Slow and Steady (race report)

Happy Thanksgiving! It is 6:00 AM and even though you have a house of out of town guests, and biggest meal of the year to produce for your in laws in just a few hours...
You've decided to start your day with 3.1 miles. Oh, and I do I need to remind you it's only 20 degrees outside? So, bundle up! Whats that? You don't really have winter running gear? What the crap were you thinking?!?!
Bundled in leggings, Z's ARMY sweatpants, a couple t-shirts, Z's Old Navy Fleece and Hawkeyes knit cap, and J's gloves... I headed out for the Thanksgiving Day 5K. I looked way super ultra classy... and I was warm. So there you go.
My Husband is a runner. He gets all competitive and has time goals and people he wants to beat. I usually have 1 goal, and that is to finish, and if I beat a PR, well, that's cool. Because guess what? I'm slow. But I'm cool with that, even if Z is not.
The course was on the Sprint Campus in Overland Park, and was basically an out and back that was uphill out... which you can figure out means 'back' is all downhill... ahhhhhhh... it's a beautiful thing. So ONE WOULD THINK that halfway through my second mile my pace would pick up a bit. You know, make up some time on those nice slopey downhills... and I totally thought I was, at the time. After the race I checked my splits.
Mile 1 - 12:04
Mile 2 - 12:06
(and I never saw the 3 mile marker... sooo... the last is 3.14 miles (it was a Pi run!)
Mile 3 + .14 - 14:18
Total 3.14 miles - 38:28
So those first two miles were obviously a nice consistent pace, yeah me! Slow but steady, thats how a Valerie runs. The last mile I was really cold, and obviously getting a little tired, so I slowed down a bit.
The last 5k I did my official time was 37:47. So I didn't beat my PR but, it was approximately 50 degrees colder out this time, so only adding about 45 seconds to my time I am not broken hearted about. I feel good about what I did.
HOWEVER
I would not recommend running a 5k and then spending the next 4 hours of your life on your feet barefoot in the kitchen preparing the Biggest meal of the year... unless you want your legs to let you know about it. Should your days activities require you to be on your feet for extended periods of time... wear some supportive shoes for heaven's sake!
So that's my race report from Thanksgiving day! It was fun, I would do it again. I got a shirt with a turkey on it. I think Mr. and Mrs. P are going to make this a Thanksgiving tradition.
Hope your Thanksgiving was lovely!

No deal on the no-shows.

I know that no-show socks for ballet flats and heels sound like a splendid idea... but they are a load of hooey. I have never found a pair that do not actually show... and when they DO show, you look like a big time goober. Don't invest your dollars in a pair, okay? You will be dollarless and disappointed for sure.

No crying over spilled... ornaments.

I let the theatre borrow my Christmas decor for the production of Annie this summer. Mostly they just used the red ornaments on the tree... but the tree was huge, and hard to put together and then take down. And the the person who took the tree down was super clumsy and dropped about half of my ornaments on the floor... and they shattered. (Okay, the clumsy person taking the tree down was me. Happy now?). So I have very few red ornaments for my lovely red and gold Christmas tree... and... I should probably be more torn up about it than I am. Because... now I have to buy new ornaments for my tree. Oh, darn.
I was out with my husband last night and gleefully informed him that I was going to have to shop for all new red ornaments for our tree. My plan is to buy sparkly ones... lots of glitter. The more sparkles the better! Z is lobbying for something more subdued, less sparkle, more understated manly-ness. He obviously doesn't understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Babyphobic

There is a baby gift for a coworker that was left on the front desk (my desk) a couple days ago. It's just been sitting there. And granted, people leave stuff on my desk all the time, but the baby gift makes me uncomfortable. I just don't want someone to walk in, observe the baby gift in close proximity to me and get the wrong idea. Or get any idea.
It's not that I am anti-baby. Babies are cool when they are across the room, not puking, pooing, or soiling themselves in some other way, and not in any way associated with my womb. All I am trying to say here... is I don't want to have to sit around with baby stuff before my day comes... and that day coming is still something I am bargaining with God about (Dear God, Not real excited about pregnancy, childbirth, toys that make animal noises, and small sticky hands. Love, Valerie).
All I'm saying is... if dear co-worker doesn't claim their baby gift soon, it might find a--er--safer storage place in the back room or by the dumpster or far far away from my baby-free zone of a desk.

SIGH

Valerie is having a CRA-aa-ZY week. I think I am losing my mind. I am so spacey and forgetful and discombobulated. I found my cell phone in the fridge. I left my coat at the costume rental place. I double booked myself in a BIG messy way. I keep running into things. I can't get enough sleep. What in the world is wrong with me? Why can't I get it together?
I just tried to bury my worries in a big bowl of brown guacamole (yes, guacamole is supposed to be green, but it's 2 days old and the only thing in my fridge) and made it half way through before realizing I was having an allergic reaction to it-- I'm allergic to avocado and can't handle that kind of concentration of it. So now i'm looped up on Allergy meds? But really, kids, instead of making me loopy maybe the meds are clearing my mind... because I don't feel like I have been able to think this straight in weeks.
I've had a Britney Spears song stuck in my head for like... 3 days. It's kinda starting to grate on my sanity.
I kinda wish someone else could take over and just take care of things for a while. I've too much to do and obviously cannot handle it. I hate the feeling of being a burden to other people or someone else having to pick up the slack because I can't hack it. But guess what? Thats where we're at right now.
Ugh. I just remembered I was supposed to work out tonight. And... I definitely forgot. I suck at disciplines.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Trees

They cut down the tree in front of our house, eliminating what little bit of shade and curb appeal we had going for us. It was really depressing to come home last night. The front of our house looks naked. And speaking of naked, I am feeling as though we need more than the sheer window treatments we currently have in on the window in our master bedroom... you know, now that we don't have a large leafy tree right in front of it. Sigh. I'm seriously bummed about the tree. You know whats stupid though? They left the stump. Really, tree cutters? You are just gonna leave a couple feet of tree sticking out of the ground as a painful reminder of what we lost? Well, Charlie is pleased, because he still has something to pee on. He loved that tree. Both of the boys did. They loved barking at the birds and squirrels that would sit in it right outside our bedroom window. Geez... I am totally disappointed and depressed about the loss of our tree... I could just... cry.
In other tree news, there is a giant one right on the other side of our fence in the back yard that I believe has a personal mission to dump absolutely as many leaves as it possibly can onto our 10x10 patio. And... we don't have a rake... soooo... It's piling up. the boys try to find ground to do their business and the are chest deep in leaves (given that's not too difficult because they are short dogs, but still...). It's kinda funny, in a we're bad parents and should really clear them a place but enjoy the entertainment of them digging out of a pile of leaves kind of way.
But regardless... I really love this time of year and all the pretty trees. I met my husband at the end of summer, and we dated and spent that fall getting to know each other. I can't help but think of how much I loved that fall each time the season has come around since then. Add some apple cider to the pretty colors and happy memories... and I'm sold.

Dear Fall,
You're the best! Never Change. (except your leaves, they can change colors. :)
Love,
Valerie