13.1 - Here we go, again.

In October of last year.. I decided to sign up for a marathon this coming March in New Orleans. {New Orleans Rock & Roll Marathon and Half Marathon} My plan was to follow a training plan each week, that would have me completely ready by March 4th. The problem with training plans is that they don't work if you don't follow them. ha! I could come up with probably about 10 excuses as to why I am not ready to run 26.2 miles in just 3 short weeks. But I will have to say that although my excuses are still excuses, they are good ones. Building a house has taken up a lot of my time... along with working full time, being sick for a few weeks, and also the holidays. I just let time slip away from me. But to be honest, I knew I wasn't going to be ready.... ohhh... about the beginning of December. Thats okay though. 

I am still going to do the race, just the half marathon though. Once I finally made my self realize... hey... just go ahead and give up on the marathon for right now.. it was like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up on the marathon, all together, I am just putting it on the back burner. I'm going to try for doing my first full marathon this fall. That will give me PLENTY of time to be ready, and to get in the training miles that need to be put in. I feel like I could PROBABLY go ahead and do the 26.2, but it would take me weeks and weeks to recover from it, and that doesn't seem enjoyable at all. 

I've procrastinated long enough.. so I decided to start looking for a hotel room in New Orleans, which turned out to be an epic fail. Even though the event website still had 6 or 7 hotels listed as having availability, there were none. So... so much for being able to walk from my hotel to the start line. Instead I will be staying out near the airport (12 miles away). I'm just glad to have found a safe area to stay in, since all of the nicer downtown hotels were booked.

Now that the hotel is booked,.. it seems more official. I now have more money invested into the race.. and come rain or shine.. I will be there. I've spent most of the morning reading through rules, regulations, swag information, etc.. and I must say that I am getting very excited about it. 

 

Above is the elevation chart,... which to me looks awesome compared to this...

Which is the MS Blues Half Marathon that I ran in January!!!

With that being said. I'm really hoping to have a much better finish time than I did in Jackson last month. If I could just shave off 10 minutes, I would be completely thrilled. I have just 19 more days to get in some miles to get my legs ready for another half. I've ran some in the last few weeks, but not nearly the miles that I should have been getting in. Wish me luck!!!!

The dreaded - swimsuit shopping

So... many of you may already know (if we are friends on facebook, anyway) that in 4 short months I will be going on a cruise with my two sweet sisters, and the one who gave us all three life, our mother. I've never been on a cruise before, and I must say that I am quite excited. There have been several different occasions that Hank & I have discussed going on a cruise, but it hasn't made it much farther than that. Googling cruise lines... carnival to be specific... and peaking around their website will only get you hounded by several phone calls & emails that are completely unwarranted.

ANYWAYS. June 16th through the 20th... I will be out and about cruising Mexico, if you need me.

Its starting to be the time of year where... almost EVERY store is putting their swimsuits out. Which of course makes me super eager to go ahead and buy the first cute one that I see. But I'm going to try to hold off. I did a little shopping on victoria's secret website today.. and after many ooohhsss and ahhhhs, I finally closed the page. Yes, there were tons of swimsuits that I would looooovvveeee to own but then the realization sets in that I won't look near as svelte, fabulous, hot, tan, amazing, as they do. Now I'm not saying.. that I'm not going to wear a swimsuit if I can't look like Gisele Bundchen, I will definitely be wearing a swimsuit.. or 5 on the cruise.. but some days you just can't help but think... why even bother. hahaha.

My body has changed a lot in the last 4 years.. all for the better thank goodness... but my abs are no where near as flat as any of our victoria's secret models. I do believe there is a ridiculously flat stomach under here somewhere... I just have to do about 8,573,418 gazillion more crunches. I wonder if 4 months is enough time to do that many? I guess I should at least try. Hopefully come June 16th.. I will wear my bikini ONTO the boat... and go ahead and get the party started!


That being said. I will post some of the swimsuits from Vicky's that I have my eye on. :)