My Life

The Weekend It Didn’t Rain

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

You guys. We FINALLY had a weekend where it didn’t rain. No flash flood in our backyard. No mud on our shoes. We went all weekend without a drop of rain ruining any of our outdoor time and it was GREAT.

Here’s a look at some of the fun we had:

Friday after was B and LM’s school’s end of year picnic. The school closes early for preschool graduation (thank goodness we have a few years before that cryfest), and all the kids are invited to fun with facepaint, a picnic, food, games, an artshow, etc.

B and I skipped the hot dogs and ended up getting takeout, Cilantro (local Chipotle-esqe restaurant).

And the evening included some low key reading on the porch while listening to the Indians game (spoiler – they beat the Yankees!).

Saturday was another gorgeous day, so we spent most of the morning outside. It started with a stroller run and walk for LM and me – a little over 5 miles on a stroller-friendly path near our house – and then a run to the Farmers Market.

We did some shopping and hung out at the market, enjoying the weather.

Then it was time to head home. This time, FW hopped in the stroller (with some of the groceries) while B and LM biked alongside of us, and we ran home.

After we got home, everyone was pooped! After some brief women’s World Cup watching it was nap time. I even got in a quick snooze.

That afternoon included some more outdoor time – including playing with a water table and water gun! My friend Emily came over with her family – she has a 3 year old and almost 1 year old – for a little while, too.

Dinner that night was pizza on the porch. The gorgeous weather continued and we couldn’t stay inside.

Even after the kids went to bed, we went back outside for some summer reading and relaxing. I’m reading The Immortalists for book club right now and can’t put it down!

The next day included MORE outdoor time. We started the day with breakfast on the porch, followed by a ride around the block.

And then a family run! B pushed LM and I pushed FW in the stroller for an easy 5k.

We even saw a big turtle on the run!

After our run, it was time for some errands and then the Indians game! It was a hot game that went into extra innings, but they ended up losing.

We then spent some more time outside at B’s parents’ house on their swing set before heading home for the night.

It was so amazing to spend so much time outdoors. I’m pooped and slightly sunburn, but so happy to have gotten some much needed Vitamin D! (but don’t worry about our plants — of course we have rain in the forecast for today)

Some questions for you:

  • Was it clear/sunny near you?
  • What’s your favorite thing to do outside?

Spring Weekends in the CLE Burbs

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 1 Comment

Spring is definitely here in CLE! We had a beautiful weekend in the ‘burbs, filled with good food and pretty good weather. Friday night, B made us pizza. It had been forever since we had homemade pizza, and I was looking forward to it all week. I got to pick my toppings for my slices, too — it was pepperoni, eggplant, peppers and mushrooms. I love pizza with tons of veggies and also pepperoni on it!

After the kids went to bed, B and I stayed up somewhat late and watched Always Be My Maybe. It was just what I was looking for in my Friday night – a cute, funny romcom. I recommend it, especially if you already love Ali Wong.

Saturday morning FW got up early – like 5 something in the morning – so it was a long day. After breakfast, B went to Home Depot to get some stuff (it’s his second home these days) and then we went to our first event – a playdate with some friends who also have kids. FW had a blast playing on his favorite playground with LM and of course Celia, Maura and Maddie.

After the playground we headed home for lunch. B and FW hit up Home Depot (yes, again – 2x in one day!) while LM napped.. When he got back, it was time for our next adventure – Ruby’s birthday party! It was a party at a local ice cream shop, so I’m sure FW and LM had a good time. (we did too 🙂 )

After ice cream, we were going to try to watch soccer, but all the bars and restaurants nearby were overflowing and LOUD (aka not as kid-friendly as usual), so we just went home.

FW skinned his knees on our jog to the car, so he needed some extra care and wanted a special seat on the couch before dinner. Toddlers are a ton of work but tons of fun sometimes!

After FW and LM had dinner, it was off to bed semi-early and B and I had to figure out what we wanted. We had planned on going out after ice cream, but since it was too crowded, ended up not sure what to do for food. B was craving buffalo wings, so we ended up doing some takeout. I got a kids’ meal, which meant it came with a side (salad!) AND a drink.

Sunday morning, I got in a nice run – 6.3 solo miles. I had planned on taking out the jogging stroller, but B andFW and LM had breakfast and I got out semi-early (at least for a weekend). It was nice to still be out a little later than usual.

The day was somewhat productive. We did some meal prep, some cleaning, some playing, and some walking. It ended up being a nice day outside so B also got some outdoor chores in.

We ended the day with a jog around the block. FW ran pretty much the whole way!

And that was it. HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like pistachio ice cream?
  • Was the weather nice near you?

Cleveland Half Marathon Week – Post-Race Day Workouts

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 5 Comments

It’s been one week since I ran the Cleveland Half Marathon Challenge Series. Last Saturday, I ran the 8k and Sunday I ran the half marathon, and this week has been all about getting back into the swing of running, recovering, and also tending to my bruises (I rolled my ankle and scraped my knees during a fall at mile 2 of the half marathon … whoops!).

Here was a look at this week’s workouts:

And some highlights from the week:

Sunday’s race (full recap here) was a tough one. It was in the 80s and I was not used to running in the heat. But I kept it fun and finished strong, even if it was slower than I would’ve liked.

After taking Monday and Tuesday off, I decided to #RunForTaylor Wednesday through Friday. My runs were slower than they usually are, but warm weather and a recovering body make it understandable. I’m glad that I’ve felt good enough to get in as many runs as I did this week.

Some questions for you:

  • How many days do you take off after a race? A half marathon?
  • Do you prefer cool or hot weather running?

I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

Partying the Weekend Away (Family-Friendly Style)

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment

We had a jam packed, fun weekend in CLE. The weather finally turned nice (on one day), and it included a birthday party, Indians game, some running, some working on the house and a Derby party. Man, I think I need another weekend just to recover from our fun – I’m feeling pooped!

Friday started with a LONG run – I got up at 4 a.m. and got in 11.23 mi before the kids woke up and it was time to get ready for school and work. Cleveland half marathon race day is just two weeks away!

Work flew by Friday. It was a busy day and I got pulled last minute into a 2 hour meeting, which made my morning fly by. And my coworker brought her dog in – look how cute he is!

 

We ended the day with BBQ for dinner – I forgot to take a pic of the food, but we all (even LM) got in on the fun 🙂

Saturday was by far our busiest day. It included some indoor playtime while it rained in the morning.

And an Indians game – they won!

Also, a birthday party for our neighbor – they now have a 1 year old! Their baby is actually in LM’s class at school, too.

And a Kentucky Derby party. This hat stayed on for about 30 seconds.

Sunday included some work around the house – we got a delivery of dirt so we can finally start our garden soon!

And a stroller run with FW. I got in 5+ miles, which I think ism longest stroller run ever. He fell asleep around 3-4 miles in, so I was able to go a little longer than usual.

FW and I also made some spinach zucchini banana muffins. They’re not as sweet as the muffins I’ve been making, but I hope they’ll get him to eat some more veggies!

We ended the day with a Cinco De Mayo themed dinner … that i forgot to get a picture of. Oh well – I assure you it was delicious 🙂 And instead I’ll leave you with a picture of a taco I had on Thursday.

  • How was your weekend?
  • Did you do anything for Cinco de Mayo?

Cleveland Half Marathon Week 10 Training

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments

You guys. Cleveland marathon weekend is just TWO weeks away. I CAN’T believe it! I’m feeling good AND feeling nearly ready for race day.It was a good week in terms of my training. I got in a long run and a speed training run, along with a few other runs. I didn’t end up getting in all the planned miles (I was supposed to also do a 5 mile pace run), but I can’t beat myself up over it too much.Here’s a look at week 10 of my Cleveland half marathon training:Despite not getting in all my mileage, it was a good week. Here are some of the highlights:I decided to do my speed training outside, and it was my first time doing a tempo run outdoors. I didn’t do it quite how I do it on a treadmill (where I pickup speed every minute or so), but my goal instead was to do mile 1 easy, miles 2-3-4 progressively faster and then final 5 minutes or so easy. And I did it!I got in an 11 mile run BEFORE work on Friday. That meant I got up at 4 a.m. and got out in the drizzly weather (which turned into a downpour at one point) and ran for nearly 2 hours before anyone in my house woke up and was home and showered pretty much by 6:30 a.m. I can’t guarantee that this will EVER happen again, but I’m proud it did!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you taper before half marathons? When do you usually get in your last long run? This plan has me running 12 next weekend, but I don’t know if I’m going to – I want my legs to rest before the race and they were TIRED after my 11 miler!

clé marathon discount

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to give away. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.

A Rainy Easter in CLE

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

We had a rainy weekend in Cleveland – it rained pretty much nonstop from Thursday afternoon through Saturday evening. It made for a flooding backyard, some indoor runs and a REALLY early wakeup on Thursday to run before the monsoon started. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s a little snapshot of our Easter in CLE.

Friday, schools were closed for Good Friday, so I worked from home while watching the kids. (Meaning, I got up and worked, entertained them, worked while they were napping, did more entertaining, and then worked again at night) BUT because of the aforementioned rainy weather, we were stuck inside for pretty much the entire day. Thank goodness for play-doh and art projects!

Saturday brought MORE rain. So, we spent the morning inside doing some spring cleaning – FW even helped out!

I popped on the treadmill for a few miles, and then after naps, we headed to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to color eggs. FW had a blast dumping them in the dye.

We stayed there later than we intended to and all of a sudden it was dinnertime. Thank goodness for Aladdin’s takeout – it satisfied everyone in our house, even FW (the picky eater) and LM (who loved my hummus, beans, peas and rice!).

Sunday was Easter morning! We started with an Easter egg hunt for FW and LM.

Then, after Mass, it was time for Easter. We ended up spending all day with B’s family and FW and LM got to play with their cousins.

Look at that big table!

After Easter, we did finally get outside to enjoy the finally nice weather. It had stopped raining, leaving us with a gorgeous afternoon!

Some questions for you-

  • What was in your Easter basket growing up?
  • What’s your favorite holiday from a food standpoint?

Cleveland Half Marathon Training: Week 7

/ Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 11 Comments

This week was another great week in terms of weather for running – every single one of my runs, including my speed training (8×400 m) was done outside.

Here’s a look at week 7 of my Cleveland half marathon training:

Overall, here is how the week looked:

weekly cleveland marathon training mileage

Some highlights/lowlights:

This week was the first time that I used my Garmin Fenix to help with interval training. I typically do speed work inside on a treadmill, but I opted to try it outside, since it was 50s in the morning. It was actually kind of fun to do my intervals outside – my only issue was that some of the runs were uphill and some were downhill. But I guess that is good for training in real world conditions?

Here were some of my splits:

I didn’t get in a really long run this weekend. I had a 10k race on the schedule, but since my parents were in town, I decided to take the weekend off from running. Instead, on the two days I was scheduled to not run, I did a 7 and 5 miler.

Next week is another 9 miler and then the following week I signed up for the Cleveland 10 miler! It will be my longest race since 2017!

Some questions for you:

  • Do you like 10 mile races?
  • Do you do speed training outside?

Note: I am a Cleveland marathon ambassador! That means I get free race entry for me, and a free race entry to giveaway. Wanna run CLE with me? Don’t forget, I have a 10% discount for you!

clé marathon discount

Today, I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down.