39 days away, Sunshine award, more spotlights, oh my!

Guys, we are 39 days away from THE day.  I remember the 100 day mark, now we're a little over a month away.  Holy shoot!  I have a lot of miles left to run in the next few weeks and then I get to taper and I don't know how I feel about it just yet.  I'm excited to taper but I'm nervous about it and from what I've gathered that's a consensus among us crazy people they call "marathoners".

I've had a pretty good few weeks and my plantar fasciitis has been under control.  I have been getting regular massages (thank God for Massage Envy memberships!) and I think having them do a full body but focusing more on my legs has helped tremendously.  That and new shoes and knowing I have to back off a little bit especially on the treadmill.  For whatever reason my feet and the treadmill surface don't love one another but it works to get the miles done.  I have run over 350 miles since I began training at the end of March and that is CRAZY.  I doubt I've ever covered that many miles in my lifetime before let alone in a few months (that might be a bit of an exaggeration but you get my point). 168 more training miles in the next 5 weeks to be exact.  I'm not counting down or anything :)

Tomorrow is 9/11 and I'm remembering by running 9.11 miles - I was due for 9 anyhow and it just worked out that way.  I'm not overly patriotic on a daily basis but I do remember exactly where I was (9th grade English class) and I won't forget how I felt.  To honor the families, first responders and service men and women who went to war following the attacks I will run these miles for all of them.  Both Kyle and I have brothers who served in the Marine Corps and I know mine specifically served 2 tours overseas.  He has been out of the military since early 2010 and can be called up as a reservist if needed still until this coming January.  He received a letter telling him to report to a "fit for duty" meeting thing this weekend because if things with Syria continue he may have to go back.  Insane.  Hoping for the best.

I was tagged in a few different blog posts for some "about me" type fun so firstly I will start with Candra from Camo and Lipstick (www.camoandlipstick.blogspot.com) with 6 questions about me:

1. What is your favorite workout move?
I love, love, love to do the curl/press combo with a nice heavy weight!

2. If you had to eat the same cheat meal for the rest of your life what would it be?
Chipotle.  Easy.  Or Panera bread bowls of soup.

3. Live in the mountains, or by the ocean?
I think the ocean because I hate the hills of the mountains, especially in the winter.  I don't love the idea of hurricanes either so maybe I'll just stick with the midwest :)

4. East Coast or West Coast and why
I've never been to the West coast but I'd love to go visit New England in the fall.  I've never been but I hear it's beautiful!

5. What is the book you recommend the most?
I love My Sister's Keeper, the Harry Potter series and a fun book I found before starting marathon training was The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and on With Training.  It gave me hope I could do this and was a quick, funny read.

6. How do you take your coffee (or energy drink)?
Coffee - 4 shots of espresso over ice in a venti cup with sugar free vanilla and splenda/stevia from Starbucks.  Energy drink wise I use Spark, Slam, and C4.

I'm a bad blog follower and only read others occasionally so I really only have 1 person to tag and that wouldn't be fun now would it?

I also realize I need to step up my blogging game and learn how to use HTML properly and add pictures and actually design this page but I don't know how.  Need blogging help!  Maybe when I have more time to focus on not running a marathon I can focus on being a a better blogger during my short period of down time.

I was also tagged for the Sunshine Award for blogging!  Again, I don't have the fanciest blog but I'm happy people enjoy reading my ramblings.  I'm supposed to include the picture and tag blogs but I need to be a better blog-buddy because the other ones I follow were tagged by my friend Kim over at Fabulous Fit Foodie (www.fabulousfitfoodie.com) who lives in the area and we are planning on meeting up on marathon day!  These were the questions she asked of those she nominated:

1) If you won a free trip, all expenses paid, to ANYWHERE you wanted to go--where would you visit?
I REALLY want to go to Ireland and England but I don't love flying so I hope to drug myself up some day and get there.  I also would love to go on an Alaskan cruise!

2) What does a typical weekday look like for you?
My weeks are so crazy with my schedule where I flip back and forth every 3 weeks between day and night shift so I hardly can say what a typical day looks like.  When I work I'm gone for 13.5 hours that day between my commute and the actual shift itself.  So I basically wake up pretty early and get home after dark now that fall is settling in (although the 95 degree day we had today hardly felt fall-like!).  I love my job so it is totally worth it for me.  On my days off I try to get up by 7, have breakfast and either run or go to a Zumba class.  In the afternoon when we are all free I like to go play with my nephew and niece who are 2 and 8 months.  They are precious!  In the evening the boyfriend and I have dinner and try to catch up on our favorite DVR'd shows.

3) What's your all time favorite workout?
I really am loving running now but I have to say that Zumba is my obsession right now.  I grew up playing softball competitively and still love to play on leagues occasionally.

4) What is your favorite recipe right now?
I love Jackson's spaghetti squash recipe from The Biggest Loser last season - 10 minutes microwaving a spaghetti squash that was cut in half and the ends off, wrapped in saran wrap and microwaved together.  While that is cooking brown some lean ground turkey and onions with some minced garlic.  We have a big jar of minced garlic from Costco in the fridge for easy cooking!  When the meat is brown add a jar of low-sodium spaghetti sauce and some spinach (and mushrooms but I don't care for them).  Cook until the spinach gets slightly wilted and add one cup of the meat mix to one cup of spaghetti squash for around 250 calories!  Top with a bit of mozzarella and serve with a side of steamed veggies and it's so good!

5) What is your favorite site for finding new recipes?
I don't really seek out too many new recipes but I've been hearing a lot about Emily Bites lately and am dying to try some of her "cupcake" recipes!

6)  If they made a movie about your life, what would they call it and who would have the lead role? Who would you want to play your best friend?
They would probably call it something with "resilient" in the title.  I think that word really defines me since I was a little girl.  With my father having Huntington's disease and my mom having Multiple Sclerosis I had to do a lot of things at a young age as a caregiver.  I gave my first injection at 11 years old to my mom for one of her weekly treatments.  I think to play the lead role I'd want it to be Drew Barrymore just because I love her and the best friend(s) would pretty much be the cast of Bridesmaids.

7) What would your perfect day entail?
Sleeping in until around 8:30, pancakes and hashbrowns in bed, a mani/pedi followed by a massage then dinner and a movie with my love.  Perfection.

8) What's a major aspiration you have? Think big!
I want to go to nurse anesthetist school and officially call myself a tri-athelete one of these days!

9) As a child, what did you think you wanted to be when you grew up?
Either a singer (think Taylor Swift style and with the same level of stardom), a lawyer or a music teacher.

10) What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Shopping - I have always had a hole in my pocket!



That was fun!  Of course it was because like any other blogger or female I love to talk about myself - lets be honest.  That's what I'm here to do, right?

I've been having a lot of fun as a face of the Columbus Marathon as an ambassador.  We have a weekly "assignment" to complete but I probably would be posting what they are asking for anyways.  My feature on the Runaway Bridal Planner's blog was fantastic (thank you!  Check out this nearly 40 time marathoner!  Insane miles right there, guys!  www.runawaybridalplanner.blogspot.com) I found out that THIS FRIDAY I will be the featured charity athlete on www.InsaneMarathon.com !!!  I am so excited and am so close to meeting my fundraising goal.  I hope the exposure will help me hit (and exceed would be even better!) my goal before race day.

That's all I've got for now - running in the morning and working the next two nights have me tired just thinking about it.