Happy Friday!
My computer was giving me all sorts of trouble yesterday (even thought I have taken it to get fixed...ugh. I hate technology sometimes!), so I just couldn't get this post done till today!
Anyway, last week, we were preparing for our big race! My first race in 2.5 YEARS and Ella's first race EVER!!! Last Thursday, we went to pick up my race packet! (I'll fill ya in on that whole thing in a little bit.)
Friday we went to story time at ImaginOn.
Both kids had fun playing with the legos after story time...
...and playing on the trolley!
We also made a quick stop at Daddy's office, where Ella got to play with his coworker's "toys."
Friday afternoon, my parents arrived, which meant bike riding lessons...
...wagon rides...
...and making my mom draw the entire Paw Patrol with chalk on our driveway. Ha! Ella was so sad when it rained the other day...looks like you need to come back and re-draw everything, Mom!
My parents were in town because we had all signed up to run the Elizabeth 8K! My friend Amanda was also in town running it, so Ella got to hang out with her little boy, Rhys (and the dads, of course) while the rest of us were running!
A little re-cap, since I don't feel like giving this race it's own post:
Oh my goodness, this race completely kicked my BUTT. I'm not sure why I thought I could have run it at/close to my pre-baby speed of 6:45ish miles, but holy moly, I am no where near that fast anymore! Maybe if I had run outside more than, ohhhh once in the last 18 months, I would have known that.
So, at the start, all of these slower people were at the front and I just could NOT get around them and out of the pack. When I finally did, I felt the need to flat out SPRINT to get myself back on track. And then I saw some guy with a stroller...and I was like "Oh hell no, I'm not letting some dude with a stroller beat me!" so I tried to run even faster. What a horrible idea. The first 3 miles I was able to (barely) hang on to right around 7:04 mile pace, but by the end of that 3rd mile I was totally DEAD. I kept thinking to myself "I totally should have just run a 5K!" After the third mile marker, we turned a corner and there was this gigantic hill. Which was just perfect because, oh, I WAS DYING. I literally said, out loud, "OH F***" and just shook my head. So once I made it (crawling! Lucas prob would have beat me up that hill), we turned another corner (so many turns! That was another issue I had with this course!), and there was this gradual incline...which is even worse than a hill, because it. never. ends. At this point, I think I just totally threw in the towel and gave up my chances of winning any sort of prize. I actually STOPPED TO WALK not once, but TWICE during those last 2 miles. In all the races I have done, even the full 26.2 marathon from hell, I have never, ever, ever stopped to walk. (Except at the water stations! I always walk through the water stations, even during this 8K! So those don't count!) So when that happened, I felt like a big loser. I finished with a time of 36:50, which calculated my average pace to be 7:25. Ummm whoa. Definitely should not have stopped twice. That pace was even slower than my half marathon pace (7:22). I realize that everyone who saw my post on Instagram, complaining about my pace probably thinks I am so obnoxious, (which I probably am) but it's all relative, people! How would you feel if you couldn't run 5 miles as fast as you used to be able to run 13+?! Anyways, I got second for my age group (15 seconds from first...and if I were still 29, I would have won my age group! Grrr...) and 6th overall female. So, yeah I was a little disappointed. But, if nothing else, this does give me TONS of motivation to 1. run outside more, 2. pick up the speed when I'm on the treadmill, and 3. run another race (but probably not till fall because warm weather + me + running = not the best combo).
My parents and Amanda did great! My mom even got second place in her age group!
Ok, so once I chugged 8236 gallons of Gatorade, it was time for Ella to get ready for her kids race! But first, she had to meet all an owl...
....and the Harris Teeter dragon!
Then was the kids run! It was seriously the cutest thing I've ever seen.
Just look at her focus...and the tongue sticking out!
After the quick 100 (maybe 150?) yard dash, all of the kids got medals!
Ella was so proud...and Trav and I were so proud of her, too! She said she has lots of fun and wants to do it again!
So after all of that running, we needed some nourishment! Trav decided to make everyone a huge brunch at our house (since it was Saturday morning, we figured we'd have to wait a while wherever we went to eat)! Everything was so delicious!
We said goodbye to our friends and my parents, and played a little more outside (Ella slept REALLY well this night!).
Sunday consisted of basketball watching and puzzle eating (Lucas)/ building (Ella).
Ella got to stay up to watch the UNC game and I know it goes without saying, but we are all SO excited they are in the Final Four! Trav and I were looking up flights to Phoenix Sunday after the game; had they not cost an arm and a leg andddd if someone would take a bottle (LUCAS), we would have totally gone. Maybe next time!
Monday morning was Ella's gymnastics evaluation, where she shows the teacher all of the skills she can do. Lucas wanted to participate as well...
Tuesday we didn't get in to story time again (shocker!), so we looked at some books and played with a cool maze toy instead!
And that's a wrap on our week!
Have a great weekend!!!
GO HEELS!!!
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