A lot can change in a year...

So I've deleted this blog, revamped it, changed it, hated it, but ultimately, I still want somewhere to write a bunch of thoughts that may or may not have to do with exercise or running.  And while I still plan on keeping my fitness blog, this is a good place to lay down all those wandering thoughts I still have and still feel the intense need/desire to share.

So where were you a year ago today?

Think about that for maybe five minutes.  I can tell you I was working at Fox Speech Therapy, frustrated and fed up with the way I was treated as an employee; completely exhausted with work.  I was smitten with a boy who had potential and was (and honestly still is) genuinely a great guy.  I was driving Adele (my 2001 dodge stratus from high school).  I was living at home (in Montross).  And I had just taken my board certification exam for OT.

And today all of that has changed.  Drastic right? But a lot can happen in a year.  You can quit jobs, take time off, and find new jobs within a matter of weeks.  You can have your heart broken and not even be in love.  You can buy a new car (I love Ollie by the way - my 2009 Nissan Xterra).  You can move - twice even.  Yep I did that.  Moved twice.  And you can be an OT for a whole year in a completely different field.

It's funny because day by day, nothing seems to change, but when you look at it, everything is different.  All just life lessons learned I suppose.

Toying Around...

I don't always share my weight loss story with everyone...mainly because it's not quite finished yet. But last week, I mentioned to a co-worker that in grad school, I decided to become a healthier, fitter version of myself shedding close to 75lbs.

And you know how the story goes.  One person tells someone who tells someone who tells someone and the list goes on.  I'm very proud of myself in this regard as it's not only hard to lose weight, but it's hard to lose weight the right way and keep it off.  A few of the med-techs that I work with suggested that I start a fitness/health blog.  Now, who am I to give advice on anything?  My schooling is in Rehabilitation and I don't really feel competent enough in lifestyle and wellness to give advice to others.  Although, I do think somewhere down the line I want to study wellness and life coaching/personal training to help others.

Anyways, so I'm toying with the idea of revamping this blog or starting a new one that focuses on health/fitness/running.  I'm hoping that it will keep me more accountable to posting every once in a while as well.

I'll keep you updated here about what I figure out/decide.  But I think I have some good ideas...

Happy Trails.

It's only okay when I say it

Recently, having experienced both the loss and heartbreak of people very close to me, I find myself looking for an outlet to write my words and thoughts down.  One thing I've found, especially recently, is that keeping everything in is detrimental.  So here's my outlet and here's today's fathomable thoughts.

My favorite quote for the past few months has been "You realize you're not alone right?  No one in their twenties has life figured out.  It's okay to be a mess.  You're living."  I find this not only soothing and comforting, but absolutely 100% true.

Over the past year, I've experienced many changes: a new job (twice), graduating college, moving out (twice), buying a new car, loss, death, and heartbreak.  My confidence has been shaken, my trust broken, and my so called life turned upside down and inside out.  All the while, life moves on waiting for no one.  No matter the cause - death, heartbreak, stress, etc.  These changes are enough to make one question their self worth and ability.  And while I've often said that I don't feel like I have my life together, I never realized how far from the truth that really was.

I've always had an idea of what life would look like at 20, 25, 40 etc.  And everything I imagined, has turned out differently than expected.  I thought at 25, I would wildly successful at my job, in love or at least seriously dating someone, have my own place - basically everything that says success in today's world.  So far, I find that it will probably be years before I'm anywhere near confident with my OT skills, experienced one hell of a heart break, and rent an apartment in my friend's house.

Tonight at a bar, my friends were talking with some guys.  This 34 year old made the comment that he couldn't date anyone under the age of 28 because girls younger than that "don't know what they fucking want..."  My friend's response was "Well, Tristan is 25, has her Master's degree and runs about 25 miles a week.  I'd say she's pretty successful and knows what she wants..."

And that's when it dawned on me. Even when I feel that I don't have my shit together, I do.  I've come a long way, worked really hard, and experienced a lot to make me who I am.  I may be 25 and feel like a complete and total mess, but at least I'm living.  And I'm the only one who can say whether it's right or wrong.

Nothing says I love you like a 10K

Today I feel in love with running all over again.  No it wasn't a marathon or even a half, but it was just about the most perfect 10K I could have dreamed of (except maybe with a faster time...). After a long week and a busy weekend with about 10 hours of sleep total, I dragged my butt out of bed at 6AM (on my day off) to run.  If that doesn't say 'I love you' what does? 

I picked up my race bib, packet, and time chip around 7 and hung around for the 8:00 start.  I turned pandora on and off I went.  Now a 10K is only 6.2 miles, but no matter what distance I run, I always find the first 1-2 miles to prove a little difficult.  Today's race was no exception.  I started off slower than usual and really focused on enjoying the pace that I was running at.  And to make things better, I didn't time myself by the mile markers taking off a lot of pressure. 

To make a long story short (or 1:00:57 - my time), I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the race today.  The weather was beautiful, the crowd energizing, and even the hills didn't seems so bad.  Maybe it was the negative splits or maybe the runner's high but by the end of the race, I was in love with running again. 

It felt good to remember the feel of the pavement, the excitement of the crowd, and pushing through any discomfort.  It felt amazing to let all the work things and boy things and family things go and just run.  I was spending time with myself and I had no cares in the world. And who doesn't love that?

What do you mean I write a blog?

Well that's exactly what I thought too when I was scrolling through my bookmark list on the internet. Why not update the whole world wide web on my whereabouts, misfortunes, and shortcomings?  In other words, I turned 25.  Now to most, this is a non-monumental age where life goes on.  For me, I panicked and had a quarter life crisis.  Dyed my hair, moved from my apartment, bought a new car, and got a tattoo...well the tattoo is coming - hasn't quite happened yet.  Anyways, I guess maybe 25 just brought about some necessary change in my life.  And why not happen all at once I suppose. Here's what 25 has taught me so far:

1. No matter how old you are in numbers, you still may not be mature.  I've dealt with those who SHOULD act a little older, but they don't.

2. If you love your job, you'll ever work a day in your life. This one makes me lucky.

3. You have to learn to let things go...easier said than done and still too fresh to get into.

4. Cherish the time you have and spend with your family. They're your life line and support system and I'd be no where without them. 

5.  Sometimes your family are not just the people related to you by blood, but the people who stick by your side no matter what happens. 

6. A dog's love is unconditional.  Thank God for that.

7. Running is a gift.  And it should be treated as such.

8.Life goes on.  It may hurt like hell, but you'll get past the dark days too...I mean your track record for getting through bad days is 100%...

Love. 

Pre-dating Dumped...(I really hope he doesn't see this)

It all happened on a Wednesday night.  I was out to dinner with Britney when it happened.  A few hours or so and I hadn't checked my phone. I glanced down to see what was going on (because Britney was looking something up) and I saw a missed call and voice mail.  This is strange considering mostly we just text with the occasional phone call (mostly when I'm drunk).  And boy, did it stop me in my tracks.  I have to say, he is a great guy and very cordial, being honest when many would have lead me on or even used me in this situation.  But talk about a voice mail.  After listening to it, I faked a stomach ache and headed home (dinner was over anyway) or more like headed to Melissa's for clarity and drinking...

I'm sure we've all been in the position where we have began a relationship or at least talked about beginning a relationship or better yet, discussed the possibility of a relationship.  Which mostly goes like "Hey, I like you, what do you think about that?"  To which a response is either "Yea, let's date..." or "Well you're a really great person, BUT..." to which I have received the latter.

In a sense, having a crush on someone is fantastic.  You think about them all the time, talk to them all the time, and generally hang out with them all the time.  Crushing on someone is great because you get to know someone and you realize why you like them in the first place. Being Crushed by someone is completely different.  While I know that telling someone you don't have the same feelings for them is incredibly hard (because yes, I have been in this position too), it definitely has some rough effects when you are on the receiving end.

In my case, I had been honest and upfront with my crush, letting him know how I felt (not without much difficulty) and trying to figure out what my feelings were and meant.  A few weeks later he was honest with me too. And though I appreciate his feelings (or lack thereof), I find myself somewhat disheveled.  In a way, I was sort of expecting the response, but hearing it aloud, makes it totally different and life like.  Knowing that you feel for someone and they don't feel for you (or at least in the same way) is extremely hard.  Not to mention, where does the relationship go from here?  Do we remain friends (I mean, that's all we've always been - nothing different) or do we displace the relationship all together?

So what do I do? I took two days (a reasonable amount of time for a non-dating relationship) to cry and drink about it and get the hell over it. Maybe I rushed it or didn't give myself enough time, but I decided that I can be mature and look at this as an opportunity of growth and to start a new chapter.  Not always easy, but why not preserve the friendship?  I mean honestly, we're two grown adults who have the ability to be honest with each other and not let it affect what happens.  Why not?  Maybe I'm crazy...maybe I'm still dealing with it all...who knows.  But as far as pre-dating dumped goes, it sucks.  Hopefully the friendship can still be preserved....

I'll keep you posted.

Fake It Til You Make It

If I've learned anything over these past 8 months after grad school, it's that life does not always go according to plan.  In 8 months, I've held two different jobs, lived in (essentially) three different places, lost relationships, made relationships, cried a whole hell of a lot, and well you can see the list goes on.  

I didn't know exactly what life post-grad school would like, but I certainly didn't imagine it to be like this. I love working - it gives me that sense and feel of accomplishment, not to mention that I have the opportunity to help people better themselves.  I love spending time with my friends and family - everyone needs that support system (especially on those terribly, awful, yucky very bad days).  I even love that I'm figuring out who I am again and what I really want from  life.

The past few months (and even days) I feel like I've been drowning.  There's nothing to hold onto - no goals to work towards; nothing to keep me motivated.  I've gotten to the point where running and working out has become a minimal occurrence.  That was the kind of thing that used to drive me. For a while, I've been feeling like I've slipped through the cracks and I'm doing everything in my control to keep hanging on.  Life is much busier, much harder, and more unfair than I had anticipated.  Where are the college classes that teach you how to manage your finances (loans, bills, pay checks, etc.)?  Where were the classes that taught you how to manage with the stress, anxiety, or depression that sets in on your doorstep when you enter the real world?  These were just a few of the things that I was unprepared for. 

Finally, after some time, I feel I'm getting acclimated to the expectations and demands forced upon me as a working adult.  And somehow I'm starting to manage it all and beginning to find time for myself again. I was reminded this weekend that "Even on the really bad days, you know the ones where you feel like you can't go on? Well, I just have to look and think my track record with bad days is 100% and that's a pretty good record..."  In other words just fake it til you make it.  Eventually things can only get better.

Running Ragged

To be honest, I kind of forgot I had a blog for awhile.  Maybe not so much forgot, as blatantly ignored.  It's hard to imagine that it's July and nothing is really as I thought it would be just a few months ago (or probably even my last post).

For instance, not only I have passed my boards (that's right, I'm official!!!) and earned those last four important letters behind my name (OTR/L), but I managed to get and quit my first job and start a whole new one.  Not only that, but I moved into a new apartment (with people I don't know), moved out of my mom's house, pretty much stopped running, and am kind of living a whole new life from anything I knew in school.

Out of everything I just mentioned, you know what really bothers me the most? The running part. I read over some posts from the past year and I was crazy in love with the sport. And now? I'm lucky to be logging 10-20 miles a week. Not to mention the i-word.

Marathon training started this week and I've already been slacking.  So time to pick up the pace a little bit (pun intended).  Last summer, I was so disciplined and determined.  I remember dragging myself out of bed at 6AM on Saturday mornings to get in 16, 18, and 20 mile runs before the scorching heat. And I absolutely loved every minute of it.  I miss having that passion and drive to do something like that.  It was incredibly euphoric.  I just want to love running again.

As for the i-word: I'm not sure if it's a bone spur or plantar fasciitis, but it's gotten to the point where I have to get my foot checked out.  I'm nervous because usually there comes some typical response of "no running for x amount of weeks".

Not sure what to make of it all.  But I'm lacing up tomorrow and hopefully that'll be the first step in getting ready for some fall races.

Snow Day

Happy Snow Day everyone! One of the most glorious things about living in Virginia is that there are four seasons.  And since we're too southern to spend a lot of money on snow and too northern to not get snow it equals out into a beautiful, perfected day off of work. 

Yes, that's right.  My work is closed because of the weather.  It's kind of awesome since I've been working over 50 hour weeks.  I'm definitely taking today to rest and just enjoy the time with my sisters.  Not to mention drinking lots of coffee and hot cocoa, watching life time movies on repeat, and probably spending way too much time on the internet.  

What a perfect little break.  

Ready to Run

Holy smokes, it's February.  It was kind of like "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year", a quick blink of an eye and all of a sudden we're in month number 2.  What? Yea, I know.  It's a little crazy.

There's been a lot going on recently, which I've shared in my previous post.  So I actually started my job this past week at Fox Speech Therapy in Fredericksburg.  It was a slow week since the office hadn't quite moved into the new building.  There's no space at the old location so instead of seeing clients, I mostly observed the other OT, did some clerical work, packed & moved things, and scored some assessments.  It was a slow week, but still a good one.  In fact, it was kind of nice being eased into the job rather than jumping in with both feet.

At times, I still feel a little unprepared for this job.  Am I really qualified to work with kids?  Do I really know all my stuff?? Which of course, I do, it's just kind of scary to be responsible for somebody else's well-being. All in all, I did get to treat a client or two and I feel pretty confident that I am in the right place.  This week will really get kicking since we moved into the new office and I'll finally have my own caseload.  Holy Smokes, I'm an adult...wait, what?  Yea.

It kind of snuck up on me, but you know, worse things could happen.  That's pretty much it from the professional side of my life.

As for the running (and most important) side of things, I have exciting news!  Saturday morning I let myself sleep in - no alarm for running. When I did wake up, I laced up my shoes, set my GPS, and took off for what I thought would be a friendly 12 miler.  Around mile 6, I felt pretty good.  Even through all the hills I felt like I could definitely run at least a half marathon distance.  I kept going. And going, and going, and going.  I literally felt like I could fly.  I had no aches or pains and felt like I could go on forever.  So I did.  In fact, 16.5 miles later, the only reason I stopped was because my GPS/music was dying. It was fantastic to not only run so far and for so long, but to feel on top of the world while doing it.  It's been a while since I had a fabulous run like that.

Then I ran a quick 8.5 this morning.  Funny how 8.5 miles seems so short compared to a 2 1/2 hour run huh?

All in all, this weekend was very successful.  I'm gearing up for a half marathon in Disney World, but I definitely think I'll be ready.  Happy Running!

The inevitable

"Day by day nothing seems to change, but pretty soon, everything is different."

There has been a lot going on in my life lately to say the least.  And of course that's expected since I haven't blogged, in oh, a million days. 

Things that haven't changed:
-running a gazillion miles a week
-working to earn that dough
-being tired (it really never goes away)

Of course there are the many things that have changed too.  For example, I start my brand new, big girl job on Monday. YIKES and YAYAYAYAY! at the same time. It's a big step, but I feel so at peace with my decision and am so lucky to have something incredibly exciting to look forward to.

And I started a new lifestyle change. Different consumption of foods and protein shakes to give me the upper hand on my fitness.

And not to mention reconnecting with old friends.  I've had the good fortune to see two good friends from my past whom I still like hanging out with.  And I've been able to talk to a few others whom I haven't spoken with in years.  Good things are happening.  Trust me. ;-)

And while these changes seem so, so good right now, it's always a hard thing to move on to something new while something old gets left behind. Change requires strength and courage, but give it a chance and the world lays waiting for you next move.

Just a little bit longer...

This is it!  Week 12!!! My last week of my second level 2 fieldwork!  And then I graduate.  Yes, you read that correctly, I am indeed graduating this weekend.  While I'm  trying not to jump the gun, I am reminding myself that in less than 5 days, I will be receiving my Master's degree in Occupational Therapy.

It's been a long and exhausting journey, but now that it's almost over, I can say it has been fabulous.  I have met some of the most fabulous and wonderful women in this program with whom I know will remain lifelong friends.  There have been a lot of hiccups and obstacles along the way, but here I am on the other side.

So, basically I have this week of treating children and then I'm jetting out of town at 5PM on Friday for a 4-4.5 hour drive to Harrisonburg.  Graduation is on Saturday morning.  It'll be a couple of crazy and jumbled few days, but to walk across the stage will be worth it.  Not to mention I'll have most of my favorite people there with me to celebrate.

It'll be bittersweet.  One chapter closes, and who knows where my life will go from here.  But I'm ready to head out and move on.  I can't wait to see what else this year holds.  Between my marathon and my master's I feel like 2012 has been pretty great to me.

The only thing I can't figure out is if I'm ore excited to graduate or see my 8 year old best friend this weekend!!!

A little perspective

As the holidays are approaching, I feel that it is best to remember what Christmas is about first and foremost.  Of course it's about the birth of Christmas, recognizing the beginning of the greatest gift ever given, and genuinely remembering that there is so much more to this life than we care to remember.  As the holidays approach, it's my hope that I remember I have a greater purpose than my current situation, joy can be found as long as Christ lives in you, and other people/things cannot define the content and peace you have in life.

My goal this holiday season, as it is each and every day, is to rely on my Savior for my happiness - something that I struggle with.  I know that I'm blessed and in no way do I deserve all that I have, but it becomes so easy to forget how I got to where I am now.  Not only does He define my joy, but I want to grow closer to Him each day, learning His truths and living the life He destined for me.

It's never an easy journey - in fact, if it was easy, wouldn't we all do it, all the time? Most likely.  The fact of the matter is, it's not easy and every day we continue to mess up.  I'm given hundreds of thousands of chances - none of which I deserve.  Yet, here I am - grateful and humble before the throne.

Remembering this during the holiday season just lets me take a look at my own life and the way I'm living.  The past few days (weeks would actually be more appropriate) I've had a negative outlook on life, mostly because I'm unhappy with my fieldwork experience.  And what I've come to realize is that I shouldn't let these 12 weeks define me.  So here it goes: I'm choosing to be happy and joyful and loving.  I'm choosing to have a positive outlook.  I'm choosing to let my faith define me and not other people.

Fieldwork Insight

10 Things I’ve learned from fieldwork:

1.  If you take a 5 minute bathroom break every hour, that’s 40 minutes less you have to work.

2.  People don’t notice if you take an extra-long lunch, watch Netflix (as long as you have headphones on), or go to Starbucks. 

3.  No one knows how long it really takes you to write up an eval.  You can write one real quickly and pretend to be doing it for days.  They don’t know.

4.  Catching kids from 5 feet up is just part of the job.  And trust me, not every kid is as little as they look.

5.  If you pretend to be busy, people won’t talk to you as much or ask you to do as many things.

6.  If someone has a nosebleed, save the pillows first, and then deal with the child.

7.  It’s actually okay to be on pinterest as long as you look up crafting things for your kids.

8.  Not everyone is friendly; sometimes they’re downright mean (on purpose).  So kill them with kindness.

9.  When in doubt, plan an obstacle course.

10.  Playing with kids is not a privilege.  That’s why people get paid to do it.   

This just in

I felt compelled to tell you about my morning run.  It's no secret that I get up before the sun rises to fit in anywhere between a 3-8 mile run before work (depending on my exhaustion and feasibility).  This morning was no different.  My alarm went off at 5:20 and by 5:40 I was heading out the door for an easy 4 miler.  I planned on taking it easy since I ran both Saturday and Sunday and have developed a new tightness/pain in left leg.

When I run this early I usually run the same route 2-3 days out of the week and just extend the mileage depending on what I'm running.  It's a pretty safe run and I feel comfortable with the passing cars, runners, and walkers even in the dark.  As I rounded the first mile, I headed up the Trinity Ave. hill which is slow. gradual incline (the worst kind in my opinion).  I stopped for traffic and all of a sudden out of nowhere, something hit me in the back of my head.  Honestly, it felt like a rock.  I scanned the neighborhood I was running in looking for signs of people wondering if someone threw something at me.  And there was nothing.

I crossed the street and kept on running.  And then out of nowhere, again it hit me in the back of the head.  This time I caught a pretty glimpse of the culprit, but not after screaming bloody murder first.  It was...an OWL!!! Attacking my ponytail from behind!  It scared the living crap out of me.  After I spotted him, he was perched on telephone wires above.  Just waiting for me to move.  He started flying towards me again, and this time I screamed, scaring him.  Not to mention the biker who rode past me.

I just stood still for a few minutes.  I didn't know what to do.  Finally the owl flew in the other direction, but that was enough for me to cut my run short.  I headed back to the house and ran a short loop once I got there, getting in a little over 3 miles.  Hopefully, the owl is gone when I run again on Wednesday...

Hey, at least it wasn't a bat right?

Oops...a few weeks behind

Well, it seems that the busy Holiday season has finally caught up with me and I’m barely making it through the weeks with my head above water.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted so there’s quite a bit that I actually need to blog about.  Be prepared for lots of words and an extremely long post.  I’m promising pictures too so hopefully I can get myself together and get back to date with this thing.

MARATHON

So…I did it!! I ran a marathon!! Can you believe it?  A year ago, I never imagined that I would finish my first half marathon and now here I am, an accomplished marathoner.  I know, I know, it was only one marathon, but it was freaking amazing!!!  Of course, it was also incredibly brutal and mentally exhausting, but I felt ready and beyond prepared for the feat.

In fact, I felt amazing up until mile 20.  Kim and I ran together, talking as casually as one can when running an ungodly amount of mileage at one time, listening to music, and feeling pretty good.  At mile 13 we stopped, refilled our water bottles, changed our shirts, and fueled up for the next half courtesy of Kim’s parents who supported us the whole way through.  Around mile 20, my feet began aching and my mental game was dwindling.  I told Kim that I was finally going to have to walk through the water stations (up until then, we ran the whole thing!).  Walking through the water stations ended up being my saving grace.  In fact, I started looking forward to the water stations just so I could have 30 seconds of brief rest before picking up the pace again.  At mile 21.5, we again refilled on gummies and Gatorade and Kyle jumped in to run the last few miles with us.  And yes, I still walked through the water stops.  Around mile 23, I started feeling the burn.  My quads started burning and my feet truly ached (all glorious joys of being an avid runner).  Around mile 24, I told Kim to go on without me.  I don’t know how, but she felt great the whole time; unfortunately for me, I didn’t get that runner’s high.  So while Kim ran on ahead, Kyle and I finished the last two miles out.  I walked briefly right before mile 25 to regain my composure and dignity, but not before dropping the F$%^ bomb a few times and getting some sympathetic looks from nearby runners.  And then I saw it – the Mile 25 sign.  There was no going back now.  This was it.  I had prepared myself for this moment.  There would be no stopping.  At this point, it was all or nothing.  So here I go.  I ran that last mile as fast as my burning, aching, but strong legs would allow me to go. 

And I sprinted down that big hill at the finish like I’ve never sprinted before.  And just like that, it was all over.  4 hours and 26 minutes of running later, I finished a marathon.  It’s probably the thing I am most proud of in my life.  Of course at the end, my whole body tightened, I was dehydrated, and had waves of nausea and exhaustion throughout the day, but I did it.  4 months of training, 3 long 20 mile runs, thousands of miles, blisters, aches, tears, and toenails later, I did what I set out to do.  

Will I run another one?  Would you believe that I’ve already signed up for next year?

Post-Marathon Running

I’ve been reading up quite a bit on what to expect after you run a marathon in terms of running.  I can expect the following: weeks of recovery at slower tempos, continued soreness as a result, numerous aches and pains, delayed mental fitness, exhaustion, depression, and more decrepit toenails, just to name a few. 

What I really want to know is how long should I expect to be able to run long runs again without hurting? What kind of running schedule should I be on post-marathon?  How soon is too soon and how long is too long to start/go? 

While I’ve found varied answers to these questions, here’s what I did.  I ran the marathon on Saturday.  Uncharacteristically, I took off Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.  By Wednesday I was dying to lace up my running shoes and take them for a spin.  I had planned on doing an easy 3 mile run, but felt so great, I ended up running 7 miles.  Thursday I ran 4-5 miles and took Friday off.  And just like that, I was back into the swing of things.  Call it good training or maybe crazy stupidity, but I’m already running 5 days a week again and cross training at least two more.  I’ve had a series of runs, all of them difficult I will admit – but that I am crediting to the marathon.  My long weekend run consists (so far) of a whopping 10 miles right now, but that’s about as much as I can handle safely. 

Between working 50 hours a week and sleeping in that other time, running is about the only thing that keeps me sane.  As the cold weather keeps rolling in, it gets a little bit harder to run every weekend.  But somehow, I’m still managing to get up and put one foot in front of the other.  Of course, I’m always looking for a new race to run.  Here’s what my race schedule (tentatively) looks like for 2013…

·         Disney Princess Half Marathon – Feb 24 (confirmed)

·         Shamrock Marathon – March 17 (tentative)

·         Spring Fling 10K (tentative)

·         Cooper’s Bridge 10K – April 6 (confirmed)

·         Monument 10K March/April – (tentative)

·         Marine Corp Half Marathon – May (tentative)

·         Reach the Beach Ultra Relay – May (tentative)

·         Marine Corp Marathon – October (tentative)

·         Richmond Marathon – November (confirmed)

I’d prefer to have another half thrown in here or there, plus I need something for January too…I had the Charleston SC half pegged for January, but I really need to find some more running friends or at least convince Kim and Tina they  need to run with me. 

Good-bye October & Happy Halloween!

Well, it looks like another month has come and gone.  Meaning, I'm one step closer to graduation, two steps closer to moving home, and about a week and half from my marathon.  Yea, these next few weeks prove to be busy and filled with all kinds of crazy goodness.

October, we had a fabulous run.  Seriously though.  Somehow between traveling and working, I managed to stay on top of my marathon training and log 191.6 miles to be exact.  That's a lot of running for 31 days.  No wonder my body is a little tired at times.  Actually though, I'm really proud of myself for sticking it through this training despite my move to NC, learning the area, and running on faith around downtown (literally).

I've learned a lot about my self this month too.  One of the most amazing things running has taught me is that I can push myself past my limits and accomplish more than I ever thought I could.  I'm grateful for not only the ability to run, but that I've learned to love it.  There's something magnificent about breaking down barriers and proving to yourself and to others that you are capable of more.

While I continue to push through this marathon training and then the marathon itself, I look forward to setting new goals and accomplishing new tasks.  Who knows what's next ---there's been talk of an ultra relay or maybe a second marathon.  Let's get through November 9 first and see where it takes me.

Happy Halloween!!!

The Not-so-glamorous running life

While I'll be the first to admit how absolutely wonderfully amazing running 40+ miles a week can be, it can also have its downfall.  Somewhere between the pages of RACES NEAR YOU and WHAT TO EAT WHEN TRAINING of Runner's World, you might overlook the pages titled THE GROSS PARTS OF RUNNING.  And of course you wouldn't see them because it's not there.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE LOVE LOVE running.  I just wish someone had told me about ALL the ins and outs included.  Here's a list:

-opposums at 5AM
-hills that never stop
-gas...you know if you ever need to toot you have to be careful no one is ever behind you...
-bathroom breaks...ugh painfully-urgent-better-get-to-the-bathroom-now breaks
-homeless people who look like zombies
-homeless people who try to sell you drugs...this hasn't actually happened to me but they LOOK like they want to sell me drugs or kidnap me
-chaffing in all the wrong places
-blisters and losing toe nails and yes that actually does happen
-dogs (that's what pepper spray is for)
-the 5AM wake up call letting you know it's time to run
-random technology malfunctions (ie. your headphones breaking mid run)
-knee/hip/muscle pain

Okay, so some of the things are generally covered in running magazines but I was always under the impression "oh that won't happen to me".  Until it does.  As you can see, I've had a lot of interesting encounters when running.

This past Saturday (while running 20 miles in Richmond with Kim), I experienced the whole headphones breaking thing.  Luckily there were only 3 miles left and we mostly chatted/complained about the last three miles/homestretch.

Today I ended up running a half marathon (what's 3 extra miles of the already scheduled 10?) and though it wasn't the best race I've ever run, I feel pretty proud of myself.  It was hilly and I had run freaking 20 miles yesterday!  So on 6 hours of sleep, 5 hours of driving, and 33.1 miles of running this weekend, I managed to maintain under a 10 minute mile without walking for a time of 2:07/2:08.

The crazy part?? I get to lace up again tomorrow.  And I'll love every minute of it.

A whole lot of catching up today

I can already tell this post is going to be a little wordy.  But there's just so much that I need to blog about and I can't even remember where I left off.  So let's start with my birthday.  For my 24th birthday I decided I wanted to go to Lynchburg and run the VA 10 miler.  It was a great race that I ran last year.  Kim and I ran it together and honestly was one of the best ways to spend my birthday. This past year, running has been such a huge part of my life.  I figured I shoulder celebrate running and my birthday at the same time.  Not to mention it gave me an excuse to eat and drink all I wanted.



Then I headed back to Durham.  Sunday was extremely depressing.  Jo and I said goodbye to most of our favorite people.  And of course the week started all over again.  Is it safe to say that I live for the weekends?? Because I absolutely do.  This week was actually a lot better than the first week.  Maybe I'm getting a knack for kids or maybe I'm just figuring out what's truly important during the day and cutting out all the extra, but this past week went smoothly.

Today I ran 20 miles for the second time.  It actually went so much better than the first 20 mile run I did.  I got up a little after 6AM, laced up my shoes, and was out the door around 6:30.  I ran all over Durham - I mean it literally would take a page just to tell you all the streets and trails that I ran.  Nonetheless, I ran the whole thing without stopping, without gels, and without gatorade.  I only took my water and the tylenol I had before I left.  I managed great time and am spending the rest of the day lazily wandering around my house.

Heading out to explore Durham in a little bit with Jo.  I'll keep you posted.

All kinds of runnin'

I've been doing all kinds of running the past week and a half, getting ready for my move to Durham.  I had a week off between my internships which involved a lot of packing, unpacking, moving things in and out of storage, spending time with my family, and running errands.  While I was home, I got to catch up with the whole fam, including Laura and my grandparents.  I even made it to one of Riley's soccer games.  I even managed to stick to my gym/running schedule while I was home.

I ended up stopping in Richmond on my way to Durham on Friday and got to spend the afternoon with Kim.  You would think after spending 3 months together, we'd get a little sick of each other.  And while I'll admit it is nice to have my own room, I miss Kim a ton!  So it was nice to catch up and do random things while we had the time.

I made it to Durham in one piece and unloaded my car.  I spent Saturday afternoon unpacking and getting settled in, even making a Target run (which is conveniently 4 miles away).  Friday night, we went to this great local restaurant and Retta (she's the lady who's house we're living in) showed me some good places to run, not to mention Whole Foods and a bunch of bakeries downtown that I should probably avoid.  :)

Saturday morning I got up and ran my 20 miles.  It went well, minus getting lost.  But I found some great running trails/tracks to keep my somewhat satisfied for my long runs.  Today I got up and ran my 10 miles - which felt like nothing compared to yesterday.  I checked out a new church, which I love, and now I'm just trying to recuperate from this weekend.  Joanna comes tomorrow and I can't wait.  If only I didn't have to work...