3 Things Thursday + WINNERS

Happy Thursday!! We're in the home stretch of putting this week behind us. Yay!! It's been long, and a bit crazy at work, so I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend. :)

Here's are a few things on my mind this morning.

1. Winners!

Thank you to everyone who joined me for my birthday streak! I had a great time celebrating with all of you!!

Here are the winners:
Drink Cocogo - Elisabeth
Proud Runner gift pack - Irina
Detour Smart Bars - Jenny
Bondi Band - Karen
Multi-Grip Stretch Strap - Rachel

2. Art Show

Tonight, Jeff and I are getting all dolled up to go to a friend's art show. Cocktail Dress Attire. I ordered a few new dresses on Amazon. Gotta love Prime! They are set to arrive this afternoon, so I'll get home from work, try them on, and choose which one to wear. Nothing like the last minute.

Here are my options:

I'm super excited about tonight, but I also feel like I'm coming down with something. I was so tired yesterday that I went to bed at 7:30pm, and I woke up with a sore throat. I'm going to down some Emergen-C and hope that helps stave off whatever is coming my way.

3. Yesterday's Run

I attempted a little speedwork yesterday in the form of a tempo run. It's been a long time, since I went that crazy. My first mile was 8:55. YAY!! And then I took a little walk break when I got to the Strip. It's perfect because there is a pedestrian bridge about halfway through the route. I walked up the stairs, across the bridge, and down the stairs before starting on the run again.

I really tried to push it during the run back home, but I was tired, so it was a little slower on the way back.

Oh yeah! I also got hit on by a couple of hot foreign tourists. One, in very broken English, asked if he could go footing with me for a little bit. I let him - mostly because I was running with pepper spray, if he tried anything untoward. After a minute or two, he kissed my hand, and I took off to continue my tempo run.

Bonus: My nephew and his girlfriend

Will be visiting Vegas this weekend! She just turned 21 last week, and they are coming to Vegas (with a few other people) to celebrate! We don't have any specific plans to see them, but I'm looking forward to meeting up and doing something fun! Plus, Jeff and I did get a pool cabana for Sunday, so either way, it's going to be a fun weekend!
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Three Things Thursday - 2/19

Even with a sick day on Monday, this week seems to really be dragging. Maybe because I'm still sick?? It's been a little slow at work, which I'm counting as a blessing, because I know it never lasts very long.

I've got 3 really exciting things to share with you today.

1. Lora over at Crazy Running Girl chose me to be one of the 50 Faces of Fitness!


How awesome is that?! Head over to her blog to read a little more about ME. LOL. And check out the other Faces of Fitness.

Three Things Thursday - 12/5

Super quick post this morning! Here are 3 things on my mind.

1) Did you notice my new blog design? I worked on it most of last weekend, and finally was able to get it all installed this morning. Which took me a bit longer than I'd anticipated. And the reason why this post has to be super quick. I still need to get ready for work!! Argh. BUT... what do you think? Jeff says it's a bit holiday-esque, but I like it. I'd love your feedback. :)

2) I'm having lunch with my boss this afternoon to discuss possibly changing my role at work. I'm so nervous about the possibility of change, BUT I don't want to hold myself back out of fear either.

3) Katie flies in today!! I'm incredibly excited to finally meet her in person. We're going to check out the Strip tonight and tomorrow we head to Mesquite for Saturday's marathon. You didn't really expect me not to mention the marathon, did you? Safe travels, Katie!! See you soon.

There's a 4th thing on my mind today, too. I posted about it last night, but in case you missed it, go check it out. Hint: It's fricken cold outside!!

What's going on with you today?
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3 Things Thursday - 8/29

The winners of the Factors of 36 virtual race were announced late last night. You can check it out here.

Here are 3 Things on my mind today.

1. I've been immersed in a HUGE project at work for the past several months. Without going into a lot of details, we're basically converting to a new system that affects the entire way we do business from editorial (I work at a newspaper) to advertising to the business office and basically everything in between. It's been a major undertaking, to say the least. It's involved many a late night and even a couple weekends. All our effort is about to come to fruition. It's GO LIVE WEEKEND!! It sucks that it's also a holiday weekend, and I may end up having to come in on Saturday, but it feels real good that Go Live is finally here. Whoohoo!!

2. Here's a conversation from the other day.

Me: Do you think my face looks fat?
Jeff: Do you want an honest answer?
Me: Yeah. Um. Well, I think so.
Jeff: No, your face isn't looking fat, but the rest of your body is starting to look a little big for your face. Mostly your tummy.

Guys...

I know you all dread questions like this, but please PLEASE keep your answers only to the question asked. :)

So, the next morning, I hopped on the scale. I've gained 7 lbs since the beginning of the year. Wish I could say that was all muscle. LOL. I really, really need to start doing more ab work - and strength training in general.

3. Remember that stairs workout I did on Tuesday? Well, I woke up yesterday morning with some serious DOMS in my calves. Almost as bad as when I did 50 calf raises. In a row. Back in April.


How's your Thursday going?
Any big plans for the holiday weekend?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Designer Whey protein powder! Six canisters are up for grabs!!
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3 Things Thursday - 6/27/13

1. Today is my niece's 17th birthday. Can it really be that long ago that I held her for the very first time?

THEN

NOW

Isn't she beautiful?!

I live very far away now, so I had to steal some current pics from Facebook and Instagram. Hope she doesn't mind. LOL.

2. Remember how I mentioned that I had to go into work this past Sunday? Well, my supervisor offered me a comp day in exchange for working. Now, I'm going to have July 5th off!! I'm super excited. I'll probably miss out on a little bit of pay since I would have gotten overtime for working Sunday, but I think it's totally worth it to have a super long holiday weekend. Whoo hoo!!!

3. I'm down the the home stretch for the #RWRunStreak. I can hardly believe that I've been so diligent with this. Most days it's just been the 1-mile minimum, but I haven't missed a single day! Only 8 runs left to go... Wow!!!
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3 Things Thursday

I'm having some serious memory issues. Ok. Maybe not serious, but I had 3 great things to share with you today, but I keep forgetting what they are....

So, here are 3 random things. That may or may not have been what I originally wanted to share. :)

1. Don't you hate it when you focus your workouts on your arms, and it seems that the stronger your biceps get, the flabby your triceps appear? Or after working your core, your stomach seems to protrude further in an unflattering manner? Please tell me this isn't just me.

2. I'm working on a couple exciting ways to celebrate my birthday in August with all of YOU!! I'm working on the details and trying to line up some great gifts, because no birthday should be without gifts. Stay tuned. It's gonna be epic. hehehe.

3. Daily photo challenges? Love 'em or hate 'em? I love the idea of them, but I always fall short. I started two this month, and after 5 days, I've decided to call them quits. I find they are too stressful. I know it's a little crazy to stress over something that should be fun, but I do. And then I end up being too hard on myself for lacking creativity. I figure that's not too good for my soul, so no more photo challenges for me. At least not right now.

BONUS: Today felt like a Friday. I'm still coming to grips with the fact that I will have to go to work tomorrow.
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3 Things Thursday

I haven't done a 3 Things post in a LONG time, but I wanted to write a quick post this morning before work.

1. I joined a Ragnar Trails team a week or so ago. Our trail race is 2 weeks from tomorrow. And I'm a little scared. What did I get myself into?? I've not really done any trail running and the course looks crazy and muddy.

Here's a glimpse at the race from last year:


It sounds fun and I am excited, but a bit nervous, too.

2. It's not been a good week for working out and eating properly. I think I only had chips for dinner two nights in a row, and I haven't run at all or biked to work even once. Ugh. I still haven't missed a day of a my two April Challenges, though. Yay for that, I guess. :)

3. Jeff and I are working on an exciting project. I don't want to say too much about it until we finish it and can show off our hard work, but trust me, it's really exciting! At least to us. Once we've finished, it will be public, and you'll all be able to check it out. In the meantime, it's really consuming most of our free time.

How's your week going?
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I LOVE..

It's finally Valentine's Day!! Not that we're really doing anything special to celebrate. I think I'll finally make the nice pasta dinner that I've been threatening to make all week, and maybe we'll take a soak in the hot tub, if it's nice enough outside.

I've only got a few minutes before I have to dash off to work, but I wanted to share three things I'm really in love with right now.

1. My Family

It's a little weird to think that right now my immediate family consists of me, my husband and our dog. I'm 35yo, so I don't think I can really count my parents and siblings as immediate anymore. I still love them, of course. I always will. But the love I have for Jeff and Sallie (yes, I know she's a dog), is kind of a different kind of love. Jeff and Sallie bring me lots of smiles every day. I love talking to them. And playing together. We have a pretty great time together. And I certainly wouldn't change that for anything!

2. My Life

My job is going really well. Our apartment is wonderful. I've been running and working out pretty consistently. I'm enjoying being a #FitFluential ambassador. You already know why I'm loving my bike, too. More days than not I find myself smiling for no apparent reason and just being filled with all kinds of love and positive energy.

3. My Bed

This may sound weird, but I really am in love with my bed.

DynastyMattress New Cool Breeze 12-Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress-King Size.


We've only been married for 8 years, and this is the 5th mattress we've purchased. 5th time's the charm, right? It's a firm mattress, true, but it just envelopes me in a supportive way that is difficult to describe but absolutely perfect!

I'm not sure I've ever loved something more. Certainly no other mattress has compared to this. I could seriously go on and on and on, but I've got to get to work. If you're in the market for a new mattress, I'd recommend this. Hands down. Best part is that it's less than $700. For a mattress? Yep.

We've had it for almost two month's now, so I feel like this love is real and here to stay. :-)

What are you loving today?
Any big plans to celebrate Valentine's Day
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Three Things Thursday

1. I start my new job in four days! I'm super excited! I'm also a bit nervous. How will this affect my blogging? What if I don't wake up in time? What will I wear? What will I bring for lunch?  I haven't had a job since May, and I got rid of almost all my professional clothing when we set out on our adventure. I've gotten used to the stayinguplate-sleepingin-loungingallday-blogging-running-soakinginthehottub lifestyle. I'm excited for the opportunities that working will afford me, but I've gotta be honest, I'll miss this leisure time I've enjoyed these past few months.


2. I'm skipping my run today. I fully intended on going when I woke up, but my first few steps after crawling out of bed were too painful. Both knees are bothering, so I figure a rest from running for a couple days might do them some good. I plan to continue with some strength exercises today. If I can't run, I can strengthen, right?


3. I've been working diligently the past couple of days to sift through our photos from our travels in June. I've posted some videos and pictures to Facebook here and here. In case you missed out, you can read more about our time in Montana (here and here) and Idaho (here and here). My goal is to get through everything over the weekend before I start my new job. I'm sure there will be a bit of settling in time once I start.

What's going on with you today?

Anything fun planned for the weekend?

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3 Things Thurs

I've got about 10 minutes before it's Friday...

1. I just finished writing a completely different post, but I'm too nervous about publishing it. Maybe this weekend or next week? Maybe never.

2. I am seriously freaking out! If I don't find a job in the next couple weeks, we are in some very serious trouble. I'm talking serious! I've never been so worried about money. NEVER!

3. I've had two great runs so far this week, and I'm looking forward to running this virtual run over the weekend.

At least for 5 or 10 miles I'll be able to hopefully clear my head.
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3 Things Thursday

1. Apparently, I'm incapable of getting dressed if I don't have work, school, or if I don't go for a run. It's 4:30pm now. Should I don those running clothes after all?

2. I finally posted my North Dakota (state #1) run to Facebook.

3. My Sallie girl is incredibly cute. She's discovered the bin of dog toys. Randomly throughout the day, she'll pounce on one of them. It makes me laugh. Every. single. time.

But she has been a very bad girl here in WA. If she isn't chasing one of the cats, she's running off all over town. She is no longer allowed outside without her leash, because if we take our eyes off her for 1/2 a second, she. is. gone. Being an inside dog all her life, she doesn't really understand the dangers of cars, so we worry.

3TT #6

Thing 1. I'm going to eke out a quick post. I don't want to miss two days of posting in a row.

Thing 2. My spring break is not going nearly as well as I'd hoped. I haven't planned nearly as many lessons as I would have liked. I haven't stayed on top of my marathon training either.

Thing 3. I eat like total crap when I'm at home all day with nothing defined to do. I've become a snacker in the worst way. Occasionally, I'll grab something healthy like carrots or a pear, but mostly it's been chips, cookies, and wasabi peas. Blah. I seem to be hungry all the time. I know that's mostly due to not eating anything of substance, but also slightly due to boredom - both terrible reasons to overeat.

Tomorrow is another day, right? I. WILL. BE. FOCUSED!

3TT #5

Thing 1 - When we moved into our current apartment, we changed most of the light bulbs to the energy efficient type. We knew we'd be here for a couple years, and we didn't want to have to keep changing the light bulbs. These fancy ones are supposed to last for years. Well, not in this apartment! We just had yet another one burn out last night. I think that brings us to around 5. Ugh! The electrical wiring in our apartment sucks!

Thing 2 - After enjoying such a beautiful, warm, sunny weekend, the week turned gray and gloomy. I've really, really been bitten by the S.A.D. bug. As a result, I've really done nothing all week. No exercise. No lesson planning. Blah!

Illustration of seasonal affective disorder by Sarah Douglas

Thing 3 - Not to discredit S.A.D., but my lack of motivation probably has as much to do with my lack of water consumption than the dreary skies. I've been in a different setting for school, and I just haven't been drinking much water. Perhaps 1-2 cups a day. Pathetic, I know. It just hasn't been tasting good. I need to get better about this. Starting today!

What things are on your mind today?

3TT #4

Here we go...

Thing 1 - Last week, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Wow. My skin appears to finally be clearing up!" Then I immediately thought, "Geez. I really shouldn't have allowed that thought to formulate." I tried to quickly knock on wood, but alas, within 24 hours, at least 5 new blemishes appeared. Ugh!

Thing 2 - Way back in mid-Feb, I made some heart shaped rice crispy treats - which left me with half a box of crisp rice cereal in my cupboard. So, I had a bowl for breakfast one morning with a spoonful of sugar added, of course. That was it. My whole breakfast. And you know what? IT FILLED ME UP and I STAYED THAT WAY FOR HOURS. Who would have guessed it would be such a filling cereal? I certainly didn't! Now, I've finished that box and nearly an entire second box. It is easily my favorite breakfast option right now.

Thing 3 - This one is going to blow your mind! I'm running the Get Lucky! Half Marathon on Saturday! heeheehee. I've only mentioned it in the past two posts. Guess I'm pretty excited about it. Here is a picture of my intended outfit except with a white sports bra and I'll likely wear my contacts.

If nothing else, it's festive, right? It might be in the 50s Saturday morning, so I'll likely be overdressed. Hopefully the shorts will make up for the sweatshirt. :-) I think this will be the most festive I've ever dressed for a race. I probably should have started with a shorter distance. The shorts and socks are obviously not running-specific attire, so hopefully they don't cause uncomfortable chafing or anything like that.

Are you running any races this weekend?

3TT #3

I really thought I'd done more of these...

Perhaps most Thursdays, I don't have 3 things to say...?

Thing 1. Teaching World History - particularly the way it is set up at this school - is no good for me. Every unit makes me want. to. travel! There are so many fascinating places to visit, sites to see, and activities to do. I just want to do experience it all. With my huge teacher salary, ha! perhaps I'll have the opportunity to travel during the summer and over longer breaks. What? A girl can dream, right?

Thing 2. Yesterday morning at this time, it was in the upper 40s! I wore flip flops when taking Sallie outside. I was tempted to wear them to school, too. Good thing I didn't because as the day progressed, the temperature steadily dropped. I was pretty cold when I was waiting for the bus after school. :-( Nearly 60°F weather on Tuesday really struck me with Spring Fever. Looking at the forecast, it should be nice enough weather for my half marathon on St Patrick's Day, though. The overnight low the night before is in the 40s, so it should be just about perfect temps for running. Hopefully it doesn't rain...

Thing 3. I went to bed way too late last night; I randomly woke up around 3am. Not only would Sallie not let me get back to sleep, She wanted breakfast, or at least a treat. but Jeff was big time snoring! Ugh! It is so difficult for me to fall back asleep with the sound of snoring. He snores more when he sleeps on his back, and I know that sleeping on his back is better for him because of his bad back, but I hate not being able to fall back asleep. Still, since I know he's getting some decent sleep, I hate to ask him to roll over. I'm much more passive aggressive about it. I try to accidentally nudge him or I toss and turn a LOT to maybe inspire his subconscious to make his roll over. Last night none of these little tricks were working, so I went to grab the noise cancelling headphones to see if they would help. Lo and behold, when I returned, he'd rolled to his side, taking up much of my side of the bed, and the snoring had stopped. Hallelujah! Except of course that he was nearly taking up the entire bed now, so I had to get comfortable in a very small area. It worked, though, and I quickly was back in dreamland. Until Sallie woke me up about 1 ½ hours later...

Where have you traveled that has been the most exciting? I haven't traveled very many places, but I think Costa Rica has been my favorite so far.

What are you looking forward to the most about Spring? The end of winter, of course! ☺Seriously, though, running outside more and maybe some photography. Who knows.

How do you handle a snoring partner? I already answered this, but I am definitely open for suggestions! I'd love to hear your solutions.

3TT #2

I really had high hopes for being a great blogger during January when I didn't have any homework, and I was just biding my time until student teaching started. Unfortunately, work has been keeping me busy and I've just been too tired lazy to blog in the evenings.

So, here are at least 3 things that are going on with me this week.

Thing 1 - Less than two weeks until I am in a classroom for student teaching. I am both excited and pretty nervous. I met with my mentor teacher last night. I think we'll get along great and work well together (based on that initial meeting). He teaches 3 sections of 10th grade World History, a section of AP Government, and a section of AP European History. I'll be most active in the World History classes. I get to plan a unit on Latin American history. This is intimidating, yet I am looking forward to the challenge!

Thing 2 - I ran for the first time this morning since Jan 2nd! I tried out my new shoes. They were a little awkward for the first 1/4 mile or so but felt great after that. No knee pain at all during the run; there is a little discomfort right now, though. :-(

Nike Zoom Structure Triax 15

Thing 3 - An Arctic cold front blew in last night. When I left for work this morning it was -11°F. Straight temp. Today's high is forecasted to be TWO whole degrees.  It was so cold when walking the 3 blocks to the bus that the collar of my coat frosted a bit from my breath.

If you were taking a class on Latin American history, what would you like to focus on or hope to learn in the class? How's the weather where you are today?

3TT

I've seen lots of blogs do this, so here goes.

Thing 1 - Turns out, my rash is not likely pityriasis rosea as the doc originally suspected. Nope. My throat culture came back with high levels of staphylococcus aureus. I've been on antibiotics for a few days now, and the rash seems to have gotten a bit better. Unfortunately, now my skin looks (and feels) like it is on fire. And it's still itchy, just not as bad. At times. It's got to get better soon, right?

Thing 2 - Tomorrow I'm attending my first ever professional workshop. I'm excited and nervous! The topic is Renewable Energy: Wind, Solar and Biofuels in the United States and Central Europe.  I'm excited to learn more about this topic and how to incorporate it into my future classroom. I just hope it's not too scientific and will be useful for a social studies classroom as well. Best part is I'll receive a handful of CE credits before I even get my license to teach.

Thing 3 - It's back to being stupidly cold here in MN, but on Tuesday we had record highs. Our neighbor wanted to take a walk and stopped by to ask if she could take Sallie with her, so she wouldn't have to walk alone. Jeff let her go but messaged me all nervous about her being gone. It was so cute how overly concerned he was. Sallie came back home happy as a clam and super stoked after enjoying the nice weather.

This is from a few months ago, but isn't she the cutest?

So there you have it. My first Three Things Thursday.

Would you let a casual neighbor take your dog for a walk? Have you experienced an extreme weather change this week?

It's almost Friday! Whoohoo!!