happy monday everyone – i’ve added my random ramblings to carissa’s miscellany monday party! check out carissa’s blog here and join in on the fun.
{one} anthropologie tag sale – part 2? did you buy anything at the tag sale last week? i was able to make it to the store the day on the sale after all and i got everything that i wanted. i’m curious to see if the store is going to markdown any more items. fingers crossed!
{two} the bachelorette. so a few months ago i wrote about abc’s the bachelor, brad womack, and some of the girls in the finale. well if you didn’t know this already, abc brought back miss ashley h. to prime time for her chance to find love again on her own show – the bachelorette. the season premiere aired tonight with 25 really good looking men vying for ashley’s attention. i think that she’s going to have a real tough job over the next several weeks finding “the one.” ashley is super lucky to travel to some amazing countries too – i’m looking forward to see the footage in hong kong, thailand, fiji.
{three} running. my co-worker and i ran 3 ½ miles today after work today. we are gearing up for another 5k on memorial day. i’ve been a running fool lately, but this florida heat may change things a bit.
{four} oprah. i just got finished watching part one of the surprise oprah - farewell spectacular. did you watch it? her team did an amazing job so far. i really enjoyed beyonce and rascal flats’ performances. oprah is truly an amazing woman – it’s kinda hard to believe that she won’t be on the air everyday. she’s been in our lives for 25 years and she is an inspiration for so many people. she’ll be missed more than she can ever know. what do you guys think about oprah retiring?
{five} tornadoes and floods. as you know, the midwest and southern states have been hit hard by harsh weather over the few weeks. tornados have destroyed parts of alabama, kansas and most recently, missouri. and of course we know that the mississippi river is close to flooding parts of louisiana. if you want to help out by volunteering or making a donation to those in need in the affected areas, please check out these links to the red cross and the humane society.
OXOX Natasha
The first 2/3 of the race was okay, but it was super hot. I started out running in the 9:00 mile paces and I crossed the first mile at 9:15. Mile 2 was a little harder and I had to tell myself to “keep going!” I starting breathing very hard after mile 1 up until the halfway mark and then I had to walk in order to catch my breath. I started to feel a little nauseous and light-headed, but I figured it was because of the extreme humidity and the sun blaring down on us. I ended up passing the 2 mile clock at about 19:50. During the last mile, my pace slowed to about 11 or 12-minute mile and I was huffing and puffing and I stopped to walk every few minutes. I think that the heat and running on the beach really effected my time. Even though the sand was hard-packed, it was a little difficult to run the whole way. 
I ran in the Marty’s 5k Run on May 14th and I had a great time. It was a gorgeous day for a race. The Marty’s Run benefited Memories of Love, which is a non-profit organization for families whose parents are battling a life-threatening illness. Check out the website if you want to learn more about this great organization. The weather was pretty warm that morning, but it was not unbearable. The race itself was just okay - the course was very simple because the road was flat the whole way and it went through a cute little neighborhood. 
{one} anthropologie tag sale. i went to my local anthro store tonight and they were in full swing: moving fixtures around the store and marking items down. i only saw a handful of items that i recognized, so i can’t write out a list of them. i’m so excited about this sale…i can’t wait to see everything that got marked down. and i really hope that they plan to add free shipping and an additional discount. i guess we’ll find out in the morning. according to an email that i received from anthro, some stores plan to open early for anthro card holders only. here are a list of stores (here) that will open early for the big sale. unfortunately, i won’t be able to make it to the store tomorrow. i’m hoping that the items i put on hold will still be there by wednesday. i’m keeping my fingers crossed! let me know what you hope to buy at the sale.
{three} running shoes. i finally bought a new pair of running sneakers. i went to my local running store and got my feet fitted for some new shoes. the shoe-fitting specialist performed a series of measurements and tests including video taping me run on the treadmill to figure out what shoe would be best for me. the specialist told me that running shoes are classified into several shoe types: cushion, stability and motion control. i’m glad that i went because my old sneakers were doing more damage than good. it turns out that i needed a shoe that provides stability for my ankles. who knew? i ended up purchasing a pair of asics gt-2160 and they feel amazing. i can’t wait to try them out in my next race. 
