Catching Up- 42 days till the marathon!!!

With finals, going out of town and starting a new job over winter break, I haven't been the best at keeping up with my blog. I don't know how other people consistently update. But here goes.

1. I ran my furthest run of the training season ( 17 miles) on December 16th, 2012 at Brushy Creek. It was extremely difficult but I was proud of myself for finishing.

( In all the time I have been running at Brushy Creek, it's only recently I noticed the dinosaur section. Sometimes when I am tired and stuck on the trail, I feel the dinosaur in the egg.)

2. I got several books that I wanted for Christmas. Currenly I am reading Barbara Walters memoir, Audition. It's really good so far.

3. I beat my original running goal for 2012 and ended up running 715 miles for the year! Almost twice what I ran in 2011! My goal for 2013 is 800 miles. 

4. If you are in to board games and I really am, I would recommend Zero. Vince and I recently got it at Target. It's a pretty cool Trivia game where the point is to answer the question with the least obvious answer and get the lowest points. 

5. Although I mentioned before that I was interested in doing the Rogue 30k in late January as I thought it would be good practice leading up to the marathon, I instead decided that I really needed new running shoes. I have been running this whole time in Nike Trail shoes that have ( in the last month) really gone down hill and are giving me blisters. So given the choice between registering us both for an expensive race or buying new shoes, I choose new shoes! I think I made the right decision. 

6. I would like to become a tea person. I don't like coffee and I love hot cocoa but there's not much variety there. I recently got a great tea set ( my first ever!) from Vince for Christmas and some really good tea so I just think maybe I could be that Tea person. Is a tea lady very different from a cat lady? I'm not sure...

7. I am really thinking about signing us up for a local 5k in early February here in Georgetown. It's the Cupids Chase 5k and last year I got a PR on the course so I am obviously a fan. It's a really good deal and it is put on by a friend of ours from run group. Prices go up by Jan.11th, but right now it's only 17 bucks which is a great deal. I'll let you know what I decide! It's about 15 days before the marathon, so I think it will be alright but might talk to some people who know more about things than I do before I make a decision. 

( The shirt from last years race.)

8. I have been trying to find more things to do that don't involve us eating out and that are relatively cheap. The problem with wanting to get out of the house is that you end up eating out a lot which isn't really cheap and doesn't help you lose weight. So last week when my little sister was here visiting we went to Peter Pan Putt-Putt Golf, which was only 8 bucks per person and for 18 holes, is a pretty good deal. We also took my family to check out Pinballz, which is another one of our favorite places. It's an oldtimey video, pinball, arcade game place. They have air hockey too which my family loves. There's not a cover charge and you just pay per game. So I'd recommend those two places. They are both in Austin, so it's a little bit of a drive, but worth it I think. 

( My dad and I fixin' to play Air Hockey.) 

(One of the statues from Putt-Putt golf. Doesn't it make you think of Reptar from Rugrats?)

I am kinda really freakin out about the marathon. It's only 6 WEEKS AWAY. I really think taper is going to throw me for a loop and I still have yet to do my 20 mile run!!!!! So nervous but excited. Recently on the website, they posted a pic of the finishers medal. I am hoping if I keep looking at, it will serve as inspiration for me to continue as I WANT ONE!!After training since last July for this thing, I just hope I finish!

( I think the yellow is the marathon one.)