Chick'd!

First off, let me say thank you to all the comments made on the Maui post! You guy are so awesome it blows my mind. 


For example. Sophia from Raven Waves sent me the sweetest package, and it arrived today. It was full of healthy snack goodies, and some other fun products. She is an angel, and I am so grateful! 


I also received two other packages in the mail, one from my guy best friend Patrick who sent me a Timmy Tebow Denver Broncos jersey. If you remember from my Three Tangent Tuesday post, I am obsessed with Tebow. I am so excited for this! :) I now have a Tebow Gators jersey (though it doesn't have his name since he was in college) and a Tebow Broncos jersey. I'm so happy. 


My girl Melanie who is currently stationed in Japan also sent me some Japanese goodies. Not so healthy, but worth every bite. Yum. She also sent me a cute top, some oragami paper, and a gorgeous mirror with a Japanese scene on the cover. She is the same gorgeous girl who sent me  the Valentine's Day package a few weeks ago. I'm seriously getting spoiled here. Here's a group photo of all my stuffs!

Now. On to the important news I have.


Yesterday I said I was going for a run, and boy did I. I ran outside, in Africa heat, with the sun beating down on me. I only ran 2.25 miles, but here's what made me so excited. I ran, at my natural pace, the first mile in 8:40, and the second mile in 9:13. Without a treadmill making me. In those conditions! 


I mean, don't get me wrong, I felt like I was going to die that last 1/4 mile, but I did it. I used to struggle with a 10:00 minute pace, and I now I ran 2 miles at roughly the pace I want to finish my half-marathon in! (Now I just have to sustain it for 11.1 more miles...) I have improved so much. It's proving to me that speed work and intervals do work. 


I even chick'd a guy. Oh yeah. One of the Japanese guys here on base. I just ran right past him. I felt so awesome. (Now, to be completely honest... these Japanese guys are no joke at running. They are fast, so this guy was probably on like mile 15 or something. But I will pretend he wasn't, and feel better about myself.) 


Afterwards I sat down on the soccer field in the shade to stretch. I sat there for like five minutes just enjoying the breeze and the immense runner's high I was feeling. I think it was the best I've felt since coming to Africa. 


So awesome.


Tomorrow is back to intervals, and I have to say, for once I am actually looking forward to almost making myself puke. Yesterday totally filled me with the motivation I've been lacking lately. :)

Me, post run, all red-faced and happy.