thanksgiving

I took a little break from my blog yesterday to focus on family and counting my blessings. I'm back today to share a little of how the day went--namely my first ever half marathon!

Wednesday evening, I saw the 10:30 showing of Hunger Games: Catching Fire with the hubs. Not quite sure why we thought that was a good idea, given that our race was early the next morning. Nevertheless, we had a great time and thought the movie was awesome.

We set out our race clothes when we got home and finally went to bed at nearly 2 a.m. The 6:30 wake up call came all too soon, but adrenaline helped us wake up quickly and we set out for Trinity Trails Park. Yesterday morning was VERY very very very cold. Somehow, my energy levels stayed up almost the entire time, and the only things bothering me were that a) I drank too much water before the race and really had to go to the bathroom around mile 3; and b) my hands were so cold they hurt for the first 8 miles--I couldn't warm up, even with gloves! I pushed through it, though, and felt so accomplished and relieved to finish!

Left: Tired after the race! Right: Sinking into our Thanksgiving food comas.

My 4 week training program was totally doable, and although it's always recommended to train for a longer amount of time, it is definitely possible to prepare for a half in one month. My schedule basically consisted of one or two rest days a week, with alternating 4-6 mile runs during the week and longer runs on the weekends (8-10 miles). The weekend of the race I took it easy and didn't go over 6 miles. I set milestones for each weekend to increase distance, running a 4, 6, and 10, tapering off again before the race. 

After the race, we went home to clean up and I immediately set to work on some mini apple galettes to bring over to Thanksgiving lunch with my mother-in-law and her friends. I had only made a large galette before and was unsure how the minis would turn out. I used gluten free Pillsbury pie crust dough and prepared the filling using this recipe via Heaps of Henri, making sure to prepare the filling the night before to reduce my work (read: stress) the day of. The hubs and I tested one to make sure it turned out, which I was happy to find it did! We then headed out for lunch and some Cowboys game viewing.

At half time, we returned home with major food comas to hang out with our lonely pups and watched a few Netflix movies. We had an awesome second Thanksgiving dinner that we picked up from Central Market after the race that morning to replenish all the calories we'd burned earlier. Perfect way to end the night!

Hope you and yours had the best Thanksgiving!

xo.

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gift guide for him

I don't know about you, but shopping for boys is a slightly daunting task for me! Shopping for pretty, girly, sparkly things is way more fun. But finding the perfect gift for the man/men in your life can be a pretty satisfying feeling too when it's something that really fits their personality! I've found a few gifts to please anyone from the techie to the beverage connoisseur, to the adventurer and anyone in between! Even better--most are under $50! What kinds of gifts are you shopping for this year to give your dad, brother, boyfriend, or husband? xo.

socks / beer making kit / spotify gift card / scarf / travel toiletry bag / copper mug / gloves / candle / whiskey / hammock

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gift guide for her

It's my first gift guide of the season--yay! I always have so much fun browsing for the latest and greatest gift ideas to share each year. First up is a gift guide for the ladies in your life! I've found the most darling things--all under $50 I might add--that moms, sisters, friends, etc. will adore. Happy shopping!

eyeglasses strap / jewelry tray / glass water bottle / stationery set / mug / nail polish set / jeweled necklace / lip gloss set / coin purse / scarf

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it's the little things

Is anyone else having just the slowest week ever? I know it's already Thursday (or as I like to call it: Friday Eve), but I'm already exhausted! I think the impending Thanksgiving holiday next week plus the stress and frustration of wanting to get started on house closing/moving is just a lot to handle at the moment.

However, when I focus on all the good going on in my life right now, it's hard to complain! The absolute highlight of my week thus far was the opening of Starbucks in our newly completed Sundance Square on Tuesday.

Sundance Square underwent a huge renovation over the past year or so and was unveiled earlier in the month. I am in love with the space already, especially now that all the Christmas decorations are going up! New restaurants are popping up one by one in each of the two new buildings that flank the east and west perimeter of the square.

Starbucks actually only made a move across the street from its old location, but the new set up is wayyy better. On Monday night, my Twitter newsfeed was sprinkled with several tweets about how the first 100 customers in line for Tuesday morning's opening would get free Starbucks drinks for a year. I immediately set my alarm extra early and surprisingly was able to get up and going! I waited in line an hour before the store opened and sure enough received my coupon card for my free drinks. For someone who works downtown and frequents that store a lot, I was pretty excited about it!

So you know, life can get pretty stressful at times. But I'm learning the importance of slowing down, getting outside my comfort zone, and appreciating the little things like: waiting in line for coffee before the sun comes up and making friends with strangers waiting with you; listening to Christmas music a week earlier than what is socially acceptable (and not caring); and generally feeling small in a big, wonderful world! 

xo.

PS: I'm on Bloglovin now! >> Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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reaching a milestone

Sunday marked a significant milestone in my shotgun half marathon training. I reached 10 miles! I've been told by friends and family that if I can just get to 10 miles, a half marathon will be a piece of cake. Surprisingly, I didn't have to stop once. I think my endurance was attributed to the fact that I kept a very moderate pace from the get-go, allowing me to keep my energy level up as opposed to burning out in the first 3 miles.

Unfortunately, the timing of this milestone happened to occur on one of the hottest days we've had here in Fort Worth in quite a while; running in 80 degree weather was pretty rough after I'd gotten used to running in the 40s and 50s! Despite the unseasonable heat, everyone and their dog (literally) was out running on the Trinity Trails. One thing I do love about my newfound hobby is the camaraderie. Almost every person I pass gives a knowing smile, head nod, or mouths a quick "morning!" between breaths. It's also been a fun activity to do with my husband. Even though we have different paces, one of us will occasionally either slow down or speed up so we don't get too far from one another. 

I love this quote! No matter how fast or slow you run, accomplishing a huge milestone and surpassing your own expectations of what you think you're capable of is satisfying in and of itself!

Now that my pre-race goal has been reached, I'll start tapering off leading up to the big day with 3-5 mile runs most days during the week and possibly a 5 or 6 miler next weekend. Aside from training in the week ahead, I will be wishing, hoping, and praying that we can get our house inspected early this week so we can begin closing! How wonderful it'd be to spend the holidays with family gathered around the table at our house!!

xo.

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running with style

As I mentioned in my previous really long post, I am currently training for a Thanksgiving Day half marathon. This is a huge commitment for me, y'all. My first week of training has been challenging, but I've been able to push through my mental limits and slowly build up my endurance, which is a pretty great feeling!

During the week, I run at my condo's fitness center because it gets dark so early and I don't feel completely comfortable running in the dark. However, on weekends and obviously on race day I will be running in the open air and am anticipating a steady drop in morning temps. I've got my eye on some fun new running clothes that will keep me warm without being too constrictive or hot. I love how a new brightly colored top or glittery headband can make me feel so much more motivated. Let me know if you have any recommendations for cute and comfortable workout clothes! xo.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11

PS: I'm having a hard time deciding if I should stick with my current shoes, which are two year old Asics. Or is it worth getting a new pair of Nikes this close to race day? And if I get new shoes, do I go with the new ultra-conforming Nike Flyknit or the slightly more supportive Nike Free? Decisions, decisions!

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house, holidays, half-marathon, and... midterms

Can you believe it's November? Wow! I feel like this half of the year has really flown, but I think that might be attributed partly to the home building process I'm currently on the home-stretch of, and party to the fact that I started my MBA this summer. The demanding schedules of both, with the deadlines that go along with them, have made the days, weeks, and months pass like no other.

The house is getting oh so close to completion (it's already quite a few weeks behind schedule, but that's a whole other story!) and I'm so anxious to get settled and start planning for the hubs and I's first holidays in our own house! We currently live in a condo that offers significantly less square footage. Though we have loved every second of living there and will miss it dearly, it's time to expand and finally be able to have friends and family stay at our place for a change (as opposed to always traveling for the holidays.) This new chapter will be a fun source of inspiration for new blog posts in the near future, so stay tuned for more of that! From decorating, to event planning, to neighborhood discovering... words just can't really describe how excited I am to embark on this new adventure!

Additionally, school has really taken a toll on my free time and my stress levels. It's been more manageable than I anticipated, but nonetheless takes away from creative pursuits that I enjoy so much: photography, blogging, and painting. Now that it's November, midterms for my second session of classes are approaching, along with several papers and group projects. It's a lot to balance, which means a little less opportunity to blog. However, I am going to try to write at least a little something a few times a week. Namely, posts about half marathon training and holiday planning!

That's right, I just signed up for my very first half, and it's on Thanksgiving morning! If you're interested, it's the Fort Worth Thanksgiving 5000 & Half. I've participated in a number of 5Ks throughout the years and finally decided to give the half a try. It's a fun way to start off the holidays and who knows, it might become the hubs and I's new Thanksgiving tradition! Normally, people prepare for months in advance of a half. However, since this was a spontaneous decision, I obviously do not have much time to train. Consequently, I'll be focusing more on a steady pace and just enjoying the scenery and less on getting a good time. This will just help me in avoiding injuries; and if I have to take pauses to walk, I will! I'm so excited and will for sure be sharing a little on how I've trained for the race as well as anything I do or buy in preparation for race day. I already started off Sunday morning with a lovely--albeit slow--4 mile jog along the Trinity River. I am hoping to increase the distance incrementally up to 10 miles. I'm using this Women's Health 4 week half marathon training plan as a guide.

Whew--I did not know this post was going to be so long. If you made it this far, thanks for reading my ramblings! Please comment and let me know your experiences with half marathons. What you enjoy about them, how you trained, what you wore, etc. I'm soaking in any and all advice I can get!

xo.

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