tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45909438708523089342024-03-12T18:01:01.228-05:00Coussoule 365Life is richest in the everyday moments - 365 days a year.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-30432292346080258382015-12-13T11:16:00.001-06:002015-12-13T19:51:28.784-06:00Slum and GravyIt's hard for me to believe that Army's losing streak to Navy now extends to 14 years. As one of the greatest rivalries in college football, my disappointment as a die hard fan is amplified because of the national attention this one game of our entire season receives. The losses throughout the year to teams I think we should beat are hard, but being on a national stage and having to now hear ad nauseum about the squids' success over so many years has become too much to bear.<br />
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So I'm calling it now. Army wins in 2016.<br />
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Of course, Army/Navy isn't just about the game - it's much bigger than the 3.5 hours on the gridiron on Saturday. When you're a cadet, there are spirit missions, Go Army cake on the tables in the mess hall, and now, the Patriot Games on Friday before the game where Cadets take on Midshipmen in all kinds of feats of strength. I guess it's kind of like Festivus in uniform.<br />
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As <a href="https://www.westpointaog.org/" target="_blank">an Old Grad</a>, over the years, my Grey Hog-ness has grown. I've gone from simply making sure I was on the couch to watch the game to, this year, rocking the black and gold every day for the week leading up to the game. Whether at work, at the gym or out on my Saturday run, I was doing my part for the Army team right here in NW Arkansas.<br />
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My nails even got in on the action:<br />
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The best part of the week, though? I wasn't alone in my Old Grad shenanigans. On our private Facebook page, I and my fellow USMA '97 classmates pulled out our swag, our gear, old cadet uniforms, PMI cards from our cadet days, even our old cadet HP calculator (that an astonishing number of people still use on a daily basis more than 20 years later). Seeing pictures of my friends and being reminded of the immutable and unchangeable bond we have because of our four years together at the Academy was our collective spirit mission for the week.<br />
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I'm grateful we had the laughs during the week because almost 24 hours now since the game closed, I'm still mad. Not at the team, not even at the coaches. I am not saying it was a moral victory - <a href="http://www.nationalcenter.org/MacArthurFarewell.html" target="_blank">THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR VICTORY</a> - but I love my Army team no matter the score. They played hard; they made me so very proud to be a Grad. I'm mad simply because I refuse to accept that we can't beat them.<br />
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So I won't accept the naysayers' gloom and doom. We WILL beat them. Next year. The streak will end.<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqqNKgVLao" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqqNKgVLao" target="_blank">On, Brave Old Army Team</a>.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-26652127034181106752015-11-26T08:00:00.000-06:002015-11-26T08:00:00.075-06:00An abundance of blessings and gratitudeThanksgiving - the day we hopefully all stop and consider just how amazingly blessed we are. I know that I and my family have been given so much in this life, and the past year has been no exception. I could never adequately put into words all of the blessings in my life, so I will simply share images of the moments that filled my heart this year.<br />
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I am surrounded by love, in ways big and small, and for all of you who are a piece of my heart, thank you. Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-53829791271440023102015-11-24T13:00:00.000-06:002015-12-02T22:16:41.031-06:00Putting down rootsYesterday was a milestone of sorts for me - I had to get my driver's license <i>renewed</i>.<br>
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With my birthday approaching my license expiration date loomed, so I put time on my calendar to leave work just a few minutes and head to the <a href="http://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/Pages/countyDetail.aspx?show=72" target="_blank">Revenue Office</a> to get it taken care of. I hoped that by waiting for the holiday week the line would be short, and to my delight I walked in the door to no line at all. In and out in less than ten minutes - that has to be a record.<br>
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The lack of a wait wasn't the milestone, though - it was the renewal that hit me as momentous. You see, I've never lived anywhere in my adult life long enough to have to actually <i>return </i>to the Revenue Office / DMV / RMV / whatever that particular state called it. I suppose I did renew my Texas license while I was in the Army, but the irony was, I didn't even live there. It was my home of record having grown up there, but not really my home of reality.<br>
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Justin and I left active duty in part because we knew we wanted to have a family, and we wanted our future-children to have a sense of permanence, a place they called their hometown. Little did we realize that a career in sales would require the same mobility as a career in uniform. If you combine my civilian career with my time in uniform, beginning with leaving home to go to <a href="http://www.westpoint.edu/SitePages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">West Point</a>, my personal odyssey has been an extraordinary journey:<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLFO27Wn4Lj32yS5TCwdVJKwNh6CD1ep6rZSS44SdtGKQbPWAa6KTrvhLl31G_zEC38V0Betsal88MVK84b60WjJxmBh5zPiQXro3tDIwRXWUAl9Uiqep9P-9Il-vIZWzvpunG4sh8l0/s1600/moving+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLFO27Wn4Lj32yS5TCwdVJKwNh6CD1ep6rZSS44SdtGKQbPWAa6KTrvhLl31G_zEC38V0Betsal88MVK84b60WjJxmBh5zPiQXro3tDIwRXWUAl9Uiqep9P-9Il-vIZWzvpunG4sh8l0/s640/moving+map.jpg" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Point, NY -- Ft. Eustis, VA -- Ft. Stewart, GA -- Ft. Lee, VA -- Ft. Leavenworth, KS -- back to Ft. Lee, VA -- Ft. Hood, TX -- Owings Mills, MD -- Adams, MA -- Liberty Township, OH -- Fayetteville, AR</td></tr>
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<a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/search/label/You%20live%20where" target="_blank">I've said it before</a> and I'll say it again - we love it here in <a href="http://www.northwestarkansas.org/" target="_blank">Northwest Arkansas</a>. I hope that we can make this a long term domicile, and give our children a place that helps them feel grounded no matter where they go in their own adult lives. I know you can never say never, and great opportunities may arise in the future that will necessitate moving boxes and changes in plans, but for now, I'm grateful for the little card in my wallet that says I belong here. At least until 2019.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-42283706465887879092015-11-20T12:00:00.000-06:002015-11-20T12:00:05.819-06:00Follow the RainbowSunday breakfast at our house has turned into one of my favorite times of the week. Technically, it's Sunday brunch - we go to the 9am mass and don't eat until we get home, usually around noon. It isn't that the food is anything extraordinary; it's more that breakfast food is awesome, and whether it's scrambled eggs, omelettes, pancakes, waffles, pumpkin muffins, coffee cake, donuts, cinnamon rolls, or maybe several of the above, it's hard to get it wrong.<br />
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Throw in bacon or sausage (or on the rare occasion, both), hashbrown patties and a fruit salad, and it's become a multiplate plus sometimes-a-bowl kind of meal that has our breakfast table covered with deliciousness. Now that the weather is turning colder, the kids have been requesting hot chocolate to go with mom and dad's coffee, too. On the surface, it seems like a pretty simple thing to have Sunday brunch at our kitchen table each week, but it's one of the everyday moments that I treasure as a simple family tradition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoRsuimhEeSwccykNpvBapNEqmh7tSGRsIOmHt0uJo81XpEGN32mTmAlAJreNKPX7R5v0eGMS3_q3mzrFgocXCfZ7GVfDpr9LOBKJ5IlNfxqRCqwu-5KnlFl3t5Gtith0u0JjdKSQkhY/s1600/Eat-the-rainbow-Newsletter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoRsuimhEeSwccykNpvBapNEqmh7tSGRsIOmHt0uJo81XpEGN32mTmAlAJreNKPX7R5v0eGMS3_q3mzrFgocXCfZ7GVfDpr9LOBKJ5IlNfxqRCqwu-5KnlFl3t5Gtith0u0JjdKSQkhY/s320/Eat-the-rainbow-Newsletter.png" width="320" /></a>This past Sunday, we actually went a little bit on the lighter side. We are so very blessed to be able to afford fresh fruit year round, and Justin's always been great about making sure the kids have balance in their diet. Frankly, I lucked out, because I don't know that I was very good about eating my colors before I married him!<br />
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That whole <a href="http://www.wellnesstoday.com/nutrition/eat-your-colors-for-optimal-health" target="_blank">"eat your colors"</a> thing has always delighted me. First, it's an easy way to think about balancing my diet. Second, you truly do eat with your eyes, and a plate with more than white rice, mashed potatoes and chicken breasts is certainly more appealing than a monochrome meal. It's also an easy thing for kids to remember and a guideline they can easily follow.<br />
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When I put Sunday's breakfast on their plates and set them on the table last week, Caroline commented how we had the rainbow on our plates!<br />
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John's response: "and the cinnamon roll is the pot of gold!"<br />
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Nailed it!Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-18830430271823510562015-11-17T08:00:00.000-06:002015-11-17T08:00:03.193-06:00Halloween 2015Halloween this year was pretty different than in years past. We didn't have anyone come over to our house, and the kids didn't go together. It felt like a milestone that I didn't realize was coming; I guess that's how parenthood goes sometimes. You don't realize when the last time was the last time until it's gone.<br />
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As big as my kids are, though, they're still kids, and Halloween is still a fun time to dress up and get candy!! Falling on a Saturday made the pre-trick or treat chaos a lot more manageable this year. To complicate things, we decided to go to fall festival at the church on Friday night, bringing a couple of friends with us. May as well as much mileage out of the costumes as possible!<br />
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Caroline may have the record on getting mileage out of a Halloween costume; for the third year in a row, she was Harry Potter. Why mess with a classic, right? The robe is getting a bit short, but thanks to Aunt Susannah, there was a new accessory with the awesome Gryffindor scarf.<br />
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John didn't have a strong opinion about a costume, so several weeks before Halloween, I helped him brainstorm based on what he loves. Right now, what he loves is... video games. Specifically, Minecraft. It's a game made out of pixels - how hard could a costume be, right? Buy the head; order the diamond pick-axe from Amazon; cardboard box and Post It notes for the body. Voila - I give you Steve from Minecraft.<br />
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Halloween night was a little bit soggy, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm for free candy. I dropped Caroline off at her friend's house so they could go together; Harry and Hermione ready to cast a Trick or Treat spell on the neighborhood! John and Thatcher waited for me to get back, since I was once again the chaperoning parent for the neighborhood walk. After a twenty mile run that morning, though, I wasn't quite as fleet footed as the boys. They were running like fools down the sidewalk, trying to catch up with the big kids who didn't want to be caught in the first place. With a few words I convinced the boys to give it up and actually start ringing doorbells to get candy, but was surprised when they called it a night before their bags were full.<br />
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It seems like this may have been the year we pivoted to big-kid trick or treating. I'm not sure what next year will bring; I would think we'll still be all about the candy, but maybe not so much about trick or treating with mom in tow. So I'll just savor this year for the moments it provided, my two kids and their friends doing what kids do. Trick or treat!<br />
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Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-24838306927275243472015-11-15T17:31:00.001-06:002015-11-15T17:31:06.007-06:00For the love of the runIt's been almost three years since I was in the best running shape of my life; these days, I spend a lot of time thinking about how much work it is to drop weight and get faster rather than actually doing the work it takes to drop weight and get faster. I run because it's fun and a great way to spend time with friends rather than to qualify for Boston or set new PRs.<br />
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Despite the competitive fire being banked for the time being, I do still look for ways to do more; be more; achieve more. I continue to work toward <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/p/my-life-list-big-and-little-things.html" target="_blank">my goal of running a marathon in all 50 states</a>, but don't really have a specific plan for the next several months. The upside of no plan? Flexibility.<br />
<br />I got a text a few weeks ago from a childhood friend down in Houston asking if I could provide a recommendation on a hotel for the Tulsa marathon weekend. Not having run it before, I checked with a friend and responded. We went back and forth a few times, during which I made a couple of excuses for why I wasn't running it this year.<br />
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Excuses. Man. I seem to be full of them these days.<br />
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I start thinking. Tulsa - it's four weeks away at that point. I'm in reasonably good shape; I still do long runs on weekends, including a 14 miler not too long ago. Marathons are like those songs that get stuck in my head; I couldn't stop noodling on it. I don't have Oklahoma; this is a huge Maniac race; Tulsa is only a two hour drive away; how hard can it be to go for a just-finish?<br />
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Clearly, the thing to do is to run a 20 miler the next weekend. Clearly. Because if you can run 20, you run a marathon right?<br />
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My friends think I'm nuts. Maybe I am. Of course, that means they're as nuts as I am, because you <i>know</i> I didn't run that 20 alone the next weekend!! Off we went, starting at 5am on Halloween morning, knocking out Hobby Lobby loop and then the Stadium Loop to get all twenty miles in. With the take-it-easy and just-finish approach, I had one of the best 20 milers I'd had all year. Go figure.<br />
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So that was that - I was in. I went home and signed up for the <a href="http://route66marathon.com/" target="_blank">Route 66 Tulsa Marathon</a>, which is one week from today. I've been "tapering" in my training ever since - this might be the best idea I've had in marathon training. Run whatever you feel like for a few months, do one 20 miler, then taper! There has been one training challenge since I signed up; the weekend after the 20 miler I decided I should do 14, but Justin was out of town and I was home alone with the kids on my regular Saturday morning run time. What to do, what to do... well, duh. Obviously, the answer is to run laps in the neighborhood.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elevation profile cracked me up!!</td></tr>
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It's better than a treadmill...<br />
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I know running 15 laps in the neighborhood doesn't sound great, but as it turned out, it wasn't too bad. The mailbox was my water stop, and I went by the house every seven or eight minutes to check on whether the kids had any lights on yet. The guy around the corner having a garage sale probably thought I'd lost my mind by the fourth or fifth time I ran by, but hey - maybe he was on to something. Ha!<br />
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Here I am with the race one week from today, and I'm mostly looking forward to it. Like I said on our run yesterday morning, the problem with having run several marathons at this point is that I know exactly what I'm in for. I'm super excited to see Molly, coming up from Houston, and there are other friends going from NW Arkansas. It's a huge race for the <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/" target="_blank">Marathon Maniacs</a>, so I'm sure the vibe will be great. And I'll get to mark Oklahoma off the list, a bonus for the year since I thought Vermont was to be my only new state!<br />
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I just have to remember - this isn't about the pace. This race is all about the love of the run.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-69794255837148967712015-10-24T12:57:00.001-05:002015-10-24T12:57:49.575-05:00Race Report: Hero Half Marathon - Oct 10, 2015As it turns out, there are races of distances less than 26.2 miles. Who knew?<br />
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After training for long distances exclusively for the last three years, with very little down time in my regimen between events, I decided <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-twinnies-twinnie-no-matter-how-far.html" target="_blank">with Shauna's absence</a>, I had the perfect opportunity to dial it back a little bit and moderate the number of miles I've been putting on my legs and feet each week. It was time to find the joy and the fun in running, not just the satisfaction that comes with completing another marathon and knowing I have the toughness and ability to slog through all of the training miles and then race day, too.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UW4gnvqglr0/Vhqpg_-zVzI/AAAAAAAANFo/Y5kX0m_FNc4/s1600/HeroHalfMarathon2015October%2B10%252C%2B201515e-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UW4gnvqglr0/Vhqpg_-zVzI/AAAAAAAANFo/Y5kX0m_FNc4/s320/HeroHalfMarathon2015October%2B10%252C%2B201515e-10.jpg" width="212" /></a>The problem with deciding not to train for a marathon, though, was the absence of a race of any kind on my mental calendar. While I'm generally a pretty motivated person, I do best when I have a goal I'm working toward, a deadline for achievement. Not wanting to spend the travel money usually associated with a race, I looked around and realized <a href="http://runningintheusa.com/Race/ListByCityRadius.aspx?Rank=All&State=AR&City=Fayetteville&Radius=25" target="_blank">the local Fayetteville run scene</a> has grown by leaps and bounds in the last year or two. There are so many options for runs of varying distances, supporting all kinds of different organizations and charities.<br />
<br />
Based on good things I'd heard about the annual running in 2014 and in large part because of the new association with the <a href="http://tommartinfoundation.org/" target="_blank">1LT Tom Martin Foundation</a>, my good buddy Mike and I decided we'd sign up for the <a href="http://herohalfmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Hero Half Marathon</a> right here in town. One of the big benefits of being a runner who is always halfway training for a marathon is the ability to sign up for a half just a couple of weeks before the race.<br />
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Looking forward to a distance that wouldn't break me down and a race that was mostly for fun, I met Mike on race morning at the shuttle point to get a ride to the start line of the point to point race. Unfortunately, this race report starts with two negatives: first, just like last year, start time is 10AM. Ten o'clock in the morning. I mean, who does that?! As a morning runner - and I'm talking done long before the sun even comes up, morning runner - I wasn't very excited about the idea of running in the sun and the warmth forecasted for that day. I know the upside is the chance to sleep in, but my concerns about the temperature by the midway point of the race far outweighed any enthusiasm for extra pillow time. Second problem: the 9am shuttle left a little early with a full crowd and rather than looping right back for a second run, apparently just disappeared. Hard to fault the race organizers, as it was a volunteer from another organization who wouldn't answer the phone when they tried to reach him, but it meant an awful lot of standing around and caused the race to start 20 minutes late.<br />
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The silver lining in the long wait? A chance to see Sarah and Jeff Hood, taking some great photos while sharing the story of #NeverQuit. I met some new friends, too, thanks to the built-in camaraderie of the <a href="http://www.wearblueruntoremember.org/" target="_blank">wear blue: run to remember</a> organization. Runners are special people, always friendly and easy to talk to, and meeting Melissa and her husband was an unexpected blessing as we waited for our ride. <br />
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Taking the good with the bad, the pre-race net result - problem #2 compounded problem #1. Not exactly an auspicious start, but hey, this was a fun run and it was only 13.1 miles, right? No big deal. I'm also a lot more likely to cut a race some slack when it's a small, local race where I feel like I have a personal connection and a vested interest in its success.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0xUiud3fNWBT9aODOor28yD078ZVofAqZYZbI_Mt7ggoRrqCexS7K5C244NCaPX6QOcFMioKuhqxkyQ7r3T4oRXB63soWcqYCz_mwQ8EhEI1gZztgA5BMegHEWgMBrt4C2O-M88X1xw/s1600/Hero+half+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD0xUiud3fNWBT9aODOor28yD078ZVofAqZYZbI_Mt7ggoRrqCexS7K5C244NCaPX6QOcFMioKuhqxkyQ7r3T4oRXB63soWcqYCz_mwQ8EhEI1gZztgA5BMegHEWgMBrt4C2O-M88X1xw/s400/Hero+half+start.jpg" width="400" /></a>Local races are unique for the chance to see people I know at the start line. I ran into several people I've met through work, found my other two Saturday run group friends, and got to both give and receive a lot of good wishes and smiles. There was a nice ceremony honoring firefighters and promoting fire safety week, which would've been better if we weren't already late to the start line, but finally, it was time to go!<br />
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I planned on running with Mike and Louise - Fast Jeff was a contender for an overall place, so we just gave him a good luck - and we toed the line waiting for the signal to go. A very cool touch for this race - no air horn, no digital megaphone sound to send the runners on their way. In the tradition of the firehouse, they used a bell to signal step off. With the sun shining and hearts pumping, we headed down the trail for the loop around the lake, intending to take it a little bit easy and have a fun run. If we ran a sub-2:00, we'd be happy, but none of us put any pressure on ourselves for a specific time.<br />
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The race route was 100% on the Fayetteville trail system until you turned the last corner up to the firehouse (more to come on that!). Having pounded every inch of that pavement over the last 4+ years, I knew exactly what the twists and turns, elevation changes, bridges and tunnels would be. It also meant I had to suck it up and get over my mental block with running around the lake. No idea why I have such a hard time with that part of the trail, but I've come to loath that particular 5.5 mile stretch of pavement. Mike threw out an off hand "cut the corners" as we were stepping off, and for the first time since I ran the Houston Marathon, I made a deliberate, intentional effort to do just that.<br />
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It must have been the secret sauce - I don't know why I haven't done this every single time I run around Lake Fayetteville. It's a very winding path with lots of corners to cut, and it kept my mind focused on just getting to the next corner rather than thinking about the next hill or the interminable stretch on the back side of the lake. I managed to come out the other side and head down the hill in excellent time. My pace to this point was faster than intended, finishing the first five miles at an 8:13 average!<br />
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I had outpaced Mike and Louise a few miles in, so with feet pumping and arms swinging, I focused on the trail ahead, cutting the corners as close as possible, and just keeping the forward momentum going. As I headed south, I saw Jeff Hood again, camera in hand. I gave him a genuine smile when he encouraged me, saying I was on a sub-2:00 pace. I felt good, despite the sun rising higher in the sky and the temperature creeping up. I knew in detail what was in front of me, and was prepared to keep putting one foot in front of the other until I got to the end.<br />
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The race organizers did a fabulous job making sure there was plenty of support along the course. There were aid stations with water and Gatorade every mile or two, with enthusiastic volunteers yelling for all of the runners as they passed. There wasn't much crowd support, but even as a small race, I was never alone on the trail. I passed a few people, a few passed me, and I kept heading south as the trail slowly rose in front of me.<br />
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Around mile ten, it started getting hard. It was hard to try to keep the strong pace as the elevation slowly rose, and as the conditions got hotter. There are countless mantras runners use to motivate themselves through a run; I frequently repeat "constant forward progress" silently to myself. I also draw from my days in uniform, singing cadence to myself in my head, or occasionally hazing myself to stop being a big baby and suck it up. On this day, though, my thoughts were with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/10/12/army-ranger-school-has-a-groundbreaking-new-graduate-lisa-jaster-37-engineer-and-mother/" target="_blank">Lisa Jaster, a West Point Woman</a> who is a Class of 2000 graduate and was in the final phase of Ranger School, trying once again to graduate. She had been through six months of training, accepting recycles and restarts, and I had followed her progress with both pride and awe. When I hit the point where my legs said, "I just can't do it," my heart said "you most certainly can!" as I imagined Lisa humping her heavy ruck sack through swamps and mud and muck.<br />
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The reminder that this paled in comparison to other challenges put just enough spring in my step to keep me going. I managed to keep my pace at a run until I encountered the hill leading up to Maple; I took a deep breath, power walked up that bad boy, and then picked it back up as I coasted downhill to Dickson Street.<br />
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At this point, I knew I was close, but I was confused because my Garmin splits were off compared to the race mile markers on the course. In fact, by the time I got to the mile 12 marker, I was easily a half mile off. I thought maybe the course was short; maybe it wasn't certified; maybe it was a combination of variations in my Garmin combined with the course markers. Whatever it was, I knew the trail and the route, so I just had to keep going. So I did - until I turned left onto Center Street. Oh, the infamous last quarter mile of the race! It was an unbelievably steep hill - and just as we turned off of the trail, there was Sarah's family and the Never Quit motivation station, yelling and cheering for every one of us as we began our ascent.<br />
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Little by little, tiny step by tiny step, I made it up that hill. My pace plummeted until I wondered if I'd be better off walking, but I wasn't about to stop that with the finish line in sight.<br />
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I crossed the line, checked my watch, and did a double take at the results: 1:54:33 by my Garmin! Easy sub-2:00 on a day when I was simply out there to have fun. Given the very few official half marathons I've run, this was my new Personal Record for the distance, an exciting accomplishment in and of itself.<br />
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As I waited at the finish line for Mike and Louise to finish, I chatted with friends and even ran into a West Point classmate. I loved yelling for the runners digging deep to get up that hill and finish strong. It was a great finish line atmosphere with music and the announcer keeping the crowd updated on everyone who crossed that last timing mat. I eventually made it over to check the official results and delighted to find I'd managed to place first in my age group!<br />
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In all, what a wonderful day for a race. It was certainly gratifying to have run a faster pace than expected and to have earned another age group win. The Hero Half is a very well-run race that exists to raise money for <a href="http://herohalfmarathon.com/beneficiaries/" target="_blank">charitable organizations right here in my community</a>, and I'm proud to have been a part of supporting that. One of the neat perks that I'd love to see at a lot more races - <a href="http://www.a5images.com/Firefighters-Hero-Half-Maratho" target="_blank">the professional photos</a> were free and available the day after the race. It's a fairly difficult course, but in a way that makes you proud to have risen to the challenge.<br />
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As I've said countless times, I'm at a point in my journey where I'm simply grateful for the ability to run. To see my friends on a course, feel the sun on my face, and know that my body and spirit are strong enough to see me through to the finish line. Run on, my friends. See you at the next start line.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louise, Mike, Me and Fast Jeff at the finish</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-8966101274088577802015-10-16T21:13:00.001-05:002015-10-16T21:13:54.902-05:00Mama OctoberFor a whole lot of sports fans, it's the most wonderful time of the year. The <a href="http://www.nfl.com/" target="_blank">NFL season</a> is in full swing; <a href="http://espn.go.com/college-football/schedule" target="_blank">NCAA football</a> has finally gotten into the conference schedules; the <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm" target="_blank">NHL dropped the puck</a> on the beginning of the season; and, as with every fall in America for over 100 years, it's the <a href="http://m.mlb.com/postseason-schedule" target="_blank">Major League Baseball postseason</a>. The hunt for the title is on.<br />
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Unlike most Octobers in my lifetime, this year, the <a href="http://houston.astros.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=hou" target="_blank">Houston Astros</a> were in the mix! After an electrifying season that defied the predictions of every expert who has a microphone, <a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/153509540/astros-win-al-wild-card-game-against-yankees" target="_blank">the Astros won the American League wild card game</a> and advanced to the <a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/153571092/astros-royals-position-analysis-for-2015-alds" target="_blank">American League Divisional Series</a>. The last time my 'Stros played this late into the year was the year Caroline was born - ten years ago, the fall of 2005. I spent many evenings in the last month of my maternity leave holding her, sitting in the recliner, and watching the Astros make a run all the way to the World Series. <br />
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Now, in October of 2015, the Astros were back! Ten
years' worth of changes - I'm still sitting in the recliner, but it's two
moves later in our living room in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Caroline is a
5th grader, and she has a little brother who is eight years old. The
Astros have never been in the postseason in his lifetime; in fact,
they've barely been relevant. The team <a href="http://m.mlb.com/news/article/25992120/" target="_blank">moved from the National League to the American League in 2013</a> and over
the last ten years, they have a combined record of 709-910, including
three seasons where they lost over 100 games. I'm as super of a fan as
you'll ever find, but even I had lost interest in the boys of summer.
We'd make the annual trek to <a href="http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/ballpark/" target="_blank">Minute Maid Park</a> while home in Houston, but
other than that, I didn't follow the Astros with any fervor or
enthusiasm.<br />
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Then this year, the Astros somehow managed to lead the
American League West division for almost the entire season. I figured
out that even up here in NW Arkansas, I had a cable channel that carried
all of the Astros games (thank you, <a href="http://www.rootsports.com/" target="_blank">Root Sports</a>!). I began turning the
games on in the evenings and turning the volume down low while I read on the couch. I got to know the players' names, and was enchanted by the
enthusiasm and exuberance with which the team played. As I was drawn into
the drama of an unfolding season, the wins kept piling up. The new playoff format of the one game Wild Card playoff meant the Astros made the postseason and went head to head with the New York Yankees, who they dispatched to earn their way into the ALDS! Next up, <a href="http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=kc" target="_blank">the Kansas City Royals</a>!<br />
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Wait a minute - Kansas City. Like, just three and a half hours up the road, Kansas City. After the Astros won Game 1, I was keyed up for Game 2. I spent the day after the first game in the office a bit distracted, talking about the series with other baseball fans in the office. As the day went on, I kept thinking about the fact that KC was just up the road - straight up I-49, an easy drive that I'd made before. By early afternoon, I had checked Stub Hub, just to see if there were any tickets. Once I found there were plenty of tickets I thought, may as well see what they cost...<br />
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I called Justin. I thought about how much the tickets were, and tried to decide if it was worth it. I got more and more excited just thinking about the possibility of being at the game. There are no guarantees in life, and most certainly not in sports. Would it be another ten years? Would they ever play KC in the postseason again, the closest MLB park to our home? I checked with my boss to see if there would be a problem with my taking a last-minute day off on Friday. And then... I BOUGHT THE TICKETS.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mypHZmXdU3o" target="_blank">I'm goin' to Kansas City... Kansas City, here I come!!!</a> Not alone, but with my trusty little man by my side, of course - John and I are sports buddies of all kinds, and what an awesome way to spend a Friday in October!<br />
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We hopped in the car Friday morning, headed for Kauffman Stadium to yell for our Astros!<br />
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An easy drive later, we arrived at the stadium, grateful we'd grabbed pants and jackets! We got there well before the game started, heading into the stadium with our signs and garb shouting our H Town Pride.<br />
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The best part about getting to the game so early was the chance to go all the way down to the front row of the stadium where we could watch the Astros take batting practice. Another first for us! We watched as the players belted home runs, and others shagged balls from the outfield. We saw <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/31662/jose-altuve" target="_blank">Jose Altuve</a> and <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/32653/carlos-correa" target="_blank">Carlos Correa </a>hanging out and A.J. Hinch looking relaxed and confident. I even saw <a href="http://baseballhall.org/hof/biggio-craig" target="_blank">Craig Biggio</a>, an Astro All-Star from my childhood who is also now a Hall of Famer! So cool to have a front row view, even if only for a few minutes.<br />
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We grabbed the classic ballpark hot dogs for lunch and settled into our seats - our AMAZING seats - right above third base, about twenty rows up. SWEET!! Soon we were surrounded by fans in Royals blue, but true to their reputation, they were gracious, friendly fans and the stadium was rocking as the umpire yelled, "Play Ball!"<br />
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Despite the number of MLB games I've been to in my life, I didn't realize how different a postseason experience would be. Every pitch, every play matters - it is heart pounding excitement from the start, and you don't want to miss any of the action! As batters made contact and balls were popped foul, no matter what direction it headed into the stands, I would put my hands up, look at John and joke, "I got it!" Then in the third inning, a foul ball of of the bat of <a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/28973/colby-rasmus" target="_blank">Colby Rasmus</a> headed for the third base side stands, and I joked again that "I got it!" as it dropped just two rows in front of us! It glanced off a man's arm and bounced into the hands of the fan right in front of us!!! I leaned over and asked if I could get a picture of the ball, and without thinking twice, the man turned around and tossed the ball to John. He gave the Astros foul ball to my son!! That, friends, is the magic of baseball.<br />
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Ironically, we were so absorbed in the foul ball we missed the next pitch - which turned out to be a home run!! With the Astros scoring in each of the first three innings, we began to think this could go our way. We were almost alone in our cheers and yelling for the boys in orange, but that didn't mitigate our excitement.<br />
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The Royals' comeback, unfortunately, certainly did put a damper on our enthusiasm. I know the Astros can't win every game, and in the postseason with a hostile crowd in an away stadium, it's a tall order to win two in a row. As the game wound down, and it became obvious the 'Stros would head home to Houston with a split, it got harder and harder to be excited in the face of the furious spate of runs scored by the Royals. Being surrounded by fans going crazy with every run scored was like salt in the wound, and as hard as it was for me as a grown up with pretty thick skin, that little eight year old boy had a harder time accepting that his team was going to lose. With the last out in the ninth, as fans around us gave each other high fives and began to file out of the stadium, my sweet little man turned his face to my side to hide his tears of disappointment as I put my arms around him.<br />
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It would've been nice to get a win; the series may have turned out differently if they'd kept the lead. Instead of Friday night movie night, we could've been watching the Astros play the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALCS. As with so many things, though, the joy for me last Friday wasn't in the game, per se. It was in each and every moment I spent with my son, seizing the moment and what may be a one time opportunity to see our team in a big game. As my dad said, the cost of the tickets was one thing, but this moment - this one day in 365 - was priceless.<br />
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Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-45272499048317195492015-10-14T08:00:00.000-05:002015-10-14T08:00:00.224-05:00Summer Fun - Floating the Buffalo RiverAsk a native Arkansan what to do in Arkansas in the summer time and inevitably, one of the top answers will be "float the Buffalo!" The <a href="http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm" target="_blank">Buffalo River is the nation's first National River</a> and a true outdoor treasure. According to the National Park Service, it is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states, and lures locals and travelers alike to its shores.<br />
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Similar to <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2015/10/hiking-practically-in-our-backyard.html" target="_blank">hiking Mt. Kessler</a>, floating the Buffalo has been something I've thought, "we should do that!" since the first time I heard about it. Unlike our local adventure, though, floating takes a bit of planning, and also felt like something that would be more fun when the kids were a little bit older.<br />
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With <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-twinnies-twinnie-no-matter-how-far.html" target="_blank">Shauna's departure for her year long adventure in the UK</a> looming, we finally picked a date and decided to go do it! In preparation, I googled <a href="https://www.google.com/search?site=&source=hp&q=floating+the+buffalo+river&oq=floating+the+buffalo+river&gs_l=hp.3..0l8.1019.6189.0.6528.25.20.0.1.1.0.289.2518.0j10j4.14.0....0...1c.1.64.hp..14.11.1721.0.0fgg4YldfHs" target="_blank">"floating the Buffalo River"</a> six ways to Sunday. I found plenty of information on types of floats and outfitters. There were enough sites with water levels to get an idea of where we were in the season. Strangely, though, there wasn't a single place that spoke to a novice like me; a rookie who wanted to take kids down the river but didn't own a watercraft or have really any floating experience at all.<br />
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There are so many options - canoes, kayaks, inflatable boats, inner tubes. Two hour, half day, overnight trips. In and out, camping, cabins. I thought it was as simple as - go float! Given our inexperience, we chose to go with the shortish float via canoe, since the three adults at least had experience wielding a paddle. With no specific checklists, we figured we were all set with the reservations and the start time for our planned 3-4 hour float.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irene, Caroline and John ready to float</td></tr>
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That Saturday morning dawned sunny, hot and seemingly perfect for a day on the river. The six of us piled in the van and headed east toward the <a href="http://www.buffaloriveroutfitters.com/adventures/canoeing.aspx" target="_blank">Buffalo River Outfitters</a>. It's a beautiful drive, but it was a bit farther than expected, and by the time we got there we were cutting it close for the mid-distance float. As we hadn't eaten our lunch yet, we had to instead opt for the 2-3 hour float so that we could have our picnic lunch before heading out. Lunch done, kids' swimsuits on, all we had to do now was wait for the shuttle to get us down to the launch site!<br />
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Despite having hats and sunscreen, we were missing some of the more critical equipment. For those rookies like me who've never floated before and can't really find the easy answer, here's what I wish I'd known to bring when I was planning our first trip:<br />
<ul>
<li>A cooler - not only will you want water (or other drinks) while you're out on the river with no shade, it provides a third seat for the non-paddler in the canoe. </li>
<li>Bungee cords - said cooler has to be securely tied to the watercraft.</li>
<li>Koozies - you can't have any drinks on the river that aren't in something that floats. I love knowing that we're doing everything we can to keep the river clean, and a koozie around a water bottle is a small price to pay to help do that.</li>
</ul>
At this point, we were blissfully ignorant and just happy to be at the water's edge. My big surprise when arriving at the launch point was how many people were on the river! I knew it was popular, but I'd not mentally connected the dots to realize it was a steady flow of people in canoes, kayaks, tubes, and sometimes just swimming by, enjoying the cool water on a hot summer day. We watched the other floaters, waited for our outfitters to get the canoes to the water's edge, and took a few pictures in the sun.<br />
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We managed to get into the canoes and launch into the river, and immediately, I realized - this isn't as easy as it looks!! Shauna and I were in a canoe together with John; Justin had Caroline and Irene with him. Despite having two-adult-power in our canoe, we managed to get turned entirely around, floating backwards right at the start. Good grief!! With a little bit of laughter and a good bit of upper body strength, we got turned around properly and began floating down the Buffalo. We were off - we were floating!<br />
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It didn't take long to realize it was much hotter on the water and in the sun than I had expected. I was very grateful for my hat and sunglasses, but without water to drink and in regular outdoor clothes with sneakers, I was stuck in the canoe without a lot of options for cooling off. Thankfully, we'd put the kids in their swimsuits, and we soon realized one of the best parts of floating is stopping along the way to cool off and swim in the river. After an hour or so of paddling, we parked the canoes on the shore and watched the kids dive into the cool, clear water of the river.<br />
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Seeing the kids cooling off in the water made me wish that I had worn a swimsuit, too. Back to those checklists - I had figured out what equipment we were missing; now I knew what the attire checklist should've been:<br />
<ul>
<li>Swimsuit - getting into the water would've been amazing given how hot it was that day. I was pretty close to getting in fully dressed, but it would've been a long ride home in wet clothes.</li>
<li>Sandals (though the old sneakers did work, as long as you don't mind squishy shoes) - you definitely can't go barefoot. The bottom of the river is straight up river rock, not sand, and would be pretty painful to walk on without shoes.</li>
<li>Dry clothes to change into upon returning to the car for the drive home. Nobody wants to drive three hours in a swimsuit that's spent time in the river.</li>
</ul>
The kids had so much fun; they're still at the age that their laughter rings clear and true, no pretense or worry about what others think as they play and have fun. I so often say we're at the sweet spot with our kids - they're the age where they can do so much for themselves, and at times like this, they can go off a bit on their own without a parent having to be within arms' reach. Their budding independence is an affirmation that we're somehow navigating this parenting thing okay.<br />
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We were about an hour and a half into the float at this point, and I was desperately thirsty; I can't emphasize enough how big of a miss it was not to have brought a cooler and drinks. Lesson certainly learned. We herded the kids back into the canoes, and switched places so that Justin would have help with the paddling. That's when I realized how little help was going to come from the kids! I watched Justin and Shauna float farther and farther ahead as I worked to navigate under one and a half oar power!<br />
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There were places where the river ran faster than others, and I was glad that we hadn't come earlier in the season when the water was higher. We did run into a few places where the canoes scraped the bottom, but I think all in all, the water level was perfect for our first time on the river.<br />
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As I began to think we were going to be hard pressed to make it all the way to the end, there we were - the outfitters were on the banks waiting for us to pull our canoes up out of the water and head back in the shuttle. The float actually lasted just a bit under two hours; the lesson I learned this first time out is that the variability in the time for a float comes from how much time you spend out of the canoe, as well as how vigorously you paddle. If you know me, you know I'm not much one for passive outdoor activity; it wasn't a race, but I was still going to put some muscle into it! If you'd asked me at the beginning whether an under-two-hour float would be just right, I would've rolled my eyes and suggested the much longer one. Given our lack of preparation, though, it was a good thing we only spent that amount of time on the river.<br />
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With my first trip under my belt, here's what I'll know next time:<br />
<ul>
<li>Consider an overnight trip - it's a far enough drive that out and back is a little bit taxing. Going the day before to get an early start on the river would help not just with the heat, but with the crowds, too.</li>
<li>Relax a little bit - it isn't a race down the river. The views are incredible, and the people watching is entertaining, too.</li>
<li>Figure out a way to waterproof a camera - it is a stunning landscape to which my pictures just can't do justice. Along the way we saw a bald eagle, too - it isn't just the bluffs and the trees overhanging the river that inspire.</li>
<li>The different types of watercraft all make for a different experience</li>
<ul>
<li>The canoes were perfect for our family trip with kids our age. They're a way to make it a group activity, because it requires cooperation and teamwork to get going in the right direction.</li>
<li>The kayaks I saw were often loaded with camping equipment - so I think kayaking would be an amazing way to do a multiday camp/float trip. Those were the people I looked on as adventurers. A day trip on a kayak, too, seems to me like a more solitary, individual float, but perfect for a day of reflection and peace.</li>
<li>Inner tubes - now <i>those </i>are the people there for a party! What fun to bump along down the river, drifting in and out of a group of friends, hanging your toes in the water and swimming as much as you float.</li>
<li>While we didn't see any of the inflatable boats because the water level was too low, I think that would be a wonderful multi-family float option. I hope to try that together with Shauna, Andy and Irene someday to see if we can navigate the higher, faster water earlier in the spring or summer.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
There definitely will be a next time - in fact, I hope there are next times. The Buffalo is a gift, as are the number of other beautiful rivers you can float here in Arkansas. It's the time together, though, that is truly priceless. <br />
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Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-55545626695871086882015-10-11T14:07:00.003-05:002015-10-11T14:07:49.144-05:00Hiking (practically) in our backyard<a href="http://www.arkansas.com/" target="_blank">Arkansas, the Natural State</a> - if you've never visited, that's a catchy slogan, but it's hard to conjure up just what it might mean. Once you live here, you realize that it's almost totally insufficient to describe just how stunning this state is. The natural beauty all around us here in Northwest Arkansas is something I never take for granted. In our four years here, I've really only scratched the surface of all of the amazing outdoor activities within a couple hours' drive.<br />
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A tremendous - and unexpected - benefit of starting this blog and then writing down my Life List has been the increased willingness to just go DO it. Whatever it is, more and more I'm inclined to take action; to make the trip; to go on that adventure. Forget the fatalistic never knowing if you'll have another tomorrow; it can be as simple as not knowing what the weather will be like once you do finally make time. I'm super comfortable with saying the laundry can wait; the dishes will get done; we'll go through the drive through or pick up a pizza.<br />
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Last Saturday was another one of those remarkably beautiful Saturdays here in Northwest Arkansas. Justin was in Little Rock for class, so it was me and the kids at home. I didn't have any pressing work to do; there were no scheduled activities after soccer and <a href="http://www.firstlegoleague.org/" target="_blank">Lego League</a> were done. The kids usually spend Saturdays playing with friends in the neighborhood, playing together in the playroom, or in Caroline's case, reading. I had the itch to get outside for some activity, though, and to spend time together.<br />
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Mt. Kessler is only fifteen minutes from our house (and that's if I hit the red lights), with easy hiking trails that anyone can manage. In the fall, it erupts in glorious colors as the trees change, and for a couple of years I've said that one of these days, I'm going to go hike it. October of this year rolled around, and I had not yet made good on my pronouncement. While the leaves hadn't started changing yet, the day was just beautiful - blue skies, warm sunshine, and a promise of a breeze combined to make it picture perfect. I texted my friend Mary for tips on the best way to reach <a href="http://www.mtkesslergreenways.com/" target="_blank">Mt. Kessler's trails</a>, she offered to meet us there, and our afternoon plans were set!<br />
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If you're local and have never hiked Mt. Kessler, put it on your list! It's a very easy trail for legs of all lengths and strides of all sizes. We headed for the south side to the new lot off of Cato Springs Road, where there was plenty of parking. The only downside was it is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to where the mountain trail actually begins, but the path is well maintained and easily traversed. While we were on foot, there were also plenty of mountain bikers up there with us. To Caroline's delight, the trail is also perfect for dogs!<br />
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Once up on the mountain, there are several scenic overlooks to take a
break and look down on the <a href="http://www.arkansas.com/scenic-byways/boston/" target="_blank">Boston Mountains</a> in the distance. I can only
imagine how breathtaking it will be in a week or so when the leaves begin to show their fiery oranges, reds and yellows of an Ozark fall. We walked for about an hour and then turned around to head back to the car. We didn't make it over the mountain, but next time I think we'll bring some water with us and plan for a longer hike to try and at least get to the top. Given how easy it is to get there, I hope to go again <a href="http://www.arkansas.com/travel-tools/fall/" target="_blank">when the reds, oranges and yellows begin their fall show</a>.<br />
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There was nothing fancy about our plans that day, nothing expensive about the outing. It was simply a chance to spend time together with my kids and my friend, unplugged and active. Y'all come see me here in Arkansas - we can discover some more of the Natural State together.<br />
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<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-36443641714834614872015-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:002015-10-08T08:00:02.767-05:00New School Year, New School!It's a cliche, I know, but it's so oft repeated because it's so true: the older you get, the faster it goes. This year has gone by so incredibly quickly; before I knew it, another school year was upon us. Summer fun was done, school supplies were purchased, and lunch menu calendars were taped to the inside of the pantry.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrrPjn6pSKg/VhHTh4px1oI/AAAAAAAAMu8/BWSZhMc9FnQ/s1600/2015-08-17%2B071839-2737808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrrPjn6pSKg/VhHTh4px1oI/AAAAAAAAMu8/BWSZhMc9FnQ/s400/2015-08-17%2B071839-2737808.JPG" width="300" /></a>Calendars, plural, because this year, Caroline entered middle school. Middle school!! My big girl is a fifth grader which, here in the Fayetteville Public School District, means middle school. She was so excited to have graduated from Holcomb Elementary; periodically throughout the summer, the subject of school would come up and it was always met with enthusiasm from my eldest child. The primary source of excitement? The locker. Good thing we're focused on what's important.<br />
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I remember, though, that it's <i>all</i> important at that age. You hit middle school, and the peer pressure accelerates. The desire to fit in is amplified and multiplied by six - as in, you now have six class periods with slightly different peer groups in each, and the need to adjust throughout the day a new skill to learn. Apparently, the locker decorating is part of the language of fifth grade girls, so we happily provided Caroline with the basics of a dry erase board, magnets and a mirror for her locker. Sorry, but I had to draw a line at the tiny faux chandelier. I'm cool, but I'm not THAT cool.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N-ZgRwMMFfw/Vf7akcfIzzI/AAAAAAAALi4/actuDNh59Xk/s1600/IMG_1592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N-ZgRwMMFfw/Vf7akcfIzzI/AAAAAAAALi4/actuDNh59Xk/s400/IMG_1592.jpg" width="300" /></a>John, on the other hand, was back to Holcomb Elementary. Third grade is a big year - multiplication, division, cursive handwriting. We were delighted to learn that he has the same teacher Caroline had in third grade, so we know we're in for a great year. The biggest difference for John this year is that he's at school without his big sister. In fact, based on the way they divide the grades between elementary, middle, junior high, and high school, it will be six years before they're back on the same campus, and then as a freshman and junior in high school.<br />
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I can't think about that right now.<br />
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Instead, I'll focus on the fun they'll have as third and fifth graders, on the things they'll learn, the friends they'll make, and field trips they'll take. I'll try to ask the right questions at the dinner table so that I hear more about their day than it was "fine" and a recap of what was for lunch. So far, so good - two months in and we still look forward to going to school each morning!<br />
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<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-80380811285229488412015-10-06T08:00:00.000-05:002015-10-06T08:00:07.242-05:00A different way to go go goGrowing up in Houston, the car was how you got there. Didn't matter where there was; 100 miles, 10 miles, or a mile away, you were using vehicular motion to get there. Odds are, it wasn't even a car - it was just as likely a truck or a Suburban, truth be told. The sprawl that was - and still is, to a very, very large extent - Houston living almost requires a car to go to work, church, the gym, the grocery store, the library, almost anywhere. The exception was school and my friends' houses in the neighborhood - then, I had the freedom to get myself around, my first step toward independence and responsibility.<br />
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Here in Fayetteville, the town is much smaller. The traffic is lighter and the distances between here and there are shorter. It's a very bike-friendly community, with the recently-completed <a href="http://www.nwatrails.org/trail/razorback-regional-greenway/" target="_blank">Razorback Greenway</a> the crown jewel of a regional trail system. When considering how to get from here to there, it's a totally different calculation than in the big city. With the kids getting older and both of them now proficient bike riders, riding to school together seemed like a natural thing to add to our school week routine.<br />
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Of course, thinking something is a good idea and then actually going through with said good idea are two different things. When Justin and I talked about the actual mechanics of the kids riding to school, we realized that despite our best efforts, we did still have helicopterish tendencies. How would we know the kids would get to school without adult supervision? How would we know they would come straight home? How would we handle not having 100% positive control of those little people from door to door?<br />
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<a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-only-constant-is-change.html" target="_blank">My job change</a> presented the perfect opportunity to work this out. I took a month off when I changed jobs, and as it was the month of April, the spring weather gave us the perfect opportunity to do test rides with Mom in preparation for going it alone.<br />
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We found the best route that kept the kids off of the busy roads as much as possible; there were still two pretty big roads to cross (and without crossing guards at the school, which I just don't get), but we practiced stopping and looking before crossing. We talked about how to judge how fast a car might be going, and that it's always better to be safe than sorry. We walked our bikes across the streets the first couple of weeks, easing our way into the skill of a "cold start" on a bike.<br />
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The last week of my time off came and it was time to let the kids do a dry run. I knew they were responsible enough, and certainly adept riders, so I wasn't worried about crashes. Still, though, there's that moment as a mom when you realize <i>this is it</i> - my babies are going off on their own and I'm trusting them and THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD to take care of them. As they rode down the street and around the corner together, then passed out of sight, I caught my breath and said a little prayer that everything would be fine.<br />
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Of course, everything was fine. They got to school just like I had countless times when I was in elementary school, and they made it home together in the afternoon, no problem. No big deal, Mom, their body language said when they walked in the door that day. Why would you worry?<br />
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I know these days, most parents probably aren't comfortable letting their kids ride to school unsupervised. I have to say, I think that's a shame, for so many reasons. My kids have gained a little bit of independence and understand the responsibility that goes with it. They get some extra exercise to bookend their school days. I've come to appreciate, though, that the most important lesson I've learned from allowing my kids this freedom isn't for them, but for me. If I don't take these little steps along the way that allow them to get just a little bit farther from me, and to help me learn that they are capable and trustworthy, how will I ever let them take the car keys and drive away? How will I be ready for them to go to college?<br />
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Childhood isn't just about the kids growing and learning, it turns out. There are going to be plenty of times along the way where the lesson is just as important for Mom and Dad as it is for the kids. I'm not sure what else is in store for me with the passing years, but I hope that I will remember this first step and balance my fears with their need to grow up and grow independent.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-25377231511893059492015-10-03T12:53:00.000-05:002015-10-03T12:53:17.896-05:00The Abbotts come to ArkansasHaven't had a chance to write much lately as I've had a busy work week and last weekend we had company. Not just any company- the best kind, my sister and her family!<br />
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As much as I love my sister - and I love her fiercely - the big attraction here is my super adorable niece Claire. Toddlers are natural comedians, and at two and a half, she's officially entered the "interesting little person" phase.<br />
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It was a beautiful weekend as fall weekends in Arkansas tend to be, and we did our best to take advantage of the sunshine. Friday was an at-home day for everyone but me (work!) so it was mostly hanging out, swinging in the back yard, and the midday nap that is a standard part of every toddler's routine. Actually, that was a part of the routine I'd kind of forgotten about - along with the twenty-minutes-to-get-out-the-door part of the routine. Being a toddler parent is hard, y'all, but the good news is that just a few years out of this age, you apparently don't remember the hard parts very clearly!<br />
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Around here, Saturday mornings in the fall start with soccer, so we all trooped over to the <a href="http://www.fayetteville-ar.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Lewis-Soccer-Complex-51" target="_blank">Lewis Soccer Fields</a>, chairs, blanket, diaper bag, snacks and water bottle in hand. In a quirk of timing, it happened to be <a href="http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/sec/texas-am-aggies.php" target="_blank">A&M/Arkansas football weekend</a>. Susannah is a legit Aggie, and I and my kids have adopted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_Texas_A%26M_University_terms#O" target="_blank">Old Army</a>, and we showed up in our maroon and white despite being smack dab in the heart of Razorback Country. Bold choice! <br />
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As precious as Claire is, I think my own kids are pretty darn cute, too! Caroline at the soccer game:<br />
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And ohmygoodness, my little man is getting so big. And so handsome. <br />
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John has such a tender heart and loves his little cousin. She loves him right back; all weekend long, I heard a lot of "hey John! Hey John!" and "where's John?" from the tiny little toddler voice. He is so patient with her, playing together in the playroom and then out in the sandbox for a while, too.<br />
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Their visit last year was on a similarly beautiful weekend which meant enjoying the sunshine. I happened to snap a really great picture of Susannah with all of the kids out on the front lawn last year, one of those iPhone pictures that you look at and wonder how you got so lucky. We tried again, recreating the scene and capturing smiles across the board again this year.<br />
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The big event of the day was <a href="http://www.gatorgolffayetteville.net/" target="_blank">mini golf</a> - I guess Susannah had mentioned going for a round to John and once you say something like that, you know you have to make it happen! You never know how things will go with a tiny little person, but it ended up being so much fun for everyone.<br />
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Pretty sure Claire is a natural!<br />
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I was a bit behind as we finished up the round; as I walked toward the 17th hole, I heard John whooping from down below me on the 18th green. Big man got a hole in one on the final hole!! I'm pretty sure it's a universal rule in putt putt - a hole in one on the last hole equals a free round. Kiddo was grinning ear to ear!<br />
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There wasn't any big-deal event or major effort to manufacture fun last weekend; the awesome thing about my sister is that when she comes to visit, she's cool with just hanging out. Seeing the kids spend time together, hanging out just talking is totally our kind of fun. Of course, fall weekends are also football weekends, so it didn't hurt that we got to yell for the Aggies from the comfort of the couch. If you were watching, then you know the game went into overtime, with us nearly hyperventilating until <a href="http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2015/9/26/9403405/post-game-thoughts-arkansas-razorbacks-texas-am-aggies-overtime" target="_blank">the guys in maroon and white finally put it away</a>. <br />
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Like most visits, it went by too fast and ended too soon. Sunday
afternoon came and Susannah, Justin and Claire headed back home to
Houston. Life is super busy, and seems to accelerate with each passing day. Last weekend was a chance to capture those fleeting moments.<br />
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Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-26991308689838961262015-09-22T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-26T15:07:22.312-05:00The only constant is changeI'm truly enjoying being back at writing, capturing some of the moments that have made up the last year. As I think through the last many months, it's pretty remarkable how much happens in any given year. A whole lot of little things which, when added up, turn out to be the big things in life. Along the way, though, there are also the big things. Those momentous events and life changes that even in the moment, you recognize as a big thing.<br />
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Not too long ago, you may remember that I made a pretty big professional life decision, <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2014/05/a-change-will-do-you-good.html" target="_blank">leaving P&G to go to work for an agency called Shopper Events</a>. It was a tremendous opportunity for me to accelerate my career from a leadership standpoint, and to expand my skills and broaden my experience by moving over from the manufacturer side of the Consumer Packaged Goods industry to the marketing agency side.<br />
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As it turns out, agency life really isn't for me. There were all kinds of challenges with the company itself, from leadership to clarity of purpose to unfathomably unrealistic business objectives. Even so, I learned a lot, and the year I spent there was invaluable. No, it wasn't the company issues that convinced me I'm not quite right for agencies; it was the fact that no matter how good an agency is, no matter how valuable to its clients, the work that we did only contributed to the success of a product or a brand. Even with the best possible plan, I didn't own the sales results of the product, and I didn't have ultimate accountability for sales success.<br />
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As it turns out, I love being in sales. Love it. <a href="https://www.cyberonics.com/" target="_blank">I landed in a sales job</a> when I left the Army way back in 2002 primarily because it would pay the bills and because it was in Baltimore, where we were headed for <a href="https://www.law.umaryland.edu/index.html" target="_blank">Justin to attend law school</a>.While I didn't love medical devices, neurologists or operating rooms, I did love the selling. That held true through all of my years at P&G, and after six months at <a href="http://shopperevents.com/" target="_blank">Shopper Events</a>, I knew it was still true.<br />
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Now, I'm not one to advocate for job hopping. For years, I truly thought <a href="http://us.pg.com/" target="_blank">P&G</a> would be where I would retire after a long, successful career selling household staples to America's retailers. Here in Northwest Arkansas, though, you see a surprising number of people who build successful, rewarding careers doing just that. With countless vendors selling to two of the world's largest retailers, there are frequently more jobs than there are qualified local candidates.<br />
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Knowing that, right around the first of this year I quietly began talking to friends to ascertain what opportunities might allow me to continue to grow right here in NW Arkansas, but back in the traditional manufacturer's side of the CPG industry. After four years here, I've made many wonderful friends, many of whom are in the industry, so I had the good fortune to be able to "job hunt" just by listening and asking a few questions.<br />
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After a few months of casual comments that turned to serious conversations that ultimately led to interviews, I was presented an offer to go to work for the <a href="http://www.kraftfoodsgroup.com/home/index.aspx" target="_blank">Kraft Foods Group</a>. Kraft, the company I always thought of as the P&G of food! Not only would I have the chance to work for a world-class food company, I would be working for someone I'd known socially for a couple of years, taking the guesswork out of whether or not I'd like my new boss. With visibility to leadership opportunities in the short term, I was excited to be back in a bag-carrying role, representing a company and <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ABEA-3QV6OO/0x0x701022/5377E733-7B12-41B1-8501-DDDADCDEDFCE/kfg_fact_sheet.pdf" target="_blank">brands that are in 98% of households in America</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxRTRMmpFal-CmmWky-uZc25xqgxyu85NbR9O3GLfyygjiOwW4UJnyrb4l6XCdn6YLS1DSJVQrypKoWt8Cp5iSEcyTf3LbDpQ7sq-lJE4USuaOta7ZCmTHU77iHPrtMCug_1hHAilH_A/s1600/KMC+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxRTRMmpFal-CmmWky-uZc25xqgxyu85NbR9O3GLfyygjiOwW4UJnyrb4l6XCdn6YLS1DSJVQrypKoWt8Cp5iSEcyTf3LbDpQ7sq-lJE4USuaOta7ZCmTHU77iHPrtMCug_1hHAilH_A/s200/KMC+logo.jpg" width="199" /></a>I accepted the job and - no exaggeration - enjoyed the idea for exactly one day before rumors of a merger slash acquisition arose in the press. <a href="http://www.heinz.com/" target="_blank">Heinz</a>, owned by the <a href="http://www.3g-capital.com/" target="_blank">private equity group 3G Capital</a>, was apparently intent on bringing the two companies together, creating a new mega-company that had the potential for hundreds of millions in cost savings and sales growth through the leveraging of a global business model. Bleh, bleh, bleh... what everyone wants to know, ultimately, is what does that mean for me? As it turned out, it meant a promotion roughly 90 days after my start date. <a href="http://www.kraftmacandcheese.com/" target="_blank">Kraft Mac & Cheese</a> and <a href="http://www.jello.com/products" target="_blank">Jell-O</a> are my brands, and I have the honor of leading the fantastic Kraft Heinz Walmart Meals & Desserts team.<br />
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New company, new culture, and new opportunity lie in front of me. I look forward to going to work every day, back in the industry I enjoy and working with fantastic people, every day. I am incredibly grateful for my year at Shopper Events because more than anything, it clarified for me that the CPG industry is the right place for me. It might just be Mac & Cheese to you, but to me, it's exciting and, yes, even fun, to try and figure out each day how to grow this business. While this might sound a little bit like job hopping, I'm approaching this new gig with the same attitude I had at P&G. If everything works out, I may just someday be able to call myself a <a href="http://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/" target="_blank">Kraft Heinz</a> retiree.<br />
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Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-61388453407223071442015-09-20T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-20T08:00:01.513-05:00A Twinnie's a Twinnie no matter how farMy best friend moved away. I feel a little bit like a kid when I say that but the truth is, it's just as hard when your grown up best friend moves away as it was when your childhood best friend did. Maybe more so, because as a grown woman, I've found it's not quite as simple as your neighbor being your new best buddy. It takes time, effort and frankly, a little bit of luck to find a grown up best friend.<br />
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Shauna is my Twinnie. I don't think we started out knowing we'd be best friends; in fact, we kind of started out because I knew her husband, and he thought she and I would be excellent running partners. We had met before, occasionally running together on Saturday mornings with the group that are still my best good running friends, but that was the extent of our hanging out - the occasional Saturday just for the couple of hours we were running with the group.<br />
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Once Andy connected us, we began running together more frequently, adding weekday mornings to our routine. As it turned out, we were <i>perfect</i> running partners. We're basically the same height with the same length legs and the same stride. Our runs were comfortable and frequently in step; our pace and distances were so similar it was like we were working off of the same training plan. Either that or we were just so compatible from the beginning, we thought alike without even realizing it.<br />
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The perfect running partner, though, is more than pace and distance, more than matching strides and agreement on routes. Shauna and I also have daughters the same age and we generally see life through the same lens, so over the mornings and the miles, our conversations turned to things that mattered more than how far and fast we'd go that morning. As we spent an increasing number of mornings together out on the trails, we grew into that rare gem: female adult best friends.<br />
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Shauna is one of the <a href="http://sociology.uark.edu/Morimoto_CV_feb_2013.pdf" target="_blank">most intelligent, accomplished, thoughtful people</a> I know; conversations with her always leave me feeling smarter. Like I've told her before, her brilliance and accomplishments are pretty much intimidating and have the potential of making me feel a little bit less, a little bit smaller. Instead, she lifts me up, makes me think, and has an incredible ability to affirm me and my ideas in a comfortable, authentic way. I have come to rely on her as a sounding board, an ally, a sympathetic ear, a partner in righteous indignation, and everything else a best friend should be.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHdpfLyK-NOz5h9WUPM2nlYYceTCxXSfvekrGpd_NSqFn8Ooc05TI-qoOL6PF3MxpPhEoXqglPg8b0Db8uoPoZhK46odSzS_gJffb2V6KKshRdBahSVVU9QRSwfpAO7rr1KMNeYT31x8/s1600/IMG_1122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHdpfLyK-NOz5h9WUPM2nlYYceTCxXSfvekrGpd_NSqFn8Ooc05TI-qoOL6PF3MxpPhEoXqglPg8b0Db8uoPoZhK46odSzS_gJffb2V6KKshRdBahSVVU9QRSwfpAO7rr1KMNeYT31x8/s400/IMG_1122.jpg" width="300" /></a>I can't be too upset that she's gone; she and her husband, both PhD's and professors at the <a href="http://www.uark.edu/" target="_blank">University of Arkansas,</a> earned fellowships at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/" target="_blank">University of Cambridge</a> and moved to the UK a month ago to spend a year researching and working with new colleagues. It's incredibly prestigious and exciting, and I'm thrilled for her. I'm also incredibly happy that it's only a year fellowship - she'll be back next summer and there's no doubt we'll pick right back up where we left off.<br />
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With today's technology, we stay connected almost daily. We text, we email, we have even already Skyped once since she left. I plan on going to visit her next spring and can't wait for that trip. But all of the digital connection in the world can't replace having her here, spending time face to face, being reassured by the physical presence of friendship.<br />
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My best friend moved away, and I miss her terribly. I think, though, that I'm lucky to have a best friend to miss.<br />
<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-82208370164339386132015-09-17T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-17T08:00:05.098-05:00On My Honor, I Will TryScouting is pretty big in our area for both boys and girls, and though I didn't stick with it for very many years myself, I think <a href="http://www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org/" target="_blank">Girl Scouts</a> is a fantastic organization that has so much to offer. The local council had an open house type of day that we attended last year, and Caroline had enough fun that she decided she definitely wanted to give it a try.<br />
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The 2014 fall semester kicked off with plenty of activities as the girls chose the badges they wanted to work on, not to mention all of the fun activities and patches they would earn for those! I'm a real to-do list kind of person, someone who does best when I have one or more tangible goals that I'm working toward. I loved hearing about the steps the girls were taking toward earning badges, and then watching Caroline learn so much along the way. There was the visit to the fire station, Trunk or Treat at the local Kappa Delta sorority house, caroling at the local nursing home, and volunteering at the local animal shelter where I successfully fended off yet another round of, "when can we get a dog???"<br />
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Caroline's favorite thing may have been the archery event in the fall! I'd heard all about archery from her PE classes, and she enthusiastically signed up when Girl Scouts had a class. Man, was I impressed! That kid really knows how to handle a bow and arrow! Over the holidays, she also completed her cooking badge together with
Grandmommy May who helped her prepare a two meals, mostly by herself.<br />
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As we transitioned into the new year, it was officially <a href="http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/find_cookies.asp" target="_blank">Girl Scout cookie time</a>!! I remember going door to door myself, ringing doorbells with my sister in our neighborhood working to hit a certain level to earn either a badge, recognition, or some other type of reward. The cookie kickoff meeting for Caroline's troop had inspired her with the potential to earn cookie cash toward Girl Scout camp - specifically, horse camp. What a great goal, right? Until she explained she needed to sell over 500 boxes of cookies to achieve her goal. WHOA. I'm all for aiming high and giving yourself a stretch goal, but that sure seemed like a lot to me.<br />
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Man, did Caroline ever prove me to have underestimated her. She put a plan together, stayed focused on her goal, and worked so hard to sell those cookies! She got her sales pitch down pat, including the one that kept convincing me to go out with her on weekends and her little brother to join her on weekdays when she got home from school. Cold weather, warm weather, didn't matter; she was determined to achieve her goal. School snow day? Just a great opportunity to deliver the goods!<br />
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Once the individual sales were done, there was still the opportunity to sell more boxes by participating in the troop booth events. Rain? No problem! My kiddo was a super trooper, enthusiastically manning the booths, talking to customers, making change, and selling those cookies. In the end, Caroline slightly surpassed her goal and did earn that cookie cash toward summer camp. So proud of her!</div>
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The weather finally warmed up, we approached the end of the school year, and the troop began planning their first camping trip. Now we're talking! The outdoor stuff is right in my wheelhouse; this is where I could be the mom who happily volunteers! As it was the first time for the troop to go camping together, the plan was to ease them into it with a campsite that had a building fully equipped with electricity, bathrooms, even a kitchen. The goal was to have them sleeping in tents, but who knew how it would go. We arrived at a beautiful campsite not too far from home and began setting up the tents. The gear got unpacked from the cars, and the troop threw themselves into helping the adults set up the tents. <br />
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Kristin, our troop leader, was a Girl Scout all the way through high school, and she is <i>awesome</i>. She had spent hours in prep for the trip, and quickly had the campsite set up with a wash station; campfire supplies; and food prep stations. We set the girls to work looking for firewood to get the fire going, and off they tromped on their mission. The traditional foil bag meal was so much fun for the girls to put together, cooked on the fire they had helped build and maintain. I saw first hand the confidence that empowerment can build in little girls, as they learned and tried new things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v_NhIcz1Bh4OyNgtehf9WJb8pu5adXGpylz-4plSkYb2BNlTRujueWt43zIvErXGjQEte-NMemNbBTcLqqP-TDCODtDwN_bxMaXd6NfSpr7rXIR-bot47pFEPN4O7Qx7OWHjt4xmu98/s640/blogger-image-575873958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v_NhIcz1Bh4OyNgtehf9WJb8pu5adXGpylz-4plSkYb2BNlTRujueWt43zIvErXGjQEte-NMemNbBTcLqqP-TDCODtDwN_bxMaXd6NfSpr7rXIR-bot47pFEPN4O7Qx7OWHjt4xmu98/s400/blogger-image-575873958.jpg" width="400" /></a>After s'mores, stories and jokes around the fire, it was time to get the girls ready for bed. Always easier said than done on a regular night at home, it was mass giggling and procrastinating until we finally got everyone into their sleeping bags and in the tents. I sometimes say that discretion is the better part of valor; into the tent was success. Whether they stopped talking and laughing and finally went to sleep was a bridge too far. The moms all went back inside, where we spent a mostly pleasant night.<br />
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Breakfast the next morning was a learning experience for me, too. Kristin has plenty of camping experience, and I was introduced to dutch oven cooking over a campfire! Between the fruit cobbler (hey, it was fruit) in the dutch oven and the eggs in the skillet, it opened my eyes to a whole new way to camp. A morning hike later, we were breaking down the tents and heading back home. The girls all had a fantastic time, and despite my avowal that my camping days were over when my Army days ended, so did I. Next time, I'm even ready to give the tent a chance!<br />
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With summer upon us, the troop meetings were on hiatus, but Caroline used her hard-earned cookie cash and began making plans to attend camp. After reading the brochure on all of the camp options, she changed her mind on attending horse camp - not enough actual riding of the horse - and opted instead for the camp themed Ship Wrecked! My kid? Opting into a castaway / survivor camp? To my shock, she was adamant that was the one she wanted to do, and despite my misgivings, far be it from me to talk her out of it. In June, we got her bags packed and headed off to Camp Cahinnio for a week of fun with other Girl Scouts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdZ-vT15OLDxpETVooikBcj9XXXt0OU2bYVAkyEardOiodjHzf-oYsXEwMbc5JNZl6S5WoVDsbhuA2Cw-vrZkfElP-88F79uWzKmMpaHXcwn45UKVjJ5FHDh483iAoYoRjT6vMNv5xj8/s640/blogger-image--1692075543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgdZ-vT15OLDxpETVooikBcj9XXXt0OU2bYVAkyEardOiodjHzf-oYsXEwMbc5JNZl6S5WoVDsbhuA2Cw-vrZkfElP-88F79uWzKmMpaHXcwn45UKVjJ5FHDh483iAoYoRjT6vMNv5xj8/s640/blogger-image--1692075543.jpg" /></a>Caroline was super excited, even after seeing the platform tents and the outdoor bathrooms! After helping get her bunk area set up, I gave her a big hug and headed home. Over the course of the week, it hit me that as good as it was for Caroline to learn to be away from home, it was equally important for me as a parent to begin learning how to let go. There was no email, no internet, no cell phone connection to Caroline that week. I didn't know at any given time what she was doing, whether she was having fun, how she was getting along with the other girls. It was harder than I expected, but how much harder will it be when she's 18 and leaving for college if I don't learn in baby steps along the way? By Friday when it was time to pick her up, I was both excited and anxious, hoping she'd had a ton of fun, made friends, and learned some cool new stuff along the way.<br />
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I needn't have worried; when we arrived, she was in the pool having a blast! When your child's first words are "I don't want to leave!" followed quickly by "Can I come again next year?", you have that parenting moment where you feel like you're winning. What a fantastic lesson Caroline learned about setting and achieving goals, and then what a blessing that the ultimate objective of attending camp turned out to be even more fun than she had imagined.<br />
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As we start a new year, our troop has a new look, combining with a couple of other troops at the school. We have a new co-leader who has been doing this for several years, and there is now a group of older girls that Caroline and her troopmates will be able to look up to. We had our kickoff picnic a couple of weeks ago, and our first troop meeting this past Sunday. Caroline's Junior vest is looking sharp with all of the badges and patches she earned in her first year!<br />
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I hope to get more involved this year; I've told Kristin before, while I don't want to lead the troop, I am happy to do whatever it takes to support her so that <i>she</i> wants to continue leading! I plan to help the girls earn their First Aid badge, and we're already working on our first fall camping trip. I think this year will be the girls' opportunity to step up a little bit more and make more decisions on what they want to do vs. the adults telling them what they'll work on.<br />
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While Girl Scouts is very much about building skills and
self-confidence, it has also helped me see that my daughter is capable
of so much when given the chance to try. It's helped me raise my
expectations where appropriate as well as trust her to try things on her
own. It's exciting to see her grow as an individual and, as importantly, as a part of a group. Here's to another year of Caroline discovering what she's capable of when she works together with her friends, sets goals, develops a plan, and achieves extraordinary things! </div>
Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-8548129047366256182015-09-14T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-14T08:00:09.388-05:00It ain't Texas, but it's getting closerI love <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/search/label/You%20live%20where" target="_blank">living in Fayetteville</a>. I probably talk about it enough that a lot of people are all, enough already. Having said that, there are still plenty of things I wish we had here that would make it that much better.<br />
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One of those would be a professional sports team. I don't hold out a lot of hope that the <a href="http://www.nfl.com/" target="_blank">NFL</a> will put a team here, or that <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/" target="_blank">MLB</a> will see NW Arkansas as the next hot spot for America's pastime. The population just isn't big enough, I assume, to support a franchise in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_professional_sports_leagues_in_the_United_States_and_Canada" target="_blank">any of the major leagues</a>.<br />
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The next big category that would make it even better to live here? Restaurants. And breaking it down from there, I would love to have a <a href="http://www.schadesrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">truly good pizza place</a>; a <a href="http://www.goodecompany.com/bbq.asp" target="_blank">killer Texas BBQ joint</a>; and, more than anything, <a href="http://pappasitos.com/home/" target="_blank">legit Tex Mex</a>. Roll that all together, and what I'm looking for is to turn NW Arkansas into a little slice of Texas with a reminder of my East Coast days in the form of New York style pizza.<br />
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Taking one step down from sit down restaurants, though, the next best thing that's happened in the local restaurant scene? <a href="http://www.arkansasfight.com/2015/7/20/9007163/whataburger-opens-in-fayetteville-people-lose-their-minds" target="_blank">WHATABURGER HAS COME TO FAYETTEVILLE.</a> <a href="http://yestotexas.com/12-reasons-why-texans-love-whataburger/" target="_blank">Texans rejoice!!</a><br />
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And man, there are a LOT of Texans here. As the local rumor goes, this was the biggest opening of a Whataburger EVER, doing sales of roughly $1Million a day in the opening week. One million per DAY. That's a lot of burgers and fries, y'all. And opening day was when school wasn't even in session; all those <a href="http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2014/11/21/higher-education-knows-no-borders-see-texans-at-university-of-arkansas" target="_blank">Texas kids who go to the University of Arkansas</a> weren't even back yet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2X7KMA6QpaYgy-mDCpPHvSe76LuVxTYBvMUQOC4RqmQgxQrTH8042IPmaz-1Io1btoROVMMFRRyDsnmf6bxEnI5kfHHcrtdgOFYfpEr3ykSJ2_FmDQiHk4tR7Wbr4hp3xqjpX19sIUs/s1600/Whataburger+Razorback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2X7KMA6QpaYgy-mDCpPHvSe76LuVxTYBvMUQOC4RqmQgxQrTH8042IPmaz-1Io1btoROVMMFRRyDsnmf6bxEnI5kfHHcrtdgOFYfpEr3ykSJ2_FmDQiHk4tR7Wbr4hp3xqjpX19sIUs/s320/Whataburger+Razorback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It was pretty crazy; traffic control by off-duty cops, a maze of traffic cones to manage the parking lot flow, and a wait to just get a parking space, much less to order and then sit down. Given the fact that we pass approximately 50 Whataburgers on our drive to Houston each summer, we decided we could wait until the initial craziness passed before we made our way over. I love that similar to the maroon & white motif unique to the College Station Whataburgers, there's a nod to being smack dab in the heart of Razorback Nation on the building.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVh1YG3Ky0ZSoiBO7YwMwgxAq0XHzpNsN1oMF4Q6Gm69c58q-aTieI6h2T6gBgauixdGlJt730t234I4GSZ4yPfvl5488_sdin4sX8fbj7wiLP8VKMvANSsm86QJ5L6_dPDikHE6J5Hk/s1600/11951239_10204997936645245_7540921169478404982_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVh1YG3Ky0ZSoiBO7YwMwgxAq0XHzpNsN1oMF4Q6Gm69c58q-aTieI6h2T6gBgauixdGlJt730t234I4GSZ4yPfvl5488_sdin4sX8fbj7wiLP8VKMvANSsm86QJ5L6_dPDikHE6J5Hk/s400/11951239_10204997936645245_7540921169478404982_n.jpg" width="300" /></a> After going to the Army-Arkansas volleyball game a couple of Saturdays ago, John and I swung into the relatively-not-busy parking lot on our way home to grab a late lunch. I think there are still some kinks to work out; they're so busy, I'm not sure the kitchen has figured out how to keep up yet. Still, Mama and kiddo were pretty happy to have a little slice of Texas right here in our hometown.<br />
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The latest rumor is that the first location has been so successful, the company has already purchased a second parcel of land close to the mall - uptown Whataburger, if you will. The more Texas that comes to Arkansas, the more I'm convinced I'll never want to leave. We have fast food burgers covered now, and breakfast taquitos too, for that matter.<br />
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Whataburger - check. Next up? Can I get a <a href="http://pappasitos.com/home/" target="_blank">Pappasito's</a> up in here, please?Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-17009242586339519672015-09-12T12:08:00.002-05:002015-09-12T12:08:16.649-05:00Race Report: New Years Day 2015 Black Eyed Pea RunAs much as <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/search/label/marathon" target="_blank">I enjoy running marathons,</a> there are other races out there, too. One of the benefits of the grind and pain sometimes associated with the really long runs needed to prepare for marathons is that shorter runs seem easy in comparison. Given my love of and devotion to running, kicking the year off with a race seemed like a great way to get 2015 going!<br />
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There are plenty of <a href="http://www.runningintheusa.com/Race/List.aspx?Rank=Month&Month=1&Page=1" target="_blank">New Year's Day runs</a> out there; I'm not the only one who loves the idea of accomplishing something physically on the first day of the year. As another example of <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/search/label/You%20live%20where" target="_blank">why living in Fayetteville is so awesome,</a> though, we had the opportunity to join <a href="http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2014/12/30/first-ever-the-black-eyed-pea-run-planned-for-new-years-day/" target="_blank">the inaugural Black Eyed Pea run</a> put on by not only locals, but by someone I know!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6TUJtXGEFv9-Dt0J1Vkrjevr96qZ9Lq06bgwaQ9nLbnMKr2047gyu-TfAite5uKcxWP9DkL2N1ZC8arE2CBgs598HtdhBPt01H4LK77gSRszQ25KuL0YoFZn1op0nkTbgFg3HM-go8g/s1600/1623659_10101419278800907_4911030933628960604_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6TUJtXGEFv9-Dt0J1Vkrjevr96qZ9Lq06bgwaQ9nLbnMKr2047gyu-TfAite5uKcxWP9DkL2N1ZC8arE2CBgs598HtdhBPt01H4LK77gSRszQ25KuL0YoFZn1op0nkTbgFg3HM-go8g/s400/1623659_10101419278800907_4911030933628960604_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennie, Pauline (awesome race organizer!), me and Shauna</td></tr>
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The running community is tight, and that is as true in my hometown as anywhere in the world.<br />
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It gets better, though - not only was it local, and the inaugural year, but <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/922420161103489/permalink/931259046886267/" target="_blank">it was FREE!!</a> Pauline found local businesses to help out, and has enough friends who volunteered to put it on, that it was yet another amazing thing that makes living here so great. I'm not saying I wouldn't have paid for it, but how do you pass up a free race that's in your backyard?! Add to it the best good running friends ever, and I was all in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWE1-cgho5ubsH7rfRkvrsDnTAoo86WStNdJFRBTkesoxGscpSsYhCRTiXjDyxjSMUwlMZGsHakzkyd_2do0LWHPlUQ6kir6bcWztt3JIXuZHVebSsmPJcqRFZrGHkF1QOqowULZwntI/s1600/IMG_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWE1-cgho5ubsH7rfRkvrsDnTAoo86WStNdJFRBTkesoxGscpSsYhCRTiXjDyxjSMUwlMZGsHakzkyd_2do0LWHPlUQ6kir6bcWztt3JIXuZHVebSsmPJcqRFZrGHkF1QOqowULZwntI/s640/IMG_1003.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of my Java Jogger crew, plus kids and Hank the canine member</td></tr>
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The atmosphere before the race was unique to any other race I've ever done - it was basically a big group of local friends who were excited to run together on a beautiful, crisp winter morning. There was music, hot chocolate, lots of laughing and a little bit of picture taking, too! I'm not sure if Pauline's neighbors were as excited about the crowd as we were, but I hope they were good sports about it. It cracked me up that packet pick up was in their garage, but at the same time, it ran more smoothly than a lot of races I've paid for in the past! Ha!<br />
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Of course, like we say on occasion, we were just running this one for fun. As we lined up at the start line, Shauna and I looked forward to an easy run, knocking out a few miles to help offset the snacks and appetizers I would eat as I watched the New Year's Day football games later. Naturally, the planned easy pace turned into a "let's see if we can make ourselves throw up" pace.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rbzh223sIilBU3E1FcuOhjCU89R7zNjfkhWc-CyJr0tUSEvAo8oGrTUPJPVt4nFedSW-6s25YDXwJe37UKrVQjxGBv7mS-KDEpbyh_OQFrL2ww3BliPf2AlWhgbcBdQv0GdlSJEI4LY/s1600/Black+Eyed+Pea+pace+chart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Rbzh223sIilBU3E1FcuOhjCU89R7zNjfkhWc-CyJr0tUSEvAo8oGrTUPJPVt4nFedSW-6s25YDXwJe37UKrVQjxGBv7mS-KDEpbyh_OQFrL2ww3BliPf2AlWhgbcBdQv0GdlSJEI4LY/s320/Black+Eyed+Pea+pace+chart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Official time was actually 8:16 pace, 51:13 total. BOOM.</td></tr>
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I will someday accept that I cannot pace myself to save my life. Sometimes it's cool that I'm ultra competitive; sometimes I wonder, why?? The thing is, though, Shauna and I didn't really feel like we were going to die for most of the race. We knew we were going fast, but we felt okay, so we kept it up. And the route was along the trails that we know so well, so it truly was like just being out for a run together with no pressure.<br />
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No pressure other than the other people running the race who were either just close enough ahead to pass, or coming up on our heels and we wanted to see if we could stay in front of. None of which was ever communicated verbally, of course. But still. Now, when we saw the course photographer, there was the tiny bit of pressure to make your race pictures look like you're having fun and not in pain. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow9UOBngg697i7BRbsrxsiyZBlHvFDAMCN8FmlNuw26-vaS4niId0XgfscjZC6GGV0tq8GjciSAlkVMZvhVML099ZxlOtHH2rnHOINOOuOFXfcd25uCwjOvgSo2hv7q3obXqjjmZPQe8/s1600/Black+Eyed+Pea+run+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjow9UOBngg697i7BRbsrxsiyZBlHvFDAMCN8FmlNuw26-vaS4niId0XgfscjZC6GGV0tq8GjciSAlkVMZvhVML099ZxlOtHH2rnHOINOOuOFXfcd25uCwjOvgSo2hv7q3obXqjjmZPQe8/s640/Black+Eyed+Pea+run+2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my Twinnie (and random photo bombing runner)!</td></tr>
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Any race where my back half fade results in an 8:41 mile, I'll take it. To top it off, the last bit of the race back into Pauline's neighborhood had a CRAZY hill. I'm not sure how I pulled off that 8:41, to be honest. Once that finish line came in view, I must've picked it up a bit, because a sub-8:00 pace of any distance is a rarity in my running these days. With <a href="http://www.race-wizard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/10k_overall1.htm" target="_blank">official timing</a> and a finish line arch, this local race felt big at the same time - and then there was bling, too!! <br />
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Once at the finish line, the warm drinks and festive atmosphere welcomed us to stay for a while. The problem with perfect running weather, though, is it isn't so great for stand-around weather once you're sweaty. A few more pictures, and it was time to head home, get cleaned up, and celebrate the New Year with our feet up.<br />
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Overall, I absolutely loved this race. With both a 5k and a 10k, it was a great mix of casual walk/runners, crazy good runners, and everything in between. It was laid back but super-well run at the same time. It was free to participate, but it still had all of the elements of a bigger race. Packet pick up; swag bag; official timing; arch at the start / finish line; professional photos. And oh-by-the-way, <a href="http://rmbrady.smugmug.com/" target="_blank">the photographer made all of his amazing pictures</a> available to the race participants for free. Truly, would you find that anywhere other than Fayetteville??<br />
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I really, really hope that the Allens put this race on again next year. There are so many reasons I love living here, and this is yet another one to add to the growing list. I love that I've lived here long enough that I know people, and my people are runners. I love that there are people so generous as to put the time, energy, effort and yes, money into something that the local running community can embrace. I love that my friends and I had the ability to not just participate, but to be a part of making it a success. Here's to being a "streaker" and running the local Black Eyed Pea run for years to come!<br />
<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-36773737779816783762015-09-07T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-07T08:00:08.962-05:00Divided Loyalties: On Brave Old Army Team, Gig 'em, and Woo Pig Sooie!Ah, college football season. That time of year when people wear Razorback gear pretty much every day, when I start checking <a href="http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll" target="_blank">the AP rankings</a> to see who's overrated, and when I upgrade the cable package to ensure I can see every one of the hapless Army team's games.<br />
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At this point in my life, I am firmly a divided loyalties fan. My first love, <a href="http://goarmywestpoint.com/index.aspx?path=football" target="_blank">the Army team</a> (also <a href="http://goarmywestpointrebrand.com/" target="_blank">known now as the Army West Point Black Knights</a>, which I'll save for another rant sometime), has had years of performances ranging from lackluster to uninspiring to downright embarrassing. A <a href="http://www.army.mil/article/140354/Navy_rolls_to_13th_straight_win_over_Army/" target="_blank">thirteen year drought of beating Navy</a> has even the most die hard fans like me wondering what has happened to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqqNKgVLao" target="_blank">Pride and Dream of every heart in grey</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXH2Ls7hACMNi-__m8PDwC_isplVVHhaDICCfWxd8lE7fN7Pg6nMDInAC52IYJDjMRvQMqKM2uNK6GJ2e_hdTydetCKPEGBSEQrzR946xYKQJDMJQDmSW2pgovC2uLKeSxPQrjoBrS-E/s1600/AWP-black-knights-rebrand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguXH2Ls7hACMNi-__m8PDwC_isplVVHhaDICCfWxd8lE7fN7Pg6nMDInAC52IYJDjMRvQMqKM2uNK6GJ2e_hdTydetCKPEGBSEQrzR946xYKQJDMJQDmSW2pgovC2uLKeSxPQrjoBrS-E/s400/AWP-black-knights-rebrand.jpg" width="400" /></a>Despite knowing they would break my heart with regularity throughout the coming football season, I got online last Friday morning and upgraded our uVerse TV package to ensure that our channels included the <a href="http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/" target="_blank">CBS Sports Network</a>. In a sign of indulgent modern consumption, we pay well north of $100 a month so that I can watch about five hours of TV a week, more when the <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/story/2015-09-05/magic-number-watch-september-5-division-races-playoffs-mlb-standings-yankees-blue-jays-astros" target="_blank">Astros are in the pennant hunt</a> as they are this year. Anything for the Army team, my first sports love.<br />
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While I'm not a <a href="http://www.aggienetwork.com/" target="_blank">Former Student</a> and have no expectation of ever enrolling in a class, I've been a fan of Texas A&M and its sports teams literally for as long as I can remember. I am the daughter and <a href="http://today.tamu.edu/2013/11/07/roy-may-a-non-traditional-student-who-carries-on-aggie-traditions/" target="_blank">sister x2 of Aggies</a>, and if you know anything about Ol' Army, you know that I'm as close to bleeding maroon as one can be without wearing <a href="http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/symbols/aggiering.html" target="_blank">the Aggie ring</a>. I could sing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3XkxbIQ_Mo" target="_blank">the Aggie War Hymn</a> at the age of three, and I can <a href="http://genius.com/3468822/Texas-a-m-the-spirit-of-aggieland/Hump-it-ags" target="_blank">"hump it" like a native for Spirit of Aggieland</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT0Gk-JbALdTI2XBHX__lhYWuQjb8bjON6kEUrwWi8GQ0kmNyLuueokvKzjZoT0kRyHT-A1gGTs5VA4HAtTIqwnl1kd28GzHjNDBrJiTCVy5qpF4C9f5l6nnpKhqPwDiGU0YdrbEQsj8/s1600/IMG_0596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT0Gk-JbALdTI2XBHX__lhYWuQjb8bjON6kEUrwWi8GQ0kmNyLuueokvKzjZoT0kRyHT-A1gGTs5VA4HAtTIqwnl1kd28GzHjNDBrJiTCVy5qpF4C9f5l6nnpKhqPwDiGU0YdrbEQsj8/s320/IMG_0596.jpg" width="239" /></a>Most college football weekends, I'm grateful for this genetic love of the Aggies because, at least for the last few years, they've provided <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/sec/2012/11/10/texas-am-upsets-no-1-alabama/1696729/" target="_blank">heart stopping excitement</a> and enough wins to boost morale when the Army team comes up short. This past weekend was yet <a href="http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/09/05/texas-am-aggies-beat-arizona-state-sun-devils" target="_blank">another thrilling season opener</a>, I'm sure in large part because <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2013/07/i-have-baby-fever.html" target="_blank">my super-adorable niece</a> is part of <a href="http://www.myaggienation.com/history_traditions/12th_man/the-th-man-how-e-king-gill-started-texas-a/article_3d5df82c-0394-11e3-95ab-001a4bcf887a.html" target="_blank">the 12th Man!!</a><br />
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I come by the Army team honestly, <a href="https://www.westpointaog.org/" target="_blank">being a grad</a>; I bear allegiance to the Aggies by virtue of close relation. My third loyalty is a matter of geography: I live in <a href="http://www.experiencefayetteville.com/" target="_blank">Fayetteville, Arkansas</a>, the home of the University of <a href="http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/sport/m-footbl/" target="_blank">Arkansas Razorbacks</a>. Make no mistake about it, either - Arkansas is CRAZY for their Hogs. My analysis goes like this: there's only one major University in Arkansas, so you don't have the <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=t.u." target="_blank">A&M - t.u. </a>- all the other schools dynamic like you do in Texas. On top of that, you don't have any professional sports teams, so there isn't an NFL team vying for the attention of football crazy, <a href="http://www.secsports.com/article/11066848/sec-nation" target="_blank">SEC Nation</a> Arkansans. And, when in Rome... well, <a href="http://www.secsports.com/video/11679828/callin-hogs-arkansas" target="_blank">Woo Pig Sooie</a> (affectionately abbreviated as WPS which, for the first couple of years that I lived here, confused the crap out of me, as I assumed it was <a href="https://www.westpointaog.org/Societies" target="_blank">West Point Society</a>. Notsomuch).<br />
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College town living is fun (except for the college kids, but what can you do about that), and SEC college towns peg the charts on fandom. I look forward every season to this one house in my neighborhood where Superfan lives, to see how he'll display his loyalty. One year he mowed "GO HOGS" into his grass and painted it red; another year he had red and white lights spotlighting lawn decorations. This year is excellent, in my opinion:<br />
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However the season goes, for all three of my teams, there's one thing that can guarantee my sports-fan happiness, one thing that qualifies it as a success regardless of what the Win-Loss columns say. All I really, really, REALLY need this year is to<br />
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<i><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">BEAT NAVY!!!</span></b></span></i></div>
Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-83402064675618981712015-09-06T13:21:00.001-05:002015-09-06T13:21:45.380-05:00Strawberry fields for this summerWe are backyard gardeners. For almost ten years, we've always had some measure of produce growing in a plot in our yard, enjoying vine ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, radishes, banana peppers, carrots, green onions, summer squash, zucchini, and butternut squash on occasion.<br />
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A few years ago, we planted a blackberry bush and a raspberry bush, harvesting fruit a few times, too.<br />
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In Massachusetts, it was a small plot just off of the driveway in the side yard. <br />
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In Ohio, we hired some young men to put in a good sized bed just behind the house, next to the deck.<br />
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In Arkansas, we had a garden included in the backyard landscaping done not long after we moved in.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTBoRZrqPsrNKYL9YJEt4pKbp3LmqbhDa7d1odbyqBvIk5zXD4ydkUv_mHkT9C37DuKiLS0zuy-t32q-iE9BH207y0b6rHVmDoiBP6peozDziZjySHZa1dF8Og0C8b-mBUyQVgTZhyphenhyphen4k/s1600/IMG_8877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsTBoRZrqPsrNKYL9YJEt4pKbp3LmqbhDa7d1odbyqBvIk5zXD4ydkUv_mHkT9C37DuKiLS0zuy-t32q-iE9BH207y0b6rHVmDoiBP6peozDziZjySHZa1dF8Og0C8b-mBUyQVgTZhyphenhyphen4k/s200/IMG_8877.JPG" width="200" /></a>Through all of these iterations of our suburban farming efforts, the array of vegetables as well as flowers thrown in have been an alternating source of enjoyment and frustration.<br />
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Surprisingly, Arkansas has been the most challenging of all of our backyard gardens. One might think that moving south to the land of sunshine and warmth would encourage abundant growth and overflowing harvests. What we've found, though, is that beyond the lack of rain from the years of drought since we moved here, there is a strange white, powdery fungus that attacks our plants each year. It creeps into the big, beautiful elephantine leaves of the zucchini and squash, slowly wilting and diminishing them until they no longer bear fruit. It attacks the leaves of the cucumber plant, and we watch the leaves and then the stems wither and die, cutting off our fresh cucumber supply halfway through the summer.<br />
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At the end of last year, after battling the white powder most of the latter half of the summer, we decided we would cut way back on the variety we planted and just enjoy the sunflowers that seem to thrive under any conditions. With the available space, I decided the summer of 2015 would be my opportunity to knock another item off of <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-life-list-time-for-update.html" target="_blank">my life list</a>: grow strawberries in my garden.<br />
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I don't profess to be a true backyard farmer or, really, anything other than an occasional enthusiast depending on how much else I have going on at the time. I'm not a seedling-starter or an heirloom plant kind of person; for the strawberry effort, we just bought them straight off the shelf at <a href="http://www.lowes.com/" target="_blank">Lowe's</a> and brought them home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUY7SzwRtHg-44rJR1cbplq36Jd3SOQf_t81j8GMOyV6Sqm2KedIxtzXEwBUkWA6mhMQZ9XEGfyrNviXUHN5hp_hNwJGDOTMc50Ye5D8_158Up3pn_9LITvvVa4NbuOSECS12pnr4i5hQ/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUY7SzwRtHg-44rJR1cbplq36Jd3SOQf_t81j8GMOyV6Sqm2KedIxtzXEwBUkWA6mhMQZ9XEGfyrNviXUHN5hp_hNwJGDOTMc50Ye5D8_158Up3pn_9LITvvVa4NbuOSECS12pnr4i5hQ/s320/IMG_1196.jpg" width="320" /></a>The first month or so was promising; the netting kept the birds off of the plants, the leaves turned green and seemed to thrive, and we even got a few fruits off of the plants. As the summer has progressed, the plants continue to grow, sending runners out just as I expected they would. Sadly, though, this has been the extent of the fruit born by the three plants in the garden. Given the lack of attention we've paid to them with the exception of ensuring they're watered, I guess the effort has pretty much met my expectations.<br />
As the owner of the list, I have the privilege of deciding when I've met the criteria of an item and can cross it off. In this instance, I think I've made the effort and realized, I'm not really that into growing things that take anything other than benign neglect. Tomatoes are more my ability level - after years of growing them, I've decided they're basically weeds that thrive in the most god-awful hot and humid weather you can imagine.<br />
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So this counts for me, and I'm crossing it off the list. The fungus fight continues, and next year, I may replace the strawberries with more sunflowers, morning glories, and hollyhocks. I enjoyed the idea of growing fruit, possibly inspired by one of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Strawberry-Anniversary-Edition-Trophy-Newbery/dp/0064405850" target="_blank">favorite childhood books, Strawberry Girl</a>, but from now on, I'll plan on buying my Driscoll's at the grocery store.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-86163950679560644232015-09-05T08:00:00.000-05:002015-09-05T08:00:05.284-05:00Battle of the (waistline) bulgeDisclaimer: I know I'm not fat. In fact, I'm generally pretty happy with my level of fitness and my ability to fit into 98% of the clothes I keep in my closet and drawers. Despite that, at the moment, I'm back to counting calories and trying to shed a few pounds. It isn't about clothing sizes, it isn't about body image. It's all about race weight and getting faster. I correlate my weight directly to my ability to shed a few seconds off of my per mile pace, and I think that's a reasonable way to think about it.<br />
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Try not to judge my runner logic. Or even understand it, if it seems wackadoodle to you. It doesn't make sense unless you're a little bit of a crazy runner. Which, seemingly, is my normal. But I digress.<br />
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I actually have a thing about weight - and by a thing, I mean, I stress about not talking about it and not thinking about. I spent most of my life with the knowledge that a woman's weight, in many ways, defines her. Oh, nobody ever said it overtly - who would? - but the constant presence of a scale in the house growing up, then the public weigh-ins at West Point and in the Army, to the post-baby morphing of my body all contributed to my low level obsession with weight and body image. Directly contributing to my stress about not thinking about it when I think about it all. the. time.<br />
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That is so far from what I want for my children, I have made an effort to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, at least in conversations in our house.<br />
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We don't own a scale; we don't talk about weight; we don't call people fat or chubby or pudgy or anything along those lines in our house. We do talk about being healthy and fit, and making good choices with our food quantity and quality. I figure there is enough pressure in society at large; my kids don't need me adding to it.<br />
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Kids aren't oblivious, though - quite the opposite. They see and hear <i>everything</i> (except what you need them to, of course), and when I'm counting calories, they notice. The last thing I want is for either of them to think they need to lose weight. So the other day, when John asked me if I was counting calories "again," I nervously answered in the affirmative. His response?<br />
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"Oh, do you have another race coming up soon?"<br />
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My kid associates counting calories not with weight gain or loss, or with body image issues. He associates it with races and trying to get faster.<br />
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Mom for the win. Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-32700094339974047852015-09-03T21:23:00.000-05:002015-09-03T21:23:09.954-05:00Race report: Hogeye Marathon 2015So far this year, I've run three marathons. One of my <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-life-list-time-for-update.html" target="_blank">life list goals</a> is to <a href="http://www.50statesmarathonclub.com/" target="_blank">run a marathon in each of the 50 states</a> - and I'm never going to make it if I keep running races in the same states over and over again!! In March, I managed my third running of Hogeye (and hence, my third Arkansas marathon). It was my tenth marathon, and you know what? It just doesn't get any easier. No matter how many times you do it, 26.2 miles is still a looooong way.<br />
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One big difference in my running the <a href="http://www.hogeyemarathon.com/" target="_blank">Hogeye Marathon</a> this year was my experience volunteering for the organization, trying to help with the race coordination over the course of the previous few months. It had been quite a learning experience, seeing behind the curtain, so I had a lot more appreciation for what I saw on race day.<br />
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Another big difference from my previous Hogeyes is that I had a friend fly up to Houston to run it, too!! Molly has always been a runner - and a wicked good one, at that - with at least six Houston marathons under her belt. I told her my door was always open if she decided to run a race up in NW Arkansas, and it all came together for her to do Hogeye this year! Add to that a classmate's fiance signed up for the half marathon (maybe because I talked it up), driving in from Tulsa, and what a cool way to share my hometown with some friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkdcrHnTc_bP0PMOxRdzhm-pMxsBKTUok7Mv5J5PUebDY3OEePcNHQPOpJ54L1daX9z8vBRBk9IgyNbmZ1BZ4RM-080nIWmH2unB4VxX8HX1d1FSYcK-OWDu4BP9VFHbLG6vA8kwkiNc/s1600/Hogeye+2015+out+of+town+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkdcrHnTc_bP0PMOxRdzhm-pMxsBKTUok7Mv5J5PUebDY3OEePcNHQPOpJ54L1daX9z8vBRBk9IgyNbmZ1BZ4RM-080nIWmH2unB4VxX8HX1d1FSYcK-OWDu4BP9VFHbLG6vA8kwkiNc/s400/Hogeye+2015+out+of+town+friends.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Molly and Cactus, my traveling friends!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenSkqh26bFIiUOY6nD-b-5HJHPRgNZ-EAtsiXZue8XPEUmRdFOSuMkG08lqIhm9j1QMeuFun5wJpQbmeKaVuyWNuhFNIgNlvH2bv6ZnTBtdXG4iIxfKqlg0a6fYtFlbnoEzidxKJHN8M/s1600/2015-03-29+070643-2452903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenSkqh26bFIiUOY6nD-b-5HJHPRgNZ-EAtsiXZue8XPEUmRdFOSuMkG08lqIhm9j1QMeuFun5wJpQbmeKaVuyWNuhFNIgNlvH2bv6ZnTBtdXG4iIxfKqlg0a6fYtFlbnoEzidxKJHN8M/s400/2015-03-29+070643-2452903.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The relayers and the travelers - Suzie's (far right) first race in Arkansas!</td></tr>
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Being my hometown marathon, I know the Hogeye course backward and forward. Honestly, that should be enough to keep me from running it yet again. It isn't easy, y'all - plenty of not-so-gently rolling hills. And it's not very well supported by spectators. Oh, and it's almost always hot. So it's got all of that going for it. As runners are generally considered to be gluttons for punishment, maybe I should stop trying to figure out why I keep going back for more, and just be glad that the bling is worth it. Mostly.<br />
<br />
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I actually got two medals this year - I ran Hogeye both as the full marathon as well as being the first leg of a relay team. I had secured sponsorship from my then-employer at a level high enough to get a free marathon team entry, so I got a two-fer. Unfortunately, there weren't three other people in my office I could talk into running the relay. Two, yes. Three, no. Enter: twinnie Shauna!!! And, you know, that whole twinnie thing - she ran both the relay and the full, too, which meant at a minimum I knew I'd have a running partner for the first two legs of the race that we covered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAzpRsGOyx9iK3is78fUAVBvpMF2xwFrGp6u71wD-XCSAt_yUcLJro8l7-hwQpPA5xHJvOI37BDChGGrmb_Dzo_YOEc4T4xMz37gODdc9cOdb3NHily5MdJGdjVnJfnbQwSm6cQ0ffE4/s1600/Hogeye+2015+Relay+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAzpRsGOyx9iK3is78fUAVBvpMF2xwFrGp6u71wD-XCSAt_yUcLJro8l7-hwQpPA5xHJvOI37BDChGGrmb_Dzo_YOEc4T4xMz37gODdc9cOdb3NHily5MdJGdjVnJfnbQwSm6cQ0ffE4/s640/Hogeye+2015+Relay+team.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relay team, before and after</td></tr>
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Race morning was cool and comfortable, and as it was my fourth year to participate in race day (I did the relay as a stand-alone a couple of years ago), I knew the start line drill pretty well. There's still nothing better than being ten minutes from the start and practically sleeping in on race day! We gathered friends together, both local and out of town, took a few pictures, and stepped up to the start line. I was super excited to be running another marathon with Shauna - this was the second race in her three race <a href="http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/are-you-a-marathon-maniac/maniac-criteria" target="_blank">Marathon Maniac qualifying</a> series, so the only goals were to 1) have fun and 2) finish.<br />
<br />
We started out strong - said another way, way too fast, as usual - and we clipped along our well-worn <a href="http://www.experiencefayetteville.com/images/TrailsGuide-1.pdf" target="_blank">trails and routes in Fayetteville</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbLUy0QyFYEn6CFej95OPOg4r00PDBHCRjNnRKVqHv6qIgb-JbC8bAivxeLkOHLAB6JL8Ljpc3WZBacq88hDtKAxwul27Qqiyd2Y5NXSSO-NKfZnfXEdMS4WeaWLjgmnlZzamm0bV2C4/s1600/DSCN2374_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbLUy0QyFYEn6CFej95OPOg4r00PDBHCRjNnRKVqHv6qIgb-JbC8bAivxeLkOHLAB6JL8Ljpc3WZBacq88hDtKAxwul27Qqiyd2Y5NXSSO-NKfZnfXEdMS4WeaWLjgmnlZzamm0bV2C4/s320/DSCN2374_edit.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why do I look like I'm having so much fun?</td></tr>
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I was doing okay until we got to the lake - for whatever reason, over the course of the years running the trails here in town, I have developed a total mental block when it comes to running <a href="http://alltrails.com/trail/us/arkansas/lake-fayetteville-trail" target="_blank">around Lake Fayetteville</a>. I HATE it. It's hilly, yes, but not nearly as bad as I've made it in my head. Last year it was where I kind of broke down and decided I didn't care about anything other than finishing (or not dying, honestly). This year, I practically started hyperventilating when I was about halfway around. It was RI-DI-CU-LOUS. My logical brain tells me it's all in my head, but for whatever reason, I can't get past the mental barrier.<br />
<br />
After making it around the lake, I could've cared less what my final time was. I kind of just wanted to stop running, honestly. But I kept at it, because who doesn't finish a marathon once they start it? It helped, too, that as I was slogging through the neighborhood part of the course, my friend Mary (who was a bike course volunteer, thank goodness) saw me struggling and stopped to check on me. In addition to the pep talk, she also took my long sleeved layer (because as someone who is perpetually cold, I had unfortunately dressed for the start of the race rather than the end of the race - rookie mistake!!) and got me some fluids to keep me going. I'm not going to say I had a ton of pep in my step after that, but it was MUCH better to not be melting in a long sleeved, layered outfit.<br />
<br />
At this point, I was on my own, as Shauna was feeling much better than I was that day and had gone on ahead. I pivoted pretty quickly to walking when I wanted to, running when I felt like I could. I saw some old friends at the aid station behind P&G, which is always great, but then it was a long, quiet, semi-empty stretch of the trail with nothing but my negative thoughts about how much I didn't want to be running that marathon on that day.<br />
<br />
In retrospect, I can't believe I thought that or felt that way. I try to be grateful for every day that I'm healthy enough to run, and for a body that's strong and fit enough to make it through 26.2 miles. But for whatever reason, I couldn't get my head screwed on straight that day, and I had a pathetic pity party for most of the back half of the race. One thing that did keep me going - I knew I was going to see <a href="http://www.sarahmcow.com/" target="_blank">my friend Sarah's</a> family at the <a href="http://tommartinfoundation.org/" target="_blank">1LT Tom Martin Foundation</a>'s aid station - right before the last struggle up the hill to Maple, the "<a href="http://tommartinfoundation.org/store/" target="_blank">Never Quit</a>" aid station. People may think those are just words, but when you know <a href="http://tommartinfoundation.org/the-keeping-time-story/" target="_blank">the story behind them</a>, it is so much more than a catchy phrase. Just like the year before, having them there got me up that hill, and from there, it literally was downhill to the finish.<br />
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I know that I've never been so happy to see a finish line at a race before; I was totally spent, physically and mentally. My friends were all there waiting for me; in fact, Molly placed <a href="http://www.hogeyemarathon.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Female-Age-Division-Results-Marathon.pdf" target="_blank">first in her age group</a>, which was pretty amazing considering the course elevation profile. I mean, to train for hills in Houston, she resorted to running ramps in parking garages! Hard core!! To make it even sweeter, Shauna finished third in her age group, I think her first age group hardware. Super cool. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkw-KaJbL8Z_SmZhjhOK7slLF5jON-lgWgwFGcggq2FgVDv040bzzZz9G4gVKPLufLOsdb0EdTAZF8mNyP38d7fh6veCZTiCnY41tPGv3nnwObuxYScMmoBaujyiIDi1TcJcDEh921E0/s1600/2015-03-29+123409-2820701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkw-KaJbL8Z_SmZhjhOK7slLF5jON-lgWgwFGcggq2FgVDv040bzzZz9G4gVKPLufLOsdb0EdTAZF8mNyP38d7fh6veCZTiCnY41tPGv3nnwObuxYScMmoBaujyiIDi1TcJcDEh921E0/s320/2015-03-29+123409-2820701.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's her trophy, in the box!</td></tr>
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I was the last one in that day. I'm cool with that, too - that's the season I'm in right now with my running, where more days are a struggle than are easy, and I'm one of the slower runners in my group. I hope to get back to "fast" one of these days, but I know just how much work it takes and I haven't been able to motivate myself to dedicate the time or energy to it. For now, I lament my loss of speed and try to be grateful for my health.<br />
<br />
As I caught my breath and began to recover at the finish line, the pity party ended, and I soaked up the unique camaraderie that comes from the shared relief at finishing another race. It's a strange relief, tinged with exhilaration and pride, that comes from completing the 26.2 distance again. I'm going to assume that it's universal to all marathoners, whether they're elites, <a href="http://www.baa.org/Races/Boston-Marathon/Participant-Information/Qualifying.aspx" target="_blank">consistent BQers</a>, age groupers, or back of the packers. Despite the pain and mental anguish of Hogeye 2015, I'm of course glad I did it. It's my hometown race, and it's another marathon under my belt. I think, though, that the third time was probably the charm - it's time to firmly cross Arkansas off the list, and work on the 43 states left to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeB9GDn67sfg1q3GzTrJifhgkAnY5Jp3-tKl0YDN2obqleroddYRPA96JYDoz8ieMGQY9QDJMaJg6CsNlM6For4k1HmthwWr1Y_t4HLQvb6D0hs5gTqEZrUGnDTmqKyzFO4VdDpLYVCU/s1600/2015-03-29+121609-2873085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeB9GDn67sfg1q3GzTrJifhgkAnY5Jp3-tKl0YDN2obqleroddYRPA96JYDoz8ieMGQY9QDJMaJg6CsNlM6For4k1HmthwWr1Y_t4HLQvb6D0hs5gTqEZrUGnDTmqKyzFO4VdDpLYVCU/s640/2015-03-29+121609-2873085.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my best good running friends</td></tr>
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<br />Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-45938138098398376482015-08-31T08:00:00.000-05:002015-08-31T08:00:04.511-05:00Race Report: The Woodlands Marathon 2015As I get back to capturing all of the Coussoule moments that I can from 2015, I've given myself permission not to go in chronological order. Just a fair warning that while I am beginning with my first marathon of the year, there may be a haphazardness to the order of events until I get caught up to wherever I decide "here and now" will be. With that...<br />
<br />
It just isn't possible for me to stay motivated to get up in the pitch blackness of the early morning during the dead of winter without a milestone or an end state somewhere on the calendar. Add to that the fact that my Twinnie Shauna and I had never run a marathon together, and it was high time to schedule something to keep me going and for us to accomplish together.<br />
<br />
As we looked at our calendars for the winter / early spring of 2015, it became abundantly clear that between the two of us, we were WAY too busy. Bordering on overscheduled, even. In our defense, many of the activities that crowded our weekends were a result of our kids' or spouses' plans, but of the approximately 20 weeks of the marathon racing season we looked through, I think there were exactly TWO weekends that worked, and one of them bordered on the weather getting too hot.<br />
<br />
As luck would have it, the one weekend remaining for us was the same weekend that <a href="http://www.thewoodlandsmarathon.com/" target="_blank">The Woodlands Marathon</a> was scheduled to occur, a race I'd had my eye on for a couple of years, as a childhood friend is integrally involved in its coordination and execution. We put our training schedule together, eventually talked a couple more of our friends into training with us, and proceeded to start accumulating the miles to get ready to run another race.<br />
<br />
As race weekend approached, we started checking the weather a little more frequently, grateful that the greater Houston area forecast looked pretty good. Unfortunately for those planning on running <a href="http://cowtownmarathon.org/" target="_blank">Cowtown</a> (the same weekend), the Dallas Metroplex outlook was a bit more iffy, and we congratulated ourselves on our foresight in choosing The Woodlands as we packed and got ready to head out on our 9 hour drive, courtesy of Mike and his company car.<br />
<br />
One problem: you have to go through the Dallas Metroplex to get to Houston.<br />
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Another problem: said iffy weather arrived a bit earlier than anticipated, but right on schedule for us to get stuck in it.<br />
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The nine hour drive turned into almost 12, as we literally sat on the highway just north of Dallas, watching big, fat, wet snowflakes fall, and the Texans on the road generally freak out while trying to drive in it. Accidents, slowdowns, and general congestion turned the stretch from north Dallas to just south of the city into almost a four hour ordeal. In any circumstance, that would've been a huge bummer, but we were all supposed to be up and at the start line for a 26.2 mile race the next day, and now our legs would be stepping out after 12 hours stuck in a car without an opportunity to stretch out, relax, and rest.<br />
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Ah, well. Good thing none of us had planned on trying to win the thing.<br />
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Made it to the expo and got our packets, and for a bonus, ran into Tiffany (aforementioned friend).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently long car rides impair my selfie abilities</td></tr>
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That kind of offset the fact that the extended car trip put us in town too late to pick up the rental car that was the key to managing half of us at a hotel, half of us at my parents' house... kind of. Good thing that no matter how old you are, you can always call Dad for a ride!! We grabbed a sandwich for dinner, my dad came to get me and Shauna, and it was time to do the evening routine so that we could get ready for tomorrow.<br />
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Race day showed up with excellent race weather: 37* and almost no wind. There was a slight chance of rain in the forecast, but the temperature was absolutely perfect. My dad, ever the trooper, got up early to take me and Shauna to meet Mary and Mike at the hotel, from which we would carpool over to the start line together. Excellent plan until... I realized five minutes after my dad dropped us off that I had left my race belt in the car. With my gels and my phone. Once again, good thing you're never too old for Dad to bail you out...<br />
<br />
With race belt in hand and friends in tow, we made it out the door to head over to the start line. From the start, The Woodlands Marathon had excellent organization written all over it. Parking was simple to find because the site maps were so well done. Bag drop was as quick and painless as I've ever seen at a race, especially one of this size. The bathrooms and port-a-potties were plentiful and in multiple locations. There were a zillion signs to make sure full marathoners and half marathoners got to the right place - since the start lines for the races were in two different places.<br />
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The four of us managed to get to the start line with plenty of time to hang out, stretch out a little bit, and take a few pictures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eAwwlvM_bwd2WBuvttpclcjDTbz8g6zNYDEyPgn7ADt_iEp5ZP9VEPl0WnX8_Mf_b87Q8XZ4enq1o_yvuQqQ8krwgY65wufaTA-F2_usQ_JYEuX4be8-8H7KAba-pfIATFCrU-Tsmgg/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2eAwwlvM_bwd2WBuvttpclcjDTbz8g6zNYDEyPgn7ADt_iEp5ZP9VEPl0WnX8_Mf_b87Q8XZ4enq1o_yvuQqQ8krwgY65wufaTA-F2_usQ_JYEuX4be8-8H7KAba-pfIATFCrU-Tsmgg/s320/IMG_1107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Mike, Mary & Shauna - my best good running friends!</td></tr>
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I even found another childhood friend, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jason.Parten.Music" target="_blank">my buddy Jason</a> who was doing his first marathon!! Running into someone I know kind of ruins the argument that Houston is too big...<br />
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As with all races, ultimately, it was time to GO! I have a history of not pacing myself well, of starting off too fast, but this time, I was running with Shauna, and we had trained together every step of the way so this time, we got it right. Our first several miles were right at a 9:00 pace, not too fast, not slow.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay with Shauna, Mike or Mary. Mike and Mary were having a great race, and slowly but surely, pulled farther and farther away from us. Then somewhere around mile 8, Shauna and I split up, too. I could tell even by then I wasn't really feeling it, that this wouldn't be an easy run. You never know how you'll feel on race day, but if it isn't my day, I can usually tell in the first ten miles.<br />
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And honestly, it's too bad it wasn't my day physically. The course is most definitely a PR course - in fact, all three of my friends ran personal bests that day - and did I mention the weather was perfect?! <a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/houston-tx/77002/february-weather/351197" target="_blank">February in Houston</a> is about as reliable as you're going to get for cool but not too cold, and probably dry. The elevation gain was practically nonexistent; living in NW Arkansas, the only way to have a flat run is to hit a treadmill or the track. It should've been a great day for me, but it didn't come together.<br />
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Of course, it wasn't a bad day, either - how can it be a bad day when you're running a marathon? Despite my <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2013/01/im-wicked-fast-runnah.html" target="_blank">speed and prowess in races a few years ago</a>, I've managed to recalibrate (the two <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2013/07/update-on-ankle-incident.html" target="_blank">broken bones</a> helped with perspective) and am much better now at remembering that every healthy day is a gift. A race practically in my hometown backyard, with great friends and my family there to see me, is a blessing regardless of what the <a href="https://connect.garmin.com/activity/709246516" target="_blank">Garmin</a> or the race clock says.<br />
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When I did see my sister and dad in the back half of the race, I got a little boost to keep me going. And some great pictures, if I do say so myself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQPKmTlmyXEJ6ISoakvFrFDgWjLdMExAaOz249Tsoi0c3PxuPpgoNwylR8a71ND4vKbcwGlhHUNXP7bejF1bPcfSOSN79ClN1RR5v0h-7HXk7V483W5TYj_LknxQNGRWR8FIbfm88vMw/s1600/Woodlands+Marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikQPKmTlmyXEJ6ISoakvFrFDgWjLdMExAaOz249Tsoi0c3PxuPpgoNwylR8a71ND4vKbcwGlhHUNXP7bejF1bPcfSOSN79ClN1RR5v0h-7HXk7V483W5TYj_LknxQNGRWR8FIbfm88vMw/s640/Woodlands+Marathon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4KEwofgkXwUnOvGxHVkIycQyA-qcztNPCII_SLQK0Avmy2uaYpR_S2BSRpl13N4z5duUSRLDNLX20T8NWtYVAGkjWkuCNmA2vh7AUPCO3OUw2hNZKsVtz-WhgyTePWrodjs4pdQ1Nw8/s1600/106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4KEwofgkXwUnOvGxHVkIycQyA-qcztNPCII_SLQK0Avmy2uaYpR_S2BSRpl13N4z5duUSRLDNLX20T8NWtYVAGkjWkuCNmA2vh7AUPCO3OUw2hNZKsVtz-WhgyTePWrodjs4pdQ1Nw8/s400/106.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susannah and Dad - I seriously have the best fans</td></tr>
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The post-race cool down happened pretty quickly; after grabbing some post-race fuel and fluids, Shauna and I cooled down quickly enough that we were ready to head home to get cleaned up and relax.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnWF_nGv3MBQ7BvTYsuxSDsvr-AOkp8OivkhIQEnTNIX1-xexj5tRxpqp2nXpZtfLbAPk5Y7zX7jksBfxYnKXEgozRbJphKGSIX5g1YC8nY0ARCARaj34JnnRSgRQTsOlOdcAJlpBwlU/s1600/IMG_1112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnWF_nGv3MBQ7BvTYsuxSDsvr-AOkp8OivkhIQEnTNIX1-xexj5tRxpqp2nXpZtfLbAPk5Y7zX7jksBfxYnKXEgozRbJphKGSIX5g1YC8nY0ARCARaj34JnnRSgRQTsOlOdcAJlpBwlU/s400/IMG_1112.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post-race in Dad's sweatshirts!!</td></tr>
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At that point, we began the "where did we park?" odyssey. In general, relying on me to navigate the concrete jungle should've been a safe bet - but after about 20 minutes of walking, Susannah driving us around to find the car, my dad looking in a different direction, and my certainty that it was "definitely on the left here," we took a right and managed to make it to the car!! Note to self: set location of vehicle in phone when racing in an unfamiliar area. Second note to self: do not assume that just because you grew up close by, that this is a familiar area.<br />
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The big payoff to running a race in Houston, of course, is being able to then eat dinner in Houston!! Aaahhhhh, Tex Mex - if only someone in NW Arkansas could convince <a href="http://www.pappas.com/about/pappas-history/" target="_blank">Mr. Pappas</a> to open a <a href="http://pappasitos.com/home/" target="_blank">Pappasitos</a> up here, it would practically be like living in Texas. But until that happens, I do my best to stuff myself silly every time I'm back in H-Town.<br />
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My parents, sister, brother-in-law, super-adorable-niece, my three stalwart friends and I sat down for a post-race celebration dinner, the four of us proudly representing our adopted home state with our <a href="http://cavecloth.com/" target="_blank">sweet (blue! must be blue!) running shirts</a>.<br />
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All in all, I can't say enough good things about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheWoodlandsMarathon" target="_blank">The Woodlands Marathon</a>. If I had captured the memories right after the race, I'm sure I would've had many more details to share on how great the aid stations were; the excellent bling; and the fact that I loved getting a tank instead of a short sleeved tee for a finisher's shirt. I'll leave you with my overall impression and my One True Fact - if you are looking for a PR course, or even a <a href="http://www.baa.org/Races/Boston-Marathon/Participant-Information/Qualifying.aspx" target="_blank">BQ course</a>, check this race out. It isn't too big, it's incredibly well organized, it's super affordable, the trees all along the course block any wind that might try to derail you, and the course is FLAT and FAST. It may very well be on my list again when I get ready to try for the elusive second BQ.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-79313509999542552742015-08-30T08:00:00.000-05:002015-08-30T08:00:02.495-05:00Overpromising and underdeliveringI guess I wasn't quite as <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2015/05/im-ready-to-come-back.html" target="_blank">ready to come back</a> as I thought I was - here we are three months later and despite my many, many thoughts around the cool blog posts I could be writing about the really neat things I've done so far this year, it just hasn't happened. I could give a ream of reasons, but the reality is, the only truly appropriate answer is one I'm embracing more and more frequently the farther I get from my West Point training: "No excuse, ma'am/sir."<br />
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<br />
With my Twinnie now across the ocean and <a href="https://theshandenes.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">her family writing their own (awesomely funny, incredibly detailed, and sweetly adorable, depending on who's writing) blog</a>, I'm inspired to shed the excuses and get back to chronicling the big and the little things that make up the 365 days of the Coussoules' year.<br />
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Speaking of the big and little things - I've managed to cross quite a few things off of <a href="http://coussoule365.blogspot.com/2014/09/my-life-list-time-for-update.html" target="_blank">my life list</a> this year, reinforcing just how powerful it is to write things down. Make a list. Commit to something in writing. If I hadn't written all of those ideas down a few years ago, I would never have experienced some of the amazing things I have so far in 2015.<br />
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Here's to getting back to writing things down - not so much to commit to more things, but to capture the memories and the feelings and the excitement and, on other days, the sorrow and the exhaustion and the anxiety and even the despair in the 365 days that allow us the big and little things.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4590943870852308934.post-92084754112553772342015-05-03T13:46:00.002-05:002015-05-03T13:46:39.937-05:00I'm ready to come backIt's been many months since I've shared anything on my blog; toward the end of last year, things got so busy at work and at home that I decided something had to give. That something was periodic attention to my blog.<br />
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I've missed writing; I think every once in a while how an event or funny thing my kids say would be fun to write about and share, but in an effort to practice what I preach about avoiding an overscheduled life, I just let them go. Now, after a month break from work, I feel like things are in balance; I have harmony in my life; and I'm ready to find a creative outlet in my blog once again.<br />
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I may try to catch up on a whole lot of things that have happened in the last six months, or I may choose to simply pick up today where we are and go from there. We'll see. What I won't do, though, is give myself a minimum-posts-per-week goal or an ongoing feature, as I did when I first began this writing adventure.<br />
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I also don't know that I'll be as eager to have a whole lot of people read my posts. Part of why I chose this blog as a "something" to step away from is the fact that I had become more interested in how many people saw my posts and read my words than in the sincerity of the desire to write. By extension, I have recently also begun limiting my time on Facebook and Twitter, and stopped posting pictures to Instagram. I'm tired of being so connected all the time, and of my life experiences being punctuated with mental soundbites of "that would be a hilarious hashtag!" or "I should tell my Facebook world I'm in Chicago!" I want to live in the moment - to be present - and social media was not helping me do that.<br />
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As I restart my blog writing, then, I really am doing it so that in a few years, I can look back and reminisce about the fun things I did and the little moments that make up the amazing life I live, 365 days a year. Whether other people read my blog or not isn't the point, but if you do, I hope it brings you a little bit of joy just as it does me.Amanda C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01924886195190130254noreply@blogger.com0