I have lost my courage and guess who rocked their first half marathon?!

Guess who absolutely ROCKED their very first half marathon.  BANGS FRIEND.   Can you believe how amazing she looks while running 13.1 miles!?!  I just love her.  And her shoes.  And her cooking.

YEE0307

I’m back on my training schedule and love having the structure again.  Today I had a progression run and joined my dad and Maggie down at the park for the drive and the last three miles of my run.   No, I have no idea why there are white dots all over this picture.  

IMG 0067

8:24, 8:25, 8:00, 7:29, 7:29, 7:25, 7:27 and 6:58.  My body is still trying to figure out the whole altitude thing but other than that it was an enjoyable run.  After my run I did 4 x 10 squats and lunges and stage 3 Runners Core.

Three ways that Brooke and I are very alike lately:

1. We both like to show people our food.

2. We both take lip gloss around everywhere with us.

3. We both need our bangs trimmed.  

DSC 5493

I may have gone a little crazy on Brooke’s winter wardrobe during a 40% off sale at Carters.  Buying her clothes is a trillion times more fun than buying my clothes.

IMG 0068

I know this is extremely random (what post of mine isn’t?) but I was going through old pictures and came across my skydiving pictures with my bfff from 7 years ago.  We met a week previous to our crazy adventure at BYU Hawaii.  

I don’t know what I was thinking.  I must have had a lot more courage back then because now you couldn’t pay me to jump out of an airplane unless it was no more than 6 feet off of the ground and stopped.  I am very glad I did it once but I don’t think it will ever happen again.  

28 515625031319 1425 n

Who has been skydiving?  Bungee jumping?  Do you want to do either?

Are you following a training plan right now or just doing your own thing?

You May Also Like

85 comments

Reply

Loving all of this.
Great finds for Brooke.
Great run!!

Reply

Brooke is going to be awesome in the winter. Now is the time to shop for her. I have never been skydiving and I think the only thing that would be hard is the jumping part. From what I hear, the guides do it for you so I guess I wouldn’t freeze up in fear. I would love the free-falling part, though.

Reply

You were braver than me, even if it was seven years ago! You couldn’t pay me to skydive or bungee jump. I hate heights and falling and feeling out of control!
I’m following a training plan for a 50 mile ultra at the moment and loving the tight structure of it. I don’t need to think in the morning, just get up and follow the plan!

Reply

I think having a kid makes you considerably less brave/stupid! I would be very unlikely to skydive now but a few years ago…maybe. I find myself much more conservative and risk averse than before I had my Dude and I’m sad about that but very few things are worth the risk of not being there for him!

I’m kind of following my own training plan…I should probably get some help :)

Reply

I just started on a training plan for my upcoming half marathon. It’s fun to be on a plan! Right now at least…I always get a little sick of the workout schedule near the end :)

Reply

Yay bangs friend!!! Awesome job to her. I’m loving Brooke’s new clothes! If I ever have a girl you will be sending me her hand me downs. Thanks in advance :-)

Reply

I have the same shoes as your friend!

Reply

I’m sort of training and sort of doing my own thing. It’ll be interesting to see what happens on race day.

My husband sky dived a couple of months before we got married. I really want to, but I have vertigo issues and think that I would probably die if I tried it.

Reply

Love all of Brooke’s new threads! The big sales at Carter’s are impossible to resist. Isn’t shopping for your children the best? I pretty much have to buy a new wardrobe for my almost 4 y/o every season, and I LOVE it!

I’m following a marathon training plan right now and love the structure, even though some of the tempo & speedwork paces terrify me!

Now that we have children I don’t think I’ll be skydiving any time soon!

Reply

i have the same shoes bangs friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply

I can barely get myself in a plane – much less jump out of one!! That sounds terrible!

Reply

Did you skydive on Oahu? We’ve been living here since January and my husband really wants to, but I plan on staying on the ground to take pictures! I’m happy with para-sailing ;)

I’m following a marathon training plan (I’m leaving out the really long runs of 15 miles or more), even though I’m not signed up for a marathon right now! I really needed the structure and was too lazy to create my own.

Reply

Yay congratulations Bangs!!! I’ve missed seeing her around the blog and I’m sure you miss her too! Do you know when you’re heading back to CA?

Reply

I love buying clothes for my kids, too; probably even more than shopping for my own!
I’m in that wishy-washy post-last-race of summer phase and I haven’t signed up for or figured out what I want to do next. Fall trail race? New road race? Marathon? I need a goal again!

Reply

I’m doing both – a DIY training plan for my half in October :)

Jumping out of things terrifies me!

Reply

I’ve always wanted to skydive, but never had. My hub is willing to go along with me if I decided it was best.

For now, it’s not. I’ll let him be the one with the wings. (He’s ex-Airborne and I spot our car in the parking lot because he has his wings on one side and his M-Dot and Boston sticker on the other side.)

Reply

Yay bangs friend!!!!! She looks so happy and strong! Brooke just melts my heart!! I tell ya after having kids my level of “adventure” went way down!

Reply

I went skydiving and loved it! Crazy but i probably wouldn’t go bungee jumping. I just fear i would fal and not have the rope attached. Weird, but true! Congrats to your friend!

Reply

I have never been skydiving or bungee jumping. I would love to go skydiving, but have no desire to try bungee jumping.

I am following the Couch to 5K training plan right now, per my doctor’s recommendation for building up endurance on my ankle.

Reply

I love all of B’s fall clothes. You must love polka dots and stripes as much as I do, especially dots.

Reply

The white dots on your photo are color noise. It is due in part to picture quality and partially to the lack of light in the image. I assume this was probably taken with your iphone or other cell phone. Your phone is trying to invent color pixels becausethe sensor is not registering any information there. It’s a much longer explanation, but I will leave it at that for you.

Reply

I have been following a training plan for 3 months that ended the last week of July. I told myself I would just run what I wanted in August and give my body a break, and I officially am going nuts and its just the beginning of August. Tips??

Reply

I’m following a training plan but thinking of abandoning it because I’m just not feeling it right now. I just want to run for fun for awhile. So unusual for me.

Reply

I want to go skydiving! It looks so fun!
I’m following a half marathon training plan, but not to the letter – I figure 5 hours of soccer for 5 days counts as enough running ;)

Reply

I’m doing my own thing right now. I am looking for an October half to go for a PR and should start officially training in the next week or two. I want to run another full but I still can’t commit so I’m going with another half. Yay!

Reply

I hope I look that good when I run my first half in October!

I would love to skydive and bungee jump, but hubby is super afraid of heights. So unless I go alone….

I’m loosely following Hal’s half marathon training, increasing my long runs by a mile each week. But also, slowly working up to 5 miles (up from 3) as my short runs 2-3x per week and my speed work to 3 miles (total walking and running, 75% running probably- up from 2 total)

My Lydia is going to need some fall/winter clothes too, hoping that sale at carters is going on here next week when I go to the outlets.

Reply

Haven’t done either …. Bungee jump/sure. Skydiving/ no thanks!!
Just wrote my training plan into my cslendar…. Now it’s official!

Reply

I have those same shoes!! Congrats Bangs Friend on your first half!! Woohoo!!
I could never sky dive- I am terrified of heights! :)

Reply

Heights are my absolute #1 fear, so you would NEVER catch me jumping out of a plane. Or even looking over the edge of a balcony for that matter. Yes, I’m a super fun person.

I’m following a marathon training program with a running club right now, and I LOVE it. It works great with my schedule and has me running 4 days a week, which is PERFECT for me, usually injuries arise when I try to run any more than that.

Reply

My daughter is a bit older than Brooke will be in the winter (Emily is 18 months right now), but you are going to have such a blast around Christmastime with her!!! Emily was fun at Christmas at just 11 months, but now that she talks I can’t even imagine how Christmas would have been/is going to be this year!

That great sweater is amazing for Brooke. I think Emily is getting a new sweater!

Reply

Great job bangs friend!!! I am contemplating signing up for a half in September to see where I am in my training but am a little afraid to pull the trigger yet. I could NEVER sky dive! I am terrified of heights and I don’t even think you could pay me enough to do it!

Reply

I actually got into a really long conversation with friends the other day about whether or not I would skydive…and I still don’t know. I’d like to say that I would, but I feel like as soon as I got in the plane and it was the moment to jump, I would absolutely chicken out.

I’m making up my own workout plan right now, but we’ll see what happens next month!

Reply

I really want to go skydiving and bungee jumping!!!!!! I am hoping to bungee when I am in Thailand next month :)

Reply

I want to sky dive so bad! However, as I say this, I have to admit, that I want to do it, but not sure if I would have the guts too! As for running, I’m coming back from an ankle sprain, so I haven’t been following a training plan per se, just doing my own little thing ;) Happy Monday friend!

Reply

I’ve never been skydiving, but it’s definitely on my to-do list. That being said, I’m pretty sure that I would need someone to either push or drag me out of the plane because I’m not sure I could do it on my own accord. And I’m pretty sure I was braver as a little kid than I am now, too. Case in point, I used to love watching scary movies when I was younger, but I can’t handle them now. Big wimp, right here :D

Reply

Eeeek I could NEVER sky dive! No thank you, wayyyy too scary for me! Also, shopping for little girls is the most fun thing ever. Can’t wait til I have one of my own :)

Reply

All her new clothes is soo cute she will be so fashionable this winter! I love winter fashion
I’m on a training plan for the first time (actually with a coach not just making stuff up for myself) and I just like the confidence it gives me that I am being adequately prepared for my races and not making any mistakes

Reply

Shopping for kids really is so much more fun- cause they look cute in EVERYTHING! I love all of her outfits. She will be so stylin!

Congrats to Bangs! I do not know what it would ever be to look that good in a picture, let alone while running! I always look like death, even when I am feeling good. Since I know the pictures will look bad no matter what, I usually do something completely goofy when I see the cameras, that way it looks bad on purpose. It seems logical in my head, but as I am typing this out…not so much. Hmmmm.

Way to show last weeks running who is boss – that is a solid run. I am obviously not following a training plan right now since running is still not really happening…but I don’t usually follow a plan anyway. lol. So ya.

I have always wanted to bunjee jump or sky dive. Not sure if it will ever happen now as Ross is afraid of heights and he is super overprotective and a worrier – so letting me go without him probably won’t happen either.

Reply

Congrats to bangs friend!! that is awesome!
I’ve never been bungee jumping or skydiving and really have no desire!
I’m following Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Marathon training plan, and LOVE it so far!

Reply

Bang’s friend’s true identity has been revealed by her race bib! LOL And congratulations to her!!!

I want to do both so, so badly. I am an adrenaline rush junky!

Reply

That was the FIRST thing that popped into my mind!!! LOL

Reply

I’d slightly maybe consider skydiving but never ever ever bungee jumping…not sure what the logic is there haha but definitely NEVER bungee jumping

Reply

I went skydiving on my 26th birthday! Probably not the best idea, in case anything were to happen.

Reply

Your randomness is what makes reading your blog fun.
No hard in stone training plans here, in fact no races coming up, so just doing my own thing.
10 years ago I properly would have sky dived, now, no chance.

Reply

Cute clothes for Brooke!!

Yay to Bangs friend for her 1st Half–that is awesome.

I would never go skydiving. I don’t think I like heights enough. hah!

Reply

I’ve yet to feel excited about the prospect of either. Maybe some day :) I used to be a diver…just the 3m board never ceased to be frighteningly high even after 4 yrs of competitive diving. I couldn’t imagine anything higher.

Right now I’m formulating my training plan for the fall. This summer has proved to be very, very full. I’ve really been enjoying hanging out with my husband every morning before he goes off to work, I’m with at least some of the kids pretty much all day every day, then by the time my husband is home I am wiped out! I don’t really have very many summertime, affordable childcare options. Kind of looking forward to the school year starting up in early September!

Reply

Awesome! I’ve never been skydiving or bungee jumping. I don’t even like rollercoasters. lol

Reply

I have no desire to go skydiving or bungee jumping! I have been zip-lining though, which I consider quite remarkable since I’m fairly terrified of heights. :)

I’m not on a real training plan right now, but I am kind of doing my own thing with an informal triathlon training schedule, and I’m loving it!

Reply

my best friend and i went skydiving a couple years ago for her birthday! it was SO fun. i think i’d go again someday. it was the most terrifying, but most exciting feeling ever! it almost reminded me of how i felt after finishing my last half marathon – i felt high on life and then immediately wanted to do it all over again! :)

Reply

You wouldn’t catch me jumping out/off of anything!!
I’m following a Runners World training plan to try to better my half time. I’ve been stuck my last 3 halfs running about 5 min slower than my PR. I was very focused on fulls and an ultra last year so I’m thinking I was just so used to running longer. I always have gas left in the tank and I do usually run negative splits but I just always start too conservatively. We shall see if this plan works.
Brooke will be stylin’! =)

Reply

I used to reallyyyy want to skydive but now the idea makes me shake. No training plan right now, just running until I want to quit which is usually 2 miles into a 100degree run lol

Reply

I did my first jump when I was 18 and fell in love. I have a skydiving license now, so try to go as much as possible…although it’s an expensive hobby so I haven’t been getting up as much as I use to. That’s the “jump” part of my blog :)

Reply

Way to go Bangs friend!! I was at that race too. I kept expecting to see you go flying past me on your way back. It was a great race and although I am no where near as fast as you or bangs….I managed to knock 6 minutes off my previous PR so I was pretty darn excited!

Reply

Congrats to Bangs friend!!! :)

I went skydiving 2 years ago and…..it was my very first time ever going on a plane (I was 19). I loved it and am so glad I did it! I didn’t tell my mom until after and when I did tell her (she hatesss heights), she didn’t believe me for the first five or so minutes. I kinda blew her mind, but also left her feeling proud of me lol.

Reply

those pink polka dot jeans are DARLING. Do they make those in my size?? ;)

Reply

I can’t go sky diving because my life insurance policy prohibits it!

Reply

Yay, Bangs! Great job! I went skydiving with all my BFFs before we all left for college. It was a blast!

Reply

I went skydiving a couple of years ago and I loved it. I refuse to go bungee jumping though. It scares me :)

Brooke is adorable as ever with her long bangs and lip gloss. I’m in need of a haircut too! It’s on the to-do list for this week.

Reply

Me too! I don’t know why it doesn’t scare me to jump out of a plane, but I would be terrified to bungee jump, but it just does. I wonder if it’s the jolt when you get to the bottom…?

Reply

It is definitely the jolt!

Reply

Pretty soon I’ll start training for cross country season!! GO BANGS FRIEND! Seriously what half marathon puts their name on the bib? That is awesome!

Reply

Congrats to Bangs Friend!! Amazing!

I have been just doing my own running thing lately and I should really get back onto a plan because my consistency has been lacking lately.

Reply

LOVE skydiving! I went twice about 10 years ago and I would go again in a heart beat! But then again, I don’t have kids. Yet. And I hear that your desire to do extreme, daring sports, kinda dwindles after you have a life depending on you… ;)

Reply

Never been, don’t think I ever want to either… Eek! i am following the ‘Run Less Run Faster’ Marathon training plan right now. I love it! Shopping for girls is so much more exciting than shopping for boys. I still love shopping for my boy but there’s just so much more cute stuff out there for girls!

Reply

Your Bang Friend and I have the same shoes and I am half way through training for my first half-marathon (I bought the shoes at the beginning of my training). This must be a good sign! :-)

Super cute clothes finds for Brooke! Carter’s has the best sales.

Reply

my love and i were just talking the otherday about how we both wanted to do that but waited to long and now we are too damn sensible, definately should have done it when we were younger lol

Reply

I went skydiving in Switzerland last year for the first time ever and LOVED it. I can’t wait to go again. I’m kinda jealous you didn’t have to wear the same blue oompa loompa jumpsuit that I did!

In terms of bungee jumping….NO! I’ve heard a few horror stories with that one. Of course, I’d rather jump out of a plane and hope my parachute’s going to open! ;)

Reply

CONGRATS to your friend on completing her 1st 1/2!! She looks so happy. :)

Great job on your run as well Janae!! :) xo

Reply

I want to go sky diving and bungee jumping SO BADLY! They’re expensive though, which is why I haven’t yet.. maybe for my birthday next year. I need to mark the big 2-5 with something just as big and exciting! :)

Right now, I’m easing back into running so I’m doing my own thing… I have a training plan in mind, but I need to get back into it slowly. It calls for a 6 mile run this weekend, but I’m only going to do 4. I have almost 3 full months until my half marathon, so I’m taking my time and trying to be smart this time around!

Reply

Ok, so now I’ve decided that I must go to Carter’s during my lunch break! I didn’t even know about the 40% off sale! We’re not going to find out what baby #2 is, but I can get lots of stuff for our little girl, and maybe some gender neutral stuff for #2.

No sky diving or bungee jumping for me, I’m too scared. :(

I’m not following a training plan for me right now since I’m not able to run during this pregnancy. When I am running, I do like to follow a plan. I like things to be all planned out, so they work well for me.

Reply

No skydiving here! I’m on week 6 of a marathon plan, but I’m doing a cross train and a day off together in hopes that my blister will be healed enough to run on tomorrow.

Reply

I love baby clothes – those new clothes are so cute!

Reply

I’ve been bunjee jumping! And cliff-diving, we just jumped off cliffs into a clean, clear lake and it was the best :)

Reply

really cute clothes for Brooke–love little people clothes. and YES to structure. running without a plan for an extended period of time is really, really hard…. !!

Reply

I’m going skydiving this Friday for the first time! I’m so excited!

Reply

I want to go sky diving so bad, or bungee jumping. I just cant even imagine that rush!

I totally understand that buying clothes for Brooke is fun– I don’t have a child, but I have 3 nephews and it’s super fun to shop for them and get them cute little outfits!

Reply

I am happy to say I have been skydiving before! :) I went on my 18th birthday…and I’m glad I did because like you, at 27 now I have NO idea where those big girl pants came from!

And I am training right now, just haven’t decided which race to run. I got into the San Fran Nike Women’s Half unexpectedly and it kind of put a cramp on my planned St Louis Half (it’s the week after…yikes). My family is in STL, but San Fran sounds amazing (and gives a necklace, hello!). I don’t know what to do!

Reply

OMG, I ran the Summer Breeze Half, and TOTALLY saw Bangs Friend (since it was an out and back, I can see everyone running by). I think she was in the zone, so I didn’t want to mess her up by saying, “You’re Bangs Friend from HRG!” Glad she rocked her first half. I’m sure there are many more to come :)

Reply

Your friend looks exactly like one of my best friends! I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t her!

Reply

SKYDIVING! AHAHA! Greatest time ever! I am SOOO chubby in that picture! I blame it on all the Cheesecake Factory and trips to Safeway for candy bars at night. Oh Hawaii. Miss those days. Let’s go back!?

Reply

I am following a training plan for my second half! If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be running :)

Sky diving is my goal list before I turn 30!

Reply

I went skydiving with my sister and I loved it! If I ever found myself in a beautiful place like Hawaii, I would probably do it again–can’t beat the view!

Reply

I have done both and really enjoyed both of them!! I went sky diving over Cape Town and it was absolutely spectacularly beautiful, but I think bungee jumping was my favorite. I did the Bloukrans bungee jump in South Africa, it’s the world’s highest commercial jump, and LOVVEDDD it.

Reply

I will never jump out of a plane or off a bridge for any reason unless my life is threatened or something like that.

Right now I’m just doing my own thing to build myself up for another round of marathon training.

Reply

New reader here! I’ve just started running in the past several months, and found your blog recently. Turns out that I ran the exact same race as your friend last weekend (I live in Palo Alto)! It was my first half marathon too. :) I loved how they put our names on our bibs — it was great to be cheered on by strangers, by name.

Anyway, just wanted to say hi!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *