So, even though I’ve been mad busy lately, I’ve still managed to get some running in this week (the weather was perfect so I had to!).

And both days I received more than one cat call.

Really? Guys still do this?

I mean, these weren’t subtle. Not at all.

I was running down a street in Lakewood where the houses are very close to the sidewalk (VERY small front yards) and a guy came out his front door carrying a garbage bag. I ran right past him and then I heard the whistle. You know the whistle I’m talking about. Ugh, I wasn’t even sure what to do considering my ass was now to him as I was running away from him. So I just ignored it and kept on. Then a mile later I saw a man crossing the street and keep glancing my way. When I reached him he turned and yelled “lookin good!”. Again, I wasn’t sure what to do so I just yelled back “thanks” and kept going. <—— thanks? ugh, I’m a complete dork.

Then yesterday when I was running some guy literally yelled out his car window “SEXYYYYY………!” Ew. Real classy, dude.

Here are my theories:

1. It’s finally summertime and guys are caught off guard by girls running in less clothes than usual?
2. Men are pigs
3. It was the pants (I wore the same pair both days)

I haven’t worn these pants in forever because they fall down when I run. So I wore underwear (gasp!) with them thinking it would help and it did! Well, not at first, but once I got a little sweaty they didn’t move. And it doesn’t take long for me to get sweaty!

So any ladies looking to pick up some men this summer, these pants are from Reebok. Have at ‘em.

Just be prepared to keep pulling them up until you’re nice and sweaty.

Outtake from J. He just kept taking photos. He’s the best.

How are the men in your town? Obnoxious like this, or respectful and classy?
And what’s your favorite running capri? (Lululemon for me!)

Man, for someone who claims that her blog is all about balance sure needs some help right now. Life is just plain cray-cray. In addition to everything else, I’ve started triathlon training (more on that to come) and I’m in the process of fixing up my condo.

Remember when I told you guys that I was a landlord? Well, my renters of 5 years finally decided to buy their own house and leave me hanging (I kid, I kid, I knew they were going to be moving soon). My new renters are moving in on June 15th and there is SO MUCH to be done before they move in. Like overwhelmingly so.

1. Paint the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom closets, and all trim – done!
2. Replace hot water tank (ugh) – done!
3. Replace kitchen cabinets – HUGE project
4. Install new closet organizers
5. Install new ceiling fan in one of the bedrooms – done!
6. Call an electrician to come fix the dining room ceiling fan that is sinking(!)
7. Replace bathtub towel racks
8. Replace all lightbulbs
9. Order new bay window ($$$) – done!
10. Replace screen in master bedroom window
11. Schedule cleaners (got a Living Social deal!) – done!
12. Landscape the patio area
13. Transport our refrigerator and stove to condo (we’re getting new ones – yay!
14. Get rid of old stove (fridge is already gone)

All before June 15th. And this is all in addition to work, C’s baseball games, my training, blogging (or lack there of), teaching at the gym, J’s soccer games, and C’s end-of-school-year activities.

Talk about a panic attack.

But I can at least say that progress is being made.

Before:

After:

In progress:

Hello, old as dirt, ugly cabinets – so sad to see you go.

Done:

Ahhhhhh!! I’m in LOVE with the paint job! And I’m sure that once the new cabinets are installed the kitchen is going to look amazing, too. Nothing a little paint and love can’t fix.

Luckily I have my parents, who I pay nothing, which is basically slave labor, helping me and J. And, luckily, they’re happy to do it.

Btw, you’d be surprised what people leave behind after living somewhere for 5 years (leopard print undies????). Good thing the cleaners have been scheduled……..

Anyone else out there have to deal with renters, or landlords? Any good stories???

I’m so behind this week in posting – I have so much to talk about that I can’t keep up!

So Sunday was the Cleveland Marathon. I was registered for the half marathon but since I hadn’t really been running since Glass City I made the decision at the expo on Saturday to downgrade to the 10k. Seriously one of the best decisions ever – I don’t regret it at all.

The morning started early as usual on race day and J and I decided to ride our bikes down to the race (we’re about 5-6 miles away from downtown).

We got there just in time to see the marathoners take off, which was so fun to see.

The temperature was predicted to reach 80+ degrees and it was already warm when the race started. These people were in for a long day………

Then we headed to the start line ourselves.

The race was SO CROWDED. When J and I reached the first mile marker my watch said we had just run a 9:44 mile. Ugh. So much time to make up! I started to pick up the pace and realized J was falling behind so I asked him if he cared if I went ahead and he waved me on. I turned around one last time to make sure he was cool with it and he told me to go. I think it was more so he didn’t have to deal with me being annoying and pushing him to run faster the entire race! Ha.

The course was mad boring, and almost all in the sun, but I’m SO GLAD I only had to run 6.2 miles. Because by the time I was done it was already HOT HOT HOT.

Here are the results from my watch:

6.32(!!) miles, 56:32, 8:57/mile

Not too bad, but not really a race pace either. But that’s OK. I wasn’t out there to “race”, I just wanted to enjoy myself and enjoy Cleveland again (I haven’t run Cleveland since the 2010 marathon!).

We’re so happy to be done running!

I had such a great time running the 10k. I would totally do it again – I think it may be my new favorite race distance.

From there we hopped on our bikes, stopped to cheer on some friends running the half, and then headed over to volunteer at the Mile 25 water stop.

80+ degrees and Mile 25 are not a good mix. I was so glad J and I could help out. We did everything from spray runners down with the hose to just throwing the cups of water on them to filling their water bottles. Anything we could do to keep them hydrated (or to just get them to the finish line). It was amazing to watch and help. And humbling to be a part of.

Congratulations to all the runners on Sunday. You guys all are my heroes!!

Are you a good runner in the heat?

Saturday was a ridiculously busy day. I wasn’t sure how we were going to do it all, but we dug down deep and got it done.

Here was the schedule:

• 9am Hyland 5k
• 9am baseball game
• 11am soccer game (J coaches!)
• 12pm birthday lunch for my mom
• packet pickup at the expo
• date night

Hmmmmm……..

Luckily I have the best parents in the entire world who showed up at our house at 8am Saturday morning to take C to his 9am baseball game.

J and I made it to the Hyland 5k with just enough time to pick up our bibs and gear up.

And somehow managed to find Kimi and Stef (volunteering) for a quick hello before the start!

We ran a quick(ish) 5k, finished with Chelsea, cooled off a bit, and got right back in the car to go to C’s baseball game.

Got to the game just in time to watch C pitch!

J left at 10:30 to fulfill his soccer coaching duties and I stayed with my parents to watch C finish out his baseball game.

As soon as it was over we booked over to the soccer fields (with C experiencing his first ever full car wardrobe change!). Once the game was over we came back to the house for a little lunch cookout/birthday celebration for my mom (she’s somehow 55 again? Weird).

We enjoyed some sausages from TJ’s Butcher Block and a little homemade Hershey’s Perfect Chocolate Cake before my parents took C home for the night and J and I headed to the expo to pick up our bibs for Sunday’s race. We went smelly and all. No showers yet – and, just for the record, 5k sweat, mixed with baseball field dust, is not a good combination. I sincerely apologize to anyone who was next to me in line at the packet pickup.

We finally made it home around 4:00 and ended up falling asleep (yep, still no showers) for about an hour or so. Which could quite possibly have been the best nap of my life.

And date night? Yeah, never happened. We ate leftovers, showered (yay!), and went to bed early. Like good runners do. Or like old people do. Your call.

Tell me one thing you did this past Saturday!

**As part of today’s Ohio Blogging Association’s All State Blog Swap, I’m happy to introduce to you Nadine from Blog – The New Black. On this day, bloggers from around the great state of Ohio are guest posting on one another blogs as a way to help to get to know one another in our blogging community. For a full listing of blog swap participants, please visit Poise in Parma today!**

So, here she is, is the fabulously fashionable Nadine…..!

Hi! I’m Nadine from Blog – The New Black. As part of the OBA Blog Swap I am guest posting for Heather today to share some insight into my new neighborhood – the Detroit Shoreway/Gordon Square Arts District.

Truth be told, Ohio City was love at first sight. The near west neighborhood of Ohio City will always hold a place near and dear to my heart, and much to my dismay, a week from today I will no longer call this place home.

The good news is that I’m moving to The Detroit Shoreway! More of a “love at second look”, the Detroit Shoreway is just a touch West of Ohio City, and my boyfriend and I are about to embark on the journey that is home ownership for the first time. If you are a current reader of my blog, you may have been following our difficult journey to find the perfect home, and the saying “nothing ever comes easy” couldn’t be more true for our own situation. I can confidently say we found the perfect first home in the perfect neighborhood and I’d like to tell you why……

Living off W. 65th opens a whole new avenue of venues and local businesses to visit. Shopping local and knowing where my hard earned money is going is something that is extremely important to me, and there isn’t any place more wonderful than Sweet Moses to fork over that cash to! Thank goodness Sweet Moses is so close, so I can cancel out feelings of guilt over eating giant bowls of hand churned ice cream by justifying that I have to at least walk a few blocks to get there. Aside from ice creams they have to die for brownies and delicious chocolates that make great hostess gifts. Last time I was sattled up to the bar for a sundae someone ordered the Terminal Tower – 10 scoops of ice cream and the photo doesn’t even begin to do it justice!

Aside from glutenous treats, The Detroit Shoreway is home to the west side’s best theater establishments. Last summer JPC and I supported Cleveland Public Theatre by attending Pandemonium, an annual fundraising event that is worth experiencing! Tons of live performances, open bars, stocked buffets, and fashionable guests make it one of my favorite events in the city! Last year was our first visit to the theater, and now that we can stroll down the street to take in a show I can promise it wont be our last.

Of course, a post about the Detroit Shoreway cannot be complete without a mention of LUXE Kitchen and Lounge. The restaurant has been a favorite of mine for almost two years and was the setting of choice for our recent Mother’s Day brunch. I can’t express my excitement enough by telling you how perfect it is that I’m moving in down the street just as summer begins. I will be spoiled by this beautiful patio until at least September and can’t wait to enjoy every minute of it!

If you haven’t had a chance to visit The Detroit Shoreway I encourage you to stop by this summer for a visit, I promise the hosptiality won’t disappoint! On June 9th the neighborhod will be co-hosting Parade The Circle, Party in the Square with University Circle and it will be a lovely event with Lolly The Trolley on hand to take you East to West and vice versa. I hope to see you there!

Thanks, Nadine!! J and I LOVE Gordon Park Square – we may just have to hit you up on one of our many trips we’re sure to take to Sweet Moses this summer!!!

Do you know the bloggers in your city/state??  p.s. You can check out my post on my little tip on how to up your fitness game over on Nadine’s blog today!

The winner of the 2012 Annual Silver Spoon Awards Party is:

Stephanie! And an even BIGGER CONGRATS on finishing the Cleveland Marathon today, too! You’re a winner all around today!

Email me your contact information by tomorrow night.

And, don’t forget, there’s still time to purchase tickets here.

I am exhausted from a long day of 10k running, marathon cheering, volunteering, and biking. Can’t wait to recap the weekend for you – be back tomorrow!

Congratulations to all the runners this weekend. It was a hot one – everyone should be proud!!

It’s here! It’s here!

I’m so so excited for marathon weekend! I’m probably only this excited, though, because I’m not running the marathon.

I’m actually registered for the half, but I think I might downgrade to the 10k so I can run with J. I actually haven’t been running much since the Glass City half and have been on a little “running hiatus”. I’m not out to kill this race, or PR, or any of that. I just want to enjoy the excitement of race day and focus on cheering everyone else on!

I get so emotional watching marathons but, like I mentioned yesterday, Cleveland just kills me. The memories from this weekend 2 years ago all come flooding back and I get so weepy.

p.s. Look how little C looks!

It was such an amazing day. One of those days that everyone should get to experience.

So good luck to all the runners this weekend! I wish everyone a day filled with joy, confidence, spandex, Body Glide, and sweat – lots and lots of sweat.

Be on the lookout for me. I’ll be the crazy lady screaming my face off (so make sure your name is on your shirt!).

Do you love marathon weekend in your town??

Or should I say another tattoo?

I’ve been wanting this tattoo for 2 years now, and it only seemed fitting with the Cleveland Marathon this coming Sunday, that I finally do it. The Cleveland Marathon holds a special place in my heart and I always think of it as my “first” even though it wasn’t.

So J and I headed down to Voodoo Monkey in Ohio City on Monday afternoon.

It’s been so long since I’ve gotten a tattoo (7 years?) that I couldn’t even remember what to expect! Luckily it wasn’t bad at all.

And I LOVE the finished product:

A closer look:

Took me 2 years to design this puppy. And I’m in love with the way it turned out!

I just wish this much thought would have gone into all my tattoos.

Do you have any tattoos? I have 4! One on my front hip (gotten in college – OUCH), one on my back hip, one on the top of my foot and now this one.

First things first: Have you entered to win a pair of tickets to the 2012 Silver Spoon Awards party yet? There’s still time! Go here.

So, when I found out that I got into the NYC Marathon last year through the lottery I immediately started making a list of “must go-to” places. On the top of my food list was Levain Bakery, and on the top of J’s food list was Doughnut Plant. Since J organized the Sunday chaos of chasing me around the city (and running with me!), I felt I owed it to him to visit his #1 rather than mine.

And I’ve been thinking about those darn cookies I missed out on ever since. I’ve seen them on Food Network and so many blogs that I finally decided to take matters into my own hands and try making them myself.

And, OMG, I’m SO GLAD I did.

They’re crispy on the outside and chewy/gooey in the center, and as big as your head. The perfect cookie!

I used 1/2 Trader Joe’s chocolate chips and 1/2 of a chopped up semi-sweet chocolate bar. The different chocolates and walnuts added such a great texture to the cookies.

If you’re looking for cookies to impress, give these a shot! They were best within 3 days of baking so I wouldn’t recommend baking them ahead of time if you’re planning on taking them to a picnic/party/event. But they’re super easy so it’s not really necessary to bake them ahead of time!

Enjoy!!

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? I’m still searching, but this one’s pretty high up on my list now….

I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten my point across about how much I love the annual Silver Spoon Awards party.

And now I’m so excited for the opportunity to share my love of the event with YOU!

(totally stole the image from Plum, who stole it from Smitten!)

Where else can you taste the city’s best dishes all in one place?? The food will leave your belly two sizes bigger than when you arrived and the drinks will be a flowin (stretchy pants and/or flowy dress highly recommended). Then you can jump right back on that horse Thursday morning. Life’s all about the balance, my friends.

Here are the event details:

• Wednesday, May 23rd from 6 to 9pm
• Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center
• Benefits the Arthritis Foundation, Great Lakes Region, Northeast Ohio

Tickets can be purchased online , or you can win a pair of tickets RIGHT HERE!

So, who wants to win??

You can do one or all of the following to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me if you’ve been to a Silver Spoon Awards party before
2. Follow me, @heatha262 , and @SilverSpoonCLE on twitter, and leave a comment telling me you did (or already do!)
3. Tweet “I want to win a pair of tickets to @SilverSpoonCLE from @heatha262!” and be sure to link to this post – and then leave a comment telling me you tweeted
4. You can repeat #3 daily, but make sure you leave me a comment each day you tweet!

The giveaway ends Sunday, May 20th at 5pm. Good luck!!

Like I mentioned previously, J and I are volunteering at this year’s event, but I was offered 2 tickets for my parents in exchange for blogging.