Happy Trails To Me...Until we stalk again!!

So in a couple of hours I will be on my way to Vegas. Butterflies are a flutterin' already. I am concentrating on my eating and hydrating already because lord knows driving 7 hours in the middle of the Nevada desert doesn't make for many healthy food choices or any food choices at all, unless you like fresh cactus. Speaking of cactus, I wish my ass was skinny enough to pee behind one...just sayin'.
With all the water I need to be drinking we will be stopping every 30 mins...in the middle of nowhere! I don't know if you have ever driven across Nevada, but small towns is an understatement, more like ghost towns!! So, tell me if you think this is just out of the question. I have to go to Target to buy an umbrella stroller for the 2 yr. old. He is also at the age where he needs to learn to go potty like a big boy. So what if I bought one of those little learning potties and used it while we are on the road. I mean come on, can't you picture it. You are driving down the highway,in your luxury vehicle(we can all dream) out in the middle of nowhereland and come upon a woman sitting on a child's potty seat next to her pimped out Chevy Tahoe. It would be one of those moments where you have to do a double take, just so you are absolutely positive about what you just saw! Ummmm....yeah, no! I will not be doing this. But to say that I have a non-existent bladder is an understatement and if I want to stay properly hydrated, I will have to figure something out! Also, I am totally freaked out about what I am going to eat while in Vegas. I am bringing healthy options for the road trip and my yummee found 2 cartons of Pure Protein bars at his desk, but when we are there and eating out. Oy vey!! I have been so scared to eat anything with my recent bout of MSG/Sulfite hatred that I don't even know what to do! Olive Garden for pasta may be an option as long as I stay away from the salad, the breadsticks, and get the sauce on the side. But who wants to go to Olive Garden while in Vegas...nope, I want to go to Margaritaville and veg on bad stuff so that I can feel miserable and perform miserably. Not really, so we will just have to wait and see. On a side note, I think meat (of any kind) and I are on a gastro tug of war. I just don't think it agrees with me anymore. The meatatarian in the family will not be pleased, but it's not like I force him to go vegan. Again, it's a wait and see!!
So here is my road menu:
Whole grain vegan bread
Almond butter
Bananas
Pure Protein Bars
Greek Yogurt (plain)
Granola
Blackberries
Cherry juice (good for recovery due to the anti-inflammatory properties)
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Sprouts
Lunch Meat (hopefully we find some without sulfites, if not...pass)
Avocado
Kidney Beans (help flush Sulfites naturally)
Trail mix
Coconut Water

Any other options I am missing???? Maybe some Peppermint Joe Joe's from Trader Joes. They give you minty fresh breath after you scarf eat them!!

I still have yet to post my Thanksgiving Turkey Trot review and my vegan menu items...maybe I will do that the night before the race when the nerves have me awake at midnight!! I am still thinking a couple of MGD 64's will help me sleep....what do you do to calm the nerves the night before a race??

Las Vegas Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon...here I come!! It's my first half, but not my first race....

Chillin' in my Emus and the Ookies

Don't get me wrong, I luvs me some ho-heels. The higher the better, but not so great for the legs before a long run. I have been wanting a pair of UGG's for a year now. I had asked for a pair for Xmas, and I mean specifically asked "hey yummee, I want a pair of Ugg's for Xmas." Do you think that's what I got? Uh, no! He got me a sissy bar for the motorcycle...his motorcycle. Now, for long rides it's really great to have. But I have been riding 4 years without one...I could have waited longer! Anywho's, this past weekend as I was picking up my race packet from a local store, they had Emu's. And a really cute pair with buttons on the back, not just the boring ol' pull on boots. I tried them on and "WOW", I am not sure my feet will ever want to shoe my pretty toes in a pair of ho-heels again. Real sheepskin, water resitant, and a better sole so you don't feel like you are standing on a flat hard floor. But what sold me...they are about $100 cheaper than UGG brand, plus I got 20% off that day since I was a registered racer. Bammmmm! And here they are in all their glory...

Yep, that's my foot! I am at work and although I have my ho-heels under my desk for when I need to speak with customers, these are what I wear when I am just plugging away. I am hoping they will help with the cramping in my lower legs. They are super duper comfy!!!
OK, so not last weekend but the weekend before was my cousin's wedding. We traveled through the mountains, the woods, and the fields....

see i wasn't lying...

It was a beautiful weekend that ended horribly...cuz I came home sick. I got in a 2.5 mile run/walk on Saturday (run/walk because our adopted foster niece went with and was having medical issues) and then was planning on taking a rest on Sunday and running 9 miles on Monday. That did not happen at all! I knew on the way home on Sunday, something wasn't right. I got the ookies!! I slept pretty much all day Monday and part of the day on Tuesday. Barely ate, drank lots of tea, drank Theraflu for night time sleep, and by Wednesday went back to work. I still wasn't feeling 100% but had to get stuff done. Can't just lay around in bed all day getting waited on hand and foot (even if it was nice...kids and yummee are all so nice when mom's sick)!! So Wednesday I took the Bitch out for a jaunt and still felt really exhausted. And that is no fun for someone who already struggles to run in the first place. Thursday I am feeling much better and decided to have a breakfast burrito, so I pull up to "the unnamed establishment" and order 2...1 for me, 1 for yummee! I drop his off to him and head on up to my desk and chow down! About an hour later, not feeling so great! Oh goddess....what is inside me?? Ewwweeee, my stomach does not feel good. Yep, the cute girl at "unnamed establishment" poisoned me! I am sure of it! She said she liked my hair, but what she was really saying was "ha ha ha...you'll pay for this later"!!! So I tried to make it through work but just couldn't and called yummee who promptly took me home. Luckily, no workee for us on Friday as it was a good ol' holiday! So no run on Thursday...still feeling the "burritto remnants" on Friday, no run....

To Saturday mornings 8K....Got plenty of rest, ate 2 pieces of sprouted whole wheat bread with almond butter and bananas. My yummee even got up at 5am to go and get Starbucks so I would have enough time to drink it and feel good for the race (you know, bathroom time)!! But as excited I was about running my 3rd race, I just felt ookie! It wasn't raining, as the never get it right weatherman predicted. I had on compression socks with my under armor winter pants, shorts, a long sleeve and a short sleeve over that. I used my buff for a head band to keep my ears warm and the sweat from running into my eyes...all in all it was a great morning for a run. But the race started almost 20 minutes late and then the 2 programs on my phone were giving me problems and by the time it started I felt frazzled and tight. I was trying to keep positive, but to be honest...it sucked. The whole thing! The way I felt, the intimidation...it took me in and spit me out! 57 minutes...yep, not at all what I had hoped for. The greatest part of the race was my familia and friends at the end rooting me on! As embarassing as they are, I love them!!

So instead of totally submitting to the pressure of sucking, I will learn from this....
1) Need to run on the road more. I normally trail or treadmill run.
2) Work on speed when running shorter miles. I have been concentrating so hard on running longer that it actually hurt my short run timing.
3) Get more compression socks, but in cute colors! Those things saved me on the gradual incline...no cramping.
4) Hydrate! Got a stitch in my side that just wouldn't go away. But I tried to stay positive by running like Phoebe to keep loose and concentrated on just letting my lower half flop one foot in front of the other.
5) Do more hill work.
6) Strength training...Kettleball work out to increase my strength!

7) Stay positive no matter what and don't quit!! Although I didn't quit, sometimes you get that urge when things aren't going your way. That's life in every aspect, isn't it??

So now what...I am feeling a ton better! Hydrated like crazy this past weekend and am planning on getting in my 9 mile long run tomorrow night. Tonight, hmmmmmm...5 min. warm up, 25 mins. push it pace, and then I think some Kettleballs. But I don't want to be too sore to long run tomorrow!! What to do, what to do??

PS> Thank you committee members...although you have been active lately, you have been letting me asleep! But can we decide on whether or not we are going to run in the Las Vegas RnR 1/2...I got plans to make and people to tell...that is all!