One week of marathon training down, eleven more to go!
I finished off my first serious week of training with 10 miles this morning. I started and ended feeling great, practically itching to jump into next week’s 14 miler. I’m sure the runner’s high will be runner’s dread when my 20 miler pops up on my training schedule but for now I’m rolling with it.
I’ve joined a local running group and it’s amazing how quickly an hour or two of running goes by when you’re surrounded by smart, funny, motivated stranger-friends.
After my run, Mark and I took Ralphie out to a wildlife preserve at the northern tip of the Outer Banks, and what a gorgeous day. You will never be able to beat a sunny 60 degrees at the oceanfront in January. Sorry, NYC, but you’ve got nothin’ on the gorgeous Atlantic.
Happy Saturday, indeed.
Oh what a Wednesday. I’ve got a million things on my mind, including but not limited to:
The dentist. I went this morning and got my teeth reamed and now feel achy from my head to my shoulders. I also almost puked on the hygienist during x-rays so that was special.
Food. I’m having the above pictured (extra cheese-topped) chicken taco bowls for lunch today and dinner will be leftover homemade gyros. Mark and I pleasurably moaned for the duration of dinner last night if that’s any indicator of how good those gyros are.
Running. I got a running belt and I LOVE it! It doesn’t ride up or down and felt literally weightless last night carrying my keys for 4.5 miles at the park. Also, I’m meeting up with a local running group for 6 miles this evening - they’ve already emailed me joking that I’m going to lap them since I am running Boston. To that I say, HAHAHA, sorry to disappoint you, new friends.
Makeup. I bought a Bare Escentuals waterproof mascara last week and it’s crap. Watery eyes from my gag reflex at the dentist and my under-eye is grayish-black, so obviously this stuff won’t stand up to anything remotely active. Return.
Nail polish. I am wearing a very bright Barbie pink polish today and have gotten four compliments on it from four separate women at the dentist’s office. I’m so over dark wintery nail colors when it’s sunny and 60 degrees!
Happy Wednesday!
Interesting article. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought that running this marathon would be the end of me!
MOTIVATION: marathoners & their hearts.
via Well Good NYC:
Study Hall: Marathon runners are at low risk for heart attacks
Contrary to what media reports may have lead you to believe, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine (published January 12, 2012) found that running in marathons is associated with a lower risk of heart attack than lots of other (gentler) kinds of exercise.
Source: wellandgoodnyc.com
As anyone who’s read this blog knows, I love running. I announced last week that I’ll be running the Boston Marathon and I’m excited to tell you why and how.
If you’ve read my archives, you’ll know that I haven’t ever qualified. I’m on a team of 8 runners from around the country who are teaming up to raise over $40,000! We’re sending a team of high school students from Boston to help a village in Malawi build a primary school which will educate hundreds of children. The experience is life-changing for the urban American youth who spend two weeks in a developing country working hand-in-hand with the villagers to build the school.
As you know, I’ve been to Malawi and seen hundreds of children getting their lessons outside under a tree - a school building would mean everything to the families in this village. I’ve also seen the impact that a building like this has made in hundreds of other villages around the world which is why I’ve committed to running 26.2 miles in less than three months and raising $5,500 for this school.
I’m sure you know where this is going. I need your help. In order to make my goal of $5,500 by April 16th, every donation or assistance you can provide me helps immensely!
I encourage you to check out buildOn’s website here and if you want to see what we do firsthand, please watch this fantastic (short!) video on our website.
If you’re able to make a donation, here is the website where you can do so. Please know that buildOn is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and your contribution is 100% tax-deductible. My friends in Malawi and I thank you in advance for your generosity!
FINALLY, please reblog this post. Send it to anyone and everyone you know. Share my travel blog and buildOn’s mission and my big marathon goal. If you know anyone who’d be particularly interested in service learning and education both here and abroad, please let me know and I’d be happy to talk to them. Also, remember that your company may have a donation matching program that you can take advantage of and DOUBLE the impact of your gift!
Okay, enough of my sales pitch. I hope you all know that this is very important to me and I would be most grateful for any help you’re able to give. I love the people in these communities and feel very blessed to be able to help them by running 26.2 miles through the streets of Boston.
Most importantly, my friends in the photo above would be eternally thankful for an opportunity for education, for a future that they may not have had otherwise.
Want to know a personal secret about me?
I am slightly terrified of speaking in front of a group of people.
I’m not talking about giving a presentation to a room full of people - that I can prepare for and feel completely comfortable with. I’m not talking about a cocktail party - there I can single out a few people with whom I may have common interests and I’m not so bad at small talk.
I’m talking about brainstorming sessions or all-staff meetings or grad school classes where I have to raise my hand and volunteer an idea. For some reason, I am terrified and therefore just don’t do it. At all. Ever. Like, I went through two years of grad school at NYU without ever raising my hand and volunteering an idea once.
Phew. It’s out there.
I understand that this weakness will (and maybe has already) hold me back in my career and that I need to change it. I’ve discussed it with my boss and my CEO and while they understand and chalk it up to “shyness” (which I’m actually really NOT!) they’re expecting an effort this week.
You see, this week I have been invited to an executive leadership conference for my organization, along with the CEO and his direct reports. For the next three days there will be about 10 of us in a room with a facilitator where we will discuss personal development and how that relates to the growth of the organization. I will be expected to fully participate, share my ideas and contribute to the group like the leader that I am.
I’m nervous but am starting the day with a now-or-never attitude, so LET’S GET ‘ER DONE! Happy Wednesday!
Do you want to know why my face is all up in your business on a Monday morning?
It’s because I’ve got BIG NEWS.
Despite your probable guesses, my big news isn’t that I’m pregnant or that we bought a house.
My news is that I’M RUNNING THE BOSTON MARATHON.
I can’t wait to tell you more about it but for now all I can think about is running nine miles this weekend. Here we go!
Here is a picture of a cute puppy to cheer you up, you know, just in case you were outbid on your dream house.
NOT THAT I WOULD KNOW.
Another offer has been submitted on our dream house!
Both our offer and the other (hopefully INFERIOR, UGH!) offer will be presented to the seller tomorrow morning, so let’s all send out a little wish and a prayer that we look the most enticing! I’m not ready to face the it wasn’t meant to be situation yet.
This just means that I can kiss tonight’s sleep goodbye right now.
I feel a little nauseous this morning and I can’t eat breakfast and I’ve got the jimmy leg and I can’t focus on my work that really, desperately needs to get done.
We put an offer on a house this morning.
You guys, the house is immaculate. It’s newish but has the old-fashioned character I wanted - gorgeous wood trim and exposed beams and a wood burning fireplace with a big old mantle. The floors are shiny, real hardwood and the kitchen! OMG THE KITCHEN! Imagine the cooking I could do in here!
All the boring, expensive house stuff (roof, gutters, hot water heater, heat/air units, insulation) has recently been done and done well, and the owner clearly took great pride in his (hopefully, maybe OUR lovely) home.
I’m wiggling my spirit fingers in the direction of the sellers, hoping we can come to an agreement, so WE. SHALL. SEE.
(EEEEEEE!!!!!!)
I live in Virginia but I don’t stay put for very long. I’m a nonprofit worker extraordinaire, and I love to climb mountains and travel to places no one else wants to go.
