Six things Saturday.

1. You know that moment when you a get a text that HAD to have been sent by someone who was drunk? Except---- said friend doesn't even drink. You mean you're that bold and crazy when you're sober?? THIS is why we're friends; because we just say it like we think it. Cheers for honesty and contrary to popular belief- most things in life are twice as funny sober than slammed.

2. The good new is I made it to 3 crossfit classes this week. The bad news is YES............I still hate wallballs!!

3. Fake Christmas tree or real  Christmas tree? I have always sworn that fake trees aren't really authentic, but the thought of watering a real tree has been enough to convince me to start flirting with a fake tree........we shall see. 

4. Hello State of Montana souvenir!! The sweetheart even signed it for me, and thanked me for wearing my seat-belt. 

5. The best way to stay away while driving boring roads at 3 am is to hold your fingers outside the window until they are cold enough to crack in half. Or you can try coffee. But the freeze-your-hands-off-method is definitely fun and unconventional.

6. Ross........do you HAVE to be so stinking funny?? repeat repeat repeat repeat. I laugh until I cried. 

How do you stay awake while driving at night??

Favorite FRIENDS character?

Imma 13.1

As mentioned a few weeks ago-- I finally set my sights on another race. I'll be running the Lost Dutchman 1/2 Marathon on February 16th, 2014!! If you can count (I cannot, so I googled it), that is 11 weeks away.  

I picked this race for 2 reasons-

1. I needed an excuse to fly out to Arizona to visit my brother-- and this race is just 40 minutes from where he lives. Boom.

2. Winter running is not always fun. Having a race to train for will help motivate me and keep me purposeful about the miles I'm logging despite the sub-freezing temperatures. 

For my first 1/2 marathon I used Hal Higdon's beginner training plan and it worked really well. I was completely new to running, fueling, tapering, cross training etc and I followed the schedule almost to a T. I went into race day feeling confident and excited!!
Since then I've run over 600 miles, a handful of short distance races and my first full marathon. I'm not a running expert, but I feel comfortable enough with the sport to fudge a little bit on the traditional plan and write my own schedule.

My training plan for this 1/2 is going to include a lot more cross training than last time, mostly crossfit classes. This spring I dropped my mile average by an entire minute by incorporating speed work and extra crossfit classes. For my miles I am looking for more quality over quantity. I plan to run 3 days per week with an occasional 4th day thrown in for fun-- 1 long run, 1 speed run and 1 mid-distance run. 

I realize that good training does NOT always equal good racing-- you never can predict what will go down on race day. I'm toying with a couple goal finish times, but at this time my only goal for the 1/2 is to beat my previous finish time (2:28:25). Of course I'd also like to negative split, meet my future husband and get my pictures taken with Ellen Degeneres while running this 1/2, but we'll see what happens. 

I'm excited! I love training, I love racing and I love the discovering that  occurs during each training cycle and resulting race. These are not just workouts and miles logged- they are life lessons and minutes added to my life.

 I'm already taking suggestions for songs for a killer playlist-- what should I add?? 

My Reality > Vacation.

Marvelous is..................a vacation that was everything the Doctor ordered and MORE. I originally planned this vacation back in July, and at the time taking 7 whole days off seemed like an extravagance.........but I had no idea how hectic and insane this fall would be. Seven days was perfect to restore, renew and refocus.



Marvelous is.........coming home to a life that I love. My reality > than vacation. It's a crazy life, but it's my life and I love every blessed minute of it. (except for the minutes spent doing burpees. no, just no.)

Marvelous is........renewing friendships that had begun to unravel. Stronger and deeper than ever before.


Marvelous is........having the sense of humor equal to that of a 4 year old, so that laughter is found everywhere.

Marvelous is........running unplugged- no music, no watch, just me and the road.


Marvelous is..........people watching in the airport and catching this sweet man tell his wife "You are my favorite person to eat breakfast with."

Marvelous is.........a dear sweet friend who crawls out of bed at 4:30 in the morning to drop you off at the airport. I <3 you Grace!

Marvelous is........hugs from my not-so-little-brothers.


Marvelous is........listening to all my Christmas favorites.

Marvelous is........planning a bridal shower for a friend in anticipation of her special day. thank you in advance Pinterest.


Marvelous is.......making gains in the weight room. Move over Vin Diesel, there are new guns in town.

Marvelous is........night shift when I don't have to share the coffeepot with anyone else.

Marvelous is.......encountering something emotionally that 6 months ago you could never have imagined surviving and realizing that your determination in the face of difficulty resulted in personal growth that you could never have predicted.

Marvelous is.......the Patriots beating the Broncos.

happy Monday- share a smile with me -- what's marvelous in your life today?
xoxo Curly Pink Runner

Vacation, Oregon and Running!

Hello from Oregon!! 

My two goals for this vacation are to sleep and to run! My schedule this fall has been ridiculous and I am so grateful for a chance to sloooow down and take it easy this week. 

I rolled out of bed after 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep feeling like a completely new person. Absolutely amazing how refreshed I felt! Perfect start to my vacation!

I was so excited to go for my run this morning! I love exploring new places while running! I had forgotten how much I love running in the cold! So invigorating and refreshing! 

I am extremely proud of myself because I took the above picture with my nose! My gloves make using my phone while running impossible, but apparently my nose was still warm enough to do the trick and is a darn good photographer of I do say so myself. Curlypinkrunner's nose is available for hire at all your special events to capture your precious memories. 

Three miles never felt so good. I took it easy and ran music free. Oregon is really beautiful running country!! 

My trip will be spread out in several states this week, beginning in Oregon. My friend has been working at youth ranch in western Oregon all summer and is going home to Nebraska for the winter. We will be diving home, so I will be running, eating and sleeping through Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. 

If you're not following me on Instagram-- doooo it! You can find me on Instagram @ curlypinkrunner because I am soooo original like that.

What's your favorite thing to do on vacation?? 

How many miles did you run today? 

Five Things Friday!!

1. I had a super exciting moment this week when I received the wedding invitation for a friend's wedding! I have known this sweet friend for years and years- she is one of the few people who knew me in my outrageously obnoxious teenage years and still loves me today!! :) I was also ecstatic to see that they chose one of the photos from their engagement shoot in July! So fun to see my work in print!! 

2. I'm extremely efficient at list making because I always add something that I have already accomplished and can immediately scratch off the list!! On the list in question, #5 would be the one (and only) thing I accomplished today. 

3. The radio in my car has a mind of it's own.  It likes to flip channels and VOLUME without my permission. This week it was hung up on the old country station...........cry me a river and put out the ring of fire!! In case you were wondering, I'd rather drive in silence than to old country tunes, but apparently my radio has zero respect for this opinion.

4. I am a cereal lover so I was more than a little bit excited to hear about this gem! Seriously- how cool is that??!?! Move over froyo, because self-serve cereal bars leave you in the dust. 

5. I have horrible, horrible remorse every time I take time off work. It's extremely uncomfortable for me to schedule time off and I always struggle with really relaxing and not thinking about work. I love what I do, but taking down time is healthy and crucial for preventing burnout. As I prepare for 7 days of vacation (say what? 7 whole days?!?!) I'm trying to be really intentional with my thought process and reject any anxiety that I feel. Any tips? 

Favorite type of cereal?

What's the last thing you do before you leave on vacation?

We Date Coffee.

If we were having coffee this morning I would tell you that this is a virtual coffee date, just like every other blogger is doing right now but I wanted to hook you in so I changed the title. Virtual coffee dates are basically going viral in the blog world and I'm chill with it because I love coffee dates.

 If we were having coffee I would tell you that I think Tuesdays are the best days for coffee dates. Do not ask me why, because I cannot explain it. All I know is when I think of that perfect, laid-back morning with coffee & a friend- I feel like Tuesday is the day to do it. Always.

If we were having coffee I would ask you where the best place to buy leggings are because I have no clue where to find the perfect pair. I would assure you that I will wear them properly and NOT use them when jeans should be used. 

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I have never once called in sick a day in my life at any of my jobs. There are pros and cons to this fact and I've spent a significant portion of my time trying to decide if this is something I should be proud of, or just me being stubborn and not knowing when to take a break.

If we were having coffee I would ask you how I can pray for you? I would tell you that I pray that you will experience God's love in a new way today.

If we were having coffee, I would drink mine black with 2 ice cubes. I would admit that lately I've been drinking just a tad too much of the brew and I'm on the cutback.

If we were having coffee I would admit that I've having a really hard time accepting the fact that there are only 6 weeks left in 2013. I feel a little bit like a child hurtling down a slide too fast, clawing desperately to try and slow down just a touch.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am learning to take my own advice. It's not that I'm particularly brilliant, but I sometimes give people really useful advice that should be applied to my own life.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that I cannot properly pronounce these three words in sequence; "restriction corrective lenses". This is a phrase that I use repeatedly at work, but no matter how regularly I practice it; I simply cannot get my mouth to cooperate. "restrictivition correction levense" is how it pops out. I have some pretty tickled coworkers, but I fail to see the humor in it.  

If we having coffee I would hug you tightly and say thank you for your contribution to my life. Your time, your presence, your care means the world to me.

xoxo
Curly Pink Runner

Five Things Friday!

1. There is never a dull moment in my occupation. You never know what you will encounter when you pick up that line. On Monday a caller offered to buy me a dozen roses. The very next day another caller called me several really colorful names. I probably should have been offended but it was all I could do to maintain my composure and not laugh my head off.

2. If I was a tree, this tree would be my soul mate. We would have a beautiful future together. 

3. If you hand over your iphone to your 4 year old nephew for 37 seconds, you will come back to find 5 super cute (unintentional) selfies and 9 photos of a pillow on the floor. Good stuff. 

4. Twice this week I was in bed and asleep before 8pm. Dude, that's having a life right there. I'm not sure if I'm antisocial or just really good friends with my pillow and dedicated to giving it the quality time needed to maintain a friendship. 

5. I'm not usually a fan of cheesy pop songs but every once in a while one gets through the chink in my armor. And I never watch music videos either. Two rules broken by one silly song. It's a real gem! 

Do you have a song that you hate to love?

How many photos do you keep on your camera photo roll at one time? 

Tell me something about your week! 

The hick in me...........

..........it's in there somewhere.

 I'm a pretty sophisticated little miss, but sometime my inner country bumpkin makes some noise and gives away my rural upbringing. If you're not from the country, let me let you in on a little secret; it's pretty much the bomb. I would venture a guess that we ALL have an inner hick on some level or another.

The hick in me..........

caused me to call the man who knocked on the front door a goat. Not as an insult, but as an explanation;  "I'm sorry it took me 15 knocks to answer, I thought you were the goats banging on the house."

believes that there are 3 main color groups for a woman's wardrobe; pink, black and camo.

thinks the idea of a bowl of buttersquash soup, or potato soup sounds ideal, but as soon as you put it in front of me, I'm all "honey, where's the meat?"

finds any parade not comprised primarily by farm implements both unusual and lacking.
 

can pluck a chicken, milk a cow and grow tomatoes, just don't ask me to rope a steer.

knows that cell service is a privilege denied to many and isn't ashamed to climb on the roof, hop around on one foot or run to the highest hill in the county to make a phone call. 

finds it completely normal (and depressing) that the closest Starbucks is over 90 miles away. 

thinks that this is the most brilliant invention I've ever seen!! Seriously, who doesn't want a tailgate bench in their garage? 

knows that the reason the brilliant inventor of the tailgate bench stumbled upon this use for their tailgate is because we all know nothing dies faster than a Chevy. (dodge lovers unite.)

never washes my car because I drive dirt roads every single day.

sees more cows than cars on my daily commute to work.
 

prefers cornfields over clubs and barns over bars. 

knows every work to every Eric Church song ever written.

Do you have an inner hick?? 

How does your inner hick show?? 

October Goals RECAP and November Goals.

Am I the only person who feels like the month of October was all of 17.2 seconds long?? Holy cow- that month flew by.

October Goals:

Double Unders.

I didn't spend as much time on my double unders as I planned, mostly because I realized I need to get a speed rope. My current jump rope is too long and not built for speed (it has than in common with myself!!)! I did spend some decent time working on my double unders and even managed a few! I have yet to string any together, but I count accomplishing one on it's own a success!! I won't confirm or deny the validity of the above graphic.......but take a hint from the sister, mmmmkay?? 

Grocery Shop instead of Snack Shop.

Some goals get so-so results, but I smashed this one out of the park!! I had an extremely busy month and often when I left my house in the morning I was packing for 

Start my day with truth. 

It's amazing the difference that a perspective makes! This month I was intentional with the first few minutes of my morning. Typically, the very first thing I do when I wake up is hit up instagram. This past month I worked very hard to seek truth first. Some days habit took over, but most of the time I was able to remember. 

November Goals:

1. Run 50 miles. 

Not at the same time. I haven't set a running related goal in weeks because I intentionally like to keep running something that is a privilege, not a chore. Sometimes, however I benefit from a little bit of structure or a goal, and right now I feel like this is a perfect time to set a running goal.  I'd like to bring my mileage up a little bit and also make sure my lungs are good and ready for the winter running that is just around the corner! 

2. Put all my food on a plate.

Licks, tastes, bites, nibbles, pinches...........they add up fast. When I'm cooking or prepping food in the kitchen I tend to work with my hands AND my mouth. Especially in light of the extra time I'll be spending in the kitchen in preparation for the holidays, I don't want to let my mouth get carried away. If I'm eating it, it goes on a plate and gets eaten with an utensil! 

Five things Friday!

Nothing like sliding in by the hair of your chinny-chin-chin. This just about turned into Six-things-Saturday!!

1. What did the sleep deprived girl say to the clerk on a Tuesday morning while paying for her fuel?? "Have a great weekend." Just to be super cool, I followed up with Happy Birthday. 

2. I died and went to eggnog heaven!! It might be a touch early, but I am always ready to see eggnog season roll around!! YAY! I picked this up last week and have been enjoying little dashes of it my coffee and also created a killer pumpkin spice smoothie with it. Super delicious! 

3. Twice this week I woke up with absolutely no idea where I was or what my last name was. It was like waking up in Vegas minus the alcohol, the hideous tattoos and the new husband. I am not typically a very heavy sleeper so these drool-inducing slumbers are new to me. Weird.  

4. I did not dress up for Halloween, but I instantly regretted it when I found these dudes. It's probably not normal to love legos this much as an adult, but it's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

5. I made a huge pot of white chicken chili and froze up portions for meals this later this month but on Monday I started coming down with a cold and soup was pretty much the only thing that my throat would take. Call it miracle cure because several meals of soup (and 16 cloves of garlic) later; I was feeling brand to the new! The real miracle of this soup is that the house did not fill with smoke while I cooked it, so wins all around. 

Eggnog - yay or nay? 

Did you have legos as a child?

What's your go-to soup recipe?