I'm happy to report that my sister and I ran our first 1/2 marathon a couple of weeks ago along beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee! I would consider myself more of a casual runner  however, this year I chalked up a few extra running goals for my 2019 goals list, one of which was to run a 1/2 marathon!

Training.

I love the treadmill. We have an old Precor in the basement that has the basics - it's certainly no Woodway or Peloton by any means but the speed and incline work along with the computer so no complaints here.

I signed up for the half in February which is when I really started training. Everything before that were 3 - 4 mile runs (or however long it took me to watch an episode or two of Schitt's Creek). I eventually ran out of episodes to watch and made the switch to Brooklyn 99 which is equally entertaining. My sister put together a training plan for me which consisted of interval runs on Monday, long runs on Saturdays and miscellaneous distances peppered in between. 

It snowed and snowed and snowed February, March and a little bit of April making me less inclined to run outside, not to mention I'm a big baby when it comes to running when it's dark out (which it was up until daylight savings). Hence, why I love my treadmill. My sister and I did a handful of our long runs together which were done on rail trails. I was victim to an icey fall during one of our 10 milers in April when we discovered 4 miles in that the rest of the trail was all one giant sheet of ice. Lesson learned. Turn around right away. 

My pace was around 8:45/mile during treadmill runs and for the rail trail runs my pace was just under 10:00/mile. 

With those times, I honestly had no idea where my pace would land for the half. 

Landon shared with me half way through my training that he had overheard that this course was hilly. My training runs consisted of very little elevation, which in hindsight was obviously a mistake. Maybe that's why I like treadmill running so much! ;) Upon further research online, I read more and more comments that it was hilly. 

The Race.

We ran The Big Lake 1/2 Marathon which starts in Alton, continues on Route 11 for 6 or so miles, winds along Lake Winnipesaukee for 5 miles and then finishes up at Shibley's after another 2 miles on Route 11.

I really enjoyed running on Route 11 (which is a busy road I would probably never run on any other time) thanks to the gorgeous views of the Lake. My brother-in-law cheered us on around mile 5.5 and then went for a quick hike up Mt. Major, which is located right off Route 11/the course. There were rolling hills on Route 11 and I ran up each one counting the number of footsteps in took me to get to the top of each one. I also counted the number of footsteps between all of the cones as another form of distraction. 

Around mile 6, we turned onto a much quieter road that consisted of even more rolling hills. These ones were more challenging for me and I ended up walking up a few of them to help regain my energy and breath. A handful of property owners were out at the end of their driveways cheering all of the runners on, blasting their radios, you name it! They added an extra element of fun which was appreciated! (:

The last 2 or so miles were back on Route 11. They seemed to go relatively quickly in my mind since the end was in sight! The finish line and post race celebration was at Shibley's where we were treated with beer, pizza, ice cream and other shenanigans. 

My Nike+ app clocked me at 2:21:32 with a 10' 34" pace (and 13.40 miles) and the official race time had me at 2:23:12 with a 10:56 pace. 

My goals that I went into this were (1) Finish, (2) Run at least a 10:00/mile pace, (3) Finish under 2 hours, and (4) don't walk.

Happy to report I met 1 goal - finish! haha 

I was able to maintain under a 10' 00" mile up until mile 10 which is where I hit a wall and knew immediately that goals number 2, 3 and 4 weren't going to happen. I was at the point where I was able to walk faster than I was running.  My knees were throbbing which is something I hadn't felt this training cycle. It probably didn't help that I had skipped my last long run (12 miles) and that my longest training run had only been 10 miles.

Nonetheless, despite crazy knees (which I'm sure many runners can empathize with), the last two miles went relatively quickly in my mind regardless to my positive splits. oh well.

There was no better thing than rounding the corner and seeing Griffin and Phoebe at the finish line barking their little cheerful hearts out! Had to stop for a couple seconds to give them some love. 

Post Race.

My sister and I were both very sore immediately following the race. After all, 13.4 miles is the farthest we have ever ran. We had a little post race barbecue back at my house and then both took long recovery naps. I'm glad the race was on a Saturday because I was barely able to walk the following day. 

I had a goal of running a full marathon in November but after this half I don't know if I'm ready. I'm considering signing up for a few more halfs before I dare venture into 26.2 land. I will most certainly have to integrate more trails runs (my least favorite training) and road running training before then as well. 

So happy we both completed it!! One more thing to cross off the 30 x 30 list!

On a different note, my other running goals for 2019 are:

1. Run 12 Races (have done 3 thus far)
2. Run 1000 miles (I'm at 341 miles)
3. Run a 5k under 22:38 (that's my high school PR and I'm hell bound and determined to beat it)
4. Run a Marathon (this one may get moved back to 2020)

Ragnar Trail: Appalachians West Virginia + FREE Printable

(Runner's Village)

One of my goals this year was to run a race every month, most of which thus far have been 5ks. Despite how huge and well known Ragnar races are, they are (shockingly) still pretty new being only 5 years old. We have a few local ones, Reach the Beach and Vermont, and I had been tossing around the idea of putting together a team for Reach the Beach in September. Coincidentally, my Aunt and Uncle were signed up for the Ragnar Appalachians Trail Relay and invited my sister and I to be apart of their team which was an opportunity we couldn't pass up! Despite it being a little bit of a haul (11 hours each way) we are both so glad that we did it as it is a one of a kind race!

(Running into the Transition Area after my first Leg)

Training:

I had been doing really well January through June and logged A LOT of miles, however, I completely dropped the ball in July and didn't run once. About a week before the Ragnar I decided it would be in my best interest to hop on the treadmill and run 3 - 4 miles a night, pitiful, I know. Surprisingly, I felt great for all 3 of my Ragnar Legs which were approximately 4, 5 and 7 miles. Granted, my mile times were nothing close to what I had been running, but that is to be expected with uphill trail running. They do have recommended training plans on the Ragnar website should you want to properly train for one, unlike me.

(Free Workout Schedule printable - you can purchase the rest of the planner here)

(Cousins and Sister!)

Packing:

I read a blog or two about what and how I should pack that offered a decent amount of insight as to what to expect. These are tips that I would pass along:

1. Outfits - Pack your three different running outfits in separate ziplock bags (and then shove them back in the ziplock bag after your leg and don't open them again until you do your laundry)!
2. Toilet Paper - Bring a roll of toilet paper with you and take some with you every time you go to the portos! They pumped ours at least 4 times throughout the weekend and kept running out of TP - NEVER a situation you want to be in right before a run!
3. Lights - If you are running at night it is essential to have a headlamp. I also ran with a small flashlight and it made a huge difference. I was able to see roots on the ground much better and appreciated the extra light. 
4. Battery Pack for your phone - Ragnar had a huge charging station up at the runner's village, however, when you are back at the tent, chances are your phone is next to dead. I use the Nike+ App to track my runs which kills my charge. It was nice having a battery pack to jolt my phone in the meantime.
5. Warm Clothes - Despite what summer month you run in, it will get cold at night. I only brought some running leggings and wish I had some sweatpants I could have worn at night. They have Ragnar apparel for sale down at the Runner's Village if you forget. 
6. Crappy Shoes - Pack the pair of shoes that you don't care about. Mine were destroyed from all of the mud (which is fine because I bought them 4 years ago at TJ Maxx). Solomon had a tent set up where you could borrow their shoes, however, they did run out quickly. That is what my sister opted to do since she brought her brand new fancy shoes.
7. Don't over pack - in addition to any running gear and snacks that you bring, keep in mind that you will also need to bring camping supplies. 

(My sister and I after our early morning night runs!)

The Race:

Was very organized!

• The trails are very well marked - there was never a moment where I felt "lost" or off trails, even at night! There are trail signs everywhere which are reflective and have small lights on them. 
• There can be obstacles - it's a trail so there are lots of roots, slippery rocks and boulders that you have to climb over. Take your regular mile time and add 3-4 minutes. 
• There is always another runner - it brought comfort knowing that there was always another runner on the trail somewhere close by, especially at night!
• The last 1/4 mile was energizing - the last 1/4 mile of every leg for this Ragnar runs through a section of camps that are so wonderfully decorated and encouraging to run by. People are cheering and you are cruising!

(Our wonderful team!)

Other Thoughts from the Weekend:

• Down Time - there's a lot of it! Which is nice because it gives you time to relax and enjoy everything they have set up at the Runner's Village and your camping experience. 
• Take Advantage of Everything - Ragnar goes above and beyond to make sure you have a fun weekend. Take advantage of it! REI had various games and hammocks set up, there was a band performing Friday night, they had s'mores ALL NIGHT and into the morning on Saturday/Sunday (thank you, REI!), there was hot cocoa and coffee available, REI also had a "make your own key fob" tent, there were a lot of companies there promoting running gear which gave out free samples, there's a big bonfire, and a huge and carbalicious meal on Saturday that was catered. There was probably even more that I missed out on. 

Will I be Signing up for Another Ragnar?

ABSOLUTELY! We will (hopefully) be doing this same one again in 2019!

Cookie Jar Kits and Our Christmas Card

Happy Holidays!! I hope it has been nothing short of merry, your holiday errands are complete and you are winding down from all of the craziness and fun that comes with the season!

L and I bought our first house in April and have been spoiled rotten with the best neighbors on planet earth. They've been extremely helpful with our transition from renters to homeowners and are always lending a hand. With the holidays around the corner, we wanted to send something fun and festive their way that was both creative and thoughtful.

While trolling Pinterest, I found this post written by Jillee from One Good Thing who inspired me to purchase all of the 1 gallon jars at Target to recreate this genius idea.

You will need:

+ 1 Gallon Glass Jar

+ Crinkle Filler Paper and/or Tissue Paper

+ Napkin

+ Cookie Mix

+ Frosting

+ Sprinkles

+ Cookie Cutters (We used a hammer, car and home shaped cookie cutters to go with the "house" theme)

+ Ribbon

+ Christmas Card

Step 1: Put everything in the jar

Step 2: Walk over to your neighbor's house and deliver it

Here are the reasons why I think it's awesome:

1. It's fun! No matter what age you are, everyone loves to make and decorate cookies around the holiday season (hopefully). It's a great opportunity to gather the family and nosh on some treats while listening to Christmas music.
2. Not only are you gifting them with cookie cutters, you're also giving them a nice COOKIE jar to go with it. I use these jars for everything in my house. One is filled with dog treats, another holds our cookie cutters, I plan on using the 2 gallon jars as centerpieces... the list could go on and on!
3. It's personal and creative, but you're not breaking the bank. I think in total each jar cost me $20 each.

(Macy Cat's smile always takes the cake... remember last years?)

Shutterfly kindly gifted us with holiday cards again this year which we of course included in our cookie kit jar to help personalize everything. I am a creature of habit and always order the 5" x 7" personalized photo cards so that I can frame and display them each year. I LOVE looking back on past years to see how our little family has changed - we are on year #4 of Christmas cards and so far we have grown by 4 furry paws (in addition to the queen, Miss Macy Cat) and we may or may not have just grown by another 4 furry paws... you'll have to check back next year to see the newest and fluffiest golden addition. 

Enjoy the holidays and stay warm! (:

Our Christmas cards through the years:

2016 // 2015 // 2014

We Adopted a Puppy!

(Griffin at 5 months relaxing on his giant bean bag)

Like all great things, adopting our newest furchild, Griffin, was just as unexpected as they come. L and I had no intentions of adding to our little family anytime soon. We have had our beloved Macy Cat since 2013, but cats are (for the most part) low maintenance, autopilot pets that need fed, watered and their box cleaned as needed. Do not fear, she gets her daily dose of loving and attention from us as well. She has us both wrapped around her little paws. Having been renting for the past 4 years we knew we wouldn't be able to have a dog until we had a place of our own. However, the stars seemed to align the day we moved into our first house!

May 27, 2017 (moving day) - L and I were en route to Kennebunk with my parents to grab some furniture from a storage locker. With a little encouragement from them, we all thought it would be fun to made a quick detour to the local shelter on our way to the locker to just "look around" (the day prior my parents had adopted a 2.5 month yellow lab puppy from there). Long story short... we fell in love with the yellow lab's brindle brother!

We had no intentions of taking a dog home, let alone a little puppy, but it truly was love at first sight. We have never been actively looking for ourselves, however, we have found that it is rather difficult to find dogs to adopt because EVERYONE wants a dog here! It's great! Animal Welfare Society transports them from other parts of the country and people wait outside the shelter doors for hours in hopes of adopting. There is such a high demand that they have to give out numbers resulting in some future fur-parents arriving in the wee hours of the morning to get numbers first. I don't know how we got so lucky!

(A screenshot of the website right after we adopted him. His former name was Jonas. His sister Jaki was adopted at the same time by a different family and his yellow lab brother is pictured at the bottom)

(Griffin riding around in the Petco carriage right after we brought him home.)

(Playing with his reflection while we try to sleep)

(Looking adorable in the truck - no worries, we weren't driving)

He is now 5 months old (his birthday is March 8th) and almost 45 pounds! When we brought him home he weighed the same as our cat (12 pounds).

He's absolutely fascinated with Macy Cat and sometimes forgets that she is only 1/4 his size, however, we've been letting Macy grow her nails out so that she can school him when necessary.

He's also very interested in our neighbors yards, so L put in an invisible fence (this one) to help remind him where his boundaries are. Watching him get shocked is more painful for me than him. Thankfully, it only took a few zaps and now we rarely feel the need to put the collar on him anymore.

He's really smart and thus far has learned how to shake, roll over, sit and lay down. He's done really well with house training, however ha has had an accident or two in the morning when he can't wait any longer.

He's a total snuggle bug and ends up sandwiched between L and I every night with Macy Cat right above our heads. We go on walks everyday and adventures every weekend. Just last weekend we brought him up to North Conway for the first time to play in Diana's Baths with his brother. He's the happiest soul in the house and is always so welcoming when we get home! 

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

Holy guacamole, after 4 years of renting in some amazing places in both Boston and New Hampshire, L and I bit the bullet and bought our first home 2 months ago! We feel as though we hit the house jackpot, as it is close to both of our offices, the water and the mountains! We also have the sweetest neighbors which is a huge bonus!

Thanks to a very chilly winter, we quickly realized how important a warm house was to us which is what unexpectedly triggered this endeavor. The chalet that we had been renting had electric heat which unfortunately isn't the cheapest heat (over $400+ a month) nor was it able to compete with the cathedral ceilings. SO, when we began shopping around, the single most important thing that we kept telling our realtor was "must be warm." Other high priority items included looking for houses that were big enough that we could grow into, we wanted to be in a neighborhood and we wanted to be close to work.

As you can imagine... everyone wants that, which left us with little inventory to choose from. We had our eyes on a place that we knew was going to hit the market, so after if finally did, we swooped in with our checkbook and docusigned the P&S from the Sunburst Six at Okemo less than 24 hours after it was listed. Thankfully, we lucked out with the most organized and proactive professional team in our neck of the woods and were able to close on April 4th! Cue the happy dance!

I have longed to be a homeowner so that I can modify and update a place to fit our style. It's nice to finally have a place that we can build some equity in and enjoy in the meantime.

As you can imagine, this blog is going to be a brain dump for all of my pictures, videos and updates regarding the project palace. The best place to keep track of everything will be the "HOME TOUR" tab located at the top of the page. I will try my best to keep all "house reno" related posts linked there.

Here are the before pictures and a video of our first house!

THE DEN?

We don't know what to call this room and we don't know what to put in it either. It's a fairly large space that is located between the kitchen and garage and open to the front entryway and slider out back. Should we ever want to knock down the wall for a kitchen renovation that is an option, or if we want to utilize it as a formal dining space that is an option as well. It is also home to the ONLY closet (other than bedroom closets) in the house.

THE DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM 

Right around that corner we have a small half bath which will be getting a facelift down the road.

THE LIVING ROOM

Our living room is located on the opposite side of the house and is equipped with a groovy propane fireplace that turns on with the flick of a switch (literally!). No more cutting and hauling wood or stoking the fire. I will miss the luxury of roasting a s'more from the couch though.

THE DINING AREA

The dining area takes up a small corner of the living room. There is a small wall that separates it from the kitchen which we are debating knocking down some day.

THE KITCHEN

The party continues on through the kitchen which is also where our little pantry and basement door are located. I have big plans of painting all of the doors and cabinets a light grey color to brighter it up a little.

THE UPSTAIRS

The upstairs is pretty simple consisting of 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. 

THE GUEST BEDROOM

The "Guest Suite" which I lovingly refer to it as will be the first project that we tackle. The goal is to completely 100% renovate this room and refinish the floors prior to moving in. 

THE OTHER GUEST ROOM / OFFICE

L and I love to host, so it is important that we can comfortably accommodate our families near and far. While the other guest room is taking priority right now, this space will eventually get a full makeover as well.

THE GUEST BATH/LAUNDRY ROOM

Down the hall we have our laundry room/guest bath. Having laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms will be a new luxury that we are looking forward to!

THE MASTER BEDROOM

This bedroom is by far the largest bedroom that we have ever had. We thought we had hit the bedroom lottery in our old Boston apartment! This space is at least twice the size! Our current arrangement is maybe 1/3 the size of this room, so to say we are excited is an understatement. Macy Cat even scored her own closet in here!

THE MASTER BATH

We also lucked out with an ensuite which I can't wait to attack with some marble tile! It's not huge, but it has potential! Take note of the toilet paper rose that was left on every roll by the sweet lady who cleaned the house prior to closing.

There you have it! Our first home! We have a lot of work to do and are very eager to tackle it all. I'm obsessed with the idea of renovating and styling this house to fit our lifestyle and can't wait to start crossing items off of our list!