Good Weather = Good Run!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

As much as I hate getting up early on the weekends, I do look forward to my Saturday morning runs with Sharon.  I checked the weather on my phone and was SO excited at what I saw -

 

What amazing weather!!!  We got our stretch on and hit the trail.  Today was Day 3 of the Tower of Terror training, and I was to run 3 miles.  I actually felt good throughout this whole run.  I'm still working my 2:30/1:00 run/walk intervals, and even with a few seconds of walking when it was time to run, each mile was under 12:00/m

1st mile - 11:14

2nd mile - 11:30

3rd mile - 11:51

 Overall average pace - 11:30

Obviously the longer I'm going I'm slowing down a bit, plus even walking just a few seconds can really bring down my pace, so that's something I'm working on.  I finished my run in just under 36 minutes, so it took me a little longer than my last 5K, but not by much.  I stretched it out while I waited for Sharon to finish, and she also had a good run.  We chatted before heading our separate ways to continue with our weekend.

When I got home I let Guinness out and he was sniffing around a bush that we have near our sidewalk.  I could not figure out why he was so interested in it until I looked a little closer - 

There was a baby bird sitting there!  I called my neighbor over to check it out and she said it was a baby mockingbird.  We stood outside for awhile and saw the mama bird fly near with food in her mouth for the baby.  They are apparently very territorial over their young so we went inside the house and I watched the mama bird feed the baby.  It was pretty cool.

Saturday night we were going to one of J's coworkers house for a birthday party, and I decided to make cupcakes.  J picked the recipe - Margarita Cupcakes.

I love to bake, and my favorite thing to bake are cupcakes.  They're the perfect serving size, they are way easier to bake and decorate than a cake, and there are endless flavors.  And anytime you can mix booze with baking well, you generally just can't go wrong.

J is my taste tester and I don't think he minds one bit.  Saturday I kept hearing "More tequila" from him.  There is tequila in the cake, basted on top of the cupcakes, and infused in the icing.  Unfortunately I didn't even get to taste the end product, but I overhead some people at the party say that the "tequila" cupcakes were really good.  I smiled when I heard it as I didn't know them and it always feels good to hear others, especially strangers, enjoyed something that you made.

The end result

Yesterday J's paintball team had practice (I know it may sound silly but there is a method to winning matches and tournaments).  I was going to play with some of the rec players, but very few were there and I wasn't quite ready to get out with the ranked guys and have them get mad at me for not knowing what I was doing, so I opted to watch.  J has even bought me a gun and sent it off to have it anodized (is that right honey?) and dyed pink.  

My very own paintball gun

 Maybe next time I'll have the chance to get out there and try it out.

To top off a good weekend we went out for Mexican with one of J's coworkers.

Nothing like a good sangria

I start week 2 of the Tower of Terror training and hope to add some weights in on my off days from running.  Hope to get an arm workout in tonight.

Until next time,

Jen