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13.1

By golly it's been a month since I logged 13.1 miles in one run.  Last time I wrote about training I was at the distance of 8 miles. Well at that point I still had 4wks till my race day, and I didn't make it I decided to run 13.1 2wks ahead of my scheduled race day according to the training schedule.  So the week after I ran 10 miles I headed out for 13.1.  My concerns and solutions with running my own were:
1. no potty stops if nature were to call.  Solution: map out a route in which I run through neighborhoods in which I know people who wouldn't mind opening up their facilities to a sweaty me.
2. no water stops. Solution: have a gel pack and bloks, I know those aren't water but I made up for water when I got home.
3. no assistance with when/where to turn along the way. Solution: I used the map my run app, it didn't help my time when in subdivision and I had to stop to look at the map and find my way out but I didn't get lost.
4. no photographer.  I know really not a big but still felt I needed proof that I ran it so solution:

this was taken at mile11 (only 2.1 to go)

The day started at 6:30a, Marcus left for the station and I got up and around had my normal breakfast of egg whites.  My mom arrived around 7 and I was out the door after a quick potty stop by 7:25a. I told my mom to expect me back within 2hrs. I ran the entire time even when I looked at my map I slowed my pace down to find my way. I didn't require any potty stops, I learned that a lot of subdivisions by me are all connected.  I arrived back home 1hr 56min 45sec later, I reached my goal of finishing under 2hrs!! 

Overall, I'm proud of myself for finishing what I started although I never had a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't do it.  And, I would do it again...crazy? Maybe, but to know that I don't have to pay for a race in order to stay motivated and training is a good feeling.

camping

For Christmas Ian received a tent and tunnel from Santa. The tent has been in the basement in his playroom down there and tunnel as been upstairs and opened up when he wants to play with it.  Since, it's been HOT HOT HOT outside we've been hanging out in the basement a bit more. Ian decided he then needed his tent upstairs, so like good parents we followed his request and up it came.  It hung out in the living room for a couple days and after a few rough nights of Ian invading our bed, II asked if he wanted to sleep in his tent. Holy cow you would have thought I asked if he wanted to go to bed with a bowl of icecream or something (because well if someone tried bribing me with ice cream to sleep in my own bed I would fall for it).  I moved his tent into his room and we gathered his books, pillow, and blankies and couple stuffed animals and in he went into his tent.  We read his books, tucked him in and off to sleepy land he went.  This started last week and only once has a slept in his bed since then, when home he also likes to nap in his tent as well.  My thoughts are if sleeping in the tent means that our bed isn't invaded then I say "camp on lil dude camp on"!!

cozy coupe washing

Here is the back story to the video below.  The day before I took this video I had given Ian a bucket and washclothe as he wanted to wash his car.  He is washing away when all of sudden I watch him go inside and come back out carrying his stool. Just wanted to make sure it was known that it was his idea for the stool not ours and we very rarely wash our cars at home and when we do we don't use stools.

Z house funny edition 5

It's been a while which means I should have tons of funnies, right?  Well, I do but seriously at least 5 funnies happen a day if not more. 

Here are some that stand out:

Snuggles:
Ian has a friend at the sitters who we will call A (to protect her privacy).  He tells me they snuggle on the couch together, read books and snuggle some more. *Seriously, already?!?!

Remember the whole independence post: well folks someone is becoming a pretty independent lil dude (sorry about the dude thing, the current movie that is requested over and over is Finding Nemo).  The last couple mornings when I have returned home from my runs Ian is usually greeting me in the clothes that I had layed out the night before.  When I knock on the bathroom door to question whether or not he has gone potty I get the response of "I don't know I didn't even know he was up".  My next move is to look in the half bath where Ian usually does his business where I usually find undies or pull up from the night and pj's laying on the bathroom floor.

Compliments eerr reality checks:
If you need someone to tell you your hair looks nice or your freshly painted fingernails are pretty then Ian is your guy.  At least once a day Ian will tell me my hair is nice, my ears are nice, my fingers are nice, etc. And in the same day he pays you all those compliments he will also start laughing while riding in the bike trailer uncontrollably and say your butt is funny as you are wrapping mile #9 of 10 in the bike ride. Yep, love him!!

Tough guy:
Walking with Ian the other night he wanted to go fast which resulted in a stumble, once we got in the car I asked him how his knee was and he said "I tough guy, all better".

FaceTime tour:
Awhile ago I called up Sis and we both had wifi and time so we facetimed (a feature that iPhone's offer allowing you to video chat)

Daily convo's with Ian:
Ian: Mom, potty
Me: ok let's hurry, fast feet
(I'll save ya the push your undies down and got on potty convo)
Ian: mom, big noise
Me: yep Buddy, what do you say
Ian: cuseme
Me: thank you
Ian: wow big one
Ian: lil one
Ian: mom, big one again
Me: yeah? ok

artwork

Thanks to Pinterest I got in touch with my Martha Stewart side.  I saw the idea back in November or Decmeber and knew exactly which photo I wanted to use. I called upon our good friend and photographer Brittany Knox and put my order in.  When we had Ian's 2yr photo's done I picked my print up and then I let it sit in the photo tube in my closet for about 4mos.  Again I was gathering the courage to tackle the project, I even tossed the idea around of disregarding the project and purchasing a canvas of the same photo through a Living Social deal.  

I decided one day to just do it (due to my instant need to do the project I failed to take any in the process photos), in order to do it though a trip to Home Depot and Michael's was needed.  At Home Depot I purchased a 20x24 piece of MDF, I had a team member from the Home Depot staff cut it to the size I needed.  On the list at Michael's was modge podge so coupon in hand that was purchased.  Once home I used paint that we had left over from the trim around the cut out in the dining room and painted the MDF with 2 coats.  Once dry it was time to really take the plunge and apply the print to the MDF using modge podge.  My print was 16x20 so ensuring the photo was centered was VERY, VERY important and if not centered you can consider project FAIL.   After measuring a couple times it was time.  I applied the modge podge to half the back of the print and applied print to MDF, once placement was good for the 1st half I applied modge podge to front to lock it into place.  I then did the same to the other half. I applied 2 coats to the top and it gave me the finished project of:

sorry about the glare



Hanging it was another challenge in itself, it took both of us with one standing on the frame of the cut out and leaning over the basement stairs.

sorry about the ugly light fixture, we have yet to find what we want

another view

I think I spent around $30 and have modge podge leftover for other projects that I get the courage to tackle.