I recommend walking around naked in your living room

Do y'all ever get on a blast-from-the-past music kick?  Right now I am very into Alanis Morissette again.  She carried me through many an angsty pre-teen/teenage year.  I definitely listened to Jagged Little Pill on repeat and screamed those lyrics out in my car.  I totally felt them, you guys.   

God, I loved this song.

So last weekend was one of my favorites of the year.  Why, you ask?  What did you and Saul do?  To that, my friends, I answer...

Absolutely nothing.

And it was glorious.

We've had a busy/hectic/shitty year and this was a weekend where we committed to not making plans and we just stayed home.  Together.  With no one else invited.  Our roommate was even out of town.  It was kind of insane.  I loved it.

Saul started school again this week (well, last week, but he has students again as of yesterday) and we're going to Vegas this weekend for a bachelor/bachelorette party, so a weekend to be alone together and be as lazy or as spontaneous as we wanted was definitely needed.  We went out to dinner on Friday, went to our niece's first soccer game on Saturday morning (hilarious - a post coming on that, complete with pictures), and didn't leave the house after that.  Like I said, glorious.

Vegas is going to be awesome.  It's been 5 (?) years since the last time Saul and I have been and bestie Sarah is coming with so it should be an adventure, at the very least.  Saul will be there with the guys, but they're staying at a different hotel and we're only really planning on meeting up with them on Sunday for some pool action.  The girls are going to a few clubs, which isn't really my scene (give me a dive-bar and a jukebox any day of the week), but anything in the name of bachelorette debauchery, right?  Hopefully, I'll have some blog-appropriate photos to share next week...but we all know the likelihood of me actually TAKING ANY is slim - let's be honest, here.

Anyway...since I'm feeling random, I'll leave you with a few things that are pissing me off this week.  Why the hell not, right?

1. People who get onto the elevator BEFORE I've had the chance to get off.  There is a repeat offender of said grievance in my office building - homeboy does this to me at least twice a week, no exaggeration.    I could understand if he was jumping into the elevator on the 4th floor - why would he expect anyone to get off then?  We could chalk it up to an error in judgment at that point, but noooo - he's trying to get on from the 1st floor.  At all hours of the day.  Maybe at least glance into the elevator as the doors open to be sure no one is standing in there, waiting to exit, before you barrel on in, body-checking the girl inside who is half your damn size.  Fuck you, Elevator Asshole.

2. Meeting cancelers that don't offer up an alternate meeting time.  I'm busy, dude.  I don't have time to play this stupid back-and-forth scheduling game with you.  If you can't make the proposed conference time, suggest a different time/date that you're available.  No, I can't read your damn mind and no, I'm not your secretary.  Also, if you tell me you're going to "pencil me in," know that I am going to think you're "a snooty fucking bitch."

Except, I only used the quotes on that last part for continuity's sake and I legitimately think that about you.

3. People who talk on their phones in the bathroom.  I've discussed this nasty habit before, but it still just bugs the hell out of me.  Just get out of the bathroom with your conversation about your family reunion plans, PLEASE.

Here's to a quick rest of the week and a fantastically fun weekend in the city of sin!

Not quite top 5

Do you guys have a Top 5 list?  You know - the 5 people you're allowed to hook up with and your significant other can't get mad?  I've always been a little boy-crazy, but I've never really had a solid Top 5 list.  Also, pretty sure that if I ever did actually encounter any of the people I lust after, I'd be totally speechless.  Forget about some wild tryst - I'd be lucky to say hello.

I had, um, questionable taste in boys when I was younger.  I was definitely a typical teenage girl - walls plastered with magazine spreads of my favorite guys (stapled up, no less...yeah, the parents were THRILLED about that), stacks of BOP and Big BOPPER in the corners of my room, and home-made collages stuck under the clear front of my school binder (shut up - you did it, too).  When we moved from California to Texas when I was 15, I found out that all teenage idols are not equal, region to region.  The dudes I was obsessed with as a teenager were totally the norm in California...in Texas, nahsomuch...

Jonathan Brandis (RIP)

Ladybugs and SeaQuest DSV

I wrote a letter to him when I was like, 11.  I got an "autographed" (pretty sure it was a stamp) stock photo back.  I put it in a plastic sleeve and carried that bad boy with me EVERYWHERE.

I know, I know...you can't handle the coolness.

Andrew Keegan

Hello - CAMP NOWHERE?

I was convinced we were going to get married...as soon as we were able to meet.

That hair, that tan, that smile...also, the sweet striped shirt and leather necklace.  Yum.

I definitely had this exact BOP poster on my wall.

Thomas Ian Nicholas

I'd just like to go on the record saying that I loved this dude BEFORE American Pie.

See what I mean?  Questionable...

Saul still makes fun of some of the guys I find attractive now and every time I mention a guy that is in my Top 5, he reminds me that actually I have something like a revolving Top 15 and he points out that I can't ever remember who's actually in it.

He's totally right.

So today, right now, here's my list.  Not all of them are here because they're smokin' hot - some are on because I just think they're funny as hell.  Let's see who agrees with me...

 

We'll start with the obvious hot guy - Joe Manganiello

If you watch True Blood, you know where I'm coming from.  Also, if you've seen Magic Mike, I can't imagine how you wouldn't be on board with this one - his name in the movie is BIG DICK RICHIE, for crying out loud.

*I do think he looks kind of dumb, though.  Pretty face/body, but I don't have a lot faith that there's much going on upstairs.

Another pretty boy - Jesse Williams

I love his character, Avery, on Grey's Anatomy.  And those eyes...yowza.

Josh Holloway

Oh, Sawyer...I miss Lost so much and you're one of the main reasons.

Please show back up on Community.  PLEASE.

Joshua Jackson

C'mon...who DIDN'T prefer Pacey?  Face it - Dawson was a giant nerd.  Pacey was the guy you wanted to hang out with.  Also, dating Diane Kruger just ups his hotness for me.  They're totally beautiful together.

Justin Timberlake

Loved him in N*Sync, so he's basically transitioned from teenage crush to adult crush with me.  He's funny, smart, and a good dresser.  Boom.

Now onto the guys who crack me up...

Jason Bateman

Arrested Development, anyone?  Michael Bluth is my favorite.

He's hilarious.  I love him.  I find him weirdly attractive.

Paul Rudd.

I've loved him since Clueless, and I think he's totally aged well.  Again, so so funny.  Love.

Now onto the guys who are on the fence (pretty sure they'll be devastated to hear that)...

 Joseph Gordon Levitt

Ok, I can't figure this one out - on one hand, he's slightly-less-squinty-dude from 3rd Rock from the Sun.  On the other hand, he's super-dapper-hottie-in-a-suit from Inception.

I know, I know...I don't get it either.

 

Jude Law

Another internal conflict for me.  Super hot in The Holiday (awful movie, but one I will watch every freaking time it comes on TV, just for him), super brainy in Sherlock Holmes, but can also look dirty as hell and barftastic.

So there you have it...my random, all over the place list.  Anyone agree with any of them?  Anyone have the same conflicts?  Do tell.

Happy HUMP Day

;)

 And, just because I am DYING over this...

Ryan Gosling

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

all photos from Google images

Instagram it

 a.

 b.

 c.

 d.

e. 

f. 

g. 

h. 

 i.

j.

k.

 

l.

 m.

 n.

o.

a. sailing away in Galveston Bay  

b. they partied too hardy on the cruise  

c. dogsitting this handsome dude is easy  

d. my favorite 3 year-old  

e. it's officially hurricane season - are YOU prepared?  

f. i can tell it's summer by your wicked ring tan-line, girl...

g. it's an old-school golf partee ;)  

h. everyday in my office is casual friday

i. if Saul's babysitting, shit's gettin' CRAZY

j. Jalapeno Watermelon Margarita...spicy!

k. boozy besties

l. it's a happy coincidence when your nails match your red Solo cup

m. Seared sea scallops at Hubble & Hudson

n. Jesus is just all right with me

o. somewhere between Ramen and Pho...

follow me on Instagram

I like to rock n' roll all night and *part* of every day. I usually have errands... I can only rock from like 1 to 3..

So this is just basically a brain-dump of everything that's been going on recently.  Since my last post, things have calmed down a bit, but we've still been super busy, which is just par for the course in the summertime.  

We went to Minnesota to visit some friends (I took no pictures), FACES just had our 6th annual Casino Night (again...no pictures), we celebrated a friend's engagement (pictures?  nah...), and our 3rd niece turned 1 (not even a phone pic).  

I blame the lack of picture-taking on the fact that I would have nowhere to upload them if I actually did take any - I spilled water on my MacBook a few months ago and I think my battery connection has just finally died.  It won't stay powered on, even when plugged in, so I need to take a trip to the Apple store and get my baby all fixed up.  If you really care to see photo evidence of my life, hit me up on Instagram - cakeene.

In other news, OF COURSE we've been watching the hell out of the Olympics.  I've always been a fan of the US swimming team, and gymnastics just amazes me, but I think I've found my new favorite sport... Track Cycling.

Have you guys watched this?  Saul and I caught it last night and were DYING.  What we gathered was that the winner is decided by a best 2 out of 3 situation, and the races consist of 3 laps around a insanely graded track.  The venue they race in is nicknamed "The Pringle," because of it's uncanny likeness to the chip, which again, DYING.  Also, when the racers get going, they spend the whole first lap in "intense psychological contention," (announcer's words, not mine) which means they go slow as freaking snails until they hit lap 2, and then they just take off.  It is so weird.  I don't understand the reason for going slow to start, but it's definitely hilarious to watch because it just looks like the guy in front is making sure the guy behind him is checking out his butt.

Nice glutes, bro.

The Olympics this year have been really weird in that I pretty much know how everything turns out before I watch it, which is a bummer.  I try to stay off any internet site that might have spoilers, but seeing as how I work in IT and I'm at a computer all day, it's not as easy as it sounds.  Also, my co-workers are really into the Olympics too, so basically everything has been ruined.

However, so far no one that I know of in my office watches Track Cycling, so that won't get spoiled ;)

Never underestimate the importance of sunscreen

The end of June?  The hell...?  Hopefully I'm not the only one that just realized 4 weeks of summer months are long behind me.  On the other hand, that means 4 weeks of INSANELY hot temps are also far behind me.  That, I can live with.

I know I bitch about it every summer, but for the love of God - 108 degrees?  REALLY?

This month has been full - full of fun and traveling, but also full of shitty moments that I just can't really even elaborate on.  The fact that I haven't written about ANYTHING makes me sick to put it all in the same place finally, but here are the major points - if you care to hear anything more about any of the fun ones, let me know...

The fun!

Saul and I went on a cruise with my parents

We celebrated a great friend's 30th bday/housewarming/engagement (crazy weekend)

My brother found out he's going to be a dad (shocking!)

The oh-so-sucky...

Saul's grandpa (his dad's step-dad) passed away last week.  Cancer.  Very fast, very unexpected.

One of my dear, sweet friends from college was just diagnosed with cancer.  Very young, very unexpected.

fuck.

It's just been a hell of year and I am so ready for my in-laws to have some kind of a break.  This month marked 3 months since Saul's dad lost his battle with cancer, and now that bastard has come back to claim another wonderful man.

I just can't...I have too many feelings about all of the cancer news.  I'm tired.

Thank the heavens it's Thursday - I need this weekend to be here NOW.

xoxo

That's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool...

So, yet another bloggy hiatus for me.  Pretty much that's how I roll - I'll get on a semi-decent kick, posting at least once a week (is that even a 'kick?') and then I disappear for a month.  Ah well...hopefully you all still love me anyway ;)

I've not got a ton to say today, although lots has been happening in my neck of the woods, so I'll just leave you with a few things I am super excited about right now...

A.

Phillip fucking Phillips.

Do you yet know the majesty of this 21 year-old kid man?  He is basically Dave Matthews lite, which gets me all a'swooning.  He's been a contestant on American Idol this season and you can just go ahead right now and save your "American Idol is soooo lame" because yeah, I get it.  It's crazy over-produced, and the guest performances annoy the shit out of me, so Saul and I basically just watch it on 4-arrow fast forward so we only have to watch the contestants performances/reactions and Jimmy Iovine's (!!!!) commentary.  Because really, who DOESN'T love that snarky, blue-glassed, wisp of a man?

The thing about Phillip Phillips that I looooove the most (no - not his sad little scruffly beard and gross "mustache"...seriously, get rid of that bad boy.  It's been months and it looks no different) is that he's not changed his musical style AT ALL this season.  I hate to use the word "artist" because it sounds like I'm just regurgitating the judge's words, but seriously - this guy is legit.  He doesn't give a fuck if people criticize him for his growly voice and complete disregard for any kind of melody - he just gets out there and sings his ass off, the way he wants to.  He also hasn't sung any real main-stream DMB songs this season, so he's not tried to make people remember him for sounding JUST LIKE someone else.  Bravo, Phillip Phillips, bravo.

Although, your parents were real fucked up for giving you that name and I can't decide if it's the most awesome/heinous thing I've ever heard.

Tonight is the final episode of the season and it will be decided whether P.Phillips or Jessica Sanchez (with her big ol' voice like WOAH) is going to be YOUR American Idol.  This will be his single, if he makes it out a winner.  Dying.  I love it.

B.

The Great Gatsby

Did you read this book in high school?  Are you like me and read it like, 100 times in high school?  Seriously, I was (and still try to be) a total book-worm while I was in school.  I've loved to read my whole life and I had a habit of reading books I was obsessed with over and over and over again.  Island of the Blue Dolphins, in junior high?  Read it over 30 times, no joke.  Great Expectations, in high school?  Read it at least 10 times.  The Great Gatsby was one of my favorites and I've read it probably 5 times SINCE graduating.  I love Jay Gatsby, even if he is a shady, dickish dick (name that movie), and I love how batshit crazy all the characters are.  

I am even more pumped to see Leonardo as one James Gatz...

Happy Hump Day, indeed.


*post title from - you guessed it - The Great Gatsby

The fabric of our lives

So every year you're married, your wedding anniversary has a different theme.  Year 1 is paper (money?), year 50 is diamond (bling bling), yada yada yada.

Year 2?

Cotton.

wtf.

Saul really came through on this one and is gifting me 1 year of professional maid service for the house - YIPEEE!!!  I am beyond pumped that cleaning toilets and baseboards are off my to-do list for the next 12 months. Cotton = towels.  Well played, husband...well played.

I unknowingly participated in the year 2 theme by gifting Saul a pair of tickets to a Dynamo game at the new soccer stadium downtown (tickets/paper/linen = cotton), as well as a professional massage (again - cotton = towel, as Saul pointed out).  So, go me, too.

Anniversary gift success all around.

Friday night, we'll celebrate the fact that after 2 years of marriage (5 of cohabitation), we have not killed each other and are still choosing every day to be each other's person.

May 1, 2010 I said "I do" to this dude...

...and the last 24 months have definitely been full of good times, laughs and lots of red solo cups.  We're classy.

I love you, Saul!

Happy birthday to me

Today begins the start of my 29th year on this Earth.  As I begin this last year in my 20's, I've started to reflect on birthdays past and really ponder how it is I've come to be where I am today...

-RECORD SCRATCH-

Whaaaat???  Um, hell no.  Today is not a day of reflection or a day for pondering - today is a mutha fuckin' celebration, y'all!!!

Today is my birthday and I am proud to announce that I am 29 years old.  

It's been a fast month - I can't believe tomorrow is May 1 - and my b-day pretty much snuck up on me this year.  I don't have any big plans for a party, but my friends always come through and a few have already told me they're free next Saturday night, so a Cinco de Mayo birthday festival is likely to happen.

Complete with tequila.

Bazinga!

Even though most of my friends aren't, I am really looking forward to turning 30 next year and have spent a lot of time thinking of a way to celebrate my Golden Birthday (30 on the 30th).  So in honor of all the crazy debauchery the birthdays of my 20's brought (and are sure to bring) about, I leave you with this photo...

Little old me with one of the bff's, Dustin, ringing in year 22...complete with cake fight, which I clearly dominated.

Here's to 29.  Bring it the eff on.

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers - wait, what the..?? Not all of us...

First of all, hellloooo to my new followers!  That little number to the left is pushin' up to 15 and I appreciate ya ;)  Welcome, welcome!  Now let me start off by possibly immediately offending you.

Saul and I attended a wedding this weekend, which is pretty much standard for us since we're in that time of our lives when every single person we know seems to be getting married.  They're a blast and we love them (the free booze AND celebrating our friends), so this is not a post bitching about weddings.

Although, I have done that in the past.  

Whoopsies.

Anyway, this is a rant about babies.  Not babies in general - you'd have to be pretty fucking heartless to just go off and rant about a BABY - but the subject of babies amongst friends and even strangers and the judgement (OH - the judgement!) that comes from those conversations.

It is common knowledge that Saul and I are choosing not to have children.  Well, at least at this point it's a choice.  I guess we don't know if we even can have kids, but that's not something we've ever thought about, so moving on...  Our friends and family all know that we're not on the baby-train and while yes, they might tease us about it and occasionally give us some grief, they don't press the issue or condemn us for our decision.

We choose to live our lives care-free and as spontaneously as possible.  We like to be able to decide on a whim to go out to a nice dinner, or to head down to the beach at 8pm on Wednesday, or to book a trip out of town for the weekend.  Now, before you go getting your panties in a wad, I get that you CAN do all that with kids.  I have friends who have kids.  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have kids.  Are they chained to their houses?  No.  Does doing something like going out of town require a little more planning on their part?  YES.  Saul and I are choosing not to introduce that extra factor into our lives right now.

I qualify that statement with the "right now" because HOLY SHIT has that gotten the questions to die down a bit.  People react so much more harshly to "No, we're not having kids," than they do to "No, we're not having kids RIGHT NOW."  Sure, I still get some follow up questions, but usually they just let that declaration sit.  I'm not sure why - maybe they assume we've tried and just haven't been able to conceive yet?  Whatever their thought process is, the questions usually stop there.

The real ranting on this subject comes as a result of speaking with people I didn't even know at the wedding this last weekend.  Saul was a groomsman, so he and I sat with the rest of the wedding party and I introduced myself to the girlfriends/wives.  I don't know what it is about married people, but when you meet other married people the questions usually flow like this:

"How long have you been married?"

"Do you have any kids?"

Ugh.  To both questions.

I try my damnedest to ask something more interesting - "What do you guys do for fun in xxxx (town where you live)?"  "What's your drink of choice?"  "What color is your thong?"

One of the girls I was talking to was all smiley and nice and cordial until I responded to the second question with a solid, "No."  Her face immediately went all horrified and twisty as she gasped and asked, "WHY?"  My face immediately went all hell no and bitch, please as I responded, "Because we don't want to."  Good God, you would have thought I killed her puppy.  FYI - that's all the explanation you need, hooker.  The rest of the questions she asked were all old hat for me...she asked how old I was, whether we had tried (!!!), and if we had any friends with kids already.  I told her I was turning 29 this month and she calmed down a little, letting out a relieved sigh saying, "Oh, well then you still have time."

Newsflash - it's not about "still having time."

I turned away and sipped on my drink, but it was still awkward as hell because Mrs Baby Patrol was sitting right next to me and we hadn't even started dinner yet.  Make no mistake - she didn't ruin my night, but JESUS...have some tact.

Just a tip to those of you who judge the non-baby-makers: cut it the fuck out.

I don't think you're weird if you have a kid.  I don't tell my friends I don't understand their decision to grow their families.  I don't hate babies.

Quit acting like I've committed some mortal sin.

It's rude.  It's none of your business.  It's (surprisingly enough) kind of hurtful when someone forms an immediate opinion of me and/or my character based solely on my decision not to procreate.  I'm not doing it to personally offend you - I'm doing it because it's what makes sense in my life.  I've never felt the urge to have a child.  Saul is on board with that.  If I ever feel differently, Saul and I will figure it out.  Leave our choice alone.

Also, I kind of hate that I felt like I needed to defend my stance in a post.

Jerks.

13.1

Remember back in January when I told y'all I'd be running my first half marathon?  Well, March 3, I did it ;)

I finished in 2:47:04, which I am really proud of.  It's way slower than my intended pace, but it's pretty awesome considering I hadn't run for almost 2 whole months prior to the race.

Yeah - that's right.  I hadn't run since January 12, and the longest run I completed was 5 miles.

I'm not bragging - it was dumb to take so much time off, and I really wish I hadn't.  January 7 was my first 5-mile run.  My training program consisted of 4 shorter runs during the week and then long runs, increasing by 1 mile each week, on Saturdays.  My 5-mile run went well and I was really encouraged - I can TOTALLY do this!

And then I hurt my leg - my right calf, to be exact.  And I thought it might fall off my body.  It felt like it was on fire.  So I waited for it to heal, but when it didn't feel any better after a week, I went to the doctor.  He rotated my foot around, moved my leg all over the place, and finally found the problem when he tried to bend my foot at the ankle and push my toes back up toward my shin.

"Relax your leg."

"I am...it's relaxed."

"No, seriously...quit pushing against my hand."

"Dude - my legs are totally relaxed!  I can't relax them any more!"

"Holy shit - how are you running AT ALL?!"

Basically, he told me that I'm not at all flexible (um, durr...) and that I was doing some serious damage to my muscles without proper recovery time.  You know how when you work out, your muscles "tear and repair?"  Ok, well, I'm so NOT flexible that when I ran, my calf muscles were tearing, but they were tearing pretty severely which of course means they would need more time to repair themselves, which I wasn't giving them seeing as how I was running 5 times a week.  He referred me to a therapist, which I oh-so-smartly didn't go see, and instead I just waited for the pain to go away on it's own.

It finally did about 2 weeks later (so we're looking at late January, here) and I went out for another run.  After 1 mile, I turned around, limping home on my bad leg.  I iced it and made the executive decision not to run again until the half, so as not to hurt myself again.  I'm brilliant, I tell you, brilliant!  Saul was really skeptical of this training method and basically gave up hope on me participating in or finishing the race.

Fast forward to March 2, the day of the expo and packet pick-up.  I was feeling REALLY unsettled about my preparedness level and was pretty much just freaking the fuck out about the run.  I had dinner that night with some friends who were running, and they gave me all kinds of pep talks and told me I would be fine. Then I went home to try and sleep, which was just a pipe-dream - I think I got maybe 2 hours of solid zzz's all night, I was so nervous.

The morning of the run, we got up and out the door by 5:30am (race started at 6:47 for the marathoners, 7am for the halfies), and I was desperately trying to keep my piece of peanut butter toast down.  I planned to run alone since my pace was slower than the friends I had running, so I had my iPod Shuffle, my watch, my little SpiBelt with a few ShotBloks and some quick-release Tylenol, and my insane fear to keep me going.  I gave Saul a kiss goodbye and jumped into my corral, still trying not to hurl on the runners around me.  Saul and I planned to see each other at mile 1.5, and then not again until mile 10.

We started right on time, and my legs felt great.  After the first mile I was feeling more relaxed and concentrating on keeping my pace steady.  I have a tendency to try and keep up with people around me, regardless of how fast they're running, which is usually a lot faster than me, but I stayed where I was comfortable and was searching for Saul at the next half-mile.  He was right where he said he'd be, and I couldn't believe how happy it made me to see him, even though I had just left him 15 minutes before.  I was feeling really encouraged and knew I could finish this thing.

The course was flat and through a part of town I know, but don't drive through often, so the scenery was relatively new to me.  I hadn't really studied the course map before-hand, which I think ended up working in my favor because I never really knew where I was going and was constantly surprised when I saw a new mile-marker.  I stuck with a run 10 minutes, walk 2 minutes method, which worked really well for me.  Sometimes I would run longer, but would always walk through the water stations, which were every mile and a half.  There were GU stations, too, but GU kind of grosses me out, so I bypassed those.  I did not, however, bypass the cute kids that were handing out Oreo's at mile 7 ("Oreo Speed Wagon!").  Yum.

The first marathoner passed me up when I made it to mile 6 (the course was a loop for the marathoners) and I screamed my head off for him with all the people around me.  Oreo at mile 7, and then started raining a little when I hit mile 8 (MILE 8!!!!!  FUCK YEAH!) and kept up the whole mile.  It was a welcome distraction, and kept me cool.

Mile 9 was my insane mile.  I don't know what the hell got into me, but I was a fucking machine.  I was listening to "Good Girl" by Carrie Underwood, and hit repeat twice so I listened to the song the whole mile.  Weird because I'm not even a big Carrie Underwood fan, but something about the song had me feeling it, and before I knew it I was rounding the corner to the 10th mile-marker and saw Saul standing on the side of the street, waiting for me.  I finished that mile in 9 minutes.  WTF.  I slowed to a walk and gave him a kiss and a high-five and he told me how proud of me he was and how happy he was to see me doing so well and feeling so good.  I left him feeling on top of the world.  I was at 2 hours, 9 minutes.

And then I crashed.  I don't know what it was (maybe my crazy pace during mile 9 had something to do with it), but my last 3 miles were just brutal.  My breathing was fine, but my feet were killing me.  My legs felt great, but every time I struck the ground, my feet felt like someone was taking a jackhammer to my arches.  I started to get a little sore behind my left knee, too.  My last 3.1 miles were a struggle and I wasn't able to keep the 10/2 system going, but I made it through.

I finished under 3 hours, which is awesome, but I am so proud of myself just for finishing.  The feeling I had while running through the chute and receiving my medal is not one I will ever forget.  Seeing friends and family along the course, cheering me on and yelling for me was amazing.  I will most definitely run more halfs in the future - I've got my eye on one that goes through Disney World - and will absolutely train better for them.

Here's to 13.1 ;)

Me, Sarah and Genevieve - 1 half and 2 full finishers

Some of our fans and fellow 1/2'ers...love Saul's sign