5 on Friday {I am getting MARRIED}

1. I am getting married!!!!!

AR and I are engaged!!! He proposed last weekend while we were in Chicago and it was absolutely perfect.  He popped the question the night before the marathon and we told my parents the next afternoon... it was so special and more than I ever imagined. I will have a post sharing all the details tomorrow :)

2. My fiancé is the best
Can I just have a moment to say how incredible AR is? We have been together for almost three and a half years and I am still smitten.

I was completely surprised when he proposed - no idea how he kept that from me for so long!

3. The Chicago Marathon
...was absolutely amazing. That race is so incredible - it is well organized and well cheered for ;) I loved every mile and am planning on registering again for next year. If you are considering a marathon, I highly recommend Chicago. The course is flat and the scenery is gorgeous. This link has some beautiful pictures from last weekend.

4. I got a PR :)
I beat my previous PR by over 9 minutes last weekend :) The best part? I didn't feel very sore! Tuesday was a little rough on the stairs at school, but other than that, I feel good. In fact, on Wednesday, I considered going running. Don't worry - I paused and said "Hannah, don't be crazy." I think it is a sign that I trained well. My body is so used to the hills of ATL, it was relieved to run on a flat course.  You can read my race recap and see all of my pictures here.

5. Wedding planning blogs?
Alright ladies, now that I have a wedding to plan - what are your best wedding planning blogs/websites/resources? I am going to need some serious help!!

x0x0x, 

Hannah 

Linking up with the lovely ladies of Five on Friday!

Chicago Marathon - Race Recap

I am back from the Chicago Marathon!

A huge grin spread across  my face as I sat down to write this post. My weekend in Chicago was fabulous for so many reasons and I feel like I have a ton to share! Let's start, shall we?

I left for Chicago on Friday morning and spent the day with my family. I had not been home in over a year, so it was really special to be back home :)

Aaron and I left for downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the train ride into the city (have I ever mentioned how much I love the train?). We were staying at the Hilton downtown, which is an absolutely stunning hotel.

our elevators were decorated

The whole building was decorated for the marathon and the place was crawling with athletes. The excitement and energy was incredible.

Even my room key was ready for the marathon. You can bet I saved this. 

We dropped our stuff off and headed to the expo. The Hilton had shuttles running to the expo venue, which was so convenient. The setup was really easy and I freaked out a bit when I got my number. Chicago Marathon staff? You put on an incredibly organized expo.

We walked around and took some pictures before heading back to the hotel.

At the hotel, we changed clothes and went to visit my alma mater for the afternoon. I'll tell you more about that later, but it was amazing ;)

For dinner, we participated in the classic Hilton Pasta Dinner. I actually don't like to eat a lot of carbs the night before a race, so I filled up on grilled chicken, green beans, salad, and wheat rolls. We went to bed early with full bellies and lots of excitement.

I woke up at 6am on race day (7am Atlanta time - Whoo Hoo for sleeping in on race mornings). I ate peanut butter on wheat bread - both of which I brought to the hotel from home, haha. We sipped coffee to help, ahem, get ready for the race and headed out a little after 7am.

We walked a few blocks in the park and found our corral. We were just in time and moved up to the middle of the group. The weather was incredible and AR shed his sweatshirt before we even started. I kept my gloves on and tossed my sweatshirt right as the gun went off.

The first few miles were packed and we ran pretty slow -- about a 10 minute mile. I think we were trying to adjust to the crowds. The cheering people on the side of the roads were amazing. I have never seen a race with than many fans!

We picked up pace around mile 4, moving closer to a 9 minute pace. At mile 13 I looked at AR and could tell something was wrong. I asked him is he was okay and he said yes, so I just ignored it. a mile later the look on his face made me worried and I said "lets slow down." We jogged for a bit and AR walked through a water station.

He kept saying his legs weren't under him and he couldn't catch his breath. I was just finding my groove and feeling strong. We kept slowing down and AR kept telling me to go on without him. I got really upset and said "no, this is our thing! I am staying." I lost him a few times because he would slowdown and I wouldn't notice until I had passed him.

Finally, at mile 16, I lost him for good. I stood on a corner and yelled his name, ran backwards for a bit to look, and started to cry. I was worried he wasn't okay and I got scared! But with 45,000 runners, I was never going to find him, so I turned around and started running again.

My legs felt strong and I was distracted by the situation with AR. My pace picked up considerably and I felt good. At mile 18, the wall was nowhere in sight and I picked up pace a little more.

At mile 20, I was still feeling good, which shocked me. I had given up on a PR when AR started struggling, but I realized at mile 20 that I was well within a PR range. I drank a bunch of water from my bottle and kept going. Other runners were slowing down to walk. Over and over, I watched runners pat them on the back as they passed- What a sign of support and encouragement.

By mile 24, I was exhausted and ready to be done, but I was still plugging away. I had been pushing for several miles (my watch said sub 9), so I slowed up a bit. I only had 2 miles yet, but it was a struggle!! Luckily, the crowds picked up just in time! Before I knew it, I was at mile 25.5 and the end was in sight.

As I passed mile 26, I had to fight tears. I was so relieved. I've never crossed a marathon finish line by myself. It was always been me and AR. It felt like such an accomplishment.

After crossing, I looked at my watch and saw 4:17. A PR for me!!!!!!!!

My mom snapped this picture... don't I look excited?

I averaged about a 9:35/mile, which was great considering we walk/ran for those 2.5 miles. I am more excited about my maintained pace than my time - this was the first marathon that I didn't really hit the wall... I felt strong the whole time. 

I met up with my parents (after walking 8 blocks from the finish line, thank you very much) and sat down for a minute. My dad agreed to wait for AR while I went back to shower before we had to check out of the hotel. I hated to miss AR coming in, but after waiting for a while, I realized I needed to go pack up our room.

I showered and was able to walk out of the bathtub without falling (always an accomplishment) and felt pretty good. AR knocked on the door and I was so relieved to see him!!! He finished strong, despite having a rough run.

Stopping for Chicago-style deep dish on the way home :)

Chicago, I loved every minute of my visit. After the Atlanta marathon, I was really worried that marathons just were not my thing. If I learned anything this weekend, it is that marathons are my favorite thing. The crowds, the runners, the volunteers, everyone was wonderful. Thank you for an absolutely incredible weekend. 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Friday Confessional!

Happy Weekend lovelies! I am so excited that it is finally Friday. This weekend is special for several reasons :)

Lets get too it with Ms. Leslie's Friday linkup!

1. I confess that... I am going to Chicago this weekend and will see my family for the first time since MARCH! I should be ashamed of how long it had been. Between summer work schedules and school, I just didn't have a lot of time off. I cannot wait to see them.

2. I confess that.... I am running my third marathon this weekend. Chicago Marathon, here I come! I am hoping for amazing weather and a great day in terms of pace, but who knows. I still have a pretty bad cold, so let's pray that I heal up by Sunday.
I do have a pretty fantastic race outfit picked out, and that is really what matters. 
(Follow me on Instagram if you want to keep up to date with all my race news this weekend!! User name: hrw1126)

3. I confess that... I become obsessive when I have a cold. Hot tea, chicken noodle soup, tons of sleep, fresh juices... you name it, I do it. I've looked like a crazy all week at campus, clutching mugs of tea, bottles of water, and bottles of Arden's Garden pressed juices. But you know what? I am so much better than I was on Tuesday! #miracleshappen

4. I confess that... I am watching like 6 items on eBay right now. My friend is an eBay fein and she has got me hooked. I'm eyeing a faux fur vest, some coats, and booties. Are you an eBay shopper? Or is it too risky for you? She gets amazing deals, so I am inspired to try, but a little concerned. I've only ever purchased books on there before.

5. I confess that... I am about to bite the bullet and try the Bare Minerals liquid foundation. Have you tried it? Everyone says it is amazing and I am in the market for a new foundation. I don't wear foundation on a daily basis, but I would like a lighter option to wear from time to time. Do you use any of their products?

The lady at Ulta told me to avoid the liquid foundation because it had coconut oil (which makes some people break out), but the ad says "no oil". Someone is lying to me.

Have an awesome weekend!

Hannah 

Marathon training - 1 week out!

Race week is hereeeee!

It is Tuesday and I am happily rocking the taper this week.

Unfortunately, I am also rocking a serious cold. It started on Friday and has continued to get worse. The Chicago Marathon is still 5 days away, so hopefully I can heal up before then. I chugging gallons of fresh juices and getting lots of rest until then!

Last week was a pretty easy in terms of training:

M - rest
T - 4 miles
W - 5 miles
Th - 4 miles
F - rest.... and sick
S - 3 miles at the park with a trip to the farmers market, for a total of 5!

On Saturday, I began to develop a serious concern about the weather in Chicago... so we headed to the mall for some extra gear. Macy's had an amazing sale on Nike and I grabbed some leggings, a long-sleeved top, a jacket, a skirt, and a sports bra (for $5!). Clearly I don't plan on wearing these all for the race... but it was a good sale ;)

S - 8 miles. We didn't run until late afternoon and I insisted on wearing my new shirt and some leggings to test it out for race day. It was clearly too hot for me to be dressed like that, but oh well! This was an awesome run and my legs felt strong, despite the fact that my cold is getting progressively worse. I may not be able to breathe or swallow, but my legs can move!

This week I am continuing to taper and enjoyed a 3 mile run before the sun rose this morning. I woke up feeling the worst and seriously groggy because I took medicine before bed, but the run cleared my senses :)

I have a stack of clothes on the sofa in my room that I plan to pack. We are staying across the street from the start/finish, so I am relieved to be able to shower right after the race - and stay warm and inside before it starts!

On a positive note, the weather for the marathon seems to have cleared up! It should be between 49-55 while I am running and *maybe* clear skies. I could not ask for any better. Now if only my cold would do the same!

Does anyone else start planning their race outfits well in advance? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup

Fall flavors are everywhere right now. My friend and I immediately texted each other the day Panera brought back their squash soup and I have already baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

It is easy to focus on squash as a sweet food, but it can also be amazing as a savory option. I love spaghetti squash with marinara, baked acorn squash stuffed with couscous and beans, and butternut squash mac and cheese. Squash adds such a buttery creaminess to dishes, and packs a ton of nutrients.

On Monday evening I whipped up this butternut squash and pumpkin soup. It was a favorite of mine all last winter and I am loving it this week! I really love making a big pot of soup to enjoy all week in lunches or for a quick dinner. Last night I enjoyed it with a large piece of wheat toast and a sliced pair. It was a perfect combination.

For this soup, I combined roasted butternut squash with broth, celery, pumpkin puree, and seasonings.  I topped it off with a little almond milk for creaminess. Feel free to use whatever broth you have on hand and include an onion or even diced carrots!

Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Soup 

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small butternut squash, halved and seeded
1/2 cup of finely diced celery (or onion)
1 cup of pumpkin puree - canned or homemade
3 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 dash of cinnamon
1 tsp. of salt - plus more if your broth is low sodium
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
olive oil
1/2 c. of unsweetened almond milk

Directions
Heat over to 400*. Place seeded and halved squash on a baking sheet with cut side up. Brush squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the squash until tender, about 30 minutes for small squash and 45 for a large squash.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T. of olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add celery/onion and sauté until tender. Scoop butternut squash into the saucepan and add the pumpkin, broth, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat until ingredients are all tender and flavors have combined, about 15 minutes.

Puree soup in blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender. Return to saucepan and check seasonings, adjusting as necessary. Stir in the almond milk until combined. Serve with pumpkin seeds, a scoop of yogurt, or croutons!

Enjoy!

Hannah