Happy Memorial Day

We have had a wonderfully busy weekend and so in addition to reflecting on what today truly means, I have also taken the day to relax and rest a bit.  Nick hosted his very first sleepover on Saturday night and he and his friend, Logan, had a blast swimming, play video games, camping out in our basement, going to the park, and attending a nearby church carnival.  Needless to say, Nick (and I) slept well on Sunday evening!  I think both boys are anxiously awaiting their next sleepover.

Today, I slept in a bit and then went to get a pedicure with my mom.  It was so relaxing and much needed!  We also stopped by the cemetery to visit my Dad's grave and my Grandpa and Grandma's grave, as well.  I was afraid we wouldn't be able to get out and visit because we had a few thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and we anticipated that it would be fairly muddy.  We've had several unfortunate muddy visits over the past few years resulting in a lost pair of shoes for Mom and a near miss for my shoes.  We pulled into the cemetery planning to do a drive by to see all of the flags on the graves (the local Boy Scouts put a small American flag on each grave on Memorial Day) and we were pleasantly surprised to see that the ground wasn't too muddy.  In fact, the area where my Dad's grave is now has grass instead of dirt, so it was much more pleasant getting to his grave.  I hadn't been to Dad's grave in about 3 weeks, so it was nice to visit him and chat. I feel better when I go visit him and "talk" to him about what's going on in my life; it helps me cope.

Dad was the most patriotic person I've known, so I know he would appreciate the flag placed on his grave in honor of Memorial Day

I have been thinking a lot about my Dad and missing him terribly.  I still fight the urge to pick up the phone and call him to tell him about what's going on in my life.  I cried a few times today, which is to be expected, but then something pretty amazing happened.  I promised Nick that we would play mini-golf today, but neglected to check the weather forecast.  The thunderstorms definitely caught me off guard and it looked like we wouldn't be able to go after all.  As I started cooking dinner, the sun came out and I told Nick if he was a good helper while I cooked dinner, then we would go play a quick round after we ate.  We finished dinner around 7:30, which was a little late, but I figured it's almost summer break, so staying up a little later tonight wouldn't hurt.

We headed out to a local mini-golf course only to find out they were closed, but I knew of another mini-golf place a bit further away.  We got there around 8:30 and since they closed at 9, we decided to do a quick 9 hole round of mini-golf.  I have so many memories of mini-golfing with my Dad, as it was something we did every summer when I would visit him and we almost always went when he came to visit St. Louis.  In fact, Dad and I have played mini-golf many times at the place Nick and I went tonight.  I mentioned to Nick that Bebaw took me mini-golfing all the time and I was feeling a bit wistful.  As we headed towards the first hole of the course we chose to play on, the strangest thing happened.  I swore I could smell my Dad.  It smelled exactly like my Dad's deodorant (Gillette), which I realize sounds bizarre, but I distinctly remember how he smelled when he wore that deodorant.  In fact, when we were cleaning out my Dad's apartment, I wanted to save the last stick of his deodorant and Matt thought I was insane.  I ended up throwing it away, but a small part of me wanted to keep it.  As we played the first hole, I figured there must have been someone nearby who had the same deodorant as Dad, but I looked and we were alone on the course and no one else was around.  It was the most bizarre, but wonderful thing.  I felt like Dad was there golfing with us and it made me smile.

Nick said that mini-golfing was "amazing" and I'd have to agree.  I love creating these memories with him! 

Before Mom and I went to get pedi's this afternoon, she took me to a nearby Harley Davidson dealer, because they had one of the STL 250 cakes.  I was able to cross another cake off my list!  I think I'm up to 8 or 9 now.

Harley themed cake

I didn't exactly eat the best this weekend, nor have I gone for a run since Saturday, but tomorrow is a new day!

Lastly, I'm grateful to all the men and women who have died for our freedoms and to protect our country and I appreciate each and every person in our armed forces who has served or is currently serving our country today.  

To quote one of my Daddy's favorite songs, which always reminds me of him:

"And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me." 

The Kick-Off to Summer

I don't know about you, but I can't believe it's Memorial Day weekend already!  I'm very thankful for the long weekend, but more importantly to all the men and women who've served, and died for, our country.  Since this weekend is technically the unofficial beginning of summer, it means all of the pools are open!  After the long, dreadful winter we had, I have been looking forward to pool season for quite some time!  We went to my mom's pool for a bit today and while I was expecting the water to be frightfully chilly, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought.  It was a bit of an overcast day and it wasn't too hot, so the pool wasn't too crowded either.  We were all glad to be back to our favorite summer stomping grounds!

Prior to us going to the pool, I headed out to run a few errands and to go for a run.  I was glad it was a bit overcast and not too hot, considering I didn't make it to the trail until almost noon.  I went for a quick 2.5 mile run and included all of the big hills, too.  There were so many deer out today, which I thought was strange given that we don't usually see them until closer to dusk.  I saw well over a dozen, the bulk of which were feet from me on the trail!  They are so used to humans, though, so they just stared at me and kept eating for the most part.  The other thing I noticed on my walk was a lot of cottonwood (I think) seeds.  It looked like it was snowing for most of my run and I had the misfortune of getting some in one of my eyes and in my mouth.  It was quite extraordinary to see it falling in such large quantities and gathering on the ground.

Snow in May (off in the distance)?  Nope, just cottonwood seeds!

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend!

"Exhale 'can't'...inhale 'can'...lace up." 

Humidity, Hills, and Hood to Coast

I'm in an alliterative mood as my blog post title suggests!  Yesterday was an unplanned rest day for me; I didn't run at lunch because it was quite hot and I wanted to somewhat enjoy a run, so I decided to postpone my run until after work.  I remembered I needed to go to the grocery store after work, but I still had intentions of going for a quick run after I got home, ate, and put the boys to bed.  Alas, once all was said and done, I decided that a rest day sounded like a better idea.  Plus, I wanted to watch Hood to Coast which was sent to me by my Napa Ragnar teammate, Melissa.

Over the past two weeks, our Napa Ragnar team has bonded via Facebook and as we all introduced ourselves, we found out that several of our teammates have done overnight relays previously and they were sharing their experiences with us.  It is great having their insight and knowledge, as we were able to allay some of our fears (i.e. night running!) and get excited about the adventure that awaits us this September.  Melissa mentioned to the group that she's run Hood to Coast before and she offered to share her copy of the Hood to Coast movie with anyone who wanted to watch it.  A few days after I gave her my address, I received the sweetest owl card (I love owls!) along with the movie.

Melissa's card (addressed to #Laura) and the DVD

I sat down to watch Hood to Coast last night and it was amazing!  It follows four teams as they take on the Hood to Coast race; each with their own unique story.  It's a great insight into the race in particular, but also into overnight relay races in general.  Watching the movie really got me excited for Napa and helped alleviate my concerns about running at night.  It also has me considering adding Hood to Coast to my race bucket list.  That can be my Oregon race in my quest to run a race in all 50 states!

I'm so glad Melissa shared the movie with me and I'm sharing the love, too.  I will be mailing it out tomorrow to another Napa teammate, Lisa, so that she can enjoy it, as well.  

I went for a run this evening and it was hilly and humid!  We had some thunderstorms roll through the area this afternoon, which unfortunately didn't cool off our temperatures too much and instead made everything a sticky, humid mess.  I waited to run until a bit later in the evening, which I'm sure helped a bit, but it was still in the mid-80's (although it felt closer to 90) with 66% humidity.

Scenes from tonight's run; I love the scenery on this trail.  

I decided to run my hilly trail at JB, but in the opposite direction of my typical route.  This meant that I hit a fairly long hill near the beginning of my run, as opposed to running down it nearing the end.  It was a pretty beastly hill; it's rather gradual and not too steep, but it just seems to go on forever.  Just when you think you are done, it keeps going uphill.  It wasn't fun, but I kept going and finished it.  Then I rewarded myself with a quick break at the top before I continued my way around the loop.  I did 3 sweaty, humid, hilly miles today, but it felt good.

A lovely view

Much as I huff and puff up the hills, I'm glad I finally sucked it up and starting incorporating them into my runs.  I feel like it is making me stronger every day and preparing me well for Napa and any other race I do in the future.  Bring on the hills, I say!

"You said 'I won't make it' a million times.  You made it every time." 

Make Tracks for the Zoo Recap

Yesterday was one of my favorite races; St. Louis Children's Hospital's Make Tracks for the Zoo 5K.  It's a great family race and it ends with breakfast at the Zoo, which is one of my favorite places in St. Louis!  This year was the first year that I ran the race in its entirety, which was pretty exciting.  I hoped to finish in under 40 minutes and I was this close to reaching that goal, clocking in at 40:11.  I am really proud of my time this year, particularly when I look back at my history with this race.

The first year I did Make Tracks for the Zoo was in 2011 and I finished in 1:16:09.  I hadn't even begun my running journey at this point, so I walked and had a great time.  I did not participate in 2012, since I had just had Jack 2 months prior in March of that year. In 2013, I finished in 46:39 through a combination of running and walking.  Since I started participating in this race, I've come a long way and shaved nearly 36 minutes off my time!  Plus, I love that since last year, Nick has joined me by participating in the kids run.  I think Jack will be ready for the kids run next year, too!

Me and my sweet boys

I love that this race runs through Forest Park near the Zoo, since this is my stomping grounds for my "runches" during the week.  In addition to being a beautiful course, it's one that I'm very familiar with.  As we started out, my calves were cramping a little bit, but I kept going, albeit slowly.  As we approached the first hill shortly before the first mile ended, I found a surge of energy and bounded up the incline.  It was really empowering and a good reminder for me that the hill work I've been doing, even for just a short time, has made a difference.

Much of the 2nd mile was flat and it was so nice to coast along enjoying the park on such a beautiful day.  Last year, race day was very hot and humid, but this year, we lucked out with gorgeous temperatures in the 70's and no humidity.  It was divine!

The first part of mile 3 was downhill and that was a nice boost heading into the last stretch.  I thought I might be able to break 40 minutes, so I really took off during the last .5 mile or so.  I saw my mom and the boys near the end of the race and it was so nice to see their smiles and hear them cheering as I approached the finish line!

After I finished, we headed over to the area where the kids were lining up for the kids races, including the 1/2 mile run, 1/4 mile run, and the 1 mile fun run.  Nick decided to do the 1/4 mile run again this year and I planned to run it with him.  Last year, I ran it with him because I wasn't sure how he would do running it by myself and I wanted to enjoy the experience of running with him.  He seemed a little intimidated by the crowd last year, so it made sense to run with him.  As we started the race yesterday, he took off and I started to step off to the side so that I could stay near the finish and watch him cross the line.  He stopped at one point, though, and realized I wasn't behind him and started to back track to me.  He found me and I started running again but he took off again and I caught up with him later at the finish line.  I was really proud of him for being fearless and making the race his own!  Next year, I think he will be ready to take on either the 1/2 mile or 1 mile run all on his own.

We ran into Stacy and Illyria at the race! 

Nick has had a bit of a competitive streak lately and doing these races has opened up a conversation about being a good sport and how races are not about winning, but about having fun and supporting others.  During the awards ceremony after the race yesterday, he kept asking if he was going to get an award (he had already received his participants ribbon).  I explained that the kids 1/4 mile was just for fun and that we received a ribbon for participating.  He seemed a little disappointed and mentioned wanting to win an award, so I asked him how many races I've ever won. He said none and I pointed out that he was exactly right and the reason that I do these races is not to win, but to have fun and challenge myself.  I'm sure a lot of this competitive behavior has to do with his age, but hopefully as we continue to do these races together we can work on good sportsmanship.

We spent a little time at the zoo after the race and then we came home for long naps, at least for Jack and I.  My mom, the boys, and I had a great time at the race and I'm looking forward to participating again next year!

Me and my Mama

"Accept the days when running seems impossible. Embrace the days when running seems effortless." 

Running on a full tank

Last night, Nick and I were treated to a wonderful Mommy/Oldest son date night with some dear friends, Stacy, and her daughter, Illyria. We went to a local theater to see "The Wizard of Oz" and got the star treatment!  We sat in the luxury box seats at the Fox Theater and we had a great time, including dinner in the box seats, desserts after the intermission (the biggest bowl of cotton candy I've ever seen and delicious hot fudge sundaes), and great memories with two pretty darn adorable kids.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to have such a special night with Nick and thankful for our friends who invited us to join them!

Our lovely dinner dates

My date for the evening.  I love Mommy/Son dates!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

We found another STL 250 cake!  

This evening, I took a nice 5K run at JB and got a lot of hills in.  I will say, though, that running felt a little tough today due to the fact that I ate a big (and delicious) lunch at one of my favorite local Mexican restaurants.  Someday I will learn the lesson about not running on a full stomach, but that day was not today.  

After my run, we headed to Nick's school for their end of year picnic and we all had a great time.  There were several bounce houses and games a plenty, so I know two little boys who are sleeping well tonight!  

I have a 5K race coming up on Sunday and it's one of my favorite races; Making Tracks for the Zoo!  I will likely cross-train tomorrow in advance of the race, perhaps a long walk?  

"She is not afraid of storms, for she is learning how to sail her ship." 

An uplifting run

Remember when I said recently that I was getting better about weighing myself on a daily basis?  I've, unfortunately, reverted back to my old habits and was thoroughly annoyed with the scale this morning.  I know better than to do this to myself, but it's such a habit.  I was feeling a little mopey about it today, until I went on the most glorious "runch" this afternoon with Mary.

It was quite a bit colder today than it was yesterday, so it was a little chilly when we first started out, but it really was ideal running weather.  It was in the 50's with no humidity and a light rain and it was perfect!  We went on a relatively aggressive run through the park near our office and I asked Mary if it was ok if we made a few detours.

The city of St. Louis is celebrating it's 250th birthday this year and there are quite a few celebratory events taking place throughout the year.  And what is a birthday without cake?  The city has placed 250 fiberglass cakes at various historical and tourist attractions around the city and I'm bound and determined to find all 250 and take a picture with them!  They are works of art, really.  Each is designed to reflect the attraction it represents and they are quite spectacular. The park near our office is home to several of these cakes and so this afternoon, I wanted to track some of them down.

On our way to the first cake location (our Science Center), Mary and I met some friends, a.k.a. ginormous replicas of dinosaurs.  A perfect photo opportunity if you ask me!

After our encounter with the T. Rex, we made our way to the front of the Science Center and found their cake.  

Science Center Cake 

After a quick photo op, we headed back out to run and took on a pretty decent hill.  It was a nice change of pace, as we normally run down this hill on a route that we've run a few times previously.  It was good to change things up a bit.  We came to the Jewel Box next and took a picture with their cake.  I love the bottom layer of this cake with the lily pads!

The Jewel Box Cake

As we made our way to the Muny (our one of a kind outdoor summer theater), we got to run downhill, which my legs appreciated at this point a few miles into our run. The Muny cake was amazing; particularly the second tier that had an almost 3D rendering of the theater.

Meet Me at the Muny Cake

We headed back to the office and went up a hill that we ran last week.  Last week, this particular hill was brutal for me, but today, it wasn't that bad.  I don't know if it was the fact that it was significantly cooler today than when we ran last week or if I was just mentally prepared to run hills today.  I suspect it was a combination of the two.  We ended up doing 3.6 miles today and it felt great!  I felt badass when we were done and much stronger.  I needed that run to remind me that I am more than just a number on a scale.  I've come a long way from the person I was even just a year ago and I am so much stronger and healthier today and that is a great thing.  Thanks for such a great run today, Mer, and for indulging my need to take pictures with the cakes! 

I've been missing my dad a lot and today while we ran I was telling Mary that it has been hard dealing with all of the normal things you have to deal with when someone passes on top of your own grief.  I mentioned that I wish I could tell him about Napa because he would be so proud of me and Mary, ever my voice of reason, said "You don't think you had an angel's helping hand in that?"  She's absolutely right; he knows and is watching out for me! 

Here's a few more pictures from my cake shenanigans over the past few weeks.  6 cakes down; 244 left to go!

St. Louis Art Museum cake on our anniversary 4/30/14

The cake at the college where I work 4/25/14

Jefferson Barracks Civil War Cake (this history buff loved this cake) 5/11/14

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes with my daily struggle to not weigh myself, but I am really going to try to do better in this area, which may come down to hiding the damn thing.  It does seem to be getting low on batteries, so maybe I won't replace them, although I don't think Matt will like this plan.  The numbers on that scale do not define me.  Repeat daily, if necessary!  With this in mind, I am re-evaluating my 32 for 32 challenge (to lose 32 lbs by my 32nd birthday in August), but more on that in a future post this week! 

"You are strong when you know your weaknesses. You are beautiful when you appreciate your flaws. You are wise when you learn from your mistakes." 

Rainy Tuesday

I was pleasantly surprised by how much cooler the temperature was today compared to the past few days and my garden appreciated the rain that came with those cooler temperatures!  I planned to go for a walk today, but the rain threw me for a loop.  I told Matt I was going to walk anyway even if it was raining, but after going to the grocery store after work and eating dinner, I decided to forgo the walk and stick to core work.

I have a lovely new blog logo above thanks to my creative (and graphically inclined) friend, Mary!  She took my random thoughts about color and look and turned into into something awesome!  Thank you, Mer, I love it!

Over the past week, I've connected with my fellow Napa teammates on social media and tonight, we had a fantastic group chat on Facebook.  Through some pretty impressive detective work by my fellow BAMR's, we've managed to track down all but one of our teammates and I must say, this is a fantastic group of women.  Jodi, Erin, Kelly, Melissa, JMart, Jennifer, Smitha, Kim, and Kathleen:  I am looking forward to continuing to get to know you amazing ladies, laughing with you, and learning from you!  Napa, here we come! 

I'm looking forward to another "runch" tomorrow, weather permitting!  Although, I may just run in the rain for the heck of it, because it sounds kind of nice and a good change of pace!

"We start as a group of people...we finish as a group of friends."