Mel On...Plans Change and PRs Happen! (9th Deutsche Weinstrasse Half Marathon)

Last night I was too excited to sleep!  We had a hectic, early morning (thanks time change) but we made it to our meet up point somewhat on time and caravanned to one of the designated parking lots outside of Bockenheim, Germany for shuttle pick up to the 9th Deutsche Weinstrasse Half Marathon!

Mel On...RACE NIGHT!

Tomorrow morning we are heading down the German wine road for another half marathon! Hello, Deutsche Weinstrasse! This race only happens every other year so I am super stoked I get to run this one before we leave.  SUPER STOKED!

I didn't think I would be this excited but I should know better by now. There is something about the night before and the morning of a race that is just, well, exciting!  It's like Christmas...you don't know what you are going to get.  It could be a PR!  The stars could align and tomorrow could be your day...or, the weather can go to crap, your Ipod could die, and you could DNR...anything could happen!

Mel On...Didn't See That One Coming

This week has been a little hectic.  We've had craziness going on on the home front and a lot of things have been weighing on my little old mind.  I was reviewing my training logs and this past month was nothing but 7's and 8's on my "head" and "heart" scale.  "Legs" and "lungs" were ranging from 7's to 9's (minus the pain in my left leg, THAT is still happening).  I just haven't been feeling into it and I have gotten myself into a little funk.  

Well, well, well....what better to get out of a funk than to a) hit autopilot on a 10 mile solo run b) buy new running shoes, c) hit up a new trail with an old friend, and d) treat yourself to some FemFusion Fitness and then a lady's lunch!

Mel On...New Shoes (new very bright blue shoes)

Well, I finally broke down and got me some new running shoes.  Let's just say you will be hard-pressed not to see me coming in these bad boys...man, are they blue!

They are also 10x more comfortable than my old running shoes and are way less "restricting."  I've had a hard time with running shoes.  The very first pair I bought were Asics but they made me feel like my feet were lopsided when I ran and I couldn't go very far in them without something hurting (but, then again, I was just starting out running and EVERYTHING hurt).  I tried a new pair of Asics but I was still having problems with them and was now having hip pain.

Mel On...Runner's World Just Gets Me (Chicken-Quinoa Soup)

If I haven't said it before, I will say it now....I LOVE MY RUNNER'S WORLD COOKBOOK.  Like, for realz.

Yesterday was kinda icky and what is more comforting on a rainy, cold day than a big bowl of scrumptious soup after a lonely 10-miler?  Not much, my friends...not much...