On this great day in history Ninety five years ago my great grandmother, Evangeline Blood was born! I tried to pick her out a really pretty birthday card since she deserves something very fancy for 95 years on Earth. I like the quote inside.
Though she isn't in this photo below (because she couldn't travel)..she did start it all.
To my great grandmother-HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

now I have a cashmere sweater in my favorite color-green!

I wish JCrew.com would stop sending me those emails with 30% off discount codes.
I click on them when I have insomnia.
Which has been quite frequent recently.
And today I received two more sweaters that I have no recollection of buying online (apparently I was that tired)
I mean I love cashmere sweaters...but I just had to clear another shelf to make room for them.

"It is better to be home alone than to be home and wish you were alone"

"Marry a man who adores you. When you find that, it won't matter if Angelina Jolie is in the room."


Quotes I heard on The Bachelor tonight. Silly reality television. Essentially good quotes though.

New Year Resolutions

I don't normally make Resolutions but I find that this will be my year for improvements.
I need to work on just me. What will make me happy, successful, secure, and safe.

So I think the following things I could vastly improve upon.
This year I resolve to:

1. Be Positive and Happy I have much to be thankful for
2. Not swear/curse/cuss I have a wide vocabulary, there are plenty of other words to use
3. Be Forgiving though I must remind myself forgiveness is not the same as settling
4. Give more hugs/physical touch I am going to need some serious work on this one
5. Volunteer

And for good emotional health and because I have always wanted to
7. Travel somewhere Exotic

This was actually supposed to be a two lane highway. But with the snow it was down to about one and even that was difficult to drive through.
The Cadillac was losing traction but since it's a pretty heavy car it didn't slide off to the 4-6" of snow on the side.
However the main goal was to get through the Mountains of TN and NC and not get stuck there. I made it back to Raleigh at 1am.

Any type of rejection is my now my biggest fear.
So Love Many, Trust Few or None in my Case
and Always Paddle Your Own Canoe.

I would count running as one of the more expensive exercise routines/hobbies. A gym membership would probably be cheaper. For instance in the past 6 weeks I have purchased:

New shoes $130 (every 4 month replacement)

Cold winter tights $70

Cold winter pullover $70

Thermal Socks $15

Battery for heart rate monitor/watch $15

Road Race Fee Nov: $34.20

Road Race Fee Dec: $74.20

Total: $ 408.40 YIKES

And all that is right before Christmas...I tried not running for about two weeks (I was freezing/it was too cold to run in my clothes from last year) but I was loosing my sanity. So I cracked and just bought nice new warm running gear. Now I can run in 15 degree weather ;) Whatever at least this addiction isn't alcohol or heroin or something right?

And Cherith insists' it's still cheaper than the many health conditions/complications that unhealthy Americans face today from Obesity.

Race Eve

So here I am the night before the Race! And I'm a little anxious. It's funny because just last week my running partner and I (her name is Cherith...also the most wonderful person I have ever met in my life) were talking about how we were a bit nervous. And yes we've already been nervous for more than a week or a few days; but we were talking about how we have "Test Anxiety" in college. And 'Test anxiety' is a real disorder that is mentally draining because you study and study but then you get so worked up about the test and worrying you will do poorly that sometimes you actually do poorly.
Well I well worry about everything, and probably have anxiety about anything that I can plan for, it's in my nature. I’m a perfectionist.
So testing aside; Cherith and I trained for months for this race and here we are laughing about how we are a bit anxious.....is there such a term as "RA"...."race anxiety"...probably not but we are making it one!
But just so we are clear my "race anxiety" does not mean that I am not super excited and prepared and ready at the same time!!! I mean yes I am nervous, my stomach is doing little flips, this is a big race-I don't know what to expect or what it will be like or how many spectators I don't know will be watching me...basically there are a lot of 'what if's?'
But you know Cherith and I have trained and run and sweat through the hottest months of the year. We have raised $2,400 for Blood Cancer Research! We have run 500 miles since the start of our training program through different terrain- pavement, gravel, trail, hills, flats, and sand. Umstead State Park has some of the most grueling inclines but the loveliest scenery. And because of that I am in the best shape of my life.
I feel like I'm much stronger physically than I ever used to be. I am stronger mentally too. But that's the key you really have to get through the tough stuff to get to the good stuff. Marathon training is probably a lot like life. You have to look back and think 'wow I stretched myself to limits I never thought possible, like a rubber band, but it never broke', you have to think about where you are now to really appreciate how far you've come, and the biggest reward for never giving up will be crossing the finish line.
p.s. I have also burned about 51, 500 calories during training season, lost several pounds, became much leaner, developed muscles in places in didn't know I would simply by running and anyone who wants to do the same should join TEAM IN TRAINING. I went from being a boring 3-5 mile runner to a long distance runner with their help ;) Become a runner while raising money for cancer??!! Why not!!