Welcome back, favorite!

Like many runners, I have my favorite running socks. What's more, I have my favorite winter socks, favorite shorts-weather socks, favorite racing socks and favorite long run socks. Hey, socks are important!

My favorite shorts-weather and racing socks are my low-cut, thin Drymax socks. For the longest time, I had two pairs and I was always so happy when I would open my socks drawer and they would be clean and ready for me to wear.

And then I lost one. You know how it goes. One day I had two pairs then, after doing the laundry, I had one pair and one lone sock. It's mate had gone missing.

I kept the lone Drymax with the hope that I would someday find the mate, but really thinking that if ever I were to lose one from the working pair, I'd have a spare.

Well. Last night I found the mate!

And I have to tell you how.

Sometime around October every year, I switch the sheets over to flannel and I wash and pack away the crisp summer sheets. Then, in the spring I switch back. I've been back to the summer sheets for about a month now, but I've been mostly using one set. Don't worry, I do change them frequently but I just wash them and put them right back on the bed.

Yesterday, though, I put the sheets in the wash in the afternoon and, because I went out with some friends for dinner, forgot to put them in the dryer. When I got home at 10:00 it was too late to get them dried and back on the bed. So, I went in the linen closet and took out another set of summer sheets.

And what did I find, tucked inside the fitted sheet? Yup, MY SOCK!

Friends, that sock has been gone since last fall and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have it back! I mean, I'm back to two pairs of my favorite socks! Everything is right with the world!

Ah . . .

Well, today's Friday and I'm looking forward to a three day weekend! Have a great day, everyone -- and if you're looking at a three day weekend too, enjoy it!

~ Felice

PS: I'm giving away a $60 gift certificate over here!

Hello, morning.

I am really not a morning person and have never been much of a morning runner. I'm more of a night owl and morning sleeper.

However. Yesterday the temperatures crept into the 90s and when I tried to go for a run at 5:30pm it was just too hot and so I bagged it walked instead. I wanted none of that today so I woke up at 6:45 and went for a run.

It's a different world out there at 7am!

First, it is quiet. Second, the wildlife is out and about. I saw a turkey in the back yard and there was a whole gang of geese and goslings near one of the ponds in my neighborhood. They hissed at me a little but otherwise didn't seem to mind that I was on their turf.

It was also already getting quite warm (over 70* when I got back to the house) so I'm glad I got my run in when I did. There's no way I'd be able to do it tonight!

So, for today at least, just call me the Morning Runner (not to steal the moniker from blogging buddy J, but it applies for now!). We'll see how long I keep this up. I'm thinking positively and planning to get up for another early run tomorrow. But, who knows?

Happy Wednesday!

~Felice

PS: Cheribundi review over here. FUN giveaway coming later this week!

Running group update.

I haven't written about my running group lately but that doesn't mean they haven't been busy! For my first go at "training" a group of new runners, I think things have gone fairly well. We're less than two weeks from the big race so I thought I would share how the group has been doing.

We started out with a larger group and a few people dropped out along the way so going into the race on June 5th we have five new runners, one runner getting back into it after having a baby and my three key blogger buddies who've been awesome cheerleaders, supporters and running pals along the way.

First group run

The new runners are all moms of two kids, with the exception of Jen M., who has three. The fact that these women have successfully committed to making running part of their lives, while juggling the responsibilities of having all those kids -- never mind all the other stuff they have to do -- is proof that if you decide you want to do something, you can do it.

Chilly group run

"My runners" (as I often refer to them, you know, in my mind) started out 11 weeks ago, barely able to run for 5 minutes and now they are all regularly running 2+ miles and have covered more. A week and a half ago, they ran the 3.1-mile race course, so I know they can go the distance!

Since mid-March, I've made weekly plans for each of them and they've all done their best to run according to what I have laid out. They've dealt with twinges and tweaks in their muscles and joints and we've worked through them.

Before running the race course

This week and next are mini-tapers and then they'll be set for the race. Personally, I can't wait. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they cross the finish line!

If you want to read more about any of "my runners" -- ha! -- I profiled each of them for a series of articles here: New Runner Profiles.

Have a good day -- it's going to be in the 90s here, we'll be outdoors but trying to stay cool!

~ Felice

Don't say it out loud.

Whenever my hairdresser tells me something that is going well, she prefaces it with, "I don't want to say this out loud, but . . . " and then gives me the good news. It goes like this: "I don't want to say this out loud but, my son is sleeping through the night." Or, "I lost 5 pounds -- I shouldn't have said that out loud!"

She fears that saying something out loud will jinx it.

It's her thing and it's kinda charming. Silly, I've always thought, but charming nevertheless.

Only, now I'm thinking it might not be so silly. See, I recently wrote about how great! and positively super-duper! this whole pregnancy and running while pregnant thing has been going. I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. Or written it, as the case may be.

Since that post, it's been tough to get my runs in. In the last week I ran a only 14.9 miles and my last run was the pits. I haven't had such a cruddy run in a long time.

There were a number of things working against me: Owen was away all weekend and I was desperate for a run when he got home yesterday around 2:30 so I headed straight out. It was hot. And sunny. And I don't think I had had enough to drink. And I was beat from the weekend.

So the run was crud. Full on crud. My legs were heavy. My belly was bouncing more than ever. I had to pee. My breathing was off and my pace was slow. After 3.5 miles I called it a run and a week.

Today, I'm taking the advice I've been giving my new runners and putting that cruddy run behind me. And hoping that maybe saying it out loud will jinx it. Wouldn't it be nice if you could jinx your cruddy runs? If you have that power, can you send it my way?

I hope everyone had a great weekend full of non-cruddy runs! Enjoy the week!

~ Felice