Honey Stingers

Last week I went shopping at REI for Gu replacements to try on my long run yesterday. I decided to try energy chews - I got a couple packs of Honey Stingers and a pack of Luna Moons. I took the pomegranate flavored Honey Stingers with me to the lake and they were delicious! You are supposed to have 5-10 chews every hour, so I had 5 at :45 and 5 again at 1:15. I am not sure if they had the same effect as the Gu, but I do think they gave me a little kick. The only problem with them is the size of the bag compared to the size of the Gu packet. If you are looking to try something new, I highly recommend these - even if you're just going hiking, biking, etc., it's good to have that boost of energy.

My next step is to buy a running belt so I don't have to carry my chews and energy drink whilst I run.

Goal Achieved

Yesterday I finally accomplished a goal I've had for a while now: I ran around White Rock Lake. The weather was perfect and it was crowded. I love seeing other people exercise whether on foot, on a bike, or in rollerblades. The course is about 9.1 miles, and being that I had to run 9 miles, it worked out perfectly. It was also my first time to try Gu. I wouldn't say that was a good experience. I had the tri-berry flavor, but couldn't finish it off - I probably had about 75% of it. But that 75% really helped me push through and finish. I think this weekend I'm gonna try the Gu Energy Chomps instead. Hopefully I can stand it and it has the same effect.

Another thing that got me through the run was the whole wheat bagel and banana I ate about 2 hours before I ran. I highly recommend eating these before your next long run. Last week before I ran 8 miles, I tried just having coffee and a protein bar and my stomach was not happy with me.

If you have any running routes that are 8+ miles, please share. I like to change things up.

Stinky

Our nephew, a.k.a. Stinky, was a skunk this year for Halloween. We got to have lunch with all of the fam on Saturday for Josh and Jason's birthdays. Happy 30th to my old, wise husband and happy early birthday to Jason!

Here are some pictures of Noah is his costume:

Squnchy Face

I am taking the week off b/c this has been a very busy year and it seemed like the perfect week to spend some time with family and at home. So, my mom and I drove to Denison today to hang out with my sister and nephew. While we were at Target this afternoon, I just had to snap some pictures of Noah. The last one is his best face of all time - his squnchy face (you can see his 2 little teeth coming in). He is 10 1/2 months and I love how entertaining he is.

Very Important Locker Update

I stole my old locker back tonight at the Y! I felt guilty, but at the same time, the mysterious locker lady's lock was right next to my old locker, so wouldn't you have done the same thing? It's better than what I almost did one night when her lock was on my old locker, but it wasn't locked. I almost took it off and moved it, but in my heart, I knew that wasn't the right thing to do.

Training + Mimi

My half marathon training is off to a good start. It officially began on Monday of this week with some Pilates, followed by running, running, and more running. This weekend I'll be running. Today is a good day b/c it is rest day. A lot of people don't understand how good rest is during training. It's good to have your muscles rest so you have better long runs over the weekend and limit your risk of injury. So, I like Fridays. If you're interested in training for a half, I highly recommend Hal Higdon's programs. Last year I trained using the Novice program. This year I decided to step it up and try out the Intermediate program. I think I am going to really enjoy it and I hope to increase my race pace.

On another note, Happy 80th birthday (on Sunday) to Mimi! We will be celebrating Mimi's birthday tomorrow with the family. Here's a picture of Mimi and Bill. Aren't they the cutest?!?!

Recent excitements

I am excited about the following:

1. My birthday celebration with the Womacks (Josh's parents) tonight. I like it when birthdays last longer than 1 day.

2. The Biggest Loser. This is one of my favorite TV shows, besides Friends and The Office. I don't like to get into too many TV shows b/c of how much time it takes up, but I make time for 2 hours of TBL each week. Last night didn't let me down either. It is going to be a great season and I can already tell who I like. I definitely sobbed during Abby's story.

3. 78th Pioneer Reunion. This is a 4-day Clay County reunion in Henrietta, TX where Josh's parents grew up and where his grandma lives - population: 3,286. We'll be there just this Friday and Saturday, but we are both ready for a break from work and house work - no computers, no hammers, no cleaning rags. We'll go to the parade on Saturday then walk around the courthouse lawn where people set up tents and sell all things Brighton and Texas. We're excited to spend some time with his family.

4. Training for the Dallas White Rock Half-Marathon. This officially starts on Monday of next week. I just printed out my schedule that I keep in my purse. I like to cross off each day's "activity" b/c it helps keep me on track and motivated.

5. Keeping up with Aubrey Michael! Jenn started a blog so we can see Aubrey grow up and hear about her life as a Navy wife.

I am not excited about the following:

1. The lady who has stolen my locker at the Y. I think she is there to stay and I am not happy with this unknown person - I was very used to that locker and now have to find another one.