What Would You Do For A Run?

I know I shouldn't complain about the warm weather California is having since a lot of you are on the East Coast and dealing not only with heat BUT humidity (I don't know how you do it!).  But...it does get warm here!  Actually, this week has not has been as oppressive as it has been, but none the less, when I get home from work and the thermometer is reading 85, I go bananas!  I'm sure it makes me stronger (I keep telling myself that) but man, I just want some 70's...or maybe some 60's?

So, when I got home yesterday I got Ari and the pooch to get in the car with me and go over to Santa Cruz - the beach!  It's about a 40 minute drive for us, and although my inner environmentalist is screaming at me for driving unnecessarily, it is actually quite accessible to hit cooler temps to get a run in.  The drive over is beautiful too, going through the Santa Cruz mountains.  Lilly just loves to have her head hanging out while we drive and loves a trip to the beach!

I had a medium long run on the books of 10 miles and the thought of running around my usual running route, in the heat, was just too much to take.  Thankfully though, Santa Cruz was my sanctuary and greeted me with 65 degree temps, fog and a beautiful sunset :)  I ran through the town of Capitola, down by the beach with all the cute surfers hang and then back.  It's also super hilly, which gave me an impromptu hill work out.  The locals are also a fun added bonus, since many of them are hippies just 'livin' la vida loca'!  Never a dull moment at Pleasure Point!

So while I ran, Ari and Lilly played at the beach!  Notice he is wearing a sweatshirt!

I had 10 miles on the books but I stopped at 9 - the hilly course and my bad math skilz left me a mile short - but I'll take it!  It was my best run of the week and one of my best in a while!
9 miles - 1:11:07 - 7:54/mi pace :)

Horrid picture of me - why didn't I smile? Hahaha!
By the time we were headed home it was finally cooling off in San Jo and was so glad we made the little drive to enjoy the sand, surf and nice weather.  I'm not usually good at being so spontaneous, but when I have to get my run on all rules go out the window!  What would you do for a run?  I know many of you not only juggle your work schedule into training, but you juggle families and kids, housework and other social responsibilities.  Sometimes though, putting a few other things aside to feed your inner runner is just what you need.
And, it seems Lilly really enjoyed herself, too!  This is the look of one tired pup-pup!

I'm so stoked it's Friday!  The only thing I have planned is running and relaxing (oh, and piles of laundry)!  I've been going non-stop the past few weekends and some time at home to just veg is just what I have been craving.  I do have a long run on the books - 18 miles at some point, just got to figure out which day I want to do it.  I love having things up in the air!

Good luck to all of you racing this weekend, especially TMB!  You're gonna rock it girlie! AND an extra special shoutout to my friend TARA, doing her first 70.3 this weekend!  Good luck - you're going to do awesome!  Run strong, run fast and have FUN!
Happy Friday peeps and Happy Running!
P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway - ends next Friday! Spread the word!

Race Report: San Francisco Marathon - 2nd Half

6 seconds.  6 stinkin' seconds.  More on that in a bit...

The weekend started on Friday when I went to SFO and picked up Jill!  After a fun lunch with her friend Karen we went straight to the expo.  I have learned a little bit about this expo after last year's disaster and knew that Friday was the day to go and NOT Saturday.  I think that the homeless community of SF puts out the word on the street that there is free food and drink at the expo and between the 24,00+ runners picking up their bibs, you are dodging the homeless peeps and runners in the tiny isles of the expo.  The expo is held in a relatively small venue and with that many runners it can get really camped.  I had also forgotten how fun it is to go to an expo with a fellow runner; I think I have become a bit jaded by expos and usually just run in and run out, but we spent over two hours in there looking at everything :)

A highlight of the expo was that I finally got to meet Ron of PunkRockTriGuy!  He is just as sweet and awesome in person as he is on his blog.  A real cool runner with a giant heart.  Go on over to his blog (when you're done here, of course) and check out what he did in SF - the man is an animal!

I also got to meet up with my girl Stacey!  She was running the full and looked calm and collected!  After looking at pretty much every.single.booth, Jill, Karen and I finished up a quick tour of the city before I dropped them off at Karen's apartment and headed home.  Saturday I was super busy with a ton of things to do and before I knew it, it was 8pm and I hadn't eaten dinner yet!  OH NO!  As runners, I am sure you can relate, eating dinner that late the night before a race can lead to some trouble.  So I quickly shoved my usual pre-race dinner of Indian food down my throat and called it a night.  I was hoping for the best...

San Francisco isn't too far away from me in San Jose, just about 50 mins in the car.  So I was able to sleep in to my normal wake-up time of 5 am and get pretty easily.  This is where I started to panic, though.  I wasn't able to "go" before we left the house.  Ugh!  I tried not to let it worry me too much and we left the house, picking up my parents first and then heading into the city.

The 2nd half of this race starts in Golden Gate park and I really like it since we can have time to cheer on the full racers before you head off to your own start.  When we got there at 7, the potty lines were already wicked long.  But I wasn't feeling anything and opted to just use the bushes to do a little "number 1" and hope for the best.  It was a bit chilly in the morning, but nothing you couldn't handle by the time the race started.  It was also a little damp but again, this was actually quite welcomed since I've been doing the majority of my runs lately in 80+ degree weather.  After a warm up mile, I ran over to the waiting area to see some of the full peeps go by.  I got to see Jill and wish her luck and a few minutes later Ron ran by and I was able to run with him a few yards and wish him luck, too!  A great pre-race start!

Finally it was time to line up for the half.  I was in the first wave and this was really nice.  I didn't have to doge too many people before we were out on the course.

Ari and I before the start

My mama, Ari, me and my daddy.

Jill's friend (and mine, now!) Karen and me

I was ready to run despite my inability to "go" before the race.  I just hoped for the best.  I took it really easy this week and did a mini taper so that my legs would be fresh.  My legs do really well when they have had a day or two rest before.  I had mentioned on Friday that I had a few goals in mind - an A,B, & C goal.  I kept my "A" goal in the front of my mind and really thought I had it in me.  I lined up with the 1:40 pacer and we were off.  Right away I could tell this pacer was going for a different strategy than I wanted.  He was going to bank some time in the beginning by going out a bit faster than the needed 7:38 even splits.  Although my legs were warmed up, I knew within a half a mile that his 7:00/mi pace was too quick for me and I backed off and let them go.  I knew that the first 6 miles are the hardest of this race, where you are hit with the majority of the difficult hills and didn't want to bonk early.  I kept the 1:40 pacer in my sight through mile 3 but always knew he was going a bit fast and let him go.

Mile 1-7:46

Mile 2-7:44

I was cruising along pretty well and my legs felt good.  The weather was perfect but I was already getting warm.  Between the dampness in the air and the coolness of the day I was sweating which was weird.  But again, I felt good and keep plugging along.  Throughout this time we are winding through GG park and again, it's pretty hilly.  My whole strategy for this part was to take the hills conservatively and then use the down hills and flats to really fly.  I think I was doing this rather well since each hill was pretty manageable.

Mile 3- 7:53

Mile 4- 7:56

My pace was a little slower for what I needed for my "A" goal of a 1:40 or sub 1:40 but I also knew that once we got out of the park there would be plenty of time to make it up with a big giant down hill from miles 6-7 and then throughout the remainder of the race.  I wasn't feeling at all like I was expending or pushing myself too much, just cruising along.   At the end of mile six, before you hit the Height street there is this weird sharp turn and really, really, steep hill you climb before you get out of the park.  Many people were walking it, but I picked up my feet and pushed forward and headed out of those god-forsaken hills of GG park.

Mile 5- 7:34

Mile 6- 8:09 (the big final hills)

When we hit Height street I started to pick up my pace.  I was feeling pretty good and then all of a sudden I could feel my tummy getting a little angry.  I was going to Gu at this point and thought better of it and figured I could wait a little longer.  I really used the long down hill here to my advantage and had Ari meet me close to the bottom of mile 7 with some Nuun water.  It tasted so good, I took a few sips and threw it back to him and told him to meet me at the finish!

Mile 7- 7:41

Mile 8- 7:29

At the beginning of mile 9 my stomach was mad!  I had to go!  I was so angry at myself.  I had done everything wrong the day before.  I was kicking myself for waiting to eat so late and was now paying the price.  I started to look for potties at this point and there were none to be found!  I was hurting and I needed to stop!  I got through mile 8 and finally found a potty.  I opened a few doors and they were all bad!  By the 4th door I opened I just went in and prayed it would be quick.  Right away I felt a bit better and took off.

Mile 9- 8:08

Mile 10- 8:30

Through mile 10 my stomach was still not happy with me and I felt like I needed to go again!  Ugh!  It was so hard to run with my stomach cramping and I could see my "A" goal going out the window.  I tried to collect myself and remind myself I only had a 5K left but my stomach had other plans.  By mile 11 I found a final potty and had to stop, AGAIN!  After I got out I just couldn't collect myself.  With all the stopping and starting my legs felt like led.  I also hadn't gu'ed and only had taken water from Ari around mile 7.  NOT SMART.  By the time I started running again, I felt like my tank was just empty and I was doing everything I could to just keep moving. 

Mile 11- 8:30

Mile 12- 8:26

I had done so well in the first half and now I felt like I was crashing and burning.  By this point we were going through a pretty ugly part of the city and it wasn't helping me to stay motivated.  I contemplated taking a Gu, but with no water stops left I knew it wasn't going to do me any good.  So I started cheering on the full runners around me and reminding them how well they were doing and that we were truly very close to the finish.  My watch was also showing I was way long on the course.  I attributed this to the fact that I stopped so many times but I also didn't get to run the tangents very well.  When we finally hit AT&T park with just a mile left I cut a few corners and just put my head down and ran.  I didn't have much left in the tank due to no gu and no hydration.  About a 1/2 mile from the finish I saw Maritza and her great sign and that gave me a huge boost!  And about 15 seconds after that Aron came up behind me!  I was surprised to see her!  We exchanged good lucks and I took off.  I've been practicing in every run sprinting the last .3 or .2 of every run - long and short.  So with .3 left I sprinted to the finish.  My finishing kick was just the boost I needed and I ran in with a smile even though I knew I had even missed my "B" goal.

Mile 13- 8:25

Mile .1 - 8:00/mi pace

I stoped my watch as I crossed the finish line and saw 1:46:10 and was so bumed.  My "B" goal was to break 1:45 and I missed it by 6 stinkin' seconds.  My official finish time was 1:46:05 - 6 damn seconds over my "B" goal. 

Aron and I congratulated each other and I took off to keep walking.  My legs started cramping right away and I knew it was from lack of hydration and nutrition.  I had ran a smart first half but the wheels fell off in the second half.  I had run well considering all that I put up with, and for that I was proud.  But I'm bumed I didn't get to reach my real "A" goal and run better.  This was the day to have a good race, the course, the weather and I let it slip away.  I learned something valuable though: eat early the night before!!!

I did have a blast at this race.  I enjoy it every time I race it.  It is very well organized, everyone on the course from the volunteers to the racers are supportive and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful city to run in :)  I know I have a better time in me and I look forward to next year and breaking it.

When I finished my race I got to see my friend Rhea!  The back story behind her:  When I started racing a few years ago Ari would see this woman running ahead of me.  She is quite unique in that she is a transgender woman who wears all pink, running skirts and is Filipino.  She is always about 5 minutes faster than me and so when Ari sees her he knows I am soon to follow.  She is very easy to spot and Ari took to taking her picture at every race, LOL!  She is unique and he would try to explain what she looked like to me and I would never get to see her at the starts.  Then in February when I ran the Kaiser SF Half we ran into each other at the start and I introduced myself.  She is the sweetest person!  I got to see her at the finish on Sunday and she ran the full in 3:15!  I think she has gotten a bit faster than me :)

I got to see Sam again, too!

The Finish!  I'm a little dazed, but that Jamba Juice was the best!

Rhea and me!!

I'm proud of how I ran and I did learn a lot from the race.  I had wanted to use the race as a good way to see where my fitness is at the moment and I'm pleased with how I did - I"m not discouraged.  I know bathroom issues are a problem, but I also know if this had been a full I probably could have corrected what was happening since I would have quite a few more miles ahead of me.  I ran strong the first half and even in the second half with all my issues.  I had a smile on face the entire time and that is what was important. 

I am so proud of everyone who raced this weekend, L.B., Page- both with huge PR's!, Jill, Aron, Ron, Stacey and everyone else!  This is a tough course and everyone did awesome!  Congrats racers!

I got to spend the last couple of days hanging out with Jill but I will fill you all in on our shenanigans in another post :)  Thanks Jill for hanging out with me!

Next up for me is a trail race 1/2 on the 8th of August, then, if no other road races present themselves, I'll keep up with LB training and my next full marathon is Lake Tahoe in September!  It's been a great summer of racing and I'm excited to see how the fall goes.

Congrats again to all the racers!  I've been off the last couple of days so I'm off to check in with all of you!
And...don't forget to enter my giveaway!!
Happy Hump Day and Happy Running!

Race Weekend!!

It has finally arrived - The San Francisco Marathon race weekend!  I'm really stoked for this race, as I had an amazing time running the 2nd half last year and will be taking it on again Sunday!  It is the easier of the two halves and quite fast, which makes me think of some great time goals that I want to tackle.  I have an A, B, & C goal in my head, and I will share them with you on Monday - I don't want to jinx myself!  But let's just say, I'm hoping that my speed work during this training schedule will have paid off.  I'm in the first wave and it starts in beautiful Golden Gate park winding your way down through the city and finally to the official marathon finish on the Embarcadero.  I have my family coming to cheer me on and that always makes my legs run just a little faster :)

And this afternoon I get to go and pick up Jill at the airport!  She's coming in for the full and I'm anticipating some fun shenanigans as I show her around the city, go for a run at the Marina and check out the Expo together.  After the race she'll be heading back down to my pad to relax and play until Tuesday!  Should be good times!  Lots of other Bay Area peeps are running and there is a meet up planned for tomorrow at the Expo.  It will be a fun weekend but I'm anticipating I will need a vacation from all the fun!

My running this week as been so-so.  I scaled back on my training plan mileage to do a mini-taper for this weekend.  I ran every day this week, including one speed workout yesterday but just really cut back the mileage.  I will run today and probably take tomorrow off to rest my little legs.  I really want to do well and use the race as a way to asses where my fitness and speed are.  Yes, there are many hills on the course, but as I have been telling others, if you run the hills conservatively and then use the downhills and flat sections to really kick up the speed you should be fine and blow away your expectations as this being a "hard" course.  Since there is a constant change in elevation and running surface, your legs actually do pretty well.  Good luck this weekend to everyone running - especially L.B. who is tackling the full!  You're going to awesome buddy!  Can't wait to see you at the finish!

Don't forget to enter my SCAPE giveaway!  And remember, there is an extra little somthin' - somethin' for the person who tells me what an awesome job they do at keepin' the sun at bay while on the run!

Good luck to all the racers at SF this weekend and everyone else hitting the starting line - run fast, run strong and have FUN!

Happy Running and Happy Friday peeps!

A Little Late to the Party: SCAPE Sunscree Review & Giveaway!

So, I know I am not the first to review this wonderful product here in bloggy land, chalk it up to my crazy busy life and a little hiatus with my mom, but none the less I wanted to give you all my two cents since the wonderful peeps at SCAPE were so kind to send me some samples of their products.  I received the SCAPE SPF30+ sunblock, the SPF50+ face stick and my FAVORITE, the SPF50+ lip balm, which in one word is the BOMB!

One of the biggest selling points of this product is that it does not run in your eyes or leave you feeling super bogged down from a layer of sunscreen.  As you may or may not know, I'm a redhead and sun protection when I run is high on my list.  I also only usually run in just my sports bra and shorts, leaving tons of exposed skin.  Before trying SCAPE, I usually bought whatever sunscreen was on sale since I use so much of it.  But I am here to say, I have seen the err of my ways!  SCAPE rubs on easily, absorbs quickly, and makes you feel like you don't have anything on - a huge plus for me.  I used it only on my upper body, my shoulders, back and stomach.  My daily face moisturizer already has SPF 50 in it and I have sensitive skin.  But I did have my hubbs try it out on his face and he was pleasantly pleased and eager to report it did not run in his eyes even after his long 40 mile bike ride in the sun!  SOLD!

One of the most interesting and huge selling points for me which will keep me coming back (seriously!) is that they are a company that is catering directly to the athlete.  They have you and I in mind when they are formulating their products - not kids in swimming pools or the occasional sun worshiper at the beach.  Their products are tested by world class athletes like 2 time IronMan champ Craig Alexander.  They are making a product that works well with athletes in mind - and for me, that is important. 

One thing that I do wish I had a chance to try was the spray-on sunblock they do offer.  Often times when I head out for a run I don't have anyone at home to help me get those unreachable parts on my back.  I often use the spray-on sunblock for this very reason - it gets all those hard to reach places easily.  But every time I slathered the stuff on, I was always pleased at how well it covered and left me feeling as if I had nothing on. 

My favorite item was the lip balm with SPF50+.  I ALWAYS wear lip balm with SPF in it when I run.  But finding one that goes on smooth, protects with a high SPF and UVA rating, AND stays on the whole run is hard to find.  The SCAPE balm worked well and I found that it lasted all the way through my long runs, not even coming off when I sipped copious amounts of water from my handheld!  SCORE!

So, would you like to win your very own bottle of the SPF30+ sunblock?  I have one bottle to giveaway and I swear, once you try this stuff, you'll be hooked just like me!
To enter, leave me a comment and let me know your a follower of my blog or have become one - 1 chance
Become a fan of SCAPE on Facebook & let me know you did in a separate comment - 1 chance
Follow them on Twitter & let me know you did in a separate comment  - 1 chance
Post this giveaway on your blog & let me know you did in a separate comment - 1 chance
Finally, leave me a comment and tell me what you do on a daily basis this summer to protect your skin from the harsh effects of the sun - 1 chance 

So that is 5!!! chances to win!  One lucky winner will receive a bottle of the SCAPE SPF30+ and one winner who tells me what they do each time they head out into the sun this summer for a run to protect them self will win an extra little something from me!
Good luck peeps!  Contest ends Friday August 6th 5PM PST

Obligatory disclaimer:
*the nice peeps at SCAPE sent me their product for review.  I was in no other way compensated for this review.

Race Report: Nisene Trail 10K + Updates!

I think my running mojo decided to join me again.  Things are a million times better with my mom, in fact, she came home last Tuesday and I spent the week making sure she was all taken care of.  It was a huge weight off my shoulders when she came home - something inside of me was able to relax.  She is doing great!  Back to moving around and enjoying life.  It was a scary, dark 10 days, but I found out that I am pretty dang strong and for that I'm grateful.  THANK YOU to all of you for your kind wishes of support.  It meant so much to me to know I had all of you cheering for me.

Like I said, when she got home I finally breathed a sigh of relief and was able to hit the pavement running again.  I had a great week of training, topping out with 45 miles for the week :)  I even did some doubles a la Shelly, and really embraced my ability to run.  Each run felt better than the last and I am excited to pick up my Long Beach training where I left off.

Sunday I raced a 10K trail race in beautiful, FOGGY Aptos with my girl Stacey!  I know! I know!  I said I hate 10K's, and I do, when raced on the road.  But I absolutely love to race a trail 10K - it's the perfect distance.  I conned got Stacey to pick me up bright and early so we could carpool together.   When we left San Jose it was already warm and humid!  I was dreading what could be over the hill when we got there.  The race was supposed to start at 8:30 and I was thinking it was going to get HOT!  But we were pleasantly greeted with beautiful fog and chilly conditions that stuck around until we left!  The race was really well organized and before we knew it we were off! 

The majority of the race, except for the beginning and the end where we ran on a dirt fire trail, was on single tracks!  My favorite!  We were surrounded by beautiful redwood trees, moss covered fallen trees and TONS of blackberry bushes.  I had decided to let Stacey lead us this day since I didn't wear my glasses and I knew my legs were tired from my 16 miles the day before.  And don't believe a word the woman says when she says she is slow!  She is NOT!  That girl was speedy!  I had trouble keeping up with her!  There were some great uphills and some fabulous downhills and even a river crossing twice!  All the while we would stop and say to ourselves just how damn lucky we are to be in such a beautiful setting just minutes from our house.  We stopped a few times to take some pics and to soak it all up.  I think when she posts her race report you may or may not see me with my pants down :)  I have a good excuse though!  The blackberry bushes were sticking out all over the trails and their little thorns kept sticking me!  I pulled down my tack shorts to my knees and ran all "gangsta" so I didn't have to subject Stacey the whole time to me yelling, "ouch!" or "damn it!"  Those suckers hurt!  Needless to say, my shorts pulled down were more akin to running through the ghetto than on single tracks!

We had a couple of women in front of us that we had wanted to catch but we also wanted to enjoy the race.  So when we hit the last mile and could see them ahead we put pedal to the metal and raced in!  We finished with our arms in the air and smiles on our faces :)  It was a great day for a race with really great company - thanks Stacey!  It was just what my soul needed.  If you live in the Bay, I highly recommend looking up South Valley Endurance.  ALL of their races are wonderfully put on and always great.  They do quite a few duathalons also and I think I may have one of those in my near future ;)  They even hand out medals for the top three in each age group.  I also got a really nice hat that I forgot to take a picture of - I'm sure you will see it on me in the future.
6.55 miles 1:25:16  13:00/mi pace

So, I'm back to work today and attempting to get caught up.  I have been coming in for a couple of hours in the early morning to take care of pressing matters and clients but I haven't put in a full day in over two weeks!  I'm sure my day will be busy!  This weekend I also have the San Francisco Half Marathon that I'm really excited about.  I'm ready to race!  And Jill is coming to stay with me!  So.much.fun!

Thanks again to all of you for listening, reading and supporting.  It meant the world to me.  I promise to get caught up this week - or next ;)
Happy Tuesday and Happy Running!

Long Week

I don't even know where to begin other than I've had one of the most hellish weeks I can ever remember.  If you haven't noticed, and really, I don't blame you if you haven't, I've been MIA from the blog world this past week.  Since my last post I have had my world turned upside down.

It all started last Saturday when my dad called me to tell me he was rushing my mom to the ER with heart attack symptoms.  After many tests they ruled that out and sent her home as being merely "stressed."  Little did I know that it was just the beginning.

Sunday I got another call in the early morning that my dad was again bringing my mom back to the ER as she had severe abdominal pain and was throwing up.  We were there for what felt like an eternity.  We waited on test after test, CT scans, x-rays, blood work.  Finally, after 9 hours they told us she had a ruptured appendix and needed surgery right away!  We had no idea that morning when we brought her in that we would end the day sitting in a surgery waiting room.

Her case was severe.  It had ruptured and sent toxic stuff through her abdomen and bowels.  Originally they told us she would be home by Tuesday.  But Tuesday turned into Wednesday, and Wednesday turned into Thursday and so forth.  Today is Monday, 9 days later and she still isn't home.  The infection went gangrene and really hit her hard.  The worst day was Friday when she seemed to have regressed, ending up on oxygen and pretty incoherent.  It has been a hard week since my dad had started a new job and couldn't be there much.  My brother lives about 120 miles away in Sacramento and couldn't be here much, and on top of it all, my sister's boyfriend had heart surgery on Tuesday.  As of yesterday she is doing 100% better as compared to Friday and they are talking about sending her home today or tomorrow.  Fingers crossed. 

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty bad, too.  I was back and forth between two hospitals with my sister's boyfriend at one and my mom at another.  He was going to have a simple procedure where they shock the heart back into normal rhythm, but the doctor made a mistake during it and cut an artery in his leg that left him bleeding out on the table.  That was a roller coaster of emotions, as my heart was hurting for my sister, Joe and my mom.  Thankfully Joe should be okay, he's out, but in a ton of pain in his leg.  And the crappy thing is, they didn't finish the procedure and have to do it again in a month!  Oy vey!

Through all of this my running has suffered.  Normally when I'm stressed or worried, my running is my sanctuary.  It is my time to think only of one foot in front of the other, my breathing and my foot steps.  But this week, running was hard.  My legs and heart were heavy and they didn't want to move.  It really made me mad as the week before I had a great running week, finishing up with just over 45 miles nailing every pace and distance.  This past week though, hitting three miles was difficult.  I managed one 7 mile run, and a couple of 5 mile runs, but really three was my limit.  I even had a half marathon race to run yesterday but I just couldn't do it.  I got all the way to the race and decided that I couldn't muster through 13 miles.  I knew I would be miserable and angry and didn't need to add any more stress.  So I came home defeated.  I was more mad because I really wanted to try and hit my PR again as the course holds my 1:36 half mary PR time.  But I knew yesterday wasn't the day.  I ended the week with 21 miserable miles.

Today I'm hoping that we get some good news and she will be on her way home.  She will still need a lot of help when she gets home so I will be still taking care of her.  But it will be a million times better than having to spend the day at the hospital.  I now know what it's like to take care of an ill parent.  It's draining, it's scary and it's the most difficult thing I have ever had to deal with. 

Thanks for reading this and letting me dump it all on you.  But I thought I would let you all know where I've been :)  I haven't turned my computer on in a week.  I know I'm so behind on catching up on all your fun running and races!  I promise this week I'll get caught up! 

Hope you all have a great week!  I'll drop by soon and say hey!
Happy Monday and Happy Running peeps!