FueledByLOLZ

A Week with Family

For the last week, both my parents and my in-laws visited New Jersey.

Last weekend, my dad and in-laws came up for Broad Street. Both my dad and father in law ran. My mother in law and myself spectated. We had a lot of fun.

We went to a couple of new diners (sadly neither were amazing) and just hung out.

My mom had other commitments last weekend but decided to drive up that Monday and keep me company for a few days.

I rarely post personal posts anymore, but we had a lot of fun spectating and exploring Philadelphia. I guess since I’m not running, I need some sort of content right? (Just kidding).

Even though I’ve lived in New Jersey 3.5 years now, I don’t spend as much time in Philadelphia as I would like.

One thing mom and I were excited to do, was tour the Eastern State Penitentiary. Prisons have always interested me, and I watch a lot of crime and prison television.

Eastern State Penitentiary has a headphone guided tour which was fascinating.

We got to see Al Capone’s cell, as well as a, learn a lot of history about the prison system. It was one of my favorite museums to date, and I’m glad they chose to preserve it.

It’s only half a mile from the Art Museum in Philadelphia if you are ever in the area.

Eastern State Penitentiary philadephia — We made it!

After getting lost and walking an extra mile, we ended up settling on lunch at the Marathon Grill. I haven’t been there since I reviewed it a few years ago but it didn’t disapoint. Their food is fresh. I ordered the kale and quinoa salad and I have no complaints.

At lunch at Sabrina’s Cafe another day, I decided to try tofu again. Tofu isn’t my favorite food, but every year I try it again to see if I’m missing out on something. While the Tofu dish at Sabrina’s was prepared well, I can’t say I like tofu anymore. Perhaps better luck next year.

The rest of the week was spent exploring South Jersey. As many readers know, my mom sews various baby gifts and American Girl Doll Clothes and we found a local store that sells the vintage and retired dolls. I didn’t think it was possible to find somewhere with as many American Girl Dolls as she has at home…

I am very close with my entire family so having both sets of parents up here and visiting was definitely a relaxing treat. It has been nice to be away from running and just relaxing and enjoying life.

Questions for you:

Have you ever toured a prison?

Did you have an American Girl Doll?

Wedding Wrap Up

I received my wedding photos last week and I’ve finally put everything together. My wedding was one of the best and happiest days of my life! It’s hard to believe it was already four months ago! My life continues to live on and I continue to enjoy life.

In my last post I put together a final slideshow from the wedding. I also answered a few questions with a survey. I’m a sucker to look at my friend’s big days so please enjoy.

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Here are a few questions and a quick survey too. If anyone can learn anything from my wedding than it’s a success right?

What was the best part of your wedding day?

It’s hard because there were so many “best parts”! As cliche as it sounds the best part was celebrating Tim and I with our family and friends. It was great to have all of my friends together in one spot.

What do you feel was totally unnecessary?

To be honest, I think we got rid of a lot of unnecessary things before the wedding. We didn’t have over the top decorations, 10 feet tall centerpieces or anything like that. We focused on keeping a simple wedding. Fancy decorations and over the top glam is some people’s dream wedding but it wasn’t mine!

What would you change, if anything?

If I could change anything, I probably would have invited more people! We didn’t have a destination wedding, however, many people did travel. This meant several people were unable to come so we had a lot more space then I expected. Our wedding planner said about one-third of guests invited wouldn’t be able to come. That was accurate.

What was unexpected that you loved?

One thing I loved was how much people were able to enjoy themselves and mingle with others. We decided not to have assigned seating. We wanted people to sit where they wanted. I was warned this could go badly but guests were able to meet new people and enjoy themselves. I was happy it ended up well and people were able to meet others and chat. I think it was the riskiest thing we did at our wedding.

What are your fondest memories of your wedding day?

A few of my favorite memories were dancing with my beautiful flower girl, dancing with my husband and just laughing the entire time. I truly never stopped smiling.

Is there anything you wish you had spent more time or money on?

T and I agree we wished we had spent more time rehearsing our dancing. It was extremely awkward but I guess awkward is the definition of us. We made up for it during Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda though.

Is there anything you wish you had spent less time or money on?

There wasn’t anything we felt we should spend less money on. We definitely put a lot of our budget into an awesome DJ, good food and good booze. We spent the least on decorations and I think that worked out well for us.

Were there any unexpected surprises or issues?

We were supposed to have sparklers but the firecode in Norfolk prevented that. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world and if I had properly researched that we would have figured it out sooner.

What’s your number #1 tip for future engaged couples?

Tackle each item one at time.

Similar to writing a paper or working on a project, wedding planning has multiple steps that must be conquered. There are so many websites with timelines for wedding dates. Print one out so it’s easy to figure out what needs to be done, when! I also think that having a day of the wedding planner was the best thing we did. We didn’t worry about anything!

How did you feel after the wedding?

I was happy. It was truly one of the greatest days of my life and I will never forget it.

More Wedding Posts:

Engagement
Engagement Photos
Rejected Wedding Ideas
Wedding Preview
In Depth Wedding Post

Thank you to everyone who followed along and took this journey with us. We had one of the best times of our life and could not have done it without everyone. I appreciate my family, friends and readers sharing their love. It’s time to move forward to the next chapter of our lives.

Living for the Weekend

Or something like that?

This weekend had other plans but a few things popped up so I ended up staying at home. I tried to make the best of the sitatution and ultimately had a good time.

My friend Kevin was in town for an important conference so I got to give him a bit of a tour of NJ. When my out of state friends are visiting there important item that must be done:

Show them them the best diner in New Jersey. Yes we both had our own separate pieces. I don’t share my cake…even with good friends.

I did work all weekend. As most people know, the Asics Quantum just came out so we had a big event at work for the release of it. It’s an interesting shoe and one I may decide to buy and try out. It’s got more gel than the Nimbus but with more gel means it’s a lot heavier. It was comfortable to walk around work but definitely heavy.

On Sunday morning I drove into Philadelphia to run with Kevin. It was extremely hot but we adjusted the pace accordingly. The 14 miles flew by really quickly and was one of the most enjoyable runs I’ve had in a while!

After the run, we decided to grab brunch at the Marathon Grill. It was really good and I can’t wait to post a review about it! Despite not being my original plan this weekend was very enjoyable.

Questions for you:

What is your favorite kind of cake?

How was your weekend?

Weekend Fun

Last week and the Fourth of July weekend was low key for me. I was happy to relax. I was able to see my inlaws in PA, have some personal time, run and work. I also got some necessary cleaning done. I feel like I had a balance of everything!

Last week I visited my inlaws in Central PA. Even though it was a short visit, it was great to get out of town and see them. I always enjoy Central Pa because of how quiet and peaceful it is. It reminds me a lot of where I went to college.

We did a lot while I was in PA but we were able to relax as well. We relaxed by their pool, had all your can eat crabs, went for an extremely hilly run and had gas station coffee of the area (Rutters).

If you are ever in or around Chambersburg, PA, I recommend going to Trickling Springs Creamery. It’s an adorable creamery and the ice cream is homemade. I tried the butter brickle and maple bacon. They also have lunch too and it’s a perfect cafe and ice cream stop for anyone.

I never thought I would enjoy maple bacon anything but the ice cream is really good!

I back on Thursday and they restored my internet. I haven’t had internet since the storm 10 days ago so it was nice to get that finally restored. I had power and lights but did not have central air, hot water, internet and cable. I missed hot water more than the internet.

On Saturday I ran a local 5k. It was actually the highlight of my weekend. I got to hang out with friends and coworkers before going to work.

In my personal experience, Holidays are always harder when family is gone. This Fourth of July was mentally difficult and honestly I was glad to be working and to stay busy. I honestly didn’t do a lot for the Fourth of July. I ran a 5k, worked and then got a deep tissue massage. Due to a change of plans, I grilled at my house.

On Sunday evening, Liz and I ended up grabbing dinner at a local diner. I haven’t been to a new diner in a few weeks so it was nice to do that. I love catching up with Liz anywhere and everywhere.

Now begins another work week. I’m excited to hopefully have a “normal” week that doesn’t involve loss of power or traveling. I have a few things I need to finally get done!

Questions for you:

How was your July fourth weekend?

Do you like the countryside or city better?

Running Gives Me a Lot

Today is National Running Day. First and foremost, happy running to my family and friends, blog readers (both near and far). Happy running day to readers I’ve run with and readers I wish I could run with!

This is such a fun day because so many people talk about how they began running. Personally, I enjoy hearing about how others found running in their own personal lives.

I’ve written countless blog posts about my start to running and how I’ve progressed. Right now there isn’t much more to say. I enjoy running and I continue to run!

In cliff notes: I swam until senior year of college. Then I quit swimming and began running. I went from a 12:12 mile to a 3:15 marathon. All of that took time, effort and growing as a person both mentally and physically. It also took a lot of negatives to go along with the positives. Each injury taught me something and each success taught me something.

However, this post is about things I’ve gained far better than PRs. It is about the relationships I’ve built and friends I’ve made.

My husband and I met through collegiate racing. He ran for a nearby school. Our first few dates were actually miserable runs. It was cold, extremely windy and cows smell bad in upstate NY. So when you think about romantic, that was it!

Running with my husband

Three years later, running is still something we love to do together. Since our first run together, we have ran many races and in several states. We run during the good, the bad and pretty much all of the times. We don’t run every run together of course, but it is nice to share a hobby together (since I don’t fix cars and he does not blog…

Running has brought me to some of my closest friends.

Friends like

Laura A and Heather (two of my bridesmaids)

Laura S

Brittany

Kris and Kellie

Liz

Danielle and Amelia

While running didn’t bring Theresa and I together, we run together…

Let’s not forget I also work at an amazing store with amazing coworkers.

Volunteering with my coworkers at a local race

Of course my blog is also running based. My best and favorite posts are running related.

A few of my favorite/most memorable races:

The Nike Women’s Half (oldie but goodie)

Lake effect Half marathon: This was one of the most meaningful races to me. In 2014, I raised money and awareness for Ophelias place. I ended up raising 2500 dollars. I went on to win the race as well.

Atlantic City Half

Running is such an important factor of my life. I never let it consume me but I know I share a love, passion and community with so many others.

Today I will be celebrating with some sort of run. Work and sharing this day with friends and family.

Question for you: How are you spending National Runner Day?

Dismal Swamp 5k (19:45)

Sometimes posts get lost in the mix. During my wedding weekend I also ran an Inaugural 5k at the Dismal Swamp. The 5k was a straight, out and back course. Brittany, Heather and I ran the 5k while Laura cheered and ran 10 miles. It was a lot of fun. Given any other weekend this recap would have gotten precedence.

We got to the race with about half an hour to spare. We all ran about 20 minutes together and by the time we finished it was time to race.

dismal swamp 5k 1 — I was trying to motion #bumbutt but it looks like I just have a wedgie

The 5k started at 8:05, while the half marathon started 5 minutes before at 8am. Once they were off they called us up. Within a few minutes, we were off. I was lucky to chat to Marie, a great friend of mine.

I immediately took off, not knowing what to expect. Since my hip is definitely not 100%, if anything hurt I would just stop.

The first mile felt like it took forever. I went from 3^rd woman to 1^st by the end of the first mile and found myself alone with no men or women near. I began passing half marathoners towards the end of the first mile. At first I thought it was strange to have half marathoners go 5 mins in front of 5kers. We would catch a lot and it would be crowded but I ended up liking it a lot. I was able to see some of my local friends like Allie and Jenny! I hit the first mile in 6:22. I was excited because it gave me hope to run a sub 20 (which I have not been able to do lately at all).

The second mile was similar to the first. I saw a lot of friends running the half. I also saw Laura who was cheering loudly. The lead cyclist made the u turn and headed back with the leader of the race. The lead cyclist actually told me to get out of the way. That irritated me a little bit because there weren’t a lot of places to go. I wasn’t going to run into the half marathoners on the other side of the road and I wasn’t purposely in the leader’s way. When I made the turn and headed back I side fived everyone including my dad and two brothers (both of whom were riding the pain train after going to T’s Bachelor party). I hit the second mile in 6:22 too (hashtag twinning).

During the third mile I thought there was a chance to break 20 minutes. My hip was a little bit sore but nothing crazy (I do believe if I raced a 10k, it would have been inhibiting). I began trying to push but similar to most of my 5ks, that is next to impossible. The last mile of a 5k is always painful whether I’m running a PR or PW. I hit the third mile in 6:27 so I didn’t slow down too much.

All of a sudden I found myself approaching the finish line and they had a tape for me to break! That doesn’t happen often so I was really excited. I threw my hands up (like I think you are supposed to do) and went through.

Then to add more perfection to the day, Heather took second woman and Brittany took third. We actually took a 1,2,3! This race wasn’t close to a PR for anyone but it is a nice step towards running more short races. I’m very happy I made the last minute decision to race and have no regrets.

My hip felt the same as if I had run easy so that was a bit of confidence too. The weather conditions were perfect and the course was flat (probably the main reasons I had a solid race). This race gave me a bit of confidence that I could begin racing 5ks again…anything more is going to currently bother my hip. In summary it was a solid race for me and I have no complaints. I am looking to race a lot more short races for a while. My hip didn’t bother me during the 5k and I think it’s a logical step.

Questions for you:

What is your 5k strategy?

What was the last race you did with friends?

Heading North in the Winter

Because who doesn’t want to head to a colder climate in the winter?

Anyways, this past weekend I traveled to Rochester, New York. I wanted to see some of best friends: Heather, Laura and Brittany. They all have blogs and exist in real life too. Since we all run, have blogs and exist in real life…we must be the same person. Right?

Let’s rewind to Friday.

I drove up to Jersey City and got dinner with Danielle and Amelia. It was nice to finally see and catch up with both of them. It’s weird to think we haven’t seen each other since October! Danielle and Amelia make up 2 out of 5 of my friends in New Jersey.

On Saturday am, Danielle and I drove to the JFK airport. Danielle was visiting her sister in Rochester, so we decided to travel together. All I remember from that morning (and I’m sure she agrees) was: holy $hit it’s cold, how are we going to make it in Rochester? The temperature at JFK was 10 degrees and felt like -4.

After arriving to Rochester, dare I say it that it seemed warmer?

In summary, the ladies and I had such a great weekend.

Some highlights:

Eating an entire red velvet cake
Meeting the owner of the James Brown Diner (review to come in Rochester
Introducing Brittany to Fast Trac Coffee…need I say more?
Oh we had no idea this camera was taking a photo…we are obviously just causally chatting over our gas station lattes
Just girl chat. There isn’t a need to “recap” the amount of fun we had just chatting. These three women are three of my closest friends. While I haven’t seen them since early last year, nothing had changed. I’m truly grateful to have friends that I can talk to anytime. We can go months without seeing face to face and still pick up just where we left (that being said, I do wish we were closer).

Enjoy this photoshoot…

Sadly, Brittany and Heather left on Sunday. Laura and I went and watched the Super Bowl at one of Laura’s friends’ house. While I’m not into football, I enjoyed hanging out and meeting friends of friends.

On Monday a huge snow storm hit Rochester. Rochester received between 12-16 inches of snow. Laura, had to work and I ran at the gym and relaxed.

Then on Tuesday, Danielle and I left bright and early (4:30 am) to JFK. After a perfect flight and arrival, we arrived at my car. My car was completely frozen over and had an entire half inch of ice on top (including all locks). We could not physically break the ice because it was so thick. We were freezing, miserable and honestly had no idea what to do. The security car couldn’t help us, triple A didn’t have any great advice and we honestly didn’t know what to do. We spent about 45 minutes trying everything possible.

Then the JFK long term bus driver came by and helped us out. Honestly if he had not helped us with an ice pick, I don’t know how we would have gotten in my car. I will always be thankful for him (and made sure to thank him). I’ll never forget his kindness as long as I live!

After dropping Danielle back in Jersey City, finally got back down to South Jersey. My car still had a bit of snow on it (not prohibiting my driving). People were staring at my car yesterday.

Cliff notes: I had a great weekend and my friends are the greatest.

Questions for you:

Do your closest friends live near or far?

What was the last act of kindness you did for someone? (or someone did for you?)

I know Danielle and I will always be grateful for the bus driver’s kindness.

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