Pad Thai

As you might remember, a while back I attended a cooking class with my sister.  And this weekend I decided to try out the recipes from the class.  First up, Pad Thai.  I love Pad Thai!!  Well, I love Pad Thai from a restaurant, I wasn't sure about Pad Thai from my kitchen.  My quite frequently bare part of the kitchen has been slowly accumulating different ingredients so I didn't have to buy the entire recipe for once!  My first stop was the grocery store.  I decided quite early on to buy the sauce instead of try and make it on my own.  Next time I think I will actually try to make the sauce.  I also didn't quite follow the recipe exactly, even though it was actually a fairly easy recipe, but it turned out okay.  Not nearly as good as Nit Noi (my fave Thai restaurant in Houston!), but not bad at all.

And for the actual recipe:

Two handfuls soft Chantaboon Rice Noodles

3 tablespoons oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup prawns or chicken (optional)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 to 1/2 cup Pad Thai sauce

1/3 cup diced fried tofu

2 tablespoons sweet radish, optional

3 tablespoons chopped chives or green onion

1/4 cup ground roasted peanuts

1 cup bean sprouts

Sauce:

2/3 cup tamarind concentrate

2/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/3 cup fish sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)

3 tablespoons garlic powder

1/4 cup Sriracha chili sauce

• To prepare the sauce - place everything in saucepan and bring to a boil on medium heat for 15 minutes or until the sauce becomes thick.
• Soak the rice noodles in a large bowl of warm water for 30 minutes, or until soft.  Drain and set aside, covered up with a dishtowel.
• Pour 1/2 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet, and add eggs. Scramble into medium-sized pieces, and transfer to plate. Set aside.
• Add in garlic and cook for about 10 seconds. Add chicken; cook, stirring constantly until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
• When the chicken is almost cooked through, stir in noodles, followed by the pad thai sauce.  Let the sauce boil and cook the noodles at the same time; mix well until the sauce is absorbed.
• Stir in the tofu and radish.  Check the noodles, if they are not done add some more sauce.  When they are done, stir in chives, sprouts and peanuts before removing the pan from the stove.
• Serve with fresh sprouts, limes wedges on the side, and extra peanuts on the top.

Sarah's Key

Okay, so it has been a long time since I have done a "book report" so bear with me, and really it isn't that much of a book report at all.  The WWII era has been a fascination of mine for awhile, I think a lot of what draws me are the stories of resistance, ordinary people who helped their fellow man in spite of the consequences.  The cover of the book attracted me (hello Paris!) and then when I realized it was set in WWII, I was sold.  The story drew me in immediately - Sarah, a 10 year old Parisian Jew locked her brother in a closet as they were being rounded up, thinking she would be able to come back and save him.  Sarah's story was intertwined with the present day story of Julia, an American married to a Frenchman, living in Paris.  The pages kept turning and turning as I raced to find out what happened to Sarah's brother.  I was reading this book on a plane and at one point had tears streaming down my face.  Fortunately the person sitting next to me wasn't paying too much attention.  This was a very moving story, I really liked how it moved between the two time lines.

Five Senses Friday

Seeing
Mayonnaise on the ceiling. You may be wondering exactly how that happened... So Jessica & I were making lunch in the kitchen and I went to put away the condiments. The lid on the mayo jar wasn’t fully on and SPLAT! It fell on the ground, and mayo went everywhere, including on the ceiling. How did we find out it was on the ceiling? Because it dropped off onto the floor. We were cracking up!!  Fortunately not too many people were in the kitchen and did not witness our mayo debacle.

Hearing
Lots of noise due to the fact we are packing up the office to move to another building

Tasting
Cinnamon goldfish

Feeling
Raindrops

Smelling
Not much – not sure if it is the dust being resettled from packing or a summer cold, but my nose is not a happy camper

Training
Swim: 2 pool swims
Bike: A fairly flat ride along with Sammamish River Trail, with no iPod - it was actually nice to listening to all the other sounds

NY to LA

My trip to NY sort of came out of nowhere. One minute I was looking forward to a relaxing Memorial Day weekend with no plans and the next I was heading to NY! I was going for work, but took advantage of the holiday weekend to head a few days early, along with my boss (L) and her son (E). Because it was somewhat last minute I didn't have much time to plan, but I had a list of suggestions from Mandi and a book I bought at the airport and my list of things to do. As with a lot of trips, I didn't get to everything but that just means I have reasons to come back.

The flight was uneventful. We got our luggage and headed to the hotel. When we arrived we were greeted with the sight of a street fair right in front of the hotel. We checked in and freshened up before setting out to explore. The street fair was fun, with similar vendors each block. Our meandering brought us into view of the Chrysler Building before we turned to check out Grand Central Station. From there we made our way to Times Square, and I do have to say I have a much better feeling about Times Square after this trip, even if it isn't truly a "square". We people-watched, hit the M&Ms store and then decided to call it a night.

Bright and early the next morning we made our way down to catch a ferry for the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island. The tickets to see the statue up close were sold out, but we were still able to walk around and admire Lady Liberty from afar. Ellis Island was amazing - just thinking of how many people made their way through those halls, full of hope for a new life was really neat. And the views on the ferry ride to and from were fantastic! Walking back from the ferry, we saw the line to get on board was ridiculously long. Good thing we got there early - we were able to walk on!

From there we headed to the downtown area and Ground Zero. Even though I had seen the pictures, actually seeing the site of what was the World Trade Center really brought home the amount of devastation happened on 9/11. We walked by the memorial on the wall. I left L & E on a bench while I went and visited St. Paul's Chapel (oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan) & Trinity Church (where Alexander Hamilton is buried). We then walked around, seeing the New York Stock Exchange and the infamous bull of Wall Street, which was completely surrounded by people. We had lunch on Stone Street, a cobblestone street full of restaurants.

We then headed back to Times Square to see what they had to offer at the half price ticket booth - we ended up with tickets to see The Fantasticks. We had time to kill before the show so hung out in Times Square. Have I mentioned yet it was Fleet Week? And so there were sailors all over? Nice! I saw several people stop sailors and ask to have their picture with them. I wasn't brave enough until I was walking by a group of sailors stopped for a photo and they ask if anyone else wants a photo. And I said I did and jumped in for a photo! Who am I?

On to the show - the bandit was hot! He looked like he could have been McSteamy's brother. The show was cute, nothing fantastic (ha - see what I did there?).

It was another early morning, this time to avoid lines at the Empire State Building. The view from the top was incredible! Next up was the American Museum of Natural History, which was huge! We started with the dinosaurs and ended with a giant head from Easter Island. We had lunch at the museum.


We walked across the street to Central Park and walked along the various paths. It was fairly hot and humid so we took a break on a bench. E fell asleep so I left L & E on a bench and continued my explorations of the park. I saw the carousel, the Alice in Wonderland statue, then took the subway up several blocks to check out the Conservatory Garden.


I hopped back onto the subway and made my way to the Brooklyn Bridge and began the trek over the bridge. As I neared the other side, the clouds started looking like rain. I headed down to the waterfront. I wanted to grab pizza at Grimaldi's but the line was down the street and as it was even more threatening rain I decided to get ice cream instead and head back across the bridge. I had just started across when it started pouring. Oh rain. Oh well. It didn't last long, well that burst of rain didn't last long. I was almost across when it started pouring again. Eh, it's just rain! I boarded the subway and headed back to the hotel to meet up with L & E for dinner at a pizzeria prior to going over to the Top of the Rock. The best part of the view from the Top of the Rock? The Empire State Building!


Last day before the meeting. It wasn't a full day either, as the meeting was in NJ and we had dinner with a colleague. So what to do with my half day? I could always do museums, but in the end I decided to go to Coney Island. I can always go to museums, but I can only go to Coney Island when I'm in NY. Besides, it was a beautiful day. I got there as the boardwalk was starting to wake up. I walked along the boardwalk, the beach, the pier before boarding the Wonder Wheel for a spin, and memorializing my trip with a stop in the photobooth. Lunch was at Nathan's. And then it was time to head back to the city to meet up with L & E.


I had a little bit of time before I needed to meet L & E, so I went to the NY Library to see the real Winnie the Pooh!


The meeting went well (I think) and then I was on a plane back to Seattle. I got home and started packing for Disneyland. When Jana & I decided to go to Disneyland, NY was not on the horizon.


A few hours at the office the next morning, and then I was on a plane again. But this time to see Mickey!! I met Jana at the airport and we got on the shuttle. We stayed at a Best Western right across the street from the entrance! Talk about location. We walked over to the park to get our tickets. The price for tickets was fairly comparable to upgrading our annual pass (yes, I did renew my WDW annual pass) to a Premier Pass, which is an annual pass for both WDW & DL! We started off at the ticket booth, and they directed us to the annual pass center, which had a few problems and for a minute or two we were wondering if we were going to be able to upgrade! But they persevered and figured out how to upgrade our pass. And for the rest of the trip, every time we whipped out the pass we were treated like super stars! It is a new pass and not many people have it yet.


Disney, Disneyland! It was Jana's first time to Disneyland. We rode several old favorites (Haunted Mansion, Pirates) and several new favorites (Casey Jr, Alice in Wonderland) and I introduced Jana to some of my DL faves (Indiana Jones, Mr. Toad, Roger Rabbit). For lunch we both had a cheeseburger and sometime later both of us started feeling not quite the thing. It was probably a combination of the cheeseburger and the fact we didn't have enough water. We ended up leaving the park a little early and having dinner at a real restaurant before doing some shopping. The real food at the restaurant and the water helped.


California Adventures! We started off with an old favorite (Soarin') and then headed over to Paradise Pier to fast pass California Screamin', but it was broken (yikes!) so we got in line for Toy Story, but 10 minutes into the line and it was closed for technical difficulties. This did not bode well. A few rides later (Mulholland Dr, Jumpin' Jellyfish) and our ride difficulties seemed to be in past. The best part of the day ended up being when we went to see Aladdin - wow! I think that is my favorite Disney show ever!! The entertainment started early with the family next to us.

Kid: "What is this about?"
Dad: "A guy who flys around on carpets and sells cars"

They were cracking us up! And during the show (during A Whole New World) the kid continued with the funny: "It's Good Night Moon!"

The show was awesome - the Genie incorporated a ton of pop culture references which were hilarious, my favorite being Twitter. After the show we headed to the Animation Studios where we learned to draw Minnie, visited the Beast's library and sang after Ursula stole our voices. It was so much fun!

We headed back to Disneyland for a few more rides before dinner and Fantasmic!! I do admit the Fantasmic set up at WDW is more friendly (with the stadium and plenty of seats) but I think I like the DL Fantasmic better. Even if I couldn't quite see everything from where I was standing.  After the show we rode a few more rides and closed the park down.

Our last day, and a partial day at that. We rode a few rides and had Mickey Ice Cream before Jana had to leave. We said goodbye and I had a few more hours left which I spent visiting Tinkerbell and riding Big Thunder & Pirates before I said goodbye to Mickey as well.


But with my new pass, it won't be goodbye for long! See ya real soon!  I will leave you with a few pictures, as I am still sorting through them all...

Five Senses Friday

NY one weekend, LA the next, I will be happy to relax this weekend!!  And unpack my suitcase.

Seeing
Jana at Disneyland

Hearing
You won! (well it was really reading, but I can pretend it was hearing!) Yes, I won a contest!  I’m very excited to pick through my race numbers and t-shirts for my bag.

Tasting
Steak, with yummy mashed potatoes

Feeling
Sunburned!! Ouch!

Excited for World Cup! And conflicted – US vs England, who do I root for? When it comes down to it, I will root for the US, but I will not cry if England wins.

Smelling
Aloe Vera (to help with the sunburn)

Training
2 pool swims, and they were not my best. But at least I made it to the pool!

For more Five Senses, check out Mandi's or Abby Try Again.

Five Senses Friday

Woohoo!!  Friday is here!  It has been a loooong week, in fact it has been a long two weeks.  I am leaving early tomorrow morning for NYC, and I really haven't started packing so it might be a long night.  Hm, reflecting on my Five Senses and I think you sense it has been not a very fun week.  Negative?  Just a bit...  Anyway, since we are heading into prime training season (for me), I am adding a new section especially for training to the five senses.  While it may not be particularly interesting for all, it does help & motivate me! :)  Of course the week I decide to make this new section I did not do much in the way of training.  A couple later nights at work disrupted my schedule.

Seeing

• A scene straight out of Make Way For Ducklings - on my bike ride I came across two families of Canadian geese herding their little goslings across the path.  Had I thought about it, I would have taken a picture.

Hearing

• Myself speak as I go through what I will be talking about in NY.

Tasting

• I will be eating a lot of good food in NYC!

Feeling

• Incredulous, mixed with frustration – really, I mean really? Which then leads to stress... I tell you, I will be happy when this week is over.

Smelling

• Asphalt – I will be so happy when the construction is done on the new building!

Training

• First bike ride of the year! I kept it on the short side, but was feeling really good on the way out. After I turned around and started back into the head wind, I realized (at least part of the reason) why the out felt good. The in was a bit more of a struggle, but all in all it felt good to be back on the bike!
• 2 pool swims

List #8 Questions I Still Have About Lost

I just watched the finale of Lost, or I should say cried my way through the finale.  I'm still processing, but here are a few thoughts.  Sayid & Shannon's reunion even brought a tear, but I bawled with Sun & Jin, Kate, Claire & Charlie, and especially Sawyer & Juliet.  And Jack, what can I say about Jack?  I had actually soured a little bit on Jack the last few seasons, but that all changed this season.  I re-connected with my love for Jack.  And while the finale didn't answer a lot of my questions (hence the list), it was a really well done episode.  I thought it was very compelling, and at least it answered this season's question!  But here we go with some of my questions:  

1. What was the deal with the numbers?  I mean, I realize they are candidate numbers, but why were they on the hatch?
2. What made Desmond special?
3. Who built the statue?
4. Why wasn't Michael, Walt, Miles, Frank or (especially) Richard at the church?
5. Why did women have problems with getting pregnant and/or giving birth on the island?
6. How did Dharma find out about the island?  And why were they there?
7. Why was Ben able to kill Widmore (when he couldn't a few seasons ago)?
8. What's up with the wheel?
9. What happened with Claire in the three years she was lost in the jungle?
10. What was the point of the bomb?  Did it go off?
11. I could go on, but those are my major questions.

Couldn't the producers come out with an addendum?  Or a Q&A session?  I'm okay with the answer being, it was a red herring or it was a story line we decided not to develop.  I just want to know.  And can I say I would happily watch a Sawyer/Ben show?  Or a Sawyer show?  Or a Ben show?  Sawyer can bring the funny sarcasm like no one else (not to mention how yummy he is without his shirt), and Ben, well you can never know what Ben is thinking.  Or a Ben/Hurley/Sawyer show.  Or a Sawyer/Miles show.  Or, or, or...I guess what I'm trying to say is I would love to see Josh Holloway or Michael Emerson on my TV again.

List #7 Things to do in NYC

I haven't done a list in awhile and I thought this would be a fun topic!  And feel free to chime in with any suggestions!  I am off to NYC for work, and since the meeting is right before Memorial Day and for the first time in awhile I don't have any Memorial Day plans, I decided to go a few days early and explore since the last (and only) time I went to NYC was for less than a 24 hour period in an attempt to get enough miles to be elite.  So here is my wish list of things to do in NYC, in no particular order:

1. Empire State Building
2. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
3. Central Park
4. American Museum of Natural History
5. Ground Zero
6. Times Square (and can I just say how disappointed I was to find out it wasn't an actual square?)
7. MoMA
8. Rockefeller Center
9. Serendipity

Chloe

A visit to the orthopedic surgeon, followed by a visit to a neurologist and it seems we have an answer to Chloe's symptoms.  The diagnosis is one of the disks in Chloe's back is irritated.   Apparently shih tzus have long backs, similar to a dachshund.  So now Chloe is on bed rest for the next 3 to 4 weeks.  No walks, no playing, and definitely no jumping.  The hope is bed rest will allow the disk to heal, and if not, an MRI to see if surgery will be required.  This will be interesting - keeping Chloe quiet, while not destroying her spirit.   

Heroes 10K

This morning, bright and early, I showed up at Gas Works Park for the inaugural Heroes Half & 10K.  It had slipped my mind until this week, but I thought why not?  A 10K shouldn't be too bad.  I should have rethought the race when I saw the start time was 7 a.m.  Ugh, which meant I was up early.

I made it to registration and picked up my number, t-shirt and chip.  The t-shirts looked quite small so I asked for a men's shirt, hoping it would fit, and it did for the most part, but hearing a couple of the girls complain about how small the shirts were behind me in the line for the bathroom, I think I did right in asking for a men's instead of a women's shirt.

The race started in waves, which wasn't clear until you got up close to the front.  They asked the slower runners to hold off, so I stood off to the side until probably the second to last wave.  I didn't have a good plan going into this race for a run/walk ratio, so we'll be playing it by ear (or knee as the case may be).

I knew the 10K split from the half at some point, but I wasn't familiar enough with the course map to know where and I started getting nervous.  I kept looking for blue race numbers (10K) but all I could see were the red race numbers (half).  But there was no need to worry - they had volunteers at the separation point, and I dutifully followed the 10K signs.  My first walk break was forced when I came across uneven wooden railroad tracks.  Even slowing down to a walk didn't stop me from slipping a couple of times.  Somewhere between 2K and 3K the fast boys doing the half started passing me.  A little demoralizing that it happened so early, but not unexpected.

I kept trudging along, walking through the first water stop (approx mile 2).  One of the fast boys said to me as he passed "Great job!  Hang in there!"  I'm always so impressed by people who cheer on others.  It's all I can do to breathe!  Thanks!!  I accept any and all cheers!!

I walked through the second water station (approx mile 4).  I was starting to feel it a bit in my legs so I decided to run 6 songs, walk 1.  That lasted through one hill and halfway up another before I slowed to a walk.  I got to the top of the hill and started running again.  I had another unanticipated walk break on the downhill - it was fairly steep and given my propensity for tripping I thought it would be better to slow to a walk. 

I had reached the top of a hill (another one) when I realized I didn't have my race number anymore!  I stopped trying to see if I had just lost it, but it was nowhere to be found.  I was so disconcerted.  I don't lose my race number!  I shook it off and continued.  I was beginning to think I was going to have to rethink my strategy and start running 1 song and walking 1 song.  But all the worrying about the race number had carried me to the 9K sign.  1K?  I can so run 1K!  With that reassurance I powered through, although that might have been the longest 1K ever!  But finally I crossed the finish line!!  Yay!!

And the stress over losing my race number?  Well I'm almost embarrassed to admit, but guess what I discovered when I looked down after I crossed the finish line?  Yup, my race number.  My race belt had slipped and gotten tangled with my layers of shirts and when I initially looked down, didn't see or feel it, I assumed it was gone forever.  Whew!

Going into the race, I had hoped to finish in around 1hour 20 minutes.  After the second water station (when I began to fall apart), my new goal was 1 hour and 30 minutes.  As I crossed the finish line the clock read 1:28:52 (or there abouts).  Woohoo!!  Plus, this was the clock time, not my chip time.  Sweet!  My chip time, you ask?  Why, 1:20:48 - nice!

Again, running the shorter race meant there wasn't a long line to get stretched out.  Wow, he stretched me in ways I didn't know I could move.  I stretched a little more on my own before getting in my car and heading to hot yoga to continue the stretching process.  I was fairly useless in hot yoga but I did get a few good warriors and chattarongas in.  I have found going to hot yoga after a longer run greatly reduces the soreness the next day.

And that was my morning!

Five Senses Friday

Seeing

• Rain, rain go away!

Hearing

• Birds chirping – oh, that sounds so nice except when it is too early in the morning and before my alarm goes off. And wouldn’t you know it, I don’t fall back asleep until 5 minutes before my alarm.

Tasting

• I will be tasting some cupcakes later today! Yum!!

Feeling

• Frustrated & challenged – it has been an interesting week to say the least
• Very chilly pool water – shouldn’t the pool be a little heated?

Smelling

• The leftover scent of someone’s cloying perfume in the elevator

The Patient

Chloe is not a model patient. Poor thing - she is suffering from cabin fever already. All she wants to do is play, but she forgets about her ankle, or is playing through the pain. Her ankle is still quite wobbly. The stairs are now blocked to prevent her from running up and down them, which means I need to remember that as well!

And in other news - in spite of rumours of rain, the sun was out today, and had some heat with it. There is no place like Seattle when the sun is out!! I went for 4 miles in the park. I felt good, and my knee felt good. It was nice to be out in the sun! I'm not sure when I became a runner, and while I'm not fast I do think I can now call myself a runner.

Saturday Musings

My knee, while still a little "off", is much better than it has been. So this morning it was off to kickboxing and then hot yoga.

Speaking of knees, I'm not the only one with problems. Chloe has been acting not herself and then was noticeably limping so it was off to the vet. At first the diagnosis was her knees and she would need surgery. Yikes!! But the x-rays showed it wasn't her knees, but her ankle. We should hear back in the next week what the next step will be. For now, the goal is to keep Chloe resting, which is not an easy task.

Back to today - my sister had signed up for a cooking class on Thai Restaurant favorites which intrigued me so I signed up as well, as one of the dishes they were advertising was Phad Thai. And anyone who has eaten thai with me knows that I love Phad Thai! And so learning how to make it myself was quite appealing.

The class was good - we were split up into groups of four and we made Green Curry Chicken and Phad Thai. The other two dishes the instructor made most of, but talked us through it. One of the more interesting parts of class was when the instructor showed us how she dices an onion. I'd try to explain it here but I don't think it would translate quite well... The Green Curry called for Thai eggplants - which look a lot like tomatoes. I had never given eggplants much thought before. I'm excited to try the recipes on my own!

And now I'm going to sit back, relax and watch Princess & the Frog (I know - I can't believe it has taken me this long to watch it either!!)

Five Senses Friday

Seeing
* Mountains!! Is it just me or are they looking especially majestic lately? Or maybe it's because the sun is out and you can see them! :)

Hearing
* My inner 12 year old girl self is loving the new Jonas Brothers song

Tasting
* Mostly allergen free carrot cake (i.e. no wheat, dairy, eggs, etc.) made by my sister. It was yummy!
* Nonfat Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with a shot of espresso - I will be both sad and glad when the frappuccino happy hour promotion is done with, but until then I will happily sip my frappuccino and not think about calories!

Feeling
* Happy it is Friday and almost the weekend!!

Smelling
* Chlorine

Kirkland 5K

Well I wasn't sure how this race was going to go. Last week, I upped my miles a little too quickly (or at least that is my self diagnosis). My knee didn't hurt exactly, but wasn't feeling quite right, very tense, stiff and almost as if it was compacted. I decided to take the week off from everything but swimming, hoping that rest was what I needed. My chiropractor was on vacation, so I went to the vacation chiropractor. She helped loosen things up, but it wasn't the same. Towards the end of the week I realized that while my knee was bothering me, the problem might be my hip. Hmm. I decided to see if I could get in for a massage. Wow! What a massage! It was not a relaxing massage by any means, but she really worked my hip and my knee.

I decided to go ahead and do the 5K, with the thought that I would slow down to a walk at any time my knee started bothering me. I picked up my race shirt and chip the day before, and while I was there I picked up a foam roller! Check #15 off my 33 Things list.

I drove to the race site, nice and early, knowing parking could be a problem. And there was no parking to be had at the main lot, so I turned off and parked along the street about a half mile or so from the race start. I walked to the start, tried to keep warm by standing in the sun and stretched until it was time to line up.

And GO! What is fast becoming a pet peeve of mine is when people don't line up according too their pace. I know I'm not fast so I line up at my pace marker. I don't want to be run over, and I hope other people don't want to run me over. It is a chip start people, your time doesn't start until you cross the timing mat. I spent the first part of the race dodging people and checking in with my knee. While I was prepared to walk, I was hoping to run as much as possible. I was doing okay until the hill. I knew if and when I stopped running it would be that much harder to start again and as I long as I kept running I would be okay. I hung on as long as I could but about 3/4 of the way up I lost my momentum and slowed down to a walk. No problem, I can do this. I reached the crest of the hill and started running again. Somewhere between Mile 1 & Mile 2 I had a second shot as there was a shorter, steeper hill. This time I nailed it!! It was mainly downhill after that. And I'm happy to say I ran every remaining step (after the brief walk up the hill).

My time? I knew going into this I wouldn't PR, but I was pleasantly surprised with my time - 39:07. Not my best, but far from my worst! And even though I didn't run the whole thing, I am counting this as race #1 of 12 to satisfy #21 on the 33 Things list. Alrighty, we are making progress on the list!

The best part about running the shorter distance of the race? All the goodies were there at the end of the race! Usually by the time I arrive at the finish line, all the goodies are picked over and sometimes there is no water left. But not this time! The line at the massage booth was short so I hopped up on the table for my 5 minutes. Afterwards, the therapist asked about my hip - even in 5 minutes she could tell I was having issues. Yes, it is still tight, but not nearly as bad as it was at the beginning of the week.

I walked back to my car and made it to church. Then it was time to celebrate Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

And now it is time to take some ibuprofen, and chill with my ice packs!

Five Senses Friday

Seeing
* Weird weather, rain, sun, hail and pretty much everything in between. And sometimes all in the space of a couple of hours!
* Denise Austin at my building - I saw her, knew I recognized her, but didn't put the pieces together of who she was until she spoke. And then I knew - that voice had told me what to do before!

Hearing
* “Going to the chapel and we’re gonna get married” One of my co-workers is getting married today and yesterday several people walked by her cube singing that song

Tasting
* Cinco de Mayo potluck at work

Feeling
* My knee is feeling out of sorts – not really hurting, but not right. I’m continuing to ice it. And we’ll see about my 5K on Sunday...

Smelling
* Onions, which made me cry as I chopped them up

Tulips, Waterfalls, & More

I haven’t been good about keeping current with all my adventures, but with this post I should be just about caught up! Khrissy came up to visit, she has been enamored of seeing the tulip festival for awhile now and it finally worked out for her to come up. Yay! I picked Khrissy up at the airport and after dropping off her luggage, we headed over to Redhook for dinner. It was great catching up, and a little surreal seeing her in Seattle and not Houston.

Saturday we started the morning off with a trip to Krispy Kreme since there aren’t any more in Houston. We drove up to the Tulip Festival, hoping that the big dark rain clouds would stay behind. The clouds did follow us, but it only sprinkled. We walked around the tulips, admiring all the different colors. It was the last weekend of the festival, so there was only one field open, but it still had a lot of tulips. After that we drove up to Bellingham, along Chuckanut Drive to have a late lunch/early dinner in Fairhaven.

Sunday ended up being a photo-stop tour of Seattle. First was Newcastle Golf Course to admire the view across the lake to Seattle, followed by Snoqualmie Falls. I gave Khrissy the option of appreciating the view of the falls from the top or hiking to the bottom and then back to the top. She chose to hike, so hike we did. From there we went into Seattle, stopping at Kerry Park for the view of the Space Needle. Then it was a trip to Pike Place Market before heading back over to try a cupcake from NY Cupcakes.

And just like that it was time to drop Khrissy off at the airport. It was fun playing tourist in Seattle, I really need to do that more often! And it was great to have Khrissy in town – just like old times!

Congrats to Ben & Jana!!

I think it was in London a few years ago when I first heard about Ben – he worked with Shilpa and she thought Ben & Jana might hit it off. A month later in the Bahamas I started hearing a little more about Ben. Finally I met Ben at Disneyworld and I could see how good he and Jana were together, and how good they were too each other. Fast forward to now, which takes us to their wedding in Playa del Carmen. When Jana asked me to be a bridesmaid I immediately said yes! I would love to stand with you as you get married.

Leading up to the wedding, there was just a bit of panic around the dress. First, was it going to arrive on time? It did. Second, was it going to fit? No problem, in fact it needed to be taken in. Third, what about alteration? And here is where the problem(s) arose. Not having much time, I took it to an alteration place near work and they took it in just a smidge too much and did not reattach the very important hook at the top of the dress! Instead they hooked it with a thread which did not do the job (especially with the dress being a smidge too tight!). With not a lot of time left before I had to leave on the plane I did what I had to do. I called my mommy. (Backup plan was to call Jessica’s mommy. Backup plan #2 – safety pins.) One of the difficult aspects of this all was with it being quarter end I didn’t have a lot of time to be running here and there. With Mom on hook duty, that left the whole smidge too small problem. The problem was easily solved if I didn’t wear a bra. Yeah, I don’t do that – the girls need support. But it was either that or find a smaller bra. And again, given the fact I was days away from leaving on the plane it appeared I was going to have to go braless. This should be interesting...

Before I knew it, it was time to leave. I packed hurriedly the night before. As long as I didn’t forget the dress it would be fine. The flights down were on the turbulent side, but I had been upgraded into first for both legs which helped. (As an aside, I don’t know if I’m going to make elite this year and boy am I going to miss the perks if I don’t make it!) I landed in Cancun, made my through immigration, picked up my bags and headed for customs. Guess what - I got chosen to have my bags searched. It ended up being a fairly painless process and I stepped outside to find my shuttle.

It was raining, but finally I found my shuttle rep in the sea of shuttle reps. Waiting for the car, he asked if I was married and was shocked when I said no. He wanted to know why. You and me both!! He went on to say the guys I know must be stupid. It made me feel a little bit better even if he was only angling for a tip or making conversation as my 33rd birthday draws ever closer.

The rain turned into a downpour as we left the airport. The driver asked where I was from and upon hearing Seattle asked about the Sonics. Oh Sonics, why aren’t you still in Seattle? Don’t get me started – stupid Thunder. The hour drive to the hotel ended up being more like an hour and a half with the rain but I made it. I checked in, dropped off my bags and headed over to the dinner restaurant to say hello.

I could hear the rain off and on all through the night and woke up to more rain. At breakfast I ran into several people and found out the plan for the day was to go into town and do a little sightseeing and shopping. We made it into town and walked around a bit before it started pouring so we took shelter in a nearby restaurant and sat and talked over snacks and wine. Jen (who I hadn’t met before) & I bonded over Disney & *NSync. After lunch and a bit more wandering, we walked back to the hotel. As we had some time before dinner we made plans to head towards the beach but wouldn’t you know it? It started pouring!! Instead we congregated in the hotel bar until dinner. It was back to the bar after dinner but after awhile I was feeling tired and headed back to my room.

Saturday morning I woke up to sun!! Yes, sun!! Hooray!! I walked along the beach before gathering up my things and making my way over to Jana’s room to get beautiful. A manicure, hair style and make-up session later I was beautiful as I was going to get. Jana was stunning!! And Shilpa was beautiful as well. All this beauty in one room! :) And then came the knock at the door. It was the wedding planner letting us know it started raining. What?! And with that the wedding was moved from the beach to the breakfast room.

Shilpa & I grabbed a towel and held it over Jana as we sprinted up to the breakfast room. Everyone got organized and soon it was time to walk down the aisle. Jana reached the front and there was a huge thunderclap followed by the lights going out for a second! Talk about a dramatic entrance! Jana & Ben said their vows, signed lots of documents, and were pronounced man & wife. The rain cleared up and they were able to take pictures outside. The rest of the evening was spent eating, drinking and dancing the night away! I somehow ended up doing two tequila shots, which is so not me. I told Jana she was one of very few people I would do a tequila shot for!! :)

Sunday I had a massage on the beach. It was nice, and I enjoyed the actual sound of waves crashing as opposed to a soundtrack of it. I was about to head into town to find some lunch when I came across Jen & Carlos and Ben & Jana about to do the same thing so I joined them. We had lunch at a great restaurant (lobster, yum!) and walked back to the hotel along the beach. We said goodbye to Ben & Jana who were off to enjoy their honeymoon at another hotel. I made plans with Jen & Carlos to meet up at the pool a little later. On my way to the pool I detoured and took a dip into the ocean. We relaxed by the pool alternating reading with dozing. It started getting chilly so we made our way back to our rooms with plans to meet up for dinner later. I stopped off at Ben’s aunt & uncle’s room to have a glass of wine with them before meeting Jen & Carlos. After dinner, we went to another place for dessert – crepes and coffee, but they made it in front of us and at one point pouring fire from one cup to another. It was really good!! We walked back to the hotel and said our goodbyes.

I woke up early Monday morning to catch my tour to Chichen Itza. In general I am not a tour person. I like to go at my own pace. Although the caveat is if the guide is really good. I was not overly impressed with the tour or the guide. Or some of the people on the tour who couldn’t make it back at the appointed time. I admit I have time issues and would rather be early but over 20 minutes late? And no apology? Anyway... But I really did enjoy Chichen Itza. It was very impressive!! The tour was an all-day event and by the time I got back to the hotel I was exhausted. I ate dinner, packed and fell asleep, but not before setting my alarm for way too early in the morning.

The shuttle picked me up at 5:30 a.m. and it was time to head home. I was only upgraded on the first leg, but one leg is better than no legs. On the flight to Seattle I was more than halfway asleep and started dreaming I was in a car and couldn’t stop the car. My foot was pushing on the floor (trying to slam on the brakes) and then I started pulling on my armrest trying to pull the emergency brake! It was at that point the pilot came over the intercom and to tell us we were experiencing turbulence. Oh, no wonder I couldn’t stop the car in my dream!

Congratulations Ben & Jana!!

More Birthday Fun

This week I finally got back to swimrun, next week we will see if we can work the bike into the equation. Each year I think I'm going to keep up swimming, but it hasn't happened. It was good to be back in the pool again!


I had all sorts of birthday fun this week - I had a birthday lunch with my group at work, cupcakes from co-workers, and dinner with Jessica & Nilufer on my actual birthday. Even though it was my actual birthday, it was a joint birthday celebration for all of us. And Friday I had another birthday dinner with Diane, Nikki, Jessica & Nilufer. On Saturday I had a birthday massage (Thanks Dad!). And I had lots of birthday wishes throughout the week!!


On Sunday I headed to the park after church for a "quick" run. The out part wasn't bad, but in part got a little windy. In fact, one runner passed me, got to her turn around point and on the way back called out to me it was better in the other direction! No kidding! I finished up my 5 miles and got home in time for the birthday party. Not only for me, but for my brother and for my dad. Our birthdays are within 5 days of each other. My sister & Kris brought their 2 bulldogs. Chloe wasn't too sure about Jensen & Samson, but from a distance they were okay. It was a fun party. And now I'm sorting through pictures and catching up on some Survivor, Amazing Race & Lost.

Happy Birthday to Me! (aka List #6 Birthday Wish List)

What better post on my birthday than my current big ticket item wish list! In no particular order...

1. MacBook
2. Garmin 310XT
3. Nikon (D40 or similar) or Canon (EOS Rebel or similar)
4. 2 months off work to travel
5. Kindle
6. iTouch
7. Net book

33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34

Happy (almost) Birthday to me!! Which means it is time to unveil my 33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34 List! I look forward to checking off as many as I can. I am also in the process of creating a Life List, so stay tuned for that...

1. Cook once a month
2. Go to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens at Christmas
3. Improve my 5K time
4. Purchase a Disney timeshare
5. Buy a DSLR
6. Take a class to learn how to use DSLR
7. Read 5 books
8. Finish my 2009 Photobook
9. Go to a Husky game
10. Go to a Sounders game
11. Visit a new place (city, state, country...)
12. Go to trivia night
13. Frame some vacation photos
14. Try a spinning class
15. Buy a foam roller
16. Set up an IRA
17. Go up to either Victoria BC or Vancouver BC for the weekend
18. Take a dance class
19. Try a new restaurant
20. Seriously look into buying a house/townhome/condo
21. Run 12 5Ks (the goal is once a month but this may morph into complete 12 races of varying distances)
22. Consolidate my personal email accounts into one
23. Buy a Mac Book
24. Learn how to use the Mac Book
25. Visit the beach
26. Go kayaking
27. Run in the 2011 Princess Half Marathon and stop for more photos
28. Purge my closet
29. Complete 3 Sprint Distance Triathlons
30. Convince myself to try broccoli (it can’t be as bad as I remember it, can it? )
31. Remember to bring bags with me to the grocery store
32. Buy a Garmin watch (or something similar)
33. And one I’ll keep to myself for now!

Final 32 Things Update

Time flies doesn't it? Looking at my list I didn't finish nearly as many things as I would have liked, but I did get a few things knocked off. Stay tuned for the 33 Things To Do Before I Turn 34 List!! Yikes, I'm turning 33!!!

1. Travel to a country I've never been to before. Done – Greece and Poland!


2. Run (or walk) a half-marathon. Yup, it has been awhile since I've done a half-marathon so I guess it's time to try again. Done – I am a Disney Princess Half Marathoner!!


3. Buy a new laptop.


4. Take a photography class.


5. Be a better correspondent (i.e. keep in better touch with my friends).


6. Try out a new recipe. Done – Italian Stuffing & Black Beans & Quinoa
   
7. Start consistently doing a weight-training or strength-training program, either with a trainer or on my own. Done – I stayed after kickboxing a number of times to take the strength training class.


8. Organize all my flotsam and jetsam - either to be scrapbooked or to be disposed of.


9. Visit the Olympic Sculpture Park.


10. Make it through a hot yoga class doing all the postures. Done – As long as it is an hour class I seem to do okay!


11. Travel to one new city in the US. Done - Playa del Carmen, Mexico (it's my list so I can modify right?)


12. Write a chapter for my novel.


13. Start seriously looking at buying a house/townhome/condo.


14. Go to an athletic shoe store where they look at how you walk and recommend a type/style of shoe.


15. Run (emphasis on run) a 5K. Done – Valentine's Day Dash


16. Attend a dance class.


17. Take a wine-tasting class. Done – it wasn’t a class but wine tastings at Chateau Ste Michelle & Columbia Winery.


18. Go to an acupuncturist. Done (11/3)


19. Go to an outdoor movie. Done


20. Go kayaking.


21. Go to a Husky game and go to a Sounders game.


22. Treat myself to a facial. Done (7/25)


23. Take a couple of weekend trips (Oregon coast, Vancouver B.C., etc.)


24. Get a manicure every couple of months. Done (6/13, 8/22, 3/12)


25. Organize my file cabinet. It was organized once upon a time, but since then I've gotten behind and I need to catch back up.


26. Go to trivia night. I used to do this fairly regularly but then life got in the way! Let's see if I can start up the tradition again this year.


27. Get the most out of my annual Walt Disney World pass. That's right folks, I got me an annual Disney pass this year. Done – let’s see I went in May for the triathlon, in July just because, in October for the Tower of Terror 13K, in January because Jana & I didn’t go to London over President’s Day weekend, and in March for the Princess Half. I think that qualifies!


28. Buy a new camera. This really has to happen now as I broke my camera in Greece!! Done – I am now the proud owner of two cameras. But I really want another one.


29. Set up an IRA.


30. Ride Tower of Terror. Done – twice with Michelle & once with Jana.


31. Go to the podiatrist. Done (9/28)


32. And one I'll keep to myself for now. Done

Five Senses Friday

I seem to like the themed Five Senses Fridays!! This episode is all about Jana & Ben's wedding, which took place in Mexico. Hopefully I'll post a little more on that later...

Seeing

• Jana & Ben getting married!! And Jana looking absolutely beautiful. Congratulations guys!!

Hearing

• The waves crashing on the beach.
• Rain, lots and lots of rain.

Tasting

• Pineapples, mangos, papaya, oh my!

Smelling

• The salty sea air

Feeling

• Itchy - why do the mosquitoes love me so?

For more five senses, check out abby try again

Hello Hills

So while nothing has happened on the swim and bike front, the run is slowly coming back into focus. This morning I decided to get a quick run in before church, a haircut and work. Yup, a busy day! I went to a different park than normal, one with lots of hills. Now I haven't run hills in I can't remember how long. I think I need to start working on hills again! I conquered one and took a few strategic walk breaks halfway up on the others.

There were signs of spring all along my run - daffodils, tulips and lots of blossoms!

And you might not hear from me in awhile as I'm off to Mexico to celebrate Jana & Ben's wedding!

Five Senses Friday #17

Seeing
* Jon, Nolan, Kyle, Brian, Lance, Coach K et al celebrating their win!! WOOHOO!! Duke is the 2010 National Champion! I am so excited!! And it was such a good game.

Hearing
* “Your dress is here.” Jana is getting married very shortly and my dress still hadn’t arrived. I was starting to get a little nervous but it arrived and is now being altered.
* The angry beep as I tried to enter the work bathroom code into the hot yoga bathroom key pad. Oops!
* One Shining Moment - my favorite part of the entire NCAA Tournament is when they play that song. It brings tears to my eyes! Not a huge fan of the new Jennifer Hudson version, but still I love this song.

Tasting
* Cajun jambalaya – my very talented cooking co-worker brought in another tasty dish and I had to try it.
* Duke celebration cupcakes! I’m not sure how it started, but ever since the Sweet Sixteen if Duke wins I’ve been bringing in cupcakes.

Feeling
* Frustrated, followed by happy and a little guilty. The person in front of me in the Starbucks drive through was taking FOREVER and I was getting a little irritated. But then it was finally my turn and I drive up and they had paid for my latte! Which made my day, but then I felt bad about being so irritated...so lesson learned. And I continued the trend and paid for the person behind me. Whoever you are that paid for my coffee – thanks, you really made my day!! And I’m sorry for being irritated.
* Ecstatic, excited, exuberant over the Duke win! It was an amazing game and being a Duke fan for 20+ years, there was no way I was switching to Butler, no matter how compelling their story was. I do feel bad for the Butler team to have come so close, but I have no doubt they will be back.

Smelling
* Popcorn – people have made it every day this week and sitting close the kitchen I feel like I am smelling it constantly.
* Alright, we need a Duke themed entry for this category as well...it is cliché but the best I can come up with at the moment – the sweet smell of victory!

If you are interested in more Five Senses, wander over to abby try again.

Dear Motivation

Dear Motivation,

I am still missing you. Three weeks of inactivity (partly due to being sick) have taken their toll on me and and I'm seeing the scale start to creep north.

But I am now trying to find you, rather than waiting for you to find me.

I signed up for the Kirkland 5K. And I sat down and started planning out my triathlon training schedule.

I started back at hot yoga and kickboxing.

I went for a run today, my first one since the Princess Half. It was only a 3 mile run, but I thought I might meet you on the trail. I found a lot of wind on the trail!! But I thought I saw a glimmer of you.

I know you haven't left me Motivation, you are waiting for me to catch up.

Love,
Emily

Five Senses Friday #16

Seeing

• An ex co-worker at hot yoga – not the best place to run into people in my opinion because of the sweaty factor but it was good to see her.
• Very angry storm clouds
• Diane!! I hadn’t seen her in awhile so it was great to catch up.

Hearing

• The splatter of rain against the windows. Hello, spring storm!

Tasting

• Yummy, homemade chicken noodle soup! I have a very talented co-worker who is also very generous in sharing her leftovers.
• Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding – Diane & I had to split this dessert when we saw it on the menu after all the sticky toffee puddings we ate in London. And it was quite delicious!

Feeling

• A little foolish after falling for an April Fools’ joke.

Smelling

• Still not a lot because my nose is still a little stuffed up, although there was some weird smell in the office earlier this week.

List #5 Random Thoughts of the Week

I liked Mandi's list of news for the week and I’m going to copy the idea slightly... List #5 Random Thoughts of the week

1. I have no motivation lately. Or I’m suffering from the blah’s... I don’t know if it is post race blues, or this cold (which ended up being bronchitis) which has got me down. Dear Motivation, Where are you? Why did you leave me alone? Please come and find me. Love, Emily
2. There has been several times when I’ve been to the same place they’ve gone to on the Amazing Race. But this last episode in Reims blew it all away. I’ve been there not once, but
   twice!
3. Seriously, what is going on with Lost? They need to start tying up some loose ends.
4. As of now, the Huskies are out of the tournament. Oh well, it was a fun run while it lasted. I heart my Huskies!
5. Duke is still in the tournament (as of right now - they play tonight). And if they win tonight I will be bringing cupcakes in on Monday out of sheer happiness! Plus, who can pass up a cupcake?
6. So, with me not being motivated and mainly staying on my couch I have caught up on a lot of TV.
7. Maybe there is something to this Daylight Savings – it was light yesterday until 7 p.m.
8. It is probably not a good idea to wear white shorts and no underwear to hot yoga. Just saying...
9. Even with the lack of motivation, I am excited to start swim bike run instead of just run. Hopefully training will start sooner rather than later...

Five Senses on Saturday

So, my fives senses are a day late this week but I wanted to make sure I gave props to my co-worker who made yummy corned beef & cabbage for St. Patrick's Day!!

Seeing:
* Lots and lots of basketball! I love March! And I just finished seeing the Huskies advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
* The sun! I think spring is here.
* Very good friends in Houston.

Hearing:
* Bump! As someone backed into me in a parking lot. Fortunately they weren't going very fast and no damage was done. Worst part? I wasn't driving my car. I'm still so sorry Jason!!

Tasting:
* Wow, Jenn (my co-worker) is an amazing cook! I "guilted" her into making us corned beef and cabbage! And it was really good! I didn't mean to guilt her into it - I asked if she was making it again this year and she hadn't planned on it until I asked. I'm glad I asked! :)
* To top off the St. Patrick's Day celebration, we had Irish Mocha cupcakes from New York Cupcakes.

Smelling:
* Not a lot as I caught a cold on my flight home from Houston.

Feeling:
* Relaxed - I originally had a massage scheduled for Thursday but it was cancelled. But then I was able to get in on Saturday at another place. Ahhh... This was my "reward" for doing the half marathon.

Run Like a Princess

Here it is almost 2 weeks later and I'm still basking in the glow of my half marathon!

My partner in crime for this trip was Jessica. We got in late Thursday night and were up Friday morning ready to go to Animal Kingdom where it took Jessica a couple of rides to work up to the yeti, but finally she conquered her fear and after that she was ready to ride again! But it was time to head to the expo where I checked in for the race. And I was tempted by all the neat things to buy and ended up getting a tiara and another baseball hat. More options to wear for the race! We finished up the night at Epcot, as they had extra magic hours.

The next day was Hollywood Studios, where we saw Taylor Swift and her entourage being escorted to the super secret rock star entrance, before finishing up the day at Epcot, this time to see it in the remaining daylight hours. We didn't spend too long at Epcot. Back at the hotel, I put on a fashion show for Jessica so she could help me pick out my race outfit. I was in bed by 9:30 or so, but didn’t sleep all that well because I was worried I wouldn't wake up, even though we had set 4 alarms. Yup, 4 alarms! No way was I traveling all this way to sleep through the race! :)

Alarm #1 woke me up at 2:30 and it was time to start the day. Soon I was bundled up and on my way to the start line. Once the bus dropped us off, it was a decent walk to check in and then another 20 minute walk to the actual start line. Huddled in my corral, I tried to stretch and keep moving, partly to stay warm! It was a chilly morning!!

I was tearing up at the start as the Fairy Godmother counted down the first wave and the fireworks went off. I think the tears were the culmination of all that I had been working for over the past several months. The next two waves took off and then it was my turn! I crossed over the start line, discarded my gloves and sweatshirt and was off! I soon began wishing I hadn’t gotten rid of my gloves so fast as my hands were freezing!!

The first several miles were all about positioning – dodging runners and walkers left and right and trying to find a spot for myself. Sometime after mile 2, I finally settled into a decent pace and had even warmed up!

My original “mini” goal for myself was to run 4 miles before stopping for my first walk break. Somewhere between mile 2 and mile 3 I had to stop because the princes were cheering us on! I snapped a quick photo and continued on my way. I knew I was going to need to stop soon for a bathroom break as well. I kept passing the port-o-potties until I found one that had a short-ish line.

Before you knew it, we were entering the Magic Kingdom and running down Main Street and through Tomorrowland on our way to the castle. There were lots of opportunities for pictures with the characters. I had told myself at the beginning that I could stop for 2 pictures, so make them count. I passed by Cinderella and Prince Charming because they had a huge line and at this point I was still worried about time. I did stop for Princess Tiana & Prince Naveen (from The Princess & the Frog) because they had a short line. Coming through the castle, I saw the professional photographer was taking pictures in front of the castle – there was a long-ish line for that but I stopped anyway. I think by doing that I may have missed my chance for an action shot in front of the castle, but oh well. From there on out, I kept stopping for photos – not for everyone, but for a lot of them. They had people there to take your pictures, and the lines moved fairly quickly. Darn – I should have stopped for Cinderella! Next time!!

I didn’t actually take an “official” walk break until around mile 10. Don’t get me wrong – I walked through a couple of water stops and stopped several times for photos, so I did take rests, which is sometimes all I need before I can start running again. After mile 10, it was hard to keep running consistently, especially with climbing up the overpasses but I knew I was close to the end. A big smile was on my face - I was going to make it!

Epcot came into view, along with the mile 12 sign. Just one more mile – piece of cake! I made one more stop for a picture with the mice from Cinderella. And then it was mile 13! Only a little bit left! I would have stopped for one more picture had it been Minnie & Mickey, but I must have just missed them and instead it was Donald & Goofy at the finish – they weren’t worth stopping for being so close to the finish line! And there it was - the finish line! I made it!!

I got my medal, met up with Jessica, and switched my hat for a tiara for pictures! With that taken care of, we climbed on the bus and headed back to the hotel. One of the funnier moments for me was after we got off the bus and you could see all the runners hobbling as they started moving again. It made me feel better that I wasn’t the only one who was stiff and sore.

And just like that it was time to start the day over! I took a shower, got dressed, put my tiara on along with my hot pink compression socks and we were off to the Magic Kingdom! Oh yeah, I was styling – especially with the pink compression socks! ;) And while I was tired and stiff, walking around the park helped loosen me up. At one point I was behind a couple of girls who had also ran and we all groaned as we hit the first stair on our way to Big Thunder.

Monday we woke up early to ride the yeti one more time as Jessica hadn’t gotten to fully enjoy the experience the first time, being worried about the ride. We finished up the day with a trip to Downtown Disney before boarding the plane for home.

My official time – 3:08:23! I don’t know why I feel like I need to justify my time, but for whatever reason I do. Finishing in itself is a great accomplishment! And deep down, I am happy with my time, even if it was over 3 hours.

This was a great race – the entertainment was fantastic, the atmosphere incredible and the volunteers were amazing! And after all my declarations of this being my last half – well, I can definitely see myself doing this race again.

List #4 Why I Will (most likely) Run the Princess Half Marathon Again

So I'm still working on the actual race report, but in the meantime - a list! Leading up to this race I was so sure that this was going to be my last half for long time, if ever. I should know by now that generally when I say never, it pretty much guarantees that I will do it with very few exceptions. One exception would be a full marathon - I feel very confident saying no way will I ever do a full marathon. It is just way too long!! It was somewhere around mile 10 where I thought to myself, I could do this again!! Not necessarily any old half marathon - but specifically the Princess Half. And here are a few reasons why.

1. It takes place at Disney World!
2. I get to run through the castle!
3. Taking pictures with the characters (and I'm so stopping for Cinderella next time)
4. Wearing a tiara
5. Embracing my inner princess!
6. The bling!! (I HEART the medal!!)
7. Running with 13,000+ other Princesses (and a few Princes too)
8. So I can take pictures without my hat on (you'll see what I'm talking about once I get around to uploading my pictures)

Seriously - if you could sign up tomorrow for next year's race, I'd be all over it since I'm still on my post half high!

FINISHER!!!

I did it! I finished the half marathon in 3:08:23. More to come later...

List #3 Things in my carry-on bag

Thanks to Mandi for the great idea of a list of things to pack! So here is a list of common things you can find in my carry-on bag:

1. One set of clothing, including pajamas and shoes. This stems back from when my suitcase was lost and I had to go buy underwear and pajamas. Never again!
2. Plastic bag of my liquids/gels. This includes travel sized toothpaste, shampoo, etc. Really, losing the suitcase has left me with a permanent scar, or made me a better packer!
3. Hairbrush
4. Toothbrush
5. Books
6. Notepad & pen
7. Deck of cards. You never know when you will need to pass the time with a deck of cards.
8. Travel documents. How to get to the hotel, my itinerary, etc.
9. Travel pillow. I forget what flight it was where I finally broke down and got a neck pillow. And let me just say, even if I look silly, it does help!

Ready or Not!

Woohoo!! Tomorrow morning I will be boarding a plane for WDW!! And on Sunday I will be running 13.1 miles. Or you know - running interspersed with walking. Which is a different definition for me than it has been previously – walking interspersed with running.

So let’s see what is on the packing list:

• iPod (complete with half marathon playlist)? Check
• Icy Hot? Check
• Epsom salt? Check
• Running shoes? Check
• Race belt? Check
• Various running outfits? Check
• Compression socks (for after the race)? Check
• Bathing suit (to soak in the pool after the race)? Check
• Tylenol (for before the race)? Check
• Ibuprofen (for after the race)? Check
  

I think I’m ready! Or at least prepared! :) I'm still not exactly sure what I'll be wearing race day. I might be all in black. So much for the pink...

And FYI, while iPods are discouraged, they are not prohibited. So I am not breaking the rules by bringing my iPod, because after all I am a rule follower if nothing else.

My goals for this race? In order of how likely they are to occur:

1. To finish!!
2. To finish in under 3 hours and 30 minutes
3. To finish in under 3 hours (this would be absolutely amazing!! And would probably mean no bathroom or picture stops.)
   

Oh, and a final tally on Operation 5 to 10? I’m down about 4.5 lbs, which isn't bad and hopefully will translate into a few seconds off my normal pace!