October Picture Share

Is it really November 9th already?

Wow!

I think the month of October flew by faster than usual because we were super busy with lots of adventures--both near and far. 

Here are some of my favorite photos and memories.

October 14: A day at Apple Hill

If you've been following my blog for a year or more, you know that visiting Apple Hill with the Liotine family is an annual fall tradition for us.  I wrote about our experiences here in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

We always have a great time, but this year was even more fun because there were three little boys with us: Noah, age 9 months; Chase, age 2 and Tyler, age 6.  Add Brian and Steve to the mix and Nicole and I are way outnumbered!
 

The seven of us stopped at our favorite farms--Boa Vista Orchards, High Hill Ranch, Rainbow Orchards, Apple Ridge Farms--and of course, Kids Inc.--where we feasted on apple donuts, apple juice (unpasteurized), and apple crisps.  

It was a delightful day with friends!

October 17-23: Trip to Notre Dame

 

I have so many great memories from our week long trip to Illinois and Indiana.  For the purposes of this post, though, I'm going to focus on the football game since that is the primary reason we flew out to Notre Dame.    

Two years ago, Brian and I journeyed to Notre Dame to see the Irish play the Utah Utes.  This time around, we saw Notre Dame take on another Utah team, the BYU Cougars.  It was Noah's first college football game--and yes, we had to buy him a ticket.  Ironically, Noah missed the whole first half; he was sleeping soundly, thanks to a pair of ear muffs.  During the second half, though, Noah was wide awake, smiling and loving all the attention from the fans seated around us. 

 

Noah was quite the hit with all of his ND gear.  It was cold on game day, so we dressed Noah in all the ND clothing we had packed--a onesie, sweatshirt, jersey, pants, mittens, and a beanie.  Plus, a warm jacket.  He looked like the boy from A Christmas Story who was wearing so much clothing, he couldn't put his arms down.  Or better yet, a miniature Notre Dame football player.  A couple of times, Brian remarked, "Coach, put me in!"    

In the first half of the game, Notre Dame was down, but they came back in the second half, beating the BYU Cougars, 17-14.

When Notre Dame scored their last touchdown, Brian lifted Noah up into the air and did 17 push-ups, just like the cheerleaders and students do each time ND scores.

I wasn't fast enough with my camera to capture this moment, but believe me, Noah had a big grin on his face, just like in the photo below.  Brian was elated as well--not only because ND scored (and took the lead), but also because he was sharing this joyful time with his son in Notre Dame stadium.



October 28: Four Bridges Half Marathon   


Five days after returning home from our ND trip, I ran 13.1 miles in 2:23:58.  I'd been training for the Lake Natoma Four Bridges Half Marathon for over three months and all that preparation paid off during the race.  I felt really good--both physically and mentally--and only stopped to walk when I drank water or took a Gu packet.  To be fair, I didn't have a fast time--but that wasn't my goal.  My goal was to cross the finish line--and I did.  And then I crossed "Run a half marathon" off my bucket list.

Will I run another half marathon?  I'm certainly open to it in the future (with the goal of improving my time), but for now, I'm content to just keep running regularly, 3-4 times a week.

October 31: Halloween

We dressed Noah up as a puppy dog for the half marathon and I took these shots in our front yard after the run.  (Thank you Costco for the $12.99 costume!)

Then, on Halloween, Noah donned his costume again.  Living out in the country, we don't get any trick-or-treaters, so we loaded Noah up in the car and drove 45 minutes to visit family.

Here's hoping you and your family had a wonderful October, too.

How's November going so far?  Any favorite moments or experiences?

On Track to a Half Marathon

Today, I'm celebrating completing 8 weeks of half marathon training.

Man, it feels good to be two-thirds of the way to my goal.  

Part of me is super excited that there are only four weeks until the Four Bridges Half Marathon.

But another part of me is a wee bit nervous. 

Sure, with each long run (6, 7, 8 miles), I become more confident in my running ability.  For instance, last week I thought, Gosh, if I can do 7 miles, then surely I can do 8.  And I did.

But 13.1 miles?  I'm not mentally there yet.

It still feels like I should leave that kind of distance to my Subaru, not my legs.  You know what I mean?

I keep reminding myself to have faith in the training, to trust in the process, and to continue to take note of what is working for me. 

Here's what I've learned over the past two months:

• Running is just as much mental as it is physical.
• There will be days when I am not motivated to run.  I've found that if I just start running, within a mile or two, I feel better.    
• Buying new shoes is a smart investment!
• Gu Energy Gel rocks!  It has helped power me through my long runs.
• Being flexible is key.  Some days, I put the baby in the jogging stroller.  Other days, I hit the treadmill downstairs.  And for long runs, I ask Brian or my mom to watch the baby.  
• Running with someone else is more fun than going alone.  Brian has been an awesome running partner/coach!
• Technology is helpful.  This website calculates distances for running or walking.  This application tracks your route, distance and pace using GPS.   
• A water belt is handy on long runs.  Along with a bottle of water, I carry my iPhone, two Gu packets, and some pepper spray in the zippered pouch.

More than anything, though, I've learned that if I just put one foot in front of the other, I'll eventually reach my target distance.

I'm going to keep that in the forefront of my mind as I complete my long runs in the next three weeks, and especially on the day of the half marathon, October 28.

Because for me, it's not about how quickly I can complete 13.1 miles.

It's not about whether I run the whole thing or walk part of it.

I just want to cross the finish line.

And then cross "Complete a half marathon," off my list of 2012 goals.

P.S. Whenever I tell someone I'm training for a half marathon, he or she invariably asks: What about a marathon?  In case you were wondering, my response is: Forget about it!