Stone Harbor 2013

I just returned from my family vacation to Stone Harbor, NJ. We have gone every year for as long as I can remember with the exception of a few years here and there. We LOVE it here!!!  Every morning we get up around 6AM and whomever wants to goes on a morning 3 mile jog/run/walk...and then we all head down to Coffee Talk to get coffee to take home to prepare to head down to the beach. LOVE this little coffee shop!!!!!! This is my sister and mom with their coffees after our run.

This will be my view for the week...not too shabby!!! Right across from the lifeguard station! HA

On Monday (our third full day at the beach) my sister Kerry informed us of a blood drive across the street from where we we staying. We were all a little hot and ready for a break so we decided to check it out. I could not give as I had just donated at home about three weeks before that but my mom, sisters and niece all donated. It was for Team HurriKANEN and a very special little five year old boy that lives in the area - you can check it out HERE!

Below is my sister Kerry in the middle of the donating process!!

 And below here is my sister Susie laying down as she gets sick and faint every time she donates. Kudos to her: if I got sick every time you would not see me donating at all - just saying.....

 Jordan, my niece, and I ran into town to grab Pizza Bread for everyone on spaghetti night! It is a family favorite from the Bread and Cheese Cupboard. Absolutely amazing!!!! She was sneaking bites the whole way home!

On Monday night, my mom and my sisters and I decided we needed to head out of town to my mothers favorite nail place. I have no clue where this place was...I just rode along - HA HA!

This is the finished product of my adorable, beachy toes!!!

 I was teasing everyone Monday night because June from Honey Boo Boo took away her families phones because no one talked to each other anymore. Well, I told everyone I needed to take their phones...they were ALL candy crushing or facebooking every night!! It is a family obsession!!! LOL I am part of the blame too! HA This was my view from the chair of everyone on their electronics!

 This is Tuesday morning...a fun game of Headbanz before heading to the beach. This is a great game for kids and adults...the kids LOVED it!!!

Dinner Tuesday night was our night out. Every year we pick one night to eat out with the whole family.  This is the shot, minus me, from out dinner at Sylvesters in Avalon (just a town over from Stone Harbor-5 minute drive)...YUMMY!!!! Thanks for dinner Dad and Mom!!!

We got word that Santa was in town for the week we were vacationing this year.  Usually we are there during Shark Week and we watch the shark shows each night and then swim in the ocean in the day - ha ha!!!!  This year we went earlier due to family scheduling issues and Santa was in town promoting Christmas in July! It made up for no Shark Week... Here is me, Mrs. Claus, Santa, my sister Kerry and my niece Jordan in the SH boat!!!! It was supposed to be for picks with the kids but we took advantage! HA

Wednesday morning I decided to get a photo of the family favorite for breakfast on vacation. Gatorade and Sticky buns (also from Bread and Cheese Cupboard). YUMMY!!!! No wonder the kids were flying high speed all day every day!!! HA

 Thursday was our only rainy day and frankly; we needed a beach break. We go down to the beach around 10 and stayed till at least 3 everyday! LOVED IT!!!! This is the motel that Grandma and Grandpa stay in - we had the kids calling it the "no tell motel" by the end of the week. LOL

This was a photo walking back to our place from the above photo at the "no tell motel"...

Since it was a rainy day, I decided my niece and I could talk the little kids to the Wetlands Institute to give the adults some free time to hang out "drink that is" hee hee!!! This is on the way in the car.  If you every get a chance to go, you should! It is awesome....we try to go every year. They teach about turtles and you can watch them feed all kinds of sea life in a "petting" pool.  Pretty amazing and for future reference - flounders are very aggressive fish!!! Just sayin......

My sister Kerry and I ran into town Thursday morning to get a secret birthday cake. We ran into Santa AGAIN in town and told him everything else we want for Christmas - I should make a pretty good score this year! HA!!! We ended up celebrating my sisters birthday early since the whole family was there and together.

Friday morning I agreed to be buried in the sand...not as fun as I remember from a kid! HA HA! This is me buried and my nieces and nephew...they enjoyed this wayyyy more than me!

 Last day on the beach shot :-(  LOVE this beach!

Saturday night my brother-in-law wanted to take those of us remaining to dinner (my sister and her family, me and my niece Jordan all stayed an extra day later than everyone else). So off we went to the Lobster House in Cape May. NJ.  This is a shot as soon as the car started moving they were out!

This is Steve's dinner....my brother-in-law....I forgot to get a picture of mine....Yummy!!!!!! I had stuffed flounder.

This is the last day at the beach. I was up around 5AM and went out onto the patio to sit and reflect on vacation!

For the past three years we have always registered and run the Ron Jaworski 5K while we were at the beach. This year, since we went a week earlier, it was on our last day instead of our first. This is our pre-race photo.

They have awesome booths set up for the race day and this year was no exception!!! This is our bags of FREE fresh fruit and other goodies!!! YUMMO!!! Great for the car ride home!

What a great time we all had!!! Really missed that my brother and his family could not make it this year and also really missed Dan and Matthew (my other brother in law and nephew).  AMAZING TIME IN STONE HARBOR!!! I think I need to retire here...how much longer!?!?!?!?

Soooooooo happy to be back in PA..... LOL!

Running Products and More Recap from Half Marathon

More about the marathon...ha ha!!

Can you tell I am having a proud few days - LOL!

I honestly was not sure I would finish let alone do as well as I did (for my level that is).

I felt great the whole race...and no blisters thanks to prep!!!

I will give you my low down on my new running products...they ALL worked!!!

I LOVED my fanny pack!!! It did not get in my way at all and I was able to put my car key and inhaler and sport beans in it and also have the water I needed to get the sports beans down.

The sport beans were great too!!!! I ate six about 1/2 hour before the race with some Nunn water (also great)!!!  Then ate three ever four miles after that and I never felt tired!!! AMAZING!!! My legs got tight at the end but I was not tired at all!!!

At the end of the race my feet felt amazing!!! Not a single blister on them which I contribute to the use of bodyglide...that stuff works! I smeared it all over my feet and not one single blister!!! I swear I usually get blisters when I only run two miles so this stuff works!!!!  The only issue I had with my feet was the following...take this as a warning...

I went the day before the marathon to get my pedicure.  I heard you should make sure your toenails are short.  I went to Annies where I always go and asked to have them shorter than usual that I was running the next day.  They gave me a new girl and she cut my big toe sooooo short it bled!!!!!!!!!!! I was really upset but did not say anything.  I will never go back!!!!! The only thing that hurt the ENTIRE race was my big toe!!!! Dont ever do this...just cut your own this close to a race LOL!!!! LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY!!!!

Anyway.... here is more race pics, etc.

My lovely photo after I crossed the finish with my medal and Gatorade!

This is my official time/pace/etc.  It is good for me...LOL~!

This is the photo I ordered to put in my shadow box with my bib and medal. The official "crossing the finish line" moment!!!

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video/8844792-2013-marathon-finish-line-31000-32000/

I run across the finish at 3:11:06 on the right side of the screen under the Dicks sign. I am wearing black capris, grey t shirt and fanny pack.