ONE. WEEK. FROM. NOW...

I will be a marathon finisher. Well, at least I better be a marathon finisher!!! I'm all sorts of nervous. I thought I'd enjoy the taper, which I have, but I think I'm getting some taper crazies. It doesn't feel like I'm running a marathon in 6 days. (BTW, the marathon countdown has the days left plus the hours; so, it's really 7 days away. I like saying 6 days better, because in countdowns, the actual day never really counts!) Mentally, I'm in constant battle to think about the fact that I'm running 26.2 miles next Sunday, and my runs are similar to when I first started the training! Taper crazies!Speaking of taper crazies: How about that Nor'easter?! We got hammered, and not even close to what my family in Connecticut got! We spent the entire day indoors yesterday. I don't even know where my winter coat is...still ;-) We cooked, worked on my carb levels, watched movies (Transformers and Something Borrowed), cleaned, cooked more, worked on carb levels more...it was a great day! It had the feeling of a school snow day. Mr. Miller, Lambeau and I definitely enjoyed a very lazy day filled with fleece blankets and sweat-style clothing.
SNOW BALL FIGHT! I almost got out and joined in the fun. Then I realized that would probably be stranger danger to these city kids.
Fall foliage??? Yea, I love foliage, but this is definitely a new twist on the idea. Seriously, heavy snow, slushy snow, it was a mess. Thankfully I got out of Saturday school right when the worst started, so I got home as everything was starting to accumulate.
Hello ING NYC Marathon ad taped onto a fabulous Sports Authority window display! When I began to plan my 8 mile run on our drive home from church today, I realized I needed my cold weather gear! Whaaaat? I'm so not ready for this white stuff and 40 degree temperatures! I picked up some toe socks from a running store in midtown to see if that would help the nasty blister/crater on the inside of my big toe. I had to gear up. Head band, gloves, long sleeves, pants (Ah pants, I love you but miss my shorts), it took me about 20 minutes just to locate my cold weather accessories.
How about a ridiculously good 8 mile run??? Yea, that's me, post run, ready for more. Remember when I said I hadn't seen 10's on my mile averages since my mileage got upped? Well, how about seeing 9's in my average?! My 8 mile average was 9:49, incredible for me. Especially since mile 8 was 8:59! This was a great confidence booster in the midst of my marathon crazies. I will definitely be taking it easy during the rest of my runs this week. I don't want to over do it and have tired legs.

Marathon plan. I'm drafting. Thinking and drafting. Any advice on pace? I feel like I'm going to have to hold back because of excitement; I don't want to over do it in the first part and have no gas left to bring it home. My tentative plan is getting to 20 miles, seeing how I feel, and pushing hard to the finish. Now, I know I may feel great, then at 24 want to chop off my own legs. So should I hold back until miles 23/24? Advice is VERY welcome.

6 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

...I can't wait to drink some WINE in a week! I MISS IT!

Versatile blogger

Meg at Watch MeGo Run tagged me as a versatile blogger! The rules are as follows:

1) Thank the person who gave you the award and link to their post.

2) Share seven things about yourself.

3) Tag some recently discovered blogs - 15, to be exact - and pass the award a long

Meg, thank you so much! I have loved reading your blog! You're a speedy inspiration, I can not wait for you to tackle the big *M* soon!!!

So, prepare yourself...for when people stop being polite, and start getting real. Real World: Versatile Bloggers.

1. My first car was a nasty beat up passed down Toyota Celica with this bumper sticker. It became a running joke between a friend and I, and we kept track of how many we have seen for the past 11 years. We lost count at around 40, but now we picture message each other to keep the dream alive.

2. So this one time, John Mayer and I had a thing. More like, my husband got us front row seats at an underground concert. He played a song I repeatedly screamed er uh I mean asked to play (Comfortable, best. song. ever.), placed his guitar pick inside my purse which was on the stage he was playing on (Front row purse storage, you know...), and used my husband's camera as a capo for an extended jam session. This resulted in over 57,000 hits thus far.
3. I worked full time as a teacher, one day a week as a server, went to grad school, and completed my Masters of Science in May 2010. I became an NYC teaching fellow, a program that pays for your masters while you work as a teacher. I also couldn't give up my cash on the side gig, so basically I was running at any waking moment where I wasn't working, studying, or sleeping. I trained for and ran three half marathons during this two year period.
4. I worked as a server for 4 years in Times Square. I arrived in NYC to finish my undergrad degree, and got hired at the ESPN Zone in Times Square. I worked there until it was abruptly shut down in June 2010. I actually received a sweet severance from it. I miss serving, you meet the most interesting people and experience the good, bad, and ugly of the public. Makes for a great dinner punch line! Famous people I met/served: Andy Pettitte, Josh Beckett, David Wright, Spike Lee, Elizabeth from the View, Vanessa Minillo, Rafael Nadal, and some more that I can't think of. I really loved it, and I was really good at it. Best tip I ever got: $350 from a private event! Very generous people out there.
5. Lambeau was a naughty puppy. We had to go through TWO cycles of puppy school. I would take the train 30 minutes each way to get him, and myself, educated on training. It was time consuming, but totally worth it. He got voted "Most Sarcastic" because he would talk back when I would say a command by barking, then doing the command. FRESH! And he really needed a haircut there.
6. I *LOVE* Ann Curry! I have loved her for a long time. I have been an avid Today Show fan since I was, oh, 11. I finally met her last year and gushed unashamedly about how big of a fan I am. She was GRACIOUS, beautiful, and funny. Ann, you're the Queen Supreme!

7. I swam with dolphins in the Bahamas. AWKWARD KISS MUCH!? Yes, this was an amazing experience. Mr. Miller set it all up and made this bucket list item get checked off. He really knows how to make a girl smile!!! They felt softer than I had anticipated. Ah, dreams come true, really they do!

Ok, I can't tag 15 blogs because I don't think I read 15 blogs! My blog discoveries have been stalled since I've been training for the marathon. Here are a few tags:

Stephanie - A mom who is a work out inspiration!

Lyndsey - A newlywed who is living life and loving it!

Heather - A triathlete who relocated to Alaska!

Drea - A newlywed who is ALSO living life and loving it!

8 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

26.2 at 27

I had a birthday! Yes, it's true. October 25 I turned the big 2-7. Honestly, I don't care about telling people how old I am, because I'm always "the youngest" or "the baby". Whateves. Eventually someone else will be the youngest and the baby! The day was awesome. Because of my impending blister on the inside of my big toe (Which I still can't reveal because it's still THAT disturbing), I didn't run on my birthday for the first time in a long time. I usually do it as a "Yup, another year older and I still got it!" but wisdom spoke better of it. Mr. Miller woke me up and took me for yummy bagels and coffee for breakfast! Great way to start my day. I went to work and was greeted by 5th graders screaming out of their window "Happy birthday Mrs. Miller!" I received some cute gifts, best of all was a HOUSE PLANT! The gift that keeps on giving. These kids are sweet. My work wife Ms. S brought me yummy homemade soup for lunch and a naughty oreo white chocolate / milk chocolate brownie. Let's just say, 5 people shared it, and half was left over for Mr. Miller and I! So good.

I received a special delivery from Villan. Yup. I work in a predominantly Spanish speaking area, so the florist had some language barriers to deal with when Mr. Miller placed his order. Back story: Mr. Miller ordered from this florist for Valentines day and the card read "For the love of my wife" instead of "For the love of my life", this has been a running joke since then. So, big reveal (And I think I wrote his name on older posts) Mr. Miller's name is Brian. So. Brian. Villan. Brian. Villan. Makes sense! Mr. Miller has a new nickname. Don't let the hilarious circumstances distract you: those flowers were GORGEOUS, and they sit loud and proud on my kitchen table. Surprises weren't over.
HE GOT ME *THE* MARATHON NECKLACE! He does read the blog! Or got the hint when I emailed the page or left the screen open on the computer. several. times. After we parked at the park (Weird words to use but only ones that work) he dropped a cute teal blue box on my lap. EEK! I said "WHAT?!" I opened it and had tears. So sweet. He actually had to special order it; apparently they don't carry them in the store. I will be able to get it engraved after the marathon with my year, bib, and time. Mr. Miller, you done good.
Lambeau made my birthday fun. We threw the ball for him and he used up his endless energy; then somehow found reserves to chase squirrels! They were crafty squirrels. They would only go half way up the trunk to tease him. He actually was half a second from catching one. He's a Miller.

It was a beautiful day for a birthday! We sat on the bench for a while and enjoyed the sights; the Triboro Bridge, the Hellsgate Bridge, Manhattan....I love where we live. It is always nice to go and simply enjoy the park instead of running the park. What's a birthday without dinner? Mr. Miller, you've done it again. We went to a FABULOUS Italian restaurant. The food was outstanding. I had penne with fresh tomato sauce, fried eggplant and fresh mozzarella cheese. WOW. Taste explosion. It was so light and simple, I wish I could make sauce like that. I'm not on a mission. Light tomato sauce here I come!

4 miles yesterday, 3 miles today. I put mole skin on my blister and it was irritated the whole time, aka major freak out by me. Today I tried no mole skin, and minimal irritation. Hopefully it will continue toward no irritation. I talked with my mom tonight about the run down of marathon day, and I'm getting more and more anxious. I'll write about my thoughts tomorrow, this birthday post is long enough!

9 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

All the single ladies, all the single ladies...SINGLE. DIGITS. PEOPLE!

I heart football Sundays

I heart 10 mile runs. It's my favorite distance. It's a nice even number, a double digit, and I always feel great after it. Today my schedule said 12 miles. I set out with strong intentions to try to complete the full 12 miles. I packed enough fuel, I set out enough time, but I just didn't have it in me. Since battling a cold or allergies for the past 6 days, I've been EXHAUSTED (Which makes me lean towards a cold). My 4 mile run Thursday was cut short to 2 miles because I was so fuzzy in the head I had a major tripping incident. AKA, it's way to close to the marathon to be stupid and get hurt. I got 11 hours of sleep Thursday and Friday nights, and laid low all day Saturday. Magically, Saturday night, I felt a little better. I woke up this morning feeling less congested and less sluggish. We went to church and I felt significantly better than I have all week. So, I set out on my 12 miles. It was a PERFECT fall day. However, I just didn't have the 12 in me. Because of my sleepy ways this week, my posture was all off, therefore my form was off, and my body was quickly fatigued from the sudden influx of physical activity and aerobic breathing. I just can't snot rocket. Number one, it's gross. Number two, my nose is runny, so it's not something I can really shoot out...it would just look nasty and awkward. So, I settled for 10 miles and call it a day. Let the football Sunday commence!I heart macaroni and cheese. I have seen Meg O baking some fabulous looking from scratch mac and cheese, so I decided today would be a good day. (Secretly, I pushed myself to 10 miles because I knew I was going to INHALE some of this deliciousness!) I found this recipe on my favorite recipe site (Click here for full details), and tweaked it to perfection. I followed the suggestions to only cook it for 20 minutes at 350, and substituted shredded cheese for STRAIGHT FROM WISCONSIN cheese curds! It made amazingly sharp and flavorful macaroni and cheese, and I ate far too much of it. I'm feeling so fly like a cheese head!
I heart Lambeau. I also heart the Packers. Apparently when you name your dog after a football stadium, there are perks in the form of souvenirs! Mr. Miller picked this up during his trip to see the game last weekend. Although the Packers weren't playing in Lambeau this week, they won! 7-0! GO PACK GO!
Lambeau hearts football. He sits with us the whole game. He's totally into it. He thinks he's Clay Matthews.
I heart anything that will take my blister away. I have a new blister. It's inside my big toe. ??? This leads me to think that my shoes are too narrow; however, I've been fitted and my feet measure regular width. ??? I put moleskin on it today for my 10 mile run, and it still filled with liquid again. SO GROSS. And painful. Hopefully this little beauty will protect, disinfect and help heal it...like it claims. I am tempted to post a picture of it, but I believe this will cause nightmares.

I heart the taper. As I spoke with my intense cyclist friend last night about my cold creeping up during my taper, he said "The body knows, it knows!" So smart body. Really, not smart, but better than during the marathon! I feel like I turned a corner, but I need to be careful not to overdo it and rest a ton. I'm toeing the start line strong and healthy.

My birthday is Tuesday. Eek.

13 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

Fall Cold

I have a cold. Lambeau does not, so he enjoyed our walk today. Lambeau is a puppy with infinite possibilities in his day; treats, walks with myself or Mr. Miller, bones, naps, visitors...he's ready for anything. Me? I'm stuffy, fuzzy, and worse than I was Thursday when I tripped and scared myself. So here are the positives about getting a cold now, two weeks away from my first marathon:

- I have time to rest. I'm running less in the blessed taper.

- I won't be blowing my nose on my sleeve race day. Ew. That's almost as gross as peeing on yourself.

- If needed, I'll have time for antibiotics to take effect AND get out of my system. I usually end up with an infection (Please God, save me!) and the meds usually mess with my stomach. Big time.

- It's the weekend. Granted I did work Saturday school today, but the rest of the day is strictly rest/sleep related. I went to sleep by 8:30 Thursday night and Friday night, not waking up once either night. That means I was REALLY tired, because I drink a LOT of water and tea before bed.

How do you bounce back from having a cold? I feel like I bounce back strong from mini breaks. I'm going to *attempt* my 12 mile long run tomorrow. Not sure how much of an attempt it's going to be. Ugh. Let's just say it: this is making me nervous.

14 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

Everything is coming up...orange?

Today, I didn't complete me run. Let's just say, I'm seeing orange? Well no, not really. I am very allergy ridden or cold ridden, I can't decide which one. I'm leaning toward allergy ridden, and I'm praying this will go away. When I got home I decided that a 4 mile run for me may not be what my body needs. However, Mr. Miller called to say he picked up some new kicks and wanted to break them in! Mr. Miller is pushing me to run? DREAM COME TRUE! I made it about 1.8 miles, and proceeded to TRIP (Which I do when I'm tired...a lot...) and got so scared I only completed 2 out of 4 miles. It goes against my 3 mile minimum rule, but hey, it's better than nothing. PLUS I received a fabulous product today...I got my GO Sport ID! Yahoo! Now I can run safely with the assurance that, if I do trip and get knocked out, Mr. Miller's number is readily available. My GO Sport ID says

Kristin Miller

Philippians 4:13

Finisher

Mr. Miller's digits
Even the envelope was orange!!! The band is hook in one. I got the small and it is loose, but not uncomfortable loose.
I went to Trader Joe's...aka BLISS. I purchased the pumpkin bread mix. I purchased the pumpkin butter. I purchased the PUMPKIN ICE CREAM!!! They were SOLD OUT of the pumpkin pancake mix. EPIC. FAIL. I will be returning next week to pick some up.
Lambeau's red/blond hair looks orange, right??? He is the cutest. He loves the fall because he LOVES the leaves. More often than not, he walks around with leaves hanging from his fur around his nose and mouth from sniffing. I think because of the cooler weather, he has been EXTRA cuddly, and I just love it.

My birthday is in 5 days! 27 here I come!!! Best present you could give me? (Or someone else you know better than me!!!) Sponsor a child in their name through World Vision! I'm running this marathon for a cause. Make a difference. Comment to find out more!

16 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

16 candles...

Merci Beaucoup

Thank you to my husband Mr. Miller. He joined me for the last 1.5 of my 8 mile run today. We both feel like we're getting a bit under the weather, so I assumed he wouldn't want to go. He called me while I was running and said, "When are we meeting?" LOVE LOVE LOVE HIM! He's trying!!! So I finished my miles at the park and skeedaddled back to our apartment to finish the last 1.5 miles. Mr. Miller is building up for our 5 mile Thanksgiving Day Race, and I think he's doing FANTASTICALLY! Did I mention that I arrived at our apartment with precisely 1.5 miles left? I'm literally a human GPS. It's getting ridiculous. For any of you who don't know, I'm 5'2" and he is 6'2", so yes, I am that short!!!

Thank you to my coworkers/best teachers in the world. Yesterday and today I had SEVERAL congratulations and pats on the back for my 20 mile effort (Thank you Facebook!). Today my kindergarten co-teacher said "You inspire me, I'm going to try to run." An AWESOME 4th grade teacher stopped her entire class and said, "See, this is Mrs. Miller, the one I told you inspires me on Monday!" She detailed her story of telling her class that she did the breast cancer awareness walk (GO MRS. A!!! SO PROUD OF YOU!), and compared it to 20 miles. Pounding the pavement is pounding the pavement, and I'm glad to hear and see people making a change and pushing themselves to wellness AND to making a difference! I'm often modest and downplay my running efforts, but this is the first time where I'm boldly proud. God help them when I've run a marathon ;-)

Thank you French restaurant in my neighborhood. What's that messy looking dish? Oh, it's open faced truffle mushroom ravioli. AH-MAHZING (If you watch Happy Endings, you know that line). They had a Groupon AND a Living Social within a couple of months, so we've got two more visits after this one to take advantage of at a steal of a deal!

Thank you French Restaurant for having delicious desserts. This is French Coffee Panna Cotta. Um. Yum. We shared this yummy yummy yummy dessert and it was so good. I've had a sweet tooth lately, and I'm glad something was rich enough to satisfy the sweet tooth without being heavy. Just the right amount of everything!

Thank you God for beautiful weather. It has literally been the nicest fall that I can remember in my 5 years living in New York. I fully intend to enjoy the city this weekend.

Dear God, please continue this awesome display of your creation by granting us NYC Marathoners with a beautiful running day. Preferably 60 degrees and sunny. Thank you.

Thank you God that I'm going to run and finish a marathon.

18 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

Rollin' with my homies...

My jolly green foam roller. First, I must say, this picture is a little girlier than most of my long run posts; pink headband, vneck tank, a necklace...??? Well, it's a start. I used this bad boy all weekend, and I *KNOW* that it has made a difference. Now, the tears while using it are embarrassing, but alas, it works. My right quad is a little tight, so I'm rolling twice a day and it's definitely loosening.

Today, I ran my best 5 miler in a long. long. long. time. I had positive-negative splits. I started off in the 10's in mile 1, then hit some 11's in mile 2 and 3 (Stop lights, attempting to chew and swallow shot bloks without walking...). Enter miles 4 and 5: AWESOME. Mile 4 was in the 10's, and mile 5 was a 9:19! I barely felt winded! And is that a sunburn I feel? Probably. What a great day for a run. It was 70 and beautiful. The park was FULL of runners.

Weekend update: I ran 20 miles. I had a great dinner with great ladies on Saturday night. I called it a wife play date. All of our husbands were away (Two, including Mr. Miller, were in Green Bay for a Packers game, and one was away for a bachelor party), so we needed to get our sushi on! Now, I'm NOT a fan of seafood but LOVE sushi with cucumber, avocado, sweet potato tempura...but I opted for chicken terriyaki and mashed potatoes. AH-MAHZING. A husband sent us shots over the phone and claimed they were from Aaron Rodgers...message RECEIVED! :-D I still didn't have a full on appetite, but called it a night and excused myself from further fun because I was getting tired. Sunday I ate. And I ate. And I ate. I really think I gained 3 full pounds. First up? Nutella stack pancakes, which I ate in its entirety, pictured above. Followed by a cheeseburger and french fries, which I ate 3/4 of, and a box of Annie's Mac and Cheese, which I ate all of. Yup. Lots of calories. I couldn't keep my stomach satisfied! Today I ate less and felt better. I'm more of a small meals multiple times a day vs. three square meals. It was a GOOD eating day! Um Packers? UNDEFEATED!

Time spent running. After my 20 miles on Saturday, I was so happy with my time, effort, and how I felt. I'm excited for the marathon because I know I'm going to finish. My confidence is pushing me forward. My training has worked. However, I don't plan on running for a certain time. Of course I have goals and hopes and dreams, but I'm a finisher. This race is all about completion, not about numbers. I see people who obsess about numbers, and they are good, REALLY good at running fast and enduring the miles at break neck speeds. This week I got stuck in a bit of jealousy of these speedy superstars. I never post my times because I am slow, hence my Garmin's name being Poco Loco. After my 20 miles, I feel confident that I'm not suffering while running in the 10's or (GASP) the 11's. I'm running. I'm doing what I love. Who cares about my time? Who cares that when I'm at mile 5 after my 10:40 start, the leaders of the marathon will be DONE?! I'm running this race to finish. If I do another marathon, I'm sure there will be talk of numbers and pr's and what I will do differently. For now, I'm finishing. I'm taking my final training weeks and completing them to the best of my abilities. I'm enjoying it. I'm smiling. I'm finishing.

19 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

...I'm a get your heart racing in my skin tight jeans be your teenage dream tonight...THE TEENS!

20 mile DOMINATION

I wasn't sure how this would go. My 18 miles run didn't go as well as I had hoped. That day, there were tears. That day, there was more walking than anticipated. That day, those hills kicked my butt. Today was a new day. Today was my first 20 mile run. Today, it was time for 20 mile domination!
I ran over the Queensboro Bridge to meet my team in Central Park. There were so many runners on the bridge...passing me. Ugh. I knew I had to take it easy today, but I couldn't break my 11:30 pace. I got passed by groups of runners. This picture is a group of super speeders that breezed by like it was a leisurely jaunt. Hello 7 minute pacers. Then, sent by God I'm sure, this fabulous lady ran by, tapped me on the shoulder and said, "New York?" I answered "YEA!" She added, "20 miles?" I replied "YES!" She encouraged, "You look great! Enjoy it!" Wow. Complete stranger compliment. That's RARE in these parts. She pushed me mentally to know this was going to be a different run. 18 was then, 20 was today.

The 14 miles in Central Park were great. I got acquainted with some old friends: The hills. Although I didn't pound it out like I hoped, I did run them...ok I walked for 30 seconds on a GIGANTOR hill on the West Side...but I really did keep my consistency. Big uh oh? I stopped to stretch out my hip for 1 minute, and I forgot to turn my watch back on. NOOOO! That took up my attention for quite a while trying to figure out how far I had run without measuring it. I finally figured out that after I passed my starting point which should have been 12 miles, that my watch was .40 behind. MENTAL BLOCK. I had to keep doing the math "Plus .40", which is hard to do when you're focused on running! (Okay maybe it's just too hard for me...a teacher...give me a pen and paper and I'm set!) My coach encouraged us to keep it slow and steady, and suddenly, after mile 15, I was seeing a lot of 10's on my watch. 10's haven't been happening for me. I felt great. Then, as I passed 17.60 miles on my watch (18 miles in real life) I went onto the Reservoir to finish my final 2 miles.

I ran into my teammate Ben! We've never met, but we live less than a mile apart. Ben was setting a 9:30-10:00 pace, so I joined him. I felt like I could keep it up forever. Running with someone for two miles after running alone for 18 miles is a breath of fresh air! We kept up conversation, which was amazing since I felt like we were running pretty fast. 2 miles flew by. I was going to make my exit, but my watch said 19.60...and I needed it to say 20. So I ran the extra .40! Never thought I would volunteer to run extra on a 20 mile run!!!

FINALLY: Today, I finished my 20 mile run. I felt great. No nausea, not overly sore, ready to run another 6.2. I'm not kidding. This shocked me. Training works? Yes it does. Now, the marathon will be a whole other story of course, but I'm ready. This was an amazing confidence booster. THANK GOD FOR THAT! I prayed a lot to keep me from stressing. My knee hurt, so I called Coach Jen who corrected my form...over the phone. Praying for the children sponsored by my amazing friends and family pushed me.

Today, I ran for Prisko. She is my sponsored child in Africa. I need child sponsors still. I'm not running for me; I'm running to change lives. As the slogan on my team shirt goes: I care. And so I run. BE the life changing person in a child's life. Give it to someone as a gift; sponsor in the name of your own child to teach them charity; make the step with a spouse; get your whole family involved. I need you, they need us. Message me to become a child sponsor. Plus, you don't have to run 20 miles!

Today I was a 20 mile finisher. When the following countdown is done, I will be a marathon finisher.

21 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

PS. I hate my post-run pictures I look like a BOY! But I'm comfortable and want to record the memory. Ugh. I need a sparkle band or SOMETHING to girlify myself!

20 miles tomorrow

It's going to be a double rainbow kind of run. I left work today after teaching my first in a series of Yoga clubs for 4th and 5th grade students. This is what I was greeted with as I sprinted to my car in a big drop rain! I can't remember the last time I saw a double rainbow. What does this mean? What does this mean?! It means I will run 20 miles tomorrow, that's what. (If you haven't seen the YouTube Double Rainbow video, join the 30 million+ who have!)

Mr. Miller joined me for a run! Albeit a short run, with some walking breaks! He finally said yes yesterday when I asked for the hundredth time, "Wanna go running with me?" It was nice running with my main squeeze, chit chatting while running instead of on the couch. Hopefully with his new schedule we'll be able to try this more often! Caution: Millers running! (I secretly think he's trying to get in shape for the Thanksgiving race, a month and a half away!)
Check out Lambeau's new jacket! It's a fall inspired quilted cover in Green Bay green with corduroy trim. The corduroy collar isn't as visible in the picture, but it gives him a very Connecticut/J Crew feel. I. Love. IT! Lambeau loves it too.

I need to rest. I have 20 miles to do tomorrow, with 30 MPH winds in the forecast. I have nothing laid out. I'm exhausted. I have to bring Mr. Miller to the airport tomorrow so he can go to Green Bay with his boys for a Packers weekend. So I'm going it alone. A girls night is planned for tomorrow night, with no promises from me on how much fun I will be. This is literally 2 miles more than I've ever run, and yet it seems like a lot more than that. I'm anxious. I want to do this strong. I fell apart at the end of my 18 miles, so I made sure to more effectively carb load the past few days (Sandwiches instead of salads for lunch, a pasta or rice with dinner vs. just vegetables...). So the plan is: Wake up at 6am, drive Mr. Miller to the airport, come back home (15 minutes round trip), get all my awesome running stuff on and situated, throw on Poco Loco (Garmin) and iPod, run to Central Park and meet my team to complete the 20 miles.

Let's do this.

22 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

Good night to all, and to all a good night.

10 miles of free FALLing....

I ran 10 miles today. I felt pretty good. I thought I was going to take it down to 8 or (gasp!) 6. Taking aleve last night and today plus my regular vitamins today made me feel a bit better. Still a little sore but loosening up. I had to shut off my pacing alert. My Garmin (Who I think I'll call Poco Loco...2 years later he gets a name!) keeps going on the fritz and frustratingly alerting me that I'm out of my pace range oh every FIVE MINUTES. BEEP BEEP SPEED UP! NO! I run faster, and the pace gets slower! Like 14 minutes! I need to re-calibrate it or SOMETHING! Anyone out there read the manual or had similar issues? Can you shed some light so I don't waste time reading a manual?! Thanks. However, my run did go very well. I felt less frustrated and more free to enjoy a beautiful fall day.

Um, I had a RUN-IN COLLISION! I was sans iPod, and a super silent runner behind me had the same idea when I realized I was being boxed in by 4 slow walkers on the sidewalk. I went to go switch to the street and this SILENT guy rammed into my shoulder! WHOA! We both apologized, thankfully no one was hurt. By the way, we both rounded the corner and he was finishing the block as I finished half of the block...I estimate he was cruising, SILENTLY, at about 7 min mile pace. SO he was not only silent, he was speedy silent. Back to fall...

I. Love. FOLIAGE! Fall is fabulous. During our road trip to Rochester this weekend, I snapped a few highway photos. I love the new Instagram feature that you can create a fuzzy border to enhance focus! I like colors. I like leaves. We heard "Free FALLin" by John Mayer a few times on Pandora. Really, could be one of the best road trip songs. He's amazing, I don't care how much of a jerk he is/how he dissed Jen Aniston! He once sang a song for me...and gave me his guitar pick...in fact, he placed it into my bag. Yup. I'm kind of a celeb expert.

Maybe I'll be the next NYC Housewife? Sweet Mr. Miller didn't understand the signature holding the piece of fruit to show I'm a domestic goddess...or, in the housewive's case, a-cat-fighting-think-I'm-rich-botoxed goddess, but hey, who am I to judge?! (I really do love the housewives, I secretly hope once day I'll meet Bethenny under totally normal circumstances...)
I love apples. Yup, they're yummy. I have a couple of bags worth. One bag for eating, one bag for baking. I need to get on top of some apple crisp and apple oatmeal cookies...look into my sunglasses, it's actually a pretty cool picture!
I love my new bag! Thanks to my Miller sister-in-law, I received an early birthday present! A bag that will fit my plan book plus the other nonsense I accrue at school. Please note: my shirt is a Packers Super Bowl Champions shirt...GO PACK GO! We're 5-0 baby, 5-0!
I love my new shoes. I needed some new work flats, because mine feel a bit tight and are causing a bit of foot pain. The cowboy bootish shoes are super cute. Mr. Miller is throwing me a "Southern" themed birthday party. I envision plaid shirts and boots; he claims to envision overalls with no shirts underneath. This should be good.

25 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

...4 days until my first ever 20 mile run! Taper time, I'm waiting for you...

Taking the scenic route

14 miles had to wait until Sunday. I don't think I've pushed a single long run to Sunday during marathon training, mainly because it throws off the week of training more than a push up to Friday etc. Well, as my previous post attested, I was NOT into the long run being pushed up to Friday. I was exhausted. With the travel day to Rochester Saturday to visit Mr. Miller's parents, I knew an afternoon run wouldn't be smart either. Good thinking Mrs. Miller: it was 85 DEGREES IN ROCHESTER NY! UNHEARD OF! I was very confused, but preferred it over wearing a jacket and shivering ;-) Therefore, after a great day of Miller in-laws lunching, apple picking, donut eating, and hanging out with some fabulous old friends, I called it a night with a long run on the horizon:

Side note Confession: I have passed this sign so many times during college and visiting Mr. Miller's family, and I've always thought, "How great would it be to be a marathoner and say you live in MARATHON!?" I wish this sign wasn't on a highway. I would have gotten out for a photo opp. Back to my long run: this is the scenery I enjoyed:

I love train tracks. I was SO stoked about these train tracks, I wish I had taken a picture without me in it. Because I kind of look like a boy in my running gear. Oh well. I actually got stuck for about 2 minutes at these tracks on my way back because there was an actual train passing! People still use trains??? ;-)
Bridges! There were tons! I ran along the Erie Canal. My father-in-law (Self proclaimed blog stalker! He asked questions about my training issues I've mentioned on the blog...POINTS TO MY BLOG STALKING FAMILY!) mapped out my route, and it was pretty swell. Funny story: I was stopped three separate times by people trying to get to a flea market. The first time the car's window wasn't working, so they slowed and opened the door in front of me...I thought I was going to have to go NYC Street K-Millz on some Rochesterians getting into my space, but thankfully, they just wanted directions. (Of course I had no idea where they needed to go...but wouldn't we all love to get a glimpse of NYC Street K-Millz?! It takes a very special situation for that to happen.)
Speaking of NYC Street K-Millz...I ended up in the Bronx?! No, but this sign brought a smile to my face. Mile 20 in the Bronx is apparently a lonely time while getting to know "the wall", so this is a good memory that will keep me running during the marathon.
Hello love affair. First of all, the Miller in-laws bath tub is a jacuzzi, so my ice cold recovery soak involved massaging jets! It was revolutionary! It was definitely more bearable to soak in frigid water, and my legs thoroughly enjoyed it. Then, when I was sore later on, there was an OUTDOOR hot tub to soak in! Runner's heaven! Yup. It was nice. I miss it already. Warm shower later on to soak away the stress maybe? No. It's just not the same.

Thoughts post run: I'm still a bit sore. Coach Jen recommended taking some extra B6 vitamins, which I will be picking up tomorrow. Because things were pushed back, I have a 10 mile run tomorrow. I don't think I'll injure myself, but I can't be too careful. I'm going to try for 5, see if my legs loosen, and go from there. (Of course this is killing me inside. Better safe than sorry this close to the race!)

I watched the Chicago Marathon live streaming. I had chills all over the place. A few tears because I saw people struggling at the finish. Wow. Inspirational! And guess what? 1,000 runners were running for Team World Vision!!! Even better: 4 people from Team World Vision completed a 100 mile run to see 100 children sponsored! That's 400 children altogether! Check out this awesome blog recapping this incredible journey. I still need PLENTY of sponsors for kids in need of food, clean drinking water, clothes, and education. Please consider being a life-changing child sponsor today.

CONGRATS TO SARA! My very good friend finished her first half marathon in Staten Island. Love you girl, SOOOOOOOO proud of you!

More pictures to come from the weekend. Until then...

26 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

...did I mention I'm running 20 miles this Saturday? I'm currently in hyperventilation/avoidance mode...

She's just not that into you: Long run edition

This was the face I came home to today:

Mommy, are you really going to leave me for over two hours again? But it's Friday, we usually cuddle on Fridays...

He saw all the usual signs: I got my Garmin, put the mole skin on, running clothes, socks and sneakers, switched the iPhone covers, and was getting ready to fuel up when I realized this was not a smart run day. I mean, look at that Lambeau Puppy face! Seriously though: I wasn't feeling it. In fact, I wasn't feeling it ALL.DAY. Here are the reasons today was not to be my long run day:

• I've been crazy tired the past two days. Like, I fell asleep at 7:30 last night tired, tried staying up till 9, and gave up and went back to sleep.
• I was SO hungry when I got home. I inhaled some Goldfish, but that didn't take off the edge.
• If I run when I'm tired, I tend to get lazy feet and fall not so gracefully.
• My body is sore. My knee is okay, but could use a full rest day. My hip keeps cracking. I'm foam rolling like a champ. Ouchies.
• I'm traveling tomorrow to Rochester. I don't know what's worse: Running then being cramped in the car, or being cramped in the car then running. I guess I'll find out.
• I just wasn't that into it. Usually I'm all game face let's do this, but today was NOT my day. I usually run home straight from work, but my friend who usually transports my stuff couldn't do it today. I think that got me down mentally.

As a result, I will get to try a new running location! This always brings a certain level of anxiety, but I am excited to run in the "country". Mr. Miller's parents live in Rochester, NY, and it will be a very scenic foliage fall run. Yippee! I will have to scout it out Saturday for peace of mind. I've done runs there before, but the longest was only 8 miles. Hopefully I can find some flat(tish) areas because they live off of some MONSTER HILLS!

Need some new gear? Check out this tshirt giveaway and this headband giveaway!

Happy running and racing to all this Columbus Day weekend! I'm currently eating my post-long run treat: a cannoli. (What, it would have gone bad!)Insert distraction from the tragedy of eating a post-run treat when it's not really post run: GO SARA! She's running her first half marathon Sunday and I'm so proud of her!

29 days until the ING NYC Marathon

Well hello 20's, so nice to see you!

You've Got Mail!

I LOVE that movie! However, today was not about those "powerful words" You've Got Mail AOL style. Today was all about good 'ol USPS snail mail! I got my ING NYC MARATHON HANDBOOK! Now, if you know anything about teachers, we love us a good 'ol handbook. We study, memorize and follow it to a t! Here are a few of the highlights:In case you were wondering: I'm in. Charity Style. Want to help out? Sponsor a child through World Vision today. It's $35 a month to literally change the course of an impoverished child's life. Just do it.
There will be a "Finisher's Collection" for sale the day after the race. Oh Mr. Miller...drive me into the city and carry me around to shop on November 7. Thanks.
Info about the Expo. Possibly the most valuable information, and right at my fingertips to memorize. AND the make important information bold, similar to my blog; smart people I working for the marathon foundation I see!
Starting line info that is color coded. I think I had a teacher sigh of relief. This is a setup I can get behind.
Genius advertising. (In case you didn't know, that's the marathon route from Staten Island through 5 boroughs and finishing in Manhattan) Prey tell, why don't they make a shoe with the marathon route on the sole in REAL LIFE? I would completely purchase this. Or a painting of it. Or both.
Tiffany, thank you. You just solidified that I will attempt a big fat jump on the finish line for a brill finish. Also, if a Tiffany rep decides to frost me at the finish line with fab jewels, I will be forced to be gracious and accept them. Insert wake up from dream.
Doesn't this look like a dream? The sun was SO bright my face disappeared! (Or I'm that white from the lack of sun tanning in my life until February.) Mr. Miller's work hours changed, so he gets home around 4:30 instead of 6:30, which means an oddly increased amount of free time to spend together! I picked him up from the train with Lambeau puppy and we hit up the park to tire out the pooch with a tennis ball. It worked. I didn't cross train today because my 9 mile run really tired me out last night, and I didn't want to over do it with a morning work out. So, I opted to walk around the block and the park and enjoy a somewhat reduced amount of stress in my life. I'm still thinking about the Tiffany jewels...

31 days until the ING NYC Marathon!!!

31 days until a brilliant finish.