SheRunsLA 10K - recap

I'm a misinformed ding dong. As I mentioned before, I thought this race was starting at 4/27/11 at 4pm EST....um no, that would be 4pm PST.

womp, womp

So naturally, I started getting really aggravated when I synced my run & it didn't automatically apply. And then I saw the time difference...

However, the great people at Nike+ recommended I contact the info email address & explain the problem. I did, they of course put me at ease explaining they could fixed everything.

Naturally, I have a dark cloud that looms over my head & my run still didn't appear. So today, I re-ran the 10K.

This was my first 10K...I'm super proud to have finally done something other than a 5K....even though this was only a virtual 10K. And hey, I ran it twice!

Prior to the race, the organizers sent out a "challenge" email associated with the race. Challenging me & others in my area / region, to run the race in the shape of the letter "R". I opted to not partake in the challenge for a few reasons:
  1. I could not get Nike+ website to cooperate when I was trying to use the map feature
  2. In order to start at my house & run the required distance in the shape of the letter "R" is impossible. The letter "S" however IS possible...& I didn't want to be the only tard monkey running an "S" route.
  3. Mattpew had meetings today, which meant he couldn't stay & work from home = Dexter in his crate for 8 hours. I felt guilty coming home, letting him out, and then crating him again so I could leave & run an "R".

So I chose to run an "I" and used my TM ~ me being a tard monkey was inevitable. I embraced it & ran my "I" as best as I could. Luckily I just synced my run, not my route :)

I had a great supporter....


The race route entertainment was superb....


I didn't get anxious over the issue of "will there be port-o-lets or not??"...because I had one right down the hall...

And I even got some well wishes from Mr. Bass on my way out of the potty...
:) Matt had the decorating decision when it came to the guest bath...
so it's all "bass fishing" themed. Mr. Bass here keeps our TP safe

I ran this race without receiving a finisher's medal. That right there is a big deal folks.

Yesterday my time was 54:29, today my time was exactly 1 hour. Can I just take the average please?  I really wanted to be under 1 hour.

Either way, it apparently wasn't fast enough for Dexter...
I get my best sleep during movies, he gets his best sleep next to the treadmill
Post race, I indulged in a bowl of cheerios with honey drizzled on top; while the chicas that did this race in LA got to enjoy a Michael Posner concert! 

thursday randomness...

Today is my Friday! Can I get a hal-le-lu-yer!?!?

In other news: I'm a ding dong.

The SheRunsLA 10K was scheduled to start yesterday at 4pm. So I ran at 5pm & then synced my ipod to upload my run to the challenge on Nike+

womp, womp.

The 4pm start time was PACIFIC TIME. I'm East Coast.

So, I've got another 10K scheduled for today. I'm taking it as a sign that I really need to increase my mileage!

**********************************

Do you have a gym membership?

I used to have a gym membership, but cancelled it right after Matt & I got married.

I'm really missing it now.

The days that I should cross train, make me miss group fitness. That's the only reason I want a gym membership.

**********************************

Yesterday was Admin Professionals Day

I think my job title is still up for debate. Some days I'm an "office manager", other days I'm an "administrative assistant".
Regardless, I got a nice card & gift card from boss man, aka "dad".

Did you receive anything?

**********************************


PopSugar is having this giveaway...where the only requirement is to let them know your all time, top 10, favorite stars.

Details here

I did it! Could be my only chance to ever score a Chanel bag! (Unless Matt gets a wild hair...)

Other items up for grab: Hermes Kelly bag, Hermes cuff, Rolex

What top 10 did you pick!? (If you chose to participate, of course)

My picks:
1. Jen Aniston
2. Jen Garner
3. Bradley Cooper
4. Adam Sandler
5. Heidi Klum
6. Matthew McConaughey
7. Courtney Cox
8. Sandra Bullock
9. Sarah Jessica Parker
10. Victoria Beckham

Apparently you can do various lists for additional entries!

**********************************

More importantly, for those of you that may have experienced the deadly weather yesterday in Alabama, I hope you made it through safe. Friends of ours in Tuscaloosa spent the day in their bathtub, due to the tornadoes. I couldn't imagine.
My prayers are with you all!

backstreet's back...

NKOTB & BSB were on the results show for Dancing With the Stars last night. I really impressed Mattpew with my ability to remember all the words to the songs they sang last night (I Want It That Way & Step By Step).

I thought it was perfect to have the boy bands on there...as well as Hanson... since the theme was guilty pleasures.

Who wants to go to the NKOTBSB concert with me?

***Spoiler****


Chris & Cheryl were voted off...
they fought a good fight.

And in other news: YAHOO had another interesting headline that I had to read..."New Eating Disorders: Are They For Real?"

To sum it up - -> picky eating in adults is now called Adult Selective Eating; and "an obsession with healthy eating" (from article, not my words) is termed Orthorexia.

More on Adult Selective Eating from the article:
...researchers don’t know if adult picky eaters just haven’t outgrown childhood patterns or if their eating habits are a new twist on obsessive compulsive disorder. Some may be “supertasters,” with an abnormally acute sense of taste that turns them off certain foods. Many appear to have had unpleasant childhood associations with food.
...the focus isn’t on losing weight. Instead, sufferers increasingly restrict their diets to foods they consider pure, natural and healthful. Some researchers say that orthorexia may combine a touch of obsessive compulsive disorder with anxiety and warn that severely limited “healthy” diets may be a stepping stone to anorexia nervosa, the most severe - and potentially life-threatening - eating disorder.

If you read the article, comment & tell me your thoughts on it...I'm interested to read other opinions.
It's worth reading the article if you're interested. It's a fairly quick read.
More on Orthorexia from the article:

technology hates me

Does anyone else have issues with their ipod?
I just synced my run for today....4.56 miles & went to review my mileage for the month. It only logged today's run for this week.

FRUSTRATING

I ran 2.4 yesterday, & it's not showing up.

It could be operator error...but honestly, it's the same routine after every run.

I just hope it doesn't do this tomorrow. I have the 10K...


Yes I have until 4pm on April 28th to sync it...but I only have a small window of time where I'm able to run.

Is anyone else planning to run this event?

Speaking of - my shirt arrived...

Cute!!!
And if you're in the market for new running tops - these Nike tops are great. Super comfortable & great fabric.

I'm off to entertain Dexter until Matteo arrives home from work.
I have a weird hankering for sweet potato - - - dinner is planned!

Do you ever get weird cravings after a workout?
I always crave milk after a long run.

let's get honest...

Have you ever tried a fad diet?

I keep reading all this hype about how Kate Middleton & her mom, may or may not be on this Dukan Diet. 


And it just got me thinking about how insane some of these fad diets are that people try.

Speaking from experience, I've tried Atkins & I attempted the Lemonade Diet. This was all prior to my education on health & fitness.

Looking back, it's kind of sad because I was only 15 when I tried Atkins for the first time. I didn't last long by any means. But, to be so young & wanting to diet?

I attempted Atkins again my freshman year of college ~ it was HORRIBLE. I hated it. I hated the feeling that overcame my body by avoiding carbs, I never had energy, and I always had a headache.


I even tried diet pills. One in particular left me insanely shaky - it was actually pretty scary.

The Lemonade Diet was the devil. I couldn't stomach the mixture.

this picture just made me laugh - it's all the ingredients for the cleanse, plus a pack of diapers

What in the world was I thinking???

*This is a total soapbox moment*, but honestly, say someone does drop 10 pounds from one of these "fad diets"...there's a few things to consider & use to judge whether it was a "healthy" weight loss:

1. How quickly did the weight come off? Was it a week, 2 weeks, a month?
Set aside Biggest Loser & how quickly they lose weight...and how MUCH they lose in a week's time. (They are working out 8+hours / day, plus they eat no junk food, & their menus are tailored to their specific needs).
It's normally considered the healthy average to lose no more than 2 pounds a week - for the average person. So if someone on the Atkins diet has lost 10 pounds in 1 week...um, no good.

2. Was the person exercising?
Ever heard of "skinny fat"? If you drop weight, and don't incorporate any exercise, it's called "skinny fat".  

3. What was the person eating?
Nothing against Weight Watchers, but if a person on Weight Watchers was just getting their points per day from the WW snack items that come with point value on the label (like brownies or cookies) or even the "100 calorie" packs of oreos, crackers, etc.; where is the nutritional value in that?

There are other markers to look for, but chances are good, this person is going to gain their weight back once the diet ends, plus some. I've seen it first hand.

It really is all about a lifestyle change.

Eating the proper nutrients, weeding out the junk, and incorporating cardio as well as strength training.

And it's definitely not about depravity.

Our society is so much into instant gratification, that people are willing to put their bodies through these insane diets, rather than just getting off their butts & exercising, or changing up their eating habits & giving up McDonalds for dinner.  

I am just as guilty as the next when it comes to wanting results now - I get utterly annoyed when I send an email to a coworker & don't get a response in the next 2 minutes.  

Regardless, let's put a little effort in, & really do things the healthy way; so that these changes last a lifetime, & not just a week or a month.

Thoughts???

thunder + hail = typical summer evening


Typical summer time weather in Florida. The forecast says 20% chance of rain, but once 4pm hits, that percentage goes to 100%.

And then you see tweets like these:
Storm Team 8 WFLA-TV Dime sized hail reported around Hillsborough in Tampa. Hail also possible south of Temple Terrace east of 275. #weather #flwx

24 minutes ago · via TweetDeck
Luckily I got my run in...on the TM since it was already really grey on my way home from work. I opted for only 2.4 miles today (stopped when I heard the rumbling outside). I have a 10K Wednesday, and I'd really like to finish in well under 1 hour. I finished up my workout with a core circuit from the Women's Running magazine. I was pleasantly surprised with the level of difficulty! The moves by themselves were not hard, but combined in the circuit, it was really good!

I was supposed to go root on Matty at his softball game...but due to the dime sized hail and inclement weather...GAME WAS CANCELLED. Shucks.

What are you doing tonight?
I'm not gonna lie....I'm really looking forward to Dancing With the Stars.

make that a double please, barista

Tired doesn't even begin to describe it. Another exhausted Monday morning.

Dexter got all handsome this weekend...
...& he still would not sit still long enough for a picture. I took him to the groomer Saturday while I was baby shower-ing. I always just want to cuddle with him after he goes to the groomer...he smells amazing, (minus his breath), and he's so soft. He is just not a cuddler. It's really frustrating.

We spent our Easter afternoon at my grandmother's, eating way too much & playing SkipBo. And Matteo getting in touch with his barista side, learned how to use a Keurig.

In case the Easter Bunny brought you some dinero in those eggs, here are some sales of note for today:

Ideeli: Betsey Johnson
Gilt: Tibi, Denim Shop (featuring various brands, I'm assuming)
Hautelook: 7 for All Mankind (men & women's)
RueLaLa: Tom Ford, Tea Forte (all tea products in honor of Mother's Day), Shade of Grey (home decor items in, you guessed it, shades of grey)
theFoundary: serving pieces

Let me know about any amazing purchases or great finds!

Did anyone else over eat this weekend???

hippity hoppity

HAPPY EASTER!!!!

and enough with that color...

We woke up earlier than normal on our Sunday in order to get to church by 8:30am. We had nursery duty....which Matt was ECSTATIC about :)

Actually we worked with 2 year olds & it was pretty entertaining. Especially when one little tyke came in with his pants on backwards! The highlight was when he attempted to put his hands in his pockets...an awkward stance but he managed!

What are your Easter plans? Do you have any family traditions?

I love Easter. Not only because I'm a Christian, but because I'm a kid at heart. Mom always, always, always had Easter baskets for us growing up. In fact, she didn't STOP with the Easter baskets, until last year :( It was a harsh reality when she handed me my basket with my goodies...and then said "keep it".

What was an even HARSHER reality was that Matteo did not recognize Easter as a "gift giving" holiday (boo!), so that was a learning experience for me when we got married. 

Who doesn't like waking up on Easter, rushing to the kitchen to get their Easter basket, and then getting dolled up for church??
I was spoiled. I know.

ANY WAY!

In honor of Easter.....

When I was 14 or 15 (I was so traumatized I forgot the year), we went to our annual Easter Brunch at The Tampa Club.
Located on the 42nd floor of the B.o.A. building, it has the most amazing view of the downtown Tampa area.
My parents have been members there since we moved to Tampa.

Regardless...we used to attend their annual Easter Brunch. The club used to really go all out for the holiday - Easter bunny, baskets for kids, enormous decorations, etc. They still do all of that...except for the enormous decorations. And I'm pretty sure I'm the reason why.

There's this elaborate staircase as soon as you enter the bottom level of the club:
As we were leaving one year, I decided to "strut" my stuff down the stairs. Looking back, I don't know why one earth I thought I should strut my stuff because I was wearing this floral dress, that hit at my ankles (I refuse to call it a maxi because the word "maxi" evokes cuteness in my head) ~ and to make matters worse, the pattern was something reminiscent of drapery in my great grandmother's home. Regardless, I spotted a boy & felt the need to strut.

I made it all the way to the 5th to last step and BAM!
I slid down the remaining steps on my bottom...and took out a 6 foot plastic bunny that was standing at the base of the steps. That bunny FLEW across the floor...and naturally, EVERYONE noticed.

I guess on a positive note, me & my awkward self were able to get a cute boy to notice me!

Never again have I seen that plastic bunny there.

And on that fun note, we're off to spend some time with my Granny! (She HATES being called that).

babies, babies, babies

Saturday's post that I was too exhausted to post on Saturday:
7 miles on TM

My MIL & I threw a baby shower today for my SIL, Jen!! It was such a sweet time, and she got some great goodies for little Garrett.

And I learned a fun fact! (No, not how babies are conceived...I know the stork brings them!)

BUT that, every daughter / granddaughter that my MIL has, has the middle name "Nicole"! How crazy is that!? There's 1 daughter, 2 daughter-in-laws, and 1 granddaughter. So pretty much Matt's single brother will know he met "the one" if her middle name is Nicole. (Jarrod take note!) I'm just the odd ball that goes by their middle name.

So back to the shower...I used my decorations as gifts to Jen. Aren't I practical?

Here's her clothesline for baby Garrett:


 And the diaper cake:


The top lollipop was a onesie, and then I wrapped up 2 more onesies, each like a piece of candy...to sit on the side of the cake:




Me, MIL, SIL, Gramma, and SIL's little sister

The shower seemed like a success!

I'm really getting in to the whole "diaper cake" thing! They make great gifts - not only because of the diapers, but also because of all the other baby necessities you can use on it.

Here's one the my friend Erin & I made for our friend Veronica:
Front shot

Side shot

Close up of lollipop toppers


it IS a Good Friday!

I normally don't post about food - but my lunch the past few days has been nothing short of yummy. I branched away from the eggs for lunch (don't worry though, they're still in my breakfast), and have been creating wraps.

Wednesday's wrap...cut up like sushi :)



So the picture doesn't do it justice...but it was super yummy!
Canned tuna (drained), greek yogurt, Lousianna hot sauce, and 1 wedge of Laughing Cow's garlic & herb cheese (you could really use any flavor - I decided I wanted to have KICKIN' breath) - - mix it all together & shmear it on a whole wheat wrap. Delish. (I also had some strawberries incase you were dying to know).

I devoured my lunch Thursday before taking a picture of it - BUT it consisted of hummus & spinach leaves all wrapped up. I chose peaches instead of strawberries as the side item.

And today? Well it's chicken with another wedge of that yummy Laughing Cow garlic & herb & some more spinach! Strawberries on the side of course.



I'm ecstatic it's Friday. It's been a long week. And I'm hosting a baby shower tomorrow with my M-I-L for my S-I-L! 

Have any weekend plans??? Are you on Spring Break?? (I'm jealous if you are.)

I think Spring Break should be a recognized holiday week by ALL. Except for the mall. I'd want to shop while I was holiday-ing :)

queen mum, i swear i'm a princess!

Wednesday PM - got in another 3 mile run
Total mileage for Wednesday = 6

So are you planning to watch the Royal Wedding?? Or are you utterly over the hype?


I saw on Yahoo! headlines, an article on how Kate is NOT tossing her bouquet. (Which probably means the DJ won't be playing "Single Ladies"...)
It was pretty interesting to read the reasoning behind it:

British royal protocol dictates that instead of being hurled skyward and giving one lucky and sure-handed girl a superstitious shove toward marriage, Kate's bouquet will come to a far more solemn rest.
As she heads back down the aisle at Westminster Abbey, having completed her nuptials to become either Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales or another title of the queen's choosing, she will take a moment to lay her floral creation at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, a historic grave embedded into the church floor in 1920 to commemorate anonymous soldiers killed at war.......
....The tomb, carrying the body of an unidentified soldier brought home from the first World War, is a revered site in British military history. It became etched into royal tradition in 1923 thanks to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who would later be known as the queen mother....
Did you toss the bouquet at your wedding? If you're not married, what do you normally do during the bouquet toss - knock out the competition with your elbows...or make a mad dash to the potty to avoid the custom?


I chose NOT to throw my bouquet. Instead Matt & I thought we'd honor the longest married couple that attended our wedding. So the DJ coordinated the whole thing, and we were able to pass off the bouquet and the garter.

Back to the article:

...But what of the flowers that will be laid there? There has been some mystery regarding the creation....
Whatever form it takes, it is virtually certain that it will contain the royal staple of myrtle, known as the herb of love. Queen Victoria planted a myrtle bush at one of her residences, Osborne House, in the 1840s, and every royal wedding bouquet since has contained a sprig taken from the same plant.


What flowers did you use in your wedding? Or what flowers do you plan to use / would like to use?
Myrtle
Princess Diana used it in her bouquet as well...

LOVE :)

I love calla lillies, so my bouquet was the fuschia version & I asked the florist to attach crystals around the rims. My MOH's carried white callas with one fuschia, and the bridesmaids carried all white bouquets.


                                                              You kinda get the idea - not the best close up


I'm actually really into the royal wedding stuff...only because of my grandfather on my mom's side. He was from England (Yeovil to be exact), and I used to always bug him about our family - I was pretty indignant that we were in fact royalty. Grandpa was the comedian in our family. He looked like Dick Van Dyke & could move like Charlie Chaplin.

He passed away in August of 2001, months after seeing me graduate from highschool. We were very close & it may just be that anything tied to England kinda makes me feel like he's still here.

is your desk job lethal?

Tuesday's workout: back & biceps circuit, no running
Wednesday AM: 3.2 miles, no strength

It was nice reading the comments on yesterday's post regarding preferential time of day for working out! It was SO nice to get an AM workout in today before work. It really jump-started my day!
And not to single anyone out but ihearteggs you & I have the same love interest...just saying.

So on to my post...

(From NY Times)
James Levine, a researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has an intense interest in how much people move — and how much they don’t. He is a leader of an emerging field that some call inactivity studies, which has challenged long-held beliefs about human health and obesity.....
People don’t need the experts to tell them that sitting around too much could give them a sore back or a spare tire. The conventional wisdom, though, is that if you watch your diet and get aerobic exercise at least a few times a week, you’ll effectively offset your sedentary time. A growing body of inactivity research, however, suggests that this advice makes scarcely more sense than the notion that you could counter a pack-a-day smoking habit by jogging. “Exercise is not a perfect antidote for sitting,” says Marc Hamilton, an inactivity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center...
The posture of sitting itself probably isn’t worse than any other type of daytime physical inactivity, like lying on the couch watching “Wheel of Fortune.” But for most of us, when we’re awake and not moving, we’re sitting. This is your body on chairs: Electrical activity in the muscles drops — “the muscles go as silent as those of a dead horse,” Hamilton says — leading to a cascade of harmful metabolic effects. Your calorie-burning rate immediately plunges to about one per minute, a third of what it would be if you got up and walked. Insulin effectiveness drops within a single day, and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes rises. So does the risk of being obese. The enzymes responsible for breaking down lipids and triglycerides — for “vacuuming up fat out of the bloodstream,” as Hamilton puts it — plunge, which in turn causes the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol to fall.
Read more here

WOW.

While most of us that have desk jobs (myself included), don't have desks that look like this:



...although, that would be pretty amazing!

I don't know about you, but some days I can just feel my butt getting bigger.
womp, womp

We can make little adjustments that would help lower this inactivity level:


  • Set a goal to get up and walk around every 10 / 20 / 30 minutes
  • Drink more water - which in turn causes you to get up more for refills & to use the potty :)
  • Wear a pedometer - 10,000 steps a day should be your goal!
  • Trade out that desk chair for a physioball
  • Keep the snacking to a minimum - often feelings of hunger are our bodies way of signaling thirst. If you do crave a snack, make sure it's hunger & not boredom.
  • Practice some core exercises - flexing & releasing

Do you have a desk job? If you do, what steps do you take to avoid sitting all day?

In other fitness news:
I suck at pull-ups...plainly put. I don't know if it's just due to me not having enough upper body strength or if it's due to the fact that I do not trust our pull-up bar & fear it's going to drop me flat on my tookus. Regardless....I found this & now I'm challenging myself to complete it! So the fact that I just made that challenge PUBLIC...should keep me accountable :)

workouts

Did you get a workout in yesterday, in honor of the Boston Marathon?



YAHOO! headlines this morning had this to say about yesterday's winner:
Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest marathon ever on Monday, finishing the Boston Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds. Despite the blistering time, Mutai's mark isn't being recognized as a world record.
Why not?
Even though it's considered one of the most challenging marathon courses in the world, the Boston Marathon is run on a net downhill, making it ineligible for world records. USA Track and Field only recognizes courses that meet specific criteria about elevation changes as record-eligible. Those courses must drop less than one meter per kilometer to fit the standard. For a 26.2-mile race, that's about 137 feet.
The Boston Marathon begins at 475 feet above sea level and drops all the way to 16 feet by the end. The total drop of 459 feet is well past the record-eligible specifications. That means Haile Gebrselassie's time of 2:03:59, set in Berlin in 2008, will remain the world record.

I feel bad for the guy! I understand the reasoning...but even so, a 2:03 finish time is amazing!

So yesterday I logged 5 miles on the TM...and then eagerly caught up on as many Boston Marathon recaps as possible!

I got to thinking about training...and how these marathoners are marathoners by trade. They work 40+ hours a week, training for their "job".
On average, how many days a week do you workout? How many hours?

Which leads me to my next question...when do you prefer to workout - morning, afternoon, or evening?



Before I was married, I worked out in the early mornings. I was at the gym by 5am, and then to work by 6:30am (Remember, I don't care what I look like at work - I did re-apply the deodorant though. Considerate, huh?) I loved working out early in the morning. I prefer working out on an empty stomach, and this allowed me to do that. There's still a lot of controversy about working out on an empty stomach versus eating first...so I'm not saying that one way is better than the other. I firmly believe it's dependent on the individual & what they're body can handle. I also liked that my workout was done for the day - I didn't have to worry about having to skip a workout due to plans for the evening.

Presently, I workout in the evenings. I'm at work by 6am, I have a 30 to 40 minute commute pending traffic, and I live with a man that is not an early riser. Ultimately, it's that last fact that prevents me from early morning workouts. It's unbelievably hard to get up in the morning when someone is laying next to you out cold. Plus he's a night owl...and in order to get in some quality time, I stay up later with him. (Before we were married, I was waking up around 4:30am, and going to bed by 8pm). I'm lucky if I make it to bed by 10pm.

For me, I feel like morning workouts are so much more productive for my day. Evening workouts sometimes interfere with our social calendar...and some days, I'm totally un-motivated to do anything once I leave work - including working out.

What are your thoughts???

boston on the brain

Today is the 115th Boston Marathon! I've got the Boston site bookmarked to track the day's progressions. I can only imagine how much adrenaline is bouncing around that city right now! It's really making me want to be there :)

If you're interested here is a link to the course route.

Pictures of the 3 different bibs used today...which determine wave & corrals




Red bibs start at 10am, white 10:20am, and the blue at 10:40am

Naturally, I was looking for the finisher's medal, race pack goodies, and tshirt information. Why can't I ever find the important information???

And I just pulled this off the Boston site....here are the qualifying times in case you've got your sites set on Boston:

2012 Qualifying Times (effective September 25, 2010)

Age Group   Men            Women


18-34      3hrs 10min      3hrs 40min


35-39      3hrs 15min      3hrs 45min


40-44      3hrs 20min       3hrs 50min


45-49       3hrs 30min      4hrs 00min


50-54       3hrs 35min      4hrs 05min


55-59       3hrs 45min     4hrs 15min


60-64      4hrs 00min      4hrs 30min


65-69      4hrs 15min      4hrs 45min


70-74      4hrs 30min      5hrs 00min


75-79      4hrs 45min       5hrs 15min


80 and over 5hrs 00min    5hrs 30min


*An additional 59 seconds will be accepted for each age group time standard. For example, a net time of 3:50:59 will be accepted for a 42-year-old woman.


For the 2013 Boston Marathon, qualifying times are more stringent, and must be run on or after September 24, 2011. Like the 2012 registration process, the acceptance of official race entrants will be based on qualifying time, with the fastest qualifiers (in relation to their age and gender) being accepted first until the race is full. All qualifying times are subject to review and verification.

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)
AgeGroup    Men                   Women


18-34    3hrs 05min 00sec    3hrs 35min 00sec


35-39    3hrs 10min 00sec    3hrs 40min 00sec


40-44    3hrs 15min 00sec     3hrs 45min 00sec


45-49     3hrs 25min 00sec    3hrs 55min 00sec


50-54     3hrs 30min 00sec      4hrs 00min 00sec


55-59     3hrs 40min 00sec    4hrs 10min 00sec


60-64    3hrs 55min 00sec      4hrs 25min 00sec


65-69    4hrs 10min 00sec     4hrs 40min 00sec


70-74    4hrs 25min 00sec    4hrs 55min 00sec


75-79    4hrs 40min 00sec     5hrs 10min 00sec


80 and over 4hrs 55min 00sec  5hrs 25min 00sec


*Unlike previous years, an additional 59 seconds will NOT be accepted for each age group time standard.


Notice the time changes between qualifying for 2012 & 2013?
I'm really wanting to branch out in to the world of marathons...and gain the title of "marathon-er"...but I find it so flipping intimidating, to the point that I have yet to really start training for any. I know that I should probably just register for a half, that way it's on the calendar, I have a specific date & just need to get on the ball!

Have you completed a marathon or a half? Any tips for a newbie?

In other news...I'm still a very red shade of...RED. In case you missed it...here is the post from Saturday.

I plan on getting a longer run in today, in honor of the Boston Marathon...cheesy? Maybe. Make sure to do some sort of exercise today! Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of activity. Your body will thank you!

S-A T-U-R D-A-Y NIGHT!

Ha, did you sing that title? No, go back & sing it!

Here's a fun pic of Matteo & I with the birthday girl last night! We had such a great time celebrating with the family!

Thanks Aunt Suz for sending me home with the guac! I'm TEARING IT UP right now as I blog...I'm addicted.

My Saturday was another early morning. I have a love / hate with early mornings. I always feel so accomplished by noon for getting up early, but the waking up part just KILLS me. Especially when Matty & Dexter are sawing logs next to me.

Well, I met my girls Emily & Nickie at 7am for our Nordstrom Spring Trend Show! We were greeted at the entrance by Nordstrom personnel who gave us our cute little tote bags with goodies inside. The first part was a "beauty bash" where we were able to have coffee and light refreshments, while we waited to be let in to the store where the show would take place. It got crowded real quick!

There were giveaways during this time as well...and even though the lady was using a microphone to announce the winners...other ladies still felt the need to push in front of us. Um, rude.


Since Nickie was the one in flats, I gave her the pep talk of "take no prisoners". Run like in a race, & use that Gucci bag to pummel anyone who tries to push in front of you....(since seating was first come, first serve). 


Nickie was ready to fight!

So finally the countdown began, the barricade was removed, and every woman in Tampa rushed to the escelator. I had to remind myself NOT to be unkind and trip people or kick them in the shins with my wedges...but it kinda reminded me of my last 5K. There were walkers in front of me who just needed to move. Walkers to the back please!

We made it to our seats and had a little photo shoot....

Yes, anything "free" does excite me this much.







My horrible attempt at getting the stage

The show was really energetic, and I really enjoyed the styling choices. However, most of my focus was on the clothing...but with this show, we're supposed to be more focused on the cosmetic side of things. I was more interested in this girl's shoes:
Horribly blurry, sorry...the model just would not cooperate with my shutter speed

And then this fun number came out & I immediately wanted the entire outfit. Very Sex & the City, in my opinion...
Sparkles & feathers?! Yes, please!

Don't misunderstand, I did pay attention some to the cosmetics ~ but to be honest, I felt like the demographic was a bit more mature this year. However, MAC kept it really playful with this cutie:

We learned in years prior to leave the fashion show a few minutes before the end in order to hit up the cosmetic counters downstairs before they are BOMBARDED and sold out.

It eventually got insanely crowded...


I should mention that I DO NOT deal well in crowds. Hords of people, standing in one spot, shoulder to shoulder, not moving, kinda stresses me out a bit. I wasn't entirely unfriendly to every other shopper, but I definitely gave out several looks of "what the heck are you doing?" with a side of "get out of my way!".

Luckily, I was able to purchase everything on my list before the products sold out. (Yes, I had a list ~ I made it during the show; and yes, things sell out...it's INSANE).

Here's my purchases:
CHANEL polishes, Mimosa & Blue Satin
Yes, that's a yellow shade on the left, & I can't wait to wear it.
Well, actually, it's still on my thumb ~ I demo'ed it while waiting for a sales associate. Then I demo'ed a gold that's on my index finger, and the Blue Satin on my middle finger (which I showed that last one off as much as possible....KIDDING!)

My MAC goodies! I'm a MAC girl.
Skin Brightening Serum (a primer but with more skin nourishing ingredients), tinted moisturizer, bright pink lip glass, and Sheen Supreme lipstick (which they have been sold out of every time I've tried to buy)

Once we all got our goodies & found Emily, after she got distracted and wandered off to purses (that's why we're friends)...we packed it up and headed out for a gorgeous afternoon, basking in the sun!

this is why it's called the sunshine state
pretty, huh? (no I wasn't talking about my feet, but I'm totally diggin' my current polish choice!)


Emily tried copying my picture, but got photo bombed big time
rude dude needs to understand photo taking policies...you don't walk in front of active photo op's

Nickie & I enjoying the Pina Colada popsicles that Emily's hubby, CaseFace Casey brought us! Holler!
He even chillaxed with us for a bit!


Cutie Emily

Presently, I'm bathing in aloe due to mis-use of the spray sunscreen. There were horrible winds when I was trying to apply it & now, thanks Banana Boat, I have splotches & streaks of white & red. (Hey, if I change my polish & use my new Blue Satin polish I'd be VERY patriotic!) 

I'm thinking a turtleneck will be required for the next 3 days to hide the white streak that runs from my the shoulder of my left arm, to my wriist. I'm dreading Matty's reaction when he sees me....especially if it's anything like Casey's...which was "HA HA HA!", followed by "that wasn't a joking laugh!"

How was your Saturday?!?