Thankful Thursday Part II

I'm pretty sure I've done this before, this whole thankful Thursday thing. Nonetheless, I was heading to work this morning and observing the beautiful leaves, and I realized how thankful I was for such a beautiful Maryland fall. 

It really hasn't gotten that cold here yet, and the colors are to die for. Sorry I wasn't able to snap the best of pictures - it turns out when you walk out of Starbucks at 6:30 AM and stand in the parking lot taking pictures of the leaves/sky, people look at you funny.

Sorry I'm not.

Speaking of Starbs, those red cups are back. Oh the joy a little red cup can bring me....

I'm thankful for my roommate. Both of them actually, but Megan gets a shout out tonight, because I work with her and we get to spend an abundance of time together...

She puts up with a lot from me on my moodier of days (WHAT Kait you're moody?!) and I'm thankful for her patience and understanding.

I'm thankful that I have naturally curly hair. This sounds a bit absurd, but I love the fact that I can throw product in my hair after getting out of the shower and go to work with it half wet.

Biiiig time saver. Waaaay to lazy to do my hair most days. Sorry for the horrific pic.

Currently I'm thankful for my bed. I've been having some hard, wonderful sleep in it this week, and am about to do it again.

Last thing. I'm SO thankful that I'm heading home tomorrow to see some of my closest college friends, teammates, roommates, you name it. One of my best friends, Lyndi, is getting married on Saturday, and it's going to be a Bradley Athletics reunion for the books.

Can't wait! Congrats Lyndi and Mikey!

OK, bed time. Sorry for the semi boring week. Looking forward to doing some more writing while I'm home through Tuesday morning.

Cheers -

K

The Chase

My sister sent me this text this morning. I really couldn't agree more, and had to share.

She's biased as September is her birthday month... but I love the descriptor.

Onwards. I went to bed at 8:30 PM last night and it was beautiful. What was even more beautiful was getting up at 5:30 AM on a Monday without any hesitation or sadness. 8.5 hours of sleep night was exactly what I needed, and so I hopped out of bed cranked out the short little workout below:

5 rounds

-25 situps

-12 pushups

-15 jump squats

Short, sweet, and a little bit sweaty. Good way to start off a Monday.

So was this:

Commutes to work are way better when God decides to show off.

Something peculiar happened today. I got home from work and had to crank out a quick 9 miles before an event I had later this evening. So I shoved some raspberries and two semi-healthy cookies down my throat (what?) and called it fuel. Shot out the door with no pace in mind.

So I make my way along the harbor, right, my typical week day route. The brick isn't exactly forgiving on my feet, but I enjoy the people watching and the boat watching and the hustle and bustle of the city. My Garmin and I have had a love/hate relationship lately, but this particular evening I was watching it like a hawk, trying to sit in the 7:30's.

How do I say this without sounding like an A-hole? ... In my normal, healthy body, I'm not used to getting passed by other girls. I mean it happens obviously, I'm not the fastest grape on the vine. And when it does:

following my 17 this past Saturday..

So I'm uber competitive, sue me. 

Anyways long story short, mile 7 is coming in hot and I'm feeling decent. Holding in the mid-sevens, entering into the Fells Point neighborhood. I glance back as I'm crossing a street and literally did a double-take. Another girl is on my heels.

Like on my heels, hard. 

My instant reaction to run faster. I mean obviously, if she felt the need to keep a mere arms-length distance between us, she wanted me to know that she was there right? So my inner-athlete flared up and told me I better not even allow the concept of being passed by another girl cross my mind.

If I had to guess, it looked like a chase scene. For a solid mile or so, she was right on my butt all the way through Fells as we wove in and out of pedestrians. People were probably wondering if I had mugged her, or who was pissed at who over boy problems.

I'm not exaggerating; she never let more than 10 feet between us. And we were definitely moving compared to some of the other runners who were out for a leisurely post-work run. See mile 7 for proof:

She dropped off just outside of Canton to take a different route, hence why mile 8 and 9 slowed a bit. All-in-all, I got home feeling great, semi-thrilled that another fellow-female gave me a short run for my money. Fast runner girl in the pink: I like you, let's be friends.

You love the seflies.

And now ya'll think I'm a little unstable, but hey at least I'm being honest. Quite thrilling for a Monday run.

Bedtime for me. Keith Urban has a new album out tomorrow, so I'm forecasting this Tuesday to be well above the norm.

Keep it real, cheers - 

K

Fighting with the Alarm Clock

I'm so excited about this evening, that I literally put this on the minute I got back from my afternoon run.

What is it that I'll be doing this evening?

Oh baby you can find me, in the back of a jacked up tailgate.

Aaaaand in case you live in a hole didn't know, those are lyrics from a Jason Aldean song. 

Aaaaand if you really still need me to spell it out, I'm going to his concert tonight.

yum. (source)

But first, quick recap of my morning for you. Because I know how much you care.

I had every intent to get up around 7 AM this morning and run somewhere around 12 miles. The alarm clock won that battle...

It just wasn't happening.


I know my body pretty well at this point (it only took 24 years) and I know the kind of tired I can power through and be OK with, and the kind that is the unhealthy, fall asleep at the concert tonight kind of tired.

So I hit snooze, and the run was put on hold. My bed was singing me sweet lullabies.

However by the time we got out of church it was already pushing 90 and as humid as a green house. So the 12 miles turned into 8, because I'm really not the biggest fan of heat these days, and also HATE carrying water with me.

water belts make me sad.

I also knew this was one of the last two weekends I could go shorter mileage and be OK with it, because 'strict training' for New York doesn't start until 7/23.

Enough babbling for me; I'm pulling on my boots and my new sundress from Target, and making a break for it. Really looking forward to letting my cowgirl side come out tonight, something Maryland really doesn't know how to embrace.

Because as they say out West, once you experience a Cheyenne Frontier Days country concert, you can never go back.
...I'm fairly confident no one has ever actually said that.

But in my own words, you haven't lived until you've gone to a country concert in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

You also haven't lived until you've gone swing dancing at a local country bar there and lost your ID you thought you had safely stowed away in your boot.... 4 days before you have to get on a flight.
Exhilarating.


Enjoy your Sunday, however you choose!


Cheers!