toasty toes.

Happy Halloween! Though it is unseasonably warm for the last day of October, the snowy pictures from the Appalachians reminded me of the impending winter nights. In our loft, I can't swing slippers without some grip for our hardwoods--or I'll go flying down our hallway. I've been on the hunt for a great pair of cozymakers for a few years. Starting at just under $40 and creeping up over $120, these six slipper options make my toes feel toasty already...

top to bottom:  1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

Though I may have treated slippers as shoes in college {oops!}, I have definitely changed my tune in recent years. I do find it hard to spend a lot of money on shoes no one sees, but when it comes to comfort, I'm all in. I gifted {cv} a pair of UGG slippers last Christmas and he loves them. I scored a pair of LLBean slippers a few years ago over the holidays, but they're a little slippery on our hardwoods. Maybe it's time to add some UGGs to my wish list for this Christmas?!

the full rundown.

It's been two days since the Cape Cod Marathon and I'm still riding the runner's high. I didn't want to blow up your Instagram feed, so I saved most of the photos for this post. The snaps from the course were actually taken by {cv}--who rode the course twice on his road bike during my race. His first lap was to feel out the hills and the wind and the second go-around was to replenish my fuel. {cv} won the best husband award 26.2 times over on Sunday, that's for sure! He tried to capture the hilliness, but these pictures don't do the hills justice ;) 

Compared to the race I planned on running on Sunday, the Cape Cod Marathon was infinitely smaller. It definitely felt like a "runner's race". The hills were everything I read about and more, but it just made completing the race that much sweeter. Roads weren't completely blocked off during the race, so it required a bit more attention. Crowds were sparse, but when they were around, they were great! I had an angel in Susan, the woman who was the first to tell me "I could rest on the bus". {See the story behind my t-shirt here!} The personalized t-shirt paid off because I got lots of love from spectators and runners alike. If you're running a big race any time soon, do take the time to make your own!

Though the official results haven't been posted online, I eked out a sub-4:00 marathon by all of 77 seconds. {cv} and my parents called me a few times throughout the race to keep my energy up. When my dad called me at mile 25 {running directly into a 25mph+ wind}, he reminded me how close I was to reaching this milestone. {cv} and I had done the math on Saturday night and I knew a 9:10 pace would get me a sub-4. When I heard a 9:07 average pace at mile 23.5, I knew I needed to kick it in gear. I took resting on the bus literally and booked it during those last few miles. I'm so glad I did! Here is what the course looked like via Nike+. It is almost humorous to correspond the deep reds {aka my slowest points} with the elevation profile. Those blips were BIG hills.

If you look below at my splits, I can give a few reactions. I took the first five miles much more quickly than I planned. At mile 7, there were tons of spectators so I sped up a bit there. The rolling hills started around mile 8 and continued through mile 23. {Yes, you read that right.} My least favorite hill was at mile 10, though I had been worried more about the one at mile 20. Though I never hit the proverbial wall, I started feeling way too full around mile 16. I was taking more water/cytomax than I planned during the water stops, so I think that might explain it. {cv} caught up with me closer to mile 23, which was later than he planned, but I was grateful. I needed him more there than I would have at mile 20.

All in all, it may be those last three miles I'm most proud of during the race. We were running into the wind on the coast into a wall of sea spray. It was seriously brutal. Getting the push from {cv} in the 23rd mile and the call from my dad in the 25th mile made me realize I couldn't back down. Had I walked on a hill or stopped for a bathroom break, I would have sacrificed those 77 seconds and missed the 4:00 hour mark. Though my knee may not like me much right now, I am so glad I kept pushing for the finish line.

With that, I can happily say my second full marathon is in the books. I'm looking to you all for some remedies to my post-race woes {i.e. crazy limping + achiness}. This girl needs some relief ;) Thank you again for your love throughout my training and the race. I couldn't have done it without you!

safety first.

Greetings from rainy Rhode Island! Today's post will be a simple one, with #Frankenstorm on its way. {cv} and I are both working from home today since the storm is expected to bear down on us this afternoon.

I promise a full marathon recap tomorrow :) the race went wonderfully, but you better believe I'm enjoying this day at home to ice and rest up. I truly cannot thank you enough for all of your tweets, instagram likes + well wishes, comments, and general rockstar fan status over the weekend. We're really happy we made the decision to stay up north, but more on that in tomorrow's post.

Thanks again for everything, friends. I'm so lucky to have such supportive + loving readers :)

P.S. I'm still in awe of your love from the Friday's Fancies celebration last week. you. are. the. best.

you can rest on the bus.

By the time you see this post, I will be running the Cape Cod Marathon! Though Hurricane Sandy may have derailed my year-long plans to run the Marine Corps Marathon, I couldn't be more grateful the wonderful folks at CCM let me join their fold this weekend. After months of training, I knew I had to get the 26.2 miles in somewhere. Running one of the most scenic {albeit hilly} marathons in the country makes up for the fact I won't be running by my favorite sights in DC.

In preparation for my race, I had a few t-shirts made. After my first marathon in 2004, I learned how important it is to have your name on your shirt somewhere. Spectators are fabulous human beings--and when they see your name and yell for you, it gives you a little extra spring in your step. On the back of my shirt, it begs the viewer to pretty please say "you can rest on the bus" to me. It may sound random {and maybe a little strange} to you, but these few words mean the world to me.

I ran cross country during all four years of high school and loved every minute of it. My parents were incredibly supportive of my running adventures, traveling all over Indiana to see me race. As a runner himself, my dad was notorious for running all over the course and cheering on our team. Just before every race, he always whispered these six words in my ear: "you can rest on the bus." It was his way of encouraging me to put every ounce of effort into my race because I really could rest on the bus ride home.

{Fast forward seven years to our wedding day} As we were turning to walk down the aisle, my dad whispered this little phrase in my ear. I knew exactly what he meant when he said it: he wanted me to soak in the day but also to remember what great adventures awaited {cv} and me as we started our life together.

This phrase has always been tattooed on my heart...and my dad always says it at just the right moment. Sadly, my parents are attending a wedding this weekend in Tennessee and couldn't make it to my race. Though it won't be exactly the same to hear strangers yell this catchphrase to me, you better believe it will give me a smile and the courage to keep on pushing.
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Today, I'm focusing on completion--and not my time--because of the hills which await me. The only thing I could ask for are your thoughts and prayers as I run on my robo-leg. I promise a full race run-down very soon! If you want more up-to-the minute info, I am @amv529 on instagram, so you can get a few glimpses of my sweaty self there. The Cape Cod Marathon is so small {think 1,300 runners compared to the 35,000 in DC!} that they don't have "text alerts", but I'll be sure to tweet when I finish. The best part about today? I know I can "rest on the bus" once I'm done.

P.S. Mom + Dad: I can feel you cheering all the way from the Midwest! Thank you for being a constant source of support--and for loving me to the moon and back. The same goes for {cv}: I know his face will be a shining light throughout the  entire race. I am so lucky to have him as my lifelong cheerleader! And to my friends who have put up with my crazy schedule for the past few months: I'll be back to normal soon! Love to you all :)