Race Training, Another Sick Cat, and Happy Dogs...

I have been trying to focus on training for my next half marathon that is coming up in just TWO days! Add a dash of work stress, and another sick feline, and a girl who is a total stress eater, (and ok, drinker!!) , has bad feet when training long distances, an 80+degree temperature day...and you wind up with someone who is not 100% sure about the outcome of her next half!

Yes, I will finish. I never expect a time, I just want to finish the race, get my medal, drink my beer, and lounge on the couch with netflix for the rest of the day!! It's all anyone can ask for, really!

I had a bit of a stressful situation at work this week, and in the middle of the ordeal, I was in our parking lot, where I witnessed a giant crow attacking a small bird. At first I thought it was a carcass, but the other little birds trying to attack the crow drew my attention. The little bird it had pinned down was trying to break free.

I'm a sucker for animals. I got emotional, plugged my ears, and closed my eyes. After a few seconds I had to try to save that bird, so I ran toward the crow yelling, and stomping! The little bird was free!

It hopped three times, went airborne...and it flew full speed... right into our office window...and promptly fell to the ground. It broke my heart.

I know it's nature and all, but I felt awful for that little birds demise. Totally ruined my day!

I've also been having the same issues with my last and only cat, who can't eat. She's back to the vet tomorrow to undergo anesthesia to look at her mouth, since just like my last cat, all of her tests revealed NOTHING is wrong, but she just can't seem to eat food, despite her interest in it! Stay tuned for this story.

Last year I had 4 cats, now I have just Fozzie girl. 

In happy news, the doggie pool is open, and these two have been enjoying it!

And these two participated in our bark for life event, to benefit the american cancer society. They are wearing their bandanas proud!

Being a Runner...

I love all of my bibs and medals!!

I've only been running for about 3 years now. I started at the urging of one of my best friends, who caught the bug. I did my first race, which was a relay where I earned a medal for a mere 3.2 mile run.

I was hooked! Running for a medal felt fantastic! I've since run countless races from 5k to 15k, and I have 5 half marathons under my belt (soon to be 6!!)

I don't consider myself fast at all. I run a half anywhere from a 10.9 to a 12.3. Sometimes on a half, I need to walk for a bit. I have issues with my feet, or I get overheated. For some reason, this - mixed with the fact that I have a slow pace makes me think I am not a "real" runner.

I recently offered to run a 5k with a coworker, who had never even walked a mile. She wanted to sign up for a half marathon and I encouraged her to start small. Sometimes you can have big dreams when you don't first take the small steps.  I told her I would run with her at her pace, no pressure.

Before we hit the one mile mark, she asked if we had run a mile. I said no...so we had to walk. I coached her through trying to control her breathing, because she felt like she was too out of breath. I encouraged her to get out of her head because I knew her mind was telling her to quit, because I'd been there.

In the end she did her first 5k at 44 minutes, and there were about 40 people who finished after us.

She was so thankful that I encouraged her, and helped her be the best that she could be. It felt amazing.

And...she wants to do another race!

We have already found our next one, an 8k (just under 5 miles) and this one...has a MEDAL! She is going to actually train for this one!

I read an article recently that stated "there are no slow runners". I guess I am beginning to believe this. Just because I don't blow past everyone on a race doesn't mean I am still not doing my best. And I am the only one I am competing with in the end!

If you ever felt the urge to run a race, do it! No one cares how fast you run. And you just migh be amazed at all of the support you get along the way from fellow runners...from the ones you pass, to the ones that pass you! It's a really neat community to be involved in. You shouldn't be intimidated, because in the end we are all out there for our own personal reasons!

Most of all...because we kind of like it!!

Hiking With Little Dogs...

I am very lucky to live near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I guess I had taken this for granted until I got into running. I have discovered so many beautiful places along the trails over the past few years.

Today I decided to take the dogs on a hike to see blue hen falls, which is a short marked path from the trailhead,  and buttermilk falls..which is a bit further, and an unmarked trail that required about 5 water crossings, and a leap of faith that you would find it.

These two rescues made my heart smile with how happy they were today just being loved dogs! Magoo is so timid, but he followed Bohannon over big logs, and climbed steep riverbed walls!

Mr. Magoo and Mr. Bohannon surveying the land! Brothers!

The boys had to cross a lot of water and other obstacles to get to the falls, but they loved it!

Blue hen Falls

buttermilk falls

There were a few rock stacks, so I left one in memory of my 5 pets I have lost over the years. 

Mr. Bohannon never sits still...he actually sat and looked out over the water today!

I have also recently found success with the thundershirt for Magoo, my puppy mill rescue that has extreme noise anxiety. I was skeptical, watched the videos, read the feedback...but I still didn't believe it.

I took a quick video of Magoo who hates medical shows for the equipment beeping..laying back down after hearing the beeps with his shirt on...and a shot of him without it on, running scared. 

Video here. 

And not to leave my lone survivor cat out, I recently bought her a new cat tree to watch the birds at the window feeder.