Tracey Livesay's Blog, page 2

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 6

 

Day 

Tree/Decorating Ideas

Welcome to Day Six in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! We’re halfway there. Thank you for sticking with me. I hope you’re getting something from the numerous tips, recipes and decorations, not to mention the new authors and books to add to your TBR pile. Remember to keep coming back over the next seven days.

Today, it’s Tree/Decorating Ideas: Ornament Themes!

Growing up, our family tree had everything: bulbs, lights, ornaments, tinsel, popcorn. And that was so much fun. But my hubby and I wanted something a little more… streamlined. Before kids, I’d talked myself into a tree with red and white bulbs only. *rolls eyes & shakes head* It was a little pretentious. After the kids, I wanted something more homey without the “everything but the kitchen sink” vibe. Once my kids started bringing home ornaments they made in school, it all came together. All ornaments that had a personal connection to us. The collection grows every year as I find new ornaments and the kids love seeing ornaments that were “inspired” by them. :-)

After the production that is decorating your home, you’ll need to take a break and check out Jessica Jefferson‘s latest, Taming Miss Tisdale, available Now! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Jessica is giving away a $10 Starbucks Gift Card paired with an autographed PB copy of Marked from author Jeanne Hardt. Click here for a chance to win. Scroll to the third screen for this particular giveaway.

 

Miss Tamsin Tisdale believes herself to be completely unsuitable for London life. After a myriad of social mishaps, and the potential ruination of her family name, she’s shipped away to her cousin’s northern estate. Only after she accepts the type of existence Society dictates she must follow will she be welcomed home.

Marcus Winston, the Duke of Grayson, has a lackluster reputation. The last in a dying line, he’s endured a protected life—rank with privilege, but encumbered by isolation. After a brief encounter with rebellion, he learns the devastating consequences of his carelessness and willingly accepts living life from inside his gilded cage.

However, a chance meeting with the brazen Miss Tisdale gives Marc the opportunity to reinvent himself into the man he’s always dreamed of being. But when his deception comes to light, and ghosts from both their pasts threaten to unravel the intimacy they’ve come to cherish, will either of them set their fears aside long enough to embrace love? Or will Miss Tisdale’s stubbornness divide them?

Taming Miss Tisdale on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1yCylak

Want more information about Jessica? 

Websites: www.JessicaJefferson.com & www.embracingromance.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Jefferson/545243542195152

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorJessicaJ/

Goodreads shelf at http://tinyurl.com/mfnbyk8/

 

What do you put on your tree? 

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, author, blogs, contemporary, decorating, interracial, Jeanne Hardt, Jessica Jefferson,

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 5

 

Day 

Appetizer Recipe

Welcome to Day Five in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! Thank you for coming back. Only eight more days to take part in the celebration and learn some useful holiday tips, traditions and recipes. Plus, more authors and more books! :-)

Today, an Appetizer Recipes: Deviled Eggs!

I’m not an entertainer. I don’t think most people are, although you’d never know it from watching TV. I love watching House Hunters (although they’ve made me very cranky with their new conflict format) and every couple on there always talks about needing an open floor plan for entertaining. I mean, buy the house for how it feels to you, not for how it works when people come over. Anyway, I digress. LOL I started out by saying I don’t entertain to lead into the fact that I don’t really make appetizers. But my hubby and my daughter loves Deviled Eggs, so this recipe is the closest I’ve got.

Ingredients

6 large eggs- *recipe makes 12 portions*
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (like Gulden’s)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place eggs in medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 dozen ice cubes. Pour off water from saucepan and gently shake pan back and forth to crack shells. Transfer eggs to ice water with slotted spoon and let cool 5 minutes.
Peel eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Transfer yolks to fine-mesh sieve and use spatula to press them through sieve and into bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mashing mixture against sides of bowl until smooth.
Arrange whites on serving platter and fill with yolk mixture, mounding filling about 1/2 inch above whites. Serve immediately.

Now before you call everyone in to dinner–y’know, in your entertaining space–take a moment to check out Meggan Connors’ latest, Highland Deception, available Now! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Meggan is giving away an ebook set and signed PB of The Marker paired with a $10 Amazon Gift Card from author Kim Hotzon. Click here for a chance to win. Scroll to the seventh screen for this particular giveaway.

 

When Kenneth Mackay, long-banished rogue and thief, returns to the Mackay holding at the request of his brother, he has no idea what he might find. He certainly doesn’t expect to be confronted with his twin’s imminent death, or with the plan his brother has concocted.

Ten years before, Malcolm made a tragic mistake, and, to preserve the family name—and his own skin—he allowed Kenneth to take the fall. Now that he is dying without an heir, Malcolm plans to atone for his mistake: by giving Kenneth his life back. All Kenneth has to do is assume his brother’s identity. But complicating matters is the unexpected return of Lady Isobel Mackay, the daughter of an English marquess and the wife Malcolm didn’t want.

Isobel barely knows the husband who abandoned her even before their marriage, and she’d long since given up on having a real marriage with him. Yet when she returns to the Mackay holding far earlier than expected, she finds her husband a changed man. Despite the hurt between them, Isobel’s heart responds to this man who cares for his entire clan as if they were family. Who, for the first time, cares for her as if she is, too.

Falling in love with her husband had never been part of Isobel’s plan. But when their future is suddenly in peril, Isobel must find a way to save him—from himself and from the deception threatening to tear them apart.

Highland Deception on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1yCyL0j 

Want more information about Meggan? 

Website:  http://megganconnors.wordpress.com/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meggan.connors

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5394148.Meggan_Connors

Twitter: @MegganConnors

Do you entertain? If so, share your favorite appetizer recipe.  

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, appetizer, author, blogs, contemporary, Deviled Eggs, Highland Deception, interracial, Meggan Connors, passion, passionate, romance, Tracey Livesay, writer

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 4

 

Day 

Gift Ideas Under $10

Welcome to Day Four in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! Thanks for coming back. I hope my Whiskey Punch didn’t leave you with much of a hangover. ;-) It’s still early days, so don’t forget to stop by over the next nine days to learn more about some great authors and pick up fun holiday tips.

Today, it’s Gift Ideas Under $10: Relaxation in a Jar!

This topic is dear to me as each year I have countless opportunities where giving small gifts is required. Gifts for my kids’ teachers and bus driver, holiday parties, tokens of appreciation… if I don’t limit myself, I’d spend a lot of money. So I try to think of items that are budget friendly. I often make a lot of gifts. This year, my kids are giving their teachers Relaxation in a Jar.

What you’ll need:

small mason jars
Bath salts
ribbon
pretty swatch of fabric

Directions

Fill mason jar with bath salts. Close lid and cover top with pretty fabric. Tie with ribbon and Voila!

After you give out your gifts, draw your own bath and prepare yourself for relaxation as you check out Kim Hotzon’s latest, Hands Full of Ashes, available January 14, 2015! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Kim is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card paired with an ebook set and signed PB of The Marker from author Meggan Connors. Click here for a chance to win.

Olivia promises to fulfill her dying husband’s wish – to scatter his ashes around the world. Wading through grief and depression, she journeys to a remote orphanage in Uganda. Living amongst the children in their threadbare surroundings, she vows to fight for the children’s lives as she begins to fight for her own. While Olivia develops a passion for humanitarian work, the lonely director of the orphanage develops a simmering passion for her.

Just as time begins to heal the wounds of Olivia’s fragile heart, her world is shattered when she is involved in a violent encounter with an armed rebel group in the picturesque mountains of Uganda. Olivia flees to the safety of Rwanda, where she learns the truth of her husband’s unimaginable betrayal.

As Olivia hovers on the brink of an emotional collapse, her broken soul is reawakened with a startling new love – but her life is about to take another dramatic turn as she struggles to survive in a region left torn apart by civil war. It will take every ounce of Olivia’s courage to hang on to those she loves the most but it may come at a great cost to all of them.

Hands Full of Ashes, available January 14, 2015

Website: www.kimhotzon.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kim Hotzon

What are your favorite $10 or less gift ideas? 

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, author, Bath salts, blogs, contemporary, gifts, Hands Full of Ashes, interracial, Kim Hotzon, passion, passionate, romance, Tracey Livesay, writer

The 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 3

 

Day 

Cocktail Recipe

Welcome to Day Three in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! Thanks for coming back. Are you having fun? Yesterday, I made a little mistake. It was supposed to be Favorite Holiday movie, but I did Favorite Holiday Recipe. My bad. I’ll find a way to correct it on another day, so make sure you stop by over the next ten days to take part in the celebration and keep me on track. Clearly, I need it. LOL I’ll also give you more fodder for your TBR pile as I introduce you to loads of new authors!

Today, it’s one of my favorite Cocktail Recipes: Whiskey Punch!

I make this recipe a few days before Christmas and then we drink it and play cards Christmas evening. It’s reminiscent of whiskey sour, but on a larger scale. One cup and jokes are funnier than ever before. I wonder why that is? ;-)

Ingredients

2 liters whiskey or bourbon
1/2 liter dark rum
1 1/4 cups sugar
7 cups strong-brewed tea *let bags steep 5 minutes
3 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice or 4 (7.5 oz) bottles frozen lemon juice, thawed
2 quarts orange juice

Directions

Stir together all ingredients in a large crock or food-safe container. Cover mixture and chill up to 3 days before serving.

Now, pour yourself a glass, sit down and check out Cynthia Gail‘s latest, Winter’s Magic, available Now! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Cynthia is giving away a $10 Starbucks Gift Card paired with a Bark Less Wag More coffee mug and swag from author Rachel Lacey. Click here for a chance to win.

 

Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world.

After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda.

Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women Nick’s dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick’s past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret.

Winter’s Magic on Amazon: http://amzn.to/12ysNRp

Website: http://www.cynthiagail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaGailBook

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaGailRomance.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564818.Cynthia_Gail

Is there a holiday drink you like to imbibe?

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, author, blogs, contemporary, Cynthia Gail, interracial, passion, passionate, romance, Tracey Livesay, Whiskey Punch, Winter's Magic, writer

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 2

 

Day 

Favorite Holiday Recipe

Welcome to Day Two in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! If you’re back from yesterday, thanks for continuing the journey with me. If you’ve found me some other way, I’m so happy you’re here! Come back over the next eleven days to take part in the celebration. More recipes! More decorating tips! More holiday traditions! I’ll also introduce you to other authors to add to your growing TBR pile. ;-)

Now, one of my Favorite Holiday Recipes. Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Pecan Topping!

My grandmother is an awesome cook. Before I got married I had no need to learn my way around a kitchen. Grandma would always hook me up! But now that I have my own family–and live over two hours away–they look to me to feed them. Maybe culinary expertise lies dormant in the genes, surging forward when summoned, because I found my bread thumb. (Y’know, like a green thumb, but for cooking. :-) ) I make this recipe every holiday. It’s supposed to be a side item, but it tastes just like dessert.

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Now that I have your attention, I want you to check out Abigail Sharpe‘s latest, Who Wants to Marry a Doctor, available Now! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Abigail is giving away a bag of heart-shaped pasta paired with a $5 Amazon Gift Card from author Maureen Bonatch. Click here for a chance to win. Scroll to the fifth screen for this particular giveaway.

 

The Doctor Is In . . .

As a single mom and pediatrician, Sabrina Bankhead doesn’t have time for romance. All that changes when she reluctantly agrees to take part in a dating show fundraiser for a children’s hospital. But once she sets eyes on the journalist hired to cover the show, none of the four contestants stand a chance. If she doesn’t choose one of the eligible bachelors, the hospital doesn’t raise a cent. What’s a lovestruck doc to do?

Investigative journalist Quinn Donnelly is on the mend after an assignment in Afghanistan left him both physically and emotionally scarred. Though he’s itching to return overseas and finish his story, he’ll have to be content with this fluff piece assignment to cover a local dating show. One-night stands are Quinn’s forte-but after he meets Sabrina, he’s ready to say yes for the long haul. After years of chasing the next big story, Quinn is starting to wonder if maybe home really can be where the heart is . . .

Who Wants to Marry a Doctor

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/12eOmX7

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/abigail-sharpe

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/who-wants-to-marry-a-doctor

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/abigail-sharpe/id551152121?mt=11

Want more information about Abigail? 

Website:  www.abigailsharpe.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/AbigailSharpeBooks

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? If not to cook or bake, what about to eat? 

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Abigail Sharpe, author, blogs, contemporary, interracial, passion, passionate, romance, sweet potato casserole, Tracey Livesay, Who Wants to Marry a Doctor, writer

12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop– Day 1

 

Day 

Dessert Recipe

Welcome to Day One in our Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Hop!! I’m so happy you’re here! For the next twelve days, stop by daily to take part in the celebration, finding new recipes, decorating tips & holiday traditions. I’ll also introduce you to other authors, so you can add to your TBR pile. After all, you’ll have loads of reading time over the holidays! ;-)

First up, one of my favorite Dessert Recipes. Pumpkin Cake w/Butter Pecan Frosting!

Growing up, I wasn’t a big pumpkin pie fan, preferring the taste of sweet potato pie. But my husband loves pumpkin flavored anything and over the years I’ve learned to make pumpkin bread, muffins, pancakes and cheesecake. This cake is a family favorite as it blends two tastes we love: pumpkin & butter pecan (my favorite ice cream since I was a kid :-) )

Tip: Be sure to use canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree

Frosting

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened, cut into 8 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups glazed pecans, chopped

Directions

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt in a bowl. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs, oil and granulated sugar until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low, add pumpkin, and mix until incorporated. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until only a few small lumps of flour remain, about 1 minute. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
For the frosting: With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese one piece at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until smooth. Fold in pecans. Turn cooled cake out onto wire rack then invert onto serving platter Spread frosting evenly over cake. Slice & serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

While the cake is cooling, take a moment to stop by and check out Sophia Kimble‘s latest, Protect Her, available Now! As part of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, Sophia is giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card paired with a pair of hand-painted ceramic penguin holiday mugs from author Ryan Jo Summers. Click here for a chance to win. Scroll to the second screen for this particular giveaway.

Golden Alexander is trapped in a nightmare.

Trying to flee her hallucination of a demon, she runs heart first into the brooding alpha male she’s been dreaming about for years, and then her nightmare really begins.

Kris Pietka is done with women…he’s broken. But when he meets Golden, an overwhelming need to protect her tests everything he thought he knew about himself, and the paranormal.

A bond forged centuries ago thrusts them together as they search for a way to break an ancient Druid curse prophesying their demise. Racing against the clock, they travel from Vermont, to the Carpathian Mountains in Poland, and the Scottish Highlands in search of answers and a way to break the curse.

But something evil watches—it covets, and time is running out.

Will fate allow love to prevail against unbeatable odds, or will Golden wake to find it was all a delusion?

Protect Her on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1u6bWf5

www.sophiakimble.com

Blog: http://sophiakimble.com/blog/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SophiaKimble

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiakimbleauthor

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/SophiaKimble

What’s your favorite holiday dessert? If you decide to try out my recipe, let me know what you think. 

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: 12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Christmas Blog Hop, author, Blog Hop, blogs, contemporary, interracial, passion, passionate, Protect Her, romance, Ryan Jo Summers, Sophie Kimble, Tracey Livesay, writer

Running the Anthem Richmond Half Marathon, Part Two: Race Weekend

If you missed Part One of my Marathon saga, click here.

Although the race would take place in a location only an hour away, the LaLas decided to reserve rooms at the race hotel for Friday & Saturday night. That way we could pick up our packets at the Expo center, have a nice dinner and get plenty of rest before the race Saturday morning. And after the race, we could relax, recover and celebrate without the specter of driving home hanging over our heads.

We made great time getting to Richmond and immediately headed to the race expo to pick up our race packets and do some shopping. There were thousands of people–MY people! Runners. The hum in the air was exciting. I received my packet which contained, among other things, my race bib, a shopping bag and my event T-shirt. There were stations set up with any kind of accessory a runner would need, clothes, shoes, stickers, snacks, etc. I bought a few things, shocker, but I made sure to get my 13.1 car magnet. (See above) Yeah, baby!

Annette, Sharon, Ashley, Petra & Me. Missing: Leigh

How were my legs, you ask? I was walking gingerly, but my legs felt better than they had in the last two weeks. I knew running wouldn’t be pain-free, but I thought back to my 11 mile run and I knew I could do it. Plus, I was so happy to be there with the LaLas. If you read my post on How I Became a LaLa, then you’d know that my friends had already run their first half-marathons. In fact, Sharon, Ashley and Leigh were running their first FULL marathon (26.2 miles). They always came back from the races with great stories and experiences and I was sad to have missed out on them. This time I was going to be a part of the experience and I was going to share it with women who’d become very important to me.

We had dinner in the hotel that night and met up with Sharon’s cousin and her running crew. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the evening. A funny thing happened to us in the hotel’s elevator. If you’ll notice in the above pictures, we have awesome shirts that say “We’re the LaLas and we RUN this town!” It was quite a sight when we crossed the lobby en masse. As we got into the elevator, this woman looked at us and said, “So YOU guys run this town! I’ve been wondering who I should talk to.” We looked at each blankly for a second before we got it. It was really funny. Another one of those “you had to be there moments” that I would have missed if I’d skipped the race.

The LaLas & the crew from Pittsburgh

I’d researched the best way to fuel before a half-marathon. When I usually run in the morning, I tend to do so on an empty stomach. I knew that wouldn’t work for over 13 miles. The magazines suggested eating several hours before the race. I’d made my whole wheat running muffins and woke up at 5 am to eat it with some peanut butter and a banana. Eating was the very last thing I wanted to do that morning; my stomach was tied in knots. But I forced it down and got dressed.

The LaLas before the race began!

It was cold that morning, around twenty-seven degrees. That meant layering up. We headed down to the lobby where people were hanging around, waiting for the races to start. I was nervous, but not in a bad way. It was anticipation.

When you sign up for the race, they ask you to guess your finishing time. Since this was my first one, I estimated high, around 3 hours, although, privately, I hoped I’d finish somewhere around 2 hours and 35 minutes, based on my training runs and factoring in the adrenaline of race day. The three hour estimation put me in the very last wave. What are waves in race world? When you have thousands of people running a race, they can’t all begin at the same time. You’d have a massive traffic jam. So runners start in waves and each wave starts in about minute increments. The race started and Wave A, elite athletes, started first. About a minute later, Wave B got the green light, and so on. About six minutes after the race officially started, I began running my first half marathon.

I knew from my first step that it was going to hurt. The pain radiated up my shin and bloomed in my calf. Step after step, the left worse than the right. But not only had I trained for the race, I trained for this situation. I knew from my 11-mile run that I could run through my discomfort. So I tuned out the agony, turned up my music and ran. It always takes me about a mile to settle in and this was no different. As I started passing people, I realized I’d really underestimated my time. Most of the people in the last wave were people who’d planned to walk. I could do this. I would even make my time. I felt great. If it wasn’t for the pain in my legs, it would have been awesome.

Remember when I said it was twenty-seven degrees outside? Most people wouldn’t be outside if they didn’t need to be. But the citizens of Richmond were awesome. They were amazing hosts. They had signs, and snacks and smiles for us. They waved and held out their hands for high-fives. They clapped and offered cheery encouragement. Around mile eight I heard a deep voice call out “Come on, Tracey. You got this.”  That man didn’t know me, just saw my name on my race bib, but his words put an extra pep in my step.

And then I felt a twinge in my left knee. I ignored it. I was becoming a pro at overlooking pain. But over the next mile, it got worse. It felt like my IT band was rubbing against my knee bone, with no lubrication. Imagine a rubber band rubbing against a rock. The friction that would cause. Yup. And so, it wasn’t my calves that eventually felled me. It was my knee and IT band. I hadn’t been stretching daily the way I usually did because I’d taken the two weeks before the race off. And so my band wasn’t as pliable and limber as it should have been.

Mile Ten and I had to walk. I was so upset with myself. I knew I could keep running. I wasn’t out of breath. I felt good that way. But my knee hurt badly. At this point I knew I wouldn’t make my goal time. For a few minutes I allowed myself a pity party. Then I pulled myself together. I would finish. I alternated between running and walking. I’d run until I couldn’t take the pain in my knee and then I’d walk. When my IT band settled down some, I’d run again. I did this for the next three miles until I saw the Thirteen Mile sign. It was almost over.

IT Band

And so we’ve come full circle. The end of the race was near and it was all downhill. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. This was going to hurt. And it did, all the way down. Each pounding step rushed pain up my legs and my left knee throbbed with a fiery intensity. It took everything I had to resist what my body was telling me: Girl, slow your roll. I don’t want to run no more. My body could suck it! There was no way I was walking across the finish line. By the time I stepped under the banner, I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I almost missed the announcer calling out “Tracey Livesay, from Fredericksburg, Virginia.”

Immediately, I felt myself drowning in pain, relief, excitement, pride and exhaustion. I traversed the gauntlet of race volunteers who handed me my medal, and race blanket, and water and snacks. I hobbled, the tears finally falling down as I looked for my friends. Petra’s race had ended earlier and Annette had been in the wave before mine. I knew they would be waiting for me. The moment I saw their faces, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I cried. I felt euphoric. I’d done it. I’d run a half-marathon. In 2 hours and 59 minutes. LOL

All the LaLas after the race

 

Icing my knee after the race

Even before the recuperation began, I knew this was only the beginning. This wouldn’t be my last race. Despite all the bumps in the road, I’d set a goal and met it. I’d trained for months and done something that I’d once thought was impossible. How cool was that?

That’s a wrap!

Here’s to the Marine Corp Half in May! :-)

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: Anthem Marathon, author, blogs, contemporary, half-marathon, interracial, marathon, passionate, race, romance, running, Tracey Livesay, writer, writing

Running the Anthem Richmond Half Marathon, Part One

The last quarter mile of the race was downhill!!

You’d think that would be a good thing. Momentum and gravity would pull you to the finish line. Except my IT band was screaming, my calves were ranting, my knee was wailing. For once, going uphill had been my friend, but downhill was agony. The pounding on my left leg–the gravity that others welcomed had turned into my enemy–meant every step was an invitation to impalement of my left knee onto a red hot poker.

I wouldn’t make the time I’d set for myself, I didn’t run the whole thing, I was so frustrated! How had I gotten to this point? I’d trained for months. How had I gotten to the point where the last stretch of the race was seconds away from making me its bitch?

<>

(That’s my rewind sound. ;-) We’re going back, y’all LOL)

About two weeks before the race, I started experiencing pain in my calves. The pain was in both, but was worse in my left leg. According to my training schedule, I needed to do my last long run before the race, 12 miles, that Saturday. The pain had been getting worse all week. My run that Thursday, 6 miles, was not a good one. So that Saturday, I started off. I warned the other LaLas that my legs were hurting and I may not make it. Around mile 3, I had to stop. I stretched a little, but the pain kept getting worse. I didn’t think I would make it. I was mad at myself and disappointed. I knew I could do the 12 miles, after all I’d run 10 miles the two previous Saturdays in a row. But each step hurt. So I decided to call it a morning. I was going to run back to my car and go home. Since it was early in the morning and still dark, Ashley & Leigh, two of the LaLas, offered to run with me. We are true believers in running safe. :-)

Funny thing about that last couple of miles to my car. It hurt, but my will was stronger. When we reached my car, I said I wanted to keep going. I wasn’t going fast, but I’d settled into a rhythm that was working for me. One foot in front of the other, breathing steadily, the pain became manageable. I kept going. Five miles turned to six… seven… eight. I turned up my music and the LaLas let me be. And I kept running. I managed to make 11 miles that run. I was so proud of myself. And as Sharon, Queen LaLa, told me, this run proved that if I faced adversity during the race, I could overcome it. Of course, when I stopped, I was walking like Fred Sanford. Or like I had been expertly and thoroughly fucked. ;-)

The next morning, my legs cursed me and my stupid determination. My calves were shot. You don’t realize the number of movements your calves make possible until it hurts to do all of them. That week, I learned.

Walking. Putting weight on each leg was torture. Hence, my Sanford & Son/lots of sex stride.
Sitting down. There was no graceful lowering of myself onto a chair or sofa. I dropped, like a bean bag, and breathed a sigh of relief. Until it was time to…
Stand up. There was no simple rise. I had to brace one hand on the coffee table or wall and will myself to an upright position. So using the bathroom… not fun. And let’s not even mention…
Walking up and down the stairs. Seriously, at one point, I sat down and scooted. LOL

I was a mess. And I couldn’t train at all. By Sunday, I was able to put one foot in front of the other without wincing. Time for a run, right? Oh come on, I had to. I hadn’t run all week. The runners out there feel me. They know that feeling you get when you don’t run for a few days. You have this pent-up energy. If you see someone else running, you feel jealous. If you’re in a car, you want to stop your car and immediately start running. You might even look down and see if you’re wearing appropriate shoes to make that happen. It’s a sickness, people. How else to explain what I did next?

Yup, I went for a run. In thirty degrees. But it was sunny. :-) I did 6 miles. It was a good run. My breathing and endurance felt great. I used some of the techniques my hubby taught me and I think it took some pressure off my calves, but when I stopped, my legs were on fire. I started to worry that I might have to sit this race out. :-(

The Wednesday before the half marathon, I went for a massage at my hubby’s suggestion. He thought a good rub down might loosen up the muscles. I probably should’ve gone to see a doctor, but I knew she would tell me to skip the race and I wasn’t about to hear that. I’d trained for over two months. Run four to five times a week, in all kinds of weather. Gotten up at ungodly hours to get my miles in before the sun rose. Practiced eating and hydrating during my long runs. Stopped drinking wine!! I was not going to miss this race!

Next week, Part Two: Race Weekend

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: Anthem Marathon, author, blogs, contemporary, half-marathon, interracial, LaLas, Richmond, romance, running, Tracey Livesay, training, writer

How I Became a LaLa…

During an 11-mile run

Yeah, so I’m one of those people. Those crazy people who run.  I clearly remember being on the other side of the line. I would see others running and wonder why in the hell someone would do that if they weren’t being chased by a zombie or ax-wielding mad man.

It started gradually with me (OMG, that sounds like the beginning of a Lifetime TV movie involving a teenager :-D ): Some women in my neighborhood decided to give running a try and asked if I was interested. I’d just gotten my youngest son in pre-school and was starting to come out of the fog of having three children in four years. And I had a LOT of baby weight I needed to shed. So I jumped at the opportunity to exercise and get to know my neighbors. We would run at night, and in the beginning, running an entire mile without stopping was an accomplishment. Pretty soon we were up to 2 then 3 miles straight and it wasn’t long before we ran our first 5K.

At that point, I was content. I’d never run that far before and I thought I could run three miles several times a week for the rest of my life and be content. During this time, my friends and I noticed this other running crew, comprised of tall, angular blondes and brunettes. They wore their hair in ponytails, they ran in 3×3 formation and their stride seemed syncopated. We nicknamed them the LuLus, because of their Lululemon workout gear. We were all different ethnicities, all different sizes, all different paces, all different workout gear. I joked that we were the antithesis of the LuLus; we were LaLas. The name stuck. :-)

Those were fun times. Life, however, intervened, and I fell off my running. My friends, however, never did. They continued running. And I’d join them occasionally, but not enough to feel that elusive “runner’s high.” My friends ran obstacle courses and then progressed to their first half-marathon. I proudly cheered from the sidelines, but a part of me wanted to know what it would feel like to cross the finish line. To experience the euphoria that my friends felt as they shared their experiences and laughed at the pictures taken during the race.

With very little training I ran a 10-mile race back in March, and I was happy I did it, but I felt like I could’ve done better. So when the LaLas decided to run their first full marathon in November, and I saw there was a half-marathon option, I signed up for it. There was the added incentive of being able to finish a half marathon as a gift to myself for my fortieth birthday (two weeks after the race).

I didn’t run as much as I wanted to over the summer, but I had a ten week training plan, so ten weeks out from the race, I started training. I made a promise to myself that I was going to put training–essentially, me–first. I wasn’t going to fit it in, or only do it if it was convenient for my family. Everything in my life, even my writing, would revolve around the training. And I kept that promise to myself. It was rough starting out, but about three weeks in, it hit me. I’d run enough miles to experience that “runner’s high.” And oh man, it’s incredible. You feel invincible, like you can’t believe you’re actually running that far. And this commitment imprints itself on your soul. If you’re supposed to run 7 miles, you want to run 7 miles. It’s not enough to run 6 1/2, you have to do the full 7. It sounds crazy, I know, but it happens.

And just like that, I stepped over the line. The line that separates the runners from the non-runners. I don’t mean that to sound judgmental in any way. But runners are crazy. We spend a lot of money on running shoes. We run in all types of weather. We talk about GUs and hydration, heel strike vs toe strike, natural vs. pose running. We talk about pace and PR (personal records). We have different gadgets/apps to measure different things.

And runners have to run.

This Saturday, November 15th, I will run my first half-marathon in Richmond, Virginia. Wish me luck. :-)

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: author, blogs, contemporary, half-marathon, interracial, LaLas, passion, romance, running, Tracey Livesay, writer

Tracey’s Seal of Approval: Bless Your Hearts, I’m Back!

This week’s listing of blog posts that gets Tracey’s Seal of Approval:

Dudesplaining, the April Edition: “Bless his heart.” I LOVE those three words because you know what’s coming next will be killer!

Female Journalist Gets Rape Threats Over Comic Book Criticism: Seriously? She doesn’t like a cover, so you have to personally attack her? You don’t have a significant other, do you?

Cover Trend: Hair-y YA Heroines: I want to buy them headbands. Or scrunchies.

Which article do you like the best? Which one speaks to you?

 

Filed under: Mimosas at Midnight Tagged: author, blogs, Comics, contemporary, interracial, romance, The Tycoon's Socialite Bride, Tracey Livesay, writer