Summer Bucket List 2018

Here we go! Another summer has begun and the Emeric Kiddos couldn't be happier to be out of school! Our Summer Bucket List is something we do every year and is something we all look forward to.  We don't have a big summer trip planned this year like our trip last year to Seattle and Portland, because we'll be taking a trip to Texas for my cousin's wedding in September.  But, we still have some fun weekend trips and activities planned to get the most out of summer!

This year, we decided to use our kitchen letter board to display our list.  

Besides what's on the list, we took Diego to go see the play Hamilton at The Smith Center.  He's been listening to the soundtrack for over a year now and has the entire thing memorized.  So, when we saw they were coming to Vegas as part of the Smith Center's Broadway Series, I purchased season tickets to ensure he got to see the show and then upgraded our seats to some much better seats for the show.  It was an amazing show and so worth all the sacrifices to get him there!  If you get the opportunity to see it, I highly recommend it. 

Next up, I'll be planning Elysse's first sleep over party later this month! She's planning a Hollywood Game Night theme with a waffle bar for breakfast! She's super excited about it!! I'll be sure to share a blog post with photos of the games and decor! 

Now tell me, what fun do you have planned for your summer? Any epic trips? Family vacations? 

Rock n Roll Half Marathon Nashville : Race Recap

I can summarize my trip to Nashville in two words: running + eating! What could be better, right? 

If you read my last post, you know that I was nervous about running the Nashville Rock n Roll Half Marathon because the course promised to be hilly and I am not a fan of hills! Plus, my friend was running it too and it was her first half marathon, so I was nervous I wouldn't be able to support her like I wanted to. Well, to make a long story short, we rocked that run! I felt strong throughout the entire race, which I was nervous about due to the hills. Plus, I paced my friend and we made it right under her goal time! I was so happy I felt good running those hills and it was proof that you have to trust the process.  I made it a point to train hills and it paid off! 

My flight to Nashville was super early in the morning, but it gave us the opportunity to grab some yummy lunch at Husk when I arrived and still make it in time for packet pickup afterwards! As usual, the process was smooth and easy.  There were all the usual, easy to follow signs and awesome volunteers.  The actual expo didn't seem as big or as busy as some other cities, though.  I didn't mind this, as we don't stay too long at the expo.  We got our beer wristbands for our free post-race beer and picked up our parking pass, that I prepaid for online.  Since we were driving ourselves in the morning and this was my friend's first experience, I didn't want her to feel overwhelmed with having to search for parking and deal with the traffic too! It was a great option and one I think I will use again for sure if I plan to drive and park for a race and not get dropped off.  

After checking-in to our hotel and relaxing for a bit, it was time for our carb loading dinner! I traditionally have pizza before a race so I looking for some Yelp suggestions and found Slim + Husky's .  The reviews were amazing and it did not disappoint! They have local, fresh, ingredients and all the pizzas are made to order.  They also carry local craft beers, which is also part of my carb loading dinner ;) 

Like I mentioned above, the race itself was amazing! It was fun and we enjoyed the music, the scenery, and all the folks who came out to cheer us on! Running through some of the neighborhoods and seeing the residents making a morning out of it reminded me of the vibe from the San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon last year.  They too were out cheering us on, drinking mimosas, and even handing out drinks and snacks to us runners too! 

After the race, we spent our day exploring some of the neighborhoods and of course, eating some delicious food to celebrate our race finish!  I highly recommend this race for it's fun atmosphere, challenging course, and who doesn't want to enjoy all the Nashville has to offer both before and after the race!

Self-Doubt Before Race Day | Rock N Roll Half Marathon Nashville

So, as I type this I should really be packing for my trip to Nashville, since we'll be out tonight.  My flight leaves at 6am tomorrow, so I have an early wake up call.  Anyhow, I'll get to it before I have  to get into mommy-driver duty! 

I'm super excited to be running the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Nashville this Sat. Not so much because I love country music, hilly courses, and humidity, but because I'll be running alongside my BFF since high school! This will be her first half marathon and I'm thrilled I was the one who motivated her to sign up.  I was asking if maybe she'd like to run the 5K, but she surprised me and said she'd join me in the half marathon! You can imaging my excitement!!! She's been training for about 12 weeks and I've been supporting her via text messages and phone calls. This got me thinking about my own first half marathon and how my cousin, who's an avid marathon runner, came to run alongside me for my first half marathon.  I remember how happy I was to have someone with all of her experience running with me and supporting me.  It really helped make my first half marathon experience such a good one! As excited as I am to now be the one paying it forward and being the "experienced" runner, I'm also nervous about my own performance.  Hills aren't my jam, I mean, let's be honest, they aren't anyones jam! I'm also not as fast or fit as I was a few years ago and it's messing with my head (see what I did there?).  I've put in the miles and ran hills in my training, but I'm afraid I'll be seen as a fraud.  Like, yea I call myself a runner, but then I'm huffing and puffing at mile 10.  I'm afraid I won't be the best support for her or worse yet, that she'll be the one supporting me! Won't that be embarrassing!?! 

I'm working on keeping a positive mindset and trust that I won't fail.  I need to trust that it's going to be a fun experience, no matter the outcome.  I admit, this is hard to do.  It's hard to feel your best, when you know you could do better because you have done better.  Ok, I know I am overreacting to a hypothetical situation and it's silly, but it's the truth and I can't be anything but honest.  Have you ever felt this way before? Be it running or another aspect of your life, I bet you have. I can also say from experience that things aren't usually as bad as you think they're gonna be.  Am I right? So, I am leaving it all here on the blog.  I'm typing it out here but then I'm going to think of how happy I'll be seeing my best friend, who I haven't seen almost 5years.  I'm going to focus on how awesome it is that I'll be running my 14th half marathon in 2 days.  I'm excited to visit and explore a new city and eat some pretty good food too!! And, I'm gonna go pack...

Who's been to Nashville? Any recommendations on must-see or must-eats? I'll be back next week to let you know how it went and if you are struggling with feelings of self-doubt too, stay strong and know you aren't alone. XO