Running swag...

I had a jump in my step this morning after waking up earlier than usual and feeling much better than I did after a horrendous day yesterday. Let's just say the only good things from yesterday were dinner was delicious thanks to Todd, I enjoyed the hell out of two cupcakes at work and I didn't feel as sore as I thought I would from running nine miles on Sunday.

Yep, that said nine miles! Getting there, slowly. I have three more weeks until the big race in Joplin, and I really want to feel as prepared as possible. I have been reading a few of running blogs like this one and this one. Skinny Runner is a bonafide badass who runs an insane amount of miles every week and Mama Laughlin is the funniest chick ever who is a mother of two, runner, and I see a lot of what my life will be like in a few years in her posts.

With reading their blogs I have fallen for the cool things they use and wear for running. So I've bought a couple of things they suggest like these:

I bought these bad boys today. I so can't WAIT to see what I look like in compression shorts, but
there is some good research and testimony for how they help with hip fatigue, which I get badly.
Courtesy of: http://aspaerispivotshorts.com/aspaeris-products.shtml

I bought two of these a few weeks ago and tried one for the first time on my 9-miler.
I cramped for the first time ever about 20 minutes after taking one, so I'm not sure about these yet.
I'm going to give it one more shot, no pun intended! :)

My new love! Holy comfort, these Pro Compression socks make my legs
feel like a million bucks. I ran with these on two runs and my legs
felt great during and after.
Photo courtesy of:  http://www.procompression.com/

I picked a few of these up while picking up race packets for
Rock the Parkway a few weeks ago for $5. They are regularly $8. They are
fun headbands that keep your hair out of the way.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.shelbystidham.com/knee-braces-yogurt-bondi-bands-oh-my/

And the final product I tried is the Click espresso protein drink. I got the package
yesterday in the mail with the samples, which are buy one get one free right now! I tried the Vanilla Latte this morning, and oh my, totally delicious and energy boosting. Check it out if you want the best of both
coffee (and I'm not a coffee drinker but need some caffeine) and protein in one!

There you have it! I hope to try a few other things as I get more into running, but my husband and bank account may put the limit on all the cool swag things out there.

Any of you have gear you really like using while running?

It's Go Time, Baby...

Bobbie Jo, a friend's sister, Bobbie Jo's friend, and myself at the Happy Camper Scamper
5K which was a trail run throughout MWSU campus.

Laura and I at the Rock the Parkway 5K. I ran a PR for this one! Thanks for pushing me Laura.

Alas, I guess I can finally let the dogs off the hook they aren't meant to be runners! Ha!

You can tell it's full on running mode for runners once it hits April 1. I've been thankful to keep it up throughout the winter thanks to the weather. I have to be honest the last two weeks have not been fantastic about my "training" schedule. I only have gotten in two to three runs a week. Yikes, considering my half is in four weeks TODAY! I'll get there though. This weekend is nine miles, and I HAVE TO DO IT! No excuses.

I have been obsessing lately though over running blogs and running gear and all sorts of things running. I think is this the time I can finally say, "I'm a runner". Maybe after my half that will feel more comfortable. But what makes you a "runner"? Is it just putting in the miles, week after week, month after month, like I have done for a year now or is it some distance you have to achieve in a race?

Either way, I am excited to see where this "running year" takes me and have three races already down. I ran the 10K in Manhattan on St. Patty's Day (race recap), a 5K in St. Joe in pouring down rain on April 7th and the Rock the Parkway 5K on April 14th.

One thing is for certain, I am getting stronger in my distances and running 3 miles does not scare me any more at all. Even running 6 miles doesn't scare me any more. We'll see how I feel after 13.1 in May! It's Go Time Baby!

A little change around home...

Hope you all had a great Easter! It's a busy time at the Chesnut house with me finishing up my requirements for my master's, Todd hunting, me training for my half marathon among other things, and Todd starting a new job this week. Yes! A regular job for him. It is a blessing to know he will be well taken care of at a company that is very secure and does good for their employees. So very excited about this next stage in our lives as we actually get to see each other more than one day a week. But with that comes getting used to seeing each other every day! ;)

We are changing our house up a bit with new siding so I wanted to share a few photos of the transformation. We live in a 100-year-old farmhouse that has seen its fair share of families and life. We received air conditioning last October for a wedding gift (I laugh each time I say that because it feels like we are such country bumpkins to just now be getting air conditioning in 2011!) and a new roof due to some hail damage last summer.

I have chosen to go away from the traditional white farmhouse to a house with a bit more color. I chose a Tuscan Clay color which is a pretty tan, white trim and we'll add the black shutters back on once it is all complete. I have a few photos of the start of the process to share below. On an interesting note, there was a fire in the home in the late 70s, but it was mostly smoke damage and you can see the remnants of that below, too. I'll be sure to share more happenings around our house this coming spring and summer as we put in our garden, build a new garage and add a new deck to the house.

The original siding on our home from 100 years ago!

Some of the smoke damage from the fire in the house.