Feel the Love....

So today I did something pretty crazy. I signed up for the Nike+ Women's half marathon, the weekend, yes, 7 days after I run my first 1/2 marathon of my life I will be running another one. I'm going to do it virtually, so I'll just run it by myself along the beach, exactly how so many of my training runs were done. I figured, well I haven't really stopped training, or even tapered for this upcoming race, and it would just be like me going out for a long training run the weekend after. It's not like I'm running for a time in the first race either, just a finish. Nothings going to change. We'll see how this all turns out.

But I have an honest confession about signing up for this Nike+ Women's Half Marathon. I did it for the finishers key chain designed by Tiffany and Co. Another bonus is that I get a t-shirt. I love Tiffanys, and I love free clothes by Nike, so $45 dollars later I've decided that I'm going to really tired in two weeks.

On another note, Martiza tagged me in 6 random things about me and gave me this lovely sticker. I also have to tag 10 more people that I want to learn about.. hmmm :)

Precious! Anyways, so six random facts about me, since I know you all are little stalkers at heart.

1. I was adopted at the age of 2 to my parents. They adopted me straight from the hospital, but it took a while for the legal stuff to go through, and ever since then I have also celebrated my adoption day, which is like a second birthday that we call Koo-Day because of my last name. My younger brother was also adopted

2. I schedule all of my runs based on when I need to wash my hair. This sounds disturbing, and it is disturbing if I actually let myself sit down and think about it, but most of the time I run one morning and then the next day I run in the evening so I don't have to wash my hair overnight.

3. I got my dog a black lab Dalmatian mix, Cassie, by breaking 6:00 in the mile. My dad said if I ran under six minutes I could get a dog. I ran a 5:58 my junior year of track, immediately called my dad and his response was, "Uhh, okay, I guess we are getting a dog then."

4. I hate lettuce. I have never eaten it and have tried it doused in dressing, with chicken, with tons of my favorite stuff and I just can't fathom eating it because it tastes like grass to me. My dad taunts me and says I'll never be a true lady until I eat salad, my best answer is that if God intended me to eat salad, he would have made me a rabbit.

5. I hate eating or making anything with my hands, which another weird fact is that they are ridiculously small! My hands are the size of a small child's and my feet are only size 6, weird for my height of 5'7". So anyways, if my hands get dirty while making a cake, or brownies, I'm constantly washing them. I hate it when they are sticky. I use a bazillion napkins when I eat a cheeseburger or chicken strips because between each bite, I have to wipe my hands. This is an even bigger problem with fries!

6. I recently had a screw put into my jaw and got a fake tooth in the back of my jaw. It's because my 12 year molar on my left side never came in, along with my wisdom teeth. Missing all together. My friends like to think it's because I'm weird, but I think it's because I'm a super evolved human. Those wisdom teeth just get taken out anyways right?!

And these are the lovely bloggers I tag! (Since we are all friends sorry if you got tagged more than once!)

1. P.O.M
2. Renae
3. Mojito Maven
4. Legally Blonde Mel
5. Girl on Top
6. That Pink Girl
7. J
8. TFH
9. Caitlyn
10. SJ Goody

Find A Cure!

Pink Ribbons Abound! Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in full-force, and here are some GREAT products too pick up if you are supporting finding a cure! I also checked out the website, Think before you Pink, because I am very wary about people wanting you to buy a product and then after paying $100, they donate .25 cents. It doesn't really make sense, but that website helps give you very specific donation amounts on many products. So now onto the good stuff!

First off, I love a lot of Avon Products, and I especially love the fact that they are trying to raise awareness year round.

This little lip balm is super cute, and at only $1.50, you can buy a few for your friends to remind them to find a cure as well. It is for moisturizing plus has sun protection. Another great thing about the little itty bitty lip balm is that 100% of the net proceeds ($1.33) are donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. Way to go Avon! They have tons of other products that are on their Website!

Everyone loves Coach and pink Coach products are so much cuter! They have a few items up for sale for Breast Cancer Awareness month as well. I really like this key chain though, it's classic and the pink all over it is just adorable. Another great reminder to find a cure.

The key chain is $58.00 and 20% of the purchase price will also go to help find a cure. Their website has cute scarves and other pink items, so check it out.


Clinique is a beauty staple, and who hasn't used the Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion?

This limited-edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion comes with a key chain complete with two silver-tone charms: a Clinique “C” and Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon. $10.00 from your $35.00 purchase helps support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. You can buy it online here.

So who doesn't cook? Everyone does, and how cute are all these products!?

Kitchen Aid has started the Breast Cancer Movement and each pink product that is purchased and then registered at http://www.cookforthecure.com/ will generate a donation of up to $50 to Komen for the Cure. Personally, I long for this bad boy of baking,

Oh yesssss puhhlease! Check out their website for all their super cute pink stuff!

So I'll be back soon with some more running finds and more pink finds for the month of October! Remember to wear pink this month for Breast Cancer Awareness.

T minus 4 days

I had a great birthday yesterday, minus the fact that even with Reggie Bush running two punt returns for touchdowns my fantasy football team lost by 1 measly point, and the Angels. Ohhh the Angels BLEW the series this year. Today I am mourning their loss and their great season that went down the tubes in four short games. So I guess now, as much as I hate to say it, Go Dodgers. Although I do kind of like the Rays as well. Everyone loves an underdog! Thank you to everyone with the well wishes. This past weekend was awesome too.

If you ever get the chance go to to Palm Springs in CA, I would highly recommend the month of October. The weather is amazing and wasn't the normal 120 degree heat. I would also highly recommend staying at The Mod Resort. (www.modresort.com) It was a great experience and super fun to stay there. Such a nice little get away for just a day.

This was looking outside our room at the saltwater pool. Just 14 rooms makes the hotel so cute and really allows quality over quantity. (And no crazy wild screaming kids! love it!)



T-Minus four days until the big 1/2 Marathon. I can't believe I am actually going to be doing it. It seems pretty crazy, but I know it will be fun. So I have a few questions for you 1/2 marathon and marathon gurus out there.

What should I wear?
This may sound like stupid question, but I don't know if I should go for something comfy and whatever, or try to wear something different, or just a t-shirt. What do you guys normally wear for race days?

What should my run be the day before?
This is usually my long run day but since the race is on Sunday, I'm not going out and doing 10 miles the day before. I was thinking maybe just like an easy 30 minute jog? Let me know what you guys run the day before.

And, though I thought this question would never cross my mind, but what do I run the day after? I was thinking again, another 30 minute jog to kind of get the kinks out and get loosened up again. What do you guys do?

It's finally happening! If anyone else is doing any of the Long Beach races (www.runlongbeach.com), or has done them, let me know. I would love to hear your insight on the race/environment. This weekend I am going to pick up my goodie bag and I'm pretty excited as to what will be in there!

So what is it with me and finding animals on the side of the road? Well today I found a bird that I think basically fell off the electrical wire it was sitting on way above the sidewalk and fell to it's death. Sad, but I wasn't about to touch this bird at all. In the last 10 years of me running I have never found any animals, dead or alive in my path, and within a week I find one kitten and a dead bird.

Presh the small kitten I rescued is doing well and adjusting to being spoiled rotten by my cousins. She is active and her leg is healing just fine. :) I am so glad that she will have a great home.

Counting down the days till the Long Beach 1/2 Marathon!!

xoxo

A Precious Find....

So this morning I took off on my normal short Friday jog, and about a mile from my house I saw a little gray ball of fur curled up against the wall on the sidewalk with dirt and leaves on top of it. I thought for sure this little kitty was dead, but when I stopped to look down at it, it's little grey eyes were open. Me, being a complete sucker for things like this, and this cat being completely adorable, I knew I couldn't leave it there.

Instead of trying to pet it, for fear of it going crazy and attacking me or lunging into the busy street on the other side of me I saw a little crumpled up bag so I poked it to make sure it was still alive. It moved ever so slightly. At this point I think it was trying to play dead. So I reached out my hand and let it sniff it. Then I petted it's little head. I realized that I would have to walk home with it in my arms. I was scared that the little beast would come out of it's nap time and claw my face to death, but luckily the walk home, even crossing the busy street wasn't a big deal at all, and the kitten did fine. I can only imagine what people were thinking that were driving by. What is that girl doing with that baby cat walking on the side of the road.

When I got home, I immediately called my two cousins who have been in the market to find a cute kitten. My cousins just moved into a new place and are my best friends, so I knew they wouldn't be able to resist and then I also knew the kitty would be going to a good home. I put the kitten in a laundry basket with a towel and gave it some milk, hoping that it would just stay there while I got ready for work and was able to take it over to the vets office by my cousins office. I ran upstairs to start the shower, and ran back to check on her, and she was out of the basket! I found her creeping around under the stairs and decided to lock her in the basket in the downstairs bathroom while I got ready. I had noticed she had some scraped under her chin and had a feeling she had gotten hit by a car, so when she was limping around I also knew she had a problem with her front paw. I would find a cat who had medical problems!

Then once I was ready for work I loaded up the basket and took her over to the vets office where I met up with my cousin. She immediately was in love, and we got her checked out. They told us it was a girl, and she weighed in at a measly 2.3 pounds and was about eight weeks old, just a baby! They also said that her leg was broken and she would have to have a cast put on, and that she had some really bad fleas. So a cast and a flea dip later she will be going home with my cousin tonight! We decided to name her Presh Ollie Streets. She was named Streets for about 10 minutes before we found out she was a girl, but Presh is short for precious. I know, my cousins and I are pretty weird. :) So my morning run was cut short, but I am proud to announce this new little girl into the KooOlie Family!

There was her scrape on her mouth from the road rash. She looks a little fierce, but believe me, she is super laid back.

On our way to the vets office. This is her broken leg :(

So so cute!

So this week, if you are in the mood for a new addition to your family, I would advise you to look at a local shelter or by visiting http://www.spca.com/!

xoxo

VP?

So in honor of tonight's Vice Presidential Debate, I try to find out as much information for each candidate that will be featured in the debate tonight.

After going to my researching source, google.com, I found nothing on Joe Biden at all. I found our more about his platforms and beliefs, but nothing on if he works out or not. I found out that his wife, Jill, works out by jogging 3-5 miles a a day weekly.


Sarah Palin on the other hand has become some sort of insta-celebrity overnight, with all aspects of her life being scrutinized, and for good reason, including her exercise routine. This allowed me much more information on her. I mean, if I have five kids, you are darn right I want to look like that!

The Wall Street Journal wrote an article on her fitness which she said started at a young age from her her parents being marathoners and high school track and cross-country coaches. Her husband, Todd, also an athlete have made fitness a family thing. Palin says, "Conventional running is my sanity," Before giving birth to her son in April, Palin was running 7 to 10 miles almost every day but when pregnant, she switched to aerobics classes at her gym.
In the summer, when it's always light, she'll sometimes run as late as midnight. In the dead of winter, when it's dark, she sneaks in an afternoon run, or else grudgingly runs on the treadmill at home or at the gym in the evening.

As for her workout gear she is running in 20-below temperatures so she wear layers of fleece and always a good outdoor waterproof trail shoe. She currently is running in Nike Air Structure Triax. She also says she always wears sunglasses on her run, "My kids tell me to put them on so I don't freak people out when they see me with a goofy hairdo and no makeup."

For post workout food she says nothing, she just drinks water.
She ran in Humpy's Marathon and finished in a time of 3:59:36. The Wall Street Journal Article where I got my information can be found here.

So this entry wasn't meant to sway any one's opinion either way, but just to take a look at the fitness information, or lack of information of the two who will be debating tonight. Now onto other random things :)

For all of you that live in the CA, AZ, or NV states, you are lucky. You are lucky because somewhere in your state there is my new store, Fresh and Easy.

I am obsessed because it's like Trader Joes but not so hippy like (not that there's anything wrong with that) but it's modern and neat and has a great selection of food as well. There is one on my way home from work and the other day I picked up basil tomato sauce, tortellini, garlic bread and a bottle of wine for ten bucks and fed myself and my boyfriend. It was really good as well. I would advise you to check out their website, Fresh and Easy, and look in your daily throw away mail because they also have 5 dollars off coupons if you spend twenty dollars or more. They have a great selection of food, produce and meats and cheeses, and also have great prices.

Also Footlocker has these great Adidas SoftTouch Pants on sale, in Fresh Green/Dark Indigo combination. They are normally 54.99, and now on sale for 19.99. These are the same pants that were featured last week but in a different color.
You can find the pants here

Lastly, I have found these great really cute shorts by Nike.

They are also on Footlocker, and are normally 49.99 (for shorts! What?!) but now on sale for 19.99. They are lightweight, woven short with Dri-FIT® technology featuring a crepe liner for moisture control and comfort. They have a color binding for a style that doesn't interfere with performance. Nike+ media pocket with tactile click wheel dot is located at the right side hip. Secure internal key pocket. They also have a little screen print and reflective dot heat transfers at lower back leg. The shorts can be found here.

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend. I'll be going at it next weekend. My goal isn't a time, but just to complete my first 1/2 Marathon. Crazy that it's finally here. This weekend I'm off to Palm Springs to celebrate my birthday. :)

xoxo