Countdown to Chicago Marathon...

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11 days 22 hours 39 minutes 54 seconds...

I start most mornings by pulling up the official Chicago Marathon website and watching the online clock tick-tick-tick down the minutes and seconds until race day. It's almost surreal. My friend Neal, who is also running the marathon, has had the clock on his desktop since day 336. In a phone call to me the other day he said, "I'm FREAKING OUT watching this thing move closer to single digits."

I'm in my taper, which means cutting back on intensity and mileage. Some runners enjoy the taper and the break that come with it, but most dread it. I'm in the dread group. Even though logically we know that the taper is necessary for the body to recoup and repair and be ready for race day, what's going through our minds is, "I'm losing strength. I'm losing speed. It's been 3 weeks since I've done a long, hard run and my body has forgotten how. I'm not ready, I'm weak, I'm doomed..."

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The Married Life: Real Men Don't Cry (Much)

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This week Blair and I were watching The Biggest Loser and they were showing the contestants call home. What can I say? Grown men reduced to tears the minute they hear the sound of their children's voices gets to me. I'm sitting on the couch, wiping away the tears, when Blair glances over at me.

"Please tell me you're not crying over this," he said.

"You have no heart," I said, followed by several loud sniffs. "Anyone who can watch this and not shed a tear is a cold, cold person."

The Island of Misfit Toys"Now, that's not true," said Blair. "You know I tear up every time I watch the Island of Misfit Toys." 

It's true. He does. Kind of makes me laugh.

Cheers,

Dena

AnaZar Fashion Boutique

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Do you ever have those days where you just know you were in the right place at the right time? I "discovered" my favorite new store IN THE WORLD today. AnaZar Boutique in the Oak Ridge Shopping Center. Love, love, LOVE this store!

I found the store after meeting a friend for lunch. I'm in desperate need of jeans and though I was unfamiliar with the store and actually on my way into Greensboro to shop I thought, "I should check them out."

For the record, I'm easily intimidated in boutiques. I'm fashion challenged and have no idea what goes with what. I so often feel like the sales people in these places are looking at my ho-hum wardrobe and thinking to themselves, "She dared leave the house in that and thinks she's going to shop in MY store? Mm-hmm." 

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