5K Re-cap: CDPHP Workforce challenge 2013

Thursday was the “big” race! Were you anxiously awaiting a re-cap ? It was another amazing experience and an overall good race!

We headed down to Albany shortly after work … clad in purple … driving among the masses. After tracking down a bathroom, K and I headed to the check-in tent – we were the first to arrive for our team, so we picked up all the necessary racing items… K and then I hung out at our team’s designated meeting spot, and spent some time eating our snacks (PB&J), and checking out what people had decided to wear. Always a good time. There was also a fitness class type thing being led by a local gym, which was also entertaining to watch.  P eventually found me once he reached Albany, and then our teammates started to trickle in. The weather was beautiful – mid 70′s with a little bit of a breeze.

Team Crossroads!

We got our numbers pinned, chatted, attempted to understand what the announcer was saying and took our team picture. Shortly afterward, we filtered down to the starting line, even though we had a ways to go until the gun went off.  It’s a good thing that we did, because the amount of people at this race is MASSIVE — over 10,000 — and the starting line is not a big enough space at this point — there were many people who ended up being stuck on the stairs for quite some time before they could even get on the course – and we were all smushed in like sardines. A few of my teammates and I started behind the 9:00 mile mark – and behind us (way behind us, haha), we’re “supposed” to be the walkers. More on THAT later. I don’t even know where P ended up, other than he was ahead of me!

So, the gun went off (and we were chip timed as well), and it only took us about 2 minutes to actually get to the start line. However, the first stretch is all up hill (ick) and I was barely moving at what you could term a jog! The amount of people was insane — which made the start insane. There was no room to move around people and you were pretty much stuck where you were. Eventually, I was able to start weaving in and out of people- and I lost K (my running buddy) after only about .75 of a mile. My favorite part was the walkers who decided to start up closer to the front AND were walking 2-5 people across (my thought: good for you for walking, but MOVE out of my way!). I knew my first mile was way to slow due to all the people traffic, so I started to pick my pace up. It honestly took until about mile 2.5 before things started to thin out enough to actually run without worrying about tripping!

3.5 miles complete!

Overall, I felt good. I was “in the zone” and moving along. There was some definite shin pain, but it was manageable. My “goal” in my head was to run the course (3.5 miles total) under 35:00 minutes. I came close. My garmin had me at 35:11 and the official time was 35:12 — I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed ( I was also extremely pissed that P beat me by a lot!) — but I beat last year’s time by about 3 minutes – Plus, I was able to run negative splits. I know that if I had actually been able to run, as opposed to stumble through, that first mile, I would have been in better shape! I’m also not really sure how I’ve ever run a race without a Garmin — I love that thing! Overall, the race was a good time, and it’s always fun to have a “team” feel to an event. Plus, when I went to get my shirt, they still had size “S” left, which means my shirt actually fits this year

Things I learned:

• I still love racing
• I am capable of running negative splits – and my fastest mile was 9:20 – I was impressed with myself
• Pee at least twice close to the start of the race
• I am not training fast enough – my running app tells me my speed, and I was running at least 1.0mph faster than I do on the treadmill. I need to be braver!
• I need to somehow get more runs in outside
• Powerade is still my drink of choice for races, other than water.
• Stretching after races is kinda important – so is ice
• Recovery hasn’t been that bad — I’m definitely less sore (muscle-wise) than I was last year! But my shins definitely have needed time to recover – I did 1.5  SLOW miles yesterday, and they were anything but easy!
• Next giant goal: signing up for the Falmouth road race NEXT year – the lottery just closed for this year’s race, but I bound and determined to be on the course next year!
• I love racing

And … on Friday,  I signed up for my next race already – June 1st I’ll be racing my next 5K!!!

Also of Note:  Today marks the start of the very last week of BBB – I can’t believe that 7 weeks has gone by already. I have loved every moment and have felt challenged on every weekend.  I really do love strength training and have seen some definite changes in my body! This week we finish with some more strength tabatas and circuits (which include, many, many, MANY burpees)… the next sign up for BBB starts today and I highly encourage you to jump in with us! I will most definitely be signing up for Round 6! Strength training is so important for our overall health – the the BBB community is extremely motivating, plus, you don’t have to figure out your own workouts, which is so helpful to me Join, Join, Join!! I endorse this program 100% — Plus, Tina has made some exciting new changes this time around

I hope you all are having an amazing start to you week friends — I only have 4 days of work, so that is most definitely pushing me through! And P and I started a new home improvement project this weekend that I am excited to tell you about!

A good day :)

Today is a good day. The sun is shining … temp are getting up to 76 or so … and most importantly …

*insert amazing drumroll here *

IT’S RACE DAY!! 

Today, at 6:25 PM the starting gun … or airhorn thing … will go off and then … about 20 minutes later … i’ll head up a ginormous hill to start the  CDPHP workforce team challenge 3.5 mile race.

To say I’m excited would be an understatement. I packed and re-packed my bag (since my co-workers and I are running together and are leaving directly after work), hemmed and hawed over my outfit choice … texted everyone on my team to make sure they packed socks. I am ready!

Well, I think I am. I probably should have spent a little more time doing some running outside, but oh well … i’ve done “lots” (for me) of miles on the treadmill!!

This race is kind of a big deal for me.

You see, last year, I ran this race on a whim, and it changed my life.

I didn’t think I’d be able to run the whole thing — particulary with shin pain that plagues me everyday… and the fact that I hadn’t run outside at all or that I was only logging about 2-2.5 miles a day. Plus, I had’nt raced since HS!

But you know what… I ran the whole darn thing. And my time wasn’t all that shabby, considering. I crossed the finish line at 38:something, but that didn’t take into account the time it took to actually get to the starting line.

I haven’t been that proud of myself in a really, really, really long time Plus, I got bit by the racing bug … and remembered how much I LOVED to run and race and how amazing it makes me feel.  Since then, I’ve been running longer, harder, and have invested in compression sleeves AND compression socks to help with the shin pain. oh, and used ic

I made it a goal to run a 5K this year. Today, I’m doing it. (and am currently looking at other 5K races in my area. Maybe I’ll get brave and perhaps try a 10K?) Don’t ever think you can accomplish something. You can. I promise.

This time, I’m running with my new Fitbit flex AND my new garmin watch … both bday gifts … so I’ll actually know my real time Plus, friends are running as well .. and so is P!

I am so, so, so, so excited friends. I feel unstoppable (cue Rascal Flatts song here) — let’s hope I still feel that way after the first 2 miles

It’s gonna be a great day. I gotta go chug some more water now. Gotta be hydrated!

I love you, now leave?

I heard the most ridiculous thing on a local radio station this morning … the AM deejays were discussing the new trend (scenario? lifetyle?) of married couples each having their own home and living seperately from one another.

My first reaction — WHAT? (actually it was more like WTF?!)

The discussion on this was based off of this article from the Telegraph in the UK … it begins with the story of a couple that choses to live apart, even with a 14month old daughter and note that what they call a “controlled absence” is a permament arrangement. The article goes on to say that 1 in 10 people in Britain who are in a committed relationship are choosing to live apart — and that this trend is spreading to America, Western Europe and Australia. The article goes on to give details of a study that has been done on the Living Apart Together (LAT) trend, and gives lots of statistics. One of the  sentence reads:

“At a time when nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, and long-term co-habitees, often with children, are at least as likely to separate, isn’t it encouraging to see people trying different ways of arranging their emotional and domestic lives?”

Again – WHAT??

I understand that sometimes there are situational issues that require couples to live apart – military, sickness, family issues … Completely understandable. But to choose that way of living for no apparent reason other than “this is what works for us” or because a couple can’t figure out a compromise? I just don’t get it! To me, this is just another sign that the institution of marriage is dying.

I’ve briefly mentioned that I have already been married and divorced  - and I most definitely agree that there are situations that warrant divorce. In my case, we were too young and we’re ready for marriage. It wasn’t a healthy relationship by any means. Every relationship is different. But P and I are now approaching our 5th year together – and we’ve owned our home for almost 4 years now. We are not married, but yet, I know that he is my soulmate and makes me whole. I also know that he and I work very, very, VERY hard at our relationship…. (most days anyway!).

I will admit that there are some (and sometimes many) days where I think “being single would be so much easier”, and it probably would. But I feel incredible lucky that I have found unconditional love and the person that I can’t live without — and yes, sometimes I do have to remind myself of that when he’s driving me bananas! Let’s face it, relationships do take work – you have to learn how to communicate, listen, love, and compromise with this other person – and that’s not always easy … or fun! But being in a committed relationship means that we do the work — it means that we want to work though the tough stuff together — it means that I always have his back and support him — some days it means that even though I don’t like him very much at that moment, I still love him deeply and want us BOTH to be happy. In the same dwelling.

The couples in the article mentioned that some of the drawbacks to living apart was the extra cuddles and affection that they miss out on. To me, that’s HUGE. What about the love notes, and gestures that we do for one another, what about the random hugs in the kitchen, or the family walks in the summer, holding hands while we plow through the DVR, or spraying one another with water when we do the dishes — and who would keep my feet warm in the winter when I refuse to wear socks?! Who would make me laugh on those days that I just want to cry? To me, it’s those little moments that make up the relationship — and I don’t know how any of those would happen if we lived apart. Besides, I would miss him terribly!

Both  P and I enjoy time apart — but we CAN do that in our house at the same time. I have realized that I really do draw energy from doing things alone at times (see introvert post!). I also have a tendency to be a little clingy at times — but I’m working hard at that (key word: working) .. and I also know that have other relationships are just as important. I need my friends. and time to puruse things that make me happy. So does he.

I think many people think/hope/forget that relationships take work and that everything isn’t just amazing all the time. But honestly, you can’t figure out a compromise so you can live in the same house? And how does this affect children? I’d like to see the stats on that honestly.

So basically, my “WTF” response is really a “I think that’s a horrible idea.” There’s a way to make it work – you just have to figure it out.

And now, on a selfish side note that’s completely unrelated, I would so appreciate any good vibes and prayers you could send this way today — niece Olivia begins her ATG (drugs kinda like chemo) treatment today for her aplastic anemia — we don’t know how this will affect her yet or what the side effects will be. I’m just praying that this is the start of some serious healing … at 8 years old Livi is far braver than I will ever be.

Happy Wednesday friends — let’s get over this hump!!

QUESTIONS: How do you feel about this LAT thing? Good idea? Bad idea? What’s your feeling about marriage in general?

Time Machine?

So  I know it’s Friday already … I’m not really sure how that happened, especially since it’s been a very long week! (Minus the birthday celebrations — which were amazing!!!) … but anyway, I never got to tell you about the fun we had this weekend

So let’s pretend that it’s monday (just for a second, I promise!) and I tell my story about our weekend adventures! Life had been so busy the previous week that P and I promised each other that we’d spend some time together on Saturday, just he and I (okay and Fiona). Hooray! We decided to go letterboxing together (check out my post all about letterboxing 101 here!) at a nearby state park. We spent some time in the morning getting stuff done around the house (side note, I swear, owning a house is really a full-time job. not enough hours in my day!!), and then took off in the early afternoon.

Walking on water

Thacher Park is enormous and there are tons of areas to picnic, trails to walk, and a pretty sweet overlook withan incredible view! It was a beauitful day for a hike – and we had a blast. We didn’t find all of our letterboxes, so we’ll have to go back and finish!

King and Queen of the rock

Fiona tinks that she’s a goat and likes to climb things We’re so lucky to have this state park so close to us, and we really should get out there more! There’s so much more to explore, and Fiona loves to walk in the woods! Plus, it makes her a tired puppy later on. Now, if we could just get her to carry her own supplies!

On sunday we started off the day at our local farmer’s market. We are so excited that it has moved back outside, and it’s a place we go to pretty regularly! It’s neat to see the different goods that are there and I like to buy local produce! Sadly, we got there kind of late today, so most of the fruits and veggies were picked over … but we couldn’t resist these “adult cheeze-its”

yum

We also got some flowers for the hanging baskets on our porch and got them planted. I love how summery they make the front of the house feel … now we just have to find a way to lenghten the chains … they are kinda short, which makes watering them kinda tricky! We also got the rest of our garden planted!! Hooray! Last year we made our planter box for our anniversary, so our planting got started kinda late!

This year we planted peppers, a tomato plant, peas, broccoli, lettuce and green beans … I am already watching anxiously for sprouts .. although some of the seeds take like 60 days , haha! I am hoping that we are more successful than last year! We finished off the weekend by celebrating Cinco de Mayo at home with tacos and margaritas (made from a mix that we bought at the farmer’s market last year — so good!)

We were too lazy to get out the real margarita glasses

It really was a great way to start the week

Can’t say that this weekend will be all that relaxing this time around! My poor P has been struck with a wicked stomach bug – so I am trying to take care of him and not catch it!!! Plus, he is headed to Boston for a RedSox (EWWWWWWWWWWWW!) game on Sunday, so it will be a mad rush to get life/house things accomplished on Saturday, since it will be all about Mom on Sunday for me. I still have to tell you all about my exciting bday gifts… next week my friends!

For all of my readers and blends that are Moms — a very big happy Mother’s day to you … and to all my fur-baby mom’s as well! It’s can be challenging to be Pet Mom’s as well!!

 

 

Birthday Wishes for Me

** Apparently, my posts aren’t publishing when I hit “publish” ANNOYING!!! This post was from Tuesday, May 7th **

It’s kind of a BIG day around here ….

It’s my birthday!!  :D

And I already started off my day with all things blue — including blue curaco  – but I didn’t open it yet, promise!

And I’m that girl who kinda gets super excited about birthdays — I think it’s so important for everyone to have one day that they celebrate everything that they are with all the people who love them! Now, I think we should do this every day, but on your birthday, you should go all out!!

Over the past year I have learned:

• to appreciate my body and all that it can do. I spend way too much time putting it down instead of celebrating all that it can do every day!
• to put more emphasis on experiences rather than “stuff” — I find that while shopping makes me VERY happy, it’s wise to invest in experiences that create memories that can last a lifetime
• My health is important – you never know what can happen.
• “Faking it until you make it” actually works!
• Random acts of kindness, and kindness in general, can really make a HUGE difference
• I’m a runner, and fitness/exercise/running is super important to me.
• Never, ever, ever take a loved one for granted
• Always take the time to tell someone what they mean to you and how they have impacted you
• Eat froyo whenever you can, and don’t feel guilty about it
• Time with friends and family is a healthy habit
• Stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a risk is worth it
• Chocolate is actually a necessity. So is coffee.
• Being creative is something that’s a big part of who I am
• When I stop focusing on how life “should” be,  i can be present in what IS happening.

It’s been a year of learning…. one that I wouldn’t change a single moment of Turning 30 last year was really hard. 30 sounds so “old” to me … and I felt like my life just wasn’t where it was “supposed to be.” Well, you know what they say about making plans! This year I have learned, or accepted at the very least, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be right NOW.  That realization has made me so much more happy!

So, I have one goal for this year:

This is a necklace that my “sister friend” (P’s SIL) got me for my birthday. It couldn’ t be more perfect. A fortune cookie with the fortune – “believe in yourself”

Believe in yourself. 3 little words that mean a whole world of things.

This year, i want to work on believing that I am an amazing person that deserves all that I have. I want to believe that I am a good girlfriend, sister, daughter, and friend. I want to believe all the positive things that people to say to me and not get bogged down on the negative. I will believe that I do make a difference in other’s lives.

I will believe that I inspire others.

I will believe P when he tells me that I am beautiful.

I will believe that I can do just about anything that I want to. I will believe that I am GOOD ENOUGH.  That is my wish for this year.

I am headed back to Risotto for dinner tonight with my family, P, and P’s parents.  I am excited for the food (of course!) and celebrating ME.

I am so looking forward to a brand new year that is filled with love, adventure, life, laughs, memories, and new accomplishments.

After all, the best is yet to come. Happy Birthday to Me!  Now, let’s go eat cake!

Don’t sweat the small stuff — Celebrate it!

Just like the rest of the working world, I am so, so, SO happy that Friday is here The weather this weekend is going to be absolutely amazing, and we have some fun plans in the works. P.S. We have wrap-around daycare at my school and on the way up to my office, I heard a little peanut yell “I am BATMAN!” and his friend then yelled “Well I am SPIDERMAN!!” #love. I kinda want to ditch my work and go play I can be Catwoman… or Ironman! I’d be totally okay with being able to jet off into the air every time that I needed to be somewhere!

So, as any teacher/educator/school psychologist knows, this is a crazy time of year…. especially for those of us involved in special education … this time of year is lovingly dubbed “annual review season” … although for some kids (since we take children from many different school districts) this “season” started in January! I digress. Anyway, we have been hard at work getting their testing done, writing reports, reflecting on their progress, and deciding on goals for next year! Busy, Busy, Busy … this year has been especially hard for us at my school because we’ve had a whole lot of staff changes over the last 4 months. Yesterday, I was involved in conversations about a particularly challenging student, as his speech therapist was feeling extremely frustrated with his progress and their relationship that day… plus, she is new and has only been with us for about 6 weeks. (I tend to do a lot of “teacher” counseling on some days — sometimes I think I’m better at this then I am with my students ) … We got to talking about what this particular student “looked like” when he started with us back in September… and although he continues to be challenging, he actually has made progress. It’s easy to forget things like that.

That kind of ended up being a long-winded introduction to my point

Sometimes, I find that it is really easy to get caught up in the details of our lives that we forget to take a step back and really think about the progress that we, and people in our lives even, have made.

This isn’t something that should be overlooked! or forgotten about … or diminshed!

Even progress that we might consider “Small” is STILL progress, and we should take the time to celebrate it!! I need to remember this when i do my measurements , etc. for BBB — even if I’ve lost 1/8 of an inch … that 1/8 of an inch is progress … and honestly, I had to work REALLY hard to make that “small” progress. I really need to at least pat myself on the back for that!! I spend a lot of my day on my “soap box” about using positive reinforcement and how it is so important to praise kids (and significant others!) to let them know what you want them to do. So much more effective then negative consequences. Why don’t I do that for myself? I deserve that too!

There is something to be said for always striving for more and finding ways to better yourself AND setting high standards for yourself. But there is also something to be said for recognizing the victories you’ve achieved and being happy with where you are as well. Life can be very hard some days … and I think it’s absolutely okay (and necessary.. and healthy!) to toot your own horn. Being proud of youself is sometimes looked at as “silly” or “egotistical”, I think. But it shouldn’t be. We should all be able to, and feel comfortable with, feeling pride about our own accomplishments. I’m not going to buy a billboard every time I accomplish something But I should at least take the time to reflect on the small victories and feel good about them!

Today, I will celebrate the fact that I’ve made it to the end of the week, that today will be workout # 4 of the week, that I was able to use 15lbs to bench press in BBB workout, and that I’ve made some good connections with friends and loved ones this week. I’m proud of myself for all of those things. *Toot Toot*

Questions:  What will you celebrate today? Toot your own horn with me! Any plans for the weekend?

Update on me, and a PSA: I need YOU!!

Hello there …. so I kinda disappeared there for  like… a week? Sorry I’m not sorry? In my mind, I didn’t have anything that was really post-worthy for most of the week! So, why post a bunch of nothing just to create a post, right?

Early this morning, I decided that today was going to be a good day. Why? Well 1. because the sun is shining, and it’s supposed to reach 70 degrees today (yay!). 2. I’m having a good hair day! 3. I had the opportunity to visit P’s church last night to pick up some toys/books that they were getting rid of, and brought them into school today. I got myself a dollhouse for play therapy, AND the teachers were super excited!, and 4. I’m wearing my purple flats,which make me fee veryl fashion-foward!

All great ways to start my day! Gotta love that.

So, little catch-up with what’s been going on in my world ….

• Weekend was awesome. The weather was beautiful, we spent time with P’s side of the family, and started planting our garden (ok, we put 2 pepper plants in, but it’s coming!!) We also had the opportunity to attend a gala for a local Humane Society on Saturday night, and it was a lot of fun. We were able to get all dressed up, and won some items that we bid on … plus all the money goes to help a local shelter … always a big plus in my book! I will admit that I experienced a little “buyer’s remorse” the day after, but then I realized that the money was going to a great cause and would help dogs and cats like my fur-babies…. so I got over that real quick!! 

• Best Body Bootcamp is starting it’s 5th week already!! I cant believe that it’s all going so fast. I wish I could describe to you how amazing this program is. First of all, I never have to really plan my workouts – everything is spelled out for me – but I can also change things up, if I need to. Case in point: was going through the toys last night at the church, so I didn’t get a workout in.  No biggie, I moved everything else back a day. I’ve been struggling with shin  and knee pain, so I’ve had to alter my cardio workouts – been doing DVD’s that are less impact on those areas instead of so much running. PLUS, I just re-did my “fitness test” that we completed at the start of the program, and I made improvements in everything except my plank hold! (and I wasn’t surprised because I had just finished the “jello arms” workout!) – if that doesn’t tell me I’m making progress then I don’t know what does … you need to join us next round!!! I’d be lying if I said i wasn’t already thinking about the next round

• Update on my niece: if you have been reading the blog over the last couple months, you know that my niece, Olivia has been pretty ill, and it was finally discovered that she somehow contracted the “Epstein-Barr” virus. In adults, this would be the mono virus, but it has affected her body very differently! She started out with jaundice, and then has had to have a bunch of blood and platelet transfusions because her body is no longer making white blood cells or platelets due to this virus. Last week was the Dr.’s “deadline” for seeing if Liv’s body would start making her own platelets.  Test results show that she is not She will now undergo medication to jumpstart her body to start producing white blood cells – the meds are just like chemotherapy. She was to start these on wednesday, but they have now discovered that she has some abcesses between her small and large intestine … so for the moment, she is on yet more antibiotics until that is cleared up.
  • Here is what I have learned through this whole ordeal: Children’s Hopsitals are amazing. Olivia has pariticpated in Easter and Earth Day celebrations, and she also gets a bead for every scary thing that she goes through and they get all strung together to symbolize her strength and courage.
  • Livi is so much stronger and more brave then I could ever be. So are her parents and my nephew, Brayden. I am so very proud of all of them.
  • they originally thought about a bone marrow transplant for Livi – but her younger brother was not a match — There is only a 25% chance that a sibling with match, and only a 50% chance that an identical twin will be a match! Instead of waiting for a donor, Olivia is getting the chemo. The doctors are confident that she will respond … and actually, at her test yesterday, she had a few of her own white blood cells!

Livi and her bravery necklace

So, now here, is my PSA for you:

Have you heard of Cameron Lyle? He is a a senior from the University of New Hampshire,who  trained 8 years to compete in the shotput for next month’s American East Championships. He recently told his coach he can’t go but for a great reason. Two years ago they took a swab of Cameron’s cheek for a bone marrow registry in his school cafeteria. He forgot all about it, then the other day the phone rang and doctor’s told him a 28 year old who has leukemia & SIX MONTHS to live is a perfect 100% match with Cameron. That’s a 1 in 5 million chance. If he donates his marrow he can save this strangers life but his athletic career is over. No tournament, no chance to be a champion. He said, “It was a no brainer”. Cameron chose LIFE over a trophy — a simply amazing, inspirational, warm fuzzy story. There is still good in this world. Read and watch his story here

Please, please, PLEASE visit your local blood bank - you can get swapped for the bone marrow registry and donate blood (and platelets!) at the same time. YOU could be the person that somewhere out there is waiting for. YOU could be the answer to someone’s prayer. YOU could save someone’s life.  Pretty sure there’s nothing more amazing then that. We are all blessed in so many different ways – think of what a priceless, amazing gift you could give to someone else.

You can also find out more information here for bone marrow donations. They will even send you a kit where you can swab yourself and send it in – then you are added to the registry.  I plan to start the process today. Won’t you join me?

Tackle your Tuesday friends. It’s going to be a good day.