Back on track

Thank you to: Kristi Parry, Linda Armstrong, Leslie Rollins, Kim Grant, fellow runner Erin McGrath, fellow runner Kelly Strauch, The Elzinga Family, and Grandpa & Myk Barkel! Your support is greatly appreciated! Thanks to these fabulous people I have now reached my half way point! Wooo hoo! Let's keep it going here! Less than 8 weeks to go.

Last weekend included the following:

1) Working a great Rascall Flatts concert where I earned nearly $140 for BPE!

2) A really great 17 mile run, with my running mate Lauren. We set off at about 10:30 to make water drops. We are now at the point where we need to have water three times throughout the run, meaning that we need to hide some water or gatorade behind trees for us when we reach our quarter and three-quarter locations. We were very excited about the extra beverage, and were also going to do an extra packet of running pseudo-food at our three-quarter point. We made the drops and drove back to the middle, our start point. The run went rather great except when we realized our first water drop took us out 0.6 miles further than we needed to be. This resulted in being 1.2 miles farther than was planned upon the return to mid-way. We made the decision to for-go the three-quarter water drop, as that would have either a) resulted in running at least 18 miles or b) resulted in over a mile cool down. So unfortunately after all that hard work, we still had to go pick up our water drops and pseudo-foods, some unused. :(

3) A post run stop at McDonald's for M&M McFlurries. :) We decided this was just like the chocolate milk coach Rick suggests, containing both frozen milk and chocolate.

4) A great dinner out at Jalapeno's Mexican Restaurant with Travis. Going out to eat just the two of us is something we haven't done in a very long time. It was great.

5) A full on winter snow storm, complete with sleet, snow, and freezing rain. Oh, it's almost March.

Since the weekend I have been entirely exhausted. Apparently that is one of the side effects of running a bazillion miles, and working 3 jobs. :) I went to spinning Monday, and yesterday I set out on weekday mileage, something that made me nervous, given my recent knee troubles (and ridiculous sleepiness). I was prepped and ready to go with new running shoes (same kind I already have) - the fabulous Adidas Supernova Sequence. Little did I know when I originally purchased these - they are the official running shoe of the Boston Marathon!

It went great! I felt awesome, my knee never hurt, and despite the biting winds, I feel re-inspired to keep running! I am so glad I went. However, I am still planning to run every other day to give my knee a little well deserved rest. I think I may be officially back on track!

And I need to share this non-running related news: My hometown of Holland, MI has been ranked one of the happiest places to live, earning the name Happy Town. The awesome candy store I worked for, The Holland Peanut Store, is featured in the beginning of this video, with "Uncle Bill" carrying some candy! I love this! :)