LLRB 365: 2011 Week 46

Why is it that with a short work-week and a holiday do I feel so much more tired than if I'd worked all week.  Hopefully you were able to enjoy some time off and a visit with those you love this Thanksgiving.

Monday

11-21-11

Words to live by

Tuesday

11-22-11

I love my skinny jeans and shiny shoes

Wednesday

11-23-11

Taught the girl how to make Caramel Apple Pie (recipe tomorrow!)

Thursday

11-24-11

Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday

11-25-11

Unlocked the "Mall Rat" badge on FourSquare.  What made this so funny was I wrote "I love the smell of commerce in the morning" when I checked in.  If you know the movie, you know why I about died when I unlocked this badge.

Saturday

11-26-11

What I wore for Girl's Night Out

Sunday

11-27-11

Today will consist of this:

How did you spend your Thanksgiving? (or to my international friends, your weekend?)

ps-stay tuned for a giveaway coming on Tuesday!

pss-my "follow me" widgit appears to be broken - can any of you fix it?



Thankful Thanksgiving

As I sit around watching football and smelling the turkey cooking in the oven, I want to spend a couple minutes giving thanks.

I'm thankful for my family. They support me & put up with me. Without their encouragement, I wouldn't have become a marathoner this year.



I'm thankful for my amazing friends, those who have stuck by me for many years as well as the friends I've "met" here. You all mean the world to me.



I'm thankful to have my faith. No matter what is happening, I know that God loves me and at the end of the day will always have my back.



Blessings to you and yours on this Thanksgiving Day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Christmas *Wish* List

So, I'm completely ripping off this post from Thea and also Lissa.

Every year at this time, we get massive Christmas wish lists from some family members while others choose to go the 'no list' route.  Both methods are completely crazy and really do nothing to put me in the Christmas spirit.

In all reality, there is nothing that I need and the stuff I want no one is going to get me anyway.  Same goes for the rest of my family.  So, I thought after reading Thea and Lissa's posts that it would be fun to create the ultimate wish list. If anyone in my family asks me what I want for Christmas, I'm giving them one of my blog business cards and directing them to this post.

Here goes....

1. Fully funded college funds for both kids (I can't be completely selfless).
2. A giant motorhome (with an unlimited gas card) so I could drive around the country scooping up all my friends.
3. A private jet for the same purpose as #2, but faster.
4. My own private island in the Caribbean somewhere, with an unlimited supply of rum and sunscreen.
5. Race entry to the Kaua'i Marathon and plane tickets/hotel rooms for my whole family to come watch me run.
6. Season passes to Disney World and a condo in which to stay in every year when we visit.
7. Unlimited time off and cash, so I can go visit/travel/run anywhere I want, whenever I want.
8. A chauffeur to drive the kids to all their crap activities. 
9. A personal chef and maid.
10. Lipo and a tummy tuck so I look awesome in my bikini while lounging on my private island.

That's probably a good start.  I'm sure there's more, but I don't want to seem greedy.  :)

What's on your ultimate Christmas list?

In all seriousness, I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I know I'm incredibly thankful for all of you.  Much love.  XOXO

Running to Give Back: A Guest Post

In this week of giving thanks, I'd like to introduce you to my first guest blogger - Jackie!  Jackie blogs over at Jackie's Arc and is also a staff writer for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog.


Jackie joined the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance in 2009 as research assistant after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in fitness and nutrition. Jackie’s experience in technical and medical research has allowed her to assist in the development of medical content and outreach efforts, with specializations in alternative care, cancer support programs, and social media campaigns. In addition, she runs and is an advocate for running for charity.  Jackie asked if she could share an article about running for a good cause with my readers, and I'm pleased to introduce you to Jackie (that's her in the white hat and blue/black jacket)...

The Importance of Running for a Good Cause

By: Jackie Clark

If you've never run a marathon before, you don't know what you're missing.

As a runner I have found that gaining sponsorship in order to donate money to a favorite charity can be relatively easy. People like helping people especially when there is a cancer connection. Sadly, everyone is connected to cancer in some way and people struggle with the best way to help those fighting for their lives. When I mention that I am running for charity people are more than willing to donate because they can provide something tangible to those in need.

 The New York City Marathon is one of the most popular marathons and provides funding for over a 190 charities. If you have a specific cause that you want to run for, whether it is mesothelioma, sudden infant death syndrome, or even ovarian cancer, there are many options available for finding a race that promotes awareness and supports a charity that donates to your specific cause.

Running for charity is more than physical endurance test for me. It is also an emotional experience. You don't have to be a strong runner to feel the powerful connection to the people around you as you race. I have met people from all walks of life while running. Maybe you'll talk to some of your fellow runners, maybe not, but you're all in this race together. You're all dedicated to raising money for a specific cause and to saving lives of your fellow humans who can't always stand up and speak for themselves.

In addition to raising money for others, running for charity has also helped strengthen my body and improved my overall health. You'll need to spend several months preparing for your marathon in order to be able to physically complete the race. Realize that marathon preparation, no matter how noble, is something you should take seriously. Eat healthy foods and avoid processed and high-calorie meals as much as possible in order to help yourself feel and look as good as possible when the day of the race comes. A healthy diet will not only improve your appearance, but also will also increase your energy levels and help you feel good and be able to keep up as you run.

Once you decide to run, immediately begin to tell the people around you so that they can support you financially and emotionally. While you shouldn't beg people for money, there isn't anything wrong with letting your friends and family members know that you're going to be running so that they can donate if they want to or so that they can tell others about the cause. Talking about your decision to run also opens up the opportunity to discuss the actual charity you're supporting.

Thank you for sharing, Jackie.  As runners, this is definitely an area where we can give back, whether it be fundraising and running for a cause near to your heart, or simply getting out your checkbook and supporting those running around you.  

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

LLRB 365: 2011 Week 45

Monday

11-14-11

Finally got my hairs did.

Tuesday

11-15-11

Plotted out my Tinker Bell Half Marathon training plan. (Normally there's so much more color on here, but the kids are now between activities.)

Wednesday

11-16-11

Hunkered in with a book tonight.

Thursday

11-17-11

Watched D's opening night performance of Taming of the Shrew (he's in the white shirt/black pants).

Friday

11-18-11

My dad came up to see D's show.

Saturday

11-19-11

Broke out the cold weather gear for the first "long" run of Tink training. (I use long loosely as it was only 4 miles-but it still kicked my butt. I feel like I've lost so much endurance since the marathon - it's sad, really.)

Sunday

11-20-11

Went to Founder's Brewing to listen to some jazz and enjoy a beverage.

(also - Happy Birthday to my Dad!)

A busy week with the start of half training and all of D's practices and performances (poor kid didn't get home until 10:30 or later every night this week!)  

This week I'm definitely looking forward to some time off.  Only 2 days of work and then we're off for Thanksgiving.  (Granted, I'm cooking this year, so it won't be much of a break, but I love to cook so it isn't a big deal.)

What are your Thanksgiving plans this year?

Thankful Thursday (a day late): Talented Kids

Today I'm writing my Thankful Thursday post a day late because I didn't get the material until late last night :)  This week I'm giving thanks that my boy has found his niche in high school.  He's always been involved in music (and was the ONLY freshman to make the top jazz band at his high school a couple weeks ago!) but he's now found a love of theater.

Yesterday marked D's acting debut in The Taming of the Shrew.  He played 3 roles: a servant, messenger, and sheriff.  I knew he had some lines, but I was surprised by how many he actually had.  He did a great job and I'm so proud of him.  

His first bio!

Servant (white shirt/black pants)

Making an arrest as Sheriff (brown hat)

I was in choir so I was "forced" to be in a bunch of musicals in high school, but I never had any speaking parts (way outside my comfort zone-to this day I panic at the thought of public speaking).  How about you?  Were you ever involved in theater in high school or college?

True Confessions: A Rut

I wasn't going to post today, but I'm feeling very blah and needed to get a few things out (at least what I can get out in a public forum like this).  

• I'm in a rut.
• I'm fueling my body (and I use the term "fueling" very loosely) with crap and my scale is reflecting this. (Case in point: McD's fries for lunch today.)
• I'm the heaviest I've been in probably 6 months.  Not by a lot, but enough that I'm over what I consider my "danger" weight and I feel gross right now.
• I've run a whopping 18 miles total since my marathon on October 16th.  (To put it in perspective, I hadn't run less than 18 miles in a WEEK for the three months leading up to the race, except one week when I was horribly sick and only ran 4 miles.)
• I also haven't been doing really any other workouts.  I've biked once or twice, done a couple NTC workouts, but that's it.  It's no wonder I've gained a couple pounds and probably lost massive amounts of muscle.  Eating crap + no exercise = a fat, depressed, Bari.
• My Tinker Bell Half Marathon training is supposed to start this week.  Tonight should be my "first" run of 40 minutes and this Saturday my "first" long run of 4 miles (if I follow the half plan from a year ago).  Should be easy, right? But my runs lately haven't been very easy.  I really wish I had a training partner for this, because the thought of training by myself this winter makes me sad.

If anyone would like to run with me this afternoon/tonight, please let me know.  I'd love the company.