Cornfield Cornfield 2018

Hey there! So I ran another 10k and it did not go as well as planned. That means Kelsey needs to get off her butt and actually start training...

Here we are!

He's so awesome for coming out to support me! This race is not spectator friendly. Which makes it long and hot...oh well! Still fun. I walked more than I wanted to, but again....need to start training for reals.

Adding two little kids into the mix doesn't help me at all! I need to get a better schedule down. How do you super moms do it?? I need to learn your ways! Otherwise I am going to get fat and go crazy. Not cool!

Also, I turned 35 in June! Half way to 70! Yay! This race was the day before, and man was I sore! Ugh. The day was fun, my birthday landed on Father's Day, so I was able to hang out with my dad, Rob's dad, and Rob! Plus the kids, of course. We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom. That is my favorite pizza (not including Lou Malnati's because OMG they are the best). It's so good!

Anyway. I am putting together a better training schedule and day to day schedule for myself. This is getting ridiculous. Here's to the second half of 2018!

My third 10k is coming up in September, then I will get my medal! Yay!

Leprechaun Chase 2018

Leprechaun Chase 2018 came and went in flash! I haven't been training as much as I should be, but it went better than I expected. My time ended up at 1:10:29! My pace was 11:22 per mile. I'm actually pretty impressed with that. It's slower than last year, but I was running a lot more then. My next race is the Lincoln Half Marathon, so I need to get off my butt and train for that!

This race is definitely a favorite, I've ran it several times with my first being in 2012. I'm reaching for that BRIN Series medal again this year! Three 10ks. One down, two to go. Next 10k is June 16.

My support system this year has been on point! Here we are!

Before

After

This is Rob. He's awesome. Definitely my rock. We met in November 2017 through a few friends' shenanigans. I don't think there is a way to repay them. It's been so wonderful to have him in my life! We moved him into his new house that weekend and he came to support me anyway! Moving lots of boxes and furniture for 3 days, a 10k, and then more days of moving boxes and such. I was exhausted, but it was so much fun. It's so rewarding watching someone reach a goal that they have been working on for so long. Here's to 2018!

Back to the Grind!

My run yesterday! It was amazing! I was able to run outside because the weather wasn't being a major pest! Yay! It was 54 degrees out and sunny. Lovely. It was the best run I've had in a long time. I only ran for 15 minutes because I don't want to injure myself. I ran 1.70 miles in 15 minutes. That means my pace was 8:53. (!!!!!) Talk about awesome and amazing! I'm a little sore today, but dang that felt good! I have three 10k's coming up, the first one is the Leprechaun Chase. I'm also training for the Lincoln Half Marathon again this year. I need to redeem myself from last year's pathetic race! Although Vegas went really well in November, but I'm hoping to knock a few minutes off my PR. Here we go, 2018!

Las Vegas Half Marathon

Hey hey!! That half marathon thing went WAY better than last time! Holy cow. I was sore, yes. Walking long distances was an issues for DAYZ, but I survived! And my body didn't revolt like last time! Yay! I might even consider signing up for another one! Maybe. Probably. Dang it.

Here's some photos:

I bought one, but I can't post it because it's not just me. But if we're friends on FB, you will be able see it.

The race itself was amazing. So cool to see the strip like that! I never would have been able to see the whole thing on foot like that otherwise!

I stayed at the Flamingo, which was nice, but I thought the whole resort fee was a complete rip off. You will never convince me otherwise. The pool was closed because it's the off-season. Sigh. I will know better next time, I guess?

I was SUPER EXCITED to have a bathtub for after the race! I bought an Epsom Salt bath bomb from Nectar Bath Treats. Look them up! It was amazing. No weird chemicals and such. Which is good as my body tends to react badly to bubble bath.

There was a TV in the mirror in the bathroom. That was hilarious.

I was glad to see they have their namesake that you can watch when you eat breakfast or whatever.

This was at the Bellagio. Coolest floral arrangement ever!!

Obligatory race outfit picture. 

Look at our medal!! So cool! It spins and glows in the dark.

Here's my medals as of 2017!! 

After the race, and a shower...and maybe some very painful stretching, we went to Fremont Street. That was amazing! I had one drink, and I was feeling pretty dang good here. Good thing I fixed it a tiny bit with pizza. The other two I was with didn't want to eat after the race (WHAT????) So I made do with stuff I had in my room, but that pizza hit the spot!

We also went to a Michael Jackson show. It was so cool!! They had a hologram of him towards the end of the show. It was amazing! We were even 'rained' on with little clusters of bubbles.

That was a very cool experience. I'll be back next week with a project I worked on last month. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. It will be interesting to see how it goes!

Bryan Health Capital City 15k!

Guys. That race was hard. I am out of shape, but I'm not as out of shape as I had thought. I ran it in 1:39:36. My watch said 9.38 miles. That's a 10:37 pace! Not bad for my first 15k. Now to gear up for my half that's coming up very soon! Eep!!

My only problem right now is, my psoriasis is back. Ugh!! More lemon juice and fat for this girl. Dang it. It's very frustrating. We'll see how it goes the next couple of weeks. Hopefully I can get it under control. It's not bad, but it is very annoying. It doesn't itch this time, I just know it's there so I pick at it. 😖

Vegas is THIS WEEKEND!!!!! Aaaahhhh!!!!!!!! I'm in slight freak out mode. I'm excited, but nervous all at the same time. Yay! But UGH...

It's been so cold here I haven't been outside to run. Luckily, my parents stopped by my house the other day and they helped me get my treadmill back in my second bedroom. I've been running on that thing for a few days.

Vegas, I'm coming for ya! Please be nice to me. 😋

Gearing up for a 15k!

Hello! Long time, no talk. Meh. Got busy with life, I suppose. I am in training mode right now. Vegas Half Marathon is on November 12...gulp. I just hope it goes better than the last one did! I think it will, I feel a LOT better this time! My calves have loosened up a bit. They are still tight, but not like they were, which means my feet are happier! Yay!

I ran 7.27 miles on Sunday! I actually felt pretty good after that. I ran 75 minutes, I had a pretty even 10:20 split. Phew! I am so relieved! This injury stuff is for the birds. I am running the Bryan Health 5k/15k. I am going to attempt the 15k this time. Yay for new distances! Always a PR, right? 😉 Ha!

Started dipping my toes in the dating world again. Ick. I am trying a dating app. I KNOW. Crazy, but amusing. I tried Match.com a few years ago (like...2010). All I got out of that were some pretty crap-tastic first date horror stories. Nothing too terrible, but none of them ended up with a second date! Who the heck claims to be a Spartan on a first date? I think he was trying to impress me...it didn't work. Then he dropped his fork in his lap. I felt bad and I was embarrassed for him, but what do you do with that? I mean, I'm awkward and all, but I'm not that bad!

Gentlemen, we aren't that difficult to please! You're a guy! We like those! (Assuming we're straight, and that's why we agreed to go on a date with you in the first place!)--that also means we find you attractive! You're already two for two! Good job! Now relax. Odds are, we are more nervous than you are--which is why some women find it hard to eat a decent meal the first few times we meet up with you. I am definitely not one of those women.

You're welcome.

So here's to more stories and such. I'll probably only document the hilarious ones. We'll see. At least I don't have to pay for this site...hmm...that could make things worse. Ha! You've been warned.

Anyway. Race time! I am so excited for this race! I ran the 5k last year. It was hot out, and it's not looking like it will cool down any for this weekend, either!

Of course, here is an adorable picture of my puppy. He was being super playful and cute yesterday:

Harvest Moon Hustle 2017

Hello! I hope everyone had an amazing weekend! I know, it's Tuesday. Here is my weekend in a nutshell!! Started off by taking Friday off from work. Best. Decision. Ever. I worked on my quilt, watched movies, played with my dog, and freaked out over my last 10k of the season! The Harvest Moon Hustle 10k! The last 10k of the BRIN Series this year!

Here I am at the finish line! Yay!

The medal is awesome. It's a bottle top opener. I finished in 1:03:40, which is a 10:15 pace! Sweet deal. Plus, the race started at 7 p.m. I bought a headlight because they suggested it in an email. It was a VERY good idea. Especially for 2 left feet little me! I've already fallen twice in the past 1-1/2 years (that doesn't include falling off my bike in Idaho). I do NOT need to make it a habit!

I went in for a sports massage on Thursday. OMG. Also best decision ever. Hurt so good! My calves are ridiculously tight! Someday they will work themselves out. SOMEDAY. I'm so glad I went in for that.

Anyway. That about sums up my weekend! It was a fun race with lots of people watching! Once more race this year, and then I'm done. I think. 😉

Buffalo Run 2017

The Buffalo Run!! It's a fun race, but it's HARD. Oh so many dang hills! Sigh. But, I did it! I ran it in 51:57:00. A 10:24 pace! Yay! Makes me happy, especially since I'm coming back from an injury! I have another race coming up. The Harvest Moon Hustle. That is on Friday this week. It's the last 10k of the BRIN series! Then I get my medal! Yay medals! 😀

Here are a couple of pictures from the Buffalo Run:

I look excited, right? Ha! I knew it was going to be hilly, I wasn't sure how it was going to go.

Memorial Day Weekend 2017

Whee!! What a weekend! I drove almost 2,000 miles! I have friends in Idaho. Driving from Nebraska to Idaho by myself was pretty elating! 😎 It was a very pretty drive, both ways! Blue skies all the way! Except for the smoke, it was gorgeous. Even that made the sun really neat to watch.

We ended up camping in a camper one night and camping in a tent another night. Apparently, I have camped before...when I was 2. That doesn't count! Ha. This was fun. Check these out:

I even got a decent run in! I have no idea how far I ran, I forgot my watch at home! Also, the cell service up there was sketchy. This sucked to run on, but it was still fun. I'm glad I had my hiking boots on!

GORGEOUS sunrise. Almost everyone else was asleep.

This was taken on our way up to the campsite the next day. The river was so pretty!

I had a few panic moments when I thought there was a bear (there wasn't) and when we went legit mountain biking (gulp). This girl just got back in the saddle a little over a year ago after a 10 year hiatus. I am not coordinated, nor do I have any balance whatsoever. My right leg is pretty banged up, bruised, and scratched from where I half fell a few times. Check out the pictures!

I also didn't realize exactly HOW terrified I actually am of bears. I mean, I know I am scared of them, but holy cow. That was insane.

Thanks to my friends for hosting me and making it a weekend I'll never forget! 😏

Starting Over

First blog post in a while. This year was a lot better than last year in a lot of ways. I 'think' everything will work itself out, but for now, I'm just taking it one day at a time. There's a lot to think about, and there's a lot to straighten out. I feel like I'm waiting for something to happen, but if I don't DO something, then nothing will ever change. Change is good sometimes, even when it sucks. (I wrote this paragraph in 2016. Crappy that I'm going through this again this year, but funny that a pastor said that exact same thing to me yesterday about DOing something if you want to find your strength). I can DO all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. The catch is, you have to DO something, not sit on your butt waiting for things to happen.

I dealt with a lot of tragedy last year, and a little tragedy this year. Some of it has been absolutely terrible, and the rest of it seems to at least be improving. Hopefully. At the end of it all, I came out a little stronger than I thought I would. Now another blow has come to pass, and here I sit. I do not like the unknown. I find it hard and frustrating.

I have an opportunity coming my way, but I feel like it's going nowhere. I know I need to be patient, but it's running thin.
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On the running front, it's getting better. My calf has loosened up to the point where I'm not feeling like death after every single minor run. ;-) It's still very annoying! But, I have races coming up! Specifically my last 10k of the season, The Harvest Moon Hustle (I don't get my BRIN series medal until I finish all three 10k's!) AND my second half marathon. VEGAS. Hopefully I will be able to get back to training for real so I can at least TRY to beat my PR of 2:34:43. I guess we'll see when the time comes!

Before the half, I ran a 5k (ish). The Color Vibe! That was so much fun! Even though it was rainy and muddy! So much color!! Those volunteers were amazing, as well.

 


My last 10k was fun! Cornfield Cornfield on my birthday! That was crazy! We had a tornado go through the night before, so the whole thing was a mess! Oh sweet volunteers, we LOVE you!! They had it all cleaned up and ready to go for the race! The only thing they had no control over was the power. They had to use a generator for the mics. I didn't even know they didn't have power until they told us! 1:04:20. 10:22 pace. Much better than the Leprechaun Chase in March!

After that race, I had a friend that put on a 5k in her hometown of Firth, NE. They raised funds for CPR classes for the town! How neat is that? That was a fun little race, and we received medals! If I look like I'm in pain here, I am:

There were some hills...and I'm still trying to loosen up my calf muscle! So much fun!

I'm not sure what's going to happen next, I just hope things start to look UP.

Jingle Jog 2016

Happy Hump Day!!

Well, that wrapped up my last race of the year! It was COLD. 23 degrees and I had to use the port-a-pottie!! Ugh!!

This is me right before the race. I was sure I would freeze to death! 😉

3.7 cold miles later, and here I am!

It really was a fun race. Lots of festive wear. I had my Christmas tule skirt on to begin with, but I figured it would just make me colder. Probably not, but meh. Just wasn't feeling it. I wore the stocking cap that we got! That was so warm and awesome!

I ran it in 33:15. 9:02 minute pace! Not too shabby. I'm really happy with it! I wasn't sure how it would go. I tend to run slower when it's cold out for some darn reason. Ridiculous. I tried to beat a girl to the finish line, that did NOT happen. I passed her, and then I got ran over. 😊 Haha!

It's been really cold here lately. I need to get over it. I even bought fleece lined tights! I need to wear shorts with them next time. I wore two shirts, two hats, and two pairs of gloves!! Still froze.

Here's to 2017!! Hopefully this year goes MUCH better than 2016. Which, it should. I am healthy, everyone in my family is doing better, and I think this year will just be my year because I said so.

I am signed up for three 10k's (The BRIN Series) and I am going to run the Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon in November! My ex-roommate convinced me to sign up for the last one. Although, she didn't have to twist my arm very much!!

Saturday Long Run + A Floor Update

Hello! Sunday was a long run day. I've been increasing my long runs by 5 minutes every time. I'm up to 80 minutes now! I hit an overall 9:46 pace, total distance was 8.20 miles. Longest run ever!



Here are my splits:

Mile 1:  9:52
Mile 2:  9:47
Mile 3:  9:56
Mile 4:  9:51
Mile 5:  9:59
Mile 6:  10:00
Mile 7:  9:10
Mile 8:  9:38
Mile .2: 1:51



This run was exactly what I needed. Also, how is it November? It doesn't feel like it. It was in the 60s on Sunday! In Nebraska. Gorgeous outside! Just gorgeous.



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My Floors!

My house was built in 1925. When I bought it, it had carpet all throughout the entire house. Yuck. Fast forward 8 years, I went a little crazy when I became single, and ripped up all the carpet!! Here we are:

No. Just....no. I almost cried. How could you spray paint anything on a lovely, ORIGINAL, oak wood floor? My mom and I tested a few spots and stripped the paint off. Here's what that looked like:

We stripped all the paint off so that was done. Then, we rented an orbital sander and went to town on it. My dad brought his belt sander and hand sander to use as well. It took alllllll day! Here it is after we sanded it:

Gorgeous, right? People, if you have beautiful oak floors, no touchie!! NO. Don't do it. This took a LOT of work, but so worth it! I love them so much. Here they are stained:

I only used one coat of Early American (color) stain. Next phase is to put three coats of polyurethane on them. I can't wait! They are going to look fantastic!

Have a great week!

Bryan Health 5k/15k/1-mile Kid's Run

Here's the backside of the Nebraska State Capitol Building. It's so pretty! This race was held by Bryan Health. It was so much fun! I ran the 5k. I almost signed up for the 15k, but I wanted to see what I could do with a 5k since it has been a while! My official time was 28:40! A PR by over a minute! It's been a long time since I ran a 5k. Sweet deal.

They had cookies, orange slices, and bananas for the finishers. We also were able to swipe samples from Rita's Italian Ice! I had never been there before, and it was so hot out for a run! It was a nice treat. I stayed around until some of the 15k runners were through. The winner ran it in 55 minutes! Someday I would love to be that fast. Ha! I'm riding out on my runner's high yet. I felt so good after that race! My first mile was 8:36! It's so cool to see what my body can do when I push it.

I'm not sure I'll be racing anymore this year, but we'll see if I can find a decent 5k in December. We've been lucky with all of this nice weather, I'm a little terrified to see what winter will bring us! I have a feeling we are going to get a lot of snow!