race jitters!

Morning, everyone!

This Saturday I'm doing a St. Patty's themed 8k and I am having some serious pre-race jitters....already.  The course is in downtown Raleigh and should be fun and scenic.  According to map my run the course is 5.12 miles. 


I don't know what I was thinking signing up for this!  The longest race I've ever done is a 5k, and the longest run I've ever done, ever, was about 4.2 miles.  I am terrified!  I keep telling myself that the worst that can happen is that I will run the first 3.1 like it is a 5k and then walk/run the rest as best as I can.  No matter what I will finish it and that will be an accomplishment in itself. 

my girlfriends and I last year running a 3-mile fun run on St. Patty's Day

But, being type A, I know that slogging through the last 2 miles slowly and walking a lot will make me feel kind of like crap.  When I signed up for this race I hoped that I'd be able to run 5 miles by this time and that I would be able to run almost all of it and get a decent time.  Now I really feel like that might not be possible and feel a little disappointed in myself. 

One or two extra miles might not seem like a lot to some of you, but I just started running a year ago after a serious illness and am definitely not a natural runner.  My running journey has been filled with a lot of periods of two steps forward, one step back.  I am not one of those people who can just not train and run a race.

I don't want to go into this race with these negative thoughts, because I know running is just as mental as physical...if not more so! Any advice on how you mentally prepare for a race when the mileage is a "reach" for you?   Any inspirational tips?  I need it and it would be MUCH appreciated!!!!

blogger help?

Hey all!  I'm having a little blogger problem that maybe one of you lovely people can help me with!

After I got married I changed my gmail address to one with my married name.  My blog is connected to my maiden name email address.  I haven't been able to find any way to change my blog over to my new email address.  Anyone know how to do this, or if it can be done?   Switching back and forth from gmail accounts whenever I want to blog is getting very cumbersome! 

Thanks, and have a great Monday!

our latest 5k

Today R and I ran a 5k to benefit the Special Olympics.  It was pretty cold-- about 43 degrees-- and windy.  Luckily the sun was out, so once we were running it wasn't too bad.   

As we were warming up before the race a blog reader came up to me and introduced herself!  I was taken aback a little bit because I've never had someone recognize me from my blog before, but it was really really neat!  Sometimes I forget that people actually read what I put out here on the interwebs.  (Hi, Jessi!)

Here's me and the hubs before the race: 

This race was a big accomplishment for me because it was the first one I've done alone.  Before the race I told R to go ahead and run at his own pace (he runs faster than I do!).  I'm not going to lie, a few times during the race I wished that he was next to me, but I was able to put my head down and truck on!  


I ended up with a time of 34:31, which is 32 seconds longer than my last time.  This was a bit of a bummer because obviously I'd rather be improving my times... but I have to remember that I didn't have R next to me to keep up with.  


Then after the race we went to Benelux Cafe downtown.  I came across the place on yelp and saw that they have awesome waffles.  I thought a waffle would be the perfect post-race indulgence and oh em geeee it was good!  I got the waffle with nutella and banana, one of my fav combinations, and it was awesome!  

Next week we're running an 8k...and I have to admit I'm very nervous.  I was pretty beat at the end of the race.  I keep telling myself that I will just do the best I can and it will be an accomplishment!

kahlua pots de creme

Good morning, everyone!

After seeing Pioneer Woman's Pots de Creme a l'Orange, I decided on an impulse to surprise my husband with pot de creme for dessert on Wednesday.  I had to pick up an ingredient from the market for our dinner anyway, so I picked up a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and improvised the recipe with what I had on hand. 

Kahlua Pots de Creme:

Ingredients:
-6 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips (1/2 a bag)
-2 eggs
-1 tablespoon of Kahlua
-1/2 cup of very hot coffee
-Fat-free cool whip

Directions:
1.) Pour 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a blender
2.) Add two eggs
3.) Blend until liquified
4.) Add in Kahlua, blend
5.) Drizzle in hot coffee while blender is going through the hole in the top
6.) Pour contents of blender into 6 glasses, about 1/3 of the way full
7.) Put glasses in the fridge to set up for about 2 hours
8.) Serve with a generous scoop of fat free cool whip on top and enjoy!

Now, y'all.  I wasn't paying attention to the serving size so I poured the entire mixture into two glasses.  Hello, RICH!   I only ate about 1/3 of mine and left the rest in the fridge for the rest of the week.  R, being a huge chocolate lover, ate all of his.  Next time I will use smaller glasses and fill them up about a 1/3 or 1/2 of the way.

Try it!

in denim heaven!

Hi there!

I had to interrupt the wedding picture recaps to tell you about my latest obsession: Levi's Curve ID jeans. 

I have horrible problems trying to find a pair of jeans that fit correctly.  Last year I donated 7 pairs to Goodwill because none of them fit properly.  The jeans ranged from size 2 to size 6.  The 2's and some of the 4's were hopelessly tight in the thighs and butt and the other 4's and 6's were huge in the waist.  Because I can't buy jeans that I can't pull completely on, I usually end up with jeans that fit in the thigh and butt area but that gap in the back, are too big in the waist, and essentially show my entire butt when I bend over or sit down.  Not cute.

Enter: Levi's Curve ID.

The jeans come in 4 different shapes: Slight curve, Demi curve, Bold curve and Supreme curve.  On Levis.com they have a little quiz you can take which will tell you which style is right for you.  I took the quiz, which recommended bold curve, however, not wanting to get saddled with ANOTHER ill-fitting pair of jeans, I hit up my local Macy's to actually try on a pair. 

Since there are so many combinations it was hard to find the specific size/shape I was looking for-- but I grabbed a pair of size 4 Demi curve straight leg jeans--- these ones:

via Zappos ($44.00)

I pulled them on and they fit PERFECTLY.  High enough in the back so that my butt crack doesn't show.  Fits snugly at the waist.  Very comfortable in the butt and thighs.  Perfection!!  And they don't feel or look like Mom jeans, either!

I bought them immediately without even trying on a pair of Bold ones.  I was excited to find a pair of "straight" jeans that fit, because I love how they look with casual flats on the weekend.  I will definitely be buying ALL my jeans from this line from now on. 

Now I just need to replace my skinny and boot cut jeans....

*This is not a sponsored/solicited post.  I just came across these, bought some, and LOVE them!

after the ceremony

While our guests sipped bellinis, beer, and wine, we took a few minutes to get some pictures as a newly married couple!  

I won't bore you with the posed, traditional pictures... but here are some of my favorites!

my handsome hubs! 

one of my fav pictures ever! our nephew smooshed his nose against the window behind us, totally randomly, as we were posing for pictures.  I love this picture because it's so unplanned!  

loveeee my bouquet 

me and my bridesmaids 

Next up: actual cocktail hour and beginning of receptions

our wedding ceremony 8.20.11

Good morning!

Today I'm going to share with you some pictures from our wedding ceremony.   We got married outside and luckily the weather was great!  It was hot, obviously, because it was August, but not unbearable since the ceremony was at 5:30 pm.  

We were married by R's brother, who got ordained online.  As I mentioned while planning the wedding, we found out this wasn't "legal" in NC while studying for the bar exam, go figure, so we got "officially" married two weeks before at the court house.  My sister read "I carry your heart with me" by e.e. cummings.  We  had a harp playing on the patio behind the ceremony, which was lovely.  We said traditional vows and also wrote five "promises" each, which we said to one another.  It was very emotional and happy and perfect.  

I will never forget the feeling of looking into his eyes and saying my vows.  I will never forget standing with my dad, waiting to go out, feeling butterflies in my stomach.  I kept telling him... I'm ready to go! Let's do this! 

Without further ado...

 how precious are my niece and nephew?!

trying not to cry and smile at the same time

again, laughing and crying simultaneously while R said his promises

 telling R my promises

one of my favorite pictures, ever. 

 breaking the glass

 mazel tov!

Next up: cocktail hour! 

All pictures courtesy of our fantastic photographer, Nia Capri, www.niacapri.com