Skirtin' Around

Well, quite the weekend for my alma mater. The University of Kentucky Wildcats are headed to the NCAA Final Four. And, that little team from Louisville is our first opponent in the tournament. I can't wait! Would love to go down to New Orleans for the game, but when I checked the prices of flights, they were CRAZY expensive. Plus, we don't have tickets to the actual games. Yeah, tickets to the games would be the whole purpose of going. Duh. That and hanging out in the French Quarter. It will be like Mardi Gras when the Big Blue Nation descends upon NOLA.

In the meantime, I've picked up the my running pace a bit, after taking yet another few weeks off. Now that we have more daylight later in the evening it helps. Plus, my kids' soccer practices take place at a park with a good running trail. Best thing about running? It's good for your health? Gets your heart pumping? Allows you to enjoy the great outdoors? Nooo, it's the outfits, dahhhling!

Yes, I'm joking. Sort of. I just bought a running skirt from Tar-jay and I love it! So very comfortable and, of course, cute.

Not sure what to think of the compression socks. Hey, runners out there, are the socks helpful? 

Happy Monday, friends. There will plenty of smack-talk throught the Commonwealth of Kentucky this week. Go CATS!!!
Images from activebeehive.com and jillconyears.com

Start with Turkey, End with Zombies

On Thanksgiving morning, I embarked on a morning run through the neighborhood. Other than folks letting their dogs out to do their business, I encountered no other runners or joggers. I was really surprised that I was the only turkey trotter out and about. Perhaps most folks were preparing their Thanksgiving feasts, or smart enough to stay in bed an extra hour. Oh, well, I enjoyed the quiet along my route and smiled at the thought of having the next few days off.

I, for one, didn’t get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday to shop. I don’t play that game. Do you? Miss E. and I did head out later in the afternoon while the boys went to the barber. I supported some local merchants and avoided being crushed or pepper sprayed by the hoards of humanity. It was a good day.

So, after a few days of parties, play dates and overeating, as well as three days in a row of running (woo hoo!), I ended the weekend by watching the finale (or mid-season finale as they kept hyping it) of “The Walking Dead.” Shew, that was quite the episode, wasn’t it?

Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes in AMC's "The Walking Dead," killing the zombies in last night's episode. 

Hubby has been a fan of the “Dead” since last season, but I didn’t start watching it until recently. I became a regular viewer once I realized that the lead character, Rick Grimes, is played by Andrew Lincoln from the film “Love Actually."

Andrew Lincoln's character, Mark, declares his love for Keira Knightley's character in "Love Actually." Sigh.

Yes, it was Lincoln who drew me in, but the storyline and those crazy zombies kept me coming back for more. Anyhoo, last night’s episode was shocking and sad. Anyone see that coming? The second half of the season begins in February.

Hope you had a great weekend, friends. It’s hard to get back into the swing of things, especially when it’s cold and rainy like it is here. But, I only have three weeks left until Christmas vacation, so that keeps me forging ahead.

♪ It’s the most wonderful time of the year…♪

Images from care2.com, IMBD and AMC.

I'll Take These Heels, Thank You

You're so pretty. Want to come live in my closet?

Did everyone have a good weekend? I can't believe how many activities we packed into a 48-hour period, but we managed to do it somehow.

I've kept up the running routine, but I'm paying for my Sunday run. I took some hills pretty hard and didn't stretch enough pre and post-run. Dumb me. So, I'm paying for it today. With the way my legs and feet are aching, I certainly wouldn't be able to rock a fab pair of heels, like the Kate Spades above. I looked in my closet this morning and decided, "Loafers it is!" But, given enough rest, I could easily slip those babies on (size 7, ahem).

Did everyone have a good weekend? And, as the holidays approach, do you have something like these pretty lil' shoes on your wish list? If so, what is it?
Image from Kate Spade

Mother Runner

As I’ve mentioned more than once, I’m slowly trying to build a regular running routine. Some of you may ask, “Still? You’ve been saying this FOREVER, lady.” Yeah, I know. I get started, then I fall off the wagon dealing with all-things life. But, I keep coming back to it. I want to be healthier, I want to increase my fitness activity, I want more energy, I want to build muscle tone and I want to wear cute running outfits.

So, when I’m tired after a long day at work and ready to call it quits after giving my kids a bath or helping with homework, I’ve had to force myself to get on the treadmill. And once I do, I feel great. I crank up the music and run. It’s just keeping the excuses not to exercise at bay. It’s easy to talk yourself out of exercising, be it early in the morning (“One more hour of sleep, please!”) or in the evening (“I just want to crawl into bed!”).

Granted, I would prefer running outside, but now that Daylight Savings Time has ended, I have to reserve my outdoor runs for weekends. Bummer, I know. But, at least I’m getting a smoother run on the treadmill.

So, as I take another crack at a regular running routine, I went looking for inspiration. I found a book called “Run Like a Mother.” Then, I learned there’s a blog and Facebook page, “Another Mother Runner,” produced by the authors of the book. I am loving these sites right now and plan to order the book. And, I can’t get my hands on this T-shirt fast enough:

Oh, yeah, I need this for runnin’ in the 'hood.

For those of you who exercise regularly, be it running, aerobics, cycling, swimming – you name it – are there blogs, books or websites that you turn to for motivation? If so, what are they and why are they your go-to sites?

And, thanks again for indulging me in my recent rants. I appreciate the feedback I received from everyone. It's Friday, dear friends. We made it.
Images from anothermotherrunning.com