Moved!

I moved my blog.  Now I'm over here, still @thecraftyruner.com just using Wordpress instead of Blogger now.

Gretchen Got A Cat Or We Got A Cat

You have a kid she really wants a pet.  What do you do?  Dogs are really out for us since I don't think we are home enough and fish are no fun so I caved and let her have a cat.

I was extremely resistant on the get a cat front mostly because you know what they say about women and cats.   I don't want to become  a crazy cat lady.  At first it's just one cat then next thing you know there is too many to count.  Suddenly all your t-shirts have pictures of cats on them, your pants are covered in cat hair and you spend your nights pinning funny cat memes while eating ice cream out of a carton.  I'm really hoping that's not how it all goes down.

Gretchen named her Sparkle Glitter Fab.  We have had her about two months now and it all seems to be going well.

Gretchen made the cat a jacket.

Nike Training & Nike Run Club

Last month I was invited to go to a Nike training event with a Nike master trainer.  It was like the Nike training app in person.  

With Nike master trainer Flor who took us through a workout full of high impact squats, lunges and pushups.  

This Saturday Nike is throwing a training workout with Nike master trainer Flor Beckmann at the Kauffman center @ 10:00 am.  It is free and based on the two events I went to will be super fun.  This is assuming your idea of fun is a hard workout.  There will be healthy snacks and a Nike fashion show afterwards.  I would go but apparently my employer expects me to work Saturdays, so you should go and tell me about it.  You can sign up here.

Monday evening at Nike Run Club was the Kansas City kick off to find your fastest mile.  It was held at liberty memorial in Kansas City right across the street from Harvey's in Union Station where I wait tables.  I wanted to go to the event and in usual Gretchen style she was super pumped to go but then her enthusiasm quickly dropped once we arrived.  She did enjoy a blue Gatorade and then hung out in the shade of the tent playing on my phone during the event.  

One of the pacers giving a little talk about finding your personal best mile.  We started with a warm up jog then a series of warm up and running form drills.  Then it was time for the mile run.  It was a 1/3 mile course so three loops down hill then up hill in front of liberty memorial.  I think it was a cool 90˚ out.  You got with your pace goal group and went for it.  

I'm certain I can do better.  So if anyone wants to meet up for a liberty memorial fast hilly mile let me know.

Selfie with Gretchen, she enjoyed the oranges and Kind bar snacks.

The Beer Mile

The beer mile it's an actual thing.  You down a 12oz beer, you run 1/4 mile, you down a 12oz beer, you run 1/4 mile, you down a 12oz beer, you run 1/4 mile, you down a 12oz beer, you run 1/4 mile.  You do this as fast as possible and hope not to puke.  I realize this all sounds like a terrible idea but like I said it's a thing.  KC Running Company put this race on in Martian City.  It was an out and back 1/4 mile so you ran out and back twice stopping for your beer each 1/4 mile before crossing the finish line.

Before the race with some superstar beer milers.  My stomach actual hurt a little before the race but was fine after.

Nick Symmonds is pretty good at running the beer mile.  My performance was pretty much the same.

           

Or not so much.  It took me 15:03, chugging beer is hard.  The beer was made by Martian City Brewery.  It was good except not exactly what I would have picked for running.  I think a warm bud light would have gone down a little easier.  I didn't puke.  Lots of burping as I ran which was completely necessary.

Got a cool t-shirt and felt well enough after to sit and enjoy a beer so all good.  

Running the Mile You Are In

It was my birthday it was also a Monday so I didn't ask off work.  I like to save my ask offs for Saturdays and I might be too old to be asking off work for my birthday.  The only thing I was really wanting to do on my birthday was run and since my feet might not love double digit miles I figured I'd have time for both.  I managed to get out of work early enough for some outside run time before child pick up time.  It might have been a cool 97˚ out.  Their might have been an excessive heat warning, whatever.*  I'm fairly certain I like heat more than the average person.  Even if it's muggy heat, I still like it.  

I went for 4 miles on the Little blue.  4 hot slow sweaty miles.  Birthday present to self: getting full sweat on.  I stopped and dipped my head in the Little Blue River.  Might be gross but felt good.

Afterwards still sweating it out in the Sonic drive thru line.  2nd birthday present to self: route 44 diet cherry limeade.  I don't drink soda otherwise but these are so cold and refreshing  with their tiny ice cubes and limy goodness.

*Excessive heat warnings really shouldn't be taken lightly and could be dangerous. I'm kinda experienced and do well in heat.  I ran slow and carried Nuun enhanced water.  Be smart.

Freedom Fest 5k with the Kid

Gretchen really seemed to enjoy that mile race she did back in January so I was wanting to try another race with her.  Since there isnt much around shorter than a 5k I figured we'd give it a go.  We were out at my parents the day before so just stayed over for the Freedom Fest 5k in Warrensburg, MO.  It is small event, just the kind I like, no crowds or parking issues.

Someone woke up in a grumpy mood clearly needing more sleep so my expectations were pretty low.  She started out good of course but once most of the participates were ahead she started losing intrest quick.  My dad stayed with us on the course so we chit chatted then at about the mile mark I offered to let her ride on my back then on my dad's back then back to my back.  We were able to make up a bit of time this way.  She walk/ran some then once we topped the last hill she was all about running it in to the finish.  

Got her medal and we can only improve from here I think.

My sister pointed out the race results to me.  Can't have this time tarnishing my race times. HaHa.

Enjoying some much deserved freedom cookies at Old Drum after the race.

Looking like the badass kid she is walking off after.

Run The Mile You Are In

Since I was running all the time I wanted to get a running related tattoo.  Who doesn't right? I'm also obsessed with quotes, especially anything running or exercise related.  I just had to pick the right one to be tatted on me for the rest of my life.  I have a bunch of favorites but wanted something more positive than dark.  Running related but that would mean something for the all of my non running life as well.

Run the mile you are in(from David Willey, editor in chief of Runner's World) was one of my favs and also short enough to make a nice tattoo.  Be present with the mile you are running because you're done with the ones behind you and the miles in front of you won't happen till this one right here does.  It's important to enjoy where you are at in life  even if at the time it seems really hard to see anything good about it.  Enjoy the pain because that's what is going to make you a better, stronger  runner and person.  Besides sometimes pain is fun and owning where you are at in running and life makes everything easier to deal with.

As for where to put the tattoo.  I had a rose tat on my left shoulder from when I was 20 and did lots of  idiotic things.  Just walked into a tattoo parlor and said that looks cool.  It did not look cool. Point being I wanted it covered up.  Now I know some people (hi mom) might not think the way to deal with a small ugly but faded tattoo would be to cover it up with a much larger fresh new tattoo but I think it was the perfect solution.

I did my research as in I took a poll from all my FB friends on tattoo artists.  Looked at all the suggestions and settled on Luke Whitmire at Glory Bound Tattoos in Blue Springs.  Picked because I thought his work I saw online reflected the kind of all round look I wanted even though I wasn't really sure what that was at the time.  Also he did not have a six month wait. Waiting is not my favorite.

I made a pintrest board of lettering styles I liked along with the quote I wanted.  Took it to him and mentioned I liked trails and trees.  What you see above is basically what he came up with other than I thought the original trees he drew looked more like west coast trees than Missouri trees.  I told him I would like the trees to look more Midwest and he nailed it.  I don't really know what the going rates are for tattoos but thought the cost was totally reasonable, I would have paid more.  I'm really happy with how it turned out and you can't see the old tattoo underneath it at all. 

Anyone else have a running or exercise related tattoo?  If not what kind of tattoo would you get if you had to?