October 1st was undeniably one of the greatest days this month. I mean, I know we're all of 2 weeks into the month, but it really was a day to remember.

Why do you ask? Well because that's when the 2nd running of the Prince William Half occurred.

I had no/low expectations of myself at this race. Before anyone starts spouting inspirational dribble about how I should be proud and yadda yadda yadda, I went into this race with the only expectation of finishing it and fully enjoying the splendor that is the Manassas Battlefield.

There is something to be said for going into a race with such a mindset. I enjoyed myself. Really enjoyed myself. I saw friends, cheered people on, got swept up in the beauty of the rolling fields, and just flat out enjoyed myself over those 13.1 miles. I ran those miles in a state of awe, wonder, happiness, and gratefulness. Most importantly, I trusted in myself. I trusted in the work I had put in.

So race day started off cold. Like 46 degrees cold. What?!?! Fall showed up in a big way. This was a topic of discussion in our MRTT group. What to wear!?! So I settled on my long sleeve MRTT shirt, a pair of capris (knee pants on me), and gloves. Two layers of gloves. I had my favorite oatmeal for breakfast, and made sure I had everything with me, including my bib! I didn't forget my bib this year! I'm already winning!

A post shared by Heather Boyajian (@sewhalfcrazy) on Oct 1, 2017 at 2:38am PDT

On the way to Jiffy Lube, I get to drive part of the course and see the Stonewall Jackson Fire Dept. out with their ladder truck and an enormous American flag hanging from the ladder. I did get a little teary. So once in the parking lot at Jiffy Lube, it was really just a hurry up and wait. I met up with friends, we took the huge MRTT picture, and then we wandered over to the chute for the start of the race.

I positioned myself at the very back of the corrals, back with the 3:30 folks. I had no expectations, and pretty quickly I moved up past the 3:00 pace group and as we moved out onto the roads, I just enjoyed the marching bands and cheerleading squad that was out on University Blvd. Pass the fire truck again, and then past my high school's drum band. Drums and races, they're just two of my favorite things. Having your feet fall at the same time as the beat is something amazing, and being able to feel those beats makes it all the better.

So then it was onto 29 for the bulk of the race, and I passed the 2:45 pace group. What?! Well, we'll see if that holds. I was feeling really good. Cold, but good. My hands were still cold, but the rest of me was comfortable. I look over towards the battlefield and the sun is hitting the dying grass in a way that makes it look like sugar was sprinkled over the entire field. It's so gorgeous. I take a nice deep breath. The crisp air feels amazing.

Before I know it we're about to turn up New York Ave., towards the monuments, and here is where I start to see my friends. First up is a schoolmate that I've known from elementary days, she's with the 2:15 group and looks amazing. Next is my neighbor and fellow MRTT'er, she's so energetic. Then I pass another fellow MRTT'er, and finally, it's my time to go up around the loop and work my way back down the hill. Then back out to 29 towards Stone House. I pass all the same girls, except this time I see my most frequent MRTT running partner, and another MRTT'er that's moved back to the area. Seeing them along the course really helps motivate me. I want to see them again, and I start figuring out the next spot that I'm likely to pass them.

Before I pass all of them again, my watch goes off. 5 miles in under an hour. What!?! I didn't think I was doing that well, but that's awesome. I'm also feeling pretty good. Those 5 miles flew by, and now we're running back up 29.

I did break the cardinal rule of racing though. I wore a brand new bra, which was awesome by the way, and I tried new nutrition. Luckily, everything worked out. The bra didn't chafe and I saved $6 on it because Target was having a sale. I've been mulling over changing my fuel during long runs because the Gatorade chews I've been using have started upsetting my stomach. Always a good thing while running long distances with no bathroom in sight. So I tried some Gu, and I really liked the first one. It was Carmel Macchiato which is my hubs favorite Starbucks order, so that made me think of him, and then running those hills that were coming weren't so bad. The second Gu I had was not as nice, and I did not finish it. I shouldn't be surprised because I do not like berry flavors, and it was Triple Berry. Ok, back to the recap.

I see all of my girls again after turning up the road headed towards Rock Fight. Rock Fight is my favorite section of the battlefield, but it did slow a lot of folks because it's all hills. Lots of small little hills with bigger hills at either end. Luckily, if you train on this stretch of the trail, the road follows the trail, so I was used to these hills. It made it easier to encourage my fellow racers.

So after we're back on 29 we're at 8 miles. What?!?! That's awesome. What's even better is that a fellow MRTT'er caught up with me and she and I were able to catch up.

We ran the next few miles together until she left me around mile 12. It was so great to see her, and it is a little amusing that we had such a good conversation in the middle of a race. All of the talking on the phone with my sister and my mom really paid off during training. :)

Ok, it's truth time. Who has bought fabric and a pattern with the intention of getting it made within the month and then it sits around your house for a year?

Fess up. We all have. I certainly have. This is the case with this particular pattern. Part of the delay was also nailing down which view I wanted to make, but really that was only a small part of it.

I was just lazy, but then when your anniversary rolls around and you want to wear something snazzy and new for the husband, guess who digs through her stash and finds the year-old project? Me!

This pattern goes together so easily. There are a few options to choose from, and you can really mix and match the elements that you like. I decided that the dress the model was wearing was the one I was finally going to decide on.

It helps that the Boho look is back, and I was feeling particularly spunky because I have a great pair of stacked lace-up heels that don't hurt my feet, and that's a bonus when you're suffering from plantar fasciitis and you still want to wear cute heels and not limp.  The cherry-on-top to all of this is said heels make your legs look really good.

There's definitely something to be said for a great pair of heels that not only boost your confidence and look good with a myriad of outfits.

I digress. Back to the pattern, after I decided on the dress, got it cut out, realized I forgot to cut out the back neck facing, and then had to cut out that facing piece from muslin, I realized just how much I had the poly blend I was using. I mean, I've used poly blends before and it's nothing new. The slickness of the fabric is just a pain, not to mention how much it sheds. The pattern calls for cotton blends, challis and the like and while my fabric has a similar drape as those, I bet those cotton blends do a bit better when it comes to putting in the eyelets for the lacing up the bodice. The piping around the neck might also have been easier in a less slick fabric.

Speaking of piping, it's a lovely detail only you can't really see it in the print I choose. This pattern would make an excellent foray into adding those little dressmaker details in a newer sewer.

I'm still terrible at taking pictures of myself wearing my creations. Seriously, I could use some help, tips, anything. I was quite happy with the dress. I didn't have to lengthen it like I usually do, which was a nice surprise. Oh, and no I'm not going to show off my terrible pictures of me wearing the dress. You're just going to have to take my word for it.

Thanks so much for stopping by!