Yesterday was National Running Day. Some may think that I celebrated this to the fullest and went out, ran my hardest, ran my fastest, smiled, waved, pranced around lovely Winston Salem encouraging the rest of the city to get out, run, and have a great time as the fun colors and exuberance of the website may exert ( National Running Day ). However, I did nothing of the sort. I did run. Go me. I ran a miserable 5 miles. It was more of a run/walk/die. My body recently has not been agreeing with me and its been making running very difficult/not fun. It was hard to put one foot in front of the other. And there was no way I was smiling at any other runners as they passed by. In fact, I am pretty sure I heard one of them run by and say "wow, she looks like shes struggling" ... maybe I am hearing things.
On another note...I am glad that we have a National Running Day. While I am pretty sure I don't know how many people knew about it (admittedly, I did not even until Jerry sent me the link) and I think next year they should plan in more strategically as to not be in the beginning of June when it was 90 degrees and humid as all hell, I am glad someone has taken the initiative to try and get America up and moving. Hm...while on that...who makes those up? National Event maker-uppers? Where do I get a job like that? I have lots of great holiday ideas in mind. National Wednesday off Work Day. National Free Krispy Cream Day. National Free Cheeseburgers Day. National Pigtails Day. National Re-runs Week. National Diamonds for Girlfriends Week. I could go forever.
There have been more of these folks trying to get America healthier...and I am looking at evidence of that currently as I sit at Panera (working on writing my thesis, clearly). Up on the menu board, next to my beloved Asian Chicken Salad there is a little number...410. What does that mean? Why, 410 calories of course. Looking at the rest of the board..there are numbers next to everything on the menu. Horray and Hallelujah. Now we shall have "Burger King Bob" think twice before he goes for the Panera Macaroni and Cheese (delicious) at a whopping 900+ calories (but not so nutritious) over a Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (equally delicious) at ~500 cals (and much more nutritious). I was intrigued by these numbers and looked it up. Seems this was passed at the national level and now (well as of Jan 1, 2011) every chain restaurant has to have calorie counts next to everything on the menu. Bottom Line: McDonald's menu just got a lot bigger in order to make room for all those numbers. And Subway just got a lot more appeasing. And Starbucks just got depressing....just wait til you see how many calories are jammed into a cafe mocha. May be making the switch to Herbal Teas*? So again, I am glad to see that there are other people out there that have taken the initiative to beating this obesity epidemic that has begin to take over....and whats even better...is that today I got an email with an article in it ( Dieting for Dollars) that is about companies actually PAYING their employees to WALK and lose weight. While the end results aren't to impressive yet, it's a start... and one that I am pretty pleased about.
*I recommend these by the way, TraderJoes especially has the BEST teas in all the best flavors...and at about 5 calories a cup and some caffeine, I would think it makes an excellent substitute for that java java some need every morning...and it wont stain your teeth.
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
I bet you thought I was....
I bet you though I died during my last Marathon and that's why I haven't been blogging?
That's about the last time I blogged, just before that race of 26.2 miles happened. Well I've got good news. I did not die. I'm still around, and I'm still running. I just am not blogging (we will refrain from excuses and pretend 2 months have not passed). The Virginia Beach "Shamrock" Marathon was awesome. In fact, it Sham-rocked. I had a PR at 3:55. Only a minute faster than my last PR but I felt infinitely better throughout the race, and despite my calves cramping in the last 2 miles, I may have finished at 3:50. So, Ill consider it a success and get another PR next time. Whether the PR was due to the fact I had a "good day", I trained better this time, the weather was great, or I was just running faster to get to the free Yuengling at the end of the race...I'm not really sure, but the beer sure did taste just as good as I thought it would. Jerry was nice enough to come with me and watch me run 26 miles which I am sure was sooo exciting for him. I actually give him props on his first "almost-half-marathon" since he reports that he walked 12 miles in order to see me as many times as he could along the course. I have a great catch here. However, I was not sympathetic of complaints of sore feet or chafing on the ride home. I had enough complaints of my own that needed sympathizing.
The champion and the chafer
Now that I have recovered fully, the running continues. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is in my future. I have high hopes to get my mother to run it as well...that may be a long distant hope, but we can see how much persuading I can do. The weather in Winston keeps getting hotter (while the nightlife remains cold and unlively), and the humidity is slowly melting me like the Wicked Witch of the West. The Wicked Witch of Wake Forest. That's me. Oh what a world, what a world.
Fortunately, not too much has happened to me in the last 2 months. I have successfully just completed my first year of Graduate school here at Wake. I still work crazy hours for my advisor, Dr. Messier, and I still work at HELPS. In fact, the most recent job at HELPS has been to retrieve UFO's (Unidentified Fallen Objects) from a mystery (or not so mystery) patient....however I personally think we should replace Unidentified with Identified...because there is no doubt to any of us what those fecal, I mean fallen objects are. Oh HELPS, new adventures daily. I know, you all want my job.
This marks the return of my blogging; while this is not one of my best or most entertaining posts, it will serve as a "coming back". And now that I am officially done with all my grad school classes EVER, I can no longer use that as an excuse. More to come...stay tuned.
That's about the last time I blogged, just before that race of 26.2 miles happened. Well I've got good news. I did not die. I'm still around, and I'm still running. I just am not blogging (we will refrain from excuses and pretend 2 months have not passed). The Virginia Beach "Shamrock" Marathon was awesome. In fact, it Sham-rocked. I had a PR at 3:55. Only a minute faster than my last PR but I felt infinitely better throughout the race, and despite my calves cramping in the last 2 miles, I may have finished at 3:50. So, Ill consider it a success and get another PR next time. Whether the PR was due to the fact I had a "good day", I trained better this time, the weather was great, or I was just running faster to get to the free Yuengling at the end of the race...I'm not really sure, but the beer sure did taste just as good as I thought it would. Jerry was nice enough to come with me and watch me run 26 miles which I am sure was sooo exciting for him. I actually give him props on his first "almost-half-marathon" since he reports that he walked 12 miles in order to see me as many times as he could along the course. I have a great catch here. However, I was not sympathetic of complaints of sore feet or chafing on the ride home. I had enough complaints of my own that needed sympathizing.
The champion and the chaferNow that I have recovered fully, the running continues. The Detroit Free Press Marathon is in my future. I have high hopes to get my mother to run it as well...that may be a long distant hope, but we can see how much persuading I can do. The weather in Winston keeps getting hotter (while the nightlife remains cold and unlively), and the humidity is slowly melting me like the Wicked Witch of the West. The Wicked Witch of Wake Forest. That's me. Oh what a world, what a world.
Fortunately, not too much has happened to me in the last 2 months. I have successfully just completed my first year of Graduate school here at Wake. I still work crazy hours for my advisor, Dr. Messier, and I still work at HELPS. In fact, the most recent job at HELPS has been to retrieve UFO's (Unidentified Fallen Objects) from a mystery (or not so mystery) patient....however I personally think we should replace Unidentified with Identified...because there is no doubt to any of us what those fecal, I mean fallen objects are. Oh HELPS, new adventures daily. I know, you all want my job.
This marks the return of my blogging; while this is not one of my best or most entertaining posts, it will serve as a "coming back". And now that I am officially done with all my grad school classes EVER, I can no longer use that as an excuse. More to come...stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My Body Hates Me
Let me run you through the conversation I had with myself today....or better yet, the argument I had with my body today. Keep in mind my marathon in March 21....a mere 11 days away. I realize I did not ever blog about that. Now you know. Lucky number 3.
Kenz: I think I will go for a run
Legs: Are you serious
Kenz: Just a quick 40 min run or so, I didn't have a long run this weekend, so you can handle it
Legs: Psh, didn't have a long run. Who defines "long" anyways? Try being me and recruiting all these muscles to put one leg in front of the other. Then, try to absorb all this shock that me and knees have to put up with. We are through with you. We quit. We are fatigued.
Heel: Um, I hurt. Remember Kenz? I have this pump bump. It's from you wearing high heels on the weekends and dancing, and then attempting to hit me repeatedly on the ground 40-50 miles a week. Legs...geeze, you think YOU have it hard?
Kenz: Okay, here we go. Quick run, suck it up legs and heel. After all, its 70 and sunny and you have been doing school work all day. And its SPRING BREAK.
3 minutes later...
Heel: ow. ow. ow. Don't mind me, I only have a giant hump that is inflamed and digging into your shoe, making it agonizing to run.
Kenz: Maybe we should go back
Legs: Yes
Heel: Yes
Kenz: SIKE. no. Marathon is in 11 days. If we can't run a mile today, no way we'll make it 26.2 then. We go on.
Heel: I hate you.
Legs: 26? I did not sign up for this.
15 minutes in....
Kenz: Oh heel pain is going away, that's good! See, ya'll, this is not so bad.
Heel: Thanks for taking those painkillers before you went. Now I'm just swelling and chafing and progressing my injury so it hurts more later when the drugs wear off.
Legs: Kenz, seriously? 50 miles last week and you want to run more this week. I was not made to do this. We are not Kenyan here. I am only going along with this so we can get home sooner. Just wait for the charlie horses I'm going to give you tonight, bitch.
Digestive System: Hey Kenz! Remember that sushi and all that wine you had last night? And that Sonic Cheeseburger you had for lunch? It may be making a re-appearance.
Kenz: This is going to be a very long 20 more minutes.
5 minutes later....
Digestive System: PORTA POTTY!?!?!
Kenz: Oh my god, I need a porta potty.
Legs: You expect to run 50 miles last week, then go for a quick jog today, AND then expect ME to squat over a porter potty? You are crazy.
Kenz: I need to eat healthier.
Digestive System: Fried food. Beer. Mexican. Mmmmmm
Kenz: porta potty!!!
2 minutes later....post porta potty....
Legs: I hate you.
Digestive System: I'll be back in 5.
Kenz: I do not feel better.
Heel: (slurring) Whats the street name for this stuff?
Kenz: 5 minutes from home. This is ending early.
So here I am, a painful 35 minute run. An ongoing argument between my entire body. Other runners I know definitely have these conversations. I think maybe it's because I run without an Ipod? My body is ready for this ridiculous training to be over. Once again, I need to stress that...runners are crazy. I am crazy. Today was a "bad run". Tomorrow hopefully will be better. The marathon will go on.
Legs: Have you EVER heard of a day off?
Kenz: I run in my free time.
Kenz: I think I will go for a run
Legs: Are you serious
Kenz: Just a quick 40 min run or so, I didn't have a long run this weekend, so you can handle it
Legs: Psh, didn't have a long run. Who defines "long" anyways? Try being me and recruiting all these muscles to put one leg in front of the other. Then, try to absorb all this shock that me and knees have to put up with. We are through with you. We quit. We are fatigued.
Heel: Um, I hurt. Remember Kenz? I have this pump bump. It's from you wearing high heels on the weekends and dancing, and then attempting to hit me repeatedly on the ground 40-50 miles a week. Legs...geeze, you think YOU have it hard?
Kenz: Okay, here we go. Quick run, suck it up legs and heel. After all, its 70 and sunny and you have been doing school work all day. And its SPRING BREAK.
3 minutes later...
Heel: ow. ow. ow. Don't mind me, I only have a giant hump that is inflamed and digging into your shoe, making it agonizing to run.
Kenz: Maybe we should go back
Legs: Yes
Heel: Yes
Kenz: SIKE. no. Marathon is in 11 days. If we can't run a mile today, no way we'll make it 26.2 then. We go on.
Heel: I hate you.
Legs: 26? I did not sign up for this.
15 minutes in....
Kenz: Oh heel pain is going away, that's good! See, ya'll, this is not so bad.
Heel: Thanks for taking those painkillers before you went. Now I'm just swelling and chafing and progressing my injury so it hurts more later when the drugs wear off.
Legs: Kenz, seriously? 50 miles last week and you want to run more this week. I was not made to do this. We are not Kenyan here. I am only going along with this so we can get home sooner. Just wait for the charlie horses I'm going to give you tonight, bitch.
Digestive System: Hey Kenz! Remember that sushi and all that wine you had last night? And that Sonic Cheeseburger you had for lunch? It may be making a re-appearance.
Kenz: This is going to be a very long 20 more minutes.
5 minutes later....
Digestive System: PORTA POTTY!?!?!
Kenz: Oh my god, I need a porta potty.
Legs: You expect to run 50 miles last week, then go for a quick jog today, AND then expect ME to squat over a porter potty? You are crazy.
Kenz: I need to eat healthier.
Digestive System: Fried food. Beer. Mexican. Mmmmmm
Kenz: porta potty!!!
2 minutes later....post porta potty....
Legs: I hate you.
Digestive System: I'll be back in 5.
Kenz: I do not feel better.
Heel: (slurring) Whats the street name for this stuff?
Kenz: 5 minutes from home. This is ending early.
So here I am, a painful 35 minute run. An ongoing argument between my entire body. Other runners I know definitely have these conversations. I think maybe it's because I run without an Ipod? My body is ready for this ridiculous training to be over. Once again, I need to stress that...runners are crazy. I am crazy. Today was a "bad run". Tomorrow hopefully will be better. The marathon will go on.
Legs: Have you EVER heard of a day off?
Kenz: I run in my free time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Superkenz
I am known to take on more than I can handle....scratch that. I can handle everything, duh. Better...I like to be busy, and I like stay busy. I like to be successful more than anything, and you have to work hard to be successful. Or cheat, but I like to stay ethical. I usually have the mentality "I can sleep when I die". Sounds just about right. I don't get too much enjoyment out of sitting on a couch watching television..unless it is Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, or The Office. (Oh my god, I sound like a 60 year old). Jerry will back this up as it drives him nuts on a hungover Sunday when I exclaim "I'm bored" repeatedly and all I want to do is "someeeeeeetihng". Maybe I'm more of a 6 year old than a girlfriend or a 60 year old. Anyways, this is what has been keeping me busy lately...
SEACSM aka "Nerd Haven". Imagine this... research and posters on physiology, cardiology, psychology, chemistry, biology, engineering and how they all related and tie into exercise. Throw in a couple professors, speakers at 7 AM on a Saturday morning, free wine at a reception dinner, a paid for trip by WFU, and a new notepad filled up with notes on concussions, biomech analysis, transporter cells, SIX1 expression, and exercise and pregnancy and you have the getaway of a life time! Last weekend, our class traveled to Greenville, SC for the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine Conference. This is annual thing that Wake sends all the graduate students, and some of the staff to in order to see what the new lines of research are in our field. I think they also send you there to see just how "free spirited" a couple of your professors can be. A couple examples....
Dr. Berry (a eccentric..very eccentric WFU professor AND the Chair of our department) receives the ACSM Service Award at the opening night Presidents Lecture. Not to brag, I know him. But oh, did I leave out the part where he unbuckles his belt upon receiving it and is referred to as an exhibitionist? WE. ARE. WAKE FOREST.
Dr. Marsh, straight from Australia, tells myself and another classmate after defeating us in yet another game of pool, (be sure to use your best Aussie accent) "the foreigners win again, take that you Americans"... (let me not leave out the fact that I may have started this after making a tricky shot and yelling "F*** yeah, AMERICA". Oh beer.)
HELPS Winter Banquet. From previous posts, HELPS is the cardiac rehab facility I work at here at Wake. Every year they have an awards banquet for the participants. "Congratulations, Tom, you've been in the program for 20 years!". This momentous occasion was held last night. Let me try and sell this one to you. Old people, lots of them. Church setting. Door prizes (lucky me I got a hand knitted blue purse...good I was looking for something to match my long sleeve, floor length gown). Coleslaw. Lots of loud talking due to lots of hearing aids. LIVE Bluegrass music. "When I had my first heart attack..." talks. Old people smell. Pictures of everything taken by our lovely, dementia-driven, photographer, who may need a bigger dose of whatever it is she is taking. You get my drift...an experience, none the less. They all love it though, and it is very rewarding knowing how much they really do appreciate everything we do for them.
studying, working, reading, teaching, grading. This is what takes up the majority of my time. I would bore you with what I read, what I teach, what I grade, but I'll spare you, and myself, the time. After all, the sooner I get done posting this, the sooner I can get back to studying for an exam I have tomorrow on Stress*
Being Excited. I am typically always excited about something. This has been escalated with a trip to West Palm Beach this weekend with my mama, Dayton next weekend for a Green House* reunion and a celebration of a Green House Girl ENGAGEMENT, and a trip to Kiawah Island for Spring Break with Jerry and friends from college, and my Marathon the next weekend....oh man it is hard to contain all my emotions. I am basically peeing my pants right now as I type I am so excited for all these trips and events and oh my gosh, FUN (minus the running 26 mile thing).
Running like a mad woman (while we are one it). This is pretty constant in all my busy weeks - but recently it has taken a turn from "I run a lot" to "I am crazy". Last week I ran 52 miles, this week I will do it again. I am sore all day, every day, my feet are too gross to share, but the Shamrock Marathon (VA Beach) is in less than 5 weeks and I am determined to be ready.
Losing weight?! I'll leave it right there, I don't want to jinx it.
So, as you can see, I am Superkenz, doing it all and saving the world at the same time. I try to not complain or get stressed because, quite simply, I love living my life and doing everything that I do. And that's all she wrote (do I have to site this?).
*Stress. Okay, Ill bore you a little bit because it's interesting. We discuss in my health Psychology class that stress is not real. It is what you perceive it to be. We all have stressors, these are the inevitable, traffic, noise, deadlines, relationships, etc...but who is to say that these stressors have to be perceived as stress? Interesting concept, I will leave it at that for you to think about. Try and catch yourself next time and don't let it turn into a negative thinking. I sound like Gandhi.
*The Green House. Always Capitalized. An accumulation of trainwrecks that lived in a Green House at UD. My best friends. Bad decisions and worse hangovers.
The Green House girls on the Green House porch, minus a couple...don't let the smiles and nice clothing fool you
SEACSM aka "Nerd Haven". Imagine this... research and posters on physiology, cardiology, psychology, chemistry, biology, engineering and how they all related and tie into exercise. Throw in a couple professors, speakers at 7 AM on a Saturday morning, free wine at a reception dinner, a paid for trip by WFU, and a new notepad filled up with notes on concussions, biomech analysis, transporter cells, SIX1 expression, and exercise and pregnancy and you have the getaway of a life time! Last weekend, our class traveled to Greenville, SC for the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine Conference. This is annual thing that Wake sends all the graduate students, and some of the staff to in order to see what the new lines of research are in our field. I think they also send you there to see just how "free spirited" a couple of your professors can be. A couple examples....
Dr. Berry (a eccentric..very eccentric WFU professor AND the Chair of our department) receives the ACSM Service Award at the opening night Presidents Lecture. Not to brag, I know him. But oh, did I leave out the part where he unbuckles his belt upon receiving it and is referred to as an exhibitionist? WE. ARE. WAKE FOREST.
Dr. Marsh, straight from Australia, tells myself and another classmate after defeating us in yet another game of pool, (be sure to use your best Aussie accent) "the foreigners win again, take that you Americans"... (let me not leave out the fact that I may have started this after making a tricky shot and yelling "F*** yeah, AMERICA". Oh beer.)
HELPS Winter Banquet. From previous posts, HELPS is the cardiac rehab facility I work at here at Wake. Every year they have an awards banquet for the participants. "Congratulations, Tom, you've been in the program for 20 years!". This momentous occasion was held last night. Let me try and sell this one to you. Old people, lots of them. Church setting. Door prizes (lucky me I got a hand knitted blue purse...good I was looking for something to match my long sleeve, floor length gown). Coleslaw. Lots of loud talking due to lots of hearing aids. LIVE Bluegrass music. "When I had my first heart attack..." talks. Old people smell. Pictures of everything taken by our lovely, dementia-driven, photographer, who may need a bigger dose of whatever it is she is taking. You get my drift...an experience, none the less. They all love it though, and it is very rewarding knowing how much they really do appreciate everything we do for them.
studying, working, reading, teaching, grading. This is what takes up the majority of my time. I would bore you with what I read, what I teach, what I grade, but I'll spare you, and myself, the time. After all, the sooner I get done posting this, the sooner I can get back to studying for an exam I have tomorrow on Stress*
Being Excited. I am typically always excited about something. This has been escalated with a trip to West Palm Beach this weekend with my mama, Dayton next weekend for a Green House* reunion and a celebration of a Green House Girl ENGAGEMENT, and a trip to Kiawah Island for Spring Break with Jerry and friends from college, and my Marathon the next weekend....oh man it is hard to contain all my emotions. I am basically peeing my pants right now as I type I am so excited for all these trips and events and oh my gosh, FUN (minus the running 26 mile thing).
Running like a mad woman (while we are one it). This is pretty constant in all my busy weeks - but recently it has taken a turn from "I run a lot" to "I am crazy". Last week I ran 52 miles, this week I will do it again. I am sore all day, every day, my feet are too gross to share, but the Shamrock Marathon (VA Beach) is in less than 5 weeks and I am determined to be ready.
Losing weight?! I'll leave it right there, I don't want to jinx it.
So, as you can see, I am Superkenz, doing it all and saving the world at the same time. I try to not complain or get stressed because, quite simply, I love living my life and doing everything that I do. And that's all she wrote (do I have to site this?).
*Stress. Okay, Ill bore you a little bit because it's interesting. We discuss in my health Psychology class that stress is not real. It is what you perceive it to be. We all have stressors, these are the inevitable, traffic, noise, deadlines, relationships, etc...but who is to say that these stressors have to be perceived as stress? Interesting concept, I will leave it at that for you to think about. Try and catch yourself next time and don't let it turn into a negative thinking. I sound like Gandhi.
*The Green House. Always Capitalized. An accumulation of trainwrecks that lived in a Green House at UD. My best friends. Bad decisions and worse hangovers.
The Green House girls on the Green House porch, minus a couple...don't let the smiles and nice clothing fool you
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Turkey Day Thanks(giving)
I went home to the best state in the US this last week (Ohio) for Turkey Time. I ran 40 miles while I was home and during these miles - I had a lot of time to think. Since I am crazy and run so much, I also do a lot of thinking. I think about 40 miles a week. I wonder how many thoughts per mile I average. Anyways, on a longer run I started to think of things I was thankful for...you know to try and get me in the thanksgiving spirit...
My Thankfulness List:
1) I'm thankful for where I am today. I am one of 8 HES graduate students attending Wake Forest University, one of the top in the country.
2) I'm thankful for any faculty member who has ever pushed me to be where I am today. This more than anything includes Dr. Vanderburgh, Dr. Seay, and Dr. Laubach - who pushed me more than I had wanted at the time, but have made me who I am and have given me the abilities to be where I am today. (Even though I will attribute my adherence to their pushing to Dr.Vanderburgh's stunning looks and my desire to always want to impress him)
3) The runners who have inspired me to keep running when it hurts. My iPod especially. She ran her 2nd marathon last week and would have BQed had she not vomit 6 times between miles 20 and 21 - her passion for running always seems to give me the extra boost I need to keep going. Other runners include Paul Vanderburgh (aka Dr...but in a running world, he is Paul), Dr. Messier (who is 60 and still cooking marathons 3:20), and my mother.
which brings me to...
4) My mother. One of the most amazing and inspiring people I have ever met - started running a couple months ago and is now running a half marathon with me this weekend. She is one of the most cool tempered people I know. She inspires me every day to be more like her. You can tell she loves what she does, even if she does have bad days...and sometimes it is all I need to keep my going.
5) Paul Vanderburgh's good looks. A couple examples: "You should run a marathon" Okay, Ill run 2. "You should go to grad school". Okay, Ill go to the best in the country. "You should present this research in Seattle". Okay, anything for you, Ill even pay for it.
5) Jerry Patterson*. I cant even being to talk about how thankful I am for this stud. He is the reason I wake up every morning with a smile, and why I go to sleep smiling. He makes my hardest weeks easy, just knowing he is waiting to see me on the weekend. He can always make me laugh even if the worst has happen (like I get a B on an exam...God forbid). His way of dealing with things is so admirable that I can only hope that some day I can be understanding and loving towards everyone as him. I am thankful for every minute we spend together, whether it be in Chicago or Boston exploring new cities or it be on my couch watching NFL football while he plays fantasy (gross....ITS A FANTASY).
6) The Green House Girls. My best friends. The 8 girls I lived and spent all my time with at Dayton. I cant be more thankful for them. They will always be there for me, no matter what happens, and I always love getting the email updates to see who the new flavor of the weeks are for most of them. The affairs, the gossip, the drama...we all thrive for it, but no one ever wants to be a part of it. While they are all far far away from me now, and I am in lonely old W-S with no friends and a pile of homework up to my chin, I still call them my best friends and they always will be.
8) Chocolate. God's gift.
So these things were just a couple things that I could think of that I am eternally thankful for, and I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for any of them (especially chocolate, because I would be 20 pounds lighter). So now for left overs (which I can also say I'm thankful for)
*Jerry...just an inside joke to protect his identity....so no other girlys reading my blog can look him up and take him away from me ;)
My Thankfulness List:
1) I'm thankful for where I am today. I am one of 8 HES graduate students attending Wake Forest University, one of the top in the country.
2) I'm thankful for any faculty member who has ever pushed me to be where I am today. This more than anything includes Dr. Vanderburgh, Dr. Seay, and Dr. Laubach - who pushed me more than I had wanted at the time, but have made me who I am and have given me the abilities to be where I am today. (Even though I will attribute my adherence to their pushing to Dr.Vanderburgh's stunning looks and my desire to always want to impress him)
3) The runners who have inspired me to keep running when it hurts. My iPod especially. She ran her 2nd marathon last week and would have BQed had she not vomit 6 times between miles 20 and 21 - her passion for running always seems to give me the extra boost I need to keep going. Other runners include Paul Vanderburgh (aka Dr...but in a running world, he is Paul), Dr. Messier (who is 60 and still cooking marathons 3:20), and my mother.
which brings me to...
4) My mother. One of the most amazing and inspiring people I have ever met - started running a couple months ago and is now running a half marathon with me this weekend. She is one of the most cool tempered people I know. She inspires me every day to be more like her. You can tell she loves what she does, even if she does have bad days...and sometimes it is all I need to keep my going.
5) Paul Vanderburgh's good looks. A couple examples: "You should run a marathon" Okay, Ill run 2. "You should go to grad school". Okay, Ill go to the best in the country. "You should present this research in Seattle". Okay, anything for you, Ill even pay for it.
5) Jerry Patterson*. I cant even being to talk about how thankful I am for this stud. He is the reason I wake up every morning with a smile, and why I go to sleep smiling. He makes my hardest weeks easy, just knowing he is waiting to see me on the weekend. He can always make me laugh even if the worst has happen (like I get a B on an exam...God forbid). His way of dealing with things is so admirable that I can only hope that some day I can be understanding and loving towards everyone as him. I am thankful for every minute we spend together, whether it be in Chicago or Boston exploring new cities or it be on my couch watching NFL football while he plays fantasy (gross....ITS A FANTASY).
6) The Green House Girls. My best friends. The 8 girls I lived and spent all my time with at Dayton. I cant be more thankful for them. They will always be there for me, no matter what happens, and I always love getting the email updates to see who the new flavor of the weeks are for most of them. The affairs, the gossip, the drama...we all thrive for it, but no one ever wants to be a part of it. While they are all far far away from me now, and I am in lonely old W-S with no friends and a pile of homework up to my chin, I still call them my best friends and they always will be.
8) Chocolate. God's gift.
So these things were just a couple things that I could think of that I am eternally thankful for, and I wouldn't be who I am if it wasn't for any of them (especially chocolate, because I would be 20 pounds lighter). So now for left overs (which I can also say I'm thankful for)
*Jerry...just an inside joke to protect his identity....so no other girlys reading my blog can look him up and take him away from me ;)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Runners "Hi"
After running 2 marathons, I know what that runners high is...you get it after 15 or 16 miles and you start thinking "huh, that isn't so bad, I feel great". Then you get to 21 or 22 and its a different story and you start thinking "why does anyone do this?", "this sucks", "I think I am going to die. Right now". This feeling is awful, but the runners high you get early is an amazing feeling - I have learned being the nerd that I am, that this high is a rush of endorphins...so it is kinda like a drug. So sweet, I guess I'm not drug free - sorry D.A.R.E.
But there is this other high that I think is less Physiological - and its a runners "hi". I became especially aware of it this morning while I was on a quick 6 mile run. After running over 30 miles earlier this week, this "quick six" was painful - and I had a couple bouts of "this sucks" and "I think I am going to die", etc. However, Saturday morning is a runners haven. So many runners - especially today. 50 degrees, sunny, calm and quiet. So soothing. I passed 6 or 7 runners this morning, 4 of them said "hi", gave a little smile and wave, or even said a "beautiful morning for a run, huh?". I find that these other runners are what keeps me going. Seeing them, and having them acknowledge me is almost like a little high - I always pick up my pace a little bit - and all the pain I was feeling is relieved for a little while. A high from a hi.
Yesterday on a 10 miler - I passed a lady as I was running up a steep, long hill. She said "Keep it up, this ones a killer". I smiled and laughed - then an hour later when I was running down it she was running up it - "killer." she said - and I told her "it's good for you". Love it. Wednesday on an 8 miler and 60-70 year old man passed me 3 or 4 times on his bike "wow girl, how far are you going?" When I told him 8 he laughed and just said "Good for you! I'm glad you are out here!". Love it. They give you a reason to be out there - they make you feel good when you may be feeling awful.
Further on that, I can't stand the runners I pass that look at the ground and don't bother to smile, say hi, or even acknowledge that I am there, running on the same road. I know they see me, they move over so we don't crash into each other. We are all runners - we are out there, we are friends of the road - say hello, make me feel like you enjoy being out there - that way I can enjoy it as well. I even go so far as to waving at the guy running on the other side of the 4 lane highway*. Makes me feel good, makes him feel good. Maybe I'm addicted to the hi. Maybe I need the hi to get me through the run.
Someday I am hoping that one of these runners I say hi to will say "I see you running a lot, what are you training for? Want to run with me?" Maybe this will be how I make running friends. Until that day happens, I'm going to keep waving, and try to make everyone believe that I am having a great time, and that my body doesn't feel like it got ran over by a tractor. But hey, I'm a runner. We are stupid. We run when it hurts. We like it went hurts. We never stop. We...or maybe just I...get a high from the hi's. So keep them coming!
*Note to readers/mothers, there is a sidewalk and I am only running on this 4 lane highway for .2 miles - danger factor minimal
But there is this other high that I think is less Physiological - and its a runners "hi". I became especially aware of it this morning while I was on a quick 6 mile run. After running over 30 miles earlier this week, this "quick six" was painful - and I had a couple bouts of "this sucks" and "I think I am going to die", etc. However, Saturday morning is a runners haven. So many runners - especially today. 50 degrees, sunny, calm and quiet. So soothing. I passed 6 or 7 runners this morning, 4 of them said "hi", gave a little smile and wave, or even said a "beautiful morning for a run, huh?". I find that these other runners are what keeps me going. Seeing them, and having them acknowledge me is almost like a little high - I always pick up my pace a little bit - and all the pain I was feeling is relieved for a little while. A high from a hi.
Yesterday on a 10 miler - I passed a lady as I was running up a steep, long hill. She said "Keep it up, this ones a killer". I smiled and laughed - then an hour later when I was running down it she was running up it - "killer." she said - and I told her "it's good for you". Love it. Wednesday on an 8 miler and 60-70 year old man passed me 3 or 4 times on his bike "wow girl, how far are you going?" When I told him 8 he laughed and just said "Good for you! I'm glad you are out here!". Love it. They give you a reason to be out there - they make you feel good when you may be feeling awful.
Further on that, I can't stand the runners I pass that look at the ground and don't bother to smile, say hi, or even acknowledge that I am there, running on the same road. I know they see me, they move over so we don't crash into each other. We are all runners - we are out there, we are friends of the road - say hello, make me feel like you enjoy being out there - that way I can enjoy it as well. I even go so far as to waving at the guy running on the other side of the 4 lane highway*. Makes me feel good, makes him feel good. Maybe I'm addicted to the hi. Maybe I need the hi to get me through the run.
Someday I am hoping that one of these runners I say hi to will say "I see you running a lot, what are you training for? Want to run with me?" Maybe this will be how I make running friends. Until that day happens, I'm going to keep waving, and try to make everyone believe that I am having a great time, and that my body doesn't feel like it got ran over by a tractor. But hey, I'm a runner. We are stupid. We run when it hurts. We like it went hurts. We never stop. We...or maybe just I...get a high from the hi's. So keep them coming!
*Note to readers/mothers, there is a sidewalk and I am only running on this 4 lane highway for .2 miles - danger factor minimal
Thursday, November 12, 2009
RunnersWorld
I'm afraid my title to this blog is quite misleading in that Winston Salem, NC is in fact NOT RunnersWorld. In the 4 months I have been living here, I have ran with another person once. I also (and I will blame this on the lack of running partners, the lack of running routes, and the extreme NC humidity that sat in the air in August and September) have reduced my miles since I have moved here significantly.....to about 15 a week. Kind of a difference from 40. I'd even go so far to say that this is a statistically significant difference since I'm a nerd and choose to apply everything to stats when I get a chance.
I have run 2 marathons. I am crazy. I am about to sign up for another one in March. I am insane. I currently run 15 miles a week. I suck. I am not prepared. This post will serve as motivation - a mantra if you will, that I will get back into it...even if it means I have to run alone. I even ran 7 miles today through Tropical Storm Ike, it was pouring, it was cold, it was windy, it was lunch time - I felt like a real runner again. It was amazing. Tomorrow we will continue the running. Jerry told me that if you do something for 17 days it becomes a routine. Somehow I doubt that I will get into a routine if I run for 17 straight daya, I may just want to stop running all together. Forever. I'll shoot for 2.
When I was living in Dayton (God's Country), I had friends among friends to run with - all my same pace. I even had one particular friend, we will call her my iPod since she served as mine for the 2 years I ran with her at Dayton, she was wonderful. 6 miles, 8 miles, 20 miles, she was there, chatting my ear off. We knew everything about each other and we were matched step for step. My iPod moved to Philly. I moved to Winston Salem. I miss my iPod. So much, I have actually considered buying my own iPod, the ones that play music. However, those don't listen when I want to complain my legs are moving, or that I am so hung over, or that I had a bad day, etc. My old iPod that left me did that. Where can I get a new one of those?
I have run 2 marathons. I am crazy. I am about to sign up for another one in March. I am insane. I currently run 15 miles a week. I suck. I am not prepared. This post will serve as motivation - a mantra if you will, that I will get back into it...even if it means I have to run alone. I even ran 7 miles today through Tropical Storm Ike, it was pouring, it was cold, it was windy, it was lunch time - I felt like a real runner again. It was amazing. Tomorrow we will continue the running. Jerry told me that if you do something for 17 days it becomes a routine. Somehow I doubt that I will get into a routine if I run for 17 straight daya, I may just want to stop running all together. Forever. I'll shoot for 2.
When I was living in Dayton (God's Country), I had friends among friends to run with - all my same pace. I even had one particular friend, we will call her my iPod since she served as mine for the 2 years I ran with her at Dayton, she was wonderful. 6 miles, 8 miles, 20 miles, she was there, chatting my ear off. We knew everything about each other and we were matched step for step. My iPod moved to Philly. I moved to Winston Salem. I miss my iPod. So much, I have actually considered buying my own iPod, the ones that play music. However, those don't listen when I want to complain my legs are moving, or that I am so hung over, or that I had a bad day, etc. My old iPod that left me did that. Where can I get a new one of those?
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