Texans, Sun/Sand, and Cheese

Whew - this is by far the latest post I've ever done. Almost one full year late. And three at a time! Oh boy. My kids need to choose a new word to describe me (currently, the words are "fast" and "clean." (Clean is still true.)

I'm so behind (on the blog - I'm actually doing quite well staying on top of my 50 in 50 count) that I need to bust through these three as best I can. They are unrelated and it might not be my best post, but here goes.

It'll be like a triathlon of blogging.

Let me first take you back to December 2015. Donald Trump proves he's unfit to be president by calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US (please vote!) Star Wars the Force Awakens comes to theaters. And I travel to Houston, TX for a mini reunion with some of my favorite people.

Love these women! (kids, spouses, and dogs not pictured but also loved)

Yeti Hunting with 3/5 of Team Friends

There was never any doubt in my mind that completing a race in Oklahoma meant incorporating some sort of Team Friends reunion.

Team Friends is a really cool name for me and my four best friends from my time in AmeriCorps*NCCC. I'd love to tell you all about it, but that would take another blog. Or book. Or at least picture collage. Just know it was one of the best years of my life, with some of my all time favorite people. I talked a little bit about it before, here. If you or someone you know wants to spend a year in service as a young adult, check it out here.

Anyway, the whole crew couldn't make it for this reunion but Jake and I decided to take a trip to see Kara and her little Team Friend Jr. (my first time meeting her!) in Tulsa.

After the best airport pick-up ever...

Glow, Girl, Glow

It has been a long time. Once again. So to my one follower (hi dad!), I'd like to apologize and thank you for reading even after all this time.

Last year, the hubs and I decided to re-do our first honeymoon. We titled it our “no flu second honeymoon.” (You can guess some details of our first.) Where else to go when you want to not experience the flu, but Tennessee!

Wine, Gummy Bears, and Friends for Life

I knew long ago that I wanted my Oregon race to be in Portland, so I could visit some awesome friends.

I also knew I wanted it to be a race in wine country after hearing about races said friends completed themselves.

Consider both goals complete.

Okay, technically the race was outside Portland, but close enough.

Buffalo vs. Bison and Local Pronunciation

If you have been a reader of this blog for some time, you know that I don't have much luck with New York.

Way back in February, my partner in 50by50 (Chrissy) and I went to NYC for the weekend to try for a third time at a NY race.

The good news: We got to see Newsies on Broadway.

The bad news: We also got to see a lot of the Megabus as we ended up coming back early due to weather...and YES, ditched the race.

Sigh.

Running like a diva means running late

Sometimes I struggle with whether or not to keep up with this blog, for several reasons:

1. Google won't let me change the email address associated with it to another gmail address so it takes forever for me to get to it
2. I feel pulled in many directions in my new domestic life and am no longer good at getting these written quickly
3. I'm not sold that the blog itself is all that interesting

Those things may be true, but what keeps me going, albeit slowly, is this:

1. I want to keep up the kiva donations.

This is the part of the race where I'm starting to feel some pain. And maybe like in a race, I just need to shift my stride. Put less stress on certain areas, run a bit looser, remind myself of the goal.

So I'll stick with it.

And this time, I thought dressing like a deranged fairy princess might add a bit more fun to the mix.

A tiara can never hurt, right?

Presbyterians gone...wild?

Ooh boy, it's been a long time. That's what you get for planning a wedding, having the wedding, going on a honeymoon, and getting the flu. Oh yeah, and throw some awesome kiddos in the mix and you get the picture. My life went from single to domestic like woah. And I love it. Well, maybe not the flu, but the rest has been stellar.

Here's a wedding pic just for fun:

Yup, we're ordering hot dogs at our food truck-caterer. Our wedding was seriously pretty great.

50 in 50 by 50...plus Canada!

Whew...I ran all the way to Canada and boy am I tired.

Okay, that joke is L A M E but I am tired. However, I suspect it has less to do with the half-marathon I did a few weeks ago and more to do with the fact that I'm sitting on my couch right now and feeling lazy.

But, I did in fact run to Canada...starting in Detroit.

Maybe sometimes two halves DO equal a whole

...or for people like me, whole and then some.

This post is way overdue as the second of my two back to back marathons was the first weekend in May. My excuses include laziness and summer, which so often seem to go hand in hand and unfortunately beat the stuff out of my running abilities as well. I could list other excuses like an engagement (!), a new job (!), and moving (blah), but...well...I guess I just did, so no excuses for my excuses.

Anyway, in late April, I drove down to Louisville to visit my friend Jake and to run the Kentucky Derby MiniMarathon. What an awesome weekend. I mean, as weekends go, this one had pretty much all the elements necessary for a perfect few days (with the exception of not having one certain awesome fiance along). It had good friends (old and new), a local Italian hole-in-the-wall, an art festival, beautiful weather, a really excellent race, late night pizza, youtube videos, lessons about crazy dog breeds that can kill pumas (yeah, that's right, I said KILL PUMAS), an amazing brunch location, and of course, nine almonds. Oh, you didn't know that nine almonds was the perfect number for killing it in a race? Well, let me tell you friends, it's a secret worth knowing.

Part of a banner you could sign at the race expo-- can you find mine?

There she is

Chicken in the car, car won't go...

That's how you spell...CHI-CA-GO!

I'm afraid this blog entry will not be my most exciting, for a few reasons:

1. I am late in writing this and still don't have much time to do it-- I blame the holidays and all my lovely friends and family-- in this case, being busy is a joy.

2. The race in Chicago was not too notable, and sadly, I don't have any pictures of the actual race.

So to spare you all time in reading a boring blog, let me just say that Chicago is an awesome city and it was fun being able to run out the door of my friend's apartment for a race that was only about a quarter mile away. The Jingle Bell Jog for arthritis had a good turnout and some fun giveaways and food type stuff. I did not do well for me - most likely because I had not been running much and because the race was on a snowy, slippery path in a park. I did have fun though, and I'm glad that I've hit 16 states. Next up, Kentucky!

If you want to donate to Kiva, you can do so here.

Happy New Year!

A Very Jersey Thanksgiving

Okay, it wasn't that Jersey. I mean there were no Snooki sightings and I barely heard an accent, but I was in the state for thanksgiving and we did watch a movie that took place in New Jersey. I also ran my Jersey race and the last song I heard in the car before starting was by Bon Jovi. (Or JBJ as the woman in the movie affectionately calls him).

This was my fourth attempt at a race in either New York or New Jersey and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I was thankful to finally cross one of the two states off the list.

I planned the trip to Jersey over Thanksgiving since my family was out of town and it was high time I visited my friend Felice, and her new sweet baby boy. It was good to spent time with her family, and the two of us got some good bonding time in.

Discovery Zone

Do you guys remember that place? I never actually went...or maybe went once to pick up my sister and just glimpsed the inside or something, but it really did seem like the place for birthday parties for a while, didn't it?

My mind comes up with weird blog titles.

Anyway, my discovery zone was at the New River Gorge in Minden, West Virgina for the ACE New River Gorge-ous Trail Run & Walk where I discovered, in a short period of time, that I am not a trail runner.

(though I was still able to do this at the end of the race...guess I was glad it was over!)

Thought process prior to the run: I like running. I like hiking. I'll like trail running!

Thought process during the run:
Mile 1: Okay, I'm not prepared for this.
Mile 2: Thank God I wore my trail runners. (Stability was a big concern.)
Mile 3: I think I'll just do the 8 mile loop. Is that giving up?
Mile 4: We are definitely stopping for pizza on the way home.
Mile 5: I am only going to walk up the hills, but I'm going to walk up every one of them.
Mile 6: I'm doing the 8 mile loop. This is ridiculous.
Mile 7: Okay, I guess I'm doing the whole thing. At least I'll run fast when running so this thing will be over quickly enough....maybe I can finish in 2:15?
Mile 8: At least I'll keep moving forward. I'll finish in 2:30. Just keep that girl in the blue shirt in sight.
Mile 9: Where is everybody? Oh yeah, they all passed me a long time ago.
Mile 10: Water stop and 3 miles left. This is not so bad. If I get back in 2:30, we'll have plenty of time for burritos before we go get pizza.
Mile 11: I *#$! hate these rocks (Okay, I swore a lot on this mile...but if you swear in the woods and there is no one around to hear it, does it make an offensive sound?)
Mile 12: I can't believe I went the wrong way. I'll have to go back down that hill to look for the arrows. (minutes later): I can't believe that wasn't the wrong way. I'll have to go back UP that *&#$! hill. (offended birds and squirrels cover their ears)
Mile 13: Praise the Lord. Time for burritos and pizza.

CTC and CMP

Or, in other words; Caitlin, Traci, and Chrissy take on Baltimore (and the chocolate marshmallow peanut dessert at the Woodberry Kitchen)

(Thanks to my friend Brad for utilizing superior photography skills to highlight the dessert and eliminate secret double chins.)

Our weekend in Baltimore can be characterized by a few things:

Celebrating the big 21

My 21st birthday was slightly uneventful as mine falls early (in school calendar terms) and therefore most of my friends couldn't legally take me out to the type of grown-up establishments many people like to frequent for those such events, though two of my dear slightly older friends did and the whole thing was pretty low-key.

However, today is a celebration of 21 not as a rite of passage or the passage of time, but because the kiva group is currently supporting loans in 21 countries!!! Woo-hoo! That's almost halfway to the goal and I've still got 19 years to finish up the races! (yup, I'm almost 31- augh!) Of course, we have no intentions of stopping once we reach the goal, but I never would have thought we'd get so far so quickly.

Though the loans cover 21 countries, the awesome 50 in 50 by 50 group (made up of 18 lenders- at least 3 of which I don't even know!) is supporting 33 loans total. One of the countries, I have to admit, I didn't even know existed. Have you ever heard of Benin? My geography always has been terrible. Well, it's in West Africa and kind of in the shape of a torch. Look it up! Learn something new! (or shame me by saying, "you've never heard of Benin?")

Anyway, a big THANKS to all those who have loaned, and if you are interested in joining us, feel free at any time! My next race to spur on the next donation is at the end of September, when I will run the Race for Our Kids in Baltimore, MD with these lovely ladies:

(couldn't find a recent pic of the three of us together that I haven't already posted on here)

Until next time, keep up the dreaming!

Long Time Gone

Okay, not really. My trip to Alaska was, sadly, only a bit over 5 days long, not counting travel. Not. Enough. Time. But as soon as I got back I had 36 hours before flying out again for a weekend away, so it has been a long time since this poor blog has gotten any of my attention. I'm back, baby. No need to start singing Don't Go Breakin' My Heart because I'll try not to be so slow again. And I did enough karaoke while in Anchorage.

As usual, I digress. (But it's worth it when Miss Piggy and Elton John are involved)

I love Alaska! True, I probably couldn't make it there year-round like my tough sister and her hubby, but for a summer visit-- fabulous.

And of course, I ran a race. Number 12.

Experience kicks obligation's booty

Last weekend, Chrissy and I were supposed to the do the Gristmill Grinder, hoping to see views like this:

(Pretty, right?)

Well, this is what it looked like on Saturday instead:

(Man, do I look rough or what?!)

Dissapointment with a side of relief (or the other way around?)

Alas, I will NOT be risking my life in Alaska this summer. Or at least not by running the Mt. Marathon race.  I got a call from my sister two nights ago letting me know that I did not make the lottery. Sigh. But all is not lost! First of all, I could still put my life at risk in Alaska in other ways. Let's take a vote.

Should I:

A. Pick a fight with a moose? (As I can't imagine wanting to physically harm an animal - I've been known to spend great deals of time trapping, rather than killing, various bugs - I think this would have to begin with name-calling)

B. Try to outrun a bear? (Hey, I've outrun dogs before)

C. Dive into an icy lake/river? (I could pretend I am going for Gryffindor's Sword! And I'd be smart enough to take the necklace off first...)

D. Hang out near the Palins' house, dressed as a caribou?

Or, I could just enjoy the time with my sister, brother-in-law, and cute little chubby baby foster-neice. Okay, that sounds good too.

I will however, still be running a race in Alaska- likely the Freedom 4-Miler in Wasilla. Never heard of it? What, you weren't one of the 24 people who ran it in 2010? I actually think running these small-town races is becoming kind of my thing. Last year, all those who ran were Alaskans...maybe I'll be the first one to travel from so far away...and maybe I'll win a prize for most patriotic costume. I better start sewing now...

An update on my [did-not-happen] run in WV will be coming soon.

Stay tuned for more running adventures!

"You just don't get used to it..."

This weekend was a twofer...two races in two states for the price of one (sort of).

My friend and fellow runner, Traci, had suggested I come up to visit her and her family outside of Boston to do two races in one weekend - a 5K in Providence, RI, and a 1/2 marathon in Quincy, MA. With the promise of knocking two states off at once and spending a weekend with good friends, it didn't take much convincing.

After being picked up from the airport, I went with Traci to pick up some professional pictures she had taken of the kids, and then we headed back to her place, where I was greeted by this:

How nice to have people anticipating your visit!

Cleveland Rocks!

Race number 9- check!

Not much to say about this one but the Rite Aid Marathon, 1/2 Marathon and 10k in Cleveland is a pretty good race. It was HUGE- 15,000 people and did not thin out the entire length of the run. I did the half and kept up a steady 9 minute pace by staying with the 9:09 group until the last 3-4 miles where I picked it up a bit. In 1:56:50, not my PR, but not my worst either.

It was fun to get back up to the area. I got to stay with my friend and one of my first roommates, Maria, and visit my Alma Mater (pic below).

Running alone was less fun than the original plan to run with my friend Grace (her dad got sick) but races are always good places to make new friends. One of the women I ran with said she had run 28 1/2 marathons and 18 marathons in the past 10 years! 50 in 50 seems like a small goal, in comparison. :-)

How to Medal in a Race

Step one: Register for a race that is not-well publicized in hopes that less than 50 people register.

Step two: Be born a woman. (This step must preceed step one).

Step three: Show up for race on time.

Step four: Run.

In following the above steps, I was awarded 2nd place overall female in the Saluda Shoals Earthfair 8k in Columbia, SC!

Chrissy and I had wanted to visit our friends Emily and Henry in North Carolina again and picked a weekend when there was meant to be a race in South Carolina, about 30 minutes from their house. However, after purchasing the tickets, the race was cancelled. We looked for other races and the closest one we could find was the Earthfair 8k. It was almost impossible to find information on it as it did not have online registration or an official race website, and different sites had conflicting information. We were able to print off mail-in registrations though, so we registered. The best part of the weekend was spending time with good friends, eating good food, and having lots of laughs.