Sing It!

I've been so sick of my music lately.  It's probably because most of it is from college... which as you may have noticed was not so recent.  So I've bought a bunch of songs lately.  But I have terrible musical taste... Britney Spears excluded.  So usually I just download whatever is poppy and catchy on the radio.  Or whichever songs I can remember the names of.

Here are the last ten* songs I downloaded on Itunes.  Don't judge me.

1.  Believer by American Authors
2.  San Fransisco by the Mowgli's (the radio is already overplaying this and annoying me!)
3.  I Love It by Icono Pop {I DON'T CARE!  I LOVE IT!}
4.  Dark Blue by Jack's Mannequin (what happened to my Jack's Mannequin CD?!?)
5.  Feel This Moment by Pitbull (no excuse)
6.  Mirrors by Justin Timberlake (not super impressed)
7.  Give Me a Reason by Pink (LOVE!)
8.  Closer by Tegan & Sara (how come I can't have a lesbian twin??)
9.  Panic Station by Muse
10.  Put the Gun Down by ZZ Ward {don't taaaaaaAaaake my man!}

There they are.  Random.  Now, help a sista out and recommend some good running tunes.  They don't need to be new, just great to run to!  What should I download???

*Possibly needing a new name for Top 10 Tuesdays.  How about The Tuesday 10?  These lists haven't exactly been top anything.

Tavern

I was super upset a couple of years ago when our beloved Village Jose Pepper's was replaced by Tavern in the Village.  It really put a damper on my Cheese Crisp Salad habit.

And in those couple of years, we've never actually made it to Tavern.  We've tried a couple of times but were met with a long wait.  It's a pretty popular place.  We finally made the trip for this month's Supper Club excursion.

Our meal started with the Brie plate.  It was amazing.  I can't believe cheese can make me so happy, but it does.  So happy.

Brie.

The menu isn't huge, but has lots of different options from soups, salads, and sandwiches, plus interesting entree choices.  Drew went with the Cuban Sandwich.  He ordered it without pickles, which is just ludicrous.  The guy has no respect for tradition.

86 the pickles.

I ordered a grilled veggie salad.  When it came out, I thought it looked pretty sad.  I guess I just expect a lot from a $13 salad.  But it was amazing.  I don't know what kind of voodoo magic they did on those veggies, but it was one of the best salads I've ever had.

Doesn't look like much.  Tastes great.

I also really enjoyed their wine selection.  The atmosphere was great too.  I think Tavern would be a fun place for happy hour or just to meet for drinks.  It's a bit pricey, but the food was definitely delicious.

Keeping it classy.

This was a bit of a cheat on the whole supper club premise of trying new restaurants.  My dad was in town a couple of weeks before and wanted to go somewhere for dinner where he could get a glass of wine* so I took him to Tavern.  I liked it so much I made Drew come back with me.  When there with my dad, we ordered dessert.  If you go for no other reason, go for the brownie tower with peanut butter caramel sauce.  OMG.

OMG.

 

 

Tavern recently opened a second location in Mission Farms.  So if you don't want to make the trek to the village (what is wrong with you???) you could hit them up a bit further south.  We probably won't be regulars at Tavern like we are at BRGR, but it's nice to have another option in the village.

 

*He gave up beer for Lent.  We're good Catholics.

Rockin' the Parkway {X10}

I'm cheating and making this a race recap + a Top 10.  Here's 10 pics from Rock the Parkway, plus a little race banter.

I hadn't run Rock the Parkway since it's very first year.  Since then it has grown to be one of the most popular races in KC.  It's so exciting to see the running community growing in our area!

1. Intense.

Katy convinced me to sign up before the race sold out back in January.  A race this big selling out that fast is just unheard of.  Again, so cool to see people so excited about running!

2. Hello!

 I went into the race hoping for a PR.  But I was pretty unsure of myself since I really felt like I was in great shape last year when I PR'd at the Indian Creek Half.  I knew I wanted to run with a pace group, but couldn't decide between the 1:45 and the 1:40 group.

3. Hurting.

I ended up opting for the 1:40 group and figured I would hang with them as long as possible and then hopefully finish under my 1:44-ish PR time.

4. Boom.

I was so freaking amazed that I could stick with those speedy runners the whole way.  I honestly just turned up my music and told myself to keep up.  Any time I started to falter I'd just tell myself, "Don't think!  Just run!"  And it worked.

5. Estatic.

 In case you're wondering... the gal in the pic above is massaging my calves.  I totally bought one of those things.  Whoever their marketing person is should get a promotion.  Selling calf massagers by giving calf massages at the end of a race is pure genius.

6. Me, down there in the left.

While I will obviously take all the credit for the super awesome race time, it really was the perfect storm of race day factors.  The weather was perfect. It was super chilly at the start, but once we started running, you couldn't ask for better weather.  The race was really upbeat with great crowd support.  AND, it just happened to be along my normal long-run route.  So when I hit a big hill on Ward I could tell myself, "Of course there's a big hill coming up.  You've run that hill a hundred times.  Buck up and run that f-ing hill."  I'm pretty tough on myself sometimes.

7. Fountain.

And then there's the official race photos.  Why do these always turn out so bad?  Like, the above would be a super awesome photo if I didn't look like I was run-sleeping.  

8. Done.

I stopped the dude in front of me after the race and thanked him for pushing me.  He and I kept trading places throughout the run and every time he passed me I knew I needed to push it.  He high-fived me and said he PR'd too.  Yea PRs!

9. Pain.

I'm not going to lie... I was in quite a bit of pain.  I was pushing it really hard.  I just wish I didn't look like I was pushing so hard.  Can someone please teach me how to take a decent race photo?!?

 

10. Race Love!

Katy also had a major PR!  She beat 2 hours for the first time and looked like a rock star doing it! 

We had a lot of fun refueling after the race with some serious action at Waldo Pizza Buffet.  They should maybe charge extra if you've just finished a distance race of some sort. 

 ***I spent a lot of time thinking and talking about Boston after this race.  According to my newest half time, I should definitely be able to run a qualifying time at my next marathon.  This was literally all I could think or talk about for the 2 days after the race. 

So when I was sitting in my sewing room teaching my little 6th graders to sew hems and our Art teacher busted in with the news of the explosions at the race, I was just devastated... as I know all runners were.  I can't even find words to describe those terrible events mean to people like me who obsess over the Boston Marathon.  It isn't just a race, it's like the holy grail of all marathoners.  It's a sacred thing that was turned into a horrifying tragedy.  I'm so sad for all those who were personally affected.  And I am so grateful for all the calls, texts, and messages I recieved from people who knew how much I would be affected by this.  I was honestly so touched that I was the person you thought of in the midst of these events. 

I don't mean this to sound self-centered because I know that there was so much damage done and that people's lives are completely changed because of it.  But I know that this will only drive me that much harder to make it to Boston.  It's more than just proving something to myself.  I want to be a part of something that significant.

Top 10 Best Photobombs... As Decided By Me

 

1. Jesus.

2. Flying Dog.

3.  Grandma.

4. Horrifying.

5. Winged

6. Mooner.

7. Crazy-Bird.

8. Drunken Dog

9. Boxer Dog!!!

10.  Silly Cat. :)

See all 25 here.

10 Commandments {of running}

I've had running on my mind lately.  I mean, more than usual.  I'm at the high end of marathon training, and on the verge of a taper.  But not before mixing in a little race this weekend.  I'm super excited to Rock the Parkway on Saturday... and hoping and praying for a new PR, despite the hills.

With this in mind, I thought I'd share with you a list of the 10 Commandments for Runners.  I've seen this floating around and it always makes me smile.  We runners can be so serious sometimes.  News Flash;  sometimes I break the rules.  Shhh... don't tell.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THE RUNNER

1.  Thou shall not compare thyself to other runners.  A mile is a mile.

Psssshhhh... I wouldn't be the runner I am today if it weren't for comparing myself to other runners.  I'm perfectly happy with myself and my times, until I see someone better.  Competition suits me.

2.  Thou shall never say, "I am not a runner."  If you run, you are a runner.

I totes follow this one.  I identify myself as a lot of things; teacher, bad driver, crazy dog lady, runner.  Running is part of who I am!

3.  Thou shall not skimp on sleep.

I think I get plenty of sleep, but I'd still love more.  Ideally I'd like a nap every day.  That isn't happening.

4.  Remember the "rest day" and keep it holy.

Sometimes I accidentally take too many rest days.  Oops.

5.  Honor thy muscles and thy "aches and pains" and do not push through an injury.  Runners are not invincible.

Lucky for me I haven't had to deal with this in awhile.  I do a lot to prevent injuries.  So far so good.

6.  Thou shall not forget to hydrate.

Duh.  I drink a lot.  And I'm not just talking about wine.

7.  Thou shall not commit the sin of wearing cotton; especially on race day.

Oh no.  I only wear cotton for comfort, not for running.  I do remember my early days of running.  I had a lot of chafing because I had no idea what to wear. 

8.  Thou shall not ignore thy shoes.  Get properly fitted and check for wear often.

I so follow this one!  I get new shoes at least twice a year.  And now that Garry Gribbles is giving me a 20% discount for being a track coach (score!) that may have to move up to 3 times a year!

9.  Thou shall not get stuck in a rut, but will vary thy running by switching up elevation, distance, and pace.

Meh.  I follow my plan and just run where ever the spirit moves me to.  And sometimes I get lost.

10.  Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's medals. 

Huh?  Why would I want someone else's medals?  Maybe I'm off my rocker on this one, but I'd like to get rid of my own medals.  What on Earth am I supposed to do with those things?  Maybe I'll start wearing them instead of a scarf or necklace.  I'm such a trend setter.

I ❤ Costco

People who go to Costco looooooooove Costco.  And for good reason!  When we first joined Costco, I wasn't sure it would be worth it.  There's only two of us... and our house isn't equipped to store bulk-size condiments.  But it is SO worth it! 

I absolutely adore Costco.  We actually go about every week or every other week.  We buy a lot of our regular groceries there... plus some fun stuff and some good bulk items that we have to stow away in random spots.

While there are LOTS of things we buy at Costco, these are my top 10 bulk buys.

1.  San Marzano Tomatoes.  One life-size can costs less than 4 bucks.  Add a little garlic and olive oil and you've got a life-time supply of marinara sauce.  Delicious!

2.  Quinoa.  If you are buying quinoa anywhere else, you are paying way too much!  Organic quinoa is cheap cheap cheap!

3.  Oatmeal!  We eat so so much oatmeal in this house.  This huge box can be found in our coat closet.  That's the only place it will fit.

4.  Organic milk.  Hmmm... this used to cost $8.99, but the price recently went up.  The milk is good.  It stays fresh.  And that is just great.

5.  Greek Yogurt.  Is there anything more popular than Greek yogurt right now?  Maybe the Harlem Shake?  Well, I like to get a big ol' container of plain Greek and mix it with berries or apples and granola.  Best snack ever.

6.  Turkey burgers for the meat eater.  They're easy.  And he likes them.  So I buy them.  In bulk.

7.  Laundry Detergent.  Tide is one brand I cannot stray from.  I cannot and will not use any other brand of laundry detergent.  And since we do SO MUCH LAUNDRY, I like to buy it here.  Bonus, they always have coupons for it.  Score!

8.  T.P.  Buying toilet paper is the worst.  So I do it as little as possible by purchasing the biggest pack I can find and then shoving it in nooks and crannies in our tiny bathroom.  We never run out.

9.  Organic Baby Spinach.  Costco has an awesome selection of organic produce.  I love buying this huge container of organic spinach for about $4.00.  I use it in my green smoothies every morning.  They also have a great organic salad mix.

10.  Organic Apples.  The organic apples taste amazing.  But they are also so cheap!  You can get a 5 lb. package for $8.99, which is cheaper per pound than regular apples at the grocery store.  Check your produce carefully though... I had to take our last package back because they were moldy.  Blech.

***BONUS***

I am not even a bit embarrassed to tell you that I buy running clothes at Costco.  I heard a rumor that the Kirkland line is made in the same place as Lu Lu Lemon so I started paying attention to it.  My favorite running jacket is from Costco ($24), plus some of my fave tanks ($6) and yoga pants ($19.99).  LOVE Costco!!!