It has been a LONG Time!

Hello there blog followers...if there are any of you left. I have not posted in FOREVER, but just updated my pictures pace and race results page. Since I last posted....I ran the Chicago Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon, which were 14 days apart. I certainly didn't break any records in either race so I survived the races pretty easily.

Chicago - Pretty cool as expected. I stayed at a family friends condo, which was literally overlooking Grant Park which is where the start and finish line were. It was perfect. The weather was nice, course was flat...overall it was pretty fun. My favorite part is that each runner was handed a Goose Island 312 as they crossed the finish line AND had a coupon for another free beer at the after race party. 2 free beers = no complaints here.

Marine Corps Marathon- My favorite race. My sister Chrissy ran it with me this year, which made it even more exciting. We made it through the first 16 miles or so pretty easily but then Chrissy got some weird acid reflux thing that really slowed us down. The last 6 miles were pretty slow but the spectators were awesome. The family came to cheer us on as well as one of my awesome JSA co-workers. Overall it was as expected a very inspiring race which I hope to continue to do.

After the Marine Corps I decided to take it easy and give myself a break. I feel like I have been marathon training non stop for 3 years! I may or may not run the Miami half marathon in a few weeks...just for fun and lack of other things to do!

Thanks for reading!

Not So Much Training Going On!

I am sure you all have been dying for a post. Well I have a few hours to kill in Denver so here goes!

Marathon season is upon us and I have two races coming up. Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13th and Marine Corps Marathon on October 27th. A combination of travelling and laziness has really effected my training for these races. My lack of running is simply embarrassing. My longest run all summer has been 17 miles...and that is really the only long distance run I have logged. I have a 20 miler on the schedule for Sunday...which I must complete to give me some level of sanity leading up to these races.

But on a good note, my job is going great and I am having a super busy fall between work events and these two races. 7 trips in 2 months...pretty nuts.

Indianapolis
Chicago
Denver
Orlando
Back to Chicago for the Marathon
Dallas
DC for the Marine Corps Marathon

November will be a month of REST. I am loving my somewhat hectic lifestyle though...keeps things interesting! I had to share this pic of me in a Denver Broncos hat! Yep...true story. I was given it as a gift while in Denver...and thought I would wear it to support my boy Welker...at least during my run this morning, not sure if it will ever see the light of day again.

Long Overdue Update

I have been neglecting my blog big time and the guilt has finally built up enough...so here is an update.

Most exciting news....I am running the Chicago Marathon in October and then two weeks later the Marine Corps Marathon! I won't start training for these races until July....and I know I will regret saying this...but I can't wait to get started.

I have the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon coming up on June 1st...so I need to stay in decent condition for that race. Here is a quick recap of what I have been up to.

1st Week of April- Quick trip to Key West for the weekend with Ryan and my mom. I took the opportunity to do a short 3.5 mile run on Sunday morning and get a pic at the Southern Most point of the U.S.

2nd Week of April- 7 Mile Bridge Run! This was a great experience that I would definitely do again. I think it would be fun to do with a large group of people. I have promised Nikki that I would not blog about the details of this race....let's just say I enjoyed the race more than she did. Moral of the story = don't drink 4 margaritas the day before a race.

3rd Week of April- Nothing too exciting, but I did do a 7 mile run on Hollywood Beach. I miss living in that area. It is such a great place for running...not a good place for living though.

4th Week of April- I had my first trip for my new job to Denver. I was super excited to see the city since I had never been there before. It was not what I expected...a lot of homeless people and crazies...well I guess that it is not too different from South Florida. I had grand plans to do a run around the city on Thursday morning, but it was still dark out when I got up so I chose to run on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center. Which was probably the best for my safety anyway.

On Saturday I did an 8 mile run over the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne. It was hot out, but still enjoyable. I probably should have gotten up a little earlier to avoid the heat..but I am getting very lazy in my old age.

Lots to Report....

My training has been very blah the past few weeks. I started my new job about 2 weeks ago and am trying to get into a routine. I love working from home so far, but am still struggling to fit training into my busy schedule. I have the 7 mile bridge run and the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon coming up so it is about time to get my butt in gear.

I had a great trip home to Virginia. The Lucky Leprechaun 5K was short and sweet which is a good thing because it was freezing outside. Chrissy and I really wanted to do a long training run on the WO&D trail on Sunday, but it was just too cold out. I am going to stay in Virginia for an extra week after the Wine Country Half, so we will definitely have time to fit in some scenic runs.

Now for some very exciting news! I am officially running the Chicago Marathon this fall. I got into the lottery and just could not pass up the opportunity to run this race. Chicago is such a great city and one of the most popular marathons, so I am really looking forward to it. So once again I will be spending the hot summer months in Florida marathon training.

The Chicago Marathon is on October 13th and two weeks later on October 27th is the Marine Corps Marathon. Registration for the MCM opens next Wednesday and I am of course going to register. This fall will be another opportunity for me to push myself to the limit. The MCM is my favorite race and is so inspiring. I just can't imagine not running it. This might pose a problem when Ryan and I finally decide to start a family. I will have to strategically plan my pregnancy so I will still be able to run that race. OR....we could just adopt a 3 year old, which is the plan I am currently pushing for!