#the bakers dozen half marathon

[bqstqnbruin]

Favorite Secrets

I’m on a Brock kick and I have no shame.

Keep supporting BLM! Me being the lazy ass I was, did not provide links, but here’s a post of resources that you can and should check out!

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“Hey, can you get me a grande iced macchiato?” one of your coworkers asks you on your way out. Your boss wanted coffee, you wanted coffee and any reason not to be stuck in the office on such a gorgeous day, so you volunteered to do the coffee run for everyone. The word spread around your office fast, this being the fourth person to stop you on your walk out the door to tell you their order and give you money for the twelfth drink order that you were going to have to carry. 

“Gotcha. I’m putting it on my card, so I’ll Venmo you the difference?” Once you get the ok from her, you make a beeline towards the door so no one else asks you for coffee. You already weren’t sure how you were going to carry the twelve drinks the three blocks from the coffee shop back to your office. Taking out your phone to rehearse the dozen drink order in your head so you don’t sound like an idiot when you approach the counter, you shift to the Find my Friends app to see if anyone is around to help you. 

“Hey, Rach,” you say into the phone when your roommate picks up. “I need help carrying drinks to the office, would you be able to help me? You’re at the dinner across the street.” 

“Uh, yeah,” you hear her say. You can hear a familiar voice on the other end asking who it was, for her to tell her to just say, “My roommate.” It sounded almost like Brock. You two had been seeing each other for about a month now, going on dates and hanging out, but you weren’t official or anything like that just yet. As far as you were concerned, he was free to see other people, but your roommate of all people? “I just need to pay for my lunch so I’ll meet you there. Sound good?”

“Sure. See you soon.” There was no need for you to feel anything about Brock being out to lunch with your roommate. You never said anything about her being off-limits, but you would think that a guy wouldn’t date a girl and her roommate at the same time, right? 

You get into the Starbucks, the line not too long considering the lunch rush was just about over. Going over the twelve drinks in your head yet again and praying that you don’t mess anyone’s up, you zone out and find yourself staring out the window. Your attention snaps across the street to the cafe, where you see the familiar red hair of Rachel in the arms of an equally familiar broad-shouldered blonde haired boy. When they pull away, you finally make the connection. The guy on the phone with her was Brock. Why were they at lunch together? Why didn’t she tell you? And why were you freaking out over this? 

You get up to the cashier and start spitting out the orders, apologizing profusely for the long order like the millennial/gen-z cusper you were. After what seemed like too long, Rachel finally comes up to you, a weird happiness about her that you’ve only seen when she’s been out with someone she really likes. 

“Hey, love. How’d you get roped into getting a baker’s dozen coffees?”

“Just a dozen, not a baker’s dozen, thankfully. Holding thirteen coffees seems like some weird bad luck omen just waiting to ruin my life,” you joke, trying to remain calm. Do you ask her why she was with Brock, or do you play it cool? Well as cool as you can considering the marathon your mind was running after seeing Rachel with Brock. 

“You have such weird superstitions. Why do I live with you?” 

“Who else would?” you joke, earning a smack on the arm from her, “But how was lunch? Was it a treat yourself kinda day or were you meeting up with someone?” 

“Uh, just meeting up with someone from school.” She still has a smile on her face, but she won’t look you in the eye. Why was she lying? Do you tell her you know she was with Brock?

“Oh, who?” The two of you have been in school together since high school; everyone she knew, you knew. Why won’t she just tell you?

“Remember, Bailey?”

“From my history class? You hated him. Rachel, he told you your eyebrows were uneven while you were hooking up.”

“We’re in public!” she says, blushing, but still smiling, “And besides, we had a class together last semester; we just sort of forgot about that whole freshman year crap and became friends. He was back in the city, so he hit me up to grab lunch.” 

All of you hated that she was lying right to your face. You just wanted to know why? There was no reason for you to be this upset over her getting lunch with Brock; one of her friends from work was friends with one of his friends or something like that. Basically, she had a closer connection to him than you did, so why should it matter?

The barista finally calls your name with your annoyingly large coffee order, you apologizing for what was probably a fourth time over how large it was while Rachel takes two of the trays and you take one. You needed the free hand to get into your building with your ID, and you couldn’t do that with two trays of coffee. 

Rachel goes on and on about something from work, trying to change subjects so that you won’t ask anything else about lunch. Neither of you were dumb; both of you knew she was lying and neither of you wanted to admit it. 

As you get back to your office, your phone starts buzzing in your pocket with messages. Brock had sent a string of texts; two memes that he found and wanted to share with you, and then ‘any chance I can see you tonight??’ Even though you were paranoid that he was seeing your roommate, you couldn’t help but smile at the thought of seeing him. 

“Who’s got you blushing?” Rachel asks, craning her neck trying to see your phone. “Is it Brock?”

“Uh, yeah, he wants to see me tonight.” 

“What are ya gonna do?” she asks in a slightly childish voice, wiggling her eyebrows. 

You had told him that you would, asking what he was planning. “He said that it was a surprise, but dress ‘nice.’ What does that mean?” 

“Ask him how nice?”

“I don’t think he would know how to answer that question.” 

You both burst out laughing; the boys you had dated in the past had never been good at suggesting proper attire for the date, they were as vague as Brock was, or they wouldn’t even say anything at all. One guy once told you that they were taking you somewhere really special, so you wore a nicer dress. He ended up taking you to his brother’s senior day for his college lacrosse team. You haven’t seen that guy since. 

“I can help you pick something out when we get home?” Rachel suggests once you get up to your office. The swarm of people comes for their coffee, you starting to Venmo each of them for whatever change they were owed. 

“Yeah, that sounds great!” With everyone trying to figure out which coffee belonged to them, you nearly forgot that you had seen Rachel and Brock literally on a date not even half an hour before. “I’ll see you at home.” 

-------

“What could he possibly have planned that would require me to dress ‘nice?’ And what does nice even mean? Like something that I would wear to work? Something that I would wear when we go out to the bars on a Saturday night? Something that I would go to Mass in when my parents come to town and force me to go with them?” You were freaking out over Brocks date attire suggestion. The entire rest of your day at work, you had been trying to get him to tell you more about what you were doing. All he said was that you were going to like it. Nothing more. 

But what was even worse was when you had called him on your way home from work, like you did at least once a week. You had asked him what his day had been like, and all he said was that he had practice. You knew he was at that cafe. There are only so many men in Vancouver who look like a Disney prince like he does. It had to be him with Rachel.

“It could be worse. It could have been like the lax guy.” 

“Men are so dumb,” you turn to her, a shirt in your hands. “What about this?” 

“That makes you look like a nun.” 

“Hey!” you say, throwing it at her. “Can you please actually help me instead of just sitting on my bed playing with the pillows?” Every time she was in your room, she had a habit of rearranging the pillows that were on your bed. She hated the way you had them and didn’t seem to care that you liked them that way. 

“I don’t get why you don’t like my pillow arrangement. You would spend so much more time on your bed if you had them like this instead of just the pile that you had.” She gets up and goes over to your closet, flipping through the clothing that you had. “What about this?” She pulls out one of the rompers that you got and have never worn. You loved it, you just hadn’t had a place to wear it yet. 

“Is that too nice, though?” Boys not knowing how to describe fashion was frustrating. 

“Nah, wear it, with these shoes.” She practically chucks the nude pair of sandals that you have at your head, you just barley dodging them since she wasn’t looking where she was throwing things. “Can I borrow this at some point?” she asks, pulling out your black cardigan. 

“Get out.” You push her out the door, taking the cardigan and shutting the door behind her. You lean against your door. Why didn’t you know how to ask her why she was with Brock? It was too late now; Brock was going to be at your place to pick you up in less than half an hour. Knowing Rachel, any story or explanation she would conjure up would take at least an hour for her to get through. 

‘Can’t wait to see you :)’ came up on your phone from Brock, which mean he was just about to leave his place. That also meant you had hurry the fuck up and get dressed instead of rearranging the pillows thanks to Rachel. 

But what was Rachel doing with Brock at lunch today? Should you ask him about it? But he already lied to you. You just wanted to know why they both lied. 

“Wow,” Brock says when you finally get into his car. “You’re... you look... wow.” 

You can’t help but blush at his stammering. “Thanks, you look pretty wow yourself. But where are we going?” 

“You’ll see,” he smirks, pulling away from your building.

He starts talking about something going on within the team, but you weren’t paying attention. He looked so good in his outfit; a white short sleeve button down with powder blue dress pants and brown shoes. It was admittedly a fuck boy outfit, but hey, he pulled it off. While driving, you realized your eyes were in his direction, but you weren’t actually looking at him. You were zoning out, freaking out about earlier still, the same questions running through your mind over and over again: why, why, why?

“Hey, Y/N? We’re here.” He parks his car, rushing out to help you out from the passenger side. 

“The aquarium?” you say, excited. You’ve always loved going to the aquarium since you were a little girl. The best moments in your life were always there; your parents told you that you were going to have a little brother one time when they took you, you found out your cousin got engaged while you were there on a school trip, you got your acceptance letter to your top choice university, you got the most incredible job offer while there with your fraternity for a social event. Everything good came from a day at the aquarium, no matter what aquarium it was. 

“Have you ever been to one before?” he asks, taking your hand and leading you inside.

“Anytime I go to the aquarium, something good always happens.” 

“Oof, I’ve got a lot to live up to then, don’t I?” 

“Well, that just means you tell me or do something great. So no pressure,” you joke as he leads you further into the aquarium, not stopping for anything. “Wait, but, look at the fish!” you whine like a child as he pulls you deeper into the building.

“We have time for that later, don’t worry.” You didn’t think the aquarium could actually be that big, but after walking for what seemed like forever, he finally stops. “Are you ready for this?” You nod as he leads into one last room; glass walls surrounding the entire room, fish, sharks, turtles, everything you could imagine swimming around the enclosure, with a blanket and picnic basket set up in the middle of the room. 

“What is this?”

“This is the first part of our date tonight.” 

“The first part?”

He sits you down, starting to take out the food from the basket. “Well yeah, I have a whole night planned. Here, dig in,” he hands you a container, still a little warm full of penne a la vodka, one of your favorite meals.

“Where’d you get all this?” you ask, starting to dig in, “Holy shit this is so good.” 

“I made it!”

“Seriously?” You had no idea he could cook, but damn you were glad he did. You loved spending time with him, you just wish this were more of a permanent dating thing, not him seeing your roommate behind your back and both of them lying about it. “Ok, but you have to tell me what else you have planned.” 

“Well, by the time we were finished eating, we would have enough time to get over to Lighthouse Park where we could watch the sunset together and be all corny and sappy and crap because you love sunsets, and then go to Earnest Ice Cream where they have your three favorite flavors: lavender, birthday cake, and London Fog.”

You sit there, mouth wide open in shock. You don’t remember telling him any of that, but he had planned the absolute perfect date. “How did you know? And why now?” 

“Well, I was gonna wait until the sunset to ask you, but, now that you said good things always happen at aquariums, I might as well do it now. And this is corny and cliche, but only because you love that” he starts, getting visibly nervous. He reaches out and takes your hand in his, his cheeks turning red, a smile covering his face, “Y/N, will you be my girlfriend?”

You wanted to say yes. You hadn’t been seeing anyone but him, but you weren’t sure if he was doing the same. But him asking meant that he would want to only see you right? “Can I ask you something first?” He looks slightly shocked by the lack of a real answer, but nods his head anyway, “How come I saw you with Rachel at that cafe for lunch? And then why did neither of you tell me about it?”

“Rachel lives with you. She knows you better than anyone. How else would I be able to plan the perfect date to ask you to be mine without spoiling everything? I’ve been, like, secretly meeting with her to plan everything out.” 

“You weren’t on a date with her?”

He starts laughing again, lifting you off the group so he can wrap you in a hug. “You’re the only one I want to date. You are the girl I want to be with.”

“I want to be with you too,” you tell him as he plants a kiss on your head. 

“So is that a yes?”

“Of course.” 

“I guess, though,” he says, separating himself from you just enough so he can look you in the face, “if this doesn’t work out, then I could go out with Rachel.”

You both start laughing, “Don’t push it, please.”

[phatjosh180]

Running 2018: Week 48/52

Running 2018: Week 48/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 15.6 miles        Training Miles: 2.5 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 17.15 miles TOTAL MILES: 32.75 miles

Monthly Miles

January 2018 Total Running Miles: 38.7 miles        Training Miles: 20.5 miles        Race Miles: 18.2 miles Walking Miles: 82.84 miles TOTAL MILES: 121.54 miles

February 2018 Total Running Miles: 31.85 miles        Training Miles: 28.…

[everlarkchristmasgifts]

Thanks to all the mods putting this Holiday prompt page together! Thank you for all your hard work and contributions to the Tumblr everlark family now and in the past.

A/N: This is part one of a hasty, four-day attempt to multi-part a drabble set for @everlarkchristmasgifts ‘s prompts. It may not get done on time, but they say it’s good to believe in miracles at Christmas, lol.

This part rated G

Thanks to @alliswell21 for giving it a beta read on quick notice.

And… *deep inhale, because why on earth am I trying to butcher one of my favorite stand alone drabbles with a sequel???**… this follows on the events of Pasty White Raisin.

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“Shopping…”

It was twelve days to Christmas. They’d missed Christmas last year. It could’ve been their first Christmas, but Peeta had been too stubborn to let a woman “waste her life” on a washed-up baker twelve years older than her.

She’d won, by the end of the Winter thaw. He’d already been in love, but he’d finally let himself love, and everything that had seemed to mean to him.

Well, everything within the parameters of being a gentleman.

He’d insisted on her making him work for her good favor, and at first it had been a funny game, his insistence that he court her, a delicious, slow romance of soft kisses and interwoven fingers and getting to know each other over conversations, dinners, or during walks. But the game had given him time to reconsider what he might be getting in to.

Which was robbing her of a future she deserved.

So ultimately, he’d come to use the game as a way to buy time to fortify the barriers so strongly she’d be forced to admit she should cut her losses.

And when she’d still refused, he’d cut her losses for her, before the summer heat had waned, with an “I’m sorry, Katniss, this isn’t working for me,” followed instantly by firing her from doing the bakery’s books, which she’d been doing part-time for the low cost wage of a half-dozen cheese buns a week, and refusing to respond to her texts or voicemails.

At Thanksgiving, she’d shown up at his door, asking if they could spend the evening together, talk. Consider reconsidering.

He’d shaken his head and closed the door on her, but not before his face had presented a few moments of unmasked regret and longing.

She’d almost gone to a hardware store for an ax to chop his door off its hinges.

When she’d called her uncle Haymitch in tears from her car, still sitting in the bakery’s parking lot, he’d agreed chopping down Peeta’s door was an acceptable strategy, except there wouldn’t be a hardware store open on Thanksgiving Day.

So this Christmas season— the Christmas that could have been their second Christmas, or at least their first— just a year after she’d chosen him, the rejection had left its mark on her. She couldn’t face flying out west to spend Christmas with her sister and mother. Would not be able to muster the emotional energy necessary to pretend she was okay for a whole evening spent with her friends, despite their invites.  

No, she and Haymitch were going to spend it getting drunk on vodka, eating crock-pot roast and microwaved mashed potatoes, and watching either a marathon of The Profit, or Rocky, depending on which one of them won the coin toss.

So with twelve days to Christmas, Katniss Everdeen decided it was time to say goodbye once and for all.

Well, twelve times, for all.

Twelve ways to say she loved him.

Twelve ways to say goodbye.

Twelve ways to say both at the same time.

Twelve days, twelve gifts.

And it was going to start with a Thursday, lunch hour shopping trip.

“Kat, where you going?”

Odair was the afternoon manager for the restaurant side of the brewery operation where she was a bookeeper. He’d stepped so quickly in her way she almost couldn’t stop before walking into him.  

His hands here clasped behind his back and he was grinning. His up-to-something look.

“Lunch,” she said, guarded.

“Right. It’s treason to buy lunch from somewhere other than here. And anyway, you eat lunch from a brown bag. Every day. You’re so frugal, you probably even reuse the same bag until it’s toast. No, Katniss Everdeen looks like a woman on a mission.”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Then it would make sense to get out of my way.”

He studied her as though he could read her secrets if he looked hard enough.

“You off to see that baker guy of yours? Because I would love one of his everything bagels, and Annie likes the peanut butter chip cookies.”

Katniss swallowed and fought off a wave of pain.

“No, I’m going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping.”

“Oh, perfect then,” like magic, his hand was suddenly in front of her face, waving a hundred dollar bill, as though he already knew where she was heading and was just enjoying teasing her about the other, “I need something pretty for Annie. I was thinking a necklace.”

Katniss felt an urge to punch him, but started to step around him instead. He stepped in her way again, grin back on his face.

“Come on, help a guy out. The last time I picked out jewelry for her, it was a total flop, and you remember it.”

“Finnick, the only reason it flopped, was because you thought it’d be funny to give her a used pendant with someone else’s initials on it.”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny. That thing was an antique. And it was beautiful, and I knew the emeralds would set off her eyes. And anyway, the first initial matched.”

Katniss just shook her head; his problems were his, thankfully.

“Have to go, bye.”

He snagged her hand, yanking her momentum to a stop and then slapping the bill into her palm.

“Just in case something jumps out at you.”

“You realize how terrible it is to ask another woman to shop for your girlfriend.”

Finnick shrugged. “You’re not another woman, you’re basically family. And anyway, I already have her other gifts bought. I just want a wildcard.”

Katniss scowled.

“Fine, but I’m taking two hours for lunch, without losing the extra hour of pay, and you have to cover in case someone needs a bank run.”

Odair winked, then walked off with a, “Thanks, Katniss. You’re the second-best.”

Katniss shoved the bill into her jean’s pocket, so it could help her debit card burn a hole into the denim.

___

She knew what the first gift for Peeta would be, so she parked near the entrance closest to the woolen shop. Unfortunately, that entrance was the least used, and its parking more like the back forty. With Winter being stubborn about providing snow for Christmas, and the mall neglecting to plow that section, by the time she was inside, her feet were wet and freezing from slogging through patches of standing slush.  There was a small hunting shop just inside the entrance, one of her favorite stores, and the moment she saw a pair of boots she’d been drooling over for six months on sale for forty percent off, she decided that if she was going to loosen up on the financial reigns enough that week to buy herself a sense of closure about Peeta, she might as well give herself that one treat.

Fifteen minutes later, she was stalking to the sweater shop in knee-high, front lace brown leather boots with reinforced heels and toes, all weather tread, and Gortex lined.  And to make it better, her toes were swaddled in thick, high-tech, sweat-wicking winter socks.

She was even smiling by the time she got to her intended destination.

But then as soon as she was inside, her heart sank.

Peeta’s first present was a sweater she’d been eying for him for almost a month, folded on a center display table just inside the entrance. Imported from Ireland, it was a heavy, rough-finish wool sweater, that had a faded quality to its blue.  The first time she’d seen it, she’d wanted him in it. Wanted to see how it contrasted with his light hair, complimented his blue eyes, hugged his shoulders, and layered over the waist of his jeans. Back then, she had still be holding hope he’d snap out of it, that maybe Christmas morning they’d be opening presents together and she’d get to see him in it, run her hands along down his arms to sense the feel of it, rest her palms against the scratchy texture of the wool, but feel the warmth and firmness of his shoulders and chest beneath.

But now, she wouldn’t get that pleasure. He would have the sweater. Hopefully, he would wear it. But regardless, she’d never get to see it.

If things went according to plan, someone else would.

She looked through the stack, finding his size and then laying it out, unfolded, over the rest. Her fingers stroked along the back and inside of the collar, where a beautiful, muted orange line of silky fabric had been sewn in to help prevent the roughness of the wool from rubbing against the sensitive flesh of his neck. It was even almost Peeta’s favorite shade of orange.   

A  friendly young clerk came up, asking if she could be of help. Her bubbling mood was a knife-stab to Katniss’ heart, so Katniss told her she had other shopping to do and was in a hurry. The girl agreed to wrap it and have it waiting for Katniss to pay for and pick up on her way back out of the mall.

The next stop was Eddie Bauer, where she had a clerk box a wheat-colored Henley on a bed of black tissue, hand it over long enough for Katniss to finger press a dog ear into the collar where the top button would normally be, and then finish with the full-on Christmas wrapping treatment.  Her first hour was almost up.

Neiman Marcus covered two more gifts, six depending on how one counted, and fortune favored her in a special find that saved her a side trip to Hot Topic.  Plus, the clerks there were fast wrappers. She had thirty minutes left for this trip, and, for this trip, only two more items to go.

The most expensive.

A boutique, ultra-high end men’s store cost her savings account exactly eight hundred, forty-seven dollars and sixteen cents. The gift wrapping took absolutely forever. But everything about the work, from the paper, to the simple ribbon, to the ridiculously expensive, and large, carry out bag, was immaculate. It almost made her cry.

It did make her cry, actually. Because signing her name to a payment slip that size made it crystal clear just what she had committed herself to do, and that she would not be the one to see the end result.

But she made a quick stop at Zales, saw what she instantly knew was the right call. It was just shy of two hundred and fifty after tax, but today was her day to spend on others, and Annie and Finnick were good friends, so she pocketed the hundred for her piggy bank, and paid for it out of her checking.

_____

“You’re late. Nice boots.”

“What?”

Finnick rooted around in the Zales bag she handed him for the necklace box.

“You’re late. You said two hours. It’s been a hundred and twenty-seven minutes. Did you stop at the bakery and bring us the bagels?”

“I didn’t have time.” Thankfully.

“Then I’m docking you the seven minutes,” he said without missing a beat, and when he finally got the red velvet box open, his teasing fell away into a look of confusion, and then a threat of real emotion. “Katniss, how did you…”  He shook his head and the red headed prankster looked like he might actually hug her.

“Call it fate,” she said, and then started walking back to her office.  “And if you dock me those seven minutes, our next limited run is going to be called Odair Pale, ‘cause that’ll be the vat you’d drown in.”

_____

Katniss was out the brewery doors at 5:00pm sharp.  She managed to stop by the barber shop and the youth initiative before they closed by six, and that left only one purchase to go.

First, a stop at the bank.

Then, her final stop at the pawn shop.

The old man who owned the shop had held the item for her, and all that remained was for her to bring in the cash for it.

He was sitting at the counter like he was waiting for her— a sale like that, she was probably the one single person he was waiting for that day— and produced the item immediately, including the silky box that went with it, dull and stained by time. She carefully counted out the money, and he carefully wrote her out a receipt in his shaky handwriting.

Pawn shops didn’t gift wrap, but since it was raining, he found a used plastic bag from the back and gave her that to carry it away in.

It felt heavy, the plastic in her fingers as she walked back to her car.

Heavy like an ending.

Heavy like time moving on without her.

_____

By seven, the drizzle was threatening to turn to sleet with the evening’s cooling temperature.  Katniss shivered a little, trying to shrink further into her jacket, and was even more glad for her new boots, because the slush in the alley behind the bakery was even worse than it had been at the mall. The windows above her, on the bakery’s second floor were lit; Peeta was at home, no surprise.  He’d be watching television, maybe. Or even finishing dinner. Within an hour, he’d start thinking about bed.

For the six or seven months he’d let her into his life, she’d learned his habits fast.  They’d never shared a bed and never spent a night together, because he wouldn’t allow it— because he was going to ‘do things right’— but they’d spent plenty of time together.  By the Summer, they’d been seeing each other every day. And she’d found so much joy in the not rushing it. It had given them time to fully appreciate the excitement of almost innocent kisses and the silly, mutual attempts to find opportunities for them to be less than strictly innocent, the almost stolen thrill of sitting just close enough knees might touch, or arms might press.  The silences and times where they were just around each other, without having to feel pressure that being out on a date, or on a walk, or going to the bookstore together was somehow really only posturing for a race they were supposed to complete by end of the day.

She knew his hours.

Knew not to text him after seven thirty.

Knew he didn’t actually like texting at all, and preferred a phone call, if a personal visit wasn’t possible.

Knew which corner of his couch he liked to lean into when watching television.  Knew where his mugs were, and his glasses. Knew which drawer had the silverware, which hall closet had the extra hand towels for the bathroom. Knew he recycled cans, but often forgot to recycle plastic. Knew which episodes of Big Bang Theory were his favorites.

Each step up the steel-grate steps up to Peeta’s second-floor entry, brought another ‘knew’ to her mind, digging the knife a little deeper.

But she kept going, careful to duck a little near the top in case he happened to be at the kitchen sink window, and then leaning the box with the wool sweater against his door, with a note taped to it.

—Don’t open until six on Christmas Eve—

Just as carefully, she crept back down and then took up a position in the blackness behind the dumpster. A pocketful of little garden stones served as her ammunition, and she chucked three at his door with perfect aim.  

From the shadows, she watched Peeta’s face appear at the window, and then a moment later, light came flooding out from his doorway.  He saw the present right away, but looked around first to see who was there.

He called her name out and for a second she thought maybe he was able to see her after all, but after a few seconds of him leaning out over the rail and looking both ways down the alley, it was clear he didn’t.  He came back to the present, gave it a look over, and then went back inside.

She didn’t know whether to feel honored or sad that after a gift appeared for him, the only person he thought to call out in question to was her.

[livingwellpage]

How a Runcation Helped Me Get Out of a Workout Rut

Just get through mile one. This is what I tell myself whenever I head off on a run and feel tempted to turn right back around. The Jedi mind trick of it all is that after the first mile, I’ve found my groove and will just keep going. But as winter settled into New England last year, I noticed my little mantra was becoming an everyday necessity.

That’s when opportunity knocked, in the form of an invite to Jamaica’s Reggae Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K. It came from a publicist friend who was working with the island’s tourist board and knew that I often write about running. "Come for the run, stay for the fun," read the tagline. How could I worry about Mile One when surrounded by sun, sand, and surf?

Plus, this was my chance to experience a "runcation" (a vacay built around a race). The travel trend, which lets you simultaneously check a destination off your bucket list and fulfill a personal goal by crossing the finish line, has been growing steadily in recent years. And women in particular are embracing this double-duty getaway. The turnout at Destination Races—a series of half marathons held in wine regions in the U.S. and Canada—is "70 to 75 percent female," reports Matt Dockstader, the president of the organization. More than half the runners headed to the Reggae Marathon were women, too.

[brightcove:4874670933001 default]

Girl power getaway

A runcation is a way to take your girls’ weekend to the next level, explains Sarah Bowen Shea, cofounder of the popular online community Another Mother Runner. "If I want to meet up with my sorority sisters or the moms from my birthing class who now live in different parts of the country, it can be a challenge," she says. But when you organize your meet-up around a race, it becomes more doable.

It’s also a perfect activity for friends who share a passion for running, says Gina Imperato, who helps put on the Montclair Bread Co.’s 5K Doughnut Run and Baker’s Dozen 13.1 in New Jersey (and takes an annual runcation with her high school buddies). "Women get their strength from leveraging their community," she says. "Sure, we can race alone, but why, when it’s so much more fun in a group?" 

And it’s not just the long weekend you get to spend with your homegirls—you also experience weeks or months of bonding while training. "You can use apps like Strava, Dailymile, or even Facebook to encourage each other remotely," says Shea. It’s about having a shared goal, one that could strengthen the connection you already have.

Or, in my case, creating a brand-new connection. During the winding, nearly two-hour van ride from Sangster International Airport to the Cliff Hotel in Negril, I started chatting with a fellow journalist from Toronto. We kept the confab going through the entire trip, bonding over everything from our favorite Sean Paul song to dealing with the rigors of running outdoors year-round. I even told her about my Mile One mantra and the rut I feared I was slipping into, and her knowing nods felt instantly reassuring.

RELATED: How to Train Yourself to Run Faster

Finish strong

When race day arrived, I actually sprang out of bed, raring to go, despite my 3:30 a.m. wake-up call and the oppressive humidity that hit my face like a brick in the predawn darkness. And not once did I mutter anything about getting through the first mile as I gathered with the more than 2,300 other runners behind the starting line or when we all took off down the flat road. I was focused on running my own race.

As I passed the 10K course’s midway point, I started to tune in to my surroundings and told myself to take it easy. There were Bob Marley songs blaring from giant speakers and onlookers cheering from the sidelines. Members of running teams, wearing matching shirts, tried to keep one another’s spirits high. We were all feeling the steaminess of the weather, but also the camaraderie.

When I looked around at the thinned-out crowd of runners nearby, it was heartening to see such a range of people pounding the pavement (and sweating profusely) alongside me. Women, men, young high school track stars, older folks just keeping their own pace—everyone set on getting to the finish line.

All three of the races ended at the oatmeal-colored sands of Seven Mile Beach. When I finally made it, I kicked off my running shoes, peeled off my socks, and plopped down by the shore, soaking up every detail of the blissful moment. When I caught my breath, I found my new running-writer friend, and we hung out, dancing to the music from the main stage and toasting our finish with coconut water sipped straight from its freshly chopped source.

The trip boosted not only my running spirit but also my mood. I felt lighter and at ease, ready to step back into my life at home refreshed. The sun, the sea, the runcation experience in a vibrant country—it all helped me run my way out of a rut and discover a new way of seeing the world, one race at a time. My next destination: a half marathon in Nova Scotia this fall.

How a Runcation Helped Me Get Out of a Workout Rut published first on your-t1-blog-url

[swipestream]

Sensor Sweep: Creeps by Night, Grip, Gatekeeping, The Royal Netherlands Indies Army

Books (Don Herron): You may not know, but way back in 1931, the up-and-coming Wisconsin writer August Derleth teamed up with the newly famous detective novelist Dashiell Hammett to edit a collection of supernatural horror fiction titled Creeps by Night: Chills and Thrills.

Over the next forty years, Derleth would become one of the most prominent figures promoting the literature of horror, not only with the many anthologies and collections issued by his small press Arkham House, but with a baker’s dozen of his own mainstream anthologies, beginning with Sleep No More in 1944.

While Hammett’s fame as an author would only increase from that point on, Creeps by Night would be his single significant brush with the weird tale.

  Writers (Don Herron); It wouldn’t engage a flight of fancy to say that Robert E. Howard was known to have exaggerated a bit in his correspondence. Whether he thought he needed to impress his friends by inventing — or improving upon —  fights or marathon drinking binges he had either participated in or had been a witness to is something that most likely will never be completely uncovered by any Howard scholar.

But I’ve got one for you.

A 4th of July letter to future Arkham House co-founder, and Howard’s fellow contributor to Weird Tales, August Derleth has always attracted my attention.

Publishing (Walker’s Retreat): It’s time, folks. We’ve got the writers eating the lunch of the SJW-dominated tradpub world of SF/F novels and also, slowly, trying to find a way to bring back the old magazines so that short fiction can find a market again. Across the street (so to speak) we’ve got the comics guys kicking the SJWs in the crotch and taking their milkshakes. In both vidya and tabletop, SJWs are losing ground as their antics keep showing the customers how fucked in the head they are- opening the door to sane competitors like Alexander Macris and the Pundit. And behind the scenes, grinning with satisfaction as it all unfolds, is the Supreme Dark Lord sipping his wine while atop his skull-adorned throne.

Conventions (Superversive SF): After Liberty Con Superversive Livestream

  Gaming (RPG Pundit): Well, the last couple of classic rants have generated a lot of discussion on the subject of social interaction in RPGs, and why I think most systems for “social mechanics” (much less ‘social combat’ or things like that) are abominable. But a few people seemed to have some sense of confusion as to how I could in one blog entry praise the mechanics of the Reaction Table from D&D as an example of a useful social-RP tool, and in another condemn the idea of using social skills/mechanics/whatever as a substitute for actually being required to ROLEPLAY it. This is clearly a result of people not having really read, or not understanding, how I make use of the Reaction rolls in OSR play. So it’s time to be more specific about the nuts and bolts of it.

  Gaming (Niche Gamer): Here’s a rundown on the new mode and the game itself:

Releasing in fall 2018, GRIP will feature, among other modes, 19 challenging ‘Carkour’ maps in which players are challenged to master a series of increasingly mind-bending stunt courses. Eighteen maps are Point-to-Point, culminating in a final, ‘open’ map – a playground of jumps, twist and turns packed full of collectibles.

From the short, sharp, shock of the Easy (Airtime, Speed, Squiggly, Tubes, Upsy Downsy) and Normal (Live Jump, Scoops, Slide) courses to the more demanding Hard (Angles, Endurance, Rainbow Road) and Nightmare (Half Tubes, Loop Gap) runs, there’s something to challenge everyone irrespective of skill level. Carkour Mode is the perfect tonic for those looking to concentrate on fine-tuning their timing, speed, and spatial awareness before heading back into Campaign or multi-player modes.

  Culture (Kairos): By now it should be obvious to everyone that we are all, in a real and quantifiable sense, going back. Even a mainstream media organ as lost in the fog of Current Year chronological snobbery as the New York Times is now forced to admit that American culture has regressed as hard and as far as the 1980s.

I have spent the last month trapped in a wrinkle in time. Not the film, mind you, though that was quite the fashion moment, and not the book. Rather, sitting by the runways, hour after hour, day after day, city after city between Feb. 7 and March 7, I could feel myself slipping further down a wormhole into the past. One moment it was 2018; the next it was 1981 (or ’85, or ’88).

But here’s the thing: I have been there before. I’m not sure I want to go back.

  Gaming (Table Top Gaming News): So, you kinda got a quick bit of stories this morning, and with the Review Roundup, hopefully we’ll be back on track here.

Anyway, today we have: Ganz Schon Clever, Getaway Driver, Onitama: Sensei’s Path Expansion, Impulse, Alien Artifacts, and Tadmor.

  Culture (The Last Redoubt): Over at Kairos, Brian points out a discussion about gatekeeping, keeping SJW’s out, and how EVS/D&C/etc. are determined to keep SJW’s out but hate being called gatekeepers.

I feel their pain. I hate bullshit – more even that flat out lies.

This conflation is pure bullshit.

An expansion of what I posted as a comment at G+:

This is jailhouse / sea lawyer bullshit. The problem here is that we’re seeing a conflation of what gatekeeping commonly means to make the D&C/EVS/alt-comics crowd look like hypocrites.

  Gaming (Gaming While Conservative): It’s no exaggeration to lay the blame for the slow death of Western Civilization squarely at the feet of Lorraine Williams.  Her takeover of TSR led to the overwhelming popularity of Loser D&D, a style of play adopted by the broken souls who now lead the world.  Had Winner D&D continued to enjoy the popularity it had when  Saint Gygax stood at the helm of the USS Tabletop Gaming we would live in a world today that would make film Wakanda look like a real world African nation.

  Writers (On an Underwood No. 5): Every year I attend Howard Days, seeing the Howard House and Museum is a highlight, especially if the shop at the back of the house has new items for sale. This year was no exception. Among the items that were for sale in the museum shop this year were t-shirts with new designs. It’s not easy finding REH themed t-shirts, so getting new designs at the REH House and Museum is a nice plus.

  Military History (Osprey Publishing): Until 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands East Indies. In 1930, the area had over 60 million inhabitants and was a major exporter to Japan, providing some 13 per cent of its oil needs – second only after the United States. Following Germany’s occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940, Japan decided to expand its influence in the Netherlands East Indies.

Defending the colony was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). This force, designed primarily for colonial policing, underwent a series of cutbacks in the interwar years before adopting a modernisation programme in 1936, which focused on building up a strike air force, introducing tanks and increasing the firepower of the infantry and artillery.

  Sensor Sweep: Creeps by Night, Grip, Gatekeeping, The Royal Netherlands Indies Army published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[bord-at-running]

First half marathon for Ben's 'Baker's Dozen' this morning! Gloucester Half Marathon! Bring it on!

[thebsbakery]

So Many Cookies

I intended on having these following posts up way before now, but then holidays happened and everything basically blew up and everyone was doing everything and my sleep got messed up and then winter crapped all over the Midwest...*sharp intake of breath*

Basically, I'm finally getting the holiday cookies I sent and gave to people up on my foodblog. I figure this is the first holiday season in which I've had my foodblog, and I make a fuckton of cookies to send to people anyway so...rather than figuring out if my dinner is good enough to take pics of and put on the blog, I'll do a post-a-day series of the cookies I made.

Also, full disclosure; none of these recipes are mine. The red velvet cookies are made from a modified cake mix cookie recipe from Mr. Food, as did the recipes for the tea shortbread and pretzel balls. As for the swirl cookies, they're a modified chocolate-mint swirl cookie recipe I found on Tablespoon. I'm going to post the link directly to the recipe I used for each cookie, so don't expect any big list of ingredients.

Well, except for the cases in which I either added or changed something to suit my fancy.

Anyways, this is just the first blog post in a series of four, one for each sweet treat I made to give as Yule gifts. First up, the Red Velvet Cookies.

https://www.mrfood.com/Cookie-Recipes/Cake-Mix-Cookies-5053

What I changed for the cookies was switching out the devil's food cake mix for red velvet cake mix, and adding some white chocolate chips. Apart from that, I kept to the main recipe.

Also, I'm making a double batch, which is why there's four eggs and two boxes of cake mix. If you just want a single batch of cookies, simply follow the regular recipe. Also, there are plans for the dark candy melts and the vanilla bark, but that's later.

First step, if you're me anyway is mixing up the Dream Whip. If you'd just rather use the pre-made whipped cream topping you find with the rest of the ice cream stuff, skip this step. But mom usually keeps some Dream Whip in the cupboard, and it's basically the same thing so I just whip up a batch and use it instead.

Next, follow the recipe directions as they are, folding or mixing in the cake mix into the whipped topping. Then the eggs, et cetera. About half way through I added the white chips, mostly to save my own sanity as this is a very sticky dough and makes it really hard for the beaters of my hand mixer to, well, beat.

Also, if you're using a hand mixer like me, pay attention to the hand mixer. I ended up turning it off, unplugging it and setting it aside because it was overheating because it was working so hard to mix this dough (though that could also be partly due to the fact that I'd been using the thing all freaking day, too). Protip; if you're using a hand mixer and you start to smell plastic, turn the beater off, unplug it, and finish folding your dough together with a spatula.

Uuuunnfortunately due to my own scatterbrained-ness, I didn't get a pic of the finished dough. Dumb me. So just trust me when I say it was a deep, gorgeous blood red. And it smelled delightful, too.

Next, roll them into little balls (about ½ to ¾ of an inch in diameter), coat them in powdered sugar (or cocoa powder, or a mix of both like I did) and place them on your cookie sheet with an inch or two in between. This is where I say I freaking love my giant cookie sheets. It's a pain in the arse to be using a bunch of sheets where I can only fit a dozen or so cookies, when the recipe makes three dozen or more.

So yeah. Giant cookie pans are a godsend. I love them. I have three of these suckers and use the hell out of 'em.

Anyway, pop them into the oven and let them bake. They should be done in about twelve minutes, if you're using a working oven. This is why I went to my friend Kate's house, as she's got an oven that works properly and isn't stuck with a family of lunatics like Gamer is. She just has lots of fluffy purring cat loaves.

These are what they look like when they're out. You'll want the tops to be all nice and cracked, exposing the soft, gooey red insides.

...okay, yeah, I could've used better wording with that. But you get the picture.

Anyway, if you like you can stop here and nom on your cookies as-is. But, being the amateur baker and artist I am, I've got a couple more steps involved.

Steps involving melted chocolate and sprinkles!!

For those of you who haven't worked with melting chocolate before, you're gonna want a double-boiler. If you're doing a lot of dipping like I did with these, it'll be a lot easier than melting the chocolate in the microwave and less likely to burn. It's also, believe it or not, less mess.

Also, don't have your bowl of sprinkles sitting on the stove. I just did that here for visual's sake, and the stove was not on when I took this picture.

Once the dark chocolate's melted, dip the top of the cookies in it and then into the sprinkles.

I only sprinklefied half of my cookies, for a couple reasons. One is because of what I had in mind for the white melting chocolate. The other is because I had no idea if I had enough of the colorful sprinkles to do all of the red velvet cookies and I wanted to be on the safe side.

Turns out, I was right and didn't have enough for all the cookies. Being prepared really does help.

For the cookies that didn't get sprinkles, I melted some of the white chocolate and drizzled it over the tops of them and followed up with some of the red sugar sprinkles I had hanging around in the cupboard from last year's cookie-baking frenzy.

I know, I know. Traditionally, red velvet anything is paired with cream cheese frosting. And not for no reason, as they go together so damn well. But I decided to break with tradition a bit and top these with dark chocolate instead, and it paid off. Red velvet and dark chocolate go just as well together.

So, that's the first of the Yuletide cookie marathon. Tomorrow I'm going to post the strawberry-tequila-chocolate swirls. Yes, they use alcohol and no, they will not get you drunk.

[blueeyedcaffeine]

Day 28 ~ 12/31/17 #RoadtoBoston

Being able to celebrate another year is truly a blessing.  2017 marked a very special year for me.  It was filled with many PRs, trips of a lifetime and rare opportunities.  Here is a recap of my 2017 races.

On March 11th, in 26 degree weather where the real feel was in the single-digits, I ran 26.2 miles in my favorite city Washington DC.  It was a brutally cold day. Even the race organizers, Rock N Roll Race Series, tried to convince the marathoners to drop down to the half-marathon course.  But there was no way I was going to let 3 months of training go.  So I layered up and I ran the best marathon I’ve run to date coming in at 4:56:05.  I wasn’t tired nor was I hurting.  Was I cold?  Heck ya!  But I find that I actually run better in the cold.  Better doesn’t necessarily mean faster.  I loved getting my Marathon Finisher jacket and wore it proudly for the next couple of days.

On March 25th, two weeks after my DC Marathon, I ran the #FueledByDonuts Bakers Dozen Half Marathon in Montclair, NJ.  Another freezing cold day.  I believe it was 30 degrees at the start line.  But this race was the perfect mix of inclines for 13.1 miles.  There were two steep inclines, about 2 steep declines, a number of rolling hills and some flat roads.  And another PR for me!!  I came in at 2:00:27.  I wasn’t looking at my Garmin.  Had I known that I was only 27 seconds away from coming in under 2 hours, I would have sprinted my butt to that finish line.  This was a really fun race with a beautiful golden donut waiting for you at the finish line.

One week after running the Bakers Dozen, the hubby and I traveled back down to our favorite city, Washington DC.  We had gotten into the famous Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-mile run.  The best part of this race was that I got to run with my husband.  While he will run with me here and there, we haven’t raced together in a long time.  I stayed at his pace which is slightly slower than mine but was perfect for me just having finished a marathon and a half marathon in only 3 weeks before.  There was one section of the course that you entered a beautiful park filled with gorgeous cherry blossoms.  It was absolutely beautiful.  We would have tried again for 2018 but I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to run the 2018 Boston Marathon in April so running the Cherry Blossom again had to be put on hold.

On June 3rd the hubby and I hit the pavement again and this time running through the mountains of the Rockefeller State Park in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  This course is no joke.  I would not recommend this 10k to any beginner.  You need to be training to not only run in the trails but also up some serious hills.  If you aren’t careful you really can get hurt here.  But the hubby and I have trained on these trails plenty of time that we were prepared.  Not a PR for me but I still won as I got to have my husband run alongside me.

One week after running the Rockwood Ramble 10k, I headed up north to Poughkeepsie, NY.  On June 11th, I ran the Walkway over the Hudson Half Marathon.  Now this was a Half Marathon or Marathon race.  Let’s just say I was beyond happy that I only signed up for the half marathon.  It was about 80 degrees when the gun set off and the heat index was in the 90s.  Again the race organizers tried to convince those running the marathon (not me) to go down to the half marathon course due to the heat.  I started great, I felt great but by mile 10 the heat just really got to me.  I know that had I maintained at my pace (it was a pretty flat course) I could have came in below 2 hours but it was just too hot and I felt like I couldn’t breathe.  At Mile 11 I saw my hubby at the sideline waiting to run alongside of me.  It it wasn’t for him, I think emotionally I would have shut down and given up.  But he kept me going and I was really starting to slow down at this point.  At around Mile 12 these kids were handing out frozen Icees and OMG was that the best Icee I’ve had in years.  Mile 13 sucked because there were a few uphills but I finished strong at 2:02:19.  I was OK that I didn’t PR.  To be able to run any race is truly a blessing.

Shortly after my Walkway over the Hudson half marathon I started training for my upcoming NYC Marathon.  To be honest I didn’t train as much or as smart as I could have for New York.  Between summer socialization including a vacation of a lifetime (London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam) and also a last minute minor operation that I had to have, I had a bit of a set back.  I really didn’t start training until September which meant a 12 week training schedule unlike the 22 week for Chicago or even the 16 week for DC.  But for those 12 weeks I clocked in more miles that I ever have.  I now know that it’s not just about the miles.  You have to incorporate cross-training of some sort.  

On October 29th I received a call that I will never forget.  I got a call from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center asking me to run the 2018 Boston Marathon for their Kidney Research Team.  See, I, and an overwhelming amount of my family, are personally affected by a rare congenital kidney disease called Alport Syndrome.  I immediately set off to raise $10,000 for the charity and was utterly beside myself when I hit my initial goal on December 27th.  I couldn’t believe that 4 months before the race I hit my goal.  Yet another blessing.  

Lastly on November 5th I ran the New York City Marathon.  What a marathon.  Their slogan is “It will move you!” and that statement couldn’t be any truer.  Never in any race have I ever seen so many people line the streets.  It was cold, it was raining yet the thousands packed the streets cheering on the 52,000 runners.  It wasn’t my best race but it also wasn’t my worse.  Emotionally I was a complete mess.  Perhaps the energy of the race was just so overwhelming that it got to me.  But I crossed that finished line, got my poncho and went home to reflect on my race.  It was a great race.  It was very touching.  And I’m glad I did it as mentally I needed NYC to prepare me for what is yet to come in Boston.  That said I think one day I will like to go back and give NYC one more try so that I can finish at the time I know I could do it at.

Recapping my 2017 races reminds me of how much I love to run.  I cannot wait to see what else 2018 brings.  So I hope you enjoyed reading about my races just as much as I enjoyed recapping them.  Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!  Remember:  You can sit here and dream about it or you can go out and make it happen.  I choose to make it happen!

[phatjosh180]

Running 2018: Week 48/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 15.6 miles        Training Miles: 2.5 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 17.15 miles TOTAL MILES: 32.75 miles

Monthly Miles

January 2018 Total Running Miles: 38.7 miles        Training Miles: 20.5 miles        Race Miles: 18.2 miles Walking Miles: 82.84 miles TOTAL MILES: 121.54 miles

February 2018 Total Running Miles: 31.85 miles        Training Miles: 28.75 miles        Race Miles: 3.1 miles Walking Miles: 83.31 miles TOTAL MILES: 115.16 miles

March 2018 Total Running Miles: 63.65 miles        Training Miles: 26.85 miles        Race Miles: 36.8 miles Walking Miles: 99.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 163.15 miles

April 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.7 miles        Training Miles: 28.5 miles        Race Miles: 26.2 mile Walking Miles: 83.95 miles TOTAL MILES: 138.65 miles

May 2018 Total Running Miles: 55.8 miles        Training Miles: 26.5 miles        Race Miles: 29.3 miles Walking Miles: 121.1 miles TOTAL MILES: 176.9 miles

June 2018 Total Running Miles: 60.05 miles        Training Miles: 20.75 miles        Race Miles: 39.3 miles Walking Miles: 99.17 miles TOTAL MILES: 159.22 miles

July 2018 Total Running Miles: 74.9 miles        Training Miles: 25.5 miles        Race Miles: 49.4 miles Walking Miles: 95.65 miles TOTAL MILES: 170.55 miles

August 2018 Total Running Miles: 59.05 miles        Training Miles: 25.85 miles        Race Miles: 33.2 miles Walking Miles: 49.69 miles TOTAL MILES: 108.74 miles

September 2018 Total Running Miles: 0.00 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 0.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 0.0 miles

October 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.05 miles        Training Miles: 34.45 miles        Race Miles: 19.6 miles Walking Miles: 82.32 miles TOTAL MILES: 136.37 miles

November 2018 Total Running Miles: 26.15 miles        Training Miles: 13.75 miles        Race Miles: 12.4 miles Walking Miles: 68.53 miles TOTAL MILES: 94.68 miles

December 2018 Total Running Miles: 13.1 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 2.09 miles TOTAL MILES: 15.19 miles

2018 Miles

Total Running Miles: 560.8 miles        Training Miles: 260.9 miles        Race Miles: 299.9 miles Walking Miles: 971.91 miles TOTAL MILES: 1,532.71 miles

My estimated race schedule and results for 2018. As always, races are subject to change. Races over 13.1 miles up to the Handcart Days Half Marathon are numbered in parenthesis and numbered overall since July 2011. 

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run (170); January 1 (15.1 miles, 5 hours) 2 — Frigid 5K; January 27 (0:37:59.5) 3 — South Davis Sweethearts 5K; February 3 (0:35:17.0) 4 — March Madness 5K; March 3 (0:52:02) 5 — Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K (171); March 10 (5:30:23) 6 — Lucky 5K; March 17 (0:35:37.0) 7 — Riverton Half Marathon (172); March 24 (3:42:52.7) 8 — Eggs Legs Mile Run; March 31 (0:10:30.2) 9 — Run Emigration Canyon Half Marathon (173); April 7 (2:56:43.41) 10 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon (174); April 21 (3:01:08) 11 — Provo City Half Marathon (175); May 5 (3:48:33.8) 12 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (176); May 12 (2:46:03) 13 — Run of Remembrance 10K; May 28 (0:52:30) 14 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (177); June 9 (3:39:28) 15 — Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon (178); June 16 (2:50:27.2) 16 — AF Canyon Run Against Cancer (179); June 23 (2:49:13.3) 17 — Surf City Run 5K; July 4 (0:38:02) 18 — Run4fun Trail Run; July 14 (3:17:39) 19 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon (180); July 21 (3:49:54) 20 — Deseret News Half Marathon; July 24 (2:51:09) 21 — Timp Half; July 28 * 22 — Elephant Rock Trail Run 7 Miler; August 11 (1:59:42) 23 — Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18 (2:46:54) 24 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 25 (2:43:15) 25 — East Canyon 10K; September 1 (1:17:17) 26 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8 (2:56:46) 27 — Ragnar Sunset Relay; October 6 (Leg #3, 6.5 miles, 1:40:00) 28 — The Haunted Half: Provo City; October 27 * 29 — Veterans 5K; November 10 (Untimed) 30 — Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 10 (1:05:48) 31 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 22 (1:20:18) 32 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon; December 1 (4:19:43)

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Some of my favorite peeps — sometimes we fly south for the winter. #thebakersdozenhalf #half154 @josherwalla.run

A post shared by I’m Josher … (@josherwalla) on Dec 1, 2018 at 3:16pm PST

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I owed Patrick a Dr. Pepper five years ago — I haven’t paid up yet. More because of the lack of opportunity since we live in different ends of the state. I forgot again today — so Patrick PUNISHED me by following me around for a loop and a half playing “Christmas Shoes” on his Bluetooth speakers. But, I think what made it worse was Patrick trying to sing along to it as well. I’m sure this is what hell will be like.

A post shared by I’m Josher … (@josherwalla) on Dec 1, 2018 at 3:24pm PST

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Just like how you end a meal on a sweet note — I ended my 2018 race schedule on one as well. Actually, it was more of a sugar rush. But, if race wasn’t it’d be a failure. It’s nice to now pause for the month to recharge, prepare and focus on what is in front of me for the new year. I got a lot ahead of me, but I’m optimistic, focused and excited for 2019. I have a lot of fun adventures planned! But, this race was fun. Besides the plethora of snacks, the company was even better — even Patrick who followed behind me for a lap and a half playing Christmas Shoes on his Bluetooth speakers. It was just fun to party with so many friends. The running was a tale of two halves. My first two laps were awesome — mainly trying to get away from Patrick and that horrid song. The last two laps I stayed with Lizz. Our third lap was conservative on purpose because we wanted to finish strong. But, that didn’t happen as planned. Lizz pulled a knee muscle and limped to the finish line on the last lap. We were last, but honestly — it didn’t matter. We had tons of fun, which is pretty much the first rule of this race. Do I regret breaking keto and diving into forbidden gluten deliciousness? Yes. I’m going to have a couple fun next days. But, in the moment it was pure enjoyment — especially those Sweet Tooth Fairy cupcakes. Dare I say — they were deliciously moist? Anyways, I had a blast! I’ll be back again, even if I bring my own treats next time. But, oh man, those cupcakes!!! #thebakersdozenhalf #race187 #half154 @josherwalla.run

A post shared by I’m Josher … (@josherwalla) on Dec 2, 2018 at 7:42am PST

Running 2018: Week 48/52 was originally published on PhatJosh | Life in the Slow Lane.

[mellowyknox]

Tide “Terry Bradshaw's Stain”

From AdAge:

When Terry Bradshaw showed up with a shirt stain on what appeared to be live TV from the Fox broadcast booth at the Super Bowl, it marked the first time an advertiser had tried an integration so complex on so large a stage. His spill was, in fact, an elaborate pretaped stunt that teed up a commercial to be followed up late in the game with another commercial. Making the opening bit appear seamless was a long, highly complicated and often tense process for Procter & Gamble, its agency Saatchi & Saatchi and the directors at Traktor.

"Tide's been in the Super Bowl a few times with some pretty great success, and so, if we're going to be in the game, we're going to do something pretty epic," said Paul Bichler, executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi. "The stakes were really high and we were dreaming up ideas that were never done before."

One key task was for Tide to top itself. Its prior Tide Super Bowl ads were viewer favorites and award winners: The hilarious "Talking Stain" from 2008 featured a yammering blotch ruining a job interview, and the 2013 "Miracle Stain" summoned acolytes to worship a blemish that looked eerily like Joe Montana. Brand managers also wanted to bring an element of newness and surprise to a product that is 70 years old and already in almost half of the laundry rooms in the U.S. And failure would be costly, because the effort supported the introduction of Tide with Downy Pods, the brand's biggest launch of the year.

"We saw dozens of rounds of scripts, and we are comfortable not launching a Super Bowl ad if it doesn't meet that high bar," said Amy Krehbiel, P&G associate brand director. "We saw three rounds with lots and lots of boards that were very good. They just weren't a Super Bowl ad."

Then came the big idea to have "Fox NFL Sunday" host Mr. Bradshaw get caught in the broadcast booth with a spill on his shirt and clean it with Tide. "This one rose to the top because it had something that had never been done before, with Terry interrupting the middle of the game with a stain," Ms. Krehbiel said. "It was unbelievably funny; every time we watched it, we had people in the room laugh out loud and it was all about that insight that everyone feels—the anxiety of a stain and how, in the end, Tide was what you trust to get it out."

A lot of eyeballs

The key was securing the right time in the game for the setup with the spill, a commercial in which the soiled shirt was laundered and a closing kicker late in the game. And, of course, Mr. Bradshaw had to sign on. P&G declined to discuss specifics of its negotiations, but said NFL sponsorship helped get access to some league assets.

Relative to what would follow, those were the easy parts. Mr. Bradshaw was game. As a media fixture, he knew the value of a Super Bowl ad. "It's going to have well in excess of 100 million [viewers] and more than probably a billion people worldwide when it's finally spread out in all the countries," Mr. Bradshaw said. "And advertisers, man, that's a lot of eyeballs."

He also said it seemed logical for him to be the guy with the stain. "Who better than Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw," he said, "because I'm the co-host, he's the host and I'm kind of, you know, the guy that kind of gets in lots of trouble."

But P&G could not prerelease its commercial, which is otherwise standard operating procedure for most Super Bowl advertisers today, or risk any leaks whatsoever, because it would spoil the surprise and the social media blaze that executives hoped to ignite.

'There's a screwup'

The directing collective Traktor had another little difficulty immediately. "Since we're Swedish, we really don't know much about football," said Sam Larsson, one member of the collective. He and partner Patrik von Krusenstjerna had to look up who Terry Bradshaw was.

The bigger challenge was convincing the audience that something unusual was happening. "To make the viewer actually believe this is happening for real, at least five or 10 seconds into the spot you have to have everyone actually stop and look at it and think, 'There's a screwup. Fox is actually doing some screwup,'" said Mr. Larsson.

To protect that illusion, "every detail had to be absolutely perfect," said Mr. Bichler. "This was going to be a massive team effort, both in the agency and the brand to do this. And that team had to grow a lot to include Fox and the NFL because they're both properties that are playing a role in this. We had to be able to simulate details immediately that really weren't even figured out yet, so we had to tackle that undertaking. And then present it on this immense, massive stage."

Adding to the pressure was the absolute necessity to make the beginning indistinguishable from the real game booth. "When it's a Super Bowl spot, you know that everyone will not only look at it, they will actually dissect it," said Mr. von Krusenstjerna.

Night filming

The first part, filming Mr. Bradshaw and Jeffrey Tambor in a house in Altadena, Calif., went smoothly. But that kicked off a seven-day marathon shoot with deadlines increasingly bearing down. To preserve authenticity for the stain spot, P&G had to wait to see which four teams would make the playoffs so that the jerseys in the shot were correct.

Actual filming began about three weeks prior to the Super Bowl. "That's pretty late," said Mr. Bichler. "That doesn't leave us a lot of time for some of the effects and some of the posts we are going to be able to do."

And there were other hurdles. Because the actual game is played after dark, the scenes showing Mr. Bradshaw outside the stadium seeking to wash his shirt had to be filmed at night. "It's important that we can match the lighting of the Super Bowl," said Ms. Krehbiel. And above all, the set had to be credible. To make it so, the production team erected an enormous and painstakingly accurate replica of the Fox Sports broadcast booth on the football field at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., and finally got ready to film with Mr. Bradshaw.

And then came the rain.

The set soaked, the team raced to break it down and reconstruct it inside a garage in the stadium. "We've had rain on shoots before, but on other shoots we had more flexibility," said Ms. Krehbiel. "We'd been able to move it to another day. But in this one, we've got the talent, we've got the puzzle, so everyone had to get creative. We had to move inside and use a green screen."

The shot completed and the editing finally done, the team now had one job—to wait. "We hope the internet goes crazy," said Ms. Krehbiel in an interview before the game.

And while, of course, the goal is to sell Tide, the plan was to entertain and amaze. "We hope it's something that takes people on a journey for a long period of time," she said, "and afterwards they look back and say, 'How did they do that?' "

Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles Chief Creative Officer: Javier Campopiano Executive Creative Director: Paul Bichler Creative Director: Chad Baker

Production: Rattling Stick London Director: Traktor (Sam Larsson, Patrick von Krusenstjerna) Cinematographer: Jess Hall Editor: Geoff Hounsell

Post: The Mill Los Angeles

Year: 2017

[phatjosh180]

You can't see the Moonlight through the smoke ...

You can’t see the Moonlight through the smoke …

If you live in Utah — specifically along the Wasatch Front — you’ll know our state is burning. We have had a rash of wildfires that have decimated thousands upon thousands of acres of forest. Not to mention numerous homes.

Subsequently, the air along the Wasatch Front for the past couple of months has been horrible. Much worst than when the aversion decides to show up in the middle of winter.…

[phatjosh180]

180 WEEK: My Top 10 Favorite Race Medals

The past couple months as I’ve been preparing for this race — and everything that comes with it — I’ve been going through all of my race medals. I’ve not been going through them to reminisce, but to also organize a bit better. I have all of my medals stored by year in seven shoeboxes.

I want (well, need) to display them more prominently — and I am working on all of that. I’ve bought some wall mounts along with a race medal lamp holder. Yes, it’s a lamp I can hang my race medals on. It’s pretty cool.

For the past several years I’ve been sharing my year’s favorite race medals at the end of each year. And, I thought since we’re here at the end of the road of my 180 races — I should do the same, but for ALLLLLLLLL of my 180 races.

I don’t have a set criteria for the medals. They’re just my favorite for different reasons. Generally speaking I love medals that are large, detailed and have a good heft to them. But, there are also race medals that have some personal meaning to me — that might lack on the size, details and/or heft.

But, that doesn’t mean they’re not cherished equally. I guess this is what it’s going to feel like once I have kids?

I digress.

Anyways, here are my top ten favorite race medals from my 180 races. I’ve included a little blurb to each to explain why they’re one of my favorites.

Enjoy!

MEDAL #10

Mt. Nebo Half, 2017 pic.twitter.com/ymz2VFocvD

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

The Mt. Nebo Half is one of my favorite half marathons. It’s a fast fun downhill race that I PR’d at in 2013. Nebo will always have a special place in my heart. It’s just a great race.

I practically love this medal for the design — it’s just — rad. I love the colors and black gold. It makes the orange POP.  Plus, the design on point and I love the edges that bring the mountain inside the leaf. A very, very, very awesome race medal. Consequently, the same year’s race shirt is one of my favorites to wear.

MEDAL #9

Ogden Marathon, 2014. pic.twitter.com/8fdMy46NAM

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

The detail on this medal is awesome. I love the Ogden arch design along with the mountains on this medal — it’s clean with simplicity of color. Not only that it’s a good size with a great heft to it. It doesn’t leave you feeling disappointed — you definitely feel like you EARNED the medal.

This medal is special to me as well, because this was the marathon I surprised my friend Becca at — after training for it with her thinking I wasn’t running it. You’ll read more about that later this week.

MEDAL #8

Ragnar Relay: Wasatch Back, 2013. pic.twitter.com/hVsRt04uXR

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

This was my first Ragnar — it was also my first and last time being the team captain. But, that’s a story for another day. But, I absolutely love this race medal. Not only does it have a spinny thing in the middle (my favorite feature), but it’s HUGE and HEAVY!

The design is fun and clean while the colors on point with the orange and silver. It’s just a great medal all around. This is one medal I love to show off whenever I give presentations about my journey and races.

RAGNAAAAAAAAR!!!

MEDAL #7

Joshua Tree Half Marathon, 2017. pic.twitter.com/QwP9KaVRAJ

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

It took me nearly six years of running to finally run a Vacation Races event. Something I’m a little bummed about, because I’ve always loved their race medal designs. They put great effort into them and they come out great. And, from a design aspect — they’re clean and on brand.

This was my first Vacation Races event — and I picked it mainly because it’s my name. And, I was able to run the Snow Canyon Half Marathon in the morning of the same — so I was able to run my name — Joshua Snow Hansen. Pretty cool, huh?

This was a tough race — and day — I was sick throughout the day (I threw up 12 times throughout the day) but I managed to finish both races — and earn this beauty! I can’t wait to run more Vacation Races!

MEDAL #6

Disneyland Half Marathon, 2012. pic.twitter.com/6ZWAfXjST1

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

It’s kind of fitting that I am sharing this post on Disneyland’s birthday. As many might know — I am somewhat of a Disneynerd. I love Disney, Disneyland, Walt Disney — pretty much anything Disney. So being able to combine my love for Disney and running was natural for me.

I did the Disneyland Half Marathon in both 2011 and 2012 — and honestly there’s not much of a difference in the design. Probably none to be honest with you. So this could technically be a tie?

Either way, I love the design and size of this race medal. The design is clean with the all gold cast — and the size is pretty hefty. Disney didn’t skimp on the medals — which they shouldn’t because when you’re paying nearly $200 for a race without getting a park ticket for the day — they should go all out.

I’m sometimes a conflicted jaded Disneyland fan.

MEDAL #5

Pony Express Trail 50, 2016. pic.twitter.com/ekWOAxCk5I

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

This is definitely the smallest race medal on this list. Don’t let the picture fool — it’s rather small. When I first got it — I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed. I was kinda hoping I got a honking 50lbs. race medal put around my neck for the accomplishment. But, I’m okay with it now.

What it lacks in size, it makes up in meaning. There’s so much meaning in this medal. Just the fact I was able to complete the 50 miles is meaning enough — but, the miles training for before the race, my journey, etc. all weighed into that finish line. The really made the size of this medal feel like that 50lbs. race medal.

I can’t wait to earn another one these medals and cherish it just as much — regardless of the size.

MEDAL #4

The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon, 2015. pic.twitter.com/7roXsYxcMq

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

You could serve cupcakes to a family of eight on this race medal! Seriously, no joke! This is the largest medal I own size wise. It’s HUGE!  And, the whimsical, colorful and fun design just fits with the race and Race Director Cory Reese TOO WELL!

I feel like I need a redo on this race, because I ran it sick and wasn’t able to fully enjoy the race as one should. The race consists of four laps of a loop in Hurricane with an aid station of cookies, donuts and sugar galore — that you can (and are encouraged to) gorge on.

I just wasn’t feeling well — and ended up eating no more than 5 mini donuts.

Weak sauce!

But, hey, I still earned the medal!

MEDAL #3

Runtastic Events Trilogy Medal, 2017. pic.twitter.com/feCLSzP8VX

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

Seriously, this is an AWESOME medal. This is the Runtastic Events Trilogy Medal — a medal you get for running three of their half marathons or marathon during one calendar year. This has a double meaning for me — well maybe more, actually.

This medal has some serious size, heft and design. It’s absolutely HUGE and HEAVY! But, it’s special to me because it’s for the year that I worked with Runtastic Events. I quit to focus on PrepperCon in August of that year so I was also able to earn the medal by running the Mt. Nebo Half and both Haunted Half races.

I love this medal as well because it’s the same year that I visited Greece — so that tie into the meaning of earning it and working for the company — just puts it in a special place in my heart.

But, seriously — IT’S HUGE! (TWSS)

MEDAL #2

Revel Big Cottonwood Marathon, 2014. pic.twitter.com/EGMNPJuvsE

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

This medal has some serious heft to it! Not only that, but the design is clean and classy — an absolute favorite of mine. Not only is the design one of my favorites, but the memory attached to it bumps it up a few notches on the list.

This was Jill’s first marathon that I ran alongside her. I’ll have more about this memory and moment later this week. But, I will always love and cherish that moment.

And, Revel has always had awesome race medals.

MEDAL #1

The Haunted Half, 2016. pic.twitter.com/4sU6NPXnmz

— Josher (@josherwalla) July 16, 2018

Full disclosure — I am little biased on this medal. I had a hand in the design with this race medal when I worked for Runtastic Events. But, I seriously love it. Not only for the color design, but I love the black gold that makes all those colors pop and it’s a nice sized medal.

I’m not a huge fan of gore and scar when it comes to Halloween. So going the route of Día de Muertos I thought was perfect. You get the Halloween vibe without the blood and gore. It was really a winner.

But, it’s hard to not pick up this medal and not stare at it. This will be pretty hard to top in my book. I absolutely love it.

A post shared by The Runcast (@theruncast) on Apr 17, 2018 at 6:18am PDT

180 WEEK: My Top 10 Favorite Race Medals was originally published on PhatJosh | My Life Running.

[phatjosh180]

RACE RECAP: The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon

RACE RECAP: The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon

When I ran this back in 2015 — I ran it sick. I had a stupid cold that prevented me from enjoying or wanting to eat anything sugary during the race. I’ve been waiting for three years for a redo — so naturally when I sign up for it, I’m doing keto.

Well, I decided to break keto for this special occasion. Because, well, I wanted to. And, I knew it wouldn’t absolutely kill me. Well, sorta, but…

[phatjosh180]

Running 2018: Yearly Recap

Monthly Miles

January 2018 Total Running Miles: 38.7 miles        Training Miles: 20.5 miles        Race Miles: 18.2 miles Walking Miles: 82.84 miles TOTAL MILES: 121.54 miles

February 2018 Total Running Miles: 31.85 miles        Training Miles: 28.75 miles        Race Miles: 3.1 miles Walking Miles: 83.31 miles TOTAL MILES: 115.16 miles

March 2018 Total Running Miles: 63.65 miles        Training Miles: 26.85 miles        Race Miles: 36.8 miles Walking Miles: 99.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 163.15 miles

April 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.7 miles        Training Miles: 28.5 miles        Race Miles: 26.2 mile Walking Miles: 83.95 miles TOTAL MILES: 138.65 miles

May 2018 Total Running Miles: 55.8 miles        Training Miles: 26.5 miles        Race Miles: 29.3 miles Walking Miles: 121.1 miles TOTAL MILES: 176.9 miles

June 2018 Total Running Miles: 60.05 miles        Training Miles: 20.75 miles        Race Miles: 39.3 miles Walking Miles: 99.17 miles TOTAL MILES: 159.22 miles

July 2018 Total Running Miles: 74.9 miles        Training Miles: 25.5 miles        Race Miles: 49.4 miles Walking Miles: 95.65 miles TOTAL MILES: 170.55 miles

August 2018 Total Running Miles: 59.05 miles        Training Miles: 25.85 miles        Race Miles: 33.2 miles Walking Miles: 49.69 miles TOTAL MILES: 108.74 miles

September 2018 Total Running Miles: 35.55 miles        Training Miles: 16.25 miles        Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 88.02 miles TOTAL MILES: 123.57 miles

October 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.05 miles        Training Miles: 34.45 miles        Race Miles: 19.6 miles Walking Miles: 82.32 miles TOTAL MILES: 136.37 miles

November 2018 Total Running Miles: 26.15 miles        Training Miles: 13.75 miles        Race Miles: 12.4 miles Walking Miles: 68.53 miles TOTAL MILES: 94.68 miles

December 2018 Total Running Miles: 13.1 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 75.11 miles TOTAL MILES: 88.21 miles

2018 Miles

Total Running Miles: 560.8 miles        Training Miles: 260.9 miles        Race Miles: 299.9 miles Walking Miles: 1044.93 miles TOTAL MILES: 1,605.73 miles

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1 (15.1 miles, 5 hours) 2 — Frigid 5K; January 27 (0:37:59.5) 3 — South Davis Sweethearts 5K; February 3 (0:35:17.0) 4 — March Madness 5K; March 3 (0:52:02) 5 — Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K; March 10 (5:30:23) 6 — Lucky 5K; March 17 (0:35:37.0) 7 — Riverton Half Marathon; March 24 (3:42:52.7) 8 — Eggs Legs Mile Run; March 31 (0:10:30.2) 9 — Run Emigration Canyon Half Marathon; April 7 (2:56:43.41) 10 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon; April 21 (3:01:08) 11 — Provo City Half Marathon; May 5 * 12 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; May 12 (2:46:03) 13 — Run of Remembrance 5K; May 28 (0:52:30) 14 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; June 9 (3:39:28) 15 — Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon; June 16 (2:50:27.2) 16 — AF Canyon Run Against Cancer; June 23 (2:49:13.3) 17 — Surf City Run 5K; July 4 (0:38:02) 18 — Run4fun Trail Run; July 14 (3:17:39) 19 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon; July 21 (3:49:54) 20 — Deseret News Half Marathon; July 24 (2:51:09) 21 — Timp Half; July 28 * 22 — Elephant Rock Trail Run 7 Miler; August 11 (1:59:42) 23 — Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18 (2:46:54) 24 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 25 (2:43:15) 25 — East Canyon 10K; September 1 (1:17:17) 26 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8 (2:56:46) 27 — Ragnar Sunset Relay; October 6 (Leg #3, 6.5 miles, 1:40:00) 28 — The Haunted Half: Provo City; October 27 * 29 — Veterans 5K; November 10 (Untimed) 30 — Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 10 (1:05:48) 31 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 22 (1:20:18) 32 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon; December 1 (4:19:43)

5K Races

1 — South Davis Sweethearts 5K; February 3 (0:35:17) 2 — Lucky 5K; March 17 (0:35:37.0) 3 — Frigid 5K; January 27 (0:37:59.5) 4 — Surf City Run 5K; July 4 (0:38:02) 5 — March Madness 5K; March 3 (0:52:02) 6 — Run of Remembrance 5K; May 28 (0:52:30) 7 — Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 10 (1:05:48) 8 — Veterans 5K; November 10 (Untimed)

10K Races

1 — East Canyon 10K; September 1 (1:17:17) 2 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 22 (1:20:18)

Half Marathon Races

1 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 25 (2:43:15) 2 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; May 12 (2:46:03) 3 — Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18 (2:46:54) 4 — AF Canyon Run Against Cancer; June 23 (2:49:13.3) 5 — Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon; June 16 (2:50:27.2) 6 — Deseret News Half Marathon; July 24 (2:51:09) 7 — Run Emigration Canyon Half Marathon; April 7 (2:56:43) 8 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8 (2:56:46) 9 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon; April 21 (3:01:08) 10 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; June 9 (3:39:28) 11 — Riverton Half Marathon; March 24 (3:42:52.7) 12 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon; July 21 (3:49:54) 13 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon; December 1 (4:19:43) 14 — Provo City Half Marathon; May 5 (Swept) 15 — Timp Half; July 28 (Swept) 16 — The Haunted Half: Provo City; October 27 (Swept)

25K Races

1 — Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K; March 10 (5:30:23)

Misc. Distance Races

1 — Eggs Legs Mile Run; March 31 (0:10:30.2) 2 — Run4fun Trail Run; July 14 (3:17:39) 3 — Elephant Rock Trail Run 7 Miler; August 11 (1:59:42)

Timed Races

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1 (15.1 miles, 5 hours)

Relay Races

1 — Ragnar Sunset Relay; October 6 (Leg #3, 6.5 miles, 1:40:00)

Top Five Races of 2018

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RACE #180: Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon; July 21, 2018 (3:49:54) I can’t begin to describe what was going on in my head throughout the day, especially those last few yards. I was trying to process everything going on — while just being in the moment. Sure, this is an end to a goal, but there is so much more to look towards going forward. This race felt like a graduation day moe than a moment of finality or end. I’m moving forward to better things and I can’t be anymore excited! But, throughout the day I’ve just felt an immense amount of gratitude for not just a body that held up for seven years to do this, but for the friendships and experiences I’ve gained in the time has been the true blessing in this all. I felt spoiled and loved by so many throughout the day especially from Amanda, Lizzi, Jill and Trinity. Thank you doesn’t cut it. Oh yeah, the race itself — it was hot. It was miserable. But, it was fun. I had a running posse with me all 13.1 miles. That alone made it my favorite race yet! #race180 #handcartdayshalf #running @southdavisraces @trailsandpavement @joshruns180

A post shared by Run Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️ (@josherwalla.run) on Jul 22, 2018 at 10:46pm PDT

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RACE #177: Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, June 9, 2018 (3:39:28) Words can’t even begin to properly convey my thoughts and feelings of today. I feel a deep sense of gratitude to not only be a runner, but to also be a member of this running community. Over the past seven years since I started this journey I’ve been able to have some amazing experiences. Today probably takes the cake. I might sound like a broken record telling this story, but it’s meant to be shared. I met Lizz a year (and eight days) ago at a luncheon I was speaking at for my alma mater (GO T-BIRDS!). She came to meet me even though she wasn’t an alum of SUU. Just like me, Lizz has anxiety, and for her to do something so out of the ordinary like that was completely out of her comfort zone. But, by a divine guiding hand, she made it to the luncheon and we met. Our paths were meant to cross. A year ago a half marathon — let alone a 5K — was nearly out of realm of possibility. Yet, here we are a year later and Lizz’s “impossible” is now reality. Not only is she now a half marathoner, but she’s lost over 100lbs., ran over 20+ 5Ks and 10Ks and changed herself inside and outside. I couldn’t be any prouder. This race today was just perfect. A big thank you to Joseph Coles for sleepless nights of prep for this race, for Amanda Condie Bjarnson who joined us for some of the difficult miles and kept us sufficiently distracted and the many, many, many of you who stopped to wish Lizz well on her journey. I started my journey by running alone and if I can keep that from happening to others … I will. That was part of the reason I surprised Lizz at the starting line. Plus, I told her I felt partially responsible for getting her into this mess by introducing her to the running world. Again congratulations on this accomplishment Lizz, I have no doubt this journey of yours is inspiring someone out there to change their impossible into reality. Because nothing is impossible and today was proof of that. #race177 #drop13halfmarathon #running @josherwalla @ketowalla @joshruns180

A post shared by Run Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️ (@josherwalla.run) on Jun 10, 2018 at 10:50am PDT

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HALF #152: Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8, 2018 (2:56:26) I went into the race with many aspirations for a sub-2:40 finish. But, alas, that wasn’t the case. The first 8 miles were pretty magical and I was on pace for such a finish, but after fighting a chest cold the week prior I ended up throwing up after a nice little cough attack. That upset my stomach just enough to make me nausea to the point where I threw up three more times — including right in front of the finish line in a feeble attempt to get to the medic tent. I spent nearly an hour plus in the medic tent hooked up to an IV and sipping water next to Jill who had some fun cramping going on (she ended up PRing!). It wasn’t the most ideal ending, but I’m okay with it considering my time, my fitness and my experience with Jill and other friends. I’ll be back at it next year. I’m always back. I love this race. #half152 #race185 #runrevel #revelbigcottonwood #running @josherwalla.fit @josherwalla @josherwalla.run

A post shared by Run Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️ (@josherwalla.run) on Sep 9, 2018 at 11:16am PDT

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RACE #178: Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon; June 16, 2018 (2:50:27.2) An unexpected success! I got my sub-three! Janet and I came across at about 2:50.27 even! I couldn’t be happier with the time. The effort was there and it helped that Janet and I talked each other’s ears off. So much better than plugging my headphones in to distract myself. It’s hard to believe I’m two races away from my goal. It feels somewhat surreal. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I feel extremely blessed that my body has held up over the years. ONE. MORE. MONTH. TO. MY. GOAL. #drop13halfmarathon race178 #oquirrhmountainhalf @joshruns180

A post shared by Run Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️ (@josherwalla.run) on Jun 17, 2018 at 1:17am PDT

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HALF #150: Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18, 2018 (2:46:54) Crazy to think this was my 150th half marathon! It really doesn’t feel like I’ve been running that long, but seven years IS along time. I couldn’t have been happier with this race. I came into it worried about cutoffs and my pace. And, I came away not just meeting those goals but having a blast with my friend @amandabjarnson who ran the whole 13.1 with me. Besides coming away with those experiences I’m coming away with a big ‘ol blister on my left foot and one less toe nail. If I didn’t know the cause I would have guessed I contracted the leprosy. Very happy with my 2:46:54 time and I’m looking forward to another great race next week as I tackle the Nebo Half! I feel like I’m getting my mojo back baby! #runelevatedhalf #half150 #race183 #running @josherwalla @josherwalla.fit @josherwalla.run @josherwalla.bling

A post shared by Run Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️ (@josherwalla.run) on Aug 18, 2018 at 9:24pm PDT

Top Five Race Medals of 2018

1) Handcart Days Half Marathon

As much as I love the Runtastic Events Trilogy Medal, this race medal is BY FAR my favorite medal of 2018. While, I do like the design, the meaning behind this race and the significance behind my journey means so, so much more. This race was a celebration of all of that with so many friends, it’s a moment I will forever remember.

2) Runtastic Events Trilogy Medal

The past couple of Trilogy Medals have been some of my favorite medals throughout my running journey. Not only are they HUGE and HEAVY, but I love that there is meaning behind each one with great design detail. For those not familiar with the Runtastic Trilogy medal, you get this medal for running at least three of their races over 13.1 miles. Totally worth the challenge!

3) Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon

Not only is this medal my favorite from the times I’ve done this race, but the story and experience means a lot to me. I surprised my friend Lizz at the start line since this was her first half marathon — and I ran the whole 13.1 miles alongside her. To make a long story short, I met Lizz a year prior and helped introduced her to the running world. A world where she’s caught fire! This was a great experience for not just her, but me as well — just being there to witness the moment.

4) Timp Half

I’m a Disneynerd. Always have, always will be. And, this has to be one of my favorite race medals just for the sheer fact that it reminds me of a Mary Blair piece of artwork. Mary Blair did a lot of design for Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company. If you don’t know who she is, look her work up and you’ll agree with my assessment on this medal.

5) Elephant Rock Trail Run

Last year this race’s medal as a rock. A very cool one. This year the race medal was just as cool with some awesome wood and rock work. I’m excited to see what the race comes up with in 2019! I’m sure it won’t disappoint!

Running 2018: Yearly Recap was originally published on PhatJosh | Life in the Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

Running 2018: Week 52/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 0.00 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 0.00 miles Walking Miles: 20.93 miles TOTAL MILES: 20.93 miles

Monthly Miles

January 2018 Total Running Miles: 38.7 miles        Training Miles: 20.5 miles        Race Miles: 18.2 miles Walking Miles: 82.84 miles TOTAL MILES: 121.54 miles

February 2018 Total Running Miles: 31.85 miles        Training Miles: 28.75 miles        Race Miles: 3.1 miles Walking Miles: 83.31 miles TOTAL MILES: 115.16 miles

March 2018 Total Running Miles: 63.65 miles        Training Miles: 26.85 miles        Race Miles: 36.8 miles Walking Miles: 99.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 163.15 miles

April 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.7 miles        Training Miles: 28.5 miles        Race Miles: 26.2 mile Walking Miles: 83.95 miles TOTAL MILES: 138.65 miles

May 2018 Total Running Miles: 55.8 miles        Training Miles: 26.5 miles        Race Miles: 29.3 miles Walking Miles: 121.1 miles TOTAL MILES: 176.9 miles

June 2018 Total Running Miles: 60.05 miles        Training Miles: 20.75 miles        Race Miles: 39.3 miles Walking Miles: 99.17 miles TOTAL MILES: 159.22 miles

July 2018 Total Running Miles: 74.9 miles        Training Miles: 25.5 miles        Race Miles: 49.4 miles Walking Miles: 95.65 miles TOTAL MILES: 170.55 miles

August 2018 Total Running Miles: 59.05 miles        Training Miles: 25.85 miles        Race Miles: 33.2 miles Walking Miles: 49.69 miles TOTAL MILES: 108.74 miles

September 2018 Total Running Miles: 35.55 miles        Training Miles: 16.25 miles        Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 88.02 miles TOTAL MILES: 123.57 miles

October 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.05 miles        Training Miles: 34.45 miles        Race Miles: 19.6 miles Walking Miles: 82.32 miles TOTAL MILES: 136.37 miles

November 2018 Total Running Miles: 26.15 miles        Training Miles: 13.75 miles        Race Miles: 12.4 miles Walking Miles: 68.53 miles TOTAL MILES: 94.68 miles

December 2018 Total Running Miles: 13.1 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 75.11 miles TOTAL MILES: 88.21 miles

2018 Miles

Total Running Miles: 560.8 miles        Training Miles: 260.9 miles        Race Miles: 299.9 miles Walking Miles: 1044.93 miles TOTAL MILES: 1,605.73 miles

My estimated race schedule and results for 2018. As always, races are subject to change. Races over 13.1 miles up to the Handcart Days Half Marathon are numbered in parenthesis and numbered overall since July 2011. 

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run (170); January 1 (15.1 miles, 5 hours) 2 — Frigid 5K; January 27 (0:37:59.5) 3 — South Davis Sweethearts 5K; February 3 (0:35:17.0) 4 — March Madness 5K; March 3 (0:52:02) 5 — Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K (171); March 10 (5:30:23) 6 — Lucky 5K; March 17 (0:35:37.0) 7 — Riverton Half Marathon (172); March 24 (3:42:52.7) 8 — Eggs Legs Mile Run; March 31 (0:10:30.2) 9 — Run Emigration Canyon Half Marathon (173); April 7 (2:56:43.41) 10 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon (174); April 21 (3:01:08) 11 — Provo City Half Marathon (175); May 5 (3:48:33.8) 12 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (176); May 12 (2:46:03) 13 — Run of Remembrance 10K; May 28 (0:52:30) 14 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (177); June 9 (3:39:28) 15 — Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon (178); June 16 (2:50:27.2) 16 — AF Canyon Run Against Cancer (179); June 23 (2:49:13.3) 17 — Surf City Run 5K; July 4 (0:38:02) 18 — Run4fun Trail Run; July 14 (3:17:39) 19 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon (180); July 21 (3:49:54) 20 — Deseret News Half Marathon; July 24 (2:51:09) 21 — Timp Half; July 28 * 22 — Elephant Rock Trail Run 7 Miler; August 11 (1:59:42) 23 — Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18 (2:46:54) 24 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 25 (2:43:15) 25 — East Canyon 10K; September 1 (1:17:17) 26 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8 (2:56:46) 27 — Ragnar Sunset Relay; October 6 (Leg #3, 6.5 miles, 1:40:00) 28 — The Haunted Half: Provo City; October 27 * 29 — Veterans 5K; November 10 (Untimed) 30 — Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 10 (1:05:48) 31 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 22 (1:20:18) 32 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon; December 1 (4:19:43)

Running 2018: Week 52/52 was originally published on PhatJosh | Life in the Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

Running 2018: Week 51/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 0.00 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 0.00 miles Walking Miles: 12.91 miles TOTAL MILES: 12.91 miles

Monthly Miles

January 2018 Total Running Miles: 38.7 miles        Training Miles: 20.5 miles        Race Miles: 18.2 miles Walking Miles: 82.84 miles TOTAL MILES: 121.54 miles

February 2018 Total Running Miles: 31.85 miles        Training Miles: 28.75 miles        Race Miles:��3.1 miles Walking Miles: 83.31 miles TOTAL MILES: 115.16 miles

March 2018 Total Running Miles: 63.65 miles        Training Miles: 26.85 miles        Race Miles: 36.8 miles Walking Miles: 99.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 163.15 miles

April 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.7 miles        Training Miles: 28.5 miles        Race Miles: 26.2 mile Walking Miles: 83.95 miles TOTAL MILES: 138.65 miles

May 2018 Total Running Miles: 55.8 miles        Training Miles: 26.5 miles        Race Miles: 29.3 miles Walking Miles: 121.1 miles TOTAL MILES: 176.9 miles

June 2018 Total Running Miles: 60.05 miles        Training Miles: 20.75 miles        Race Miles: 39.3 miles Walking Miles: 99.17 miles TOTAL MILES: 159.22 miles

July 2018 Total Running Miles: 74.9 miles        Training Miles: 25.5 miles        Race Miles: 49.4 miles Walking Miles: 95.65 miles TOTAL MILES: 170.55 miles

August 2018 Total Running Miles: 59.05 miles        Training Miles: 25.85 miles        Race Miles: 33.2 miles Walking Miles: 49.69 miles TOTAL MILES: 108.74 miles

September 2018 Total Running Miles: 35.55 miles        Training Miles: 16.25 miles        Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 88.02 miles TOTAL MILES: 123.57 miles

October 2018 Total Running Miles: 54.05 miles        Training Miles: 34.45 miles        Race Miles: 19.6 miles Walking Miles: 82.32 miles TOTAL MILES: 136.37 miles

November 2018 Total Running Miles: 26.15 miles        Training Miles: 13.75 miles        Race Miles: 12.4 miles Walking Miles: 68.53 miles TOTAL MILES: 94.68 miles

December 2018 Total Running Miles: 13.1 miles        Training Miles: 0.00 miles        Race Miles: 13.1 miles Walking Miles: 54.18 miles TOTAL MILES: 67.28 miles

2018 Miles

Total Running Miles: 560.8 miles        Training Miles: 260.9 miles        Race Miles: 299.9 miles Walking Miles: 1024.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 1,584.8 miles

My estimated race schedule and results for 2018. As always, races are subject to change. Races over 13.1 miles up to the Handcart Days Half Marathon are numbered in parenthesis and numbered overall since July 2011. 

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run (170); January 1 (15.1 miles, 5 hours) 2 — Frigid 5K; January 27 (0:37:59.5) 3 — South Davis Sweethearts 5K; February 3 (0:35:17.0) 4 — March Madness 5K; March 3 (0:52:02) 5 — Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K (171); March 10 (5:30:23) 6 — Lucky 5K; March 17 (0:35:37.0) 7 — Riverton Half Marathon (172); March 24 (3:42:52.7) 8 — Eggs Legs Mile Run; March 31 (0:10:30.2) 9 — Run Emigration Canyon Half Marathon (173); April 7 (2:56:43.41) 10 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon (174); April 21 (3:01:08) 11 — Provo City Half Marathon (175); May 5 (3:48:33.8) 12 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (176); May 12 (2:46:03) 13 — Run of Remembrance 10K; May 28 (0:52:30) 14 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon (177); June 9 (3:39:28) 15 — Oquirrh Mountain Half Marathon (178); June 16 (2:50:27.2) 16 — AF Canyon Run Against Cancer (179); June 23 (2:49:13.3) 17 — Surf City Run 5K; July 4 (0:38:02) 18 — Run4fun Trail Run; July 14 (3:17:39) 19 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon (180); July 21 (3:49:54) 20 — Deseret News Half Marathon; July 24 (2:51:09) 21 — Timp Half; July 28 * 22 — Elephant Rock Trail Run 7 Miler; August 11 (1:59:42) 23 — Run Elevated Half Marathon; August 18 (2:46:54) 24 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 25 (2:43:15) 25 — East Canyon 10K; September 1 (1:17:17) 26 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 8 (2:56:46) 27 — Ragnar Sunset Relay; October 6 (Leg #3, 6.5 miles, 1:40:00) 28 — The Haunted Half: Provo City; October 27 * 29 — Veterans 5K; November 10 (Untimed) 30 — Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 10 (1:05:48) 31 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 22 (1:20:18) 32 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon; December 1 (4:19:43)

Running 2018: Week 51/52 was originally published on PhatJosh | Life in the Slow Lane.