Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Today is Thursday which means it is my favorite blogging day of the week! The day that I get to share the crazy, unconnected thoughts rattling around in my head. Thanks Amanda for hosting!1. Thank you for all of the amazing, sweet, and encouraging comments on yesterday’s post. It is always exciting and scary to be true to yourself and chase your dreams but knowing that I have so many people behind me supporting me in my goals is such an amazing feeling!

2. An even bigger thank you to Laurel over at Joy Runner for sharing this article about why the 5K is freaking awesome! It got me even more excited for this 5K journey I have ahead of me!

3. I read another article this morning from Runner’s World about Why You Should Sign Up for a 5K – it’s a great read and maybe it will convince some of you to join me on the 5K train!! I think the running gods are telling me I made a good decision! 😉

4. One thing I forgot to address in my post yesterday is my plans for the Chicago marathon in October. While I’m definitely not going to be racing it I’m not exactly sure what my plan for it will be (maybe just run easy, run some parts with my athletes, pace someone).  I convinced my sister, her boyfriend, and my HS running buddy to all sign up for it and our plane tickets and hotels are already bought and booked. Henri and I will definitely be going to support them, cheer them on, and eat some deep dish pizza but whether or not I will actually step foot on the course is still to be determined. I will keep you updated!

5. While we are on the subject of the Chicago Marathon, my sister is running for the Ronald McDonald Charity. In her own words…

As most of you might know my collegiate running career came to an end even before it got started due to injuries.  Growing up I always dreamed about running a marathon some day when I was older.  In 172 days, on October 12, 2014, I will be running the Chicago Marathon as part of the Ronald McDonald House of Charities.  This charity supports children and their families who are battling life-threatening illness or injury.  My training will be a minimal amount of running and a lot of biking and swimming.  My plan during the marathon is to map out my running and walking parts.  My goal is to run/walk the entire way including two mile running increments followed by one mile walking increments.

The 2013 Boston Marathon made me realize that life can be short and I want to make one of my lifelong goals a reality.  Being part of the Ronald McDonald House of Charities I have to raise $1,500.  I would love the continued support from my friends and family to help reach my goal and make a difference in the lives of children who are struggling from life-threatening illness or injury.  I am running this marathon for those who cannot.

Kel is really close to hitting her fundraising goal but needs help raising the last little bit! If you are interested in helping the cause click here to donate! Any and all donations are MUCH appreciated!

6. Today is my baby sister’s 18 birthday! She may be 6 years younger than me but I swear, we are basically twins. Happy birthday Melissa, I love you!7. Henri and I are going up to Maine this weekend with my sister Kellie and her boyfriend to visit my grandparents. I can’t wait for a weekend full of waterskiing, kayaking, my grandparents’ cooking and just relaxing and spending time together!

8. Last night my older sister went to Cafe Rio for the first time! She sent me a picture of her chicken salad and I was both proud and jealous at the same time! Why can’t Cafe Rio’s be everywhere????9. Whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with bananas and chocolate chips are my new obsession. I have been making them for breakfast at least twice a week recently. Today my brain shut off and I forgot the baking powder so my first one resembled a hockey puck more than a pancake. Luckily my sister helped me figure out what I had done, I fixed it, and round two turned out much better!10. Don’t forget to vote for me in the Runner’s World Cover Model Contest!! I am nowhere near being near the top of the leaderboard but the contest runs through August 26th so there is still plenty of time! 😉 One vote per person per day!

Tell me something random about your week!

Have you ever made a mistake in the kitchen that couldn’t be fixed? Once when I was babysitting I was making lemonade with the girls and their parents kept sugar in a giant container like the one I keep sugar in so I accidently used THAT in the lemonade. Needless to say, we had to start all over again!