Things I'm Loving Friday XIX

Whew, another Friday is here! I love four-day work weeks, and I not-so-secretly wish we had them every week. Four days of work, three days of play. That sounds about fair, doesn’t it? Anyway, this Things I’m Loving Friday post is a little bit all over the place, but that’s sort of how this week feels, so let’s just go with it, shall we?

Athleta Balance Capri 

I mentioned in last week’s Things I’m Loving Friday post that I have sort of strayed away from the popular Lululemon apparel in favor of clothes, especially leggings and yoga pants, from Athleta. Athleta opened a store near me a couple of summers ago, but I hadn’t checked it out until recently. I tried on a pair of leggings just to see how they fit, with no intention of making a purchase, but I absolutely loved the way they fit my body. They were tight in all the right places, but they were loose enough around the middle that I didn’t feel as though I were being squeezed into them. I’ve worn them recreationally while lounging around the house or running errands, and also while exercising, and I can attest that they are a very versatile pair of leggings. So much so that when they were having a 20% off sale last week, I had to take advantage of it and purchase another pair. Wouldn't you do the same?

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Kendra Scott Jana Bracelet

When Kendra Scott has a sale, it’s almost like it’s a crime to NOT take advantage of it, right? Just kidding, but just days after my mom and I were talking about how beautiful the Jana bracelet is, she got an email saying that everything in the store was 15% off from 4pm until midnight. So how could we not jump on that sale? I used to not be a watch or bracelet person at all, but now my wrists feel naked without them. This is a very delicate piece, and it comes in just about every color you can imagine. My mom and I opted for the Bright Red, but we also love Slate, Emerald, Chalcedony, and Orange (Hook ‘em!).

Longchamp Le Pliage

I have a longtime love for the Longchamp brand. It started in high school, with my very first purse in the medium sized taupe color, and it has not yet stopped, as I currently have about five bags in this brand. I know, I know. But they’re such handsome, reliable bags. And it probably doesn’t help that when I went to Paris a few years ago, I had the chance to visit the actual Longchamp Le Pliage store on Champs-Elysees, and the prices over there were far cheaper than they are here in America. I have a medium size bag, a large size bag, and a backpack, and I carry them with me all the time. They’re great for traveling because they fold up into almost nothing, and when they’re expanded out into purse form, it’s as if they have an expanding charm on them. Their one downfall is that it sometimes takes me a while to find what it is that I am looking for, but I can fit almost my entire life inside of one. I carry them with me to school, when shopping, and at just about any other time you can imagine.

Rockin' our Longhchamps in Madrid - Summer 2012

24 Must-SeeDiagrams That Will Make Eating Healthy Super Easy

I saw this just before I went to sleep the other night, and I made sure to screenshot it so that I could read it at a later time. That later time came the next morning, and I especially loved numbers 2, 4, 5, 11, 13, 19, 20, and 21. I am a very visual learner, meaning I am a student who needs to see to be able to understand. Most of the time. So, these aesthetically-pleasing diagrams are simply brilliant for someone like me.

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Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens

Yes, there pens are a little bit on the expensive side, but they are my absolute favorite pens, tied with my beloved Sharpie pens. They are the perfect “teacher pen,” and they also make me feel a tiny bit artistic, and trust me, I am the least artistic person in the history of the world. They write smoothly, they don’t bleed through the page, and they come in a whole package of pretty colors. Last weekend I was feeling inspired, and I took them up to my elementary school playground and wrote out the things that make me feel the most alive, as per our first small group activity my freshman year of college. And you know felt tip pens made the list.

Dash Cam Cop

I sincerely hope that all of you have seen this by now, but if you haven’t, let this video brighten your day. I was watching the news last weekend with my parents, and they showed this cop from Delaware jamming out to Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off.’ That song is catchy, and evidently this cop felt the exact same way. This video was the first in a series of “DashCam Confessionals,” and you can’t help but smile when watching this video. They filmed it mainly as a thank-you to their local followers on social media, because the more people they have following them on social media, the faster they can get the word out regarding serious or important events in the area, but this video has gone absolutely viral. It’s worth a watch, and it’s something to bookmark on a not-so-good day.

 

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The Republic of Tea Strawberry Chocolate Red Tea

I am not typically a tea person. It takes a very particular flavor of tea in order for me to drink it. And that flavor is of the fruit variety. I found an absolutely delicious fruit-flavored at the Nutcracker Market, a la Cheers to You, but I have not yet ordered any more of it. So, a couple of weeks ago when I was shopping at Paper Source, I spotted a very cute container with Strawberry Chocolate flavored tea, courtesy of The Republic of Tea. We started off the week with very pleasant, almost perfect, weather, but another cold front hit us yesterday, making it the perfect warm tea weather. The combination of fruit and chocolate (which you guys know I love), is delicious and delectable, and it makes for the perfect healthy dessert flavor. Among many other benefits, red tea contains powerful antioxidants, can relieve skin conditions, and can encourage restful sleep. Three thumbs up in my book!

And that concludes another rendition of Things I'm Loving Friday. Enjoy your day, and have a fabulous (hopefully sunny!) weekend! And before I go, I have to thank you for all of the sweet support and words of encouragement you provided me with after reading my last post. I am someone who would much rather listen than share, so that was a major leap of faith for me. It's funny that Dylan was one of the people who taught me how to be more vulnerable. Life sure has a way of coming full circle, doesn't it? Anyway, you guys are the best, and I've said it before, but you make writing this blog fun!

Vulnerability

Happy Hump Day! I don't know about you, but I am so glad that it's already Wednesday. My kids wore me down today, and nothing makes me happier than knowing that I only have two more days before I get to enjoy another (hopefully) sunny weekend.

Workout

I took two days off from running after the half marathon, which was a real shame because Monday and Tuesday showed us some of the most beautiful weather we've seen all year. But, I knew I needed to give my legs a little bit of rest so that I can hopefully recover in full form for the next half on my list. However, I also didn't want to take too much time off from running, because it can be hard to get back into that groove, so I went for a run today after school. The sun has unfortunately disappeared again, but the temperature has not dropped, yet. Nor has the rain begun to fall. So, it was a very enjoyable five mile run through my neighborhood. And I didn't feel any nagging from my IT band! Hallelujah, praise Jesus! I'm hoping to get in an eight mile run this weekend, so stay tuned to see if that one actually happens. 

Vulnerability

I went to sleep just after 9:00pm last night. I know, I'm truly an exciting person. But, I for once didn't have any work to do (let me rephrase that, I didn't have any work that I wanted to do), so I read a little bit and then crawled into bed, ready to call it an early night. I was feeling pretty tired, thanks to my 4:40am wake-up call that morning, so it didn't take me too long to fall asleep. However, a couple of recent conversations with friends (shout out to JAKL) did have my brain churning. And I'm going to go ahead and address the elephant in the room. You have probably noticed that Dylan has not made an appearance on the blog lately, and you might have asked yourself, "Hmm, I wonder if they're still together." Well, surprise! We aren't, and to spare you all of the details (there really aren't many), we didn't have any big falling out or argument or really anything of that nature. The distance got tough and the fact that we are in different stages of life got tough and most of all, we realized that although we are both relatively great people, maybe we just weren't exactly what the other person needed. It was very civil, it was very uplifting, and I still think the absolute world of him. We had a lot of fun together, we ate some really wonderful food, and I learned a lot about how to love and be loved. I can honestly say that he made me a better person in so many aspects of my life, and I sincerely hope that he can say the same for me.

I don't mean to be a downer by writing this, rather, I was thinking of social media and the Internet and how it's both a good thing and a bad thing. Really new and original thoughts, I know. But what I mean to say is this: I love social media about 98% of the time. I love that it keeps me connected to friends and family whom I don't get to see very often, I love that I get to read the random and often deep and inspiring thoughts of other people, I love discovering new restaurants or places that I feel the need to add to my bucket list, and yes, it can be a time waster, but all-in-all, I'm pro social media. What I don't love about it is the fact that we create a social media image, and that image often times hides what is really going on in our lives. What sticks out to me is this probably all-too-common example. We go off to college when we are 18 years old, and it's all so exciting and new and fun and great. Except for the nights that we're overwhelmed, or we miss our families, or we aren't sure what we want to do with our lives, or we have thoughts that maybe I'm not at the right school after all, and astronomy is the worst class ever (was that just me?), but you can't possibly be having these thoughts, or maybe it's that you could never admit them, because Susie Smith on your Facebook feed is having the time of her life at XYZ University, and Mary May is doing all of these great and wonderful things at her school, so these doubts and insecurities that I'm having, maybe they're something I should keep to and work through myself. I absolutely loved my time at UT, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, but yes, I most certainly had these exact same thoughts my freshman year. But I thought I was all alone with those thoughts. And you probably never would have guessed that, either. Because my pictures looked like I was having the time of my life. Because that's what I wanted people to think. If everyone else was having the time of their lives, shouldn't I be doing the same?

Freshman year of college at the Capitol

If you have been reading my blog, or following me on Instagram, you probably had no idea that Dylan and I had been experiencing some roughened waters these past few months. Because that's not exactly what I wanted to share with you guys. It's not cute. It's not fun. And I wanted to hone in on the good times and that we had, and who wants to post a picture captioned, "We had another argument today," when the person right before you posted some cute candid picture with his or her significant other, captioned with some clever caption about how great said significant other is? Not that I'm hating on those people because I am absolutely guilty as charged. Anyway, the answer is no one. But maybe we should.

And I am so guilty of all of these things that I have rambled on about for the past few paragraphs. The image I put out there, yes, is me, but it's also a very photoshopped and filtered version of me. Maybe when you read this blog, you think I have it all together. I hope you don't think that, but if you do, NEWS FLASH, I absolutely don't. I share with you the good things and the fun things and the exciting things, but what I don't always share with you is that I have bad days. Very bad days, where I'm already running late and then I spill something and then I can't find something else and then I take it out on my sweet students, saying things that I wish I hadn't said. I am a very active person, and no, I don't have any sort of eating disorder, but I absolutely have days where I struggle with body image and what I eat and feeling as though if I eat something "bad," I have to negate it. That's a very real part of my life, but not one that I often talk about. I truly do love my job, but what I didn't mention (and this is partly because I wasn't blogging at the time) is that there was a month or so of time when I doubted myself and my decision to become a teacher and a coach and I seriously asked my parents what other job I was possibly qualified to do. And living at home. Guys, living at home rocks for so many reasons (mainly the fact that I don't have to fold my own clothes). I absolutely love my parents (and playing Wheel of Fortune with - and probably losing to - them), and heck, they do so much more for me than I could ever begin to deserve. But sometimes it is hard. It was hard going from living in a house with eight of my closest friends, to living with my parents, who, while fun and exciting, aren't going to be down for a game of "What Are The Odds?" And let's be honest, I probably wouldn't want to play with them, either. To add to the list - I fight with my parents. I burn cookies. I get impatient in line at the grocery store. I fall when I rollerblade. I get stressed out. I sometimes procrastinate, which leads me to spending part of my Saturday at school.

And I've already talked for so long, and I'm probably not even doing these thoughts justice, and truth be told, I could go on for pages and pages and pages on this subject. And I'm not saying we should dwell on and live in the negative. Absolutely not. I like to think I'm an optimistic person, but I'm also very human. Bad days are a thing. Life happens, after all. And your every day is not going to be perfectly great. But neither is the person's next to you. No matter how together he or she may seem.

Some of the great people I got to learn how to be vulnerable with while in college. And none of us have it all together.

I share with you the good things on this blog and on my personal social media pages, and that's easy. But now I had to share with you something hard. And that's not so easy. Vulnerability is hard. This post is hard for me to even write. So much so that I'm not going back to reread it, for fear of losing my courage. So please excuse me if I make less than zero sense here. But vulnerability is also so necessary. There's nothing wrong with posting and sharing the good things, because I plan on continuing to do just that, but also remember that it it okay to have struggles. As a 22- (almost 23, yikes) year-old, I feel as though I'm in just about the weirdest stage of life. Maybe even weirder (though hopefully less awkward) than middle school. I couldn't even tell you why I'm writing this post, except for the fact that it has been on my heart, which is such a Christian/YoungLife catchphrase, I know. So, take from this post what you will. And as always, many thanks for sticking with me and continuing to read this little blog of mine!

Rainbow Pizza

For those of you who were lucky enough to have yesterday off from work, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed your holiday. It doesn't seem right to not include a little inspiration from Martin Luther King Jr., as he was the reason for the holiday, and he also inspired quite a few people himself. My favorite words of his are:

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It's really as simple as that. Love is far easier than hate, and this concept is something we can all choose to live by.

Yesterday was yet another beautiful day in Houston, Texas. I had on shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, and sandals, so I'm going to go ahead and say that's my idea of a perfect January day. The sun was shining and Amira and I took full advantage of the day. We started out with a rollerblade session along the bayou (because my half marathon is over, I feel as though I can rollerblade again), followed by a little Houston exploration. 

On sunny days, we blade

I had driven by The Biscuit Paint Wall on Westheimer on the way to a volleyball game late last year, and I made a note to go back and visit it. It has been popping up on my Instagram feed fairly frequently these days, and I knew today was the day to check it off my list. We had a lot of fun having our own little photo shoot in front of the wall, and quite a few other people had the same idea. We snapped a few quick pictures, and we vowed to come back and pay it a full visit sometime very soon.

Then we decided to check out the Greetings from Houston mural, located on the side of Gelazzi, a relatively new ice cream and gelato parlor located in The Heights. On the way over there we made a little pit stop at the "Before I Die..." wall, and had fun reading some of the (mostly inspiring, sometimes inappropriate) things people hope to accomplish in their lifetimes. 

All in all, a wonderful day off. If only we could have a three-day weekend every weekend! So, before we get to the heart of this post, let's start off with some normal fitnessandfroyo news - a workout and breakfast.

Workout

My sleeping schedule is all off these days. But lucky for me, no matter what time I go to sleep, my body seems to crave at least eight hours of it. So I popped up around 6:30am yesterday, but I made myself relax in bed before getting up and getting a head start on my to-do list. After a very full day, I was very tired very early. I crawled into bed around 8:30pm, meaning I woke up around 4:30am. That was okay with me, though, because I made myself get out of bed so that I could be at the gym right when it opened for a swim. As I have mentioned in previous posts, getting a lane after school hours is tough. There are lots of swim lessons and swim leagues, and if I want to swim, morning is the time to do it. I'm taking a couple of days off from running, and a swim is the perfect low-impact workout.

Breakfast

I'm sure you all will be surprised by this one. Scrambled egg whites and spinach, topped off with some lemon pepper and salsa. You would think I would be tired of this by now, but I'm just not. I typically don't eat it on the weekends, though, so I get that little break from it that prevents me from getting sick of it. Plus, I love squeezing in some veggies in the morning.

Rainbow Pizza

Going with our rainbow theme, I followed up my visit to The Biscuit Paint Wall with a Rainbow Pizza for dinner. I was reading a BuzzFeed article (shocker, right?), that provided readers with a list of rainbow recipes that are sure to brighten any day. There are quite a few aesthetically pleasing recipes on this list (that you know I pinned), but the first one that caught my eye was the Rainbow Veggie Flatbread Pizza from Gimme Some Oven. Not only does it make a pretty appearance, but it tastes great and it's healthy to boot. And it's extremely easy to prepare. I'm talking the time it takes for your oven to heat up easy.

Ingredients:

• 1 Multi-grain with flax Flatout Flatbread*
• 1/4 cup pizza sauce
• Turkey pepperoni
• Cherry tomatoes
• Orange bell pepper
• Squash
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Red onion
• Black olives
• Mushroom

*It turns out that this company has actual pizza crust flatbreads - I will be on the lookout for those and be sure to give them a try very soon! 
**You can use any veggies that you would like on this pizza. There are many other colorful vegetables that would have worked on this pizza - I just chose some of my very favorites!

Optional:

• Shredded cheese
• Lemon pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Lay out flatbread on a foil-lined baking sheet
3. Use a spoon to spread the pizza sauce over the flatbread
4. Arrange turkey pepperonis on top of the pizza sauce
OPTIONAL: if you are choosing to use cheese, now is the time to sprinkle it on your pizza
5. Chop veggies into small pieces and arrange in a rainbow pattern on top of the pepperoni

Before going into the oven

6. Sprinkle each pizza with your favorite seasonings
7. Cook for 15 minutes
8. Slice and enjoy (or you can eat it all by yourself like I did)!

The finished (delicious) product

NOTE: The amount of each veggie you use is completely up to you, and the size of the pizza crust that you use. This flatbread is a good option, as is Naan bread, or legitimate pizza dough as can be found in most grocery stores. I simply chopped up each veggie and arranged it on the pizza before starting on the next veggie, so that nothing would go to waste.

Have a great Tuesday, that's really a Monday, but so much better because there's only four work days this week!

2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon

"The weather gods are in our favor this morning." That comment was made just before the start of the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and I could not have agreed more. We were in the "green zone," meaning we were experiencing optimal weather conditions. Though I would have preferred a temperature that had been about seven degrees cooler (did that really just come out of my mouth?), I have no complaints whatsoever. I wore a Texas Longhorn Nike Element Half-Zip Dri-Fit Pullover (see, told you I had a new one!) with a pair of Lululemon Hotty Hot Shorts - okay, I guess I like Lululemon more than I might care to admit - and I didn't even have to wear the sweatpants that I planned to wear while I was waiting around and throw to the side before the race began. All I ended up throwing away was a pair of Target gloves, but it was well worth it to have toasty hands while running. When my hands are cold, they never get warm.

Anyway, let's go in chronological order. My alarm went off at the almost ungodly hour of 4:40am. I had gone to bed at 8:00pm last night, though I didn't fall asleep until about 9:00pm, so I was feeling very well-rested. Plus, I was excited for the morning ahead of me, which contributed to my popping out of bed and running downstairs to turn on the oven. I had planned on eating my usual pre-race meal of toast, peanut butter, banana slices, and cinnamon, and that's exactly what I did, with the substitution of a whole wheat English muffin instead of toast. I ate that around 5:20am, and shortly thereafter my dad so kindly drove me down to the start line so that I wouldn't have to deal with the blocked-off streets, the one-way streets, nor would I have to drive around aimlessly trying to find parking. 

We hit no traffic (shocking, right?), and arrived downtown just before 6:00am. I found my corral with no trouble, and met a few friends at the starting line. They all had goal times that were just a tad faster than mine, but I decided to stay toward the front so that I could hopefully hit my groove faster. Typically, the first mile or two of these big races is a lot of shuffling and elbow-bumping, as we are all confined in one small area. I had heard that this race was much of the same, if not even worse, but I will say that I experienced absolutely none of that. I felt as though I was able to hit my pace from the very start of the race, and I didn't feel like I was having to do much maneuvering at all.

But back to that in a minute. The wheelchair and hand crank wheelchair racers were off at 6:45am, and though I didn't get to see their start, I just want to say that those racers are such an inspiration to me. It would be so easy to view their situations as a limitation, but the fact that they choose to make the best of it and continue to race competitively speaks volumes to their character. And competitive they are! Then, the honorary starts, Aaron and Peter Barry, who, along with their sister Willa, survived a tragic automobile accident that claimed the lives of both of their parents - longtime marathon participants - in 2011. I love hearing stories of why people run, and there sure are a lot of inspirational and beautiful ones. Next up was the singing of the National Anthem, and then we, the runners, were off! I felt as though I got a pretty quick start, and my Garmin confirmed that feeling. I ran the first couple of miles at around an 8:30min/mile pace, which I certainly wasn't going to be able to sustain throughout the entire race, but it felt good to get a fast start.

I absolutely loved everything about this race. I loved running through my city, I loved watching the sun rise over the Houston skyline, I loved the thousands of spectators that lined the streets of Houston, I loved the hilarious and inspirational posters said spectators were holding, and I'll list my favorites momentarily, I loved seeing familiar faces, I loved meeting new people, I loved joining the thousands of runners who helped raise money for one of the many charities adopted my the Houston Marathon's Run For a Reason program, and I loved the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who probably got up well before I did this morning in order to make this race possible. Truly, these would not be possible without you incredible people, so thank you for giving up your time and helping to make it a successful race. Y'all are the true MVPs.

I am not sure how my Garmin added an additional .3 miles, but it did. And though I do think I ran just over 13.1 miles - that comes from being on the outside of turns and such - I certainly did not run 13.4 miles, nor did I maintain a 8:32min/mile pace. BUT, I did finish the race in 1:54:29 seconds, which I thought was a new PR, but it wasn't. I ran the 2013 Austin Half Marathon in 1:54:18, and had I known that, I probably would have turned on the speed just a bit sooner, but you won't hear me complaining about running a sub 2:o0 half marathon. That was my goal, after all, and I absolutely met my goal of having fun. Oh, and I also beat my principal, but only by about five and a half minutes!

After crossing the finish line, I headed into George R. Brown and received my medal, a bottled water, a banana, my finisher's shirt, and then I sat down and stretched for a couple of minutes. My IT band did start flaring up while I was running, but it wasn't so bad that I felt as though I needed to stop running. I stretched it out immediately following the race, and I rolled it out when I got home, but I am just very thankful that the pain wasn't so bad as to cause me to stop running. I'm a pretty stubborn runner, and I don't like to stop unless I absolutely have to, and I would hate to have made my little injury even worse because I was too stubborn to stop!

I found my parents soon after that, and the best part was that I even got to hear and see them while running that final tenth of a mile. My mom got her artistic skills flowing and held up this sign for all to see. It meant the world to me to have my sweet parents out there cheering me on, because there have to be things that are far more interesting than watching runners pass you by for two hours. It's funny that they used to come watch me play volleyball in the George R. Brown, and now they're watching me run in much the same place. Life really does come full circle!

And speaking of signs, I wish I could have walked through the course again so that I could take pictures of all the posters that made me laugh or smile, but I tried to remember my favorites as best I could.

• This seems like a lot of work or a free banana
• Chafe now, wine later
• Hey girl ... (Shout out to Ryan Gosling for motivating probably too many women on this race)
• Run like there's a hot guy in front of you, and a creepy guy behind you
• And yes, he's looking at your a$$
• Don't walk now, people are watching
• You're almost there! Just kidding, this is only mile 7
• Run like JJ Watt is waiting for you at the finish line
• Every wall has a door
• Hurry up! We want margaritas!
• Blisters are in this season
• High five if you're calling in sick to work tomorrow!
• Don't worry, toenails are overrated
• Yep, worst parade ever

And again, I am so thankful to have had this incredibly fun opportunity. As I mentioned yesterday, there are not many feelings that beat the one that comes when crossing the finish line of a race. I loved every minute of participating in the 43rd Annual Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and I already can't wait for next year.

ABB 5K

I truly hope that your Saturday has been as beautiful as it has been here in Houston. I mean seriously, days like today are my kind of days. So much so that I went to Bendwood Park after I ate lunch so that I could write and draw and sit out and enjoy the sunshine. Normally I would do something outside, like bike or blade or work, but I want to save my legs for tomorrow. I will be up and on my way in less than 12 hours, and I am getting more excited by the minute. Part of that excitement came from participating in the ABB 5K this morning, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Let's backtrack to yesterday. The bell rang at 3:15pm, and I was more than ready to push some of my kiddos out the door. This was my first full week back at school, as I mentioned yesterday, and I won't lie, it was l-o-n-g. And normally, I would be flying out the door right along with them, but I had plans to meet Sarah and Natalie at Mi Luna Restaurants & Tapas Bar in Rice Village for Happy Hour. Because I saw no reason to go home and then come right back to the same general area, I simply stayed at school and got a little bit of work done. Maybe the reason this week felt so long was because my to-do list was never-ending. I would cross one thing off, and then add two more. As a result, I felt extra productive this week, but it absolutely wore me out! So, some $3 wine and tapas with two of my favorite people was just what I needed.

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We met at the restaurant just around 5:00pm, and I was immediately impressed by the atmosphere. It was dark and cozy, but not so dark that you can't see the people next to you. The waiters were all extremely attentive, and the food was wonderful. It absolutely reminded me of Barcelona. On that note, though the Happy Hour tapas menu was very appealing, I just didn't feel right ordering anything but my beloved tortilla. If you can go back in time a couple of years, Sarah and I were obsessed with tortilla, so we would be doing ourselves a disservice by not ordering it. I ordered a side of Brussels sprouts on the side, and they were cooked in such a way that I can never seem to mimic. Delish! Natalie was the smart one and ordered three different items off of the tapas Happy Hour menu, and they all looked incredible. Judging by our clean plates at the end of our meal, I'd say we would all agree with that statement. Throw in some house wine and some best friends, and you've got yourself a recipe for a great evening.

I got home around 7:45pm, and I can't say that I did much of anything productive. I was pretty wiped from the week, and I knew I was going to have to wake up early the next morning, so I lounged around before calling it a night at 10:00pm. My alarm went off bright and early this morning, instantly making me question my decision to voluntarily wake up this early simply to go run three miles, but I knew it would be worth it once I was up and moving. Once I'm up, I'm up, but sometimes it just takes me a couple of minutes. The race was scheduled to start at Discovery Green, and because I still needed to pick up my packet, I headed down there extra early. I found some parking (for only $10 - Houston, you are going to make a killing off of this race weekend), and headed over to the green. I was walking over there just as the sun was rising, and I was overwhelmed with how much love I have for the city in which I grew up.

I picked up my packet, snapped a few pictures, threw a couple footballs (and got a free t-shirt!), and finally made my way over to the starting line. Some of the fastest women in Houston were introduced, the National Anthem was sung, and then we were off. As I mentioned earlier, the weather was absolutely perfect, and I am hoping that will hold true for tomorrow's race as well. The course wasn't exactly thrilling, but it was a lot of fun to get to be a part of the first race of the Houston Marathon weekend.

Sometimes when you run alone, you have to take selfies

I finished in about 25-26 minutes (I am currently charging my Garmin, so I didn't have an exact time today), and after picking up my medal and free banana, I headed just across the street to the George R. Brown Convention Center to check out the race expo. My mom so kindly picked up my race packet for me yesterday, but I have no will power and ended up just strolling through the expo to see what it had to offer. Plus, I wanted to make full use of the $10 I paid for parking. I was glad that I went because not only did I purchase an Addaday Roller (again, it hurts so good), but I found what I will call the Skecher's Goal Wall. I absolutely loved reading through people's goals, which ranged from hardcore to inspirational to downright funny.

And of course, I couldn't resist adding my own.

My principal, along with about seven other teachers at Bellaire, is also running the half marathon. And I won't lie, one of my goals for tomorrow is to beat his time. I'll keep you posted on that one!

I also loved walking around and looking at all of the running gear. Though I didn't purchase any of it, I had to laugh when I saw this shirt. Typically it's miles 7-10 that have me questioning my sanity, but crossing the finish line elicits a feeling that is like none other.

I finally made my way home, and I was hungry. I ate some of my banana-oatmeal-almond butter "dough" long about 6:45am, along with munching on a few free samples from the expo, but I swear my stomach had transformed into a bottomless pit. And it was only three miles! I ate a couple of cuties, a handful of grapes, and whipped up some of my scrambled egg whites and spinach. Nice and warm on a cool morning.

I did a little bit of school work, took about a 45-minute nap, got all of my belongings together for tomorrow, and then headed out to Salata for one of my favorite salads in town. I told myself that I would make my own salad with what I have here at home, but it was so pretty that I couldn't just sit inside all day. So, to Salata I went. I had my usual spring mix and spinach mixture, with herb marinated grilled chicken, tomatoes, bell peppers, celery, onions, alfalfa sprouts, black and green olives, chickpeas, and a scoop of my new favorite dressing: sundried tomato. It absolutely hit the spot!

After finishing my salad, I went right down the road to Bendwood Park with my journal and my Kindle and spent some time writing, reading, and just enjoying the sunshine. I loved seeing all of the people out - playing on the playground, playing frisbee, flying kites, and playing soccer. As I have said over and over again - the perfect day.

And with just about an hour and a half until I start winding down, I'll probably park myself on the couch with a tall glass of water, Pinterest, and some basketball on in the background. And keep your fingers crossed that my IT band doesn't give me any trouble tomorrow - I've been rolling and stretching pretty religiously. And I will certainly be back with a full recap of tomorrow's race. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Things I'm Loving Friday XVII: Running Edition

Happy F-R-I-D-A-Y! I have officially almost made it through my first full week of teaching for the second semester. Phew! I am finally starting to get into the waking-up-early groove, and I am quickly remembering how to run my classroom. This week has been pretty relaxed in terms of my English classes, as they have been working on and presenting projects, so I am grateful for that. It gives me a little bit of extra time to catch up on the things I just don't seem to have time for during the week. Or maybe that I don't make the time for, you tell me.

And it's no ordinary Friday - it's pre-half marathon Friday! [And the start of a 3-day weekend Friday]. In just 48 hours I will be lining up to run in my 6th half marathon, and I could not be more excited. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather predictions hold up, and that we have some dry weather for Sunday's run. So, that seems like the perfect segway into my running edition of Things I'm Loving Friday. Enjoy!

Nike Element Dri-Fit Half-Zip Pullover

I have a bit of a problem. I may be what some would consider “obsessed” with these tops. I bought my first top (on sale!) about a year and a half ago, and I never looked back. Actually, the first time I wore it was at the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco, and that prompted me to search for them in other colors. They have been me go-to running tops this season, and I wear them around even when I’m not planning on working out. It is dri-fit material, meaning it keeps sweat away from the body (good for someone who sweats a lot like I do), and I love the little thumb holes that are pre-cut into the top – you get that warmth, but without losing the dexterity. They are expensive, but I typically wait until I can find them on sale, which does happen! I’m also unveiling a new one for the half marathon, so stay tuned to see what color it is (because I know you are all waiting on the edge of your seats in suspense).

Lululemon Fly AwayTamer Headband

I have strayed away a little bit from other Lululemon products – tops and yoga pants – in favor of Nike and Athleta products, but I will never turn down a good headband. I have been a headband wearer as long as I can remember, and I almost always have one on hand. I guess I have an unusual-sized head, because many headbands slip and slide off of my head, but these headbands are worth the price tag. Not only do they stay put and keep my hair out of my face when I run, but they’re cute, too. And you know that’s half the battle. Look good, run good, right?

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Lululemon Women’sUltimate Padded Run Socks

I know I just said I have been straying away from Lululemon, yet here I am singing the praises of yet another Lululemon product – socks. I bought these socks sort of on impulse, because my other padded running socks were getting a little ratty. And when I run long distances, I have to have that extra padding, even if it is just a psychological thing. I love these socks because they stay put and don’t shimmy down my foot when I run, they provide excellent cushioning, and they keep me feet feeling cool and dry when I run. I give them five stars!

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Under ArmourSeamless Essential Sports Bra

I’m all over the place with my product loyalty today. Nike, Lululemon, and now Under Armour. I’m not usually an Under Armour advertisement, but I do love these sports bras. It fits snugly, but is not constricting. It’s seamless, meaning there is no unnecessary chafing, and though they are meant for low-intensity exercise, I find them perfect for running. And, they come in a plethora of fun colors. A win-win on many accounts.

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Body Glide

I get blisters on blisters on blisters, no matter how broken-in my shoes are. And when I start running multiple days in a row, the blisters only get more and more aggravated. Okay, and when I run long distances wearing shorts, I often chafe between my thighs. Maybe that was too much information, but that’s also why they have people handing out Vaseline on the sides of races. Anyway, I just invested in some Body Glide, and it works wonders. Granted, I have been wearing leggings in this colder weather, but I have no doubt that it will live up to its product reviews.

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With all of these products, I have no doubt that Sunday's race will be a good one. I will be running in my pink Brooks, and I have not yet decided whether I'll be wearing shorts or leggings. It will be a game time decision, but I am sort of leaning towards the shorts. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and I will surely be back sometime this weekend with a race recap! I am participating in the ABB 5K tomorrow morning, which is about a mile more than I normally run the day before a half marathon, but at this point, what's one extra mile, right?

Half Marathon Playlist

Happy Thursday to my faithful readers! We are over the hump and one step closer to the weekend, hallelujah! And it is one day closer to race day, so I decided it would be the perfect time to share my half marathon playlist with you all. My music is all over the place when I am running - I have some pop mixed in with country mixed in with rap even mixed in with some Christian music, and I am hoping that the constant variety will keep me going for 13.1 miles. I am a little bit bummed that Taylor Swift took herself off of Spotify, because her new album would be great to run to. Shake It Off instantly makes you pick up the pace. But anyway, here is my current "Running" playlist - I hope you're inspired to add a few of these to your playlist, and I really hope you feel inclined to send a few must-listens my way. I'm always looking for new songs to spice up an old playlist.

And on that note, I'm off to go teach some kiddos something important. Here's to hoping they retain at least a little bit of it. Have a great one!