Traveling with a 1 year old

When I say that ^ statement does it make anyone else feel slightly overwhelmed??

Tonight we fly out for my first solo trip with Gavin!  (Okay that's a lie... not really solo because I'll have my sister with me... but no Jake on this trip!) Gavin has been to California, Florida, Utah, and Nevada already in his 15 months of life, so I guess you can say he's a seasoned traveller!  He was an easy traveler as a baby (thankfully).  Now that we have a toddler on our hands, I'm starting to get a bit nervous for our flight tonight!  We're leaving on the red-eye so hopefully the little guy will be tuckered out and sleep the whole time.  I doubt I'll get much sleep with 24 pounds & 30-some inches of cuteness sprawled on my lap, but if he is happy, quiet, and well-rested, then I'll feel pretty much the same!

How is it something so small need SO much stuff?  I'm packing for a FIVE day trip.  I mean seriously, how much does one need? Pre-Gavin, I would fit all my things into a carry on and pack one hour before leaving for the airport.  Now, I have a list that takes up a full page and it's like planning a logistical nightmare.  Part of that has to do with his food allergies and making sure I have enough snacks/cooking stuff to get by, but the other part is simply that toddlers have a lot of STUFF.  Car seat, stroller, Ergo carrier, clothes, toys, books, swimsuit, diapers, wipes, sippy cup, blankey, and the list goes on...

Me on the other hand:  Running clothes, running shoes, and Garmin watch.  I should be set. :)

Hola One Ones are all I need!

It's been 6 months since my last trip which is far too long! I am beyond excited to see family, friends, and run in a new place.  (Not to mention visiting places like TJ's & Cafe Rio at least once daily). The weather is still looking hot enough to melt this Alaskan... but hopefully I'll survive!  My broken toe is not being super cooperative so it's looking more and more like I'll do the half marathon, but we will see!  Either way, I'm going to have a BLAST!  And this little stud is going to have fun in the sun with family and friends! 

Twilight 12K

I decided at the last minute to run the Twilight 12K last night.  I knew I wouldn't race it hard because of my marathon next Saturday, but I decided it would be a good opportunity for one last training run! 

Photo courtesy of Skinny Raven

It had been raining allllll week in Anchorage and around noon on Friday it was pouring, so when the clouds parted and the sun started to poke out around 6pm... there were 2,500 happy runners!  I met up with a couple of my friends at the start and waited for the 7:05 start time!

The gun went off and I felt surprisingly great!  Runs have been hit or miss lately thanks to my broken pinky toe.... but last night it was hardly noticeable with all of the adrenaline!  If you don't know this about me... I'm slightly competitive, so I made a pact to myself to not run at race pace to save my legs for next weekend. I managed to hold a steady, comfortable pace where I didn't feel winded.  I also jammed to my Pandora station and just had a great time!  The second I thought about beating other runners, I focused on my REO Speedwagon station instead.  P.S. I highly recommend this station.  The best. 

The course is pretty hilly and there were a couple of sections with a nice headwind, but I was happy to finish with a comfortable 54:57 (7:26/mi).  For a training run, I was happy.  Although I'm definitely looking forward to running it hard next year!

Bright and early this morning, Michelle and I did another hilly 8 miles, so my legs currently feel like jello.  It's time to rest, recover and get ready for racing next weekend!  I hope you're having a great weekend!