Adventures in Mexico 2007..more to come 2011

We are leaving in 1 week to go to Mexico for 2 weeks in Cancun! We got a great deal on an all-inclusive place. We got engaged in Mexico in 2007 so we are excited to go back and maybe even make a baby! I can't wait to run in the humidity and on the beach. I speak Spanish so we have a blast talking to the bartenders. I am so grateful and lucky to go on this trip.

David and I always have adventures... for example in 2007 we went to Cozumel for the day and decided to rent a scooter. We then started to head around the island. On the way we stopped at a park with gorgeous ruins y animales. Then we continues on our way around the island we were near the side where the beaches and bars are when all of a sudden the tire went flat. So here we are basically in the middle of nowhere with a flat. We found a restaurant and they said to wait for Angeles Verdes. I am like who is that? When do they get here? Well I guess there are these people driving around the island helping out stranded motorists. So after waiting in the heat a guy stopped and helped us. Although he had his lunch break before he helped up load the scooter into his truck and then we went back to the scooter place. Since the guy rented us a lousy scooter with thin treads we got to rent another. At this point it was starting to get late....so we booked it around the island jumped in the water and returned the scooter. Then we ran to catch the 9pm ferry and we MISSED it!!! We stopped at Senor Frogs, which is like being back in the USA WHAT!!!????!!!Caught the 11pm ferry to Playa del Carmen and then went to the bus place which the sign clearly reads last bus at midnight it was 11:30. We get there and no one is there!!! I said hey your sign says you are still open. So they find us a ride and we get smushed into the back of a van and ride home with a bunch of workers snoring and drinking beer. We finally made it back to our resort late.....I hope we have more fun adventures in 2011 baby!!!



The Scooter



David and I waiting for help!

Wine Shelf

David had some extra wood lying around so we thought we could make some shelves for some of our rooms in the house.

I wanted to try something crafty, especially after reading all these fun blogs, so I attempted a decoupage  shelf. I cut out cool pictures from wine magazines and made this shelf.

Then we hung it on these cool racks.

Fun pictures of wine things I cut out....

Gluing it to shelf

Up in the office :)

Trail Running...

 So what a great weekend! I was able to trail run Saturday, Sunday and Monday! I love trail running it's so hard in a different way than roads. It feels good on my legs too since it's on dirt.  It's been busy and I am almost done with school! We had graduation for the seniors Friday and my last day is this Friday! Then we are off to Mexico! (Lame post but super busy lately....they will get better :)

It was cloudy Saturday morning but great running weather. 

Run with Rocky 5k

The beginning of summer racing/training has begun. This is my base and starting point. I went into this race just for fun. It went great! It was fun to help out too. Volunteering for races makes you feel so good.
First mile 7:25 I was 2nd girl at that point and I just tried to maintain. 2nd mile 7:55 Breathing was getting there but my legs felt good. Mile 3 was 7:42 Final time 23:33. I won my age group and was 2nd female overall! Great boost for the confidence. My running coach, who runs our club was the first female. She is so tough. So not my best 5k time there were some hills in there but overall what a great morning! Next 5k is in 2 weeks so I will continue to work on getting faster!

Me and Lori my running coach.

Summer Race Schedule ????

Ok so I am a dork and love it!
This is my tentative race schedule for summer 2011. I don't know if I will do them all I think $35 for a 5k is a lot and my husband will think so too! We are going to Mexico in June and then we don't have any plans...except to make a baby LOL! We may have company come and visit us and will hike 14er's so I think this schedule may work. We like to hike during the week anyway since on the weekends it's crowded. I asked my husband for dates to hike the farther away mountains and he couldn't tell me. Since I am a PLANNER I decided to plan out what I wanted to do. Then when David gets more of an idea on when we can go to the cabin and hike then I can adjust. GOOD TIMES!!

SUMMER 2011

Saturday June 4th          5k               8AM            $25          Louisville, CO

Saturday June 25^th     Relay (4M) 8AM             $35      Loveland Ski area

Monday July 4^th              4M                 8:30AM     $33              Wash Park

Saturday July 9^th          5k                  8AM             $30              Arvada

Sunday July 17              5k                  8AM             $35              Wash Park

Saturday July 30          5k                  8AM             $18              Westminster

Saturday Aug. 13^th          Half              8AM             $40              Georgetown

Monday Sept. 5^th           10M             7AM             $50              Denver

Sunday October 9         Half                                        $85              Denver

2 Half marathons within 2 weeks....

Yeah! I ran a half marathon May 1st in Lincoln, NE and this morning I ran another half. I ran the Colfax half in Denver, CO. This race started at 6AM! It rained and drizzled the whole time. I had a great time!
I ran a 1:47 which is the same time I ran 2 weeks ago. I thought I was more fit from all the track workouts and long runs this winter, but as you can see this is where my base is. A great starting point for summer training. My plan is to train for 5ks and get my speed up and then in the fall run a half and or full, if I am not prego!

I also ran with music today, a first for me during a race. I really enjoyed it. I felt focused and the music helped me stay motivated. I need to work on my playlist though. Towards the end I kept playing the same song because it just kept me moving fast.

So different from 2 weeks ago where it was just me and the hubby. Today I was surrounded by all my running club gals! SO FUN! We drove together, went to the start together, waited for everyone to finish and had out Michelob Ultra at the end.

Waiting for the start.

Here we go (Again)...

I am running the Colfax half marathon this Sunday! This race is in downtown Denver about 20 minutes from my house so I am excited to eat and sleep in my house. I am feeling good and ready to just have fun and not to over think it too much! I ran yesterday and felt ok not great. I was talking to another high school counselor and she said that she struggles in her spring races. She thinks it is because we are so drained from the school year. She also has run the Lincoln, NE race and did not do well. I felt better after talking with her. So I get to taper again this week :) I plan on running a tempo run tomorrow and then easy run Thursday and super easy Saturday....race is at 6AM...(WHAT!!!??). Also I get to run with a bunch of ladies from the running club. I think that totally helps me!Happy Monday!

Window thingy

My husband is a carpenter/woodworker. One day he was on a job site and the home owner gave him this!

It's half of a door with the really neat glass and it's original from the 1920's.

Not that we don't have enough side projects to do on this house but he sanded, stained and cleaned it up.

We have been looking for something unique and special for our living room wall and we found it :)

It looks so good. Its just what that space needed. 

What happened?

So I have had a bit more time to process the half from last Sunday....

I know I could make a ton of excuses either way so here we go...

I traveled in a car 7 hours
I didn't eat a lot of protein Saturday
I wasn't with the running club girls. I felt like I had to make sure David was taken care of, which um he's a grown man he can take care of himself.
Did I run my training runs too slow?
I didn't do all of my pace runs
Is this the best I am now? Are my faster running days over? I mean I finished in the top 5% of women and in my age group. 8:14 average isn't bad. However I once ran a full marathon in 7:37 average????!!!!
My mind and legs just weren't on that day....

So I just signed up for a half marathon in town in 2 weeks! A bunch of running club girls are running it also and it's a pretty flat course. Granted I will be at altitude but whatever. I now don't have crazy expectations. I just want to have fun. Goal a 1:45 or under. I was already going to run this in a relay so what's 7 extra miles? I will chalk up Lincoln to a good learning experience. I feel pretty good about this decision and am excited too! That is what I love about running always something to figure out....

The Half...

Thanks all for the Good Luck wishes!!I know I need to write about the good and bad of running so here we go...

I decided to run the Lincoln, NE half back in January. The running club I run with were all planning on running The Fort Collins, CO half. Both were May 1st. I thought perfect, I can train with the group but run at a low altitude and honestly the Lincoln half was way cheaper, even with driving, than the Fort Collins half. I think I was being stubborn. I ran the Fort Collins half in 2009 and ran a 1:40. The course was OK. The first part was all downhill then there were a lot of turns and bike path running, which I am not a fan.

Well I just returned from Lincoln and ran a 1:47. I am disappointed. I really have know idea what happened. I was training for under a 1:40. My breathing was fine but my legs just didn't have it. I ate well, tapered well etc. So I am happy that I completed the race but maybe I should not have been stubborn and just ran the Fort Collins race with the club???...lesson learned. This isn't my worst time but not a PR. So I am just chalking it up to a great spring race.

NOW I need some advice. There is a half June 25th called the slacker half. You start at 10,000 feet and run to around 8,000. It's pretty much downhill...it's cheap and close. Here's the thing I am going to Mexico the week before, so sea level. Will this affect me? I mean the benefits didn't seem to help me much in Lincoln....
Should I just run it for fun and see how I do?

The other twist is this may be my last big race for awhile because we are trying to get prego. We don't have kids and we're going to start this summer.....so do I training for a fall half knowing I may or may not get to run it?? UGH....

EARLY Sunday morning at the finish..you get to run to the 50 yard line at Cornhusker Stadium

I am pretty sure I was the only one with PINK compression socks on. I got a lot of comments during the race like"nice socks" lol

Hubby took this one not too bad.