2014 Blooms to Brews

April 13th was the Blooms to Brews half marathon event in Woodland, Washington. This was the second year for the event to take place and Bullseye's and my first year to participate in it. The course was awesome and I'll definitely be doing it again next year!

Before the race, Bullseye presented me with an adorable gift... haha

"Buzz and Bullseye take a Selfie!"

The weather was beautiful! It started out cold and sunny and quickly became WARM and sunny! The course was flat and wide, not many vehicles to deal with at all. There was a three-quarter mile dirt road we had to take towards the end that was very rocky and uneven. Other than that, it was one of the nicest routes I've been on. The weather was perfect for a Sunday afternoon stroll but for those of us that wanted to move a little quicker than a stroll... the sun - without ANY shady spots to speak of - was tough to deal with. (But hey, I'm not complaining!) It is hard to believe I can sweat like that in 65 degrees! :)

This was Bullseye's recap on Facebook the following day:

Yesterday's race in Woodland (Blooms to Brews) was an awesome flat course event. Buzz and I did our first 3 miles together and paced under 12 minutes per mile -- which is REALLY good for us. Both Jacqueline and I have always had the mindset that walking/running is a competition against ourselves, not each other or the person next to us. We will have good days and bad days and if you're having a good day -- GO FOR IT -- we'll celebrate at the end with a cold beer. And we will always cheer each other on. I was having a good day yesterday and went ahead of Buzz. As I said the course was flat and well supported with volunteers. The only downer was the 3/4 mile dirt/gravel pot-holed road we had to use. I was a little afraid I would fall or trip so I didn't run much during that section. AND -- I really think it was longer than 3/4 of a mile. LOL In any event, I finally broke my 3 hour time with 2:44:28 with a 12:33 pace. WHEW! Buzz came in shortly after me. The only thing I would change is to definitely wear a tank top. Despite leaving the house at 27 degrees, it warmed up quickly and there was no shade on the route. IT WAS VERY WARM. All in all, it was a great day, with my great friend and we shared that ice cold beer at the end.

She had an awesome run!

Way to go Bullseye for finally getting under the three-hour mark! Not only did you get under it, you crushed it!!

Me, I just didn't have it in me. I enjoyed the route and spent all but those first three miles on my own, in my head, just thinking about life - what I want out of it and what it's going to take to accomplish it. I was very peaceful and really didn't care when I crossed that finishline as long as I crossed it on my own two feet. In the end, I did a lot better than I thought I would do. I finished in 3:00:29 (If only I could have finished 30/100th of a second faster... I would have been under 3 hours! haha I've been under the 3 hour mark before AND I was enjoying the peace and beauty of the day, so no big deal.) I was very happy with my time. I averaged 13:47 minute miles. I'm good with that!

We earned these....

 And these...!

Cheers!

 

Another half notched out on our belt of events! Another fun piece of bling! Great event!

 

 

P.S.  Next year, Blooms to Brews is adding a FULL marathon.  Hummmmm....

On the Mend

How true!

I've had a long hard year but things are definitely looking up again.  I'm moving in the right direction and I'm feeling good!  After hitting the bottom of this whirlwind life of mine (or what I hope was the bottom), I awoke feeling like a new person with a better perspective. I've been able to sit down and THINK clearly and start putting the pieces of my broken self back together again.  I saw some pretty dark days and never do I want to find myself there again.  Somewhere along the way I lost myself - belief in myself. I shut everyone out and buried myself deeper and deeper into my suffocating hole. It was a very lonely, dark place to be.  No more. I feel the sunshine, hear the music and know that I have emerged once again. I have found my peace and it feels awesome!

I'm ready to get this blog back on the path it was meant to be on... one about walking/running and weight loss - but first I'll have to dust off the crumbs of those four Oreo cookies I just ate!   I appreciate all of the support I have received from so many of you, strangers and friends alike.  Thanks for the personal e-mails and the messages. It's always a comfort to know people care, especially when you are in your darkest of days. Thanks for helping pull me through my personal storm.

Now, about walking/running....

Bullseye and I are doing the full marathon here in Vancouver on June 15th.  It will be Bullseye's first full marathon and my fifth. As always, I expect it to be a great experience!  :)

We ARE training and neither of us are plagued with injuries - unlike last year! We no longer belong to an official training program but we know the drill, we've been doing it long enough! We are committed to training and to training with each other so we will both be successful in June.  Without the training, it's hell and you end up hurt (as described in last year's Marathon post here.).  Not so smart.

We are walking and running, doing what feels best to us at the time.  We will be doing 12 miles tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it! Last week we did 11 miles in the POURING rain! We were SOAKED to the bone but were laughing and actually having a great time! Dare I say... IT WAS FUN!!   Tomorrow there is a less chance of rain but you never know around here.  Regardless, we'll be out there training and we'll have a good time doing it.  :)

As for weight loss...

There hasn't been much of that going on for me but at least I'm not gaining.  I lost 7 pounds but haven't gone down any further.  Could it be those Oreo cookies?! I'm struggling to stay committed but I'm trying. I've lost it before and know I can lose it again. One step at a time here. I'll get there. I no longer binge eat (I haven't since before the holidays) but I love sugar (duh!) and have a hard time staying away from it. It's truly an addiction. Better than alcohol, I suppose, but still... a bad addiction.

About Elephants...  So much for staying on topic - I'm chattier when I feel good! heh heh...

I went to Celestial Awakenings to buy more incense and some rocks I "needed".  My son told me to ask the owners why I was so attracted to and attached to elephants. I LOVE THEM! - I have elephant tattoos, elephant pictures in my home, elephant figures, elephant jewelry, etc. - they are the only animal I really want to see at the zoo and I would own one if I could!! (I know... crazy, huh?!)  But WHY? 

If anyone could tell me, I knew they could.  Jeff, one of the owners, took me straight over to an animal book and looked up elephants.  Everything it said was totally ME. Amazing.

The Elephant is my animal spirit guide.

(Hey... I am who I am and I make no excuses or pretenses.)

Elephant represents gentle strength, loyalty and love of family, partners and friends. They are also a symbol of sexuality. <---- Well... ok... not TOTALLY me but skip this statement!  Elephant is very sensitive to fragrance and smells (Sooo true! I'm allergic to fragrance and I can smell things a mile away!), which may be a message to you to work with aromatherapy (I love earthy smelling incense and find them very relaxing.).  As your animal totem, Elephant reminds you of the importance of taking care of family — especially the young and the elderly. He teaches compassion and loyalty. He represents royalty, ancient wisdom, power and strength. Due to his great strength, he can help you remove obstacles that are getting in the way of your happiness, goals and ability to lead a stable life.  (Boy do I need the Elephant in my back pocket right now!)  

Elephant’s cycle of power is year-round.

If Elephant Shows up (like... every day... he's tattooed on my body!)...

Make it a point to be of service in some way to the young, elderly, or those less fortunate than yourself.  (Soooo me!)

Do not let anything stand in the way of attaining this goal that is so integral to your purpose.

You have the determination and persistence required to overcome the current challenges you are faced with.

Trust your senses, and if something in your life “smells” bad, take the necessary action to do away with it.

Remain loyal to those closest to you in spite of anyone questioning their integrity.

It’s a good time to renew your sense of connectedness to the divine.

And ONE MORE random topic here...  FUNDRAISING

I'm about to seriously start fundraising again for the 3-Day, 60-Mile walk I do every year in support of breast cancer! It's my FIFTH YEAR! I'm already off to a good start but need to get moving on it so I don't panic at the last minute to get my fundraising completed. Every single walker must raise $2,300.00 to participate.  Would you help me and support a good cause?!  Every single dollar counts and no amount is too small.  Seriously... if you want to help but can only afford $5 - $10... that's perfectly fine and very appreciated! Donate with your name or donate anonymously!  Click here or at the top of my blog to get to my personal donation page.  And... THANK YOU!!