I'm Getting Excited!

I am officially getting really excited about A1A. For awhile I wasn't because I had gotten so used to running short distances that training felt like a burden, and the stress of missing multiple Sunday long runs is getting to me a bit, but this weekend I had a little breakthrough. Elizabeth and I were running and I just remembered the circumstances surrounding both times I've run this race.

The first time, I was coming off a bad cold or URI and planned to run easy and have fun. It was my birthday. I started nice and slow and around mile 4 I just realized, wow, I feel awesome! And I just felt stronger and stronger as the race went on.

It was over before I knew it, and I finished with a cheering section and birthday hats! Plus, it was the first time I got to meet Kristina!

Last year, I wasn't sure what the race would be for me. I upgraded to the full and hoped I had it in me. And then, at mile nine, as half marathoners split with the full runners, I was filled with a sense of calm optimism. I texted Matt that I was definitely going for the full and, like the first year, I just felt good and confident the entire race.

Basically, both times I've run this race, I was running after not-so-great circumstances but things turned out great! My lingering calf issues have me in that same boat again this year. Maybe it's a sign!

I don't know if it's the course or the time of year - I love that this is my birthday race - or the fact that this race weekend always includes seeing friends and family...But there is just something about it! And I'm beginning to feel that anticipation again.

I have been harping on the joys of A1A all week. I told Elizabeth she'd surely get tired of me extolling its virtues, but I hope she knows how excited I am to share with her what has definitely become my favorite race.

Elizabeth to me, probably.

We have our goals, and we'll see how we do as far as attaining them goes, but I'm not even that worried because I honestly think that even if my calves cramp up and we walk the entire thing, I'll still love every second of it.

Elizabeth ran Sanibel with me as her first race, but this will be her first big race. I just keep thinking about how big and exciting A1A is. It's no little local 10k. There's the expo. The corrals. The aid stations. The cheering sections. Real photographers on the route. The finish line and party...I just can't wait to see how she reacts to it all!

I want her smile to be as big as mine was that first year!

Guys. I am so relieved that I am so freaking excited. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I'm seriously looking forward to race weekend, and I hope she is too!

Is there a race you have zero complaints about and just love?
ABK

2016 Year in Review: Life

I wrote last week about my running year in review. It kind of sucks to have ended the year resting because I like to get a couple more runs in between Christmas and New Years, but it is what it is. This post is a life-in-general review.

Happy New Year! This was how I rang in 2017. Anyone else eat sauerkraut for good luck?

This year, Matt and I celebrated six years of marriage. As the year ended and we shared our New Year's kiss, I told him, "I'm glad I'll be spending this year with you," and I meant it. I feel very lucky to have such a supportive, loving, understanding partner in my life.

This year, I turned 30 years old. I was excited to turn thirty and it felt like a milestone at the time, but now I'm not sure what the fuss was all about!

Signing my name on the banner for my birthday race!

This year, we made major progress on our kitchen...and that post will be a separate one because I have some big, fun updates on that subject! This was our first major new-house DIY overhaul and it was frustrating and daunting at times, but I'm glad we've experienced it.

More to come!

This year, Matt competed in Chattajack for the second time and placed 3rd in his division. This was our only "vacation" in 2016; we need to try to travel more in the future.

This year, I earned a job promotion and stepped out of the classroom. I love my new job and find it very fulfilling. I still miss the students at times, but I enjoy working with teachers and supporting them!

In my new office with my cool new radio.

This year, Matt realized a long-held dream and opened Upriver Ceramics. The other night, as we hung out in the studio - he was glazing and I was doing my nails - I looked over at him and said, "Do you ever just stop and think about the fact that you had this dream and now you're really doing it? Really making ceramics again?" It's just surreal and awesome!

His Etsy shop is open if you're looking for belated holiday gifts ;)

Our year wasn't all good. Nana's passing and my grandma's lingering poor health were difficult hurdles to overcome. Life will continue to have its ups and downs, and I've been feeling the downs lately (actually, going through my old posts I saw that pattern beginning as long ago as April. I hadn't realized I'd been struggling for so long), but it's good to step back and review the whole year and see that, really, there were highlights worth focusing on.

I know 2017 will bring more of those, and I hope to put my energy into enjoying those moments so I don't fixate so much on the lows.

What went well for you in 2016?

ABK

My First Skirt

How's this for something a little different for today's Tuesdays on the Run link up? About a month ago it was my turn to share my "first skirt" story on Skirt Sports's blog. It was a fun experience to write for a different blog and to contribute to the Skirt community.

If you're interested in reading my post about getting my first skirt, click below!

Click here to read the full story!

Looking back on this experience, I realized that wearing my running skirts will always be a connection to my mom and my first marathon. It's funny how even the simplest material things can evoke so many memories and emotions, and take on more than just their physical meaning.

(By the way, if you want to treat yourself, Skirt Sports is having their 70% off sale right now, and as always you can use ABK20 on regularly priced items for a 20% discount, too. I wish I lived somewhere colder because their Toasty collection looks amazing.)

Tell me about a simple gift you've received that's taken on more meaning for you.

ABK

Musings

This week has been one of those. There's nothing necessarily bad going on, but for some reason I'm super stressed and can't seem to get my feet under me. It seemed like a good week to just kind of...brain dump.

It's probably because this time of year is ridiculously busy; I haven't even seen my homeroom/first block of students all week because they've been taking their algebra EOC, so I feel even more swamped and anxious to finish everything before the school year ends.

And honestly, this isn't even half of it.

To start in with good news, Matt's Kickstarter was successful! He reached his goal of $6500 and will begin buying his equipment and making pieces in a couple weeks. I'm so thrilled!

Matt in his studio!

I was really moved because quite a few donations came in from runners I only know virtually (or have only met a couple times) through the Sub-30 Club. Runners are the best.

I've been on a major salad kick lately. Maybe it's the hotter weather or something. Salads can be really boring, so I'm playing around with making mine as flavorful and nutritious as possible.

I'm living for Bolthouse's Cilantro Avocado dressing and tomatoes right now.

I was going through old photos and cards the other day and found the birthday and Valentine's Day cards Matt wrote me the year I began running. In my memoir I talk about how he really helped me stick to running when I was new at it. Seeing those old cards was a great reminder of what a supportive partner he's always been.

Matt bought me my first iPod with a Nike+ adapter and my first pair of dedicated running shoes.

I was pretty bummed Monday because I ate pizza and chips for dinner, and I've been really good about eating healthy. It wasn't the pizza that bummed me out - it was why I ate it. I was in a piss-poor mood and wanted comfort food. I'm trying to break the habit of comfort eating; realistically I know that one day of junk isn't going to derail my progress, and once I ate it the craving for junk went away, but I wasn't happy that I gave in to my stress that way.

Finally, I went to a Derby party on Saturday. I've never been before and I was so tickled by my giant hat that I had to take a mirror selfie, which I never do. Matt and I tried to get a selfie and I was dying - my hat kept getting in his way! It was a fun excuse to get dressed up, even if my horse lost.

Shameless selfie-ing

 This post was brought to you by my random thoughts and Amanda's Thinking Out Loud linkup!

Have you ever been to a Derby party?
Do you wish hats would come back in style? YES!
What's your favorite salad topping or dressing?

ABK

Some Small Things

Last week was emotionally draining, so I took a break from writing anything with substance. I also ended up taking some days off running. I used volleyball practices as cross-training and I let myself rest. Thank you for your kind words...they helped.

My good friend Brittany came over Friday night with her daughter Kaya for a sleepover. The original plan was to watch horror movies like we used to when we were in middle and high school, but we ended up just talking. It was nice to have an adult conversation spanning the topics of politics, religion, makeup, and the struggles of adulting. I definitely needed it.

Saturday we had breakfast and took Kaya to the park before they had to leave. We also spotted a car that should win for most confusing combination of bumper stickers ever.

I mean...do they know what country they're supporting? Do they know what Socialism and the Constitution are?

I made a little trip to Fit2Run to restock my Gu for my 20-miler Sunday, which will likely be my last really long run of training. I was chatting with the cashier, and I realized I've already put more miles into training this cycle than last. I'm feeling strong and confident, but not over-confident. I hope this is a good sign!

I'm trying some new flavors (lemonade and sea salt chocolate), but I'm really looking for the plain Gu. Lately, really sweet Gu has been awful for me once I hit mile 10 or so.

I'm avoiding running my usual route this week so that it feels fresh on Sunday when I tackle 20.

I also got my new shoes. It's amazing how many miles I've already put on my current pair because they're not that old, and I want a fresh pair for the actual marathon. They're super bright and obnoxious. Perfect for racing.

I actually wanted these when I got my current shoes, but decided to wait because they were a bit more expensive. This time though, I wasn't going to deny myself!

This week is as busy as last. Matt had his wisdom teeth out Monday and is recovering well. Our first volleyball game of the season is Thursday. The team is looking pretty good. The girls get along well and are really supportive teammates; I'm hoping they remember their rotation positions in an actual game situation!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Grades are due for progress reports right before break, so I'm totally swamped this week, but I'm looking forward to some quality triple-F time - family, friends, and food.

Ideally, we'd have five pies to choose between. We actually don't usually have pumpkin pie, but it's a favorite, too!

Finally, this was on my Facebook when I woke up this morning:

Sometimes it feels like I've been running forever, but apparently this half marathon (which I consider my first even though it was my second...It's the first I really trained for, so it actually counts) was only three years ago. It's kind of crazy and inspiring to look back and realize how far I've come since then.

Click here to revisit this post.

Another memory Facebook brought up was my blog post on taking risks and being daring. It still resonates with me, and I enjoyed reading it again. I was happy to realize that I've grown braver since writing it two years ago.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?
Do you like when Facebook brings up memories for you?
What do you eat when Gu is too sweet on a run?
Marathon #2 is three weeks away...How is that possible?!

ABK

Goodbye, Little Bird

I wanted to end this week with a report on my training, but I can't bring myself to write it.

Archie passed away unexpectedly on Saturday. He was his usual energetic self all morning, but he started showing signs of illness sometime after lunch, and he stopped breathing around 4pm. Matt and I had been nursing him and we tried CPR, but to no avail.

Birds have evolved to hide illness until it's very serious; he's been sick once before and we must have gotten lucky because he recovered then. But this time...

We'll never know what made him so sick so fast, and not having answers makes this feel like some awful dream. It can't be true. But is is.

We are devastated. Archie was a huge part of everything we did daily. He was so curious and always wanted to be where the action was. If I was in the kitchen, he would be on my shoulder or in a cabinet, inspecting my work.

A video posted by Matt Kearney (@stokeonthewater) on Jul 2, 2015 at 4:40pm PDT

He loved to cuddle. He'd sit on our keyboards and nudge our fingers with his head when he wanted scratches.

He'd sit on our shoulders and press his beak against our faces when he wanted kisses. He slept in our shirts. He fell asleep in our hands. He would chirp and sing in his sleep. He would enjoy the ride under Matt's hat when we took road trips. 

He loved when we had rice or pasta for dinner, and he wasn't shy about eating off our plates, although he made quite the mess. When he heard me telling a story about my day, he'd hop over to me and get as close to my face as possible. Sometimes he would strut along the floor instead of flying, like he thought he was a little person. 

He loved to get tangled in my hair, and once we had to cut him free. He hated when I wore nail polish, so I never did. He loved to preen our eyelashes and eyebrows. 

He would sit on my shoulder and preen while I washed my face and brushed my teeth, so we always got ready for bed together.  He was truly a part of the family, not aloof or distant like some people might think a bird would be.

He loved everyone. It's unusual for lovebirds to bond with more than one person, but Archie bonded with both me and Matt AND he loved everyone who walked through our door. He wanted to always be near people.

And now the house feels empty and quiet. It was so sudden. It just feels so unfair.

We put him in his little bed and then into a box, which we buried in an underground cairn in the backyard. Archie loved cardboard boxes, so it almost seemed fitting for one to be his final resting place. We bought a birdbath and ceramic bird ornament to finish the memorial. As we were digging the grave, a little rainbow appeared in the sky. As we finished putting in the birdbath, a huge storm unleashed. We sat outside and watched until it was too dark to see. We didn't want to leave him alone out there, when he so clearly belonged warm and soft in our shirts inside the house. We did what we could, but it still feels nightmarish and unreal.

I'm trying to take comfort in knowing that in his final moments, he felt the warmth of our hands and heard the sound of our voices. He wasn't alone. He was such a little bird, and so young to die so suddenly. We did what we could to give him a full, happy life, and I think he knew how loved he was.

Baby Archie, October 2011. Rest in peace, little bird.

ABK

Getting Crafty

What does a 20-something teacher a week away from winter break do on her Friday night? Crafts, of course!

Admittedly I'm not a very organized person, but I really wanted a way to put all the photos and memorabilia from the marathon into one place. I had so many photos, etc, to keep that it seemed like overkill to frame and display them all; a scrapbook seemed like the way to go.

After work I stopped by Target to pick up supplies (and let me just say, the snowbirds were out in full force and I spent a good ten minutes in the parking lot laughing myself into tears at some of the "driving" I witnessed), then spent the rest of the night diligently piecing together my memories.

Photos and supplies are ready to go!

I took a break for dinner and observed the mess I had made of the living room. Being crafty isn't tidy, that's for sure.

A work in progress.

Matt and I watched Edge of Tomorrow while I finished my project. I was pleasantly surprised. I may think Tom Cruise is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but he's still one of my favorite actors.

I'm really happy with how the scrapbook turned out. I fit in the photos I liked most, my D-tag, notes of encouragement, and pages from the welcome packet. Plus, the blog came in handy; I printed out my recap and added it to the end.

Bart Yasso and the Sub 30 Club got their own pages.

A few pages from the finished book.

Now I can annoy guests by insisting they look through the scrapbook. Isn't that the main purpose of photo albums and the like? The bad news is that I may have found another hobby I want to take up...putting the book together was really fun and relaxing!

How do you save and store your race day memories?

How do you typically spend a Friday night?

Are you a Tom Cruise fan?

ABK