Slice of Life - Happy Halloween!

Last weekend Sean and I threw a party at our house, and sticking with our Dexter/Rita theme, we turned one of our sunroom into Dexter's kill room:

Can you guess who is on our table?  HINT:  Dexter got his revenge for Rita's death ;)

And tonight we're handing out candy for the first time in our house!!  We're so excited!

What do you have planned for Halloween?  What are you/did you dress up as??

Meet Juno :)

Last weekend, Sean and I made the decision to get a second puppy. We had been thinking about it for a few weeks, and last weekend we found the perfect girl. We immediately fell in love with her and had to bring her home. She is an 11-week old great dane puppy. Sean and I have always wanted a great dane and when we saw her it was love at first sight. She is such a snuggle bug and loves to be either in your lap or touching you. Even though she is a great dane, she is the runt of the litter (which means she'll likely be 100lbs instead of 140!) She and Rugby, our chocolate lab, get along so well! Rugby loves having a sister and a playmate.

Without further ado, here are some pictures of our new furbaby.

This is the day we met her and she crawled into our laps:



At home frolicking in the backyard with Rugby:

















I love our growing family :)

Three Things Thursday!

1.  Marathon training: I began marathon training for the LA Marathon, and I’m glad I started early. After a gait analysis, I learned that I am an over-strider and a heel striker. Both not good. Now I know why I’ve had knee/IT band issues. So the benefit of beginning to train nearly 5 months out is that I can take the next month to focus on my form, especially mid-foot striking. I’m working with my coach 3x/week and it’s great! He is full of knowledge and I am confident I will be in the best mental and physical state I can be in by the time March 17, 2013 rolls around.

2.  New addition to the fam: No, I’m not pregnant. Yes, hubby and I brought home a new puppy! Hubs and I have been entertaining the idea of a 2nd dog for a few weeks. Well, last weekend we brought home a little girl and she is the cutest thing.  Her name is Juno and she is the sweetest little cuddle bug. Rugby loves her, and they get along so well!  Pics to come soon!

3.  Deliciousness: I’ve been cooking up a storm lately! My most recent creations are a Sweet Potato Jalapeno soup, herb and lemon pork loin, pesto chicken, paleo pancakes, and more. Everything is so delicious. Tonight my wonderful parents-in-law are coming over for dinner and to meet their new grandpuppy, and I’m making tequila chili chicken, butternut squash, and an arugula salad with walnuts, avocado, goat cheese, and apples. Yum!

Happy Thursday!

Cheerleading @ the Hermosa Tri!

This past weekend I had the fun opportunity to be a cheerleader/spectator for one of my dearest friends as she tackled the Hermosa Beach Triathlon. My friend is one of the most athletic people I know, and when you throw competition into the mix, she’s unstoppable.

A couple months ago she swam the South Bay area Pier2Pier 2 mile ocean swim where she finished first in her division. Last month she did the LB Tri (she’s the one who convinced me to do it), and she smoked it finishing in 1 hour 21 minutes and third in her division. She’s inspiring!

Needless to say, it was a blast cheering her on during all three legs of the Hermosa Tri. Koks, I am so proud of you!!! You’re a rockstar!! Love you friend!

Training for the LA Marathon with Coach Chris & A Natural Running Network

As you know from my previous posts, I am running my very first marathon, the LA Marathon in March 2013!  The Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome International Foundation is sponsoring me, and I am running to raise awareness and funds for this rare blood and bone marrow disease that my mom passed away of this past March.

I know it is going to be battle both mentally and physically.  I am ready for this challenge and I am pulling my strength from Mom, the strongest person I’ve ever known.  I want to do this right, I want to do it well, and I want to finish strong for Mom.  So when a coworker of mine told me about Chris at A Natural Running Network and how he coached him to his first marathon, I immediately reached out to Chris.

We chatted about his training philosophy and what my training plan would look like.  That’s the key right there…what my training plan would be.  Yep, he will be my personal coach on this endeavor.  He will test my heart rate and gait, and make adjustments to my form to help me run most efficiently, and he is going to build a plan specifically for me and my ability to best reach my goal (to finish STRONG).  Additionally, we will train together 3x per week!  I’m stoked about this because he will hold me accountable.  If I have a 14 miler and I don’t feel like waking up, I HAVE to because my coach is waiting for me.  Some people might say that’s dumb, but I know myself and I want that accountability.  And we kick off training NEXT WEEK!  I am beyond excited for LA and I know Chris will help me reach the finish line feeling strong, healthy, and successful!  I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but I know I’ll be the most prepared I can be when race day comes.

Another motivating factor for kicking ass at LA is that my bestie has signed up to run it with me!!!!  We will be running our first full marathons together!!  And we’re both running for wonderful causes (me for MDS and she for pediatric cancer).  Bring on LA and let's kick cancer's ass!

Please feel free to support me on my journey to my first marathon to fight MDS.  Every dollar counts!  Thank you.

Do you guys have any marathon training advice for a newbie?

Exciting things in October!!

I love October for so many reasons including:

~Breast Cancer awareness month

~Halloween

~All things pumpkin (pumpkin patches, pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin carving, etc)

~Decorating for Halloween & fall

~Halloween Time @ Disneyland

~Kick off the for holiday season (Turkey Day & Christmas are around the corner!)

This October is especially exciting because:

~I started a new position at work, one that I am beyond excited about!  Same wonderful company, new and exciting role!

~I get to dress up my puppy for Halloween for the first time (no guarantees to how long his costume will stay on)

and…drum roll please…

~I registered for the 2013 LA Marathon!!!  (I will be posting some exciting updates on this soon, so stay posted!)

Happy October everyone!  What’s your favorite thing about October?