No, I didn’t fall off the face of the earth, I’ve just been running all over it!

Wow!  Where has the last 7 months gone!

Apparently life has completely gotten away from me and I have been neglecting my blog!  When I was just sitting here this morning reading back through a few of my posts, I realized how much I really have missed writing these updates!  That needs to change!  Writing these posts was a fabulous way for me to reflect back on adventures, keep a log of these adventures and keep in touch with all of you!

I know that there is no way that I will be able to completely recap everything from the last 7 months (I can’t believe that the last post I did was from my Birthday Ragnar adventure last June!) s instead of tryign to go back and recreate posts for each adventure, here is a snapshot of the second half of 2015… a photo journey of the many adventures and a brief synopsis!  Over the next week I will then go back and get caught up on the adventures thus far in 2016.  My goal after that is to get out here and most at least once a week for you!  Whether it be a recipe, a recap on one of the crazy adventures planned for this year or who knows what else!

We spent A LOT of time at the ballpark!  Thanks to the Host Family program with the Green Bay Bullfrogs, we were able to host their Radio Broadcaster for the Summer.  Parker was with us from the end of May thru the middle of August.  Between his crazy schedule at the ballpark and traveling with the team, the only time we really saw him was at the ballpark, but it was still an awesome experience for all of us.  We watched more baseball in those few months than I think we ever have, but it was so worth it!  I am excited to say that we will be hosting again this year and, at this time, it sounds like it will be on of the summer interns.  

We headed north for a night to spent the night on a Bed & Breakfast train!  After a dinner on the moving train, we relaxed with a few drink and new friends on the train and then retreated to our own room in the sleeper car.  Of course, while the rest of the train slept in, I headed out for a morning run!  90% humidity, but I didn’t care!  Afterwards, it was a warm breakfast before we headed off the train and had to drive home!

On one of our trips up north, I got to reconnect with a few friends from high school, take a hike up Silver Mountain and spent the evening catching up and laughing the day away!  Thanks for the memories ladies!  Until next summer when we can do it again!

Who says you have to do a virtual run solo?  Not with my awesome friends!  We ended up starting the morning later than planned because of a nasty storm that rolled through early in the morning.  In the end, our group was smaller than originally planned but we got in those 4 miles… and the best part?  Before this fun morning, every one of my friends that was there, met at least 1 new person that day!  I love when I can introduce my running friends to each other!

July meant the return of one of my favorite races of the summer!  The Cliffrunner 10k trail run.  6 miles of hills, rocks, dirt, cliffs and everything in between!  I was determined to beat my time from last year and thanks to my new friend Melissa that I met on the course, we pushed each other and ran an amazing race!  PR by almost 15 minutes over last year!  That’s going to be tough to beat in 2016, but you know I’m going to try!

Meet Snickerdoodle!
In August we met this little sweetheart and a few weeks later she became part of the family!  Full of spunk and energy… and yes a lot of sass, the house is no longer quiet!

Over the summer, I rediscovered my love for yoga.  Last winter I took some Hot Yoga classes and realized that I did NOT like hot yoga… however, yoga outside on the city deck downtown?  That’s a whole difference story!  Now I look forward to those days that I can squeeze in a yoga class into my schedule!

3 years on a row!  Warrior Dash WI!  John  went with me again this year, as did Darrin and my dear friend Lisa!  We spent the morning climbing, crawling and swimming through tunnels, mud, ponds and more!  I think we found mud in places that should never see mud but we didn’t care!  After all that fun, we headed home, took showers, relaxed for a bit and headed to the next adventure of the day…

As if running warrior dash wasn’t enough for one day, Lisa and I finished off our day by running the Packers Training Camp 5k in and around Lambeau Field!  While we were there we ran into Lori and a few other friends who all said we were completely nuts for running both race in one day, but that was part of the fun!  2 races + 240 miles =  lots of mud and laughs.  

Over the summer, I also discovered this amazing pond, just a short run from my house!  How did I not even know this was here until now?  This quickly became one of my favorite places to run, especially in the early morning!  I would often leave the house before dawn, just so I could get here in time for sunrise over the water!

After running the Chicago Ragnar earlier in the year, I jumped at the chance to work the Great River Ragnar for Bondi Band.  Lots of driving, 2 long crazy days, scorching heat but loads of fun hanging out with some other awesome vendors and crazy runners!  Never again will I look at a frozen fruit bar the same again!  I gave up trying to keep track of how many I ate… it’s a good thing Chris from FrioFrio was keeping track for me!

Finally the weekend that we were all waiting for arrived!  Girls Weekend 2015 brought us to Minneapolis for Women Rock!  Last year’s girls weekend was 3 of us… this year it was 7!  Everyone seems to want to join us on our adventures, and I don’t blame them!  With the exception of Lisa, our official cheerleader, the other 6 of us all met at the gym over the last 2 years and have continued to do things together now that several of us have switched gyms.  We will do what we can to find fun and laughs wherever we go!  The weekend was filled with running, laughs, hot guys, amazing food, lots of walking and everything in between.

A last minute add to my race calendar!  I scored a free race registration to the Lake Country Half Marathon in Oconomowoc (Near Milwaukee) Labor Day weekend!  The course was one of the prettiest courses I’ve run and I was completely enjoying the day… until the sun and humility took over!  When I started out the day, I was feeling good, had a great pace and was loving the day.  Unfortunately, at about the halfway point, Mother Nature decided that was enough.   I will say that this was the first race I’ve run in a LONG time that I actually felt like quitting.  I didn’t.  I kept moving, even if it was just walking.  In the end I really didn’t finish that far off my usual pace.  One of these years, I will go back and re-run this course so I can see what I can really do!  Besides, the scenery was amazing!

How to do pull off a PR for a 5k?  Find a run at an airport – on the runway!  No hills to worry about!  Oh yeah… and it helps when you have a friend running on your heels that you are determined to NOT let her beat you!  Lisa, Emily and I all set new 5k PR’s on this warm afternoon and had fun doing it!  

For the 3rd year in a row, we got the crew from work together to run the Fox Cities Marathon Relay!  It’s always a fun filled day, with no pressure of how fast you have to run.  It’s about spending the day together, doing what we enjoy!  The highlight of this year’s race for me?  By complete change, my dear friend Tracie passed through the exchange point just minutes before I started my leg, while she was running her Full Marathon!  I ran hard for that 1st mile to catch up to her and was able to run the rests of my 6.3 miles with her!  This girls is such an inspiration and one day, I will be able to keep up with her for more than 6 miles  🙂

Last big race of the summer!  The Inaugural Bellin Women’s Half Marathon right here in Green Bay!  We got the girls together for a fun weekend of shopping at the expo, dinner and the race!  The weather was perfect and the course was beautiful, and how many people can say they had their race bling handed to them by Katherine Switzer?!?!  Can’t wait to run this one again net year!