Carlsbad Marathon Weekend

So, for those of you who may not know me too well, I am one of those people always up for a challenge. Tell me I cant do something and I'll go out of my way to prove you wrong (with the exception of strangely prancing a mile around the track, right Shawna? haha) So the other day I was signing my kiddos up for the Carlsbad Keebler Mile Run event and realized both the half marathon and full marathon taking place on Sunday were sold out. I hadnt really considered running it but I guess that "you cant do it thing" popped in my head and suddenly the challenge was there. I MUST run this race. So a series of events took place next . . . I conned a couple friends to join in my craziness, found us race bibs on the black market (craigslist), and completed 6 days of serious training (haha, not really. . . this was the same week thats the amazing rainstorm hit southern Cal! Running wasnt really in the forecast)


After 5 days of intense rain, we woke up bright and early Saturday to a BEAUTIFUL, sun-filled morning! Our clan carpooled to Legoland where the kids all did a fabulous job in their mile long race. Sarah found the girlies cute matching outfits and Jessica did the boys. They all looked adorable! Too much fun :)





Aubrey has asked to compete in a 5K next. I am loving her ambition :) For a $15 admission fee, the kids goodie bags were fabulous. They each got a free movie ticket with popcorn, admission to Legoland, a Medal and tshirt. We were stoked! But to top it off. . . they had great after snacks and i left with a HUGE bag full! I definitely got my $30 back! Wahoo! So after the race festivities, we spent the day at Legoland. We thought it would be packed but it turned out to be one of the calmest days I have seen in a long time! It was a great day!!



I swayed from my diet that night and had a major carb feast! It was a great pre running treat :) The following morning, I woke up way too early (for the 2nd weekend day in a row) and headed to Carlsbad for our spontaneous 13.1 mile run! Kim, Dana, and I (known for the day as Charlotte, Marla, and Sarah) started out on the course together. I was hoping Dana would lead me to a PR, but after our 1st mile we urged her to ditch us and Kim and I completed the race together. The morning was beautiful and the course wasnt half bad. I am not a hill person and LOVE my flat runs :) and was a little surprised at how "hilly" the coast is. The middle of the race was treacherous for me - my legs didnt seem to want to wake up, and then to top it off, I tripped over someone's dead Christmas tree ditched on the side of the road and had a bit of a knee injury. I suddenly realized the pain my sister was in last month when we ran in Las Vegas! So sorry Shawn :) But I survived!! The last 4 miles seemed much better and together Kim and I held hands across the finish line to a 2 hr, 6 minute finish.

It was a super weekend and I am so glad I have friends that love to run as much as I :)



-Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory-

- Be the change you wish to see in the world -

Oh to a new self. . . . I know, I know- waking up January 1st cant make me a new person, but it is an excellent time to refocus my goals and make sure I am constantly working on improving myself. I love to be held accountable, so here are this year's resolutions for you all to poke and prod me to success :)

Lose 20 pounds!
What would a resolution list be with out mentioning weight loss? I actually started this one the week before the new year and so far, so good ! Although, the bowl of microwavable rice krispy treats I am currently eating at 11pm certainly does not fits into my weight watcher points today :) oops

Run 1000+ miles this year
I so wanted to follow my fellow running bloggers on this one and aim for 2010 miles. . . but after a little math, I realized 6 miles, 365 days in a row wasn't going to happen. 1000+ sounds more realistic (but hopefully the + is closer to the 2000 mark)

Compete in 3 running events
. . . got the San Diego Rock N Roll Marathon, and the Las Vegas Ragnar Relay . . . just looking for one more good one :) Anyone need an event partner??

Read 52 books!
Yup, thats a book a week and so far, I'm loving it :) I have never been a reader so this is a huge challenge for me but I have quickly learned a great book is hard to put down. Sleep is still not going to be a priority this year :) If you have a great must read book - please share the name!

Be a better friend
struggle, struggle. . . always a struggle. I lost a good one this year but gained a couple of my bestest friends ever :) I am blessed to be so lucky and have such a wide variety of friends :) did that sound bad??
But the year has started off rocky with friendship troubles and I promise I am working on it! I am striving to be the best friend I can be to all around me!

Help Cayden become a better speller
My little smarty pants is the worst speller ever! His teacher mom ought to take the time to figure this one out! I have already done a bit of research and hope to have him the spelling bee champ in 3rd grade next year :)

Let Aubrey act like a 10 year old
Sometimes (k, most of the time) I'm way too hard on this kid and hold her responsible for too much! She is such a good girl and for some reason she always gets the grunt of my crabbiness. Love you Aubs, I'm totally working on it!

and my final goal for 2010 . . .

Find that 2nd paycheck :)
whether that be a second income, or a husband, I care not! I have bills to pay :) haha

Happy New Year to all my friends, family, and blogging world friends :) May this year bring the best to all!!
New and improved Bonnie here I come . . .

-2009- It's a Wrap!

Wowsers . . . I was a lousy blogger last month! I was hoping to update my Christmas and New Years celebrations BUT, I'm over it! SO, in 50 words or less. . .
We had an amazing month! My kids are beyond spoiled, but so am I :) I am extremely blessed to have such an amazing family and enjoy all the time we get to spend together. My friends rock, and each are a blessing in my life. I love living in California, where we have the GREATEST weather ever!! I love my job and those I work with. Basically, I'm just super LUCKY! Think that was 50 words yet?? haha! I have to throw the following in. . . . I love my pink extension cord, new fence (my dad is the bestest) , ping pong table, and cricket expression (even though its still in the box) :) Hope you all had a great December
Kiddos on Christmas Morning
My amazing fence building team
Ping Pong Tourny anyone??
Happy New Year :)

Run, Run, Run . . . I guess it's what I do

It's official, running is my Hobby! Not sure why I didnt choose basket weaving or something a little less strenuous, but I didnt, so I supose I will continue to run . . . .

Less than a week after the LV marathon, I found myself on the starting line of the Jingle Bell 5K in Balboa Park. My friend Sara (who until Saturday was my Facebook/Blogger friend . . . you should totally check out her blog, Rookie on the Run, she is one of the funniest bloggers ever, and she shares our "meeting" story there) invited me and seriously, who could possibly resist such a festive event?? I was stoked Sara thought of me and even more thrilled she wanted to dress up! I have decided she is SO my type of amiga :)


I was a bit nervous when the alarm went off at 5am (after I hit the pillow at 2, oops) Saturday morning and the rain was still falling outside. I put on my festive colors and jingle bells and rushed out the door to meet my friend. Sara brought me an adorable elf hat . . . we looked pretty dang cute :) haha. We got to the race in plenty of time to register, look around, and even got a pict with good ol' Saint Nick! The rain stopped long enough for the event to take place. The run was beautiful, and the company was fantastic! I am thankful today for new friends and my few friends who actually enjoy running :)


So my next endeveor?? My sissys and I are putting a team together to run the Southern California Ragnar Relay in April! Shawna ran the relay in Las Vegas earlier this year and i was so, totally jealous. Our event will run from Santa Barbara to Dana Point (can you picture how beautiful that run will be?? awww, heaven for sure) We are looking for 12 people to join our team. The cost is $95 per person (plus later fees to rent cars and possible a night in a hotel)! It should be an amazing time. (Seriously, I cant sleep at night I am so excited) Over the course of approximately 24 hours, each team member runs 3 times for a total distance between 13 and 21 miles. This race is for all - beginners to crazy competitors!!

I am so , so very excited that I have convinced one of my bestest friends to start training and be on our team. She is fun and amazing and will be a great addition to our team! She isnt a runner yet, but I have great faith in her and know with a little training she will complete her legs of the race :) Love you Jess! (hope she is totally embarrassed, haha. . . .she is responisible for that birthday party post on my blog last month)


anywho. . . .if you want to join us (girls or guys), let me know - we would love to have you :)



http://www.ragnarrelay.com/losangeles/index.php

Christmas with the Addams family :)

It is amazing to me how intuitive my little Cayden can be . . . only 7 years old and he already has our family all figured out :) Neither mom or dad's surname is "Addams" . . . Cayden came up with that one all on his own! As we headed to our annual "California, extended family's Christmas Celebration" at mom's, Cayden decided we are just like "The Addams Family" . . . big and full of WEIRDOS! Ding, ding, ding!! I think we have a winner :) but I guess what family isnt full of weirdos? As always, we had a great time . . .the little cousins ran around like crazy and the big people had fun visiting, laughing, and eating (of course)! And Cayden is most definitely correct. . . the "real" Addams Family has some serious competition :)

-The Love of a Family is the Greatest Blessing -

Las Vegas Luck Needed

Luck was definitely needed (and in short supply) when we ran the Las Vegas Marathon last Sunday! Months ago, my sisters and I decided to run our first (and only) full marathon! I trained and trained for a good couple of months and then after officially paying the $100 fee, life got the best of all 3 of us and our training was somehow "misplaced."


Excuses, excuses . . . there are always excuses . . . Living in Indiana, Molly didnt love running in the cold, Shawna came up with a bum knee, and I got caught up in the kids sports and found myself running 60 mins, just 3x per week and eliminated the long Saturday runs from my life! All 3 of us arrived in Vegas knowing we were basically "screwed" and kind of avoided even talking about the event and the fact that we werent completely ready until the night before :)

The month prior to the event the Cayden, Aubrey, and Aub's friend Jamie trained and ran 25.2 miles. We tracked their progress and mileage on a chart, and early Saturday (in the absolute freezing cold), they competed in the kid's marathon race and finished their last mile. They did a great job and all 3 kiddos ran their complete mile without stopping. I have always said I am going to turn my kids into runners, and I think I am finally succeeding :)


We spent the rest of Saturday in Vegas being (cold) tourists! Cayden is infatuated with the Eiffel Tower and was stoked to march up to it. We also had yummy treats at the all famous Serendipity, played in the NYNY arcade (awesome games let me tell you) and made a trip to kid heaven, M&M world and the Coke Factory! It was a great day and we were definitely tired when we got back to Shawna's house.





There was an abnormal cold spell in Las Vegas and the night before the race long sleeve shirts, hats, mittens, and knee high socks were added to original short and tank top outfits!


4:30 Sunday morning we woke up, got dressed, and headed to the starting line! We ended up stuck in traffic and watched from the freeway the fireworks officially start the race. 20 minutes later, we bid farewell to mom and hopped out of the car and ran up the freeway off ramp to the starting line. As you can imagine, it takes a long time to get 20,000+ people across the starting line and we snuck in probably in the middle of the pack. The race started well - we "cruised" up the strip with no goal time and expectations other than finishing. We were pretty worried about Shawna - but at the 10 mile split (where the smart 1/2 marathon runners head back and the full marathon runners head off to the middle of nowhere) Shawna said she was fine to finish . . . I think that's where we went wrong :) We made it to mile 13 in a decent time (and if finishing - probably would have meet the under 2 hour goal)! At that time Shawn's knee was in pain and we stopped for a few mins (with mom and the kiddos) to apply some "magic knee strips" (but apparently not so "magic" if applied during the race and pain)! The last 6 miles were pretty much awful . . . nothing like walkiing 6 miles with a 3 year old (sorry Shawn) She most definitely hurt and we felt horrible for her. I at one point offered to carry her but thinking back I am pretty sure I would have collapsed if she would have taken me up on the offer. We ended up crossing the finish line and I am happy to have it checked off my bucket list! AND I swore I would never do it again . . . but only a week later I am already thinking about the rematch! Running is such a horrible game :)

Happy Birthday to ME . . . and my girlfriends too :)

The older I get, the quicker these birthdays seem to arrive. While i LOVE everything about planning birthday parties and wrapping fun, beautiful presents for others, my birthday is something I dont particularly care either way for. Some of you may laugh , but I dont always love the attention on me :) This year, #29 fell on a Saturday and was scheduled to be a HECTIC day from the start. I was hoping to start my morning off with a breezy 20 mile "happy birthday" run, but opted to sleep in after staying up way too late the night before.

Cayden had an early morning soccer game, followed by a pizza party on the field, organized by muah! Followed by Aubrey's soccer game, another soccer game for Cayden, and then a drive to Encinitas for the start (and end) of Aubrey's final softball tournament, with plans to head to dinner with friends after, and then head home for some good quality sleep :)

To further complicate my jam-packed day, sometime in that morning, a work "ordeal" came up and my phone was ringing and buzzing, and ringing and buzzing for Bonnie to find a "fix." I made it through Cayd's first game, pulled off the soccer fiesta, figured out who to pawn my kids off with, and (just a wee bit crabby) headed to work, where I "oh so cheerfully" volunteered to spend my birthday on a plane to Orlando :) . . . I smile in case my boss decides to read this weeks post . . . I was rewarded for my willingness to go and was able to get my package on an airplane without me. I then rushed back (missing Aubrey's game) to pick Cayd up from my mom and get him to his 2nd soccer game. As I got in the car to leave my mom's, she turned to me and with a strange grin and said, "Have fun tonight!" Huh?? What did that mean?? . . . . I thought and thought and then LIGHTBULB . . . i had a pretty good guess and wasn't thrilled but continued on with my day! We made it through Cayd's 2nd game and headed to the coast to watch Aubrey's game. The girls played crappy from the start, it was freezing, Cayden was driving me wacko, and I was sitting by these annoying people from the other team so I suddenly found myself extremely crabby. I wont go into extreme details of the "melt-down" that next occurred but I am pretty sure my friends will think twice before mentioning pizza to me :) I LOVE them!!

We continued on to dinner and then back to Sarah's house for cake and "presents." I knew "something" was occurring at 930 but the friends did an excellent job at confusing my little head and before I knew it - I was in a car headed to Baskin Robbins for ice cream (after the cake) with a friend's husband . . . strange?? Yep, it was STRANGE! But Baskin Robbins again "sparked" the thought I had when my mom gave me the strange goodbye earlier that day. Just days earlier I was sitting eating ice cream with the same friend's husband (and other friends) when I casually mentioned Chippendales! Yeah, I'm an idiot!! . . . . . SO basically, there isn't more to explain. We returned to a dark house, where my suspicions were answered, and before I knew it - was blindfolded and "presented" a lovely fireman :) Below is the one and only decent picture to be shared. Honestly, I didn't know these events were so "hands-on/clothes off!" It was beyond crazy. My friends keep saying next time we will . . . . NOPE, NO WAY! NO NEXT TIME, PERIOD! I learned a valuable lesson. . . .next year when sitting in Baskin Robbins discussing "nevers" just days before my birthday . . . .a cruise with my best friends will slip out :) Wahoo, 30th birthday on a BIG BOAT :)