5 Half Marathons in 1 Year!


I have been trying to get into the Nike Women's Marathon for the last 4 years. A weekend in San Francisco. A chocolate mile. Pedicure and manicure stations. Firefighters in tuxedos handing you a Tiffany necklace as you cross the finish line. Could running long distance get any sweeter? So many people want to run this race that they have a 'random drawing' to determine who gets in. I have never been picked, and have been disappointed every year, but have stayed hopeful for the next year.

THIS IS MY YEAR!

Seven friends and I put together a group, registered for the race together, and found out this morning that our group was selected!! I have been freaking out all day because I'm so excited that this 'bucket list' (I hate that phrase - is there a better one that means the same thing??) race is actually going to happen for me before 2010 is over.

Interestingly enough, 2010 is also the year I decided I would run the Triple Crown - three Half Marathons in San Diego County ran within the same calendar year. If all goes as planned, I will run FIVE half marathons this year. I can't think of a better 'last race' for this season than the Nike Women's Half Marathon.

Did I mention I was excited????!!!!!

Stuff I Like - round two, I think.


With spring rolling in (April showers! Bring us more!) and the scent of fresh lilac and stinky mulch wafting through the air every morning as I walk from the parking structure to my office, I am reminded of just how lucky I am to live in this beautiful city. This morning started out like any regular morning - I worked out, I rushed home and managed to actually leave on time, I got on the freeway and realized there was no traffic, so I decided to make a pit stop at Coffee Bean for some iced tea. Iced tea lovers, I am telling you, once you ditch Starbucks for Coffee Bean, you'll never be satisfied by those green tea lemonades again. Coffee Bean offers different flavors of iced tea EVERY DAY! Back to my morning... being the sweet little assistant that I am, I called my boss to see if she wanted me to pick her up a Tuesday morning treat, too. She did, so I did. Large iced tea and iced mocha in hand, I drove to work, walked past aforementioned flowers and stinky mulch into my building, and gently rested the top of the drinks on my chest so I could unlock the door without spilling everything. That's when it happened. A massive drop of iced mocha planted itself on the top of my crisp white top. No amount of dabbing could get it out, so I promptly buttoned my cardigan and am pretending I was supposed to wear it this way.

In honor of my ruined top, here is today's Stuff I Like, which I think I'm going to make a regular part of my blog just because it's fun.

1. The Coffee Bean. Seriously people, how did I live without it? I told Glenn that if the Starbucks on Linda Vista and Napa were a Coffee Bean, I would use all of my spending money ($20 a week!) there every week and would not regret it one bit. It's relatively inexpensive, has amazing iced teas, small little crushed-ice cube things, and purple straws!!!!

2. Cardigans that fit, even when buttoned. Today's fiasco is proof of the importance of this, but honestly - when you have a cardigan that looks good both buttoned and unbuttoned, you should never let it go. That is why I wear mine almost daily. Thank you, Gap.

3. Easter baskets! Glenn put together the cutest Easter basket for me - it included a book I am so excited to read, a mini muffin tin, and some 'lounge shorts' as he calls them. So sweet, and useful!

4. Bronson Pate. He's one of the nicest guys around, has crazy hair, and has helped me in unfathomable ways over the past year as I've slowly been creating a new blog and brand that I can't wait to unveil! Plus, he's a great photographer and I refer all of my friends to him because, come on, he's pretty much the best.