My gift to you

I love pastries -- a ginger pear scone, a cherry danish, my sister's homemade oatmeal muffins. My love for the sweet stuff motivates me to run. Of course, I run to relieve stress, stay in shape and enjoy the outdoors.

I am still daydreaming about the sweet side I had this weekend at Amore Victoria during brunch. It was an Italian funnel cake. This was not your typical funnel cake from the local carnival or fair. It was much, much, much better. It didn't have that gross overly-fried taste. It wasn't caked with powder sugar -- this had granulated sugar. It looked like a fat French fry perfectly coated with sugar. It reminded me of a fresh, moist donut.

For only $3.95, I implore you to try it. I have a feeling you will thank me.

Love is...

When your man sweeps you away to Dairy Queen at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, knowing you've been craving a Snicker's blizzard for months. And he does this even though you're wearing pajamas.

Sweet Success

I finished today's Earth Day half-marathon in 1:58:45. That's a PR (personal record) for me, and I'm stoked. I ran an average pace of 9:04 per mile.

I'm happy. For my age and body size, I should probably be faster. I know I'll get there someday. For now, I'm satisfied with a new personal best.

I've run the St. Cloud half-marathon (13.1 miles) three times now and recommend the race to anyone else who's thinking of doing a half.

I did it.

I signed up for the Twin Cities marathon.

I can see clearly now; the rain is gone.

The last two-and-a-half months have resembled what hell probably looks and feels like.

On top of Ben's demanding work schedule, hestudied 20-plus hours for the GMAT and took preparation class on Sundays for two months. The test is the equivalent of the LSAT or GRE, only this exam is to get into biz school.

Well, our hellish days are behind us. Ben took the GMAT Monday, and he showed that test who's boss.

So no more using our dining room table as a desk. No more putting off date nights and adventures. No more horrible stress and nervousness.

This lady rocks!

Kathleen Jobes works full time for Runners World, has a husband and two kids and qualified for the Olympic Trials in Boston. She runs 80-plus miles a week to train for the Trials. Did I mention that she didn't start running until her late 20s?

Check her out in this short video. Whether you love or hate to run, I think you'll be amazed. I am.

Just ask Deena

What does Deena do?

I came up with this little motto this week to help challenge me to be a better runner. So when I want to wimp out during a long run or on a particularly hot day, I'll just ask myself, what does Deena Kastor do in these situations?

Deena is an Olympic marathon runner. She is an elite. I can't compare myself to that caliber of runner -- she can run a marathon in less than half the time I can -- but I can be motivated by her success.

In that spirit, I am going to try to abide by a training plan for the Grandma's Half-marathon in June. In my three previous half-marathons, I've never followed a plan. I've always run between three and five miles on weekdays, followed by a long weekend run. Through experience and research, I've realized that I will never improve as a runner if I stick to the same routine for every race. So I'm going to mix things up a little for June.

I'm running a half-marathon in a few days with Ben and my buddy Naomi. It's too late to pull out fancy tricks to do well. But I'll try to not be a major slacker during the race. My hope is to come in under two hours. I won't be disappointed if I run slower than that. It would be nice if I set a new PR for myself, though. That's what Deena Kastor would do.

April snowstorm

Only in Minnesota.

I stepped outside my house this morning intent on running 5 miles despite the storm we got overnight. But the icy slush, rain and high winds sent me back indoors. With a half-marathon just one week away, I hope I can get in decent runs tomorrow and Sunday.

Darn you Minnesota weather.

And here's an exceptionally high-quality photo of the tree that was apparently uprooted and fell across the street during the night. The bulk of the tree missed it. But I took a picture for insurance just in case.

A lesson in romance...

It doesn't mean roses and chocolates. Or a dinner and a sunset.

It's a foot rub, an offer to do the dishes or a rice krispy bar saved from an office function. Or the suggestion that we tape Dancing with the Stars and.....




.....watch it together.

Now that is romantic.