Running the LBC

Remember that unit in your English class where you discussed foreshadowing? Well, let's do some of that, shall we? Just for chits and giggles...

Here is a conversation I had back in July, with my friend Grant, who has been helping me train for my last two halves.

Hang on to that for a bit, ummkay?

Now fast forward some. It wasn't until just a few weeks ago that I really started to think I could cross the finish line at or near the 1:50 mark.

Then, Sunday morning as I lined up in the chute I found the 1:50 pacer. I figured, what the heck, why not give it a shot? I'd been busting my buns training, and it wasn't for nothing.

The first 7 miles went by fast. So fast I don't really remember ever passing the 5 and 6 mile markers. My pace was great, and I was feeling pretty much on top of the world. It didn't hurt that 80 percent of the course was along the harbor and ocean. The views were perfection.

Photo source
A fire boat was in the harbor and had all of its pumps running during the race. The spraying water provided a much appreciated mist as we ran by.
I can't take credit for the photo above, but that was the view I had right around mile 5. I wanted so badly to stop and snap a picture of the boat - I considered doing so for about five seconds - but I decided against it.

Somewhere in the first 7 miles a gentleman ran along side me, saying I had a good pace and he was going to stick with me. Somewhere in there my running partner suggested I run at least one full marathon in my life. I chewed on that little nugget as I ran on.

It wasn't until about mile 9 that I started to pay attention to what mile I was at, what my pace was, where we were on the course, and my running buddy started to pull out in front of me. That was also the point when the 1:50 pacer began to creep farther and farther ahead of me.

To say miles 11 and 12 were hellacious would be a total understatement. I began to feel sluggish and cold. My legs felt as if they weighed 100 pounds a piece, and they were beginning to cramp. At one point an evil little voice crept into my head and had me considering stopping to walk. I quickly had a Come To Jesus Meeting with myself and pushed on. There wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell I was going to walk. At that point in the race, and with my training, walking would have been almost as bad as quitting altogether.

Then I saw it, the finish line. What a magnificent sight she was.

I crossed the finish line, not at the 1:50 I was hoping, but at 1:51:16 - official race time - what a run, what a rush!

Like the last half I ran, due to the sheer number of people I had to swerve in, out, and around, I hit 13.1 miles before the actual finish line. All that extra dodging added about .2 extra miles to my run. But, hey, I PR'd on pretty much EVERYTHING! Can't be mad at that.

The finishers medals are huge and weigh about 15 pounds. An exaggeration? Only slightly. They are freaking heavy.

The second I crossed the finish line I stopped running and I relaxed. And, so did my bladder (remember the foreshadowing?!? I called it way back in July!)! Hand to Jesus, I peed myself right then and there at the finish line as I was getting my medal. Apparently this bladder issue isn't uncommon for women who run long distances. Why did no one tell me this?!!

I couldn't decide if I was mortified from the pee that refused to stop running, or elated that my time was so much better than any race I'd even run. It was also right then that I decided I'll never run a full marathon. Can you *imagine* the issues I'd have after that?

Take a look at those pants. Can't even tell, can ya?!

After the initial excitement and terror wore off I found my cheering committee.

We took a few obligatory post-race pictures of Marcus and Mommy.

I smelled so ripe by this point. Poor kid. It was no wonder he didn't want to smile for the camera.

Then we packed up shop and headed home.

Before Scott let me in the car he made me put down my race blanket so I wouldn't sit directly on our seats. I guess that was warranted.

In short, what did I learn from this race?
Mind over matter.
Believe in yourself and push on.
And always wear black running pants. Always.



Any runners out there interested in running this next year? It's an awesome, fast course, and a Boston qualifier. I'd LOVE to have a running buddy. 

Happy Marcus Monday!

Those baby blues

and button nose.

It's amazing how

my love for you grows and grows.

Happy Monday!

Finding the Silver Lining

The last 10 days have been kind of tumultuous in the Macke household. Thanks to the government shut down, Scott has been forced to work, without pay. There is talk of "back pay," but we're not sure when that is supposed to happen.

We sold our Jeep which was nothing short of bittersweet. Now we're in the process of finding/buying a new car. Not necessarily fun stuff, at least not to me. Car dealerships and car salesmen? Yuck.

Monday is Columbus Day, which means a three-day weekend. However, it is now a furloughed day for Scott. At least we'll get to spend time together as a family while he's not getting paid. I guess that's better than him going to work and not getting paid. Silver lining... Right?? 

Being Friday is enough reason to celebrate. We need to celebrate SOMETHING around these parts right now. 

Let's do some High Five-ing for Friday.

Here goes nothin'.

1. I don't even care I've already posted this to Facebook and InstaGram. It is too good to keep off the blog.

Who knew "meow" could sound *this* cute?!
Since I'm sharing videos, this one also needs to be viewed. As if we didn't have proof my kid was 100% boy...

Both Marcus and I enjoy watching this 17 second clip over and over. We laugh and giggle each and every time. When he throws up his meaty little legs and makes that Braveheart-like-war-call... It's just too much.

2. Southern California has FINALLY been afforded some Fall-like temperatures. The sweat pants have officially been busted out, and it's nothing short of magnificent.

3. I ran 13.1 miles last weekend in 1:53:35. That's a half marathon. And, I did it in the fastest time I've ever recorded. The best part? It was a training run, not an actual race.

4. Coinciding with #3... Sunday I'm participating in the Long Beach International Half Marathon. I'm hoping to come in right around 1:50:00... 

And, I just discovered it is NOT an out and back course. For that I am beyond grateful!

5. This guy NAILS his wife's job as a stay-at-home-mom. If you work, if you stay at home, if you don't have kids at all, you need to read Matt Walsh's take on what his wife does. Click >HERE< to read. (This article has left quite the impression on me. I'll be doing my own take on the SHAM at some point next week. Stay tuned.)

Have a great weekend! 

A Paradise Park

Even after three and a half years of living in Los Angeles we are still discovering all sorts of hidden gems tucked away in secret spots.

How I didn't know about this particular park is completely beyond me. It is like a tropical paradise nestled snuggly within the busy city. If you aren't looking for the park you will pass right by it. It is a treasure just waiting to be uncovered. Thankfully, we did just that.

The bridge and stream provided us with endless entertainment opportunities. 

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth we went.

There were no play structures but Marcus could have cared less. Running free was better than any slide, sand, or swing.

Around the stream we went. Several times. 

Then we found the ducks... 

...And the fearless squirrels.

It's our own little paradise in the city.

Goodbye Old Friend

Yesterday we said goodbye to a little piece of our family...

Though the Jeep wasn't my pride and joy, it certainly was Scott's. He gave so much time, attention, and care to the four-wheeled ride.

Scott's beloved Jeep has been through so much with Scott, with me, with us. So many memories were made with the Jeep, made *because* of the Jeep.

I know I'm not doing any justice to all that the Jeep meant to Scott...

Luckily, the Jeep has found another great home. We can only hope the vehicle provides the new owners with as many great memories as we were afforded.

Even Marcus had a tough time parting ways.

Goodbye old friend. You will be missed.

Where to Put the Wine {{Giveaway}}

It's no secret I love a good glass of wine. And, after moving to Southern California my appreciation for good wines has grown. Scott and I have discovered so many great varietals that are from local wineries, and our palates have expanded exponentially.

The only problem with having a plethora of wine bottles is a good place to store them. We have a wine rack that was gifted to Scott eons ago. It's cute, but it just kind of hangs out awkwardly in our kitchen. Said wine rack is also easily accessible to Marcus' exploring little hands. Too many times I've had to rush in and save a few bottles from falling to a perilous end.

After being introduced to ThinkEco2 products I immediately fell in love. The handmade, eco-chic wine racks are beyond adorable. My wine rack is now nestled sweetly on my kitchen counter, adding charisma and style... And out of reach of Marcus chubby little fingers.

Along with the cedar wine racks I couldn't help but browse the selection of liquor and wine boxes, as well as the flower pots and floral trays that would be perfect for wedding decor (if only I had another wedding to plan!).

Images source: ThinkEco2

What I love the most is the story behind the business, though. The founder of ThinkEco2, Brian, is owner and operator of a construction business here in Southern California. Brian's business works with a lot with cedar and he wants to make a difference by building purposeful gifts out of excess cedar from his construction jobs. So, not only are the wine racks hand-made, right here in America, they are made from beautiful cedar that would otherwise be tossed. A product's story doesn't get much better than that. 

This compact (about as big as a milk crate) gorgeous, rustic wine rack would be complimentary in any home. Because it's so beautiful and sturdy, and necessary, I want to give one away. One lucky wine lover will get the choice between a rustic or black wine rack.

left: rustic       right: black

Enter via the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Marcus Monday!

A sweet "first."

(Not) Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes...

...More like Hand, Foot, and Mouth...

Most nights Marcus goes to bed at 8PM and doesn't wake until 6:30/7:00AM. Those uninterrupted nights of sleep are beyond fantastic (especially after the first five months of his life when he woke every 2-3 hours, oy).

Then, not so long ago (last Friday) Marcus woke an hour after we put him down, and proceeded to cry and scream for the duration of the night. We tried EVERY thing we could think of to get the little man back to bed: we changed his diaper, tried giving him some milk, sang songs, read stories, I even watched an episode of Bubble Guppies at 1:30 to calm him.

Throughout the night I noticed Marcus kept grabbing at his feet. Scott thought he saw blisters on Marcus toes, but I couldn't imagine where blisters would have come from. Marcus had been wearing shoes all day.

At one point, around 4:00AM, I simply put Marcus in his crib and let him cry. I drug my exhausted self to bed and fell asleep to him sobbing. (Simply typing that sentence brings tears to my eyes... I am his mommy. I'm supposed to be the one who runs to him, not away from him, when he cries.)

The following morning I noticed Marcus seemed to be in pain when he walked. It was then I inspected his feet a little closer.

There *were* blisters all over his feet.

We headed to the doctor's office right away, and went in looking like this:

See those red spots? I thought it was just a case of baby acne. Well, it wasn't.

Per the doctor's diagnosis, Marcus had a case of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease.
(I had no idea what the disease was, so naturally I Googled it:
Essentially, it's a virus that is spread the same way the common cold is - sneezing, coughing, etc. The Blister-like sores appear on the hands, feet, around the mouth, and a skin rash may also develop. Whelp, Marcus checked all those boxes off.)

His poor little feet were just covered with nasty-looking blisters.

My poor little guy was really in pain the night we got no sleep. And, I let him cry and cry...

We diligently followed the doctor's prescription of Tylenol, Motrin, and Benadryl to keep the pain at bay.

Thankfully I am happy to report that for the past few days Marcus appears to be without pain, and without any other symptoms from this nasty looking virus.

Captain of the Ship

We are longing for Fall-like temperatures, desperately. However, there is no such thing in sight. This weekend we are expecting sunny skies with temps in the mid-90s.

Going to pumpkin patches or apple orchards doesn't sound like much fun if you're going in tank tops and flip flops.

Since it feels like summer we'll oblige and pretend it still is...

We will pretend we are still on Grandma and Grandpa's boat. One of our favorite places to be!

 It came as no surprise that Marcus, once again, loved playing captain during the entirety of the boat ride.

We loved our time on the boat, and loved soaking up summer sun.

While we patiently wait for our Fall weather to arrive we will reminisce on all our summer fun, and hope for a cool-down soon.

3 Years

1,095 and 3/4 days (but who's counting?).

2 moves (one across country).

2 pets (with the loss of one and addition of another).

1 beautiful baby boy.

1 million + "I love you's."

Countless memories made, with a lifetime more to go.
Happy 3rd Anniversary, Scott.
You are my whole world.

I had to add this one.
The photographer said, "Do a supermodel pose."
One of my girl friends asked, "How do you do that?"
Another girl friend chirped, "Just look hungry!"
I will never forget that dialogue - Haaaa!

Farm Boy

A while ago I was talking with one of my neighbors who was born and raised in Southern California. She and I were talking about me visiting my home. At one point in the conversation she asked me what it was like where I grew up, what my house was like, what my yard was like. What I think she was really trying to ask was if I lived on a farm.

I'm an Iowa girl, not to be confused with a farm girl. Though, growing up I desperately *wanted* to be a farm girl. Thankfully, I had friends who could lend me their farms (and chores) on the occasion that I needed a farm fix.

Even though we don't have a farm to go home to each time we visit Iowa and Kansas that does not mean we don't go to the farm while we are back.

Last time we were home we visited Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead and I knew we had to visit again.

During this visit to the farm Marcus was so much more interactive. I absolutely loved experiencing the farm through Marcus' eyes.

His love for the fowl did not come from me. This momma can't handle birds. While I enjoyed his interest I tried to move us along quickly from the chickens, ducks, and geese.

The farm had *several* swings scattered about the grounds. I'm positive we had to sit and swing in each and every one of them.

Oh, the goats. Boy oh boy did we fall in love with them during this trip. Marcus loved "petting," poking, hugging, and lying on the billies.

Watching Marcus interact and have so much fun with his cousin and grandpa made my heart smile.

The playground and tractors were a smashing success as well.

Let's not forget this bridge. This bridge was crossed approximately 3,104,927 times. It was a huge hit. HUGE.

I can't wait to see what new things my little farm boy will discover during our next trip to the farm.
Until then...