Lessons from marathon training . . .

Over the past four months I, along with a number of my runner friends, have been pushing our bodies farther than many of us had ever dared in hopes of completing the Chicago marathon in October.  We are 2/3 of the way there, and the list below if a small sampling of the things I've learned during this experience.  As you'll notice, most of them aren't too profound, but in the end, it's the little things that matter most anyway, right?


- Chocolate milk is without a doubt the best after-run drink known to man.


- Gatorade of all flavors can be mixed together to provide sweet, sweet, mid-run hydration.  It may be brown in color when all is said and done, but nothing has ever tasted so good.


- Bongo Java breakfast puts a smile on my face no matter how many miles . . .


- Bikers are mean; runners beware!  (This of course excludes all my wonderful biking friends!)


- Long runs are better shirtless.  Thank you Sarah Shearer for giving me the courage to rock the sports bra/shorts combination.  It has changed my life . . . and the amount of laundry I have to do.


- Morning runs really are the best and I'm more used to 5:00 am wakeup calls than I ever thought I could be.


- I have never felt so good about consuming enormous amounts of carbs and the quantities continue to grow with each long run.


- A cold beer is worth its weight in gold.


- When you have to go, you have to go.  Running routes with bathroom stops are a hot commodity.


- It is faster to run to Wave Country than drive thanks to the Greenway.


- If you find you've locked your keys in your car when you finish your run, you can just run home for extra milage. :)


- Nashville is a seriously hilly but seriously beautiful place to run.


-Last, but absolutely not least, nothing bonds people better than sweating together.  To all my running friends, you are bad ass and there is no way I would have made it this far in my training without you all.  You have inspired me to push myself farther than I ever thought I could go.  We are going to ROCK Chicago and I can't wait to celebrate with everyone after our 26.2!


(Of course this post wouldn't be complete without a special shout out to my sweet sweet Coley.  You have helped me during this training more than you know and I wouldn't feel nearly as good about this race if I didn't have your support.  I'm so excited you will be there with me in the Windy City!)

Sweet Sweet Summertime . . .

Wow!  Where has this summer gone?  It's hard for me to believe that August 1st is right around the corner.  And really, I shouldn't be so surprised.  I've packed a lot into the past few months with truly wonderful people.  So cue the picture montage that will help you relive the past two months of my terribly exciting life!

I kicked off summer by taking Coley to his first (and most likely last) Indy 500.  Let's just say the people watching paid for the ticket.

Then I took a long overdue trip to the Outerbanks with Coley's family.  I LOVE the Outerbanks and it was even better than I remembered (which I think had to do with the company!).  The only disappointing part of the vacation was coming home.

But luckily, my family was in town to welcome us back to Nashville for the 4th of July weekend so the shock of the real world didn't slap us in the face quite as hard.  And of course, the U2 "experience" also helped ease our pain!

  
July also included a trip to Louisville for one of my bestie's weddings.  Christina made an absolutely gorgeous bride and I was glad to be able to celebrate with her as she became Mrs. Brown.

In recent weeks, I've had friends' birthdays to celebrate, LOTS of running, and some wonderful lazy, beer-filled days by the pool (I mean I have to balance out the running right?).  I'm happy to say that, save one night in Lexington,  I will be staying put in good ole' Nashvegas in August.  And honestly, I think that's going to be a must, seeing as I have 17, 19, and 22 mile runs in my near future.  Ahh . . .the joys of training for a marathon.  But I really have no one to blame but myself for that, now do I? :)

There is nothing quite like sweet sweet summertime, and this summer has definitely been one of the sweetest to date.  I'm looking forward to all that August brings, which will no doubt include some great memories with even greater people.

The Great Outdoors

Ahhhh adventures . . .

Yep.  I'll be taking one on the Ocoee this weekend with 10 other crazy daredevils.  I've been whitewater rafting once before in Colorado, and I remember being terrified and thrilled all at the same time.  At any rate, I know it is going to be one heck of an adrenaline rush!  And I'm ready for it, because these are the types of experiences that make for the best memories.


Add to this an amazing cabin complete with a hot tub, firepit, and awesome food and I think we rafters are in for a great weekend.


Now, let's just hope we can find our in-the-middle-of-nowhere cabin and not lose anyone to a rapid!

From the Heart of It All to the Wild West

Coley and I have been quite the travelers lately!  When I think about it, there are a total of two weekends that we will have been in Nashville during the month of May.  It's pretty crazy, but we are having so much fun on these trips so I'm glad for the whirlwind!

So far, we've been to Ohio to visit Coley's family and spend some time at their lakehouse.  I experienced a lot of new things that weekend, like ziplining . . .

and fishing . . .



and a visit to good old Ohio State . . . (of course I supported the CATS for my tour through campus!)

Not to mention I had my first martini with dry ice and one of the most amazing steak/crab combinations ever!


This past weekend, we were off to Phoenix for my brother's birthday/graduation celebration.  Coley hasn't experienced much of the Southwest, so I was excited to introduce him to the incredible heat, crazy desert plants, and amazing mexican food.  The latter ended up being one of the biggest highlights of our trip . . .

I don't think Coley or I will ever be the same after tasting that corn.  We were seriously raving about it for the whole trip.  We brought the menu home so we can attempt to recreate it, but I don't know if it will be nearly as delicious as it was at America's Taco Shop!


To wrap things up, we decided to hike Camelback Mountain.  Let me tell you, this was no easy feat, but we made it to the top! 

Just don't EVER ask Coley to do it again (and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be too excited about a second try either).


It's been fun traveling from one part of the country to another over the past couple weeks.  I've had some great experiences and seen some awesome things.  But I don't think these trips would have been nearly as memorable without my amazing travel partner.  Now onto our next adventure- the Indy 500!

V.I.P.

It's not too often that I get to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous, but last night I got a little taste thanks to this guy . . .

Coley managed to get us tickets to the Predators playoff game in the lower bowl.  I'll admit, I'm not an avid hockey fan, but I will say that there is nothing quite like the playoffs and it was so fun to be at the game!

In addition to these great seats, our tickets gave us access to the Patron Club, and yes- it's just as fancy as it sounds.  We steered clear of the $34 per person buffet, but we did grab a drink at the upstairs bar and it was pretty cool.  It was like a little tast of Vegas right here in good ole' Music City!

Even though the Predators ended up losing the game, it was a great one to watch.  The combination of good beer, great company, and the illusion of wealth helped me work through the loss, and I will definitely file it away as a night to remember!  :)

CM 1/2 M

At 7 am on Saturday morning I will be running in this . . .

I wish I could say I am confident I will kick this race's butt, but to be honest that just isn't the case.  This past month has been a rough one for me when it comes to running thanks to a lovely cold that went away and came back two weeks later as an even lovelier sinus infection.  Of course, my problems started before that when I couldn't run for a week as a result of falling off the Vanderbilt shuttle in my high heels. 

Yes, you read that right- I take a shuttle, and I fell down its steps.  (Just in case you are wondering, my middle name is NOT Grace.)

Needless to say, I'm a little nervous for Saturday.  On the plus side I will have wonderful friends cheering me on at different points throughout the race, and afterwards, I will get to nurse my aching muscles with good food, great wine, and awesome company. 

Luckily all of the above isn't dependent on a stellar personal record. :)

So, if you think of it, say a little prayer or send a little thought my way on Saturday morning.  And for those of you running, I hope your race is fun, fast, and not anywhere near as painful as I'm predicting mine will be!

Off to the Races

For the next two weekends I will be here . . .

I'm so ready for two great weekends of friends, bourbon (okay okay, I don't really like it but I do respect it!), amazing food, racing, and everything else that makes Kentucky great.  Throw in some birthday and engagement celebrations and the opportunity to introduce racetrack Saturdays to a few new people, and it makes for a pretty great April!

Bring on the mimosas and Pazzo's, and let's hope I win some money!