Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Slacker Half Marathon 2014 Race Recap ~ Our First Run-Cation!



There's nothing like running 13.1 miles to celebrate 13 years of being married to this incredible man God brought into my life many years ago!

Now that our kiddos have gotten a bit older, they're starting to enjoy summer trips to see Grandparents in the summer, while Mommy and Daddy enjoy some alone time.  As hard as it is to be away from them, it's always a great reminder that we are husband and wife first, and daddy and mommy second.  My mother-in-law came and picked up the kiddos on that Wednesday and then Thursday Josh and I headed to the mountains.  Last year we went to Dillon, CO to stay the night before I ran the Slacker Half Marathon and it was just beautiful, but we didn't really have the time to enjoy the area, so we were excited to have a little extra time this trip!

We took our time traveling to Dillon and once again we were just blown away by the view.  Friday morning we enjoyed not being wakened by an alarm or little people and then went for a 2 mile run just to get rid of some pre-race jitters and to adjust to the elevation (or try to anyway).  The run along the Dillon lake was absolutely gorgeous!  After we ran 2 miles we walked and chatted for 2 more miles.  I remember telling Joshua how had we not started this journey of becoming more active, we wouldn't have even taken the time to enjoy such a beautiful run/walk.

 Is this view not just breathtaking?  God is SO good!!!


This wonderful man has always supported my journey to getting healthier, 
but absolutely nothing compares to being on this journey together!


This little morning run was a perfect reminder of why I enjoy this sport so much!


Dinner at the Dam Brewery.  Oh, he always makes me laugh!


Great food, a lovely glass of wine and the best company :)



Saturday morning finally came and it was time to head to Georgetown to be bused to the Loveland Ski area.  The temperature at the starting line was about 38 degrees and I was SO cold.  I had such a hard time taking off my sweatshirt, but I knew it was going to warm up quickly and I wasn't about to make the same mistake I did last year by dressing too warm.  To be honest though, I even had tears it was so cold.  But leave it to my husband to help me relax and get excited to run!

When we said 'I do' 13 years ago, I never would have dreamed about this very moment!  This was one of the most incredible times in our marriage.  Love him so much!!!



I felt so much better about this race than I did a year ago.  It's fun when you know what to expect and know the course.  For some reason though, I REALLY struggled through miles 5-7.  I started to have stomach cramps really bad, which I'm sure was due to the elevation and not eating and drinking enough before we got started.  I really didn't want to walk or stop at ALL through the entire race, but the cramping got so bad that I had no choice but to walk for just a bit and catch my breath.  Once I did, the rest of the race was enjoyable!  I have to say that the encouragement from the other Team Beef members and runners was awesome at this race too!

This picture was around mile 10!  I can't believe I actually had a smile.



I'm so incredible proud of Joshua for completing his first half marathon race!  He wanted to finish in under two hours, but believe it or not... he finished in TWO HOURS AND ONE MINUTE!  He's still a bit bitter about the fact that the bottleneck of runners at the starting line and a potty break prevented him from meeting his goal.  I'm still so incredibly proud of him!!!



I struggled again right before the finish line, but there my hubby was to help me finish as he ran with me the last little bit (even after he had already finished his half marathon)!  I finished in 2:20 which was 7 minutes faster than what I ran it a year ago, so I was happy!  It was such an incredible reminder of this journey we're on together.

We celebrated finishing and then headed back to Dillon to relax and enjoy our last evening away.  I still struggle with getting headaches when I run 10 miles or more from getting dehydrated, so I was prepared for one to come and ready for a nap.  One of these days, I'll get it figured out :)



After a nap and dinner we went to the Dillon Ampitheatre and enjoyed some live bluegrass music, a beautiful sunset and a gorgeous view of the mountains and lake.  I've never felt so refreshed and connected to my dear husband than I did after this trip.



I hope that we can plan another Run-cation together (I would even love for this to be an annual event for us).  It was definitely one of the best trips we've had together!  Fellow married couples ~ I challenge you to think outside the box on your next getaway.  Although, we've really enjoyed other trips, planning and preparing for this one was incredibly special and certainly some memories I will cherish!  

After such a special getaway, we were certainly ready to get the kiddos home!  
We all made some pretty special memories and we're so grateful for the time our kiddos get to have with their grandparents!!!


Blessings,

Krystal





Sunday, July 6, 2014

Stitch Fix #8 Review

As I've shared before, I really enjoy Stitch Fix!  I've had several fixes over the last several months, but haven't shared about my experience in a while so I thought I would take a minute as I really enjoyed my recent fix.  I also wanted my stylist to see the clothes she picked out for me.  I hate shopping, but have enjoyed someone else overhauling my closet, because it REALLY needed it.  I love how Stitch Fix has also recently changed how you can set up your automatic 'fixes.'  I was doing it once a month, but I found that was a bit too much.  So, I've set up to get a 'fix' every other month, which has been just right to update my closet while being a bit easier on the budget.



Here's a recap of the 5 items I received this time.  I apologize, the pictures aren't great, but I greatly appreciate the effort from my husband.

1.  Fuchsia Jo Maxi Skirt - $58 ~  I have a confession to make with this one.  I've never been a huge fan of Maxi skirts.  Part of the issue is being so short, they never look quite right.  When I submitted my feedback, I shared the same thing with my Stitch Fix stylist, but told her that I would give it a try. Then after trying it on again, it was actually one of my favorites in this fix!  I love how the more my stylist gets to know me, the more she pushes me outside of my comfort zone.

2.  Light Pink Rosco Floral Print Crochet Detail Tank - $58 ~  I had pinned several crochet tops on my Pinterest board, so my stylist sent me a couple of them.  I love how you can pin items you like on Pinterest and then similar items show up in your fix.  It's almost like magic :)

3.  Ally Teardop Stone Bangle - $88 ~ Again, I had pinned several bangle bracelets that I liked on Pinterest, so Jocelyn sent me one with this fix.  I've always struggled with accessories, so it's been fun to get them in my fixes as well!

4.  Alison Sleeveless Colorblock Dress - $68 ~ I asked for something fun for Independence Day with this fix.  It's a fun dress to dress up or dress down.

5.  Dane Crochet Panel Knit Shirt - $54 ~  Sorry, the picture of this top just doesn't do it justice.  I love the crochet detail of this top and it has cute details on the back too. A fun top to wear with jeans, shorts or a skirt.

I have had the same stylist from the beginning and Jocelyn, I hope you continue to be my stylist!  I also appreciate the fact that you save 25% if you keep everything in your fix.

For my next fix, I've asked Stitch Fix to help me plan for family photos since they did such a great job last year when I asked for something in dark green or brown.  They sent me this adorable green jacket (the jeans were from Stitch Fix too).  I absolutely loved not having to stress over my outfit for family pictures.


It really is a wonderful service due to the fact that I live so far away from places to shop, I have no fashion sense, don't like to shop, but am really starting to like fun clothes for the first time in many, many years!

Thanks Stitch Fix!

Krystal

The Kids' First 5K ~ Race Recap

As I've mentioned before 5k's are not my favorite race distance these days, but doing it as a family and with friends makes it my absolute favorite distance!  We debated whether or not to do a local 5k race even up to a couple days before just simply due to the fact that our schedules have been so busy lately and it was a week before our half marathon race in the mountains. Once the kids got excited about it, we knew we needed to take the morning to encourage our kids and let it be their race :).  It was also the first race for a dear friend of ours, so we were excited to run with her and her dear sister as well.  We love this local race, it's a small and friendly run.  Last year this race was our very first family run.  Thanks Lifestyle Fitness, for another wonderful race!

The kids were so cute getting ready for their race first thing in the morning.  There's something so encouraging and fun about sharing our love for running and taking care of our bodies with our kids!  God has designed our bodies to move and it's so fun to share this message as a family!  We also enjoy sharing the message that lean beef is a great source of protein for active families!!!  I apologize for the picture overload of this race... it was just such a special morning!


We were so proud of these kiddos!


Our dear friend helped design these adorable tanks.  We just love how cute they are and the message of Hebrews 12:1-2 it shares!  Rachael and Sara are such sweet sisters and so incredibly encouraging, sweet, Godly women.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for sharing this special day with us!!!


Oh, how I love this girl!  She has prayed, encouraged and reminded me of God's purpose on this journey from the very beginning!


Last year I ran with Kylee and Daddy ran with Jayce, so we decided to switch it up this year.  Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would see an image like this.  An incredible Daddy sharing such a special moment with his little girl!


I had no idea how much I would learn about my little dude through this race!  I have spent time working with Kylee on how to keep her pace, how to do run/walk intervals, but I hadn't worked with Jayce at all.  I was fully prepared for him to run a couple of blocks and then we would walk the remaining 5k, but oh boy did he surprise me.  This silly 5 year old took off at a sprint and ran for well over a mile without walking.  I had absolutely no idea he had it in him.  I also discovered how incredibly competitive he is.  It was a great reminder that there are other lessons to be learned running a race besides encouraging physical fitness.  I had to discuss with Jayce that the race is a great opportunity to encourage others and that it's important to finish the race!  This little guy touched my heart as anytime he passed or was passed by someone he reached out to give them a high five :)

Sweet Sara was definitely Jayce's budy!  She was so incredibly kind and gentle with him.



 When I asked Kylee what her favorite part of the race was, she didn't even hesitate to say that it was crossing the finish line with these ladies!  I don't think it matters how many races or how old you are, there's something amazing about each finish line!  


After a strong start, some tears and a piggy back ride on mommy, little dude finished strong!


This is one of my favorite pictures of the morning!  I love how Josh hurried to get to the finish line, so that he could capture these three lovely ladies coming across the finish line together.  


Kylee encouraging her little brother as he finished!


This was little dude's favorite part of the race... getting a snack when he finished!


Another one of my favorite pictures of the day.  These two ladies have such a special relationship!  And what a special way to deepen their friendship, running their first 5k together!  

Thanks Miss Rach, we love you so much!!!


Run the Race, Persevere & Focus on Christ!

Blessings,

Krystal






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