tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8724919293844255792024-02-02T04:20:29.463-06:00Biggest Loser, Winner, WhateverAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-29732595309476593872013-09-13T12:36:00.003-05:002013-09-13T12:36:45.753-05:00And you are.....?HEY! I'm back! I was thinking the other day that I haven't posted in a while. I checked on the blogger and saw that it was May that I last posted. Woah...gotta get back on it!<br />
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Some stuff but not a ton has happened since I last posted. I made it through my first semester at Wayne State University. Teaching classes and training clients has been amazing! I've made some WONDERFUL friends since I started working there. Between my co-workers and my clients, I'm extremely blessed with the people in my life.<br />
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With the help of my friend Amy, I have FINALLY been able to figure out how/when/what to eat since I started. It was a battle of will and starvation trying to understand what my body needed since I'm on my feet and working out with more intensity. She helped me get a better understanding of my proteins and carbs. And the hardest part....counting EVERY calorie. I allowed myself to "let that one go" too often. Before I knew it, I was losing my mind trying to understand why I was gaining weight but working harder than I ever had before. It's mostly about working "smart" and not necessarily "hard." I workout hard and burn the hell out of those calories and now I'm smarter about what I eat. Is that going to make me feel full? Did I get enough protein today?<br />
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In regards to training, I decided to do two programs at once. I thought I was going to fall apart but I made it through. One, I started my half marathon training. I'm still nursing some slight injuries from the beginning of the semester so I've got my running down to two days a week. Cardiovascular wise, I'm golden. I just have to get the miles under my belt. The other program I decided to bite into was...wait for it....Jillian Michaels Making the Cut. It's a 30 day strength training/HIIT training workout. I completed Day 29 yesterday and killed it. My arms, shoulders and back are getting toned. I've even gotten some comments on my work. I've had the book sitting on my shelf for a while and I decided I was ready for it. One more day to get through! It's such a great program, I'll probably just start from Day 1 again. Mostly because if you don't use it, you lose it. And also, I'm standing up in a wedding at the beginning of November and I want to rock the dress!<br />
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I'm really looking forward to the half marathon this year! I haven't done a race since the day we moved back in March. I'm really looking forward to getting that medal again! I have my 7 mile run tomorrow, which I decided to run on the richy part of town. AND ITS ON THE LAKE! I can't wait for it! Fall is finally here and the 50's and 40's are right around the corner. MMMMMmmmm fall! A runners lover.<br />
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Hopefully, I'll be posting more often now that I have a little more time on my hands! Keep on truckin'!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-11598842528404305292013-05-25T09:32:00.003-05:002013-05-25T09:32:43.636-05:00The spirit is willing but the body is dragging ass....Oh...hello.<br />
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I've been busy busy busy trying to get my schedule in check that I've barely been able to keep up with the internet. Podcasts are a thing of the past for me as well as being able to stay awake the whole day.<br />
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I just ended my second week of teaching group fitness classes and needless to say...I am spent. Not only did I teach my own classes but I also was, what I think, a great co-worker and subbed for a woman that was on vacation. Most of my days have been starting by waking up at 5:15-5:30 to get to work by 6:30 to be ready for my first client by 7:00. Then my day goes on from there. Mondays and Wednesdays I teach HIIT training in two half hour sessions at 10:00 and 10:30. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I teach Butts and Guts at 9:00 and Trim n Tone at 1:00. Then in between those classes I have clients that I train.<br />
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Most of my classes have been full and fun. My people have left completely sweaty and thanked me for the class. On top of those classes I taught a class at Noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well...so it went Client, class at 9:00, client, *shove sandwich in mouth*, client, class at noon, class at 1. And when I say I "taught" these classes, I was right up in there with the patrons giving what I could. Obviously, I was much more focused on the patrons than I was of my own work out, but I kept going and kept up with the pace. On top of this day, I also had to clients at home in the evening.<br />
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Well two weeks of this, when your body isn't used to this much activity, and your co-workers have been WARNING you about potential over training in those first few weeks finally came to a halt on Thursday. This past Thursday.<br />
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To add on top of all the training and working as hard as I can for hours, I'm also stressed about my home life. Ryan is still job hunting and doing a great job of it. I've been drilling and driving into my head the fact that I need to work as many hours as I can so I can make sure we have enough income. Work, work, work. I try my best to handle stress and the way I usually handle it is by working out. But I can't. I've worked out for the whole day already and if I did one more thing I think I would fall apart.<br />
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Well, I fell apart. A little bit...not a lot. Thursday in the afternoon and evening I started experiencing an irregular heartbeat. A big Ba-boom in my chest every 4th or 5th regular beat. And of course, when you're laying in bed trying to fall asleep and ALL you can think about is your heartbeat, it feels extreme and you get really really nervous. The next morning, it was still there, and my body was just worn out. I was on edge and both my mother and husband urged that I go to Urgent Care. I was really "strong" about not going for a while. ["strong" means scared and figured I would get turned away at the door for a feeling in my chest] But I finally broke down and had to go when I started feeling a tightness as well. I was very fortunate that the Campus Health Center was kind enough to take me in. I was there for an hour and a half, got some blood work done (to see if I'm anemic) as well as my Thyroid checked. I also got an EKG which showed that I had a normal heartbeat and that I didn't experience a cardiac event. After all this (pending the blood work results) we came to the conclusion that most likely I have anxiety and it just came to a point where the anxiety and the 180 minutes of working out were fighting over who would take me down. Now today, Saturday, I feel better. I explained to Ryan that it feels like I've had the flu for 5 days and now I'm about 90% better. It's that feeling in your chest that just needs to rest. My nurse practitioner strongly suggests that I need to visit a cardiologist to get my heart monitored for a whole 24 hours to make 100% sure I don't have any problems. I'm working on scheduling that.<br />
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What have I taken away from this? That I have to let go of the times when people cancel on me or are no-shows. I have to understand that not every class is going to be "killer" and that there are going to be a hundred people coming up to me with the SAME suggestion about how to make "this class" better. I also have to not carry so much of daily life with me. Take care of Monday before I think about Tuesday. Stop looking at the whole week and asking "How on earth am I going to get through this?"<br />
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I wish I could do everything, but I can't.<br />
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The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-82532004137331490542013-05-03T17:20:00.000-05:002013-05-03T17:20:14.244-05:00Proud Sister!I just updated you on our life but I needed to make a completely separate post for a VERY proud moment.<br />
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Last May, I wrote about my brother graduating from Ferris State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. We were very proud of him and were hopeful that he would find a job quickly. Well...it wasn't quick but it finally happened.<br />
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He has worked SO HARD applying for jobs. To give you an idea, he applied for 54 positions all across the state of Michigan. He's driven hundreds of miles, filled out hundreds of pages of forms, has done thousands of hours of research, testing and interviewing. I've never seen anyone work as hard as he has this last year. Most police departments were looking for 2-10 people and they can have up to 100 people apply for that job. 100 people who are just as talented, educated and eager to work for that department. It has not been easy but his day finally came.<br />
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Ryan was offered a job with the Southgate Police Department and he gladly accepted. You can imagine the excitement that was radiating through him and the rest of us. He's been measured for his uniform and we all went to his swearing in for duty on May 1st.<br />
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I had never been to Southgate before and wasn't sure what to expect. It's about 20 minutes south of Detroit and 35 minutes away from where we live. It's a mid-size city and looks like a nice place to live. We typed in the address to the municipal building for where he was being sworn in and it took us to Vic's Casual Dining. We laughed at the thought of the city council meetings taking place at Vic's and having Ryan swear in on a menu. We drove a little further and found the municipal building. My husband and I walked in and our family was there. We saw where the council meets and laughed when it looked like it was straight out of Parks and Rec. We wondered when we were about to get "Jammed!" We met the president of the council and even the Mayor of Southgate. They were all SO wonderful and generous with their time. They were grateful for the two new police officers they were getting.<br />
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Finally, my brother walked in and he was in uniform and I just couldn't handle it. He was meant for that uniform. I teared up and had to take a moment. I hugged him and told him how proud I was of him. And I am. I've never been so proud of him.<br />
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Officer Parise</div>
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What a handsome guy! Everyone we saw we advised them how lucky they are to have him serving and protecting the city of Southgate. Every response was, "We know how lucky we are." </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-76018952147250482282013-05-02T08:55:00.002-05:002013-05-02T11:19:45.661-05:00A Month Later....I apologize for the big gap in posts. I've been extremely busy lately but I finally have a chance, on a Thursday morning, to sit and let you in on the last month.<br />
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Let's talk about work. I really can't even call it work because I love it so much! I love working at WSU! I love working there again, I should say. When I was a student I worked in the admissions department answering all sorts of questions but now I work in a different department. NOW I'm working at the Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor! So far I've been doing personal training work but starting next week I'll be busting out the group fitness classes.<br />
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I've been working at Wayne for the last two weeks and it's been quite an adjustment. Mostly because personal training went from "being a hobby" to "this is how I put food on my plate." No matter what I've always put in 100% into my hobby and now my career but the effort and energy is up by 1000%. For the last like, 8 years, I've been on my ass at a desk staring at a computer. Nothing too difficult, but now I'm on my feet all day, moving moving moving; moving people and myself. These last three days at work have left me exhausted by the time I got home. I eat second lunch when I get home, shower and then go down for a nap. It's going to take a while for my energy levels meet my energy exertion.<br />
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There's a TON of great people that I work with. I've had great interactions with all of them. At the end of the day I always hit Sharmilla's desk and say, "Well, that wasn't the worst day ever, so I'll see you tomorrow." The first few days I worked I kept saying, "That was overwhelming." Shes always been the first to say, "It'll come to you, just relax. You know what you're doing." It's starting a new career...like any college graduate, I have the knowledge, now I just need to apply it. My first few clients I kept referring back to notes every two seconds. Yesterday was the first time where I truly felt comfortable, joking with my client, and pushing her to her limits. She felt great and so did I. I also have three at home clients and they (hopefully) are enjoying their experience. I received birthday money and was able to buy a few more pieces for my "gym" and my wardrobe. I'm making it happen!<br />
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Coming up next is to actually start teaching classes. I advised my boss that I have never taught a class in my life but that I'm currently working towards earning my certification for it. They knew that but didn't care; my ass would be in front of a class whether I was ready for it or not. But I'm ready. I wasn't a few weeks ago but I was able to sit down with Jeff, another co-worker and settled me down a bit. Again, it's that whole "I have the knowledge, but how do I apply it." He walked me through about a million ways to teach a class, mix it up, keep it guessing and not emptying their tanks in the first ten minutes. I'm starting to feel ready for everything. :)<br />
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I don't have a long commute but that was another part of being nervous about everything. I haven't driven myself around for like 8 years now and then all of the sudden I am thrown onto I-94 with some construction and told to get myself down to Detroit. That first week was NERVE WRACKING! I'm getting used to it now but driving in my area is exhausting. Everyone else is like, "That's no big deal to drive that" and I want to yell, "I've been a pampered princess with buses and trains taking me places!" Maybe not a pampered princess but a member of the public mass of grossness. No one leaves chicken bones in my back seat!<br />
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Onto our pet drama: I've lost two fish. I KNOW! We've only been here a month but I've managed to lose two fish. The first one, Stringer Bell, was already on his last leg. We made the poor decision of buying him at Meijer where I highly doubt he was properly cared for and was stressed to the max...he only made it two days at our house. We decided to go to a real pet store and went to Sea World down the street and picked out a real beauty. His name was Sam Seaborn and he passed away this morning. His story; I loved him too hard. Basically, I kept his bowl too clean and fed him too much. I was so saddened by Stringer Bell's story that I just wanted to make sure Sam Seaborn felt loved. I loved him too hard. Now, I am fully educated on how to take care of fish. I promise! We'll have a new, more permanent family member in the bowl soon.<br />
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My Ryan is doing very well. He's still looking for a job but he hasn't gotten down about it yet. He's actually got two job interviews today and one tomorrow. Please keep your fingers crossed and in your prayers. He's been working on learning code so he can build me a website someday and just been catching up with friends and family. Uncle Russ and Aunt Jen were here last week to help clean out Grandad's house so we were able to spend a lot of time with them and our folks. We had such a great time!<br />
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We're working super hard to make this place home and it's really shaping up to be a place we would like to stay forever! More news coming up!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-12138249749066526802013-04-02T08:16:00.003-05:002013-04-02T08:16:55.300-05:00Welcome (Back) Home! Part 3 of 3If you somehow missed the first two installments of this post you can find them <a href="http://biggestlww.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-next-destination-detroit-part-1-of-3.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://biggestlww.blogspot.com/2013/03/driving-out-of-chicago-crying-while.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Great! Now that we're all caught up, I can tell you about our first few days in Michigan. I'll start with this morning waking up groggily to what I THOUGHT was someone stealing my new car. To clarify, we live above a business, specifically, a funeral home, and our car is parked in the parking lot that can be seen from our bedroom window. I heard loud music and car doors opening and closing and then I shot out of bed, looked out the window and started banging ON THE WINDOW (because nothing is more threatening than a 20-something banging on a window 700 feet away). I don't know what they were doing but they are our neighbors and they just wanted to drive through the parking lot. I finally laid back in bed and apologized for waking Ryan up...he was kind and said it was fine. He also clarified that banging on the window was probably not the way to go...hitting the alarm button on the key fob or calling the cops would've been more effective.<br />
He also reminded me that if the car is stolen or damaged we have insurance and it can be replaced. No big deal. I just laid back on my pillow and said, "It's the nicest thing that I own." I also cried three times just trying to title it and its the first car I have EVER owned. I'm almost 27 and this is the first time I've owned something that nice and big. It's my baby. <i>Don't touch it!</i><br />
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I cried a lot on the drive over from Chicago to Detroit. I cried when I saw the sign that said "Welcome to Indiana" and I cried again when the sign for "Pure Michigan" was seen. I cried when I saw the construction and realized that I'll be apart of the masses that complain about I-94, I-75 and I-696. There were a ton of reasons that I cried. But I cried the hardest after 20 of my friends and family unloaded our truck in 30 minutes, after my parents and mother in law cleaned my kitchen and bathroom, after they brought in a couch, washing machine and got my brand new vacuum working. Everyone was so happy that we were home. I was so tired and couldn't handle it and just broke down all over the place. It was too much love. I don't think I could find that anywhere else in the world.<br />
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We're getting use to our new space. It's very quiet, we would appreciate some more traffic and delinquents making a racket so we could sleep better. It's also HUGE! Our last apartment could fit in here 2.5 times and so far it's exhausting. We're not used to how many steps it takes to refill your coffee and God are we grateful.<br />
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We were able to celebrate Easter with my family and not get on a train the next morning to head back to Chicago. That was a first and it was wonderful! I did still have to stay at my folks house so we could get to the SOS to register our car. But now we're back at our place for good. :)<br />
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Today will be the first big grocery shop and I can't wait for it! To buy as much as I want and not worry about "Can I carry this home?" will be a thought I haven't had to think about in the last 5 years. 'MURICA!<br />
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I have two job interviews this week that I'm looking forward to. I'm already thrown off by the fact that it's Tuesday because I'm not at my desk complaining about the lockbox. (BTW, best feeling ever; data entry can suck it) So I would appreciate thoughts and prayers for those.<br />
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I can't wait to update on our MI hi-jinks as well as other times I think people are stealing my car. We're happy and healthy and we feel like the most blessed people in the world.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-25560312721042019552013-03-27T09:34:00.003-05:002013-03-27T09:34:44.651-05:00Driving Out of Chicago; Crying While Giving it the Middle Finger (Part 2 of 3)Chicago, you are a crazy bitch.<br />
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I just got this text from my husband, "THERE WAS A GODDAMN PIGEON IN THE TRAIN CAR I GOT ON JUST FLYING AROUND! We can leave now, I've seen all I need to."<br />
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That's what you get when you live in an urban area with public transportation; a pigeon on the train. You're just trying to go to work so you can get your paycheck at the end of the week. It reminds me of the song "Skid Row" from Little Shop of Horrors. "Alarm goes off at seven and you start uptown. You put in your eight hours to the powers that have always been. Til it's 5 pm...." And then it goes into how working downtown completely sucks.<br />
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And it does. We live 9 miles away from our workplace in the Loop and it takes us 50 minutes to get to work. 50 MINUTES! 9 miles anywhere else in the state would take you about 10 minutes to drive. That's insane.<br />
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But once you get home, then it's OK. It's OK because you get about 5 minutes peace before your upstairs neighbors who (you think) weigh 500 pounds and wear steel toed boots come home and start playing video games or their stereo. And then right before you lay your head on the pillow you hear them having LOUD OBNOXIOUS sex! Then sometimes your alarm is them having LOUD OBNOXIOUS sex!<br />
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Hey, no worries, the weekend's coming up! Lot's of time to relax. But you also have to go to the grocery store and walk home 70 lbs of food on your shoulders. You also have to do laundry which costs $1.25 per wash and another $1.25 to dry. All of this takes up Saturday. And then on Sunday it rains.<br />
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Did I make city living sound glamorous? Do I sound angry and frustrated? See how those two things don't go together?<br />
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Those are all the bad things about living here. When we first got here and even up until today, you're just used to it. It's just life. It is what it is and you're a grown-ass woman and you just take it. Because you also fucking LOVE this place.<br />
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I started running here. I started running over in Old Irving Park, past historic homes on sunny days. And then I REALLY loved running when I moved to the east side and found my lake. MY LAKE! It was mine and there was a 20 mile stretch that I could just take off down. I trained for my marathon here on MY LAKE. I shared it with a lot of asshole bikers because I'm nice. I have watched countless sunrises over that lake on my runs. Especially in the summer when I got up before the heat of the day would start. You know when you go on vacation on the beach and you say "I'm going to wake up to watch the sun rise!" because it's relaxing? I got to do that whenever I wanted and I took full advantage of that. Every morning was a "vacation" day for me. Even on the days that I HATED running I knew I was seeing something special. There were days that I knew were going to be amazing because I caught the skyline at that moment <i>right</i> before the sun was going to break over the water. I'm so glad I took advantage of every sunrise I could. I can tell you where the 'vomit tree' is that smells like vomit every fall. I can tell you where every water fountain is and where there are even some hidden. I can lead you through every sidewalk in the South Lincoln Park Park and then take you to the zoo. I will miss these things.<br />
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Chicago was where I fell in love with my husband and decided that I wanted him to be my husband. We started our life HERE. We got grown-up jobs with health insurance. We saw amazing art and museums. We ate the most amazing food and found new restaurants that didn't have an "Inc." after it. We got drunk and just got on the train and went home; we never had to be DD for anyone. We learned improv here and met amazing people. I met two of my bridesmaids here who I still love and talk to all the time! I will miss these things too.<br />
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The difficult part will come when I've left and think of more things that I miss. On the other side there will be things where I realize, "Thank God, I don't have to do that anymore."<br />
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I decided to go out with a bang...the VERY last thing I'm doing before I leave is running a 5K race with one of my best friends, Alicia. We're doing the Bunny Rock 5k and I'm going to enjoy/cry through every minute of it. I will hug my friend and cry even harder and then I will shower, get into my rental truck and head to my new adventure. Crying and giving the city the bird as we head out on I-90/I-94.<br />
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Soon, there will be that moment when I'm running somewhere on Belle Isle and I turn the corner and I'll see the Renaissance Center and I'll remember that awesome feeling of being in Chicago and hitting the bend around the Theater on the Lake and see the Hancock building. Both times, I'll have chills.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-81445104878581806192013-03-22T15:15:00.000-05:002013-03-22T15:17:06.765-05:00The Next Destination: Detroit (Part 1 of 3)We released the big news on Facebook about a week ago but for those of you who missed it our big announcement was that we are moving to Michigan! We are moving March 30th, which is exactly 8 days away.<br />
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Ryan asked why I haven't written about it yet and it's definitely a combination of things. One, I'm already tired from packing and handling a lot of business from another state. It kind of feels like the wedding all over again. Two, I'm the one who's having a harder time dealing with everything.<br />
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I decided this was going to be a three part series. This first one is going to be about 'why' or 'why do people keep asking why'. The second and third installment will be about each respective city.<br />
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Let's address the "why do people keep asking 'why'" part first. First off, it's none of your damn business why. Sorry to be so blunt but people have been blunt in asking that question. As a grown woman who's married I don't have to answer to anyone; just myself and God. And sometimes my husband when he needs to know if I actually purchased something from Amazon or if our credit card was stolen. There was one person who actually said, "I hope it's not because of something bad. And if not, I'm happy for you." This could be taken a few ways but I took it as, "There's been so much misfortune in the last few years and I'm glad you were able to make this decision on your own." I don't even KNOW this person; she is a friend of Ryan's but I was grateful that there was someone in the world who acknowledged that WE were able to come to this decision on our own and didn't need to know WHY.<br />
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There was another instance where I felt that I had to justify why I didn't want to live in Chicago anymore. No one asked me to justify it but you always feel the need to explain and go down a laundry list of reasons. And then you wonder if people will understand your reasons. So in the last few weeks I've decided that I will never feel like I have to justify a decision ever again. I never jump into anything half-ass so explaining it would almost be like trying to reassure myself and others that I know what the heck I'm doing. I don't know everything and I never will, but I know how to take care of myself.<br />
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Now because I do like to open up my life to my family and friends I am happy to share parts of why I decided to move. Of course Ryan and I had to come to the decision mutually, however, I will not be speaking about HIS reasons for moving. That's completely up to him to state. First thing is, our lease was up on April 1st and we needed to decide if we wanted to live there anymore. That's one.<br />
As for myself, the biggest thing was that I am completely ready to be 100% in the fitness world. I don't want to work in an office anymore where I sit for 8 hours and lose my sight from staring at a computer all day. I didn't do all this studying and weight loss and planning to continue to underwrite malpractice insurance. I did it so I could work on my passion. That is difficult to do when you live in a city and neither married partner is necessarily the "Bread Winner." To face up to facts was devastating; we could not live in Chicago with me being a personal trainer. We just couldn't afford to take the hit. That's one big part of "why" answered.<br />
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What's been most interesting about the decision process is that some people act with a nonchalance about us being able to make this decision. We probably sat and talked about it for a whole year! There were days where we were excited, but the closer we got to actually having to lay out the plans, then were the days where we kind of stood there in terror. There were days where we had to look at each other and say "It's your turn to hold me up today." And equally, "I'll hold you up today, it's okay."<br />
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There have been great days and absolutely HORRIBLE days in this last month when we were finally deep in the planning stages. Most of the horrible days were surrounded trying to buy our car and also trying to title it. You would've thought that we were trying to buy jewels off a Maharajah and not a pre-owned 2012 Impala. (FYI We're pretty fucking excited to be car owners now). The good days include putting our two weeks notice in and having our offices be happy for us. Today was a good day as well. It happens that my last day of work is also my 5 year anniversary working for the company. And even though they had to do absolutely nothing about it, they still acknowledged me and gave me a gift and a certificate. So even though I'm not meant to sit behind a desk and am even running away from it, it was great to know that my work here in Chicago didn't go unnoticed.<br />
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Up next: Driving out of Chicago; Crying While Giving it the Middle Finger</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-28006430477757635592013-03-07T16:04:00.004-06:002013-03-07T16:04:40.622-06:00Are We Trending???<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So we stole from Harry Potter. We took this picture....</div>
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And our talented friend Meagan made this as our Save the Date</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAxiNkA-fDqW4AKZMJ2qlNayLrHl_BDNtA9Opl7Ug8EXnPH0ubi0-ITKYjTbzGXoQ44egzgvDZfkFvhQXLpyrUzb6GmZMV_k7B-wxvdxmSeF6x3f3oX3Ex_dwgqV7Leh5gdtVOGZPtDLP/s1600/5x7_postcard_Front_finalproof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAxiNkA-fDqW4AKZMJ2qlNayLrHl_BDNtA9Opl7Ug8EXnPH0ubi0-ITKYjTbzGXoQ44egzgvDZfkFvhQXLpyrUzb6GmZMV_k7B-wxvdxmSeF6x3f3oX3Ex_dwgqV7Leh5gdtVOGZPtDLP/s1600/5x7_postcard_Front_finalproof.jpg" height="640" width="460" /></a></div>
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And now there's this....</div>
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Now I HAVE to see this movie. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-54002067448796036622013-02-26T12:31:00.001-06:002013-02-26T12:31:09.202-06:00Things just take longer than you think they should...<br />
I believe in a higher power. I call Him God. You may call it something else. That's cool. I believe that higher power controls most things and that makes me feel better. Even though I think I walk through this world with what I believe is a level head, I know that if I didn't believe in God, my life would feel like a plane going into a tail-spin from time to time.<br />
<br />
To put simply, I leave it to the Coen brothers. "The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowing he's out there. The Dude." When The Dude "abides", it means he's waiting patiently for something, or enduring without yielding. It's out of his hands and he's just hanging out with Donny and Walter just waiting to see what happens next.<br />
<br />
I have to take some more time to reflect on this. There's a lot of balls in the air right now and I'm constantly going between being completely calm; zen, to having a heart attack.<br />
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One thing that I can always let you in on is running. It's a cornerstone in my life and yet, I can only do it sparingly. I had an overuse injury after my marathon and had to do some physical therapy in December. We're now coming up to 4 months of not really being able to hit the pavement the way my heart and mind want to. Recently, I was able to complete 2 miles on the treadmill. The next day I tempted fate and ran outside on the 40 degree day for 1.5 miles. I finished it, mostly without issues, but my knee didn't like the cold. 40 degrees just wasn't warm enough. I walked back in the door and said, "Alright, God, I get it. I have to be patient." This is going to be a LOOOONG winter until spring comes back to greet us with 50 degree days and my body is ready to handle the pavement again. Kristen abides.<br />
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I did get to enjoy "my" lake for the first time in months. It was snow covered and a little slushy, but people were just so happy to be outside, as was I.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-49014494673991274312013-02-11T17:56:00.000-06:002013-02-11T17:56:31.530-06:00Reviews: I Never Have Much To SayMy husband and I, like most of America, are consumers. The two biggest things we consume are food and media.<br />
<br />
I am fantastic at describing why something tastes good or bad and if I would have it again or not.<br />
When it comes to describing a book, movie or TV show I have some difficulties describing that item and WHY I enjoyed/disliked it. I usually end up giving away the whole plot and ruining it for it's next viewer.<br />
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I'm putting myself out into the world more frequently and am not going to be embarrassed by my flaws or good nature. So I have decided to give you my review of things that we have consumed this week!<br />
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First up; Movies.<br />
We went and saw Warm Bodies this weekend. It's about a Zombie boy who falls in love with an Alive Girl. This had all of my favorite things; romance, humor, suspense and zombies. I thought the boy was funny and the whole story endearing. I also always enjoy that they NEVER tell you how the Zombie shit starts. So that way I will never be afraid of a monkey biting me or some jackass at the CDC starts it.<br />
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Next; Books.<br />
I just finished reading J.K. Rowlings new book, A Casual Vacancy. It's essentially about every small town located to a bigger town that no one wants to be associated with. Barry Fairbrother dies and leaves a 'casual vacancy' on the Pagford Parish Council. (No spoilers, honest, that happens on the first page) It's really intense and a real page turner. Lots of secrets that you want to know and you do find out about them but then it just kind of ends. 500 pages and I'm left with the lyrics to a Rihanna song. Meh.<br />
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Finally; Television.<br />
Downton Abbey. Portlandia. Bob's Burgers. What do they have in common? I LOVE THEM. I love them all and they could not be more different from each other. Downton Abbey; has made me laugh and cry in the same episode. Lady Mary and I could talk for DAYS about how far we could fall into Cousin Matthew's eyes. Portlandia; It's about Portland, where people in their 20's go to retire. My favorite characters are the ladies running the Women and Women bookstore. They locked Steve Buscemi in the store! Finally, Bob's Burgers; I shit you not, this is a quote from Louise from "Broadcast Wagstaff School News", (regarding brother Gene's crowning on a VHS) "We'll just tape over everything up to the birth, he crowns for a long time. It looks like an angry soft ball being pushed out of a change purse."<br />
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I think I did the best on the television reviews.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-32054062881835039832013-02-05T15:24:00.001-06:002013-02-05T15:30:02.140-06:00Promises promises!She said she's going to bring us a great new post instead she gives us a post that is clearly from her phone littered with typos! How dare she! <br />
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Well to fill you in... Work has been intense lately. Normally I get my posts typed out during lunch but I've been so busy that I use my lunch time for eating and shutting my brain off for 60 minutes. A LOT of stuff has happened this month, it's hard to keep track. <br />
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At the beginning of January Ryan's grandad's health was declining and he was finally called home to Gran. We went home for the funeral and visited with family and mourned. And as we learned all over again that time does not stand still and we need to choose wisely about what to do with our moments while we're here.<br />
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I was asked to be a bridesmaid in my future SIL wedding and I was VERY happy to accept! We tried on a dress or two already and I'm very excited!<br />
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My husbear turned 30 on the 29th and we went home to celebrate! Everyone came out to the bar and we had a great time! Ryan is not sure about how he feels being 30 but I think it takes more than a week to get the feel of it. The Minarik's were kind enough to host us at their home to celebrate with pizza and wine. And even Miss Mariana was kind enough to grace us with her presence!<br />
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I joined a new gym and I'm loving it! I'm taking as many classes as I can in the week and I've been soaking up knowledge and muscles like a sponge monster? Sure. Sponge monster! I'm super strong and working my tail off! I hit my January goal and on par for my February goal! Also, I'm back up to 15 mins running on the treadmill which is about 1.25 miles. So I'm working slowly but steady on increasing my running! I finally got to go work out with my friend Alicia at flywheel! She quit Insurance to go work for them and she's in love! I took her 4:30 class and afterwords I could barely keep my emotions in check! I am SO proud of her! I had never seen such passion and fire in her before. God knew that she was going to be one of the best spinning teachers ever and she delivered! I do not like spinning but I can say confidently that I'll be taking her class again! She made it fun! <br />
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Ryan and I have been working patiently on a project that we can't talk about quite yet but we're getting excited. (No, it's not a baby.) Patience people!<br />
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I promise next time you're going to get a great post about children and exercise because those kids on he biggest loser are breaking my heart and tearing me up with pride! <br />
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I hope that if you made a promise to yourself to be healthier this year that you're working on it everyday. It's hard and it's worth it. Find your strength. Some people will have to dig deeper than others and you may not even know where to start. Just start with walking to the end of your driveway. Then go to the end of your block, the end of the street, the end of your town until you've found yourself at the county line. Realize your<br />
Potential. Be proud of every step :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-62011301238094327482013-01-16T13:50:00.001-06:002013-01-16T13:50:34.549-06:00It's the little things....I recently joined a gym again. It's called Kru Strength & Fitness. I love it there. It's a small space but there is PLENTY to do. I've been taking classes like a monster to get in a much experience as I can with as many classes as I can. I want to learn everything!<br />
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So far I've taken their 20-20-20 class. (20 min strength, 20 min cardio and 20 min abs) YIKES! I took a kettle bell class for the first time which was very intriguing. I also just read an article about lower back issues and being cautious about taking kettle bell classes. Super interesting. I've taken their "22" class which is intense. You are 20 seconds on for a high-intensity movement, 10 seconds rest and you do that same thing 8 times with the high-intensity movement. The whole class lasts 30 minutes, but it's a quick (but not easy) way to burn a lot of calories.<br />
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As for my running, I finally ran a WHOLE mile this past weekend! *TRUMPET SOUNDS* I am super excited and proud of myself. Pride and encouragement leads me to believe that I could run a 5K by the end of March. This gives me 10 weeks to slowly increase my mileage in order to run it. Also, it's too cute NOT to partake.<br />
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It's the <a href="http://www.bunnyrock5k.com/eventinfo.html" target="_blank">Bunny Rock 5K</a>. I made sure Ryan understood EXACTLY how cute it was by over explaining it. It's your standard 5K but you receive your t-shirt, bunny ears and a pair of cool sunglasses...so you look like a bunny who ROCKS. Adorable, right? It's the little things that keep me going.<br />
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I'm planning out my next post which is going to include a little education. Being that I'm a certified personal trainer, I subscribe to the IDEA Fitness Journal and they put out a wonderful article about childhood obesity. It will all go hand in hand with the Biggest Loser kids as well. I figured since I have had personal experience with this issue along with being able to do research on it, I should pass on my knowledge to readers!<br />
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See you soonly!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-53228961331385344772013-01-02T17:59:00.004-06:002013-01-02T17:59:27.045-06:00New DirectionsWhere have I been?!<br />
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The last blog I posted was regarding the future of my physical therapy and my running. Well readers, I am pleased to inform you that my last appointment was December 31st and I've been "discharged" by my PT. She said I've made fantastic progress and didn't see a reason to keep me. (Also, Jan 1st my insurance changed over and I would have to pay my deductible all over again...me thinks I shant do that)<br />
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My running progress is SLOW but steady. I am up to running 7 minutes (about .6 miles) now and I'll be increasing from there. I will be taking this winter to really get back up to speed before the spring/summer season. The one good thing is my PT told me I should only be running on a treadmill for now as it's too cold outside for my joints to full warm up in 7-8 minutes. Probably best to stay inside for the winter months, build up minutes and strength.<br />
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The other side of that coin is that Jillian Michael's and I have been getting super intimate. I worked my butt off during my vacation doing her workouts. My brother was watching me do her EXTREME SHED AND SHRED and it was the first time I was doing the whole video. Well I almost died and when she did her next move I hear him say, "Holy cow, that's a wrestling move." J-dogg has us doing wrestling moves. That's nuts. It's getting easier but I'm sure to switch it up.<br />
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To add to that, even though I did work my butt off...there were the two final days of vacation where there was a lot of chocolate and cheese. Not together, but they did their part. For now I have to focus on getting back down to where my doctor said I should be. It's not an outrageous number, but it's that number where you say to yourself, "What happened? When did I lose the focus? When did I stop maintaining?" I have been in this position before WAY back when I teetered back into the 300 lb range too far! I've been there before and I can do this again.<br />
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2012 was an INSANE year. We finished wedding planning, got married, hopped RIGHT into marathon training, ran a marathon, went on our honeymoon and then the holidays were right there. I just finally took a breath these last 2 weeks on vacation and they were lovely. (12 hours of Downton Abbey anyone?) Oh, also on vacation I changed my hair a bit and got a tattoo....I needed change.<br />
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So what's up for 2013? It's odd because I really don't know. Which is...refreshing. I won't be running another marathon! Health wise, I need to drop some LBs...and stay focused on recovery. I may consider running the Detroit Half marathon this year (depending on how things go early this year). We've got some big plans coming up AND the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THIS POST----------><br />
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My brother-in-law, K, proposed to his girlfriend B and we could not be MORE excited!!!! I count my blessings everyday for the wonderful family I married into and what's even better is I'm gaining an AMAZING sister-in-law! For real you guys, she's awesome. I hear horror stories about FILs/MILs/BILs/SILs and I thank my lucky stars I am at the opposite end of the spectrum.<br />
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I will be up and blogging more frequently. The physical therapy slowed my happiness down a bit but I'm really starting to perk up!<br />
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And if that's not enough, here's a picture of me holding my Aunt's pup, Boca. (I will get one of these someday!!!!!)<br />
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-27691626942811790252012-12-05T11:40:00.001-06:002012-12-05T11:40:06.466-06:00Dusting off the blogIt's been a little while but I haven't really been in the mood to post.<br />
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I'm very frustrated. I explained this all to my husband yesterday.<br />
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I started going to physical therapy about 2 weeks ago and I've made some progression but it's a slow process. It's for my right knee. My IT band was so tight it was causing pain in my knee. My PT is great. She goes by her middle name which is George. I love it. She's super nice and supportive. I have a session tonight and I'm hoping she'll let me find something to punch for a few minutes.<br />
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It's a circle game right now. I'm going through physical therapy for my knee and I haven't run (still can't) for about 4 weeks. Even when I do work out, I have to be very careful and conscious of my knee. This has made me frustrated because in order for me to get my frustration out I like to run. Do you see the pattern?<br />
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I've been much more aware of what I eat because I do not have the ability to burn a lot of calories like I was able to do. So I'm limited to riding the stationary bike, walking and lighter versions of my Jillian Michaels videos. It's all just stressful and AGAIN, I can't take my stress out physically because I have nothing to punch. And the stress makes me want to eat.<br />
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And of course, I do nothing but sit at work.<br />
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BOOOOOO!!!!!<br />
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I've been finding ways to put focus on other things. I've been reading more, playing more sudoku and knitting. TOUGH SPORTS!<br />
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I'm not throwing in the towel by any means. I'll be back on my feet in no time. But the 'no time' it takes is boring. I have been working on creating other workouts. It just takes some finagling to see how my legs feel about it. This leads to weight loss being slow but I'm moving in the right direction.<br />
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Hopefully, I'll have a more positive post soon. I'll probably have more news as more PT sessions go by.<br />
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Love and Lobsters!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-27719933613801494252012-11-19T17:51:00.002-06:002012-11-19T17:51:40.018-06:00Happy Thanksgiving and I'm Sorry I'm a Butt HoleI feel like I've been off the grid lately. That's not on purpose, I've just been dealing with things.<br />
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My knee isn't really getting any better on it's own. I decided to call in to my doc for a prescription for physical therapy. I'm hoping that it's going to be like my hip; I'm handed stretches and told to back off of running for a while but I don't actually have to come in for PT sessions three times a week. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!<br />
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In more news of "Kristen is falling apart" I fell down the CTA steps early last week. At first I thought I just received a bruise to my ego but once I got home I found a nice open wound and bruise forming on my left forearm and then a nice black booty bruise. For the FIRST time in my life I thanked the Lord for my extra padding or else I would've broken something. And of course, since my knee has been a butt hole, I decided to do other workouts that include load bearing exercises on my hands (i.e. downward dog, burpies and push ups) and my left wrist is hurting as well. I'm assuming that was due to the fall.<br />
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I am just trying to get my shit together.<br />
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This week is Thanksgiving. I forget that it's the week to be thankful for what you have. Mostly because I do my best to keep running list of things that I am thankful for consistently. I try to compare it to being generous at Christmas and patriotic in July. We should always be caring and generous and proud all the time. It shouldn't be synonymous with seasons of the year. But that's me being TOTALLY better than you. (Except I'm not at all. That's me being all jokey)<br />
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The weirdest thing that is going to happen this week is this; I made the conscious decision to not go home for Thanksgiving.<br />
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I KNOW!<br />
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WHO DOES THAT?!?!?<br />
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To clarify, a lot of people do that. But a lot of people don't like their families. I am a family hog. (I'm not the hog of the family, I just love my family to death) I LOVE being around my family. LOVE IT. I love that I now have TWO families to be in love with and spend time with. It's AMAZING. The best thing in the world. I cannot recommend it enough.<br />
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But here's how this decision came about. I knew that traveling for the marathon and then for the honeymoon was going to wear me out. I knew that having to travel AGAIN three weeks later would be the least relaxing thing in the world.<br />
The other half of this is my friend MB always stays in Chicago for Thanksgiving because, like a rational person, she knows that a 4 day weekend becomes a 2 day weekend when you have to travel to see your family and be stuffed, so she said, we're doing T-giving at my house. Let's get loaded and celebrate.<br />
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No traveling, good food and friends less than 5 minutes away? I'm in.<br />
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My husband and I discussed it and he was just too homesick to stay here for the holiday. It's OK though. It's going to be OK. We're going to get to miss each other. We have not been separated for more than a work day since we got married. Healthy, or not? I don't know. Some people say 'no' because they don't like their spouse 24 hours a day and some people say 'yes' because they're coo-coo pants and they can't live without their spouse.<br />
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And here is where I'm going to admit that I am the most selfish person on the most giving day of the year and why: I don't have to split my time with anyone except for me.<br />
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THERE...it's out there. It sounds really bad. See, I love my family and I love my new family members that I married. I love all of them equally. Know what I love most? Sleep. And not having to travel.<br />
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This weekend is so short that a 6 hour train ride to MI, stuffing myself at two houses, talking to 30 million people, and then taking a 6 hour train ride back to Chicago sounds like the least relaxing thing that I could ever do over a Paid Time Off vacation. I mean, I could do it when I was younger, you know 23. But I'm 26 now....that's not old...but still. I'm tired. I just want a vacation where all I have to do is get on a bus for 10 minutes with a cream cheese ball and get drunk. And as a 26 year old, I'm allowed to do that.<br />
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I have read this post up to this point and I sound like the most ungrateful person. I do not sound like a person who deserves her wonderful families. But what is so great about this post and why I don't feel bad at all is because 1) 50% of me is going to still be sad that I'm not home and 2) I said all of this to my mom and she said, "I totally get it and you are going to have a great time."<br />
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My mother's one (of a million) greatest pieces of wisdom that she has passed on so far, "Absolutely! You should do [event] now before you have kids. It all changes after you have kids."<br />
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Someday there will be a new little McGillen running about with a snotty nose...that I will be 50% responsible for. Once the Little Snot is there, there will be no more "staying in Chi-town for T-giving." There will be no more "get way loaded and crash on someone's couch." And there certainly won't be any, "SURE, eat as much as that cream cheese ball as you can...you'll feel fine." (I don't believe I was ever given that last token of knowledge but I believe it can happen)<br />
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So I am grateful that I have a wonder family to celebrate all of life's great moments with and this year I am most grateful that I have the ability to celebrate with friends. Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-49544188085838986292012-11-09T12:03:00.000-06:002012-11-09T12:03:06.654-06:00Finally getting it back together...or notPost-marathon has had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. A week after the race I was still eating everything that came into sight...which I thought was fine.<br />
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We finally (7 months later) went on our honeymoon which was SO much fun. We decided to go to Disney World for Halloween and they did not disappoint. I'll have more pictures about that later but here was my costume:<br />
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Louise! From Bob's Burgers! (I'm NOT Piglet)</div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqH-vEbQVnEJqPo3o-jgRSJssprNsorJNxIYYdpLkHumGUUml7GA" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSqH-vEbQVnEJqPo3o-jgRSJssprNsorJNxIYYdpLkHumGUUml7GA" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gene, Louise and Tina. (Tina is painting an intimate portrait of her Dentist) Watch this show!</div>
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This post is really about me trying to get my shit back together. I was REALLY excited to have my awesome post-marathon running be easy. Like, won't it be loverly to go out and do 6 or 7 miles and letting it be the easiest thing in the world? Yes, yes it would. Over my honeymoon, I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. I was waiting for some lingering foot pain to leave so that's why I stuck with the treadmill. Then this last Sunday, I went running with a training friend which ended up being about 5 miles, but something went HORRIBLY wrong with my right knee. I was hurting and basically limping for the rest of the afternoon. I RICEd and was feeling better.</div>
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A long time ago I registered for the Perfect 10 race for November 10th. You could choose between a 10 miler or a 10K. I figured I didn't want to run 10 miles only 3 weeks after my marathon so I signed up for the 10K.</div>
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I decided to go out last night for a 4 mile run in preparation of the 10K this Saturday. I was actually feeling great. My legs felt good and my lungs felt warm. I was having a great time. And then my knee started to act up. And act up more. Walking helped and then I pushed one more time and my knee stated, "I TOLD YOU TO STOP 5 MINUTES AGO...TAKE THE HINT!" I looked at my watch and I had only gotten 2.5 miles into my run. Crap. So I was left to walk the rest of the way home. Which, by the way, you stay totally warm in just a long sleeve top when you are running...not when you are walking. </div>
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I'm not going to do my race tomorrow. I was going to run as far as I could and then walk the rest of the way. That would make more sense if it were a 5K but it's a 10K. So I'm not going to risk it. I am finally going to get some new shoes. I think that's the #1 culprit. I honestly shouldn't have even run the marathon in the shoes I ran in. </div>
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Every runner is different and is going to have different ways their bodies heal. My body took a beating three weeks ago and I'm also a heavier runner than most. So my body is just going to take longer to repair itself. </div>
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People have asked me if I'm going to run another marathon. Before the marathon it was, "I don't know", only because I didn't know what it felt like. But for now I'm saying, probably not. The marathon itself was a blast. I had a great time. But the training time was fierce. It took so much out of me and my husband that any other marathon I did would have to be the coolest marathon in the world. And I feel like I just did the 'coolest marathon in the world.' I ran in two countries, over the water and under it. I did it and I never have to do it again. I also don't lose street cred when I say I ran one marathon. I don't think anyone would ever reply, "Just one?"</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-80274789767539041072012-10-24T18:22:00.001-05:002012-10-24T18:22:38.687-05:00Detroit Marathon 10/21/2012!It's been a few days since I ran the Detroit marathon and overall the experience was AMAZING!<br />
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Let's walk through what happened:<br />
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My brother and I really enjoyed going to the expo;<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLZ67C8WoQeDmGxwNIQynckOTeJr86lsBnocKyWTPBCBY1AO8BI4YuM6del47616fuvwauTnoAXCm68DfevRfJq4hCwl297_Y4jHRJ3rocN6nQxqmyK8u6W-jEHTZasZ-Fog3U5s_eiQT/s1600/100_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLZ67C8WoQeDmGxwNIQynckOTeJr86lsBnocKyWTPBCBY1AO8BI4YuM6del47616fuvwauTnoAXCm68DfevRfJq4hCwl297_Y4jHRJ3rocN6nQxqmyK8u6W-jEHTZasZ-Fog3U5s_eiQT/s320/100_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d5nZh-KvfjP-BscnDKbLGEUoC1T1DMPyIPZYv4Qf1Dp0uzToQFv71trWtKsZU7UjdPRqfuFqHKgMDvjqvueTgwCng79CuLhBYoHw55EU7PzLYPIHr4FJNvd94VvLR8eV_UMxneKgtzA-/s1600/100_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5d5nZh-KvfjP-BscnDKbLGEUoC1T1DMPyIPZYv4Qf1Dp0uzToQFv71trWtKsZU7UjdPRqfuFqHKgMDvjqvueTgwCng79CuLhBYoHw55EU7PzLYPIHr4FJNvd94VvLR8eV_UMxneKgtzA-/s320/100_0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfISRJa62Xd-W5Dp9i2WjHg6RqQjD3iJ0Ub0HXtwJSdNqTAzLgYv59XmqLCwT50HMEpu-mkwfv4I44q1b8fUqTfJ_HKA5aF89hIucc2cFQF3MHZaNLxuo4apdAQsINlqk7Dp_4wNaMELR/s1600/100_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfISRJa62Xd-W5Dp9i2WjHg6RqQjD3iJ0Ub0HXtwJSdNqTAzLgYv59XmqLCwT50HMEpu-mkwfv4I44q1b8fUqTfJ_HKA5aF89hIucc2cFQF3MHZaNLxuo4apdAQsINlqk7Dp_4wNaMELR/s320/100_0022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Expo lady showing off some NB Gear!</div>
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RACE DAY!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSCFd2_Z98YfxyRw2wmp8Z2mwO5y290OFW9OHqVCwxmP7Ux59_f20_UeCqOrh7Z7Z33w_PRedfa__SwASQU1zOohkKi9jCaNmFRWtUKD-fQ-6OefOw2dtlSkv5qSvZdEV4voe8IwDmx2e/s1600/100_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSCFd2_Z98YfxyRw2wmp8Z2mwO5y290OFW9OHqVCwxmP7Ux59_f20_UeCqOrh7Z7Z33w_PRedfa__SwASQU1zOohkKi9jCaNmFRWtUKD-fQ-6OefOw2dtlSkv5qSvZdEV4voe8IwDmx2e/s320/100_0026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm ready!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSAAJsE0q-pxTLLlmAy7lHgpzwB9tMhmRMUW2MBDL68r6Ud6_zP_xannsOmo6-PBbXT6x39kCgYP0afwyUUu9b3S5RY2zmYAJvMaOF5oK18EL9-IMZL-bG_2D0ja0ki5fpc3zd3IstR7P/s1600/100_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqSAAJsE0q-pxTLLlmAy7lHgpzwB9tMhmRMUW2MBDL68r6Ud6_zP_xannsOmo6-PBbXT6x39kCgYP0afwyUUu9b3S5RY2zmYAJvMaOF5oK18EL9-IMZL-bG_2D0ja0ki5fpc3zd3IstR7P/s320/100_0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ryan is less ready. He only got a little bit of sleep.</div>
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My handsome husband drove my brother and I downtown about 5:30ish in the morning. Yeah, you're right, the sun doesn't come up until 7:30ish over on the east coast, so we were dropped off in the dark. We were able to take the time to find gear check and our respective start lines. I was VERY wise and knew that it was going to get up to 65 degrees that day so I wore only what I needed to. Capri shorts, tank top, arm warmers, gloves and a hat. Needless to say, I was cold for about an hour just standing outside.<br />
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Brother Ryan hung out with me for a while and gave me super encouraging words. Finally, 7:00 rolled around and we were going to get on our way. I crossed the Start line at 7:25 and I started out pretty easy. Because it was pretty cold in the morning I couldn't exactly feel all of my extremities. I took my time to warm up and kept an eye on the 5:30 pace group. I figured I would stick with them for as long as I could. We started to make our way south to the (Mile 3) Ambassador Bridge to make our way to Canada. I had the pleasure of running up the bridge and watching the sunrise over Canada and Detroit. It was beautiful. The light bouncing off the river and seeing all of the beautiful trees changing color made it the perfect race location.<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Ambassador_bridge_evening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Ambassador_bridge_evening.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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After the bridge, we were welcomed into Canada with open arms. THEY LOVED US! Couldn't get enough of us! We started running towards the river to run North towards the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Getting to see Detroit from the other side (still with the sun rising) was quite a site to see. The Renaissance Center was a beacon shining over the water. I was following a girl from the 5:30 pacer group (her name was Rachel) and I decided to chat her up. She was so nice. She came from Kalamazoo, MI and she was running the marathon (her 1st) in honor of her dad who passed away this May. We decided to check in with each other when we could. She was running a little slower than I was so I decided to break away for the time being.<br />
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POTTY BREAK! Mile 7. Rachel ran past me waiting in line and we high-fived! Runner solidarity! Back on the road we ran past a group of Canadian high school girls passing out water and they were just going NUTS! It was inspiring. I wrote my name really big on my shirt and they were just screaming my name. It was like I was a superstar!<br />
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The Detroit-Windsor tunnel was warm but SUPER fun. And creepy. You're underwater and even through that tunnel has been there since before my grandmother was born, you still think it's going to go Titanic on you and burst. Back in the USA we were greeted with some sour faces. Canada was kicking the USA's spectators so far. But I let the boarder fans get away with, I still had 18 miles of USA fans to see.<br />
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Somewhere around Mile 10 I caught up with Rachel again. We greeted each other and high-fived again. We were still chugging away and told her I hope to see her at the finish line.<br />
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Mile 11 was where The Ryan's (husbear and brother) were meeting me to hand off provisions. I saw Detroit's Michigan Central Station and knew I was getting close.<br />
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Over the bridge, I heard them first and then I saw them. A banana and a new water bottle kept me going. I had some encouraging words from my brother and husband. Our friends Matt and Ang were out there for me too. It was awesome. There was a house with 15-20 people outside having a karaoke party at 9:30 in the morning. It's the spirit of Detroit, people!<br />
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At this point I was heading back downtown. I finally got to the street where the marathon and the International - Half marathon people separate. I had the choice to turn off or keep going. (psst...I kept going)<br />
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I ran past here RIGHT before the marathon/half-marathon split! </div>
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I hit MY half marathon point and this was the starting line for the US only Half marathoner's were hanging out. I received CRAZY cheers from them. Their portion of the race would start at 11:00am and they would run the remainder of the marathon course.<br />
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Miles 13-16 is where I was mentally starting to see pink elephants. I had too much water and my stomach was sloshy. It's also that point where you're saying, "YES, over half way there." At the same time you say, "Oh God, I still have 12, 11, 10 more miles to run. Shit." I was starting to walk too much so I had to make a game-time decision. I started to do a 1:1 run walk and just go from there.<br />
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At mile 16 we turned to head NE and ran through Indian Village. This neighborhood is BEAUTIFUL! It was such a pleasure to run through. The first (non-sanctioned) table I ran up to handed me a dixie cup filled with Miller Lite. It was the best thing I had all day and right when I needed it. Most of the neighborhood came out and were partying with us. I came up on a second non-sanctioned table handing out more 'barley water' AND polka music. A man handed me a cup of jelly beans. NICEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD! Further down the street I smelled something cooking. There were about 20 people hanging out on a lawn with a GIANT slow roaster in the shape of a bull. I yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU MAKING?" and the woman yelled, "RIBS." And I yelled, "I'LL BE BACK!." And she yelled back, "THEY'LL BE READY AT 5:00."<br />
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I got a dinner invitation!<br />
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We turned out of Indian Village and were now heading south towards Belle Isle. It's so nice there. It's a huge island hanging out in the middle of the Detroit river. During prohibition people would send alcohol via the river (at night, on the ice, in winter) from Canada to Belle Isle for the sad people in Detroit. EDUCATION!<br />
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Belle Isle</div>
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Running over the McArthur bridge and onto the island I noticed the mile markers slowing down. Or it was me. I hit mile 20 and then slowly hit 21 and then I was tired. I was really getting tired. I was still doing my 1:1 run/walk ratio. I had a beacon of hope knowing that my brother would meet me at mile 23.<br />
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As I turned off the bridge off Belle Isle my ipod flipped over to the next song. As the Ren Center and the skyline of Detroit came back into view, Eminem's "Lose Yourself" started to play. I was going to make it.<br />
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I spotted my brother and started to cry. Another human being that I knew was finally here. He helped me out SO much. Somewhere along mile 24 he carried me for a minute. He literally held me up for a minute. We kept moving but I needed someone to burden the load just for a minute.<br />
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Then I smelled pizza. It was the best smell in the world and my feet were on fire. Those two things didn't go together before...but they will now.<br />
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I saw mile 25 and knew I only had to go one more mile. I could do this. My brother and I were downtown and hit the last hydration station of the course and it said, "You are 0.6 miles from the finish line." I told him to run along; I've got this. He dashed ahead and I made my way around the corner where I saw the 26 Mile Marker (which, OF COURSE, was at the top of the hill). I started to walk up the hill and there were women who finished the half-marathon yelling my name and saying how awesome and strong I was. I started sobbing. A guy PROMISED me once I turned the corner the road was flat and downhill. At the top of the hill I turned and saw the Finish line. I ran and ran just sobbing. I heard my entire family screaming my name and trying to take it all in. I heard the announcer say, "Here comes Kristen Parise of Armada, MI. Boy, does she look happy that it's over." I laughed and sobbed some more. I crossed the finish line in 6:03:45. I ran straight up to Karen the volunteer who put my medal around my neck. I said, "Karen, I just finished my first marathon and YOU WERE HERE FOR IT!" She laughed and we had a great big hug. I sobbed as I got a chocolate milk and when my "space jacket" was wrapped around me. All of the volunteers treated me like I was the only person who ran that marathon. I felt so special and it was the best feeling in the world.<br />
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I had a few minutes to myself before my family members rushed in to congratulate me. Every hug I felt was the most amazing and painful feeling ever. LOL. I was not used to having my muscles be that sensitive. I cried when I hugged my family. I thought I had run out of tears and then I saw my husband and fell into his arms and it felt like I finished the race all over again.<br />
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Tears and snot! Success!</div>
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Dad, Mom, Kristen, Brother Ryan and Husband Ryan!</div>
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The last few days have been very sore and I've been sleeping like a rock. I did hurt my ankle somewhere along the race but I have no idea when or how. So I'm on the road to recovery. It was just on Sunday that I did the race and it's still brand new but I'll catch myself off guard and remember, "Oh, yeah. I ran a marathon." I didn't start running with a marathon in mind. I just wanted to get healthy. This was the first time in my life where I set a goal that I honestly was not sure that I would accomplish it. I really didn't know that I would finish this race. And I did it. I physically put in 5 months of work and physically made it to the finish line. I got to see the progress and see the accomplishment. To me, that means I can do anything.<br />
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Thank you to all of my family and friends who came out to support me. It meant the world to me. Thank you to my brother who got me through those last tough miles. Thank you to my husband. Training for this race would've been 10x harder without him. Look at all my awesome signs!<br />
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From the Funkes!</div>
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From Russ and Jen!</div>
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From Becca!</div>
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From my mommy!</div>
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For now, I'm going to bask in the glow that is my glory (conceited much?), watch the Tigers play in the World Series and leave for my honeymoon this Saturday. Talk about 2012 being my year!<br />
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I know this blog post was long. Maybe you should try running a marathon.<br />
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Just FYI, my brother is awesome too. He did the 5K. Ran it in 24:00 flat and came in 41st overall out of over 2,000 people. He's MY hero.<br />
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Keep Calm and Marathon</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-34171014319911137602012-10-13T13:30:00.002-05:002012-10-13T13:30:22.958-05:00Marathon Training: Update #6 (Final)So I'm pretty sure this will be my last marathon update before I run the marathon next Sunday. And I'm not sure that I ever clarified where and when I'm running. My very first marathon will be on Sunday, October 21st in Detroit, MI. I'll be running the Detroit Free Press Marathon. Very exciting.<br />
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Last week I went with my friend Adam to the Chicago expo which was pretty fun. We taste tested A LOT of goodies. I discovered a NEW favorite protein bar. It's the Power Crunch bar. It basically tastes like those wafer cookies you had as a kid. They had quite a few flavors but I picked out the French Vanilla as my favorite. 14 grams of protein! YAY! Happy muscles. Another thing I finally bought - finally, because I've been putting off purchasing it - is The Stick. It's just called The Stick. I call it the toothbrush for the muscles.<br />
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You basically rub it all over your muscles and then you feel AMAZING! I've really been going to town on my legs with it and it's really made a difference. </div>
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Which leads me to my hip. It's doing as well as it can. It's tighter some days than others but I think I'm going to be just fine during the marathon. There is no doubt in my mind that I will have to stop and stretch out, but I feel that could be standard for any runner. </div>
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This week's runs went SUPER well. I was very satisfied with them. I've been enjoying this taper, drinking plenty of fluids and taking in carbs in moderation. I researched a lot about skipping/downsizing my last long run. I was set to run 8 miles today but I felt like I should really give my hip a break. I kept reading and asking friends and it finally came down to just listening to my body. I ran 4 miles. I don't know if what I did was "right" or "wrong" but I don't think my hip is going to be mad at me next Sunday. "You didn't run your 8 mile run last week and now we're in the shitter." I don't foresee it being an issue. </div>
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I ran my 18 and my 20. I did my runs the way I was supposed to. I followed the program front and back. That's all I could do. And now it's all going to be tested next week. </div>
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I packed up most of my running bag for next week. Because we're traveling for the race, I'm bringing more than I normally would. October is a temperate bitch sometimes. It can be 70 degrees and sunny OR it could be 35 degrees and raining. Right now the forecast is 54 and sunny/partly cloudy. (Perfect, let's pray for this!)</div>
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I'm ready. My goal is to finish. That's it. I'm hoping to finish between 5:30 and 6:00 hrs. But really, I just want to finish. I'm venturing into the unknown which is fun and scary. The best part of this is I'm going to learn a lot about myself. How far can I push myself? How far can I go? How much pain can I take and how much pride can I have in myself? I can't wait to find out.</div>
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It's going to be amazing. </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-40926943662980802382012-10-07T17:40:00.002-05:002012-10-07T17:40:23.535-05:00Congrats Chicago!I was really brave and woke up at 6:50 to watch the coverage of the Chicago Marathon from my couch. It...was...rough! I laid on the couch, couldn't get comfortable, FINALLY settled on pumpkin spice coffee creamer for my coffee and watched the glory that is the marathon.<br />
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I knew quite a few people who ran this year! I'm sure I'll miss some people but congrats go out to:<br />
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Adam B.<br />
Alicia M.<br />
Maureen M. (Check her blog awesome blog <a href="http://www.buttoningmyjeans.com/" target="_blank">here.</a>)<br />
Mel E.<br />
Lindsay K.<br />
Mackenzie W.<br />
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And the other 44,994 runners that were out there!<br />
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I teared up at the National Anthem as usual. There was perfect weather! (I'm hoping I'm blessed with the same weather in two weeks)<br />
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There are so many runners they were released in two separate waves and there are waves within the waves. NBC Chicago was cool about going back to the starting line for each wave to be released. So even though I didn't see any of my friends, I pretended. :)<br />
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I'll have to get updates from all my friends, but from what I've read, the race couldn't have been better. Running through 29 of Chicago's neighborhoods is probably one of the best ways to experience Chicago.<br />
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You all did so amazing! I hope you enjoyed yourselves and didn't pray for death.<br />
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For now, I'm enjoying my three week taper. I'm two weeks away from the Detroit Marathon. Just watching the Chicago Marathon made me nervous and scared. But I always go back to what my friend said; Respect the distance. I am not better than the marathon, but I've worked hard to travel the distance.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-75748848399971932292012-09-30T11:06:00.000-05:002012-09-30T11:06:38.059-05:00Marathon Training: Update #5I ran 20 miles this morning/afternoon and the second I hit the door and saw my husband I bent over sobbing and saying, "I'm so tired and I'm so happy."<br />
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It was the worst and more rewarding thing I've ever done and on that same point, I'm glad that I never have to run that far again until the marathon. I didn't really get a chance to think about the remaining 10K that I have to run for the race but from what I've read and heard, you just have to dig deep and find that 10K somewhere inside of you. It's in there somewhere.<br />
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I set myself back a little last night, got a little cocky. I went out to our friends new place and drank a lot more than I should have. And I KNEW I drank too much when I said the phrase, 'God damn, I sound like a fucking genius." That gives you a clue of how much I drank. But I drank all my water and took my aspirin and was up by 6:00 am to hit the road by 7:00.<br />
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My friend Adam offered some wise advice to me on Friday that helped me get through today. "Body-Glide and be patient." I always body-glide but I never think about being patient. And we've all been there...somewhere in the teens and just want the running to be over. Why isn't this over? I've gone too far, I'm tired, LET IT BE OVER! I let my phrases roll through my head along with my new one; "Stay loose, keep moving, and now, be patient. At some point around mile 11 I just had to stop and pull myself over to the side and just take a deep breath and bring my focus back to what was happening, not what I wanted to happen.<br />
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I don't remember anything specific happening during the run that was worth mentioning. But my hip was feeling super strong the whole time. I took a break or two to stretch out but other than that, left hip is doing great. My main issue was my feet becoming very cramped. They were cramped for a while too but I got through it. I found a tennis ball when I got home and rubbed my feet on it. If there is one thing that KILLS after these very long runs are my shoulders being tight. Tight to the point where I am just begging any runner/walker on the path to just rub them for a minute.<br />
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Also, my Garmin crapped out on me at like 17.75 mi. That was my fault though; I didn't charge it after my last run. I mapped it out and I ended up running a LITTLE over 20 miles and I did it in a little over 4.5 hours.<br />
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So that's it. That's the last marathon update. I'm SURE I'll be making a post or two before the race. You never know what will anger me to the point where I need to complain about it on the internet.<br />
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Two sidenotes: Another shout out to Adam for helping me figure out my future tattoo. (More on that later) and two....look at this TOUGH PUPPY.<br />
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I'm going to gnaw on your ankles if I see you slacking!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-46660547738910702582012-09-25T16:31:00.003-05:002012-09-25T16:39:32.854-05:00Fall is TERRIFYINGIt is. Believe me. Fall is absolutely terrifying.<br />
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LOOK AT IT!</div>
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Ridiculously terrifying. </div>
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OK, so fall is actually pretty awesome. Aside from allergies, fall is beautiful and we reap the last of the crops of apples and corn and of course, there's also the crap-ton of candy you get for Halloween. What's not to enjoy? </div>
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Here in the Midwest, when the planet starts to turn on it's axis, the days start to get shorter and that's when it gets scary. </div>
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All summer long, I've enjoyed doing my marathon training in the morning. I started out up with the sun at 5:30 am and now I'm going an hour into my run still waiting patiently for it to come up. This morning I was up at 5:00 ready to hit the road at 5:30. I put on my white running shirt and not one, but TWO flashing lighty things to alert people that I was in the area and moving. The sun didn't even start to peak out of the horizon until 6:40am and I was already inside.</div>
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There are two reasons it's scary to run in the dark; one, you could easily hurt yourself, two, crazy psychos wanting to drink your blood and wear your sports bra home on their head. </div>
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Obviously, one is more likely to happen than the other. But damn it all if your imagination doesn't run WILD when you are trying to run in the dark and its just shadows and tree stumps. Now, I am fortunate that the LSP is lit. Lit to the best of it's ability. The city does a great job keeping the place clean but when it comes to replacing lights, they kind of suck. (I can only imagine how many lamp posts and street lights there are in the city, but I'm most always concerned with the needs of the people; read MY needs)</div>
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Because I've been running all summer in the morning, I am fully aware that there is no one secretly lurking out on the path to get you. I do come across 2-3 homeless people sleeping on the grass but have never felt any real danger. </div>
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However, I get even more frightened when I think; "Okay, there is NO ONE out here" (to attack you) which also reads; "Okay, there is NO ONE out here" (to save me if I'm being attacked). </div>
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Let's look on the bright side, if there's no one on the path to save me if I'm being attacked than that means it's most likely that there are no attackers out there. Win-Win.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-85679327705055415732012-09-23T12:10:00.003-05:002012-09-25T16:33:26.390-05:00Marathon Training: Update #4I'm writing this in bed with a heating pad on my crotch praying and begging God to just let my hip feel better.<br />
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For those of you who are not facebook friends and haven't been receiving an update, I've been experiencing pain in my left hip. It started roughly after my 18 miler last weekend. (Oh yeah, I ran 18 miles last weekend! Snaps for me!) Then this week kind of fell apart. I really slacked the week of my 18 miler and really wanted to stick to all my scheduled runs this last week. <br />
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I was a bad girl and didn't wake up for my 5 miler, so I had to run it at night. I felt OK minus the heartburn. So then less than 12 hours later I ran my 8 miler at 5:30 in the morning. I started in the dark and not only is your heart pumping from the imaginary people not attacking you, but I have terrible night vision, so my gait was completely thrown off. I was HURTING by the time I got back and was pretty miserable.<br />
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I took the next two days off with quite a bit of constant pain and I decided to be responsible and get checked out by a physical therapist yesterday. Which at that point I was feeling pretty good. My PT, Sean, was awesome. He was very thorough and kind. He was digging around and asking me questions. He actually said that my hips were a lot stronger than he thought they were going to be. Finally, I was laying on my back and he really dug down and pressed on my left hip flexor and I yelped like a dog that just had her tail stepped on. Tight hip flexor it is. He showed me stretches and strengthening to do 2-3 times a day and I should be feeling better within the week. He was wary about a potential stress fracture in my hip and quickly pointed out that if the pain ever gets to a 7 or 8 to stop immediately.<br />
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I went out this morning with a client and we did a walk run situation for about an hour and I ended running by myself for 2 miles. I did OK, but it was when I got home that I was really started to feeling how tight my hips were again. (It's only been a day but I want improvement now). While working with PT Sean, I let him know that THIS was my BIG week. 5 mi, 10 mi, 5 mi and the big 20 at the end. He didn't say I couldn't do it but I really had to listen to my body. Do the 5 miles and see how you feel, but you may need to push off your 20 miler to the next week. I'll figure it out if I have to. I can't push it but I also can't put off another long run. (I did not do a long run this weekend)<br />
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So here I am...just waiting. Waiting and searching the Internet for some pill, or natural herb and spice that makes it all better. I would eat a squid that was soaked in vinegar for 3 weeks if it meant that I KNEW that I would be all set. I am certainly not out of this race yet, I still have 4 weeks to go. I'm trying to keep my shit together. Reminding myself over and over again that I've run 18 miles and I've NEVER run that far and 'Look what you've already accomplished,' just doesn't feel like enough this time. Goals are set for a reason; so you have something to reach for. I didn't set out to run 18 miles, I set out to run 26.2 and get that fucking medal and if I never had to do it again, I didn't have to. All I want to do is finish. That's all I have to do. The only time goal I have is to not get picked up by the sweeper.<br />
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And now I'm sitting here thinking about Wicked when Elfaba gives up and whispers "I'm limited." A CONFIDENT PERSON DOES NOT SIT IN BED AND QUOTE LYRICS FROM MUSICALS!<br />
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It's true though. Sometimes your body can only take you so far. Your brain and heart are unlimited and can 'defy gravity' (there I go again!) but once put in to practice you are grounded by physics.<br />
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I am not out. Not yet. I have to play this smart. I have to listen to my therapist. I have to talk out loud about it. And I need to listen to my body. It's going to tell me what I can and cannot do.<br />
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"Beyond the very extreme of fatigue and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own; sources of strength never taxed at all because we never push through the obstructions." ~ William JamesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-84309441644531023652012-09-10T13:07:00.001-05:002012-09-10T13:07:11.745-05:00Marathon: Update #3This past Saturday it was a taper week. My long run was 12 miles and I have to say I was very happy with my run. 9 out of my 12 miles were under 12:00 minutes which means I pushed myself. Most of my miles towards the end are over 12:00 minutes but I wanted to see what I could do.<br />
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Miles 11 and 12 were difficult because I had pushed harder than normal. My mantra was "Stay loose, but let's pick it up."<br />
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You naturally look at other people on the path when you're running and you see a lot of different running styles. Some people look like they are putting in all that they've got. I see one woman frequently who is very fast and keeps her elbows so high I'm afraid she'll knock me out one day when she passes me. I don't really critique running styles because for as many articles there are out there about "proper form", you are going to be the only person who can figure out what makes you comfortable.<br />
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I saw a woman running a few weeks ago who looked like she was running on air. She wasn't pushing it or taking it easy, she was just running. I now keep her in the back of my mind to say, "Stay loose. Let's make this look easy." And it really does help. A few weeks ago I had kept a lot of stress in my shoulders during my run. I didn't remember using my mantra once during that run. By the time I got home I could barely move my arms. You would've thought I ran with my hands.<br />
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Keeping my mantra is my new thing.<br />
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I'm not losing much weight during marathon training and I wasn't sure I would. I'm definitely not gaining weight. Which is good! I am finally finding a balance in my calorie intake/expense from my high mileage. I'm only eating until I'm full but I am eating more in general because I have to. If I want to feel good on my runs I have to eat enough. Luckily, I'm eating a lot more healthy grains, eggs, and legumes. Normally, I would feel like a failure for running so hard and not losing weight. But I feel STRONG! My core and my legs are STRONG. Yes, I haven't lost pounds, but I can see the slight changes in my body. My calves are solid and my core and back stable. I'm very happy with the outcome so far. :) (My hips always feel like they are 50 years old)<br />
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I run 18 miles this weekend. *Whimper* I'm not nervous, per se, but I know this is going to be very hard. Both my husband and my friends have said, "Yes, this is going to be very hard. But you can do it." This has been a very humbling experience so far and I imagine the farther I go, the more humbled I'll become.<br />
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Only 6 more weeks to go!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-60244484868740563982012-09-06T10:57:00.000-05:002012-09-06T10:57:19.192-05:00Laborious Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Why is it that the shortest work weeks feel the longest? That's a question for another day. (The answer is that work sucks no matter what week it is; that is if you don't like your job)</div>
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I ran 16 miles last Saturday. Not a lot of fan-fair about that statement. I did it. It was hard. I cried afterward. I ran it in Armada which made it a little more difficult. Even though I had a beautiful trail:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7vnbKiJmj6qQwjuH8-PnxAbJO1tSgadrIsmoGMadGTMafMaJrJcxnVxDIatxYVxtgrP3rFS-PuDmxLG-nud9deQ_7TthfjDuwxcJXtsl6ol3htHbH4ut6SJxnM9u6siy5cuPwkaNbU_u/s1600/armada.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7vnbKiJmj6qQwjuH8-PnxAbJO1tSgadrIsmoGMadGTMafMaJrJcxnVxDIatxYVxtgrP3rFS-PuDmxLG-nud9deQ_7TthfjDuwxcJXtsl6ol3htHbH4ut6SJxnM9u6siy5cuPwkaNbU_u/s400/armada.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is straight as an arrow. So its literally like staring down the barrel of a gun. There aren't any markers on the trail and even with my watch it was difficult to really grasp time and space on a straight path. It took longer because I stopped more frequently. Once because my brother brought me water and two more times because I ran into people I know. You can't just RUN past your grandfather and say "Can't talk, running." But I was at mile 14 and needed an excuse just to stop running. </div>
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The rest of the weekend had me fretting about time limits on the race course. You get 6.5 hours to complete the Detroit marathon. Which I'm pretty sure I can do seeing as how I won't stop and talk to my grandfather on the race path. But either way, I'm fretting. And I'll fret until I cross the finish line. Ugh.</div>
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I did my 8 mi and 5 mi Tuesday and Wednesday. And then this morning I woke up thinking about running for 20 minutes. I went through everything from "You'll feel better if you do it" to "Missing one 4-mile run is not going to kill you." I went back to bed to a fitful one extra hour of sleep. I may make it up tomorrow or I may not. My left hip and right IT band were acting up (which was the #1 reason just to rest today and tomorrow). Maybe I'll actually enjoy my 12 mile run. </div>
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We had a GREAT Labor Day weekend. I actually found time to relax. We spent a lot of time with family and friends. We were taken around Ferndale/Royal Oak/Berkley by our friends so we could see where they live and hang out. We had an amazing time!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872491929384425579.post-91865003046516983842012-08-28T12:54:00.001-05:002012-08-28T12:54:18.382-05:00Marathon Training: Update #2I'm still around and still running. It's been a few weeks but I've been so distracted by life lately that I haven't found the energy to write.<br />
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There have been some visitors and some outings but everything has been awesome.<br />
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My brother came for a visit and we ran our Elvis is Alive 5K. There was so much back and forth on if my brother could even make it that I didn't think it would happen! We had a fantastic time. It was one of the easiest 5K's I've ever run and it's obviously because of marathon training. We did a lot of working out and a lot of beach time. On the Sunday before my brother left we went to the beach with some blankets...and before you knew it, it was an hour later and we both woke up from naps. This is what summer is all about!<br />
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This past weekend my brother in law and his lady came into town to spend some time with us. Cakes and Becca had a ton of fun. (that's what I was told) :) I ran on Saturday morning and then they went to the zoo. We had lots of food and fun!<br />
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So let's actually talk about marathon training. My feelings about marathon training are now changing on a daily basis. Some days it's not that bad and other days it's the hardest thing I've ever done. And honestly, this is the hardest thing I've ever physically done. I'd even go as far to say that losing 175+ lbs was easier than marathon training. I wouldn't do it again! Ha! But that's what I'm getting at.<br />
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There is also a pro and a con with the summer weather winding down; Pro: It's not as warm, Con: The sun is coming up later and later. And for someone who's still waking up at 5:00 ish in the morning, I would REALLY like the sun to be up with me. I am seeing some glorious sun rises though.<br />
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Saturday morning I did my (very first) 15 mile run. This is the farthest I have ever gone and from here on out I'll be breaking my own records. For the last two weeks the morning temperatures have been in the 60's but Saturday started out warmer in the mid-70's. I acclimated myself to the heat pretty well earlier in the summer but to be in the sun for that long is very taxing.<br />
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Everything went pretty well all things considered. I ran from our apartment all the way down to Oak Street Beach which is exactly half the distance. I turned around and felt less overwhelmed. I always feel like it's the "going out" part of the run that feels more mentally taxing than the "coming back" leg. I took in more than enough fluids but I constantly felt parched due to the heat. So I probably took in more water than I needed to. This was also the first time where eating on the run made me feel nauseous. Chocolate flavored Gu only makes you feel so good. Eventually it just feels like you're eating tar when all you want are eggs and bagels....and an elephant's size worth of meat.<br />
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I felt pretty good the whole run physically but I reached a point where I was just mentally kicked in the groin and wanted to be done. I'm a slower runner which means I'm out on the road longer than average. I was out on the road for 3 hours. I know there are people that run the marathon in that time, but that's just the way it is. I am glad that I can reflect back on prior long runs to recognize the difference between physical and mental fatigue. I recognized that I was not hurting the way I did during the 12 mile run where I came home and cried on Ryan's shoulder. I was tired because doing a repetitive action for 3 hours is mentally exhausting. (Unless you're knitting; that is very relaxing)<br />
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However, when I finally made it home, I walked straight into my bedroom, fell on the floor and started to sob. It was a good sob. Ryan asked lovingly, "Baby, what's wrong?"<br />
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*Sniff sob* "I'm just so happy it's ovveerrrr." *Sniff sob*<br />
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All in all, I was very happy with my run. My weekly runs have helped out so much that I've only missed one Thursday run. I've done the rest of them because it just helps that much more. I'm very interested to see what my actual marathon time comes out to be. I don't even have a goal time because the goal is to finish. And that is good enough for me.<br />
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In a daze, I ate breakfast/lunch, showered, napped for an hour. And when I woke up I treated myself to watching Bridges of Madison County and cried through 30 minutes of that.<br />
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I'm not nervous for the 16 miles for the normal reasons i.e. too far. But I'll be running in Armada this weekend and there is a great trail, however, I'll have to ration water a little better because there aren't water fountains every mile and no volunteers handing out Gatorade. I'm hoping my husband or my brother will ride a bike out to me once to help me out. *WINK WINK*<br />
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In other life news, I did write a blog that I won't be able to publish for a few months. I can't post it yet for reasons that will become obvious once it's posted. But to help you out here is a list of things that the post is not about:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm not pregnant</li>
<li>I'm not dying</li>
<li>I'm not changing my hair color</li>
<li>I'm not changing my life style </li>
<li>I'm not getting a dog....yet</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02710962013084336109noreply@blogger.com2