The linkup is going away after next week, so I wanted to do it one last time while I still can. It reminds me of the feature in Glamour magazine. I read that magazine all the time when I worked at the public library during the summers in college (I worked with the Summer Reading Program, back in the day).

Makes me miss college and having a summer vacation. There are no vacations in the world (or at least, the first year) of being house poor.

To love greasy diner food. That blueberry waffle at Waffle House hit the spot today at lunch. It helps that I had a coupon that made it free- I did purchase an order of eggs and leave a tip, of course. The picture is from mine and Clay’s Valentine’s Date.

To have a soft spot in your heart for sick kids in the hospital. I greatly admire the nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals who take care of sick children. I don’t have the mental strength to do that- I would fall apart.

To make an amazing salad and eat off of it all week long for lunch. Spinach, fresh strawberries, blueberry craisins, feta, and granola make for a tasty salad- don’t forget the mango viniagrette dressing. I was buying salads from the grocery store pre-made, but this provides a week’s worth of salad at almost the same price.

To look at the Cards Against Humanity board game my husband just ordered for us from Amazon and think it’s hilarious. Can’t wait to play it at our next house party or get together.

To feel victorious when you find your glasses. After losing them for almost two weeks. Due to moving. Here’s a rare picture of me stirring something that Clay is cooking, back from when I wore glasses full-time.

To find the whole Abercrombie and Fitch plus sizing and CEO comment controversy annoying. I actually like Abercrombie and Hollister‘s stores- it helps that they have classic, stylish, fairly well-made clothes made for tiny people. Our mall has Hollister, although Abercrombie closed last year. Truthfully, I’m ready for it to blow over and something else to make the news. 

To go downtown for a WordPress Usergroup meeting a few hours early just so you can walk around downtown Charleston and enjoy it.

To secretly like the Florida/Georgia Line “Cruise” remix with Nelly better than the original version- sorry I’m not sorry, country music fans.

To feel super stoked about a mini road trip to Florence this weekend for Race for Taylor, especially since Nadine is coming too. Yay for running, family, friends, and Greek food!

I ran my “easy 5K” around the neighborhood in just over 25 minutes.

One year ago, that was my 5K race pace, on a good day (I ran a 25:22 in the Armed Forces 5K in Florence).

I may not break world records, state records, or course records.

But I will work hard and break my own records- and be thankful for everyone who’s helped me break those records, along with those I’ve helped break their own PRs.

Maybe next year, the 23:07 I ran on Saturday will be an easy neighborhood 5k pace.

One can dream hard… and train hard.

Don’t give up ♥.

You might like…

• 2012 Race for Taylor Recap and Reflections
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Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure. All are from our wedding, so it’s a throwback for those of you who haven’t been reading for the past two years, hehe.

I spent Saturday morning with my neighbor and friend from East Shore Athletic Club, Liz, running the Mom’s Run 5K on Daniel Island.

The Mom’s Run 5K is held at Blackbaud Stadium on Mother’s Day Weekend, with the proceeds benefiting Postpartum Support Charleston. This was the 10th year of the run, so it’s pretty established in the community and a large-but-not-too-large race (about 400 people). In addition, there’s a post-race festival for families, a stroller division, and a stroller decorating competition.

Liz, Melanie, and some other friends from East Shore were a part of a team called Chasing the Blues Away. The team aspect was pretty cool, as we got a reduced cost registration (score for those of us who are newly house poor). Even at cost, this race was a steal- for what we paid, we got a very nice ladies cut shirt, a reusable bag with coupons and pens inside, and a personalized race bib.

I was happy to actually have a shirt that fit and a bib that says Tiny Terror. The shirt was great, but no way would I run in it on race morning! Gotta love the runner’s superstition that it’s bad luck.

The race started at 8 AM, and Liz and I got there early to take some pre-race pictures and talk to people, and of course find the start and finish line, etc. I did a quick warm up- it’s hard to warm up when there’s things going on, but I got about 1/2 mile in, along with a few drills (I only saw a couple other people warming up).

I also saw a pink fire truck. How cool is that?

The race had lots of beginners, walkers, and newbies- and this was a really great race for a first-timer. It was Liz’s first 5K and she had fun, ran the whole thing, and finished in under 35 minutes, which is pretty amazing- not that she wasn’t already incredibly fit from teaching BodyPump and CXWORX (Liz is also a great photographer, as she took most of these pics- thanks Liz!).

Along with Liz, the Fleet Feet Mt. Pleasant had a big group of first-time 5Kers and the Black Girls Run showed up in style. Everyone from Black Girls Run was so supportive of their runners and cheering for them- they even ran to the finish with the last BGR lady who finished. Makes me want to join, hehe. Really, that’s how *everyone* in this sport should be, but they set a great example.

The race course was through Daniel Island neighborhoods, so people stood outside their homes and cheered. Along with two much-needed water stops (holy humidity…), there was police presence, lots of helpful volunteers, and the course was closed to traffic.

I went out toward the front and got passed pretty early on by a lady with a stroller, who won first overall for ladies (technically her child was the first female finisher, right?). I stayed close in a pack with a few others but just couldn’t hang for too long. My Garmin GPS *never* found signal so I didn’t get pace splits. I looked at the watch trying to figure things out, but I think that’s more stress than it’s worth, and I won’t race with my Garmin if it stresses me. I may just use it for training…

I finished in 23:07, beating my last two 5Ks by over 30 seconds and only 7 seconds slower than my goal time.

After I finished and got a little water, I ran about a mile back down the course to cheer for people and cool down. I also got a post-race treat, a Chocolate Tuxedo cupcake from Cupcake Charleston. It is a dark chocolate cupcake with cream cheese icing, chocolate ganache, and white chocolate chips. It was really delicious- probably one of the best cupcakes I’ve ever had.

I also got a free Chic-Fil-A chicken biscuit to take home to Clay and some fruit. The post-race party had lots of little family activities for kids to do too, like make cards and crafts for mom, a silent auction, and some vendors selling some neat stuff (I didn’t buy anything. I’m house poor.).

I did, however, get a pretty amazing post-run massage from the Southeastern Massage Institute in North Charleston. This wasn’t your typical post-race stretch- this was a legit, 20 minute massage that made me feel like a new person after my 3.1 miles on the pain train of a 5K. They also offer 50 minute massages for $25 on Saturday and Sunday, so I may check this out during Darlington Marathon training…

Despite being slightly off my goal time and pace, my 23:07 was good enough to win my age group and a pretty cool medal.

Everyone had a great team and a couple people from our team won awards for our age groups.

The Mom’s Run 5K was one of the best 5Ks I’ve done here since moving down to Charleston- and I’m thankful Leigh Ann, Stacy, and Liz told me about it so I could get in on the fun. To me, the race was perfect for first-time 5Kers or walkers and a great event for families to participate (no post-race beer or partying, lots for kids to do, even a stroller division). It would also be a great “first 5K back” for any lady who’s had a baby, because you can run or walk it with the stroller and the baby gets a cute “Future Runner” bib and onsie.

Instead of promoting competitiveness, the race was more about completing the event (walking or running) and having a good time while raising money for the cause. And of course, the post-race amenities were nothing short of amazing- how many 5Ks give you a FREE massage and a FREE cupcake at the end? A good massage and a good cupcake too!

I had a great time and will definitely be back next year.

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• May Day Half Marathon Recap
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Since we bought a home and I won’t get a real vacation this year, plus I can’t really turn down an excuse to do a long run on a weekday, I decided to participate. Last weekend, I met up with Virginia at Moe’s Crosstown Tavern for the pre-race bib decorating party. Magic markers and design-your-own-race-bib? Oh yes!

It was a fun chance to get together with the other runners, design our bibs, and just have a good time on a Saturday afternoon (and Moe’s has the best bar food in Charleston, hands down). Virginia is preggers and can’t race anymore, but her baby has already won a few age group awards and one overall award. Baby even has a couple PRs- talk about a running rockstar in training.

On May 1, Rachael and met at Folly at 8 AM to carpool downtown and start our run. The course was obviously amazing- who doesn’t look running downtown and near the coast? However, this wasn’t an actual timed, sanctioned, permitted race, so cars, bikes, and other pedestrians were on the roads. Charleston roads aren’t known for being empty on Wednesday mornings, so we spent time waiting at crosswalks, running on sidewalks, and running on bridges with little pedestrian path and high winds. Eek.

We did, however, have great motivational signs and amazing volunteers like my friend John (who took the pictures in this post and is the gold  standard for race volunteers). The race had actual aid stations that were better than most “real” races- they had Gu, water, gatorade, pictures, and friendly people. A few guys also volunteered to bike around the course for safety reasons, too.

Most of us ran the half but a few ultra runners did the full because they’re training for 50 and 100 milers. I can’t imagine that, I’m lucky to run 100 miles in a month…

Rachael and I tied for 3rd female in the half, even though you timed yourself and there was no race clock or certification. We finished in 2:00:36, which wasn’t too bad considering traffic, headwind, conversational pace, and stopping at each aid station for pictures, snacks, and thank you’s to the volunteers. It was a glorified fun run and party, so no one really “raced” it, everyone just had a good time.

The finish line was in sidewalk chalk, and you even got a finisher’s picture. The medals are hand made and so much nicer than generic medals- someone made these thinking about the runners and that’s sweet.

When we finished, we were treated to one of the best post-race parties ever. Food, beer, flowers, and a band? Definitely our kind of party. They even had a May Pole, kiddie pool (it was WAY too cold to get in any water), and people brought their dogs. The food was delicious- Spanish rice, bean salad, brats, veggie burgers, cake, fruit, good stuff. My half marathon hunger hit so I enjoyed the lunch- gotta love post-race food that is actual food, so no need to go out to lunch.

We hung out at the post-race party for a little over an hour and enjoyed it, then I took Rachael downtown to get her car and headed home for a shower and to warm up.

For a stay-cation day (most of us who participated took this as a vacation day from work), it was definitely worth it. The May Day Marathon was actually more fun (and better orchestrated) than lots of sanctioned races I’ve done – the bar is set for pop-up races now and it’ll be hard to beat this one.

I’m already planning to take a vacation day on May 1, 2014 to run it next year.

On Friday, I woke up early and ran an easy 3 around the neighborhood- my first after the May Day Half Marathon (May 1). It was a surreal run knowing it would be my last run around that neighborhood as a resident. I won’t miss that townhouse- at least not the paper thin walls and lack of storage- or the bad drainage problem that causes the road to look like the Charleston Mega Mud Run Course every time it rains.

After running, showering, and breakfast, we headed to the house at 10:30 for our final walkthrough, then off to the lawyer’s office for closing. The closing actually wasn’t so bad- just remember how you have to sign your name or initials on all the documents, especially if you go by a middle name or double name or you’re like me and people aren’t quite sure what your last name is. The law firm also had complimentary soda and coffee so there was really no reason to forget when you’re caffeinated.

We closed, got our keys and garage door openers (I feel like Homer Simpson when I pull into it), then headed off to Ladle’s Soups for lunch because by then it was about 2:00 and we were pretty famished. I had the grilled fruit salad (the fruit was bananas… grilled bananas are delicious) and Clay had a sandwich on pretzel bread that looked really good.

We ate at Ladle’s when we came to Charleston last year to look at apartments so it’s like a little tradition for us. Plus it’s cheap, close, convenient, and tasty- and free wifi. Score.

Saturday was moving. All day long. It drizzled rain off and on and we had a couple guys and friends with trucks help. Our fridge was delivered and I unpacked while the guys moved stuff, and on Sunday, the guys made a few more loads and I unpacked more. Fortunately, the townhouse is only about 4 miles down the road, so we didn’t have to rent a Uhaul or hire movers, but I wish we had a Uhaul or box truck because it rained like crazy and was cold on Sunday. It did not feel like May in South Carolina- it felt more like winter.

And with wacky weather comes feeling under the weather…

Anyway- despite the cold, wet, sore, feelings and lack of water for two days, all is well here! Since you’ve read this long, here are some moving pictures to enjoy. Everyone told me on Facebook to post pictures, and it’s not like my home is elaborately unpacked and set up yet, so don’t mind the boxes and randomness. Don’t lie, you know you clean up to take pictures for the internet.

The first thing we did was mark our territory. We had to let the neighborhood know that USC fans moved in.

We always have to take this picture. Always.

Wiped out and wearing sweats in May. I thought this was the South…

Kitchen. I displayed the shot glasses from our 2011 Freedom of the Seas cruise in the window. I never even unpacked them after we moved from Florence, so it was fun reliving the vacation from two years ago. That was one amazing honeymoon…

Keurig is all set up. Priorities.

Our almost empty pantry. All of our food fits in two corners. Even if I go extreme couponer crazy with getting free cereal (it happens!), I think we’ll be okay.

Our little dining room table looks pitiful.

Living room in progress.

Home office. The previous owners conveniently left some nails above the desk, so the race numbers have returned (when I worked in the ACS office, I had them lined up on my cubicle wall, but I won’t do that in my house).

Medals will be hanging eventually. Between placing in races or doing half marathons where you get finisher medals, I have to decide which ones are “worthy” enough to go on the wall.

That’s right, I rock a 2005 home and a 2001 car.

No more for sale sign- it was gone when we got there for our final walk through, so we didn’t get a picture of us taking it down.

Clay and I are officially homeowners. We closed on Friday afternoon, moved on Saturday and Sunday morning, and are spending the next few days unpacking, decorating, and waiting on numerous installations- including water.

Wet, cold, sore, and happy to sleep in our new home tonight (even if it means going to the townhouse to shower).

Sponsored by the Charleston Digital Corridor, the i5K is an evening race from the Aquarium down East Bay Street to the water and back, passing the fountains and the historical homes. It’s a beautiful route and the streets are closed- it’s pretty much the only time you can run in Downtown Charleston without worrying about traffic, minus the Charleston Marathon and Half Marathon.

Most of the runners and walkers worked at tech companies in the Charleston area with big teams, shirts from their company, etc. Clay’s company didn’t have a team, and all my coworkers are in other cities, so we were unattached and felt a bit left out. Even though the race was open for everyone, we felt like the contests, after party, pre-run cheers, and pretty much everything except the run was geared toward the companies that had teams participating.

A few runners wore costumes, which was pretty interesting. One company had banana suit shirts made for their participants.

Our first hiccup with the race occurred when we picked up our packets and Clay didn’t get a shirt. Even though preregistration was required (the race sold out with 800 participants), the only shirts left were L and 4XL- Clay wears an XXL which isn’t a weird size or anything- so his packet was basically a reusable bag, a chapstick, and a pen. We did contact them after the race about the shirt, but it looks like he just won’t have a shirt, which is a real shame since we registered so early.

Of all the races I’ve done, this is the first where I’ve noticed this… but not everyone actually completed the run/walk. People stopped at the East Bay Street bars and hung out, then just walked back to the start. It’s not really fair for those who put in the effort to run or walk the entire 3.1 miles. I also heard (my friend personally saw this) that some of them were smoking outside the bars.

Not a good way to represent your business, folks. Definitely not fair to those who would’ve completed the course and were waitlisted due to it selling out.

Despite the issues, the course was still beautiful. Then again, it’s hard to beat the beauty of running in Charleston, though- I’ve become spoiled by the running scenery here.

I wasn’t sure how this race would play out, because I was *extremely* sore from doing BodyPump the day before and running on tired legs from training so hard for Race for Taylor. I really just set out to do this for fun, but even after my one mile warmup, my legs still felt like lead. Despite my low expectations, I finished in 23:53 then ran down the course for awhile to cheer for the other participants. I hope all the participants I cheered for actually ran or walked the whole distance…

Clay and I hung out with one of my friends from run club at the after party and ate the Andolini’s pizza and Clay enjoyed a post-race beer. Pretty soon the awards started, but with so many girls my age in the race (Does every 20something female in Charleston work for a tech company?), I didn’t expect anything.

However, the race director called my name and I went up to accept my award… which I *thought* was 3rd place female (20-29). The award was a certificate and a reflective light that would be mailed. With close to 100 girls in the age group, I was happy to get anything (I don’t really pay too much attention to who passes me or who I pass in a race). I barely heard my name, and I didn’t hear the placement. By the time I got up to the front, the race announcer had gone on to other winners, so when she finished, we got the certificate and hit 26 back to West Ashley.

The next day, the final results were available online, so I checked them before writing my time and placement on my bib, just to be sure (plus I wanted to know exactly how many people were in the age group). That’s when I saw that I was *1st Place Female* in 20-29 rather than third. Oops. I contacted the race directors via e-mail, and last week, my actual award came in the mail.

Along with the certificate, I got a $25 gift card to The Foot Store in Mt. Pleasant. I will say it was a pretty sweet prize.

Obviously I like this award much better . I offered to drop it by the downtown office, but the organizers didn’t need the 3rd place certificate back, so I threw it away. I guess they printed another one for that girl…

The course was beautiful and my prize for winning my age group was impressive, but with the hiccups with Clay’s shirt, lack of course monitoring, and feeling left out due to not working for a company with a huge team, I’m not sure if I’d do this race again. Running on the streets downtown when they were closed to traffic was a great experience, though, and lots of people had fun with it.

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I love living in a city with actual things to do. Granted pretty soon we’ll be homeowners and won’t be able to afford to do much, but at least we’ll have a nice home to stay home in, right .

I recently found a new group online (and through my friend, gym buddy, and future neighbor Liz) called Charleston Ladies who Lunch, so on Thursday, I went to their April Meetup at Zen Asian Fusion right here in West Ashley.

Six of us attended and it was fun meeting everyone, plus Zen Asian Fusion had some great lunch specials and delicious food. They have an entire lunch menu and will substitute tofu for any of the meats, so tons of vegetarian options (if you eat meat, you can get chicken, beef, or shrimp in anything, so you still have a lot of options).

The menu also had some interesting sushi dishes- I definitely look forward to going back and hope the next Charleston Ladies who Lunch is held there (if not, I trust Liz and the others to find a good restaurant because they’ve lived here a long time and know exactly where to go). My lunch was under $12 even after tax and tip so not bad at all- even had some leftovers. I had the sambal yellow curry tofu with brown rice and a salad.

After lunch, I worked more and also picked up some boxes for packing. I had a grocery store save boxes for us when their truck came in Wednesday night, but liquor store boxes are definitely the best. Obviously not many people at this grocery store have moved, because they saved us a bunch of toilet paper/paper toilet/napkin boxes… which are big and not super sturdy for heavier things. Oh well, guess I will get some more next week (Charleston has an abundance of Red Dot stores to get them from… hehe).

On Friday afternoon, my friend and coworker Carol visited. She lives in Virginia but also works remotely for ACS Technologies, and she was in Charleston for a wedding.

Carol, Clay, and I went out to Angel Oak Restaurant in John’s Island for dinner and we showed her the new house. Obviously we couldn’t show her the inside, but she liked what she saw from driving by and driving through the neighborhood. I hope she can come back and visit once we’re settled in and really see everything, plus it will be great because next time she won’t necessarily have to stay in a hotel (the advantage of four bedrooms!).

Saturday morning, I ventured to Isle of Palms and ran 10 miles with Scott and Andrew. A bunch of the run club ladies are doing the Diva Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach this weekend, so I was here to keep the guys on their toes, hehe. The first 6 miles were great, but the last 4 miles, and especially the last mile, were really, really rough! My stomach started to hurt, and I was super glad that Subway was open and no one was in their bathroom (I’ve also made a mental note to patronize that Subway next time I’m at IOP).

Running was interesting this morning because Robert found $20 on the ground (he said it’s the advantage of running slower, you can actually see the money on the ground), and Sullivan’s Island was covered in campaign signs like this one.

Proof that those of us with professional writing degrees really do have a place in this world.

Happy Saturday!

I hope you’ve all been doing well- we’ve been busy around here lately with house stuff. My parents visited last week to see it and fell in love with it too. I know I don’t talk about house details too much, but I don’t like talking about things I’m not 100% sure about. Fortunately, things are inching a lot closer to being 100% sure, and we’re scheduled to close next weekend- eek!

So, I’m heading to the grocery store this evening to get boxes for packing. Our lease here isn’t up until June, so it will be a slow move. Obviously we’re excited and want to get in as soon as possible- and we will- but at least we don’t have to move everything and clean in one weekend like we had to when we moved to Charleston.

Super thankful for a less stressful, in town move- the house is actually right down the road.

On Monday night, I participated in the Run/Walk for Boston held at TrySports Mt. Pleasant. All four of the TrySports stores in NC and SC held the run on Monday and donated 26.2% of the day’s earnings to the OneBoston fund.

The 2.62 run included everyone from speedsters to walkers, and the local news even came out. I tried to stay far away from the camera but they managed to catch me signing the banner at the 22 second mark- oops (the banner was sent to OneBoston along with the proceeds).

Over 200 people came out, and everyone ran or walked at their own pace, and those who finished stood at the end and cheered for everyone else.

The route was an out and back, so everyone gave each other high fives and encouragement when running by. It showed the strength and compassion of the local community and also drew lots of people out who might not normally participate in an organized event.

I ran a speed workout at lunch that day, so Nadine and I ran the course together with a few other ladies- we took it easy and talked along the course. Here we are running by the TrySports store tent- we look like some fierce ladies.

After the run, everyone got Boston Marathon memorial stickers (I plan to display mine on my running/awards table) and hung out and took pictures. I’m grateful to be involved with TrySports Mt. Pleasant and proud of events like this in our local community. I truly believe the events in Boston will actually get more people up and running, walking and participating in local races.

Aside from running, I’m glad the authorities caught the suspect alive- as I was glued to the TV Friday afternoon watching the coverage.

I’m signing off to get to work. I’m running at lunch today to participate in National Walk at Lunch Day (too bad all my coworkers are in Florence or other cities and can’t join!), then staying busy with house stuff. I’ll also be back soon with my recap of the iFiveK race that Clay and I did on Thursday night.

Have a great day!

I always leave my TV on while working, mainly for the noise. It was always too quiet for me inside the ACS Technologies’ office, so of course my own home, where it’s just me, is way too quiet!

I don’t usually pay too much attention to what’s on TV, but whenever someone mentions Boston, my ears turn up a little. While watching The View, I overheard one of the hosts (Whoopi) say this regarding Boston.

“Let’s all go next year and at least walk it”

Cringing, I felt absolutely disgusted. How dare anyone diminish the hard work that goes into training for a marathon, qualifying for Boston, and running a world-class, premier event? What a slap in the face to every marathoner there!

Not that I trust daytime TV hosts to know much, although I wish she’d gotten the facts straight before blurting that out on the air. Then, I took a step back…

Most non-runners don’t understand our sport- and sometimes, that’s our fault. We put weeks and months into training for races- running, cross training, eating right, foam rolling, stretching, reading training plans, and seeking advice from other runners.

If runners want our sport to survive, to grow, it’s up to us. I realized this when I started coaching for the Florence Track Club in 2011. One day, I won’t be running and competing, but someone will- and as a runner, it’s my duty to the sport to pass on that love- whether it’s to young children, older ladies training for their first 5Ks, people looking to relieve stress, or any new runner. When I started coaching, I realized… It’s not all about me.

My challenge to you, if you want to do something in honor of Boston, sign up for a local race.

Sign up for a local 5K that supports a charity, school, someone suffering from an illness, or team. Local races may not have as many frills, but their causes depend on race proceeds. Skip date night this weekend, there’s your $20-25 entry fee.

If you’ve never signed up for a race- this is your time. You could try Couch to 5K, or not. You don’t have to. You can walk the entire distance- tons of people do. Listen to music, talk to other walkers, or just enjoy the beauty of nature. No one cares how fast or slow you’re going, except you.

If you’re last, no one will laugh. You might even get a standing ovation. The first place finisher of a race has the fewer cheerleaders, as everyone’s behind him or her. It’s lonely.

If you can’t physically run, volunteer. Most races have no trouble finding runners, but struggle to find those to man water stations, serve refreshments, or handle packet pick up.

If you already run, encourage new runners. Stand at the finish of your next race and cheer for those finishing after you. You like someone cheering for you, right? So do they, and they need it more than you- you’re already driven and passionate about running. The post-race beer will still be waiting for you.

You can do something- do it.

Join the community. Join the movement.

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