a running dog since we got him a year or so ago, but I  never took the time to train him how to properly run on a leash. He tugged and pulled, weaved in and out of my legs, and wouldn’t stay on one side.  Needless to say, he would not have made a good running friend.  Up until a few weeks ago.  I ditched the long 6 foot leash and switched to the 4 foot leash and with some training & splashing of water on him he learned to walk like the gentleman that he is.  And since he has had a lot of energy lately and has been doing crazy runs around the apartment, I decided to give it a whirl.  AND HE DID SO WELL!!

This afternoon, I took him on his first momma and son jog.  We just did a little over mile, and he did so well.  I expected him to hop around like a fool, run ahead of me, trip me, and just not be fun.  Kyle looked really nervous as he handed me the leash and told me to “be good with him & keep him safe” (we’re such parents….) and I promised I would get him home safe and report back.  He did so so so well but the poor thing was so hot and I am sure he was wondering where home was and how he could get there. He was lagging behind, made me stop a few times, but he did so well.  1.10 miles later we were home and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to lay on the cold kitchen tiles or drink ice water – so he kinda did both. 30 minutes later the poor guy couldn’t even eat dinner. He would eat for a few seconds and have to take a break.  Maybe a mile was too far for the first run, but I am hoping that he is down for the count early tonight. The picture to the right not him tonight, but that is pretty much what he looks like!  

I am so excited to have a running pal.  I am going to slowly ease him into it… build his endurance.  But a few questions for the other dog running people.

• how do I keep him hydrated? I have a water bottle, what do I do for him?
• How far is too far?  How fast can I ramp him up?
• Are there any signs that I should look for when running that means he may have had too much?

Oh I am so excited!!

for my 100th post i will not talk about running.

I have decided to do my 100^th blog entry on something OTHER than running. Over the past 99 entries I really have not given you any insight on my life and who I am besides my running woes, plans, goals, setbacks, upcoming races, race reviews, and victories. So, I have seen a lot of people do this so I am going to copy them. I have stolen my format from Runner’s Rambles and here I go.

10 things about my past
1. i grew up right outside of washington dc in fairfax county – a town called burke to be exact. heard of it? didn’t think so. I could not wait to get out of that place. …now we’re talking about going back. odd.
2. i once had a guy buy me a fish and write swedish on it because he was my “secret valentine” for a church thing. he knew i liked swedish fish, but didn’t know they were a candy. he knocked on my door and left the dead fish on my front porch. it was awkward but funny at the same time.
3. i used to be a blonde. i sometimes think about going back to a dirty blond but i always chicken out. plus it takes way too much upkeep and i am too lazy
4. my first ever job was at starbucks (before it was cool) and i hated coffee. 4 or so years later i quit because i was tired of making frappachinos and people complaining about too much foam on their latte or their latte not being hot enough. i left with a love for coffee.
5. my freshman year of college was spent at a super small college in north carolina called wingate. it was less than awesome so i transferred to alabama. best.decision.ever. that place is more than awesome.
6. summer 2006 was by far the best summer of my life. if i could relive that summer in tuscaloosa every year, i would. i was surrounded by an awesome group of people and we just had FUN!
7. growing up i did just about every sport imaginable – soccer, softball, swim, dance, gymnastics but i never really stuck with any of them longer than 2 or 3 years. why? i do not know.
8. when i was graduating college, my mom took me suit shopping for the big bad interviews – i cried in the middle of banana republic because i thought a suit made me look fat – now, i am super comfortable in a suit, think i look sharp, and love banana republic suits
9. i used to have a pepto bismol pink bedroom. it was so pink you could see it glow down the hall.
10. when my parents were wallpapering our house they hired the “wallpaper man” and he would always eat breakfast with my brother and me and watch “gummie bears” on disney with us. i do not know why i remember this, but i do…

10 things about my personality
1. i am ocd
2. i am sassy and i love it!
3. friends are such an important part of my life & i will stand up for my friends in a heart beat.  
4. i am a girly
5. i try to look at the glass half full
6. i love with my whole heart
7. i am way to judgmental
8. i am impatient
9. i am a hard worker
10. i am blunt and to the point

10 random facts about me
1. i hate wire coat hangers – they make me so ansy and jumpy. i just hate them. i also like to put blue shirts on blue hangers and yellow clothes on yellow hanger and so on and so forth. OCD maybe? yikes.
2. i bleed crimson & white. i will (and do) talk trash to everyone when it is football season
3. i cannot go to petsmart on the weekends because i always end up crying over the dogs who need a home … one of these days i am going to be putting in an application for another rescued pup
4. i am absurdly obsessed with music and discovering new artists that would be great for window down driving and running … i spend way too much money on iTunes
5. i feel the most comfortable in kyle’s flannel pj pants (size xl) and a tee shirt
6. i have the weirdest obsession with wrapping paper and wrapping presents  … hallmark has the best wrapping paper and ribbons.
7. when i know it is going to rain, i like to coordinate my outfit to my umbrella
8. i am 26 years old and still have not parted with my baby blanket … i probably never will. on the weekends, i walk around the apartment with it. just call me linus.
9. i love cookbooks, reading them, looking at the pictures, collecting them, salivating over meals that look great, but i have never cooked from them. i only cook from the recipes my dad gives me, the ones he types up and punches holes in for my recipe binder.
10. sometimes when i am out running i have a sudden urge to do cartwheels.

10 dreams/goals
1. to retire on a lake somewhere – i want the lake to have a big porch and a fire pit and be on a hill that looks down at the dock and water.
2. get married (eek… it’s gonna happen!!)
3. to make a difference in just one persons life
4. to be an alabama season ticket holder
5. to watch alabama win a national championship … in person.like me in the stands, shaker in hand.lose my voice.in person.
6. build a house with habitat for humanity
7. travel europe (london. italy. ireland. scotland. germany. switzerland.) i have no desire to go to france though
8. get my boyfriend to run a 5k with me
9. to zip wire over a rainforest
10. i want to own a house, with a big porch and great patio furniture with lots of land so i can have lots of puppies and they can have lots of land to roam and play.

10 things i love
1. kyle j
2. my dog - mulligan
3. music
4. classic designers like burberry and tory burch
5. netflix – when they aren’t sending me crappy dvds.
6. wrapping paper
7. patios
8. clean sheets
9. sundresses
10. massages

10 things i love to do
1. play guess who and connect four by candlelight with my kyle j
2. outdoor concerts with good friends
3. sunday afternoons … doing nothing but laying on the couch watching tv (lifetime mainly) 
4. sit on patios
5. naps
6. make to-do lists … back to my ocd tendencies
7. shop and find great sales
8. spend the day at the spa
9. bubble baths with a good book
10. a good run after a bad day

10 things i hate
1. red wine
2. mud
3. two faced people
4. dirty dishes
5. inconsistency
6. bugs
7. timid drivers
8. the fact that spin class is so popular
9. the color orange
10. comcast and their crappy internet

10 places i have been
1. nova scotia
2. baton rouge louisiana
3. orlando florida
4. sanibel island florida
5. Knoxville tennessee
6. quebec canada
7. Boston massachusetts
8. kennebunkport maine
9. new orleans louisiana
10. san francisco california

10 things i am proud of/thankful for
1. i am a marathoner
2. graduating college in under 5 years (barely but i did it)
3. my awesome and supportive family and boyfriend
4. i ran my first half marathon with the leukemia & lymphoma society and raised $5000 doing it
5. my career
6. my teeth (weird, i know)
7. i have had a spotless driving record for over 3 years now
8. my great great friends
9. my awesomely supportive blog followers
10. my new found ability of balancing a checkbook & saving money

and there you go. now you know a little bit more about me! :o)

tuscaloosa, i love you.

if you know me, you know i love the university of alabama and tuscaloosa and pretty much anything associated to those two. crimson and white, bryant denny, paul bear bryant (“I ain’t never been nothing but a winner”), denny chimes, tuscaloosa, the houndstooth, tailgating on the quad, our fight song (we’re dixie’s football pride, crimson tide), the beautiful campus, rammer jammer, the restaurants, bear bryant, roll tide, the million dollar band, and well alabama.  I graduated in December 2006 and 4 years ago this month I was wrapping up my last semester at Alabama and enjoying my last football season.

my old college roommate got married yesterday and I of course wanted to celebrate her becoming Ms. Johns (and finally meet the infamous Mike) and it was a great reason to get back to the town that I do not go  back to often enough.  The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, it was great to see so many familiar faces and catch up.  I am so so so happy to see my Stacey Faith with a great guy and so happy!  Other than seeing my old roommate and friends who I miss dearly, I had a few things on the agenda…

1. run around the campus, downtown, and my old neighborhood. tuscaloosa will always hold a special place in my heart and i wanted to see it by foot.  (ran part of campus and my old neighborhood and no dowtown}
2. i HAD to chow down at as many of my restaurants as possible.  {I ended up eating at mugshots – still great and Newks – um not as great as I remember. I wanted Pita Pit, but I was out of town before they even opened.}
3. pick up kyle a new alabama polo shirt since his is 2 years old and had a hole in it. {I ended up getting kyle a polo, mulligan a toy, and me a garter for my wedding!}

i decided to make my run fun and low key and decided to run the city and take pictures of my favorite spots, places I lived, and old stomping grounds and share them with you.  I really do love Tuscaloosa and wish I could get back there more than I do.  One day I will be a season ticket holder – I promise you that!!

 Total miles run around T.Town: 2.03 honestly, I was hoping for more, but I woke up late and needed to get back to  Atlanta so I just ran the quad, by the stadium and my old house on 13th street.  I was amazed how hot that city was (at 9 AM) and even thought there was a huge tinge of jealousy since everyone was moving into the dorms & their houses off campus as I ran, I remembered just how brutal it was walking to class in the late summer and early fall.  Campus was still pretty dead so I pretty much had the quad to myself, which was change from when I was in school.

My run was super easy and slow – just the  way I had planned it to be since I wanted to take pictures.  I parked next to our massive stadium and headed off campus towards my old neighborhood, took a picture of the house I lived in, and then headed back to the quad.  Cut through Sorority Row and landed on University Blvd. I had all the intentions in the world to run down to New Fraternity Row, loop around but when I drove by it yesterday it looked as if a lot of the roads were blocked off due to new construction on Frat houses (wait, PIKE has a new house?! since when?! and what is going up next to SigEp??)  So, I cut that out of my run and I also cut out the run up to Temerson Square – I am sure 4th and 23rd is still there along with new bars.  I know I already said it but it was crazy to see how much had changed.

It was the first time I had been in Tuscaloosa and did not go out to the bars (which was a very different feel) but it made it easy for me to wake up, run, and drive home.  The campus was SO different, frat houses got bigger and prettier, the stadium grew larger, new dorms went up, roads were created, restaurants and bars changed names and locations.  I guess that’s what happens 4 years post graduation.

I do want to get back there for some football games.  Kyle has been to Tuscaloosa and did the bar hopping thing, yet he has never be INSIDE Bryant Denny and well, if you’re gonna be an Alabama fan you go to experience the stadium on a game day!  

27 DAYS TILL KICKOFF!!! 

Polling the audience.

I NEED YOUR HELP!

Hey Runners. Help me out here! SO! One of my co-workers at our corporate office just signed up to run her first half marathon (she is doing Disney!) and because I adore her, I wanted to make her a little training and recovery basket. SO!

What would you want?

What should I put in there?!

I have the Gels, Chomps, BodyGlide, and Runners World covered -- but do you have any other ideas?!

August – rules of the road.

August. I am coming after you with a vengeance.  July was a month of slacking and I really need to rebuild my strength and endurance therefore, I have made a schedule and I am going to try my best to stick to it.

My plan is penciled below. 3:00 PM is going to be my scheduled time to step away from the desk & recruiting and just zone in on getting ready for marine corps. 

	mon.	tues.	wed.	thurs.	fri.	sat.	sun.
workout	planned miles on t.mill + 15-30 minutes on elliptical	1 hr spin class. 2 miles on treadmill	rest day	planned miles on t.mill + 15-30 minutes on elliptical	run to office.	swim.	long run.

let me know if you have any tips or secrets that you’d like to share in regards to building endurance and speed and well any training tips. Marine Corps is quickly approaching so any words of wisdom is greatly appreciated! =)