Celeb Status

I've got a little D List celebrity on my hands over here!

(Or should be be P {=pug} List?  I'm not sure.)

My little dinky IG account started blowing up Wednesday night, and I realized that one of my recent pics of Ollie girl (or Tooter Butt/Tootie, which I end up calling her 95% of the time anyway, for quite obvious, oft stinky reasons) had gotten posted to the @pugsofinstagram account!  Ever since finding the account, I've been obsessed.  Before I even had Ollie, I would scroll through the account and the #pugsofinstagram hashtag because I just LOVE looking at adorable pugs!

Speaking of my adorable pug (excellent transition Jerbear), I started a new Project 365 a few weeks ago:  365 Days of Ollie.  For those of you who've been following for awhile, I've started Project 365 two (three?) other times, and ended up bored with it and quit.  So far, I'm still having a ton of fun, and it may be because my subject matter is extra adorable and photogenic.  I also think my photography skills have progressed since I first started, or maybe I've just photographed Ollie so much that I'm almost an expert when it comes to pug pics... hah.

Project 365 is pretty straightforward:  You take one picture a day for an entire year.  Danielle did it.  Twice.  Is doing it a 3rd time!  (I think I took you out of my reader because I thought you were done forever, BRB catching up on 140 Henny pics!)  Neal (and his excellent photog skills) has done it as well (again, twice?).  (Link Neal? I can't seem to find it anywhere... :( )  Anyway, it's a lot of fun, but kind of a pain in the @$$ at times.  If you decide to start
1)  Let me know so I can follow you!
2)  Take your camera everywhere! (Or don't if your phone has a great camera, mine are all done on my iPhone)
3)  As the days get short, shoot during lunch times/work breaks/daylight hours.  I got the most bored during my first time because I wouldn't do this, and would end up taking boring, uninspired pics around my apartment.
4)  If you get stuck, look for inspiration.  There seem to be those instagram monthly pic/challenges e'erywhere.  Steal a pic idea off of there and shoot.
5)  Have fun.  That's the whole point, after all.

And if you don't feel like clicking over, but still want adorable Ollie pics, here are a couple of my recent faves.

You fancy, pug.

I can't decide if her big smile is cuter, or if her smooshy sleepy face is. UGH. Presh.

ZOMG Race Week + MOAR PRETEND MODEL PICZ

ZOMG IT'S RACE WEEK!  Cue intense race nerves immediately.

I had some great race prep this past weekend, starting with my final long run of 12 miles, with the last 3 at race pace.  My overall pace (with the race pace miles) was much lower, running by heart rate, and there were times when I had to slooooooooooooooow myself down.  The three race pace miles were challenging, but the run was SUCH a mental boost.  I definitely needed that after my flopasaurus tempo run.

I did 12 miles in 1:49:25 for a pace of 9:08.  My race pace miles were 8:18, 8:27, 8:23.
Average heart rate:  162.

Saturday Aaron and I took the race route by storm on our bikes.  The route is the same as last year, but that means it's completely different from the previous years due to construction.  It's definitely a lot more challenging, as the first 9 mile are rolling hills (as much as you can call something a hill in SoDak) and then the last 4 miles are pretty pancake flat.  The ride helped me mentally strategize what the plan for race day will be. 
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I had a surprise waiting in my mailbox last weekend:  A CD with all the images from my "photo shoot" from May!!!  I didn't realize there were more photos than the ones my photog friend Kathryn had posted on facebook.  I seriously LOVE THEM.  If I put in the effort with my looks, at best I think I can pull off cute.  I'm not complaining, good enough for me.  Turns out Kathryn can make you look (and feel) gorgeous, in front of the camera, so that's neat.  Who doesn't like to play pretty pretty princess for the day??