Biting the Bullet

So I disappeared again.

It happens.

Mostly, it happens when life happens. And for good reasons, like getting more responsibility at work because you get promoted or because you are trying really ridiculously hard to prepare for your first ever half marathon. And you have a 30th birthday and you go on vacation and of course there's some really awesome stuff on TV, and then all of the sudden, it's four months later and you have pretty much neglected your blogito. Oops.

Anyway, I'm posting because I bit the bullet.

Pretty sure this would take a chunk out of your teeth

I signed up for the Graniteman Half Marathon in St. Cloud on September 7 of this year. I actually put my money down and registered. Which means now I have to do it for real. SCARY.

Right now, I'm running about 4 times a week. Which is decent, right? Especially when 2 of those 4 jaunts are 6-7 miles each. I figure since I have over 100 days before the half, I can increase my mileage base to where it needs to be by the time I have to actually run 13.1 miles.

Because Minnesota weather has been so flipping tempermental this year (SNOW IN MAY!?) I've had to do a lot of work on the treadmill. Which, while boring, makes me feel like a HAR MAR SUPERSTAR when I can crank out 8:49 minute miles on a 6.2 mile run.

Holy balls, I'm so flipping fast on this machine that does all the work for me



My gym has a cardio cinema, where it shows movies in surround sound in a smaller room filled with cardio machines. I like to do my long indoor runs there, because it's not as boring when you have Meet the Fockers projected on the wall in front of you. Plus with my newfound ability to run faster than a 10:00 minute mile, I am feeling like a SPEED DEMON, and I'm pretty sure the treadmill feels the same way.

Best Treadmill Ever



I have been feeling good about myself and my speed. I'm not the fastest pug in the grumble*, but my only goal for this half marathon is to finish in two hours or less.

So I've been starting to run outside. I know that I'll be a little bit slower outside vs. the treadmill, and I haven't quite gotten the hang of figuring out what pace I'm running at without my Garmin. I just didn't realize how much slower I would actually be when I got out onto the street.

I started running and felt amazeballs.

I'm smiling because I don't know what's in store for me

I was only doing a 5K for my outdoor run because I was cramped for time, but I was sorely disappointed when I finished my route and looked at my Garmin and saw this:

This could only be improved by the Australian Garmin Voice saying it out loud

That is nearly a whole minute per mile slower than the speed on the treadmill. I had accounted for about 30 seconds of slowness from my treadmill time, so I was a little bummed. Plus the Garmin is kind of a jerk.

But I'm hopeful. Because I've got over 100 days to pick up the pace and pick up the miles and finish in two hours or less. It's possible, right? And if it isn't - if I've got some unrealistic expectations here - let me know so I can adjust myself accordingly. And watch for more posts, because I am 100% sure I am going to have some sort of training explosion all over the place and I am probably going to need some encouragement.

So, since this is going to be my very first half and very first actual-like-for-real-this-time-I'm-not-kidding training, any hints and tips for both the training and the race itself?

Also, I love Game of Thrones, but the books are better. Has anyone else read the books (besides Kara)?

 *a group of pugs is actually called a grumble. BEST. GROUP. EVER.

Free Glasses ... for me and you!

I have contacts, but wear glasses pretty frequently because sometimes my eyes get sore. I hadn't updated my glasses in a while, and the prescription was off, meaning I had problems seeing when I wore them. So when Firmoo contacted me and asked if I would be willing to review a free pair of glasses for them, I jumped at the chance!

Firmoo is a company that sells frames and lenses (both prescription and non-prescription) at a fraction of the price you would pay in a retail store. They offer both men's and women's frames in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes.

From their website:

The old opinion that glasses are only necessities for people with vision problems has already gone. Glasses are increasingly becoming a fad and must-have accessories for  celebs and fashionistas. Everyday we can spot millions of non prescription glasses wearers and we are constantly fascinated by many noted film stars’ signature non prescription glasses.They instantly upgrade your look of modern,sexy, vintage or geek by wearing different styles of frames. Any hot glasses/sunglasses /goggles frames you want can be found on Firmoo, and all are available for both prescription lenses and non-prescription lenses. Are you desperate to have a new look? Now here is the chance, Firmoo has launched a First Pair Free Program to people  worldwide. You will absolutely fall in love with the excellent quality, affordable prices, fashionable designs, fast delivery and the good service after trying them with paying shipping only! You even can get a refund/exchange if you are not satisfied with them. It's totally Risk free, so why not have a try?

At first, I was a little worried about trying to find frames that would work with my face. My face is pretty narrow, and I sometimes even end up in the kid's section at the eye doctor because I can't find a good pair of frames. But Firmoo has a virtual try-on center - you upload a picture, tag where your pupils are in your eyes, and select your frames. The frames will appear on your face, giving you a better idea of the fit and style - how they would look on you. I found this to be awesome, because there were a couple of styles I really liked at first - but once I saw how they might look on my face, I didn't like them any more.

A lot of people do prefer going to the store and trying on the glasses in person. I get that - sometimes it is nice to see those results right away and get a good feel for how the frames look on you. But I didn't have any trouble picking out something I liked by using the virtual try-on tool. It's not perfect, as it does seem a little cartoony, but you have a better idea than if you were just picking out a frame without seeing it on your face at all. You still get the shape and style of the glasses while they are on your face, which is super helpful. I thought it was a really nice feature of the website.

I selected frame 8042, which is in red on the link - but I actually got a grey/charcoal pair in the same shape, with solid grey arms (no pattern). The pictures of the grey pair are lower on the website.

The website offered measurements of the glasses, so I checked the measurements of the glasses on the website with the glasses I currently had. You can do this too, by looking at the arms of your glasses and sometimes also inside the frame near the lens by the bridge - the manufacturer will have printed the measurements there. The glasses were only a few mm larger than my current pair, which fit well. 

When I got into the ordering process, I had to put in my prescription, which I had gotten a few days prior from the eye doc. My prescription didn't clarify between right and left eye and used the technical terms, so at first I was a little confused - but the website did indicate that a left eye is OS and a right eye is OD, so that was very helpful for me. 

The only problem I encountered was PD, or pupillary distance. My eye doc won't do this for free, and I didn't want to pay the fee to calculate it. Some doctors will do it for you, and others won't. So I did it the old fashioned way - I took a ruler and calculated it by measuring the distance between the center of my pupils in mm. I got my number and it matched what was available on the website. 

I ordered my glasses and they arrived with a hard case containing my glasses and a cleaning cloth as well as a small pouch. I had no idea what was in the pouch, so I opened it up and to my surprise there was a small glasses repair kit inside! I have never had one before and have always had to go into a store to get the screws tightened or adjusted - no more for me! It was a nice little bonus to an already awesome pair of frames.

I put on my glasses and was shocked. I wasn't expecting too much from a free pair - I figured that they might be a little off in the prescription or fit, but I couldn't complain with free - but they looked AWESOME. And I could see PERFECTLY. I was happy - but then furious, because I have been wasting my money buying glasses in the store for HOW LONG, and I could have been saving that money by getting my glasses online. Even if I ordered another pair from Firmoo, the price of the frames would have been $15-$25. Where can you find that kind of deal in a store!? 

Cute glasses, right?

Sounds like a great deal, right? Maybe too good to be true? Well, good news for you. Firmoo is offering my readers a chance to get their first pair of glasses free as well! All you have to do is pay for shipping and you can get a pair of prescription glasses, too!

If you go to http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html, you can get your first pair of prescription glasses free (frames and 1.5 single vision lenses) by paying just the shipping. That's a pretty sweet deal, and much cheaper than going to the eye doctor and dropping $100-$200 for frames and lenses. And with the virtual try-on tool, you can see how the glasses will look on your face. It's win-win!

Overall - I love my glasses, and I was super happy with Firmoo. They had great customer service, an awesome product, and I'm more than happy to share them with you. I would give them two Taryn Thumbs up!

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned to review free of charge. All reviews are my own. I was not asked to provide a positive review in exchange for the product.

Muddy Running

This year, the Boyfriend and I completed two mud runs...a 6K with the Kid and a 5K with my step-dad.

We did the 6K last year with the Kid and it was a total blast. This year, we added the Mud Factor 5K and were super pumped. It was in September and in Minnesota, but the weather has been unseasonably warm, so we weren't too concerned.

The Minnesota Mud Factor race was in part of a corn maze, which was really fun. The race wasn't timed, either, which made for a different race experience - it was about enjoying the obstacles and having fun.

I underestimated the obstacles. Not that they were difficult, but for another reason.

If you know anything about me, you know I have a somewhat extreme fear of heights. I can't walk next to banisters when I'm walking around multiple level buildings. I get heart palpitations and freak out. FREAK OUT. So you can about imagine how I felt when I look up at the first big obstacle and it is a GIANT TRIANGLE LOOKING THING I HAVE TO CLIMB UP and there's no net or anything to catch me and there are tons of people around me and omfg I might puke.

Add to this that it was FREEZING. It was 50 degrees temp wise, but there was a strong wind blowing. Everyone was shivering and huddling together (even on the Mud Factor facebook, they comment on how cold it was!). Not the idea situation for a mud run - great. Get to be muddy AND cold. WINNING.

But I figured I'd suck it up and plow through it anyway...and of course, once I got to the top, I froze. For a split second. But I had no idea how I was going to be able to swing my leg over so that I could get down AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I ended up half laying on the top of the triangle and kind of waggling my legs over the side, gripping for dear life to the top of the structure. Then it was time to go down. The Boyfriend was already on the ground and my step-dad was behind me, so they both were encouraging me along the way, which was great.

We made it through a few more obstacles, like over-unders and large mud holes (which were not muddy) and then another tall height obstacle with a rope which I again had to shimmy over the top of and hold on for dear life. It was like a mini panic attack at every tall obstacle. I started to wonder what in the heck I was thinking.

Then came the end. The end of the mud run had four obstacles all in a row - a mud slide/pit, a cargo net, the mud craw, and then a skateboarding ramp thing that you had to run up after you were already all muddy.

Well, sadly, they had problems with the mud slide/pit and closed it before we got there. Our first obstacle was then the cargo net. And again. Flipping out at the top. I was just lucky I had people ahead and behind me so that I wasn't stuck up there alone, like a total wuss.

That's me, in the red and purple and weird socks.

 Then it was the mud pit. I squeezed under the wire for the first one, and then, just as I was squeezing through the last few, the Boyfriend decided I wasn't muddy enough...and took a handful of mud and wiped it on my face. Nice.

Pre-Mud Face. Also my butt looks HUGE.

Then came the skateboarding ramp. The Boyfriend went first, because I was fairly certain I was going to biff it at the top, like so many were doing. it was slippery as balls, and you could only go up on the sides, because the middle was too wet. But guess what - I made it up on my first try. GREAT SUCCESS.

That's me in the red again - and the Boyfriend in the black holding my arm.

 

 

 

 

 

But all in all, it was fun. And there was one redeeming factor to all of those high obstacles - the Boyfriend's epic MUDBEARD. Made my whole day.  Plus we got sweet medals. And they played Girl Talk. And also beer, but we were way too cold for that. We'll definitely do it again.

I love this guy. Even when he looks like a lumberjack.

Hey there! Remember me?

You know how sometimes, life happens, and you just don't feel like airing out all your problems to the world, so you go into hibernation mode, which makes you lazy, and pretty much stop doing things like running and being fun, and then you have the new year and feel compelled to get out of your self-pitying rut and get back to normal?

Yeah, me neither...ever...I mean, it's not like I disappeared from the blog for 4 months or anything.

But good news for you, because.....

 Yeah, that's right! WAHOO!

I did do some fun things while I was gone. So you are going to get a wonderful story from me. Sort of. 

THE TALE OF MISCH ME

Once upon a time, the Boyfriend, the Kid, and I decided to go to a parade in one of the towns nearby. It was on a Friday night and we had gotten there a little later than planned, so we found a spot on a corner and squeezed in together. There was not a lot of space for our two chairs (we took turns standing) as we were right next to an intersection, and people were watching from their cars next to us. (The streets were blocked, but some people had backed in and were watching from their trunks. Fun times.)

While we wait, the Boy Scouts walk up and down the parade route (and during the parade) selling beverages and ice cream treats to spectators. It's a pretty sweet deal as if you really want a bottle of water or something, you can buy it right there and it's not ridiculously expensive.

A pair of scouts had just walked by our little area with their cooler-in-a-wagon and suddenly, behind us, we hear this terribly scratchy, deep-ish voice say:

"Are they gonna sell beer at this parade?"

The Boyfriend and I can hardly keep a straight face. Seriously?! Like the Boy Scouts, who are clearly under the age of 18, are going to sell some Miller Lite out of their coolers to random people on the street. So we're thinking it's two drunk frat boys asking this stupid question, and we slowly turn around to see...

this girl and her not-totally-there boyfriend.  And the girl was talking to a lady who was feeding her baby in the trunk of her car...and we put two and two together and realized that the GIRL was actually the one asking the question, not her boyfriend.

The girl was blonde, pulled back in a ponytail and had the most gravely voice I have ever heard next to my great grandpa. Her boyfriend was smiley, but vacant looking, and had the largest forehead I had ever seen, which was not helped by the fact he was wearing his hat on top of his head, which made it look even larger.

Of course, when the couple realizes that we have looked at them, they meander over to our corner and kind of stand around in the background. The Boyfriend and I are just hoping that the Kid is distracted enough by the parade to not have heard them and hoping that if we don't move or look back at them, they won't see us, like a T-Rex.

We were not so lucky.

The girl and her boyfriend start talking, and apparently he had been putting his hands on her, because she said, "HANDS OFF ASS. OFF ASS." Except she must have had some sort of speech impediment because her S sounded more like an SH, which meant it was more like "HANDSH OFF ASH. OFF ASH." She then began to start repeating "OFF ASH" over and over again like a robot. 

The Boyfriend and I were trying so hard not to laugh. They were right behind us, after all, and at this point, we had pretty much decided they were probably on some sort of drug (most likely weed) from how they were acting. They were talking to each other and started moving closer and closer to us. During this time, they were debating about why the Boy Scouts weren't selling beer at the parade, whether or not it was appropriate to be touched because there was a kid in front of them, and how much fun it would be to be in a marching band.

Eventually, they ended up right beside us, squishing in our little corner. The Boyfriend and I were mortified, but entertained. The Kid just wanted some candy. 

The girl was hyperfocused on the trucks in the parade. If she saw a truck she liked, she would yell "NICE TRUCK!" and RUN UP TO THE PEOPLE IN THE TRUCK WHILE THE TRUCK WAS MOVING to complement them on their vehicle choice. Clearly the passengers in the truck had no clue how to react.

Then the girl apparently started to get worried about her boyfriend for some reason and started asking him, over and over again, "Are you gonna miss me?" Which, again, due to her S issue, sounded more like "ARE YOU GONNA MISCH ME?" And again, she focused on the last two words and started saying "Misch me? Misch me? You gonna misch me?" 

This sent the Boyfriend and me over the edge. We finally started laughing out loud. Even the Kid was listening to them by this point and was laughing at "Misch me."

The girl and her boyfriend started to move closer to the parade and away from us, which we were totally okay with, but then the St. Cloud State float came, and all progress that was made to get Misch Me and her Not Quite There Boyfriend move along was stopped. Her boyfriend suddenly turned to us with the widest eyes and biggest, open smile ever and said:

For those of you that don't know, Blizzard is the name of the Husky Mascot for St. Cloud State. The Boyfriend and I smiled and nodded, as we had also noticed Blizzard as the float was going by.

Apparently, this was not the appropriate reaction, because Misch Me's boyfriend turned around to us and said:

At this point we realized we had to be just as excited as he was. He was smiling and yelling "HEY! BLIZZARD!!" like they were BFFs. So we clapped and smiled and pretended to be SUPERDUPER EXCITED about some guy dressed up like a dog in a hockey jersey. This satisfied Misch Me's Boyfriend. For a while.

A few floats later, Misch Me's Boyfriend was excited again - but not about Blizzard. Oh no. This time he was excited about the upcoming FREEZE POPS that the next float was going to be throwing out. Oh YIPPEE.

I cannot stand freeze pops. I think they are gross. The Kid likes them during the summer, but that's pretty much it. But apparently Misch Me's Boyfriend decided that me, the Boyfriend, and the Kid all needed freeze pops. He actually went up to the float and got freeze pops, turning around to us with the hugest smile and holding them to us to take.

We kind of sat there for a minute - and then smiled and took our freeze pops. He waited. We opened the Kid's freeze pop so he could eat it, but then MM's BF looked at me, holding my freeze pop, waiting. SO, smiling, I had to open it up, and start eating it, like it was the most delicious cold treat I could possibly have. I know he had good intentions, and it was really nice of him to get the freeze pop for the Kid, but choking down that icy crap was just not for me. And trying to force a smile while I was doing it?

Totally awkward.

Shortly after obtaining our freeze pops, Misch Me and her boyfriend left. They had decided they had enough of the parade and were going to find beer. The Kid looked at us and asked what was going on with them. The Boyfriend and I just smiled and told him that they were just friendly. 

"Yeah," said the Kid, "but I think they might be a little weird."

Aren't we all, Kid. Aren't we all.


*POST SCRIPT.
After the parade, we never expected to see Misch Me and her Boyfriend again. Imagine our surprise when a month later, we went to the mall and saw them walking the opposite way in the corridor. Luckily, they didn't recognize us...but we recognized them. And we enjoyed a good laugh over it too. Now we occasionally see them around town and are reminded of Misch Me, Freeze Pops, and Blizzard. Fun times.

It's Been a Long, Long, Time and a GIVEAWAY COMING SOON

I've been busy the month of August. Lots of stuff going on. I watched some Olympics. I went to Boston for work. I ate cannoli. The boyfriend and I went canoeing. I had some weird stomach stuff going on. I decided not to run the half marathon in September. I am angry that I am not faster in my running and I can't seem to pick up the pace.

I don't have an excuse for not blogging other than hey, I'm busy and exhausted, and life is kind of crazy-go-nuts right now. I didn't really feel like bitching about my problems with my stomach and frustration with running because it makes me mad at myself. So here is a long post about canoeing, Boston, and then me asking for some feedback about what the heck can make my legs go faster...and also info about the Giveaway. Wahoo!

Canoeing

The Boyfriend and I went canoeing as part of our anniversary activities. I am not a canoe-er. I have only done it maybe 1 or 2 times before this. But I really enjoyed it! 

 

 Heading straight into trees due to my sub-par oar abilities.

 

 We went down the Mississippi and honestly, the Boyfriend did the majority of the work. 

 

 The Boyfriend and his sweet paddling skills.

I paddled some, but being in back makes it easier to steer, apparently, because whenever I paddled, we went nowhere. At least it was pretty!

 Every time I paddled, all I could think of was Austin Powers. "I'm rowing a canoe. I'm rowing a canoe."

It was about a 2 - 3 hour canoe trip which was just enough time. I didn't sunburn for once. The Boyfriend had fun too - we'll definitely go again!

This picture makes it look like I got photobombed by the Boyfriend. His inclusion was intentional, though. Aren't we cute?

Boston

I had to make a trip to Boston for work. I was there for a week. The Boyfriend and I were planning on leaving earlier and catching a Twins game, but we had other obligations at home...so I just went. I love this city.

We stayed at Boston University which is right next to the Esplanade, where I ran since it is so beautiful. I would flipping move to Boston for this alone - it seems like such a perfect place to run. The miles go by fast!

 

I mean really. How awesome is this?!

 

And here I am on an overpass. That's the Charles River and a boathouse. 

Sweet lanyard.

It wouldn't be a trip without a visit to the North End and Little Italy, which is pretty much my most favorite pastry-obtaining area.

 

OMFG MIKE'S PASTRY

And my most favorite pastry shop.

Cash only Cannoli.

With my most favorite cannoli.

 

Chocolate chip! Also purchased but not pictured: Pistachio and Amaretto

I was sad to come back home, but also ridiculously READY to come home. There is only so much awesome to be had when you are sleeping on a dorm bed mattress that is about as comfortable as laying a floor covered in fake turf. 

Anyway, the Boyfriend and I are going to try to plan a trip for the two of us to go back to Boston next year - hopefully to catch a Twins game at Fenway. I can't wait!

Why am I a turtle?

I decided not to do the Half Marathon in September. I don't feel adequately trained for it, and also, I am ridiculously slow and there is a mandatory minimum time. I'm going to continue training and try to run a half in October.

I hate it.

I hate that I am ridiculously slow. I hate that I cannot break past the 10 minute mile mark for anything over 1 mile. Yeah, I can run an 8:48 mile. FOR ONE MILE. But then I'm done. Then it's 10 minute miles the rest of the way. I hate that I have been working hard and not seeing improvements on my speed or endurance, and I can't figure out what the hell is going on.

 

I've tried speed workouts, long runs, I don't even know. Some days I will run 6 miles and feel fantastic. Other days I'm struggling after a mile and a half and feel like I need to walk. I can do 10-10:30 minute miles on my long runs. I'd like to get down to 9-9:30 minute miles. But sometimes, I just feel like I want to give up and cry.

Is this normal? How long does it take to adjust to these longer distances? Why am I a flipping turtle? Will it ever get better?

It has become increasingly harder for me to even enjoy running when I feel constantly frustrated by my limitations. I guess if this is something everyone goes through, I would feel better - but if it's something I'm doing wrong, then I need to know. So HELP ME! Please?

Giveaway!

I am going to be posting a giveaway at the end of the week/beginning of next week. We will see how much I get done. It is going to be a pretty sweet deal, so keep your eyes open - it's not technically running related, but it is pretty fun nonetheless. 

Missed you guys. Hope you missed me too!

Zipfizz Giveaway WINNERS!!!

Whelp, because I am completely unorganized and should have used Rafflecopter for my giveaway, I had to manually do the drawing. FUN TIMES.

I put all of your entries in a spreadsheet, cut them out, and put them in an envelope to make it fair. Check it out!

 

ALL the entries!

I had over 50 entries for the giveaway. So THANK YOU ALL for entering!!

And now, the news you've been waiting for - our WINNERS!

Losing Lindy and