Time Out.

In the beautiful craziness that is life, don't you ever just want a time out?

We all need one from time to time & I did just toward the end of last week.

And it was glorious.

 

As I mentioned last week, Jon & I took a little mini vaca to the great state of Nebraska.

And can I just say...they have fantastic wine!

 

 

We started off the morning with a little wine tasting in this adorable little store that only sells goods made right there, in Nebraska.  We bought a few things including the worlds BEST SMELLING apple pie candle along with some wine.

Hey, you can't do a wine tasting & not buy five a bottle!

 

We were so grateful because the sky was spitting ice, snow & rain on us all day. 

God Bless You Mother Nature.

You're such a bitch wonderful woman.

 

 

 

But we made the best of it & explored the adorable Haymarket District all afternoon!

 

 Then it was off to see Justin Moore that night!

 

 

Needless to say, we had a blast!!!  Justin is so authentic & just plain down to earth that you can't help but love the little guy!  He's 5'7 & looks about 4'11 while on stage.

But hey, his cowboy hat gives him a few inches.

 

The next day we drove home & enjoyed a calm, relaxed evening lounging on the couch in front of the fire.  In fact, it was our first fire of the year!!  I needed to load up on carbs & get some rest as my first big race was Saturday morning.

 

 

It was not only my first 10K, but my first race in the new kicks.

 

And folks....it was a cold one!!!!

 

 

Thank GOD for a husband who hunts....because he had the BEST gear to keep me warm. 
Including a super sexy Carhartt Facemask & camo hip pack hand warmer. 

 

I didn't care if was -15 outside.
I had trained my ass off & I was running this race, damnit.

 

And run my ass off, I did.

 

My goal was to run the 6.2 in under an hour & I did it!!!

 

59:04 to be exact and 4th place in my age group.  I missed being in the top three for the award ceremony by one!  Never in a million years did I think I would place that high....and had I only known I was that close to the top three, I would've started knocking bitches girls over.

Just kidding.
Kinda.



You see that frozen snot on my jacket?
That's how frickin' cold it was.

 

My sorority sister braved the freezing temps to come cheer me on & it meant the WORLD to me!!   Being a fellow runner, we get each other on a different level. 
Pep talks, tips, motivation, running in pads...you name it.  We'll talk about it. 
A wonderful friend & a wonderful inspiration. 
I adore you Hali!!

 

This race was also super special as it was the first one Sheldon was able to attend!
He even made a sign...
"Anne...Hurry Up I'm Hungry!"
I saw it about a quarter mile from the finish line & was able to squeeze out a weak laugh.
I love that crazy old man! :)

 

 

You know what favorite part of this race was?
Seeing my husband beaming with pride on the other side of the finish line. 

Running is not for the faint of heart.  There have been many times over the past couple years that I wanted to give up.  There have been months where I've stopped cold turkey.  There have been runs in which I've stumbled thru the door only to fall on the ground from exhaustion,
telling Jon I'm giving up. 

Everytime, he picks me back up (emotionally & physically) and tells me to....

"Lock It In."

After the race, he looked at me with a huge smile on his face & said,
"Honey, I'm so damn proud of you." 

In that moment all of the soreness, sweat & tears became SO worth it. 

 

"Runner"

What does that really mean? 

To be a quote unquote "runner."

This is a question I've been asking myself for a year and a half.

I played competitive softball all my life & even played in college for a few years. I loved it. I loved the pain from a good slide into second base in which the top layer of your skin ripped off. I loved hating the skanks in the other dugout for no apparent reason. The rush of diving for a ball & realizing it actually ended up in your glove.

        (Competitive Team Circa 2003)

I spent a shit ton of time playing the game & loved every single second. So I was a softball player. Simple as that, right?

                  (College Circa 2005)

But with running, it's different.

It doesn't come natural to call myself a runner & I don't know if it ever will. I've thought a lot about why and I think I've figured it out.

Running is an objective sport. The decision to call yourself a runner is the individual & individuals alone. 

I haven't ever ran a marathon nor a half marathon. I'm not sure I ever will & I'm beginning to be ok with that. I'm just a measly little 5k runner. 

But damnit, those 3, 4 & 5 mile runs are frickin' hard.

I have missed softball terribly over the past 6-7 years. It's like I broke up with someone I was deeply in love with and running came along & filled that void for me.

I saw this quote awhile back & it resonated with me to the core! I couldn't have said it better myself. 

I guess you could say I'm writing a new love story with running. She's a bitch sometimes, but I love her regardless. We dated for quite sometime before I used the "L" word, but I'm here now & ready to see what the future holds for us. 

In the near future, a 10k is in the cards.

Let's just hope we make it thru without serving eacother divorce papers. 

I'm Alive!

Can I just say, this weekend was simply exhilerating. 

There was only one glass of wine involved, but still.  Just exhilerating.

Saturday was finally the big day....RACE day.  I thought I would be a little nervous, but honestly, I was just stoked.  I have been training for this race since March and for the day to finally arrive was surreal. 

YES.  I realize it's not the frickin' Boston Marathon or anything.  But for me, it was MY Boston Marathon. 

My Saturday was FILLED with....you guessed it.  SoBe. 

And thank the LORD for all that SoBe.  Because it was 100 degrees outside. 

Awesome Venue.

And Awesome Friends....who came to support & brave the heat.  My parents also came...but sadly, we didn't get a picture together.  Darn it!

On the way down, we had to stop & admire Kansas City's FABULOUS Graffiti Art.

I'm supposed to be running.

Get it?

And the race begins.......635 runners.

I DID IT!! 

 I ended up finishing with a time of 31 minutes & placed 300th out of 635. 

Hell to the yes.

Quite a weekend.  How about you all??

48 Hours 'Till Race Day: Please don't let my husband marry a slut.

                                            I can't believe race day is finally upon me.

I have run over 100 miles, burned over 11,000 calories and lost almost 10 lbs in preparation for this run.  And honestly, I could not be more excited.

I realize that it will be 8,000 degrees outside and that my feet will literally feel like they are on fire each time my foot hits the pavement.  That's what you get for signing up for a July race in Kansas City. 

Perfect planning on my part. 

Not.

I have been training in the evenings in order to prepare my body for the frickin' sauna that is outside right now.  Yes, my runs are a 1000 times more difficult in the heat.  But hey, it can't get worse than this. 

Well it could, but then I'd have a heat stroke. 

And that wouldn't be good, would it?

If I'm not back on Monday, you know that's what happened.  If my Instagram feed suddenly stops.  RIP Anne.

On that note, I love you all.  Thanks for your support. 

And please don't let my husband marry a slut.  I'll haunt that bitch.

In the event that I do have a heat stroke, someone better carry my ass across that finish line. 

Because damn it, I WILL finish this race.  Even dead.

Now bring on the carbs, protein & gallons of water. 

And mostly, Bring It On Crossroads District.  I plan to dominate the shit out of you.

Running.

Let's talk about sex running today.

Since there are quite a few new faces around here, I thought I'd give you a little background on what my flabby ass has been up to over the past few months.

For some crazy ass reason, I decided I'd take on the sport of running this past April.  I signed up for a local 5k scheduled for July 28th and hit the pavement. 

Mind you, I had HUGE knockers at the time.

We're talking H.U.G.E.

I can't believe I lugged these tata's around for 26 years.  I deserve a medal.  A boobie medal. 

Well, on May 3rd, I decided to say goodbye to the knockers.  Of course I had to throw a "Breast in Peace" soiree.  Want to read about it?  Go here.

I took a month off from training and got back in the saddle on the pavement. 

I credit my success in sticking with my training to a little app that i'm sure you ALL have heard tons about:  C25K (Couch-to-five-k).  Yes, I'll spell it out for you.  Why do people just expect that everyone knows what the hell C25K means?!  It took me a damn year to figure it out.  Acronym assholes. 

If you're an iPhone owner like mwah, the app looks like this:

It eases you in, day by day, week by week.  A little voice comes on, tells you when to get running and when to walk.  I have never been so thrilled when I hear that little chime saying, 'Now...walk.' 

My review:  Love the app, but only thru week 6.  The main issue is that it takes you from ZERO to 60 within a weeks time.  See above for Week 6 Day 1.

I mean, c'mon. 

Again, I definitely recommend if you are new to the whole running thing and hate it as much as my ass does.  Download this app.  Thank me later.

Another app I have a love affair with is the MapMyRun app.  It tracks all the major details of your run so you can compare your stats from week to week.  It also has the option to share via social media sites like Facebook & Twitter.  I personally don't blast my exercise sessions all over the internet.  They're for me to see how far I've come and give myself a little pat on the back ass.

Wait, you guys don't pat yourself on the ass?

Yes, I created a folder  on my iPhone called Run Your Ass Off.  I get my motivation anywhere I can get it.

Lastly.  SHOES. SHOES. SHOES.

I cannot stress that ENOUGH.  I learned this valuable lesson from one of my favorite bloggers, Amber.  Check out her post on shoes here.  I'm too lazy to explain.

Just trust me.  Your shoes will make or break your success with training.

What tips do you all have??  I love to hear from other new runners with any great ideas you have picked up along your journey. 

One question in particular...how can I take cold water on my runs without having to lug around a water bottle??  Please do share.

It's all in the pants.

Well smack my ass and call me neon nancy. 

 

The 1980's spit out a pair of fabulous pants.  I ran into them while shopping the other day, fell in love and immediately proposed marraige. 

 They said yes and have made me the happiest runner on earth.

Until death do us part, I will love thee.

Run Baby Run: C25K HALFWAY POINT!

Holy cowballs, ya'all. I have officially made it thru 4 weeks of training for my first 5k. And I have to say, this week was the hardest BY FAR.

I'm sure most of you have heard of this program: Couch 2 5K (C25K). I have known about it for a year or so now...and why I never jumped on the bandwagon, I'm unsure, because I absolutely love it.

For those of you thinking about hitting the pavement, download the free app and try it out. No committments, FREE. I think it gives you the first 1.5 week of training days.

If you don't enjoy it, then delete it. If you fall in love like I did, spend the $1.99 and buy the full version. The best $1.99 I've ever spent.
It's an 8 week program that is broken down by 3 days worth of workouts each week. Open the app and scroll to your workout day, plug in the headphones, strap your phone to your arm and off you go.

If you're a Pandora listener, OPEN PANDORA FIRST AND CHOOSE YOUR STATION. THEN open the app and get started or it won't talk over your Pandora.

Here's a glimpse of what the beginning workouts look like...




Here's an idea of how my week 4 has been. It's been the first week where I've had those, "what the hell are you doing, Anne," "go back home and make yourself some nachos" thoughts because the workouts felt alot tougher. But I'm too tired of having a fat ass to give up. So, I got thru it.








I haven't built up to the 5K distance, however I'm getting close to hitting the 3 mile mark on my workouts. And have I mentioned what a GODSEND my tennie's have been. I love these things almost as much as my husband. BUY GOOD RUNNING SHOES YA 'ALL.

I'm going to close for now as I've got to jump in the shower to start beautifying for my "(B)Reast in Peace" party this evening. Yes, I'm throwing a last hoorah for my breasts. Hey, my boobs and I have been thru alot together. They deserve a party.




We're starting at Hooters. I know, so appropriate. And then who knows where the night will take us. All that matters is that the boobs will get to enjoy one more night out on the town. And for that, they are thankful. Fotos to come.....

7.5 This Week

My schedule has been super funky this week, but I'm proud to say I squeezed in about 7.5 miles.

Unlike last week, I gave my legs a bit of a rest and man could I tell the difference!!

Thankfully my shin splints have given me a rest. I would attribute that to my AMAZING tennie's.




I never thought I could love a pair of tennis shoes as much as I love my heels!

I have also finally invested in some running gear!!!! I have to admit something, for those that read but don't know me personally. I absolutely love fashion. And hey, running gear can be cute too.

When I first signed up for my race...







I immediately began thinking about my running outfit. I know, I'm sick. Ivd only admitted that to my hubs, because lets face it. He's stuck with me. You all can choose to say, what the hell is wrong with this chick!? And quit reading.

If you do that, I'll stalk you until you come back.

Run Baby Run

I can't believe I'm actually saying this right now, but I'm totally digging my evening runs these days.

I've always been a lover of anything athletic, primarily where large balls fly at my face: softball. Like that Clueless plug? Damn I miss that movie.

Growing up I was CONSTANTLY playing ball. Traveling for weekend tournies, double headers every Wednesday night...and eating WAY too many nachos. I frickin' loved it. In fact I get all nostalgic just thinking about it.

I went on to play in college which was always a dream of mine. Granted it was just a little bitty university in the heart of Kansas. I was able to play ball and get paid to do so. That's pretty sweet.

After college I took a sabaticle from anything athletic and boy do my hips show it. Why does that have to happen? Why can't I drink a bottle of wine and eat a nacho bell grande every night?
Over the past year or so I've had to get my ass back in gear.
Literally.

As of late I've found some blogging inspiration thru Amber over at A little pink in the cornfields.

It's been a long road getting here, but I'm finally to a place full of motivation and full of drive...Bring it on Crossroads.



Every ounce of that motivational crap will be needed considering I'm training through a breast reduction surgery. Who does that!?



July 28th is D day where I'll either collapse like a sweaty beached whale (with small boobies) or wait, do whales even sweat?
Or I'll triumphantly cross the finish line.

Let's just hope it's the latter!