Happy Halloween!

Where's the rock?? We're ready to climb!

My credit-recovery kiddos have been great, so I treated them to a mini party with Sponge Bob Scaredy Pants and orange cookies and blue banana bread.

I almost bailed on my after-work run. I was tired and it was wet. I contemplated taking a rest day and running tomorrow instead. BUT... you want to know what made me get out there? I'd brought my Halloween-colored running outfit! And if I wore it tomorrow, it just wouldn't be the same. HA! Whatever gets it done ;)

I started with my jacket but took it off after about a mile. It was gusty but plenty warm for no sleeves.

I ran slow - 3.0 miles in 29:16, a 9:44 average. My calves are surprisingly sore from yesterday's stadiums, so I wanted to go easy.

I managed a very short nap before Brad came home and we donned the hot dog costumes:

Chipotle was selling $2 burritos for anyone in costume! 

The place was packed! And our tummies (and wallets) were very happy:

We hurried home to hand out candy to the masses of little trick-or-treaters. BUT... we only had five. FIVE!

I gave up about 8:30 p.m. and turned off the lights. Now I'm getting in to bed to watch Modern Family.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN :)

No-TV Tuesday: visit with a senator

It's baaaack!

After a four-month hiatus, No-TV Tuesday has returned. I need to return to my old habits, which include showing you crappy pictures of all the exciting things I do every Tuesday while not watching TV ;)

First excitement: Sen. Ron Wyden spoke at my school!

When in D.C. last summer, Mom stopped by the senator's office to ask if he'd be willing to come talk to her senior economics class. And he agreed! So today, Wyden held a town-hall meeting with the econ and government classes. Some other seniors, including my CE2 students, were also invited to attend.

Pretty impressive to have one of the most powerful men in Congress in our cafeteria!

I almost stole his fancy leather folder with the U.S. Senate seal :)

Next excitement: Brad learned that his foot is not broken! YAY!

A lot of pain but no break. Hopefully a few days of rest is all he needs.

After work, Lindsey joined me for some stadiums. We used to work out together all the time. I miss that!

For dinner, I tried this vegan pizza recipe from No Meat Athlete. It was really good! Even Lindsey, the Texan meat eater, liked it. I'd make it again.

Then I whipped up some orange cookies and some blue banana bread for my class:

 Eryn stopped by, and Brad hooked us up with costumes for work tomorrow.

 And with that, I think I will hit the sack :)

Egg nog and treadmills

I spotted this goodness at the store today :) Can't wait for the end of my no-sugar restriction!

I got my hair cut after work and then hit Winco. Wasn't sure I'd have time for a run, but I squeezed in 3.2 miles on the treadmill.

Time for handbell rehearsal :)

Perfect weekend

I don't mean to brag, but I had a sweet weekend!

It started with a soggy trail run during some time off Friday, then the annual pink-out football game at THS. Eryn came over to watch Grimm with us. I think I got her hooked during our road trip to Eugene last week.

Saturday was a super-fun 5K race with Dad and Eryn, followed by an award-winning performance by the THS marching band. And Brad joined the rest of the family for the band-competition festivities, including Mexican lunch.

Sunday was a powerful message from Pastor Gregg and then yummy lunch at Friendsview with family. So glad to have Aunt Louise out here now (Uncle Dick's right behind her with the U-Haul)!

The rest of the rainy day was filled with a nap and a few chores. Oh, and then we watched my SF Giants sweep the Tigers in the World Series!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brad and I put in a fire (totally stupid since it was 60+ degrees outside!) and carved pumpkins while we watched the game.

Brad, who despises baseball, actually watched much of the series with me - and seemed to kinda like it! He learned some of the players, and I caught him cheering last night when Ryan Theriot scored the go-ahead run with that magnificent slide into home ;)

I hope your weekend was good, too :)

PS - We visited Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, while on our summer baseball tour. I brought my Mariners and Giants gear on the trip and happened to wear my SF shirt to that game. GO GIANTS!

I'm sure that means something, right?!?

Wienie gets a PDR

I have a good dad!

After Saturday's band competition schedule was finally announced, Eryn and I signed up for the Run for your Bones, a Halloween-themed race at The Reserve golf course in Aloha.

At the last minute, Dad decided to join us for the 5K... in our hot dog costumes!

The course, which was entirely on the golf course paths, was really fun! It was twisty with little rolling hills - and surprisingly scenic. However, it was raining, and poor drainage had us running through huge puddles.

It was a small event with just over 100 runners between the 5K, 10K and 15K. Dad had planned to walk/run, but we decided to start off running. He looked great, so I bribed him with free breakfast if he ran the whole thing (which he's never done!!!!). 

Of course, he did it!!! You just have to find the right motivation ;)

We stuck together, and he finished in 38:45 - a 12:26 average:

Nice job, Dad! I knew you could do it! New PDR (personal distance record) - FIRST 5K RUN!!!

Uberthon always brags about putting on awesome races. We weren't impressed. Despite the pouring rain and cold temps, there was no clothes check. The post-race party was under cover but pretty lame. The timing system didn't really work right, and they first announced me as one of the winners. No, I was not.

But it was still a great morning - so proud of my wienie of a father :)

And speaking of silly costumes, Friday was our Think Pink football game at THS. It's for breast-cancer support, but to me, it's a perfect excuse to dress like a freak :)

Brad was so impressed that he insisted on taking my picture before I jumped on my bike and headed to the game:

I wore my cape on my bicycle. It was epic.

Oh, and we won... big... again :)

Tryon Creek tail run

I had some time off Friday for good behavior (or something like that), so I asked Brad to spend the day with me. He requested a fall trail run at Tryon Creek:

It was foggy and drippy. Beautiful!

We did 6 miles at an 11:59 average, including a couple walked hills and slippery steps.

What a great way to spend a Friday :)

Hot dog Dad

Time to hit the stadium after work Thursday.

It was sunny, but still no showing from Mount Hood:

We planned go trail running Friday, so I stuck with just 20 minutes on the stairs.

Then I was on my way to packet pickup in Beaverton and stopped by Target. Snagged these new running shorts for just $5/pair!! Good thing I don't care that they're "last season's" colors ;)

Eryn, Dad and I are doing the Run for Your Bones 5K Saturday at The Reserve in Aloha. Packet pickup was at Famous Footwear at Cedar Hills Crossing:

Grabbed our goodies:

Remember the hot-dog costumes we rocked at June's Starlight Run? Well, they are about to make a comeback. The surprise of the night? The $3 kids' costume fits Dad!!!!!

Oh, yeah! This is gonna be good :)

Biker granny

Ma recently inherited a recumbent tricycle from a friend of the family. The fam gathered Wednesday at Cook Park for the inaugural adventure!

With no experience with gears or hand brakes, Ma was a bit hesitant. But after hearing just a couple instructions, she rode away, exploring the park's paved and unpaved paths. I had to chase her down several times :)

We had so much fun, and a family bike outing is in the works :)

Burning my boats

Prompted by Wednesday's No Meat Athlete post, I decided to share my up-'til-now secret contemplation: I'm considering running a full marathon.

Yikes. There, I said it.

I NEVER thought I would even entertain the thought. But then again, that's what I said about half marathons. In fact, I distinctly remember having that conversation at the beach house with Sarah V.

Here's some of what's floating around in my head:

I feel like I've become a real runner. I set big goals and stick with training plans to get stronger and faster. I've been running since 2006 and have finished 41 races of various lengths, including four half marathons. That seems like a solid base.

 

I love to race, and having a goal keeps me focused and motivated. I am enthralled by the idea of the challenge.

My negative self talk is improving, and I'm able to keep positive and (mostly) enjoy running and pushing myself.

To be perfectly honest, I'm a bit jealous that Brad's done one and I haven't. Many people believe that all runners should do at least one marathon in their lives, and I'm starting to feel that pull. I want to add it to my list of life accomplishments.

And I think I just might be able to pull it off, with the proper plan and training. Maybe.

BUT...

I saw how much energy went into Brad's training. I know it's a huge time commitment that I'm not sure I'm ready to tackle. We missed out on a lot of summer experiences because we made the choice to put marathon training first.

I don't know if my body and mind can handle it. I want to succeed. I don't like taking on things that I'm not sure I can finish. That's always been my thing: If I can't do it right, I don't want to try. Why set myself up for failure? 

SO... here's my plan: 

I'm already planning to run February's hilly Heart Breaker Half. Training starts right after Thanksgiving with (probably) five runs each week, including speedwork.

I will throw in a couple longer runs, maybe a couple 15s, just to test out the higher mileage. I want to see how it feels physically and mentally. If I want to jump off a bridge during and after, maybe 26.2 isn't for me. If it feels OK, maybe I'll take the plunge.

The current thought is the Eugene Marathon in late April. It's fast and flat and supposedly a really great race.

While I'd love to run Portland like Brad did, Eugene would mean that I could simply continue from my half training. It would also mean that we would be able to do other things this summer besides just running.

My biggest consideration is that if I run a marathon, I want it to be a positive experience. I know it will be grueling on my body and mind, but I also want to enjoy the race. No regrets. I would definitely not set a big time goal, and I would plan to allow as many walk breaks as needed. I'd take a more casual approach.

Our other contemplation is whether Brad would train and run with me or whether he'd train for himself and try to PR. Big decisions ;)

Eugene has a price jump at New Year's, so I'm hoping to come to a decision by then. We'll see.

And now the secret's out. If I want to take the island, I have to burn my boats :)

No excuses

Oregon runners are tough. If it's cold, wet and nasty, we still get out there and get it done.

Still, it's tempting to slack or rearrange workouts when it's particularly yucky. Or dark. Or whatever.

Well... no more excuses for me and Brad.

After years of weighing the pros and cons, we finally took the plunge and bought a treadmill off Craigslist. A big thanks to Dad for loaning the truck and the muscle to help us move it from Sellwood!

It was barely used, and we got a good deal. I think the family just wanted it gone :)

We moved stuff around to make room, and it fits perfectly. (Man, we made a great decision when we bought a house with a three-car garage!)

Since I raced Sunday, I needed just a short shakeout Monday. And because it was acting like winter out there, I decided to bring my run indoors and try out the treadmill.

I tried putting my tablet on the tool box in front but couldn't hear the movie so I switched to music. I'll have to work on that system.

I ended up running 2.14 miles at a slow pace before throwing down dinner and heading to rehearsal.

Just what I needed :)

Tuesday, my planned stadiums got postponed because I forgot my iPod. Can't run stairs without music. Then I dropped off the car at the shop. Then we went to dinner with Grandpa and the fam.

How about another indoor workout? WOOHOO!

I hopped on the elliptical for 20 minutes while Brad walked on the treadmill in his Five Fingers.

We'd hooked up the old garage TV and VCR so we could watch a teeny-bopper movie while we sweated :)

Won't have time after work today, so I jumped on the treadmill again this morning for 3 miles. Another 30 minutes of the teeny-bopper movie! I have to keep working out so I can see if the boy ends up with the girl ;)

Loving this!