I can't feel my legs when I'm with you

I'd like to dedicate that title to the ice bath.  Last year I had no interest in such craziness but this year I'm full on embracing the whole thing.  I'm not really sure why, because I hate being cold, but my legs just feel so good afterwards.  Sadly, my back still hurts, so it wasn't a cure-all like I was hoping it would be.
Anyways, I had my box-a-thon fundraiser yesterday and with that I made it over the top of my donation goal.  I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who donated something to my fund because every donation made an impact. Now that the hard part of fundraising and running 20 mile long runs is over, I can't wait for Patriot's Day to get here so I can go run the streets of Boston, FINALLY.  I've avoided training on the marathon route at all, so it will be new and exciting for the entire run.  That's about all I've got to say today, but  here are a few pictures to check out from the box-a-thon and my legs in an ice bath.

Best trainers on the planet.  They both gave up their Sunday morning to come help me out!

This photo is 100% staged.  I don't usually punch like that...or laugh while I'm boxing, I swear!

Grad school besties

BRRR

I got smart and wore socks this time though

And a long sleeve shirt, that helped

Oh yea, here's a homemade chicken kabob sub I made for dinner. It was bomb!

Post run stretch on Sunday

Finisher medal and the coolest bib number I've ever had. 

Full of myself, but still hungry

And I promise that's the last Eminem lyric I'll use as a post title for a least a month.  At least I'll try to make it the last.  Sometimes I hear these things while I'm running and they just stick.  And speaking of running, I managed to turn today into 10 mile Wednesday.  With a the temperature up in the 70s, I really had too.  There's not much of a choice when it comes to running in nice weather.  Turns out it was a bit harder to go back to warm weather running than I thought though! I kind of got used to having a breeze to cool off the sweat, so it was a tough reminder when I started sweating in mile 1 that there wasn't going to be a big relief from that.  Still, I made the run at an 8:51 pace, so I'm ok with how it went.  I have the Black Cat 20 miler on Saturday, but I feel more prepared for it now that I've run some this week.  I may be stuck in the bad habit of doing long runs and then not managing to fit runs in during the week with all of my actual work after-school programs going on, and I really need to break that.  Hopefully with daylight savings time coming in, it will be a bit easier.
Aside from that, my fundraising is now at 81% and I still have the box-a-thon on Sunday.  So if you're in the area, stop by Title Boxing Danvers at 11:00 a.m. for a great time.  If you're not in the area, you can donate at this link - https://www.crowdrise.com/michaelcarterlisnowboston2016/fundraiser/allisongibbs
For those people who did donate and requested a Disney drawing, they're finished and going out soon.  I took some photos for you to see how amazing they are, and that led me to my next point.  Every time I take a picture on my phone, holding the camera horizontal and parallel to the subject, the photo automatically flips upside down and I have to go in and rotate it.  Anyone else having this weird problem with their Nexus 5x? I don't know if it's a phone glitch or if I hit a setting somewhere and I'm just not bright enough to flip it back.  So if you also have this problem, let me know. In the meantime, enjoy some right side up photos of the new pictures going out.  And the old box-a-thon poster too.

Calling all Irish

And non-Irish, and anyone who thinks they want to try boxing.  Now is THE TIME! Title Boxing Club Danvers is holding a box-a-thon for me to help with my fundraising for the marathon.  So if you've ever felt the need to hit something or wondered how to throw a perfect punch, get in and join us for the 12 rounds.  I promise you'll have a great time and you'll be supporting a great cause.  The class will be St. Patrick's themed, which means you need to wear your best green workout clothes, or come in full on leprechaun gear, whatever you prefer.  There will also be at least one raffle at the end, for a sweet pair of wireless headphones.  Hopefully more to come with the raffles, but for now, at least there's that.  So wrap up your hands, lace up your shoes, and get on down to Title Boxing Danvers next Sunday, March 13, at 11:00 a.m.
See you there!

Of course if you can't make it, you can donate here instead: https://www.crowdrise.com/michaelcarterlisnowboston2016/fundraiser/allisongibbs

Y'all act like you've never seen a runner before

Ok sorry, I'm channeling my inner Slim Shady today, because why not? So I did a long run this weekend, finally, after procrastinating it for a few weeks.  Surprisingly, it was fairly easy.  I followed my regular route up the rail trail to the Smith household, picked up Murdock for some middle miles, and then followed the rail trail back to my car.  In all, it was 18.5 miles.  BOOM.  The first 5.5 took me 48 minutes, because I like to overachieve.  The middle 7.5 we did at a 9:48 pace.  The last 5.5 I did a 9:10ish pace.  So, you know, right on track with where I want to be.  Then of course, I got sick.  Because apparently I can't do a long run anymore without getting a raging cold later that day.  Anyone else have this problem?  I looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a common situation, but that just could be, because as Ryan says, I don't know how to Google right.  So if you're in the same boat as me and get a terrible head cold after long running, I feel your pain.  Hopefully it clears up soon, because I have the 20 miler on the 12th and I really don't want to have a cold while running.
Besides that long run, Murdock and I did the Fudgecicle 5k on Saturday as a team.  It was the final race of the Fudgecicle series so they had two person teams and the winners got a prize at the end.  Since we were one of three teams in the Coed Open Division, we managed to take first place.  We both got scratch tickets that won 0 dollars, so there's that.  It's a nice easy 5K though and real close to the house, so I didn't mind getting up and running.
I'm still fundraising over here, in case you're looking for something to donate too.  I've been giving away Disney drawings for people that donate over $25, if that's something that interests you.  I can do more than just Disney, that just happens to be my favorite, so if you want a different picture you'll have to make a special request.  So if you want to get in on this deal, you have to go over to my fundraising page and make a donation stat.  Here's the link, in case you're looking for it again.  DONATE RIGHT HERE!
And now some of the pictures I'm sending out to those who already donated.  Enjoy.

You can find me in the club

Hanging posters for my fundraising.

 Bam! Surprise pictures right at the start.  Sometimes I just like to switch it up.  Plus, that opening line wouldn't have made sense without the picture evidence to back it up, so there you have it.  But, yup, that's my fundraising poster.  As you can see (or maybe not?), I made it extra easy for people to donate by adding a QR code, so that I wasn't relying on my cash jar at the front.  Of course, it hasn't made a difference at all yet, but, hey, you never know.  At least the poster ties me to the club and the marathon team, whereas before it was a picture of me, Ryan, and Morty, on wedding day.  That seemed to confuse people, so I made it real clear and simple.
Aside from my poster, I've contacted a paint bar and a cinema bar about fundraising nights.  We'll see how that plays out, but hopefully it will attract a crowd.  Really I'm not that far away, so if I did the cinema comedy night, I get $10 for each person, 100 people show up, that's $1000 right there.  Do I know 100 people? Maybe.  Do I think that many would show up? Probably not, but I like to dream big.
While we're on the topic, I actually got some running done this week too, which is impressive, I know.  I ran 6 on Tuesday and then 6 more last night.  Tuesday was a nice 50 degrees, so I had to get outside, even though I spent most of it dodging puddles and trying to ignore my soaking wet feet.  It's hard to dodge puddles when they take up the entire sidewalk.  Last night I joined Cynthia and Murdock for a lap around Wakefield and then did a second lap with them and the Mystic Running Club.  It was a bit colder than I expected it to be, but overall a good night for running.  Today I'm taking an off day and then tomorrow I might see if I can make it up into the double digits.  For a hot second I thought about driving down to Hyannis this weekend and hoping into the half, but that doesn't really seem like a good plan after all.
Alright, now that we've covered everything running related, we can move onto school vacation.  Sure it's almost over, and sure I'm extra bored today, but overall it is so nice to be able to have this week off.  I organized a closet, changed the shower curtain, cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen properly, dusted the blinds, and finished my book.  Of course I also wrote lesson plans and got stuff together for next week, but that part isn't nearly as exciting.  I might even make it to L.L. Bean today and exchange my worn out boots for a pair that isn't all cracked and leaking.  While I'm on the topic of vacation, I guess I should start thinking about what to do this summer.  I'm not sure not working/not getting paid all summer again is a viable option.  I'd love it if I could just do the Title chalkboard once a month and get paid for that, but even if that was an option, it wouldn't be enough to live off of.  I wish there was a museum around here that I could work in. Not that there aren't museums around here, I just don't think I'd get a job at any of them.  Most places like that want a full time staffer, not a teacher who works part time for the summer.  Maybe I'll open my own museum.  I've read enough history books, I'm sure I could whip something up.  Ok, ok, that's obviously a joke, but seriously, let's start brainstorming here, what do I want to do this summer?
While you try to figure out my life for me, I'll make it a bit easier by adding the rest of the pictures to the end of this post, where they belong.

Bought this book to read on the flight to/from Louisiana last month. Didn't actually read it until now, but it was worth it.  A lot of old music suddenly has a new meaning that you may not have connected with before. 

Post run dinner.  Don't mind the dog, this is how every meal in the house goes.  If you're wondering what that is, it's turkey rolled up with a bit of mayo on the inside (we were out of bread) and homemade mac and cheese.  Usually I use milk, butter, and deli cheese singles, ripped up and melted together after the pasta is boiled. For this, I replaced the milk with Greek salad dressing to give it a bit of flavor and it was delicious.  If you make mac and cheese like this, you'll never go back to the boxed stuff, I promise.

V-A-C-A-TION

In the winter time.  Which means it's cold. But not that cold.  Yesterday was colder.  Tomorrow will be warmer.  (You really have to sing/chant that part for it to make sense, otherwise it's just a bunch of short sentences.)  But the temperature has improved from -10 to at least 20 something, so it's really not that cold today.  Then tomorrow the temp is supposed to get up to 50 with rain, so hopefully some of the snow will melt and there will be open sidewalks again.

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, if that matters to anyone reading this.  We're not really into celebrating those kinds of holidays, so we didn't do anything overly exciting.  On Saturday we went to RunBase in Boston and then at lunch/dinner at 5 Napkin Burgers.   Yesterday we went to Kohls and bought a self-timing crockpot and some pants.  We're so romantic, you can't even handle it.  

I swear when I jumped on here I had a lot more to say, but I've either forgotten it, or it wasn't important, because now I'm mostly fresh out of updates.  I am still looking for donations and working on a fundraising night.  I'm only about $1750 away from my goal, so if you want to take pity on me and provide some extra money, you can donate that right here. Boston Marathon 2016 Donation Page

Since I can't remember anything else that I wanted to write about, here are the end of post pictures. In recognition of Valentine's day, it's the before and after of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in their boat during the floating lanterns.  If you really like the after picture, I'll send it to you in exchange for a $50 donation. How's that for incentive.
*UPDATE*
I just remembered what else I wanted to share.  Two things actually.  One is running related, one is not.  So, first, the running thing.  Today I got an email from Green Strides, a fairly well-known race host around these parts.  They've been putting on the Earth Rock and Run half-marathon for a few years now, at least.  BLet me back up. Back in 2014 I ran that race with my running partners, one of which was pregnant at the time.  There's a lot I remember about this race, but specifically, the giant hill towards the end.  I'm not kidding when I say giant, but you better believe that two of the three of us ran up that hill and took it like it was our own.  (The third was pregnant and gets a pass for not making it that far).  I'm sure there's a post back in here about that race actually.  But the point is, even without training for this half, we ran it, hill and all.  Jump forward to today again and here you'll see this lovely email that I received.

Lest you not want to open that up or can't read it clearly let me share the main idea with you.  A bunch of people complained that the race was too hilly, so Green Strides changed the entire course to eliminate most of the hills.  Say it with me now running friends.....WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? Is it just me, or is that absurd? Never have I ever heard of a race group bowing to pressure to drop hills out of their course. As far as I'm concerned, you check the elevation map before you run if you're that concerned about hills. Then you decide not to run this race.  Or, you just suck it up and run up the hill because you're already there. Running is not about finding flat roads to run on, it's about taking the challenge and finding out what you're made of.  Before you accuse me of being too into this though, I know that not everyone runs for the same reasons I do, but I still don't think hills should be removed because people complained. We live in a hilly area and it's just part of the run.  In the words of  Miley Cyrus, there's always going to be another mountain....

Now that we're over that, let's move onto the second item that I wanted to share.  This is not related to running, but it is related to country music.  You see, I had tickets for the Lee Brice/Tyler Farr show in Lowell on March 17, mostly because I really wanted to see Tyler Farr in person.  I just like his music, I can't help it.  Sadly, he backed out of the tour after getting vocal chord surgery, which was disappointing, but I was still going to go to the show, because I guess I like Lee Brice enough too.  But then I got our elementary school basketball tournament schedule, and wouldn't you know it, my boys team is playing on Thursdsay, March 17, at 5:45 p.m.  Obviously I can't abandon these boys in the one big game that matters to go see a country concert instead, but it was a little disappointing.  Being there for my team is far more important to me than making it out to Lowell to see Lee Brice perform, but it seems like this concert was doomed anyways.  Hopefully Tyler heads out on the road again next year and I'll get the chance to see him then.  

And now back to those pictures as promised above.

Either we stand or we fall

Triple bonus points to anyone who reads this who can name the movie that lyric is from.  Mostly because if you can, then we need to be BFFs immediately.
Enough about my terrible taste in movies though. Today is Sunday Runday.  Some may even say Funday.  Some, may not.  Depending on the week, I fall in either category.  Today was a FUN Runday for so many reasons.  1) I got to run with my favorite partners and see the adorable Madilyn.  2) Flat courses. 3) 50 degree weather.  Bonus 4) Got to yell at my mom and aunt to get out of the way when we ran up behind them and got priceless dirty looks from the both of them before they realized who we were.  Not related to running so it doesn't get a number, I also got a giant sundae from Friendly's after lunch.  Sure, the amount of time spent at Friendly's was a bit ridiculous, and the waitress was obviously in over her head, but the sundae was pretty good.
The run today was 9 miles, in case you're wondering, since I didn't mention that above.  I got in a few short runs during the week too, so I guess Boston training is right on track.  I've also decided that I'm bringing back the 26 selfies for Boston.  After all, why not?  This might be my one shot at running it, so I intend to have fun and enjoy every second of it.  No point in speeding through and missing out on the experience, right?
Speaking of Boston, my team shirt arrived yesterday.  I've also got plans to go visit the respite center someday over February vacation, so that should be fun.  I'd love to meet the people who helped Morty when he was a little guy.  I think you can guess where this is going, but since we're on the subject of the respite center, don't forget to donate.  You can just  click right here to get to my donation page and help bring me up to the next level.  Right now I'm at 57%, but we could easily make that 60%.  Or get real wild and shoot for 65%.
Anyways, tomorrow is supposed to be another mid-50s type day, so since it's very rare that February 1 is 50 degrees, I'll definitely be hitting the outdoor running circuit.  And in a week or so, I'll probably remember to update about that too.  But I haven't had much else going on, so here's the map of the Louisiana Marathon, which I finally got around to uploading from my Garmin. Check out that amazingly steady pace!

When the dreams you're dreaming come to you

When the work you put in is realized, let yourself feel the pride, but always stay humble and kind.
I loved this song the second I heard it on Tim's new album and it's finally making it's radio rounds, which is fantastic because sometimes I just don't feel like digging around in my Play app to find/stream it.  If you don't know the song yet, get yourself acquainted because I'm sure it's going to be the next "I Hope You Dance".
But enough about Tim and his crazy country success, let's talk about why we're really here.  In case you're wondering, I took an entire rest week, which I never do.  Maybe I'm just over-worked, but for the first time in a long time I really felt like I needed the break from working out.  However, this also seems to be happening more lately, so maybe I'm just bored with my regular work outs and need something new to do.  It could really go either way.  Since I was on a rest week, I decided to make it a carb-load week too.  That was fun.  I made peanut butter chocolate chip butterscotch chip blondies, meatballs, and pretzels with queso.  My kitchen was the place to be last week if you wanted food. Sorry I didn't share that until after the fact, but I didn't really want to share my food anyways.
Because there was no working out last week, I don't really have much to fill in here.  So I'm going to use this as an opportunity to drop in another fundraiser reminder.  Right now I'm just over half-way there, around the 56% mark. Which means I'm closer to the end than the beginning, but I still have a long way left to go.  For a comparison, it's about mile 15 of the marathon.  Close enough to keep going, but far enough to still be in the double digits.  So if you're feeling extra givey today, please click on over to my page and drop off some sweet funds.  Morty will appreciate it, I will appreciate it, the center will appreciate it, and karma will too, which is always a bonus.  If you really want a story to help you believe in karma, one day I bought one of those high school team cards that gets you discounts at local places.  I had/have no intentions of using it, but it was only $20 and I felt like the boy deserved it for going door to door in this day and age.  So I paid the $20 and took the card.  Three days later, walking the dogs, what do I find in the middle of the road? A $20 bill.  There you go, karma at it's finest.  Or something.  Whatever you want to believe in, take that story and replace the word karma with whatever it is you think causes people to find money on the side of the road after doing something nice.  Whatever you do, this paragraph has long strayed from it's topic, so let's bring it back around nicely by ending with the link.  Click here to donate!!!
As a wrap up, you can enjoy these free photos courtesy of the Louisiana Marathon.  As if you needed another reason to sign up next year, they give you the race photos for free!!!! That's a rare occasion in the world of marathons, so if you can get them, take them.  I especially enjoy the finish line photos. They really captured the moment.

This is a good shot of Alison waving to Ryan

And of course Ryan's fantastic finish!

Pretzels and queso

Peanut butter blondies

Awaken the force within

Today was a productive day, aside from work.  I updated the chalkboard at Title Boxing Saugus and registered for the Boston Marathon.  So you know, exciting day all around.  And of course I bought a couple of PowerBall tickets, because why not? I know the odds are so astronomically against me winning that it's ridiculous, but I think deep down, everyone likes the chance to dream. Plus, then I could pay off my marathon fundraising.  Speaking of which... click right here to donate!!  You know you want to support that adorable little face, plus if you donate and show up on the marathon route, I'll high five you during the run, which is a huge incentive, I know.  Anyways, just getting in that short update.  Until next time, check out the board of the month this month.  May need a few more background characters, but it's a start for now.

Do you want to build a snowman?

I made a snowman wreath today.  All in all, I'm not sure how well the accessories will hold up, but I didn't want to go crazy.  First I tried craft glue, which failed me completely, so I switched to the trusty old hot glue gun.  That seems to have worked, but we'll see what happens when faced with wind, rain, and possibly actual snow.  Should be easy enough to fix if necessary though.
Aside from making snowmen, we've spent a busy weekend watching Star Wars.  Ryan has never seen any of them! Can you believe that!? Not to worry, he is now almost all caught up, he's seen six of the seven.  Our final viewing, Episode 3, had to be put off because, you know, football.  But by this time next week, he should be well versed in the Star Wars universe.  Which is cool, I guess.  To be honest, I don't love Star Wars enough to care if we ever watch them again or not.  And with the new one, I feel like the plot is going to be strikingly similar to the original 3.  Hey, I could be wrong, but from what I know, what I saw, and what I've heard, it seems to be heading down that road.
There's only two weeks left until Louisiana, by the way, if you're keeping track.  My cousin's husband had a good idea today at a family brunch when he said I should wear a GoPro instead of taking a selfie every mile. Sadly, I, nor anyone I know, has a GoPro.  So that was a short lived idea, but a good one nonetheless. I had a moment of insanity and thought about buying one, but then I looked them up on Amazon and saw how expensive they are, so that's out too.  I suppose my only hope now is that someone really wants a runner's view of the Louisiana Marathon and donates one to the cause.  I think it actually might be kind of cool to go back and watch the run.  There's probably a lot that I miss when running.
I have a cold right now, so I haven't done any more running since the five on the treadmill the other day. Figured it's better to back it up now instead of pushing and keeping this cold up to the marathon.  Since Louisiana is so close and the holidays are now over, I have actually been thinking about my fundraising a bit.  If I can get things together, I might have something going that could work out well.  I'll probably start looking for raffle volunteers too, so if you have a service or an item you'd like to raffle off, feel free to contact me.  (Sorry, no personal services, if you know what I mean.) Other than that, school starts again tomorrow, so it's back to the real world I suppose.  Winter vacation was fun, but I suppose work isn't so bad either.
And now, the snowman wreath.

Test Turkey

I don't know about you, but around here we have to make a test turkey before we make our actual turkey for other people. After all, new house, new oven, you never know how it's going to turn out.  Overall it wasn't bad, but either the thermometer was broken or the pan made the turkey cook real uneven, but whatever it was, I'd say about half of the turkey was still pink.  Not raw, but not a color I'd want to serve people. So for anyone coming over on Thursday, you're welcome for getting this figured out now. By Thursday the turkey should be good to go.  Of course, we still need to buy another turkey, but that's not the point.  Actually, I still need to go buy all the side dishes too, so I'm definitely prepared for this....

I am excited for a long weekend because there's a chance I can get in a long run without having work get in the way.  You know how it is when all you want to do is run but you have to do real life stuff instead, like go to work and be a functioning adult.  Tough days, real tough.  I've been thinking about ways to improve my running, as I always am, and have come up with a few ideas. First, a weighted vest.  My thought is that I will have to work harder to run with that on, so once it comes off, running faster will be easier.  Any experiences in this I'd love to hear, because "I may be as woefully wrong as Humphrey Belcher who believed the time was ripe for a cheese cauldron."  Second, I think it might be time to switch over to a hydration belt or backpack.  I've been running holding a 24 oz water bottle for about two years now and I'm really starting to notice that my arm is getting cramped up in the bicep area on my longer runs. Yea, I know, I'm sure there's another reason besides just the water bottle, but I think switching over would alleviate some of that.  Again, I could be way off, so if you've made the switch, let me know how it went.  Third, and it doesn't really have to do with improving running so much as it is something I want.  There's an awesome jacket out there made by Craft that I'm coveting.  It's beautiful and looks great for winter running. But it's $129.  Between the shoes that I use, the Tailwind that I need to reorder, and the cost of the races, I just can't convince myself to spend that much on another running jacket.  Even if it comes with attached gloves. If you're interested in checking it out though, here's a picture and a link to the women's jacket.

http://shop.craftsports.us/weather-jersey-w.html


Speaking of races, I'm still waiting to hear who the Louisiana Marathon is giving away their free entry too.  Do I think it's going to be me? No.  Do I hope it is? You bet.  If it's not, I'll be signed up by the end of the month anyways, but it sure would be nice to have a free entry.  It would make paying for Boston in a few months seem less harsh.  And while we're on the topic of Boston, my team for my main man Morty is still taking donations.  I know it's close to the holidays, but if you get your donation in before the new year, it's tax deductible for this years taxes! That's bonus that I know everyone wants. Plus, Morty's birthday is this week, and what better gift to give a child than a donation to a center that has helped him out in so many ways?
You can donate here if you're feeling extra giving this week.
 Donate to Allison Gibbs Michael's Miracles Boston Marathon Team

There are so many other things I wanted to talk about here, but I've decided not to go down that road today.  The whole thing with the Syrian refugees is clearly a major topic, but I have no interest in getting readers to this blog just because I dropped a hot ticket key word, or because people want to argue and tell me why I'm wrong about my thoughts and feelings on the situation.  So, if you're wondering why that hasn't come up, there you go. The most I will say is that I've never felt better about voting Seth Moulton into office than I did this past week.
For those of you who may not know it, the Philadelphia Marathon was today.  While I did not run it, my awesome crew of running partners did and they all did a great job. Huge shout out to Jenna, who finished in 3:59, and to Cynthia, Murdock, and Tracy, who ran their best and finished the marathon strong, like I knew they would. Maybe someday we'll all run together again, if we can ever all get on the same page for the same marathon! I'd love it if they all came to Chicago next year, but maybe we should start looking at NYC instead, since it's closer.  I'm pretty sure you're up to date on my entire life now, so it's time to end this with a beautiful selfie I took at the end of my 9 mile run on Friday.  It was 60 degrees, in November, I couldn't pass up a beach run with that kind of weather.

Side bar: I want a pair of wireless headphones so I took to Amazon to read some reviews.  Who are all these people who get products at a discounted rate in exchange for a review and why can't I get in on that? I'll review anything if you're going to send it to me fo' free.  Or at least fo' cheap.  Of course, it might be sentences like that which explain exactly why I'm not one of those people, but I promise to use proper grammar in the review.  I am a teacher after all, and I only say that type of stuff in jest on here. 

Unfinished Business

Sorry, I don't really have any, but Casper is on in the background and I was at a loss for a title for this post anyways.  Basically I'm just keeping you updated.  This weekend is the Devil's Chase 6.66 in Salem, which I did last year.  It was a lot of fun, but the race is on Saturday morning, yes, Halloween, in Salem, so there's pretty much no way you're getting me there.  Unless you have a free bib to give away, in which case, see you bright and early Saturday! I did like their medals last year though, so if anyone is running, you'll have a good time and the bling is worth it.
I also have a few friends who are running Philly and I actually spent a few minutes debating whether or not I wanted to sign up too.  Then I remembered that I hated the out and back and that I don't want to drive to Philly for a weekend.  So, again, unless someone's giving away a free bib, that's out too.
As of right now, we're going to Louisiana the weekend of the marathon, but I'm not signed up for that either.  Basically this is just a post about all the runs I'm not signed up for.  I'd like to run Baton Rouge again for two reasons.  1. It was flat and fast, so if I have a chance of breaking 4 hours, it's here.  2. The medals this year are fabulous and I really want one.  Of course that's not until January, so who knows, maybe I'll end up running it after all.
Last bit of info for today, I realize that a lot of you may not be aware that I'm posting the link to my fundraiser page within my posts.  I've been labeling the link as a word or a phrase, so in case you're having trouble finding it, I'm posting it right now as a straight up link.  Cccchhhheck, ccccchhheck it out. Fundraising Websites - Crowdrise

The road to redemption

After a nice two week break, I ran the Newburyport GreenStrides Half marathon today. Similar name, definitely not a similar experience to Newport.  In fact, so different that I almost titled this post, SUCK IT NEWPORT.  But, that wouldn't be very adult of me, now would it? So I opted for a more mature title, even if I am still thinking the other in my head.  Actually, I thought that a lot on my last few miles this morning.  Because it turns out, it wasn't the hills or the weather, it was just a bad day last time.  Finishing this half in 1:49 has given me a good sense of redemption and I feel better about the whole running career thing again.  Don't you worry, I'll stick in my official results and my Garmin map so you can see my pace, which matches up in the splits to be a lot more consistent than it looks on the map.  Seriously, if I went by the graph, it looks like my pace and heart-rate were doing their own thing but it didn't seem like that.  I'd also like to take a moment to point out that someone told me recently that 176 BPM is not a sustainable heart rate for a long distance run. To that person, I'd like to point out that you were wrong.  It may not be the BEST choice for a heart rate, but it was sustainable.
There are a couple of things I would like to say about this race.  Number one, the porta-potty situation has got to get under control.  Sure, I used them when the lines were short, but by now you would think that there would be an endless row of potties for the amount of people that are expected to show up.  I'm fairly certain that most of the people in the lines did not make it to the race start on time.  Number two, this course was a lot better than I remember it being.  Last time I ran it, we were a week out from doing MCM and I wasn't aiming for a PR or anything.  I do remember not loving the course though, and thinking that there were more hills than necessary.  This time around it didn't seem nearly as hilly and honestly, the miles flew by.  There were crowds in helpful places too.  The worst part was the finish.  This didn't change from 2013.  You come around a bend and suddenly you're on a wooden walkway, surrounded by cheering people on both sides. Lovely and inspiring, but tight if you're trying to beat it to the finish line.  Nearly impossible to pass, even though I managed it.  Sure, I smashed into someone's elbow, but when you're trying to get across that line before the clock hits 1:50, anything goes.  (Sorry unknown lady, hope your elbow was ok.)  So, I wish they would have a wider finish area.  I was in a pretty good clump of people, so there was a bit of a bottleneck effect going on, which is not ideal when you just want to be done.  I'm definitely going to have to go back to 2013 and read my original thoughts on this race now, but I really did enjoy the run.  Oh and I got my free slice of pizza afterwards, so that's a double win.  We also watched an adorable proposal at the finish.  The girl came around the bend with her friend and the boyfriend was waiting just in front of the line.  He proposed, she said yes, he carried her across the finish line, the friend puked 3 times, it was really romantic.  Ok, maybe not for the friend, but at least it's a story she'll never forget.  I'm probably going to have to get another new pair of Hoka's soon, but I suppose that's the price you have to pay for wanting to run Boston.  Plus, the shoes are totally worth the money as far as impact absorption goes.  As far as running goes, that's about it for now, nothing else new to report.  I'm working on that fundraising, so keep on DONATING if you're feeling generous. To all the Gibbs' and other family members that have already donated, thank you so much!
And now, pictures and my map

Official time. 

Best race swag this year

And my after run lunch.  Sure, I probably should start eating breakfast BEFORE the runs, but this worked too.

An Invisible Red Thread

If you're not already familiar with that phrase, let me enlighten you.  There's an ancient Chinese proverb that states "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.  The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."  Now, this was originally meant to be a way to explain soulmates, but times change and so do meanings.  I've read this quote before and I've really come to appreciate it as a way of thinking about why the people I've met are in my life.  It's kind of nice thinking that you would have met these people, no matter what, because you were destined to meet.  Of course there are people that, like you, I'd rather not have met, but I still like to apply the red thread concept to them.  I suppose it's my way of making sense out of a seemingly random act of life.
As you know by now, I'll be running Boston next year for Michael's Miracle Team, to support the respite center that Morty attended.  Coincidentally, the team color was red last year.  So, again, looking for logic in random places, I've come up with my Red Thread Campaign, to connect the proverb and my fundraising.  You see, I'm sure there was a reason for meeting Morty and his family years ago, and I highly doubt that reason was just so I could run Boston in 2016.  But, it could be to spread the word about a wonderful center in Hopkinton that does so much for the families who need it, and asks for so little in return.  Here's the bottom line.  From now on, should you make a donation, in return, I will send you a red paracord bracelet.  This bracelet will come with a tag that has the proverb on one side, and Morty's story on the other side.  I may even branch out and ask families if I can share their loved one's stories on the bracelet tags. So, when you're donating, you're not only helping a great place, you're connecting yourself to someone you wouldn't have otherwise been connected with.  A red thread.  Bonus offer: If you donate more than $25, I will put your name or a name of your request, on the back of my marathon shirt for the day of the race.  I'm going to try and get donation jars out this week at a couple of local businesses as well, and supply them with a handful of red bracelets to be distributed to anyone who drops money in the jar.  If you're curious as to what the bracelet looks like, I've provided a picture below.  As always, if you want to donate, CLICK HERE