Let's Rock'n'Roll!

Good Evening!! In case you haven't heard yet...I was amazing! Actually, I wasn't that fantastic, although I finished with flourish and I'm still alive and I never stopped running (if you don't count the quick bathroom break and the side-splitting cramp at none other than mile 9)! I finished in 2:26:20 or something like that. Crossing the finish line was absolutely amazing. The GF finished in 2:32:00 with bells on! That's just 6 minutes behind me when she was just hoping to finish in 3 hours. Shattered that goal, as usual.

Here's how it all went down: we woke at 4:30 (not that we slept well anyway), then got ready and walked to the shuttle buses about just over half a mile from our hotel. I was already worried as the bus driver drove so far away from the end point...I thought she missed her turnoff! We had about an hour to go pee (twice) and check our bags to be retrieved at the finish. Then we said our goodbye's and headed to our corrals. Julie was up in #11, I was in #21, and the GF was in #23 (which is probably the only reason she finished behind me!). It took about half an hour to even get to the starting line, at which point I really had to pee! But we were off! About 1 mile into it, I felt great, although I had to pee and all the Port-O's I came upon had only 2 bathrooms with about 6 people in line. At about 2.5, I couldn't take it any longer and had to pee, so I found a spot that had 8 bathrooms with about 6 people in line and pulled over! After about 3 minutes I was back on the road. Throughout the next 5 miles there were some uphills (steep) and some downhills (mile 6 was amazing), but other than a tad bit of slowness for the uphills, I held a pretty good pace. Around mile 8, my foot started hurting as if I'd broken all those little bones on the top of my foot, but since I've been running with that problem for 3 months, I figured I could sustain the pain for 5 more miles. Then came mile 9. Happened just as I said...although on this course we just happened to be going through the I-90 tunnel! I'm pretty sure a runner came speeding out of nowhere and stuck a knife in my stomach. That's not really what happened, but I was ready to say my last words and just die there in the tunnel. I tried putting my hands over my head and I ran with an awkward gait. Finally I saw daylight up ahead and grabbed a cup of the power drink and walked for about 10 paces just so I wouldn't spill, and I got this whole new energy with hopes of finishing with a bit more gusto. I also had visions of the GF sprinting past me, which seemed all the more possible when the 2:22 pace lady came jogging by. I stayed with her for about half a mile and finally decided to let her beat me! It seemed like it only took her about 5 footsteps before she was out of sight way up ahead of me and I that's when I knew my foot and my cramp had slowed me down more than I expected. By this time I was past mile 10 and 11 was in sight. I knew I only had to push for 2 more miles, so I tried to steady myself and dig in. At some point a lady on top of a roof threw me a bottle of water, the stretch from 12 to 13 seemed like 3 miles long, and then there it was...looming in the distance...the finish line!! I'm not one of those crazies that increases their speed at the end to get a better time, I just move my legs as fast as they'll go (and it wasn't very fast at this point)! But then there I was, arms hoisted into the air in accomplishment, a big smile on my face, my shirt completely soaked through with sweat, and I crossed the finish line to cheers of someone else's name!! I kept repeating to myself "I did it!" I had a quick thought to my granny above, and then I got really light-headed and had to refocus my eyes as I searched the crowd for my GF. And there she was, as beautiful as ever, and I approached her, gave her a giant hug, and we both shed a few tears for the fact that she just finished her first half-marathon ever. I tried to tell her not to finish so fast because if she ever runs another one, she's gonna have to get faster (although I proudly finished slower than my other 2 times!). But she's a beast, so I have no control over that! So, all in all, it was a great race and we're all alive. In case you're wondering, Julie from my office finished in 1:55:11. She's pretty cool herself (and a hell of a lot faster than me)!

Now, as much as I complain about hurting my foot and my side, I'm looking forward to undertaking this feat again in December. I'll keep you posted, especially since you have no choice! Otherwise, I'd like to thank you all for all your support during this undertaking and sitting through each one of my blogs. I look forward to reviewing the past few months and giving you all a recap of my Full journey.

Tonight, just relax and have a cocktail (or soda) for me! Love you!

~Chix

Oh My Goodness!

Hello everyone! Oh my goodness, I'm finally here in Seattle and the big race is tomorrow! Did you hear that? TOMORROW!! That's right, the moment has finally arrived. My grandmother is looking down on me now asking me why I drank so much beer last night. She's also sending me some love for the big day. I can't believe that all this time of training (and complaining) the moment is upon us. The GF is WAYYYYYY nervous though. She's excited, but WAYYYY nervous. I keep telling her that she's too competitive to stop running, and will all the built up adrenaline and excitement, and then the energy given off from all the other runners, and this being her first half ever, she'll sail right through the race and when it's over she'll be on such a high! I've also told her that around mile 9, she might wanna quit, but that should pass once she gets to mile 10!!

But it's upon us! I will blog tomorrow afternoon at sometime to update you on the whole ordeal. Hopefully on Sunday, or at some point during the rest of my vacation I will recap this whole Battle for Seattle! I want to thank you all for your support throughout this whole experience and I ask you for one more day of your good thoughts and prayers. I might need that extra push (at mile 9) to finish strong! The weather is dreary today, and it's been raining all morning, so we're gonna make the best of the day and hope that we are gien some nice cool running weather: not too warm, not too cold.

Sunday begins my GraduCation! We are off to Forks, Washington. For all you Twilight fans, that's apparently where the series is based, so the GF is pretty stoked. As for me, I just like to see her happy, so we are spending the night in Bella's hometown, just days shy of the release of the 3rd film. The GF is sooooo excited to go and I'm hoping to get some good pictures so she'll have great memories! Then we're off down the coast, stopping for pictures and food, sleeping in the car or random motels, and driving...lots of driving! I promise to write as much as possible. It'll hopefully become a good way to document our travels. I'll have to change the name of my blog of course after the race tomorrow, but it'll be the same rantings I always have!

Today, take a quick moment to wish us luck! Love you all!

~Chix

Time's Running Out

Good Morning!! Well, I was actually so busy doing work stuff yesterday that I did not have time to write to you all! Sorry about that. I thought I'd take a quick minute while I remembered today to update you on everything. So, my cold is on it's last legs. I hit the medicine hard and was able to put in a few good miles yesterday. I was unable to run all weekend (darn!), but I feel with small miles this week, I'll still be healthy enough to push out 13.1 on Saturday. You heard me right...it's Saturday...4 days away! So so so close now! Can you believe it? On Sunday, I'll be writing to you to let you know how it all went and then I'll be switching gears for the next race! That's right...we've got plans to do it again...soon! And maybe one of these days, you can be there to do it with us..or watch us!

This weekend was sort of our last shopping hoorah! We were at the mall for about 5 hours on Saturday and spent lots of money on new clothes for our trip! Obviously, just to make it harder for me to pack! But we found some great deals, so I'm excited to start wearing my new clothes. We had another birthday celebration Saturday night and we played games and laughed A LOT! I'm beginning to think Albertson's know's J's dad's name by heart!! Sunday was Father's Day and my Niece's Birthday! She was wearing the prettiest dress, her hair looked amazing, and her birthday cake was a princess! She had a great time and I was able to capture the whole day with my new camera. It works so well when you have the battery in it! All the dad's had a good time just sitting around with the family, so it was a good relaxing afternoon.

Now is panic time...THERE'S SO MUCH TO DO! This is when I start worrying that I won't have enough time to finish everything that I've got to do. First off, we know my issues with packing, but that won't get done until around midnight Wednesday night! Second, I feel like there's so much work stuff I need to have in place before I go, that there's no way I can do it all in a day and a half (as I sit here and continue to write my blog!) Third, I'm gonna have to say goodbye to my animals for 2 weeks...real sad. Fourth, I need to do a lot of personal things to get ready for the trip, like running errands, paying bills, giving instruction, playing softball, etc. Lastly, will I get it all done? I'm sure I will, but it's always more fun and frantic when you worry! Wish me Luck!

Today, make a list and stay on track!

~Chix

Cold and Flu Symptoms

Hello! We are at 8 days and counting and I've still got this bad cold. I've been hitting the medicine hard though and it seems to be progressing faster than it normally does. So, hopefully that's a good sign! I'm not gonna lie though, besides being stuffed up with a sore throat and itchy eyes and the feeling that my head will explode at any moment, it's nice being able to relax and not workout! Ask me while I'm on mile 7 next Saturday and I might just regret saying all that!! I could use all the extra workouts I can get right now. At this rate, the GF will have been home to shower and back before I even cross the finish line! Luckily I'll get a free beer when I finish the race, so I've got another reason to go the distance!

Now, although I'm excited about my approaching vacation, I'm sort of getting concerned with how I should take on the task of packing for it. You see, we are going all over the place which calls for so many different kinds of outfits and I'm afraid I'm gonna pack too many shoes! I'm gonna run out of room because of all the shoes I need to pack! I'm also probably gonna pack too many t-shirts and will only wear half of them, so that'll take up some room, then I need to pack books that I won't read. I'm worried that I won't have clearly enough "undergarments", and that I'm gonna be wearing the same board shorts as some dude on the beach! Also, how many watches should I take? How many pairs of jeans should I take? Will I be able to do laundry while I'm on the road? So many questions, I hope you can see a glimpse of what's happening in my mind right now! FUN!

I'm pretty sure I'm still on a sugar high from all my birthday treats I received. All that's left is about 2 or 3 pieces of cake! We have devoured it all! And it was all so delicious! I'm really gonna have to get better so I can run off this extra weight before my body has to be seen in a bikini! Or I can go buy bigger clothes...that always works too! But then that just means it's gonna take up more space when I pack and with the weight limits on planes these days, I'm gonna be paying if I go over 50 lbs! Oh, what am I going to do?

Today, go out and have a good time! Be happy!

~Chix

P, Double O, P

I feel like poop! Sicky poop! Last night my throat was itchy and by morning time the nostrils were clogged and I was coughing with a headache and I have been drowsy all day. Poopie! All I have to say is I'm glad it's come now and hopefully it'll be gone by early next week. I've been taking medicine every 3-4 hours. I'm gonna kill this thing! I just don't have any energy. I am sitting here at work though because I have loads of work to get done and I don't have time to be sick. Although, I am just sort of sitting on my butt not doing much, I just can't wait until the day is finally over and I can lay down.

I didn't go to the gym today, but I did work up a sweat this morning helping the GF move about 75 boxes in the garage and haul them all away. That was my exercise today and it pooped me out. The GF went to the gym, amongst some kicking and screaming, and had a good workout. Then she brought me some soup and it was soooo yummy! She's the best. For my good deed of the day I helped this old lady at the post office carry a large box to her car. I thought it was pretty nice of me!

Today, and for the rest of your life, do whatever it is that makes YOU happy!

~Chix

He Stole My Thunder!

Well, we all knew it was bound to happen. I've mentioned it here before: When the GF gets sick, I get sick...and I think the inevitable is knocking on my door. My throat is scratchy today and it's of great importance that I nip this thing in the bud ASAP! And you all know why too...the race is in 10 days. Who wants to run 13.1 miles with a scratchy throat and stuffed up nose? Not me! So, I am about to go home and take lots of meds and try to kill it before it gets really bad! Pray for me!

Yesterday ended up being a great day! I got lots of phone calls and texts and cards and sweets from all my loved ones! Thank you very much. I appreciate it greatly. I'm still in the midst of celebrating though, so don't be surprised if I say "today is my birthday"!! My birthday was up on the big screen at the baseball game last night, but I was upstaged by a Jumbo-tron Marriage Proposal Guy! It's true, some guy proposed to his lady on the jumbo-tron last night...lucky for him, she said yes, then it looked like they got hammered throughout the night. As for me, I got a new hat from the GF and ended the day very happy!

I've been a hard-working woman the past couple days! My desk is all cleared off, all my filing is done, most all the bills have been sent, and I'm just a few tasks away from having all my work done before the big trip. I'm really proud of myself, especially because I normally lack motivation when there's stuff I have to do at work! Even the mailman noticed how clear my desk was...that's a bit embarrassing huh!! Oh, well!

Here's to 10 days and counting...

~Chix

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy Birthday to me! For those of you that really know me, you know how important this day is to me! I love celebrating my birthday. Last night the GF made me a pineapple upside down cake and this morning she made me banana nut muffins! When we got to work, a coworker also made me a pineapple upside down cake, and an awesome friend dropped off cupcakes. Let's just say that everyone at the office is on a sugar high today! So far it's been a great birthday. My mom gave me a musical card and those are always good to get the blood pumping...even at 7:30 in the morning when I opened it! I also talked to my aunt today because it is also her birthday and she told me the same story she tells me every year on our birthdays! So, yeah, good stuff so far!

I was stubborn earlier today and didn't want to go to the gym, but I ended up going and running 4 miles and now I'm proud of myself. My coworker said to give myself the gift of health today...not sure why it worked cause it's such a cheesy line, but I went and now I'm glad that I did. I'm also very tired because I never sleep well the night before my birthday...I'm just too excited to sleep! I sort of wish I were drinking beer on the patio someplace right now!! The card the GF got me said I needed to be 'wined and dined' and 'beered and cheered'!! I agree!

Have a great day celebrating my birthday! I'll be accepting presents all month!

~Chix

Catching Up...

Hello! Hello! Hello! Well, I've been away for a while. I don't normally write my blog in the mornings. I usually wait til after lunch and then I write these masterful pieces that will go down in history as the greatest story ever told. But lately I've been too preoccupied and have forgotten to express my inner thoughts with you. I hardly ever turn the computer on during the weekend anymore and I've come to accept that, but last week it seemed like I was just plain forgetting about it during the afternoon hours at work (because I also don't turn the computer on at home on the weeknights). So, here I am, it's morning time, and I'm trying to make it all up to you. Last week the GF was sick one day, I was actually working another day, and it just plain skipped my mind. I'll try to be better about it the next week and a half though since I'll be leaving town and who knows when I'll be able to blog then.

The past 11 days have been part of my Birthmas! Tomorrow is the big day! Although I'm sure I'll celebrate the whole month, tomorrow is officially my 32 birthday! Yay! I'm not doing anything crazy this year like I normally do, because I'm waiting to let go on our vacation. I am still accepting presents though, which the GF has so gratefully been doing for every day of Birthmas. My favorite so far is the new buttons she sewed on all my shorts...now they actually stay up! A close close second is the new nightlite she bought for me to put in the hallway so it's not so dark. Everyone knows I'm afraid of the dark, but I guess the hall light is too bright, but the new nightlite is just perfect!!

So, the big race is in 2 weeks! Can you believe it's almost here? All this hard work will hopefully help me cross that finish line...and the GF too. We did a 10 miler this weekend and although we were both pretty successful, I think the GF outdid herself before she was fully over her sickness and was miserable the rest of the day yesterday. Poor thing. But she's recovered and her head no longer lingers over the toilet bowl. She should hopefully be on the top of her game in 2 weeks time! As for me, my feet hurt and my sports bra keeps scratching off my skin, but I'm good to go. I just gotta keep the pace and stay steady and be hopeful that running at sea level will be as nice as everyone keeps saying. I think back to all those times I've been to Seattle and not once did I ever exercise while I was there...what a waste!! We'll probably do a short run when we get there, so hopefully that'll tell us how it's going to be!

Today, forget the hate and feel the love!

~Chix

L.O.V.E.

So, the world's not perfect. We all know that, but what can we do about it? Not much really. We can vote, we can not litter, and we can love. Those are a few things that come to my mind right away. Voting is so political though and you're a slob if you don't throw away your trash, so really, it all comes down to loving...loving people, loving yourself, loving the world. Love is right there for everyone, you just gotta grab it! For instance, your parents love you. Although you may not see it at times, but deep down, they really love you. Your brothers and sister love you. You might have fought while growing up, but they know you'll be there for them when they need you and vice versa...that's love. Your partners, husbands, and wives love you. They see things that the outside world doesn't see and they stay by your side regardless. Your kids love you. Whether it's your little boy, little girl, dog, or cat, they look up to you and thrive on your love. Other relatives, no matter how often you see them, they love you and love to see you when you're around. Your best friends love you and your enemies love to hate you (that's a form of love). There's so much love out there that one day it'll mask all the hate and we can make this a better world. I love you.

A few other things I love: My birthday, my GF, the sun, music, reading, sleeping, eating cheese, watching Glee, hanging out with my niece, Vegas, dying my hair, buying new t-shirts, my family and friends, running, nice shiny watches, matching, beer, looking at myself in the mirror, my pups and kitties, laughing, travelling, funny people, tattoos, sports, and school.

Think of the things you L.O.V.E. and it'll give you a boost today!

~Chix

Happy Birthmas to ME!

Good Afternoon friends and family! If you don't remember, I am currently celebrating my Birthmas! That is the 12 Days of Birthmas! So, for the 12 days leading up to my birthday, I should get a present from you every day! It doesn't have to be large or expensive, but it's gotta be something good. The GF has been doing a great job so far. I didn't get a tree this year, but maybe next! We also celebrated one of the pups birthday's on Saturday. She got a whole baggy full of tennis balls. She was really excited. The GF scattered them around the room and made her bring every one of them back to her. Jersey's really smart, so she got the hang of it real quick. Now we just have slipping hazards all around the house! Last night Riley, one of the cats, was playing with a tennis ball and looked to be having lots of fun. They're not just for dogs anymore!

So, we did a 9 miler this weekend! It was more successful than my large undertaking last weekend. But it proved to me that the GF is a beast! She just doesn't quit! Again, so proud. As for me, I'm staying pretty steady and I know I'll finish the race, so I'm just hoping that the sea level running will be beneficial to me and my training!! We've got about 2 more full weeks of real good training and the last few days will be for travel, registration, sleep, and small runs. Then it's go time! All this training will lead up to about 2 and a half hours of running and then it's over! On to the next race! Actually, it'll be on to vacation, but after that it'll be on to another race!

Scorching heat this weekend. Of course, I love the heat so I was outside picking weeds and scooping dog poop in a tank top and shorts. The GF was laying out at 9am and it must've already been 98%. I couldn't even stand on the cement because it was already so hot. The dogs didn't even have the energy to bring me a toy to throw, so they just laid in the shade. But then by 8pm, there was wind and lightning and rain in other parts of the city...strange...but more strange that the temp still remained in the 90's!

It's 50 cent hot dog night at the ballpark tonight and I'll probably have none of those! When they are mass produced, they are grossly produced at the same time! Disgusting cold hot dogs with hard buns...sound appetizing? Wrong! But how about a delicious turkey sub from Dion's? Now that's what I'm talking about! Besides, it'll help more in my dieting endeavors than the cold dog would!!

Stay cool!

~Chix

Cheese Balls

Don't you just love cheese balls? Some people don't appreciate a good cheese ball. I'm talking about the big jug of cheese balls you can buy at Costco and the whole office always has their hand in the jug! You pretend like it's gross that everyone's eating out of the same jug, but then you have one and fall in love! They're so so so good. I can have 32 individual balls a day to keep my calories low. Wouldn't wanna over do it!!


It's day 107 today!! I can't believe it's been that many days. I went back and read some old blog posts and they're pretty crazy! I can't believe you all put yourselves through that everyday, thank you! I know they're so so random, but it helps when I know some of you still read them! Especially after 107 days! We went to the gym at lunch today and had a good run. I think I'm slowly getting faster...just on the treadmill though. My speed on the treadmill translates about 2 minutes slower per mile on the streets. So, I figure, if I can get faster inside, then I can get faster outside...I just wish the pavement was as soft and bouncy as the treadmill. The same thing happens to the GF. She's getting faster too, but the transition to pavement slows her up quite a bit.

I need a pick me up...not like drugs or anything, but like a two-day nap. I wanna lock myself away from EVERYTHING and just sleep...for 2 days straight. I'm thinking that when I wake up, I'll first have to pee, then I'll have to readjust to the world. 2 days full of "things" would have happened while I slept and I know I'd just have to catch back up with the stuff I didn't get done while I was sleeping. Catching up will take time, so I won't get much sleep, and then it all becomes a giant circle. Maybe I need to go back to school so I have something to do with all this extra free time when I would be napping! I'm confused!

~Chix

Now & Later

You thought I forgot about you...but I didn't. It's just been a weird last week. So, the GF left town on Friday and I was a little lost without her. She was a bit lost without me too though! My 3-day weekend was spent mostly witing to get texts or phone calls from her letting me know where on earth she was driving to next! She was all over the place in her few days of not-so-much-vacation. I spent the rest of my time at a friends house who made me dinner Sat, Sun, and Mon night, so I was happy. I finally put together a bathroom cabinet we've had since February, and I took a couple great naps.

Work has been crazy the past few days. As much as I'm not motivated to do my work, I've got to get my act together in the next 2 weeks, since I'll be leaving town for a while. I'd just much rather be sleeping than doing basically anything else.

As for my training, I'm gonna have to pick that up too over the next few weeks, since the race is in 23 days...and counting! I did a 10 miler this past Saturday and at about mile 8.5 I wanted to crap out, so I did this awkward speed walk for the last bit. I've got another 10 miler this weekend so hopefully I can make it to at least 9. I just need to stay focused during the week and remind myself why I'm doing all this in the first place. I've been placing a lot of my focus lately on the GF because I'm just so proud of how far she's come. If anything, I can be sure of the fact that I've inspired her. She's done amazing things in just 3 months and I think she's getting addicted! She's gonna be faster than me in no time! I have to use some of her motivation to get me ready to go...like I said...only 23 more days!!

This weeks mission: Get my shit together now, so I can have fun later.

~Chix