Marathon Training, Good Hearts, and Furbabies

The blog has been a little quiet over the past few days, partly due to the fact that Tropical Storm Harvey was passing through my area which caused our normal routine schedule to be thrown out of whack! We worked half days all week so we could get our cancer patients treated without a break in their radiation. Driving to work on Monday was especially scary and lets just say I whispered a prayer of thanks once I made it there. This storm kept bringing flashbacks of Hurricane Rita which hit our area in 2005 and my heart goes out to the residents of Corpus Christi, Houston, Beaumont, and the surrounding areas that were devastated by this crazy storm.

Since it's Thursday, I thought I would share a few random thoughts and happenings going on over here.

Random thought: When you're cooped up inside the house for several days, a break in rain bands is a great time to play in water, with rocks, and random mud puddles. Oh, the life of a kid...

#1 Dopey Training

Well, when I first talked about my Dopey Training schedule and the reason I started training a week early, I mentioned hurricane season. Maybe I shouldn't have said it out loud? Oh well...this week hasn't been ALL a loss. Since being cooped up inside all weekend and now most of the week, I've managed to work a lot on my lower body and with my PT routine. Chasing Brayden around all day has been quite the workout, too! Whoever said their toddler was their cardio workout was 100% correct! The weather is supposed to be clear(er) on Saturday, so a long run is on the schedule. Hopefully all works out to do so!

#2 Good Hearted People

This goes without saying that during devastating times, you really do see the best in people. I am so proud of the way our community has rallied around to help not only our fellow neighbors but also those displaced from Texas. The hospital I work for has opened its arms to anyone in the middle of their cancer treatments and are now displaced due to the storm. Can you imagine how it would feel to be in the middle of your daily radiation treatments or weekly chemotherapy regimen and then  suddenly unable to continue your treatment? I can't even fathom the anxiety or worry.  Also, the Cajun Navy, the National Guard, Police and Sheriff Officers, Volunteers and everyone who has stepped in to help rescue storm victims from their homes - true heroes. Good hearted people, y'all. The world is full of them. It's sad that it takes a tragedy like this one to let it be known. We should strive to be the best we can be and show love to our neighbor every single day, not just in time of tragedy.

Random thought: Gumbo is good any time of year, but especially when pictures constantly pop up on facebook of others making gumbo during a storm. That's when you MUST also make gumbo!

#3 Madalynn

Although not storm related, this one still is worrisome news. Last week, I mentioned that Madalynn had an abscess pop up on her face and was in need of a tooth extraction. Well, during the extraction and cleaning, her vet found a random worrisome spot on her hard palate and sent it off for biopsy. I'm trying not to freak myself out, but I'm also trying not to sugar coat it either - it doesn't appear to be a good thing. On a positive note, Madalynn is back to her cheerful and happy self and hasn't let any of this slow her down one bit. As soon as we returned home from her surgery, she wanted food ASAP! For now, we are awaiting the biopsy results and taking it one day at a time. Thankfully, none of this is bothering her for the time being. I sure do wish our furbabies could stick around as long as humans do. When they become a true part of your family, stuff like this can be so hard. Keep her in your prayers if you think about it! We sure appreciate it!

I hope you've all had a great week! Thanks for following along with my randomness, I appreciate you!

Hurricane Harvey Birthday Weekend

My oh MY what a weekend! This is the third birthday weekend I've shared with a hurricane and each has its own set of stories to tell. Perks of living off the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, right? :)

Despite the storm, tornado, and flash flood warnings from Hurricane Harvey, I still managed to make the most of it all and enjoy my birthday weekend!

On Friday afternoon after work, I took Madalynn to the vet to have that spot on her face checked out. I was seriously nervous that something was VERY wrong, but thankfully it seems fixable. They told me that a cracked tooth became infected and the infection spread up into her sinus cavity and presented as a sore on her cheek. I'm taking her in today to have that tooth surgically removed and everything should resolve itself! (Say a prayer for her today if you think about it! Thank you!)

After returning home from the vet's office, I decided to take my chances on a run as I figured Saturday's forecast wouldn't allow for one (well, outside at least).

The run ended just a few minutes before the first outer bands of Harvey hit our area.

The heat index was at 85 degrees which actually felt pretty nice compared to the heat index we've had the past several weeks!

On Friday night, we had dinner with my parents at one of my favorite restaurants, O'Charleys. We somehow managed to maneuver between rain storms and made it to and from dinner without any mishaps!

Dinner was delicious as always and afterwards, we returned to our house for cake and gifts!

Y'all, this CAKE is amazing. I've had this same cake for the past several years and I look forward to it every year. This one is chocolate with whipped peanut butter icing. OMG.

Side note, how am I already 35?! What the heck.

Jason had to work on Saturday, so Brayden and I spent the day together! We played with #allthetoys and once the rain stopped (for the time being), we made our way outside to pull weeds!

We were in and out several times throughout the morning in between storms. While I did all of the dirty work, Brayden had a ball playing in the mud puddles, dirt, and water. This kid is 100% all boy and I love it!

On Saturday night, my friends and I had dinner at Rotolo's! Despite the off and on rain, it didn't really start to get bad until Sunday.

Sunday morning was my actual birthday and that's when all of the fun began! I made breakfast for Brayden and I, then we headed to church.

While there, my friend put me to work in the coffee shop! I've worked the coffee shop off and on for the past several years but never learned the big machine. It's actually easier than I thought!  Latte, anyone? :)

Midway through church, we were alerted to a flash flood watch that continued on throughout the day.

The bad part about this whole situation is the fact that the roads in my town flood...BAD. Even with just 20 minutes of a hard rain, it's impossible to get around town. So, instead of having dinner at a restaurant after church, we drove to my house (which is right down the road from my parent's house) and had takeout for lunch!

We decided on fried chicken! I seriously love fried chicken but hardly ever eat it, so this was truly a treat!

After lunch, my friend Kim stayed to hang out and we basically laid around and watched the weather channel all afternoon during Brayden's nap! Sounds thrilling, right? 

My family and friends also know me all too well! The majority of my gifts were Disney related! :)

Despite the crazy storm and weather, my birthday weekend was a fun one and definitely one I won't ever forget! Also, I'm very thankful that our area didn't receive much damage from this storm system and hope it continues to stay that way. SO many prayers to our Houston neighbors who can't say the same right now. :( My prayers and heart goes out to you guys as sadly, it still isn't over.

I hope you guys all had a great weekend and if you're in the Houston area, stay safe! My thoughts and prayers are with you guys!!

Dopey Training Week 10 & Weekly Recap

Happy Friday, y'all! This week has taken a bit of an interesting turn with several long days at work, a busy schedule, and lots of rain!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA

Saturday - 10 mile run
Sunday - Rest Day
Monday - 4 mile run
Tuesday - Squats/Lunges/PT
Wednesday - Rest Day
Thursday - Squats/Lunges/PT
Friday - Cross Training

This past Saturday, I was able to tackle a run that's been hanging over my head for a couple of weeks now!

Ten miles never felt so great, especially with this little sweetheart waiting on me when I returned home!! :)

Monday's eclipse was fun for us to see! We had a good little group outside at the end of our lunch break to share the eclipse glasses!

I was able to take this picture through a pair of glasses! We only had 71% totality, so it never got really dark here - it just looked as if a cloud passed over the sun for a little while.

Our eclipse crew! :)

After returning home from work, I decided to attempt a run. Although I had three miles on my mind, we managed to run four instead! 

Just as we walked out of the front door, it began to pour down rain. I thought it was odd because the radar didn't even show anything in our area at the time. So, we decided to wait it out and thankfully, the rain passed rather quickly! It really turned into a great run!

On Tuesday, Brayden started his first day in the Toddler class at Mother's Day Out! He had a great day and I was so relieved. I was seriously worried about the nap mat as he's never taken a nap on anything like that in the past.

Wednesday was haircut day for Jason and Brayden! This was Brayden's fourth haircut!

I also took my middle/high school girls class out for yogurt and a stroll through the park on Wednesday night! We had so much fun!! :)

On Thursday evening, the outer bands of Hurricane Harvey began to pass through our area which meant no run for me. Instead, we spent a bit of time with my parents! Brayden and my dad are checking to see if it's raining here....haha!

Since they are the only members of my family I didn't mention - Pixie was groomed on Thursday and looks & smells so nice!

Madalynn on the other hand had an unusual spot pop up on her face. She's been prone to nodules and cancerous tumors in the past and this one looks worrisome to me.  I'm going to take her in this afternoon to see if someone can take a look at it.

Keep my girl in your prayers if you will! :)

Apart from running, I also added in an extra day of my PT routine to see if that helps my IT band (I'm sure it will).

This weekend is my birthday weekend and Hurricane Harvey is headed our way. Although we are not in the middle of the projected path, we are on the outskirts and are expected to have lots of rain! This will be my third birthday weekend to share with a hurricane over my lifetime - perks of living in the gulf coast with a late August birthday!

If the rain lets up anytime between here and Sunday, I'm going to attempt a long run. We shall see what happens!

Have a great weekend! 

Seen On My Run

For the month of August, Tuesdays On The Run topics are freebies so I decided to pull an old one for today and share several of my favorite images from my running journey throughout the years! These are all taken from my perspective and were seen somewhere along my run!

Perhaps one of my favorite routes to run in my hometown is along River Road. The gorgeous views at sunrise never fail and are incredibly stunning!

Ever "stop and smell the roses" while out for a run? I do! When a gorgeous flower catches my eye, I have to stop and admire it, especially if it's one I've never seen before!

What about wildlife? I couldn't find a picture of the gator my running buddy Heather and I spotted one morning, so this peaceful egret during sunrise will have to do!
Edited to add: Nope, I found the gator! I knew if I looked hard enough, he would turn up! 

Our downtown area has a really nice path for running and I don't utilize it enough! I definitely need to run here more often!

It's no running post of mine without a little runDisney thrown in there! This was taken in 2015 from Castaway Cay at the start of the Princess Castaway Challenge!

Another favorite running route of mine is down by the lake. I also love running here during early mornings as the sunrise is almost always breathtaking!

A field of these wildflowers signals that spring has arrived! A lovely site after a crazy winter!

Last but not least, remember Maddie and her horse friend I mentioned in yesterday's post? Well, here they are! Madalynn is always excited to see her buddy!

What's the your favorite/the best thing you've ever seen while out for a run?

Link up with Erika, Marcia, & Patty for the next Tuesdays On The Run!

Ten.

Is October here yet? Y'all. This heat and humidity is about to do me in, especially this past Saturday with an afternoon heat index of 106 degrees.

So last week, I set out for a 10 mile run and couldn't make it. At 6 miles I threw in the towel and decided that 10 miles in August was for the birds. That thinking didn't last long because this past Saturday, my brain got the best of me and I once again decided to try for a 10 mile run.

The sun was just peeping over the horizon when I began my run. It was already 80 degrees with a high humidity rate and I knew as soon as the sun became visible, it would get hotter and hotter by the minute. 

Originally, I was going to meet up with my running group in town, but a few last minute change in plans left me running from my house. I've only run a distance like this from my house one time in the past and I did not like it one bit. 

My options were to run a 2 mile loop 5 times and have water every 2 miles, or run a 4 mile loop a couple of times plus a few and carry a bottle of water with me. I didn't like either option, so I compromised. In the end, one 4 mile loop won out where I carried a bottle of water with me and three 2 mile loops where I passed water every 2 miles at my my mailbox. The. Struggle. Was. Real. (Yes, I should invest in some kind of water holder but I honestly haven't needed it up until this point. I also do own a water belt but I kind of don't like it...)

Anyway, I decided to change a few things up for this run vs my last week long run fail. I drank plenty of water the day before (80 plus ounces) and had a decent lunch and dinner on Friday. I also ate a different protein bar that morning before heading out the door.

The run went fairly well up until mile 5 when I realized I forgot KT tape for my right knee (how?!) and my left hamstring wanted to act crazy. I considered quitting at mile 6 but didn't give it too much of a thought. I talked myself into stopping at mile 8 if I HAD to and by the time I reached mile 8, I decided that I was almost to mile 10 so why not.

 

If this run proved anything, it's the fact that no one should be running double digit miles in the south in the summer. Honestly, it was a miserable run but definitely one I'm glad to say I accomplished.

I know it was a slow one, but I didn't even care. Finishing the entire distance was more important than speed this time. Speed will come in the fall when it no longer feels like a sauna outside and I can breathe once again!

Although Madalynn wasn't with me for this run, I did take a second to say hi to her horse friend! They made buds several years ago and love to see each other. It's rather cute!

I look like I'm about to pass out (because I felt like it), but I was so glad to be DONE!

The best part of the whole thing was returning home to see Brayden dressed in the onesie I bought him at Rock n Roll New Orleans this year! It says, "I want to RUN like you when I grow up!" Isn't that adorable?! My husband is thoughtful like that! :)

I topped off the weekend by wearing compression socks to help with recovery and a glorious 2 hour nap on Sunday afternoon!

How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Did you run this weekend? 

Dopey Training Week 9

It's only been a few months of Dopey training and I'm getting anxious over here. I'm ready for cooler weather to come through because as the weeks to WDW Marathon Weekend increase, so do the long run miles for Dopey training!

Currently Training For:

• Dopey Challenge 2018 - Walt Disney World
• Rock n Roll New Orleans Half Marathon 2018 - New Orleans, LA

Saturday - 6 mile run (was planning on 10, had to shorten the run)
Sunday - Rest Day
Monday - 3 mile run
Tuesday - Squats/Lunges/PT
Wednesday - 4 mile run
Thursday - Walk with Brayden/Rest Day
Friday - Cross Training

 As I mentioned last week, I had every intention of setting out for a 10 mile run on Saturday.
 

Well, several factors got in the way - I woke up late, I ran out of time, my heart wanted to act crazy, and my legs were exhausted. The last mile turned into a run/walk which totally messed up my pace.

The good news is, I opened up a new box of Mizuno Wave Inspires and my hamstring didn't bother me not one bit!

Oh yes, and breakfast. Breakfast was delicious!

On Monday, I took Jason and Brayden along for 3 miles! We made our way around the neighborhood and had a great time! I'm not sure what Brayden was doing there....haha!

It really turned into a beautiful evening!

By the end of it all, both shoes were off and he was trying to remove his socks as well! Silly kid!

Wednesday afternoon left me with spare time before church, so we set out for 4 miles. We both wore our new shoes, too! :)

During my lunch break on Thursday, I decided to walk to a local deli for lunch. About halfway there, I decided to check the heat index and hello....

CRAZY! Hello October...remember us? Please hurry!

Lunch was totally worth it, though...and it left me singing the theme song to New Girl! "Who's that girl? It's Jess!"

If that song is stuck in your head now too, you're welcome! :)

Turkey on Rye with Ham and Potato Soup! Delicious!

This weekend, I'm going for another long run and I'm not going to jinx myself again by saying the mileage so we will see how it goes!

Have a fabulous one!