Ways To Save With The Good Stuff

Christmas is not really my favorite time of the year just more to do and money to spend but in an effort not to be a total scrooge this year I bought Gretchen a Christmas tree.  She was really excited about it.  I let her start the decorating but then helped even things out.

A fun way to save on decorations is to make them yourself.  Here are some that I made in past years at Christmas.

A pinecone wreath made by painting pinecones and glueing them onto a plain wreath.

Ornaments made wrapping strips of pretty elastics around strofoam balls and knotting the ends.

Ornaments made by cutting the shape out of stiffened felt then decorated with glitter and ric rac.

Ornaments made by cutting hearts out of cardboard and glueing craft feathers to cover.

Coupons.com web magazine The Good Stuff is featuring gift guides to help you find gifts for everyone on your list.  They have budget friendly gifts, gifts for enthusiasts and hostess gifts.  Along with the gift guides Coupons.com is throwing The Good Stuff 2014 Holiday Sweepstakes where they are picking one $100 winner a week till Christmas and one $500 grand prize winner.

I Ran Now Give Me Pie

Had a really solid 20 mile run Thanksgiving morning.  I was not looking forward to it and not sure how it would go seeing how it was a super warm 25˚ out.  I was starting out at my parents house and planned to run to my sister's house in Warrensburg, exactly 10 miles away.  

About 5 miles out I decided I wouldn't turn around and texted my sister on my ETA at her house.  Then took a couple of pictures.  The whole run was a lot more pleasant than I pictured it being. Even though it was below freezing out there was really no wind.  I had dressed well for the run and did take a 30 minute break at my sister's house to dry out my sweaty clothes(gross I know).  She had water and saltines with peanut butter which was perfect snack for running the 10 miles back to my parents house.  The run back went by fast and I was starving when I reached my parents house.  Worked out perfectly since there was a Thanksgiving dinner to eat.

Got mentioned in the December issue of Ultra Running magazine.  A magazine no one has ever heard of but it exists.  It was a race report on the Hawk in September.  

Finished last week with 52 miles and the week before with 51 all ok but need to beef it up with only 6 weeks left of training till taper for the Rocky Raccoon.  Weather guys are says temps and conditions look to be pretty mild for the first half of December so I'm hopping.  Decent temps would make training so much easier and pleasant.  

Go Run

So not loving this cold weather,  started doing some miles on the treadmill.  I feel like my life is really boring lately.  Gym, work, run, that's about it.  I know what you're thinking " Kristen your life is always this boring, nothings changed."

Gretchen did turn 4 this past week.  That was a big deal.  We had a party, she had a great time, getting lots of great clothes, Anna dolls, play dough and much more.  She told me she wanted a pineapple for her party.  I was like "yes, something I can deliver on!"  I didn't do a great job of taking pictures but oh well.

I had a Saturday morning off which never happens unless I ask off for a race so I signed up for volunteering for packet pick up at the Pilgrim Pacer race.  Really cold that morning and I forgot to bring my coveralls but glad I went.  First time at a race I wasn't running.

So cold!

Less than 10 weeks out from my 100miler.   This means only 7 weeks left of high mileage before tapering down for the race.  Thursday is my only day off work this week so planning on getting a serious amount of miles in before Thanksgiving dinner.  My longest run last week was only 15 miles so I need to pump that up a bit.

What's Up Round Up

Been a few weeks.  Had another solid 60 mile week then spent the next week sick only got in 29 miles.  Back on track this week hopefully finishing with 50+ miles after tomorrow.   Made it to the gym 4 times for weights and piyo once. 

Halloween happened, Gretchen went back and forth between Hello Kitty and princess Anna from Frozen.   Finally decided on Anna.

Found the ear piece to my headphones I lost in the gym parking lot over a month ago.  Decided it was best to leave it there to avoid disease and such.

Made a pie chart while I was lying around not running last week.  It's how I'd like to spend my time if you know I didn't have to work.  I suppose at some point I would want to be social but that could just overlap with any of the categories.

Then I went ahead and signed up for my first 100 mile race.  The Rocky Raccoon in Huntsville, TX on January 31st.  It will be the biggest Ultra race I have been to by far.  Last year they had 485 people start the race with 280 finishers.  It's a flat trail course of five 20mile laps.  From everything I have heard and read about the race I think I have a good shot at completing it in sub 24 hours.  I have nothing planned out as far as how I'm getting there or what I need to think about bringing or hotel room but it's happening.  I think it will be good even though I'm slightly less excited about getting to train in 30˚ temps this week.

Random

Found a good pic of myself on the Tough Mudder website.  I mean my face says "oh f this" but I'm covered in mud and I made it across so I think I look good.

The more I run the worse my diet gets.  Going to attempt to reintroduce fruits and vegetables to myself this week,  will see how that goes.

Found out where the sidewalk ends on one of my runs this week.

Got a new yoga mat since my old one was dirty and gross.  Probably should of unrolled it before I bought it.  "Dance Love Sing Live" has never been my mantra.

Miles Ran this Week:  60 

Time Spent Running: 8:40 about

Time Spent Lifting: 1:30  made it to the gym twice this week

Time Spent in YoPi classes: 2:00 I think it is good for stretching out the legs from running

Managed to get all my workouts in and still take 2 complete days off this week.  

Tough it Out

Gretchen finding use out of more of my running accessories.  We took a walk after dark the other night so headlamp came in handy.

Proof that I did a tough mudder on Saturday.  I couldn't decide if I really wanted to go or not because  I thought I would feel awkward in the group I was with but race money is never refundable so I went.  I guess it was mostly what I thought it would be.  10ish miles though a muddier than I expected field with obstacles every so often.  The running wasn't really hard, I mean it was sloshy mud the whole way but you stopped every mile or so for an obstacle.  Some of the obstacles had long lines and I really hate waiting in lines especially when you are freezing cold from jumping in a pit of water at the last obstacle.  Some of the obstacles were stupid:  walking through a creek for I'm guessing 1/4 mile,  it's cold and not fun but not hard to do.  Some of the obstacles were scary:  jumping off of a plank 25' high(I don't know how high it was just felt that high) I screamed like a girl,  jumping into a vat of ice filled dirty water and having to go under to reach the other side to get out and the monkey bars which were very long and over top a water pit.   The first two I just did without thinking because thinking would of caused me not to do them.  The monkey bars I thought there was no way I could get across without falling and was going to skip but went for it and didn't seem so impossible once I got going and it was either get across or fall into a pit of cold water.  

I'm glad I did one just to do it but would much prefer an ultra run over a mudder.  Mostly because  in Ultras there is no waiting, the aid stations are only a million times better and ultras aren't "produced" events.  You are running on the land how it exists naturally.   And of course I think ultra's make you way cooler and tougher than a tough mudder.

Miles ran last week:  40 low but not bad low.
No weights but getting back on that this week.

Things I'm Liking

*The married couple getting ready to bike on the trail the other day.  You were bitching at each other      in front of your kids about how the other one was doing everything wrong.  I find happy couples working out together extremely annoying but you two clearly are not and that  really brightened my day.

*What's cuter than a princess with her own hydration pack?

*I find this commercial to be hilarious.



*Most people don't know what a GMO is other than it's supposedly bad for you.  I thought this was funny.


*I had a great week of running last week logging in 53 miles.  This week might be more of a low mileage week but I'll bump it up next week so all good.