Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays have become my favorite and least favorite days of the week. It's the day that I run with people who are much faster. And by much faster I mean that I spend 5 miles trying not to throw up with they are trotting along looking bored. I hate these days because who wants to spend all that time trying not to throw up in front of other people? And I love them because I am finally pushing myself to become a better runner.
I know that a lot of people don't understand why I run. And I know that because they tell me. I'm not the best or the fastest and I never will be and yet I spend hundreds of dollars every year to enter races that I won't win. I spend hours that turn into days sweating into my eyes and ears and popping blisters and putting aloe on rashes from my clothes and icing my knee when it's raining and standing in the shower because I am so frozen solid that I don't think I will ever feel my toes again.
And I get it. If I wasn't me I wouldn't understand it either. Especially since I met someone a couple of months ago who HAS been the best, the winner, the 5-6 minute mile runner so I know what drives him even though he has never told me.
But I can tell you the exact minute I became a runner. In 2009 I started walking after work to lose weight. Then I slowly started running, for 30 seconds at a time. After a few months of that I managed a mile. And after a few months of that I signed up for a 5k and did that and thought I was amazing. Still, none of that made me a runner.
On October 31, 2009 at 8am my phone rang and woke me up from a deep sleep. I had been at a work Halloween party the night before and even though I left around 10pm, I drove around until midnight because something felt off in my universe. Something I couldn't put my finger on. So I was out late and got home after midnight and then had a hard time falling asleep which led to me still sleeping at 8am even though I rarely sleep that late.
The phone call was from my high school best friend, someone who I never talked to until my theater class when I was 17 and have loved dearly since. She was upset with my because I hadn't told her that my dad had died. That she had just read his obituary in the paper and it said he passed away on Thursday and here it was Saturday so why hadn't I told her?
It's because I didn't know.
And I really don't want to get into the back story of it but if you knew me when I was small, before my parents decided to separate, you would know that my dad was my world. But because of circumstances I had no control over I had decided 5 years previous to his passing to sever ties with him to make his life easier. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do but I would probably do it again if I had to. But because of this I never knew he was sick. He didn't want me to know. He didn't think that he was so close to the end. He didn't know that he wouldn't have another chance to see me. And neither did I.
At 8am on October 31, 2009 my entire world fell out from under my feet. Have you ever heard that expression, "No regrets"? It's the biggest bunch of crap I have ever heard. Regret is something you don't really understand until it hits you in the face with its finality. Until you're pacing the floor for hours and don't even know how it went from 8am to 2pm. Until you stand in the middle of the living room, staring at the wall and wondering what could you have done differently? What could you have changed? And did he know? Did he know how much you loved him? And did he think of you before he was gone?
I somehow drove to the lake that day. I can't tell you how but I did. I remember standing there, in the same exact spot I had stood on countless times before getting my ipod ready and untangling my headphones and straightening my shoelaces, and wondering what to do next. And I did the only thing I could: I ran.
I only ran for two miles that day but I felt everything in the past 29 years of my life drain beneath my feet. The regret and the agony and the sadness and the fear, all of it. Just gone. I cried but I didn't know why because my mind was completely blank. I ran for the first time not with a goal of finishing but just because I could. And when I was done I got in my car and drove home and got up the next day and did it again. And again. And every day I could since.
I know most people don't have that story of how they became a runner. I know it's because they are good at it or a friend got them into it or the entered a race and loved it. And none of these stories make them any more or any less of a runner than I am. This is just mine. I am a runner because I need to be. And I will be as long as I am able to.
3.13.2013
2.26.2013
Perfection?
I was really excited about 2013. The tail end of 2011 was pretty darn awful and 2012 was a constant struggle to get my life back to where it was in 2010. I have an intense love for odd numbers with 5 being my favorite and 3 coming in a very close second so I was really excited for 2013 a year with not only a three in it but a year where I was to turn 33. 2010 was awesome, 2011 was a slippery slope, 2012 was a struggle and 2013 was supposed to be the year that I stopped with the dreaming of perfection and worked on what truly made me happy instead of what I THINK should make me happy.
The end of 2012 was still a struggle with my back injury and some other issues but I entered the new year pretty solid until two weeks in when I was hit with a massive b*tch slap of reality to the face. Without going into specifics I will say that I have spent the last 5 weeks wallowing in self pity and slowly realizing that what happened wasn't my fault and there was nothing I could do to change it. That's a hard thing for a Type A, overachieving perfectionist to admit to herself but it is the truth and I need to stop beating myself up over it and I am. The good news is that it has nothing to do with my health or anyone else's though which I am extremely grateful for.
In the world of the internet it's easy to put on a facade that life is perfect or pretty darn close. Instagram filters and 140 characters on Twitter and Facebook statuses that are funny or vague enough that people think you're living the high life can easily mask everything else. Despite my desire to flood every social media outlet I can with glimpses of my life because I really do just like attention (only child syndrome, what's can I say) I just don't like delving into my personal life unless you are very close to me and will always maintain that those outlets aren't the place to air your dirty laundry. I really do strive to do everything in my power to make people laugh because honestly, no matter how hard your life is there is someone out there going through something harder. I have several people who are very near and dear to me who have been going through things that are much more difficult that I am and I think about them often and how lucky I am. And I admit it, I just don't want to write about the bad things so that my life looks like it's exactly how I want it to be and in general I like to try and put a good spin on the negative.
But let's face it, sometimes those perfect snippets of everyone else's internet lives are hard to take when you're sitting at home on a Friday night wishing that Say Yes to the Dress wasn't on for 5 hours straight and that you hadn't made the decision two weeks previous that drinking alone wasn't the best idea given your family history. It turns out that when you're in your 30's your social media is constantly flooded with engagements and wedding planning and wedding anniversaries and pregnancies and babies and it's really easy to fixate on the 18 books on wedding planning that you have sitting on the top shelf of your closet in a box duct taped to oblivion with strict instructions to never touch them under penalty of death because just a short year and a half ago 2013 was going to mean something very different than it currently does.
But when I think about it I am aware of the fact that there are probably people who think that my life has something enviable, too because it really does. I have a life that I have worked hard for and am completely independent. I moved out for college when I was 18 and officially moved out when I was 22 and have been self sufficient ever since. I don't own real estate and my student loans after 6 years of college could make a normal person hyperventilate but I've spilled some serious blood, sweat and tears to get to where I am and I am proud of it. I travel a lot, I have friends who love me very much (enough to send me flowers on Valentine's day and boxes full of Hello Kitty items when my heart is shredded) and the cutest darn rabbit that you ever saw (and cat too but if we're talking in desirable things we have to be honest and know that although I adore her Trix isn't part of most people's equations). And even when single life gets me down and I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing because I don't have a cookie cutter house in a Syracuse suburb with a husband and two little red headed mini-me's (I refuse to give birth to anything but, FYI) and a bank account that will let me retire early I think about the fact that I get to run as often as I want and drink milk right out of the carton and when I clean the bathroom on Sundays the white tile around my toilet is just as spotless as it was the week before when I cleaned it. And you should see my BCBG dress collection, sometimes it makes me tear up because it's so pretty.
My point is that I'm sorry I've been gone. I'm sorry that I didn't want to write anything because my life isn't as perfect as I want it to be. I'm sorry that instead of telling people I am hurting I will always shove it down and deal with it on my own (which is most likely never going to change). But I really do miss writing about my running and what makeup I am obsessed with and what my rabbit has done recently to make me yell at her and then immediately give her a treat because I feel so awful about it (she has me trained). Even if there are 5 people who read this I am here to say that I miss it. So I am back. And hopefully a little more honest about things instead of using the "Internet perfection" that is so easy to fall into.
Now who is ready to hear about my 2013 race schedule? Or that I have an awful sinus cold which lead to me throwing up on the side of the road 3.5 miles into a 4.5 mile run tonight? It really is a good story, I promise.
The end of 2012 was still a struggle with my back injury and some other issues but I entered the new year pretty solid until two weeks in when I was hit with a massive b*tch slap of reality to the face. Without going into specifics I will say that I have spent the last 5 weeks wallowing in self pity and slowly realizing that what happened wasn't my fault and there was nothing I could do to change it. That's a hard thing for a Type A, overachieving perfectionist to admit to herself but it is the truth and I need to stop beating myself up over it and I am. The good news is that it has nothing to do with my health or anyone else's though which I am extremely grateful for.
In the world of the internet it's easy to put on a facade that life is perfect or pretty darn close. Instagram filters and 140 characters on Twitter and Facebook statuses that are funny or vague enough that people think you're living the high life can easily mask everything else. Despite my desire to flood every social media outlet I can with glimpses of my life because I really do just like attention (only child syndrome, what's can I say) I just don't like delving into my personal life unless you are very close to me and will always maintain that those outlets aren't the place to air your dirty laundry. I really do strive to do everything in my power to make people laugh because honestly, no matter how hard your life is there is someone out there going through something harder. I have several people who are very near and dear to me who have been going through things that are much more difficult that I am and I think about them often and how lucky I am. And I admit it, I just don't want to write about the bad things so that my life looks like it's exactly how I want it to be and in general I like to try and put a good spin on the negative.
But let's face it, sometimes those perfect snippets of everyone else's internet lives are hard to take when you're sitting at home on a Friday night wishing that Say Yes to the Dress wasn't on for 5 hours straight and that you hadn't made the decision two weeks previous that drinking alone wasn't the best idea given your family history. It turns out that when you're in your 30's your social media is constantly flooded with engagements and wedding planning and wedding anniversaries and pregnancies and babies and it's really easy to fixate on the 18 books on wedding planning that you have sitting on the top shelf of your closet in a box duct taped to oblivion with strict instructions to never touch them under penalty of death because just a short year and a half ago 2013 was going to mean something very different than it currently does.
But when I think about it I am aware of the fact that there are probably people who think that my life has something enviable, too because it really does. I have a life that I have worked hard for and am completely independent. I moved out for college when I was 18 and officially moved out when I was 22 and have been self sufficient ever since. I don't own real estate and my student loans after 6 years of college could make a normal person hyperventilate but I've spilled some serious blood, sweat and tears to get to where I am and I am proud of it. I travel a lot, I have friends who love me very much (enough to send me flowers on Valentine's day and boxes full of Hello Kitty items when my heart is shredded) and the cutest darn rabbit that you ever saw (and cat too but if we're talking in desirable things we have to be honest and know that although I adore her Trix isn't part of most people's equations). And even when single life gets me down and I feel like I haven't accomplished a thing because I don't have a cookie cutter house in a Syracuse suburb with a husband and two little red headed mini-me's (I refuse to give birth to anything but, FYI) and a bank account that will let me retire early I think about the fact that I get to run as often as I want and drink milk right out of the carton and when I clean the bathroom on Sundays the white tile around my toilet is just as spotless as it was the week before when I cleaned it. And you should see my BCBG dress collection, sometimes it makes me tear up because it's so pretty.
My point is that I'm sorry I've been gone. I'm sorry that I didn't want to write anything because my life isn't as perfect as I want it to be. I'm sorry that instead of telling people I am hurting I will always shove it down and deal with it on my own (which is most likely never going to change). But I really do miss writing about my running and what makeup I am obsessed with and what my rabbit has done recently to make me yell at her and then immediately give her a treat because I feel so awful about it (she has me trained). Even if there are 5 people who read this I am here to say that I miss it. So I am back. And hopefully a little more honest about things instead of using the "Internet perfection" that is so easy to fall into.
Now who is ready to hear about my 2013 race schedule? Or that I have an awful sinus cold which lead to me throwing up on the side of the road 3.5 miles into a 4.5 mile run tonight? It really is a good story, I promise.
 |
| Last Friday night. Me, my girls, Smartwool socks and Duck Dynasty. |
12.10.2012
Reverse Christmas Tree Topper Tutorial
This week I'm linking up with an awesome lady whose blog I stalk over at NewlyWoodwards for the Dare to DIY Christmas challenge.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about Christmas decorations and how much I was dreading putting them up since it's not a holiday I have been looking forward to this year. However I found myself on Pinterest one day perusing the "everything" board and came across a tutorial on how to make paper stars. I am a bit of a crafting nut when something gets into my head and here is how it went:
That star tutorial is really cool, I love stars!
What could I make them out of? Ohhh, vellum, I love vellum!
Then what would I do with them? If they're vellum I should hang them somewhere!
Where to hang them...where to hang them...oh! I could make a mobile!
No...maybe I could hang them above the tree since my star always falls over...
OMG I COULD MAKE A REVERSE TREE TOPPER!!!! AND I MUST DO IT RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND!!!
So I did. And other than being covered in glitter for 24 hours and having to hone my fine motor skills to tie thin thread onto an embroidery hoop, it was pretty easy. It also got me excited about decorating which is good because my living room looks wonderful now and I am hating Christmas a lot less so mission accomplished.
Here's what you need:
-Paper of your choice (I used vellum because it's translucent and pretty and some thinner paper with gold accents, make sure it's not thick card stock or it will be difficult to cut)
-Thin thread or clear fishing line (I wanted fishing line at first but opted for a goldish silver thread for the sewing section at Joann's for a bit more sparkle)
-Embroidery hoop
-Glue
-Paint brush
-Glitter (I used Martha's Stewart glitter in Copper)
-Scissors
-Tiny hole punch
First cut out your stars in different sizes. You can do any shape you want or cut them in any way you want (origami stars would be more substantial if you wanted that look). I used this tutorial.
Then punch a small hole in the top of each one using a small hole punch and tie thread through the hole in a knot (don't worry about the length because you can adjust it later).
Prepare your embroidery hoop by covering it with glue and then glitter. Get glitter on the cat for sure so you find piles of it when you go the bed that night. Let it dry for a few hours.
Tie the stars on in varying lengths. I fought with them getting tangled for a while until I had the genius idea of putting the hoop over the top of a lamp shade and tying them on there so they would stay spaced evenly and I could see what lengths I needed. I will have glitter on that lamp shade for life but whatever.
There are probably a million different ways to hang this but I just wanted it up so I just wrapped some thread around the middle of the hoop a few times and secured it to the ceiling with thumbtacks. Classy, right? You really can't even tell unless you're looking for them.
And that's it! The whole thing cost me maybe $10 and took about an hour total to complete. And I probably won't want to untangle the stars next year so I will most likely throw it away when I'm done with it. Or never take it down. Both are solid possibilities.
And here is my fully decorated living room!
The other thing I made this year was that garland which is just felt circles glued to baker's string. Last year I made the mason jars filled with glitter and trees and also the Christmas lights with ribbon (although I had to retie all the ribbon on new lights this year when the bun chewed the cord one too many times).
Trixie is still pretty ticked to find out there are no gifts for her, though.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about Christmas decorations and how much I was dreading putting them up since it's not a holiday I have been looking forward to this year. However I found myself on Pinterest one day perusing the "everything" board and came across a tutorial on how to make paper stars. I am a bit of a crafting nut when something gets into my head and here is how it went:
That star tutorial is really cool, I love stars!
What could I make them out of? Ohhh, vellum, I love vellum!
Then what would I do with them? If they're vellum I should hang them somewhere!
Where to hang them...where to hang them...oh! I could make a mobile!
No...maybe I could hang them above the tree since my star always falls over...
OMG I COULD MAKE A REVERSE TREE TOPPER!!!! AND I MUST DO IT RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND!!!
So I did. And other than being covered in glitter for 24 hours and having to hone my fine motor skills to tie thin thread onto an embroidery hoop, it was pretty easy. It also got me excited about decorating which is good because my living room looks wonderful now and I am hating Christmas a lot less so mission accomplished.
Here's what you need:
-Paper of your choice (I used vellum because it's translucent and pretty and some thinner paper with gold accents, make sure it's not thick card stock or it will be difficult to cut)
-Thin thread or clear fishing line (I wanted fishing line at first but opted for a goldish silver thread for the sewing section at Joann's for a bit more sparkle)
-Embroidery hoop
-Glue
-Paint brush
-Glitter (I used Martha's Stewart glitter in Copper)
-Scissors
-Tiny hole punch
First cut out your stars in different sizes. You can do any shape you want or cut them in any way you want (origami stars would be more substantial if you wanted that look). I used this tutorial.
Then punch a small hole in the top of each one using a small hole punch and tie thread through the hole in a knot (don't worry about the length because you can adjust it later).
Prepare your embroidery hoop by covering it with glue and then glitter. Get glitter on the cat for sure so you find piles of it when you go the bed that night. Let it dry for a few hours.
Tie the stars on in varying lengths. I fought with them getting tangled for a while until I had the genius idea of putting the hoop over the top of a lamp shade and tying them on there so they would stay spaced evenly and I could see what lengths I needed. I will have glitter on that lamp shade for life but whatever.
 |
| Glitter, glitter everywhere... |
There are probably a million different ways to hang this but I just wanted it up so I just wrapped some thread around the middle of the hoop a few times and secured it to the ceiling with thumbtacks. Classy, right? You really can't even tell unless you're looking for them.
And that's it! The whole thing cost me maybe $10 and took about an hour total to complete. And I probably won't want to untangle the stars next year so I will most likely throw it away when I'm done with it. Or never take it down. Both are solid possibilities.
And here is my fully decorated living room!
 |
Trixie is still pretty ticked to find out there are no gifts for her, though.
 |
| I can only have a small tree on a table to discourage kitties and buns from ingesiting fake needles. |
12.09.2012
Don't google "rabbit toys". Just don't.
I ordered the bun's Christmas presents last night. Yes, I am one of "those" owners who gets their pets gifts. Judge if you will, I'm cool with it. Last year was Archie's first Christmas and she was so excited to have a little box to unwrap with treats inside. It took her 10-15 minutes to get it open but she finally managed it. Maybe I'll try to video tape it this year. Trixie is receiving nothing because cats don't care. Well, she does but here is how it goes:
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG A NEW CATNIP MOUSE!!! I am going to kick it and lick it and throw it and beat it and sit on it and ignore it and then attack it and love it and sleep with it and put it in my water bowl and take it out of my water bowl and shove it under the couch and then dig it out from under the couch and pretend I lose it but know where it is the whole time and cry until you retrieve it and OMG this is the best present eeeeeeever!!! *purr purr kick purr throw purr claw purr purr*
<Shortly thereafter>
Catnip mouse? Please. That is so 5 minutes ago. Fill my dish, servant. I'm going to go find a pair of your shoes to vomit in and then I will lay sprawled in the middle of your bed and hiss if you disturb my slumber.
And then she never touches it again. This is not a dramatization, she has been mine for 10 years and I know how she is so instead she gets a tiny portion of prime rib that I bring home for her from Christmas dinner and I tie some curling ribbon to some door knobs for her to attack and all is happy in her kitty world.
At the opposite end of the spectrum the bun loves everything new that I get for her and plays with it happily for week if not months. I ordered her a really cool looking enrichment toy that I found on Amazon that she has to figure out how to get the treats out of. She has one I got her on Etsy last year that she loves so I'm interested to see if she likes new one.
Anyway, this whole rambling boring business about my pets was really to just warn you of this: do NOT type in "Rabbit toys" to Amazon and then forget to select "pets and supplies" as a category. Do not. I am permanently scarred now.
Really, that's where I was going with that. I have no idea how to be concise. And I have had a migraine for a week so my brain is Jello (but really, we all know that has nothing to do with my rambling ways).
******************************************************************************************************************
The Runner's World Running Streak Challenge I decided to start doing on Thanksgiving is going well. I missed a few days due to my back hurting pretty badly (just for a couple of days, in general it's doing pretty well) and then due to a (as of today) 7 day migraine but missing 3 days out of 18 isn't awful so I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Running with a migraine can be pretty painful because of all the pounding and blood rushing around but I ran 6 miles this morning and am spending the rest of the day in bed to try and ward it off before the work craziness starts up. And it's going to be crazy! I am really liking the running challenge though, I didn't realize how much I missed a daily run until I started doing it again. I really miss having a treadmill in my house but I have a desk where it used to be and no other room to fit a new one so I might join a gym so that I can run at 11pm if I want. Which I do sometimes. I've been running a lot at the lake I got my start in running at and although I don't love it all the time, it's fast and easy and carries a huge amount of nostalgia with it.
My Curltember Challenge is going even better than the running challenge and I have not missed a day of that. If you remember from my previous post I am curling my hair daily in honor of one of my good friends who has breast cancer. I hate being so far from her during this and it's my way of keeping her in the front of my mind and letting her know that she's there. I will tell you this: Hot Tools Curling irons, Argon Oil and Kenra 25 hairspray are my BFF's right now. There's been some road bumps along this curly road but I'm getting closer and closer to hair that should be allowed out in public every day.
Is anyone else doing the running challenge? How about the "shop as much as possible without actually buying a thing you need for Christmas girfts" challenge? I made that one up right after Thanksgiving, too and I have been doing fantastically at it.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG A NEW CATNIP MOUSE!!! I am going to kick it and lick it and throw it and beat it and sit on it and ignore it and then attack it and love it and sleep with it and put it in my water bowl and take it out of my water bowl and shove it under the couch and then dig it out from under the couch and pretend I lose it but know where it is the whole time and cry until you retrieve it and OMG this is the best present eeeeeeever!!! *purr purr kick purr throw purr claw purr purr*
<Shortly thereafter>
Catnip mouse? Please. That is so 5 minutes ago. Fill my dish, servant. I'm going to go find a pair of your shoes to vomit in and then I will lay sprawled in the middle of your bed and hiss if you disturb my slumber.
 |
| Proof of this: asleep on the chair and ottoman with not one care. |
And then she never touches it again. This is not a dramatization, she has been mine for 10 years and I know how she is so instead she gets a tiny portion of prime rib that I bring home for her from Christmas dinner and I tie some curling ribbon to some door knobs for her to attack and all is happy in her kitty world.
At the opposite end of the spectrum the bun loves everything new that I get for her and plays with it happily for week if not months. I ordered her a really cool looking enrichment toy that I found on Amazon that she has to figure out how to get the treats out of. She has one I got her on Etsy last year that she loves so I'm interested to see if she likes new one.
Anyway, this whole rambling boring business about my pets was really to just warn you of this: do NOT type in "Rabbit toys" to Amazon and then forget to select "pets and supplies" as a category. Do not. I am permanently scarred now.
Really, that's where I was going with that. I have no idea how to be concise. And I have had a migraine for a week so my brain is Jello (but really, we all know that has nothing to do with my rambling ways).
******************************************************************************************************************
The Runner's World Running Streak Challenge I decided to start doing on Thanksgiving is going well. I missed a few days due to my back hurting pretty badly (just for a couple of days, in general it's doing pretty well) and then due to a (as of today) 7 day migraine but missing 3 days out of 18 isn't awful so I'm not going to beat myself up over it. Running with a migraine can be pretty painful because of all the pounding and blood rushing around but I ran 6 miles this morning and am spending the rest of the day in bed to try and ward it off before the work craziness starts up. And it's going to be crazy! I am really liking the running challenge though, I didn't realize how much I missed a daily run until I started doing it again. I really miss having a treadmill in my house but I have a desk where it used to be and no other room to fit a new one so I might join a gym so that I can run at 11pm if I want. Which I do sometimes. I've been running a lot at the lake I got my start in running at and although I don't love it all the time, it's fast and easy and carries a huge amount of nostalgia with it.
My Curltember Challenge is going even better than the running challenge and I have not missed a day of that. If you remember from my previous post I am curling my hair daily in honor of one of my good friends who has breast cancer. I hate being so far from her during this and it's my way of keeping her in the front of my mind and letting her know that she's there. I will tell you this: Hot Tools Curling irons, Argon Oil and Kenra 25 hairspray are my BFF's right now. There's been some road bumps along this curly road but I'm getting closer and closer to hair that should be allowed out in public every day.
Is anyone else doing the running challenge? How about the "shop as much as possible without actually buying a thing you need for Christmas girfts" challenge? I made that one up right after Thanksgiving, too and I have been doing fantastically at it.
11.27.2012
Christmas ideas for runners! (Aka stuff you can buy me)
I have a confession: I hate spending money on running gear. Hate it.
I will drop $100+ on a race and not think twice about it (hello, Nike Women's Marathon) but if you ask me to spend that much money on a jacket that I will wear daily for months it makes me want to cry.
Because of this I love Christmas because I can ask for whatever I want and then let someone else pick and choose what they want give me and I am truly happy with anything I get. The socks I wear are $10 a pair and even just one new pair makes me giddy. I mean, what better way to celebrate the birth of the messiah but with new shoelaces? Honestly.
Here are some ideas of things that I personally love that the runner in your life (or you!) might enjoy.
A good winter running jacket
If you live in a cold climate then winter running can be extrememly rewarding if dressed properly for it but they can be pretty expensive. I just got this jacket during my running store's Black Friday sale and while it was painful to fork over the money for it (I did get an awesome deal though) I have run with it every single day since and I have no idea what I did winters before this without decent outerwear. It keeps me warm but not too hot, water and snow run right off of it and it has a lot of reflective bits. I'm in love.
The Garmin Forerunner 10. Isn't she beautiful? Fingers crossed!
What are you hoping for this year, running or otherwise?
I will drop $100+ on a race and not think twice about it (hello, Nike Women's Marathon) but if you ask me to spend that much money on a jacket that I will wear daily for months it makes me want to cry.
Because of this I love Christmas because I can ask for whatever I want and then let someone else pick and choose what they want give me and I am truly happy with anything I get. The socks I wear are $10 a pair and even just one new pair makes me giddy. I mean, what better way to celebrate the birth of the messiah but with new shoelaces? Honestly.
Here are some ideas of things that I personally love that the runner in your life (or you!) might enjoy.
A good winter running jacket
If you live in a cold climate then winter running can be extrememly rewarding if dressed properly for it but they can be pretty expensive. I just got this jacket during my running store's Black Friday sale and while it was painful to fork over the money for it (I did get an awesome deal though) I have run with it every single day since and I have no idea what I did winters before this without decent outerwear. It keeps me warm but not too hot, water and snow run right off of it and it has a lot of reflective bits. I'm in love.
Winter running pants
During the sale I also picked up a great pair of running pants. I really like how light they are while still keeping me warm but not TOO warm. That's the key, not overheating. I don't know how these will compare to my beloved Under Armor winter pants (that don't fit right now so that is the last we will speak of them until they do) but in 30-40 degrees they've been awesome.
Running mittens
The worst part about winter running (in my opinion) is wet feet. The second worse is cold hands and the best way to prevent that it by some good mittens. The problem is that they are expensive. $30 for mittens is CRAZY so your runner might not want to buy them for themselves! But let me tell you what...they are worth every penny. Mittens allow your hands to stay warmer than gloves because they let the heat from your fingers combine instead of seperating them it to their own personal isolation cells where no heat can mingle. I don't have running mittens right now but that's probably changing this weekend before I find my fingers falling off in self defense.
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| Link |
Smartwool socks
Wet feet, you say? Get your runner some Smartwool socks. They are usually around $20 a pair which is enough to make me hyperventilate when I think about buying more than one pair at a time but a pair as a little gift would be perfect (do you need my address? Let me know). They are too much for me to run in in the summer but in the winter we are solid (they are all I wear to work in the winter, too which is classy when my dress pants ride up and you see my bright green knee high snowboarding socks but I won't stop wearing them and you can't make me!). My feet do still get wet sometimes but they stay warm and pretty happy and the people running with me don't have to listen to me whine...as much...because I always whine ;) And other than the thick hiking ones that I wear snowshoeing I run in pretty much all of the other ones.
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| Link |
A subscription to Runner's World Magazine
This is one of the presents I have looked forward to getting for the last three years and my mom never lets me down, I love this magazine and have gotten so much knowledge from it that I would be sad without it. This year I am looking forward to my subscription running out so I can get it on my iPad and always have all the issues with me since I like to reference them. And by reference them I mean force people who could care less about running look at photos of what Kara Goucher eats post race (I have chocolate milk, in case you were wondering. It's the best recovery drink out there).
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| Link |
The Runner's Rule Book
This book is a really easy read but pretty comprehensive on what to do and not do in the running world and even better is that it's FUNNY. New runners will find lots of great info (don't wear all black unless you're a ninja, the other runner's will laugh at you) and seasoned runner's will probably nod their head a lot and get a good chuckle from it (no, you're not the only one making fun of that person wearing all black).
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| Link |
The Runner's Field Manual
Written by the same dude who wrote the Runner's Rule Book, this is a bit more info on the running world written with the same ease and humor but in the style of a boy scout's field guide. I love this one equally as much as the first.
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| Link |
Anything!
I truly love and appreciate anything that anyone gives me in relation to running because I rarely buy anything new for myself. There are tons of other things that you could give from big to small like:
-A running GPS
-Entry to a race
-A rack for hanging medals (check Etsy for some cool ones)
-A folio for storing bibs
-A handheld water bottle
-Gels or Shotbloks
-Get crafty and look up your runner's favorite race they've done (they probably talk about it a lot because we always do) and print a picture from the race and put it in a frame along with their race time and a spot for their bib. You can get the pictures and times just by using Google and digging a bit (but don't be googling my times because I am a tortoise right now but will still be fast enough to Mr. Miagi you in the face if you pick on my 10:30 minute miles ;)
So there you have it, I hope that helps someone!
-A running GPS
-Entry to a race
-A rack for hanging medals (check Etsy for some cool ones)
-A folio for storing bibs
-A handheld water bottle
-Gels or Shotbloks
-Get crafty and look up your runner's favorite race they've done (they probably talk about it a lot because we always do) and print a picture from the race and put it in a frame along with their race time and a spot for their bib. You can get the pictures and times just by using Google and digging a bit (but don't be googling my times because I am a tortoise right now but will still be fast enough to Mr. Miagi you in the face if you pick on my 10:30 minute miles ;)
So there you have it, I hope that helps someone!
Oh! And what am I hoping Santa will bring me this year?
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| Link |
The Garmin Forerunner 10. Isn't she beautiful? Fingers crossed!
What are you hoping for this year, running or otherwise?
11.23.2012
Socks, shoes and a few challenges.
Here's what's going on: I sit down to write, I start to write, I get a paragraph in, I get distracted by something really important like Instagram or watching the bun trying to hide my socks when she thinks I'm not watching and then it's game over. Therefore, you are getting some bulleted business so that I can catch you all up and get back to this blogging thing because I miss it.
-My running is going really well. My base is at a solid 10 miles and I ran the best run I've had in two years last Sunday. It wasn't that I was faster than normal, it was that I felt amazing. I finally got in my running zone and when I was done I swear I could have easily done five more miles. You have no idea how good that felt, it's what I have spent the last 6 months working towards. My goal is to run at least one 5 mile run during the week and one 8-12 mile run on Sundays until February when I start half marathon training again in order to keep my base solid.
-That being said I have committed (in my own mind, which is all I need) to the Runner's World Holiday Running Streak where I need to run at least one mile a day every day until January 1. I'm not sure how it's going to go on days that I leave at 6am and get home at 8pm but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. You can read about it here: http://www.runnersworld.com/cold-weather-running/2012-holiday-running-streak and I am wicked excited about it so I am sure I will check in a lot about it.
-I've finished several races since I last wrote: the Wineglass Half marathon in Corning, NY; the Empire Half Marathon here in Syracuse; and the Baldwinsville 10k Turkey Trot yesterday. Both halves went much better than I expected and I finished almost an hour faster than the half I attempted in March. I will try to remember to write about them. Hold me to it :) And if I don't here are a few pictures:
-I have found my holy grail of sneakers. They are Nike's and I have no idea what exactly they are but we are in love and I have no intention of cheating on them anytime soon. Well, not counting when I have to start wearing my winter Asics soon. Do you hear that faint sound of sobbing? It's my butt because they weigh about a pound more than my normal sneakers. But anyway, back to the Nikes. They are soft and squishy and amazing and don't give me blisters and they look cool and they don't really show dirt and even when I'm done running I don't want to take them off. All of these things are proof that we were meant to be.
-I signed up for my dream race last week after waiting 8 months for them to announce the sign up and I will find out December 14 if I got in. Please cross your fingers, toes and pray to the makers of Cadbury Eggs for me (aka my version of Jesus) that I get in.
-Enough about running, I have another challenge that I have put forth for myself and it's a little something I like to call Curltember. My goal is to curl my hair every working day from now until January in honor of one of my most amazing friends who had to shave her glorious curls recently for a reason that I have named Nipplegate. And that's all you need to know because it's her story :) I will tell you that my hair might not make it out alive but I'm doing it anyway out of 90% solidarity and 10% insanity because my hair is super straight and curl resistant and it will take an act of Ulta to get it to hold a curl consistently. I bought a Hot Tools curling iron today, a gallon of heat protectant spray and enough hair spray to turn Nutella into silly putty. Let's do this!
-I went to my friend's baby shower recently and wore the amazing BCBG dress I wrote about a while ago (which, btw, is also an awesome date dress. It's an awesome everything dress) and my current favorite Nine West shoes. I still have no idea why anyone ever wears pants. I mean, I do sometimes but I don't like it. Not one bit.
I also ate cupcakes of the cookie dough variety and they made me not fit in my dress the next day.
-As for my back, it's doing ok. It was better, then it was way worse, then I found out I had a herniated disk, then I started back to work, then I started back to PT, then I got some narcotics, then I was told it isn't a herniated disk, then I got mad because I hate the human medicine world and that's where we're at. I maintain I have a herniated disk though and am just working around it accordingly. AND FOR THE RECORD: No one has told me that I have to stop running! Quite the opposite actually because the longer I run, the better my back feels (most days, some days it's not happy and I take it easier those days). It's funny how once you have an injury everyone magically has an MD and has an opinion about it which usually is 1) You need surgery and 2) You shouldn't be running. I do appreciate the concern but it gets a little frustrating after a while. It's been improving with PT though so I'm sticking with that for the time being and I have decided not to go for the cortisone injections that the unhelpful spinal doctor prescribed to me in my 7 minute visit, 3 of which involved discussing his cat. If I am not feeling better in a few weeks that I am considering a second opinion but only because I like answers. It amazes me sometimes how different veterinary medicine and human medicine is, it's not too often that a client will let you get away with "I don't know" in regards to their pet's health yet that seems to be a viable answer for my own.
/End rant :)
And with that I think you are all sufficiently updated on my life so I will leave you with a parting gift of the bun rearranging my socks when she thinks I'm not looking. The Smartwool ones are her favorite because they are more stiff than my Balega running socks and are therefore easier to throw. I think? Who knows, I'm not a bun.
-My running is going really well. My base is at a solid 10 miles and I ran the best run I've had in two years last Sunday. It wasn't that I was faster than normal, it was that I felt amazing. I finally got in my running zone and when I was done I swear I could have easily done five more miles. You have no idea how good that felt, it's what I have spent the last 6 months working towards. My goal is to run at least one 5 mile run during the week and one 8-12 mile run on Sundays until February when I start half marathon training again in order to keep my base solid.
-That being said I have committed (in my own mind, which is all I need) to the Runner's World Holiday Running Streak where I need to run at least one mile a day every day until January 1. I'm not sure how it's going to go on days that I leave at 6am and get home at 8pm but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. You can read about it here: http://www.runnersworld.com/cold-weather-running/2012-holiday-running-streak and I am wicked excited about it so I am sure I will check in a lot about it.
-I've finished several races since I last wrote: the Wineglass Half marathon in Corning, NY; the Empire Half Marathon here in Syracuse; and the Baldwinsville 10k Turkey Trot yesterday. Both halves went much better than I expected and I finished almost an hour faster than the half I attempted in March. I will try to remember to write about them. Hold me to it :) And if I don't here are a few pictures:
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| Wineglass swag! The medal is glass as Corning is known for the Corning Museum of Glass, one of my favorite places. |
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| Empire bling |
-I have found my holy grail of sneakers. They are Nike's and I have no idea what exactly they are but we are in love and I have no intention of cheating on them anytime soon. Well, not counting when I have to start wearing my winter Asics soon. Do you hear that faint sound of sobbing? It's my butt because they weigh about a pound more than my normal sneakers. But anyway, back to the Nikes. They are soft and squishy and amazing and don't give me blisters and they look cool and they don't really show dirt and even when I'm done running I don't want to take them off. All of these things are proof that we were meant to be.
 |
| My soul mates. |
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| Yes, that is a picture that I took of my iPad with my iPhone while sitting in my car on a call on my OTHER iPhone. God bless technology. |
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| Also, that lipstick is my life right now. It's Mac's Creamsheen lipstick in On Hold and I'm obsessed. |
I also ate cupcakes of the cookie dough variety and they made me not fit in my dress the next day.
-As for my back, it's doing ok. It was better, then it was way worse, then I found out I had a herniated disk, then I started back to work, then I started back to PT, then I got some narcotics, then I was told it isn't a herniated disk, then I got mad because I hate the human medicine world and that's where we're at. I maintain I have a herniated disk though and am just working around it accordingly. AND FOR THE RECORD: No one has told me that I have to stop running! Quite the opposite actually because the longer I run, the better my back feels (most days, some days it's not happy and I take it easier those days). It's funny how once you have an injury everyone magically has an MD and has an opinion about it which usually is 1) You need surgery and 2) You shouldn't be running. I do appreciate the concern but it gets a little frustrating after a while. It's been improving with PT though so I'm sticking with that for the time being and I have decided not to go for the cortisone injections that the unhelpful spinal doctor prescribed to me in my 7 minute visit, 3 of which involved discussing his cat. If I am not feeling better in a few weeks that I am considering a second opinion but only because I like answers. It amazes me sometimes how different veterinary medicine and human medicine is, it's not too often that a client will let you get away with "I don't know" in regards to their pet's health yet that seems to be a viable answer for my own.
/End rant :)
And with that I think you are all sufficiently updated on my life so I will leave you with a parting gift of the bun rearranging my socks when she thinks I'm not looking. The Smartwool ones are her favorite because they are more stiff than my Balega running socks and are therefore easier to throw. I think? Who knows, I'm not a bun.
10.31.2012
I'm back! With a What I Wore Wednesday!
I'm back! Where have I been? Mostly on my living room floor counting strings in my area rug but that's another post for another day.
Last week was my first official week back to work and it was pretty exhausting. Aside from that I was ridiculously excited to wear something other than running pants, tshirts and Biofreeze (when the menthol smell starts to not even register in your olfactory senses then you know there's a problem) and last Wednesday was almost 80 degrees so I took advantage of it and wore a new dress that I am currently obsessed with. As in the first three days I owned it I had it hanging on the outside of my closet so I could stare at it. Should I not be admitting those kinds of things to the general public?
I first saw this dress at JCrew months ago but at 100% silk with a $200 price tag it was nowhere in a price range that I was willing to consider. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I happened upon it on massive clearance (it's been marked down for a while but it was marked down again) and that combined with an additional 30% off sale means I got it for $40. Heck. Yes. The necklace was a similar situation, I found it last week at a JCrew over an hour from me on massive clearance for $41. Tis the season for me to shop JCrew, it seems. Oh, and denim shirts? They are my official fall and winter jam and I wear them with almost every single outfit I put together. Good thing I own many.
Dress: JCrew
Denim shirt: Madewell
Necklace: JCrew
Shoes that you can't see: Black flats from Lord and Taylor
Today was Halloween so of course I needed to wear orange and black. I try to every year because not only is it festive, it prepares me for Syracuse basketball season when we eat, sleep and breathe orange. Yesterday I slammed two of my toes into my foot board of my bed and it was so bad that I hurled my phone across the room and almost hurled my breakfast. I think I just sprained them because today they are movable but painful and 5 colors but I can't fit them into dress shoes so sneakers it was. And how perfect are these sneakers for Halloween anyway? I get that it's not that exciting of an outfit but I ended up on my knees for hours cursing at a Netgear router so it worked out.
Sweater: JCrew
Shirt: JCrew
Pants: Express (the Columnist pants which are the greatest pants to ever happen to me)
Shoes: Vans
Earrings: Marc by Marc Jacobs
And just to spice things up I went out for a friend's birthday the other night and got to wear clothes that were neither for work nor running (a very exciting event in my life!). I also was able to challenge some unsuspecting guys to a pinball match because my favorite bar has a pinball machine and they thought they could own me. SO. WRONG. If you think you're good at pinball I officially challenge you. I might not beat you but I will definitely have fun trying :)
Dress: A small boutique in Syracuse
Jacket: Guess
Watch: Target
Shoes that you can't see: Nine West nude pumps
So how have you all been? I promise I will be back to blogging soon and will update you with all of the weekends I spent running half marathons and then lathering in Biofreeze. Oh, and I finally found my holy grail running shoes! I know you can hardly stand your excitement for hearing about them :)
Also, as always I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.
Last week was my first official week back to work and it was pretty exhausting. Aside from that I was ridiculously excited to wear something other than running pants, tshirts and Biofreeze (when the menthol smell starts to not even register in your olfactory senses then you know there's a problem) and last Wednesday was almost 80 degrees so I took advantage of it and wore a new dress that I am currently obsessed with. As in the first three days I owned it I had it hanging on the outside of my closet so I could stare at it. Should I not be admitting those kinds of things to the general public?
I first saw this dress at JCrew months ago but at 100% silk with a $200 price tag it was nowhere in a price range that I was willing to consider. Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I happened upon it on massive clearance (it's been marked down for a while but it was marked down again) and that combined with an additional 30% off sale means I got it for $40. Heck. Yes. The necklace was a similar situation, I found it last week at a JCrew over an hour from me on massive clearance for $41. Tis the season for me to shop JCrew, it seems. Oh, and denim shirts? They are my official fall and winter jam and I wear them with almost every single outfit I put together. Good thing I own many.
Dress: JCrew
Denim shirt: Madewell
Necklace: JCrew
Shoes that you can't see: Black flats from Lord and Taylor
Today was Halloween so of course I needed to wear orange and black. I try to every year because not only is it festive, it prepares me for Syracuse basketball season when we eat, sleep and breathe orange. Yesterday I slammed two of my toes into my foot board of my bed and it was so bad that I hurled my phone across the room and almost hurled my breakfast. I think I just sprained them because today they are movable but painful and 5 colors but I can't fit them into dress shoes so sneakers it was. And how perfect are these sneakers for Halloween anyway? I get that it's not that exciting of an outfit but I ended up on my knees for hours cursing at a Netgear router so it worked out.
Shirt: JCrew
Pants: Express (the Columnist pants which are the greatest pants to ever happen to me)
Shoes: Vans
Earrings: Marc by Marc Jacobs
And just to spice things up I went out for a friend's birthday the other night and got to wear clothes that were neither for work nor running (a very exciting event in my life!). I also was able to challenge some unsuspecting guys to a pinball match because my favorite bar has a pinball machine and they thought they could own me. SO. WRONG. If you think you're good at pinball I officially challenge you. I might not beat you but I will definitely have fun trying :)
Dress: A small boutique in Syracuse
Jacket: Guess
Watch: Target
Shoes that you can't see: Nine West nude pumps
So how have you all been? I promise I will be back to blogging soon and will update you with all of the weekends I spent running half marathons and then lathering in Biofreeze. Oh, and I finally found my holy grail running shoes! I know you can hardly stand your excitement for hearing about them :)
Also, as always I am linking up with the Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.
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