the happiest 5k take 2!

Team Fit Britches 2014!

I have a turbulent history with 5ks - first I was all about them, then I decided I only liked silly themed races that didn't require me to just flat out run, then I realized they make me 400% miserable and swore them off in favor of exercise I actually enjoy, and now it seems like the tides are slowly turning. 

A few months ago a friend of mine and I decided we wanted to do a theme race & I suggested, based on my past experience last summer, The Color Run. (This may also have been influenced by the fact that doing the Toledo race meant we could go to the zoo & to Maumee Bay Brewery afterward.) We recruited some friends and ended up with a group of 6 & the team name "Fit Britches." (Thanks, autocorrect.)

Getting up at 4:30am to head down to Toledo made for an interesting drive...

At the starting line with my ladies, Alisha & Emily - shout to to Alisha for the super cute idea to amend her shirt to state "Fit" Britches, haha.

A pre-color shot of us with the classiest of all backgrounds...

It was a beautiful sunny day, but early enough that there was a touch of chill, so it was perfect running weather. I've been doing a lot of pacing work at the gym lately - I learned a huge part of my problem with running is my tendency to shoot out the gate way too hard and burn out before a mile is even up, so I've been doing a lot of steady paced runs at around 5.5-6 mph on the treadmill, and you guys, did it ever help.  I broke away from the group and ran a comfortable race in which I never thought I was going to die or hated my life, in about a half hour - despite stopping to get coated in paint every kilometer. And I felt GREAT. I couldn't believe how actually pleasant running 3.1 miles was!

An epic attempt to be coated in every color possible.

Of course the after party was phenomenal as usual - that's something the Color Run has always done right. Between the DJs and the dancing and the Zumba and the color packet throwing, it's by far the best post-race celebration I've been to yet (and that includes the ones with beer!).  It was also really lovely that the weather was a little cooler than my previous Color Run - the color looks much better when it's not caked all over your body with sweat ;)

Rest assured, Color Run, I will be back in 2015!

summer updates

I used to be a really good blogger. I mean a REALLY good blogger. As in, I use to update my livejournal three and four times a day with what I was doing/eating/reading/cooking, etc (okay that probably actually makes me a seriously horrible blogger - nobody wants to know all the details of my many popcorn binges and tv episodes watched.) Now I'm a lazy blogger in love with the self-indulgent idea of having a blog that tracks all the genuinely cool experiences I have on a regular basis, but apparently still poor at the execution of this.

So, it's summer, and these are the lovely things I've done that bear noting:

• Spent an entire weekend with my best friend forever doing nothing but lying on my couch marathoning every Marvel movie (none of which I had seen). 

The snuggles of both my best lady friend and my kitty; what could be better.

• Went to Ottawa again for just shy of a week of Canadian beer shenanigans - I have far too much to say about this trip not to give it its own post.

Ottawa beers with my best Canadian friends!

• Spent my pre-birthday weekend with my Kalamazoo loves Tom & Joe - including sparkler fights in my driveway on the 4th, after a fancy dinner of grilled salmon and scallops, Tigers game with all my favorite boys in the world followed by an incredible all you can eat meat dinner at Texas de Brazil on the 5th, and a day spent brewing a Belgian Dubbel on the 6th.

KalamaBFFs!

First Tigers game of the season!

These boys are my life <3 

Brazilian cheesecake - we literally had to pass this around the table about ten times before it was gone; we were all so stuffed full of meat.

Looking scrubby with some lovely ladies (they were heading out to a club; I had just come from a ball game...)

For as obnoxious as we were, Texas de Brazil treated us soooo well.

Ghetto-rigged brew-in-bag setup.

How many people does it take to transfer wort from an 18" kettle...?

• Finally figured out a temporary sparge solution for our brew-in-bag beers & created what will hopefully be a successful RyePA with honey & peppercorns - outcome to follow after bottling next weekend ;) 

Manual sparge - might not be the easiest way, but it worked!

• Saw Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds for the 3rd time at the Masonic Temple - not only was it an incredible show, but Nick pulled me up onto a seat so he could spit "From Her To Infirmity" right into my face. It was super special that they played Detroit at all (I had previously only seen then in Toronto), but the set list, Nick's energy and interacting with the crowd, and the giant piano interlude (a man on the keys is probably the most attractive thing I can think of - especially one crooning "Love Letter" & "The Ship Song") one of the greatest shows I've ever been to. My buddy and I kept turning to each other and just staring in shock - aka the "I KNOW, right!?" face.

This man completes me.

That would be the rail I was moments later pulled up & over.

• Made many many visits to Eastern Market....& gotten a little carried away every time. My most favorite vendors: DROUGHT raw juices (never stop putting cinnamon in watermelon juice) The Brinery (Kimchi! Kimchi with garlic scapes and ramps!), Corridor Sausage, The Granola Tree (The Almond Joy peanut butter is just killing me), and of course Germack (Jumbo cashews get in my mouth). And of course a big shout out to all the local farms for the delicious produce & meats - I also bought my first ever whole chicken there last weekend - giblets and everything!

Like I said.....possibly just a LITTLE bit overboard!!

The biggest brussels sprouts you've ever seen in your life.

My beautiful roast chicken resting on a bed of baked garlic kale. A success, if I do say so myself :)

• Last week I had a bit of a whirlwind Thursday that led in to a crazy busy weekend - inducted a buddy into the world of craft beer Thursday night at Dragonmead (get the waffle fries with chili and jalapeños ALWAYS), bumbled hungover through the workday on Friday, and then recovered just in time to ride go-karts and play excessive amounts of mini-golf at my work picnic on Saturday. 

This boy is 400% trouble & I love every minute.

• Last but definitely not least, today I am finally, FINALLY getting an estimate on putting hardwood floors in my spare bedroom!! I've been wanting to build a mini "studio" for over a year now, but time and money have finally come together, and after spending an hour ripping up carpet this weekend, I'm good to go at last!! I've already got mirrors and gym supplies all picked out ;) Whew!

Now things have slowed down a little but it's definitely only temporary - got some big weekends coming up!!

HOW HAS EVERYONE ELSE'S JULY BEEN??