Christmassy

I’m having a very hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year.  I think this is due to a few factors.  1) Being 2000+ miles away from our families makes it hard to get into the holidays.  2) Maybe the fact that it has been “Christmas” at the stores and on tv for over 2 months already makes it hard to believe that the actual day is really arriving this weekend.  3) I am used to snow and frigid weather this time of year, and it has been sunny and mid 50s around here (I am not complaining!!).  So, I have been kind of a Grinch lately.  But I finally sat down yesterday to write my Christmas cards and it flipped the switch for me.  So I thought it would be fun to do this fun lil Christmas questionnaire that has been floating around the internet.  Enjoy

25 Questions: Holiday Style

Eggnog or hot chocolate?

hot chocolate – I haven’t tried eggnog in a long time though & kind of want to see if I would like it now…

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa wraps all the presents

Colored lights on tree/house or white?

Growing up, my parents always had colored lights & I loved it but now I prefer white lights only.  We have a prelit tree that is only white. 

Do you hang mistletoe?

Nope, I remember that my Grandma used to hang some in the doorway in her house at Christmas.  Maybe I should buy some for our house next year..

When do you hang your decorations up?

Usually I hang my decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I was a bad lil Grinch this year and did not pull out a single Christmas decoration for our house!

What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

I love all the casseroles & junk that people have at all the celebrations.  Mmm.  Love junk!

What is on your Christmas wish list?

Nothing major… I can never think of anything I want when put on the spot!  Sure, I want things but I truly want for nothing in life… Blessed girl!

Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve?

When we lived in IN, we would do Christmas Eve with my parents & we would open all of our gifts that evening.  We also started a lil tradition a couple years ago that we would do breakfast just the two of us (& the beagle babies of course) & open our gifts then before heading to my parents.  We also used to go to Christmas Mass on Christmas Eve every year…

How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

Just ornaments from our childhood & our marriage.. Again, I didn’t decorate at all this year but this question made me smile because the Husband’s Mom gave me a bunch of ornaments from when he was little with his pictures on them… So stinking cute!

Snow? Love it or dread it?

Dread it!  It is pretty on Christmas as long as you don’t have to go out in it.

Real tree or fake tree?

Love the smell of a real tree but hate the hassle of it.  Love the convenience of a fake, pre-lit tree!

Do you remember your favorite gift?

Probably the hand-made Barbie house my parents made for me.  Three stories of working lights, real furniture & carpet… Loved it!

What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you?

Celebrating the birth of Jesus with my family & friends & sharing that joy with everyone else!

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Umm, I don’t think there is anything I don’t eat… Cookies, cheesecake, ice cream, etc.  Maybe my favorite is Chik-fil-a’s peppermint chocolate chunk shake.  Mmmmm!!!

What is your favorite tradition?

My Grandma’s house on Christmas day.  It is so, so, SO special to me.  All of my Grandma’s kids & their spouses & their kids and now their kids’ kids come, in addition to some of the neighbors and my Grandma’s sister & her entire family.  It is absolutely the best day of the year.

What tops your tree?

an angel

Do you prefer giving or receiving?

Giving.  While I won’t deny enjoying getting some new goods, I absolutely love giving someone that perfect gift.   However, I absolutely HATE the pressure of having to buy someone a gift simply because it is Christmas.  I want to buy someone a gift because I saw something & thought it was perfect for them. 

Candy canes, yuck or yum?

Yum!  Especially in ice cream.

Favorite Christmas movie?

Home Alone 1 + 2 and Elf

What do you leave for Santa?

Nada

Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

Get up and go to my Grandma’s!

Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall?

Online!  I’m not a big shopper any time of the year, but especially at Christmas when it is crazy busy out.  Thank God for the web!

Christmas letter or Christmas card?

card with hand written, personal letters inside

Merry Christmas!!!

Injury?

So I have taken a good while off from all forms of exercise.  The first full week after RnRLV, I was too sore to even think about running.  I took the dogs for some long walks starting on Tuesday or Wednesday the week after the race, but that was all I could think of doing.  My knees gave me a lot of issues. 

Tonight, we took the pups out for a walk and I decided I wanted to try some running.  Nothing serious, just some sprints with the pups whenever I would feel like it and could stop anytime.  I loved it.  It felt so good to get my heart & legs going again!  Unfortunately I think it sealed the deal that I have a knee injury in my right leg.  The Husband has been telling me to get it looked at for almost 2 weeks already.  I convinced myself that it was just soreness from the race, but since the race was 2+ weeks ago and it still hurts (with no exercise until today), I guess I need to get it looked at.   

Are you stubborn like me when you have an injury or get sick?  I avoid doctors at all cost.  I feel like no good news every comes from the Dr!

RnRLV Survey

Did you get sick during/after the RnRLV half or full marathon?  The Southern Nevada Health District is investigating to get to the bottom of the issues.  They want to hear from you to help them pinpoint the cause of all the sickness surrounding this year’s race. 

Hopefully they will collect enough information to be able to find out what caused so many to be ill during and after this year’s race, and prevent it from happening again in the future.

Click here to take the survey.

The Difference a Year Makes

A year ago Tuesday, we packed our little car and left our house in Indiana for the last time.  We started the long journey across the country to make Las Vegas our new home.  It is so hard to believe it was a year ago.  It really seems like yesterday until I think of how much has changed in that year. 

A year ago:

• I had only been to Las Vegas twice – one time to make sure I didn’t hate it when the Husband was interviewing, & one time for two days to look at houses.
• I was not physically fit at all.  I had tried running earlier that year and the most I ever ran at one time was around 3 miles, & hated it so I gave up.
• I did not have much confidence in myself because I’d never challenged myself before, or the things I had tried I had convinced myself that I couldn’t do.
• I was so sad to leave my family, friends, and dream job behind in Indiana but also excited for the adventure of moving somewhere new.

A lot has definitely changed this year.  I really didn’t have any idea when we left Indiana how life would change (besides the obvious things), but I think it’s made us stronger as a family and made us appreciate things more.  I’m glad Las Vegas is feeling like home now, but I do wish that we could transplant certain people from Indiana to live nearby.  I’m grateful for all the opportunities that have presented themselves to us this year.  Cheers to our first year in Vegas!

Final Thoughts on RnRLV 2011

Overall, I had a good first half marathon.  I didn’t really know what to expect but I knew that they sold out and that 44,000 runners were expected to participate.  So I knew it would be crowded.  I kind of thought it would thin out at some point during the race, but it never did.  But if we knew it was sold out a few weeks ago, how did they run out of water at the stations and medals at the end of the race???  It was scary toward the end to get to a water station and not see anyone there and no water on the tables (although I never encountered a water station that had run completely out of water – just the early tables in the later stations were empty). 

I think the race could’ve been better organized and laid out, and I shudder to think about increasing the number of participants next year.  Logistics need to be better planned out if they plan to increase the number of runners.  The biggest thing they need to do is figure out how to stagger the start so that it is not so crowded and also not merge the marathoners with the half marathoners on such a crowded course.  I know the marathoners were upset for the halfers for being in their tiny lane, but in all honesty, there was nothing people could do.  There was NO room anywhere.  I ran outside the cones on the opposite side of the road at times so that I could just keep moving.  Weaving in and out of people was frustrating for me, and I didn’t have any time goals, so I can’t even imagine how those with PR goals were feeling.  Being a new runner (I just started running in July), I’ve always heard how supportive the running community is and I definitely did not feel the love at all on the course.  I heard marathoners yelling and swearing at other runners, telling them to “follow the F&#^ing directions” and I heard half marathoners yelling at marathoners for yelling at them.  I never once had another runner tell me to keep it up or that I was doing well or any words of encouragement.  All I heard was negative comments & yelling, which is hard to hear when you are trying to stay positive and upbeat in your own head. 

Finally, I cannot figure out why I felt so sick after the finish.  I never feel very good after a long run (always a bit nauseous) but I have never puked and also never felt so miserable/dizzy/etc.  I took a caffeine gel about 15 minutes before the start and then started fueling with the shot bloks a little over 3 miles in (every 2ish miles for the rest of the race) with water &/or cytomax.  I also had bad anxiety after the run, which is also usual but I can’t figure out why… Anyone have any ideas???  I want to keep running distance but will not keep doing it if I can’t figure out what makes me so sick and anxious!  Does anyone else have these issues??

Overall it was still a good experience that I’m really grateful for and proud of.  I ran 13.1 miles on Sunday and no one can ever take that away from me! 

Go read Jill’s race day recap.  She did a great job breaking down the factors that made this year’s event what it was.  This recap also details some of the complaints people had.

RnRLV 2011–My 1st Half Marathon!

Sunday I was a complete lazy bum all day.  I let my Mama do what she does best: everything.  She took care of me all day long.  I could stand up to go fill up my glass and she’d make me sit down so she could get me water, food, and anything/everything else I could want or need.  She’s a good mama.

I spent the day trying to either distract myself from what was coming up or trying to push out the negative thoughts and fill my head with positive ones.  I don’t know why, but on all 3 of the races I’ve done, I am super down on myself before hand.  That’s gotta stop! 

I finally started getting dressed and ready to race around 2pm.  I rode with a friend and she picked me up around 3pm to head to her sister’s house and then to the Strip.  Looking back, this made a huge difference, riding with them versus having the Husband drop me off (aka arriving alone) at the race. 

When we arrived, it was mass chaos.  People everywhere going in every direction.  I started feeling my back cramp up and knew it was bad news.  Literally 45 minutes before the race started, Aunt Flo decided to make her visit.  I was pretty worried about this happening because in my 6 months of running, I have never had a good run on the first day of my cycle.  I popped a couple of advil and told myself that I didn’t have a choice… I was going to do this!

I had a couple of other friends that I was trying to meet up with so that we could run together, but cell service was non existent with so many people congested in one area.  I really wanted to meet and run with Jenny, but we had no way of figuring out where to meet with the cell service being so spotty. 

After trying to make our way to the corrals for a good 20 minutes, we finally climbed through the barriers and into our corral.  Again, I was so thankful to be with my friend Tracey.  I would’ve been completely overwhelmed if I had to line up alone with no one I knew around me.  It made a huge difference in my race experience! 

(the only picture I took the entire time)

Before we knew it, it was time to start!  Everyone who told me it was great energy and adrenaline on the strip was absolutely right.  I wasn’t nervous anymore at all, I was just excited and ready.  And I kept saying to Tracey, “Remember when we did our first run together and it was a struggle to do 4 miles?  We are going to run 13.1 tonight!”  I was stoked.  It didn’t take long and I made my way to the left side of the lanes to start looking for the Husband & Mama & Pops.  I figured we probably wouldn’t see them but I had high hopes that we would.  I heard the Husband yell, “JOEY!”  And I couldn’t have been more ecstatic to see them at that moment.  They yelled words of encouragement & love and I threw my jacket and kept running.  It was super early in the race, but it provided me with a huge burst of energy to see them.  It was right around then that I lost Tracey.  It was soooo crowded and I kept trying to look around, people watch, and sight see, and then I would look over and she would be behind me.  So I just kept on going.  When I was running by the Bellagio, the water/light show was going on the entire time.  It was so awesome and I remember just thinking how grateful I was to God for this opportunity.  I was feeling overwhelmingly grateful for the people in my life and for feeling great so far on the run.  The PU Club of Vegas ran a water station at mile 2.5.  I knew I wouldn’t be ready for water yet at that point, but as soon as I saw my Boilermakers, I started yelling “Boiler up!”  It was awesome to see them, too. 

I started taking margarita flavored Clif Shot Bloks around mile 3 and planned to eat one just before every water station.  I was feeling good and absolutely loving the race. 

Around mile 11, I started significantly slowing down.  The water stations were running low on water and my legs and feet were really starting to hurt.  I remember being upset to hear “you’re almost there” around mile 10.  Because while yes, we only have 3 more miles, WE STILL HAVE TO RUN 3 MORE MILES, after just running 10!  As we were nearing Tropicana, people started yelling from the sides that the green lights ahead were the finish line.  So I started pushing hard.  I got there and was pretty devastated to see that we still had to turn and keep going for what felt like forever.  But it was in that turn that I saw Mama & Pops again!  And I definitely needed that!  I was so excited to see them, even though I was a bit confused to not see the Husband.  I pushed really hard toward the finish and immediately felt like I was going to pass out after I crossed the finish line. 

I have never blacked out before but I’m certain I was close for the hour following the finish.  The staff wouldn’t let me sit on the edges of the finish line, but standing up in the crowd that was barely inching forward only made it worse.  I was feeling pretty miserable in every possible way.  After what seemed like forever, I finally found my Mama @ our designated meeting spot in the family reunion area.  I really felt like I was going to collapse in her arms.  I hugged her tight, let her put my coat back on me and her scarf around me, and then the Husband showed up.  I hugged him and then immediately started puking.  After a couple of minutes, my Dad showed up and I’ve never seen him look more worried.  We decided to start making our way into Mandalay Bay which was absolutely chaos.   When we got inside, it was hard to find a bathroom, of which I was in desperate need.  We were told we were almost there when all of a sudden I knew I couldn’t stop the vomit anymore.  I started puking in a bag that my Mom brought for me.  I finally found a bathroom and when I went to wash my hands, got a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  I was literally green in color.  It was scary and bad.  But it was also my turning point because I started feeling better moments later.  I was so grateful to have my parents and the Husband there.  They were so patient with me and I so appreciated their support. 

My first half marathon stats:

2:29.34

Overall: 16,724 out of 33,123

Division: 1,461 out of 3177

Female: 8,198 out of 21,051

Before the Big Half…

Wow!  What a weekend! 

Friday was kind of a blur of a day.  I went to the expo.  I was overwhelmed as soon as I arrived.  The place was packed!  I quickly picked up my packet and shirt and moved through the crowd to the huge Brooks display, where I met Jill, Charlene, Casey, Erin, Tim, & Rob.  I was super excited to meet people that I follow through blogs and Twitter!  Especially exciting because many are locals, too, and I’m always excited to meet people here with similar interests!

I slowly made my way through all of the expo booths and the crowds.  I really wished that the Husband could’ve come, as I think he would’ve enjoyed it a lot too.  After spending almost 2 hours weaving in and out of the rows of vendors and people, I made my way back to the parking garage and managed to sit in traffic for a good 25 minutes.  That was fun.  I picked the Husband up from work and we went over to Red Rock to stop by a friend’s party.  We stayed about 45 minutes and then had to quickly make our way back toward the airport to pick up my parents.  They came to town just to see me race!  We took them to dinner at one of our favorite sushi restaurants & then we got fro yo & enjoyed the rest of the night at home. 

Saturday, I got busy carb loading at EggWorks.  We had never been there before but it was delicious!  I had the veggie breakfast skillet, which had toast, eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onions, green peppers, & cheese.  Mmm, my stomach is growling now just thinking of it.  Because it was our first visit, they also gave each of us the most moist and delicious banana nut muffin ever.  More carbs… YUM!

My Mom & I spent the day shopping and the Husband & my Dad gambling.   We continued the carb loading at Ferraro’s for dinner.  I can’t recommend this place enough.  House made pasta, organic meats, grass fed beef… So, so good!  I loaded up on the bread basket before my dinner came and still managed to eat my entire helping of lasagna, along with bites of everyone else’s food.  To be honest, I eat this way all the time but it was nice to have the excuse that I was fueling for my race!  

My Dad wanted to gamble some more after dinner so I convinced him to go to Mandalay Bay so that I could hopefully go to the blogger meet up.  We didn’t stay long but I was able to meet Jess & the Coach, Nesa, Kim, Kittee, & Rebecca, which was pretty amazing.  Nesa, Kim, & I talked about how weird it is to see people in person that you have been following through blogs &/or Twitter for an extended period of time.  It is sort of like, ok… I know the name of your blog, your Twitter name, what your kitchen looks like, your pups names…. But what is your real name??  And you almost feel as if you KNOW them even though this is the first time meeting in real life.  Unfortunately I’m a total loser and did not take a single picture this entire time. 

So far, the weekend was pretty amazing.  I have never been more grateful to see my parents.  When we lived in IN, I saw them at least once/week if not more.  Now, I see them whenever I can.  This time, there was a little over two months between visits.  Besides the Husband, they are my BFFs and I love hanging out & spending time with them! 

Check back later for a complete race day recap!!!