Superbowl 2013

Superbowl 2013....great friends, great bar, great beer, great prizes, great food!!!  What a day we had!!!

I have been so good the last month on what I consume and counting the calories...but yesterday I had a cheat day and I needed it!!!  That blue moon and fried pickles never tasted so good!!!

I met my friends at Stoney's to watch the Superbowl on their 51 flat screen TV's and we had a great time!!!  Our friend Chris won the grand prize that was given away at halftime...a 50' flat screen TV with a surround sound!  He was pretty pumped!

I have to say that Jennifer Hudson with the Sandy Hook elementary kids were a tear jerker...and Jennifer, she looks fabulous!!!  I love her!!  I wish I could look that good in the white pencil skirt she wore!!!

And then we have Sasha Fierce....damn that girl has some legs!!!  I want to cut them off of her and attach them to my body!!!  I loved the Destiny's Child reunion!!!

Looking a little pale next to Miss Sabra!

After the Super Bowl we decided we weren't ready to go home, so we went to a bar in downtown Denver called 1-UP...you got it, it was full of video games...PacMan, pinball, Mortal Combat...you name it and it was there!!!  It was like being a kid again!!!

Playing 4 man PacMan

Rosa beat me as we shot buffalo...but hey, she goes to the shooting range and shoots reals guns!

Sabra loved this Adams Family pinball machine!!!

This Sunday night lasts way longer than it should have, but what do you get when you put 4-5 night shift nurses together...well we have late nights on random days!  And we LOVE it!!!  

Half Marathon Update: Week 2

Well, week 2 of this crazy half marathon training is in the books, and I have never felt so good!!  I love crossing the days off my training program, there is something about grabbing that marker and getting those days out of the way!!

This week looked like this:
Monday: Strength & Stretching (I spent this day with Jillian Michaels again!  Love and hate her)
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 2 mile run
Thursday: 3 mile run + strength
Friday: REST...and boy did I rest...I needed it this week!
Saturday: 30 min. of cross training...it was nice to get on the elliptical for something different!
Sunday: 4 mile run
I had to run inside on the treadmill for the majority of this week expect Sunday due to the weather.  It snowed and was cold so I was accompanied by the dreadmill that I HATE!!!!

For my 4 miles yesterday I had a running partner!  My good friend Rosa is a new runner too and she joined me!  We start out together and then get our own pace going and meet at the end!!!

Coming up on Miss Rosa!!!

Look at that smiling face as she pounds out the miles too!!!

I run next to the Platte River and I am constantly jumping over and avoiding goose poop...and whenever I am running and the geese are on the grass on the side of the trail I get a moment of anxiety that one of them is going to attack me...and Lord, help the goose that decides I am his next victim!  

Pounding out those miles!!!

4 miles: D-O-N-E

Week 2...crossed off!!!  10 more weeks!!!! {Don't you love my rainbow themed cross off??}

MY HOMETOWN

For the past week I have seen people from my hometown post a youtube video of a music video called "My Hometown".  The lyrics to the song takes me back to the days that I lived in that small rural KS town where everyone truly knows your name.
 
There have been many times that I cuss that small town because it always seems like everyone knows your business and talks about it even if it's not the truth, but that small town raised me and I love it.

I moved to the city shortly after graduating college and I have to say that I love living in a city, but there are always the thoughts of that small KS town that I had some of the best times and worse times in my life in.  There is something about having a place that you can go to that you always feel safe in!  I love going back and visiting the town that helped mold me into the person I am today!

I remember as a kid I hated that town and swore that I would never go back once I graduated high school, but I regret saying that all those years ago!  I love going back and visiting my family...there is something about that town that warms my heart!

Fun facts about Oakley, KS:
-Population: 2,367
-3 things to do: Monument Rocks, Fick Fossil Museum, Prairie Dog Town
-There is no stop light in the town
-62% of adults that live in Oakley are married
-High School Mascot: Plainsmen
-Fast food: Subway and Pizza Hut...period it!
-Target, Wal-Mart, King Soopers, Safeway, Dillion's etc...DO NOT EXSIST!!!!
-My high school class consisted of 50 people

Jared Daniels Band sure knew what they are talking about when they put together this song!  Make sure to look for the Oakley Plainsmen water tower at 2:14!  

Build-A-Bear with Delta Zeta

This morning I met a group of Delta Zeta alumnae and active members of the Rho chapter at Build-A-Bear to make bears for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.  We built 16 bears to send to children that are getting their hearing aids.

The Starkey Hearing Foundation travels around the world delivering the gift of hearing to those that are in need.  Hopefully, with the gift of a bear with hearing aids will help a child not to be scared, self-concisous, or think that they are any different while getting fit for and receiving their hearing aids.

I made this monkey and bear:

I hope a little boy's face beams from ear to ear when he receives one of these bears!!!  Eventually they will have hearing aids on them before the child gets them!  Hopefully one of these bears will become their best friend and be just like them...hearing aids and all!!

Here is our group with all of our bears!!  

It was great to get together with the alumnae chapter and the college girls to make these bears!! There is something about doing a philanthropy with a great group of women! We also enjoyed lunch out at Champps!  Their french onion soup was really good!!

Half Marathon Update: Week 1

Yesterday I finished week 1 of half marathon training!!!  11 more weeks until I'll be running that big 13.1 miles!!!  The week looked like this...

Monday: Strength and Stretching...I did an hour with Jillian Michaels
Tuesday: 3 miles...I'm loving this awesome Colorado weather for runs outside
Wednesday: 2 miles + strength
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: REST...but I ran a Virtual 5K
Saturday: 30 min. of cross training
Sunday: 4 miles

The longest run was 4 miles this week and it was a great run!  The trails were packed with so many people, bikes, strollers, dogs, etc. and it was good people watching!  I was just about to finish my 4 miles when I heard {through my music} stomping behind me....pretty soon this goof with MC Hammer headphones on and a giant backpack passed me...and I have always thought that I run heavy and I really try to focus on taking really light steps...but it sounded like this guy was seriously STOMPING!!!!  {and this quack PASSED me....UUUGGGG}

I know this picture is far away, but there he is!!!

Pounding out those miles!!!  Love the bright blue Colorado sky! {I need a new pair of headphones!!}

4 miles...D-O-N-E!!!!

1st week of half marathon training...D-O-N-E!!!!! :)

This week is a repeat of last week!  11 more weeks!!!!

Runs for Cookies: Virtual 5K

I participated in a Virtual 5K that was sponsored by Katie at Runs for Cookies.  She is really inspiring as she has lost 125 lbs. and runs a super fast 5K!!!  I decided to run this 5K just for fun, but I beat my time when I ran the Colder Boulder in Dec.!!!  The bibs were super cute, but I wasn't able to print it off at work...so some reason the stupid computer wouldn't let me.  It was an easy 5K for me...and I'm glad I participated!!!  

STATS:

Runs for Cookies 5K

10:03/mile

Total time: 30:12

I will update about my first week of 1/2 marathon training tomorrow or Monday as my weeks end on Sundays!!!  Here's to my long run tomorrow!!!!

Link-up: Favorite Work-Out Clothing

Today, I'm linking up with Mel. & Laura to talk about our favorite work out gear!!!  

Since it is the middle of winter and I am in the Rocky Mountains I recently bought new work-out gear to survive the cold weather!  This winter has been pretty mild, but there have been a few days that I have pulled on my cold gear Under Armour to go out and run!  I love the items that I bought! 

I love this top!!!  I have an Under Armour shirt in gray that it a turtle neck that I love on windy days!  This top is warm!!!

I have a deal with matching when I am running....so therefore I had to have these pants as well!!  But I love that they aren't baggy!  They are very fitted!  

My friends and I at the Colder Boulder 5K at the beginning of Dec.  I couldn't wait to wear my new gear while running this race!

When it isn't so cold, I like to wear capris or compression shorts!  Now, should I wear compression shorts???  Probably not, but I will not tolerate any chaffing!!!  The experience I have had with chaffing is horrendous and I hate it, so at this point wearing regular running shorts are not an option for me!

I love wearing these Under Armour capris not only for running, but on a daily basis for comfort!

My favorite capris!

The compression shorts that I wear!  I like the longer ones, well at least until I have better toned legs!!!

As for a shirt, I like to run in a tank top or a fitted t-shirt!  I hate running in baggy t-shirt...I actually can't stand it!!  I have a few {ok, a lot} of the boyfriend t-shirts from Target that I love to work out in!  They have a small sleeve and are not big and baggy!  The only thing I hate out a razor back tank top or a small sleeve is the horrible tan line that you get...

So, since I have little ta-ta's it doesn't mean that a good bra is't worth it!  When I first started running last year, all I owed where sports bras from Target...and well, even with my little girls those bras just weren't cutting it!  So I invested in the Nike Dri-Fit bras and now I want one in every color!!!!

I have those awkward bangs that I HATE!!!!  I grow them out and then I decide that I want them shorter and I regret it every time!!  So, I wanted to find the perfect band to hold my bangs back, but that doesn't slip!  After reading ALL of Mama Laughlin's blogpost from the very beginning, she talked about the Bic Bands and how wonderful they were...so I bought some and I LOVE THEM!!!  I even got a friend hooked on them!  

My hot pink Bic Band!

Of, course no outfit is complete without a great pair of shoes!!  I have already linked up this month about my favorite running shoes so you can get all the details but clicking on the link!  However, I still stand by my favorite shoes!! 

I love my Brooks!!!!

This coming weekend I am on a mission to purchase the perfect Garmin watch...so I am open to suggestions on which one is the best!!!  I would love to have one that tells you the calories that you burn!  Ready...GO!!!!

Well, I'm off to finish my 2nd day of 1/2 marathon training!!!