First Came Love

First came love.

Then came marriage.

Soon there will be a baby carriage.

We are excited to announce that our baby is due July 23, 2013.

To Race or Not To Race: That is the Question

The Lady Track Shack 5k is next Saturday. I have been eyeing this race for a while, but still trying to decide if it is worth signing up for. I have been battling some injuries and other issues lately, so my running has been sparse, but is becoming more routine again. 

I have been doing a lot of thinking and have come up with reasons both for and against running this race. They are pretty evenly split, so that doesn't really help.

Reasons not to race:

• It is a 5k and that is not my favorite distance.
• I am still working out some issues with my hip, so I can't push it during the race. I do not want to aggravate it again, because it was pretty painful.
• I am running really, really slowly right now.
• My longest run in 6 weeks has been 2.6 miles.
• It is a women's only event so my husband, and running buddy, can't run with me. (This is not a deciding factor, but it is rare for us to race separately.)

Reasons to race:

• It is a 5k and that is the perfect distance for me right now because of not wanting to push it. 
• There are going to be walkers, so even with as slow as I am going, I will likely not be the slowest person on the course.
• Overall, my hip is feeling good and my past couple of runs have felt great.
• I really, really want to run it.
• It is a women's only event, so the other racers should be pretty supportive.

Right now my plan is to run at least 3 miles tomorrow and then make the call. What would you do...race or not race?

Real Yoga and My First Blogger Meet Up

(Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that
I own this and still use it occasionally)

I have a confession. While I have "done" yoga for a number of years now, it had always been at my gym or at home with my MTV Yoga DVD. I have never actually been to a real yoga studio. I thought it couldn't be that different.

Last night all that changed. I attended the Central Florida Lady Bloggers event at Everything Zen Yoga. It was awesome.

First, the studio was beautiful. It was a space where you can really feel the calm and forget about the outside world. From the warm wood on the floor to the gentle lighting it was a space that was warm and inviting.

Second, our instructor, Laura, was amazing. Her class was challenging, but not so challenging that I wanted to give up. She helped with alignment when needed and pushed us just enough. It was the best yoga class I have ever been to.

The final highlight of the night was finally meeting some of the amazing women from the Central Florida Lady Bloggers group. I have been trying to get to an event since I returned to Orlando, and I was so happy I finally made it. They were really friendly and welcoming.

Needless to say, this will not be my last class at Everything Zen or my last Lady Bloggers event. I would like to give an huge thank everyone who helped put this together!

Building my Running Karma

Last January I ran my first marathon at Walt Disney World. This year, due to illness, injury and general life craziness, I am in no shape to run a marathon. However, not focusing on running the race gave me a great opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community that helped me last year. I was also lucky enough to have my husband volunteer with me.

Our shift started at 2 a.m., so we arrived at Downtown Disney at about 1:45 a.m. The last time I was there at that time was for my bachelorette party over four years ago and I had not slept and I was not sober. It is amazing how quickly things change.

We checked in, grabbed our bright yellow windbreaker and our snack and got on the bus to the start area. We were assigned to start water, and with today's heat, it was going to be especially important. Once there, out came the cups and then the water. Before any runners got there, we had about 10 tables full the two tiers of water.

Anyone thirsty?

At about 3:15, the first runners started to trickle in. They were followed by the first of the buses from the Walt Disney World resorts. For the first 45 minutes or so, the runners came through the bag check pretty slowly. In addition to handing out water, I got a chance to talk to chat with some of the runners. It was great to hear their stories.

After that, things got a bit crazier. For the next hour or so, I was handing out water as fast as I could pick it up. The energy in the start area at this point was really great. Everyone was excited and pumped. It was fun to chat with all the runners, see all the costumes and wish them good luck with the race.

By about 5:30, most of the runners had cleared out, except for those who came on the bus that got lost...oops. That group was a bit anxious to say the least. We watched the start fireworks and it really is amazing how far you walk before the start at the Disney races.

After the race started

Once the race started, we were excused and got on the bus to head back to Downtown Disney. We checked out and headed home. After a quick nap, I signed up to help out with the Princess Half Marathon at the end of February.

I have run a number of races and the volunteers have always been great. There have been times I may not have said thank you at the time, especially when I was in a lot of pain, but I appreciate your help more than I can say.

There is a part of me that missed racing today, but I was really happy I got up in the middle of the night to volunteer. 

Welcome to 2013

I know it has been a while since my last post. Over the past couple of weeks I took an unplanned, but very much needed break from just about all things digital and just enjoyed some down time with my husband and the family. 

My husband and I were both off from before Christmas until New Year's Day. We are very lucky, and this was the first time in a very long time that we have had time off together to just relax and enjoy each other's company.

Christmas was fantastic. We hosted dinner on Christmas Eve and then went to other family members for breakfast and dinner on Christmas Day. Christmas also included a glorious afternoon nap.

The weekend after Christmas started with the Russell Athletic Bowl where Va Tech beat Rutgers. We didn't really have a vested interest in either team, but I am not one to turn down going to a live sporting event. They had paratroopers jump into the stadium at the beginning of the game and that was very cool.

Jumping into the Citrus Bowl

Then my parents came to town  for a quick trip. We hung out an went to Dixie Crossroads for dinner on Saturday. The food there is delicious. Sunday we headed to Blue Springs state park and saw the manatees hanging out in the "warm" water. This park is so cool and they are doing a lot to help these adorable and harmless creatures.

Manatees just chillin

For New Year's Eve we grilled steaks and hung out at home. I am to old for the party scene. Similar to last year, I  called it a night well before midnight. Oh well, maybe next year.

New Year's Day included homemade chili, lots of football, dinner at my sister-in-laws and a ride on the ferris wheel at Light Up UCF. I thought it was a nice way to start the year.

2012 was a roller coaster ride with a number of highs and some pretty low lows. I am curious to see what 2013 has in store. Hopefully we can stay on the kiddie coaster this year.

What are you hoping for 2013?