Cooler Weather

Happy Saturday! And happy August 1st! As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not entirely sure how it's already August, but I know from experience that this month will absolutely fly, and it will be the first day of school before I know it. And I'm not sure what you guys have on the agenda, but I fully plan on taking it easy this bright and sunny Saturday. Come Monday, I'm going to hit the ground running, so an easygoing weekend is just what the doctor ordered. And I don't have much to report on my front, but I'll spill out a random smorgasbord of things that make up the premise of this blog pretty well.

Dinner

Last night I met up with a few of my friends and we crossed a restaurant off of my summer to-do list - Giacomo's. This restaurant came highly recommended to me by a teacher at school, and though we all realized we had passed this restaurant a number of times, this was the first time any of us had ventured inside for a meal. This is worth mentioning because typically we stay in the Hungry's-Escalante's-Cyclone Anaya's range, and this one was a little further out of our comfort zone. We were all glad that we decided to venture out, though, because our meal was darn good. We were a little thrown off my the length of the menu, and the fact that the names of each dish were in Italian, but I went with the Insalata la Mora, which was a very simple salad, whose crown jewel was the ample chicken sausage patties. It was light yet filling, and I will definitely be making a return. It appeared as though many people in the Houston area share my sentiment, as this place was absolutely hoppin'.

Workout

As you guys may or may not know, I am part of a running group that meets on Saturday mornings at Memorial Park, and we are all training for the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon. Which I am officially registered for, by the way. So I guess there's no turning back now. Hold me accountable, you guys! Anyway, we only ran four miles this morning, but it was the best four miles I have run in a while. That's partly because this past week was pretty miserable in terms of running for me, and I was relieved to hear my team leaders say the same. The difference is that they probably stuck to the schedule and completed their run. I opted for the pool. So I was a little unsure of how this run was going to go, because my group runs fast! But as soon as I stepped outside my car at Memorial Park, and walked over to our group's meeting spot, I knew I was in for a good morning. While the temperatures were still in the lower 80's, that was a huge respite from the upper 90's we have been experiencing. And the humidity that is almost constantly present was noticeably missing. Or just not as 100%. And I was not sad about it. I had the most pleasant four-mile run, and I think the rest of my group agreed. We ran faster, pushed one another harder, and finished the run remembering why it is that we love what we do. And why we choose to wake up before the sun on Saturday mornings.

Breakfast

After our run, core work, and a seminar on running shoes, I headed home to fix myself some breakfast. I whipped up my usual egg whites and spinach, and they absolutely hit the spot. Sometimes eggs are the last thing I want after a workout, but today they were all I could think about. It was certainly nothing out of the ordinary over here on the breakfast front, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

Snack

Some of you may have forgotten this by now, but two months ago I set a goal for myself: I would not buy any new clothing items for two entire months. For some people, that's no problem. For me, it was no easy feat. Spoiler alert: I did it!, so toady I treated myself to a little back-to-school shopping spree. They were all very practical (in my opinion) purchases, and I feel as though I've satisfied that shopping void for a little while. Which is a good thing because I won't have much time to shop come Monday. But I'll stop talking about that. Anyway, shopping built up an appetite, so I came home and enjoyed a bowl of Siggi's Vanilla Yogurt, topped with a batch of my Almond Joy granola. Which I swear I've shared a recipe for, but I can't seem to find it. So look for that recipe coming soon. This was my first Siggi's experience, and I am a huge fan. Siggi's is Iceland-inspired, full of protein, made without any artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colors, or thickeners, and while it's a little bit too thick and tart for me to eat without some sort of mix-in, the granola addition made it the perfect pick-me-up.

And I'm off to enjoy the day. Which probably means I'll be parking it on my couch reading, watching movies, and perusing Pinterest. A Saturday enjoyed, indeed.

Things I'm Loving Friday XLIII

Before I get into the regular Things I'm Loving, let me just take a moment and say that one year ago today I moved home to Houston. I cried the entire drive home from Austin, already missing what I was leaving behind, and incredibly anxious about what lay ahead. I was not in a good mindset as I started this new chapter of my life, but today I am reminded of His faithfulness, because tonight is the unofficial start of year two with day one of our freshman volleyball camp, and I could not be more excited about where I am and what I am doing. My attitude has taken a 180, and I'm feeling ready for both this hectic but exciting volleyball season and this sure-to-be-wild school year. Bring it on, baby!

Trainwreck
This movie is wildly inappropriate at parts, but it is wildly hilarious. Amy Schumer's breakout film can only be described as a raunchy romantic comedy, that she herself wrote. From a young age, Amy has been taught that "monogamy isn't realistic," and her character could easily be described as being loose. When her job puts her in the line of a sports surgeon, the two surprisingly hit it off. Amy doesn't quite know how to handle this good boy, but she really comes into herself and learns to love herself by the end of the movie. Hilarious, yet touching at parts. Schumer did a standout job on this one. And Lebron James absolutely killed his part. A star on and off the court.

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Watermelon
The perfect summer treat, and I cannot seem to get enough of it. If I'm not careful, I can find myself eating the entire bucket without even realizing it. Though I guess I can't feel too bad about it, because it's hydrating - it's 92% water - it can soothe sore muscles, and it has a surprisingly high vitamin C content. It's also most refreshing on a hot summer's day. And actually, August 3rd is National Watermelon Day. So eat up, buttercups!

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35 Realistic Ways to Squeeze Healthier Habits into Super Busy Schedules
I ran across this extremely relevant article while perusing Pinterest. And I absolutely love it. Because let's be real - we're all busy. Just putting dates into my planner exhausts me, and I don't even want to think about juggling volleyball practice and inservice meetings. But there are so many ways to squeeze healthy habits into a go-go-go day. Realistic ways. And this article talks about 35 of them. I'm all about food prep - it saves me so much time during the week, crock pots are a lifesaver, I'm a huge fan of sneaking veggies into anything and everything (smoothies and eggs, especially), I bring my own lunch each and every day, HIIT workouts are my go-to during volleyball season, I drink water like it's nobody's business, I swear by to-do lists, and just when it seems like you can't take it anymore, a vacation is just what you need. Yes, we're all busy, but that's no reason to sacrifice your health and well-being.

Healthy and easy on-the-go snack

Becks Prime Mediterranean Salad
Unfortunately, this one is only relevant to my Houston and Dallas readers. I'm not ashamed to say that I ate here twice within the course of 24 hours. Their Mediterranean Salad + grilled chicken is just that good. The spring mix/romaine fix is topped with Kalamata olives, capers, cucumbers, red onion, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes, tossed with Becks Prime balsamic vinaigrette, and I opted to add the grilled chicken. It's healthy, it's refreshing, and it's one that will surely be making a more regular appearance in my diet, as there's one close to my house, and one close to Bellaire. Two places I seem to be on the reg.

Texas Children's Fight Song
In the midst of all the bad happening in this world, these kids at Texas Children's Hospital put on a show that will warm your heart. They perform Rachel Platten's "Fight Song," which is already an inspiring song on so many levels. And when you pair it with these brave, strong children who put up such a fight each and every day of the week, it's hard not to be inspired. And it's hard not to have a smile on your face throughout the entire performance. These kids are fighting hard, and they will continue to fight hard, and they manage to bring a little bit of fun to a situation that is the furthest thing from fun.

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And that's all I've got for you. My next 32 hours are going to be busy-busy-busy, as I run from Bellaire, to literally running through and around Memorial Park, back to Bellaire for a weekend full of volleyball. But after that, you can find me on the couch watching Harry Potter Weekend. Yeah! Have a great one!

Workouts of Tens

Two posts in one day? That's when you know it's the first week back at school, because I have a little bit of extra time on my hands. I have no grading to do (I should relish this, because I know the storm is approaching), and I think I'm relatively caught up on all of the PowerPoints and copies that need to be made. I shouldn't speak too soon, however, because it's very possible that I'll get to school tomorrow and realize that there is something else that I could have done. But then again, I've quickly learned that there's always something else that can be done, but that I have to call it quits at some point. And I think I've been pretty good about that thus far. So maybe I'll get to school one day and be scrambling, but what's life without a little bit of pressure?

Anyway, I wanted to get in a quick post tonight because I have a quick and efficient workout to share with you guys. At least, I find it to be efficient. I was perusing through my fitness board on Pinterest when I came across a workout that inspired me to take that and get a little creative. I did a longer variation of this workout during the volleyball season, that was still relatively quick, but because I planned on meeting Sarah for a walk at Hermann Park, I kept this one short and sweet.

And short and sweet is what I'll do with this post, too.

I started and ended each set with 100 jump ropes and 10 box jumps, but what came in the middle of those two exercises alternated every other set. On the odd-numbered sets, I did bicep curls, Russian twists, and (girl) pushups, and on the even-numbered sets I did overhead presses, ins & outs, and tricep dips.

Lots of 10s, or multiples of 10, and you see where I came up with the name for this workout. I would estimate that this took about 25 minutes, which is perfect for those days when you don't have a lot of time, yet you still want a challenge. And as you can see, it's extremely easy to add extra exercises to this workout. I've done back work and bosu ball squats, but it just really depends how much time you have. And trust me, your legs will be feeling the burn towards the end of this one!

And because I don't have much on my to-do list (yet), I found myself browsing Pinterest during one of my off periods, when I came across this recipe for Apple Peanut Butter Delights. Apple and peanut butter is one of my very favorite combinations, and it's been a while since I've enjoyed that indulgence, so I made a quick stop at Randall's on my way home and picked up a pack of Whole Wheat English Muffins so that I could throw this together for a quick and delicious dinner. And it can be considered healthy, right? Protein from the peanut butter, carbohydrates from the English muffin, and they say that apple a day keeps the doctor away! 

I nixed the sugar, mainly because I didn't want to dirty another bowl mixing the sugar and cinnamon together, so I'll tell myself it was a job well done. It tasted great, and if I had any left, I would surely take it with me to school tomorrow. But alas, my dad finished them off for me. So I guess it really was a job well done.

CandyCots

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Who believes that we will win today? Of course, the one day that I work the 2-6pm shift is the day of the US soccer game, but I plan on streaming the game while I sit at the desk, so no real worries there. I may not be the world's biggest soccer fan, but I am a big fan of America, so, that's that.

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Workout

Let's get this post started with some of our regularly scheduled events, shall we? Today's workout started a little bit later than I thought it would as I went to bed last night. I must have been more tired than I originally thought, because I slept pretty hard from about midnight to 9:30am, and I still didn't really want to get up, but I knew it was probably time to start my day. 

I started my day off with a walk at Town Lake, and the sun was already beating down on me at that time. It was still a beautiful morning, and there were already people out on the lake kayaking and paddleboarding.

Breakfast

I hurried home at the conclusion of my walk so that I could hurry and make breakfast with enough time to get over to Gregory for a late morning swim. I made my traditional egg whites and spinach, and quickly ate them before changing and driving over to SRD before walking to Gregory.

I was nervous about cutting it too close to make it to work on time, but I made it back to my house just before 1:00pm. That gave me plenty of time to shower, get ready, fold my laundry, and start taking decorations off of my wall (say it ain't so).

Lunch

I got to SRD a little bit early today, because I knew there was a delicious meal on the menu for today - beef and veggie kabobs. I dropped my backpack off in the office before heading down to the dining hall and loading up my plate with kabobs.

I opted for one beef and two veggie, with a few pineapple pieces on the side. I rarely buy pineapple for myself these days, so this was a nice surprise. It fueled me for a very enthusiastic tour, and, of course, to cheer on Team USA!

CandyCots

And before I sign off on you guys, I have to tell you about the deliciousness that are CandyCots. I saw them while doing a little grocery shopping at Central Market over the weekend, and though I was initially hesitant about them, the tagline "The Sweetest Thing on Earth" convinced me to make the purchase.

By the name alone I figured they were in the Apricot family, and they are - CandyCots are a uniquely sweet group of apricot varieties that are high in Vitamin A, C, E, potassium, and iron - quite the versatile fruit! Dark orange CandyCots are a good source of beta carotene, and foods that are high in this antioxidant are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, cataracts, and some forms of cancer. And finally, CandyCots contain no fat, making these the perfect summer snack. They are easy to carry and easy to eat. Plus, CandyCots are always grown in a wholesome manner, and farmed with methods and materials that protect the environment, your health, and are in harmony with nature.

CandyCots are absolutely delicious, and just the right amount of sweet, so for all of my Texas readers, head to your local Central Market or HEB and pick up this sweet treat. I don't think they're in season for much longer, so take advantage of them while you still can!

*All of the nutritional information is courtesy of the CandyCots website.

Road Trip Essentials

And I'm back! I hope your Friday is trucking along wonderfully! I'm back with another post today because Emma, the Community Coordinator at RelayRides, reached out to me about a week ago about participating in their "Road Trip Essentials" campaign, because summertime means sunshine and beautiful weather, which lend themselves to road trips! RelayRides is based on peer-to-peer car rentals, and their website makes it really easy to sign up and find a listing for the city in which you are traveling, as well as to put your car on the renting market. The thought of someone driving my car, or on the other side of the rental, being responsible for someone else's car, would normally make me a little nervous, but RelayRides performs background checks on all potential borrowers, and you have to have a fairly clean record. RelayRides keeps your car safe with their insurance and roadside support, and you are always in control of who can drive your car. The peer-to-peer sharing economy is on the rise - I'm familiar with YoungLife Couch Surf - and though I am initially hesitant about it, I think the fact that background checks are part of the process, and the fact that the owner is always in control and has the right to say no if anything seems fishy, makes it something to really look into. Airbnb is another peer-to-peer sharing company that has recently been the talk of a few conversations. 

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Anyway, with summer quickly moving into full swing, Emma asked me to talk about what I have to have when I go on a road trip. Road trips can be half the fun of a trip, but you have to be sure that you have all of the right things accompanying you so that your drive is as enjoyable as possible.

It took me a while to think about what I typically have on the road with me, but once the juices started flowing, I couldn't seem to stop. So, my road trip essentials are as follows -

A stop at Bucee's to use the world's cleanest bathrooms, stock up on some Turkey Jerky or dried kiwi slices, and to refill my gas tank,

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my CamelBak water bottle so that I can stay hydrated throughout a long drive,

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a few of my Banana-Oatmeal-Almond Butter Muffins to keep my stomach satisfied with something that is both healthy, but also satisfies my sweet tooth with the inclusion of chocolate chips,

a couple of Cuties because they're easy to peel and eat while driving, 

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Aviators to block that strong Texas sunshine,

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my GPS to get me where I am going (I am directionally challenged - just ask anyone who has ever been in a car with me),

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and a road trip Spotify playlist with the best songs to which you can sing aloud.

That last one doesn't necessarily lend itself to a road trip partner, huh? I enjoy both having someone in the car with me as well as taking solo drives. So while it's so nice to have a road trip buddy (or buddies), I do appreciate a rare couple of hours to myself.

What are some of your road trip must-haves? A favorite snack? A certain playlist? Someone in the car with you? My work schedule this summer doesn't necessarily allow time for a long road trip, but I am hoping to finally make a trip out to Fredericksburg and Enchanted Rock, and you better believe I will have all of the items listed above, as well as a camera and some sunscreen!

More To Love

Happy Tuesday! That rainy weather I talked about in my post yesterday? We got hit pretty hard last night with some more rain, but I'm hoping this is the last of it. Rain makes it hard to be productive, and productivity is certainly something that needs to happen for me these next few days!

Workout

I did manage to squeeze in a swim yesterday, in between bouts of raininess, though my legs were feeling S O R E after taking a BodyPump class on Sunday. It's hard for me to motivate myself to do hundreds of squats and lunges, so I get hit pretty hard whenever I make my way to BodyPump. Maybe it's time to change that? Anyway, I was happy for a low-impact cardio workout, because I'm not so sure I could have handled anything else!

That low-impact exercise yesterday was just what I needed in order to make that dreaded 5:30am wake-up call so that I could make it to a 6am spin class. As much as I dislike waking up in the 5 o'clock hour, I do love starting my day off with a workout.

Another thing I love about taking spin classes is the fact that they're never the exact same. One may focus on hill training, one may be all intervals, and yet another may focus on speed. This morning's spin class was a lot of speed work, both on flats and on hills. We would do a burst of speed, get a very brief recovery period, and then speed back up again. Alternating standing and sitting, flats and hills, made the time fly by!

Breakfast

Same song, different day. Scrambled egg whites, spinach, salsa, and a side of chopped mango. It just has yet to get old!

popchips 

I don't know how many of you are big snackers (guilty), but the rest of this post will be dedicated to a snack that is both delicious and nutritious. And addictive. I have been known to finish off almost an entire bag in one sitting. But how can you feel guilty about a snack that has half the fat of fried chips? popchips, inc. was formed in 2007, and they were quick to snatch up all kinds of awards and acclaims, including "best snack" and "best chip," and even being name one of "America's hottest brands."

popchips are never fried, never baked, and through the magic of popping, popchips are even healthier than full fat potato, tortilla, or corn chips, and absolutely none of the flavor is sacrificed. Potato popchips come in nine taste-bud popping potato flavors, including original, barbeque, sour cream & onion, sea salt & vinegar, cheddar, salt & pepper, chili lime, sweet potato (my personal favorite), and thai sweet chili. Tortilla popchips come in four flavors, including nacho cheese, ranch, salsa, and chili limon. And finally, for all of the Katy Perry fans out there, Katy Perry's signature flavor, Katy's Kettle Corn popchips is the newest addition to the popchips family. 

More To Love

• And just in time for summer, popchips is introducing their brand new, 15% more to love bags of delicious-ness! 15% more means more of the great flavor you expect from popchips, more chips to share with friends and family (if they're lucky), and still only half the fat of regular fried chips. And you get all of this at the same great price. Summertime and the snacking is easy!
• Available in flavors such as sea salt and barbeque potato, and nacho cheese tortilla, popchips are the perfect snack to keep you looking cool an feeling satisfied. Whether you're having a picnic in the park, heading out on a summer vacation, or relaxing by the pool, popchips has got all your summertime snack needs in the bag!

And now you can join in on the popchips fun! Share what YOU love about popchips by clicking this link, or Tweet/Facebook/Instagram popchips using the hashtag #moretolove for the chance to win a date night, compliments of popchips! 

I am a big-time lover of food that is both crunchy and salty, so it was only natural that I fell in love with popchips the very first time I ate them (and hence, the reason I can finish off an entire bag in one sitting).

And if you think popchips are only for snacking, think again. Follow this link and check out the recipe archive for lots of unique and delicious recipes using popchips! Delicious, nutritious, and versatile. Can't beat it!

Seven Down

With the end of a semester comes more time to blog. I officially turned in my final draft of my final essay of my college career (assuming I don't have any major essays during my student teaching semester), so I am hereby on Christmas break! I was not sure this day would ever come, but here we are at the end of my seventh semester of college. I am not going home to Houston until Saturday morning, so I have a few days to play in one of the greatest cities. I'm trying not to brag, because many of my roommates still have finals to take and/or papers to write, but it is so nice to be able to do things without the weight of school on my shoulders.

Dylan and I went to a little post-PPR celebratory dinner last night at Galaxy Cafe, which you will probably recognize as one of my go-to Austin restaurants. I originally planned on getting soup, as yesterday's weather was nasty all day and some soup would have been good for the soul, but then the turkey burger caught my eye, and I just couldn't resist it. And while I originally planned on getting a side of vegetables, the sweet potato fries were just calling my name. If you asked me what my true weakness is, I really think it is sweet potato fries. I just can't seem to resist them!

Breakfast + Workout

Today's breakfast looked identical to yesterday's, and though it tasted delicious, it didn't do too much to hold me over through the duration of my 20-minute treadmill warm-up and BodyPump class at the gym. 

My time on the treadmill was nothing new and exciting, but I always like to get a little cardio warm-up in before taking this strength-based exercise class. I alternated five minutes of running at a speed of 7.5mph with five minutes of walking at 4.2mph. It was quick and easy, and just what I needed before BodyPump. BodyPump, because I have been bad and haven't been attending the class regularly, was tough for me today, though it probably wouldn't have been so bad had I been doing those movements on a regular basis. The squat and bicep tracks always kill me, and though I don't necessarily enjoy doing lots of lunges, the lunge track always includes a little plyometric exercise that is always fun(?) to do. Today we did squat jumps, and I have to brag on myself for a minute and say that when the track was done, the instructor said I had the highest jump in the class. I guess all those years of volleyball were good for something, huh?

Anyway, I was feeling pretty ravenous by the time I left the gym, so I came home and immediately downed a couple of my banana-oatmeal-almond butter muffins before showering and heading north to the Domain to get a necklace repaired (and to do some shopping, of course). It was an absolutely beautiful day to shop outdoors, and I got a couple of items checked off of my list. So it was a total win-win.

Lunch

I was more than ready for a real lunch by the time I got home, so I immediately heated up some spaghetti squash and ground turkey with a little bit of spaghetti sauce on top.

Pre-mixing 

It may not be pretty, but it sure is tasty

It's just like my childhood favorite meal of spaghetti and meatballs, but I wasn't left with that overly full and sleepy feeling that I always get after eating pasta.

In addition to my turkey spaghetti squash, I also enjoyed an especially juicy Honeycrisp apple, with peanut butter, of course. A Honeycrisp apples and peanut butter is my all-time favorite snack, so I'm living the good life right now.

And as an added note, if you are interested in cooking spaghetti squash, here is how I have found is the best way to cook it:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Pierce spaghetti squash all over with a fork to prevent it from bursting while cooking
3. Place spaghetti squash on foil-lined cookie sheet
4. Cook for 30 minutes on one side
5. After 30 minutes, turn it on the other side and cook for 30 more minutes
6. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes and cut spaghetti squash in half
7. Scoop the seeds from the center of the cooked spaghetti squash (I like to eat them, though!)
8. Use a fork to scrape the sides of the spaghetti squash and shred the pulp into strands

And that's all there is to it! It looks intimidating at first, but it really just requires quite a bit of time in the oven. And you'll have leftovers for days (which is always a huge plus for a busy college student)!

And now I'm off to do a little bit of packing. If I do a little bit each day, it won't overwhelm me, and maybe it will help me stay somewhat organized. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Nike Women's Marathon: My Experience

Good afternoon from the San Francisco airport. Our flight doesn't take off until 3:10pm, but my mom and I are currently sitting at our terminal (and we have been since about 11:15am). We had to check out of our hotel by noon, and I figured I might actually look at my school work if I am forced to be in the same place for four hours, so here I am, avoiding said school work. But, I will get down to business once this post is up and running.

Breakfast

So, let's pick up where we left off. I went to sleep around 9:15pm last night, and I woke right up with my alarm, not even minding that it was currently 5:00 in the morning. I immediately ate my traditional race day breakfast of peanut butter and bananas on whole wheat bread, and it, once again, proved to be the perfect breakfast.

After I finished eating breakfast, I quickly got dressed and ready, pinning my race bib to my jacket, and I headed out the door for the quick 10-minute walk to Union Square. Because we got so lucky and our hotel was located so close to the start line, my mom was able to sleep in a little bit and stay back at the hotel until the transportation shuttle was scheduled to take her to the finish line at Golden Gate Park.

I somehow made my way to the very front of the pack, so I started very, very close to the beginning. The atmosphere was a lot of fun, and they even shot off fireworks for us prior to the start of the race. Everyone around me seemed very excited and friendly, but how could you be anything less than excited when you were just 13.1 (or 26.2) miles away from a Tiffany necklace? Plus, where better to run than through the streets of San Francisco?

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When I checked my weather app this morning, it told me the current temperature was 54 degrees, and that it was only going to get up to 57 degrees by 9am. I made a game-time decision to wear a Nike running pullover with my black Lululemon shorts, and I am so glad I decided to wear long sleeves for this race. It was cold to start, and though I started to regret my decision between miles two to five, I was very happy for the extra coverage once we started running by the water. It was extremely foggy, and the sun never came out (until I was on the shuttle that would take me back to Union Square, of course), so I think I made a good decision.

The Race

Now, onto the race itself. The first couple miles were "downhill," but I considered them to just be flat road. In any case, they were a very pleasant first few miles, though it was still fairly dark outside. I ran a pretty quick (sub 8:00) first mile, but I knew to slow my pace down so that I would have enough energy to propel me up those later hills.

That being said, it took me about four and a half miles to get into my groove. First of all, I made a bathroom stop around mile three, which I normally don't do, but there is nothing worse than having to go to the bathroom during the middle of a tough run, so I sucked it up (and held my breath) and used a Porta Potty, before rejoining the pact. Second of all, I got a stitch in my side that I just couldn't shake for about a mile. I considered stopping and walking, but I knew I wouldn't want to start again, especially because I was about to approach that daunting mile six. I finally found my groove, just in the nick of time to tackle that very tough hill by the Golden Gate Bridge (at least, I assume it was by the Golden Gate Bridge, because I couldn't actually see it due to the extreme fog). It was very much an ongoing, gradual hill, and I was very excited to see the flat road, and eventually, the downhill. That being said, I think I covered more ground during the uphill, and the downhill was a lot harder for me (and there were a lot more people passing me). I'm not used to those kind of downhills, and I took it nice and easy so that it would have as little impact as possible on my knees. I discovered that I am very much a product of Houston, as those flat roads are definitely my favorite!

Other than that hill, and a couple others, the hills really weren't that bad. It also helped that the fog was so dense that I couldn't see the hills until I was already making my way up them, so I had no time to freak myself out about them!

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Another thing about this half marathon is that the miles seemed to FLY by. I was shocked to pass mile marker 8, because I couldn't possibly believe I had been running for that long. I told myself that it was just an easy five miles, and the next thing I knew, I was at mile 11. I will say that the last two miles seemed to drag on a little bit, probably because my knees and feet were starting to hurt, but there were so many motivational signs lining the streets, that I knew stopping wasn't an option. I crossed the finish line just under two hours, which might be shocking to you, because it was definitely shocking to me. With the hills and a bathroom break, I was extremely surprised to see a time of 1:59 on the clock, but I certainly won't complain!

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I immediately grabbed a Whole Foods water bottle, and headed back to the finisher's area, where I got my finisher's shirt, a goodie bag full of food, and of course, my little blue box. Like they said, the fireman were all jazzed up in their tuxedos and Nike's, handing out smiles, congratulations, and the best medal of all, a custom Tiffany Necklace.

I sat in the friends and family area so that I could catch up with my mom, and we took a few pictures by the water before catching the shuttle back to Union Square. I was still pretty cold from the race, but I warmed up very quickly after a hot shower and some food. Overall, I had a wonderful race experience. The extremely organized packet pick-up and expotique, seeing my name on the side of the Nike San Francisco store, the beautiful Tiffany blue Nike shoes (which I am currently wearing), the race route, and the way the race organizers made this feel like everything was a celebration of us was just wonderful. And I can't forget to give credit to the wonderful volunteers who made this race possible. Everyone did an incredible job, and I couldn't ask for much more in a race.

And now I am here at the airport, contemplating what I am going to get for lunch. I purchased a NuGoOrganic dark chocolate pomegranate protein bar from the airport bookstore, and I scarfed it down in approximately 30 seconds flat. If you know me at all, you know I love chocolate, and I was happy to see that this bar can be called "vegan." Though I am far from being a vegan, it means the bar is completely dairy-free, so I knew eating it would be a safe bet. I might purchase a few more before I board my flight, because I have a long day of traveling ahead of me.

Thanks for reading these San Francisco posts - I have had so much fun writing them, and more importantly, so much fun living them. I am so, so, so incredibly thankful for this trip - an opportunity to explore a wonderful city, a chance to get another half marathon in the books, and most importantly, a full weekend of time spent with my mom. We had an incredible time together, and I wouldn't change one thing about our trip. I will be sad to say bye to her in Phoenix, but I will be seeing her quite a bit in the month of November. I can't promise I'll be very active this week on the blog, as I have a fairly crazy school week ahead of me, but I'll do the best I can. Have a great Sunday!