GASP!

An injury...

I would like to say it was one caused by triumph and endurance but in fact it was not. I hurt my ankle and knee during a coed softball game. I stepped on Second Base wrong and turned it a little. So, I had to take a break from my running. I think tomorrow I will be back and ready to go tackling 3 miles on Friday and 4 on Saturday! I know I am slow to start, but as I mentioned before I have been hesitant about this whole process. I know that TNT is supposed to be an empowering experience, but I have felt so socially awkward that I keep avoiding my running group. I know I need to suck it up and get out there at 7:00 AM this Saturday. I need to just remember that no matter what happens I will be ok, and that no one is judging me. Listen to me, I sound like a scared middle schooler. I know that once I bite the bullet and meet the group I will feel so excited.

Too much talking, no enough doing right? I can't believe I am going to run 4 miles. I know compared to 26.2 that seems small, but I don't think I have EVER ran that far before.

Next week I am up to 5 and in a couple I will be up to late. I am a bit behind my schedule, but I am not going to let that stop me!

Deep breath. I can do this. Again, too much talking, not enough doing. I AM going to FINISH this and cross the finish line knowing I not only ran 26.2 miles but also raised money for an amazing cause.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall....

Mirror Mirror on the wall...

I have started to train for my the Marine Corp Marathon with TNT. I find myself looking in the mirror in the morning before a run trying to psyche myself up to run. I have been crippled by self doubt, self loathing, and anxiety concerning my possible inability to train, run and fund raise for the event. This is not normally like me. I usually attack a task with veracity and purpose. This has been a constant battle for me and after communicating with my team captain, who shared with me that she in fact has the same fear, I decided to feel the fear and do it anyway. After a couple set backs (I could NOT find my running group last weekend) I am ready to attack this training like a lion. Starting tomorrow I am committing to follow my training, get lots of rest and hydrate and eat right. I am tired of looking in the mirror and seeing what I think is failure (in the diet and fitness arena anyway) and start looking at a determined and strong woman.

This blog is going to be my venue to discuss my training, my diet, my fears and my successes.

I hope to embrace this as an outlet for all my woes and worries but also my joy.

I think in the next couple weeks, I will feel the confident and unstoppable.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Nike store...

So I ordered my shoes and could barely contain my excitement when I saw the box sitting on my front porch when I arrived home from work. I eagerly tore into it with my car keys and lifted my shoes high above my head in victory. I stopped myself from doing the Arsineo Hall (sp?) whooping sound complete with hand motions although I really do think that the moment called for it. After inspecting my shoes, testing for weight and trying them on I rummaged around the box for my other purchases. I had also ordered two pairs of THESE and a pair of $15.00 socks that better make my feet feel like heaven. The shorts were packaged separetly in plastic bags and when I pulled the pink pair out I realized they look WAY too small, particularly for a Medium. I was scared that they simply ran incredibly small and I needed to send then back and ask for the XXXXL. Upon further inspection I realized to my dismay that I had inadvertently ordered one of the pairs in GIRLS; yes that is right... GIRLS. Needless to say unless I can lose 100 lbs in the next 30 seconds I am sending them back.

Wow... really?

Duh Kait.

Dream Shoes....

PURCHASED.

Check them out HERE

The Nike Lunar Glide. The reviews are "rave" and the color is beautiful. In fact, I can't wait to hit the road with these puppies. I tracked my package this morning and it has arrived at my local Fed Ex facility. Huzzzah!

Asheville...

So Asheville, NC is an amazing city. Filled with yummy restaurants, record stores, bars with amazing music spill out onto the sidewalk, used book stores (one even carrying the 3rd edition of the Book of Common Prayer) and fabulous vintage clothing stores. We arrived on Thursday and after checking into the hotel hit the town. First stop, a small pub called Hannah Flannigans. There we made friends with a local waitress who told us of other places we must visit and drank from their extensive list of beers. The best thing I discovered was a local beer called Piscah. There were many Piscah varieties to pick from and the husband and I attempted to run the gamut. The Pale Ale was a beautiful Amber color, not too heavy but with just enough flavor without being too complex.

We spent Friday exploring the city.We had wonderful breakfast at Over Easy where I had the BEST granola and organic vanilla yogurt I have ever had (not to mention the very generous mimosa they poured).

I, of course, took pictures in Over Easy. The place was awesome. Small, with about 10 tables and a bar. The added touch of a screen door gave me the feeling of eating a home cooked breakfast at my grandmothers.

Note: Please excuse my pictures - my camera is on its last leg. Next purchase... Cannon D3000

After breakfast we spent some time perusing the multitude of record stores and used book stores that Asheville has to offer.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating pizza, napping and finally going out in the evening to eat, drink and be merry. My favorite place.. The Thirsty Monk.







After a night of debauchery we went to bed. Only to wake up and have "tragedy" strike. My poor husband slipped on some water in the bathroom and broke his glasses and two front teeth. We spent all Saturday contacting our Eye Doctor in Roanoke, VA to call in his glasses prescription, finding the mall, waiting at Lens Crafters and worrying about his very painful teeth predicament. It did not help that because he could not see I kept calling him "Scent of a Woman". Needless to say we took it easy on Saturday. We drove to a small town called Weaverville, ate a place the size of my living room and then took a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We packed up on Sunday... Bye Bye Asheville.

Which brings me to why I did not blog this week. My poor husband had a cracked tooth and was in so much pain he could barely eat anything, even liquids. I took care of him all week, skipping most planned activities. Luckily, on Friday, he got the issue taking care of. They pulled the tooth and gave him a bridge. He is still recovering but feels A LOT better now!

So there ends our Asheville saga. We did not let the whole incident ruin our trip... we just found a "work around".

Tomorrow.. I will update on TNT. There is so much to talk about including my dream shoes by Nike.

I just found this.

So much to update but due to some "drama" involving root canals I have not posted since my wonderful trip to Asheville.

I promise two things:

1. To post tomorrow (so much to update... including TNT!)

2. Post some pictures from Asheville and gush about the amazing organic vanilla yogurt I had.

For not though enjoy this... found at http://www.mybrickhouse.com/ which is opening in Roanoke! Sadly, the $125 per month membership is a bit steep but a girl can dream can't she?

I hit SEND!

I just sent in my paperwork and commitment form to Team In Training. I am officially training for the Marine Corp Marathon - which is October 31st in Washington D.C. I can't believe I decided to actually go for the full Marathon (yikes). Now I just wait to hear from my fundraising coordinator, trainer and meet my team; I hope there is one in the area! First things first, shoes. Right now, as mentioned before I have horrible trail runners. I am going to use my next bonus check to get some nice running shoes. My contact at TNT already told me that I should go to a specialty running store so they can fit me for shoes dependent on my stride and other factors. Training officially starts in May but I am going to do some prep work so I can get my body accustomed to physical activity. I also started looking at running clothing on Nike.com. They have a wonderful selection and I LOVE LOVE LOVE these running shorts.

The husband and I are heading to Asheville, NC this weekend. Not only will we be mostly walking around town but also I hope to head into the Mountains for some times in the outdoors. Who knows what the weekend will bring but I am excited. I promise to take lots of pictures!

Downtown Asheville, NC !!!!