Weekly Review February 21-27

Can you believe we're already done with February?! Here we are with my eighth Weekly Review of 2016! Read on to see how the week went in Fitness, Farming, and Life!

Just loved the clouds!

Fitness
We've now covered four weeks of Shape Up Montana. I really haven't written much about SUM yet this year, so maybe I'll dedicate another post specifically to it soon. This week, I started off with another 10K training run that didn't go so well. With about 1.5 miles to go, my hip and knee all of a sudden started to hurt very badly and I had to walk/jog the rest of the way in. That meant the rest of the week I spent considerable time stretching and doing things that weren't too stressful for the knee. Yes, I did do a couple more running workouts, but they were at very slow pace, with no incline, and included lots of walking. I'm frustrated that I keep having bouts with this hip/knee thing.

Vizsla selfie after one of our runs!

Jeff and I also went for our first bike ride of 2016! We did an easy 10-mile loop "around the block" where we live. I should say that the first 5 miles were easy but as soon as we turned south, we were headed into a strong SW wind for the remainder of the ride. The wind had DEFINITELY picked up from when we left the house. The last 2 miles in particular were pretty much head-on into the wind and were very miserable. All the same, it felt good to use my biking muscles.

Lastly, I was in Bozeman over the weekend and my sister-in-law and I tried a yoga class at a studio downtown called Your Yoga. The class was called Weekend Restore and was very restful. It was sort of a Yin Yoga style class-- not too many poses, none too stressful, held for a long time. I think it was just what my hip, knee, and lower back needed. I felt very "zen" by the end of the hour. Your Yoga had a ton of classes listed and classes cost $10. I'm definitely going to keep this studio in mind for future visits to Bozeman!

Here are the stats from the week:
Sunday- 6.2 mile run
Monday- 1.2 mile walk, 50 minutes stretching.
Tuesday- complete rest.
Wednesday- 2.7 mile treadmill run before school
Thursday- 3.2 mile easy run in the afternoon after a day of working cows, also 45 minutes of core and hip strengthening exercises
Friday- 10 mile mountain bike ride on gravel roads!
Saturday- 60 minutes yin yoga

And, YTD through February 28:
2016 Year to Date, through 2/28/16
Running: 91.95 miles
Walking/Hiking: 20.7 miles
Yoga: 395 min 
CC-Ski: 500 min / 14.1 miles (since I started tracking mileage on 1/17) 
Alpine Ski: 3 days
NEW CATEGORY--Mountain bike: 10 miles! 

Harvey basking in the sun outside the corrals. 

Abby trots up to say hello! She can't resist an opportunity for kisses.

Farm
After Jeff and I spent a day last week prepping for calving, the action is now starting to ramp up. As of this morning when I did the morning check, we had 9 calves. That means we have 87 to go, still. The weather continues to be pretty good and warm, so that means we don't have to do too many overnight checks. Jeff goes out at about 10 p.m. and then at around 2:00 a.m. Then, I get up a little earlier than I normally would and do a check at around 6:00 a.m. before getting ready for school. This morning was my first morning check. It's kind of a nice way to greet the day-- with a short walk, looking for newborn animals.

This calf was about five minutes old when this picture was taken!

Life
Yes, I was traveling again over this past weekend. I was in Bozeman for the baby shower of a good friend. My sister-in-law Katie planned it and held it at her house. The party was baseball-themed and was very cute. Katie did an excellent job planning and executing the event, and the Mama-to-be seemed very pleased, too! She got a lot of nice gifts. :)

The mother to be with some of her gifts and some of Katie's homemade decorations!
Photo credit: Katie Strissel

A big highlight Saturday night was the MSU Bobcats Women's Basketball game I attended with Tom and Carol. It was a hugely exciting back-and-forth game against the Idaho State Bengals. The Bobcats hit a couple of key 3's to send it to overtime tied at 66, and then momentum carried them through a late surge from ISU to finally come away with the victory 82-80. It was possibly the most exciting basketball game I have EVER attended!! Here's a game recap from the MSU Bobcats website, in case you'd like to read more detail: Late Game Heroics Give Bobcats Win Over Bengals On Senior Night.

Tied at 66 -- headed to OVERTIME! 

Montana Class C Divisional Basketball Tournament was also held over the weekend in Great Falls. Interestingly, the Class C Girls Divisional Championship game between Belt and Box Elder drew 2500 fans in Great Falls while the MSU Bobcat Women's Game drew 2100 in Bozeman. People really love their Class C hoops in this state!

Looking ahead this week, Jeff and I are both off to the Twin Cities for the National Farmers Union Convention March 4-8. Looking forward to connecting with friends form across the country and talking about farming!

Peanut, our last remaining cat, enjoying some evening sunshine on the porch post.

REMINDER-- The NEXT POST will be my 400th post and I'll be switching the URL to the new Prairie Sun Life link!!! Be on the watch for that! 

Have a great week! 

Weekly Review January 17-23

Taking a look at the week that was, in fitness, farm, and life. If you missed last week's review, you can check it out HERE.

Sunset over the Sweetgrass Hills Friday evening while skiing.

Fitness
Jeff and I started the week on skis as we trekked over the mountains for double duty skiing on Sunday and Monday. Sunday was Nordic at the Izaak Walton in Essex, MT, where we also stayed the night in their historic hotel.

Izaak Walton Inn, Essex, MT

Sunday we hit up Whitefish for downhill skiing in thick fog. It wasn't the most fun day of skiing ever because it was a bit difficult to see, but we made it our mission to get better at moguls and I think we both definitely saw some improvement. Plus, my legs felt super strong the rest of the week after that day of skiing!

Progress continued on the #RunLoveChallenge I'm participating in through Oiselle with my teammate, Wendie. I nailed my long run on Thursday after school running "the loop" in town twice for a total of 4.7 miles. It felt pretty good to run outside and even though the roads were snow-covered, they weren't bad to run on.

Run-selfie while running "the loop" in Rudyard on Thursday.

The biggest challenge of the week was actually the "Speed Date" workout we were supposed to do. I spent most of the week stressing about the workout because, let's be honest, speedwork is pretty much neglected in the scheme of my workouts. I wrote out the times and speeds I wanted to try and planned to do it Saturday morning. By the time Saturday rolled around, Wendie had already completed the workout and I was actually sort of looking forward to the challenge and seeing what I could do. And you know what? It was hard, for sure, but it felt great! Huge confidence boost to reach speeds I've never touched before, and it ended up being my longest run of 2016 so far at 5.6 miles! It was so motivating to know that Wendie had done it and that she was cheering me on in spirit, too. Thanks Wendie!

Yes, I wrote myself a pep talk alongside the workout. I'm cool like that.

Here's how the week looked:
Sunday- 8.6 miles/120 minutes of Nordic skiing at Essex.
Monday- Downhill skiing at Whitefish.
Tuesday- 3 easy (slow) miles on the treadmill, 20 min stretching. My legs were beat after the skiing.
Wednesday- 30 min. hip strengthening exercises
Thursday- 4.7 mile run after school.

Snowy roads, but traction was good.

Friday- 2.2 miles (40 min) Nordic ski through Harry's field on our farm. **snow melting fast. May have been my last day on skis at home this year.

This is what Harvey does after going for a ski- nap time. 

Saturday- Speed Date challenge/5.6 miles running, 30 min (1.6 miles) walk with the dogs, 20 min stretching.

My #RunLoveChallenge calendar is really filling up! Half-way there!

And the YTD Stats:
2016 Year to Date, through 1/23/16
Walking: 140 min/6.7 miles
Yoga: 135 min *no yoga this week. sad face.
CC-Ski: 380 min / 10.8 miles (since I started tracking mileage on 1/17)
Alpine Ski: 2 days
Running: 30.55 miles

If you remember, my knee and hip had been a little sore last week. I rededicated myself to stretching in the evenings and it really seemed to help. No issues with it whatsoever this week, even after Jeff and I skied pretty hard at Whitefish on Monday. Stretch, stretch, stretch, people!

Farm
This week on the farm the biggest new piece of action was that Jeff sold some winter wheat to one of the local elevators and then began taking semi loads to town. It can be quite a bit of work at times to haul grain, especially when cleaning out the bottom of a grain bin. Messy, dusty, labor and time intensive. The weather was warmer this week, so Harvey spent quite a bit of time outside "helping" Jeff with this task, although he didn't appreciate being left behind when Jeff would leave in the semi headed for the elevator. Harvey is a smart dog and knows that if he sits down in the road right ahead of the vehicle in which he would like to ride, at the very least, the driver will stop and pet him...

"Guys, I'll ride now, thankyouverymuch." - Harvey
Photo by Jeff.

Harvey also likes to "help" feed the cows...

Harvey likes to lick their noses, and they let him.

And this bull was taking a peek on the action, too:


Life
This week I attended the Rudyard Commercial Club meeting (sort of like the local chamber of commerce) because they were planning to talk about a grant the community is likely to receive to either renovate our current Senior Center or build a completely new building. It was a really interesting meeting, which you can read more about in my previous blog post. I'm going to be on the committee working on the grant project and I'm really excited about it.

Also, in my sports world, my Iowa State Cyclones defeated #1 ranked Oklahoma on Monday night in Ames (college basketball). It was glorious. Here's a great game re-cap from The DesMoines Register: Iowa State Takes Down #1 Oklahoma. Tomorrow night, they'll take on the Kansas Jayhawks. I may hate the Jayhawks more than I love the Cyclones, so you can be sure I will be watching the game. Don't bother me between 7 and 9 tomorrow night because I won't answer. ;)

That's the week that was, everyone! What were the highlights of your week? 

After completing my Speed Date workout. Feeling good!

Maroon and Gold Fun Run Race Review

Saturday morning I kicked off my Fall Racing Season with a strong showing at the Maroon and Gold Fun Run in Havre! I ran the 10K distance. This post is my official review/recap of race day.

The Maroon and Gold Fun Run was in its first year this year as a fundraising event supporting the new MSU-Northern Men's and Women's Cross Country teams. I am all about growing and promoting the sport of running, so as soon as I heard about this race and knew that I'd be free on August 22, I signed up. They offered 1-Mile, 5K, and 10K events. I trained for the 10K and I wanted a new PR, so that's what I decided to do!

The other extra-cool thing about this race is that a local girl who I know fairly well, a recent North Star graduate, Alissa, is running on the new Cross Country team. I was beyond thrilled, first of all, to hear that she was running for Northern, and extra excited to run the race, knowing I'd be supporting someone I know! :)

With an 8:00 a.m. start time in Havre for the race, and an approximate 60 minute drive time for me, it was an early morning on Saturday. I got up around 5:30 to make sure I'd have enough time to get dressed and have breakfast before making the drive to Havre. I had laid my outfit out the night before so I wouldn't wake Jeff and to expedite things. The weather was cool with temps in the 40s and windy with chances of rain, so I opted for long pants and a long-sleeve shirt with my Team Beef jersey.

It's a lot of bold colors and patterns... Pretty wild!

Race Day Outfit:
KC Tights from Oiselle-- first time wearing these for a run or race!
Purple Turtleneck from Columbia
Team Beef Jersey (My Oiselle singlet should arrive in September sometime)
I also wore an earband and a hat because my ears are SUPER sensitive to cold.

Race events were staged out of the MSUN gym. It was a perfect spot-- easy to find, great parking, plenty of space to warmup in the gym or run around campus, easy access to bathrooms. And, since it was cold and kind of crummy weather, it was nice to be inside some before the race started. I arrived at around 7:20 and picked up my t-shirt and race bib. I also received an Asics training journal for being an early sign-up for the race. Then I took a 10 minute jog around campus and did some form running and dynamic stretching. With the cool weather, I wanted to make sure I was extra warmed up.

First time I have been in the gym at Northern. Not bad!

People were still arriving and registering as 8:00 a.m. rolled around, so the race started just a little bit late. I didn't mind though. I was really excited for them that they had more people than expected! They had 130 participants in all three races in the end, and 50 volunteers. Pretty great turnout for a first-time race in a small town!

I lined up with some other women near the start line who I noticed were doing the 10K and made polite pre-race conversation. People in Montana are SO nice and friendly! When the race started, I went out with a little speed and left most of them behind. This actually really surprised me and even made me a bit nervous! Was I going too fast? No, I reassured myself that I was feeling strong and it was OK to go out a bit fast and feel a little uncomfortable. Most of the first mile was down hill and I got to the first mile marker and looked at my watch--7:22!! Probably my fastest first mile in a LONG time, maybe ever.

Race routes. 10K in yellow. 

Just after that, we turned a corner and faced a long, long, long uphill. I knew I'd have to back off the pace a bit, but I didn't let myself totally lose sight of my goal, and tried to keep it somewhat steady. I ended up passing two other girls on the uphill. Somewhere in mile 3, another woman about my age ran up ahead of me and passed me. After a little bit of back and forth, she ultimately stayed ahead of me, but I stayed with her for the rest of the race. There were many more hills to climb in this run and she ended up being stronger on the uphills than I was.

Maybe half-way through the longest uphill climb ever at this point. 

There's blue-shirt gal!
This part of the course was really exposed and it was WINDY!

The race course for the 10K was really nice, even despite all the hills and exposure. It included sections of gravel/trail, asphalt bike bath, and streets. I appreciated that it ran around the outskirts of town, rather than wholly on the city streets. I really enjoyed the views of the hills on the south side of town, even as the wind whipped in my face. Plus, now I know of some great trails I can use if I ever need to run, bike, or walk the dog in Havre! A few other big plusses were that the course was very well marked with orange spray-painted arrows and volunteers were stationed at every corner to make sure people were going the right way, and to cheer us all on. I tried to say thank you to each one that I passed. They also had each mile clearly marked with signs, which is handy for those of us without GPS watches. :)

Hey! It's blue-shirt gal again! :)

As I coasted downhill in mile five or so, looking at my watch I thought I would have a really great chance to get my PR, and really tried to stay strong. My best time in a 10K was actually during a virtual run I did at home, so I don't know if it counts, but it was 54:01. My best official 10K time came at Governor's Cup back in June: 54.54.24. My very first 10K ever was just about a year ago at Kickin' Asphault and was exactly 60 minutes. Either way, I was shooting for under 54, just to be sure I nailed a new PR.

Me and Blue-Shirt Gal, finally cruising down some downhill back into town.

The hardest part of the race was running back up a steep hill to the finish line on the quad of campus. It was the steepest hill of the whole course and came right in the last .2 miles. A real challenge! I was right with the same lady I'd been behind most of the race. She had a great kick at the end, too, and we finished very close-- me just behind her crossing the line. I gritted my teeth and thought of that PR dangling in front of me, ripe for the picking, and crossed the line with a finish of 52.97! Yay! I did it! I didn't just make a new PR-- I crushed it! A full minute off the Virtual Run time and about two minutes off Governor's Cup. No question about this one!

I found the lady I had ran with the whole race and we chatted a bit afterwards.  I congratulated her on a great race and complimented her for killing it on the hills. Maybe having her there in front of me kept me going strong to get that PR? :)

Race Bib from Maroon and Gold Fun Run.
Lucky number 13?

My Race Splits:
Mile 0-1 -- 7.22 Starting FAST and downhill!
Mile 1-2 -- 9:40 (I hit my split button a little late, so this one may be closer to 9:20 or so) BIG HILL!
Mile 2-3 -- 7.56 (Again, this one's probably actually more like 8:20) Slightly downhill.
Mile 3-4 -- 9.10 More hills, and WIND!
Mile 4-5 -- 8.12 Loooong downhill! yay!
Mile 5-6 -- 8.51 Flat, but with the killer steep hill right at the end.
Last .2 -- 1.44 Trying to finish strong...
Total: 52.59
Overall pace was 8.32 per mile. I'm happy with that!

I stuck around to watch the rest of the 5K and 10K finishers come in. Being a local race, I knew several people who were competing and it's always great to cheer on people you know. I think the best part of this race was the huge grin on Maria's (Alissa's Mom) face. Every time I looked at her she seemed so happy and proud. You could tell that she was just overjoyed about her daughter running cross country, for the support of the people who ran, and for the overall success of the day. She probably thanked me for coming five times or more, at least, as did Alissa. Pretty cool. This is what it means to "Grow the Sisterhood," people. :)

Photo credit: Melissa K.
L to R: Melissa, Alissa, Shayla, and me.

There were only 23 scored participants in the 10K and I was 11th. I have no idea where I finished among the women, but I *think* I was third. The Cross Country team itself was split into two groups- a Maroon Team and a Gold Team and they also had to run the 10K, competing as teams against each other, but they weren't included in the 23 scored participants. So, overall it was probably closer to 40 runners in the 10K. In case you're wondering, the Maroon Team won, with a lower average time of it's members. :) They did prizes for the first-place male and female finishers in each age group and each distance, I think. The prizes were vintage MSUN Track and Field apparel. I definitely coveted the throwback jerseys, but alas, it wasn't in the cards for me! I'm more than satisfied with a new PR though!

This was the race t-shirt everyone got. Not bad! 

If anyone's interested, I was really happy with how my Oiselle KC Tights performed in the race. I was exactly right temperature-wise and didn't even notice the pants as I ran. They were very, very comfortable. I was worried that with no drawstring, they might slide down a bit, but they didn't-- they stayed put. They are definitely a wacky, bold design and are a bit of a departure from my normal solid-color running apparel, but I got several compliments on them and one girl came up and asked me about where I got them. It was awesome to have the chance to brag up Oiselle!

Overall, the Maroon and Gold Fun Run was a challenging but fun event supporting a great cause. It was well-organized and well-run. I'll look forward to keeping this one on my calendar to do again in the future!

Alissa and me, post race. Big smiles! She's the sweetest. :)

Thankful Thursday ~ What is a Trophy Worth?

**Today's Thankful Thursday post, a day late! I had it done yesterday, I swear, I just didn't get around to publishing it!! **

Yesterday was the Montana 9C District Track and Field Meet, and the North Star Track and Field Teams, of which I am an Assistant Coach, performed very well. Our Boys team earned the First Place Team title and the Girls earned Second Place Team. Some new hardware will be added to the trophy case at school, continuing the tradition of excellence for North Star Track and Field. While pretty, shiny objects in trophy cases are cool, I think the greater story is in the the life lessons learned on a day like yesterday. When talking and writing about my own running, whenever I win a medal at a race, I like to think about how that the medal is important, but what it symbolizes is the culmination of hard work and personal growth that took place in the days, weeks, and months leading up to the receipt of that medal. It's no different for a track team earning a trophy.

These kids worked their tails off yesterday. For the first (and likely only) time this season, each student-athlete participated in five events during the meet, which is the maximum number of events an athlete is allowed to compete in. Every individual on the team had a season best or all-time-best performance in one or more of their events. Some kids even made very courageous personal sacrifices to participate in some very challenging events for the first time all season. For example, two of our boys competed in the 3200 meter run (approx. two miles), having never competed in that event before. Others made similar commitments to participate in events they may never have done, putting the team ahead of themselves. When it comes to winning a track meet, every point counts, which means that each athlete's individual efforts are important. Our head track coach stated to the team prior to the meet, "Your individual successes will lead to team success." His statement definitely rang true yesterday as individual efforts all day long added up, leading to team trophies.

As the meet began, I had the chance to watch one of our standout Senior athletes compete in her first event of the day, Long Jump. Right away, she popped out her season-best jump and as she got out of the sand pit, she had a huge smile on her face-- grinning ear to ear. I knew from that moment and from her expression that it was going to be a great day. Her jump was a great jump, but it's still only a jump. One jump out of many she has taken and will take, and it could symbolize any number of different types of "jumps" she'll make in life, metaphorically speaking. Her response and positive attitude was contagious and she carried it throughout her day. She affected every other athlete she encountered, and in the end she was nominated and won a Sportsmanship Award for her actions (as well as four First Place finishes and one Second Place finish, and several PRs!) It's a great reminder that our actions and attitudes affect everyone around us.  She wasn't the only athlete who let a smile lead the way yesterday.

Results of the Girls' 100 Meter Dash.

My own responsibilities at the meet yesterday kept me off the track for most of the day, but when I could sneak down and watch the athletes perform, I was continually blown away by the positive attitudes of each individual I came across. All day long, our North Star kids were smiling, laughing, cheering each other on and celebrating each others successes. I saw kids running across the infield to congratulate one of their peers for making it to Finals for her event. I saw two athletes give each other high-tens after their race, because they knew they had crushed it. One girl, who all season long has been nervous and very hesitant before her races approached the start line in the 800, her most difficult race and was smiling before the race even began-- and when she crossed the finish line, she had a new PR to show for her efforts.  All of us coaches, parents, and fans who attended the meet could add our own stories of positive energy that we witnessed to this list. All of this goes to prove that when we're having fun, we're relaxed, and we perform better. In life, when we're having fun and are relaxed, we are the best versions of ourselves.

This is only my third season coaching and already I have seen some outstanding individuals go through our program in my previous two years. Outstanding as athletes and as human beings. This year's crew was young. We started off the year having lost a number of talented leaders from the previous season. This year, it took us a long time to figure out who we were as a team and what we were made of. We began the year as a gathering of individuals who happened to be wearing the same blue and black uniforms, trying to figure out if and how each fit in with each other. As coaches, we spent a lot of time talking about how to motivate individuals, and also just simply figuring out each of their personalities. We also spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what events each kid would do best in personally, and how they could help the team. It took each and every practice, each and every meet to get the kids to where they are now, to be a TEAM. The credit doesn't go to us, it goes to them- the student-athletes- for putting in the hard work and recognizing their own positive results. A team is more than a uniform, and yesterday, our athletes were a TEAM in every sense of the word.

What our team learned about is what a team trophy is worth. More than anything else yesterday, they learned about the power of unity, encouragement, and positive attitude. Track and Field is just a sport, and trophies are just engraved bits of metal and wood, but what these athletes learn by participating in this sport are life lessons that will stay with them for years to come. To learn to give your best effort, even when it's challenging or scary, is not easy. To learn to put others before yourself can be monumentally difficult. To learn to be positive and celebrate the successes of yourself and others graciously is an art. More than winning races, jumping or throwing far, the team trophies the kids earned yesterday are celebrating each of those skills. That is how to earn a trophy, and that is what a trophy is worth. I hope that when they look at their trophies in the case, they remember their own individual events, but also what it felt like to be part of a team, part of something bigger than themselves.

North Star Boys Track and Field, First Place.
Congratulations, men! Looking forward to many years of continued success. :)

North Star Girls Track and Field Team, Second Place.
Congratulations on a hard fought battle, ladies! 

Should go without saying at this point, but I'm pretty thankful to be a Coach of so many fine young men and women, and to witness and be part of their personal growth and positive Track and Field experience. It's an honor and a privilege, and one I don't take lightly.

What are you thankful for this week?

Running Gear Review: Brooks Utopia Tights and Hot Chillys Top

If I had an endless budget for buying clothes (I don't) my closet would be filled with a lot more running and workout clothing. So comfortable, but beyond that, on a deeper level, I am my most confident when I have running shoes on and the clothes that go along with them. In today's post, I am reviewing two new pieces of running clothing that I have acquired recently: Brooks Utopia Thermal Tight II and Hot Chillys Micro Elite Chamois Sublimated Print Crewneck.  I purchased both of these items on my own accord, I am not being reimbursed at all, all opinions are my own, all the normal stuff you read in a product review blog post disclaimer, yadda yadda, etc.

Brooks Women's Utopia Thermal Tight II
I bought these tights on the clearance rack at a local sporting goods store. I had never tried Brooks bottoms before, so I took Medium and Large to try on. The mediums were just really too tight on my rear and thighs, so I opted for the large. The large isn't perfect on me because, while they fit much better through the seat and thighs, they are pretty big through the waist, which is a common issue for me. Gotta love my curves! Thankfully, they have an inner drawstring in the waist, so when I cinch that up really tight, everything works pretty well.

Back and front views of Utopia Thermal Tights.

I have used these tights several times now in varying levels of cold and wind. According to the website, they are designed for temperatures under 40 degrees. That is no exaggeration! The warmest weather I have worn these in was temperatures right around freezing with wind at about 10-15mph and I felt right on the edge of being too warm. The coldest I have worn these was when I ran with Christy at Chico.  (BTW, that post is quickly climbing the charts to being one of the most popular posts I've ever written. Check it out!) When we left on our run it was 2 degrees outside, no wind. I stayed warm enough in these tights, even without another base layer underneath. I think if it had been much colder or windy, I would have wanted one more thin layer underneath or at the very least some tall socks to wear. Even though it was super cold that morning, I still sweated a lot and the tights felt wet when i took them off, but I never felt wet while I was wearing them, so this tells me that they wick like a motha-you-know-what! Technical fabric that keeps you warm and dry is hard to come by, folks. Lots of products say they will do it, but under perform in reality. Not the Utopias. Bottom line, though, these tights are made for cold weather!

These tights are definitely created with outdoor distance runners in mind. They have mucho pockets for anything you could want-- two large side pockets and three inner key pockets. They zip up from the ankle so you could pull them on and off easily. One of the best features is the strategically placed reflective tape. Not only are you seen easier by oncoming traffic, but the placement of the tape elongates and slims the look of your legs. Always a bonus when you have big, powerful, runner/skier-girl legs like me!

Seriously. Lots of pockets, folks. And oh yeah, drawstring!

I love the color and soft, technical fabric of these pants, I love the fit of these pants, and I love the performance of these pants. It's just too bad I can't wear them to track practice because they go against school dress code, but that's another topic for another day. I will wear the heck out of these pants for years to come when I'm running on my own time. I'll definitely keep Brooks in mind next time I'm looking for performance running tights and clothing, too!  I have a few other items from Brooks including a Run Happy tshirt and some running shorts, and I love both of those pieces, too. These people know what's up.

Run Happy! 

Hot Chillys Micro Elite Chamois Sublimated Print Crewneck
I found this top on my recent ski trip to Red Lodge in their on-mountain t-shirt and gear shop. The print on the front of the shirt was immediately eye-catching-- I knew I had to have this shirt! I justified the purchase by selling myself on its versatility. I told myself that I could dress the shirt up and wear it to school or other social functions, I could wear it skiing (duh!) and could probably wear it running. Endless possibilities! Hot Chillys is a company that specializes in cold-weather baselayers, specifically for skiing. They have a wide variety of weights and textures, and also offer socks. Ironically, the only use I haven't worn it for yet is skiing...

Pants and top in action, with dogs. :)

This shirt is designed to be a lightweight, soft, next-to-skin layer for active outdoor pursuits in cold weather. I have worn it next-to-skin on that same cold weather run I mentioned earlier with Christy. The top did what it was supposed to-- wicked my sweat away while keeping me warm and dry. I have also worn this shirt a few times for non-workout purposes and received bunches of compliments both times. The side panel seams are very slimming and flattering and the southwest-inspired design on the front panel is eye catching and super on-trend right now. I love the bright colors! So many running and skiing layering pieces are just the same old boring palette of blacks, grays, and whites. Great to have a pop of bold design!

I bought a medium in this shirt and it fits me perfect through the body. The only complaint I have about the fit is that the sleeves and body length are just a little too short. Not a huge problem because I like to wear a tank top under most of my shirts anyway, and I almost always roll my sleeves up. Anyone taller than me (I'm 5'5") might be bothered by the short torso length though.

All in all, this is a great, versatile top and I'm thinking pretty hard about purchasing the matching leggings to wear with it! I found them on Zappos... and they might have to become mine soon! Or, hey, if anyone's feeling generous and like they want to give me a gift... ;)

Me and Iggy!

So there you have it! Two new pieces of running and fitness clothing added to my fit-fashion stash! Both are from smaller specialty companies, which I am all about supporting, especially after reading this eye opening post on Lauren Fleshman's blog: http://asklaurenfleshman.com/2015/02/usatf-yourwelcome-commercial-the-problem/. Lauren's post talks about how Nike athletes are represented by USATF at a much higher rate and higher quality than non-Nike athletes. I agree with her that it's not fair and it's not right. There are many other specialty running and athletic companies that sponsor athletes besides Nike and it's time to give them a shot, too. That's why supporting companies like Brooks, or Saucony, Asics, or my favorite, Oiselle, and others, is important. So, for that reason, too, I'm going to be trying to stay away from Nike for a while.

For any of my other fitness enthusiasts out there reading this, do you have any favorite brands or favorite pieces?

Me and Harvey, and a smiley barn!

Thanksgiving Roundup

We spent Thanksgiving in Bozeman with Jeff's family, including our new nephew, and stayed after the holiday for some Bobcat sporting events. It was an exciting and eventful time, so I'm going to take this post to give you the Roundup of all our activities!

We arrived in town on Wednesday evening and went more or less straight to Katie and Josh's house so we could see them and meet our new nephew, Brandon!


Jeff and I love him so much, already! He is a perfect little peanut and we're so excited to be a new Aunt and Uncle! It was pretty fun to see him, meet him, hold him, and watch how much he changed and grew even in just the short four days or so that we were there.

Harvey traveled with us this time, too, and so he met Brandon as well. Harvey was good with him.  He was cautious and gentle, but more than anything he was sort of afraid and leery of the baby. He did sniff him occasionally, but if Brandon started crying, Harvey pretty much hid. He doesn't like loud noises. Too bad for Harvey, he's going to have to learn to deal because Brandon isn't going anywhere! :)

Wednesday evening we also decided to head downtown to the Pour House to take in Cat Chat. It's a fun radio call-in show, typically featuring heavily on the football team and their season's progress. This week, Coach Ash also brought a few players along, Alex Eekhoff and Odin Coe, and they all discussed Thanksgiving plans and the upcoming FCS Playoff game against South Dakota State. I've been to Cat Chat a couple of other times and it's always fun. Cool to see the players and Coach relaxed and having a good time.

Alex Eekhoff, Coach Rob Ash, the radio guy who's name I don't know, and Odin Coe.
Photo by Carol.

 The next morning, Jeff and I participated in Huffing for Stuffing, the local Thanksgiving Day fun runs for charity. Stay tuned for a full race recap of the event coming soon on the blog!

Me and Jeff, after completing HFS.

 The rest of Thursday was spent at Katie and Josh's house. We helped Carol prepare Thanksgiving diner and enjoyed eating a great and lovely feast with family. Sadly, I have no photos, but it was really nice. I also got a call in to my parents and brother in Iowa, and it was so nice to catch up with them, too! Jeff and I are looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks when they visit us around Christmas time.

 Friday, Jeff and I spent some time taking Harvey to some of his favorite parks in town. He's almost never on a leash at our house, so being on a leash here in Bozeman seems to stress him out quite a bit. We did find a few off-leash parks where Harvey could roam more freely, and he did great!

Gotta love a running Vizsla!

One of our favorite games to play with Harvey is something we call back-and-forth, where Jeff and I spread out a ways and then say, "Go Get Mom!" or "Go Get Dad!" and he runs to whichever one of us we've called, back and forth, for a while. It's good to get him to sprint, and he loves to run! That's what we were doing in the above photo.  The next several photos are from a big off-leash park on the edge of town, in the foothills of the Bridgers.


These are all still shots, but I promise Harvey did his fair share of running and romping around with other dogs!

I love the views of town and the mountains you can see from this park. It's a nice place to be!

Friday evening, the Bobcat Men's Basketball team had a home game, so Jeff, Tom, and I went over to the arena to watch them play. It was their first home game of the season and the first home game for new Head Coach Fish.
 The game was awesome! The Cats played really well offensively, and scored a TON of points, including lots of threes. It was exciting and fun to watch. The final score was 104-81, Cats won.
I will admit, however, that we three were a bit distracted by the Bobcat Football players who had come in to watch the game, too. Specifically, we were focused on Quarterback Dakota Prukop who had missed a few games this season with a sprained MCL. We spotted him in the student section wearing his knee brace and spent much of the game checking in on him and the other players, trying to somehow divine whether or not he'd be playing in Saturday's playoff game against South Dakota State. You can see him right above Champ's bicep, in the gray and green sweatshirt.

Saturday morning before the game, Jeff and I again took Harvey to the dog park to try to wear him out a bit. It was there that I spotted this next unforgettable image, which I took as a sure sign of an upcoming Bobcat Victory over the SDSU Jackrabbits:

A Bobcat carrying a jackrabbit in it's mouth!

Just kidding. I found this photo online. But, I still thought it was cool!

 The weather in the morning was still pretty awesome. When we went to the dog park, it was 47 degrees and sunny, but by the time we left the dog park it had dropped ten degrees and had become very windy. The cold front had started to move in.

By the time of kickoff for our 2:00 p.m. football game, it had dropped down to 20 degrees and was snowing hard. This was the scene at kickoff:

This photo is proof that we're no fair-weather fans!

Jeff and I filed into the stadium in time to hear the starting lineups announced. When they announced Prokop was indeed starting at Quarterback, the stadium erupted into happy cheers! Without him, we didn't think we'd have a chance to beat SDSU, but with him playing, we thought it could be done.

By the end of the game, the temperature had fallen all the way down to 4 degrees and it snowed the entire game. Nevertheless, the game was very exciting, with many great plays by both teams. Dakota Prukop played really well, despite not being 100% mobile on his banged up knee. He proved once and for all that he was the starting QB all season long (before his injury) for a very good reason and showed that he was a very effective pocket passer, which, thanks to his excellent mobility heretofore, fans had not seen much of. Our running backs played well, too, and our receivers made some very excellent clutch catches. Unfortunately, the SDSU offensive attack was too much for our defense to hold off and the Cats fell by a score of 47-40. They had a great last-ditch effort in the final quarter, but couldn't quite get it done. So, our season of Bobcat Football is over.

Jeff and I stayed through to the bitter, cold end of the game. Then we stayed and watched the men sing the school song in the end zone, and then watched and cheered them back into the tunnel into the locker room. We were trying to show our support and love for our team, but still felt sad and disappointed that it was all over. When you're a fan, you love your team, win or lose.

Looking on the bright side, however, I don't think very many people expected that this team, this year, would even make it into the playoffs when the season began, but they did. This was supposed to be a building year, and it was a building year in a lot of ways. Jeff and I are already looking forward to next year, when we'll be even better. Prukop still has a couple years left at QB and he's only going to get better. He said it best in his post-game interview on Saturday, "I feel sorry for whoever we play first next year." It's gonna be awesome!

Sunday morning, we were sad to say goodbye to Brandon and Josh and Katie, but also ready to be home. We have no travel planned for quite some time. I'm looking forward to the peacefulness and still of winter.