Palo Verde National Park & Snorkeling

Tuesday: 2.1 mile walk, Squat Challenge Day 1
Wednesday: Squat Challenge Day 2
Thursday: 4.5 mile run outside, Squat Challenge Day 3

The struggle to get back to a routine continues.
I'm hoping after this week things will settle back down a bit.
#fingerscrossed

In the meantime I am attempting to focus on the the positive things instead of only being upset by what I have failed to do.
I have not had a soda since Sunday.
I have cooked dinner each night this week.
I cooked and delivered healthy dinner for my mom who had surgery this week.
I started the squat challenge and haven't missed a day yet.
I have packed my lunch (almost) every day this week.

We did 2 other excursions on our honeymoon in Costa Rica (in addition to the volcano, rainforest and hot springs excursion). One to Palo Verde National Park and one to snorkel in the Pacific Ocean.

First up, Palo Verde!

On our way to the park we stopped at a plantation for some fresh watermelon, pineapple and bananas. They were all AMAZING. So juicy and delicious!

The grounds were beautiful as well.

Then we arrived at the Tempisque River for our boat ride.
 We saw all kinds of wildlife.
 

Look at those teeth!

A large troop of white faced monkeys practically jumped on our boat.

We had so much fun watching them.

They seemed just as fascinated by us!

And Howler Monkeys too!

The birds and flowers were beautiful as well.

On our last morning went on a snorkeling trip! It was hubby's first time and only my third time.

On the boat out to our snorkeling spot

It was so much fun! The fish were amazing and colorful. We also saw a lobster and some little octopi.

(And it makes me happy to use the word octopi!)

Costa Rica: Arenal Volcano, Rainforest & Hot Spings!

Monday: 2.1 mile dog walk
Tuesday a.m.: Squat challenge

There's been a lot of excitement lately in the RunnerB household which has made it quite difficult to get back into a routine. I am trying though!

To help kickstart getting back to my routine I decided to give the 30 Day Squat Challenge another try.

 I did fairly well with this my last go round, but stopped right before the Flying Pig events to make sure my legs were ready to race.

So hopefully I make it through all 30 days this time!

Our first full day in Costa Rica we decided to do an all day excursion to Arenal Volcano, the rainforest and the hot springs. We really wanted to experience the country so we thought this excursion would help us do quite a bit of that all at once.

The day started out beautifully with an incredible blue sky. We made a few stops on the way (a 3 hour drive).  We took a boat across Lake Arenal to get better views of the volcano.
As we got closer to the volcano it started to cloud over.

Once we crossed the lake, the bus took us to the top of a trail in the rainforest so we could hike down. And trust me, they don't call it a rainforest for nothing!

At least we got the full RAINforest experience!

Unfortunately we didn't get a lot of pictures in the rainforest because of the rain. Lesson learned - purchase waterproof point and shoot camera - it would have come in handy quite bit on this trip!

After the rainforest we went to the Titoku Hot Springs.

This places was gorgeous! The gardens surrounding it were unreal.

I only took one picture because it started raining again after I was in dry clothes and I didn't want to get wet or risk hurting my camera.

There were 8 different pools and they ranged in heat - the top pool is the hottest and they get cooler as you go down. Of course there is a full service bar too!

After the hot springs we went to another resort for dinner before the long drive back.

It was a long day, but well worth it. We got to see so much of this beautiful country in one shot!

Weekend Review: Finally Running Again

Saturday: 3.5 mile run

Sunday: 4.5 mile run

Before I get to talking about all of our fun adventures in Costa Rica this week, let's talk about what I DIDN'T do while away.

Work out.

At least in the traditional sense of the word.

We did walk around our resort (super hilly and they did offer a 24/7 shuttle that we only used twice - once with our luggage and once in the rain).  We also hiked and swam.

However, I did not run AT ALL.

And this weekend I could feel it.

I was up bright and early Saturday morning and knew it was going to be a HOT day, so I decided to go ahead and get some miles in. I finally got out the door about 6:45.

I only did 3.5 miles. I wanted to do some more and felt OK, but 1) I am trying to protect my foot that has been acting up a teeny tiny bit and 2) we had a visitation to attend in the morning as well.

Our neighborhood is hilly and has very few big trees, so it was quite hot. Overall I was fairly happy with how I felt.

Old School Nike headband. I think it was a gift before my first Flying Pig marathon

After my run it was time to hit the shower and get ready for the visitation at Spring Grove Cemetery.

 This cemetery is beautiful. I know that sounds weird, but it really is.

I'm hoping to go back soon when there is not a visitation to attend and enjoy the scenery.

 Sunday morning it was time for another run!

 I got a much later start (8ish), so of course it was nice and sunny and HOT!

I did 4.5 miles Sunday and was very happy to stop when I did.

I did a 2 loop route and hid G2 in our driveway so I could stop and get a drink after the first loop.

Whew, I was sweaty!

We really enjoyed all of the fresh juice combinations on our honeymoon.

Our favorite was watermelon strawberry, so we attempted to replicate it Sunday morning.

 It was so nice and refreshing after my run!

I'm ashamed to admit that my quads are a tiny bit sore after my first two runs post honeymoon.

But, you have to start back somewhere!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

There are some fun things coming up, so stay tuned!

Home Sweet Home

I am reconnected to the world!

Instagram

Blogs!

Facebook

Twitter

Text Messaging

Netflix

It was nice to be so incredibly disconnected.

Unplugged for 8 entire days.

The view from our bungalow

The view from one of the pools

With these kind of views it was easy to be disconnected!

We had an amazing honeymoon!

I can't wait to tell you more about it next week!

Weekend Review: Race and Recovery

Saturday: Piggy Went to Market 5K Race
Sunday: TIU workout

I don't know about you, but I am in serious need of a nap to recover from the weekend.

And I think I'm still recovering from our wedding. #gettingoldishard

Friday I did quite a bit of errands shopping to get ready for our honeymoon!

Then I patiently waited for K to arrive home from his business trip.

And waited.

And waited.

Then waited some more.

He arrived home over 7 hours (about 2:45 a.m.) after his original flight was supposed to land.

#thankyoutropicalstorm

The race was not in Havasu and definitely was not a triathlon

Autumn and I met our friend Sarah at the Piggy Went to Market race bright and early Saturday morning. It was Sarah's first 10K (and she totally kicked some booty!), so Autumn and I wanted to cheer her on. We ran the 5K then waited at the finish line to cheer for Sarah.

It was a lot of fun and of course we celebrated with a delicious breakfast at Mimi's afterwards!

Saturday evening I had a girl's night with a few friends. We started at the 21C Museum Hotel rooftop bar. I wish we had time to check out the museum. I definitely want to go back.

I can't wait to go back to this bar!

 It was a gorgeous bar and I had gorgeous company!

 We then headed to Kaze for dinner and cocktails.

Yummy food and quite possibly the strongest drink I have ever had in my life.

This picture does not do it justice.

We finished dinner with an amazing S'mores dessert.

#yum

Sunday was spent running around, doing house and yard work, errands and fueling our new addiction to the show Scandal.

It is soooo good. We can't stop watching it.

Happy Monday!

Race Recap: Sugarcreek 5 Mile Trail Run

Wednesday: 5 mile trail run

I knew I would need some motivation to get back to a running routine after the wedding, and boy was I right! I am so glad that I had made plans with Jen to meet up last night for a trail race. This was super exciting for 3 reasons: I got to spend time with Jen, I got to do my 2nd trail race and it was national running day - what a great way to celebrate!

Oh yeah, it was also my first race with my new last name!!!!!

I joined the Ohio River Road Runners Club yesterday (they put on the Sugarcreek 5 Mile Trail Run). It's only $25 for the year and that gets you entry into almost all of their 30 events throughout the year! What a deal!

I had to show my registration email since my card is being mailed to me at the registration table - I wrote my name on a clipboard, signed it and they gave me a chip - no bibs for this race. 

It was super easy and fast.

They definitely know what they are doing!

I was a little nervous for the trails. I have a HUGE fear of falling and injuring myself.

Most of the path was fairly wide.

There were also a few sections that were very steep - some it was steps.

 

We crossed a few creeks (or the same creek multiple times?).

I was impressed with the course - it had a lot of variety and it was very pretty!

Thankfully the ground was mostly dry so keeping my footing was not really an issue.

Jen and I got to get a run in and catch up at the same time - can't beat that!

 

We also crossed the finish line at the same time, making us co-award winners in our age group!

We're not sure if it's 2nd or 3rd place, my guess is 3rd.

Our Wedding Day

First of all, Happy National Running Day!

This blog will be back to its boring normal workout self soon, I promise!

Our wedding day began with breakfast at my family's cabin. We always joke that when we get together we are planning the next meal while eating the current one - and if there is one thing we they do almost as well as eat, it's cook!

After breakfast a few of us went for a hike. We wanted to keep it fairly easy since we didn't have a ton of time and didn't want to wear ourselves out completely.

How about climbing a few steps?

Swinging bridges are fun!

There were quite a few more stairs than we expected!
We still had a good time though.

We happened upon this cave and rested for a few minutes to cool off. It was easily 10-15 degrees cooler down in the cave than outside.

My sister and I dress alike often - and not on purpose.

Once we hit Balancing Rock, we decided to turn back around. We were hoping for a little bit of rest time between lunch and going to my hair and make up appointment.

Then it was time to get hitched!

It honestly could not have been a more perfect day.
The weather was gorgeous (pouring rain was just 20 minutes north of us).
Everything went surprisingly smoothly.

My mom and sister helped me get ready and did a little pre wedding photo shoot for us. They captured the prep and the moment when K saw me for the first time.

Why yes, those ARE Liverpool FC socks.
And yes, I surprised him with them a few weeks ago!
#iamthebestwifeever

We met our photographer on Sky Bridge for photos before the wedding then headed to the overlook for the ceremony.

The ceremony was beautiful - the lighting was amazing as the sun was setting in front of us and streaming through the trees.

And then we became Mr. & Mrs.!
I can't stop looking at the pictures - and we don't even have the photographer's pics yet.
I wish I could live the day over and over. It was amazing.

Sorry for the longest post ever!

Wedding Eve Recap

Last weekend feels like hours ago and weeks ago all at the same time.

I knew it would fly by, but I had no idea just how quickly!

The next time I would see our house I would be a married lady!

 We headed down to Red River Gorge on Thursday around lunchtime.

Of course we had a few errands to do on the way, but we arrived at the cabin around 3:30 or 4.

Horrible attempt at a selfie at a red light.

Once we got unpacked at the cabin, we had to repack the car with some celebration items to take to my family's cabin. And by celebration items I mostly mean wine.

A few of the bottles...

 I had family in from Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Ohio and Kentucky for the wedding - and they all stayed in the same cabin! It was so nice to be able to go to one place and hang out with all of them.

We had a lovely dinner and evening with them and of course I forgot to take pictures.

I was trying to live in the moment and take it all in instead!

Tomorrow: The Wedding Day!

I'd Like To Introduce You

To Mr. and Mrs.!

Wedding recap and pics to follow!