FIRST TEXAS POST!

I promise this is my last "its been a while since I posted" post. BUT as of last night at 10pm I finally have internet in my apartment! Thanks to your truly for installing and setting it up all on my own! Look at me doing all these things on my own Yikes!

I am so so SOOOOOOOOOO excited to say that I am officially signed up for my first race in FOREVER!!!! I am running the Wounded Warrior Half in Dallas on June 8th!!! This will be my first trip to Dallas too! I cannot wait! I know it's going to be a hot hot hot run but I don't care I am so excited to be racing again! Even though I am well aware that my running down here is much slower currently than it was in back in Wisconsin! Worth IT! 

Just a tiny rewind, I've been in my new home for 9 days now. 

I started my drive out on my own on Mother's day of all days. What a thoughtful daughter I am, I love you Mom see you later I'm just going to go drive down to Texas now. Right? GREAT Mother's day gift. My drive was very long and pretty uneventful, EXCEPT for about 3 hours into my drive. I was just into Illinois when there was grey and black smoke across the highway right as the highway turned to the right. Just before the bend in the road, there was a man waving for all of the cars to slow down. Strange. About 20 feet ahead, right after the bend in the road, there was a car fully engulfed in flames!!!! The smoke from the car was so thick that even driving on the shoulder of the left lane I was completely blinded for about for 15 feet of the highway! And with the wind blowing the smoke and fire across the highway as soon as I hit the smoke my car was instantly 10 degrees hotter. It was one of the scariest things I have seen. 

Aside from that my drive was basically me singing to whatever came on the radio, or my iPod. The first day I logged 12 hours to get to Little Rock, Arkansas. In my attempt to find a Subway for dinner before I checked into my hotel. I ended up lost in the business district after 10pm, not the most ideal situation BUT I did get a self guided tour of Little Rock and I drove right past the capitol! So that was cool! and safe... 

I'm telling you I didn't have to zoom in or anything, that is how close I was to the capitol. And I never did find a Subway! That was the only part of my trip that I was lost for!

 I had every intention to run that morning in my hotel but when I accidentally turned to tv off and couldn't figure how to get the cable back on, I made an executive decision to do a tabata workout instead. It only took me 20 minutes but my goodness it was HARD!!!! I had my group exercise class here in Texas do it for one of their workouts :)

MY FIRST AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD EXPERIENCE!!!!! Oh happy times!!!! My belly was so happy after that meal! I had a fajita salad with avocado. Heavenly! Seriously so good!!! Just another thing I LOVE about living in Texas! The Mexican food is off the charts. A reason to visit alone!

There is a running club and a few trails here in Texas. I like them a lot for a few reasons. One, they are through the woods so it is shady and cool with a bit of a breeze and two, they are busy enough that I don't mind running on them by myself. I have ran on one of them that is closest to my apartment but I'm sure I'll branch out soon and try some other ones, too!

 Just a little snap shot of one the trail! So pretty. Minus the fact that there are posinous snakes here???? What?!?!? I obvously did not know that when I moved down here. The first time I ran on the trail I swear I spent the whole time starring at the grass just waiting to get bitten. I survived and have become a little more at ease. Especially after seeing people playing and walking in the grass. But still, SNAKES??? Yuck!

 If you're wondering how I get my protein as a vegetarian, let me just tell you that the flies I find after running could be a significant source. That is definitely something I did not miss about running when it's hot out. I'll still take the warm weather over cold any day!

 Did I mention Texas is HOT! I knew that coming down but my body goes from being freezing cold to sweating from doing absolutely. I seriously have a space heater under my desk that if its not on my office is an ice box! Then I step outside and it's like I'm in a toaster. BUT I am not complaining because I am well aware that it's only going to get hotter.

 This is the only picture I am currently willing to post of my new apartment because I am still trying to get everything settled, AKA get furniture.... It took me nearly 25 minutes to pick out a shower curtain so choosing actual furniture should be a treat.