Monday, October 14, 2013

A CHEERful Weekend

It's marathon Monday! Yes, indeed. It's the day after the weekend of marathons!  CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO RAN THIS WEEKEND! I feel like it's too many to name, but AWESOME JOB EVERYONE! Twitter was alive and inspiring me like always...alas, no trigger finger on a 26.2 register button. I'm not THAT inspired ;-) 

I had the privilege of going to cheer for Ashley and Laura at the ING Hartford Marathon on Saturday. Mr. Miller joined me, and it was a fantastic day to spectate!!! It was a warm day, and runners certainly earned their medals. Read about Ashley's 4th marathon and Laura's 98th marathon!!!

 Can you imagine I was so distracted by cheering that I didn't see her coming in the blue hair?!

 This girl is FIERCE!!! Such a strong marathon in hot conditions.

My childhood friend Stephanie was all smiles to the finish!
Finish line photo: So proud of these ladies!

A weekend in Connecticut wouldn't be complete without some scenic views! On Sunday, Mr. Miller and I went hiking on Case Mountain. We brought Lambeau Puppy because the trail isn't challenging; some minor climbs but a clear path on a three mile loop. HE WAS A TROOPER! I have never seen this dog so happy. Off the leash, roaming, and staying with us the whole time. Unfortunately in the last mile, he fell into a bit of a mud puddle that SMELLED AWFUL. He got a bath when he got home, much to his chagrin. 

I know I know...same outfit! IT WAS CLEAN I PROMISE! ;-)

We experimented with running. He did okay but enjoys sniffing every leaf too much to keep going.

Then, of course, there was cheering for the Packers!!! We got my dad to put on some Packers apparel for the juju. (If you don't know what that is, watch Silver Linings Playbook. There is no meme for this. So sad.)

It worked! WE WON! Also, have you seen the Budweiser Quinoa commercials? Hilarious.

How about you? Did you race this weekend? Did you do something "Fall"? Are you a Giants fan in hiding? TELL ME ABOUT IT!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Marathon season!!!

Hello, strangers. I have been MIA. It has been a rough few weeks. Basically, everything in my job as a teacher has changed. Everything is new. Everything is stressful. Instead of moderate amounts of take home work, I have MOUNDS of take home work (In fact, I just remembered three things I have to do...). This change is a result of new curricula, a new teacher evaluation system, and the fact that we are getting reviewed in two weeks by our superintendent (The equivalent of an FBI search warrant on everything we do). So, I won't be blogging as much as I would like, nor reading the blogs that I so enjoy. But enough about that sad stuff, let's talk about more exciting things!

IT'S MARATHON SEASON! Despite my current dreary work outlook, I am SO excited to cheer for you runners who have worked SO hard toward your fall races!!! Seeing signs up for the NYC Marathon, seeing countdowns in the teens and twenties, have helped me jump back into running. More on that another time. Back to marathons. Get ready for some Mrs. Miller cheer sections!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MY SISTER JENNIFER! She ran her FIRST marathon, and it was a TRAIL marathon!!! Her time was incredible, 5:14, so close to my ROAD marathon times! I wasn't able to make it to cheer, but I was on pins and needles thinking about her all morning on Sunday! I am so proud of you Jenny girl! You are a rock star runner and always push me to be better (especially when you run backwards for me to catch up...) 

 Yea, it rained the whole time. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Smiling to the end! SHE DIDN'T FALL ONCE! Obviously we're opposites...

I'm also looking forward to cheering this weekend! Ashley is running the ING Hartford Marathon, and we talked AGES ago about my going to cheer for her! Since it's Columbus Day weekend, we're going to visit my parents, so it has worked out perfectly. 

We are wearing matching Sparkly Soul bands. Obviously a match made in runner heaven! Some other marathons coming up for Michelle and Jen!

How about you? What are you running?! I feel like I need to make a spreadsheet to keep track! Tell me about it so I can cheer loud and proud!!!