"Sail" - AWOLNATION

January has truly sailed by. [dang...so I guess birthday "month" must end]

I am still loving my awesome cookbook:

I have tried four [of course, four] recipes. ;)

But ummmmm, that 4th one . . . .  let's just say . . . . I don't recommend cooking at night when you are tired and want nothing more than to go to bed so you can do your long run in the morning. 

SOOOOOO tired [and lazy] in fact, that you [think] you turned the oven off [but actually just the convection fan] and you wake up at 4:30 to the smell of fried coconut.  Well, more like coconut charcoal.

[this is after they spent two hours outside]

It. was. not. awesome.

The Pita was not impressed.  Smoke filled the house.  Everything stinks.  Clothes.  Pillows.  My dog.  [so gross]

But by mid morning ..... He/We had found the humor in it.

I like to think of my nutritional plan/way of eating as the p90x of eating.

stomach-confusion.

I'm the worst.

One week I'm craving all things meaty.
The next week I'm fueling on all carbs.
Then it's all muscle milk and quest bars.
Followed by "can you eat your weight in Kale" week.

Anyway.....I've been feeling a lot better. Eating a lot "cleaner" even if that means completely changing what I eat from week to week.

In other random news.........

I meant to answer Michelle's question about:

HOW MANY MILES DID I RUN ON MY TREADMILL IN 2012.

I ran:  4,057.44 miles in total

AND

3,021 on my TREADMILL!!  So, who won Michelle? [let me know!]

*****

ALSO, not sure if you remember the review I did on 3-DSoles.com  - I've been using them ever since and loving them.  If your in the market for new CUSTOM insoles - give them a try. 

They are offering a 15% discount when you use the code: confusing2013
[love that "confusing" part] ;)

*****

Now, for the question the Pita would like me to ask my fellow running/workout friends.........

"Just HOW freaking many workout shorts/skirts does one treadmill runner need?"
[you can replace treadmill with "outside", "trail", "track"....etc.]

I've been binge buying as of late.  Those dang Tuesday morning emails from Lululemon.  Killin' me.  This purple beauty is one of my favs.

How many running/workout shorts do you own?

be. honest.

[I'll answer tonight --- after I see what kind of company I am in here. ;) ]

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!

"I'm Sorry" - Blake Shelton

Yes, I'm sorry, in advance.

This is probably going to be too long.
AND
This is a bit of a RANT.

I've had this post burning in my brain ever since the day after my birthday.

Because.............

That's when the emails started coming.  I deleted a few.  I replied to a few.  Funny how after I sat and wasted my time writing back........ 3 of the 4 emails [magically] came back "undeliverable", "unknown email", " no recipient".  Hmmmmmmmm.

OK.

Let me back up a bit.

As I'm sure 99.99% of you know.

I. love. my. treadmill.

LIKE - I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove my treadmill. Ever since I set foot on one for my 24 hour treadmill run, I was sold.

I've trained on one EXCLUSIVELY for 2.5 years.  It works for ME.

I often get awesome emails from people asking me:

* what brand of treadmill I run on
* what treadmill I had before I bought my Woodway
* what treadmill I would suggest in a certain price point, etc.

[Let me add I LOVE answering questions, especially treadmill questions, I welcome them.]

To which I do my usual reply......

"I had a NordicTrack Elite XT.  I am NOT a fan of the company but the treadmill never did me wrong."

I also get a lot of people asking:

What does Woodway give you for all the plugs you send their way?

Ummmmmmmmm.  Nada.  Zilch. Zippo.  Zero.

I have NO "paids".  No sponsors.  No kickbacks.

I love their product.  I love the company.  I love the employees I have spoken to. 
I plug them because I believe in their product.

Which is WAY more than I can say for NordicTrack.

Now here's where I get a little feisty.

When people email [not comment but email] me and say:

"I'll take your 36 mile run seriously when you do it outside."
"It's easier on a treadmill"
"You could be a really great runner, if you trained outside"

There were two others that followed the same general subject.

So here are my replies, being that most emails bounced back:

"I did do that little 50 mile Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim run at the Grand Canyon [outside, on a trail] which I trained for on. my. treadmill.

Maybe a "great runner" isn't a 3:18 marathoner - but I'm happy with it.
and
I'll take your outside running a little more seriously when YOU run 36 on a treadmill."

Not sure how the Big Time Running Bloggers do it.
SkinnyRunner
HungryRunnerGirl
ShutUp + Run

I bow down to them.  Seriously.

My skin is way too thin.  Crap like this irritates me to no end.

If you hate the treadmill or "dreadmill".....  Sweet.  Great.  Awesome.

I'm not here trying to sway you to run on a moving rubber belt.
If you like the asphalt  - awesome. 
If you like dirt - sweet.

But seriously, to each their own.

36 Miles. 36 Acts. 36 Years.

[sorry one day late --- couldn't get my files to upload :( ]

2013.

I. love. you.

Yes, I know we are only 5 days in but what an awesome 5 days it has been.

Yes, today IS my Birthday.

Yes, I am a HUGE birthday LOVER.

FREAKING HUGE.  And my family knows it. ;)

Last year I ran 35 miles on my 35th birthday and loved it.

However................... it felt a little empty.

I know I can run.  I know I'm a little crazy on my treadmill.

So this year, I decided to do my "age in miles run" along with my take on Ann Curry's 26ACTS [info here]. 

But-----------I did 36 miles and 36 ACTS.

 

 

I had the best cheerleader ever for the last quarter mile.  Freaking love my girl.

And the 36 acts................ 

 

So. grateful. I. did. them.

As I AM the one who benefited the most from this.

I won't share each one individually as a few were done for neighbors and acquaintances.  Most were done anonymously but some were not.

* Peanut and I dropped of a sweet treat for a neighborhood friend.

* I randomly placed gift cards in books at a local public library.

of course, I HAD to put one in the "marathon training" book. ;)

* One day of being a courteous driver.  No honking. Allowing people in front of me in traffic.  This may seem like nothing but I'm a rather impatient driver.

* When I stopped to get the Pita his "get me better now soup" I paid for a persons "to-go" order while I was there [before they had arrived].

* We made banana bread and doorbell ditched them to random neighbors.

* Took Chipotle to a family whose Mom was sick.

* Paid for the McDonald's order behind me in the drive-thru.  Bet that guy wishes he had ordered more than a McDouble. [$1.08----do I know how to pick them or what?! ;) ]

* Sent a few dollars to someone I have never met but heard things had been tight [financially] for.

* Gathered carts at a grocery store [only 15-20] when all the carts were out on New Years Eve.

* We left change in all the vending machines we could find around a local mall.

* Left a gift card for my mailman.  He rocks.

Some "acts" were bigger than others in time and in cost but looking back on it . . . I certainly enjoyed the completely anonymous ones better.

Now...............WHY DO I SHARE this with you?

ONLY

ONLY

O N L Y...................in the hopes that it will motivate others to do "RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS"

This is now something I will do EVERY year on or around my birthday.  It was a BLAST to do a lot of these with my Peanut.  It has made her a lot more mindful of just how much one small, small kind act can impact a person's day ---- and more importantly HER day.

Thank you so freaking much for all the awesome comments left for me on "MY DAY" today.

I. am. so. grateful.

Emz

"Ruby Tuesday" - The Rolling Stones

Two Photo Tuesday.

This will literally be the most boring post ever.

However, these two photos [come very close to] summing up one of the best years in my life.

2 0 1 2 .

I know it just LOOKS like a sign and a hand written note but to me there is sooooooooooooo much more going on here.  [4's, My Racing Dawn, FREAKING & faith]. 

And this one...........................
while I am the one being made fun of..........the timing, the place, the skirts, the misspelled words, the fact my Pita was sitting beside me, the love in this photo......brings me to tears just looking at it.

So, once again, I do apologize for anyone reading this.
But I needed this post for me.  To remind me of just how freaking awesome this year has been.

Happy.  FREAKING. New. Year. Friends.