Running down a dream

Well, we're now just days away from my first marathon.

Once upon a time, after I started actually becoming a runner, I decided I wanted to run a marathon by the time I was 30. I'm cutting it pretty close. :-(

But on Super Bowl Sunday (no, I won't be running in my Dallas Clark jersey, that's for after the race during the beer-drinking portion of the day) I'll take to the streets and beach paths of Huntington Beach, California for the 2010 Surf City Marathon with hopes of not dying. I'll be accompanied by fellow runner, friend and fraternity Brother Chris Clemens, a man of many marathons. Kari will be doing the 1/2 marathon the same day.

I feel like my training has gone well, though my two 20-mile runs were less than inspiring, and my taper feels great. I did miss a week of running due to crazy rain and being sick, which took a little out of me, but I think I'll be OK. That break came right after my PR in the P.F. Changs Rock 'N' Roll 1/2 Marathon here in Phoenix. I ran a 1:39:38 which was a 3+ minute best (and finished 857 out of 21,560) and puts me on pace, theoretically, to be able to run a 3:30 marathon.
I'm just hoping to finish. Actually, that really is my first goal. Finish. Then do it under four hours, then under 9-minute pace, then, if all goes well, run it 3:45 or better.

Here's to hoping my legs hold up and I can look this joyous when I cross the finish line Sunday.

All warmed up

Thanks to everyone who came out to our house warming party. We had a great time and are very glad to hear that you all seem to like what we've done with the place. For those of you who couldn't be here, here are some updated pictures of where the house project is now (pretty much done except for the master bath remodel, some landscaping work and new windows and doors):


Master bath (sorry, no pic of the vice grips)


Master closet (we prefer curtains over doors)


Master #2


More master... look mom, I made my bed!


Office #1


Office #2


Office #3


View down the hall at our Playbills (with more rows to come)


Close up


View from living room towards front door/kitchen


Living room (clean this time) with new fan


Kitchen (croc-potting up some wings and meatballs. yum!)


Fish room off the kitchen (Note the light coming in through the new patio doors that don't have tint on them)

Let there be light

Recent home improvements have us feeling less and less like vampires these days (sorry Twilight fans).
Mark "the godfather" Jensen helped me install new patio doors which not only open all the way, always a plus, but are not covered in automotive tint. The previous doors, despite being under a 10-foot roofed patio, must have had a 5 or 10 tint on them that was peeling and scratched up from the previous owners dog. Now we have nice clean new doors that we can see through. It actually scared me the first day we put them in because in the morning I saw light coming into the kitchen and looked over and saw the yard not a big black wall.
We also now have two new ceiling fans that don't feature spot lights. These don't hang down as far, have remotes, are quieter and seem to be pretty bright. We replaced the one in the living room and put the other in the "fish" room so now we have some light in there. Jason from Apple Tree Electric (referred to us by the godfather) came over to help install that one and a new light over the dinner table. He had to do some rewiring so that we could turn the table light on and off as well as make a few adjustments so the fan would be stable and properly wired. A $75 I was glad to spend.
We were trying to get all of this done before our housewarming party Saturday so it's good that's it's checked off the list now.
And the pictures: