Portland Rock and Roll Expo

Hi! 

I headed to the Portland Rock and Roll Expo yesterday afternoon and as promised it was pretty slow.  

It didn't take me more than a couple minutes to get my bib, change my corral and pick up my coupon swag bag.  

Katie went to the Convention Center downtown first and realized pretty quick she had the wrong spot.  She didn't get there till 20 minutes before the expo was closing but we were still able to check out some booths!

Brooks is one of the biggest sponsors of the Rock and Roll series and they had  a really cool "circus" area where you could play games and win prizes.  They were also offering free gait analysis which I thought was awesome.

I tried every flavor of Nuun they had out!  I really had to go pee when it was time to go.  I really liked the Kona Cola it reminded me of flat cola which I actually really like.  I also thought the Tri-Berry was a good flavor and coming in third was Lemon Tea.  It was pretty nice to be able to try so many different flavors.  

They were giving out full size Chobani, score!  I picked the Coconut Nut flavor, I'll try it tomorrow!

I also had a chance to meet Sarah Bowen-Shea from Another Mother Runner.  I was ridiculously nervous talking to her even though she was super friendly.  I probably heated up 20 degrees and started sweating profusely, not embarrassing at all.  She has twins and I have twins and my daughter's name is Sarah so we are basically BFF's now.  

OK have to finish getting ready for the I big event tomorrow!      

Lessons Learned from The Office

Good morning! 

Today is the start of the Portland Rock and Roll Expo and I am so excited!  A lot of the races I do are smaller hometown races (which I love!) so there isn't usually much of an expo.  This Expo should be pretty large and have some fun vendors and SAMPLES!  Katie told me she wants to run the half with me so we should try and get into the same corral.  I just think she wants to use me to make her race pics better, I am on to her!

Last night was the series finale of The Office and since I don't have a DVR I sat down and watched it LIVE last night.  Does anyone else still watch live TV or am I the only one left?  It was a 2 hour block of TV so I really only sat down to watch the final hour the first hour was flash backs.  I remember when The Office premiered and I was hooked, who doesn't love the Jim and Pam love story?!  I really like the way they did the final episode and some of the life lessons the characters shared with the audience.  

Darryl talked to the camera about how he would come to work all these years and couldn't wait to get out of there.  Now he is looking back he realizes that those were the good ol' days, he thinks why can't we realize we are in those days at the time?  Do you find yourself doing that too?  When he said that line it struck a chord with me, I know so many people who live in their past and feel that was the good ol'days.  I personally feel really grateful for the ability to recognize that THIS time right now is my good ol'days.  

I use to be a person who was always living in the past annoyed with how things were and wishing for the future. I never allowed myself to live in the present and appreciate all that was around me.  After I lost Jenny last year it was as if my entire world was turned on its axis.  Jenny was everything to me and my family and always will be, her presence is huge.  I never thought I would lose her because it never dawned on me that I could ever suffer that kind of loss.  Since she has been gone my life has been changed drastically because I now make every effort to live in the moment.  

I can honestly say that right now in this moment I am living my good ol'days.  I am going to look back at this time in my life with pure joy and happiness.  Being able to spend every day with my girls, get up and run in the morning and have my husband home every night is simple and wonderful.  I use to suffer from a lot of anxiety and worry because I was constantly fast forwarding to the future and its scary possibilities.  I couldn't fully feel grateful or fulfilled because of that constant worry about the future and I have finally just let it go.  Yes I still have to make plans and be organized and realistic but I also don't let it consume me anymore and I can step out of it.  I can't help but think Jenny has given me the gift of the present and it is the best gift I've ever been given.  

I have taken this approach with my running also.  I use to feel that if I didn't get fast (relative term) then I wasn't a "real" runner.  Why I felt that way I couldn't tell you because I don't feel that way about any of my running friends, so why was I holding myself to such a standard?  I couldn't enjoy my runs or my races because I wasn't really in them I was too consumed with the future of my running.  Well not anymore!  I am honestly just happy to get out there in the morning and have such a supportive network.  I am literally surrounded by people who love me and who I love right back twice as hard.  

At the Run for Boston last weekend one of the speakers told the crowd that we shouldn't wait for big moments to tell the people we care about how much we love them.  I hope I live in a way so that all of those who I love know how much I love them.  I've always worn my heart on my sleeve but I can get better at expressing just how important my loved ones are to me.  Take time every day to show gratitude to someone because it is those smalls acts that make a big difference in someone's life.  We are all a work in progress in so many areas but don't let it take away from the RIGHT NOW!  Enjoy this moment you are in.  

Pam's final words on The Office last night were simple but exact: 

There's a lot of beauty in ordinary things, isn't that the point?

Did you watch The Office?  

Have you ever ran a Rock and Roll race, any advice? 

What are you grateful for right now in this moment?!  

- Watching the girls build "a house" on my couch and hear them make plans for it   

    

   

  

Recovery Week

Hi! 

I had every intention of running this morning, just a short distance, maybe 3 miles.  My alarm went off at 6 (which is sleeping in) and I just couldn't get my brain to follow.  Mentally I need a run, I know physically its all about recovery, stretching and letting my body rest.  Sigh.  I think I will try for a dreadmill run later this evening just to work on shaking out my legs and the cobwebs from my mind.  I've been walking plenty, I mean c'mon, when do I sit down besides right now?!  

I figure since I have no fun running story to share with you today I would share my Marathon Expo experience!   I was late picking up Katie because traffic was purely against me.  It does not matter what time I leave my house, traffic going to my Jesse's office is a nightmare.  It took me an hour and a half to get there and I gave myself an hour...bummer.  I have been working very hard on my punctuality because I know its rude to be late when someone is waiting on you.  But man sometimes it really isn't my fault!    

After I left the girls with Jess I got Katie around 5:30 and we got to the Expo at the Downtown Portland Hilton around 6:45, we might have made a couple pit stops.  Once we got there we were so excited to pick up our bibs and see the shirts!

We didn't have to wait in any lines to pick up our bibs, our goody bags or to buy anything so that was a nice treat! 

There were a lot of great booths to check out, lots of samples and coupons.  I really liked seeing all of the race reps from other marathons from around the country.  My favorite was the Missoula Montana Marathon, they had a sample of their finisher medal and it was a horse shoe.  Might get my MIL to run a marathon if she knew she got that at the finish!  

Then I let Katie have my camera so she could take a picture of me...and well, I guess...ya.  She is pretty isn't she?!  The Expo was mellow, Katie bought a cute pink Portland Marathon T-Shirt and I bought a coffee mug.  I brought my Workout Tips from my Workout Tip Jar to use to buy anything that caught my eye, so that was a worthwhile reward!  I could see spending more time at the Expo if you were in the market for some cool running gear at a good price.  I know the Portland Running Company was having some great deals for the Expo participants and lots of the other vendors were also.  

Have you ever been to a really large race expo? 

- Portland's seemed small, but for a first timer like me it was perfect 

Share some recovery tips with me, this is all new to me!