Ode To My Last Name

Tuesday: 3.25 lunchtime run with Kelly
Wednesday: 2 mile treadmill run, TIU workout + some extras

I'm guessing I won't be posting again before the wedding. I might post a few things on Instagram, so feel free to follow me there!

It's been hard squeezing in workouts with all the extra appointments and errands lately, but I have been trying my best!

I had planned to do two workouts yesterday - one run and one weight; however that didn't quite happen.

I did get a hot run in at noon.

Only 3.25 miles, but with the need for a shower afterward and not having the luxury of a 2 hour lunch, I'll take it!

I felt like I ran a marathon after work last night. I got a manicure, ran a few errands, cooked dinner, started packing and vacuumed out the car. That's got to count as another work out, right?!

In preparation for tonight being absolutely insane, I got up nice and early for work out.

I'm pretty sure even the moon didn't want to be awake.

2 mile treadmill run, a TIU work out + some things I decided to add on just for fun!

Nothing crazy, but much better than nothing!

Well, last name, you have been good to me all of these years.

I was never too far back in the alphabet.

You are easy to spell and pronounce.

You are not too common or too uncommon.

I am going to write you as many times as I can in the next few days before our final goodbye.

Thank you for making me me.

Weekend Review: Welcome to Wedding Week!

Saturday: TIU workout
Sunday: 3.25 mile run
Monday: 3.35 mile run

I hope everyone had an amazing long weekend!

I think we mastered the balance between productivity and laziness!

 

The weekend began with a pre-wedding pedicure.

You can never go wrong with a pedicure!

Later that evening we relaxed with some wine and pizza.

Perfect Friday night and start to a long weekend!

Saturday I did a TIU workout. I didn't feel like running, but still wanted to get a work out in.

The Santorini Bikini routine required no equipment, so it was easy to do. 

I added in some pushups and dips.

I also took Piper dog for a nice long walk that morning to help prepare her to meet her new human baby sister later in the day.

Sunday morning I got up and forced myself to go for a run.

I knew there was going to be plenty of not-so-good for me eating throughout the day, so why not start out with something that is good for me!

I checked the weather, while still being lazy in bed, and it convinced me to get out and enjoy the cool weather. Pretty soon morning runs will be hot too.

It may have been cool, but it was still HUMID!

And I had a terrible run and called it quits at 3.25.

 

A bad run is still better than no run.

First we cooked out with the fam then we headed to celebrate our friend's upcoming nuptials at a couples shower. It was my first couples shower and it was quite fun!

So fun in fact, I forgot to take any pictures!

Big dog's eyes always look freaky, so I decided he needed sunglasses to hide them!

We were all tuckered out by the end of the day!

Monday we took care of some wedding tasks in the morning then we got to meet Piper's new baby sister in the afternoon. She is precious!

I can't believe our wedding is THIS weekend!

I am so excited and not the least bit nervous!

The next few days will be full of  last minute errands and packing!

Elusive Cow Cafe: Review

HTB and I ventured across the river to Northern Kentucky to get our marriage license yesterday.

We never thought we would actually get married in KY, but we are super excited.

Since they are only open til 4:00 and we both have regular jobs, we had to leave a little early.

We knew we would get stuck in a rush hour traffic if we headed straight home though, so we planned a few other things to do while on the other side of the river.

First, we went to The Party Source.

A good start to the wine collection

I mean, we had to celebrate getting our marriage license, right?

Just kidding, wine for the night of the ceremony.

They have a bazillion wines and beers. It's so fun to wander around and browse.

Yes, I took this pic from the inside, don't judge.

Then we headed over to the Elusive Cow Cafe for a celebratory drink and dinner.

I had heard about this place from a friend who lives in the area. I love trying local places and one look at the menu I knew we had to try it.

Celebratory beers. We're a divided house.

The food and ingredients are locally sourced, organic and natural.

They also have several vegetarian options!

And seriously, who can resist a cow wearing glasses?

I had the Ultimate BLT. And by Ultimate, they mean HUGE and delicious.

Love the addition of avocado.

I could eat avocado all day long.

HTB had a bison burger, He was a happy camper and finished his before I got halfway through mine, but that's nothing new!

After dinner we still had some time to kill before attempting to head back home, so we took a walk to the river.

 It was beautiful out.

Then we headed home and the heavens let loose.

We hit  a total downpour on the highway.

It was a fun night and I am happy to have the marriage license task crossed off the list!

Pain in the Piriformis

Monday: 4.2 mile run outside
Tuesday: a.m.: 2 mile run, dog walking

I got to witness the beautiful sunrise this morning while getting a slow 2 mile run and dog walking in.

The color was so vibrant.

It's reassuring to see something so beautiful after such destruction in Oklahoma.

My prayers and thoughts are with all those affected by the tornadoes.

"Come on, let's go! I don't have time for pictures!"

Yesterday I started having a little pain in my pirifofmis.

Today it didn't feel so good to run.

I think that means I have a hot date with my foam roller tonight.

And I should probably get on that 2013 goal of stretching more...

Thankfully I do not have any races coming up - just a wedding!

Weekend Review

Sunday: 4 mile run outside

HTB and I spent part of this weekend down in the Gorge.

It was quite relaxing.

The pups even went with us this time!

Hugo is not really an outside dog.

He overeats very easily - even in an air conditioned car.

The dogs behaved and we got to relax and also take care of a few wedding items.

Sunday morning I went for a run.

I was awake at 6:30 but refused to get out of bed until 7.

That's a much more respectable wake up time on a weekend!

It was super foggy and even more humid!

I wasn't sure how I would feel in the humidity so I did small loops around the neighborhood.

Our neighborhood is fairly hilly and I added in a few cul-de-sac hills just for fun.

 This is really a fairly big hill - why don't hills look like hills in pictures?!

I looked like I had just gotten out of the shower after I ran. I still can't believe how humid it was.

The rest of the day was spent running errands, organizing, and cleaning and topped off with a Mexican dinner date with HTB.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Lunch Time Workout and Bridal Happy Hour!

Thursday: Body Blast at lunch time

Ouch!

That class was tough, but I loved every second of it.

Well, at least once it was over!

Body Blast is a cardio weight class, so high repetitions and you choose the right amount of weight for you.

I didn't want to be super sore since I haven't done one of these classes in a while (and it is very different on your body than normal weight lighting), so I used 5lb and 8lb weights.

I'm definitely looking forward to going back next week!

Last night this amazing lady and our friend Autumn threw a "Happy Hour Bridal Shower" for me!

They are so creative and amazing hostesses.

I mean, how amazing is that wreath that greeted me at the door!?

Happy Weekend!

Early To Bed, Not So Early To Rise

I slept in this morning!

I decided sleep was going to be a priority since HTB is sick and I REALLY do not want to get sick too. The plan is to get a work out in over lunch. Fingers crossed.

After my hair appointment last night I ran some errands before heading home.

There's so much to do with the wedding quickly approaching.

I'm trying to enjoy it and not stress, which is often easier said than done.

I came home to a package from the Flying Pig Marathon!

I couldn't find the tent to pick up my 3-Way Challenge Finisher items after the half marathon, so they were kind enough to mail them to me!

The plaque has three hooks to hang each medal (5K, 10K and half marathon). The shirt is a long sleeve technical shirt.

These medals have their own home now!

After dinner and watching a episodes of Revenge we called it a night.

We need HTB to feel better soon, so hopefully some extra rest will help.

The dogs didn't mind going to be a little early!

Merlin has 2 other beds to choose from, he just chooses to sleep on the floor and sometimes practically on top of Puggy.

2 + 2 = Wedding!

Wednesday a.m.: 3.25 mile run outside

Extra Vitamin C.

Drink lots of fluids.

Attempt to get extra rest.

That is the motto right now in our house. We are hoping it is just allergy/sinus related, but HTB is not feeling so good. And the wedding is only 2 weeks and 2 days away! 

This crazy weather is most likely to blame!

We had a lovely shower at HTB's work last night.

We are truly blessed to be surrounded by so many loving, caring people.

It was super warm when I headed to my car this morning and after a quick check of the weather on my phone, I decided to run outside once I got to work (the gym). I typically don't like to run outside in the morning because I don't trust the drivers in the dark. Since I was a little late this morning though, the sun was already coming up, so it wasn't too scary!

I did a nice easy 3.25 mile loop. Very uneventful.

I did wear another new Owl Be Sweatin' headband though!

I'm slightly addicted.

Maybe I should start brushing my hair before pulling it back fro my morning workouts?

Nah, would just take more time.

Happy hump day, everyone! Halfway through the week!

Not Enough Hours

Tuesday a.m.: 2 mile run, abs, lunges

On my way home from work I stopped by my former roommate's house to meet her baby girl, Charlotte, who was born on Friday!

This is me holding her, but who wants to see a pic of me when you can look at this face instead!

 I could hold her for days. Or at least until she cries.

I wanted to run a few more miles last night, but I decided to clean up the house and finish up some laundry while HTB mowed the lawn. Trying to be responsible is not always fun.

I do like the results though!

If only there were about 10 more hours in each day I might get everything accomplished that I want to in one day.

After our household responsibilities were taken care of we headed to HTB's soccer game.

This morning I wore one of my new Owl Be Sweatin' headbands - black sparkly! Excuse my phone that is hiding my 5:10 a.m. sleepy face.

Love these adjustable headbands!

This morning I made it to the gym a teeny bit late, so I ran 2 miles with lunges in between half miles then did some abs and more lunges. Nothing very exciting, but trying to make the most of the time I had.

Tonight HTB and I have date with the weights at the gym!

Weekend Review: GOTR and Mothers!

Friday: weights
Monday a.m.: 3.5 mile treadmill run, abs

Hello, Monday.

And a belated happy mother's day to all of the mothers to both 2-legged and 4-legged babies!

Friday HTB and I hit the gym. I did a weight work out while he did some cardio on the elliptical machine. Thankfully my workout was fairly quick and not too tough. It had been a long stressful week, so I needed to workout but just didn't have the energy for too much.

Saturday morning we headed down to the Girls On The Run 5K bright and early to help with set up.

We got to cheer on the runners and HTB got to give the girls their medals.

Our niece's best friend ran an awesome race then almost puked right on HTB!

This race is one of my favorites. It is just so inspiring and such a feel good day!

The rest of the day was spent running around. We got to see my dad at the hospital (he's getting better each day!) then I ran a bunch of wedding errands. I can't believe it is getting soooo close!

Sunday we spent all day with all of the amazing mothers in our lives. Moms, step moms, mothers-in-law, sisters-in law, sisters-in law's moms, brother-in law's mom. 

There are a lot of moms in our family, I am so glad we got to see all of them!

This morning I hit the gym for a quick 3.5 miles on the treadmill and then a little ab workout I found in the Self magazine I was flipping through while running.
Hoping to get a few more miles in tonight!

Three Weeks!

Thursday a.m.: weights

I knew Thursday would be a long day of mostly sitting around, so when I couldn't sleep I decided to go ahead and the hit the gym for a weight workout. I checked the clock and it was only 4, so I laid in bed until 5 (when the gym opens) then headed out the door.

I typically go to my gym at work in the mornings, but since I had the day off, I went to the Y.

It felt weird being a different gym so early in the morning, but I'm glad I got the work out in.

Sitting around waiting can be really hard.

Lots of snacks are always helpful.

Sadly, we had even more snacks than that, the table was just pretty full already!

Thankfully the surgery went well. Dad will be recovering for a few days in the hospital and we are hoping and praying for more good news next week.

On that note...

Three weeks until I get to marry HTB. I could not be happier or feel luckier or be more blessed.

Source

I am so excited to be an official member of his family, and have him as an official member of mine.

Recovery Week

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Run outside have a beer with a friend
Wednesday a.m.: 4 mile treadmill run

I had plans to meet up with a friend for a recovery run on Tuesday night. She ran the Flying Pig marathon on Sunday, so we had planned to keep it flat and easy.

The skies were not looking so good when I arrived at our meeting spot. I did my anti-rain dance, but then this happened:

I guess I better work on my dance.

Megan arrived after the rain started, so we opted for a beer and snack instead!

It cleared up fairly quickly, so once we finished or beers we headed out for a walk.

I am so happy we weren't a mile or 2 into our run when the rain started, it was a total down pour.

I made it to the gym this morning for a quick 4 miles on the treadmill. My legs felt totally fine yesterday, so it felt good to run again. I can't believe how quickly my body recovered!

Weekend Review: Flying Pig Half Marathon

I woke up Sunday morning a little nervous about how my legs would feel after running the 10K and 5K the day before. Thankfully, they actually felt pretty good. I think I owe this to some awesome massages from HTB. I am a lucky girl.

We got a later start than we wanted to head downtown. Oops!

Unfortunately, this led to me not being able to meet up with Mary, who I ran the 5 and 10 Ks with the day before. It was stressful trying to get to the start and now knowing if we would be able to meet up. Thankfully, we both had good races so at least it worked out.

I was able to find Maureen at the start and we ran almost the entire race together.

We started out fast. Too fast, I thought. I kept telling her I was going to hold back, but she could go ahead. We'd slow down for a short time, then she would be back to her speedy ways.

I was very  nervous for the big hill(s). Miles 7-9 are basically a continuous hill, a lot of it is fairly steep. My plan was to hold back to make it over the hill, then take advantage of the downhill and rolling hills to try to make up time.

Apparently Maureen's plan was to run FAST (at least for me) the whole time!

At mile 11.5 I knew I had a chance to PR.

So I just went for it. I knew I just had to keep it steady.

I kept looking at my watch (I'm surprised this didn't cause me to trip) which I rarely do.

I was running in the 7's and trying not to speed up, just stay steady.

I knew my previous PR was in the 1:53s, but wasn't sure of the seconds.

The last half mile hurt, but all I could think was that I couldn't miss out on the PR now, I had come too far.

Post half marathon, pre Original Pancake House!

My watch said 1:50:50 when I crossed the finish line!

NO

FN

DIVISION

OVERALL

DIVPL

SEXPL

6.8MI

RATE

RANK

TIME

PACE

47055

Bethany

F 30-34

1130

60/1161

309/6948

59:28

8:42

1293

1:50:49

8:28

I hadn't run a half marathon since 2010 (Stomp The Grapes) and my previous PR was at the Pig in 2009 (1:53:51). Now it's time to break 1:50 - maybe on a flatter course!

Not sure why my head looks super ginormous...

Turns out it was a 3:02 PR! Woohoo!

It was a fun weekend of running. I really enjoyed the 3-Way Challenge and look forward to more similar races in the future!

 

Maureen and I post race

This poor woman put up with me yelling at her to slow down for 7 miles, then watched me take off to a PR. God bless her! She's also the woman responsible for setting me up with HTB!

 Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now, how the heck am I going to run FASTER than that for TWICE as far?

To the track I go...

Weekend Review: Flying Pig 10K and 5K Recap

Saturday: Flying Pig 10K and 5K
Sunday: Flying Pig Half Marathon

This weekend FLEW by. Pun totally intended.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early for the 10K and 5K Flying Pig events.

Thankfully the 10K was first at 8:00 a.m. followed by the 5K at 10:00 a.m.

2 bibs!

I met up with Mary pre race. She was smart enough to think ahead and know that it would be easier to pace ourselves together. We wanted to hold back on Saturday so we'd still have legs left for Sunday's half marathon.

Post 10K, Pre 5K!

The 10K did the 3 bridges through downtown, KY and then back to Cincinnati.

We did our best at holding back, thankfully Mary was much more in tune to it than I was.

I have a problem and it is SO hard for me to not race when I am in a race.

We finished the 10K in 56:30

The hard part came next - waiting for the 5K!

The first 20-10 minutes of waiting wasn't too bad, but then my legs started feeling tired.

I can't imagine how much harder it would have been to wait had we gone all out in the 10K. Not only would it have been a longer wait, but my muscles would have been a lot more sore and more likely to cramp.

Post 5K. 9.3 miles down, 13.1 to go!

It felt much easier to hold back during the 5K than it did during the 10K. I think partially because the course was so crowded, but also since we had already run one race that morning.  The course stayed in downtown Cincy and honestly went by pretty quickly.

I think I am so used to racing 5Ks when I do them (and usually hating every second of them) that this seemed so much easier and more relaxed and therefore faster. It did feel extremely odd to not sprint to the finish line in both races!

We finished the 5K in 30:23. Quite possibly my slowest 5K ever - and I am very proud of it!

After the races HTB and I headed to Red Robin for some lovely refueling! 

Chicken sandwich with guac, yes please!! I earned it!

Saturday afternoon I got to meet my friend's newest baby, Evan and visit his one year old brother too. I think she is a saint - 2 boys, born on the same day, exactly a year apart!

 I was so thrown off by the fact that I locked my keys in my car at her house that I didn't get any pictures of me holding him. :(

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Coming tomorrow: Flying Pig Half Marathon Recap!

Race Weekend Is Here!

Thursday a.m.: Weights
Friday: REST!

I can't believe Flying Pig weekend is upon us!

I hope I am ready!

I did my last weight lifting for the week Thursday morning. I'm trying to give my muscles some time to rest before the race events. Resting is always the hard part, even more so now that the wedding is so close and I have a dress fitting next week too!

Last weight training before the Pig! Can't help but laugh when taking selfies.

Thursday night we had a celebratory happy hour for HTB's work.

I usually try not to drink the week of a race, but HTB deserved some celebrating, so who I am to say no to that?

And then I had froyo with Sarah.

We hadn't seen each other in FOREVER and what better way to catch up then over some Orange Leaf?

I did miss the head shaving party for my friend, but I gave her an early present to get her ready for the Pig events this weekend. She has chemo treatment 2 next week and is running 1 (maybe 2) legs of the relay this weekend.

I picked up this cute Under Armour shirt for her at Dick's.

Time to rest, rest, rest and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

The game plan is to run the 10K and 5K easy on Saturday and aim for a PR at the half marathon.

I think that's a lofty goal given my lack of training, but why not go for it?